CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Charlottesville City Council plans to relocate money from the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Contingency fund toward one-time expenditures across the board while reallocating some already appropriated CIP funds toward a couple of lagging infrastructure construction projects during its Monday night meeting.
City Manager Sam Sanders will propose dipping into more than $4.55 million in the CIP Contingency for an array expenditure in the first of two readings.
Sanders’ proposal will allocate $1.5 million toward critical human resource management systems, $1.1 million toward construction of critical pedestrian infrastructure, including sidewalks which the city is engaged in the heavy construction of, $750,000 toward emergency management priorities, $400,000 to expand critical snow management equipment, $310,000 for strategic planning, performance management, and capacity priorities, $300,000 to offset city fire department overtime and $200,000 to address capacity building for CRHA in association with prior unfilled agreement with the city.
The agenda item doesn’t include specifics of the spending.
The City Manager will also request the reallocation of funds already allocated out of the CIP Contingency toward additional costs associated with Meadow Creek Trail and Powell’s Branch Bridge projects in his first reading.
Sanders notes in the policy briefing summary the city will need to allocate an additional $1.5 million to the Meadow Creek Trail construction in order to complete it in the next 12-to-18-months, as there are cost overruns associated “with existing infrastructure and terrain.”
He will also propose reallocating an additional $300,000 toward the Powell’s Branch Bridge project to be completed in the next 24 months, as the project will have to be relocated due to South 1st Street construction.
That money can be drawn from funds not spent in Charlottesville High School’s new roof project, as well as money that had to be set aside until insurance paid the costs of water leak damage in City Hall that occurred a few years ago.
Council will also likely act on a resolution to approve the CRHA to issue $4.3 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds to finance construction of 85 units, 24 of them townhomes, in Kindlewood Phase 3.
The construction is expected to be funded by these bonds as well as the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC).
CRHA will be “the sole conduit” with the Piedmont Housing Authority liable for all associated payments and costs.
Council will also decide on a petition from CRHA that would allow it to establish a new 501(c)(3) organization, making it eligible “to pursue grants and donations not currently available to Housing Authorities,” according to Policy Briefing Summary.
Deputy City Manager James Freas will present this proposal to Council.
Council will also consider a request from the Piedmont Housing Alliance to allow a portion of the $3.85 million forgivable loan the city has allocated for the 501 Cherry Avenue affordable housing and hopeful grocery store project toward land acquisition.
The policy briefing states, “While the City’s typical practice is to reserve City funds to contribute towards direct construction costs or to pay down the level of affordability (ie. cover the cost of shifting a 60% AMI unit to a 50% AMI unit), the City can use its funds to support land acquisition where there is an over-riding public interest or where doing so can reduce the overall cost of the project, allowing for the more efficient use of public funds. In this instance, due to a change in the project’s financing, using a portion of the City’s funds for acquisition will reduce the overall project cost.”
Council will also hear three reports in the afternoon and evening sessions.
The afternoon session will have a presentation of a study on the Affordable Dwelling Unit In-Lieu Fee and Student Housing program.
After the evening public hearings, Council will also receive an annual State of the Forest and quarterly RWSA report.
