Category: Government
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“Skill Machines” Company drops lawsuit against Charlottesville Commonwealth Attorney
Commonwealth’s Attorney Joseph Platania announced today that Queen of Virginia, the company that operates what they call “skill-based entertainment machines” across Virginia, has dropped its lawsuit against him. Back in June last year, Platania banned the machines in Charlottesville, the first prosecutor in the state to do so, and Queen of Virginia responded by suing…
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Title IX Remix: will new rules on sexual harassment & assault investigations serve justice?
Eight months ago I filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with the US Department of Education for information about a Title IX investigation that was opened at the University of Virginia on April 19, 2019, thinking it might provide information and insight about a process often shrouded in secrecy. Last week, I received…
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Dewberry’s Rat Hotel: Could the Charlottesville eyesore cause serious injury?
The infamous Rat Hotel in Boston was a deteriorating, crappy dive back in the 1970s and 80s, but at least it hosted bands like the Cars, Talking Heads, the B-52s, The Ramones, and The Police. Our deteriorating, crappy Rat Hotel just hosts rats. According to sources who work close to Atlanta-based developer John Dewberry’s “Landmark”…
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Park & Hide: Downtown parking meter program halted, but downtown parking problem remains
While many people and businesses are happy that the parking meter program downtown has been suspended, everyone seems to have forgotten why it was implemented in the first place: to reduce congestion downtown and make it easier to find a place to park. As a 2008 downtown parking study determined, parking availability wasn’t necessarily the…
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State Investigation of August 12 in Charlottesville cites miscommunication
From the State investigation into the events of August 12: “…James W. Baker, a consultant with the International Association of Chiefs of Police who led the review, said state police and local police each had their own response plans, which should have been unified before the event. Baker said that despite collaboration and meetings in…
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Rush Job? Planned City Manager review ahead of August 12 investigation causes concern
By David McNair According to Charlottesville City Councilor Bob Fenwick, a decision on whether or not to extend Charlottesville City Manager Maurice Jones’ contract is “underway now” and “might be done by the next Council meeting.” That news has apparently caused some concern in the community, as Tim Heaphy, the former U.S. Attorney for the…
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BID for the DTM? What we can learn from Vermonters
Our DTM is a wonderful place, one of a few such successful pedestrian malls in the country, but on a recent trip to Burlington, Vermont’s Church Street Marketplace, a pedestrian mall similar to the DTM, one downtown business owner came away wondering if we might be able to learn a thing or two from our…
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No music for Moto Saloon
The Hook–Across the street from one of the more quiet businesses in town, tombstone retailer W. A. Hartman Memorials on East Market Street, a neighborhood kerfuffle over music came to an end recently when Charlottesville City Council laid to rest the Black Market Moto Saloon‘s bid for a music hall permit. The decision followed a…
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Ambassadors or bouncers?
DTM business owners and patrons have apparently been giving City Council an earful about rude or aggressive behavior from some folks on the DTM, and so council has decided to spend $80,000 to hire four “Downtown Mall ambassadors.” Councilor have been quick to say its not a “crack down” on the homeless, though much of…
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DTM meals tax revenue rising
According to Commissioner of Revenue Lee Richards, DTM restaurants generated $1,147,809 in meals tax revenue in 2011, up almost $115,000 from 2010. And, because of some dated tracking, that doesn’t include revenue generated by restaurants on the DTM’s side streets. Starting in 2009, over all city meals tax revenue (which is roughly $6.7 million) began…
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