Mayor Mike Signer is holding monthly open office hours this Thursday at 12 noon in City Hall. Email ricep@charlottesville.org for a 10-minute slot.

Join Councilors this evening at 7:00 p.m. in City Hall - Council Chambers for their regular meeting. A public hearing is scheduled on a blue ribbon commission for race, monuments, and public spaces; a sign-up sheet for the public hearing will be posted in Chambers at 6:30 p.m.

Mayor Mike Signer took to the skies earlier today to get a better idea of the issues facing the Rivanna River.

Meetings Regarding Proposed Splash Pad at Tonsler Park Continue March 29 The Department of Parks and Recreation is holding a series of meetings on the design and operation of the splash pad proposed for Tonsler Park as part of park's master plan implementation. The second planning meeting for the new Tonsler splash Pad will be held on Tuesday, March 29 at 6:00 PM at Tonsler Park. At the first meeting there was a unanimous agreement to develop a plaza style splash pad. At this second meeting development options for a plaza style pad will be discussed with a preferred option for development being selected. For more information please contact Doug Ehman, Parks Division Manager at (434) 970-3021 or ehmand@charlottesville.org.

Mayor Signer has a few openings left for "First Thursdays" office hours in March. Call 970-3113 or email clerk@charlottesville.org to schedule a 10-minute chat between noon and 1pm on Thursday, March 3. Appointments are recommended, but walk-ins are also welcome!

Charlottesville Parks and Recreation to Undertake Ragged Mountain Natural Area Master Planning! The Department of Parks and Recreation is undertaking a master planning process for the RMNA and will be hosting a series of public meetings to provide information and receive public feedback on how to manage the RMNA. MEETING #1 - Monday, February 29th, 6-8 pm MEETING #2 - Tuesday, March 22 - 6-8 pm MEETING #3 - Wednesday, April 6 - 6-8 pm All meetings will take place at Trinity Church, 3101 Fontaine Avenue Extended. During this process, public comment can also be sent to raggedmountain@charlottesville.org or mailed to Parks and Recreation - c/o Ragged Mountain, 501 East Main Street, Charlottesville VA 22902, or by calling 434-970-3610 and leaving a message on the park planning hotline.

City Council Adopts Revised Meeting Procedures At their February 16, 2016 meeting, City Council adopted new meeting procedures intended to help ensure more efficient Council meetings while also expanding the opportunity to hear from a variety of citizens during public comment. Changes include: -Publicly post Council's governing procedures on the City's website in a prominent location -Closer adherence to Robert's Rules of Order in deliberations, including through formal motions and discussion periods Incorporate most work sessions into the second Council meeting each month -Allot a maximum of 20 minutes for presentation and discussion of most agenda items -Limit most Councilor comments to 3 minutes, the same limit as comments by members of the public -Expand opportunities to speak during the first public comment period by allowing requests in advance by email and and/or telephone, which will be chosen through a random selection process for speaking slots and a wait-list. In the event that more than 12 people sign up to speak, a random selection process will choose the 12 individuals who will speak during the first public comment period. This is a pilot and will be evaluated after six months. The time limit for speakers remains three minutes. Matters by the Public at the end of the meeting will remain the same, with no limit on number of speakers and the same three minute time limit. The revised procedures will be posted on the City's website within the week. Please call or email the Clerk of Council with questions or to sign up to speak. (434) 970-3113 ricep@charlottesville.org