[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6680668,"mediaKeyId","2385939-f037993cf67f28068d3c0e27ba03a84f","parentId",2385939,"title","Council approves remote participation requests, appointments and consent agenda","audioSeconds",2059,"startMs",277000,"endMs",2336000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2385939-f037993cf67f28068d3c0e27ba03a84f&start=277&end=2336","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2385939-f037993cf67f28068d3c0e27ba03a84f/thumbnail_277000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6680668/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Council-approves-remote-participation-requests-appointments-and-consent-agenda","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6680668-8947a63799641e55002bf9f18e2ebdb4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444141&Signature=IyhnlMTMKGT-S4SrO0HA5Fq182VWpJUSnABjkhuHnA-Z6k7uWlbmVcn8jiV4XrpkZyry2sKVn5IqTfPAUXEoJ8VRgLVLpVS90zzYfGsZcW2QogPhtkwrcKz6rCAz7NwgSwCnV2tIltIoZNxPvRErfdSDknrD3GX5CAgrTuGiBJYCshcd6YLBLhdtkeD2DSk4bS2F5tmSfbGXRZMvZsC911mfBSFoR5eTPyNp8EIsikO9Q5Ls~p-SMhtZfSOQr-doQSnKOxT2Bpdoyi9MRzlTq7NOyTrSuhpH4QmTzRFuqzJ4HsBWKJ7px3wrN8MZkerzZsIBJljvzTOJQnsFCUkoeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richmond City","date","2025-02-25T00:00:00Z","article","Council approved two separate motions to allow members to participate in the meeting by electronic means under Council Rule 3(d)(4)(b): one for Council Member Stephanie Lynch and one for Council Member Sarah Auberbacher. Both motions passed on voice or roll-call votes recorded as \"aye\" by the members present.

Council then voted on a motion to approve appointment recommendations continued from the Feb. 10 meeting. The motion passed. Roll-call responses recorded in the transcript show Council Member Nicole Gibson voted no and Council Member Abu Bakr recorded an abstention; all other named members voted in favor. The council president and city attorney were reported to have reviewed potential conflicts related to one appointee and concluded that standard abstention and other safeguards addressed the concerns.

The consent agenda (three ordinances) and minutes for the Feb. 10 informal and formal meetings were adopted as presented in separate votes; roll-call on the consent agenda recorded ayes by the members present.

Votes at a glance:
- Remote participation: Stephanie Lynch — motion to approve participation by electronic means — outcome: approved (roll-call: Breton Aye; Gibson Yes; Jones Aye; Robertson Aye; Trammell Aye; Jordan Aye; Newbill Aye).
- Remote participation: Sarah Auberbacher — motion to approve participation by electronic means — outcome: approved (roll-call: Bridal Aye; Gibson Yes; Jones Aye; Robertson Aye; Lynch Aye; Trammell Aye; Jordan Aye; Newbill Aye).
- Appointment recommendations (continued from Feb. 10) — outcome: approved (roll-call excerpt: Breton Aye; Gibson No; Jones Aye; Robertson Aye; Lynch Aye; Trammell Aye; Abu Bakr Abstain; Jordan Aye; Newbill Aye). Transcript notes city attorney review and confirmation of commitments for housing authority representation.
- Consent agenda (ordinances 2025-022, 2025-023, 2025-024) — outcome: adopted (roll-call: Breton Aye; Gibson Yes; Jones Aye; Robertson Aye; Lynch Aye; Trammell Aye; Auberbacher Aye; Vice President Jernigan Aye; President Newbill Aye).
- Minutes (Feb. 10 informal and formal) — outcome: approved.

Why it matters: Several procedural votes cleared time-sensitive business and updated the official roster of board appointments; one council member recorded a formal \"no\" and one abstention on appointments, which the council addressed in public explanation.

Source: Roll-call and chair announcements recorded in the meeting transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richmond City - Richmond City Council Formal Meeting - February 24, 2025 - Feb 25, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Richmond City Council voted to permit two members to participate remotely, approved a slate of board appointments after one 'no' vote and an abstention, and adopted the consent agenda and minutes as presented.","taxTitle","Richmond City (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",5755,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6680671,"Neighbor objects to VMFA—storage building planned behind studio school, cites process concerns",192,2357000,2549000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2385939-f037993cf67f28068d3c0e27ba03a84f&start=2357&end=2549","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2385939-f037993cf67f28068d3c0e27ba03a84f/thumbnail_2357000.jpg","/articles/6680671/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Neighbor-objects-to-VMFAstorage-building-planned-behind-studio-school-cites-process-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6680671-aaeb72ea857ba68ceb06ceecc0660ea8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444141&Signature=nPeWSg6kvjj-edefWxvbmW8nJGZJBGCnV5YbQwRjZ5Rgq9vltMkkW~jKIMoWJlkVx18XgNkVomiOp4iF~lIGdmAnWhWl5GtVu9-K0-KipDztzsVKPonJPPpWx-csCNDNlFb0ficjmranoFIZ2LhjCCfvkG8CYJEJoqfa4DhaOQYzfecTtHkiHHiBtJfNZb5E8VtWt7t9qMVru3g2xIkRUnVYh27cCvN~AACBcWfWh-h-nvC-AW3rsPNTvw0Gfwj6c6WvcXBpv9fK-nBT7U6r44KrfPS8N0gFL4HkprD8lT6H6asZQJ0ELPhn8NjfJA8LaGw-ROlBalHlCMuBf38hBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Eugenia Reese, a resident of Floyd Avenue, asked council to \"put a stop\" to a planned storage warehouse the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is proposing near the Museum District behind the studio school.

Reese said the foundation needs temporary storage for artwork during construction but has \"many other alternatives\" and that the foundation set aside $7,000,000 for the project. She said plans for the building began in 2022 and were not shared with neighbors or, she said, the museum's own board.

Reese cited a 2022 response from the city's zoning administrator that she said advised against using the separate lot as a principal use for museum storage, and she said the foundation instead sought approval through the planning department and treated the warehouse as an accessory use.

\"This monster of a warehouse is much larger than the school, and it will not serve the school in any capacity,\" Reese said, and asked council for \"no backroom deals, for basic fairness, and for due process.\"

Why it matters: The comment raises neighborhood land-use, zoning and process concerns around a cultural institution's offsite storage plans in a residential historic district.

What happens next: Reese pointed listeners to an information website created by neighbors. No council action on the item was recorded in the transcript during this meeting.","A resident asked council to stop construction of a large storage warehouse the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts plans near the Museum District, saying the project was developed without adequate neighbor notice and that the foundation\u0000mischaracterized the use to the city.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6680675,"Tenant organizers urge Richmond to invest $9 million in emergency housing aid as evictions rise",182,2582000,2764000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2385939-f037993cf67f28068d3c0e27ba03a84f&start=2582&end=2764","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2385939-f037993cf67f28068d3c0e27ba03a84f/thumbnail_2582000.jpg","/articles/6680675/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Tenant-organizers-urge-Richmond-to-invest-9-million-in-emergency-housing-aid-as-evictions-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6680675-fe55e4d06acd7aaa13fe18bcd210eb8e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444141&Signature=B56sjr347NRrSqYBONLS2dZiFg0zRRSZs3FhuWEah~Licxb6BhnYlhVXLYzqf7noYhU3HdeQs1YJsxabKnFR4Ind3XbAzPC1smNj6T~CWzOGTrCzp3wNDp10GPH4mftCcFJeNMhTrR-K63OTqAqd-xi-we5Xe9eLbzPgGymhibvo2LzhagXO85EZKfAE0Rh5Rmg7Yd5vlv-Wbx4mAhoKMZrubcZkaCtzS5WXw9rpKyqHREOy0g-c7w3fssdCbR4IwgZGrF91OiIKkbCJc~pXVkWlguX03Oe358SY-yjlEfEGa7JSdJhEogaJKEBoXE2OmWkDlvWbFJk87y1RQmTDxA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Josue (Abraham) Castillo, a community organizer with New Virginia Majority and a resident of the Sixth District, told council he works with tenants in neighborhoods with some of the highest eviction rates in the city and described widespread housing instability.

\"If we can find $2,000,000 to expand an animal shelter last year, then we can expand funding to keep our community members housed,\" Castillo said, and asked council to invest $9,000,000 into a family crisis fund to provide immediate relief.

Castillo said Richmond\u0000\u0000residents seeking help often find city financial-assistance programs either paused or inaccessible; he cited the city's water-recovery fund, which opened Jan. 31 and was paused after receiving 2,200 applications.

He called for longer-term policy work at the General Assembly, specifically referencing HB 2175, which he described as an \"anti rent gouging bill\" that would allow localities to address bad-faith landlord rent increases. He said Alexandria, Charlottesville, Roanoke and Loudoun County have supported similar measures.

Why it matters: Castillo said families are being displaced now and that short-term emergency funding plus state-level tools are needed to prevent imminent evictions and community disruption.

What was requested: Investment of $9,000,000 into a family crisis fund and council support for state-level anti-rent-gouging legislation; ongoing collaboration with community organizations to design accessible assistance programs.

Council follow-up: Castillo said advocates have met with council members; council members acknowledged the requests and the larger budget pressures the city faces.","A community organizer from New Virginia Majority asked council to invest $9 million in a family crisis fund and urged support for an anti-rent-gouging bill as eviction hearings proceed, saying current city rental-assistance programs are insufficient and inaccessible to many residents.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6680680,"Richmond mayor outlines water probe findings, $5 million in repairs and budget pressures",757,467000,1224000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2385939-f037993cf67f28068d3c0e27ba03a84f&start=467&end=1224","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2385939-f037993cf67f28068d3c0e27ba03a84f/thumbnail_467000.jpg","/articles/6680680/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Richmond-mayor-outlines-water-probe-findings-5-million-in-repairs-and-budget-pressures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6680680-e5827a7f63cfb044ed27555c76aa5c03/orig.mp4?Expires=1770444141&Signature=XuCVVmbsRY8WyZ3mjIHQ4ZeDMYZ-l0Ro0w277ISTBmeHj1hMHo8cuZXul697KxUSbQQt6lFKjmOiXXlDNamlxSw8XZ17s62-o357lslxwzVawgfUIv4Q7YMpxhkyPjWNUsnagkdndyN8sjnnCNd5K2gmNAtMSz9GaP10PGYE7n5~c5oCNIypsZxz-AuDxbX-NtJvwJgMfylVLvOuCqH70yE0cdc7cUBbGV2BfBqnifFWadYpyfL-WdvlgALK6EKi~yQNSJuGeWr23Q0lFRczKh5U4Kw~l40iSLRHnm30-eRo7PW3PdotUOLVpItYSp3oXPqN10g6C5y11eZ7fQVb6w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Danny Aboular said a national consultant\u0000has linked a Jan. 6 power outage to a chain of failures that flooded key equipment at the city's water treatment plant and contributed to service disruption.

\"The report did affirm that the power outage early on January 6 started the sequence events,\" Aboular said, and he told council leadership that a final report from HNTB is expected next month.

Aboular said the city has invested \"just under $5,000,000\" on equipment repairs and upgrades at the plant, including new uninterruptible power supplies and batteries, and has restored the plant from a winter-mode electrical configuration to a summer-mode setup so both power sources feed the plant rather than relying on an automatic switchover.

\"We have restored, summer mode where both electrical sources are feeding the plant,\" he said. \"That automatic switchover was part of the failure that led to all these events.\" The mayor said many of HNTB\u0000\u0000recommendations were already implemented.

Aboular said the city selected HNTB as an independent investigator and emphasized transparency and that the final report will be shared with council leadership once available. He also said the city is in informal conversations with regional partners about a more integrated, resilient water system and will brief council when those talks become substantive.

Council members asked for more detailed breakdowns. Councilwoman Gibson said there remain \"many questions that have been left unanswered,\" asked for clarification about generators and Dominion\u0000\u0000involvement, and urged the administration to publish a clear accounting of the $5 million in repairs.

Aboular said a more detailed presentation by Interim Director Scott Morris is scheduled for the governmental operations committee and that the mayor will present a budget to council on March 27.

Why it matters: The mayor framed the HNTB review as the start of a broader push for operational resilience at the plant and a driver of near-term budget choices. Council members said they want a clear public accounting of repairs and continuing answers from the independent review.

What happens next: The HNTB final report is expected next month; Interim Director Scott Morris will present more detail to the governmental operations committee; the mayor will present a budget on March 27.","Mayor Danny Aboular told City Council the HNTB preliminary review links a Jan. 6 power outage to equipment flooding and service disruption, said the city has spent just under $5 million on plant repairs and upgrades, and warned of budget strain ahead of a March 27 budget presentation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves remote participation requests, appointments and consent agenda

Neighbor objects to VMFA—storage building planned behind studio school, cites process concerns

Tenant organizers urge Richmond to invest $9 million in emergency housing aid as evictions rise

Richmond mayor outlines water probe findings, $5 million in repairs and budget pressures