R-21-38RESOLUTION NO R-21-38
CONNECTING FAIRFAX CITY FOR ALL - CONNECTING FAIRFAX CITY'S
PAST AND PRESENT TO BUILD A MORE EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE
FUTURE
WHEREAS the Mayor and Council initiated discussion of Connecting Fairfax City's Past
and Present to Build a More Equitable and Inclusive Future at a Work Session on October
6, 2020, and
WHEREAS the Council further discussed and approved the process, generally referred to as
"Connecting Fairfax City for All," at the October 27, 2020, Council Meeting, and
WHEREAS the Council also approved creating a series of "Community Listening and
Learning Sessions" to inform and engage the community about specific Confederate items of
nomenclature in the City, to include images in the City Seal, historical monuments and
markers, and street and neighborhood names, and broader
topics about racial and social discrimination and inequities, and
WHEREAS the Council on January 12, 2021, appointed a 16-member Stakeholder Advisory
Group (SAG), chosen from 87 applicants representing all the City's voting precincts, and
charged the Stakeholders with developing consensus recommendations on the above
Confederate examples of nomenclature, and to "engage in dialogue about ways in which
Fairfax City can take actions to create a more inclusive community," and
WHEREAS the City partnered with professors and students from the George Mason
University's Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and a
professional facilitator to work with City staff and the Stakeholder Advisory Group, and
WHEREAS the Stakeholder Advisor Group met 14 times, reviewed and discussed historical
background information, participated in facilitated discussions, reached consensus
recommendations on specific items and images of Confederate nomenclature in the city, and
presented those recommendations in a comprehensive report to the Mayor and City Council
on September 9, 2021, and
WHEREAS those recommendations call for redesigning the City Seal and specifically
removing the human figures representing Thomas, the 61h Lord Fairfax and
Confederate/Southern Captain John Q. Marr, and
WHEREAS the Stakeholder Advisory Group recommended against removing the
"Monument to Confederate Dead" and the "United Daughters of the Confederacy Monument"
in the City Cemetery but recommended designing and installing new interpretive markers to
provide visitors the historical context of the two monuments, and
WHEREAS the Stakeholder Advisory Group recommended against the immediate removal
of any current historical markers but instead endorsed revising the content of some markers to
tell the broader story of events at that location, and
WHEREAS the Stakeholder Advisory Group recommended changing the names of the
streets or highways with confirmed names linked to Confederate military and political leaders,
the institution of slavery, and the "Lost Cause." These include "any names referring to Robert
E. Lee, John Singleton Mosby, Stonewall Jackson, or George Pickett. .. " and include: "Lee
Highway, Old Lee Highway, Old Lee Hills (Subdivision), Pickett Road, * Old Pickett Road,
Pickett 's Reserve, *(Subdivision), Mosby Road, Mosby Woods (Subdivision), Plantation
Park -way, Confederate Lane, Raider Lane, Ranger Road, Reb Street, Scarlet Circle, Traveler
Street, Mosby Woods Drive, Stonewall Estates (Subdivision), Stonewall Avenue, and Lee
Street. *The group considered names named after George Pickett (a Confederate officer).
After extensive research, the group discovered that Pickett Road and Old Picket (sp) Road
were named after a Fairfax attorney by the name of George Pickett [Correct name is
Charles.] in the 1950s. Given that clarification, the group did not support removing the
Pickett reference from those streets, " and
WHEREAS the Mayor and City Council commend the willingness of the Stakeholder
Advisory Group to listen to, learn from, and respect each member's viewpoints in order to
reach the consensus recommendations, and
WHEREAS the Mayor and City Council today acknowledge with gratitude the Stakeholder
Advisory Group's time commitment, dedication, thoughtfulness, and investment in reaching
those recommendations that will impact the City's present and future, and
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT The Fairfax City Council accepted the
Stakeholder Advisory Group's report and hereby commits to a thorough and thoughtful
review of the Stakeholder Advisory Group's recommendations, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT The Fairfax City Council will conduct a Work
Session on these topics on Tuesday, October 12, and as needed in the future prior to
implementing any changes, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT Mayor David Meyer, Councilmembers Janice
Miller, and Jon Stehle will be designated to work with City staff and others to develop the
necessary processes and protocols, to include costs, legal reviews, and community outreach,
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT The Fairfax City Council will be updated monthly
on progress, next steps and processes needed to implement any or all of the Stakeholder
Advisory Group's recommendations or Council directives, and actions, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT The Fairfax City Council, regardless of any
decisions taken on the recommendations, will continue its commitment to build a more
equitable and inclusive future for the City and to engage residents in future community
listening, learning, and healing opportunities on the broader issues of racial and social equity.
Adopted: September 28, 2021
0*4-y- " 4.
Mayor
Attest:
4-3asCity Clerk
The vote on the motion to approve was recorded as follows:
VOTE:
Councilmember Harmon Aye
Councilmember Lim
Aye
Councilmember Miller
Aye
Councilmember Ross
Aye
Councilmember Stehle
Aye
Councilmember Yi
Aye