An overview of public safety in Campbell County; Danville to consider expansion of Enterprise Zone
A quick look at two out of four meetings happening on September 19
Long-time readers of this 16-month old newsletter have often seen me refer to it as as experimental. That means a lot of things, but is mostly a declaration that this compilation of items in the Fifth District is often the last thing I do in a given day.
I began my work day today writing up my talking points for my appearance on WINA with Courteney Stuart, an exercise that doubles as a weekly post on r/Charlottesville on Reddit.
Then I wrote up a piece for C-Ville Weekly, repurposing a story I wrote for Charlottesville Community Engagement for a wider audience.
Then I switched over to writing today’s edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. A rare technical error prevented me from making it a podcast, but I got the information out to hundreds of subscribers. And then I went on the radio!
Yet, I still had this newsletter to produce. There are four meetings on Tuesday, but I was only able to write up two of them for this installment. I will get to Amherst County and Pittsylvania County tomorrow.
This newsletter is a labor of love. Learning about all of the communities across the Fifth District is somehow fueling me and reminding me why I became a journalist in the first place.
Anyway, it’s an experiment and I dispense with the bullet point summary because I need to make this work day over!
Campbell Board to get overview of county’s public safety functions
The seven member Board of Supervisors in Campbell County will meet at 6 p.m. in the Haberer Building Multi-Use Room in Rustburg. (agenda)
After the call to the order, Supervisors will get an overview of the public safety system from Director Tracy Fairchild and assistant county administrator Paul Harvey. There’s no advance materials for this event so here’s what I can muster up.
“The Campbell County Public Safety Department serves to provide animal control, emergency medical services, fire suppression and prevention, emergency management and preparedness, and E-911 services to the residents of our locality,” reads the website for the department.
The department is split into Animal Control, Emergency Communications, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Preparedness, and Fire.
According to the website, there are two volunteer EMS agencies and eight volunteer fire crews. These are all reachable through a First Responder Dashboard.
Over the past several years, public safety employees have twice received higher pay increases than other county employees with four percent hikes in August 2017 and July 2018 as compared to two percent for everyone else.
Among other things, Campbell County’s public safety budget also funds the Sheriff’s department, school resource officers, and the county’s participation in the Blue Ridge Regional Jail Authority.
According to my calculations, Campbell County Supervisors next meet on October 3.
Danville City Council to consider update to “solicitation” ordinance, VDOT revenue-sharing projects
The nine-member Danville City Council meets at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building. (meeting overview)
After the call to order, the roll call, the invocation, the Pledge of Allegiance, announcements, there will be a special recognition. There’s a proclamation to Sheri Tuck for Crop Walk Week. No additional info about that.
There are staff reports for all ten of the items under New Business.
Council will learn that the city’s finances are tracking “well above budget” and the details are all in the seven-page report. (read the report)
Council will be asked to approve a letter stating intention to repay $24,693,467 in expenditures that will be paid for in the short-term through the sale of bonds. The city will then pay those bonds back over time through debt service. (staff report)
There is also a resolution to authorize the City Manager to seek an amendment to City Enterprise Zone #1 to alter its geographic boundaries by adding over 62 acres. This will also include a public hearing. (Council Letter)
Council will be asked to approve three applications for three projects through the Virginia Department of Transportation’s revenue-sharing program. These are for the Richmond Boulevard Pedestrian Access Project, the “replacement of Structure 1816 on Riverside Drive over Apple Branch, and the Broadnax Street and Betts Street Improvement Project.” (Council Letter)
There’s a request to amend the FY24 budget related to federal and state funding to “Complete the Rehabilitation of the South Ramp at the Danville Regional Airport Plus Additional State Aviation Funding Related to the Replacement of the Terminal Building Roof.” (staff report)
Item #F is another budget amendment to appropriate grant funds stemming from the Older Americans Act. (staff report)
Next up is another budget amendment. This time is for state funds for airport maintenance. (staff report)
The regularly scheduled October 3, 2023 meeting will be canceled so Councilors can participate in National Night Out. They’ll meet instead on October 5, following a pattern from previous years. (Council Letter)
This one probably deserves its own article and follow-up. There is a resolution seeking Council’s approval to update city code on the “Prohibition Against Certain Forms of Aggressive Solicitation.” Specifically staff wants to update the code to reflect recent U.S. Supreme Court and 4th Circuit Court of Appeals decisions. (Council Letter)
Finally, Danville City Council will be asked to approve a policy on collective bargaining that would prohibit “any official, employee, appointee, or agent of the City, vested with or possessing any authority, to recognize any labor union or other employee association or organization as a bargaining agent of any City officers or employees, or to collectively bargain or enter into any collective bargaining contract.”
Reading material for Campbell County and Danville:
Campbell County Board of Supervisors honor long-time Judge, Lynchburg News & Advance (paywall), September 6, 2023
Campbell County registrar seeks election poll workers, Rodney Robinson, Lynchburg News & Advance (paywall), September 13, 2023
Plan Danville hosts walk through Almagro Community, WDBJ-7, September 13. 2023
Planning commission recommends approval for mixed-use community along South Main Street,
Witkowski to run for Campbell County Treasurer, William Masselli, September 14, 2023
VDOT seeks input on Franklin Turnpike safety, Chatham Star-Tribune, September 14, 2023
Officials announce state funding for improvements at historic Black cemetery in Danville, John Crane, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), September 16, 2023
'We want them to slow down:' The Campbell County Sheriff's Office works to fight speeding on Lynbrook Road, Rachel Branning, WSET, September 15, 2023
Battling brutal heat, then torrential downpour, volunteers build playground at Danville's Salvation Army, Charles Wilborn, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), September 15, 2023
Danville to crack down on Airbnbs in violation; planning commission recommends more restrictions, John Crane, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), September 16, 2023
'We are going to trust God,' Loyal Baptist Church pastor says after fire. The historically Black Danville church traces roots to 1886., Charles Wilborn, September 16, 2023
Danville Casino revenues dip in August to $19.6 million, but stay ahead of facility in Bristol, John Crane, Danville Register & Bee (paywall), September 17, 2023
Delegate Fariss facing felony charges, Altavista Journal, September 18, 2023