Crystal Rittervold, director of the Office of Sustainability, told City Council on Sept. 15 that Charlottesville has been awarded a $360,000 Community Flood Preparedness Fund grant to support capacity building and an update to the city's 2023 flood resilience plan.

Rittervold said the Community Flood Preparedness Fund is administered by the Department of Conservation and Recreation and financed in prior years by proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The award would require a $40,000 local match and a multi‑year work plan; the Office of Sustainability proposed a three‑year completion horizon for capacity building, gap analysis, integration of funding and execution plans, and community preparedness measures.

Why it matters: Staff told council that Charlottesville has older storm systems and documented flood risks; a current gap analysis and updated plan would let the city better align regulations, capital investments and communication to reduce flood impacts. Councilor Michael and others emphasized using the grant to update regulatory tools and achieve “best practice” floodplain management.

Rittervold asked council to appropriate the grant funds and to let staff execute the grant agreement; council directed staff to place the appropriation resolution on the Oct. 6 consent agenda for formal adoption. City utilities staff also noted that modeling work for Meadow Creek and the Rivanna watershed is in near completion and that the grant work would build on recent watershed studies.

Ending: With grant execution the next step, staff plan to develop a scope of work, secure consultants, convene an interdepartmental team, and bring a recommended package back to council for any ordinance or funding changes identified by the gap analysis and plan update.