Charlottesville City Council and Albemarle County Board of Supervisors Joint Meeting - October 9, 2026

Note on Date: The raw transcript of this meeting indicates it occurred on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 6 PM. The meeting summary below adheres to the specified reporting date of October 9, 2026, as provided in the official meeting record request. The discrepancy between the transcript date and the record date is noted for transparency.

Consent Calendar

• A motion to approve Vice Mayor Oshran's electronic participation due to illness was passed unanimously. No other items were addressed on a consent calendar.

County and City Manager Reports

• County Executive Jeff Richardson highlighted a successful two-day benchmarking visit from the Greater Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber, noting the region's strong collaboration. He pointed to the alignment of upcoming strategic plans for the city, county, and UVA as a key opportunity for deeper partnership.
• City Manager Sam Sanders presented the FY26 Revenue Sharing Report, indicating $20,175,533 was received from the county, with $11.5 million allocated to the city's operating budget and $8.6 million to the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). He detailed the mutual benefits in parks, transportation, and public safety. He also noted the city is developing its first strategic plan since 2018.

University of Virginia Update

• JJ Davis reviewed UVA's strategic planning, its Pipelines & Pathways program (500 local residents employed), and a new child care center funded by a $43 million gift. He highlighted major capital projects, including the $380 million Manning Institute for biotech and the $205 million Center for the Arts, supported by a $130 million gift from the Ader family.

Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT) Four-Year Plan

• Garland, Director of Transit, presented a four-year plan focusing on increasing operator counts (76 in Year 1) and frequency. Year 1 priorities include 15-minute peak service on Route 7 starting October 26 and Route 5 improvements in February 2027.
• STIC Funding: Garland proposed utilizing federal Small Transit Intensive City (STIC) funding by pairing CAT data with UVA's transit system through voluntary reporting, unlocking an estimated $500,000 annually.
• Discussion:
  • Supervisor Malik asked about hospital connectivity (goal: midnight service).
  • Chair Galloway asked about hiring; Garland reported 69 active operators with 7 offers pending.
  • Councilor Smith asked about fuel costs (rose from $2.35 to $5.85) and EV buses (2 operational, 2 on order).
  • Councilor Payne asked about funding for future plan years, noting only Year 1 is fully funded in the current budget cycle.
  • Councilor Fleisha asked about on-time performance (currently 67%, goal is high 80%).
  • Councilor Smith asked about route alignment adaptation for future developments (e.g., AstraZeneca, Manning Institute).

Homelessness Intervention Presentation

• Deputy City Manager Sam Roman and Misty (Director of Human Services) detailed the city's holistic approach.
• Holiday Drive Shelter: A 27,000 sq ft, 24/7 emergency shelter now operational, averaging 70 guests per night, with positive exits to treatment and permanent housing.
• Regional Outreach: The city is adding 3 staff; Albemarle is adding 2 staff.
• Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH):
  • Kaki Demick (Albemarle County) presented Vista 29, an 80-unit PSH project opening in December/January.
  • 67 units are reserved for people experiencing chronic homelessness, funded by county project-based vouchers.
  • The $26 million project is a collaborative achievement.
• Discussion:
  • Councilor Smith praised the city's operational response.
  • Councilor Payne raised concerns about a non-regional approach to vouchers potentially re-entrenching segregation, as the city is statistically poorer and Blacker than the county. He advocated for a regional strategy.
  • Chair Galloway questioned capacity; Demick noted the need for resources across the housing continuum.

LUPEC Land Use Report

• Jeffrey Dumars, Chair of the Land Use and Environmental Planning Committee (LUPEC), outlined its role in staff-level coordination of capital projects and land use planning between the city, county, and UVA.
• Discussion:
  • Councilor Payne criticized the committee's lack of public access and transparent summaries, making it difficult for elected officials and the community to engage.
  • JJ Davis noted UVA staff are accessible.
  • Councilor Smith suggested a formal "Town and Gown" committee to improve structured dialogue with UVA.
  • Councilor Payne and Chair Galloway agreed that improving information sharing between the entities' planning cycles is a critical need.

Revenue Sharing and Regional Governance Discussion

• Revenue Sharing: A county representative characterized the revenue sharing agreement as potentially reaching "absurd levels" due to the county's higher growth potential, constraining investment in shared priorities like housing. They proposed the city consider a "voluntary hard cap" on future payments.
• Transit Authority (CARTA): Councilor Payne described the current transit governance as lacking shared authority, and identified a true regional transit authority as his preferred solution. City Manager Sanders confirmed executive-level conversations on CARTA have been initiated.
• Housing Density: Vice Mayor Oshran noted Charlottesville has the second-highest daytime-to-nighttime population differential in the U.S. and urged the county to increase density in the urban ring to support transit-oriented growth.

Key Outcomes

• Votes: The meeting began with a unanimous vote to approve Vice Mayor Oshran's electronic participation and concluded with a vote to adjourn.
• Meeting Cadence: Strong consensus emerged on resuming annual joint meetings, with the city manager and county executive tasked to schedule the next one.
• Next Steps:
  • UVA and CAT will continue exploring voluntary transit data reporting.
  • Staff-level discussions on CARTA governance will accelerate.
  • The county's proposal regarding a voluntary hard cap on revenue sharing was introduced for future dialogue.