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236 COUNCIL CHAMBER - July 6, 1998 Council met in regular session on this date with the following members present: Mr. Caravati, Mr. Cox, Ms. Daugherty, Mr: Toscano. Absent: Ms. Richards. Ms. Daugherty introduced new Councilor Blake Caravati. Ms. Daugherty said that she feels it is a privilege to serve as Mayor in a place like Charlottesville where so many citizens commit themselves to the community. Ms. Daugherty said she will work to improve jobs, to increase the number of middle incomes families, and will work toward more cooperative efforts with the region. PUBLIC Mr. James King, 2607 Jefferson Park Circle, said that he admires Councilors for their willingness to serve in what is a difficult role. Mr. King read the following statement on behalf of a group of citizens: "We the undersigned are offended and embarrassed by comments attributed in the media to our Mayor and Vice Mayor. As residents and friends of Charlottesville: I. We urge the City Council to adopt an explicit commitment to making Charlottesville a "First-Rank Community" in all aspects, and especially a community that secures justice and equity for all. 2. We ask that all Councilors ackncrn,ledge publicly: (a) that all apparent -- as well as all real-- injustices or inequities based on race, income, gender, age, ability, residence, sexual orientation, dissent, religion, stature, or other distinctions have systematically evil influences throughout the community; (b) that these influences affect all sectors, institutions, groups, and individuals; and (c) that such injustices and inequities must be corrected as soon as possible and continuously prevented from ever occurring in the future. 3. We call upon the Council to repudiate the statement attributed to Mayor Virginia Daugherty that "We have to take scores seriously enough to keep them in the middle to get our money." She was alleged to have said this in response to criticism of the Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority for being ranked 25th out of 27 among all housing authorities in Virginia by the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (See The Daily Progress, Friday, dune 19, 1998.) To accept any ranking lower than first without major concern is to condone unjust discrimination based on income. Not to take immediate corrective action after a long history of low rankings would constitute gross negligence. Such negligence wouM be an evil in itself, but also an invitation (by example) to other sin the community to discriminate against low- and moderate-income residents. 4. We also call upon the City Council to repudiate the statement attributed to Vice Mayor Meredith Richards that "The vice mayor is a symbolic role. It's someone who comes fi'om the community and who looks like the community." (Channel 29 TV News, 6:O0 p.m., Wednesday, duly 1, 1998.) For a variety of reasons, we infer that she means that only white people can represent white people and only black people can represent black people. If Vice Mayor Richards did actually make the above statement, we urge her to apologize publicly to all those who do not look like her. If she was misquoted, we call upon her to repudiate the policy that the statement represents and to commit herself openly to securing justice and equity for all, including all Councilors." Ms. Hazel Marshall, 809 Monticello Avenue, presented a petition opposing a traffic choker on Monticello Avenue. Ms. Marshall said Belmont residents want overall traffic improvements throughout Belmont, not just on one street. Ms. Marshall said that over a third of those contacted by the City about the traffic choker oppose it, and the Schools have also expressed their concerns about the proposal. Ms. Marshall asked the City to delay the project until a newly formed traffic committee can meet.