Thread by @socialistdogmom

tonight is the first of approximately one thousand meetings to engage the community in the city’s planned “unity days” for this summer, which will prevent any group from getting event permits on anniversaries of the events of the summer of hate.

https://twitter.com/socialistdogmom/status/1101127096506699777

i can’t stay for the whole meeting - tonight’s albemarle county school board meeting is an important one! we haven’t started here at carver rec yet, but turnout is less than impressive. maybe a dozen people so far.

here’s the agenda for tonight. we’ve all got nametags on and they’re passing out pens & paper to people seated in small groups at round tables. i hear quite a few people voicing concern that they can’t stay long for various reasoVX0l

i see quite a few faces i recognize, including joan fenton of the downtown business association, lloyd snook who is running for city council, and planning commission member gary heaton. 20-25 people here now but we haven’t gotten started.

meeting is getting underway now. susan bro, heather heyer’s mother, is also in attendance.
city communications director brian wheeler is addressing the room. he says they’ve done a series of focus groups prior to starting this public process.

the focus group feedback was “consistent,” he says - people “want to do something, and they want it to be something different.” he says this process will be “community driven.”
the resolution passed by city council makes “unity days” a recurring annual event.

charlene green of the office of human rights now addressing the room. “there was a desire to start in may and move through august” because the events of the summer of hate started in may, with the nazi harassment of folks at the festival of cultures & the first torch raxttn

the meeting is being held in carver recreation center. i believe this space is directly under the gym area... the intermittent crashing and banging of the people working out upstairs has got me really on edge, especially given the subject matter.

joan fenton of the downtown business association asks if there is a budget for all this. brian wheeler says there is no specific budget, but the city staff can help reserve spaces and there are “other designated funds” “for events like this”

wheeler says they are also looking for sponsors and partners. it sounds like very little is determined about this yet. they want people in attendance to join committees to help shape the process.

some sheets have been passed out - we’re doing a brainstorming activity in our small groups.

as much as i love group activities (i hate group activities), i’m switching meetings. i’ll pick up momentarily from the county school board meeting.