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Living wage, beer meal tax and pedestrian bridge pass City Council

Posted at 12:34 AM, Sep 24, 2013
and last updated 2013-09-24 13:13:58-04

RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) - Richmond City Council passed several items Monday evening, and postponed some until Oct. 14.

The ordinance that Mayor Jones sponsored (Ord. No. 2013 -193) will amend the previously amended 1993 pay plan (Ordinance  No. 93-117-159)  and provide a living wage of $11.33  for specified city employees in permanent full-time and part-time positions.

After the city of Richmond served the local brewery Hardywood with a surprise bill for tens of thousands in meals tax back pay on all beer sold from their business, Ord. No. 2013 -196 (Patron: Mr. Baliles) should come as no surprise.

This will amend and reordain City Code § 98- 361,  concerning definitions related to meals taxes, for the purpose of  adding the term “brewery” to  the definition of “food establishment.”

Mayor Jones was also patron of Res. No. 2013 - R178. This will support a project to provide funding for a  pedestrian bridge over the Interstate 95 ramps at the intersection of I -95 and East Broad Street.

The city signed off on the $380,000 pedestrian bridge and will have to pay about $75,000 of that Virginia Department of Transportation project.

POSTPONED

For the second time a proposal to slash and change certain GRTC services has been postponed.

The Ord. No. 2013 – 142 (Patrons: Mr. Baliles, Ms. Graziano and Ms. Mosby)  was postponed until Oct. 14.

The plan would increase the rate for GRTC’s Care service from $2.50 to $3, double the charge for special trips to the surrounding counties, and reduce rides to just weekdays between 6 a.m. – 8 p.m.,  in addition to cutting service completely on weekends and holidays holidays observed by the  Greater Richmond Transit Company.

Since June, any decision regarding Captain Buzzy’shas been consistently delayed.

The Church Hill coffee shop filed a request to serve alcohol and stay open later.