Wanted: City Clerk/ Request from City Attorney/

2012 March 5 • Organizational Development Committee - Entire Meeting • Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

Richmond City Council's Organizational Development meeting began at 5:04 PM. All Council members were present for the entire meeting. This video ends when the body moved to go to closed session to discuss the appointment of a RRHA commissioner.

The meeting opened with a presentation from Interim Deputy Chief of Staff Steve Taylor [formerly, Council Policy Advisor] and Deputy City Clerk Jean Capel reporting the results of their research into combining the positions of City Clerk and Council's Chief of Staff. Their recommendation was to keep the positions separate. Though it was not stated explicitly in the meeting, I realized that City Clerk Lou Ali will become the Council's Chief of Staff and the Council will need to hire a new City Clerk.

[32:18] City Attorney Allen Jackson requested that the deadline for submitting requests for legislation be moved from 12 noon on Wednesday before the Monday Formal Meeting to the end of the day on two Fridays before the Formal Meeting. He said that this would provide his office with an additional half day and allow the Council members ample time to review the legislation and make any desired changes, prior to its introduction.

Introducing Bob Zullo • Times-Dispatch's latest Council Beat Reporter • Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

Before the Organizational Development Committee went into closed session, Michael Martz from the Richmond Times-Dispatch (who has been filling in since reporter Will Jones left) introduced Robert "Bob" Zullo as the new Council beat reporter. Martz said Zullo had spent the last five years in Louisiana.

A brief google query turns up that he was recently writing for houmatoday.com He was City Editor for The Courier and Daily Comet in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes in Louisiana. Today was his first day.

Organizational Development - January 4, 2010

Part 1 - Performance Evaluations of Council Appointees @ Organizational Development - Jan. 4, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 2 - Chief of Staff Report @ Organizational Development - Jan. 4, 2009 from Silver Persinger.

Revealing Session with Richmond City Council - Fall Retreat '09

Richmond City Council Fall Retreat - October 5, 2009 from Silver Persinger.

Above,if there is only one two hour and twenty minute Richmond City Council meeting you watch this year, this is it.

Watch as the meeting opens briefly for 12 minutes before going into closed session as Councilman Bruce Tyler [1st District] lets it be know to his fellow Council members and the public via my video camera that he was not happy with the process for selecting the three members to the GRTC Board. Particularly since none of his three recommendations were even granted an interview. Councilman Doug Conner [9th District] explains why he withdrew Mr. Tyler's recommendations.

After the Closed Session, the meeting convened with the acceptance of the Land Use, Housing, & Transportation Committee's recommendations for appointees to the GRTC Transit Board.

The recommended appointees are Linda Broady-Myers and James Johnson, current members being reappointed to the Board, and Sheila Hill Christian -- formerly the City's Chief Administrative Officer under Mayor Doug Wilder before she quit, former transition aid to Mayor Dwight C. Jones, former director of the Virginia Lottery, former Executive Director of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority [RRHA], former chief operating officer for the GRTC Transit System, and former Assistant City Manager under Calvin Jamison, former City Department Director, and former Chief of Staff for the City of Richmond.

The appointees were accepted by a vote of 5 to 3. Councilman Chris Hilbert [3rd District] was not present. Councilmen Tyler [1st District] and Charles Samuels [2nd District] and Ms. Reva Trammell [8th District] voted against the recommended Board appointees.

Watch as Council Chief of Staff Daisy Weaver loses Council members' attention. Watch as City Council members discuss abolishing the Open Citizen Comment Period at the beginning of meetings. Watch as they decide not to video tape their committee meetings (with the exception of President Kathy Graziano [4th District], and Councilmen Hilbert and Tyler). Watch as they discuss ways of increasing citizen participation and making City Hall more assessable.

All around a great meeting to watch to get a deeper understanding for the members of our beloved Richmond City Council.

* * Hi-Lights * *

Discussion of Doing Away with or Limiting Citizen Comment Period at the Opening of Committee Meetings


Discussion of Starting Committee Meetings Later to Encourage Citizen Attendence and Participation



Discussion of Video Recording Committee Meetings and Closed Captioning

Richmond City Council Finance Committee Begins Budget Review Process March 19, 2009

This meeting was held Thursday March 19, 2009 in Richmond City Council Chambers located on the second floor of City Hall located at 9th & East Broad Streets in Richmond, Virginia.

The meeting began at 2:34 pm. Chair of the Finance Committee and Council Vice President Ellen Robertson (6th District) was joined by Finance Committee members Bruce Tyler (1st District) and Charles R. Samuels (2nd District). Council President Kathy Graziano also attended the meeting.

Departments whose directors are appointed by the City Council reported their department's budget to the Committee. Presenting budget information were Council's Chief of Staff [Daisy Weaver, 3:00 - 24:45], City Attorney [Norman Sales, 25:00 - 37:00], City Clerk [Lou B. Ali, 37:40 - 45:20], City Assessor [James Hester, 46:00 - 52:45], City Auditor [Umesh Dalal, 53:00 - 58:00], and Council Fiscal Analysts [Anthony Dale (58:15 -1:03:50)and Ralph Harris (1:04:12 - 1:27:45)]. The meeting ended at 4:12 pm. This meeting occurred before the Finance Committee's regular monthly meeting which began at 4:20 pm