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Education and Human Services Standing Committee

April 9, 2026 ·2:00 PM Final

Council Chamber, 2nd Floor - City Hall

Agenda PDF 📹 Watch video Official record ↗

Agenda — 55 items

  1. 1 Committee and Other Council Members In Attendance
  2. 2 Chamber Emergency Evacuation Plan Announcement and Public Speaker Guidelines
  3. 2 The Honorable Stephanie Lynch - Chair (late arrival via Microsoft Teams) The Honorable Nicole Jones - Vice Chair The Honorable Andrew Breton - Member
  4. 3 Public Comment Period
  5. 3 Staff in Attendance
  6. 4 Presentation(s)
  7. 4 Whitney Brown, Council Policy Analyst Kiley Kesecker, Deputy City Clerk Kimberly Morris, Assistant City Clerk Pamela Nichols, Council Management Analyst Janet Palmer, Deputy City Attorney Will Perkins, Senior Council Legislative Services Manager Candice Reid, City Clerk
  8. 5 Human Rights Commission Overview
  9. 5 Call to Order
  10. 6 Human Rights Commission Overview CD.2026.098
  11. 6 Vice Chair Nicole Jones called the meeting to order at 2:02 p.m., and presided.
  12. 7 Richmond and Henrico Health District Services Overview
  13. 8 Richmond and Henrico Health District Services Overview CD.2026.099
  14. 8 Upon the Chair's request, Assistant City Clerk Kimberly Morris provided information on the appropriate way to evacuate the Council Chamber in an emergency along with public speaker guidelines.
  15. 9 Discussion Item(s)
  16. 1. Richmond Public Schools (RPS) Updates ~ Jason Kamras, RPS Superintendent
  17. 10 Dr. Cindy Robinson, Principal of Richmond Virtual Academy (RVA), urged Richmond City Council to fully fund the school board’s budget request.
  18. 11 Amy Popovich, DCAO for Human Services, provided the committee with the following updates: •Aneesah Smith, Human Services Manager, had been appointed by the Governor to the state LGBTQ Advisory Board •Ms. Smith would also launch the city’s first LGBTQ community survey through the Office of Equity and Inclusion, set to go out on April 20, 2026 •A new coordination effort between the YMCA, Richmond Public Schools, and the city’s Parks and Recreation program to align elementary after school program registration on May 1, 2026. •Updates from the Office of Aging and Disability Services, including a “Big Spring Fling” event on April 23,2026 at TB Smith Community Center
  19. 11 Dr. Jacqueline Johnson Wilson, a parent of a student at RVA, urged full funding for Richmond Public Schools to support the academy.
  20. 12 Paper(s) for Consideration
  21. 12 Tommorow Lofton-Pickens, an Instructional Compliance Coordinator at RVA, emphasized that RVA represented less than 1% of the overall RPS budget, and the academy should be viewed as an asset rather than a liability. She asked for an independent audit of RPS expenditures to ensure that funds are used appropriately.
  22. 13 There were no papers for consideration.
  23. 13 Dr. Candace Benn, a school counselor at RVA, spoke about the importance of RVA as a safe and supportive learning environment, especially for students with anxiety or nontraditional learning needs. She urged full funding for RPS, including RVA, to continue supporting students’ well-being and success.
  24. 14 page break
  25. 14 Sandra Portee, Virtual Learning and Homebound Coordinator for RPS, urged approval of the full RPS budget to sustain Richmond Virtual Academy.
  26. 15 Board Vacancies
  27. 15 Member Stephanie Lynch joined the meeting at 2:09 p.m.
  28. 16 Education and Human Services Standing Committee Boards & Commissions Vacancy Report Thursday, April 9, 2026 CD.2026.103
  29. 16 Electronic Participation
  30. 17 Approval of Minutes
  31. 17 Pursuant to Rule III(D)(4)(b) of Council’s Rules of Procedure, Committee Chair Stephanie Lynch has made a request to participate in this meeting via Microsoft Teams due to a family obligation requiring travel along the I-95 corridor. The committee members present were required to adopt a motion to approve Chair Lynch's participation in the meeting by electronic communication means if it appeared to the committee that her request complied with Rule III(D) of Council’s Rules of Procedure. A motion was solicited from those members physically assembled to approve Chair Stephanie Lynch's participation in the meeting by electronic communication means.
  32. 18 March 12, 2026 - Education & Human Services Standing Committee Meeting Minutes CD.2026.100
  33. 18 Member Andrew Breton moved to allow Chair Stephanie Lynch to participate in the meeting by electronic communication means. The motion was seconded and approved: Ayes 2, Breton, Jones. Noes None.
  34. 19 Staff Report
  35. 20 Education & Human Services Standing Committee April 9, 2026 Staff Report CD.2026.110
  36. 20 There were no amendments or corrections to the meeting minutes of March 12, 2026, and the committee approved the minutes as presented.
  37. 24 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  38. 25 Pamela Nichols, Management Analyst , reviewed board applications for consideration by the committee.
  39. 26 Member Andrew Breton moved to forward the following appointment and reappointment applications to Council with a recommendation to approve, and to continue consideration of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Inc., vacancy to the committee's July 9, 2026 meeting, which was seconded and approved: Ayes 3, Breton, Jones, Lynch. Noes None.
  40. 27 Aging and Disabilities Advisory Board: Brienne Frankart Richmond Behavioral Health Authority: Anika Richburg (reappointment) Rosario Miller Katie Smithwick Richmond Public Library Board: Brent Braves (reappointment) Social Services Advisory Board: Sharon Walton Darby
  41. 31 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  42. 32 Emily Wolfteich, Vice Chair of the Human Rights Commission (HRC), provided an overview of the mission, activities, and ongoing initiatives of the commission. She stated that the commission’s core purpose was to safeguard the rights of Richmond residents by addressing unlawful discrimination across 13 protected categories, including race, gender, disability, and sexual orientation.
  43. 33 Samantha Galina, HRC Chair, provided an update of the Commission's Intake and Investigation Committee and its efforts to develop an enforcement ordinance that would allow the Commission to enforce anti-discrimination laws under Virginia law. Ms. Galina stated since 2025, the committee has researched enforcement models by consulting with human rights commissions and attorneys in other Virginia localities, including Charlottesville, Alexandria, and Fairfax, as well as the Virginia Attorney General’s Office. She also stated the Commission has also reviewed the Code of Virginia and drafted proposed intake and investigation procedures.
  44. 34 Committee members asked about the ordinance’s scope and applicability. Commission representatives clarified that the Virginia Human Rights Act protects all residents of Virginia, including non-citizens and undocumented residents. They discussed how enforcement powers could help address discrimination related to immigration enforcement, including employment termination and housing discrimination tied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity. They cited Charlottesville as a locality where similar protections helped residents remain housed, and they confirmed that all commission member positions were filled. Committee members requested a list of commissioners and expressed appreciation for the Commission’s intentional and community-focused approach.
  45. 37 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  46. 38 Elaine Perry, Director of the Richmond Henrico Health District (RHHD), provided an overview of how the health district was established in 2018 through a shared leadership model between the Richmond City and Henrico County Health Districts.
  47. 39 She stated while the two jurisdictions maintain separate budgets, leadership and many public health initiatives were coordinated regionally to more effectively address shared health challenges.
  48. 40 She also stated the top identified priorities were mental health, including substance use, community safety and violence prevention, and chronic disease, and that the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), currently in draft form, outlines multi-year goals and strategies.
  49. 41 Deanna Krautner, RHHD Chief Operating Officer, reviewed the FY2026 budget. She stated that approximately 85% of the budget was allocated to personnel, and that local funds support a range of programs, including community resource centers, adolescent health, communicable disease services, violence prevention, housing advocacy, and tobacco cessation. Resource centers were highlighted as a key investment, leveraging multiple funding sources and providing direct community engagement. She also noted the following funding sources: •Local government contributions (including required match and additional funding) •State general funds •Federal grants •Revenue from clinical, environmental health, and vital records services
  50. 42 Committee members discussed the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) metrics and timeline, program effectiveness, impacts of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women's' Infants, and Children (WIC) program, and the Southwood Resource Center.
  51. 44 Update from the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for Human Services
  52. 50 Council staff provided the committee with the April Education and Human Services staff report.
  53. 51 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  54. 52 Adjournment
  55. 53 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:59 p.m.