Good evening, everyone.

Good evening and welcome to the Richmond City Council's formal council session.

At this time, uh Madam Clerk, if you would uh certainly provide uh guidance in terms of Spanish interpretation.

Spanish interpretation is available in the council chamber.

Please see a representative at the rear of the room to receive the appropriate equipment.

Spanish interpretation is also available through Microsoft Teams for virtual attendees in need of this service.

La interpretation in espanholic is disponible in la sala del consejo.

For favor, acuda un representante in la parte trasera de la cámara by receive el equipo adequado.

La interpretación in espanhol también está disponible através de Microsoft Teams para los assistentes virtuales que necessiting este servicio.

Thank you.

At this time, um, we are pleased to have Pastor Philip Turner of Pine Street Baptist Church to join us and provide the invitation this evening.

Welcome, Pastor.

Thank you, Council, for the invitation, and thank you for your leadership in our city.

May we pray together.

Gracious and loving God, we gather in your presence with gratitude for the gift of community and the responsibility of leadership.

We thank you for the city of Richmond for its history, its resilience, and the diverse people who call it home.

We pray for the members of this council, grant them wisdom as they deliberate, courage as they make decisions, and humility as they listen to one another and to the voices of the community.

Help them to seek not only what is expedient, but what is just not only what is popular but what is right, guide their conversations today, where there is disagreement, bring respect, where there is uncertainty, bring clarity.

Where there is need, inspire compassion and action.

May their work reflect the deep commitment for the well-being of every neighbor, especially those voices which are often unheard.

Bless this city with peace, opportunity, and hope, strengthen all who serve the common good, and remind us that we are bound together in shared purpose and mutual care.

In your holy name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Pastor Turner.

At this time, please I invite you to join me for the Pledge of Alleges.

Thank you.

Madam andor Mr.

Clerk, if you would provide the emergency evacuation plan.

Please use the exits to the left or right front of the council chamber or the east or west stairwell outside the rear doors of the chamber.

Do not use elevators or escalators.

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

Able persons should assist visually and hearing impaired visitors with exiting the building.

Thank you.

If you would now also provide the uh public speaker guidelines.

Individuals speaking during public hearings in the public comment period are generally allowed three minutes to speak.

Persons appearing before council are not allowed to campaign for public office, promote private business ventures, use language of a personal nature which insults or demeans any person, including comments directed at public officials or staff members that are not related to their official duties, or address or question staff members directly.

All questions are to be directed to the president of council.

Failure to adhere to the guidelines may result in speakers forfeiting any remaining time and further disciplinary action as necessary, which could include barring from attendance at future meetings of city council for a period of six months.

And Madam President, for the record, all members of council are in attendance this evening except councilors Roberts and Lynch.

You do have a quorum.

If there are individuals standing in the rear of the chamber, they are asked to be seated where seats are available.

Also, applause is not permitted during tonight's meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Um, just as we prepare for public comment period, I will just um inform you that the budget uh opportunity for the public hearing and comment on the budget will be May 11th.

So feel free to join us at that time for that public hearing.

And um Madam Clerk, I'd like to just before we get underway with the um public speaker um public comment period.

We have some special guests in the audience that Councilman Breton is going to uh introduce us to, and then we'll get underway with the public comment period.

I just wanted to welcome on behalf of the city uh Cubscout Pact 436, who's here with us today, a group of very bright civic-minded young people that I've had the opportunity to meet with earlier today.

Um discussing democracy, the city, city services, um, and budget questions with that.

And so I know that the you know the future is in their hands, and I can attest that the future is in very good hands.

So thank you, PAC 436 for being here.

Yeah, give a round of applause.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Councilman Breton, and welcome uh to our troop.

Uh look forward to your joining us uh sometime in the future.

Is that correct, Mr.

Breton?

Of course.

Okay.

Thank you all.

Welcome.

With that, madam clerk, let's proceed uh to call the uh public comment speakers.

The first speaker is Jesus Carpio.

Welcome, Mr.

Caprio.

Really principal de la communidad y el respecto que se merece esta ciudad.

The honorable members of the Richmond City Council, it is an honor for me to uh to be here uh with speaking with you.

Thank you for uh the leadership that you provide for the city.

So elector practicamente Riva Trumber.

My dear distinguished council members, my name is Jesus R.

Garpio.

I am a resident of Richmond, currently residing at 404 Lawall Street, 2323, and a constituent of Councilwoman Reba M.

Trammell.

And relax is porque I suffered practically una conducta irregular departments can manage elevado process in estaudad.

The reason I am here is uh because I have uh uh suffered at the hands of uh people who are supposed to administer uh uh uh the justice in the city.

The law is clear.

Every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

To uphold this, the system requires solid, consistent, consistent evidence that is free from reasonable doubt.

When authorities uh sadly manipulate legal narratives or ignore constitutional rights, justice is compromised.

Unfortunately, I have been one of many people who have uh suffered uh unfairly due to accusations against us.

Uh sadly, among the summary of discrepancy discrepancies and grievances, uh I have had a FOIA requests of denial, even though they are uh allowed by law.

But sin embargo practicamente desaparecido del sistema.

And uh further furthermore, uh I have uh presented requests uh to the court system in regards to the documents, and up to date I have not received them.

And um, I'm a concern uh because of this, and uh I am a person who does not have enough uh financial means in order to uh pay a lawyer who could represent me.

I would like to request uh your assistance and me uh trying to uh get this off with the judicial system.

Because we all have the right to due process.

And um, I do not want anyone to go uh uh through this uh situation, people suffering injustices like we saw recently with former governor, former lieutenant governor governor.

And uh this is a concern of mine not only for myself, but also for uh uh any other people who could be going through a situation similar to mine.

Thank you.

That's your time.

Madam President.

Thank you, Councilmember Crammel.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I know that Tom and I have been talking for the past couple of years about this, and I know that um the former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax um was um going to hear the case or help him, and was not able to do it.

But anyway, was gonna let him know that the chief is here.

He's also spoken at our public safety meeting, and he's been to many many of our eighth district meeting.

So maybe if the chief can get with him and speak to him about I think he's just trying to find because he he does live at 600 Rose Mont Road, which is an eighth district, um, and help him maybe gather some information or to see where we can help him with some assistance and clearing.

I think he's trying to clear his name, we're not um be charged with something that he says that he did not do.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Tramell and uh Chief if there's any opportunity to appropriately direct the gentleman gentleman would certainly appreciate that.

Thank you.

Madam Clerk, next speaker.

The next speaker is Aurora Brittany.

Well, thank you.

Hello, you know what I'm here to talk about.

Flock cameras, of course.

Uh, I'm gonna tell you a story about something that just happened in LA about a month ago.

LA and the state of California have state laws that don't allow any federal officials to access their flock cameras.

Same as Virginia and uh Richmond.

Um just recently at an anti-ICE protest in downtown LA, uh, several protesters were followed back to their homes by ICE agents and other members of DHS.

That uh how they followed them home where the ICE agents were accessing the flock cameras on their cell phones and using them to track people throughout the city.

I'm gonna ask you if you think that ICE is using cameras in LA and California without permission.

What do you think is happening here?

Get rid of the cameras.

Thank you, Ms.

Bridge.

The next speaker is Michael White.

Welcome, Mr.

White.

Hello, good afternoon, council.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Hello, my name is Michael Weiss.

I'm coming to share information on Flock safety.

You probably didn't know.

And the terms and condition of the Flock agreements and her 4.1 customer data that reads as between Flock and Customer, all rights, title, interests, and and to customer data belong and are retained by customer.

Customer hereby grants the flock limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual worldwide license to a use and disclose customer data to provide the flock system and B, use customer data to support improved Flock's products and services.

Customer data will be available for authorizing user to access and download via the web interfaces.

RPD is not the only ones using and viewing this data.

Data Flock themselves are as well.

Now the privacy policy states Flock reserves the right to disclose personal information in special cases.

Flock also states that they will share your personal information with third parties if they are legally required to do so, or Flock has good faith belief that it would protect the rights, property, or safety of Flock surveillance.

I nor my fellow citizens are products that come second to an out of state corporate entity.

Finally, I mention all of this for a recent story that Flock's vice president of business development, Bob Carter, as well as Randy Gluck, an employee was caught accessing the cameras of MJCC in Atlanta, a children's gymnastics gym, the pool, the aerobics gym, the aerobics room, and the preschool area watching for tons of hours over days as it's still being audited.

Flock has ability to aggregate the data of third party cameras, making any camera possibly a flock camera, making all everyone's personal access and privacy at risk.

Thank you, Mr.

Weight.

Thank you.

The last speaker is Daniel Tobias.

Welcome, Mr.

Tobias.

Thank you.

Good evening, Madam President, City Council.

Thank you for your time tonight.

My name is Daniel Tobias.

I'm a resident in the 6th district and have been proud to call Richmond my home for more than a decade.

I'm here tonight to speak on the negative impact of flock cameras in our community.

But before I get to that, I'd like to zoom out for a moment to the national picture and the current political climate that contextualizes my opposition to these cameras.

Right now, Congress is debating the extension of warrantless surveillance through FISA after recent alarms were sent from within the program itself about the extent to which American citizens' privacy is being invaded outside the scope of the program.

The Trump administration also has issued National Security Presidential Memorandum 7, NSPM7, countering domestic terrorism and organized political violence, which specifically targets individuals and organizations on the left.

Their indicators for existing the pre-crime relies on dangerous and vague indicators such as anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity, extremism on migration, extremism on gender, hostility towards traditional views on family, religion, and morality.

Having witnessed the Trump administration's actions over the past year and a half, I am not confident, an understatement, that this is an administration that respects our constitutionally granted freedoms.

I am pro-public safety.

In another life, I helped design the enclosures for some of the speed cameras you see outside of school zones in this city.

I am not against those kinds of security programs.

Flock cameras are very different.

You've heard from many constituents over the past months about the difference in vulnerabilities.

I will briefly recount just a few.

Agencies and individuals outside Richmond have and will be able to access the city systems.

To that point, Richmond's flock systems were improperly accessed by a federal agency for the purpose of so-called immigration enforcement.

This access spans several months in 2025 before being discovered and terminated.

Claims from Mayor Vula or Police Chief Edwards that these systems are only accessible by Richmond law enforcement cannot be true while these vulnerabilities exist.

Moreover, these persistent surveillance systems 30 seconds.

Thank you.

Disproportionately and hugely impact minority majority areas.

Confirmed by geospatial data obtained by judicial order on over 600 flock systems in the Hampton Roads area, lining up neatly with previously redlined communities.

Flock predictive policing contributes to a long history of overpolicing that Richmond especially should be sensitive to.

Having come back from a weekend visiting the birthplace of democracy in Philadelphia, 250 years ago this year, it feels appropriate to end with these words from Benjamin Franklin.

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

Thank you, Madam President.

Thank you, Council.

Thank you, Mr.

Tavides.

And Madam President, that concludes the list of public comment period speakers for this evening.

Thank you.

Let's proceed with the amendments to tonight's agenda The amendments to tonight's agenda are as follows.

Item three, ordinance 2026 074 will be amended later this evening and then continued to the Monday, May 11th Council meeting.

Item five, ordinance 2026 076 and item 16, ordinance 2026 089 will both be continued to the Monday June 8th council meeting.

Item 17, ordinance 2026 090 will be continued to the Monday, May 11th Council meeting.

And this paper is to be referred to the May 4th Organizational Development Standing Committee meeting.

Item 18, ordinance 2026 091 will be continued to the Monday, June 8th Council meeting.

Item 19, resolution 2026 R003 will be amended later this evening and then continued to the Monday, May 11th Council meeting.

Item 24, ordinance 2025 231 will be continued to the Monday, May 11th Council meeting.

Item 25, ordinance 2025 282, and item 26, ordinance 2026081 will both be continued to the Tuesday, May 26th Council meeting.

Item 27, ordinance 2026063 will be amended later this evening and then continued to the Monday, May 11th Council meeting.

Item 28, ordinance 2026 064 will be continued to the Monday, May 11th Council meeting.

Item 29, ordinance 2026 065 and item 30, ordinance 2026066 will both be amended later this evening and then continued to the Monday, May 11th Council meeting.

Items 31 through 34 ordinances 2026 067 068 069 and 070 will all be continued to the Monday, May 11th Council meeting.

And item 35, ordinance 2026 071 will be amended later this evening and then continued to the Monday, May 11th Council meeting.

Madam President, those are all the amendments to tonight's agenda.

Thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

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

So we'll council is voting on this evening's agenda amendments as read.

Mr.

Breton.

Aye.

Ms.

Gibson?

Yes.

Ms.

Jones?

Aye.

Ms.

Lynch.

Aye.

And um, I'd like to be added to ordinance 2026088.

That has been noted.

Ms.

Trammell.

Aye.

Sabubacher.

Aye.

Vice President Jordan.

Aye.

And President New Bill.

Aye.

That motion has been approved and the amended agenda is now before you.

Thank you.

And this evening's consent agenda consists of the following items.

Item one, ordinance 2026 060.

Item two, ordinance 2026 073.

Item 4, ordinance 2026 075.

Items 6 through 15, ordinances 2026 077, 78, 79, 80, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, and 88.

And items 20 through 23, resolutions 2026 R013, R015, R016, and R017.

Those are all the items on tonight's consent agenda.

Thank you, Mr.

Clark.

We will now proceed with the public hearing on the consent agenda items.

All persons in the audience design of speaking in opposition to any item on the consent agenda, please come forward.

Welcome.

Hello.

Good evening, Madam President and honorable council members.

I am Emma Hartman and I'm here with my mother, Megan Smith.

We've both my family has resided in the third district for over 27 years now.

Um tonight there is an sorry, I'm a little short.

There's an item on the consent agenda to clarify the definition of bicycle lanes as it pertains to issuing parking citations.

Um this is the bike lane in front of my house.

It is one of three cars we have had totaled on this road since this bike lane has been enacted.

Thankfully, um no one, none of my family was in the car at the time.

But um, I would like you to consider what my neighbor saw what happened.

Imagine if people that park imagine if that happened near you.

Imagine um if the people that park their cars close to you had them hit um by people going far too fast in a lane that is far too small.

A lot of people are scared to get out of their cars, myself included, um, because people go down that road very fast and we do not have enough space to get out of our cars.

Um part of the amendment wants to ensure that there's a three foot space between cars and cyclists to prevent an incident incidents called dooring.

I completely understand that.

This is an example of how most people park on my road.

This is my car, actually, uh parked on my road.

Um a lot of us park a little bit over the barrier that has been set up for the bike lanes.

I completely understand wanting to keep bikers and cyclists safe.

I think that's a great idea.

However, um, a lot of my neighbors, myself included, are very scared to get out of our cars because we are so close to traffic that it's going very fast.

Um, and by the way that we are parked, bikes can move completely freely.

We are not in their way, um, and we are not obstructing the bike lane at all.

But um, as you can see in this picture, I received a citation uh warning um that noticed that I would be getting a ticket had this happened after May 1st.

But I um am not obstructing the bike lane, and I am actually very concerned to get out of my car.

Um, but there is just not enough space to get out of your car safely.

Um my neighbors don't want to put cyclists in danger.

I don't want to put cyclists in danger.

We are just trying to protect ourselves.

Um, please don't start issuing citations to citizens who are just trying to park safely without getting hurt.

Um, the cars are just going too fast.

Our main goal is to keep our neighborhood safe and prepared.

And in order to keep everyone safe, we don't need to redefine what the bike lanes are.

We need to do is slow down traffic and prevent people from going extremely fast down these roads and give out tickets for speeding and not for parking.

In this incident, the person who hit this car didn't get a ticket.

They didn't get a citation.

They walked away.

And we lost two cars in that incident.

But um, I know on paper that it looks like you are making people safe by doing these citations and protecting bikers, but you are just putting people in their cars and getting out of them and pedestrians in danger.

But I thank you so much for your time, and I hope that you can put this into consideration.

Have again.

Can you restate your name, please?

Yes, uh, Emma Hartman.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other persons present as I used of speaking in opposition to any item on the consent agenda?

Okay, Madam President.

Um, my name is Patrick Ford, and I'm a uh building and business owner on the 400 block of East Gray Street.

Um, I'm here at the time.

Do you mind pulling up the mic microphone a little bit more?

Thank you.

I'm here to talk about uh resolution 2026 R 016.

That's the um approving uh the issuance of 11 million dollars in bonds uh for the project on East Gray Street.

Um we the building has been shut down for a couple of years, and um we've noticed a significant improvement in the neighborhood since it's been closed.

Now I don't think anyone in the neighborhood wants to have a vacant property on the building, but uh there's been a long history uh for that building for over two decades um of very poor management.

Uh there have been remodels in the past, and within a couple of years after a remodel, it always goes back to kind of that um you know where it was a couple of years ago before it was closed down.

Um the members in the community have not been involved.

There's been no outreach to talk to them about what's happening with the building.

Um we're all very confused uh what what's going on at 34 million dollars?

It seems like a lot of money to spend on on this project.

We're talking about half a million dollars a door.

Uh there's only 65 units in the building.

So it just seems to me that it's it's doomed from the beginning.

Um we would just like a pause on this to better understand what the plan is for this building and uh and and understand sort of how we can um better prepare for it because I think everyone in the neighborhood is very nervous about uh the project and and and what's coming.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there persons present in the audience uh now desirous of speaking in favor of any of the items on the consent agenda?

Hey y'all, uh my name is Casey Miller.

I'm a renter and resident in the 7th District, and I'm here to speak in favor of ordinance 2026-082.

Appreciate um the extra layer of transparency from council members who put this forward.

Thank you.

Have a good day.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Thank you.

Good evening, council members, Madam President Sherelle Hampton with RRHA.

I wanted to, if this is the appropriate time, Madam President, to share just a um few comments in support of the project.

RRHA competitively selected a developer to work and co-partner with us on the substantial renovation of 400 East Grace Street.

That is the 11 million dollar or up to 11 million dollars in uh bond funds, I believe that is for that project.

We held in September a um virtual meeting for all of the businesses in the area.

We then went out again and hand delivered to each of the businesses surrounding in a two-block radius of the project.

We shared with them what the plans were for that project.

We also the agency RRH in its process for the board to review and consider this project.

We held a public hearing.

It was advertised for 10 days and the times dispatch.

I believe in your um package, you have a copy of the affidavit of publication that was put out.

So I just wanted to share it is a project, it will be housing all seniors, which is what was in before.

This is a completely new um developer who has experience in affordable housing.

There is in your packets a copy of their presentation and what the project will do and bring to the area.

So it is that historic use of that um building again and putting it back in use to serve seniors.

So thank you.

We asked you a favorable consideration of the project.

And we will continue to have ongoing uh reports to the that two to three block radius.

We will continue to have either virtual meetings or uh send out information we sent out hand delivered information 30 seconds on the project.

So we will continue to do that throughout the life and the development of the project.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Madam President, I had a question for Ms.

Hampton.

Um, this is more about process.

Um what kind of, I mean, these are we've seen a lot of these really, really big ticket item um RHAJ bonds coming through council in recent years, which is great.

We want to add an increase to our affordable housing stock.

I guess you know, in the context of how this fits uh with our larger kind of uh strategic plan for affordable housing.

How do you all collaborate with the administration before you bring these projects for, you know, is there collaboration with Mrs.

Ebert and Mr.

Merrick's shop?

Are you all just doing this in a vacuum without or in a silo without kind of looking at that larger bigger picture?

No, thank you, Councilmember Lynch, for that uh question.

We uh do bring uh and uh to um uh HCD.

Um the project must comply with the five-year consolidated plan.

And so we share the same information that you have with uh HCD and Miss Ebert and Mr.

Malone.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Jane.

Thank you, Ms.

Hampton.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Vincent Vinuti, and I'm speaking on behalf of Favoring Ordnance 2026 060.

I am the owner of Dream House.

I um it was created and born from an initiative called Shaco Shine.

I attended a meeting with the mayor, and he was asking how he can help Shaco Bottom's success.

I went home that night and created a large presentation that a lot of the city actually has on their computers, and it's called Shaco Shine.

It is an initiative to flip the narrative of what Shaco Bottom currently is.

We currently know it as being a very unsafe area and it keeps people away.

At Dream House, we want to flip the narrative.

We want to lead a this initiative and re-invite people back down to Shaco Bottom.

Dream House is in support of the arts, and we want to be able to extend that arts time.

Right now we have to stop at midnight, but we want to be able to stay open a little bit later and also take up space with artists and create a stage where we can have storytellers, where we can have people be expressive and share their thoughts, share their feelings and share their art and who they are.

So at Dream House, we are not planning to be part of the problem.

We want to be part of the solution because we dream that of a safer nightlife in Richmond because Richmond deserves it and we want to be part of it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

For the business to be granted special privileges to become a nightclub.

Um I thank you for your time.

I've lived in Rich I lived in Richmond for over four and a half years.

Um with my prior to that, prior to meeting my business partner, Vinny, who has previously spoken before me.

Um I've now been a Richmond resident for over six years now, half a decade, and Shaco Bottom has had the same narrative before and after the 2020 pandemic.

Uh a meeting was called, as mentioned before by the mayor to bring in the business owners from Shaco Bottom.

Um, instead of real solutions being uh held fingers were being pointed and um just sharing problems and grievances with the mayor.

Vinny had proposed a few solutions based on the experiences managing large music festivals and events happening outside of Richmond.

Shaco Shine as a multi-phase solution that was created um based on the business's core values, wonder, creativity, inclusivity, and most of all, safety.

We want to be we want to create a safer, brighter, and friendlier neighborhood to help Shaco Bottom thrive and flip the current negative that's been happening for over a decade.

We want to be able to have the creatives and artists take up space and creativity was never meant to be contained in a box.

And our plan was for that creativity to extend beyond these four walls.

We would need your help for Dream House to become a nightclub like that.

We can be able to help the neighborhood from what currently is.

We thank you for your time again, and we'd love your support.

Thank you.

Do you mind stating your name?

My name is Armando Lugo, A R M A N D O L-U-G-O.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you to all the speakers.

The public hearing is now closed.

Bring it back to council for any further questions, comment, et cetera.

Councilmember Gibson.

Thank thank you, Madam President.

Just a couple of points.

I I want to applaud the efforts of the folks involved with Shock O'Shines.

It is just, you know, I think that when we find ideas and solutions as part of the community to make it a safer place.

And I appreciate that we are having important discussions as a body related to street safety very broadly.

It is not lost on me that item 14 on our list of ordinances is the designation of 1000 East Clay Street in honor of Bill Martin, who unfortunately was a victim of pedestrian of a you know of a death.

He was a pedestrian.

And so I wanted to know if it is possible to allow this body the opportunity to look at data specific to safety measures and this particular proposal, right?

So I I appreciate that our objective isn't making people more safe.

And we have, you know, the the interest is is that by making the lanes more narrow that that should help folks speed down or slow down.

But I I wonder um if we could see as a body what those um what the data is telling us.

Has it been effective in slowing people down to have the the lanes more narrow?

Um what is the rate by which we've seen vehicles hit as a result of narrowing those lanes?

Um how many um accidents are we aware of regarding bicyclists who have been impacted by um you know doors opening while they're driving through the bicycle lanes.

All of these are important or critical issues that need to be addressed.

And I and I want to see um and appreciate how you know how how it's working in totality.

What I'm what I am sensitive to, I really appreciated the um the speaker who came to speak, is that you know we are not giving people tickets like we used to, and we're looking for ways of addressing speed, um, absent having officers provide as many tickets, right?

And so I worry that by putting streets and you know, putting cars in the way, essentially, by you know, those folks by parking that that they're they're they're putting themselves at risk as well getting out of their cars, you know.

I mean, it's so um I I appreciate the discussion.

I just would really love to see as much data as we can to make sure that we're not um fixing one problem and creating another.

Thank you, Councilmember Gibson.

Vice President Jordan.

Thank you so much, and thank you to um everyone who came down to speak.

Um specific to this item.

It was a recommendation and request from our Safe and Healthy Streets Commission in 2023.

It also aligns uh our city code with federal and state design guidance.

Um the ticket or the warning that would have been issued is not what this paper, this paper isn't hasn't been voted on yet.

So that warning has to do with the current definitions of bike lanes and buffers.

Um, and what we do know as a city that we've been trying to slow down traffic and cars parked next to travel lanes.

Question here we already have cars parked next to travel lanes, right?

That's already a condition across the city, whether there's a bike lane on another side of it or sidewalk or no sidewalk or just a lawn, et cetera.

Um so the goal here really is to align our existing code, treat the buffer as part of the bike lane, um, provide clarity for our enforcement, and to really get those cars parking in a way that does slow down traffic.

Bike lanes create road diets that have been proven to be effective.

Um, I don't know if there's anyone from administration that can provide that data, but that is something that we you know have been relying on as part of our strategy to slow people down.

Um let's see what else I have in my notes from that.

But you know, every site, every car hit could have been a personal recycless hit, and that's another reason why we put cars um in these floating parking lanes to better protect our cyclists and our pedestrians on the sidewalks.

So I hope my colleagues will continue to support this paper.

I think it's important to help provide clarity and align us with best practices.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other comments, members, councilwoman Lynch?

Just a just a very quick uh shout out.

I don't I don't know if Director Fraulke, oh, I see him.

There he is, is in the audience.

Um, but just wanted to thank him and the administration's continued collaboration on seeing um the preservation of Pump House through it is just an absolutely beautiful gym located in the heart of our city, and a lot of it's a hidden one.

A lot of folks have not uh visited.

If you haven't, um please do, but you'll recognize that there are millions of dollars worth of of work to rehab that beautiful um historic building, which was at one point in time provided light and joy uh to residents all across the city as a uh as a dance hall, and um and just want to thank uh Chris and his team for continuing to to uh believe in that space in the art of the possible there.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Any further comment?

Okay, I'd just like to um reference um Shaco Shine.

Um, it is uh one of the entities in the 7th district, and I'm very appreciative of its desire to work collaboratively with the uh Shacle Bottom task force that's been formed to especially look at improving uh safety but also quality of life and activating uh the district even more.

So I'm appreciative of that and and I'm appreciative of uh the other partners that certainly you all have been at the table for meetings.

Uh actually there's one tomorrow and uh look forward to that involvement, but it is a collaborative effort across the businesses in Shaco Bottom, and I'm appreciative of your willingness to be a part of that.

With that, we will now call the question.

Council is now voting on the consent agenda as presented.

Mr.

Breton, aye, Miss Gibson.

Um I am I I'm going to abstain just from the um bike item.

I don't really want to abstain.

I want to vote in support of this item.

I just would like to see the data that informed the perspective.

Um, I don't uh please go on with your comment.

I was just ascertaining at what that data is available, and we can make sure that gets to it.

It would whatever the data is, I would I I appreciate I'm sure that the research is there.

I I would really like to see it.

Um, and so you know, just to be able to speak to it.

It's just the numbers should be there.

Um, and I think it would be important to have as as part of uh of this item.

Aye.

Ms.

Jones, uh Ms.

Lynch.

I and I would also like to be added as a patron to the um dream legislation.

I'm really excited for you all to be a patron.

That has been noted.

Ms.

Trammell?

Aye.

Ms.

Abu Baker.

Aye.

Vice President Jordan.

Aye.

And President New Bill.

Aye.

Those papers have all been adopted.

Thank you.

Let's proceed with the um items to amend and continue.

Madam President, the first motion before you is to amend item number three on your agenda ordinance number 2026-074, which authorizes the special use of 101 coordinate avenue for the purpose of a multifamily dwelling containing up to 120 dwelling units, and to repeal ordinance number 85-316-81-86-1 and all amendatory ordinances there too.

The proposed amendment to this ordinance would provide for new and modified plans.

Councilmember Jones, would you make the motion to amend and continue this item to the Monday, May 11th council meeting?

Councilmember Gibson, will you second that motion?

Second.

Council is now vote voting on the motion to amend and continue ordinance number 2026-074 to the Monday, May 11th council meeting as stated.

Mr.

Breton.

Aye.

Ms.

Gibson?

Yes.

Ms.

Jones.

Aye.

Ms.

Lynch.

Aye.

Ms.

Trammell.

Aye.

Ms.

Abu Baker.

Aye.

Vice President Jordan.

Aye.

And President New Bill.

Aye.

That motion has been approved.

Next before you is a proposed motion to amend item number 19 on your agenda resolution number 2026-R033.

And that would develop and implement a comprehensive energy efficiency program that reduces the energy burden and cost of living for vulnerable households, support small businesses, assist in the preservation of housing and the stabilization of neighborhoods, and makes meaningful progress towards the city's climate goals.

The proposed amendment to this resolution would modify the requirements of the energy efficiency program and implement a time frame within which such program must be established.

Councilmember Lynch, would you make the motion to amend and continue this resolution to the Monday, May 11th council meeting as stated?

So move.

Councilmember Breton, will you second that motion, please?

Second.

Thank you.

Council is now voting on the motion to amend and continue the resolution to the Monday, May 11th council meeting as stated.

Mr.

Breton.

Aye.

Ms.

Gibson.

Yes.

Ms.

Jones.

Ms.

Lynch.

Aye.

Ms.

Trammell.

Aye.

Ms.

Abbacher.

Aye.

Vice President Jordan.

Aye.

And President New Bill.

Aye.

That motion has been approved.

Next, before you are a slate of proposed amendments to several budget-related ordinances as follows.

Item number 27 on your agenda, ordinance number 2026-063, which adopts the annual budget, which includes all the separate current expense budgets for the general operation of the city government and for each utility and provides for increases to certain fees for fiscal year 2027 and appropriates the estimated revenues for such fiscal year for the objects and purposes stated in such budget.

The proposed amendment to this ordinance would amend would amend the uh would modify and amend the proposed annual budget.

Item number 29 on your agenda ordinance 2026-065 to accept a program of proposed capital improvement projects for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026 and for the four fiscal years thereafter, and to adopt a capital budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026.

The proposed amendment would modify the capital improvement plan amendments for FY 2027 through 2031.

Item 30 on your agenda ordinance number 2026-066 to adopt a new pay plan for the city for fiscal year 2027 and to repeal ordinance number 2027, number 2025-059 and all amendatory ordinances there too.

The proposed amendment would modify the new pay plan.

And finally, item 35 on your agenda ordinance number 2026-071 to submit a program year 2026 through 2030 consolidated plan and program year 2026 annual action plan to HUD as an application for the receipt of CDBG, home, ESG, and HOPWA funds to accept 12.5 million dollars from HUD and to appropriate the amount for various projects.

The proposed amendment to this paper would modify attachment B.

Vice President Jordan, will you make the motion to amend these ordinances and to continue these and all remaining budget related ordinances to the Monday, May 11th council meeting?

So moved.

Councilmember Abu Bakr, would you second that?

Second.

Madam Clerk, before we uh move to a motion on that, councilwoman Trammell.

Yeah, comment.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, I want to speak on the colour for a few minutes.

Um, I got a lot of phone calls last Friday.

Citizens were very upset, um, especially the retirees.

Um, I don't like being called a liar, and I don't like my colleagues being called a liar.

Um, I wish the mayor was here tonight.

Um, according to his agenda, I don't think it had anything to do today.

It says no public events.

Should have been here because I would tell him to his face that he should have put the six million dollars in the budget for our retirees.

Our retirees, as they said last, some of them that said to me last Friday, you know, what are y'all trying to do?

Wait for us to be dead.

What kind of message are you sending out to these employees that are here now?

Oh, yeah, you have collective bargaining right now, but what's gonna happen when they retire?

I'm 70.

She said she was 78 years old and she has medical problems, and she has to try to beg people to help her pay for a medicine because she can't, she still has a house payment and still lives in the city with no cola, no no cost of living over 16 years since Governor Walder was here.

With no cola, no cost of living over 16 years since Governor Wilder was here.

Yeah, we did get a bonus, they did get a bonus from the previous mayor, Lavar Stoney.

But what is a bonus?

What's a bonus?

A bonus, you give it to a person that is still working.

You reward them by giving them a bonus.

A cola is a cost of living raise rage for them to have, but when they retire, they can count on that.

And I will say this.

My colleague, Cynthia, Dr.

Cynthia Newville was right with me from the beginning, from the beginning to help us.

All my colleagues, I think everybody signed on but one for all of you retirees.

What kind of message are we sending to the city employees right now that are busting their butts for us?

Please fire.

And people in finance, utilities, public works, public utility, everything.

Every city employee, over 5,000, 6,000.

They're coming here every day, give up their life, give up their family members so that they can help all of us.

Then we tell them you're not going to get one, you're not going to get another cola.

Blame it on the mayor, the mayor.

He's the one that presents the budget to us.

We don't present it to him.

He presents it to us.

He didn't have nothing in there for the retirees.

We did.

We did.

All but one, one council member.

Think about that.

Cost, and you know what gets my heart.

You know, breaks my heart when she said, I still live in your city.

I live in your district.

How could you do this?

How could you do this?

And I wanna thank the Richmonder and the Times dispatch, Graham and Parker that had it right, got it right.

Got it right.

They said this is not, we're not gonna call it a bonus.

We're calling a one time payment.

Because I have been, I have been sworn, I have been told today, and I trust her, Dr.

Newbell that said, we're not gonna let this go.

We're not gonna put our retirees through this again.

We're gonna start having the conversation.

And as I look at the board members, I've got all this mess up here.

As I look at these board members, and I see first first.

These are ones that I guess they're new, but I like to know do they live in this city?

I see there's a police officer in here.

Um, don't know about the firefighter, but um, I do know Daisy Weaver that I worked with.

But most of these are first time, only two is second, is the second year.

There's seven of them.

And that Leo Griffin, he's gonna have to answer to us.

And you know what?

He's gonna answer to the retirees too.

He says it's 85%.

We got, I think it's 80 up to 89%.

Why in the hell has he got to get 100%?

Give you all the money that you all deserve.

And as you all said, or says the person in my district said it was crying on the phone to me last Friday.

We are about to die.

Is that what you all are waiting for us?

To die, then you'll come up with something.

No, that's not gonna happen.

That's not gonna happen.

So again, Mr.

Mayor, you let us down again.

And if you were here tonight, I would tell you you let us down.

You let those retirees down, and you're also letting the city employees down because you want to know why?

Y'all gonna give 25 years?

Some of you are sitting in this audience, you're gonna give 25 years, maybe 30 years.

What you're gonna get?

When you retire, we're gonna say, forget you.

He didn't matter.

It didn't matter.

Yeah, you do.

Yes, you do.

I promise you this.

And I know that my colleague is gonna keep her word.

And Candace, I want to thank you, Candace Reed, the city clerk for taking her time to calm me down today because she knew I was so upset.

RJ, our chief of staff knew I was so upset Friday because I was basically crying when I was called a liar, which I'm not, and neither of my colleagues.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Trammel.

And certainly um, there's opportunity during public hearing May 11th, but the commitment has been made for the 1% and the commitment to get to the table to talk about uh really articulating how we ensure future COLA payments.

So thank you.

Madam Clerk, oh councilwoman Lynch.

Uh Madam and President, I would be remiss not to thank Reva, um, Councilmember uh Trammell for um carrying this issue.

And I know you have always historically pushed for this issue.

Um, and we'll be working on a resolution together to actually call for that work group and have some deadlines and some time frames around when that cola will be um the cola formula will be delivered so that it is in time for next year's budget because you all and I know um both of you feel similarly that this should not have to be a fight that we come back um to the budget every single year for.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

With that, madam and or Mr.

Clerk, if you will call the question.

Council is now voting on the motion to amend ordinance numbers 2026-063, 065, 066, and 071.

And to continue these and all remaining budget related ordinances to the Monday, May 11th council meeting as stated.

Mr.

Breton.

Aye.

Ms.

Gibson.

Yes.

Ms.

Jones.

Ms.

Lynch.

Aye.

Ms.

Trammell.

Aye.

Ms.

Abubacher.

Aye.

Vice President Jordan.

Aye.

And President Newbill.

Aye.

That motion has been approved.

Thank you.

Okay.

So we will proceed with.

At this point, the uh expedited consideration, I think we're at.

Madam President, the resolution for expedited consideration is a is resolution number 2026-R018.

And that's to approve of the city's participation in the proposed settlement of opioid related claims against Associated Pharmacies Incorporated, J.

M.

Smith Corporation, Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company Incorporated, Morris and Dixon Company, North Carolina Mutual Wholesale Drug Company Incorporated, and United Natural Foods Incorporated and their related corporate entities.

And to direct the city attorney to execute the documents necessary to effectuate the city's participation in the settlements, including the required release of claims against the settling entities.

I will need a motion to expedite consideration of this resolution.

Councilmember Gibson, will you make that motion, please?

So moved.

Councilmember Trammell, will you second that motion?

Second.

Thank you.

Council is now voting on the motion to expedite consideration as stated.

Mr.

Breton.

Aye.

Ms.

Gibson.

Yes.

Ms.

Shones.

Ms.

Lynch.

Aye.

Ms.

Trammell.

Aye.

Miss Abu Baker.

Aye.

Rice President Jordan.

Aye.

And President New Bill.

Aye.

That paper is before you.

Thank you.

We'll proceed with the public hearing.

Are the persons present in the audience desires of speaking in opposition to this particular resolution?

You would come forward.

Seeing none, do we have those present desires of speaking in favor?

If you would come forward.

Seeing none, the public hearing is closed.

Bring it back to the body for discussion.

Questions, comments.

Seeing none, Madam Clerk, if you would, or Mr.

Clerk, please call the question.

Council is now voting on resolution number 2026-R018 as read.

Mr.

Breton.

Aye.

Miss Gibson.

Yes.

Ms.

Jones.

Aye.

Ms.

Lynch.

Aye.

Ms.

Trammell.

Aye.

Miss Abu Baker.

Aye.

Vice President Jordan.

Aye.

And President New Bill.

Aye.

That paper has been adopted.

Thank you.

Let's proceed with the approval of minutes.

Minutes to be approved are from the Monday, April 13th, 2026, informal and formal city council meetings at 4 p.m.

and 6 p.m.

If there are no corrections or amendments, then the minutes will be approved as presented.

Those minutes have been approved.

Thank you.

Let's go on to new legislation for introduction.

Council members, the list of legislation for introduction this evening consisting of items numbered eight through 25 has been provided to you.

And the legislation on this list is hereby introduced as presented.

A copy of the list is currently available for public inspection at the rear of the council chamber and an electronic copy and copies of the listed legislation will be available on the city's website on Tuesday, April 28th.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

At this time, we'll proceed with reports and announcements from members.

Thank you, President Newbill.

Let me pull up my notes here.

Okay.

First and foremost, thank you to the Cedar Hearst Neighborhood Association for hosting their first ever cleanup on Saturday, even though it was cold.

I also want to thank Friends of Forest Hill Park for hosting their annual spring classic uh kids' bike race.

The West Over Hills Neighborhood Association picnic is Saturday, May 9th.

It is always a very good time.

Please come out.

West River Hills is looking for volunteers to help with the event, so please consider lending a hand and/or attending.

If you um volunteer, then you get free admission, which includes um beer and food from O'Toole's.

Yummy Yummy.

Um I also want to shout out to the West River Hills Elementary School PTA for hosting a successful silent auction fundraiser.

It was a great event at the Vail, and I think we got a lot of great bids, and it was always just nice to see the community and support our schools.

That is it for me.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Councilwoman Lynch.

Thank you, Madam President.

So just a slew of awesome meetings happening.

We have the Uptown Association meeting tomorrow virtually at 6 p.m.

They share this link with their email list listserv.

Oregon Hill Neighborhood Association is meeting tomorrow night at 7 p.m.

virtually, they share this link via their email list serve.

Swansboro West is holding second annual spring fling this Saturday, May 2nd from 1 to 5 p.m.

on Darden Road off in Louis in Turnpike.

This is a great event, y'all.

Please come down.

We'd love to have you.

There'll be a petting zoo.

It'll feature music, food, fun, activities, all sorts of good stuff.

And we'll also be hosting uh a monthly cleanup, litter cleanup that is, um, earlier behind uh um uh we're gonna meet behind um the elementary school at 10 a.m.

and uh and do the the cleanup there.

The Carrytown Merchants Association will be meeting next Wednesday, May 6th at Elwood Thompson's Beat Cafe for their quarterly meeting um at 8 30 a.m.

And the Caroline Civic Association will be hosting its 55th annual Richmond Arts in the Park this weekend on Saturday, May 2nd from 11 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

and Sunday, May 3rd from 11 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

And this is at uh Carolina, the bird park.

You can check out the uh artists by rich by visiting the Richmond Artsinthepark.com website.

Look forward to seeing y'all there.

As always, you can reach my office by calling 804 646 5724 or emailing Stephanie.lynch or Amy.robins at REA.gov.

Thank you all so much.

Thank you.

Councilmember Trammel.

Thank thank you, madam President.

Um April the 23rd, we had our big um senior fling summer event.

Or we call it it was everybody.

We didn't care if you were a senior, if you were a child or whatever, everybody came.

We all had a good time at the brand new um TV Smith Community Center.

We had over 25 vendors.

We had over 25 vendors, and we had a lot of good information for those um citizens that attended the event.

Um I know that the police chief and the fire chief um were not able to be there.

People were asking for them, and I told them they had to go to some kind of training, which our chief is going to explain that to us at our next public safety meeting in May.

And it's something that I think everybody needs to know because it's something that um it's gonna be valuable information to all of us.

And people asking me, yes, you can come to our public safety meeting.

They're open to the public.

They're right here in city in this council chambers at one o'clock the fourth Tuesday.

Um, so everybody's welcome to come.

This right here, I know a lot of people have been asking me about them.

I've been giving them out.

This is your tax relief form.

It says on here 2026.

Get one.

You need it, it'll help you with your um paying your um real estate taxes.

You can even if you're not um, because people ask me, suppose I'm not 65.

Well, if you're disabled, whatever, you can fill this out.

Some people get 100%.

Fill it out.

And if you need help, they were trying to get, I know that the CAO is trying to get someone to come over to either Celsa Plaza, the social service building, or either to Hickory Hill to help the citizen because today one of our citizens that was sitting back there, he had to come down here right around, right around for almost an hour until he finally found a place to park and he had to hobble in here because he hurt his foot.

And he was able, he thought I took him one of these forms yesterday, and this was not what he needed.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Let me give you this other one.

I took him this one right here.

Because every year you got to get recertified.

A lot of people do not understand that.

If you don't fill this out, you're taking off a tax relief.

If you've never been on tax relief, you fill this out.

So it's two different forms.

Well, I found out today it's another form that you have to.

If you are on the thing that's called um freeze, which I don't know a whole lot about that, but I know a lot about these two forms.

But if you're on freeze, you've got to fill out another kind of form.

So they got to send it to him because he filled out this one that says recertification.

So please, please um come down here or either um as soon as I find out when they're going to be at Southside Plaza or either the Hickory Hill Community Center.

I will let you know because everybody that can get on tax relief should get on tax relief.

Also, you get a discount on your utilities too.

This right here, it's your smoke alarm.

Smoke alarm will save your life.

If you go to the nearest fire station, they will come to your home and they will check your smoke alarm.

We're either um you can call 6461526 and they'll come out there and make an appointment to make sure that you have working smoke alarms because we know that they will save your life.

If you have any questions, you can always call my home at 804-233-7382 for my personal sale, 804-240-5050.

Again, 240-5050.

And um also we had our eighth district meeting on April the 16th, and I will tell you right now from the bottom of my heart, I was so shocked, and I was just so and the chief heard me scream when I said Governor Wilder is here at the satellite.

He was hit there at the satellite with us, and he stayed the whole time.

It's the hour and a half with us and stood up there on that floor in the middle of the floor at the satellite, 95 years young, and spoke to us about the condition that or where we're headed in the city.

And he is saying it is not in the right direction.

Thank you all.

God bless.

Thank you, Councilwoman Trammell.

Councilwoman Jones.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um excuse me.

Uh, there were lots of things happening over the weekend in the 9th district.

Want to send a shout out to South Side Relief and the Cool the City team for their tree giveaway that was hosted at Liberation Church.

Lots of folks came out and they actually delivered to a lot of people across the city.

Um, also want to give a huge shout out to uh Cinkofa Orchid for their community day event and then the library for their Dia de las Los Niños then at Fort Rock Library.

Um it was great to see all of those things in action.

On May 15th from 11 a.m.

to 3 p.m.

We'll be hosting the Art of Memory at Southside Community Center in partnership with OAPD.

The Art of Memory is an immersive intergenerational program designed to honor aging as a living embodied art form.

The program centers elders as carriers of wisdom while inviting younger generations into practices to foster respect, listening, and responsibility.

Join us every uh third Thursday at 6 p.m.

Uh Southside Community Center for our monthly town halls.

Our next meeting is uh May 21st.

The Office of Minority Business Development has kicked off their pivot symposium learning series sessions designed to help businesses learn strategies for pursuing both public and private contracting opportunities, and you can learn more about that by visiting their page.

DPW has also kicked off their annual neighborhood cleanup program.

Uh areas of the 9th district can expect their first cycle to be between May and June.

Bulk trash can be picked up wherever trash is normally picked up.

Um, but you can visit you can visit rba.govlicWords, neighborhood cleanups for more information.

Our neighborhood library offers programming for all every week at Borough Rock Library.

Seniors receive one-on-one help with technology.

Students receive homework help and reading help and babies and toddlers and preschoolers have interactive story time.

Visit Richmond Public Library to learn more about that.

And as always, I can be reached at Nicole.gov or Teya.west at RBA.gov, and our phone number is 804-646-2779.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Jones.

Councilwoman Gifton.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh I am happy to share our next district meeting will be May 20th at Holton Elementary at 6 p.m.

And as always, refreshments will be provided on May 4th from 530 to 7:30.

There will be an open house regarding the future of Chamberlain Corridor.

Um Enterprise Advisors in partnership with the city of Richmond wants to hear from residents regarding their experience living on Chamberlain.

These events will be held at John Marshall High School.

The Richmond Department of Transportation is hosting a speed management symposium at Main Street Station, 1500 East Main Street, Wednesday, May 20th.

Please join RDOT, other city departments and community partners to learn about current and future projects addressing speed management.

Please encourage all residents to come out on May 11th at 6 p.m.

to give a public comment regarding the proposed budget.

This will be the last time residents can give a comment on the budget.

Also, District News, the Battery Park Civic Association is hosting a community yard sale May 17th from 9 to 2 p.m.

They will be gathering at the Triangle, the Triangle Park on the 2600 block of the I'm not sure the name of the street.

My apologies.

They will also collect donations for mutual aid distribution, helping to connect people in need of food supplies and support in our very own neighborhood.

The North Central Civic Association will have their general meeting on May 2nd, Saturday at 11 a.m.

at North Central Park at 3301 Fendal Avenue.

They will also have a Brooklyn Park Boulevard cleanup on May 16th at 10 a.m.

And they're meeting at 2917 North Avenue.

As always, please email our office at Kenya.gibson at RVA.gov and Surrandon.elliot at RVA.gov with your questions and concerns.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you, Councilwoman Gibson.

Councilman Breton.

So we've been busy in the first.

I want to thank and congratulate the Virginia Museum of History and Culture for hosting the Virginia History Day State Finals over the weekend.

Students from across the state came to Richmond, and the VMHC served as an as an amazing host with free access to exhibits and fantastic facilities, putting Richmond's best foot forward for the state.

The museum was abuzz with the next generation of historians.

Also this weekend, Mary Mumford celebrated their 75th birthday this weekend, and they had a fantastic event inviting alums to come and tour the halls and reminisce about the old days at Munford.

I want to thank the Grove Clest Colonial Place Civic Association, the Glenn Burney Civic Association, and Historic Westwood Civic League for all inviting me to community meetings the past two weeks to meet with them and discuss their neighborhood questions.

And looking forward, I want to invite first district residents to our next district town hall, which is this Wednesday at 6 o'clock at Mary Monford Elementary.

We will have a lot of interesting guests, including public libraries, the People's Budget, the Office of Neighborhood Engagement, and Scott Morris himself of the Department of Public Utilities.

So come and join us at 6 p.m.

at Mary Mumford on Wednesday.

And then coming up later on May 6th, Thomas Jefferson High School will be having their alumni appreciation day on Wednesday, May 6th.

There'll be a ceremony at 5 15, followed by a game at 5 30.

Come and see the new fencing and dugouts for the softball and baseball teams, which were donated by the Richmond Flying Squirrels.

So we really appreciate that donation for those badly needed improvements, and we invite alums to come and see that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Vice President Jared.

A couple of events to highlight in the second district.

Strawberry Street Festival is coming up Saturday, May 2nd from 11 to 4 p.m.

Whole communities invited to this family-friendly event where information is at William FoxPTA.com.

Richmond delegation meeting.

A lot of the things that we talk about here at the city level often are dictated by what happens at the General Assembly.

So our Richmond delegation in the Senate in the House are having a gener a town hall May 4th from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.

So Tuesday from 6:30 at 8 o'clock.

Sorry, 6 30 to 8 o'clock branch museum.

It's a great way to get to know your neighbors and find ways to get involved.

Speed management symposium.

The Department of Public Works will be hosting a speech speed management symposium May 20th at Main Street Station on the second floor.

These are really terrific ways to hear in person what the city is doing to make our roads safer.

There'll be folks from all the departments.

It's super accessible.

There'll be tabling.

You can walk up, ask questions.

There'll be sessions on different topics.

Highly encourage folks to come to that.

And again, it is May 20th at Main Street Station.

And a similar tone.

The Safe and Healthy Streets Commission is meeting July 15th.

That's their next meeting, two to four o'clock at the main library.

Fun bit of news, VPM Headquarters is having a mural contest.

They're going to be commissioning two murals for their new downtown Richmond headquarters on Broad Street.

And they're inviting Virginia artists to help them beautify their space.

You can learn more by searching VPM Bring Art to our new home.

As always, please reach out to our office if you have any questions.

I know lots of folks are getting their property tax bills in the mail right now.

You can get information and pay your bills at RVApay.rva.gov.

Those personal property tax payments are due Friday, June 5th.

If you're having any issue with that, please feel reach out to our office 804-646-6532.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Vice President.

We'd just like to thank those who came out on actually this was on the 24th, the Shaco Bottom Task Force.

And this group consisted of representatives from police from FIRE from Commonwealth Attorney from our director of Office Gun Violence Prevention, Parks and Rec, our Shaco Business Alliance, representation from nightclubs, as well as CCET, ABC, to begin to really strategically discuss the strategies to improve outcomes in our Shaco Bottom.

When I'm talking about outcomes, I'm talking about public safety, I'm talking about quality of life.

I am talking about the opportunity to fully activate the area in a way that we know it can be.

And so that group met on the 24th.

We have again, and that was the task force that has the representation from across all the entities.

And then we meet also and we'll continue to meet with the Shaco Bottom Safety Committee, which consists of the Shaco Businesses, and that will be tomorrow at 1 p.m.

at Main Street Station.

And so the goal, Shaco Bottom is an extraordinary component of our city.

And we know that collaboratively we can work to improve the safety, well-being, quality, and to fully activate it in the way that we'd all like to see.

So that's tomorrow.

This was on yesterday.

This is many of our young persons in differing ages who have autism and are differently abled, who were coming out and just had a great time there.

So it was pretty wonderful to just greet them.

And so I want to say thank you to Pam Mines and JB Jumper Foundation in general.

With that, um for more information relative to our district meetings, et cetera, please feel free to give Sam Patterson my liaison a call at 804-241-7544, or you can give me a call at 804-543-7837.

Those are our cell numbers.

And then for office number 804-646-3012.

With that, I want to say thank you to everyone who came down to speak and provide public comment.

And the agenda for this meeting has now been concluded.