Richmond City Council took no action Monday afternoon after hearing the official results from a committee that investigated the attempted schools' eviction in September.

But members will take up the issue again at its meeting next Monday.

Councilman Chris Hilbert (3rd), who headed the investigatory committee, gave council members a 16-page report and nearly 100 pages of appendices with related documents.

"I take no pleasure in this," Hilbert told council. "It's not a pretty day for the city, but I think the worst day was Sept. 21, 07."

The committee's work came to a halt in March because Chief Administrative Officer Sheila Hill-Christian said no more information would be forthcoming because "the spirit of cooperation had been strained" between council and the mayor after accusatory comments were printed in various media outlets between the two sides.

In his report to council, Hilbert explained that there were seven conclusions the committee had drawn based on the information they received included:

• the procurement process was circumvented, including that certain forms needed for approval prior to purchasing goods or services was not completed while others were created after the work was done;
• expenditures were approved by people without proper authorization;
• the deputy chief administrative officer Harry Black signed a lease without proper approval, referring to the lease at 3600 W. Broad St., which is where the administration attempted to move the school system;
• the attempted eviction was not in compliance with a city ordinance that allowed Richmond Public Schools to stay in City Hall;
• expenditures made relating to the attempted eviction and new lease appear to be a willful failure to comply with the provisions of the budget ordinance;
• funds that were appropriated by the budget ordinance for a specific item was transferred without the knowledge or consent of council; and
• the mayor's administration has not address all of the committee's questions, including who authorized the money transfer.

So far, Hilbert said, the total cost of the attempted eviction and continuing legal fees, including an emergency halt to the eviction and the mayor's appeals, which he has said he will appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court, are just shy of $900,000.

Linwood Norman, the mayor's press secretary, said Tuesday that the report, "represents total fabrication and poppycock."

Hilbert said he felt the full council should decide how next to proceed, even though the investigative committee has the power to subpoena people to testify before the committee.

Before any further discussion, council president Bill Pantele (2nd) urged council members to take time to review the report before questioned Hilbert and recommending further action.

Council will take up the issue again at its council meeting next Monday, May 12.

"I'd like to publicly thank you and members of committee and staff, city auditor's office and city's admin for pulling together some of these documents," Pantele said. "This is a new form of government for Richmond and this is first investigative committee of the new legislature fulfilling its oversight role. It won't be the last. 

"I will say it is my intention to formally transmit this report to the mayor, the chief administrative officer and other senior administrative officials and request that the matters described be rectified within a set period of time."