Membership Meeting Minutes-December 9, 2020

Posted onAuthorDRCA Secretary

December DRCA Membership Meeting

  1. Rachel Lazarus, DRCA Activities Director
    1. Holiday House Competition
      1. Enter or nominate
      2. Judges: Councilman John T. Chapman, Renée Adams (“The Del Ray Poetry Fence”), The Poop Brothers.
    2. Mask Fundraiser through CustomInk
      1. Sold directly to business
      2. $1,691 total raised
      3.  Mask delivery starts 12/14
      4. Charities:
        1. Holiday Sharing Program
        2. Domestic Violence Program Shelter
  2. Kristen Gratton, DRCA Membership Director
    1. Limited edition holiday mask
      1. Linen (original)
      2. Only 20 available
      3. Order through: https://forms.gle/ienfaHLmNDsp2rrWA
  3. Del Ray Crime & Traffic Report, Captain Dennis Andreas, Alexandria Police Department
    1. Crime
      1. Goods news for, crime wise, decline in crime despite City-wide double digit increases
      2. In Del Ray only 8 part 1 offenses (last year 21)
      3. 0.7 % gain total for year
      4. Only one larceny from auto
      5. Burglary from Walgreens?
        1. Still under investigation
    2. Traffic
      1. 33 stops (down all year because COVID-19)
  4. ASO Update, Captain Sean Casey, Alexandria Sheriff’s Office
    1. Operation Elf (donations till 12/14) infant to 15 yo
    2. Away from Home Checks: Contact Community Relations Unit
      1. Leaving town? ASO can check on residence
    3. Jails have been relatively COVID-19 free
  5. Land Use Committee, Kristine Hesse
    1. SUP 222 E Monroe
      1. Torn down, substandard lot, need SUP
      2. Applied as an addition, but lied!
      3. Rod: Concern that fly-by-night developer gamed the rules
      4. Going to the Planning Commission to represent DRCA
  6. Special Guest: Alexandria City Councilman, John T. Chapman
    1. Judge for DRCA holiday house competition
    2. New Covid-19 restrictions on horizon
    3. $30M of CAREs act given
      1. $9M for City response
      2. $4.1 M food security
        1. $0.5 M more (take up to April?) (e.g ALIVE)
      3. Evictions work with local landlords
      4. $5M —> Small business grants
      5. AEDP (weatherization program) $0.5M
      6. $2M spent on more effective
      7. $1M childcare efforts
      8. CARES $ must be spent by December 31!
    4. How to prolong support?
    5. Homeless problem growing esp. “Del Ray North”
      1. Connect to shelter. Alexandria has a winter shelter
    6. Restaurant winterization efforts cleared with AEDP, VA Health, but not with Alexandria Fire
    7. Carpenters Shelter opens in new shelter on Route 1
    8. Waypoint
    9. VA American Water refund coming (couple of billing cycles; not huge)
    10. Please help fill vacancies on City Boards and Commissions
    11. Questions on issues in Alexandria
      1.  Flooding
        1. Capital Improvements Projects
        2. 90 locations with flooding, need structural changeS
        3. Development and runoff?
        4. Sewer fee tie to impermeable surface
        5. Incentivize business owner to increase percentage of permeable surface?
        6. Not a lot of use of credit program
          1. Requires annual renewal for continued credit
      2. City Tax Revenue down on account of Covid. Ideas?
      3. Impact of Metro (new station, reduced ridership)
      4. EJI starts getting restarted
      5. Pedestrian friendly measures
  7. Accessory Dwelling Unit presentation
    1. Questions?
      1. What’s in it for Del Ray?
      2. Why McMansions and not ADU?
      3. What about ToP Historic District?
      4. Do lessons learned from Monroe Ave “Spite Gardage” apply?
      5. Windows?
    2. Quorum called: 32 members
    3. Questions called: 23 yea; 6 opposed
  8. Announcements
    1. DRCA Announcements
      1. Please enter the Holiday House contest!
    2. Del Ray Business Association
      1. Thank you for Turkey Trot sponsorship
      2. 3000 cans of food —> ALIVE
      3. New drive for Carpenter Shelter (toiletries)
      4. New scavenger hunt along the Avenue (prizes: gift cards)
      5. Thank you for tree lighting to Mango Mike and Windmill
      6. Holiday window painting has started
      7. No individual trees contest or street sign festoonery
      8. Candy Cane Bar Crawl “To Go”
        1. December 19
        2. 15 restaurants participating
        3. “All day” event
    3. Del Ray Artisans
      1. Holiday Art Market: Two more weekend with different artists. Covid measures in place to make it a safe shopping experience.