MANASSAS — Six city council candidates were given the opportunity to present their visions for Manassas at an open forum on Friday.

“Candidates Forum – Your City, Your Topics” was hosted by Historic Manassas, Inc., and moderated by Potomac Local publisher Uriah Kiser and Pastor Keith Savage of First Baptist Church. Twelve questions were gathered from online submissions, placed in sealed envelopes, and read to candidates for the first time at the forum.

These questions were addressed to two candidates at a time — one Democrat and one Republican. After one question had been answered by two candidates, moderators moved on to another question.

The conversation ranged from how to support city businesses to building quality schools. Candidates were also asked about their visions for Manassas far into the future.

The candidates

On the Republican ticket are Marc Aveni, Amalfi Arias and Theresa Coates-Ellis. On the Democrat ticket are Ken Elston, Rex Parr and Michelle Davis-Younger. Candidates were given three minutes for opening remarks at the beginning.

Ken Elston, running for re-election, has served on city council since 2014. He was previously director of the School of Theater at George Mason University. “Transparency is tremendously important to me,” he said. He referenced his support for capital investment plan (CIP) funding and transparent fiscal management.

Theresa Coates-Ellis has lived in Manassas for 30 years and graduated from George Mason University with a degree in business communication. Her priorities include “economic development, public relations, public image, fiscal responsibility and job growth.”

Amalfi Arias, a longtime resident of Manassas, wants to support schools, attract high-paying jobs, and preserve the city’s history. “Something that I look forward to doing is making sure that Manassas is seen as a jewel of Northern Virginia,” he said.

Rex Parr has lived and worked in Manassas for the last 40 years. He was CEO of Didlake, Inc., headquartered in Manassas, and has served on numerous committees and task forces. Parr wants to help develop a new vision for Manassas, informed by the citizens, and predicated on education, public safety, economic development and transportation.

Michelle Davis-Younger, a lifelong resident of Manassas and small business owner, has education at the forefront of her campaign. “I am not a politician,” she said. “I am just a mom who cares and wants to see the city that I love do better.”

Marc Aveni, running for re-election, has served on the city council for three terms. He currently works for Prince William County public works and is chairman of the fire and rescue committee and chairman of the finance committee. “My theme is keeping you safe and watching your money,” he said, referencing the city’s triple-A bond rating and fiscal strength.

Thinking outside downtown

Elston and Coates-Ellis were asked how they would promote business throughout the entire city, not just in downtown Manassas.

Coates-Ellis suggested incorporating Historic Manassas, Inc., throughout the city to have them help with promoting and marketing businesses. “We need to focus on breaking our city into neighborhoods,” she said.

Elston recommended encouraging land-use developers and continuing to invest in the city’s schools.

Aveni and Davis-Younger were asked who is responsible for cost overruns on capital projects, and how concerned taxpayers should be.

“Taxpayers should be very concerned,” said Davis-Younger. “Participate in the meetings, the hearings, and be present so that you have a say in what’s going on,” she added.

Aveni blamed cost overruns on projects that are not vetted enough. “Rough numbers are thrown out, the project gets approved, but then we find that the project has gone up millions of dollars.”

Such projects need to be thoroughly vetted, and he said “those who vote for and support these projects do bear the responsibility.”

Urging more homeowners to choose Manassas over Prince William 

One question noted that more people commute into Manassas than commute out, indicating that fewer people are wanting to live in the city. “What steps do you plan to take to encourage families to move into the city?” Parr and Arias were asked.

Parr said that education was the answer. “The reputation of our schools has to be positive. We are fighting some legacy issues with the ratings, but I for one see a lot of positive progress,” he said.

Arias suggested a focus on attracting high-paying jobs closer and improving education, and added too many people in Manassas are renting when they could be buying.

Several questions addressed rumors and proposals for city land. One proposal involves the lawn in front of Manassas Museum, and candidates were asked whether the lawn should be utilized or left alone.

Aveni said that the lawn should stay where it is. However, he sees huge potential in the almost 30 acres of undeveloped land behind the museum, where he envisions a mix of residential, commercial and public space that could enhance Old Town’s existing footprint. Davis-Younger agreed that the lawn should remain, serving as important green space and a community gathering point.

Build on Godwin ballfields? 

Another question inquired about a rumor to sell the ballfields near Micron to a commercial developer. Arias said that rumor was ridiculous and that the ballfields should stay where they are. Parr, on the other hand, thought it was “worth considering” to build new ballfields in a different location and use the valuable land near Micron “for a commercial purpose that will generate revenue in our city.”

Education was a common theme for the night, with several questions focusing on how to improve schools while moderating the number of tax dollars that go into the system. The city of Manassas has some of the lowest education ratings in Virginia, and opinions diverge on how best to address this issue.

Several candidates agreed that a joint committee between the school board and city council is crucial for forward movement. Until that happens, both groups “are working at cross purposes,” said Parr. Coates-Ellis added that she would love to be a part of a joint committee, referencing her experience with school relations.

“Nothing is more important than a first-rate school system. Without one people don’t move here and businesses don’t follow,” said Parr.

Elston said that assessments are not the way to improve education, however. He suggested changing assessments to include creative standards. “If we are going to be competitive on a national scale, we need creative thinkers, otherwise we’re just history units,” he said.

Candidates were given three minutes for closing remarks at the end. In his remarks, Elston criticized Aveni for voting against certain measures that he thought would improve the city.

“I don’t understand why he’s been actively campaigning against a traffic circle on 28 … when we don’t actually know yet how much it’s going to cost us,” said Elston. “We have voted for a CIP funding which allows for redirected dollars, something that Mr. Aveni voted against. He also voted against our economic development staff, when our economic development improvements have been amazing.”

Aveni responded in his closing remarks. “I do have a problem with $70,000 to study a roundabout, not design it, not build it at an intersection that only needs a traffic light,” he said.

“Manassas is at a crossroads,” Aveni said. “We have the second highest tax rate in the state of Virginia, only beat out by Manassas Park. Fiscal restraint is appropriate. Councilmembers have a responsibility for fiscal restraint.”

“We are neighbors,” Arias said in his closing. “We have to work together.”

“Everyone up here and out there wants what’s best for the city,” Aveni said.

This forum was one of the few opportunities voters have had to hear from city council candidates this election cycle. A candidate meet and greet is scheduled for October 24 at 6:30 p.m., hosted by Wellington Community Association. A debate will be held on October 30 at Metz Middle School at 7 p.m., hosted by the Prince William Chamber of Commerce.

Potomac Local will continue to post Project: Election survey responses from candidates running in the city elections on our website, in our Breakfast Links email, and in a special voters’ guide email on November 5.

MANASSAS — The Manassas city council on Monday night approved a special-use permit for Micron to build its expanded facility higher than the city’s current ordinances allow.

The council voted 5-1 to increase the city’s maximum building height from 75 feet to 120 feet in the case of Micron’s expansion.

Steve Silberstein, site director of Micron, told the council that the extra height is necessary for Micron’s new $3 billion expanded facility, which will house crucial technology and equipment.

Typically, changes to city ordinances require two readings at two separate city council meetings, but the council moved to expedite the process and grant the special-use permit (SUP) to Micron after one reading.

The city’s planning and zoning manager, Matthew Arcieri, urged the council to accommodate Micron’s tight schedule and confirmed the recommendation and unanimous approval of the city’s economic development department.

“The SUP can be approved, conditional on the approval of the second reading,” said city clerk Andrea Madden. “It saves processing time for staff and the applicant if there’s no objections or citizen comment.”

“Micron has an exceptionally tight schedule, and literally losing a week or two puts their schedule in jeopardy,” councilmember Mark Wolfe said.

More details on the progression of the project and other items such as utilities will be presented to the council for approval as the Micron expansion moves forward.

The taller facility will be visible from Nokesville Road and Godwin Drive and is expected to visually impact nearby industrial and business zones.

Silberstein told the council that the new Micron facility is groundbreaking in a variety of ways.

“We are not only building a manufacturing facility, but Micron has also determined that we will have worldwide basis as an R&D [Research and Development] center,” he said. “This center will really be part of the automotive center of the world,” said Silberstein. He estimated that two out of three cars produced in the world today come out of the Virginia plant, and the new facility is primed to have global prominence.

John Schafer, Micron’s engineering and construction manager, added that the additional height will allow full use of the first floor for chemicals and other hazardous equipment. He said that the original facility, built in the 1990s, is too cramped and small for Micron’s expanded needs.

Councilmember Marc Aveni was the only one to vote against the approval and noted that two other ordinance requests for telecommunication towers were not similarly expedited.

Micron’s schedule aims to start production on the new facility in the first half of 2020. The new facility comes after the company announced a $3 billion expansion — the largest ever in Virginia — in August. 

The chip maker says it will bring in 1,100 new scientists to develop new technologies for self-driving cars.

Micron is located at 9600 Godwin Drive in Manassas.

MANASSAS — The City of Manassas was awarded a Governor’s Technology Award for a new app that streamlines maintenance reports at Manassas Regional Airport.

The app, Regional Airport Inspection, was designed by Margaret Montgomery and Richard Allabaugh and uses geographic information system (GIS) mapping technology to quickly locate and share areas in need of maintenance or attention.

These awards “honor the innovative ways that state and local government and universities are using technology to solve problems, increase efficiency and reduce costs,” according to a news release from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam.

The awards were presented in a special ceremony at the Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium (COVITS). Winners were named in nine categories, judged by a panel of Virginia government information technology (IT) experts. Manassas won under the category “Innovative Use of Technology in Local Government” — the first COVITS win for the city.

“It was a huge surprise,” said Montgomery, GIS specialist for the city. “It’s exciting for a small jurisdiction like Manassas to be recognized by COVITS, especially with other huge jurisdictions and projects.”

The app has made it much easier and quicker for inspections to be processed, said Allabaugh, director of airport operations at Manassas Regional. Inspections are a daily part of airport life, and staff will peruse the grounds looking for issues such as pavement cracks, debris, or faded paint. This ensures planes can land safely and that the airport functions efficiently.

Prior to the app, the staff relied on a dated paper system that was tedious and time-consuming, Allabaugh explained. “Documenting issues would involve taking pictures, scanning those pictures, emailing them to maintenance staff, and issuing work orders separately,” he said.

Now, staff can open the app on their tablet or phone as they inspect the grounds, drop a pin on the map if they see an issue, and send a work order form. These are synced with the rest of the airport staff through the app, and the data can be accessed immediately.

It has made a huge difference in the airport’s efficiency, Allabaugh shared.

“Night inspections usually wouldn’t be done in a timely manner,” he said. “If we did an inspection at, say, 9 p.m., it might take until the following afternoon to get everything finished.” Now, with the app’s help, issues are observed, shared with staff, and often resolved within an hour.

The app’s system is based on a pre-existing app called Collector, which Montgomery had used for city projects. Collector provided the framework, but Montgomery and Allabaugh collected and customized all of the fields and made it into a unique interface for Manassas Regional.

The app also enables users to filter and sort through data. Issues such as thumbing through reams of paper archives and delays in getting information from inspection to maintenance are now a thing of the past.

“We knew we were going up against a lot of bigger jurisdictions and great applications out there,” said Montgomery. “We are doing exciting things for GIS and it’s great that our hard work is being recognized.”

WOODBRIDGE — With a runway expansion and increased community involvement, Stafford Regional Airport is continuing to impact Prince William County, the airport’s vice chairman, David Ellis, said at the Prince William County Board of Supervisors meeting on September 11.

Ellis highlighted the airport’s growth and future projects to the board.

“We want to be a magnet of aviation activity for business and recreation users, providing enrichment to the community,” said Ellis.

It has been a while since Stafford Regional presented an update to the board, and Ellis shared that the airport will train its focus on increasing transportation opportunities and attracting aspiring aviators and travelers.

Most notably, Stafford Regional is expanding its runway from 5,000 feet to 6,000 feet. This is a $12 million project, said Ellis, 95 percent of which is being funded by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The extra thousand feet is significant, Ellis explained, because it will allow aircraft with higher minimum runway requirements to utilize Stafford. All aircraft have minimum runway length requirements to achieve takeoff — for example, a large jet, such as a Boeing 747, would require upward of 10,000 feet.

Many of Stafford Regional’s clients, such as Walmart, Costco, Lidl, and Wegmans, have smaller corporate jets. The expanded 6,000-foot runway will be more than adequate for a wider range of crafts, including King Air, Lear Jet, and Gulfstream models.

The environmental assessment on the runway extension was completed this past May, and construction and completion is slated for Fall 2022.

Prince William County has been committed to Stafford Regional since its inception, Ellis noted, and the airport’s success benefits the county.

70 aircraft are based at the Stafford Regional Airfield, and the airport averages 27,000 annual takeoffs and landings. An economic impact study published by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2017 found that Stafford has a $23.3 million impact in annual economic activity. That is a 27 percent increase from a 2010 study. Stafford Regional is ranked number six in Virginia general aviation airports.

“As things change in Stafford County, we have the opportunity for the airport to grow and to be ready to leverage that growth for more of an economic impact in the community,” said Ellis.

He referenced the anticipated I-95 express lane expansions through Stafford County and Northern Virginia’s projected economic growth.

Stafford Regional is located mere minutes from I-95, making it an ideal landing area for corporate clients.

“Businesses in Prince William County do need access to [Stafford], I think there’s no question about that,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman At-large Corey Stewart.

Potomac district supervisor Maureen Caddigan inquired about general passenger service, to which Ellis responded that while Stafford accommodates a number of charter airlines, private fliers, and corporate jets, the airport is not yet ready for passenger service. “We’ve looked at that a couple times and we’re just not there yet,” he said, adding that the airport is doing its best to develop responsibly.

Yet as the airport continues to push forward, Ellis sees Stafford Regional’s place as significant in the coming years. “As we continue to construct facilities, it will bring in more jobs, more traffic, and more visitors,” he said, many of which will doubtlessly be utilizing Stafford for their transportation needs.

MANASSAS — Historic Manassas, Inc., is planning to host a Manassas City candidate forum on October 24 at City Hall.

The event will run from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Historic Manassas, Inc. Executive Director Debbie Haight said that the event will give candidates two and a half hours to answer questions and a little time in the end for a meet and greet.

Questions from the public will be gathered from Facebook and each question will be answered two times — once by a Democrat and once by a Republican. Each candidate will also have time to summarize their platform.

Three city council seats are open for election this November 6. The council is the city’s top governing body dictating the direction of the community on issues like transportation, taxation, education, and economic and residential development.

Three Democrats — Ken Elston, Michelle Davis-Younger, and Rex Parr — and three Republicans — Amalfi Arias, Marc Aveni, and Theresa Coates Ellis — are running for those seats.

The Historic Manassas Inc. forum is the only formal public event of its kind planned, a departure from two years ago when council candidates seeking office during that election cycle participated in multiple campaign forums around the city.

“I think the NAACP is trying to schedule one, but as of now, I don’t know that that’s been scheduled,” said Manassas Democratic Party Chairman Mike Vreeland.

A candidate forum was scheduled for September 25 at City Tavern, by Manassas Tea Party chairman Dan Arnold. All six candidates were invited to address the Manassas citizenry. Five days prior, Arnold canceled the event, citing scheduling conflicts with some of the council members as the issue.

“Due to scheduling conflicts with 3 of the 6 City Council candidates, we are forced to cancel this event and look for another date prior to the November 6th election,” Arnold wrote in a post dated September 20.

All three Democratic candidates declined to attend.

Prior to that, multiple candidates took questions during an event at a private residents’ home hosted by Equality Prince William on September 16. Amalfi Arias, Ken Elston, Michelle Davis-Younger, and Rex Parr attended. Representing Manassas Park city council candidates were Alanna Mensing and Preston Brooks. Prince William County School Board candidate Babur Lateef also spoke.

A series of informal meet and greets will be held at the Wellington Community Center, at 9700 Wellington Road, on Oct. 10 and 24 for school board candidates and city council candidates, respectively, said manager Lisa Mulloy.

Potomac Local will post Project: Election survey responses from candidates running in the city elections on our website, in our Breakfast Links email, and in a special voters’ guide email on November 5.

MANASSAS -- After downsizing BadWolf Brewing Company this past year, owners Jeremy and Sarah Meyers said that they have faced challenges, but are enjoying more creative control over a single location and a return to an artisan model of brewing.

“Looking back on the past year, we couldn’t really see through the trees, but now we’ve got a clearer vision of where we’re headed,” Sarah shared.

The Meyers said that although they are smaller now, they have the distinction of being the first brewery in Prince William County.