There was an unusual amount of energy in City Council chambers at 6:57pm on January 7. And why not? It was a new year, and a new council. Holly Edwards and Satyendra Huja were about to take their seats for the first time, Dave Norris was about to take over as mayor, and the two councilors best at sparking heated discussions, Kevin Lynch and Kendra Hamilton, were watching from home if they were watching at all, having finished their terms in December.
 The only thing close to contentious at City Council was Satyendra Huja’s suggestion that the city should provide 5,000 free light bulbs for improved energy efficiency. |
Right at 7pm, an anticipatory hush fell over the packed crowd—dozens of Charlottesville High School students were in attendance for government class credit, and many people had turned out to support councilors or speakers during public comment. At last, City Manager Gary O’Connell broke the spell, asking for a motion that made Norris mayor. Minutes into his first meeting, Huja made his first motion.
Norris’ first act as mayor was to introduce a resolution, complete with a billion “whereas”es, that basically proclaimed that David Brown had been an awesome mayor. It seemed to be turning into a total lovefest.
“I have big shoes to fill,” said a gleeful Norris, almost breathless with his initial moments in the center. But he then broke off the self-congratulations: “How can we broaden our definition of the commons? Whose interests aren’t being served today?” asked Norris of his fellow councilors. “…Our challenge is to render visible [those] who are currently invisible,” he said, listing a large group that included drop-outs, single moms and the elderly with fixed incomes.
The public too wouldn’t allow rosy-tinted spectacles. They voiced concern about everything from violence in Westhaven to the evils of payday lending to the incompatibility of a Fourth Street vehicular crossing on First Night. UVA prof and historic preservation buff Daniel Bluestone gave each councilor a broken terra cotta rooftile from the recently demolished Beta House to use as a paperweight.
But serious concerns didn’t necessarily translate into serious debate when the regular agenda rolled around. The closest thing to contention happened when Brown questioned the price tag of Huja’s suggestion that the city offer 200 free home energy inspections and give out 5,000 energy-efficient light bulbs.
Perhaps as Edwards, who was generally quiet, and Huja, who talked more but still played an observing role, become more accustomed to the dais, the conversations will heat up. But for now at least, it looks like it could be a long time before we get a vote that’s not 5-0.
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