New policy establishes clear protections, limits City’s role in federal immigration enforcement, and ensures access to City services regardless of immigration status

Richmond, VA - Today, Mayor Avula, Councilmember Nicole Jones, members of Richmond City Council, City Administration, and community partners announced the launch of the City of Richmond’s Trust Policy, a new policy designed to protect immigrant and refugee residents, strengthen trust in local government, and ensure that every resident can access city services without fear.  

The Trust Policy establishes clear expectations for how City departments and employees interact with residents and handle personal information and reflects Richmond’s commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive city while ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state laws.  

The policy builds on Resolution No. 2026-033, introduced by Councilmember Jones and unanimously adopted by Richmond City Council. It was developed over several months through the Inclusive Communities Work Group, established by Mayor Avula in January to identify concrete steps the City could take to better support immigrant and refugee residents. 

The Trust Policy establishes the following protections and expectations: 

• Residents can access City services, benefits, and public facilities regardless of immigration status. 
• City employees may not request, access, or disclose certain personal information except when authorized or required by law and City policy  
• City personnel and resources will not be used to assist federal civil immigration enforcement except where required by law.  
• Richmond Police officers will not serve as federal immigration enforcement officers. 
• City employees may not threaten, coerce, or deny services based on a person’s actual or perceived citizenship or immigration status. 
• The prohibition of certain actions based on a person's citizenship or immigration status, including threats or coercion 
• That the Administration will establish guidance, training, and accountability requirements for City departments and employees  

The City will continue to comply with applicable federal and state laws, judicial warrants, and subpoenas requiring City action. The policy applies to departments and agencies under the authority of the Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer. 

Implementation and next steps  

The City is beginning a comprehensive implementation process to ensure the policy is consistently understood and followed across City government, with the goal of full implementation by the end of 2026. 

The implementation process includes training for more than 4,000 City employees, developing additional standard operating procedures and administrative guidance, and providing employees with clear instructions for responding to encounters with federal immigration enforcement officials. 

The policy is also being translated into seven languages: Spanish, French, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Brazilian Portuguese. 

The City will continue working with immigrant and refugee community organizations to gather feedback, identify additional needs, and strengthen implementation. 

Today's announcement took place at Southside Plaza, home to the City's Office of Immigrant and Refugee Engagement (OIRE). The location reflects the City's broader efforts to make services more accessible by bringing City offices and resources closer to the communities they serve. 

The Trust Policy advances Pillar 5 of Mayor Avula's Mayoral Action Plan: building a thriving and inclusive Richmond where all residents have the opportunity to feel safe, valued, and connected to their community. 

Quotes and Statements from 10/19 Press Event  

“The Trust Policy conveys our unequivocal commitment to ensuring that every resident in our city, and especially Richmond's immigrant community, feels safe, feels welcome, and feels protected,” said Richmond City Council President Cynthia Newbille. “We are committed to ensure that every resident in our city, feel safe, welcome, and protected.”

”This policy started with the residents who helped make it happen, and today we get to celebrate together.  When we talk about building trust and community, we're talking about making sure every resident feels safe and supported. Neighborhood safety means every person feels safe calling for help, reporting a crime, or coming forward as a witness,” said Richmond City Councilmember Nicole Jones, 9 th District . “We cannot have safe neighborhoods when some of our neighbors are afraid to pick up the phone. A well-rounded life means being able to take your kids to school, go to work, see a doctor, and participate in the life of this city without looking over your shoulder. Thank you to everyone who has been part of bringing the Trust Policy forward.” 

“When I took office, I made a commitment that Richmond would be a city where every resident feels welcome, valued, and safe,” said Mayor Danny Avula . “As an immigrant myself, this commitment is deeply personal. Our immigrant and refugee neighbors are an essential part of what makes Richmond such a vibrant and special city and so today, with the launch of our Trust Policy, we’re taking an important step toward putting that commitment into practice. We’ll continue to do the work every day to serve, protect, and earn the trust of our immigrant and refugee neighbors.” 

"This policy is about turning our commitment to inclusive communities into clear, consistent practices across City government,” said Amy Popovich, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for Human Services . “We’ve spent months working across departments, reviewing policies, and engaging community partners, and now our focus is on implementation: making sure employees understand their responsibilities, residents know what they can expect, and our services are accessible to everyone who needs them.” 

“We want every resident to feel safe calling us for help, reporting crime, or speaking with an officer. RPD’s focus is, and always will be, protecting the people of Richmond and working in partnership with the communities we serve. Our officers do not participate in federal immigration enforcement, and the new Trust Policy makes that even clearer,” said RPD Chief Rick Edwards. 

Djakaria Konate, President, African Community Network and 26 year veteran of the United States Army said during his remarks, ““The Trust Policy is well overdue. It is what I call the beginning of the end. The end of the dark era of systemic exclusions and the beginning of era of mutual trust and integration. My story, I'm sharing this because it's the story of many immigrants. We are contributing to the economy and social fabric of this nation. And many immigrants live right here in Richmond. So many immigrants are hardworking, decent individual. They are nurses, physicians, engineers, construction workers, and farm workers. They are never deterred by bad weather, by the pandemic, by low paying jobs, or discrimination, they face day to day. Many of us live in fear and anxiety today. Nobody is exempt, regardless of your immigration status. Hopefully, this policy will lower their fear and anxiety, make them more productive member of the society.” 

Carolina Luna, District 9 President, Latinx Hispanic Civic Association said in her remarks, “Becoming a USA citizens in 2017 was a proud milestone. But my heart was never left out for my neighbors who are still building a life here. Seeing the Trust Policy brings a deep relief and hope. Trust is everything. For us as the 1st Latin Civic Association, having RPD and the fire department, also all the city departments, doing meetings, cleanups, and community events is the best way to show our community that we are safe, protected, and supported. Thank you to everyone who continues to choose dignity and safety for all of Richmond.”  

Visit go.rva.gov/trust to read the Trust Policy. 

Family-friendly event features lead free water updates from DPU, lead poisoning prevention awareness from VDH, interactive activities for children and costume fun

Richmond, VA — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU), in partnership with the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), will host a community-wide Lead Awareness Resource Fair on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. This hands-on event coincides with the National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (NLPPW) taking place the last full week of October. This year’s NLPPW theme, Be a Hero: Keep Kids Safe from Lead, aims to highlight how communities can reduce children's exposure to lead and prevent its harmful health effects.

The event is designed as a family-friendly evening of education and guidance, bringing together city officials, health experts, and local organizations to help residents protect their homes and children from lead hazards.

Protecting families from lead exposure is the ultimate goal, as lead is dangerous and poses significant health risks, particularly to infants, young children, pregnant women and the elderly. 

To address these risks, the resource fair will highlight critical community protection initiatives:
•    Lead Free Water Initiative:  The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities Lead Free Water Program is now transitioning to a targeted, block-by-block strategy to identify lead in residential service lines. Identifying where lead and galvanized pipes are will help us plan the equity-first Lead Service Line Replacement strategy beginning in 2027. 

•    Service Line Inventory Map: Residents are invited to participate in learning about and checking on their property’s service line status on the City’s Interactive Water Service Line Inventory Map. DPU staff will be at this event to help residents with lead identification and mitigation resources.  

•    VDH Lead Awareness: VDH’s Environmental Public Health Tracking Program will provide data insights on lead exposure and Office of Drinking water will share actionable guidance on mitigating lead in water hazards.

This is sure to be a fun and educational evening for families. Parents and kids are encouraged to embrace the theme by dressing up as their favorite superhero or in any fun fall costume! Families can gather important health and safety information, while enjoying hands-on activities, educational games, community resources and a few pieces of seasonal candy. 

In addition to DPU and VDH, partner organizations in attendance will include:

•    Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) Lead Hazard Reduction Program 
•    project:HOMES 
•    Educational resource providers and more

Event Details 
•    What: National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week Resource Fair: “Be A Hero” – Keep Kids Safe from Lead  
•    When: Wednesday, October 28, 2026, from 5:30pm – 8:00pm.  
•    Where: Henry Marsh Elementary, 813 N 28th St, Richmond, VA 23223, Richmond, Virginia  
•    Who Should Attend: Families, children, homeowners, renters and community members  
•    Cost: Free and open to the public  
•    Highlights: Superhero & fall costume encouragement, free raffles, finger food, candy and interactive family activities  

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.

About Virginia Department of Health (VDH)
The Virginia Department of Health works to protect the health and well-being of all Virginians through public health tracking, drinking water safety programs and lead exposure prevention initiatives.

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City Seeks Public Input on Richmond’s First Pedestrian Safety Master Plan

Community feedback will help identify pedestrian needs and inform priorities for future safety investments throughout Richmond 

RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond Department of Transportation (RDOT) is inviting Richmonders to help shape the City’s first Pedestrian Safety Master Plan, a citywide effort to make walking and rolling safer, more accessible and better connected throughout Richmond.

The Pedestrian Safety Master Plan will evaluate existing pedestrian conditions, identify gaps and barriers in the pedestrian network and establish priorities for future pedestrian safety and accessibility improvements for people of all ages and abilities. The completed plan will provide a citywide framework for identifying needs, prioritizing improvements and informing future project development. The plan supports Richmond’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

RDOT wants to understand where people experience challenges walking and rolling in Richmond, from missing or difficult-to-navigate sidewalks and crossings to accessibility barriers, lighting concerns , and gaps in connectivity.

“The Pedestrian Safety Master Plan is such an important step in getting us closer to our Vision Zero goal of eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries. We’d love to hear from as many Richmonders as possible so that we can make our streets safer for everyone,” said Mayor Danny Avula. 

“Walking is the foundation of our transportation system,” said Andy Boenau, Director of the Richmond Department of Transportation. “We want to hear directly from residents, businesses, and community stakeholders. That input will help us develop a thoughtful, data-informed approach to pedestrian safety.”

RDOT will consider community feedback alongside crash data, existing infrastructure conditions, accessibility needs and other technical analyses to identify pedestrian safety needs and establish priorities for future improvements.

Take the survey, here. Survey closes November 19, 2026 .

The public engagement process builds on RDOT’s ongoing pedestrian safety efforts. 

• On July 9, RDOT hosted a community conversation with University of Virginia historian and author Peter Norton exploring Richmond’s transportation history and how lessons from the past can help inform safer and more accessible streets. The discussion connected Richmond’s transportation history with development of the Pedestrian Safety Master Plan and the City’s broader Vision Zero commitment. 
• On August 13, RDOT hosted another community conversation with a workshop on the role of transit as a natural extension of walking with Scudder Wagg, president of Jarrett Walker and Associates. 
• On October 1, RDOT hosted a third conversation in the series with special guests Victor Dover and John Massengale on what good street design does for future city growth and sustainability. Their work shows how the design of everyday streets determines whether a city feels safe, inviting and livable. 

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For more information about the Department of Transportation, visit www.rva.gov/public-works or email AskPublicWorks@rva.gov.  

Follow RDOT on social media for updates on projects, events and initiatives: on Instagram and X at RVA_DOT.  

Richmond, Va. — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is continuing efforts to improve billing and payment processes to enhance the customer experience. As part of these improvements, DPU is transitioning to a 25-day payment due date cycle.   

Under the new payment due date cycle, customer payments will be due 25 days after the bill date, rather than a 30-day timeframe. Customers will still be billed monthly, with the typical billing frequency (averaging 30 days) remaining unchanged. 

DPU benchmarked with electric, telecommunication and other utilities and the updated payment cycle aligns with industry practices. This change creates a more effective window for payments to be received and processed by financial institutions before the next bill is generated. It will also help reduce instances in which a new bill is issued while a payment on the previous bill is still being processed, providing customers with clearer and more current account information.

I’m thankful for the continued march along the path of improvement in utility service delivery,” said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. “This change is a key step in making the customer experience reliable, responsive, and easy to navigate with the needs of Richmonders top of mind.”

“We have the opportunity to take a fresh look at how our billing and payment processes work from beginning to end as we focus on the needs of our customers,” said DPU  Director Scott Morris. “Moving to a 25-day payment cycle will provide a clearer window for payments to be processed and applied before the next bill is generated. It is one of the ways we are continuing to refine our processes and provide customers with more accurate, timely account information.”

Customers who use automatic payments or other scheduled payment methods are encouraged to review their payment settings and upcoming bill due dates to ensure funds are available. Customers who make payments through their financial institution should also allow sufficient time for their payment to be transmitted to and received by DPU.

Payment due dates will transition to a 25‑day cycle over multiple billing periods. In October the payment window will shift to 27 days for November due dates. The final transition to the 25‑day payment timeframe will occur in November for December due dates. This phased approach will allow customers time to gradually adjust. Customers will see their specific payment due date on their DPU bill.

For additional information about DPU billing and payment options, visit www.rva.gov/public-utilities/billing

A Thriving Richmond 

Mayor Avula applauded the jointly-sponsored RES. 2026-R038, endorsing the City of Richmond’s legislative agenda for the 2027 Virginia General Assembly session. The resolution sets forth legislative proposals and requests the Richmond delegation to the General Assembly “to take legislative action consistent with and in vigorous support of such recommendations; to support other legislative action recommendations; and to encourage other organizations and individuals to support such recommendations.”  

 "My administration and City Council are committed to advocating for our residents' together and maximizing what we can accomplish in partnership with the Commonwealth,” said Mayor Danny Avula . “In the past, Richmond often had a divided agenda. Today, we’re moving forward with a clear set of priorities that reflect what our residents need and deserve.” The resolution identifies budget and legislative priorities and the City’s policies positions for the coming 2027 General Assembly session.  

Thriving City Hall 

Council also voted 7-2 to support Mayor Avula’s ORD. 2026-081to establish an updated approach for publishing the City’s payment register to promote transparency and accountability of public funds. Earlier this year, Mayor Avula proposed the ordinance to establish an updated approach to publishing the City’s payment register, with the goal of increasing public access to payment data while ensuring the system is practical, accurate, and compliant with privacy laws. The Avula administration is committed to maximum transparency, especially when it comes to City expenditures, while honoring individuals’ legitimate privacy concerns and data security protocols. 

“I’m extremely proud of our team for working through a long-standing, inherited, and very complicated pain point and finding a path forward that provides proactive public access to the City’s spending data,” said Mayor Avula. 

Publication had been suspended prior to Mayor Avula’s administration. In June, the City published the FY25 payment register. The FY26 Payment Register will be available on the City’s Open Data Portal by December 27, 2026 in accordance with the 90-day implementation period established in the ordinance. Additionally, the monthly publication of the register, starting with July, August, and September 2026, will be available on the Open Data Portal by the end of calendar year 2026.  

Thriving Families 

 A series of ordinances introduced by Mayor Avula were adopted to support Richmond families experiencing financial hardship and housing instability.  

ORD. 2026-282 provides $700,000 to Area Congregations Together in Services (ACTS) to administer the City’s Family Crisis Fund, an initiative which provides emergency financial assistance to families in need. The ordinances also extend an agreement with HomeAgain to continue operating a 50-bed, year-round emergency shelter for families through November 30, 2027.