[00:00:01]
CALL PLEASE? Z APARTMENT HERE.ALRIGHT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED
[CLOSED MEETING (Part 1 of 2)]
MEETING PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A ONE TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS INCLUDING BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS, THE ASSIGNMENT AND PERFORMANCE OF SPECIFIC APPOINTEES AND EMPLOYEES OF CITY COUNCIL AND DISCUSSION IN CONSIDERATION OR INTERVIEWS OF PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN VIRGINIA.CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A 29, DISCUSSION OF THE AWARD OF A PUBLIC CONTRACT INVOLVING THE EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, INCLUDING INTERVIEW INTERVIEWS OF BIDDERS OR OFFERS AND DISCUSSION OF THE TERMS OR SCOPE OF SUCH CON CONTRACT WHERE DISCUSSION IN OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY.
AND TO THE EXTENT SUCH DISCUSSION WILL BE AIDED, THEREBY MA MR. MAYOR.
IF I MIGHT, UM, COULD I ASK YOU TO ADD JUST ONE PROVISION? SURE.
FOR THAT BEFORE THE MOTION SOMEONE MAKES THAT MOTION, IF YOU COULD JUST ADD AND PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 37 11 A EIGHT, UM, RELATED THERE TO AND OTHER AND TO OTHER AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY.
AND THAT'S SIMPLY THE ONE THAT ALLOWS THE ATTORNEY TO GIVE ADVICE RELATED TO TALKING ABOUT AND SOME OTHER THINGS ON THE AGENDA.
IS MOTION MADE BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[RECONVENE OPEN MEETING (Part 1 of 2)]
WE WILL BE GOING BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION.UH, AT THE CONCLUSION OF OUR OPEN MEETING, UH, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO
[WORK SESSION]
OUR WORK SESSION, UH, TO DO THE COMPENSATION STUDY.IS THERE A MICROPHONE HERE? MY MICROPHONE.
I'VE BEEN TOLD MY PRESENTATION IS ON THIS MAGICAL PIECE OF PLASTIC.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
I AM A PROJECT MANAGER WITH EVERGREEN SOLUTIONS.
THE FIRM WAS HIRED BY THE CITY TO COME IN AND CONDUCT THIS COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY.
WE'RE HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU A QUICK, UH, UPDATE AND RUNDOWN ON OUR FINDINGS.
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT WE NEED TO KEEP IT SHORT TO THE POINTS, WHY WE'LL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO DO THAT.
TOLD, UH, I TOLD THE MAYOR THAT MY PART IS VERY SHORT, BUT I CAN'T CONTROL WHO ASKS ME WHAT QUESTIONS.
SO, WITH NO FURTHER ADO, UH, THE GOALS OF THE STUDY WERE, UM, WE'RE GONNA SKIP THIS PART.
THIS IS AN OVERVIEW 'CAUSE I'M GOING FAST.
THE GOALS OF THE STUDY WERE PRIMARILY TWO THINGS.
WE WERE LOOKING TO FOCUS ON, UH, EVALUATING A CITY'S STANDING WITH REGARDS TO, UH, TWO FACTORS, INTERNAL EQUITY AND EXTERNAL EQUITY.
UH, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, AT THE END, PROVIDING A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND A WRITTEN REPORT THAT WILL SUMMARIZE OUR FINDINGS AND PROVIDE THE CITY WITH A PATH FORWARD TO IMPLEMENTING SOME OF THE THINGS WE OBSERVED.
UH, INTERNAL EQUITY DEALS WITH CLASSIFICATIONS AND HOW JOBS ARE VALUED ACROSS DEPARTMENTS.
EXTERNAL EQUITY, OF COURSE, IS PROBABLY MORE COMMONLY SPOKEN OF.
IT'S HOW YOU COMPARE TO THE LABOR MARKET OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.
UH, WHO DO YOU COMPETE WITH FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES? AND SO WHERE DO YOU STAND? UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN PHASE FOUR OF THE PROJECT.
UH, I WILL NOT BELABOR THE WORK PLAN FOR YOU, BUT WE'RE IN THE PORTION WHERE WE'RE DISCUSSING IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS.
UH, AND, UH, COMING WITH DRAFT AND FINAL REPORTS.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH DATA COLLECTION AND OUTREACH AND ANALYSIS.
AND SO NOW WE'RE IN THE FINAL PHASE OF THE STUDY, WHICH IS EXCELLENT NEWS.
SO DURING OUR DATA COLLECTION PHASE, WE CAME ON SITE.
[00:05:01]
I WAS NOT HERE FOR THAT TRIP, BUT SOME OTHER ASSOCIATES OF MINE WERE.WE CAME AND MET WITH EMPLOYEES FROM AROUND THE CITY.
ESSENTIALLY, FOLKS HAD A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT WORKING HERE.
UH, THEY SPOKE ABOUT BENEFITS AND THE CITY'S COMMITMENT TO IMPROVEMENT, UH, CONFIDENCE IN LEADERSHIP, UM, YOU KNOW, FLEXIBILITY OF WORK, SCHEDULE, CULTURE WITHIN THEIR DEPARTMENTS, ALL VERY POSITIVE THINGS.
UM, THEY HAD ALSO SOME CONCERNS THOUGH, IF YOU'VE EVER SPOKEN TO ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE ANYWHERE, IT'S NOT GERMANE TO CITY GOVERNMENT.
UH, IF YOU ASK ANY GROUP OF PEOPLE ANYWHERE, IF THEY THINK THEY MAKE ENOUGH MONEY, MOST PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU NO.
THEY'VE GOT, THEY'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A NEED FOR MORE, RIGHT? BUT, UH, EXTERNAL EQUITY WAS SOMETHING MARKET EQUITY.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE CITY'S ABILITY TO COMPETE IN THE LABOR FORCE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, UH, WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP RELATIVELY CONSISTENTLY ACROSS, YOU KNOW, OUR FEEDBACK SESSIONS AND, AND FOCUS GROUPS WITH EMPLOYEES.
UH, THERE WAS ALSO SOME FEEDBACKS ABOUT, UH, INTERNAL, UH, EQUITY BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS.
UH, SOME CONCERN OVER COMPRESSION OR PAY COMPRESSION BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, UH, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP.
UH, ALSO SPEAK, SOME PEOPLE SPOKE ABOUT, UH, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, BOTH POSITIVELY AND NEGATIVELY.
THERE WERE MIXED FEEDBACK ON THAT, BUT WE HEARD ENOUGH NEGATIVE THAT WE WANTED TO BRING IT UP FOR YOU HERE.
UM, WE EVALUATED YOUR CURRENT SYSTEM, UH, FROM A COMPENSATION STRUCTURAL STANDPOINT.
UH, WE DISCOVERED THAT REALLY YOU HAVE A MULTITUDE OF PAY PLANS, UM, SPREAD ACROSS DIFFERENT SECTIONS OF THE WORKFORCE.
FIRE, POLICE, YOU KNOW, UH, PUBLIC WORKS, ET CETERA, ALL WITH THEIR DIFFERENT PAY PLANS.
UH, ONE THING WE DID FIND POSITIVE ABOUT THAT THOUGH, WAS THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU HAD MULTIPLE PAY PLANS, THEY WERE ALL FAIRLY CONSISTENT IN HOW THEY WERE CONSTRUCTED.
SOME HAD STEPS AND SOME WERE OPEN RANGES AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT THEY ALL HAD FAIRLY CONSISTENT, 65% RANGE SPREADS.
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE MINIMUM ENTRY LEVEL OF PAY GRADE AND THE TOP END OF THE PAY GRADE ACROSS THE CITY WAS FAIRLY CONSISTENTLY 65%.
THE ONE EXCEPTION TO THAT WOULD BE YOUR PART-TIME SCALES.
THOSE ARE MUCH MORE VARIED AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT.
'CAUSE YOU'RE HAVING TO SORT OF CREATE THEM IN A ONE-OFF.
WE NEED A NEW PAY GRADE FOR A NEW LIFEGUARD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, AVERAGE TENURE IN THE CITY WAS OVER NINE YEARS.
UM, THAT'S, UH, A SORT OF A FEATHER IN YOUR CAP.
I WOULD SAY AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AVERAGE TENURE OF THE AVERAGE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES AROUND SIX YEARS.
SO YOU'VE GOT A MORE TENURED WORKFORCE THAN YOU MIGHT FIND IN THE AVERAGE.
UM, THAT'S NOT TERRIBLY SURPRISING, UH, IN A COMMUNITY LIKE THIS WHERE GOVERNMENT IS, YOU KNOW, NOT MAYBE THE PRIMARY EMPLOYER, BUT ONE OF THE PRIMARY EMPLOYERS, UH, IN AN AREA.
SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE LIKE THAT THE SAME WAY.
UH, LARGE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS ARE LIKE THAT IN THE SAME WAY.
SO IF YOU'RE A PRIMARY EMPLOYER IN THE AREA, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE, TEND, TEND TO HAVE HIGHER, UH, HIGHER, HIGHER TENURE.
UM, WE DID FIND SOME, SOME INCONSISTENCY IN, UH, THE DATA WE RECEIVED, UH, ON THE FRONT END.
UH, HOW DIFFERENT JOBS WERE PLACED IN SIMILAR PAY GRIDS WITH DIFFERENT RANGES ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
SO THERE'S SOME STRUCTURAL INCONSISTENCIES THAT WE UNCOVERED.
UM, WE WILL SAY ALSO THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE PAY PLANS ITSELF, HOPEWELL DOES ALIGN FAIRLY WELL WITH THE LABOR MARKET IN, UM, IN PLACING CERTAIN POSITIONS IN OPEN RANGES VERSUS OTHER POSITIONS WITH STEPS.
THEY, YOU GUYS WENT ASTRAY A LITTLE BIT IN, IN OUR OPINION BY, YOU KNOW, HAVING STEP PLANS IF YOU'RE GONNA DO THEM.
FOR ONE, YOU MAY MOST PEOPLE WOULD SAY DO THEM FOR ALL.
UM, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY, IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE STEP PLANS, IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE THEM IN AREAS OF LIKE PUBLIC SAFETY.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME MORE ANALYSIS ON WHO ELSE IS OFFERING STEP PLANS FOR PLACES LIKE ADMIN AND PUBLIC WORKS.
IT MIGHT BE WARRANTED, BUT WE DON'T SEE THAT VERY OFTEN.
IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A STEP PLANS TYPICALLY FOR THE, THE, UM, THE FRONTLINE BOOTS ON THE GROUND TYPE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY TYPE FOLKS.
UM, MARKET SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED.
WE RECEIVED MARKET DATA FROM 19 PEERS.
SUMMARIZING HERE, THE MOST IMPORTANT FACT ON THIS PAGE IS THAT WE HAVE AN AVERAGE NUMBER OF MATCHES IN OUR MARKET SURVEY OF 11.7 MATCHES PER PER POSITION.
WE TYP WE TYPICALLY HOPE TO HAVE FIVE OR SIX OR SEVEN ON AVERAGE PER POSITION, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE ALMOST 12, UH, MATCHING PEER POSITIONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO COMPARE YOU TO.
SO WE'RE MORE CONFIDENT IN YOUR MARKET RESULTS THAN WE MIGHT BE IN THE AVERAGE STUDY, WHICH IS GREAT NEWS FOR YOU GUYS.
UH, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE, FROM BEING ABLE TO STAND ON THIS DATA AND BE CONFIDENT ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS.
UM, MARKET RESULTS WERE, WERE FAIRLY CONSISTENT.
UM, THE CITY DID FALL ON AVERAGE BELOW MARKET AT THE ENTRY LEVEL, MIDPOINT AND TOP END OF THE RANGES.
UH, BOTH IF WE ADJUSTED JUST RAW DOLLARS, BUT THEN WE ALSO TOOK THE EXTRA STEP OF ADJUSTING FOR COST OF LIVING.
'CAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE COST OF LIVING HERE IS DIFFERENT THAN IT IS IN YOUR NEIGHBORING COMMUNITIES, PLACES THAT YOU DO COMPETE WITH, BUT IT MIGHT BE MORE EXPENSIVE TO LIVE THERE.
SO WE CORRECTED ALL THOSE DOLLARS TO RELEVANT HOPEWELL DOLLARS.
AND WE SEE THAT EVEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE THERE, AT THE MINIMUM, YOU'RE ABOUT 5% BELOW AT THE MIDPOINT, YOU'RE ABOUT 11% BELOW.
AND AT THE TOP END, YOU'RE ABOUT 17% BELOW.
UM, THIS IS AN AVERAGE NUMBER.
THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT EVERY POSITION IN THE CITY IS, YOU KNOW, 11% BEHIND MARKET AT THE MIDPOINT, BUT THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE CLOSER TO MARKET, SOME THAT ARE FARTHER BEHIND.
THIS REPRESENTS THE AVERAGE OF OUR FINDINGS.
SO, UH, DEFINITELY WAS A FACTOR WHEN WE STARTED DEVELOPING, UH, A REVISED COMPENSATION STRUCTURE AND HOW WE STARTED PLACING JOBS WITHIN THE
[00:10:01]
SYSTEM.SO OUR KEY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, I'VE NOT GOTTEN TO THIS SLIDE THIS FAST SINCE I BUZZED THROUGH IT IN MY HOTEL ROOM BEFORE
UM, FIRST ADOPT, UH, AN ADJUSTED PAY PLAN TO GOVERN ALL GENERAL EMPLOYEES ON ONE SCALE.
UM, RATHER THAN HAVING SCATTERED SEGMENTS OF THE WORKFORCE BEING IN DIFFERENT PAY PLANS, HAVE ONE CENTRAL PAY PLAN FOR ALL NON-PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES.
UM, WE'RE THEN ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING A STEP VERSION OF THAT SAME, THOSE SAME SCALES FOR YOUR PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS.
UH, THEN WE WOULD ALSO THEN AND HAVE RECOMMENDED REASSIGNING PAY GRADES TO EVERY POSITION BASED ON BOTH INTERNAL EQUITY RELATIONSHIPS, OUR CLASSIFICATION ANALYSIS.
WE WENT INTO GREAT DETAIL AND, UH, EMPLOYEES, LONG STORY SHORT, DID A VERY COMPLICATED SURVEY FOR US.
SO WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT JOB FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE CITY.
SO WE'VE MADE PAY GRADE ASSIGNMENTS FOR POSITIONS BASED ON THAT AND ALSO THE MARKET EQUITY FINDINGS WE, WE DISCOVERED.
AND THEN THIRDLY, TAKING THOSE CLASSIFICATION PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND IMPLYING THEM TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES.
RIGHT? SO ONCE WE PUT A NEW SCALE IN PLACE AND WE RECOMMEND A PAY GRADE BE ASSIGNED TO A PARTICULAR POSITION, THEN WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PEOPLE THAT FIT INTO THAT POSITION.
AND HOW DO THEIR SALARIES NEED TO ADJUST TO FIT INTO THE NEW SCALES.
AND THEN FOURTHLY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE UNDERSTAND THE LAST STUDY OF THIS KIND WAS DONE I THINK IN 2017.
SO THAT'S TYPICALLY CONSIDERABLY LONGER THAN YOU WOULD TYPICALLY RECOMMEND, YOU KNOW, ANALYZING THESE THINGS WITH SOME OUTSIDE PERSPECTIVE.
SO WE WOULD SAY EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS, UM, YOU OUGHT TO BE DOING SOME SORT OF ANALYSIS TO JUST SORT OF TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MARKET AND YOU SEE WHERE YOU STAND SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE SUCH DRAMATIC, DRAMATIC, I'M MAKING UP WORDS, I'M TALKING VERY FAST, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE SUCH DRASTIC ADJUSTMENTS EVERY, YOU KNOW, SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS.
IF YOU DO THIS EVERY TWO OR THREE YEARS, YOU'RE MORE FINE TUNING AS YOU GO.
SO IT'S, IT'S A WORTHWHILE EFFORT TO DO THIS ON A SLIGHTLY MORE REGULAR BASIS.
NOW, UH, IMPLEMENTATION DOES COME WITH A COST.
UM, WE HAVE DONE AND BEGUN TO DO THAT, UH, MATH FOR YOU.
AND I'M PREPARED TO SPEAK ABOUT IT AT ABROAD AT A HIGH LEVEL RIGHT NOW.
UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF FINE TUNING THE STEP PLAN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND OTHER THINGS.
BUT, UH, BASICALLY THERE'S THREE PRIMARY IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS THAT WE LOOKED AT.
FIRST ONE IS A BRING TO MINIMUM OPTION WHERE IF WE IMPLEMENT THE NEW PAY SCALES AND ASSIGN THE POSITIONS, IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE CITY WHO FALLS BELOW WHAT WE'VE RECOMMENDED AS THE NEW MINIMUM FOR THAT PAY, FOR THAT PAY GRADE? IF WE MADE JUST A BASELINE RECOMMENDATION TO CATCH EVERYBODY UP THE MINIMUM, WHAT WOULD THAT COST? AND, UH, SECOND ONE DOWN FROM THERE IS, UH, HYBRID PARITY.
THIS GIVES A PROJECTED SALARY BASED ON EMPLOYEES TIME, BOTH IN THEIR POSITION, ALSO THEIR TOTAL TENURE WITH THE CITY.
UH, A FULL TENURE BASED, UH, IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE VERY EXPENSIVE.
UH, AND NOT SOMETHING WE TYPICALLY RECOMMEND BECAUSE WHAT IT DOESN'T CAPTURE IS PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE MAYBE HAD A LONG TENURE WITH THE CITY, YOU'VE GOT AN AVERAGE TENURE HERE OF OVER NINE YEARS, BUT WHAT IF I JUST GOT PROMOTED A MONTH OR TWO AGO? MM-HMM
I'VE GOT ZERO YEARS IN MY POSITION, BUT I'VE GOT 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE CITY, SO DON'T I GET SOME CREDIT FOR THAT.
SO HYBRID PARODY BLENDS THOSE TWO THINGS.
YOUR TOTAL CITY TENURE HR WAS VERY GOOD IN PROVIDING US GOOD DATA ON, YOU KNOW, CLASSIFICATION DATES, SO HOW LONG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN THEIR CURRENT POSITIONS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO A BLENDED PARITY ADJUSTMENT FOR THOSE FOLKS.
UH, COMP RATIO IS AN EMPLOYEE'S SALARY RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR CURRENT RANGE.
SO IF I WAS AT THE MIDPOINT OF MY CURRENT RANGE, EVERGREEN RECOMMENDS NEW RANGES.
I WOULD STAY AT THE MIDPOINT OF THE PROPOSED RANGE TOO.
UM, THAT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING FOR COMPRESSION, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY ADJUST FOR MARKET VERY WELL.
SO WE TYPICALLY RECOMMEND THAT MIDDLE APPROACH, THAT HYBRID PARITY APPROACH.
FROM A COST PERSPECTIVE, THE BRING TO MINIMUM OPTION IS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $400,000.
UH, THE HYBRID PARITY APPROACH, WHICH IS THE DIRECTION WE'RE DEFINITELY RECOMMENDING YOU GO, IS CLOSER TO ABOUT TWO OR $2.1 MILLION.
AND, UH, THAT WOULD BE, UH, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENTS TO THE SCALES, CATCHING THEM UP FOR MARKET.
YOU HAD SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT MARKET DIFFERENTIALS.
UM, OUR TIME ON SITE HERE, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S STRUGGLE TO COMPETE IN CERTAIN AREAS.
MAYBE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF 'EM MORE PUBLICLY FACING AREAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY, LAW ENFORCEMENT.
UM, SO WE'VE DONE A LOT TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS.
UH, GOING FORWARD, PUT YOU ON A MUCH BETTER FOOT, MORE COMPETITIVE FOOTING.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, HALL? EXCELLENT.
UM, ARE THERE ANY, UH, COUNSELORS THAT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, UH, SEEING NO LIGHTS, UM, DR.
MAN, I THINK A GOOD IDEA, UM, WOULD BE TO, UH, HAVE, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO MEMBERS ON, UH, COUNCIL TO GET WITH, UH, YOU AND, UH, THE HR DIRECTOR IN FINANCE TO, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH WHAT WE CAN FINANCIALLY ACTUALLY DO.
[00:15:01]
ADD THAT WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW THE STRUCTURE OF THE PLAN WOULD WORK.UH, WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO FINE TUNE THE APPROACH BY SETTING UP CERTAIN GUARDRAILS AROUND IMPLEMENTATION IF WE WANTED TO CAP RAISES AT A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT OR A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE.
SO WE CAN KIND OF FINE TUNE THE DOLLARS TO HELP BE AS STRATEGIC AS POSSIBLE.
SO THAT'S A CONVERSATION WE'RE ALREADY ENGAGED IN, SO I WELCOME THAT.
THAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE, THE MINIMUM NOW AND WHAT IS THE SUGGESTED MINIMUM? UH, FROM AN HOURLY WAGE PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THE SUGGESTED MINIMUM IS GONNA BE $16 AND 50 CENTS AN HOUR.
AND CURRENTLY IT'S AROUND 1212 AND CHANGE 1241.
12 41, 12 41 IS, IS THAT YOUR PART-TIME RANGE? THAT'S THE NEW STATE MINIMUM? YEAH.
I THOUGHT WE WENT UP TO $13 ISSUE.
WE RAISED IT, I THINK OUR MINIMUM TO 1350, UM, FOR CERTAIN POSITIONS.
ORIGINALLY, THE STATE HAD APPROVED UP TO $15 AN HOUR, BUT THAT GOT, UM, YEAH, RIGHT.
'CAUSE I, I KNOW EACH YEAR IT HAD A INCREASE AND I THINK THIS YEAR WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO THE 15, BUT I THOUGHT WE HAD ALREADY MET THE $13 MARK FOR MINIMUM WAGE.
SO WE, WE ARE NOT THERE YET FOR THE STATE.
UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S NO ONE MAKING UNDER, UM, THE 1350.
BUT ON OUR SCALES IT'S STILL 1241.
UM, UM, BUT YEAH, WE, WE DO HAVE A, A MINIMUM AS FAR AS EMPLOYEES.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANYONE MAKING UNDER 1350, BUT LIKE I SAID, ON OUR SCALES THEMSELVES, IT'S STILL 1241, NO
SEEING NONE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, THAT IS A RECORD BY THE WAY,
UH, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH CITY COUNCIL, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TABLE, UH, THE FIRST WORK SESSION TO THE NEXT MEETING SINCE WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND TONIGHT.
IS THAT ALL RIGHT? WITH EVERYONE IS OKAY.
[REGULAR MEETING]
WELL, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO OUR REGULAR MEETING.UH, CAN I GET A ROLL CALL PLEASE? MAYOR? PARDON? HERE.
OKAY? UH, WE DO NOT HAVE PASSED A CALL.
UH, BUT WE DO HAVE PASTOR, UH, BLOW, UH, WHO WILL DO THE OPENING PRAYER AND WE'LL HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE DONE BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU.
WE ASK YOU, LORD GOD, TO HAVE YOUR MERCY SHOWN DOWN UPON THIS GROUP OF CITY COUNCIL.
LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR WAY IN THE MEETING.
LET THE MEETING LORD GOD BE LIFTED UP.
AND FATHER, MAY YOUR PEOPLE, LORD GOD, CALL UPON YOUR NAME.
FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US WISDOM, KNOWLEDGE, AND UNDERSTANDING.
BLESS US, LORD GOD, TO BE ON ONE ACCORD FOR A HOUSE DIVIDED CANNOT STAND.
SO FATHER, WE ASK NOW, LORD GOD, THAT YOU HAVE YOUR WAY IN THIS MEETING.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR US AND ALL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IN THE NAME OF JESUS, MY LORD AND SAVIOR.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD.
ALRIGHT, AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION TO AMEND THE REGULAR MEETING AGENDA TO INCLUDE A SPECIAL, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, BEFORE, UH, NUMBER ONE, THE PUBLIC ACCESS DEFIBRILLATOR PROGRAM.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY, UH, COUNCILOR STOKES.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY, VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES.
[00:20:01]
COUNCILLOR HARRIS.IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE
[CONSENT AGENDA]
CONSENT AGENDA? SECOND MOVED.MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR STOKES, OR EXCUSE ME.
UM, IS THERE ANY QUESTION OR COMMENTS? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[INFORMATION/PRESENTATIONS]
UM, WE'RE GOING TO DO A, A SPECIAL RECOGNITION, UH, FOR A GENTLEMAN, UH, WHO, UH, GOT HIS START HERE, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.UH, MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, UH, HE SERVED AS OUR, UH, CITY ENGINEER.
AND UNFORTUNATELY WE ENDED UP, UH, LOSING HIM TO, UH, FORT LEE AT THE TIME WHERE HE WAS THE MASTER PLANNING CHIEF FOR 50 YEARS AND IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, UM, FORT LEE THEN, UH, WHEN IT WENT THROUGH TWO BRACK COMMISSIONS AND, UH, SURVIVED, UH, DOWNSIZING AND IS ACTUALLY TODAY AND IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY, UH, IT IS CURRENTLY GROWING.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, UH, MR. JOHN ROYSTER JR.
I'D LIKE TO INVITE ALL MEMBERS ON CITY COUNCIL TO PLEASE COME DOWN.
MR. ROYSTER
THIS IS ACTUALLY COMING
MR. ROYSTER, I DON'T REMEMBER
WHEREAS JOHN ROYSTER GREW UP AND GRADUATED FROM HOPEWELL HIGH SCHOOL IN 1960 AND IS A PROUD VIRGINIA TECH GRADUATE.
HE WENT ON TO BECOME A PROFESSIONALLY LICENSED ENGINEER IN VIRGINIA.
MR. ROYSTER SERVED AS THE CITY ENGINEER, BUILDING ENGINEER, TRAFFIC ENGINEER, AND AIR COLLUSION CONTROL OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL FOR MANY YEARS.
MOST FAMOUSLY, HE SERVED AS THE CHIEF OF MASTER PLANNING AT FORT GREG ADAMS, FORMERLY FORT LEE.
WITH OVER 60 YEARS OF SERVICE AS AN ENGINEER OF WHICH 50 OF THOSE AT FORT GREG ADAMS. MR. ROYSTER HAS LEFT AN INCREDIBLE LEGACY, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, BUT FOR FORT GREG ADAMS, THE ENTIRE METRO RICHMOND AREA, THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
WHEREAS MR. ROYSTER HAS PERSONALLY HIRED AND TRAINED OVER 30 EMPLOYEES OVER AT FORT GREG ADAMS, THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS.
OVER 30 OF THOSE EMPLOYEES HE HIRED 10, HAVE GONE ON TO BECOME DIVISION CHIEFS, DIRECTORS, OR INSTALLATION COMMAND REPRESENTATIVES.
HIS LEGACY WILL CONTINUE FOR MANY DECADES TO COME.
WHEREAS MR. ROYSTER WORKED IN 1994 AND 2005 DURING THE BRACK ACTIONS AND HELP PREVENT THE DOWNSIZING WITHIN FORT LEE.
AND AS PART OF THE 2005 BRACK ACTION, HE OVERSAW OVER $1.2 BILLION OF CONSTRUCTION AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, RESULTING IN 38 CONTRACTS.
56 NEW FACILITIES TOTALING OVER 4.7 MILLION SQUARE FEET AND FOUR MAJOR RENOVATIONS.
WHEREAS MR. ROYSTER WORKED WITH THE UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS ENGINEER FOR ALL FACILITY AND PROJECT PLANNING, CHARETTES DESIGN, CONTRACTOR SELECTION, AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT FOR SEVERAL DECADES, OVER 70% OF ALL CURRENT FACILITIES ON POST WERE CONSTRUCTED ON HIS WATCH.
AND SIDE NOTE, HE'S ACTUALLY WORKING THROUGH THE PROCESS NOW OF TEARING DOWN BUILDINGS FROM WHEN YOU STARTED
ADDITIONALLY, HE PLANNED AND LED TWO REAL TWO ANNUAL REAL PROPERTY PLANNING BOARD MEETINGS WITH EACH INSTALLATION SENIOR COMMANDER FOR OVER 40 YEARS.
AND THEREFORE, WE CHARGED THE CITY CLERK OF COUNCIL TO PREPARE A PROCLAMATION OF THIS PRESENTATION TO MR. JOHN G ROYSTER AS AN EXPRESSION OF THE HOPEWELL CITY COUNCIL'S ADMIRATION AND APPRECIATION FOR HIS PROFESSIONAL, PERSONAL, AND CIVIC SERVICE TO HOPEWELL THE REGION, VIRGINIA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
[00:25:01]
AND WITNESS THEREOF.I HERE UNTO SET MY DAY, MY HAND AND CALL TO FIX THE GREAT CITY YIELD OF THE CITY OF HOPEWELL IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
WELL, THAT'S THE BEAUTIFUL THING.
YOU'VE GOT SOME, UH, WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES IN THE BACK THAT ACTUALLY, UH, WERE ABLE TO SNAP SOME GOOD PICTURES OF YOU.
AS OF THURSDAY, I WILL RETIRE.
AND I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, HIS FAMILY MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY THAT THIS MAN COULD HAVE DONE WHAT HE'S DONE OVER THE PAST 60 PLUS YEARS, UH, WITHOUT HIS FAMILY AND ALSO, UH, HIS COWORKERS, UH, TO COME UP.
WE HAVE FIVE CHILDREN AND 22 GRANDKIDS.
TWO GREAT GRANDDAUGHTERS AND TWO GREAT GRANDSONS DUE IN APRIL AND MAY.
WE'RE KEEPING, UH, WE HAVE 11 GRANDDAUGHTERS.
SO EVEN WE HAVE FOUR, FOUR OF GREAT GRAND.
BUT THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT, THIS IS A TRUE SURPRISE.
HE'S GONNA BE DOING SOMETHING LATER, I GUESS.
WELL, WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE MR. ROYSTER, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF COOKWELL, BUT ALSO FOR, UH, FORT GREG ADAMS AND THE IMPACT THAT FORT GREG ADAMS OF GROWING AND SUCCESSFUL AND THRIVING GREG ADAMS HAS FOR THE CITY COOK.
WELL, YOU SMILE FOR ONE, ONE PICTURE OF MR. STER.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST SO GLAD THAT Y'ALL WERE ABLE TO KEEP IT ALL.
CONTINUING ON WITH OUR PRESENTATIONS, UH, MS. MARTINEZ, MAYOR.
PARDON? AND VICE MAYOR COUNCIL.
DO YOU WANT ME TO POSTPONE THIS UNTIL THE NEXT TIME SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THE AGENDA? SOUNDS GOOD.
I WOULD LIKE MR. WILLIAMS TO BE HERE FOR THIS AS WELL, SINCE HE'D LEFT THE CHART IN THIS.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS]
MOVE ON TO, UH, COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS.UM, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE READ THE UH, STATEMENT, A COMMUNICATION FROM CITIZENS PERIOD LIMITED AND TOTAL TIME AND TO 30 MINUTES IS PART OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS.
AT REGULAR COUNCIL MEETINGS, ALL PERSONS ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL SHALL APPROACH THE MICROPHONE, GIVE THEIR NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE AND HOOK WELL, THEIR WARD NUMBER AND LIMITED LIMIT
[00:30:01]
COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES, NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION ON THE REGULAR AGENDA OF THE MEETING.ALL REMARKS SHALL BE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNCIL AS A BODY, ANY QUESTIONS MUST BE ASKED THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER, ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL IN PERSON, ABUSIVE AND SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INCITE DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS AND MAY BE BARRED BY THE MAYOR FROM, FROM FURTHER AUDIENCES FOR COUNCIL AND REMOVED, SUBJECT TO APPEAL TO A MAJORITY OF COUNCIL C RULES FOUR FIVE AND 4 0 6.
UH, THE FIRST PERSON THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT IS MS. RAF FULLER.
GOOD EVENING COUNCIL, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND NEW COUNCIL MEMBER IN ANY ATTORNEY ONES.
I AM, UM, A RESIDENT OF WARD FIVE.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW, I'M ALSO THE WARD FIVE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH CAPTAIN, WHICH I TOOK OVER AFTER MS. DAY PRESENTED, UM, TO RUN FOR WARD FIVE, UM, CITY COUNCIL.
UM, EVERY MONTH WE DO HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING.
FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW, IT IS JUST NEIGHBORS GETTING TOGETHER TO DISCUSS THINGS THAT ARE OCCURRING, WAYS THAT WE CAN GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, NEIGHBORS BEING NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO KNOW WHO WE LIVE AMONGST.
SO IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN, YOU, WE'D KNOW WHO YOUR KIDS ARE, SO THAT WAY IF WE SEE THEM OUTSIDE PLAYING, THEY'RE NOT ESTRANGED FACE AND WE'RE NOT ESTRANGED FACE TO CHILDREN.
UM, OUR MEETINGS ARE THE FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT 6:00 PM THEY ARE HELD AT WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, WHICH IS RIGHT OVER, OFF OFF OF MILES AVENUE.
UM, MILES AND NORFOLK, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN WARD FIVE.
UM, WE DO TRY OUR BEST AS THE CAPTAINS, UM, WHICH THERE ARE TWO OTHER ONES HERE TONIGHT.
UM, LARRY SEARS AND MS. DEBBIE RANDOLPH.
WE TRY OUR BEST TO ATTEND OTHER PEOPLE'S MEETINGS, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT LIFE GETS THE BEST OF US.
SO I DO APOLOGIZE IN MY ABSENCE TO TO FRIENDS OTHER, UM, MEETINGS.
UM, I ALSO WANNA PUT OUT THERE THAT, AS WE ALREADY NOTED, THIS IS A NEW YEAR THAT IS STARTING.
THERE WILL BE FOOTBALL STARTING UP HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND THANK YOU COUNSELOR ELLIS.
LAST YEAR HE DID COME AND PAY HOPE WALL YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE A VISIT, UM, ALL ARE WELCOME TO COME OUT AND ATTEND THE GAMES.
THESE ARE OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE PLAYING FOR HOPEWELL YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE, AND THEY DID REALLY GOOD.
OUR SIX U TEAM, THEY MADE IT TO THE PLAYOFFS.
THERE'S A LITTLE FIVE AND SIX YEAR OLDS RUNNING AROUND TRYING TO GRAB PEOPLE'S FLAGS.
SO WE WOULD LOVE THE CITY, LOVE TO SEE THE CITY COME OUT AND SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN.
UM, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, I'LL TRY MY BEST TO CONTINUE TO REMIND, REMIND EVERYONE IF I CAN SEND EMAILS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
BUT WE WOULD LOVE THE CITY'S SUPPORT, UM, TO COME OUT AND JUST TO PARTICIPATE, JUST TO GET BACK TO THE GRASSROOTS OF THE CITY, WHICH IS NEIGHBORS BEING NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE REMEMBERING THAT WE ARE HERE FOR EACH OTHER.
UH, THE NEXT ONE THAT I'VE SIGNED UP IS MS. LAURA PITTS.
THIS IS MY FIRST COUNCIL MEETING EVER.
I'VE BEEN A CITIZEN OF HOPEWELL FOR OVER 49 YEARS.
UM, BUT I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE, UM, I, UH, GO TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER A LOT.
UM, I HAVE ENJOYED THE POOL, UH, IMMENSELY, AND I WOULD SWIM EVERY MORNING.
WHEN BEFORE COVID HIT AFTER COVID, THINGS KIND OF CHANGED.
WE COULDN'T GET IN UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK, SO, UM, THE SWIM TEAM WOULD GET IN EARLIER AND BE ABLE TO SWIM.
UM, BUT AS CITIZENS, WE COULDN'T GET IN UNTIL SEVEN O'CLOCK.
RECENTLY, I'VE HAD A CHANGE IN MY JOB WHERE I HAVE TO BE AT WORK AT SEVEN 30, SO THE CURRENT HOURS FOR THE POOL DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO GET IN AND DO MY EXERCISES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR ME PHYSICALLY AS WELL AS MENTALLY.
UM, I HAVE ENJOYED THE POOL AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THE FACILITY THAT THIS CITY HAS OFFERED TO US AS CITIZENS, AS TAXPAYERS.
UM, I WILL TELL YOU, UM, I'M VERY NERVOUS.
I'M SORRY, BUT, UM, I WOULD ASK THAT IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER, UM, I DID GET A TEXT TODAY STATING, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, POOL SITUATION WHERE THE SWIM TEAM HAS, I'M THANKFUL THAT WE DO HAVE A FACILITY WHERE THE CHILDREN CAN COME IN AND, AND HONE THEIR SKILLS IN FOR SWIMMING.
BUT I ALSO WISH THAT IT WOULD BE A LITTLE MORE EQUALITY THERE AS FAR AS FOR THE CITIZENS OF HOPEWELL.
WE HAVE FIVE LANES FOR THE SWIM TEAM, ONE LANE FOR THE CITIZENS OF HOPEWELL TO SWIM IN.
AND AGAIN, I'M THANKFUL, UM, THAT THEY ARE THERE TO WANT TO, TO, YOU KNOW, UM, FOR THEIR ATHLETIC ABILITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT I DO WISH THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER OPENING THE, UM, THE POOL BACK UP TO THE CITIZENS AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
UM, I, I KNOW I FELT THIS IS THE ONLY REASON I'M HERE TONIGHT IS BECAUSE I HAVE COMPLAINED TO MS. PAM AND TO MS. CRYSTAL AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER SO MANY TIMES.
PLEASE, CAN WE GET THIS POOL OPENED UP? I KNOW THERE'S BEEN STAFFING
[00:35:01]
ISSUES, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T CONTROL THAT.BUT IF AND WHEN THE POOL DOES GET FULLY STAFFED, I WOULD ASK IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER HAVING THE POOL OPENED AT SIX O'CLOCK FOR CITIZENS LIKE US, UM, WHO LIVE HERE IN HOPEWELL SUPPORT HOPEWELL THROUGH OUR TAXES, THAT WE CAN ENJOY THE POOL AND HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY BEFORE WE GO TO WORK.
I MEAN, I KNOW THE POOL IS OPEN AFTER WORK, AND I HAVE BEEN THERE AFTER WORK, BUT AS A MOM, IT'S HARD TO, TO WORK THAT IN YOUR SCHEDULE WHERE IF YOU CAN GET UP BEFORE YOUR MORNING BEGINS AND GET THAT DONE, IT'S NOT ONLY, LIKE I SAID, IT'S PHYSICALLY, BUT IT'S ALSO MENTALLY THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT BEING IN THAT WATER.
I PROMISE YOU EVERYBODY SHOULD TRY IT, BUT I DO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MY NAME IS LAURA PITTS AND I AM IN WARD THREE.
AND, UM, LIKE I SAID, I HAVE VOTED ALL MY LIFE AND PAID MY TAXES HERE.
I'M THANKFUL FOR THE CITY OF HOPEVILLE, BUT THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME AND I PRAY YOU WOULD CONSIDER THANKS.
WELL, MS. PITTS, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, THOSE COMMENTS ARE VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HAVING BETTER SWIM HOURS, UM, IS ACTUALLY THE REASON WHY I GO TO THE, UH, PETERSBURG Y IN THE MORNING.
AND, YOU KNOW, I HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, YOU KNOW, CAN EXTEND THOSE HOURS OUT BECAUSE I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH YOU THAT THERE'S NOTHING BETTER THAN JUST A NICE 30 TO 45 MINUTE SWIM IN THE MORNING TO CLEAR YOUR MIND, GET YOUR DAY STARTING, GETTING THE ENERGY MOVING AND, YOU KNOW, A GREAT BEGINNING TO THE DAY.
UH, COUNCILOR HOLLOWING, UH, DITTO TO, TO THAT, I, I THINK WE, WE ADDRESSED THESE MATTERS BEFORE.
I HAD NO IDEA THAT, UH, THE RATIO OF FIVE LANES TO ONE LANE IS JUST, DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
COULD YOU, UH, MAKE SENSE OF, TO, TO US KIND OF CLARIFY TO US WHY? UH, WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
YEAH, BUT I, I, UH, DITTO TO THE WORDS OF, UH, MAYOR.
PARDON? I MOST CERTAINLY THINK THAT THAT SHOULD HAPPEN.
UH, I THINK PROBABLY MOST OF US SITTING IN HERE HAVE THAT SAME COMPLAINT.
IT'S LIKE AFTER COVID, YOU KNOW, STILL IT'S, EVEN PHARMACIES HAVE STOPPED BEING 24 HOURS AND SHUTTING DOWN EARLY AND IT IS JUST MORE MONEY FOR THE COMPANIES AND LESS SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE.
BUT HOPEFULLY, UM, WE CAN WORK OUR WAY AROUND THAT AND GET THAT STRAIGHT TO ASSISTANCE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING THIS EVENING.
I LIKE THANK YOU FOR CALLING ME UP.
UM, I'M NEW TO THE PROCEEDINGS.
I'M ACTUALLY HERE FOR A DIFFERENT MATTER AND ACCIDENTALLY PUT MY NAME ON THE LIST.
SO THANK YOU FOR CALLING ME UP.
I'M GOING TO SIT BACK, I ASSUME SIT BACK NOW, I'LL SAY, IS THAT THE SAME THING FOR YOUR WIFE? YES.
OH, IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TONIGHT? UH, THAT DID NOT SIGN UP.
[PUBLIC HEARING]
AT THIS TIME WE'LL BE MOVING INTO OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS.UH, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE READ THE STATEMENT ALL PERSONS ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL SHOULD STEP TO THE MICROPHONE, GIVE THEIR NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE IN, HOPEWELL THE AWARD NUMBER AND LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
NOAH MAY ADDRESS THE COUNCIL MORE THAN ONCE PER MEETING, UNLESS GRANTED PERMISSION BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
SPEAKERS ADDRESS THE COUNCIL AS A BODY, NOT INDIVIDUAL COUNSELORS.
QUESTIONS ARE ASKED OF COUNSELORS AND STAFF THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL IMPER ABUSIVE AND OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INCITE DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN THE COUNSEL CHAMBER MAY BE REPRIMANDED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND REMOVED FROM THE MEETING UPON A MAJORITY VOTE OF COUNSELORS PRESENT, EXCLUDING ANY COUNSELOR WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THE MOTION? TWO RULES.
OKAY, MR. BENNETT? UH, GOOD EVENING.
UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND, UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'M CHARLES BENNETT, THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOURISM, AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO CONDUCT THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE SALE OF SOME CITY OWNED PROPERTY.
UH, IT'S, UH, LOTS ONE TO FOUR INCLUDED LAND NOT PLATTED IN THE LOTS BLOCK TWO SUBDIVISION NATIONAL VIEW, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS, UH, TAX ID PARCEL 0 6 4 0 0 1 5.
THE GENTLEMAN THAT, UH, YOU JUST MET A FEW MINUTES AGO IS THE, UH, IS THE PURCHASER, UH, MR. WILLIAM, UH, LUNDBERG.
AND, UM, WE HAVE, UH, ADVERTISED FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE, UM, THE RULES.
THIS MAP THAT I AM BRINGING UP HERE, ESSENTIALLY ON THE PRESENTATION SHOWS MR. LUNSFORD HOUSE, WHICH IS IN THE, UH, THE
[00:40:01]
RED BLOCK AND THEN THE PROPERTY BESIDE IT, BEHIND IT.AND, UH, THAT'S, AND THEN THE TRIANGLE THAT'S OUTLINED IN BLUE, THOSE ARE THE PARCELS THAT WE ARE, UH, PROPOSING TO SELL TO MR. LUNDBERG.
UM, THESE, UH, PARCELS, UH, MAKE UP REALLY HIS HIS SIDE YARD AND HIS BACKYARD THAT HE'S BEEN CUTTING AND MAINTAINING FOR, FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
THE, THE, UH, THE PROPERTY HERE IS NOT ACCESSIBLE BY ANY PUBLIC STREETS.
IT'S ALSO BECAUSE OF THE TERRAIN.
UM, AND, UM, THE PROPOSED SALE PRICE, UH, TO MR. LUXFORD AGREED IS THE, UH, CITY ASSESSMENT OF $20,000, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, UM, FROM OUR GIS AND THAT'S THE 2023 ASSESSMENT.
UM, THIS IS A COPY OF THE PROGRESS INDEX, UM, ADVERTISEMENT THAT RAN TWICE BEFORE THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THERE IS INCLUDED THE COPY OF THE REAL ESTATE PURCHASE AGREEMENT, UM, AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED, UH, WHEN YOU, WHEN I, WHEN THE MOTION IS MADE.
IF IT IS IN FAVOR, I'D LIKE FOR IT TO BE, UH, AMENDED SO THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN HAVE ONE LAST LOOK AT THE DOCUMENT, IF THERE'S ANY, UM, TECHNICAL THINGS THAT NEED TO BE TWEAKED BEFORE IT IS EXECUTED BY THE CITY MANAGER AND, UM, AND MR. BURG.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? SEEING NO LIGHTS? ALRIGHT.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR, UH, THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THAT DIDN'T SIGN UP? ALRIGHT.
SEEING NONE, GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE, UM, THE PURCHASE, OR EXCUSE ME, THE SALE OF THE, UH, EPPS PROPERTY AS PRESENTED, UH, PENDING, UH, LEGAL REVIEW? SO, SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY YES, SIR.
JUST, JUST ONE, ONE THING ON THE MOTION I HAVE REQUESTED, IF WE COULD HAVE THIS READ INTO THE RECORD, THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS PROPERTY SALE, UM, TO BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THE HOPEWELL CITY MARINA FOR THE PURPOSES OF REPAIRS AND AND MAINTENANCE.
IS THAT ALRIGHT MR. CARLOS? I, YEAH.
IT, IT JUST, IT SAVES A RESOLUTION AND ME COMING BACK.
YOU CAN DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME.
SO THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE SALE OF PARCEL TAX ID NUMBER 0 6 4 0 0 1 5 CONTAINING APPROXIMATELY 0.438 ACRES TO ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER, UH, WILLIAM THEODORE LUNSFORD JR.
AS OUTLINED IN THE ATTACHED PURCHASE AGREEMENT AS DATED, UH, 1213 2024.
AND TO DIRECT THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS PROPERTY SALE TO THE CITY HOPPO CITY MARINA REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE PENDING LEGAL REVIEW.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY MYSELF DURING DISCUSSION.
UH, GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
TONIGHT'S, UM, SECOND PUBLIC HEARING REGARD TO CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST TO CONSTRUCT A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING ON A NONCONFORMING LOT IDENTIFIED AS PARCEL 0 1 3 1 2 1 0 LOCATED ON ATLANTIC STREET.
THE APPLICANT IS SRB INVESTORS, LLC PROPERTY LOCATED WARD THREE AND ZONED R TWO.
AGAIN, THE REQUEST IS TO CONSTRUCT A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING ON THIS LOT AND, UH, WE COMPLIED WITH ALL STATE REQUIREMENTS ON THE ADVERTISEMENTS.
THE MAP ON THE LEFT HERE JUST GIVES
[00:45:01]
YOU A GENERAL LOCATION OF THIS PROPERTY, AND ON THE RIGHT IS A TIGHTER CLOSE UP AERIAL VIEW OF THE PARTICULAR PARCEL.A MINIMUM LOT SIDE IS, IS 75 FEET WIDE AND 7,500 SQUARE FEET.
THIS PARTICULAR PARCEL HERE ON ATLANTIC STREET IS ONLY 60 FEET WIDE.
UH, BUT IT DOES E EQUAL THE MINIMUM OF SQUARE FOOTAGE.
SO THE NON-CONFORMITY ON THIS PARTICULAR LOT IS JUST IN THE WIDTH.
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS A, UH, SKETCH OF THE FRONT ELEVATION OF THE PROPOSED HOUSE.
IT IS A TWO, UH, STORY SIGNAL, FAMILY DWELLING THREE, BEDROOM TWO AND A HALF BATH, 2040 SQUARE FOOT, UH, CAPE COD TYPE STRUCTURE.
UH, THIS IS A REAR ELEVATION SKETCH.
AND THEN THE SIDE ELEVATIONS, UH, THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY, UH, IS LARGER THAN THE AVERAGE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THAT AVERAGE IS, UH, 1,267 SQUARE FEET.
UH, VINYL SIDING IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS HOUSE WILL ALSO HAVE VINYL SIDING AND, UH, THIS PARTICULAR ARCHITECTURAL STYLE OF HOUSE CAPE COD IS FAIRLY COMMON IN HOPE.
HOPE LAWN IS IS QUITE A NICE ADDITION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ALL OF THIS IS COMPLIANT WITH THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS WELL.
STAFF RECOMMENDS THE NEW SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING, UH, WITH 12 INCH MINIMUM EAVES ALONG ALL ROOF EDGES.
LOT WILL HAVE MINIMUM, UH, COVERAGE OF 20% TREE CANOPY AT FULL MATURITY, A DRIVEWAY OF ASPHALT OR CONCRETE BRICK AND STONE FOUNDATIONS ON ALL, ON ALL FOUR SIDES.
UH, FOUNDATION PLANNINGS AS WELL.
AND THE PROPOSED SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING WILL BE IN SUBSTANTIAL PERFORMANCE WITH THE SET OF HOUSE PLANS THAT WERE PRESENTED TO PLANNING COMMISSION ON, UH, NOVEMBER 14TH OF LAST YEAR.
WITH ANY MODIFICATIONS AS CONDITIONED TO FINAL APPROVAL, UM, THERE WERE NO MODIFICATIONS THAT PLANNING COMMISSION SET AT FINAL APPROVAL.
JUST A, A RECOMMENDATION TO ADD MORE WINDOWS AND THE, UH, APPLICANT AGREED.
UH, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. WARD? SEEING NO LIGHTS? ALRIGHT, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR IT TONIGHT.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS THAT DIDN'T SIGN UP? NO.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO CONSTRUCT A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING ON A NONCONFORMING PARCEL? 0 1 3 DASH 1 2 1 0 ATLANTIC STREET AS PRESENTED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO.
UM, AT THIS TIME, CAN, UH, I HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO MOVE, UH, THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS AS R FIVE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, UH, RESPECT.
WANT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO NOT HAVE TO STAY FOR THE REST OF THE MEETING? SO, THANK YOU.
HI, GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M THE HEAD COACH OF NOVA SOUTH SWIMMING, WHICH IS THE TEAM THAT PRACTICES AT A COMMUNITY CENTER.
I'M HERE AND WANTED TO SHARE MY TIME WITH ANOTHER COACH ON OUR TEAM, SHANNON ROYSTER.
WE'RE HONORED TO SPEAK WITH YOU TONIGHT AND GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS TIME WITH YOU.
IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1969, SO THAT MEANS WE FALL UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF USA SWIMMING, WHICH IS A COMPETITIVE TRACK.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE 85 ATHLETES IN OUR TEAM, RANGING IN AGES FROM
[00:50:01]
FOUR TO 18 WITH FIVE COACHES.WE HAVE PRACTICED AT THE HOPEWELL COMMUNITY CENTER ON AND OFF FOR THE PAST 35 TO 40 YEARS.
AND IN MY EXPERIENCE SINCE I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, SO THE PAST 25, 30 YEARS, UM, I WANTED TO SPEAK TO, I'M REALLY GLAD THAT WE HAD A CITIZEN COME TONIGHT TO TALK BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES THE PERCEPTION IS THAT WE'RE AT ODDS WITH THAT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO BE CLEAR THAT LIKE WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM.
LIKE WE WANT TO HELP CITIZENS HAVE ACCESS TO AQUATIC PROGRAMMING TO THE POOL.
UM, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN HAPPY TO PARTNER WITH THE HOPEWELL COMMUNITY CENTER AND THEIR MEMBERSHIP.
OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T SET THE OPERATIONAL HOURS, BUT WE DO PROVIDE LIFEGUARDS IN THE MORNINGS SO THAT WE CAN RUN PRACTICES AND WE ALSO PROVIDE LIFEGUARDS IN THE AFTERNOON SO THAT WE CAN KEEP OPERATIONAL HOURS FOR THE CITIZENS AS WELL AS THE TEAM.
UM, IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, I SENT DATA OUT AROUND ALL OF THIS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CALL OUT.
IN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE ALLOWED THE BUILDING TO STAY OPERATIONAL FOR THOSE FOUR TO 8:00 PM HOURS FOR 150 DAYS BY PROVIDING A LIFEGUARD DURING THAT TIME, THAT BENEFITS EVERYBODY, THAT BENEFITS CITIZENS AND THE SWIM TEAM THAT WE CAN ALL STILL BE THERE DUE TO THE STAFFING CONSTRAINTS THAT THE COMMUNITY CENTER DOES HAVE.
AND WE WOULD LOVE TO PARTNER MORE.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HELP IN ANY WAY WE CAN.
LIKE IF OPENING THE BUILDING, I AGREE WITH THAT CITIZEN A HUNDRED PERCENT.
LIKE, LET'S GET HER SWIMMING IN THE MORNING.
CAN WE OPEN THE BUILDING TO HER? LIKE HOW DO WE PARTNER TO DO THAT? SO I JUST WANTED TO CALL THAT OUT TO SAY LIKE, I DON'T WANT THIS TO BE US VERSUS THEM.
LIKE, LET'S ALL BE ON THE SAME TEAM.
AND LET'S SAY LIKE, HOW DO WE USE OUR RESOURCES TO HELP EVERYONE BE SUCCESSFUL HERE? SO THIS TEAM IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
IT'S BEEN AN IMPORTANT PART OF MY LIFE FOR A LONG TIME.
I STARTED PRACTICING AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER WHEN I WAS 11 YEARS OLD.
I SWAM THERE THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, IT AFFORDED ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND SWIM THERE.
I'M NOW BLESSED ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO BE A COACH ON THIS TEAM TO GET TO WORK WITH PEOPLE LIKE MR. ROYSTER.
WE HEARD ABOUT MR. ROYSTER'S FAMILY.
ALL THREE OF HIS KIDS SWIM FOR ME.
UM, WE HAVE A GROUP OF THEM IN THE BACK RIGHT NOW WHO CAME, THEY HAD PRACTICE TONIGHT.
THEY WENT AND ATE AT, UM, ONE OF OUR FAMILIES OWNS A RESTAURANT IN HOPEWELL.
THEY WENT AND ATE SAUCES AND THEY CAME HERE.
SO THANK YOU FOR MOVING IT UP BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL PROBABLY TIRED FROM BEING UP
UM, BUT IT'S OPENED DOORS FOR ME.
IT'S SHOWN ME A LOT ABOUT LIKE WHO I WANNA BE, WHO I WANNA BE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME.
WE WANT TO BE, WE WANT TO BE MEMBERS WITH YOU GUYS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR.
UM, OVER THE YEARS, I DO FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD A STRONG PARTNERSHIP.
THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY AND WE'VE RUN SWIM LESSONS TOGETHER.
I'VE RUN A SWIM CLINIC THAT WAS RUN AT COST TO GIVE PEOPLE ACCESS TO THE POOL, TO PROGRAMMING.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY HERE TO BRING SOME OF THAT BACK.
AND WE WANNA HELP DEVELOP OUR SWIMMERS, OUR ATHLETES, BUT WE ALSO WOULD LOVE TO MAKE, UM, AQUATIC PROGRAMMING MORE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY THERE.
AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO THOUGH IS SERVICE.
WE BELIEVE IN SERVING OUR SWIMMERS.
LIKE THAT'S REALLY WHY I'M HERE.
THERE ARE OTHER TEAMS, THERE'S OTHER AREAS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE'RE NOT IN HOPEWELL, WE'RE TAKING AWAY THAT OPPORTUNITY FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
THE CLOSEST USA TEAM IS 40 MINUTES FROM HERE.
IT WOULD BE HARD FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE SOCIOECONOMICALLY AND LOGISTICALLY TO GET THERE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE AND THAT'S WHY MR. ROYSTER IS HERE, IS LIKE, WE WANT TO KEEP THIS AVAILABLE FOR HOPEWELL, FOR PRINCE GEORGE.
LIKE WE ARE OUTTA THE HOPEWELL COMMUNITY CENTER.
BUT I THINK JOHNNY SPOKE TO THIS, YOU KNOW, MR. ROYSTER BEING HERE, WE SERVE EVERYONE AROUND US AND SO MAYOR.
PARDON? SO WE SERVE EVERYONE AROUND US IN PROVIDING THE SERVICE.
UM, BUT WE WANNA HELP EVERYBODY GROW INTO STRONG, CONFIDENT PEOPLE.
THIS IS IN AND OUT OF THE POOL.
LIKE WE HAVE KIDS GRADUATE AND GO ON TO SWIM IN COLLEGE.
WE HAVE KIDS THAT DON'T SWIM IN COLLEGE, BUT WE'VE GRADUATED HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE OUT OF THIS PROGRAM THAT SOME COME BACK TO HOPEWELL, SOME WORK AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF LIFEGUARDS AND EMPLOYEES THERE THAT CAME OUT OF THE SWIM TEAM DIRECTLY.
SO I THINK IT CAN BE A MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL RELATIONSHIP IN TERMS OF THAT TOO.
SO I'M GONNA PASS IT TO MR. ROYSTER AND HE'S GONNA SHARE MORE SPECIFIC WAYS THAT WE WORK TO SERVE THE CITY.
THANK, I KNOW OUR TIME IS SHORT.
I JUST WANNA THANK, UH, MAYOR, PARDON? VICE MAYOR JOINER AND, AND COUNCIL FOR THE TIME.
UH, ONE I WANT THANK, UM, FOR THE WONDERFUL PROCLAMATION TO, TO RECOGNIZE MY FATHER AND HIS 50 YEARS OF SERVICE.
I ONLY HAVE 25 YEARS IN HOBO CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SO I GOT 25 MORE YEARS TO GO.
I'M THE PRINCIPAL AT CARTER G WOODSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, BORN AND RAISED, OBVIOUSLY
[00:55:01]
IN THE CITY.UM, AND I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PAST 20 PLUS YEARS TO BE PART OF, UH, THIS YEAR ROUND SWIM TEAM, WHICH I SWAM FOR ALSO AS A CHILD AND PRACTICE AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, AND LIKE, UH, COACH WATERWORTH SAID, I I HAVE THREE YOUNG PEOPLE, SORRY, I HAVE THREE CHILDREN,
UM, AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, AS PART OF OUR, OUR PARTNERSHIP.
WE REALLY HAVE, UH, ARE GRATEFUL FOR IT.
UM, THERE'S BEEN MANY, MANY YEARS AND WE WANT IT TO CONTINUE.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY, UM, THERE WAS DEFINITELY, UH, IN A PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING A DISCUSSION AND, AND, AND A VOTE AND, AND WE'RE, AND AN MOU WAS DEVELOPED.
WE ARE ASKING, UM, THAT THAT KIND OF BE RECONSIDERED WITH THIS, UH, NEW COUNCIL, UM, TO WHERE CURRENTLY OUR STATE IS OF OF OUR CURRENT MRU JUST STAYED THE SAME.
THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
UM, WE THINK THAT THE PARTNERSHIP CAN STILL WORK WHERE THE POOL IS OPEN AT EARLY MORNING HOURS OR EVEN UH, EVENING HOURS AND BASED ON, YOU KNOW, LANE USAGE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, I DON'T HAVE A SPREADSHEET.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE TO KIND OF KEEP TRACK.
UM, MY DAUGHTER'S A LIFEGUARD FOR, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SWIM TEAM THAT PARTNERS WITH THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, AND THE NUMBERS OF SWIMMERS THAT COME DURING SWIM TEAM HOURS ARE, ARE VERY MINIMAL.
IT'S A SMALL NUMBER THAT THAT DO COME.
NOW, MAYBE THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE THERE, RIGHT? UM, BUT THEN AGAIN, UM, WE ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO, TO BE FLEXIBLE IN THIS PARTNERSHIP, UM, TO TO BE WHAT IT'S LIKE.
UM, BECAUSE THE POOL USED TO OPEN UP AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, LIKE THE COMMUNITY CENTER ITSELF.
BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH NOVA SOUTH.
BUT WE'RE WILLING TO PROVIDE LIFEGUARDS AND STAFF TO HELP.
UH, WE DO KNOW THAT'S, UH, THAT'S A CONCERN RIGHT NOW ON THE AQUATICS.
THERE'S THERE'S NOT A LOT OF STAFF AND SO THERE'S STAFFING CONCERNS.
BUT WHAT WE'RE ASKING AND PLEADING WITH FOR US TO CONTINUE THIS PARTNERSHIP TO HAVE NOVA SOUTH AT HOLA COMMUNITY CENTER, UM, WOULD BE TO, TO KEEP THE CURRENT MOU AS IS.
BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY, AND THIS BREAKS MY HEART TO SAY THAT IF IT THE MOU THAT WAS SIGNED OR, OR AGREED UPON, UH, PREVIOUSLY IS STILL THE MOU WE HAVE, THEN UNFORTUNATELY THE PARTNERSHIP IS OVER.
'CAUSE WE, WE CAN'T FUNCTION AS A A YEAR ROUND COMPETITIVE SWIM TEAM WITH THE NUMBER OF SPACE THAT WOULD WE WOULD HAVE.
UM, AND WE COULDN'T SERVICE THE NUMBER OF KIDS THAT WE HAVE.
AND THAT WOULD JUST BE A HUGE DETRIMENT TO, UM, NOT ONLY OUR COMMUNITY BUT OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES OF, UH, OF SWIMMERS.
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I THINK I'D LIKE TO SHARE IS THAT WE WANT TO OFFER OTHER THINGS FOR THE CITY, SUCH AS FROM LESSONS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO TRAIN LIFEGUARDS.
I MEAN, THERE'S THINGS THAT, THAT WE HAVE THAT WE CAN DO THAT I THINK CAN OFFSET SOME OF THE, THE CONCERNS THAT MIGHT BE IN PLACE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I COME TO YOU FROM A HEART OF, OF KEEPING THEM O YOU CURRENTLY AND NOT USING THE, THE ONE THAT WAS, I GUESS DECIDED UPON IN, IN DECEMBER.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOU AND, AND ALL YOUR SUPPORT, UH, COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY AND THEN MYSELF.
UH, WHAT WOULD IT EXACTLY BE, UH, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MOUS THAT PUTS THE CONSTRAINTS ON EXACTLY.
IT'S, YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THE NUMBER OF DAYS AND THE NUMBER OF LANE USAGE, UH, IS, IS REDUCED.
WHAT I DO KNOW THAT MY MAX SPECIFIC I REMEMBER.
UM, WHAT WE NEED ARE, UM, WE CURRENTLY ARE 1, 2, 3.
WE'RE, UM, WE'RE FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
WE'RE, WE'RE THERE FOR UM, TWO MORNINGS.
TWO MORNINGS, UM, WHEN THE, THE POOL'S NOT OPEN.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE SO MANY HOURS IN THE EVENING TIME, EACH OF THOSE NIGHTS 'CAUSE WE SERVICE ALL DIFFERENT KIDS.
YOU CAN'T HAVE A, A NOVICE SWIMMER WHO'S SIX YEARS OLD TRAINING WITH A 17-YEAR-OLD TRYING TO GET A SWIMMING SCHOLARSHIP.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT, UM, SO, SO WITH UH, AND, AND THE PRESENTATION, I MEAN THE, THERE IS A REDUCTION OF THE NUMBER OF DAYS, UH, THE TIME USAGE.
UM, THE NUMBER OF LANE USAGE IS, WAS ALL PART OF IT.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE, WE CURRENTLY USE THE, THE POOL, UM, UM, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE, UM, LIKE I SAID, FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK OR FIVE DAYS A WEEK AND THE FLEXIBILITY OF SATURDAY.
'CAUSE I THINK THE POOL O ONLY OPENS, OR THE COMMUNITY CENTER ONLY OPENS FOR LIKE US FOR PRACTICE.
WE'RE FLEXIBLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT BE A FRIDAY.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF FLEXIBILITY WE COULD DEFINITELY DO MOVING FORWARD.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXACTLY LIKE IT IS RIGHT NOW.
[01:00:02]
MARTINEZ, YOU CAN STAY HERE, MR. YEAH.COULD, UH, COULD YOU GIVE US STATE IN LIGHT ON INFORMATION WITH, UM, MAYBE CITIZENS COMPLAINTS OR HOW THIS, UH, PARTNERSHIP COULD BETTER SERVE BOTH THE SWIM TEAM AND OUR CITIZENS? UH, BECAUSE WHILE WE WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE AVAILABLE TO HAVE THE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE SWIM TEAM, WE MOST CERTAINLY CANNOT, UM, MINIMIZE THE COMPLAINTS OF CITIZENS ALTOGETHER WHO ARE PAYING TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
AND UH, THAT'S PART OF THE MOU PRESENTATION THAT WE DID IN DECEMBER WAS THAT WE'RE WORKING TO DO THREE LANES FOR THEM, THREE LANES FOR US.
SO THAT WILL GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY AND ALLOWING MORE CITIZENS TO COME OUT.
SO A FAMILY THAT COMES OUT DURING SWIM TEAM PRACTICE, WHICH IS MONDAY THROUGH, UH, THURSDAY, CURRENTLY THEY HAVE FIVE TO FOUR LANES DEPENDING ON THE DAY THEY ALTERNATE, UM, UP UNTIL 6 30, 6 50 OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, MOST KIDS AREN'T COMING OUT WITH THEIR PARENTS AFTER SIX 50.
SO IF WE HAD THREE LANES AND THEY HAD THREE LANES, THEY COULD STILL GET PRACTICING.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY WITH THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS THEY HAVE, IT DOESN'T REALLY WORK FOR THEM.
BUT IT ALSO DOESN'T WORK FOR US BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO ALLOW MULTIPLE PEOPLE TO SWIM BECAUSE WE EITHER HAVE ONE LANE OR TWO LANES.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? SIX, 6:50 PM IS WHAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF, CORRECT? WELL, FROM THE FOUR, THEY COME IN AT FOUR 50.
DO YOU, DO YOU WANT ME TO JUST TELL YOU THE LANE? OKAY.
IT'S FOUR FROM 4 45 TO SIX 15.
ON MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS WE HAVE FOUR LANES.
AND THEN FROM SIX 15 TO SEVEN 30 WE HAVE TWO LANES.
SO THERE'S FOUR LANES OPEN FROM SIX 15 UNTIL EIGHT ON THOSE TWO NIGHTS.
AND THEN FRIDAY NIGHT WE'RE NOT THERE AT ALL CURRENTLY.
THEN TUESDAY, THURSDAYS WE HAVE OUR NOVICE GROUPS AND WE ONLY RUN 'EM ON TUESDAY, THURSDAYS.
SO THAT'S THE LIKE EIGHT AND UNDER GROUPS WHERE IT'S TOUGH TO PUT A LOT OF THEM IN THE SAME LANE 'CAUSE THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS.
SO ON THOSE DAYS, WE HAVE FIVE LANES FROM 4 45 UNTIL SEVEN 15, AND THEN SEVEN 15 UNTIL EIGHT GETS BACK TO HAVING ALL THE
LIKE, AND SO, SO SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.
I, I THINK FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE, THE CHILDREN ON A SCHOOL NIGHT CAN'T COME IN AFTER HOURS AND, YOU KNOW, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
SO IS IT GROUNDING ME? I I DO NOT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE OTHER COUNSELORS THAT MAY HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, BUT, UM, I CAN SEE WHERE THREE AND THREE MIGHT BE COMPLICATED, BUT I, I, I WOULD PERSONALLY THINK FOUR TO TWO AT LEAST, UM, WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WILL WORK OVERALL.
UM, BUT THEY SAID IT, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE, THE THREE TO THREE TO WORK FOR THEM.
SO I THINK RECONSTRUCTION TO KIND OF MEET DOWN THE MIDDLE, I HOPE FOUR AND TWO COULD BE SOMETHING THAT COULD PRIMARILY, UH, WORK FOR EVERYONE.
AND I, I LIKE THE PARTNERSHIP OF, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU ARE WILLING TO CONTINUE TO SUPPLY THE LIFEGUARDS.
BECAUSE ONE THING THAT WE LEARNED, I THINK FROM MS. MARTINEZ LAST TIME, THAT THE, UM, BEING ABLE TO GET, UH, CERTIFIED, UH, LIFEGUARDS IS A VERY DIFFICULT THING.
NOT JUST HERE, UM, BUT ALL OVER, UH, AT THIS TIME.
BUT, UH, MOST CERTAINLY, I HOPE WE CAN KIND OF WORK THOSE, UH, THINGS OUT.
AND I COULDN'T, YOU KNOW, BEYOND OF COURSE, GIVING LIFEGUARDS AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, I'M PRETTY SURE THE CITY MANAGER IS PROBABLY OVER THERE.
LIKE, YEAH, IT'S GONNA COST A LOT MORE THAN JUST GETTING A LIFEGUARD.
SO I DON'T KNOW THOSE INS AND OUT AND THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT IT WOULD COST THE, UM, CITY, UH, DO YOU HAVE THOSE NUMBERS? SO FOR, AM WE, WE HAVE TWO FULL-TIME LIFEGUARDS AT THE MOMENT.
UH, WE'RE INTERVIEWING FOR WHAT WE CALL OUR SPECIALIST POSITION, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT ACTUALLY TEACHES THE CLASSES, SWIM LESSONS AND SO FORTH WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO DO SO.
SO WE HAD, NOT, NOT, NOT FOR THE, I APOLOGIZE NOT FOR THE LIFEGUARDS, BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY WOULD EVEN PROVIDE LIFEGUARDS IN THE MORNING TIME AT SIX O'CLOCK.
BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT, DO YOU HAVE THE NUMBERS OF WHAT ELSE IT MIGHT COST TO REOPEN AT SIX O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING? YES.
THAT WAS PART OF THE PRESENTATION BACK IN DECEMBER.
I BELIEVE THAT'S BROKEN DOWN IN THIS ONE, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
SO THEY PROVIDE ONE LIFEGUARD, WE PROVIDE ANOTHER BECAUSE DURING OUR RISK MANAGEMENT, IT REQUIRES US TO HAVE A CITY EMPLOYEE, RIGHT.
SO IN ORDER FOR US TO OPEN THE POOL UP, WE HAVE TO DO THAT.
SO THEY DO PROVIDE A GUARD FOR US FOR THOSE TIMEFRAMES THAT THEY MENTIONED EARLIER.
[01:05:01]
POTENTIALLY LOOK AT CHANGING THE MOU, THAT THEY ALSO PROVIDE LIFEGUARDS WHEN WE REQUEST THEM.'CAUSE UNFORTUNATELY IT JUST HASN'T BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, UM, OUTSIDE OF PRACTICE ON FOR NOVA SOUTH.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, I DON'T HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN BY THE HOURS, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE FOR THE 2023, I'LL, I'LL JUMP TO THE CURRENT ONE BECAUSE IN 2023 WE, WE WERE AT A NET LOSS OF $6,644.
BUT BECAUSE OF THE AGREEMENT THAT WE WOULD MOVE UP A DOLLAR AND THEY WOULD ABSORB SOME OF THE COSTS, THEY PICK UP THE LIFEGUARDS FOR THEIR MORNING SESSION WHERE WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY THAT ANY LONGER.
UH, WE ACTUALLY MADE A PROFIT OF $9,131 AFTER EVERYTHING WAS TAKEN OUT.
SO, BUT I DON'T HAVE A DAILY BREAKDOWN.
I APOLOGIZE NOW WITHSTANDING THAT THE MAYOR'S GIVEN COMMENT, BUT I'D LIKE TO, UH, MAKE THAT, THAT MOTION WITH THE REQUEST, UM, OF THE MOU TO THE MOA PREVIOUS MOU TO A, I MEAN MOA, EXCUSE ME, MOA, THAT'S OKAY.
UM, TO BE AMENDED TO FOUR LANES FOR THE SWIM TEAM AND TWO LANES FOR THE CITIZENS OF HOPEWELL, UM, IN ADDITIONALLY THE HOURS REQUESTED FOR THE, UH, SIX O'CLOCK.
SO, SO THEY ACTUALLY, IN THE MORNINGS, THEY ACTUALLY COME IN AT 5:00 AM SO THAT MEANS MY STAFF HAS TO BE HERE ON SITE AT 4:30 AM WHO COMES IN AT FIVE? UH, THE SWIM TEAM COMES IN ON, ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS AT 5:00 AM SO WE HAVE TO HAVE STAFF ON PRESENT ON SITE AT 4:30 AM SO IT'S JUST THE AVAILABILITY TO THE CITIZENS AS CITIZENS.
SO THEN I'LL LIKE THE MO EIGHT TO REFLECT THAT, HAVE TILL SEVEN.
CAN I MAKE IT SO, I MEAN, A LOT, A LOT OF THE GUARD ARE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS, I THINK.
HOW ABOUT I THINK YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS, SO, YOU KNOW, TO GO BACK AND REVISE IT, AND I THINK TO BRING BACK SOMETHING THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH PARTIES, RIGHT.
UM, THAT WE CHARGE THE CITY MANAGER AND HER STAFF TO WORK WITH THE SWIM TEAM TO BRING US BACK A CONTRACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN FLUSH OUT THESE DETAILS.
AND THAT WAY WE CAN, YOU KNOW, STRENGTHEN THIS PARTNERSHIP.
UM, BECAUSE THEN, YOU KNOW, THE, I THINK, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S TWO ISSUES THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH HERE, YOU KNOW, ONE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SWIM TEAM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SECOND ONE IS, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE EXPAND THESE HOURS FOR CITIZENS? BECAUSE, I MEAN, I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO ADMIT, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I GO TO THE PETERSBURG.
WHY? IS BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WALK IN THERE AT FIVE 30, I CAN GO RIGHT STRAIGHT TO THE POOL AND I CAN SWIM, YOU KNOW, UNTIL I HAVE TO GO TO WORK.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT OFFERS A GREAT BENEFIT TO CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY SENIOR CITIZENS BECAUSE IT'S A LOW IMPACT SPORT.
UM, SO I, I THINK, YEAH, LET'S, LET'S DO THAT MOTION FIRST IF THAT'S YOU.
I ACCEPT THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
YOU'RE GOOD WITH THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
UM, GOING DOWN INTO, UH, DISCUSSION, WE HAD COUNCILLORS, JOINER, ELLISON, AND STOKES.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UM, I'M LOOKING AT THIS TIMELINE AND 2010 TO 2021, YOU KNOW, MORNING PRACTICES STARTED AT FOUR 30.
UM, SO I MEAN, TO ME IT'S JUST KIND OF A NO-BRAINER.
YOU KNOW, IT HAS TO DO WITH THE, YOU GOT TO EXPAND THE OPERATIONS SO THAT YOU'RE OPEN AT FOUR 30.
UM, SO WITH THAT COMES ADDITIONAL COST.
BUT I THINK YOU ALSO, I THINK ONE THING THAT I ASKED FOR, AND WHEN YOU FIRST CAME, I WANT A, I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT FIXED COST.
I, YOU NEVER PROVIDED ME WITH THE FIXED COSTS OF THE POOL.
AND I THINK WHEN YOU START LOOKING, YOU'VE GOTTA LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS, AND I WANNA SEE THE, I REALLY WANNA SEE THOSE NUMBERS.
SO THE DECEMBER, UH, PRESENTATION DID NOT ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS.
I DON'T, AND I BROKE IT DOWN BY, I DON'T BELIEVE.
WELL, MAYBE I CAN CHAT WITH YOU OFFLINE.
YEAH, I SEE THOSE THAT, SO I CAN, BUT TO ME, I MEAN, I'M JUST LOOKING AT THESE UP CLEARLY.
WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS AGO WE WERE AT, YOU KNOW, OPENING AT FOUR 30 AND NOW WE'RE NOT.
SO, SO WE WERE NEVER OPENING AT FOUR 30.
THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY, IT SAYS FOR SWIM TEAM, CORRECT.
BUT WE JUST GOT TO EXPAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO, SO I HAVE, AGAIN, I HAVE TWO FULL-TIME LIFEGUARD.
SO THAT MEANS THAT PERSON WILL BE LEAVING THEIR HOUSE AT 2:00 AM TO GET HERE AT FOUR 30 TO OPEN UP.
WELL, I MEAN, I, I DON'T THINK WE CAN MAKE, I'M NOT SURE WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS LIKE THAT BASED UPON ONE LITTLE SITUATION LIKE THAT.
I THINK THE GOAL IS TO TRY AND RECRUIT
[01:10:01]
SOMEONE, RECRUIT A LIFEGUARD WHO IS, YOU KNOW, LIVES LOCALLY.I, I DON'T THINK WE CAN MAKE A DECISION TO, UM, STOP A, A SWIM TEAM BECAUSE WE HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE JUST DON'T HAVE A LIFEGUARD.
I THINK WE NEED TO BE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER LIFEGUARD.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S REALITY RIGHT NOW.
BUT I, I'M JUST, SO, I CAN'T COMPETE WITH THE OUTSIDE MARKET, UNFORTUNATELY, IN REGARDS TO LIFEGUARDING, UM, MS. LAUREN WILL TELL YOU THAT SHE TAKES A LOSS WHEN SHE PROVIDES A GUARD, BECAUSE I CAN ONLY PAY HER FOR HER SERVICES AT 1350 WHEN SHE'S PAYING HER GUARDS.
WELL, MAYBE WE CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT WITH HR, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW, A STIPEND OR SOMETHING.
I DON'T, I THINK THE, THE SECOND MOTION THAT WE SHOULD DO IS CHARGING THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF TO, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH AND PRESENT A PLAN BACK IN, YOU KNOW, 30 TO 60 DAYS ON HOW WE CAN EXTEND POOL HOURS, PROVIDE WEEKEND SERVICE, YOU KNOW, GIVE US AN, A PLETHORA OF OPTIONS THAT WE CAN WORK THROUGH.
UH, ONE, ONE, JUSTIN WOULD, UH, IS THE, MAYBE THE OPTION WITH HR TO, UH, SINCE IT IS A OBLIGATION FOR THE CITY TO PROVIDE THE, UM, A LIFEGUARD, UH, TO SOMEHOW INCORPORATE THEIR LIFEGUARD AS A PART-TIME, UH, EMPLOYEE OR SOMETHING.
I WAS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITY TECHNICALLY FOR 10 YEARS, AND I OPENED UP THE BUILDING ON MY OWN, RAN PRACTICES ON MY OWN FOR, UH, ALMOST 10 YEARS, FROM FOUR 30 TO SIX 30.
BUT TO CAVEAT THAT, THAT WAS A DIFFERENT RISK MANAGER AT THAT TIMEFRAME.
SO LEADERSHIP HAS CHANGED THROUGHOUT THE TIMEFRAME.
SO OUR CURRENT RISK MANAGER HAS SAID THAT I GOTTA HAVE A CITY EMPLOYEE, WHICH WE CAN DO, LIKE LAUREN MENTIONED.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS SAYING.
BUT IT HAS TO STILL BE TWO LIFEGUARDS RIGHT.
ON DECK AND, AND ANYBODY'S IN THAT POOL, RIGHT? YEAH.
YOU SOUNDS COUNCILOR ELLIS, AND THEN COUNSELOR STOKES.
SO LISTENING TO EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY ELSE TALK HERE.
I THINK WE'VE KIND OF HIT, HIT ON SOME STUFF AS THAT, THAT I WANTED TO, UH, TO TOUCH ON, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO COME TO A COMMON AGREEMENT.
UM, I'M PRETTY SURE MS. MARTINEZ, I MEAN, SHE, SHE'S DONE MULTIPLE THINGS TO, TO WORK THINGS OUT.
I'VE SEEN HER, YOU, YOU KNOW, IN ACTION.
I KNOW Y'ALL IN BUSINESS FOR 40 PLUS YEARS.
I THINK Y'ALL COULD COME TOGETHER, FIGURE THIS OUT.
I'M, I DON'T REALLY WANT TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THIS WORK AND THAT WORK.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF Y'ALL CAN FIGURE IT OUT, BRING IT, BRING IT BACK TO US WITH SOME COST.
UH, I THINK THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, STUFF THERE THAT, UM, VICE MAYOR JOYNER SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE, SHE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE OR WHATEVER, BUT I THINK WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
I THINK WE JUST NEED TO, YOU KNOW, COME TOGETHER AND, AND, AND GET THESE CHILDREN IN THERE.
I MEAN, IF IT'S TWO LANES FOR CITIZENS AND THERE'S NO CITIZENS IN THERE, OKAY, USE FIVE, USE SIX CITIZENS SHOW UP, MOVE OVER.
I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE SIMPLER THAT COULD BE.
I MEAN, SO, UM, LET'S, LET'S TRY TO DO THAT.
UM, MR. ELLIS, JUST THANK YOU.
MENTIONED WHAT I WAS GONNA MENTION, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE NUMBERS, UM, WHILE YOU'RE CRUNCHING ALONG WITH THE NUMBERS YOU'RE GONNA PROVIDE WITH VICE TO VICE MAYOR, UH, JOINER.
I LIKE TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SWIM TEAM AND HOW MANY CITIZENS ARE ACTUALLY USING THE POOL DURING THE TIMES THAT YOU ALL ARE HAVING, HAVING THIS, THIS
UM, SO WHILE YOU'RE CRUNCH, I THINK THEY HAVE THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE LIFEGUARD TRACK AGAIN, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE COMING ON NEW JANUARY 1ST.
THE, THE, AND SHE SAID SHE GONNA PROVIDE FOR, CAN YOU PLEASE PROVIDE ME, SO WHEN WE DO THE TRACKING OF THE POOL, WE, WE COUNT SWIM TEAM IN THAT.
SO WE CAN START DOCUMENTING HOW MANY CITIZENS ARE THERE AS WELL, LIKE COMPLETELY OUTSIDE OF THOSE FOUR OR FIVE LANES MM-HMM
BUT IT'S GONNA TAKE ME SOME WHILE, A WHILE TO GRAB THAT DAY.
IS THAT OKAY? AND THAT, THAT, THAT CONCERNED ME.
YEAH, THAT WAS, THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING BECAUSE YEAH.
UH, THE MAJORITY OF THE POOL IS BEING OPERATED BY SWIM TEAM.
AND THEN THERE ARE MEMBERS, THERE ARE CITIZENS OF HOPE, WELL, ON YOUR TEAM.
SO, UM, LIKE THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO SWIM IN ALL LANES, BUT AT ANY RATE,
UM, BUT GIVING IT BACK TO THE CITY MANAGER AND FOR YOU ALL TO WORK THIS OUT, I THINK YOU ALL CAN COME TO AN AMICABLE AGREEMENT.
SO THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO CHARGE THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF TO WORK TOGETHER ON A CONTRACT THAT IS MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE CITY AND FOR THE SWIM TEAM.
UH, WELL WE, THAT WAS ALREADY THE MOTION ON THE
[01:15:01]
FLOOR.I'LL LET YOU GET THE NEXT ONE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO CHARGE THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF TO PRESENT A PLAN AND THEN SOMETIME IN THE NEXT 60 DAYS ON HOW TO EXTEND THE POOL HOURS AND PROVIDE WEEKEND HOURS? POINT, POINT, POINT OF INFORMATION? I THOUGHT WE WERE INCLUDED THAT IN THE LAST, UH, WHEN YOU DID IT
THAT WAS JUST, THAT WAS JUST THE CONTRACT THAT'S ON THE CONTRACT.
AND SECOND MOTION FOR, ALRIGHT.
I'M LETTING YOU TAKE, DID YOU, SO IN THIS MOTION, WE GONNA GET THESE NUMBERS RIGHT? YEAH.
THEY GOTTA PROVIDE US NUMBERS.
THIS IS JUST TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, FORMALLY CHARGE THE CITY MANAGER AND HER STAFF TO PRESENT A PLAN BACK TO US.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR STOKES AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING UNTIL WE FINISH OUR, UH, REGULAR BUSINESS ITEMS AND OUR CLOSED SESSION? SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING THE LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UH, MOVING BACK TO OUR PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS, UH, NUMBER THREE, MR. WARD.
SO TONIGHT'S THIRD PUBLIC HEARING IS A ZONING AMENDMENT REQUEST TO ADD CHURCHES AS AN ALLOWABLE USE TO THE R ONE, A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.
THE APPLICANT FOR THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT IS THE RESTORED HOPE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE.
THE R ONE, A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT IS, UH, ENCOMPASSES PORTIONS OF WARDS FOUR, FIVE, AND SEVEN, AND IT CURRENTLY DOES NOT ALLOW CHURCHES AS AN ALLOWABLE USE, UH, TERMS OF THIS, UH, PUBLIC HEARING.
WE COMPLIED WITH ALL STATE REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF NOTIFICATION.
THIS, UH, MAP HERE SHOWS GENERALLY THE, UM, THE AREA IN BLUE, WHICH IS LIKE A NAVY BLUE, IS THE R ONE A, UH, RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT IN THE CITY.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WHEN YOU ADD A USE TO A DISTRICT, YOU ARE ADDING IT AS AN ALLOWABLE USE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT.
SO CHURCHES ARE AN ALLOWABLE USE IN ALL RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY, EXCEPT FOR R ONE AND R ONE A.
UM, AGAIN, YOU MAY REMEMBER FROM MY WORK SESSION PRESENTATION, I TRIED TO DO SOME RESEARCH ON WHY THAT IS, UH, AND REALLY WASN'T ABLE TO COME UP WITH ANY, UH, GOOD CONCLUSION.
BUT IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR, UH, QUITE A LONG TIME, QUITE A FEW DECADES.
UM, CHURCHES ARE IN ALLOWABLE USE IN ALL COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY CURRENTLY.
AND, UM, THERE'S A, UH, THE CHURCH EXISTED ON SMITHFIELD AVENUE IN R ONE A FOR MANY YEARS, BUT WITHOUT ANY ISSUE.
THERE'S ALSO, UH, AN EXISTING CHURCH, UH, IN THE R ONE A.
IT'S BAPTIST CHURCH THAT'S DOWN THE STREET FROM WHERE THE, UM, NAZARENE CHURCH WAS.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS CHURCH WAS THERE FOR QUITE A FEW DECADES AND IT BURNED DOWN IN 2019.
SO THIS IS A MAP HERE SHOWING THE LOCATION OF WHERE THE CHURCH ONCE STOOD THERE AT THE CORNER OF SHERWOOD.
AND AGAIN, THERE IS A CHURCH THAT'S CURRENTLY LOCATED AT 29 0 1 NORFOLK.
THESE ARE, UH, THE AREAS SHOWN, UH, IN THE CITY.
SO ON THE LEFT, THAT'S THE R ONE, A DISTRICT ONCE AGAIN.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, UH, ALL THE DOTS REPRESENT ALL THE AREAS IN THE CITY WHERE CHURCHES ARE PERMITTED CURRENTLY UNDER OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE.
SO STAFF REALLY SEES NO REASON, UH, TO DENY ADDING CHURCHES TO THIS PARTICULAR DISTRICT.
[01:20:01]
UH, IN FACT, WE SUPPORT APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST, UH, TO ADD CHURCHES TO SECTION A OF ARTICLE THREE DASH, A RESIDENTIAL LOW DENSITY DISTRICT AS AN ALLOWABLE USE.UM, WE DID RECEIVE ONE PUBLIC COMMENT IN FAVOR, AND THAT WAS AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S PUBLIC HEARING THAT WAS HELD ON DECEMBER 5TH.
WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY, UH, COMMENTS, UH, OPPOSING THE REQUEST.
SO PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMENDED FOUR TO ZERO AFTER THEIR PUBLIC HEARING FOR APPROVAL OF ADDING CHURCHES TO THIS DISTRICT.
UH, AND THAT WAS HELD ON DECEMBER 5TH.
ONCE AGAIN, UM, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
THE, UH, APPLICANT IS HERE THIS EVENING AS WELL, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. WARD OR THE APPLICANT? HOW WOULD THIS AFFECT THE, UM, OVERALL ZONING? YOU STATED THAT IT'LL AFFECT THE CITY OVERALL IF WE VOTE TO ACCEPT THIS APPROVED THIS, UH, REQUEST, UM, OVERALL FOR THE R ONE AND RA, THE, THE, THE RA ONE A DISTRICT, HOW WOULD IT AFFECT IF WE WERE TO ACCEPT, SO IF YOU, UH, IF YOU VOTE TO APPROVE THIS REQUEST THIS EVENING, CHURCHES WILL BECOME A BUYRIGHT USE IN THE R ONE A DISTRICT.
UM, WHICH IS, UH, ACCORDING TO THE MAP I WAS SHOWING YOU YES.
WOULD BE THAT PARTICULAR, UH, PORTION OF THE CITY.
SO, UM, WE ARE NOT SUGGESTING THAT IT WOULD BE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT USE OR ANYTHING IT WOULD BE BY.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF, I KNOW THAT, UM, I FEEL SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, CHURCHES JUST MOVING INTO A, A STRUCTURE THAT WAS FORMALLY A HOUSE SAY WOULD BE AN EXAMPLE.
UM, THAT WOULD BE A CHANGE OF USE.
SO, UM, OUR DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS WOULD KICK IN.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE OFF STREET PARKING, ALL OF THAT.
SO THE CHANCES OF A CHURCH JUST MOVING INTO A HOUSE AND CONVERTING IT TO A CHURCH ARE SLIM TO NONE.
UM, BUT THAT'S REALLY HOW THIS WOULD AFFECT THE R ONE A IS THAT IT WOULD BECOME AN ALLOWABLE BY RIGHT USE.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE WON'T HAVE, WHAT I'M NOT LOOKING FOR IS JUST CHURCHES POPPING UP ON EVERY CORNER.
UM, OR PERSONS LIKE I'VE SEEN OTHER
UM, YEAH, THE, THAT'S A LEGITIMATE CONCERN.
UM, BUT AGAIN, OUR DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, UH, BECAUSE IF, IF A HOUSE CHANGES FROM RESIDENTIAL USE TO A CHURCH OR INSTITUTIONAL USE, THAT'S WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS KICK IN.
SO THEY'D BE REQUIRED TO DEVELOP A SITE PLAN.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE OFF STREET PARKING.
IT WOULD HAVE TO BE, UM, INSPECTED BY BOTH THE FIRE MARSHAL AND THE BUILDING AND, UM, BUILDING OFFICIAL.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF EGRESS, UH, HANDICAP ACCESSIBILITY.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS WOULD HAVE, WOULD KICK IN.
AND I MEAN, HONESTLY, A HOUSE IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO ANY OF THOSE, UH, OR WHAT WAS NOR FORMALLY A HOUSE WOULD NOT BE CONDUCIVE TO THAT CHANGE IN USE.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE APPROVED IS REALLY WHAT THE END RESULT WOULD BE.
AND HOW OLD NOW THESE FOLKS ARE PROPOSING TO BUILD A NEW CHURCH.
UH, AT THE LOCATION WHERE THEIR CHURCH STOOD FOR 40 PLUS YEARS.
AND OVERALL FOR TAXATION EX UH, CHURCHES ARE EXEMPT ON REAL ESTATE TAXES? YES, MA'AM.
WILL THEY CONTINUE TO BE, THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING WILL THEY CONTINUE TO BE EXEMPT FROM REAL ESTATE TAXES? YES, MA'AM.
UH, SEEING NO OTHER LIGHTS, WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANYONE, THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? OKAY.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE REQUEST TO ADD CHURCHES TO SECTION A OF ARTICLE THREE? A RESIDENTIAL LOW DENSITY DISTRICT AS AN ALLOWABLE USE? SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNSELOR DAY, SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY, VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES.
[01:25:01]
THANK YOU.UH, PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER FOUR.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.
JANELLE ENGLISH, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE FOR BOL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, CAN WE COME TO YOU TONIGHT? UM, REQUESTING APPROVAL OF SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION AMENDING OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR BY A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $3,663,354.
UM, THIS IS DUE TO ADDITIONAL FEDERAL GRANTS, STATE GRANTS, LOCAL GRANTS AND CORRECTIONS WE NEEDED TO MAKE TO OUR BALANCES.
UM, SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION YOU APPROVED, UH, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE SCHOOL'S BUDGET BACK IN MAY, MAY 28TH, 24.
AND YOU ALSO APPROVED THE FIRST SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION ON SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2024.
UM, SINCE THEN, WE'VE RECEIVED ADDITIONAL GRANTS, AS I SAID, AND WE HAD TO ADJUST OUR CARRYOVER AMOUNTS AND ADJUST OUR, UH, CORRECT OUR BEGINNING BALANCES TO THE BUDGET.
SO THE CARRYOVER AMOUNTS WE HAD TO CORRECT WERE FOR TITLE ONE, TITLE 2, 3 4, UM, VIRGINIA, ALL IN FUNDING YEAR ROUND SCHOOLS, GRANTS SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION FUNDS, GEAR UP GRANTS, STRONGER CONNECTIONS, PERKINS GRANT CARES FUNDS, IEP GRANT, AND INDIRECT COSTS.
UM, WE DID RECEIVE SOME NEW GRANTS, WHICH WERE PROJECT HOPE TITLE ONE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT APPRENTICESHIP GRANT, APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM GRANT, THE D-B-H-D-S STATE GRANT, WHICH IS A MENTAL HEALTH GRANT OF THE SCHOOL SECURITY EQUIPMENT GRANT, AND A GRANT FROM THE CAMERON FOUNDATION.
THESE GRANTS INCREASE OUR OPERATING FUND BY $3,334,953.
UH, MOVING ON TO THE TEXTBOOK FUND, WE JUST HAD TO CORRECT OUR BEGINNING BALANCE DOWN BY $13,800.
AND THEN WE HAD TO CORRECT OUR FOOD SERVICES BEGINNING, UM, BEGINNING BALANCE.
WE HAD TO INCREASE THAT BY $342,201.
SO AFTER ALL THESE CHANGES, THE TOTAL CHANGE TO OUR BUDGET WOULD BE AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF $3,663,354.
AND, UM, IN YOUR PACKET, YOU SHOULD ALSO HAVE COPIES OF THE RE GENERAL RESOLUTIONS WHERE THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THESE GRANTS, AS WELL AS OUR BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED, ORIGINALLY APPROVED, THE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE AND THE ADJUSTED BUDGET BROKEN DOWN BY STATE, FEDERAL, OTHER SOURCES.
AND THE LAST BUDGET, THE LAST SPREADSHEET IN THERE, WHICH IS UP ON THE SCREEN NOW, IS JUST THE, UM, ORIGINAL BUDGET.
AND EACH OF OUR SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS SPLIT OUT BY FUND.
SO THE ONES HIGHLIGHTED IN ORANGE ARE THE ONES WE ARE REQUESTING APPROVAL OF TONIGHT.
UM, THE TOTAL IS IN YELLOW, AND, UM, IF THIS GOES THROUGH OUR, A VAST SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET IN TOTAL WOULD BE $78,777,548.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.
SEEING NO LIGHTS RIGHT, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? OKAY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE FY 25 HOPEWELL PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION AS PRESENTED, SO MOVE.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[REGULAR BUSINESS]
ON TO R ONE, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.I'M, I'M HAPPY TO BE BACK UP HERE.
I WILL, UH, KEEP THIS VERY BRIEF IN, IN LIGHT OF THE TIME I COME TO YOU TONIGHT, ASKING FOR THE, UM, ADOPTION OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN THAT, UH, I HAVE, UH, PRESENTED IN WORK SESSION AND THEN PRESENTED AGAIN ON JANUARY THE 14TH.
AND, UH, I'M REALLY EXCITED, UH, TO COME TO UNITE SEEKING THIS ADOPTION IN ADVANCE OF, UH, OUR FIRST, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
THAT'S GONNA BE HELD NEXT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY THE SIXTH AT 9:30 AM AT THE JOHN RANDOLPH FOUNDATION.
UH, I HAVE, UH, SENT INVITATIONS TO EACH
[01:30:01]
OF ONE OF YOU, AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN COME FOR SOME OR, OR ALL OF THE DAY, UH, TO THAT EXCITING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT.IT IS ALSO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND WE HAVE BROADCASTED THROUGH OUR, OUR MEDIA OUTLETS, UM, AND, AND FOIA SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN COME AS WELL.
I JUST, UH, WANNA REMIND THE PUBLIC TO SIGN UP IF THEY'RE COMING, IF THEY'D LIKE TO, TO EAT, UH, THE FOOD THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE.
AND BECAUSE OF THE LIMITATION OF THE ROOM, WE'RE GONNA BE CUTTING OFF, UM, THE TOTAL OCCUPANTS, UH, BECAUSE OF THE, THE CODE FOR THE ROOM.
SO THERE'S STILL SOME, SOME SPOTS AVAILABLE ABOUT 20, UH, 26 SPOTS AVAILABLE AS OF A FEW MINUTES AGO.
SO, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, IT'S IN, IT'S IN YOUR PACKAGE.
UM, MOST OF YOU HAVE READ IT, BUT I'M, I'M HERE TO ASK FOR THE ACTION, WHICH IS THE ADOPTION OF THE PLAN, UH, OR ADOPTION WITH ANY, UM, ANY CHANGES OR REVISIONS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN? SO, UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HARRIS AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? STAND? NO.
MS. JORDAN, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I'M HERE TO, TO, UM, ASK THAT YOU PASS THE RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE FOR THE PAYMENT OF TAX ON PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATIONS, TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND OTHER, OTHER THAN MACHINERY AND TOOLS.
WHEREAS CHAPTER FOUR, TWO OF THE HOPEWELL CITY CHARTER AND 15.2 1 1 0, 1 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA, THAT ALL POWER POWERS IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL AND TO BE EXERCISED BY ITS CITY COUNCIL UNLESS THE POWERS HAS OTHERWISE BEEN EXPRESSLY DELEGATED TO ANOTHER.
AND WHEREAS 58.1 39 16 OF THE CODE OF VIRGINIA PERMITS THE GOVERNING BODY TO ESTABLISH DUE DATES FOR THE PAYMENT OF LOCALS TAXES BY ORDINANCE.
AND WHEREAS ORDINANCE 2 0 0 6 DASH EIGHT PASSED BY HOPEWELL CITY COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 24TH, 2006, ESTABLISHED THE BEGINNING WITH TAX YEAR 2006 AND FOR SUBSEQUENT TAX YEARS, TAXES ACCRUING TO THE CITY FROM PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATIONS AND ON ALL TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY OF THE MACHINERY AND TOOLS SUBJECT TO TAXATION BY THE CITY SHALL ACCRUE ANNUALLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TAX YEAR ON JANUARY 1ST, AND SHALL BE PAID IN FULL TO THE CITY TREASURER NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 15TH OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
AND WHEREAS 58, I'M JUST, I'M GONNA HELP SAVE YOU SOME TIME.
UM, MR. KAYLA, I THINK YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS A COUPLE THINGS ON HERE THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA TWEAK MM-HMM
I MENTIONED THAT TO MS. JORDAN AND I THINK SHE AGREED.
IT WAS JUST ON THE FIRST PARAGRAPH.
A COUPLE OF THINGS WITH RESPECT TO, UM, THAT CHARTER AND THE CODE SECTION, BUT NOTHING SUBSTANTIVELY WITH RESPECT TO THE EXTENSION.
SO MY ONLY ASK WOULD BE THAT IF YOU APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, THAT WE JUST HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE FOR THE LEGAL CHANGES.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE PENALTY AND INTEREST EXTENSION RESOLUTION MOVE WITH THE LEGAL CHANGES FROM MR. CAS? MR. THE SECOND? YEP.
UH, MOTIONS, UH, MR. HARRIS AND SECONDED BY MS. UH, COUNCILOR STOKES.
ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
THIS IS MY THIRD TIME TO YOU, UH, PRESENTING TO YOU TONIGHT.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT IS TRIAL BY FIRE FOR THE NEW COUNCIL, BUT, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND, UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I'M HERE TONIGHT AND JOIN BY, UH, MR. GREG TRIC, IF YOU'LL STAND OVER HERE, GREG, SO THAT THEY CAN HEAR YOU ON THE MICROPHONE.
UM, SO WE WERE GONNA DO THIS, I WAS GONNA DO A PART AND HE WAS GONNA DO A PART AND I WAS GONNA COME BACK.
WE'RE GONNA STAND HERE TOGETHER FOR, FOR EFFICIENCY, AND I'M GONNA DRIVE THE, UH, THE VOTE.
SO THIS, UM, THIS PRESENTATION THAT
[01:35:01]
WE'RE GONNA MOVE EFFICIENTLY THROUGH THIS IS A PRESENTATION, UH, WHICH IS FOR A, UM, REQUESTING A RESOLUTION, UM, FOR, UH, RE UM, I'M JUST GET MY WORDS RIGHT, A REVITALIZATION AREA BE DESIGNATED BY THIS BODY FOR A PARCEL, UM, IN HOPEWELL FOR A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.AND WE'RE GONNA GET INTO THE DETAILS OF THAT, UH, HERE IN JUST A MINUTE.
JUST TO GET YOU ORIENTED ON WHAT PARCEL WE ARE WE ARE REFERRING TO.
I'M GONNA PULL UP HERE ON MY SCREEN.
SO THE PARCEL IS THIS PARCEL OUTLINED IN RED, AND I'VE GIVEN YOU A COUPLE OF, OF, UH, LANDMARKS.
SO THE MOOSE LODGE IS, IS TO PLAN NORTH AND THE FOOD LINE IS TO PLAN SOUTH.
UH, THIS PARCEL IS, UH, IS A FOUR ACRE PARCEL AND IT'S, UH, ZONED, UH, COMMERCIAL, UH, CORRIDOR.
AND, UM, SO EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS, IS APPROVED BY RIGHT IN THE ORDINANCE.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
THAT'S ANY TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, THAT WE HAVE.
AND SO THIS IS THE PARCEL THAT, UM, IS PROPOSED FOR THIS NEW MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
AND I'M GONNA ASK, UH, MR. GREG, UH, MUSTER TO, UM, GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, UH, BRIEFLY ABOUT THEIR COMPANY, THE WORD OF COOPER COMPANIES, AND THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, WHICH IS AT WELLS POINT.
SO IF YOU JUST STAND RIGHT HERE, I'LL, I'LL CHANGE THE SLIDES.
WE'LL JUST GO RIGHT THROUGH IT.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.
I'M A VICE PRESIDENT WITH WDA COOPER COMPANIES, UH, WDA COOPER COMPANIES.
WE'RE A, A INTEGRATED COMPANY WITH DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT.
UH, WE'VE BEEN AROUND FOR OVER 35 YEARS.
UM, WE OPERATE IN THE, UH, MIDWEST.
THE EAST COAST IS SOUTH AND THE MID-ATLANTIC.
WE HAVE OVER 330 AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS AND OVER 16,000 UNITS, UH, THROUGHOUT OUR PORTFOLIO.
THAT SERVICE AROUND 30, 30,000 RESIDENTS, UH, IN TOTAL, UH, ARE INVESTMENTS AROUND $1.5 BILLION, UH, IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, WE ARE LONG TERM OWNERS OF OUR PROPERTIES.
UH, SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DEVELOP SOMETHING, WE'RE BUILDING TO A HIGHER QUALITY, UH, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA OWN IT FOR THE LONG TERM.
WE'RE NOT GONNA COME IN, BUILD IT, AND THEN WE SELL THE DEVELOPMENT TO SOMEBODY ELSE.
UM, THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA, UH, WE HAVE, UH, 13 AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS STATING BACK TO 2012.
UH, WE HAVE 575 UNITS CONSTRUCTED AND AROUND 179 UNITS THAT ARE, UH, IN DEVELOPMENT OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION AT THIS TIME.
UH, WE ALSO OWN AND OPERATE FRIEDMAN POINT, UH, HERE IN HOPEWELL.
UH, TONIGHT WE'RE HERE ABOUT A NEW DEVELOPMENT CALLED WELLS POINT.
IT'S LOCATED ON COUSINS AVENUE AT, UH, OLD WOODLAWN STREET, UM, WHICH WAS DESCRIBED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
UH, WE ARE PROPOSING A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT WITH 51 UNITS, UM, OF RESIDENTIAL HOUSING AND AROUND 6,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE.
UH, WE'LL INCLUDE NINE ONE BEDROOMS, 32 BEDROOMS, AND 12 THREE BEDROOMS. UH, IN THIS DEVELOPMENT, UH, THE RENT AND INCOME WILL BE RESTRICTED, UH, THROUGH THE HOUSING TAX CREDIT PROGRAM.
AND, UH, THAT'LL BE FOR INDIVIDUALS IN HOUSEHOLDS, UH, THAT ARE EARNING, UM, 30% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, UH, UP TO 80% OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, UH, JUST FOR REFERENCE.
UM, SO UP TO THE 80% A MI WOULD BE, UH, FOR AN INDIVIDUAL AROUND $61,840, UH, FOR TWO PERSON HOUSEHOLD, UH, AROUND $70,640.
A THIRD THREE PERSON HOUSEHOLD, 79,440 AND FOUR PERSON WOULD BE AROUND EIGHT $88,240.
UM, I THINK, UH, THE SLIDE THAT WE HAVE UP NOW, AGAIN, KIND OF DESCRIBES THE LOCATION OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS LOCATED, UH, NEAR COMMERCIAL, UH, AND RESIDENTIAL USES, UH, WITH A LOT OF AMENITIES NEARBY FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PRELIMINARY SITE PLAN THAT WE HAVE PROPOSED SO FAR.
UH, YOU'LL NOTICE SOME LINES THROUGHOUT HERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF UTILITY EASEMENTS.
THERE'S A, A FLOODPLAIN THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, UH, WHICH MAY BE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT HASN'T BEEN DEVELOPED IN THE PAST.
[01:40:01]
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING COMMUNITY AMENITY WISE, UM, WE'LL HAVE A COMMUNITY ROOM, UH, ONSITE PROPERTY MANAGER WITH AN OFFICE FOR THEM, ONSITE MAINTENANCE TECH.UH, WE'LL HAVE A FITNESS CENTER, A GENERAL OFFICE, A PLAYGROUND, OUTDOOR, UH, SEATING AREA.
AND, UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'LL ALSO HAVE THE, UH, COMMERCIAL SPACE AS WELL.
WELL, UM, SO, UM, ONE THINGS I'D LIKE TO DO IS TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE, THE PROCESS HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES TAX CREDITS TO THE STATE, UH, VIRGINIA HOUSING, UH, RECEIVES THOSE TAX CREDITS.
AND THEN THEY, UM, CREATE A QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN, WHICH TALKS ABOUT HOW THEY WANT TO ALLOCATE THE TAX CREDITS TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, AND CERTAIN ATTRIBUTES THAT THEY WOULD BE LOOKING FOR.
SO THEY CREATE A SCORE SHEET TO GO ALONG WITH THE QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN OR QAP.
UH, SO OUT OF A HUNDRED POINTS YOU WOULD WANT TO SCORE A HUNDRED POINTS.
UH, IT'S A VERY COMPETITIVE PROCESS, SO WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST OTHER DEVELOPERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
ONE OF THE WAYS TO SCORE HIGHLY, UM, YOU KNOW, IS BY OBTAINING, UH, THE RESOLUTION THAT WE'RE HERE FOR TONIGHT.
UH, WE CAN GET POINTS FOR OBTAINING A, A RESOLUTION FOR DESIGNATING THIS SITE IN A REVITALIZATION AREA.
UM, WELLS POINT, YOU KNOW, IT'LL, IT'LL HELP OUT THE AREA BY DEVELOPING A VACANT PARCEL THAT, UH, HAS BEEN, UH, VACANT FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
UH, WE PLAN TO MAKE A, UH, A $20.3 MILLION INVESTMENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY IN BUILDING THIS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WOULD ADD AN ESTIMATED $54,000 IN TAXES IN REAL ESTATE TAXES TO YOUR COMMUNITY, UH, ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND OVER 10 YEARS, UH, WITH PROJECTED 3% ANNUAL INCREASE THAT AMOUNT TO OVER $600,000, UH, COMPARED TO, UH, VERY MINIMAL REAL ESTATE TAXES TODAY.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE LIKE TO HIRE LOCALLY, UH, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, AND THEN IF WE CAN'T DO THAT, WE'LL GO TO REGIONALLY AND THEN IN THE STATE.
SO WE WANT TO TRY TO KEEP THE INCOME, UH, AND, AND HIRE LOCALLY AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS WE BUILD THIS DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE BENEFIT WILL BE NOT JUST ADDING, UH, RESIDENTIAL HOUSING UNITS, BUT ALSO, UH, THE COMMERCIAL SPACE, WHICH HAS, UH, RECEIVED INTEREST WITH A HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND ALSO, UH, POTENTIAL DAYCARE PROVIDERS.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING US TONIGHT, AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UH, FIRST LINE I SAW WAS COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY, FOLLOWED BY COUNCILLOR STOKES.
ALRIGHT, SO I, I, THIS IS SAD NOTE.
I SAW 2025 ON THE, UH, TWO PROPERTIES IN CHESTER.
AND LAST TIME I SPOKE WITH ONE OF YOUR REPRESENTATIVES SUPPOSED TO BE DONE ABOUT SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
IS THAT WHAT THAT PROPERTY, THOSE PROPERTY'S NOT FINISHED.
UM, THEY ARE ABOUT TO BE, SO THEY, THEY'RE BASICALLY DONE.
WE HAVE HAD ISSUES GETTING ELECTRICAL SWITCH GEARS TO THE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH, UM, IF ANY OF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, THERE'S BEEN A BACKLOG.
UH, SO, AND THEN THE HURRICANES HIT AND THEN THOSE GOT BACKLOGGED AGAIN.
SO, UH, WE FINALLY GOTTEN THEM AT THE SITE.
SO WE ARE ABOUT READY TO, UH, OPEN UP.
I BE, I, WE MAY BE OCCUPIED ON THE FIRST PHASE OF IT OR, YOU KNOW, STARTING OCCUPANCY.
UM, BUT THAT IS, WE HAVE HAD DEFINITELY SOME DELAYS FROM COVID, UH, FROM LABOR AND UH, ALSO JUST SUPPLY ISSUES REALLY RELATED TO A LOT OF THE COVID ISSUES THAT HAD HAPPENED.
THAT'S WHAT TYPE OF THING THAT'S HAPPENING THERE.
AND THEN THE, UH, SECOND, WHAT DID YOU USED AS A BUILDER THE LAST TIME ON THIS YOU WERE SPEAKING TO THE FACT OF USING GLOBALLY? YEAH, SO, UM, WE ARE A GENERAL CONTRACTOR, SO, UH, W OF CONSTRUCTION IS WHO WAS A, UH, WAS THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR, WDA CONSTRUCTION.
UM, AND THEN WE SUBCONTRACT WITH, UM, SUBCONTRACTORS, YOU KNOW, LOCALLY OR REGIONALLY TO HELP BUILD IT.
I, I DON'T KNOW WHO THE SUBCONTRACTS ARE THAT WE USE 'CAUSE I'M ON THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE, BUT, UM, BUT YEAH.
LOAD OF CONSTRUCTION THAT IS A GC.
AND MAYOR, I HAVE, I HAVE JUST A FEW MORE STATEMENTS AFTER THIS QUESTION SESSION, UM, BEFORE THE MOTION.
UH, COUNCILLOR STOKES, UM, THIS DEVELOPMENT AND I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO RIDE OVER AND LOOK AT THE PROPOSED SITE AND IT'S NEAR THE SIGNAL ON TRAIN, TRAIN TRACKS OR NEAR THE TRAIN TRACKS.
ARE THERE ANY PROTECTIONS PUT IN PLACE FOR THE CHILDREN THAT THIS MIGHT
[01:45:01]
HAPPEN OR FAMILY DEVELOPMENT OVER BRING? SO WITH, OH, SORRY.YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE A FENCE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS, UM, NOT JUST A FENCE BECAUSE CHILDREN GONNA CLIMB UP.
THE, THE EXISTING TREE LINE THAT'S ADJACENT TO THE, UH, THE TRAIN TRACKS, UM, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE REMOVING ANY OF THE TREES THERE.
UM, ON THE ON SITE WHERE WE HAVE A PLAYGROUND, THAT'LL BE A FENCED IN PLAYGROUND AS WELL.
UM, AND SO, UH, WE HAVE A FEW OTHER DEVELOPMENTS NEAR TRAIN TRACKS.
UH, SOME A LITTLE BIT CLOSER THAN THIS, BUT WE, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY ISSUES OR INCIDENTS WITH THE TRAIN TRACKS.
UM, BUT I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN HAVING TWO KIDS OF MY OWN
FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN.
YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK INTO THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN TALK WITH OUR CONTRACTOR AND ARCHITECT TOO, UM, TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
AND SO IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU PUT, BUT WITHOUT SPECIAL HUD FINANCING, THE PROJECT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD.
SO HAVE YOU RECEIVED A SPECIAL HUD FINANCING? YEAH, IT'S, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S FEDERAL FINANCING, NOT THROUGH THROUGH HUD.
IT'S JUST THE, THE, THE GOVERNMENT, WHICH, UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO APPLY, UH, MID-MARCH OF THIS YEAR FOR THE FINANCING.
UM, SO WE'LL APPLY IN MARCH AND THEN IN JULY WE SHOULD HEAR IF WE GET THE FUNDS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT.
IF WE DO, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, AN EIGHT MONTH PROCESS TO TAKE IT FROM A, A, A CONCEPT, UH, TO GETTING BUILDING PERMITS AND GETTING READY TO CLOSE.
AND FROM THERE IT WOULD PROBABLY BE ANOTHER 10 MONTHS TO 12 MONTHS TO CONSTRUCT THE PROPERTY AND THEN OCCUPY IT.
SO YOU FEELING PRETTY CONFIDENT WITH THIS NEW, UH, FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION THAT YOU'LL BE ABLE TO YES, YES, WE DO.
THIS, THIS PROGRAM'S BEEN ALONG FOR A LONG TIME AND, UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T SEE ANY, UM, ISSUES.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THE STATES GET THE TAX CREDITS AND IS IT'S, IT'S REALLY US COMPETING WITH THESE OTHER DEVELOPERS.
SO ENSURING THAT WE HAVE A HIGH SCORE SO THAT WE CAN WIN AN ALLOCATION OF TAX CREDITS.
UH, WE FEEL THAT THIS PROPERTY IS VERY COMPETITIVE AND WOULD COMPETE WELL AGAINST OTHER DEALS THAT WOULD BE COMPETING IN THE, UH, RICHMOND MSA AREA.
WELL, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, FOLLOW YOU IN, I KNOW MOST OF YOUR IS THAT YOU JUST PUT IN I A HOUSING SPECIALIST.
AND SO EVEN RETIRED, I STILL FOLLOW PEOPLE IN THAT ARE DOING INCOME HOUSING.
I DUNNO WHY, BUT I JUST KEEP UP.
I THINK THAT YOU, WELL THINK ALSO THAT, UM, IT'S CLOSE TO THE SHOPPING CENTER.
WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT AREA OF TOWN EARLIER.
UM, AND I THINK IT WOULD IMPROVE, UH, AS FAR AS PUTTING TAXES AND PUTTING MONEY INTO OUR SYSTEM ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN COMMUNITY.
UH, COUNCILOR ELLIS AND THEN MYSELF.
UM, ON THE, UH, LOAN, YOU SAID IT'S A HUD LOAN, IS THERE? UH, I, I, SO I, I PREPARED THE CALF, WHICH, WHICH THE CALL FOR ACTION, I USED THAT TERMINOLOGY.
AND I REC, I BASICALLY, UM, MISUSED THE TERM, UH, THERE.
SO THAT'S MY ERROR AND I, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
LET'S, LET'S JUST SAY WHATEVER LOAN, UH, YOU GET, IS THERE GONNA BE ANY SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS TO THE LOAN THAT SPECIFIES THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS YOU USED AS FOR, OR, OR, OR THAT GOES IN THERE? UH, NO.
WE GET THOSE AND THEN WE SELL THOSE TO AN INVESTOR OR A SYNDICATOR, UM, WHICH, UH, GIVES US THE EQUITY TO BUILD THIS DEVELOPMENT.
SO THIS IS A, THE PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIP ASPECT WOULD MEAN THAT, UH, THOSE TAX CREDITS THAT WE RECEIVE CAN ONLY BE USED FOR DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DEVELOP ANYTHING ELSE.
AND THEN WITH THAT, THERE IS A, A MINIMUM 15 YEAR COMPLIANCE PERIOD, UM, WITH THE STATE IN WHICH, UH, WE USUALLY EXTEND THAT IT'S AN AFFORDABLE, IT'S A, AN AFFORDABLE COMMITMENT.
SO IF TO KEEP THE APARTMENTS AND THE UNITS AND THE RENTS AFFORDABLE FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS, WE EXTEND THAT OUT TO TYPICALLY 45 YEARS TOTAL.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT, AT THE END OF 15 YEARS, WE'RE NOT GOING IN CONVERTING IT TO MARKET RATE.
UH, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE HAVE, I WOULD SAY OVER A 35 YEAR HISTORY NOW, UH, A HUNDRED OF OUR PROPERTIES HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT, WHERE WE'VE GONE PAST THE 15 YEAR COMPLIANCE PERIOD.
AND WHAT WE DO IS WE GO BACK, WE REAPPLY FOR TAX CREDITS TO RENOVATE THE UNITS AND THEN KEEP THEM AGAIN FOR ANOTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
HAVE YOU, HAVE YOU BEEN IN FRIEDMAN POINT? I HAVE, YEAH.
LATELY I, I HAVE NOT LATELY, NO.
I DON'T THINK IT'S A VERY FAVORABLE PLACE.
[01:50:01]
FOR A LOT OF THE CITIZENS.AND I'M, THAT DOES NOT TURN ME ON AS FAR AS WITH FREEMAN POINT.
UM, AND JUST ME PERSONALLY, I'M JUST SPEAKING FOR MYSELF.
UM, I'M NOT READY TO HAVE ANOTHER FREEMAN POINT, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT'S WHY I HAD THESE COUPLE OF QUESTIONS OR WHATEVER.
UH, THAT, THAT PARTICULAR PLACE IS ON, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AND, UM, OUTSIDE.
I, I KNOW WE HAVE CHANGED OUR, OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM THERE RECENTLY.
UM, AND WE HAVE A NEW TEAM IN PLACE AND THEY'VE BEEN, UH, DOING A LOT OF WORK THERE.
UM, SO I, I'M NOT SURE THE CONDITION I, I CAME IN TODAY, I WAS GONNA DRIVE BY AND OKAY.
WELL, I, IT WAS JUST A QUESTION I, I DIDN'T KNOW, COULD I, COULD I RESPOND TO THAT? SURE.
IN PREPARATION FOR THIS MEETING, UH, CHIEF RUPERT AND MYSELF, UH, TOWARD THE PROPERTY TODAY MM-HMM
WALKED THE PROPERTY TODAY AND, UM, HE, UH, REMARKED THAT IT WAS IN, IN MUCH, MUCH BETTER CONDITION THAN IT HAD BEEN IN THE PAST.
WE ACTUALLY SAW SEVERAL MAINTENANCE PEOPLE WHO WERE DOING WORK FRESHLY PAINTED ALL THE CORRIDORS.
UH, THERE WAS A COUPLE LITTLE AREAS THAT HAD ISSUES.
UM, BUT, UH, HE, HE EX YOU KNOW, REMARKED THAT IT WAS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT HAD BEEN IN, IN YEARS PAST BEFORE THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY UH, CHANGED OR THE MANAGER CHANGED MANAGER.
AND, AND IF THERE'S ISSUES OR IF YOU'RE NOTICING THINGS, I CAN GIVE YOU MY CONTACT INFORMATION TOO.
IT WAS, I WORK WITH THE OWNERS, SO IF, IF IT'S NOT UP TO WHAT YOU BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE, I WANT TO RESOLVE THAT.
I, I, I HAVE A VISION MYSELF AS A COUNSELOR ON WHAT THAT CORRIDOR OUT THERE IS MY VISION THAT I, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I'M REALLY HOPING FOR COMES UP, I, I HAVE QUESTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, MY VISION OF ANOTHER FREEMAN POINT OR ANOTHER HOTEL OR SOMETHING OUT THERE IS JUST NOT MY PERSONAL VISION.
IT MIGHT BE THE SIX MORE OVER HERE.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY REASON WHY I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS.
AND, AND I KNOW TOO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND EVERYONE MAKE SURE ELEVATIONS WILL BE, IT'LL BE DIFFERENT THAN FRIEDMAN 0.2.
UM, SO I BELIEVE THE LOOK WILL BE DIFFERENT, ESPECIALLY WITH COMMERCIAL ON THE FIRST FLOOR AS WELL.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A COMMERCIAL TENANT, THERE'S EVEN MORE UPKEEP THAT WE'RE DOING BECAUSE THAT'S A VERY VALUABLE TENANT TO HAVE.
WELL, UH, BECAUSE THEY SERVICE THE COMMUNITY WITH MULTI-STORY DEALS COMES OTHER REQUESTS FROM OTHER AGENCIES.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE MULTI-STORY AND YOU KEEP MULTI-STORY STUFF.
IT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU'RE GONNA EVENTUALLY BE ASKED FOR OTHER THINGS IN THE CITY FROM OTHER PEOPLE.
AND, UM, IT, IT BECOMES THAT TOO.
SO THAT'S, I'M JUST LOOKING AHEAD ON WHAT IT'S GONNA BE AND WHAT CAN BE DOWN THE ROAD MM-HMM
ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ASKED TO SUPPLY, UH, PEOPLE WITH.
UM, GOT MYSELF AND THEN COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.
UM, SO LAST WEEK WE HAD A, UH, REALLY GOOD PRESENTATION BY OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND, UH, DAVENPORT INVESTMENTS, UH, WHO ARE FINANCIAL ADVISORS.
AND THEY DID A DIAGNOSTIC RUN, UH, FOR THE CITY ON, UH, OUR BOND RATING AND SHOWCASED, YOU KNOW, WHAT DIFFERENT ECONOMIC FACTORS ARE GOING ON IN THE CITY AREAS THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE UPON AND AREAS THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE DOING REALLY WELL ON.
AND ONE OF THE FOCUS AREAS, UM, OR AREAS THAT WE COULD IMPROVE UPON IS, YOU KNOW, RAISING UP THE MEETING INCOME HERE FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THAT OTHER LOCALITIES ARE DOING THINGS WHERE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, 80 TO 90% ARE MARKET RATE APARTMENTS AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER 10 ARE FOR MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO SEE IS SOMETHING LIKE THAT DONE BECAUSE I THINK THAT ONE, YES, YOU'RE PUTTING A GREAT INVESTMENT INTO THE CITY THAT HELPS US, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE OVERALL QUOTE VALUE OF THE CITY WHEN IT COMES TO THAT ASSESSMENT.
BUT WE NEED TO WORK ON THAT MEDIAN INCOME THAT'S PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, I I'D SAY PROBABLY WEAKEST IF NOT IN THE BOTTOM THREE WEAKEST AREAS THAT THE CITY IS REALLY HAVING.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, ARE WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, COMMIT TO, YOU KNOW, A 90 10 SPLIT OR YOU KNOW, AN 80 20, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING MORE THAT, YOU KNOW, I CAN GET, YOU KNOW, ON BOARD WITH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER LOCALITIES ARE DOING.
BUT TO DO A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA MOVE THAT NEEDLE UP AND WE WON'T BE ABLE, ONCE WE GET OUR BOND RATING BACK, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO BORROW MONEY AT LOWER INTEREST RATE OUR DEBT SERVICE, YOU KNOW, WE WILL, YOU KNOW, BE HIGHER.
WHICH MEANS IF WE DON'T HAVE ECONOMIC GROWTH, THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO INCREASE TAXES TO PAY FOR, YOU KNOW, THE DEBT SERVICE.
SO WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO DO, YOU KNOW, A 90 10, 80 20 SPLIT
[01:55:01]
THAT I'D HAVE TO TALK TO MY UNDERWRITER ABOUT TO SEE IF THAT WOULD BE FEASIBLE? MM-HMMUM, I, I KNOW THAT WE WOULD PREFER TO DO A HUNDRED PERCENT.
UM, I BELIEVE IN MY UNDERSTANDING, THE AREA MEETING INCOME, UH, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A, FOR A FOUR PERSON HOUSEHOLD IS AROUND $110,000.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING UNITS UP TO 88, UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS, UM, THAT THERE'S A WIDE RANGE OF, OF INCOMES THAT WE CAN SERVICE AT THIS DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND SO IT'S, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF, YOU'RE ALMOST UP THERE TO THE MARKET RATE LEVELS FOR INCOME WISE.
YOU'RE PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, THAT $30,000 AWAY FROM THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME.
BUT THAT, THAT'S, BUT THE NUMBERS THAT YOU, YOU KNOW, PRESENTED OR, YOU KNOW, EARLIER, THEY'RE NOT REFLECTED OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, RISE TO YEAH.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD NEED TO TALK TO MY UNDERWRITER ABOUT.
UM, UH, I WOULD PREFER IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, KEEP IT AS AFFORDABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WHEN WE HAVE TO ADD IN THE MARKET RATE ASPECT TO IT, UM, WHICH IN, IN THE AFFORDABLE REALM IN WHAT WE'RE DOING AND OUR COMPETITORS, UM, REALLY THEY'RE ALL HUN THEY'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW WE GET OUR MONEY TO BUILD OUR DEVELOPMENTS AND, UM, FOR WHEN WE'RE ADDING IN UNITS THAT AREN'T AFFORDABLE, UH, WE HAVE TO FIND OTHER FINANCIAL SOURCES TO BASICALLY FINANCE AND BUILD THOSE UNITS AS THAT'S NOT COVERED UNDER THE TAX CREDIT CREDITS WE GET.
I MEAN, ME PERSONALLY, I MEAN, I, AGAIN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR ALL OF COUNCIL, BUT I WOULD, YOU KNOW, RATHER YOU GO BACK AND TALK, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR FOLKS AND SEE IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN PRESENT TO US.
BECAUSE IF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT OF OUR WAY TO, YOU KNOW, DECLARE THIS FOR YOU TO MAKE YOUR APPLICATION MORE COMPETITIVE, I THINK THAT YOU SHOULD, YOU KNOW, COME TO US WITH SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN REALLY, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY LIFT ALL THE TIDES, UH, FOR US ECONOMICALLY.
AND I GUESS INSTEAD OF LIKE THE 90, YOU KNOW, 10 OR, YOU KNOW, IS SOMETHING ADDING IN ONE OR TWO UNITS, IS THAT SOMETHING MORE FEASIBLE? UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN GET VERY MANY MORE THAN THAT.
I MEAN, I, I WOULD LIKE TO, I MEAN, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, GO TALK WITH YOUR FOLKS AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO.
YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M WHAT THE AREAS THAT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IS, YOU KNOW, 90 10, 80 20, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT OTHER LOCALITIES, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE SEEN DO, UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT AND YOU'RE ABLE TO INCREASE IT UP SOME, I'D STILL LIKE TO SEE THAT.
BUT I MEAN, AGAIN, A A HUNDRED PERCENT, I, I JUST, I, I JUST, I THINK IT'S GONNA END UP, YOU KNOW, NOT HELPING US IN THE LONG TERM.
UH, COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY, UH, I, I, THIS THING IS
I DEFINITELY GO FOR, UH, WE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SCALE, SOME, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COUNSELORS RESPECTFULLY THAT HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE ME, UH, MOSTLY ALL MAKE OR HAVE INCOME WAS PROBABLY SIX FIGURES AND MORE COME FROM A MORE WEALTHY BACKGROUND, UH, THAN I HAVE OR MY CONSTITUENTS HAVE, UH, PROBABLY REPRESENTED HERE TONIGHT.
UH, THAT'S NOT, UH, REPRESENTED HERE TONIGHT, BUT BY ME.
SO I'M GONNA SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF.
UH, I, I THINK THAT THIS BILL IS SOMETHING NECESSARY WHEN, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESPECTFULLY WHAT THE MAYOR SPOKE ON TONIGHT ABOUT, UM, HAVING THIS, UH, INCOME HERE, THERE ARE ALREADY PEOPLE HERE, UM, THAT NEED AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE THAT'S JUST GOING TO COME INTO THE CITY, BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE, UM, IN OUR CITY RIGHT NOW THAT IS IN DIRE NEED OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO JUST PUSH PEOPLE OUTTA THE CITY BECAUSE OF THAT SPACE.
UM, BUT THEY'RE NEEDING THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
UM, STRUCTURALLY, UH, IT, IT IS GROTESQUE TO ME.
AND I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS WHEN YOU COME FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF KNOWING THE NEEDS OF OUR CITY, UM, TO SPEAK FROM ONLY A WEALTHY MINDSET TO SAY, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU'RE NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC HOUSING OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, THERE, THERE'S NUMBERS THAT SUPPORT THE SIMPLE FACT THAT YOU'RE, YOU HAVE RENTAL AGENCIES NOW ASKING FOR THREE TIMES THE INCOME WITH, YOU KNOW, I, I LOOKED AND, AND RESEARCHED INFORMATION THAT THE REQUEST FOR A LOT OF RENTAL PROPERTIES NOW HAVE MORE, UM, UM, QUALIFICATION ASK THAN IT IS TO PURCHASE A HOME NOW.
IT FORCES AND DRIVES PEOPLE OUT OF OUR CITY THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME TALKING ABOUT A TAX BASE WE INCREASE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
UM, AND THE CITY MANAGER CAN CORRECT ME IF MY NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE OFF, BUT WE REQUESTED FOR A HIGHER RAISE IN TAX TAXES LAST YEAR WHEN THE YEAR BEFORE
[02:00:01]
LAST, UH, THE ASSESSMENT VALUE OF PROPERTY HAD ALREADY GONE UP IN VIRGINIA, WHICH BASICALLY BACK DOOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAD IN OUR CITY.AND THERE WERE COUNSELORS SCREAMING OUT, HEY, WE HAVE TO RAISE THE TAXES 'CAUSE WE NEED MORE MONEY.
UM, AND WE ARE UNDER BUDGET AND SO FORTH AND SO ON.
WHEN WE LEFT OUT WITH A SURPLUS, I WOULD THINK OF LIKE $7 MILLION.
PEOPLE SUPPORT WHAT THEY WANT TO SUPPORT AND DON'T SUPPORT WHAT THEY DON'T WANT TO SUPPORT.
IT IS A NEED AND HOPE WELL, UH, FOR THIS TYPE OF COMMUNITY.
AND I WOULD HOPE, UM, THAT COUNSELORS WOULD NOT JUST THINK ABOUT THEIR OWN PERSONAL BACKGROUND.
I AM ALL HERE FOR THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT OF HOPEWELL.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO KICK THOSE OUT AS WE WELCOME SOME IN, THERE'S PLENTY OF SPACE.
UM, AS, UH, COUNSELOR ELLIS HAS SPOKE ABOUT, UH, IN, IN, IN, UH, CLOSED SESSION, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, A LOT MORE SPACE IN THAT AREA WHERE YOU'RE CHOOSING TO BUILD WHERE OTHER TYPE OF HOUSING COMMUNITY CAN COME.
BUT I THINK THE MIX WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
THESE ARE NOT, AGAIN, PUBLIC HOUSING WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING THERE WITH NO INCOME, BUT OF MINIMUM INCOME.
YOU SAID AT LEAST ABOUT 30% LESS, UM, LESS THAN BEFORE.
SO I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THAT.
UM, UH, IT IS ALREADY, UH, THE, THE NEWER COUNSELOR, UH, COUNCIL ELLIS WASN'T HERE DURING THE LAST PRESENTATION.
UM, BUT WHEN, UH, YOUR, YOUR COMPANY ALREADY CAME IN AND SPOKE TO THE FACT OF ALL OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAD HAPPENED, UM, LAST YEAR, UH, WITHIN ABOUT A YEAR'S TIME WITH FREEMAN POINT, UM, INCLUDING TAKING OUT CARPET, CHANGING THE FLOOR AROUND, ADDING MORE CAMERAS TO THAT PROPERTY, GETTING, GETTING RID OF ALL ISSUES.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE SHOULD WELCOME IN THIS CITY, THOSE TYPE OF LANDLORDS.
SOMEBODY LIKE YOU SAID, THAT HAS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENTS UNDER THEM LONG-TERM PEOPLE WHO COME IN WITH SAFETY IN MIND.
Y'ALL PUT CAMERAS, UM, ADDITIONALLY IN FRIEDMAN POINT.
UM, THAT WAS DEFINITELY TO A PLUS.
AND, UM, IT'S NOT, I I, I DIDN'T HEAR ANY STATISTICS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ANY ISSUE HAPPENING THERE OTHER THAN PEOPLE UNFORTUNATELY NOT BEING ABLE TO BE BLESSED WITH AS A TRUST BOND BABY, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MOVE INTO THAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
AND, AND I THINK TOO WITH, WITH OUR DEVELOPMENT AARON MAYBE TOO ZONING WISE, UM, YOU KNOW, ARE WE AT, ARE WE KIND OF CAPPED AT THAT 51 UNITS RIGHT NOW, DO YOU KNOW, WITH THE DENSITY? UM, NOT NECESSARILY.
THE, THE CAP THAT BROUGHT US TO 51 WAS, WAS REALLY THE, THE AMOUNT OF TAX CREDITS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET ON A SINGLE DEVELOPMENT IS REALLY LIMITING FACTOR FOR, FOR THAT UNIT COUNT.
SO IT, I I THINK IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE REALLY HARD TO ADD IN THE MARKET RATE ASPECT OF IT WITH THOSE UNITS AT THIS TIME.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A WAY TO DO IT, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO FIND OUT.
BUT I KNOW THAT THE AMOUNT OF CREDITS WE CAN GET, EVEN JUST FOR THE 51 UNITS MM-HMM
UH, YOU KNOW, IN THE TAX CREDITS, WE'D BE LIMITED, UM, AT THAT DEVELOPMENT.
AND IF WE WERE TO ADD IN MARKET RATE AND REDUCE OUR, OUR LITECH UNITS, UM, THEN THE DEAL REALLY ISN'T FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO BUILD THE, THE EXTRA UNITS FOR THE MARKET RATE.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO CONSTRICTED WITH THE SIZE OF OUR SITE TOO.
UM, JUST IN REGARDS TO THE FLOODPLAIN THAT SURROUNDS IT, WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF, UH, UTILITY EASEMENTS AND THEN THE RAILROAD EASEMENT, UH, AS WELL.
AND THAT REALLY LIMITS HOW MUCH YOU CAN DEVELOP ON THIS SITE, WHICH MAY BE ONE OF THE REASONS IT HASN'T BEEN DEVELOPED IN THE PAST.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT'S VERY LIMITED TO WHAT THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE WOULD BE.
UM, AND, AND WE BELIEVE THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, BEEN A NEED FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE WILLING TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS TO, YOU KNOW, UH, BUILD A HIGH QUALITY DEVELOPMENT.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO, UH, CHARGE THE LOAD A GROUP AND STAFF TO PRESENT A REVISED PLAN WITH A SPLIT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MARKET RATE, UM, PR RATIO AND BRING IT BACK TO COUNSEL FOR CONSIDERATION? SO, MOVE.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY? YES.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR WHAT, UH, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I ASKED FOR JUST, I ASKED FOR JUST ANOTHER COMMENT BEFORE THE MOTION WAS MADE POSSIBLE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNSEL UNDERSTOOD WHAT THE ASK WAS TONIGHT VERY CLEARLY.
SO THE, THE ASK THAT THE VOTER GROUP IS ASKING IS FOR THE DESIGNATION OF THIS PARCEL AS A REVITALIZATION AREA.
AND, AND THAT'S THE ONLY THING BASED ON THE VIRGINIA CODE SECTION HERE, THIS DOES NOT MAKE THE PROJECT GO FORWARD OR NOT GO FORWARD.
[02:05:01]
SO, SO BASICALLY, IF YOU DON'T DO THIS, UH, IT DOESN'T MATTER FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THEY'RE STILL GOING TO PROCEED WITH THE, WITH THE, THE APPLICATION AND EVERYTHING.RIGHT? WHAT THIS IS, IS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE THAT IT WOULD CHANGE THE ASK, UH, ARE THE POINTS.
SO I JUST, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING IS A BUY RIGHT DEVELOPMENT.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
UH, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL, THERE'S NO SPECIAL EXCEPTION HERE.
RIGHT? SO THE, SO THE, THE, THE STATEMENT IS, AND WHAT YOUR ACTIONS ARE, WHETHER OR NOT YOU, YOU HELP WITH THOSE FEW EXTRA POINTS OR NOT, THAT, THAT'S REALLY THE, AND, AND, AND I JUST WANNA SAY, AS THE DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC AND TOURISM, I WANNA SAY WHY I PERSONALLY SUPPORT THE PROJECT AND ASK THAT YOU DO THIS, WHETHER, WHATEVER MO WHATEVER THE MOTION IS, I JUST WANT TO GET THAT OUT THERE.
SO MY POSITION IS SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS PARCEL FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF TRYING TO GET IT.
THE OWNER CALLED ME A YEAR AND A HALF AGO AND SAID, I WANT TO PUT THIS ALL IN A CONSERVATION EASEMENT.
I CAN NO LONGER CONTINUE TO PAY TAXES ON THIS PROPERTY.
I WANT TO PUT IT ON A CONSERVATION EASEMENT BECAUSE THAT WAY, UM, I'M NOT, FOR 30 YEARS I'VE BEEN PAYING TAXES ON THIS PROPERTY.
AND I SAID, LET ME TRY TO HELP YOU FIND SOMEBODY THAT CAN BUILD SOMETHING THERE THAT WILL ADD VALUE.
SO I SEE THIS AS A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT THAT GIVES ME 6,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL.
I'VE ALREADY GOT A DAYCARE CENTER OPERATOR THAT WANTS TO BUILD A DAYCARE CENTER THERE FOR, UM, FAMILIES OF FORT GREG ADAMS. I SEE IT AS ESSENTIALLY PROBABLY THE ONLY THING THAT CAN GO THERE BECAUSE THE DEED RESTRICTION FOR THE HOTEL THAT WAS PUT ON WHEN THE OWNER SOLD THE ADJACENT PROPERTY TO CANDLEWOOD SUITES.
AND I SEE IT GETTING RID OF 51 SLUMLORDS IN HOPEWELL.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR 51 FAMILIES TO MOVE OUT OF THIS DECREPIT HOUSING THAT IS JUST NOT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, AND GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO STAY IN, IN HOPEWELL.
AND THAT OPENS UP ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO DO REDEVELOPMENT IN SOME OF OUR OTHER AREAS.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY I SUPPORT THE PROJECT.
UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, MY SON JUST GOT MARRIED IN OCTOBER AND HE WORKS FOR ATLANTIC CONSTRUCTORS INCORPORATED.
AND HIM AND HIS, UH, HIS NEW, UH, YOU KNOW, BRIDE, THEY QUALIFY, YOU KNOW, TO BASICALLY HAVE A A ONE BEDROOM, A APARTMENT HERE.
SO FOR THESE REASONS, I SUPPORT THIS, THIS, WHICH IS UNPOPULAR AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I SHOULD SAY.
I JUST WANT ESSENTIALLY ALL BUILDINGS AND BUSINESSES MOVE ALL THE PEOPLE OUT AND LET'S JUST GET BUSINESSES IN HERE.
BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME LOGICAL REASONS TO THINK ABOUT IT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU WERE WELL-INFORMED ON WHAT THE ASK WAS FOR TONIGHT AND WHAT THE IMPACT OF IT WAS.
WHAT, WHAT WAS THE MOTION? OH, THE MOTION IS TO CHARGE THE WODA GROUP AND STAFF TO PRESENT A REVISED PLAN WITH A SPLIT OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND MARKET RATE, UH, PERCENTAGE.
AND TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR FUTURE CONSIDERATION.
COULD I ASK A QUESTION? ARE WE LEGALLY ABLE TO, UH, REQUIRE AN OUTSIDE AGENCY TO BRING US SOMETHING BACK OTHER THAN THEIR, UH, VOLUNTEERED? UH, THEY CAN, THEY CAN NOT BRING YOU SOMETHING BACK.
AND IF YOU PASS THE MOTION AND THEY DON'T BRING YOU SOMETHING BACK, THEN THERE'S NOTHING FOR YOU TO VOTE ON.
SO, SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S UNNECESSARY 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT THE DEPARTMENT THAT WE'RE, HE, HE ALREADY SAID THAT HE WOULD BRING, YOU KNOW, HE WOULD GO TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT, BUT I DON'T SEE WHY THIS MOTION WOULD BE NECESSARY THAT WE DEMAND ANYBODY.
WE CAN'T DEMAND AN OUTSIDE ENTITY THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
WELL, YEAH, ASKING, I MEAN, IF THEY WANT THE EXTRA FEW POINTS AND WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE WANT, IT BEHOOVES THEM TO COME TO US.
THOSE POINTS DON'T WORK FOR, FOR THE TYPE OF GRANT REQUESTS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
WE'RE ASKING FOR, UM, IT'LL GIVE US FIVE EXTRA POINTS WOULD HELP, WHICH WOULD HELP MAKE US MORE, NO, IT'S TALKING ABOUT FIVE EXTRA POINTS.
WOULD THOSE FIVE EXTRA POINTS STILL BE GAINED? WOULD, UH, 80 20? WOULD THEY, UM, THE ISSUE, IT, IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
SO IT WOULD COUNT FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SIDE, BUT THE MARKET RATE SIDE, REALLY, IT WOULDN'T BE IMPACTED BECAUSE WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO FINANCE THAT SIDE OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT WOULD BE, I GUESS I, I GUESS I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, I DON'T KNOW IF, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO CHANGE, LIKE IF, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO VOTE TONIGHT ON THE KEEPING IT A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE? I JUST DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA BE FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE FOR US TO ADD IN 10, UH, MARKET RATE DEVELOPMENTS HERE AND,
[02:10:01]
AND REALLY WE WOULD JUST BE ASKING FOR A VOTE ON THE REVITALIZATION.I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT IT, IT'S REALLY NOT GONNA WORK OUT FOR US.
UM, BUT I MEAN, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT BETTER OFF, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO COME BACK AND BRING SOMETHING TO US.
UM, I, I WOULD REQUEST IF YOU COULD VOTE ON IT, UM, I, I JUST, I'M, I'M 99% SURE WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO MAKE IT WORK WITH THE MARKET RATE COMPONENT KNOWING, UM, EVERYTHING I DO ABOUT THE TAX CREDIT AND THE FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY OF ALSO BUILDING MARKET RATE UNITS, BECAUSE WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE FINANCING FOR THAT ASPECT OF IT.
YOU TALKING ABOUT
I'M TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT THE MAYOR'S MOTION IS TO YOU.
IS IT A DEAL BREAKER FOR HIM TO THE MOTION THAT HE IS MAKING IF HIS PASSED? IS THAT A DEAL BREAKER FOR WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE SAYING? IT, IT, IT IS.
I MEAN, IN ALL OF OUR VIRGINIA DEVELOPMENTS, WE DON'T HAVE MARKET RATE HOUSING, UM, INCLUDED IN THOSE DEVELOPMENTS.
UH, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A FINANCIAL SOURCE TO PAY FOR THOSE UNITS.
UM, THE, THE TAX CREDITS THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR, WERE A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE.
WHEN WE GET THE TAX CREDITS AND WE SELL 'EM TO THE INVESTORS, THAT GIVES US THE MONEY THEN TO BILL, UH, THE, THE, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
SO ARE YOU SAYING THAT IN THE, IN YOUR VIRGINIA PROPERTIES, WHAT HE'S ASKING FOR YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IS 'CAUSE IT'S AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH, WITH OUR COMPANY, I MEAN, AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR COMPETITORS ARE BUILDING A HUNDRED PERCENT AFFORDABLE, UNLESS THEY'RE UP IN LIKE NORTHERN VIRGINIA WHERE THEY HAVE REALLY, REALLY HIGH RENTS.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HIGHEST RENTS YOU CAN GET IN THE NATION.
SO THEY'LL ADD IN DIFFERENT COMPONENTS, UM, BECAUSE OF ALSO SOME OF THE EXTRA GRANTS THAT THEY GET IN THOSE AREAS, THEY MAY REQUIRE IT AS WELL.
UM, BUT IN, UH, THE REST OF THE STATE, WHEN WE'RE BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, WE AREN'T INCLUDING MARKET RATE HOUSING.
I THINK IT, IT, IT, IT SEEM A BIT DISCRIMINATORY, YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT HOPEWELL HAS A NEED, AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PUSH AGAINST SOMETHING THAT OUR CITIZENS HERE NEED, YOU KNOW, WHETHER LOW INCOME, HIGH INCOME, WE ALL PAY TAX DOLLARS.
AND I, I JUST THINK IT'S SAD BUT RIDICULOUS, YOU KNOW, MATTER.
WELL, YOU ARE ASKING FOR A REVITALIZATION, NOT EVEN ASKING FOR THE APPROVAL IS YOU COULD GO FORWARD WITH OR WITHOUT THIS.
YEAH, WE'RE, THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR TONIGHT IS JUST A RESOLUTION TO DESIGNATE THIS SITE IN A REVITALIZATION AREA.
I LIKE WHEN THESE TYPE OF TOPICS COME UP, IT GIVES THE PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HOW PEOPLE REALLY FEEL ABOUT IT.
I THINK IT, AND ALSO SHOWCASES A PEOPLE THAT HAVE ANY FORESIGHT INTO THE FUTURE ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
WHAT'S THE MOTION? COUNCILOR DAY? THE MOTION IS, UH, THE, UH, MOTION THAT I CALLED FOR, WHICH WAS TO CHARGE THEM TO DO THE, UH, SPLIT AND BRING SOMETHING BACK TO COUNCIL COUNCILOR DAY? YES.
WELL, YOU KNOW, AS PROMISED, YOU KNOW, I'LL PUT YOUR MOTION UP FOR A VOTE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO PRESENT THE RESOLUTION OF, TO ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED? SO MOVED.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR STOKES.
AND CAN YOU ROLL CALL? PLEASE CAN ASK FOR A DISCUSSION.
YOU'VE ALREADY TALKED, UH, OVER THREE TIMES ON THIS SUBJECT.
YEAH, BUT THIS IS A DIFFERENT, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S ON THE SUBJECT.
ON THE ORDER ON THIS SUBJECT, IS THERE LIABLE DISCUSSION ON THIS VOTE? YEAH, I THINK YOU'RE ENTITLED TO DISCUSS MOTION BY MOTION.
QUITE DISGUSTING ON THE MOTION.
UM, COULD YOU REITERATE FOR, UH, THE AUDIENCE AND PEOPLE? AND SO IT CAN GO ON RECORD.
THE ACTUAL, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THE REQUEST TONIGHT FOR THIS RESOLUTION, PLEASE.
IT'S REQUESTING THE PURPOSE OF, UH, ASKING FOR THE REVITALIZATION.
THE RESOLUTION THAT'S IN YOUR PACKET THAT YOU'RE VOTING ON NOW IS WHERE A CITY COUNCIL HAS THE AUTHORITY UNDER THE VIRGINIA CODE TO DESIGNATE THIS PARCEL AS A REVITALIZATION AREA, WHICH IS SU UH, WOULD SUPPORT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT AND OTHER, AND OTHER PROJECTS ON THIS PARCEL.
BUT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IT FOR THIS, IT ONLY
[02:15:01]
AFFECTS THIS PARCEL, NO OTHER PARCELS, UH, WITH THIS, UH, RESOLUTION.SO IF WE VOTE TO MAKE THIS A REVITALIZATION AREA MM-HMM
THAT MEAN THAT WE WON'T DEAL WITH WATER, RIGHT? NO, NO.
ALL THAT DOES IS IT, IT GIVES LOAD OF FIVE MORE POINTS TOWARDS THEIR A HUNDRED POINTS OF THE APPLICATION THEY SUBMIT.
BUT WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING FOR US, RIGHT? AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE ASK THEM TO DO, TO COME BACK WITH A BETTER FIGURE.
AND THEY SAID THAT WON'T BE BENEFICIAL FOR THEM.
WELL, THE TWO, THE TWO ARE IN THE, THE TWO ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE.
THE REVITALIZATION AREA WE DESIGNATE WODA COULD RIDE OFF INTO THE SUNSET.
IT'S STILL, IT'S STILL DESIGNATED REVITALIZATION AREA.
RIGHT? UM, SOMEONE ELSE COULD COME ALONG AND TRY SOMETHING ELSE AND, AND RE REAP THE BENEFITS OF THAT.
UM, SO IT'S JUST A DESIGNATION THAT ENABLES THEM, THEY ALREADY HAVE POINTS BECAUSE OF THE CENSUS TRACT THAT'S THERE.
THIS JUST GIVES THEM A FEW ACTUAL, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS SAYS? THIS SAYS, CITY COUNCIL RECOGNIZES THAT WITHOUT THIS ACTION, THE PARCELS JUST GONNA DO WHAT IT'S DONE FOR 30 YEARS, WHICH IS JUST SIT THERE AT, YOU KNOW, AND GIVE US ABOUT $6,000 A YEAR IN TAX REVENUE IN PER, UH, YOU KNOW, REAL ESTATE TAX REVENUE.
I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE GOING TO MAKE VOTE TO MAKE OR NOT MAKE THIS REVITALIZATION AREA RIGHT, THAT'S ONE THING.
WHETHER OR NOT THEY GONNA DO ANY DEVELOPMENT ON IT IS SOMETHING ELSE.
THEY CAN USE YOUR ACTION TONIGHT TO SUPPORT THEIR APPLICATION AND GET FIVE MORE POINTS.
SO LET'S SAY THEY COULD ACHIEVE ALL THE POINTS THEY COULD GET TO 95 WITHOUT 95 OUT A HUNDRED.
IF WE DON'T GIVE 'EM THIS ACTION, THEY COULDN'T GET A HUNDRED OUT OF A HUNDRED.
I'M JUST USING HYPOTHETICAL NUMBERS, RIGHT? SO THAT, BUT THAT, THAT'S, AND, AND, AND THE FUNDING IS DIVVIED UP BASED ON OTHER, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE SUBMITTING OR OTHER DEVELOPERS ARE SUBMITTING TO BUILD STUFF TOO.
SO THEY MAY NOT GET IT ANYWAY.
SOME OF 'EM MAY HAVE A MORE, A, A BETTER PROPOSAL IN PETERSBURG OR COLONIAL HEIGHTS OR, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND, AND SO WE HAVE BASICALLY ONE TIME A YEAR THAT WE CAN APPLY FOR TAX CREDITS IN MARCH.
UM, AND SO WE TRY TO MAKE OUR APPLICATION AS COMPETITIVE AS POSSIBLE, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, SEEK A REVITALIZATION RESOLUTION TONIGHT.
UM, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THAT, YES, WE'RE GONNA STILL SUBMIT OUR APPLICATION.
UM, OR COULD SOMEONE ELSE SCORE HIGHER BECAUSE RICHMOND OR, UH, SOME OTHER, UH, CITY PROVIDED THEM WITH THE FIVE POINTS THAT THEY WOULD THEN SCORE FIVE POINTS HIGHER AND THEY WOULD GET THE MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A A $20.3 MILLION INVESTMENT, RIGHT? TO BUILD THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO BRING HOUSING, TO BRING JOBS TO THE AREA, RIGHT? AND I'M, HEY, I, I'VE BEEN IN FAVOR THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, BUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE HAD, THIS COUNCIL RIGHT HERE IS NOT IN FAVOR OF THE FIFTIES THAT YOU PRESENTING.
SO IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE YOU, LIKE YOU SAY, YOU GOING OFF INTO THE SUNSET,
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT IN REGARDS TO THE REVITALIZATION, RIGHT? I'M FOR THAT, I'M FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT WHAT HAS BEEN ASKED YOU CAN'T PROVIDE.
WHICH IS WHY I ASKED FOR THE, FOR ANOTHER VOTE, OKAY? MM-HMM
VICE MAYOR, UH, CHIEF, I'M SORRY, I WAS COUNCILOR STOKES AND THEN VICE MAYOR JOINER.
MAY BE POINT OF ORDER QUESTION FOR MAYOR.
HOW DOES THIS FIRST VOTE THAT YOU JUST PUT FORWARD ASKING THEM TO BRING SOMETHING BACK TO YOU AFFECT THIS SECOND VOTE? NOTHING.
IT DOESN'T, WHAT'S THE EFFECT ON THE SECOND VOTE? IT DOESN'T JUST REQUESTED IT, AND ALL I DID WAS JUST REQUEST INFORMATION.
RIGHT? I MEAN, THEY DEAL WITH IT WHAT THEY WANT.
SO IT DOESN'T AFFECT HIS REQUEST FOR IF HE WANTS REVITALIZATION, THEY CAN GO, THEY CAN GO FOR IT.
AND I HOPE IF HE WANTS THE FIVE POINTS WRITE, THEN, YOU KNOW, COME BACK AND SHOW US SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SEE, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE YOU CONFUSE HIM AT YET YOU, YOU GIVE THEM AN ULTIMATUM IF YOU'VE GIVEN THEM, IF YOU WANT FIVE POINTS, THEN WE NEED THESE ANSWERS.
I'M SAYING I'M GONNA GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FIVE POINTS.
BUT AM I WASTING MY VOTE? IF YOUR FI IF WHAT YOU ARE REQUESTING HOLDS THEM UP ON THEIR, YOU KIND OF COUNT THERE.
[02:20:01]
CANCELS OFF THE OTHER.RIGHT? WELL, SO IT'S, SO IT'S CONFUSING RIGHT NOW.
SHOULD WE TABLE THIS VOTE? THAT'S WHAT MY FIRST ONE MOTION IS TO, BECAUSE DO YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? ONE CANCELS OUT THE OTHER, I DON'T GET WHY WE WOULD BE VOTING AGAINST REVITALIZATION.
WELL, OF OUR PROPERTY IS JUST ABSOLUTELY INSANE BECAUSE, SO ARE YOU ASKING FOR A MOTION TO TABLE THIS? I WOULD RATHER TABLE IT THAN WASTE A MOTION.
ON SOMETHING YOU ARE WAITING FOR AN ANSWER THAT'S GONNA HOLD UP THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL, THE FOUR OF THEM HAVE DECIDED WHATEVER, BUT IF THEY'RE DECIDING THIS BASED ON SOMETHING ELSE, THEN IT'S PREMATURE TO GO INTO THIS, THIS VOTE, IN MY OPINION.
UH, AND I MEAN, I GUESS, AND, AND IN TALKING TO MY COLLEAGUES TOO, I MEAN, IF, IF IT'S NOT POSSIBLE TO ADD THE MARKET RATE, COULD WE GET A VOTE ON THE REVITALIZATION TODAY? RIGHT? IT'S STILL REVITALIZATION.
WE, THEY'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THE, THE OTHER VOTE HAS ALREADY GONE THROUGH.
SO AT THIS POINT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REVITALIZATION POINT OF ORDER FOR ME.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO TABLE THIS UNTIL YOU GET BACKWARDS FOR MAYOR? CAN I, CAN I JUST GET CLARIFICATION? UM, THESE, THESE GENTLEMEN, UM, GO ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.
THEY BUILD PROJECTS, INVEST MILLION DOLLAR OVER, LET'S GIVE THEM THE DIGNITY TONIGHT TO VOTE UP OR DOWN ON THIS SO THEY CAN GO ON ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS.
THAT'S WHAT I ASK WHEN, WHEN I BRING DEVELOPERS TO HOPEWELL, ALL I ASK IS THAT WE'RE UP STRAIGHT AND HONEST WITH THEM.
AND IF THE ANSWER IS NO, THE ANSWER IS NO.
IF THE ANSWER'S YES, THE ANSWER IS YES, BUT THEY HAVE A BUSINESS TO CONDUCT, THEY HAVE PROPERTIES TO BUILD AND LET'S GIVE THEM THE, THE DIGNITY OF THAT.
AND SO THAT WAY WHEN THEY LEAVE HERE, THEY HAVE A, A GOOD FEELING.
THEY SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT WE GOT, WE WENT AND PITCHED OUR BEST.
WE GOT A THUMBS UP, OR WE GOT A THUMBS DOWN.
THEY CAN MAKE BUSINESS DECISIONS THAT WAY WE CAN CONTINUE ON WITH THE OTHER THINGS OF THE CITY TO BE DONE IN GROWING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS.
WELL, MY CONCERN IS NO HOLD COUNCILOR STA STILL HAS THE FLOOR.
MY, MY CONCERN IS THE COMPETITIVENESS.
I KNOW WHAT THE COMPETITIVENESS IS WHEN YOU'RE GOING FOR GRANTS AS BIG AS THIS, AND FOR A DEVELOPMENT AS IN BIG AS THIS AND AS IMPORTANT AS IT IS TO MY COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT? SO I'LL CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR THEM TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS IN THE, IN THE, IN THE WAY THE ECONOMY IS GOING.
THIS IS MAJOR FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO FIGHT FOR IT BECAUSE IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT WE CAN GET THIS PROJECT MOVED FORWARD, I KNOW WHAT THE COMPETITIVE IS AT HUD, THAT'S, I WORKED FOR HUD, BUT THIS IS IMPORTANT AND IT'S THE LIVELIHOODS OF OUR CITIZENS, PARTICULARLY LOW TO MODERATE PEOPLE, INCOME PEOPLE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHO, WHO I'M OUT THERE ALL THE TIME.
I HAVE FRIENDS WHO LIVE IN FREEMAN POINT.
I CAN'T GET MY FRIENDS TO MOVE OUT
BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AFFORD, I DON'T WANNA SEE 10 OR 15 PEOPLE SLEEPING IN FRONT OF THE LIBRARY.
I DON'T WANNA SEE THAT WE GOT A WARMING SHELTER THAT'S FULL.
ALRIGHT? SO THIS IS IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO I'M GONNA KEEP ON, I WOULD BAT BACK AND FORTH UNTIL WE GET TO A SOLID GROUND ON THIS.
UH, COUNCILOR JOINER AND THEN COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY? YEAH, I, I'D JUST LIKE TO CALL FOR THE VOTE.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE CALL FOR THE VOTE? YES.
SECOND THEN AT THIS TIME THEN THERE IS, IF I, IF I'M CORRECT, MR. KAYLA, NOW WE TAKE A VOTE ON THE CALL FOR THE VOTE.
NOW THIS IS THE ACTUAL CALL FOR THE VOTE FOR THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED TONIGHT.
BANKER, UM, TONIGHT YOU HAVE, BEFORE YOU A NEW SCHEDULE, UM, FOR COUNCIL MEETINGS.
[02:25:01]
THE VICE MAYOR JOINER AND I MET ON JANUARY THE 20TH.WE DISCUSSED DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
WE ULTIMATELY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION FOR THE SECOND TUESDAY.
UM, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING WOULD MEET AT 5, 5 30 WOULD BE WORK SESSIONS, PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS.
UM, REGULAR BUSINESS WILL ONLY BE SCHEDULED FOR ANY, UM, SORT OF, UM, GRANT APPROVALS.
UM, AND THIS ACTUALLY WAS A CONCERN THAT VICE MAYOR AND I DID NOT DISCUSS WHEN I TOOK IT BACK TO, UM, STAFF.
THEY VOICED THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT, UH, GRANT APPROVAL PROCESS BECAUSE THERE WAS A SHORT TURNAROUND TIME, UM, IN SOME, SOME CASES LESS THAN A MONTH, UM, TO APPLY FOR GRANTS.
AND THEY WANTED TO KNOW IF ON THE FIRST TUESDAYS WOULD THERE BE, UH, UM, UM, UH, THE ABILITY TO APPLY FOR THOSE APPLICATIONS.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M JUST NOT BRINGING IT TO THE FLOOR, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY WE COULDN'T, IF WE NEEDED TO.
OTHERWISE, UM, THERE WILL BE NO REGULAR DISCUSSION.
AND THEN, UM, CLOSED SESSION AT SEVEN 30 IF AND WHEN THERE'S NECESSARY, WHEN THE FOURTH TUESDAYS, UM, AGAIN, WE BEGIN AT 5:00 PM AND THEN REGULAR BUSINESS, UH, BEGINS AT 7:00 PM SO ON THE SECOND TUESDAY, WELL, THE FOURTH TUESDAYS OF OF THE MONTH, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY WORK SESSIONS, PRESENTATIONS OR PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND SO, UM, I DO JUST WANT TO SAY FOR THE PUBLIC BEFORE I PASS THE FLOOR BACK TO THE MAYOR, THAT UM, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED A SCHEDULE LIKE THIS BEFORE.
SO, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC TO, TO, YOU KNOW, UH, UNDERSTAND.
UM, AND IT'S BEEN SOME YEARS AGO, ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO, TWO COUNCILS AGO, WE ATTEMPTED TO HAVE WORK SESSIONS JUST ONE TIME OUT OF THE MONTH AND PRESENTATIONS AND, AND, AND SO THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL.
UM, THE ONLY DIFFERENCE HERE IS THE BEGIN TIME, WHICH IS AT 5:00 PM OKAY.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE THE, UH, NEW MEETING SCHEDULE WITH THE, UH, ADDITION RECOMME ADDITIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE, UH, CITY MANAGER MADE? UH, OH, SORRY.
UH, COUNCILOR STOKES AND COUNCILOR DAY, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE FIVE O'CLOCK, UH, MEETING TIME.
WILL IT ALLOW THOSE PERSONS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE INTERESTED IN COMING OUT TO THE MEETINGS TO MAKE THE MEETING AT GETTING OFF OF WORK AT FIVE O'CLOCK, HAVING TO PICK UP CHILDREN, DO HOMEWORK, ET CETERA? UM, I THINK FIVE O'CLOCK WILL BE A DISSERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
THE, THE CITIZENS VOTED US HERE TO HAVE MEETINGS, TO HAVE THEM BE ABLE TO MAKE THE MEETINGS.
AND FIVE O'CLOCK WILL EVERYBODY GETTING OFF AT FIVE O'CLOCK? THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO GET HERE.
SO SOME EXPLANATION OF WHY FIVE O'CLOCK.
SO FIVE O'CLOCK FOR THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING AT THIS TIME, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR THE THIRD TUESDAY.
AND SO WE ARE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL WAS TO TRY TO CONSOLIDATE, UM, THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT WE MEET, UM, IN, IN, IN A MONTH.
UM, AND SO ADDING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING BEFORE THE ACTUAL MEETING, WHAT'S THE REASON FOR THE FIVE O'CLOCK MEETING? UM, I WOULD SAY FOR THE SECOND, UH, THE FOURTH TUESDAY, THAT'S A CLOSED SESSION.
AND, AND NORMALLY, UH, THE CITIZENS DO, DO NOT PARTICIPATE OR COME TO CLOSED SESSION MEETING.
SO FIVE O'CLOCK WOULD NOT BE, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T THINK FIVE O'CLOCK WOULD BE AN ISSUE, UM, FOR THAT TIME.
WELL, THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, I KNOW A LOT OF OUR CITIZENS ARE INTERESTED IN HOW WE SPEND THEIR MONEY AND WHAT WE DO WITH TAXPAYER MONEY.
I'M RETIRED, BUT, AND IT'S EASIER, BUT, AND I WAS ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE TO DO THE WORK OF OTHER PEOPLE.
SO AT FIVE O'CLOCK FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING, THEN IF, CAN WE, CAN WE COMPROMISE THEN AND MAKE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING SIX O'CLOCK OR WHERE IT IS NOW SO THAT THE CITIZENS CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE IT TO THAT MEETING AND CLOSE SESSION AT FIVE O'CLOCK? SO, SO WE CAN MOVE, UH, CLOSE SESSION TO FIVE O'CLOCK IN ORDER TO STAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
AND THEN WE CAN MOVE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE DOWN TO SIX, RIGHT? SO THAT THE CITIZENS CAN COME AND SEE HOW THE MONEY BEING SPENT.
SO THAT'S, IF THAT'S A COMPROMISE.
[02:30:06]
UM, MR. MAYOR.SO FOR THE SECOND TWO STATES, IF WE CAN MOVE, UM, PUT THE, I PUT IT ON THE FLOOR FOR CONSIDERATION THAT WE MOVE THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING TO SIX AND THE, AND INSTEAD OF A SEVEN 30 CLOSED SESSION, IT'LL BE A FIVE O'CLOCK CLOSED SESSION.
UH, COUNCILOR DAY AND THEN COUNCILOR JOYNER.
UM, HOW, WHEN ARE WE THINKING ABOUT STARTING THIS? AND I THOUGHT WE ONLY DO ONE MEETING A MONTH FOR THE REGULAR MEETINGS IN THE SUMMER ANYWAY, SO I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, JUNE OR JULY 1ST WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO START THE CHANGE.
I THINK SHE WAS TRYING TO START A LITTLE BIT EARLIER WAS SAYING MY MIND.
I WAS SAYING SOONER THAN THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK, I MEAN TOMORROW I THINK I IS IT, IS IT, AM I, YEAH.
UM, I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T MIND WHEN WE START, I GUESS THE MAIN, THE MAIN REASON THAT WE WANTED TO IMPLEMENT THESE CHANGES WAS BECAUSE WE REALLY DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME ALLOCATED TO CLOSE SESSIONS.
AND WE HAVE ALL THESE ISSUES THAT, UM, WE TEND NOT TO, WELL JUST LIKE FOR TONIGHT, FOR INSTANCE MM-HMM
WE DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO IT EARLIER ON.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK IN THERE.
AND I JUST FEEL LIKE WHEN WE LOOK AT OTHER LOCALITIES, WE'RE SORT OF ODD MAN OUT AND BECAUSE MOST OTHER LOCAL LOCALITIES HAVE THEIR MEETINGS IN THE AFTERNOON, THEIR, THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY JUST DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE LOOKED AT THIS PARTICULAR MODEL AND OURS IS A HYBRID MODEL.
WE'RE NOT COPYING ANYBODY, BUT, UM, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO STREAMLINE THINGS AND ALLOCATE ENOUGH TIME TO THE CLOSED SESSIONS.
MAYBE WE CAN, IF, IF PEOPLE ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IMPLEMENTING IT UNTIL A LITTLE BIT LATER, IT NOTHING ELSE.
I THINK WE DO NEED TO THINK ABOUT STARTING OUR MEETINGS A LITTLE EARLIER.
WELL HAVE WHAT'S WRONG WITH WORK SESSIONS? PARDON? WHAT'S, WHAT'S WRONG WITH ISOLATING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING AND HAVING A WORK SESSION? YOU TALKING ABOUT THE LOCAL PITTSBURGH JUST CAME OUT OF A WORK SESSION, BUT I'M SAYING MAYBE HAVE, I DON'T MIND A SATURDAY OR SOMETHING ELSE ON SOME OF THE HEAVIER STUFF THAT YOU HAVE ON THESE THINGS.
YOU HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING OR HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING.
UM, AND JUST DEAL WITH JUST ONE ITEM AND NOT THAT'S WHAT ACCOMPLISHED.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS WE CAN GO AND PUT THE WORK SESSIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON, YOU KNOW, ONE MEETING AND THEN OTHER MAJOR ACTION ITEMS ON ANOTHER.
I DON'T SEE WORK SESSION ANYWHERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF PRAISE THE LORD.
I MEAN, BUT IT'S ALL BUT YOU, YOU STILL DOING IT INTO ONE DAY? I'M SAYING SEPARATE IT OUT TO A DIFFERENT DAY.
OTHER LOCALITIES, AS SHE MENTIONED, THEY HAVE WORK SESSIONS ON A SATURDAY OR THEY'LL TAKE THREE DAYS NO.
AND GO OFF ON A, A, A RETREAT OF SOME SORT TO DEAL WITH HEAVY STUFF.
BUT AT THE COST OF THE CITIZENS FIVE O'CLOCK, EVERYBODY'S GETTING OFF AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
THAT'S WHAT I, THE FEEDBACK MEAN.
I GUESS WHAT WE'RE SAYING THOUGH, WE'VE ALREADY DECIDED THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO, WE'RE JUST GONNA POSTPONE.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA, ANYTHING THAT WE START AT FIVE NOW BASED UPON THIS, WHAT WE'VE JUST TALKED ABOUT, IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT'S CLOSED SESSION THAT THE PUBLIC IS NOT GOING TO BE INVOLVED IN.
SO, AND I THINK THIS WAS REALLY DONE TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING OUR CITIZENS OUT HERE.
YOU KNOW, JUST SITTING THERE WHILE WE'RE IN THE BACK DOING THINGS AND UM, AND, AND PUSHING EVERYBODY, UM, TO BE LATE.
SO THEY'RE JUST NOT SITTING HERE.
SO THAT WAS THE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE STARTED DOING THIS.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME CONFUSION.
WE'RE JUST GONNA TRY AND HAVE CLOSED SESSIONS AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
LA ALLOCATE A LITTLE MORE TIME.
I'M KEEPING THE FINANCE RUNNING AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
BANKER JUST READ OUT, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT IT IS FOR THE SECOND TUESDAY.
THE SECOND TUESDAY, UH, THE PROPOSAL IS TO BEGIN FEBRUARY THE FIRST, THE SECOND TUESDAY IN FEBRUARY.
THE CLOSED SESSION WILL BEGIN AT 5:00 PM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WILL BEGIN AT SEVEN, AT 6:00 PM AND THEN THE, THE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT 7:00 PM WORK SESSION PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE FOURTH TUESDAY.
CLOSED SESSION WILL BEGIN AT 5:00 PM AND REGULAR BUSINESS ITEMS AT 7:00 PM OKAY.
[02:35:01]
THE REGULAR MEETING TIME STARTED AT 7:00 PM NOW MM-HMMAND SO EVERYONE'S OKAY WITH STARTING THIS, I THINK AT THE SECOND MEETING IN FEBRUARY.
THINK COUNCILOR DAY HAS SOME CONCERNS ABOUT STARTING IT, SO, OH, OH, I JUST, I HAD JUST MENTIONED THAT MAYBE STARTING LIKE JUNE 1ST, SINCE WHEN, THAT'S WHEN WE USUALLY DO ONE MEETING.
WHAT I'M, WE WERE TRYING TO START A LITTLE EARLIER THAN THAT.
HOW ABOUT MAR HOW ABOUT THE FIRST MEETING IN MARCH? HOW ABOUT MARCH? OKAY.
HOW ABOUT MARCH? LET'S DO MARCH.
WE START THE FIRST, FIRST MEETING IN MARCH.
BEFORE YOU DO THAT THOUGH, YOU MIGHT WANT TO INCORPORATE INTO THAT THE CORRESPONDING EFFECTS ON COUNCIL RULES.
AND ALSO WHATEVER, HOW YOU'RE GONNA HANDLE, I'M ASSUMING THAT AT YOUR FIRST MEETING, YOU SET A SCHEDULE FOR THE YEAR OF YOUR REGULAR COUNCIL MEETINGS.
SO IF YOU PASS THIS MOTION AS PROPOSED, YOU HAVE TO TAKE INTO EFFECT CHANGING THE RULES.
AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE HOW YOU REVISED YOUR SCHEDULE.
YOU'VE ALREADY SET, BUT YOU NEED TO PAY LIP SERVICE TO THAT.
AND I, I THINK YOU CAN DO THAT IN A MOTION AND THE RULES CAN BE CHANGED ACCORDINGLY.
I DON'T SEE MAJOR CHANGE RIGHT NOW.
ALL THEY SAY IS, UH, PER THE CHARTER.
THE TIME IS, IT'S BEGINNING AT SEVEN, 7:30 PM AT LEAST.
AT LEAST ONCE, ONCE PER MONTH.
SO THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT DON'T QUITE JIVE WITH WHAT, SO IF WE ADD A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO IT TO HAVE OUR RULES REFLECT THESE CHANGES, WE'RE GOOD.
AND I THINK YOU NEED TO SAY AND THEN TO READ SOMETHING ABOUT HOW COME ABOUT THE SCHEDULING OF THE MEETINGS.
'CAUSE DON'T YOU HAVE THAT IN, I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S BEEN, WE DID IT THE FIRST, WE DID AN ORGANIZATION AT THE FIRST, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THAT CHANGES ANYTHING THOUGH WITH THIS.
THE DATES STILL THE SAME DATES ARE JUST THE DATE.
THERE, THERE WEREN'T ANY SPECIFICS ON NO, NOT EVEN.
WELL NO, WE SET 'EM, BUT THEY WERE SPECIFIC DATES.
BUT WE, THEY WERE ALL, THEY WERE ALL THE SECOND AND FOURTH TUESDAY.
SO INCLUDING THAT MOTION TO, UM, REVISE COUNSEL'S RULES TO REFLECT THIS MOTION.
MAN, ARE YOU OKAY WITH TABLING THIS? YEAH.
WELL THE BUDGET CALENDAR IS SOMETHING THAT I NEED COUNSEL TO REVIEW.
AND JUST PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON AND JUST PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE, THE, THE OTHER INFORMATION IS JUST INFORMATION ON IT.
DID YOU NOT SECOND IT? I DON'T RECALL.
SO, UH, LET'S SEE WHO MADE THE MOTION AGAIN? NO IDEA.
SO DO I HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE THE NEW, UH, WORK SCHEDULE AS PER, UM, AS REVISED BY THE CITY MANAGER AND TO REFLECT THE CHANGES IN OUR COUNCIL RULES AND PROCEDURES? I SO MOVE.
[CLOSED MEETING (Part 2 of 2)]
YOU GUYS.ALRIGHT, SO MR. KAYLA, AT THIS TIME WE CAN JUST GO RIGHT BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION WITHOUT ANY MOTION.
[RECONVENE OPEN MEETING (Part 2 of 2)]
DAY? YES.[02:40:01]
CERTIFICATION, PLEASE.CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE TWO.
MEETING REQUIREMENTS ISSUE IDENTIFIED IN THE CLOSING MOTION.
DISCUSS IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
AT THIS TIME DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPOINT, UH, ROBERT GAINES AND MATTHEW MELLON TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY? SO MOVED.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR HARRIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO, ALRIGHT.