MEETING NOTES
              Charlottesville Historic Resources Committee
               Friday, January 8, 2020; 11:00 a.m. – 1 p.m.
                         Remote meeting via Zoom
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………....

       HRC Members Present            HRC Members Not Present City Staff Present
       Rachel Lloyd, Chair            Sally Duncan            Jeff Werner
       Phil Varner, Co-vice-chair                             Robert Watkins
       Genevieve Keller
       Alissa Diamond
       Jalane Schmidt
       Heather Hill
       Margaret O’Bryant
       Ellen Wagner
       Dede Smith
       William Clay III
       Jordy Yager
       Kay Slaughter


   1. Call to order:
   11:00 AM: Chair Rachel Lloyd calls the meeting to order. Lloyd opens the floor up for
   public comment, but the HRC receives no public comment.

   2. Approval of the agenda:
   Dede Smith moves to approve the meeting agenda.
   William Clay III seconds motion. Motion passes (11-0).

   3. Approval of meeting notes:
   Genevieve Keller moves to approve the December 2020 HRC Meeting Notes.
   Phil Varner seconds motion. Alissa Diamond requests that letter to Council regarding
   Honorary Street Names be attached with the meeting notes. Motion passes (11-0).

   4. Staff Update on Pen Park Cemetery:
   Jeff Werner summarizes archaeological findings at Pen Park Cemetery and describes efforts
   to identify those buried there and reach out to descendants. Werner asks if research and
   engagement should be done internally with help from the HRC or by hiring a consultant.
   Members express that the project is beyond the scope of the HRC and staff, so hiring a
   consultant is likely necessary. Regarding potential HRC contributions for a consultant, some
   members communicate a preference that Parks be responsible for the funds. Given that the
   Mellon grant request includes planned engagement with descendants of enslaved people, the
   Pen Park project could be included as part of the request. Members ask staff to develop a
   phased overview of the project, so that the HRC can better assess how it might contribute.
   The committee recognizes that any work the City undertakes to identify those buried at Pen
   Park will serve as a model for any other burial sites found in Charlottesville in the future.


HRC January 8, 2020 Meeting Notes
   5. Coordinate statement on Slave Auction Block Site commemoration:
   Werner asks HRC to reiterate the status of its projects at Court Square. When the Slave
   Auction Block Plaque was removed in Winter 2020, the HRC proposed a temporary marker
   at the site but then after receiving feedback from members of the descendant community, the
   committee decided to first embark on a robust engagement process to determine how the site
   should be memorialized. With the ongoing public health crisis, this public engagement was
   interrupted, but the HRC intends to re-commence this process as soon as circumstances
   allow. The HRC prefers creating a local sign or memorial versus a state marker to retain local
   control over its design and text.

   6. Mellon Foundation Monuments Project Update:
   Jalane Schmidt has no update on the draft grant.

   7. Coordinate Agenda for Annual HRC Meetings in February:
   HRC will host two back-to-back planning meetings in February (02/12 and 02/19,
   tentatively). In preparation of these meetings, the committee proposes the following
   discussion topics:
       • BRC recommendations/progress
       • HRC projects reprioritization due to covid-related restrictions
       • Best practices for meetings and community engagement due to covid-related
           restrictions
       • Subcommittee memberships
       • New or different methods for interpretation of historic resources
       • Coordination with tourism outreach (kiosks/mobile units/others)
       • Partnership opportunities / coordination with advocacy groups
       • Theme and context studies
       • Special projects, such as coordination with the CODE Building
       • Opportunities for archaeology
       • GIS mapping and documentation for city historic resources

   8. Announcements:
   Smith announces that Riverview Farm has been added to the National Register and the
   Albemarle Training School marker is going up.
   Werner announces that archaeology might be conducted at the Levy Opera House site.




HRC January 8, 2020 Meeting Notes