Charlottesville Community Engagement

Each weekday, I create a newsletter and newscast designed to provide you with a concise update on the latest happenings in and around Charlottesville. Our community encounters various challenges, and my role is to keep you informed with the most recent information collected from meetings, press conferences, and interviews.

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Week Ahead for June 9, 2025: Albemarle PC to get update on county’s affordable housing efforts; Charlottesville PC to consider special exceptions for 24-unit apartment complex on Barracks Road

2 weeks ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

In my twenty years researching local and regional government, I always find myself learning something new. Thankfully my mission each week allows me to do just that and to share with those interested in understanding more about why this community is the way it is. I may not always have the answers, but I’m dedicated to keep looking. This Sunday edition of the newsletter intends to get you the information you need should you decide you want to take a more active role.
Podcast for June 7, 2025: City Manager Sanders addresses recent issues; Albemarle Supervisors deny request to fill in the floodplain

3 weeks ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

The end of the week at Town Crier Productions means it is time for another audio edition produced in the form of a podcast! Newer readers may not know that for many years, all of these versions went out in sonic form. Will that ever happen again? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Perhaps all effort in the future will go toward a version not unlike Bazooka Joe comics? In any case, I’m Sean Tubbs and it may be time to get on with the show.
June 6, 2025: Albemarle Supervisors tie vote denies Woolen Mills floodplain request

3 weeks ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

According to the ramshackle naming convention employed by Town Crier Productions, this is the 876th edition of the Charlottesville Community Engagement newsletter. Half of that number brings us to the 438th installment from September 30, 2022. If asked, how much could you remember about that day? Would you want to know? I’m Sean Tubbs, and this is not an investigation.
June 4, 2025: No one speaks at public hearing on Charlottesville’s use of $8.7 million in capital contingency funds

3 weeks ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

Three times out of four, June 4 is the 155th day of the year. On this day in 1411, King Charles VI of France granted the people of Roquefort-sur-Soulzon the exclusive monopoly on the creation of that particular kind of cheese. Will that still be the case in 614 years from now? Also on this day in 1873, the Montgolfier brothers demonstrated their hot-air balloon for the first time. Is that still of interest to those of us alive in 2025?
June 3, 2025: City Manager Sam Sanders addresses recent issues including UVA’s acquisition of the Federal Executive Institute

3 weeks ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

If you were to be responsible for writing an introductory paragraph for a newsletter about decisions made in local and regional government, would you jump straight in what readers will read? Or would you write a place keeper intended to trick yourself into going ahead with the actual writing? Charlottesville Community Engagement is the product of the the latter approach but today we’ll combine a bit of the former.
June 2, 2025: Charlottesville City Council candidates answer questions at Free Enterprise Forum event

3 weeks ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

In doing research into the meaning of this month’s name, I came across a practice in ancient times called Damnatio memoriae. There are cases in Roman times when certain emperors would be removed from historical accounts. This prompts me to wonder how well these times we are in will be remembered millennia from now. Each attempt at producing an edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement seeks to get a lot of ideas out there in the hopes they’ll be useful to the now.
Week Ahead for June 2, 2025: Charlottesville City Council to hold public hearing on utility rate increases, $12M in spending from CIP contingency fund

3 weeks ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

Five months into the year now and we’re entering the summer season. That doesn’t mean local and regional government stop. The world doesn’t stop and there are things to pay attention to even if it would be nice to take a break. Charlottesville Community Engagement takes very few breaks because it would be easy to lose sight of the bigger picture if the minor details are not at least minorly observed. However, this may be a week where I take less time to do the work.
Podcast for May 31, 2025: Free Enterprise Forum holds candidate forums for Jack Jouett District, Charlottesville City Council

4 weeks ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

Regularity is important in a publication, but there’s a certain uncertainty that comes with material created by Town Crier Productions. The goal is for the podcast editions to come out on Fridays, but there are times when that will shift. The reasons for these occasional deviations are not to be written out, but if you listen to the recording perhaps I will explain more. I’m Sean Tubbs and this is my best attempt at suspense.
May 29, 2025: Streambank restoration work at Biscuit Run in progress and three other stories about Albemarle County

1 month ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

Correction: This newsletter originally went out with the wrong year. I regret the oops. The Northeast Regional speeds along the tracks between Charlottesville and Culpeper, bound for Boston. This May 29, 2025 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement will only be published if I can manage to get stories written between wherever I am now and wherever I’ll end up being. Will I make it to the end? You’ll have to sort through the following paragraphs and images to find out.
May 28, 2025: Duncan and Shreve answer questions at Free Enterprise Forum event

1 month ago | communityengagement.substack.com | Sean Tubbs

There are echoes of the past in what is happening now. On this day in 1950, the Charlottesville Daily Progress reported that both Albemarle County and Charlottesville were too affluent to receive financial assistance from the Commonwealth of Virginia for school construction. Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, and Nelson were able to apply. This is the type of story that Charlottesville Community Engagement strives to provide and perhaps there will be one like it in this May 28, 2025 edition.