Charlottesville City Council to consider two land use appeals; Appomattox to hold public hearing on FY24 budget
Another week of local and regional meetings begins!
Welcome to another installment of an experimental newsletter intended to broaden greater awareness of the role that local government plays in our democratic society. I’ve been covering Albemarle and Charlottesville for a long time, and this newsletter is intended to broaden my horizons!
Appomattox headline
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Appomattox County will meet at 6 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors meeting room at 171 Price Lane in Appomattox County.
The meeting will begin with a work session on funding for capital improvement projects. There will also be an appearance from Information Services Manager John Spencer on the courthouse study that is currently underway.
There are three public hearings:
The first is on the Secondary Six-Year Plan with the Virginia Department of Transportation.
The second is for a conditional use permit for a 199 foot cell tower on Holiday Lake Road.
The third is for the proposed $53,401,020 budget for FY2024.
Charlottesville City Council to consider two land use appeals
The five-member Charlottesville City Council will meet at 4 p.m. for a work session followed by a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. (meeting info) (agenda)
There are three items on the agenda for Council’s work session.
The first is the annual report from the Youth Council, a public body appointed by Council and supported by the Department of Human Services.
“This group of young people advises the Council, informs the community about issues that affect youth, and makes recommendations on how they feel Charlottesville can be a better city,” reads the staff report. “Youth who serve on the Council meet monthly, receive leadership training, and have the chance to make a real difference in our community.”
This year’s report will highlight work with Shelter for Help and Emergency, H.E.R. Sports, and the Community Climate Collaborative.
The second item is the presentation of the city’s draft economic development strategy. The city has hired the firm Resonance to conduct the work with a final product due in July. The draft presentation includes ten things learned during the discovery process including #6.
“Charlottesville has gaps in earnings, poverty, and educational attainment between White and BIPOC populations,” reads this item. “The City has an opportunity to utilize its economic development plan to advance shared economic prosperity.”
The third item is an overview of a study the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce has conducted on the impact of the defense sector. Albemarle County Supervisors had this presentation earlier this month as I documented in this newsletter.
There’s one item on the consent agenda I want to highlight before going to bulleted points. The city is contemplating a major change to the zoning to increase allowable density. Council and the Planning Commission held a four-hour work session which has been boiled down to two pages of minutes.
I was only able to get about halfway through the meeting after spending at least 10 hours writing up a summary that I feel is incomplete but yet offers the reader an actual written account as opposed to a very brief summary. I am grateful for my subscribers for providing me with funds to spend time writing perhaps the only detailed accounts of what’s happening at the meetings.
Anyway, here are some items on first reading on the consent agenda:
An appropriation of $450,000 from the Virginia Department of Social Services for adoption assistance. (staff report)
An appropriation of $46,000 from VDSS for the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work (VIEW) program. (staff report)
An appropriation of $56,634 from VDSS for the Adult Services, Independent Living, and Promoting Safe and Stable Families (PSSF) Programs. (staff report)
An appropriation of an additional $14,419.60 from the federal COVID Homelessness Emergency Response Program (CHERP) (staff report)
There are several amendments to the city code to remove language now considered to be offensive. (staff report)
There is one reading of a temporary construction easement from the Redland Club in Court Square related to construction of the new General District Court. (staff report)
In the regular agenda:
There is a resolution to authorize up to $16 million in general obligation bonds for four specific projects including $5 million to cover half the cost of Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s purchase of Dogwood Housing properties from Woodard Properties. (staff report)
There is an appeal of a demolition request for 104 Statium Road that was denied by the Board of Architectural Review in February.
There is an appeal of an approval by the Entrance Corridor Review Board (the Planning Commission in another role) for 2005 Jefferson Park Avenue. Last week, a circuit court judge dismissed a lawsuit against City Council’s approval of a rezoning for a new building there.
There will be a resolution and final consideration of the city’s adoption of the Regional Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan put together by the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. Council deferred a vote in April after Charlottesville Mayor Lloyd Snook asked for more information. Albemarle Supervisors adopted the plan earlier this month.
Council will hold first of two readings on appropriating a grant of $1.36 million for assistance in paying real property taxes.
Louisa County Supervisors to adopt FY24 budget
The seven-member Board of Supervisors in Louisa County will meet at 5 p.m. in the Louisa County Meeting Room in Louisa. (meeting info) (meeting packet)
There is a proclamation declaring May 20 through May 26 as Safe Boating Week.
Under new business, there are three resolutions.
The first is a performance agreement for a nearly $11.6M grant from the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program to help cover the cost of providing water and sewer infrastructure from Ferncliff to Shannon Hill. (staff report)
The second is adoption of the FY2024 budget.
The third is the adoption of the FY2024 Capital Improvement Program.
For details, I recommend reading Tammy Purcell’s Engage Louisa post for this week.
Reading material:
Bowman, Scearce, Harris earn county GOP nod at Friday mass meeting, Sami Mirza, Chatham Star-Tribune, May 13, 2023
Applications pour in for three expiring Lynchburg City School Board seats, Bryson Gordon, Lynchburg News and Advance, May 13, 2023
From early talks in 2018 to a temporary facility opening Monday, a look back at the path to a casino in Danville, Charles Wilborn, Danville Register and Bee, May 14, 2023
Two new farmers markets open in Campbell County, Rachael Smith, Lynchburg News and Advance, May 15, 2023