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Newbille describes new 7th District team, 2010 budget predictions

12/13/2009 9:15 AM by

Cynthia Newbille & Sam Patterson

A full house turned out for Cynthia Newbille’s first 7th District meeting yesterday at EDI. The standing-room-only audience was treated to a detail-oriented 2-hour meeting that covered budget predictions for 2010, the process for building new schools, the forming of a new 7th District team, info on H1N1, and more…

Silver Persinger of the Richmond City Council Reporter and Telegraph was at the meeting with his video camera. I’ll post links as he uploads the video.

  • Ms.Newbille urged the public to actively support the City Council’s Legislative Agenda being sent to the General Assembly. (I’ll post a link to that here later today – JM)
  • 2010 budget: lower than projected revenue to the tune of $10.3 million. In addition, changes to the Composite Index will cost Richmond $9,000,000/year through 2012. Via VDOE: “The composite index of local ability-to-pay is the measure used to determine the state and local shares of education costs, and it is based on local sources of revenue”; various factors that determine the CI make Richmond appear more affluent than we are, apparently.
  • Newbille will be pulling together a new 7th team of civic associations, business leaders, tenant orgs, other groups. To meet in January, more info TBA.
  • Dr.Danny Avala, Oakwood Ave resident and Deputy Director from VA Dept of Health spoke on H1N1. Short version: it’s better than last month, but we’re not even into the regular flu season yet. At this point anyone that would like to be vaccinated should be able to do so.
  • 6th Districts School Board representative Chandra Smith gave an update on the process for building new schools. There is still one more public input meeting left on this and everyone is encouraged to attend. (Keep an eye out for Silver’s video. Ms.Smith had a lot to say & said it well.)
  • An audience member pointed out that there is a petition circulating to get the after school activities back into Chimborazo Elementary that were cancelled after last spring’s shooting. The 1st Precinct’s Captain Johnson said that the activities will be back up, that different interested groups have been organizing to ensure that the environment will be safe. No date was set, but it sounds like this will likely be back before the end of this school year.
  • Dexter C. White, Director of the City of Richmond’s Department of Public Works, spoke on working to make solid waste pickup in the city more efficient. There are changes coming to trash pickup: DPW will be getting new bigger trucks, which will allow for fewer routes that require fewer staff, thus saving money. Bulk pickup will move to same day pickup as regular. Probably recycling, too. Some folks pick-up will move to Wednesday. Leaf collection begins Jan 4.
  • Update on Union Hill Home Fund: ACORN is taking donations for this, nonprofit to help low income folks in the O&H.

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