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Education and Human Services Standing Committee

July 10, 2025 ·2:00 PM Final

Council Chamber, 2nd Floor - City Hall

Agenda PDF Minutes PDF 📹 Watch video Official record ↗

Agenda — 54 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, July 10, 2025.
  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
  5. 3 Chamber Emergency Evacuation Plan Announcement and Public Speaker Guidelines
  6. 3 Absent
  7. 4 Public Comment Period
  8. 4 The Honorable Nicole Jones - Member
  9. 5 Presentation(s)
  10. 5 Staff in Attendance
  11. 6 There were no presentations.
  12. 6 Kimberly Morris, Assistant City Clerk Janet Palmer, Deputy City Attorney Will Perkins, Senior Council Legislative Services Manager Candice Reid, City Clerk
  13. 7 Discussion Item(s)
  14. 8 Amy Popovich, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for Human Services, provided the committee with a follow up to the homeless services stakeholder meeting held on March 26, 2025. She also provided information on the location and budget for a homeless shelter for singles and families.
  15. 8 Chair Stephanie Lynch called the meeting to order at 2:01 p.m., and presided.
  16. 9 Paper(s) for Consideration
  17. 1. To amend Ord. No. 2025-057, adopted May 12, 2025, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget and made appropriations thereto, by (i) transferring $200,000.00 from the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency Heart of Richmond line item, (ii) transferring $109,000.00 from the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services, (iii) creating a new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency called “CARITAS (Surge Shelter Operations)” and (iv) appropriating such transferred funds in the amount of $309,000.00 to such new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency for the purpose of providing surge overflow shelter operations during inclement winter weather season. ORD. 2025-163 recommended for approval
  18. 10 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.
  19. 11 Board Vacancies
  20. 12 EHS Vacancy Board Report CD.2025.232
  21. 12 There was no public comment period.
  22. 13 Approval of Minutes
  23. 14 June 12, 2025 - Education & Human Services Standing Committee Meeting Minutes CD.2025.233
  24. 15 Staff Report
  25. 16 Update from the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for Human Services
  26. 18 Tiffany Ford, Director of Neighborhood & Community Services, provided an update on the homeless services stakeholder meeting held on March 26, 2025. She also addressed the following next steps: creation of a roster of volunteers and stakeholders, identifiable roles, and titles and responsibilities of city officials who work directly with homeless services.
  27. 19 Chair Stephanie Lynch stated there were a variety of stakeholders at the special meeting that could benefit from a list of other organizations that work directly with the unhoused population.
  28. 20 Vice Chair Andrew Breton asked when would metrics become available to show that partnerships were successful.
  29. 21 Ms. Ford stated metrics could be developed when partnerships were solidified.
  30. 22 Vice Chair Breton asked how has the city's partnership with CARITAS improved existing relationships with the unhoused.
  31. 23 DCAO Popovich stated CARITAS provided year-round beds for the unhoused, and they also assisted with navigating participants into home permanency.
  32. 25 The following ordinance was considered:
  33. 27 Amy Popovich, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for Human Services, provided the committee with an introduction regarding ORD. 2025-163.
  34. 28 Chair Stephanie Lynch asked if there was a disaster or emergency situation, was there flexibility to exceed thirty nights to assist the unhoused.
  35. 29 DCAO Amy Popovich stated yes, and there was $125,000.00 budgeted to provide food, lights and security if an emergency situation exceeded thirty days.
  36. 30 There were no comments or discussions and Chair Stephanie Lynch moved to forward ORD. 2025-163 to Council with a recommendation to approve, which was seconded and unanimously approved.
  37. 32 Pamela Nichols, Council Management Analyst, reviewed board applications for consideration by the committee.
  38. 34 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
  39. 35 Chair Stephanie Lynch moved to forward the following board appointment applications to Council with a recommendation to approve, and to continue consideration of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Inc., to the October 9, 2025, Education and Human Services Standing Committee meeting, which was seconded and unanimously approved:
  40. 36 Advisory Board of Recreation and Parks: Vik Murthy
  41. 37 Capital Area Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP) Policy Advisory Board: Beverly Hawkins
  42. 38 Future of Workforce Commission: Victoria Gochez
  43. 39 Human Rights Commission: Ismael Romero
  44. 40 Richmond Behavioral Health Authority: Stephanye Fuina Verenda Cobbs
  45. 41 Richmond Public Library Board: M. Kirk Pickeral
  46. 42 Social Services Advisory Board: Rosalind Hall W. Camden Whitehead
  47. 44 There were no amendments or corrections to the meeting minutes of June 12, 2025, and the committee approved the minutes as presented.
  48. 46 Discussion
  49. 47 Chair Stephanie Lynch stated her plans for a joint meeting between Council and Richmond Public Schools (RPS) to discuss school funding, city funding, and how to best support students, and for another homeless services stakeholder meeting, both to be held during Council's August recess. Chair Lynch also addressed SNAP benefit theft, and she asked the Education and Human Services Standing Committee attorney, Janet Palmer, what would be the required action of Council to assign money in the Family Crisis Fund to SNAP theft fund replacement.
  50. 48 Ms. Palmer stated she would research the inquiry and report back to the committee.
  51. 50 Council staff provided the committee with the July Education and Human Services Standing Committee staff report.
  52. 51 EHS Committee Meeting Staff Report CD.2025.234
  53. 52 Adjournment
  54. 53 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:38 p.m.