RICHMOND, Va. — The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities (DPU), in partnership with TY Lin, has been recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Metropolitan Washington (ACEC/MW) with 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards for two major infrastructure projects: Mayo Island Park Design and Chimborazo Drop Shaft & Sewer Replacement.

The Mayo Island Park Design project supports the City’s vision for revitalized public park spaces. The Chimborazo Drop Shaft & Sewer Replacement project strengthens critical wastewater infrastructure and enhances system reliability that protects the James River and public health.
The awards were presented during the ACEC/MW 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards ceremony on Dec. 16, 2025, honoring projects that demonstrate exceptional engineering achievement, innovation and collaboration.

Scott Morris, Director of the Department of Public Utilities remarks, “These projects show how engineering excellence translates into real world benefits for our community. These projects not only strengthen essential infrastructure systems, but also enhance the spaces Richmond residents use every day”
“These awards reflect the strength of our partnerships and the dedication of the teams working to improve Richmond’s infrastructure,” said Laura Bendernagel, Deputy Director, Senior, Engineering Services. “Both projects required thoughtful planning, technical expertise and close coordination, and we are proud to see that work recognized at the regional level.”

DPU extends its appreciation to TY Lin for its service and collaboration throughout the design and delivery of both projects. The Department also recognizes City of Richmond
DPU Project Managers Susan Hamilton and Howard Glenn, along with the broader DPU project team, for their leadership and commitment to excellence.
The City of Richmond DPU remains committed to delivering high-quality, resilient infrastructure projects that support public health, environmental stewardship and quality of life for Richmond residents.

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.

Richmond, VA - The City of Richmond's Deputy Chief Administrative Officer of Operations, Al Wiggins Jr., has completed the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA) City/County Manager Symposium, an ICMA-credentialed executive development program designed for senior-level public sector leaders.

This year's cohort represented a broad cross-section of high-impact public professionals from Florida, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Arkansas, and Virginia, including city and county executives, elected leadership professionals, and senior airport management professionals. The cohort convened at the University of Georgia for advanced executive training, strategic collaboration, and peer learning.

The symposium delivered exclusive executive-level coursework aligned to ICMA's core leadership competencies. Wiggins completed the following advanced modules:

• Executive Self-Awareness and Cognitive Leadership
• Emotional Intelligence for Public Sector Executives
• Ethics, Governance, and Executive Judgment
• Transformational Change and Adaptive Leadership
• Organizational Culture Diagnostics and Enterprise Scanning
• Strategic Planning for Government Executives
• Executive Case Analysis and Application

"This program reinforced the disciplines required to lead complex municipal systems, drive cross-departmental performance, and respond to the evolving expectations of our communities," DCAO Al Wiggins said.

Graduates exit the program with strengthened executive competencies, an expanded strategic lens, and a national cohort of peers, including elected officials and airport-sector executives committed to excellence in public administration.

"Quality training experiences and professional development opportunities like this one are critical to a thriving City Hall and to making the City of Richmond an excellent place to work," said Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald II. "In fact, delivering white-glove service to our residents requires us to continually invest in our staff-and I plan to ensure all department heads engage in leadership training from internationally recognized organizations, just like ICMA."

Posted December 22, 2025

~ Community input needed by January 16, 2026 ~

Richmond, VA – The Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is inviting the community to share their input on making Richmond’s intersections safer through low-cost/high-impact engineering treatments. Feedback from both surveys will help inform projects throughout the city.

Data shows that since 2017, intersections have been the location of 82 percent of all fatal and serious injury crashes in Richmond. Intersections require special attention because they involve multiple conflict points among all modes of travel. At any given time, people are walking, rolling, cycling, and driving in multiple directions at various speeds. 

Survey #1: 

This survey focuses on improving safety at intersections using Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper (LQC) approaches. LQC is a planning and design strategy that allows the city to test and refine safety ideas quickly, using low-cost, flexible materials such as paint, flexible posts, signs, and temporary curb elements. These improvements can be adjusted over time based on how they perform and on community feedback. 

Survey Link #1: https://arcg.is/1W0en5

Survey #2: 

This survey highlights more than 400 quick-build intersection improvements across Richmond. Safety improvements include:

• Left-turn hardening (85 intersections)
• Low-cost improvements (275 intersections)
• High-visibility crosswalks (58 intersections)

Left-turn hardening is a low-cost, quick-build traffic calming measure that uses modular curbs and striping to reduce left-turning speeds and prevent “corner cutting” by people who drive. The installations minimize the conflict area between turning vehicles and people walking, rolling, or biking.

Survey Link #2: https://arcg.is/0fSTnn1

LQC approaches are often used to test and refine safety concepts, while quick-build projects apply proven designs to deliver improvements at scale. Together, these strategies allow Richmond to improve street safety faster, more affordably, and with greater community input.

Community feedback from these surveys will help DPW:

• Improve safety for all road users
• Prioritize locations with the greatest safety needs
• Deliver safety benefits quickly and equitably

Both surveys are open now, and responses must be submitted by January 16, 2026.

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The City of Richmond Department of Public Works (DPW) is one of only 225 currently 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; grass cutting; graffiti removal; parking enforcement; urban forestry; street signs; traffic signals and pavement markings and civil engineering. In addition, DPW issues permits for working in the city’s right-of-way; manages Main Street Station, the RVA Bike Share program. DPW’s operating budget comes from the general fund of the City of Richmond. The Department’s mission is to provide a clean, safe, and healthy environment.  For more information about DPW services, click here or call 3-1-1

The LQC program is a key initiative in the city’s efforts to promote transportation equity, improve public safety, and foster community engagement in urban planning. As the first phase of the Richmond Connects implementation process, LQC aims to address pressing safety concerns and provide more immediate solutions while longer-term, permanent infrastructure changes are being developed. Although LQC projects are not intended to replace permanent infrastructure, they provide essential, timely improvements to make streets safer and more accessible in the interim. For more information go to rva.gov/public-works/lqc

Inspections lead to closure of 18 vape shops, seizure of illegal weapons

Richmond, VA - On December 19, Mayor Danny Avula, Richmond Police Department Chief Rick Edwards, and Planning and Development Review Director Kevin Vonck announced Operation Vaporize, the City's coordinated operation to enforce zoning, building, and safety code requirements at vape shop retail establishments.

Operation Vaporize focuses on ensuring compliance with local and state regulations, including the Code of Virginia §15.2-907 and Richmond City Code §11-155. Inspection teams from Richmond Police, Fire, Planning and Development Review, Zoning, and Finance conduct routine inspections and issue violations when businesses fail to meet requirements. In some cases, inspections have uncovered evidence of suspected criminal activity. When that occurs, RPD seeks search warrants, which have resulted in seizures of illegal weapons, drugs, and illicit currency. To date, Operation Vaporize has inspected 30 vape shops, issuing 274 violations. Eighteen businesses have been placarded and closed until they meet full compliance with zoning, building, and health and safety requirements.

Results to Date: 

• 30 vape shops inspected
• 274 violations issued
• 18 businesses closed
• 17 RPD led-search warrants conducted
• 31 illegal firearms recovered
• Over 100 lbs. of bulk marijuana and illegal THC products seized
• Over $60,000 in illicit currently seized

"Protecting the health and safety of our community, especially our young people, is non-negotiable. As a public health doctor and dad, I know the risks illegal vape products pose. Most businesses follow the rules. For those who choose not to, we will enforce our codes to keep Richmond families safe," said Mayor Danny Avula.

"I appreciate all the good work done by the folks from the Richmond Police Department and departments across the city to address the issues created by vape shops operating illegally. We will continue to press our multi-prong approach and look forward to continued success with our partners," said Richmond Police Department Chief Edwards.

"To protect the health and safety of all our residents, the City has an obligation to ensure all businesses are both zoning and building code compliant. We are willing to educate and worth with owners on how to correct violations in a timely manner," said Director Kevin Vonck, Director of Planning and Development Review.

For more information: Operation Vaporize Presentation from 12/19/2025 Press Conference

City of Richmond Operation Vaporize Inspection Video from 12/19/2025 Press Conference

The Municipal Investment Fund Market Building Grant provides resources to build a pipeline of clean energy projects, which will create jobs, reduce energy prices, and help Richmond take control of its energy future.

RICHMOND, VA (Dec. 15, 2025) - As rising electricity rates continue to put economic pressure on households and businesses, the need for affordable, effective energy that allows Richmond to meet its climate goals by 2050 grows.

To address this need, The City of Richmond in partnership with the Community Climate Collaborative (C3), has been selected as part of a highly competitive, nationwide strategy to be one of the 52 initial cohort communities to receive a grant of $250,000 from the Coalition for Green Capital's Municipal Investment Fund (MIF). Funded by the Coalition for Green Capital, the MIF is seeding green financing at the community level across the U.S to secure local clean energy access and advance local solutions.

The City and C3's partnership will focus on building a self-sustaining market for clean solar and battery power, one that looks past the tax-credit era and into the future. "Clean energy, like solar power and battery storage, has tremendous economic benefits, but it remains out of reach for a wide swath of our community members. As tax credits expire, we need to look ahead to community-level financing solutions that make solar and battery storage available to those who currently can't afford them. Richmond's MIF award will enable the City to engage a wide array of stakeholders in creating these financing programs, and planning to get them in the hands of the residents and businesses that are most in need of lower bills and backup power," states Coles Jennings, Director of Corporate Sustainability, Community Climate Collaborative.

Over the next six months, C3 and the City of Richmond will be working on a public-private partnership (P3) plan that will connect private investment and government support to grow the Richmond area solar and battery power market.

Dawn Oleksy, Energy Program Manager at the Office of Sustainability for the City of Richmond, believes, "This foundational investment is a powerful step toward a cleaner, more equitable and sustainable Richmond. It directly supports two pillars of the City's strategic plan - Thriving and Inclusive Communities and a Thriving and Sustainable Built Environment. With support from the Municipal Investment Fund, we are excited to build a local clean energy economy that advances solar installations, develops the necessary workforce, and continues the important work of building a healthier, more resilient future for every Richmond resident."

"At the Community Climate Collaborative (C3), we believe in the power of communities. We are thrilled that Richmond was selected for a Municipal Investment Fund grant. This opportunity has the potential to accelerate solar and battery deployment across the City while offering new career opportunities for its residents," adds Susan Kruse, Executive Director, Community Climate Collaborative. Identifying the opportunities and challenges associated with developing a strong clean energy project pipeline in Richmond can be a game-changer for Richmond residents' access to clean energy.

The team is thrilled to be bringing this project to the Richmond area and looks forward to working with the Richmond community to build a brighter, cleaner, and more prosperous future. C3 and the City of Richmond encourage financial service providers, building owners and developers, solar developers, and others with an interest in expanding Richmond's solar capabilities to reach out to the project team through this project inquiry form. 

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About Community Climate Collaborative

The Community Climate Collaborative aims to bring communities together to lead on climate by working closely with schools, businesses, residents, and local governments to implement carbon emissions reductions, develop climate action plans, and enact equitable policies that accelerate climate action. Visit theclimatecollaborative.org.