eNews October 1, 2021
Friday, October 01, 2021 - 05:10pm
In this issue:
- Schedule and conference app are ready for you!
- Welcome new and returning Community Business Members!
- Last call for golfers
Annual Conference
Schedule and conference app are ready for you!
To learn more about what’s being offered at the 2021 VML Annual Conference and get oriented to the venue, the final iteration of the 2021 “Conference at a Glance” program is now available.
View/Download the “Conference-at-a-Glance” here >.
Want more details? Be sure to download our new conference app to learn more about speakers, sessions, bios, notifications, and everything you need to get the most out of the 2021 Annual Conference.
Instructions to get the 2021 VML Annual Conference app here >.
See you in Leesburg!
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
Welcome new and returning Community Business Members!
VML is pleased to have the below organizations as Community Business Members. Most of these groups will have representatives at the conference. We look forward to the opportunity to bring these worthy organizations and local government leaders together!
- Dominion Energy conference sponsor
- Virginia Housing conference sponsor
- Blue Line Solutions conference sponsor
- MissionSquare Retirement conference sponsor
- The MITRE Corporation conference sponsor
- Timmons Group conference sponsor
- American Public University System
- Cunningham Recreation/GameTime
- The Carter School Political Leadership Academy at GMU
- DePorter Dominick Associates
- Francis Energy
- McGuireWoods Consulting
- Municode
- Spring City Electrical
- Town of Pennington Gap
- VA Institute of Government
- VACORP
- Virginia American Water
- Virginia Resources Authority
- Volkert, Inc.
- American Institute of Architects (AIA Virginia)
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
- JJM Associates
- Mattern & Craig
- Moseley Architects
- Revize Government Websites
- Sun Tribe Solar
- Virginia Association of Assessing Officers
Interested in becoming a Community Business Member? Contact Rob at the below email address.
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
Last call for golfers!
There are still a few slots available for the post-conference golf event happening Tuesday, Oct. 5th at 1:00 PM. We’ve secured a special discounted rate for the beautiful course at Lansdowne. A boxed lunch is included and there will be gifts to take home. Registration closes Saturday at noon or when all the spots are full, so please sign up now before time and space run out!
VML Contact: Rob Bullington, rbullington@vml.org
VML News
Legislative committee completes work; proposed legislative program posted
The VML Legislative Committee met for its final regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Sept. 30, via Zoom.
During this meeting the Committee set legislative priorities for the proposed 2022 program and voted to adopt the proposed program to bring before the VML membership at its Annual Business Meeting on Monday, Oct. 4, in Leesburg during the Annual Conference.
The proposed legislative program is available here>.
Copies will be available at the Annual Business Meeting as well.
VML Contact: Janet Areson, jareson@vml.org
ARPA
State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund reporting timeline updated
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury provided the following update:
States, territories, counties, and cities, and Tribal governments will report project and expenditure data next on January 31, 2022 (instead of Oct 31, 2021). The first reporting deadline for NEUs will be April 30, 2022 (instead of Oct 31, 2021). States have received an attached draft letter that they can use to notify NEUs regarding the updated deadline. Treasury will provide recipients with user guides prior to the reporting deadlines.
All emails including the notification to NEUs are available here >.
Treasury Contact: Namrata Mujumdar, Namrata.Mujumdar2@treasury.gov
VML Contact: Jessica Dodson, jdodson@vml.org
Environment
Site Suitability Air Pollution Control Board regulations under consideration
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality has convened with VML participating in a Regulatory Advisory Panel (RAP) on site suitability. The purpose of this RAP is to propose amendments to provisions of the Board of Air Pollution Control Board’s regulations on site suitability requirements. Broadly, this RAP is tasked with considering what makes a site suitable or not suitable when the Air Pollution Control Board is considering a permit application.
This RAP and possible amendments are being developed due to a 4th Circuit Court of Appeals decision in the case of Friends of Buckingham; Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Inc. v. State Air Pollution Control Board, et al. which found that the Board failed to consider the suitability of the location of a proposed compressor station for the now defunct Atlantic Coast Pipeline project (among other failures in the regulatory process identified in the ruling). This ruling specifically notes that the DEQ’s permit analysis and the approvals from the Air Pollution Control Board failed to consider the impact of the permitted facility on the local population including potential injury to this population and the community’s character. The RAP has been convened to determine how regulations should interpret Virginia Code §10.-1307 (E) 3 which is “the suitability of the activity to the area in which it is located.”
The RAP has met once and local governments have a seat at the table along with advocates from environmental groups including the Sierra Club, the Southern Environmental Law Center, and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, as well as several private businesses including Newport News Shipbuilding, Waste Management. This group is developing consensus recommendations with discussions guided by facilitators from VCU. So far, the group has identified a need for clarification around the interpretation of site suitability. The RAP is expected to meet 2-3 more times prior to the development of draft regulations and likely at least one more time after the regulations are developed prior to going through the regulatory rulemaking process.
Members should expect to participate in the rulemaking process for regulations that are developed as a result of the Site Suitability RAP. VML will continue to participate in the RAP process and will keep members apprised of developments as they occur.
VML Contact: Mitchell Smiley, msmiley@vml.org
Elections
Redistricting 2021: The saga continues as the deadline looms
With public hearings on a draft map (or maps, as the case may very well be) set to begin Monday, the Virginia Redistricting Commission has yet to make final determinations on proposed voting districts for state offices. While the Commission agreed last weekend to combine the two maps offered by Democratic and Republican firms, the group has yet to reach a consensus on how it should look, nor has the group even begun to approach agreement regarding new House maps.
Issues that continue to prove thorny for the Commission include how to adequately ensure underrepresented populations have a fair opportunity to elect candidates of their choice; how to ensure that new districts do not split localities; and the extent to which maps ought to protect incumbencies.
Further complicating matters, the constitutional amendment approved by Virginia voters requires that a single draft map be presented during the public comment period. Legal interpretations differ between staff from the Division of Legislative Services and consulting attorneys hired to represent Republican and Democratic Party interests.
Resources to review current and recent proposed drafts are available on the Virginia Redistricting Commission website, from the Virginia Public Access Project, and from the OneVirginia2021 Foundation. Each region will have its own meeting between Monday, October 4th and Thursday, October 7th. Please check the Commission’s calendar to see when your region’s virtual meeting will take place and to sign up to comment.
The Commission is constitutionally required to present its draft House and Senate map by Sunday, October 10th.
VML Contact: Jessica Dodson, jdodson@vml.org
Opportunities
The MITRE Corporation hosting interactive, 
online “Teens Love STEM” event Oct. 16
VML Community Business Member and 2021 Annual Conference Gold Sponsor, The MITRE Corporation is among the sponsors of a FREE virtual conference intended to inform teens and parents about STEM careers, collegiate majors, and professional organizations.
Professionals representing MITRE, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), the Eastern Area of The Links, Incorporated, and other organizations will be in attendance hosting interactive, informative, and exciting workshops for students and parents.
- Date: Saturday, October 16, 2021
- Time: 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM EDT
- Registration: Register here >.
Separate programming will be offered for parents and students so please register accordingly.
MITRE Contact: Uma Marques, umarques@mitre.org
