The Richmond City Finance and Economic Development Committee on Jan. 14 voted to forward eight ordinances and one board appointment to City Council with recommendations to approve.

The committee approved a motion to recommend appointment of Jared Loiban to the Economic Development Authority and voted to forward ordinances that would: create a Right to Counsel for Evictions program funded from the FY2025 general fund; accept National Opioid Settlement funds for abatement programs; accept and finance Virginia Resources Authority funds for lead water service-line replacement and inventory; accept a U.S. Department of Energy grant for home energy audits tied to a local workforce housing program; amend the city's vehicle lease agreement and capital projects to purchase chase vehicles for the Richmond Ambulance Authority; and authorize a performance grant to support a 400-unit affordable housing development at 2811 Ratti Street.

Votes at a glance (committee recommendations to forward to City Council):
- Appointment: Economic Development Authority vacancy — committee recommended appointing Jared Loiban (motion and second recorded; recommendation approved by voice votes).
- Ordinance 2025-001 — create Right to Counsel for Evictions Program; recommend approval (committee vote: Vice Chair Jones, Aye; Chair Robinson, Aye).
- Ordinance 2025-002 — accept National Opioid Settlement funds for abatement and remediation; recommend approval (committee vote: Vice Chair Jones, Aye; Chair Robinson, Aye).
- Ordinance 2025-003 — accept VRA funds to support private-side lead service-line replacement and inventory; recommend approval (committee vote recorded: Miss Lynch, Aye; Vice Chair Jones, Aye; Chair Robinson, Aye).
- Ordinance 2025-004 — execute VRA financing agreement (1% loan) for city-side lead service-line replacements; recommend approval (same roll call as 2025-003).
- Ordinance 2025-005 — accept U.S. Department of Energy funds and create special fund for an energy-efficiency program (recommend approval; committee voice vote recorded with unanimous Ayes noted).
- Ordinance 2025-006 and 2025-007 — amend ambulance vehicle lease and capital projects to provide chase vehicles for the Richmond Ambulance Authority (recommend approval; committee voice vote recorded with unanimous Ayes noted).
- Ordinance 2025-008 — authorize an affordable housing performance grant for 2811 Ratti LLC (2811 Ratti Street) to facilitate construction of 400 affordable units; recommend approval (committee voice vote recorded with unanimous Ayes noted).

The committee held public hearings where required and recorded no speakers for or against the items at those hearings. Several of the items discussed at length in committee will return to council with staff follow-up items and program details, including implementation timelines and equity prioritization for the lead service-line work and the Right to Counsel program.

The committee also received a departmental presentation that it described as an administrative update on a temporary 10-day grace period for tax, utility and fee payments tied to a recent state-of-emergency closure; the committee requested additional follow-up information from Finance on an outstanding organizational-chart update requested at an earlier meeting.

The items will be considered by full City Council in upcoming sessions; the committee text, public hearing status, and recorded votes were forwarded with recommendations to approve.