Manassas City Councilman Ian Lovejoy will lead a crowd barhopping through Downtown Manassas at midnight.
He's hosting the event in honor of the first phase of reopenings of Northern Virginia beginning at midnight tonight, as restaurants in the city will be allowed to reopen with outdoor seating, at 50% capacity for the first time since being largely shuttered at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in March.
"Technically we enter Phase One at 12:01," Lovejoy said.
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The Manassas City Council voted unanimously on Monday, May 18 to close streets to help restaurant owners as they move into Phase 1 of the reopening of the City.
Gov. Ralph Northam today announced Manassas, along with surrounding jurisdictions to include Fairfax and Prince William counties, and Manassas Park, will enter the first phase of the governor's reopening plan on Friday, May 29, following his stay-at-home order in March prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Businesses in jurisdictions further south, like Stafford County and Fredericksburg were allowed to reopen on May 15.
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On Monday night's Manassas City Council meeting, Assistant Development Director Nicole Smith addressed elected leaders with an update on what the Economic Development Department is doing to help city businesses.
On May 29, Northern Virignia, to include Prince William County and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, are poised to enter the first phase of a reopening plan laid out by Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam that would allow restaurants to begin offering outside dining, operating at 50% capacity.
Ultimately, the decision to allow the city to reopen will be made by the governor who, on Friday, hinted at issuing a mandatory policy that would require all Virginians to wear facemasks. An announcement on his plan is expected on Tuesday, May 26.
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Manassas residents will see higher tax bills in the coming year.
The Manassas City Council on Monday approved its annual $253 million budget that will be funded by a $1.46 per $100 of the assessed property value Real Estate tax.
The rate is two cents lower than last year's rate, however, due to a nearly 7% increase assessed property values in the city, the average resident will see a $4,295 property tax bill -- about $220 more than the previous year.
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The unemployment rate in Manassas has skyrocketed to 13% in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, and long-awaited stimulus money from the Federal Government has yet to arrive.
In January and February, the city's unemployment rates were 2.8% and 2.5%, respectively, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. The city had just come off a "banner year," with new businesses opening and existing businesses expanding or relocating to the city.
"For the filing week ending May 2, the figure for seasonally unadjusted initial claims in Virginia was 59,631. The latest claims figure was a decrease of 12,857 claimants from the previous week. Though the 17.7% decline indicates that the volume of initial claims has retreated from its recent peak, it may not return to pre-pandemic levels for some time," the Virignia Employment Commssion states in a press release.
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It's looking like Manassas City will have a female mayor for the first time in its 147-year history.
Mayor Hal Parrish II announced his retirement at a small gathering at Okras restaurant in Downtown Manassas in February. It came as a surprise to many, as he's served as mayor since 2008, and has been on the city council since 1993.
As Parrish departs, he's leaving the city in a similar economic climate that mirrors the financial crisis of 2008, when he won his mayoral job. After a banner economic year for the city, unemployment in the city has skyrocketed to 13% -- levels seen during the Great Depression of the 1930s -- following the pandemic.
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Manassas leaders are asking themselves if they can do more when it comes to bailing out business owners affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
At a city council meeting Tuesday night, leaders suggested taping the city’s $18 million rainy day fund in order to provide relief to businesses. The reserve represents 15% of the city's general revenue budget and is to be used for emergencies.
The discussion comes as the city has already done things such as provide $60,000 in grant funding, as well as designate special parking spaces for restaurant customers picking up carry-out orders.
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A candidate for Manassas City Council teamed up with Miss Virginia to bring hot meals to a city trailer park.
Miss Virginia United States 2020 Katelyn Page joined Helen Zurita, a community activist turned city council candidate, at the East End Mobile Home Park on Route 28 where they donated 150 hot meals to residents.
“Currently I have a list of 400 families who are in need of food. Thanks to the Prince William Food Rescue, and Bombay Cafe in Fairfax, I am able to help meet their needs,” said Zurita.
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Hospitals in Prince William County and Manassas won’t be affected by a new round of cuts and furloughs announced by the UVA Health System.
The healthcare provider announced that it is taking actions to mitigate $85 million per month in losses it has experienced. Those losses come after a state-imposed lockdown and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s ban on elective medical procedures in the wake of the coronavirus.
The two hospitals in our area that are apart of the UVA Health network, however, aren’t’ affected by the cuts.
Chuck Coder, the chief financial officer for Novant Health/UVA Health System tells Potomac Local News in an email statement provided by a hospital spokeswoman:
“Novant Health UVA Health System, formed in 2016, is a partnership between Novant Health and UVA Health. While our regional health system and the communities we serve benefit from having two great parent organizations, we operate independently of both parents. UVA’s announcement does not directly impact Novant Health UVA Health System team members.
Across the country, health systems and hospitals are experiencing record financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our health system is no different than other health systems who are experiencing losses of 40-50% of our business. Our health system will continue to make adjustments as needed. Given the evolving nature of this situation and uncertain duration of this health crisis, we choose not to speculate about future adjustments at this time.”
UVA Health, in a press release, provided more information about the dire situation it faces as it decides to cut physician’s hours and to furlough staff:
After considerable engagement with leadership at the highest levels, UVA Health is implementing a series of actions designed to mitigate the financial effects of COVID-19 and safeguard its ability to serve the community. “These decisions were reached only after a great deal of input from leaders across the organization, and are focused on actions we must take now to be able to fulfill our mission,” said Dr. Craig Kent, Executive Vice President for Health Affairs for the University of Virginia.
As Kent outlined in an email message to the organization earlier today, as a result of earlier actions needed to respond to COVID-19, hundreds of inpatient beds have been regularly unoccupied, surgeries have declined by 70%, and clinic visits have been reduced by 90%. The result has been a fall in revenue from clinical care and related services that is producing a deficit of $85 million a month.
“The challenges presented by this crisis are difficult to exaggerate,” wrote Kent. “We have no choice but to take action – now – to stabilize our organization.”
Without the significant changes being put in place, within a few months the health system would not have the necessary funding to carry out its mission of providing high-quality patient care, training health providers and supporting critical research.
The actions being implemented are designed to allow the organization to reduce expenses, adjust and rebuild over the coming months. These include:
- Expense reduction:Â Leaders are being asked to find savings where possible in medical supplies and pharmacy spending, along with reducing overtime, limiting work with contract staff, and adjusting facility lease commitments. Non-essential travel is being eliminated, and leaders are being asked to reduce discretionary spending.
- Leadership compensation reductions:Â Kent will reduce his own compensation by 40% through the end of July. In addition, leaders at UVA Medical Center, UVA Physicians Group, the UVA School of Medicine and the UVA School of Nursing will reduce their compensation by 20% through the end of July.
- Physician compensation reduction:Â Physicians will have a 20% reduction in their total compensation through the end of July.
- Retirement contributions:Â Retirement contributions will be suspended through the end of July for all UVA Medical Center and non-physician UVA Physicians Group employees.
- Funding for School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Health Sciences Library: UVA Medical Center and UVA Physicians Group patient care revenue helps support the education and research missions of the School of Medicine, School of Nursing and Health Sciences Library. That funding will be reduced by a yet-to-be determined amount this year. Each entity will individually make decisions about potential program changes, salary reductions or furloughs.
- Adjusting hours for patient care staff: Hours for patient care providers at UVA Medical Center and UVA Physicians Group will be adjusted on a shift-by-shift basis based on patient volumes. As patient volumes increase, so too will staffing. Any patient care staff member whose hours are reduced will be able to use their available paid time off. These changes will not affect team members caring for COVID-19 patients.
- Furloughs for some non-patient care staff: Some non-patient care staff at UVA Medical Center and UVA Physicians Group will be furloughed for up to three months. Health, dental and life insurance benefits will be preserved. Any furloughed employee will be able to use their available paid time off. A special team from the UVA School of Law will provide information and resources for unemployment benefits. Those furloughed may also access UVA’s Emergency Assistance Fund for employees.
