[{"_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",6655232,"mediaKeyId","5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae","parentId",5418458,"title","Committee advances board-appointment recommendations, holds others for administration and task force review","audioSeconds",212,"startMs",127000,"endMs",339000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae&start=127&end=339","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae/thumbnail_127000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6655232/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-advances-board-appointment-recommendations-holds-others-for-administration-and-task-force-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655232-cbe4faf067b0239b7b043e427be0d7e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1770739511&Signature=LrNoiMpapsjCyo39Q5FggDHeZgps8KTpdUhdH7ZOBX60FUX711VCF8NlsTOVH6x0zL3gm6aMrhJm8RMh0ug2LAwQ-~P7xxq2CmOyxeLUm1gnJuqIGRnfgZSzlvSYEtMMGbYz6g-kohcu5arrH4dc11JZ5JLD1-ZWufKtEL2UMJYWr2tkZziH5D9zBMWBSBaqRU6O5A-6zkOHluhMGZ-s2Eu47iyphkZmcpuHBjR1CZXDYkPLG8zB1cwIgNl~DYGNJa21rO-Ir8ixLJVVX8~rfZDW63uoZrP5Vsl13~ogMmDbGTNjcMCjLdZd1Ir-y0S9ieKviRMnTpYHSLeyWJTu2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richmond City","date","2025-07-17T00:00:00Z","article","The Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee voted to forward board and commission recommendations as presented but agreed to delay action on several appointments to allow the administration and a council task force to provide input.

Pamela Nichols, council management analyst, presented a vacancy report and asked the committee to consider appointments and continuations. Committee members asked to hold appointments to the Economic Development Authority until the new director of economic development can weigh in; the committee agreed to continue that appointment.

Nichols and committee members also asked to continue consideration of appointments to the local finance board for other post‑employment benefits (OPEB) trust until the administration can submit nominees; the committee agreed to continue those vacancies to the Oct. 15 meeting. The participatory budgeting steering commission vacancies and related reappointments were likewise continued while the council’s budget task force considers proposed reforms and timeline alignment.

The committee did approve a reappointment to the Minority Business and Reappointment (Grace Washington) and agreed to reappoint Carlin Gibson Sr. to the Richmond Retirement System when no objections were raised.

The committee voted on a motion to forward the board recommendations as stated; the recorded vote on that motion was Miss Lynch: Aye; Vice Chair Jones: Aye; Chair Robinson: Aye.

Committee members noted concerns about implementation timelines, particularly for items that would require administrative changes by January 15 if approved, and asked that the task force and administration coordinate on realistic deadlines.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Richmond City - Finance & Economic Development Standing Committee Meeting - July 16, 2025, at 2:00 P.M. - Jul 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee advanced board recommendations by vote, but delayed appointments to the Economic Development Authority and several participatory-budgeting and OPEB trust vacancies to give the incoming economic development director and a budget task force time to weigh in.","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},6655237,"Finance director outlines modernization progress and ongoing work in revenue administration",1519,2069000,3588000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae&start=2069&end=3588","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae/thumbnail_2069000.jpg","/articles/6655237/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Finance-director-outlines-modernization-progress-and-ongoing-work-in-revenue-administration","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655237-5e51100b9b7cbdd56936422e63aa8181/orig.mp4?Expires=1770739511&Signature=TYntKW-RphWgOkno~0GtNzs9e7MYq1Hm62~4nh5nJyiNBqTwUN9BRJydRii2dYkeoEV4fcf8-~j0f7YfGP4a8VrdcgdG1brmHoSkVfLNyOdl2rzJ9JEc8RFymwFEJoUVghKAPumD8H97sOpwOaxcYfIdjxwK4b~IonYLXi1TUa9W6hD54jMzUsyXHPuiauAGvubTuWIbqPVjAZGqIQzWEjM2jMUgE~N-ShzqBJQaFzke9FBTq3niW2~-mz6C7NlthsQVcvhU~4X3KZCCdnSSgHvd8OvGDoC3ndDmIKs8S2voy0o-OnY2iMSSWFZOjL1Nv4A6GXtkUsgcQ6nRhinaYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sheila White, senior director for finance for the City of Richmond, told the Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee that the Revenue Administration Division has undergone substantial modernization over the past 16 months, but that work will continue through 2026.

White said the city produced 75,905 second-half real estate bills for 2025 and that 33,270 of those bills were mailed to property owners rather than mortgage servicers. She said the bills were accurate and that the department is processing refund requests tied to duplicate payments and conducting account analyses to identify overpayments and options for refunds or credits.

White outlined system upgrades and organizational changes: the city’s enterprise resource planning system and its Munis revenue module have been upgraded to supported versions; RVA Pay is live for personal property; 71 of 76 identified standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been created; and a control division was added to provide independent checks on SOP adherence, quality control and training.

She said the department brought in an outside consultant earlier in the year whose final report included management tools, process redesign and interim leadership support; the consultant helped advance personal property billing and the business portal work. The department has added daily operational dashboards, unit and individual work plans, a bookings tool for public appointments and a Gantt chart to manage billing calendars.

On personal property, White cited Virginia Code §58.1-3503 (the statutory requirement to use a recognized pricing guide) and said the city uses J.D. Powers (NADA/J.D. Power) valuation data along with other sources to improve vehicle valuation accuracy. She also described an ongoing data-cleanup effort with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to correct legacy records.

White said the city launched the RVA Business Portal in January to move paper-based business tax and license processes online. She estimated about 14,500 businesses are currently active in the city’s database but that the state IRMS data indicate the city should have roughly 2.5 times that number, signaling a compliance and registration gap the city intends to address.

White asked for patience as the department completes a lengthy transformation and noted she will be leaving the city as a full-time employee; council members thanked her for her service and asked that the city take steps to preserve the reforms and maintain leadership continuity. Council members also said they would work with the auditor and the administration to create reporting dashboards and oversight worksheets to monitor continued progress.

No formal votes were required for the presentation. Council members used the update to request additional, follow-up details and to emphasize the importance of retaining institutional knowledge and staffing during the transition.","Sheila White, senior director for finance, presented a detailed status report on upgrades to Richmond’s revenue administration division, including Munis and ERP updates, RVA Pay, DMV data cleanup, a business portal launch, new SOPs and a consultant’s final report.",{"_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},6655241,"Committee forwards HUD ESG funding and budget amendments to support St. Joseph’s Villa rapid rehousing program",163,1033000,1196000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae&start=1033&end=1196","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae/thumbnail_1033000.jpg","/articles/6655241/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-forwards-HUD-ESG-funding-and-budget-amendments-to-support-St-Josephs-Villa-rapid-rehousing-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655241-79902abf31c1ffbf1f7a88b86ed710a4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770739511&Signature=Vtc2l4xtPMYNSzHwTggcEu71sIdPokqn2SnmF08RRVY~IZHlYOc72qC-ApKUc5Nc4T9F943kfZfWsd1aer1~5Etye0EljkFb9VPUCc85lEm0~6hY3ETpBLo5FtWFNYhJgytey1A3Y6jngndzNX0cUxagxc7Q~bgqhNARqYupxK4sYAQ2pwSZnR0Hgdy4CnoOIpW0UQFtvU1~2x7Ao~L7QBZlRMpTrghoR-t~jqigDqVI82Klr8S128ZsTgWl3kEw6clBHCCm3XAuWtCmCDrxazcuGJR31W7xIE~5b5j4UIEOdFdRtGCYBONgSTjTpKJT5TNcbL5LdOc4Fryh262cyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richmond Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee voted to forward Ordinance 2025-164 to the full council with a recommendation to approve funding changes that will create a new Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) project for St. Joseph’s Villa and appropriate funds for a rapid rehousing program.

Amanda Rinkl, senior manager for Federal Entitlement Programs in the Department of Housing and Community Development, presented the ordinance. She said the proposal would move deobligated HOME funds and other reallocated ESG funds, combine them with unawarded FY26 appropriations and accept a small additional allocation from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The paper would create a new ESG project line item titled “Saint Joseph Villa” and appropriate $83,930 to support rapid rehousing activities that are eligible under the ESG program.

Rinkl said the funding package includes amounts recaptured from prior HOME activity, ESG undesignated reserves and an additional HUD allocation; she described the amounts on the record and said the recipient would implement an ESG‑eligible rapid rehousing program.

The committee held a public hearing with no speakers and voted to forward the ordinance with a recommendation to approve. The recorded vote was Miss Lynch: Aye; Vice Chair Jones: Aye; Chair Robinson: Aye.

The ordinance will proceed to the full council for final action.","Ordinance 2025-164, proposing reallocation and appropriation of HUD CDBG/ESG/HOPWA funds to create a new ESG project line for St. Joseph’s Villa and to fund a rapid rehousing program, was forwarded to the full council with a recommendation to approve.",{"_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},6655246,"Committee forwards two PHMSA grants totaling $54.8 million for gas-pipeline work to full council",171,841000,1012000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae&start=841&end=1012","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae/thumbnail_841000.jpg","/articles/6655246/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Committee-forwards-two-PHMSA-grants-totaling-548-million-for-gas-pipeline-work-to-full-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655246-f8d283367cc5532e684bef3e0d710edb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770739511&Signature=YxzVsn6WA07PEo2shh5AqRbYnA4z7b72yIJcGsHfm6jDzp~TH49hOTUWdRVid6iZmbfgyl2nG-0xdFjAw9rfqAL1NV96JKB6uKtpN7HZXiX3Ya-6Ebc9qmr~0P5PkLwYXcjIRqvSl-YAw864i1cNEJPqw8VmwKm2VdNlNca2xAEmoQLHelWQzjGKWaI8qTq9h6uZOp4C37-ISAQLCtXG4seZcdaDcWozQVziVUrjexMydWEzQOYcYt6uqjPUrNq9qRR5jH5OpeyRtDmTaQBWHgjoUT~09RY9Qt7Ouj-8iXYPA4FBH14Do7b3Fvq-A8EJjGV22F2gJgbr-dRL0y~8IA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richmond Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee voted to forward two ordinances to the full council that would accept federal grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to support repair and replacement of natural gas pipelines.

The measures are Ordinance 2025-158, to accept $15,700,000, and Ordinance 2025-159, to accept $39,100,000. Dan Reifenberg of the Department of Public Utilities told the committee both awards are reimbursements from PHMSA and require no city match. He said the awards are the second and third rounds of multi-year grants tied to a larger federal program that totals about $1 billion across five years; the city accepted an earlier $10,000,000 award in 2022.

Reifenberg said the funds will be used to replace cast and ductile iron gas mains and related equipment and that the grants operate as full reimbursements — the utility spends the funds and then seeks reimbursement through PHMSA.

The committee held a public hearing; no members of the public spoke in support or opposition. The committee voted to forward both ordinances with a recommendation to approve. The recorded vote was Miss Lynch: Aye; Vice Chair Jones: Aye; Chair Robertson: Aye.

The ordinances will proceed to the full council for consideration.","The committee voted to forward Ordinances 2025-158 and 2025-159, accepting federal PHMSA grants to replace and rehabilitate cast and ductile iron gas mains, with no local match required.",{"_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},6655249,"Council committee forwards performance-grant agreement for VPM headquarters to full council",766,1203000,1969000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae&start=1203&end=1969","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5418458-fc4a410e687a530bc66d272bc79457ae/thumbnail_1203000.jpg","/articles/6655249/Richmond-City-Independent-City/Virginia/Council-committee-forwards-performance-grant-agreement-for-VPM-headquarters-to-full-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6655249-41dd7dcd55b6bdbfed99a224c116f6c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770739511&Signature=orMqLLD4ywyZV1avjcIemV5DVpTlvbtbMg5NpI6u~86R68fwnQbHrEY4Po48wYRMxTYFUPPBV5MFu7iR8zBAy9cTzDLga9asKOEtvmtQmO5YTYyWB5mYWvln1npbBqZWgr0brK6b6S49bshHA9-WxHRMtg5wvRlcReHqxemnh9v6oz46RNUl66dOb1uWO5I9d9wUIFiZm7D3dK8xBwCsvapEQ9~9rSYp0dlXRtgN8~vH4xYv3na0KxCT8k8qmP5Z85goqWxoLQcWjs-Hrm0Lnf8ZOMNKBamg58fYvHHlT7YSwo8dssvg2pDGcaRh24E-~-9kvdH-lAwjEvg8Tpq7Qg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richmond Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee voted to forward Ordinance 2025-160 to the full council with a recommendation to approve, moving a performance-grant agreement for VPM Media Corporation’s new headquarters to the next stage.

The committee action follows a presentation from the Department of Economic Development and comments from VPM leadership and community supporters about the project’s economic and community benefits.

Katie McConnell, deputy director of the Department of Economic Development, told the committee the project represents a $65,000,000 capital investment and will locate a five-story headquarters for VPM on East Broad Street in the Arts District. The development includes a production studio for television, radio and digital content, a 1,600-square-foot ground-floor commercial space, a parking deck with 50 publicly available spaces and publicly accessible bike storage. McConnell said the project is designed to meet LEED Silver standards and includes commitments for minority and small-business construction spending, streetlight and safety improvements, public art and community-oriented programming.

Jamie Swain, president and CEO of VPM and the Virginia Foundation for Public Media, confirmed the organization expects to open in June (year specified by VPM) and noted the organization has been engaged in the project for multiple years.

Under the performance agreement, VPM will receive an annual grant equal to the business tangible personal property taxes it pays, the city said. The bulk of those taxes are tied to broadcasting and production equipment. The city’s agreement requires VPM to pay personal property taxes and submit annual performance reports documenting capital investment, jobs and community commitments. The grant amount will be adjusted if VPM fails to meet performance targets; the city said the first grant is anticipated in fiscal 2027.

McConnell said the city conservatively estimates the project will generate $2,500,000 in new tax revenue over 10 years. She also noted that VPM expects to bring about 70 jobs to Richmond from its Chesterfield location — jobs that McConnell described as “new jobs for Richmond” though VPM confirmed these positions are transfers rather than net new hires for the company.

Members of the public, including Nupa Agarwal, chair elect of the Economic Development Authority and a VPM board member, spoke in support of the project and its anticipated neighborhood benefits.

The committee voted to forward the ordinance with a recommendation to approve. The recorded vote was Miss Lynch: Aye; Vice Chair Jones: Aye; Chair Robertson: Aye.

The ordinance will next be considered by the full City Council.","The Finance and Economic Development Standing Committee voted to forward Ordinance 2025-160, a performance agreement offering VPM Media Corporation a grant tied to personal property taxes, after hearing details about the $65 million headquarters and community benefits.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee advances board-appointment recommendations, holds others for administration and task force review

Finance director outlines modernization progress and ongoing work in revenue administration

Committee forwards HUD ESG funding and budget amendments to support St. Joseph’s Villa rapid rehousing program

Committee forwards two PHMSA grants totaling $54.8 million for gas-pipeline work to full council

Council committee forwards performance-grant agreement for VPM headquarters to full council