Mayor Dwight C. Jones joined the Director of Richmond Public Library Harriet Coalter in a ribbon cutting ceremony today to reopen the newly renovated Belmont Library at 3100 Ellwood Avenue. “I take pride in celebrating the new renovations, additions and exciting features of Belmont Library,” said the Mayor. “Investing in our City’s future through infrastructure upgrades and enhancing educational enrichment opportunities, such as those offered in our City libraries, is vital to the success of our City’s future generations.” New library features include lighting, carpet, furniture, computers, an enlarged meeting room, teen area, and a new parking lot entrance. Renovations also included a Green Building Council approved roof system and new heating and cooling system to reduce the building’s carbon footprint. The library was originally constructed in 1956 with recent renovations beginning in the winter of 2010. Mayor Jones first announced the library renovations in March 2009 during his bi...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that the Richmond City Health District (RCHD) has recently been awarded a three-year grant to utilize community approaches to reduce sexually transmitted diseases (STD), one of only four grants awarded nationwide. The RCHD will receive over $360,000 per year as part of the CDC’s Approaches to Reducing Sexually Transmitted Diseases (CARS) Initiative. “I commend the Richmond City Health District and the Virginia Department of Health for pursuing resources that will address the health concerns in the City,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. In December 2010, Richmond City Health District Deputy Director Dr. Danny Avula and CDC Prevention Specialist Ashley Halbritter collaborated with local organizations and city agencies to form the City-wide STD Coalition to work on the STD issues in Richmond. With help from over 30 coalition members, a grant proposal was submitted to the CDC, showing how the City of Richmond STD interv...

~Broad Rock and Oak Grove Elementary to have 44% MBE participation~ Mayor Dwight C. Jones to advised Richmond City Council that Martin Brothers Contractors, Inc. of Roanoke, Virginia has won the reissued bid for the construction of Broad Rock Elementary and Oak Grove Elementary. Earlier bids were canceled in May of this year when the administration decided to scale back on noncritical features to reduce costs. The current bids have come in $5 million less and have achieved 44% minority business enterprise participation. "Saving more than $5 million on these schools is precisely the outcome we were looking for," said Mayor Jones. "We are serious about building schools, but we're also serious about getting the best deals for the City of Richmond. I congratulate Martin Brothers Contractors on their successful pursuit of this opportunity and congratulate all the minority businesses that will be involved in the construction of these much needed schools for our city."...

The City of Richmond Department of Information Technology (DIT) has recently been recognized for several digital achievements as e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government announced its 2011 Best of the Web and Digital Government Achievement Awards. The City received awards for the Mayor’s Participation Action and Communication Team (MPACT) and the Richmond Grows Gardens Online Permit Application in the Government-to-Citizen City Government category. The City was also listed as a finalist in the 2011 Best of the Web Awards in the City Portal Category. The Digital Government Achievement Awards recognize outstanding agency and department websites and projects at the application and infrastructure level. “These digital achievement awards acknowledge the City’s Department of Information Technology’s dedication of striving to develop new technologies and systems for internal customers and most importantly, the residents of the City of Richmond.”,” said Mayor Dwight C. Jones. “I am proud ...

The City of Richmond has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) for the City’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2010. The award is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a state or local government. The City’s Department of Finance was also presented with an Award of Financial Reporting Achievement, an accompanying award to the designated department primarily responsible for preparing the award-winning CAFR. This is the 27th time the City of Richmond has received the Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting. "I am proud that the city has again received this distinction as it exemplifies this administrations’ commitment to outstanding financial management in serving the residents of Richmond,...

Mayor Dwight C. Jones joined City Council Vice President Ellen Robertson and Director of Richmond Public Library Harriet Henderson in a ribbon cutting ceremony today to reopen the newly renovated Hull Street Library at 1400 Hull Street. Mayor Jones stated that, “So many of us depend on libraries and the vital programs offered to youth and adults are immeasurable. It is imperative that we invest in our future by upgrading our infrastructure and enhancing the opportunities for future generations by building new schools and renovating our libraries. Libraries are critical resources of education and improvements such as those performed to the Hull Street Library are a priority.” New library features include lighting, carpet and paint, furniture, computers, PC reservation station, meeting room with audio and visual system, and a teen selection area. Renovations to the Hull Street Library began during the winter of 2010. The library was originally constructed in 1987. Mayor Jones...

City Chief Administrative Officer Byron Marshall today issued the following statement regarding the discrimination complaint filed by several Department of Public Utilities (DPU) employees: "In March of this year, the City received a formal complaint filed by multiple DPU employees. This matter required a thorough and comprehensive investigation, dating back multiple years addressing a complexity of issues. The City invested the time necessary to ensure that the proper due diligence was undertaken. At this juncture, the internal investigation has been completed. A report and recommendations from the investigation have been provided to the Director of DPU. We anticipate that the director will take the necessary action, based on the findings and recommendations, within the next week. "The City operates under a stringent policy against discrimination and has zero-tolerance for any acts of harassment committed by or against an employee. However, the City cannot comment on a...