Water Matters II

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Following up on water matters…

Times Dispatch picks up on the PILOT issue with an editorial that concludes:

City Councilman Parker Agelasto has proposed phasing out the PILOT charge over 10 years. That should give City Hall more than enough time to find a way to make up the difference. Let’s hope the substitute is less regressive and more rational.

While Style has published a ‘back page’ by Laurel Street neighbor Charles Poole on the Larus Park issue (It also touches on the PILOT):

This project has been under wraps since 2012 when it was conceived during Mayor Dwight Jones’ administration. I can understand how Jones might want to shower his parishioners in Chesterfield with low water rates, but why would Mayor Levar Stoney be the patron of this flawed ordinance? Stoney has a fortuitous opportunity to make good on his pledge to work for the people of Richmond. We can only hope that he will honor that pledge.

Greater Richmond Solar Co-op Happy Hour Info Session Thursday

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From EventBrite event page:

Live in Richmond and want to go solar? Now’s your chance! Neighbors across the greater Richmond area have formed a co-op with the help of VA SUN to make it easier to save money on the purchase of solar panels, while building a community of local solar supporters. Join us for a happy hour information session at the Three Notch’d Brewing Company to learn about solar energy, as well as how the Greater Richmond Solar Co-op simplifies the process of going solar while providing a discount through its bulk purchasing power.

Thursday, July 20, 2017
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM EDT
Three Notch’d Brewing Company
2930 W Broad St

Editor’s note: I know of at least two neighbors that are part of the Co-op. Looking forward to more solar in the neighborhood!

Tredegar Hosts “Refugees From Slavery” Thursday

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The American Civil War Museum at Tredegar is hosting a talk on Thursday at 6 pm entitled “Refugees From Slavery” as part of their ‘Foundry Series’.

From the FaceBook event page:

What do Dadaab, Kenya and Zatari, Jordan have in common with the U.S. Civil War? Present-day refugee camps share important similarities with Civil War contraband camps. Discover how men, women, and children who fled from slavery to contraband camps influenced emancipation, the progress of the war, and the redefinition of U.S. citizenship.

Featuring:

Chandra Manning, Ph.D., Georgetown University.
Dr. Manning’s most recent book, Troubled Refuge: Struggling for Freedom in the Civil War, about Civil War contraband camps, won the Museum’s 2016 Jefferson Davis Award.

Program Partners:
ReEstablish Richmond
CWS Richmond Refugee Resettlement
Artist Alfonso Perez Acosta

For more info and tickets, click here.

Trash/Recycling Pickup Tomorrow

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This Wednesday is a “Red Wednesday”, which means trash and recycling pickup. Ideally, rolling recycling containers are stored and deployed in the back alleys along with trash cans. Please make sure you pick up containers after pickup tomorrow night.

If you have not done so already, don’t forget to sign up for your Recycling Perks.
In order to take your recycling to the next level, read this: 10 ways to improve your recycling.

In recycling news, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper writes about how a team of city of Atlanta employees will inspect recycling bins on four of the city’s recycling routes to determine if they are contaminated or acceptable during an eight week period.

“Feet on the Street,” is a project of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability along with the Office of Solid Waste Services to reduce contamination in the city’s single stream recycling carts. The project is possible through a grant from The Recycling Partnership, a nonprofit organization.

Water Matters

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Councilperson Parker Agelasto is rightfully following up on citizens’ concerns about water utility billing. The Finance & Economic Development Standing Committee is meeting Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 5pm in the Council Chamber.

On the agenda, this paper:

RES. 2017-R049 To request that the Chief Administrative Officer cause the Department of Public Utilities to prepare and submit to the Council a plan to phase out Payments in Lieu of Taxes from the Department of Public Utilities over a ten year period.

Click here, here, here, here, here, and here for some background.

On anther matter, a proposed County of Chesterfield water facility in a Richmond City park, Councilperson Kristen N. Larsen supplied this update:

Update on Larus Park/Water tank issue: At my last district meeting on 6/29 I gave an update on this forthcoming legislation originally scheduled for the City Council Land Use meeting on 7/18. Because of ongoing discussions with the city administration on community concerns and the exploration of options, this legislation is being continued until the 9/19 Land Use meeting. I am still committed to holding another community meeting regarding this issue prior to it being considered by city council and will get back to the community with that information once I have updated information. Thank you to everyone who has contacted me regarding this issue.

Citizens may want to join the FaceBook group “Protect Larus Park! and all of the other city parks, for that matter” to keep abreast on this issue.