Education and Human Services Standing Committee
Council Chamber, 2nd Floor - City Hall
Agenda — 48 items
- 1 Committee and Other Council Members In Attendance
- 1 Committee and Other Council Members In Attendance
- 2 The Honorable Katherine Jordan - Vice President The Honorable Andrew Breton - Member
- 3 Public Comment Period
- 3 Absent
- 4 Approval of Minutes
- 4 The Honorable Stephanie Lynch - Chair
- 5 July 9, 2026 - Education & Human Services Standing Committee Meeting Minutes
- 5 Staff in Attendance
- 6 Presentation(s)
- 6 Whitney Brown, Council Policy Analyst Kiley Kesecker, Deputy City Clerk Kimberly Morris, Assistant City Clerk Janet Palmer, Deputy City Attorney
- 7 Non-Departmental Grant Restructuring Update
- 7 Call to Order
- 8 Non-Departmental Grant Restructuring Update
- 8 Vice Chair Nicole Jones called the meeting to order at 2:26 p.m., and presided.
- 9 Paper(s) for Consideration
- 1. To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $137,038.00 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and amend the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Special Fund Budget by creating a new special fund for the Department of Justice Services entitled “Byrne/JAG Program - Juvenile Detention Centers Special Fund,” and appropriating the increase to the Department of Justice Services’ “Byrne/JAG Program - Juvenile Detention Centers Special Fund” by $137,038.00 for the purpose of funding a juvenile detention center program.
- 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.
- 11 Board Vacancies
- 12 There were no board vacancies.
- 12 There were no public comment speakers.
- 13 Discussion Item(s)
- 13 page break
- 14 Richmond Public Schools Updates
- 15 RPS Facilities Modernization Engagement Plan
- 15 There were no amendments or corrections to the meeting minutes of July 9, 2026, and the committee approved the minutes as presented.
- 16 Amy Popovich, DCAO for Human Services, presented an update on city Human Services programs. She introduced Lamont Barnes as the new Senior Policy Advisor for the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and highlighted his experience in violence prevention and youth services. She also recognized Library Card Month and reported a 35% increase in summer reading participation over four years, and announced the Central Virginia Resource Navigator, an online tool providing access to more than 130 behavioral health and substance use resources.
- 17 Staff Report
- 18 Education & Human Services Standing Committee September 10, 2026 Staff Report
- 20 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
- 21 Dominic Barrett, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services, provided an update on the Richmond Thrives Grant Program, which replaced the former non-departmental grant process. Mr. Barrett stated that the program was designed to reduce the application to funding timeline from approximately ten months to four months. He also stated applicant feedback would be gathered to improve future grant cycles with grant recipients expected to be announced in December, and the FY2028 proposed budget would include funding allocations for Council's consideration.
- 22 The committee praised the Richmond Thrives grant process and also encouraged expanded nonprofit training and technical assistance to support smaller and newer organizations.
- 26 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
- 27 Patrick Herrell, Chief Operating Officer for Richmond Public Schools, presented RPS’s facilities modernization planning process, which focused on gathering community input to prioritize school modernization needs over the next five to ten years. He stated RPS was conducting sessions across all nine districts, and the first phase focuses solely on prioritizing schools for modernization. COO Herrell also highlighted the significant facilities need across RPS, noting an average building age of 62 years. Recent city investments, including meals tax funding, have supported several new school facilities.
- 28 The committee discussed how the process was intended to help the RPS Board develop a data informed modernization plan, and how community sessions had shown that participants often shift from advocating for individual schools to recognizing the broader needs across the division. Members also praised the process and encouraged RPS to return with findings and recommendations after completing the remaining community sessions.
- 29 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
- 31 The following ordinance was considered:
- 33 Public Hearing
- 34 There were no public hearing speakers.
- 35 Greg Hopkins, Director of Justice Services, provided details about the city's plan to use state grant funding to upgrade its juvenile facility into a more trauma informed, youth-friendly environment.
- 36 Members discussed the one time funding to support facility improvements rather than ongoing programs, including replacing outdated furniture, repainting, improving gym acoustics and padding, and modernizing visitation rooms, and to also support Richmond’s post dispositional services, by providing youth with appropriate programming and a smoother transition back into the community. Mr. Hopkins emphasized that the upgrades were intended to create a more trauma informed, child friendly, and rehabilitative environment without creating recurring budget obligations.
- 37 There were no further comments or discussions and Member Andrew Breton moved to forward ORD. 2026-191 to Council with the recommendation to approve,which was seconded and approved: Ayes 2, Breton, Jones. Noes, 0.
- 38 Discussion Item(s)
- 39 Update from the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for Human Services
- 45 Council staff provided the committee with the September Education and Human Services staff report.
- 46 A copy of the material provided has been filed.
- 47 Adjournment
- 48 There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:19 p.m.
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