Good afternoon, everyone.

Good afternoon.

The Richmond City Council's budget work session will now come to order.

I will ask if our uh clerk will provide the emergency evacuation plan announcement.

And that will be followed by our council chief or staff, Mr.

Earl Warren, with the overview for the proceedings for today.

Thank you.

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 east or west therewell outside the rear doors of the chamber.

Do not use elevators or escalators.

After exiting the building, security would direct everyone down 9th Street to the assembly area located inside the former public safety building parking lot.

All able persons should assist visually and hearing compare visitors while exiting the building.

Thank you, Madam Clark.

Chief of Staff Warren.

Yes, maybe please the council or Jay Warren, Council Chief of Staff.

Um, quickly going over your agenda today.

Um today you will things will start off with a presentation on uh human services, uh specifically within the city hall.

Um this will specifically deal with uh city agencies within the building that report to city administration.

But just so you know, when we go to questions, um, you'll have two rounds of five minutes uh to answer to ask questions.

The first five minutes will be directly towards uh the DCAO of human services uh regarding city agencies.

We'll go through a round on that.

And then for the second five minutes, you will be able to ask questions of quasi governmental agencies and partner agencies.

Uh a list has been provided before you, you know, for example, Richmond Ambulance Authority, Richmond Behavioral Health Authority, uh, the Virginia Health District, I mean the Richmond and Henryco Health District.

And um, that will be for your second five minutes there.

And um, we will then most likely take a 10 minute recess, uh, followed by coming back into the chamber and having a presentation from CAO Donald on CIP.

Uh, and then you will have five minutes to ask questions at that point, and we'll kind of see how you all feel and how the day is gone if we're gonna do a second round of CIP questions uh at that point at the end of the day.

Uh it'll be a long afternoon, but OD, as you know, has been canceled.

So you will be out of this building foreclose of business, and you won't have to stay here tonight.

And uh just a friendly reminder that uh amendments are due tomorrow night at 11 30 p.m.

And if you have no additional questions of me, I will conclude.

And I'll be available.

Thank you, Mr.

Warren.

I believe the first up is DCAO, uh Amy Popovich.

Welcome, ma'am.

Good afternoon.

That was good.

Good afternoon.

Um, I'm Amy Popovich, uh DCAO for human services.

I'm here today to give you a 20-minute and I mean exactly 20 minute presentation on our work for this year.

Uh, thank you to the mayor and the CAO for their work on this budget.

Uh, and thank you to you all to City Council for your partnership um serving our humans in the city.

I've gotten to see all of you at a variety of different community events out in the uh out in our our Richmond City this year.

Um, and we are better together.

Uh we are better when we approach our work as one.

As I prepare to reach my one-year mark in this role, it's been meaningful to reflect on the work we've done uh and challenging to prepare for the work ahead.

Well, I've worked in public service for 15 years and been a Richmonder for 20.

Uh, it has been an absolute privilege to be a part of shaping the systems and the work we do for our community towards making Richmond a place where all people thrive.

I'm here today to talk about the fiscal year 27 budget, which is a roadmap to a thriving Richmond for our human services portfolio.

You have met with the other three portfolios, the brains and the engine and the backbone.

Today, you get to meet with human services, the heart and soul of the city.

Uh I'd like to introduce my human services staff seated behind me.

Uh, if you're in human services, if you can wave your hand.

Look at this beautiful group.

Uh, we are wearing our polos today uh with a variety of different colors uh that really represents um the vast work that we do, all focused on one mission of serving our community together.

Thank you to the Office of Community Wealth Building and Parks and Recreation for the phenomenal work and growth this year.

Uh, and I'm thankful to my fellow DCAO colleagues.

And I believe as those transition to different portfolios, our cross-sectional partnerships and the our cross-sectional partnerships for these departments will only see expanded growth and development as we push past silos and further integrate our work.

Also, thank you to our community partners, some who are here in the room and some who are online.

We cannot do this work alone, and we are better when we do it together.

So I'm going to start out by talking about the mission of the human services portfolio, which brings together now these four key city agencies that really focus on the quality of life for every Richmonder at any stage in life.

We focus on people who are pregnant all the way to those who are nearing their end of life.

And no matter where a person is in that stage of life, giving quality services to all.

We're guided by this shared commitment to economic stability, improved outcomes, and just the overall health and well-being.

We know that health is a lot more than just the absence of disease, but it is the focus on the whole person.

And we are focusing on the city's mission of being a city where all people and places thrive.

So these are our four departments.

We have our justice services, which now the Office of Gun Violence Prevention is living under, a really seamless way to focus on that work strategically.

Richmond Public Library, we're also joined today by the chair of the Richmond Public Library Board, our social services team, and you'll hear about a lot of new things they're doing.

But I do want to spend a number uh spend a minute on the DNCS, the Department of Neighborhood and Community Services.

As you can see, there's a network of several offices under DNCS.

So DNCS is a network of offices that are focusing on our priority populations within the city of Richmond.

And we use the word priority populations intentionally instead of words like marginalized or vulnerable at risk, because those are the populations we are prioritizing.

As you can see, our Office of Aging and Disability Services, our Office of Children and Families, our Office of Equity Inclusion, Homeless Services, Immigrant and Refugee Engagement, Opioid and Substance Use Response, and our community ambassador program.

While each of these different offices have a specific mission and population, they also work together to strategically focus on efforts as a whole.

Next, I'll talk a minute just about our pillars in human services.

Of course, we're a part of all of these, but we focus really specifically on the thriving economy, thriving neighborhoods, thriving families, and our thriving and inclusive communities.

We do this through assessing our work across the continuum of crisis to thriving internally, on partnering cross-sectionally across our other portfolios, and engaging with our community.

As we talk about this year in review, I get to talk about what we've delivered for Richmonders this year.

I will only get to highlight a few of the wins because of my exact 20 minutes.

But the biggest thing I think that we've done for our work this year is all of our new awesome hires, and we've also done some reclassifications.

So I'm going to read the first part of some of our office leaders, our Office of Equity Inclusion leader, our new Office of Homeless Services Manager, Office of Opioid and Substance Use Response Manager, Office of Aging and Disability, and Office of Gun Violence.

Those individuals, please raise your hand.

There they are.

Yay.

Those are all folks who were not sitting in these seats one year ago, but are folks who have lots of experience, lots of passion, and have been serving Richmond this year.

Additionally, we have some new hires and justice services.

In case you didn't see your email on Thursday, we have a new director of gun violence prevention, Greg Hopkins.

Raise your hand, Greg.

Yay.

And we have a new deputy director of justice services on his first day, Tracy Matthews.

That's right.

Most people get orientation on their first day, but Tracy gets to meet all of you.

So thank you, Tracy, for doing that.

We also have our other DJS leadership team here.

As we've worked on focusing on gun violence prevention this year, we've realized that the number one thing we can do is make sure our justice services, our work that focuses on all of our community is strong and serving our community well.

Additionally, in the last six months, there's been a strong focus on our juvenile detention center vacancy rate that's been reduced from 40% to just 8% in six months.

So that facility is staffed, that facility is ready to go, and we have our new superintendent, Leta Jones, who starts in two weeks as well.

Also, a big work this year was about the transition that you all have heard about, and we've been in discussion about in our outside agency grants.

So improving that work from individual grants to our grant makers, and we're really close and very close to the end of that RFP process for this year.

All right, our neighborhoods.

Also in justice services, they received almost 100% in the public safety assessment program.

Assessments are evidence-based tools that every individual gets when they go through DJS, a really important step in making sure that our judicial partners have the information they need in making those decisions.

Additionally, in our NCS and social services partnership, probably everyone wants to forget Storm Fern, but that storm lasted for 17 nights.

In addition to our regular inclement weather shelter, our staff work together to for 17 nights straight, offer additional warming centers and emergency shelters, serving an additional 50 to 65 people.

If you worked in one of those facilities, warming centers or emergency response, can you raise your hand?

Thank you.

Thank you for your work.

This is over and above the work that they do every day.

Next, we move on to our thriving families.

We've discussed some already about the after school work that happens with our parks and rec.

Just want to make sure everyone knows that the Office of Children and Families is doing the coordinating and the planning and the delivery of making sure that all 26 elementary school and seven middle schools have quality after school programming.

That comes through lots of regular partnership meetings, a lot of relationship-based approach, but also on data and monitoring.

We're excited to also have an opportunity to have some improved data quality monitoring through this next year as well.

In our economy, we wanted to highlight social services new building to our 300 East Franklin Street.

If you have not been there, would really encourage you to go.

This all you have to do is open up the door and step in to the HRM.

And the way that the intentionality around the way the colors were chosen, that the layout is, that the furniture is structured, is all an inviting place so that anyone who sets foot in that building knows that they are welcomed and that we're glad that they're there.

Additionally, we've continued to operate our community resource and training center, which has just hit about a year mark.

We've provided financial assistance, but we've also opened our doors to give folks support there.

And then lastly, we've added this year our CARITAS SERGE shelter.

So an additional 60 beds that supported our community this year.

It's a really important to note that this is the first investment by our region to really support our unhoused population.

So this work was supported by Henraco, Chesterfield, Hanover, and City of Richmond.

In our inclusive communities, want to focus on how additionally we continue to get a hundred score on our municipal equity index.

And also highlight another opportunity that in October, when the SNAP benefits decreased on the federal level, a lot of our NCF staff came together to make sure there was additional food for our communities.

And our Office of Aging and Disability Team supported over 300 older adults with tax relief program information.

Sustainable and built environment.

Another invitation to see five of our Richmond Public Library branches partnered with DPU and through some grant funding to do some really great landscaping work that promoted stormwater drainage.

That lower picture there is of our Ginter Park location that's seen pretty massive outside transitions.

It's now a beautiful place, has a place for folks to hang out outside.

So come and visit our centers.

And lastly, storytelling.

Our Office of Aging and Disability hosted their third annual reclaiming our time genealogy project.

This was focused in the Blackwell community.

The others have focused on Gilpin and Mosby.

It's a really cool, about a six-month process where Dr.

Royster comes and she's an expert on African American histories and really walks through families on what their collective history has been.

I actually just got her report this weekend.

So anybody who wants to see the full report on that, I'm happy to share that with you all.

And we're excited to continue that partnership.

As we talk about our budget here and our and our four key organizations, we have our justice services budget here that's focused on the increase there in both positions and funding that you'll see is because of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention moving under DJS.

So these are not new positions, they are positions moving.

And then the operating budget, this 66,000 really makes sure that the contracts and the work that we have with VCU and with our home electronic monitoring system is able to meet those costs.

DNCS.

So DNCS, the position changes you'll see there are because of the Office of Neighborhood Engagement moving to the CAO's office.

But it does include an additional FDE in the Office of Homeless Services.

We worked in partnership with some of our community partners who really advocated for this full-time role to really support the work happening there.

Our operating budget increase, that 514,000 really focuses on ensuring the Caritas shelter continues.

The funding last year was not in the base budget.

As I mentioned, it was a newer initiative that came from last year's funds.

So that's really what the increase that's what the increase speaks to.

Additionally, ensuring that our rent for Southside Plaza is now paid through DNCS instead of social services as well.

Wanting to make sure our 371 staff know how valued they are.

This 714,000 decrease comes from in the fiscal year budget.

There were several one-time spending costs regarding or related to the move.

So we were able to take out those one-time costs that are no longer needed.

And in Richmond Public Libraries, that increase also comes from the investment in staff that we're making.

And then the decrease there comes in that delaying some select physical infrastructure investments because we prioritize investments in staffing services and community resources.

Additionally, we're able to use some CIP funds to do some assessments, which I'll talk about in a little bit for our libraries.

All right, so what can you expect for next year?

Our outside agency grant making process will officially launch in next fiscal year.

We're on track to put out those applications in the first quarter and have those applications reviewed and approved by the second quarter to make sure our partners receive that funding in the second quarter.

Additionally, as I was just mentioning, Richmond Public Libraries has been evaluating their libraries.

There hasn't been a new library in 50 years.

So the board really came together to say, let's focus on our three oldest libraries.

That's Belmont, Westover Hills, and East End, and do a feasibility study to say what would it look like to add on to these studies.

So we will see the final results of that as we look forward for that.

Additionally, in neighborhoods, as we've discussed, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, that will be moving under Justice Services, and that will really allow for the full continuum with the Office of Gun Violence Prevention focusing a lot on that primary prevention.

We'll be able to do that under the umbrella of DJS, who also does the targeted intervention and justice stabilization.

Additionally, the Office of Substance Use Response, these are our federal funds that come through the Opiate Abatement Authority.

But just wanted to highlight, we'll be distributing $700,000 this year through our first request for application process.

This is the first time we've put out an application in the time we've had our opiate abatement authority funds.

So we're excited about seeing what projects come from there.

Mr.

Povich, you have five minutes left.

Thank you.

And our families, a really exciting thing we're focusing on is our South Side Plaza.

So you will actually see that legislation come before you in a couple of weeks as we are going to give you all the lease for what that looks like for the next 15 years of investment with a focus on our Southside residents.

They'll have lots of different organizations coming to support the work there.

We'll also move our Office of Aging and Disability from its current Huguenot location there.

We'll partner with Richmond and RICO Health District and several organizations.

Finance will also continue to be there as well.

And then economy, really want to focus on how we are updating the city's strategic plan to end homelessness to better align services and strengthen that coordination.

We're going to involve our other regional partners as well as our community partners to make sure that this work that we'll do over the next couple of months really pushes us ahead.

This strategic plan was created in 2020.

It's now 2026, and wanting to use this to focus on for the next couple of years.

Another DJS highlight.

This is an evidence-based practice that happens across the nation where lots of the, as the as you may know, the Justice Services system is made up of lots of different partners.

The Commonwealth Attorney, the Sheriff, our judges, and our DJS team as well.

So these teams get multiple people together to really try to focus on intimate partner and family violence.

And additionally, in the sustainable and built environment, Richmond Public Libraries is launching not just a regular bookmobile, but an electric bookmobile through RCIP.

Thank you, Councilman.

Through our CIP process, and you will see that come next year as well.

And then lastly, in storytelling.

If you aren't familiar with Richmond Public Libraries Memory Lab initiative, it's a very cool initiative through that was grant funded that really does two things.

On the individual level, families are invited to come and bring their pictures and their memories and have it cataloged historically long time so that we can make sure that any any history, we that were inclusive of all history here in Richmond.

When I visited, I got to see a picture of an individual water skiing around Bird Park Lake about a hundred years ago.

So it's fun to see what our history has been like here in Richmond, and are excited to partner with you all to really get the word out about how that happens.

Additionally, the memory lab hosts exhibits where their collective history can really be shared more broadly.

So as I end in conclusion here, this budget uh funds more than just dollars and cents for our human services.

This budget funds the heart and soul of our city.

This is these funds uh are used during times of emergency, like when we need to feed more people, provide water, provide shelter for 17 days in a row.

These funds uh support times of celebration, like when we host uh an adoption celebration for all new parents or those adopting, when we host a t-shirt competition for our young kiddos for our gun violence prevention work in those times where we're celebrating, but also every day in between when our staff are doing the day-to-day work of supporting all Richmond residents.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, feel put absolutely feel free to applaud.

I want to say thank you, uh DCO Popovich uh for your leadership.

I want to say congratulations to all of the appointees in the various new capacities.

We look forward to working with them.

And I want to thank every one of your staff members here who I've seen throughout the community responding to any number of challenges and making sure that our citizens uh were receiving uh the best of service.

So I want to say thank you and well, do an applaud again for all of you.

So let's one more round, please.

Thank you.

Uh at this time we'll start with questions from member.

So councilwoman Jones.

Yes, ma'am, I wasn't even ready, but uh thank you, Ms.

Popovich for an extraordinary presentation.

And um for pretty much drawing the line for us to see where you're coming from, so where you go in.

I have the pleasure of sitting on EHS, so a lot of this information I've kind of seen in the works.

Um, but everyone has done an amazing job in making what they do and how they do it and why they do it very clear.

So thank you for that.

Um, I do have two questions and maybe one comment.

And so the first question is in your presentation, you mentioned um something relative to strengthening language access.

Can you talk a little bit about that?

And then my question is has that been budgeted for?

Sure.

Yeah, I'm actually gonna bring up Carla Ramos who leads our Office of Immigrant Refugee Engagement to talk about her and the team's work there.

Good afternoon.

Carla Ramos, manager of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement.

Um, uh Councilwoman Jones uh and all members of the council.

I'm really inspired to be part of an administration led by the first immigrant elected as mayor of the city of Richmond.

And Dr.

Abula in his mayoral action plan uh has identified thriving and inclusive communities as one of the pillars.

So our office efforts is focusing on improving equitable access to city services through a strengthen um the language access plan.

How we're doing these, we're equipping customer-facing areas with iPads in dual handset phones.

We have installed the language line application in all city mobile devices, and we actually added a shortcut on desk phones to EC Access, which is pound 45.

We're also increasing our capacity through adding three contracted bilingual interpreters for public meeting in supporting, for example, city council formal meetings.

We also have updated and completed publish the city language access plan with aligning uh policies to federal and state guidelines.

And we will be launching soon a virtual compliant training through NeoGov.

So in partnership with the human resources department, so all city employees are able to complete the training.

Through this work, we want to make sure that we all are trained.

We're compliant.

So nobody in our city is not able to access services when they speak other languages than English.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Gala.

Thank you.

And so my question, DCAO, with uh with those updated changes, is that in the budget?

What does that look like?

Yes, that's right.

So Carlos team has two full-time folks who are uh bilingual trained uh interpreters.

Uh and then by utilizing kind of across all of those departments, yes, funding for the phone charges, for example, um, that will happen across that work.

Uh, and then in partnership with human resources, that's all a part of uh that training team and ensuring that training is updated on the UGO.

So no additional positions for that department.

Correct.

All right, and then my second question is um, which I was looking as you were presenting, but then I went to the back where the actual budget is, and it's under neighborhood and community services.

You are requesting, I believe, three additional positions.

It's not three, it's um this is my first year region budget book, and positions are a little bit hard to tell because they get reclassified.

So if a position existed in fiscal year 26, if it was reclassified, it shows up different in fiscal year 27.

So the only new position in DNCS is the one FTE for homeless services.

So these on the back that for family services specialists and project manager, those are not they're not new positions.

That's correct.

They've been reclassified this year.

So they show up as looking at new in fiscal year 27, but they're not new positions, it's just their title has changed during the year of fiscal year 26.

So they don't because they don't show up from last year's fiscal year 26 book, they show up as new, but they're not they're not new positions.

And so these are positions that were already in the department.

Exactly.

They just were their their title and their role were changed, but they're not a new FTE.

Yeah, okay.

Just that one.

And which office was that?

Uh which office is homeless services, the one new FTE, the homeless services.

And then um my other question was you mentioned something about the coordination of programming and um is that a change?

You said pro like I think it was um family and children.

You mentioned something about like at the school program, and is that a change?

Is that something that's not a change?

It's highlighting uh the way that our offices are focusing on policy coordination, partnership coordination, and um two offices do some programming three, I guess.

But how many of those offices only have three or four folks in them?

Office of children families has two, uh, but the way they maximize their work is focusing on policy and that partnership coordination.

So uh and and I think just highlighting um many of our partners here and through that office through Parks and Rec, we are collectively able to offer after school programming to all elementary and middle schools.

And this is through city funding or through the city programs.

Yeah, through city funding and through city programs, correct.

So is it possible for us to see what that looks like, like to get that information?

Yeah, we can send the total.

So um, I think if I hear you right, that will be the amount of funding we spend on parks and rec staff and the programming we do there, um, plus the funding that we give to partners to be able to provide after school.

Okay, absolutely.

Okay.

And then um I thought I was ready, but I'm not.

Um right.

Um I'm gonna pass because I still have to.

If if we come back around, I'll take some time though.

Um you will have uh three minutes that you'll be able to.

Yes.

I'll be able to five.

I'm gonna make my three minutes for right now.

I got you.

Um you can also email me.

I'll phone a friend, Alex.

Thank you.

Vice President Jured.

Thank you so much, President Obil, and thank you for this trivic presentation.

I mean, I think one thing that really jumps out is the 100,000 rich vendors that were helped through DSS.

So to everyone in the audience that was part of that, um, again, thank you so much.

Um, all of the departments uh impact our residents positively.

So thank you for the work you did there.

And uh had a chance to tour some of the emergency climate inclement weather shelters and just um really impressed with how they were stood up in our new community centers.

It's great to see those facilities being able to serve that dual purpose.

Um, as far as specific questions related to the budget, uh I was wondering if we could speak to the zero fare a little bit on GRTC.

I know that's been something each year that we um hear from residents a lot that um is a valuable service to them.

And obviously, we took a hit when BCU decided to create their own redundant system and no longer pay into it.

Um, how are we looking with that budget as far as sustainability going forward for zero fare?

Yep.

Great question.

Do you want to go online or how do you want to handle that?

I'm sorry, I'm being um helped that that's a forward looking question.

So when it comes to yes, I will hold that one for later.

Thank you so much.

Um thank you for everything you guys are done.

That those those would be my general questions.

I have specific ones I'll submit in writing.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Um Gibson.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, this is a wonderful presentation.

I appreciate the time and thank you to the team.

I know that uh January really put us all to work and I appreciate all the time spent.

Um I I wanna understand the uh specifics around recommended social services.

Um for some time there's been a lot of discussion in the city about the caseloads that we have in terms of what the uh employees are are having to manage, and obviously when caseloads are high, um, the residents uh are are feeling that in a in a very well way.

So um so maintaining the caseload, I think is is really a critical metric for us.

Um I really appreciated seeing the um department requests that came through the resolution introduced by council member lynch.

Um and noted of all of the departments within City Hall, that department had the the most personnel requests, which made sense to me given much understanding our city's understanding about how acute those case needs are and so I wanted to understand um what decisions were made, you know, in looking at it ultimately that many of those positions you know were not funded, and so I want to understand more specifically about what that request was, um why those positions ultimately weren't funded, and and and what that impact is on residents who need those social services in the city today.

Sure.

Uh and I'll invite up um Shonda Giles, director of social services here, um, to talk a little bit about the work.

Um, social services has a training team, a dedicated training team to make sure that um the work that each case each case manager does is as quality and and up to date as it can be.

Um, and then also about how um we're really working on hiring for our vacancies.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Shonda Jones, director of social services and councilwoman Gibson.

Thank you.

It's a great question.

I appreciate it.

Um there are a number of things that we have done.

So I can say over time, particularly during COVID, when our numbers of folks that we serve really shot up to probably 51% of the city's population.

We're down to about 45% now.

Um we thought creatively.

So council gave us actually um, or the city city administration gave us some additional positions that we really used permanent part-time.

So we were able to bring in about 46 permanent part-time staff that worked after hours from other localities that we didn't have to train who already knew how to do the work.

Um, so it was creative ways like that that help us get the caseload um volume down and speaking specifically to our public assistance of benefit staff where they were anywhere between 3700 and 3500 then and right now we're between 2300 25 for caseload.

And I'm speaking specifically to our public assistance to benefit staff where they were anywhere between 3700 and 3500 then and right now we're between 2300 25 for caseload.

Um recognizing they don't touch every case every day.

Um how we have shifted in our staffing this go around is we have converted some of those permanent part-time positions to full-time positions as we got that statewide Medicaid backload once that resolved.

So we have approximately 25 permanent part-time, but the rest of those positions we put into full-time so they can carry a full-time caseload.

Um, and you will see in our budget requests that we only prioritized about five positions that were really more around QC and quality control as we're looking at SNAP and not just the volume of what we do, but how well we do it to make sure that we're getting people what they're supposed to have, right amount and things like that.

And so we just shifted how we're doing our work now.

And so as DCAO Popovich mentioned, our internal training team is taking on some of that QC work, and they've already started meeting with our state partners.

We're actually hosting some of that training and QC work around error rates, trends that we're seeing with performance and errors across the board, not just for SNAP, but all public assistance and working directly with supervisors, managers, and staff when they need refreshers to do that in-house.

So we've always been creative in figuring out how to do things differently.

Um, what is included in our budget operationally is if we're not hiring more staff, we're bringing in more people from a clerical standpoint to take some of the weight off of the staff and processing benefits so that they can do some of the clerical stuff with temporary staff.

If that makes sense.

Yeah, I I I guess I'm I'm looking to understand is there a list.

What are the positions that were requested by the department that were not funded?

I can get you that information.

I don't know it off the top of my head because it's been a while since we've submitted that budget request in there, um, but we can get you that information.

Happy to do that.

This is time sensitive.

And to be clear, I am looking to fund those positions from my perspective, ensuring that those residents who have the most critical needs in our city are able to receive services with expeditancy is one of the most important things that we can do.

We should fund.

And so I want to understand.

I'm, you know, we're putting the budget request in this evening.

So it is it is critical to understand what those most critical needs are, because um, you know, if there is a million dollars that needs to go somewhere, this is in my opinion, an important place to put it.

We'll make sure that we move with expedit um very quickly to get you that information.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Gibson.

Councilmember Trammell.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I just want to say thank you all for all your hard work because I know they do a lot.

And um, I know that I'll say just myself, I know that I'm always you know asking questions from social service, you know, for help, and they're always there for me and for my citizens, and I appreciate that.

And like I said, um, they have hard jobs to do, and especially you know, when some citizens call them and they're not very, you know, nice because they're very upset.

But I always hear, hey, they were nice to me, and even though I was upset, they didn't get upset with me.

So I just want to take this time to say thank you all for what you do.

And I know just Sarah Day, I was at the Easter egg hunt in the Oak Road Playground and saw many of the city services there.

Um, speak, you know, uh speaking in Spanish, English, and helping me along with the citizens, and it was we had fun.

And I just wanted to say thank you.

But I do have one question.

The ones that sell side plus in social service, they're hearing that they're gonna be moved.

Is that because I I think the CAO had told me that they were, I think there's still gonna be some people there, but then like maybe once a month, we'll have somebody there to help them with their um their tax relief forms and things like that.

Um, but we're not seeing that as of yet.

So are the people going to be able to stay there?

Are they going to go downtown?

How is that going to work out?

Yes, thank you for your question and for your advocacy.

I know you you've been to Southside Plaza and you you've seen it there.

We've helped you helped us get new carpet.

Um, yes, uh, all of those offices are staying.

Um, there may be temporary times as we look to to renovate a little bit, update.

We're gonna update with um additional new carpet, some new lighting, new paint.

Um, so only during a short amount of time would would an office have to just shift across the hallway or something to make sure that that's happening.

But we'll continue to have social services there in that front, like they've been there, they'll continue to be there.

We are moving the Office of Aging and Disability.

Um, so um the group of folks who who support your seniors, they are gonna move their full time.

They are coming um a couple times a month to be able to provide those classes like you talked about, but they'll move full time once we've signed the lease, which should be soon in the next couple of months.

Okay, so you're saying that the ones that are over there by Huguenot school, yes, they're gonna be moved out of there.

That's right, and be put into so oh man, that would be great.

Yes, I know they everybody will be so happy about that.

Because when you go over there, you can't find it.

They end up going to the school, and the school is like, no, gotta go all the way back around a building.

So that's good.

Yes, we're excited too.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Councilwoman Trammell.

Councilman Breton.

So I want to, I guess, um commend and second um councilwoman Gibson's question about our caseworking staff.

Uh that's you know, our residents um rely on them.

And I think I heard in the answer that perhaps there was an offset and increased operational costs to perhaps to make up and so clarity on that as well, because when we're looking for the money, if there's an offset in operations, that's just a helpful way for us to understand the context of how that could work.

Um I wanted to ask also about our equity and inclusion.

Um, I'm thinking about our our residents with disabilities and our you know, ADA accessibility around the city.

And does our office and and would those the needs of those people fall within that office?

Yes, I think it would be in partnership with the Office of Equity Inclusion and then Office of Aging and Disability Services.

So Sarah Link and Anisa Smith are over here and in the audience.

And uh that's really what we're working on is in when you have something like accessibility, you need both of those folks, both people who have those subject matter expertise focusing on that.

So and so um if we are trying to make sure that we are creating a plan for the city for um you know ADA accessibility just across city buildings, infrastructure, sidewalks, parks, um, I want to make sure we have enough staff for that.

And um, if there is something more that would help there, I would you know love to know what that is, if that's a half a staff, a full staff, or if we are prepared to to make the plans that we need.

Um, well, are we?

Or or is there more that we could be planning there?

Yeah, I'm happy to follow up with them so that we can follow up with you.

Obviously, things are uh uh expedient here, but um yes, it would evolve both of them from the human services perspective and certainly um you know, my the the other portfolio team of housing and economic development as well, um, as they do a lot of that infrastructure general services.

So we can get a few of us together to give you that answer.

All right, and a question about um I saw in the report 24 vacancies in the Department of Justice Services, and I was wondering if that's still the case and how feasible will it be to fill those vacancies um this year, or is this a case where we we agree on the need, but we won't actually be able to fill them?

Yes, we're very focused on our vacancies.

Um vacancies take a little bit longer to fill in justice services because not only through the background checks, you also go through um kind of other additional background checks to work with that population.

Um, but uh the number is less.

Um, and as I mentioned in our detention center, that decrease from 40% vacancy down to eight, we're making some significant progress.

So we do plan to fill those and and we'll keep working on that.

I think I'm asking because I mean, um unfillable vacancies are kind of a place where you know we could be putting money to work on other things that are fillable.

So I'm actually maybe more pointed as to like, do we expect to fill all those vacancies or do we expect to have a significant number unfilled?

And maybe someone can follow up with that.

Yeah, uh, I've asked all of my directors in, you know, even in in submitting these um requests and and now through the vacancy report to say, hey, are we using all of these?

Do we need to use that?

Do we need that's why you saw some reclassification this year?

Um, because we really tried to assess what is our full-time um staff count and and any time anyone leaves, let's evaluate it to be able to see what's the best highest highest and best use.

So I'm happy to ask them to go back and just do one last check.

Um, but we have tried to assess those along the way to be uh good stewards of the staff we've been given.

All right, thanks.

Those are my questions.

Thank you, Councilman Brent and uh Councilmember Robertson.

Good afternoon.

Thank you.

Thank you for the presentation.

Uh just have a couple of questions.

Um in regards to the libraries.

Um what's going on with the downtown library?

And is there a capital improvement project going on with that?

Yeah, so thank you for the question about libraries.

The board recently met to vote essentially on the next couple of years strategic plan, which includes focusing on Maine Library and those three branches that need updates that I discussed Belmont, East End, and West Over Hills.

So what's happening now through some of those CIP funds is an engineering assessment to be able to make the determination, for example, is some is uh the library able to build on top.

Can we build on the side?

What's the what's the current infrastructure because it's old?

Um, what can that feasibility study do?

So first step is assessing, and that's what we're right in the middle of.

We expect to have those plans finalized by May 1st, I believe, um, so we can continue to update council from that.

But certainly Maine Library, along with those other three branches, um, is what uh certainly us as the city and in partnership with the library board really want to focus on in the coming years.

Okay, so I want to be clear, you're telling me as it relates specifically to the downtown library that the plans as it relates to the redevelopment of that site will be in Maine.

The engineering assessment, that's what we're getting right now for Maine and for the other three branches.

So that's a step one of seeing what's possible in building space before we then move on to what actually will happen.

And those are the plans that we'll get by May 1st.

Thank you.

Um second question, uh, as it relates to the after-school programming that we have, the level of investment, dollars investment, staff investment, and how well do the services that we are providing there out of the what used to be the non-departmental uh fund, and how well does it lie?

What's the matrix that we are using to show the expected outcome for the after school programming?

Yes, um, great question.

Uh, our quality after school time is something that's important to a lot of us.

Um, it has been requested, and we can combine all of the funds and we can add in the positions for parks and rec.

We can speak to the number of uh position in parks and rec that are dedicated to after school, um, and then the funds that come through our outside agencies that focus on that as well.

Um, we've worked with next up this year on the quantity evaluation, for example, where our after-school um opportunities provided and where are their gaps.

So we know from their evaluation that we need to focus more on the south side and have some more opportunities for after school, more um more supply, if you will, more more spots for folks on the south side.

Uh this next year we're almost through an RFP process for an organization that will help us on the quality metrics, um, the the ways that we're measuring, you know, how does um how do how do kids feel when they come to an after-school program?

Um, how are they supported in their social and emotional learning, et cetera?

And that will happen this next year.

So right now we have the the quantity data.

We know how many kids, how many slots, how many kids aren't able to get in slots, where they live.

We have all that data through our partnership with Nexttop that we could share with you.

And again, this next year we'll be adding on those quality metrics as well.

Okay, so uh I'm I make the assumption that majority of the residents that you're serving, your clientele for the most part, families of poverty.

Is that correct?

They're all families in RPS.

So the demographics are the same demographics that make up um RPS.

I don't have the exact percentage of economically disadvantaged students, but there's a significant percentage in RPS.

So based on this uh programming that we are providing.

How do we measure the impact on reducing poverty through your search through the services that are provided out of your portfolio?

Um what is the percentage of investment dollars and staffing that is invested and how that is leveraged to our ability to measure strategically reduction in poverty?

And just to clarify your question, you're talking about across all of human services portfolio.

Um I would say a core um uh found framework that we use to measure that is the crisis to thriving framework.

And so we're right in the middle of mapping out and assessing where are the different programs and components of human services across that crisis to thriving.

For example, we want to make sure that you know 90% we don't put too much percentage on individuals and families in crisis and not have any for individuals who are at risk.

So that's what we're doing right now.

How do we assess where that is?

And then once you assess, then we can kind of track are we moving families and individuals through that continuum?

As you probably know, you could measure that continuum against someone's housing or against child care or um uh their education, uh, but that's a framework that we use to be able to measure that.

Additionally, of course, there's statistics that come out around the percentage of poverty within the city of Richmond.

And we've we have seen a reduction in this in this most recent count.

I don't have that percentage off the top of my head, but that is also something you know that the Office of Community Wealth Building focuses on for us as a whole city, not just the programs of Office of Community Wealth Building, but also the work that we're doing across city departments and across the city as well.

Okay.

Thank you for that answer.

I am interested in making sure that the alignments with the strategies that we are using, programming and strategies and outcomes that we're measuring from your portfolio as well as the Office of Community Wealth Building metrics that we can replicate to make sure that realigning those things to deal with poverty.

So my question as it relates to South Side being a priority of the concentration of poverty in the city of Richmond, we have the huge numbers there.

And I would assume that your clientele is coming a lot from there, and a lot of that is located not in South Side only, but heavily in the East End and North of the City of Richmond.

How we making sure that we're not eliminating or with that priority, what is the continue?

Why is the continuation of existing service adequate to give us the leverage to prioritize South Side?

I think I will try to answer your question.

You can tell me how this goes.

So one of the ways that we sit to try to decide where our resources going is by looking at that city map.

So the CDC has something called the Social Vulnerability Index.

So each each census track, each little neighborhood has kind of a score from the CDC that helps us know where we should focus.

So the most at-risk census tracks get the highest score, a score of one.

And that's where we can see where where are our sections of our neighborhood that we should focus our resources are.

So some are on north side along that Chamberlain corridor, some are in the east end, and certainly some are in the south side.

So we use that as a baseline to say, hey, how do we determine what services should be there?

In terms of how we use our funding, that's one of the reasons why we're transitioning to our grant-making model from the you know, 70 different individual organizations to a grant maker who can look at a whole category and we set the goals for what those what they will have to what they'll have to fund, for example.

So we can set a goal for our children and families category that we want more programs and more services in a particular area like the South Side when we have the data to demonstrate that.

So between that social vulnerability index and between next up report, that gives us some good data to say, hey, now we know where to focus in this particular after-school programming, for example.

So the way we go about making our decisions is we use data to do that, and then we use our community to inform that process to assess where we should place our resources.

Hopefully that answered your question.

I probably need to look at that data to be able to feel comfortable with that.

I guess the question that when we talk about social services and the caseload, where are they coming from?

How are we making those decisions as to where that caseload is originating and whether or not we do have adequate staff to be able to provide the quality of services that is necessary through social services?

Great, we can get you that data.

Yeah.

Yes, we can.

I'm happy to share with you the maps, and we can follow up too to make sure I'm answering your question, but can follow up with the map, can follow up with the after-school data, um, and then can follow up with you about those information on staff and budget going to out of school time.

Is in regards to your neighborhood and community services.

There are a lot of activities and a lot of events uh that happens out of their services.

And the question is whether or not there are matrix related to those kinds of services and events that appear to be rather uh can be expensive at the community level.

Uh frequently they're not coordinated with the district representative when those things happen, um, and how those matrix aligning with the overall objective.

And if your over objective is to reduce poverty for your clientele, which is primarily families of poverty.

Thank you for that question, Councilman Robertson.

I'm so glad that you asked it.

Um we are shifting our strategy away from big events to our small offices that are focusing on policies on partnership coordination and a few key programs.

We've actually made some budget transitions, you know, and really investing in our shelters and investing in our our offices and not to big events.

Um I'll also just speak to something just to clarify.

So the whole department of neighborhood and community services is that umbrella of smaller offices.

One of those smaller offices is the Office of Neighborhood Engagement, and that's the office that's moving under the CAO.

So there used to be eight offices, gun violence is in justice services, neighborhood engagement is CAO.

So there are now six offices under that umbrella.

Um and that office is in partnership with the participatory budget office under the CA's office to really focus on civic engagement.

Um that means the other um uh offices that we've discussed here are really focusing on uh the strategy of working on our priority populations, the groups of people that we really want to intentionally focus on here in the city.

Hopefully that helps.

And Ms.

Robertson, you have 30 seconds remaining.

Thank you very much for the notification.

Um I would like to get a little bit more clarity as it relates to the neighborhood and community services and how what division of that is under your leadership and your portfolio absent of that part that is being moved out.

Uh appreciate it if you just provide me with that.

Sure, I'm happy to.

I think my time doesn't count for your time.

So I'll do this and then happy to follow up with more specific questions.

Um, this is the slide that talks about our mission and our department.

Um, so those on the right hand side are these four departments and these um seven uh key groups of work.

We call them offices.

They're smaller groups of work.

Many of them have between two and four people.

Um we have a few more in our homeless services, um, uh, and then our community ambassador program.

So the this is this next fiscal year.

This is everything that is under the human services portfolio.

So that's the list of all the offices that are staying that are with uh human services this next fiscal year.

I'm happy to, you know, offline answer more specific questions about that, but hopefully this visual helps.

Thank you.

Uh being last, uh, many of my questions have been answered.

And so just a couple for you.

Uh one to go back, you referenced that parks and breck will provide after school programming.

All middle, all elementary.

I'm happy to clarify.

Um, so the Office of Children and Families, um, which is helpful that I'm on this slide, which is under that DNCS umbrella, coordinates all of that after school programming.

Parks and Rec delivers some of our elementary school after school in partnership with the YMCA.

So all of our elementary school after school work is parks and rec and the YMCA.

Our middle school after school work goes through an intermediary next up, um, similar to how we're doing grant making across the board.

We do that here, and next up provides grants to a couple of different organizations that provide the middle school after school work.

Um the message is that any student that goes to any elementary or middle school in RPS has access to quality after school programming.

And the Office of Children and Families coordinates, has regular meetings and really helps to kind of align and assess the work that's happening.

For example, um, in our elementary schools, um, we're going to align our registration this year.

So registration for elementary school between Parks and Rec and YMCA is going to happen on the same day.

That hasn't happened for the last decade that we know about.

Um, and we're really excited that though the links will be different, that timing and that communication will all be together.

So that's just an example of how the Office of Children and Families is really trying to coordinate and update that information across those multiple partners.

Will transportation be provided by parks and uh the YMCA for the after-school programming they are providing?

They do not provide that specific transportation.

Um, that group is meeting to assess what are the best ways to support those transportation needs and evaluating, for example, how many students actually do utilize after school versus how many students can walk home or whose parents are there to pick them up.

So that's the group right now that's meeting regularly to be able to assess how to best uh make sure that that after-school programming is happening in a quality way.

Thank you.

In terms of the homeless service position, could you just share what the scope of work will be with that person and how their interface with our Chamberlain and the CARATAS locations?

Sure.

So at 1900 East Chamberlain is both the Salvation Army that the city helps to support the year-round shelter and inclement weather.

And then our community resource training center sits in that same space.

So all three of those things.

Yeah.

So a bulk of our homeless services work and team on our new supervisor, John, who's here in the audience too, is focusing on that the walk-up center that's open there.

So the the services that are available at that site are navigation to resources, um, or is outreach.

So we've got a street outreach team that works in conjunction with the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care, um, that strategy.

So so several folks that work together there on street outreach, um, some specific case management, um, and then we host partners who do other who offer other resources like showers, for example, uh, but then also RBHA that has a full-time mental health counselor that that's there on site.

Uh so this position is to focus on the community resource and training center location.

Um, we do have a programs operation position that we are finalizing, and that's the one position that will focus on all of our external partners, the um Caritas and Salvation Army and Home Again and making sure that all of them are coordinated.

Um that sort of summarizes the services.

At what point at one point we talked about um a kind of quasi-day treatment uh center located in that same site.

So folks could come there, they can get a variety of service computers, access, all kinds of things.

Is that are we still looking in that direction?

I think I'd have to know more about you.

So your day we yeah, day center.

There are lots of services that offer now.

For example, we have DMV come and provide IDs.

I think we're always assessing what are the needs that our community needs to be able to have at that one site.

So happy to follow up offline if you have other specific ideas about um how that site really can be the walk-up site to support um our unhoused residents.

Thank you.

With that, um I'd just like to say uh, oh, one last question, one last question.

Ums Al Mendelez Ramos uh gave us an overview.

I wanted to know they were gracious enough to provide um some basic classes in terms of Spanish language.

Is that going to continue?

Yes, the Office of Immigrant Refugee Engagement will continue to be at South Side Plaza and will continue to offer some key programming there.

Uh, they'll also increase, I think Carla mentioned um hiring a navigator.

So speaking of reclassifying a position, we reclassified an admin role to be a navigator who will also be out um navigating and connecting residents as well.

So yep, that office will continue.

And I'm very appreciative of that.

But there was also going to be as I was trying to enroll, um, basic Spanish for staff for members for who would like to be able to at least get some basic level of communication.

I see.

Yeah, your question is around how do we make sure anybody who's interested in learning Spanish can learn Spanish.

Um, can certainly follow up with you and have to ask our between our human resource department and otherwise um if there are opportunities to learn Spanish, but happy to follow up with you.

And I believe we had it offered before.

So what it's not something new I'm requesting.

And if it's not a part of it, um, or I thought it was going to continue, but um with that, I just like to say thank you for the extraordinary work again, presentation, the questions our staff will get back to or to our chief of staff back to you for responses and um just incredible work in this portfolio.

Again, thank you, everyone.

Yes, as I end, I would love to give one more round of applause to all of our team here.

Thank you, human services.

Yeah.

I'm sorry, DCO Popovich.

Um, Councilwoman Jones did not exhaust her full five minutes, and it appears she has a question.

Okay.

So members are going to be provided an additional five minutes.

This this five minutes is to ask quasi governmental agencies and partner agency questions.

But if you have a follow-up from earlier that you wish to, you can use it within this five minutes as well.

Councilwoman.

Hi.

Um quick questions.

Um it's kind of challenging when we see the budget and it's not broken out.

So my question is when going back to the language access, what data do we have that or are we using for like non-English speaking residents?

And then how has that changed within the last couple of years?

Do we have any data that reflects that?

Can you clarify data a little bit more?

Yeah, just in terms of how many people call in for services, how many issues, you know, how many times they're calling, how many times we have to get a translator.

Like, do we have any data around that?

We do have uh, yeah, the Office of Immigrant Refugee Engagement even hosts a phone line.

So I might um bring Carla back up here to say, but she they collect um a lot of data, yes.

Thank you again.

Um primarily our office off it offers language services in Spanish and English.

Uh Spanish is the number one language um requested.

Um we get data off requests through different uh points.

One is our tracking.

The second is language line, which is our vendor, which is used by uh the city call centers, 311, DPU 911.

And we also get data for translations or documents.

So we use those data to say, for example, what are the top languages requested in the city?

That's one.

And we from our own tracking of the work we do, I can tell you that um in um through two full-time employees.

Um, we have done 1084 interpretations with an estimated market value of around 42,000 in 232 translations with approximately uh 20,000 in value.

That's without the external additional work we do for community events, town halls, city council meetings, and any other requests.

Thank you for that.

Ums DC.

And that, and that was my and that was my question because I know last budget cycle, I actually, as one of my amendments, put in a position for the Office of Immigrant and Um Refugee Engagement.

And so my um other question is what is the total budgeted for language access across departments?

Do you have a number on that?

And if you don't have it today, I don't, yeah, I can partner with budget office and we can get back to you on that.

Okay.

Um, and then my last question is because we were talking about social services and how we're down positions with that as well.

But I'm thinking about um aging and disability OAPD, specifically language access.

Are some of these folks are doing case management?

So how are we aligning that with social services and how are we ensuring because you only have two people?

You have three people in OAPD, you have two people in ORIE, but they also are doing case management.

They also are printing flyers.

They also like how are we actually making sure that we have everything that we need, and then how are we aligning them across departments to you know make sure that we're not burning out the smaller teams, I guess is the question, because I can't really even just what she named and two in 42,000 uh translations.

I mean what 1,000 translations, 40, like that's a huge number for two people to literally, even though we're contracting like meetings and council, but I was trying to really get a sense and you can't really see that in the budget.

So that's why my question is what is the total budgeted for this actually for this department um across the departments?

Yes, happy to follow up.

We'd have to add up personnel and operating.

So happy to get that for you.

Yes, all of that's under Department of Neighborhood and Community Services.

Um, I think that's an important reason though, why for immigrant refugee engagement and aging and disability services, that policy and partnership work, because we could probably we could use lots and lots of money to if we were doing it all ourselves.

So, for example, with Office of Aging and Disability Services, we partner a lot with the Span Center.

So there are regional agency on aging, area agency on aging.

Um, and they do a lot of programs.

So part of that assessing work, make sure that we're not duplicating anything.

That our work is really supporting um the work that they're already doing and that kind of day-to-day work.

Um, our office, what our first does is answer those 311 calls when folks have that question and they do more navigating.

I know it's a little nuanced navigating and case management, but navigating is is usually shorter, usually just connecting someone to that question.

Where can I go for this resource?

Where can I do that?

So an individual can do a lot more navigating.

That case management, that long-term work, that's where we connect with Span Center and with other organizations to be able to do that.

It's similar with the language access policy.

Yeah, Carla's team, there's actually a team of six of them, if yeah, if you include the contractors, but they can only do so much themselves.

That's why the language access policy is so important.

So Carla and her team have uh worked with human resources and others to update that language access policy so that every department has trained all of their folks.

So what we've done with social services is dramatically improve the number of social.

We're we're close to 100% of our 380 social services folks receiving that training to know how to use that language access phone, because there's just too many interactions to be able to do that.

And it's too costly to have a person there all the time if someone needs that that interpretation.

That's why using a phone line, as long as someone's trained and use it well, really can be a cost saving metric or measure to make sure that we're still providing that quality service to all of our individuals too.

So they're they're both working on how are we utilizing the policies and utilizing the partnerships to be able to enhance the work.

Yeah.

Is it is it possible maybe then to like at some point get us an impact report?

Because I really would like to see how all of these departments, because they overlap in so many different ways.

I'm really like I understand what you're saying.

Everything that you just explained was awesome, but I still based on the needs of the city, based on a growing city, based on even if we go on the numbers we have right now, and we know that we are continuously growing.

I'm not really seeing how like, yes, we have the lines, people can call, but there's so much more that happens.

And I know for certain, because I'd be weighing OAPD out.

I mean wearing, oh, I know it just in the South Side alone.

So I'm really trying to understand how they are actually being supported in a way that is not taking them away from different things, even though yes, you have the line, but you still have to, doesn't the work still have to be the work will still go back to that office, correct?

No, uh, and maybe you can clarify for me, but the individual interactions, for example, that a social services uh person is having with an individual, they can use that phone to have this conversation right now.

So they dial the phone and you get a live interpreter on the phone and you use that sort of three-way conversation.

So that wouldn't have to go back to OIRE, uh immigrant refugee engagement to be able to do anything with.

So that's what we're really trying to do is to train and uplift more city staff to feel trained and equipped to be able to do that.

Um that way that they're doing less themselves.

However, they'll continue, like Carla said, to provide um interpretation at city council meetings and you know, uh other other meetings to make sure that there is that accessibility there.

And we'll continue to monitor and evaluate, you know, how many can one staff person do?

How many do we need while trying to elevate that policy too?

Okay, thank you.

And then just finally, Ms.

Wadison asked a lot of my questions about the the um at the school program, and and you said you was gonna provide us with some data on that.

I'd love to also um really see when we are talking about coordination across systems.

Um I'd love to see if there is one, if it does exist, a citywide strategy for our after school programming, because I've seen on many iterations about what we do, but I'm it always reverts back to these young people being city residents who live within the city, but we all were often saying that the strategy is being driven outside of the city through partners.

So I would really like to understand similar to what she was asking about between um what was the um what's the uh office community wealth build and parks and rec because these are big entities that are gonna essentially be working to use programming to reduce.

So I would really love to see what that strategy looks like if you have it.

Yeah.

Uh and then I would also add in the Office of Children and Families.

So some of the important coordination, for example, how we'll continue to make sure that is Parks and Rec and Office of Community Wealth Building are in different portfolios, we'll need to connect.

Um my colleague Sharon Ebert, DCAO of housing economic development, mentioned um the GEMS, the joint economic mobility squad that we're doing that will combines human services and economic um development to really look at some key things.

Um, one of those, for example, is our anti-displacement funds, and what are we doing with that?

One of them is our barriers towards economic development.

What are we doing with that?

That's one example of how we're doing that.

We'll do the same across those other key pillars I mentioned for human services, thriving neighborhood.

Um, you know, to your question too, Councilwoman Robertson, where are the neighborhoods we need to invest in most?

Where do we already have city buildings and city resources there?

And what are the services that we should provide there and continue to evaluate that work?

So it's similar with after school programming because you span um, of course, our Office of Gun Violence Prevention team and our children and families and our Parks and Rec and Office of Community Wealth Building.

That's the work we're doing now.

And when we're using uh, if you're familiar with like a collective impact model, that's often out um for external partners internal to say what are the core subcommittees of work, who's leading that?

What's the kind of core plan for each of those buckets of work and really trying to map out that work so nothing gets lost and there is coordination that's happening?

Yeah, I think that could be included in that like impact report because I really I just really want to see.

I think we I'm not I'm not taking away from any of the work that anyone is doing, but I think it would just be helpful if we could you have 30 seconds, Ms.

Jones.

If we could just get around what this looks like, so we can have a full sense of when we're talking about it, when we're pushing it, promoting it, even when we're talking to partners and people who want to invest and get involved.

How do we what does a well resource at the school program look like for our young people in the city of Richmond?

Beat it under 30.

Yep.

Thank you again, uh DCO um Popovich.

Um members at this time, we have representatives in the audience and/or virtually from our Plaza governmental and partner agencies.

And so if you have questions at this time.

Uh yes.

Uh the next would be Council Vice uh President Jordan.

Thank you, President Nivelle.

And um Yes, I was interested in asking some questions about GRTC.

Uh, I believe Mr.

Dillard is perhaps here.

Um my primary question is you know, how do we make sure that fare-free remains sustainable?

Because that's something that we hear our residents really value a great deal.

Um, I see that we have a contribution in the budget towards fare-free.

Just wondering if we have tried again to reach out to BCU about them coming back on as um and you know, investing in this service rather than duplicating through their new bus lines.

Thanks.

Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of council.

Um, wanted to get up and speak on behalf of GRTC on free fare.

Thank you.

Uh, we're looking for clarification on our end because we're looking at the budget online, and we do see the 1.5 million dollars included for zero fare.

We will be happy to support that amendment and put it in the budget, but the proposed budget that the mayor introduced did not include zero fare.

Case in point, we're still moving forward.

We're supporting zero fare through the GRTC program.

Uh, we have applied for different federal funds.

We have CMAC money.

Uh, I think when we talk with you, Councilwoman Jordan, we talked about our advertisement and things of that magnitude that we're looking for in the ballpark of a million and two million dollars year over year to raise money to keep zero fare.

Uh two of your council members here.

I think one of them is in the back that serve on our GRTC uh board.

We have taken a position that we're not going to be returning fare, so we're doing everything within our power.

However, if the city does uh want to entertain and make sure that it's an uh item in the budget to include, we're more than happy to do that.

But right now we are working upper avenues to make sure that zero fare is funded next year that does not include uh the budget item amendment that you guys have before you in your presentation.

So we are looking for clarification on that.

I know last year we worked with councilwoman Robertson to submit 1.5 million dollars, but we haven't worked with any council member this year to include the 1.5 million dollars for zero fare.

Um okay, I appreciate that.

Can you also speak to uh any collaboration or reinvestment by BCU, which used to pay into GRTC?

How do I say this nicely?

Uh we are collaborative partners with VCU.

We are working with VCU medical and other other avenues, these to your point uh for council members that don't know.

VCU came in of a little bit over a million dollars to include our zero fair funding.

Uh they stopped that program.

It really wasn't toward zero fair.

They were doing this enhanced advertising on our bus, our post bus line, which they did not review the application.

Uh that led us into an opportunity to back into some CMAC funding, uh, which helps with traffic congestion and mitigation from the federal level, which kind of helped offset.

So right now we're still trying to have conversations with VCU or what that will look like not just zero fare, our downtown transfer station and other projects, but we have not really re-engaged with them when it came to supporting zero fare as of today.

Okay, and prior to the advertising, which I just that wasn't on my radar.

Um, didn't they used to help fund GRTC so that their community of students and faculty and staff could ride?

Vice President George, you are correct.

So they did give us a certain amount of money where their students will always ride for free uh in transfer and over when COVID happened, they still gave us the same amount of money, which we allowed to use it, flex it system wide to continue zero fare as that contract ended.

We did re-engage with their leadership, in which they kind of made that decision not to renew that uh one million dollar ass.

So we were to go back to fair charging, which I'm hopeful no one takes it in and as a grain of soil.

They will be paying for their students again in the same manner, which you were talking about as far as that million dollars that they gave for just to Mr.

Raffer free.

Okay, thank you.

Um appreciate that.

My other question was for public libraries.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, Scott Feyrstein, director of Richmond Public Library.

Hi, thank you so much for coming in.

And um, I feel really excited that the main branch is now in the second.

Um libraries just provide services for all our constituents and as well as emergency service spaces when they're needed.

Um, can you help us understand a little bit the reduction in operating budgets?

Like what actually is that deduction and then um yes, that's the main question.

Thank you.

Um, as DCA Popovich pointed out, uh we've delayed some maintenance in our operational budget and um made some adjustments in our uh personnel budget.

We're delaying filling a special or uh law library position.

We're gonna cover those duties and needs with uh regular staff until funding from the courts can return to levels that we need to cover that position fully.

So we're uh as soon as that funding comes back and as soon as other things can happen, we'll fill that position.

But we're just holding on that for now.

So that's how we've managed the uh reduction in operations.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Councilmember Auberbacher.

Thank you.

Um this is for DCAO Popovich.

And I apologize if I'm asking questions that have already been raised.

Um sorry.

Um I just wanted to circle back.

I I understand uh the umbrella organization of neighborhood and community um services.

I I noticed that there is an um a request for new positions in that office that are currently on the vacancy report.

Can you speak to the need for those positions and how long have the vacant ones been vacant?

Sure.

Yeah, happy to um it is a little confusing on that sheet.

There's only one new position for uh neighborhood and community services under homeless services.

Those others are reclassifications.

So if they didn't show up on fiscal year 26, they're showing up like they're new, they're not new, they've just been reclassified and are being filled right now.

Okay.

And then I haven't had a chance to kind of dig into this, but I I know that you know we get a substantial amount of money for the opioid abatement fund.

Can you um kind of talk me through the next 12 months of projected funding of that and then um sort of how we're currently deploying that money?

Sure, happy to.

Um, so those funds come through the opioid abatement authority, and there's basically three different ways we can get those funds.

We have a direct share that comes kind of that we have already.

Um, and then we can apply for specific projects as a city, and then we also can apply as a region.

So we have applied through some of our regional partnerships.

So some of our our funding that have already happened are our three um uh three vending machines that have been placed.

So we applied for additional vending machines for next year, for example.

Um, we have a couple of regional partnerships, one around pregnant people who have substance use, um, and then one around resources.

We have Monica's in the office.

Hi, Monica.

Um, and she is funded through Opiate Abatement Authority and is working on uh a regional work on how do we make sure those resources and connections are updated for our community.

Uh and then um so we and also we continually kind of get regular um additional settlements.

So that that exact amount that kind of waivers a little bit.

But the thing we're most excited about is we just released that um request for application.

It's the first time since the city's had OAA funds that we've ever released an application.

Uh we anticipate using about $700,000 um throughout this next year for those.

So that process just closed.

on uh a regional work on how do we make sure those resources and connections are updated um for our community uh and then um so we and also we continually kind of get regular um additional settlements so that that exact amount that kind of waivers a little bit but the thing we're most excited about is we just released that um request for application that's the first time since the city's had OAA funds that we've ever released an application uh we anticipate using about 700 000 um throughout this next year for those so um that process just closed the the team will be reviewing those applications that we'll be funding from them so that's that's the biggest thing that's coming up this next year okay thank you uh how would that um kind of what is the distinction between um like that application process and then some of our partner agencies that are applying for non-D funds yeah um so wherever we could stand wherever um for wherever possible we're really trying to move to a transparent process where funds that we have as a city um we um offer out to our community to apply and then um to be selected based on scoring um so that's true for our opiate abatement funds which are one section um and then additionally our grant making process that's the transition we're doing from individualized grants to um core grant makers um subject matter grant makers over four categories so uh they're similar in that um we're really moving to that transparent process of everyone applying um but it is a different um bucket of money so the the individual to um uh external agency grant making process is city funds opioid abatement authority funds are not city funds at all but they're city managed so uh council approves when we accept those funds for example so could somebody apply to both of those yes and receive funding from both of those sources yes although I'll just say that you know um we are uh uh keeping an eye on where um you know to avoid unnecessary duplication et cetera so we're doing that work but yes um organization X might do both substance use work and let's call it after school time work um they might apply for their substance use work under the OAA under our RFA that we just put out and they might apply for our their after school work um through that grant making yeah okay but they're they're being monitored so that there's not a lot of exactly double dipping or duplicative yes we're making sure and it's in those it will be in those contracts with our grant makers too that we will review um before they actually give funds will review to avoid any unnecessary duplications yep thank you.

Thank you councilmember Aubabaka councilwoman Gibson I have no questions specific to this grouping my group my questions are regarding the CIP so I understand I should ask next.

Yes thank you uh councilwoman Trammel.

Thank you, Madam President question I don't know if this is um social service or finance but do you know when the forms are going to be ready for us to start giving them to the citizens for the 2026 tax relief because so many people are asking me for them and I don't know where they are I don't have them and then also for the past couple of months I've been getting so many calls with my where the citizens have been taken off the tax relief because they did not get those forms in the mail be filled out so they can be recertified or just sign it and I know that I mean it's I know that a lot of those citizens I helped them with those forms.

I helped them get on tax relief and now they've been taken off and one lady I saw yesterday she was crying because she got $8,000 um delinquent bills and now it's like she's scared her houses in jeopardy of being taken away from her because has she at almost 90 years old going to come up with $8,000 and she said that they never sent her a form and she had a stack of papers like that and we went through them and I did not see anything from 24 25 and I don't know how we're gonna because you can't it's like he said she said but when the mail doesn't come before they get lost or or whatever or senior goes in the hospital and doesn't open up her mail for about a month when she finally gets home from rehab or whatever then she gets her now they're getting letters telling them you're no longer in tax relief.

What how do we how do we do how do we how do we do that to the homeowners that are at that age where they their health is failing.

They have so many other issues going on and they don't always open up this or see that and then some people thought it was junk mail and didn't even open it up so I know there are a lot of questions but they're asking me to please ask you or ask the mayor what are they going to do and how are we going to fix this because the homeowners are the ones that are carrying all these different you know I guess um things that we that we give away or give to others that you know they're saying we need help too.

And then we talk about one lady just said if you're talking about doing Spanish who's when are you going to start teaching them how to read and do and speak English.

Uh they're good questions that I, you know.

Yeah, that you're hearing from your I know you're you're so connected to your people.

It's beautiful.

Um, well, we're we're thankful that you've advocated for you know our Office of Aging and Disability to come and do those regular tax relief programs.

Um we're happy to continue to add things in those sessions, like this is what the the letter looks like.

Um but if there are specific, I I will um connect you to the finance department.

They are the ones that run the tax relief program for some of those specific um questions.

But um, for the Office of Aging and Disability and our our um education and and the the regular sessions we have with the seniors and south and as I said, um, thanks to your advocacy in South Side Plaza, we'll continue to do that.

Um but if your seniors have specific questions about their application form, we can follow up offline to make sure that uh you get connected to finance.

I've had I have asked those questions and I've and I've also left a message for the CAO to call me because now that we got others that are getting involved in this that's coming to this council meeting probably Monday um and bringing some of the citizens down here.

You know, the forms have not been printed yet.

I don't know because of the color, I don't know because it's not right.

I don't know why.

But here we are April the 6th today, and we don't have the forms.

And I'm not blaming the employees in finance, it's because it's you know, I'm quite sure they're they're overloaded with what they're what they have on their desk.

Do we need more people in there?

Do they I don't I don't know because I don't I'm not in that department.

But Tony Beechum does a heck of a good job.

I mean, she's there 24-7 when we call her and she tries to help, but she don't have the forms either, and she doesn't know who's been, you know, if the people don't call her or call with and they soon in the finance department, nobody's even answering the phone.

And then the 311, they said we'll take your call, and they don't get back with them, and nobody's gotten back with them when they've called 311 to say, hey, I don't know what I'm supposed to do.

And I have all this information because I took pictures of several about five of them yesterday on Easter Sunday crime because they are not on tax relief.

And they and they don't have the money, and now how the ones that they don't even know if they're still on it or not because they don't have the forms.

When are we supposed to get them so that us council members can give them out to the citizens when we have our events or our district meetings?

DCO Popovich, will you follow up with our CAO and I I guess whomever is advice to get that information back to all members uh as soon as possible.

I know that's that's not an entity in your portfolio, but you're hearing from councilwoman Tramble in terms of the challenges.

So if we could get that as soon as possible, not see the CAO is back there, so at some point we can.

Because they do try to find it, and when they do find it, they go in there, and I know she's just as nice as she can be with them, trying to help them out.

Also, I want to thank um, Mr.

Amble.

You have 30 more seconds 30 more seconds, Mr.

Hamble.

Just one just one thing.

I just want to say um think I am so grateful that our library is open um on Broadrock, even on Saturdays because the citizens use the libraries, and I think uh my colleague, I think she is right.

We need to have these libraries open for the public for the ones that we know that they use them.

But thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Trammell.

Uh Councilman or Breton.

I actually do have one question for the DCAO that I forgot to ask, which is I saw you highlighted the um safe refs to schools as a highlight of the OCF office.

Is there a significant portion of the OCF budget related to supporting safe reps to schools, or was that like one project that happened to be a highlight?

Yep, that's just one project.

Most of the office's budgets are consistent of the the personnel.

Um there's a small amount of operating for each one, but what OCF does in that role is also the coordinating.

So OCF is the one that's bringing those partners together, um, fit for kids, um, the and managing that Virginia Department of Transportation grant.

So there's some grant funds through VDOT that help to fund those, um, but then also does the work of the coordination there.

Okay.

And then my question related to the um mentioned retirement systems.

I don't know if they have a um representative here to answer, but um uh help us to understand the need and ability to fund a colour um if we had an analysis of the recipients, you know, how much they receive, the quartiles, the medians, the percentiles.

So um, I know I think we've actually information, but you know, as we go through this process, I'd like to let it be known that I'd like that information.

Certainly, Mr.

Councilmember Breton, we will um reach out to RRS, um, RRS.

They've given some information, but um, yes, there's several persons who are desirous of getting that information.

So thank you for raising that.

And that's all for this group.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Robertson.

Uh thank you, Dr.

New Bill.

Uh, one question in regards to we had previously gotten a report um to measure the impact of the reduction, anticipated reductions in federal funds.

And so I know uh Amy, a lot of your uh programs are federally funded.

Uh and there's continue to be recommendation proposed changes.

What kind of impact is that gonna uh is it appropriate to do an update on the impact of uh anticipation was happening with federal dollars.

Uh the thing the main thing I can that may be federal and state dollars.

Uh it's just in the partial government shutdown, there weren't any of our human services uh federal funds that were affected.

Um so we'll continue to track and we'll continue to update.

But currently, as of today, there um are not impacts um uh yeah, as of today on our current city services.

Um, but as things continue to shift in ebb and flow, we'll continue to follow up with you all on that.

Thank you, Councilmember Robertson.

Uh Councilmember Gibson, you had a question.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I did want to ask about the gap grant funding.

Um I appreciate the administration has caught up on the backlog that has been reported in um media.

I I was curious though about where that where that funding is.

So um according to section 16-3, uh it says that the city of Richmond may make appropriations to the local board of social services for the purpose of providing funds for the gap grant program.

So I'm just wondering um where that money is in the budget, um, how much was allocated in the last budget, where I can see it for fiscal year 27.

Uh it's under the finance department.

So happy to coordinate with my finance teammates on that one, but that's where the gap grant currently sits.

Um, I know that they're assessing um uh you know potential partnerships and what the future will look like on that from the human services perspective.

Um, I can just speak to that.

We are looking at all of our anti-displacement focused funds and how to use them well in the coming fiscal year.

Um, but that gap gap grant um by city code is currently housed in finance.

So just to be clear, so although the ordinance requires the appropriation to the local board of social services, it's not going to the local board of social services.

I don't have the city code in front of me, but it is in the finance department.

However, it's social services that does the final approval of the applications.

Okay, thank you.

So is there money for next year's budget?

There's not additional money for next year's budget, to my knowledge, but I will check with my teammates and confirm with you.

Great.

Welcome, CAO Donald.

Thank you.

So, yes, these funds were actually appropriated already.

They're in the FY26 budget in the memorandum that I sent council that highlights um what we did to clear up the backlog and what our plan is moving forward will actually be coming to you as discussed and um written in that memo will be coming back to you so that we can reappropriate those dollars in the FY27.

The first thing we did was clear up the backlog.

Second thing that we have to do is reappropriate those funds and then allocate them appropriately.

So that's forthcoming in the process that I provided to you previously.

So I appreciate that just for clarity, and I will re-review that memo again.

Um the money then for this is it's surplus money that's being used for that program.

Where I I just where is it?

It's in your FY, it's in the FY26 budget.

We suspended that program so it sits there.

We did the backlog, we cleared it.

I think there's an additional 700,000 or so that has been allocated.

Uh, again, I don't know those numbers off the top of my head, but they are in the memorandum.

The next step is to actually allocate those funds which were intended to be expended already.

Now those funds will come back before you, and then we will allocate them in FY27.

So you don't see them in there.

So they're not this is not in the budget.

No, they're in the FY26 budget and through legislation, because your legislation was pretty prescriptive and what had to occur.

We have to present new legislation in which we will reallocate those funds.

Understood.

So where is that money come from?

Where will where will it be allocated from?

It'll be allocated from the current existing budget wherever it sits now.

I don't have the budget book in front of me, but wherever it is in FY26, it will then come and you will forward it into FY27 through an amendment.

Right.

I think that's the question.

If you could just show me where it is in the fiscal year 23.

It is in that memo though.

So I just don't have the memo in front of me.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, CAO Donald.

Uh I think I'm blast up for a question and I keep it to one.

This is relative to GRTC again.

I want to be clear in terms of the fare free uh scenario and what we're looking at there, and especially relative to funding.

Are we utilizing any funding from CBTA to that extent?

Oh good morning.

So good morning.

Good afternoon again, Ms.

Madam Chair.

We're not using CBTA funds that are allocated directly to Zero Fair, but we do have we do use CBTA funds.

That's those are the ones I'm talking about.

Currently, we don't use CBTA funds to allocate towards zero fare.

The makeup right now is uh we have a surplus, and so we tap into our surplus.

We have an additional two million dollars CMAC, and then we use our advertising money.

And typically our goal is to get to that 5.6 million dollars that we need for zero fare.

That's the answer.

So the Delta needed now based on the contributions that have been made from the other partners.

So the what would I ask for clarification when we asked for 1.5 million dollars?

We didn't have a $2 million uh federal CMAC at that time.

Correct.

We have it now this year too.

So when we saw uh just now the 1.5 asked, we're kind of looking for clarification on our side.

So uh for council members, uh, we don't want you to think that if we don't have that 1.00 as I shared last year with councilwoman Robinson.

Yeah, just we would have to go there.

Yeah, okay.

I'll bring I'll let Adrian Torres talk to it as well.

Welcome, Ms.

Doris.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Uh Joe is correct for the FY26.

We were able to identify um kind of a surplus from last year for this year, but we did make a request in FY27 to the administration uh for 1.5 million um kind of as our baseline budget to match for zero fare.

Uh, we do have, of course, uh efforts towards other revenue streams to bring that in, which includes the advertising that Joe mentioned.

Um, we have the congestion mitigation air quality that we have a grant in for now.

It's not necessarily guaranteed in every year we have to annually go after it.

Um, as well as we are working kind of with the greater region plan RBA to identify kind of business, corporate, and community funds to move towards the effort, and we have a new position uh trans um transmit access partnership program manager who is trying to fundraise.

So we're trying various avenues, but we did put a request in this year for additional 1.5 million.

I'm understanding it's not continued forward at this point.

Okay, so I are you anticipating that we will have funds from those sources that you've delineated that would allow us to have fare free, continue to have fear free in the city.

Yes, we are projecting that those sources will okay for 27.

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about for 20.

Yes, but no CBTA.

I know that there's a part of CBTA that comes to the jurisdictions, I didn't know if that we the question is 15% is the only part we're speaking to.

Right.

Okay, exactly.

Yeah, um, then my question is answered as long as you are um indicating we will have fair free for our citizens.

Yes, it will continue.

Thank you for your work.

Members at this time, President.

It's me.

Um, I kind of upset because um hear me out, please.

CAO came down here and addressed um one of my colleagues over some questions.

I would like I would appreciate it if he could have addressed me in reference to my seniors that are being taken off the tax relief, then I did call him and ask him, and he should have had the respect for me to at least give me an answer.

Okay.

Okay, I appreciate that and I have that.

Also, I want to thank her for your hard work and for you speaking loud enough so that the citizens can hear that are at home and watching this and listen.

So thank you for all that you do.

Thank you.

Um, we appreciate the partnership and the work and the accomplishments and the leadership that you bring in the various components, uh, various entities, and just wanted to acknowledge and thank you for your work.

With that, members, we're going to take a ten minute break, and then we'll return for the CIP project portfolio at three o'clock.

Ten minutes.

If you would join me on the dais so that we can get underway with the next part of our work session.

Members, we will get underway with the next part of our work session.

It will focus on the capital improvement projects portfolio and uh our CAO, Odie Donald, uh will be uh presenting.

Welcome again, Mr.

Donald.

Would it be okay for me to I think uh there was a question around disrespect and you know me calling, not calling back and all of those things.

I want to make sure to be respectful and answer the questions from Councilmember Trammell.

May I start with that, Madam President?

Yes, Mr.

Donald.

Thank you.

Well, Councilmember Trammel, I wanted to respond to your question.

I know that Ms.

Popovich responded earlier and she is well equipped to respond on behalf of the administration, but I did want to make sure that I responded to your comments around uh lack of respect or lack of response and just remind just provide a little bit of a refresher because I do think I've been quite responsive to you.

So much so I think the third day on the job, I spent time with you at your meeting.

Your first meeting was the first meeting that I had with anybody, and since that time I've been to a total of three of your meetings.

Each time I came bearing gifts, which I'll get to those next.

But during that time, I have not only Mr.

Donald.

Don't want to um shortchange you with this.

Um, but if you would uh go to the item.

I will release the tax individuals with the tax on to him.

Go ahead.

I want to because I want to make sure that I'm being responsive.

And so every time you call, I respond.

This last time that you left the message, you left it at three o'clock during work time.

You text me at 11 p.m.

and I responded back to you at that time.

All of the time, I've never ever shown you a lack of respect.

That's despite being uh what is it called, Mr.

Thousand Dollar Man, and should I be earning that salary?

That's despite, you know, during winter snowstorms.

You know, you know what?

I'm going to make 1400 a day.

Yes.

I don't care.

Okay.

I ain't going to ask.

That's what you may.

Wait, when you stand up and you tell us that Council Member C A O, Councilmember Trammell.

Hey, his part of it, not me.

And I'm asking for us to vote.

I'd like Mr.

Donald, if you would please respond to the item that was raised by Ms.

Trammell relative to individuals and taxes.

He's attacking me.

That's I'm saying it's not a problem for anyone.

I told you.

Okay, we're going to cease and desist with this.

Understood.

All righty.

So we can start here.

Excited to be here with you today to talk about, you know, one of the most important parts and the thing that has caused the most interest amongst our council, which is the CIP.

Always start with the mayor's seven pillars, because that is how he has decided to shape the government.

Highlighting everything from a thriving city hall that gets things done all the way to a city that tells this story.

What's interesting about today is the CIP is one of the parts of the city for which we really get to tell our story, but we don't always do so in the way we deliver the projects.

Today, I think we're going to have an opportunity to do that.

So what we're sharing today, I would say is a little bit more than just the numbers.

Remain fiscally disciplined while continuing to improve on how we serve Richmond.

That's important because this is a very tight budget year, really tight year.

But despite that, I think the mayor has provided a budget that does a little bit of everything.

But one of the areas where we've been focused on making sure we fill in some of the gaps is around the CIP.

Today's presentation will kind of walk through these mayoral priorities.

But it will also kind of align these priorities with a look back at what we've accomplished in the last year, as well as the FY27 proposed budget and capital investments, and what you can expect moving forward.

One of the keys that we want to look at and just what the capital improvement plan does.

And I know all of you understand that, all of you know that before the edification of the public, I did want to just highlight a few things.

So let's ground ourselves in the CIP and what it is.

So it's the city's primary tool for planning and funding major infrastructure investments over time.

That is essentially what our CIP is.

Focuses on the projects that bill, maintain, or replace our physical assets.

These aren't just the day-to-day operating costs, you know, they're more like the long-term investments and how you support the city functions and the growth.

Now, the more we grow, the more we need good sewer, the more we need strong and quality roles.

All of those things have an impact.

They're delivered across all of our departments, and you'll see those listed there, really the high-level departments and service areas that matter most in CIP.

So we'll talk about general services today.

We'll talk about the department of public utilities, on and on, but also don't want to leave our schools, libraries.

At a high level, the capital improvement program is about planning ahead so we can invest in the infrastructure that these residents rely on most.

We balance the needs of maintaining that aging infrastructure, supporting the growth and advancing council and community priorities.

It's a very unique piece.

I know recently we were having a conversation about you know having to go in and replace a pipe, one of which I used the example in Augusta and found out we had the same thing here in the city of Richmond, a wooden pipe, you know, found that you have to replace.

That's how old some of the infrastructure is, because again, across these United States, you'd have to uh pull up tons and tons of underground infrastructure to be able to pre-resolve most of these problems which were cost in the billions of dollars.

It also gives us a structured way to evaluate projects across departments and make sure we're investing in the areas that will have the greatest impact.

With that, um I wanted to kind of highlight and take an advantage.

We're doing uh our budget presentation a little bit differently uh this year.

And so we have made a lot of adjustments.

I think all of you have seen them.

I think we've seen all of the adjustments that we've made uh moving forward, whether it be the timing, uh how we have the DCAOs present, et cetera.

And I wanted to take a second because one of the people who leads our CIP work uh is Mr.

Michael Nixon Garrison.

And many of you may not know his name, but Michael has put together our entire uh CIP program and leads it.

He's the programs and operations manager in budget, and he's been with the city about eight years.

Uh, he's got a bachelor's degree in economics, a master's degree in urban and regional planning, both of those right here at home in VCU, and he's part of Leadership Metro Richmond class of 2026.

And for the bulk of this project, uh, Mr.

Nixon Garrison will actually do the presentation.

So I ask that you be kind to him and uh allow him to present the details of our presentation and our proposal for CIP today.

His nickname is the Oracle because he knows all things related to the to the CIP.

And I would just ask that we pause the clock so that we have an opportunity for us to kind of switch spaces so that the Oracle can present the balance.

All right, Mr.

Oll.

Welcome.

Thank you, thank you.

I just want to make sure I okay.

There we go.

So thank you, CAO Donald, Madam President, members of council.

Again, Michael Nixon Garrison, or the Oracle now, program manager for budget.

So before diving into FY27, I wanted to briefly share how your previous investments are being implemented, starting with the planning documents to guide our work.

Whole Street is being transformed in different areas with streetscaping, sidewalks, a shared use path, and bridge replacement.

Those are a combination of projects to build on goal nine of Richmond 300.

The improvement of streets and bridges to expand connectivity for all users.

LED street lighting conversion is an energy efficient goal of RBA Green 2050.

And one of the Richmond Connect's priority projects, phase one of improvements to Richmond Highway is about 50% complete.

So on the screen in the front of you, you'll see examples of projects across all nine districts that are either in planning, under construction, or recently completed.

That includes the fire stations and community community centers you see, as well as pedestrian safety improvements at the intersection of Sims, Forest Hill, and Dundee Avenues.

So Mayor Vula is proposing a total of 805 million for the FY27 CIP.

76% of that is bonds and cash generated by the utility fund.

18% is our bonds generated by the general fund.

And 6% is federal, state, and regional transportation funding awarded to the city.

Now if we look at it from the from the expenditure side, on the screen, you'll see a breakdown of how projects are categorized in the CIP along with the totals for each category.

And you see up there again that totals up to that $805 million I just mentioned.

CAO Donald listed the departments involved in CIP, and for this presentation, we'll focus on the proposed CIP from a departmental view.

So for general services, the mayor is proposing the acceleration of plan year funding into FY27 for the John Marshall Courts building, as well as 14.3 for maintenance work in city facilities and 11 million in short-term debt for vehicle replacement.

Moving on to public utilities.

So utility projects for FY27 include 14.3 million for flood system maintenance.

And that includes the removal of two dams at Bryan Park and improvements to the flood wall and levee system.

The $54 million that you see up there for stormwater is focused on improving drainage and flood-prone areas.

The $254 million for wastewater up there.

Out of that $254 million, $180 of that is proposed to ensure effective operation of the wastewater treatment plant.

And that $237 million number you see up there, $130 of that is proposed to improve the water treatment plant.

For transportation within public works, the mayor proposes continued investment in the complete streets program at $21 million per year.

Specific to FY27, funding is proposed to support replacement of the Arthur Ash Lombardi and the Whole Street over Manchester Canal Bridges.

Now all of those projects are set to be advertised for construction bidding this year.

I also want to highlight some of the proposed program investment in pedestrian safety, including 4.4 million in intersection improvements.

And that includes left turn lane hardening and high visibility crosswalks.

Still on public works.

This includes continued investment in the Fall Line Trail and Whole Street Improvement Projects, as well as projects that are currently in planning and design, like Broad Street, Cherokee Road, which I will note DPW completed a new study for last year, and the Shaco Valley Streets Improvement Project.

Housing.

So under housing, 10 million is proposed in FY27 and FY28 for the Equitable Affordable Housing Program.

And 1.6 million is proposed in 27 for infrastructure, including paving, undergrounding of utilities and curb and gutter as part of the Creighton Court Redevelopment Project.

Parks and Rec.

So for Parks and Rec, 5 million is proposed for the Browns Island Improvement Project, which you I'm pretty sure you're all well aware of.

This is a joint venture with Richmond, excuse me, a joint venture with venture, a joint effort, there we go, with Venture Richmond, which is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

And Parks and Rec also has 6.2 in maintenance work or funding for maintenance work across various parks and facilities.

Planning, we propose continued investment in the percent for art program at 250,000 per year.

I just want to point out, you know, we talked about fire stations being completed.

A great example of the work that's done by Percent for Art is if you go past Fire Station 12 on Carey Street, you'll see a display, a ladder display in the window, right?

So that was funded through this program.

The police department.

So Richmond and its surrounding county share the cost of maintaining and operating a patrol, well, three patrol planes as part of a metro aviation unit.

One of those planes is reaching the end of its service life and has limited capabilities, placing a strain on the other two planes.

I also want to note that last year, Richmond alone used the planes 300 times.

So funding for the share, the city's share of the replacement cost is proposed in FY27.

The public libraries, and you guys heard a lot about that in the previous presentation.

Last year we adopted 1 million for a public library upgrades, with funding being, as you heard earlier, used to explore the expansion of Westover Hills, Belmont, and the East End libraries.

So the mayor's budget proposes another million in FY2727 to continue making those improvements.

Schools.

So with schools, funding from the plan years has been accelerated to FY27 to fully fund the RPS maintenance request.

And looking ahead, our investment in new schools will continue in FY29 with our second 200 million dollar installment of school modernization funding.

Previous FY24 installment is being used to fund the ongoing construction at Richmond High School for the Arts.

At a total cost of 2.9 million in FY27.

And the year that I just mentioned is reaching the end of its useful service life.

You guys have all made historic investments in replacing fire stations over the past few years.

And this proposal will keep fire training space and equipment up the par as well.

So with that, I'll turn it back over to the CAO.

Thank y'all.

Thank you.

Mr.

CAO, you have about five minutes.

At Richmond runs deep.

Very talented gentleman.

Has really put all of the council's thoughts, ideas, and desires, as well as the mayor and the previous mayor, put all of those ideas and identified funding for all of them to be able to deliver for each one of your districts and throughout the city.

So extremely happy to have them, but also to be able to elevate his talent and let you know some of the people behind the scenes doing the work on your behalf.

And we couldn't do this without him.

And I think that is, you know, really a part of how I wanted to close out because there are a couple of things that are in here that I just wanted to double down on.

I know that y'all have received it, but it was important for us to just kind of highlight in this document or in this presentation.

Just you see here investments in district six.

Hopefully, you can see all of your sales, district two, three, and six here.

You'll see District 4, District 5 and 8, District 9, District 6 and 7, because of the streets improvement project and those districts being so close together.

Of course, you're represented way more than just this, but I thought it was a good idea to maybe highlight for the council just all of the different ways in which the investments are being spread across the city so that you know and understand how those investments are.

And then even some of them don't necessarily belong to a district, but they help us with everything from our uh crime fighting and public safety, including the shared cost that we have with our other localities as well as with the libraries which spread across the city.

And then highlighting, I do want to spend some time to just highlight the uh John Marshall Courts building.

Uh one of those things that just kind of fell in my lap, didn't really realize uh that we would have that challenge coming in uh to the city, but blessed to have to resolve one of those issues in the past and uh what we did uh is really accelerate the uh improvements to the John Marshall Courts building in this year, where you'll see all of those funds allocated moved into year one.

Um apparently this is a 26-year issue in which they have been looking for a new court home or some type of safety improvements.

This process will allow us to both look for that home and identify that permanent home while making the one that they have currently uh suitable, fit and safe for not only the folks delivering the services, but people who are seeking justice every day.

Also uh the short-term debt uh for vehicle replacement plans is something that is important.

I know this council has been very engaged in those activities, and so using those short-term bonds to fund fleet and FY27 as the usual cash transfer from the general fund balance to uh the operating budget uh cash funding is then planned from FY28 through FY31.

That is just to highlight what our strategy is and also just kind of double down on that.

We're listening to council and the way you want us to coordinate our activities, and so we will be using a more pay-go-capital uh process moving forward.

And so there are variety of projects to note, and I'll just close with the Mayo Island Redevelopment.

Um we're looking at the people's budget program for which we'll be issuing a report on that here soon with the GRTC bus shelter and bench installation project uh that was voted on, pine camp facility improvements, uh which are coming forward and a host of others.

I'm trying to uh make sure I finish ahead of the uh the 20 minutes, but one key thing that I do want to highlight that will be important as we move forward, and I think is an innovation that we're adding to the CIP is just having a CIP GIS dashboard, which we plan to launch and deliver within this fiscal year, which will be very helpful because when you ask where's my project, you'll be able to see it.

And so one of the things that we're committed to and should be able to deliver uh this year.

And so with that, Madam President and Council members, I will uh close and uh myself and uh the oracle will be made available to answer questions.

Thank you, uh CAO Donnell.

And before we go to the questions, um your uh members of the various entities within the portfolio did a hand clap.

I want to give a resounding applause for all of the work that all of the entities, all of you.

I you back there, right?

Right.

Can I can we give an applause for the work that just wanna say thank you?

Um some heavy lifting uh Mr.

Uh uh Morris and others I've clumped around down at the few places and over at when you talk about the burn tower, I think uh with RFD.

I don't know if you still do it, but council members came over fully garbed.

I'm not sure how anyone maneuvers in that to try to just get a sense of what that is and going out on rides with our police department.

And you know, it is uh thank you.

I want to say thank you to all of you for extraordinary work uh in our city.

With that, we'll go to um questions.

Uh council member, oh, and I'm sorry I didn't know you were referred to Mr.

Nixon Garrison as the Oracle out of that collection.

Thank you very much for that presentation.

And we'll start with Councilwoman Jones.

Um I hate to say this, but I'm not ready.

So I can either submit my questions later or if so if you come back around after everybody else goes.

I'm okay.

You can feel free to submit, would be great.

Vice President Jordan.

Um thank you so much.

Yeah, obviously with the increased gas prices.

I think folks are looking at alternative ways to get around town.

And one that you know is increasingly popular.

Um, you know, is getting around by bike.

And wondering if someone is available to speak to, sort of, I know we have money.

This is so minor compared to the scope of CIP, but uh just because it does cross multiple districts.

Um, how folks go about requesting bike racks, and we've had individual businesses interested in having them located.

Um, I know different corridors you would benefit, but again, sort of a small question, but stalling for other people so they have more time.

Oh, I understand.

Well, so you want to come up and answer that?

Yeah, I mean, we are there's a process in place in which you can make those requests.

And I know that the new uh department of transportation will play a role in that as well, but we'll allow Mr.

Vincent to come up and answer that question.

Welcome, Mr.

Vincent.

Good afternoon, counsel.

I'm not Mr.

Vincent today.

I'm Neil.

The Oracle, the Matrix.

Oh, come on.

We haven't been here that long today.

If you will send us the list of, you know, we can work with you all of the different thank you.

Okay.

Good to see you all.

Um, yes, ma'am.

If if anyone would like to request bike racks, bike racks are something that we tend to install with our streetscape projects.

So we do have um dollars available within our budget to be able to install them in a reasonable fashion, and they can certainly reach out to the Department of Public Works for that.

Thank you.

Much appreciated.

Uh my other questions are more district district specific, so I'll um submit those individually.

Thanks.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Gibson.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I have questions about um a couple of things.

So um if you could talk a bit about the um safe streets for all, I'm still I'm still trying to understand it.

So um the way I seen a budget, there's 202 million dollars that's allocated, I believe, for the cost of the program.

Um, and that's flat at $2 million in fiscal year 26 and then 2 million in fiscal year 27, and then $2 million for fiscal year 27 for the red light camera enforcement.

When I see like big round numbers like that, it just I just want to understand, you know, see a bit more detail because two million dollars so rough, and I know people's at you know uh salaries are changing and such.

So I I want to understand more granularity in terms of the cost of the program and then where that money is going.

Um, because then I see on page 467 the implementation of that program is uh it looks like 762,000.

Like I guess I would like more clarity around vision zero.

That's my first question.

My other question, I have three, is about the people's budget.

Um page 467 shows 1.7 million dollars um in people's budget funding, and it and it doesn't appear that any of the money has been used.

So I I want to understand how much of that money has been spent.

Um, and and within that, there was funding.

Um, I guess my third question is related to my district, which is the Pine Camp Project.

I want to understand um what the status is of that project in specific.

Thank you.

So one was vision zero, but you didn't really ask a question.

You said you wanted more clarity, but you didn't say what you wanted more clarity on.

In a budget meeting, I would love to be looking at the budget, you know.

So if you are amenable to it, if we could pull the budget up and look at at how the vision zero funding, like what what these various buckets are and and how that's working.

Yeah, I don't think this would be the time for us to do that.

I think we can definitely meet with you because that's I think you're asking us, are you saying like teach you the budget of the breakdown of vision zero itemized budget you're looking at for that?

Itemized budget you're looking at for that particular um I mean look, we are we have had an increase in pedestrian deaths in the city, and our solution to that is this vision zero program.

And I and I think it's important for us to understand how that funding is being used.

And Vision Zero is one part of it, but it's not the only part.

So I mean, I think you mentioned the investment in red lights, which plays in the vision zero.

The uh devices that we utilize on streets, whether it be our speed humps and roundabouts.

I mean, it's a comprehensive effort to deliver public safety activities, is also part of the reason that the Department of Transportation is stood up.

So I I don't think it's just a look at the funding allocated to Vision Zero, but it's a look at the whole budget.

But again, I think if you were asking a specific question, or if you were looking, you're asking for such a broad, you're saying, hey, explain vision zero to me.

That's kind of yeah, um I'm not certain.

I think I need a little bit more guidance on what you're looking for because what you're asking for is pretty bland, and you're saying pull up a pull up the budget for you, but I I think some of those questions, because we've received a lot of questions, which we're answering, but I'm not certain what questions the staff is not what insight they're not providing.

So I need a little bit of just clarity.

So if we get the specific questions, I I um to you, um, and we'll have staff do that to be able to respond to council member Gibson's inquiry, but the specificity I think is needed is what, but also in terms of specific allocations for what within the buttons all of those kinds of things, if I'm hearing correctly.

So we'll get that to you so that you can get that back.

Okay.

I mean, I I personally think this should be a straightforward exercise.

I can provide you with the page numbers.

We could put them up on the screen, and you could just speak to what those various elements are.

The first time that vision zero is references the budget is on page 326.

Okay.

So we have I think we'll bring you come on up and answer this if you can.

I'm still not sure what the question is.

I guess I'm good afternoon, Bobby Vincent, director of public works.

Um I think the so the situation with regards to vision zero, vision zero is more of a concept, and it's not just a concept for the city of Richmond, but it's a concept that's worldwide.

And uh it's almost the same vision as trying to have crime reduction dealing with police.

So there's various line items that relate to vision zero throughout the city's budget.

Just about every project that we have with regards to paving or traffic calming or streetscapes goes back to vision zero because it's a concept.

So we're now designing our streets, designing our CIP projects to take into account pedestrian safety, bicyclist safety, as well as vehicle um and driver safety.

So when you look at vision zero as a whole, it's a concept to make certain that people are aware that people are driving in a cautious manner, that people are buckling up, that people aren't drinking and driving, and that people are obeying the um guidelines set forth by the MUTCD guide um standards, which are put forth by the federal highway administration.

So some of your municipalities, which just about every state in the United States has a Vision Zero program now, particularly in our high um density areas and also throughout the world and Africa, Europe, Asia, it was actually founded in Sweden.

And so we adopted that program in the United States in order to move forward with it.

So with regards to your question about um safe vote for schools, we have some specifics that we can provide for that with regards to um funding, but with regards to vision zero, as the CAO indicated, that's a broad um perspective that really impacts almost every line item within our budget.

Thank you.

I'll get to you, ma'am.

This is not that complicated.

So we're talking about streets, Miss Lynch.

Miss Lynch, and that's it's not Miss Lynch that we can't do.

I would love for my time to be paused because I I'm this is I feel like I'm running, I'm getting the clock is running down and I'm asking multiple times.

I would like to pull up the budget and discuss page 326 during our budget work session.

Is there something in particular there?

Are you just wanting to go through the I'm I think this was helpful?

Are you asking where sidewalks are current?

That's what you're asking?

You're asking where sidewalks are located and activities such as that.

Because I'm looking at the budget page now.

Sure.

And we'll pull that up.

I got it right here.

I'm just asking for the specific question.

So on page 326, there is two million dollars allocated for that was allocated in both fiscal year 26 and fiscal year 27 for the photo speed enforcement program.

I want to understand more specifics as to what that is.

But this is well, you said it, and I'll just repeat it and not take y'all's time.

You want your budget done differently, which is different than anybody else does budgets, but you want line items for every single dollar that is allocated within these areas.

So you want a 4,000 page budget book, but which is yeah, I'm not gonna say it's fine, but if I know.