Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Yesterday morning, rather than head out on my usual route to work, I waved goodbye to the kids and headed down I-95 for the 2007 General Assembly Session.  We begin at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday and will then be bused down to Jamestown for opening ceremonies in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Virginia. 

Rightly so, this year will be dominated by transportation and land use issues.  The House leadership unveiled its plan a few months back, while the Governor released his State-wide plan last week.  In addition, a Northern Virginia bill (the Rust, Albo, Watts bill) will also be introduced shortly.  Other issues will include the Governor’s early childhood education initiative, reversal of electric utility deregulation, eminent domain, illegal immigration, energy policy, minimum wage, and health care.  You can be sure that I will touch on all of these issues and more in future newsletters. 

This year, I have introduced several bills that I want to share with you.  A summary is provided below.  Many of these ideas came directly from constituents or as a result of constituent concerns.  Please do not hesitate to contact me during the Session to share your ideas or to just drop me a line – I’m here to serve. 

Regional Planning.  The Northern Virginia region has a population of over 1.8 million.  And yet, the organization created to coordinate among localities – the Northern Virginia Regional Commission – is exempt from the strategic planning requirements applicable to every other region in the Commonwealth.  My bill would eliminate this exemption.  The bill doesn’t prescribe what must be in the plan.  Rather it focuses on making sure that a process is in place for localities to solve potential conflicts and identify areas where working together can result in better coordination of services.

Time Limits for Residential Construction Projects.  We have all seen them –residential construction projects that have dragged on for years – and even decades.  I have nothing against weekend home improvement projects.  But when a residential construction project drags on for years it can have a very real impact on property values and quality of life.  Under the current Building Code, a locality cannot revoke a building permit as long as the owner continues work, however slow.  My bill would allow localities to set reasonable time limits for completing these projects.

Unlawful Surveillance.  Imagine waking up one morning and your neighbor has set up an unmanned video camera that records your backyard 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  This has actually happened in the 37th District, and there is nothing that this person can do about it even though the result is nothing short of intimidation.  This is a narrowly crafted bill that would prohibit this kind of intrusive behavior while protecting legitimate surveillance.

Potomac River Drought Management.  The drought of 2002 taught us that even the mighty Potomac River is not an inexhaustible resource.  With the help of the Fairfax County Water Authority, I have introduced a bill to require any major new withdrawal from the Potomac River to have a contingency plan for where it will get water (or how it will reduce water demand) in the case of a severe drought so that our drinking water supply is protected.

Tree Conservation.  Under existing State enabling authority, a locality can require tree replacement during by-right development, but not tree conservation.  As a result, forested parcels are sometimes flattened, with no attempt to save existing healthy stands of trees.  Trees have immense water quality and air quality benefits, which is especially important since we live in an air quality non-attainment area.  My bill would allow localities to require reasonable tree conservation during development.

Photo-Enforcement of Red Lights.  Both Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax had this authority until 2004, when the enabling legislation expired.  During the few years that the program was in place, red light running was reduced by over 40%.  This is the second year that I am carrying a bill to give this authority back to localities.

Environmentally Preferable Products.  Virginia procurement law allows localities to give higher consideration to products made with recycled materials when awarding contracts.  My bill, submitted at the request of Fairfax County, would allow localities to extend this preferable treatment to other environmentally friendly products.

Regulation of Signs on University Property.  As many of you know, George Mason University put up a large sign at the intersection of Sideburn Road and Braddock Road.  Signage on university property is not subject to local zoning.  Recently, we discovered that signage is not subject to State Code either.  In my mind this raises serious questions of accountability.  As a result, I have introduced legislation that would subject signage meant to be viewed from outside of the university to the local zoning ordinance.

Virginia’s Responsibility in the Case of a Data Breach.  As our community relies more and more on electronically stored data, the opportunity for personal information to reach the wrong hands also increases.  While existing provisions of the Code regulate what internal actions must be taken in the case of a security breach, they do not address what obligation Virginia has to those whose data is compromised.  That is, there is no requirement to notify those whose data has been compromised so that they can take reasonable steps to protect themselves.  I have been working with Secretary of Technology Chopra and staff from the Virginia Information Technology Agency on a bill that would define Virginia’s responsibility to its residents.  There are several bills being introduced to require businesses to report any data breach.  I believe that Virginia must lead by example and make sure that our own house is in order.

Sincerely,


David Bulova