The city is trying to hold zoning workshops for the public, but nobody is showing up. #
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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I know Peter. If he says it’s difficult to review the documents on the city’s web site, then it must be a REAL pain in the ass. And it’s hard to get good participation with late notification and no advertisement.
It’s kind of like throwing a party, not telling anybody about it until one hour beforehand and then wondering why nobody showed up.
Here’s the hiss of truth. Anyone in government knows that the public can only get involved when the public is told how and where to do so.
The failure to do that means planners wanted to pay lip service to public involvement, not actually have it.
By having some minimal notice unlikely to be found, as they surely did, that gave them plausible deniability that they were shutting out the public, which of course they were.
When every month’s water bill is accompanied by a city newsletter, and we have three newspapers of more or less general circulation in the city, the failure to use those avenues is more than evidence – it is proof the planners didn’t want the public showing up.
All the rest is the obligatory cover-up.
I agree with Jiles 100 percent.
My first thought after reading the article was “why hadn’t I heard about this?” Not to say I would’ve been able to go, but I would’ve like to have know about it.
If they wanted to publicize this they certainly could have done so and easily.