Title
To establish a process for completing the final disposition in accordance with Ord. No. 2020-154, adopted Aug. 3, 2020, of certain Confederate monuments removed from City-owned property.
Body
WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Richmond, by Ordinance No. 2020-154, adopted August 3, 2020, provided for the permanent removal from City-owned property in accordance with section 15.2-1812 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, of certain monuments related to historical figures of the Confederate States of America identified in the document entitled “Monuments to Be Removed,” a copy of which is attached to Ordinance No. 2020-154, adopted August 3, 2020 (hereinafter, the “Monuments”); and
WHEREAS, the Office of the Council Chief of Staff, on behalf of the Council, has received offers to acquire Monuments pursuant to Ordinance No. 2020-154, adopted August 3, 2020; and
WHEREAS, employees of the City Administration and the Office of the Council Chief of Staff have worked collaboratively to review those offers for Monuments and gather additional information from those offerors; and
WHEREAS, the Council believes that it is in the best interests of the City of Richmond that employees of the City Administration and the Office of the Council Chief of Staff evaluate the offers received for the Monuments, gather comments from interested parties, negotiate with offerors, and recommend to the Council the recipient of each Monument together with any applicable conditions in relation thereto for the Council’s action in accordance with section 15.2-1812 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, via resolution pursuant to Ordinance No. 2020-154, adopted August 3, 2020;
NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND:
That the Council Chief of Staff is directed and the Chief Administrative Officer is requested to work collaboratively together to perform the following functions in connection with the final disposition by the Council of the Monuments:
1. Apply for, advocate for, and obtain from the Commission of Architectural Review, the Urban Design Committee, and the City Planning Commission the requisite land use approvals to facilitate the Monuments’ permanent removal.
2. Evaluate the offers submitted for each Monument using uniform criteria to recommend that the Council accept (i) no offer that fails to adequately address such criteria and (ii) the most suitable offer in situations in which the Office of the Council Chief of Staff has received multiple offers for a particular Monument.
3. Provide opportunities for public comment concerning the final disposition of the Monuments, in addition to the public hearings required as part of the land use approval process described in paragraph 1 above and the Council’s legislative process.
4. With the assistance of the City Attorney, negotiate with offerors the agreements necessary to enable the City Administration to ensure the physical transfer of the Monuments to their recommended recipients under the appropriate conditions therefor.
5. Submit a recommendation for the final disposition of each Monument to the Council for action via resolution pursuant to Ordinance No. 2020-154, adopted August 3, 2020, and section 15.2-1812 of the Code of Virginia (1950), as amended.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
That the Council Chief of Staff is directed and the Chief Administrative Officer is requested to furnish the Council with a report on the progress with regard to the performance of the functions set forth above on May 10, 2021.