Richmond City Council is heading to decision time on three significant items on its agenda—creation of a civilian review board to oversee police discipline, collective bargaining for employees and redistricting.

Joyce Davis, council’s interim chief of staff, notified members of the governing body this week that a draft proposal on the civilian review board would be presented for introduction at the council meeting on Monday, March 14.

While details have not been disclosed, the proposal would head to the council’s Government Operations Committee headed by Councilwoman Kristen Nye, 4th District, for a full review at the committee’s meeting 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 23.

City Council President Cynthia I. Newbille indicated that if the proposal clears the committee, the full council could vote on the measure at its Monday, March 28, meeting.

Creation of a civilian review panel to handle complaints against the police has been on City Council’s agenda since the protests over police actions erupted in late May 2020 following the Minneapolis Police murder of George Floyd.

Mayor Levar M. Stoney has voiced public support for creation of such a police oversight panel as have a majority of the council.

Police Chief Gerald M. Smith, too, has backed the concept, but has indicated that the details of the board’s authority remain key to whether he and the department would be on board at a time when the department is struggling to fill more than 100 vacancies.

Two proposals have been under study. One favored by the activist Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project would create the most powerful panel of its type in the state with subpoena power, independent investigators and an ability to hear and decide all civilian complaints against police officers.

A second proposal would grant the review board significant authority but make it more of a place for civilians to appeal deci- sions of the Richmond Police Department’s Internal Affairs Divi- sion that currently investigates complaints against officers.

Dr. William Pelfrey Jr., a Virginia Commonwealth University professor specializing in criminal justice issues, authored the plan at the behest of the mayor.

On collective bargaining for city employees, the council is proceeding with caution. The governing body halted immediate action Monday, choosing to wait 45 days to receive a report laying out the details of a collective bargaining proposal from the administration and to begin consideration at the Monday, May 2, Organizational Development Committee, a committee of all nine members.

Several council members, including Councilwoman Nye, are pushing to get legislation and funding approved in time for a union for city employees to be in place for the July 1 start of the 2022-23 fiscal year.

That union option already is available to Richmond Public Schools employees. Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras announced Monday that a vote to certify the Richmond Education Association as the employee union would be held over two days in April at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School.

The vote, Mr. Kamras said, would be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 15, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 16, for licensed personnel, instructional aides, school nutrition staff, custodians and safety employees.

On Monday, the council also introduced the final version of a redistricting plan to change the boundaries of City Council and School Board districts based on population changes from the 2020 Census. Now open for public comment, the proposal is scheduled to be voted on Monday, April 25.

The major changes include having the 3rd District gain population by picking up a big chunk of the northern part of the 2nd District west of Brook Road and a portion of Barton Heights from the 6th District.

The 6th District also would retreat east to 2nd Street in Downtown, enabling the 2nd and 5th Districts to move east to split Monroe Ward south of Broad Street, with Main Street becoming the boundary separating the two districts.

There are no changes to district lines in South Side.