10-5 stands for relay, so that’s just what I’ll do to begin this October 5 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. According to one source for dubious holidays, today is National Be Nice Day and perhaps you might do something to also commemorate World Teachers’ Day. This also may be an occasion to educate yourself about your mental health on National Depression Screening Day. No matter what, consider breaking into dance to honor National Get Funky Day. I’m Sean Tubbs, and I shall do all four.
In today’s edition:
A Suffolk man is in police custody after an alleged abduction and strangulation in Charlottesville last night
A deadline is soon approaching for new applicants for Albemarle County’s tax relief program for the elderly and disabled
Albemarle County is one of several hundred localities in the mid-Atlantic region with a customized climate out look
The final funding will soon be in place to build a section of Charlottesville’s Meadow Creek Trail
Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders outlines his work plan and says he does not regret his decision to temporarily lift the hours of operation at Market Street Park to allow overnight camping by the unhoused
First shout-out: Ting marks Digital Inclusion Week
This week is Digital Inclusion Week and Ting is proud to join the Regional Digital Equity coalition partners in working to address barriers to digital equity. With so much of our lives online, access and affordability to the internet is crucial.
To make connections, the coalition is distributing Wi-Fi hotspots, providing digital skills training, distributing laptops and tablets, and coordinating the development of a digital equity plan.
For their part, Ting is offering premium 1 gigabit fiber internet at no cost for local residents who qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). That’s one of their offerings to not throttle internet speed for low-cost customers and to genuinely have a notable positive impact on the community for those who need it most. Visit their FAQ to learn more.
The Coalition partners are: the City of Charlottesville, the Albemarle County Broadband Accessibility and Affordability Office, the University of Virginia, Charlottesville City Schools, the Jefferson Area Board for Aging, the Jefferson Madison Regional Library, the Blue Ridge Health District, and the Piedmont Housing Alliance.
Suspect in custody after attempted abduction in Charlottesville
A man who allegedly attempted to abduct a woman last night on Cabell Avenue in Charlottesville is now in custody. James Robert Allen of Suffolk has been arrested after a 15 hour search.
“A violent individual is no longer on the street,” said Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis at a press conference today.
Charlottesville Police Department were called to respond to a disorder and found multiple vehicles and trees struck by the suspect.
“Officers responded to the area and located a female victim who reported that an unknown male had strangled and abducted her,” Kochis said. “The victim was treated for injuries at UVA Medical Center.”
A press release reported that victim and is currently in stable condition.
Overnight, police identified the suspect in social media reports and stated he was wanted for abduction as well as strangulation or suffocation. Kochis said CPD appealed to other law enforcement agencies for assistance.
“Resources included air support, canine [support], and other technology which brought to bear in a very short period of time,” Kochis said.
Allen will now be charged with the crimes after being taken into custody in Louisa County. Kochis thanked the community for sharing the Facebook post which he said was sent around 1,870 times within two hours.
Tax relief application deadline for new participant is October 31 in Albemarle
The beginnings of local government meetings often come with announcements about various topics. The next two stories come from the beginning of the October 4 meeting of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors.
Albemarle County has had two consecutive years of large increases in property assessments, putting the squeeze on many homeowners. The budget for fiscal year 2024 increased the amount in the budget set aside for a relief program for the elderly and disabled by 16.2 percent.
The October 31 deadline for new applicants for the program is approaching and the county is trying to get the word out. There was an announcement at the beginning of the October 4 meeting of the Board of Supervisors.
“Forms can be downloaded or requested by phone to be sent by mail,” said Supervisor Ann Mallek. “Also applications can be begun in a phone interview with finance staff and they will assist with completing, answering questions as you do and then completing the application. Then verification forms and signatures can be done in the office to complete the process.”
For 2022, there were 741 households in the program according to Abbey Stumpf, Albemarle’s Manager of Communications & Public Engagement.
Here’s a link to the form if you or someone you know may qualify. (link to the form)
Here’s a list of eligibility requirements:
Property owners must be at least 65 or medically determined to be totally and permanently disabled as of December 31 of the prior year.
The applicant must be the title holder of the property as of January 1 of the current year.
Total combined income for the prior year must be below $83,850.
The total household net worth must not exceed $250,000 as of December 31st of the prior year.
The property cannot be used for a business
Climate profiles available; Albemarle seeks stories on weather emergencies
How has a changing climate affected individual jurisdictions on this country’s east coast?
A coalition of mid-Atlantic universities, the Rand Corporation, and a federal agency have produced hundreds of individualized profiles with facts and figures about various effects.
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments Program is funded through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and includes the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary. In 2022, the MARISA group unveiled profiles for communities in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. (view the map)
“On average, Albemarle County sees 4 days per year in excess of 95° Fahrenheit,” reads the profile for that community. “Within the next 50 years (by 2070), Albemarle County can expect a yearly average of 26 to 48 days above 95°F, with associated increases in cooling costs, reduced air quality, and heat-related illnesses.”
Supervisor Diantha McKeel passed out the profile for Albemarle to her colleagues on the Board including Samuel Miller District Supervisor Jim Andrews.
“I find it to be a really nicely put together summary of the effects of shifting seasons, changing temperature patterns, changing rainfall patterns, and to go along with that if you go to Engage Albemarle you’ll find a request to share your extreme weather-related experiences,” Andrews said.
The link for that survey is here.
There are similarities between all of the various MARISA community climate profiles, but here’s one unique detail given for the center of the metropolitan statistical area.
“Charlottesville’s summers are getting hotter and this is intensified by the Heat Island effect,” reads the one for that city.
Charlottesville City Council holds first reading on $800K for Meadow Creek Trail work
For years, the city of Charlottesville has been working to connect its network of trails north of the U.S. 250 bypass. On Monday, City Council held the first reading of $800,000 in funds from the Virginia Department of Transportation through their Transportation Alternatives Program.
“We’ve been working on constructing a trail from Greenbrier Park over to Michie Drive,” said Chris Gensic of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. “This is a large chunk of that trail system.”
The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation has also contributed funds as have city taxpayers. Gensic said VDOT contributed this amount of funds in order to get the project completed.
“So it’s $800,000 more money to put into this large [project],” Gensic said. “Two bridges and trails to connect that whole system behind Seminole Square, up to the Virginia Institute for Autism and up to Greenbrier Park.”
Gensic said design and engineering needs to be completed for the project and he said the project should go to bid in the near future.
This project was called for in the Meadow Creek Valley Master Plan adopted by Council in 2013. A copy of that plan is available on the website of the Greenbrier Neighborhood Association. (download the plan)
Second shout-out: Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards
In today’s second shout-out: This may be the weekend to find a new tree from your yard and garden. The Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards (CATS) maintains its own tree nursery, entirely run by volunteers. They plant saplings obtained from the Virginia Department of Forestry and other sources and nurture them until they are large enough to be planted out. This Saturday, they’ll hold their latest sale from 10 a.m. to noon at the Virginia Department of Forestry at 900 Natural Resources Drive. They concentrate on native trees, some of which are hard to find from commercial sources.
They’ll have large trees from Bald Cypress to White Pine, medium trees from Alleghany Serviceberry to White Cedar, and shrubbery from Arrowhead Viburnum to Winterberry. For a full visit, visit their website at charlottesvilleareatreestewards.org. Prices range from $6 to $15.
Sanders outlines work plan, homeless intervention strategy
If civic affairs in Charlottesville can be likened to a game of chess, one of the most important pieces is the City Manager. Sam Sanders has been in the position for two months after a string of interim managers, those who didn’t make it a year, and one person who never even showed up.
“In July when Council identified me as the choice to serve as the next city manager, I made a few observations about Charlottesville that are important to restate tonight,” Sanders said at the October 2 meeting of City Council.
“Charlottesville is consistently punching above its weight class,” Sanders said. “That makes us exceptional when comparing efforts to cities three and ten times our size. I noted that we are striving to make a difference in the lives of all of our residents and I am emphasizing all. I acknowledge that we do have two life experiences in our city and we must continue to bridge that divide.”
Sanders said his decision to lift closing hours in Market Street Park on September 20 was not done under duress and that he consulted Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis before making the move.
“I actually made the decision to protect our officers and the unhoused,” Sanders said. “I did not want to subject any of them to any additional interaction that could go terribly wrong. And I wanted to give our chief the opportunity to fully assess the situation which has now been done.”
For information on that, take a look at a story about a press conference Chief Kochis had last week. (read the story)
Sanders called the situation in Market Street Park “uncomfortable, untenable, and unsustaining” and understands many are disappointed. He’s received a lot of angry messages.
“I’ve been told to ‘tell people to get out of the park’, ‘give us our park back’, ‘I don’t care where they go’, and ‘you are focused on the wrong thing,’” Sanders said.
Sanders said it will take the whole community to solve the problem of homelessness.
“I understand that we have never had a comprehensive plan for addressing homelessness,” Sanders said. “I now commit to seeing that one gets built.”
Sanders said he’s heard frustration from staff about initiatives that were laid out but never implemented. He said he’s heard criticism from the unhoused about the various providers of support services.
“And while I don’t believe everything that I hear, I want to take those concerns to those individuals and I want to talk to about them and let’s figure out how to fix that and let’s how to focus on continuing to help the people who need them,” Sanders said.
City Councilor Michael Payne said he’s received many emails from people asking for Sanders to be disciplined for his action.
“And I want to say affirmatively, we are not going to do that,” Payne said.
After that, Sanders presented a work plan to guide what he’ll do between his hiring and the end of July 2024. He said it will be tied to the City Council’s strategic plan with frequent updates of metrics.
“Council adopted nine strategic outcome areas and a commitment to JEDI—Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion,” Sanders said.
The work plan lays out specific actions that will be taken in each of the ten areas. Under Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is an action item to “implement critical community-based interventions.”
“That’s Marcus Alert, alternative response team, opioid abatement,” Sanders said. “These are big things. We got information from the state that doesn’t tell us exactly how to do those things. We have to figure those things out.”
The plan also shows who will be responsible for each action item.
The interim plan for the Marcus Alert system will be overseen by Deputy City Manager Ashley Marshall and the human services director.
The alternative response team work will be overseen by Chief Kochis and the social services director.
The opioid abatement plan will be worked on by Fire Chief Michael Thomas, the human rights director, and the director of the Police Civilian Review Board. (review the plan)
“When you the community take a look at it then ultimately I hope you will find that everything we’ve been talking about is there in some form or fashion,” Sanders said.
One item on the plan is the development of a homeless intervention strategy. Sanders said the phenomenon is the number one problem facing local governments across the United States.
“I’ve identified an internal work group and I’ve asked Ashley Marshall to lead that because I think it’s important for us to make sure that we can go where we need to go on that issue and that means we have to go deep,” Sanders said. “There’s a lot to be done.”
Sanders said the strategy will have short-term, medium-term, and long-term action items.
“And Market Street Park has consumed the conversation but it’s not really the short-term, it really isn’t,” Sanders said. “There are some real serious short-term things that need to be done. We need to identify who can actually operate a shelter. That’s number one.”
Sanders said night shelters are expensive to operate and the city needs to understand the various needs. One mid-term action is to identify a space.
“But I’m not running to do that at this moment because I don’t know how big that facility needs to be, and I don’t know if it’s one, two, or three facilities because in the population, there are differences amongst what the issues are and we need to address them,” Sanders said.
Sanders said Albemarle County will be the regional partner because he does not believe outlying counties will provide support. Already the two localities funded extension of the overnight shelter at the former Red Carpet Inn until it was time to move on with two new facilities on that site that will be run by Virginia Supportive Housing and the Piedmont Housing Alliance.
“There is no quick fix, there’s no simple answer, there’s no easy solution,” Sanders said. “It is going to be painful. The community has to appreciate that. It’s going to hurt to be able to deal with this, in more ways than one.”
Sanders concluded his remarks by stating that the closing time of Market Street Park will be restored in the future and the current situation is temporary. One task underway at the moment is to determine if PACEM can begin their season earlier than usual. Many steps will be needed to address the issue.
“And we’re trying to figure out what is the best way to do it with dignity and to make sure that the individuals land in a better place,” Sanders said. “That’s the point of any effort that we should undertake.”
Sanders had the support of the five Councilors who selected him to succeed interim City Manager Michael C. Rogers.
“No one wants to live outside,” said City Councilor Leah Puryear. “No one wants to sleep on a sidewalk. No one wants to be cold. And Mr. Sanders does not want that for anyone whether you’re on the property at Market Street or anywhere else.”
More from the City Council meeting in future editions of Charlottesville Community Engagement.
Reading material:
Chamber “Eggs and Issues” Breakfast Informs Business Leaders, Neil Williamson, Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, October 1, 2023
City Manager presents plan to address homelessness to Charlottesville City Council, Dryden Quigley, WVIR NBC29, October 3, 2023
Rivanna flood plain development rejected by Charlottesville City Council, Hawes Spencer, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), October 4, 2023
Cultivate Charlottesville and community partners seek to build public gardens in Booker T. Washington Park, Ford McCracken and Eleanor Jenkins, Cavalier Daily, October 4, 2023
Some things to say at the end of #586
Today’s edition is more like the kind of newsletter I would have put together in 2006 when I was briefly news director at WNRN. At the time I was also trying to figure out what the Charlottesville Podcasting Network. I’m grateful for the eleven years I had at Charlottesville Tomorrow to learn how to work the municipal beat and to strive for excellence.
Now I’ve been at this work as an independent journalist for over three years, implementing a vision I’ve been developing for providing information about local government, rooted as a local myself. While this is a business, this subject matter is what I deeply care about, and why I’m dedicated to working as hard as I can. This is how I get funky!
All I ask is that you consider a paid subscription. And if you decide not to, at least share the work with someone else. My hope is to keep going until I can grow to a point where this is a daily publication, seven days a week. If science ever discovers and eighth day, I likely still wouldn’t rest.
And the Internet company Ting will match your first payment.
In addition to this unique sponsorship, Ting sponsors Scott Stadium, the Ting Pavilion, and the John Paul Jones Arena. 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
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