Some time has passed since there was a sonic version of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter that is now only sometimes a podcast, the podcast you are now listening to. That time could be anytime after May 25, 2024 when this edition was updated away from the WTJU Radio Version to something for Substack subscribers who want to hear these stories! I’m Sean Tubbs, and I do, too.

In this edition:

* Charlottesville transportation planners are seeking to rebuild public trust (learn more)

* Transportation planning manager updates Charlottesville City Council on existing projects (learn more)

* Charlottesville Area Transit seeks input on a new strategic plan intended to make the service more attractive (learn more)

* Regional planners want you to identify unsafe intersections in the region (learn more)

* Virginia Breeze to launch new east-west service through Charlottesville (learn more)

* UVA is seeking firms who want to partner on building up to 2,000 beds as part of an initiative to require second-year students to live on Grounds (learn more)

First shout out: ReLeaf Cville

In today’s first subscriber supported public service announcement: ReLeaf Cville exists to reverse a worrying trend. Since 2004, Charlottesville’s Tree Canopy has declined from 50 percent to 38 percent. Two-thirds of the city’s neighborhoods are below 40 percent. ReLeaf Cville aims to change that through a series of tree plantings, preservation efforts, and education campaigns.

ReLeaf is a public / private partnership between the city tree Commission, the Nature Conservancy, City of Promise, Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards, and the Van Yahres Tree Company. Their efforts are funded through donations so consider making yours today!

Sponsored message: Buy Local

Buying locally supports our neighbors and community members and makes a big impact for our local economy. Local businesses are more likely to reinvest in our community and their goods and services contribute to the unique character of our community.

Learn more about how you can support local business at ShowLocalLove.org and on social media:

* Instagram

* Facebook

* The website formerly known as Twitter

Notes on #681A

It’s now been three and a half months since I agreed to do a radio version for WTJU, a decision that forced me to rethink how I do a lot of things. As soon as I agreed to volunteer my time to produce a version for them, I knew I needed to create a way to manage all of the stories.

At the beginning of this newsletter back in July 2020, I wasn’t tracking any of this. I wasn’t even sure what I would be putting together. The first one dates back to July 13, 2020 if you want to hear it.

For the first year or so, all I did was put them together and move on. At some point, I began cross-posting stories to the Information Charlottesville website but until I began using this spreadsheet, I wasn’t really keeping track of my progress.

Up until episode 650 or so, all of these were podcasts. That stopped when I knew I had to better consider the sound quality as some of what I was using sounded awful over the radio. I also realized that sometimes the extra hour of production to create a radio version delayed information I wanted to get out quickly.

I miss that twinned era, but I don’t think it’s going to be coming back anytime soon. I’d like to know what you think of this, though. Please drop me a line, or leave a comment. I want to hear from podcast listeners. There’s at least 300 of you!

Saturday is alright for podcasting. Or at least, that’s how I deliberately misremember a song in order to have an opening paragraph for this latest audio version of Charlottesville Community Engagement. For much of this publication’s history, the sonic and print versions were unified. It may take an epic quest for that to be restored. I’m Sean Tubbs, and I seem to have misplaced the map.

In this edition:

* Albemarle Supervisors approve $2 million for Piedmont Housing Alliance’s 60-unit Premier Circle project (learn more)

* The regional planning body adopts a new regional economic development strategic plan (learn more)

* Charlottesville City Council gets briefing on how tourism bureau works (learn more)

* Charlottesville wins the ability to increase Council salaries (learn more)

* JABA director marks Older Americans Month (learn more)

Concluding notes for #676-A

Two podcasts in a week! It might be that I can get into something of a rhythm! In any case, as soon as I hit send, the next work week begins. I do not think I am going to write up a newsletter today. I feel like I should write up some things I have not been able to complete yet.

In any case, thanks to paid subscribers. If you want to become one yourself, Ting will match your initial subscription. I am aware they are not available in all locations, but I am also aware of how their support allows me to continue to feel like I can continue this work into the future.

Ting can help you with your high speed Internet needs. If service is available in your area and you sign up for service, enter the promo code COMMUNITY and you will get:

* Free installation

* A second month for free

* A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall

There is an existential theory that there is no such thing as time and what we experience is nothing more than an elaborate illusion, a construct whose mechanisms we mere mortals cannot understand. For much of the history of Charlottesville Community Engagement, an extra hour or so was taken to turn the written word into something audible. This edition is evidence that something that seems like time has been spent on an audio intrusion.

In today’s edition:

* UVA President Jim Ryan and UVA Police Chief Tim Longo offer their perspectives on the removal of an encampment on Saturday

* Louisa County Supervisors restore funding to Piedmont Virginia Community College after hearing from officials

* Albemarle County Supervisors adopt a budget for fiscal year 2025 based on the increase of two tax rates

* A thrift store in Crozet celebrates its 45th anniversary

Notes for #674-A

These four audio segments were in yesterday’s newsletter, which my records indicate is #674. Now that the podcast and the newsletter are disconnected, I’ve been struggling to come up with what to call it for my records. For now, I’m going with #674A.

My hope is to eventually sync the two products back up, but that’s likely not going to happen. I’m enjoying the freedom to get a newsletter out without having to worry about the audio, which means I can get out more stories. That’s the whole point!

You’ll also note there’s no sponsors in the body of this written version announcing this podcast. I used the same public service announcements in the audio as yesterday. If some entity would like to put their name to each podcast, drop me a line!

In the meantime, paid subscribers help cover my time to get work like this done. If you sign up at $5 a month, $50 a year, or $200 a year, Ting will match your initial subscription.

Ting can help you with your high speed Internet needs. If service is available in your area and you sign up for service, enter the promo code COMMUNITY and you will get:

* Free installation

* A second month for free

* A $75 gift card to the Downtown Mall

The introductory paragraph of every edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement is intended to be a script for a podcast but recently there was a disturbance in the workflow. Efforts are being made to build a new framework and the arrival of steel beams this week to the construction site for Buford Middle School has prompted me to take the next step. I’m Sean Tubbs, and I miss the podcast, too:

On today’s podcast edition:

* Charlottesville City Council adopts a budget that reflects a move toward unionization of the city’s workforce, higher salaries for city employees, and lower education funding from the state due to increasing property values (read the story)

* There’s a problem with excessive dog waste being left at the city’s newest park (read the story)

* Charlottesville’s parks and recreation officials want your input on the next master plan to guide the future of public spaces in the city (read the story)

* The city has a plan to fix drainage issues in Oakwood Cemetery and will further discuss the issue on April 24 (read the story)

* Albemarle and Charlottesville both need more lifeguards for the summer season (read the story)

* Charlottesville’s Planning Commission gets an update on the new Development Code (read the story)

* Albemarle Supervisors have comments on recent deployment of the HART team and a bomb threat at Planet Fitness (read the story )

* The Albemarle Department of Social Services helps a lot of people each year and Supervisors get a briefing (read the story)

* Albemarle Supervisors weigh in on expanded uses in the rural area as part of the Comprehensive Plan process (read the story)

I will state clearly at the outset that this newsletter and podcast comes from Virginia, and not from either Indiana or North Carolina. The celebration of the beginning of the second quarter of the year often comes with merriment and mirth, but this April 1, 2024 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement comes at a time when there’s information to get out. I’m Sean Tubbs, because who else would I be?

In today’s installment:

* Council will hold first reading tonight on a proposed budget for FY25 based on three tax rate increases, and only a handful of people spoke at public hearings on March 21

* A nonprofit group building a commercial kitchen to assist would-be restaurant entrepreneurs receives additional funding from the City of Charlottesville

* Council will hold second reading tonight on funding for several affordable housing projects and services

* The Charlottesville Jewish Organizing Collective is hopeful City Council will adopt a resolution tonight supporting a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza

For the past six weeks, a version of the podcast has aired on WTJU 91.1 FM at 6 a.m. For most of this week, I’ve only posted print editions because I need to more time now to make sure the audio is produced correctly. I spent a good chunk of Friday getting this ready for the airwaves and this Saturday morning all of my energy wants to turn to the next set of stories rather than create a new edition.

Town Crier Productions is an experiment in the practice of journalism and this is the latest iteration. There are many more readers than listeners to the podcast, but audio production has been at the heart of my reporting for the past four years.

Anyway, take a listen. What’s coming up next? There’s a Week Ahead tomorrow. After that, stay tuned. And if you want to know more about the production schedule, follow me on Substack Notes.

Sometimes it’s a print newsletter. Sometimes it’s a podcast. Charlottesville Community Engagement always seeks to inform.

In this edition:

* Charlottesville’s City Attorney has filed three motions seeking to dismiss a lawsuit that claims the city’s new zoning code is invalid (read the story)

* The City of Charlottesville is seeking a new member of the Planning Commission after one member resigned publicly in protest (read the story)

* A UVA geriatrician wants you to get a COVID vaccination if you’re over the age of 65 and especially over the age of 75 (read the story)

* Albemarle Supervisors agree to advertise increases in personal property tax, lodging tax (read the story)

* Albemarle Supervisors learn that funding is in place to get more of Biscuit Run Park under construction (read the story)

* Albemarle budget officials provide more information about payments that University of Virginia related pay to the county (read the story)

* Albemarle County Police have released an annual report with statistics on crime and the make-up for the force (read the story)

Fun fact: I had two minutes remaining in the program so I opted to do a preview of the Week Ahead for next week. If you want to get that information, you’ll have to take a listen!

One of these things is not like the other, which is to say that these words are written as a script for a podcast edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement that’s made up of stories from recent editions of the newsletter. I’m Sean Tubbs, and this is an experimental time for Town Crier Productions. Why? There are many reasons I could state but for now, perhaps it’s just better to get on with this edition.

This version of the podcast includes:

* A red flag day last week resulted in brush fires all across Central Virginia including Albemarle and Louisa, and Deputy Chief John Oprandy briefed reporters on March 21 (read the story)

* The City of Charlottesville’s participation in a health and social metrics program has garnered national recognition (read the story)

* Charlottesville will hold a meeting this upcoming Wednesday to give an update on improvements to Stribling Avenue to make it safe for people to walk and bike on (read the story)

* Charlottesville seeks dismissal of lawsuit to overturn new zoning (read the story)

* Albemarle County budget officials provide more information about the payment that the University of Virginia makes in lieu of taxes (read the story)

* Charlottesville City Council goes through applications made through the Vibrant Community Fund and City Manager Sam Sanders pushes back against requested tweaks (written version to be published in next edition of the newsletter)