CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Charlottesville City Council is moving forward with a revised ordinance aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the Police Civilian Oversight Board.

Councilor Michael Payne stressed this is not an overhaul, but a cleaning up of the ordinance.

He said these amendments don’t change the duties and powers of oversight the board has.

Among some of the changes is the removal of “executive” from the title of “executive director” of the board since all in the city in similar positions are titled “director”.

The bulk of the change establishes an Office of Police Oversight that establishes a city office infrastructure for the PCOB such as the Human Rights Commission has.

The infrastructure also allows the PCOB and Human Rights Commission to work on the same cases where appropriate.

”I think these are good changes,” said Councilor Lloyd Snook.

”The version we’ve been working with was written at a time we didn’t have a City Manager, we didn’t have a City Attorney, we didn’t have a city Police Chief, and both the Council and PCOB were themselves in turmoil,” Snook said.

”It was essentially written by our acting City Attorney and by the PCOB attorney, and we’re just glad it got done in 2021.”

“The point is simply being, it has been recognized for some time that there’s some issues associated with it and I’m glad we’re getting them resolved,” Snook concluded.

Final passage is expected on the consent agenda at Council’s next regular meeting November 17.