March 31, 2025: CRHA adopts five year capital plan
Plus: Another look at Albemarle’s proposed budget for FY2026
This edition of the Charlottesville Community Engagement comes out on the final day of the first quarter of 2025. If you are more government minded, you might see today as the final day of the third quarter of Fiscal year 2026. Either way it’s March 31 and I’m Sean Tubbs and a younger version of me would definitely have taken today off to relax. As I’m in the fourth quarter of my life, there’s no time like now to keep writing.
In today’s installment:
A brief look at some of the legislation Governor Youngkin amended for the General Assembly’s consideration on Wednesday
Charlottesville’s public housing authority adopts a five-year plan for how federal capital spending will be used
Charlottesville’s two outdoor pools will be managed by a New York firm this season
A final look at the Albemarle County Budget Work Session from March 31, 2025
First-shout: WTJU Rock Marathon Begins Next Week
There are very few freeform radio stations left in the United States of America and WTJU 91.1 FM is one of them! WTJU is always worth celebrating, but the Rock Marathon that begins on April 7 will be something special.
On-air since 1957, Virginia’s third-oldest non-commercial station began by presenting mostly classical music. Folk and Jazz sounds were eventually added to the schedule. But in 1970, WTJU began airing rock ‘n’ roll, emphasizing underground bands and sounds not found on commercial stations.
This year’s Rock Marathon will feature a full slate of specialty programs exploring everything from early electronic music to gritty R&B to power pop and hip-hop to global psychedelic music from countries living under fascism. Download the schedule for the full slate of Rock Marathon shows and live performances.
A look at changes Governor Youngkin recommended in 2025 legislation
Virginia’s governor has broad power to affect legislation after it passes the General Assembly. In his final session, Governor Youngkin has recommended changes to 159 bills and legislators return to Richmond Wednesday for their consideration.
Words matter in the legal realm. The words “shall” and “may” have different legal weight with the former being seen as mandatory and the latter as optional. As passed by the General Assembly, HB1601 would have made it a requirement that localities conduct a site assessment for any “high energy use facility” up for a rezoning.
By swapping out “shall” with “may” Youngkin turned a regulatory requirement into a locality’s choice.
The governor also has the power to insist that legislation must pass through another General Assembly before it becomes law. That’s the case with HB1699 which would have stripped tax-exempt status from many organizations associated with Confederate causes.
A re-enactment clause was also added to HB1918 which would establish a Women’s Menstrual Health Program. Another bill that has to pass again is HB2724 which would require more reporting for automatic license plate recognition systems.
HB1716 as passed would establish a Right to Contraception with a series of definitions and clauses that total 646 words. Youngkin’s amendment would tie Virginia’s right to contraception to two U.S. Supreme Court cases and adds language that states health practitioners can refuse on religious grounds.
Youngkin also made heavy edits to HB2153 which would allow localities to amend their Comprehensive Plan to encourage creation of affordable housing projects by nonprofit developers.
Youngkin’s edit reduces that to a simple directive to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to “develop a document describing options for alteration or waiver of requirements for zoning permits, site plan application incentives, and other considerations” for nonprofit developers.
For the full list of amendments, visit the Virginia Legislative Information System.
CRHA adopts five-year capital plan amidst federal funding uncertainty
Later today, the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s governing body will hold a special meeting to adopt a budget for the fiscal year that begins on April 1.
On March 24, the CRHA adopted a five-year capital fund that provides a partial glimpse of what the agency will be doing over that period.
“The Capital Fund is a grant from [the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development] that we're eligible for every year,” said Brandon Collins, the CRHA’s redevelopment coordinator. “One of the things that we have to do to be eligible for it is to have a five year year plan.”
Collins said that CRHA and other public housing agencies across the United States often do not know exactly how much funding they will receive and so the numbers in the plan are based on previous years. For now, CRHA is anticipating $6.37 million in capital funds from the federal government during the five year plan.
Collins said recent uses of the funds have been to replace heating, cooling, and ventilation systems at various sites.
One significant departure from the past is that Crescent Halls is no longer part of the capital plan.
“Only half of it is public housing,” Collins said. “It's got its own funding stream, it's got its own operating costs to meet any needs there.”
There are also no federal capital funds anticipated for South First Street or Sixth Street. Those are in the process of redevelopment paid for by other sources of financing. Some of the capital funds are going to upgrades at the Riverside, Michie, Madison CRHA sites as well as some of the single family homes.
Procurement update: Charlottesville hires New York firm to run outdoor pools
When Charlottesville’s two outdoor pools open for the summer on Memorial Day weekend, a firm called LIVunLtc LLC will be in charge of their management. The city awarded a contract to the firm earlier this month to run Washington Park Pool as well as Onesty Pool.
The contractor will also have to develop a plan for emergency action including emergency procedures, an emergency weather plan, accident and injury reporting, fire procedures, and active attacker protocols.
The contractor will also have to run the concession stand and this can be subcontracted to another firm. Alcohol sales are prohibited.
Over 23,050 people attended Onesty in the summer 2024 season compared to 14,589 at Washington Park.
LivUnLtd LLC officials will report to the director of Parks and Recreation or their designee.
Admission fees for city pools are a source of revenue, but income was reduced during the pandemic when hours were reduced with $56,308 collected in FY2021. That increased to $231,825 in FY2022 and went up again in FY2023. The adopted budget for FY24 assumed $476,749 in revenues, but the FY2025 budget lowered that amount to $296,270. The audit for FY2024 will yield the actual numbers.
However, the aquatics department costs more than that to operate. The actual costs for the city were $1,069,108 in FY2021, $1,730,558 in FY22, and $2,191,324 in FY23.
Other recent procurement activity:
Bids are due on April 3, 2025 for contractors to replace 2,900 linear feet of iron water main on Locust Avenue. (learn more)
Two companies have placed bids on a project to renovate the courts at Tonsler Park. S.L. Williamson’s proposal comes with a $341,291 price tag and the one from Finley Asphalt and Concrete came in at $486,614.99. An award had not been made at publication time. (learn more)
The city is seeking to replace eight doors at Charlottesville High School. Quotations are due on April 11.
The city is seeking quotations for sidewalk work at Sheridan Avenue, St. George Avenue, and 12th Street NW. Quotes are due on April 11, 2025. (learn more)
There’s another sidewalk project at 12th Street NE, Grove Avenue, and Little High Street. This and the next three are also due on April 11. (learn more)
A third sidewalk project is at Highland Avenue and McElroy Drive. (learn more)
How about a fourth? This one is for Stratford Court and Park Street. (learn more)
A fifth one is a little different. The city is taking quotations for a project at Monticello Avenue and Second Street “for pedestrian improvements on all four corners of the Monticello Ave and 2nd Street intersection to increase visibility for pedestrians and reduce the crossing distances across the intersection.” These are due on April 18. (learn more)
Second shout-out: Supporting the Keswick Heritage Fund’s Love Better Project
The Keswick Heritage Fund is a partnership of several churches in Albemarle County that provides education support and opportunities for professional development. One of their outreach programs is the Love Better Project, which provides scholarships to Black students in the Keswick area. The fund was created soon after the inaugural scholarship was awarded in 2020.
Grace Episcopal Church, Union Grove Baptist, Union Run Baptist, Zion Hill Baptist and St. John Church are united for growth through community partnership and education. To learn more about the fund, the scholarships, and the churches themselves, visit their website at keswickheritagefund.com.
Albemarle Budget Review: A review of housing funds, dedicated tax funds
One reason I am reluctant to call this product “news” is because the source material is often older and would not necessarily be of interest to an editor in charge of the “news cycle.”
I never learned how to ride an editorial bike, so I pogo along as I can through an attempt to listen to entire discussions of various topics. For instance, I hope to eventually write up the end of the recent Board of Visitors meeting so I can fully document the conversation around ending the diversity, equity, and inclusion office.
I also hope to eventually conclude my review of the four Albemarle County budget work sessions and there’s no time like the present to return to March 12, 2025. For background, take a look at the Budget - Albemarle tab on Information Charlottesville.
Let’s go back to that four cent increase on Albemarle County’s real property tax rate. Eighty percent of the revenue will go to public safety purposes and at the March 10 work session, Albemarle’s fire chief and police chief explained why they needed more funds.
Albemarle Supervisors were told again where half of the remaining 20 percent would go.
“The current budget recommends dedicating 0.4 cents of real estate equaling about $1.2 million to get towards affordable housing,” said Ryan Davidson, deputy chief of budget for Albemarle County.
That $1.2 million is expected to remain in place in future budget years. The budget for FY26 also envisions an infusion of $3 million from a carryover from the FY25 budget. All of that funding goes into what the county refers to as the Albemarle County Housing Investment Fund and others refer to as the housing trust fund.
“The purpose of the housing investment fund is to support housing initiatives with that are one time costs and serve to support the county's strategic and housing goals which change over time,” said Kaki Dimock, Albemarle’s chief human services officer.
Dimock said Albemarle has spent $17 million over the last five years. One project funded during that time was Virginia Supportive Housing’s Premier Circle, though both names have since changed. SupportWorksHousing’s Vista29 Project would perhaps be more current.
For the past several years, Albemarle has used a metric of a need to create 10,000 affordable units that is based off a 2019 study commissioned by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. A new study is currently underway that may provide an updated number.
“That 10,000 unit number is a reasonable target for us to continue to pursue,” Dimock said. “Right now there are 2,255 affordable housing units that are already online.”
Dimock said there are another 2,500 in the development pipeline, but that that’s a best case scenario based on full-build out of what the county has already approved.
Another topic at the March 12 work session was on economic development. Department director Emily Kilroy was on hand to explain why there has been a requested to add an additional $1 million to the economic development fund.
“The purpose is to have funds available much like the housing fund to leverage and catalyze investments in the community and you know, all with a goal for creating jobs, attracting capital investment and contributing to the overall thriving economy,” Kilroy said.
Kilroy said there has not been a transfer to the fund for many years, and this would bring it to $4.3 million in unallocated money.
Recent uses of the fund include $61,000 to provide a ten percent match for a larger $631,000 grant to build infrastructure for the Rivanna Futures project, $20,000 to contribute toward a regional study on assisting the wine industry increase business, $540,000 to assist Afton Scientific in their expansion, and $15,000 for an innovation roadmap.
And that takes us to the end of the March 12 work session. I also reviewed the March 17 work session and won’t be writing up anything from that. By the end of this week I’ll go through the March 19 work session at which Supervisors decided to advertise the four cent increase on the property tax.
Reading material:
Official construction on NRV Passenger Rail Project to begin soon, Annabelle Kinney, WDBJ-7, March 27, 2025
Physicians who ousted UVa Health CEO motivated by greed, officials say, Emily Hemphill, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), March 31, 2025
Recent Charlottesville pedestrian deaths could've resulted in stiffer penalties under new law, Hawes Spencer, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), March 31, 2025
The end of March, the end of #840
Something is off about this edition. Or maybe it’s just springtime. Springtime when you’re older is different from springtime of youth. There’s no slowdown in the summer and I’m watching my thermostat with concern. It’s 78 degrees Fahrenheit in my house and I’m hoping to wait before turning on the air conditioning. There’s still a cool breeze blowing through the open windows.
There will not be an April Fool’s Day edition tomorrow. For some reason, I thought April 1 was on a Monday this year, but even then I wouldn’t have had a silly edition. I don’t feel much like being silly at the moment. I feel like I need to figure out a way to work more efficiently. I also don’t want to confuse any more people than I already do. I really enjoyed the two I did in the past, but joking seems like a relic of an earlier time.
But it’s springtime and summer isn’t far behind and the carpenter bees are everywhere and I’m hoping I can catch up to the season soon. I have a sense my mood will switch as soon as I hit send today because I am excited to get to the next set of stories.
If you’re looking for something silly to watch, perhaps a live staged reading of the Phantom Menace is just what’s needed?