1 NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL WILL BE HELD ON Monday, December 4, 2017, AT 4:00 p.m. IN THE Council Chambers. BY ORDER OF THE MAYOR BY Paige Rice COUNCIL CHAMBERS - December 4, 2017 ROLL CALL Council met in regular session on this date with the following members present: Mr. Signer, Mr. Bellamy, Mr. Fenwick, Ms. Galvin, Ms. Szakos. AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS & ANNOUNCEMENTS Ms. Galvin announced work on the Belmont Bridge will start as early as December 5. Information about traffic delays will be posted on the City's website. Ms. Szakos announced the Dialogue on Race follow-up to vote on community priorities will take place on December 11 at 6pm at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center. Call 970-3023 for more information, or go to Facebook. Ms. Szakos announced Saturday, December 16 is the dedication at the Daughters of Zion cemetery, with a reception to follow. Mr. Signer announced the City is seeking community input for the budget. Please go to www.charlottesville.org/budget and click on "Balancing Act" to submit your feedback. Email budget@charlottesville.org or call 970-3174 for more information. Mr. Signer announced City Council will hold a budget work session Thursday, December 7 at 5:00 p.m. at CitySpace. Mr. Bellamy announced free parking will be provided during the holidays on the Downtown Mall starting 5pm Friday - Sunday each weekend. Metered parking will also be available at no cost. This will be in effect until Tuesday, January 2 at 8:00 a.m. Mr. Fenwick announced taxes are due by Tuesday, December 5. MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC Ms. Szakos read guidelines for Matters by the Public. Ms. Nancy Carpenter, City resident, said organizations must remain autonomous as they choose who their representative is on the Police Citizen Review Board (CRB). She said we are 2 not finished dealing with hate groups and their activities. We need to move past the status quo. We want more ownership of the process, and if we do not get it, we will shut it down. Ms. Jackie Lichtman said she has lived next door to the STARTS house for seven years and has never opposed the STARS house being there with eight girls. However, she opposed the request to increase the number to 16. They are a for-profit business and are working to cut their costs. Please remember the Planning Commission voted unanimously to deny their request. Parking is an issue. Ms. Madeline Conger, City resident, ceded her time to Ms. Rosia Parker. Ms. Parker said she feels disrespected as a citizen. She said racism was not addressed in the Heaphy report, and it played the biggest part in the events of this summer. Please take a close look at who you put on the CRB. Ms. Katrina Turner said the CRB is important to her because she has a case against two police officers. She said based on a recent private meeting that she recorded, the Chief of Police is very different behind closed doors. Mr. Dave Ghamandi said the City's slogans are a joke. He said the Council is an illegitimate government. He said the City Manager needs to be fired, as well as Chief Thomas and the commanders. There should be a criminal investigation and criminal charges brought. He said the City Attorney should also resign, along with Mr. Signer and Ms. Galvin. Accountability should not be suspended because of race. Ms. Kim Rolla, Attorney at Legal Aid Justice Center (LAJC), said the name of the CRB should be amended to "Civilian Review Board", not "Citizen Review Board". The City should release the application immediately and post it on the website and make a paper copy available. Provide at least two weeks for the application to be submitted. Also, release the list of applicants on a weekly basis. Organize and attend an applicant forum, where all applicants can present their qualifications and explain their interests for serving on the body. Allow the community to attend and express preference among the applicants. Exclude CPD, CPD staff, or their family members. Demand bylaws contain similar restrictions. People who have direct experience with over-policing and over-criminalization should be represented on the initial CRB. Mr. Don Gathers, City resident, said we have another budget surplus. He suggested spending the surplus by allocating $3 million for affordable housing, $2 million towards homelessness and $1.2 million for a Citizen's Advocate Office to handle concerns for an 8-10 year period. Additionally, $700,000 should be set aside to remove statues and $500,000 to plan and organize specific campaigns against Nazis and white supremacy. Lastly, $500,000 should be set aside to pay reparations to the displaced families of the Vinegar Hill project, and $1 million should be given to the school system. Ms. Isabelle Hahn, City resident, shared her time with Ms. Addie Logan, LAJC. She said the community has additional concerns regarding the civilian review board. When considering the composition of the CRB, Council has to be aware that people are looking for a counter to the history in Charlottesville of intentionally ignoring the invaluable perspectives of certain communities. Restoring faith in government requires the government to take a hard look at its failures. 3 Mr. Jeffrey Fogel, City resident, said he agrees with the previous speakers about the CRB. We need a remedy for stop and frisk. We are skeptical that this body will appoint a CRB that will actually work. He said the Human Rights Commission is an example of how a Commission is controlled by the City Manager's office or the Council and refuses to issue criticism of the City. It is critical that this be a real Civilian Review Board. He said we need more time to decide who gets appointed to it and how. Mr. Morgan Butler, Southern Environmental Law Center, asked to address zoning text amendments on the consent agenda. Ms. Dolly Joseph said she agreed with previous speakers about the Civilian Review Board. She wants to ensure it has proper representation. It is linked to the events of this summer. She said it was difficult to read the independent review, especially because it lacked important details about the racist history of some of the involved organizations, such as the KKK and Unite the Right. She said there were a lot of other people who were culpable other than Maurice Jones and Al Thomas. She said she is looking forward to major changes and is eager to see people listen to each other. Ms. Katrina Turner spoke in support of a CRB and reviewed specific experiences she and her family has had with the Police Department. She questioned the actions of officers regarding interaction with her son. She asked if her son's case would be reopened. Ms. Galvin clarified for the record her votes regarding the confederate statues. In February 6, 2017 she voted against moving the Lee statue and voted, along with four other Councilors to add context to the Jackson statue. Subsequent to August 12, she put forth a resolution to remove both statues and redesign the parks. Mr. Signer said he would like to treat Ms. Katrina Turner's request as a specific constituent request. Mr. Jones said he would do so. CONSENT AGENDA a. Minutes for November 20, 2017 b. APPROPRIATION: Additional Funding for Employment not Welfare Program - $22,881 (2nd reading) Additional Funding for Employment not Welfare Program WHEREAS, the Charlottesville Department of Social Services has received an additional $22,881 in the Fiscal Year 2018 budget from the Virginia Department of Social Services to be used for clients enrolled in the Virginia Initiative for Employment not Welfare (VIEW) program, 4 NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia, that the sum of $22,881 is hereby appropriated in the following manner: Revenue – $22,881 Fund: 212 Cost Center: 9900000000 G/L Account: 451022 $22,881 Expenditures - $22,881 Fund: 212 Cost Center: 3333002000 G/L Account: 540060 $22,881 c. APPROPRIATION: Check and Connect Student Engagement Continuation Grant - $110,250 (2nd reading) Check and Connect Student Engagement Continuation Grant WHEREAS, the City of Charlottesville has been awarded $55,125 in Federal Funds from the Virginia Department of Juvenile Justice, and $55,125 in Matching Funds for a total award of $110,250 for the Check and Connect Student Engagement Program; and WHEREAS, the grant award covers the period from October 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia, that the sum of $110,250 is hereby appropriated in the following manner: Revenue – $110,250 $ 55,125 Fund: 209 Cost Center: 3413008000 G/L Account: 430120 $ 55,125 Fund: 209 Cost Center: 3413008000 G/L Account: 498010 Expenditures - $110,250 $101,916 Fund: 209 Cost Center: 3413008000 G/L Account: 519999 $ 8,334 Fund: 209 Cost Center: 3413008000 G/L Account: 599999 Transfer - $55,125 $ 55,125 Fund: 213 Cost Center: 3413009000 G/L: 561209 Transfers BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this appropriation is conditioned upon the receipt of $55,125 from VA Department of Criminal Justice Services. d. APPROPRIATION: City Schools' Check and Connect Student Engagement Grant - $50,000 (2nd readings) City Schools' Check and Connect Student Engagement Grant WHEREAS, the City of Charlottesville has been awarded $42,500 in Federal Funds 5 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and $7,500 in Matching Funds from the Charlottesville City Schools for a total award of $50,000 for the Check and Connect Student Engagement Program; and WHEREAS, the grant award covers the period from October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia, that the sum of $50,000 is hereby appropriated in the following manner: Revenue – $50,000 $ 42,500 Fund: 209 Cost Center: 3413013000 G/L Account: 430120 $ 7,500 Fund: 209 Cost Center: 3413013000 G/L Account: 432030 Expenditures - $50,000 $45,737 Fund: 209 Cost Center: 3413013000 G/L Account: 519999 $ 4,263 Fund: 209 Cost Center: 3413013000 G/L Account: 599999 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this appropriation is conditioned upon the receipt of $45,000 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, and $7,500 from the Charlottesville City Schools. e. APPROPRIATION: Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV - $19,543 (Carried) Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS/HIV f. APPROPRIATION: FY 2018 Transit Grants - $793,270 (Carried) FY 2018 Transit Grants g. APPROPRIATION: City Schools Reimbursement for Greenbrier Elementary Modular Classroom Project - $6,306.28 (Carried) Greenbrier Elementary Modular Classroom Project h. RESOLUTION: Regional Emergency Operations Plan Regional Emergency Operations Plan RESOLUTION Regional Emergency Operations Plan (Regional EOP) NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia adopts the updated Regional Emergency Operations Plan. 6 i. RESOLUTION: 604 Cynthianna Avenue Special Use Permit Request 604 Cynthianna Avenue Special Use Permit RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AN OUTDOOR ANIMAL RUN/ PEN AT 604 CYNTHIANNA AVENUE, TO BE USED ANCILLARY TO THE EXISTING ANIMAL BOARDING/ GROOMING/ KENNEL LOCATED AT 601 CONCORD AVENUE (PAMPERED PETS) j. RESOLUTION: Allocation of Previously Appropriated Community Mental Health & Wellness Coalition Funds to Region Ten-$41,572.90 Community Mental Health & Wellness Coalition Funds RESOLUTION Allocation of Previously Appropriated Community Mental Health & Wellness Coalition Funds to Region Ten $41,572.90 WHEREAS, in response to the closure of Thrive, the Department of Human Services agreed to temporarily serve as the fiscal agent and host for the Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition, and WHEREAS, the Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition steering committee determined that Region Ten would be the best long-term fiscal agent and host for the coalition, based on its regional scope and influence over systemic processes, and WHEREAS, the Community Mental Health and Wellness Coalition created an agreement with Region Ten to transfer the human resources and financial responsibilities from Human Services to Region Ten; therefore; NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of Charlottesville Virginia allocates the balance of the Mental Health and Wellness Coalition funding, in the amount of $41,572.90 to Region Ten. k. RESOLUTION: Establishing Citizen Review Board for the Police Department Pulled for Discussion Citizen Review Board for the Police Department l. ORDINANCE: Abandon Portion of Gas Easement in Dunlora Park Subdivision (2nd reading) Abandon Portion of Gas Easement in Dunlora Park Subdivision 7 AUTHORIZING THE ABANDONMENT OF A PORTION OF A NATURAL GAS EASEMENT GRANTED TO THE CITY BY DUNLORA INVESTMENTS LLC m. ORDINANCE: Vacate Sewer Easement at 600 Brandon Ave (UVA) (2nd reading) Vacate Sewer Easement at 600 Brandon Ave AUTHORIZING THE ABANDONMENT OF A SANITARY SEWER EASEMENT GRANTED TO THE CITY ACROSS 600 BRANDON AVENUE n. ORDINANCE: Zoning Text Amendments (Carried) Zoning Text Amendments o. APPROPRIATION: 2017 Grand Illumination Sponsorships- $4,000 (Carried) 2017 Grand Illumination Sponsorships Ms. Galvin pulled item k. regarding the Citizen Review Board. Mr. Signer supported pulling the item as well. Ms. Galvin asked staff to work with the PLACE Task Force to finalize their recommendations on height restrictions, regarding consent item n. Ms. Szakos said in regard to consent item h., this operation plan should be incorporated in the planning for events such as what we saw this summer. On motion by Ms. Galvin, seconded by Mr. Bellamy, the consent agenda passed. (Ayes: Ms. Szakos, Ms. Galvin, Mr. Signer, Mr. Fenwick, Mr. Bellamy; Noes: None.) PUBLIC HEARING/ APPROPRIATION: AUDITOR’S PRESENTATION AND FY 17 YEAR-END APPROPRIATION (Carried) Auditor's Presentation and FY 17 Year-End Appropriation Mr. Cullinan presented to Council. He invited Mr. John Aldridge, the City's auditor, to present to Council. Mr. Cullinan answered clarifying questions from Council. At Ms. Szakos' request, Mr. Jones reviewed the proposed uses for the year-end surplus. On motion, Mr. Signer opened the public hearing. Mr. Joe Thomas said $9 million has been taken unnecessarily out of the economy of the City of Charlottesville. He said it could be given back to the businesses it was confiscated from, particularly since small businesses suffered greatly during this summer. He suggested cutting taxes on businesses for next year to provide better paying jobs for people. 8 Mr. Peter Krebs, Charlottesville resident, said he is speaking on behalf of the Piedmont Environmental Council. He requested funds be appropriated for trails and connectivity to benefit the needs of many residents. Ms. Nancy Carpenter said December 21 is National Homeless Memorial Day, and Council is invited to attend a ceremony on that day at 3:30 p.m. at The Haven. She said homelessness is not an insurmountable problem for the City. Mr. Dave Ghamandi said today, Fred Hampton was murdered, and he quoted him. He said these comments do not make a difference, because these decisions are made behind closed doors. He said you fight capitalism with socialism. Peace be to you, if you are willing to fight for it. Mr. Don Gathers said he likes his ideas a lot more than those offered in tonight's agenda packet. He said we need to do something to help the people who need it the most. Ms. Connie Rosenbaum, said she is upset, especially regarding housing issues at Westhaven. She reviewed the problems she has had with her housing unit and her personal health. She discussed her participation at the July 8 rally. Mr. Bellamy said he would be over to visit Westhaven tomorrow morning. Ms. Gloria Beard asked about the concerns she brought up regarding JAUNT. Ms. Jones said this was referred to the County, and he will check with them to make sure they follow up. Ms. Rosia Parker said she is living in poor conditions. CRHA has not been staffed well enough. Health is an issue for many residents and their children. She said we need more for the children. She asked where the children's fund is. She said we need more money for foster care and proper staff training. The public hearing was closed. Mr. Bellamy addressed funds for the children, citing the CAYIP program, partnership with the City of Promise, and a Youth Opportunity Coordinator. Ms. Szakos made a request for a stand-alone toilet for the Downtown Mall that can be open all night. She asked that it come out of the capital contingency fund for next year if it does not pass this time. She also asked for a racial equity scan and said there are non-profits that help with this. Ms. Galvin said it is important for our community to be able to see proposed zoning in three dimensions. She was concerned that the $200,000 may not be spent in the best way possible. She said citizen engagement is also a very important issue. This needs to be done City- wide, and we need more investment in a good, racially-sensitive, class-sensitive facilitator City- wide that can engage the community about future development and how it will impact the neighborhoods. 9 Mr. Fenwick said he wants additional funding for public housing maintenance people. The CRHA needs more money. Mr. Signer said he supports a single effort that can address gentrification and neighborhood protection, perhaps through the land bank. He suggested an endowment. Ms. Szakos moved that Council adopt the resolution as it appears, with the following changes: That by the next meeting the resolution contain the amounts for a downtown standalone toilet facility, racial equity scan, community engagement initiative and infusion of funding into CRHA. Ms. Galvin seconded the motion. The motion was interrupted due to a disruption in the back of Chambers, wherein Mr. Mason Pickett was escorted out for directing profane remarks towards another attendee. RESOLUTION: 201 WEST WATER STREET SUP REQUEST deferred by applicant 201 West Water Street SUP RESOLUTION: 517 PARK STREET SPECIAL USE PERMIT (SUP) REQUEST 517 Park Street SUP Mr. Brian Haluska presented to Council on an SUP for 517 Park St., which was recommended for denial by the Planning Commission by a vote of 6-0. He answered clarifying questions for Council. Ms. Kara Gloeckner, owner of the STARS program, presented to Council on the STARS request. Her request has been modified to increase the number of occupants by four. She answered clarifying questions from Council. Mr. Bellamy made a motion to approve the SUP. There was no second. Ms. Szakos said we are not supposed to consider specific programs, but instead the appropriateness of the site. She made a motion that the applicant reduce the number of girls served by two, and stood by the unanimous ruling of the Planning Commission to deny. Ms. Galvin seconded the motion to deny, for the same reasons stated by Ms. Szakos. Mr. Bellamy thanked the applicant for her service. The motion to deny passed. (Ayes: Ms. Szakos, Ms. Galvin, Mr. Signer, Mr. Fenwick; Noes: Mr. Bellamy.) 10 RESOLUTION: ESTABLISHING A CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT Citizen Review Board for the Police Department Ms. Galvin offered her amendments to the resolution: RESOLUTION: Police Citizen Review Board WHEREAS, Council seeks to answer the call for a police citizen review board that places emphasis on independence, accountability, and transparency; and WHEREAS, relationship building, community trust, and citizen engagement are as critical today for police as they have ever been; and WHEREAS, staff believes a structured, independent citizen review of police matters will help build community trust in the work of the Charlottesville Police Department; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that City Council does hereby authorize the creation of an initial Police Citizen Review Board ("Board") and tasks the Board with drafting bylaws, which shall address matters including, but not limited to:  Defining the Board’s proposed mission;  Proposing Board membership, including number of members, representation, and membership criteria and length of term;  Researching, documenting and incorporating best practices for independent citizen review boards including but not limited to working with such groups as the National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE);  Creating guidelines or an MOU for effectively interacting with the Chief of Police;  Defining an effective and cooperative structure for Board review of police actions;  Developing procedures for reviewing police matters, including but not limited to  investigative detention reports, use-of-force incidents, and internal affairs appeals;  Implementing mechanisms for reporting out findings, including a quarterly report delivered to Council;  Seeking input from the City Attorney, Commonwealth’s Attorney, and the Chief of Police as to whether or not special enabling legislation and ordinances are required and to ensure legal constraints, liability concerns, and privacy issues are properly addressed;  Providing appropriate Board member training; and  Recommending level of City staff support for the Board. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the initial Board shall have seven members to be appointed by vote of Council and to serve up through the delivery of a final report to Council (but be eligible for appointment by Council to the permanent "Board"), which shall include an engaged, diverse selection of members representative of the community on the whole, inclusive of to the City's minority and low wealth communities; and 11 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board will seek community input throughout the process of drafting their mission and bylaws by amply engaging with the Charlottesville community through public hearings, forums, etc.; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Council charges the initial Board with providing a written report with proposed mission and draft bylaws for Council's consideration by no later than July 31, 2018; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Council will reserve $2,500 from the Council Strategic Initiatives Fund for the operating costs of the initial Board, including community outreach events, with expenditures approved by the City Manager; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Charlottesville City Council hereby directs the City Manager to dissolve the existing Charlottesville Police Citizens Advisory Panel, with appreciation for their service. She also asked to add specific low-wealth representation. Mr. Bellamy said he would accept all amendments with the exception of the second "Be it resolved". He said the individuals chosen would serve on the board, not just be eligible to serve. Mr. Bellamy also requested the board be called "Civilian Review Board"; publish applicants on the website on a rolling basis; ensure complete independence by making sure there is support for a truly independent CRB, with no City staff on the board, but ensuring there is a staff member to support the board; and that Council must appoint people of color and low income to the CRB. Ms. Galvin said she does not want to restrict the CRB to only be composed of the initially appointed members. Ms. Szakos said she was more comfortable with the original language, which said the term would be for one year. She said that generally people are reappointed if the applicant finishes a term and reapplies for a second term, unless there is cause not to do so. Ms. Szakos said she would be more comfortable with the original language. Ms. Galvin said as long as there is clear flexibility. Ms. Szakos said the timeline seems a little tight. She proposed "no longer than 9 months". Mr. Bellamy and Ms. Galvin accepted the amendment. Ms. Galvin recommended posting the revised document for a vote at the next Council meeting. Mr. Signer addressed the suggestion by Legal Aid about City Council appointing people of low wealth to the CRB. He suggested adding the language: “City Council shall consider appointing people of low wealth” under Be It Further Resolved. Mr. Bellamy and Ms. Galvin agreed to the amendment. Council decided to vote on this item at their next meeting. Mr. Fenwick said he supports giving the Citizen's Advisory Panel the assets the need to do the job. Council did not support this sentiment. Council agreed to place this item on the consent agenda. 12 Council called a recess; the meeting will reconvene at 7:00 p.m. REPORT/ PUBLIC HEARING: INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF 2017 PROTEST EVENTS Independent Review of 2017 Protest Events Mr. Signer reconvened the meeting and invited Mr. Heaphy from Hunton & Williams to present on the independent review of the 2017 protest events in Charlottesville. At the conclusion of Mr. Heaphy's report, Mr. Signer gave Council the opportunity to ask clarifying questions. Ms. Szakos asked that there be several opportunities for the public to speak going forward in the next several months. Ms. Szakos asked about counter-protestors being treated as a hostile force instead of as citizens. Mr. Bellamy asked how the City can stop the Nazis from coming back, and how we can protect our citizens. Mr. Heaphy said we need to prepare more heartily for threats that come into our community. Mr. Bellamy asked if this had been a traditionally known gang, particularly composed of people of color, this would not have occurred in the same manner. Mr. Heaphy shared how groups are legally classified as gangs. Ms. Galvin said this report illustrates serious breakdowns in coordination, communication, and chain of command. We must do everything we can to prevent what happened from occurring again. She asked what contributed to the fact that there did not seem to be any lessons learned after July 8. An after-action report was requested by Council at the July 17 Council meeting and was never received. Mr. Heaphy said he does not have an answer for why this occurred. Mr. Fenwick said the decisions Chief Thomas and City Manager Maurice Jones made were spur of the moment on the worst day this City has ever had. We need assets that we do not have, and we should set aside a substantial sum of money to start taking care of these things. He said these were not two equal forces; this was an invading force that came into our City, and we were protecting our City. He said counter-protestors were not agitators; they are citizens. Mr. Signer’s remarks were interrupted by Ms. Rosia Parker. He called her to order. He said when he was in the command center on July 8, he repeated information he received in a Facebook post. That information has been shown by the report to be incorrect, and he apologized for the inaccuracy. Mr. Signer clarified that McIntire Park would have been a safer location. He asked what the single largest problem Mr. Heaphy identified was. Mr. Heaphy said it was that they did not know what they did not know. Mr. Signer called Ms. Tanesha Hudson to order and asked her to stop speaking out of turn. 13 Mr. Bellamy opened the public hearing and stated a two-minute limit per speaker. Mr. Brian Cameron ceded his time to Ms. Tanesha Hudson. Ms. Hudson asked Mr. Signer to apologize for declaring the City the Capital of the Resistance and holding an unlawful assembly, which allowed the May event to happen without a permit. Mr. Evan Brown ceded his time to Mr. Dave Ghamandi. Mr. Ghamandi said the review is full of errors and omissions. He said Mr. Jones, Chief Thomas, and the mayor must go. He called for police departments to be de-funded. He said military equipment is only used against people of color and the poor. Dr. Rick Turner said some of the chaos occurred because of the historic racism in this City. Our City officials continue to ignore race. He said the Police Chief and City Manager are both black, yet this report never mentioned the issue of race. Ms. Jeanne "Star" Peterson, City resident, said this past summer is a clear example of how the police do not protect and serve this community. Instead, they protected and served themselves and those already in power. Ms. Katrina Turner relayed an experience she had in a local grocery store parking lot and said she was unable to call the police because of mistrust after August 12. She said you need to do something about the police department. Mr. Don Gathers said Mr. Heaphy's report falls short by not addressing the specific issue that brought the Nazis here in the first place, which is racism. He said his team does not have a person of color. He said Mr. Jones cannot stop at Chief Thomas, but he must address issues throughout the department. He asked Mr. Jones not to succumb to the pressure to fire Chief Thomas. He said the same folks will be after Mr. Jones next. Ms. Gail Weatherill, Albemarle County resident, said she has worked in the City for over 30 years. She said in her professional experience, if you are asked to perform a complicated task that you have never done before, you need to seek advice and prepare properly. Mr. Russ Linden, 336 Parkway, thanked Mr. Heaphy and his colleagues for shining a sharp light on what went wrong. He said communications following the July and August rallies were terribly poor. He asked why the police neglected to take key steps in the planning for this summer's events. He recommended a series of engagement sessions within the community to discuss ways to move forward, capture ideas, and listen more to each other. Ms. Sally Williamson, City resident, said Mr. Signer's repeated insistence on civility instead of safety is disturbing. She read an alleged quote from Captain Pleasants about gassing protestors on July 8. She said we were not protected by the police. Mr. Mark Heisey said he could not understand Mr. Heaphy's incredulity at the unwillingness of counter-protestors to participate in his report. He overviewed sources for mistrust in the community. He said information from Solidarity Cville's archives were largely 14 not incorporated into the report and did not see why the counter-protestors were being compelled to provide their names for information that was publically available. He said the logical conclusion is less policing, not more. Ms. Mary Carey, City resident, said Mr. Heaphy should have spoken to more people who were injured in the events of this summer. She said racism is all over this town. Ms. Pat Napolean asked why tax payers are paying for a study that shows the corruption that took place on the City level. She said all Councilors should resign. She said Rise Charlottesville is leading the charge for the recall of all Councilors. She said the statues are not the mission of Rise Charlottesville. She said Councilors would have been fired in a normal world. Mr. Richard Lloyd, with Rise Charlottesville, said he is here to recall all Councilors. He questioned the Governor's role in this and said he is resisting all FOIAs related to this issue. He said the Councilors are not truly sorry. He asked that the remainder of his time be devoted to silent prayer. Ms. Nancy Carpenter, City resident, said racism was not part of this report. However, this is about race. She said this report was a whitewash. She said Albemarle County refuses to prosecute people who attacked counter-protestors at UVA. She called out UVA's president. She said Capt. Pleasant needs to retire tonight. Mr. Bradford Slocum, City resident and UVA alumnus, said if Chief Thomas said this is a time to come together, who are we supposed to come together with? The Democratic system has failed the community. He asked where the accountability will be for what happened. Ms. Rosia Parker said she knew some of the Councilors were not for the people, so she did not support them during the election. She said she takes this issue seriously. She said black neighborhoods lack proper lighting and crossings. Ms. Tanesha Hudson said Mr. Heaphy left some details she provided out of his report. She said tear gas was deployed on August 12 as well, which was not reported. She asked Mr. Signer for an apology for his unlawful assembly. Mr. Dave Ghamandi said Hunton & Williams profited from tragedy and death. He said it is gas lighting to say it could have been worse. He said Mr. Jones is afraid to fire Chief Thomas because he is afraid he will drag him down with him. He said there should have been real consequences for Mr. Pickett for using profanity towards another attendee at the last Council meeting. Ms. Megan Bloom read a letter sent to Council on behalf of Together Cville and others. She said the people of Charlottesville worked to fill intelligence gaps leading up to August 12. Mr. Bellamy called for a 10-minute recess. 15 Mr. Signer called the meeting back into session. He invited Mr. Jones to present his work plan to Council. Mr. Jones said staff is putting together a dashboard of recommendations that have taken place, as well as plans for the future. He reviewed plans and answered clarifying questions for Council. Ms. Galvin said the community is demanding partnership in governance. This is not simply about informing, and it touches every department in the City. This will require a mind shift. Ms. Szakos said she would be happy to take recommendations to the state, especially since she has been named to the transition team for Gov. Northam. Mr. Fenwick asked about the timeline, particularly for the permitting process. Mr. Jones said this will come to Council at the December 18 meeting. Mr. Bellamy requested race equity trainings for the entire police department. He also asked Mr. Heaphy to speak to why race was not addressed in the report. Mr. Heaphy said according to his findings, race did not directly influence how the City prepared for the events of this summer. Ms. Galvin asked for any ideas or wisdom about engagement techniques that are sensitive to race and class and how to use the tools to bridge the gap between the police officers and the residents of the City. Mr. Heaphy said implicit bias affects all of us. However, he did not observe racism. He said the majority of the officers he interviewed were disappointed that they were not able to do police work. Mr. Bellamy asked Mr. Heaphy why he chose the photo for the cover. Mr. Heaphy said he did not anticipate the reaction and did not understand at the time that the cover choice was disrespectful. Mr. Signer said the City should explore options for cyber-intelligence, including open source and non-open source. He said everything is going to have to change with events and press conferences. He said he recognized the role racism played, and this was also an emotional experience for the Jewish community as well. OTHER BUSINESS Ms. Galvin asked Council to assign two Councilors to work with Albemarle County on the CACVB relationship going forward. She said she is willing to be one of them. Mr. Signer said he supports Ms. Szakos as the second Councilor. MATTERS BY THE PUBLIC Mr. Fenwick opened Matters by the Public. 16 Mr. Ben Dougherty, Charlottesville, said Council should seek out more solutions to preventing white supremacists from invading our community again instead of exploring the stadium approach. Call the University to the table as you move forward with exploring options to address white supremacy in its many forms, including housing. The University still fails to pay their own employees a living wage or to contribute to affordable housing. Mr. Jim Hingeley, City resident, thanked Hunton & Williams for their work on the independent review. He said he is confident in the leadership of the City Manager, especially after hearing his plan of action tonight. He said the City does address racism in more ways than it gets credit for. Please work hard to maintain civility. Ms. Elliott Brown asked Council if they are familiar with the term "white fragility". She said she decided not to speak with Mr. Heaphy. Council should address their own white fragility before they can move forward on racial issues. Please wait until Ms. Nikuyah Walker comes onto Council before making any big decisions. Ms. Nikuyah Walker said we are still missing a lot of the root causes of what happened this summer. She said there is a culture of conformity throughout the entire city. She said it is unacceptable to have rumors that the two black men leading the City and the Police Department are being asked to leave. The governor should be held accountable. Systemic racism does not fall on the backs of two black men. Mr. Michael Payne, Charlottesville, said the police department should not be given more money to increase surveillance on social media. The police had this information given to them by community members. Training and community events will not be enough; we need to shift power. Ms. Dolly Joseph, County resident, said there was not violence on July 8 because of the discipline of the people in our community. The crowd fired upon with tear gas was predominantly black, as most of the white participants had left. Ms. Nancy Carpenter said Mason Pickett called her an obscenity, and the people who came to her defense were her people. She asked who the group working on civility is. She asked if the officer on the cover of Mr. Heaphy's report gave permission for his image to be used. Mr. Mark Heisey said the report on July 8 was completely false. Free speech was not upheld on July 8 for black people. The police no longer tolerated the civil rights of protestors once the KKK left. Free speech gives people the ability to criticize the state, police and elected officials. Ms. Tanesha Hudson asked that Mr. Signer not compare Jewish people to black people. She said the police over-police certain areas of low-wealth in the community. She said more arrests would have happened if more black people were present at the July 8 and August 12 events. She said she feels badly that Mr. Jones and Chief Thomas are put in this position. She said the cover of the report was disturbing. 17 Ms. Rosia Parker said she does not think Council can understand how what happened this summer affected her. She said she is tired of bringing issues of racism to the City and being ignored. She called for the resignation of Capt. Pleasants and Sgt. Pleasants. Mr. Walt Heinecke, Charlottesville resident, said civility in this chamber is a function of your empathy with the community. He said implicit bias is code for racist. The report was done from a white supremacist point of view. The report was flawed because the community did not have the opportunity to weigh in on who got the contract. He called for more social, moral, political leadership. He said this is a structural problem that needs to be routed out at all levels, not just presenting a sacrificial lamb. Ms. Andrea Massey said she is late to the cause of racial justice. She said she was embarrassed as a Jewish person to listen to Mr. Signer compare his Jewishness to the plight of black people in our community. She said she does not understand why Council did not do everything they could to get the white supremacists out of our community, rather than debating the issue endlessly. She asked where the resistance was. She said Council is hiding behind a report instead of genuinely apologizing. A gentleman said the report failed to recognize the people of Charlottesville who showed up this summer. He thanked the independent medics in the field who were there treating people in the field. Mr. Kyle Tilleton said he is a graduate of UVA, and he is appalled at what has taken place here. He asked the City to address the University's role in the August events. He was sickened by everything Chief Gibson said in the report. Mr. Ken Horn, County resident, said the fact that the report does not mention race is in and of itself white supremacy. There are no people of color or women in the group of lawyers who worked on the report. These types of things need to be thought through when something like this gets implemented. There is a long history of social justice workers being labeled as outside agitators. He said free speech and safety are not twin goals; safety is more important. He said depression and other mental disorders have increased. The City should have faced a lawsuit over denying free speech rather than allowing this to happen. He said the sawhorse at 4th Street was not a barricade. He said Council should resign. The meeting was adjourned at 11:56 p.m. Clerk of Council