Richmond City Council adopts school funding work group timeline, approves study of photo speed cameras and passes consent agenda

The Richmond City Council on Monday approved an amended resolution directing the city administration to convene a work group with Richmond Public Schools to draft a funding formula and implementation plan for school operating expenses, approved an amended resolution to study and expand photo speed monitoring at high-risk intersections, and passed a broad consent agenda of ordinances and resolutions.

The council amended resolution 2025‑R23 to change the date for when the administration must provide an implementation plan recommendation to the mayor, council and school board from Aug. 30 to Oct. 15; the amendment was presented by Megan Brown, director of budget and strategic planning. Council also amended and adopted resolution 2024‑R41 to broaden the scope of a study on installing photo speed monitoring devices and to request the CAO identify additional locations and consider increasing the number of devices.

Both amended resolutions were adopted unanimously by members present. Council members who sponsored or moved the amendments spoke briefly in support of the measures, noting the city and schools’ need for more predictable funding and additional traffic‑safety tools, respectively.

Council approved the evening’s consent agenda, which included multiple ordinances and resolutions introduced earlier on the docket. The clerk read the consent items into the record; because public comment in opposition was not presented for those items, the council proceeded to a roll‑call vote and adopted the consent agenda as presented.

Several individual ordinance items and resolutions were amended or continued to future meetings. Council voted to amend and continue ordinance 2025‑80 (special use for 418 Hunt Avenue) to the July 28 meeting to modify plans, terms and conditions. Other agenda amendments were read into the record and adopted by the council at the start of the meeting.

Votes at a glance - Motion to approve Councilor Ellen Robertson’s remote participation by electronic communication — approved (roll call recorded in meeting). - Agenda amendments — adopted (roll call recorded). - Consent agenda — adopted (items listed below; roll call recorded). - Motion to amend and continue ordinance 2025‑80 (special use 418 Hunt Ave.) to July 28 — mover: Councilmember Gibson; second: Councilmember Abubaker; outcome: approved. - Motion to amend resolution 2025‑R23 (work group with RPS; change implementation recommendation date to Oct. 15) — mover: Councilmember Lynch; second: Mister Breton; outcome: adopted as amended. - Motion to amend resolution 2024‑R41 (study and installation of photo speed monitoring devices; broaden study scope) — mover: Councilmember Jones; second: Councilmember Trammell; outcome: adopted as amended.

Items on the consent agenda (as read into the record) Ordinances: 2025‑078; 2025‑084; 2025‑121; 2025‑122; 2025‑123; 2025‑124; 2025‑125; 2025‑126; 2025‑127; 2025‑128; 2025‑129; 2025‑130; 2025‑131; 2025‑132; 2025‑133; 2025‑134; 2025‑135; 2025‑137; 2025‑139; 2025‑140; 2025‑141; 2025‑142; 2025‑143 (as listed by the clerk). Resolutions: 2025‑R023; 2025‑R024; 2025‑R025; 2025‑R026; 2025‑R029 (as listed by the clerk). Details for each ordinance/resolution were not specified during the public hearing on the consent agenda and are recorded as introduced by the clerk.

What the council said Megan Brown, the city’s director of budget and strategic planning, told the council the only substantive change to the school‑funding resolution was to move the recommendation date to Oct. 15 to give staff additional time given the paper’s recent introduction.

Procedural notes Where vote tallies were read aloud, the clerk recorded each member’s response as part of the public record; the transcript shows affirmative votes for the amended measures and the consent agenda by the members present. Multiple items were continued or scheduled for amendment and return at future meetings, including July 7 and July 28 dates.

The council did not receive virtual public commenters on the consent agenda items during the public hearing for that portion of the meeting.