Welcome to the James Exchange, all things Scottsville and our surrounding communities. I am your host, Nancy Gill. This episode has been a tough one to track down details on. The question on the table is whether or not our Town Council limits public speech to only those who live within the boundaries of Scottsville. This was brought to Council’s attention at their last public meeting on Monday, October 18 by Matthew Holt. He mentioned several items I will address in his comments during the public session period of the meeting.
I have left time stamps in the text so anyone can go to recordings whether on public meetings or my podcasts to hear the discussion for themselves. (Note: I have gotten the timestamps of audio clips as close as possible).
Mayor Smith: So is there anyone from the public who wishes to speak on an item that is not on the agenda?
• 12:18 - 12:20
Okay. Matthew, tell everybody who you are.
• 12:20 - 12:54
Well I'm Matthew Holt. I work here in town. I just have something I want to bring up. I noticed what's happening after the two planning meetings ago. And what happened was the Shari was reporting. And the question was whether or not the people that were against the Upper Bird, whoever was against it, or the rezoning (kick-back?), uh, whether or not they were residents.
That was the first time I ever really heard that. And then at the next meeting, when we spoke at the , say whether or not they were residents, and then at the planning meeting, anyone spoke publicly, had to give their address. So it seems to be, at least how I look at it, it seems to me that there's a segregation of public opinion or the possibility. And I want to point out that Scottsville financially exists because of the Greater Scottsville area and supportive and seeking people outside of town.
We know for good reason, the residents don't support the town financially with their taxes. We know that we've got a levee out of it. We got a lot of good services from Albemarle county. We know that there's no way. But, without the support of the Greater Scottsville area (inaudible).
And I really don't think that their voices should be segregated out. That just for me to work here in town, on my side of the road, there's one building that's owned by the person who owns this resides in Charlottesville. This side of the road, one person owns the building his business is in. His residence is in Buckingham. We go down Main Street, there's about three buildings, where people run their businesses. None of them are residents.
So if you want to segregate out the voice of non-residents, then you could probably say the Chamber of Commerce. You can segregate out all the businesses and the people who come here and support. I've been coming to these meetings since January. I don't remember a discussion as to whether or not non residents or residents have different weight. It was suggested to me that it was those that had the vote have voice.
So I'm hoping that's not happening, but I really think if you were going to segregate it that should be a discussion. There should be a motion. There should be the second, and then you should vote for public record. But if not, then I don't think it's really right. You sit there and decide or make people announce whether or not they are residents. This is it. We're all from the Scottsville area. We all financially support here. We come here and set up our businesses. We take our chances to set up up businesses. We do a lot of stuff.
I just don't live in the town Thank you.
• 15:26 - 16:00
Thank you, Matthew. It's a good point that you make. And I think what we should do perhaps is either next work session or one of the next couple of work sessions, we'll have that on our list of things to talk about. And I know you usually come to the work sessions too, so you'll be able to listen to that conversation. So we will let you know, you can check with, uh, before the work session with Matt or Thomas and find out if we're going to talk about at that particular second Monday in November, or we're going to wait till December to do it. Okay? Thank you for bringing that forward.
For the record, 515 Valley Street is currently owned by a town resident where he is running a very successful restaurant. I know this is a minor detail, but in our world of fact being fiction and fiction being fact, I want to know the real fact.
In a previous podcast titled “Scottsville Who Are We” I spoke to many of the comments regarding the Greater Scottsville Area and who supports the town. Additionally, the Chamber of Commerce has been an agenda item on the Town’s work session for several years.
This leads me to the phrase, “segregation of public opinion.” Matthew used this to illustrate the procedure of requesting speakers at public sessions and public hearings to state their name and address. This is purely procedural and is for the public record. It has been in practice before I started serving on Council in 2006. With my experience on Council and as Mayor along with conversations I have had with Shari Lambert I have never experienced “segregating the voice.” We have listened to everyone who has wanted to speak before any body whether elected or appointed. Everyone’s comments and concerns have been taken into consideration. I understand the point that is being made, and have had numerous discussions with Thomas Unsworth on what the Code of Virginia states on this. I have also spoken with Claudette Borgersen, the Clerk for the Board of Supervisors. The upshot is, and I reiterate, this is a procedural issue for localities to work out. Claudette did inform me that the General Assembly’s only requirement is that municipalities need to have quarterly public sessions for constituents to speak at. Other than that the Code of Virginia “is silent” on this issue. Albemarle does have a participation guide which can be accessed on their website at this address:
https://www.albemarle.org/government/board-of-supervisors/public-meeting-participation-guide
Perhaps it is time Scottsville puts pen to paper on this issue because in today’s political and racially charged climate, we do not need any rhetoric suggesting segregation of any kind perceived or real. In fairness, I will be reaching out to Matthew to have a conversation with him on this.
I was somewhat confused when Matthew credited Shari Lambert with reporting on how many non-residents spoke at the public hearing on the Special Use Applications for the Bird and Blenheim proposals. She reported on this after being asked the question by a Councilor Gritsko. It surprises me that this was not corrected after Matthew spoke. On my October 4 podcast, I had a conversation with Shari and asked specifically how she would handle non-residents who wished to speak before the Planning Commission. The following is an excerpt:
• 8:14 - 8:48
Talk about inclusiveness, as you know, we're a very small town of 600, but yet we serve between 15,000 and 20,000 in a 10 to 15 mile radius of Scottsville and decisions that are made right here by the planning commission and town council impact these people as well, not just people living here. So how do you recognize the voice of someone not living in the town versus the one that does live in the town?
• 8:49 - 9:26
I think because of my very wide background and working with people of walks of life, many nations in the world, all kinds of different social stratus that I've learned to hear wisdom, no matter the voice. And then when people take the time to share things with me that sometimes you have to pick the meat off and spit out the bones for a lack of a better term, because, you know, there are times that things are very emotional, the topics are emotional.
And I do understand that there has been some history, especially surrounding development that has caused some problems and some hurt and some offense in the past. But one thing that I have tried to explain to people that approach me is that I cannot do anything about the wrongs that have been done in the past or the offenses because I wasn't involved, but I definitely have something that I can do to change their experience going forward. And I believe for everyone, that's 600 plus citizens of downtown Scottsville, as well as our larger community that encompasses that 14.000 to 20,000 people that it's important to hear them.
And if people feel like they're heard and seen, then, then they're willing to partner. And that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for a partnership. Yeah.
• 10:18 - 10:38
You have some very outspoken people that don't live in the town, but they have very strong opinions about what's happening in the town. So I take my hat off to you for giving them the voice as you have residents and you have given to your, your commissioners.
• 10:39 - 11:12
Well, thank you Nancy. I really, I really do appreciate when people come and share their ideas with me and their thoughts. And I just feel so privileged right now to have such a great group of colleagues to do this work with. I feel very, just encouraged by the strength of the current commission. There's a wide variety of backgrounds and experience as well as retention council and the staff that we have, which is just five star.
I just tip my hat to both Mr. Lawless and Mr. Unsworth, and they are huge help to the planning commission. So I just, I think we're poised for a really great group that know how to work in harmony with each other and know how to hear each other. And that's, that's a huge part of what we do.
The question of time allotments on the agenda.
• 24:31 - 25:01
And people have asked me, are you trying to limit free speech by making a timed agenda? And actually, no, I'm not. I'm trying to do the opposite. And that is by using time wisely and giving opportunity where more and more people can voice their concerns, whether it's coming forward to the microphone. Tomorrow night, they're going to see something new introduced where I'll be handing out note cards to everyone who do not feel comfortable standing up, but can write their question, and have it brought forward.
And we will read every question that we get, whether that be something that someone types in on zoom or they're in public. And so hopefully we'll have a lot of engagement where people feel like they can be seen and heard.
On another topic, at the end of the October 18 meeting, Shari reported the following report of the Planning Commission:
Mayor Smith: Ms. Lambert, the planning commission what's going on.
• 21:08 - 21:40
I have a few things this week just since the work session that has come up. One of the days last week, Mayor Ron, Mr. Lawless and myself met with a local developer that has some land, that they own here. Quite a few acres. And they're looking actually to develop it into affordable, not affordable, but mixed income homes, and had a discussion with them about that. We don't have a lot of details yet. We look forward to actually finding out more about that.
We also received a, a confirmation letter from Habitat for Humanity. They were reaching out to the Town many months ago, about six months ago, but they confirmed that they do want to, and are willing to do a project in Scottsville partnering with the developer. So that was good news to hear as well. And, we also have begun conversations with Virginia and company about reducing the density on their special use permit for bird street.
And so we are in conversation about that as well. Thank you.
For those of you who are interested, there is a special meeting of the Planning Commission on Tuesday, October 26 starting at 7:00. Agenda item 2 is Discussion on public comment and engagement practices. I certainly hope our Town Attorney has been brought into the conversation on this topic because it is time for procedural steps be written and put into the public record for Scottsville. To this point, I completely agree with Matthew. By the way, did everyone catch the irony of Mayor Smith asking: Okay. Matthew, tell everybody who you are.
The agenda is in the text of this podcast.
Special Meeting Agenda
1. Call to order, establish a quorum, and agree to agenda 7:00 p.m.
2. Discussion on public comment and engagement practices
3. Action items a. Zoning Map Amendment to Commercial, 153 James River Road i. Staff report and applicant presentation
ii. Public hearing on the matter
iii. Action: recommendation to Town Council, or defer for further study
b. Zoning Text Amendment, Flood Hazard Overlay, section 17, state model ordinance i. Staff report
ii. Public hearing on the matter
iii. Action: recommendation to Town Council, or defer for further study
c. Zoning Text Amendment, Parking, section 4.11 i. Staff report
ii. Public hearing on the matter
iii. Action: recommendation to Town Council, or defer for further study
4. Closed session under Code of Virginia section 2.2-3711 A.1 8:30 p.m.
5. Adjournment 9:00 p.m.
Have a great rest of the weekend, and I will be back next with an episode on the proposed convenience center slated for the Keene area.
To Speak or not to Speak...To Hear or not to Hear