RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - More than 100 days after taking over as Richmond's chief administrative officer in July, Odie Donald II said he has gotten accustomed to Richmond quickly and is ready to implement his vision for the city.
Donald handed out a report at Tuesday's meeting detailing a list of accomplishments, including having the lowest citywide vacancy in almost 10 years and getting past the federal government shutdown unscathed.
"You get to identify everything that ain't your fault, but it surely is your problem," Donald said.
The report also mentioned revamping the emergency communications process, something many asked for after the January water crisis.
"That's the thing about the water crisis that gets lost. It's not so much that something broke; those things get fixed, the key is that people know and are updated on activities and can see your progress," Donald said.
The good portion of Donald's report also focused on needed improvements, ones he said are currently being implemented and are still in the works.
The CAO suggested the city conduct a full inventory of funded programs, projects, and financing tools used for housing investments.
Another improvement included creating a better system for fiscal reporting, saying the current system is outdated.
"Folks should be able to know what the government spends, how we are spending that money, but more importantly, what is your return on investment?" said Donald.
Other top officials added to the conversation Tuesday night, discussing Richmond's economy. Mayor Danny Avula weighed in on how to balance a growing city with long-standing inequities.
"We really have to be focused on the housing crisis that will either not allow folks to come in or push people out," said Avula.
The parting message on Tuesday from city staff and the CAO was to get to work on those problems outlined and stay connected with the public.
"We are focused on not only being transparent, but being available," said Donald.