Many have been struggling to make ends meet on their bills since the coronavirus outbreak, and now Columbia Gas of Virginia is giving its customers a break when it comes to paying their bills.

From a press release:

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertain economy and loss of jobs, many Virginia residents are having a hard time paying their bills — some for the very first time. Trying to figure out where to go for help can be a challenge all its own.

We urge Columbia Gas of Virginia customers who are behind on their gas bills to reach out to us now. We can work with you on affordable payment plans and provide information on other assistance available — not just for utilities but other household expenses.

One of the assistance programs available is HeatShare, a program administered by the Dollar Energy
Fund. HeatShare uses money donated by Columbia Gas, its customers and employees to help eligible
customers pay their Columbia Gas bills.

Our customer care team can help you get connected to this program or customers can reach out to them directly. More than ever before, we want to help our customers get through these tough times by providing solutions to what can feel like insurmountable problems.

We’ll work with their budgets and timelines so they can feel some financial relief and maintain gas service. Our customer care teams are ready to help at columbiagasva.com/bills-and-payments or at 800-543-8911.

In addition to the HeatShare, there are many other selfless organizations serving communities across the Commonwealth. We want to thank all of the non-profit organizations across the state that are stepping up to help those who are struggling.

Columbia Gas of Virginia has taken a number of actions to help customers through the COVID-19
pandemic, including voluntarily suspending shutoffs for non-payment and late fees, as well as offering its
most flexible payment plans to customers impacted by or facing hardship due to COVID-19. The company
is continuing to provide essential natural gas services, operating under health and safety protocols.

For full details of the company’s COVID-19 response, visit columbiagasva.com.”

For any questions, please contact Monique Finneran at 804-777-3079 or by email at [email protected].

The Prince William County Parks and Recreation Department has updated its tourism master draft plan for 2020, a document focused on projecting community needs in the next 10-15 years.

The plan discusses in part how historic sites are assets for tourism and looks into how to utilize these sites to boost economic gains.

The plan, which is apart of the Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism’s Systemwide Master Plan, now includes the mergers of Prince William County’s Historic Preservation Division and Office of Tourism into the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.

The Historic Preservation Division has been a part of the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism for almost two years, but this is the first time the Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism’s Systemwide Master Plan includes historic sites in the planning process.

The expansion of the Master Plan to include tourism and historic preservation comes If the department is folded into parks and recreation, it would come three years after the department took on the role of tourism promotion after county leaders voted to dissolve “Discover Prince William/Manassas,” a partnership between the county and Manassas City that aimed to promote the region to visitors.

The tourism plan now under consideration addresses improving visitor experiences at the county’s parks, recreational facilities, historic sites, and promoting heritage and sports tourism. It also focuses on securing public and private partnerships as well as private development investments that benefit county residents and the economy.

Heritage tourism focuses on showing the history and heritage of an area through experiences, structures and historic sites. Prince William County has 15 historic sites managed by the Historic Preservation Division. Some sites are open daily, while others are open by appointment only, and others are currently closed to the public. In 2019, almost 150,000 people visited the county’s historic sites, with 35% of visitors being from out of the county.

Sports tourism draws visitors from across the east coast to the county’s 472 sports venues that host sports events and tournaments. This includes youth, amateur, collegiate, professional, minor league, and motorsports. It also offers 11 public golf courses, 2 indoor Olympic pools, an ice arena, and fields for softball, baseball, and soccer.

Furthermore, the county currently owns 63 developed parks, which offer a number of activities for visitors, including:

• Two 18-hole golf courses
• One 9-hole leisure golf courses
• 116 sports fields
• Two waterparks
• 6 outdoor pools
• 2 aquatics and fitness centers
• A skate park
• A marina
• A dog park

“The plan provides an opportunity to fully realize the synergies created by the mergers such as incorporating new historic interpretive storytelling into the Department’s recreation program and developing outdoor recreation, sports tourism, culture, history, heritage, agri-tourism opportunities and more,” said Ann Marie Maher, Director of Tourism in Prince William County.

Due to changes in consumer travel patterns brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, the state and Office of Tourism’s COVID-19 recovery plan now includes a primary marketing focus on the local and drive markets. 

“The plan is based on the level of service standards outline in the plan and is designed to address the needs of the community,” said Brent M. Heavner, the Communication Services Division Chief of the Prince William Department of Parks and Recreation.

The planned budget for the Office of Tourism this year is $1.5 million, funded by the county’s hotel tax. Budget spending will focus on supporting the coronavirus tourism industry’s economic recovery efforts.

The tourism discussions are master plan is part of the Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Systemwide Master Plan.

“The plan is based on the level of service standards outline in the plan and is designed to address the needs of the community,” said Brent M. Heavner, the Communication Services Division Chief of the Prince William Department of Parks and Recreation.

The draft is available to the public online at pwcgov.org/parks.

Prince William County’s tourism economy currently ranks 9th in the Commonwealth in total visitor spending, and in 2018, over 6,662 hospitality and tourism professionals were employed in Prince William County. 

The Prince William County Police Department is holding their 37th National Night Out to bring the community and police department together.

According to a press release from the police department, this event will take place on Tuesday, August 4, with social distancing being practiced. With the coronavirus still interfering in everyday life, police have stated that they will not let citizens into their vehicles compared to previous years.

The department urges citizens to lock their doors, turn on their outdoor lights, and spend the evening with fellow neighbors and families. According to a press release from the police department, the event will be a ‘symbol that community and law enforcement are essential to neighborhood quality of life,’

In times of protest and tense relationships between the police and citizens, this event may be a chance to bridge the gap as police say this event can build positive relationships between the community and the Police Department.

“[National Night Out] creates healthy neighborhoods block by block, to help neighbors know one another, to celebrate community, and to take steps to make neighborhoods safer for all residents,” police said.

Another goal of National Night Out along with Neighborhood Watch Programs is to enhance the quality of life and to create a neighborhood network to prevent crime, according to police.

“Watches throughout the county will host motorcade stops where police officers and other law enforcement personnel can meet neighbors,” police stated.

For questions, concerns, and additional information, police advise calling the Crime Prevention Unit at 703-792-7270.

REALTOR Association of Prince William County (PWAR) has announced an increase in home sales on the market in June 2020, compared to June 2019.

The association has gathered statistics showing this positive trend using SmartCharts with data provided by Bright MLS, which serves as a multiple listing service for Prince William County.

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Dynamic speed signs have been set up on the E-ZPass Express Lanes on Interstates 95 and 495.

Transurban, the Australian-based transportation company that operates the express lanes, installed the new speed signs for a trial run. Much like traffic radar signs that drivers see along the roadside in neighborhoods, dynamic signs will show how fast a vehicle is going within the express lane.

The posted speed limit will be shown next to the dynamic sign to encourage customers to adjust to that recommended speed in order to ensure their safety.

The trailers that hold the dynamic signs will be placed on the shoulders of the express lanes, also similar in practice to the traffic radar signs.

“As drivers approach the sign, it will display their current speed. The signs aim to give speeding drivers a reminder and encourage them to slow down for the safety of themselves and others on the road. Speeding increases the risk of a crash and crash severity should one occur,” stated Transurban manager Mike McGurk in a press release.

One justification made for this action is due to the coronavirus pandemic. With fewer vehicles on the road due to stay at home orders, some drivers have been speeding up more than they should, Transurban says.

According to data from the Virginia State Police, troopers assigned to the express lanes wrote 1,079 speeding summonses and 994 reckless driving summonses between April 2019 and April 2020.

In April 2019, VSP charged 71 express lanes drivers with reckless driving and 73 for speeding compared to 44 for reckless driving and four for speeding in April 2020.

“Governor Northam’s COVID-19 safety restrictions definitely impacted Virginia’s highways statewide during the month of April, as state police saw significant decreases in traffic volume,” stated VSP’s Public Relations Director Corinne Geller.

The decision for this trial run was ultimately inspired by data that was compiled in a report for the Governor’s Highway Safety Association which found excessive speeding to be a trend that was forming across the U.S.

For example, New York has issued 24,765 speeding tickets which was double the amount issued only a month earlier in spite of the fact that there are fewer vehicles on their roads. In Los Angeles, speeds are up on some roads by 30% which has prompted changes to street and pedestrian lights.

The report also lists instances in states such as Colorado, Indiana, Nebraska, and Utah of police clocking drivers highway speeds at over 100 mph. In states like Florida and Iowa, Highway police have reported drivers going between 20 and 40 miles over the posted speed limits.

While the amount of car crashes has gone down the crashes themselves have become more fatal. In states like Minnesota and Massachusetts, the crash rate is rising and in some cases doubling from the same time last year. Even pedestrian fatalities have been rising in states like Nevada and Rhode Island.

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) is a nonprofit association representing the highway safety offices of states, territories, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. GHSA provides leadership and representation for the states and territories to improve traffic safety, influence national policy, enhance program management, and promote best practices.

Its members are appointed by their governors to administer federal and state highway safety funds and implement state highway safety plans.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors wants input from county residents to help develop the county’s 2021-2024 Strategic Plan. Residents will have the opportunity to participate in several ways, including via an online survey and virtual community conversations.

“Community engagement is a vital component of the strategic planning process, and the input provided will be key in selecting goals and priorities that will guide the county’s vision for the future,” said Kaye Wallace, the county’s strategic plan coordinator.

The online survey is available now through Aug. 30 at surveygizmo.com in English and in Spanish surveygizmo.com.
It asks county residents about the issues they think are important to include in the strategic plan.

In addition to the survey, individual members of the board will hold virtual town halls to give residents a chance to provide input on the strategic plan. The community input will allow the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan Team, consisting of board appointees and county staff, to sharpen the focus on what people want from county government, Wallace said:

“In July and August, we’re going to be asking people to take the survey
and participate in the community conversations. That is what’s going to help us hone down and figure out the community’s goals and priorities.”

Dates of the community conversations will be set as the survey continues. For more information about the strategic planning process, visit the county’s website at pwcgov.org/strategicplan or email [email protected].

Wallace said the team is looking for as much participation as possible.

“We want broad-based input from the community, so we would really like as many people as possible who live and work in Prince William County to complete the survey and participate in the community conversations.”

Once the strategic plan team identifies and analyzes the community’s priorities using the information gleaned from the survey and the community meetings, it will work on creating a draft strategic plan. In December and January, the board and the community will have opportunities to provide feedback on the initial draft, with final adoption of the 2021-2024 Strategic Plan set for February 2021.

Wallace said the adopted four-year plan will help the board in its decision making.

“The strategic plan is a guiding policy document that lets the Board of County Supervisors know what issues and goals are important to the community. The board then uses that guiding policy document to help make decisions on where to spend taxpayer dollars.”

The wait is nearly over for those seeking an answer regarding the reopening of schools in Prince William County and Manassas.

On July 7 and 8, both school boards will hold separate meetings to hear community input on the reopening of their school divisions, review survey data collected from their staff and school communities, and discuss the matter, according to press releases from both school divisions. Manassas is set to vote on their reopening plans on July 14, and Prince William is set to do the same on July 15.

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OmniRide has resumed operations of all routes and has increased service levels on OmniRide Express buses which began in mid-June.

Weekday Express service to destinations in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. are running on a Friday schedule, which is one step down from full-service. The increase in service levels was based on the improving COVID-19 conditions, and the Governor’s order to begin reopening the state.

During the week of July 7-9, between 4:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., OmniRide staff will be stationed at designated commuter lots to welcome riders back and answer questions about routes and schedules.

Staff will also give away hand sanitizer and remind riders to continue to follow CDC and the Governor’s guidelines:

·Wash hands frequently

·Stay home if you have flu-like symptoms

·Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing

·Avoid contact with sick people

·Wear a face covering (mask, bandana, scarf, etc.)

·Do not ride the bus if you have tested positive for COVID-19.

For more information please contact Customer Service at 703-730-6664 or visit omniride.com.

Schedule of Events and Designated Lots:
Tuesday July 7

·234 & I-95 Commuter Lot (Dumfries)

·University Commuter Lot (Gainesville)

Wednesday July 8

·Horner Road & I-95 Commuter Lot (Off Prince William Parkway)

·Cushing Rd & I-66 Commuter Lot (Gainesville)

Thursday July 9

·Dale City Commuter Lot (Dale City)

·Portsmouth Commuter Lot (Manassas)

In a highly unusual move, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors has edited all vulgarity out of the public comment portion of its June 16 video recording. 

Black Lives Matter supporters filled the citizen comments period demanding racial equality, the defunding of police, and the end of the 287(g) program, abolished the next day. All this comes after a month of nationwide protests that were sparked by the death of Minneapolis resident George Floyd. 

Some of the comments were laced with profanity, all of which were subtly edited out of the uploaded video recording. “Beeps” were not used over the audio, the vulgar words were just cut out. 

“You guys f-ing suck,” said one commenter. 

“The minute you police the language that can be used here is the minute you lose the voices who are rightfully angry. All I have to say is F- decorum,” said another speaker. 

At the close of the comment period, Brentsville District Supervisor Jeanine Lawson requested the vulgarity to be edited out of the recorded video.

“I did not want that profanity played during those replays knowing we do not give a warning for the profanity,” Lawson told Potomac Local News. 

Lawson’s fellow conservative on the Board, Coles District Supervisor Yesli Vega, disagreed with the decision to edit the video. 

“This language was allowed, and thus I don’t think it should be censored to cover for the out of control tenor of the meeting. I actually think it’s good for the public to see that these are the types of people calling for the defunding and abolition of our police,” Vega said. 

Under the Freedom of Information Act, public comment minutes do not have to be recorded verbatim. The video recordings are public record, but they can be edited just as a report is changed from one draft to another in a database. 

Lawson also asked about changing board rules to allow only public comments only in English unless an interpreter is present. 

“I’d like to change our Board rules and procedures so that when people are addressing the Board during public comment time that English is the only language that they use unless they have an interpreter,” Lawson said at the June 16 meeting. 

Some Spanish-speaking residents were at the meeting that night.

The county attorney, Michelle Robl, will provide her legal advice to the Board at the July 14 meeting. 

“The Board may consider amendments to their rules of procedure regarding the issue,” Robl said.

The board discussed making the issue of decorum a topic at their upcoming retreat if one takes place. No time or place has been decided yet for the retreat as it is still in the planning stages.

The Board of County Supervisors will hold its next meeting on July 14, 2020.