Castlewood, Town. Repeals the charter for the Town of Castlewood, which was incorporated in 1991. HB 401; CH. 177.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission. Changes composition, turn, and method of appointment of all members of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission appointed or reappointed on or after July 1, 1998. SB 335; CH. 548.

Chesapeake, City. Changes the annual deadlines for submission and adoption of the city's capital improvement program so that they coincide with the deadlines for submission and adoption of the operating budget. This bill is identical to Senate Bill 52, except that Senate Bill 52 has an emergency clause. HB 219; CH. 561.

Chesapeake, City. Changes the annual deadlines for submission and adoption of the City's capital improvement program so that they coincide with the deadlines for submission and adoption of the operating budget. This bill is identical to HB 219, except that House Bill 219 does not have an emergency clause. Eff. 4/15/98. SB 52; CH. 626.

Covington, City. Updates the city boundary description. Other changes (i) incorporate a 1988 court decree regarding composition of council, (ii) move from one section of the charter to another a provision regulating appointment of a council member to an office of profit, (iii) delete provisions regarding council salaries, thereby defaulting to general law provisions, and (iv) delete outdated provisions regarding justices of the peace, city sergeants and employee residence requirements. HB 85; CH. 139.

Drakes Branch, Town. Provides that the mayor and council are to serve four-year terms. The bill also makes technical changes and deletes obsolete provisions. Eff. 4/8/98. SB 111; CH. 275.

Edinburg, Town. Increases the mayor's term from two to four years. Also, the maximum penalty for violating a town ordinance is increased from $500 to $1,000, and various outdated provisions are deleted. Eff. 4/1/98. HB 798; CH. 184.

Fredericksburg, City. Allows members of council to serve in various unpaid positions of trust upon expiration of their terms. HB 266; CH. 527/SB 72; CH. 517.

Herndon, Town. Updates the town's legal description. Also, outdated references to Title 15.1 are changed to Title 15.2 in the descriptions of the town's general powers and condemnation power, and the town manager is authorized to settle certain claims against the town. Eff. 3/16/98. HB 37; CH. 137.

Keysville, Town. Extends the terms of the council and mayor from two to four years. Eff. 3/27/98. HB 225; CH. 170.

Martinsville, City. Allows the City to establish design overlay districts to encourage compatible development in areas identified on a comprehensive plan as having historic value or unique architectural value and located within an area designated for conservation, rehabilitation or redevelopment. In such areas, the Council shall adopt specific standards as to new construction or rehabilitation within view from public streets and provide for a design review process. City Council may establish a fee which shall not exceed the actual cost of such review process. SB 143; CH. 635.

Onancock, Town. Changes the starting date of council terms from September 1 to July 1. This conforms with general law. HB 20; CH. 136.

Portsmouth, City. Authorizes the city to acquire, but not by condemnation, land for the purpose of encouraging economic development. HB 51; CH. 138/SB 32; CH. 344.

Pulaski, Town. Grants power to the town manager, rather than town council, to appoint and remove all department heads. HB 244; CH. 171.

Richmond, City. Makes the first comprehensive revision of the city charter since its enactment in 1948 for the primary purposes of simplifying the charter, deleting archaic provisions, providing greater flexibility to city council to change the structure of departments and eliminating many detailed descriptions and procedures from the charter. Specific amendments in the bill (i) update the city's boundary description; (ii) eliminate the current prohibition on privatization of correctional facilities; (iii) allow the city to call a special election to fill a council vacancy if the vacancy occurs more than one year prior to the expiration of the term; (iv) give city management greater flexibility in determining the number of needed employment positions within the council-approved budget; (v) eliminate the requirement to publish certain notices in a daily newspaper, but instead require publication in a paper of general circulation; (vi) eliminate a hearing requirement for removal of a department head and clarify that department heads that are appointed by the city manager serve at the pleasure of the city manager; (vii) require the city manager to submit financial and activity reports as required by council rather than at each council meeting; (viii) delete the provision which prevents the city manager from attending and participating in personnel board meetings; (ix) eliminate from the charter the listing of administrative departments and their components and grant general authority to establish departments, bureaus, divisions and offices; (x) authorize the city manager to submit recommendations to the council for its adoption of a personnel system and establishes broad parameters for adoption of such a system; (xi) change the narrow phrase "general fund budget" to the broader term "budget" in numerous places; (xii) eliminate the requirement to itemize the appropriation ordinance by units within a department; (xiii) alter the procedure for budget transfers between departments; (xiv) broaden the council's ability to amend the capital budget so long as funds are available to finance the cost of the amendment, regardless of the funding source; (xv) broaden the city manager's authority to transfer the balance of any completed capital project to an approved incomplete capital project; (xvi) broaden the council's authority to assign revenue from any source and for any amount to the reserve fund for capital projects; (xvii) update the city's borrowing authority by replacing detailed provisions with reference to the general law; (xviii) conform certain zoning notices to general law; (xix) clarify that the posting of a bond is not necessary for any employee to whom liability coverage has been granted by the city, regardless of whether the employee is sued in his official capacity or in his individual capacity; and (xx) make numerous updating and technical changes. HB 306; CH. 711.

Scottsville, Town. Provides a new charter for the Town of Scottsville and repeals the existing charter. The new charter grants general powers available to all Virginia towns and updates many outdated provisions from the original charter. SB 37; CH. 243.

Tazewell, Town. Allows the town to prescribe penalties for the violation of ordinances not to exceed penalties established by the Commonwealth for similar offenses. HB 116; CH. 366.

Vinton, Town. Provides that if a vacancy in the office of mayor or councilman occurs with more than two years remaining in the four-year term, the person appointed by council shall serve only until the next councilmanic election, at which time the voters shall fill the vacancy. The mayor shall always be elected for a four-year term, even though he is filling an unexpired term. Currently, the town council fills the vacancy for the unexpired portion of the term. HB 94; CH. 249.

Capital Region Airport Commission. Allows the Commission to (i) enforce motor vehicle moving violations, rather than merely speed limits, (ii) deposit its moneys in banks having their principal offices outside Virginia and (iii) relating to the issuance of bonds, enter into swap agreements or other contracts or arrangements that the Commission determines to be necessary or appropriate. SB 340; CH. 588.

Chesapeake Hospital Authority. Changes the terms of member appointments to the Chesapeake Hospital Authority to achieve the staggered terms contemplated by the current act. For terms which commence in 1999, four members are to be appointed for four-year terms and two members for five-year terms; and for terms which commence in 2001, four members are to be appointed for four-year terms and one member for a three-year term. The maximum amount of member compensation is increased from $2,000 to $3,000. SB 53; CH. 659.

Hampton Roads Sanitation District Commission. Provides that the Counties of King William, Mathews and Middlesex and the Town of Urbanna may be represented on the Commission. The bill also removes outdated language. SB 449; CH. 210.

Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. Gives the Authority's police officers powers granted Virginia police officers under Title 19.2, updates other Code references, and clarifies that amended versions of the Virginia Code apply to the Authority's police. HB 351; CH. 824.

Peninsula Ports Authority. Adds additional localities to the Authority and adds representation of those localities to the Authority's Commission. SB 621; CH. 211.