May 13, 2025: UVa “surprised” to have been awarded Federal Executive Institute
Plus: Charlottesville City Council will consider $150K grant for police data analysis software at May 19 meeting
Any particular day offers the chance to glance at milestones from wars gone past. The United States declared war against the Federal Republic of Mexico on May 13, 1846. Fifteen years later, Queen Victoria issued a proclamation of neutrality in the United States Civil War that didn’t fully recognize the Confederacy as a nation but respected its belligerent status. In 1862, an enslaved Robert Smalls stole and piloted a military transport off the coast of South Carolina to escape into Union territory.
This is Charlottesville Community Engagement for May 13, 2025. I’m Sean Tubbs encouraging anyone and everyone to learn as much as possible.
In today’s installment:
The University of Virginia responds to the federal government’s decision to award surplus property to the state institution rather than Charlottesville City Schools
Charlottesville City Council has questions about a $150,000 grant to purchase technology to track data collected by the Charlottesville Police Department
The Virginia Department of Transportation seeks input on a new study to identify future projects no U.S. 29 in Albemarle County and Charlottesville
Another look at procurement activities in Charlottesville provides a glimpse into the Downtown Mall as well as a new kitchen for the Fontaine Fire Station
First -shout out: Cville Village?
Can you drive a neighbor to a doctor’s appointment? Change an overhead lightbulb, plant a flower, walk a dog for someone who is sick, visit someone who is lonely? If so, Cville Village needs you!
Cville Village is a local 501c3 nonprofit organization loosely affiliated with a national network of Villages whose goals are to help seniors stay in their own homes as long as possible, and to build connections among them that diminish social isolation. Volunteers do small chores for, and have gatherings of, professors and schoolteachers, nurses and lawyers, aides and housekeepers. Time and chance come to all – a fall, an order not to drive, failing eyesight, a sudden stroke. They assist folks continue living at home, with a little help from their friends.
Cville Village volunteers consult software that shows them who has requested a service and where they are located. Volunteers accept only the requests that fit their schedule and their skills.
Volunteering for Cville Village can expand your circle of friends and shower you with thanks.
To learn more, visit cvillevillage.org or attend one of their monthly Village “meet-ups” and see for yourself. To find out where and when the next meetup is, or to get more information and a volunteer application, email us at info@cvillevillage.org, or call them at (434) 218-3727.
UVA responds to federal government’s withdrawal of offer of surplus property to Charlottesville City Schools
Four months ago, nothing on the website of the Federal Executive Institute indicated the agency would suddenly cease to exist.
“We believe great leaders can transform and improve government to best serve the American people,” reads the Internet Archive’s screenshot of the FEI website from January 13, 2025. “With more than 50 years of experience in leadership development, our curriculum challenges individuals to cultivate the skills, attitudes, and behaviors critical to dynamic and transformational public-sector leadership.”
On February 10, 2025, President Donald J. Trump ended the organization with an executive order.
“Eliminating the Federal Executive Institute is part of President Trump’s broader mission to reform the federal bureaucracy, including by ending ineffective government programs that drain resources and empower government without achieving measurable results,” reads a portion of the executive order.
The agency was shuttered by February 28 and its building and lands were determined to be surplus property to be disposed of by U.S. Department of Education. Both Charlottesville City School and the University of Virginia put in applications to receive the property at little to no cost.
WINA reports that the Community Christian Academy also put in an application.
On April 29, Barbara L. Shawyer of the Federal Real Property Assistance Program sent a letter to the superintendent of Charlottesville City Council.
“The U.S. Department of Education (Department) has contingently approved the application for Charlottesville City Schools (CCS) to centralize the Preschool (PreK) program and administrative offices,” Shawyer wrote.
One sign of trouble: The first letter is addressed to Dr. Royal A. Burley Jr, and not Dr. Royal A. Gurley Jr.
Shawyer’s second letter on May 9 did have the correct spelling but also contained bad news for a school system that had celebrated a victory in the sudden acquisition of government land. Shawyer wrote that her office had been affected by process changes in the new administration.
“Upon further review of the applications submitted by CCS and the University of Virginia (UVA) for the FEI campus, it has been determined that the Department will recommend to the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) an education public benefit conveyance to UVA,” Shawyer wrote.
“This decision was not reached arbitrarily; the Department believes that UVA will meet Presidential Executive Orders and that the University best meets the Secretary’s priorities for property reuse,” Shawyer continued.
Shawyer’s second letter doesn’t make specific reference to any specific executive order, but there are 26 pages of them on the White House website.
Charlottesville City Schools made the second letter available on May 9 and issued a joint statement from Dr. Gurley and City Manager Sam Sanders.
“Our community viewed Charlottesville City Schools’ acquisition of the Federal Executive Institute as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance learning for not only our youngest learners but also our most vulnerable students,” they said. “The rescinding of this opportunity is an enormous setback to our City and to our students.”
In a statement, officials with the University of Virginia expressed surprise at the withdrawal of contingent approval for Charlottesville City Schools.
“Upon receiving the notice late Friday afternoon, we reached out to the U.S. Department of Education seeking to clarify the reasons for the unexpected change and to better understand the process to date and the process moving forward,” reads the statement.
UVA had made a separate application which did not provide much detail on how the space would be used. Deputy Spokeperson Bethanie Glover said UVA would use the property to expand the UVA School of Continuing and Professional Studies as well as the ROTC program.
“In addition to responding to the GSA’s request for a proposal, UVA submitted a letter in support of the City’s proposal,” the statement continued. “Once we heard that the federal government had accepted the City’s proposal, we congratulated the City and moved on, fully expecting that the matter was closed.”
The FEI was created out of a spirit that the government can work to help communities. Less than three months later, the policies of a new president have pitted members of this community against each other.
There are calls for a protest at the former Federal Executive Institute this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. but materials for the action do not identify any specific group behind the effort that has fliers that shout “UVA Steals From Children.”
In the early days of his tenure, UVA President Jim Ryan formed something called the President’s Council on Community Partnerships. One of the areas of focus is in early child education and the relevant website has a snapshot of all manner of metrics. These are not public meetings and no decisions are binding.
One future opportunity for cooperation between the city and UVA is the redevelopment of Oak Lawn in Fifeville into a potential child care center. UVA purchased the 5.5 acre property next to Buford Middle School in October 2023 for $3.5 million. The project will require a rezoning due to its location in Charlottesville.
The Three Party Agreement adopted in 1986 is between Albemarle County, Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia and governs land use decisions in the area. Oak Lawn is within Area C which means it must comply with city rules. That’s not the case with places within Area A and Area B. (read the document)
The Federal Executive Institute is in Area B.
“Area B includes land which lies at the boundaries of or between the University and either the City of the County and on which the activities of any or all three of the parties might have an affect,” reads the Three Party Agreement. “The City, County, and University will work with each other to try to develop a master plan.”
Until late 2019, this work was overseen by a public body known as the Planning and Coordination Council that consisted of two City Councilors, two members of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors, and top officials at UVA. Both elected bodies agreed to dissolve the entity in favor of a closed-door body known as the Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee.
Members of the public are not allowed to attend and minutes are rudimentary.
The future of the Federal Executive Institute is also not contemplated in UVA’s last master plan, a document adopted in 2023 known as the Grounds Framework Plan.
I conclude this story with a reporter’s note. I would like to ask someone at the Federal Executive Institute the following question:
What is the best practice for regional government and information sharing in a state where cities, counties, and state institutions of higher learning are totally independent of each other?
Anyone who would like to answer is hereby invited to do so for future stories.
Charlottesville City Council holds first reading on pass-through grant for police technology
Most elected bodies have a spot in the meetings where something called the “consent agenda” is considered. This is a list of items that are not considered to be controversial that can be approved in one motion.
However, members of the public often write to elected officials to express their concern with particular items. That was the case for the May 5, 2025 Charlottesville City Council meeting where there consent agenda resolution to appropriate $150,000 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services for a program called Operation Ceasefire. The funding is to be used to purchase technology to reduce crime.
The staff report for the item states that the Charlottesville Police Department will use the funds to purchase software from the firm Peregrine known as Ascent and Legacy Data.
“Peregrine is basically software that brings all of our systems together,” said Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis. “We have a lot of systems.”
One of those systems is the Axon body camera systems which Chief Michael Kochis said are recording all of the time. But there’s more data to sift through.
“Our records management systems, our computer dispatch systems, any type of crime analyst type systems that we have, they're all separate,” Kochis said.
Kochis said one challenge is bringing all of this data together in a meaningful way that can provide results when someone queries something like: “How many vehicle crashes involved bikes?”
Kochis said the City of Alexandria has integrated a lot of data using the Peregrine system, a system that is certified for public safety use. The data would be readily available for police use.
City Councilor Michael Payne said he could support use of the local data but was concerned about how it might be used by other levels of government. He had the same concerns over the deployment of the system of FLOCK license plate readers across Charlottesville.
“On the one hand the amount of data already out there, the amount of information even just from ring cameras is going to far exceed whatever possible violation there could be here,” Payne said. “I'm just uncomfortable with building out any technological system that's bringing together different streams of data because I think once that technology exists, I mean you see at the federal level you pretty easily can get to a place where whatever is legal protection exists can very easily be overcome.”
This was the second of two readings and the item will not be on the consent agenda. Kochis agreed to take any questions from Council to prepare for that conversation on May 19.
Second shout out: Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library
The rolling topography of the Charlottesville area keeps some people away from choosing cycling as an option to get around. Perhaps an e-bike is in order?
That’s where Charlottesville’s eBike Lending Library comes in! E-bikes are a great way to get around the community but there are many brands and styles to choose from. Because many e-bikes are sold online, it can be a challenge to try an e-bike before buying one.
The Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library is a free, not-for-profit service working to expand access to e-bikes in the area. They have a small collection of e-bikes that they lend out to community members for up to a week, for free. You can experience your daily commute, go grocery shopping, or even bike your kids to school, and decide whether e-bikes are right for you. Check out this service at https://www.ebikelibrarycville.org!
VDOT conducting safety study on U.S. 29
In any given year, there are only so many transportation projects working their way toward construction.
At any given point, there are also efforts underway to begin planning for the next generation of projects. That often takes the form of public input and this week the Virginia Department of Transportation has announced a new STARS study of the main commercial thoroughfare in Albemarle County. (take the study)
STARS stands for Strategically Targeted Affordable Roadway Solutions and an information release sent out on May 9 describes the geographic boundaries.
“The Virginia Department of Transportation is seeking feedback on a transportation study assessing potential safety, multimodal, public transit, and operational issues along U.S. 29 Business (Emmet Street) and U.S. 29 (Seminole Trail) in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County between Route 654 (Barracks Road) and Woodbrook Drive,” the release reads. “The study also targets the interchange of U.S. 29 Business and the U.S. 29/U.S. 250 Bypass.”
Due to a series of previous decisions, U.S. 29 has been built as an eight-lane highway for much of that stretch. For many years there were plans to build a 6.2 mile western bypass and the project lurched ahead suddenly in June 2011 in the administration of Governor Bob McDonnell.
That effort fizzled out after the gravesite of a former enslaved person named Jesse Sammon that would have meant moving the project. The project lost local support after the 2013 election and over $230 million in funding was transferred to other initiatives such as the grade-separated intersection of Rio Road and U.S. 29, the extension of Berkmar Drive Extended, and widening of U.S. 29 to six lanes between Polo Grounds Road and Hollymead Town Center.
Many of these ideas had been called for in the Places29 Master Plan adopted in February 2011 and last amended in June 2015.
“U.S. 29 is designated as a Corridor of Statewide Significance, serving as the primary north-south route for the region,” the information release continues. “Within the study area, U.S. 29 connects regional traffic to Interstate 64 and U.S. 250 to the south and U.S. 17 and Interstate 66 to the north.”
This STARS study is expected to be completed by spring 2026 according to the project page.
STARS studies are often a precursor to new projects and a full list of previous studies is available here. The most recent in this area is one conducted in 2018 for the U.S. 250 / Ivy Road Corridor. (project website)
As for those active projects, here’s a set of links to various VDOT webpages.
Interstate 64 at Exit 107 Park and Ride lot, Albemarle County
Route 743 (Hydraulic Road) and District Avenue/Cedar Hill Road roundabout
Route 20 at U.S. 250 intersection and corridor improvements, Albemarle County
Fontaine and Hydraulic design-build bundle (Design Public Hearing on May 22, 2025!)
5th Street Station trail and hub, Albemarle County and city of Charlottesville
Procurement report: Preparing for the Annual Re-Sanding of the Charlottesville Downtown Mall
The way I practice journalism is simple and perhaps tedious. I look through a lot of sources and write out what I think is interesting. Many readers say they’re not too interested in the minutiae and I fully understand that!
However, I figure it’s no trouble to put these toward the end of editions written on days where I’m in a mood to do research. Sometimes this can lead to interesting places.
For instance, bids are due May 16 for firms to conduct the annual re-sanding of the Downtown Mall brick paver system. This was installed in 2009 when bricks were replaced on the entire length of the walkway. There’s an entire article on cvillepedia on that $7.5 million project if you want a deep dive.
In the here and now, the procurement notice tells us the purpose of the annual re-sanding.
“The purpose of re-sanding the paver system is to fill in the gaps, cracks, joints, and voids to prevent shifting of the pavers,” reads the purpose statement.
The scope of work is from the Belmont Bridge entrance to an area located between the Code Building and the Omni Hotel.
“This is inclusive of all side streets that bear the mentioned surfaces to be sanded, comprising a total square footage of 181,428,” reads the scope of work section of the bid notice.
This work will be for June and the selected contractor must supply the sand as well the people who will spread it. The company will be responsible for notifying owners of outdoor cafes within 24 hours of the work so outdoor furniture can be removed.
On July 17, 2023, a water leak in a plumbing fixture on the second floor of Charlottesville City Hall broke causing a massive flood that damaged the first floor lobby. Repairs took just over a year displacing several offices.
Earlier this spring the City of Charlottesville put out a request for firms to install a leak detection system.
“The electronic water flow monitor and alarm system should detect leaks in water pipes, plumbing fixtures and water using appliances,” reads the overview. “The system should monitor water flow 24/7 and automatically send electronic notifications about water flow emergencies to a control panel and remote users.”
Bids were due on April 28 and so far there are no results and the project is listed as being in evaluation.
A request is out to get a final estimate for how expensive the damages were for the city and how much insurance paid out.
The firm United Painting Plus of Keswick has been awarded a contract to paint portions of the interior of Charlottesville High School. They submitted the lowest bid of $33,620. (learn more)
The City of Charlottesville and Charlottesville Area Transit is seeking a firm to supply “comprehensive janitorial services for the City's transit and pupil transportation facilities.” Bids are due today on May 13. (learn more)
Quotations are due on May 16 for firms to renovate the kitchen at the Fontaine Fire Station and primary goal is to enhance durability, functionality, and hygiene within the fire station’s kitchen environment, ensuring it meets the rigorous demands of a 24/7 operational facility.” The Fontaine Fire Station opened in early 2014. (learn more)
The City of Charlottesville is seeking firms to establish a term contract for auto-body repair services for vehicles damaged during the course of their use. The city seeks one firm for light vehicles and the other for heavy and oversized vehicles. Bids are due May 19. (learn more)
Charlottesville is also seeking a firm to remove existing floor finishes at the offices at Charlottesville High School and the main office lobby. The work will also include installing a new logo in the floor of the main office lobby. Bids are due May 22. (learn more)
Charlottesville Area Transit is seeking a firm to provide landscaping services for its 5.93 acre facility on Avon Street Extended. Bids will be accepted through May 27, 2025 and bids will be opened in a Zoom call. (learn more)
Reading material:
Charlottesville synagogue seeks permit to build school in Albemarle, Gabby Womack, WVIR 29 News, May 12, 2025
Albemarle announces changes to preschool program, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), May 13, 2025
Democrats seek more hard data on federal cuts while Republicans see more optimism, Elizabeth Beyer, Cardinal News, May 13, 2025
The way out of #863
The deluge continues and there’s not much to say at the end of this edition except thank you for reading it. In order for me to keep doing this, I need enough people to build up the habit. I need enough people to contribute financially, and I need to built up the habit of learning to use those resources more efficiently.
It’s a good problem to have, I suppose. In a perfect world I would be doing this as part of an organization. It’s hard to set up an organization when almost all of my waking thoughts are about the subject matter. That makes it harder to answer correspondence and harder to thank those that have already paid.
Let’s take the rest of my day, for instance. I’ve written most of this newsletter now and am just filling it out with an eye towards publishing by 4 p.m. If it were not pouring with rain, I’d head down to the post office to see if there’s a check waiting for me. I’d likely socialize for a bit before coming home. (published at 4:18 p.m.)
But today, no socializing because there’s a cash flow issue. Nothing serious, just waiting for a check and one vendor decided to only pay half the invoice. I feel the pinch of the business, so it’s likely I’ll spend the next few hours doing what I can. I’ll also do what I can to move the next two newsletter further.
Will this ever become more than just me doing this work? I don’t know. I live in the moment and am glad I get to just keep doing the research.
Now let’s go back in time for some music that few people have heard.