Newsletters

Newsletter 3: Economy and Housing

October 28, 2024

Economy

I support efforts to strengthen and grow local businesses to expand opportunities so that all Stauntonians can flourish.

We need to improve support for existing businesses. For instance:

Explore regional tourism initiatives with Waynesboro and Augusta County, leveraging each of those locality's strengths. We can reduce costs and increase tourism for all localities by working together.
Streamline the permitting process and other requirements for businesses in Staunton. I've had numerous conversations with developers, builders and other business owners who have complained that this process can be cumbersome and unnecessarily time-consuming. Let's convene an ad hoc committee with city officials and business representatives to look at common scenarios and consider opportunities to improve the process. We may need to revise city ordinances or simply improve the communication process so that businesses can better anticipate requirements.
Extend the Opportunity Zone on West Beverly Street, providing tax incentives for developers to start new businesses in the West End. The West End plan includes numerous other opportunities to improve infrastructure, green space and business vitality on the West End.
Make roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists by improving and extending sidewalks, adding pedestrian crossings and making other improvements. These improvements reduce reliance on cars, improve the environment and contribute to economic health by improving access to businesses. I recently talked to the executive director of Staunton Downtown Development Authority, who said "a safe and comfortable environment for pedestrians and cyclists" is a top priority for downtown.
Create new funding streams by creating a new position focused exclusively on grant-writing. We may be able to re-purpose an existing city staff position so that this grant-writing job doesn't add to the city budget. Many infrastructure initiatives that would benefit businesses and homeowners depend on supplementing city funding with state and other grants. Currently, the responsibility for writing grants is distributed among city staff who have many other responsibilities. Effective grant-writing is a specialized area that requires skills and experience not only in writing effective proposals but only in developing relationships with granting agencies

We also need to attract new business, without detracting from Staunton's historic character and natural beauty. Staunton Crossing, far removed from historic downtown at the southeastern edge of the city, offers nearly 300 acres of prime land zoned for business. We need to continue to aggressively market Staunton Crossing to prospective businesses, targeting businesses that can provide higher-paying jobs. Staunton's economy is heavily service- and tourist-dependent, making us susceptible to economic shocks. Luring industries like high-tech or light manufacturing to locate in Staunton Crossing would add well-paying jobs and diversify our economy

Housing

Housing is inextricably connected with economic vitality. We need more and better-paying jobs so that our residents can afford housing; and we need more affordable housing to provide workforce housing for new businesses.

There's a mismatch between our housing stock and what's actually needed. Most households in our area comprise three or fewer people, but most of our homes are for larger families. Partly because of this mismatch, homes are out of reach for many Stauntonians. Therefore, we need to create incentives for private industry to create more apartment units and small homes. That could be done partly by streamlining the permitting process, as I've described above, in the "vibrant economy" section. Zoning tools could also help spur more development in the housing sector:

Reduce parking requirements for apartments. The Planning Commission is already working on an ordinance that would reduce parking requirements from two per unit (regardless of the size of the unit) to 1.5 or less for one- and two-bedroom units. Less parking means less cost for developers, as well as less flood risk because of reduced rainwater run-off
Make generous use of mixed zoning for new construction as well as re-use of commercial buildings. The mixed-use designation permits a mix of residential and commercial use and has been successfully used to create new apartments at the Staunton Steam Laundry building and the Beverley Street project adjacent to the Arcadia Project
Make zoning changes to accommodate "cottage" housing, as Waynesboro is in the process of doing. This designation would allow the placement of very small homes in clusters facing a community area such as a courtyard, rather than a public road

The city could also increase housing supply by partnering with the Staunton Redevelopment and Housing Authority to rehabilitate dilapidated housing throughout the city. I spoke to executive director Nehemias Velez, who said the Housing Authority has set up a tax-exempt Housing Corporation that could be used to seek federal and state grants to rehabilitate housing.

I support efforts to rehabilitate homes and add housing in the Uniontown neighborhood, which includes about 50 properties. Restoring this neighborhood will require sustained effort and investment by the city, in partnership with businesses and granting agencies.

Some Virginia localities, including Charlottesville, have set up community land trusts to create new opportunities for first-time homeowners to buy small, affordable starter homes. Under this arrangement, the trust owns the land and the homeowner pays only the cost of the home. The city should explore whether a community trust can benefit Staunton.

The city should consider regulation of short-term rentals such as AirBnBs, which have grown significantly in Staunton, effectively reducing the city's housing stock. Regulation could include requirements that an owner live on the property for a specified number of days per year.

Finally, the viability of Staunton's housing market depends on partnership with relevant agencies and organizations, such as Habitat for Humanity, Renewing Homes of Greater Augusta and Valley Supportive Housing.

Newsletter 2: Environmental Action

August 24, 2024

Greetings, and thank you for your interest in my campaign for City Council.

I'm pleased to send you this second newsletter, updating you on campaign-related events and providing my views on environmental action that will benefit the city of Staunton. I encourage you to follow me on Facebook and to consider a financial contribution so that I can continue to purchase campaign materials and share my message widely. Also, if you'd like to display my yard sign, please email me (JeffO4staunton@gmail.com) with your street address.

Why is environmental action important for Staunton? Because it will protect property and lives, beautify the city, improve our quality of life and in many cases save money.

I will address two related environmental topics: climate resilience and sustainability

Resilience

Resilience is a measure of a community's ability to withstand extreme weather and minimize harm to life and property. Extreme weather is here and likely to get worse. Damage from floods and high winds caused at least $4 million in property damage to Staunton in the last four years. That figure doesn't include medical costs and loss of income resulting from closed businesses. Additional weather-related impacts have included extreme heat, drought and smoke.

Staunton is beginning to take measures to mitigate future impacts of extreme weather. Here are additional steps that should be taken.

Remediating streams. Stream remediation involves planting grasses, trees and other vegetation on the borders of streams that pass through the city. This work, which is already taking place inside of Gypsy Hill Park, improves water quality and helps reduce the quantity of water flowing into our streams, thus reducing the risk of flooding
Adding green spaces throughout the city, especially in coordination with roadwork and repairs to parking lots. The newly revised plan to revitalize the West End includes recommendations for new tree plantings along West Beverley Street and a mini-park, or "public square," in the parking area in front of the new Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. These green spaces can beautify neighborhoods, add shade cover and reduce flooding.
Educating residents and businesses on measures to reduce runoff on private property.
Replacing lawn grass and pavement with native flowers and grasses can reduce fertilizer use and improve water quality and runoff.
Assessing shade coverage across the city and planting additional trees as needed, especially at bus stops and near schools. Providing shade coverage helps protect against heat stroke and other health risks related to extreme heat.
Working with schools, churches and other organizations to designate emergency shelters to accommodate people impacted by power outages, floods and other disasters.
Encouraging community organizations to "adopt" sections of city streams in order to monitor them and regularly remove trash. The Lewis Creek Watershed Advisory Committee (LCWAC) provides signs and guidance for organizations, individuals and neighborhoods that participate; the Shenandoah Valley Club for the Deaf has adopted a section of Lewis Creek adjacent to the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind. Keeping waterways free of trash helps improve water quality and reduces the risk of flooding by eliminating clogs in the sewer system.
Increasing education and engagement with schools on the local environment and ways to increase resilience. The LCWAC has already initiated programs in local schools.
Considering other initiatives being championed by the LCWAC. One initiative would "daylight" sections of Lewis Creek that are currently underground. Opening up underground waterways increases the natural beauty of the community and reduces the risk of flooding.
Prioritizing native and drought-resistant trees, plants, flowers and grasses on city property, including the golf course.

Sustainability

Sustainability refers to practices that minimize damage to the environment and increase long-term viability of the community. Some of these practices, such as using solar energy, can reduce the city's costs as well as increase resilience. The city should consider:

Installing solar panels on public buildings, especially new buildings. Service agreements available from some solar installers can eliminate up-front purchase costs and enable the city to realize immediate savings on energy costs.
Encouraging the School Board to acquire electric school buses, saving money on fuel and maintenance and providing health benefits for students and the community. The Environmental Protection Agency's green bus program covers up to 100 percent of the cost of an electric school bus and charger; communities that have participated in the program include Waynesboro and Augusta County. Studies show that replacing diesel school buses with electric buses can result in "statistically significant and large reductions in bronchitis, asthma, and pneumonia incidence for both children and adults with chronic respiratory conditions."
Increasing recycling and composting. The city can reduce its landfill fees and provide an environmental benefit if waste is diverted from the landfill and instead recycled or composted. The city's upcoming overhaul of curbside trash collection, restricting households to use of standardized trash cans that can be picked up by mechanized trucks, offers an opportunity to educate Stauntonians on ways to increase recycling and composting. For instance, Shenandoah Green offers free composting at the weekly farmer's market downtown and other locations.

Environmental action - summary

Environmental action provides health, safety and financial benefits to the city and can help protect us from impacts of extreme weather. Environmental action also has positive impacts on other matters that are important to the city, such as tourism, schools, business vitality and even road safety (studies show that the addition of trees and landscaping to the borders of roads can decrease the speed of motorists and increase pedestrian and cyclist safety).

Additionally, environmental action can have a powerful impact on the welfare of our most vulnerable residents, since the impacts of extreme weather disproportionately affect this segment of our city.

Events

I continue to participate in community events and meet with community leaders to educate myself about city issues and to share my message. Here are some events since my last newsletter:

July 11 - Met with members of Lewis Creek Watershed Advisory Committee.
July 16 - Attended Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting.
July 18 - Met with Vanessa Morosco and other officials with American Shakespeare Center.
July 18 - Met with Won Un, pastor of Central United Methodist Church and leader of downtown food pantry and ministry.
Aug. 2 - Participated in church-sponsored back-to-school event at Willow View Apartments.
Aug 10 - Met with Carolyn Maloney, executive director of the Staunton Augusta Art Center.
Aug. 3 - Attended NAACP annual banquet honoring community leaders.
Aug. 12 - Attended School Board meeting, including presentation on Shelburne Middle School project.
Aug. 22 - Participated in presentation and discussion on "This is Home: a Photojournalism Project on Housing Insecurity" at Staunton Public Library.
Various dates - met with city officials, City Council members and School Board members.
Various dates - Attended City Council and Planning Commission meetings.

Your feedback is welcome; contact me at JeffO4staunton@gmail.com .

Best regards,

Jeff

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Newsletter 1: Introduction

July 10, 2024

I'm pleased to offer this first newsletter on my campaign for Staunton City Council. Please share this information with friends and colleagues, and invite them to follow me on Facebook. I'll be sparing with these messages - no more than one per week - but if you don't wish to receive them just let me know in a reply.

About me

I'd like to begin this first newsletter of my campaign by introducing myself. I'm a recently retired information technology manager skilled in budgeting, planning, cost-benefit analysis and contract negotiation. I've saved hundreds of thousands of dollars for my two most recent employers, Mary Baldwin University and Washington and Lee University, by negotiating with vendors and streamlining services.

I've also been a teacher and communicator. I taught university courses on writing, public speaking, and intercultural communication. I began my career as a newspaper reporter and editor, covering schools, local government and the arts scene, among other topics.

I'm active in volunteer work, serving in leadership roles at my church, serving meals at the Valley Mission and teaching English as a second language. I've had regional and national leadership roles with my church denomination and professional organizations.

Last but not least, I'll celebrate 39 years of marriage this fall and have three kids and three grandchildren. You can often see me enjoying Staunton's parks and downtown with my five-year-old grandson, who lives locally.

Why I'm running for Council

After residing in Staunton for 35 years, I have insights about what's unique and special about the city, as well as needed changes that will help all Stauntonians to flourish.

Our city is the jewel of the Shenandoah Valley: we have beautiful parks, a thriving arts scene and a historic downtown that draws visitors from all over the world. Staunton is also comfortable, safe and relatively affordable. These are qualities we need to protect and nurture.

But we also need changes, including promoting business development in the West End, Staunton Crossing and elsewhere; continuing efforts to revive Uniontown; creating more affordable housing; improving collaboration with Augusta County and local agencies to improve services and lower costs; and preparing the city to be more resilient in the face of the growing threat of extreme weather. I'll explore these and other issues in more detail in future newsletters.

In my 25 years working in information technology, I've had to navigate constant change, in a way that helped my institutions become more effective and efficient, while preserving valued traditions and culture. I'm also proficient in bringing people together to accomplish big projects. I'd like to apply these talents in serving the city as a member of City Council.

Events

On June 15, I attended a Juneteenth presentation at Montgomery Hall Park.
On June 20, I participated in a viewing of "The Street Project," a movie about sharply increased pedestrian and cyclist injuries and deaths in the United States, and how to make roads safer. The movie was followed by a panel discussion including local city officials and agency representatives.
I made a brief presentation on my campaign at an event hosted by the Staunton Visioning Committee on June 22, and made presentations on two other occasions. I'm looking forward to more opportunities to interact with groups of Stauntonians (see "Connecting" section, below).
On June 27, I participated in the Staunton/Augusta County/Waynesboro Summit on Affordable Housing
I had an entry in the Happy Birthday America parade on July 4 at Gypsy Hill Park.

Listening to you

I've been talking to Staunton voters on an almost-daily basis, downtown, at festivals, canvassing door-to-door and even while grocery shopping. This is the part of campaigning I like the best, because I get to focus on voters one-on-one or in small groups. I ask questions, listen and try not to jump in quickly with my own opinions. In more than 90 percent of the conversations, folks are eager to share and I've learned a lot about what Stauntonians are concerned about, whether it's taxes and fees, the condition of sidewalks, the climate for business in the city, parks and other green spaces or even feral cats in the neighborhood. Listening is very important to me, because it is the foundation for building trust and forming a consensus on solutions to our more challenging problems.

Let me know what you're thinking. Email me (JeffO4staunton@gmail.com) with your concerns, needs and ideas related to our city. I look forward to hearing from you!

Connecting

I'm eager to interact with local groups and share information about my candidacy. Are you a member of a church, civic or community organization that would allow me to participate in a meeting, informally or formally? Please let me know.