Governmental Operations Committee Meeting: Code Adoption, DPU Billing, Elections Update - June 24, 2026
Governmental Operations Committee Meeting Summary - June 24, 2026
The Standing Committee for Governmental Operations met on June 24, 2026, at 1:00 PM. Chair Jordan presided, with Vice Chair Abelbacher and Councilmember Gibson present (Councilmember Gibson arrived later). The committee considered an ordinance to adopt a new city code, received updates from the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) on its new customer information and billing system, and heard from the Director of Elections on the upcoming August primary and office improvements.
Consent Calendar
- No consent calendar items were listed or voted on.
Public Comments & Testimony
- The public comment period for items not on the agenda was opened and closed with no speakers. No public comment was given on the ordinance or presentations.
Discussion Items
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Ordinance 2026-160 – Adoption of New City Code: Council Chief of Staff RJ Warren presented the ordinance, explaining it is required every five years per the city charter and state code. The new code updates the code adopted in 2020, removing redundancies and incorporating ordinances adopted up to October 2025. A supplement within 90 days will include legislation from October 2025 to present. Councilmember Gibson asked if this is a routine five-year update. Mr. Warren confirmed it is. The ordinance was moved to full council with a recommendation for approval, passed unanimously (3-0).
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DPU Customer Information System and Billing Update: Director Morris provided an overview of the transition to a new customer information system (Oracle cloud-based) that went live on May 26, 2026, replacing a 40-year-old legacy system. The new system is designed to improve customer service, reduce training time (from 6-12 weeks to ~3 weeks), automate calculations, and provide a customer self-service portal in Fall 2026. Challenges included a vendor changing servers without notice, causing ~15,000 payments to be stuck in queue, leading to high call volumes and wait times up to 90 minutes. Late fees were automatically waived. The office temporarily paused flow restriction campaigns and disconnections. Director Morris noted progress on audit recommendations: from 45 when he started in January 2025 to nearly zero, with the final few expected to close within two weeks. Metro Care cap raised from $500 to $1,000 annually. Meter replacement program: 36,000 of 51,000 meters replaced (15-year-old ones); ~16,000 remain. Bill accuracy metric: currently 98%, targeting 99.5% by FY28-29. Councilmembers raised concerns about communication (social media, billing inserts, postcards), vendor accountability, post-launch audits, and the flow restriction program protections. Director Morris stated that accounts under investigation or on payment plans are excluded from flow restrictions, and a 100% manual review is conducted before any restriction.
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Elections Update: Director of Elections David Levine presented on the August 4, 2026 Republican primary for U.S. Senate (only contest on ballot). Key changes: Sunday early voting required (June 18 – August 1, with Sunday hours noon-5 PM on July 19 and 26); same-day registration begins July 25; Hickory Hill Community Center unavailable due to pre-existing commitments (one-time issue), so early voting only at the Office of Elections and City Hall. New state laws include firearm restrictions within 100 feet of voting locations. Director Levine highlighted office improvements: filling vacancies (deputy director, operations manager, communications coordinator, etc.), overhauled website, resumed in-person electoral board meetings, enhanced security at the office (two security officers, weapon detection systems), deployment of ballot-on-demand printing, and purchase of new ADA-compliant voting equipment in next fiscal year. Councilmember Gibson asked about communicating the Hickory Hill closure; Director Levine said signage and notices will be used, and noted that in the 2024 primary only ~150 people voted in that race. Vice Chair Abelbacher inquired about contingency planning if Richmond Public Schools withdraw as polling locations; Director Levine said the office is compiling backup lists and noted the value of schools as polling places, suggesting use of school in-service days as a compromise. He also acknowledged budget pressures from multiple special elections and the need for more state and federal funding.
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Staff Report and Committee Schedule: Staff noted an action item to follow up with DPU on water meter ages for Councilmember Gibson. The committee will next meet July 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM to hear from 311 about SOPs and service level agreements, and to review proposed fall presentation schedule. Chair Jordan floated moving meeting time to 1:30 PM; discussion deferred to ensure presenter schedules accommodate the change.
Key Outcomes
- Ordinance 2026-160 (new city code) approved unanimously (3-0) for forwarding to full council with recommendation to adopt.
- DPU update noted; no formal vote. Director Morris requested follow-up on meter age data for Councilmember Gibson.
- Elections update noted; no formal vote. Committee will follow up on budgeting and legislative advocacy for election funding.
- Committee schedule: Next meeting July 22, 2026 at 1:00 PM; potential time change to 1:30 PM to be confirmed.
Meeting Transcript
Afternoon. The standing committee for governmental operations is now called to order. Adam Clerk, you please read the chamber, see evacuation plan announcement and public speaker guidelines. On activation of the emergency alarm signal, all persons should immediately exit the building. Please use exits to the left or right front of the council chamber or the north or south stairwells outside the rear doors of the chamber. Do not use elevators or escalators. After exiting the building, security would direct everyone down 9th Street to the fenced area located between Clay and Lee Streets. Able persons should assist visually in hearing impaired visitors with exiting the building. Public speaker guidelines. Individuals wishing to speak during public hearings of the public comment period are generally allowed for minutes to speak. Persons appearing before the committee 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 a question staff members directly. All questions are to be directed to the committee chair. And madam chair, all members are in attendance today with the exception of Ms. Gibson, and you do have a quorum. Wonderful. Thank you so much. I believe we have public comment next. Is there anyone in the chamber or online who'd like to provide public comment? Public comment is now open. Is there anyone here who wishes to address this committee regarding items not on today's agenda? Madam Chair, seeing none and no one sign up to speak virtually before the 10 a.m. deadline, the public comment period is now closed and back to the committee. Thank you so much. I believe we do not have minutes to approve at this meeting, so let's move on to the meat of the agenda and um in consideration of the items we have. I'd like to start with the papers for consideration. So I'd like to amend the agenda and start with ordinance 2026-160. Okay, thanks. Item one ordinance 2026-160 to adopt a new code of the city of Richmond to repeal the code of the city 2020 to prescribe the effect of such repeal and to provide for the manner of amending the new city code. That paper is before the committee. Thank you. Mr. Warren? Yes, may I please the committee RJ Warren, Council Chief of Staff? I have been tasked to provide the introduction of this ordinance. And what this does is it um it is necessary for this orders to be adopted because we have to update the city code per the city charter and state code. And once it's uh adopted, the uh code the city code will be replaced with this newer version. It takes out uh redundancies, reserve spacing, and upstates it per recent adopted legislation by this council. Um, just for your knowledge and those listening, this is uh it'll the the new city code will include uh ordinances adopted up to October of 25. So anything adopted since then will not be in this. Um, but uh after this adopted uh a supplement will be included 90 days later. So any legislation adopted from October to present day will be included and updated at that point, and um uh included in the ordinance online review and probably in your packets is a summary provided by the city attorney's office of uh any updates that may be of interest to city officials. Thank you so much. Uh let's open it up to public comment at this time. Is there anyone in the chamber who wishes to speak in opposition to this paper? Is there anyone who wishes to speak in support of this paper? Madam Chair, seeing no one regarding this item, the public hearing is now closed and back to the committee. Thank you. Um, members and welcome Ms. Gibson. Uh, does anyone have a question about the updating of our code?
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