Friday, November 30, 2018

Councilman Agelasto to hold two Honorary Street Naming Designation Unveiling Ceremonies


Richmond City Council / News Release
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Friday, 30 November 2018

Councilman Agelasto to hold two Honorary Street Naming Designation Unveiling Ceremonies

Richmond Central 5th Voter District Community invited and encouraged to attend
         
WHAT          Richmond, Virginia  - The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, Richmond City Council, Richmond Central 5th Voter District, will hold two Honorary Street Naming Designation Unveiling Ceremonies in the Richmond Central 5th Voter District on Saturday, December 15, 2018.

                         Please find the following list of unveiling ceremony events, honorees, locations, and times:

1.    Name:      Mr. Percy J. Minor, Sr.
Date:        Saturday, December 15, 2018
Time:        10:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Location: Corner of Bainbridge Street and W. 25th Street

2.    Name:      Ms. Yvonne Spain
Date:        Saturday, December 15, 2018
Time:        10:45 - 11:15 a.m.
Location: Corner of Larne Avenue and Peyton Avenue



                          The honorary street naming designations are part of legislation recently established by Richmond City Council, which can be found on the Richmond City Council Legislative Website, at https://richmondva.legistar.com/Legislation.aspx.

                          These events are free and open to the public and the entire community is invited and encouraged to attend.

CONTACT   For more information, please contact: Amy Robins, Liaison for The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, at 804.646.5724 (tel), or amy.robins@richmondgov.com (email).


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Monday, November 19, 2018

A statement from The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto


Richmond City Council / News Release
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Monday, 19 November 2018

A statement from
The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto
Councilman, Richmond City Council
Richmond Central 5th Voter District

     "Since 2012 when I was first elected to represent the 5th District on Richmond City Council, I have had the greatest privilege to bring voice to the most diverse constituency in the city. It has truly been my honor to serve. We have celebrated our uniqueness and found common causes to fight for and against.  In the six years that I have served, spanning two different administrations, I have helped craft major improvements to our neighborhoods and positively impacted the lives of many individuals that call them home. We have seen crime and the number of blighted properties go down and funding for schools and enhanced public infrastructure go up.

     I think about the highs and lows of this time.  My first weekend after being sworn into office there was a homicide off Lawson Street. I remember the sadness I felt for the family as we stood at a candlelight vigil reflecting on the life that was gone. I remember the personal failure I felt in 2014 when learning that Traymont Burton had killed his 2-year old son, Keytrell Kelly, the mother of his son Michelle Kelly, and Michelle’s friend Adreena Gary in a triple murder / suicide. I had met Traymont on his block of E. Roanoke Street and talked at length about his future and exchanged emails following up on his job prospects. Sadly domestic violence remains a silent killer that cannot be easily apprehended.  Fortunately, we have the Carol Adams Foundation partnering with Riverview Baptist Church to help victims and work to combat this issue.

     To address the most murderous place in the 5th District, I have been part of a team that has met monthly for the past 6 years to go over crime reports from Midlothian Village, now known as The Belt Atlantic, and strategize on ways to improve safety and bring needed resources and opportunities to residents. I am proud that it appears the new owner is making good on their commitments to provide quality housing for some of the region’s lowest income earners and make it safer for them.

     I remember the night that I also comforted residents as they were evacuated from the burning Stonewall Place senior apartments operated by Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. I remember the marches with Senator Henry Marsh and then Lt. Governor Ralph Northam in support of the Equal Rights Amendment. I remember advancing legislation to provide benefits to city employees of same-sax marriages and to establish the Human Rights Commission. I remember our monthly community clean-ups that rotated to every neighborhood in the 5th District. We’ve evolved from bulk and brush collection in alleys and general litter pick up to now planting trees and covering graffiti. I remember scraping weeds out of the street gutters in Randolph and some of the elder residents stopping in the rain to thank me for working so hard at their doorstep.

     I remember of the hard votes on Richmond City Council, particularly related to budgets for schools and capital projects. Since 2012 when the City contributed $124 million to Richmond Public Schools annual operating budget, City Council has increased appropriations every year to now $169 million. That’s a growth of nearly $45 million. And while my proposed cigarette tax failed to be adopted and generate nearly $5 million annually in cash funding for school maintenance, I voted to increase the meals tax to invest in school construction.  I have also been a faithful participant of the Education Compact.

     I remember tightening the City’s tax abatement program to prevent abuse from developers. I remember working with communities on every Special Use Permit that came to City Council to ensure that the residents had a say at the beginning of the discussion. Even on by-right development, I convened meetings and presentations to inform the public. We have welcomed substantial development in the 5th District including the largest housing project in the City – the Gladdings Residence Hall with 1,500 beds. We have honored our past by creating five historic districts including the Carillon neighborhood to celebrate its role in the Civil Rights Movement in resisting redlining and fighting blockbusting. I remember working to establish the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust to help ensure housing affordability in perpetuity and working to have more than a dozen of the vacant RRHA scattered site properties in Randolph and Maymont rehabilitated and placed with the Trust. From Hull Street to Cary Street, our work to make the 5th District a desirable place to live and grow a business has attracted more than $250 million in investment over the past few years. What was once blighted, vacant properties are now alive with activity.

     “A Worker Not Just a Talker” was my first campaign slogan. I have committed myself 100% to serving the 5th District on Richmond City Council and continue to demonstrate the same determination and persistence that drove my ambition to collect 170 signatures from registered voters in the district with less than 48 hours before the initial filing deadline. With 14 civic associations, service on many Council committees and boards, such as Maymont, Richmond Region Tourism, Richmond Regional Planning District Commission, and Richmond Regional Transportation Planning Organization, it is easy to see my day filled with meetings and criss-crossing the city to reach stakeholders and to find solutions. My collaborative approach and efforts to reach “yes” and not simply respond “no” often have obtained better results for the City.

     In the past six years, I have also married and have begun to raise a family. My wife, Katherine, and I have a daughter Kate who will be 2 years old in December and we are expecting a son in March of next year. As someone said to me recently, we are going to be playing man-to-man coverage and can no longer rely on zone defense with two children. It is only right that I be more present to provide for my children in these formative early years. Every elected official or public servant knows that they sacrifice greatly and personally to fulfill their duties. I and my family are no different.  I thank Katherine for her support while I serve the 5th District on City Council. In order to be the best husband and father, however, we have decided that I will not seek reelection in 2020. 

     I also believe in term limits and allowing new voices to be heard and opportunities for new leaders to emerge.  I look forward to working with this next generation, whomever that may be, to advance the principles of the 5th District and to continue making our City great. I thank all of the many wonderful people at City Hall who have assisted us over these past six years in responding to constituent concerns and addressing them timely. I also thank Ida Jones and Amy Robins for their unwavering commitment to our office and all of the constituents of the 5th District. Much of the credit is shared with these women.

     I will continue to faithfully serve the 5th District and interests of our many stakeholders in making the City in the vision that we have for its future. I look forward to what’s to come over the next 2 years in completing my second term."
                                                                                                   

CONTACT
For more information, please contact:
The Honorable Parker C. Agelasto, Richmond City Council, Richmond Central 5th
Voter District, at 804.646.5724 (tel), or parker.agelasto@richmondgov.com (email).






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Friday, November 16, 2018

Councilwoman Larson to host a walking tour event with Mayor Stoney through Richmond's Stony Point Neighborhood in the Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District


Richmond City Council / News Release
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Friday, 16 November 2018


Councilwoman Larson to host a walking tour event with Mayor Stoney through Richmond's Stony Point Neighborhood in the Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District

All Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District residents invited to attend

WHAT          Richmond, Virginia U.S.A. – The Honorable Kristen Nye Larson, Richmond City Council, Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District, is hosting a walking tour event with The Honorable Levar M. Stoney, Mayor of Richmond, through Richmond's Stony Point Neighborhood area in the Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District.

                             This will be a two-part walking tour. The first half will include visiting area businesses and the second half will include a trail hike (unpaved) through Richmond's Lewis G. Larus Park, and visiting the water works and Richmond Department of Fire And Emergency Services, Fire Station 25, at 8800 W. Huguenot Road.

                             The second part of the tour will end at the Larus Park trailhead, located behind Fire Station 25, so please plan for additional time and transportation from there back to meet-up location, as needed.

                             All Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District residents are invited to attend and participate in either or both parts of the event, which is free. Attendees are encouraged to dress for seasonal outdoor weather and various ground surfaces accordingly. The one-way distance for the tour (both parts) is estimated at about one mile.

WHEN          Monday, November 19, 2018
                        1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
                                     
WHERE         Meet-up at Stony Point Shopping Center (Not Stony Point Fashion Park)
                        Meet in the "pedestrian plaza", located "between" the Gelati Celesti ice cream shop, at 3004 Stony Point Road - and the Southbound restaurant, at 3036 Stoney Point Road (Just off N. Huguenot Road).

CONTACT    For more information, please contact: Bryce H. Lyle, Liaison for The Honorable Kristen Nye Larson, Councilwoman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Southwest 4th Voter District, at 804.646.5646 (tel), or bryce.lyle@richmondgov.com (email).
                     
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Councilman Jones to distribute 1,000 Turkeys free of charge to Richmond residents at “The Thanksgiving Turkey Give-away”


Richmond City Council / News Release
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Friday, 16 November 2018

Councilman Jones to distribute 1,000 Turkeys free of charge to Richmond residents at “The Thanksgiving Turkey Give-away”

Event to distribute turkeys to preregistered individuals; not an open give-away
                                       

WHAT          (Richmond, Virginia) The Honorable Michael J. Jones, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond South Central 9th Voter District, will distribute 1,000 turkeys free of charge to Richmond residents at "The Thanksgiving Turkey Give-away" pick-up location for people who preregistered to receive them. All turkeys have been reserved. This is not an open give-away event.
                                                                                                   
WHEN         Saturday, November 17, 2018
                   Noon - 5:00 p.m.

WHERE        Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities
                   Richmond Southside Community Center
                   6255 Old Warwick Road; Richmond, Virginia

CONTACT   For more information, please contact: Summer Morris, Liaison for The Honorable Michael J. Jones, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond South Central 9th Voter District, at 804.646.2779 (tel), or summer.morris@richmondgov.com (email).



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Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Councilwoman Robertson to hold meeting for the Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District


Richmond City Council / News Release
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Wednesday, 14 November 2018

Councilwoman Robertson to hold meeting for the Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District

All Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District residents invited to attend

WHAT            Richmond, Virginia - The Honorable Ellen F. Robertson, Councilwoman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District, will hold a meeting for the Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District. The planned agenda and special guests for this meeting include:
                                                                                                                                    
Councilwoman Robertson’s Theme
“Downtown Economic Development”

Topics
·      North of Broad Street Development
·      VCU Master Plan
·      Meals Tax Update
·      Monroe Ward Rezoning Special Report

Agenda/Special Invited Guests
·     Mr. Jay Brown, Director
Richmond Department of Budget and Strategic Planning
                                    
·     Mr. Mark Olinger, Director
Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review

·     Representatives from NH District Corporation

WHEN          Saturday, November 17, 2018
                    10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

WHERE          Richmond Public Library
                      Main Branch
101 E. Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia
(Free parking available for the first 40 cars at the parking lot located at 2nd and Grace Streets.)
                                                           
CONTACT    For more information, please contact: Kiya Stokes, Liaison for The Honorable Ellen F. Robertson, Councilwoman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District, at 804.646.7964 (tel), or kiya.stokes@richmondgov.com (email)

                         Councilwoman Robertson holds individual meetings that include her goals and accomplishments; topical agendas; and, special guests. She invites all Richmond Gateway 6th Voter District residents to attend. Free refreshments are typically served.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Councilwoman Trammell to hold meeting for the Richmond Southside 8th Voter District


Richmond City Council / News Release
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Tuesday, 13 November 2018

Councilwoman Trammell to hold meeting for the Richmond Southside 8th Voter District

All Richmond Southside 8th Voter District residents invited to attend

WHAT            Richmond, Virginia - The Honorable Reva M. Trammell, Councilwoman, Richmond City Council, Richmond Southside 8th Voter District, will hold a meeting for the Richmond Southside 8th Voter District. The planned agenda and special guests for this meeting include:
                                                                                                                                    
AGENDA/SPECIAL GUESTS

·    The Honorable Edward F. Jewett
Supreme Court of Virginia - 13th Judicial Circuit of Virginia - Richmond Circuit Court

·     Mr. Randy Cooper, President/CEO
Richmond Heritage Federal Credit Union

·    Colonial Downs Project on Midlothian Turnpike
Mr. Aaron Gomes, COO, Colonial Downs Group

·     Richmond Police Department and Richmond Department of Fire and Emergency Services Personnel

WHEN          Thursday, November 15, 2018
                    6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

WHERE         Satellite Restaurant & Lounge
                    4000 Jefferson Davis Highway, Richmond, Virginia

CONTACT    For more information, please contact: Councilwoman Reva Trammell, at 804.240.5050 (mobile); or, 804.233.7382 (home), or via email at reva.trammell@richmondgov.com

                       Councilwoman Trammell holds individual meetings that include her goals and accomplishments; topical agendas; and, special guests. She invites all Richmond Southside 8th Voter District residents to attend. Free refreshments are typically served.

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Friday, November 2, 2018

Councilman Jones to hold meeting for the Richmond South Central 9th Voter District


Richmond City Council / News Release
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Friday, 2 November 2018

Councilman Jones to hold meeting for the Richmond South Central 9th Voter District
                                       
WHAT          Richmond, Virginia - The Honorable Michael J. Jones, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond South Central 9th Voter District, will hold a meeting for the Richmond South Central 9th Voter District. The planned agenda/special guests include:

Welcome and Update
                  The Honorable Michael J. Jones, Councilman, Richmond City Council,                        Richmond South Central 9th Voter District

                       Colonial Downs Project
                  Ms. Heidi Abbot, Counsel, Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP

           Special Use Permit at 5263 Warwick Road
        (Metropolitan African American Baptist Church)
           Mr. Will Shewmake, Partner, LeClair Ryan

           Broad Rock Sports Complex Update
           Staff, Richmond Department of Public Works

           Hull Street Gateway and Beautification Project
           Staff, Richmond Department of Public Works

           Richmond Public Schools: Update
        The Honorable Linda B. Owen, Trustee, Richmond Public Schools Board          of Trustees, Richmond South Central 9th Voter District

                  Proposed renaming of the Richmond Southside Community Center
                  The Honorable Michael J. Jones, Councilman, Richmond City Council,                        Richmond South Central 9th Voter District

           Neighborhood Watches and Civic Associations: Announcements
                                                                                                   
WHEN         Thursday, November 8, 2018
                       6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

WHERE        Richmond Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities
                  Richmond Southside Community Center
                       6255 Old Warwick Road; Richmond, Virginia

CONTACT   For more information, please contact: Summer Morris, Liaison for The Honorable Michael J. Jones, Councilman, Richmond City Council, Richmond South Central 9th Voter District, at 804.646.2779 (tel), or summer.morris@richmondgov.com (email).

                       Councilman Jones holds individual meetings that include his goals and accomplishments; topical agendas; and, special guests. He invites all Richmond South Central 9th Voter District residents to attend. Free refreshments are typically served.




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