Notice is hereby given in accordance with § 2.2-4007.01 of the Code of Virginia that the Department of General Services intends to consider promulgating 1VAC30-150, Regulations for Public Use of Robert E. Lee Monument, Richmond, VA. The purpose of the proposed action is to promulgate a permanent regulation to replace emergency regulations adopted pursuant to Executive Order 67 (2017) regarding public use of the Lee Monument located in Richmond, Virginia, on Monument Avenue (the Lee Monument).  Pursuant to Executive Order 67, the emergency regulations were based on the recommendations of the Governor's Task Force on Public Safety Preparedness and Response to Civil Unrest (the Task Force), which was established by Executive Order 68 (2017). Executive Order 67 (2017) also required the Department of General Services (DGS) to undertake a thorough review of the permitting rules for the monument.

A key finding of the Task Force is that implementing robust permitting processes is one of the most important parts of preparing for mass demonstrations and preventing violence. This proposed regulatory action will consider the results of the comprehensive review conducted by the Task Force, which included substantial input from public safety officers, local permitting officials, and legal experts on various issues related to the Lee Monument and how to update the rules for public use of the Lee Monument. Rules regarding use of the Lee Monument have never been codified in the Virginia Administrative Code, and a comprehensive review has not been done in decades.

The agency intends to hold a public hearing on the proposed action after publication in the Virginia Register.

Statutory Authority: §§ 2.2-1100 and 2.2-1102 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Comment Deadline: January 10, 2018.

Agency Contact: Rhonda Bishton, Regulatory Coordinator, Department of General Services, 1100 Bank Street, Suite 420, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 786-3311, FAX (804) 371-8305, or email rhonda.bishton@dgs.virginia.gov.