Charlottesville, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – On Monday, Charlottesville City Council held a work session led by City Manager Sam Sanders, focusing on community safety, homelessness services, and quality of life improvements. The session aimed to address ongoing challenges and discuss actionable solutions. 

Sean Tubbs of infocville.com noted the significance of the meeting, saying, “There are multiple solutions to some of these big, overarching community problems. Homelessness is one of the biggest issues, and there’s a lot happening.” He added that the meeting was “getting ahead of some of those issues” with proactive discussions around lowering speed limits and expanding services like the city’s mental health response team. 

The council highlighted its efforts, including an additional $90,000 allocation for rapid rehousing through The Haven, showcasing ongoing attempts to address the city’s homelessness crisis. 

Tubbs also touched on broader community concerns, stating, ” we’ve had a city government that for many years was dysfunctional…Now we’ve been able to keep somebody in that position for a year and a half,” referring to Sanders’ leadership. The session emphasized that progress is being made, with updates on initiatives tied to the city’s strategic plan, which includes priorities like community safety and Jedi (justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion). 

Listen here for the full conversation: