Student Council voted to establish fourth-year Engineering student Evan Feinman as the first University student liaison to Charlottesville City Council last night.
"I applaud Student Council for making an effort to develop a consistent and long-term relationship with the City on a formal basis," City Council Member Blake Caravati said. "It holds great promise."
Effective immediately, Feinman will become a non-voting representative in City Council by attending both City and Student Council meetings. Feinman has already contacted City Council members to set up meetings.
"City Council will have the opportunity to address concerns with the University to the liaison who will in turn report back to the Community Affairs Committee," Committee Chair Farah Dilber said.
Along with the Community Affairs Committee of Student Council, Feinman will conduct selective polling through student organizations to identify student concerns involving the City, Dilber said.
Two primary concerns Feinman will address with the City as liaison pertain to parking and housing surrounding the University Grounds.
"The impact of all the cars the students bring with them is just terrific on our neighborhoods," Caravati said. "Every day our police department deals with it and every day it has very negative impacts students don't see."
As liaison, Feinman will also address the increasing pressure the growth of the University community is putting on Charlottesville housing.
"More students are being pushed into neighborhoods were they haven't previously lived," Dilber said. "It's going to become an increasing problem when University students are having parties and their neighbors want peace and quite."
The push to establish a Student Council liaison with City Council began last year under former Community Affairs Committee Chair Otis Ofori, Dilber said.
Over the summer, the Committee studied the relationship between student councils and city governments in other college towns in order to come up with a draft for the University's liaison to the Charlottesville City Council.
"A lot of other colleges like ours have student council representative on their city councils," Dilber said.
Both members of Student Council and City Council said the position of student liaison likely will enhance the relationship between the University and the City.
"It is a way to work with the City to make sure students are included in the decision making process," Student Council President Noah Sullivan said. "Issues come up on a regular basis that effect students. We need a student voice on City Council."
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