TOWN OF HERNDON
Enriching the Quality of Life and Promoting a Sense of Community 
MEMORANDUM

Date: 22 July 2008
To:                Mayor Steve DeBenedittis
From:           Councilmember Dennis D. Husch
CC:              Members of the Herndon Town Council
                    Arthur A. Anselene, Town Manager
                    Richard B. Kaufman, Town Attorney

Re.               Day Workers at Alabama Drive and Elden Street
 

Based on the email I received in the last few days, it appears that the majority of Town Council supports assigning a police officer and a zoning inspector to the area of the growing ad hoc day laborer hiring site near the intersection of Elden Street and Alabama Drive.  The start and end times of this assignment may be in question, but it is apparent that a daily continuous presence is absolutely necessary.

In my opinion, the responsibilities of the police officer and the zoning inspector are quite clear.  The police officer must ticket every vehicle operator that attempts to offer employment to, or negotiate, with a day laborer and who impedes the flow of traffic on the public street (no warnings and no exceptions).  The zoning inspector must issue a violation notice to property owners immediately when the property is being used by persons offering employment to a day laborer.

While the increased presence of police officers and zoning inspectors would contribute to the reduction in the number of day laborers, there are other things that need to be done – some of which staff is currently pursuing:

1.   Establish a room rental permit program to eliminate quasi-motels and flop houses (being worked by staff).

2.   Establish a pedestrian safety zone which prohibits standing along Elden Street between Herndon Parkway and Sterling Road, and three blocks east and west of the Elden Street – Alabama Drive intersection (being worked by staff).

3.   Since more than half of the drunk in public (DIP) arrests are being made in the vicinity of Elden Street between Herndon Parkway and Sterling Road, the town should contact the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Board and request that they revoke the ABC licenses of all “quick-marts” in the area.

4.   Contact Verizon and request that all pay-telephones be removed along Elden Street from the Herndon Parkway to Sterling Road and three blocks east and west of the Elden Street – Alabama Drive intersection.

5.   Establish a Town policy to confiscate all bicycles that are chained, tied to trees or road sign posts in the public right-of-ways.

6.   Require business owners to maintain the landscaping on their property and comply with other property maintenance codes.

7.   Write a letter to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman and the Dranesville District Supervisor requesting that the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center check the legal presence of every person arrested and prepare deportation detainers on those suspected of being illegal aliens so they are not released back into our community.

8.   Expand the scope of the town’s 287(g) memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement to allow Herndon Police officers to determine the legal presence of every person arrested.