Since 1993, the Association has conducted three membership surveys on important issues affecting the four neighborhood areas of our community. The results of these surveys help guide the Executive Committee's actions and positions on issues throughout the membership year. We are asking the residents of the Ballston-Virginia Square area to participate in our fourth annual fall survey to tell us your opinions on issues ranging from crime and traffic to development and taxes.
On the enclosed survey, [included in the published BVSCA Newsletter dated September/October 1996 in Arlington County, Virginia] you simply have to check off your degree of concern for each issue mentioned. You may choose to answer some of the questions and not answer others, if you wish. We encourage you to identify yourself with name and address, but that is voluntary. Please take the time to fill this questionnaire out as best you can and make any additional comments or suggestions that you care to. All individual names and answers will be kept confidential but we will tabulate the overall results and share them with everyone who comes to our meetings. To have your views included in the results, responses are due by October 2nd and final results will be available on or about October 16th.
Except for a few changes to the format and an increased number of topical issues, this survey is very similar to the BVSCA surveys conducted each fall from 1993 to 1995. We received 65 survey responses to last year's fall survey, which helped the Executive Committee determine the issues of major concern to our Civic Association members. For example, based on the survey results last year, we focused our efforts on 1) major site plan applications and amendments; 2) the local income tax (proposed) and other County tax issues; 3) the status of the proposed George Mason University Law School campus expansion and GMU parking concerns; 4) public safety follow- up, including crime stories and the Arlington Professional Firefighters Association's filed Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) complaint over fire engine failures and understaffing, 5) needed special enabling legislation to remedy aggressive panhandling in Arlington, including the highlights of discussions with the Arlington County Delegation and the Arlington County and Arlington County Civic Federation's 1996 Legislative Packages; 6) the County's budget process; (7) opening Arlington's Emergency Shelter every night (Nov.1 to Mar. 31); and (8) other significant issues affecting our community.
If you would like continued coverage of these issues or new issues, it is very important that you return the survey postmarked by October 2nd to David Ryan, Secretary, Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association, 900 North Stafford Street, Alta Vista #1110, Arlington, Virginia 22203. You may submit your survey by hand to the Association at the next Membership Meeting on Wednesday, September 18, 1996, at 7:30 p.m., at the first floor conference room of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association building, 4301 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia. Also, you may submit your survey by hand at the Association's next Executive Committee meeting that is planned for Wednesday, October 2, 1996, (check the Association's Member Information Line Telephone Number, a.k.a. MILTN, 528-1887, for the exact date, location, and time for the next Executive Committee meeting).
Also, we invite citizens from our community, see page 36 of the [published] Newsletter for the map of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association Neighborhood Area, to join our Association of over 320 dues paid members to help us get over the 400 mark for the first time in our Association's history. If you are interested in joining, see page 26 of the [published] Newsletter for the BVSCA Membership Application form.