GINNY BIXBY
The (Charlottesville) Daily Progress
Charlottesville city staff kept the timeline for removing the cityâs Confederate statues quiet due to concerns of potential violence and threats to public safety, according to documents obtained by The Daily Progress.
City Procurement Manager Vernice Grooms authorized the emergency procurement of services to remove the statues of Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas âStonewallâ Jackson, which were taken down on June 11, just a few days following the City Councilâs vote to remove them. Safety was at the top of city staffâs list, according to the documents.
âThe city is approaching the fourth anniversary of the deadly riots and mayhem that followed City Councilâs original announcement in 2017 of its intention to remove the statues,â the emergency procurement authorization says. âThere exists concern on the part of the City Manager/Director of Emergency Management that if any possible removal by the city cannot (i) be accomplished swiftly; (ii) reflect a flexible scope and parameters that can be adjusted on short notice; (iii) be closely coordinated with a public safety planning team; and (iv) be awarded and acted upon with short notice then the safety of the general public, the contractors participating in the removal and of city employees may be compromised.â