The Hook has FOIAed e-mail communications from the city pertaining to the reservoir, and they show that city manager Gary O’Connell is actively opposing citizen efforts to consider dredging. The paper’s staff appear to have become quite the experts in water storage and transportation in the past few months, and present a pretty significant series of facts supporting the notion that dredging is a cheaper, simpler option than the pipeline/mega-reservoir plan. Based on these communications, it certainly doesn’t appear that there’s anything inappropriate going on here — it’s more of a case of “don’t bother me with the facts, I’ve got my mind made up.”
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Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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Actually, I think Mr. Frederick indicates in the article that dredging, and the facts surrounding it, WAS fully studied as an option several years ago, and therefore does not need to be re-explored.
This is a copy of the letter to the editor that the Conservancy’s Greg Edwards submitted to the Hook last Tuesday in response to its Sunday morning blog.
Dear Editor:
I love my job at The Nature Conservancy, where I have worked for the last 20 years.
Although your article says that I am an attorney for the Conservancy, my duties for the Conservancy do not include the practice of law. I work in Charlottesville for the Conservancy’s international office as a fundraising trainer. I have not been involved in the local water supply plan.
My friends will tell you that I am opinionated, but I form my opinions only after gathering all the facts. Which is why I urge the Hook to publish the entire e-mail that is the subject of the story “Is the Conservancy Impeding the Dredge Options?,” as well as the Airport staff memo that was written before my meeting with the Airport’s executive director. These documents show:
• That I went seeking information about an issue that had been raised at City Council involving the airport’s runway expansion plan.
• The reasons that the airport expansion project doesn’t provide the easy solution to the community’s water storage that some have suggested.
• The tactics being employed by those who oppose the community’s water supply plan.
I also enjoy my life outside of work, which includes my hobby of flying airplanes. It was because of my life outside of work that I volunteered as a citizen to serve on the Joint Albemarle-Charlottesville Airport Commission (which is strictly advisory). I volunteered to help because I respect the Airport and its staff and what they are trying to achieve for the community.
In that capacity, I met with the Airport staff on February 21 to discuss numerous issues. One of them was the issue raised earlier in the week by a citizen at a City Council meeting. After having been briefed on the facts, I agreed with the conclusion of the airport staff—that “because of so many unanswered questions regarding the airport project, its funding and its schedule, the [Airport] Authority is not in a position to discuss dredge material at this time.”
Sincerely,
Greg Edwards
Heck, I he can post those documents here. People can read ’em for themselves.
Kevin Lynch has me convinced; we should be dredging instead of spending outrageous sums of money on a new or bigger reservoir.
If they won’t listen, then Kevin is just going to have to come out of retirement and run for Council again to straighten things out.
How does
fit in with “I work in Charlottesville for the Conservancy’s international office as a fundraising trainer. I have not been involved in the local water supply plan.”? It sounds to me that somebody is wearing so many hats that he gets confused as to which one he is wearing. If there may be a conflict between the Nature Conservancy and the airport authority down the road, then maybe somebody should resign from the authority’s board since he can not serve two masters. Attorneys should be very senstive to this rule for public service. “because of so many unanswered questions regarding the airport project, its funding and its schedule, the [Airport] Authority is not in a position to discuss dredge material at this time.” Neither is the Authority, obviously, so there’s plenty of time for these discussions to be had. It seems somebody has placed an artificial time limit in the process. I’ve noticed that Mr. Edwards is a city resident appointed to the JOINT AIRPORT COMMISSION MEMBERS (http://www.gocho.com/commissionBoard.php) whose Board is composed of Mr. Kurt Goodwin, Mr. Robert Tucker and, yes, the omnipresent and, apparently, the omnipotent Mr. Gary O’Connell. it seems we have another authority that is far removed from accountability to the voters.
“To re-evaluate an alternative which was dismissed, when nothing has changed,” Fern writes, “threatens the integrity of the RWSA and its consultant.” The integrity of the Authority has already suffered severely when it is clear that reputations and feelings take paramount position in the conduct of the public’s business.
The Authority can not produce a written study of the dredging project. It was dismissed as an option after a conversation with a consultant bidding to do anything but dredge. The link to the Hook’s article clearly shows to me that Mr. Frederick is amenable to a real study in order to abate public concern. Gary O’Connell is calling the shots. As with the new computer system, Woe to the Citizens!