City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JANUARY 22, 2018
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Update on the 2018 General Assembly Session.
BODY
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ISSUE: Update on the 2018 General Assembly Session.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council approve the legislative positions included in Attachment 1 (Recommended Positions on Bills of Importance to the City), as recommended by Council's Legislative Subcommittee (Mayor Silberberg and Councilman Smedberg).
DISCUSSION: The 2018 General Assembly Session began on January 10 and is scheduled to adjourn on March 10. The deadline for the introduction of legislation was Friday, January 19.1 As of that date, 2,837 bills and resolutions had been introduced. Many of them deal with perennial issues, such as absentee voting, restoration of civil rights to felons who have completed their prison time, guns, minimum wage, and domestic violence.
Sarah Taylor, the City's new Legislative Director, is representing the City in Richmond this Session.
Combined Sewer Overflow Legislation: As you know, Alexandria's biggest issue in the 2017 Session was CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflows). In 2016, the City approved a plan to address 3 of the City's 4 CSO outfalls, and took action to begin planning for the way to deal with the fourth one. However, legislation was passed last Session that requires the City to complete all its CSO work by 2025.
The City has worked diligently since this legislation was passed to begin to develop work plans that will meet this new deadline. All CSO-related planning and work is being done in coordination with AlexRenew.
The City also worked during the past year with the McAuliffe administration to secure State funding to help pay for this massive project. As a result, Governor McAuliffe included $20 million in State bond funds to help pay for t...
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