Richmond City Commission adopts vacant-property, tobacco and multiple administrative orders; holds first reading on recovery-residence rules

At a Richmond City Board of Commissioners meeting, the commission approved a package of ordinances, personnel actions, contracts and purchases affecting downtown property maintenance, public health policy and municipal operations.

The commission voted unanimously to adopt Ordinance 25-12, which establishes an abandoned-and-vacant property registration program for the Richmond Historic District. The ordinance requires owners to register vacant properties (residential registration carries no fee; commercial vacancies in the historical district face graduated fees up to $3,500 for five to nine years vacant), requires visible contact postings and establishes maintenance standards for exterior and structural safety. City staff told commissioners the ordinance is intended to discourage long-term blight and encourage re-use.

The commission also adopted Ordinance 25-13, an amendment to the city’s smoking ordinance that adds an exemption for a qualifying “retail tobacco store.” The ordinance defines a retail tobacco store as an establishment that generates greater than 40% of annual local gross sales from the…