Two ordinances that would change how Richmond handles Freedom of Information Act requests through a new online library will remain under discussion. 

Members of the Governmental Operations Standing Committee voted 2-1 twice Wednesday to continue debate on proposals from 3rd District Council member Kenya Gibson and Mayor Danny Avula’s administration. Both measures would post FOIA requests on the city’s website, but the administration’s version includes guidelines limiting what could appear in the library. 

Discussions over how to handle the requests have been ongoing for months, and the proposals were a key topic during the meeting. 

“A paper with discretion is simply not transparent,” said Gibson, who suggested forwarding her proposal with a recommendation for approval while continuing discussion on the city’s plan. She voted against continuing both measures. “The intent of this paper is to bring radical transparency.” 

Gibson’s ordinance was introduced in September and has been amended in response to comments from Avula’s administration. The changes exempt publishing requests made to the Richmond Police and Fire departments and the departments of Social Services and Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response. 

City officials have voiced concerns about the broadness of the proposal, its operational costs, legal commitments and the potential to publish bad-faith requests that embarrass or endanger staff and residents, particularly children. 

The city has presented its ordinance as one officials say would avoid those pitfalls. 

“I think we absolutely need an ordinance like this,” Director of Communications Ross Catrow said during the meeting. “We all just want to make sure that we’re minimizing harm while also fulfilling what we’re both looking for.” 

Gibson, other council members and residents who spoke during the public comment period challenged the city’s stance, with some criticizing the alternative proposal for lacking transparency and potentially codifying discretion in the library. 

Some also noted exemptions were already in place to avoid FOIA requests endangering minors and questioned how often requests were weaponized in the way city officials feared. 

“If challenges arise … the policy can always be adjusted,” Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government, said during public comment. “But if this step proves successful, there’s great potential to expand it to those other departments that are being withheld under the amendments, and eventually even to other cities, counties, towns or school systems across Virginia.” 

The discussion over the proposals comes amid continued scrutiny of Richmond’s government transparency, including a lawsuit filed by former FOIA Officer Connie Clay against the city. 

The two proposals will be discussed again during the committee’s meeting on Nov. 26.