~Current permits expire December 31~

RICHMOND, Va. –  New parking decals for residents of the Carver Restricted Parking District go on sale Monday, November 30. They cost $25 each and are limited to three per house or building address. Both mail-in and in-person renewal options are available for qualifying residents. The current Carver parking permit expires December 31, 2020. 

To park longer than an hour between 7 a.m. and midnight, Monday through Saturday, residents must display the Carver permit on their cars.

A resident is either the owner of record or renter of property located within the Restricted Parking district. A City of Richmond Residential Parking Permit Application must be completed and approved prior to decal issuance. To enable the Department of Public Works to verify residency, the following information and photo identification must be provided:
     
Residential property owners must provide either a copy of their real estate bill or other information that verifies ownership of the property.
     
Renters must provide a valid written lease for the property in the Carver parking district, and have the appropriate approval of the property owner on the application they present. 

A resident of the district is defined as an owner of record or renter of property in the district and members of their immediate family who reside with the owner or renter at the address in the District:
(1)    Who are licensed drivers;
           -and-
(2) Whose domicile is the address for which they are seeking to obtain the parking permit.
     
Annual Visitor Passes also are available and limited to two per house or building address at a cost of $35 each. Annual Visitors Passes must be purchased at the same time the Carver permit is purchased and are restricted to residential home owners.

Property owners and renters are required to comply with the residency requirements and the motor vehicle registration requirements of the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.

Residents can get more information, verify residency in the Carver parking district and download an application for mailing in on the City’s website: http://www.richmondgov.com/Parking/CarverDistrict.aspx
     
Carver decals and applications are also available at City Hall, Room 102, 900 E. Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia. The office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Please call 646-5700 if you have any questions.

We’re Social! For updates on DPW-related projects, activities and events visit us on Twitter @DPW_RichmondVA

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The City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is one of only 146 accredited public works agencies in the United States. DPW’s portfolio comprises a wide array of services to include leaf collection; street, sidewalk and alley maintenance;  trash collection; recycling;  urban forestry;  signs; signals and pavement markings;  grass cutting;  graffiti removal;  and parking. In addition, DPW issues permits for working in the city’s right-of-way, manages Richmond’s Bike Share program and maintains the fleet of city vehicles.  DPW’s operating budget comes from the general fund of the City of Richmond.   For more information about DPW services, click here or call 3-1-1.
 

City of Richmond government offices, including City Hall, will be closing at noon on Wednesday, November 25, 2020 and will remain closed Thursday, November 26, through Friday, November 27, 2020 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. City offices will reopen at regular business hours on Monday, November 30, 2020.

The Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ administrative offices will operate from 8 a.m. until Noon on Wednesday. All city community centers will operate from 11:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and will be closed Thursday and Friday.

Richmond Animal Care and Control is currently only available by appointment and will be closed Thursday and Friday. All city libraries will be closed Thursday and Friday. All library branches will resume normal scheduling on Saturday.

This closing will also affect the city’s Solid Waste Management Division. Refuse collection will take place on Wednesday off Thursday and Friday and resume on Saturday, November 28, 2020 at regular schedule from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The East Richmond Road Convenience Center will be closed Thursday and Friday and resume on Saturday, November 28, 2020 on a regular schedule from, 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.

For more information on city services and schedules, please visit RichmondGov.com.

Sale allows city to save more than $41 million in additional interest costs over next 20 years; reduces payment period for new school construction by five years

Follows reaffirmed AA+ bond rating by Fitch and Standard & Poors, Aa1 rating by Moody’s   

Based on a competitive bidding process finalized on November 19, on December 10, 2020, the City of Richmond will close on its $103.5 million tax-exempt General Obligation (GO) Bonds, Series 2020A in order to issue new debt for city and schools projects, and its $51.6 million taxable Series 2020B bonds to refund existing debt service for interest rate savings.
 
Through the tax-exempt bond sale, the city is avoiding about $41.6 million in additional interest payments over the next 20 years compared to previous borrowing assumptions.
 
The overall true interest cost of funds for the city’s 2020A Bonds was approximately 1.42 percent, which is the lowest cost of long-term GO bonds for city and schools projects in the city’s history, other than federally-subsidized Build America bonds issued many years ago.
 
The bond sale follows the city administration’s virtual meetings with all three credit rating agencies, and then the affirmation of the city’s strong bond ratings from each firm attesting to strong financial management. Fitch and S&P reaffirmed their strong ratings on the city’s 2020 GO Bonds at AA+, while Moody’s listed the city as Aa1, consistent with a recent upgrade. 
 
The city’s FY2021 general fund debt service budget presumed 4.0 percent interest on the $50 million portion of the bonds for City CIP projects. Based on the 1.42 percent pricing, the debt service expenses over the next 20 years is estimated to be $15.4 million less than it would be at 4.0 percent.
 
In terms of funding for the recently completed three new schools, $60 million (the remainder of the $150 million plan for Richmond Public Schools) is now locked in for 20 years. That portion will be paid off in 2041, rather than in 2046, per previous projections that also presumed a 5 percent long term rate. To provide some context for cost avoidance, debt service for $60 million over 20 years is $26.2 million less at the 1.42 percent interest rate, compared to 5 percent. This cost avoidance will alleviate long term pressure on the 1.5 percent meals tax levy that has been dedicated to fund the three new schools and has been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
 
The refunding components of the 2020 bonds will result in over $5 million in debt service savings over the next 15 years.
 
“These savings will allow us to pay off debt from the construction of three news schools early and be better prepared to fund future city- and school-related capital projects,” said Mayor Stoney. “The strong credit ratings demonstrate Wall Street’s confidence in the city and its financial management.”
 
Lenora Reid, Acting Chief Administrative Officer, added, “Selling these bonds at remarkably low rates really helps position the city well for our capital spending and will benefit our citizens for many years to come.”

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Click here for application materials 

Applications for the city’s General Fund non-departmental grants, which go to local organizations to fund community-oriented programming, are now available on the city website.
 
Eligible organizations may apply for the city to fund specific programming in three key priority areas: children, youth and education; housing, human services and health; and the arts and culture. Additionally, this application continues to be the form for all quasi-governmental organizations to apply for city funding.
 
This is a one-year funding opportunity for non-profits and public sector organizations working on a grassroots level to promote equity in the City of Richmond.
 
A virtual informational workshop will be held in early December to assist applicants with completing their materials. Information on that opportunity will be available on the same webpage as the application materials, here.
 
All proposal materials are due by 4 p.m. on Friday, December 18, 2020. Late submissions will not be accepted. Applicants should read guidelines carefully, as some materials have changed since last year’s application process.
 
Application materials should be submitted via email at BudgetNDRequests@richmondgov.com. If the applicant is not able to submit materials via email, an in-person drop box will be accessible on the first floor of City Hall from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. December 16-18.
 
Applicants with questions should contact the Office of the Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services at 804-646-3096.

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The Task Force to Reimagine Public Safety today publicized its final recommendations to the Stoney administration.
 
Click here to read the report.
 
The final recommendations come after the task force met twice monthly for three months. The task force’s three subgroups met weekly throughout that time.
 
Statement from Mayor Stoney:
 
“I’m mindful and appreciative of the emphasis the task force placed on equity and restorative justice throughout the process. The report is firmly rooted both in those shared values and an acknowledgement of the difficulty of changemaking on a large, permanent scale. 

“My administration is committed to starting the necessary work to turn these recommendations into the policies, procedures and practices required to make this a safer city for each and every resident.
 
“Building the long-term, innovative, equitable public safety infrastructure envisioned in this report will take sustained effort, community engagement and education, but I have full faith that this community will come to the table to realize this vision.”
 
Statement from Chief of Police Gerald Smith:
 
“Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, do better.” And that’s what Richmond Police wants to be for the residents of Richmond. We want to be better.
 
“Our recent Advanced GOLD Standard Reaccreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies proves Richmond Police is very good when it comes to consistent policies and management practices and provides accountability through checks and balances on all levels of the agency. However, the input of the task force, the voice of the community, is vital to ensure that our work is implemented in the way our community needs and expects.
 
“We look forward to thoroughly evaluating these recommendations to enhance current practices and reimagine public safety with the community.”
 
Statement from DCAO for Human Services Reggie Gordon:
 
“Over the past several months, I have heard many community members, and members of RPD, state that the best solutions for a way forward require an expansion of the role of human services in public safety. This report aligns with that perspective. I look forward to putting these ideas into action.”

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