The first full week of February is among us at a time when the local government year is beginning to really pick up. Budgets are being developed in all six of the localities covered by this newsletter.
Albemarle County & the City of Charlottesville
The staff in PEC's Charlottesville office works with citizens to solve the many land use and conservation challenges facing the Charlottesville and Albemarle area.
Conservation in 2021 bring regional conserved land totals to 25 percent
In 2021, private landowners partnered with various land trusts and conservation agencies to permanently protect an additional 6,474 acres of land in Albemarle, Clarke, Culpeper, Fauquier, Greene, Loudoun, Madison, Orange and Rappahannock counties.
Week Ahead for January 31, 2022: Albemarle PC to get update on Comprehensive Plan update; Charlottesville Council to meet with School Board on budget issues
The second month of 2022 begins with a final day of the first. This usually means a sort of holiday for anyone who covers local and regional meetings. Fifth Mondays do not happen often so I took a little bit of a break, but the regular schedule now resumes!
Week Ahead for January 24, 2022
Somehow, we are on the fourth week of the year and a lot seems to have happened. A pair of winter storms has brought a lot of attention to the how of government. This particular newsletter is more about the where and when of government meetings that also seeks to explain some of the context behind the what and the why. To what extent? The next five days.
Week Ahead for January 17, 2022: Pivotal week for transit’s future; Scottsville Town Council holding public hearings on downtown development
It’s another strange start to the week with another winter storm having moved through yesterday. The uncertainty of weather as well as today’s holiday for the local government caused me to delay publication until today.
Week Ahead for January 10, 2022: Albemarle to discuss CenturyLink issues; Charlottesville may pick an interim manager
In many ways, this is the real start of the new year. In addition to the opening of the 2022 General Assembly session, Virginia’s new governor takes office on Saturday. But this newsletter has a focus on what happens at the local level. This is the week where things really get going with the first of many full weeks. This is a rare one in which the elected bodies of all six localities I cover will meet.
Week Ahead for January 3, 2022: New faces join elected bodies to face new challenges in a new year
And just like that we’re back for another year in local and regional government. A new year brings new faces but work that’s already underway will now resume after a very brief break. This week is a fairly quiet one, except for City Council who get right to work with two major rezoning applications. Everyone else will begin 2022 a bit more subdued with only eleven meetings in this installment. This won’t last.
Planning for the Future
We have accomplished a lot together over the 50 years of PEC’s history. With 2022 on the horizon, we have begun work on an updated strategic plan to guide our efforts in the coming years. What will the Piedmont look like in 2030, 2050 and beyond?
Week Ahead for December 20, 2021: Charlottesville City Council’s final agenda of the year is full; ARB to review three-story storage building at key Crozet intersection
It seems this is the last week of 2021 that will have government meetings, but I’ll keep an eye on next week anyway. In my years of covering meetings, there’s only one time when a meeting with actual business was held in between Christmas and New Year’s Day. It pays to always be vigilant.
A Few Highlights From 2021
Despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and a global economic slowdown, 2021 proved to be a year of new opportunity here at The Piedmont Environmental Council.