In addition to the publication of this newsletter, what else has happened on October 17? According to cvillepedia:
In 1938, City Council began charging “foreign merchants” a $250 fee to display merchandise
In 1963, six men emerged from a 24-hour stay in a new fall-out shelter
In 1988, Council authorized $220,000 to the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority related to the development of the Omni Hotel
What will people in the future know about what’s happening right now? Will the hundreds of editions of Charlottesville Community Engagement help future research? That cannot be known now, so let’s avoid speculative time travel at this time. I’m Sean Tubbs.
What you’ll learn in this edition:
Charlottesville City Council suspends remote public comment after recent racist remarks
City Manager Sam Sanders further explains decision to reimpose operating hours at Market Street Park this Saturday
The person whose arrest in September began the incident speaks to Council
Campaign finance reports are in and both candidates vying for the at-large seat on the Albemarle School Board have raised over $100,000
First shout-out: Camp Albemarle
Today’s first subscriber-supported public service announcement goes out to Camp Albemarle, which has for over sixty years been a “wholesome rural, rustic and restful site for youth activities, church groups, civic events and occasional private programs.”
Located on 14 acres on the banks of the Moorman’s River near Free Union, Camp Albemarle continues as a legacy of being a Civilian Conservation Corps project that sought to promote the importance of rural activities. Are you looking to escape and reconnect with nature? Consider holding an event where the natural beauty of the grounds will provide a venue to suit your needs. Visit their website to view the gallery and learn more!
Council suspends remote participation for public comment
A recent blast of racist public comment at a Charlottesville City Council meeting has prompted the elected body to suspend the ability of anyone to make a comment without being present. The incident took place at Council’s meeting on October 2.
Council has a practice of first taking public comment on matters on the consent agenda. That’s a list of items that are fairly routine and Council does not require a discussion.
A man who called himself Jim Conley pretended to want to speak about pass-through funding for bulletproof vests. Instead he made a racist comment that drew gasps from the audience. You can take a listen in the podcast version or read more in the Daily Progress article by Jason Armesto about how this would continue throughout the meeting.
On October 16, Council began their meeting with an announcement from Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook.
“We’ve decided in light of recent developments that we will temporarily suspend public comment by Zoom,” Snook said.
Council voted 4-0 to suspend remote public comment with Councilor Leah Puryear absent from the meeting.
The change was made immediately and Snook invited people to come to Council Chambers to make their comment.
One person who did so was Don Gathers, a one-time candidate for City Council who cut his campaign short due to racial harassment. He disagreed with Council’s decision to cut off remote comment. (Former council candidate Gathers speaks out about racist threats that cut short his run, Charlotte Renee Woods, Charlottesville Tomorrow, August 13, 2020)
“Especially without any notification,” Gathers said. “As we have seen there are several people who wanted to speak tonight but they’ve had that possibility eliminated from them. I think that’s something that should have been brought to the citizens and should have been made aware before it was enacted.”
Several people did end up going to Chambers to make their comments anyway. Council’s next regular meeting is on November 6. There are two regularly scheduled work sessions on the Development Code, but public comment is not taken at those meetings.
Sanders offers more details on looming restoration of closing time at Market Street Park
There are now only four more nights in which people will be allowed to stay overnight in Charlottesville’s Market Street Park. City Manager Sam Sanders dropped hours of operation on September 20 and outlined a strategy to provide assistance to individuals at the meeting on October 2.
Last night, Sanders brought up the matter in his report to Council.
“On Thursday, PACEM announced they would begin overnight shelter services a week early and Salvation Army has confirmed that they have beds available and they will also support PACEM with additional capacity through the use of their warm room when needed,” Sanders said.
Sanders thanked the pastor of First United Methodist Church for their willingness to provide space at the Hinton Avenue Methodist Church for the first week. The two congregations have recently consolidated. PACEM uses places of worship to provide a place for people in need to stay though the winter months.
Sanders said the team of people he has put together to work on this issue is being led by Deputy City Manager Ashley Marshall.
“That commitment is there and we will continue to work on this issue long-term,” Sanders said. “It’s a complicated issue and we know there’s a lot more that needs to be done.”
Sanders said all city parks have hours of operation with times set in ordinance by Council. On Saturday at 11 p.m. Market Street Park will close once again.
“Market Street Park will be closed until 6 a.m.,” Sanders said. “No one should be in the park during that time. It is my hope that everyone currently in the park will take advantage of the alternatives available to them. I have asked for all service providers in this area to collaborate collectively to do what we can to make sure that the services are provided to the individuals that are currently in the park.”
The looming re-imposition of a closing time raised the concern of Ang Conn, who works at the Haven but made her comments as a private individual.
“Have you all seen how beautifully set up the park is?” Conn asked. “Humans have organized themselves in a way we can only dream of seeing in a community who has been intentionally targeted, criminalized, and deemed not worthy of having their basic human needs and rights met are being seen as less than human.”
Conn said the current residents in the park are keeping themselves safe, and she proposed the city build tiny homes in the park.
Council also heard from the man whose arrest in September prompted allegations of police brutality.
“I am the one who started all of this controversy,” said Roscoe Boxley. “I do not apologize. I’m glad that it happened.”
Boxley thanked Sanders for lifting the closing hours and for the provision of porta-potties. But he said PACEM and the Salvation Army have their limits. He also said he’s heard many people disparaging people who ended up homeless because of rising cost of living.
“Everybody has something to say about the park, everybody has something to say about the homeless people,” Boxley said. “If you don’t have a solution, shut up! Just shut up!”
Boxley called on people to work together to find a solution.
“The differences in opinions?” Boxley said. “Without compromise is what’s fogging everyone with what a solution is.”
Boxley said he doesn’t want to tear the system down and instead wants to build it up. But he said he needs a way into the conversation that is safe.
“You have to give me an opportunity to benefit from it just like all the rest of the people,” Boxley said. “I’m Black. I was born with people hating me. I’m homeless. Now my circumstances make people hate me. And then I’m an ex-con, so I have the pressure from everybody with a badge on. Everywhere I go I’m afraid from my life. Everywhere. I’m afraid of the cops, I’m afraid of the streets. I’m afraid of everything that’s going on around so I respond like it.”
Several other speakers protested the restoration of the operating hours. One of them was Dierdre Gilmore.
“I really wish you all would reconsider and I know there are people who stood here tonight and talked down about people, but the one thing I’m going to say is that you don’t really know what situation you may end up in so at least look at them like they are human,” Gilmore said.
Not everyone who spoke was supportive such as Michael Goodwin. He said he did not think the recent murder nearby indicates the area is safe.
“Also, how have we come to surmise that the proper way of assisting the people that are in Market Street Park is by allowing them to live in tents without proper facilities to enable to them live a good life?” Goodwin asked.
Goodwin advocated for the city to continue to invest in housing programs.
Second shout-out: Plant Northern Piedmont Natives
Since the beginning of this newsletter, one Patreon supporter has dedicated their shout-out to an organization that seeks to draw awareness of the importance of native species to the ecosystem. The leaves are changing and this year’s season is winding down.
This is perhaps the best time to think about what to do next year, and there’s no time like now to visit Plant Northern Piedmont Natives to learn what you can about what species are specific to your region!
The partnership has 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. You can also download a free copy of their handbook: Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens.
In this guide, Piedmont native plants are defined as those that evolved before the influence of European settlements shaped and changed the landscape. Plants included in the guide were selected from the Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora and occur naturally within the region.
Campaign finance reports are in for September
Covering local elections is very different in this era of early voting when many have already cast a ballot. Yet, the Virginia Public Access Project makes it easier to get information out to people about the current state of the race.
As of yesterday, 4,949 people had voted in Albemarle County. In Charlottesville, 1,206 voters have already had their say. That’s almost the same number in Fluvanna County where 1,245 people have selected their candidates.
Meanwhile in Greene County, 677 people have voted with presumably some of them writing in someone for the Monroe District seat that does not have a candidate on the ballot. (learn more in this story)
In Louisa, 1,708 voters have exercised their right and 722 have done so in Nelson County.
The Virginia Public Access Project has also processed the latest campaign finance reports for the period covering the month of September.
Of note is that none of the three candidates for Charlottesville City Council appears to have raised any money. As of publication time. Candidate Natalie Oschrin had not filed a report. Councilor Michael Payne spent $334 and current Mayor Lloyd Snook spent $6. The race is uncontested.
The Charlottesville School Board race is also uncontested. Of the four candidates on the ballot, only Amanda Burns filed a report as of publication time. There was no activity. There are no reports for Chris Meyer, Shymora Cooper, or Nicole Richardson.
Fadeley raises the most in Albemarle Supervisor races
All five candidates for three seats on the Board of Supervisors have filed their paperwork.
In the Rivanna District, incumbent Democrat Bea LaPisto-Kirtley faced independent T.J. Fadeley. LaPisto-Kirtley began the month with $10,299 and raised $5,025. The candidate spent $2,868 and had $12,456 on-hand going into October.
Fadeley outraised his opponent in September. He began with a balance of $10,624 and raised $6,975. Both he and LaPisto-Kirtley received a $1,000 contribution from the Blue Ridge Homebuilders’ Association’s ShelterPAC. The independent candidate spent $4,556 in September and had $13,042 at the end of the month.
In the White Hall District, independent Brad Rykal faces four-term incumbent Ann Mallek.
Mallek had $20,573 in the bank on September 1 and raised $5,850 in the period. The campaign spent $10,237 with $8,725 of that going to the Blue Ridge Group. The end of month balance was $16,185.
Rykal began the month with $3,246, raised $1,048, and spent $2,366. There was $1,927 in the campaign account as of September 30.
In the Scottsville District, lone candidate Michael Pruitt raised $137 including $55 in an in-kind donation. He spent $734 including that in-kind donation. (view the latest report)
Note: The headline originally went out with the wrong candidate identified as the top money raiser. I corrected it about 30 minutes later.
Both candidates in at-large Albemarle School Board race top $100,000
The most expensive election in Albemarle County history might turn out to be the race for the at-large seat on the School Board. Meg Bryce and Allison Spillman are vying to replace Jonno Alcaro as the lone elected representative for the entire county.
Spillman began the month with $34,921 and raised $48,615 in cash with another $3,810 in in-kind donations. The cash includes a $15,000 donation from Sonjia Smith. The campaign spent $39,723 in cash in the month and had an ending balance of $43,813. (view the latest report)
Bryce had $33,756 in the campaign account on September 1 and raised $36,747 with another $2,729 in in-kind donations. The top donor for this month is Richard Gilliam with $10,000. The Bryce campaign spent $19,184 in cash and had a balance of $51,319 on September 30. (view the latest report)
Through the end of September, Spillman has raised a total of $104,216 in cash and Bruce Bruce has raised a total $103,830. This amount does not include in-kind donations.
The other officially contested School Board race is in the White Hall District.
Appointed incumbent Rebecca Berlin began the month with $3,262, raised $3,949, and spent $250. (view the report)
Challenger Joann McDermid started September with $4,803, raised $1,450, and spent $5,053. (view the report)
In the Rivanna race, incumbent Judy Le is the only candidate on the ballot. She raised $1,625 and spent $1,287 to have an ending balance of $1,287 on September 30. (view the report)
Le does have a write-in challenger in Michelle de Stefano. The candidate did file a report and raised $625 and spent $262 to have a balance of $780. (view the report)
Scottsville District School Board Member Ellen Osborne does not have an opponent. She raised $250, spent $217, and had an ending balance of $817. (view the report)
In 2021, none of the three seats on the Albemarle Board of Supervisors was contested.
But 2019 was another expensive race for at least two candidates. Independent Michael Johnson raised $99,336 for his write-in campaign against Democrat Bea LaPisto-Kirtley for the Rivanna Supervisor race. Republican Michael Hallahan raised $93,866 in his campaign against Democrat Donna Price.
I will have reports from other counties in the next edition of the program.
Articles that will also inform you:
Childhood education center coming to 6th Street-area of Charlottesville, Destini Harris, NBC29, October 16, 2023
Fork Union Military Academy celebrates 125th anniversary, Sarah Allen, CBS19, October 16, 2023
Land connected to Trevilian Station battlefield to be preserved, CBS19, October 16, 2023
What Happens When the War Ends? Students Look to the Future, Bryan McKenzie, UVA Today, October 16, 2023
New executive director announced at CASPCA, CBS19, October 16, 2023
Meg Bryce: 'Not everybody agrees there is systemic racism', Jason Armesto, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), October 17, 2023
Let’s say goodbye to #591
Today’s newsletter covers three stories, and I had hoped to get to another one on transportation priorities in Albemarle County, writing up a discussion from two weeks ago. My vision of journalism is one where people who want to take an interest but can’t attend meetings can at least keep up with what’s happening.
In fact, that’s my business model pretty much in a nutshell. Produce information people trust, and trust people will pay for it.
I briefly worked as an advocate and the experience of attempting to tell people what to think caused me physical pain. I’m a believer that people with access to information can augment their worldview by knowing what’s going on and how they can get involved.
Donate money to a campaign?
Volunteer to a cause?
Help someone in need, directly or indirectly?
I don’t know. I just know I’m compelled to do this work and grateful for paying subscribers. Please know I’ll do my best to keep increasing my capacity. I can’t get to every story but that is my challenge all the same.
Ting has also been a sponsor for nearly two and a half years now, matching initial payments. Ting’s doing a lot in the community to sponsor civic activity while providing fast Internet to their customers.
Maybe you’re in the market for a new high speed internet provider? If so, check out Ting! If you sign up for Ting at this link and enter the promo code COMMUNITY, you’ll get:
Free installation
A second month for free
A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall
October 17, 2023: Albemarle At-Large School Board race on track to be county's most expensive