[00:00:01]
[CLOSED MEETING]
A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSE MEETING PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A ONE AND EIGHT TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS INCLUDING BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTEES, CITY CLERK, CONTRACT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW BOARD, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMITTEE, POPPO REDEVELOPMENT, HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING SPECI SPECIFIC, UM, LEGAL MATTERS.VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A 29 AND EIGHT TO DISCUSS THE AWARD OF A PUBLIC CONTRACT WHERE DISCUSSION AND OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION AND DISCUSSION OF AN UNSOLICITED OFFER OF REAL ESTATE PROPERTY IN VIRGINIA.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
AND NO ONE'S PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.
NO ONE'S PARTICIPATING REMOTELY.
[RECONVENE OPEN MEETING]
IN MY SESSION? SECOND.MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 2D WHERE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS.
LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND TWO IDENTIFIED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
MOTION DISCUSSED IN CLOSED MEETING.
AT THIS TIME DO I HAVE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A NONBINDING
[Additional Item]
LETTER OF INTENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL AND EMERSON VENTURES, LLC TO LEASE COMMERCIAL SPACE IN THE 200 NORTH MAIN STREET BUILDING.THE COMMERCIAL SPACE IS ESTIMATED TO BE AVAILABLE IN THE SPRING OF 2017 FOLLOWING THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND RENOVATION OF THE BUILDING.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE A MOTION? ALRIGHT.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR LEE DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UM, AT THIS TIME WE'LL GO INTO COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS]
DO YOU HAVE THE SIGNUP LIST? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR.UM, I, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, LET'S GO AHEAD AND EXTEND THE MEETING.
AT THIS TIME, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING UNTIL WE GET TO LAST ITEM OF BUSINESS IS CR ONE, SO I'LL SECOND IT.
ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
AT THIS TIME WE'LL MOVE INTO, UH, COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS.
UM, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU READ THE STATEMENT? AND OUR FIRST PERSON IS SHERA FULLER.
A COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS PERIOD LIMITED IN TOTAL TIME TO 30 MINUTES IS PART OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS.
AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, ALL PERSONS ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL SHALL APPROACH THE MICROPHONE, GIVE THEIR NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE IN, HOPEWELL THEIR BOARD NUMBER AND LIMIT 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 SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNCIL.
AS A BODY, ANY QUESTIONS MUST BE ASKED THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL AND PERTINENT ABUSIVE OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INSIGHTS,
[00:05:01]
DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARRED BY THE MAYOR.FROM FURTHER AUDIENCE BEFORE COUNCIL AND REMOVE SUBJECT TO APPEAL TO A MAJORITY OF COUNCIL C RULES 4 0 5 AND 4 0 6.
UM, MY NAME IS SHARAH FULLER AND I LIVE IN WARD FOUR.
I KNOW I HAVEN'T SEEN Y'ALL IN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BUT I AM THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH CAPTAIN FOR WARD FIVE.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK ALL THE COUNSELORS WHO'S BEEN ABLE TO HAVE SOME TIME TO, UM, SIT AND CHAT WITH ME.
I HAD A LOVELY OPPORTUNITY TO SIT WITH COUNSELOR ELLIS, UM, TO TALK ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUPS THAT WE ARE FORMING FOR WARD FOUR AND, UM, ALSO COUNSELOR HARRIS.
WE ARE WORKING TO GET WARD TWO AND SIX TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE BUSY SO THAT WAY WE CAN GET THESE NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER BEFORE THAT WARM WEATHER KICKS IN.
AND WE KNOW WHAT COMES WITH WARM WEATHER IN OUR CITY, CHILDREN BEING OUT OF SCHOOL AND OTHER THINGS.
SO IF FOLKS LIVE IN VARIOUS WARDS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO US.
THE CAPTAINS ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE, SO THAT WAY WE CAN LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR WARD MEETS.
AND IF YOUR WARD DOESN'T HAVE A MEETING, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO COME TO OTHER WARDS.
UM, LAST NIGHT WE WERE, UM, PRIVILEGED TO HAVE MR. GOMES, THE FIRE MARSHAL COME OUT AND TALK TO OUR WARD ABOUT, UM, FIRE SAFETY AND ALSO AS WELL AS SMOKE DETECTORS AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS.
THAT LITTLE BEEF IS NOT JUST ACUTE DECORATION IN YOUR HOUSE.
THAT DOES MEAN YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR BATTERY BECAUSE GOD FORBID THERE IS A FIRE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S ABLE TO GET OUT SAFELY.
ALSO, ABOUT THE RULES AS FAR AS WHAT THE, UM, THE STATUTE SAYS FOR BERNIE.
SO WE JUST WANNA REITERATE TO PEOPLE THAT THERE'S EDUCATION OUT THERE ABOUT SO MANY THINGS, INCLUDING THE RIDE SAVER PROGRAM AND SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT THE CITY OFFERS.
SO IF THEY DON'T KNOW, THERE'S MYSELF, UM, LARRY SEARS, DEBBIE RANDOLPH, AND A FEW OTHERS.
BUT WE ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO TALK TO FOLKS.
UM, AND WE KNOW OUR COUNSELORS HAVE ALWAYS MADE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TO TALK WITH US AND SUPPORT THE GROUPS.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS THIS SATURDAY THERE WILL BE AT FUNCTION, UM, IT WOULD, I BELIEVE IT'S CALLED HAPPY HOPPINGS OR HOPPING HAPPENINGS FOR, UM, A CAR SEAT EVENT WITH HOPEWELL POLICE.
THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, PARKS AND REC AND HEALTHY FAMILIES, THEY WILL BE THERE.
SO IF PEOPLE NEED THEIR CAR SEATS CHECKED, WE ARE ASKING THAT PEOPLE COME OUT, GET THEIR CAR SEATS CHECKED, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE RIDING AROUND SAFETY SAFELY, BUT ALSO JUST TO COME OUT.
THE CITY'S PUTTING A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THESE FUNCTIONS, AND IT WOULD BE REALLY APPRECIATED IF FOLKS SHOWED UP TO THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT ALSO JUST FOR THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AT THIS TIME, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THAT DIDN'T SIGN UP? OKAY,
[REGULAR MEETING]
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO OUR REGULAR MEETING AT THIS TIME.UH, CLERK, CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAYOR PARTON.
AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE THE, UH, PRAYER BY EVANGELIST WRIGHT, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
FATHER GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY, GOD, FOR YET ANOTHER DAY THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED US WITH BLESSED US WITH GOD AND BROUGHT US THIS FARM.
GOD, AS WE COME TOGETHER NOW TO DISCUSS ALL THAT'S ON THE AGENDA, FATHER, THAT YOU SAID IN YOUR WORD THAT WHERE THERE'S TWO OR THREE GATHERED, YOU'LL BE IN THE MIDST.
SO GOD, WE JUST ASK THAT YOU BLESS THIS MEETING.
IGI OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION.
INDIVIDUAL WHO DELIVERING HIS JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE REGULAR MEETING AGENDA? SO MOVE.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOYNER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA? ALRIGHT.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR ELLIS AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[INFORMATION/PRESENTATIONS]
PRESENTATIONS.MS. UH, MR. MAYOR, UH, VICE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
TONIGHT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU THE FY 26 BUDGET PRESENTATION.
[00:10:01]
TO BE COMPLETED BY APRIL THE FIRST.UM, WE WILL HAVE CONTINUED BUDGET DISCUSSIONS ON APRIL THE 15TH, BUT TONIGHT WE ARE PRESENTING OUR PROPOSED FY 26.
MS. JORDAN, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
TONIGHT WE'RE GONNA REVIEW THE 26 OPERATING AS WELL AS CAPITAL BUDGET.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPOSED 26 OPERATING CAPITAL BUDGET DEPLOYED THE FOUR PILLAR APPROACH, WHICH IS AN ASSESSMENT.
ARE WE BUDGET, SOUND ANALYSIS, REVIEW, PRIOR BUDGET PRACTICES AND TRENDS, PRESERVATION? WILL PROPOSE REVENUES MEET THE COST AND STATUS? ARE WE ABLE TO HANDLE MATTERS THAT MAY ARISE DURING 26 THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN BUDGETED FOR? THE FRAMEWORK OF THE PROPOSED 26 OPERATING CAPITAL BUDGET IS PROPOSED.
OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET IS 233,528,338 TOTAL OF ALL FUNDS REQUIRED FOR OPERATIONS OF CITY SERVICES.
THERE'S ONLY 200,000 THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED THUS FAR FOR CAPITAL AT THIS TIME.
THE REQUEST CAME IN AT 10 AND A HALF MILLION, AN INCREASE OF 12,747,000 150 FOR ALL FUNDS, OR 6% FROM 25.
PROPOSED GENERAL OPERATING FUND RECOMMENDED FUNDING OF 70,409,665, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF $2.1 MILLION, 3% OVER 25.
THE INCREASE IN THE REVENUES REALLY STEMS FROM THE INCREASE OF THE REASSESSMENT VALUES FOR REAL ESTATE.
THE BASELINE BUDGET EQUALS THE ADOPTED 25 BUDGET.
THE GENERAL FUND INCREASE FOR 26 WAS PRIMARY APPLIED TO CITY COUNCIL'S APPROVAL OF THE CLASS AND COMPENSATION PLAN FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENT, AND 3% INCREASES FOR OTHER EMPLOYEES, AS WELL AS THE INCREASE IN HEALTHCARE COST.
THERE WAS A MINIMAL INCREASE IN DEPARTMENT OF BUDGETS FOR SOME OF NECESSITIES AS FAR AS, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH IT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR, UM, EMAIL AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO SCHOOL OPERATING FUND IS CONSISTENT WITH 24 AND 25.
THE 13.5 MILLION IS WHAT WE HAVE SUPPLIED THEM OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT WILL REMAIN THE SAME FOR 26.
UM, THERE'S NO DRAWING FROM UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AND THERE'S NO PROPOSED ADJUSTMENT TO THE TAX RATE FOR 26.
SLIDE FIVE SHOWS THE TAX RATES FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
REAL ESTATE TAX RATE WILL REMAIN THE SAME AT DOLLAR AND 17 CENTS PER HUNDRED ASSESSED VALUE CIGARETTES TAX IS 40 CENTS PER PACK.
SALES TAX IS FOR MEALS, 6% LODGING 10%.
PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX IS $3 50 CENTS PER HUNDRED.
ASSESSED VALUE MACHINERY AND TOOLS TAX IS $3 AND 10 CENTS PER A HUNDRED.
UH, ASSESSED VALUE AT 25% ORIGINAL COST.
UTILITY TAXES, GAS A DOLLAR 40 CENTS A MONTH, WATER AND ELECTRIC $2 A MONTH.
PHONE TWO AND CELLULAR THREE DID THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REVENUES FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL COMPRISE OF THE CITY MANAGER'S REVENUE COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTED OF THE CITY MANAGER, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE REAL ESTATE ASSESSOR, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, THE BUDGET DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS FOR ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
THE PROPOSED OPERATING CAPITAL BUDGET TOTAL OF 233 MILLION 528 3 38 SCHOOLS WILL BE PRESENTING THEIR BUDGET TO COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY ON APRIL THE 22ND.
WE HAVE A ADDITIONAL, UM, BUDGET WORK SESSION ON APRIL THE 15TH.
PROPOSED EXPENDITURES AGAIN EQUALS THE SAME AMOUNT FOR THE REVENUES OF 233,528,338.
THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES ARE 70,409,665 OVER LAST YEAR, 25 60 8,302,266.
THE INCREASE, AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE REAL ESTATE, COMES FROM THE REASSESSMENT.
THE DECREASES BETWEEN PUBLIC SERVICE CORE, PERSONAL PROPERTY MACHINING, RENTAL TOOLS IS STUFF THAT IS, UM, PROCESSING OUT AS FAR AS LOSER VALUE.
UH, OTHER TAXES IS THE SALES TAX, THE INCREASE OF 507,000.
THEN THE OTHER BIG ONE IS 250,000, WHICH IS THE LACK OF THE 2 95 REVENUE.
UM, STATE IS INCREASE DUE TO THE COMP BOARD INCREASE FOR SALARIES.
THAT'S ADDITIONAL REVENUE COMING INTO THE CITY OF 3%.
AND OTHER REVENUES COMES FROM, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS BILLING THAT HAS NOT BEEN BILLED.
[00:15:01]
THIS IS THE DEPARTMENTAL BREAKDOWN FOR THE GENERAL FUNDS FROM 25 OVER 26.AGAIN, AN INCREASE OF 2.1, UM, TRANSFERS IS THE CIP, THE BIG REDUCTION OF 2.1.
WE ARE STEADILY TRYING TO WORK THROUGH AND CONSOLIDATE THE BUDGET AS BEST AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME FUNDING FOR CIP.
UM, SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO KEEP MOVING THROUGH THAT.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PROPOSED 26 BUDGET.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING CLASS AND COMPENSATION IMPLEMENTATION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND RECREATION.
3% STATE FUNDED COLA FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AND CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES.
3% CITY FUNDED COLA FOR CITY DEPARTMENTS AT 80%, $500,000 OF HEALTHCARE COSTS INCREASED.
THAT WAS ABSORBED BY THE CITY.
THE REST IS BEING PASSED ON TO THE EMPLOYEES.
A NEW, UM, ACQUI AQUATICS PROGRAM MANAGER FOR RECREATION SCHOOL OPERATING FUNDING OF 13.5.
MANDATED SERVICES, FUNDING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AS WELL AS CSA AND LIMITED CIP FUNDING, WHICH WILL AGAIN CONTINUE TO REFUND THE BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN AT LEAST GET MONEY FOR OUR CIP AS WELL AS MEET OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES.
THAT WAS ADOPTED BACK IN, I BELIEVE, AUGUST.
SLIDE 12 IS JUST A OVERVIEW OF THE CIP REQUESTS FROM DEPARTMENTS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS FOR A TOTAL OF 47,000 300 8775.
THAT IS A LOT OF REQUESTS AND REQUIREMENTS NEEDED IN THE CITY FOR CIP.
OUR NEXT STEPS TODAY IS APRIL 8TH, AND WE'RE DOING THE PROPOSED BUDGET PRESENTATION.
APRIL 15TH IS AN ADDITIONAL WORK SESSION, APRIL 22ND SCHOOLS AS WELL AS WATER.
UM, HWR IS HAVING A COMMISSION MEETING ON THE 15TH TO FINALIZE THE BUDGET.
UH, MAY 13TH IS THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE FIRST READING, AND MAY 27TH WILL BE THE SECOND MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FOR MS. JORDAN? UH, COUNCILLOR STOKES, UH, MS. JORDAN? YES, MA'AM.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, A LITTLE BIT.
ARE THERE ANY, AND NOW I MAY BE ASKING THIS QUESTION A BIT PREMATURE BECAUSE I SEE YOU HAVE SOME MORE PRESENTATIONS COMING MM-HMM
WHAT CONCESSIONS ARE WE MAKING, IF ANY? UM, TO SUPPORT ANY RAISES IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THAT IS WHERE WE ARE USING MAJORITY OF THE REASSESSMENT VALUE THAT WE RECEIVE FOR REAL ESTATE.
THERE'S MAJORITY OF THAT GOES TOWARDS THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, CLASS AND COMP INCREASES.
BUT I'M SPECIFICALLY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE CITIZENS ARE EQUALLY CONCERNED MM-HMM
THAT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVE SOME TYPE OF RAISES.
SO ARE THERE ANY CONCESSIONS BEING MADE PARTICULARLY TO CONSIDER THEIR RAISES? UM, MAYBE I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING, BUT YES, THEY ARE GETTING INCREASE.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AS FAR AS INCREASES AS FAR AS SALARIES.
SO YES, THE, THE BUDGET IS, BUT IS BALANCED WITH THE IDEA THAT POLICE AND FIRE WILL RECEIVE, UM, INCREASES BASED ON THE CLASS AND COMP STUDY.
SO IT WILL BE PERCENTED WHAT TYPES OF PERCENTAGES IT'S BEEN.
AND SECONDLY, UM, ARE THERE ANY CONCESSIONS FOR, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE CLASSED SO I MAY BE PREMATURE AGAIN, BUT IF THEY'RE CLASSED, UM, OR CLASSED OFF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY OFFICE AND THOSE OFFICES THAT GIVE SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO THE CITIZENS, UM, I DID GET LIKE THREE REQUESTS REGARDING, ARE YOU SEE REFERENCE TO SOCIAL SERVICES? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? UH, I THINK AN OFFICE MAY HAVE ASKED FOR A PARALEGAL AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT STAFFS.
HOW WOULD I RECOGNIZE IT IN THE BUDGET? I BELIEVE WE PRESENTED THAT.
I WANT TO SAY THE, THE MARCH MEETING.
I THINK IT WAS PRESENTED BY, SO IN THE BUDGET, IN YOUR BUDGET BOOK, YOU HAVE, UH, A TAB THAT SAYS OUT, UM, UM, DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS, RIGHT.
SO YOU CAN LOOK TO SEE WHAT EVERYBODY REQUESTED IN THE BUDGET.
ON APRIL THE 15TH, WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT COUNCIL PRIORITIES IN WHICH WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME TABS WHERE COUNCIL WILL GET TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT ADDITIONAL POSITIONS OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE PROPOSED ALREADY.
AND THEN WE CAN HAVE THAT DISCUSSION ON THAT DATE.
[00:20:01]
THE BUDGET THAT YOU, THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PRESENTED DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY NEW POSITIONS AT THIS THIS TIME? NO, SIR.THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE GOTTA GO IN OUTSIDE THE AQUATICS.
AQUA IT, IT DOESN'T CITY ATTORNEY, YOU MISSED TWO ON YOUR SLIDE.
THE, THE THREE FIRE OFFICERS, RIGHT.
THE FIREFIGHTERS AND THE, UM, CITY ATTORNEY.
WE, WE, FOR SOME REASON WE DIDN'T PUT THE MOST UPDATED SLIDE IN THERE, BUT THOSE ARE THE THREE, UM, POSITIONS THAT ARE IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET.
NOTHING, NOTHING OUTSIDE OF THAT.
UM, ONE THING UNTIL THE 15TH, RIGHT? YEAH, ON THE 15TH.
SO ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, NEXT TUESDAY.
UM, SO ONE THING I THINK THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, FORWARD, YOU KNOW, THINKING BECAUSE WE WE'RE STILL GOING THROUGH THE ISSUE WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR AUDITS AND EVERYTHING.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO GET EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON ONE SHEET OF MUSIC AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR FINANCE OFFICE AND THE SCHOOL'S FINANCE OFFICE HAS THE PEOPLE THAT THEY NEED.
UM, I KNOW SCHOOLS HASN'T PRESENTED THEIR BUDGET YET, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO START PREPARING FOR AN ADDITIONAL PERSON IN FINANCE AT SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT SO THEY CAN GET, UM, THEIR REPORTS, YOU KNOW, TO US, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE NEED THEM IN A VERY TIMELY FASHION SO WE CAN MAKE THOSE 90 DAY, UH, TARGETS TURNAROUND.
WHAT'S THE QUESTION? I'M SORRY.
SO IN MAKING THOSE, 'CAUSE THINGS GET, WHAT I FIND WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE BUDGETS, ET CETERA MM-HMM
IS THAT EVERYTHING IS LIKE LUMPED TOGETHER AS SUBDIVISIONS OR WHATEVER.
AND I'M TRYING TO DISSECT OUT WHO'S GETTING WHAT IN EACH DEPARTMENT.
HOW DO I DO THAT? IT SHOULD BE BROKEN DOWN IN YOUR BUDGET.
IN YOUR BOOK IS IN EVERY, BY EVERY DEPARTMENT.
YOU, YOU CAN SEE WHAT THEIR REQUESTS R UM, AND THEN WE TAKE THOSE REQUESTS AND WE BALANCE THE BUDGET AGAINST IT.
EVERYBODY WILL NOT RECEIVE WHAT THEY REQUESTED, WHAT THEY REQUESTED.
UM, ONCE THE BUDGET IS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL, THEN, THEN THE DEPARTMENTS WILL RECEIVE WHAT THEY REQUESTED BECAUSE IT CAN CHANGE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
BECAUSE ON THE 15TH, DOES THAT MEAN WE MAKE GET TO MAKE SOME DECISION? DECISION WE GET TO MAKE SOME FINAL DECISIONS.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER COMMENTS THAT I HAVE, UM, AND I THINK YOU GUYS MIGHT STILL BE WORKING ON IT FROM OUR LAST BUDGET MEETING, UM, BUT WHEN YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, ONLY $200,000 SET ASIDE FOR CAPITAL, UM, I THINK WE'VE REALLY GOT TO, YOU KNOW, TIGHTEN OUR BELTS AND LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HOLISTICALLY AND FIND AREAS WHERE WE CAN CUT, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONALLY ABSOLUTELY.
AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PUT THINGS INTO, YOU KNOW, OUR CAPITAL.
BECAUSE THAT'S SOME OF THE BIGGEST THINGS.
WE KEEP THAT, WELL, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN HIT ON THEM HERE RECENTLY, BUT, UM, THAT WE SAW THROUGH THE ALVAREZ MARCEL REPORT, WE SAW THROUGH ROBERT BOB'S WORK, THE STATE COMING IN, UM, THAT WE'VE GOTTA HAVE A ROBUST CAP IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE STILL WORKING ON FINITE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY LIKE SEWER PUMP STATIONS THAT WE HAVE, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A CONSENT ORDER THAT'S, YOU KNOW, GONNA ARRIVE AT ANY GIVEN DAY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR STORM WATER AND DRAINAGE UPGRADES.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UM, MR. CROCKER IS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTS AND, YOU KNOW, REPRIORITIZING AND, UM, ALSO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH SO MUCH UNCERTAINTY THAT'S OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, UM, WHILE WE STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S, YOU KNOW, GIVING, YOU KNOW, THE STATE MONEY, UH, AND VDO T'S GIVING MONEY, WE REALLY SHOULD CAPITALIZE ON OUR 50 50 SHARE VDOT ROTARY PAVING PROGRAM.
UM, BECAUSE AT SOME POINT I JUST, I GOT THIS BAD FEELING THAT EITHER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR THE STATE, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL THE CUTS THAT ARE BEING MADE, WE MAY END UP LOSING THAT STREAM.
SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE A REALLY GOOD IDEA THAT WE TRY TO CAPITALIZE ON AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE.
YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THEY DON'T PULL THAT TRIGGER, BUT IN CASE THEY DO.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK AT SEEING, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST TRYING TO FUND, UM, ONE CIP PROJECT FOR THE SCHOOLS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, THEIR DIRE LIST, UM, OF CAPITAL NEEDS THAT HAVE, UH, THAT HAVE GONE UNMET FOR YEARS.
UM, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AGREED AND WE'VE SET THE POLICY IN PLACE TO, UM, ALLOW THEM TO UTILIZE, YOU KNOW, THE SAVINGS TO FUND CAPITAL PROJECTS.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TRY AT LEAST TRY TO FIND ONE MORE PROJECT THAT WE CAN TRY TO DO SO WE CAN START ELIMINATING THAT BACKLOG.
[00:25:01]
AND THEN, UM, IN TERMS FOR ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT AND REALLY EXPANDING OUT OUR WATERFRONT, WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING THE EXPANSION AND COMPLETION OF THE RIVERWALK SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE OUR, THOSE PROPERTIES MUCH MORE MARKETABLE, UH, FOR, UH, TOURISM AND THEN ALSO FOR PEOPLE COMING IN THAT WANT TO DO DEVELOPMENT WORK.ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT, UH, PRESENTATION, UH, MR. BASSETT.
SO, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UM, I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND WITH OUR COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY TO WORK OUT A, UH, WHAT YOU SEE AS A DRAFT, UH, A TV AND DIRT BIKE ORDINANCE.
UM, WHAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD DO IS A FEW THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, IT WOULD MAKE, UH, THE VIOLATION OF THE STATE CODE, UH, ALSO A VIOLATION OF OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE HERE.
UM, IT WOULD ALSO ALLOW THE POLICE, THE, UH, THE AUTHORITY TO IMPOUND AND, AND WHAT'S CALLED FORFEIT, UH, ATVS THAT ARE, THAT ARE TAKEN, UH, IN VIOLATION OF THAT, UH, OF THAT ORDINANCE.
AND THEN THE THIRD THING IT WILL DO, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY PROBABLY WHERE, UM, PD IS GOING TO BE USING THIS MOST, IS IT, IT MAKES EXPLICIT THAT POLICE CAN SEEK, AND THE COURT CAN ALLOW IN CASES WHERE YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS VIOLATED THIS ORDINANCE, AND THEN WHEN PD, UM, IF PD PURSUES THEM, AND THEY, AND THEY EVADE, UM, AND THAT THAT ITSELF IS, IS, IS A CRIMINAL VIOLATION IF THEY DO THIS ORDINANCE ALSO MAKES CLEAR THAT PD AND THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY CAN ASK FOR, AND THE COURT CAN GRANT THAT, THAT A TV, THAT DIRT BIKE BE DESTROYED AS PART OF A CONVICTION OF THE UNDERLYING OFFENSE.
MR. ETTE, IN DOING SO, UM, IMPOUNDING THE VEHICLE, UM, HAD, WERE WE ABLE TO WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN, IN THE DECISION TO DO THAT? AND WILL THE PERSONS THAT ARE DRIVING THE A TV RECEIVE SOME TYPE OF PUNISHMENT THROUGH OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE? YES.
SO IF, IF A DRIVER OF AN A TV, OR I'M JUST GONNA SAY AN A TV RATHER, A TV AND DIRT EVERYWHERE.
SO IF THE DRIVER OF AN A TV, UM, IN VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE, JUST SOME FEEDBACK, UM, IF A, IF A DRIVER WHO'S VIOLATING THE ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE POLICE PULLS THEM OVER, IF THEY SIMPLY PULL OVER AND OBEY THE, THE, THE POLICE, THEN WHAT THEY'VE ENGAGED IN IS JUST A CIVIL VIOLATION.
THEY'RE GONNA GET A, THEY'RE GONNA GET A TICKET UP TO $500.
BUT NOTHING ELSE WOULD HAPPEN UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES.
THERE WOULD NOT BE AN IMPOUNDING OF, OF THE, THE, THE VEHICLE NECESSARILY, UNLESS, UNLESS PD DECIDED IN THAT, IN THAT INSTANCE, TO DO SO.
IF THE DRIVER DECIDED TO FLEE, FLEE, THEN THE, THEN THE A TV WOULD, WOULD BE IMPOUNDED AS A, AS A MATTER OF COURSE.
AND AT THE END OF A CRIMINAL PROSECUTION FOR THAT EVADING, IF A CONVICTION, UH, IF A CONVICTION IS OBTAINED, THEN THE A TV WOULD BE DESTROYED AS PART OF THE JUDICIAL ORDER.
AT THE END OF THAT, THAT CRIMINAL PROCEEDING, MY CONCERN WAS THAT THE PERSON ATTACHED TO IT, 'CAUSE I MEAN, YOU COULD TAKE MY A TV, I CAN BUY ANOTHER ONE MM-HMM
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BUT AT WHAT POINT DO WE STOP THE PERSON THAT'S ACTUALLY DOING THE VIOLATION? IT'S NOT THE A TV MM-HMM
I MEAN, IT'S THE PERSON THAT'S DRIVING THE A TV.
SO AT WHAT POINT IN OUR ORDINANCE DOES THE ORDINANCE ATTACH TO THE PERSON MORE SO THAN THE ATTV? WELL, AGAIN, IF, IF THE DRIVER OF THE A TV COMPLIES WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEN THEY'RE JUST FACING A TICKET OF UP TO $500.
AND TRUE, IF PD DECIDES, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY PD MAY DECIDE TO DO THIS IS YOU HAVE A REPEAT OFFENDER THAT THEY MAY DECIDE EVEN IN THOSE SORT
[00:30:01]
OF JUST CIVIL SITUATIONS, THAT THEY MAY WANT TO IMPOUND THE VEHICLE AND SEEK A FORFEITURE OF THE VEHICLE.UM, IT'S ONLY GONNA BE AUTOMATIC IN CASES WHERE THEY, THEY FLEE AND THEY HAVE TO BE PURSUED IT.
AND SO THIS WILL BE, UH, BROUGHT UP AT OUR NEXT MEETING FOR, THIS WILL BE PRESENTED TO COUNCIL FOR A VOTE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS OUR, OUR FIRST READING TONIGHT.
[WORK SESSION]
TO OUR WORK SESSION.UH, FIRST ONE IS FOR MR. WARD.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE THREE WORK SESSIONS FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
SO, UM, I'LL TRY TO BE QUICK AND CONCISE.
UH, THE FIRST ONE, UH, THIS EVENING IS A ADDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST, ESSENTIALLY TO UTILIZE AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE AS AN ACCESSORY APARTMENT, UH, RELATING TO PARCEL 0 2 4 0 8 9 0, ALSO IDENTIFIED AS TWO 19 SOUTH 16TH AVENUE.
THE APPLICANT IS ESTEBAN PEREZ.
THIS PROPERTY'S LOCATED IN WARD ONE, ZONED R TWO.
AGAIN, THE REQUEST IS FOR AN ACCESSORY APARTMENT.
AND, UM, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING AT PLANNING COMMISSION, ALL UH, PUBLIC NOTIFICATIONS WERE UNDERTAKEN.
THE MAP ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE GENERAL LOCATION OF THIS PROPERTY, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, UH, A SPECIFIC AERIAL OF THIS PROPERTY, YOU CAN SEE THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE, UH, ON THE LEFT IN THE FRONT, THAT, THAT FRONTS THE STREET, AND THEN THE, UH, ACCESSORY BUILDING IN THE BACK, WHICH THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING TO BE USED AS AN APARTMENT.
SO JUST SOME, UH, PICTURES OF THE, I APOLOGIZE.
THE PICTURES HERE ARE SOMEWHAT DATED.
UM, THE ACCESSORY STRUCTURE I THINK IS PRETTY ACCURATE.
THAT'S THE ONE ON THE RIGHT, THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE'S ON THE LEFT.
SO, UH, AGAIN, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO REHABILITATE BOTH STRUCTURES, BOTH THE PRIMARY AS A SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING AND THE ACCESSORY BUILDING IN THE BACK, UH, WHICH WOULD BE AN ACCESSORY APARTMENT.
THESE ARE ELEVATIONS OF THAT ACCESSORY APARTMENT.
SO IN THE R TWO DISTRICT, ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS ARE, UH, ALLOWED WITH THE APPROVAL OF A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT BY CITY COUNCIL.
UH, THE PROPERTY IS LARGE ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE SUFFICIENT OFF STREET PARKING FOR BOTH STRUCTURES, BOTH THE PRIMARY AND UH, ACCESSORY APARTMENT.
THE OWNER, UH, IS HELD TO STRICT RE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE USE OF THAT, UH, IF IT'S APPROVED FOR THE USE OF THAT ACCESSORY APARTMENT.
AND THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE, UH, IT HAS TO BE A FAMILY MEMBER OVER THE AGE OF 55 OR HANDICAPPED.
UM, AND IT MUST BE, UH, VERIFIED ANNUALLY.
AND, AND AGAIN, REHAB INCLUDE, UM, BY THE APPLICANT INCLUDES, UH, BOTH STRUCTURES.
UH, AGAIN, UH, THIS IS JUST A RESTATEMENT OF BASICALLY WHAT I JUST SAID, UM, THAT THE, UH, ORDINANCE SPECIFIES WHO CAN LIVE IN THE PROPERTY.
SO THAT WOULD BE, UM, UH, FAMILY MEMBER OF THE AGE OF 55 OR OLDER OR HANDICAPPED, CAN LIVE IN THE ACCESSORY DWELLING UNIT IF APPROVED.
AND THE APPLICANT MUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT UPON, UH, VACATION BY SUCH A FAMILY MEMBER THAT'S APPROVED TO LIVE IN THE A DU, UH, THAT THE BUILDING MAY NO LONGER BE USED AS AN APARTMENT UNLESS ANOTHER FAMILY MEMBER MEETING THE SAME REQUIREMENTS MOVES IN TO TAKE THEIR PLACE.
AND AGAIN, OUR ORDINANCE STATES THAT AN APPLICANT MUST DEMONSTRATE THAT THERE IS SUFFICIENT OFF STREET PARKING FOR BOTH STRUCTURES.
WE DID RECEIVE ONE WRITTEN COMMENT FROM A CITIZEN, UH, REQUESTING OFF STREET PARKING AND FENCING AS CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
THE FULL EMAIL IS INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET, SO HOPEFULLY YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO READ THAT.
UH, IT'S SOMEWHAT OF A LENGTHY COMMENT, AND I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO READ IT WORD FOR WORD INTO THE, UH, INTO THE RECORD.
STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THIS CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT, UH, WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
THE OCCUPANT OF THE ACCESSORY DWELLING MUST BE RELATED, UH, MUST BE A RELATED FAMILY MEMBER TO THE OCCUPANT OF THE PRIMARY
[00:35:01]
STRUCTURE.OUR ORDINANCE DOESN'T SPECIFY THAT.
SO IT COULD BE AN EXAMPLE WHERE SOMEONE OWNS THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE BUT RENTS IT.
AND THEN THE OWNER HAS A FAMILY MEMBER THAT LIVES IN THE A DU.
SO THIS, UM, UH, TO ME ADDS CLARITY TO OUR ORDINANCE AND, AND BOLSTERS THE INTENT OF THE ORIGINAL ORDINANCE.
NUMBER TWO IS THAT A DRIVEWAY OF ASPHALT OR CONCRETE WILL BE INSTALLED, UH, AND THAT WOULD BE A DRIVEWAY THAT SERVES BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STRUCTURES.
UM, THE DETACHED ACCESSORY DOLING WILL HAVE, UH, FOUNDATION PLANS AND THE REHAB STRUCTURE WILL BE IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE PLANS THAT I'VE PRESENTED TO YOU THIS EVENING.
UH, ONE NOTE ON THOSE PLANS, THEY ARE SHOWING A ROOF THAT IS TALLER THAN BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
UH, IT'S A COUPLE FEET TALLER THAN 18 FEET, SO THEY'RE ABOUT 20, 21 FOOT AT THE, AT THE ROOF PEAK THAT'S NOT PERMITTED BY THE ORDINANCE.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DROP THAT TO 18 MAXIMUM.
SO PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, HELD THE PUBLIC HEARING AND, UH, THEY APPROVED OR RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THIS APPLICATION THREE TO ZERO AT THEIR MARCH MEETING, UH, WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, UH, WITH THE INSTALLATION OF THE DRIVEWAY, THE FOUNDATION PLANNINGS THE, UH, REHABILITATED STRUCTURE BEING IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE AS PRESENTED.
AND THEN THEY ADDED AN ADDITIONAL CONDITION OF APPROVAL.
AND THAT IS THAT THE A DU WILL REMAIN UNOCCUPIED UNTIL THE, UH, POST REHAB AND THE ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
UH, THIS IS JUST A WORK SESSION, SO I'M ASKING FOR ANY ACTION THIS EVENING, BUT I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. WARD? COUNCIL SPOKES? OKAY.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE REQUIREMENT, UM, WHERE YOU ALLOW A FAMILY MEMBER OR RELATED, AND IT'S NOT EVEN DEFINED, UH, MUST BE A RELATED FAMILY MEMBER OF THE OCCUPANT OF THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE, BUT IS THERE A PREVENTION AND IT SHOULD BE A PREVENTION CLAUSE THAT THAT FAMILY MEMBER DOESN'T SUBLET? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SUBLET CONDITION ADDED ON BECAUSE I COULD RENT IT AS A FAMILY MEMBER.
DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T SUBLET IT TO ANOTHER PERSON.
YOU COULD CERTAINLY ADD THAT CONDITION IF YOU'D LIKE, BUT THE INTENT OF THE ORDINANCE IS THAT THE PERSON THAT LIVES THERE MUST MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
BUT I UNDERSTAND WHERE SOMEONE COULD INTERPRET IT DIFFERENTLY AS A LANDLORD, THAT THAT HAS WORKED THAT AREA.
UM, I'VE HAD PERSONS, YOU KNOW, THAT LIVED IN PUBLIC HOUSING, SUFFER THAT A PUBLIC HOUSING UNIT.
AND IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEFINITELY FOR THE FAMILY, BUT I WOULD, I'M A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION, UM, BECAUSE IT'S VERY CLOSE TO OUR PUB PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS.
I WOULD LIKE, 'CAUSE HOW ARE YOU GONNA MANAGE THE FAMILY MEMBER PORTION? UM, BUT YOU CAN AND CREATE SOME TYPE OF PROTECTION.
IF YOU PUT IN A NO SUBLET, YOU CERTAINLY CAN BE ADDED AS A CONDITION.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? AGAIN, NO ACTION TONIGHT.
I'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU AT A PUBLIC HEARING AND I CAN ADD THAT AT THAT IT'S UNREASONABLE.
YEAH, BECAUSE I MEAN, IT'S ALREADY IN A, THEY PLAY GAMES.
OKAY, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT THING.
OUR SECOND WORK SESSION THIS EVENING IS A ZONING MAP AMENDMENT REQUEST.
UH, ESSENTIALLY A REZONING, UH, RELATING TO, UH, SEVERAL PARCEL, A COUPLE OF PARCELS ON, UH, CYPRESS STREET.
THESE ARE PARCEL 0 4 2 0 1 6 5 AND 0 4 2 0 1 7 0.
THEY CONSIST OF LOT SEVEN R AND NINE R BLOCK FOUR, AND THE HIGHLAND PARK SUBDIVISION.
UH, THE REQUEST IS TO REZONE THESE, UH, TWO PROPERTIES FROM B THREE HIGHWAY COMMERCIAL TO R FOUR RESIDENTIAL APARTMENT.
THE APPLICANT IS LEWIS STEVENSON.
THESE PROPERTIES ARE, ARE LOCATED, UM, I BELIEVE WARD SIX.
[00:40:02]
UM, EXISTING ZONING IS B THREE AND THE REQUEST IS TO REZONE THEM TO R FOUR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.A PLAINTIFF COMMISSION, ALL PUBLIC ADVERTISEMENT WAS UNDERTAKEN.
ON THE LEFT IS THE GENERAL LOCATION MAP OF THESE PROPERTIES, AND ON THE RIGHT IS THE CLOSEUP AERIAL COPY.
SO THESE ARE SOME CHALLENGING LOTS, UH, BEING ZONED B THREE, UM, BECAUSE OF THE REQUIRED B THREE SETBACK, SO FRONT YARD SETBACK AND B THREE IS 40 FEET.
UH, AND WITH THE FRONT YARD SETBACK AND THE REAR YARD SETBACK, UH, APPLIED TO THESE TWO PROPERTIES, THAT LEAVES A FOUR FOOT WIDE DEVELOPABLE AREA ON THESE TWO PROPERTIES.
UH, SO IT REALLY DOESN'T MAKE THEM VIABLE OR DEVELOPABLE, UH, FOR COMMERCIAL USE, UH, TO MEET THE B THREE, UH, DISTRICT STANDARDS.
AND OF COURSE, AN APPLICANT COULD PURSUE A YARD VARIANCE THROUGH THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS.
UM, BUT THAT ADDS AN EXTRA LAYER, UH, TO THE PROCESS.
THE TWO LOTS DO CONFORM TO THE R FOUR DISTRICT, SO THEY WOULD BE CONFORMING LOTS IF THEY ARE TO BE REZONED.
AND, UM, THIS WAS ACTUALLY ATTEMPTED, UH, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, UM, WHERE THE PROPERTIES, UH, CAME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL.
I WANT TO SAY, UH, IT WAS BACK IN 2006 AND THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO REZONE TWO R FOUR FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING TOWN HOMES.
THEY WERE AGAINST THAT, THAT USE.
AND, UH, SINGLE, UH, CITY COUNCIL INDICATED AT THAT TIME THEY WOULD PREFER TO SEE SINGLE FAMILY HOME CONSTRUCTION ON THESE PROPERTIES.
UM, SO THE REZONING WAS DENIED AT THE TIME THE APPLICANT HAD NOT PROFFERED SINGLE FAMILY CONSTRUCTION.
THE APPLICANT THIS EVENING FOR THE REZONING HAS PROFFERED SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING CONSTRUCTION ON BOTH LOTS AND WOULD MEET, UH, THE TYPICAL REQUIREMENTS THAT WE ADD FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS.
SO THE 12 INCH MINIMUM OVERHANG DRIVEWAY OF ASPHALT OR CONCRETE FOUNDATION PLANNINGS AND BRICK ON ALL FOUR SIDES OF THE FOUNDATION.
UH, STAFF, UH, DOES SUPPORT THIS REZONING, UH, FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
NUMBER ONE, AS I EXPLAINED EARLIER, IT'S THESE ARE ESSENTIALLY NOT DEVELOPABLE AS ZONED, UH, B THREE BECAUSE THEY JUST CAN'T MEET THE B THREE STANDARDS.
UH, THE APPLICANT'S PROFFERS ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE TYPICAL CONDITIONS THAT COME ALONG WITH THE CUP, SO I DON'T SEE WHY THEY WOULD BE ANY DIFFERENT IN THIS INSTANCE.
R FOUR IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES TO THE NORTH.
THOSE ARE ALREADY ZONED R FOUR AND, UH, THE SETBACKS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR THESE, UH, THESE LOTS HERE.
UH, LASTLY, THE COM COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ACTUALLY SPEAKS SPECIFICALLY TO THIS AREA OF THE CITY AND IT STATES THIS SUB AREA WELL LOCATED ADEQUATE, ADEQUATELY SIZED TO ACCOMMODATE A TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION EFFORT THAT COULD YIELD A RANGE OF, OF MEDIUM TO HIGH DENSITY HOUSING.
SO THAT KIND OF, FOR, FOR STAFF, UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE FINAL SAY THAT THE COMP PLAN SUPPORTS THIS.
WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, EITHER WRITTEN OR AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND STAFF RECOMMEND DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS REQUEST, UH, TO REZONE FROM B THREE TO R FOUR, UH, WITH THE PROFFERS AS SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT.
UH, PLANNING COMMISSION WAS IN AGREEMENT WITH STAFF AND VOTED TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL AS WELL.
UM, AGAIN, NO ACTION THIS EVENING, BUT I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
UH, COUNCILLOR STOKES
UM, HOW DOES THIS INTERFERE WITH THE PLANS, UM, FOR THE RENDEZVOUS? UM, I WOULD SAY IT DOES NOT INTERFERE AT ALL.
UM, THIS REZONING WOULD NOT AFFECT THOSE PARCELS WHERE THE RENDEZVOUS DEVELOPMENT IS SLATED TO GO.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE, UH, DUE EAST OF WHERE THESE PROPERTIES ARE.
I GUESS NORTHEAST, PROBABLY A BETTER DESCRIPTION.
WAS THERE ANY DISCUSSION AT ALL, UM, WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND MR. LEWIS, IS HIS NAME LEWIS, MR. LEWIS? MR. LEWIS, AS FAR AS THE TYPE OF BUILDING HE'S DOING VERSUS WHAT I UNDERSTAND THAT THE RENDEZVOUS WOULD BE THERE, THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
THEY'RE GONNA BUILD, I BELIEVE IT'S A 67 OR 68 UNIT, UH, MULTIFAMILY.
AND MR. LEWIS IS PROPOSING TWO SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
IS AT, WHICH ARE THEY TOWN HOMES OR SINGLE FAMILY? SINGLE
[00:45:01]
FAMILY HOMES.SINGLE FAMILY GARAGE? YES MA'AM.
ONLY THING THAT I ASK IS THAT THEY MAINTAIN A 20% TREE CANOPY.
I WAS GONNA SEND YOU AN EMAIL ABOUT THE OTHER ONE TOO.
I WASN'T GONNA CALL YOU OUT ON THAT.
ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
ALRIGHT, SO THE LAST ONE FOR THIS EVENING.
SO WE ARE IN THE, UH, SUBDIVISION PHASE OF THE HOPE CREST TOWNS, UH, TOWN HOME DEVELOPMENT THAT YOU ALL APPROVED THE REZONING ON LAST YEAR.
SUBDIVISION INVOLVES PARCELS 1 0 6 0 7 3 5 1 0 6 0 4 9 0 MM-HMM
1 0 6 0 2 8 5 1 0 6, 0 1, 0 5, AND 1 0 6 0 200.
MAP ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE GENERAL LOCATION AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, UH, THESE ARE THE SUBJECT PARCELS THAT ARE, UH, BEING SUBDIVIDED INTO THE HOPE CREST.
TOWNS DEVELOPMENT, THE APPLICANT IS ABU MLLC.
THE EXISTING ZONING IS, UH, B THREE, UH, PLAN, UNIT DEVELOPMENT AND R FOUR CLAIM UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THE SIZE OF THE AREA IS JUST OVER 28 ACRES AND THE, THE WHOLE DEVELOPMENT FINAL PROPOSED USE IS ONE MULTIFAMILY BUILDING AND 171 TOWN HOME UNITS LOCATED IN WARD SIX.
THIS IS THE SUBDIVISION HERE AS PROPOSED.
THIS HAS BEEN THROUGH, UM, EXTENSIVE REVIEW AT THE STAFF LEVEL AMONGST, UH, DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO INCLUDE PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR UTILITY DEPARTMENTS.
UH, THIS PARTICULAR, UH, SLIDE SHOWS THE PHASING AS PROPOSED.
UH, AS FAR AS, UH, CITY COUNCIL GOES, THE ORDINANCE IS PRETTY CLEAR THAT AS LONG AS AN APPLICANT MEETS ALL THE, ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE, IT MERELY JUST BECOMES A MINISTERIAL DUTY ON THE PART OF CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE IT.
SO, UH, AFTER EXTENSIVE STAFF REVIEW, UH, WE HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE SUBDIVISION DOES MEET, UM, ALL PROVISIONS OF THE CITY SUBDIVISION'S ORDINANCE AND THEREFORE, UH, I'LL BE COMING BACK TO YOU NOT AT A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT AS AN R ITEM FOR YOUR FINAL APPROVAL OF THIS SUBDIVISION PLAT.
UM, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY.
WHERE'S THE LOCATION? RIGHT OFF OF 2 9 5.
YOU HAD ME CONFUSED THERE FOR A MINUTE.
DID I HAVE SIX? YOU DID HAVE SIX.
SO MY, SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU.
EVERY ONE OF THESE THINGS TONIGHT,
UH, MOVING ON TO NUMBER FOUR, UH, MR. BASSETT.
UH, THIS WAS A, THIS WAS DRAFTED AT THE REQUEST OF COUNSEL.
UM, AND WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS THE PRODUCT OF, UH, QUITE EXTENSIVE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN, UH, MYSELF, THE TREASURER, UH, STACEY JORDAN, THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, AS WELL AS THE TREASURER'S ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIA.
THEY HAVE BEEN, UM, THEY HAVE BEEN INTEGRAL TO THE, THE, THE DRAFTING OF THIS.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS, AS COUNSEL DIRECTED AN ORDINANCE THAT, UH, TAKES THE TREASURER'S DUTIES AND TRIMS THEM BACK TO WHAT VIRGINIA CODE AND THE CONSTITUTION OF VIRGINIA REQUIRE THAT THEY BE AND NOTHING FURTHER.
AS YOU KNOW, OUR CHARTER, UH, GIVES COUNSEL THE AUTHORITY TO, UH, PLACE UPON THE TREASURER IN ADDITION TO HER STATUTORY DUTIES.
ALSO, ADDITIONAL DUTIES, UH, AS COUNSEL DIRECTS.
AND LOOKING BACK THROUGH THE HISTORY, THERE HAVE BEEN SMALL
[00:50:01]
RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES GOING BACK ALL THE WAY TO THE THIRTIES, UH, GIVING VARIOUS DUTIES AND, AND POWERS TO THE TREASURER.UM, SO THIS BRINGS US BACK TO A BASELINE ON THAT IT ALSO GOES AHEAD AND IT, IT SETS UP THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AS A MATTER OF CITY CHARTER SETS OUT HER DUTIES AND ALSO SETS OUT BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES OF THE ORDINANCE.
UM, THE RELATIONSHIP OF THAT OFFICE, THE, THE, THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE WITH THE TREASURER.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY? OKAY, SEEING NONE, UH, WE'LL HAVE THAT ON OUR AGENDA IN TWO WEEKS FOR APPROVAL.
[PUBLIC HEARING]
MOVING INTO A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, MS. JORDAN AND MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE READ THE STATEMENT ALL PERSONS ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL SHALL STEP TO THE MICROPHONE, GIVE THEIR NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE IN, HOPEWELL THEIR WARD NUMBER AND LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.NO ONE MAY ADDRESS THE COUNCIL MORE THAN ONCE PER MEETING, ALL 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 AND PERTINENT ABUSIVE OR STANDARD STATEMENTS OR INSIGHTS.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER MAY BE REPRIMANDED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER AND REMOVED FROM THE MEETING UPON MAJORITY VOTE OF COUNSELORS PRESENT, EXCLUDING ANY COUNSELOR WHO IS THE SUBJECT OF THE MOTION.
THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE TAX RATE.
AGAIN, WE ARE NOT REQUESTING AN INCREASE TO THE TAX RATE.
THIS IS JUST REQUIRED BY STATE CODE 58.1 DASH 33 21 THAT, UM, WE DO A REVENUE NEUTRAL CALCULATION PRETTY MUCH SAYING THAT EITHER WE'RE GONNA RECOGNIZE THE REVENUES RECEIVED FROM THE REASSESSMENT AND OR WE'RE NOT.
IF WE DO NOT CHOOSE TO RECOGNIZE THOSE REVENUES, THEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE TAX RATE.
BUT WE ARE RE, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT WE RECOGNIZE THOSE REVENUES SO THAT THEY CAN GO TOWARDS A CLASS AND COMP STUDY AS WELL AS THE HEALTHCARE INSURANCE AND CAPITAL AND OTHER FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES NEEDED IN THE CITY AND KEEP THE RATE AT A DOLLAR AND 17 CENTS.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, DID WE HAVE ANYONE SIGN UP? OKAY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS? OH, YES MA'AM.
I CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC? OKAY.
UM, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ASSESSMENTS AND THE TAX RATE AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU ALL AS A WHOLE TO, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GO ABOUT APPROVING IT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY ASSESS IT OR HOW THEY COME UP WITH THE RATE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU AS A SINGLE HOMEOWNER THAT TAKES CARE OF TWO HOUSEHOLDS THAT I HAVE FOUND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DISCREPANCY AND HOW THE ASSESSMENTS ARE DONE.
AND WITH THAT COMBINATION OF THE PROPERTY BY INCREASING AND THE TAX RATE INCREASING, IT IS PUTTING A LOT OF PEOPLE IN FINANCIAL HARDSHIP TO A POINT WHERE THEY MIGHT BE FORCED TO SELL THEIR HOME IN ORDER TO STAY HERE IN HOPEWELL.
THEY'VE BEEN RESIDENTS, UM, CITIZENS OF HOPEWELL.
SO IF SOMEBODY CAN TELL ME HOW THE DOLLAR 17 CENTS PER 100 WAS FORMULATED TO BE REASONABLE, I REALLY WOULD LIKE THAT.
AND I REALLY LIKE TO KNOW SINCE THE 2023 ASSESSMENTS WERE DONE, A FOUR 4 CENTS INCREASE, BUT THE TAX, THE ASSESSMENT ON THE PROPERTIES WENT UP, AT LEAST FOR ME ON MINE, ONE WENT UP 57% AND I NEVER RECEIVED THE ASSESSMENT ON THAT PARTICULAR ONE, WHICH I PROVIDE FOR MY DAUGHTER AND GRANDKIDS.
AND THIS YEAR IT WENT I GUESS 7%, WHICH TELLS ME THAT THE ASSESSMENT WAS OVERLY ASSESSED.
I DID FILE FOR THE, UM, LAND OFFICE ASSESSORS AND APPRAISERS TO COME OUT TO LOOK AT MY PROPERTY.
BUT AS A CITIZEN OF HOPEWELL AND THE ASSESSMENT VALUE AND THE TAX RATE, IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY TO A POINT WHERE I KNOW IT'S CREATING HARDSHIP FOR A LOT OF
[00:55:01]
THE CITIZENS, ESPECIALLY A LOT OF THE ELDERLY CITIZENS.UM, THE ONE INCOME, UM, HOUSEHOLD AND I, I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
IF YOU CAN GIVE US SOME HELP AND REDUCE THE BACK DOWN TO THE 1.1 13, IT WILL BE A HELP.
UM, YOU HAD SOME QUESTIONS FOR US.
IF YOU GIVE THE CLERK YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, WE CAN GIVE YOU ALL THE APPEALS, UM, OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU CAN FOR YOUR, UM, FOR YOUR ASSESSMENT.
GIVE HER YOUR GIVE HER GIVE THE CLERK HERE YOUR CONTACT INFO.
THEY HAVE, I FEEL NOT PERFORMED.
THEY HAVE BEEN OUT, UM, FOR MY PROPERTIES.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT'S ONE OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU HAVE UHHUH IF THAT ONE DOESN'T GO THE WAY THAT YOU HOPE THAT IT GOES.
THERE'S A SECOND OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU HAVE.
YES, I'M AWARE THAT ONE IS CLEAR.
UM, THAT'S, I THOUGHT I SAW A HAND.
I'M HERE ABOUT THE SAME THING.
MY HOUSE WENT UP ALMOST $47,000.
LET'S GO ROUND AND Y'ALL GONNA KEEP IT AT A DOLLAR 17.
Y'ALL NEED TO TAKE IT WAY DOWN.
THIS IS JUST GETTING RIDICULOUS.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I'VE DONE WENT FROM $2,000 A YEAR AND Y'ALL ARE AT 29 POINT 34 AT A DOLLAR 17.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? YES MA'AM.
MY NAME IS PATTY HAM AND I'M IN WARD SIX AND I HAVE A SINGLE INCOME SOCIAL SECURITY THAT COMES IN AND Y'ALL KEEP RAISING THE TAXES UP ON MY PROPERTY OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
BUT ALSO KNOW SOMEBODY ELSE AS SIMILAR AGE AS ME THAT LIVES IN HOPEWELL ON A DIFFERENT WARD AND HER TAXES ARE SO HIGH THAT SHE CAN'T AFFORD TO REPAIR HER HEAT.
AND Y'ALL WANNA RAISE IT MORE.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF WIDOWS THAT LIVE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
THEY HAVE ONE INCOME THAT COMES IN.
WE HAVE TO AFFORD TO BE ABLE TO KEEP OUR PROPERTY UP AND MAINTAINED.
WE CAN'T DO THAT IF WE'RE PAYING HIGH TAXES ON OUR REAL ESTATE PROPERTY.
DO I HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE? SOMEBODY ELSE? OKAY.
WELL THIS LADY WAS COMING UP FIRST.
DARLENE WARD SIX, CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR LAST NAME FOR THE RECORD? DARLENE THOMPSON WARD SIX.
UM, UNBELIEVABLE THAT WE COULD EVEN BE TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER TAX HEIGHT.
EACH TIME I COME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL, I CONTINUE TO GET THE SAME STIR.
EVERYONE LOOKS AT YOU, SEND YOU OVER TO THE SECRETARY, THE CLERK GIVE INFORMATION AND NOTHING IS DONE.
IT IS SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT LAST YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE YOU ALL GOT THAT OVER ASSESSMENT.
YOU ALL, Y'ALL KEEP TALKING ABOUT ONE 13 TO ONE 17.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED? THEY OVER ASSESS YOUR PROPERTIES IN TWO YEARS AGO.
THEY GOT OVER $5 MILLION, THEN THEY TURNED AROUND AND DONE YOUR RATE HEIGHT FROM ONE 13 TO ONE 17, WHICH GAVE THEM CLOSE TO TWO MORE MILLION DOLLARS.
IT'S GETTING SICKENING COMING BEFORE YOU ALL.
I DON'T LOOK FOR NOTHING FROM THE CITY MANAGER OR YOUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, BUT I DO EXPECT MORE FROM EACH ONE OF YOU ALL, EACH ONE OF YOU ALL SAT THERE AND VOTE AND WHAT THEY'RE HOPING IS THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING COMING BEFORE CITY COUNCIL AND SAYING WE CAN'T AFFORD IT.
AND THEN WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO IS SAY, OKAY, WE ARE NOT GOING TO INCREASE
[01:00:01]
YOUR TAX RATE.WE ARE NOT GONNA GO BACK AND DO THE REASSESSMENT OF YOUR PROPERTIES.
WE ARE GOING TO KEEP YOUR MONEY CLOSE TO $7 MILLION A YEAR AND WE GET NOTHING.
NOT ONE, NOTHING IN THE BUDGET SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HELPING THE CITIZENS.
IT'S ABOUT INCREASING GIVING ATTORNEY AND ASSISTING.
IT'S ABOUT GIVING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUY AND ASSISTING ALL OF OUR TAX PAYING DOLLARS.
Y'ALL JUST SPEND THE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO AND NOTHING FOR US WOULDN'T EVEN PUT IN FOR A LEAF PICKUP.
I HAD TO CALL TODAY ABOUT THE DITCHES ACROSS FROM ME.
AND EACH TIME WE KEEP COMING BEFORE YOU OR TELLING YOU OUR CONCERNS, YOUR CITY MANAGER THIS PAST LAST YEAR FOUND A WAY TO GET A BRAND NEW B HIPAA.
I'M STILL DRIVING MY 202,001 HONDA COURT, BUT SHE WAS ABLE TO GET A VEHICLE FOR HERSELF, A VEHICLE FOR HER ASSISTANT IT DIRECTOR, BUT YOU ALL DIDN'T HAVE MONEY.
WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT THOSE INCREASES OF CITY MANAGER MAKING $180,000 DRIVING A VEHICLE HOME EVERY DAY, THAT'S OUR TAXES THAT WE HAVE TO PAY.
THAT'S GAS, THAT'S INSURANCE THAT TAKES HER SALARY UP TO CLOSE TO $200,000 A YEAR OR MORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND SIGN A PETITION TO HIRE US, AN ATTORNEY TO FIND OUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THE CITY COUNCIL.
KEEP JACKING OUR TAXES UP EVERY TIME THEY WANT MONEY AND THEN SPEND OUR MONEY RECKLESSLY THE WAY THAT THEY WANT TO.
ALRIGHT, I'M GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AT THIS TIME IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE TAX RATES AS PRESENTED? I'LL SECOND IT.
UH, COUNCILLOR STOKES IT'S DISCUSSION, RIGHT? YES.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THOUGH THAT THERE IS NO TAX INCREASE.
AM I CORRECT MS. GEORGE? YES, AND THAT IS CORRECT.
THE ASSESSMENT VALUES INCREASED, UM, THIS YEAR.
IT WILL NOT BE A REASSESSMENT YEAR NEXT YEAR, BUT THE, THE NEXT ASSESSMENT YEAR WILL BE TWO 2028 ADDITIONAL REA.
SO I JUST WANT PROPERTIES EVERY OTHER YEAR WANTED TO CLARIFY FOR YES MA'AM.
PART FOR, AGAIN, RATE INCREASE REQUESTED FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 26 UPCOMING BUDGET AND THE MONEY RECEIVED FROM THE REVENUE FROM THE REASSESSMENT VALUES ALL GO TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY INCREASES FOR FIRE POLICE AS WELL AS INSURANCE INCREASES FOR THE CITY.
SO THERE IS NO, NO, THERE IS NO INCREASE.
UM, I FEEL LIKE I NEED TO JUST SAY SOMETHING ON IT BECAUSE, UM, I FEEL THE FRUSTRATION.
UM, SOME OF THESE DECISIONS THAT WE DO ARE VERY HARD.
AS YOU HEARD THE INCREASE FOR THE POLICE FIRE, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT, BUT WHAT THEY'RE TELLING, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS IT'S GOING TOWARDS THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, RAISES, WE ARE LOSING POLICE OFFICERS, Y'ALL WANT 'EM ON THE STREET.
UH, FIREFIGHTERS, THEY COST MONEY.
THEY'RE LEAVING HANDOVER FISTS TO GO TO OTHER LOCALITIES AND
AND I UNDERSTAND, BUT THE BUT WHAT Y'ALL FEEL AS FAR AS INCREASES THE CITY, UH, THE CITY'S GAS GOES UP WHEN Y'ALL'S GAS GOES UP, THE WEAR AND TEAR ON VEHICLES.
UM, WE DO LEASE PROGRAMS. WE DON'T GO OUT THERE AND OUTRIGHT
[01:05:01]
BUY VEHICLES.I MEAN, WE LEASE VEHICLES, A LADDER TRUCK, $1.9 MILLION.
WHAT DO YOU DO? IIII AND, AND I FEEL IT.
AND YES, IT'S NOT A TAX INCREASE, BUT IT'S A REASSESSMENT AND A REASSESSMENT MAJOR, YOUR MAJOR, UH, VALUE GO UP, WHICH NOW YOU PAY MORE WHEN YOU SET UP HERE AND HAVE TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
IT'S A YES OR NO, BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT JUST HAS TO BE DONE.
THESE POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS ARE LEAVING EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY.
SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO AND I'M, IF I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO GET IT, JUST DON'T KNOW.
UH, SEE WE HAVE, UH, COUNSELOR DAY AND THEN THE CITY MANAGER AND THEN MYSELF.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO REMEMBER THAT CITY COUNCIL DOESN'T SET YOUR ASSESSMENT RATE.
SO THAT CAN COMES FROM THE COMMISSIONER REVENUES OFFICE.
SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE SET OR HAVE CONTROL OVER.
UM, WE JUST SET THE TAX RATE, WHICH IS NOT GOING UP THE SHEET.
DO YOU UNDERSTAND? IT'S NOT, MA'AM, I'M SORRY, BUT YOU CAN'T TALK DURING THIS PART.
MAKER, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE SOME CLARIFICATION FOR EVERYBODY IN THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL SESSIONS WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, THE FIRST SESSION WITH WAS WITH, UM, MR. HARRIS AND, AND COUNCILOR DAY TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE, HOW WE CAN GET THE, UH, THE, THE RAISES TO THE OFFICERS AND THE FIREFIGHTERS.
WE HAD A PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION LAST WEEK.
WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION AGAIN WITH THE MAYOR AND THE VICE MAYOR.
UM, AND, AND WE HAVE SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK TO GIVE MORE DETAILS TO THE PUBLIC AND MAKE A DECISION.
BUT THE BUDGET IS BALANCED BASED ON RAISES FOR POLICE OFFICERS, WHICH, WHICH ARE, UM, UH, 17 DOWN 14 DOWN IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMS WE ARE BARRING FROM OTHER LOCALITIES TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS.
THIS IS WHERE THE ASSESSMENT DOLLARS HAVE ALL WENT.
IT IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD TO SPEND ANY ASSESSMENT MONEY TO BOLSTER THE FIRE IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
SO THE POLICE MINIMAL WAGE WILL BE BROKE UP TO 58 WHERE WE HAVE OTHER LOCALITIES WE'RE STILL BEHIND.
UM, SO WE'VE MADE A LOT OF ADJUSTMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT.
THAT'D BE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL HAVE A FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT ON THE 15TH.
BUT, UM, I APPRECIATE, UM, COUNCILOR BACON.
UM, THE COMMENTS TODAY REGARDING WHERE THOSE FUNDINGS WILL ARE ACTUALLY GOING.
UM, SO TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW IN TWO PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, THIS COUNCIL HAS ALREADY REQUESTED AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION IS RESEARCHING PROGRAM CUTS.
WE'RE ASKING FOR OPERATION CUTS POSITIONS THAT HAVE GONE UNFILLED FOR YEARS TO LOOK AT FREEZING THOSE.
SO WE CAN USE THAT FUNDING FOR OTHER THINGS? WELL, WE'VE ASKED FOR EXPANDED GRANT APPLICATIONS, LIKE WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE VDOT FUNDING FOR ROTARY PAVING, AND NOT JUST THE MAIN THOROUGHFARES, BUT FOR NEIGHBORHOODS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF OTHER STATE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
THESE ARE THINGS WE'VE ALL ASKED FOR.
AND JUST LIKE COUNCILLOR ELLIS SAID, YES, IT'S HARD, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR I HAD EVERY INTENTION ON HOPING THAT WE COULD DO A TAX DECREASE.
BUT WHEN YOU GET A LETTER FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FOR A NOTICE OF VIOLATION FOR YOUR SEWER COLLECTION SYSTEM AND FOR YOUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, AND WHERE YOU HAVE A CONSENT ORDER ON OUR WAY, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT THING IS GOING TO SAY, WHAT THE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, REQUIREMENTS ARE GOING TO BE PUT OUT.
WE HAVE TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF BEING VERY CONSERVATIVE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE MONEY, THAT WE CAN TACKLE THINGS BECAUSE THE MORE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE CAN SHOW, FIRST OFF, THAT WE'RE TACKLING IN THESE, IN FIXING OUR SEWER ISSUES, THAT CAN POTENTIALLY BE USED AS A
[01:10:01]
BARGAINING CHIP TO LESSEN THE CONSENT ORDER.ADDITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE STATE AND TO OTHER, THE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES THAT WE ARE GETTING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FUNDED AND EXECUTED SO THAT WAY WE CAN GET A BOND RATING BACK, AND THEN THAT WAY WE CAN GO OUT TO BOND AND WE'RE NOT HAVING TO SCRAPE TOGETHER FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL TO FUND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
SO I, I WANT THE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT WE ARE EXPLORING EVERY OPPORTUNITY, AND IF CITY COUNCIL HAS ALREADY GONE AND TRIED TO CUT THEIR BUDGET, I'VE ALREADY ASKED THE CITY MANAGER TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT FURTHER CUTS IN OUR BUDGET.
WE'RE LOOKING AT EVERY POSSIBLE WAY THAT WE CAN DO SO THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT INVESTMENTS ARE GOING BACK OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT IS THROUGH RECREATION SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC, WHETHER IT'S STREET PAVING, UPGRADING OUR UTILITIES, BUT WE ARE EXPLORING EVERY AND ALL OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, COUNSELOR, OR EXCUSE ME, VICE MAYOR JOINER.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE ONE, ONE FINAL COMMENT AND I CAN, I CAN APPRECIATE WHEN, UM, A CITIZEN SAYS WE'RE NOT SEEING ANYTHING THAT'S FOR US.
I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOU SPINNING FOR US? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS AND HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND I, AND IT'S A REALITY, IS THAT PART OF OUR PROBLEM HAS BEEN POOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT.
NOW, WE ARE ON A, WE'RE ON A, A, A POSITIVE TRAJECTORY RIGHT NOW, BUT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WE LOST OUR BOND RATING IN 2017.
AND THAT MEANS THAT THERE HAS BEEN NO, NO WAY TO GET MONEY TO FUND ALL THE CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE THINGS, THE STREETS, THE, THE SERVICES, ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU SEE AND YOU WANT.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF DIGGING OURSELVES OUT OF A HOLE RIGHT NOW.
COUNSELOR ELLIS SPOKE VERY ELOQUENTLY ABOUT THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, PUBLIC SAFETY ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IS NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE TO, IN ORDER FOR US TO GROW, IN ORDER FOR US TO GET WHERE WE WANNA BE, WE HAVE TO HAVE STRONG PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO THESE SALARY INCREASES ARE ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO THE CITY'S FUTURE.
UM, AND, AND I, I, I CAN APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE FRUSTRATIONS I TRULY CAN.
BUT IT IS A, IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A BALANCING ACT.
IT'S A TOUGH ONE TO TOUGH ONE TO CRACK.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TAX RATE HERE IN THIS CITY VERSUS THE OTHER, OTHER SMALL CITIES AROUND, YOU CAN'T COMPARE US TO, TO CHESTERFIELD COUNTY OR IN RIKO COUNTY, THAT KIND THING.
BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT COMPARE US TO, TO CITY OF PETERSBURG OR CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS, OUR TAX RATES ARE, ARE LOWER.
UM, I MEAN ACROSS THE BOARD AND, UM, AND I, AND ASSESSMENTS, UNFORTUNATELY, INFLATION IS THE REALITY.
UH, BUT IT PINCHES IT, IT SQUEEZES US ALL.
UM, BUT IT IS A DIFFICULT, IT'S A BALANCING ACT AND I CAN APPRECIATE YOUR FRUSTRATIONS.
AND, AND, AND MAYOR PARTON SPOKE THAT WE ARE NOT FINISHED WITH THIS BUDGET.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A BALANCED BUDGET, BUT HOW WE ALLOCATE ALL THOSE DOLLARS IS STILL OUT THERE.
WE WANNA TRY AND CREATE SOME MORE DOLLARS FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME.
$200,000 ISN'T GONNA HIT ON IT.
SO WE'VE GOTTA FIGURE OUT A WAY AND WE'LL BE WORKING ON IT NEXT WEEK.
UH, SEEING NO MORE LIGHTS, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[REGULAR BUSINESS]
MOVING ON TO R ONE.GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UM, PIGGYBACKING ON THE CONVERSATION WE HAD A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UH, RELATIVE, I GUESS DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, UM, I HAD MENTIONED SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT WE WERE LOOKING TO DEFER.
UM, THE CAPITAL PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN AMBITIOUS AT BEST.
UM, AND PROBABLY, UH, DURING DIFFERENT TIMES, UH, WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
UM, HOWEVER, UM, ALONG WITH LOTS OF THINGS, ESTIMATES HAVE GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY.
UM, AND WE'VE TRIED TO FIND A WAY TO WHERE WE CAN MAXIMIZE OUR LOCAL DOLLARS, UM, FOR, FOR PAVING AND THE LIKE.
SO THE RESOLUTION BEFORE HE DENIED IS TO REALLOCATE THE LOCAL DOLLARS THAT HAVE BEEN SET ASIDE FOR TWO PROJECTS TO OUR STREET PAVING INSTEAD, AND TO ESSENTIALLY DEFER THOSE THREE PROJECTS TO A LATER DATE TO WE'RE IN A BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION TO FUND THAT, UM, THE LOCAL SHARE OF THOSE PROJECTS.
[01:15:01]
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR MID-YEAR REALLOCATION OF FUNDING TO THE PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM? SO MOVED.UM, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HARRIS AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR DAY.
ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UM, I HAD MENTIONED THIS, UH, TO COUNSEL IN A PREVIOUS MEETING, UM, THAT I HAD WAS GOING TO COME BACK, UH, AND ASK FOR THE REAPPROPRIATION OF ALL THE DIFFERENT WARD THREE FUNDS THAT A CITY THAT THE CITY COUNCIL FOR WARD THREE IS, UM, ALLOTTED IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET.
AND THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE REALLOCATED, UH, TO FIX THE PIER, UH, DOWN AT WESTON MANOR SO THAT WAY IT COULD BE SAFE.
AND THAT WAY FAMILIES AND, UM, CITIZENS CAN UTILIZE, UH, FOR RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES AND ALSO FOR, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT AQUATIC EVENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO WHAT THIS MOTION IS DOING, UM, IS HOW MR. BASSETT, UH, SAID THAT THE BEST WAY TO DO IS TO TAKE ALL THOSE, MOVE IT INTO THE WARD IMPROVEMENT FUND, AND THEN FROM THE WARD IMPROVEMENT FUND, I WOULD SIGN IT OVER.
SO AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A, UH, MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION? AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 24, UH, BUDGET TO REASSIGN WARD THREE, TRAVEL AND COMMUNICATION FUNDS TO THE WARD.
UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY, LET'S SEE, IS IT COUNCILOR? I GET YOU.
UH, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR ELLIS.
SEEING NO LIGHTS FOR DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEETING.