Boards, Commissions and Committee Leadership
Vice President of City Council - 2021-2023, and various committee chairs
Presently
Chair, Community Wealth Building Citizen Advisory Board
Chair, Affordable Housing Trust Fund Board
Vice Chair, City Council Land-Use and Transportation Committee
Vice Chair, City Council Finance and Economic Development Committee
Member, Richmond Regional Tourism Board
Member, Greater Richmond Transit Company Board
Member, City Audit Committee
Member, City of Richmond Zoning Advisory Board
Building Community- Empowering Residents’ Ownership
Patron, Richmond’s Affordable and Equitable Housing Plan which led to 4,000 new housing units.
· Affordable Housing Trust funded at $100Mil over 5 years
· Highland Grove 137 single family new houses for homeownership in Highland Park
· American Rescue Plan Act federal of $20mil.building over 2,000 addition affordable housing units
· Enterprise LLC building at 6 Points over 100 new affordable housing
· Eviction Diversion funded at $1.5 prevented over 1,000 home evictions
· Single-family first-time homeowners of 27 new homes on Lynnhaven by Southside Community Development Corporation (SCDC)
· Emergency shelter facility for the unhoused
· New affordable housing for sale by Richmond Redevelopment Housing Authority (RRHA) in Blackwell
· Home repairs initiative supporting over $2.0 mil. existing homeowners
· New Performance Grants for city-wide affordable housing development
What’s Next
Small area plans for Oak Grove- Bellemeade and Eastview to stem the tide of dislocation of long-term homeowners and the risk of gentrification
Small area plan for 6-Points in Highland Park to provide neighborhood business and services
State approval of the Homestead Act which will allow the city to cap real estate tax increases
Policies to enforce fair housing and discrimination of housing vouchers as a source of income
New tax abatement for owners of Auxiliary Dwelling Unit (ADU) for affordable housing
Establish restoration plans for Whitcomb, Mosby and Hillside Neighborhoods
New Smart Developments in Manchester, Hull Street, Commerce, Richmond Highway, Southern Highland Park to include quality of life amenities
New environmental policies for all development and land use
Complete rezoning to increase diversity and inclusion of housing choices throughout the city
Economic Growth – Building Sustainable Wealth
Patron, legislation to create the Economic Development Policy to guide growth and wealth building.
· Chair, Office of Community Wealth Building Board which reduced poverty from 27% to 19%
· Master plan for “Central Downtown,” which includes a new hotel, businesses and housing
· Completed the Minority Business Disparity Study
· Co-Star Expansion on River, North and South, and Amphitheater
· Tourism promoting minority destinations in the city
· Demolish downtown blight -Public Safe and Social Service Buildings in 2024
What’s Next
Grow the economy to reduce taxation and fees.
Fully execute Minority Business Disparity Study.
Market analysis to build healthy food stores within five-mile radius of Southside and Eastview,
Highland Park and downtown.
Repurpose downtown and riverbanks office space.
Complete the development of the “Central City Downtown Plan.”
Revise the Poverty Reduction strategy to reduce poverty by 10%.
Environmental and Transportation Sustainability
Repurposed Recreational and Park Facilities:
· Bellemeade Stem and Environment Lab Park,
· Hotchkiss sports complex expansion and renovation
· Annie Giles Resource Center for Mosby and Whitcomb
· Family Intergenerational Center at Ann Hardy
· Continual management of the Combine Sewer Overflow at $100 mil.
· Capital Trail and Bike Lanes to reduce CO2
· Bus Rapid transit and Greater Richmond Transit Corporation (GRTC ) fare free
· Reduced parking requirements for development
What’s Next
Increase Solar and electric energy sources.
New Parks and playground in RRHA communities-Hillside, Whitcomb and Mosby
Repurpose Mayo Island, Arts in the Park in Manchester and Redesign Brown Island
New green space development of brown fields in Whitcomb and Eastview
Complete the master plan for Shockoe Hill Slave Burial Grounds
GRTC Transfer Hubs in downtown and shelters at all bus stop
Public Safety, Health, and Education
· Installed new speed tables, radars, and traffic circles to reduce speeding
· Increase guard crossing at Bellemeade, MLK and Overby Sheppard schools
· Bridge replacements and repairs of Manchester Canal, 5th Street, Canal Walkway, and Flood Wall
Gun Violence and Crime
· New Police Precinct in Eastview area
· Civilian Review Board
Health
· First time, AmeriCorps trained community public health leaders to reduce health disparities
· Opioids medical treatment
· Food drives and weekly mobile fresh food gardens
· Family Crisis and Community Networker Fund
Education
· Increased funding to Richmond Public Schools by 50%.
· Increased funding for childcare.
· Provided extended after school programs.
· Increased youth summer employment.
What’s Next
Healthy Pain Control and Addiction Recovery Centers
Mental Health Treatment Centers
Safe Streets new facility to address gun violence, and recidivism
Second AmeriCorps community health leader in the Annie Giles Center
Community Policing with Smart Technology and Civic Leadership
Create Youth and Young Adult Job co-ops to counter illegal drugs, gun violence, and sex abuse crimes
Customer Service and Cost-effective Government Operation
· Implement competitive employee retiree benefits.
· Embrace collective bargaining for employees.
What’s Next
This is one area where effective policies and risk controls are greatly compromised. Our businesses and residents lack trust in our billing, revenue collections, and human rights.
Government and Charter Reform
Expand elected representation to re-establish equitable representation
Performance which achieves expectations in service delivery.
Empower the Human Rights Commission to represent City residents and employee claims.
Roundabout Traffic support and control
Downtown GRTC transfer station
New apartment living space
ENDORSEMENTS YARD SIGN
Councilwoman Ellen Robertson is and will continue to be Richmond City Council’s champion for equity in all policies.