April 19, 2010 Vol. 2 Issue 4
Welcome
Welcome to the April 2010 edition of the "Building a Better Richmond" newsletter.
My administration has been extremely busy working on the FY 2011 city budget proposal and we're proud of the end result that was presented to City Council. City Council is currently reviewing the FY 2011 city budget and will vote on its approval and adoption on May 24. We were faced with a $34 million budget gap and as I've said before we cannot tax our way out of this financial hardship. So in the development of this budget, we had to find cost savings to alleviate the city's deficit while also maintaining services for residents, avoiding cuts to public schools, addressing the city's aging infrastructure, and continuing to explore community and economic development opportunities for the city. These are all areas of focus for my administration and I believe we have outlined a clear and strategic plan in the FY 2011 budget.
Infrastructure improvements are a top priority of this administration. The budget calls for a thorough inventory of infrastructure needs and major improvements for blighted areas in the city. Twenty-five percent of neighborhood streets will be repaved over the next five years, and improvement projects are planned for major corridors such as Nine Mile Road/25th Street, Broad Street, Midlothian Turnpike, Hull Street and Jefferson-Davis Highway. The budget also calls for absolutely no personnel cuts to our police and fire departments. The city's contribution to funding for Richmond Public Schools will remain level. There will also be no furloughs for city employees and less than 10 layoffs are proposed throughout the city workforce of 4,000 employees; mostly as a result of planned improvements in operations. I believe we have succeeded in providing a budget that is structurally balanced, maintains core services; and most importantly, ensures that the city is poised for future growth. We have held a number of community budget forums for city residents to express their concerns. If you were unable to attend or would simply like more information on the budget proposal, contact me at Ask The Mayor.
After much anticipation, the Richmond Flying Squirrels kicked off their home opener of the 2010 season on April 15. I joined Governor Bob McDonnell, Chesterfield Board of Supervisor for the Clover Hill District Art Warren, and Henrico Board of Supervisor for the Tuckahoe District Patricia O'Bannon for the ceremonial first pitch, as we celebrated the return of professional baseball to the River City. It was truly a jubilant occasion. Flying Squirrels fans from Richmond and across the state of Virginia packed the Diamond as tickets were sold out within one week! On behalf of the city of Richmond, we welcome our new hometown team and look forward to rooting them on this season and for many years to come.
I recently had the pleasure of attending the groundbreaking ceremony for CEPHAS Industries. The new $3.5 million biomass manufacturing and recycling facility will provide between 50 and 75 green jobs for Richmond. Federal dollars are supporting the project, with funding being provided by the U.S. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This is an exciting opportunity for the city of Richmond, as the new facility will provide much needed job opportunities for many Richmond residents. These green jobs also support the city's commitment to local sustainability initiatives. The 33,000 square foot facility is scheduled to open in March 2011.
The city also observed Youth Art Month in March, which promotes art and art education in schools across the United States. A number of activities and programs were held across the city to engage various organizations in the support of art education for children. Art is critical to the healthy development of our young people. We should all be encouraged to nurture the minds of our children through creative mediums in visual and performing arts. The city's Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities offers a wide variety of children's arts and crafts classes that allow them to explore their creativity and artistic abilities. Classes are held at a number of community centers throughout the city, and include courses in a variety of mediums including painting, dance, and acting. For more information on program offerings, visit the department's website at http://www.richmondgov.com/Parks.
I hope you enjoy reading the remainder of this newsletter and that you forward it to family and friends.
New Schools Update
The Building a Better Richmond Schools Improvement Program is well underway for all phase one school projects. The four schools within phase one of the program, Huguenot High School, Martin Luther King Middle School, Broad Rock Elementary School and Oak Grove Elementary School, are quickly moving through the design process and are all on schedule.
Officials at Broad Rock and Oak Grove elementary schools have held public meetings to gather input from the community on each school's facility plan. Community meetings to share updates, unveil preliminary design plans, and gather input on the construction of the new Broad Rock and Oak Grove elementary schools project will be held in the following order. The Broad Rock Elementary School community meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on April 21 in the school auditorium, 4615 Ferguson Lane. The Oak Grove Elementary School community meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on April 22 in the school auditorium, 2220 Ingram Avenue. The elementary schools are on schedule for site work to commence in November 2010 with occupancy planned for September 2012.
Plans for Martin Luther King (MLK) Middle School and Huguenot High School are currently in the conceptual stages, as architects and engineers are researching design options for both facilities. A final decision will be made on whether MLK Middle School will be completely rebuilt or undergo extensive renovations. Program Directors for the Huguenot High School project are researching renovation options to determine which additions will be included in the construction plan. A community meeting to share the status of the MLK Middle School project and collect input from the community is being scheduled for late April. The project is on schedule for construction to start in September 2011 with occupancy planned for September 2013. A community meeting will be held in early May to discuss the project status of the Huguenot High School project. Huguenot is on schedule for construction to start in November 2011 with occupancy planned for September 2014.
All of these projects are aggressively moving forward and I encourage all parents, students and community members to attend these community meetings. It is important that we are all involved in this planning process as the projects will affect the entire city of Richmond. We are excited about the Building a Better Richmond Schools Capital Improvement Program and committed to supporting all educational opportunities and advancement for our youth.
For more information and continuous updates on the schools construction projects I encourage you to visit the Building a Better Richmond Schools Improvement Program website.
Mayor's Youth Academy
Our 2010 Youth Academy and Summer Works Initiative will be kicking off next month and we're excited to work with the over 500 youth that applied. The program will draw upon the expertise and resources of leaders in local government, business and non-profit sectors to promote the value of education and workforce skills for local youth. Participants will receive extensive training, obtain employability skills, and have the opportunity to work with professional mentors in a variety of career paths. Richmond youth will benefit greatly from this opportunity, but we still need the help of the local business community. By partnering with the Mayor's Youth Academy - Summer Works Initiative, you can help reduce teen crime, social deviant behavior and create a future emerging workforce. There is no deadline to become a sponsor for our youth. For more information on the program and the sponsor application, please visit the Mayor's Youth Academy website or call (804) 646-7491.
Together we can promote the value of education and workforce skills needed for the development of Richmond's future workforce.
Green Richmond Initiative
As the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day draws near, I will be announcing the city's Green Richmond Initiative. Being a green city is about far more than the environment; it is also about social sustainability and our local economy. A green city is also about more efficiency and less waste in city government. And we are currently working to improve the energy performance of all city agencies and save our taxpayers money.
We are building our facilities so they use less energy and waters. The new school facilities are designed to be LEED Silver certified. We are making energy efficient renovations to city facilities like our libraries and waste water treatment plant. We are using LED lights in our traffic signals because they are 80% more efficient than traditional traffic signals. And we are starting to use solar power to keep some of our street lights lit.
Please look for more information in the next newsletter about the results of our first greenhouse gas emissions inventory and our strategy for developing a comprehensive Sustainability Plan. Together, we will make Richmond a greener more livable city.
Conclusion
I would like to thank you for taking the time view this newsletter. I hope you found it informative and insightful and that you will share it with others in your family and community.
For more information on the city of Richmond, please visit www.RichmondGov.com.
Thank you.
Dwight C. Jones
Mayor, City of Richmond
