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Update: Charlottesville response to COVID-19

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CharlottesvilleThe City of Charlottesville will be postponing next week’s Charlottesville City Council meetings related to the FY 2021 budget.

This includes the community budget forum (March 24) and the Capital Improvement Program work session (March 26). Additional updates about the City’s budget calendar and community input opportunities will be provided in the near future. All other previously scheduled public meetings of City Boards and Commissions are also cancelled for the week of March 23rd.

Due to the COVID-19 issue and its impact on businesses, the City has:

  • NEW! Suspended the payment of the first installment for the Café space rental at the Downtown Mall due on April 1. This can be paid along with the second installment on July 1, 2020.
  • Suspended all collection action related to past due taxes and fees. For those taxpayers who received a personal property tax supplement originally due on 4/3/20, the due date has been delayed two weeks to 4/17/20.
  • Suspended past due penalty and interest on all local taxes until May 31, 2020. Businesses responsible for remitting meals and lodging tax are encouraged to file timely returns and set up appropriate payment arrangements with the City.

Facilities and operations

Access to City facilities

City Hall Remains Closed to Public
The Neighborhood Development Services team will be accessible to the public needing to conduct essential business with that department and through the Market Street entrance to City Hall only. The office will be open to the public from 8 a.m. -12 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays (with permit intake until 11 a.m.). Customers can reach NDS at (434) 970-3182. There will be no one-on-one in person consultations at this time.NEW! Parks & Recreation Amenities and Play Structures

Parks and trails remain open; however, playgrounds are now closed. Additionally, a reminder that the Charlottesville Skate Park and Meadowcreek Golf Course are closed even though they are outdoor facilities. We encourage people to refrain from using Park Playgrounds, the Skate Park or Meadowcreek Golf Course while closed.

Clerk of Circuit Court remains CLOSED to walk-in customers. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE matters may be addressed BY APPOINTMENT ONLY by contacting Llezelle A. Dugger, the Clerk of Court, at [email protected] or 434-970-3764. Email requests are preferred.

Visit this web page for a complete list of departments with altered schedules and resources (e.g. Courts, CAT, Parks & Recreation, Police, Social Services).

City Operations

Department of Utilities Beginning Monday, March 23rd, Utilities field technicians will begin operating on a rotating basis, to limit the risk of exposure to themselves and the community. Additionally, when customers contact the Utility Billing Office for service appointments, they can expect brief preliminary questions regarding their current health and potential exposure to the virus. When field technicians arrive at a customer’s home, they can expect that the technician may be wearing appropriate personal protective equipment. This equipment may be used when performing certain services that require the technician to enter the interior of the home. The field technician will request that everyone follow CDC best practices for appropriate social distancing. Please know that these measures are not meant to alarm anyone, but are intended as extra precautions to protect the community as well as Utilities personnel.
Public Works (Specifically Trash & Recycling) At this time, the City’s trash and recycling service continues to operate on its normal schedule with the following minor adjustments:
  • If an Annual Decal is needed, please visit www.charlottesville.org/treasurer to print and fill out the application. The application and payment may be placed in the drop boxes located between the Annex and Key Rec, on 7th Street NE or in the 6th Street alley. Alternatively, the application/payment can be mailed to PO Box 2854, Charlottesville, VA 22902. A trash decal will then be mailed to your address.
  • Single use stickers are temporarily unavailable at City Hall. Please visit the various retailers listed on our website www.charlottesville.org/trash who sell individual stickers.
  • Large Item Collection will be temporarily suspended until further notice.

Local COVID-19 Resources

The Virginia Department of Health’s Thomas Jefferson Health District has opened a hotline at (434) 972-6261 which is staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to answer questions regarding the Coronavirus. The public can leave messages that will be returned as soon as possible. If someone is experiencing a medical emergency, they should call 911.

The City’s website homepage features a link to the Virginia Department of Health’s primary information resources on the Coronavirus.

The Thomas Jefferson Health District’s primary online information resource is www.facebook.com/TJHealth.

Mental Health Resources

New resources are available from the Community Mental Health & Wellness Coalition: helphappenshere.org/coronavirus/

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Contributors

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