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SB289 • 2026

Hopewell, City of; amending charter, membership of Hopewell Water Renewal Commission.

An Act to amend and reenact § 1, as amended, § 2, and § 3, as amended, of Chapter XXV (A.1) of Chapter 431 of the Acts of Assembly of 1950, which provided a charter for the City of Hopewell, relating to the Hopewell Water Renewal Commission.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Aird
Last action
2026-04-08
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details on the consequences of failing to meet the capital contribution requirement.

Amends Hopewell Water Renewal Commission Charter

This act changes how members are selected for the Hopewell Water Renewal Commission and specifies requirements for user-nominated members.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the number of user-nominated members on the Hopewell Water Renewal Commission from up to six to seven.
  • Requires new nominating users to make a reasonable, market-based capital contribution based on expected facility usage.
  • Specifies that actions by the Commission need approval from either the city manager or a city councilor, in addition to a majority of its members.

Who It Names or Affects

  • The Hopewell Water Renewal Commission
  • Users who nominate members for the commission
  • City officials including the city manager and city councilors

Terms To Know

Hopewell Water Renewal Commission
A group that manages a wastewater treatment facility in Hopewell.
Capital contribution
Money or other assets provided by users to help finance the facility.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how many members will be appointed by city council.
  • It is unclear what happens if a user fails to make their required capital contribution.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-08 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 492 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-08 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0492)

  3. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

  4. 2026-03-10 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  5. 2026-02-27 House

    Signed by Speaker

  6. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Signed by President

  7. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Enrolled

  8. 2026-02-27 Senate

    Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB289ER)

  9. 2026-02-25 House

    Read third time

  10. 2026-02-25 House

    Passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A)

  11. 2026-02-24 House

    Read second time

  12. 2026-02-20 Subcommittee #1

    Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N)

  13. 2026-02-20 Counties, Cities and Towns

    Reported from Counties, Cities and Towns (21-Y 0-N)

  14. 2026-02-17 Subcommittee #1

    Assigned HCCT sub: Subcommittee #1

  15. 2026-02-03 House

    Placed on Calendar

  16. 2026-02-03 House

    Read first time

  17. 2026-02-03 Counties, Cities and Towns

    Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns

  18. 2026-01-22 Senate

    Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  19. 2026-01-21 Senate

    Read second time

  20. 2026-01-21 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute

  21. 2026-01-21 Local Government

    Local Government Substitute

  22. 2026-01-21 Local Government

    Local Government Substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)

  23. 2026-01-21 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  24. 2026-01-20 Local Government

    Reported from Local Government with substitute (15-Y 0-N)

  25. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Rules suspended

  26. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  27. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  28. 2026-01-20 Local Government

    Committee substitute printed 26105710D-S1

  29. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  30. 2026-01-20 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  31. 2026-01-19 Local Government

    Senate committee offered

  32. 2026-01-19 Local Government

    Senate committee offered

  33. 2026-01-13 Senate

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26100658D

  34. 2026-01-13 Local Government

    Referred to Committee on Local Government

Official Summary Text

Charter; City of Hopewell; Hopewell Water Renewal Commission.
Changes the membership makeup of the Hopewell Water Renewal Commission (the Commission) by providing that up to seven members shall be selected from nominees submitted by users, with each user being permitted to nominate one member. The bill specifies that each new nominating user shall provide a reasonable, market-based capital contribution based on expected facility usage and consistent with the net present value of the existing users' prior capital contributions. The bill also establishes that, in order for actions or decisions made by the Commission to be effective, they must be agreed to by (i) a majority of its members and (ii) either the city manager or the member of the city council serving on the Commission. Finally, the bill removes the city council's authority to overrule actions of the Commission and to prescribe further duties to the Commission.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
An Act to amend and reenact § 1, as amended, § 2, and § 3, as amended, of Chapter XXV (A.1) of Chapter 431 of the Acts of Assembly of 1950, which provided a charter for the City of Hopewell, relating to the Hopewell Water Renewal Commission.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 1, as amended, § 2, and § 3, as amended, of Chapter XXV (A.1) of Chapter 431 of the Acts of Assembly of 1950 are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 1. Created; general function; composition; appointment and terms of members.
There shall be a regional wastewater treatment facility commission which shall be known as the Hopewell Water Renewal Commission (hereinafter in this chapter referred to as the "Commission"), which shall act on behalf of the City of Hopewell as hereinafter provided, with respect to a regional wastewater treatment facility owned by the City of Hopewell to provide treatment for disposal of sanitary and industrial waste from the City of Hopewell and vicinity. The Commission shall consist of up to nine members
,
who need not be residents of the city
,
and who shall be appointed by a majority of city council. Up to
six
seven
members shall be from nominees submitted by
manufacturers
users
(each
nominating with respect to
user may nominate
one
membership
member
) which provide assistance in the planning and financing for the regional wastewater treatment facility or which are or will be users of said facility. Each new nominating
manufacturer
user
, meaning
manufacturers
users
or their predecessors having not previously submitted nominations to the Commission, shall provide a
reasonable, market-based
capital contribution
in an amount determined
, based on expected facility usage and consistent with the net present value of the existing users' prior capital contributions, agreed to
by the city council upon recommendation by the Commission.
Three
Two
additional members shall be a city councilor
,
and
the city manager
, and the city attorney
. Any vacancy in the appointive membership of the Commission, however occurring, shall be promptly filled by the city council for the unexpired term in the same manner and from the same source as the original appointment to the vacated position.
§ 2.
Governance.
The City of Hopewell may contract with manufacturers as provided in § 1 above for appointment of members of the Commission from the nominees of such manufacturers and for maintenance of their majority representation. Any such contract within the scope of this chapter shall be valid and enforceable.
Every action taken or decision made by the Commission, in addition to requiring agreement by a majority of its members, shall require agreement by either the city manager or the member of city council to be effective.
§ 3. Powers and duties.
The Commission shall
help
be authorized
and
assist in
empowered to review and direct
the
financing, design, construction, improvement, repair,
maintenance
, operation
and expansion of the facility.
The Commission shall exercise full authority and responsibility in the operation, maintenance, improvement and repair of the facility, subject, however, to overrule of any of its actions by the city council. The Commission shall have such further duties as the city council may from time to time direct.