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Category Archives: government
Street Cleaning This Week
Look for the signs!
Robbery In Monroe Park Raises Concerns
From VCU Alert:
On July 19th, at 01:52 hours, a robbery was reported to the Richmond and VCU Police Departments as having occurred in Monroe Park.
Brief description of how the crime took place: The victim was in Monroe Park playing “Pokemon Go” with a friend when approached by two men. A brief conversation ensued which ended in one of the men grabbing the cell phone from the victim and fleeing eastbound on Main Street. The Richmond Police Department is classifying the crime as a Grand Larceny.
Suspects:
Suspect #1: Dark-skinned male, approximately 6’ tall, wearing a blue shirt, blue pants and a white bandana with a stripe on it.
Suspect #2: Dark-skinned male, approximately 6’ tall, wearing a dark-colored shirt.
Cherry Street neighbor Todd Woodson fired more questions towards City leadership and the Monroe Park Conservancy about broken lighting, police presence, and overall liability for the park. He again asked for an update from the Conservancy on the state of their fundraising for renovation.
In addition, requests have been made from this community news site to 2nd District City Council candidates for statements about their thoughts on Monroe Park and what they would do if elected to Council.
Another Editorial From Goldman On Utility Reform
Paul Goldman has yet another Washington Post editorial that follows up on the long-running water utility reform campaign by neighborhood residents. In this one, he gets down to numbers and compares to food tax.
From editorial:
The food tax bill is now about $80 dollars a year for the average low-income family – and it’s still considered too high by such groups as the NAACP and Democratic liberals. We agree.
But in Richmond, the average poor family is paying $150 to $200 a year for regressive, non-existent taxes embedded within their utility bills.
City leaders, aware of these facts, refuse to take action.
…
Based on Richmond’s new budget, DPU will likely collect between about $30 million of such revenue. Of that, roughly $7 million will be fleeced from the poor.
And again, the real question is how will Council and Mayoral candidates acknowledge and confront this and other financial issues?
Brick Sidewalk Work Celebrated
Many neighbors along S. Laurel Street are very excited and appreciative about the brick sidewalk work that is being done.
Neighbor Kathy Talley had this to day:
I am especially pleased at how the handicapped accessible corners were done at Laurel and Spring: as much brick as possible was preserved. It is a huge improvement over what was done at Pine and Spring a couple of years ago: just using all concrete. The new method should become the city standard.
Still to be done:
(I think we can cross off #7 off the old list.)
Fire Safety Bulletin
Fire Marshall Creasy shared a timely safety bulletin:
Monroe Park Concerns Continue
From neighbor Todd Woodson:
Ive just been informed there is a “site redesign” from the Monroe Park master plan. It is a substructure in front of the Altria theatre to accomodate the tent that goes up on occasion for corporate events. Ive seen nothing in the planning commission schedule about a hearing and believe it may be an end run. My understanding also is that VCU will be more involved in the day to day management of the park than the conservancy. VCU advocated about ten years ago for cutting down most of the old growth trees in the park. I dont like where all of this is heading and I say the park belongs to the people.
Washington Post: Richmond is ripping off its residents
Thankfully, Norman Leahy and Paul Goldman pick up on Oregon Hill residents’ long-running campaign for utility reform.
Will we see responses from Mayoral candidates?
From their Washington Post column:
The government in Virginia’s capital, Richmond, has a dirty little secret: It uses a little-known city charter provision to rip off poor residents by adding a phony, non-existent “tax” — including a bogus federal “tax” charge — to their water and certain other utility bills.
Over the years, this unconscionable rip-off has totaled many hundreds of millions of dollars. It stems from a Jim Crow-era state law added to Richmond’s charter at the request of city leaders.
Richmond BikeShare ‘B’ Coming To Oregon Hill?
From Times Dispatch article:
Trimmed in yellow and black, with a honeycomb motif, the bike unveiled Wednesday at a news conference by Dotson, Mayor Dwight C. Jones and Jakob Helmboldt, the city’s pedestrian, bicycle and trails coordinator, will be among 220 installed at up to 22 docking stations, called hives, starting this fall.
Bike-share systems allow users to check out a bike from one location and return it elsewhere for a fee, filling gaps between trips that are too far to walk but too short for driving, as well as to extend the reach for public transit.
“What we want the B to do is to be used by everyday people for everyday things,” the mayor said. “We want people to use it for working, playing and just an alternative transportation opportunity. … Biking’s just fun, so we encourage all of our citizens to become a part of the biking community and use the B.”
Today, the city’s Urban Design Committee takes up the proposed location and design of the first phase of stations, which will be concentrated in the central business district, Carver, Jackson Ward and the Fan District, with other stations in Carytown, Scott’s Addition and Oregon Hill.
5th District Meeting This Wednesday
From announcement:
IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO BE FORWARDED AND SHARED
Wednesday, 25 May 2016Councilman Parker C. Agelasto to hold a meeting for the Richmond Central 5th Voter District
All Richmond Central 5th Voter District residents invited and encouraged to attend
WHAT (Richmond, Virginia U.S.A.) – The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Central 5th Voter District, will hold a meeting for the Richmond Central 5th Voter District. Councilman Agelasto typically holds individual meetings for the Richmond Central 5th Voter District every other month throughout the year that include information on his goals and accomplishments; a topical agenda; and, special guests. These meetings are free and open to the public and all Richmond Central 5th Voter District residents are invited and encouraged to attend. The planned agenda for this meeting includes:
· ”Avoiding Scams & Fraud”
Mr. Tom Veazey, Senior Fraud Specialist
Better Business Bureau – Central Virginia· “Zika Virus: What You Should Know”
Ms. Dena Cherry-Brown, Public Health Advisor
Virginia Health Department – Richmond City Health District OfficeWHEN Wednesday, June 1, 2016
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.WHERE Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities
Randolph Community Center
1415 Grayland Avenue
Richmond, VirginiaWHO The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Central 5th Voter District
CONTACT The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Central 5th Voter District, at 804.646.6050 (tel), or parker.agelasto@richmondgov.com (email)