CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Charlottesville City Council will decide on water, stormwater, and gas utility rates during its meeting Monday, as well as considering a VDOT Smart Scale funded Ridge and West Main/West Water St. intersection realignment.

The first action item on the agenda is a public hearing on the final imposition of higher water and stormwater utility charges, and a slight decrease in the natural gas rate.

Based on average usage of a Charlottesville home, the city projects the average customer’s water bill would rise nearly $7 from $44.80 to $51.79, and the average wastewater bill would go up just over $4 from $48.12 to $52.18, and a $1.50 reduction in the monthly gas rate, according to the policy briefing.

The agenda packet notes the city runs gas, water, and wastewater services as non-profit and doesn’t funnel any tax dollars into those operations.

The revenue to pay for the operation comes solely from service fees.

At their last meeting, Councilors spent about a half hour discussing pausing the city’s carbon offset agreement with BP.

The city stood ready to renew a $300,000 contract with BP in which the city purchases certified carbon offsets to compensate for 25% of greenhouse gas emissions produced by city and customer natural gas usage. It’s an opt-out program that City Council endorsed in 2019 and adds about 60-cents a month to the average bill, according to the city carbon offset webpage.

BP is tasked with using the money toward renewable energy projects around the world, and at least three Councilors expressed skepticism about the company’s selections.

According to the city rundown, some of the projects Charlottesville’s money has been used for are a wind farm in Argentina, a solar photovoltaic project in India, and improved forest management in Michigan.

During the June 1 meeting, Vice Mayor Natalie Oschrin expressed concern that BP can decide which projects it funds with public money.

“I think if we do have any kind of say in the direction of where we can point that money to its highest best use, definitely not a wind farm funding an oil rig,” Oschrin said.

“My perspective is I don’t think it should be renewed for a year,” City Councilor Michael Payne said. “I think we’d be better off investing that money into local initiatives, and I just structurally don’t think there is a way for those BP carbon offsets to accomplish what we want.”

“As I recall, when we looked at numbers, we decided it would be basically impossible to duplicate the numbers that BP was telling us they were giving us,” Snook said. “You mentioned it would mean basically planting a forest three times the City of Charlottesville. But if the numbers BP is giving us are bogus, then all bets are off.”

Also in Monday night’s meeting, City Council will vote on a VDOT Smart Scale application realigning the Ridge St./W. Main St./W. Water St. intersection to make it more passable for all modes of transportation.

The city, in partnership with VDOT, has been considering three alternatives to the projects and has been receiving public input on three options, according to the policy briefing.

The most popular alternatives expressed convert West Water Street and South Street W to one-way streets, create a pedestrian plaza, include a dedicated pedestrian and bike signal phase, incorporate bike lanes, and add street parking.

As currently proposed, there is no city money going toward the project, and all money would come from a combination of federal and state funding.

The price tag depends on when the project gets built.

An analysis shows the current cost would be over $9.5 million with a little over $13.5 million in 2032 estimated pricing.

Council will also consider endorsing VDOT Smart Scale application of extending the Leonard Sandridge Rd. on-ramp to the eastbound bypass with the Barracks Rd. off-ramp.

The projects also adds a second left turn lane from the eastbound bypass off-ramp onto northbound Barracks Road, and constructs a sidewalk on the southbound side of Barracks Road between the on-ramp to the westbound bypass and the on-ramp terminals to the eastbound bypass, extending to the south ending at the driveway across from the 7-Eleven, according to the policy briefing.

The project is also slated to improve the northbound Barracks Rd. sidewalk.

There is no price tag included in the agenda item, however the funding sources are the same as the Ridge/West Main/West Water project.

As part of the City Manager’s report, Council will also hear the Police Civilian Oversight Board’s 2025 annual report from interim Executive Director and Management Analyst James Walker.

2025 was a transitional year for the PCOB with the vacating of half of its positions toward the beginning of the year, leaving the body without enough members to legally act in a quorum.

The year saw the resignation of then-Executive Director Inez Gonzalez with the recommendation that City Council start over again implementing the board.

City staff, along with help from the remaining PCOB members, began wholesale changes to the ordinance, which had been amended piecemeal over the years as the General Assembly expanded jurisdiction of such boards after Charlottesville had instituted its ordinances.

Council last November approved changes to the ordinance which has led to filling the board up with members this year to be able to legally do the work it’s instituted to do.

Council will also start considering a proposal to allocate $575,000 Housing Operations and Support Fund for 2027 to 13 staff-approved project applicants.

The money ultimately comes from the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Fund, according to the policy briefing.

The afternoon report session of the meeting is a presentation of the Fiscal Year ’26 Climate Action Program, followed by a presentation of the human rights ordinance revisions.

The afternoon report session begins at 4 p.m., and the business session starts at 6:30 p.m.