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WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia faces a projected revenue shortfall ("gap") in the next biennium, and according to reports of the Virginia Municipal League, • legislative committee staff have identified stripping out general funding for water quality projects among options for closing the Commonwealth's projected revenue "gap'; and WHEREAS, sustaining funding of the point source portion of the WQIF, or providing an alternative sustainable state funding source for wastewater plant upgrades, is important for avoiding inequities and disproportionality in the funding of Chesapeake Bay clean-up programs by urban citizens especially considering census statistics showing statewide that urban citizens have an average household income well below the citizens of Waal areas; and WHEREAS, the County of Albemarle and the City of Charlottesville have taken significant responsible measures in an effort to make its urban areas small in footprint, dense, livable, sustainable, and affordable in an attempt to preserve the natural resources of the greater rural areas, and the elected officials of these local governments are greatly concerned that inequitable pressures on urban affordability will encourage more citizens to live in rural areas, adverse to the goals of sustainable living, natural resource protection, and efforts to limit the consumption of fuel and other resources that challenge environmental protection. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia advocates the continued support and funding of the Water Quality Improvement Fund by the General Assembly and the Governor for improvements • to wastewater treatment facilities for nutrient reduction to the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, with the minimum support sufficient to sustain funding of all eligible facilities under the WQIF program; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in the event such support cannot be achieved from the Commonwealth's projected revenues, the Virginia legislature commit to finding new sources of revenue to sustain the Commonwealth's commitment; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that priority funding for point source WQ1F agreements be included in any new major nutrient control funding measures under consideration by the General Assembly in the 2008 session or thereafter, to the extent necessary to meet the December 31, 2010 point source deadline and subsequently maintain the point source nutrient load cap. Approved by Council February 4, 2008 l:� Clerk of City Council 0