Week Ahead for September 21, 2020
A weekly look at what's happening in local government in and around Albemarle and Charlottesville
Week Ahead for September 21, 2020
Voting has begun for this year’s federal elections, but state and local contests are not that far away as 2021 approaches. Our communities are made from many decisions, and this newsletter is here to help you know what’s coming up before votes are taken at local meetings. Much is at stake all over America but every detail you see is important to someone. Probably you!
Support for this work comes from the Piedmont Environmental Council, an organization that “works with the citizens of our nine-county region to conserve land, create high-quality communities, strengthen rural economies, celebrate historic resources, protect air and water quality, build smart transportation networks.”
If you learned something from this brief summary of the next week, please send it on to someone you think would benefit. I always welcome feedback as well.
Monday, September 21, 2020
Charlottesville City Council meets in open session beginning with an oral report on boards and commissions. Earlier this month, the PLACE Design Task Force met and there was a sense that that body created in 2012 no longer had a clear reason for existing.
Following that there will be the consent agenda, which contains items that Council has already decided to approve through previous discussions or because there is no perceived opposition. Still, Councilors can take items off of this list. This time around:
Charlottesville Fire Department to receive $165,628 in state funds for training (1st of 2 readings)
City to receive $10,000 grant to help pay for aerial imagery to complete tree canopy assessment, requiring a $10,000 match (1st of 2 readings)
The Community Matters section is the public comment section and an opportunity to comment on the Strategic Plan update that is getting underway. Council postponed an initial work session on the plan from September 15 to September 29.
Following that, Council will hold public hearings on two items related to the pandemic, and one related to affordable housing. Council will appropriate $4.1 million in CARES Act funding, but the details were not available at production time. They will also extend the COVID-19 resolution approved in late July that limits gatherings and requires masks indoors.
A third public hearing will deal with the CAPER, which stands for the “Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report.” This document is required by the federal government to list what activities will be paid for through the use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and other federal funds.
“In FY 19, CDBG projects benefited 570 people,” reads a summary included in the 38 page staff report. “Projects included technical assistance for microenterprises and entrepreneurs, homelessness re-entry services, and workforce development programs (support for programs that aid in self-sufficiency, including but not limited to quality childcare).”
The public hearing is on direction for the current and next fiscal years. We’ll come back to the CAPER later in this newsletter.
After that, the Council will move into general business. That includes a discussion on public input for the next strategic plan, a document intended to provide guidance to city staff. Council will be asked for guidance on next steps for the Study of Disproportionate Minority Contact in the Adult Criminal System. That might include formation of a new task force (report).
There will also be a further discussion on the city’s honorary naming policy as well as a review of the city’s finances through August 31, 2020. The city met 98.7 percent of its revenue targets in the first two months of the fiscal year. Sales tax revenues are higher than forecast, but lodging task revenues are 62.7 percent of what had been projected. (financial statement)
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There are four items on the agenda for the Albemarle Architectural Review Board that begins at 1 p.m. They are all from different parts of the county’s designated growth area. (meeting info)
Sheetz is building a convenience store in the northwest quadrant of the U.S. 29 and Airport Road intersection and needs design approval. The ARB did not grant an approval at its June 1 meeting. (materials for meeting)
The ARB will hold a third review of a new auto dealership at 1300 Richmond Road on Pantops as part of a development that includes a Holiday Inn Express and a storage facility (materials for meeting)
The ARB will review signage for the redevelopment of the former John Deere dealership at 2415 Ivy Road (materials for meeting)
The ARB will take a look at the new Aldi that is planned for Albemarle Square in the former Fresh Market (and former Circuit City) space (materials for meeting)
The Places29-Hydraulic Community Advisory Committee meets at 5:30 p.m. They will get an update from Albemarle County School Board Chairwoman Kate Acuff, an update on voting from Jim Heilman of the Albemarle County Electoral Board, as well as an update on the office buildings coming to the corner of Georgetown Road and Hydraulic Road. (meeting info)
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The Louisa County Board of Supervisors has met in person throughout the entire pandemic. They’ll meet again tonight beginning at 5 p.m. (agenda)
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority meets at 2:15 p.m. The agenda includes a recognition of Dr. Tarron Richardson, who served on the Board of Directors due to his position as Charlottesville City Manager. He has resigned effective September 30. Other items include an agreement between the RWSA and the University of Virginia to study ways to boost wastewater capacity on campus, and a presentation on how the water and wastewater systems operated by the RWSA work. (meeting info)
These details matter. Our civilization depends on the ability to harness natural resources and restore them as possible. These issues are not to be taken for granted. Note that this week, surveillance of wastewater at UVA dorms is being used as part of their effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 once detected. I recommend watching this presentation.
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The Greene County Board of Supervisors meets at 7:30 p.m. One item is a public hearing on through truck restrictions on Fredericksburg Road (Route 609) between U.S. 29 and U.S. 33. There is also a presentation on a new Post Office facility near Dyke, an update on CARES Act funding, and a progress report on the Business Disruption Grant Program. There’s also first reading on a resolution to begin review of the county’s Comprehensive Plan. (agenda)
What’s missing is an update on the water supply plan. For that, I recommend Terry Beigie’s latest article in the Greene County Record. Last week, the Rapidan Service Authority voted 4-2 to prevent the Greene County representatives from participating publicly in open meetings, or privately in closed meetings. That’s because the Greene Board of Supervisors has filed suit against the RSA. Read Terry’s story for all the details.
Wednesday, September 23
The Crozet Community Advisory Committee will hold a special meeting to further discuss the Future Land Use Map. This builds upon the September 9 meeting at which some participants were concerned about a lack of detail. Staff has provided the following:
Attachment 1 provides a comparison of the 2010 and draft 2020 land use plans
Attachment 2 provides the list of changes to accompany the map
Then staff will ask specific questions about specific areas. For instance, should non-residential uses be considered for the intersection of U.S. 250 and Old Trail drive? (meeting info)
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Quick quiz. What is the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization?
A new klezmer band
A social club for architects and urban placemakers
The region’s federally mandated decision-making body for transportation projects
The answer is C, but if you have any leads on whether A or B exist, please let me know.
In any case, the MPO Policy Board meets at 4 p.m. for its penultimate meeting of the year. The first business item on the agenda is discussion of the public participation plan that is intended to govern how transportation projects move forward. (agenda)
The plan was last updated in 2016. Only two people commented during the public comment period, which ended on September 10. The item was discussed at the September 15 meeting of the MPO Technical Committee, and I’ve uploaded the audio for the whole meeting up to SoundCloud. (listen)
There will also be a formal resolution for a change to the design for a Smart Scale application to rebuild the intersection of U.S. 29 and Fontaine Avenue as a diverging diamond. (view the conceptual sketch)
There will also be a discussion of the needs for electric vehicle charging stations in the community.
“MPO staff would like guidance on developing a network of key stakeholders to assess and build strategies for supporting the use of electric vehicles in the TJPDC region,” reads the Action Item section of the memo on the topic.
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Earlier in this newsletter, I mentioned the CAPER. Remember that? I won’t do another quiz. But, it explains how the city selects a neighborhood each year to receive funds from the Community Development Block Grant program. For this year and the next two, the Ridge Street Neighborhood has been chosen as you can read in the CAPER.
“Last year, Council designated Ridge as the Priority Neighborhood for FY 20-21 and approved Ridge Street as the Priority Neighborhood for the upcoming 3-year cycle with funds being targeted in income eligible service areas as Belmont completed the three year cycle rotation,” reads a section of page 3. “Ridge Street and Belmont are located within the Strategic Investment Area (SIA).”
So many acronyms, but they are important to keep track of. A group called the
Ridge Street Priority Neighborhood Task Force will meet virtually at 4 p.m.
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This next one has a bit of a puzzle. The city’s schedule states that the Tree Advisory Board will meet at 5 p.m., at around the same time as when the Tree Commission is scheduled to meet. And if you click through to the link, that is the name of the meeting. Has the body been renamed? Might we learn more at the City Council meeting on Monday?
In any case, this meeting will feature a discussion on nominees for trees to be conserved, the city’s Comprehensive Plan, and the city’s master tree list. There will also be a report from the City Arborist, Michael Ronayne including an update on the status of a study of how to protect the health of trees on the Downtown Mall. (agenda)
Thursday, September 24, 2020
The Places29 Rio Community Advisory Committee meets at 6 p.m. The agenda was not available at production time. (meeting info)
Friday, September 25, 2020
Both Albemarle and Charlottesville are updating their affordable housing policies. At the regional level, the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is overseeing a housing study for all of its member jurisdictions. As part of that work, they are offering a fall speaker series. At 11 a.m., Dr. Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist with Virginia Realtors, will talk about the impact of COVID-19 on the Charlottesville Area housing market. (register)
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The Rivanna River Basin Commission will hold its annual conference at noon, this time virtually. There will be an update on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Improvement Plan (WIP), a presentation on Best Management Practices for Stormwater Management, and updates on local efforts to improve water quality. You can listen to the 2018 conference here. (more info and registration)