City Council - Regular Meeting

Good evening, everyone. Good evening. The formal meeting of the Richmond City Council will now come to order. Madam Clerk, if you would give us, allow for direction regarding Spanish interpretation at this time.

Spanish interpretation is available in the council chamber. Please see a representative at the rear of the room to receive the appropriate equipment. Spanish interpretation is also available through Microsoft Teams for virtual attendees in need of this service.

La interpretación en español está disponible en la Cámara del Consejo. Por favor, acudan a un representante en la parte de atrás de la cámara para recibir el equipo adecuado. También está disponible la interpretación en español a través de Microsoft Teams para los asistentes virtuales que necesiten el servicio. Thank you.

At this time, we'll have the invocation provided by Pastor Ashon Williams of Broomfield Memorial Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, after which we will have the Pledge of Allegiance. Welcome, Pastor.

Thank you for the opportunity. Almighty God, we want to say thank you for bringing us here on this beautiful day. We ask now God to fill our hearts with your love and keep your presence always with us. We ask that you continue to strengthen the leaders of this great city. Help them to do what you have called them to do. Place the everlasting protection over them wherever they may go. Help them to transform this city to make a great impact in our lives and help us to give them the support they need to move forward. It was by your authority that allowed us to have this opportunity to acknowledge you for all the things that you do. You have been so good to us. So please, please help us be good to one another at this time. We love you and we thank you for listening to our prayer on this day. Amen. Thank you.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Clerk, if you would read the emergency evacuation plan and public speaker guidelines at this time.

Upon activation of the emergency alarm signal, all persons should immediately exit the building. Please use the exits to the left or right front of the council chamber or the north or south stairwells outside the rear doors of the chamber. Do not use elevators or escalators. After exiting the building, security will direct everyone down 9th Street to the fenced area located between Clay and Lee Streets. Able persons should assist visually and hearing impaired visitors with exiting the building. Individuals speaking during public hearings in the public comment period are generally allowed three minutes to speak. Persons appearing before counsel are not allowed to campaign for public office, promote private business ventures, use language of a personal nature which insults or demeans any person, including comments directed at public officials or staff members that are not related to their official duties, or address or question staff members directly. All questions are to be directed to the president of counsel. Failure to adhere to the guidelines may result in speakers forfeiting any remaining time and further disciplinary action as necessary, which could include barring from attendance at future meetings of city council for a period of six months.

And Madam President, for the record, all members of council are in attendance this evening except for Councilor Jones. You do have a quorum. Also, if there are individuals standing in the rear of the chamber that are unauthorized, they are asked to be seated where seats are available. Also, applause is not permitted during the course of tonight's meeting. Thank you.

thank you at this time let's proceed with our speakers for the public comment period the first speaker is thomas courtney welcome mr courtney thank you good evening my name is thomas courtney from the first district i'm a nearby resident and i also serve as registered agent for floyd grove shepherd llc a small neighborhood group formed by impacted nearby residents The timer, by the way. I'm here to provide a brief public update regarding the VMFA Grove Avenue storage facility and unresolved land use questions now reaching the certificate of occupancy stage. The timeline is straightforward. In 2024, the project was approved by Director Vonk after objections were raised. In March of 2025, during the BZA process, the project was defended on the premise that it would operate as an institutional accessory connected to the VMFA and Commonwealth control. The facility has now reached the certificate of occupancy stage, while the public record still does not appear to confirm that institutional control condition. The basic issue is simple. If the facility is controlled and used by the VMFA or the Commonwealth, there should be records to support that. If instead it is privately controlled storage or warehouse use on a separate parcel, then that reality should be reconciled. A special use permit may still be required. The problem is ambiguity. The project has been described as institutional when that characterization supports zoning approval, but private ownership and private property restrictions have also been asserted in other contexts. That shifting public-private posture is especially problematic where a state actor, nonprofit, or state affiliated institution is involved. This concern is grounded in the city's own prior record. In October of 2022, zoning administrator, Mr. Davidson, stated that a use of a separate lot for the museum, if owned by the foundation, was not permitted as a principal use. The later pathway depended on Commonwealth lease or control. Yet, no final written zoning determination or supporting document has resolved that use and control question. The corrective path should be clear. Before occupancy is treated as settled, the city should either issue the requested zoning confirmation letter identifying the present factual basis for institutional control or require a public corrective land use process. One possible path is a special use permit review by the private applicant so the actual use, control, neighborhood impacts, and conditions of occupancy can be publicly reviewed. My request is narrow. Please do not allow occupancy to make the pending zoning confirmation issue functionally irrelevant. The public record should clearly state the authorized use, the controlling entity, and the factual basis for zoning compliance before the facility is treated fully compliant for occupancy. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Courtney.

The next speaker is Sharon Harper.

WELCOME, MS. HARPER.

WELCOME, MS. HARPER.

WELCOME, MS. HARPER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. HI. HI. HI. THANK YOU FOR CITY COUNCIL THANK YOU FOR CITY COUNCIL THANK YOU FOR CITY COUNCIL FOR HAVING ME TODAY. FOR HAVING ME TODAY. FOR HAVING ME TODAY. MY NAME IS SHARON HARPER MY NAME IS SHARON HARPER MY NAME IS SHARON HARPER AND I AM A CONCERNED AND I AM A CONCERNED AND I AM A CONCERNED RESIDENT OF RICHMOND, RESIDENT OF RICHMOND, RESIDENT OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. VIRGINIA. VIRGINIA. I'M HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS I'M HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS I'M HERE TODAY TO ADDRESS A CRITICAL and rental costs across our city and the border of Virginia region. This persistent upwards trend is directly attributable to a severe long-term housing shortage. Estimates suggest a demand for over 1,000 additional units in Richmond alone, highlighting significant and growing deficiency. More broadly, Our state faces a critical shortage, approximately 300,000 homes, encompassing both rental properties and for sale residences. This intense competition for limited housing stock places immense pressure on current and prospective residents. Furthermore, I understand that Virginia currently lacks statewide rent control laws or caps on rental increases. While landlords are required to adhere to specific notice periods and generally cannot increase rent during an active fixed-term lease unless explicitly permitted by the agreement, the absence of broader regulatory limits allows for unchecked price escalation in many instances. My personal experience, despite working for a reputable company, starkly illustrates the profound challenges faced by countless individuals. And in my search for suitable rental accommodation, I consensually encounter a situation. My income often exceeds the threshold for tax credit or other affordable housing programs. Yet market rate one-bedroom apartments demand rents of $1,700, $1,800 or more, renting them affordable for working individuals. This creates an impossible dilemma for many. The financial burden of residents, including myself, have been staggering. You have 30 seconds. Okay. With the rental cost of nearly 40% between 2019 and 2026. This crisis is not merely has been profound social consequences. Our today is among those that are experiencing homelessness. And I thank you for your time.

Thank you, Ms. Harper.

The last speaker is Tyrone Hurd.

Welcome, Mr. Hurd.

Thank you. Good afternoon. Thank you. I'm here today to speak on behalf of my daughter, who lives on Ingram Avenue. And I've spoken with Councilwoman Trammell about this issue. About a year and a half ago, the City of Richmond placed a park, a pedestal, an apartment complex in the middle of a neighborhood. Sounds like a good idea until we don't have any parking for the homeowners because the tenants in the apartment complex refuse to use the parking lot, which is over 50% empty, or rather park on the street and take up the parking for the homeowners themselves. Some of the homeowners have disordered putting signs out and cones trying to have a spot to park in front of their own home. We asked the city for help on this. There's a couple of other issues also that we'll get to in just a second, but we asked for the help on this in a very simple manner. By city stadium, I noticed their sign says in event parking is for residents only. What we would like the city to do is please put signs on Ingram Avenue that says homeowner parking only in front of the homeowners. So the tenants in the apartment complex will actually use the parking facility that is built for them. These are not visitors that are parking on the street. These are actual tenants that use the street because it's convenient for a side door to get into their building. I don't have a problem with you being convenient, but you're inconvenient to everybody else around you. The other problem that's being created is that they are leaving abandoned cars now on the street. Tags are expired. They just park them on the street and leave them. I brought this to the attention of the city. told the city about this problem. And the other problem is the increased traffic flow is now Ingram Avenue and the 2100 block is torn to pieces because we have that much of an influx of traffic due to this apartment complex. If you're not sure where it's at, it's where old Oak Grove Elementary School used to stand. And it was torn down and put in a huge complex there. We just ask them for a little bit of help in taking care of this issue. Before somebody gets in an argument and then there's a problem about wanting to park your own vehicle in front of your own home, because it's the homeowners that pay property tax to the city. I don't know if your tenants pay property tax or not, but they're renters. They're not homeowners. And I'll just yield back the rest of my time. I appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Hurd. Councilwoman Trammell. Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to make a comment because I want to thank Tyrone for bringing this to my attention. And also, I did speak to the owner of the apartments today, John Gregory, who has said a couple of texts he sent to me that they are working on that. They're waiting for the signs to come in so they can put on there that if the residents that are living there, if they have guests or whatever, they're going to be given a parking pass so that they can park in there. And also, he said that he appreciates you bringing it to my attention because I told him I'm quite sure you didn't have his number. But anyway, he said that you can reach out to me. You know you can. You can call me 24-7. I can let him know what's going on some more. And he said, please give him at least three weeks so that they can get the signs and get the markings so it'll have guests over here and residents over here. But he said just now, if they're parking on the street and they are renting those apartments, they need to have those vehicles inside there, not on the street taking up the citizens like Ms. Brown and your daughter and everybody else that lives over there. Also, if there's cars over there that's parked on the street that do not have tags or they're expired, I know that the captain over there in First Precinct, also our major, they will definitely get over there and they will put tickets on those vehicles. And if they don't move them, they will have them towed. And also our chief is back here, and Karen Spencer, she works at Second Precinct. I don't know who the environmental officer is at first, but I know Major Ronnie Armstead does, and so does our chief, and he will help you. But you know you can call me, and if it doesn't get any better, let me know, because John Gregory said that he has reached out to the property manager and asked her to please have, you know, make an announcement that if they rent there, they need to be there not on the street. And I appreciate you. Thank you so much. And your daughter. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Trammell. I'd like to thank all who've come down to provide public comment and certainly would ask that our administrative representative, as appropriate, would follow up with you for any further discussion or clarification, as well as council members who've done the same. With that, Mr. Clark, let's proceed with the amendments to tonight's agenda.

The amendments to tonight's agenda are as follows. Item 5, Ordinance 2026-102 and Item 6, Ordinance 2026-103 will both be continued to the Monday, June 8th council meeting. Item 9, Ordinance 2026-106 will be amended later this evening and then continue to the Monday, June 8th council meeting. ITEM 12 ORDINANCE 2026109 AND ITEM 16 ORDINANCE 2026113 WILL BOTH BE CONTINUED TO THE MONDAY JUNE 22 COUNCIL MEETING. ITEM 20 RESOLUTION 2026R021 AND ITEM 21 RESOLUTION 2026R022 WILL BOTH BE AMENDED AND CONSIDERED LATER THIS EVENING. Item 22, Ordinance 2025-231 will be continued to the Monday, June 8th Council Meeting. Item 23, Ordinance 2025-282 will be amended later this evening and then continued to the Monday, June 8th Council Meeting. Item 24, Ordinance 2026081 will be continued to the Monday, June 22nd Council Meeting. Item 25, Ordinance 2026090 will be continued to the Monday, June 8th council meeting. Item 26, Resolution 2026019 will be continued to the Monday, June 22nd council meeting. And Madam President, those are all the amendments to tonight's agenda.

Thank you, Mr. Clerk. Are there other additional amendments? Vice President Jordan.

Yes, thank you, Madam President. I would request that and make a motion that we move Item 7, Ordinance 2026104, which is an SUP in my district, to the regular agenda, because I do believe we have some individuals wishing to speak on this topic. Thank you. Is that a second? Yes.

Is there a second?

Second.

Council is now voting on a motion to move item 7, ordinance 2026104 from the consent agenda to the regular agenda. Mr. Breton?

Aye. Ms. Gibson?

Yes. Ms. Robertson? Aye. Ms. Lynch?

Aye.

Ms. Trammell?

Aye.

Ms. Abu-Bakr?

Aye.

Vice President Jordan? Aye. And President Newbill? Aye. That motion has been approved. Thank you.

And I have a motion to accept the agenda as amended.

So moved. So moved.

Is there a second?

Second.

Council is now voting on this evening's remaining agenda amendments as read. Mr. Breton?

Aye.

Ms. Gibson?

Yes.

Ms. Robertson?

Aye.

Ms. Lynch? Ms. Trammell?

Aye.

Ms. Abu Bakr?

Aye.

Vice President Jordan?

Aye.

And President Newbill? Aye.

Mr. Clerk, prior to your reading the consent agenda items, I'd like to announce, as has been announced, that there is a continuance of item 25, ordinance number 2026090, till the Monday, June 8th meeting. But I have been advised, and I can certainly see, that there are persons here desirous of speaking to the paper. But the paper has been continued to June 8, but will accommodate those who are in desirous of speaking when we get to the regular agenda. All right, Mr. Clerk, let's proceed.

I'm sorry, Madam President. I have just a quick clarifying question. Because item 7 has a companion paper, number 10, do they need to both be moved to regular? I suspect that's true. Yes. If so, make a motion to move both to regular. Thank you.

Okay. Mr. Clark, did you get that?

That has been noted and will be included in the original motion.

Thank you. All right, we'll proceed with the reading of the consent agenda items.

This evening's consent agenda consists of the following items. Item 1, Ordinance 2026098. Item 2, Ordinance 2026099. Item 3, Ordinance 2026100. Item 4, Ordinance 2026101. Item 10, Ordinance 2026107. Item 8, Ordinance 2026105. Item 11, Ordinance 2026108. Item 13, Ordinance 2026110. Item 14, Ordinance 2026111. Item 15, Ordinance 2026112. Item 17, Ordinance 2026114. Item 18, Ordinance 2026-115, and Item 19, Resolution 2026-R020. Thank you, Mr. Clark. Madam President, one slight correction. Yes. Item 10, Ordinance 2026-107 has also been moved to the regular agenda, so please disregard that as being on the consent agenda.

Thank you. With that, we will proceed with the public hearing on the consent agenda items. All persons present are speaking to items on the consent agenda. If the persons who are desirous of speaking in opposition would please come forward. Seeing none, those present desirous of speaking in favor of any items on the consent agenda, if you would come forward. Seeing none, the public hearing on consent agenda items now close. Bring it back to council for discussion. Seeing none, I'd like Madam or Mr. Clark to call the question.

Council is now voting on the consent agenda as presented. Mr. Breton? Aye. Ms. Gibson? Yes. Ms. Robertson?

Aye.

Ms. Lynch?

Aye.

Ms. Trammell?

Aye.

Ms. Abu-Bakr?

Aye.

Vice President Jordan?

Aye.

And President Newbill? Aye. Those papers have all been adopted.

Okay. Let's proceed with, I think we have some motions for this evening prior to going to regular session.

So Madam President, you would like to handle the motions first before the regular agenda? Or would you like to proceed with the regular agenda items number 7 and 10 first?

Since we've reduced the number and we do have folks to speak, let's go on and go to the regular instead. And then we'll come back to the motions to amend and vote.

And Madam President, since items 7 and 10 are companion ordinances, would you like for me to take those together?

Yes, please.

OK. THE FIRST TWO ITEMS ON TONIGHT'S REGULAR AGENDA ARE ITEM 7 AND ITEM 10. ITEM 7 IS ORDINANCE NUMBER 2026-104, AND THAT'S TO AUTHORIZE THE SPECIAL USE OF A PORTION OF THE PROPERTY KNOWN AS 1117 WEST FRANKLIN STREET FOR THE PURPOSE OF UP TO TWO SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED DWELLINGS AND TWO DWELLING UNITS WITHIN AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE. And item number 10 is ordinance number 2026-107 to amend the ordinance which authorizes special use of the property known as 1117 West Franklin Street for the purpose of an expansion of an existing institutional use upon certain terms and conditions and to authorize a reduction in size of existing institutional use. Those two papers are before counsel.

Thank you, Madam Clark. Do we have any... person's present desires of speaking from the administration, Mr. Bonk, relative to those items.

Good evening, Kevin J. Bonk, Director of Planning and Development Review. The papers before you are at request of the Mayor. To summarize them together, The request is for a parcel with two buildings that are being used institutionally. That's what number 10, the original SUP, was for. This would be to rescind that SUP and instead a new special use permit that would authorize construction or converting each of the existing buildings to have a detached dwelling unit, so two detached dwelling units, and then adding an accessory dwelling unit in each of the parcels. So a total of four dwelling units, two on each parcel, would be part of this special use permit request. Staff went through, vetted it. It fits in line with the master plan of neighborhood mixed use. It does not violate any of the six criteria. So staff recommended approval. and Planning Commission recommended approval at its last meeting.

Thank you, Mr. Vaughn. We'll proceed with a public hearing. All those desirous of speaking in opposition to the papers, you would come forward.

Hi, my name is Laura Potter and I live on West Avenue near Beth Ahaba. My family has lived in this neighborhood for over 25 years and I'm here today as a resident who cares deeply about Richmond's future growth, preservation, and planning process. Many of my neighbors and people in other parts of the city have submitted emails and stand with me in making the request that the Ordinance for the two ADUs be reconsidered and sent back to the planning committee. The ADUs raise significant concerns about scale, alley character, and cumulative precedent in fan alleys. What I'm asking you to do today is very simple. to continue discussing this within the Planning Commission for further consideration. As I mentioned, many of my neighbors have submitted emails in support of my statement, and I'd also like to state that the developer, Mark Baker, asked the West Avenue Improvement Association for a letter of support, and that was refused. Code for refresh still underway is expected to be finalized soon. And with the SUP proposal, when it was first considered last November by the Commission of Architectural Review, there was extended discussion about the proposed ADUs that reflect the same larger debate that Richmond is facing today. How do we balance increased density with preservation, historic context, and neighborhood character? Several commissioners noted at the first CAR meeting that the proposed ADUs raised distinct questions, whether the alleys are functioning more and more like streets rather than alleys, and also the cumulative impact of ADUs, especially when they are disproportionately large, which is the situation in this instance. As one commissioner captured it succinctly, she said, if they all become two stories, why not three?

You have 30 seconds.

Why not four? I'm asking you to return this back to the planning committee so that it can be approved in line with the code refresh, which is soon to be completed. I think it is inappropriate to approve something when so much else is in flux and being decided at the same time. Thank you.

Thank you. Do we have persons present desirous of speaking in favor of any item on these items that are before us?

Good evening, Madam President, members of council. I'm Mark Baker, Baker Development Resources. And so with regards to items number seven and number 10, companion papers, they deal with 1109 through 1125 West Franklin Street. Really what's at stake is 1109 and 1111 West Franklin Street, which are two originally very grand single family dwellings. They're part of a larger assemblage. It's owned by congregation Beth Ahaba. Again, 1109 through 1125, as Director Volk indicated, they were subject to a special use permit for institutional use across all five of those properties. The two papers, the special use permit amendment number 10 is required to break those two original buildings out from the original special use permit. Item number seven, which is a special use permit, would just simply reauthorize them as their historic use, which is single family dwellings. And of course we've met the ADUs as well, which is consistent really anywhere in the city in association with a single family dwelling. If these dwellings had never been incorporated into the special use permit, they would still retain the right of single family dwellings. And the notion of building an ADU would be done by right. So it's just that previous inclusion, the special use permit that's really driving this. The buildings are large. I mean, they're over 4,000 square feet and really in the context in terms of other uses in the block, the institutional views next door, VCU's adjacency. I mean, the notion of multifamily here wouldn't have been an inappropriate request. In fact, this is probably one of the least intense requests Baker Development Resources has ever bought before the council. And so it's consistent with it's really the least use least intense use that we could put the buildings to It's consistent with historic use and would accomplish the thorough and thoughtful renovation of the buildings I would note that the PC the Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of It's also, there was some discussion about the notion of commission architecture review commentary, but this received a certificate appropriateness of the plan for the construction from the certificate from the, I'm sorry, the commission of architecture review after two meetings. So there was, to the extent these concerns have been mentioned, they were vetted throughout the process, including a lengthy special use permit review. And I would just note that we did present We always send out letters to adjacent property owners. We did also present to the West Avenue group as well. And I would note that there hasn't been communication since that meeting.

You have 30 seconds.

As to whether we were asking for an approval letter or not, but we did reach out and presented it to them. So I'll certainly answer any questions you might have.

Thank you, Mr. Baker. Seeing no other speakers for public comment period, bring it back to council for discussion. Vice President Jarrett.

Thank you. I appreciate the resident who came out to speak about this SUP. And obviously, we always want to make sure that items get a full discussion. Appreciate the representative from the development team. And just to give a little bit more context to this, these are homes that are originally residential homes. They're being put back to the original use. ADUs are by Bright. And West Avenue, at their fall meeting, had a presentation on this project. And it received positive feedback from those in attendance. I understand not everyone was in attendance. We have gotten some late-breaking emails on this, but it has not been overwhelming opposition. And in fact, we've had some emails of support of neighbors who are excited to have new neighbors in the neighborhood. I always prefer there to be unanimous support among neighbors when there is a project, but I do believe this is a thoughtful SUP, and I will be supporting it and asking for my colleagues to support it as well. Thank you.

Thank you. Any other comment at this time? Seeing none, I'll ask that we call the questions.

Council is now voting on ordinance numbers 2026-104 and 2026-107 as read. Mr. Breton? Aye. Ms. Gibson? Yes. Ms. Robertson? Aye. Ms. Lynch? Aye. Ms. Trammell? Aye. Ms. Abu-Bakr? Aye. Vice President Jordan. Aye. And President Newbill. Aye. Those papers have both been adopted. Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Let's proceed. I think we have some motions to amend and vote on.

Madam President, I believe you wanted to allow public comment on item number 25.

Well, I was trying. Well, we can go first.

Madam President, so you're allowing a public hearing at this time for item number 25?

Right, but we had others that we have one that's, well, the others are continued, and so That would do it. So at this point, I will ask, and again, I want to reemphasize that that paper will be continued to Monday, June 8th. But again, understanding that there are persons who came down to speak and may not have gotten that notice, would like to extend the opportunity for you to come forward and speak at this time.

Good evening, Council President Newbill, Vice Council President Jordan, and members of the Richmond City Council. Thank you for allowing me to speak tonight. My name is Jeff Burnson, chief of staff of SEIU Virginia 512, as well as a proud member. I'm speaking tonight in support of updating the city's collective bargaining ordinance to allow bargaining over promotions and transfers. First, I want to thank city administration and our public safety unions for bringing this forward. I appreciate the leadership on this issue. and the recognition that promotions and transfers are important workplace matters that belong in the bargaining table. These decisions directly impact employees' career advancement and day-to-day working lives. I'm here tonight to respectfully ask that the change apply to all bargaining unit employees in the City of Richmond, not only public safety. That includes general government employees represented by SEIU Virginia 512, as well as International Brotherhood of Teamsters who represent public works employees. If promotions and transfers are appropriate subjects of bargaining for firefighters and police officers, they also are appropriate for the workers who keep the city running every day in public works, administration services, and of course departments across all of city government. The city should not create two different standards for collective bargaining rights depending on the type of employee. Fairness and consistency matter. All city workers deserve the same opportunity to bargain over workplace policies that affect advancement, transfers, and career opportunities. Applying this ordinance equally would strengthen labor management relationships across the city, support retention and recruitment, and reinforce Richmond's commitment to treating all workers with fairness and respect. Richmond has made real progress by recognizing collective bargaining. Tonight is an opportunity to continue that progress, make sure this ordinance benefits every bargaining unit across the city. I respectfully ask council to support this change for all recognized bargaining units in the city of Richmond. Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Good evening. My name is Crystal Brown. It saddens us to know that this administration is attempting to change the collective bargaining ordinance for fire and police only. Are we progressing or moving backwards? It appears police and fire are treated differently or valued because these professions are dominated by males. It's equally important for professions dominated by females to receive the same support and respect We, too, are on frontline to serve and protect while educating, motivating, and inspiring others to be productive citizens with the quality of life through social services, schools, and in-home services, to name a few. Honor our contract. The future of this city, state, and nation is depending upon it. Nothing worthwhile has been achieved without the advocacy of women on the front line. When you educate a man, you educate many. But when you educate a woman, you educate a nation. Vote to protect what we've earned. Union strong. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Felicia Boney and I'm coming in to speak about the collective bargaining ordinance and the possible changes that may happen. I want everybody to understand that if this is one city, our city, then all of us as employees should be treated equally. Nothing should be changed in the ordinance that's not going to affect all five bargaining units across the city of Richmond. We want to ensure that there's fair and equitable language happening for each bargaining unit, not just fire and police. Fire and police are special, but so are we. Fire and police cannot do their jobs without us. So please consider, when you're looking at this ordinance change, consider all bargaining units. Thank you.

Thank you. And thank you to all who came this evening to speak to the paper. Again, I will remind you that the paper will be heard on June 8. With that, Madam Clerk, I guess I've been rushing you to motions to amend. So if we can proceed.

Yes, Madam President. The first motion is for item number nine, ordinance number 2026-106. And before you, council members, is a motion to amend this ordinance, which authorizes a Mosby Court self-redevelopment preliminary community unit plan permitting the development of a residential community and ground floor commercial area at 1804 P Street and 1930 P Street and repeals ordinance number 1961-164-144 and all amendatory ordinances thereto. The proposed amendment would modify the maximum residential density and exclude certain building material. Councilmember Gibson, would you make the motion to amend and continue this ordinance to the June 8th council meeting, please?

So moved.

Councilmember Trammell, will you second that motion, please? Second. Thank you. Council is now voting on the motion to amend and continue ordinance number 2026-106 to the Monday, June 8th council meeting as stated. Mr. Breton? Aye. Ms. Gibson?

Yes.

Ms. Robertson? Aye. Ms. Lynch? Aye. Ms. Trammell? Aye. Ms. Abu-Bakr? Aye. Vice President Jordan?

Aye.

And President Newbill. Aye. That motion has been approved. Thank you, Madam Clerk. We will proceed to the next item for amending.

The next item for amendment is for item number 20, resolution number 2026-R021, which requests that the CAO calls the Department of Planning and Development Review to conduct a study of the feasibility of establishing a registration system for nonprofit housing providers to register housing units reserved for affordable housing tenants and purchasers, for identifying such units and recognizing affordability restrictions in the valuation of such properties for taxation purposes, and to provide the Council with recommendations for implementing such system. The proposed amendment would also request that for-profit housing providers be included in such study. Councilmember Robertson, would you make the motion to amend resolution number 2026-R021 as stated?

So moved, Madam Clerk.

Council Member Abu Bakr, will you second that motion, please?

Second.

Thank you. Council is now voting on the motion to amend Resolution Number 2026-R021 as stated. Mr. Breton? Aye. Ms. Gibson? Yes. Ms. Robertson? Aye. Ms. Lynch? Aye. Ms. Trammell? Aye.

I'm sorry. Aye.

Ms. Abu Bakr. Aye. Vice President Jordan. Aye. And President Newbill. Aye. That motion is approved in that paper as amended is before you for consideration.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. We'll now proceed with the public hearing on this item. Do we have persons present desirous of speaking in opposition to this paper? If you would come forward. Seeing none, do we have persons present, desirous of speaking in favor of this paper, if you would come forward. Seeing none, the public hearing is closed. Bring it back to the body for discussion. Madam Clerk, if you will call the question.

Council is now voting on resolution number 2026-R021 as amended. Mr. Breton? Aye. Ms. Gibson? Yes. Ms. Robertson? Aye. Ms. Lynch? Aye. Ms. Trammell?

Aye.

Ms. Albuquerque.

Aye.

Vice President Jordan. Aye. And President Newbill. Aye. That paper has been adopted. Thank you. Let's proceed with the next item for amendment. The next proposed amendment is for item 21, resolution number 2026-R022, which requests that the CAO cause the Department of Housing and Community Development to conduct a feasibility and potential method study by which the city may purchase real property for the development of affordable housing and to provide the council with written recommendations for implementing the findings of the study. And the proposed amendment to this resolution would modify the due date of the written recommendations. Council Member Breton, would you make the motion to amend this paper as stated?

So moved.

And Council Member Lynch, would you second that motion, please? So moved. Thank you. Council is now voting on the motion to amend resolution number 2026-R022 as stated. Mr. Breton?

Aye.

Ms. Gibson? Yes. Ms. Robertson? Aye. Ms. Lynch? Aye. Ms. Trammell? Aye. Ms. Abu-Bakr? Aye. Vice President Jordan? Aye. And President Newbill? Aye. That motion has been approved and that paper as amended is before you for consideration. Thank you, Madam Clerk.

And I'm looking at Councilwoman Robertson. Any comment at this point? Otherwise, once we come back for at the end of public hearing, we could.

Thank you.

We'll proceed with a public hearing on this paper. All those present, desirous of speaking in opposition to the paper, if you would come forward. Seeing none, any persons present, desirous of speaking in favor of the paper, if you would come forward. Seeing none, the public hearing is closed. Bring back to the body for discussion. Madam Clerk, seeing none at this point, we'll go in and call the question.

Council is now voting on resolution number 2026-R022 as amended. Mr. Breton?

Aye.

Ms. Gibson? Yes. Ms. Robertson?

Aye.

Ms. Lynch? Aye. Ms. Trammell? Aye. Ms. Abu-Bakr? Aye. Vice President Jordan? Aye. And President Newbill? Aye. That paper has been adopted as amended. Thank you.

Let's proceed to the next item for amending.

Lastly, there is a proposed motion to amend for item number 23, ordinance number 2025-282, which amends city code by adding therein a new section 26-370 concerning a deferral program for certain real estate taxes. And the proposed amendment would extend the implementation date of and modify the requirements for the program. Councilmember Abu-Bakr, would you make the motion to amend and continue this ordinance to the Monday, June 8th council meeting?

So moved.

Council Member Gibson, will you second that motion? Second. Thank you. Council is now voting on the motion to amend and continue ordinance number 2025-282 to the Monday, June 8th council meeting as stated. Mr. Breton?

Aye.

Ms. Gibson? Yes. Ms. Robertson? Aye. Ms. Lynch? Aye. Ms. Trammell? Aye. Ms. Abu-Bakr? Aye. Vice President Jordan? Aye. And President Newbill? Aye. That motion has been approved.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Let's proceed to the approval of minutes.

The minutes to be approved are from the Monday, May 11th, 2026 informal and formal city council meetings at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. If there are no corrections or amendments, then the minutes will be approved as presented. Those minutes have been approved.

Thank you, Mr. Clark. Let's proceed to introduction of new legislation.

Members, the list of legislation for introduction this evening consisting of items 5 through 19 has been provided to you, and the legislation on this list is hereby introduced as presented. A copy of the list is currently available for public inspection at the rear of the council chamber, and an electronic copy and copies of the listed legislation will be available on the city's website on Wednesday, May 27. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Clerk.

At this time, we'll proceed to have reports and announcements from council members. Councilwoman Albuquerque.

First and foremost, Forest Hill and West River Hills neighborhood associations are having their annual yard sale on Saturday, June 6th from 8 a.m. to noon. There are 50 households participating. So look at either one of those social media pages to find out which houses. They actually do a map so you can go and find lots of good treasures, and it's just a great way to engage with the communities there. The Friends of Forest View Cemetery are hosting a volunteer day at the cemetery on Saturday, June 13th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. They'll be doing some cleanup and restoration efforts, and they could use volunteers, so look in my newsletter for a link and information on how to sign up for volunteering at that. And again, if you want to reach my office, it's 804-646-5646 or sarah.abubacher at rva.gov and timmy.siverd, S-I-V-E-R-D, at rva.gov. Thank you.

Thank you. Councilwoman Trammell.

Thank you, Madam President. I have an announcement to make on, I guess it'll be Tuesday, Tuesday, June 2nd, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Chicago Avenue Baptist Church, 2331 Broad Rock Boulevard. There is going to be an event for seniors. And you can come out there and speak to the police, the fire, the Richmond Ambulance Authority, and also there's going to be someone from public utilities and the finance department, which so many citizens are calling me about tax relief. They want to know how did they get the forms, and they need some help filling out those forms. Also, today I was told again about tax freeze, and I fully do not understand exactly what the tax freeze is, but if you come to this event, or next Tuesday, June the 2nd, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., it'll be some people there that will help you to fill out those forms so that you can get tax relief or tax freeze. And also, they'll help you with those forms, because if you don't get your forms, then you're going to have to pay next year all of your money, and you might not get it back like you did this year. So please, please come to that meeting or come to that event. Also, let me see, at our last meeting at the satellite, which was May the 14th, we had a great time. We had some great speakers. And also, we had Karen Spencer, who is our environmental officer. She danced. with all the seniors, and they want her to come back again because they, I mean, I swear, I think she got 12,000 views on that. She's usually back here, but anyway, she was dancing with everybody, and she did give us an update. She told us about, you know, some of the things that she's been cleaning up at Second Precinct because she's the Second Precinct Environmental Officer, and at First Precinct, the chief had told me that he had given me the name of that officer, too. I forgot, but anyway, We have first and second in our districts. So we're hoping that at our next meeting, which is going to be June 11th, that Officer Karen Stanley will be able to come back again, give us another update on the Richmond Highway that I'm getting a lot of calls in reference to the crime. And yes, I think it was Sunday, somebody walked out in front of me right there at Bell's Road at the traffic light, just walked out of walked out in front of me, kind of like almost thank God I didn't hit him. But anyway, in the daytime, pouring down rain. But anyway, we're asking her to please help us. Also, a lot of people upset because Captain D's right there at Richmond Highway has closed up. It is no longer serving food. Also, we heard that Wendy's is going to be the next. And also, I was given a phone call last week that the Philip Marsh Credit Union right there on Commerce Road, right across from Philip Mars, will close in June. And it will be tore down, our credit union that I've been a member of since 1979. So that is really heartbreaking. But anyway, the board members made a decision to close it, and that's going to be closed. Also, this right here is your smoke alarm. Got to have a working smoke alarm so it can save your life, save your home, save your neighbors and all that. Go to the nearest fire station. They will come to your home or to your business and make sure that you have working smoke alarms. Or you can call 646-1526 and ask them to come out and check your smoke alarm and to replace it. They will not leave it. People ask me. Can I bring them a smoke alarm? No. Firefighters have to come there because they document every smoke alarm that they put up so that they know that they're working and that they're installed safely. If you have any questions, you can call my home at 804-233-7382. That's 804-233-7382. Or you can call my personal cell at 804-240-5050. 804-240-5050.

Thank you, Madam President. Thank you, Councilmember Trammell. Councilwoman Lynch?

I was pulling up my announcements. So just a quick reminder, I know some of my colleagues covered this, our tax due dates, personal property tax bills are due June 5th. The second half of our real estate tax bill is due on June 14th. And as mentioned, the City of Richmond offers online payment options through the enhanced RVA pay system. Take advantage of it. It's a great option. service and there are no service fee no service fees for payments made through the rva pay for pay portal code refresh once draft three is released we will be scheduling another code refresh town hall to review any changes from draft two to draft three please stay tuned for dates Was really, really excited about our nature exploration area. Got to check it out with Charlotte and Grace, my two and four-year-old, last weekend. Great new play space on Bell Isle. Go check it out if you get a moment and want to get some nature time in for your kids. Lastly, I'll be hosting my annual 5th District Ice Cream Social on Saturday, June 13th at Fondatello Park in Southside from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please come out for the fellowship. with our friends, neighbors, and Ruby's Group's ice cream, which is on us. There will be various departments and organizations setting up tables as well. And if you would like to have a table, please contact amy.robbins at rva.gov or 804-646-5724. And as always, you can reach me by calling my office, 804-646-5724, emailing stephanie.lynch or amy.robbins at rva.gov. Thank you.

Thank you. Council Member Robertson.

Thank you, Madam President. We are having a great event on May the 30th at 10 o'clock to 3 o'clock at the Anne Hardy Plaza. We're doing a Highland Park garden walk. We have a wonderful garden club, and they are doing a walk with neighbors, with residents that live in the Highland Park community. At 1000 Pollock Street is the address where they'll kick off. They will also have lunch from 12 to 1. We're also having a Gateway 6th District summer kickoff summer festival, food, games, lots of goodies, lots of recognition of all of our graduates from preschool through 12th grade, rich and public schools, on June the 27th. from 10 o'clock to 1 o'clock. That will be at Hoskins Field Community Center, 3300 First Avenue. And then also, we want to put out a notice, short notice, but want you to be encouraged. Activation and Beautification Care Grant, which is a grant provided, which is providing funds for interim activation and beautification projects to improve the revitalization and the environment for retail services and other businesses in our Richmond care area. Applications for consideration are due by June 1st. Neighborhood civic associations, business associations, nonprofits, foundations, and similar groups may apply. Details about the grant and the application process is available at Richmond EDA, richmondeda.com slash activation dot grants. And lastly, just want to mention that the board of the Greater Richmond Transit Company has voted to continue fare-free services through June 2027. WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS TO GET TO THEIR JOBS, SCHOOL, HEALTH CARE, ESSENTIAL SERVICES. ALSO, THE DOWNTOWN TRANSFER SYSTEM HUB IS IN PROCESS IN CENTRAL DOWNTOWN, AND THERE'S GREAT PROGRESS THAT ARE BEING MADE TO CONTINUE THAT EFFORT FOR THE DOWNTOWN TRANSFER. WE ALSO ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CONTINUING THE PLANNING FOR THE PROPOSED NORTH-SOUTH PATH EXPRESSION, EXPANSION, EXCUSE ME, WHICH AIMS TO PROVIDE frequent connections from the north side of Richmond to the south side of Richmond through downtown. And so we look forward to seeing you at these events. You may contact me. My number is 804-314-7658. The office number is 804-646-7964. Kimberly Kyle will be glad to help you in any way that we can. We will also, one last thing, one thing. We're doing a follow-up to the charrette that we had in April. That will be on June the 6th from 10 to 12 at Anne Hardy Community Center. Thank you.

Thank you. Councilwoman Gibson.

Thank you. I wanted to thank Mayor Vula for coming to our last district meeting in May. Our next meeting will be June 17th at 6 p.m. at Holton Elementary School. On Tuesday, June 9th at 6.30, there will be a Rosedale Civic Association meeting. That's at 1704 West Laburnum Avenue. And there is a Battery Park Civic Association meeting that same night at the Stone House, which is located at 2803 DuPont Circle. Also mark your calendars for Sunday, May 31st, 1 to 5 p.m. for the Bellevue Garden Walk. Always a lovely time. This self-guided tour throughout Bellevue to see all the wonderful neighborhood gardens. To see a full list of gardens being showcased, check out the Bellevue Civic Association's Facebook page. The North Central Civic Association is hosting a fish fry and cookout on Saturday, May 30th from noon to 4 p.m. at North Central Park. The rain date is Saturday, June 6th. RSVP at their neighborhood website at northcentralrva.org. And as always, please email our office You can email me at kenya.gibson at rva.gov and our liaison at sarandon.elliot at rva.gov. If you have any questions or concerns, we'd love to hear from you.

Thank you. Councilman Breton.

Anyone who has been enjoying the grace period for the bike buffer lane parking should be warned that starting June 1st that will go into full enforcement once again. So be prepared for that. The big news in First District is we invite you to check out the Richmond Greek Festival this Thursday through Sunday at the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral on the corner of Malvern and Grove. Big event featuring Greek food, live music, folk dancing, and more. The event is free of charge to attend, and you can get there on the 77 GRTC bus line.

Thank you. Vice President Jordan.

Thank you. Just a couple quick ones. One of the exciting things coming to Abner Clay Park, now that it has been transferred to Parks and Rec, we have a farmer's market. Yes, Jackson Ward Farmer's Market will be starting May 30th. It'll also be June 27th, July 25th, August 29th, September 26th, and October 31st. That's in collaboration with the Black History Museum and Happy Natural Day. So mark your calendars for those events. Also, to come, there will be a June community meeting for the second district with code refresh. Follow our Facebook page, other newsletters for the time once we get that scheduled. Also, this Friday, the city will be raising its pride flag at 11 AM. So that's always a terrific event here at City Hall. And if you need any help with any city issues, please reach out to my office. We're always here to assist and that phone number is 804-646-6532 or you can reach us by cell at 804-201-5069. Thank you.

Thank you. Just a couple of brief announcements. Our 7th District Community Meeting scheduled for May 27th will be rescheduled to June 25th. During the interim we'll have two seven district community conversation meetings focused on the future of the Shembaraza Playground. The first will be Thursday, June 4th at 6 p.m. at the Powhatan Recreation Center located at 5051 North Hampton Street. And the second meeting will be scheduled for Saturday, June 6th at 11. This meeting will be held at the New Luxfield Community Center located at 1925 U Street. please come out and share your ideas thoughts and suggestion and vision for the shimborazo playground at that time for more information regarding 7th district events concerns etc please give our office you can call our office at 804-646-3012 you can call My liaison, Sam Patterson, at 804-241-7544. Or you can call me at 804-543-7837. Thank you. And the formal meeting of the Richmond City Council is now adjourned.