Friday, May 9, 2008

News

TEENS WORK
Need help? Check out this city website TEENSWORK! web site: http://ci.alexandria.va.us/joblink/employers.html

Alexandria Ecoomic Update
Job growth in Alexandria continues with close to 900 new jobs reported at the end of the third quarter of 2005 (the latest figures available). This figure represents a 3.3% job growth from the same quarter in 2004.

Ridership at Alexandria Metro stations also continues to grow. First quarter 2006 saw the opening of a second entrance to the King Street metro station, making it easier for residents and employees who work north of King Street to access the station. Many new riders are accessing the transit system via King Street each day; 834 more than were reported during the same month in 2005.

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport has experienced a 10% growth rate from one year earlier (April 2005 to April 2006), adding an additional 1.4 million passengers over the year. This is especially significant considering ridership at Dulles International Airport actually declined over the same period, due in part to the closing of Independence Air.

Virginia Sales Tax Holiday
Purchases of school supplies selling for $20 or less per item, and articles of clothing, including footwear, selling for $100 or less per item, will be exempt from sales tax on August 4-6, 2006. All retailers selling these items MUST participate in the Sales Tax Holiday. Sales tax exemptions do not apply to items selling for more than the amounts listed.

Retailers may also choose to absorb the sales tax on other items during the Sales Tax Holiday, but they are responsible for paying the tax themselves to the Department of Taxation.For more information, please visit:http://www.tax.virginia.gov/site.cfm?alias=STHoliday

Multicultural Business Conference
The 4th Annual Multicultural Business Conference, Access to Business Success, will be held on Thursday, August 3, 9 AM - 3:30 PM at The Westin, 2nd Floor, 801 N. Glebe Rd., Arlington, VA 22201. This year's event is a joint conference of the Annual Multicultural Business Conference and the Arlington Annual Business Expo to feature a unique premier conference of learning and networking for small, minority and women business owners, corporate CEOs, government OSBDU and emerging entrepreneurs. Featured workshops include Government Contracting Opportunities, ABCs of Import and Export, Financing for Small Business, Growth and Sustaining and Growing Your Retail Business. Registration prior to July 14, is $45, after July 14th, $55. For more information and to register online see www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com/atbs or call 703/538-7418

Alexandria Ranked Among America's Top Digital Cities
City Recognized for Outstanding Use of Information Technology

Alexandria's e-government initiatives were ranked fourth in the nation for cities of its size, according to an annual study by the National League of Cities, the Center for Digital Government, and Government Technology magazine. The study focused on how well city governments have deployed information technology resources to deliver services to customers.

The 'Digital Cities Survey'recognized Alexandria's cutting-edge web site at alexandriava.gov.  The survey noted the availability of City Council webcasts; electronic forms and calendars, online payment of taxes, tickets, and fees; emergency preparedness information, interactive job applications, and free public wireless Internet access.  The City was also cited for its extensive use of technology in law enforcement; comprehensive strategic planning and project management; information technology standards and protocols; geographic information systems; and citywide data network.

Alexandria has long been a national leader in municipal information technology," said Mayor William D. Euille.  "Our goal is to provide excellent service to our customers, and we are proud to be recognized for the outstanding work done by the technology professionals throughout Alexandria City government."

The City tied with Lincoln, Neb., for fourth place in the 125,000 to 249,000 population range, topping such large cities as Des Moines, Iowa, and Salt Lake City, Utah, for the honor.  Alexandria was the only city in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region recognized in any population category.

Alexandria is a place where technology thrives and is an integral part of doing business. Attracted by a business-friendly and fiscally responsible government with top AAA/Aaa bond ratings, the seventh-most educated workforce in the United States, and an outstanding quality of life, more than 350 technology companies, employing approximately 12,000, call Alexandria home. The City offers tax breaks for technology companies doing research and development, and it created the first enterprise zone in Northern Virginia to provide companies with substantial state tax credits, grants, and other benefits.

In just 16 square miles, Alexandria is home to nearly 400 professional associations --the fourth largest concentration in the United States. From the Aeronautical Repair Station Association to the Wireless Location Industry Association, many of these organizations contribute to the nationwide advancement of technology in their respective fields. In addition, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which moved to the City in 2004, has made Alexandria an international center for intellectual property processes and practices.

For more information, contact the City's E-Government Manager Craig Fifer at craig.fifer@alexandriava.gov or 703.838.6333 x537.  Additional information about the Digital Cities Survey is also available at centerdigitalgov.com


BUSINESS  ITEMS

 Education's Impact on Earnings:
 --  Four-year college grads make roughly $20,000 more than their high school trained
      counterparts. People with two year degrees make only about $7,000 more a year than 
      high school grads. The bottom line: a four-year degree is becoming America's most reliable
      elevator of class and key to a middle-class standard of living.
      (Source: Business Week, October 31, 2005) 
 --  Individuals with less than a ninth-grade education earn an estimated $976,350 over their lifetime.
      A high school dropout earns $1,150,968. A high school graduate earns $1,455,253. And a person
      with a bachelor's degree earns $2,567,174. (Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas). 
 --  It takes a staggering 83% of a poor family's annual income to fund the annual costs at private
      four-year college -- up from 60% a decade ago.(Source: Business Week, October 31, 2005) 

 Internet / Blog's Impact on Worker Productivity:
 --  Work time spent reading and posting to blogs this year (2005) will consume
      2.2% of U.S. labor force hours. 
 --  Work time spent at blogs unrelated to work will eat up 1.65% of labor force hours. 
 --  U.S. workers this year will waste the equivalent of 551,000 years (based on a
      24-hour day) or 2.3 million work years (based on a typical nearly 40-hour work
       week) reading blogs unrelated to the job. 
      (Source: AdAge.com -- October 24, 2005)

Age and the Impact on the Workforce:
  --  More than 40 percent of the U.S. labor force will reach traditional retirement age by the end of
       the decade.  (Source: Conference Board) 
  --  The number of U.S. workers between ages 55 and 64 will grow 51 percent to 25 million by 2012, meaning the fastest-growing portion of the work force is the one at most risk of retiring soon.
At the same time, the number of workers between ages 35 and 44 is expected to shrink by 7 percent. (Source: Wall Street Journal, Sept 20, 2005)

GENERAL

CITY OF ALEXANDRIA NEWS

City of Alexandria Officially Launches Wireless Alexandria's First Free, Outdoor, Wireless Internet Zone in DC Metro Area
The City of Alexandria is officially launching "Wireless Alexandria" today, marking the formal kickoff of the region's first free, outdoor, wireless Internet zone. This new service allows any user with a wireless device to access the Internet at no charge. The goals of the one-year pilot project are to provide a convenient public service to users, stimulate economic development and tourism by drawing people to Alexandria, promote the image of Alexandria as a high-tech community, and test the feasibility of using wireless devices for municipal operations. "This is really a win-win situation," said Alexandria Mayor William Euille. "Rarely do we have the opportunity to let the public use the same equipment we will be testing for government use. We hope that this cutting-edge service will attract people to Alexandria while helping them access all the Internet has to offer." The current outdoor coverage area is centered along the King Street corridor in Old Town between Washington Street and the waterfront, including Market Square and the City Marina. Depending on building locations and other conditions, coverage is available for some distance around that corridor in each direction. If the pilot project is successful, coverage may be expanded to other public spaces and pedestrian corridors in the City. Wireless Alexandria is also available at all Alexandria public library branches. The service is optimized for outdoor use. Although some indoor users may be able to connect to the system, the service is not intended to compete with commercially available Internet service and should not replace existing home or business Internet access. The network is not secured, which means that sensitive personal or financial information sent across the network will not be encrypted. Commercial Internet service is more appropriate for these types of uses. "Our project is very narrowly tailored to serve a unique outdoor area of our city," said E-Government Manager Craig Fifer. "Wireless Alexandria has virtually no impact on commercial Internet service providers, and we are pleased that Alexandrias two largest providers have each said they have no objection to the service." Wireless Alexandria is available to anyone using a "Wi-Fi"-enabled laptop or personal digital assistant (PDA). Wi-Fi devices (also known as 802.11 devices) can connect to the Internet wirelessly, without the need for any cords, cables, or special software. Many new laptops and PDAs come standard with Wi-Fi capability. Laptops (and some PDAs) without the feature can be upgraded inexpensively. The initial cost of the necessary equipment was less than $14,000, with an ongoing monthly cost of $650 for Internet bandwidth. The project was funded by Alexandria's Information Technology Plan, which is part of the City's capital improvement program. For more information on Wireless Alexandria, email Craig Fifer, the City's E-Government Manager, at craig.fifer@alexandriava.gov or call 703.838.6333, extension 537.


Inter-jurisdictional High-Speed Fiber Optic Interconnection
Created by City of Alexandria and Arlington County
Fiber Link Is First Step in Creating Northern Virginia Regional Interconnection The City of Alexandria and Arlington County governments have constructed a high-speed fiber optic interconnection joining the Alexandria Institutional Network (I-Net) and the Arlington I-Net. The interconnect is a dedicated secure fiber link between both jurisdictions that will initially be used for voice and video applications for public safety. The fiber link, which uses existing Comcast cable fiber, is the first step in creating a series of Northern Virginia regional interconnections. This inter-jurisdictional fiber connection has been cited by the federal Department of Homeland Security as an innovation it would like to see replicated in the Washington, D. C ., area, as well as other metropolitan areas of the United States.
Future applications for the fiber link include:
   --- connecting emergency operation centers of the two jurisdictions
   --- sharing of live video and satellite programming
   --- videoconferencing for inter-jurisdictional meetings
   --- sharing of building permit, GIS, tax, and criminal identification databases
   --- process Alexandria's payroll on Arlington's mainframe computers
   --- integrated traffic management between neighboring communities
   --- back up connections to radio controllers in neighboring communities
   --- back up 911 call centers and emergency operations centers in
        neighboring communities
Emergency responders used this new interconnection for communications during the Pentagon's Gallant Fox Emergency exercise in June. The fiber link regional interconnection will eventually also connect with the City of Falls Church and Fairfax County as well as possibly connect to other Northern Virginia jurisdictions


Wireless in Beatley Library
At the last IT commission meeting we were told that Beatley Library is now equipped for wireless internet use. Now you can open your laptop, grab a book and surf the internet from a comfortable chair at Beatley. Let me know if you try it out and how it works.


Alexandria Citizens' Police Academy
Participants will learn about traffic enforcement, narcotics operations, hostage negotiation, K-9 work, crime scene investigation, special tactics and internal affairs. Academy members will get to ride with police officers, go inside the 911 center, and even make deadly force decisions. Open to those 21 or older who live or work in the City of Alexandria. To apply call 703.838.4520, or email Sgt. Tom Magyar at tom.magyar@alexandriava.gov or Cheryl Smith at cheryl.smith@alexandriava.gov .


Nuisance Abatement Hotline
The City of Alexandria's Nuisance Abatement Hotline, 703-836-0041, is a 24-hour phone number for residents and businesses seeking assistance with public nuisance issues involving violations of City Codes. The hotline is designed to handle issues such as accumulation of trash, abandoned cars, poorly maintained properties, overcrowded apartments, and rodent problems.Callers to the hotline should state the nature and location of the problem, as well as provide a name and phone number. If the problem is urgent, a City agency will immediately dispatch personnel to investigate. If not, action will be taken no later than the next business day. Callers will be advised of actions taken. During emergencies calls may be taken electronically.For any additional information about City Codes or services provided by the City of Alexandria, call the Code Enforcement Bureau at
703-838-4360.


Alexandria City Council Endorses Plan to End Chronic Homelessness
The Alexandria City Council has endorsed the Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in Alexandria and approved including the Plan in the five year Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development. The Council voted at its meeting on March 8 to adopt the plan developed by the Alexandria Homeless Services Coordinating Committee (HSCC) using a format developed by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. "First and foremost, our goal is to prevent homelessness," said Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille.
A January 2004 "Point-in-Time" count of the homeless in Alexandria found 414 persons in Alexandria who were considered to be homeless. Of this total, 93 or 22 percent of Alexandria's homeless population were determined to be chronically homeless. Another 35 people, all with either a disability or severe mental illness or a dual diagnosis, were housed in supportive housing units. The goals of the Alexandria plan are a mixture of new initiatives and ongoing activities.

New initiatives include:

• Developing single room occupancy style housing to provide affordable housing and accessible s services for low income wage earners and disabled adults.
• Supporting the Alexandria Community Health Care Center in competing for a health care for a homeless grant to improve the populations access to comprehensive health care services.
  Examples of ongoing initiatives include:
• Establishing a Homeless Management Information System to coordinate service delivery and analyze outcomes.
• Preventing homelessness through effective discharge planning and continuation of local programming to prevent evictions.
• Developing permanent housing solutions for the homeless including projects such as the Safe Haven designed for the chronic homeless
• Increasing the availability of employment and training for the chronic homeless
• Reducing barriers to services by the homeless and maximizing the use of existing mainstream resources to reduce and eliminate homelessness.

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING

WMATA Vendor Registration System
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Administration's (WMATA) Vendor Registration System (VRS) has been designed and deployed to allow potential vendors who want access to WMATA through the Internet. The vendor database is used by WMATA to develop bidder lists and notify potential vendors of requirements. Visit www.wmata.com to sign-up.

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