Mayor Seeks Community Input on Selection of Next Richmond Police Chief

Mayor Levar M. Stoney today announced a plan to engage Richmond residents in the process of seeking a permanent replacement to succeed retired Richmond Police Department Chief Alfred Durham.

“Community engagement is one of the core functions of effective policing in our city,” said Mayor Stoney. “So it only makes sense that as I go about the business of finding a permanent replacement for Chief Durham, my administration seeks residents’ opinions and perspective on what they’re looking for in their next chief. We are going to conduct a national search, but we are going to listen to our residents and prioritize the input we receive in the community.”

The five-week public engagement period will commence with a series of public forums and community meetings sponsored by the City’s Department of Human Resources, as well as an online survey for residents to complete.

The meetings, which will be held throughout the city in each of its four police precinct communities are scheduled as follows:

Community Town Halls

February 6

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Southside Community Services Center
4100 Hull Street Rd. (2^nd Precinct)

February 11

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Richmond Police Department Training Academy
1202 W. Graham Rd.

(4^th Precinct)

February 13

11 a.m. to noon

Sarah Jones Garland Center

2600 Nine Mile Rd.

(1^st Precinct)

February 21

1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

First Baptist Church

2709 Monument Ave.

(3^rd Precinct)

  

The survey can be found here, at richmondgov.com in the City News section.

The engagement is believed to be the first time in recent city history that feedback from the community has been formally solicited by a mayor as part of the hiring process for a new police chief. The city will conduct a national search.

Below is an approximate timetable for the hiring process:

February - March – Community engagement

March 10 - April 6 – Online application posted to richmondgov.com/HumanResources

April – Review and pre-screening of applications by City Dept. of Human Resources

May – Interviews of qualified applicants; selection of finalists to be interviewed by Mayor and CAO

June – Offer extended to top finalist; selection announced by Mayor

“Chief of Police is one of the most important jobs in any city government, requiring skills that go well beyond policing itself,” said Mayor Stoney. “I’m confident that this inclusive process will help us select not just a highly qualified law enforcement professional, but also the right chief for Richmond moving forward.”

Richmond Wins U.S. Conference of Mayors National Award and Grant

"Mayor Stoney accepts award that grants Greater Richmond Fit4Kids $120,000 for “Eat Smart, Move More RVA”  

Click here to see the video.

On Thursday, January 24, the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) announced Richmond as the 20191st place medium-sized city winner in the Childhood Obesity Prevention program, sponsored by the American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America. Mayor Levar Stoney, in partnership with the non-profit Greater Richmond Fit4Kids, received the award at the USCM annual conference.

“A healthy body fuels a healthy mind, which is why I want all kids in Richmond to eat smart and move more,” said Mayor Levar M. Stoney. “Heart disease runs in my family, so this is personal to me. The unique programming Fit4Kids delivers to students sets the standard for wellness and we’re proud to partner with them.”

“We believe that active, well-nourished children learn more at school and have greater self-esteem,” said Mary Dunne, CEO of Fit4Kids. “Eat Smart Move more is about building brighter futures for kids. And Fit4Kids is honored to partner with Mayor Stoney to have a positive impact on thousands of Richmond children.”

The $120,000 grant awarded to Greater Richmond Fit4Kids will be used to support “Eat Smart, Move More RVA,” an initiative to raise the profile of physical activity and healthy eating for students in Richmond. Specifically, the program will encourage students to:

    •    Eat smart in the cafeteria with the Mayor’s Fruit and Veggie Challenge where more than 35,000 fruit and veggie samples will be distributed during one week in Fall 2019.
    •    Eat smart in the Learning Gardens: More than 500 students will get their hands dirty in the Fit4Kids Learning Gardens where they will plant, nurture, harvest and taste fresh vegetables.
    •    Move more with the Mayor's Cup and Kids Run RVA (led by Sports Backers): Hundreds of Richmond students will participate in Kids Run RVA Clubs and receive complimentary entry to the Virginia529 Kids Run one-mile race. The school with the highest percentage of students participating in the race will be awarded a large trophy (the "Mayor's Cup") and a pep rally with Mayor Stoney.
    •    Move more during recess: All 22 Title I Richmond Elementary Schools will be provided with recess kits to promote physical activity
    •    Move more in the classroom: Fit4Kids successful Wellness Integration program will serve Chimborazo Elementary School for the 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years reaching 400 students.

Background:

Greater Richmond Fit4Kids is a regional non-profit that improves children’s health and wellness through physical activity and healthy eating Fit4Kids has received awards including: 2017 Partner of the Year from Chesterfield County Public Schools and the Active RVA Changemaker Award in 2015. Launched in 2010 as the first regional organization focused exclusively on preventing childhood obesity, Fit4Kids began school-based programming in 2012 at five elementary schools. Since then, Fit4Kids has expanded to serve 43 local schools and reaches 10,000 students annually. For more information, visit grfit4kids.org

For more information on Fit4Kids, contact Mary Dunne Stewart, CEO (804) 307-9161 or mary@grfit4kids.org.

Statement of Mayor Levar M. Stoney on election of Dr. Cynthia Newbille as Richmond City Council President and Councilman Chris Hilbert as Vice President

I congratulate Dr. Cynthia Newbille on her election to Richmond City Council President. Dr. Newbille’s years of experience, steady hand and dedicated, compassionate public service will provide the thoughtful, progressive leadership necessary to meet the challenges facing our city and keep it moving forward in an efficient and positive direction.

On behalf of the City of Richmond, I would also like to thank Councilman Chris Hilbert for his tireless efforts over the last two years of service as council president. Councilman Hilbert’s leadership on important issues such as the biennial budget and our $150 million investment in new school facilities last year underscore his unwavering commitment to this great city.

My administration looks forward to working with President Newbille, Vice President Hilbert and all members of council over the next two years in our ongoing efforts to build and maintain One Richmond – an inclusive and competitive city that delivers the brighter future our residents and our children deserve.

2018 Accomplishments

Dear Richmonders,

I am writing to welcome you back from what I hope was a safe and joyous holiday season, and to share my reflections on another great year in the City of Richmond.

We have made significant progress in public education, community engagement, housing, economic empowerment, transportation, public safety, and service delivery. I am thrilled about everything we accomplished in 2018 and will continue to build upon in 2019.

Below are just a few of the things we achieved by working together over the last year:

2018 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Worked with partners to ensure that, by 2020, all elementary and middle school students have access to high-quality after school programming
• Raised $150 million to break ground on three new public schools that will open in Fall 2020
• Submitted a Capital Funding Plan to City Council, which provides $800 million over 20 years for RPS capital projects
• Launched RVA311 and created the Office of Citizen Service & Response to better meet residents’ needs
• Repaired over 25,000 potholes, 1,300+ alleys and 1,500+ sidewalk trip hazards; repaved 80+ miles of road; and, opened the Franklin Street bike lanes
• Reopened the 17th Street Farmers’ Market and Monroe Park
• Received highest Municipal Equality Index score card in VA and named a MEI All-Star for being a city boldly leading the way toward LGBTQ equality by the Human Rights Campaign
• Announced an agreement in principle to redevelop the Navy Hill neighborhood which, if approved, will provide nearly 700 units of affordable housing, $300 million in minority contracts, and 21,000 jobs
• Broke ground on affordable housing developments in Jackson Ward and Church Hill, and secured a commitment for public housing in Manchester
• Partnered with GRTC to provide free bus passes to all RPS high schoolers and provide free rides on Election Day and New Year’s Eve
• Launched the BRT/Pulse, which has nearly doubled ridership projections
• Extended operating hours of five community centers
• Conducted extensive community outreach for the Richmond300 Masterplan
• Successfully completed the work of the Monument Avenue Commission and created the city’s first History and Culture Commission to implement recommendations and devise a citywide strategy for managing historical and cultural assets, including Shockoe Bottom
• Proclaimed August 25-31 as Black Breastfeeding Week in the city
• Established an extended family and paid parental leave policy for city employees of up to eight weeks
• Led the March for More on December 8 to demand additional state funding for public schools, securing the largest increase ever in the Governor’s budget

As you may also know, people outside of our city have taken notice. In 2018, Richmond was named:

• A top 10 U.S. travel destination for 2018 – Lonely Planet
• One of the 10 coolest U.S. cities to visit in 2018 – Forbes
• One of Trip Advisor’s Top Destinations on the Rise
• One of the “hippest cities in the U.S. everyone under 30 want to move to” – Business Insider
• One of 18 cities that must be seen in 2018 – Expedia
• #34 of Bicycling Magazine’s top 50 best bike cities in US

Thanks to our hard work and collaboration in 2018, this year we will play host to the Diversity Sports Jubilee, and looking ahead to 2020, we will host the Menuhin International Violin Competition.

None of this would have been possible without your support and engagement -- and the time, talent, and ideas you offered as Richmond continues to grow into an even more inclusive, diverse, and welcoming city. I could not do my job without learning and hearing from you, the heart of our city. We also owe a huge thank you to the 4,000 hardworking members of our city workforce – those who do the work that keeps our city running and helps turn our vision into a reality.

I look forward to continuing to work alongside all of you in 2019. We still have much work to do, but together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.  I am excited about the opportunities ahead for our city. Please accept my wishes for a happy, healthy, safe and successful year ahead, and let’s make it happen in 2019!

Sincerely,

Mayor Levar M. Stoney

Smith Appointed Interim Chief of Police for RPD

The administration of Mayor Levar M. Stoney today appointed current Richmond Police Department Acting Chief William C. Smith to serve as Interim Chief of Police following the retirement of Chief Alfred Durham on Dec. 31.

Smith, 50, began his law enforcement career with RPD in 1995 and has risen through the ranks of the department over a 23-year career. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1998, lieutenant in 2003, captain in 2007 and major in 2016. Smith was recently promoted to Deputy Chief and then designated as Acting Chief of Department by Chief Durham.

“Chief Smith is an experienced law enforcement professional who brings a sense of duty and an analytical approach to his work,” said Mayor Stoney. “He understands the unique demands and responsibilities of this important job, and I have confidence in his ability to manage the Richmond Police Department during this transition period.”

Chief Smith will run the department until a permanent chief of police is selected. Prior to his most recent promotion, Chief Smith served as Chief of Staff for the Richmond Police Department (2017), ran Business Services (2016-2017), and the Special Operations Division (2011-2016). He also commanded the Third Precinct (2009-2011) and supervised the Division of Emergency Communications (2007-09).

Chief Smith holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership School at the University of Richmond, as well as the Senior Management Institute for Police in Boston.

“I’m grateful to Mayor Stoney and Chief Administrative Officer Selena Cuffee-Glenn for this opportunity to lead,” said Chief Smith. “I look forward to continuing the important work of the Richmond Police Department as a community policing organization.”

Mayor Stoney Presents Plan to Fully Fund Richmond Public School Facilities Plan

Mayor Levar M. Stoney announced today he will submit to city council a plan that fully funds the Richmond Public Schools $800 million capital plan over the next 20 years.

The mayor’s plan constitutes the city’s response to the requirements of a 2017 voter-approved charter change referendum passed by the Virginia General Assembly earlier this year, which set a December 31 deadline for the administration to either present a school facilities plan that does not raise taxes or declare that it was not achievable.

The mayor’s school funding plan:

·  

• Successfully provides $800 million of school capital investment over 20 years;
• Does not rely on any real estate tax increase;
• Includes $150 million of school capital investment funding based on the recently enacted 1.5% meals tax that is dedicated to Schools;
• Allows for full compliance with all of the city’s existing Debt Policy Guidelines;
• Provides significant capital funding for general non-school projects over the same 20-year time frame;
• Relies on 2% growth in the city’s debt service budget commencing in FY 2024, a rate that is below that of historic inflation and is a fraction of the city’s recent growth in taxable real estate assessed valuation.

“Starting with our $150 million investment in school facilities earlier this year, I’m proud that we were able to identify a path to fund the remaining capital plan for RPS, so we can get as many kids as possible into 21st Century schools as soon as possible,” said Mayor Stoney.

The School Capital Funding Plan would provide $150 million in the first five years, $200 million in the following five years, $212.2 million in the next five years, and $237.8 million in the following five years after that, totaling $800 million for school capital investments over 20 years.

“While education is our number one priority, this plan does not abandon our neighborhoods and streets,” the mayor continued. “There remains sufficient debt capacity to tackle other infrastructure needs and other capital improvements over the next 20 years.”

“Make no mistake, this plan is a floor, not a ceiling for what we must do for our schools. “There is still much work to be done to change the outcomes for our kids inside the classroom,” Mayor Stoney continued. “On the state level, localities across the Commonwealth, like Richmond, need General Assembly lawmakers to step up and fund the true cost of public education. And locally we must continue to grow our economy and our revenues to accelerate and expand funding of our priorities.”

The Mayor’s plan does not rely on the proposed Navy Hill Development for any of its debt capacity or funding. But an analysis of the school funding plan by the city’s financial advisors, Davenport & Company, concludes that were the project to be undertaken, significant revenue producing growth downtown could accelerate the funding plan by as many as five years – resulting in savings in reduced debt service costs.

Details of Mayor Stoney’s school facilities funding plan are outlined in a memorandum by the Department of Planning and Budget and the Davenport analysis, which can be found below.

Memorandum
Davenport Analysis

A resolution was submitted to city council today for introduction on January 14^th.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney Statement on Governor Northam's Proposed New Investments in K-12 Education

Just three days after students, families, education advocates and elected leaders from across the commonwealth marched to the Virginia Capitol to demand more funding for K-12 public education, Governor Ralph Northam announced over $278 million in new education investments, including raising teacher pay, and increased funding for Virginia’s At-Risk Add-On and Supplemental Lottery Per Pupil Allocation.

“I’m glad to see Governor Northam is listening to the concerns of students, families and localities across Virginia demanding more state funding for education,” said Mayor Levar Stoney. “This is a significant step toward getting our students and teachers the support they need and deserve, but we still have more work to do. We need to make our voices heard in January to protect these investments and continue fighting for our students. More money means better schools and stronger students.”

Click here to read Governor Northam’s announcement