Council isn’t going to pay as much for signs as city staff requested. #
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
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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Waldo — Did you mean to say “isn’t going to pay” instead of “is”? Staff proposed $1,000,000 for signs over a 4-year period, Council approved $450,000. That’s still more than some would like, but it’s a 55% cut in what City staff and Downtown business leaders requested…
Would it be wrong to point out that it depends on what the definition of “is” is?
Ack! What a terrible mistake. (I fundamentally messed up the other blog entry that I posted last night, too.) That’s fixed now. I’m sorry about that.
Any money spend on signage to direct tourist to downtown or elsewhere is wasted taxpayer money when there are so many other pressing needs. The money should have been spend on developing more and better parking for downtown patrons. This council finds it extremely easy to be generous with other peoples money.
If they’re putting up new signs the first thing they need to do is pull down all the ones that reference the “Downtown Mall” as “historic”. With all of the demolition and re-construction that’s gone on it’s anything but.
The City staff and downtown merchant welfare recipients are not entitled to anything to be cut. I Believe this $450,000 is in addition to the $200,000 that was put aside last year, but it doesn’t matter. If it is wise to arbitrarily cut an appropriation that neither the staff nor the downtown merchant welfare recipients have asked for, then it is wiser to cut out the entire expenditure. “Daddy, I want $1000 to throw to the wind.” “No, child, you can only have $450.” This is a fine example of how the city spends money… a little here, a little there, everybody rides and we buy votes (with other peoples’ money). The staff said it neeeded $1M; by what criteria did council determine that only $450,000 (or $650,000) was needed ? Which locations and what kinds of signs are needed? Don’t bother to answer. Just remeber people, that Cville Eye told you last year when council paid $200,000 that the staff would be back. Prediction, after the signs start getting installed, they’ll be back asking. Did anybody see the Buckingham Palace price tags on those signs. This is becoming quite funny. If people are stupid enough to allow themselves to be treated in such a manner, they are getting exactly what they want or deserve. At least Ambassador Norris had the honesty to not call it a budget cut and that Council is “saving” tax payers money or this expenditure is being “fiscally responsible.” It is interesting that Council’s position has been that there is a crisis in housing, yet reduced the new housing welfare program by $700,000 in favor of putting up better signs for the welfare mongers to find their way to Council chambers to demand for welfare subsidies for their rents and mortgages.
Council isn’t paying for anything, including its lunch.