Charlottesville Community Engagement

Brace yourselves now for another sonic edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement with audio versions of stories that have already gone out in this feed. These podcasts also appear in radio form on WTJU on Saturday morning at 6 a.m. but you can decide when you to listen the podcast. I'm Sean Tubbs, and I could decide to wait to produce it, but then everything would go stale.In this edition:* The executives in charge of Albemarle, Charlottesville, and the University of Virginia talk collaboration and innovation at the Tom Tom Festival (learn more)* City Council votes 3-1 to approve special use permit for commercial lodging at 401 Ridge Street (learn more)* Charlottesville City Council holds first reading on pass-through grant for police technology (learn more)* Charlottesville City Council also votes to approve a new lease for the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial Foundation for their memorial in McIntire Park (story not online yet)First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!There are a lot of stories each week that go out through this newsletter, but no one information outlet can put together the entire picture. That's why each regular edition ends with a section called Reading Material.Charlottesville is fortunate to have a media landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Now more than ever, journalism is needed. To be a citizen of a democracy, you must seek information from multiple sources. Consume only one and you are at risk of becoming a zombie!Second shout-out: Advertise on Information CharlottesvilleLong-time readers may know that most of the stories posted through this newsletter are also posted to Information Charlottesville. Sometimes the stories go there first! Both this newsletter and that website are part of the same information gathering operation, an operation I hope to continue to grow!There are multiple ways to contribute to Town Crier Productions.One new one is to place an advertisement on Information Charlottesville. I'm in the early days of experimenting with visual ways for organizations to get their message across to a growing audience. I've not yet put together a media kit, but I'm ready to offer a special for March. What's the special? More details in the audio version of the podcasts. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

If you have never heard the podcast edition of the newsletter before, how will you be able to tell if the words I am writing here are actually the words I'm saying to the hundreds of listeners? Don't you want to hear the way people in these stories sound? Wouldn't you like to see if the editors left in the many curse words that are uttered during production? Either way, there are both written and sonic versions of Charlottesville Community Engagement and one day there may be a version told entirely through pencil shavings.In this edition:* Charlottesville City Council grants appeal to allow Delta Zeta to demolish 144 Chancellor Street (learn more)* Virginia now requires localities in the same river basin to come up with a regional water supply plan to prepare for drought (learn more)* Council agrees to exercise eminent domain to purchase land for streetscape projects (learn more)* Residents call for Council to take action on speeding on Lankford and Deputy City Manager James Freas provides an update (learn more)* A look back at a presentation in January on the city's safe streets strategy (learn more)* Albemarle County's Board of Supervisors adopts a budget for FY2026 after another review of what is in it (podcast listeners get a first listen!)First-shout: Rivanna River Fest this SaturdayWe're up to that time of year when the Rivanna Conservation Alliance and their partners celebrate our community's main waterway - the Rivanna River!From 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. there will be all sorts of events at the Rivanna River Company on land now owned by the City of Charlottesville. There will be family-friendly activity tables, free tubing from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m (depending on water levels), and you can sign up for fly-fishing lessons with Orvis.* At 2:30 p.m. you can hear the “Story of Buck Island” from Philip Cobbs* At 3 p.m. the Rockfish Wild Sanctuary will present “Wild Neighbors”* At 3:30 p.m. Horace Scruggs will present the “African American History of the River”* At 4 p.m. there is a guided walk from Steve Gaines, the city's urban forester* At 5 p.m. there is performance from The Front Porch's Hometown Choir* There's a free concert from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. from Mighty JoshuaFor more information and details, visit the Rivanna Conservation Alliance website!Second shout out: When Driving Is Not An Option webinar on May 12A third of people living in the United States do not have a driver's license and must navigate a mobility system designed almost exclusively for drivers. Does it have to be that way?On Monday May 12th from 6:30 pm to -7:30 pm, Livable Cville will hold a conversation with Anna Zivarts, author of the excellent book When Driving Is Not An Option. Charlottesville City Councilor Natalie Oschrin will also make an appearance.When Driving is Not an Option shines a light on the reality for non-drivers and explains how improving our transportation system with nondrivers in mind will create a better quality of life for everyone. Zivarts is a low-vision mom, disability advocate, and non-driver. In this webinar, she'll explain how healthier, more climate-friendly communities can be the result of what happened when the needs of involuntary nondrivers are viewed as essential to how we design our transportation systems and our communities.Councilor Oschrin will share about how these ideas apply to the Charlottesville area. There will be an opportunity for Q&A at the end. You can sign up here for this free event. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Would anyone notice if the podcast version of Charlottesville Community Engagement were to be produced from Antarctica? What about Zaire? It is conceivable that this weekly audio edition of the newsletter could be put together just about anywhere as long as all of the equipment can be packed into a suitable bag. That's the case this time around. I'm Sean Tubbs, and I'm not sure where I am, either.In this edition:* Speakers at final budget public hearing ask Albemarle Supervisors to spend more on housing and climate action (learn more)* Republican Scott Smith launches campaign for Samuel Miller District seat on Albemarle Board (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors to hold public hearing on May 7 on Branchland precinct change (learn more)* Charlottesville City Schools selected to proceed with acquisition of Federal Executive Institute (learn more)* Charlottesville announces upcoming opportunity to provide feedback (learn more) Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out: Piedmont Master Gardeners Plant Sale coming up this SaturdayThe Piedmont Master Gardeners will hold their annual Spring Plant Sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at Albemarle Square Shopping Center in Charlottesville. The sale will offer thousands of annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, vegetables, fruit-bearing plants, herbs and houseplants, along with a wide assortment of gently used garden tools, yard ornaments, outdoor furniture and other “Green Elephants.”The sale's large selection of native plants will include curated combinations of native species that support pollinators and provide food and habitat for wildlife throughout the growing season. These collections will be available in two versions, one for sunny locations and another for shade. Shoppers will also be able to purchase bags of locally produced compost and pick up kits for sending soil samples to Virginia Cooperative Extension for testing.Trained Master Gardeners will be on hand to help shoppers with their plant selections and will staff a Help Desk for addressing plant questions. Display booths and information tables will provide research-based educational resources on a variety of topics, such as conservation landscaping, soil health, composting, pest management and controlling invasive plants.Second-shout out: When Driving Is Not An Option webinar on May 12A third of people living in the United States do not have a driver's license and must navigate a mobility system designed almost exclusively for drivers. Does it have to be that way?On Monday May 12th from 6:30 pm to -7:30 pm, Livable Cville will hold a conversation with Anna Zivarts, author of the book When Driving Is Not An Option. Charlottesville City Councilor Natalie Oschrin will also make an appearance.When Driving is Not an Option shines a light on the reality for non-drivers and explains how improving our transportation system with nondrivers in mind will create a better quality of life for everyone. Zivarts is a low-vision mom, disability advocate, and non-driver. In this webinar, she'llexplain how healthier, more climate-friendly communities can be the result of what happened when the needs of involuntary nondrivers are viewed as essential to how we design our transportation systems and our communities.Councilor Oschrin will share about how these ideas apply to the Charlottesville area. There will be an opportunity for Q&A at the end. You can sign up here for this free event. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Time again now to return to the imaginary airwaves with a podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Should these sonic versions also contain a historic fact in order to signify something that is otherwise irrelevant to the information you are about to receive? Do you need to know that on this day eighty years ago, the founding negotiations began for the United Nations at a conference in San Francisco? That's one of many things to know about April 25. I'm Sean Tubbs, and there is no quiz at the end.In this edition:* Charlottesville City Council briefed on current state of affordable housing (learn more)* Bids have come in over budget for a project to improve a busy intersection in Charlottesville (learn more)* Charlottesville seeks applicants for Board and Commissions (learn more)* The University of Virginia announces the winners of its 2025 Sustainability Awards (learn more)* The Albemarle County Planning Commission votes 4 to 3 to recommend filling in the floodplain to allow for an industrial building in the Woolen Mills (story forthcoming on C-Ville Weekly)* We go back to the archives for a January briefing on the Broadway Blueprint (learn more)* Fire ants have been found in Albemarle County and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services want you to report any mounds you see (learn more)First shout out: When Driving Is Not An Option webinar on May 12A third of people living in the United States do not have a driver's license and must navigate a mobility system designed almost exclusively for drivers. Does it have to be that way?On Monday May 12th from 6:30 pm to -7:30 pm, Livable Cville will hold a conversation with Anna Zivarts, author of the book When Driving Is Not An Option. Charlottesville City Councilor Natalie Oschrin will also make an appearance.When Driving is Not an Option shines a light on the reality for non-drivers and explains how improving our transportation system with nondrivers in mind will create a better quality of life for everyone. Zivarts is a low-vision mom, disability advocate, and non-driver. In this webinar, she'll explain how healthier, more climate-friendly communities can be the result of what happened when the needs of involuntary nondrivers are viewed as essential to how we design our transportation systems and our communities.Councilor Oschrin will share about how these ideas apply to the Charlottesville area. There will be an opportunity for Q&A at the end. You can sign up here for this free event.Second shout-out: Second-shout out: Cville Village?Can you drive a neighbor to a doctor's appointment? Change an overhead lightbulb, plant a flower, walk a dog for someone who is sick, visit someone who is lonely? If so, Cville Village needs you!Cville Village is a local 501c3 nonprofit organization loosely affiliated with a national network of Villages whose goals are to help seniors stay in their own homes as long as possible, and to build connections among them that diminish social isolation. Volunteers do small chores for, and have gatherings of, professors and schoolteachers, nurses and lawyers, aides and housekeepers. Time and chance come to all – a fall, an order not to drive, failing eyesight, a sudden stroke. They assist folks continue living at home, with a little help from their friends.Cville Village volunteers consult software that shows them who has requested a service and where they are located. Volunteers accept only the requests that fit their schedule and their skills.Volunteering for Cville Village will expand your circle of friends and shower you with thanks.To learn more, visit cvillevillage.org or attend one of their monthly Village “meet-ups” and see for yourself. To find out where and when the next meetup is, or to get more information and a volunteer application, email us at info@cvillevillage.org, or call us at (434) 218-3727. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

CCE-850ALast week I asked listeners of the podcast to let me know if they were tuning in, and sure enough, several of you did reach out! So, perhaps this Friday edition of the newsletter going out as a podcast will continue. Today's edition doesn't have any new information but instead is an audio summary of some of what has been going on with voices from some of the decision-makers.I'm Sean Tubbs, and this one's a bit of a puzzle to put together. In the print edition below you'll see new versions of a couple of the stories as I had to develop a new script. I have not included the images, but these podcasts will now have normal shout-outs. No more house ads!Two stories in this edition, both about Charlottesville's budget for FY2026:* City Council makes last minute decisions at final work session before tonight's vote on $265M budget* Council adopts $265.2 million budget after another conversation about transit fundingFirst shout-out: Plant Virginia NativesSpring is here and there's still time to plan for upgrades to your outdoors. You can take some time to get ready for spring! Check out Plant Virginia Natives!Plant Virginia Natives is part of a partnership with ten regional campaigns for ten different ecosystems across Virginia, from the Northern Piedmont to the Eastern Shore. Take a look at the full map below for the campaign for native species where you are in the Commonwealth. For the Charlottesville area, download a free copy of the handbook: Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens.Plant Northern Piedmont Natives is for anyone who works with native plants, whether you are a property owner, private consultant, landscape designer, nursery operator, conservation group, or local government.(image)A summary of the April 10, 2025 Charlottesville City Council budget work sessionOne of the challenges of doing a podcast version at the end of a week is that I may have to rearrange two previous stories in order for the audio edition to make sense. That's the case this week with Charlottesville City Council's adoption of a $265.2 million budget for fiscal year 2026. That happened on April 14 at a special meeting.But before we get to that, we have to go back to the work session held on April 10.In Charlottesville, the budget process never really stops. In fact, it keeps on going up to the last minute of adoption. New items were added at the work session that had not previously come up.At the beginning of the April 10 work session, they learned about additional spending that can happen because new funding has been found since the beginning of the budget process in March.“We do have supplemental revenue over and above the proposed budget of $774,263,” said Krisy Hammill, the city's budget director.The driver of that change was an additional $700,000 increase in Business and Professional Licenses that had not been factored in.There were many numbers thrown around during the final work session. Before Council signed off on how to spend that money, City Manager Sam Sanders went through how $915,620 in “Council Discretionary Funds” would be spent to leave a balance of $440,406 to spend.“Kind of thinking that with all the volatility that we have in DC, there could very easily be a series of moments that come up and that this would give you the flexibility to make some decisions and how we could support gaps in what could happen based on decisions and how it actually lands in the community,” Sanders said.Staff codified a list of what Council had already decided to spend over the course of four budget work sessions.* $250,000 to the Blue Ridge Coalition for the Homeless to cover the costs of a federal grant not obtained because there was an error related to a recent leadership transition.* $162,000 to the Piedmont Housing Alliance to pay for the cost of staff who work on eviction prevention.* $50,000 in cash to the Piedmont Housing Alliance related to eviction prevention.* An additional $43,150 to the Boys and Girls Club for a total of $116,000 in the FY26 budget.* An additional $28,800 to Lighthouse Studios to fund two programs for a total funding of $40,000 in the FY26 budget.* An additional $6,000 to Loaves and Fishes to bring their total funding to $50,000 for FY26.* An additional $1,200 to Piedmont CASA for a total of $10,000.* An additional $6,600 to Live Arts for a total of $16,000.* An additional $7,100 to Legal Aid Justice Center for a total of $40,000* An additional $1,500 to SARA for a total of $25,000.* A total of $104,261 in capital improvement program funds will be redirected to the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial. Read this story for more information.At the meeting, Hammill handed out a spreadsheet that provided more details about other programs that were added to the list such as an annual payment to the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. This was initially left out of the budget because the organization did not fill out an application through a portal called Zoom Grants.The payment to the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center was $228,993 in FY2024 and $246,993 in FY2025. The organization is considered fundamental which means it no longer has to compete for funding through the Vibrant Community Fund process . The payment for FY2026 will be $228,200.“By not submitting through Zoom Grants, they didn't appear on the list, but they didn't know that they had to still submit through Zoom Grants,” Sanders said. “So we have some course corrections that we need to do there and making sure that everyone understands what they have to do still, even though they're in a non competitive round.”Sanders said there was a similar error with the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. That government body is considered “fundamental” but also sought additional funding.“We have to have a conversation with them about their pursuits of funding going forward to your point they could be here and in the competitive rounds,” Sanders said. “I don't particularly care for that. I think that makes it double dipping.”Sanders said Deputy City Manager James Freas and the Office of Community Solutions are currently performing an audit of CRHA as a way of building a better working relationship.City Councilor Michael Payne, a member of the CRHA Board, called for a joint work session to plan for the likelihood of reduced federal funding for public housing units.At one point in the conversation, Council initially signaled a willingness to add an additional $16,000 to the United Way for their Prosper program. Deputy City Manager Ashley Marshall made a pitch for the program at the April 10 meeting. The program had previously been called the Financial Resiliency Task Force.Another last minute item is $30,000 for the Tonsler League headed by former City Councilor and current CRHA Chair Wes Bellamy. The organization had expected that the City of Charlottesville would have received an additional $250,000 from the state government for operations, but Governor Glenn Youngkin recently vetoed that from the budget.“He received a $250,000 grant for this current year that ends in June,” Sanders said. “I am planning to check with him to see if. If he will expend all of that and avoid the risk of having to send anything back.”Council supported giving the Tonsler League $30,000.At half an hour into the final budget work session held three days after the final public hearing, Sanders asked Council if there was any other item they might want to fund and gave them the current balance.“The question that we are really posing at this point is, is there anything else that you all have been pondering?” Sanders asked. “Because we try to remind you that this is the end of the road and we are truly down to $394,000 that today, right now at this moment, is your Council Strategic Initiatives Fund.”That prompted Councilor Lloyd Snook to express a concern.“So we haven't even gotten to the fiscal year and we've already cut it down?” Snook asked.“That's correct,” Sanders said.Snook said he felt the process was not appropriate.“I find myself trying to figure out what possible process we're advancing here,” Snook said. “And the answer is it's still back to whatever anybody throws up against the wall at Council at the last minute. I just think that's a terrible way to do business.”Sanders said he understood Snook's concern.“I understand and appreciate the last minute nature of it and I'm not a fan of always doing that and I think in these, this, these two moments specifically, we can identify a way to bring you critical information so that you can have that presented to you and then you can make that determination on if you believe the item is ready to go forward,” Sanders said, adding that both Marshall and Bellamy could appear before Council to formally make a pitch.There were at least three Councilors who supported funding for Tonsler, but not yet for the Prosper Program.There was also a long discussion about increasing the number of transit drivers to 82 in order to restore service to pre-pandemic levels. This comment from Sanders finishes off that discussion and sets up a conversation for the future.“I think what I heard was that you are not going to attempt to unpack the budget at this late stage and find a way to make 82 drivers a reality,” Sanders said. “But what you are indicating is that you support the desire for added drivers and that you're looking to have us revisit that with you at some point in the future later in 2025 for the possible consideration of the use of one time funds for the bridge that would be required to get us to the next budget where we will realize the true cost.”Sanders also said he still wants to hold on to the $22.4 million surplus from FY2024 in case federal programs are cut.“The conversations that are being had in regards to SNAP and Medicaid are real in that they're big,” Sanders said. “And if those cuts were to occur, we will see a number of our constituency impacted directly by that.”Sanders said that while the city is blessed to have a large surplus, it will go very quickly if the local government picks up what had been a federal program.Tonight's meeting to adopt is not the end of the process. Because of a second advertising error, Council still has to hold a public hearing on the tax rates and that will take place at the next regular meeting on April 21. By law, Council cannot adopt those tax rates at that meeting and must wait at least three days. A second special meeting will be held on April 24.I had hoped to tell you more about the next three items by going back to the audio, but I've got to get to the next set of stories:* Sanders had an update on a potential low-barrier shelter. The General Assembly's version of the budget had $1.5 million going to the City of Charlottesville for this purpose, and Youngkin cut this in half. The budget has not yet been finalized and Sanders said Senator Creigh Deeds is still trying to make the case to restore the funding.* Sanders said he believes the city would need to provide operating funds to any grocery that sets up at 501 Cherry Avenue.* There is still a possibility that the city might provide funding for UVA's affordable housing project at 10th and Wertland. They will be asked to submit a request as part of the next funding cycle this fall.Second shout-out: Piedmont Master Gardeners seek items for Green Elephant SaleIf you are cleaning out your garage or basement this winter and have garden implements or yard ornaments you no longer need, the Piedmont Master Gardeners will take them off your handsThe Piedmont Master Gardeners are seeking donations of new and used garden tools, hoses, decorative items, outdoor furniture, and virtually anything else that can be used to maintain or enjoy a home landscape. From February 1 through April 30, these "Green Elephant" donations may be dropped off at 402 Albemarle Square between 10 a.m. and noon on Wednesdays or Saturdays. The Master Gardeners are not able to accept plastic pots or opened chemicals.The Green Elephants will be offered for sale to the public during PMG's Spring Plant Sale, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at Albemarle Square Shopping Center. Proceeds will support the many free and low-cost horticulture education programs the Piedmont Master Gardeners offer to the community.To arrange a pickup of large items or for more information, contact the Piedmont Master Gardeners at greenelephant@piedmontmastergardeners.org.(image)Council adopts $265.2 million budget after another conversation about transit fundingCharlottesville City Council adopted a $265.2 million budget for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 at a special meeting on April 14 but not before another review and summary from City Manager Sam Sanders. He had introduced a $264,474,183 budget on March 4.“Things have changed a little bit, as it always does, from the proposed date to your adoption date,” Sander saidThere have been five budget work sessions and two public hearings on the document itself, but yet to come is a public hearing on the tax rates for 2025.“What I'll point out to you just in basic highlights, is that the revenue expenditure at this time has now risen to $265,248,446,” Sanders said.The tax rates have not changed for 2025, but another year of growth in assessments has resulted in more revenue. The assessor's office reported an average of a 7.74 percent increase in late January.One spending change in the budget is an additional $600,000 for Charlottesville Area Transit which partially came out of a push for local advocates.“We added a transit mechanic to help with operations,” Sanders said. “We are also maintaining fare free service across the system and absorbing the absence of the flexible federal funds because those funds are now not available to us as they have been.”Other highlights:* There's $5.4 million over the next five years for sidewalk repair and construction* There's $12.7 million in spending on affordable housing initiatives in FY26* The FY26 budget is the first to apply to a fourth collective bargaining unitCity Councilor Michael Payne asked about the status of a $22.4 million surplus from FY2024. Sanders made the decision to keep the amount in reserve and Council has so far agreed. The idea is to keep the money available while a new era for the federal government continues to settle in. He also said he has been meeting with nonprofit groups who have been making presentations on funding they have lost from the federal government.“So they are first trying to recoup what they've spent and hope that they might actually get some continuation,” Sanders said. “So that is beginning to build. We're beginning to see that finally the city organization itself has not incurred a loss. But we still continue to monitor just believing that it's just a matter of time. It's not a matter of if, it is actually a matter of when.”A generally-held practice in municipal budgeting is to not use one-time money such as surpluses to hire staffing.“Something like staffing is not ideal because we can't guarantee that funding to occur year to year,” said City Councilor Natalie Oschrin.The conversation went back to transit. The City of Charlottesville owns Charlottesville Area Transit and has full control of its operations. Albemarle County and Charlottesville have entered into an entity called the Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority but so far that is entirely about planning for transit operations.Albemarle Supervisors vote to join Regional Transit Authority, December 15, 2024Charlottesville joins regional transit authority; Council holds first reading on federal transit allocations, December 28, 2024Charlottesville Area Transit has no independent board of directors which makes Council the sole authority over its operations. There had once been an advisory body made up of citizens but that was eliminated sometime during the pandemic.An advocacy group called IMPACT made up of various churches has been pressuring Albemarle and Charlottesville to increase the amount they spent on transit to hire additional drivers. Their specific number has been 82, a number believed to enable Charlottesville Area Transit to increase service.“The solution to long wait times is very straightforward: we need more bus drivers,” reads their website. “Right now, Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) has budgeted 67 drivers. Getting to wait times of half an hour will require at least 80.”In Virginia, cities and counties are completely independent of each other. There are regional services such as that provided by the Rivanna Water and Service Authority, but localities have to adopt budgets independently.IMPACT's public event was held on April 8, over a month into the budget process for Charlottesville and about six weeks after Albemarle County Executive Jeffrey Richardson introduced that locality's budget.At their work session on April 10, City Council indicated they wanted to support IMPACT's request but the timing is not right for the existing budget. They agreed to hold conversations about how to get there shortly after the budget is adopted.Vice Mayor Brian Pinkston and Charlottesville City Council were the two members of Council who went to hear from IMPACT at what they call the Nehemiah Action.“The commitment that the two of us made was to try to get something for this coming the fiscal year that we're working on now, which means some sort of amendment or whatever,” said City Councilor Brian Pinkston.Several members of the group were in attendance at the meeting and Pinkston addressed them directly from the dais and encouraged them to get involved earlier in the budget process.“I want people to know that this is not the end,” Pinkston said. “We heard you last week, we're working on it. And what you're hearing now is the sort of public outworking of the conversations that need to happen.”For over four years of reporting on transit issues, take a look at this tab on Information Charlottesville.Council adopted the budget after a final explanation of last minute changes such as $30,000 for the Tonsler League to help keep it going after Governor Youngkin vetoed an anticipated $250,000 from Virginia's budget.Council will hold a public hearing on the tax rate for 2025 on April 21 and then will hold a special meeting on April 24.Postscript for #850AToday's edition was intended to have additional audio but I ran out of time. Also the podcast edition can be less than half an hour long. The version that airs on WTJU has to be at least 29 minutes long. There was no radio version last week so I'm going to put another story or two in that version from #846-A. Behind the scenes I have quite a bit of organization that allows me to seemingly produce more content than entities with budgets that are much larger than mine. One day there will be more of everything. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

The regular cycle for Charlottesville Community Engagement begins and ends with a sonic version that collects stories from the past week and presents them in audible form. The information gathering for this newsletter mostly takes place by recording audio of government meetings in the Thomas Jefferson Planning District. As I write each story, I clip out the audio the way I might have done if I had continued to pursue a career in public radio. There is a satisfaction to be able to share this with anyone who might want to hear.In this edition of the program:* Local primary races set for City Council, Jack Jouett seat on Albemarle Board* Albemarle Architectural Review Board reviews draft actions for Comprehensive Plan* Albemarle Supervisors skeptical of proposal to use dedicated housing fund proceeds as debt service* Albemarle Supervisors vote to add another $1 million to affordable housing fund, $200,000 to emergency fund in FY2026 budget* Deputy City Manager Ratliff provides update on Charlottesville's strategic plan* Former City Council appeals to Council to move forward with improvements to support Dogwood MemorialCharlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out: Piedmont Master Gardeners seek items for Green Elephant SaleIf you are cleaning out your garage or basement this winter and have garden implements or yard ornaments you no longer need, the Piedmont Master Gardeners will take them off your handsThe Piedmont Master Gardeners are seeking donations of new and used garden tools, hoses, decorative items, outdoor furniture, and virtually anything else that can be used to maintain or enjoy a home landscape. From February 1 through April 30, these "Green Elephant" donations may be dropped off at 402 Albemarle Square between 10 a.m. and noon on Wednesdays or Saturdays. The Master Gardeners are not able to accept plastic pots or opened chemicals.The Green Elephants will be offered for sale to the public during PMG's Spring Plant Sale, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at Albemarle Square Shopping Center. Proceeds will support the many free and low-cost horticulture education programs the Piedmont Master Gardeners offer to the community.To arrange a pickup of large items or for more information, contact the Piedmont Master Gardeners at greenelephant@piedmontmastergardeners.org.The weekly look at the spreadsheetSecond-shout out: Charlottesville Area Tree StewardsThe next shout-out is one I'm very interested in. There is now a big school behind my house and I'd like to plant some trees to screen my property. I really have no idea how to do such a thing, but you can bet where I'll be the morning of April 12, 2025!That's when the Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards will be holding their annual tree sale at the Virginia Department of Forestry at 900 Natural Resources Drive in Charlottesville. The group has their own tree nursery, entirely run by volunteers. They plant saplings obtained from multiple sources and nurture them until they are large enough to be planted out. They concentrate on native trees, some of which are hard to find from commercial sources.They don't have a list yet, but stay tuned to this space for details. But, this is a good day to get that on your calendar! Click here for more details! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

If you read yesterday's edition of the Charlottesville Community Engagement newsletter and really liked it, why not take a listen to today's? For some reason, Fridays are for audio production for both a podcast version and a version that will air on WTJU tomorrow at 6 a.m. I'm Sean Tubbs and what you're about to hear are several stories that all come from the April 2 meeting of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors. This is another experiment in providing you with the tools to better know your community.In today's installment:* There are three budget town halls left in Albemarle County before public hearings begin later this month (learn more)* A nonprofit that raises funds for the Shenandoah National Park is sharing information about how federal cuts are affecting operations (learn more)* There's a relatively new art gallery in Scottsville (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors recognize Dark Sky Week coming up April 21 through April 28 (learn more)* April is Financial Literacy Month (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors continue to discuss growth as part of the long and winding road that is the county's Comprehensive Plan review (learn more)* The show wraps up with an update from the Virginia Department of Transportation (this is not the story but it is close enough)Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!There are a lot of stories each week that go out through this newsletter, but no one information outlet can put together the entire picture. That's why each regular edition ends with a section called Reading Material.Charlottesville is fortunate to have a media landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Now more than ever, journalism is needed. To be a citizen of a democracy, you must seek information from multiple sources. Consume only one and you are at risk of becoming a zombie!Second shout-out: Advertise on Information CharlottesvilleLong-time readers may know that most of the stories posted through this newsletter are also posted to Information Charlottesville. Sometimes the stories go there first! Both this newsletter and that website are part of the same information gathering operation, an operation I hope to continue to grow!There are multiple ways to contribute to Town Crier Productions.One new one is to place an advertisement on Information Charlottesville. I'm in the early days of experimenting with visual ways for organizations to get their message across to a growing audience. I've not yet put together a media kit, but I'm ready to offer a special for March. What's the special? More details in the audio version of the podcasts.Advertising on Information Charlottesville could be a great way to keep my business going while also growing yours. I think there are new ways to do advertising, but I don't know what they are until I'm allowed to continue testing. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In the early days of Charlottesville Community Engagement, each edition was a newsletter as well as a podcast. In early 2024, this tradition was severed so I could make sure I could get a radio version on WTJU for Saturday morning 6 a.m. That's the case with this March 28, 2025 edition which is being produced in an odd week with slightly less productivity due to seasonal allergies. I'm Sean Tubbs and next week may see further experimentation.* Albemarle Supervisors briefed on climate funding, pay increases, and future direction for FY2027 (learn more)* EPA climate resilience grant for community nonprofits rescinded (learn more)* Supervisors also learn about the county's plans to add $4.2 million to a housing fund as well as a potential pause in federal housing vouchers (written story out tomorrow)* Charlottesville City Council holds first reading of allocations for affordable housing projects (learn more)* City Council enters into new agreement with CRHA for Sixth Street redevelopment (learn more)* Solar panels atop Ivy Landfill move closer to reality (Read this story on C-Ville Weekly)* Local projects left out of recent Continuing Resolution for federal budget (learn more)First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!There are a lot of stories each week that go out through this newsletter, but no one information outlet can put together the entire picture. That's why each regular edition ends with a section called Reading Material.Charlottesville is fortunate to have a media landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Now more than ever, journalism is needed. To be a citizen of a democracy, you must seek information from multiple sources. Consume only one and you are at risk of becoming a zombie!Second shout-out: Advertise on Information CharlottesvilleLong-time readers may know that most of the stories posted through this newsletter are also posted to Information Charlottesville. Sometimes the stories go there first! Both this newsletter and that website are part of the same information gathering operation, an operation I hope to continue to grow!There are multiple ways to contribute to Town Crier Productions.One new one is to place an advertisement on Information Charlottesville. I'm in the early days of experimenting with visual ways for organizations to get their message across to a growing audience. I've not yet put together a media kit, but I'm ready to offer a special for March. What's the special? More details in the audio version of the podcasts.Advertising on Information Charlottesville could be a great way to keep my business going while also growing yours. I think there are new ways to do advertising, but I don't know what they are until I'm allowed to continue testing. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

A main purpose of this newsletter is to write about what's happening with local government. Everyone in the United States of America lives within some sort of locality, either a city or a county. This newsletter is sometimes a podcast as is this case with this edition which provides potential listeners with stories about the budget formation in Albemarle County and Charlottesville.Your budget. You are part of your local budget. And if you are a resident of either jurisdiction aforementioned, you can take a listen now to the early part of a development process that is still going on. I'm Sean Tubbs, and I encourage you to go ahead and hit play for this bit of the historical record.A very nice plug on Reddit last night has resulted in hundreds of new subscribers. Welcome! Everything in today's audio edition has already been posted in the newsletter. On Friday I put together the audio version for this podcast and for a radio version that airs on WTJU 91.1 FM at 6 a.m. on Saturdays. My first professional gig was an intern for WVTF Public Radio in Roanoke back in 1995. This is a throwback to that and provides me a chance to reset for the next set of stories.In this edition:* Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders presents City Council with FY26 budget based on no new taxes (learn more)* Many people weigh in on Albemarle's recommended budget at first public hearing (learn more)* An account of Albemarle County's first work session on the FY2026 budget (learn more)* Albemarle budget staff provide broad overview of where $480.5 million in spending will go in FY26 (learn more)* Albemarle's police chief and fire chief explain why they need additional funds (learn more)First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!There are a lot of stories each week that go out through this newsletter, but no one information outlet can put together the entire picture. That's why each regular edition ends with a section called Reading Material.Charlottesville is fortunate to have a media landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Now more than ever, journalism is needed. To be a citizen of a democracy, you must seek information from multiple sources. Consume only one and you are at risk of becoming a zombie!Second shout-out: Advertise on Information CharlottesvilleLong-time readers may know that most of the stories posted through this newsletter are also posted to Information Charlottesville. Sometimes the stories go there first! Both this newsletter and that website are part of the same information gathering operation, an operation I hope to continue to grow!There are multiple ways to contribute to Town Crier Productions.One new one is to place an advertisement on Information Charlottesville. I'm in the early days of experimenting with visual ways for organizations to get their message across to a growing audience. I've not yet put together a media kit, but I'm ready to offer a special for March. What's the special? More details in the audio version of the podcasts.Advertising on Information Charlottesville could be a great way to keep my business going while also growing yours. I think there are new ways to do advertising, but I don't know what they are until I'm allowed to continue testing. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Perhaps there is something irrational about one person attempting to write as many stories as possible about a meeting of a public institution's governing body. But that is the basic frame of this Pi Day edition of the Charlottesville Community Engagement podcast. I'm Sean Tubbs, and this week I've put a premium on going through several hours of the University of Virginia's Board of Visitors meeting to hear one specific incident. I didn't get there yet, but what follows is the perhaps most thorough town coverage of gown goings-on.In this edition:* UVA continues to meet fundraising goals (learn more)* Ellis continues to vote against any capital spending at UVA (learn more)* University of Virginia planning to phase out coal plant (learn more)* The chair of the Buildings and Grounds Committee continues to express concern about scope of proposed Center for the Arts (learn more)* UVA projects increase in graduate student enrollment through 2031 while undergraduate population will remain flat (learn more)* UVA Finance Committee endorses transfer of Virginia Guesthouse, expansion of mail pharmacy (learn more)* UVA Finance Committee briefed on need for data center (learn more)* Funding to construct UVA Center for the Arts included in General Assembly's version of the budget (learn more)First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!There are a lot of stories each week that go out through this newsletter, but no one information outlet can put together the entire picture. That's why each regular edition ends with a section called Reading Material.Charlottesville is fortunate to have a media landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Now more than ever, journalism is needed. To be a citizen of a democracy, you must seek information from multiple sources. Consume only one and you are at risk of becoming a zombie!Second shout-out: Advertise on Information CharlottesvilleLong-time readers may know that most of the stories posted through this newsletter are also posted to Information Charlottesville. Sometimes the stories go there first! Both this newsletter and that website are part of the same information gathering operation, an operation I hope to continue to grow!There are multiple ways to contribute to Town Crier Productions.One new one is to place an advertisement on Information Charlottesville. I'm in the early days of experimenting with visual ways for organizations to get their message across to a growing audience. I've not yet put together a media kit, but I'm ready to offer a special for March. What's the special? More details in the audio version of the podcasts.Advertising on Information Charlottesville could be a great way to keep my business going while also growing yours. I think there are new ways to do advertising, but I don't know what they are until I'm allowed to continue testing. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

The river of time is not always predictable and neither is the frequency of podcast versions of Charlottesville Community Engagement. The last one was on a Friday. Before that they were on Saturdays. For a brief time, Mondays. This is Thursday, a day of lament for Arthur Dent, but one in which Sean Tubbs feels it is important to get this out while some of the information is still fresh. Who is that? Well, I suppose it's me.In this edition:* Local federal transportation funding may be under review but has not been paused (learn more)* New technology to improve safety to be piloted at four Albemarle County intersections (learn more)* Councilors push back on proposal to replace trash stickers with monthly trash fee charge more for trash collection (learn more)* Congressman McGuire explains support for Trump and Elon Musk in telephone town hall (learn more)Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!There are a lot of stories each week that go out through this newsletter, but no one information outlet can put together the entire picture. That's why each regular edition ends with a section called Reading Material.Charlottesville is fortunate to have a media landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Now more than ever, journalism is needed. To be a citizen of a democracy, you must seek information from multiple sources. Consume only one and you are at risk of becoming a zombie!Second shout-out: Advertise on Information CharlottesvilleLong-time readers may know that most of the stories posted through this newsletter are also posted to Information Charlottesville. Sometimes the stories go there first! Both this newsletter and that website are part of the same information gathering operation, an operation I hope to continue to grow!There are multiple ways to contribute to Town Crier Productions.One new one is to place an advertisement on Information Charlottesville. I'm in the early days of experimenting with visual ways for organizations to get their message across to a growing audience. I've not yet put together a media kit, but I'm ready to offer a special for March. What's the special? More details in the audio version of the podcasts.Advertising on Information Charlottesville could be a great way to keep my business going while also growing yours. I think there are new ways to do advertising, but I don't know what they are until I'm allowed to continue testing. The below is one of the banners! You could have one of these for a low, low price. What's the price? Listen to this segment of the podcast! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Why not end the month with an audio collection of recent stories that have so far appeared in written form in the digital pages of Charlottesville Community Engagement? At least, that's what you'll do if you decide to hit the play button! And when you do, you can find out for certain if the words uttered by the narrator match the one in this written introduction! I am Sean Tubbs, and I am that narrator, and no grant obligations were satisfied with today's production.In this edition:* A summary of a recent meeting of an emergency House of Delegates committee examining the effect of massive cuts to the federal government (story #1) (story #2)* Albemarle Executive Jeffrey Richardson proposes a four cent real estate tax increase for the county's FY26 budget (learn more)* Fluvanna Administrator Dahl recommends Fluvanna budget for FY26 based on real property tax rate decrease (learn more)* Solar panels in place at First United Methodist Church in Charlottesville (learn more)Once a week there is a podcast! What will tomorrow bring? Sign up to find out. First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!There are a lot of stories each week that go out through this newsletter, but no one information outlet can put together the entire picture. That's why each regular edition ends with a section called Reading Material.Charlottesville is fortunate to have a media that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Second shout-out: Advertise on Information CharlottesvilleLong-time readers may know that most of the stories posted through this newsletter are also posted to Information Charlottesville. Sometimes the stories go there first! Both this newsletter and that website are part of the same information gathering operation, an operation I hope to continue to grow!There are multiple ways to contribute to Town Crier Productions.One new one is to place an advertisement on Information Charlottesville. I'm in the early days of experimenting with visual ways for organizations to get their message across to a growing audience. I've not yet put together a media kit, but I'm ready to offer a special for March. What's the special? More details in the audio version of the podcasts.Advertising on Information Charlottesville could be a great way for you to help keep my business going while also growing yours. I think there are new ways to do advertising, but I don't know what they are until I'm allowed to continue testing. Below is one such test, and I fully acknowledge it is ridiculous. Listen to the podcast to find out the deal! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

When written in numbers, today's full date has four twos, a zero, and a five. Put them all together in the right way and it's February 22, 2025, and I will not play a similar puzzle with the name of the show which begins with two C-words and an E. I'm Sean Tubbs, the producer of Charlottesville Community Engagement which is made up of the audio versions of stories about local and regional government in the Central Virginia listening area. Let's get to it.Today's audio versions of stories already published in written form:* A round-up of the landscape of local elections as the spring comes closer* Charlottesville School Superintendent Gurley presents budget request to City Council (learn more)* A look at the City of Charlottesville's finances before the next budget comes out (learn more)* Two members of City Council pay tribute to the late Charlottesville Mayor Satyendra Huja (learn more)* The Buildings and Grounds Committee of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors endorses the design for new student residences planned for the intersection of Ivy Road and Copeley Road (learn more)* The University of Virginia's Board of Visitors has the first of two emergency meetings to discuss the future of gender-affirming care at the UVA Health System (learn more)Every so often there's a podcast version which may also have something worth reading in the text. It's up to you to decide. First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's first shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Show notes for 817A: Why this one and not another one?In this particular edition of the newsletter that carries the podcast, a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how things get made. For the past year now, audio production has shifted as I began doing a radio version for WTJU. The show airs at 6 a.m. so the audience may be low, but I'm grateful to have a regular place in the airwaves.This week was another where I didn't have a lot of audio because most of the stories this week were ones that didn't originate from a meeting. Take a look at the table below the second shout-out to see what I've been up for the past two weeks. By the time I get to Saturday morning, I'm ready to get to the new set of stories.I spent Friday putting together the audio versions, a process that takes a lot longer than it used to because the audio can't be terrible. It could be terrible when this was just a podcast. On Friday morning I wasn't sure how I was going to pull off putting together a 29 minute piece, but somehow it happened.One of the ideas was to take two of the Election 2025 stories and put them together as the show's opener. I almost never read new copy for WTJU but this time it made sense to eat up time in the show by giving listeners a little more information.I also added about a minute to the piece on members of City Council paying tribute to the late Satyendra Huja by including a clip from his 2007 interview with Charlottesville Tomorrow. I was able to grab that from his cvillepedia entry and imagine my surprise when I heard my voice as the interviewer! I forgot I had done that.In any case, that's this set of stories. I'm going to leave the text for the script for the election round-up.Election round-up: Information on Jack Jouett District race in Albemarle and Charlottesville School BoardThere are 254 days until the general election on November 4. Virginians will go to the polls to elect a new Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. They'll also select a member of the House of Delegates as all 100 seats are up.There are also local elections across the area.For the first time in six years, there will be a contested race for the Democratic nomination for a seat on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors.In January, Supervisor Diantha McKeel announced she would not seek re-election to another term for the seat she has held since 2015. Two candidates have expressed interest in replacing her as the Democrat on the ballot for the Jack Jouett District.Sally Duncan of Earlysville, a history teacher, has filed paperwork with the Virginia Department of Elections to run as a Democrat for the seat.Earlier this month, historian David Shreve told members of the Albemarle Democratic Party that he would also be seeking the nomination.The two as well any other candidates who emerge will be on the ballot of the June 17, 2025 Democratic Primary unless the local party decides to pick another nomination process.Duncan received an undergraduate degree in American Studies from the University of Virginia in 2020 and earned a graduate degree in Religious Studies in 2023. She's currently a high school history teacher and has a total of five children.Duncan will formally announce her candidacy at the County Office Building on February 25 at 11 a.m.Shreve has served as a member of the Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee as well as the Albemarle County Economic Development Authority. He has also served as co-chair of the Jack Jouett District Albemarle Democratic Party Committee. Shreve has also been involved with several non-profit groups including a board member at the group Advocates for a Sustainable Albemarle Population.In his professional capacity, Shreve has worked for the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia and spent one year working for the National Governors Association. He recently started a job as a senior economist for the Center for the Advancement of a Steady State Economy.This year in Albemarle, both Rio District Supervisor Ned Gallaway and Samuel Miller District Supervisor Jim Andrews are up for election. Neither has yet revealed their plans.There will also be a contested race for the Charlottesville City School Board. Last time around there were four seats open, and four candidates emerged. This time the seats held by Emily Dooley, Lisa Torres, and Dom Morse are all up for election.Both Dooley and Torres have stated they will seek reelection. So far, I've not heard from Morse but both Dashad Cooper and Zyahna Bryant have filed their paperwork to run for the seats.More in the future.Learn more:* Two Democrats have announced for Jack Jouett seat on Albemarle Board of Supervisors* Zyahna Bryant enters the race for Charlottesville School BoardSecond shout-out: Town Crier ProductionsI created Town Crier Productions in the summer of 2020 as a way of getting back to the business of journalism. Whether you are listening or reading this newsletter, it's part of a venture based on a pretty simple idea: I will continue to spend my time researching and reporting and will provide ways for people who want to pay for the material to be produced!In 2025 I'm seeking ways to solidify the business, and here are some ways you can support the work.* Sign up for a paid subscription through Substack. There is not much premium content because my primary aim is to get information out to as many people as possible. I'm long overdue on December 2024 transactions, for instance, and that's what I'll do as soon as this is posted!* Contribute through Patreon. A major goal this year is to replace this with a way to make a tax-deductible donation, but that's not set up yet. If I had more time, I'd make more audio programs through Patreon. Maybe today I'll do something weird.* Send in a check made out to Town Crier Productions at PO Box 1754, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902. This will be used as a replacement for Substack.* Ask me about advertising opportunities! I am testing out advertising on Information Charlottesville and I'm enjoying the experiment. Reach out if you'd like to get in on an introductory deal!* Volunteer for cvillepedia, a great way to become a fact checker and to bolster your research skills! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

With the writing of this sentence, I advance my desire to be more familiar with Democracy in America. In the fourth decade of the 19th century, a French national named Alexis de Tocqueville wrote two volumes of an examination of the system of government in the relatively new United States of America. I have vague memories of reading it over thirty years ago in a political science class at Virginia Tech and I've been meaning to take a look back in order to get a fresh perspective of where we are on February 8, 2025.This is the audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement for that particular today and the I in this sentence is me, Sean Tubbs. I've made my career writing about municipal government, giving me a unique perspective into American government for the first three decades of the 21st century. If you decide to take a listen, you're about to hear the audio versions of recent stories.The following links go to Information Charlottesville, the companion website for this newsletter.* Charlottesville City Council briefed on Project Safe Neighborhoods (learn more)* Charlottesville Police Chief Kochis gives an update on FLOCK license plate readers (learn more)* Albemarle County Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council both acknowledge Black History Month (learn more)* Albemarle County appoints a new director of Facilities and Environmental Services (learn more)* Supervisor Pruitt sounds alarm on economic threat of federal cuts, executive orders (learn more)* Coalition wants Albemarle County to pay $10 million a year toward housing costs (learn more)Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's first shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Second shout-out:What you are reading or listening to at Charlottesville Community Engagement is part of a business-venture that's based on a pretty simple idea. I will spend my time researching and reporting and will provide ways for people who want to pay for the material to be produced!bI've been a journalist for a long while now, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Charlottesville Podcasting Network. While that website doesn't have new content, it's part of how I demonstrate my dedication to this community. In 2025 I'm seeking ways to solidify the business, and here are some ways you can support the work.* Sign up for a paid subscription through Substack. There is not much premium content because my primary aim is to get information out to as many people as possible.* Contribute through Patreon. A major goal this year is to replace this with a way to make a tax-deductible donation, but that's not set up yet. If I had more time, I'd make more audio programs through Patreon.* Send in a check made out to Town Crier Productions at PO Box 1754, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902. This will be used as a replacement for Substack.* Buy an ad on InfoCville.com! I do not have a rate sheet yet, but if you respond to this email with the promo code #experimental-ad I can do a really very low price until the end of February! How low? Send me the email! * Tell friends about the work and use the stories to start conversations. Post articles on social media, for instance. * Volunteer to design some logos because I'm very bad at graphics! Someone did the one for me a few years ago and I probably should give her credit. I'll reach out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

We have all arrived at February 1, 2025 and this is the time to conduct whatever rituals you have to welcome the new month. Perhaps that includes listening to this edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement, an audio version of a newsletter about local and regional government. I'm Sean Tubbs and the next 30 minutes will feature some recent stories:In this edition:* Charlottesville City Council is briefed on $22.4 million surplus for FY24 (learn more)* The new director of Neighborhood Development Services tells Council about her department's work plan (learn more)* The five elected officials are also introduced to the city's “Safer Streets Strategy” projects (learn more)* An infectious disease expert from the UVA Health System explains what's happening with bird flu (learn more)* The Charlottesville City Schools hold a work session on revenue assumptions for the next fiscal year, including an expectation sales tax revenues will decline (learn more)* Herrick appointed as Albemarle County Attorney (learn more )* Albemarle EDA briefed on Broadway Blueprint (learn more)First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's first shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Second shout-out: Help me keep this going!What you are reading or listening to at Charlottesville Community Engagement is part of a business-venture that's based on a pretty simple idea. I will spend my time researching and reporting and will provide ways for people who want to pay for the material to be produced!I've been a journalist for a long while now, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Charlottesville Podcasting Network. While that website doesn't have new content, it's part of how I demonstrate my dedication to this community. In 2025 I'm seeking ways to solidify the business, and here are some ways you can support the work.* Sign up for a paid subscription through Substack. There is not much premium content because my primary aim is to get information out to as many people as possible.* Contribute through Patreon. A major goal this year is to replace this with a way to make a tax-deductible donation, but that's not set up yet. If I had more time, I'd make more audio programs through Patreon.* Send in a check made out to Town Crier Productions at PO Box 1754, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902. This will be used as a replacement for Substack.* Ask me about advertising opportunities! Advertising is live now on Information Charlottesville and introductory prices are low! * Tell friends about the work!* Volunteer to design some logos because I'm very bad at graphics!* Keep paying attention to as much as you can! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

In an alternate universe, the print edition and the podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement would not have been separated. It is also possible that this is the alternative universe and we'll all just have to get used to it.Either way, the next print edition is listed as being the 800th installment whereas this latest compilation of audio stories is classified in the Town Crier Productions taxonomy as CCE-799A. Both are expected to be published on January 26, 2025 but this is the one that features audio trickery in the hopes of providing entertainment value.In this edition:* Public hearing held for Charlottesville's draft Capital Improvement Program (learn more)* Charlottesville City Council gets progress report on school construction (learn more)* Finishing touches underway on Charlottesville Parks and Recreation Master Plan (learn more)* Council waives rules to expedite vote on Human Rights Ordinance (learn more)* Andrew Herrick is appointed as Albemarle County Attorney (learn more) (need to produce)* Three Constitutional amendments pass Virginia Senate including the right to reproductive freedom (learn more)First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's first shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Second shout-out:What you are reading or listening to at Charlottesville Community Engagement is part of a business-venture that's based on a pretty simple idea. I will spend my time researching and reporting and will provide ways for people who want to pay for the material to be produced!bI've been a journalist for a long while now, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Charlottesville Podcasting Network. While that website doesn't have new content, it's part of how I demonstrate my dedication to this community. In 2025 I'm seeking ways to solidify the business, and here are some ways you can support the work.* Sign up for a paid subscription through Substack. There is not much premium content because my primary aim is to get information out to as many people as possible.* Contribute through Patreon. A major goal this year is to replace this with a way to make a tax-deductible donation, but that's not set up yet. If I had more time, I'd make more audio programs through Patreon.* Send in a check made out to Town Crier Productions at PO Box 1754, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902. This will be used as a replacement for Substack.* Ask me about advertising opportunities! Later this month, advertising will begin to appear on Information Charlottesville and I'm hoping it can have the same style as the shout-outs. Introductory pricing will be low!* Tell friends about the work!* Volunteer to design some logos because I'm very bad at graphics! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

At some point I said I would be getting podcasts out on Mondays, but last week's came out on a Tuesday. I could have easily followed suit and posted this one tomorrow, but that would take away from the time it will take to write the stories for the January 21, 2025 regular edition of the Charlottesville Community Engagement. This particular podcast includes several stories that aired last Saturday on WTJU as well as two stories that will air next Saturday. Is this madness? Is there a method? I'm Sean Tubbs, and I'm not even sure if I know anymore.In this edition:* Albemarle Supervisors recognize MLK Day and award proclamation to Riverview Farm (learn more)* Property assessments in Albemarle are up an average of 5.1 percent in 2025 (learn more)* Only one Albemarle project recommended for funding in Smart Scale's sixth round (learn more)* Fluvanna and Louisa both retain leadership slate for 2025 (learn more)* Nelson Supervisors select Reed for chair, Ligon as vice chair (learn more)* Catalano selected as Greene Supervisor chair for 2025 in divided vote (learn more)* Missel to remain chair of Albemarle Planning Commission (learn more)* Fluvanna Supervisors signal interest in pursuit of meals tax (learn more)* Albemarle residents ask for more scrutiny on the spread of sewage sludge in the county (learn more)All of the stories above have already been in the print version of the newsletter, but these are the audio versions! Sign up to get both. Pay, if you like!First-shout: Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on January 26 at Mount Zion First African Baptist ChurchMark your calendar for January 26 at 5 p.m. when the Mount Zion First African Baptist Church will host the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration. Since 1985, the Celebration has been held to honor people who have served the community starting with Drewary Brown who received the first award that year.Since then, the event has honored 35 other members of the Charlottesville area for their commitment to Dr. King's ideals. During its anniversary year, the program will honor 40 years of past award winners. With leaders from Piedmont Virginia Community College, UVA, local government, and the community, the group will look forward to the future!The program will feature musical selections from the MLK, Jr. Community Choir, a Children's Choir, and Youth and Young Adults Choir. Leaders from a variety of faith traditions will participate in the event, which will feature former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney.Prior to the program beginning at 5, a special musical and reading prelude will occur at 4 in the church. Parking for the event is at Mt Zion, 105 Lankford Ave.The current snapshot of the story spreadsheet:Second shout-out: Supporting the Keswick Heritage Fund's Love Better ProjectThe Keswick Heritage Fund is a partnership of several churches in Albemarle County that provides education support and opportunities for professional development. One of their outreach programs is the Love Better Project, which provides scholarships to Black students in the Keswick area. The fund was created soon after the inaugural scholarship was awarded in 2020.Grace Episcopal Church, Union Grove Baptist, Union Run Baptist, Zion Hill Baptist and St. John Church are united for growth through community partnership and education. To learn more about the fund, the scholarships, and the churches themselves, visit their website at keswickheritagefund.com. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

More than 30 years have now passed since I began work as an intern for WVTF Public Radio, beginning a professional career that has at times included the production of audio stories. When Town Crier Productions first began putting out the Charlottesville Quarantine Report in March 2020, I finally returned back to having a sonic element as part of my work routine.The first 650 editions of this newsletter were all podcasts as well, but I made a change last February that has meant there's only one of these a week. That's because I produce a version for WTJU that airs Saturdays at 6 a.m. The idea is to produce a podcast version too, but the holidays were particularly grueling.Today's edition is produced as a reminder that audio is an aspiration, and perhaps the first time many new subscribers realize this occasional benefit. Everything you hear has already been in print and you can find the written articles over on Information Charlottesville.In this edition: * Democrats retain control of the Virginia General Assembly after three special elections on January 7 (learn more)* The General Assembly convened briefly on January 8 and recessed until Monday due to Richmond water crisis (learn more)* Governor Glenn Youngkin delivered the State of the Commonwealth address when they got back to work (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors retain leadership for what is described as a challenging year (learn more)* A look at School Board races in Charlottesville so far (learn more)* Reids Super Save Market to close as Twice as Nice thrift store to purchase building (learn more)* Albemarle Planning Commissioners request different designations of for different kinds of rural land (learn more)* BAR members suggest changes to planned affordable housing building on Wertland Street (learn more)Sometimes there are podcast editions and this is one of them. Sign up to get them all! First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's first shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Second shout-out:What you are reading or listening to at Charlottesville Community Engagement is part of a business-venture that's based on a pretty simple idea. I will spend my time researching and reporting and will provide ways for people who want to pay for the material to be produced!bI've been a journalist for a long while now, and this year marks the 20th anniversary of the Charlottesville Podcasting Network. While that website doesn't have new content, it's part of how I demonstrate my dedication to this community. In 2025 I'm seeking ways to solidify the business, and here are some ways you can support the work.* Sign up for a paid subscription through Substack. There is not much premium content because my primary aim is to get information out to as many people as possible.* Contribute through Patreon. A major goal this year is to replace this with a way to make a tax-deductible donation, but that's not set up yet. If I had more time, I'd make more audio programs through Patreon.* Send in a check made out to Town Crier Productions at PO Box 1754, Charlottesville, Virginia, 22902. This will be used as a replacement for Substack.* Ask me about advertising opportunities! Later this month, advertising will begin to appear on Information Charlottesville and I'm hoping it can have the same style as the shout-outs. Introductory pricing will be low!* Tell friends about the work!* Volunteer to design some logos because I'm very bad at graphics! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

It's beginning to look a lot like a holiday break with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and festive fixtures in the Barclays Premiership. Until then, there's still some business to attend to such as a sonic recap of stories from last week in this podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. I'm Sean Tubbs, always interested in finding new ways to get the information out.On this penultimate edition for 2024:* Governor Glenn Youngkin recommends $1.1 billion fund to cover car tax credit as part of his suggested amendments to Virginia's budget (learn more)* Charlottesville City Council is briefed on increasing costs for public safety and transit (learn more)* Charlottesville Planning Commission seeks more funding for affordable housing, planning for schools (learn more* The City of Charlottesville has completed a section of sidewalk on Monticello Avenue (learn more)* Sanders addresses low-barrier shelter before Council approves $3 million for other Salvation Army project (learn more)* UVA's non-voting member of the city Planning Commission gives an update on capital projects for Charlottesville Planning Commission (learn more)* UVA Health Children's and Sentara Martha Jefferson have opened a new clinic for children behavioral and mental health (learn more)While most items in this newsletter feed are text-only, every so often there's an audio version. Sign up to get both! Consume what you can! First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's second shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Second shout-out: Cvillepedia!Cvillepedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this second shout-out today is to provide a little bit about what I know. I helped create the website back in the late 2000's as a way of keeping track of all of the stories being written for the nonprofit news organization I worked for at the time.Now Cvillepedia is hosted by the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library under the stewardship of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. There are over 6,500 articles and we need volunteers to help keep it up to date and to capture more of this community's history, present, and future.If you want to learn how to do research, learn how to explore historical documents, and want some experience writing, consider becoming a volunteer. As a little teaser, here's some of what's listed for December 23 throughout the years:Events* 1914 – Fire breaks out at Albemarle Hardware Company on East Main Street and takes seven hours to extinguish [1]* 2062 – A time capsule buried in 2012 will be unearthed to celebrate Charlottesville's 300th Anniversary.[2]Births* 1895 – Alfred Washington is born to Gus and Martha Washington in Charlottesville. A resident of Chestnut Grove and a farmhand, he was called up for service in World War I and had his portrait photograph included within the Holsinger Studio Collection.References* ↑ Web. Business Block Nearly Consumed, Staff Reports, Daily Progress Digitized Microfilm, Lindsay family, December 24, 1914, retrieved December 25, 2016 from University of Virginia Library. Print. December 24, 1914 page 1.* ↑ Web. Time capsule causes disappointment in Charlottesville in 2012, News Article, Daily Progress, May 27, 2017, retrieved May 24, 2024. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to a new era of the podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement with an experiment in sending these out on a Monday morning as opposed to a Saturday afternoon. I'm Sean Tubbs, the host and producer and employee-of-the-month at Town Crier Productions.The reality is that most people who experience this information do so by scanning words arranged into paragraphs which works out well because that means I can get more editions out faster.But many of the stories are produced by piecing together snippets of sound from meetings of local and regional government. Thirty years ago when I gained my first professional experience, this would be done by slicing bits of tape and assembling them together and recorded to a cartridge. The technology has morphed so many times since then, each of the audio versions you here harken back to days gone by.Enough of this introduction. Let's move on to the actual show going out on December 16, 2024.In this installment:* Charlottesville City Council briefed on upcoming spending on housing and infrastructure (learn more)* The UVA Finance Committee signs off on North Grounds Parking Garage, Ivy Road student housing (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors vote to join Regional Transit Authority (learn more)* Council briefed on status of negotiations with VEO for scooter/e-bike permit (learn more)* Rumble strips at Nelson County intersection subject of concern (learn more)* New NDS director previews departmental website for Charlottesville PC (learn more)Every so often there is a podcast edition that goes out in the main feed. This is that version. Sign up if you want all of it. First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's first shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Checking in on the spreadsheet that runs the information!Second shout-out: Cvillepedia!Cvillepedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this second shout-out today is to provide a little bit about what I know. I helped create the website back in the late 2000's as a way of keeping track of all of the stories being written for the nonprofit news organization I worked for at the time.Now Cvillepedia is hosted by the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library under the stewardship of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. There are over 6,500 articles and we need volunteers to help keep it up to date and to capture more of this community's history, present, and future.If you want to learn how to do research, learn how to explore historical documents, and want some experience writing, consider becoming a volunteer.As a little teaser, here's some of what's listed for December 16 throughout the years.Events: * 1937 – After repair and re-installation, the "Great Clock", termed “a masterpiece of backwoods ingenuity,” designed by Thomas Jefferson and built by Philadelphia clockmaker Peter Spruck in 1792, once again beat out the hours on the big bell in the dome at Monticello.* 1975 – Blenheim, a 19th century structure in Albemarle County, is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register.* 2004 – The historic Paramount Theater reopens after a $14 million restoration.* 2008 – Albemarle County Board of Supervisors hold a retreat at which they get a lesson on the development of the county's Comprehensive Plan. David Benish, the County's Chief Planner at the time, traced the evolution of the Comprehensive Plan. Benish said the County's growth management policy stems from the adoption of the first plan in 1971.[1] This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

And now we find ourselves on December 7, 2024 or at least that's where I find myself when I'm putting together the latest sonic edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. I'm Sean Tubbs, the only person currently working for Town Crier Productions unless you count two feline partners who occasionally make an appearance in the narrations but so far have not appeared in a recording. Is today the day? Listen for yourself!On this edition:* Quantitative Foundation gives another $20M to UVa for second building for School of Data Science (learn more)* Charlottesville Planning Commission gives more direction on capital improvement program (learn more)* The Charlottesville Redevelopment Housing Authority has a conversation on preventing evictions (learn more)* Commonwealth Transportation Board supports cancellation of two Charlottesville projects, formally cancels Emmet Street Phase Two (learn more)* Louisa's Board of Supervisors support that county's continued funding of Household Hazardous Waste Day (learn more)* More details on UVA's new urban area from the Buildings and Grounds Committee (learn more)Saturdays are for podcasts! The next edition will be the Week Ahead! Sign up to get all of the content! First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's second shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now, I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Second shout-out: Cvillepedia!Cvillepedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this second shout-out today is to provide a little bit about what I know. I helped create the website back in the late 2000's as a way of keeping track of all of the stories being written for the nonprofit news organization I worked for at the time.Now Cvillepedia is hosted by the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library under the stewardship of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. There are over 6,500 articles and we need volunteers to help keep it up to date and to capture more of this community's history, present, and future.If you want to learn how to do research, learn how to explore historical documents, and want some experience writing, consider becoming a volunteer. To give you a sense of one potential project, Frances Brand painted dozens and dozens of portraits of people in the Charlottesville area. Who were they? What can we learn about where we are now by documenting the stories of everyone from Ruth Klüger Angress to Jay Worrall?As a little teaser, here's some of what's listed for December 7 throughout the years.Events* 2020 – Charlottesville City Council approves the idea of exploring a Sister City Connection with Huehuetenango, Guatemala. [1]Births* 1754 – Jack Jouett is born.Deaths* 1932 – George R Ferguson Sr. dies in Charlottesville and is buried in the Sammons Family Cemetery. A physician and the father of George R Ferguson, his portrait photograph was prominently featured in the “Visions of Progress: Portraits of Dignity, Style and Racial Uplift” exhibit of Rufus W. Holsinger's photographs that was on display at the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library from 2022 to 2023.* 1941 – Harry H. Gaver becomes the first alumnus of the University of Virginia to die in World War II, meeting his end during the surprise Japanese military strike on Pearl Harbor. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

As promised four weeks ago, this is the fifth Saturday of November. Or at least, this podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement is being produced on November 30. Every week I write over two dozen stories but only some of them are converted into audio versions both for this feed and for WTJU-FM. Most of those stories also end up being added to Information Charlottesville, the archival companion to this Substack feed. I'm Sean Tubbs, and I put this together for many reasons but a love of audio production is at the top of the list.Here's what's in the edition for the final Saturday of this month:* Albemarle Supervisors briefed on potential revenue gap in five-year financial work session (learn more)* The UVA Foundation seeks firms to build 600 units of mixed-income housing at North Fork (learn more)* Albemarle Planning Commission recommends denial of a “public garage” in Keene (learn more)* Charlottesville's Board of Architectural Review wants a different design for a proposed hotel for 218 W. Market Street (learn more)* The director of the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority RSWA director briefs officials on some of the challenges facing the disposal industry including a dwindling amount of landfill space (learn more)* Charlottesville using ranked-choice voting to select name for holiday tree (learn more)First shout-out: Shout-outs on Town Crier Productions!When I went back to journalism in 2020, I started a Patreon account as one way to figure out how to pay my bills. For years I had the idea of producing something that sounded like a public radio show, and I decided to offer “shout-outs” to those who were in the $25 a month tier.That's why you read or hear brief spots for WTJU, the Rivanna Conservation Alliance, Plant Virginia Natives, and other entities that opted for that tier. Over the years I've expanded this and those who pay more than $200 a year through Substack also get a shout-out.In 2025, I plan to shake up the system a little as I try to bring in more revenue to help grow Town Crier Productions as a business. I don't have anything to offer just yet, but I'm interested in hearing from businesses and organizations that might want to help support the work and reach a growing audience. So, drop me a line and let's build the community together!Second shout-out: Cvillepedia!Cvillepedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this second shout-out today is to provide a little bit about what I know. I helped create the website back in the late 2000's as a way of keeping track of all of the stories being written for the nonprofit news organization I worked for at the time.Now Cvillepedia is hosted by the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library under the stewardship of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. There are over 6,500 articles and we need volunteers to help keep it up to date and to capture more of this community's history, present, and future.One of those articles is November 30 and there's a list of some things that happened today:* 1897 – Charlottesville City Council holds a special meeting to discuss supplementing the area's water supply and they agreed to sell $35,000 worth of bonds to finance improvements. [1]* 1899 – The last Thanksgiving of the century was held on the final day of the month. [2]* 1903 – A special meeting of the Charlottesville City Council takes place and City Engineer C.L. DeMott comments that the city is run by the street railway company. Mayor J. Samuel McCue said that might have been true of a different Council. [3]* 1905 – President Theodore Roosevelt traveled through Charlottesville on his way to Pine Knot. [4]* 1925 – Planning continues for the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with Charlottesville hoping to take the lead. [5]* 2010 – Kick-off meeting for Belmont Bridge replacement at CitySpace. [6][7]There's so much more to had and so many sources to cite. If you're interested in helping out, drop me a line and I'll put you in touch with someone at the ACHS. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Eighty percent of Saturdays in this month of November have already occurred if you include the one in which this edition of the Charlottesville Community Engagement podcast is released into the world. At one point, there was a podcast for every newsletter. When you're done listening to today's edition, why not go back to 2020? Thanks to paid subscriptions, I've been able to develop a body of work over the past four and a half years and have tracked a great deal of information. As we approach the next winter holiday, I will be reflecting on how grateful I am to those who support the work. Now, let's get to what's in here today. Each of the links goes to a story posted on Information Charlottesville, a companion to this newsletter. If you like what you read, why not share it with someone you think might want to know what's going on? This week's sonic stories: * Albemarle County continues work on the Comprehensive Plan update and will get outside help to review of how efficiently development area is used (learn more) * The Virginia Public Access Project has put together a more complete picture of turnout in the 2024 elections (learn more)* Arlington County will appeal a judicial ruling invalidating their program for providing middle missing housing (learn more) * Charlottesville City Council gets the first of three budget briefings intended to get their initial response to proposed new spending and City Manager Sam Sanders said he will try to recommend a budget without a tax increase (learn more) Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out:  Cvillepedia! Both of today's shout-outs relate to the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. Neither of these are paid for in any way. I really want you to know these things, beginning with cvillepedia. Cvillepedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this first shout for the November 23, 2024 edition seeks to provide a little bit about what I know. I helped create cvillepedia back in the late 2000's as a way of keeping track of all of the stories being written for the nonprofit news organization I worked for at the time. Now Cvillepedia is hosted by the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library under the stewardship of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. There are over 6,500 articles and we need volunteers to help keep it up to date and to capture more of this community's history, present, and future.  If you want to learn how to do research, learn how to explore historical documents, and want some experience writing, consider becoming a volunteer. To give you a sense of one potential project, Frances Brand painted dozens and dozens of portraits of people in the Charlottesville area. Who were they? What can we learn about where we are now by documenting the stories of everyone from Ruth Klüger Angress to Jay Worrall? More on Brand in the next shout-out? Questions? Drop me a line! There's even a Slack channel if you'd like to get involved!Second shout-out: ACHS taking orders for book profiling local artist Frances BrandIn the next shout-out for the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society: Frances Brand lived from 1901 to 1990 and in her later life she undertook a series of portraits of individuals from Charlottesville and Albemarle County that would become her Gallery of Firsts.Brand was a U.S. Army major, a civil rights activist, a world traveler, a devoted churchgoer, and an accomplished artist, among other things. Some remember her as a colorful eccentric who loved to dress in purple, while others knew her as a committed and lifelong social activist.Behind each of Brand's portraits of these 20th-century pioneers is a special story. To collect some of them, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society has created a book that features 51 portraits from the full collection of currently known Firsts portraits and share some of the compelling stories about those depicted.ACHS is taking pre-sale orders now for shipping in November. To place your order, visit the ACHS store. Reading material for #767AThis one is a little different. This morning I'm cleaning up some of my files and opted to go through a document I keep that tracks the state of journalism. These are all from the time when I was launching this work. * How Can the Press Best Serve a Democratic Society?, Michael Luo, New Yorker, July 11, 2020* Report for America opens newsroom applications, expands opportunity to hire more journalists, Report for America, July 13, 2020* How the Decline of Local News Threatens Local Democracy, Michael Hendrix, Manhattan Institute, October 5, 2020 * To save itself, journalism will need to stop preaching to the choir, Lauren Harris, Columbia Journalism Review, July 15, 2020* The Journalism Creators Program at CUNY teaches participants to launch their own news products, from wherever they are, Hanaa' Tameez, Nieman Lav, October 27, 2020* What Happens When a Community Loses Its Newspaper?, Christine Ro, November 11, 2020How well have I done? Well, I'm still afloat! I am grateful for all of those who are supporting the work. If you'd like to join them, there are many ways to do so. I'm just not as good at figuring out the best way to ask!  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Exactly twenty percent of the days in this November are a Saturday, and this is the one in the middle. This marks the third consecutive week in which the audio version of Charlottesville Community Engagement goes out on the first full day of the American weekend. Could it be that a routine is in place? I'm Sean Tubbs, and you'll just have to wait. On the program today: * Charlottesville continues to move forward with several long-delayed transportation projects (learn more)* Charlottesville waives a procedural step to expedite funds transfer for Pollocks Branch bridge (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors approve a permit for mixed-use building and want school division to accept pathway to Agnor Elementary (learn more) * The School Division explains why they did not accept the pathway but are willing to entertain an alternative connection * Albemarle Supervisors agree to allow Defense Intelligence Agency to use county-owned land for field training (learn more)* Preliminary work is beginning on new regional hazard mitigation plan (learn more)* The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission is preparing for a regional housing summit and an update of housing needs assessment (learn more)First shout-out:  Cvillepedia! Cvillepedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this second shout-out today is to provide a little bit about what I know. I helped create the website back in the late 2000's as a way of keeping track of all of the stories being written for the nonprofit news organization I worked for at the time. Now Cvillepedia is hosted by the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library under the stewardship of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. There are over 6,500 articles and we need volunteers to help keep it up to date and to capture more of this community's history, present, and future.  If you want to learn how to do research, learn how to explore historical documents, and want some experience writing, consider becoming a volunteer. To give you a sense of one potential project, Frances Brand painted dozens and dozens of portraits of people in the Charlottesville area. Who were they? What can we learn about where we are now by documenting the stories of everyone from Ruth Klüger Angress to Jay Worrall?Questions? Drop me a line! Second shout-out:  Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's second shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now,  I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.End notes for #762AThis is the 14th day in a row that something has gone out in the newsletter feed. Admittedly, there's no real new content in this. I have other stories I thought about putting in the podcast, but I ran out of energy and I'm ready to take some of today off. Not much, though. On to the Week Ahead! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

We are now at the second Saturday of the 11th month of the 2024th year of this naming system. It appears that it may become somewhat routine to target the podcast version of Charlottesville Community Engagement to go out on this day named after a planet. Like interplanetary probes, sometimes they'll make it. Sometimes they won't. I'm Sean Tubbs, still trying to get a hang out of gravity. In this edition:* A recap of this week's elections and a look ahead to next year (learn more)* Charlottesville experienced lower revenue collections in first quarter of FY2025 * Charlottesville to make plans to improve pedestrian safety on Elliott Avenue (learn more)* Albemarle wins state award for Human Services Alternative Response Team (learn more)* Piedmont Virginia Community College and the UVA Equity Center have published latest snapshot of family economics in region (learn more )* If Albemarle and Charlottesville plan together, can that help the community adapt to climate change? (learn more)This is the audio version of the newsletter and it sounds like like public radio. Take a listen! First-shout: ACHS taking orders for book profiling local artist Frances BrandFrances Brand lived from 1901 to 1990 and in her later life she undertook a series of portraits of individuals from Charlottesville and Albemarle County that would become her Gallery of Firsts.Brand was a U.S. Army major, a civil rights activist, a world traveler, a devoted churchgoer, and an accomplished artist, among other things. Some remember her as a colorful eccentric who loved to dress in purple, while others knew her as a committed and lifelong social activist.Behind each of Brand's portraits of these 20th-century pioneers is a special story. To collect some of them, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society has created a book that features 51 portraits from the full collection of currently known Firsts portraits and share some of the compelling stories about those depicted.ACHS is taking pre-sale orders now for shipping in November. To place your order, visit the ACHS store. Second shout-out:  Cvillepedia! Cvillepedia is an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit, and this second shout-out today is to provide a little bit about what I know. I helped create the website back in the late 2000's as a way of keeping track of all of the stories being written for the nonprofit news organization I worked for at the time. Now Cvillepedia is hosted by the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library under the stewardship of the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society. There are over 6,500 articles and we need volunteers to help keep it up to date and to capture more of this community's history, present, and future.  If you want to learn how to do research, learn how to explore historical documents, and want some experience writing, consider becoming a volunteer. To give you a sense of one potential project, Frances Brand painted dozens and dozens of portraits of people in the Charlottesville area. Who were they? What can we learn about where we are now by documenting the stories of everyone from Ruth Klüger Angress to Jay Worrall?Questions? Drop me a line! (image) Thanks for reading Charlottesville Community Engagement ! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Some time has passed since the last audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement and now it is finally time. This one goes out on the first Saturday of November 2024 and if you don't like this one, there are four others you can try out when the time comes. I'm Sean Tubbs, and there is no new content in here unless you count my entry in a local contest! This edition also doubles as a run-down of the top stories from this week. Or at least the ones that have already been posted to Information Charlottesville. That's the archive version of this newsletter that serves as an important component in the mechanism that is Town Crier Productions. On today's show:* Albemarle Planning Commission briefed on land use chapter of new Comprehensive Plan (learn more)* Written opinion issued in legal ruling that halted Arlington's missing middle zoning (learn more)* Plans filed for 12 units near intersection of U.S. 250 / McIntire Road / John Warner Parkway (learn more)* Federally-mandated transportation body endorses changes to road classifications (learn more)* Charlottesville City Manager Sanders briefs Council on other community interventions such as purchase of portable restrooms (learn more)* Charlottesville seeking firms to cull deer and other procurement updates (learn more)* Charlottesville also is looking for performers for the Grand Illumination on December 6 and you can listen to my entry in the podcast (learn more) Sign up for more! Next up is the Week Ahead which will preview next week's government meetings. The regular newsletter will be back Monday. The next podcast? Still trying to figure out the cycle. First-shout: ACHS taking orders for book profiling local artist Frances BrandFrances Brand lived from 1901 to 1990 and in her later life she undertook a series of portraits of individuals from Charlottesville and Albemarle County that would become her Gallery of Firsts.Brand was a U.S. Army major, a civil rights activist, a world traveler, a devoted churchgoer, and an accomplished artist, among other things. Some remember her as a colorful eccentric who loved to dress in purple, while others knew her as a committed and lifelong social activist.Behind each of Brand's portraits of these 20th-century pioneers is a special story. To collect some of them, the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society has created a book that features 51 portraits from the full collection of currently known Firsts portraits and share some of the compelling stories about those depicted.ACHS is taking pre-sale orders now for shipping in November. To place your order, visit the ACHS store. Second shout-out:  Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's second shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now,  I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Dashboard for Town Crier Productions as one week becomes the next This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Different human beings have different ways of receiving and processing information. Charlottesville Community Engagement is able to provide narratives of civic happenings using text as well as audio. This particular edition for October 23, 2024 is a podcast version with several recent stories. Why do two versions? In the words Bill Siemering wrote to breathe life into National Public Radio, my aim every single day is to “encourage a sense of active constructive participation, rather than apathetic helplessness.” In this audio edition:* Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders announces several upcoming “community interventions” (learn more)* Charlottesville now pays the private Charlottesville Parking Center $1.8 million a year to rent the Water Street Parking Garage (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors discuss growth management policy at AC44 work session (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors also lay out their legislative priorities for 2025 General Assembly (learn more)* Beloved UVA men's basketball Coach Tony Bennett explains his sudden retirement (learn more)This is an audio version but the next one will be a text version. There are no video versions planned as the camera keeps breaking.First-shout: WTJU's Offbeat Roadhouse features Jeff Massanari Trio this week Every Friday night at 8 p.m, Offbeat Roadhouse on WTJU invites a different musical group into your home for an hour long concert live from WTJU's performance space.  Each week there will be Blues, Folk, Jazz, and Roots acts from around the globe. This Friday, the Jeff Massanari Trio will pull into the Offbeat Roadhouse for a concert which will also be broadcast on WTJU. The Jazz guitar master will be joined by Tom Harbeck on bass, and drummer David Drubin.This is a free event, open to all. You can also listen to Offbeat Roadhouse on the radio (91.1 FM) or on-line, and even video stream it at WTJU's Facebook page or YouTube channel.  But concerts always sound better with you as part of the studio audience.  WTJU is located at 2244 Ivy Rd in Charlottesville, right next door to Vivace. Want to see the live event and plan to see more? Check out more on WTJU's Events Calendar!Second shout-out:  Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's second shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now,  I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.You are listening to Charlottesville Community Engagement for October 23, 2024, a super-sized edition. That's one story from Albemarle. Let's hear another, take a break, and then hear a final story from the athletic world. Third shout-out:  Podcasts are cool Perhaps the podcast versions are a bit of an indulgence, but there are at least 200 people who listen each time. Maybe that number is small, and maybe it is not commercially defensible. Yet, audio production is intricately woven into how I do my research. My first ever professional work was an internship at WVTF Public Radio nearly 30 years ago, and this is an extension of that work. But this podcast is not the only way to hear the stories! There's also a Soundcloud page and each of those is appended to the bottom of stories on Information Charlottesville. As long as I keep publishing Charlottesville Community Engagement, there will be an audio component. Any ideas? Want to get involved? Drop me a line!  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

There are written versions of Charlottesville Community Engagement and then are the ones where there are voices that can be heard. This is the latter kind, a collection of recent stories that have gone out in print form. The prophecy foretells of a time when the two strains will weave together once again, but for now it's October 17, 2024 and here's what you will hear if you hit play above:In this sonic edition:* Albemarle PC begins review of new AC44 language on growth management (learn more)* Ground broken for Long Bridge project to expand passenger rail capacity in Virginia (learn more)* Charlottesville Area Transit will make service adjustments on November 9 including increasing service on two routes that serve central Charlottesville (learn more)* City Council discusses pedestrian safety in wake of pedestrian death on Elliott Avenue (learn more)* Changes may be coming to how VDOT classifies area roads (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors briefed on Ivy Road pipeline projects (learn more)Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported newsletter and podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's first  shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now,  I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Second shout-out:  Like bowties, podcasts are cool!Perhaps the podcast versions are a bit of an indulgence, but there are at least 200 people who listen each time. Maybe that number is small, and maybe it is not commercially defensible. Yet, audio production is intricately woven into how I do my research. My first ever professional work was an internship at WVTF Public Radio nearly 30 years ago, and this is an extension of that work. But this podcast is not the only way to hear the stories! There's also a Soundcloud page and each of those is appended to the bottom of stories on Information Charlottesville. As long as I keep publishing Charlottesville Community Engagement, there will be an audio component. Thank you to Wraki for the incidental music in the podcast. Go take a listen to the songs in the clear on Bandcamp.  Reading material will be back in the next regular newsletter which I hope to produce on Friday. And if you don't know by now, Ting will match your initial payment through Substack. That's part of a generous sponsorship that's been in place now since April 2021. If you sign up for service and you are within Ting's service area, enter the promo code COMMUNITY you're going to get:* Free installation* A second month for free* A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

What's brown and sounds like a bell? Certainly not rhubarb, which can be deep burgundy, light pink, crimson red, or light green. Rhubarb and doesn't really have a sound unless it's had a few drinks. In any case, perhaps it's not appropriate to utilize non-sequiturs to frame podcast versions of this newsletter, but a lot of things aren't appropriate and this one is hopefully fairly innocuous. This is an audio version of Charlottesville Community Engagement. I'm Sean Tubbs, and the pay-off is in the sonic edition easily playable by hitting the arrow in this post. In this edition:* Afton Scientific to invest $200 million in expansion of Avon Court  (learn more) * The Charlottesville Planning Commission gives broad direction on what should be in the next capital improvement program (learn more)* Charlottesville Planning Commission reviews the new zoning code at seven months in (learn more)* There may soon be changes to the way that the Virginia Department of Transportation classifies some area roads including ones in Fifeville and the Woolen Mills (a podcast preview!)* UVA continues to plan to build up to 2,000 new beds to so a requirement for second-year students to live on Grounds can proceed (a podcast preview)  The only shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's first  shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now,  I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

For the last seven years, the Commonwealth of Virginia has recognized the fourth Saturday of September as Public Lands Day. That's as good as any to consider taking a trip to one of Virginia's 43 State Parks. That's six more than in 2017 when the General Assembly passed legislation marking September 28 as a day to celebrate places that are owned by everyone. At one point, the future Biscuit Run Park in Albemarle was to have been a state park but that did not happen. Learn some of the story on cvillepedia. I'm Sean Tubbs, and it's as good a time as any to have a podcast version of Charlottesville Community Engagement. In this installment:* Albemarle County is keeping track of their strategic plan with SPEAR (learn more)* Charlottesville seeks an Advanced Traffic Management System and other procurement updates (learn more)* Charlottesville also seeks review of solid waste services in advance of FY26 budget (learn more)* Charlottesville Parks and Recreation wins environmental award for invasives removal (learn more)* CRHA takes action on several real estate resolutions including purchase of three properties (learn more)* A quick look at four recent land use applications in Charlottesville  * Living Earth School* Carter Machinery* Arden Place II* Beaver Hill Mobile Home Community* Albemarle EDA endorses CvilleBioHub's grant application for workforce study (learn more)* Albemarle's new economic development director has a few updates including one on Rivanna Futures (learn more)This is the audio version that collects some of the stories from the past week. They're on the same feed. Sign up to get all of it!Today's first shout-out:  Town Crier ProductionsI am in the process of rethinking the shout-outs, and this being a podcast version and a Saturday, I'm taking a bit of time to talk about Town Crier Productions. That's the name of the entity I created in 2020 that now operates Charlottesville Community Engagement as well as Information Charlottesville. The goal is to let people know about what's happening at meetings of local government with an intent to get more people acquainted with the nuts and bolts. Even four years in, all of this work remains an experiment as I try to figure out how to grow. If you have questions about any of it, please drop me a line. And if you'd like to get your information in front of about 3,000 people each edition, perhaps we can work something out. Second shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's second shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now,  I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Before I can write the new set of stories, I must first process all of the ones written in the past week or so. That means producing the audio for the WTJU radio version of Charlottesville Community Engagement which airs every Saturday at 6 a.m. as well as posting as many as possible to the Information Charlottesville website. These are habits that have emerged from the last four years of being an independent journalist seeking to build audience as I can. I'm Sean Tubbs and I am the host of Charlottesville Community Engagement and these are the audio versions of six pieces of information that have previously gone out in the written newsletter.And no, Jerry, you don't have to pay attention to this one. There's no material except for whatever commentary and other sonic mayhem may appear in the audio version.But if you want to check out the stories: * Charlottesville budget staff brief Council on development of FY26 budget (learn more)* Albemarle County's Places29-North group gets updates on the High School Center II and new elementary school (learn more)* Albemarle staff continues work on Comprehensive Plan update (learn more)* UVA fundraising continues to set new records and the School of Data Science gets a $10 million gift for scholarships (learn more)* A new director hired in Charlottesville to oversee planning and zoning while a legal challenge to the new zoning code remains pending (learn more)* UVA Office of Sustainability briefs Board of Visitors' panel (learn more)It looks like Fridays may be the days in which the podcast comes out. Sign up to see if that's what happens in seven days. First shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's first shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now,  I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.Today's second shout-out:  Town Crier ProductionsIn today's second shout-out, once again I'm taking the owner's prerogative to state a little about the business that operates Charlottesville Community Engagement as well as Information Charlottesville. I am cutting and pasting this because I'm really ready to be done with the work week. But, also maybe you're new and you're seeing this for the first time. Town Crier Productions was created in 2020 after I felt a calling to return to local journalism. I've been able to cobble together a living for over 1,500 days in this manner, and I'm still learning how to create this entity.I am in the process of re-evaluating some of the previous ways things have worked and I'm starting with these shout-outs. The system you see is one that is wholly improvised and one that can be improved over time. In the weeks to come I will be asking readers and businesses questions about shout-outs, sponsorships, advertising, underwriting, and other ways to put information out in front of an audience that receives about 3,000 views per newsletter. Town Crier Productions is not a non-profit and so far lacks a dedicated operations team. But, there is at least one dedicated reporter determined to build an organization that will support the community's information needs for time to come. Questions? Send them my way, and stay tuned as we all find out how some of these stories turn out!  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

There are many advantages to producing audio versions of the stories that go out in the Charlottesville Community Engagement newsletter. The most important is that about a tenth of the audience chooses to receive the information that way. Another reason is the ability to hear the voices of decision-makers and those hired to implement the work of government. I'm Sean Tubbs, and my job is to write as much of it down as possible. In this sonic edition:* The Albemarle Planning Commission recommends denial of request to convert house to commercial property (learn more)* The Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority Board of Directors gets an update on planning issues and learns Crozet may need more water. Joint planning with Fluvanna, Louisa, and Greene may also be happening in the future (learn more) * SPCA seeking new contract to provide services for Albemarle and Charlottesville (learn more)* Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders provides an update on Charlottesville's efforts to assist the unhoused (learn more)* Charlottesville will need to look for another city attorney, again (learn more)At one point, every newsletter was a podcast, and every podcast was a newsletter. Then that got complicated. Now it's also complicated, but in a different way. Today's shout-out:  Town Crier ProductionsIn today's first shout-out, I'm taking the owner's prerogative to state a little about the business that operates Charlottesville Community Engagement as well as Information Charlottesville. Town Crier Productions was created in 2020 after I felt a calling to return to local journalism. I've been able to cobble together a living for over 1,500 days in this manner, and I'm still learning how to create this entity.In the months to come, I will be re-evaluating some of the previous ways things have worked and I'm starting with these shout-outs. The system you see is one that is wholly improvised and one that can be improved over time. In the weeks to come I will be asking readers and businesses questions about shout-outs, sponsorships, advertising, underwriting, and other ways to put information out in front of an audience that receives about 3,000 views per newsletter. Town Crier Productions is not a non-profit and so far lacks a dedicated operations team. But, there is at least one dedicated reporter determined to build an organization that will support the community's information needs for time to come. Questions? Send them my way, and stay tuned as we all find out how some of these stories turn out! Second shout-out: Celebrating the community's other information organizations!In today's second shout-out in the form of a house ad, I want to make sure everyone knows that every edition of the regular newsletter (not the podcast ones) ends with a section called Reading Material. Charlottesville Community Engagement is just one offering in a landscape that includes the Charlottesville Daily Progress, C-Ville Weekly, Charlottesville Tomorrow, and Cville Right Now,  I curate links from these sources because I believe a truly informed community needs multiple perspectives.There's also the Cavalier Daily, Vinegar Hill Magazine, the Fluvanna Review, the Crozet Gazette, NBC29, CBS19, and other sources. But if you look every day, you'll find links to articles in national publications, all linked to give you more perspectives on some of the issues of our times.And if you're interested in learning more about what Town Crier Productions puts out, there's a free post on the Patreon account that lists what you can learn.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today is day three of the Local Independent Online News publisher's sustainability summit in Chicago. I've taken a few days off to learn more about the business end of providing information to the public and meeting so many other people who are passionate about their work. However, I can't clear all of the deadlines I have and one of them is the weekly radio show on WTJU that airs at 6 a.m. This week I decided to re-use the podcast version of the June 11, 2024 edition of this newsletter taken from the last time I traveled to Illinois. And I figured three days without a new post is way too long, so I thought I'd share it with the Substack audience as well. The Week Ahead for the next will be out sometime tomorrow, and then I'll be back to regular programming likely on Tuesday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

We are at the last day of August for 2024, and there are 335 days until the next time we call the current month after that particular Roman emperor. Fans of adulation toward long-gone dictators shouldn't fret, though. There are 304 days until July 1, a factual statement that should also please Canadians. This is the final audio podcast of Charlottesville Community Engagement for this month, the sixth in an effort to make sure there's a chance for people to hear the people quoted in the stories. I'm Sean Tubbs, grateful for the listeners! In this edition: * Albemarle Supervisors agree to a tax rebate arrangement with Home Depot worth three quarters of a million dollars (written version coming Monday)* Albemarle Supervisors have also approved a rezoning for Granger property in Albemarle's southwest urban ring (learn more)* Traffic fatalities in Virginia are up while total number of crashes has slightly decreased (learn more) * Speed-camera enforcement to begin in October for Hydraulic Road school zones (learn more) * Transit partnership votes to transition to Regional Transit Authority (learn more)First shout-out: Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library In today's first Patreon-fueled shout-out: The rolling topography of the Charlottesville area keeps some people away from choosing cycling as an option to get around. Perhaps an e-bike is in order? That's where Charlottesville's eBike Lending Library comes in!  E-bikes are a great way to get around the community but there are many brands and styles to choose from. Because many e-bikes are sold online, it can be a challenge to try an e-bike before buying one.The Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library is a free, not-for-profit service working to expand access to e-bikes in the area. They have a small collection of e-bikes that they lend out to community members for up to a week, for free. You can experience your daily commute, go grocery shopping, or even bike your kids to school, and decide whether e-bikes are right for you. Check out this service at https://www.ebikelibrarycville.org!Behind the scenes note to anyone readingThis is a podcast only edition which usually means there is nothing original. This time around, though, there is one story that will go out in written form in Monday's edition of the regular newsletter. So if you really want to know more about Albemarle County's $750,000 tax rebate deal with the Home Depot, you can listen to a six minute story I produced yesterday to fill time for today's radio program that went out on WTJU. My professional history in journalism began in 1995 with an internship at WVTF Public Radio. I love producing in sound  and even in a long period of time where I produced very few audio stories (roughly 2007 to 2020) I still produced all of my print stories by going through recordings. So now I get to present information in both ways, and my production calendar has matured to be able to help me sort out what stage every single story is in. Today that means an advance audio version of a print story, something I don't expect to happen often.But who knows? If it's not on the spreadsheet, I'm not sure when I'll be able to really wonder. There's a lot to do, and I'm grateful to paid subscribers and other contributors who help me keep this business going. Is this part spoken in the podcast? Are there secrets and easter eggs? Is there room in this community for odd audio collage? Will I be brave enough to try something new? You'll just have to listen and find out! Second-shout: Gazpacho in the Garden at MorvenIn today's second subscriber-supported shout-out: The Morven Sustainability Lab invites you to celebrate the new semester on Friday, September 6 for the annual Gazpacho in the Garden event at 5 p.m. There will be a summer meal harvested from a garden that's all run by students at the University of Virginia. There will be family-friendly music, lawn games, and tours of the garden where you can learn something. There will be limited seating so do come prepared with picnic blankets and chairs. For ticket information, visit the appropriate page on EventBrite. Behind the scenes notes for #CCE-724AMuch of the music in the podcast comes from Wraki and that's another reason to listen! The bits in between the segments are odd concoctions I make. The opening music is from P.J. Sykes, as I commissioned him more than seventeen years ago for a podcast product that didn't work out. Until now! Thanks for listening or for reading to this point. I'm glad to have been able to make a steady living after all this work trying to prove myself. Thank you to paid subscribers, and if you'd like to become one, please remember Ting will match your initial payment.  This is an incredibly generous sponsorship, and if you sign up for service and you are within Ting's service area, enter the promo code COMMUNITY you're going to get:* Free installation* A second month for free* A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Before additional new stories can be written for Charlottesville Community Engagement, it is necessary to complete work on previous ones. That is the purpose of this edition of the newsletter which includes audio versions for recent stories. I'm Sean Tubbs, ever aware that the treadmill is speeding up. In this sonic edition:* Two dozen apartments planned for land next to Meadowbrook Shopping Center (learn more)* Demolition permit filed for 303 Alderman Road (learn more)* Procurement round-up: Repairs coming to the Charlottesville Transit Station (learn more)* There's a meeting scheduled on September 10 for upcoming road improvements in the Pantops area (learn more) * Both Republicans on Albemarle's Electoral Board express concern about potential use of ranked-choice voting (learn more) If you are new to the newsletter, there is an occasional podcast as well. Back with a regular edition with new information on August 27, 2024. Sign up!First -shout out: Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library In today's first Patreon-fueled shout-out: The rolling topography of the Charlottesville area keeps some people away from choosing cycling as an option to get around. Perhaps an e-bike is in order? That's where Charlottesville's eBike Lending Library comes in!  E-bikes are a great way to get around the community but there are many brands and styles to choose from. Because many e-bikes are sold online, it can be a challenge to try an e-bike before buying one.The Charlottesville E-bike Lending Library is a free, not-for-profit service working to expand access to e-bikes in the area. They have a small collection of e-bikes that they lend out to community members for up to a week, for free. You can experience your daily commute, go grocery shopping, or even bike your kids to school, and decide whether e-bikes are right for you. Check out this service at https://www.ebikelibrarycville.org!Second-shout: Gazpacho in the Garden at MorvenIn today's first subscriber-supported shout-out: The Morven Sustainability Lab invites you to celebrate the new semester on Friday, September 6 for the annual Gazpacho in the Garden event at 5 p.m. There will be a summer meal harvested from a garden that's all run by students at the University of Virginia. There will be family-friendly music, lawn games, and tours of the garden where you can learn something. There will be limited seating so do come prepared with picnic blankets and chairs. For ticket information, visit the appropriate page on EventBrite. Housekeeping notes for CCE-772BWith this, I complete last week's set of stories and feel clear now to get to a whole bunch of ones write this week. The audio component of this newsletter is very important to me and there a lot of loyal listeners. That number is much lower than the “print” audience but I want this work to reach people however possible. Paid subscriptions keep it going and you know by know that Ting will match the initial payment whether that be at $5 a month, $50 a year, or $200 a year. Would you be interested in sponsoring the audio version? I'd love to find a way to ensure that I can keep this part of Town Crier Productions going? Drop me a line.But back to Ting. Ting can help you with your high speed Internet needs. If service is available in your area and you sign up for service, enter the promo code COMMUNITY and you will get:* Free installation* A second month for free* A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

There are Fridays and then there's this Friday, August 23, 2024. This is a podcast version of Charlottesville Community Engagement with audio versions of stories of material sent out earlier this week. Some of the stories have been updated with additional information. Which ones? You'll have to study closely to find out. I'm Sean Tubbs, encouraging you to listen if you've not done so before. In this edition: * No left turns ever again at Hydraulic Road and U.S. 29 starting Monday (learn more)* Charlottesville releases a notice of availability for funds for affordable housing projects (learn more)* Sanders provides updates on Stribling Avenue sidewalk project (learn more)* There's a new name for the area's solid waste drop-off point (learn more)Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out: Information CharlottesvilleIn today's shout-out from the owner of Town Crier Productions, have you taken a look at Information Charlottesville? You can do so now at infocville.com.  What's there? Since the middle of February, there have been over four hundred stories contained within the newsletter Charlottesville Community Engagement. The vast majority of them are reposted to Information Charlottesville, a website I created to serve as an archive. Most of the stories from the last four years are on the site and if you go back far enough you can even see the test run I did of this newsletter in early January 2020. The goal of all of this is to document a community and region in transition through coverage of decisions about what will happen with links to primary sources to help people gather the information they need to understand context and complexity. You won't find pop-up ads but you just might find something you wanted to know about. Visit infocville.com now to learn more about how you can help keep all of this going! Second shout-out: Thanks to Wraki for the music! If you listen to this edition of the program about halfway through there will be a break where I say “this is Charlottesville Community Engagement”  and usually I would read one of the pieces of copy for a shout-out. And underneath it would be a track by the elusive Wraki called “the helvetica syndrome” but in this case I'm drawing attention to the role that this D.C. based artist plays in each and every podcast by provided music that can be used without paying any royalties. I've offered, they've refused, and so I'm encouraging people to go to Bandcamp to see what other music by Wraki is there. You too can “regret everything” in musical style. Or consider diving onto the Wraki wavelength on YouTube. Either way, thank you Wraki! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Good morning and welcome to another edition of the audio version of Charlottesville Community Engagement this time for August 17, 2024. This particular edition of the podcast originally aired on WTJU this morning at 6 a.m. This is the 230th day of the year meaning we are 62.8 percent of the way to 2025. A lot will happen between now and then, but here is some of what has happened in the last two weeks or so. I'm Sean Tubbs of Town Crier Productions, and written versions of these stories appear at infocville.com: In this sonic edition:* Council wants District Avenue roundabout to offer full access to Meadows neighborhood (learn more)* City Council approves three acquisitions for parkland and trails (learn more)* A brief land use update from the University of Virginia (learn more)* Herrick named as Albemarle's interim county attorney (learn more)* Area convention and visitors bureau has moved to a new location (learn more)* Albemarle Supervisors briefed on procurement mechanism for Eastern Avenue (learn more) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Sometimes when there are too many loose threads, the way out is to sort them all into lines that make sense. That's the basic theme behind this audio version of Charlottesville Community Edition collecting stories from editions #714 and #715 so work can get underway on #716. I'm Sean Tubbs, and there is madness to this madness. On this audio program:* Charlottesville City Hall has reopened for business after major water leak in 2023 (learn more)* Council recognizes Farmers Market Week through August 10  (learn more)* The Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors takes another look at the housing market (learn more)* Council holds first reading on salary increase for future counterparts elected after next November (learn more)* Charlottesville authorizes enhanced role of Office of Human Rights in housing investigations (learn more)* Carlton Mobile Home Park owner accepts Habitat counter-offer day after Council agrees to contribute $8.7M (learn more)Every now and then there is a podcast version that features the voices of people who spoke at various meetings. Give it a try! First shout-out: Information CharlottesvilleIn today's shout-out from the owner of Town Crier Productions, have you taken a look at Information Charlottesville? You can do so now at infocville.com.  What's there? Since the middle of February, there have been over four hundred stories contained within the newsletter Charlottesville Community Engagement. The vast majority of them are reposted to Information Charlottesville, a website I created to serve as an archive. Most of the stories from the last four years are on the site and if you go back far enough you can even see the test run I did of this newsletter in early January 2020. The goal of all of this is to document a community and region in transition through coverage of decisions about what will happen with links to primary sources to help people gather the information they need to understand context and complexity. You won't find pop-up ads but you just might find something you wanted to know about. Visit infocville.com now to learn more about how you can help keep all of this going! Second shout-out: Thanks to Wraki for the music! If you listen to this edition of the program about halfway through there will be a break where I say “this is Charlottesville Community Engagement”  and usually I would read one of the pieces of copy for a shout-out. And underneath it would be a track by the elusive Wraki called “the helvetica scenario” but in this case I'm drawing attention to the role that this D.C. based artist plays in each and every podcast by provided music that can be used without paying any royalties. I've offered, they've refused, and so I'm encouraging people to go to Bandcamp to see what other music by Wraki is there. You too can “regret everything” in musical style. Or consider diving onto the Wraki wavelength on YouTube. Either way, thank you Wraki! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Pliable. Stretchable. Bendabe. Malleable. Whippy. These are all synonyms for flexible, a word that describes the production nature of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter and occasional podcast that for most of the past four years was both at the same time. Over time, though, it was necessary to become more limber, plastic, elastic, and workable. For this August 3, 2024 podcast edition, audio versions of several stories from the last three print editions. I'm Sean Tubbs, glad to be able to still be doing the sonic version.In this edition: * Charlottesville City Council to vote Monday on salary increase (learn more)* Albemarle moving ahead with update of economic development strategic plan (learn more)* City of Charlottesville updates retail vacancy report  (learn more)* Six townhouses planned for single-family house on Alderman Road (learn more)* State Senator John McGuire will be the Republican nominee for the Fifth District Congressional Race this fall after a recount affirmed his victory in the primary * The Albemarle Board of Supervisors gets a briefing from Albemarle staff on changes to the structure of the next Comprehensive Plan (learn more)This time it is a podcast. Next time it will be a summary of what's coming up at government meetings next week. After that? Sign up and see for yourself! Sponsored message: Buy Local  Buying locally supports our neighbors and community members and makes a big impact for our local economy. Local businesses are more likely to reinvest in our community and their goods and services contribute to the unique character of our community.Learn more about how you can support local business at ShowLocalLove.org and on social media:* Instagram* Facebook* The website formerly known as TwitterAn explanation of shout-outsIn a typical edition, I use this space to provide a “shout-out” to subscribers and Patreon supporters who have qualified for a particular perk. Most of these editions are written as scripts for a podcast as my early journalistic dream was to be a public radio producer. I love the way that public service announcements sound and I love that in three years I've been able to use this space to promote items that I think most of you would be interested in. In this shout-out, I want to salute anyone who has learned something new from these shout-outs. I also want to thank those individuals and organizations that have supported me in the past. (image) Town Crier ProductionsThoughts on 713A and the ending of the work weekAt 5:30 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon I am so happy to stop working and to pick it all up again tomorrow. So I will just say that if you have not listened to one of these before, this would be a good one to start. The secret has always been that this was intended to be an audio product as that's what I've always wanted to do. January will mark the 30th anniversary of an internship I had at a public radio station. The AC44 version aired on WTJU this morning, as I have an obligation to fill 30 minutes a week. Knowing I had to make a new deadline every week, I restructured a lot of my internal processes to be able to make sure I could do it.This is not that version. I could have just posted that here and taken a day off, but I felt I owe the hundreds of people who do listen to the podcast. I really enjoyed doing this work today while I watched the Olympics in Paris, something I did not expect I would be doing nine days ago.Watching people compete and be their best is inspirational to me. I've worked hard to get good at writing about this stuff, and the podcasts sound pretty good, too. Take a listen, though this one is not soundbite-heavy. I run audio of myself quoting from reports through a filter, which is a very cheap way to try to make it sound interesting. I much prefer people hearing to the voices of people I quote, and that is in the final segment which has already aired on the radio first.What would me from 1984 think about being able to produce this information and grow an audience? I'm not sure, but I know I'm glad I put this together today. Producing audio is my favorite thing to do. If you listen, thank you!One more thing to do before going offline for the night. I want to post the WTJU version to the because I put the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisor discussions on the Comprehensive Plan in one podcast. Just another way to document things that may slip past without being published somewhere. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Good morning and welcome to the July 27, 2024 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement. Today is the National Day of the Cowboy, something officially sanctioned by the General Assembly in 2015. Nothing in this edition pertains to that, but somehow this ended up in the show notes anyway.In this edition: * Habitat for Humanity will make a counter-offer of at least $7 million to purchase the Carlton Mobile Home Park in Charlottesville* The Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission agrees to pursue another round of funding for rural housing presentation * The Albemarle Planning Commission recommends approval of a rezoning for up to 165 units at 1193 Seminole Trail just north of the Charlottesville border* Elected bodies in both Albemarle and Charlottesville are briefed on changes to the budget process that funds nonprofit agencies who provide services to help humans in need * New legislation now allows some appointed bodies in Virginia to meet virtually more often* The TJDPC also receives additional funding from Virginia for broadband expansion * A local store that specializes in the creative reuse of art supplies joins a regional collective to promote the practiceShow notes for CCE-710AIf you listen carefully, this is the show that went out on WTJU this morning at 6 a.m. Ordinarily I would swap out the introduction, but I really want to take a break from audio production after yesterday. Sometimes this will happen. This is the 19th edition of the podcast that has aired on WTJU and since that time I've made a lot of changes to my process. But this is not one of the days I want to write about it extensively as there's other things I want to do today. So, thanks for listening if you did, and if you didn't, I recommend it. My career had an early start in public radio and I opted to go a different route and here we are. Now it is time to get to work on the new set of stories! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

This being a leap year, July 18 is the 200th day of the year. Will knowing that piece of information have any effect on how this day flows for you? Is there any significance to this being the 707th edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement? If so, can it be found by listening to endless covers of the song Seven and Seven Is? I'm Sean Tubbs, and while that's unlikely I'm going to keep trying. In today's installment:* Charlottesville City Council is briefed on work toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions including a new dashboard to keep track of progress* The Albemarle County Economic Development Authority endorses a request to increase the pay scale for federal employees in the Charlottesville Metropolitan area * Albemarle County has issued a request for proposals for a firm to change the traffic layout of The Square in Crozet and provide other improvements  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Yesterday my copy of Tuesday's Charlottesville Daily Progress arrived via mail and it was a thrill to smell the paper and to remember my early days as a journalist. Though I was never an employee, I had stories appear for nine years from 2009 to 2018 and I'm glad to have been part of the first rough draft of history. I am grateful there are many sources of information about what happens in this community and glad I've got enough paying subscribers myself to keep me practicing my brand of journalism here at Charlottesville Community Engagement. I'm Sean Tubbs, making sure you check out the ‘reading material' at the bottom of every edition. In today's installment:* Charlottesville Area Transit starts off the new year with new resources* A work group has created by-laws for a future Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority * Charlottesville is seeking people to join boards and commissions and applications are due July 31 This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Today marks the 79th anniversary of the first ever detonation of a nuclear bomb with the Trinity test in New Mexico as part of the Manhattan Project. Just a few weeks later, the United States would use one of these in combat to end the Second World War. The devices kept getting tested, though, and over 200,000 American soldiers took part in those that happened aboveground. Their participation was a secret until years later.In 2015, the General Assembly passed a resolution marking July 16 as National Atomic Veterans Day. I'm Sean Tubbs, and this is today's edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement.In this edition:* The Virginia Department of Transportation is planning on putting lights on a section of I-64 at Afton Mountain * Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders reviews his first year in office * Albemarle County planning staff have made changes to the way the Comprehensive Plan is being revised and the Planning Commission got a briefing last week  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Time passes by quickly between sonic editions of the program for reasons that are still in flux, but here we are again with Charlottesville Community Engagement for July 12, 2024. This week marks the fourth anniversary of the first edition and since then I've written and produced thousands of stories.  I'm Sean Tubbs, and my best time is when I get to sit down and devote time to putting one of these together. In this edition: * July 12 marks anniversary of the lynching of John Henry James (learn more)* Charlottesville City Schools moving forward with new names for existing institutions (learn more)* Charlottesville marks Parks and Recreation month with proclamation, public input meetings (learn more)* A long time advocate for the elderly is stepping down (learn more)* Dominion seeks proposals to explore feasibility of a small nuclear reactor at Lake Anna (learn more)* An environmental group gives a C+ to health of the Chesapeake Bay (learn more)* Albemarle County launches a way for people to track transportation projects as well las some other tidbits (one story) (a second one) (and a third)First-shout: Piedmont Master Gardeners have a newsletterIn today's first subscriber-supported shout-out, the Piedmont Master Gardeners have already filled a July 20 class they have planned. But you can still learn a few things from their monthly newsletter called The Garden Shed. Volume 10, Number 7 for July 2024 is currently out and has articles with relevant articles for this scorching summer. Read about how to garden in Intense Heat and Drought and how to stop wilts and root rot in your vegetable garden, and a guide to freezing fruit! There are also columns on edible and ornamental items that might have sprung up in gardens this July. Take a look at the issue and another one will be along soon for July. And be on the lookout for classes as they fill up fast! There's a lot more information at piedmontmastergardeners.org. Sponsored message: Buy Local  Buying locally supports our neighbors and community members and makes a big impact for our local economy. Local businesses are more likely to reinvest in our community and their goods and services contribute to the unique character of our community.Learn more about how you can support local business at ShowLocalLove.org and on social media:* Instagram* Facebook* The website formerly known as TwitterThoughts on #704AThis week I got halfway through setting up a studio again, but I'm so much more driven to get new stories out than to produce the audio for them. I go in cycles, and at the moment, I seem to be avoiding going through long discussions to distill them. That's the kind of work I want to be doing more. But, I wanted to get one podcast out in this feed before the official fourth anniversary begins tomorrow. Four years ago I decided to just start doing this after a lot of planning and thought. Will I still be here in four years? What will have happened by then?The only way I know how to stay sane is to track as much as I can and to bring it to you. I am hopeful to have audio integrated with the text again. I know there are podcast listeners who don't read the print version, and I really want to make sure I'm getting these to you. And now, it's almost 5 p.m. and I want to get this completed so I can think about how I'm going to finish up the studio! Let me know what you think! And a subtle reminder that Ting will match your initial subscription should you convert from a free subscription to a paid one!Ting can help you with your high speed Internet needs. If service is available in your area and you sign up for service, enter the promo code COMMUNITY and you will get:* Free installation* A second month for free* A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

What's in a number? Other numbers, usually. Seven hundred is seven times a hundred, or a hundred and forty fives, thirty-five twenties, twenty-eight twenty-fives, and many other rational combinations. This particular 700 is the one for Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter that seeks to be rational in its approach to presenting information that may sometimes be irrational. In this edition: * A trauma expert at the UVA Health System offers fireworks safety tips on this dry Fourth* Fluvanna Supervisors agree to support a marker in Columbia  commemorating the farewell journey of General Lafayette in 1824* Nelson County will receive $2.5 million from the Virginia Department of Transportation for sidewalk improvements on Front Street in Lovingston * Three Virginia transportation projects are among recipients of federal RAISE grants but a local bridge project did not make the cut  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Perhaps too much time passes between podcast versions of Charlottesville Community Engagement but imagine if you will a hypothetical listener at some point in the future listening to all of the episodes one after the other. That doesn't really matter because you are the one experiencing the audio right now, and I have no idea when you are. I'm Sean Tubbs, and I do have the idea it is time to begin with this set of stories. On this program this time around: * Two major projects in Charlottesville cross major milestones (learn more)* Youngkin makes five appointments to the UVA Board of Visitors (learn more)* Two “shots fired” incidents after Chief Kochis presents data showing crime rate is down (learn more)* Albemarle PC recommends special use permits for restaurant, solar array (learn more)* Rosenberg to retire as Albemarle County Attorney (learn more)* Charlottesville Circuit Court Judge Worrell to take time to decide on court trial for zoning lawsuit (learn more)It's a newsletter! It's a podcast! It's a newscast! Is it a letterpod? I don't know! But sign up and you'll get whatever comes next in your inboxFirst shout-out: Plant Virginia NativesWe're in the third week of astronomical summer, and I've spent a lot of time fighting the invasive species that love to take over my yard. But as I think ahead to the fall, the winter, and the spring, I'm thinking about one resource that may help me develop a landscape more suitable to this area. I'm talking about Plant Virginia Natives! Plant Virginia Natives is part of a partnership with ten regional campaigns for ten different ecosystems across Virginia, from the Northern Piedmont to the Eastern Shore. Take a look at the full map below for the campaign for native species where you are in the Commonwealth. For the Charlottesville area, download a free copy of the handbook: Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens. This shout-out has been with the newsletter since the beginning thanks to one Patreon supporter! Thanks to that person! Second shout-out: Charlottesville Jazz SocietyIn today's second subscriber supported public service announcement, the Charlottesville Jazz Society wants you to know about their first concert of the summer. Saxophonist and flutist Lynn Riley and her band The World Mix will perform at The Front Porch in downtown Charlottesville from 4 to 7 pm July 21st.  A gifted instrumentalist and composer, Riley has impressed critics and audiences alike with her funky and accessible sound that is firmly rooted in the mainstream jazz tradition, while suffused with influences from a host of world music and the blues. For ticket information and to learn more, visit the Charlottesville Jazz Society at cvillejazz.org.Thoughts on the end of #699-AThis took about four hours to produce. At least an hour of that was spent just staring at the screen as I tried to wake up. I can't even fathom how I got these out as newsletter and podcasts at the same time. I've changed my process since then, and I can't go back.But, I will keep doing the audio versions because there are listeners. I am hopeful I can get two out a week, but this might be it. I'm contemplating taking a day or two off with the holiday, but I don't have paid holidays.What I do have is an audience that has grown slowly over four years, and I'm grateful that I get to decide what I get to do next. I know the next set of stories and I'm hoping to get something out tomorrow.Let me know what you think! And a subtle reminder that Ting will match your initial subscription should you convert from a free subscription to a paid one! Ting can help you with your high speed Internet needs. If service is available in your area and you sign up for service, enter the promo code COMMUNITY and you will get:* Free installation* A second month for free* A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

There are words written down, and then there are words spoken out loud and arranged into an order that allows someone listening to learn a few things about what's happening in geographical area in which they are interested. For those reading these words now, this is a complicated way of saying this is Charlottesville Community Engagement that has been produced for June 22, 2024. I'm Sean Tubbs, and I can report that there's madness to this method. In this installment: * Charlottesville City Council reaffirms water protection ordinance / stormwater utility fee after two public hearings that were not labeled as such in the agenda (learn more)* Charlottesville Deputy City Manager Marshall briefs Council on her approach to social equity goals (learn more)* The Charlottesville and Albemarle economic development authorities meet to learn more about the regional strategies put together by another level of government (learn more)* The University of Virginia Buildings and Grounds Committee learns how planning and budgeting works for capital projects (learn more)* The Harrison Center of Translational Research at the University of Virginia is preparing to learn more about neurodegenerative diseases (learn more)First shout-out: Friends of JMRL In the first subscriber supported shout-out since the summer solstice: Let's learn a little about a nonprofit group that plays a major role to keep the Jefferson Madison Regional Library going strong. Friends of JMRL plays an important role in the slightly Byzantine structure of library budgets. Proceeds from the popular book sale go to pay for children's, teen and adult programs. The five jurisdictions that make up JMRL pay for facilities, salaries, and operational costs. State aid funds the collection acquisitions for all materials, physical, and digital. The federal e-rate program pays for equipment purchases. And Friends of JMRL raise funds for all sorts of activities. That includes the Library endowment in conjunction with the Charlottesville Albemarle Community Foundation awards money to special efforts such as the NAACP scholarship as well grants to out-of-area patrons to cover the $30 fee for residents of non-member localities. Friends of JMRL also  manages the Books Behind Bars program. Volunteers find and ship books to Virginia inmates at no cost to the inmates. Expenses are paid through private benefactors and Red Light Management.Visit jmrlfriends.org to learn more and find out how you can get involved. Second-shout out: Cvillepedia Cvillepedia is a wiki dedicated to sharing and building community knowledge and history about the people, places, and events in Charlottesville and Albemarle County. This site is built with the same software as Wikipedia and is a free, public, collaborative encyclopedia that anyone can edit and improve. Cvillepedia is a volunteer run project. Click HERE to become a volunteer and add to the stories we tell about the past!Thoughts at the end of #693AAnd with publication of this newsletter, one week ends and another begins. I have two more stories to post to Information Charlottesville, but one may end up being more appropriate in tomorrow's edition of the newsletter. For now, I need to turn my attention to putting together the Week Ahead. By my count, there were 17 stories in the newsletter this week, and about half of them became audio versions. I've sort of figured out how to balance all of this in a way that the print newsletter gets out quicker and those who listen get to hear the stories the way they're meant to be experienced.People learn things in different ways, and I'm always looking to learn new methods of getting information to people. In four years, there have been hundreds of stories, and I hope to be able to continue this for some time to come.Many of you subscribe and as its a Sunday and my time is partially covered by the sponsor of the Week Ahead, I'm going to spare you the sales pitch. I will ask you consider sharing this newsletter with someone else who may not know about it. Listeners and readers wanted! Share with people you think may want to be informed about things! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

The opening sentences of every single edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement are intended to be a script that opens up a podcast that contains several stories about items happening in order to engage the community of Charlottesville. In recent months, the podcast and the written newsletter are out of production sync but efforts are being made to restore this functionality. I'm Sean Tubbs, and hoping that those who read this and have not yet listened will hit play today. In this edition: * The primary results are in and the 5th District Republican nomination is too close to call, while Gloria Tinsley Witt wins handily over two fellow Democrats (read the story)* Albemarle Supervisors commemorated Juneteenth earlier this month with a proclamation (read the story)* The UVA Buildings and Grounds panel approves the Major Capital Plan, including planning studies for Fifeville properties and another look at a study to get off of coal (read the story)* The Albemarle Fire Department recommends switching out mulch landscaping for rocks to prevent fire risk (read the story)* Albemarle Supervisors think the Broadway area should remain available for industrial use (read the story)* That elected body also endorses eight Smart Scale applications (read the story)Charlottesville Community Engagement is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.First shout-out: Charlottesville Community Bikes' Tour de Gluten on June 23On Sunday, June 23, Charlottesville Community Bikes invites you to come along at noon with dozens of riders for the Tour de Gluten, a no-drop, social bike ride featuring stops at our talented bakery neighbors in Rose Hill/Preston/Downtown!They have two ticket options:* Ticket with Baked Goods: Covers highlighted items (baker's choice!) from each participating bakery. Registration closes one week before the ride so we can place pre-orders for the whole group, which we will pick up when we bike to each bakery.* Ride-Only Registration: For those who want to join the bike ride but don't plan to purchase baked goods.Bakery stops include:* Althea Bread* Baker No Bakery (at Grit Coffee downtown)* Cumbre Coffee & Bakery* Cou Cou Rachou* Marie Bette Cafe & Bakery (on Rose Hill Dr.)Second shout-out: Charlottesville Jazz SocietyIn today's second subscriber supported public service announcement, the Charlottesville Jazz Society wants you to know that once a month they hold the Local Jazz Spotlight Series at Miller's on the Downtown Mall. Coming up on Sunday, June 30, the spotlight will shine on the Jamal Milner Trio featuring Daniel Richardson. This takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and the event is free. Maybe I'll see you there as I've been wanting to go see one of these for months! If you can't wait until then but need to go see some live music, the Charles Owens Quarter will play their 2022 album Golden Moments at the Vault on Thursday, June 20. The event is co-sponsored by the Charlottesville Jazz Society. Tickets But that's just one of many great events coming up that you can learn about on the event calendar at cvillejazz.com. Notes for #692AI wanted to be a public radio journalist and worked hard at a station for many years but there was never a job for me. Over those years, there was also less room in the schedule for me to sell stories as a freelancer. I created the Charlottesville Podcasting Network in 2005 out of frustration that local public radio at the time refused to put content out online. The experience of going independent back then was exhilarating, but I did not have the reporting chops to do much. When I went to work at Charlottesville Tomorrow, management had no interest in audio except as a way to bring long meetings to people. Yet, every story I produced in my eleven years was written as if it was a public radio story as my primary reporting technique is to harvest audio. I'm not sure if I'll get back to every single edition being a podcast, as there are many items that simply don't sound good. For a while, I would run my voice through a sound filter to read sound-bites, but I've stopped doing that as much since stories now also run on WTJU at 6 a.m. on Saturdays.I'd like to grow the audience for the audio version, and I'll continue to explore this. All I know is that I want to keep going with this work for a very long time, constantly refining the way I do things and never resting on my laurels. I'm allergic to them, anyway. As I already did a pitch for paid subscriptions today, as well as the Ting advertisement, I'll just leave it there with a thank you. And an image of the current snapshot of the spreadsheet that does all the real work of organization. I'm setting up to do this for a very long as there are subscribers willing to pay me to do the work. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

An introspective introductionFor most of the history of this newsletter, the print version has served as the script for the audio version. Both went out at the same time. In the past few months, the two products have diverged but it is my hope to return back to more frequent audio. This particular edition is almost the exact same as the June 11, 2024 newsletter. That's the one that went out late Tuesday about a single topic. That and the 33 minute podcast version are the result of my trip to Champaign-Urbana to follow the Charlottesville City Council on their visit to the Mass Transit District. I've also cross-posted the full article to Information Charlottesville which serves as an archive site for most of the work I do. I estimate this edition took about forty hours of my time not counting the travel time out to Champaign-Urbana. I decided to take the trip because I wanted to go back to Illinois, a place where I spent time as a child. I'd not been back in a very long time and along the way I had an interesting journey that's not germane to Charlottesville Community Engagement. Yet the trip to Champaign-Urbana was very much part of what I've always wanted to do in my time as a journalist. I don't do enough reporting from the field, and I forgot a lot of necessary tricks for audio production, such as make sure you grab enough tone to make it seem like the narration is coming from the scene. This also could have used another edit, but as a one-person operation sometimes you just have to move on. Yesterday I spent about four or five hours or so doing the audio version so I'd have something to air this morning on WTJU. I was glad to spend that much time on something complicated so that doing smaller stories will seem more manageable. A house shout-out: A Thank You to Patreon SupportersIn today's first shout-out, I am shouting out the dozens of people who support Town Crier Productions through Patreon. Over four years ago, I wanted to get back to journalism but did not have deep pockets or a large bank account. I had an idea of what I wanted to do, and decided to put out a digital hat to support my community journalism!And since then, Patreon supporters have provided the bedrock of my finances so that I can continue to go forward in the telling of stories intended to help members of the community understand where we are in a turbulent era of history. This summer I'll be rethinking the various tiers and what people get, but for now I want to encourage others who may not be Patreon supporters to consider doing so. This summer I hope to get the podcast back in line with the newsletter because audio production is a core component of what I hope Town Crier Productions will continue to do. There's a link in the newsletter if you want to sign up! And double thanks to all of those who double-dip with Patreon and Substack support.This one ends as #687AThe only way I can pull off all of this work is to organize as best I can. Or at least pretend to be. Over the years I've added internal numbering to everything I do. I have to keep track of the shout-outs and make sure all stories get from the newsletter to Information Charlottesville. In addition to Patreon, there are hundreds of people who have subscribed here on Substack. Part of today's work is going to be thanking recent subscribers for making the decision to help fund this work. I may also get a good jump start on the Week Ahead and see if I can publish that earlier in the day as I'm doing with the newsletter.I'm grateful to get to keep experimenting and covering as much as I can. I also want to continue exploring different parts of the country and writing about them. There is a lot to learn from similar communities across America and the world and every now and then I'll do something like this edition. Subscribers make it happen, and I appreciate it. If you become a paid subscriber through Substack, Ting will match your initial subscription. That can be at the $5 a month level, the $50 a year level, or the $200 a year level. If you have any questions, drop me a line.Ting can help you with your high speed Internet needs. If service is available in your area and you sign up for service, enter the promo code COMMUNITY and you will get:* Free installation* A second month for free* A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Some time has passed since there was an audio edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a period of time that could be quantified in many ways. Yet, to those who listen at a point way past the one in which these words are written, mere seconds may have passed. This assumes that anyone is listening at all, and we all know what happens then. In this edition:* Charlottesville's Board of Architectural Review takes a first look at UVA's affordable housing project at 10th and Wertland (learn more)* Ridership continues to increase on Virginia's Amtrak routes (learn more)* Four of the five candidates in Fifth District primaries appear at Spring Creek forum (learn more)* A few highlights from the University of Virginia's Board of Visitors as they began their June meeting on Thursday (learn more)* And the UVA Foundation spends $10.5 million for three properties on Arlington Boulevard (learn more) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe

Some time has passed since there was a sonic version of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter that is now only sometimes a podcast, the podcast you are now listening to. That time could be anytime after May 25, 2024 when this edition was updated away from the WTJU Radio Version to something for Substack subscribers who want to hear these stories! I'm Sean Tubbs, and I do, too. In this edition:* Charlottesville transportation planners are seeking to rebuild public trust (learn more)* Transportation planning manager updates Charlottesville City Council on existing projects (learn more)* Charlottesville Area Transit seeks input on a new strategic plan intended to make the service more attractive (learn more)* Regional planners want you to identify unsafe intersections in the region (learn more)* Virginia Breeze to launch new east-west service through Charlottesville  (learn more)* UVA is seeking firms who want to partner on building up to 2,000 beds as part of an initiative to require second-year students to live on Grounds (learn more)First shout out: ReLeaf Cville In today's first subscriber supported public service announcement: ReLeaf Cville exists to reverse a worrying trend. Since 2004, Charlottesville's Tree Canopy has declined from 50 percent to 38 percent. Two-thirds of the city's neighborhoods are below 40 percent. ReLeaf Cville aims to change that through a series of tree plantings, preservation efforts, and education campaigns. ReLeaf is a public / private partnership between the city tree Commission, the Nature Conservancy, City of Promise, Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards, and the Van Yahres Tree Company.  Their efforts are funded through donations so consider making yours today!Sponsored message: Buy Local  Buying locally supports our neighbors and community members and makes a big impact for our local economy. Local businesses are more likely to reinvest in our community and their goods and services contribute to the unique character of our community.Learn more about how you can support local business at ShowLocalLove.org and on social media:* Instagram* Facebook* The website formerly known as TwitterNotes on #681AIt's now been three and a half months since I agreed to do a radio version for WTJU, a decision that forced me to rethink how I do a lot of things. As soon as I agreed to volunteer my time to produce a version for them, I knew I needed to create a way to manage all of the stories. At the beginning of this newsletter back in July 2020, I wasn't tracking any of this. I wasn't even sure what I would be putting together. The first one dates back to July 13, 2020 if you want to hear it. For the first year or so, all I did was put them together and move on. At some point, I began cross-posting stories to the Information Charlottesville website but until I began using this spreadsheet, I wasn't really keeping track of my progress. Up until episode 650 or so, all of these were podcasts. That stopped when I knew I had to better consider the sound quality as some of what I was using sounded awful over the radio. I also realized that sometimes the extra hour of production to create a radio version delayed information I wanted to get out quickly.I miss that twinned era, but I don't think it's going to be coming back anytime soon. I'd like to know what you think of this, though. Please drop me a line, or leave a comment. I want to hear from podcast listeners. There's at least 300 of you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe