Governmental Operations Standing Committee
Council Chamber, 2nd Floor - City Hall
Agenda — 89 items
- 1 Committee and Other Council Members in Attendance
- 2 Call to Order
- 2 The Honorable Katherine Jordan - Chair The Honorable Ann-Frances Lambert - Vice Chair The Honorable Nicole Jones - Alternate Member The Honorable Reva Trammell - Council Member (early departure)
- 3 Chamber Emergency Evacuation Plan Announcement and Public Speaker Guidelines
- 3 Absent
- 4 Public Comment Period
- 4 The Honorable Stephanie Lynch
- 5 Approval of Minutes
- 5 Staff and Others in Attendance
- 6 February 28, 2024 Governmental Operations Meeting Minutes
- 6 Joyce Davis, Council Policy Analyst Tamia Lunsford, Council Budget Analyst Kimberly Morris, Assistant City Clerk Candice Reid, City Clerk RJ Warren, Deputy City Clerk Caitlin Weston, Assistant City Attorney
- 7 April 24, 2024 Governmental Operations Meeting Minutes
- 8 Presentations
- 8 Chair Katherine Jordan called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m., and presided.
- 1. Cannabis in the Commonwealth ~ Jeremy Preiss, Acting Head and Chief Officer of Regulatory, Policy and External Affairs of the Cannabis Control Authority
- 10 Cannabis in the Commonwealth
- 10 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
- 2. Small Business Inclusion and Justice Disparities ~ Chelsea Higgs-Wise, Co-founder and Executive Director of Marijuana Justice Virginia
- 12 RVA Considerations for Regulating Adult-Use Cannabis
- 12 There were no public comment speakers.
- 13 Page Break
- 13 Page Break
- 14 Paper(s) for Consideration
- 1. To amend City Code § 11-36, concerning exemptions to sound control, for the purpose of modifying the hours during which [the City’s] refuse collection and sanitation services shall be exempted from the requirements of the City’s sound control provisions. (As Amended)
- 2. To amend and reordain City Code § 9-58, which assigns polling places in the city, to relocate the polling place for Precinct 603.
- 3. To amend and reordain City Code § 9-58, which assigns polling places in the city, to relocate the polling [places] place for [Precinct 909 and] Precinct 910. (As Amended)
- 17 There were no corrections or amendments to the meeting minutes of Wednesday, February 28, 2024 and Wednesday, April 24, 2024, and the committee approved the minutes as presented.
- 4. To amend City Code §§ 2-1336, concerning definitions related to webpages for development and capital improvements projects, 2-1337, concerning general requirements, and 2-1339, concerning exclusions, and to repeal § 2-1338, concerning project webpage requirements.
- 18 Paper(s) for Consideration
- 5. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer and the Director of Procurement Services, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Goods and Services Contract between the City and Manchester Marketing, Inc. T/A Seibert’s Towing for towing-related services and tow lot operation.
- 19 The following ordinance was considered:
- 20 Board Vacancies
- 21 There were no board vacancies.
- 21 Lynne Lancaster, Department of Public Works, Deputy Director, provided an introduction and additional background information regarding the proposed ordinance.
- 22 Discussion Item(s)
- 22 Public Hearing
- 23 Staff Report
- 23 There were no public hearing speakers.
- 24 May Staff Report
- 24 Council Member Reva Trammell stated she supports the ordinance.
- 25 There were no further comments or discussions and Vice Chair Ann-Frances Lambert moved to forward ORD. 2024-137 to Council with a recommendation to approve, which was seconded and unanimously approved.
- 26 Page Break
- 28 Cannabis in the Commonwealth
- 29 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
- 31 Jeremy Preiss, Acting Head and Chief Officer of Regulatory, Policy and External Affairs of the Cannabis Control Authority, provided a presentation regarding legalities, policy and education of cannabis use in Virginia.
- 32 Council Member Reva Trammell left the meeting at 1:26 p.m.
- 33 Vice Chair Ann-Frances Lambert inquired if licenses will be distributed to any entity other than the medical field for retail cannabis.
- 34 Mr. Preiss stated there are no licenses for cultivating, processing, dispensing, retail, delivery or distribution of cannabis and that details of who can become eligible for licensing will be determined by potential legislation that will become law. He also stated the medical program has limited licensing that is either spoken for or subject to ongoing competition.
- 35 Alternate Member Nicole Jones asked how the organization collaborates with the community to address the needs and questions related to marijuana.
- 36 Mr. Preiss stated the organization prides itself on being collaborative and transparent. He also stated the organization is willing to have a town hall meeting and is available for outreach.
- 37 Chair Katherine Jordan inquired if Mr. Preiss was politically appointed.
- 38 Mr. Priess stated that he was not, and that he answers to a board of directors.
- 39 Small Business Inclusion and Justice Disparities
- 40 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
- 42 Chelsea Higgs-Wise, Co-founder and Executive Director of Marijuana Justice Virginia, provided a presentation discussing the current status and predictions of cannabis in Virginia and considerations for City Council.
- 43 Chair Katherine Jordan stated her appreciation that the presentation included what other localities are doing to ensure best practices for implementation.
- 44 Alternate Member Nicole Jones stated she is looking forward to collaborating and having conversations about educating citizens and schools concerning marijuana laws.
- 45 Vice Chair Ann-Frances Lambert stated the committee is in support of discussions of cannabis laws in the Commonwealth and that she would like to see focus on schools having a tool kit to help with the over consumption of edibles. She also stated she would like to have more information on cannabis lounges and consumption spaces and would like to see revenue from cannabis help with affordable housing.
- 46 Ms. Higgs-Wise stated consumption spaces are an important piece of equitability and can be used for non-profit education. She also stated medical dispensaries are in Richmond and have potential for generating revenue.
- 48 The following ordinance was considered:
- 50 There were no comments or discussions and Chair Katherine Jordan moved to continue ORD. 2024-094 to the June 26, 2024 Governmental Operations Standing Committee meeting, which was seconded and was unanimously approved.
- 51 The following ordinance was considered:
- 53 Keith Balmer, General Registrar, stated his concerns about voting Precinct 603 being a small fire station with limited parking for citizens. He also stated the election officers have some discomfort with the location, and that he and the fire chief conversed about moving the polling place. Mr. Balmer further stated that the ordinance may need to be withdrawn due to the need to relocate Precinct 606.
- 54 Public Hearing
- 55 There were no public hearing speakers.
- 56 There were no further comments or discussions and Vice Chair Ann-Frances Lambert moved to forward ORD. 2024-126 to Council with no recommendation, which was seconded and unanimously approved.
- 57 The following ordinance was considered:
- 59 Keith Balmer, General Registrar, stated the move for polling Precinct 909 from Elizabeth Redd Elementary School to Liberation Church will not happen because Liberation Church withdrew its intent to serve as a polling location. Mr. Balmer also stated he would like to leave Redd Elementary School as a polling place, and he would like to proceed with moving polling Precinct 910 from G. H. Reid Elementary School to River City Middle School because of ample parking and space.
- 60 Public Hearing
- 61 There were no public hearing speakers.
- 62 Alternate Member Nicole Jones stated River City Middle School will provide a better voting experience for voters, and she would like to have conversations about how to better communicate to voters about redistricting.
- 63 Chair Katherine Jordan stated communication between the Registrar's office and city government is important to fully inform citizens of changes to polling locations.
- 64 Vice Chair Ann-Frances Lambert inquired what is the Registrar's office doing to notify voters of redistricting.
- 65 Mr. Balmer stated that notices went out to all voters to alert them of redistricting and any changes to voting precincts.
- 66 There were no further comments or discussions and Alternate Member Nicole Jones moved to forward ORD. 2024-127 to Council with a recommendation to approve with amendment, which was seconded and unanimously approved.
- 67 Page Break
- 68 The following ordinance was considered:
- 70 Adam Hohl, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Operations Senior Policy Advisor, provided an introduction and additional background information regarding the proposed ordinance.
- 71 Public Hearing
- 72 There were no public hearing speakers.
- 73 Chair Katherine Jordan inquired if the dashboard can track the funding for the Public Arts Commission.
- 74 Mr. Hohl stated they are restricted to what the ordinance is asking, however, the request may be possible to fulfill.
- 75 There were no further comments or discussions and Vice Chair Ann-Frances Lambert moved to forward ORD. 2024-136 to Council with a recommendation to approve with amendment, which was seconded and unanimously approved.
- 79 There were no discussion items.
- 80 Page Break
- 82 Joyce Davis, Council Policy Analyst, provided the committee with the May Governmental Operations Standing Committee staff report.
- 83 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
- 85 Adjournment
- 86 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2:19 p.m.