City Manager Sanders goes through his work plan; Ashley Marshall leaving city government

Since taking over as City Manager in August 2023, Sam Sanders has provided regular progress reports on his work plan. City Council got a look at the latest update at their meeting on January 20.

“It may not be as much forward movement as someone like me wants, because I’m impatient. I want everything to move, but I’m always trying to indicate that we are getting things done and we’re moving forward on the many things that are outlined,” Sanders said.

The written update is divided into different sections that cover each of the points in the strategic plan framework Council adopted in October 2023. That’s around the same time that Sanders outlined the need to create a homeless intervention strategy that is still under development. This month the city has closed on the $6.2 million purchase of 2000 Holiday Drive.

“We also bought this nice big 27,000 square foot building as a homelessness intervention,” Sanders said. “So the city is now working with our community partners. We acquired this building to work on low barrier shelter with services. This is not about a place to just put people. This is a place to serve people.”

Completion of a long-term management plan is listed as delayed, but an effort to add capacity to what is known as the “continuum of care” is listed as done.

Another task for Sanders has been to oversee a new set of administrators. He said the City Attorney’s office is now fully staffed and he’s reorganized his office with two new assistant city managers. One of those positions will be filled on February 2 when Sam Roman begins work. He was most recently a top official in the City of Roanoke.

Another person starting on February 2 is Jen Hendricks who will be the city’s chief strategy officer.

“She’s going to focus on strategic planning, performance analytics, performance management, and My Cville administration,” Sanders said.

However, former Deputy City Manager Ashley Marshall and now Chief Prosperity Officer will be leaving the same week.

“She’ll soon be leaving us on February 6th, and we will immediately begin working to fill that seat because that work matters,” Sanders said.

Both Marshall and Sanders were hired by former City Manager Chip Boyles with Marshall hired first in the spring of 2021.

Sanders changed Marshall’s job title as part of a reorganization announced last fall.

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