[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6645369,"mediaKeyId","3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596","parentId",3773884,"title","Committee continues Ordinance 2025-136 to July 23 meeting","audioSeconds",23,"startMs",1127000,"endMs",1150000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596&start=1127&end=1150","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596/thumbnail_1127000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6645369/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-continues-Ordinance-2025-136-to-July-23-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6645369-e6458efe7fb1806c04d978f93f515b3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770936882&Signature=DpeSD~-tzBx87i22z3VidzUqJalKiPNx9EHBkAO3jKqRAXQEzlsc3miuP4NtIRjjI3jexpRaxa22oHbGOQlplhVhDYSwvAFqcL7H4W8olnOO9mjxSLJq2sY4V1SaNZpPRF4ebUlBTKH04rY7Hr4yCUTbu3SW02Ak4kWzMhGWaKKI2wunSOQp-2SJEKQXDTblr~nzR4~808rR9bVyL1pydtoSmq-C3ErzvUjHIpaSbSBXHpCdwifmhPQjgr2Z0J8YFqKeoi3wHKPpNePQhZa1PtJ0wYN2zrrLGpUQY6JdPdWJ8E8mkHzfDRTmG-lQq64blafexLXFIagAVjoW9rn35A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richmond City","date","2025-06-11T00:00:00Z","article","At the start of the meeting, Committee members voted to continue Ordinance 2025-136 to the Governmental Operations Special Committee meeting on July 23 at the request of its patron, Chair Jordan.

A committee member moved the continuance and the motion was approved with recorded affirmative votes from Council Member Gibson and Vice Chair Abubakar. No public hearing was held on the continuance at this meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richmond City - Governmental Operations Standing Committee Meeting - June 11, 2025 2:30 p.m. - Jun 11, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Chair Jordan requested that Ordinance 2025-136 be continued to the July 23 Governmental Operations Special Committee meeting; the committee voted to continue the item.","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},6645373,"Committee recommends residency rule for senior executives despite administration opposition",288,2093000,2381000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596&start=2093&end=2381","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596/thumbnail_2093000.jpg","/articles/6645373/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-recommends-residency-rule-for-senior-executives-despite-administration-opposition","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6645373-b085febd9a813a0cf7d751b53609e54e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770936882&Signature=VgqVzz8ZUW-ui5gt-pf5PGMgS3EyymsOMG9RRBi3rdzVWy5izOR8fCMolvcWjr4wxBaeV-87PFu4pvI8uVN3vEZqk6XASt8PJ2bJRvF0zXc4KGx34jSX8nEjrV28RzBydGwq15Z3gHfNMVVYVoKv4rfGG3~6P4cGDmHlcd~lTLPUAMmbKk5uLnNB21wPBvd-V8LBpVBPkooXyBe2OvSeLxd1PqnHe~~QTje9XkiI5tg6EtmMpjUxVOs6XCFKtqqRDGZlIQ~WsxKd6005hcccCMv2nWUh1oNSZ8exWq60sf710hbj3tZ5czszg8zNT6F1nl-T8nXx5tzwICkfkkfnvg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Governmental Operations Special Committee voted to forward Ordinance 2025-1138 to City Council with a recommendation to approve an amendment that would modify the city’s residency requirement to apply to certain officers and senior executive-service employees.

Council members supporting the ordinance said it is narrowly written to apply to senior executive roles and is intended to strengthen accountability and the city’s relationship with residents. “When folks who work for the city live in the city…they do a better job of designing and improving [systems],” said a council member supporting the measure. Supporters emphasized exemptions for employees with caregiving constraints and said the change would not apply to the vast majority of the city’s roughly 4,000 employees.

Administration witnesses opposed the change. Sharon Ebert, interim chief administrative officer, told the committee that while many current senior leaders do live in the city, making residency mandatory could put the city at a recruitment disadvantage. She described recent steps—joining the Virginia Retirement System and raising compensation—that have improved the city’s competitiveness for talent and said rigid residency rules could reduce the candidate pool.

Tyrone Alexander, director of human resources, said the residency requirement would hamper recruitment, retention and succession planning for city leadership. He said the 2018 amendment to the city code had expanded access to regional talent and that, in his view, reimposing residency requirements would “undermine” gains made by adopting the Virginia Retirement System and other compensation improvements.

Proponents said the requirement is limited to a narrow set of senior positions, that there are exemptions for family-caregiving constraints, and that it would not affect the majority of the city’s workforce. During the public hearing the administration urged caution, warning that the requirement could delay hiring and reduce promotion opportunities for internal candidates who live outside city limits.

After public testimony and discussion, the committee recorded affirmative votes from Council Member Gibson and Vice Chair Abubakar to forward the ordinance with a recommendation to approve; the measure proceeds to full Council for action.","The committee voted to recommend approval of Ordinance 2025-1138, which would reinstate residency requirements for certain senior city officers and executive-service employees. The administration opposed the change citing recruitment and retention concerns; supporters said residency fosters accountability and trust.",{"_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},6645377,"Committee recommends code change to allow reverse auctions for certain city procurements",90,1725000,1815000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596&start=1725&end=1815","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596/thumbnail_1725000.jpg","/articles/6645377/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-recommends-code-change-to-allow-reverse-auctions-for-certain-city-procurements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6645377-f7b76a71869fd52083d393e73616e8d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770936882&Signature=C3o31JjKMADriiVmYkxt3qDJy-loiYcYv6PCVei4XfDORC7DkvyADbyVCAvwH2UF42G2jQegRIqa1o8ZuUalff0gakmO4Bh3OHeYI8Sg-ANnd2Q7eFzvigcmJ3zONzka54jUAQUFfz5hAJwiFcM8tpbO4slbq2JVdz7pVzQWLsaYI5kcnU~7KLoW-~Uhzkm5VICdMwqITTRSD8ngGQFD1YkvC3PpIo8uYZ3NomPMBBY3H~zVJyB-hdGT6XskkT3wP~j1f8yaA-2Cq~n4OuO-2P6oxnu3udMtp7Od4aDxiUps~p42u3A-f5s0C3P3ZJcBqNVfCfg9HyHzI5MfT1KlYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Governmental Operations Special Committee voted to forward Ordinance 2025-1137 to Council with a recommendation to approve an amendment to the city procurement code authorizing reverse auctioning under Virginia Code §2.2-4303.

Bernie Alvarez, director of the Department of Procurement Services, told the committee the change will add a procurement tool to solicit competitive bids in a reverse-auction format for bulk commodities such as paper, water-treatment chemicals and road salt. The city’s solicitation platform (OpenGov) includes a reverse-auction module that allows pre-qualified suppliers to submit descending bids until the bidding period closes.

Alvarez described the mechanics: suppliers enter bids on a specified line item, see that other suppliers are bidding (not their identities), and can lower their offer in timed increments until no further bids are placed. The city then assesses responsiveness and responsibility and awards the contract to the successful bidder. Alvarez said the approach is primarily intended for commodities and bulk items, not for complex professional services.

Committee members asked whether other localities in the region use reverse auctions and for examples of expected savings. Alvarez said he had used reverse auctions at another municipality and realized cost savings on selected commodities; he was not aware of nearby localities currently using the tool. A committee member asked staff to track and report realized savings if the practice is adopted.

No members of the public spoke at the hearing. The committee recorded affirmative votes by Council Member Gibson and Vice Chair Abubakar to forward the ordinance to Council with a recommendation to approve.","The committee recommended approval of Ordinance 2025-1137, authorizing reverse auction procurement under city code for bulk commodities such as paper and treatment chemicals and enabling use of the OpenGov reverse-auction tool.",{"_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},6645382,"Committee backs annual health department agreement; changes described as minor",63,1557000,1620000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596&start=1557&end=1620","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596/thumbnail_1557000.jpg","/articles/6645382/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-backs-annual-health-department-agreement-changes-described-as-minor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6645382-9f5abf7b9bb3542e4e42e8bc37ea88b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770936882&Signature=PZHhUZbwyqK~aG5o9oYKVQPOQNbABfCdMo5ttLkXT808Yn080hyBhN5ObwmE3xpIsaXFzP-n60Ak7fFUKFqXZfPUaN6D2MGzC1ST1qvPF1eW0QucdwvVG2IOKUNQiWL65tLukUg081o4pYflI1j63kc2HKZIqqNdtPNc2hRj58rYm9lpH3jjVa2xyI0LiuUitUTUTpH-mFrYfRpLdJ3T0KDwiIm5EMGQUoFu-Z15hyQ4GYDfXAkYrp2BTiQ~xV60FiXu5TxFNPQfCZoL8VJ5cXyoxSvYYvuXrBuB0jCa~H21gClXJ8SqkMwdiAq9vpki1mGSmQfJ1dm0lsmCieNopg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Governmental Operations Special Committee voted to forward Ordinance 2025-1135 to Council with a recommendation to approve an annual agreement between the city and the Virginia Department of Health to facilitate public health services performed by the Richmond Henrico Health District.

Dominic Barrett, senior policy advisor for human services, said the agreement is the standard annual contract the state uses with localities and that the funds cited in the agreement were appropriated in the city’s FY25 budget. He added that the contract process typically occurs on the state fiscal schedule and largely involves coordination between state and city attorneys.

Barrett said there were no substantive substantive changes to funding; the only change described was a minor wording adjustment around the term “governing body” to match state contract language. Dr. Perry of the Richmond Henrico Health District was noted as available online for questions but no members of the public spoke at the committee hearing.

Committee members asked whether the ordinance differed from prior years; Barrett reiterated that changes were limited to non-substantive governing-body language negotiated between attorneys. The committee voted, and recorded affirmative votes from Council Member Gibson and Vice Chair Abubakar to recommend approval.

The measure will move to full Council for final approval; staff said no new city appropriation was required because the funds were already included in the FY25 budget.","The committee recommended approval of an annual agreement authorizing the city to execute a contract with the Virginia Department of Health to support Richmond Henrico Health District services; staff said funding was already appropriated in the FY25 budget and contract language change was non-substantive.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6645387,"Committee recommends city code changes to limit utility shutoffs during heat and holidays",93,1169000,1262000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596&start=1169&end=1262","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3773884-c048e9e47074033ad74ff516be05e596/thumbnail_1169000.jpg","/articles/6645387/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-recommends-city-code-changes-to-limit-utility-shutoffs-during-heat-and-holidays","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6645387-09962828fc38d39f8f68926091f6ef3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770936882&Signature=BGHxTTZtMaI2GBzkgreOj4Wkjx-t9dnCMfCuROpahYqoqPqtDy3IwLQ1uSRER40vNyXfDdsqeH81EyQ4PnjzBIsiPP9dACNHiBTb07QkoYP1VhfUSexxECtn0ds3NG~EBB-LU~ZZx7KxaKsi4-K-9WPfJDMZZfUVIWhTgXPK7~ypk4-bysBO80XsSQ2hy8xbXs2HRKlxnC~gZyAKl2IVJF61P~BdSqwpxWDRCe~knJnVS0lbTpB6XY56JJ5QCOU2L2wY7Z9OAHSBOl9mrZucAn~x4yuJwi88Ld8FcRzjb5TR3PzWPGDh42WktuAMpKbSQ-SYj0dGcZsIXYFO8mgv2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Governmental Operations Special Committee voted to forward Ordinance 2025-1134 to City Council with a recommendation to approve, updating city code on gas, water and wastewater disconnections to align with 2024 state law (House Bill 904).

The change will prohibit disconnections during periods the city and state consider a heat risk (discussed in the meeting as a 95-degree threshold) and on days immediately before holidays; it also clarifies related city code references without changing deposit and refund provisions. Committee members voted to recommend the ordinance for approval.

Scott Morris, director of the Department of Public Utilities, told the committee the ordinance is intended to align city code with state law enacted in 2024 and that the city’s gas utility is regulated by the State Corporation Commission. Morris said the changes do not alter the city’s deposit or refund policies; they adjust code sections that govern disconnection timing and notice. “It doesn’t change the deposits or refunds associated with it. It’s only changing or modifying the aspect of the sections where it relates to disconnection,” Morris said.

Morris said the ordinance would take effect July 1 and noted the city is not currently performing disconnects following COVID-era policy changes. He said the utility intends to resume disconnects only after billing issues are resolved and that staff will publish public notifications and update internal procedures prior to reinstating the practice.

On customer repayment options, Morris described a program the utility calls PromisePay that spreads past-due balances over up to 36 months. “PromisePay is something they can go over 36 months,” Morris said, describing a sample scenario in which a $3,600 delinquency could be paid as about $100 a month over three years. He added that accounts enrolled in PromisePay receive an annotation that prevents disconnection while the payment plan is active.

The public hearing produced no speakers in support or opposition. The committee’s vote to forward the ordinance to council carried with recorded affirmative votes from Council Member Gibson and Vice Chair Abubakar.

The ordinance text cites amendments to City Code sections concerning deposits and refunds and disconnection procedures for gas, water and wastewater services; it is presented as a code update to match state statutory timelines and protections. The administration’s staff described procedural steps for implementing the new notice and disconnection rules, while also emphasizing the city’s current pause on disconnections until billing reconciliations are complete.

A Council recommendation now goes to the full City Council for final consideration; the ordinance is scheduled to be effective on July 1 if adopted.","The Governmental Operations Special Committee voted to forward an ordinance aligning Richmond’s utility disconnection rules with 2024 state law, prohibiting disconnects during extreme heat and on certain holidays and outlining customer repayment options such as PromisePay.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee continues Ordinance 2025-136 to July 23 meeting

Committee recommends residency rule for senior executives despite administration opposition

Committee recommends code change to allow reverse auctions for certain city procurements

Committee backs annual health department agreement; changes described as minor

Committee recommends city code changes to limit utility shutoffs during heat and holidays