Davis, Fisette and Williams appointed to Lead Board in 2005
The COG Board at its January meeting elected Greenbelt Mayor Judith (“J”) Davis to head its Board of Directors. Arlington County Board Chair G.N. Jay Fisette and District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams will serve as vice chairs. The Board also appointed chairs to oversee several policy committees. They are: Frederick County Commissioner John Lovell, Chesapeake Bay Policy Committee; Alexandria Council Member Rob Krupicka, Committee on Noise Abatement and Aviation at National and Dulles Airports; Arlington County Council Member Walter Tejada, Human Services Policy Committee; Prince George’s County Planning Board Chair Elizabeth Hewlett, Metropolitan Development Policy Committee; Fairfax County Supervisor Penelope A. Gross, Public Safety Policy Committee.

COG Board Votes To Accept Findings Of Metro Funding Panel
The COG Board of Directors at its January meeting accepted findings of the Metro Funding Panel. Members overwhelmingly approved a resolution to encourage COG jurisdictions to evaluate the panel’s report and work toward finding a solution for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s (WMATA) funding shortfall. The resolution passed with amendments to encourage the governors of Maryland and Virginia and the Mayor of the District of Columbia to embrace a revenue source for WMATA, and to request an acknowledgement by the federal government of the reliance of its workforce on the Metro system.

COG Looks To Reduce Traffic Fatalities Involving Teen Drivers
COG provided a forum for dicussion on the growing number of fatal accidents involving teen drivers in December, when Clear Channel Radio broadcast a live town hall meeting at COG that focused on the issue. Fairfax County Supervisor Penelope Gross joined a panel that included experts from AAA and SafeSmartWomen, as well as a 20-year-old woman who nearly died in a car driven by her teen sister in 1998. In January, Gross addressed the COG Board and Public Safety Policy Committee and recommended that COG take the lead on new initiatives to combat this problem.

UASI FUNDS
In December, CAO Committee Chair Tony Griffin of Fairfax County met with COG staff and others to improve the process used for managing future Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) funding decisions. By the end of January, each Regional Emergency Support Function (R-ESF) should have submitted Concept Papers detailing their homeland security needs. The R-ESF chairs will meet in February at COG to review the concept papers. Final proposals (Request for Applications /RFA) for FY 2005 funding must be received by March 1. The State Administrative Agent (DC), the CAO’s Homeland Security Committee, the CAO’s Committee, and the Senior Policy Group will consider the RFAs in March. A total of $77.5 million in federal UASI funds is available in FY 2005 to the National Capital Region.

COG PREPARES FOR REALITY CHECK ON GROWTH
One of the region's biggest events this year is about to begin. Reality Check on Growth will bring together stakeholders from around the National Capital Area on February 2 to develop a blueprint for sound regional growth. COG, along with several other local area organizations, initiated the conference in response to a growing need for additional housing, schools, office buildings and retail facilities.