Board of Supervisors Regular Second Meeting   7/16/2025

I am pleased to call to order this meeting of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors on the 16th of July at 1 p.m.

in Lane Auditorium of the McIntyre Office Building.

I'd like to note at the dais we have Supervisor Ann Mallek of the White Hall District, Supervisor Ned Galloway of the Rio District,

Supervisor Diantha McKeel of the Jack Jouett District, Supervisor Bea LaPisto-Kirtley of the Rivanna District, Supervisor Mike Pruitt of the Scottsville District, and myself, Jim Andrews, representing the Samuel Miller District.

A quorum is present.

We're also joined by our county attorney, Mr. Andy Herrick, and our clerk, Ms.

Claudette Borgerson, and senior deputy clerk, Travis Morris.

I believe others will be joining us shortly.

Also, let me please welcome Albemarle County Police Officers present.

Master Police Officers Ronald Vandiver and Dana Reeves, welcome.

Thank you.

Board, as always, our first action is to adopt the final agenda and I have not heard of any recommendations for any changes.

We have a motion from Supervisor Mallek, second from Supervisor McKeel.

Mr. Andrews?

Yes.

Ms.

LaPisto-Kirtley?

Aye.

Ms.

Mallek?

Yes.

Ms.

McKeel?

Yes.

Mr. Pruitt?

Yes, just one very short thing, since the Department of Elections page is not loading on my computer.

Someone else could hit that one, but we do of course have elections that are always coming up in Virginia, so make sure you're checking to see when that is going to come up, and maybe one of my peers can get the page to load, because I can't.

Give me those exact dates.

And as one other thing, this board is just coming back from a brief summer vacation.

We had our first meeting in July off.

I imagine a lot of other members of the community are coming back from summer vacation.

During this time where we're talking about summer vacation, I hope we're also being conscious of summer heat.

It is a time where it is often quite dangerous to be outside.

So please exercise reasonable judgment.

But also, I want to just flag this.

It is sometimes dangerous to be inside.

This is a climate strain that we're monitoring, I think, at the board level in our comprehensive climate strategy and something that affects people individually, which is that

increased heat

That is a health and safety issue that is likely in violation of your lease and that is something you have a right to address urgently on.

So I would just say for the public always remember that you have a right to cooling in your home and if you are not getting the satisfaction you need from your landlord that is something you should be bringing to their attention and working with various legal services organizations such as Legal Aid Justice Center and Central Virginia Legal Aid.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So the biggest announcement is that many members from Virginia were present at the National Association of Counties meeting, and I will, when I get them, share links to lots of really informative presentations to everybody, but I did want to announce just a couple of things.

My committees are Energy, Environment, and Land Use, Natural Disaster Task Force, Arts and Culture, and Veterans and Military Services.

and just some topics that people can be watching for at the federal level.

The EELU debate centered around water quality and the need for federal policies to prevent contamination from occurring and stopping the production of the PFAS family of chemicals in order to begin to remove it from water, wastewater and consumer products once and for all.

If we don't stop the production, then we'll never get ahead of cleaning anything up.

There's lots of discussion for SMRs or small modular reactors to provide sufficient power for data centers.

There is general outrage from representatives all across the country about the tripling of demand on the electric grid nationally for private profit.

and Ray Payer Expense from data centers.

Socializing the risk is happening everywhere and people are very, very concerned.

There's equal concern about the loss of agricultural land and food production, especially food production close to home to maintain local food availability and avoid the repeats of the supply chain issues that we're seeing during COVID.

You can imagine that the Texas floods were on everyone's mind, especially in the Natural Disaster Task Force where the meeting attendees were five times more than they were in February.

Takeaways, especially from the Natural Hazard Task Force and the former head of FEMA who spoke to us.

The county is ahead on many of these issues because of our thoughtful staff work and emergency preparedness.

Planning ahead, blue sky conversations is what they talk about when you are making plans for how you're going to solve problems before the rain even comes.

I know we've heard lots about tabletop exercises, but there's no time to figure things out after disaster strikes.

And communications are essential.

Use every mode, every time, not just social media and only for certain things, but

alert people of areas to stay away if there's a public safety danger.

Use radio, use everything, not just one, because there are so many different ways that people can get information if they know where to look.

Take that pre-disaster time to educate residents about the essential nature of the alert system.

There's still many people in Albemarle who are not signed up for the CUA alerts, and they need to do that.

Radio is essential as cell phones and internet often are the first things to go down when these happen.

Local governments need to respect floodplains and floodways.

Old protections from 10 years ago are no longer good enough to save people's lives.

Avoid giving waivers from safety rules.

Invest in river gauges and early warning technology, and get them installed in advance to learn how to read the data.

To have registrations for all present in high-risk locations.

Some campgrounds and RV parks in Texas had no idea who was there, how many people were there, and therefore they have no idea how many people were lost or are still missing.

There's much counties can do in advance during that blue sky stage to arrange pre-contracts for aspects of recovery, such as debris cleanup, provision of shelters, food suppliers for those who might be displaced.

So we all have a lot to do always, but we have a lot more to do now and to think about and get good ideas from our community as we go along.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I too attended the NACo, the National Association of Counties annual conference.

They did have, it's NACo at 90.

The organization's been in place for 90 years.

I'll have this behind me if you all want to just take a peek.

It kind of gives a brief history of it.

community economic development and workforce committee and 18 resolutions passed out of this committee for advocacy at the federal level and not to go into all of them but it was an interesting mix of

of what all counties supported in those resolutions, support for not just home, support for individuals experiencing homelessness, but also ways to get permanent affordable housing in place, workforce, modernizing the Workforce Modernization Act that's going to help those who are in the country illegally gain access to legal means to become legal citizens,

and joined the workforce.

And then also hitting on the economic elements that help not just protect local control but understand the importance of small business and local economies to the overall health and vitality of everybody that lives in a community.

So it was an interesting mix of different things that truly hit the three items that that committee serves on.

So it was nice to see those resolutions.

passing with support by all counties around the country and calling on Congress to get to work and do some meaningful work on those types of topics.

Thank you.

Professor McKeel.

Yes, thank you.

I see a theme here today, especially with climate, probably because of our current climate challenges, rain, heat, storms,

Lightning Strikes, it goes on.

So I just wanted to share that I happened to subscribe to the New York Times.

I don't know how many people subscribe.

But the Sunday, July 13th edition had an absolutely wonderful insert about climate and really down-to-earth information

that is, I think, excellent for homeowners, for residents.

And Jeff, I'm going to give you this copy because, of course, I only have one copy.

But if you could share it with the right person on our staff, I know that

much of what's probably in here staff already knows but there may be some nuggets that they could pull out because it really is a very informative document insert in the newspaper so I'll give that to you a little bit later but I think it really does it's important for all of us to be thinking about as Ann and Mike have said weather conditions rainstorms I think

Thank you very much.

Something that is very dreaded is now surfacing throughout, well, I don't know if it's throughout Albemarle County, but definitely around Albemarle County, and that's the spotted lanternfly.

So that has already been relayed to me in several areas where this is now being seen.

And I would encourage everybody, if they

see the spotted lanternfly, frankly to put an end to its existence.

Also, there's a website you can go to, abbemarle.org forward slash lanternfly to learn more about the spotted lanternfly, which is an invasive bug

The second thing,

The Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau welcomes thousands of visitors to the region each year from all over the world who are seeking a variety of unique experiences in history, food, wine, spirits, and adventure.

serves as the global resource for marketing the tourism assets of the city of Charlottesville and Albemarle County and assists tour operators, meeting planners, and other groups in planning visits to the destination.

The CACBB's mission is to enhance the economic prosperity of the people of

the City and County by promoting, selling and marketing the area as a destination in pursuit of the meetings and tourism markets.

So with that, the month of July, they are having a

Defining Us, a regional identity workshops.

There's a schedule for that in July.

There are four in-person sessions being held in White Hall, Charlottesville, Samuel Miller, and the Rivanna districts.

You can learn more by going online.

Spell it all out.

Each word has a, the beginning of the word has a capital.

WeCUCville.org.

and then attend in person.

There are also two virtual sessions.

So I encourage people to get involved.

Let them know why we are so great.

This brings in, if I remember correctly, I'm thinking like $200 million a year visitors spend in Albemarle County in this area.

So this is something very important to our economy.

Thank you.

And I appreciate all the comments made today, in particular about the connections between today's meeting and climate, and issues relating to resiliency as well as offsetting inputs.

So with that, I did just get back from getting away for a little bit, and apparently there was a lot of rain in New York.

And there was also a rain sporadically here, so our rain gauge was totally full and the driveway washed out.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I move this resolution recognizing Colonel Eric Haas.

Whereas Colonel Eric Haas, a native of Williamsburg, Virginia, and a graduate of the College of William & Mary, was commissioned as a military intelligence leader as a second lieutenant in 1999 and has served his country with distinction since his commissioning.

and whereas Colonel Eric Haase assumed command of the National Ground Intelligence Center, NGIC, in Charlottesville, Virginia in July 2023, overseeing the day-to-day operations of INJIC, whose mission includes the production of scientific and technical intelligence and military capabilities analysis on foreign ground forces required by warfighting commanders, the force modernization and research and development communities, Department of Defense, and national policy makers.

and whereas Colonel Eric Haas during his tenure at NJIC has been instrumental in supporting the significant expansion of NJIC by the ongoing construction of an 80,800 square foot addition and multi-level 150,000 square foot parking garage at NJIC scheduled to open later this year.

and whereas Colonel Eric Haas has been a key partner to Albemarle County staff and the Board of Supervisors in improving regional collaboration to include partnering with Albemarle County public safety leadership to coordinate emergency responses to Rivanna Station.

The Albemarle County's Executive and Economic Development Office in supporting the development of Rivanna Futures

and finally has answered the call in many ways to publicly represent the military at various regional events and has served as a role model of partnership overall within the community.

Now therefore be it resolved that we the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors do hereby honor and commend Colonel Eric Haas for his years of service to our county and to the residents of Albemarle County and wish him well in his next duty assignment at Fort Bragg.

Second.

We have a motion from Supervisor Malek, second from Supervisor McKeel.

Mr. Andrews?

Yes.

Mr. Galloway?

Yes.

Ms.

LaPisto-Kirtley?

Aye.

Ms.

Malek?

Yes.

Ms.

McKeel?

Yes.

Thank you, and I believe Mr. Henry will introduce Colonel Haas and say a few words before we say a few words.

Thank you.

Chair Andrews, members of the board, Trevor Henry, deputy county executive.

As part of my role in the exec's office, I've been able to work with military and veterans in our community, and it's my distinct pleasure and honor to introduce Colonel Eric Haas.

I think the proclamation stands on its own, but I just want to publicly thank the good colonel

for his true partnership with Almore County over the past two years.

the relationship of support and coordination between Elmore County local government and Robanna Station is at an all-time high in all aspects of our work.

And it's his leadership, I think, that has directly allowed that to happen.

He promises that he has done a great turnover to his relief and that we'll continue that relationship.

And also, I think it's worth noting that his wife, Colonel Erica Hawes, in the

Erica, in the Air Force.

They will both be stationed at Fort Bragg.

So they'll be able to be rejoined for the first time in four years.

And so I will turn the mic over to Colonel Haas.

But before I do, I want to also just note that in the tradition of the military and public safety, when you have a hail and farewell, the tradition is to exchange a challenge coin.

Albemarle County created this similar process a few years ago.

We have a coin that has our values on the one side.

Standing before you today, I'm filled with a profound sense of gratitude and humility.

To be recognized by the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors for my service as the commander of our National Ground Intelligence Center is both an immense honor and deeply meaningful event for me personally.

Again, both having been

Here is a small child from up through kindergarten in Charlottesville but then back as the commander of the National Ground Intelligence Center.

I don't think that young child who attended Johnson Elementary School would believe the path that led him here but again just the honor that the board has given to be really to the workforce at the National Ground Intelligence Center.

So thank you so much.

I'm incredibly grateful to the National Ground Intelligence Center staff and analysts.

the unsung heroes who labor in the background piecing together information and drawing insights from complexity that really helps provide our military and national leaders the intelligence they need to make informed decisions.

To the Board of Supervisors and citizens of Albemarle County, I extend my deepest appreciation.

Your support of inject has fostered an environment in which our mission can thrive.

The Rivanna Futures Project is a generational investment that will increase the economic resiliency of the region while ensuring the Central Virginia corridor maintains its unique character and charms.

There is nothing more inspiring than being here under the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains and knowing that we are part of this vibrant community.

INJIC is not an isolated entity.

I think that is really what makes us unique.

Unlike most other military installations that tend to be a very tightly controlled gated community, we are part of the community.

Our children attend local schools, we shop in the stores, and we invest in the well-being, and the prosperity of Albemarle County is inherently the prosperity for all of us.

When NJIC accomplishes its mission, it's because of the solid foundation provided by this community, which values service, integrity, and pursuit of excellence.

Let me also take a moment to acknowledge the broader community of public servants, those in uniform, police, fire, as well as those in civilian roles, who work tirelessly and often without recognition to make Albemarle County and our nation a better, safer place.

I truly have enjoyed working with Mr. Richardson, Mr. Henry, Ms.

Kilroy, definitely you all for all the events that you have come both to Rivanna Station at as well as having both the proclamation for Veterans Day and then today as well that just allows us to highlight the incredible work done by the folks at the National Ground Intelligence Center.

So thank you again.

I truly am deeply humbled and honored and

Thank you to the support to the community that you all have provided.

It's been a privilege to serve.

I am truly thankful to be a member of Albemarle County and really look forward at the end of my time in service to being back and even more working in the area.

Thank you.

Just remain for a moment.

I'll call on the supervisors to express their gratitude.

Thank you so much.

You know, we had a few months ago, we had a bunch of new enlistees who were here celebrating and honoring their new enlistment.

each of them

through what is probably one of the most, I think, periods of greatest engagement in quite a while.

There's a lot of tremendous changes that are going to really reshape this county that you inherited a command right as it was going to be at the heart of all those challenges and opportunities coming toward them.

And I think you have worked with us and led your team with grace and aplomb.

So thank you so much for being a game and willing and capable partner.

Thank you.

Well, I'm so glad you're coming back after Fort Bragg.

That's always my first question when I go to a change of command is, are you keeping your house?

Because that's really important to us.

Because the members of your injured community are such an important part of our community and such valued friends and neighbors.

One of my neighbors and longtime colleagues in the Earliesville Area Residence League never really told me what he did for his job.

And when I was touring with Steve Hood in 2008, there comes Eric walking down the hall.

And I went, what do you do?

You work here?

And he said, yeah.

So that is the kind of quiet work that you do.

But thank you so much.

And we'll look forward to seeing you again soon.

Thank you.

Colonel Haas, I've joined my peers in expressing my sincere appreciation to you for your service and your expertise and especially your partnership during what has been mentioned as a very transformational time for us in an economic development arena in Rivanna Station.

My only regret is that you've only been able to be with us for two years.

I guess I have to fault the military for that, but they've got their purposes and their approach, I suppose.

But we'll be looking forward to when you get to rejoin our community after your next assignment.

Thank you.

Supervisor McKeel?

As the other board members have said, thank you for your service to our community and to the state and the country.

You really do have deep roots, though, in this community, as well as Virginia.

And we will look forward to you coming back.

and I'll bet when you come back, if you get bored, we will have some opportunities for you to help the county out in a further way.

Make sure that you give your successor a binder of information on, as Trevor alluded to, right?

We would like him to be very informed as he comes in, or she, yes.

Thank you very much and we look forward to seeing you again.

Thank you.

So very, very proud that you're in Rivanna Station, which is so extremely important to all of us, our community, and that you're returning.

And no one mentioned it, but I just want you all to know that he's coming back and living in the Rivanna District.

FYI, you know, that's extremely important.

So it's probably why what brought him back here.

Also, your education that started here in kindergarten.

Excellent education.

Started you on a career path that is very enviable.

So, shout out to our schools.

for doing that.

Also, just wanted to say that we're very, very, once again, very proud that you're coming back.

And what you've done and worked with us this past year, especially with Mr. Henry, that's fantastic.

We just really appreciate that and look forward to having you back again.

And I'll just add my appreciation for all that you've done and second the comments of the fellow supervisors.

Supervisor Mallek has the actual resolution to hand to you, but in the meantime, I think we all would like a round of applause for the work you've done and for your service.

Well, Board, this brings us to public comment on matters previously considered or currently pending before the Board, other than scheduled for public hearings.

I will.

During the time set aside for public comment on matters previously considered or currently pending before the Board, other than scheduled public hearings, individuals may address the Board of Supervisors.

Individuals are allowed one opportunity of up to three minutes to speak at each board meeting.

A sign-up sheet is managed by the clerk's office.

Timekeeping is conducted through a timer and light system at the podium.

The green light will go on when you begin speaking, which begins your allotted time.

The yellow light indicates you have one minute to finish speaking.

The red light indicates your time has expired and you will be asked to end your comments.

In order to give all speakers equal treatment and courtesy, the board requests that speakers adhere to the following guidelines.

When addressing the board, state your name and if you live in Albemarle County, your magisterial district.

Address comments directly to the board as a whole.

Any written statements or other supporting material may be given to the clerk.

If representing a group or organization, you may ask others present to raise their hand in recognition.

Speakers may not share any unused time with another speaker.

Back and forth debate is not permitted.

Do not speak from your seat or out of turn.

All comments are live streamed, recorded, and published on the Albemarle County website.

and we have four speakers today that have signed up in person and there's no one online.

Good afternoon.

Welcome back from vacation, by the way.

My name is Gary Grant.

I live in the Rio District and first I have to tell you that you all never look nervous to me.

I always feel nervous up here, and I know the public does as well.

I've been trying to encourage more of the public to come and speak, but they just don't want to do it.

A few questions and comments here today.

If you ever get the General Assembly and Albemarle voters to allow you to take $25 million a year in sales taxes from taxpayers for school construction, will you then reduce our real estate tax rate by the equivalent 8 cents?

Since Albemarle already has taxpayers' personal information that was compromised by your cybersecurity staff's inability to protect it, why is it that it's Albemarle residents who have to make all the phone calls now to the coal company to request monitoring services?

County government should make the call for all.

and get all covered with one call.

By the way, the coverage is neither complimentary nor free as your staff's news release claims.

Government has no money.

It comes from taxpayers.

Taxpayers will pay Noel's bill.

On page 10 of your AC44 engagement document for today's work session, do any of you

actually trust the survey that contends that the number one preferred future travel mode is walking in the 725 square miles of Albemarle County.

Additionally, on page six of your AC44 implementation document, your six strategic plan goals are missing a seventh.

a goal that speaks to saving taxpayers some of their money.

Finally, Albemarle County residents still don't appear to have any evidence that the Rio District Supervisor has come through on his April 10th promise to tell us where he is going to change and how he will pay for future snow cones to be given away to county residents.

Thank you, Gary.

Good afternoon.

I'm Peter Krebs from the Piedmont Environmental Council.

Last year Albemarle County requested about a million and a half dollars from the state as part of its legislative priorities to build a greenway trail in Biscay Rum Park from the future

and now under construction, Monica Nation Tribute Park in Southwood to the also future and soon to be constructed Hickory Street Trailhead in Biscuit Run.

Thanks to the staff solid proposal, strong support here and around the Commonwealth, and leadership from Senator Deeds, Delegates Kallsen, and Delegate Laufer, the legislature voted to approve these funds.

Unfortunately, the governor vetoed that budget item.

In the meantime, support for the trail has only increased.

And we know for sure that there will be a different governor this time next year.

So we at the Piedmont Environmental Council and many others encourage you to try again in this upcoming legislative package.

We ourselves have not been idle.

With ongoing support from the GNN Morrill Foundation, PC has been working with line and grade county staff and others to study the trail corridor in detail to investigate the most realistic ways to get the project done promptly and efficiently and looking for additional connections in the community.

The screen way will be an important transportation link, but it's actually about a lot more than that as well.

It will be a highly accessible

way for residents of Southwood and throughout the area to connect with fresh air and exercise in Albemarle County's largest park but also to observe and interact with the stream that is being restored in the area and an invitation to discover the deep history of the region both culturally and ecologically.

We thank you, the county staff and our community partners and especially the state legislative delegation for the great work you've already put in.

Now, let's push for a better outcome and hopefully a new trail getting underway in 2026.

Thank you, Peter.

Welcome.

Hi.

Good afternoon.

My name is Megan Rapp.

I live in the Whitehall District in Crozet, Albemarle County.

I'm noticing some themes today around safety and climate, and so I think that my comments will be right on theme.

My most important role is as a mom to two young children, one of whom has a chronic respiratory disease.

I also serve as Assistant Vice President of Clery Act Compliance and Youth Protection at the University of Virginia, where I oversee federal safety requirements as well as safety procedures for the 30,000 minors who visit Charlottesville and Albemarle County coming to grounds annually for camps and youth programs.

My work spans from anything from supporting emergency incident response via our critical incident management team to assessing and establishing child to camper ratio, teacher ratios, and camp programs.

So it's fair to say that I am deeply invested in safety, both personally and professionally.

So when my son was in kindergarten in an Albemarle County public school, my husband and I quickly realized that no amount of personal safety planning on behalf of our family could keep him healthy in a packed indoor classroom.

Despite every precaution, he missed many, many days due to illness.

We also had concerns about the learning environment overall.

And so that's why we turned to an outdoor first school, and it really changed everything for our family.

Outdoor schools emphasize thoughtful planning and safety awareness.

Staff are trained in first aid, weather, how to do a terrain risk.

My preschooler recently taught me what to do when you see a snake or a bear, things I hadn't considered in my line of work, but super appreciate.

In two academic years at an outdoor school,

My son hasn't had a single sick day or emergent doctor's visit.

Let me say that again.

Not one single illness absence or emergent doctor visit in two years at an outdoor-based school.

Compare that to ten absences and four urgent care trips in just one year at an indoor kindergarten.

Fresh air, movement, reduced exposures, being in nature have dramatically improved his health and well-being.

And we're not alone.

Outdoor learning environments have real benefits from kids, which I'm sure you all know.

But schools and camps in Albemarle County are struggling to secure land use.

Competing with developers, they're often losing.

If we value outdoor opportunities for Albemarle County kids, this board must step in to protect land, prioritize access, and support these types of programs as essential to childhood development.

Please consider the Albemarle County comprehensive plan and how are we prioritizing our children's safety.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to speak.

I'm here today to ask that you modify one of your legislative priorities on the agenda packet today.

I was very glad to see proposed support for potential steps that will positively impact the urgent housing needs facing Albemarle residents.

However, I hope you will support more than a study of the anti-rent gouging legislation.

because the proposed state law will actually only allow localities the opportunity to adopt an ordinance.

Supporting the anti-rent gouging bill would allow you to discuss and potentially act to limit rent increases to no more than 3% per year.

The bill last year included provisions for localities to grant exceptions for capital improvements or higher operating expenses.

It also allowed exceptions for new construction.

Studies have found that rent stabilization with these provisions did not reduce new housing construction.

It is very likely these considerations will be included in this bill as well.

All Virginia families, no matter their race, income, or neighborhood, deserve the chance to build a future in their communities.

But for renters who are one in three of all Virginia households, drastic rent increases are making this impossible.

Since 2019, average rents in Albemarle have gone up over 30 percent.

Residents of the county are not able to sustain severe and compounding rent increases that far outpace their wage gains and inflation rate.

Additionally, we are on the verge of witnessing massive cuts to health care and food assistance.

This will only increase residents' risk of eviction and homelessness.

Over the past five years, over 5,500 eviction cases have been filed in Albemarle.

And over the past three years, landlords won judgments that averaged over $2,400 per case.

The passage of the state anti-rent gouging law will give you an opportunity to consider whether this solution will help to stabilize Albemarle's communities, improving economic prosperity and children's educational outcomes.

I hope you will support including the anti-rent gouging bill in your list of legislative priorities.

Thank you, Emily.

Thank you.

Board, this brings us to our consent agenda.

And I have not heard of any requests to remove or change anything from the consent agenda.

So we're looking for a motion to approve it as presented.

So moved.

Second.

We have a motion from Supervisor McKeel, second from Supervisor Mallek.

Mr. Andrews?

Yes.

Ms.

LaPisto-Kirtley.

Aye.

Ms.

Mallek.

Yes.

Ms.

McKeel.

Yes.

Good.

Board, this brings us to our first of work sessions for the afternoon.

This one on AC44 draft implementation chapter.

And this is being led by Ms.

Tanya Schwartzendruber, planning manager.

Good afternoon.

I'm Tanya Swartzendruber, planning manager for the community development department.

I'm joined by several members of staff to bring to you the implementation chapter of the comprehensive plan.

So I'm very proud to acknowledge that you've now received the initial draft of the comprehensive plan.

So you have all the pieces.

But today, we'll be focusing on just the implementation chapter.

You received parts one and two, as well as two of the appendices.

I'll go through the remaining opportunities to gather feedback when we go through the schedule at the end of the presentation.

We really only have one question for you today, and that is, did we get the big moves right?

The slide will show up at the end of the presentation for discussion purposes.

And please feel free to stop me along the way if you have any questions as we go.

So what do we mean by implementation?

First, it's making progress on the recommended actions listed in AC44 across several county departments.

It's also internal education on how this document should be utilized.

It's about keeping track of the progress and reporting out about not only our accomplishments, but the effects of those accomplishments.

So why do we implement?

No community needs another plan that sits on the shelf.

Implementation is about turning the vision of AC44 into action, providing accountability and building momentum.

Currently we have

Just over 250 actions across nine topics and multiple departments and external entities.

So it really will be important to prioritize our actionable first steps of implementation.

We prioritize for several reasons.

One, it's best practice for modern comprehensive plan updates.

And given the number of actions and the 20-year planning horizon, prioritizing plan recommendations is important for providing implementation guidance, focused guidance over the next five years.

Prioritizing recommendations allows the county to effectively allocate limited funding and staff capacity, better informing the strategic plan, capital improvement program, and county budget.

On the screen right now are the six big moves that staff and leadership have drafted for your consideration.

These big moves are strategic groupings of key initiatives organized around common themes that have the greatest potential to advance the goals of AC44 over the next five years.

They span across multiple policy areas.

and often involve collaboration across multiple city departments and external partners.

These were drafted by staff with input from leadership, keeping in mind the themes that we heard through public engagement and commission and board feedback.

We'll go through each one briefly, and there are more detailed descriptions in the packet that you received.

The first one is aligning regulations to support AC44.

This one would look at updating and modernizing the zoning ordinance, for example, to allow residential uses in commercial districts by right in some locations.

The second one is to increase affordable housing access and options.

We can do this by updating our zoning and land use regulations to allow for a broader range of housing types, which is really that missing middle that we've been talking about, duplexes, small-scale multifamily, and accessory dwelling units.

We're really looking to focus greater density and intensity in the activity centers.

Secondly, we identify and protect at-risk homes and support rehabilitation with potential subsidies and grants.

For this one, working with both the county and state housing offices will be critical.

Projections show that we will need to accommodate 31,000 people, about 13,000 households over the next 20 years.

And this third one addresses where that happens.

Our growth management policy tells us it should happen in the development areas.

And our comprehensive plan recommends that it happens primarily in the activity centers.

This increase in density and intensity takes advantage of existing infrastructure and allows for more efficient provision of new and or upgraded infrastructure and services.

Investment and infrastructure services and amenities make it a place where people want to live, work, and visit.

This fourth one supporting agriculture and forestry uses in the rural area comes from the economic development strategic plan that you heard about roughly a month ago, looking at preserving or encouraging food production to preserve our rural character, heritage, and environment.

so really trying to support those agricultural and forestry businesses and protecting the environmental sensitive areas in the rural area.

Also in support of the economic development strategic plan, we included expanding economic opportunity as we are able to through the effect of the future land use map and future area planning processes.

This last one is to mitigate and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

We've been hearing a lot about that one today.

This includes not only mitigation but preparation for an event that may occur.

and we can do this by reducing local greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon sequestration.

Our natural systems can offer high impact climate protection and we can also proactively invest in our infrastructure upgrades in advance.

Moving on to tracking and reporting.

We've been discussing internally with leadership exactly what we will track and how we will track it.

We have settled on tracking progress on the big moves as articulated with several metrics that will paint a complete picture of the progress we are making.

Keep in mind that metrics show trends and patterns.

Specific performance indicators will be established as part of the strategic plan effort.

Considering the Big Move 3, which addresses accommodating anticipated growth in the development areas and specifically the activity centers, our metrics that we may use and track are the number of housing units in the development areas that are within a 15-minute walk of a park, the number of fatal and severe crashes for cyclists and pedestrians,

also miles of shared use paths and or dedicated bike lanes.

These are merely examples of the metrics that we will be looking at.

We're discussing internally what exactly those metrics should be in response to your comments on the big moves.

The metrics updates on actions will be reported as part of PC's annual planning report, which will be forwarded to the board as part of or in coordination with the annual SPARE report that you receive.

This would occur annually.

We also have, in I believe it's part two, we've identified the development areas report, which is a report that we will gather information for every five years at a minimum.

This is when we normally look at updating our comprehensive planner.

We're required to by state code.

However, that report can be requested more often by you all.

Just a little bit more information about that development areas report.

On the screen, there are a few examples of the factors that will be evaluated as part of that report, which will be prepared at a minimum, as I mentioned, every five years or at your discretion.

So we're really looking at evaluating our transportation level of service, for example, water and sewer feasibility of service, environmental stewardship, assessing those critical resources that we have.

I'd like to recognize the great partnership that we've been developing over the last month or two with Gabe and Christy in our Office of Performance and Strategic Planning for the ongoing coordination to determine how AC44 and the strategic plan relate to one another.

First of all, the big moves that are identified in AC44 can inform the goals and objectives of the strategic plan update and the next five years of the capital improvement plan and county budget.

Secondly, working with Gabe to update, we worked with Gabe to update the names of the topics and definitions so we're using the same nomenclature in both documents and the connections between documents are clear.

Third, as mentioned in the tracking and reporting discussion, AC44 will measure the trends and patterns with metrics.

Specific targets and for performance measures or performance indicators will continue to be established as part of the strategic plan effort.

We did receive some feedback from the Planning Commission.

We met with them about a week and a half ago.

I think it was July 6.

Specific feedback that we heard on the big moves was on move number two.

This relates to housing.

We should address aging in place.

Third move, which is about activity, is about the development areas and activity centers.

We should include green and inviting.

The fourth one, which includes agricultural and forest use support.

We should address recreation and tourism economy, and that could further be strengthened by focusing on local agricultural support.

The sixth move, which is a reaction to and accommodating climate change, we should address relocation due to climate change and incorporate better site design to mitigate the effects of climate change.

In general, the one comment that applies to all is to incorporate themes of social fabric, social gathering, arts, and culture.

The other two things we wanted to highlight that we heard from the Planning Commission was highlighting the importance of partnerships in implementation and also considering to reduce the number of total actions for the plan.

I want to look to the schedule and the next coming events.

We are anticipating with your feedback that we hear today and in the coming weeks that we will have a complete draft to publish on our website and with hard copies available upon request in early August.

So roughly two weeks, two and a half weeks after that we will have a community check-in where we will sort of give a state of the document and effort and also gather feedback which is the week of August 21st.

About a week after that we'll be going to PC to discuss the full document and then coming to you on September 10th which is a special cold meeting.

Then we'll have our public hearing, PC September 23rd, and we'll be coming to you looking for hopefully an approval of the document October 15th.

As a reminder for those that are in the audience and maybe listening online, we'd like to encourage y'all to go to our Engage site that is listed there.

This is where we post all of our information, all updated events and opportunities, any surveys that might be coming up.

You can also, through this section of the site, sign up for emails and newsletters.

Thank you.

And Board, we have a big afternoon planned, so I encourage us to try to focus on these big moves and see what we think to explain whether they're the right big moves.

There's a lot to discuss underneath them, I'm aware.

But obviously, people have whatever comments they need to make.

Chair, just to clarify before I dive in, am I purely addressing this question?

Because there's also separate subchapters, plan, policy, community, story, which I don't think require as much feedback, frankly, if I'm being honest.

In the interest of time.

OK.

We may go around again.

Sure.

So I'll just address the question that's in front of me first, which is I actually got to begin with a question reflected back at you because it's going to inform how I engage with it.

Am I to understand the big moves and these categories as being

fully encompassing of our actions and ordering those actions?

Or am I to understand there as being actions in the comprehensive plan that we don't understand is encompassed in one of the big moves?

Because I could see it cutting either way, if that makes sense, right?

Sure, you could.

I think what we were trying to capture with those six big moves is a collection of actions that move the plan forward the most over the next five years, also recognizing that some of those actions might continue over the next 10, 15 years.

So we're really looking to make sure that we have

I don't mean to sound unfair.

I'm still not sure what the answer to the question is on that.

Because I could interpret it, I think, in either direction.

I could probably, if I worked really hard in every action for our comprehensive plan that we've gone page by page, line by line, 1.2 urban, I could probably make an effort to fit them into one of the big moves.

And I understand that the big moves themselves are prioritized.

And I'm wondering, is the intent that we are saying there are things that are not

Contained within the big moves and they are lower priority or is the intent that everything is contained with them I'm also thinking this speaks to the Planning Commission's feedback, right?

Because side of that I'm like Well my first I came in here thinking everything is contained in the big moves and I'm like well I don't need to call something out in them

Right.

I think I do understand where you're coming from.

And we're saying that not every action would be included in these big moves, because we can't possibly pursue over 250 actions all at once.

The intent was to prioritize those moves that likely need to come first, just because of priority.

Okay.

I will dive in immediately and say, one, two, three, I support.

I think they're listed in the correct order.

I believe there were some Planning Commission feedbacks that spoke to two and aging in place.

I don't remember if there was anything, three spoke to green communities.

I feel that's more of a corollary planning consideration.

I'm not sure it's essential to the core thing we're trying to accomplish here if we're talking about big moves.

So that is a difference in how I would have answered that based on the feedback you just gave.

I question whether or not this organization's

current thrust is reflective of the ordering of four and five.

Not even to say my own personal opinion, but we are leaning forward very intensely as a county on economic development.

It is the thing that is front of mind of a lot of leadership and a lot of members of this board.

And also, it feels like the tugboat for agricultural and forestry also.

That doesn't feel like an ordering.

Well, that is my misunderstanding.

So this is a challenging thing.

Given that, and also given my previous point as to how broad these are, I wonder if that's the right move, having them non-ordered, because I don't see this as radically narrowing the areas of focus.

because they are as inclusive as they are.

I'm not the one who's going to be doing the implementation.

We set policy.

We review things that come before us.

We are not in the weeds actually updating the permitting process with tools.

We're not in the weeds of working with contractors.

So if it is staff's belief that we can,

Prioritize this many things, then have at it.

I love to take credit when you do so.

But I look at this, and if we're saying that these are the six big things that are the priorities, then I don't think we have priorities.

Military loves an adage.

I had a captain who used to always say, if everything's a priority, nothing's a priority.

The main thing needs to be the main thing.

People would say, safety is a priority.

Safety is always the number one priority.

And he's like, no.

No, safety's not a priority.

It's a planning consideration, because if safety was the priority, we wouldn't do anything where the military would stay in port.

I'm unclear if there are priorities, because these highlighted priorities are so broad.

I think the way to fix that, if we want to keep these, would be ordering, personally.

and I think I'd be broadly supportive of the ordering of these things based on how critical they are kind of just in the flow, not critical in an individual like climate's more important than housing or housing is more important than climate but just in the order in which we would probably need to do things, right?

Regulatory concerns are most urgent and that is the first thing that is listed so that is why I interpreted that.

So that's I think a big structural concern I would have.

Speaking broadly to the other chapters,

because I don't have that much to say on them.

I normally mostly go on the line by line of individual action items and not speaking more to narrative chapters.

This is kind of functioning as the conclusion in a large paper.

Something I learned in legal writing as a lawyer is you don't introduce new facts in the analysis or in the conclusion.

and you also don't repeat yourself in the conclusion, which is a thing that we are always erring toward.

I am looking through some of the tables.

I'm wondering if these are new facts that we're mentioning for the first time in a community story.

And I'm also wondering how much of this is duplicative of things that we say in others.

I did not have the time to go line by line with our intro paragraphs to see if these are duplicative or entirely new.

But a conclusion should be doing

I mean, the things we're talking about with the big picture, right?

Saying, here's how we execute what we've already talked about.

It's new information, but it's not new facts, and it's not repeating yourself.

I also will say, I did pause and think, is a community story something we want sitting at the end of this document, and people will only get to it by scrolling through however many hundreds of pages when it's something that's designed to be a storytelling component for the public?

It almost feels like an enclosure, a companion piece, something that would be separately available on the website, something that people would separately be handing around and circulated and not something that would live as an appendix C of a very lengthy document and frankly never read because you've got to scroll.

Those are my initial reactions.

Sure.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I guess I'll begin with a question.

So I think what I heard was this is the priority list.

And things that are not on this list are going to wait for years 5 to 10.

So we have spent a year talking about everything.

And now it seems as though 80% of it is not going to be considered.

So for me to make any input, it seems like how are the individual chapters reflected in these

Six things.

I can sort of guess, but I would rather not guess and then assume something that's not correct.

Water protection is not here at all.

And if you don't have clean water, you can't have any of these other things.

And the rural areas are not anywhere except as a place for agricultural business to happen.

So I'm just trying to understand this.

I thought I had it.

Until the introduction today, I thought I was doing OK.

And just had a couple of little comments, which I can quickly put in on this particular few pages as well.

And just a follow-up question.

You've been taking notes all along.

And regarding the schedule that you already presented, where will we be able to read

the pages to see how our comments and questions and I don't support this or do support this type of thing is reflected because the public hearing stage is way too late for any of those things to happen.

So on the schedule, we'll be publishing a final draft in early August.

So we'll be coming to you September 10 to get your comments on the full document.

So all the pages we've looked at in all the chapters will be in that email link that you will send us.

Yes.

OK, that's good.

Then let me just.

Report out a couple of things.

Number one, the updates paragraph.

I support that wholeheartedly.

I think that's a really good sort of summary.

And either as an introduction or a closure.

I'm not sure which, but I think it's a good summary of where we've been trying to go.

Number two, the affordable housing and access.

Things that I highlighted, I'm glad to see in here.

for preserving the existing stock so we don't end up going backwards.

And anti-displacement strategies, having seen the misery of what's happened to my constituents who have been in mobile home parks that are now being driven out by tripling of rents, I hope we'll swiftly find a way to do better on that.

Let's see.

And oops.

Okay, number four was just drinking water.

So I guess I've already mentioned all of those.

That wasn't too painful.

So I will stop there.

Mr. Mallek and to some extent Mr. Pruitt, you know, I think one way to think about these big moves is sort of like

These are the big themes.

We've gone through this whole process.

It sort of helped point us as a community.

Hey, these were six things, not necessarily in the order, but six big things we're trying to get done as a community.

And I think it's a reflection that all the actions that are in the document

are ones that will be done by multiple different departments.

Some will be with partners that we work with.

And it sort of helps us to keep coming back to the community.

Hey, it tries to simplify the document to these big priorities that we're trying to do.

So they are somewhat broad, but they can help us keep orienting ourselves as time goes on.

If we can get these six things put together and accomplished, we can really accomplish many of the aspects of the plan.

and so I think if you look at these things and you know Ann spoke a little bit about number four maybe being too narrow or something like that because it's focused more on I think you mentioned something about water quality or something like that if some of the environmental aspects are not

That may be something that you want to tell us.

You need to expand one of these big moves so that it helps you all and your body over the next 10-15 years, either when you're doing a strategic plan or when you're thinking about other aspects that are coming in front of the community.

We're trying to get these big things done.

Thank you.

We'll continue this discussion.

And I think once we've all had something to say, I think we'll be able to summarize a little better.

Yeah, I guess to answer the question, I had this conversation with my planning commissioner this morning, Nathan Moore, who represents Rio.

And I think I agree with him.

I don't know that I actually told him that this morning.

I think I just listened.

But one of your slides suggested that the PC feedback was on arts and stuff to incorporate that throughout all the different places.

I found myself making more of these type of comments when I was on the school board than I have on this board.

But I think when you do that, it loses its purpose and its point because it's not valued as a big deal.

Now, you know, cultural, historical and cultural areas seem to be embedded in the rural sense, in the rural nature of this county.

What he basically, and he describes it as arts and parks, is to have, and he typed it in here so that I got the wording right there, key needs for physical safety, economic

Security.

But the idea of social belonging and social enterprise and the appreciation of the aesthetic beyond just what's there in nature is not really addressed.

And is that a big move that we should be?

And of course, it's his opinion that, yes, it should be.

So he would be advocating for a seventh.

But that's missing in this kind of big move in the general sense.

and I was thrilled that he had cited, I think we all can remember in 2023 when the Surgeon General put out a white paper on the sense of belonging and loneliness and how that was a big deal and if a local government does not provide the venues or the places at least in which social belonging can happen and other types of human creations can be experienced and enjoyed then you don't

experience the transcendent moment of what that could do.

So I really appreciated him bringing that up and having that conversation this morning.

Because in the school division, I would always advocate that arts for art's sake is an important piece, and I don't think we value the arts as much as we should.

With that being said, I just a few weeks ago was in Savannah, Georgia.

150,000 people in the city of Savannah, it is a city, a very grid-like pattern, but when you look at the grid and you walk around Savannah, they have all these squares every couple of blocks that have trees and they have, not all, but some do, some have fountains, some have statues, some have a combination of them all.

It's pretty interesting how that grid pattern I know was, I think, modeled after New York City, but the

But you think about those squares work as squareabouts, not roundabouts, to keep people from just hightailing it down a straight street.

So it has a traffic calming element of it.

But those particular social places, some are very small, some are very large.

But it's the jurisdiction providing a place where social gathering can happen

whether it's organized or not.

So if you're out walking with a bunch of different people the square brings people together whether they want to be together or not because they're navigating the city.

Now I'm not advocating for a grid piece because it's very different here in terms of the geography but the point is not lost that the jurisdiction is providing places for people to be able to come together and then once in those places a variety of things are provided

to speak to not just social belonging but the transcendent nature of experience, art or history or something like that.

To me, I think that's worthy of a big move as opposed to just being interspersed throughout all these other different chapters.

And what brought it home for me is that thinking about, that's right, because in school divisions we all think it's fun to have a drama club.

for a music club or to offer a class in whatever, but yet we'll spend millions of dollars on social-emotional learning.

Where do you learn social-emotional learning?

In arts classes.

But we don't spend those millions of dollars on quadrupling or multiplier by 10 in terms of arts teachers and things like that.

I guess to drive the point home is that if we think that's important and we think that's worthy of big move then we should say so because if it gets interspersed and through everything else it's going to seem like that's being done in serving the purpose of all those other things and not worthy of itself or worthy of its own piece as an endeavor.

and I think we could learn or I think we could appreciate that in our current designation of what our parks are.

We're developing and building out Biscuit Run Park.

I think it would be important to have that idea mentality involved when we're programming and figuring out that park's going to come to exist.

And as we think more and more about like the Rio Small Area Plan and these activity centers, that the jurisdiction should take some responsibility in providing these places and inform the design

of not just providing, but what then is there once it is provided.

So I throw that out for consideration to say that I appreciate Nathan bringing that up.

I appreciate his advocacy for that, that it should perhaps be a seventh big move.

I guess to just provide some comments based on what has already been stated,

You know, the comprehensive plan, you know, I always wondered if the state didn't require it of us, if we'd even do this.

And that's maybe why they required it, because some places were, who the hell knows what they were doing.

Get your act together.

And it was probably some sort of thing like a lot of times top-down mandates are.

But in this county, we do five-year financial planning.

We do the strategic plan.

We do all of these things that are getting at the things that the comp plan is trying to state.

And then we say things like, well, there's no way we're going to achieve the 250-plus actions in the next five years by the time we do the next comp plan.

It's like, well, OK.

Well, then is that a good plan?

But I always have to remind myself that it's a general plan.

that's supposed to, and I was relooking at the state code just to say, but even they say it's supposed to be general in nature, it's supposed to give scope and purpose so that people, regardless of their developers or their residents or their whoever, have something to rely on that this is the direction the county is going in.

So I'm getting myself trying to climb some elevation that got too worried about the details and go, well, are we succeeding in providing that general scope and direction?

Yeah, we are.

So these six moves, I believe, do that to the great extent with my support of adding that seventh one in.

I would just make the comment.

and Supervisor Pruitt had mentioned economic development regarding number five, but economic opportunity and economic development are two very different things.

So economic development is specific to economic activity and your plan to make that happen as you see fit in your jurisdiction.

Economic opportunity is a lot of things outside of that.

So I think that should be a big move and support that there.

I do question

on the reality of how things exist in Albemarle County if number four really captures what we are about.

We argue all the time about rural area and development area.

Ann just mentioned water supply.

There's a lot of appreciation for the aesthetic value of nature in this county.

Are we really going after agricultural and forestry uses in the rural area, or is it about maintaining what currently exists in the rural area to the greatest extent possible?

Whether you agree with that or not,

or see that fit, that's what we've been doing.

It's certainly what board actions usually come down to, continuing what's been there or not.

So I question number four, because agricultural and forestry uses, I don't know that that's, if we're trying to turn the tide and move that to there, I just don't know what the, I don't know, I'm doubting that one.

And then number one, it says align regulations to support.

Perhaps we should consider language like board or supervisor, put it on the board.

Board actions will align to support AC44.

regulations.

Who the hell is in charge of regulations?

Well, I guess the board is.

I guess staff is.

But you could say county code, or you could say zoning.

But those words get lost.

And I think one of the things I've heard that we've talked about is that in the past, in the development area, density has only been approved at 58% of what the capacity was stated in the current comp plan.

So who owns that?

Well, the six individuals that sit on the board do.

So it's our comp plan.

It's our county's comp plan.

Perhaps we need to step up and say the board action will support the implementation of AC44.

Because then everything else should fall under that.

And all our regulations should go based on those actions.

Decisions should play down.

And that should impact everything we do.

So I just throw that out as maybe a tweak that puts the responsibility on the elected officials

to make the decisions and not go against their own comp plan and their own implementation.

And I say that knowing full well that I have voted against the comp plan in the past, saying things like, oh, well, it's a plan.

It's not the Bible.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be in front of me for a vote.

So I'm using me as an example.

But I should be reminded quite a bit that, well, you voted on this comp plan.

With this comp plan's approval, I will no longer be able to say, well, I wasn't on the board when that last comp plan was adopted.

So that's why I thought some changes were going to be there.

But at this point, I should be able to say yes.

My intent as a supervisor in general is that my actions should support the implementation of this comp plan once it's approved.

Thank you.

Supervisor McKeel.

Yeah, it's interesting because I listened to the Planning Commission meeting, which was very informative for my way of thinking.

I'm getting at what Ned's going to.

I had a note today, add to big moves, priorities, where to place communities health and social fabric, and arts and culture.

So I'm going right to where, and it's interesting because I was smiling as Ned was talking because I said, oh, that's my boy.

It's okay.

No, I just am thrilled that we agree.

Well, we often agree, but regardless, I just, and I don't think anybody will be surprised knowing my emphasis in my district over the last 12 years on art and culture, but I do think that

It's ironic because I'm always saying when you have too many priorities, you don't have any priorities.

And now I'm saying we need to add a seventh here.

But I do think it's really critical.

Our community is an aging community.

We need to take that into some of our work as well when I talk about community health and our social fabric.

But it's not just the aging folks that need that.

But when we're talking about transportation, many of our residents really can't walk a quarter of a mile.

I mean, seriously?

But the devil's in the details.

So here is the big kahuna.

These are the big kahunas.

And the devil's in the details when you're talking about what's going to be coming back to us at a later time.

And that we have discussed for, what, 18 months?

A long time.

Having said that, so how you word it and how you get there, but I would really agree with A7 on communities, health, and social fabric, and arts and culture.

I'll leave that wording to you, but it gets to what Ned's saying exactly.

The other thing that I would like to agree with is, and let me just find it here, our agriculture.

Fourth, it read to me as if we're just going to support more of the same.

I'm reading my notes here.

Currently, we have a few successful farms, but the data from the Department of Agriculture shows that we don't really have agricultural farms.

Now, Ann frowns at me.

People can frown about that.

But what I'm saying is, how do we support farming viability?

that's really critical.

Support small farms and really I'm interested in with our agriculture supporting farms that put produce on the table not hay in the fields necessarily because that's what we have a lot of so trying to get at that and I do agree with Ned about economic opportunity is different than economic development

Not saying that one is, well, you need both, right?

But they are different.

And what else did I want to mention?

Probably have gotten to my big points.

But I will say that I really like the circle that we have.

that you show on page eight.

Green, resilience, welcoming, equitable, thriving, and prosperous, and connected and accessible.

I think everything really does have to come under that.

But I do think that I would add a seventh, if possible, here.

And you all wordsmith it.

I'm just trying to quickly look over my general comment.

Oh, and this was interesting, because

My planning commissioner, Julian Bivens, said a comp plan is a bureaucratic document.

Lots of people repel from the word bureaucratic, but bureaucratic document that has to provide clarity and predictability.

And I think he's right.

Whether you're a developer or an investor, you're going to look at the comp plan and say these folks really mean business or this is a lot of fluff, right?

So the comp plan should be viewed, and I'm saying this, a comp plan should be viewed and written to indicate we're building community.

We're not about creating walls to keep people out, we're about building community and that should be obvious through our comp plan.

And I guess I have a couple of other comments about reporting and all that, but I'll save those for later because I think we're going to come back.

So that's fine.

There's a lot to unravel here.

I'm overall supportive of what you have.

I understand, I know some have asked for a seventh one, and what I'm wondering, because I think the arts and culture, that's extremely important, I'm wondering if that wouldn't go

or could go under either seventh one or under the activity centers because it seems like our activity centers are and some of them anywhere are wide open to be able to have something you know some arts some culture

That's what I'm wondering whether or not they could be incorporated in there.

And Frank Lashley incorporated everywhere.

I know someone mentioned about Biscuit Run.

And there's also Freebridge Lane.

Those are all opportunities for arts and culture.

And I think probably if we ever get a urban park up and running, something there also.

But I'm just wondering whether or not that could not be

Part of that, part of the activity centers, that's one.

Number one, the aligned regulations to support AC44, I think that's extremely important.

I don't know if we need to say BOS, because I think in my reading of it, it seems to be implied, because we're the ones that do the comp plan, it's implied.

And what I worry about, I know that every five years you can go back to the

We review, we update every five years.

You can get new board members.

They can change things.

So I don't know how effective that would be.

Because I just think, like Supervisor Galloway said, and I've done it too, where we have voted against the comp plan.

So whether or not we can uphold that for future board members, I don't know.

I like the fact that this is not a priority list because it wouldn't necessarily be my priority list.

Support agriculture and forestry.

That one I am very supportive of.

because there's a lot of agriculture forestry in my areas.

And to me, that's what makes Albemarle a place where people want to come to.

I mean, anyone can go to a city where they have buildings all over the place, but that's something that really makes Albemarle.

We want to go here.

We want to have trails.

We want to walk along the river.

I mean, our river.

I would love to see that expanded for

tourism, and for locals, just to be able to walk along the river and such, to be able to improve our trails.

I think that's a huge draw.

Not every place has a beautiful river.

Not every place has beautiful mountains, the areas that we do.

So to me, that's important.

Expand economic opportunity.

If we didn't have economic opportunity, we wouldn't have the EDA, because we have to have that opportunity in order to have economic development.

That goes hand in hand.

Mitigate and prepare for the impacts of climate change.

I'm wondering whether or not our water, which is extremely important in what we're doing to make sure we have safe water with our reservoirs and such, if that couldn't be incorporated into that line.

Whether or not it has to be called out, I don't know.

Maybe it does.

I think it's probably important enough.

Those are my comments.

Thank you.

I'll add mine.

I hope I don't add more confusion, but I'll try to do it in response, and I think not to pick on Supervisor Galloway, but respond to some of his comments, if particularly clear.

In each of these, I recognize that the big move description is a shorthand

for something that encompasses

The description certainly seems to suggest that we're talking about staff actions as far as getting a zoning update and doing those subdivision regulations and other policy changes that are necessary to be brought before the board to

improve to support AC44's other goals.

So I also almost would suggest that if it is a compromise, align regulations and support to support AC44 implementation could be aligned regulations and support board action to support AC44 or somehow

Incorporate board action because obviously a big part of this is making sure the board actually tries to implement AC44 and doesn't just say, well, sure, that was a nice thing in the document, but that's not how we're going to decide this particular special use permit or zoning amendment.

But in any event, I do see this as a lot of staff action.

And number two, increase affordable housing access.

I think that's one that's pretty well stated.

It specifically talks about multi-pronged approach, and so there's a lot

in this.

And it's something I think is a very high priority for the board.

So I think it's appropriate to put it as a big move.

In number three, invest in compact connected development areas with an emphasis on activity centers.

I see the activity centers as incorporating some of the social gathering components that have been talked about as an additional number seven.

But I also heard from the Planning Commission a request that somehow not just be compact and connected, but it be welcoming and green.

and so the fact that that's not reflected and I don't think it's particularly well reflected in the description either is something I would like to see because I don't want it to just be compact and connected if it's not inviting otherwise.

Number four, I kind of agree with the number of comments that have been made that support agricultural and forestry uses in the rural areas as a shorthand doesn't capture an essential element of that and the description I think does better and it says it's also for preserving the county's rural character, cultural heritage

environmental health, and talks about protecting environmentally sensitive areas, wetlands, forests, wildlife corridors, watersheds.

So some of those things that we're worried about are incorporated in the description, but in this particular case, it feels like the shorthand is a little too short.

It needs to be something that talks about preserving our rural character as part of that.

Economic opportunity, again the description clearly immediately jumps into the economic development strategic plan, but it also says that these complement each other, so it really is something that's different to talk about economic opportunity incorporates some forms of economic development.

I don't have a problem with the shorthand version of this.

Mitigate, prepare for impacts of climate change.

I'm on board and see it as a high priority.

So those are my main comments.

As far as the seventh, I have a lot of sympathy for the idea that we would do more with gathering.

I think something like this could run.

for example, is not reflected in these as a priority alone.

Maybe I'm wrong and it would be helpful to understand that better, but if it's not then that kind of activity needs a number seven that includes it as well as other ways in which we can bring the community together, provide space for that.

And there was also a comment connected to this as the whole plan talks a lot is that overarching goals of

equity and climate.

And I know the climate is specifically called out.

Equity is mentioned in the context of aligning regulations to support, but that doesn't jump out as a topic, as an equitable emphasis.

But it's in there.

But maybe there's a way to highlight it a little bit more.

And maybe that number seven could do that.

I'm not sure.

So I'm going to stop there, and we'll go back through the order to get additional responses.

And then also, since we're just focused on this implementation chapter, I know there's a lot of things in the packet that I'm sure people will have comments on, but maybe save those.

For now, we want to see if there are other things.

I will say, just with respect to what we got in the packet, there were a number of things I'll provide later.

I will try and be brief because we have a lot to work on and we're reiterating ourselves.

I do still, I mean, I guess I'm still struggling with the issue I brought up at the beginning, which I guess maybe I'm not fully joined by a majority of the board on.

It did not sound like, but I'm just going to reassert it, right?

I appreciate, and you made this point after I was done speaking, and I think you made it well, but I appreciate that it helps

Talk about kind of board grand strategy.

It's kind of helpful.

These big moves are helpful for almost a public storytelling.

My concern is that they are not as constructed.

They are not useful for an accountability purpose.

and I can think of that in two different directions, accountability from board to staff and also accountability from public to board.

I don't think we can actually use this document as a priority tool.

So if we are setting like five years as what we're saying we're trying to accomplish in a priority, a big move, if

We still haven't developed an incentive package for how to get hot dog stands on boardwalks.

I say that a little tongue-in-cheek, but that's spoken to by a specific action in one of our chapters.

I'm forgetting actually which chapter, but there's a specific action on that.

And I could say, oh, well, I think that means investing resources in compact and connected development areas.

And staff could say, well, I actually don't think that's entirely what that one paragraph is speaking to, and it is not a central priority.

It's about hot dog vendors on a boardwalk.

There is not the clarity that is necessary for a goal that we're actually tracking to.

It does not feel like something I

as a board.

We have legislative oversight over the executive arm of our government.

I don't feel like I can use this as a tool for oversight.

And by that same token, I am not sure that the public will be informed with the tools that they need to be able to say, you as a board in your comprehensive plan have promised X, Y, Z deliverables within five years, and it has not been achieved.

That is an accountability that is essential in government.

Frankly, the first one is an accountability that's essential in any organization of a certain structure and size.

I'm just not sure that this has the clarity necessary for it to be a tool helpful for accountability, which I see when I think of a priority, I think of that being a key part of it.

It being something that I can actually then say, well, did you do the priority?

And from that perspective, I don't see this as a usable goal.

I see it as helpful.

If I were to be cynical, I might say it is helpful to justify what we have decided we're going to prioritize this day because of the structure of it.

So that is my final piece on that.

I might not have the support in my way.

I would I think agree with a few other comments on four I thought this I neglected to say it and I think it's been better said already this especially yeah I think supervisor Andrews points were well made the headline is not really what we're doing or what we're saying we want to do

supporting agriculture and forestry.

The thing that would support agriculture and forestry use would be very intrusive, like semi-industrial, co-located facilities that we don't have an appetite for, right?

Mills, large CAFOs, things that this board has grappled with during earlier parts of this board.

Canneries, right?

continue to be uncertain that we actually have the political appetite for in this county.

And it does seem like we're talking, and what the text of this is speaking more to, is the broader suite of positive externalities that come from having a rural community, which includes knock-on effects from tourism, includes the environmental quality, the water quality that we benefit from, things that other people have said.

I think, for the most part, the text speaks to that, especially the second graph of the text.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So we're still talking about this, I think, as opposed to... Well, I think at this point we're adding whatever other, on this implementation chapter with comments, not necessarily nits, but big picture comments on it.

Okay, very good.

I have a couple of things to zoom through.

And I just will say that I absolutely

As I mentioned in the announcements earlier, having local food that actually provides directly to consumers, no matter which it is, if it's lettuce or strawberries or beef or whatever, is incredibly important.

I just looked up, we still have 866 farms and a fewer because of consolidation, really, is more than loss, which is a lot, as one of those who has been reporting on the ag census.

for many years.

The 187 acres is right in the national average, which is weird when you think of so many farms being 10,000 acres or whatever.

That's just over the top.

But I agree that staying out of the way as much as possible is a solution.

I'm not saying you can pollute or anything like that, but sometimes extra regulations that might be necessary for an auto plant are not necessary for somebody who's selling eggs or whatever.

So keeping that in mind as people go forward.

To me, the comp plan is a vision.

It's not something that I can then use for metrics, because it is the overarching vision.

And then as we go down into all the smaller sections, then that's where the rules and regulations will happen.

At least that's in the history that I've been part of here.

Page four, the vision for the county is not a lofty thought, but an expected reality.

And I find the vision to be very appealing still, and hope that we will do our very best to hang on to it.

On page five, I sent these to staff, but I just wanted to reiterate quickly how important it is that we are

Understanding what the jurisdictional area for public water and sewer is all about.

because I highlighted in yellow, the strict adherence to public water and sewer extension policy strengthens the comp plan implementation through efficient use of infrastructure.

And it doesn't say this, but it protects rate payers.

Because if you're running pipes all over the place, the cost will go through the roof.

And so let me put that over there.

I don't think I have any others, but I will just see.

Oh, I already.

That's fine.

I guess the question, there was a slide on the five-year report or development.

Could you go back to that?

I'm sorry, I don't know the slide number.

There was something about every five years we will... Minimum of every five years development area.

Could you just go back and read... I apologize, I was chasing a mental butterfly apparently for the first half of your explanation of that slide, but by the end of it I went, wait, that triggered a different thing.

Sure.

I guess I'm trying to marry what occurs annually versus what happens every five years.

Why do we need a five-year report when we have annual?

It gets much more detailed in that five-year report.

And with the title of it being the development areas utilization report, so it's...

We've set all these goals for ourselves to try and use the development area efficiently.

As we look at all those metrics, are we doing that?

Are we running out of room?

Do we need to expand it?

Are we going in the right direction?

Right.

So these are all kind of tiered together.

We've got one that's

working and its function as there's an application in front of us.

We've got one that's stating where we're at on an annual basis.

Then we've got a really in-depth one that's going to inform perhaps the next comp plan development.

Yeah, stated slightly differently.

Basically, development area report will be five years.

How are you doing at utilizing your development area?

When the rezoning comes, there's sort of a subset of that report on this particular parcel.

How does this one relate to that larger thing?

Up at the top of this slide, we're talking about tracking these trends.

For these big six or maybe seven big moves, generally speaking, which way are we headed?

More of a trend line analysis.

We sort of think that when you get to doing your strategic plans, you will be adopting performance indicator measures.

We want to increase affordable housing by, you know,

10,000 houses over the next five years, or whatever the number is.

That's too high, obviously.

But that would be much more tied to something very specific, in large part because that's where you guys are working with the budget.

And the budget is really how you advance those goals, whereas the comp plan is trying to give us this 20-year vision of how we're trying to get someplace.

Because you're working through that strategic plan.

you and your sub, you know, other folks of the board will be, that's what the implementation really happens.

That was helpful.

I mean, I just wanted to, you tied it all together, so thank you for that.

Yeah, I'm just trying, I guess, just to make, to try to understand Supervisor Pruitt's approach or as a accountability type thing.

I don't know

I mean, I went back and just pulled up and man mentioned vision, like I went back and looked at our mission, vision and our values and when you look at those, it seems like these big moves are trying to achieve a similar point, a mission statement, a vision statement and your values.

If you look at those overarching general pieces,

I mean you can't really use them as an accountability because they're too general but they do give you an idea of what the general direction of the county is so I think that why kind of looking at these big moves I'm not looking at them as priority one, two, three I'm just looking at it as oh yeah that's kind of the general idea when you read this comp plan you should be sensing are the big moves that should exist in here so I'm still comfortable with with that but still kind of attempting to

Ponder that thought.

Okay, thank you.

Supervisor McKeel.

Sure.

Maybe you just should take the numbers away.

Just use bullets.

Yeah, because they're confusing people, to be honest with you.

They lead people into a, so just use bullets, take them, just let them stand alone somehow or another.

And I'm not going to say anything more about the six other than I would like to see a seven.

That social fabric

and health and cultural which I do think play in together somehow or another.

And I did make a note on this particular page.

I wanted to just mention the reporting.

I definitely agree with the reporting annually.

Where I have a little concern is the development area report and it says a minimum and I understand that but I think five years with what the growth that we have in the development area and our inability to build it the density that we know we need

and what we're actually doing in the development area for our aging community as well as our middle income people.

I'm a little concerned that we're going to get that every five years because if it says five years, I'm concerned that the minimum somehow will get lost as we just churn through year after year after year.

I don't know where the last 12 years went, right?

And so I just think that maybe, at least with the development area, changes that maybe five years, really.

If I could respond to that.

Our idea here is with that annual report, if you're starting to see trends going in the wrong direction, that would be an opportunity to say, hey, staff, could we get a more in-depth report?

And maybe that's year two, maybe that's year five.

And I will only add to that maybe staff should say to the Board of Supervisors, we're seeing and maybe we need to do this, Board of Supervisors, because this is teamwork in a two-way street, right?

So if you wait for the Board of Supervisors, I think that's where I get concerned.

because we have lots of things where you all do too.

And I guess that is really the only thing I would say is that to get back to what Julian talked about, we need clarity and predictability when we read this document.

and I would look back at repetitive language, some cleanup perhaps.

I think just not to pick on economic development, but that portion was repetitive and how, you know, the economic development piece that we had.

I just would think about how to look through a lens in all of this as cleaning it up and not repeating.

That's all.

But thank you very much.

This really represents a lot of hard work on staff's part and everybody's part.

and I just appreciate so much your patience and I'm thrilled that we are where we are.

Thank you.

I really do like Supervisor McKeel's idea about staff using metrics or staff bringing the information back to us maybe sooner.

Maybe we'll catch it, maybe we won't catch it but if you see a disturbing trend one way or the other

I think that's important to highlight it to make us aware of that.

I think that's extremely helpful.

I like metrics that show trends and patterns, and I like metrics for accountability.

I know we discussed this at our EDA meeting.

Last night and we brought you know, they were We were the board was it looked at wanting to have metrics or you know, some board members said metrics are good so that we know Where we're going how we're doing and I think it's it's it's not just a guessing game Yes, we're doing well in that but to have some actual I think that that's important speaking of that

Regarding number two, increase affordable housing access and options.

I know we're not supposed to get into the weeds, so I'm going to do it.

I would just say adding apartments in there, because we talked about small-scale multi-family townhomes, accessory dwellings, duplexes, et cetera, et cetera, but we don't have apartments.

And I think we should have, it's about time we

Place that in there, because I know if you go above six feet, you have to go into steel and everything.

There may come a day, maybe in 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 years, I don't know, that it is financially feasible to go up higher and to be able to have some affordable units, additional affordable units, or to preserve the land and such.

My two cents worth there.

Oh, and regarding the, I think it was number four on page four.

Slide four?

Page four.

Page four.

Yeah, page four.

Yeah, page four.

I support agriculture and forestry.

It would be nice to have

maybe support the continuation and preservation of agriculture and forestry uses in the rural area.

Maybe that would be more of a broad thing, because I think that's important.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I'm going to first jump back, if we could go back to that metrics, tracking metrics slide.

And I get past it.

Who knows?

And I'm going to have to go back to earlier as well.

There we go.

OK.

This one?

Yeah, that one.

Reporting occurs annually.

Development areas report minimum every five years.

Just to be consistent, we're talking about the implementation chapter.

And I'm looking at page 13 of what was distributed, tracking and reporting.

And I don't see a mention of five years in here anywhere.

So it's on the slide, but it isn't really reflected in the... We can add that.

Well, we had included it in part two where the development areas report was where that report detail lives.

Help me understand what the difference is here.

And again, not to get into the weeds, but you have example metrics and some of those

a little bit too vague maybe like vehicle miles traveled I don't really know what that implies when we don't know the population per capita a lot of other details but again these are examples and I recognize that there's a lot of detail

I want to go back though to supervisor Pruitt's comments so that I make sure that we've fleshed it out and if we disagree we disagree but I want to make sure that we're all on the same page so if you could go back to I think it's like slide four or five it's the why prioritize slide just before you go into the big news

Okay, so this is where you were talking about the idea of why you're doing this, why you're saying that there's going to be at the very end this chapter that talks about the big moves, and I think I almost interpret Supervisor Pruitt's comment, forgive me if I'm wrong, as questioning whether this chapter is really

something we need, if it's implying something that we're not necessarily doing in the rest of the document.

But I recognize that you've tried to address that in this slide as best practices and implementation guidance, allocation of funding.

Where I worry, though, is that it suggests that somehow 250 actions, if they don't fall in these categories, well, we can't do them.

And I don't think that's the case, and I wouldn't want that to be the case.

So he asked a question at the very beginning about, well, is everything included in these six or seven big moves?

And you said, no.

I don't want it right now, but I would like that fleshed out a little bit.

A little bit more sense of what are the examples of things that you're saying, you know, that's not really in the big moves, and what does that mean as far as policy when we adopt AC44?

Being able to address those bright lines, if they do exist, would also address, I think, a lot of my concerns.

Because so much of my concern is I can't use this, because it doesn't actually show me.

In my mind, I'm not sure this chapter accomplishes what we say on the screen, just because I don't know that I have the clarity to say what is and is not prioritized based on the big moves.

Right.

And I could see a lot of things that don't appear to be directly under the big moves that could still fit.

I mean, we talk about rural preservation, we talk about climate and mitigation, but we don't talk about whether the Dark Skies Ordinance fits under one of those or the other.

But I wouldn't want us to say, well, you know, yeah, we said we wanted the Dark Skies Ordinance, but that's not one of our priorities, so we're not going to do it.

Thank you.

This has been very helpful.

I want to look around to see additional comments.

I really appreciate your wrap up on that, Jim, because I think he's exactly right.

I mean, I was assuming, and I think a lot of us were, that some of these other were not going to fall off the face of the earth.

I do want to, and just because I forgot, it was in my own brain, the tracking and reporting on page 13 of what we had, I really do want to just make a comment.

And I understand these are examples.

right, but it is really important when we talk about the number of cost burdened households.

We have talked about the census data.

and the Alice data, and they are very different and they can't be lumped into the same pool because they give very different looks.

I don't think I need to go into a lot of the details with this, but when you have the census data, that is a big swamp and you end up pulling in a lot of Charlottesville.

The census data is what it is, and I get that.

but the ALIS data is specific to magisterial districts and specific to Albemarle County and really looks at it through a different lens and I don't want to lose track of the fact that if we're co-mingling the census data and ALIS data we just have a mess.

You understand what?

Yes.

Okay, thank you.

So the ALIS data is critical.

Thank you.

Supervisor Ortiz-Kirtley?

Yes.

Now that we're on page 13, I did have another comment.

Vehicle miles traveled.

Could you explain that, please?

Sure.

It's really about an inventory of the number of miles a given person travels in a day or any given amount of time.

So for example, if in a week I travel 20 miles, that's all my trips to work, it's my trips to the grocery, it's

you know, my trips to the mountains to go for a hike.

I travel 20 miles but maybe Michael only travels 10 because he lives closer to his grocery store.

I think the single occupancy component of that is important because obviously

But how do you differentiate between, are you talking about everybody that comes into the county to work or live?

Because we have people outside of the county that are coming in through 29 through 250.

In this regard, it's for everyone.

Certainly, when we're looking at commuter traffic into the community, it's one of the factors that drives congestion in the AM and PM peak.

Would it not be easier to just be able to calculate how many people are using the parking rides, how many people are using MicroCat, how many people are using RTA, how many people are, you know, I guess walking a man.

I'm not sure how, I mean it just seems like that's a big ask, what you're stating and it's very

large and broad, and I'm not quite sure how we're going to do that, but I would be interested in knowing are our parking rides full?

Are microtransit, are there 10 people using it or 500 people using it?

Same thing with the buses.

I mean, that's going to give you more information.

We're not going to be able to control who comes in and out.

It's only if they use the services we provide.

and looking for additional comments.

I think that we've given you some feedback.

I don't think so.

The only thing I will mention is some of the other chapters that were included in your packet.

We'll take feedback on that at our meeting in September.

OK.

Thank you.

Okay, welcome back.

Our next item is a work session on legislative priorities, and this is being led by Mr. Andy Herrick, our county attorney.

Good afternoon, Mr. Chair, members of the board, Andy Herrick, county attorney.

It's a pleasure to be here this afternoon and to go over with the board the legislative priorities.

This will be our first go-through of legislative priorities.

We'll take a look back at the 2025 General Assembly session, and then take a look ahead at the 2026 legislative session as well.

I'm joined today by Emily Kilroy, our Director of Economic Development, who will be going over many of the slides with you.

Deputy County Executive Trevor Henry was also involved in this process.

He will not be speaking to you today, but he was involved in the process earlier, along with David Blunt from the TJPDC.

and I know that James Douglas in our office has been very involved with the legislative process as well so my thanks to them all.

As mentioned, we're going to be starting today's presentation by taking a look at the 2025 priorities in the legislative session.

Before we pivot and start looking ahead to the 2026 session, as well as starting to take an initial look at strategies and approaches

that we might have.

This again will be the first of three legislative priority sessions that we will have over the course of the summer and the fall.

So this is just an initial run-through.

Nothing is set in stone at this point.

So again, I will begin with the discussion of the 2025 session before handing off to Ms.

Kilroy to go over the 2026 session.

As you may recall, heading into the 2025 session, this board had six legislative priorities that it wanted us to

Excuse me, five legislative priorities that it wanted us to pursue.

Three of which involved potential amendments to the Virginia Code.

There was an initiative on the part of the board to expand offenses that were subject to property forfeiture for community threats.

Unfortunately, there was not a patron for that in the assembly, so that did not proceed.

The tax having taxing authority for or Enabling a referendum to allow for an additional one cent sales tax for school construction Is an idea who that has gotten more traction as the board may recall that actually advanced and was adopted by the assembly in 2024 but then vetoed by the governor and unfortunately it suffered the same fate in the 2025 session where again it was a

adopted and enacted by both houses of the General Assembly, but then vetoed by the governor.

And then the board also had asked that there be an expansion of the authority for photo speed monitoring devices.

The bill that was most similar to what the county had advocated for was House Bill 1666,

That unfortunately failed.

There were some other related bills dealing with photo speed authority that were adopted.

Unfortunately, they actually limited or put additional specifications on the places where localities could have photo speed enforcement.

So there's continuing activity in that area.

It's not necessarily positive or what the county might see as favorable.

But again, there's continued assembly interest there.

There were also a couple of budget amendments that had some success.

The county had requested $11.2 million in state funding for the Rivanna Futures Project.

That was introduced by delegate law firm Senator Deeds.

However, unfortunately, those amendments failed.

They did not proceed through the assembly.

Our efforts to get funding for the Biscuit Run Park Monacan Indian Nation Tribute Park Connector Trail, that did get more traction.

That would have provided for $1,368,000 in funding for a one-mile ADA-accessible trail in the Biscuit Run Park.

that actually was in the initial budget that went through the assembly.

The governor amended that or suggested an amendment to reduce that amount.

The assembly reinstated the full amount that they had additionally adopted and the governor outright vetoed that.

So unfortunately at the end of the day, despite the fact that that had a fair amount of support in the General Assembly,

It also was vetoed by the governor, so unfortunately we don't have any funding to show for that, despite the fact that it seems to have some pretty broad support.

And finally, the six initiatives, I was correct, it was six initiatives, was for a legislative study for tools to mitigate rent increases caused by multifamily residential redevelopment.

That wound up not being an act of the assembly, but that was something that Delegate Kallsen requested administratively of the State Department of Housing and Community Development.

So that's an overview of what happened in the 2025 assembly with the county's legislative priorities.

And with that, I'll turn it over to Ms.

Thank you, Mr. Herrick.

And I will apologize to the Board of Supervisors up front.

David Blount, who is our really wonderful partner on items of regional concern.

He also supports local efforts, really represents the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission in the General Assembly, in the halls of the General Assembly.

through his participation in some other statewide organizations like VACO and VML is out of the office this week and so this item would have been on your agenda a month ago and he was fully prepared to support us at that time and so I am going to do my level best to do his words.

He thankfully left us his words.

for the next couple of slides.

And then it'll be more of the work that I would normally do.

But he provided us with some of his insights into the 2026 session.

No year in the General Assembly is created equal.

There's a lot of dynamics at play.

And David does a wonderful job of stepping us through what we might expect in the year ahead.

So significant topics that we expect to be addressed in the 2026 session are, in a way, very much dependent on the outcome of the elections that are happening in November.

And so exactly what these look like, heading into this past year's session, we had a greater understanding of what some of these issues might look like in the session ahead, because there was no election heading into last year's session.

This year within election, the direction of some of these is still very much in play.

but David Blount provided us with an understanding that there continues to be discussions by stakeholders on the topic of meeting Virginia's energy needs.

A big part of this conversation is driven by the continued growth and demand for data centers and the energy demands of that sector.

which is an entree into the next item, data centers themselves.

There were many, many bills introduced last session on the topic of data centers.

And all of the data center legislation that made it out of committee ultimately failed in last session.

And it's expected that many of those bills will return in 2026.

on housing affordability.

There will continue to be efforts to incentivize as well as require actions to increase the stock of affordable housing across the Commonwealth.

This could include a new version of the housing targets legislation that required localities to increase their total housing stock by 1.5% per year over five years that failed this past year.

On Medicaid, Medicaid and other human service areas are areas that could be most affected by federal funding reductions.

The legislature added $640 million to the state biennial budget this year to close a Medicaid funding gap driven by higher participation rates and costs.

Cuts in federal Medicaid funding would drive tougher decisions about backfilling with even more state general fund dollars.

And on education funding,

Along with Medicaid, this is the other big state budget driver.

The legislature was able to finally, after about 15 years, restore to previous levels state funding for K-12 support personnel.

The question is, will the commitment to education funding priorities and to long-term responses to the 2023 JLARC education funding report be possible in the face of declining revenues that may be needed to be filled?

Some takeaways from the 2025 session that could inform the approach for 2026 are preservation of local authority fared well, which is a position that this board, as well as many other communities in the Commonwealth, have held for a long time.

With a few exceptions, bills to restrict or remove local land use authority did not pass during the 2025 session.

And we expect that that will continue into 2026.

And on the House and Senate committees to review federal impacts, special subcommittees of the House and Senate that are examining federal funding are meeting regularly and receiving reports and analysis in many different program funding areas.

This work will hopefully position lawmakers to be more informed when addressing state budget decisions brought on by any federal funding cuts.

And I'll make sure that we send you all

a link to those subcommittees.

The reports that they receive at their meetings are incredibly content rich and good light reading in all of your spare time.

So as I mentioned earlier, the 2026 session is really going to be shaped by the outcome of the November 4th elections.

The candidates for November statewide offices are set following Tuesday's primary election.

This was a month ago.

We know no matter what that Virginia will have its first female governor, but beyond that there's still a lot in play.

For the FY 2016 budget adjustments and the new FY 2728 biennial budget,

All of those are going to be heavily influenced by federal funding and the most current economic conditions that we're seeing here in Virginia.

So the next two-year state budget will be shaped during the January to March session, and a lot of the issues that we talked about on the last slide will be drivers there.

And just mentioning, again, energy and data centers as well as housing could be the top issues in the General Assembly this session, just based on all of the things that are happening in those areas right now.

So a lot to sort of think about heading into 2026.

And the part ahead is really driven and informed by conversations that staff in the county attorney's office, my office with the executive office, and David Blount had.

trying to debrief what happened in 2025, assessing some of the changes that we've made in the past couple of years to try to streamline the legislative priority process and focus on a few priorities and put a lot of effort into them.

And so I'll start with a big picture look at our recommendation for how to approach this year's legislative program.

And so there's three chunks here, and it's really the idea that there are organizations that are purpose-built to address statewide issues, issues of statewide significance, and they have a lot of horsepower in terms of staff resources, in terms of their footprint in Richmond during session, and working to

sort of leverage those organizations for items that would be of a statewide significance or impact could be a good focus for us this year.

And then where we can really add value as a locality and really the shared constituency that you all have with the local delegation that represent our community in Richmond are those things that are really delivering specific value for Albemarle County.

We've had great success in recent years

with items that are specific to Albemarle.

While Biscuit Run was vetoed, it made it all the way to the end of the General Assembly process.

We know that one cent for schools, when we first started having that conversation with you all, their focus statewide was really on

this fact that some localities in the state code have the specific ability to have a referendum and then enact a one cent sales tax for a school's capital.

And so initially the thought was it would be wonderful if Albemarle was added to the list of localities that could do that.

We happened to join a wave of momentum where lots of localities were pursuing that at the same time.

And it's really become a statewide issue.

And so we think we could be really effective if we think about it in that way.

So the strong connection with our local delegation carrying local priorities we think is a good way to set our community up first for success And I'll talk a little bit now about what that might look like So requests for new legislation budget amendments for 2026 staff wanted to put forward for the board's consideration of

Again, looking at Biscuit Run, Monacan Indian Tribute Park Trail funding.

Again, this was very successful.

It made it to the end of the process.

And with the new governor and the enrichment, we think there's an opportunity to see a different outcome for that project.

There's a timeliness with this one as well.

There's a stream restoration project that is happening at Biscuit Run.

and trail work in tandem with that stream restoration work presents some opportunities for efficiency and so we think this would be a good year to pursue that.

Rivanna Futures, we continue to believe that state level advocacy for Rivanna Futures is critically important to the success of that project and that the General Assembly is a really important piece of that.

Excited to host the General Assembly Military Veterans Caucus, not the whole caucus, but members of that caucus out at Rivanna Futures a couple of weeks ago.

And we've talked to that body, which is a bicameral and bipartisan group that meets every year during the session.

We've been presenting on Rivanna Futures for years.

This was the first time that we were able to get them out on the ground with us, and we really saw the gears turning in real time as folks connected what they knew about the project to what the reality when you're out there really looks like.

So the outcome of that site readiness grant that we've applied for and talked to the board about over the past several months will help us refine what a strategy for the General Assembly might look like specifically.

But right now we wanted to have this as a placeholder on this list for the board's reaction if this is a good thing for us to continue to pursue.

And by the time we're at our next work session we expect that we'll know more.

So some of the items that would apply statewide that we could work through VACO, VML, VAPDC, and other statewide organizations to advance could include what is again now a statewide interest in gaining local authority for a one-cent sales tax increase for school capital.

Expanding local authority for photo speed cameras.

And this last one is a new one based on recent remarks made by both candidates for governor that would look at ending the personal property tax in Virginia.

When this came up last year, there was a lot of concern expressed by localities that ended up getting routed through VACO and VML.

And they were successful as organizations in getting a lot of attention and conversations happening about the impact that that would have for across the board Virginia localities.

So staff recommends that the board consider this as a topic heading into 2026.

The final thing that we wanted to talk to the board about today is the 2026 positions and policy statements.

This is that document that's a broad articulation of support or opposition for statewide issues.

And it positions staff to respond to requests by and inquiries from the local delegation during session when it's impractical sometimes for us to reach out to the board to get a poll on where you might stand on a topic.

After many years of additions, we add to that document every year.

We took a look at that sort of holistically.

It's grown to 49 positions and policy statements.

And some of the things in there feel like they may have been hot topics at a point in time.

but perhaps that time has passed and so staff wanted to recommend that we take some time this year to fully revise that document just to make sure that it's still relevant and look for opportunities to shift towards principles that again we can use as we respond to legislator inquiries during session.

I have one more slide, and then I'll open it up to you all for comments and questions.

But just sort of where we are in the process.

Again, we normally would have had this work session a month ago.

We're glad to be here today.

We'll be back at your second meetings in August and September.

And our goal this year is to meet with the legislators aiming for October.

Typically, we aim for November following the election.

What we have found over the past several cycles is that the General Assembly has

orientation sessions, caucus meetings, committee meetings ahead of the start of session.

And then you're into the winter holidays.

And so it can be really hard to get that day on the calendar as you get into November.

And so we would endeavor to work towards an October date, knowing that we know who our local delegation will be this coming session.

And then continue engagement work with them in the fall and winter, heading into and during session.

That is the content for you all.

OK.

We'll go through our order.

I think this is probably one slide to focus on.

Is there feedback on this general approach of focusing

Thank you.

Sure.

So I want to very quickly just speak to the things that we already have priorities, and it seems like they're being carried over very briefly.

I've previously on this board expressed minor concerns I have with both sales tax and the speed monitoring devices, but I also understand how gravity and momentum works.

So great, glad they're being included.

There are more goods than outweigh the cons on those.

The thing I want to flag is

Personal Forfeitures for Community Threats.

We didn't get a sponsor.

I know we have struggled with how we structure this solution.

I appreciated when we met with our legislators being able to speak about the problem and, frankly, explain that we recognize we're struggling with the solution.

I also appreciate the work that I know the team put into developing the solution that's on the page.

I also recognize that.

I look at polling.

I also see what's been vetoed.

I think we're going to have a very big year legislatively in 2026.

And I'm not sure this is a good use of our time and energy, which is valuable and finite, to be continuing to kind of bang our heads on a wall with a problem that we can't figure out how to plug cleanly with a legislative solution.

which frustrates me.

It makes me mad.

This is an issue I'm still mad about.

And I think it is a broader systematic problem in this country that we don't have a clear tool set to grapple with.

But maybe it is not the appropriate time and place in this document to try and grapple with the systematic problem of how governments are stymied and hindered by threats of violence and by politically motivated hoaxes.

So I would be in favor of nixing this from the priorities because I think we're just going to continue to spin our wheels.

From my own day job work as a housing lawyer and also as part of that, sometimes a part-time housing advocate at the General Assembly, I would concur with some of the assessments that are made.

The gubernatorial candidate, specifically the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, seems deeply deferential to VACO.

And I think we see that in our housing suggestions, which are incredibly deferential to VACO.

And so I think that is a well-made statement.

The possibility of grappling with personal property becoming something that is under, I'm familiar with the lieutenant governor talking about this.

I'm not as familiar with Congresswoman Spanberger talking about this.

I think it invites a bigger conversation than we're necessarily wanting to have right now, but there is

I don't want us to instinctively say we need to maintain personal property taxing authority because it's a pool of money that we have.

If we're going to talk about this and there's alternatives for elimination of personal property tax I think we need to talk about what those alternatives look like and whether or not they actually might be more equitable.

Income tax is probably the most equitable and progressive taxation method that can be accomplished.

And it is exclusively the ambit of the state.

We do not have income tax authority.

The state does.

If there is a one for one replacement of the value with a metric that we think we can get behind, then frankly, that would be better than the personal property tax.

Because personal property tax, in addition to taking off our constituents whenever we have to adjust it,

is less equitable than income tax.

It does harm the poor more than income tax.

So I think that's a serious conversation that we need to have.

What does it look like?

And frankly, I think we all still kind of play a guessing game between real property

and

grapple with the possibility of elimination of personal property tax and where we fall on that politically.

I realize that was a bunch of big statements.

But truly, this is core to how we build a just society, is how we tax and how we fund the things that we're doing.

And I don't want the instinct to be, this is money for the government.

The government has needs.

Therefore, we need to protect it, which

I alluded to it, but this is also my concern about the school tax concern because that's the least equitable way we can possibly get that money.

I want to flag, because I'm not sure we're necessarily going to talk about it today if we don't individually flag things.

This board, even before I joined, talked about locality enforcement of the Landlord Tenant Act.

It's something I'm particularly passionate about.

It's something I know other members of this board are particularly passionate about.

I think it could be symbolically valuable if we elevated that to a key priority.

This is something we know is struggling every year.

It keeps getting brought by a handful of champions.

I think a little bit of extra gas on that pedal could symbolize this board's support of that priority, which I think is important.

I also, I'm gonna gird myself,

The discussion of rent gouging as a study was something that we made as a compromise, I believe, when it was previously discussed as being possibly included as a priority last year.

I had introduced that idea.

We backed it into a study.

Part of the concern was that this was an issue of first impression to this board, and we had not had the time to research it.

It has been a calendar year.

I certainly have had time to research it.

I know we have not had any formal presentations by staff, but we are lawmakers.

I think sometimes we have to do our own due diligence and identify things.

And this is something I am in support of, and I think is, again, it is

empowering our government to have a bigger set of tools in our toolbox.

It is not committing us to this choice of action, which I do think would be something we would want staff to have that presentation of how we would actually implement it.

But I believe in local power.

I believe in local authority.

I believe in weakening Dylan at every chance we get.

And I see it as an opportunity to add another tool to our tool chest.

that we can use as we see fit based on recommendations of staff and what we're able to develop on that.

So I would support eliminating this as a study, just support, line out a state study of rent stabilization, rent gouging protections.

And we could caveat that if we wanted to be only those that are enabling authorities rather than directive ones.

Support of enabling authority related to rent stabilization or rent gouging protections.

Okay, thank you.

I'm just pointing out that there's already a place in our... Are we hitting a second set of presentations and discussions?

Well, we have a rent stabilization thing under housing, but then that specific study was for redevelopment, so it wasn't about

and as a priority, the redevelopment fund that delegate calls in for.

The framework that you show on screen seems very workable, so that's a good idea.

I would expect that the bills removing local authority from last year will be back.

because lots of people with whom I agree quite often about lots of issues have absolutely no respect at all for local government.

And so they think that their judgment is so much better on everything, and they're willing to squash us like a bug.

So that is a real problem for me.

And they certainly are not in the ability, don't know all the things they need to know in order to make those kinds of decisions.

So I think we should be prepared.

on that and expect that others are doing the same.

Schuyler's 1.5% housing thing was so hard to figure out what the numbers were, and so I know he's coming back with that, or something similar to that.

I've learned that directly.

I am concerned about the

property tax having lived through the turn of the century when the no car tax thing came along, or 90s or whenever it was, that it's never been the same.

So I think there are a lot of people who have no trust that the state will live up to their will it keep you whole promise, which failed immediately and has never gotten above 50% and is now going lower and lower and lower.

So I don't have a solution for that, but it will.

I guess really depend on how things go in November and who will be there.

Regarding the policy statements that you're suggesting that we look over,

Will you send us a red line copy to start with of things, or do you want us to start?

Yeah, thank you for that question.

I think the staff thought was that we would take a first pass for your August work session, that that would be part of the packet.

You know, I have no issue with the three, the photo speed, the other items that were there as carryovers, but I think we need to have a really just blunt, direct conversation with our delegates and Senator about transportation funding in this state.

We have a transportation priorities piece under the priorities.

It speaks to the transit authority.

It speaks to all this other stuff, but it just gets lost in the ether.

The total cost for smart scale applications throughout the commonwealth this past year was $9.4 billion.

The smart scale request was $8.2 billion.

The awarded amount was less than $1 billion.

That's statewide.

Now we're talking about getting rid of the real property tax.

The state loves to be able to tell us, one, they like to tell us to do things that they don't fund.

They like to underfund us on everything we do out of local dollars.

And now they want to take away tools or things that we have, good, bad, or indifferent, that those tools may be.

They want to be like, well, you don't get that anymore.

Well, maybe they should look to their own needs.

and decide how to fund something that isn't a Republican or a Democrat thing, one of the number one things that elected officials hear about are road projects and transportation issues in their localities.

And if you're funding at one ninth the amount,

stop talking about taking away our funding tools and figure out your own damn funding tools and how you're going to fund basic infrastructure in the Commonwealth.

I mean, I look through this list of things.

Now, out of those $9.4 million costs, there's probably a fluff project or two in there.

But I'd probably say 98% of them aren't.

that their actual needs in those communities just like our smart scale applications are actual needs and critical and we put forward what five and then with the PDC we got up to eight or nine and we left projects that are critical off out of that mix so they need to figure out how the hell to fund not just road maintenance but road projects in this state and I don't remember in my eight years we've never really

had a conversation supervisor to state officials that I'm aware of during the legislative priority process.

I could use the same rationale for the photo speed monitoring.

They like to tell us what to do and how to do it and all that.

Well, they're not the ones listening to all the constituents complain about speeding through the neighborhoods.

Give us the extra tools.

We already see the impact that the school zone is doing.

But speeding is just as critical.

I mean, you know, okay, they found themselves to try to limit speeding in school zones.

Well, good on you.

Maybe you could help us figure out to eliminate speeding in all of our areas of our community by giving us that tool.

So I think we just need to have those conversations and really rally around it.

So I think if we do a rewrite of those transportation, or all of those priorities, we may find others like this one that I'm kind of honing in on right now.

in similar vein and figure out a way to do this that has bigger impact in the conversation so it's not just, because it seems for better or worse in the past whatever the two or three things we're asking for always gets the prime time when we meet with them and we need to hit on some bigger funding issues I think relative to the transportation so hopefully the board will agree with that and I know there's time to go around

You know, this is going to come back to us a couple times.

We're doing it in the summer.

So, I mean, it might, October might, I would say October needs to be at the latest.

And this is going to be their two-year budget.

This is a big year coming up.

So anything related to funding or dollars, the sooner the better we need to get to them to get at that one.

But that's going to be a big one, I think, that this board needs to contend with.

Thank you.

Supervisor McKeel.

Sure.

It is interesting because over the years we've heard, oh, not in an election year, we can't possibly talk to you until the election is over.

And then, I mean, we seem to get the run around, I guess is what I'm saying, about what the right timing is.

So let's see if we can lock something down and lock it down early.

because we really do need to have that meeting.

I agree with Ned completely and what we were hearing at the Regional Transit Partnership from the state folks that join us often at that meeting that this was going to be the transportation year.

Now it's the data center year.

Sorry if I seem frustrated, but we need to get back to transportation.

And I will say just to add on to what Ned said, we had pipeline projects in this community that we were told by VDOT were extremely important to the state.

And pipeline projects were often expedited, all of this, and we couldn't get one funded.

It is just amazing.

And yet we have cars backed up on the bypass.

We're lucky we haven't had a major accident on the bypass with multiple people killed in both directions.

I'm sorry, I'm not frustrated with you, Emily.

I'm just really frustrated.

Because it's crazy world.

And VDOT is spending most of their money on picking up after storms and cleaning up from storms.

So if you tie this to climate change, they don't even really have as much money as it looks because they're having to dip into some of their other money because their maintenance projects are just eating everything up.

They're clean up.

Having said that, so I agree with transportation really needs to be priority and I also agree that we start giving them an out to not for our personal property

They're going to grab it and they won't give us anything back.

I'm just saying.

Right now I'm hearing chatter.

Sean Reeves, our Chief of Police, said to me that what he's hearing now is chatter, that they are wanting to move the dollars that we're receiving from the speed cameras in the school zones back to the state.

Now, that money's not going necessarily into our operational, but we're using it for road improvements, transportation, safety issues.

They're going to take that, because I will remind you that they took the lottery funds that they promised us years ago.

Decades ago, we were given lottery funds for the school division.

They took those back.

And same thing happened with school bus stop arms.

They took that money back.

I'm just saying that this is wackadoodle world.

This is crazy.

We need a reckoning around transportation in this state.

And certainly we can start with our own legislators and hold them accountable and work together to figure this out.

Having said that, I am also very interested in culling that document.

Lots of it's old, and a red line would be great.

We just need to, because if they look at so much, then we really, it just waters everything down.

You know, it's kind of like you have so many priorities, you don't have a priority, but same thing.

So I'm very interested in that, and I wouldn't hesitate to, you all give us the red line, and then we can scream and yell if we don't agree with one.

Be bold.

And the other thing that I would mention, and I really, to stop a minute, I really appreciate Mike being realistic.

Thank you very much, because I know that that was near and dear to your heart, and I appreciate your realism and say just scratch it, because it is what it is.

The other thing I would say though is that I think, I don't know for all of us, but certainly several of us that represent the urban area really need to, we need to figure out how to focus on a Landlord Tenant Act.

I can't tell you how many times I have sad, sad cases.

of people calling me because they're renters and they may have a single family home and they're a renter or they live in one of my old apartment complexes, right?

And a couple of them even have HOAs that do them no good because they've been co-opted.

but they're under property management companies or individuals and we have no teeth to help them.

We have no way to help them.

We have people coming to speak to us occasionally about this very issue, elderly people.

people that, anyway.

So I am very interested in trying to figure out if we can't do, elevate at least the locality enforcement of Landlord Tenant Act.

I think that's really important.

Maybe it can take the place of that other one, Mike.

And I think with that, I'll let it go.

Yes, thank you very much.

I do agree a lot with what Supervisor McKeel has said, frankly.

Our three priorities, I support those, that's not a problem.

Regarding the study tools to mitigate rent increases and everything, I just want to make sure, I'm supporting this study and I'll tell you why, because I want to make sure that whatever is done there does not inhibit

Pardon?

This was already submitted to the one that you're pointing out on page one.

I'm just saying I'm in support of that study there.

I do agree with Supervisor Pruitt in taking out expending the property forfeiture.

I think

That's a very nice move on your part.

I really agree.

Personal property tax, would I love to see it go away?

Yes.

Am I going to support it going away?

No.

Not unless we have a one for one.

You take it away and simultaneously there's something else that we can do to have the same amount that we're losing.

That I would support.

But to do away with it and then count on the

legislature to give us another tool, maybe at some point in time, perhaps, we'll think about it.

That's a no-go for me.

Transportation, as we stated, that is probably the number one issue I hear from constituents.

I'm always hearing about roads, traffic, congestion.

That is probably the number one issue that I hear about, so it would be nice to see something regarding transportation.

Data centers, I think we're going to figure that out locally, so I don't care what the state does, but we can figure that out locally, so I don't want to spend a lot of time on data centers unless they're forcing us to accept something and don't give us the opportunity to put in controls for data centers.

I'm quickly going through here.

Let's see.

I do locality enforcement of Landlord Tenant Act.

It would be nice to give us that authority.

I agree with that.

And the last page, page five, the demerit points for truck violations, I really support that.

I think that is so good because I think that's part of the problems we're having, especially on our rural roads where trucks are not authorized, but they're there, the over-the-length trucks.

And we're having problems, we're giving out tickets, I understand that, but we're not giving demerits regarding that because, speaking with Chief Reeves, the officers want that

flexibility to be able to give them either demerit points or not.

They hesitate because someone could say, well, this is my third demerit point.

You take this away, I lose my license.

So people are naturally concerned about that.

Officers are human, and so they're concerned about that.

But I do believe there needs to be a stronger.

They're not obeying the signs.

We have signs everywhere.

I mean, Carrie's here.

I better put up signs all over Route 22-231.

I mean, there's signs everywhere.

And yet, they still come through.

Still oversized trucks that should not be on rural roads.

And the last one there, I have a question.

It says, private police department, line of duty benefits.

I'm not sure.

So that would be one to remove.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So just looking at the big picture, focus programs, Albemarle specific, I definitely think that's a great idea.

I noticed that that seems to apply to the budgetary items.

I do think that we had identified the speed cameras and sales taxes, two big items for us.

When we start to leverage VACO, again, I think that's great leveraging TJPDC and VACO, but I don't think that it's necessary that our

Priorities will always align with DECO's.

DECO is going to help tremendously with local control, I believe.

But there's not always one correspondence of our priorities.

And I wouldn't want to lose important legislation for Albemarle.

And I fully agree with the comments about transportation.

I think that's something that we should take a harder look at this time.

I'm not going to repeat the other comments, but I really don't know what we're talking about with personal property tax without hearing what kind of proposals are put forward.

And I don't see, I don't know what VACO is going to say or DJPTC, but this is obviously something where you need to be held harmless if it's, yeah, unlikely.

Fine with removing the civil forfeiture, but also fine with going a little further with landlord-tenant protections, including rent.

And then I just want to make mention that, of course, Solid Waste Alternatives Advisory Committee, which I sit on,

has recommendations relating to environmental legislation and I hope that gets looked at.

I looked at it and it's pretty consistent with what we have here already.

There may be a couple things like a study of microplastics that aren't specifically in our list but they're in their list and I think they're worth advocating.

I'm going to go to this slide just to say if you have a specific item that you want to make sure staff is aware of and puts into the conversation for you all in August, please reach out to Andy Herrick and myself.

And we'll make sure that we include those in what will be the second conversation for this session.

And then staff will work between now and then to develop that red line version of the positions and policy statements document.

I heard several of you talk about the importance of transportation.

and also that Landlord Tenant Act.

And I want to do a listening check to say we could work to structure your October, what we hope will be an October meeting with the local delegation to focus on, to make sure we're intentional about carving out time to talk about those.

Maybe not with a specific ask, but more of an opportunity to talk through some of the challenges that you all see.

I would echo a point that was previously made, which is I've heard from my delegates previously in October.

We haven't had your meeting yet.

That's too late.

Which I realize puts staff on a hard timeline.

But I do worry that we are not getting this information to them in time.

They're having to basically back channel, hey, what's coming on your legislative priorities?

One quick thing I forgot.

Trailer parks have become a new venture capital thing all across the country and the abuse of those tenants is something that may already be folded into the landlord-tenant

I just want to put that out there because

The takeovers of the ones in the White Hall district have meant lots of people being pushed out because their rent has just gone up three times.

And none of the promises made when the approvals were done in this room have been held.

Secondly, the other thing that I heard about at a recent board meeting is mandatory collective bargaining is expected to be back.

So we need to be thinking about that as well.

And that's the extent of my information.

One last comment.

I hope the legislature realizes they could really save a lot of time and effort if they just gave us a home rule, and then we wouldn't have to bother.

Pointing that out.

You don't ask, the answer's always no, right?

Board, this brings us to our visit from Kerry Sheppard on the VDOT quarterly report.

Welcome, Ms.

Sheppard, Charlottesville residency administrator.

But it doesn't matter.

Welcome.

But yes, good afternoon, Mr. Chairman, members of the board.

My name is Carrie Shepherd from VDOT, here to give my quarterly presentation.

I want to start with this slide.

It's our preliminary engineering slide.

There's a lot of exciting new things that I can talk about with this slide.

Usually I can just say it's status quo, but this time I have some updates for you.

The Route 29 shared use path, it did go to ADD last month and we expect to have a bid letting by the end of July, so that's very exciting.

For the 107 park and ride, we are expecting to have a public hearing in October of 2025, so just a couple months away.

There will be a press release as that approach is closer.

Fifth Street hub and trails, we did also go into another milestone on that project.

We are in the right-of-way acquisition phase.

For the 250, Route 20 improvements for the Pantops corridor, we are still expecting a spring of 2026 add date, so that is also just around the corner.

Route 702, Fontaine Avenue, it's the bridge replacement project over the Maury Creek.

That also went to add in June, and we expect a bid letting at the end of July.

And also, just while I'm on this slide, I will mention that we do have a smart scale meeting with the county scheduled for Monday to talk about Round 7.

As far as our design-build bundles, work continues on the pedestrian bridge over hydraulic.

That's making very good progress.

As far as our next design-build bundle, which is the five elements, the four roundabouts and the green tea at Belvedere, that project is officially under construction with the 240-250 roundabout.

There was a press release last week about the detour that's going to be in place beginning July 23rd.

That will be in place through December while the roundabout is actually being constructed.

And then when we reopen it, it'll be in the roundabout configuration, but obviously construction will continue.

And as far as the detour is concerned, there are maps that are on our website that can show that, but it's essentially just a segment of Route 680.

And I guess since the last time I've been here also for the final bundle, which is the District Avenue roundabout, Fontaine, and the Fontaine components, we did have a public hearing at the end of May.

We did have a decent number of citizens attend that, so that also went well.

That project is moving forward.

As far as our rural rustics right now, Sutherland Road is under construction since we have now Part 2 included.

with Part 1 so that entire road will get finished this year.

And we also are working on Glen Dower Road Phase 1 and 2.

for construction activities.

Same for Old Ivy Road Bridge 601 over 29.

That's moving forward.

New for this slide is Route 712 Plank Road.

It's reconstruction of a headwall.

That project just started July 7th, and we expect that to be complete August 8th, so just a little over a month for that temporary traffic signal and change.

And then finally, I did not list out all the traffic engineering work orders that we were working on, but I can assure you that we are continuing to respond to citizen requests that come in through the work order system, generally for signage, speeding, crosswalks, sidewalk issues, mainly anything under the sun.

So if there's anything specific that you would like me to follow up on, please let me know.

Thank you.

You know what I got a text of a few weeks ago?

Pictures of some construction going on on Glendower Road and that made me happy.

I'm also very happy to hear all of your reports about the 240-250-680 because it's

Very, very welcome, and nobody has complained a bit about the detour, so that's wonderful.

A question was telephoned to me this morning, and so I do not expect an answer, but I hope you could get one back to me.

I assume that with all the data that you generally collect, it would be fairly easy to get a cost to date to VDOT for the, within the last year of work on Early Swell Forest Drive.

because I just drove it again today.

And unfortunately, all the work that they did two weeks ago is kaput.

So this is just whack-a-mole in all capital letters.

And thank you very much.

Supervisor Galloway.

Thank you, Carrie.

Good to see you.

The limited access control piece on that update on the John Warner Parkway, I just don't know what that means.

I hadn't seen that phrasing before.

Yeah, honestly, that's a little bit new to me, too.

I didn't know if it was going to the CTB.

So if you could maybe send an email elaborating on that, that would be helpful to just understand what that means.

And then a couple of the other small things I'll send you an email on.

So I can list them out.