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There is no other way to say it other than it was a weird week in RVA. We’re talking about a string of strange stories that make you scratch your head as you try and comprehend what you have just read or seen. Read Part 1 of the weirdness here.
STORY #1 — Puzzling Pieces of the Water Plant Puzzle
In Friday’s Part 1 of weird things this week, we mentioned that former Utilities Director April Bingham had resigned on January 15th made known by the press release the city put out announcing the hire of Scott Morris as Interim-Director and thanking Bingham for her service since she was hired by Mayor Stoney in 2022.
At the time, Mayor Avula told WRIC “It was an amicable separation. She has been remarkable in her assessment, her responsiveness and her being helpful.”
On February 13th, the city’s preliminary water plant report conducted by the third party firm HNTB was released and indicated they had conducted 14 staff interviews but did not speak with former Director Bingham. Two of City Council’s newest members expressed interest in hearing from her. 3rd District Councilwoman Kenya Gibson said, "It’s not possible to get a comprehensive picture of what happened without Ms. Bingham’s input.” 4th District Councilwoman Sarah Abubaker said "April Bingham is a critical piece to this puzzle" and that "we'd be missing critical information" by not interviewing her.
The Richmonder reported the following day on February 14th that Bingham had contacted City Council via email shortly after the report was released to notify them that she had not been asked to participate in the HNTB report.
“Please note that I was not offered an exit interview nor have I been contacted to participate in any of the after action report activities,” Bingham wrote.
Graham Moomaw wrote that the email did not say if she would participate in an interview but the Richmonder noted that Abubaker wondered how through the report would be if it did not include an interview with the person heading the department.
"It means that we’re not getting the full picture," Abubaker said in an interview with the Richmonder, adding that Bingham could provide historical context on the plant and details on how decisions were made as an "instrumental piece" between plant workers and higher-up administrators at City Hall.
If Bingham is contacted, "she has every right to say no," Abubaker said, but her insights could help the city gain a complete view of what happened.
The story turns from strange to weird when WRIC reported February 17th that Bingham had rescinded her January 23rd resignation, seven days after “resigning.” The city quickly issued a letter of termination and then put out a statement detailing what happened but did not comment further because it was a personnel matter.
Then it turned super weird at the Government Operations Council committee
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