June 4, 2025: No one speaks at public hearing on Charlottesville’s use of $8.7 million in capital contingency funds
Plus: A preview of three meetings this week including the UVA Board of Visitors
Three times out of four, June 4 is the 155th day of the year. On this day in 1411, King Charles VI of France granted the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon the exclusive monopoly on the creation of that particular kind of cheese. Will that still be the case in 614 years from now?
Also on this day in 1783 (not 1873 - see comment below), the Montgolfier brothers demonstrated their hot-air balloon for the first time. Is that still of interest to those of us alive in 2025? These are questions that are only tangentially relevant to Charlottesville Community Engagement. I’m Sean Tubbs, and at least I didn’t attempt a Two Ronnies joke.
In today’s installment:
Charlottesville City Council holds first reading of allocation of $12 million in community interventions and additional funds for administrative purposes
The Afton Express reports a 16 percent increase in ridership in 2024
Fluvanna County Supervisors meet tonight for a relatively quiet meeting
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission will get a presentation on a new housing study tomorrow
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors meets this week and the newest member is seeking a change to the way the body’s Secretary is appointed
First-shout: JMRL Central Library Summer Reading Kickoff this Saturday
It’s always a good time to read, but especially so in the summer! Kick off the season at the Central Library this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon with an exciting party! You can register for the Summer Reading Challenge and receive a free, limited edition tote bag.
Enjoy music by the Flashbacks, visit the Bookmobile, snack on popcorn and donuts, and meet a llama! Join in on a community collaborative art project to celebrate this year's Summer Reading theme: Color Our World. Face painting, balloon animals, and a llama-themed storytime will entertain kids and kids-at-heart.
Storytime from 10-10:30am in the Swanson Room.
Sanders reduces contingency spending request after appearing on Sanctuary City list
Charlottesville City Council was asked on June 2 to hold the first reading of a proposal to spend $12 million on a variety of “community interventions” as well as a list of administrative spending items.
“This is a request to spend some of the surplus funds that have accumulated from multiple years, including FY24 which was a little over $22 million,” said City Manager Sam Sanders.
Earlier in the day, transportation planning manager Ben Chambers provided details on $500,000 worth of funds for “urgent infrastructure” projects. That’s part of the $5.4 million for “community interventions” Sanders outlined on May 19.
Sanders did not detail how the rest of the funding would be spent that day but said on June 2 that they were the sort of items that often occur in the transition from one fiscal year to the next.
Budget Director Krisy Hammill explained.
“We are adding a few things that we are considering our budgetary guidelines or policy compliance issues,” Hammill said.
That includes $3.5 million to replenish a reserve the city uses to pay health care premiums for employees. Another $1.1 million will be added to the pension fund related to the addition of a fourth collective bargaining unit held by the Teamsters. Another $175,000 goes toward third-party legal services the city have utilized in the past year.
Sanders had originally proposed the use of $12 million from the contingency fund, but took several of the items. One reason was to keep more funding in reserve in case the federal government decides to withhold funding from Charlottesville for perceived violations of immigration policy.
The items removed from the resolution are:
Mall Lighting Improvements ($233,000)
Mall Manager ($260,000)
Temporary Shelter Demonstrations ($375,000)
Meridian Barriers ($600,000)
Two drones for the Charlottesville Fire Department ($75,000)
City Environmental and Mobility Policy Plans ($1.5 million)
Asset management system implementation ($300,000)
Sanders said those items will come back for Council’s consideration at a later time. He also said at least one of them will be paid for through other means. The new total requested amount from the Capital Improvement Program contingency fund is $8.69 million.
“I also tried to take into consideration where there might be moments that staff may need time to actually begin spending the money anyway so we can work to prepare for the expenditure without actually needing to allocate the funds in case something were to change in the posture and we end up losing federal dollars that we are relying on at this time,” Sanders said.
The item had been advertised as only needing one reading but Councilors opted to add a second one to make sure the public had an opportunity to weigh in.
When the public hearing was opened, one person attempted to speak about the Flock camera system but that was not germane to the surplus resolution. The item will return on June 16. At that same meeting, Council will learn more about what would be covered by the City Environmental and Mobility Policy Plans.
Afton Express reports increase in ridership
A decade ago, the regional transportation planning entities for the Charlottesville area and the Staunton-Augusta-Waynesboro area began meeting to discuss ways they could work together.
Charlottesville and Staunton transportation groups meet to discuss collaboration, Charlottesville Tomorrow, October 8, 2015
Staunton, Charlottesville transportation groups discuss cooperation on I-64, Charlottesville Tomorrow, October 26, 2016
Groups briefed on Harrisonburg-to-Charlottesville bus service, Charlottesville Tomorrow, September 17, 2017
One identified initiative was increased transit between the two communities. After years of planning by the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission, the Afton Express launched in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Regional Transit Partnership got an update on how they’re doing at their meeting in late April.
“Ridership on the Afton Express continues to increase year-by-year with 19,146 passenger trips taken in 2024,” reads the executive summary of the annual report. “This represents a 16% increase from the previous year and is the highest recorded ridership in a single year since the launch of the service.”
In 2024, the University of Virginia began covering the cost of all employees who use the service. To be eligible, however, employees have to give up a yearly parking pass. Those can now cost over $1,500 a year according to the report.
Bus stops in Staunton and Fisherville were relocated to be closer to other transit services operated by BRITE.
Ridership varies throughout the year with a high of 2,004 rides in October and a low of 1,292 in January.
Second-shout out: Design Develop
In today’s Patreon-fueled shout-out, architectural firm Design Develop is offering a new service aimed at the development community that the rest of us might want to know about , too — 3D point cloud scanning! This technique uses specialized equipment, such as 3D scanner systems, to gather a large amount of data points that represent the surface of the scanned object or scene. This really comes in handy when working with historic structures, as the firm knows from its experience in Baltimore and Charlottesville. Read their blog post for more information!
The applications of 3D point cloud scanning are extensive and cover various fields, including architecture, construction, cultural heritage preservation, virtual reality, industrial design, manufacturing, and more. These applications require accurate 3D spatial information, and Design Develop’s workflow provides precise and comprehensive results, all while being more cost-effective than traditional methods.
Design Develop has expertise in this workflow for their own needs and now has a dedicated team offering this service in the Charlottesville and Albemarle Area. If you're involved in the real estate, design, or construction industry, contact them for more information or a free quote.
Visit their website for an introductory video that captures the 3D point cloud scanning of the Downtown Transit Center and a booklet that will explain more!
Programming note: This is not the Week Ahead, but it is similar
The Week Ahead newsletter dates back to some time in 2019 and is known for being ridiculously long. This week I ran out of time to get to everything, and so the rest of today’s edition will be previews of upcoming meetings.
Fluvanna County Supervisors to create new tourism body
The five members of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors will meet at 5 p.m. in the Circuit Courtroom in the Fluvanna Courts Building at 72 Main Street in Palmyra. (meeting packet)
There are two presentations today.
One is an update on the restoration of Fluvanna’s historic courthouse. No details in the packet.
The other is an update on the fire training building. The packet is also devoid of details on this topic.
There are eight action items.
The first is to consider a resolution to spend $27,000 on a case management system for the Commonwealth’s Attorney. Eleven reasons are given in the staff report including something called “electronic discovery” that I would love to dig into more if I had more time. (learn more)
The second is the establishment of the Fluvanna County Tourism Advisory Committee to take over the functions of the Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Council. That body will be defunct as of June 30. (learn more)
The third is to advertise a resolution for a public hearing to be held on July 2 to amend the county ordinance to allow for lifetime dog licenses. (learn more)
The fourth is to make adjustments to the pay scale for county employees to account for compression. This is a phenomenon when new hires are paid more than long-term employees due to changing conditions in the market. (learn more)
The fifth is to make amendments to the personnel policy related to leave and holidays. (learn more)
The sixth has the title of “Social Services Performance-Based Bonus Opportunity for Medical Assistance Renewal.” This is to set a public hearing on July 2, 2025 to provide some bonuses to some employees. (learn more)
The seventh is to advertise a public hearing on July 2 for a lease agreement with Cellco Partnership. (learn more)
There are no public hearings.
TJPDC to get presentation on Regional Housing Study
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission does an awful lot. Broadband expansion? They’re on it. Transportation planning? They do a lot of this. Helping to coordinate the new regional water supply plan? That’s on their plate, too.
The TJPDC consists of the City of Charlottesville and the five counties that surround it. Staff activities are governed by a Board of Commissioners who meet on the first Thursday of the month. That’s tomorrow night. Meeting materials can be found here.
Another area the TJPDC covers is housing and the activities of the Central Virginia Regional Housing Partnership. This year the TJPDC has been working with the Virginia Center for Housing Research at Virginia Tech to update an assessment of the area’s housing needs. Another group called Housing Forward Virginia is also involved. The Board will get a presentation at the beginning of the meeting
From the presentation, it doesn’t look like any of the work has started yet. At least, the presentation is a generic overview. The TJPDC Board had a briefing on this work last November, as I wrote about at the time.
“We want to understand our housing ecosystem a little better and really have data to back it up,” said Laurie Jean Talun, Regional Housing and Community Development Grants Manager at the TJPDC. “We want to, of course, understand the cost burden that people are living with, everything from commuting patterns to the impact of housing on economic development, and just in general have accurate data for planning and funding purposes across the region.”
The last time a housing needs assessment was conducted for the area was in 2019. That resulted in an overarching document called Planning for Affordability which was adopted by the TJPDC Board in August 2021. Review the document here.
Here are some stories I wrote about that process:
Regional planners crafting regional affordable housing plan, March 30, 2021
Regional housing group “Planning for Affordability”, June 29, 2021
Regional Housing Partnership officials appear before Charlottesville City Council, January 31, 2023
Out of curiosity, I wanted to see if anyone else had written about the topic so I did a search for “Planning For Affordability TJPDC.” Aside from my work, the only hit was a guest editorial on Ron Schilling’s website by James Higgins.
“It’s not something many Greene County residents are aware of, but the policies promoting ‘social justice zoning’ (SJZ), which are responsible for contention in Charlottesville, are being exported to their northern neighbor,” Higgins wrote in October 2023.
Higgins is a member of the TJPDC as a citizen representative.
Under old business there will be a presentation on a hazard mitigation planning grant, a resolution to adopt the Safe Streets and Roads for All Action Plan, election of TJPDC officers and a resolution to adopt the organization’s FY2026 budget.
Under new business there is a resolution for a master agreement with the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation as well as a resolution related to certifications and assurances requested by the Federal Transit Administration.
The TJPDC will take off the July meeting and will next get together on August 7.
UVA Board of Visitors to meet; Cuccinelli seeks amendment to election of Secretary
The University of Virginia is the biggest force that affects the economy and quality of life in Albemarle County and Charlottesville. There are always many stories when the Board of Visitors comes to town. Review all of my previous ones here.
Their spring meeting begins tonight with a reception at Carr’s Hill with business beginning tomorrow. (meeting overview)
Business meetings this week all take place at the Boar’s Head Resort rather than the Rotunda. The Health System Board goes first Thursday with an open session, a closed session, and then another open session. (Health System Board packet)
Paul Manning is the chair of the Health System Board and the third item on the morning meeting is a vision for the Institute of Biotechnology that carries both his name and that of his wife Diane. This will be delivered by Mark Esser, the institute’s inaugural director.
The afternoon begins with a meeting of the Advancement Committee. That’s a fancy word for fundraising. There will be an update on current campaigns. (Advancement Committee book)
“Through April 30, philanthropic cash flow was $363M for FY 2025, a 15 percent increase compared to the previous fiscal year, and total commitments stood at $671M with a 26 percent increase,” reads the report. (Advancement Committee presentation)
The Buildings and Grounds Committee goes next. I had a preview of this in today’s C-Ville Weekly. I’ll write an update on the Major Capital Plan in a future newsletter. (Buildings and Grounds Committee book)
Thursday closes out with the meeting of the Academic and Student Life Committee before another reception.
The business meeting on Friday begins with the Finance Committee. This group will also have to sign off on the Major Capital Plan and the meeting packet contains details of the financing for each project.
But first they’ll review the operating budget.
“The University proposes a $6.5B operating budget for all three divisions,” reads a memo. Those three divisions are the Academic Division, the Medical Center, and the College at Wise.
There are write-ups for the financing plans for all of the items moving forward in the Major Capital Plan. One of them would see upgrades of the Main Heat Plant to eliminate a fuel source.
“The scope of this project includes the demolition of the four coal silos, removal of all the material handling equipment associated with coal and ash, optimizing the existing coal boilers for operation on gas and oil, and constructing additional fuel oil storage to increase the emergency fuel capacity,” reads the description.
I wrote a story about this back in March.
The committee that oversees the UVA College at Wise goes next followed by the Audit, Compliance, and Risk Committee. (committee materials)
Then the full Board will meet. There will be a memorial resolution for the late John T. Casteen III as well as a proposed amendment to the Manual of the Board of Visitors being made by the newest member. Governor Glenn Youngkin appointed former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli to the Board after he fired Ken Ellis.
“Mr. Cuccinelli proposes an amendment to the Manual of the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia (the Manual) changing the nominating process for candidates for the Secretary to the Board of Visitors’ position,” reads the memo.
Seven members of the Executive Committee oppose the amendment.
“The amendment eliminates the Rector’s role in concurring on the President’s nomination of a candidate for Secretary, and nominations may be made that are not supported by the President by allowing any member of the Board to make a nomination instead of the President,” the memo continues.
I can’t really parse much of that but I’ll try my best to write up a story if it merits one.
Reading material:
New effort aims to make homeownership more permanent in Albemarle County, Jacob Phillips, May 28, 2025
Supervisors debate permits, school funding, Heather Michon, Fluvanna Review, May 29, 2025
Jack Jouett District candidates square off at Free Enterprise Forum, Sean Tubbs, C-Ville Weekly, May 30, 2025
FBI shows up at Charlottesville public defender's home unannounced after ICE raid, Hawes Spencer, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), June 1, 2025
Department of Homeland Security takes down ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ list that included central Virginia localities, Toby Sherman, WVIR 29News, Toby Sherman, June 2, 2025
Jail renovation stalls after contractor bids exceed budget, Anastasiia Carrier, Charlottesville Tomorrow, June 2, 2025
Vista 29 project moves forward with help from city, county, Pimm Dyar, CBS19 News, June 2, 2025
Thoughts about #875 shuffling off this mortal coil
Another edition is done. I’ve been doing this stuff a long time. I want to do it more, but this summer I’m reevaluating all of it. Is this brand of journalism really what the world wants? Is there something else I could do with my life?
As the world revolves, those with fewer rotations under their belt find culture from the past to be less interesting. As a person with younger friends, I realize none of them have the same feeling of connection I do to certain elements of comedy.
Then again, I’m also a first generation American born to English parents who never really assimilated. I’m off balance as a result. So today’s video is a link to a Monty Python sketch from just before I was born. It references one of the items in the main paragraph today.
I do the work I do because I feel it’s quite absurd to even try to capture as much as I do. I’m able to do this because there was an investment in my education from the nonprofit I worked for from 2007 to 2018. Then their Board decided it was not worth doing, and I had to fend for myself.
I know I can do this for another five years, but should I? I’m sharing this with you because I’ve proven I can do this work but I don’t know if I have the ability to create the business. I also know if I bring in partners, it is highly likely I’ll be requested to skew my reporting toward conflict. I will not do that.
In any case if you have not seen it yet, this is my latest attempt to explain how people can support my work. Now back to the retirement home.