Patrick joined the private Facebook group “Bring Integrity Back to Alexandria” at the request of several members after announcing his candidacy for Alexandria City Council. Since joining he has responded to policy questions from the group organizer and others.
Stormwater Question. On Friday, March 12, 2021 it was announced that “the City of Alexandria will be allocated approximately $59.4 million as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The funds will be received in two allotments in May 2021 and May 2022 for use between March 3, 2021 and December 31, 2024. In addition to the timeframe of use, the law also specifies how the allocated funds can be used.” In addition to COVID-related emergency responses, local governments can use the funds to “make necessary investments in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure.”Are you willing to commit a significant portion of Alexandria’s funding allotment to the Stormwater Utility fee fund in order to speed up capacity project funding/implementation? Would you support adding additional capacity projects to the 10-year CIP as a result of this funding?
____________________
Patrick’s Answer: In short, YES. But we must ensure that the projects we prioritize are those that are most directly impacting safety and quality of life for Alexandrian’s. It’s stating the obvious, but basement nurseries cannot become hazmat zones because of backflow. That’s not to mention the enormous property loss that occurs every time vehicles are totaled for merely being parked on the street when “Hume River” surges.
The new flooding advisory group appointed this week will be helping to prioritize projects that can be expedited. That’s a good thing, overdue, but good. It’s encouraging to see membership made up of Alexandrians who have been on the front lines of the stormwater crises.
As they do that work, in combination with the new stormwater program manager and project manager positions, which remain vacant, Alexandria will move quickly on implementing projects that can help mitigate the enormous amounts of runoff that are generated across Alexandria.But it’s not all massive CIP-worthy projects. We must also ensure that we eliminate where downspouts are being directed into sewer lines. That is very common in many of our older homes, yet quickly fixed with an inspection, concrete cap, and diverter.
We can also implement simple inexpensive retrofits that are possible for tree wells and medians to help mitigate runoff from our roadways.As a small business owner, I am continually reminded how literally every dollar counts. When large projects are being considered, we must ensure that sound financial stewardship is not lost by the magnitude of the projects. We must ensure that every investment made is yielding its value in spades. That goes for updating and repairing existing infrastructure as well as anything else that city dollars are spent on.
With all that said, we must not lose sight of the opportunity this funding could offer for increasing connectivity across the city, particularly in our public spaces. Broadband investment is essential. It is another investment that will yield a huge return. This federal money can help with that as well. I will push to ensure that any dollars invested towards broadband fully leverage private investment as part of a Public-Private Partnership.