CITY ADMINISTRATION
City officials decline to comment, citing the potentially criminal nature of what they’ve called “new” allegations…. styleweekly.com
….Preservationists are girding themselves for another fight over the site….residents have reported seeing the project’s developers and Peter Chapman, the city’s deputy chief administrative officer for economic development, meeting in Libby Hill Park…. styleweekly.com
Richmond’s city administration is reviewing nearly $1 million spent in the past three years for repairs to the city’s troubled juvenile detention center…Committee also delayed action on a measure that would give council members more authority over contracts and change orders…”very strong opposition” to the proposal from businesses…council members have no idea how much money is being spent on change orders… timesdispatch.com
Works of art by dozens of local children that have lined the median along Monument Avenue since last week will have to come down by Monday after Richmond city officials determined the permit for the display was issued in error…. timesdispatch.com
….Richmond authorities now agree with Chesterfield police that the Oct. 18 slaying occurred just inside the city, near the Chesterfield line…..But Richmond police said they are not raising their 2011 tally of homicides. That is because authorities have subtracted another killing — the stabbing of Ramoan Cody Tolliver — and reclassified it as a case of self-defense….Barry and Richmond police Maj. Steve Drew said the decision to add one homicide to the books and subtract another was an unrelated coincidence…. timesdispatch.com
Why wait months to agree with Chesterfield?
March 15, 2012
VIA EMAIL TO: Bruce.Tyler@Richmondgov.com
The Honorable Bruce Tyler
City Council
City of Richmond
900 E. Broad St., Suite 200
Richmond, VA 23219 USARe: 2nd Street Connector Information
Dear Honorable Council Member,
The proposed 2nd Street connector would cause a major change in the character of the area. I think it is very important to fully understand the proposal and the various factors involved.
As you know, the administration has not been transparent in this matter. Economic Development even tried to charge me for copies of the documents discuss with city council.
Therefore, I request that you help insure that citizens have all the facts. Will you please provide or obtain answers to the following for the public and me:
1. Has an elevation rendering of the proposed crossing of the historic canal been presented to council?
2. Has a perspective rendering of the proposed connector been presented to council?
3. What is the acreage of the land that is proposed to be conveyed to the city west of the connector?
4. Why does the Planning Commission letter state that the area on both sides of the connector will be privately owned?
5. Why is there a proposed parcel boundary down the middle of the historic canal?
6. What is the acreage of the land that the city is providing for stormwater detention.
7. Does the stormwater detention facility essentially block access of city land to Tredegar Street?
8. Does the parking area connect to Tredegar Street or the connector?
9. How many parking spaces are gained or lost?
10. Does the city have the right to require that the connector be put on the Tredegar Ironworks parcel under alternative B-3 of the 1995 agreement?
11. Does alternative B-3 provide better topography to cross the historic canal and provide more clearance for boats.
12. Why was the connector project assigned to Development rather than Planning?
13. Has Planning been prohibited from commenting to citizens about the connector?
14. Has the planning director issued an analysis of the pros and cons of a connector?
15. Has the city traffic engineer issued a report on the connector?
16. Who prepared the traffic analysis report?
17. Has part of the traffic analysis report been redacted?
18. Is it correct that the connector is not shown on the Downtown Master Plan?
19. What elements of the connector are not consistent with the Downtown Plan and UDC Guidelines.
20. Why were the trees cut down after the Planning Commission reviewed the connector concept plan?
21. What happens if the city requires clearance over the historic canal and refuses to pay the cost?
I believe the following is correct:
22. Road construction grading will cut into the profile of the historic canal.23. The stormwater detention facility will cut into the profile of the historic canal.
24. Water flowed in the historic canal until about 1970.
25. Slave labor was used to construct the historic canal.
26. An 1880 bridge was built over the unused canal in a traditional arched style.
27. The historic canal is on the National Register of Historic Places.
28. The top executive at Dominion Resources received total compensation of $16.9 million in 2010.
I have attached copies of the documents that the Jones Administration attempted to charge me to have.
Thank you for your attention,
Copy: Council, Liaisons, Press
1 Attached file| 9.3M
BB&T has withdrawn its interest in a $500,000 economic development grant the City Council was set to vote on later this month…. timesdispatch.comtimesdispatch.com
Councilors Robertson and Tyler vote to approve grant. cityhallreview.com
Is it correct that “the city offered the company a $500,000 grant”? cityhallreview.com
To: City Council
Sent: Friday, March 16, 2012 4:05 AM
Subject: Council – Ordinance 2012-25 – City grant to BB&TDear Honorable Councilors,
Is it correct that “the city offered the company a $500,000 grant”? People in the administration and the company discussed the idea of a grant and prepared a proposed agreement. By the terms of the agreement, it is contingent on city council approval: “f. Effective Date of the Agreement. The effective date of this Agreement shall be the date upon which it has been fully executed by the parties following approval by City Council”.
The company knew it did not have a grant agreement. The company stayed anyway.
After the fact, the administration and the company submitted an unsigned agreement to council for consideration.
Isn’t the proper response obvious? Just say “no”.
Sincerely yours,
While well-intentioned, the Sunshine Review evaluation is simplistic and misleading. First, the evaluation is limited to website content, puts form over substance and gives credit regardless of the quality of content. Second, it does not evaluate the transparency of the political process. All cities should maintain the top rating in the Sunshine Review.
Example: The Sunshine Review cites Anderson County, South Carolina, as a model in the “Meetings” category which includes a recommendation that minutes should be posted on-line . Anderson County minutes contain a verbatim transcript of the meeting. The City of Richmond minutes usually omit all councilor comments on matters deliberated.
….Chesterfield County, the city of Richmond and Richmond Public Schools were honored with Sunny Awards by the Alexandria-based Sunshine Review, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to government transparency…. timesdispatch.com
Richmond region homicides in 2011
Locality-by-locality details of homicides in 2011.
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Richmond not counting as homicides two bodies found in New York
…Police have said they believe the couple arrived at some point at Town & Country Apartments in South Richmond….Inside an apartment at the complex, police found red stains, a stun gun, a roll of duct tape and a bleach bottle….The two bodies were found March 9 in the trunk of the missing rental car in Brooklyn….
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Richmond, Chesterfield can’t agree on who should count homicide victim
….Chesterfield police discovered that Ambrister’s remains were actually on Richmond’s side of the line….[Richmond Maj. Steve Drew]: “we just need to sit down with Chesterfield and have a conversation. At the end of the day, if (the location is in) the city, it’s in the city.”
[What is there to discuss? CHR]
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Richmond-region homicides dip in 2011
….news that homicides are declining holds true in most areas nationwide….younger generation is shrinking due to the aging of the population, and older people are less likely to be offenders or victims of violent crime….
Microsoft app meant to detect bad neighborhoods
….route can be developed for a person taking into account factors that specifically affect a pedestrian….stereotypical thought,” says [councilor E. Martin Jewell]….
STEREOTYPE: a standardized mental picture that is held in common by members of a group and that represents an oversimplified opinion, prejudiced attitude, or uncritical judgment.
[Doesn't this fit councilor Jewell?]
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Mom: Son told to ‘drink own spit’ at Richmond Juvenile Detention Center
….staff member told her son to drink his own spit after the boy asked if he could have a drink of water….her son tried to commit suicide – and that she only found out about the incident via a court document….NAACP first blew the whistle on the problems….Why did it have to be brought to our attention by the NAACP?” said [councilor Kathy C. Graziano]….
[How could councilor Graziano not know?]
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School bus lawsuit filed in Richmond
….4-year-old autistic boy has filed a lawsuit alleging that negligence by Richmond school employees allowed her child to be left on a bus in sweltering heat….employees were and continue to be insufficiently trained….seeks $500,000….
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Richmond Police not enforcing noise ordinance
….residents often are awakened after midnight by the incessant pounding….racket disturbs residents of Richmond all over downtown….dozens of complaints….Richmond Police Department and Richmond City Council have really failed….