Emergency Preparedness  

 

As snow season for our area is right around the corner, I want to ensure that city residents are prepared for any type of emergency. Local officials, first responders, and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. Help may reach you in hours, or it may take several days, depending on circumstances. Basic services such as electricity, gas, water, and telephones may be unavailable for anywhere from several hours to a week or longer. Remember, it is every resident's responsibility to do their part and prepare for these possibilities. So I strongly encourage you to create an emergency supply kit, make a plan and stay informed by tuning into local news outlets! For more information, please visit the Office of Emergency webpage on www.Richmondgov.com under the Government tab.

 

The city is continually reviewing and enhancing our emergency procedures, and recently we have focused on our ability and resources to combat inclement winter weather, such as snowstorms and ice removal. Just a few weeks ago, we held a real-time dry run of the city's snow routes to ensure our readiness in addressing the city's snow removal needs.

 

My administration has invested in new spreaders and plows, ensured that departments work together to address needs, and we have more trucks available to us for snow removal. Previously, only the city's dump trucks and pick-up trucks were equipped with plows. Outfitting refuse trucks with snow plows increases the city's snow plow fleet by 23 trucks. During the simulation some 50 trucks mounted with spreaders mobilized and ran their routes on each side of the James River on Priority 1 and Priority 2 routes, such as Hull Street, Broad Street and Midlothian Turnpike.

 

The test run did not include the city's residential neighborhood roads, as we have a plan of action for neighborhood roads that involves the use of private contractors and we expect neighborhood clean-up efforts, in most instances, to run parallel to those on the Priority 1 and Priority 2 thoroughfares.

 

 

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Healthy Richmond   

In late October, I introduced the Healthy Richmond Campaign, a new city initiative designed to promote improved health of city employees and residents. The goal of the Healthy Richmond Campaign is to promote healthier lifestyles and behaviors that will improve individual health and help prevent many of the chronic diseases and illnesses that affect far too many youth and adults in our city. The Healthy Richmond Campaign was launched internally as the initiative includes a comprehensive workplace health promotion program. A public kick-off event is currently being scheduled for next spring.

The Healthy Richmond Campaign was proposed by the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Policy, which was established in 2010, to address my concerns of the disparity in health outcomes across the Richmond community. The Blue Ribbon Commission researched many factors affecting health in Richmond, and proposed five focus areas to help improve the health and well-being of city residents: Healthy Richmond Campaign to promote healthy lifestyles to the community; health and social equity; behavioral health; medical homes for uninsured; and support for healthcare providers.

Members of the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Commission on Health Policy are working on strategies to impact the identified focus areas. At the same time, several departments within the city's Human Services division are moving forward in implementing the Healthy Richmond Campaign by engaging the community and encouraging the public to proactively embrace the Healthy Richmond concept by improving and maintaining their health.

For more information or to find out how to get involved in the Healthy Richmond Campaign, please call (804) 646-5823.

 

 

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MPACT Meetings on RMA   

 

In mid-October the Richmond Metropolitan Authority (RMA) unanimously voted to repay more than $62 million to the city before the year's end. These funds can help to repair some of the issues caused by displacement of families and businesses, and can also help to move us closer to an AAA bond rating. We have the opportunity to invest wisely by taking actions like getting our undesignated fund balance to 10% and paying off some of our own outstanding debt. To help determine the best use of these funds, I am hosting a series of community conversations through the Mayor's Participation Action and Communications Team to gather resident feedback. I encourage you to attend so that we can hear your thoughts. All meetings will begin at 6 p.m.

 

   November 22 - Main Street Station, 1500 East Main St.

   November 29 - Linwood Holton Elementary, 1600 West Laburnum Ave.

   December 6 - Southside Community Services Center, 4100 Hull Street Rd.

   December 8 - Southampton Elementary, 3333 Cheverly Rd.
 
 

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Closing

Thank you for taking the time to view this newsletter. I hope you found it informative and insightful and that you will share it with others in your family and community.

For more information on the city of Richmond, please visit www.RichmondGov.com.