[1]
Editor's Note: For state law as to counties, cities and towns generally, see Code of Virginia, Title 15.1. As to the City Manager plan of government, see Code of Virginia, § 15.1-925 et seq. As to provisions relating only to cities, see Code of Virginia, § 15.1-803 et seq.
Every person elected or appointed to any City office shall, on or before the day on which he enters upon the duties of his office or his term of office begins, qualify by taking and subscribing to the oath prescribed for state officers in § 49-1 of the Code of Virginia.
[1]
Editor's Note: For state law as to the requirement that all City officers shall take an oath of office as prescribed in Code of Virginia, § 49-1, see Code of Virginia, § 15.1-38.
A. 
Every officer, employee or agent of the City who, in the course of his official duties, receives, handles or has custody of or control over more than $100 of City funds, negotiable instruments or securities at any time shall, before entering upon his duties as such officer, employee or agent and within 10 days of his election or appointment, give bond, payable to the City by its corporate name, "The City of Colonial Heights," with corporate surety, in such amount as shall be determined by the City Council and conditioned upon the faithful performance of his duties, a true accounting to give of all City funds, negotiable instruments and securities received or handled by him or coming within his custody or under his control and payment thereof to the city, provided that the amount of bond of the City Treasurer, the Director of Finance and the City Manager, respectively, shall be not less than $187,500, and provided further that during any period when two or more positions are held by the same person, the bond of such person shall be in amount not less than the highest amount determined by the City Council for any one of such positions.
B. 
The City Council may adopt a system of blanket faithful performance and honesty bonding as an alternative to the individual bonds provided in Subsection A of this section, provided that the amount of such bond with respect to the City Treasurer, the Director of Finance and the City Manager shall be in amount not less than $187,500.
C. 
All officers, employees and agents of the City who, in line of duty, are required or authorized to carry firearms shall give bond, payable to the city, with corporate surety, in such amount as may be determined by the City Council and conditioned upon the faithful performance of their respective duties and the payment of any judgment or decree which may be rendered against them for the negligent or unlawful use or handling of such firearms and to save the City harmless from all claims and demands whatsoever for the negligent or unlawful use or handling of such firearms.
D. 
The City Attorney shall approve all bonds required by this section with respect to their form and legality, and the premiums thereon shall be paid by the City. The City Council shall approve all bonds required by this section with respect to their sufficiency. All bonds required by this section shall be in the custody of the City Clerk, except that any bond required of the City Clerk and of the City Treasurer, if the Treasurer and Clerk are one and the same person, shall be filed with and kept in custody of the City Manager.
[1]
Editor's Note: For state law as to the authority of the City Council to require bonds of City officers and employees, regardless of Charter provisions, see Code of Virginia, §§ 15.1-797 and 15.1-813.1. As to additional bond required of City treasurers, see Code of Virginia, §§ 15.1-44 and 15.1-45. As to bonding of City Sheriffs, see Code of Virginia, § 15.1-41. As to bond of City Manager, see Code of Virginia, § 15.1-928.
Except as may be provided otherwise by state law or the Charter in any case, all City officers, employees and agents shall receive for their services such compensation as may from time to time be provided for their respective positions in the annual budget or other ordinance or resolution of the City Council, and all fees received by them shall belong and be paid over by them to the city.
[1]
Editor's Note: For state law as to compensation of commonwealth's attorneys for cities, see Code of Virginia, § 14.1-53. As to compensation of City treasurers, see Code of Virginia, § 14.1-55. As to compensation of commissioners of the revenue for cities, see Code of Virginia, § 14.1-57.
In addition to the compensation provided for by the City Council, the City Attorney, when his attendance is required out of the City on business of the city, shall be paid and allowed reasonable hotel and traveling expenses and such additional compensation as approved by the Council for any case in which he represents the City in the Circuit Court, the Supreme Court of this state or any federal court.
A. 
Authority vested in and duties imposed upon City officers by state law, the Charter, this Code or other ordinances and resolutions of the City Council may, when they so authorize, be exercised or performed by their deputies, assistants and other subordinates to the extent not provided by state law, the Charter, this Code or other ordinance or resolution of the City Council.
B. 
When any City officer or employee is absent or disabled or when any office or position in the City government is vacant, the person designated by competent authority to act in the place of such absent or disabled officer or employee or to hold temporarily the vacant office or position shall have the powers and perform the duties of such absent or disabled officer or employee or appertaining to such vacant office or position.
[Amended 5-8-1979 by Ord. No. 79-16; 10-12-1982 by Ord. No. 82-38]
A. 
The City Clerk shall be custodian of all City records, maps, documents and other papers belonging to the City for which no other custodian is designated, and he shall keep them secure against all hazards and make them available to those having an interest therein for inspection and use in his office during all regular business hours, provided that records of a confidential nature, such as income returns from merchants, shall be made available only to persons authorized by law to have access thereto.
B. 
The City Clerk shall, upon request and without charge, furnish to any officer of the City a copy of any record, paper or public document made or filed in his office, when such copy may be necessary to such officer in the discharge of his duty, and he shall furnish a like copy to any citizen when required, unless otherwise prohibited, upon payment therefor by such person of a reasonable charge imposed by the City Clerk for the copy and search time expended in the supplying of such copy, such charge not to exceed the actual cost in supplying such copy or $1 for each page of such records, papers or documents to be transferred or furnished, whichever is less; provided, however, that the City Clerk shall furnish in the same manner, at no cost, a like copy of any ordinance or resolution to any organization operated exclusively for religious, charitable, community, educational, recreational or eleemosynary purposes or an association of war veterans or auxiliary units thereof, a volunteer association or a fraternal association operating under the lodge system, when any such organization is directly affected thereby.
C. 
The office of the City Clerk is the principal point of contact between the public and the City government, and the City Clerk shall, upon request, render reasonable assistance to persons affected by the provisions of this Code or other ordinances or resolutions of the City Council and to persons seeking to do business with the City. Where such action will not conflict with duties required by other provisions of the City Charter, this Code or any other direct order of City Council, the City Clerk may, at the request of the City Attorney, City Manager or City administrative officer under the direction of the City Manager, assist the City Attorney, City Manager or administrative officer under the direction of the City Manager, in preparation of documents, reports to City Council and other responsibilities relating to activities of City Council.
[1]
Editor's Note: For related statutory provisions, see the Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia, § 2.1-340 et seq.) and the Public Records Act (Code of Virginia, § 42.1-76 et seq.).
[Added 10-8-1985 by Ord. No. 85-21]
A. 
Each custodian of public records of the city, as defined by the Virginia Public Records Act,[2] shall retain and dispose of such records, without further direction by Council, in accordance with standards and retention and disposition schedules issued by the Virginia State Library pursuant to the Act, in the manner provided thereby. Unless otherwise specifically provided by law, all such standards and schedules shall first be filed, however, with the City Clerk, and no custodian of public records shall destroy, discard, sell or give away said public records without first offering them to the Virginia State Library and City Clerk for preservation. The Virginia State Library and the City Clerk shall authorize, in writing, in accordance with said approved standards and schedules, the destruction of public records not deemed to have continuing historical, fiscal, legal or administrative value. Failure of the City Clerk to respond within 60 calendar days shall constitute the approval of that office of the disposal of the subject records.
[2]
Editor's Note: See Code of Virginia, § 42.1-76 et seq.
B. 
There shall be a Public Records Committee, which shall consist of the City Treasurer, the City Clerk and the Director of Finance. The City Librarian shall serve as an alternate member and the City Attorney as a nonvoting member. It shall have the authority to act in the maintenance or disposal of public records of the City in every such instance in which a committee is required to act by general or special law. It shall have the authority to promulgate its own administrative rules, regulations or forms required for such purposes. It may serve in an advisory capacity on record maintenance and disposal upon the request of any custodian of public records of the city.
C. 
Each custodian of public records of the City shall have the authority to promulgate standards, rules and regulations relating to the maintenance or disposal of public records of the city, but only as to those records to which the Virginia Public Records Act[3] does not apply, if any, or in those situations in which applicable standards, rules or regulations have been requested but not promulgated pursuant to the Act. All such supplemental standards, rules and regulations shall be approved by the City Attorney as to their legality and filed in the office of the City Clerk.
[3]
Editor's Note: See Code of Virginia, § 42.1-76 et seq.
[1]
Editor's Note: See Charter Sec. 20.5 and § 58.1-31.30 of the Code of Virginia, regarding the authority to destroy bonds and bond coupons.
A. 
The City Clerk shall maintain on file in his office an inventory of all real property owned or leased to the City. This inventory shall be maintained in current status and during January of each year shall be revised, as may be appropriate, to show changes in value due to depreciation or to repairs, renovations, etc. For each building or lot such inventory shall also show:
(1) 
A brief description;
(2) 
A reference to the deed, device, lease or other instrument whereby the City acquired title to or the use thereof;
(3) 
The department, office or agency charged with custody;
(4) 
The purpose or use;
(5) 
The insurance of all types thereon, together with notes as to premiums payable and anniversary dates; and
(6) 
For property owned by the City and leased to other persons, copies of such leases and appropriate notes as to the revenues derived therefrom.
B. 
Each City officer having custody of items of nonexpendable personal property of value greater than $25 owned by or leased to the City shall, during January of each year, prepare in duplicate an itemized inventory of such property, showing for each item: its value and a brief description, together with identification (by serial number, where applicable); a reference to the instrument, if any, whereby title or use was acquired; the department, office or agency having custody; the purpose or use; and the insurance of all types, if any, together with notes as to premiums payable and anniversary dates. The original copy of each such inventory shall be filed in the office of the City Manager before February 1 of each year, and the duplicate copy shall be retained on file in the office of the person who prepared it.
Whenever any officer or employee of the City is required or authorized by statute, the provisions of this Code or any ordinance or resolution, or rules and regulations or orders issued thereunder, in order to carry out his duties thereunder or to enter any premises or vehicle for the purpose of making an inspection thereof or of any thing therein contained, such officer or employee shall have the right to enter any such premises or vehicle in accordance with law at any reasonable time in pursuance of such duties, upon display of his credentials as a City officer or employee, and it shall be unlawful for any person to refuse or hinder such entry.