City Council
Council Chamber, 2nd Floor - City Hall
Agenda — 103 items
- 1 Interested persons that wish to provide comments by teleconference/videoconference via Microsoft Teams, must register prior to 10:00 a.m., on the day of the meeting, by calling the Office of the City Clerk at (804) 646-7955 and selecting option 3.
- 2 Spanish interpretation service (SIS) is now offered in-person and virtually during Richmond City Council Formal meetings. Please visit the SIS station in the Council Chamber for assistance or select the language interpretation option when joining the Microsoft Teams meeting.
- 3 Order of Business
- 4 Invocation
- 5 To be offered by Reverend Kevin L. Jones of Ebenezer Baptist Church
- 6 Pledge of Allegiance
- 7 Council Members Present
- 8 The Honorable Cynthia Newbille, President The Honorable Katherine Jordan, Vice President The Honorable Andrew Breton The Honorable Kenya Gibson The Honorable Nicole Jones The Honorable Stephanie Lynch (late arrival) The Honorable Ellen Robertson The Honorable Reva Trammell
- 9 Absent
- 10 Board Appointments and Reappointments - March 10, 2026
- 11 Councilor Nicole Jones moved that the appointment recommendations to the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority and the Economic Development Authority be referred back to respective standing committee meetings in April for further consideration along with any additional applications received.
- 11 page break
- 12 Public Comment
- 13 March 10, 2026 Public Comment Period Speakers List
- 14 The Honorable Sarah Abubaker
- 15 Call to Order
- 16 Council President Cynthia Newbille called the meeting to order at 6:02 p.m. and presided.
- 17 Approval of Minutes of Previous Meetings
- 17 The motion was seconded and approved: Ayes 7, Breton, Gibson, Jones, Robertson, Trammell, Jordan, Newbille. Lynch had yet to arrive.
- 18 February 23, 2026 Informal Meeting Minutes
- 19 February 23, 2026 Formal Meeting Minutes
- 20 Introduction of Ordinances and Resolutions
- 21 March 10, 2026 Introduction Papers List
- 22 Action on Appointments and Reappointments
- 22 Brantley Tyndall, Director of Bike Walk RVA, expressed concerns with pedestrian safety in the city and noted that Richmond is among the cities with the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the state.
- 23 Spanish Interpretation Announcement
- 23 Fatima Kamara, 1st District resident, spoke about the urgent need to address pedestrian safety in the city by changing driving behaviors, and provided examples of ways to increase pedestrian safety in the short term.
- 24 Reverend Kevin L. Jones of Ebenezer Baptist Church provided the invocation. Members of Council and the audience recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
- 24 Councilor Stephanie Lynch arrived at 6:11 p.m.
- 25 Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance
- 25 Cathy Burrell spoke in support of increased pedestrian safety and consequences for drivers responsible for pedestrian accidents. She also stated that her daughter, Lauren, was struck by a vehicle and killed in November of 2025, noting that the driver was never charged with a crime.
- 26 City Clerk Candice Reid stated that Spanish interpretation service was available in the Council Chamber and that attendees should speak with a representative to receive the appropriate equipment. She also stated that Spanish interpretation service was available virtually through Microsoft Teams. Roxana Talavera-Denson, Language Access Coordinator, Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement, provided Spanish interpretation of Ms. Reid's announcement.
- 26 Carol Adams, President of Engine Co. 9 and Associates, recognized the 80th anniversary of the first African-American police officers hired by the City of Richmond, and invited Council Members to a celebration of the historic event, which took place on May 1, 1946.
- 27 Chamber Emergency Evacuation Plan Announcement and Public Speaker Guidelines
- 27 Anna Mackiewicz spoke about the urgent need for increased support for the unhoused in the city, including a family walk-in shelter.
- 28 Upon the President's request, Deputy City Clerk Kiley Kesecker provided information on the appropriate way to evacuate the Council Chamber in an emergency along with public speaker guidelines.
- 28 No name given, spoke on the impact of business closures in the city's Yemeni community due to Operation Vaporize, and stated that local Yemeni-owned businesses were being targeted based on stereotypes.
- 29 Awards and Presentations
- 29 Sarita Moncada, organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, spoke in opposition to the war in Iran and described the negative effects on local supply chains and potential funding cuts to important federal programs.
- 30 There were no awards or presentations.
- 30 Ghamdan Alashari, local business owner, stated that his business had been shut down due to Operation Vaporize, despite not having a single violation in ten years. He also asked that the city at least give business owners the opportunity to correct any violations before shutting down the business.
- 31 Adjournment
- 32 There being no further business to come before Council, the meeting adjourned at 7:08 p.m.
- 33 Reports or Announcements by Members of the Council
- 34 Members of Council provided reports and announcements regarding respective district meetings and activities.
- 35 Agenda Review and Amendments
- 36 Councilor Nicole Jones moved to amend the agenda as follows:
- 37 The Consent Agenda
- 38 The motion was seconded and approved: Ayes 7, Breton, Gibson, Jones, Robertson, Trammell, Jordan, Newbille. Lynch was away.
- 1. To authorize the special use of the properties known as 6320 Daytona Drive, 6330 Daytona Drive, and 6340 Daytona Drive for the purpose of up to [eight] five single-family detached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions. (As Amended) (9th District)
- 39 The following ordinances were considered:
- 2. To authorize the special use of the property known as 217 West Clay Street for the purpose of a restaurant with outdoor dining, upon certain terms and conditions. (As Amended) (2nd District)
- 3. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute an Outside Agency Contract between the City of Richmond and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond for the purpose of funding the expansion of life skills programming at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School.
- 4. To amend City Code § 27-131, concerning the traffic signal enforcement program, for the purpose of establishing the manner in which civil penalties are allocated.
- 5. To declare surplus and direct the conveyance of the City-owned real estate known as 301 Boroughbridge Road, consisting of 3.636± acres, 201 Covington Road, consisting of 1.284± acres, 209 Covington Road, consisting of 0.367± acres, 301 Covington Road, consisting of 0.367± acres, 307 Covington Road, consisting of 0.367± acres, and 313 Covington Road, consisting of 0.367± acres and commonly known as Sankofa Community Orchard, for nominal consideration to Central Virginia Agrarian Commons for the purpose of facilitating urban agriculture.
- 6. To authorize the special use of the property known as 602 West 26th Street for the purpose of no more than [two] one single-family detached [dwellings] dwelling and one two-family detached dwelling, upon certain terms and conditions. (As Amended) (5th District)
- 7. To amend and reordain Ord. No. 1994-219-209, adopted Oct. 10, 1994, which authorized the special use of the property known as [2107-2117] 2107-2119 West Cary Street, for the purpose of the construction of a twelve-unit multi-family dwelling and six single-family attached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions, to modify the terms and conditions. (As Amended) (5th District)
- 8. To amend and reordain Ord. No. 2024-116, adopted May 13, 2024, which authorized the special use of the property known as 1515 Chamberlayne Parkway for the purpose of a mixed-use building containing up to 91 dwelling units, upon certain terms and conditions, to modify the plans and the terms and conditions. (3rd District)
- 9. To rezone the property known as 1240 Ingram Avenue from the M-1 Light Industrial District to the TOD-1 Transit-Oriented Nodal District. (6th District)
- 10. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $2,500.00 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority and to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by creating a new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency entitled “Henrico County Regional Recovery Day” and appropriating $2,500.00 to such new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency, all for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Henrico County to support the Regional Recovery Day initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
- 11. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $10,000.00 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority and to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by creating a new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency called the “Henrico County OAA Hospital Liaison Grant,” and appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to such new line item by $10,000.00, all for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Henrico County to support the Hospital Liaison initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
- 12. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Sublease Agreement between the City of Richmond, as sublandlord, and UGK Community First Corp., as subtenant, for the purpose of subleasing a portion of certain real property located at 1400 Oliver Hill Way. (6th District)
- 13. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute an Operational Agreement for Cooperative Partnerships for Opioid Abatement Authority Award for Hospital Liaison Effort between the City of Richmond, the Counties of Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover, and the City of Colonial Heights for the purpose of supporting a hospital liaison initiative to combat the opioid crisis.
- 14. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute an Operational Agreement for Cooperative Partnerships for Regional Recovery Day between the City of Richmond and the Counties of Henrico, Chesterfield, and Hanover for the purpose of supporting a Regional Recovery Day event funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
- 52 There were no public hearing speakers.
- 53 Public Hearing
- 53 There were no comments or discussions and the Consent Agenda was adopted: Ayes 7, Breton, Gibson, Jones, Robertson, Trammell, Jordan, Newbille. Lynch was away.
- 54 The Regular Agenda
- 15. To authorize the special use of the property known as 3219 Tuxedo Boulevard for the purpose of up to [five] four single-family detached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions. (7th District) (As Amended)
- 55 The following ordinance was considered:
- 16. To amend City Code §§ 12-242, concerning the disposition of calculated general fund surplus and reporting, to require that ten percent of each year’s surplus amount go to a special purpose reserve to support the Richmond Retirement System Total Retirement Fund to fund bonuses for retired members of the Richmond Retirement System and 12-265, concerning special purpose reserves to establish a special purpose reserve fund to support the Richmond Retirement System Total Retirement Fund.
- 57 At the request of Councilor Reva Trammell, Council Chief of Staff RJ Warren provided additional information on the Richmond Retirement System Total Retirement Fund and the establishment of a special purpose reserve fund to support it, as outlined in the proposed ordinance.
- 58 Public Hearing
- 59 There were no public hearing speakers.
- 60 Councilor Kenya Gibson stated that she would abstain from voting on ORD. 2026-017, as she would like to have more information on the surplus and Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.
- 61 Councilor Stephanie Lynch agreed with Councilor Gibson and stated that a broader approach is needed regarding how the surplus is allocated and the policies guiding such allocations.
- 62 Vice President Katherine Jordan requested that, if the proposed ordinance does not move forward, Richmond Retirement System (RRS) representatives come back before the Council to continue the discussion regarding Council's expectations of RRS to be responsive to cost of living adjustment needs for retirees.
- 63 Councilor Trammell stated that retirees have not had a raise since 2006, and they need to know that the city has not forgotten about them.
- 64 There were no further comments and ORD. 2026-017 was rejected: Ayes 3, Jones, Robertson, Trammell. Noes 3, Breton, Jordan, Newbille. Abstentions 2, Gibson, Lynch.
- 65 Motions
- 66 Councilor Nicole Jones moved that the ordinance entitled:
- 1. To authorize the special use of the properties known as 6320 Daytona Drive, 6330 Daytona Drive, and 6340 Daytona Drive for the purpose of up to [eight] five single-family detached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions. (As Amended) (9th District)
- 68 be amended and continued to March 23, 2026, to modify the number of dwellings, the Plans, and certain terms and conditions.
- 69 The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
- 70 Councilor Stephanie Lynch moved that the ordinance entitled:
- 7. To amend and reordain Ord. No. 1994-219-209, adopted Oct. 10, 1994, which authorized the special use of the property known as [2107-2117] 2107-2119 West Cary Street, for the purpose of the construction of a twelve-unit multi-family dwelling and six single-family attached dwellings, upon certain terms and conditions, to modify the terms and conditions. (As Amended) (5th District)
- 72 be amended and continued to March 23, 2026, to further modify the address of the property.
- 73 The motion was seconded and unanimously approved.
- 75 There were no amendments or corrections to the following meeting minutes, which were approved as presented.
- 80 City Council will hold a public hearing on the following ordinances and resolution on Monday, March 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.:
- 17. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $30,000.00 from the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Special Fund Budget by creating a new special fund for the Richmond Recovery Court entitled “Virginia State Opioid Response (SOR) Special Fund,” and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Richmond Recovery Court’s “Virginia State Opioid Response (SOR) Special Fund” by $30,000.00 for the purpose of providing funding to combat the public health crisis caused by escalating opioid misuse, opioid use disorder, and opioid-related overdoses.
- 18. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept a donation of landscaping services from Capital Trees valued at approximately $32,000.00, for the purpose of performing tree improvements in Byrd Park located at 1401 Pump House Drive, 2601 Police Memorial Way, and 2301 Amelia Street in the city of Richmond. (5th District)
- 19. To amend City Code § 2-1213, concerning the employee first-time homebuyer’s assistance program, for the purpose of expanding the program to include employees of the School Board of the City of Richmond as authorized by Code of Virginia, §15.2-958.2(A).
- 20. To designate the 2300 block of Barton Avenue in honor of Sister Rosetta Tharpe. (3rd District)
- 21. To request that the Chief Administrative Officer amend Administrative Regulation 4.8, concerning the City’s leave policy, to modify the maximum carryforward policy and procedures for paying out vacation leave balances for unclassified employees as a one-time occurrence during the transition to implement a maximum carryforward procedure and to request that the Chief Administrative Officer submit a written report of the operational and fiscal impacts of implementing such amendments and any additional proposed amendments no later than June 30, 2026.
- 86 City Council will hold a public hearing on the following ordinances on Monday, April 13, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.:
- 22. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $225,388.00 from the Department of Criminal Justice Services and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Police’s Operation Ceasefire Special Fund by $225,388.00 for the purpose of improving community safety.
- 23. To amend Ord. No. 2025-057, adopted May 12, 2025, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Special Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by (i) increasing anticipated revenues by $2,000,000.00 from certain fines and fees collected from the Safety Camera Program, (ii) creating a new special fund for the Department of Police entitled the “Safety Camera Program Special Fund,” and (iii) appropriating the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Police’s “Safety Camera Program Special Fund” by $2,000,000.00, all for the purpose of funding the Safety Camera Program and Vision Zero Action Plan.
- 24. To amend City Code 2-728, concerning the Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response, to require the routing of E-911 calls for emergency medical services to the Richmond Ambulance Authority by the Department of Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response.
- 25. To authorize the conditional use of the property known as 110 North 18th Street for the purpose of a nightclub, upon certain terms and conditions. (7th District)
- 26. To authorize the special use of the properties known as 1300 North 34th Street and 1302 North 34th Street for the purpose of up to two two-family detached dwellings, two single-family attached dwellings, and a single-family detached dwelling with garages for rent, upon certain terms and conditions. (7th District)
- 27. To authorize the special use of the property known as 3313 Ellwood Avenue for the purpose of up to one two-family detached dwelling and one dwelling unit within an accessory structure, upon certain terms and conditions. (5th District)
- 97 ___________________________________ CITY CLERK