Having trouble viewing this email? Click here to view in a browser

Councilor Andreas Addison

Andreas.addison@rva.gov

Whitney Brown, Council Liaison

804-646-5935

whitney.brown@rva.gov

September 15, 2022 Newsletter 

Hello First District! We hope that September is going well. We have exciting news to share in the First District. Please be on the lookout soon for our new way of sharing big ideas, council decisions, perspectives on issues, and priorities. More to come!

In this newsletter, we provide updates on the following: 

• Tax Assessments
• Public Safety and Crime
• Diamond District Update
• Monument Avenue -- Lee Circle Redesign Update 
• First District Town Hall -- October 4th, 2022
• Participatory Budgeting Steering Commission
• DPW Street Paving 
• Upcoming Events
• Back to School Reminders
• Monkeypox
• Affordable Connectivity Program 
• Safety Tip of the Month
• RVA 311
• Community links, events, and more

Tax Year 2023 Reassessment Notices were mailed on Thursday, September 1, 2022, and anticipate that residents should have received these by now. If you have questions regarding the assessment, please contact the City Assessor Front Desk at (804)646-7500 for assistance. If, after discussion with the area appraiser, you believe that a formal review is warranted, please follow these steps. 

We have received many concerns around this year's assessments and have included this assessment methodology document for residents to better understand how property is assessed. Many of you have already shared your concern about the inflationary impact on homeowners and residents. This is a complex situation, and the best solution needs to be elevated as a discussion for council. We must work to decrease the financial burden on our residents. 

Earlier this year, our office proposed and was supported in funding a study of the Land Value Tax opportunity for Richmond. Here is a video about Land Value Tax by Strong Towns. This option also protects homeowners from encroaching developments and nearby home sales above market value because the property is only taxed by its land value, not home/improvement value. This would allow for a more stable tax environment. This would be a complete overhaul and reform of our real estate tax structure. This study has been delayed and we are advocating for it to be fast-tracked to be started ASAP. We are exploring a real estate tax rebate funded through our FY2022 Budget Surplus based upon last years approved budget. I am interested in capping or limiting the amount real estate assessments can be increased per year to 5%. As Chair of Virginia First Cities, I will bring this topic forward as a priority to improve flexibility by our cities to have better control over our real estate taxes and assessments, which is currently limited. 

We have a proposal on the table to lower the tax rate. I am concerned that the solution of only lowering the rate will not address the underlying problem in how we calculate our taxes and how an inflated housing market is currently driving this problem. City Council must create a revenue strategy that commits to a long-term plan to address the rising burden of inflation, home values, and other financial costs we are placing on our residents. I shared this view with CBS6 late last week. 

We will have more info to come! 

Over the last several months, we have shared concerns about the safety in our city. There have been frequent complaints about cars being rummaged through, catalytic converter thefts, speeding, and other issues. We have fielded many complaints and worked with 3rd Precinct leadership to have them responded to and addressed as best as possible. RPD is short-staffed by at least 100 officers. This creates a triage of priorities and speed enforcement becomes limited due to staff availability. We have been struggling with attrition, retirement, and poor interest in a career in law enforcement in the job market. Over the last two years, City Council has approved and funded competitive pay for our officers, supporting step increases across the department, and improving benefits. Still, we remain short-staffed and lose officers by the day. We are in a difficult situation when you add this to the rising crime statistics for 2022.

Our police officers are an incredible team of people fighting for our safety and are committed to keeping us safe. Contact 911 when you see something or hear something that is cause for concern. RPD will respond and take care of the situation. They are on rounds across the First District and city. However, the recent increase in opportunity crimes such as rummaging through cars requires our assistance. Lock your cars. Lock your garages. Lock your homes. The less opportunity criminals have in being able to easily access and steal items, the quicker they will move on to another area. 

Lastly, Dogwood Dell and the July Fourth incident. I have learned the details about this situation the same way you have, from the press. Council had a closed session meeting with the Police Chief, but was left with more questions than answers. I am not pleased with how this entire process played out and am disappointed in the details of the alleged incident. 

If you want to learn more, please attend the Community Conversation for the Third Precinct on THURSDAY Sept. 15th at First Baptist Church at 2709 Monument Ave starting at 6:30pm. 

We are a big step forward in keeping the Flying Squirrels in Richmond with the announcement of the finalist for developing the new baseball stadium surrounded by an incredible mixed-use development. This is an incredible development project that will create a new dynamic neighborhood that includes housing, affordable housing, home ownership opportunities, retail, a hotel, and a new park. For more information, check out the GRP Article 

There has been a newly released plan for the Lee Circle redesign. This plan includes trees and perennials along with some walking paths. For more information, check out the RTD Article. This has been labeled as temporary. However, from conversations with 2nd District Councilwoman Katherin Jordan, there needs to be more community engagement and input into this plan. As presented, this does not provide much community engagement. Over the years, this circle has been a place for residents to gather, throw frisbees and footballs, or have a picnic. This new plan removes the openness the circle possesses that created the meeting place that it has been. There will be several steps for consideration by Committees and Council and I hope to see more community conversations as well. 

Meeting ID: 846 5705 9991

Meeting Passcode: 182355

If there are specific questions that you want to be addressed or perspectives of mine you would like me to share, please fill out this form. 

On February 8, 2021, City Council adopted Ord. No. 2020-256, which established the Participatory Budgeting Steering Commission to formulate the standards and procedures applicable to the purpose of making recommendations to the Council, the Mayor, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Department of Budget and Strategic Planning for the implementation of participatory budgeting for select City capital projects. This has been a project Councilor Nye and I have worked on for a while, and we are happy to see it moving forward. We would love for you to be a part of this process. The Commission currently has two vacancies: 

• A person with a disability (1 vacancy)
• A resident of Public Housing (1 vacancy)

Should you meet the criteria, please visit this website and submit your application to the Office of the City Clerk.

I am excited to announce that the commission will begin meeting this month, so if you are interested in learning more about Participatory Budgeting or joining the board, please reach out to our office or view the boards and commissions calendar for upcoming meetings. 

The City of Richmond’s Department of Public Works (DPW) is now making Pavement Condition Index Ratings (the PCI Rating) of every street within the city limits available to the public.

The interactive map will be updated as paving projects are completed. The PCI Rating is one of several tools the City of Richmond now uses to prioritize and track its paving program and other infrastructure work. Each year DPW implements its paving program, which runs from April thru November. Visit here for the FY 2023 schedule. 

Events in the First District and beyond...

Thursday, September 15th, 2022, 6:30 pm - Community Conversations with RPD Chief

Location: First Baptist Church (2709 Monument Avenue)

The Richmond City Police Department and Chief Gerald Smith will be hosting a series of community conversations in an effort to continue the need to reconnect and reset with our Richmond Community. You can view all dates and locations here.   

Saturday, September 17th, 2022, 12-4:00 pm - James River Park System turns 50

Location: Belle Isle

The James River Park System turns 50!

The "Friends of James River Park" is excited to celebrate 50 years of the James River Park System! They are throwing a party on Belle Isle on September 17th, and you’re invited. Visit here for details. 

Sunday, September 25th, 2022, 12-4:00 pm - Party on the Avenues

Location: On Libbie between Patterson and Guthrie 

Party on the Avenues is an annual festival celebrating all the great shopping, food, and charm of the Westhampton neighborhood. The event is in the heart of Westhampton on Libbie Avenue from Patterson to Guthrie. Great food, local vendors & fun, family-friendly entertainment round out an amazing afternoon on the Avenues. 

Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, 1 pm-4 pm

Location: Southside Community Center (6225 Warwick Road)

The City of Richmond Office of Aging and Disability Services will be hosting a Law Day clinic that will help those eligible to receive free legal documents (last will and testament, financial power of attorney, and advanced medical directive). These documents will be prepared by pro bono attorney volunteers. Find more info about eligibility and requirements here. 

The 2022-23 school calendar was updated several months ago based on feedback from our community. Please take a look and plan your year accordingly!

Remind Messaging System - Richmond Public Schools (rvaschools.net) -- Remind Messaging System – If you haven't already, please sign up to receive important text messages from your school and the division through the Remind system.

Language Support Services – We're committed to ensuring that every family, no matter what language they speak, can engage with RPS. Towards that end, we're excited to offer a new Family Language Line that allows families to connect with an interpreter before being connected to their school. Families can find these phone numbers on this listing or by looking at the bottom of their school's homepage. 

Monkeypox: What You Should Know

With monkeypox cases on the rise, you might have some questions. Here’s some information about the disease and vaccines:

1. Monkeypox is a viral disease that can be spread through direct and indirect skin-to-skin contact, such as hugging, contact with bodily fluids, touching the same objects, or intimate contact.
2. If you are interested in receiving a monkeypox vaccine, fill out this short form(http://rhhd.gov/monkeypoxvax). Supply of the vaccine is currently limited, so filling out the form will not guarantee a vaccination but will add individuals to a list to potentially receive a monkeypox vaccine in the future—depending on risk factors and the available supply.

Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)

The Federal Government has secured commitments from 20 leading internet providers to offer ACP-eligible households a high-speed internet plan for no more than $30 per month. Eligible families who pair their ACP benefits with these plans can receive high-speed internet at no cost or at a reduced cost. More info can be found here.

Safety Tip of the Month:

School Bus Safety

First District Organizations!

Calling all First District Civic Associations, Business Associations, Neighborhood Watch Groups, and Community Organizations... we would love to connect with you! If you are a member of one of these types of organizations, we want to get to know you! Please reach out to our office so that we can get your contact information.

Have a service request?

Use RVA 3-1-1

If you have a non-emergency concern or request, please use RVA311 to report the issue. Issues such as potholes, broken sidewalks, damaged or missing signs, traffic/speed control requests, and fallen or dead tree limbs are some examples of what you are able to report in RVA311. 

You can use the RVA311 website, the RVA311 mobile app (available for iOS or Android), or reach the RVA311 call center by dialing 3-1-1 or 804-646-7000 to submit a request.

Community Links, Events, and More

Happy to Serve!

Please contact me and Whitney Brown if you need any additional information or have other questions. We are happy to provide any support and assistance as needed. 

Sincerely,

Andreas Addison and Whitney Brown