Week Ahead for April 28, 2025: UVA Board of Visitors to consider pursuit of Federal Executive Institute, closed session on complying with presidential executive orders
Plus: Charlottesville Housing Advisory Committee to review land banks
This will likely be a week in which I take some time off to attend to business and personal matters. I am fast approaching the fifth anniversary of starting Town Crier Productions and I need to assess where I’ve been and where I want us to go.
And by us, I’m talking about the thousands of you who are now on this list. I quite like doing this work and sharing information about the local level of government. I’ve got a lot of things behind the scenes I need to get done, and this might be the work I put administrative work before reporting.
Of course, anything can happen and if there’s new information I can deliver, I’ll drop everything to do that. That’s the part of the bargain I’ve made with paid subscribers. You pay me, and I’ll pay attention. Thanks for helping me do this work!
In any case, there still are many items this week that are worth review and possible follow-up.
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors will meet Tuesday to sign off on UVA’s request to acquire the Federal Executive Institute. This meeting will not be live-streamed.
The Charlottesville Housing Advisory Committee on Wednesday will review an ordinance to create a Land Bank Authority that would be tasked with buying property for building affordable housing.
The Louisa Board of Supervisors will consider a request Monday from Lake Anna Resort to increase the number of allowed units from a maximum of 96 to 114.
The Pantops Community Advisory Committee will hold a virtual meeting and anyone tuning in will get updates on transportation projects in that section of urban Albemarle.
Fluvanna County is updating its Comprehensive Plan again and four advisory groups will meet this week.
Albemarle County Supervisors will have a public hearing on the tax rates for 2025.
There are no meetings in Nelson County. The Board of Supervisors returns on May 13 for a public hearing on the budget for FY26.
There are also no meetings in Greene County this week. The Board of Supervisors returns on May 13.
Special thanks to the Piedmont Environmental Council for their sponsorship of this work each week!
Monday, April 28, 2025
Louisa County Board of Supervisors to adopt FY2026 budget
Local government can keep you on your toes. The seven-member Board of Supervisors in Louisa County ordinarily meets on the first and third Monday of the month, but this time around they’re meeting on the fourth such day of April. (meeting packet)
They’ll begin the day with a closed session at 5 p.m. with no specific exemption listed from Virginia’s open meeting rules.
Then they come back into open session at 6 p.m. with an invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, the adoption of an agenda, and approval of minutes, there will be consideration of the consent agenda. Some notable items:
There is a resolution to proceed with an Economic Development Capital Project for Utilities at a cost of $57,329. This is for construction of electric lines for a water tower at the Shannon Hill Regional Business Park. (learn more)
There is a resolution to allow the county administrator to enter into an easement agreement with Central Virginia Electrical Cooperative. (learn more)
There is a resolution to approve a contract for pumping and hauling of sludge. (resolution)
There is a resolution to approve the purchase of a contract for a firefighting brush truck. Vest Sales and Service, Inc will sell one to Louisa for $172,024. (learn more)
There is a resolution to proceed with an upgrade of the fire training center valued at $75,000. (learn more)
There is a resolution to approve the conveyance of roads deemed no longer necessary for public use. These are in the Cutalong subdivision and will be deeded to the property owner’s association. (learn more)
Under information items there will be an update on ag/forestal district and the Rural Preservation Committee.
Under unfinished business there will be a resolution to approve or deny a proffer amendment request for Lake Anna Resort. Supervisors approved the development in January 2023 with a maximum of 96 units and a site plan approved in July 2024 included that number.
“To allow for a diverse selection of various sized units, and maximize economic feasibility of the project, Lake Anna Resort LLC is proposing an increase of allowed residential units to a maximum of 114 units,” reads the staff report.
There are five items under new business.
One is to approve funding requests from the tourism budget for Louisa Arts Center, Lake Anna Jazz, and Trevilian Station Battlefield. The tourism budget is fueled by the transient occupancy tax. Learn more about how the money would be used in the staff report.
The second is to establish and adopt the tax levy for 2025 (resolution)
The third is to adopt the operational and maintenance budget for FY2026. (resolution) (view the budget)
The fourth is to adopt the capital improvement budget for FY2026. (resolution) (CIP summary)
The fifth is to signify the intent to provide a tax rebate on real property in FY2026. This is allowed under §15.2-2511.1 (resolution)
There are no public hearings.
Fluvanna County Comprehensive Plan update continues this week
A major downside of being a one-person information outlet is the inability to pursue in-depth stories about the counties that surround greater Charlottesville. I would like to be able to spend more time on the development of each locality’s Comprehensive Plan, but I am unable to fully cover the long-running update in Albemarle.
The origins of this newsletter date back to a very brief time in early 2018 where I was serving as the assignment editor at Charlottesville Tomorrow. The founding executive director had announced his departure and immediately turned editorial operations over to me. I began the habit of reviewing agendas of upcoming meetings to figure out what stories we would write that week.
I chose to leave to give a new philosophy room to breathe and was out by by mid-June. I was in shock when I realized I was out of journalism. But I still had the habit, and in my new job I still reviewed the information just as if I was still going to be assigning stories. I just didn’t have anywhere to write stories. Thankfully, my employer granted me permission to create this newsletter and I began the experiment. When I went independent again in July 2020, my former employer agreed to sponsor the work each week and that brings us to this 311th edition of the Week Ahead.
I aspire to have people to whom I can assign stories. After all, many of these blurbs are written as if I’m giving information to someone about the story I’d like to eventually publish. So, who wants to take this one on?
The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors approved a slight update to the Comprehensive Plan on September 18, 2024. If you’re unfamiliar, Virginia law requires localities to provide a document that describes how they are preparing for the future. This also includes a map that signals where development is desired.
“Fluvanna County has six Community Planning Areas, which are intended to support higher density, mixed-use development around existing population centers,” reads a website for the 2024 update. “The Rural Residential areas accommodate low-density, clustered residential development, while the Rural Preservation areas are intended to remain largely undeveloped.”
The 2024 version is a very light update of the 2015 Comprehensive Plan. According to the document, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 delayed the start of the review. In 2022, the Planning Commission appointed two advisory groups to study rural and historic preservation as a precursor to the update.
“Out of the many months of review, community meetings, and shared concerns, it became apparent that the residents of Fluvanna County have a deep and abiding desire to maintain the rural character and charm that has long been a hallmark of life in the County,” reads page 13. “However, rather than promote a wholesale stop to development, it was equally obvious that it was with an eye toward balanced development and growth that the advisory groups moved forward.”
A new update began earlier this year with a series of community meetings in late February and early March. An online and paper survey on the Comprehensive Plan is taking entries through May 30, 2025.
“The Plan also outlines ways to manage growth, protects what citizens think is special, and assists local officials with decision making,” reads a page on the Fluvanna website. “Public input is a crucial part of this process.”
This week there will be a series of meetings of additional advisory groups that have been formed. There is no information about what will be discussed as the Comprehensive Plan update page has not been updated since early March.
So, an assigned reporter would contact the county to find out more about the following meetings:
The Economic Development Advisory Group meets April 28 at 4:30 p.m. in the Morris Room. (calendar item)
The Housing Advisory Group meets April 30 at 3 p.m. in the Morris Room. (calendar item)
The Rural Preservation Advisory Group meets April 30 at 6 p.m. in the Morris Room (calendar item)
The Historical Preservation Advisory Group meets at 3 p.m. in the Morris Room (calendar item)
Fluvanna is part of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission, one of 21 planning districts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. According to the website of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, these are “voluntary associations of local governments intended to foster intergovernmental cooperation by bringing together local elected and appointed officials and involved citizens to discuss common needs and determine solutions to regional issues.”
That group meets on Thursday. Perhaps there will be information about the Comprehensive Plan in Fluvanna County. Perhaps there will be information about the role the TJPDC will take in creating a regional water supply plan. The future is worth writing about in detail and with your support, I’m going to try.
Pantops CAC to get updates on area transportation projects
During the pandemic, all local government meetings were virtual. Soon after the state of emergency ended, the Virginia General Assembly passed legislation that allows some appointed bodies to be able to meet virtually more often. The Pantops Community Advisory Committee will take advantage of this for a meeting beginning at 6:15 p.m. (meeting info) (agenda)
This greatly increases the chances that there will be a story from this meeting. I would like to attend these meetings but logistics are often hard to figure out. This time around the CAC will spend an hour getting updates on transportation projects in the Pantops area.
First Resilient Community Design meeting to be held
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency may have rescinded a grant for a regional project related to climate change, but the work is continuing anyway. A partnership called Resilient Together consists of sustainability staff from Albemarle County, Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia.
On Monday, the first of four “Community Design Nights” will be held with this one being held at Carver Recreation Center.
“These workshops are a chance for you to share your ideas and collaborate with neighbors on how we can adapt to increasingly hazardous weather events like extreme heat, flooding, and storms,” reads an entry on the Albemarle County website. “Together, we’ll brainstorm solutions that will help protect our homes, neighborhoods, and natural spaces while building a more resilient future for everyone.”
To learn more about the Resilient Together project, visit Engage Albemarle.
In other meetings:
The Fluvanna County Social Services Board meets at 3 p.m. in the 1st Floor Conference Room at 8880 James Madison Highway in Fork Union. There’s no agenda posted at the meeting info page.
The Albemarle Historical Preservation Committee meets at 4:30 p.m. in Room 241. They will discuss a potential local historic marker program as well as specific markers for Yancey Elementary School and Esmont High School. (meeting info) (agenda)
The Board of Commissioners of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority meets at 6 p.m. in City Council Chambers in City Hall. This is a meeting that consists only of updates with no resolutions. (meeting materials) (meeting info)
Tuesday, April 29, 2025
UVA Board of Visitors to hold special meeting to ratify decision to pursue Federal Executive Institute
The University of Virginia’s Board of Visitors will meet for the first time Tuesday since Governor Glenn Youngkin fired Bert Ellis in favor of Ken Cuccinelli. They’ll meet at noon in the Rotunda for an item with two action items and a closed session. This item will not be live-streamed. (meeting info)
The first item pertains to signatory authority for academic division contracts. The Board of Visitors must approve any transaction over $5 million and there are three specific requests.
The second is to ratify an application made by staff on April 21 to acquire the now-shuttered Federal Executive Institute. The entity existed to train members of the federal workforce and the second administration of Donald Trump closed it effective February 28. Both UVA and Charlottesville City Schools have submitted an application to acquire what is now considered to be surplus property.
“The successful applicant could be identified as early as April 28, 2025 with closing to occur within 60 to 90 days afterward,” reads the staff report.
The application itself is not provided in the materials, but the staff report notes that $1.85 million would be needed to “bring the facility up to good condition” with annual maintenance estimated at $1.9 million a year.
The closed session motion is worth listing in full:
“Consultation with legal counsel and legal advice regarding compliance by the University with civil rights laws and regulations and presidential executive orders, and potential and actual litigation and investigations involving governmental agencies; discussion of job duties and assignment of specific employees; and discussion of acquisitions of real property for public purposes and the investment of public funds where public discussion would adversely affect the bargaining position and negotiating strategy of the Medical Center and the University. The relevant exemptions are Va. Code § 2.2-3711 A (1), (3), (6), (7), (8), and (22).”
#22 is specific to UVA. Want to see the details? Take a look at the code here.
The Finance Committee will meet at 2 p.m. in the Pavilion Boardroom at the Boar’s Head Resort. (agenda)
“The meeting will be held in open session and is open to the public,” read the agenda. “This meeting will not be streamed live.”
Will this become a new trend? It would be very interesting to be able to review this budget work session, but a journalist would have to go in person. Will any?
Charlottesville Police Civilian Review Board to hold Town Hall
This is a fifth Tuesday and as a result there are no regular meetings. That often means at least one group will put on a special event. That’s the case today when the Charlottesville Police Civilian Review Board will meet at 5:30 p.m. at Carver Recreation Center for a Community Town Hall. (meeting agenda)
Members of the Board will be on hand to hear people’s thoughts and suggestions on police-community relations. Before this meeting takes place I am hoping to write up a story from Police Chief Michael Kochis’ presentation on the annual report to Council.
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
Albemarle County Supervisors to hold public hearing on the tax rate
For some reason, Albemarle County holds a public hearing for the budget on a different day for the public hearing for the tax rate. The latter took place last week and I’ve not gone through that event yet. I’ll have a report in tomorrow’s regular newsletter. The meeting was too hours long but I don’t recall seeing any stories about it.
At 6 p.m. the Board of Supervisors will once again gather in Lane Auditorium to take public comment on the tax rates for 2025. The first is on the real property rate and the online agenda includes more information than is legally required to be posted. (meeting agenda)
The following is what Virginia requires to be legally advertised in a newspaper of public record (emphasis mine):
a. Assessment Increase: Total assessed value of real property, excluding additional assessments due to new construction or improvements to property, exceeds last calendar year's total assessed value of real property by 5.1 percent.
b. Lowered Rate Necessary to Offset Increased Assessment: The tax rate which would levy the same amount of real estate tax as last calendar year, when multiplied by the new total assessed value of real estate with the exclusions mentioned above, would be $0.813 per $100 of assessed value. This rate will be known as the "lowered tax rate."
c. The County of Albemarle proposes to adopt a tax rate of $0.894 per $100 of assessed value for calendar year 2025. The difference between the lowered tax rate and the proposed tax rate would be $0.081 per $100, or 9.96 percent. This difference will be known as the "effective tax rate increase."
d. Proposed Total Budget Increase: Based on the proposed real property tax rate and changes in other revenues, including borrowed funds, the total budget of the County of Albemarle will be greater than last fiscal year's by 0.2 percent.
The second public hearing is for the personal property tax rate.
Calendar Year 2025 Personal Property Tax Rates. To receive public comment on a proposed increase in the tax rate from $3.96 per $100 of assessed value to $4.28 per $100 of assessed value, on all classes of property subject to taxation by the County pursuant to Chapter 15, Article 8 of the County Code, including tangible personal property; tangible personal property employed in a trade or business that is not otherwise classified as machinery and tools; merchants’ capital; short-term rental property, with an original cost of less than $500; and machinery and tools, as enabled by Title 58.1, Chapter 35 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, to be effective on and after January 1, 2025
Charlottesville Housing Advisory Committee to hold special meeting to discuss land bank
Last week, Charlottesville City Council got the latest update on efforts to create a land bank authority as an entity separate from the city that could acquire property in order for the purpose of building affordable housing. There were many reports about the affordable housing update Council got, but so far I’ve not seen a dedicated report on the land bank.
I hope to write that up before the Charlottesville Housing Advisory Committee has a special meeting at 1:30 p.m. in CitySpace to discuss the matter. They’re also taking public comment at this meeting as well. (learn more)
The packet for this meeting does not include any information but for anyone interested in learning more:
Council has already begun an era of helping nonprofit agencies and the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority purchase land.
Thursday, May 1, 2025
TJPDC Commissioners to learn about role agency will play in creating regional water supply plan
The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission consists of representatives from Charlottesville and five surrounding counties. The Board of Commissioners meets the first Thursday of each month and they gather at 407 East Water Street beginning at 7 p.m. (meeting portal)
There will be several presentations.
The first also includes a public hearing on the HOME Annual Action Plan Draft. You can learn more about that here.
The second is a legislative report.
The third is on the Safe Streets and Roads for All draft. That can be reviewed here. This is the Move Safely Blue Ridge plan.
Under action items there will be a resolution on a grant submission based on the Move Safely Blue Ridge Plan.
Then there will be a presentation on a new role that the TJPDC will take on. Legislation recently established a new mandate that localities in the same watershed create a regional plan for how water will be used.
“Based upon these regulations, the Counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene, and Louisa and the City of Charlottesville are required to contribute toward a regional water supply plan that fulfills the regulations,” reads a resolution that established the TJPDC will play a lead role in developing the plan by October 2029.
There will be a closed session to review the performance of TJPDC Executive Director Christine Jacobs. Before that, she’ll give an annual report which includes a discussion of a recent letter from U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. I’ll have more on that in the next edition of the newsletter.
In other meetings:
Albemarle County’s Board of Equalization will meet at 8:30 a.m. in Lane Auditorium. There’s no information about the agenda on the meeting info page. There was a public notice in the Charlottesville Daily Progress that listed other dates on which the group will meet to hear appeals of property tax assessments.
Albemarle’s Natural Heritage Committee will meet at 5:45 p.m. in Room 235 of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. They’ll review their work plan as well as review recommendations to help local communities become more Dark Sky compliant. (meeting info)
Friday, May 2, 2025
Only one meeting today.
The Fluvanna County Electoral Board will meet at 10 a.m. at the Registrar’s office at 265 Turkeysag Trail, Suite 115, in Palmyra. If you need the zip code, it’s 22963. (calendar item)