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To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $5,077.23 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority and to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by creating a new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency called the “Hanover County OAA Project Recover Grant” line item, and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to such new line item by $5,077.23, all for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Hanover County to support the Project Recover initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
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THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. That the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, is authorized to accept funds in the amount of $5,077.23 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Hanover County to support the Project Recover initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
§ 2. That Article I, Section 1 of Ordinance No. 2025-057, adopted May 12, 2025, which adopted a General Fund Budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, and made appropriations pursuant thereto, be and is hereby amended by creating a new line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency called the “Hanover County OAA Project Recover Grant” line item for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Hanover County to support the Project Recover initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
§ 3. That the funds received from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority are hereby appropriated to the General Fund Budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, by increasing estimated revenues by $5,077.23, increasing the amount appropriated for expenditures by $5,077.23, and allotting to the “Hanover County OAA Project Recover Grant” line item in the Outside Agencies and Central Appropriations agency the sum of $5,077.23, for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Hanover County to support the Project Recover initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
§ 4. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.
City of Richmond
Intracity Correspondence
O&R Transmittal
DATE: August 1, 2025
TO: The Honorable Members of City Council
THROUGH: The Honorable Dr. Danny Avula, Mayor
THROUGH: Odie Donald II, Chief Administrative Officer
THROUGH: Tanikia Jackson, DCAO for Finance and Administration
THROUGH: Letitia Shelton, Director of Finance
THROUGH: Meghan Brown, Acting Director of Budget and Strategic Planning
THROUGH: Amy Popovich, DCAO for Human Services
FROM: J.D. Ratliff, Policy Advisor
RE: To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $5,077.23 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Hanover County to support the Project Recover initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
ORD. OR RES. No. ______________________________________________________
PURPOSE: To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $5,077.23 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority and to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by appropriating the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the existing “Hanover County OAA Project Recover Grant” line item in the Non-Departmental Budget by $5,077.23, all for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Hanover County to support the Project Recover initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
BACKGROUND: Virginia’s Opioid Abatement Authority is an independent body, the purpose of which is to abate and remediate the opioid epidemic in the Commonwealth through financial support from the Fund, in the form of grants, donations, or other assistance, for efforts to treat, prevent, and reduce opioid use disorder and the misuse of opioids in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority (VOAA) has an annual application cycle that includes a competitive grant opportunity for proposals involving collaborations between two or more localities. During this cycle, the Hanover County, in partnership with the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County submitted a cooperative project proposal. Hanover County will serve as the lead applicant and fiscal agent. On June 18, 2025, the City of Richmond was notified by the VOAA that the cooperative project proposed Hanover County was approved with a locality match of $5,077.23 from Richmond’s individual distribution, at no fiscal impact to the City of Richmond.
As part of the award conditions, the localities must have a written operational agreement by which the implementing organization agrees to comply with all applicable grant terms, conditions, and assurances. Ordinance 2023-361 formally established the Operational Agreement for Cooperative Partnership for Opioid Abatement Authority Award agreement between the City and Hanover County that renews annually.
This ordinance authorizes the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the of the City of Richmond, to accept funds in the amount of $5,077.23 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority and to amend the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by creating a new line item in the Non-Departmental agency to be called the “Hanover County OAA Project Recover Grant” line item, and to ap-propriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 General Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriate to such new line item by $5,077.23, all for the purpose of making a grant of matching funds to Hanover County to support the Project Recover initiative funded by the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority.
PROJECT RECOVER currently provides five Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (PRS) to support individuals in Chesterfield and Hanover counties and in the City of Richmond suffering with substance use disorders that result in treatment by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) or contact with law enforcement. All too often, once EMS and law enforcement have addressed the immediate trauma of an overdose incident and have left the scene to respond to the next call from the community, the victim is left without sustainable treatment and recovery options. PROJECT RECOVER's goal is to help fill this gap by providing individuals in need with immediate support from a peer who has overcome similar challenges and has gained real-world knowledge of the ongoing process of treatment and recovery. The Peer Recovery Specialists provide a handbook with resources and help guide the individual through the process of obtaining those resources. They also provide a continuum of long-term support for the individual as they navigate through treatment and recovery. The Peer Recovery Specialists also provide education and training to Central Virginia community members, including law enforcement, about how to provided proper support for those suffering with substance use disorders. PROJECT RECOVER's partners in this community-based initiative include its sub-grantee, Imagine the Freedom Recovery Foundation, Chesterfield County Fire & EMS, Hanover County Sheriff's Office, Richmond Ambulance Authority, the Richmond Police Department, and Bon Secours. The Certified Peer Recovery Specialists are embedded within these partner organizations and will respond to overdoses with their partner agencies. PROJECT RECOVER was developed to address the gap in services described above, as identified by the Central Virginia Overdose Working Group (CVOWG).
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Opioid abatement and remediation strategies utilized by the City of Richmond have and continue to be informed by significant stakeholder engagement and developed with direct input and support from external agencies and subject matter experts. This project is the result of regional collaboration between Chesterfield and Hanover counties and the City of Richmond.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL: RES. 2022-R013 declaring opioid drug overdose deaths as a public health crisis in the City of Richmond; Richmond Opioid Task Force.
FISCAL IMPACT: There is no direct fiscal impact to the City. The funds used for this project are from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority. The City will receive $5,077.23 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority, which will be appropriated and passed through to Hanover County, serving as the fiscal agent, to fulfill the City’s required match. The City’s match is fully funded by the grant proceeds received from the Authority, consistent with the approach used by all participating localities.
DESIRED EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon adoption
REQUESTED INTRODUCTION DATE: December 8, 2025
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING DATE: January 12, 2026
REQUESTED AGENDA: Consent agenda
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL COMMITTEE: Finance and Economic Development
AFFECTED AGENCIES: Budget and Strategic Planning, Finance, Neighborhood and Community Services
RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING ORD. OR RES.: Res. No. 2018-R094; Ord. No. 2021-234; Res. No. 2021-R078; Res. No. 2022-R013; Res. No. 2023-R010; Ord. 2023-361; Ord. No. 2025-057; Ord. No. 2025-103
ATTACHMENTS: Opioid Abatement Authority Cooperative Grant for Project Recover Award Letter and Package
STAFF: Anna Jones, Opioid Response Strategist, 804-987-9160, Anna.Jones@rva.gov <mailto:Anna.Jones@rva.gov>
Jason Alley, Policy Advisor, 804-401-5863, Jason.Alley@rva.gov <mailto:Jason.Alley@rva.gov>