On January 8, 2026, Mayor Danny Avula announced that City Hall's Observation Deck has reopened to the general public. The 18th floor overlook closed to the general public in 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For decades, the City Hall Observation Deck has been one of Richmond's gems," said Mayor Danny Avula. "It's a place where you can step back, see our city from a new perspective, and appreciate how all our neighborhoods connect in ways that aren't always visible from the ground. Reopening the Observation Deck has been a major goal during my first year in office, and I'm so thrilled that we've been able to put the processes in place to welcome Richmonders back to this special space."

Updating security measures and elevator logistics enabled the reopening. "All our recent changes to City Hall have been about making sure residents and visitors feel welcome in the space," said Director of General Services Gail Johnson. "From our updated signage and new concierge on the first floor to renewed access to the Observation Deck, we want community members to know that this building is for them."

"City Hall is and always will be the people's house," said CAO Odie Donald II. "Opening this space is a reminder that buildings are also places of pride, connection, and perspective to the people they serve. From 18 floors up, you can see just how connected our city truly is-and now we have a safe and welcoming space for the public."

Currently, the Observation Deck is open to the general public from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday (excluding City holidays), weather permitting. Members of the public can access the Observation Deck through a dedicated elevator. Explore the "Visiting City Hall" webpage for more information about reaching the Observation Deck and other City Hall services.

Richmond, VA - The City of Richmond is pleased to announce the appointment of Trinija Martin as the City's new Director of Human Resources, bringing more than 20 years of human resources leadership experience, a strong commitment to public service, and a core focus on workforce excellence.

"Continuously improving service delivery; overseeing the entire employee lifecycle from recruitment, hiring, and onboarding to training, compensation, and performance management; and legal compliance begins and ends with our employees," said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. "Ms. Martin's record illuminates her passion for people and dedication to the communities she's served. I'm excited to have her people centered approach to government managing our City's workforce needs."

Martin is an accomplished executive HR leader and military veteran whose career spans Fortune 500 organizations, like E*trade Financial, and municipal and county governments. Most recently, she served as Deputy Director of Human Resources for Wake County Government, the largest county in North Carolina, where she led enterprise-wide people strategies within one of the state's most complex governmental environments. Prior to Wake County, she served in HR Director role within the City of Waycross, GA, leading comprehensive municipal HR operations and workforce transformation initiatives.

"I believe deeply in the preeminence of character," Martin said. "Titles are rented, but character is owned. I am honored to serve the City of Richmond and look forward to partnering with leadership and employees to build a strong, equitable, and high-performing organization grounded in trust, accountability, and service to our community."

Martin starts in her role with the City of Richmond on January 12, 2026.

Yesterday, I learned about yet another crash in the City in which a driver hit and killed a pedestrian. Richmond Police Department's Crash Team is actively investigating this tragic incident-the second pedestrian death in just over a week.

It's another heartbreaking loss, and my thoughts are with the family of the victim.

Just this past October, on Halloween, one of the deadliest nights of the year for pedestrians, I gathered with community members, advocates, policy makers, members of the City's transportation teams, RPD, and others to reaffirm our commitment to Vision Zero, the City's goal to eliminate traffic deaths.

Today, in light of this recent tragedy, I am asking my team to identify urgent opportunities to improve safety for residents who walk, ride, or roll on the Southside, while also prioritizing critical Vision Zero policies that require longer-term implementation. We know the strategies that work-lowering speed limits in residential areas, creating high-visibility crosswalks, adding curb extensions, creating more protected bike and bus lanes-and we need to move with urgency and precision to focus our investments in the places they will matter most.

As I shared last week, I have also asked my Chief Administrative Officer to consider immediate actions that can increase safety at the downtown intersection on East Broad Street and 10th where a pedestrian was hit and killed by driver while crossing in a crosswalk. I have spoken with VCU Health leadership, and I know VCU is also committed to addressing these safety issues alongside the City.

Finally, I urge every driver: slow down, put your phone away. We cannot accept traffic deaths as normal. The only way we will achieve the goal of zero traffic-related deaths, is by committing to a culture of safety for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians, and changing our behaviors to prioritize safety for all.

-Danny

BPOL tax threshold doubles from $250,000 to $500,000; Filing deadline is Mar. 1, 2026

Richmond, VA - The City's Department of Finance has launched upgrades to its RVA Business Portal (rvapay.rva.gov/bpp), making it easier for businesses to operate, stay compliant, and pay their taxes online and on time. Business owners are encouraged to log in and file their business-related taxes before the Mar. 1 filing deadline.

"Making it easier for people to pay their taxes is smart government. The simpler the process, the easier to comply. When we focus on improving access and removing barriers on the front end, we spend less time (and money) chasing delinquent payments on the back end. This portal is part of that shift-better systems, better service, better outcomes," said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II.

The updated RVA Business Portal includes new features to help make the filing process easier and quicker:

• Copy Assets from Prior Year: For Business Personal Property filers, a new "Copy from 2025" button lets you bring forward all your 2025 assets as a starting point. Descriptions, costs, and depreciation adjust automatically.
• Bill & Payment History: View up to five years of billing and payment history directly in the portal, with options to export to PDF or Excel.
• Exception Dashboard: A new compliance view shows outstanding items at a glance, including unfiled periods, balances due, and missing documentation.
• Enhanced Document Management: Upload and access supporting documents across all your license types from a single account view.

"Richmond's small business community is the backbone of our local economy," said Letitia Shelton, Director of Finance. "The focus on making improvements to our online systems will make it easier to conduct business in the city."

Additionally, beginning January 1, 2026, the Business, Professional, and Occupational License (BPOL) tax threshold doubles from $250,000 to $500,000. The change means thousands of Richmond businesses with gross receipts between $5,000 and $500,000 will now pay only a $30 flat license fee. The increase, approved through ORD. 2024-187, is designed to reduce the compliance burden on small businesses while maintaining essential City services.

Business owners can access the portal at rvapay.rva.gov/bpp or schedule virtual or in-person appointments at rva.gov/finance. Questions can be directed to RVA 311 at 804-646-7000 or rva311.com.

All consent order requirements have been met, switchgear project completed

Richmond, VA - One year after a major water system failure, Mayor Danny Avula marks a year of decisive action that has strengthened the region's water system, restored compliance, and significantly improved preparedness for the future.

Over the past 12 months, the City has completed infrastructure upgrades, met all consent order requirements, and rebuilt leadership and operations across the Department of Public Utilities. Richmond's water treatment plant is safe, resilient, and better prepared to serve residents and regional customers through day-to-day operations, extreme weather, and emergencies.

Mayor Danny Avula said, "One year ago, we faced a challenge that tested our community. Today, I can confidently say that Richmond is stronger than ever. We've invested in people, processes, and technology to ensure safe, reliable water for every resident and our regional customers. Last year was incredibly difficult, but it is firmly in the rearview mirror."

A Year of Action and Improvement

Since January 2025, Mayor Avula and his team, including Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald and Scott Morris, Director, Department of Public Utilities (DPU), have implemented sweeping changes to ensure reliability and resilience, beginning with rebuilding leadership and operational capacity.

Department of Public Utilities (DPU) Director Scott Morris, a professional engineer hired by Mayor Avula in January 2025, emphasized the department's shift in approach: "We've taken every lesson from last year and turned it into action. Our systems are upgraded, our leadership is stronger, and our focus is now on prevention, not just reacting to a crisis. Our commitment is delivering excellence. I'm proud of the team for the work it took to get us here, and the future of DPU."

The restructured DPU leadership team now brings over 140 years of combined experience, most of it from professional engineers. New Deputy Directors oversee Water Operations, Compliance, Engineering Services, Administration, and Customer Service, supported by senior staff at the Water Treatment Plant. Additional operators have been added to every shift to strengthen operational capacity.

Since the January 2025 water outage, DPU has advanced a series of capital and infrastructure improvements focused on strengthening the physical systems that keep the Water Treatment Plant operating safely and reliably. These investments modernize core electrical and pumping systems, add redundancy, and strengthen containment to build a more resilient plant.

Key 2025 infrastructure upgrades include:

• Upgrades to SCADA and filter uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems to increase runtime capacity
• Replacement and repair of filter effluent valves
• Ongoing integration of backup generators
• Repair of leaks and construction of additional secondary containment
• Redesign of overflow pumping systems
• Replacement or repair of finished water pumps

These efforts culminated in November 2025 with completion of the long-term switchgear project, delivering a critical infrastructure safeguard that did not exist during the January water outage. The newly installed and fully tested Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) ensures uninterrupted power to the Water Treatment Plant even in the event of primary and secondary power loss. This milestone significantly strengthens system reliability and represents a major step forward in modernizing Richmond's water infrastructure.

Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald said, "A commitment to excellence and accountability has guided each and every decision made during this past year as we continue to improve the water system. Richmonders deserve nothing less. Our best-in-class compliance rate and impactful capital improvement projects are proof of our commitment to Richmond residents and our willingness to do the hard things that improve the services we provide. That's our commitment to a Thriving Richmond."

100% of Consent Order Requirements Have Been Met

Additional key milestones achieved over the past year include:

• 93% of all internal and external recommendations (EPA, VDH, HNTB, SEH) have been completed; remaining items are tied to planned capital projects.
• All consent order requirements have been met, with the latest quarterly update submitted October 10, 2025.
• Continued compliance with the EPA required Consumer Confidence Report, which was submitted ahead of schedule and notes 100% compliance with all federal and state Safe Drinking Water Act Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for the reporting period.

Prepared for the Future

Richmond's water system is now equipped with redundant systems, strengthened emergency and communication plans, and a highly trained workforce prepared to respond quickly and effectively to any potential disruption.

Regional Coordination and Partnerships

Over the past year, the City strengthened coordination with state and regional partners to improve shared infrastructure planning, emergency preparedness, and long-term resilience.

The City worked closely with state and regional partners through regular meetings and coordinated capital planning efforts, including:

• May 30: Initial Capital Improvement Program (CIP) coordination meeting with regional partners
• June 30: Joint convening of Richmond and Henrico bodies
• August 18: Follow-up regional CIP meeting
• August 25: Regional emergency preparedness exercise
• September 30: Coordinated field testing along the 36" Hermitage Road water transmission main with Richmond, Hanover, and Henrico

"I appreciate that Mayor Avula and his team have been working assiduously on remedying this. Unfortunately, our water infrastructure is old and outdated and it will take time-and money-to fix it. I'm committed to making that happen so no one ever goes without access to clean, safe water again. As you probably remember, sadly, some of our neighboring communities were also impacted, and I am committed to working with my regional colleagues to fix this for the entire area and to ensure we all have a first class, modern water infrastructure that cannot and will not fail us," said Delegate Betsy Carr, Virginia House of Delegates.

With operational improvements, compliance goals, and leadership changes in place, Richmond is better prepared than ever to protect public health and deliver safe, reliable water to the communities it serves. This year of progress reflects the City's commitment to getting the fundamentals right and building a Thriving Richmond for today and the future. One year later, Richmond's water system is stronger, safer, and ready.

Photos available for use