July 9, 2025: Charlottesville City Manager Sanders provides update on various initiatives
Plus: JABA's interim CEO gets the position on a permanent basis going forward
July 9, 2025 marks the 157th anniversary of the ratification of the 14th Amendment of the United States, an amendment that clarified that anyone could be a citizen of the United States.
This superseded the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dred Scott v. Sandford decision from eleven years before that ruled in a 7-2 majority that individuals descended from enslaved people could not participate in American democracy. A lot has happened since then, and the bulk of Charlottesville Community Engagement is intended to document some of what’s going on now. I’m Sean Tubbs and here’s what we have for today:
A man from Fluvanna County is in stable condition after being shot in the city’s Fifeville neighborhood early this morning
Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders provides an update on his work plan but provides little information on the status of a low-barrier homeless shelter
Charlottesville’s Police Civilian Oversight Board can meet tomorrow night but they cannot vote on any items
The JABA Board of Directors has removed the word “interim” from the CEO of the organization
A Charlottesville based nonprofit has published an essay warning about the Constitutional dangers of expansion of immigration enforcement
First shout-out: Plant Virginia Natives
Well, it’s July again, and a lot of my yard is overtaken with invasive plants. One day I am hoping to get ahead of the creeper and vine that thrive in the humidity and the hot sun. What could I plant instead if I one day find myself with a green thumb?
One resource I could consult is Plant Virginia Natives to figure my way out of my predicament.
Plant Virginia Natives is part of a partnership with ten regional campaigns for ten different ecosystems across Virginia, from the Northern Piedmont to the Eastern Shore. Take a look at the full map below for the campaign for native species where you are in the Commonwealth. For the Charlottesville area, download a free copy of the handbook: Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens.
Fluvanna man injured in Fifeville shooting
Just before midnight on July 4, five people were shot on Orangedale Avenue in Charlottesville’s Fifeville neighborhood in an incident in which multiple people are suspected but no arrests have been made.
There was another shooting nearby just after midnight today in the 600 block of 7 ½ Street.
Officers with the Charlottesville Police Department were dispatched at 12:09 a.m. after people called in reporting shots fired.
“Shortly after officers responded to the incident, a 40-year-old Fluvanna County resident arrived at the hospital with apparent gunshot wounds,” . The victim is currently listed in critical but stable condition.
Officers obtained a search warrant to enter one of the residences on the street and evidence was collected. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000.
Sanders provides status report on various initiatives
Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders has held that position for nearly two years, lasting longer than several of his predecessors. His tenure so far has been marked with a series of ambitious initiatives and he provided an update to City Council on July 7.
“Upon taking the role of City Manager, I decided that it was important for me to be able to come before council and the public every quarter and report on our progress at getting the work done for the city,” Sanders said. “My goal is to always present a work plan at the start of each fiscal year and then to give quarterly updates.”
Sanders said a new work plan for FY2026 will be presented to Council in a couple of weeks. These work plans track progress toward elements of the city’s strategic plan framework adopted by Council in September 2023.
One of the headings in the original plan had the title “Commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” but that has now been changed to “Commitment to Opportunity and Access.” The five-page end of FY2025 review notes that an action item titled “Operationalize JEDI” has been paused due to federal threats against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
“While we are concerned about the actions of the federal government, we are not stopping the work that we need to do that has been identified and prioritized by this Council,” Sanders said. “Until you tell me otherwise, that is what we will continue to do. But language is what is being used right now as a target. It is also being used to try to separate localities from their values.”
One of the strategic outcomes in the plan is titled Housing with four action items. Sanders has been working on various plans to build a low-barrier shelter for the unhoused and the most recent plan has been to locate one at the site of the Salvation Army thrift store on Cherry Avenue. Sanders had no update on that but said he was continuing to work with multiple powers.
“In the meantime, I am looking at alternatives because I believe in a plan B, C and D just because that's who I am,” Sanders said.
In June, Council approved several million in surplus funding for what Sanders has referred to as community interventions. One of those includes hiring two people to conduct outreach.
Another item under Housing listed as “ongoing” is to define the portfolio of properties owned by the city and the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Council got an update in June from CRHA Executive Director John Sales as I reported for C-Ville Weekly.
“We're going to continue to work with CRHA and we plan for you to see that as a part of an additional conversation in the joint session that has been scheduled for next month with the CRHA board,” Sanders said.
Another strategic plan outcome is under “Organizational Excellence” and one of the action items is to “rebuild staff capacity.” Sanders reported that several critical vacancies have been filled such as the city attorney, social services director, a human resources director, and several transit positions. One vacancy remaining to be filled is the position of emergency management coordinator and Sanders said an offer has been made.
The beginning of fiscal year 2026 means that a fourth collective bargaining unit is now in place.
“Public works, utilities and Parks and [Recreation] staff primarily are now in an organized bargaining unit,” Sanders said.
Also under Organizational Excellent and listed as “in progress” is an audit of the process that develops the city’s Capital Improvement Program.
“Deputy [City Manager James] Freas has received that charge and that mission and that request and I'll say demand, to be perfectly honest, that we've got to do better at making sure that that information gets shared with you and the public,” Sanders said.
Accomplishments in the last year under “Partnerships” include:
A new lease with the Charlottesville Parking Center for the Water Street Parking Garage (read my story)
A new agreement with the Charlottesville-Albemarle Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals to run the state-mandated animal shelter
An agreement with the Albemarle County Sheriff’s Office related to management of the new joint General District Court in Court Square
Under “Recreation, Arts, and Culture,” Sanders announced that Brenda Kelley, formerly the city’s redevelopment director, will now serve as the Downtown Strategy Manager in the Office of Economic Development.
“The goal is to be able to have a resource available to our business community on the mall to be able to speak to someone directly and get hopefully the kinds of attention that they're looking for as well as an increased maintenance plan and a series of improvements along the mall as our asset that turns 50 years old next year will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Downtown Mall along with with to 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,” Sanders said.
Under Transportation, Sanders said one item that will be completed is a bus shelter at Midway Manor, a stop served by the free trolley-style bus.
City Councilor Natalie Oschrin said she appreciated the presentation and the update because it might help area residents understand what the city government is doing.
“A lot of the work that the city does, I mean some of it is easily visible, like infrastructure projects and, and bus frequency, things that are felt and seen and visible,” Oschrin said. “But a lot of this is internal organization management and systems development and getting all of that kind of aligned in a way that is harder for the public to see.”
There’s more to come from this City Council meeting including a long story about the climate action report.
Second shout-out: Alliance Française de Charlottesville
The Alliance Française de Charlottesville promotes the French language and francophone culture through educational and cultural programs. Visit the Alliance Française website to learn more about group classes, private lessons, cultural events, and social activities for both kids and adults.
Police Civilian Oversight Board cannot attain quorum until new members are appointed
The Charlottesville Police Civilian Oversight Board is scheduled to meet on Thursday evening but they cannot take any actions because there are not enough members to make a quorum.
“A quorum of the Board shall be four (4) members,” reads the December 2021 ordinance that created the body as a replacement for the Police Civilian Review Board.
Currently there are only three voting members and one non-voting member with four vacancies.
“They can meet but they cannot vote,” said Afton Schneider, the city’s director of communications and public engagement.
The city is seeking applicants for this board as well as several others. Learn more in a story that was in yesterday’s edition and now posted to Information Charlottesville.
JABA elevates interim CEO to next leader
An employee of the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA) has been running the organization since April and this week became the leader outright.
“The JABA Board of Directors met for a special session [on July 7] and unanimously named Christina Evans as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer,” said Dick Gibson, chair of JABA’s Board of Directors. “Christina willingly stepped into the CEO interim role in April and, in a short period, has proven to be the leader JABA needs to move forward.”
Earlier this year, Judith Selzer was named as the replacement for Marta Keene who served as CEO for many years before retiring. Selzer lasted less than three months in the position and it is not listed on her LinkedIn profile.
Evans called it an honor to take over the role.
“Over the past five years at JABA, I’ve been proud to reflect the values that guide our work and make this organization so impactful,” Evans said “I’m excited for the opportunity to further advance JABA’s mission throughout the community.”
This is JABA’s 50th anniversary. One of their new initiatives this year is a new podcast which you can listen to here.
Rutherford Institute warns against unchecked power for ICE, private prisons
Since 1982, the Charlottesville-based Rutherford Institute has drawn awareness to civil liberties enshrined in the United States Constitution. The non-partisan organization has a libertarian bent.
Today they published an essay warning of the dangers that come with billions of additional funding for border and immigration enforcement.
“With over $170 billion allocated through Trump’s megabill, we are witnessing the creation of a vast, permanent enforcement infrastructure aimed at turning the American police state into a prison state,” writes John and Nisha Whitehead.
The pair write that this is not a partisan warning but a constitutional one. They write that the money will be used to funnel money from the U.S. Treasury to companies that build private prisons at a time when the U.S. Department of Justice has pledged to remove citizenship for those viewed as security risks.
“Unfortunately, the government’s definition of “national security threat” is so broad, vague and unconstitutional that it could encompass anyone engaged in peaceful, nonviolent, constitutionally protected activities—including criticism of government policy or the policies of allied governments like Israel,” the Whiteheads write.
The essay also points out that many in the Republican for many years have been opposed to a surveillance state.
Reading material:
Overnight camp on James River doubles down on safety protocols amid Texas flooding tragedy, Sarah Chakales, WWBT, July 7, 2025
Youngkin marks early success on regulatory reform, sets new goal for 35% reduction, Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury, July 8, 2025
How local agencies work to protect our long-term water supply, Nathaniel Alderman, C-Ville Weekly, July 9, 2025
A nervousness creeps in with #894 out the door
The next week or so will be a bit different. I’ll be going on a road trip, something that makes me nervous because my sanity depends on being able to get newsletters out. There are at least two major stories underway in Charlottesville at the moment, and I want to be able to drop everything and get to work.
That won’t be possible as I have two days of travel planned, which means I have to do things out of order. I spent the first half of today doing the audio versions of three stories for the podcast. There was something at UVA I wanted to cover today but a heavy thunderstorm struck right as it was going to happen.
I hope others were there to record what happened.
I know I cannot cover it all. I know there is a need to take breaks, and I planned to do one. But, there are a lot of moving parts and I’ve assigned myself the task of trying to describe the motion. After all, hundreds of you are paying me to do this work, and I am grateful for the responsibility.
For now, I’m getting this edition out the door so I can get to the post office, spend an hour or two with friends, and then get home to knock out the rest of the podcast.
Can’t wait for the podcast? One thing I try to do is post the audio to my SoundCloud account and in the body of the stories on Information Charlottesville.
For some ridiculous reason today, the closing YouTube video is the opening to an old television show. It is my hope that a younger reader will discover this, watch all of the episodes, and then will understand how weird it was to grow up in the 70’s and 80’s.