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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Joint Meeting of Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and Charlottesville City Council - September 17, 2024

Board of Supervisors — Tuesday, September 17, 2024

BodyAlbemarle County, Virginia

SessionBoard of Supervisors

DateTuesday, September 17, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:58:55

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:08

I'm pleased to call to order the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors joint meeting here with the Charlottesville City Council.

0:14

I look around and I see that all six supervisors are present.

0:17

So the quorum is present.

0:19

I'll turn it over to uh the mayor uh to uh call his meeting to order before we do introductions.

0:25

Thank you.

0:26

I call the city of Charlottesville um City Council meeting to order, and all five are present and accounting for.

0:32

Thank you, Mayor.

0:33

Um before we start, I think we should just go around the table and say who we are and and our roles so everyone not only at the table but watching knows.

0:42

Uh and if it's all right, we'll start at this end.

0:45

Is that right?

0:46

Yes.

0:46

Okay.

0:46

I'm Chip Richardson, and I'm the county executive for Almore County.

0:50

I'm Sam Sanders, City Manager for the City of Charlottesville.

0:53

Ned Galloway Supervisor for the Rio District in Alabama.

0:56

Lloyd Snook, City Council.

0:57

Supporting in progress.

0:58

Ann Malling, representing the Whitehall District in Alba.

1:02

Michael King, Charlotteville City Council.

1:04

Diantha McKeo, representing the Jack Jewett Magisterial District in Omaha County.

1:09

Jim Andrews, representing the Samuel Miller District in Almore County.

1:12

Juan Diego Wade representing the city of Charlottesville.

1:16

Brian Pinkston representing the City of Charlottesville.

1:19

Mike Pruitt, Almoral County Supervisor, representing the Scottsville District.

1:23

Natalie Oshman, Charlottesville City Council.

1:26

Mean Le Pisto Kurtley, Abamoral Supervisor from the Rivana District.

1:32

James Friese, Deputy City Manager for Operations for the City of Charlottesville.

1:36

Ian Will and Deputy County Executive Alan McCarthy.

1:40

Thank you.

1:45

Good evening.

1:45

Alice Rocher, Architect for the University of Virginia.

1:50

Good evening, Jody Fillardo Community Development and Director.

1:56

I'm Lauren Hiltrand, I'm the Director of Utilities for the City of Charlottesville.

2:01

I'm Ben Chambers, Transportation Planning Manager for the City of Charlottesville.

2:05

Thank you.

2:08

I've got to mention that also we have with us our Interim County Attorney, Mr.

2:14

Andy Herrick, our board clerk, Claudette Borgerson.

2:19

And Madam Clerk, Keena Thomas.

2:23

And also pleased to say we have Lieutenant Angela Jamerson and Master Police Officer Dana Reeves from the Almaw County Police Force here.

2:35

And thank you for your service today, tonight, and uh every day on behalf of the people here.

2:43

I also attention to uh welcoming call it Ching, the uh uh Senior Vice President for Operations and State Government Board.

2:53

Thank you for being and I'm sure there'll be others that will be introduced as we proceed.

3:00

Uh but I'll turn to uh over to the mayor for opening remarks.

3:03

Yes, um, first of all, um we would like to thank the county for hosting um this gathering.

3:10

It's been I guess four or five years since we've done it, and I think it's really important that we get together to talk about what we um have in common and how we can move forward together.

3:20

We do a lot of this um at the staff level and and at the elected official level.

3:25

I'm just thinking about the last 24 hours had the last 30 minutes I had a meeting with Ann Workforce meeting and last night.

3:32

Um Ms.

3:33

B and I were able to um welcome what 70 to 80 um tourism people along the whole um um capital region to our area, Mount Auto.

3:44

And so we are doing things together every day.

3:48

Um and it um and so we always we're doing a lot of things already, and but it's good for the public to do it, but to get everyone in the room together, and by the way, to get 11 schedules together and staff, that took a lot of work.

4:04

So thank um Sam and Jeff.

4:07

I know that it took a lot to get to make this happen.

4:10

So thank everyone staff for making this happen.

4:13

So we're looking forward to to this um dialogue um and how we can continue to work together and how we can move forward together.

4:21

And so um, thank you.

4:23

Uh quick side, uh, it was a planner for the county for 20 years, and this used to be where the board of supervisors met.

4:31

And as a transportation plan, I presented many a time as usually said right there when I present it.

4:37

And so um it's set up different now, so it's good good to be back in different capacities.

4:41

So thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Transportation██████████████████████████████████████38%

Community Engagement███████████████████19%

Strategic Planning███████7%

Land Use Planning██████6%

Public Engagement██████6%

Transportation Safety█████5%

Environmental Protection████4%

Public Safety███3%

Solar Energy Development███3%

Summary of Proceedings

Joint Meeting of Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and Charlottesville City Council - September 17, 2024

This joint meeting brought together the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors and the Charlottesville City Council to discuss ongoing partnerships, revenue sharing, land use planning, regional transit, and a site visit to a transit district in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. The meeting highlighted the importance of regional collaboration among the city, county, and the University of Virginia.

Discussion Items

Revenue Sharing and Partnership List

City Manager Sam Sanders and County Executive Jeff Richardson presented the FY24 revenue sharing report, noting that $15 million was allocated to parks, transportation, court services, public safety, housing, workforce programs, and landfill/recycling. The city also exceeded mutual benefit investments by an additional $5 million. The partnership list was praised as a comprehensive catalogue of joint projects, including co-responder models for community safety, emergency management, and transportation planning. Richardson emphasized that partnerships maximize shared service delivery at the lowest possible cost, and that the city and county now have the highest level of trust and collaboration in years.

Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee (LUEPC) Report

Alice Raucher, University Architect, presented the LUEPC report. She explained that the committee, formed in 2019 from the former Planning and Coordination Council, includes representatives from the city, county, UVA, the University of Virginia Foundation, the Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority, and quarterly VDOT participation. The committee shifted from generic updates to theme-based conversations, such as infrastructure coordination on Fontaine Avenue, where multiple projects (including UVA’s research park, RWSA’s water line, and city streetscape improvements) were aligned to avoid conflicts. The committee’s meetings are now in-person quarterly, and minutes are posted online.

Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Update

Ann Wall, Deputy County Executive, and Ben Chambers, Transit Planning Manager, reviewed the history of regional transit governance, dating back to 2008 studies. The 2024 transit governance study recommended enacting the existing CARTA (Charlottesville Albemarle Regional Transit Authority) legislation. The proposed RTA would serve as a collaborative forum for planning, funding, and advocacy. Bylaws have been drafted, allowing the city and county as initial voting members, with surrounding counties (Louisa, Fluvanna, Greene, Nelson) able to join as voting members, and non-voting members for UVA, transit agencies, and TJPDC. The RTA would focus on planning, short-term improvements, and seeking dedicated state funding. The Regional Transit Partnership unanimously endorsed moving forward. Councilors and supervisors discussed the need for UVA participation, potential revenue sources (e.g., gas tax), and the importance of engaging rural counties early. The group agreed to start legislative advocacy with the General Assembly.

Champaign-Urbana, Illinois Mass Transit District Site Visit

Garland Williams, CAT Transit Director, reported on a trip to observe the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD), which uses hydrogen fuel cell buses. The trip included elected officials and staff. MTD has 114 buses, 12 hydrogen fuel cell buses, and produces 420 kg of hydrogen daily. They are transitioning to a mix of hydrogen and battery electric buses, with a goal of zero emissions by 2040. The visit highlighted that hydrogen technology is viable, though infrastructure costs are high. CAT plans to explore hydrogen adoption, potentially becoming the first transit agency in Virginia to do so. The group noted that MTD’s partnership with the University of Illinois was transformative, nearly doubling ridership. This sparked discussion about pursuing a similar collaboration with UVA.

Key Outcomes

Revenue Sharing: The report was accepted with appreciation for increased transparency.
Partnerships: Both bodies affirmed the strong working relationship and directed staff to continue deepening collaboration.
Regional Transit Authority: The boards expressed support for forming CARTA, with the city and county as initial members. Staff were asked to bring back formal resolutions for approval. The group also committed to working with local legislators to secure dedicated funding.
Champaign-Urbana Visit: The findings were well-received, and CAT will include hydrogen in its future fleet plan. A follow-up trip in October will include representatives from the city, county, school systems, and UVA.
Broader Regional Partnership: After discussion of the Blacksburg/Virginia Tech model, the boards directed staff to explore deeper, more formal cooperation with the University of Virginia, including a potential structural framework for planning and investment. This will be pursued as a priority alongside the RTA.
Future Meetings: The joint meeting is expected to occur more regularly, with the next one likely before the end of 2024.

Meeting Transcript

I'm pleased to call to order the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors joint meeting here with the Charlottesville City Council. I look around and I see that all six supervisors are present. So the quorum is present. I'll turn it over to uh the mayor uh to uh call his meeting to order before we do introductions. Thank you. I call the city of Charlottesville um City Council meeting to order, and all five are present and accounting for. Thank you, Mayor. Um before we start, I think we should just go around the table and say who we are and and our roles so everyone not only at the table but watching knows. Uh and if it's all right, we'll start at this end. Is that right? Yes. Okay. I'm Chip Richardson, and I'm the county executive for Almore County. I'm Sam Sanders, City Manager for the City of Charlottesville. Ned Galloway Supervisor for the Rio District in Alabama. Lloyd Snook, City Council. Supporting in progress. Ann Malling, representing the Whitehall District in Alba. Michael King, Charlotteville City Council. Diantha McKeo, representing the Jack Jewett Magisterial District in Omaha County. Jim Andrews, representing the Samuel Miller District in Almore County. Juan Diego Wade representing the city of Charlottesville. Brian Pinkston representing the City of Charlottesville. Mike Pruitt, Almoral County Supervisor, representing the Scottsville District. Natalie Oshman, Charlottesville City Council. Mean Le Pisto Kurtley, Abamoral Supervisor from the Rivana District. James Friese, Deputy City Manager for Operations for the City of Charlottesville. Ian Will and Deputy County Executive Alan McCarthy. Thank you. Good evening. Alice Rocher, Architect for the University of Virginia. Good evening, Jody Fillardo Community Development and Director. I'm Lauren Hiltrand, I'm the Director of Utilities for the City of Charlottesville. I'm Ben Chambers, Transportation Planning Manager for the City of Charlottesville. Thank you. I've got to mention that also we have with us our Interim County Attorney, Mr. Andy Herrick, our board clerk, Claudette Borgerson. And Madam Clerk, Keena Thomas. And also pleased to say we have Lieutenant Angela Jamerson and Master Police Officer Dana Reeves from the Almaw County Police Force here. And thank you for your service today, tonight, and uh every day on behalf of the people here. I also attention to uh welcoming call it Ching, the uh uh Senior Vice President for Operations and State Government Board. Thank you for being and I'm sure there'll be others that will be introduced as we proceed. Uh but I'll turn to uh over to the mayor for opening remarks. Yes, um, first of all, um we would like to thank the county for hosting um this gathering. It's been I guess four or five years since we've done it, and I think it's really important that we get together to talk about what we um have in common and how we can move forward together. We do a lot of this um at the staff level and and at the elected official level. I'm just thinking about the last 24 hours had the last 30 minutes I had a meeting with Ann Workforce meeting and last night. Um Ms. B and I were able to um welcome what 70 to 80 um tourism people along the whole um um capital region to our area, Mount Auto. And so we are doing things together every day.

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