5pm update: Mayor Norris insists that the dredge engineers Gahagan & Bryant will get more time than the agenda suggests. “I’ve guaranteed them 45 minutes,” Norris says via telephone. “That agenda is just sort of a stab at how the meeting would work, but I get to run the meeting.”

CHARLOTTESVILLE— The first of two public meetings on dredging the Rivanna Reservoir takes place tonight at 7pm in the CitySpace, a portion of the City’s Market Street Parking Garage located next door to City Hall. Key presenters are personnel from the Tampa-based consulting engineering firm of Gahagan & Bryant Associates.

Tomorrow, however, when decision-making City Councilors will be hearing about dredging, the agenda shows that the folks from Gahagan & Bryant will get little more than 15 minutes in a three-hour meeting. They appear to be getting swamped by a litany of dredging foes including Gannett Fleming’s Aaron Keno, the Nature Conservancy’s Ridge Schuyler (who actually gets to speak twice), the League of Women Voters’ Liz Palmer, and City Manager Gary O’Connell.

“It stinks,” says Downing Smith, a City resident who has already spoken out at City Council about what he sees as the impropriety of Gannett Fleming blasting dredging as an up-to-$225 million operation and then winning a $3.1 million contract to design a controversial dam— the same dam that’s created controversy because it will run under Interstate 64 and require a 180-acre clear-cut that will kill 54,000 trees.

Mayor Dave Norris was not immediately available to comment, but below is his agenda for Tuesday night’s “Water Supply Work Session” meeting, which begins at 5pm, May 6. City Council will no doubt get an earful when it holds its public hearing on the water supply two weeks from now. That meeting will allow public comment and is slated for Monday, May 19, at 7pm in City Council Chambers.

“Water Supply Work Session” - 5pm, Tuesday, May 6

1. Welcome�€” Dave Norris, Mayor, City of Charlottesville

2. Overview and Agenda Review �€”Gary O’Connell, City Manager and Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority Board

3. Introduction and Background of the Water Supply Plan �€”Ridge Schuyler, Nature Conservancy (5:10-5:30)

4. Capacity/Demand/Conservation/Options - Tom Frederick, Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority Executive Director, & Kevin Lynch, Citizens for Sustainable Water Plan (5:30-5:50)

5. South Fork Rivanna Reservoir Dredging (5:50-6:40)
Recap of 5/5 session�€”Robert Kite and Chris Gibson -Gahagen & Bryant Consulting Engineers
Information to Date�€”Aaron Keno-Gannett Fleming Consulting Engineers
Implications for Airport�€”Barbara Hutchinson, Airport Executive Director

6. Feasibility of Phasing the Water Supply Plan�€”All Options�€”Mike Gaffney, Chair Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority Board (6:40-6:50)

7. Environmental and Mitigation Plan - Ridge Schuyler & Liz Palmer, Albemarle County
Service Authority Board (6:50-7:10)

8. Cost Allocation Agreement between City and ACSA and Compensation for City Land at
Ragged Mountain�€”Judy Mueller, Director of Public Works, Rivanna Water & Sewer
Authority Board (7:10-7:20)

9. Closing Remarks�€”Mayor Norris and Council (7:20-8:00)