Albemarle Supervisors to consider reallocating $500K from septic conversion pilot, hold public hearing on $6.5M federal request for housing

The six members of the Albemarle Board of Supervisors meet at 1 p.m. in Lane Auditorium of the county’s office building at 401 McIntire Road. (agenda) (meeting info)

The first action item is an update on the Septic to Sewer program from Chief Human Services Officer Kaki Dimock. This program was set up in FY23 when Albemarle Supervisors appropriated $1 million to assist property owners on failing septic systems in the urban area with connections to public sewer. The Albemarle Housing Improvement Program worked as a partner. 

Notices were sent out to 250 potential households and the staff report notes that while interest has been low, half of the money has been used. 

“Since the return of the signed contract on January 10, 2023, County staff have processed four invoices for work completed totaling $313,702.13 for septic to sewer conversions for five households,” reads the staff report. “AHIP reports that there are an additional four households in the contract development phase; these conversions are estimated at an additional  $186,297.87 for a total of $500,000 of the initial appropriation of $1,000,000.”

Due to what is described as low interest, staff is now recommending redistribution of the funding with $150,000 going to help three other households connect to public sewer. The rest is recommending as follows:

• $80,000 to continue housing navigation services provided by the Financial Opportunities Center for County residents
• $170,000 for the Albemarle County Emergency Relief Program providing funds to residents with an eviction or shut-off notice
• $100,000 to a homelessness service contingency account to support efforts to develop a low-barrier year-round shelter

Next, Supervisors will have a discussion on legislative priorities for the 2025 General Assembly. This is the second opportunity for the six locally elected officials to weigh in on what state elected officials should consider. Part of their request is for state funding for the Rivanna Futures project being pursued by Albemarle County. (2025 priorities)

“[The Intelligence and National Security Innovation Acceleration Campus] will be a center for agencies, and academic and private sector partners, focused on intelligence and national security collaboration and innovation on a future expansion of the existing Rivanna Station footprint, as well as new private and academic sector office and research and development spaces in close proximity,” reads that portion of the staff report. 

The evening session begins at 6 p.m. and has a couple of public hearings.

The first is for a public hearing to receive public input on a request for federal funding for Albemarle’s application through the Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

“Staff is proposing the County submit an application requesting $6.5 million,” reads the staff report.

That breaks down as:

• $5 million for creation of an revolving loan fund for the creation of affordable rental units that would go by the acronym ARHRLF. 
• $1 million would go to the creation of a small landlord fund
• $435,000 would go to construction of an affordable multifamily rental housing development but the specific site is not identified in the staff report.
• $65,000 would go to support county staff in administering the grant over six years.  

The second public hearing is for a special use permit for a landscape contractor to operated at 4842 Richmond Road. (staff report)

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 September 16, 2024 Week Ahead edition of the newsletter.