VDOT has found Charlottesville “deficient” at building projects 

During Charlottesville’s budget cycle for fiscal year 2025, at least one Councilor wanted more information on whether the city could repurpose some of the revenue received through the transient occupancy tax. Like Albemarle County, Charlottesville increased the rate from eight percent to nine percent effective July 1. State law requires a portion of funds raised by counties to be spent on tourism marketing, but the exact language does not apply to cities. (look up the law)

At a work session beginning at 4 p.m. in City Council Chambers, Council will get a presentation from the Charlottesville Albemarle Convention and Visitors Bureau on how they use funding from the lodging tax to help attract more people to the community. The slides tell the story of fictional characters Karen and Jim to explain how the CACVB seeks to make sure people are spending money at local attractions such as the Rivanna River Company, 10th Street Bed and Breakfast, and the Bridge PAI. 

The presentation also includes data from 2022 that shows visitors spent over $900 million in Albemarle and Charlottesville and that over 6,600 people are employed in the sector. 

The second work session is related to transportation and the city’s recent history in being unable to manage projects.

“For years now, the City of Charlottesville has suffered – for many reasons – with the quality management of our locally-administered transportation program in partnership with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT),” reads the staff report.

The Virginia Department of Transportation has recently put the city on notice by giving it a “deficient” rating and required development of a plan to explain how it would bring several funded projects to construction. Part of that plan will include giving up local control of projects. 

There’s no further information in the packet but funded projects that have not been built include:

• East High Streetscape
• Emmet Street Streetscape
• Fontaine Avenue Streetscape
• Barracks Road and Emmet Street improvements
• 5th Street SW Corridor Improvements
• Emmet Street Multimodal Phase 2
• Ridge Street Safety Improvement

Two Smart Scale projects have already been canceled. They are the West Main Streetscape and intersection improvements at Preston and Grady. For more background, read my account from the September 2022 Commonwealth Transportation Board meeting. 

Charlottesville’s inability to bring projects forward quickly is nothing new. The Virginia Department of Transportation previously took control of Hillsdale Drive Extended as well as a project to add an additional lane onto the U.S. 250 bypass from Southbound Emmet Street. It has taken nearly 15 years for the Belmont Bridge replacement to be constructed. (links go to previous stories I wrote about both)

VDOT is already managing the projects in the Hydraulic Road vicinity. 

The evening session is a relatively quiet one as far as the agenda reads, but public comment periods can often send meetings into a different direction. 

There are several proclamations:

• May is Older Americans Month
• May 13 through May 19 is Salvation Army Week
• National Police Week is May 12 through May 20 and National Peace Officers Memorial Day is May 15
• May 5 through May 11 is Professional Municipal Clerks Week
• May is Bike Month

There are several items on the consent agenda:

• Despite VDOT declaring Charlottesville deficient in terms of building transportation, Council will have the second reading of $394,256 in Revenue-Sharing Program funding which requires a local match. This funding will go to pay for three specific sidewalks. (staff report)
• There’s also the second reading of a resolution to spend $40,000 to study a shared use path for Hydraulic Road between Brandywine Drive and Michie Drive. The current VDOT project on that street only plans for a traditional sidewalk and the city wants to study if is possible to upgrade it. (staff report)
• There’s second reading of a pass-through in $600,000 in funding for the Dogwood Memorial Foundation from the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (staff report)
• Council has to formally adopt the lodging and meals tax. Several media outlets incorrectly reported the meals tax jumped one percentage point to 7.5 percent, but Council made a last minute choice to only proceed with a half percentage. The lodging tax increases from eight percent to nine percent. (staff report)
• Council has to formally adopt the guidelines and funding for the grant program for homeowners intended to serve as tax relief. (staff report)

The only item on the regular agenda is a new agreement between the City of Charlottesville and the Charlottesville Albemarle Rescue Squad. 

“A new agreement has been established allowing CARS to continue providing emergency medical services for the City of Charlottesville as a designated component of the Charlottesville Fire Department,” reads the staff report. “The volunteer Charlottesville Fire Company will also come under the umbrella of the CFD.”

Before you go: The time to write and research of this article is covered by paid subscribers to Charlottesville Community Engagement. In fact, this particular installment is from the May 6, 2024 Week Ahead edition of the newsletter.