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Importance of Implementation Planning: Mayor Danny Avula (Newsletter)

May 22, 2026

Mayor's Newsletter to Council

Lots of Legislation – Importance of Implementation Planning

I wanted to acknowledge that there are several pieces of important legislation making their way through our collective processes. I appreciate the thoughtfulness with which you are engaging each item. As we continue to consider new initiatives and changing our code, I urge us to work together on the implementation planning with as much rigor as we discuss the merits of any given idea.

We want to lean into the need for implementation planning to be a standard part of how we bring new legislation to life.

The City Auditor's recent review of the former Affordable Housing Trust Fund legislation found that "key elements of the requirements were unclear or not adhered to, in part due to the absence of a documented implementation plan." To address that problem, the auditor recommended that the city establish formal processes for reviewing proposed ordinances and monitoring their implementation. We appreciate Councilmember Robertson observing that "in order to get our legislation implemented, we need a strategic implementation strategy that will define benchmarks, timelines, and exactly what we expect those outcomes to be."

Good policy ideas, and the legislation to operationalize it, deserves a real chance to work. That means thinking through — before a vote — what it will take to bring a law from the page into practice: which departments are responsible, what resources are required, and what success looks like. Without that work, even well-intentioned ordinances can erode public trust in city government and their elected officials.

To that end, we are proposing to agree on a Legislation Implementation Framework developed by the administration to guide efforts that would support moving policy ideas through implementation. We think there are several questions every piece of proposed legislation should be able to answer before final adoption:

What is the initiative trying to achieve, and is success measurable?
What resources (staff, budget, tools) will implementation require?
Does the responsible agency have the capacity to execute?
How long will implementation realistically take, and does the ordinance account for that?
What does early monitoring look like in the first one to three months?
What does mid-term assessment look like, and are initial targets still appropriate?
Given that we cannot do everything all at once, what is the urgency (low, medium, high)?
And finally, once the policy has had time to work, did it actually achieve what it set out to do or should it be revisited?

We are asking Council to meet us halfway by building implementation planning into Council’s legislative process as well as reasonable implementation periods into proposed legislation. Council staff, Mayor’s Office, and Administration have a meeting on the books for Wednesday to get practical on what we need to improve in this area and we will report back!

Richmond deserves governance that follows through. We know we can get there, and we want to do it together.

City of Richmond launches new FOIA platform

New platform will increase transparency, save staff time, and improve the customer experience for requestors

Richmond, VA — Today, Mayor Danny Avula announced the official launch of the City of Richmond’s new platform for handling Freedom of Information Act requests. The new platform handles the entire FOIA request lifecycle, from the initial request to collecting responsive records, redaction, review, and (if necessary) payment. While other methods for submitting requests are still available (in-person, by phone), the City is excited to offer a more convenient option.

Residents and members of the media can access the new platform here: rva.gov/foia . FOIA requests for records owned by the Richmond Police Department should continue to be directed to rpd.foia@rva.gov .

“The City’s approach to FOIA has improved dramatically over the last 18 months. Sharing public information promptly with the media and our residents is a priority that I have made clear throughout the administration. We’ve increased training across the organization, hired a new FOIA manager, and I’ve communicated repeatedly to leadership in my cabinet meetings that FOIA is not only just a legal requirement but a responsibility we need to take seriously. This work takes time and careful consideration to manage properly and now we have the serious technology tools to support that work,” said Mayor Danny Avula .

“This is so exciting!” said Ross Catrow, Director of the Office of Strategic Communications . “I’ve been on the pilot for the new platform over the last few weeks, and it’s going to be a game-changer for the way the City handles FOIA. Shout-out to our FOIA Manager, who led the City to today’s launch. I’m grateful and proud of her work!”

The City’s FOIA Library, as required by the ORD. 2025-240, introduced by the Mayor last year, will launch in full in the coming weeks, ahead of the July 1 deadline. The FOIA Library will make frequently requested records and records of public interest easily available, free of charge. Members of the public can preview the library here: go.rva.gov/foialibrary .

FOIA by the numbers

Over the last several months, the number of requests the City has taken an extension on has decreased, and the vast majority of the City’s requests are completed on time.

Month	# FOIA Requests	% with Extension	% Completed on Time
July	492	43.60%	92.20%
August	523	42.06%	98.09%
September	420	39.70%	97.60%
October	459	34.64%	97.16%
November	409	35.70%	86.55% *
December	483	19.88%	84.89% *
January	491	25.86%	96.33%
February	467	32.76%	89.29% *
March	505	34.85%	96.83%

* Almost all of the late requests from November, December, and February were assigned to the Richmond Police Department, who were facing staff capacity issues when it comes to reviewing records.

Operation Safe Summer Begins

The Richmond Police Department will today launch Operation Safe Summer (OSS), a collaborative effort by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies led by the RPD to suppress violent crime and increase public safety throughout Richmond.

This comprehensive approach, slated to continue through early September, aligns with the ‘Hotspot’ location strategy of Chief Rick Edwards. The Hotspot locations are areas of clustered reports of gun violence. Chief Edwards has devoted focused enforcement and officer visibility in these areas to deter violent crime and Operation Safe Summer will use this research in a targeted approach. Operation Safe Summer will include the following:

State partnership. In collaboration with RPD, Virginia State Police will support by providing State Troopers and patrol cars within the city, focusing on violent crime Hotspot areas in alignment with existing department strategies.

Federal partnerships. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) will work in partnership with RPD combining resources to identify, investigate, and prosecute the most significant drivers of gun violence and other violent crime.

Local partnership. The Richmond Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney will work in partnership with RPD in investigative consultations and prosecutions of subjects identified through this Operation. Other groups, such as Richmond Community Mediators, the RPD Chaplain program and the Trauma Healing and Response Network, among others, will all work to contribute to the safety of the public. Richmond Public Schools will be continuing their effective work with key partners like ChildSavers and Communities in Schools to provide resources. The Department of Justice Services is continuing to convene the city’s Gun Violence Prevention and Intervention Steering Committee which established the GVPI Hotline of (804) 646-5987.

Community partnership. Meaningful law enforcement engagement with the community is essential to building trust and earning legitimacy and is a core value of the department. RPD Community Pop-Up events provide activities and resources to families as part of the strategy to prevent violent crime. The next event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 26, at 5 p.m. in the Lucks Field community in the 1900 block of U Street. Also taking place every month are Command Staff Community Walks to foster relationships with community members and accept input and feedback.

Invest in and distribute gun safes. RPD has utilized American Rescue Plan grant funding to make gun safes available for Richmond families who may have a firearm at home and want to store it safely. Individuals can request gun safes by calling (804) 516-0451.

Positive Environments for Youth. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities offers a variety of summer programs for children and youth at no/low cost. Space is still available in many PRCF camps. Additionally, PRCF is bringing back "Late Night Gym," which will begin June 12 and operate from 6 – 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings through August 15 at the T.B. Smith Community Center on Ruffin Road, Luck’s Field Community Center on U Street and Southside Community Center on Old Warwick Road. The gyms will not operate on June 19, July 3 and July 4.

“We have a citywide strategy to help ensure a safer summer for everyone in Richmond,” said Chief Rick Edwards. “We are grateful to our city agencies and community partners for bringing their energy, expertise, and commitment to this effort. Most importantly, the role of the community is essential. By working together, we can make this a safer summer for all.”

The RPD is asking citizens to safely store their firearms and lock their vehicles to support the violent crime reduction work.

Richmond Police Release Critical Incident Briefing: Midlothian Turnpike

The Richmond Police Department has released a critical incident briefing video related to the officer-involved shooting on May 7, 2026, per the Department’s core value and commitment to maintaining trust and legitimacy through transparency.

This critical incident briefing includes 911 call information, video from the body-worn cameras of the two officers who were at the scene, video from apartment cameras and evidence photos.

Chief Rick Edwards pledged to release these CIB videos following fatal incidents of officer-involved shootings.

Once a full investigative report is complete, the report will be submitted to the Office of the Commonwealth Attorney. Following the determination from that office, RPD will conduct an internal policy review. Per department policy, the officer who fired his service weapon is on administrative leave with pay.

The goal of releasing CIB videos is to increase transparency and trust as the Richmond Police Department continues to work with various stakeholders to provide a clear and unbiased account of critical incidents in the community.

The video can be seen on the following platforms:

RPD website: www.rva.gov/police

RPD’s YouTube page: https://youtu.be/LNIc_S-d53Q

Facebook.com/RichmondPolice

X: @RichmondPolice

City of Richmond DPU Preparing for Back Office Systems Transition to Improve Customer Experience

Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is preparing to launch two new back-office systems designed to improve customer service operations and streamline field service management for utility customers across the city.

Beginning Friday, May 22, DPU will transition to Oracle Customer Cloud Service (CCS) and Oracle Field Service (OFS) as part of Project Synergy, a major modernization initiative that supports the department’s commitment to improving the customer experience and operational efficiency.

The transition marks a significant investment in DPU’s infrastructure and customer service capabilities. The new systems will help improve account management, scheduling, communication between field and office staff, and overall service delivery for water and natural gas customers.

“As we continue modernizing our operations, these systems will help position DPU to better serve our customers both now and in the future,” said Scott Morris, Director of the Department of Public Utilities. “CCS and OFS will provide our teams with better tools, more efficient workflows and improved access to information, ultimately creating easier work flows and a better experience that our customers deserve.”

During the transition period, customers may experience temporary service impacts beginning May 22 and continuing through the Memorial Day weekend. While utility services will not be interrupted, some customer service functions may be temporarily limited as the data is transferred and the new systems are brought online.

Payment Information During the Transition

Customers will still be able to make payments during the transition period as long as they have their account number available. On Friday, May 22, payments may be made online through MyHQ and EZ-PAY. The City of Richmond Department of Finance will also accept check and money order payments on Friday, May 22; however, those payments will be processed beginning Tuesday, May 26, once the new systems are available. New PromisePay enrollments will be unavailable after 3 p.m. on Friday, May 22 and will resume Tuesday, May 26 at 8 a.m.

Potential temporary impacts may include:

Limited access to current account information by customer service agents
Delays in processing certain service requests
Limited ability to start or stop service requests during portions of the transition
Temporary pause in new PromisePay enrollments during the transition period
Longer-than-normal wait times for customer assistance

In addition, customers will receive new account numbers as part of the system conversion. However, DPU customer service representatives will still be able to locate customer accounts using previous account numbers during the transition period.

Customers are encouraged to complete any urgent account-related business before May 22 whenever possible.

The transition supports Mayor Danny Avula’s vision of “Richmond: A city where all people and places thrive” by investing in modern systems that strengthen customer service and improve operational reliability for residents.

DPU appreciates the public’s patience during this transition as teams work to implement systems that will provide long-term benefits for customers and employees alike.

For updates and additional information, visit rva.gov/public-utilities/accountupdate or contact DPU Customer Care at 804-646-4646.

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.

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