Thank you Councilmember Jones, for your passion, your commitment, and your leadership on this particular policy issue.  

I’m incredibly grateful for the partnership we’ve had on this effort 

President Newbille, thank you for all of your work getting behind this and support the work of really building trust in our communities.  

Thank you, City Council, for the for the unanimous support for the resolution.  

When I took office, I made a commitment that Richmond would be a city where every resident feels welcome, valued, and safe. 

As an immigrant, these values are deeply personal to me. My early years in this country were filled with experiences where I didn’t feel welcomed or I was outright mocked misunderstood or just made constantly “other”. 

So much so, that I actively ran away from my Indian heritage, and rejected anything that highlighted the ways that I did not fit in.   

But in adulthood, I have come to appreciate the value and the beauty of my culture, and the ways that my heritage really are so important such as the ways that my heritage and that of all of our residents contribute to the beauty and the diversity of our society. 
 

These values -- that every resident, and especially our immigrant and refugee populations, feel safe, valued and accepted, and I would say one step further - that they actually feel celebrated- were priorities identified by our transition team as I was beginning my time in office, and have only intensified with the federal administration’s focus on our immigrant communities. 

This last year has made it incredibly clear that immigrant safety is a huge priority here in Richmond, and in local communities across the country.   

In January, I established an Inclusive Communities Preparedness Work Group to identify practical, concrete steps that we could take to protect residents, strengthen trust, and make sure our City government was prepared to respond to the challenges facing our immigrant neighbors.  

The Work Group identified the development of a trust policy as one important step we could take toward fulfilling that commitment. 

Over the past several months, our administration has worked closely with community partners, City departments, and Councilmember Jones and her leadership to develop a policy that reflects Richmond's values and can be implemented responsibly and effectively. 

Developing a policy like this requires more than a commitment to our values.  

It requires careful legal analysis and operational planning, lots of coordination across departments and deep, meaningful engagement with the people in the community that we serve.  

I want to thank our entire team for the many months of work that have brought us to this point. 

I want to reiterate that, at its core, this policy is about trust.  

Specifically, making sure that every Richmond resident, regardless of immigration status, can access City services without fear.  

That we protect people's privacy, that we establish clear boundaries around the City's role in federal civil immigration enforcement, and that we make sure our employees understand their responsibilities.  

And, it’s about sending a clear message to our immigrant neighbors that you are part of this community, and your local government is here to serve you. 

What does this policy change? Simply put, it brings more clarity and accountability. 

For City employees it gives them clear guidance about what their responsibilities are and how to respond when situations arise that could undermine the trust of our immigrant communities. 

For residents, it communicates clarity about what they can expect from their local government. And lets them know that their personal information will be protected. That our Richmond Police Department will not act as immigration enforcement officers. That City resources will not be used to assist federal civil immigration enforcement. 

That no one should be threatened or pressured because of their immigration status. 

And that every resident is welcome to access City services, and can hold us accountable to these commitments. 

And as President Newbille said, today's announcement is not the end of this work. It's an important first step as we launch this policy. 

Because a policy is only as meaningful as our ability to put it into practice.  

That means training our 4,000+ employees and establishing clear procedures, and continuing to listen to our community partners, and doing everything we can within our authority to protect the safety of our residents, -- earning and keeping their trust. 

My goal is to have this policy fully implemented by the end of the year, and we're going to continue listening, learning, and working together to make sure Richmond is a city where everyone feels they belong. A thriving and inclusive Richmond is Pillar 5 of our administration, and that is what we are working toward here.  

To our immigrant neighbors, know that you are a loved and cherished part of our community.  Your presence in this City is part of what makes Richmond so vibrant and special, and we seek to celebrate and highlight the rich culture that all of our neighbors bring to Richmond. 

And now I'd like to turn it over to our DCAO of Human Services, Amy Popovich, who will walk through what the policy does and the steps we're taking to make sure it is implemented effectively. 

Family-friendly event features lead free water updates from DPU, lead poisoning prevention awareness from VDH, interactive activities for children and costume fun

Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU), in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), will host a community-wide Lead Awareness Resource Fair on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. This hands-on event coincides with the National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) taking place the last full week of October. This year’s NLPPW theme, Be a Hero: Keep Kids Safe from Lead, aims to highlight how communities can reduce children's exposure to lead and prevent its harmful health effects.

The event is designed as a family-friendly evening of education and guidance, bringing together city officials, health experts, and local organizations to help residents protect their homes and children from lead hazards.

Protecting families from lead exposure is the ultimate goal, as lead is dangerous and poses significant health risks, particularly to infants, young children, pregnant women and the elderly. 

To address these risks, the resource fair will highlight critical community protection initiatives:
•    Lead Free Water Initiative:  The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities Lead Free Water Program is now transitioning to a targeted, block-by-block strategy to identify lead in residential service lines. Identifying where lead and galvanized pipes are will help us plan the equity-first Lead Service Line Replacement strategy beginning in 2027. 

•    Service Line Inventory Map: Residents are invited to participate in learning about and checking on their property’s service line status on the City’s Interactive Water Service Line Inventory Map. DPU staff will be at this event to help residents with lead identification and mitigation resources.  

•    VDH Lead Awareness: VDH’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program will provide data insights on lead exposure and Office of Drinking water will share actionable guidance on mitigating lead in water hazards.

This is sure to be a fun and educational evening for families. Parents and kids are encouraged to embrace the theme by dressing up as their favorite superhero or in any fun fall costume! Families can gather important health and safety information, while enjoying hands-on activities, educational games, community resources and a few pieces of seasonal candy. 

In addition to DPU and VDH, partner organizations in attendance will include:

•    Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Lead Hazard Reduction Program 
•    project:HOMES 
•    Educational resource providers and more

Event Details 
•    What: National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week Resource Fair: “Be A Hero” – Keep Kids Safe from Lead  
•    When: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, from 5:30pm – 8:00pm.  
•    Where: Henry Marsh Elementary, 813 N 28th St, Richmond, VA 23223, Richmond, Virginia  
•    Who Should Attend: Families, children, homeowners, renters and community members  
•    Cost: Free and open to the public  
•    Highlights: Superhero & fall costume encouragement, free raffles, finger food, candy and interactive family activities  

About The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities
The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities provides natural gas, water, wastewater, stormwater and streetlight services to more than 500,000 customers in the Richmond metropolitan area. DPU is committed to safety, reliability and innovation in delivering essential utility services that support the city’s residents, businesses and environment.

About Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
The Virginia Department of Health works to protect the health and well-being of all Virginians through public health tracking, drinking water safety programs and lead exposure prevention initiatives.

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City Seeks Public Input on Richmond’s First Pedestrian Safety Master Plan

Community feedback will help identify pedestrian needs and inform priorities for future safety investments throughout Richmond 

RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond Department of Transportation (RDOT) is inviting Richmonders to help shape the City’s first Pedestrian Safety Master Plan, a citywide effort to make walking and rolling safer, more accessible and better connected throughout Richmond.

The Pedestrian Safety Master Plan will evaluate existing pedestrian conditions, identify gaps and barriers in the pedestrian network and establish priorities for future pedestrian safety and accessibility improvements for people of all ages and abilities. The completed plan will provide a citywide framework for identifying needs, prioritizing improvements and informing future project development. The plan supports Richmond’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

RDOT wants to understand where people experience challenges walking and rolling in Richmond, from missing or difficult-to-navigate sidewalks and crossings to accessibility barriers, lighting concerns , and gaps in connectivity.

“The Pedestrian Safety Master Plan is such an important step in getting us closer to our Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries. We’d love to hear from as many Richmonders as possible so that we can make our streets safer for everyone,” said Mayor Danny Avula. 

“Walking is the foundation of our transportation system,” said Andy Boenau, Director of the Richmond Department of Transportation. “We want to hear directly from residents, businesses, and community stakeholders. That input will help us develop a thoughtful, data-informed approach to pedestrian safety.”

RDOT will consider community feedback alongside crash data, existing infrastructure conditions, accessibility needs and other technical analyses to identify pedestrian safety needs and establish priorities for future improvements.

Take the survey, here. Survey closes November 19, 2026 .

The public engagement process builds on RDOT’s ongoing pedestrian safety efforts. 

• On July 9, RDOT hosted a community conversation with University of Virginia historian and author Peter Norton exploring Richmond’s transportation history and how lessons from the past can help inform safer and more accessible streets. The discussion connected Richmond’s transportation history with development of the Pedestrian Safety Master Plan and the City’s broader Vision Zero commitment. 
• On August 13, RDOT hosted another community conversation with a workshop on the role of transit as a natural extension of walking with Scudder Wagg, president of Jarrett Walker and Associates. 
• On October 1, RDOT hosted a third conversation in the series with special guests Victor Dover and John Massengale on what good street design does for future city growth and sustainability. Their work shows how the design of everyday streets determines whether a city feels safe, inviting and livable. 

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For more information about the Department of Transportation, visit www.rva.gov/public-works or email [email protected].  

Follow RDOT on social media for updates on projects, events and initiatives: on Instagram and X at RVA_DOT.  

Richmond, Va. — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is continuing efforts to improve billing and payment processes to enhance the customer experience. As part of these improvements, DPU is transitioning to a 25-day payment due date cycle.   

Under the new payment due date cycle, customer payments will be due 25 days after the bill date, rather than a 30-day timeframe. Customers will still be billed monthly, with the typical billing frequency (averaging 30 days) remaining unchanged. 

DPU benchmarked with electric, telecommunication and other utilities and the updated payment cycle aligns with industry practices. This change creates a more effective window for payments to be received and processed by financial institutions before the next bill is generated. It will also help reduce instances in which a new bill is issued while a payment on the previous bill is still being processed, providing customers with clearer and more current account information.

I’m thankful for the continued march along the path of improvement in utility service delivery,” said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. “This change is a key step in making the customer experience reliable, responsive, and easy to navigate with the needs of Richmonders top of mind.”

“We have the opportunity to take a fresh look at how our billing and payment processes work from beginning to end as we focus on the needs of our customers,” said DPU  Director Scott Morris. “Moving to a 25-day payment cycle will provide a clearer window for payments to be processed and applied before the next bill is generated. It is one of the ways we are continuing to refine our processes and provide customers with more accurate, timely account information.”

Customers who use automatic payments or other scheduled payment methods are encouraged to review their payment settings and upcoming bill due dates to ensure funds are available. Customers who make payments through their financial institution should also allow sufficient time for their payment to be transmitted to and received by DPU.

Payment due dates will transition to a 25‑day cycle over multiple billing periods. In October the payment window will shift to 27 days for November due dates. The final transition to the 25‑day payment timeframe will occur in November for December due dates. This phased approach will allow customers time to gradually adjust. Customers will see their specific payment due date on their DPU bill.

For additional information about DPU billing and payment options, visit www.rva.gov/public-utilities/billing

A Thriving Richmond 

Mayor Avula applauded the jointly-sponsored RES. 2026-R038, endorsing the City of Richmond’s legislative agenda for the 2027 Virginia General Assembly session. The resolution sets forth legislative proposals and requests the Richmond delegation to the General Assembly “to take legislative action consistent with and in vigorous support of such recommendations; to support other legislative action recommendations; and to encourage other organizations and individuals to support such recommendations.”  

 "My administration and City Council are committed to advocating for our residents' together and maximizing what we can accomplish in partnership with the Commonwealth,” said Mayor Danny Avula . “In the past, Richmond often had a divided agenda. Today, we’re moving forward with a clear set of priorities that reflect what our residents need and deserve.” The resolution identifies budget and legislative priorities and the City’s policies positions for the coming 2027 General Assembly session.  

Thriving City Hall 

Council also voted 7-2 to support Mayor Avula’s ORD. 2026-081to establish an updated approach for publishing the City’s payment register to promote transparency and accountability of public funds. Earlier this year, Mayor Avula proposed the ordinance to establish an updated approach to publishing the City’s payment register, with the goal of increasing public access to payment data while ensuring the system is practical, accurate, and compliant with privacy laws. The Avula administration is committed to maximum transparency, especially when it comes to City expenditures, while honoring individuals’ legitimate privacy concerns and data security protocols. 

“I’m extremely proud of our team for working through a long-standing, inherited, and very complicated pain point and finding a path forward that provides proactive public access to the City’s spending data,” said Mayor Avula. 

Publication had been suspended prior to Mayor Avula’s administration. In June, the City published the FY25 payment register. The FY26 Payment Register will be available on the City’s Open Data Portal by December 27, 2026 in accordance with the 90-day implementation period established in the ordinance. Additionally, the monthly publication of the register, starting with July, August, and September 2026, will be available on the Open Data Portal by the end of calendar year 2026.  

Thriving Families 

 A series of ordinances introduced by Mayor Avula were adopted to support Richmond families experiencing financial hardship and housing instability.  

ORD. 2026-282 provides $700,000 to Area Congregations Together in Services (ACTS) to administer the City’s Family Crisis Fund, an initiative which provides emergency financial assistance to families in need. The ordinances also extend an agreement with HomeAgain to continue operating a 50-bed, year-round emergency shelter for families through November 30, 2027.