Newsbrief Archive - Page 8 of 34 - Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission

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Post published:October 10, 2025

On September 17, TJPDC staff participated in the United Way's 34th Annual Day of Caring.This year, a small but mighty group of our staff members volunteered to provide landscaping at the entrance and at the Bear Garden of the Rockfish Valley Community Center. This historic school building in Nelson County features local businesses and artisans, and provides a wealth of recreational, educational and cultural programs and community-sponsored events. It is also a scenic, well-maintained public space with trails, picnic tables, a playground and a skate park. The ongoing support of…

Meet the Staff: Emily London

Post published:October 10, 2025

Emily London, Regional Housing VISTA Emily joined the TJPDC in mid-August as part of an AmeriCorps Virginia Housing Alliance VISTA project, a statewide intermediary project with 17 Host Sites, that all work to either expand affordable housing opportunities and/or end homelessness throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Emily is a recent graduate of Rice University in Houston, TX, where she received a BA in Public Policy Analysis.Q: What led you to working at the TJPDC?A: I'm convinced that there are few, if any, sets of big cities in the United States more different…

October 2025 Commission Meeting Updates

Post published:October 10, 2025

The TJPD Commission met on October 2, with the following items on the agenda:David Blount gave a six-month update on activities of the Blue Ridge Cigarette Tax Board, which is administered by the TJPDC, including new members; tax revenue generated and allocated to member jurisdictions; and total packs sold by month and by jurisdiction.Sara Pennington gave an overview of the Park and Ride Lots in the region, which RideShare markets to commuters and is funded through the Rural Transportation Work Program.The Commission approved a letter to be sent to the…

September 2025 Commission Meeting Updates

Post published:September 12, 2025

The TJPD Commission met on September 4, with the following items on the agenda:The Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) six-month update and presentation was given by David Blount.Isabella O’Brien gave an update on the Watershed Improvement Program (WIP).Laurie Jean Talun presented the HOME and CDBG Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER); following a public hearing, the Commission adopted a resolution approving the 2024 HOME-CDBG CAPER.Following an overview and public hearing, the Commission endorsed an application to USDA Rural Development for over $271,000 in Housing Preservation Grant (HPG) funds.Following a brief…

Blue Ridge Cigarette Tax Board Adds New Jurisdiction

Post published:September 12, 2025

The Blue Ridge Cigarette Tax Board (BRCTB), of which the TJPDC is the administrator, has welcomed Rappahannock County as a new member of the Board. Previously, the Board had been composed of eight member localities since its establishment in late 2021, but has added three new jurisdictions in the past 15 months (Rockingham County, the Town of Mt. Crawford, and now Rappahannock County). At its most recent meeting, the Board received end of FY25 figures that showed nearly 8.7 million cigarette packs sold during the fiscal year, which resulted in…

Firefly Celebrates 40K Connections

Post published:August 13, 2025

Firefly Fiber Broadband, TJPDC, local governments and broadband partners celebrated a milestone of 40,000 fiber broadband connections at an event in Louisa County on August 6. The celebration highlighted the continued expansion of broadband into rural areas of Central Virginia by Firefly and its utility partners, which is supported by the Virginia Telecommunication Initiative (VATI) broadband grants administered by the TJPDC. Specifically highlighted was more than 900 miles of fiber placement and nearly 12,000 passings achieved in Louisa County, where about 95% of the VATI work is complete. Deputy Director David…