City Council agenda for 4/27
The agenda for the April 27 City Council meeting has a few items of specific local interest:
Ord. No. 2009-45 (Patron: Mayor Jones, By Request) – To amend Ord. No. 2008-192-194 *** which authorized the special use of *** 305 North 18th Street for the purpose of a mixed-use, multi-family dwelling, to allow the alteration of the design of the building ***.
Ord. No. 2009-46 (Patron: Mayor Jones, By Request) – To authorize the special use of *** 2102 and 2104 East Broad Street for the purpose of authorizing two new attached two-family dwellings with accessory parking ***.
Last week NBC12 reported that city council is revisiting a storm water utility tax on city residents with a public hearing tomorrow the 27th. Is there any information about the time and location of the public hearing? Or did I misunderstand Rachel DePompa’s report?
Rachel DePompa of channel 12 news reported a week ago that city council will consider a storm water utility tax again. Her report implied that there would be a public hearing on the subject today, but there is a regular session of coucil tonight. I believe the budget committee meeting on May 4th (?) is when the storm water utility tax will be discussed. Can anyone confirm this?
Council will discuss member amendments at 3 pm Monday in their informal session. A public HEaring is scheduled on the budget May 4 at 6 pm in the Council Chambers. The deadline for introduction of budget amendments is May 11, The final adoption of the budget is scheduled for 6 pm regular session of council on Tuesday May 26. The stormwater utility is a part of Mayor Jones’ budget proposal, and will be considered as part of that package.
There are a lot of posts on the storm water utility and water rates on oreognhill.net, the Sierra Club Falls of the James blog, and the Richmond Green Party sites. As an environmentalist I am not against the stormwater utility in theory. Richmond does need to do more to address the problem.
However, as with the water rates, we need see more fairness and resolution. Right now it looks like each resident will pay about $45 each in additional fees per year. VCU/MCV will pay nothing despite all of its paved surfaces and increased footprint. How much will Ethyl/Afton Chemical pay for its large downtown campus?
Also, citizens should be assured that these additional fees are really going towards reducing storm water runoff and not just another source of cash for government. We need a City rainbarrel program. We need more urban forestry. We need a green alley/sidewalk program like Chicago’s.
I urge my fellow citizens to pay attention to these issues.
The fact that it is utility means that the funds cannot be comingled, just as with the water utility, the gas utility or the Sewer utility.
Scott, do you have any useful links?
David, years ago there was a surcharge on citizens’ gas utility bills. It was essentially double taxing by a PUBLIC utility. The money went into the General Fund until the Green Party and others started complaining. Jamison finally got rid of it, but not until after the Canal Walk was built and the old Thalheimer’s building was bought with General Fund monies.
Stephen, I had trouble posting these here earlier, but let’s see if this works…
http://www.oregonhill.net/2009/04/04/richmond-citizens-45-vcu-nothing/
http://www.oregonhill.net/2009/03/26/and-here-we-goproposed-city-budget-has-higher-water-fees/
http://www.oregonhill.net/2009/03/10/stormwater-rising/
Can we get Richmond alleys looking like this?
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009756.html
City utilities and rates will be a presentation at next CHA Membership meeing. Attend meeting, find out what is going on and ask questions of city utility officals.