Your monthly digest of all things Albemarle. | | |
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Board of Supervisors: Legislative Priorities for 2023
In Virginia, a local governing body has only those powers expressly granted by the General Assembly. Each year, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors prepares its legislative priorities, a formal communication to our local representatives in the state legislature about areas where state action or delegation of authority to localities would improve our community. This month, the Board of Supervisors met to share its priorities for 2023:
- Enable civil penalties in lieu of criminal punishment for violations of local ordinances
- Expand the authority to use photo speed monitoring devices
- Require agricultural buildings used by the public to be subject to minimum safety standards
- Grant the County taxing authority for school division capital projects
- Change eligibility requirements for the Virginia Business Ready Sites Program
- Allow public bodies to hold all-virtual public meetings
- Special exceptions for short-term rentals to expire under certain circumstances
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Board Recognition of Veterans Day
This month, the Board of Supervisors recognized veterans employed by Albemarle County Public Schools and Local Government and millions of patriots whose courage and sacrifice have secured our freedom and defended our values both at home and abroad.
Over one hundred veterans continue to serve their country in public schools and government as teachers and other professionals providing services to the students and residents of Albemarle County. This recognition is for their continued service in the County.
We honor and appreciate the veteran members of our community and thank each one for their service. Pictured here are veterans who have continued their public service careers in Albemarle County. View the resolution.
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Upcoming: 2022 Second-Half Property Tax Bills Are Due December 5, 2022 | | |
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Second-half property taxes are due Monday, December 5, 2022. Pay your taxes with the County’s upgraded and user-friendly Automated Tax Payment Kiosk. The 24/7 kiosk is located on the side of the County’s McIntire Office Building facing Preston Avenue, and features many new improvements:
⭐ Tax Payment Kiosk accepts cash, checks, and credit cards (credit card convenience fee of 2.5%)
⭐ New feature: Cash change (no coins) is provided for all cash transactions
⭐ Overpayments are applied to future bills
⭐ Upgraded monitor and touch screen for improved visibility and response time
Visit our website for information about the Tax Payment Kiosk and other payment options for paying your taxes ahead of the December 5 deadline.
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Upcoming: Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI) Community Read Event: December 8 | |
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Recap: Program and Unveiling of Historic Marker Honoring River View Farm
Last month, Board Chair Donna Price, Albemarle County Director of the Office of Equity & Inclusion, Jesse Brookins, Executive Director of the Ivy Creek Foundation, Sue Erhardt, and Ivy Creek Foundation board member and descendant of River View Farm, Dr. Teresa Leslie, shared remarks at the unveiling program. In case you missed it, view the recording from the event.
The historic marker and dedication ceremony honored River View Farm, the Carr/Greer family, as well as their contributions to our community. The ceremony was in partnership with the Albemarle County Parks and Recreation Department, the Ivy Creek Foundation and the City of Charlottesville Parks and Recreation.
The Albemarle County Community Remembrance Project is a Board of Supervisors’ initiative to support the sharing of Albemarle County history. It is specifically intended to broaden the scope of our publicly told histories and to be more inclusive of our complete community.
As part of the Community Remembrance project, the County’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion invited members of the Historic Preservation Committee to assist in efforts to increase the number of roadside markers in the county recognizing women and people of color whose stories and contributions have historically been excluded from County markers. River View Farm was one of the historic locations selected. Visit the historical marker and learn more about the Community Remembrance Project.
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Shop Local This Holiday Season: Help Strengthen the Local Economy and Foster Community Pride
Support your neighbors and community members by shopping locally this holiday season, for special occasions, and for other purchases. Shopping locally makes a big impact on our local economy. Purchasing gift cards from a favorite local restaurant or retailer is another great gift-giving option. Buying locally also bypasses slower shipping times for those last-minute purchases, which can be more of a challenge with online shopping, especially during the holiday season.
Visit www.ShowLocalLove.org and follow Buy Local on Facebook and Instagram to learn more. Locally owned, independent businesses with a brick-and-mortar facility in Albemarle County interested in being featured in the Buy Local campaign should contact [email protected].
Check out this video to hear why it matters to Buy Local!
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Albemarle County Police Department (ACPD): Recap of Recruit Graduation
This month, ACPD was proud to welcome six new officers to the department. ACPD Command Staff supported the recruits as they graduated from the Central Shenandoah Criminal Justice Academy. During the 20-week academy, Trayvaun Richardson, McKenzie Young, Enzo Irizarry, Trent Cole, Amanda Conner, and Gregory Halstead all passed the requirements for law enforcement certification in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the first step to beginning service with ACPD. Welcome!
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Upcoming: Albemarle County Fire Rescue (ACFR) Offering Free Car Seat Checks on Thursday, December 1
Always buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces serious injuries and death by up to 80%. ACFR staff is lending a hand to further support motor vehicle safety by properly installing and checking child passenger seats on Thursday, December 1, 2022 between 9:30 am - 1pm at the Wegmans parking lot at 100 Wegmans Way, Charlottesville.
Car seats will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. This free service is an effort to ensure the children of our community are as safe and protected from vehicle crashes as can be.
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Albemarle County Fire Rescue (ACFR) Recap: New Career Staff at Station 3 in North Garden
This month, the North Garden Volunteer Fire Company became the county's newest combination career and volunteer fire station. Albemarle County Fire Rescue (ACFR) will supplement emergency response Monday through Friday from 6 am to 6 pm with career personnel that will staff the fire engine, as well as an ambulance that has been newly added to the ACFR system. This combination approach allows the opportunity to provide essential emergency services by utilizing the personnel resources available.
In 2021, ACFR was awarded a $1.88 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant to hire, train, and deploy 10 full-time firefighters. Of those 10 grant-funded positions, five are being used for the daytime firefighters staffing the North Garden station. ACFR completed a six-month recruit school earlier this year to fill these 10-grant funded positions. Those new hires are now in positions stationed throughout the ACFR system.
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Award Recognition of Former Albemarle County Attorney G. Gregory Kamptner
The Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, Inc. (LGA) have awarded the Edward J. Finnegan - Elizabeth D. Whiting Award for Distinguished Service, their highest honor, to retired former Albemarle County Attorney G. Gregory Kamptner. The Finnegan Whiting Award recognizes Mr. Kamptner for his important contributions to Virginia local government law, as well as LGA.
Mr. Kamptner served Albemarle County for 27 years and the award notes how he is highly regarded throughout the state of Virginia as a land use law expert. Over his years of service, Mr. Kamptner provided the Board of Supervisors and County staff with critical legal advice regarding significant and complex issues in a variety of specialized areas related to land use planning, zoning regulations, ministerial processes, and enabling legislation - freely sharing his expertise with colleagues across the Commonwealth through his highly regarded Land Use Law Handbook and related classroom teaching.
He is truly an exceptional attorney who has consistently provided the highest level of dedicated, ethical, and valuable service. We congratulate Mr. Kamptner for being a recipient of this award and thank him for his dedication to Albemarle County.
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Upcoming Office Closures
Our offices will be closed on Friday, December 23 and Monday, December 26 in observation of the winter holiday.
Offices will reopen Tuesday, December 27, 2022 on a regular schedule. Public safety departments will operate as usual.
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Learn about more upcoming events and keep up with the latest happenings in the county by visiting www.albemarle.org | |
Have You Visited Our Online Engagement Center?
We are looking forward to providing you with a variety of robust tools designed to enable you to share your expertise, ideas, and feedback with us on a regular basis.
Please visit the site and register to access current and future projects.
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