January 9, 2023: New lease for McGuffey Arts Center to usher in new era of rental accountability for Charlottesville's public tenants

Multiple sources report that today, January 9, is in fact Balloon Ascension Day. This marks the occasion in 1793 when the first flight of a hot air balloon took place in Philadelphia with President George Washington in attendance. This is the sort of strange fact that fits alongside all of the other strange facts you’ll encounter in the rise and fall of every installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement. I’m Sean Tubbs, hoping to levitate a few things myself. On today’s program:* A suspect has been identified in Sunday’s Belmont murder * Health officials are keeping an eye on a new COVID variant* Another look at legislation coming up in the 2023 General Assembly including a bill that take away the ability for localities to set their own policies for school discipline  * Council holds public hearing on first reading of renewal of lease for the McGuffey Arts Center at a slightly higher monthly rate  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communityengagement.substack.com/subscribe