Richmond City Council again delayed action on riverfront development, but approved expedited ordinances urging the police chief to stay in Richmond and supporting participation in a natural gas prepayment project.

Councilwoman Reva Trammell (8th) introduced an expedited ordinance that was later supported by all of council urging Police Chief Rodney Monroe to stay in Richmond. Monroe, who has been praised by council, the mayor and many residents for his work reducing crime in the city, is a candidate for the police chief job in Charlotte, N.C.

"One reason is because he's done so many good things for the city," Trammell said. "People have called me and said the reason why we want him to stay is because he's been a great chief, crime is the lowest in 26 years, the murder rate [has] fallen and he's worked with young people to decrease gangs, encouraged young people to stay in school and worked with Latinos."

Trammell also pointed out that Monroe, who's been police chief for about three years, has brought in more than $3.5 million in grant money.

"These are things he didn't have to do, but he did," she said.

Two city residents and several council members also echoed Trammell's comments.

"This man and this force has been a believer out of me," councilman Marty Jewell (5th) said. "I've seen some of the most extraordinary courtesy coming from these officers. The last two chiefs said publicly that you can't get rid of persistent drug corners in Richmond. In 15 months, since Monroe been here, all 12 drug hotspot corners in my district were gone and have not returned. He said it was done with minimal arrests; sector policing is working and we are feeling safer.

"It's no accident we all want to keep this chief here. The man walks on water as far as I'm concerned and we want to keep him."

Earlier this month, when news broke of Monroe's Charlotte candidacy, Mayor L. Douglas Wilder held a press conference to blame council, stating that members don't support Monroe and have cut his budget.

But council members fired back that that wasn't true, pointing to more than $20 million in increased funding for the police department since 2005.

In other business, council members also authorized the Department of Public Utilities to look into buying gas at below-market rate to save residents money with rising costs of gas. Another ordinance will come before council for approval if a contract is drawn up.

According to the ordinance, the program would save city residents $1.8 million a year for at least the next 13 years for an overall savings of $23.4 million.

One of the mayor's key pieces of riverfront development was again delayed in council's afternoon informal meeting because of amendments to the ordinance that remove references to a public marina, except for references to a marina study.

The paper, which is sponsored by the mayor and authorizes the acquisition of 3111 Water St., also known as the Lehigh property, for the purpose of providing an open public space along the river to complement the Virginia Capital Trail and a public marina. Though the mayor has lobbied hard for the acquisition, stating that it's the last opportunity for the city to acquire land to provide a public marina for residents, some council members have disagreed, questioning the need for the city to get involved in the marina business.

The amended item will come before council again at its May 27 meeting. Council will hold a special meeting next Monday at 6 p.m. to receive and make final budget amendments before council must approve the fiscal year 2009 budget at its May 27th meeting.

Also at that meeting, members will publicly discuss the findings of its special committee set up to investigate the attempted schools' eviction from City Hall in September, councilman Chris Hilbert (3rd) said.

The Wilder administration has called the report, which found circumvented procurement policies and misappropriated funds among other things, "total fabrication and poppycock."