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July 13, 2026 ·12:00 PM Final ·Legislative Work Session Retreat

Valentine Museum 1015 East Clay St. Richmond, Virginia 23219

Official record ↗

Agenda — 34 items

  1. 1 Legislative Work Session Retreat Materials CD.2026.204
  2. 1 Council Members Present
  3. 2 The Honorable Cynthia Newbille, President The Honorable Katherine Jordan, Vice President The Honorable Sarah Abubaker The Honorable Andrew Breton The Honorable Kenya Gibson (late arrival at 12:35 p.m.) The Honorable Nicole Jones The Honorable Stephanie Lynch (late arrival at 12:33 p.m.) The Honorable Ellen Robertson (late arrival at 12:43 p.m.) The Honorable Reva Trammell
  4. 3 Others in Attendance
  5. 4 The Honorable Danny Avula, Mayor The Honorable Lamont Bagby, Virginia Senator, 14th Voter District Ali Faruk, Richmond School Board The Honorable Michael Jones, Virginia Senator, 15th Voter District Kiley Kesecker, Deputy City Clerk Candice Reid, City Clerk Kathryn Ricard, Richmond School Board The Honorable Charles Schmitt, Virginia House of Delegates Representative, 77th Voter District RJ Warren, Council Chief of Staff
  6. 5 At 12:13 p.m., President Cynthia Newbille welcomed attendees and requested that a moment of silence be observed in memory of the late Bill Martin.
  7. 6 Mayor Danny Avula provided introductory remarks and addressed legislative accomplishments of the Richmond Delegation from the 2026 General Assembly session.
  8. 7 Council Chief of Staff RJ Warren welcomed those in attendance and outlined the agenda and expectations for the meeting. He then presented a summary of proposed changes regarding how Council establishes the city's legislative agenda, including:
  9. 8 • Removing the five item cap on Council priorities • Adopting a budget style submission and co-patron process • Setting a timeline tied to the October 2026 Legislative Summit
  10. 10 Devon Cabot, Two Capitols Consulting, facilitated a discussion exploring the potential legislative priorities of the city across six key areas:
  11. 11 Housing
  12. 12 Council members discussed housing priorities focused on urgency and equity, highlighting areas related to displacement and speculation mitigation. Other priority items were discussed as follows:
  13. 13 • Anti-rent gouging and concerns with large corporate landlords • Longtime Owner Occupants Program and tax relief • Increased funding for fair housing enforcement • Vacant and blighted properties
  14. 14 Education
  15. 15 Richmond School Board representatives and Council members discussed education funding priorities and acknowledged state funding uncertainty and communication issues related to the $8.9M funding gap. Other areas of focus included:
  16. 16 • State budget • Local Composite Index funding formula • Potential funding tools to address poverty and higher need school divisions • Public transparency concerns in budget process • Funding cuts, vacancies, and administrative costs
  17. 17 Infrastructure and Utilities
  18. 18 Council Members discussed project delivery capacity with city administration and the importance of having shovel ready designs and timelines to facilitate state delegation support for projects. Other items discussed were as follows:
  19. 19 • Combined Sewer Overflow and wastewater • Drinking water and VDH Regional Water Advisory work group • Stormwater and aging infrastructure • Shovel ready bridges and transportation • Project tracking system to quantify project status for state delegation
  20. 20 Economic Development
  21. 21 Discussion centered on tax credits or state incentives for local economic development projects beyond housing and long standing food deserts in the city. Items of note were discussed as follows:
  22. 22 • Inequities with grocery store access in Southside and parts of Northside • Co-op grocery model (3-5 small neighborhood stores) • Shared grocery storage/distribution to achieve economies of scale • Aligning grocery needs with housing and larger mixed‑use or corridor strategies
  23. 23 Public Safety
  24. 24 Council Members, Police Chief Rick Edwards, and city administration discussed topics related to gun violence, public safety technology, and support service infrastructure, focusing on the following areas:
  25. 25 • Mid-year crime trends and statistics • Flock cameras and automated enforcement technology • Policy and oversight frameworks related to law enforcement technology • Firearm storage and new gun laws • Family Justice Center planning and resources
  26. 26 Human Services
  27. 27 Discussion was focused on areas related to social safety net systems and capacity, including:
  28. 28 • Gaps created by federal funding pullbacks in SNAP, Medicaid, and other benefits • State and local program capacity • Department of Social Services staffing and system modernization • Food insecurity and increasing pressure on local food banks • Public supportive housing needs • Better alignment between behavioral health and housing funding
  29. 29 Council Members also discussed emerging early stage issues related to artificial intelligence, data centers, and cannabis regulations. Council lobbyists and staff were directed to track federal and state developments related to these areas and identify where local authority or funding may be needed to position Richmond proactively.
  30. 30 Mr. Warren thanked those in attendance for their participation and stated that Two Capitols Consulting will analyze feasibility, align with state dynamics, and bring back research to help Council staff refine priority language and vet ideas. He noted that the Mayor’s office will be involved early in the process to align city administration and Council priorities.
  31. 31 President Newbille thanked participants for their feedback and their commitment to working collaboratively.
  32. 32 Adjournment
  33. 33 There being no further business before the Council, the meeting adjourned at 4:41 p.m.
  34. 34 ___________________________________ CITY CLERK