City Council Meeting   9/18/2023

Is everybody ready to roll?

Okay.

Robinson, would you call the roll, please?

Councillor Pinkston?

Here.

Mayor Snook?

Here.

Vice Mayor Wade?

Here.

Is there a second?

Second.

Then the City Council Business Meeting which will usually begin around 6.30.

Yes.

Thanks for that.

Thank you.

Yeah?

David, do you have the slides?

Yes, I believe I do.

That's the voice, the disembodied voice.

She's behind the wall.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

Is that the same thing?

There are two.

Who did you send it to?

David.

David, are you able to access, that will be an email link to you?

I am looking for that now.

Mayor Snook?

You know what your presentation is like, so if you feel ready, go for it.

So they're numbered, if you not go to the PDF.

I don't see another one in my inbox.

So we'll look at those.

My apologies, I'm currently waiting on an activation code that has been sent to Mr. Graves.

Miracles of modern technology are about to occur.

The goal was to compile and disseminate research around what food equity is, establish mechanisms for community voice, which are here in our community cohorts, plan for sustainability, contribute subject matter expertise, and finally implement opportunities to highlight the city's food equity work statewide and nationally.

I see end of year report Council to Show, end of year report presentation slides, presentation for Council to Show, and presentation 2A.

Thank you so much.

No, thank you.

The next slide shows the food equity initiative.

And there is also a presentation remote on the shelf right there on your podium down below to advance to the next slides.

That makes it easy.

put you in charge.

And they will present to you the power to grow.

Thank you.

While we're waiting for those slides to come up for the second presentation, my name is Olene Carey and I'm the co-executive director of Cultivate Charlottesville and I'm here with my colleague Quintia Taylor, Food Justice Network Program Director at Cultivate.

Good afternoon.

How's it going, David?

Tell them which one specifically just to be smart.

The one that says capital P2G.

Yeah

Yeah, that's it.

Thank you.

Leave it at the next one.

Today, even though a handful of cultural celebrations such as the Chihamba African American Heritage Festival continue to be hosted at Booker T. Washington Park, many neighbors told us they no longer feel welcome there.

I'll pass you.

Our advocates and apprentices who are in the room are going to share a quote from each category of the themes.

Elderly folks can connect with children in the garden.

A garden would provide access to healthy and fresh produce.

The black community leaders who helped develop the park to combine that legacy with today.

I am interested in exposure and education about what growing food looks like.

One of those that said that we could have fruit trees and berries and bring back some of the perennials that were at Kendallwood.

If you can work in the same dirt together, the garden can be freedom, nature can heal.

Booker T. Washington Park is inextricably embedded in the black Charlottesville community, learning to swim, tennis lessons, extended backyard, and a gathering space.

An urban farm at Booker T. Washington Park would get people healthy food and get people to come together as a community.

Chapter seven, goal four in the food equity initiative policy platform.

So a shout out to all of the folks that are partnering with us during the Power to Grow petition.

The brown circles at the bottom are some of our next steps that Aline will go through each one.

Many folks sent you guys letters, and of course to the advocates who have shown up to express their support, we say thank you to you all.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So anybody have any questions for the Cultivate folks?

Is that what happened?

I'm sorry.

It came at a request of council.

Okay.

And then we joined a three-year partnership where council provided funding that matched federal funding.

Got it.

This report is on the first year of the second three-year commitment.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Do you have any idea at this point what that would look like?

So everything is given away at no cost to residents who would come to a market day.

provide any funding support at any level?

We are not currently receiving funding for the, those funders were specifically for the Food Justice Network work.

Thank you all so much for your important work.

get the vegetables or sell vegetables or whatever the situation would be because I'm presuming you would have some that you would give away based on what I've read but if we did a farmer's market other people could come that may have grown things that they could sell because you can't grow everything you know what I'm saying so there may be some things that we could think about in relationship to that as well or have you thought of it?

That would be an amazing addition for another organization like Market Central or the City Market.

So I'm just wondering if we can think about that because I just think this is just so exciting.

So it would be a natural extension to be able to do that at Booker T. Washington as well.

So now you all are going to have to make some things and bring them to city council members so that they can sample what all of your great work is doing.

We will do that.

Thank you so much for all that you do.

Thank you for being that robust.

Thank you.

You want to take it?

Work is going to take anything from 12 to 14 months to complete.

And when would it start?

30 days from last week, so we're hoping to start the process in the middle of October.

So that's just by next Christmas we should have.

So we're hoping to, we just sat down with a consultant with milestones and we're hoping by January 2025 that it will be adopted by council.

Okay, and does that process, is that in parallel or does that encompass the conversation around like a master plan for all of our parks in the city?

into the master plan, especially about where the gardens, where they would like to propose the gardens, so that data will be incorporated in our master plan as well.

But it sounds like the timelines line up pretty well.

So that during this strategic process that they have that special consideration be given and prioritized to Washington Park since there's so much community interest in it.

I don't know if that makes sense but I'm curious if you have any thoughts on if you think it would maybe make sense for the city to kind of think about incorporating some of this into our internal planning that way or in that framework.

Like who should we connect with beyond?

I don't know if that answers your question.

That's one contribution that we can make for sure around community wealth building.

the availability of land as well as the history of who the city did partnership with to give land and who was primarily coming to those areas what are those adjacent neighborhoods look like and how do we reverse that pattern so yeah thank you thank you

Thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate you coming.

We've got a very robust agenda.

Yeah.

CRHA, Mr. Sayles.

And I'll be here to answer questions and to talk about the asks for West Haven at the end.

Merritt there?

There she is.

Fire away, Dr. Merritt.

That was the last slide, essentially.

Do we have a report?

I forgot to actually forward that actual report to you so you do have it now.

It's in the packet.

I just sent that.

Give me something else to read tonight.

Thank you.

So through the engagement process so far, we've talked to residents about economic opportunities in the site, childcare facilities, recreational facilities, and of course, more housing and including home ownership opportunities.

Smallest to Largest, have you thought about that?

on a temporary basis.

Thank you.

Is that what that?

Yes.

Yeah, and I'm wondering, has your board had a chance to review this, and where does that stand?

And so you don't have a whole lot of money to play with to take care of the units.

So this was a requirement of some entity that CRJ.

So I wasn't around when it's happening.

Yes.

and the, I guess, the costs and the revenues over a 20-year time frame, basically, 15-year time frame?

Yeah, I think we're looking, just looking at the financial feasibility of the agency itself to be self-sustainable without government assistance from city council.

I see.

It's always going to need government assistance, but I think the hope is that it's only the federal government that's providing that.

When I was on PHA's board I knew how we would count on those developer fees but I never have seen them coming in a CRHA budget before.

These are, Crescent Halls and South Forestry Phase I are the first projects CRJ has developed since public housing was created.

Yes, 100% of them.

I think it's over a million dollars in non-deferred developer fee.

If I heard Dr. Merritt correctly, is that you all are thinking about simply selling the Avon Levy property?

But if a great offer came by and we could figure out a way to reposition that to get more housing somewhere else, we would certainly be interested in it.

The other question I had was we have in the last year and perhaps will again this coming year bought a number of rental properties that you have now or I assume you have now taken control of.

Yes.

She hasn't yet.

So I did not interrupt what she was already working on because I think we've been working on this for almost two years.

That's right.

It's very, very significant.

What is the income per unit you get for those two pools?

And five-bedroom, we don't have any five-bedrooms.

expanding your sustainability every time you do that.

So we'll be able to capitalize on that as well.

Could you just talk a little bit about that as a potential option for financial sustainability?

I have a couple of calls.

Aon, are we fine to go a few minutes?

Yes, can we go?

But what is the amount of additional subsidy you anticipate that that would help leverage?

And so HUD has increased their funding for Choice Neighborhood, and so we think West Haven will be a great candidate based upon its history, and so we're going to put in an application for that, and that will be for $50 million.

So thank you.

I'll second that.

So are we thinking about doing that?

So as long as they're debt worthy for their portion, they could purchase a home with it and we would subsidize it for 15 years.

Thank you.

I heard 75 percent.

I think it's 75% of the families that will qualify for affordable housing.

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

And I think this is where Sam and others, maybe not at this point, need to chime in.

So our ask would be $3 million a year starting in 2026.

There's probably some collaboration going on, but I think that just make sure that when decisions are being made that at least others know about it to see if there's anything that some chiming in can take place.

We actually are partners with PHA for the UVA development at Piedmont.

Thank you.

Dr. Merritt, you said something at the very beginning of your presentation about privatization.

And so CRHA will have the right to purchase a property back at the debt that's owned on the property for all of our properties.

So when I saw privatization, I mean, technically, I mean, what I tend to think of when I think of privatization tends not to be good.

We have funding that's already lined up for door replacements and starting to do interior upgrades in 2027.

to be in the lead to be managing all of the projects and to be collecting all of the developer fee very unique model and that's why I started when I started I said I was jealous because you know it's a I think it's a great model I think it's something that other housing authorities should be looking at

Okay.

Okay.

And I may have some other questions and I'll come find you.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay, so interesting reports.

Do you have the resolution?

Charlottesville Albemarle Airport Commission, Charlottesville Economic Development Authority, Housing Advisory Committee, Jefferson Area Community Criminal Justice Board, Piedmont Family YMCA Board of Directors, and Sister Cities Commission.

Thank you.

First, we have to do the closed meeting certification motion.

So I move that this council certify by a recorded vote that to the best of each councillor's knowledge only public business matters lawfully exempted from the open meeting requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered in the closed meeting.

So we are back in session.

First, we'll begin the 6.30 business meeting with a moment of silence, please.

Counselors, any announcements?

Shall we read the selected members of the Boards and Commissions, or is that later?

So if there are no other announcements, we'll move on to proclamations.

And let's see, is Emily Irvin here to officially receive the proclamation?

You're welcome.

Want to say anything about the whole business?

Great.

Any other proclamations or recognitions?

If not, then next item up is board and commission appointments.

So moved, please.

And if you're interested in being a public service, go take a look.

Robinson, would you please read the consent agenda?

One reading.

Do we have any virtual speakers who would like to speak on the topics?

Mayor Snook, I see no raised hands.

Okay, passes five to nothing to adopt the consent agenda.

Mr. Sanders, is there a report from the city manager's office?

Marshall, would you like to go first?

however in some cases specialty equipment or rooms are needed like with our tumbling gymnastics courses for example so we're often unable to add a class but please know that our new deputy director for recreation Mr. Avery Watkins is working with staff to ensure we're providing the best service to our community that ends my report sir thank you good evening mayor city council members I have four items to to share and they're mainly in the neighborhood development services department

That's all I have, Mayor and Council.

Thank you.

Any questions for any of the city manager folks?

Bohannon here?

Thank you.

No.

Deirdre Gilmore but since you all were joking in your earlier session about how this session is a whole bunch of nothing I hope you'll see fit to extend the public comments so everyone here who has something to share can do so Good afternoon or good evening my name is Deirdre Gilmore I live here in the city

And my grandson, Taneek Turner, told me to tell you, Lord Snook, what's up?

Thank you Ms.

so we ask that you will continue this work continue to partner with us we are very very grateful that we have been able to set the tone in terms of sustainability in this city that we are be able to continue that work and that we're able to continue to provide food for the families that need it the most healthy organically grown and also grown in community so thank you for this time we hope you'll let us garden in the park

Next is K.J.

Thank you so much.

Is Marcia here or is she online?

I'm online.

Three minutes.

Thank you for your dedicated work.

Okay.

Thank you.

Next, Anna Mendez.

Thank you.

Katie Evinger.

So thanks for your time.

Let's see if there's anybody online who would like to speak to us.

Yes, Mayor Snook, we have Elizabeth Stark.

Stark, you have three minutes.

Thank you.

Tell us your name and where you live.

Only we can keep us safe.

Your time is up.

Thank you.

Next, we have someone else online.

Yes, Mayor Snook, we have Robin Hoffman Ms.

Thank you.

Yes, sir, in the back.

Did you walk in the front door?

I didn't.

agree because you are agreeing to what's taking place in the park with our most vulnerable population with our most vulnerable people you are complicit every time you sit up here and hear reports of violence against unhoused people you are complicit so at this moment if you all could stop this meeting go outside and address the gentleman out there

We will not.

I expect you all to respond to his needs.

Next, somebody online.

We have Zayana Bryant.

Bryant.

I don't even think there's much to be said about it you know that it's a problem and I don't know who the stakeholders were engaged about it I don't know who they are they're not named anywhere but I just hope that you guys take a second look listen to the voices of the black and brown folks who are speaking up about it and think again and just say no thank you thank you Ms.

Bryant

Gloria Beer.

And y'all need to check on this because we need more shelters for people.

Beard.

Well, make sure you think about it and pray about it because God, like I said before, God don't like ugly.

Do we have another person online?

Mayor Snook has seen no raised hands.

Being on the waiting list doesn't automatically make you part of the next eight, but that's fine.

That's about my people.

Okay, we have one more speaker, sir.

Thank you, Mr. Jones.

Next, over here, ma'am.

Hello.

Hello.

Hi.

Hi.

Thank you.

There you go.