Richmond City Council Formal Meeting - March 10, 2026

The Richmond City Council met on March 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included public comments on pedestrian safety, business closures, and other community issues, followed by discussion and a vote on a proposed ordinance to allocate surplus funds to the retirement system. Several routine items were approved, and multiple ordinances were continued to future meetings.

Consent Calendar

• Items 2–14 on the consent agenda were adopted unanimously without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Brantley Tendall (Director of Bike Walk RVA at Sportsbackers) expressed concern about pedestrian safety, stating that Richmond has the worst pedestrian fatality rate in Virginia per capita. He criticized the lack of infrastructure improvements such as lower speed limits, daylighting intersections, and pedestrian-only signal phases. He called for innovative solutions to save lives.
• Fatima Kamara (First District resident) shared personal experiences of drivers failing to yield and called for urgent action on pedestrian safety, including immediate deployment of electronic message boards to warn drivers. She opposed blaming pedestrians and noted that high crash corridors are disproportionately in historically redlined areas.
• Kathy Burrell (Ninth District resident, mother of a pedestrian killed in November 2025) expressed grief and frustration that the driver was not charged. She called for changes in law to protect pedestrians, comparing the lack of charges to penalties for harming animals.
• Carol Adams (representing retired black police officers and Engine Company Nine) invited the council to the 80th anniversary celebration honoring the first African American police officers hired by the city on May 1, 1946. The event will be held on May 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Main Street Station.
• Anna Mackowicks cited New York City's rapid shelter openings as an example of progress and called for Richmond to open a walk-in shelter for families. She expressed feeling powerless and urged action on homelessness.
• Ezine Al-Assad (representing local neighborhood convenience store owners) opposed what he described as targeting of small businesses under "Operation Vaporize." He argued that these stores are the backbone of neighborhoods, hired locally, and that policy decisions risk destroying a small business class. He referenced the history of Jackson Ward as a cautionary tale.
• Gamden Alashari (store owner for 10+ years, store in location for 30+ years) described his store being shut down for over a month due to alleged electrical and plumbing issues that he claims never existed. He stated he lost seven employees, had his business broken into, and cannot access his property. He asked for an opportunity to fix issues instead of immediate closure.
• Sarita Mancata (organizer with Party for Socialism and Liberation) called for a local resolution opposing the war on Iran, citing negative effects on supply chains and small businesses, and the cost of one billion dollars per day in tax money while facing cuts to social programs.

Discussion Items

• Appointments to RRHA and EDA: A motion was made to refer the appointment recommendations back to the respective standing committees for reconsideration at their April meetings, alongside additional applications. The motion passed unanimously.
• Ordinance 2026-017 (Surplus Allocation to Retirement System): Councilmember Trammell expressed frustration that the retirement system had not provided adequate information on providing COLAs to retirees. The ordinance would have amended city code to automatically allocate 10% of future surplus funds to a one-time payment to Richmond Retirement System recipients. Councilmember Gibson abstained, preferring a broader review of the surplus allocation formula. Councilmember Lynch also expressed concern about tying hands for future needs. Vice President Jordan suggested first examining the retirement system's own options. Councilmember Trammell argued strongly that retirees have not had a raise since 2006 and deserve support. The ordinance failed on a vote of 3-3-2 (Mr. Breton no, Ms. Gibson abstain, Ms. Jones yes, Ms. Robertson yes, Ms. Lynch abstain, Ms. Trammell yes, Vice President Jordan no, President Newbill no).
• Amendments and Continuances: Two ordinances were amended and continued to the March 23, 2026 council meeting: Ordinance 2025-258 (special use for Daytona Drive) and Ordinance 2026-042 (special use for West Carey Street). Both motions passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• The motion to refer RRHA and EDA appointment recommendations back to committees for April meetings was approved unanimously.
• The consent agenda (items 2–14) was adopted unanimously.
• Ordinance 2026-017 (automatic surplus allocation to retirement system) failed to pass (3 yes, 3 no, 2 abstain).
• Ordinance 2025-258 and Ordinance 2026-042 were amended and continued to the March 23, 2026 council meeting.
• Minutes from the March 23, 2026 meetings (informal and formal) were approved.
• Legislation items 3–13 were introduced as presented.
• Councilmembers announced upcoming district meetings, events, and community resources.