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Education and Human Services Standing Committee

November 13, 2025 ·2:00 PM Final

Council Chamber, 2nd Floor - City Hall

Agenda PDF Minutes PDF 📹 Watch video Official record ↗

Agenda — 58 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 Thursday, November 13, 2025. recommended for approval
  2. 1 Committee and Other Council Members In Attendance
  3. 2 Call to Order
  4. 2 The Honorable Stephanie Lynch - Chair The Honorable Andrew Breton - Vice Chair The Honorable Nicole Jones - Member
  5. 3 Chamber Emergency Evacuation Plan Announcement and Public Speaker Guidelines
  6. 3 Staff in Attendance
  7. 4 Public Comment Period
  8. 4 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
  9. 5 Presentation(s)
  10. 6 Gun Violence Prevention Efforts
  11. 6 Chair Stephanie Lynch called the meeting to order at 2:05 p.m., and presided.
  12. 7 Gun Violence Prevention Efforts CD.2025.339
  13. 8 Discussion Item(s)
  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 Richmond Public Schools (RPS) Updates
  16. 10 Update from the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for Human Services
  17. 10 There were no public comment speakers.
  18. 11 Paper(s) for Consideration
  19. 11 Discussion Item(s)
  20. 1. To approve the City of Richmond Plan of Services under the Virginia Juvenile Community Crime Control Act. RES. 2025-R041 recommended for approval
  21. 13 Board Vacancies
  22. 13 Jason Kamras, RPS Superintendent, provided the committee with an update regarding the Virginia Department of Education's accountability system, the master facilities plan, collective bargaining, and a summary of academic success.
  23. 14 There were no board vacancies.
  24. 14 Chair Stephanie Lynch asked when the facilities master plan would be completed, and if Superintendent Kamras could provide an update in early 2026.
  25. 15 Approval of Minutes
  26. 15 Superintendent Kamras stated the plan would take about a year from now, and he would provide the committee with updates as the master plan progresses.
  27. 16 October 9, 2025 - Education & Human Services Standing Committee Meeting Minutes CD.2025.349
  28. 17 Staff Report
  29. 17 Amy Popovich, DCAO for Human Services, provided the committee with updates regarding food distribution efforts during the federal government shutdown.
  30. 18 Education & Human Services Standing Committee Staff Report November 13, 2025 CD.2025.360
  31. 18 Chair Stephanie Lynch suggested discussing the city's contract with the Salvation Army for it's operation of the inclement weather shelter, at the December committee meeting.
  32. 19 DCAO Popovich stated she had been in contact with Home Again and the Salvation Army regarding the city's contracts with the respective organizations.
  33. 22 Greg Hopkins, Interim Director of the Department of Justice Services, provided the committee with a presentation regarding gun violence prevention efforts, crime analysis, and current initiatives.
  34. 24 Chair Stephanie Lynch asked how many youth were in both foster care and juvenile systems. She stated her concerns regarding the discontinuation of state services that were critical to gun violence intervention.
  35. 25 Interim Director Greg Hopkins stated he would provide that information to the committee.
  36. 26 Vice Chair Nicole Jones stated time would be needed to see results from the work put into gun violence prevention efforts. She asked if efforts were aimed at intervention or prevention.
  37. 27 Interim Director Hopkins stated the goal of the steering committee was to implement the work as stated, and also prevention.
  38. 28 Member Andrew Breton suggested a dashboard to measure the success of gun violence prevention efforts. He asked why there weren't enough programs for adults, and if the city has an advocacy program like other cities.
  39. 29 Interim Director Hopkins stated there were programs for adults; however, that there were not as many as there are for juveniles. He stated they would look into implementing a gun violence dashboard, and that the city had multiple drivers which would make an advocacy program difficult.
  40. 30 Member Breton praised the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Program.
  41. 31 page break
  42. 33 The following ordinance was considered:
  43. 35 Greg Hopkins, Interim Director of the Department of Justice Services, provided an introduction and additional background information regarding the proposed resolution. He stated the resolution consists of a host of programs implemented to support juveniles in the city of Richmond.
  44. 36 Public Hearing
  45. 37 Craig Jones addressed the committee and spoke neither in favor of nor in opposition to the proposed resolution.
  46. 38 Chair Stephanie Lynch asked how justice services providers were being compensated.
  47. 39 Interim Director Hopkins stated providers were contracted and compensated through the state and the city.
  48. 40 Vice Chair Nicole Jones asked if youth were integrated into existing programs or if new programs were created. She also asked how partners were funded.
  49. 41 Interim Director Hopkins stated individual service plans were based on youths' risk and needs. He stated extra resources were used in other areas, such as group homes or assessments.
  50. 42 Member Andrew Breton asked if this was the right plan according to the budget level, and if there was a better plan with a larger fund amount.
  51. 43 Interim Director Hopkins stated the plan was already approved by the state, and a second approval will need to be made by local government.
  52. 44 Chair Lynch stated the importance of having programming in place in the community.
  53. 45 There were no further comments or discussions and Vice Chair Nicole Jones moved to forward RES. 2025-041 to Council with the recommendation to approve, which was seconded and approved: Ayes 3, Breton, Jones and Lynch. Noes, 0.
  54. 46 page break
  55. 50 There were no amendments or corrections to the meeting minutes of October 9, 2025, and the committee approved the minutes as presented.
  56. 53 Council staff provided the committee with the November Education and Human Services Standing Committee staff report.
  57. 55 Adjournment
  58. 56 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:05 p.m.