Charlottesville to review sustainability plan for public housing sites; Appomattox to consider PPEA use for courthouse renovation
Plus: Louisa County Supervisors to consider alternative personal property tax rate for data center equipment
There are three meetings of local government on Monday in Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District. This newsletter seeks to try to write about each of them not only for this week but for weeks way in the future. I’ve been doing this now since last May after a long time writing about five of the localities among the 24 that make up the political jurisdiction to which one representative is appointed to the United States House of Representatives.
In doing so, I’m getting a glimpse into the details of how different communities function in the federalist system that runs the country. I’m cautious about drawing any conclusions because I’ve not put the time in yet to really understand how the elected bodies in localities outside my usual beat function. There’s so much going on, and my hope is to make sense of it all for a wider audience.
If you’ve enjoyed this, please share it with others. I’m the only person at Town Crier Productions so I don’t have much time at all for marketing. But I do believe that this work has a lot of value to anyone interested in how our entire government works.
This time around:
Charlottesville City Council doesn’t have any regular business but has two items on a work session related to food equity and the future of public housing redevelopment. The latter depends on capitalizing on space the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority already owns.
Louisa County is set to be the home of two data center campus for Amazon Web Services, and there is a set of incentives associated with the decision. One of them is up for a public hearing before the Board of Supervisors.
Appomattox County’s Sheriff wants to talk to that Board of Supervisors about issues with the magistrate system and Supervisors will consider usage of an alternate procurement system for renovation of the historic courthouse.
Appomattox County to consider Jamerson-Lewis proposal to renovate historic courthouse
The five-member Board of Supervisors in Appomattox County meets at 6 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors Meeting Room at 171 Price Lane in Appomattox. (board packet)
After the call to order, the Pledge of Allegiance, the invocation, the setting of the agenda, and the citizen public comment period, there will be an appearance by Sheriff Donnie Simpson.
“Sheriff Simpson has requested to appear before the Board to discuss an ongoing public safety problem with the State magistrate system,” reads the agenda.
There are two items up for public hearing related to the county’s prospective use of the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act for construction and renovation of the historic courthouse.
Only one firm submitted a proposal. The president of Jamerson-Lewis Construction gave a presentation of their plans on August 21. One resolution is required to authorize the use of the PPEA. The public hearing is on Jamerson-Lewis’ specific plan.
There are four action items:
Supervisors will consider a resolution to approve an application for the Proven Ministries Skeet Shoot Fundraiser. (application)
They’ll also consider a resolution to approve an application for the Chippy Hippie Vintage Market on September 22 and September 23. (application)
The Appomattox Community & Disaster Relief Organization has asked to use the county-owned Oakville Ruritan Building. Supervisors will consider this request which was deferred from the August 21 meeting. (list of expenses at the building the county has been paying)
Appomattox County Public Schools seek the appropriation of $4.5 million in state funds for school construction. This will be for additions and renovations at Appomattox County High School.
Sustainability plan lays out vision for a future with market-rate units on CRHA properties
The five-member Charlottesville City Council will meet at 4 p.m. in City Council Chambers for a work session followed by a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. (meeting overview)
There are two items for discussion at the work session. The first is a report from Cultivate Charlottesville on the city’s Food Equity Initiative. Council approved the first public funds for the project in October 2018.
“The Initiative is cultivating community-driven processes, resident leadership, and city partnerships to improve access to and quality of nutritious and affordable foods, addressing food equity barriers,” reads the staff report.
Since the initiative began, the topic has become important enough to be included in the title of a Comprehensive Plan chapter with Chapter 7 being Environment, Climate, and Food Equity. (page 65 of the plan)
The budget for FY23 and the one for FY24 set aside $155,000 for food equity. The report documents how some of this funding is used to support the group’s work. Here’s point #8:
“Ongoing grassroots programming including growing and distributing 13,422 pounds of fresh produce to 645 residents, 20,000 healthy school snacks to 3,200 students, 7,200 schoolyard garden experiences, and other on the ground efforts,” reads the report packet.
The group is also making a direct appeal to Council with three asks related to their Power to Grow initiative:
They want Council to dedicate lane in Booker T. Washington Park for an Urban Agricultural Collective farm
They want Council to direct the Parks and Recreation Department to prioritize a community design for the farm site in that agency’s upcoming strategic plan. Pros Consulting has been hired to do that work, as I reported this week.
They want specific goals in the strategic plan related to food equity. At least two Councilors have already expressed they want this as well, as I reported earlier this month.
The second presentation will be on the Sustainability Study that’s been conducted for the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The agency hired Northern Real Estate Urban Ventures to assess CRHA’s properties, perform a market analysis, and do other work to develop a strategy for the agency’s future.
The scope includes CRHA sites that have not yet gone through redevelopment including 6th Street Southeast, the Avon/Levy garage site, Westhaven, Michie Drive, Riverside Drive, and several single-family homes throughout the city.
“The investment required to extend the useful life of CRHA’s portfolio of properties is significant,” reads one conclusion. “CRHA should leverage public financing options to redevelop more sustainable assets and utilize capital program dollars to renovate smaller communities.”
The company has previously been hired by the University of Virginia to inform their work toward their three affordable housing sites. The report shows several different scenarios for how individual sites can be redeveloped such as three pathways forward for Westhaven. All involve bringing market-rate units to the site, and all three anticipate a ten percent “development fee.”
The regular meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. with a proclamation of October 4 as Energy Efficiency Day.
“Smarter energy use reduces the amount of electricity needed to power our lives, which makes electrification of buildings and transportation more achievable,” reads the resolution. “Energy efficiency makes our homes and workspaces healthier, safer, and more comfortable.”
On the consent agenda are approval of the August 8, 2023 joint public hearing with the Planning Commission, second reading of a special use permit and rezoning for 501 Cherry Avenue, and first reading of a resolution authorizing the Charlottesville Economic Development Authority to issue revenue bonds on behalf of St. Anne’s Belfield.
There are no regular items on the agenda.
Louisa County Supervisors to consider alternative tax rate for data center equipment
The seven members of the Louisa County Board of Supervisors will meet at 5 p.m. for a closed session followed by the regular session at 6 p.m. (meeting overview)
There are five presentations which do not have advance materials in the packet. These are from Firefly, the Commission on Aging, the Louisa County Water Authority, the Virginia Department of Transportation, and Louisa Clean.
Then there will be a discussion of the Technology Overlay District and solar zoning.
Under unfinished business, there will be a continued discussion of enforcement of the Livestock Running at Large ordinance. (resolution)
There are five items under new business / action items.
The first would declare the county’s intent to reimburse the cost of certain expenditures related to expansion of water and sewer infrastructure to the Shannon Hill Growth Area, as well as the Louisa County Middle School turf fields project. (resolution)
The second would update the county’s financial policies and procurement policy. (resolution)
The third is a resolution to authorize a Memorandum of Understanding with the Louisa County Industrial Development Authority related to their funding of a water tank to be built as of the Shannon Hill Growth Area utilities project. (draft MOU)
The fourth is a resolution authorizing $637,536 for Louisa County Public Schools to complete design work for the Career and Technical Education Center. (resolution)
The fifth is a resolution for an additional $261,550.72 for Louisa County Public Schools to hire three additional teachers due to increased enrollment. (resolution)
There will be a public hearing related to the recent announcement that Amazon Web Services will invest $11 billion for two data centers within the county. There is a proposal for an alternative personal property tax rate for data center equipment. (resolution)
Reading material:
Lawsuit filed by Appomattox woman against Appomattox County School Board, others, Appomattox Times-Virginian, August 30, 2023
New CTE program coming to Appomattox County for kids and adults, Claire Foley, WSET, September 1, 2023
Louisa mobile home residents living in ‘precarious position’, Keyris Manzanares, Mark Robinson, VPM, September 14, 2023
Police called to Charlottesville High School after student 'altercation’, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), September 15, 2023
Charlottesville schools' phone ban winning support, Jason Armesto, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), September 16, 2023
'We have to pay attention': Charlottesville groups rally against threats to democracy, Hawes Spencer, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), September 17, 2023