OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Meeting - February 18, 2026

Board of Supervisors — Wednesday, February 18, 2026
BodyAlbemarle County, Virginia
SessionBoard of Supervisors
DateWednesday, February 18, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:37:32

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Good afternoon, everyone.

0:01

I call the Almore County Board of Supervisors to order for our February 18th, 2026, 3 p.m.

0:08

meeting here in Lane Arnold Auditorium.

0:11

We do have all members uh here.

0:15

That includes Supervisor Duncan of the Jack Jewett District.

0:19

We have Supervisor Lapisto Kirtley of the Ravana District, Supervisor Missile of the Samuel Miller District, Supervisor Malik of the Whitehall District, Supervisor Pruitt of the Scottsville District, and myself uh Supervisor Galloway of the Rio District.

0:35

Uh a quorum is present for the meeting.

0:37

And we have with us our county attorney, Mr.

0:39

Andy Herc, our county executive, Mr.

0:42

Jeff Richardson, our county clerk, Claudette Borgerson, and our senior deputy clerk, Mr.

0:47

Travis Morris is manning the cameras behind the scenes.

0:52

We are appreciative to have with us our Elmer County Police Department officers, Officer Hunter Harmon and Lieutenant Dana Reeves.

1:00

Thank you both for being here today.

1:03

And if everybody would now please rise as you are able for the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:47

Thank you, everyone.

1:48

Board, we do have an agenda before us.

1:51

Are there any changes or edits to the agenda?

1:56

All right.

1:56

Seeing none, is there a motion to adopt the final agenda?

2:00

So second.

2:01

All right.

2:02

The motion has been made and seconded without objection.

2:04

If the clerk would please call the roll.

2:06

Mr.

2:06

Galloway.

2:07

Yes.

2:08

Ms.

2:08

Lapista Curtley.

2:09

Aye.

2:09

Ms.

2:10

Malik.

2:10

Yes.

2:11

Mr.

2:11

Missile?

2:12

Yes.

2:12

Mr.

2:13

Pruitt.

2:13

Aye.

2:14

Ms.

2:14

Duncan.

2:15

Yes.

2:16

All right.

2:17

Very good.

2:17

Thank you, Board.

2:18

We will now have brief announcements by board members.

2:21

Supervisor Duncan, you're up first today.

2:25

Just the um walk out at Almoral High School on Friday.

2:29

I went down and saw part of it, and so it was just cool to see that many kids exercising their rights.

2:35

But what I really appreciated were all the adults that kind of made it possible and made it safe for them.

2:41

So obviously, you know, the ACPD did a really great job of stopping traffic, but also there were a lot of community adults that kind of walked alongside them.

2:50

And so I really appreciate kind of the community supporting them in doing that.

2:56

Thank you.

2:57

Supervisor Malik.

2:59

Good afternoon.

3:00

I'm just so glad to see the ground.

3:03

Because it has been a really long three weeks without any ground showing.

3:07

And walking with a steep hole in each hand is not a great way to do short.

3:12

But maybe it's my A showing because I'm double test.

3:15

I'm ready for spring.

3:19

But there are many sidewalks still covering.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Economic Development███████████████████19%
Procedural█████████████13%
Community Engagement███████████11%
Public Hearing███████████11%
Fiscal Sustainability██████████10%
Active Transportation███████7%
Transportation Safety██████6%
Public Safety████4%
Public Engagement████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Meeting - February 18, 2026

The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors convened on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at 3:00 PM in Lane Auditorium for a regular meeting. The board heard presentations on the Three Notched Trail Master Plan and the bond issuance process, conducted multiple public hearings on utility easements and a lease agreement, and took action on an AstraZeneca incentive package and a letter to federal representatives regarding immigration enforcement.

Consent Calendar

  • 26-166 Approval of Minutes from May 21 and September 3, 2025.
  • 26-181 Fiscal Year 2026 Appropriations.
  • 26-148 Quarterly Tax Refund Approval Request.
  • 26-168 Schedule a Public Hearing for Conveyance of Utility Easements on County-Owned Parcel.
  • 26-171 Rivanna River Bicycle and Pedestrian Crossing Planning Study - BUILD Application.
  • 26-139 and 26-140 Homestay approvals in Scottsville and Rio Magisterial Districts.
  • All consent items were approved by a unanimous recorded vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Alicia Lenahan (Scottsville District) urged the board to establish policies regarding local law enforcement's response to ICE actions, describing incidents of agents in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles. She called for proactive planning to protect community safety and constitutional rights.
  • Susan McCaulay (Samuel Miller District) echoed the call for clear policies, noting the Charlottesville City Council's resolution and citing Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey's experience. She asked for a plan detailing police actions if resident rights are violated and for a community dialogue to prepare for potential ICE activity.
  • Rebecca Brown (Rio District) requested refinements to the county's housing assistance programs, including predictable waitlist schedules, a mandatory 30-day cure period before removing residents from vouchers, and clear reinstatement pathways, emphasizing the need for preventative infrastructure for vulnerable populations.

Discussion Items

  • Three Notched Trail Master Plan Update (Item 26-174): Deputy Director Kevin McDermott, along with consultants Chris DeWitt (VHB), Amanda Poncey (EPR), and Henry Cohen (Tool Design), presented progress on the shared-use path connecting Charlottesville to the Blue Ridge Tunnel. Community engagement included 530+ attendees at open houses, over 1,000 survey responses, and 4,000+ comments. The team detailed six route zones, with evaluation criteria including connectivity, accessibility, constructibility, user experience, and community support. Board discussion addressed environmental impacts (Supervisor Malik), landowner concerns (over 800 potentially affected parcels), project costs (no estimate yet on property control), potential for donated easements (citing the Harrisonburg Friendly City Trail as an example), and maintenance partnerships. Supervisor Pruitt noted the county's history of resistance to easements and the need for economic development integration.
  • Bond Issuance Process (Item 26-170): Assistant CFO Andy Bowman explained the biennial bond process, with the board expected to authorize up to $95.57 million in incentives for AstraZeneca in March. He reviewed the role of credit rating agencies, the county's AAA rating (held since 2003/2013, only 54 of 3,000+ counties have triple-A across all three agencies), and how debt service (targeting under 10% of operating revenues) affects financial flexibility. Board members asked about refinancing rules (typically bonds at least 10 years old) and the distinction between general obligation bonds and the current issuance.
  • AstraZeneca Incentives Resolution (Item 26-183): Economic Development Director Emily Kilroy presented the final details of the project, which will bring 600 direct jobs with a minimum salary of $125,000 to the Rivanna Futures site. The resolution authorizes up to $95.57 million in incentives over 25 years, leveraging $31 million in state funds and $12 million from AstraZeneca for road extension (Boulders Road). Total projected county revenue from the project over 25 years is approximately $79 million (based on real property, machinery and tools, and business personal property taxes). The board approved the resolution unanimously.
  • Letter to Federal Delegation (Item 26-179): Chair Gallaway read a draft letter addressed to Senators Warner, Kaine, and Representative McGuire expressing the board's commitment to lawful immigration enforcement while urging legislation to require ICE agents to display agency name, officer name, and unique identifier, and to prohibit face coverings during enforcement. The letter supports local police policies on de-escalation and body-worn cameras. The board voted unanimously to authorize the chair to deliver the letter during the upcoming NACo legislative conference.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: All consent agenda items (recorded vote, 6-0).
  • Approved: Resolution to convey a utility easement to Appalachian Power at Walnut Creek Park (Item 26-165), for $1,500 one-time revenue to improve cell service at the park (recorded vote, 6-0).
  • Approved: Utility easements across county-owned parcel 09100-00-00-002E0 (Item 26-150) for Dominion Power and Brightspeed, supporting the new upper elementary school at Founders Place. Easements are non-exclusive and include a license use area to allow future fire station expansion (recorded vote, 6-0).
  • Approved: Lease of office space at Yancey Community Center to Health Equity and Access in Rural Regions (HEARR) (Item 26-149). HEARR will use a renovated classroom trailer at no cost, consistent with the 2018 use framework (recorded vote, 6-0).
  • Approved: Utility easements on Colonnade Drive (Item 26-173) for the Skyline Ridge apartments, requiring a public hearing due to the road's private maintenance status (recorded vote, 6-0).
  • Approved: Resolution authorizing development grant agreements and a directed funds agreement with VDOT for the AstraZeneca project (recorded vote, 6-0).
  • Approved: Motion to certify the closed meetings (both sessions) as compliant with FOIA exemptions (recorded votes, 6-0).
  • Upcoming: County executive's budget presentation on February 25, 2026, at noon in Room 241.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon, everyone. I call the Almore County Board of Supervisors to order for our February 18th, 2026, 3 p.m. meeting here in Lane Arnold Auditorium. We do have all members uh here. That includes Supervisor Duncan of the Jack Jewett District. We have Supervisor Lapisto Kirtley of the Ravana District, Supervisor Missile of the Samuel Miller District, Supervisor Malik of the Whitehall District, Supervisor Pruitt of the Scottsville District, and myself uh Supervisor Galloway of the Rio District. Uh a quorum is present for the meeting. And we have with us our county attorney, Mr. Andy Herc, our county executive, Mr. Jeff Richardson, our county clerk, Claudette Borgerson, and our senior deputy clerk, Mr. Travis Morris is manning the cameras behind the scenes. We are appreciative to have with us our Elmer County Police Department officers, Officer Hunter Harmon and Lieutenant Dana Reeves. Thank you both for being here today. And if everybody would now please rise as you are able for the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you, everyone. Board, we do have an agenda before us. Are there any changes or edits to the agenda? All right. Seeing none, is there a motion to adopt the final agenda? So second. All right. The motion has been made and seconded without objection. If the clerk would please call the roll. Mr. Galloway. Yes. Ms. Lapista Curtley. Aye. Ms. Malik. Yes. Mr. Missile? Yes. Mr. Pruitt. Aye. Ms. Duncan. Yes. All right. Very good. Thank you, Board. We will now have brief announcements by board members. Supervisor Duncan, you're up first today. Just the um walk out at Almoral High School on Friday. I went down and saw part of it, and so it was just cool to see that many kids exercising their rights. But what I really appreciated were all the adults that kind of made it possible and made it safe for them. So obviously, you know, the ACPD did a really great job of stopping traffic, but also there were a lot of community adults that kind of walked alongside them.

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