City Council has OKed offering a performance bonus to City Manager Maurice Jones, NBC-29 reports, contingent on him fixing the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority. Council has accepted that as a “stretch goal” for Jones, a result of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s strong criticisms of the authority last year. If Jones takes care of those problems, he’ll get a bonus of $17k, on top of his $173k salary. Jones will present a plan to Council next month.
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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This idea is troubling and cynical.
1. He’s the highest paid employee in the city, shouldn’t he have already addressed this under his normal work load at some point in the past?
2.This is a pre election carrot to make people think that council has addressed the problem when in reality they have done nothing more than put a bounty price on a problem no one thinks can be easily solved.
3. FTA “Jones will present council with a report of the state of the housing authority in October, along with his detailed plan to solve the problems” right before the November election- how fortuitous that such a solution should appear so close to an election. They have already been presented with a status of the housing by the federal government- which is why this mess began. But I’m sure another study by City Manger with no experience in managing such a vexing problem will put it right straight away.
4. It is little more than false hope and doing that knowingly is cruel on it’s face.
It’s important (and difficult) to fix that agency, so I’m not too worried about nickle-and-diming Jones. Yet.
Let me change topics. If you read about the Trumpery going on in the county, be sure to read all the way through to the end of the article, http://www.cvilletomorrow.org/news/article/15803-trump-golf-course/
Key points:
1. Trump’s lawyers asked the county to re-order the approval process, a classic NY-style maneuver. You get an approval pending some other entity’s approval, and then tell the second entity it’s already approved. Kudos to the county for standing up to this.
2. Trump’s required to hold a community meeting. Here’s where the process needs strengthening. Apparently the county does not need to be notified and send a rep? That’s how I read it. Trump invited his neighbors to a wine and cheese event celebrating something Trumpish. In tiny little letters he also mentioned discussing future plans for the property. Trump reports all attendees were thrilled with his ideas. The process here seems weak.
What’s at stake is the integrity of conservation easements. Trump wants a commercial golf course allowed.
Huh, I hadn’t gotten past the headline, figuring “great, Trump’s not going to do this.” I’ll give it a read.