Monday marked the first city commission meeting to include Mayor Evelyn Moore and all four city commissioners. Richmond voters elected to add two new at-large commissioners, Carl Drozd and Josh Lockhart, in a special election held Sept. 10. The two new commissioners join sitting commissioners Barry Beard and Jesse Torres.

Here are some highlights from Monday's meeting.

Building code amendment


The Unified Development Code, Section 4.3.203, now requires construction to be elevated to 18 inches above Base Flood Elevation. The previous code required an elevation of 12 inches, which did not meet some insurance and Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements, officials said.

"After the May flood, we discovered the language in the UDC is not consistent with other code we have and FEMA code. [We] wanted to make them consistent," City Attorney Gary W. Smith said at the meeting.

Annexations discussed


The city is considering limited annexation agreements and strategic partnership agreements with developers in unincorporated areas. Strategic agreements allow the city to collect a portion of sales tax collected from commercial establishments.

No action was taken, but the city will hold a strategic annexation workshop in the coming months to outline how the annexation process works. Smith said two public meetings and hearings must be held before an annexation could be approved.

City appointments and awards


Commissioners filled board member vacancies on the Richmond Historical Commission, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Buildings and Standards Commission. Board members are volunteers who serve two-year terms. Interested members of the public can submit applications to the city manager's office.

For the first time, the city of Richmond was awarded a Scenic City Certification at the bronze level. The statewide award recognizes beautification efforts in public spaces, such as downtown signage, paths, parks and walkways.

City Finance Director Susan Lang received an award for excellence in financial reporting for the 12th year. Officials said this is the highest award in accounting and is given for clarity and transparency in reporting.