Monday, December 3, 2012
Busy week at Mount Daniel Elementary after two utility lines break in one day.
Before long, a new six-story hotel will join the skyline along West Broad Street in Falls Church. Last week, the developers of the project and city officials broke ground at the future location of a Hilton Garden Inn that’s expected to open early 2014. The biggest talker of the week, however, was the estimated $550 million jackpot in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing. Unfortunately, no winning ticket was sold in Falls Church this time. The closest winning ticket, worth $1 million, was sold in Arlington. Mount Daniel Elementary had a very rough Thursday having a water main break, causing the school to dismiss at 10:30 a.m. Later in the day, while crews worked to repair the break, they accidentally cut an adjacent gas line. All is well at the …
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Deal $4 million less than original price set by the city in April.
The $40 million price tag on the deal to sell Falls Church Water to Fairfax Water seems fair to City Manager Wyatt Shields. In April, the city set the minimum bid to sell the 80-year-old water system for $44 million. If the water system is sold, Falls Church’s boundary with Fairfax County would change and now include George Mason High and Mary Ellen Henderson Middle complex and the Falls Church City Public Schools athletic facilities, which sit just outside city limits. “These agreement terms as a package, including the boundary adjustment, the financial terms and the non-monetary terms reflect the fair value of the system and are beneficial for the city, Fairfax Water and Fairfax County,” Shields said. Voters will get to vote on a …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Fairfax County residents hope city residents vote in favor of 2013 referendum to sell Falls Church Water.
Dick Rosenbaum is hopeful city residents will vote on a November 2013 referendum that would complete the transaction of selling Falls Church Water to Fairfax Water. As a McLean-area resident, Rosenbaum has been a Falls Church Water customer for some time and felt he was being charged too much for the service. Rosenbaum said he has written City Manager Wyatt Shields in the past about the prices the water company charged. He says it wasn’t the prices that were his biggest problem. “It troubled me that the money I paid went to supporting the City of Falls Church government,” Rosenbaum said. “When we found out they were transferring money from the water department to the city’s general fund, that upset me.” Others have voiced their optimism …
Monday, November 26, 2012
Holiday season in full swing n Falls Church.
Thanksgiving is behind us but the holiday season is rolling on. For Fairfax Water, the holidays have started off well since they have a deal in place to acquire Falls Church Water. The deal is dependent on a referendum vote in November 2013 by residents of the City of Falls Church. Some people have already spoke out in favor of the deal. You can still voice your opinion on the issue. I’ve always heard people say it’s better to give than receive and the Falls Church Volunteer Fire Department put those words into action. Last week, they donated an ambulance to the Island Park Volunteer Fire Department (New York) who lost just about everything in Super Storm Sandy. Jack Gomersall told the baseball world last week that he’ll be taking his …
Friday, November 23, 2012
A deal was reached to sell the water company to Fairfax Water, pending a public vote in November 2013.
For months the city has tried to sell Falls Church Water and Tuesday, a deal was reached to sell it to Fairfax Water. The deal still needs a majority of the city’s resident’s support on a November 2013 referendum. Tuesday, the city agreed to sell the water company to Fairfax Water for $40 million, $4 million less than the original minimum bid. Selling the company to Fairfax Water would see rates drop for current Falls Church Water customers. According to a graph on the Fairfax Water website, their customers pay $60.19 per 24,000 gallons over a three-month period. Falls Church Water customers, according to the same chart, are paying $86.55 for the same services. If the deal goes through, Falls Church Water’s boundary with Fairfax County …
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
City of Falls Church residents will vote to approve the deal in November of 2013.
A deal to sell Falls Church Water to Fairfax Water for $40 million has been reached and will now go before City of Falls Church residents for an approval vote in November of 2013. The 80-year-old water company could be sold to Fairfax Water following successful negotiations Tuesday. The Falls Church City Council, the Fairfax Water Board of Directors and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved the negotiated terms. “The City of Falls Church is proud of its long-standing commitment to regional cooperation,” City of Falls Church Mayor Nader Baroukh said in a release Tuesday afternoon. “The potential sale of the water system is a testament to that ideal and in the best interests of its water customers, taxpayers and utility employees…
Thursday, November 8, 2012
All sides met Thursday to discuss sale of Falls Church Water to Fairfax Water but more discussions are needed at a later date.
Officials from the City of Falls Church, Fairfax Water and Fairfax County met Thursday to discuss the possible sale of Falls Church Water but those talks will continue at a later date. Susan Finarelli, spokeswoman for the city, said discussions within the mediation are confidential and could not be discussed. No date has been set for future meetings as of yet. In October, the city and Fairfax County agreed to discuss the sale of Falls Church Water to Fairfax Water in mediations with Magistrate Judge Theresa Carroll Buchanan. In April, the city set a minimum bid to buy the 80-year-old system at $44 million. The city received nine inquiries from other water companies to buy the system including one from Fairfax Water. A scheduled May auction…
Monday, October 29, 2012
Residents and emergency responders ready for hurricane.
Hurricane Sandy made her way into the headlines toward the end of the week and we should see the worst she has to offer some time today. No matter what weather the hurricane brings to the area, Falls Church is ready. Earlier in the week, city council voted unanimously to sell the land it owns to a developer who wants to bring a Harris Teeter to the area. The city also announced they will sit down to discuss selling Falls Church Water to Fairfax Water soon. Congressman Jim Moran (D-8th District) was in the news because of his son, Patrick, allegedly discussing how skirt around voter identification laws. None of the four Fall Church-area high school football teams won on the field Friday night, but the areas namesake school’s quarterback, …
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Mediation set for Nov. 8 with Magistrate Judge Theresa Carroll Buchanan.
A sale of Falls Church Water to Fairfax Water could happen after all. Late Wednesday afternoon, the City of Falls Church released a statement discussing a meeting between the two water companies to mediate over terms for a possible sale. Magistrate Judge Theresa Carroll Buchanan set the mediation for Nov. 8. “This is a good-faith effort by the city to continue our long history of regional cooperation,” Vice Mayor David Snyder in the release. “The City will enter mediation in the best interests of its water customers, taxpayers, and utility employees.” After months of trying to sell the water company, in August the city announced they would continue operating Falls Church Water. In April, the city set a minimum bid to buy the 80-year-old …
Friday, August 10, 2012
Kirk Randall said Falls Church uses Fairfax County customers like a personal ATM machine.
The decision not to sell Falls Church Water has not settled well with at least one customer. McLean resident Kirk Randall has gotten his water from the water company since 1959. Randall said unlike utilities such as Dominion Power and Washington Gas, the Falls Church City Council can charge its county customers pretty much whatever it wants. "This means that over 120,000 Fairfax County customers will continue to pay nearly 50 percent more for their water than their neighbors," said Randall. The City of Falls Church decided to end discussions with Fairfax Water Wednesday to sell the 80-year-old utility company. Mayor Nader Baroukh said the city took a business approach to the negotiations but is happy to continue providing water. The city …
John Strother
9:38 am on Saturday, December 15, 2012
One is Gordon Road, the other is Gordons Road. They are not the same road. Cross the border as in going into another country? Must be if you mean Falls Church is a separate country than the rest of Virginia. The county and city line isn't a border. Gordons Road in Fairfax County was declare that it wasn't ever accepted by the Fairfax County in the early 1980's. Thus, it should had been returned … more ›