From the "Don't Believe Everything You Read" Department...

Apparently I have, unbeknownst to me, figured out the solution to homelessness in Charlottesville. From "The Rant" section of this week's C-Ville Weekly:

Yes. My rant is about our mayor, who is also executive director [unintelligible] is going around offering the homeless people bus tickets to anywhere they want with the condition they don't come back to Charlottesville. I feel that this is a bunch of crap that he's doing and it needs to stop. If he's so high and mighty, trying to help the homeless, he needs to put more investment into trying to get them off the street than sending them away to other places.

The sad thing is that, while there's no truth to this rumor, a high-ranking City official actually did propose this course of action just a few years ago, as I mentioned in an earlier post on this blog. If ending homelessness were only that easy....

And now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to get back to outlawing plastic bags and subverting U.S. foreign policy.

Plastic Waste, Part 2

Following up on a suggestion made by former Mayor David Brown last summer, I'm pleased to report that the City of Charlottesville is taking steps as of this week to actively reduce the consumption of bottled water by City employees and by participants in City meetings. Water pitchers are being ordered for all City and school meeting rooms and staff are exploring alternatives to plastic bottles in City vending machines.

Why is this good news for our taxpayers and our environment? See www.thinkoutsidethebottle.org.

Jayson Whitehead on Homelessness

See this week's C-Ville Weekly for a damn good cover story by Jayson Whitehead on homelessness in Charlottesville. The strength of Jayson's article lies in the fact that (1) he makes it clear that there's no easy solution to homelessness and (2) no one in the story (myself included) comes out untarnished (except maybe Holly Edwards, who is indeed a saint). But that's his point -- there's more we can ALL be doing to end homelessness in Charlottesville and as long as we continue to tolerate the homelessness that's in our midst, we are all, in some way...tarnished.

Peace

Last week I received an e-mail from The Peace Alliance saying that a Charlottesville citizen had made a financial donation in my name to that worthy organization, to honor some of the things that I've tried to do in my life, and in my time on Council, to encourage nonviolence among peoples and toward creation (most recently by proudly adding my name to a U.S. Mayors resolution opposing another disastrous war in the Middle East, this time in Iran -- see here). Given the central role that nonviolence plays in my own faith tradition/philosophy of life, I was very touched by that gesture and I am grateful to the citizen who made it.

Those who are inclined to support violence and warfare as a means of solving problems or acting out their bitterness get agitated and dismissive when others speak instead of the power and preferential option of nonviolence. I have spent well over 2,000 hours working on local issues as a City Councilor and Mayor and about 2 or 3 of those hours on issues of war and peace. For those who believe that even 2 or 3 hours is too much, that local elected officials should remain silent on issues of war and peace, I understand your agitation and accept your dismissiveness but respectfully disagree with your position. I am not a U.S. Congressman or U.S. Senator or a member of the United Nations. My City Council campaign platform didn't mention a thing about bringing peace to the Middle East. I am, however, an elected official who understands that violence and warfare have direct consequences for our community -- for the Charlottesville residents who will be sent off to fight and die in these wars, for the Charlottesville families whose loved ones will be put in harm's way in these wars, for the Charlottesville drivers who will have to pay even higher gas bills due to increased instability in the Middle East, for the Charlottesville infrastructure projects that will be de-funded so we can pay for all of this military adventurism, for the Charlottesville citizens whose taxes will be increased to pay for this military adventurism, for the Charlottesville citizens yet to be born who will inherit the massive debt and increased threat of terrorism caused by this military adventurism....shall I go on?

Or shall I remain silent?

Is 2 or 3 hours out of 2,000 too much to give...

...or too little?

Want to Get Involved? Here's How to Get Involved.

City Council is currently seeking applicants for the following civic boards and commissions. If you've ever said to yourself, "It's time for me to become part of the solution" -- well, here's your chance to become part of the solution. These are some of the most important decision-making bodies in our community and we need a strong and diverse pool of candidates to appoint from. Think about it!

* Charlottesville-Albemarle Regional Transportation (CHART) Plan Committee
* Charlottesville Albemarle Commission on Children and Families (citizen at-large and youth representative)
* Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (citizen at-large and resident of public housing)
* Monticello Area Community Action Agency
* Piedmont Virginia Community College Board
* Planning Commission
* Region Ten Community Services Board
* Social Services Advisory Board

For an application or for more information, contact Clerk of Council Jeanne Cox at 970-3113 or coxj@charlottesville.org. Preference is given to residents of the City of Charlottesville; in some cases, it may be required. The deadline for receipt of applications is Thursday, July 3, 2008.

City to Open Two "Cooling Centers" Tuesday

From the City press office:

"CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The temperature in the Charlottesville area hit records once again today with some readings downtown exceeding 100 for the second day in a row. Both Martha Jefferson Hospital as well as the University of Virginia Hospital have reported new patients arriving with heat-related illnesses this afternoon. According to the State Health Department, there have been three deaths associated with the heat wave in Virginia.

Because of the increased health risk to our residents, the City will open up two “cooling centers” at area recreation centers to aid residents without adequate air conditioning or shelter. Tonsler Park and Carver Recreation Centers will open up at 9:00am and can be accessed by any city resident for water or cooling during this heat wave. Residents are not advised to use Key Center as a Cooling Center which, due to mechanical failure of air conditioning equipment, will not supply adequate shelter to be considered a “cooling center”. Conditions are expected to improve on Wednesday and the City will reassess the need tomorrow afternoon as conditions warrant.

The City once again offers the following tips to stay health during this heat wave:

The best defense is prevention. Here are some prevention tips:

• Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Warning: If your doctor generally limits the amount of fluid you drink or has you on water pills, ask him how much you should drink while the weather is hot.

• Don’t drink liquids that contain caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts of sugar–these actually cause you to lose more body fluid. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps.

• Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library–even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.

• Electric fans may provide comfort, but when the temperature is in the high 90s, fans will not prevent heat-related illness. Taking a cool shower or bath, or moving to an air-conditioned place is a much better way to cool off.

• Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.

• NEVER leave anyone or any pet in a closed, parked vehicle.

• Although any one at any time can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others. Check regularly on: Infants and young children , people aged 65 or older, people who have a mental illness, and those who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure

• Visit adults at risk at least twice a day and closely watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Infants and young children, of course, need much more frequent watching.

If you must be out in the heat:

• Limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.

• Cut down on exercise. If you must exercise, drink two to four glasses of cool, nonalcoholic fluids each hour. A sports beverage can replace the salt and minerals you lose in sweat. Warning: If you are on a low-salt diet, talk with your doctor before drinking a sports beverage. Remember the warning in the first “tip” (above), too.

• Try to rest often in shady areas.

• Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat (also keeps you cooler) and sunglasses and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher (the most effective products say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels)."

Bike-Friendly Cville

It's official. Charlottesville has been declared "Bicycle Friendly" by the League of American Bicyclists -- only the second community in Virginia to be so honored (Arlington being the other). We even have the sign to prove it (see here). Fitting that David Brown received the award on behalf of the City, since he (unlike the current Mayor) actually is a regular bike rider. Practice what you preach and all that.

When you read the fine print you see that we only received a "Bronze" designation this year with regard to our Bicycle-Friendliness (i.e., only a step up from fair-weather friend). Highest is "Platinum" (aka best friends forever). Let's aspire to Platinum next time. Here's how to get there.

Public Hearing on Water Supply Plan

Next Monday, May 19, as part of our regular City Council meeting (which starts at 7pm at City Hall), Council is holding a public hearing on implementation of the long-range Water Supply Plan for our region. At our subsequent meeting on June 2 we will vote on how to proceed with this plan, so Monday's public hearing will be your last and best opportunity for offering your thoughts to Council (and into the public record) before the vote.

One of the best ways to understand what's at stake with this issue is to watch some or all of last Tuesday's City Council work session on the Water Supply Plan. Click here to view the video, or click here to read Charlottesville Tomorrow's helpful summary of Tuesday's proceedings.

Jim Duncan Asks a Very Good Question About the Meadowcreek Parkway

Jim Duncan wonders if, with 40+ years of hindsight, there's a better way to do what the Meadowcreek Parkway was originally conceived to do. I couldn't resist adding my 2 cents about one of the foundational justifications for the Parkway (i.e., it will save Downtown). I encourage you to visit Jim's blog to add your own thoughts.

Weekend Bits

* The PACEM celebration on Friday was a big success. Standing-room-only crowd, inspiring speakers, excellent media coverage, profitable silent auction, etc. Thanks to all who helped put it together. Only downside of the night is that I got outbid on Mackie Kudravetz's beautiful "A Nest for Every Egg" by a certain scoundrel who shall not be named (cough *Ed Bain* cough).

* Saturday I had the pleasure of attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center at UVa. Like many folks in Charlottesville, I was a big admirer of Emily Couric's and firmly believe she would have become Virginia's first female Governor; this Center will be an apt legacy. Katie Couric was on hand for the occasion and she was kind enough to say hi and introduce me to her family.

* Saturday night, thanks to a feline friend of mine, I got to hang with Keith and Jen Morris (among some other cool folks) out on the Mall. I've been listening to their new album ("Songs from Candyapolis") a lot lately and it was great to make their acquaintance. Check them out this coming Saturday at Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar.

* Sunday opened with the "Run in the Name of Love" 5K race benefitting the Arc of the Piedmont. Good course, about 75 runners, I came in 37th and set a new personal record -- 8 mins. 43 secs./mile. Kevin Cox (who also set a personal record today, albeit much faster than mine) sold me on doing the "Run for Autism" 5K next Saturday to benefit another wonderful cause, the Virginia Institute of Autism. I'm becoming a regular runner now -- who knew?

* Sunday afternoon I was pleased to officiate at the annual Young Writers Competition awards ceremony at Second Street Gallery. What an incredibly talented pool of prose and poetry writers we have in our local high schools! Congratulations to honorees Anna Bninski, Melina Schoppa, Helen Alston, Joanne Moody, Indu Chelliah, Jo Blount, Sylvia Kates, and Erik Szaloki-Johnson. I was particularly proud to note that 6 of the 8 finalists in this year's region-wide competition are students at Charlottesville High School. Go Black Knights!

* Got lots of work done around the house this weekend. Needed it desperately. My poor yard, which is a perennial nightmare, is now slightly less nightmarish. That counts as progress around these parts.

* Still looking for a summer sitter if you know of anyone who might be interested....

Big News About Youth Mentoring

We in Charlottesville like to brag that we have it all.

Until yesterday, there was one thing we couldn't brag about though. Until yesterday, Charlottesville was the largest municipality in Virginia without a chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America -- the nation's largest and most well-known youth mentoring initiative.

Until yesterday.

Yesterday I had the enormous pleasure of participating in the kick-off event for the new Charlottesville chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters. Local resident Jeff Mitchell deserves a whole heap of praise for his role in getting this new chapter off the ground; many Charlottesville kids will benefit as a result of his vision and leadership. As I've said on many occasions, youth mentoring programs have demonstrated time and again their ability to change lives for the better. Statistics show that young people who are in long-term mentoring relationships with reliable, caring adults are more likely to make good life decisions.

Several years ago, I helped to create an on-line guide for Charlottesville-area residents who wanted to either become a mentor or find a mentor for a child. The site, called "Mentorville," has been dormant for some time now, but yesterday, in conjunction with the Big Brothers Big Sisters event, we re-launched it at www.charlottesville.org/mentorville. Many thanks to Catherine Tobin, our wonderful UVa student intern, and to Joe Rice in the City Communications Department for their efforts to dust off the old site and bring it back to life. Once Big Brothers Big Sisters of Charlottesville is actually in operation (any week now), their info. will be added to the site as well. For now, interested residents can contact them here.

With yesterday's big announcement, there are now even more opportunities in Charlottesville for caring adults to get involved and make a real impact in the life of a child. Now that's something to brag about.

It's a Great Place to Live, But...

When you're in the line of business I'm in (elected office), you occasionally wonder (1) why the hell you're doing what you're doing, and (2) are you really focusing on what needs to be focused on.

Then you read an article like this and you say, "Ah, yes."

In a nutshell: We live in a wonderful community, but high housing costs, poverty and sprawl are threatening our quality of life. So say two economists with much bigger brains than mine.

A good reminder as to (1) why I'm doing what I'm doing, and (2) where it is I/we need to keep focusing my/our energies.

My thanks to Messrs. Shobe and Rephann for not letting us lose sight of that which is staring us in the face.

Wonder What Look Tomorrow Will Bring?

Yesterday, at the end of a very moving ceremony marking Tibetan National Uprising Day, a Buddhist monk presented each of the speakers with a small Tibetan flag and a Tibetan prayer shawl. I was very honored to receive his blessing.













"Tibetans Rise Up With City Hall," The Hook, 3/10/08

This morning, at the conclusion of a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 100-room boutique hotel on the Downtown Mall, I donned a hardhat and participated in a ceremonial dirt-toss with the hotel's developers.











"A Groundbreaking for a Luxury Hotel on the Downtown Mall," WINA, 3/11/08

It's official. I've become one of those politicians who wears things.

"No Longer Homeless"

In case you missed it, Seth Rosen has an excellent piece in today's Progress about the merits and costs of providing supportive housing for the chronically homeless. Charlottesville has about 2-3 dozen residents who have been living on our streets for years and who are struggling with some sort of severe mental disorder. Over the past four winters, we at PACEM have gotten to know them all. In the bad old days, many if not most of them would be warehoused in state institutions by now, typically against their will. Starting in the 1960s, however, this country launched a broad "deinstitutionalization" campaign and pledged to invest in community-based care for the mentally ill. Well, no surprise: we never fulfilled that pledge. As a result, many people fell through the cracks and ended up right out on the streets. Many others continue to do so today. A critical component -- nay, THE critical component -- of a successful strategy of community-based care is supportive housing. It's heartening to see that Charlottesville is finally coming to understand that supportive housing for the chronically homeless not only improves their quality of life (and ours), it also saves us money. Ironically enough, you see, in many cases it costs more to keep people out on the streets than it does to provide them with stable housing and support services. For more info., read Seth's article here.

Affordable Housing Ordinance Doesn't Move Forward

Vote was 3-2 against creating a dedicated affordable housing fund via ordinance, despite overwhelming public support for the idea at tonight's public hearing -- largest turnout of citizens for a public hearing in recent memory, which was gratifying and affirming (even if I can't shake the feeling that I let them all down). Was interesting/eye-opening to see how hard certain people (including a number of former Democratic City Councilors) lobbied, mostly behind the scenes, to help derail the proposal. All is not lost, however; thanks to a resolution drafted by David Brown and adopted unanimously at tonight's meeting, there's a chance we may yet be able to secure some additional funds for housing in the months and years ahead, even if we're unlikely to see the level of investment (or the sustained commitment of funds) that many of us had hoped. Such is the nature of politics -- compromise is the name of the game. And to Council's credit, what we have now in the funding pipeline for housing is at least a lot more than what we had 2 years ago....

My thanks to Holly Edwards for supporting the ordinance, and to my fellow Councilors for giving it a fair hearing. And special thanks to all who came and spoke at tonight's public hearing, especially those who shared their personal stories about struggling to get by in this "World-Class City" of ours. Your testimonies will not be forgotten.

Oh, and I've just got to pass on a word of appreciation for former Vice Mayor Meredith Richards, who stood up to say, this ordinance is a good start, but the problem is, it actually doesn't go far enough. That is a woman of vision!

Affordable Housing, Front & Center

We've been trying to take something of a thematic approach to City Council meetings so far this year. Our first meeting (Jan. 7) focused on a range of environmental topics. Our second meeting (Jan. 21) was heavy on alternative transportation (pedestrian safety, transit improvements, etc.). Tomorrow's session (Feb. 4) features a subject that citizen survey after citizen survey and community needs assessment after community needs assessment consistently points out as one the biggest frustrations that people have with the City of Charlottesville: the lack of affordable housing for our residents.

You know the litany of challenges: People paying 50% or 60% of their income on their housing costs. People working 2 or 3 jobs to keep up with their mortgage or their rent. People doubling up with family members or friends. People going homeless. People moving 30 or 40 miles away to find housing they can afford. Employers struggling to attract or retain workers because of the high cost of living (i.e., the high cost of housing) here. There is hardly a household in Charlottesville that hasn't been affected by this situation. The people at the top may have it good and may not recognize there's a problem, but most of us see it, experience it and hear about it every day. Yes, housing costs aren't skyrocketing like they were in the years following 2003, but wages still have a long, long way to go to catch up. We remain the region in Virginia with the largest gap between housing costs and wages. Not an enviable position to be in.

Tomorrow night, we will be considering an ordinance that would create a dedicated stream of revenue for affordable housing in the City budget. (Seth Rosen had the story in yesterday's Progress.) Unfortunately, for this coming year at least, it would actually represent a decrease in affordable housing funding from FY08 (when we used one-time surplus funds to significantly increase funding from the year before). But the idea is that as revenues increase in future years, a small percentage of them (the equivalent of 2 cents on the property tax dollar and 25% of lodging taxes) would be automatically set aside each year in a fund for the promotion and preservation of affordable housing.

In total, the ordinance would result in a little over 1% of the City's overall budget being dedicated to the affordable housing fund each year, which is a pittance really when you consider the true scope of the problem and the high priority that our citizens have assigned to it. (It's important to note, though, that these limited City funds will be able to leverage substantial sums of additional monies from state, federal, and private sector sources; of the 300+ localities across the country that have established dedicated housing funds, many of them routinely see their local dollars multiplied six or seven times over [or more] by other sources of funding. It's also important to note, as we're entering a period of economic slowdown, that housing development is one of the best economic generators we know of, in terms of promoting local job creation & business activity and recycling dollars in our community.) The ordinance also encourages the creation of stronger incentives for developers to be part of the solution through inclusion of affordable units in new developments and/or the contribution of monies to the City's affordable housing fund. I am pleased to say that our local developers have been very cooperative in working with the City on the creation of such incentives. Some real win-win potential there.

In addition to considering the dedicated housing fund ordinance, we'll also be making a final round of housing-related allocations from our FY08 budget and hearing a status report from Noah Schwartz, Executive Director of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA), about CRHA's plans for redevelopment of public housing in Charlottesville. The Council meeting starts at 7:00pm tomorrow and the public hearing on the ordinance will begin around 7:40pm. Please feel free to come and share your thoughts on any or all of these subjects.

UPDATE: Christina Mora of NBC 29 does a great job of breaking down the issue with this report.

Smart Government

At our regular City Council meeting this coming Tuesday, Jan. 22 (meeting was put off from Monday due to the MLK, Jr. holiday), we will be holding an unprecedented public hearing and discussion about ways in which Charlottesville City Government can operate in a more innovative, efficient and cost-effective manner. This was a proposal that Julian Taliaferro and I made last November and we were very pleased to see our fellow Councilors embrace the idea. If you have thoughts about how we can save money while maintaining (if not improving) core services, please come to the meeting on Tuesday (7:00pm in City Council chambers) and share them with us -- and/or take this on-line survey, results of which will be presented at the meeting.

Week 1; or, the Week of Acting Locally

Today wraps up my first week as Charlottesville Mayor -- you can hear the audio account of Monday's Mayoral election here or read the text version here.

It's been a busy week.

Particularly exciting have been all the steps we've taken this week on the environmental front. On Monday, Council gave the green light (pun intended) to the boldest green-building tax incentive program in the state; we adopted a 50% recycling rate goal for the City (up from approx. 38% today); we agreed to launch an ambitious public education/outreach campaign on energy conservation & energy efficiency, including the distribution of thousands of donated CFL bulbs and the raffling off of 20 home energy audits; we decided to explore the idea of leasing City rooftops for third-party renewable energy generation via solar photovoltaic panels; we gave our thumbs up to the latest set of recommendations from the Metropolitan Planning Organization regarding far-reaching expansions in our public transportation system; and we announced that Charlottesville had won a corporate award (and Kristel Riddervold, our Environmental Administrator, had won her own individual award) for our efforts to reduce pollutant run-off into the Chesapeake Bay. On Tuesday I went to Richmond to personally submit our Clean Energy Resolution into the record as the State Corporation Commission accepted public comment on a proposed new coal-fired power plant in Wise County. At a work session on Thursday, Council agreed to move forward on the development of a sustainable stormwater management program for the City that will help us get a much better handle on stormwater runoff, stream protection and water quality issues, and provide substantial incentives for property owners to adopt innovative stormwater management practices like green roofs, permeable paving, swales, rain gardens, rain barrels, etc. We also celebrated the launch of two new green-oriented websites this week (Better World Betty and Charlottesville's "Green City" Page), and I got a personal tour from Roger Voisinet of several new green-built City homes (including 104 Chisholm Place and the ecoMOD3).

Now, I'm not trying to take credit for any of these things (all of them were in the works well before my becoming Mayor), and it's largely happenstance that so many positive and interesting eco-friendly initiatives got started or moved forward during my first week in the Mayor's seat. But it is heartening to know that this Council -- and, more importantly, this community we call home -- is willing (if not eager) to move beyond the green rhetoric and actually do what it takes to make this a truly Green City. (Maiaoming makes a similar point here.) I look forward to seeing us take many more such steps in the months and years to come!

Mayor Norris

As Rick Sincere first noted, I did indeed announce on Coy Barefoot's radio show this afternoon that I will most likely be the next Mayor of Charlottesville, as of our Council meeting on January 7. I have big shoes to fill, including our current Mayor's and all of the other esteemed leaders before him (I doubt there are many cities in the U.S. that have as many living ex-Mayors as we do!). I am looking forward to working with our presumptive new Vice Mayor, Julian Taliaferro, and the other members of Council to continue making good progress on the many challenges before us, especially & including the primary issues that brought me to Council in the first place: affordable housing, environmental sustainability, youth development and poverty & race. If anyone wants to know what direction Julian and I will help to take the City in the coming years, our overall course has already been laid out: City Council 2025 Vision Statement. There's much work to do to realize that lofty vision, but I'm up to the task.

I will make mistakes as Mayor, I can guarantee you that. But I/we will get a lot done to make this a better community, I can guarantee you that too.

UPDATE: Seth Rosen has a good write-up about this over at DailyProgress.com.

Clean Energy for Cville & Beyond

At our City Council meeting next Monday, Dec. 17, we'll be considering a resolution that would bolster efforts to promote renewable energy and energy conservation & efficiency in Charlottesville and throughout the Commonwealth. The resolution also calls for a moratorium on the development or expansion of new coal-fired or nuclear facilities in Virginia, given the enormous environmental threats posed by each -- and given the fact that they could be rendered completely unnecessary if we just got a little smarter when it comes to conservation and efficiency. (It doesn't help that Virginia ranks LAST in the country in per capita utility spending on energy efficiency. First place? My mother's home state, Vermont.)

For more information on what you can do to help in the effort to curb "dirty energy" in Virginia, here are two sites to visit (note that the deadline for submitting public comments on the Wise County mountaintop removal coal-fired plant is TODAY):

Wise Energy for Virginia
No New Nukes

*******************************

Here is the text of the proposed City Council resolution:

RESOLUTION COMMITTING THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE TO THE PURCHASE AND PROMOTION OF CLEAN ENERGY ALTERNATIVES

WHEREAS, the City of Charlottesville has demonstrated its commitment to addressing the critical challenges of climate change and increased dependence on non-renewable, polluting energy sources by, among other actions:

• Implementing an Environmental Management System since 2003 with goals of compliance, pollution prevention, environmental improvement, and sustainability;
• Pursuing and promoting energy conservation and efficiency in City operations, resulting in substantial cost savings to City government and City schools;
• Signing on to the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in 2006; and,

• Adopting a resolution endorsing the development of renewable energy resources, including wind turbines, in Virginia in 2007; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement specifically commits signatories to:
• reduce global warming pollution;
• increase the use of clean, alternative energy;
• advocate for the development of renewable energy resources;
• make energy efficiency a priority in municipal operations; and,
• “help educate the public, schools, other jurisdictions, professional associations, business and industry about reducing global warming pollution”;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Charlottesville shall:

1. Express to the Virginia Energy Purchasing Governmental Association (VEPGA)/Dominion Virginia Power its interest in purchasing electricity from renewable energy sources generally, and from the Highland New Wind project specifically; and,

2. Explore creation of a municipal aggregation program to demonstrate community demand for renewable energy alternatives; and,

3. Explore creative options for development of local Renewable Energy Generation Projects (defined by Dominion Virginia Power, which seeks to partner in the development of such projects, as “energy projects derived from sunlight, wind, falling water, sustainable biomass, energy from waste, wave motions, tides, and geothermal power”); and,

4. Redouble its efforts to promote energy conservation and energy efficiency within City and School operations; and,

5. Develop and implement a high-profile campaign, similar to the “Fresh Aire” initiative in Arlington, which promotes energy conservation and energy efficiency within the community at large; and,

6. Petition the Commonwealth of Virginia to create a mandatory Renewable Portfolio Standard for public utilities and, further, to place a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants (such as proposed for Wise County) and expansion of existing nuclear power plants (such as proposed for North Anna) until there has first been a significant expansion of investment in energy conservation and energy efficiency efforts and development of renewable energy alternatives. Through these kinds of investments we can obviate (or at least substantially delay) the need to increase our reliance on non-renewable, polluting energy sources.

Signed and sealed this 17th day of December, 2007.

Mountaintop removal coal mining, in all its destructive glory