A Federal Grant, Vape Shops, and Sunshine
Cheers RVA!
Today will be warmer, mostly sunny with a high of 80 and a low of 63. The week ahead looks pleasant with sunshine and and highs around 70.
the juice:
Voting for the People’s Budget, Richmond’s first participatory budget process, ends on Tuesday.
Vote here to determine how $3 million of the city’s budget is spent.
The idea for the participatory budgeting began in Brazil and has been used in localities around the world since the late 1980’s, with cities like Durham and Greensboro implementing the project several years in a row.
While city council passed an ordinance in 2021 to create a Participatory Budget Steering Commission, Mayor Avula has not allocated the $3 million in funding in his initial budget proposal.
the pulp:
Traffic signals at the intersections of Patterson Avenue, Kensington Avenue, and Roseneath Road in the Museum District will be removed and replaced with all-way stop signs, via WRIC. (this is the intersection with a giant skeleton on one of the houses)
The Federal government has cancelled a $12 million grant that was allocated for the city’s water treatment plant, according to Michael Phillips at the Richmonder. The grant was “in the works” prior to the January water outage, and Mayor Avula has stated the cut will not affect operations or current work being done at the facility.
the dive:
Erin Kolenich from the RTD reports the city of Richmond is considering banning new tobacco, nicotine and hemp stores near homes, schools, and day-care centers.
“Vape shops” have proliferated across the city, with some stores selling cannabis illegally.
In December, a police raid at Gas City Shop on Fairfield Avenue near MLK Middle School resulted in a seizure of 22 pounds of marijuana.
Kolenich notes surrounding counties have already passed ordinances to address the issue:
Other localities already have made similar restrictions. In 2023, Chesterfield County required that new tobacco, nicotine and hemp stores be at least 2,000 feet from a school, and they can open only in commercial zoning districts. Last year, Henrico County passed an ordinance restricting vape shops to 1,000 feet from a school or 2,000 feet from a religious institution, day care, park or existing vape shop. Vaping involves inhaling liquid, smokeless nicotine, and at the time, the county estimated it had about 60 stores that sold vape products.
While the General Assembly has sent legislation to create a retail cannabis market to the Governor’s desk in the past two sessions, Youngkin has vetoed the bill both times.
The article cites a study finding illegal cannabis sellers made $2.4 billion in 2023.
Read the full article here.
the vibe:
Have a distinctive day RVA!
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