Manassas Park is set to begin a new chapter in its leadership by hiring Carl Cole as its new City Manager. Cole, who will assume his role on January 13, 2025, brings over 25 years of public sector experience, including significant leadership roles in city management and law enforcement.
According to Acting City Manager Keith Nguyen, Mr. Cole’s base salary will be $215,000. Acting City Manager Keith Nguyen emphasized that the Governing Body conducted an extensive vetting process to identify the best candidate for the position. “The Governing Body went through an extensive vetting process and picked the best candidate for this job,” Nguyen stated.
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The Prince William Board of County Supervisors discussed a proposed Affordable Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance during their meeting on November 19, 2024. The ordinance aims to address housing affordability challenges by increasing the availability of affordable housing units within the county and implementing a Housing Trust Fund to bolster development efforts.
The ADU Ordinance would allow developers to include affordable units within new residential developments voluntarily. Although mandatory ADU policies exist in other jurisdictions, Prince William County cannot enforce such measures under Virginia state law. Instead, the county incentivizes developers to participate by offering benefits such as expedited permitting processes, reduced fees, and increased development flexibility.
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Happy Sunday, Manassas!
Welcome to another City Council preview, this time for the Nov. 25 regular meeting. This week’s meeting will be held at the City Hall Council Chambers at 9027 Center St.
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Important links
Key agenda items
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Fredericksburg officials used map boards and statistics to present potential plans for another bridge across the Rappahannock River at a public meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
The meeting was held in the party room at the Fredericksburg Nationals’ stadium, near the bridge that could someday connect Gordon Shelton Boulevard in Fredericksburg to Route 17 in Stafford County, not far from I-95 and Central Park.
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According to the district's monthly incident reports, high schools in Stafford County experienced a surge in disciplinary issues in September 2024 compared to the same month in 2023. The data highlights significant increases in student non-compliance, tardiness, and communication device violations, indicating a need for enhanced behavior management strategies.
Key Findings
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On November 19, 2024, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved the extension of Marina Way in Woodbridge. The long-awaited project will create a new road connecting Horner Road to the Occoquan Riverfront, transforming access to the area and marking a significant milestone in the redevelopment of North Woodbridge.
A Road Through History
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The Prince William Board of County Supervisors approved a resolution on November 19, 2024, to transfer $484,007 from the county’s contingency fund to address litigation costs and hire additional staff to handle data center real estate assessments. The resolution passed with a 6-2 vote, with Gainesville District Supervisor Bob Weir and Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega opposing the measure.
The funding will allocate $300,000 for outside legal counsel to manage lawsuits involving data center tax assessments and $184,007 to create two new full-time positions in the Finance Department’s Real Estate Assessments Division. The new positions will focus on the valuation and legal defense of assessments for data centers, which have rapidly become the county’s largest source of commercial tax revenue.
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On November 13, the House Privileges and Elections Committee convened to discuss House Joint Resolution 9, a proposed amendment to the Virginia Constitution that seeks to safeguard marriage equality. Delegates Michelle Maldonado (D-Manassas), Rozia Henson (D-Lorton, Woodbridge), and Paul Milde (R), representing parts of Northern Virginia, participated in the proceedings, which underscored Virginia's ongoing evolution in its approach to civil rights and marriage laws.
The resolution, introduced by Delegate Mark Sickles (D-Fairfax), aims to remove outdated language defining marriage as solely between one man and one woman. It also establishes protections ensuring that marriage rights are granted equally, regardless of sex, gender, or race. Sickles highlighted the growing public support for marriage equality, citing polling that shows a significant shift in attitudes since the original constitutional ban was enacted in 2006.
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On Monday, November 18, 2024, the Manassas City Council and School Board convened a joint meeting to discuss findings from a space needs study and the future of shared facilities for critical city and school operations. The study, presented by Assistant City Manager Steve Burke, identified a 40,000 to 52,000 square foot requirement to house the Department of Social Services, the voter registrar, and the School Board's central office.
Past and Current Facility Plans
