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Governmental Operations Standing Committee

February 25, 2026 ·1:00 PM Final

Council Chamber, 2nd Floor - City Hall

Agenda PDF 📹 Watch video Official record ↗

Agenda — 59 items

  1. 1 Persons requesting to provide comments virtually during the public hearings or public comment period held at this meeting, must call the Office of the City Clerk at (804) 646-7955, option 3, by no later than 10:00 a.m., on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
  2. 1 Committee and Other Council Members in Attendance
  3. 2 Chamber Emergency Evacuation Plan Announcement and Public Speaker Guidelines
  4. 2 The Honorable Katherine Jordan - Chair The Honorable Sarah Abubaker - Vice Chair (late arrival) The Honorable Kenya Gibson - Committee Member (late arrival)
  5. 3 Public Comment Period
  6. 3 Staff in Attendance
  7. 4 Approval of Minutes
  8. 4 Kiley Kesecker, Deputy City Clerk Susan McKenney, Senior Assistant City Attorney Kimberly Morris, Assistant City Clerk William Perkins, Council Senior Legislative Services Manager Candice Reid, City Clerk RJ Warren, Council Chief of Staff
  9. 5 None
  10. 5 Call to Order
  11. 6 Presentation(s)
  12. 6 Chair Katherine Jordan called the meeting to order at 1:01 p.m., and presided.
  13. 7 Clean City Commission Annual Report
  14. 8 Clean City Commission Annual Report CD.2025.377
  15. 8 Upon the Chair’s request, Assistant City Clerk Kimberly Morris provided information on the appropriate manner in which the Council Chamber is to be evacuated in the event of an emergency along with public speaker guidelines.
  16. 9 Cybersecurity and Protection of Data
  17. 10 Cybersecurity Overview CD.2026.040
  18. 10 There were no public comment speakers.
  19. 11 Capital Maintenance Program
  20. 12 Capital Maintenance Program CD.2026.041
  21. 12 There were no minutes to be approved.
  22. 13 page break
  23. 13 page break
  24. 14 Paper(s) for Consideration
  25. 15 There were no papers for consideration
  26. 16 Board Vacancies
  27. 16 Steve Marzolf, Clean City Commission Chair, provided a presentation regarding the Clean City Commission's top priorities. He discussed membership and duties, and provided committee members insight into community clean ups, illegal dumping, and the Adopt a Spot program.
  28. 17 Governmental Operations Standing Committee Boards & Commissions Vacancy Report Wednesday, February 25, 2026 CD.2026.031
  29. 18 Discussion Item(s)
  30. 18 Vice Chair Abubaker arrived at 1:08 p.m., and was seated.
  31. 19 There were no discussion items.
  32. 19 Chair Katherine Jordan asked if there were any opportunities for collaboration with other commissions.
  33. 20 Staff Report
  34. 20 Mr. Marzolf stated he was often in contact with Laura Thomas, director for the Office of Sustainability, and he attends the Sustainability and Resilience Commission meetings. He also stated he attends the Urban Forestry Committee meetings because the committee's work regarding trees impacts the Clean City Commission as well.
  35. 21 Government Operations Standing Committee February 25, 2026 Staff Report CD.2026.064
  36. 22 Douglas Gernat, Senior Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Technology (DIT), provided a presentation regarding cybersecurity. He provided an overview on what made cybersecurity complicated, the Threatscape program, top threats within the city, and recommendations.
  37. 24 Member Kenya Gibson arrived at 1:18 p.m., and was seated.
  38. 25 Vice Chair Sarah Abubaker asked if the department was working with the Office of Strategic Communications on an operational and communications response to deep fake and AI threats. She also asked if the city's resiliency plans for critical infrastructure were updated and tested, and how frequently.
  39. 26 Mr. Gernat stated that they were partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Cybercrime Division in Richmond, which would be the arm to exercise control over such activity, and provide the proper guidance to reduce the impact of reputaion damage. He also stated resiliency of the system was addressed by DIT in weekly meetings with department leadership. He added that all critical systems were examined and reviewed every year.
  40. 27 Chair Katherine Jordan stated she was grateful for the robust staff in DIT, and she asked if there were any updates on filling the cybersecurity position.
  41. 28 Mr. Gernat stated the department finished a round of interviews, but in the greater marketplace, filling the position was difficult. He stated they had partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University's intern programs, and were working on a program to help create a pipeline to ensure new talent coming into the cybersecurity pool.
  42. 29 Chair Jordan thanked the DIT team for protecting information within City Hall.
  43. 30 Mr. Gernat stated that regarding audit items, there was one outstanding item that was in progress.
  44. 32 Gail Johnson, Director of the Department of General Services (DGS), provided a presentation regarding the capital maintenance program and updates. She provided a list of facilities maintained along with the Facility Condition Index Scores (FCI) scores, the estimated total deferred maintenance cost through FY2026, facilities with top maintenance needs, and the operating budget.
  45. 34 Member Kenya Gibson asked what the various funds that were not funded through the general fund were, and what the definition of internal service was.
  46. 35 Director Johnson stated that parking was the enterprise fund, and the revenue they collect funds the operations of the parking division. She stated that fleet maintenance was an internal service, and everything that fleet does was billed back to the agencies they are doing the work for, and Main Street Station had a special fund dedicated for the maintenance and upkeep of the station.
  47. 36 Vice Chair Sarah Abubaker asked if the Arthur Ashe Center was one of the nine DGS properties that was not currently used, and what happens to the revenue from properties that were sold. She asked if event fees collected from Main Street Station offset the annual maintenance of the building itself. She also asked if the current location of City Hall was the best option.
  48. 37 Director Johnson explained that the Arthur Ashe Center is currently vacant, which creates additional maintenance and security responsibilities for the city, similar to other unused properties like the Coliseum and the former Public Safety Building. DGS maintains these facilities while the Department of Finance and Economic Development determines plans for selling or repurposing them. She added that Main Street Station was in good condition, and future space planning would require collaboration between DGS and other city departments.
  49. 38 Chair Katherine Jordan noted that, given her background in historic preservation, she believed that it was better to continue investing in the maintenance of existing buildings rather than pursuing a new City Hall. She acknowledged that the administration and DGS were currently evaluating those options. She also asked whether properties labeled “divest” in the presentation were actually intended to be surplused or sold. She then asked about a previous facilities report prepared by former Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Bob Steidel, and requested a copy of the most recent version.
  50. 39 Director Johnson explained that the facility index score used in assessments was based on a model and does not always reflect the true condition of a building. She emphasized that the department also evaluated the actual condition and improvements made to facilities when making decisions.
  51. 40 She also noted that a space study was conducted around 2020, and provided an audit update stating that the department addressed nine recommendations. She expected a March 3, 2026, review by the audit team, with the goal of closing all nine items.
  52. 44 Pamela Nichols, Council Management Analyst, reviewed board vacancies and applications for the committee's consideration.
  53. 46 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  54. 47 Vice Chair Sarah Abubaker made a motion to continue consideration of appointment applications for vacancies on the Sister Cites Commission to the April 22, 2026, Governmental Operations Standing Committee meeting, and she made a motion to forward the following applications for appointment to Council with a recommendation to approve, which was seconded and unanimously approved: Ayes 3, Gibson, Abubaker, and Jordan. Noes, 0.
  55. 48 Central Virginia Waste Management Authority: Zachary Pauley City Personnel Board: Lacey Hancher Clean City Commission: Al Misa (reappointment) Margie Langston Alex Marten Public Utilities and Services Commission: Andrew Grigsby (reappointment) Tracey Thayer (reappointment) Kirk Johnson Sustainability and Resilience Commission: Sophia Delzell Urban Forestry Commission: Whit Clements (reappointment) Mary Elfner (reappointment) Janine Lester (reappointment)
  56. 52 Council staff provided the committee with the February Governmental Operations Standing Committee staff report.
  57. 54 Chair Katherine Jordan requested two Department of General Service reports in reference to the city's most recent space needs study, and fleet utilization plans.
  58. 55 Adjournment
  59. 56 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:03 p.m.