Podcast for September 12, 2024: SPCA seeks more funding from Albemarle and Charlottesville, an update on a homeless plan update, a water supply plan briefing, and the city needs a new attorney

There are many advantages to producing audio versions of the stories that go out in the Charlottesville Community Engagement newsletter. The most important is that about a tenth of the audience chooses to receive the information that way. Another reason is the ability to hear the voices of decision-makers and those hired to implement the work of government. I’m Sean Tubbs, and my job is to write as much of it down as possible. 

In this sonic edition:

• The Albemarle Planning Commission recommends denial of request to convert house to commercial property (learn more)

• The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors gets an update on planning issues and learns Crozet may need more water. Joint planning with Fluvanna, Louisa, and Greene may also be happening in the future (learn more) 

• SPCA seeking new contract to provide services for Albemarle and Charlottesville (learn more)

• Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders provides an update on Charlottesville’s efforts to assist the unhoused (learn more)

• Charlottesville will need to look for another city attorney, again (learn more)

Today’s shout-out:  Town Crier Productions

In today’s first shout-out, I’m taking the owner’s prerogative to state a little about the business that operates Charlottesville Community Engagement as well as Information Charlottesville. Town Crier Productions was created in 2020 after I felt a calling to return to local journalism. I’ve been able to cobble together a living for over 1,500 days in this manner, and I’m still learning how to create this entity.

In the months to come, I will be re-evaluating some of the previous ways things have worked and I’m starting with these shout-outs. The system you see is one that is wholly improvised and one that can be improved over time. In the weeks to come I will be asking readers and businesses questions about shout-outs, sponsorships, advertising, underwriting, and other ways to put information out in front of an audience that receives about 3,000 views per newsletter. 

Town Crier Productions is not a non-profit and so far lacks a dedicated operations team. But, there is at least one dedicated reporter determined to build an organization that will support the community’s information needs for time to come. Questions? Send them my way, and stay tuned as we all find out how some of these stories turn out! 

This is a simple map of the community water supply plan run by the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority (Credit: RWSA)

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

In today’s second 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.

And if you’re interested in learning more about what Town Crier Productions puts out, there’s a free post on the Patreon account that lists what you can learn.