Madam Mayor, Town Council, Staff, et al

I hope this finds you all well and have had a lovely start to the new year.  I am sure you are all well aware of the Richmond, VA (RVA) water crisis.  Having lived in RVA for eight-plus years, during my VCU undergrad and grad days, I am well aware of how long the Richmond City Council “kicked the can down the road” on infrastructure issues, dating back to the mid-1980s (when I was there), and (most likely) long before.  I even took a physical geography course in my Sophomore year (1985!!), “Richmond and its Environment,” in which our professor (Dr. Mari Jeanne Hawthorn) blasted the “then” City Council for dragging their feet on infrastructure and other issues, including the water situation.

Of course, this made me even more concerned about the water situation in our beloved town. While I admittedly know little about our infrastructure situation, my ongoing concern is how future droughts, by-right development, and additional businesses coming to town will affect our system.

One thing I did note in the latest update on the situation in Richmond was the reservoir system used by the city.  Has consideration been given to asking our state representatives, Delores and Timmy, to seek out our congressman, Ben Cline, and our US Senators, Warner, and Kaine, to see if grant funds are available to create a reservoir system (or if we already have one, an additional or update one with larger capacity) along the South Fork of the Shenandoah? Upgraded infrastructure needs to address our own needs proactively.

While I try hard not to come across as opportunistic, the reality is we continue to have a problem, and it will not go away by simply denying development and relying on natural disasters in other parts of our country, where we may eventually benefit.

While this matter is fresh on the minds of state officials, I implore you (if you have not done so already) to please engage our state and Federal elected officials to see if there are grants available to, perhaps, get the US Army Corps of Engineers to look at our situation, and help us plan and implement a sustainable path forward.  Of course, I am also for keeping the public abreast of developments so that unnecessary rumors do not get tossed out there.  I would love to tell folks: “Look, our town council is doing/has done A, B, C.”

I have reached out to both of my friends, Delores and Timmy. Delores has been wonderful and gracious at getting back to me. I would be surprised if she did not actively advocate on our behalf to address these past-due needs. I hope that Timmy will as well.

Thank you all for your service to our wonderful town.  Have a lovely weekend.  Stay warm.

Michael S. Williams
Front Royal, VA

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