Gas Leaf Blowers, Speed Camera Local Authority Sought By Falls Church

FALLS CHURCH, VA — Ahead of the newly-elected Virginia General Assembly convening in 2024, Falls Church City Council approved its legislative program to outline priorities the city seeks from Richmond.

Key updates in the 2024 legislative program concern funding for K-12 public education, local authority for speed cameras, local authority to ban gas leaf blowers and honorary street renaming near the Eden Center. Councilmember Debbie Hiscott also requested that authority to adopt more energy-efficient building codes be added to the legislative prorgam.

Localities like Falls Church typically submit a legislative program to inform elected officials about the city's position on state issues. Virginia is a Dillon Rule state, which means the General Assembly must provide authority for localities to act on local issues.

The legislative program includes input from different city commissions and boards, as well as other Northern Virginia legislators. The Falls Church City School Board is expected to approve its own legislative program for the school division on Tuesday.

A ban on gas leaf blowers was mentioned by the city's Environmental Sustainability Council and Urban Forestry Commission.

"As you heard from the city clerk's report of written public comments earlier, you have received comments predominantly in support of the gas leaf blower ban and the increasing of speed cameras. But there were also those who spoke in love concern in opposition to those being in your legislative program," said Cindy Mester, the city's community relations and legislative affairs director.

At Monday's City Council meeting, Hiscott said the legislative program adoption doesn't mean the city will take action on all the priorities.

"By us agreeing to this legislative package, we're not saying affirmatively that we're banning anything or we're taking all these," said Hiscott. "It gives us local authority to then have the discussion. So I know we heard opposing positions on leaf blowers, for instance. But putting this in our legislative package, would give us the opportunity to make that decision at a local level."

On traffic safety, the city continues to seek expanded authority for placing red light cameras and speed cameras. Leaders are also seeking clarity on whether preschools can be included in the definition of school zones for speed cameras. Virginia legislation currently allows speed zone cameras in active school zones, as well as highway work zones. The city is planning its first speed camera in a school zone on W. Broad Street near St. James Catholic School. The city already has several red light cameras on Broad Street.

Vice Mayor Letty Hardi noted the city is following SB 847, which would allow bicyclists to proceed during leading pedestrian intervals. That bill, which failed in 2023, would provide clarity on the rules for bicyclists at crosswalks.

"Treating them also as like a more vulnerable user of the streets like a pedestrian versus treating them like a car, so that's what I personally would support," said Hardi.

On K-12 education, the city continues to call for increased investments in education by the state. The city is also opposing any diversion of state funds from K-12 schools to fund private lab schools or non-public schools. Gov. Glenn Youngkin's administration has been working to start public lab schools in partnership with higher education institutions.

Another priority added to the legislative program was the ability to make an honorary street renaming near the Eden Center. The city is seeking an honorary designation of Saigon Boulevard on a portion of Wilson Boulevard near the Eden Center. The street name came up as one of the priorities from the Vietnamese community during the East End Small Area Plan process, which sets a development and reinvestment vision for the neighborhood. In the legislative program, the city supports legislation allowing the honorary renaming if state authority is required.

Other priorities the city has included in its legislative programs include state enforcement for tenant rights, expanding local tax authority, more Metro funding and more.

The Virginia General Assembly will convene on Jan. 10, 2024 and is expected to last 60 days. Democrats gained a majority in the Virginia House and kept their majority in the Senate. Newly-elected state Sen. Saddam Salim (D-Falls Church) and Del. Marcus Simon (D-Falls Church) will be given the city's legislative program. City staff will work to plan a community town hall with the city's state legislators.

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