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To amend Ord. No. 2026-063, adopted May 11, 2026, which adopted the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Special Fund Budget and made appropriations pursuant thereto, by transferring $480,000.00 from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Special Fund, and to amend Ord. No. 2026-065, adopted May 11, 2026, which accepted a program of proposed Capital Improvement Projects for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 and the four fiscal years thereafter, adopted a Capital Budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027, and determined a means of financing the same, by appropriating $480,000.00 of such transferred funds to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ “Fire Training Facility Burn Tower Replacement” project in the Capital Investment Opportunities category for the purpose of constructing the City’s burn building to enhance the safety of fire service personnel while conducting live fire training.
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THE CITY OF RICHMOND HEREBY ORDAINS:
§ 1. That Article I, Section 2 of Ordinance No. 2026-063, adopted May11, 2026, which adopted the Special Fund Budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027, is hereby amended by transferring $480,000.00 from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Special Fund for the purpose of constructing the City’s burn building to enhance the safety of fire service personnel while conducting live fire training.
§ 2. That Ordinance No. 2026-065, adopted May 11, 2026, which accepted a program of proposed Capital Improvement Projects for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027, and the four fiscal years thereafter, adopted a Capital Budget for the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027, and determined a means of financing the same, be and is hereby amended by appropriating funds in the amount $480,000.00 transferred by section 1 of this ordinance to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ “Fire Training Facility Burn Tower Replacement” project in the Capital Investment Opportunities category for the purpose of the constructing the City’s burn building to enhance the safety of fire service personnel while conducting live fire training.
§ 3. This ordinance shall be in force and effect upon adoption.
DATE: EDITION: 1
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, Director of Budget and Strategic Planning
FROM: Jeffrey Segal, Chief of Fire
RE: Reallocation of Live Fire Training Structure Award to the Capital Projects Fund
ORD. OR RES. No.
PURPOSE: To transfer $480,000.00 in unexpended grant award funds for the reconstruction of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ live fire training structure (the burn building) from the FY 2022-23 Special Fund to the FY 2026-2027 Capital Projects Fund to conform to the accounting treatment required for capital construction projects.
BACKGROUND: This ordinance authorizes the transfer of $480,000.00 previously appropriated under Ordinance No. 2022-272 in the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Special Fund to the Capital Projects Fund for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 and appropriates that sum to the Department of Fire's "Fire Training Facility Burn Tower Replacement" project in the Capital Investment Opportunities category. The funds will support the construction of a new live fire training facility, also known as the burn building, at the City of Richmond's Fire Training Academy.
The burn building will be used by the Department of Fire to conduct live fire training for recruits and incumbent personnel, providing a controlled environment essential to firefighter safety, certification, and operational readiness. Replacement of the existing structure is necessary to maintain the Department's training capacity and to meet current standards for live fire training facilities. The existing structure has been compromised since 2018, and the Virginia Department of Fire Programs ruled that the fire training tower component of the building was unsafe in that year.
The live fire training structure grant award addressed by this ordinance was received in 2022 from the Virginia Department of Fire Programs. The grant’s acceptance was approved through Ordinance No. 2022-272 for this purpose, and the award letter signed by then CAO Lincoln Saunders. That ordinance allocated these funds to the Special Fund. Subsequent review identified that accounting standards reflected in the City's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) require that capital construction funds of this nature be appropriated to the Capital Projects Fund.
This ordinance would relocate the appropriation to the Capital Projects Fund, which is the appropriate accounting vehicle for capital construction projects.
No new funding source is required, and the action is budget-neutral with respect to the General Fund. The grantor does not require a match from other funds. No grant funds have yet been expended. The award is reimbursement-based. Fire has been granted an extension of the period of performance through January 1, 2029 to complete the work once sufficient additional funds become available to allow for construction of the new structure.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: The Fire Department has not performed additional community engagement for this grant as it funds activities about which the Fire Department already regularly informs the community.
STRATEGIC INITIATIVES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTAL:
FISCAL IMPACT: This ordinance reallocates $480,000.00 previously appropriated for the rebuild of the live fire training structure from the Special Fund to the Capital Projects Fund.
DESIRED EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon adoption
REQUESTED INTRODUCTION DATE: June 22, 2026
CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING DATE: July 27, 2026
REQUESTED AGENDA: Consent
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL COMMITTEE: Planning Commission
AFFECTED AGENCIES: Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Strategic Planning
RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING ORD. OR RES.:
This ordinance amends Ord. No. 2022-272, which appropriated this award to the FY 2023 Special Fund, and Ord. No. 2026-065, the FY 2026-2027 Capital Budget, to reallocate $480,000.00 to the FY 2026-2027 Capital Projects Fund from the FY 2022-2023 Special Fund for the burn building replacement.
ATTACHMENTS:
Ord. No. 2022-272
Ord. No. 2026-065
Live Fire Grant Award Letter, signed by then CAO Lincoln Saunders
Extension Letter of December 2025
STAFF:
Fire Chief Jeffrey Segal, 804-646-5451;
Jeff Gray, Fire Business Manager, Fire and Emergency Services, 804-646-2127;
Gregory Irving, Grant Coordinator, Fire and Emergency Services, 804-646-5442