Several speakers at Charlottesville City Council’s Aug. 26 meeting raised concerns that multiple members of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board sit on a privately formed Seaville Parks Foundation without disclosing that affiliation to the advisory board or in meeting minutes.
Carla Manno, who said she serves on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, told council she first learned of the foundation publicly through social media and described the situation as resembling a conflict of interest. “Apparently, they’ve been working on an MOU with the city manager having city attorneys look at this and we’ve never even heard about it,” Manno said during public comment. Other advisory‑board members in the audience said they had not been told and several board members have since resigned.
City Manager Sanders responded during the meeting, saying staff had not negotiated with anyone to establish a foundation and that he had directed staff to convene a special Parks and Recreation Board meeting to gather details. Sanders said the City Attorney’s Office is reviewing whether a conflict of interest exists and whether it can be mitigated.
Why it matters: The advisory board advises City government on parks programming and capital work. Speakers and councilors said the overlapping private foundation raises questions about transparency, public‑meeting requirements and whether board members complied with Virginia’s public‑meeting rules when acting in groups of three or more.
Council and staff response: Councilors and staff emphasized the need for clarity and transparency. Parks and Recreation board members who spoke called for collaborative resolution, public disclosure and formal guidance on appropriate relationships between private fundraising entities and city advisory boards. Sanders said staff will provide the council with information gathered from the emergency board meeting and the City Attorney’s assessment.
What was asked of council: Speakers urged review of the foundation’s memorandum of understanding, clearer disclosure of board members’ outside roles and possible recusal if a conflict exists. The meeting did not include a council vote on the matter; Sanders said follow‑up would occur after staff compiles the facts.