University of Virginia Library

City Council Creates
Housing Committee

Charlottesville City Council gave its
formal approval to the creation of a
housing advisory committee for the city
yesterday, and passed a motion reaffirming
its stand on the so-called "Wall of
Respect" issue that bans wall paintings in
a city recreation center, according to
yesterday's Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Generally, the seven-member housing
committee is intended to advise the
Council on housing programs and laws
while keeping up with other programs
and encouraging and helping local developers
to work in the housing field.

The council had endorsed the advisory
committee proposal at its last meeting but had
gotten hung up on the question of how city
officials should serve on it - as full-time
ex-officio members, or only when asked for
help by the committee.

Amended Resolution

But the amended resolution adopted by the
Council yesterday provides that the Council
may appoint ex-officio members who "will
attend its meetings on a regular basis or as
requested by the committee."

In acting on the matter, Mayor G.A. Vogt
noted that the Council members "thought we
would be able to name the members today" but
had been unable to contact all those being
asked to serve on it. He said the Council should
be able to staff the committee at its next
meeting, scheduled for Nov. 3.

The motion dealing with "wall" issue merely
reaffirmed the Council's earlier motion banning,
in effect, all but official signs or pictures
from recreation center walls but made it clear
that the Council members considered that the
prohibition extended to removable pictures
also.

The issue arose over some painting of black
leaders, including such militants as Eldridge
Cleaver, Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael and H.
Rap Brown, that a group of black youths had
painted on the walls of a room at Carver
Recreation Center last May and which city
officials had quickly painted over.

The Council has had the matter brought up
at every meeting since mid-August, but has
turned down requests for permission to repaint
the portraits.

"Spirit of Compromise"

Councilman Mitchell Van Yahres asked that
the council reconsider the "spirit of compromise"
that had been raised at its last
meeting, when Mr. Vogt indicated he had no
objections to removable pictures.

But Mr. Vogt admitted he had been
"vacillating" and had decided such "blanket
approval" would put too much pressure on the
recreation department.

Following a four-to-one vote approving the
ban, Van Yahres suggested the appointment of
a committee to propose similar guidelines for
all city property, to anticipate future issues of
this nature, but the idea was rejected by the
other Council members.

At the meeting, attended by only some 30
persons, John Israel, a University of Virginia
history professor, criticized the Council members
for "pious hypocrisy," and the Council
received a petition with 173 signatures
supporting its stand.

Earlier the Council members heard J.A.
Kessler, Jr., a former school board member,
criticize them for "a crisis born of inactivity in
capital outlay projects, transportation, public
education and community relations" in the city
and ask that they take action in each of these
areas.