Richmond council introduces ordinance 20 25 0 5 7; refers it to Organizational Development Committee

The Richmond City Council introduced Ordinance number 20 25 0 5 7 during a special meeting and referred it to the Organizational Development Committee for review, the clerk said.

The measure will be considered by the Organizational Development Committee at 4 p.m. on Sept. 2, after which it is scheduled to return to the council for a decision on Sept. 8, the clerk said. The clerk also said a copy of the agenda listing the ordinance was available at the rear of the council chamber and that an electronic copy and the full text of the ordinance would be posted on the city’s website before the close of business today.

Why it matters: Introducing an ordinance and referring it to committee begins the formal review process and sets the timeline for public vetting and council consideration. Council members and staff were directed to review written responses provided by Chief Administrative Officer Odie Donald and to send additional questions to him before the committee meeting.

During the meeting the clerk noted that the list of legislation for introduction consisted of a single ordinance and that it was “hereby introduced as presented.” For the record, the clerk also noted that Council Member Lynch, Councilor Gibson and Councilor Abubaca were not in attendance.

No public debate on the ordinance’s substance was recorded at the special meeting. The clerk and the chief administrative officer supplied procedural information and written answers to previously submitted questions; no formal vote on the ordinance’s merits occurred at this session.

Next steps: The ordinance will be reviewed by the Organizational Development Committee on Sept. 2 at 4 p.m.; the council is scheduled to consider final action on Sept. 8. Staff advised council members to review the CAO’s responses and submit any follow-up questions to Odie Donald in the interim.