The Latest Boondoggle - The Richmond Coliseum Study Group

Interim Status Update from Coliseum Study Group - Sept. 9, 2010 - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

Today at 12 noon at the Performing Arts Center, a presentation was given to Richmond news media outlets by consultant Dan Barrett of Barrett Sports Group, LLC to discuss the preliminary results of their unscientific survey among Coliseum users which was used to illustrate support from the "General Public."

A statement from the report that jumped out to me was, "Approximately 99% of Respondents would potentially attend an event at a renovated Coliseum or New Arena Development."

Read the Interim Status Report for yourself and Mayor Dwight Jones' Press Release that was handed out after the presentation.

Here is an informative article about the formation of the Coliseum Study Group that costs $150,000 and was paid for by four area corporations, Genworth Financial, Dominion Resources Inc., Altria, and MeadWestvaco.

Mayor Jones was not present at the Press Conference, neither was any member of the Council present, nor any representative from Council's Chief of Staff. However, many of Mayor Jones' top administrators were there including Byron Marshall [Chief Administrative Officer], Peter Chapman [Deputy CAO, Dept. of Economic and Community Development], Suzette Denslow [Mayor's Chief of Staff], and four members of the Mayor's public relations office: Tammy Hawley [Press Secretary], Michael Wallace [Public Information Officer], Shelby Crouch [videographer and one of the only carry-overs from Mayor Wilder's administration], and a photographer, Jemila Woodson.

The assembled press were permitted to ask questions after the presentation.

KUDOS to the Office of the Press Secretary to the Mayor for both emailing PDFs of the documents above and for having paper copies at the Presentation for members of the media.

Mayor Dwight Jones announces New City Jail will Remain in Shockoe Valley

Mayor Dwight Jones, Sheriff Woody, Michael Herring discuss Richmond City Jail from Silver Persinger.

At a Press Conference on Monday at 12:10 PM, Mayor Dwight C. Jones announced that the Richmond City Jail will remain in Shockoe Valley rather than being located at a new site. Four contractors have submitted conceptual proposals to his administration. They are City Central LLC of Richmond, which submitted the first proposal under the Virginia Public-Private Education and Infrastructure Facilities Act (they also hired Vice President Ellen Robertson's former Council Liason John Westbrook as a consultant for their project; their initial proposal for Commerce Rd. is in Mrs. Robertson's district); Tompkins Builders/S.B. Ballard Construction Co. of Washington, DC/Virginia Beach; Mojave Corrections Co. LLC of Nashville, Tenn.; and English/Balfour Beatty Joint Venture of Lynchburg, VA/London, UK.

Sheriff C.T. Woody also spoke about what efforts were being made to lower the temperatures in the City Jail from 120 degree Fahrenheit. Commonwealth's Attorney Michael Herring said that his office would be working to facilitate the release of between 350-400 non-violent inmates who would be diverted into alternative programs such as drug and mental health treatment.

Finance Committe Meeting - July 22, 2009 - "Accelerating" City Jail Construction Budget

Above, discussion of Ordinance 2009-145 to accelerate funding for the new Richmond City Jail. John Winter, Manager of Special Capital Projects from the Department of Public Works explained the paper.

Mr. Winter said these funds would be for used for procure and initiate the design phase and construction is planned to start Late Summer 2010. Mr. Winter said that the current fiscal year's budget [2010] was adopted at $2 million but they want to increase it to $17.6 million. The new City Jail's total projected cost is $137.6 million [$137,600,000].

This how it breaks down for this year's proposed budget:

$5 million = Projected Design Cost
$2 million = Site related work
$10 million = Phase I Construction, Mid-rise tower, 572 beds

Citizen Comment

Above, I spoke briefly about how the Council and Public weren't receiving sufficient information about this important project. This is the 3rd major presentation given to Council in recent months and the media (ie. Times Dispatch, Voice, Free Press or Style Weekly) has never been present to report this information to the public. Yet here they are asking for a major increase in their budget, and this money will be borrowed against the "City of the Future" line of credit established by Mayor Wilder and Harry Black.

Check out the guy in the upper right hand corner, blah, blah, blahhing, shaking his head, rolling his eyes. I guess he doesn't like transparency in government. His name is William A. Pace and on January 26, 2009 Richmond City Council appointed him a member of the Advisory Board of Recreation and Parks for a term of three years.


WATCH THE ENTIRE MEETING UNEDITED

THE AGENDA

Richmond Public Schools Fund Balance

State PILOT Assessments & Collections – Department of Finance

Papers for Consideration

1. Ordinance 2009-43 (Patrons: Vice-President Robertson, Mr. Tyler and Mr. Samuels) – To amend *** the Code *** for the purpose of providing partial tax exemption in redevelopment or conservation areas or rehabilitation districts.

2. Ordinance 2009-129 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Acting Chief Administrative Officer to accept $1,078,936 from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Department of Social Services by $1,078,936 for the purpose of providing funding for the Richmond Shelter Plus Care, Housing First and A Place to Start homeless assistance programs.

3. Ordinance 2009-133 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Acting Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to enter into the Sixteenth Commercial Area Revitalization Effort Program Cooperation Agreement between the City of Richmond and the Economic Development Authority for the purpose of providing for the operation of the Commercial Area Revitalization Effort (“CARE”) Program.

4. Ordinance 2009-134 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To authorize the Acting Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to enter into the Sixth Extra CARE Agreement between the City of Richmond and the Economic Development Authority for the purpose of continuing the operation of the Extra Commercial Area Revitalization Effort (“Extra CARE”) Program in the Belt Boulevard and the Upper Hull Street commercial corridor.

5. Ordinance 2009-145 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To amend Ord. No. 2009-64-87, adopted May 26, 2009, which (i) accepted a program of proposed Capital Improvement Projects for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 and the four fiscal years thereafter, (ii) adopted a Capital Budget for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 and (iii) determined a method of financing the same, to amend the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Capital Budget by increasing revenues from Commercial Paper Line of Credit borrowings and the amount appropriated to the City Jail Improvement Project by $15,000,000 and to amend the Capital Improvement Program for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 and the four fiscal years thereafter by (i) increasing planned Commercial Paper Line of Credit borrowings and the planned appropriation to the City Jail Improvement Project by $17,600,000 in Fiscal Year 2010-2011 and by $13,100,000 in Fiscal Year 2011-2012 and (ii) decreasing planned Commercial Paper Line of Credit borrowings and the planned appropriation to the City Jail Improvement Project by $22,400,000 in Fiscal Year 2012-2013 and by $23,300,000 in Fiscal Year 2013-2014, for the purpose of accelerating funding for required improvements to the City Jail.

6. Ordinance 2009-146 (Patron: Mayor Jones) – To transfer and appropriate *** $800,000 *** to the Landmark Theater Renovation project in the City Facility Construction and Maintenance category for the purpose of providing additional funding to the “Phase IIA Performance & Performer Infrastructure Project” within the Landmark Theater Renovation project.

7. Res. No. 2009-R93 (Patron: President Graziano) - To approve an expenditure in the amount of $2,034.71 from the Council Districts Funds for the Fourth District to pay Reliance Mailing and Marketing for the mailing of the Fourth District Newsletter for the month of August.

8. Res. No. 2009-R94 (Patron: Mr. Samuels) - To approve an expenditure in the amount of $1,600.00 from the Council Districts Funds for the Second District to pay Reliance Mailing Corporation for sorting, labeling and mailing the Second District Newsletter.

9. Res. No. 2009-R95 (Patron: Mr. Hilbert) - To approve an expenditure in the amount of $1,090 from the Council Districts Funds for the Third District to pay Magic Carpet Bus Tours for transportation to the Smithsonian Museum on July 23, 2009, for the summer camp program held at Battery Park.