City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: OCTOBER 9, 2025
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
THROUGH: JAMES F. PARAJON, CITY MANAGER
FROM: MICHAEL MOON, INTERIM DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Introduction and First Reading. Consideration. AN ORDINANCE to amend and reordain Section 5-6-229.10 (PENALTIES) of Division 4 (FATS, OILS, AND GREASE (FOG), FOG MANAGEMENT), Article B (SEWAGE DISPOSAL AND DRAINS) of Title 5 (TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES) of the Code of the City of Alexandria, Virginia, 1981, as amended.
BODY
ISSUE: Consideration of proposed amendments to Section 5-6-229.10 of the City Code.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council:
1. Introduce and pass on first reading Tuesday, October 14, 2025, the ordinance (Attachment 2) amending City Code section 5-6-229.10 to modify the penalties section in order to be in accordance and compliant with what is allowed by the Code of Virginia.
2. Set the ordinance for public hearing and final passage on Saturday, October 18, 2025.
BACKGROUND: The discharge of fats, oils and grease (FOG) into the City’s sanitary sewer collection system causes and contributes to sanitary sewer blockages, obstructions, and sanitary sewer overflows. In September 2020, City Council amended Title 5, Chapter 6 of the City Code to update the existing sewage disposal ordinance related to the discharge of FOG from food service establishments (FSEs), with an effective date of July 1, 2021.
DISCUSSION: Findings from FOG inspections completed to date indicate that while most FSEs have proper FOG control, a small number do not have grease control devices installed to address FOG discharges, as is required by the City Code. Following FOG inspections, staff sent letters to those FSEs that did not have proper grease control equipment stating that a follow-up inspection would be conducted, and that civil penalties would be issued if they had not installed a grease control device.
Prior to performing those re-inspections, a review of the Code of Virginia was conducted with respect to FOG, and it was discovered that the schedule of civil penalties was not in compliance with state law. Re-inspections were conducted in July-August of 2025 and a total of sixteen (16) FSEs received a Notice of Violation (NOV) issued for not having a grease control device installed, but no civil penalty was issued. Once City Council amends the ordinance, another round of inspections will be performed of these establishments, and any NOV issued will include a civil penalty.
FISCAL IMPACT: Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) has in place a program to inspect FSEs for compliance with the City Code as it pertains to FOG discharges. There are no additional fiscal impacts with the proposed changes to the Ordinance.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Ordinance Cover
2. Ordinance
STAFF:
Emily Baker, Deputy City Manager
Cheran Ivery, City Attorney, CAO
Christina Zechman Brown, Deputy City Attorney, CAO
Michael Moon, Interim Director, T&ES
Alicia Wright, Assistant Director, Administrative Services, T&ES
Erin Bevis-Carver, Division Chief, T&ES, Sanitary Infrastructure
Suzanne Salva, Civil Engineer III, T&ES, Sanitary Infrastructure