• New Stormwater Study Contract
• Louisa Projects Presented at 2009 Governor’s Housing Conference
• Recycling in the News
• Comprehensive Planning Update
• Rural Broadband Proposal
• Work begins with Town of Mineral
• Partnership with CTS for Onboard Survey
• Disability Services Happenings
• TJPDC Awarded Housing Marketing Grant
• RideShare Highlights
• Commission and Staff Changes

TJPDC is a supporting partner to the Rivanna River Basin Commission (RRBC) in conducting studies of the efficiency of two stormwater best management practice (BMPs) to reduce the volume and velocity of stormwater runoff, and the ability to remove pollutants from runoff. The studies will be conducted on the biofilter and rainwater harvesting system at Charlottesville High School and the constructed wetlands in Crozet. The RRBC, through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is contributing funds towards the construction of these BMPs and, with this assistance from TJPDC, will be monitoring their effectiveness. This study will satisfy the monitoring requirement of the grant, and contribute to the growing body of knowledge about the effectiveness of innovative stormwater BMPs. For additional information, contact Erin Yancey at eyancey@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310 x320.

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A pair of Louisa County projects were highlighted in presentations made at the 2009 Governor’s Housing Conference, held recently in Norfolk.  Several members of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) staff presented the projects as part of the Transportation and Housing Alliance (THA) Toolkit, whose purpose is to create plans that lead to livable communities for all citizens, and which was produced through a grant awarded by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities (VBPD).

The Governor’s Housing Conference is the largest and most comprehensive housing-related event of the year in Virginia, bringing together hundreds of affordable housing advocates, providers and policy makers to discuss a host of important housing issues. For more on this event and the THA Toolkit please contact Billie Campbell at bcampbell@tjpdc.org or (434) 979-7310 x230.

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Regional Recycling Rate Approved

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has approved the 2008 recycling rate for the Thomas Jefferson Solid Waste Unit as 28.3%. This is a decrease from the 36.5% rate from the previous year, which included a large amount of recycled metal due to the closing of Coiners Scrap Iron and Metal during 2007. The 2008 rate exceeds the 25% minimum and reflects a two-fold increase in the number of tons of electronics recycled and an increase in the reuse of solid waste. TJPDC serves as the Central Archive for the Thomas Jefferson Solid Waste Unit, which includes the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Fluvanna and Greene. TJPDC provides staff support for the Solid Waste Committee, which met in July and September to advance activities included in the Solid Waste Management Plan. For additional information, contact Erin Yancey at eyancey@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310 x320.

New Recycling Resource Available

TJPDC has developed a recycling website designed to make recycling and waste minimization as practical and easy as possible for citizens of the region.  The website in can be accessed at www.tjpdc.org/recycle.

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Greene County

The Greene County Planning Commission and county citizens have been very active preparing the 2010 Comprehensive Plan; and it is now in the final stages. The Plan provides background information, goals and implementation strategies in 12 key areas.  The TJPDC is pleased to be able to assist with this project, alongside Bart Svoboda and Stephanie Golan of the Greene County Planning and Zoning Department.  For additional information on this project, please visit the “Greene County Update” site, or contact Bill Wanner at wwanner@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310 x390.

Nelson County

TJPDC reviewed all data and charts from the 2002 Nelson County Comprehensive Plan and updated each to reflect 2009 conditions. New comparative charts and tables were created for a variety of subjects, including population trends and forecasts, economic conditions, commuting patterns, housing supply and affordability, tax rates, and educational attainment. For additional information, contact Daniel Narin at dnarin@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310.

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TJPDC recently completed work with a technical committee representing the five counties to solicit proposals from vendors to work with the region to develop a Broadband proposal for ARRA Broadband Infrastructure funds. The committee selected Digital Bridge Communications (DBC) as the provider for the Broadband project. DBC was the first carrier to launch standards-based WiMAX in the United States, a very secure and very fast technology for broadband wireless coverage. DBC has launched 15 markets since 2007, with service to towns and rural areas. DBC is based in Ashburn, Virginia, and their services areas include Appomattox. The system includes a 360 degree ring on towers, with a sophisticated model that optimizes terrain and tower height and location. A goal of the approach is to utilize existing towers and structure, with no new towers needed to launch WiMAX. DBC will work with TJPDC to maximize coverage. Their proposal will include connections and service to libraries and schools at no cost to the localities. The application is due in mid-March.

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The Town of Mineral and the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (TJPDC) are working on an exciting new project, “Town of Mineral Business District Revitalization.” Over the next months, the Town and the TJPDC will be assembling information in preparation for a grant application to carry out the project. A project webpage; www/tjpdc.org/mineral has been created to keep residents informed and involved in the project.
The Town applied for and received a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Planning Grant for Business District Revitalization. The Planning Grant activities position the Town to apply for a full CDBG Community Improvement Grant.
CDBG is federally-funded grant administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD). DHCD provides funding for projects including housing, infrastructure, and economic development. Up to $700,000 - $1,000,000 is available for individual projects.

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TJPDC and the Charlottesville Transit Service (CTS) collaborated on an onboard survey of CTS riders from October 24-30, 2009. CTS designed and conducted the survey, and TJPDC performed the data analysis and prepared the final report. There were 469 surveys collected. The main finding was a generally high level of satisfaction. About 33 percent of respondents rated CTS service as excellent overall. Nearly 93 percent rated it good or better. About 96 percent said they would recommend using CTS to a friend or coworker. This survey was a continuation of the Marketing Plan that began in January 2009 to develop a four-year plan for future marketing strategies aimed at improving the public perception of transit through promotions, awareness, and increased ridership. Similar progress surveys are planned for each October, with more in-depth surveys every 3rd or 4th year.

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TJPDC, through the Disability Services Board (DSB), has been awarded a grant through the Virginia Association of Disability Services Board to provide training and resource materials to local governments in an effort to increase their ability to hire individuals with disabilities. The DSB plans to offer training from May through September of this year. For additional information, contact Billie Campbell at bcampbell@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310 x230.

TJPDC has received a small grant to develop a system for home modification to document available resources, develop partnerships between existing programs, and create a web site as a portal for access to the system. Funding of $3,500 was awarded by the Bama Works Fund of Dave Matthews Band in the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation (CACF). For additional information, contact Billie Campbell at bcampbell@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310 x230.

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Housing Virginia has awarded $10,000 to TJPDC for a comprehensive marketing strategy to inform local officials and the public about the need for and benefit of sufficient affordable housing in the region, as well as currently available resources. This action item was developed from input received at the Regional Housing Conference held in March 2008 and the “Call to Action” follow-up event in October 2008. The grant is for one year, through December 2010. For additional information, contact Billie Campbell at bcampbell@tjpdc.org or 434-979-7310 x230.

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RideShare Awareness Week

RideShare hosted the 6th annual RideShare Awareness Week October 12-16, 2009. Festivities included a live radio broadcast on Thursday, October 15th at the Waynesboro Park & Ride lot on Route 340 near the I-64 interchange. RideShare were present between 6:00 to 8:00 AM to greet commuters and give them a chance to enter prize drawings. The event featured a live remote by 99.7 WCYK during “Your Wake Up Call with Tom and Pam.”

The 2009 RideShare Awareness Week also served as the launch of RideShare’s expansion to cover the Central Shenandoah Planning District, which includes the five counties of Augusta, Bath, Highland, Rockbridge and Rockingham and the cities of Buena Vista, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Staunton, and Waynesboro. “RideShare has offered carpool matching to those commuting into or out of the Charlottesville region since the ‘80s,” says RideShare Program Manager, Lisa Horanyi. “We already have RideShare carpools going from Waynesboro to Charlottesville. Now those commuting to areas like Harrisonburg can find a carpool match as well.”  For more information, contact lhoranyi@tjpdc.org.

New RideShare Staff

RideShare is pleased to welcome Kristen Pingry as the new RideShare Outreach Specialist. Kristen has been a staff member at TJPDC since January 2007 and most recently worked in the housing program area. If you would like to welcome Kristen to RideShare, please contact her at kpingry@tjpdc.org.

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Commission

Recent elections have altered the composition of the TJPD Commission. With the new year, we welcome five new commissioners. Tommy Barlow and Fitzgerald Barnes join the commission representing Louisa County. Joe Chesser, Duane Snow and Satyendra Huja come aboard from Fluvanna County, Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville respectively. Please join us in welcoming them.

Staff

TJPDC has hired Erin Yancey as its new Environmental Planner. Eric comes to TJPDC after four years working in environmental compliance at VDOT’s Staunton District office. Prior to that, Erin worked in Loudoun County for the Virginia Department of Health, dealing with water quality issues. She has an undergraduate degree in Environmental Policy and Planning from Virginia Tech, and currently is enrolled in a distance learning program to earn a graduate degree in Soil and Water Science, with a minor in Environmental Engineering.

Johnny Han has joined TJPDC as a Senior Transportation Planner in early January. He has more than seven years of research and working experience in travel demand modeling, transportation planning, land use and traffic engineering, including in a wide variety of projects including regional and sub-area travel demand model development, long range transportation planning, corridor studies, tolling and value pricing, freight flow forecasts. He earned his Ph.D degree in Civil Engineering from North Carolina State University in 2007. 

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Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission
PO Box 1505 - 401 East Water Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
www.tjpdc.org
(434) 979-7310