Charlottesville City Council members met Tuesday evening and unanimously approved a Downtown Mall ambassador program — a scheme intended to curb recent downtown behavioral problems and to help welcome tourists to the area.
The proposed plan would provide a resource for tourists who have questions while visiting the Charlottesville area and would also help ensure law enforcement.
The pilot program is anticipated to fund four seasonal, paid ambassador positions and to cost about $80,000, which will come out of the City’s strategic investment fund.
Despite complaints about recent juvenile behavior on the Downtown Mall, some residents said they worried that such a program could take the enforcement aspect too far.
Community resident Nancy Carpenter expressed concerns that the pilot program could allocate police powers to the ambassadors. “I’m concerned that it’s a slippery slope to an abridgement of constitutional freedoms,” she said.
Council member Dede Smith emphasized the importance of selecting the right people for the job. “I think that it’s absolutely critical who these people are and that they represent our community as a whole,” she said, even suggesting Council members take volunteer shifts themselves..
The program will begin this fall and is expected to be active in the fall and summer seasons..
Council also approved the proposed master plan for the east side of McIntire Park, which includes the relocation of the skate park and the removal of the golf course in the next four years.
The revamped park will play a vital role in enhancing the Charlottesville community and serving as “the gateway to the city,” Council member Kathy Galvin said. To create more accessibility to the park for pedestrians, bikes and wheelchairs, the master plan also includes the construction of additional trails.
After nine months of community involvement in the planning process, a draft was presented to the Council in July. Following adjustments, Council members engaged in a lengthy discussion of the plan’s specifics with each other and community members before approving the final version 4-1.
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