Podcast for February 1, 2025: Four stories about Charlottesville including a look at FY26 budget preparations, an update on bird flu from UVA Health, and a look at the Broadway Blueprint

We have all arrived at February 1, 2025 and this is the time to conduct whatever rituals you have to welcome the new month. Perhaps that includes listening to this edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement, an audio version of a newsletter about local and regional government. I’m Sean Tubbs and the next 30 minutes will feature some recent stories:

In this edition:

• Charlottesville City Council is briefed on $22.4 million surplus for FY24 (learn more)

• The new director of Neighborhood Development Services tells Council about her department’s work plan (learn more)

• The five elected officials are also introduced to the city’s “Safer Streets Strategy” projects (learn more)

• An infectious disease expert from the UVA Health System explains what’s happening with bird flu (learn more)

• The Charlottesville City Schools hold a work session on revenue assumptions for the next fiscal year, including an expectation sales tax revenues will decline (learn more)

• Herrick appointed as Albemarle County Attorney (learn more )

• Albemarle EDA briefed on Broadway Blueprint (learn more)

First shout-out: Celebrating the community’s other information organizations!

In today’s first shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.

There’s also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you’ll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.

This is the spreadsheet that helps me keep track of things. I’ve logged 82 stories so far in 2025, covering the community in a way no one else is. See below for ways you can provide support!

Second shout-out: Help me keep this going!

What you are reading or listening to at Charlottesville Community Engagement is part of a business-venture that’s based on a pretty simple idea. I will spend my time researching and reporting and will provide ways for people who want to pay for the material to be produced!

I’ve been a journalist for a long while now, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Charlottesville Podcasting Network. While that website doesn’t have new content, it’s part of how I demonstrate my dedication to this community. In 2025 I’m seeking ways to solidify the business, and here are some ways you can support the work.

• Sign up for a paid subscription through Substack. There is not much premium content because my primary aim is to get information out to as many people as possible.

• Contribute through Patreon. A major goal this year is to replace this with a way to make a tax-deductible donation, but that’s not set up yet. If I had more time, I’d make more audio programs through Patreon.

• Send in a check made out to Town Crier Productions at PO Box 1754, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902. This will be used as a replacement for Substack.

• Ask me about advertising opportunities! Advertising is live now on Information Charlottesville and introductory prices are low!

• Tell friends about the work!

• Volunteer to design some logos because I’m very bad at graphics!

• Keep paying attention to as much as you can!

This image placed here so there’s an image in this post!