Richmond CCJB finalizing plans to present to City leadership The Richmond Community Criminal Justice Board (RCCJB) will meet to vote on the 2011-2012 Biennial Plan which focuses on alternatives to incarceration on Wednesday, June 9 at 3:30 p.m. The plan is being prepared to present to city leadership following Mayor Dwight C. Jones' charge for a review of alternatives and request for recommendations. Last year, Mayor Jones, city officials and RCCJB members visited alternatives to incarceration models in three other cities. "The current overcrowding conditions at the City Jail have been a huge problem in the city for years," said Mayor Jones. "I'm convinced that the proper application of alternatives will successfully reduce our jail population and connect individuals to the services they need." High priority recommendations expected to be presented today include: Increase the capacity of specialty housing and homeless programs targeted to offenders with ...

Pursuant to Mayor’s Order #2010-02 , Mayor Dwight C. Jones has established a Pedestrian, Bicycling and Trails Planning Commission. This commission was established to provide city administration advice on ways to incorporate bicycling and walking as viable methods of transportation in the city of Richmond. The commission will hold its inaugural meeting today at 2 p.m. in the 2nd floor large conference room of City Hall, 900 East Broad Street. “According to the City of Richmond Transportation Plan and the City of Richmond Master Plan 2000 – 2020, the city’s current transportation system is not friendly to pedestrians and bicyclists,” said Mayor Jones. “There are limited pedestrian or bicycle routes with limited signage; a lack of walking and bicycle maps and park and lock facilities; limited venues for the ease of exercise for disabled residents; and a lack of pedestrian and bicycle safety education resources.” The recommendations made by the commission will lead to the creation of a R...

The firms of Barrett Sports Group, LLC., Populous and Weston Sports have been contracted to jointly conduct a Market Validation and Financial Feasibility study on the future of the Richmond Coliseum. The corporate and public partners of Altria Group Inc., Dominion Resources Inc., Genworth Financial Inc., MeadWestvaco, and the City of Richmond, unanimously chose the team after conducting a series of interviews with the four finalists. Chesterfield County, Hanover County and Henrico County have been supportive of these efforts. “This is the first step towards charting the city’s and region’s direction where our coliseum needs are concerned,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “This type of regional and corporate partnership is a sign of our strong metropolitan region. Collaboration such as this will aid us as we prepare for future growth while providing a quality sports and entertainment venue for the residents of Central Virginia.” The Barrett team had extensive and direct experience in perfo...

Pursuant to Mayor's Order #2010-02, Mayor Dwight C. Jones created the Pedestrian, Bicycling, and Trails Planning Commission. The Pedestrian, Bicycling, and Trails Planning Commission has been established to provide the Mayor's Administration with advice on ways to incorporate bicycling and walking as viable methods of transportation in the city of Richmond. To inform its work, the Commission will review adopted citywide transportation plans, strategies and plans from other jurisdictions. It will make recommendations for policies that support pedestrian and bicycle travel in Richmond. These policies will ensure that our city becomes a community where walking and bicycling are integral parts of the transportation system. The development of a well-publicized and effective system of pedestrian and bicycle trails could be an effective selling point for economic development and tourism efforts. The Commission held its inaugural meeting on Wednesday, June 9, 2010. The Mayor also ant...

Pursuant to Mayor's Order #2010-01, Mayor Dwight C. Jones created the Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Policy. The Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Policy will work to identify social factors that give rise to the health care problems of Richmond's residents, and develop recommendations that can be implemented both in the short-term and long-term to ameliorate those disparities. Reports will be developed to identify the city's health priorities including the issue of its health disparities, identifying potential funding necessary to address the priorities, and recommending strategies that the City of Richmond might employ in addressing them. The Commission shall produce and present the intial plan by August 2010, to embody recommendations that might be adopted as priorities for the city to pursue in making a difference in the lives of our residents.

Mayor Dwight C. Jones issued the following statement after the City Council passed his Fiscal Year 2011 $637 million general fund budget plan with few amendments. City Council passed the city's general fund budget with an eight to one vote and the capital budget unanimously: "I am pleased to see that City Council has embraced our outcomes-based budgeting plan with an overwhelming vote. We presented a responsible budget that is sound and addresses the fiscal challenges we are facing. We offered costs containment strategies, cash flow enhancements and strengthened revenue collection strategies that will benefit the city for years to come. I appreciate the Council's recognition of the hard work that was done on this budget and I see the overwhelming vote as reflective of the trust that has developed as a result of communication, cooperation and collaboration between the branches of government. "Savings we are going to be able to realize right away, just to give a few exa...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones made the following statements today during his update on the high-speed police pursuits review: “I want to acknowledge the dedication of our law enforcement officials as they put their lives on the line daily in the interest of public safety. I want us all to be mindful that law enforcement officers are faced with making split-second decisions each day. “Today's topic, the High-Speed Pursuit Policy Review, is as important to the residents of the city as it is to the officers themselves. Making sure that we have improved upon policies and procedures is in the utmost interest of any officer involved in a high-speed pursuit. “We cannot loose sight of the fact that it is the person that flees that creates the problem of high-speed police pursuits. But the fact is that we can't control the behavior of one who chooses to flee, so we must be assured that we have policies and procedures that allow for appropriate and proper law enforcement while protecting public ...