[00:00:03]
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND START OUR MEETING.
COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY IS ON ZOOM.
COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY, EVERYBODY.
UH, AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION TO ALLOW COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY?
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR PELHAM AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HARRIS.
AT THIS TIME, CAN YOU STATE WHERE YOU'RE CONDUCTING THE MEETING FROM AND THE REASON YOU'RE, UH, REQUESTING TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY? UH, COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING, YOU'RE ON MUTE.
YOU WANNA TRY TO CALL HIM? YEAH, JUST GIVE HIM A CALL.
TYPE TO, HELLO? HEY, WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU NEED TO BE VIRTUAL.
UM, UH, UM, AT MY RESIDENCE AND, UH, PERSONAL.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE.
[CLOSED MEETING]
IS THERE A MEETING TO GO INTO A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT, UH, THE VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A THREE.DISCUSSION OF THE AWARD OF A PUBLIC CONTRACT INVOLVING THE EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, INCLUDING INTERVIEWS OF BIDDERS OR OFFERS AND DISCUSSION OF THE TERMS OR SCOPE OF SUCH CONTRACT WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY.
AND VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A ONE TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS INCLUDING BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS, THE ASSIGNMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF SPECIFIC APPOINTEES AND EMPLOYEES OF CITY COUNCIL.
AND TO THE EXTENT SUCH DISCUSSION WILL BE AIDED THEREBY SO MOVED.
UH, MOTIONS MADE BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR GORE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UM, I GUESS SOMEONE'S GONNA HAVE THE, I'LL SECOND IT.
[RECONVENE OPEN MEETING]
COUNSELOR DENTON? YES.I'M TRYING TO SEE IF HOLLOW IS BACK ON IN HERE.
MOVING ON TO OUR WORK SESSION.
MR. WARD, YOU WANT ME TO DO THE CERTIFICATION, MA'AM? OH, I'M SORRY.
YEAH, WE GOT THE CERTIFICATION.
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH THREE SEVEN 2D.
WERE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS.
LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN METER REQUIREMENTS AND TWO IDENTIFIED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
MOTION DISCUSSED AND CLOSED MEETING.
[00:05:01]
COUNCILLOR JOINER.[WORK SESSION]
ALL RIGHT.UH, TONIGHT'S WORK SESSION IS A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST.
UH, THE REQUEST INVOLVES, UM, THE ABILITY TO CONSTRUCT A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING ON A NON-CONFORMING LOT.
AND THAT LOT IS PARCEL 0 1 4 1 5 8 5 LOCATED ON SUFFOLK STREET.
UH, THE APPLICANTS ARE, UH, IBRAHIM AND TANYA
THIS PROPERTY ON SUFFOLK IS LOCATED WARD FIVE AND ZONED R TWO.
THE REQUEST IS TO CONSTRUCT A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING THERE AND, UH, FOR OUR PUBLIC HEARING AT PLANNING COMMISSION.
UH, ALL THE ADS WERE PLACED IN THE PAPER PROPERLY AND ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS WERE NOTIFIED.
THE MAP ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE GENERAL LOCATION OF THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, AND ON THE RIGHT IS A CLOSE END AERIAL OF THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY.
IT'S AT THE END OF SUFFOLK STREET, UH, ODD TRAPEZOID SHAPED PARCEL MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
AND R TWO IS 75 FEET WIDE AND A MINIMUM OF 7,500 SQUARE FEET.
THIS PARTICULAR PARCEL AT THE SETBACK LINE IS ONLY APPROXIMATELY 70 FEET WIDE AND 7,281 SQUARE FEET.
SO THE NONCONFORMITIES ARE BOTH WITH THE WIDTH AND THE TOTAL LOT SIZE.
THE APPLICANTS, UH, ARE PROPOSING A TWO STORY SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING, UH, THREE BEDROOM, TWO AND A HALF BATH, 1,665 SQUARE FEET.
YOU CAN SEE THE FRONT AND REAR ELEVATIONS HERE.
UM, I WILL NOTE THAT THE, UM, AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, UM, THE APPLICANTS DID TAKE SOME ADVICE FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSIONERS AND THEY'RE GONNA BE MAKING SOME MINOR MODIFICATIONS TO THIS PARTICULAR ELEVATION.
I'LL HAVE THOSE FOR YOU AT THE, WHEN WE COME BACK FOR A PUBLIC HEARING SIDE ELEVATIONS HERE, ONE OF THE CHANGES THEY'RE DOING IS JUST ADDING SOME MORE WINDOWS.
MM-HMM,
IT'S ALSO CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THE PROPOSED DWELLING IS SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN THE TYPICAL HOME THERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THERE'S ACTUALLY A TABLE COMPARING THE SIZES, UH, IN, AT THE BACK OF YOUR STAFF REPORT.
THIS HOUSE IS ACTUALLY SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN MOST OF THE HOMES ON THE STREET.
UM, THE AVERAGE SIZE IS 1,187 SQUARE FEET.
THERE WAS SOME QUESTION AS TO WHETHER THIS HOUSE COULD PROPERLY MEET SETBACKS AND, AND IT CAN.
STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, UH, WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS THAT THE NEW HOME WILL HAVE 12 INCH MINIMUM EAVES ALONG ALL ROOF EDGES.
THE LOT WILL HAVE MINIMUM COVERAGE OF 20% TREE CANOPY, DRIVEWAY OF ASPHALT OR CONCRETE, UH, STONE OR BRICK FOUNDATION ON ALL FOUR SIDES.
UH, FRONT FOUNDATION PLANTINGS.
AND THAT THE, UM, FINAL HOUSE DESIGN WILL BE IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE FINAL, UH, DESIGNS, WHICH WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU AT PLAINTIFF COMMISSION.
THE APPLICANTS HAVE AGREED TO ALL THESE CONDITIONS.
PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMENDED FIVE TO ZERO TO APPROVE THIS APPLICATION.
AFTER THEIR PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 5TH, THEY DID NOT MODIFY ANY OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS.
AND AGAIN, TONIGHT'S JUST A WORK SESSION, SO NOT ASKING FOR ANY ACTION, BUT I AM AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND THE APPLICANTS THEMSELVES ARE HERE AS WELL, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THEM.
THE HOMES THAT ARE ON THAT STREET IS, WOULD THIS BE THE ONLY TWO STORY HOUSE ON THE STREET? I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE, YES.
I THINK THEY'RE ALL, ALL THE REST ARE RANCHERS ARE ONE ONE STORY HOMES? YES, MA'AM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALRIGHT.
WE COME BACK WITH THE DRAWINGS WILL DEPICT WHERE THE WINDOWS WILL BE.
UM, THE ELEVATIONS WILL MATCH THE FLOOR HEIGHT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? SEEING THE LIGHTS? ALRIGHT.
[REGULAR MEETING]
WE'RE GONNA CALL THE REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER.[00:10:01]
HERE, HERE, HERE.CAN YOU MUTE? COUNSELOR? CAN YOU MUTE? COUNSELOR PE HERE.
UH, WE'LL HAVE THE PRAYER BY PASTOR COLLIER, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY COUNCILLOR PELLUM.
UH, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO YOU, PASTOR COLLIER, I'D LIKE TO DO A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
UM, FOR WE HAD A WORLD WAR II VET, UH, JUST PASSED AWAY, UH, NATHANIEL WILSON, UH, WHO FOUGHT IN THE BATTLE OF MIDWAY.
SO, I'D LIKE TO ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE RISE FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
FATHER, WE COME TOVO YOU TODAY TO ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM AND GUIDANCE AS LORD.
THIS COUNCIL PROCEEDS WITH THE BUSINESS OF OUR CITY.
PROVERBS CHAPTER THREE, LORD SAYS, TO TRUST IN YOU WITH ALL OF OUR HEART, AND DON'T DEPEND ON OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING, BUT SEEK YOUR WILL AND ALL THAT WE DO, THAT YOU WILL SHOW US A PATH THAT WE SHOULD TAKE.
SO FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE ASK FOR YOUR PERFECT JUST AND MERCIFUL SPIRIT TO LEAD THIS COUNCIL AS THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE OUR CITY.
I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD TOUCH THIS COUNCIL AND HELP THEM TO LEAD WITH CHARACTER AND CONVICTION.
HELP THEM TO LISTEN WITH UNDERSTANDING AND GOODWILL.
HELP EACH ONE TO SPEAK WITH CHARITY AND RESTRAINT AND GIVE ALL THAT LEAD A SPIRIT OF SERVICE.
REMIND US ALL THAT WE ARE STEWARDS OF YOUR AUTHORITY AND GUIDE US TO BE LEADERS OF YOUR PEOPLE IN THIS GREAT CITY.
HELP US TO SEE THE HUMANITY AND DIGNITY OF THOSE THAT WE MAY DISAGREE WITH.
AND TO TREAT ALL PEOPLE NO MATTER WHERE THEY COME FROM AND WHO THEY ARE WITH REVERENCE AS YOUR CREATION DESERVES.
AND FINALLY, FATHER, I PRAYED FOR A RENEWED STRENGTH AND FOR YOUR PRESENCE TO BE IN THIS PLACE AND THE JOY OF YOUR SPIRIT, TO BE OUR STRENGTH AND BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS WORTHY OF YOUR BLESSING AND GUIDANCE.
WE ASK THIS AS YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS AND CONFIDENCE IN YOUR GOODNESS AND LOVE.
AND WE PRAY THESE THINGS IN THE NAME OF JESUS OUR SAVIOR.
IGI FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC AND IN WITH LIBERTY, JUSTICE.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE REGULAR MEETING AGENDA? SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR PAL AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
MOVING ON TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVE.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[INFORMATION/PRESENTATIONS]
AND PRESENTATIONS.UH, MR. BENNETT, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT AND TO TALK ABOUT A GREAT EVENT THAT'S COMING UP ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER THE FOURTH FROM 1:00 PM TO 5:30 PM AND IT'S CALLED MADE IN HOPEWELL.
SO, UH, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS ADVERTISED IN SOME OF OUR SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS, UH, LINKEDIN AND OTHERS.
UH, MADE IN HOPEWELL IS A CELEBRATION OF ALL THINGS MANUFACTURING, BOTH BIG AND SMALL IN THE HOPEWELL PRINCE GEORGE AREA.
OUR GOAL IS TO GENERATE AWARENESS, PRIDE, AND NEW CONNECTIONS AROUND OUR COMMUNITY'S ADVANCED TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND LOCALLY MADE PRODUCTS TO THE UPLIFT HOPEWELL AND THE REGION.
AS LEADERS IN THIS FIELD, THE MADE AND HOPEWELL EVENT
[00:15:01]
HAS BEEN ORGANIZED AND SPEARHEADED BY THE HOPEWELL DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP IN, WITH SUPPORT OF THE VIRGINIA MAIN STREET AND THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SMALL BUSINESS SUPPLIER DIVERSITY.THIS EVENT IS PART OF THE OVERALL STRATEGY TO CONTINUE THE REVITALIZATION OF HISTORIC HOPEWELL AND OUR MANUFACTURING, UH, BASE AND ENTREPRENEUR ECOSYSTEM, IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE REGION.
SO I JUST WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU, UH, TO, UH, BE A PART IF YOU CAN.
THE EVENT IS GOING TO, UH, BEGIN.
AND, AND ALSO THIS IS FOR ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, ARE WELCOME TO COME AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE GONNA START AT 1:00 PM AT THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 1 46.
IT'S LOCATED ON HOPEWELL STREET AND CITY POINT.
AND, UH, FROM ONE O'CLOCK TO 3:30 PM WE'RE GONNA HAVE VARIOUS, UM, PANELS AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UM, UH, PRESENTATIONS.
UH, ONE OF THESE PRESENTATIONS I WILL BE ACTUALLY DOING JOINTLY WITH, UH, FLETCHER MANGUM OF MAGNUM ECONOMICS, WHO PREPARED AN INCREDIBLE ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY ON THE POWER OF OUR, UM, INDUSTRIES IN HOPEWELL AND THE, THE REACH OF THAT ECONOMIC IMPACT IN OUR REGION AND EVEN, UH, IN THE NATION.
UH, WE'RE ALSO GONNA HAVE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, UH, STUDIES.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT ART, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, SUSTAINABILITY, AND MANUFACTURING.
UH, AS WE MOVE FROM, UH, THE OLD WAY OF MANUFACTURING INTO NEW METHODS AND HARNESSING THE POWER OF THE FUTURE.
UH, AFTER THAT WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE BEACON THEATER FOR A SMALL BATCH TRADE SHOW.
AND THAT'S FROM FOUR 30 TO FIVE 30.
AND IN THIS CASE, WE'RE GOING TO CELEBRATE SMALL BATCH.
UH, ARTISAN AND CRAFTSMEN WHO WRITE HERE IN HOPEWELL ARE MAKING THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT EVEN BE AWARE OF AND, UH, ENJOY THIS RECEPTION AND TRADE SHOW, UH, FEATURING THOSE LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS, THEIR PRODUCTS.
AND WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK.
AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE GIVING A CROWD'S CHOICE AWARD IN THE FORM OF A SMALL BUSINESS GRANT TO HELP, UH, ACCELERATE ONE OF THESE GREAT ENTREPRENEURS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN OUR CITY, UH, ACTUALLY WITH THE HOPES OF GROWING THEM INTO A LARGER SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURER.
SO, UM, WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO BE MAKING THINGS IN HOPEWELL AND WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THAT.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO INVITE ALL OF YOU TO BE A PART AND ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC WHO'S LISTENING, UH, TO THIS TO BE A PART FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4TH FROM ONE O'CLOCK TO 5:30 PM HOPEWELL, WHERE WE STILL MAKE STUFF.
UH, COUNCILOR DENTON, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, SAY THAT I GOT A CALL THIS MORNING THAT, UM, THEY HAD THE RADIO TURNED ON THE WRVA AND HEATHER LEARNINGS, UH, FROM THE HOPEWELL DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP THAT SHE DID A FANTASTIC JOB TALKING ABOUT THIS EVENT.
SO I, I WAS TOLD TO PUT IT ON MY CALENDAR RIGHT THEN,
WE ARE GETTING INCREDIBLE COVERAGE THROUGH THE MEDIA.
UH, WE'LL ALSO HAVE, HEATHER WILL BE ON TELEVISION, UH, NEXT WEEK AS WELL.
AND WE'VE BEEN IN THE PRINT MEDIA AS WELL.
SO WE THANK ALL OF OUR MEDIA PARTNERS EQUALLY FOR ALL OF THEIR HELP AND ASSISTANCE IN PROMOTING, UH, MADE IN
MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION.
YEAH, THEY, THEY ANSWERED SOME OF THE, UH, COUNSELOR, THEY, THEY RAISED SOME OF THE, UH, UH, THE ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS ABOUT TO ASK.
HOW WAS THIS, HOW WAS THIS, UH, PUT OUT? AND I'M GUESSING THEY PUT IN THE NEWSPAPER AND SO FORTH.
UH, I, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN EMAIL THOUGH, LIKE, ELECTRONICALLY TO US TO NOTIFY US SO THAT WE CAN ALSO, UH, SPREAD THE WORD.
I, I DIDN'T, UH, SEE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
SO I REQUEST FOR THAT NEXT TIME.
'CAUSE THIS ISN'T MY FIRST TIME ACTUALLY HEARING ABOUT IT.
AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO, UH, COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU, UM, THE, THE INFORMATION, UH, THAT WE, WE
[00:20:01]
RECEIVED.UM, BUT, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, EXCUSE ME.
IS IT ON FACEBOOK? FACEBOOK PAGE? WE HAVE IT ON OUR LINKEDIN PAGE.
WE HAVE IT ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE.
IT'S BEEN SEVERAL TIMES IN THE COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT THAT HAS BEEN SENT OUT ON FRIDAYS BECAUSE PART OF THIS PROCESS FOR THE LAST YEAR WAS ACTUALLY GETTING ENTREPRENEURS TO APPLY AND BASICALLY TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT I'M CURRENTLY MAKING, THIS IS WHAT I'M DOING.
THEY HAD TO MEET THE CRITERIA.
SO, UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN OUT THERE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT I HAVEN'T COME AND TALKED ABOUT IT UNTIL NOW.
'CAUSE I WAS JUST WONDERING, I ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS GOING CHURCHES, IF SOMEBODY, I GUESS A COMMUNICATION OFFICER, MAYBE DR.
MAKER COULD TRY TO GALVANIZE ALL THE EMAILS OF EVERY CHURCH IN THIS CITY.
ONE TIME WHEN I CHECKED BACK 10 YEARS AGO WAS NINE FOUR.
AND EVEN IF IT'S A HOUSE, IT'S A CHURCH.
IF WE COULD GET AT LEAST THEIR EMAILS AND, AND, AND, AND, AND MAKE A, A, A BAD MASS EMAIL BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG CONGREGATION THAT NORMALLY PARTICIPATES IN THINGS AND HAVE GRANDCHILDREN THAT THEY CAN BRING TO THIS KIND OF, UH, SETTING THAT IS, I JUST THINK IT'S A GOOD WAY TO GET THE WORD OUT.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE THEIR PROJECT UNDERWAY.
UM, WE'VE LEARNED IN A LOT OF PLACES DON'T HAVE EMAIL ADDRESS, BUT WE DO HAVE A GOOD, WE ARE COMPILING ALL THE CHURCHES IN THIS AREA TO PUT 'EM INTO A LISTSERV.
BECAUSE THEY HAVE A, THEY GET FACEBOOK IF THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE.
MOVING ON TO THE, UH, SECOND, UH, PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
UH, I'M MARSHALL HARTLESS, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF STORMWATER AND ENGINEERING, UH, DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS HERE IN HOPEWELL.
UH, WHAT, WHAT I HAVE HERE TONIGHT IS, UH, WE HAVE A, UM, STORM WATER FEE STUDY THAT WAS CONDUCTED.
AND I HAVE, UH, DAVID MASON HERE FROM CDM SMITH THAT'S GONNA BE DOING THE PRESENTATION ON THAT.
IS THERE A AS LONG AS I CAN SCROLL, IT'S ON.
UM, SO I SAID I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE STORMWATER UTILITY ASSESSMENT THAT WAS DONE.
MY NAME'S DAVID MASON WITH CDM SMITH.
UH, WE'RE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CONSULTING FIRM, BUT WE DO A LOT OF STORMWATER UTILITY ASSESSMENTS AROUND VIRGINIA AND THE COUNTRY.
UM, SO JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, SOME OF Y'ALL ARE PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT THE STORMWATER UTILITY FEE WAS IMPLEMENTED IN JUNE OF 2015.
AND THE COUNCIL AT THAT TIME THOUGHT IT WAS NECESSARY TO FUND THE PROGRAM ADEQUATELY AND SUSTAINABLY USING THAT REVENUE STREAM.
AND AT THE TIME THE FEE WAS, WAS SET UP WITH A $4 EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT CHARGE.
AND, UH, AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN CHANGED IN NINE YEARS NOW.
SO, UM, BUT ONE THING TO NOTE, AT THE TIME WHEN THAT STUDY WAS DONE, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS FOR AN $8 PER MONTH FEE AND IT WAS IMPLEMENTED AT FOUR.
UH, SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER TIME IS THAT REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED FROM THAT FEE HAS NOT REALLY KEPT UP WITH THE PACE OF INFRASTRUCTURE RENEWAL AROUND TOWN, KEEPING UP WITH THE FLOODING CONCERNS.
UM, THERE'VE BEEN SOME, UM, AS YOU MIGHT BE AWARE, SOME ISSUES WITH COLLECTIONS.
AND SO THE REVENUE RIGHT NOW IS NOT, NOT ADEQUATELY FUNDING THE PROGRAM.
AND SO THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO LOOK AT WHAT THE NEEDS OF THE PROGRAM ARE TODAY, REVIEW
[00:25:01]
THE RATE STRUCTURE THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE IN COMPARISON TO THAT, TRENDS AROUND THE STATE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND OFFER SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING THE PROGRAM.UH, SO AS I MENTIONED, THE FEE WAS AT IS AT $4 PER MONTH PER RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
SO EVERY HOME, UH, TOWNHOUSE APARTMENT, WHATEVER PAYS A $4 CHARGE.
AND THEN NON-RESIDENTIAL, UH, CUSTOMERS PAY IN PROPORTION TO THAT.
SO IF THEY'RE TWICE AS BIG, THEY PAY EIGHT.
IF THEY'RE THREE TIMES AS BIG, THEY PAY 12.
SO THAT'S HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS.
UM, THERE IS, UH, A, A CREDIT OFFERED TODAY FOR YOUR LARGER INDUSTRIAL USERS.
UM, SO THAT DOES IMPACT THE REVENUE THAT THE PROGRAM THERE HAS.
AND IT, AND IT, THAT ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT $400,000 IN, IN REVENUE.
UH, I WOULDN'T SAY LOSS, BUT REVENUE REDUCTION, UM, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE LOOKED AT.
UM, BUT THE AVERAGE ANNUAL REVENUE OF THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT $900,000 A YEAR.
UM, AND COLLECTION DOES IMPACT THAT A LITTLE BIT, UM, AND REDUCE THAT.
BUT OVER ON THE RIGHT THERE IS A TABLE OF WHAT WOULD THE AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, COST OF THE PROGRAM IS TODAY.
WHAT THE PROGRAM RUNS AT, AND YOU CAN SEE A MAJORITY OF THE COST OF THE PROGRAM IS IN SORT OF THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
UM, THERE'S VERY LITTLE MONEY LEFT OVER TO DO CAPITAL PROJECTS TO ADDRESS FLOODING, WATER QUALITY AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO THAT'S REALLY ONE OF THE MAIN DRIVERS FOR, FOR THIS STUDY.
SO LOOKING AHEAD AT THOSE CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, UH, FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, STAFF HAS IDENTIFIED ALMOST $13 MILLION OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, OF KNOWN FLOODING ISSUES, NO NEEDS IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS SOME WATER QUALITY, UH, NEEDS.
SO THAT CHESAPEAKE BAY LINE ITEM, UM, SECOND FROM THE BOTTOM THERE, THAT'S OUR REGULATORY REQUIREMENT.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S ANOTHER YOU NEED IN THE PROGRAM TODAY THAT'S NOT, NOT ABLE TO BE FUNDED IN THE FUTURE IF THERE ISN'T A A, A REEVALUATION OF THE FEE STRUCTURE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE ARE ABOUT 30 OTHER DRAINAGE PROJECTS THAT STAFF HAD GAVE US A LIST OF THAT WE DON'T HAVE COST FOR YET.
BUT THERE IT, OVER AND ABOVE, THERE'S 13 MILLION THERE.
SO THERE'S A VERY SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL NEED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND AGAIN, NOT A LOT OF REVENUE THERE OVER AND ABOVE THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS TO FUND THAT.
SO IF THAT WAS THE REVENUE SIDE, WE DID, AS I MENTIONED, WE LOOKED AT THE RATE STRUCTURE A LITTLE BIT.
SO WHAT YOU ALL HAVE HERE IS THE, IS WHAT WE CALL THE EQUIVALENT RESIDENTIAL UNIT METHOD.
AND THAT'S, AGAIN, AS I TALKED ABOUT, EVERYBODY PAYS OTHER, THE RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS, EVERYBODY PAYS THEIR $4, RIGHT? THERE'S NO VARIATION IN THAT.
UM, BUT THESE DAYS A LOT OF THE UTILITIES THAT ARE IN PLACE HAVE A LITTLE VARIETY MIXED IN.
SO THERE'S A, A, A LITTLE MORE EQUITY BUILT INTO THE PROGRAM WHERE OTHER TYPES OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES MAY PAY LESS, RIGHT? SO A SINGLE FAMILY HOME IS BIGGER THAN MAYBE AN APARTMENT UNIT.
SO THERE'S AN ACCOUNTING FOR, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT LOWER IMPACT ON THE SYSTEM.
SO THEY PAY A LITTLE BIT LESS.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS THE, WHAT WE CALL THE SINGLE FAMILY UNIT WITH TIERS.
AND THEN WE GOT A KIND OF GRAPH ON THE RIGHT.
AND SO DON'T GET LOST ON NUMBERS, BUT ALL THAT MEANS IS EVEN ACROSS THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES YOU MAY HAVE REALLY, REALLY LARGE ONES AND REALLY, REALLY SMALL ONES.
SO IS IT FAIR THAT EVERYBODY STILL PAYS THE SAME AMOUNT? AND SO THAT FEE STRUCTURE, THE WAY THAT WOULD LOOK IS EVERYONE'S SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE BETWEEN THOSE RED LINES.
THEY WOULD PAY THE, SAY $4 IF THAT WAS THE CASE.
THE ONES THAT ARE ON THE TOP 10% MAY PAY $6 AND THE ONES AT THE BOTTOM MAY PAY $2.
SO THAT'S HOW THAT FEE STRUCTURE WORKS.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT FEE STRUCTURES OUT THERE.
UM, FOR CONSIDERATION, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR RATE, YOU CAN LOOK AT SOME ALTERNATIVES TO MAKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE EQUITABLE.
THE ONLY CHALLENGE WITH SOME OF THOSE IS IT, IT'S, IT'S MORE ADMINISTRATIVELY COMPLEX.
SO YOU GOTTA HAVE BILLING SYSTEM TO DO THAT AND YOU HAVE TO STAFF TO MAINTAIN IT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PROS AND CONS OF THAT.
BUT WE GAVE YOU SOME INFORMATION ON HOW THAT COULD LOOK IF YOU WERE TO REEVALUATE YOUR SYSTEM.
HERE'S A TABLE OF, UH, FROM OUR REV, OUR OUR RATE MODEL.
AND I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL THE DETAILS 'CAUSE IT'S IN YOUR PACKET.
UM, BUT REALLY WANNA SHOW WHERE YOU ARE TODAY AND AND WHERE THAT, UM, THAT ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION WAS.
AND SO RIGHT NOW AGAIN, YOU'RE AT $4 PER RESIDENTIAL UNIT, WHICH GENERATES ABOUT $900,000 A YEAR, UM, AT THE $8 RATE THAT WAS RECOMMENDED PREVIOUSLY.
YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD OF COURSE GENERATE ABOUT TWICE AS MUCH.
AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE, THOSE LEFT HAND COLUMNS LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT BILLING STRUCTURES, UM, ACCOUNT FOR THE FACT THAT WITH OR WITHOUT THAT CREDIT IN PLACE.
AND SO, UM, WE'LL TALK HERE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT CREDIT THAT'S OFFERED TO THOSE LARGE INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS AND, AND HOW THAT MAY MATCH UP WITH THE, THE TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY VERSUS, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW IT MAY IMPACT YOUR REVENUE HERE.
SO TALKING ABOUT THE TRENDS A LITTLE BIT, UH, WE DID A LOOK AT SOME PEER CITIES AROUND, UM, RICHMOND AREA AND KIND OF SOUTHERN VIRGINIA KIND OF STAYED AWAY FROM THE, UM, THE ONES UP IN THE DC AREA 'CAUSE THOSE ARE FUNDED QUITE A BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, BUT ALSO LOOKED AT SOME REGIONAL AND NATIONAL SURVEYS JUST TO GIVE YOU A FRAMEWORK OF WHERE YOU ALL ARE AT IN COMPARISON TO OTHERS.
AND SO THE CHART THERE ON THE, THAT YOU'LL SEE IS ALL THE STORMWATER UTILITY FUNDING PROGRAMS IN THE STATE.
AND SO THE AVERAGE RATE THAT EVERYONE'S CHARGING IN THE STATE RIGHT NOW, IT'S ABOUT 7 75
[00:30:01]
PER RESIDENTIAL UNIT.AND THEN IF YOU NARROW DOWN TO THOSE ORANGE ONES WITH ARE THE PIER CITIES THAT WE DOVE IN A LITTLE DEEPER ON, UM, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT OVER $8.
SO KIND OF IN THE RANGE OF WHERE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE.
AND THEN FROM THE CREDIT SIDE, UM, LOOKING AT THOSE REGIONAL NATIONAL SURVEYS THAT KINDA GIVE A GOOD, YOU KNOW, CROSS SECTION OF, OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CITIES.
THE AVERAGE CREDIT THAT'S USUALLY OFFERED FOR THESE STORMWATER PROGRAMS IS ABOUT 20, YOU KNOW, 24, 20 5% IS WHAT'S MORE TYPICAL FOR A CREDIT PROGRAM.
AND THEN LOOKING DOWN IN THE PIER CITIES FOR, UM, UH, THAT WE LOOKED AT HERE, UH, IT'S MORE AROUND 20% IS WHAT THEY'RE OFFERING THEIR INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS.
SO JUST THAT 90% CREDIT THAT YOU HAVE HERE THAT YOU KNOW, THAT'S IMPACTING YOUR REVENUE DOES IS A BIT OUTTA LINE WITH WHAT, WHAT WE SEE AROUND THE COUNTRY AND CERTAINLY AROUND VIRGINIA.
UM, BUT, BUT THE STATE LAW DOES REQUIRE YOU TO HAVE A CREDIT POLICY.
SO IT'S SOMETHING YOU, YOU HAVE TO HAVE IN PLACE.
YOU HAVE TO OFFER CREDITS FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEST PRACTICES ON SITE THAT REDUCE THEIR IMPACT ON YOUR SYSTEM.
UM, SO AGAIN, WE'VE GOT SOME TABLES IN THE, IN THE REPORT THAT YOU HAVE THERE AND WHAT THE IMPACT OF, IF YOU CONSIDER CHANGING WHAT, WHAT THAT CREDIT THAT'S OFFERED TODAY, HOW WOULD THAT IMPACT YOUR REVENUE? AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE COLUMN OVER IN THE RIGHT IS WHERE YOU ARE TODAY AT DIFFERENT RATES ON THE LEFT.
AND AS YOU MOVE ACROSS, WHAT IF THE, YOU KNOW, CREDIT WAS 50%, WHAT IF IT WAS 20%? HOW WOULD THAT AFFECT YOUR REVENUE? SO IT KIND OF GIVES YOU SOME THINGS TO LOOK AT AS YOU'RE EV EVALUATING YOUR PROGRAM.
BUT JUST MOVING ON TO SORT OF A KIND OF A STRAW MAN OF, OF, OF WHAT WE SEE FROM THOSE TRENDS AND, AND WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE, THE, THE CAPITAL NEEDS THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW.
SO PRETTY FAR OUTPACE WHAT YOU'RE GENERATING FROM A REVENUE SIDE.
AND EVEN AT THE $8 RATE THAT WE DID THAT WE MENTIONED, WHICH WAS IN THE ORIGINAL RECOMMENDATION, UM, IT'S, YOU NEED TO STILL BE ON THAT, BUT IT DOES CATCH YOU UP IN A LOT OF WAYS FOR A LOT OF THE WEIRD CRITICAL PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE IN PLACE.
AND SO THIS KIND OF GIVES A BIT OF A A TABLE ON THAT STRAW MAN.
SO, UM, YOUR KIND OF AVERAGE ANNUAL BUDGET NOW IS THAT 900,000 AT THE $4 RATE.
IF YOU WERE LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE AN $8 RATE WITH A CREDIT THAT'S MORE IN LINE WITH OTHER, OTHER CITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE, YOU GENERATE ABOUT 2.4 MILLION AND YOU STILL HAVE A DEFICIT ON YOUR CAPITAL SIDE, BUT AGAIN, IT, IT TACKLES A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE IMMEDIATELY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND THAT CAN KIND OF SUSTAIN YOU THROUGH THAT OTHER LIST OF PROJECTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT HAVEN'T REALLY BEEN COUGHED OUT YET AND, AND IDENTIFIED.
SO THAT'S A BIT OF A STRAW MAN TO KIND OF SHOW YOU WHERE THAT WOULD PUT YOU TODAY IF YOU WERE TO CONSIDER SOME OF THOSE CHANGES.
I WILL TALK ABOUT BILLING HERE QUICKLY.
UM, AND I THINK YOU'VE HAD A PRESENTATION BEFORE ON SOME OF THE, THE BILLING CHALLENGES YOU HAVE, BUT, UH, CURRENTLY YOU'RE, YOU BILL THIS FEE ON A, ON A, ON YOUR UTILITY BILL, RIGHT? SO GARAGES ALONG WITH TRASH SEWER, UM, AND THAT GOES TO THE CUSTOMER, RIGHT? IT GOES TO THE PERSON, THE TENANT THAT MIGHT BE LIVING IN THAT LOCATION.
UM, UH, IN TERMS OF THE COLLECTION RATE, AS I MENTIONED, YOU HAD A, A MEMO BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2023 THAT TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE COLLECTION ISSUES YOU HAVE ON THE STORMWATER SIDE THAT'S IMPACTING THE REVENUE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME, UM, CONSIDERATION OF HOW, HOW DO, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE BILL, HOW DO WE CHANGE THOSE THINGS? BUT JUST TO SHOW YOU HOW OTHERS DO IT IN THIS STATE AND, AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, THAT PIE CHART KIND OF GIVES A VIEW OF HOW OTHER PEOPLE BILL THEIR PROGRAM.
AND SO CERTAINLY THAT BLUE PIECE OF THE PIE THERE ABOUT HALF DO BILL ON THEIR UTILITY BILL LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, BUT A, A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF OF CITIES DO HAVE IT AS A RIDE AROUND THEIR TAX BILL.
AND SO THERE'S BENEFITS IN, IN, IN AND PROS AND CONS OF THAT AS WELL.
BUT SOME OF THE BENEFITS ARE, IT'S A VERY RELIABLE SYSTEM.
IT'S IN PLACE, YOU CAN JUST ADD IT ON AND HIT YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH IT THAT WAY.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT PEOPLE LIKE ABOUT IT IS IT GOES TO THE OWNER AND THE OWNER HAS A LOT MORE CONTROL ABOUT DRAINAGE ON THE PROPERTY AND CAN DO THINGS TO EARN A CREDIT, WHEREAS A TENANT MAY NOT HAVE THAT ABILITY.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES TO THINKING ABOUT DOING IT ON A PROPERTY TAX BILL VERSUS A UTILITY BILL WHERE YOU'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES.
SO OUR FINDINGS HERE TODAY IS ONE, UH, TO CONSIDER LOOKING AT THAT $8 FEE THAT WAS ORIGINALLY RECOMMENDED ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, AND CONSIDERING HOW THAT MIGHT BENEFIT YOUR PROGRAM TODAY, WE ALSO RECOMMEND REEVALUATING YOUR CREDIT POLICY AND, AND, AND TRYING TO STRUCTURE IT AROUND SOMETHING THAT'S MORE CONSISTENT WITH HOW THINGS ARE DONE THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHERN VIRGINIA AREA.
AND RELATED TO THE CREDIT, WHAT WE ALWAYS RECOMMEND IS HAVING SOME LANGUAGE IN THERE ABOUT COMPLIANCE.
AND SO IF YOU'RE, THERE'S SUPPOSED TO BE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS FOR YOU TO DO BEST PRACTICE ON SITE.
SO IF YOU AREN'T DOING THOSE THINGS THAT YOU COMMITTED TO DOING, YOU'RE, YOU'RE SUSCEPTIBLE TO LOSING THAT CREDIT.
AND SO THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT IN PLACE SO THAT, UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, STICK TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE DOING THE BEST PRACTICE ON THEIR SITE.
MENTIONED ABOUT THE TIERED RATE STRUCTURE.
AND WHILE IT DOES PROVIDE SOME EQUITY, UM, BETTER EQUITY TO THE CUSTOMER BASE, IT KIND OF BREAKS UP THAT FEE A LITTLE MORE DISCREETLY.
[00:35:01]
UM, THERE IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN WITH DOING THAT.SO, UM, FROM A STAFFING PERSPECTIVE AND ALSO FROM A BILLING PLATFORM RIGHT NOW, I DON'T THINK THAT, AT LEAST FROM OUR STUDY, THAT THAT WOULD MAYBE BE THE RECOMMENDED APPROACH FOR TODAY UNTIL SOME OF THOSE THINGS CHANGE IT.
BUT, UM, BUT ULTIMATELY WE DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE SHOULD BE SOME CONSIDERATION FOR MO MIGRATING THAT FEE OVER TO YOUR TAX BILL IF, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
IT WOULD HELP WITH YOUR COLLECTION SIDE TO IMPROVE THE REVENUE, UM, AND ALSO MAYBE TARGET THE, THE, THE PROPERTY OWNER THAT CAN ACTUALLY IMPACT CHANGE ON THE PROPERTY AND, AND, AND KIND OF BENEFIT THE, THE TENANT IN THAT, IN THAT SITUATION.
SO THAT'S THE SUMMARY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF 10 MINUTE AND A WRAP UP OF OUR, OF OUR REPORT, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
UM, COUNCILOR JOY, DID YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT? NO, I HOLD UP.
UH, SO COUNCILOR HARRIS AND THEN COUNCILLOR PELMAN AND MYSELF.
MY QUESTION IS IF, UM, THE ORIGINAL REQUEST WAS $8 NINE YEARS AGO, HOW, HOW, HOW DID WE MAKE IT? OR WE PASSED NINE YEARS, $4.
I WASN'T AROUND FOR THAT ORIGINAL STUDY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT, BUT MARSHALL, UM, SO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UM, THE, THE PROGRAM HASN'T BEEN FUNDING PROJECTS THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE.
UH, WE HAVEN'T HAD THE FUNDS IN QUITE A WHILE, BUT I MYSELF ALSO HAVEN'T BEEN HERE AT THE CITY FOR VERY LONG.
I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT A YEAR NOW.
IT'S BEEN ABOUT THE SAME FOR JOSH ELLI ELLI AS WELL.
UM, BUT WE, FOR THE STORMWATER PROGRAM, WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CAPITAL PROJECTS THIS YEAR 'CAUSE WE, WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS FOR IT.
SO THEN WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING, YES, DELAYED.
AND I, AND JUST, AND I WOULD FRAME IT AS THIS VERY, THIS IS A VERY COMMON DISCUSSION THAT'S GOING ON ALL OVER THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THESE PROGRAMS ARE PUT IN PLACE, 10 15 YEAR AGOS IN, IN LINE WITH THE WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS, IT'S ALWAYS A HURDLE TO GET IT RIGHT ON THE BOOKS AND GET IT APPROVED AT THE BEGINNING.
SO A LOT OF TIMES THEY GET APPROVED AT A LEVEL BELOW WHAT THE NEEDS WERE EVEN AT THAT TIME.
AND THEN YOU GET DOWN THE ROAD AND, OKAY, WE'RE FALLING BEHIND EVERY YEAR, NOW WE HAVE TO ASSESS WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY COMMON ISSUE RIGHT NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CATCH UP.
AND I THINK SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL MONEY AND THINGS START TO SORT OF DRIVE SOME OF THAT CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THIS THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA AND ELSEWHERE.
SO HOW DO WE CATCH UP TO WHERE WE, WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE
AND WHAT, WELL, WHAT THE HISTORY WAS THAT THAT BASICALLY, I, I MEAN WE FOUND A WAY TO, TO DO SOME THINGS WITHOUT RAISING ANOTHER FEE, BUT TO ME IS ANOTHER TAX ON THE CITIZEN BASE.
AND, AND AND YOUR AVERAGE FOR, FOR PEOPLE CHARGED ACROSS THE STATE, THE FOUR CITIES, THE OTHER THREE CITIES AROUND US WE PROVIDED WAS RICHMOND COLONIAL HEIGHTS AND PETERSBURG.
AND THEY TOO, PETERSBURG GOT, I THINK RICHMOND MAY BE CHARGED THAT MAYBE ABOUT $5.
BUT THE OTHER THREE CITIES, US, WE CHARGE $4 EQUALLY.
SO THAT AVERAGE IS KINDA LIKE MISLEADING.
'CAUSE THERE'S ALL THOSE BIG CITIES.
AND, AND, AND I DO SEE THE, I KNOW THE NEED FOR STORM WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS BAD, BUT IT'S THE WAY OF COURSE THE CITY COUNCIL DECIDES TO MANAGE THE MONEY.
AND AT RIGHT NOW, I WOULD NOT BE, UH, INCLINED TO PUT ANOTHER FEE ON THE CITIZENS AFTER WE GAVE THEM A 3% INCREASE THIS YEAR, ASSESSMENTS COMING UP IN JANUARY AND WE SORT OF KIND OF PROMISED THAT WE WERE GONNA DROP THE TAX BASE.
SO, UM,
BUT RIGHT NOW UNTIL WE DO A NEW BUDGET, BECAUSE OUR BUDGET WAS SO OVERRAN LAST YEAR WITH EXCESS, AND IF THAT MONEY, IF THE BUDGET CAN BE MORE REALISTIC IN THE UPCOMING YEARS, THEN MAYBE WE'LL BE ABLE TO CARVE SOMETHING OUT MORE FOR CAPITAL.
BUT IT JUST WON'T BE MY VOTE TO VOTE FOR IT RIGHT NOW.
I KNOW WE NOT VOTED, BUT THANK YOU.
UM, TWO THINGS THAT I JUST WANTED TO, UM, VOICE SOME SUPPORT FOR.
UM, I DO, I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT I THINK THAT THE INDUSTRIAL CREDIT IS EXTREMELY TOO HIGH.
UM, AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE CITIZENS HAVE HAD TO SHOULDER THAT BURDEN.
[00:40:01]
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I'VE JUST NEVER HAD ENOUGH SUPPORT, UH, TO LOWER IT OR, YOU KNOW, A REALLY GOOD ANALYSIS, UM, TO BACK UP THAT, UH, WHEN THIS PROGRAM WAS FIRST DESIGNED, THAT THAT WAS A HUGE MAJOR FLAW IN THE SYSTEM.AND, YOU KNOW, THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS UNFORTUNATELY, UM, PAYING FOR IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THE SINKHOLES, UH, POPPING UP ACROSS THE CITY.
UH, WE SEE, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORHOODS, ESPECIALLY THOSE, UH, IN POOR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE NOT DESIGNED PROPERLY FLOODING OUT.
AND SO, UM, I, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THE IDEA OF LOWERING THAT INDUSTRIAL CREDIT TO ABOUT 20% JUST LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE AVERAGE IS FOR OUR PEER CITIES AND STATE.
AND THEN, UM, ALWAYS BEEN A SUPPORTER OF, UH, MOVING IT OVER TO THE REAL ESTATE BILL.
UH, BECAUSE ASPO TAKE IT OFF OF THE MONTHLY BILLING AND, YOU KNOW, PAYING DATA INTEGRATORS THAT CO THAT EXTRA MONEY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THOSE COST SAVINGS AND THE INCREASE IN COLLECTIONS TOWARDS CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UM, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, JUST THOSE TWO, WHAT THE AMOUNT OF, UH, MONEY THAT WOULD BE GENERATED, UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE DO AN INCREASE.
UM, I MEAN, I KNOW AN INCREASE IS INEVITABLE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T HAVE A FEE SITTING AT, YOU KNOW, A 20 15, 20 16 LEVEL AND, UM, YOU EXPECT IT TO BE THE EXACT SAME IN 2024 AND 2025.
I MEAN, THE BIG MAC HAS GOTTEN, YOU KNOW, VERY EXPENSIVE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT MORE SPECIALIZED LABOR WHEN IT COMES TO THESE DRAIN AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, UH, THAN IT IS FOR ENTRY LEVEL WORK.
UM, SO, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT THOSE ARE FIRST BEFORE, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT AN ACTUAL RATE INCREASE.
UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALSO DO NEED, YOU KNOW, THE STATE'S HELP WITH, YOU KNOW, THE STATE CREATED THIS AND YOU KNOW, ALSO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AS A UNFUNDED MANDATE ONTO LOCALITIES AND THE STATE SHOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, HOPEWELL, BUT ALL LOCALITIES AS A WHOLE.
UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THIS IS A NATIONWIDE AND A STATEWIDE PROBLEM THAT WE'RE, UH, ALL EXPERIENCING.
SO, UM, BUT YEAH, IF YOU GUYS COULD GET, YOU KNOW, THOSE NUMBERS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND, UM, YEAH, I KNOW IT'S NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH TO, YOU KNOW, COVER OUT WHAT WE NEED IN, YOU KNOW, THE FIVE YEAR, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE LIKE A, A PHASED IN APPROACH THAT THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL DIDN'T DO, WHERE YOU'RE INCREASING IN MAYBE 50 CENTS, YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR OVER SO MANY YEARS, OR A DOLLAR OR SO TO GET TO A CERTAIN THRESHOLD TO WHERE WE ACTUALLY CAN MAINTAIN OUR, OUR STORM WATER COLLECTION SYSTEM.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE REALLY GOOD FOR, UH, US TO LOOK AT.
UH, I THOUGHT I SAW ANOTHER LIGHT, DR.
YEAH, I, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT I WAS NOT ASKING THE QUESTION 'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT ANY KIND OF RATE INCREASE.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I ASKED THE QUESTION.
NOW, UH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, I, AT THE END OF MY COMMENT I SAID, UH, WERE WE STRUGGLING? AND I, I DON'T KNOW IF I GOT AN ANSWER TO THAT, BUT IF WE NOT STRUGGLING, THEN WE SEEM TO BE DOING OKAY WITH WHAT WE GETTING.
SO I WAS JUST MAKING A POINT IN REGARDS TO GOING OVER NINE YEARS ALRIGHT.
RIGHT? AND THERE ARE INCREMENTS IN BETWEEN, LIKE THE MAYOR IS SAYING, EVEN IF WE JUST WENT UP 50 CENTS A YEAR, IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE A LITTLE BIT MORE REVENUE.
SO I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT MAKING THINGS EASIER FOR THE CITIZEN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR LIKES, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? OKAY.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS]
MOVING ON TO, UH, COMMUNICATIONS FROM, UH, CITIZENS.UH, MADAM CLERK, DO YOU MIND, UH, READING THE STATEMENT? A COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS PERIOD LIMITED IN TOTAL TIME TO 30 MINUTES IS PART OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS.
AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, ALL PERSONS ADDRESSING COUNCIL SHALL APPROACH THE MICROPHONE, GIVE NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE IN HOPEWELL, THEIR BOARD NUMBER
[00:45:01]
AND LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION ON REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS OF THE MEETING.
ALL REMARKS SHALL BE ADDRESSED TO COUNCIL AS A BODY.
ANY QUESTIONS MUST BE ASKED THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL IMP PERTINENT, ABUSIVE OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INSIGHTS, DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARRED BY THE MAYOR FROM FURTHER AUDIENCE BEFORE COUNCIL AND REMOVED, SUBJECT TO APPEAL TO A MAJORITY OF COUNCIL SEA RULES 4 0 5 AND 4 0 6.
UM, THE FIRST PERSON I HAVE SIGNED UP IS KEVIN RANEY.
UM, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE SIGNED UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
CAN I JUST DO IT ALL IN ONE ONE BECAUSE IT'S, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE, UH, IT'S TWO SEPARATE ITEMS. LEGALLY WE HAVE A, A PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE HAVE TO DO FOR YOUR ITEM.
BECAUSE I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE IT.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF IN JULY WHEN THEY, WHEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION INITIALLY TURNED IT DOWN.
NO, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT.
IT'S JUST THE VERY NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS.
SO YOU WANT ME TO SPEAK NOW OR IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
UM, THE NEXT PERSON IS, UH, WENDY AUSTIN.
UH, MAYOR PER PARTON AND COUNSELORS, AND DR.
MAN, I'M JUST HERE FOR A FEW MINUTES.
UH, TO TELL YOU ABOUT PADDLE BATTLE THAT WE HAD ON SATURDAY AND TO SAY, UH, IT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAD 132, UH, REGISTRANTS, 20 RACERS.
UH, IT IS THE, UH, PADDLING EVENT OF THE YEAR FROM 10 MILES DOWN THE RIVER IF WE PUT IN, IN, IN, UH, PETERSBURG.
AND OUR FINISH LINE CELEBRATION IS HERE IN, IN HOPEWELL.
AND, UM, I'M HERE TO SAY THANK YOU, REALLY, UH, IT'S QUITE A COMPLEX AND, UH, LOGISTICAL, UH, DIFFICULT, UM, EVENT TO PULL OFF.
AND I WANNA SAY IT WAS A VERY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH ALL OF YOUR STAFF.
UM, EVERYONE WAS VERY RESPONSIVE, VERY HELPFUL, UM, THROUGH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNICATIONS, MR. GASTON VERY HELPFUL.
UH, MS. HOLLAND HELPED ME THROUGH THE PERMITS.
UH, MR. BENNETT HAD THE, UH, MARINA ALL SET.
GREAT CHIEF RUPERT EVEN GOT US CONNECTED WITH, UH, CHESTERFIELD'S, UH, FIRE AND EMS, UM, VERY SUCCESSFULLY.
UM, AND OF COURSE, MS. MARTINEZ IN REC AND PARK AND ALL HER WHOLE TEAM AMAZING, AMAZING.
THEY REALLY SUPPORTED US AND HELPED US.
SO I WANTED TO, UM, SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR STAFF AND THEN ALSO EVEN TO YOUR HOPEWELL, UM, REPRESENTATIVES ON OUR FLAR BOARD.
THEY WERE PROBABLY TWO OF THE HARDEST WORKING VOLUNTEERS OUT THERE ON SATURDAY.
UM, MISS DR. PAUL REYNOLDS AND, UM, MR. MARK HALEY, UM, BOTH JUST WONDERFUL REPRESENTATIVES OF HOPEWELL, UH, FOR YOU ON OUR BOARD.
SO I, I WANTED TO SAY, JUST COME AND SAY THANK YOU.
WE HADN'T LAST YEAR WE GOT RAINED OUT THE YEAR BEFORE WE ACTUALLY STARTED IN HOPE MADE THE MISTAKE OF GOING UPSTREAM, THAT WAS A MUCH HARDER EVENT.
SO, UH, IN THE FUTURE, WE'RE ALL, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT ALWAYS DOING OUR BIG FINISH LINE EVENT HERE IN HOPEWELL.
ALL THE ATTENDEES WERE THRILLED, YOU KNOW, TO BE AT THE MARINA, UM, AND ENJOYING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY UP AND DOWN THE, THE RIVER, UH, AND, UM, THE FRIENDLY PEOPLE AND, UH, THE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL SURROUNDINGS OF THE RIVER.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO BRING FOLKS TO OUR COMMUNITY AND KEEP GROWING.
EACH YEAR WE HAVE MORE, UM, PARTICIPANTS, SO I JUST WANTED TO COME BY AND SAY THANK YOU.
UM, THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF, THANK YOU TO YOUR, UH, RESIDENTS.
SO, AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT YEAR.
THANK YOU WENDY, FOR YOUR WORK.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I'M HERE, SO I APOLOGIZE IF I DON'T SAY SOMETHING RIGHT TO ADDRESS THE, THE BOARD.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY GOOD EVENING, AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT FROM HOPEWELL SINCE 2004.
AND TONIGHT I AM HERE ABOUT THE TAXES, THE RISE, THE RAISE OF TEXAS.
I WOULD LIKE TO OBJECT TO THEM.
AND THE REASON I WOULD LIKE TO OBJECT TO THEM IS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY INDIVIDUALS, IT'S NOT JUST HERE IN HOPEWELL, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE IN HOPEWELL WHO ARE EXTREMELY STRUGGLING FROM DAY TO DAY TO PUT A DECENT MEAL
[00:50:01]
ON THEIR TABLE TO FEED THEIR KIDS.THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH PROCESSED FOODS THAT ULTIMATELY MAKE US SICK, END UP, WE END UP HAVING TO SEE A DOCTOR BECAUSE OF IT.
WE END UP HAVING TO GO IN HOSPITALS BECAUSE OF IT, BECAUSE IT JUST, IT IT, IT'S A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT.
SO THAT IS JUST ONE ISSUE OF THE RAISE OF TAXES.
THE SECOND OUR BILLS ARE GOING UP, GAS, FOOD, UTILITIES, IT, IT, IT JUST GOES ON AND ON AND ON AND ON.
AND AN EXTRA A HUNDRED DOLLARS THAT YOU'RE ASKING EACH ONE OF THE HOUSES TO PAY.
HOW MUCH MORE OF OUR POCKETS ARE GONNA BE TAKEN BEFORE OUR POCKETS ARE LITERALLY EMPTY.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO STAND HERE AS A DISABLED PERSON, AS A WIDOW THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE MONEY COMING IN, EXCEPT FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ASK YOU AND TO BEG YOU TO NOT RAISE THE TAXES, NOT JUST FOR ME, BUT FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL THAT'S OUT THERE STRUGGLING, BECAUSE WE ALL ARE, SOMETIMES YOU ALL NEED TO PUT YOURSELVES IN OUR SHOES, WHAT WE ARE FACING.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE ON THAT SIDE OF THE FENCE AND SOMETIMES WE SEE EACH OTHER ON FENCES AND SAY HELLO TO ONE ANOTHER, BUT STILL, YOU ALL ARE THE ONE THAT'S MAKING THE DECISION, NOT US.
WE'RE OUT HERE BEGGING AND I'M ACTUALLY SURPRISED THAT THERE'S NOT MORE PEOPLE HERE TO, TO GO AGAINST THIS RACE.
BECAUSE THERE NEEDS TO BE PEOPLE AND THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT HERE BECAUSE OUR VOICES ARE NOT BEING HEARD.
AND THAT'S WHERE THIS NEEDS TO BEGIN.
AND IF YOU'RE GONNA PUT OUR VOICES AT DEATH'S EAR, THEN WE HAVE NOTHING TO DO.
NO MATTER HOW MUCH WE BEG, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE ON THE CORNERS ASKING FOR MONEY, BEGGING FOR MONEY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FEED THEMSELVES.
THE OTHER DAY I WENT INTO FOOD LION AND THE MAN SAT THERE AND I ASKED HIM, I SAID, ARE YOU HOMELESS? AND HE SAID, YES MA'AM, I AM.
I SAID, DO YOU WANT SOMETHING FROM THE STORE? I TOOK IT OUTTA MY POCKET THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO GIVE TO HIM.
BUT I KNOW THAT MAN WAS STRUGGLING.
AT LEAST I HAVE A ROOF OVER MY HEAD, BUT HE'S STRUGGLING WORSE THAN I AM.
SO I HAVE SOME KIND OF DIGNITY TO GIVE HIM SOMETHING TO EAT.
YEAH, I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT SAY THAT THEY'RE HOMELESS AND THEY'RE NOT.
BUT THAT MAN WAS HOMELESS AND YOU CAN DEFINITELY TELL YOU REALLY CAN.
AND THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE NEED TO HELP.
WE HELP SO MANY IN THIS, IN THIS HOPE.
WELL CITY WE HELP SO MANY, MAY I PARDON? WE CLOSE AREAS DOWN.
AND BRING THEM IN INTO THE CITY.
WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE CRIME TOO.
UH, MS. THERE YOUR THREE MINUTES IS UP.
UH, NEXT PERSON TO SPEAK IS MR. MARK BURROWS.
GOOD EVENING, MARK BURROWS, WARD THREE.
UH, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS, UH, TRANSPIRED THIS EVENING THAT HAVE KIND OF FRUSTRATED ME.
ONE IS, DURING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, UH, ONE OF YOUR CITY EMPLOYEES WAS STANDING BACK HERE WITH HIS HEAD IN HIS HANDS, IN HIS POCKETS, LOOKING AROUND NOT RECITING THE PLEDGE.
AS A VETERAN, I PERSONALLY FIND THAT OFFENSIVE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SUCKLE AT THE TEE FROM THE CITY OF THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS HAVE THE RESPECT FOR OUR NATION TO STAND THERE AND PLACE YOUR HAND OVER YOUR
[00:55:01]
HEART.EVEN IF YOU DON'T RECITE THE PLEDGE, IT IS COMPLETELY DISGUSTING THAT HE IS RECEIVING A PAYCHECK FROM US TAX DOLLARS AND DISRESPECTING THE FLAG THAT SOME OF US HAVE SERVED AND DIED UNDER LIKE THE WORLD WAR II GENTLEMAN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
PART TWO, THE PAST FEW TIMES I'VE BEEN TO A COUNCIL MEETING, THERE'S BEEN AT LEAST ONE COUNCIL MEMBER ABSENT, IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE MEETINGS AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL OF THIS CITY, RESIGN YOUR POSITION.
US AS THE CITIZENS DESERVE BETTER, OUR CITY EMPLOYEES WHO Y'ALL MAKE DECISIONS FOR, DESERVE BETTER THE BUSINESSES, THE STREETS, OUR, OUR DRAINAGE WATER DESERVES BETTER THAN Y'ALL NOT BEING HERE.
WE COME UP HERE, WE VOICE OUR CONCERNS.
Y'ALL DO WHAT YOU WANT ANYWAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT US TAXPAYERS FEEL, SEEMINGLY, YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO ANYWAY.
THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS SIT HERE AND BS US TO OUR FACE.
[PUBLIC HEARING]
ON TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR TONIGHT.UH, MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU READ THE STATEMENT PLEASE? ALL PERSON ADDRESSING COUNSEL SHOULD STEP TO THE MICROPHONE, GIVE NAME AND IF THEY RESIDE IN HOPEFUL THEIR WARD NUMBER AND LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES, NO ONE MAY ADDRESS COUNSEL MORE THAN ONCE PER MEETING UNLESS GRANTED PERMISSION BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
SPEAKERS ADDRESS COUNSEL AS A BODY, NOT INDIVIDUAL COUNSELORS.
QUESTIONS ARE ASKED OF COUNSELORS AND STAFF THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL AND PERTINENT ABUSIVE OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INSIGHTS.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER MAY BE REPRIMANDED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND REMOVED FROM THE MEETING UPON A MAJORITY VOTE OF COUNSELORS PRESENT, EXCLUDING ANY COUNSELOR WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THE MOTION? C RULES 4 0 5 AND 4 0 6.
MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, TONIGHT'S PUBLIC HEARING, UH, IS A ZONING AMENDMENT REQUEST.
AND THAT REQUEST IS TO ADD GROUP HOMES IN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY AS AN ALLOWABLE USE TO THE B ONE DISTRICT.
THE APPLICANT IS 300 REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS, LLC, UM, AND MR. KEVIN RANI.
THE, UH, B THE B ONE DISTRICT ACTUALLY, UH, COVERS PARTS OF WARDS ONE AND TWO B ONE CURRENTLY DOES NOT ALLOW GROUP HOME AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY AS AN ALLOWABLE USE.
AND THEIR REQUEST, OF COURSE, IS TO ADD IT AS AN ALLOWABLE USE.
THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, SO ALL THE ADS WERE PLACED IN THE PAPER AND LETTER SENT TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS.
UH, THIS GRAPHIC HERE, UM, SHOWS THE ENTIRE B ONE DISTRICT IN THE CITY.
SO IT ENCOMPASSES, ENCOMPASSES THE, THE GREATER, UH, HISTORIC DOWNTOWN AREA.
AND I JUST WANNA MAKE NOTE THAT WHEN YOU ADD A USE TO A DISTRICT, YOU ARE MAKING IT AN ALLOWABLE USE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
THE CODE OF VIRGINIA MANDATES THAT GROUP HOMES ARE TO BE PERMITTED WHEREVER SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS ARE PERMITTED AND WITHOUT ANY EXTRA, UH, PERMISSIONS THAT A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING WOULD HAVE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS ARE ALLOWED, UH, YOU CANNOT HAVE GROUP HOMES WITH A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT THAT THAT'S ILLEGAL IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
IF, UH, SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS ARE ALLOWED BY RIGHTS ARE GROUP HOMES.
I I DO WANNA MENTION THAT THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, IS IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH STATE CODE AS IT RELATES, UH, TO GROUP HOMES AND WHERE THEY ARE PERMITTED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THIS MAP HERE ACTUALLY SHOWS ALL THE AREAS, OR IN FACT ALL THE PROPERTIES THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A GROUP HOME WITH THIS APPLICATION.
WE LOOKED, UH, BECAUSE IT RELATES TO THE, THE, UH, DOWNTOWN DISTRICT.
WE LOOKED, UM, BOTH AT THE DOWNTOWN VISION PLAN AND AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AND, UH, NEITHER OF THOSE PLANS SUPPORTS REDUCING DENSITY TO A LEVEL OF SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS.
IN FACT, BOTH PLANS RECOMMEND THE OPPOSITE.
THAT IS INCREASING DENSITY GROUP HOMES AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES ARE ALREADY PERMITTED BY RIGHT IN ALL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY.
AND THAT COMPRISES OVER HALF THE LAND AREA.
GROUP HOMES ARE MEANT TO FACILITATE THE INTEGRATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES INTO THE LARGER SOCIETY.
AND, UM, THAT'S ACHIEVED PREDOMINANTLY THROUGH A, A RESIDENTIAL SETTING.
AND GROUP HOMES ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS, AS I EXPLAINED BEFORE, AND THEY'RE JUST NOT IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE DENSITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE B ONE DISTRICT.
UH, STAFF WAS RECOMMENDING DENIAL OF THIS REQUEST AND, UM, WE DID RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE, UH,
[01:00:01]
PLANNING COMMISSION, PUBLIC HEARING.UH, THAT PARTICULAR COMMENT WAS IN OPPOSITION TO APPROVAL OR IN OTHER WORDS WAS RECOMMENDING DENIAL AS WELL.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY OTHER PO PUBLIC COMMENT THAN THAT, UM, THAN THAT THAT WAS GIVEN AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
PRIOR, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMENDS DENIAL OF THE REQUEST.
UM, WHEN I PRESENTED THIS APPLICATION AT THE WORK SESSION, COUNCILOR PELAM, YOU HAD A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, THE NUMBER OF GROUP HOMES IN THE CITY CURRENTLY.
UM, I DID HAVE THAT INFORMATION WITH ME TONIGHT.
UM, THERE ARE TWO, TWO STATE AGENCIES THAT LICENSE GROUP HOMES.
IT'S, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH IS ONE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES IS THE OTHER, UH, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SHARES THEIR INFORMATION WITH US NO QUESTIONS ASKED.
SO THE NUMBERS I'M GIVING YOU ARE NOT EXACTLY ACCURATE.
WE TRIED TO COMPARE THEM WITH COMMISSIONER REVENUES NUMBERS BECAUSE, UH, WE DO REQUIRE A BUSINESS LICENSE FOR GROUP HOMES.
BUT, UM, WE'RE NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW THE NUMBERS ARE GONNA LINE UP, BUT, UM, THIS IS THE BEST WE HAVE AT THIS TIME.
IN WARD ONE, THERE ARE NO GROUP HOMES.
IN, IN WARD SIX THERE ARE SEVEN.
AND IN WARD SEVEN THERE ARE FOUR, UH, THAT COMES TO A TOTAL OF 29 GROUP HOMES.
NOW REMEMBER THOSE ARE JUST THE GROUP HOMES THAT ARE LICENSED BY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
UH, WE ARE STILL TRYING TO GET NUMBERS FROM DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
THEY JUST ARE NOT RE RESPONDING TO US.
IF WE EVER DO GET THAT INFORMATION, I WILL BRING THAT BACK TO YOU.
ANY COMMISSION OF REVENUE CAN'T GET, HAVE THE LICENSE FOR THOSE.
YEAH, THE THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THEY'LL COME IN FOR A LICENSE, BUT IT MAY APPLY TO MULTIPLE PROPERTIES.
SO, AND SOME HAVE SINCE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS, UM, OR NO LONGER OPERATE IN THE CITY.
SO, UM, WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS.
AND THOSE NUMBERS WE, WE FELT COMFORTABLE WITH COMING UP WITH A TOTAL NUMBER OF 39, BUT IT'S NOT, THAT'S 39.
WE JUST CAN'T SAY I KNOW WHAT 10 IT WOULD BE 39 TOTAL INC.
THAT INCLUDES THE 29 FROM, SO 10 MORE FROM BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
AND I DON'T HAVE LOCATIONS ON THOSE.
AND THAT'S WHEN THE STATE'S SOCIAL SERVICES, RIGHT? CORRECT.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS HERE THIS EVENING.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM, I'M ALSO AVAILABLE FOR ANY, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OF STAFF.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? YEAH, SO THE MAIN, THE MAIN REASON THE PLANNING COMMISSION DENIED THIS WAS BECAUSE OF THE DENSITY.
CORRECT? UH, IT DIDN'T ONE FALL IN LINE WITH RESIDENTIAL FOR THE B ONE DISTRICT.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS THEY, THEY PRETTY MUCH AGREED WITH STAFF'S ANALYSIS.
'CAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WITH DENSITY IS ONE, UM, GROUP HOME USAGE.
UH, IF, IF YOU LOOK UP WHAT GROUP HOMES ARE SUPPOSED TO ACCOMPLISH, THEY, THEY A RESIDENTIAL SETTING, THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT.
UH, IT SHOULD BE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, IN, IN A QUIET RESIDENTIAL SETTING IS REALLY WHAT THE AIM IS.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL, UM, REASONS WHY STAFF WAS, UM, RECOMMENDING DENIAL AND, AND PLANNING COMMISSION AGREED WITH THOSE, OR AT LEAST THEY DIDN'T OFFER ANY ALTERNATIVES.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. WARD BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? JUST ONE LAST COMMENT.
I DO HAVE A MAP OF, AND IT'S A GENERALIZED LOCATION OF THE LOCATIONS OF GROUP HOMES IN THE CITY.
WE OBVIOUSLY DON'T NEED, NOR CAN WE IDENTIFY SPECIFIC ADDRESSES, UH, FOR PRIVACY REASONS.
BUT IF ANY ONE OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A COPY OF THAT, WE'LL GLADLY PROVIDE THAT TO YOU.
I WOULD, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT NOW, BUT WE, I GET MORE.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP A PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, THE FIRST PERSON I HAVE SIGNED UP TONIGHT IS, UH, KEVIN, I TAKE IT, THERE'RE SPEAKING ON THE GROUP HOMES VERSUS THE, THE SPOKE, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK IN THE, UH, GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS.
BUT, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THIS.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT WAS HANDLED BACK IN JULY WHEN THE PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED IT DOWN FIVE TO NOTHING.
SO I DIDN'T EVEN THINK IT WAS GONNA COME THIS FAR UNTIL I GOT A NOTICE IN THE MAIL, UH, WHICH WAS A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
SO I, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY IN REGARDS TO WHAT DO YOU, WHY DO YOU THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE IT? 'CAUSE WE MAKE THE ULTIMATE DECISION
[01:05:01]
Y WELL, I MEAN, WE MADE MY CASE THAT THE, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION, THEY VOTED IT DOWN.YOU HAD ANOTHER CITIZEN VOTED, UH, SPEAK IN OPPOSITION FOR IT.
AND THE UH, UH, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS, UH, SPOKEN AGAINST IT AS WELL.
I'M, I I'M FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE
WELL, WE'D LIKE THE APPEAL TO THEM.
THIS IS THE FINAL DECISION WE MADE TONIGHT.
YOU GOT A COUPLE MINUTES TO MAKE A CASE? YEAH, I I, I I'M GOING TO DROP IT.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY I'M GOING SAY ANYTHING IN THAT, BUT I WAS GONNA MAKE SOME PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT TAXES AND REGULATION AND ALL THAT, BUT I, THAT WAS TURNED DOWN EARLIER, SO I DON'T KNOW.
OH, WELL, NO, I, THE ONLY REASON I HAD ASKED ABOUT YOU ON THE OTHER ONE WAS BECAUSE I SAW IN THE AGENDA PACKAGE, YOUR NAME WAS ON THERE, AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU IF YOUR COMMENTS WERE ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MY COMMENTS WERE ABOUT THE, UH, ABOUT THE, THE, THE TAXES AND THE REGULATIONS SPECIFICALLY IN THE B UH, B ONE DISTRICT.
I, I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.
I'VE BEEN A PROPERTY OWNER SINCE, UH, 2022 IN THE, IN THE B ONE DISTRICT.
I OWN THAT, UH, PROPERTY AT 2 0 6 NORTH SECOND AVENUE.
AND THE AMOUNT OF, UH, VACANCIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN THE B ONE DISTRICT IS FAIRLY ALARMING, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE HAVE SURROUNDING COUNTIES LIKE CHESTERFIELD AND HENRICO THAT ARE DOING RECORD AMOUNTS OF BUSINESS, AND THEIR TAX RATES ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN WHAT THEY ARE IN HOPEWELL.
AND WE HAD, UH, ONE CITIZEN THAT WAS HERE EARLIER TALKING ABOUT THE INCREASES IN TAXES AND THE BURDEN THAT IT PUTS UPON THE CITIZENS.
AND MY QUESTION TO YOU GUYS IS THAT IF THE COUNTY OF HENRICO AND THE COUNTY OF CHESTERFIELD CAN LOWER THEIR REAL ESTATE TAX RATES, WHY DOES THE CITY OF HOPEWELL HAVE TO RAISE THEIRS TO KEEP UP THE SAME QUALITY OF SERVICES FOR THEIR CITIZENS? MM-HMM.
LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED WITH CARAWAY GLASS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE LEAVING TOWN, AND THEY'VE GONE TO, THEY'VE GONE TO PRINCE GEORGE AS WELL.
AND I, I THINK THAT THERE'S A, A SERIOUS CONCERN THAT, THAT, UH, COUNCIL SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THE TAX RATES THAT ARE CHARGED TO BUSINESSES AND COMPARE THEM TO THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
AND I, I BELIEVE THAT THEY SHOULD BE MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT SURROUNDING COUNTIES ARE, UH, ARE CHARGING, AND THEN ALSO WITH REGULATIONS.
THE, THE REGULATIONS ARE JUST RIDICULOUS AROUND HERE.
YOU HAVE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT BUILDING THAT I HAVE ON 2 0 6 NORTH SECOND AVENUE, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO THE OUTSIDE OF IT WITHOUT IT GOING THROUGH A DOWNTOWN DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE.
PROCESS COUNCIL, PARDON? IT'S BEEN THREE MINUTES.
DO, DO I HAVE MORE TIME OR AM I DONE? UH, DOES COUNCIL WANT TO EXTEND IT? YEAH, SURE.
AS, AS FAR AS, UM, BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING TO MY BUILDING, UH, ON THE OUTSIDE, I HAVE TO GET A REVIEW FROM THE DOWNTOWN DESIGN REVIEW, UH, COMMITTEE.
AND THE, UH, I UNDERSTAND THE INTENT OF SOME OF THE REGULATIONS AS FAR AS KEEPING THE CORE OF, UH, DOWNTOWN HOPE, WELL, HISTORICAL, BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN BUILDINGS THAT IT JUST DOESN'T EVEN APPLY TO.
I MEAN, DOES HISTORICAL COVENANTS HAVE TO APPLY TO LIKE A HARDEE'S? DOES IT HAVE TO APPLY TO THE OMEGA BAR AND GRILL? DOES IT HAVE TO APPLY TO MY BUILDING? THE HOBBS BUILDING NEXT DOOR, THE, THE TRUIST BUILDING, THE, THE, THE REGULATIONS JUST ARE FORCING BUSINESS OWNERS TO JUST SIT ON THESE PROPERTIES AND DO NOTHING WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, I MEAN, I, I CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HALF OF THE, UH, THE, THE STUFF THAT'S IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? NO, SIR.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR? I MOVE THAT WE, OKAY.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UM, UPHOLD THE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THAT WE, I RECOMMEND DENIAL OF THE REQUEST TO ADD GROUP HOMES AND ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES IN THE B ONE DISTRICT.
[01:10:01]
OF ORDER.CAN YOU MAKE A MOTION WITH THE DENIAL IN, IS THAT THE CORRECT
AND I'M ASKING, IS THAT CORRECT? ASKING ATTORNEY.
UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR JOYNER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HARRIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[REGULAR BUSINESS]
RIGHT.UH, MR. JORDAN, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER BANKER, EXCUSE ME, I'M HERE TONIGHT.
TO, TO ONCE AGAIN PRESENT AND REQUEST THAT COUNCIL ADOPT THE DRAFT CITY OF HOPEWELL FINANCIAL POLICIES.
THE FINANCIAL POLICIES WERE, WAS PRESENTED BEFORE COUNCIL AND THE RESIDENTS IN JULY, SEPTEMBER, AS WELL AS AUGUST FINANCIAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
JUST A QUICK, QUICK OVERVIEW AGAIN, OF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES.
THE OBJECTIVES ARE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY'S ABILITY TO INSULATE ITSELF FROM FISCAL CRISIS.
ENHANCE SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM FINANCIAL CREDIT OF THE CITY.
PROMOTE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY.
DIRECT ATTENTION TO THE TOTAL FINANCIAL PICTURE OF THE CITY.
LINK LONG-TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING WITH DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK FOR MEASURING THE FISCAL IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT SERVICES AGAINST ESTABLISHED FISCAL PARAMETERS AND GUIDELINES, AND ENSURE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO PERFORM MANDATED RESPONSIBILITIES.
OUR POLICIES WILL CONSIST OF A BUDGET POLICY, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS POLICY, A DEBT POLICY, RESERVES, POLICY, EXPENDITURE, POLICY, UTILITIES, INVESTMENT, AS WELL AS PROCUREMENT.
MAN, MR. MAYOR, I JUST WANNA, UM, LET YOU KNOW THAT WE NEED TO VOTE TO EXTEND THE MEETING TO COMPLETE THE TWO ITEMS. OH, THANK YOU.
BEFORE YOU GUYS HAVE DISCUSSION.
I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THE, OR NO.
IS THERE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING UNTIL WE COMPLETE, UH, R TWO? SO, MOVE SECOND.
SECOND COUNCILOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR PELLUM.
SEEING THE LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE FINANCIAL POLICIES AS PRESENTED? SO MOVED.
UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR JOYNER AND SECONDED BY MYSELF.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEE NO LIGHTS.
UM, I COME TO YOU TONIGHT FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD, UM, TO ASK FOR YOUR APPROVAL OF, UM, TWO ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR BUDGET.
THE FIRST PART OF THE SCHOOL BOARD'S REQUEST IS TO HAVE CITY COUNCIL APPROVE, APPROVE OUR AMENDED BUDGET.
SO YOU GUYS ORIGINALLY APPROVED OUR BUDGET BACK IN MAY, AND THEN IN JUNE, UM, WE AMENDED OUR BUDGET.
SO NOW I'M JUST COMING BACK TO YOU TO, SO WE CAN SYNC UP THE TWO BUDGETS BASICALLY.
UM, AND THE ONLY CHANGES WHERE WE AMENDED IT WERE WAS THE ADDITIONAL $130,000 THAT YOU GUYS HAD ALREADY APPROVED THAT WE DID NOT ORIGINALLY HAVE IN OUR BUDGET.
AND THEN THERE WERE A FEW, UM, BEGINNING BALANCE ESTIMATES THAT WE HAD TO CHANGE.
UM, THE SECOND PART IS A, UM, SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION.
SO THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION, THE AMOUNT OF $212,680.
AND THIS WAS FOR A SCHOOL SECURITY OFFICER GRANT, AS WELL AS A SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY GRANT.
[01:15:01]
UM, THESE ARE BOTH FEDERAL AND STATE FUNDS THAT WE WOULD BE ADDING TO OUR BUDGET.SO OUR, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S REQUEST IS FOR YOU TO APPROVE THE SCHOOL BOARD'S AMENDED FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET, AS WELL AS OUR SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE SCHOOL DIVISION'S SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS AS PRESENTED? SO, MOVE.
UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE TIME FOR CLOSING COMMENTS FROM COUNSELORS.
UH, WE'LL START WITH, UH, COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY ONLINE.
AGAIN, THANK EVERYBODY FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
UH, RESPECTFULLY, UH, I DO KNOW THAT THERE WERE COMMENTS IN REGARDS TO, UH, COUNCIL WAS TAKING ABSENCE.
I I THINK COUNCIL IS ONLY, YOU KNOW, ARE NOT IN PRESENT WHEN THEY CAN'T BE.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE PERSONAL SITUATIONS AND FAMILIES THAT DO HAVE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF, THAT ARE ALSO CITIZENS, UM, OF THIS CITY.
I DEFINITELY LOVE THIS CITY SO MUCH.
THANK EVERYBODY AGAIN FOR THEIR HARD WORK, THEIR PARTICIPATION TONIGHT AND A BID YOU GOD.
UH, WE'LL START WITH COUNCILLOR PELLUM.
UH, GLAD TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT I NEED TO SPEAK ABOUT.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING.
I SAID IT EARLIER WHEN A, ABOUT THE UPCOMING, UM, EVENT FOR THE NEXT WEEKEND.
AND, UM, AND I'M GLAD THAT THE PADDLE BATTLE WAS A SUCCESS.
SO YOU HAD A PRETTY WEEKEND, GLAD YOU GOT IT IN LAST WEEKEND AND NOT THIS WEEKEND,
WELL, CAN I SAY ONE THING I REMEMBER? SURE.
NEED TO REMEMBER TO GO OUT AND VOTE EARLY IF YOU CAN.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE, UM, COUNCILOR DENTON'S COMMENTS ABOUT MADE AND HOPEWELL THAT'S COMING UP ON THE 4TH OF OCTOBER.
UM, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN GET OUT THERE AND DO IT.
IT REALLY IS A, AN OUTSTANDING, UM, UH, PROMOTION.
IT'S THE FIRST EVER AND I THINK IT WILL ESTABLISH A PRECEDENT.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE HAD A MEETING SINCE RIVERS AND ROADS, I DO THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO MENTION THAT, UH, HEATHER LINE WHOM, UM, COUNSELOR DIDN'T MENTION THIS MORNING, SHE WILL BE LEAVING US AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOPEWELL DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP.
AND, UM, SO I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE THAT WE RECOGNIZE HER TONIGHT.
UM, MAYBE YOU'LL DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE FORMAL BEFORE SHE LEAVES, BUT SHE'S LEAVING SHORT IN, IN JUST A FEW WEEKS.
BUT, UM, SHE REALLY HAS DONE, UM, A GREAT DEAL FOR THE HOPEWELL DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP AND FOR THE CITY.
AND, UM, SHE DID A GREAT JOB WITH RIVERS AND ROADS AND MADE, AND HOPEWELL WAS REALLY HER BRAINCHILD AS WELL.
SO I WANTED TO JUST MAKE THAT COMMENT.
SHE'S BEEN HERE FOR FOUR YEARS.
SO, UM, WE HAVE POSTED FOR THAT JOB.
ANYBODY OUT THERE IF YOU, WE HAVE THAT, WE HAVE THAT POSTING OUT THERE.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN BECOMING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOPEWELL DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP, BUT THE, THE HOPEWELL DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP IS REALLY ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE EVER AS A COUNCIL MADE.
SO, UM, DID WANNA SAY THANKS TO HER AND RECOGNIZE HER.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
UH, ALSO, UH, WANNA SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU COME OUT, UH, FOR THE MAIDEN HOPEWELL EVENT.
UH, ALSO, UH, SOME REALLY GOOD KUDOS AND CONGRATULATIONS ON A, UH, GREAT FIRST RIVERS AND ROADS, UH, EVENT.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I WASN'T ABLE TO, UH, MAKE IT, BUT I'VE HAD ENOUGH NEIGHBORS, UH, TELL ME THAT IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.
UM, ALSO, UH, EXCITED TO HEAR THAT PADDLE BATTLE, UH, WAS REALLY GOOD THIS YEAR.
UM, HOPEFULLY MAYBE NEXT YEAR I'LL BE ABLE TO DO IT WHEN I DON'T HAVE MY, UH, COLLEGE REUNION.
AND, UM, I ALSO WANT TO GIVE, UH, SOME SPECIAL THANKS AND KUDOS TO, UH, CHARLES OVER THERE.
UH, HE TOOK A STRUGGLING MARINA AND HE IS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, REALLY BRINGING SOME LIFE BACK DOWN THERE.
AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST GIVE YOU A ROUND OF APPLAUSE REALLY AND TRULY, I THINK UP,
[01:20:01]
I MEAN, IT REALLY, I MEAN, YOU THINK ABOUT THE LAST TIME ANY BIG MAJOR INVESTMENT WAS DONE DOWN THERE WAS PROBABLY AROUND 2013 ISH WHEN CITY COUNCIL WAS MAKING INVESTMENTS IN THE BEACON AND THE MARINA AND A COUPLE OTHER THINGS.AND, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY TOOK THE BALL AND YOU RAN WITH IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I KNOW WE'VE GOT THE, THE NICE LITTLE, UH, BOARDWALK OR A LITTLE WALKWAY, UM, FINISHED.
NOT LITTLE, WELL, WELL, I, I SHOULDN'T SAY NOT LITTLE.
I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ALMOST 500 FEET.
UM, BUT I MEAN, IT JUST, IT REALLY IS, IT JUST, IT BRINGS GREAT JOY TO MY HEART, UH, TO, TO SEE THAT MARINA REALLY GETTING SOME, UH, DESPERATELY NEED A REPAIR.
SO, UH, THANK CHARLES AND MR. I GUESS MR. HARRIS ISN'T OUT YET.
WELL, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.