Oct 08, 2024 City Council

[00:00:01]

AT LEAST I'M NOT LIMPING ANYMORE TODAY.

I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.

THAT'S MADAM CLERK, MAYOR PARTON, VICE MAYOR GORE, COUNCILOR JOYNER HERE, COUNCILOR HARRIS HERE.

COUNCILOR. DENTON HERE.

COUNCILOR. PELHAM HERE.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY HERE.

YOU HAVE A QUORUM. THANK YOU.

I THINK OUR FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS TO GO INTO CLOSE MEETING.

[CLOSED MEETING]

11 A ONE TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS, INCLUDING BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS, THE ASSIGNMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF SPECIFIC APPOINTEE AND EMPLOYEES OF CITY COUNCIL, AND MOVED TO GO INTO CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3711 A 30.

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 TO THE EXTENT SUCH DISCUSSION WOULD BE AIDED THEREBY.

SO MOVED HERE A SECOND.

THE MOTION HAS BEEN PUSHED BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.

SECOND BY COUNCILOR DENTON.

ROLL CALL, MADAM CLERK.

COUNCILOR PELHAM. YES.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY. YES.

COUNCILOR JOYNER. YES.

COUNCILOR HARRIS.

YES. COUNCILOR.

DENTON. HERE.

MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

YES, YES.

ALL THOSE HERE TO ATTEND THE MEETING.

WE SHOULD BE BACK BY 7:00.

MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU READ THE RECONVENING OF STATEMENT.

[RECONVENE OPEN MEETING]

IT'S ROLL CALL AND THEN CERTIFICATION.

OKAY, LET'S HAVE A ROLL CALL THEN.

COUNCILOR PABLO HERE IS THERE.

WAS THERE A MOTION TO MAKE? A MOTION TO COME OUT? THERE'S A MOTION TO CLOSE THE SESSION.

YEAH, I'M READY TO MAKE THE MOTION.

THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO RECONVENE.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? THERE'S MOTION BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.

SECOND BY COUNCILOR HARRIS.

A ROLL CALL, MADAM CLERK.

COUNCILOR. PABLO? YES.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY. YES.

COUNCILOR JOYNER. YES.

COUNCILOR HARRIS. YES.

COUNCILOR. DENTON. YES.

MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

NOW, READ YOUR STATEMENT, MAYOR.

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 3712D WHERE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS WON LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS, AND TWO IDENTIFIED AND CLOSED MEETING MOTION DISCUSSED IN CLOSED MEETING.

COUNCILOR PAOLO. COUNCILOR PAOLO.

YES. COUNCILOR.

HOLLOWAY. YES. COUNCILOR.

JOINER. YES.

COUNCILOR. HARRIS. YES.

COUNCILOR. DENTON. YES.

MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

OKAY, SO AT THIS TIME, LET'S.

DO WE HAVE TO? DOES ANYBODY SAID TO DO PRAYER OR ANYTHING? IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE WORK SESSION.

WORK SESSION AFTER WORK.

OKAY. OH, YEAH.

THAT'S MY CHAT AFTERWARDS. WE GOT WORK SESSION.

OKAY, CHARLES, I MEAN, WORK.

[WORK SESSION]

MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THIS EVENING FOR THIS WORK SESSION, I WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME A DRAFT OF THE STRATEGIC ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON WITH A WORK GROUP FROM THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, AND A WORK GROUP WITH THE CITY COUNCIL.

SO TONIGHT IN THIS WORK SESSION, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE THIS DOCUMENT TO YOU.

SINCE IT IS A WORK SESSION, WE'RE NOT CALLING FOR ANY ACTION.

AND I'M NOT GOING TO I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE DOCUMENT TO YOU WORD FOR WORD.

BUT I'M GOING TO GO OVER THE OVERALL STRUCTURE OF THE DOCUMENT, AND THEN WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU IN A FUTURE MEETING TO PRESENT AN UPDATED FINAL DOCUMENT.

AND WHAT I'D LOVE TO HAVE IS SOME FEEDBACK NOW AND THEN AFTER THIS MEETING, AS YOU TAKE THE DOCUMENT WITH YOU AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH IT, AND

[00:05:06]

SO THIS IS A 14 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT IS SEPARATED INTO THREE BASIC GROUPS.

THE FIRST PART OF THIS DOCUMENT SPEAKS ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION, AND IT REALLY TALKS ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY AND WHERE WE WANT TO BE IN TEN YEARS.

AND THEN THE THE KEY AREAS WE NEED TO FOCUS ON TO GET THERE OVER THE OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS.

SO THE PAGE ONE TALKS ABOUT THE GOALS AND MISSIONS OF THIS PLAN.

AND THEN ON PAGE TWO, WE TALK ABOUT OUR UNIQUE ASSETS AS A CITY.

AND WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE AREAS OF OPPORTUNITIES.

BUT THEN WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE REALITY OF SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT ON PAGE TWO, AS WE GO INTO PAGE THREE OF THE DOCUMENT, YOU'LL SEE WHERE WE KIND OF CAST A VISION.

AND SO AS YOU SEE THIS, THE VISION FOR A FUTURE OF HOPEWELL IN 2034.

SO REALLY THAT MEANS IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL TEN YEARS FROM NOW, THIS WOULD BE OUR REALITY THAT WE'RE LIVING IN BY 2034.

AND WE WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD SEE AS YOU GO AROUND THE CITY.

YOU WOULD TALK, YOU WOULD SEE SOME OF OUR AMENITIES, YOU'D SEE OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, YOU WOULD SEE SOME OF OUR HISTORICAL ASSETS BEING FULLY DEVELOPED AND CURATED, GOING ON THROUGH PAGE FOUR AND FIVE.

YOU SEE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD HAVE, INCLUDING DESTINATION SPORTS, TOURISM EVENTS.

WE'VE MADE IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS. THIS IS REALLY IT'S A VISION THAT PAINTS A PICTURE WHERE WE WHERE WE WANT TO BE.

AND THEN AS WE GET INTO PAGE SIX AND BEYOND, WE KIND OF LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE WE HAVE THE, THE, THE STRATEGIC GOALS AND AREAS OF FOCUS.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES AS A CITY IS WHAT IS OUR ROLE AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS A, AS A CITY? I WAS AT A VIRGINIA BROWNFIELD OR IT WAS A VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPERS ASSOCIATION MEETING EARLIER THIS SUMMER IN DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

AND I GOT TO HEAR MR. CLARK CASTILLO, WHO IS THE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE DANVILLE FOUNDATION, HE GAVE A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE SPEECH WHERE HE TALKED ABOUT HOW THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR PLACE IN, IN, IN A CITY OR A COUNTY OR IN THIS CASE, A FOUNDATION, YOU HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF WHERE, WHERE IS YOUR PART AND WHAT DO YOU DO? SO USE THIS EXAMPLE.

HE SAYS, YOU'VE ALL HEARD THE SAYING, IF YOU TEACH A MAN TO OR IF YOU GIVE A MAN A FISH, HE WILL EAT FOR WHAT, A DAY, RIGHT? RIGHT. IF YOU TEACH HIM TO FISH FOR A LIFETIME.

EXACTLY. FOR A LIFETIME.

BUT YOU SEE, AS THE CITY WE DON'T GIVE PEOPLE FISH.

AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY TEACH PEOPLE TO FISH, BUT WE BUILD THE DOCKS THAT PEOPLE CAN GO AND FISH ON, AND WE HAVE THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND REGULATIONS SO THAT PEOPLE THAT DO VISIT THE DOCKS ARE SAFE AS THEY'RE AS THEY'RE COMING TO.

AND FROM THE DOCKS, WE COLLECT THE REVENUE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THE PUBLIC SERVICES SO THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE USING THE FACILITIES, THAT THE DOCKS AREN'T BEING EXPOSED TO BACTERIA IN THE WATERS AND ALL THAT.

SO WE LOOK AT THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS, AS A CITY.

WHAT ARE THE PIECES THAT THAT WE DO? AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS.

IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY BY ITSELF.

WE TALK ABOUT IN THE INTRODUCTION HERE THAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY, IT RESTS ON THE BACK OF THE FOUNDATION, WHICH IS BUILT FROM HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

AND REALLY, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, IT IS IT IS THE CROP THAT GROWS OUT OF THE SEEDS THAT ARE PLANTED AND WATERED AND CULTIVATED THROUGH THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

AND THAT'S HOW YOU SUSTAIN LONG TERM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO WE WOULD FOCUS HERE ON OUR BUSINESS CORRIDORS THE RIVERFRONT DISTRICT, DOWNTOWN, CITYWIDE HOUSING HISTORY AND TOURISM, HEALTH CARE,

[00:10:09]

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY A NEW ADDITION HERE IS FILMING INDUSTRY AND AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOME OF THE UNIQUENESS OF HOPEWELL IN THAT STANDPOINT.

SO WE THEN GO IN PAGE SEVEN INTO OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND WE BREAK DOWN KIND OF EVERY AREA OF THE CITY.

AND YOU'LL SEE THEM NAMED.

NOW, SOME OF YOU MAY LOOK AT THIS DOCUMENT AND SAY THERE'S A LOT OF VERY SPECIFIC AREAS AND NAMES IN HERE.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE WANT TO CONNECT OUR FUTURE BUDGET PLANNING AND OUR FUTURE FOCUS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOW WE INVEST.

WE WANT TO FOCUS THAT INTO AREAS WHERE WE CAN REALLY COLLECTIVELY BE BE A CATALYST.

WE WANT TO WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE VELOCITY IN THESE AREAS THAT WOULD THAT WOULD HAVE PEOPLE COME ALONGSIDE US AND MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS.

AND SO IT'S NOT JUST THE CITY ALONE, BUT WE ARE DOING OUR PART TO LEAD THE WAY AND, AND MAKE THINGS READY FOR THE ADDITIONAL PRIVATE INVESTMENT THAT WOULD COME.

WE'VE EXPANDED SOME OF OUR SECONDARY COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS INCLUDING SOME OF OUR HISTORIC COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS SUCH AS ARLINGTON ROAD, 15TH STREET CORRIDOR, CITY POINT, AND WEST BROADWAY.

WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE OPEN UP MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HISTORIC TAX CREDITS, WHICH ARE SOMETHING WE CAN DO.

BUT PRIVATE SECTOR PEOPLE NECESSARILY CANNOT DO WITH THE SAME AMOUNT OF TOOLS.

THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IS AN AREA OF FOCUS HERE ON PAGE EIGHT.

AND THEN WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT OUR RIVERFRONT AND RIVERFRONT ACTIVITIES ON PAGES NINE AND TEN.

HOUSING. HOUSING IS A IS A PRETTY IS A PRETTY KEY THING.

OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO HAVE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE AT ALL LEVELS, AND WE NEED DIVERSE HOUSING.

SO WE NEED TO HAVE AN INVENTORY OF HOUSING THAT IS APPEALING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE MAYBE AT THE END OF THEIR CAREERS OR END OF THEIR LIFE AND DON'T REALLY WANT TO CUT GRASS OR DEAL WITH THAT TYPE OF MAINTENANCE.

BUT THEN ALSO WE HAVE HOUSING FOR GROWING FAMILIES THAT HAVE PLENTY OF YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE THAT CAN PUSH THEM OVER.

SO WE HAVE HOUSING.

WE THEN TALK ABOUT THE HEALTH CARE AND STRATEGIES WE HAVE FOR GROWING AND ATTRACTING MORE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS INTO THE CITY, AND MAKING SPACES FOR THEM TO BE IN, AND HISTORY AND TOURISM, YOU KNOW, OF THIS AREA.

WE'VE BEEN A DESTINATION FOR BUSINESS SINCE 1613, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE THAT INTO THE FUTURE.

WE CELEBRATE THE HISTORY, BUT WE ALSO ENHANCE THE THE RIVER AND WATERFRONT SO WE CAN GET THE PEOPLE HERE TO EXPERIENCE THAT HISTORY AND THE STORY.

IF WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WE DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT HERE.

WE CERTAINLY WON'T KNOW WHERE WE WANT TO GO.

AND THEN OUR INDUSTRIAL AND MANUFACTURING BASE.

I'M VERY PLEASED TO REPORT THAT WE HAD A FANTASTIC MADE IN HOPEWELL EVENT LAST FRIDAY, AND REALLY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT WE STILL MAKE THINGS IN HOPEWELL.

I KIND OF THOUGHT AFTER THAT MAIDEN HOPEWELL EVENT, I SHOULD HAVE GOT UP AND STARTED BY SAYING, COULD EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM WHO WAS MADE IN HOPEWELL RAISE YOUR HAND? BECAUSE I CAN SAY I WAS MADE IN HOPEWELL.

SO THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALLY FUNNY, BUT I DIDN'T DO THAT.

SO BUT MY MOM AND DAD TOLD ME I WAS MADE IN HOPEWELL.

SO NOW AS WE GO DOWN HERE TO PAGE 13, WE TALK ABOUT EDUCATION AND THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND EDUCATION TO REALLY WE ALWAYS LEARN.

WE'RE ALWAYS LEARNING. SO HOW DO WE BE A LIFELONG LEARNER AND HOW DO WE PROVIDE THOSE PARTNERSHIPS AND PLACES HERE? WHERE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, YOU CAN BASICALLY CONTINUE LEARNING FROM FROM AS A VERY YOUNG CHILD ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

THE THE SUNSET OF YOUR, YOUR LIFE AND CAREER AND THEN PUBLIC SPACES AND RIGHT OF WAYS.

SO CREATING A HIGH QUALITY, VIBRANT PUBLIC SPACES, RIGHT OF WAYS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.

YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TO SOME PLACES AND AS SOON AS YOU, YOU DRIVE IN, YOU CAN TELL THAT IT'S INTENTIONAL.

THE LANDSCAPING IS INTENTIONAL.

THE LIGHTING IS INTENTIONAL.

THE SIGNAGE IS INTENTIONAL.

AND IT REALLY CONVEYS A FEELING OF SOMETHING THAT'S PLANNED, SOMETHING THAT HAD FORETHOUGHT AND SOMETHING THAT JUST DID NOT HAPPEN

[00:15:10]

AND SO BUT WE CAN CHANGE THE EXPERIENCE.

AND PEOPLE HAVE COMING INTO OUR RIGHT OF WAYS AND PUBLIC SPACES.

QUALITY OF LIFE AND AMENITIES.

REALLY WRAP UP THE DOCUMENT HERE AND ON PAGE 14.

AND WE TALK ABOUT ATTRACTING NEW ARTISANS AND MUSICIANS.

AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT WE ARE SUCH A DIVERSE COMMUNITY.

AND I'M SO THANKFUL THAT WE'RE IN WE'RE IN SUCH A DIVERSE COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK THAT THAT IS A GREAT STRENGTH THAT WE HAVE, AND WE REALLY WANT TO INCREASE OUR DIVERSITY IN OUR CITY.

AND AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO WORKING ON THAT.

SO THAT KIND OF ROUNDS OUT AN OVERVIEW OF THE DOCUMENT.

AND I WOULD LOVE LOVE TO HAVE FEEDBACK, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN NOW AND THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING ON AREAS THAT YOU MAY READ IT AND SAY, HEY, CHARLES DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT, YOU ADDRESSED THIS, AND MAYBE YOU WANT TO PUT THIS IN THERE AND, AND, OR YOU MAY READ IT AND SAY THIS NEEDS SOME WORDSMITHING OR TWEAKING, BUT SO THE NEXT STEP IN A STRATEGIC PLAN OBVIOUSLY IS ONCE YOU ONCE YOU FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU WANT TO GO.

AND THEN YEARLY, WHAT WE WOULD DO, PARTICULARLY AROUND THE BUDGET SEASON AS WE WOULD TAKE THAT AND SAY, OKAY, THIS YEAR OR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WE WANT TO TAKE AND FOCUS ON THIS AREA WITH OUR INVESTMENT.

AND WE WOULD BUILD OUT A WORK PLAN WITH TASKS UNDERNEATH THERE THAT SAYS, FOR INSTANCE, WE'RE GOING TO I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.

SO CAVALIER SQUARE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE AREAS OF FOCUS IN HERE.

AND SO WE STARTED LAST YEAR APPLYING FOR THE THE VIRGINIA HOUSING COMMUNITY IMPACT GRANT.

I WORKED WITH THE OWNERS TO GET APPROVAL TO DO THAT.

AND CREATOR PLANNING DISTRICT IS OUR FISCAL AGENT.

AND SO THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE TASKS UNDER ADVANCING CAVALIER SQUARE FORWARD IS, IS LET'S SEEK THE GRANT TO DO THE THE DRAWINGS AND DESIGN AND SEE THE POSSIBILITIES TO IMAGINE THE FUTURE OF THAT AREA AND WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE AND WHAT IT COULD BE AS A, AS A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO THOSE WOULD BE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF THE TASKS THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT.

AND EVERY YEAR WE WOULD BE REVISING AND CHANGING THOSE.

THEY WOULDN'T JUST BE PUT DOWN ONCE AND THEN GO INTO A DRAW.

BUT MY HOPE IS THAT WE WOULD BE PULLING THIS DOCUMENT OUT.

MANY, MANY TIMES AND REFERRING TO IT AND SAY, SEE, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS AN AREA OF FOCUS, AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS WE CAN FOCUS ON THAT.

SO I COULD TALK THE REST OF THE NIGHT ABOUT I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT, BUT I DO RECOGNIZE WE HAVE SEVEN MINUTES LEFT UNTIL THIS WORK SESSION IS OVER.

SO I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS NOW AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU FOR THE NEXT MEETING.

AND ANY QUESTIONS.

COMMENTS. WELL, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORTS YOU'VE MADE AND SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS YOU MADE.

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT MEETING HOPEWELL WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL EVENT, AND I WAS MADE IN HOPEWELL AS WELL.

ALL RIGHT. AND I FIND IT AN HONOR TO HAVE COME BACK.

AND I ALWAYS CAME BACK AND SAID OUR CITY WAS SUCH A STABLE CITY, A BEACON ON THE HILL THAT COULD ALWAYS PEOPLE CAN COME TO.

WE KILL OURSELVES SOME TIME WITH THE NEGATIVITY THAT WE SPEAK WORDS TO.

BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS IN HOW YOU BRING THIS CITY FORWARD.

AND AND DON'T LET THAT NEGATIVITY STOP YOU IN YOUR EFFORTS TO TO TO MAKE HOPEWELL WHAT IT CAN BE.

SO PERSONALLY, I JUST THANK YOU AND PROFESSIONALLY AS WELL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THIS WAS A VERY MUCH A TEAM EFFORT, OBVIOUSLY WITH CITY COUNCIL AND EDA, AND I REALLY WAS JUST DESCRIBING QUARTERBACK BUT HAPPY TO BE A PART.

THANK YOU. KEEP GOING. THE BALL IN THE END ZONE THERE.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY. YEAH.

I WAS GOING TO SAY PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT COUNCILOR PROBLEM SAID.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. EVERY TIME I'M MEETING WITH CHARLES OR HE'S IN THE BACK, HE ALWAYS GIVES CREDIT TO THE OTHER DIRECTORS.

AND I LIKE THE FACT THAT HE IS ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I MET WITH CHRIS WARD, OR I MET WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

I MET WITH THE MET WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS HOLISTIC.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS AND HARD WORK FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

FROM EVERY PERSPECTIVE IN THE DIVERSE WAY.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

YOU'RE WELCOME. THANK YOU.

OKAY. WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO OUR REGULAR MEETING.

[REGULAR MEETING]

KIND OF RUSTY, SO BEAR WITH ME.

ROLL CALL, MADAM. CLERK.

MAYOR. VICE MAYOR GORE.

[00:20:01]

COUNSELOR. HARRIS HERE.

COUNSELOR. DENTON HERE.

COUNSELOR. PELHAM.

HERE. COUNSELOR.

HOLLOWAY HERE.

YOU HAVE A QUORUM. I MAY MAKE A NOTE OF THE RECORDS THAT COUNSELOR.

VICE MAYOR GORE IS AT A CONFERENCE WITH HER RELATED TO HER WORK EMPLOYMENT, AND I THINK THE MAYOR IS ON VACATION, CORRECT? YES. SO SHE WON'T CALL THEIR NAMES MUCH OFTEN NOW.

BUT I DO WELCOME EVERYONE WHO'VE COME TONIGHT TO TAKE PART IN THIS MEETING.

AND YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IF YOU SO SIGNED UP FOR COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS.

SO WE FIRST WE HAVE PRAYER.

IS THE MINISTER HERE? BROTHER CHARLES. MINISTER CHARLES, WOULD YOU DO THAT? AND THEN WE HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

I GIVE THE HONOR TO COUNCILOR DENTON.

THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

LET US PRAY.

DEAR LORD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE.

AND, LORD, WE JUST ASK FOR YOUR WISDOM TONIGHT AND AND LET US AS, AS, AS A CITY, COME TOGETHER TO DO THE WORK YOU'VE CALLED US TO DO AND TO BE IN THE PLACE THAT YOU'VE CALLED US TO BE. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.

THANK YOU FOR THE BREATH IN OUR LUNGS.

AND WE ASK THESE THINGS IN JESUS NAME.

AMEN. AMEN.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

OKAY. SO FIRST, FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND OR ADOPT THE REGULAR MEETING AGENDA? SO MOVED. SECOND.

THAT MOTION WAS MADE BY COUNCILOR DENTON AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR HARRIS.

I THINK FIRST AND ROLL CALL, MADAM CLERK.

COUNCILOR. PAOLO. YES.

COUNCILOR. HOLLOWAY? YES.

COUNCILOR. JOYNER. YES.

COUNCILOR. HARRIS. YES.

COUNCILOR. DENTON.

YES. MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

THE SAME ORDER.

THE CONSENT AGENDA WOULD LIKE TO GET ADOPT A MOTION TO ADOPT OR AMEND THE CONSENT AGENDA.

[CONSENT AGENDA]

MOVED BY COUNCILOR DENTON AND SECOND BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.

NO AMENDMENTS.

NO ROLL CALL.

MADAM. CLERK. COUNCILOR.

PAOLO. YES.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY. YES.

COUNCILOR JOYNER. YES.

COUNCILOR HARRIS. YES.

COUNCILOR. DENTON.

YES. MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

HOME. INFORMATION.

[INFORMATION/PRESENTATIONS]

MADAM MAYOR, AS WE AS THEY APPROACH THE BENCH, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT ON BEHALF OF CITY COUNCIL AND MYSELF, WE THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVING THE FY 25 BUDGET FOR COMPENSATION STUDY.

THIS STUDY WILL HELP THE CITY LEARN WHERE OUR PAY INEQUITIES ARE AND WE WILL.

AT THE END OF THIS STUDY, WE WILL PRESENT BACK TO COUNCIL A PLAN FOR ITS IMPLEMENTATION.

WITH THAT SAID, I'LL YIELD THE FLOOR TO H.R.

DIRECTOR FOR OUR PRESENTATION.

GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.

TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO BRING YOU PROJECT OVERVIEW.

I JUST WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE.

RIGHT AFTER THE FUNDS WERE APPROVED, WE WENT AHEAD AND FORMED A COMMITTEE UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY MANAGER.

AFTER THE COMMITTEE, WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, AND THEN WE SELECTED A VENDOR.

THE VENDOR THAT WAS SELECTED IS EVERGREEN SOLUTIONS, AND THE PROJECT MANAGER IS HERE TONIGHT TO GO OVER THAT PROJECT.

AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW WHO'S ON THE COMMITTEE.

THE COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF THE CITY MANAGER, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER, FIRE CHIEF, POLICE CHIEF, THE CFO AND HUMAN RESOURCES.

AND AGAIN, THAT VENDOR IS EVERGREEN SOLUTIONS.

AND MR. HOLCOMB IS GOING TO PRESENT THAT TO YOU.

THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

IT'S GREAT TO MEET YOU AND IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

MY NAME IS MARK HOLCOMB, AND I'M THE PROJECT DIRECTOR FROM EVERGREEN SOLUTIONS, WHO'LL BE OVERSEEING OUR PROJECT HERE.

I THINK WE DO HAVE SOME SLIDES THERE.

THAT'S THE FIRST ONE. SO IF WE WANT TO ADVANCE, I'LL JUST KIND OF WALK YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT TODAY.

THERE'S JUST A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO EVERGREEN AND A COUPLE OF SLIDES BEGINNING JUST SO YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE, WHAT EXPERIENCE WE'RE BRINGING, AND KIND OF WHAT OUR WHAT OUR

[00:25:08]

I WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STUDY OVERVIEW.

SO YOU'LL GET TO HEAR KIND OF WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT STEPS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THROUGHOUT THE ENGAGEMENT TO GET US FROM AGAIN THE BEGINNING STEPS, THE INITIATION WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW TO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND WHAT WE BELIEVE THE CITY COULD DO TO MAKE ITS COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION OFFERINGS, YOU KNOW, JUST THE BEST THAT THEY CAN BE.

AND THEN LAST, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A TIMELINE JUST SO YOU CAN KIND OF EXPECT, YOU KNOW, WHEN TO HEAR FROM US AGAIN AND WHEN WE'LL HAVE THOSE UPDATES COMING FORWARD.

SO AS WE GO FORWARD AGAIN, YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE AS A COMPANY.

WE ARE A FULL SERVICE HUMAN RESOURCES CONSULTING COMPANY.

WE DO WORK ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.

I MYSELF LEAD OUR LARGEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT TEAM.

AND SO WE DO HAVE OTHER TEAMS THAT WORK WITH COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, K THROUGH 12 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, ETC.

BUT COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION IS OUR MAIN LINE OF BUSINESS, AND IT'S WHAT WE DO, YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE DAY.

SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO SEE IN THIS STUDY, SOME OF THE CONCERNS, THE THOUGHTS OR THE, YOU KNOW, ANTICIPATED, YOU KNOW, CHALLENGES WILL FACE, WE'VE ALREADY MAYBE SEEN THOSE IN DOZENS OF OTHER STUDIES.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IDEAS OF HOW TO ATTACK THOSE, NOT JUST CONCEPTUAL IDEAS, BUT AGAIN, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PRACTICE WITH OUR MORE THAN 1300 DIFFERENT STUDIES WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF OUR EXPERIENCE IN VIRGINIA IN PARTICULAR.

AS I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO.

AGAIN, WE'VE DONE MORE THAN 1300 OF THESE COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BUT VIRGINIA IS ONE OF THE STATES THAT WE WORK IN MOST PRIMARILY.

SO I'D SAY IT'S PROBABLY IN OUR TOP 3 OR 4 STATES THAT WE WORK IN.

SO AGAIN, A LOT OF EXPERIENCE THERE.

AND IN YOUR IMMEDIATE AREA AS WELL AS WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THAT IS GOING TO BE THE ACTUAL PROJECT APPROACH.

SO I'LL SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT HERE AND KIND OF DIG IN JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE TO GIVE YOU SOME SOME MORE DETAILS HERE.

SO WE DO HAVE ABOUT SIX DIFFERENT STEPS THAT WE WOULD SAY TAKE US THROUGH FROM INITIATION TO THE FINAL STEPS OF THE PROJECT.

STEP NUMBER ONE IS WHERE WE ARE IS PROJECT INITIATION.

AND SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH YOUR HUMAN RESOURCES AND WITH YOUR YOUR CITY STAFF TEAM TO COLLECT SOME DATA TO SET OUT SOME OF THE GUIDELINES AND REALLY GATHER SOME OF THAT INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO JUMP INTO A PROJECT LIKE THIS.

OF COURSE, THERE IS THAT DATA GATHERING EFFORT IN THE BEGINNING THAT GIVES US, YOU KNOW, JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND SALARIES AND SOME OF YOUR HISTORY.

SO HOW DID THINGS GET TO BE THE WAY THAT THEY ARE NOW? AND AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO TRY TO KEEP YOURSELVES COMPETITIVE? WHAT ARE YOUR POLICIES THAT ARE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW? SO WE'RE REALLY DOING OUR HOMEWORK IN THIS STAGE AND REALLY SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS AS WE CONTINUE ON DOWN THE PROCESS.

STEP NUMBER TWO IS THE EMPLOYEE OUTREACH AND EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION PORTION OF THE STUDY.

SO THAT'S A REALLY KEY PORTION FOR US BECAUSE AS I MENTIONED, I'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT WE'VE DONE IN OTHER VIRGINIA YOU KNOW, CLIENTS AND PEERS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

BUT WE DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU SORT OF A, YOU KNOW, COOKIE CUTTER STUDY THAT'S THE SAME AS EVERYBODY ELSE'S.

WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO TIE IT BACK DIRECTLY TO YOU ALL DIRECTLY TO HOPEWELL AND SAY, HEY, WHAT ARE YOUR SPECIFIC CHALLENGES AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IS BY GETTING THAT INFORMATION FROM YOUR EMPLOYEES, FROM YOUR DIRECTORS, FROM YOUR LEADERS, FROM YOUR MANAGERS.

AND SO WITH THAT EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT PHASE, WE DO COME ON SITE.

SO AGAIN, IF YOU KNOW YOUR CITY STAFF, YOU MAY SEE ME AGAIN.

AND I'LL BE HERE ASKING SOME QUESTIONS.

I MAY BRING ANOTHER CONSULTANT WITH ME AND WE'LL BE SITTING AND MEETING AND ACTUALLY ASKING, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU ALL HAVE FACED? YOU KNOW, DO YOU SEE JOB TITLES THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT AND WE NEED TO STUDY? DO YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, COMPENSATION ISSUES OR CONCERNS WITH RECRUITMENT? IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE WHO'S MAYBE POACHED SOME OF YOUR TALENT OR TAKEN SOME OF YOUR TOP PERFORMERS AWAY? AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE DIGGING IN AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN TIE EVERYTHING BACK DIRECTLY TO YOU ALL AND MAKE IT AS CUSTOMIZED AND AS PERSONAL OF A STUDY AS WE CAN, SO THAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS, AGAIN, ARE OF THE SAME MANNER THAT WE'RE NOT JUST GIVING YOU GENERAL HR BEST PRACTICES, WE'RE TYING THEM SPECIFICALLY BACK TO YOUR CONCERNS.

AND THAT'S THROUGH THAT EMPLOYEE OUTREACH PHASE.

STEP NUMBER THREE THEN, IS THE JOB CLASSIFICATION ANALYSIS.

SO THAT'S GOING TO ENTAIL US LOOKING AT YOUR CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM.

AGAIN PRIMARILY THAT WOULD BE JOB DESCRIPTIONS AND JOB TITLES AT A HIGH LEVEL.

BUT AGAIN DIGGING IN WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE JOB FAMILIES AND CAREER PATHS AND REALLY UNDERSTAND AGAIN HOW HOW WOULD AN EMPLOYEE COME IN HERE? HOW ARE THEY CLASSIFIED? HOW ACCURATE IS THAT SYSTEM? AND WHERE DO WE SEE TWEAKS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE.

SO WITH THAT CLASSIFICATION ANALYSIS, WE ARE GOING TO STUDY THE INFORMATION PROVIDED TO US BY YOUR HR AND CITY STAFF, BUT ALSO BY THE EMPLOYEES DIRECTLY.

SO WHEN THE EMPLOYEES PROVIDE US INFORMATION, THEY SAY, HEY, HERE'S WHAT I DO.

EVERY SINGLE DAY WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT SURVEY AND SAY, HEY, DOES THAT MATCH THE JOB TITLE WE SEE? OR MAYBE DO WE NEED TO TWEAK THERE? SO THAT IS AGAIN A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS.

BEFORE WE GET TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

STEP FOUR IS THE COMPENSATION ANALYSIS.

AND SO THAT COMPENSATION THAT THAT MARKET SALARY SURVEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONDUCT, THAT'S WHAT ALLOWS US TO COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, ARE YOU COMPETITIVE?

[00:30:04]

IT'S UNLIKELY YOU'LL BE NUMBER ONE.

SO WHERE DO WE FIND YOU? IN THE MIDST THAT. ARE YOU IN THE MIDDLE RIGHT NOW? ARE YOU BELOW THE AVERAGE? LIKELY IN MANY, MANY ORGANIZATIONS.

SO LIKELY. WHAT WE'LL FIND HERE IS THAT SOME OF YOUR POSITIONS ARE DOING A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN OTHERS.

IT'S RARE THAT WE GO IN SOMEWHERE AND WE SAY YES, EVERY SINGLE POSITION IS BELOW.

IT'S RARE THAT WE SEE EVERY SINGLE POSITION IS ABOVE.

AND SO WHAT WE MAY FIND IS, HEY, YOU'VE GOT SOME CHALLENGES IN THIS DEPARTMENT OR WITH THESE POSITIONS OR WITH THIS TYPE OF CLASSIFICATION.

AND SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THAT AGAIN.

IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY CUSTOMIZED APPROACH.

WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE POSITIONS THAT ARE OF MOST CONCERN.

THE POSITIONS WE HEARD ABOUT FROM EMPLOYEE OUTREACH.

GET A GOOD SAMPLE ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION SO THAT WHEN WE COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AGAIN, WE CAN TELL YOU HOW DO YOU COMPARE AT THE ENTRY LEVEL? HOW DO YOU COMPARE WITH YOUR FRONT LINE SUPERVISORS OR YOUR MANAGERS OR EVEN YOUR DIRECTORS? WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LET YOU KNOW KIND OF WHERE ARE YOU PLACED RELATIVE TO THE MARKET THROUGHOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION? THE NEXT STEP IS WHEN WE ACTUALLY DO COME BACK WITH SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.

AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS TIES TOGETHER EVERYTHING THAT I'VE JUST TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THE CLASSIFICATION, THE COMPENSATION, THAT EMPLOYEE, YOU KNOW, OUTREACH AND CONCERNS THERE, WE DO TIE THOSE TOGETHER INTO A RECOMMENDATIONS DOCUMENT.

SO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS CAN BE AS BROAD AS SAYING, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU'RE WELL BELOW THE MARKET.

YOUR COMPENSATION STRUCTURE IS NOT ACCURATE.

WE CREATE A WHOLE NEW SYSTEM AND WE START ALL OVER FROM SCRATCH.

IT CAN BE AS NARROW AS NO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE DOING THINGS PRETTY WELL.

LET'S JUST MAKE A TWEAK HERE.

LET'S MAKE A, YOU KNOW, A SINGLE, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEE HERE MAY NEED A NEW TITLE OR MAY NEED A SMALL ADJUSTMENT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'LL LOOK LIKE YET.

OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS.

SO AGAIN, CAN'T SAY OBVIOUSLY HOW WIDE RANGING OR HOW TARGETED THOSE WILL NEED TO BE.

BUT AGAIN, ESSENTIALLY WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING.

WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND AGAIN, GIVE YOU A RECOMMENDATION THAT SHOULD BRING YOU FORWARD TO A MORE COMPETITIVE PLACE THAT ALIGNS WITH THE CITY'S COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS.

SO WE WILL BE AGAIN TALKING TO CITY STAFF TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND WHERE DO YOU WANT TO COMPETE? YOU KNOW, ARE YOU A CITY THAT CAN PAY AT THE AVERAGE? ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE TROUBLE WITH THAT FINANCIALLY? IS THAT SOMETHING? HEY, MAYBE WE CAN'T BE QUITE AT THE AVERAGE, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT BELOW.

OR MAYBE YOU WANT TO BE ABOVE.

WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS YET, BUT AGAIN, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SORT OF FIND THOSE ANSWERS, BRING THOSE FORWARD TO COUNCIL HERE AND SHARE OUR FINDINGS AND AND OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FUTURE. THAT LAST STEP IS WHERE WE GET TO THAT FINALIZING THE PROJECT AGAIN.

THAT'S WHERE WE WILL COME BACK AND MAKE ANOTHER PRESENTATION.

WE WILL SHARE WITH EMPLOYEES, BOTH IN WRITTEN FORMAT AND POTENTIALLY SOMETIMES IN EITHER VIRTUAL MEETINGS OR RECORDED SESSIONS, TO EXPLAIN THE PROCESS THAT WE WENT THROUGH.

EMPLOYEES HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

AGAIN, SOMETIMES THAT LOOKS LIKE A FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS DOCUMENT.

WE DO OFTEN AGAIN, PROVIDE INDIVIDUAL WRITTEN RECOMMENDATIONS TO EMPLOYEES WHERE IT GOES THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS DOCUMENT WE HAVE AND IT SAYS, HEY, THIS WAS YOUR OLD TITLE AND THIS IS YOUR NEW TITLE, OR THIS WAS YOUR OLD PAY AND THIS IS YOUR NEW PAY.

BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THAT ALWAYS LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS, YOU KNOW, ARE ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FOR EACH STUDY.

SO DEPENDING ON WHAT WE RECOMMEND, DEPENDING ON WHAT WE SEE, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE, THAT COMMUNICATION WOULD BE TAILORED ALONGSIDE YOUR CITY STAFF TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES, TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT HAPPENED AND UNDERSTANDS WHY THE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE.

YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S UNLIKELY THAT WE COME IN AND WE SAY, HEY, EVERYBODY'S BELOW.

EVERYBODY NEEDS A RAISE.

SO SOME EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO SAY, HEY, IF I WAS ABOVE MARKET, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND WE WANT TO HELP EXPLAIN THAT TO THEM OF HOW WE MADE THAT COMPARISON AND HOW WE FOUND THAT YOU WERE ACTUALLY PAID APPROPRIATELY WHERE OTHER EMPLOYEES.

THAT MAY NOT BE THE CASE. AND AGAIN, WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT TO THEM AS WELL.

SO REALLY THAT STEP SIX IS ABOUT FINALIZING, SHARING AND COMMUNICATING THERE.

WITH THE NEXT SLIDE OR SORT OF THE LAST SLIDE THAT I HAVE HERE, JUST THIS BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR OVERALL PROJECT TIMELINE DOES TAKE US ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MONTHS TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE ENGAGEMENT.

WE'VE ALREADY BEEN WORKING FOR A FEW WEEKS HERE, SO AGAIN, WE ARE TARGETING WRAPPING UP THE BEGINNING PORTIONS OF NEXT YEAR.

WE SHOULD HAVE AGAIN SOME IDEAS AND SOME DRAFT YOU KNOW FORMATTING OF SORT OF WHAT ARE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS GOING TO LOOK LIKE TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR.

AND WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS THAT AS A GOAL TO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GO AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, WHILE CERTAINLY BEING AS CAREFUL AND AS THOROUGH AS WE CAN.

AND SO AS WITH, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE PROJECT THAT IS FULLY CUSTOMIZABLE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION, THE TIMELINE CAN BE ADJUSTED AS NEEDED.

YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE FIND, HEY, WE REALLY HAD EXCELLENT PARTICIPATION.

WE CAN GO A LITTLE BIT QUICKER THAN WE THOUGHT.

YOU KNOW, THE THE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IS A BIG PART OF THAT.

THE EMPLOYEES ALL COME OUT TO OUR MEETINGS.

THEY SHARE A LOT OF INFORMATION.

IT HELPS US MOVE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER.

SOMETIMES WE'LL HAVE THE RESULTS A LITTLE BIT SOONER, SOMETIMES THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE HESITANT TO SHARE.

IT CAN TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO KIND OF COAX THAT INFORMATION OUT.

CAN DELAY THINGS JUST A LITTLE BIT.

BUT AGAIN, OUR TARGET IS SORT OF END OF THIS YEAR BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR.

HAVING THAT YOU KNOW, THOSE WRAP UPS, THE RECOMMENDATIONS ETC., AND WE'LL BE WORKING ALONGSIDE AGAIN YOUR AIR AND CITY STAFF AND THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS JUST SHARED, YOU KNOW,

[00:35:05]

I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE LAST SLIDE THAT WE HAD.

SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING I CAN ADDRESS TODAY FOR COUNCIL? GOOD QUESTION. NO LIGHTS.

YES. COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.

I THINK YOU DID BRIEFLY TOUCH ON THIS.

SO AFTER THE STUDY IS COMPLETELY DONE, YOU SAID YOUR TEAM WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS IN REGARDS.

WE ABSOLUTELY WILL BE.

AND DEPENDING ON HOW YOU'RE ASKING, THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE MAKE OURSELVES AVAILABLE.

SO AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE STUDY, WE DO HELP THE CITY ROLL OUT THE COMMUNICATION TO STAFF.

SO THAT'S A SINGLE DEDICATED EFFORT WHERE WE HAVE A WRITTEN REPORT.

WE'LL MAKE A FINAL PRESENTATION.

SOMETIMES WE HOST MEETINGS OR TOWN HALLS OR VIRTUAL PRESENTATION.

WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE WILL DEPEND ON KIND OF WHAT THE CITY WANTS TO SEE THERE.

SO THAT'S A SORT OF A DEDICATED EFFORT THERE.

AND WE DO HELP WITH THAT COMMUNICATION PUSH THERE.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DO HAVE BUILT INTO THE CONTRACT A YEAR OF DEDICATED MAINTENANCE FOR YOUR AIR STAFF.

SO AS WE AGAIN, DON'T KNOW HOW BIG THE CHANGES WILL BE YET.

BUT IF WE SEE SOME CHANGES AND YOUR AIR STAFF IS WORKING UNDER A NEW SYSTEM, THEY MAY HAVE QUESTIONS.

YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE EXCUSE ME, MAYBE JUNE OF NEXT YEAR.

AND THEY SAY, WELL, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THIS BEFORE.

WHAT DO WE DO IN THIS SITUATION? THEY WILL HAVE ACCESS TO US AGAIN FOR A YEAR, A DEDICATED MAINTENANCE.

BUT I WILL EMPHASIZE WITH ALL OF OUR, YOU KNOW, CLIENT PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE IS WE DO LOOK AT THAT AS A RELATIONSHIP AND A PARTNERSHIP.

THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A TIME WHERE WE'RE GOING TO TURN YOUR AIR DEPARTMENT AWAY AND SAY, NO, WE CAN'T HELP YOU ANYMORE, BUT WE DO BUILD THAT IN FOR YOUR OWN PEACE OF MIND TO UNDERSTAND THAT FROM THE DAY WE CONCLUDE AGAIN, YOU'VE GOT A FULL YEAR OF SUPPORT SO THEY CAN GO THROUGH AN ENTIRE CYCLE.

YOU KNOW, WITH US THERE OF, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR'S RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT HOW DO THEY ADJUST OR WHAT RECOMMENDATION DO THEY MAKE TO TO COME FORWARD TO THE BUDGET FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO SALARIES? SO THAT'S PART OF IT AS WELL.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. ABSOLUTELY.

YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION.

THREE QUESTIONS. FIRST, FOR DOCTOR MANKER, WHEN YOU COULD COMPRISE THE COMMITTEE, DID YOU CONSIDER APPOINTING ANY MID-LEVEL EMPLOYEES AS THE SOLE DIRECTORS THAT YOU KNOW THAT THAT COMPRISED THE COMMITTEE? WOULD YOU CONSIDER LIKE A MID-LEVEL AND EVEN A LOWER LEVEL EMPLOYEE? BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE AT THE LOWER LEVEL, WE FORGET AS DIRECTORS HOW THEY FEEL, RIGHT? SO THE ORIGINAL COMMITTEE WAS TO SELECT THE VENDOR.

OH, OKAY.

OKAY. AND SO NOW WE'LL START DEVELOPING A DEGREE OF VARIETY OF PEOPLE.

OKAY. TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.

OKAY. YES.

I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING.

THE EMPLOYEES ARE GOING TO BE VERY, VERY INVOLVED.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS.

I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH DIRECTORS MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET THEIR INFORMATION TOGETHER.

WE REALLY WANT EMPLOYEES AT ALL LEVELS TO HAVE A VOICE, SO WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO INCLUDE EVERYONE.

YEAH. THANK YOU.

OF COURSE I'LL BE GOING OUT THE DOOR, BUT I'M GLAD THIS HAS COME TO FRUITION.

AND FOR THE YOUNG MAN.

WELL, CITY COUNCIL BE INTERVIEWED DURING THIS PROCESS TOO.

WE AS A CITY COUNCILORS.

SO THAT IS COMPLETELY UP TO THE ORGANIZATION HERE OF WHAT LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT WE WANT FROM CITY COUNCIL.

WE TYPICALLY DO HAVE IT IN BRIEFINGS, AND CERTAINLY AT THE END WE WOULD UPDATE ON THE STATUS AND THE PROGRESS OF THAT.

WE CAN INCLUDE THAT IF WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF YOU ALL HAVE FEEDBACK THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE.

WE'RE CERTAINLY ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.

WE'LL SHARE SOME OF OUR CONCERNS GOING IN.

I MEAN, NOT JUST BEFORE YOU START.

EVEN I IF I WAS ON COUNCIL, I WOULD ASK FOR ONE ON ONE TO TALK, TO SPEAK WITH YOU.

SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THERE IS INSIDE.

YEAH. SET UP THOSE MEETINGS IF THAT WOULD BE SO DESIRED.

WE'RE CERTAINLY HAPPY TO MEET WITH YOU AND HEAR YOUR YOUR CONCERNS IN A ONE ON ONE SETTING, IF THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO YOU.

OKAY. AND THE OTHER QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU WHEN YOU DO THE SALARIES AND EVERYTHING, DO YOU LOOK AT THE CITY BASED ON ITS POPULATION OR AND ITS TAX BASE WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR OVERALL RECOMMENDATION? BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE TO COMPARE HOPEWELL TO CHESTERFIELD ALL THE TIME.

CHESTERFIELD HAS $1 BILLION BUDGET.

WE HAVE PENNIES AND IT NEVER CAN BE THE SAME.

SO WHEN YOU DO THE SALARY, WILL IT BE IN A RANGE OR WILL IT BE JUST I MEAN, IT'S ALL A RECOMMENDATION AND COUNCIL HAS TO APPROVE WHAT THEY DESIRE.

BUT HOW DO YOU DO CONSIDER THAT.

SO WE LOOK AT YOUR ORGANIZATION IN THE MARKET AND ESSENTIALLY TWO DIFFERENT MAIN WAYS.

ONE OF THEM IS TO LOOK AT YOUR COMPETITORS.

SO WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO HIRE SOMEBODY, THEY'RE ALSO TRYING TO HIRE SOMEBODY.

AND AGAIN, CHESTERFIELD COULD BE AN EXAMPLE THERE AS EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY HAVE MORE RESOURCES, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE A LARGER ORGANIZATION, IF YOU'RE BOTH PUTTING OUT AN OFFER

[00:40:03]

THEY'RE PAYING MORE, BUT THEY HAVE A LARGER BUDGET.

I'M GOING TO GO HERE INSTEAD.

SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THAT.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, THOUGH, AGAIN, WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A COMPARABLE SAMPLE OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, MIGHT HAVE SIMILAR BUDGETS, SIMILAR CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR DEMOGRAPHICS, ETC..

WE DO LOOK AT THINGS LIKE THAT, LIKE POPULATION AGAIN.

AND SO WHEN WE COMPRISE THAT SAMPLE, WE DON'T WANT TO COMPARE YOU TO JUST 1 OR 2 ORGANIZATIONS.

WE TYPICALLY DO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, A DOZEN OR SO ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT WE DO UNDERSTAND THERE MAY BE AN ORGANIZATION ON THE HIGH SIDE THAT MAYBE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO COMPETE DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR WITH THEM, BUT IT'S STILL IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

ON THE OTHER SIDE. YOU MAY HAVE SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT YOU FEEL LIKE, AGAIN, YOU HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE.

YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO OUT PAY THEM OR OR AT LEAST BE IN THAT SAME RANGE.

SO THAT IS PART OF THE CALCULATION.

YES. I DON'T WANT IT.

I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND SAY WHATEVER CHESTERFIELD PAYS, YOU'LL PAY THAT SAME AMOUNT.

THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE PROCESS.

BUT WE'RE NOT. YEAH.

THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD LIKELY BE AT LEAST LOOKED AT AS THE TOP SIDE OF THE MARKET.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.

ANYONE ELSE OKAY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. THIS PART OF THE AGENDA DEALS WITH COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS.

[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS]

AND DID ANYONE SIGN UP? NO. NO ONE SIGNED UP AFTER SHE READS IT.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SIGN UP, YOU HAVE.

WHATEVER. WHAT IS IT? THREE MINUTES.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS PERIOD IS 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 WARD NUMBER AND LIMIT.

COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.

NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION ON REGULAR AGENDA 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, IMPERTINENT, ABUSIVE OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INCITES 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.

SEE RULES 405 AND 406.

OKAY, NO ONE SIGNED UP PERSONALLY.

WOULD ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE LIKE TO COME UP AND SPEAK? THREE MINUTES. COME.

COME FORWARD, MA'AM, AND STATE YOUR NAME AND WHICH WARD YOU LIVE IN.

IF YOU ARE OUTSIDE OF HOPEWELL, JUST SAY I LIVE IN CHESTERFIELD OR WHEREVER YOU LIVE.

GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DENISE CRANDALL.

I LIVE AT 3519 JACKSON FARM ROAD, HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA.

I GUESS YOU CONSIDER THAT WARD FIVE.

I'M HERE TO WARD FOUR.

THANK YOU. MA'AM. I'M HERE TO RESIDE AS FAR AS THE NOISE ORDINANCE.

AS FAR AS THE PUMP STATION.

THAT'S BEEN DOWN FOR THREE YEARS.

WE CAN'T EVEN OPEN OUR WINDOWS BECAUSE OF THE NOISE.

WE. I MEAN, YOU HEAR IT ALL DAY LONG.

ALL NIGHT LONG. I DO HAVE A VIDEO OF IT.

THEY HAVE THREE GENERATORS RUNNING IT, AND IT'S LIKE THEY'LL COME CHECK IT, THEN THEY'LL LEAVE, THEY'LL COME CHECK IT, THEN THEY'LL LEAVE.

BUT IT'S LIKE IT'S LIKE IT'S STRESSFUL BECAUSE WE CAN'T EVEN HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT OUT OUTSIDE BECAUSE THE GENERATOR IS CONSTANTLY GOING.

I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY HAVEN'T THEY HAD REPAIRED IT? IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS.

OKAY, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT WE HAVE A CITY MANAGER LISTENING, AND I'M SURE SHE WILL.

IF YOU WOULD GIVE YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER TO THE YOUNG LADY TO MY RIGHT, AND SHE WILL CONTACT YOU AND LET YOU KNOW WHAT.

BECAUSE I'VE CALLED I'VE CALLED TIM SOMEWHERE OFF OF THE THE WATER RENEWAL.

I DON'T KNOW HOW IT WORKS AS FAR AS THE SYSTEM, BUT IT'S LIKE IT'S JUST GETTING READY.

IT'S STARTING TO BE REALLY STRESSFUL FOR US.

ME, MYSELF AND MY NEIGHBORS.

RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S IT'S WARM NOW.

WE CAN'T EVEN OPEN OUR WINDOWS BECAUSE THE NOISE.

YOU CAN'T EVEN WATCH YOUR TV BECAUSE OF THE NOISE.

YOU CAN'T EVEN TALK ON THE PHONE BECAUSE OF YOUR BECAUSE OF THE NOISE.

WELL, I'M SORRY YOU HAD TO GO TO HER FOR THREE YEARS, BUT HOPEFULLY THEY'LL BE DO SOME TYPE OF.

THEY SAID THEY WAS WAITING ON THE PART I MIGHT ORDER FROM AMAZON.

DON'T TAKE THREE DAYS OKAY? OKAY. SHE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU INFORMATION TO HER AND YOU WANT TO GIVE IT TO YOU.

THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM.

THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU.

I'LL BE BACK AGAIN BECAUSE I THINK IT'S JUST.

JUST THE NOISE. TAKE CARE OF IT.

IF YOU LIVE THERE, YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND.

I HAVE A VIDEO OF THE OF IT.

I WAS WANTING TO SHOW IT, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN, BUT NOT NECESSARILY.

NEVER HEARD IT BEFORE. OH, LOOK, IT'S REALLY IT'S REALLY DISTURBING.

[00:45:02]

CAN YOU GET IT FOR US? YES, PLEASE.

AND THANK YOU. AND I'VE BEEN IN THIS TOWN FOR LIKE, 20 YEARS, AND THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED.

I'VE NEVER COME DOWN HERE AND I'M, LIKE, REALLY NERVOUS ABOUT COMING, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M READY TO MOVE.

DON'T MOVE. AND I'M A HOMEOWNER.

ALRIGHT, NOW, GIVE ME YOUR PHONE.

THANK YOU. WELL.

PROFESSOR.

THANK YOU.

THIS IS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.

AND IT'S WILD TO ME THAT THIS.

BECAUSE I WAS STEPPING AWAY FROM IT FOR THREE YEARS.

THREE GENERATIONS.

WOW. AND IT'S LOUD.

IT'S REALLY LOUD.

WHERE IS THIS LOCATED? IN HOPEWELL. RIGHT ON JACKSON FARM ROAD.

JUST WHERE THEY JUST FIXED THE ROAD AND ALL THAT STUFF.

BUT IF YOU GO DOWN BY ASH, YOU JUST HIT THE TOP OF HOPEWELL ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL.

I LIVE ON THE BACK SIDE.

OH, SO THIS IS WHAT.

THIS IS WHAT WE HEAR HERE ALL DAY.

ALL NIGHT FOR THREE YEARS.

FOR THREE YEARS? YES. ALL DAY, ALL NIGHT.

FOR THREE YEARS EARLIER, I WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST LIKE THE CONTRACTORS GOING.

OH, WE'RE JUST CONTRACTORS.

WE JUST COME TO CHECK ON IT.

WE'RE NOT HERE TO REPAIR IT.

SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY DO I HAVE TO KEEP LISTENING TO YOU? CAN I SEE IT? CAN I SEE IT? YOU CAN'T EVEN HAVE A MOVIE NIGHT.

BECAUSE WHEN THIS IS OVER.

AND THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED, I GO HOME, THIS IS WHAT I'M GOING TO HEAR.

BUT THE ONLY THING IS LOUDER.

WE KEEP ASKING.

WE SEE THEM GO DOWN THERE AND WE'RE WONDERING WHEN IT'S GOING TO GET FIXED.

BUT IT'S NOT HAPPENING. IT'S GOING ON THREE.

THIS WILL BE. IT'S GOING AT THIS WINTER WILL BE THE THIRD YEAR.

ANOTHER WINTER. WE GOT TO GO THROUGH THIS.

I GOT A PREDICTION. I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT.

OH, PLEASE. THANK YOU.

BECAUSE THIS IS THIS IS WHAT WE LISTEN TO.

I'M ON MY PORCH AND I'M TALKING ON THE PHONE.

I'M LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE. MAYBE THE GENERATOR STOPS SO I CAN AT ALL.

OKAY. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

COUNCIL THIS ASIDE.

THIS IS THE SIDE VIEW.

MADAM MAYOR, THIS IS THE.

YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

THANK YOU. I DIDN'T USE.

I WASN'T GOING TO COME DOWN HERE, BUT I.

YES, MA'AM. AND IT'S VERY STRESSFUL.

I KNOW IT IS MENTAL HEALTH.

AND WE'RE ALL GETTING OLDER.

STRESSED. YES, YES.

IT STRESSES ME JUST LISTENING TO IT FROM THERE.

RIGHT. RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

AND, YOU KNOW, IF ONE OF YOU GUYS WENT DOWN THERE, YOU WOULD GET CAUGHT IN IT, TOO.

AND I'M TRYING TO KEEP MY BILL DOWN SO I CAN OPEN UP MY WINDOWS.

OKAY. TURN IT OFF. AND IF I CAN'T GET, I CAN'T GET MY WINDOWS OPEN BECAUSE OF THIS.

THANK YOU MA'AM. THANK YOU SIR.

THANK YOU. NO, PLEASE. AND THANK YOU.

I'M PROBABLY GOING TO NEED IT.

PROBABLY GOING TO GIVE ME THAT LOOK NOW BECAUSE I DONE DID SOMETHING.

THEY AIN'T TRYING TO DO NOTHING.

JUST GET THIS FIXED AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TELL YOU.

ALL RIGHT. WHAT A DOG.

MA'AM, MA'AM.

MA'AM. MA'AM. MA'AM.

MA'AM. MISS.

OH, MA'AM. I'M SORRY.

NEED YOUR INFORMATION. SI.

SI. I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT IT.

DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY CONCERNS? IF NOT, WE'LL CLOSE THIS PART OF THE AGENDA AND OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS.

OH. OH, COUNCIL HOLLOWAY.

I GOT A QUESTION.

MR. COUNCIL, SHE SAID THIS CONTRACT.

SO IS THERE, LIKE, A THIRD PARTY? NONE OF OUR DIRECTORS.

NOBODY'S EVER RECEIVED A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE WATER PARK WAS NOT HERE.

OH, IT'S THE WATER RENEWAL.

WELL, WE'LL NEED TO SEE IF THERE'S A VENDOR OR OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR OR ACTUAL WATER.

THAT IS A CONTRACT. SO THE CITY PROBABLY DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT.

YOU SEE? THIS.

GIVE US THIS INFORMATION.

ONCE YOU FIND OUT, JUST LET US KNOW.

DOCTOR MAKER, JUST LET US KNOW THE END RESULT.

PUBLIC HEARING.

[PUBLIC HEARING]

I GOT THE SAME NOISE.

I KNOW.

[00:50:10]

TONIGHT, IN OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, WE HAVE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST.

THE REQUEST IS TO CONSTRUCT A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING ON A NONCONFORMING LOT, WHICH IS PARCEL 0920665, ALSO IDENTIFIED AS 3000 DAVISON AVENUE.

THE APPLICANT IS JRM CONTRACTOR LLC, WHO IS HERE THIS EVENING AND IS AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS WHEN WE GET TO THE END.

THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN WARD SIX AND ZONED R-2 RESIDENTIAL MEDIUM.

WE PUBLISHED ADS IN A LETTERS TO ADJACENT OWNERS AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW.

THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT IN THE GENERAL LOCATION OF WHERE IT IS IN THE CITY, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT.

IT WAS ACTUALLY A DOUBLE THROUGH LOT.

AND PART OF WHAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN WE GET TO THE CONDITIONS PLANNING IS REQUIRING THAT THOSE TWO LOTS BE JOINED TOGETHER.

YOU CAN ALSO SEE IN THE AERIAL THAT THERE IS A, A HOUSE THAT'S ALREADY SHOWN THERE.

THAT HOUSE WAS HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED AND IS REMOVED.

IS NOT CURRENTLY THERE. IT'S THE SAME WITH THE SHED.

THE SHED IS NOT THERE ANYMORE.

EITHER IN OR TWO LOT.

MINIMUM LOT SIZE WOULD BE 75FT WIDE AND 7500FT² FOR SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING.

THIS PARTICULAR LOT IS ONLY 50FT WIDE AND 5000FT².

SO THE NONCONFORMITY IS BOTH IN THE WIDTH AND THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE.

AGAIN, THAT'S A STREET VIEW IMAGE OF THE HOUSE THAT WAS THERE PREVIOUSLY.

THE APPLICANT HAS SUBMITTED THESE ELEVATIONS FOR OUR CONSIDERATION.

THE PROPOSED HOUSE IS A ONE STORY, SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING, THREE BEDROOM, TWO BATH, ABOUT 1605FT².

THE FRONT ELEVATION HERE.

REAR ELEVATION.

RIGHT SIDE AND LEFT SIDE.

WITH ALL CUP REQUESTS, STAFF GOES THROUGH AN ANALYSIS AGAINST THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS WELL AS THE REQUIRED QUESTIONS THAT WE ARE SUPPOSED TO ASK AS THEY ARE STATED IN THE ORDINANCE.

STAFF BELIEVES THAT THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH BOTH THE APPROVAL CRITERIA AS WELL AS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

THE DWELLING IS A UNIQUE ARCHITECTURAL STYLE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE AVERAGE SIZE OF HOMES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA IS 1193, WHEREAS THIS HOUSE WOULD BE 1605.

SO IT'S QUITE A BIT LARGER, AND IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY LARGER THAN THE HOUSE THAT ACTUALLY IS REPLACING.

STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.

THAT THE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING WILL HAVE.

ROOF EAVES OF 12IN MINIMUM.

THE NEW HOME WILL HAVE FOUR INCH WIDE TRIM AROUND ALL WINDOWS ON THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE.

THE LOT WILL HAVE A MINIMUM TREE CANOPY COVERAGE OF 20%.

A DRIVEWAY OF ASPHALT OR CONCRETE.

A BRICK FOUNDATION ON ALL FOUR SIDES, FOUNDATION PLANTINGS ALONG THE FRONT, AND GENERALLY THAT THE HOUSE WILL BE IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE PLANS AND ELEVATIONS I JUST SHOWED YOU.

PLANNING COMMISSION AGREED WITH STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL WITH A50 VOTE AT THEIR PUBLIC HEARING THAT THEY HELD ON AUGUST 8TH.

THEY DID NOT ADD OR CHANGE ANY OF THE RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS.

DEPARTMENT ALSO HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS APPLICATION.

AGAIN, THE APPLICANT IS HERE THIS EVENING AND AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.

AS AS AM I I CAN OKAY.

I CAN OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW.

I'D LIKE TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS CUP CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

IS ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS? OKAY, NONE.

WE'LL CLOSE THE CLOSE.

THE PUBLIC HEARING.

ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS? COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.

IT'S THE SECOND TIME WE CAN MAKE A MOTION, RIGHT? YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE CUP AS SUGGESTED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

I'LL SECOND. SECOND IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR FROM COUNCIL HOLLOWAY.

AND SECOND BY COUNCILOR JOINER TO ACCEPT THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

DO YOU WANT HIM TO READ THE MOTION AS THAT? I JUST WOULD, IT WOULD HELP, FOR CLARITY'S SAKE, IF WE COULD IDENTIFY THE CONDITIONS THAT YOU AGREE WITH OR IF ALL OF THE CONDITIONS AS PRESENTED ARE OKAY.

[00:55:07]

THANK YOU. OKAY.

YOU ACCEPT THAT AND ACCEPT THAT? YES. DISCUSSION.

YOU KNOW, AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MIGHT UNDERSTAND IT'S GOING TO BE A 50 FOOT FRONT BUILDING.

THE LOT ITSELF IS 50FT WIDE, YOU KNOW.

WHAT'S THE FRONTAGE? 50FT.

RIGHT. THE THE LOT WIDTH IS 50FT.

THE HOUSE WILL NOT. HE STILL HAS TO MEET ALL DISTRICT SETBACKS.

SO I THINK IT'S ABOUT 20 SOME FEET WIDE.

THE HOUSE. YES.

IT'S 23 BY 56.

23 BY 56.

OKAY. 23 BY 56 WILL BE THE HOUSE.

23FT WIDE.

YES, MA'AM. THE LOT IS 50.

OKAY. AND THEN THE HOUSE WILL BE 23.

SO HE'S STILL REQUIRED TO MEET THE DISTRICT SETBACKS WHEN HE DILIGENCE IS IS INDICATE WITH THE HOUSE LOOK LIKE THIS? YES, MA'AM. THE LAST CONDITION AS STATED IS THAT HE IS.

IF YOU ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS, HE WILL BE REQUIRED.

TO BUILD THE HOUSE IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE TO THESE PLANS.

AND ON EACH SIDE.

WHAT IS IN? WHAT ROOM DOES THAT REFLECT WHERE THOSE WINDOWS ARE AND THE NON WINDOWS ARE.

WHAT IS WHAT IS THIS ROOM WHERE THE NON WINDOWS ARE ON THIS PARTICULAR ELEVATION.

I MEAN THE KITCHEN.

I DON'T KNOW. I DID NOT INCLUDE THE FLOOR PLAN.

THE APPLICANT DID SUBMIT A FLOOR PLAN BUT I DID NOT INCLUDE IT IN THE PRESENTATION.

OKAY LOOK. LOOK ON THE OTHER OTHER SIDE OF THE HOUSE.

SO THAT'S THE FRONT.

THIS IS THE REAR.

RIGHT. AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE RIGHT SIDE.

DOES HE KNOW? COME UP PLEASE.

DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT.

WHAT IS WHAT ROOM DOES THIS REFLECT.

WHERE THERE ARE NO WINDOWS.

YES. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A33 BEDROOM AND TWO TWO BATH.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE WHERE THE BATH IS GOING TO BE.

OH THAT'S THE LIVING ROOM.

SORRY. IT'S THE LIVING ROOM.

YES. OKAY.

SO YOU WOULD HAVE TWO WINDOWS.

NO. OKAY. WHAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE WHERE THE LIVING ROOM IS? NOT THEN? OH, IT'S GOING TO BE THE THE THREE ROOMS. BEDROOMS? YES.

AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE WINDOWS.

YES, THEY WILL HAVE WINDOWS ON THE.

THEY DON'T HAVE IT UP HERE.

I MEAN, I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE IN THE BEDROOM.

I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE PEOPLE WOULD LIKE THAT, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW.

THAT'S THE KITCHEN SINK.

YES. IS THIS THE KITCHEN OF THE HOUSE? WELL, THE KITCHEN DEFINITELY NEEDS A WINDOW.

DON'T YOU THINK? WOULD YOU LIKE FOR ME TO SHOW YOU THE FLOOR PLANS? YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT. YEAH.

I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF IT'S WINDOWS, THAT'S ALL.

YEAH. YES. SO THIS REQUIRED BEDROOMS ARE REQUIRED BY BUILDING CODE TO HAVE WINDOWS AT LEAST ONE.

SO IF IT'S NOT SHOWN ON THE SIDE A BEDROOM WILL BE ON THE REAR.

SO IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE THERE'S THE THE WINDOWS THERE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE REAR ELEVATION ARE ACTUALLY THE WINDOWS FOR THE THE BACK BEDROOM.

OKAY, SO THEY'RE NOT SHOWN ON THE.

THERE'S A LEFT. THERE'S NO LEFT ELEVATION SHOWN HERE.

YEAH. SORRY.

YEP. THERE IT IS. OKAY.

THERE YOU GO. IT WAS.

WHAT ARE THOSE? BEDROOMS TO THE LIVING ROOM? OKAY, JUST TELL ME IF THEY'RE WINDOWS.

EVERY ROOM IS REQUIRED TO HAVE ONE.

OKAY. OKAY. OKAY.

OKAY. ALRIGHT.

YOU'RE WELCOME TO LOOK. NO, MA'AM.

I'M GOOD. OKAY.

YEAH. YEAH. BUILDING CODE REQUIRES EVERY ROOM TO HAVE A WINDOW.

OKAY. MINIMUM.

YEAH. ONE. ALL RIGHT.

AS LONG AS IT'S BUILT LIKE THAT, LIKE I SEE IT, I'LL VOTE YES.

NO MODIFICATION.

OKAY. ANY OTHER CONCERNS? ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THANK YOU SIR.

THANK YOU. WITH THAT ROLL CALL, MADAM CLERK.

COUNCILOR. PAOLO. YES.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY. YES.

COUNCILOR JOYNER. YES.

COUNCILOR HARRIS. YES, COUNCILOR.

DENTON. YES.

MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

MR. WARD, THANK YOU.

FOR OUR SECOND AND FINAL PUBLIC HEARING THIS EVENING.

RELATES TO ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.

AND IT'S A PROPOSAL TO INCREASE DEVELOPMENT FEES.

YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS FROM TWO PREVIOUS WORK SESSIONS.

AND REAL QUICKLY I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION AGAIN.

THE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS TWO SETS OF FEES.

THERE'S ONE SET FOR BUILDING PERMITS, AND THEN THERE'S ONE FOR APPLICATION PLANNING APPLICATIONS.

[01:00:07]

AND AS THEY RELATE TO THE JURISDICTIONS AROUND US, WE WE ARE VERY, VERY LOW IN COST.

AND ACTUALLY WHEN I GET TO THE RIGHT SLIDE, I'LL SHOW THAT WE ACTUALLY, WE DON'T EVEN COVER OUR, OUR COSTS FOR ADVERTISEMENT, WHICH ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. SO PRIMARY APPLICANTS FOR THESE TYPES OF APPLICATIONS WOULD BE DEVELOPERS REAL ESTATE INVESTORS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND OCCASIONALLY OWNER OCCUPANTS OR PROPERTY OWNERS.

THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS WHERE WE ACTUALLY LOSE MONEY BECAUSE OF THE REQUIRED ADVERTISEMENTS.

STATE LAW REQUIRES WE PLACE ADS IN THE NEWSPAPER, IN THE NEWSPAPER FOR REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND THE FEES THEMSELVES SHOULD BE ABLE TO COVER THOSE COSTS.

OUR CURRENT FEE STRUCTURE DOES NOT ALLOW THAT.

SO WE ARE THE LOWEST IN THE REGION.

WE'RE NOT COVERING OUR OWN COSTS.

SO ESSENTIALLY THE THE ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS THE OVERALL, THE CITIZENS OF HOPEWELL SUBSIDIZE THE APPLICANTS WHO SUBMIT THESE BECAUSE THE ADVERTISEMENTS HAVE TO BE PAID FOR, BUT THEY'RE NOT COVERED BY THE APPLICATION FEE.

SO STAFF IS PROPOSING THE FOLLOWING FEE STRUCTURE FOR THE PARTICULAR PLANNING APPLICATIONS FOR SITE PLAN. THAT ONE'S A LITTLE MORE TRICKY BECAUSE IT REQUIRES TYPICALLY MULTIPLE REVIEWS BY NUMEROUS DEPARTMENTS, SO THAT ONE HAS A FEE STRUCTURE WHERE YOU HAVE A BASE FEE SUBMISSION FEE OF $550 FOR A SITE PLAN.

TYPICALLY, STAFF WILL PROVIDE COMMENTS BACK TO THE APPLICANT AFTER A FIRST REVIEW, SO THERE'S NO CHARGE FOR THEM TO ADDRESS THOSE INITIAL COMMENTS.

BUT WHERE WE RUN INTO PROBLEMS IS APPLICANTS DON'T ADDRESS THOSE INITIAL COMMENTS, AND THEY REQUIRE ANOTHER ROUND OF COMMENT FROM STAFF AND ANOTHER SUBMISSION.

AND IT'S CALLED IN THE INDUSTRY, I GUESS THE PLANNING WORLD, IT'S CALLED DESIGN BY REVIEW AND IT GETS VERY EXPENSIVE. IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME.

AND IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE THAT, JURISDICTIONS HAVE START USING THIS THIS TYPICAL FEE STRUCTURE WHERE IT'S YOU'VE GOT A BASE SUBMISSION FEE AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL FEE FOR THIRD AND SUBSEQUENT SUBMITTALS.

NOT RECOMMENDING ANY CHANGES TO BUILDING PERMIT FEES AT ALL AT THIS TIME, BOTH ON THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL SIDE.

BUT ON THESE PLANNING APPLICATION FEES, STAFF IS RECOMMENDING REZONING AT $1,500 FOR AN APPLICATION FOR VARIANCES, SPECIAL EXCEPTIONS AND SPECIAL USE PERMITS, $500 CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT 650 AND A ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT $1,000. AGAIN, WE WOULD BE AMENDING ARTICLE 22.

OUR FEES ARE CODIFIED IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, SO ANY VOTE THIS EVENING WOULD BE AMENDING ARTICLE 22.

I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.

MY ONE LAST REQUEST IS THAT WE MAKE FEES EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR.

ANY QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I DO HAVE ONE.

ON THE ON THE FEE FOR 550.

THE DON'T CHARGE AND THEN YOU CHARGE FOR THE THIRD.

YES, MA'AM. WHY NOT CHARGE FOR THE SECOND? THEN MAYBE YOU WON'T GET A THIRD BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY ANY MORE MONEY.

IT'S NATURAL FOR SOMEONE TO SUBMIT A SITE PLAN.

I CANNOT THINK OF A SINGLE INSTANCE WHEN STAFF NEVER HAD A COMMENT ON FIRST SUBMISSION.

IT'S JUST NORMAL.

SO WE FELT THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY FAIR TO CHARGE AN APPLICANT BECAUSE IT'S 99.9.

I MEAN, I WOULD ACTUALLY GO SO FAR AS TO SAY 100% OF THE TIME.

THERE WILL BE INITIAL COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

AREN'T MOST OF THESE PEOPLE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT COME BACK TO THEIR ENGINEERING FIRMS THAT ARE SUBMITTING THESE? YES, MA'AM. OH, NO.

WHAT? SO THAT'S JUST HOW IT IS.

YOU KNOW, THEY THEY WORK IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS.

NOT EVERYBODY'S SITE PLAN REQUIREMENTS ARE THE SAME.

AND SO OFTENTIMES ENGINEERING AND I'M NOT BLASTING ENGINEERING FIRMS, BUT OFTENTIMES THEY WILL JUST DEVELOP A SITE PLAN AS THEY ARE USED TO DOING THAT FIRST REVIEW IS WHERE STAFF GETS IN ALIGNMENT WITH WHAT OUR LOCAL REQUIREMENTS ARE.

THEN THEY'LL COME BACK AND THEY'LL FIX IT.

THE PROBLEM IS, IS WHEN THEY'RE NOT FULLY ADDRESSED AFTER THAT FIRST REVIEW, THEY JUST KEEP SUBMITTING AND SUBMITTING AND NEVER ADDRESSING WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

[01:05:02]

SO WE THINK THAT THE THIRD AND SUBSEQUENT SUBMITTAL WOULD MINIMIZE THAT.

THE FEE FOR THAT.

SO EVERY TIME THEY SUBMITTED ON THE THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH THEY PAY 250.

YES, MA'AM. THAT'S WHAT I'M PROPOSING.

THERE'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT. OKAY.

ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY. SO I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION.

NO, NO, THIS IS THE SECOND.

THIS IS THE SECOND ONE WE DID ON THE SAME AND IT GAVE THE INFORMATION.

I AGREE WITH THIS THE LAST TIME.

SO I DEFINITELY MAKE THE MOTION I TRY TO MAKE IT LAST.

YEAH. OKAY.

OKAY. CAN YOU READ IT FROM THE RECORD? CORRECT. YEAH.

IT IS THE PUBLIC HEARING PART.

OKAY. I'M SORRY. ALRIGHT.

THANK YOU. NO COMMENTS.

CLOSE THE PUBLIC. OH, OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? NO COMMENTS.

WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, AND WE'LL TAKE THAT MOTION.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY NOW, THIS WAS HIS RIGHT.

YOU SAID RIGHT IN THE CORRECT SPACE.

SO WE WON'T. WE WON'T BE IN THE NEGATIVE ANY LONGER, RIGHT? WE'LL TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THE.

YES, WE WILL NOW BE ABLE TO COVER ALL OF OUR ADVERTISEMENT COSTS.

OKAY. SO I'D LIKE TO.

IS THERE A LANGUAGE THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN UP JUST TO AMEND? ARTICLE 22 WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.

I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE ARTICLE 22 TO INCREASE THE FOLLOWING, PLEASE.

REZONING THE VARIANCE OF CONDITIONAL USE.

ZONING SITE PLAN REVIEW.

WITH THE COSTS THAT ARE LISTED, 1500, 500, 650 AND $1,000.

ALSO 550 BASED FOR FIRST AND MIDDLE AND THIRD AND SUBSEQUENT RESUBMITTED FOR $250 PER SUBMIT.

I'LL SECOND THAT. YEAH.

COUNCIL HOLLOWAY AND COUNCIL REEDER MADE THE MOTION.

JOYNER. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? AND WHAT DISCUSSION? COUNCIL. MADAM.

CLERK. COUNCILOR PHELAN.

YES. COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.

YES. COUNCILOR JOYNER.

YES. COUNCILOR. HARRIS.

YES. COUNCILOR.

DENTON. YES.

MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. WARD. NOW WE'RE GOING TO REGULAR BUSINESS.

CITY MANAGER WILL CARRY US THROUGH THAT, MADAM MAYOR.

THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TONIGHT OR R ONE IS THE APPROVAL OF UPDATE.

I'D LIKE TO AMEND THE THAT IS, IT'S TOO LATE BECAUSE I THINK YOU REQUESTED FOR THE DATES, AND I DIDN'T SAVE THAT.

JUST JUST WANT TO ADD TO SUPREME.

MADAM ATTORNEY, HOW CAN WE GO BACK TO ADD THE DATE TO THE AMENDMENT TO THAT? I MEANT, CAN THEY AMEND THEIR MOTION TO GO BACK AND ADD THE DATE, EFFECTIVE DATE? FOR THIS LAST MOTION WE PASS.

TO ANOTHER MOTION. OKAY.

SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A VOTE ON THAT.

OKAY. SO THE DATE TO.

OKAY. SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND THE LAST MOTION THAT WAS STATED TO ADD THE DATE OF NOVEMBER THE 1ST.

MR. WARD? YES.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST NOVEMBER 1ST.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER THE 1ST, 2024.

AND WILL YOU SECOND THE SECOND MOTION? YES. SECOND THAT THERE'S CURRENTLY A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO AMEND OUR INITIAL MOTION TO INCLUDE NOVEMBER 1ST AS THE START DATE FOR THIS NEW FEES.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? IF NOT, ROLL CALL, MADAM CLERK? YES. YES.

COUNSELOR. JOINER. YES.

COUNSELOR. HARRIS. YES.

COUNSELOR. DENTON. YES.

MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

[REGULAR BUSINESS]

ALL RIGHT. SO TONIGHT, TO BEGIN OUR ONE, WE HAVE ROBERT WILLIAMS, WHO IS OUR EMERGENCY COORDINATOR.

MANAGER? MANAGER.

HE'S HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT US WITH THE EMERGENCY OPERATION PLAN AND ASK FOR COUNCIL'S APPROVAL.

THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.

THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME FORWARD TODAY TO PRESENT OUR 2024 MERCY OPERATIONS PLAN FOR YOUR APPROVAL.

YOU'LL NOTE THAT IN THE UPDATE THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.

WE HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY FOUR YEARS.

SO THE CHANGES ARE VERY BASIC.

WE'VE CHANGED AND UPDATED NAMES AND TITLES OF ORGANIZATIONS, NAMES AND TITLES OF INDIVIDUALS AND ELIMINATED ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NO LONGER PART OF THE CITY STRUCTURE.

[01:10:03]

PROBABLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT TO US IS THE CHANGE FROM HOPEWELL ALERTS GOING AWAY FROM CODE RED.

SO AGAIN, MAINLY UPDATES NOTHING STRUCTURAL CHANGE.

SO. ANY QUESTIONS.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON WHAT THEY REVIEWED.

IF NOT, GIVE ME A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PLAN AS WRITTEN BY COMMERCIAL COUNCIL AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE 2024 EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN AS PRESENTED.

SECONDED. I KNOW YOU HAVE A COMMENT.

YEAH, I DON'T SEE THAT.

I DON'T SEE THE ACTUAL.

IT'S. NOT.

INCLUDED THE WHOLE HAZARD.

WHILE HE'S WORKING. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY. YES, MA'AM.

I DO. I I ATTENDED A MEETING A FEW WEEKS AGO.

IT HAD TO DO WITH ONE OF THE.

IT WAS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR ONE OF THE PERMITS, YOU KNOW, OR THAT KIND OF THING.

AND. AND THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN THERE FROM THE SIERRA CLUB THAT DISCUSSED OUR EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS OURSELVES.

BUT HIS, HIS THING WAS SO IF IF WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A MAJOR MELTDOWN AT ONE OF THE INDUSTRIES AND WE SEND OUT, YOU KNOW, THEY RECEIVE A TEXT AND SAY SHELTER IN PLACE.

HIS QUESTION WAS, DO PEOPLE REALLY KNOW WHAT SHELTER IN PLACE IS? THAT KIND OF THING. AND I HAVEN'T I HAVEN'T READ THROUGH ALL OF THIS.

OKAY. AND SO, I MEAN, IT WAS A VALID QUESTION.

AND, YOU KNOW, DO WE HAVE DO WE HAVE ANY I DON'T KNOW, COMMUNICATIONS OUT TO THAT, TO THE CITIZENS THAT TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS, HOW OFTEN DO WE DO THAT? AND, I MEAN, IS IT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD DEEM WORTHWHILE, ABSOLUTELY WORTHWHILE.

LAST YEAR, WHEN WE MADE THE SWITCH FROM CODE RED OVER TO HOPEWELL ALERTS, WE SENT OUT A POSTCARD TO EVERY CITIZEN, EVERY ADDRESS IN THE CITY.

ON THAT, IT OUTLINES SOME BASIC SHELTER IN PLACE GUIDELINES.

ABOUT A MONTH OR 45 DAYS LATER, WE SENT OUT A TRIFOLD BROCHURE THAT WENT INTO DEPTH ON SHELTER IN PLACE.

WE'VE GOT THAT BROCHURE POSTED ON OUR LEPC PORTION OF OUR WEBSITE.

WE'RE ALWAYS WILLING TO DO PUBLIC OUTREACH, ANY OPPORTUNITY TO GO OUT AND TALK ABOUT SHELTERING IN PLACE.

WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT, LOVE DOING THAT.

WE TALK ABOUT IT OFTEN AT OUR MEETINGS.

SO ANY OPPORTUNITY THAT SOMEONE WANTS TO COME OUT WANTS US TO COME OUT AND TALK ABOUT SHELTER IN PLACE.

WE'RE GLAD TO DO IT. YEAH, I JUST I MEAN, FOR ME, I'M IN WARD ONE, SO WE'RE RIGHT THERE IN THE HEART ADJACENT TO INDUSTRY.

AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, MAKING SURE THAT CERTAIN PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THAT ADJACENCY REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN THE CASE OF SOMETHING.

MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN TALK ABOUT LATER.

I KNOW YOU GUYS MEET EVERY MONTH AND TALK ABOUT IT, BUT IT CAME UP IN THIS IN THIS PUBLIC HEARING AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SAY THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW WHAT SHELTER IN PLACE MEANS.

YES, MA'AM. AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T MAKE I MEAN, WE'RE SENDING OUT A LOT OF INFORMATION WHETHER OR NOT THEY TAKE IT IN IS ANOTHER STORY.

BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TRYING TO GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.

AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S EVEN COVERED IN HERE, BUT I DID WANT TO BRING IT UP.

I THOUGHT IT WAS RELEVANT.

IT DOES DISCUSS IT IN THE PLAN.

AND I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT ON OCTOBER THE 24TH, THE LAST FARMERS MARKET FOR THE SEASON, WE'RE WORKING TO DEVELOP A COMMUNICATIONS FORUM LIKE WE HELD LAST YEAR FOR THE PUBLIC TO COME OUT SO WE CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SHELTER IN PLACE, ABOUT OUR HOPE.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER UPCOMING OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE'LL BE GLAD TO SHARE INFORMATION WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT SHELTERING IN PLACE.

THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM.

WHAT IS YOUR LITERATURE IN THE LIBRARY? I THINK THAT'S YES, MA'AM.

WE PLACED THE COPIES OF THESE BROCHURES AT ALL THE PUBLIC FACILITIES.

THERE'S SOME DOWNSTAIRS, THERE'S SOME AT THE LIBRARY.

THERE'S SOME AT THE RECREATION PARK, RECREATION PARKS, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUILDING.

SO WE PLACE THOSE BROCHURES OUT AND ALL THOSE ALSO.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

YES, MA'AM. THANKS. DO WE HAVE DO WE HAVE LIKE, WHAT? SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS A CALLED ALERT.

THAT COMES OUT WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENED.

DO WE HAVE THAT SAME SYSTEM FOR EMERGENCIES THAT WILL COME UP TO OUR SERVERS, WHERE PEOPLE THAT SIGN UP OUR HOPEFUL ALERTS IS AVAILABLE FOR THAT, AND CITIZENS

[01:15:07]

AND LIKEWISE, WE'RE AT THE PRECIPICE OF BRINGING FORWARD OUR APOLLO PROGRAM.

THE APOLLO IS THE IT'S THIS IS A SUBSCRIPTION BASED PROGRAM.

ONCE WE GET APOLLO ONLINE, THAT'LL HIT ANY PHONE THAT'S IN THE JURISDICTION.

ANY PHONE IS IN THAT FOOTPRINT.

SO OUR POLICIES, WE'RE ON THE VERGE.

WE JUST GOT TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE TRAINING, AND WE'LL HAVE IT UP WELL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

WE'LL HAVE THAT IN PLACE.

AND WHAT THAT DOES IS ANY PHONE THAT'S WITHIN A CERTAIN GEOGRAPHICAL DISTANCE, THEY CALL IT GEOFENCING, ANY PHONE THAT'S IN THERE.

AND THEN WE CAN RESUBMIT THAT MESSAGE AS OFTEN AS WE NEED TO BASED ON THE EMERGENCY THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.

IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH AMBER ALERTS, IT'S BASICALLY THE AMBER ALERTS.

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE STATE OF VIRGINIA ACTUALLY DOES THE AMBER ALERTS.

WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO DO THE EMERGENCY ALERTS RELATED TO SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE IN THE COMMUNITY? SO YOU SAID YOU NEED A CONTRACT.

YOUR PHONE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A PHONE NUMBER.

YOU JUST HAVE TO BE IN THE AREA AND GET THAT MESSAGE.

CORRECT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SCRAPPED.

IT'LL GET THAT MESSAGE IF YOU'RE IN THAT GEOGRAPHICAL AREA THAT WE DESIGNATE.

BASED ON THAT MESSAGE AND WHAT'S IT CALLED? IT'S INTEGRATED. INTEGRATED.

WE HAVE IT ALREADY.

WE'RE IN THE PROCESS.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE LICENSING PROCESS WITH THE STATE AND WITH FEMA.

AND THERE'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TRAINING WE'VE GOT TO GO THROUGH TO BE TRAINED TO SEND THOSE MESSAGES.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS GRANT ORIENTED OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? THE APP IS FUNDED THROUGH FEMA, AND WE PAY FOR OUR PUBLIC ALERT AND WARNING SYSTEM WITH HOPEWELL ALERTS.

AND IT'S A FEED THROUGH TO THE SYSTEM.

SO PART OF IT'S PAID FOR BY FEDERAL.

AND I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S GRANT FUNDED OR JUST LINE ITEM BUDGETED, BUT WE PAY SPECIFICALLY FOR THE HOPEWELL ALERTS THAT WILL ENABLE US TO REACH THAT MESSAGING SYSTEM.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

YES, MA'AM. SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

OH, IT IS NOW SECOND.

OH. THAT'S RIGHT. JEN AND HARRIS ARE THE MOTION.

THIS WAS A DISCUSSION.

NOW WE HAVE A ROLL CALL.

COUNCILOR FOWLER. YES.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY. YES.

COUNCILOR JOYNER. YES.

COUNCILOR HARRIS. YES.

COUNCILOR DENTON. YES.

MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

YES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

THANK YOU. LOOK FORWARD TO THAT SYSTEM COMING ON BOARD.

OKAY, R2.

MADAM MAYOR, MANAGER R2, WE HAVE TONIGHT.

MR. CHARLES BENNETT, DIRECTOR, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM, WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU THE VIRGINIA 253 PRESERVATION FUND.

HE WILL BE ASKING COUNCIL FOR ACTION TONIGHT.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND PRESENT TONIGHT.

WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THREE GRANT APPLICATIONS THAT I'M SEEKING APPROVAL TO APPLY FOR TONIGHT BY RESOLUTION. EARLIER THIS SUMMER, THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES, THEY RECEIVED A $20 MILLION FUNDING IN ORDER TO FUND FOR THE VIRGINIA BIANNUAL BUDGET OF 2024 THROUGH 2026. IMPROVEMENTS TO SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL SITES.

HISTORY MUSEUMS IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.

IN ANTICIPATION OF THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND 1776.

WHAT IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE VIRGINIA 250 OR AMERICA 250 CELEBRATIONS.

SO THEY OPENED UP A PRE-APPLICATIONS FOR THESE FUNDS FOR US TO SUBMIT PRE-APPLICATIONS IN AUGUST.

WE SUBMITTED FOUR PRE-APPLICATIONS.

WE WERE APPROVED ON THOSE FOUR PRE-APPLICATIONS.

TONIGHT I AM COMING HERE SEEKING APPROVAL TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THREE OF THOSE PRE-APPLICATIONS, AND EACH ONE HAS A RESOLUTION AND A CALF THAT IS IN THE PRESENTATION.

THE FIRST ONE I'M HERE TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT WE ARE REFERRING TO AS THE DAVISVILLE SCHOOL HOME ECONOMICS COTTAGE.

AS YOU WILL REMEMBER, LAST YEAR WE PURCHASED THROUGH A SUPPORT AGREEMENT TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, THE FORMER HARRY E JAMES TECHNICAL SCHOOL BUILDING AND THAT INCLUDED ON THAT SITE THE THE HOME ECONOMICS COTTAGE.

THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT BY THE YMCA, THAT REVEREND SAMUEL PERRY BEGAN TO TEACH 80 AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS IN IN 1916, WHEN IT WAS LOCATED OVER WHERE THE CURRENT

[01:20:08]

AND THE EARLY 1940S, IT WAS PUT ON A TRAILER AND RELOCATED TO THE NEW SCHOOL THAT WAS BUILT WHEN THE PLANT SCHOOL WAS WAS TORN DOWN AS THE HOME ECONOMICS COTTAGE.

AND SO WE ARE APPLYING FOR, WITH YOUR PERMISSION, A GRANT TO DO THE RENOVATIONS TO THAT.

AND THIS GRANT WILL ESSENTIALLY FUND THE BOTH INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR RENOVATIONS AND THEN PUT IN A RAMP TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE, AND ALL OF THIS WOULD BE DONE PRIOR TO THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF 2026.

AND THERE IS A MATCH ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ONE THIRD MATCH, WHICH WOULD NOT BE NEW FUNDS.

BUT THESE THIS MATCH FUNDS WOULD COME FROM THE PURCHASE PRICE THAT WE SUBMITTED LAST YEAR WHEN WE ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY.

AND SO THAT IS THE THE RESOLUTION.

AND I'LL PAUSE AND ASK QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT TWO.

IN QUESTION. NO, NO.

IS THE COTTAGE THE THE ONE THAT IS RIGHT ON TERMINAL OR CURTIS HARRIS DRIVE ROAD.

SO IT SITS BACK.

OKAY? IT'S THE ONE IN THE BACK.

ON THE BACK. THE SMALL BUILDING.

IT'S APPROXIMATELY 16 FOOT WIDE, 30 FOOT LONG.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

WAS THAT CITY MANAGER? YES, MA'AM. MADAM MAYOR.

I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE TAKE ACTION ON ALL THREE OF THEM SEPARATELY, SINCE THERE'S THREE SEPARATE RESOLUTIONS.

OH, YEAH. WE HAVE TO I THINK.

RIGHT. MADAM ATTORNEY.

OKAY, SO.

YOU SAID WITH THE RESOLUTION.

RESOLUTION? RIGHT HERE. YEAH.

THIS IS THIS IS THE FIRST ONE.

JUST MAKE A MOTION TO HOW WE NEED TO HOW WE NEED TO TO ACCEPT IT AS IS.

RIGHT? YES. DO I NEED TO READ IT AND ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS? SUBMIT A VIRGINIA 250 PRESERVATION GRANT APPLICATION TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES FOR DAVIDSONVILLE SCHOOL HOUSE IN HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA. IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THAT. JUST BEFORE WE VOTE, I NOTICED THAT I NOTICED A TYPO IN THE TITLE ON THIS TEMPLATE WHERE IT INCLUDES THE WORD CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

AND WE'RE GOING TO DO IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO STRIKE THAT BEFORE IT IS EXECUTED BY THE MAYOR.

SO WE JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT THE DOCUMENT WILL BE REVISED TO REMOVE THE TERMINOLOGY CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.

SO A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.

THE SECOND IT WAS IT TO EXTRACT THAT VERBIAGE.

HARRIS. HARRIS.

FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.

RESOLUTION FOR PERMIT.

NO. RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT A VIRGINIA 250 PRESERVATION GRANT.

APPLICATION TO VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES FOR THE DAVISVILLE PLANT SCHOOL HOUSE IN HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA.

GOOD. GOOD. YOU AGREE? THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? IF NOT, ROLL CALL.

MADAM CLERK. YES.

COUNCILOR CALLAWAY.

YES. YES.

YES. COUNCILOR BENTON.

YES. THANK YOU.

OKAY. NEXT.

THE NEXT APPLICATION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO APPLY FOR.

THE VIRGINIA 250 PRESERVATION GRANT IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CITY OF HOPEWELL MARINA.

AND LET ME EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE THE THE REASON WHY WE ARE APPLYING FOR THIS.

IF YOU LOOK AT THE SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT AND PROPOSED USE OF FUNDS ON THE CALF, YOU WILL SEE THAT I OUTLINED THE FACT THAT THE RIVERS OF THE APPOMATTOX AND JAMES RIVER HERE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, THEY ARE THE MOST HISTORIC RIVERS IN THE FOUNDING OF OUR COUNTRY. AND WE HAVE HISTORICAL ASSETS INCLUDING WESTON MANOR, APPOMATTOX MANOR, OLD CITY POINT.

[01:25:04]

THEY WERE ALSO INSTRUMENTAL THESE RIVERS IN ACTUALLY THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

WE KNOW FROM THE HISTORY THAT TOOK PLACE IN THIS AREA.

SO THIS GRANT APPLICATION IS SPECIFICALLY ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CENTER DOCKS AT THE MARINA TO GIVE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FULL ACCESS TO GET ONTO THOSE HISTORIC TOUR SHIPS THAT WILL TAKE PEOPLE DURING THE 250 CELEBRATIONS TO SEE SIGHTS HERE FROM THE WATER AND EXPERIENCE THE HISTORY IN THAT WAY.

AND SO THIS WAS HIGHLY ENCOURAGED BY DR..

FOR US TO APPLY FOR BECAUSE THE THE GRANT IS SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSING INCREASING ACCESS FOR PEOPLE TO HISTORIC SITES AND SO WE COULD THINK OF NO BETTER, BETTER WAY TO DO THAT THAN TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR, OUR DOCKS, TO HAVE PEOPLE WITH WHEELCHAIRS OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF DISABILITY BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE VESSELS, WHICH IS NOT POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW WITHOUT A LOT OF COMPLICATIONS.

SO THAT IS THIS GRANT.

THE GRANT IS ACTUALLY WE WOULD BE APPLYING FOR $255,000 FOR THIS GRANT, AND WE WOULD BE USING AS THE ONE THIRD MATCH, $85,000 AS SOURCE FUNDS FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE ALREADY IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, AND THEN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AS WELL ASSOCIATED WITH REPLACEMENT OF THE BOARDWALK AND OTHER DOCK REPAIRS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKING PLACE.

SO THIS WOULD NOT BE ASKING FOR ANY NEW FUNDING SOURCES.

WE WOULD USE WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY BUDGETED AND EXPENSED AS LEVERAGE TOWARDS THIS GRANT APPLICATION.

OKAY. MOVE TO OPEN DISCUSSION.

TAKE A MOTION, THEN WE DISCUSS IT.

YES. ALL RIGHT. I MOVED TO ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION FOR THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT RESOLUTION FOR RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT A VIRGINIA 250 PRESERVATION GRANT APPLICATION TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES FOR THE HOPEWELL CITY MARINA 88 ACCESS PROJECT FOR HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA.

SECOND THAT.

SECOND BY COUNCILOR JOINER.

DISCUSSION. NO, NO.

I DIDN'T CATCH IT IN THE OTHER ONE.

THE I MEAN IS WHEN IT SAYS YOU WILL SUBMIT THE THE SIGN AND SUBMIT THE GRANT.

IS THAT NORMALLY YOU OR IS THAT THE CITY MANAGER? SO IT'S WHOEVER COUNCIL DESIGNATES.

SO I HAVE THE LOGIN AND PASSWORD TO THE SYSTEM WHERE WE UPLOAD IT.

SO THIS RESOLUTION IS GIVING ME PERMISSION TO MAKE THAT APPLICATION.

OKAY. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THAT'S COME THROUGH.

THE MANAGER APPROVES THE GRANTS.

OKAY. YEAH. THIS IS SPECIFIC TO APPLY.

SUBMIT. OKAY, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

WHERE DO YOU COME IN? BECAUSE YOU ARE OVERALL RESPONSIBLE.

SO. OKAY.

THAT'S MY. THAT WAS MY ONLY QUESTION.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERN? IF NOT COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY MADE THE MOTION.

AND SECOND BY COUNCILOR JORDAN.

NO MORE DISCUSSION.

ROLL CALL, MADAM CLERK.

COUNCILOR. FELLOW. YES.

COUNCILOR. HOLLOWAY. YES.

COUNCILOR. JOYNER. YES.

COUNCILOR. HARRIS. YES.

COUNCILOR. DENTON. YES.

MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

OKAY. THE LAST GRANT APPLICATION I'M SEEKING PERMISSION TO APPLY FOR THIS EVENING IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PRESERVATION, RATHER OF THE SHILOH LODGE PROJECT.

AND WE IN THIS CASE, ARE SEEKING APPROVAL TO APPLY FOR A GRANT TO CONSTRUCT ADA PARKING SPACES, AND ALSO TO HAVE A WAYFINDING SIGNAGE AND SITE LIGHTING ASSOCIATED WITH ACCESSIBILITY TO THE SHILOH LODGE PROJECT.

WHICH AS YOU'LL SEE IN THE RESOLUTION, I ACKNOWLEDGE THE ADDITIONAL NATIONAL PARK SERVICE GRANT THAT WE HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED FOR THE LODGE ITSELF.

[01:30:02]

THE LEVERAGE OF THIS, IN ADDITION TO THE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY AND THE THE TOTAL AMOUNT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS.

ONE SECOND. I APOLOGIZE.

SO IN THE SO IN THE RESOLUTION WE HAVE I JUST WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH THIS.

WE'RE APPLYING FOR $495,000, AND THIS IS BASED ON THE $85,000 THAT WE'VE ALREADY USED TO ACQUIRE THE PROPERTY.

AND $50,000 FROM THE CAMERON FOUNDATION, AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL 124,000 THAT WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR BY COUNCIL TOWARDS THE $750,000 PRESERVATION GRANT AS LEVERAGE, AND THEN THE ONE THIRD GRANT REQUIREMENT OF 166,000.

THIS SOURCE FUNDS WILL BE A COMBINATION OF IN-KIND AND ADJACENT PROPERTY ACQUISITION, AND THAT'S HOW WE GET TO THE $495,000.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR APPROVAL TONIGHT TOWARDS THE SHILOH LODGE PROJECT.

WOULD THIS BE A DOUBLE SINCE WE'VE ALREADY APPROPRIATED SOME OF THE MONEY BEFORE YOU EXTRA.

WE JUST DOING THE MOTION TOWARD TO THE LATTER PART.

OKAY. CORRECT.

YES. SO WHEREAS THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THE ONE THIRD MATCH.

MATCH GRANT REQUIRED FOR FOR $166,000.

THE SOURCE FUNDS WILL BE A COMBINATION OF THE IN-KIND AND ADJACENT PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR THE ADA PARKING.

I MOVE THE RESOLUTION TO SUBMIT A VIRGINIA 250 PRESERVATION GRANT APPLICATION TO THE TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.

APPROVES A ONE THIRD MATCH GRANT REQUIREMENT FOR THE 166,000 SOURCE OF MATCH FUNDS WILL BE A COMBINATION OF IN-KIND AND ADJACENT PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR THE ADA PARKING.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. COUNCILOR DENTON.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY MADE THE MOTION.

COUNCILOR DENN SECONDED.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU MAKE THE ROLL CALL? COUNCILOR PELHAM. YES.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY. YES.

COUNCILOR JOYNER. YES.

COUNCILOR HARRIS. YES.

COUNCILOR. DENTON. YES.

MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DO.

MR. BENNETT. AGAIN, GREAT JOB.

I APPRECIATE IT, THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. LORD, ONE MORE OR THREE.

MADAM MAYOR, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.

TONIGHT, I'M BEFORE YOU TO REQUEST THE APPROVAL OF OPIOID SETTLEMENT FUNDS TO THE CITY OF REFUGE.

I WANT TO PREFACE THIS CONVERSATION BY SAYING, MISS PELHAM I DID NOT BRING YOU THE DOCUMENTS THAT SHOW THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT THE CITY RECEIVED.

IT'S ACTUALLY ON MY DESK, SO I REALLY APOLOGIZE.

I CAN EMAIL IT OR TO CITY COUNCIL TONIGHT OR FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.

OKAY. BUT THAT TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THUS FAR IS $149,000.

AND IN ANOTHER ERROR ON MY PART WAS THAT I HAD INDICATED TO YOU WE HAD BEEN IN IT FOR YEARS.

IT'S ACTUALLY TWO.

OKAY. OKAY.

AND SO TONIGHT I'M ASKING IS TECHNICALLY $149.

IS THERE I'M ASKING THE CITY FOR CONSIDERATION FOR A $70,000.

AND THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING FOR 70 IS BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE COUNCIL TO DISCUSS AND POSSIBLY CONSIDER THAT SURROUNDING AREAS,

[01:35:03]

SO I'M JUST ASKING THAT WE HOLD BACK SOME, SOME OF THOSE FUNDS.

THE CITY OF REFUGE HAS RECEIVED 50,000 ALREADY.

AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS QUARTER.

THESE FUNDS HERE ARE COMING DIRECTLY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF OPIOID FUNDS.

AND SO WE CAN HOLD BACK THE OTHER 70 TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THE PARTICIPATION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF OPENING A REGIONAL SUPPORT CENTER WILL COME TO FRUITION.

AND IF NOT, WE CAN CONSIDER RELEASING THE REST OF THESE FUNDS TO THE CITY OF REFUGE IN THE FUTURE.

SO THAT'S WHY IT'S 70 VERSUS THE ENTIRE 149, RIGHT? SO I GET A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, THEN WE CAN DISCUSS.

WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION FOR I MOVE? OH, NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

EXCUSE ME, MADAM ATTORNEY, CAN WE DISCUSS BASED ON HER, HER PRESENTATION? BEFORE I MAKE A MOTION? WE DO. WE HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

OKAY, LET'S DISCUSS FIRST, BECAUSE I.

I'M REALLY NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE 70,000 AND LIKE TO MAYBE INFLUENCE MY PEERS TO CHANGE THEIR MIND ABOUT THAT.

BUT I TAKE CONVERSATIONS FROM MY OTHER COUNCILORS FIRST.

COUNCIL. DID YOU START? YEAH. OR WAS IT JUST FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, I THOUGHT WAS JUST THE SAME AS IT WAS YESTERDAY, LAST YEAR? IT'S THE SAME AS IT WAS LAST YEAR.

YES, SIR. WHERE IT CAME DIRECTLY FROM THE FEDERAL.

NOW, A PORTION OF IT, ALL OF IT COULDN'T BE ASSIGNED LAST TIME WE WERE TOLD NO.

SO THE THE CONDITIONS OF THE DOLLARS INDICATE THAT WE CANNOT SUPPLANT ANY DOLLARS.

WE CANNOT TAKE AWAY WHAT WE GIVE TO THEM IN ORDER TO REPLACE IT WITH WHAT THEY ARE GIVING.

SO WE HAD TO CONTINUE TO GIVE OUR DONATION OF 50,000.

THIS IS EXTRA.

THIS IS OVER AND BEYOND BECAUSE THEY COME FROM THE SETTLEMENT FUNDS.

YES. NOW THIS, NOW THIS DOESN'T.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DECIDE TO PUT INTO ANY NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, NOT JUST SPECIFICALLY THE CITY OF REFUGE.

CORRECT? NOT SPECIFICALLY, BUT IT HAS TO BE FOR THE PURPOSES OF OHIO.

YES. SO IT'S OPIOIDS.

AND WHAT ELSE IS INCLUDED IN THAT? GRANT IS USED LIKE A LIST OF TEN THINGS.

NO, NO, THIS IS STRICTLY STRICTLY IN, IN IN THE NATIONAL OPIOIDS.

YES, MA'AM. OF THE CITY OF REFUGE HAS PROVIDED WHAT THEY HAVE DONE WITH THOSE DOLLARS.

THESE DOLLARS WE HAVE TO PRESENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SO THEY CAN QUALIFY AS A.

I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND WHERE THE LIST OF WHERE THE WRITE UP IS, WHERE THE DOLLARS CAN BE SENT.

BECAUSE I HAVE TO EMAIL THAT TO YOU.

THAT'S NOT IN THE PACKET THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL PACKET LAST YEAR ABOUT THE SETTLEMENT FUNDS AND HOW IT COULD BE USED.

IT HAS TO BE OPIOID RELATED.

IT DOES. NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT EDUCATION REHABILITATION, THE THE ACTUAL USE OF CERTAIN DRUGS TO TO HELP THEM RECOVER.

WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS I REMEMBER LAST YEAR, THIS BEING A TOPIC THAT WE COULDN'T GIVE THE WHOLE I THINK IT WAS 80,000 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

WELL, THAT'S ALL WE HAD AT THAT AT THAT TIME.

BUT BUT SINCE THEN, THE OTHER DOLLARS HAVE COME IN AND COME IN EVERY QUARTER.

THEY COME IN EVERY QUARTER.

SO NOTHING GOES TO LIKE, ADMINISTRATION OR SOMETHING? NO. ALL RIGHT.

SO NOT THAT I CAN RECALL.

DID NOT ADMINISTRATION MAKE THAT MOTION? I THINK HE WANTED TO MAKE IT.

WE WILL DISCUSS FIRST.

DID I SEE SOMEBODY LIGHT ON THIS SIDE? COUNCIL JOYNER. YEAH, I HAD A QUESTION AND MAYBE TOTALLY UNRELATED, BUT TALK ABOUT THE.

YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A REGIONAL CRISIS CENTER.

DOES THAT IN ANY WAY BLEND IN WITH THE, YOU KNOW, OUR EFFORTS TO CREATE SOMETHING HERE TO ADDRESS FOOD INSECURITIES AND YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS IN GENERAL.

I MEAN, I JUST DIDN'T I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY CROSSOVER.

NO, IT'S NOT NOT FROM THE OTHER LOCALITIES.

[01:40:01]

OKAY. I JUST JUST GOT IT.

THANK YOU. I REALLY THINK NEXT TIME WE OUGHT TO HAVE A COPY.

ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BEFORE COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY EXTENDS HIS SECOND THOUGHTS? NO, NO. GO AHEAD. OKAY.

COUNCILOR, I SHOULD HAVE HAD A COPY OF WHAT IT'S USED FOR NEXT TIME BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE FOR IT.

BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.

USUALLY A LIST OF ITEMS, JUST LIKE THE ARPA FUNDS THAT YOU KNOW, THAT IT CAN BE USED FOR.

AND IF THERE'S OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELP OUT IN THE CITY WITH, WITH THESE THINGS FOR LIKE YOUTH AND SO FORTH AND SO ON, AND WE CAN SPREAD THOSE FUNDS TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE WE GOT THE DEMONS PROJECT AND ALL THAT STUFF HERE.

SO IF IT'S IF IT'S AT ALL POSSIBLE FOR THOSE THINGS TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THOSE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN NEXT TIME.

BUT I YIELD THE FLOOR TO COUNCILOR HARRIS TO MAKE THAT MOTION.

BEFORE I MAKE THE MOTION.

I DO, IN REGARDS TO THIS THING THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, WITH DISTRICT 19 THAT THERE ARE OTHER LOCALITIES THAT FEED INTO SOME, SOME TYPE OF A GENERAL FUND THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO BE INCLUDED IN HERE IN HOPEWELL IN, IN THAT PARTICULAR ELEMENT ALSO.

IN REGARDS TO MONEY THAT WE HAVE FOR OPIOID.

IT WAS IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM CONVERSATIONS THAT I WAS HAVING WITH INDIVIDUALS FROM THE CREATIVE PLANNING AREA.

SO I LIKE THE IDEA OF WHAT THE CITY MANAGER IS SAYING IN REGARDS TO HOLDING BACK SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE, JUST IN CASE WE NEED TO FEED INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHICH WOULD BE IN OUR CITIZENS BEST INTEREST.

RIGHT? OKAY.

WELL, MY COMMENTS WERE THAT REGIONAL NORMALLY EXCLUDES HOPEWELL AS BEING THE BASE, AND SINCE EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT TRANSPORTATION AS AN ISSUE AND THEN IF HOPEWELL WAS A BASE, YOU BRING IN OTHER OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE DRUG PROBLEMS INTO THE CITY. I'M NOT I'M NOT SO SURE THAT WE WANT TO SPEND OUR MONIES WHEN WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM RIGHT IN OUR MIDST.

I MEAN, THE CITY OF REFUGE, I THINK, HAS SHOWN HIS SUCCESS IN REHABBING AND GIVING DRUG ADDICTS ACTUALLY A SECOND CHANCE TO FOR REHABILITATION.

AND THEIR THEIR RECIDIVISM HAS BEEN GREAT.

PERCENTAGES. AND I WILL BE TRANSPARENT AND DISCLOSE.

I AM A MEMBER OF THAT BOARD.

SO AS COUNCILOR HARRIS.

BUT I CAN MAKE THIS DECISION.

UNBIASEDLY AND I WILL SIGN MY LITTLE FORM SO I WON'T BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.

BUT I JUST THINK THAT MAYBE HOLDING BACK SOME FUNDS TO SEE ONCE YOU CAN SEE WHAT THE OTHER USES CAN BE.

BUT, I MEAN, I JUST DON'T BELIEVE IN OUR PEOPLE.

WE HAVE A SUCCESSFUL WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM THAT COMES FROM CITY OF REFUGE THAT COME FROM CHESTERFIELD, PRINCE GEORGE PETERSBURG, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER SOME FAR AWAY AS IN EMPORIA.

SO WE PROVED THAT PROGRAM HAS PROVEN THAT OF ITS SUCCESS, AND WE CAN'T GET MONIES FROM THE AREAS THAT WE SERVE THEIR CITIZENS, ACTUALLY.

SO I JUST I JUST DON'T SEE WHY WE HAVE TO SAVE MONEY, PUT IT IN THE IN.

MORE MONEY'S COMING IN THE COFFERS WHEN YOU HAVE A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM THAT'S WORKING.

SO. I CAN'T MAKE A MOTION.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT MAYBE LEASE $100,000, WOULD GO TO CITY OF REFUGE, AND THE REMAINING MONIES STAY IN STEAD UNTIL WE CAN FIND OUT IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER ELIGIBLE PERSONS.

BUT I HAVE NOT HEARD OF ANYBODY.

I MEAN, THERE'S NO ONE ELSE THAT DEALS WITH OPIOID DIRECTLY LIKE THEY DO.

AND AND WE I SAID THEY WE'RE TRYING TO GET A HOUSE FOR WOMEN RIGHT NOW.

WE DO HAVE A HOUSE FOR SUBSTANCE MEN BECAUSE THAT IS A HOMELESS ISSUE AS WELL.

YEAH. AND SO WE HAVE A PLACE WHERE MEN CAN LIVE NOW.

AND WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD IN, IN PURCHASING A HOUSE OR SOMETHING, RENOVATING A BUILDING IF SOMEONE WANTS TO DONATE OR WHATEVER, SO THAT WOMEN WILL HAVE A SPOT AS WELL.

AND FAMILIES MAY BE POTENTIALLY A MOTHER AND HER CHILD OR WHATEVER.

[01:45:02]

THE THE MEN THAT WORK, THEY WORK, THEY PAY RENT.

SO I MEAN, IT'S IT'S REALLY GETTING PEOPLE BACK ON THEIR FEET AND GIVING THEM A CHANCE TO REHAB AND, AND LIVE A LIFE AND BUDGET AND DO ALL THOSE THINGS AS WELL, TO BECOME WHOLESOME CITIZENS AND WHOLESOME HUMAN BEINGS.

SO THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHTS.

SO WHOEVER WANTS ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE SOMEONE MAKES THE MOTION, I GOT A QUESTION.

IS THERE IS THERE ANYTHING THAT PREVENTS US FROM FROM GIVING ADDITIONAL MONEY TO THE CITY OF REFUGE? NO, NO, NO, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO OKAY, WELL, WE NEED JUST A MOTION.

OKAY. I'M READY.

SO DID YOU EVER LOOK INTO.

I ASKED THE QUESTION A WHILE BACK BECAUSE I WAS INFORMED THAT THE BUILDING THAT'S BEHIND, THAT'S OVER THERE BY THE CAMPER BEHIND THE LIVING. I WAS TOLD THAT THAT ALSO WAS THE SAME TYPE OF FACILITY HERE WHERE PEOPLE ACTUALLY COMING INTO OUR CITY AND GO TO THAT FOR THE SAME THING.

AND I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT IT RECENTLY THAT THERE'S AN ENTIRE BUILDING.

YEAH. IS THAT A FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATION? NO, NO, NO, NOT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.

THEY THEY KIND OF DO THE SAME THING.

BUT I ONLY KNEW ABOUT IT BECAUSE I KNOW SOMEONE WHO WORKS THERE.

BUT I WAS QUITE SURPRISED THAT NOBODY EVER BROUGHT IT UP OR ALZHEIMER'S HOSPITAL BACK THERE.

YEAH. IT IS BESIDE IT.

IT'S BESIDE IT. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

BUT ANYWAY I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

MR. HARRIS. WELL, I WANT TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE SETTLEMENT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $70,000 TO BE DONATED TO THE CITY OF REFUGE. UP TO 70,000.

I THOUGHT YOU SAID 100. NO.

DID WE KNOW THAT YOU MAKE THIS MOTION? IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE, IT'S FINE, BUT LET HIM MAKE HIS MOTION.

OKAY. MR..

THAT ONE WAS RECOMMENDED.

BUT I SECOND THIS MOTION, SIR.

70,000? YEAH. YEAH.

OKAY. LET IT BE 70. WHAT WAS RECOMMENDED? SECOND BY MISS DENTON.

YOU'RE WELCOME. DO WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE MOTION BEFORE WE DO THE SUBSTITUTE? OR HE CAN MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION NOW.

RIGHT. THANK YOU.

I MUST MAKE THE SUBSTITUTE TO MAKE IT $100,000.

IS THERE A SECOND THAT.

WE WILL VOTE ON THIS THIS MOTION NOW.

RIGHT. AND THEN IF THIS FAILS, WE'LL GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL.

CORRECT. YES.

AND LET'S VOTE ON THIS MOTION BECAUSE YOU HAVE FOUR MINUTES TO EXTEND THE MEETING.

OKAY, LET'S TAKE A BREAK.

AND CAN I GET A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING UNTIL WE FINISH? COUNSELOR COMMENTS AFTER THIS.

THIS ACTION. CAN YOU PUT MORE THAN ONE MOTION ON THE FLOOR? ALL RIGHT, LET'S HURRY UP.

OKAY. OKAY.

ROLL CALL. $400,000 TO CITY OF REFUGE.

COUNCILOR PHELAN. YES, COUNSELOR.

HOLLOWAY. YES. COUNCILOR.

JOYNER. YES. COUNCILOR.

HARRIS. YES.

COUNCILOR. DENTON. NO.

MOTION PASSES 4 TO 1.

OKAY. CAN I GET A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING TO AFTER COUNCIL COMMENTS? SO MOVED. SO MOVED.

SECOND. I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION.

ROLL CALL. MADAM. CLERK.

COUNCILOR. PAOLO. YES.

COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY. I GOT A QUESTION ON THE ONE BEFORE.

WAIT, WAIT A MINUTE. WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO IT A SECOND.

GO AHEAD. HOW ABOUT WE JUST SEE PEOPLE MAKING COMMENTS 2 OR 3 MINUTES FOR EACH COUNCIL.

OKAY. YES.

COUNCILOR JOYNER? YES.

YES. COUNCILOR HARRIS.

YES. COUNCILOR.

DENTON. YES.

OKAY. OKAY.

WE MAY. HE MADE A MOTION FOR 70,000.

I SECOND IT.

HE MADE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.

SUBSTITUTE? HE WAS GOING.

HE WANTED. DID WE MAKE IT? AND WE VOTED TO LET HIM HAVE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.

YEAH. OH.

WE DIDN'T. WE DID VOTE.

YOU SECONDED. AND WE VOTED.

WE DIDN'T VOTE. I DIDN'T VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.

SECOND. YOUR SUBSTITUTE.

OKAY. JUST. OKAY. HOLD ON.

OKAY. COUNCILOR.

I MEAN, MADAM ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW I'M RUSTY.

SO TELL ME, SHOULD I HAVE REQUESTED A MOTION TO FOR A SUBSTITUTE MOTION? YOU DID. YOU DID.

AND I AND I SUBSTITUTED AND YOU SECOND IT.

SO THAT WAS THAT APPROPRIATE.

OKAY. AND WE VOTED.

SHE CAN'T SHE CAN'T DO IT.

SHE CAN. SECOND I CAN SECOND ANY.

[01:50:01]

AND THEN YOU MADE A MOTION.

CORRECT. AND DID WE SECOND THAT AND VOTE ON THAT JUST NEVER HAPPENED.

SO. SO WHAT HAPPENED? HOLD ON. OKAY, TELL ME, MADAM ATTORNEY.

IT WAS JUST. EXCUSE ME, MISS DENTON.

LET IT LET US GIVE US THE DIRECT DIRECTION.

BECAUSE I'M RUSTY. SO TELL ME WHICH DIRECTION I NEED TO GO IN.

AND THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.

PASSED. SO NOW, DO WE NEED A VOTE ON THAT PARTICULAR SUBSTITUTE MOTION AGAIN? OKAY, SO WE STRAIGHT TO MOTION.

OKAY. OKAY.

SHE SAID WE STRAIGHT.

IF SHE SAYS WE'RE STRAIGHT, SHE KNOWS MORE THAN THAT, RIGHT? BUT YOU DIDN'T AGREE WITH IT.

SO THAT'S RECORDED AS WELL.

YES, MA'AM. YES I WANT TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON THIS AT ALL.

OKAY, GO.

GO AHEAD. WE'RE NOT AT ODDS ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GIVING TO THE CITY OF REFUGE.

OKAY. IF I HAD MY WAY, I'D GIVE IT ALL TO THE CITY OF REFUGE.

NOW, WHAT IT IS THAT I LEARNED WAS THAT THERE ARE SOME PROGRAMS THAT'S OUT THERE THAT WE COULD PUT MONEY INTO IT.

THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE PEOPLE IN HOPEWELL.

I GOT THAT UNDERSTANDING, WHICH IS THE REASON WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION, HEY, CAN WE GIVE THE MONEY TO THEM ANYTIME WE WANT TO GIVE IT TO THEM? AND IF THE ANSWER IS YES, THEN, I MEAN, WE CAN DO THAT AT ANY TIME.

SO I'M NOT AGAINST GIVING THEM A $300,000.

I'M ON THE BOARD OF THAT ORGANIZATION, AND I KNOW THAT THEY DO A BIG SERVICE FOR THIS CITY.

SO AND THEY'RE HAVING A FUNDRAISER ON THURSDAY IN REGARDS TO THAT PARTICULAR OPERATION.

SO I DON'T WANT IT TO SEEM LIKE I'M AT ODDS WITH RAISING THE AMOUNT.

I WAS JUST IN FAVOR OF THE RECOMMENDATION, AND THAT'S WHAT I MADE.

THE MOTION. I GOT PREEMPTED BY GOING UP 100,000, AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

SO I JUST DON'T WANT OUR CITIZENS TO THINK THAT I'M AT ODDS WITH ANYBODY HERE ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GIVING TO THE CITY OF REFUGE.

OKAY. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.

OH, MADAM. CITY ATTORNEY, THE CLERK SAID, MAY BE AWARE, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE STILL IN RIGHT GRACES FOR SOMETHING BE ILLEGAL.

AS TO THEIR UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE HAD TO BE A MOTION TO REQUEST A SUBSTITUTE TO VOTE ON THAT, AND THEN COME BACK AND VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S WHAT I THINK COUNCILOR DENTON WAS TRYING TO CLARIFY.

WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST, BUT CAN WE DO THAT JUST TO MAKE SURE WE CAN DO THAT? TO MAKE SURE. ALL RIGHT.

SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.

I'D LIKE TO. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO REQUEST FOR A SUBSTITUTE MOTION.

SECOND. WELL, WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS? DO YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GOING TO DO THIS AS THE FACILITATOR.

I'M JUST GOING TO SAY WE'RE OKAY.

I MEAN, WE GOT THE ADVICE OF OUR ATTORNEYS THAT WE DID, OKAY, AND WE'RE NOT GOING BACK.

YEAH. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

WE'RE GIVING $100,000 TO THE CITY OF REFUGE.

YES, MA'AM. YES, SIR.

NOW, IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES, THE MEETING WILL BE OVER.

SO WE HAVE.

NOW, THAT'S THE LAST AGENDA ITEM.

AND NOW WE HAVE COMMENTS, STARTING WITH COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.

NO WE DON'T. WE'VE GOT REPORTS FROM THE CITY MANAGER AND CITY MANAGER, A TRANSITIONAL PLAN.

I'M SORRY. RIGHT. WE ALREADY.

BUT WE ALREADY VOTED TO EXTEND THE MEETING.

NO, WE DID, WE DID. WE HAD A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

MADAM MAYOR, I WON'T TAKE UP TOO MUCH OF THEIR TIME.

THE. THE PACKET IS REALLY LONG.

I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE INFORMATION VERBATIM IN THE PACKET, BUT AS NOTED IN VARIOUS MEETINGS, THE TRANSMISSION TRANSITION PLAN WAS ASKED OF THE CITY TO CREATE THIS TRANSITION.

TRANSITION PLAN DOCUMENTS HOW WE, AS THE CITY, WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH TRANSITIONING AWAY FROM TRANSITIONING FROM WHAT THE ROBERT BOBB GROUP HAS LEFT BEHIND.

AND SO I JUST WANT TO START WITH PROVIDING SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION.

AND SO THE ROBERT GROUP WAS HIRED LAST SUMMER TO PROVIDE TWO TRANCHES OF SERVICES TO THE CITY OF HOPEWELL. THAT FIRST ONE WAS TO ESTABLISH A PMO OFFICE TO CREATE SOPS WITH ASSOCIATED A VISIO FILES.

WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF GOING THROUGH THOSE TRAININGS AS WE SPEAK.

THOSE TRAININGS HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.

THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PARTICIPATION FROM VARIOUS STAFF MEMBERS.

THE SECOND TRANCHE THAT THE ROBERT BOBB GROUP WAS HIRED TO PROVIDE WAS TO COMPLETE A BACKLOG OF AUDITS FROM

[01:55:09]

AND PROVIDING THAT TO CITY COUNCIL AFTER 2020 IS COMPLETED.

WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO KNOCK OUT THE THE REMAINDER OF THE AUDITS FAIRLY QUICKLY.

IT'S TAKING THEM A REALLY EXTREMELY LONG TIME TO, YOU KNOW, GET THE CASH BALANCE AS WE HAVE BEEN BEING PRESENTED ON NUMEROUS TIMES.

AND SO THAT IS WHERE WE STAND WITH THAT.

I'D LIKE TO TAKE TIME TO TO THANK THE ROBERT BOBB GROUP AND HEATHER AND THE TEAM.

THEY CAME IN WITH NUMEROUS PEOPLE HANDS ON, AND MR. BOB LIKES TO SAY THAT HE'S A DIFFICULT PERSON TO WORK WITH, BUT HE'S REALLY NOT.

HE'S ACTUALLY BEEN FUN TO WORK WITH ON MANY OCCASIONS.

AS WE START, YOU HAVE IN YOUR TABLE OF CONTENTS THE INTRODUCTION, THE FINANCIAL DATA TRANSITION, THEN THE TRANSITION BY DEPARTMENTS. AS NOTED HERE, NOT ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS ARE LISTED.

THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ONLY LISTED ARE THE ONES WHO ARE INVOLVED THE MOST IN THE TRANSITION.

THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT ALL THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE NOT HAD SOME PIECE IN TRANSITIONING.

HOWEVER, THE ONES THAT ARE LISTED ARE THE ONES WHO ARE DRIVING THE TRANSITION ITSELF, AND SO THIS IS REFERRED TO THE TRANSITION PLAN.

BUT IN YOUR WEEKLY REPORTS, IT COULD BE SEEN AS WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE CITY LEADERSHIP STAFF.

BUT I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR BEFORE WE GO INTO THAT, WHAT THE CITY LEADERSHIP STAFF CONSISTS OF, AND THAT CONSISTS OF CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, THAT BEING THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE AND THE TREASURER, AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER'S STAFF, WHICH IS THE IT, THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL.

SO NOT ALL OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS, THE CITY MANAGER IS WHERE WHERE THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE AND THE TREASURER REPORTS TO THOSE TWO OFFICES DOES NOT REPORT TO THE CITY MANAGER.

HOWEVER, THEY ARE KEY STAKEHOLDERS.

AND AND THAT WE SHOULD BE WORKING CLOSELY TOGETHER ALL THE TIME TO ENSURE THE STABILITY OF THE FINANCE FINANCES HERE IN THE CITY.

SO IN THIS TRANSITION PLAN, YOU WILL NOT SEE ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, JUST THE KEY PLAYERS THAT ARE LISTED HERE.

SO I WANT TO POINT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FINANCIAL DATA TRANSFER TRANSITION THAT'S ACTUALLY ON PAGE. I'M SORRY.

CAN I GET MYSELF TOGETHER HERE? NINE NINE.

SO THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT THE CITY IS REQUESTING FROM THE ROBERT BOBB GROUP AND UWI, WHICH IS JACK REAGAN. AND SO HERE WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED, IN ORDER FOR US TO BE SUCCESSFUL GOING FORWARD WITH AND I THINK JACK AND THEIR GROUP HAS COMPLETED A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION.

OBVIOUSLY, IT'S BEEN EXPLAINED TO US THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLETE 20 BEFORE WE CAN UPLOAD 2122.

THEY HAVE THAT INFORMATION READY, READY TO GO.

WE JUST GOT TO GET TO A STAGE WHERE WE CAN HAND OFF, BUT WE WILL BE ASKING FOR JOURNAL ENTRIES, FINANCIAL STATEMENT CASH BALANCES AND CASH RECORDS AND THEN RECONCILIATIONS OF SUSPENSE ACCOUNTS.

THESE ARE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE USED TO TRY TO GET US IN A GOOD SPOT.

AND SO TO HAND THAT OFF TO OUR CFO SO SHE CAN CARRY THE BALL FORWARD, PAGE 11 IS THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.

THIS IS PROBABLY MOST USEFUL FOR OUR CITIZENS.

SO THEY CAN SEE AND UNDERSTAND HOW OUR GOVERNMENT IS MADE UP WITH THE CITIZENS AND THE VOTERS, AND WHO REPORTS TO THE CITIZENS AND THE VOTERS, AND THEN HOW THE CHART IT SPANS DOWNWARD.

THIS IS A LIVE DOCUMENT.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT AS OF YESTERDAY, I RECEIVED SOME, SOME NEW UPDATES THAT NEEDED TO GO INTO THE DOCUMENT THAT MR. BOB SUGGESTED.

AND SO I'LL BE UPDATING THAT AS WELL.

BUT THIS DOCUMENT WILL CHANGE.

IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS SET IN STONE.

[02:00:02]

YOU KNOW, I NEED TO UPDATE THAT BECAUSE AS OF THURSDAY, WE HIT A LOT OF MILESTONES WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE WHO CASH THE BANK RECONCILIATION MODULE, THE EMPLOYEE EXPENSE REPORT MODULE, THE CONTRACT BIDS AND MANAGEMENT MODULE, THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ISSUE TRACKING SYSTEM AND THE SOP LIBRARY, SO WE WERE ABLE TO FINISH THOSE.

WE DO HAVE TWO. OUTSTANDING ISSUES.

I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT EVERYTHING IS NOT COMPLETE.

THE. AFTER MODULE IS NOT COMPLETE.

AND THEN THE SECURITY SETTINGS.

BUT WE HAVE TO.

PRIORITIZE WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT TO GET COMPLETED.

AND RECONCILIATION IS ONE OF THE MOST.

IMPORTANT MODULES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WAS UP AND RUNNING.

AND SO WE HAD TO INVEST A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY TO ENSURING THAT WE CAN NOW RECONCILE ELECTRONICALLY.

OKAY. WE HAVE IN THE NEXT, YOU'LL SEE ON PAGE 14, WE HAVE TRAINING SCHEDULES.

AS MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE.

THAT WALKS US THROUGH WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRAINED ON THE TRAINING THAT'S AHEAD AND IT'S OUR COMPLETION OF THAT.

OKAY. AND THEN THE THE A BIG LARGE PORTION OF THE DOCUMENT IS THE DUTIES OUTLINED FOR EACH DEPARTMENT, WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GOING FORWARD.

I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT THAT WE DO HAVE A FULL STAFF IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT.

NOW, THE CITY DOES HAVE AN ACCOUNTANT.

AND AND SO THEY ARE ROCKING AND ROLLING.

THEY'RE READY TO GO HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING.

AND AT THE END IN THE APPENDIX IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE CITY, I WOULD THINK.

COUNCILORS WOULD LIKE TO KEEP ABREAST, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT IN OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS, AS WE COMPLETE THE LAST TWO MODULES OR AS WE CONTINUE ON THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT WE UPDATE THE ISSUE LOG.

SO COUNCIL CAN ALWAYS BE ABREAST OF WHAT THE ISSUES ARE, WHAT WE HAVE CHALLENGES WITH AND THE AND KEEPING IT UPDATED ALONG THE WAY.

AND SO THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF WHAT THE ISSUE LAW WILL LOOK LIKE AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE REGULARLY AS WE NAVIGATE THROUGH.

ALL THE NEW REQUIREMENTS.

SO AGAIN I'M NOT GOING TO SPEND TIME GOING THROUGH PAGE FROM PAGE AS COUNCIL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

THOSE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF TRANSITION PLAN.

AND I JUST LIKE TO THANK STAFF AND EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED WITH HANGING IN THERE AND STICKING TO IT AND GETTING HER DONE.

OKAY, BACK TO THE MAYOR.

ANY QUESTIONS OF COUNCILOR DENTON? YEAH, I'VE GOT A COUPLE.

WHEN YOU WERE TALKING, LET ME FIRST SAY YOU SAID.

I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY THERE ABOUT TWO OUTSTANDING ISSUES.

ISSUES? WHAT ARE THOSE? THE AFFAIR. SO THAT'S THE BILLING OF OF THE STATEMENTS THAT ARE USED TO GIVE TO OUR AUDITORS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, AT THE END OF THE AUDITED FINANCIAL REPORT.

RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH.

YEAH. OKAY.

RIGHT. BUT THEY ARE ACTUAL REPORTS THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD OUT INTO THE SYSTEM, RIGHT? THOSE. BUT WE CAN'T REALLY DO THOSE UNTIL AS WE FINISH THAT.

RIGHT. AUDIT COMMITTEE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE.

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 2025.

SO WHEN WE GO TO PRODUCE RIGHT IN NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME, IT SHOULD BE READY FOR US TO USE.

SO THAT'S OUTSTANDING.

YES. WHAT ELSE IS OUTSTANDING.

THE THE SECURITY SETTINGS FOR EACH DEPARTMENT.

SO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT SECURITY SETTINGS IN THE SEGMENT OF DUTIES FOR EACH DEPARTMENT.

THEY REQUIRE SOME TIME TO DO, BECAUSE ONCE WE CHANGE SETTINGS, WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO SAY, HEY, IT'S NOT WORKING, AND THEN WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GO.

WE CAN'T JUST CHANGE SETTINGS ACROSS THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION ALL AT ONE TIME.

OKAY, SO THOSE TWO THINGS ARE AS FAR AS WE KNOW RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE GOT THE REPORT FROM THE ROBERT BOB GROUP, THE LAST ONE, THE 65 PAGE REPORT THAT WAS DONE SOME TIME AGO AND EVERYTHING HAD NOT BEEN BROUGHT

[02:05:09]

WELL, THE THE REPORTS ARE A WEEK BEHIND.

YEAH. OKAY. SO WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE REPORT, YOU'RE RECEIVING THE REPORT FOR THE WEEK PRIOR.

ALL RIGHT. AND SO TODAY I JUST RECEIVED A NEW REPORT.

AND SO IT'LL BE POSTED, YOU KNOW, TOMORROW FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, SO YOU'LL HAVE IT.

BUT I NORMALLY GET THE REPORTS ON MONDAY.

THEY'RE POSTED BY TUESDAY MORNING, BUT WE HAD A LOT OF UPDATES TO MAKE THIS WEEK.

AND SO I GOT IT TODAY INSTEAD OF MONDAY.

OKAY. I GUESS AS I'VE READ THAT REPORT, I GUESS WHAT BOTHERED ME TO A CERTAIN DEGREE WAS THAT THEY WOULD SAY KEY KEY LEADERSHIP OR THEY THEY HIT AT DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT THEY WERE NOT SPECIFIC.

RIGHT. AND IN LOOKING AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART, AT THE ONE THAT YOU'VE GOT IN YOUR TRANSITION, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT AND I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT HERE, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, IT'S GOT RIGHT AT THE TOP.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS.

AND THEN UNDER THAT IT'S GOT COUNCIL CITY MANAGER AND THEN COMES DOWN TO WHERE WHO WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR. AND THAT'S YOU AND CITY CLERK, CITY ATTORNEY AND THEN THE CITY DEPARTMENTS.

AND BUT IT DOESN'T SAY ANYWHERE IN THERE.

SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS ARE PART OF THIS.

WELL, SCHOOLS ARE PART OF THE TRANSITION.

THE SCHOOLS HAVE NOT IMPLEMENTED MUNIS, AND THEY'RE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY WITH PROVIDING FINANCIAL INFORMATION.

BUT THE REASON WHY YOU DO NOT SEE THAT IN THE ORGANIZATION CHART, BECAUSE SCHOOLS DOES NOT REPORT TO, YOU KNOW, TO THE COUNCIL OR IN ANY WAY.

IT IS NOT A CITY.

NEITHER. NEITHER DO THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS REPORT.

WELL, THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS REPORT TO THE CITIZENS.

SO THIS THIS IS, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

THE INFORMATION.

THE INFORMATION. YOU'RE NOT KEEPING ALL OF US TOGETHER.

I WANT THAT COMES IN TO PROVIDE TO THE THE THE THE ANNUAL AUDIT.

YES, IT COMES FROM THE SCHOOLS, BUT THEY'RE NOT A PART OF OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.

OKAY. THEY ARE OUTSIDE ENTITY THAT PROVIDES THEIR THEIR FISCAL INFORMATION TO US BECAUSE WE PROVIDE DOLLARS TO THEM TO IN THEIR BUDGET.

OKAY. BUT THEY HAVE THEIR OWN BOARD.

YEAH. THEIR OWN MAKE THEIR OWN.

FOLLOW THEIR OWN RULES.

SEPARATE POLITICAL ALL RIGHT, BUT WHAT? BUT I GUESS I'M ASKING IS THAT THIS REPORT, WHEN THEY DO THIS.

WE HAVE THE ROBERT BOBB GROUP IS DOING THIS WITH THE WHOLE CITY, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE CITY IS CATCHING THE BRUNT OF ALL OF IT.

IF THERE ARE ANY.

IF IT'S CRITICISM, IT'S THE CITY'S FAULT.

WE'VE GOT CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS THAT HAVE, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, ARE NOT COOPERATING LIKE THEY SHOULD.

WE'VE GOT THE THE SCHOOLS WHO ARE NOT DOING EVERYTHING THEY SHOULD.

I JUST I JUST WANT APPLES TO BE.

I WANT TO COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES AND NOT APPLES, ORANGES AND APPLES.

IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

YES, MA'AM. I THINK THOSE DETAILED FINER DETAILS CAN BE DISCUSSED.

I WAS IN A DIFFERENT FORM.

I MEAN, I, I INTRODUCED THIS BY SAYING THAT NOT ALL OF THOSE ENTITIES REPORT TO THE MANAGER.

HOWEVER, WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS SYSTEM WORK.

AND AND HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THIS CHART BEING PROVIDED AS WELL CAN SEE WHO REPORTS TO WHERE.

AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REFERRED TO AS CITY LEADERSHIP IN THE REPORTS.

[02:10:06]

AND BUT PEOPLE AREN'T TAKING IT THAT WAY.

AND THAT'S WHY I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT WAY.

LET ME JUST ASK YOU, AS THE CITY MANAGER OF OUR CITY.

DON'T HIT ME AS THE CITY MANAGER OF OUR CITY.

HAVE WE DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE DURING THIS PAST YEAR? HAVE WE COOPERATED? HAVE WE TRAINED? HAVE WE? IS. IS MISS STACY BACK THERE? IS SHE READY TO TAKE OVER WHEN THE.

ROBERT, BOB AND I WILL SAY I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED TONIGHT THAT THE ROBERT BOBB GROUP WANTS SOMEBODY WAS NOT HEAR FROM THEM TONIGHT.

WE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE FINISHED UP AT THE END OF OCTOBER.

DITTO. AND THEY'RE NOT HERE TO ADDRESS THIS REPORT.

DITTO. AND I HAD QUESTIONS I WANTED TO ASK THEM.

AND THEY'RE NOT HERE.

WON'T BE HERE UNTIL THE 22ND.

AND BY THE TIME THEY GO OUT THE DOOR.

SO I THINK THAT IS NOT BEING FAIR TO US AS A COUNCIL TO GET THE TO GET SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED. THEY PUT IT IN THE REPORTS, BUT THEY'RE NOT HERE TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS.

SO I GOES BACK TO YOU AND YOU CANNOT ANSWER FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS.

YOU CANNOT ANSWER FOR THE SCHOOLS, BUT CAN YOU ANSWER FOR THOSE WHO WORK UNDER YOUR TUTORAGE? I WOULD SAY THOSE THAT WORK FOR ME ARE READY TO GO.

I'M NOT. YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN CHALLENGES.

I CAN'T SAY THAT THERE HASN'T.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN SLOW MOVING IN SOME AREAS.

YOU KNOW, DUE TO A VARIETY OF REASONS, LACK OF UNDERSTANDING, LACK OF YOU KNOW, DOING SOME OF THE HOMEWORK THAT'S REQUIRED.

BUT WE HAVE TO PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE.

STAFF ALSO HAS TO DO REGULAR WORK TO AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN PULLED AWAY TO, TO ENSURE THAT WE GET THIS WORK DONE AS WELL.

AND SO IT'S BEEN A LOT OF PRESSURE ON EVERYONE.

I THINK NOW THAT WE'RE COMPLETELY STAFFED, WE HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACES.

COUNCIL HAS YOU KNOW, PROVIDED US WITH THE FUNDING AND THE POSITIONS.

TO MOVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT PLACES.

WE NOW HAVE THAT THOSE POSITIONS ARE FILLED.

STACY IS MORE YOU KNOW, OUR CFO IS MORE THAN CAPABLE OF LEADING THE CHARGE.

SHE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH, YOU KNOW, HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING.

I MEAN, WE HAVE 3 OR 4 OUTSTANDING CRITICAL POSITIONS IN HER DEPARTMENT, AND THEY'RE ALL ONBOARDED, SITTING IN THE SEAT, READY TO GO. AND SO I THINK THE HANDOFF HAS BEEN AND LISTEN, THEY ARE STEPPING BACK BECAUSE THEY NEED US TO PERFORM. OKAY.

SO THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE HERE TO TO HOLD OUR HANDS EVEN TODAY.

YOU KNOW, THEY THEY HAVE TO ALLOW US TO GET IT GET IT DONE.

OKAY. AND SO THEY WILL BE HERE ON THE 22ND TO GIVE THEIR FINAL REPORT AND SPEAK WITH COUNSEL.

AND YES, THERE ARE STILL SOME OUTSTANDING THINGS THAT THAT NEED TO GET DONE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOONER THAN LATER.

BUT AS I STATED BEFORE, THE MOST CRITICAL ITEMS THAT HAD TO BE IMPLEMENTED FIRST ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED THAT HAVEN'T BEEN COMPLETED.

OKAY. ANYONE? ANYONE ELSE? MOTION TO ADJOURN.

NO. CAN I SAY ONE COMMENT FIRST? I THOUGHT WE'VE ALWAYS GOTTEN A REPORT WHERE ALL THE OTHER OUTSIDE AGENCIES WERE COOPERATIVE AND WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM, AND I DON'T WANT TO PROJECT THAT.

THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS HAVEN'T DONE THEIR PART IN TRYING TO BE A PART OF THE TEAM.

WELL, THEY THEY HAVE THEY'VE BEEN DOING THEIR PART.

RIGHT. OKAY.

THERE'S ALWAYS AREAS WHERE WE CAN PARTICIPATE MORE.

[02:15:04]

OKAY. I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT.

OKAY. AND COUNSELOR COMMENTS.

COUNCIL. HOLLOWAY.

YOU CAN'T ADJOURN. WE'RE GOING TO ADJOURN AFTER ALL THE COMMENTS ARE MADE.

YES. OKAY.

WELL, THANK YOU, EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT TONIGHT AND THEIR PARTICIPATION.

AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE DIRECTORS AND ALL THE LEADERSHIP THAT'S IN OUR CITY.

EVERYBODY IS STILL NOT HERE.

AND MOST PEOPLE HELD ON AS LONG AS THEY CAN.

WELCOME TO ALL OF OUR NEWER EMPLOYEES, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, OUR NEW CFO.

EVERYBODY IS WORKING SO HARD AND DOING SUCH A GREAT JOB.

WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR YOUR TIME, YOUR EFFORTS, YOUR KNOWLEDGE, AND YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE OUR CITIZENS.

AGAIN, THANK YOU TO ALL THE CITIZENS WHO CAME OUT AGAIN AS WELL.

COUNCIL JOYNER. OH, COUNCILOR DENTON, I'M SORRY.

THAT'S OKAY. JUST EXCUSE ME ONE MORE COMMENT.

THANK YOU TO OUR CITY MANAGER AS WELL, WHO IS LEADING THE CHARGE IN ALL OF THIS? I CALLED THE 18.

ALL RIGHT THEN, WITHOUT YOU, YOU KNOW, JUST WANT TO BE FUNCTIONING THE WAY IT IS.

SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK.

AND OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN COMMENTS, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU'RE INCOMPETENT.

I THINK YOU'RE VERY CAPABLE.

AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE.

COUNCILOR BENTON. JUST LIKE TO TO THANK CHARLES BENNETT FOR ALL OF HIS HARD WORK.

AND I JUST AM ALWAYS AMAZED AT WHAT HE'S SUCCEEDED DOWN AT THAT MARINA AND IS STILL DOING.

IT'S STILL GOING STRONG.

SO I DO THANK YOU.

AND AND OUR CHIEF OF POLICE, CHIEF TAYLOR AND ALL THEIR HARD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND HOPE YOU'RE GETTING THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE HELP YOU NEED.

AND WE DO APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR OUR CITY.

AND FOR THE THOSE THAT ARE ON BOARD THAT ARE GOING TO KEEP US ON THE HIGH ROAD.

AFTER THIS IS ALL DONE.

I AM JUST TICKLED TO DEATH THAT YOU'RE THERE TO HELP US.

AND WE'LL CERTAINLY TRY AND DO OUR PART.

THANK YOU, COUNCILOR JOYNER.

SURE. THANK YOU.

I WANTED TO ECHO SOME OF THE COMMENTS TONIGHT ABOUT THE MAIDEN HOPEWELL EVENT.

I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE EVENT ON FRIDAY.

IT WAS REALLY AN EXCEPTIONAL EVENT.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT WE ALSO INTEGRATED TONIGHT WAS WITH THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN IS THAT WE HAVE THESE INDUSTRIES IN TOWN THAT REALLY ARE THE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CREATION OF THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, AND THEY HAVE TO BE GOOD STEWARDS.

WE HAVE TO BE GOOD STEWARDS.

LONG TERM. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THE CITY IS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

I THINK IT'S VERY IT'S IT'S CERTAINLY A PART OF OF VIBRANT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH YOU VERY BRIEFLY AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED TO SOMEONE IN MY WARD AND SHE ASKED ME, WOULD I PLEASE LET EVERYBODY KNOW? AND I'M TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY.

THIS THIS CITIZEN WAS WALKING HER DOG ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, CAME TO THE INTERSECTION OF HOPEWELL AND APPOMATTOX STREETS, AND A PIT BULL CAME OUT AND ATTACKED, ATTACKED THE THIS LADY AND THAT KIND OF THING.

BUT SHE SAID OUT OF A TERRIBLE INCIDENT, SHE HAD A REALIZATION OF THE WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR THE CITY AND CITIZENS AS WELL.

CITIZENS SAW THIS.

THEY CAME OUT, THEY HELPED HER.

SOMEBODY IN PUBLIC WORKS YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN HORTICULTURE CAME OVER, SAW IT ALL.

EVERYTHING CALLED THE POLICE.

THE OFFICER WAS WONDERFUL.

JUST EVERYBODY THAT SHE ENCOUNTERED WAS REALLY VERY, VERY GRACIOUS.

AND SHE WANTED ME TO CONVEY, YOU KNOW, HER APPRECIATION TO THE FRONT LINE PUBLIC CONTACT, EMPLOYEES THAT INTERACTED WITH HER.

AND AS WE AS WE CLOSE ON THE ROBERT BOB PROJECT, IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING, I'M SURE ON ON MANY, YOU KNOW, ON MANY FRONTS. BUT WE HAVE MADE CERTAINLY MADE PROGRESS.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE THAT PIE IN THE SKY END OF THIS YEAR THAT EVERYTHING IS ALL DONE.

BUT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THAT.

AND CERTAINLY THE CASH RECONCILIATION WAS AGAIN AND IS CRITICAL TO COMPLETING.

WE'VE REALLY GOT ONCE WE GET THE 2020 DONE, THAT'S GOING TO BE HUGE.

AND I KNOW WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THAT.

SO THANKS TO EVERYBODY WORKING ON THAT.

AND THANK THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT TONIGHT.

TELL HER. COMMENTS IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS.

[02:20:05]

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THE ONLY COMMENT I WANTED TO DO THAT BECAUSE OF THE MAIDEN HOPEWELL.

I UNDERSTAND IT WAS I HEARD FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT IT WAS REALLY GOOD.

IT WAS A TOTAL SUCCESS.

AND AGAIN, MR. BENNETT, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORTS YOU'RE MAKING IT WITH YOUR ATTITUDE TO MOVE HOPEWELL FORWARD.

AND I THINK THAT IS RUBBING OFF ON LOTS OF PEOPLE AND THE CITY EMPLOYEES ESPECIALLY.

JUST TO BE POSITIVE, IT DOESN'T HURT ANYTHING.

MY MOTHER USED TO SAY TO SMILE.

I MEAN, I, I CAN ATTEST TO.

I SAID ALL DAY, FROM WHAT WAS IT, DAY 9 TO 2? AND ONE OF THE SOP TRAININGS THAT MR. BOB GROUP DID FOR CPMT, FOR THE COMMUNITY GROUP THAT GIVES MONEY FOR KIDS THAT NEED SPECIAL SERVICES IN THE TUNE OF TO $3 MILLION A YEAR.

THE SOP TRAINING TOOK FIVE HOURS AND IS VERY INTENSIVE.

I DIDN'T WANT TO BE THERE.

I MADE SURE THAT I DID AN EARLY SESSION OF TREATMENT JUST TO BE THERE.

AND SO IF THE OTHER SOP TRAINEES WERE JUST AS INTENSE AS THAT ONE, AND HAVING THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM ON THE PHONE AT LEAST TO LISTEN TO THAT, AND IF THAT, YOU KNOW, MAKING THE ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE TO MAKE THOSE SUGGESTIONS.

IF PEOPLE LIVE AND EMBED THEMSELVES INTO LEARNING THE RIGHT, APPROPRIATE WAY, THIS CITY WILL WILL SHOOT, FLY OFF IN, IN JUST AMAZING WAYS.

SO IF EVERYBODY DOES THEIR PART, WE CAN BECOME THAT THAT CITY BEACON, BEACON OF LIGHT FOR OTHERS TO SEE THAT ONCE YOU FALL AND YOU STILL CAN GET UP AND MOVE FORWARD.

AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S EFFORTS IN DOING THAT.

AND CHIEF TELLER, WITHOUT RESERVATIONS, THE WORK THAT YOUR POLICEMEN DO AND YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO DO WITH THE AID OF NEIGHBORS.

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IS WHEN? 18TH OCTOBER.

19TH OCTOBER.

THE 19TH, 18TH OCTOBER.

THE 18TH IS THE NATIONAL NIGHT.

OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GET TOGETHER AS GROUPS AND AND DISPLAY THAT WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT FIGHTING CRIME.

BUT I USED TO SAY IT ON EVERYONE THAT I WOULD, WOULD GO TO IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.

IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING.

BUT UNTIL WE GET OUR CITIZENS INVOLVED, YOU CAN'T HAVE A SHOOTING AT A PLAYGROUND WITH 200 PEOPLE AND NOBODY SEE ANYTHING.

IT'S JUST RIDICULOUS.

AND UNTIL WE CAN URGE OUR PARENTS TO TALK TO THEIR KIDS ABOUT BEING INAPPROPRIATE.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE A LOT.

TWO PEOPLE BLAME THE LEADERSHIP OF A CITY, BUT A LOT OF THINGS STARTS AT HOME.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT A LOCAL AS WELL AS OUR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT HAS TO RECOGNIZE.

THINGS HAVE TO START AT HOME.

AND I LIKE AGAIN, LIKE ROB, ROB, ROB GROUP HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB IN SOPS.

I KNOW THAT IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE CRITICIZED FOR ANYTHING ELSE I HAD, I TOOK A PART OF THAT AND WAS HAPPY TO DO THAT.

AGAIN, THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

AND MR. COUNCIL YOU CAN.

WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION.

WE JUST ADJOURN. I WILL BEFORE WE I WANT TO SHOUT OUT THE SHERIFF BACK THERE.

HE HE HOLDS STRONG WITH US EVERY MINUTE.

HE'S A GREAT GUY. SO WE APPRECIATE YOU, MAN.

AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AS WELL.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. MOTION TO ADJOURN.

WE DON'T HAVE TO ADJOURN.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.