My Two Cents - Armories, Council Process, and Public Information @ LAND USE

I spoke during the Citizen Comment Period to request that the City "do something" about the City-owned armories at Sixth Street and Leigh Street which continue to be neglected by the City.

I spoke again later in the meeting in reference to Resolution 2011-R19 sponsored by Bruce Tyler [1st District] which request CAO Byron Marshall "to study whether the City's zoning ordinance should be amended to change the existing zoning classifications of the properties bounded by Monument Avenue to the north, Kent Road to the east, Patterson Avenue to the south, and Malvern Avenue to the west."

I commended Mr. Tyler for following the process and objected to Mr. Conner's statement that "these things become far too formal" and that Council could simply request the Planning Dept. to meet with the Civic Association. I said that a resolution was an appropriate way for the Council to request such information. Unrelated to the paper specifically, I also objected that the FULL LANGUAGE of the resolutions and ordinances under consideration was not available for Public Review. This was only my second committee meeting after taking nearly 4 months off from attending Richmond City Council meetings. In the past, the Clerk's Office normally prepares a packet that includes the full language of the ordinances and resolutions and attachments associated with each paper which is labeled "Public Copy."

You're welcome.

Malfunctioning Equipment Allows Citizens More Time to Comment

In a rare humorous moment at Richmond City Council, the equipment malfunctioned which plays the automated message, "You have 30 seconds, please begin to summarize your comments." At the beginning of the meeting the message played randomly to humorous effect. Later on, it remained silent and it was up to President Kathy Graziano [4th District] to cut speakers off after their time had expired. She admitted after the meeting that it was difficult to cut speakers off.

Part 1/3 - Richmond City Council - Nov. 8, 2010 - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

This portion of the meeting included an opening prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and an expedited resolution recognizing the Richmond Police Department for achieving special certification that only 10% of police departments nationwide have achieved.

There were 3 appointments to the Green City Commission. They are Sandra L. Earley, Chris Earley, and Daniel K. Slone.

AWARDS PERIOD

Mayor Dwight Jones, President Kathy Graziano, and Councilman Charles Samuels [2nd District] made an Official Joint Proclamation declaring November 2010 as "Richmond Adoption Awareness Month." The proclamation was presented to Judge Angela Roberts, Richmond Juvenile & Domestic Relations Court, Doris Moseley, Director of Social Services, Martha Patrick, Social Worker - Adoption Unit, and Pamela Piero, Social Worker, Foster Parent Training.

Council President Graziano and Mayor Jones presented an Official Joint Proclamation declaring November 15, 2010, "Richmond Recycling Awareness Day." The proclamation was presented to representatives of Central Virginia Waste Management Authority.

Vice President Ellen Robertson [6th District] recognized members of Boy Scout Troop #476 who were in attendance as part of their requirements for the Citizenship Merit Badge.

Councilman Marty Jewell [5th District] ate up 15 minutes of the meeting showing a video about the 2010 Marty Jewell 3rd Annual Metrolitan Junior Baseball League Invitational Baseball Tournment. This was followed by comments from many others extolling the virtues of Coca Cola and the importance of introducing young people to baseball. I thought this portion of the meeting was total bullshit, a protracted political advertisement for Marty Jewell paid for by City taxpayers because the video was produced by Steve Skinner, Council's Public Information Manager. No, thank you. For the heck of it I'll extract this segment into its own video because it is a good example of gross abuse of the bully pulpit. Citizens that come to the microphone are prohibited from campaigning, shouldn't this rule also apply to sitting Council Members/incumbents? Just my opinion!

Marty Jewell Baseball Award - Richmond City Council - Nov. 8, 2010, Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

Part 2/3 - Richmond City Council - Regular Agenda / Citizen Comment Period - Nov. 8, 2010 - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

There were only one item on the Regular Agenda, Resolution 2010-R141-173 which revised the process for the appointment of tenant representative to the Board of Commissioners of the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority [RRHA]. Donald Hatcher spoke in support of it, I spoke against it, and recommended that more tenant representatives should be appointed to the board.

Donald Hatcher on Racism - Nov. 8, 2010 - Citizen Comment Period - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

City Council Regular, Donald Hatcher spoke to Richmond City Council about racism and how it continues rob and deny black people of equal and fair treatment in society and Richmond, Virginia.

This is the best speech I have heard Mr. Hatcher deliver.

Byrd Park Area Residents Object to Go Ape Rope Course - Citizen Comment Period - Nov. 8, 2010 - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

Three citizens from the 5th District, Mr. Jewell's district, spoke during the Citizen Comment Period to raise their objections to plans recently announced by the City to install a "rope course" through Byrd Park. A United Kingdom company, Go Ape, is proposing to partner with the City to bring this for profit venture to Richmond's Byrd Park.

The residents who spoke against this proposed partnership were Sharon J. Hill with Friends of William Byrd Park, Debbie Flippen, a resident of the 5th district, and William H. Daughtrey with the Kanawha Trace Association.

It has been announced there will be a public meeting to discuss the proposed project on Thursday, November 18, 2010 from 6:30 to 7:30 PM at The Carillon at Byrd Park, 1300 Blanton Avenue.

From the City's Press Release: "City officials, along with representatives from Go Ape, will provide details on the ropes course, receive public comments and answer questions... Go Ape, an outdoor treetop adventure company with 31 ropes courses in the United States and the United Kingdom, has proposed construction of a ropes course for Richmond that would be located in the wooded area behind the Carillon."

Part 3/3 - Richmond City Council - Consent Agenda / Reports & Announcements / New Papers - Nov. 8, 2010 - Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

Part 3 contains the Consent Agenda followed by Reports & Announcements from Council Members. There were only two papers on the Consent Agenda.

Ordinance 2010-216-193 which authorizes the Chief Administrative Officer to accept $937,576 from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and to appropriate the amount to the Department of Public Works for the purpose of funding capital improvements at Main Street Station.

Donald Hatcher spoke in opposition to this paper.

Resolution 2010-R138-175 which amends the Rules of Procedure for the Council for the purpose of providing that ordinances and resolutions relating to expenditures of Council districts funds and to the appropriation of funds not exceeding $25,000 received from grants shall not be referred to a standing committee for review prior to Council action.

Here is an interesting article written by former Mayor Wilder policy advisor, Isaac Graves, regarding City Council District expenditures.

I spoke in opposition to this paper without fully understanding the paper. See my comment below in the "My 2¢" section.

Reva Trammell's Unabashed Support for Echo Harbor - Nov. 8, 2010, Richmond, Virginia from Silver Persinger.

During Reports and Announcements, Councilwoman Reva Trammell announced that she was planning to hold her monthly town hall meeting at the Satellite Restaurant on Thursday November 18, 6 PM where Mark Yates, Vice President of Development from Echo Harbor will make a presentation seeking support for their project from residents of the 8th District, which is located in South Richmond, far away from the location of Echo Harbor, the site is located below and to the east of Church Hill at the bend of the James River for which Richmond is named.

There is at least one supporter from the 8th District, Councilwoman Trammell.

If you notice Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille's eyebrows go up that's because she is the Councilperson for the 7th District, where the Echo Harbor project is proposed to be located. I was watching the reaction of President Graziano and Vice President Robertson and they too were also visibly disturbed by Ms. Trammell's statement.

My 2 Cents - Tenant Representation on RRHA Board & Councilperson Expenditures Should Go to Committee - Nov. 8, 2010 from Silver Persinger.

I had not planned on speaking against Resolution 2010-R138-175 but when Donald Hatcher spoke in opposition to the previous paper, it gave me a little bit of time to review the paper and I did not like what I saw. I have learned by my years of attendance at City Council meetings that I should get up to speak if I have a gut feeling about the paper. This was one such instance. Though I muddled the facts and figures, I still stand by my opposition. Through the ensuing discussion I learned that Council Members annually have $10,000 which is allotted for discretionary spending by Council Members for their respective districts. I also learned that Council's policy is that only expenditures over $1000 have to come before the Council for Council approval, sums under $1000 do not. This paper waives the committee hearing on papers related to Council expenditures, therefore the only time members will consider such requests will be their formal meetings. I believe Council Members' expenditures should be reviewed by the appropriate Committee.

Here is an interesting article written by former Mayor Wilder policy advisor, Isaac Graves, regarding City Council District expenditures.

Post to the www.TimesDispatch.com re: City Auditor's Policies

Here is a comment I left on an article in today's Times-Dispatch regarding their article " City Auditor’s work won’t be as publicized " about City Council devising a policy to prohibit the City Auditor from announcing the completion of audits and investigations.

My comment:

Ineptitude at City Council should hardly be surprising. Open government and transparency are best practices in the field of government. It leads to accountability. When the public can see how decisions are made, they can understand why decisions were made and WHO is accountable for the decisions made.

I asked Council members earlier in the year if they supported open government and many of them did not seem familiar with the concept, though they said they said they supported it.



Since when should our government seek to emulate the government of Chesterfield and Henrico.

Especially, when what you seek to emulate is keeping information secret. The City Auditor works for the citizens of Richmond; not the City Council or the Mayor.

The news coverage of city government is already apathetic. Press releases from the Auditor's Office help inform the public. It cost relatively nothing for the auditor's office to email press releases and even to hold a press conference to allow the City Auditor to explain the findings to the media, who need all the help they can get. City Council members should also try to attend City Auditor Press Conferences, so they will know the questions from the media and know more directly the results of Audit Reports.

This article comes on the heels of tomorrow's interviews with appointees for the GRTC Transit System Board. See the Times-Dispatch article, "GRTC board appointments a point of contention" Oct. 2, 2009,

By WILL JONES

Published: October 2, 2009

Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones wants one of the city's new administrators to help run the GRTC Transit System.

But City Councilman Bruce W. Tyler is pushing back and expressing concern over a role the city could play in a sale of GRTC's coveted headquarters property near the Fan District.

Jones wants the 6.8-acre site to go to the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority for private development guided by the city through a review of proposals.

The council is scheduled to appoint three members to the GRTC board this month. This week, the list of 13 applicants was pared to eight finalists, including Peter H. Chapman, the city's new deputy chief administrative officer for economic and community development.

Another is former Chief Administrative Officer Sheila Hill-Christian, who has worked as a consultant to the Jones administration. She previously held executive positions with GRTC and RRHA.

Tyler said he's concerned about the possible appointments.

"I don't believe it should be anybody from the administration or with close ties to the administration," he said. "That body needs to be independent and it needs to report to council."

The Jones administration sees no conflict and nothing unusual in having one of its members on the GRTC board, said Tammy D. Hawley, the mayor's press secretary.

"Our motive is to have the highest amount of experience to move the transit system forward," she said.

John M. Lewis Jr., CEO of GRTC, said residency from the appointing locality is the only requirement for the GRTC board. While directors have historically been local civic and business leaders, many public-transit agencies are governed by elected and appointed officials, he said.

Chesterfield County, which owns GRTC with the city, also is set to make its three appointments to the six-member board.

The city's other finalists for appointment are the current representatives -- Linda G. Broady-Meyers, James M. Johnson and Michael Rohde, as well as Robert P. Englander Jr., a real estate developer and principal of The CathFord Group; Mark Romer, president of James River Equipment Co.; and Grindly Johnson, chief of business and employee opportunities for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Tyler said he's bothered that candidates recommended by him -- developer Paul W. Kreckman [Editor's note: the same fellow from Highwoods Properties that was pitching the stadium in Shockoe Bottom], architect Robert C. Burns and attorney R. Webb Moore -- won't be interviewed. The council's Land Use, Housing and Transportation Standing Committee will meet Monday to conduct closed-door interviews.

Chesterfield County Administrator James J.L. Stegmaier had no comment on the city appointments or on how the GRTC property might be developed.

"We think it's important that the property be sold at fair market price and those resources be used to enhance the quality of public transportation in the region," he said.

The property, at 101 S. Davis Ave., has been appraised at more than $5 million but could require substantial environmental cleanup.

Tyler said he sees no reason for the city and RRHA to play a prominent role in the site's future. He said the city has a poor record of guiding development and cited several projects, including the city-requested and now-withdrawn proposal offered by Kreckman's firm for a ballpark in Shockoe Bottom.

Tyler said the city would be able to control whatever happens on the GRTC site because the council's approval would likely be needed for any development.

GRTC is expected to vacate the property by early December when it moves to a new operations and maintenance center on Belt Boulevard in South Richmond. Lewis said no sale offers are pending, and there's no timetable for a decision.

"That's up to my board of directors," he said.

Council has said it would be a closed door session on Monday Oct. 5, 2009 from 8 AM to 10:30 AM -- though I can't understand the grounds for closing the meeting to the public. All candidates have received the questions in advance. This is not a discussion of discipline, legal issues, or discussion about employment.

This is about appointing members to a public board that deals with the City's bus system and future development of a light rail system. The term is for one year.

What are you afraid of City Council? People deserve to know what you are doing on our behalf and in our names. You represent us and we deserve to know how and why you make decisions. This is known as Open Government.

-Silver Persinger

Below, watch the last Governmental Operations meeting of September 24, 2009 where the proposed policy was discussed.

Governmental Operations Discusses Auditor's Reporting Policies - Sept. 24, 2009 from Silver Persinger.

Below, watch the July 23, 2009 Governmental Operations meeting where the policy was first discussed.

City Auditor's Office Policies Discussed at Governmental Operations - July 23, 2009 from Silver Persinger on Vimeo.