CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – City Council is expected to pass changes to the Police Civilian Oversight Board ordinance and consider a $12.6-million Dairy Road bridge rebuilding project, at its Monday night meeting. The PCOB ordinance amendments were discussed at length in recent Planning commission and City Council meetings in updates that will make the board functional.

The board as it currently operates under the current ordinance has only half the members capacity, and cannot right now even form a voting quorum.

The new ordinance will shore up operating procedures, create an Office of Police Civilian Review, and remove the word “executive” from what will be the “director” of the board, a position in which James Walker is serving in an acting capacity.

This item is on the consent agenda, meaning unless there’s recent opposition and a request to remove it, it will unanimously pass.

Council will also consider a fully state and federal-funded design plan to rebuild the Dairy Road Bridge over the 250 bypass.

According to VDOT, “the existing bridge has reached the end of its useful life”, and “recent inspection data dated March 6, 2025 shows the overall condition of the bridge as poor”.

In fact, City Deputy Utilities Director Michael Goddard will present to Council the bridge was built in 1953 with a 50-year expected life span which the time expired in 2003 and the load has been restricted since 2007.

VDOT has awarded the Charlottesville Department of Public Utilities $12.62-million to rebuild the bridge, and the city held a July 15 public information meeting at Upper Walker Elementary followed by a 30-day public comment period.

The main input the city received, according to the City Council agenda packet, is the desire to make the new bridge more aesthetically pleasing.

The plan to accomplish that includes “painting the girders, adding a decorative steel railing in lieu of a concrete-only barrier, and finishing all foundation walls with an architectural stone finish.”

“The bridge will more closely mimic the Route 250 bridge at McIntire Road/John W. Warner Parkway when construction is complete,” according to the agenda packet.

The other concerns revolved around the projected construction time length of 12-to-14 months, and concerns for the proposed detours.

The city is looking at mitigation factors to both monetarily incentivize a quicker construction time, and monitor traffic to determine how to make the detours work better.