The Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee met on July 21, 2026, at 8:00 PM ET. The meeting covered board appointments, a five-year evaluation of the partial tax exemption program, amendments to the weed ordinance to allow native landscaping, adoption of the Oak Grove Hillside Bellmead community plan, a resolution to preserve the historic Westwood neighborhood, support for regional Smart Scale transportation projects, and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) for public housing transformation.
All right, Madam Cook. I just got yes. We'll call the land use housing and transportation committee meeting to order. Madam Clerk, can you read the chamber emergency evacuation announcement? 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 north or west stairwells outside of the rear doors of the chamber. Do not use elevators or escalators. At the exit in the building, security would direct everyone down ninth street to the fenced area located between Clay and Lee Streets. Able persons, so this is visually and hearing a pair of visitors with exiting the building. Persons wish you to speak during the public comment period and or public hearings are generally allowed three minutes to speak. Persons appearing before the committee are not allowed to campaign for public office, promote private business ventures, use language or personal nature, which is also demeans any person, including comments directed at public officials or staff members that are not related to their official duties or just in question staff members directly. All questions are to be directed to the committee chair for AT to the guidelines, maybe resort and speakers for any meaning time and further disciplinary action as necessary, which can include barring from attendance at future meetings of the committee for a period of six months. Members of the public who register in advance to speak virtually will be called at the appropriate time, either during the public comment period or during the public hearing for the legislation on which they sign them to address. This concludes the announcement. Oh well yes, that's the public comment and then boards and commissions. Is there anyone that would like to address the committee regarding items not on today's agenda? Seeing none, the public comment period is now closed. Thank you. We'll move to move to uh boards and commission report. Okay. Would you like to do the approval of the minutes? Yes, ma'am. The minutes to be approved from the June 16th, 2026, land use housing and transportation standing committee meeting. If there are no amendments or corrections, then those meeting minutes stand approved as presented. Those minutes have been approved. Pamela Nichols, Council Management Analyst. And so I will be reviewing for you today the current and projected vacancies through November of this month. And starting with the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Supervisory Board, there is one vacancy for a service provider assistant low-income individuals, and we have two applications from one from Karen Imus and Sandra Smith. And we did reach out and um staff does not have rejections for either any of these individuals. Um to get more applications, and we're going to approve um the representative of a chair of the institution. And also would like to note that on the 21st, the mayor did fill his last vacancy for Linda from a financial institution, uh Mary White. So she will be she has now um become a member of the affordable housing trust fund. And then moving down to the commission of architectural review for Richmond Association of Realtors nominee, and we have a reappointment application from Library Nutt and an initial application from Marie Crow. Accept the reappointment. We'll accept the reappointment. Wonderful. And then for the community transportation advisory committee, um we have Rodney Bonner and could we see Powell. Yeah, so even though district representation is not a requirement, the um the roster currently sits of an individual from the first, third, and seventh district. So let's continue that one as well to uh provide for more applications. Okay, and then moving down to the public arts commission. Um we have one vacancy, and we have three applications Unique Abuster, Kimley Newberry, and Kat Bromley. We have received a recommendation that you all would consider um recommending your Nika Buster. Okay. Yep, that's good. And for the um voice of commission for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority for a tenant representative, we have a reappointment application from Diane Brody. That's good. Okay. And that recommendation would also be before the organization development standing committee pursuant to the resolution. And then moving on to um for individual who reside or have a principal place of employment in the city. There are two vacancies.