The Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority is raising their rates, Brandon Shulleeta reported in yesterday’s Daily Progress, a result of decreased water usage by citizens. RWSA’s rates are a function of their expenses—people using less water doesn’t significantly reduce the RWSA’s expenses, meaning that they’ve got to increase their rates to cover the difference. Ergo, they’re going to be charging Albemarle County 11.3% more for water and Charlottesville another 7.7%. Each locality will presumably be passing those costs onto customers, translating to a rate hike for everybody without their own well.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Monthly Archive for May, 2009
Page 2 of 4
Access to city pools costs more for kids who attend private schools, Henry Graff reports for NBC-29. The current policy—set by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee—has tiered pricing for access, with students enrolled in private schools paying between $4 and $19 more for a season pass, on top of the $20 base rate for public school students and home schooled students. It’s not clear from NBC-29’s coverage what the rationale for this policy was, but since city staff have already recommended to the board that they make the rates the same for all kids—and with the board meeting today with rates on the agenda—this may be moot shortly.
05/21 Update: Advisory board member Sean McCord says it ain’t so.
Now that the county finds themselves in tight economic straits, they’re tracking down property tax scofflaws, Brandon Shulleeta writes in today’s Daily Progress. Anecdotally, there are lots of folks getting land-use tax breaks who don’t actually qualify. But whether or not that’s actually true nobody can say just yet, so the county intends to look into it. Tax inspectors will be visiting properties of those deferring taxes on unimproved land, to see if they actually have the unimproved land they say they do. Folks who have been lying will owe back taxes. In the next couple of years the county intends to check out 5,000 properties, which could mean some new revenues for the county from people who aren’t paying their fair share.
Philip Melita and Duane Snow are both seeking the Republican nomination for the Samuel Miller seat on the Board of Supervisors, Brian Wheeler reports for Charlottesville Tomorrow. Melita is adjunct faculty teaching human resources at the university, and before that worked at GE Fanuc before his 1988 retirement. Snow, also retired, is the owner of the 97-year-old family-run Snow’s Garden Center, and used to serve on the Architectural Review Board. Democrat Madison Cummings and independent John Lowry are already in the race, so this will present a third choice for voters in the general election. The seat is open, a result of the retirement of incumbent independent Sally Thomas.
A single-room occupancy (SRO) facility for the local homeless population has got some tough zoning problems ahead of it, Rachana Dixit writes for the Daily Progress today. SROs are tiny (200-450 square feet) studio apartments, often without per-unit bathrooms or kitchens, and have become popular among cities looking for transitional housing for single adults. Virginia Supportive Housing wants to reproduce here the SRO model that they’ve established elsewhere in the state, and the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation has given the non-profit $75,000 to help make it happen. Planning commissioners are trying to figure out how to make such a development possible. The usual requirements for parking don’t apply—many residents wouldn’t own a vehicle—there would need to be on-site social services, and general mixed-use standards may not make sense. Establishing an SRO facility is important to Mayor Dave Norris, though, so expect to see a push to make this happen.
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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