Informal Session - This was an Important Meeting

Part 1/4 - City Council Informal Session - Oct. 25, 2010 - Elderhomes Weatherization Program - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

In Part 1, Peter Chapman, Deputy CAO for Economic and Community Development discussed the administration's recent budget amendment of $500,000 for Elderhomes to perform winterization for low income, elderly, and disabled residents. It is projected to aid 80 homeowners, which is a cost of $6250 per home.

Part 2/4 - City Council Informal Session - Oct. 25, 2010 - Docket Review - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

In Part 2, Keith Rogers from the City Clerk's Office reviewed the evening's agenda with the Council. This is the portion of the meeting where papers are continued, withdrawn, stricken, or motions are made to amend.

On this day, the papers receiving the most discussion were the following:

@minutes 3:00 - 13:20
Item 8, Ordinance 2010-184 To amend the Code concerning stormwater utility charges, to authorize stormwater utility fee waiver for any property owner who provides a permandent reduction in post development stormwater flow and pollutant loading as authorized by City Charter.

@minute 13:30
Mr. Bruce Tyler [1st District] requested amending and continuing Item 9, Ordinance 2010-185 regarding reducing the terms from 5 to 3 years for members of the Commission of Architectural Review [CAR], the unelected body famous for telling folks what they can and can't do with their homes located within historic districts. Mr. Tyler said the paper needed to be amended to include that the 2 at-large members must be residents of a historic district.

@minutes 14:40 -18:00
Mrs. Ellen Robertson [6th District] asked Mr. Tyler about Item 10, Ordinance 2010-186 which would require individuals wishing to appeal the decisions of CAR to pay a $150 filing fee for single family houses and $500 for all other types of buildings. Mrs. Robertson was concerned about the fee for low-income folks.

@minutes 19:10 -
Ms. Reva Trammell [8th District] asked about items 14 and 15, Ordinance 2010-194 which would authorize special use of 3800-3916 Hull Street and 415 - 527 Belt Boulevard to allow two free standing signs "identifying tenants of the properties" and Ordinance 2010-195 which would legitimize an existing free standing sign at 5449, 5501, and 5503 Midlothian Turnpike.

Mr. Connor reassured Ms. Trammell they were "in-sync on this paper."

Part 3/4 - City Council Informal Session - Oct. 25, 2010 - Report from Schools - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

Part 4/4 - City Council Informal Session - Oct. 25, 2010 - Jail Discussion - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

Richmond City Council • February 8, 2010 - Storm Water Fee Complaints / Renaming the Finance Committee

Part 1/5 Richmond City Council - Prayer, Pledge, Amending Agenda, Citizen Comment Period - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Above. During the Citizen Comment Period five citizens complained about the Storm Water Assessment Fee. The people who complain the loudest are churches and businesses. The bigger the roof and parking lot, the bigger the bill and complaint. Speakers for the citizen comment period included: Ronald E. Mabry with Veterans First a group that works to house homeless veterans asked Council to give his group an old school building at Laburnum & Brook Road, Rev. Matthew Brown from Branch's Baptist Church on Storm Water Fee, Rev. Bryan Roberts from Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ on Storm Water Fee, Samuel Seward on Budget Concerns, School Board and marijuana, Nick Eubank (Owner, Eubank Truck, Inc.) on Storm Water Fee, Amelia Lightner yielded her time to Rev. Ralph Hodge from Second Baptist Church, Charles S. Gilbert from the Acca Temple on the Storm Water Fee, Willie Earl Bradley (Owner, Bradley Development) on Section 3 HUD program.

Part 2/5 - Mayor's Comments on Snow Removal & Storm Water Fee - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 3/5 - Richmond City Council - Consent Agenda, Approval of Minutes, Expedited Resolution - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 4/5 - Council Reports and Announcements - Richmond City Council - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Part 5/5 - Introduction of New Papers - Richmond City Council - Feb. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

Informal Session - November 9, 2009 - Storm Water Fee / Weaver Report

Informal Session - Nov. 9, 2009 - Storm Water Fee / Boards & Commissions / Weaver Report from Silver Persinger.

Includes Deputy CAO of Operations Christopher Beschler discussing the storm water fee and how it is derived. Docket Review for the evening's meeting. Council discussion of Boards, Commissions and Authorities, which to abolish and how to manage. Chris Hilbert [3rd District] recommended that applicants be asked if they do business with the city; to avoid potential conflicts of interests and to promote transparency.

Discussion by City Clerk Lou B. Ali on developing orientation for new Board and Commission appointees and holding a recognition ceremony for volunteers in April 2010.

Council Chief of Staff Daisy Weaver gave a report. Discussed the CIP [Capital Improvement Program] Budget. Bruce Tyler [1st District] asked about the cost of the City Jail. Ms. Weaver reported the administration was late in delivering three reports to the Council. Reva Trammell [8th District] mentioned briefly a deal she was working on for the Model Tobacco building, possibly a bond financed through RRHA.

Ms. Weaver announced her desire to hire Ralph Harris, who currently serves as one of Council's Fiscal Analysts, as her Deputy Chief of Staff. Ms. Trammell offered some protest to the proposed "promotion."

There have been other recent changes to Council's staff recently. Felicia Craighead, until recently served as a Deputy City Clerk. Three employees under the supervision of Ms. Weaver have recently left their positions. Angela Montgomery, formerly a Policy Analyst left her position in August, and recently Valerie Salaam [Policy Analyst] and Anthony Dale [Budget Analyst] have left what had formerly been described as the "Department of Legislative Services." The handling of this department by Council's Chief of Staff Ms. Weaver, has been an object of constant criticism by this blogger.

The Department is supposed to have a Director and it did briefly in the person of Ellen Bowyer, the only individual fired by former Mayor Douglas Wilder and Acting CAO Harry Black for not re-applying for her job with the Council. Since that time, Ms. Weaver has assumed the duties of the Director and also continues in her role as Council's Chief of Staff.

In my opinion, Ms. Weaver is an ineffective manager who lacks leadership in her direction of legislative policy. She merely exhibits a semblance of formality and process. Ms. Weaver worked for twenty years in the City's Budget Office, but I don't think that is an adequate qualification for directing legislative policies.

I think the lack of an effective Director of Legislative Services is the greatest contributor to the lack of success and effectiveness of the Richmond City Council.