Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)

BYLINE: Robert Zullo, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Va.

6/13/2012

Richmond City Council

RICHMOND, Va. — The City Council formally hired a longtime city employee as its new clerk during Monday night’s meeting.

Alvin M. Anderson, an assistant director at the Richmond Public Library, has worked for the city for the past 29 years, including in the budget and human resources offices.

“This is kind of like coming home,” Anderson said.

Anderson has a bachelor’s degree from Virginia Union University and a master’s degree in personnel and human resources management from American University.

The position, which pays $100,000 a year, is provided for in the city charter. Duties include keeping records of meetings, filing ordinances and resolutions, keeping track of vacancies and appointments to the city’s myriad boards and commissions, and publishing public notices and other communications with residents, among others.

“It’s really taking care of the business of City Council,” Anderson said, adding that his experience in city departments will be an asset. “I’m really blessed to get this position.”

He replaces Lou Brown Ali, who was hired as the council’s chief of staff. Ali had filled both roles since August.

The council also voted to transfer a city-owned parcel of land near Highland Park to a nonprofit development corporation.

The city took ownership of the land at 1606 Matthews St. in 2003.

Formerly a “troubled, tax-delinquent, blighted property,” according to city documents, the land was conveyed to the Southside Community Development and Housing Corporation Monday night “for nominal consideration.”

The plan is to develop about 30 units of affordable housing by combining the parcel with a neighboring property owned by Southside.

The development will require roads, alleys and other infrastructure projected to cost about $1.3 million. Community Development Block Grant-Recovery funds will defray about $560,000 of that, and the city has allocated about $160,000.

Council Vice President Ellen Robertson called the redevelopment “desperately needed.”

PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper

Copyright 2012 Richmond Times-Dispatch