Richmond City Council Formal Meeting - March 11, 2026

The Richmond City Council held a formal meeting on March 11, 2026, at 6:00 PM. The meeting included an invocation, Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, appointments, public comments, consent agenda, regular agenda items, and reports. Key topics included pedestrian safety, city store closures, the Richmond Retirement System (RRS) surplus allocation, and community events.

Consent Calendar

• The consent agenda, comprising items 2-14, was adopted unanimously without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Brantley Tyndall (Director of Bike Walk RVA at Sportsbackers) presented data on pedestrian fatalities: Richmond has the worst pedestrian fatality rate in Virginia per capita. He criticized the lack of infrastructure improvements (e.g., no speed limits lowered to 20 mph, no pedestrian-only signal phases) and noted that since 2014, Richmond's fatality rate increased over 200%, while New York City's decreased 31% after Vision Zero. He urged the council to adopt proven safety measures.
• Fatima Kamara (1st District resident) shared personal experiences of near-misses and called for infrastructure changes, such as narrowing lanes and lowering speed limits, rather than blaming pedestrians. She noted that at least three recent deaths occurred in crosswalks and two on sidewalks.
• Kathy Burrell (9th District resident, mother of Lauren Burrell who was killed by a driver on November 29, 2025) criticized the lack of charges against the driver and called for legal reforms to treat pedestrian deaths as crimes. She stated, "When you hit my 126-pound daughter with a car that weighed over 3,000 pounds, it's not an accident. It's a crime."
• Carol Adams (representing Engine Company 9 and Associates, retired Black police officers, NOBLE) invited the council to a May 8, 2026 ceremony honoring the 80th anniversary of the first African American police officers hired by Richmond in 1946. She highlighted the challenges they faced.
• A speaker (name not fully captured) praised New York City's recent homeless shelter expansions and called for a walk-in family shelter in Richmond, stating, "We still don't have a walk-in shelter for families in Richmond."
• Ezen Al-Assad (representing local convenience store owners) spoke against "Operation Vaporize," which he said is shutting down small neighborhood stores. He argued these stores are community backbones and warned against repeating history (citing Jackson Ward's Black Wall Street). He said, "Small neighborhood stores are not the enemy of this great city."
• Sarita Mankata (organizer with Party for Socialism and Liberation) called for a local resolution opposing war on Iran, citing supply chain disruptions, tax costs ($1 billion/day), and impact on small businesses.
• Gamdan Alashari (store owner for 10+ years) described his store being shut down for over a month due to alleged violations, losing seven employees, and being unable to enter his own business. He asked for an opportunity to fix issues before closure.

Councilmember Trammell responded to the store owners, expressing concern and stating she would work with the CAO and police chief to understand the closures and seek reopening.

Discussion Items

• Appointments to RRHA and EDA: A motion was made and approved (7-0) to refer appointment recommendations back to respective standing committees for reconsideration alongside new applicants at their April meetings.
• Ordinance 2026-017 (Retirement Surplus Allocation): This ordinance would amend city code to automatically direct 10% of future annual surpluses to a one-time payment to Richmond Retirement System recipients. Councilmember Trammell, the patron, argued that retirees have not received a cost-of-living adjustment since 2006. Chief of Staff RJ Warren clarified the ordinance would not affect the current surplus. Councilmember Gibson expressed interest in a broader review of surplus allocation and abstained. Councilmember Lynch noted concerns about tying hands for future rebates or needs. After debate, the ordinance failed with a vote of 3 in favor (Jones, Robertson, Trammell), 3 opposed (Breton, Jordan, Newbill), and 2 abstentions (Gibson, Lynch).
• Amendments to Other Ordinances: Two items (2025-258 and 2026-042) were amended and continued to the March 23 council meeting. Both motions passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda adopted (all items passed).
• Appointment referral motion passed (7-0).
• Ordinance 2026-017 failed (3-3-2).
• Ordinances 2025-258 and 2026-042 amended and continued to March 23, 2026.
• Minutes from March 2, 2026 meetings approved as presented.
• List of legislation introduced (items 3-13) for future consideration.
• Reports and announcements included upcoming district meetings, community events, early voting for the April 21 special election, and reminders about the city budget presentation on March 12, 2026 at 3 PM.