Kudos to Alexandria City Council

I'm sure some of you have noticed that the grass on the Alexandria side of Shirlington Circle has grown so tall that it is a traffic hazard, making an already precarious merge/yield even more dangerous. After weeks of waiting for the grass to be fully cut (since the City apparently thought cutting part of it was good enough), I decided to contact the Mayor's Office and City Council. I opted to use the email form on the Alexandria City Government website. I submitted the email on June 16 at about 9:45 pm and by 9 am the next morning I received the first of three emails from members of City Council. Below are the responses from Justin Wilson (City Council), Rob Krupicka (City Council), and Elaine Scott (Citizen Assistance), respectively. Elaine Scott actually CC'd all the members of City Council as well as the Mayor on her reply.

It's nice to feel that your local government hears and is receptive to the concerns of its residents. Now we'll see if the grass gets cut.

From Justin Wilson:

Thanks for the e-mail. I'm sorry to hear of the poor condition of the grass in the Circle.

During the most recently approved budget, due to severe budgetary constraints, the City Council made the decision to reduce mowing and grounds maintenance across the City. That being said, I will ask our Staff to ensure that this particular area is being maintained according to the new, reduced schedule.

I will let you know. Have a good week.

From Rob Krupicka:

We'll have staff look at this. Thank you for contacting us.

From Elaine Scott:

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns with the City Council. Your concerns will be forwarded to the appropriate City department for response. Responses are generally provided within five working days. If more time is needed, we will notify you.