[00:00:04]
UH, AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE A
[CLOSED MEETING]
MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A 29 AND EIGHT.TO DISCUSS THE AWARD OF A PUBLIC CONTRACT OR DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION.
AND TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS, DISCUSSION OF AN UNSOLICITED OFFER AND AN OFFER ON REAL ESTATE PROPERTY.
SECOND MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[RECONVENE OPEN MEETING]
AND, UH, START OUR MEETING.AT THIS TIME, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO COME OUT? A CLOSED MEETING? SO, SECOND.
MOTIONS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING THE LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
CAN WE GET YOU FORM COUNCILOR, HAVE A MOTION COURT MEETING MADE.
PROCEED BY COUNCILOR ELLIS CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 12 D.
WERE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS.
LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM BOTH MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND TWO IDENTIFIED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
MOTION DISCUSSED ENCLOSED COUNCILOR ELLIS CERTIFICATION PLEASE.
[REGULAR MEETING]
OKAY.AT THIS TIME WE'LL HAVE THE PRAYER BY PASTOR, UH, BLOW, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG BY MYSELF.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE WANT TO THANK YOU, LORD GOD, FOR BLESSING US TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
WE ASK, LORD, THAT YOU WOULD BLESS THIS MEETING, LORD, YOU SAID, IF WE WOULD ACKNOWLEDGE YOU IN ALL OUR WAYS, WE WOULD DIRECT OUR PATH.
SO, LORD, WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DIRECT US TONIGHT.
BLESS EVERYONE HERE, LORD, THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE WHAT THEY NEED AND THAT YOU BE GLORIFIED IN IT ALL.
WE GIVE YOU PRAISE, HONOR AND GLORY.
A PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO REPUBLIC FOR STANDS.
[Additional Item]
IS THERE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO COMBINE CR ONE AND R ONE TOGETHER? ALRIGHT, UH, I'LL SECOND IT.UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY MYSELF.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEE NONE.
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
TO OUR, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT CONSENT AGENDA? SECOND.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR DAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING THE LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS ]
UH, MOVING ON TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS.UH, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE READ THE STATEMENT,
[00:05:01]
A COMM, A COMMUNICATION FROM CITIZENS LIMITED AND 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 HOPEFUL THEIR BOARD NUMBER AND THEIR IN 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 SHALL 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.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARRED BY THE MAYOR FROM FURTHER AT AUDIENCE BEFORE COUNCIL AND REMOVED, SUBJECT TO APPEAL TO A MAJORITY OF COUNCIL C RULES, 4 0 5 AND 4 0 6.
UH, THE FIRST PERSON THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP TONIGHT IS ANDREW WALKER.
I'M A LOCAL PROPERTY OWNER IN BUSINESS OWNER KANSAS CITY HOPEWELL.
I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I READ YOUR ARTICLE IN REFERENCE TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE WRITING ATVS ON THE STREETS OF HOPEWELL.
I, MYSELF, AM AM ALSO AN ENTHUSIAST.
A FEW YEARS AGO I PURCHASED, CAN YOU SPEAK TO YOUR MICROPHONE, PLEASE? YES.
I, ABOUT A FEW YEARS AGO, I PURCHASED 12 ACRES OF LAND FOR A TV RIDING FOR MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
AND I THINK THAT AT THIS TIME IT WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE CITY TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND APPROPRIATE PLACE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE CITY TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN RIDE TO ATVS RATHER THAN THE STREET.
I'VE SPOKEN WITH CHRIS WARD ABOUT MY PROPERTY IN REFERENCE TO THE ZONING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO SEE HOW IT CAN BE USED.
THE ZONING IS NOT AN ISSUE RIGHT NOW.
I'M LIMITED BY ACCESS TO MY PROPERTY, HAVING TO GO ACROSS CSX TRAIN TRACKS OFF OF FIRST AVENUE OR EITHER COMING OFF HERCULES ROAD, GOING THROUGH PROPERTY OWNED BY WESTROCK OR EITHER DOMINION.
BUT MYSELF, BEING A CAREER EDUCATED COUNSELOR, I KNOW IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO TRY TO WORK WITH YOUNG PEOPLE IN TIMES LIKE THIS TO PROVIDE THEM WITH APPROPRIATE ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES RATHER THAN JUST CLOSING OFF THE, UM, WHAT IT IS THEY'RE DOING.
AND I THINK THAT IF WE CAN PROVIDE AND WORK TOGETHER, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WORKING WITH HOPEWELL POLICE OR HOPEWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
BEING AN EDUCATOR MYSELF AND TRYING TO DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT IS A, AN APPROPRIATE POSITIVE ALTERNATIVE TO YOUNG PEOPLE JUST RIDING ON THE STREETS.
UM, DO YOU MIND, UH, LEAVING YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION YES.
SO THEN THAT WAY, UM, THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF CAN REACH OUT TO YOU? ABSOLUTELY.
I WAS ASKED TO PROVIDE THESE, UM, UM, PHOTOS TO THE COUNSELOR FROM, FROM YOU.
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPLAIN, EXPLAIN WHAT THE PHOTOS REPRESENT? YES.
UH, SO THE PHOTOS SHOULD SHOW THE, UH, PROPERTY, UM, PREVIOUSLY HOW I PURCHASED IT, I SPOKE WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN HARRIS ABOUT THAT.
SO IT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT 22, EXCUSE ME, 12 ACRES.
AND I'VE, UM, CLEARED SOME, LIKE I SAID, SO MY FRIENDS AND MYSELF CAN ENJOY IT.
BUT I DO THINK THAT IF WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT IS APPROPRIATE, WHERE THE PUBLIC COULD USE IT AND HAVE ACCESS TO IT IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT, WE CAN REDUCE THESE ACTIVITIES ON THE STREET.
UM, I DO WORK WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS AREA ON REPAIRING THEIR MOTORCYCLES AND ATVS, AND THEY'RE CONSTANTLY ASKING ME WHEN I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO OPEN AND MAKE IT MORE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT IT'S SOMETHING I HAVE TO BE A LITTLE MORE RESERVED AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE UNTIL I HAVE PROPER ZONING FOR PERMISSION FROM THE CITY TO DO SUCH A THING, I WOULDN'T WANNA PUT MYSELF IN HARM'S WAY IN LEGAL RISK.
IS THIS PICTURE THAT THE, THIS THE ONE RIGHT THERE? IS THAT WHAT YOU HOPED TO, HOW DO YOU HOPE TO BUILD IT? YES.
UH, THE NEXT PERSON I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS IS KAREN THAYER.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, I AM A WIDOW OF FIVE YEARS NOW.
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW MUCH MONEY I HAVE AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE IN CITY OF HOPEWELL THAT'S DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE.
AND I WISH MORE PEOPLE WOULD ATTEND THESE MEETINGS SO THAT YOU ALL CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
BUT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS WHAT'S EVENTUALLY GONNA END UP HAPPENING IS YOU'RE GONNA LOSE YOUR CITIZENS BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY FOR OUR HOUSES, NEVERTHELESS, PAY FOR OUR TAXES.
WE CAN'T KEEP BUSINESSES AND HOPEWELL BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING
[00:10:01]
HERE.SO WE NEED TO REVITALIZE SOME WAY, BUT FIND A BETTER WAY, NOT THROUGH TAXES, BUT FIND A BETTER WAY TO GET SOME REVITALATION TO HOPA SO THAT WE CAN GET SOME MONEY TO HOPA SO THAT YOU CAN KEEP THE CITIZENS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT, KEEPING THE CITIZENS HERE.
THAT'S WHAT'S KEEPING YOU ALL GOING.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK THAT DIDN'T SIGN UP? OKAY.
[PUBLIC HEARING ]
GONNA MOVE INTO OUR, UH, PUBLIC HEARING.UM, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND CITIZENS WHO HAVE SHOWED UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING.
THE, UM, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS A, IT'S A WONDERFUL INSTRUMENT THAT WAS PUT INTO OUR, UM, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, INTO, INTO THE RULES THAT THAT GOVERN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHANGING OF LAWS AND RULES AND ORDINANCES, AND THEN ALSO THE, UH, DISPOSITION AND ACQUISITION OF, OF PROPERTIES.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS, IT'S GOOD 'CAUSE BEFORE THIS WAS PUT IN LAW BEFORE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE DEALS MADE IN BACKDOOR ROOMS WITHOUT, UH, ANY PUBLIC INPUT.
AND SO I'M GONNA GO, UM, THROUGH THE, THE ENTIRE, UM, PROCESS HERE THAT KIND OF BROUGHT US TO THIS DAY.
I'M GONNA BE FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION IN THE PACKAGE THAT WENT OUT TO THE CITIZENS.
SO STARTING WITH THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL ACTION FORM, WHICH YOU HAVE HERE, THE PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT IS RELATED TO THE, THE CITY'S INTEREST TO POSSIBLY PERCH THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1 0 1 CITY POINT ROAD, WHICH IS TAX PARCEL ID 0 8 0 0 0 6 0.
AND THIS IS MORE COMMONLY KNOWN, UH, AS THE BANK OF AMERICA BRANCH.
UM, IT HAS BEEN SINCE THE LATE 1970S.
UM, IN 1977 WAS WHEN THE PROPERTY WAS PURCHASED TO DEVELOP.
AND ACTUALLY IT WAS THREE LOTS THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER.
AND THEN THERE WAS A, UM, THERE WAS A ALLEY THAT WAS VACATED IN ORDER TO CREATE THIS, THIS CORNER THERE ON THE CORNER OF CITY POINT ROAD AND MAIN STREET.
SO THE PROPERTY IS A LITTLE OVER ONE ACRE OF LAND.
IT'S IN OUR B ONE DISTRICT, AND IT'S, UH, HAS A BUILDING ON IT, UH, BRICK, BRICK BUILDING THAT'S 300.
AND, UH, I'M SORRY, 3,773 SQUARE FEET, UH, INCLUDES THREE DRIVE THROUGH LANES AND ONE ATM.
SO ACTUALLY, UH, FOUR, FOUR LANES.
BESIDES THE BUILDING, THE BUILDING'S KIND OF UNIQUE BECAUSE THE, THE PROPERTY, UM, IS, IS A TRIANGLE AS A LOT OF, UM, THE CITY IS, WAS LAID OUT WITH THE, UH, THE EARLY SUBDIVISIONS THAT WERE DONE.
UM, THE ROADS INTERSECT NOT AT RECTANGLE ANGLES, BUT ACTUALLY AT TRIANGLES.
AND, UM, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHY THE, THE, UH, CITY WAS SUBDIVIDED THAT WAY, BUT, BUT IT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE DEAL WITH IN THIS CITY IN, IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE, THE OLDER PART OF THE SUBDIVISION.
SO THE BUILDING WAS POSITIONED IN A TRIANGLE AS WELL.
THIS, UM, SITE HERE HAS 10 PARKING SPACES IN ADDITION TO THE FOUR DRIVE-THROUGH LANES.
AND THEN IT HAS TWO OF THOSE 10 SPACES, WHICH ARE A DA ACCESSIBLE.
UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IN DOWNTOWN, UM, YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE ANY OFF STREET PARKING, SO PARCELS AREN'T REQUIRED TO HAVE PARKING.
BUT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE YEARS THAT BUSINESSES THAT HAVE PARKING, UH, ARE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION TO THRIVE AND GROW THAN THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE THE OFF STREET PARKING WHERE PEOPLE HAVE TO WALK, UH, DISTANCE FROM MAYBE A SHARED A SHARED LOT.
UM, THIS LOCATION HERE, UM, WHICH SITS ON THE SAME CITY TRIANGLE AS THE COURTHOUSE, THE, UH, THE HARDEE'S AND, UH, WHAT WAS THE FORMER TEAMSTERS BUILDING, WHICH WAS ALSO A BANK.
I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS AN APPRENTICE HERE AT STEEL CRAFT MANUFACTURING IN HOPEWELL BACK IN THE, IN THE NINETIES.
I WOULD GO THERE FOR LUNCH WHEN IT WAS THE VIRGINIA FIRST, UH, VIRGINIA FIRST BANK BEFORE BB AND T BOUGHT 'EM.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD SIGN THE LITTLE PAPER TO GET $5 OUT SO I COULD GO TO QUICK LUNCH AND GET THE BEST, THE BEST HOT DOGS IN THE WORLD.
BUT AT ANY RATE, THE, UM, THE SITE IS VISIBLE FROM ROUTE 10.
UH, IT'S VISIBLE FROM THE BEACON THEATER CATTYCORNER FOR THE HOPEWELL
[00:15:01]
COMMUNITY CENTER.IT'S DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM WHAT WAS THE, UH, MARINA STORE, WHICH IS NOW THE SOUR LOFTS APARTMENTS AND THE, UH, BREWIN BLOSSOM COFFEE SHOP.
AND IT'S ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE, UH, CITY POINT, UH, DENTAL LOCATION AND THE HOPEWELL DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP IN JOHN RNO FOUNDATION.
SO WHEN THE BANK OF AMERICA CLOSED THE BRANCH IN, UH, DURING CI AND KEPT THE ATM OPEN, UM, THEY DID THAT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND THEN, UM, IT WAS A YEAR OR SO AGO, THEY CLOSED THE ATM AND THEN THEY PRETTY MUCH JUST MOTHBALLED THE PROPERTY, UH, UNTIL WE GOT NOTICE WHEN THE SIGN WENT UP THAT THEY WERE GONNA BE DISPOSING OF THE PROPERTY BY AUCTION.
AND THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE BANK OF AMERICA.
UM, AND, AND A LOT OF BANKS DO THIS WITH THEIR PROPERTY, RATHER THAN PUTTING UP A FOR SALE SIGN OR FOR LEASE SIGN, UM, AND DEALING WITH MULTIPLE, UH, BROKERS AND TRANSACTIONS, THEY JUST SAY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SIGN AUCTION, WE'LL TAKE BIDS.
AND ON THIS DAY, UM, YOU HAVE ALL THE BIDS DUE.
NOT EVERYBODY DOES THAT, BUT THIS IS WHAT BANK OF AMERICA CHOSE TO DO.
SO, UM, I CAME TO, UH, COUNSEL ENCLOSED SESSION AND TOLD COUNSEL ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY, AND THEY GAVE ME PERMISSION TO SUBMIT A, UH, BID, WHICH WE DID ON THE SILENT AUCTION ON MARCH 14TH.
WE WERE NOTIFIED THE FALL, UH, TWO WEEKS LATER, ESSENTIALLY, THAT WE WERE THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER.
AND THAT, UH, WE, UH, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, THE, THE PROPERTY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS THAT WHEN WE SUBMITTED OUR BID, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT.
UH, WE, WE HAD TO MAKE THE BANK OF AMERICA AGREE THAT THE, THE CONTRACT WOULD NOT BE, UH, APPROVED UNTIL C CITY PUBLIC FUNDS WERE BASICALLY COMMITTED.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE SUBMITTED A BID, EVEN THOUGH THAT BID WAS ACCEPTED, THEY HAD TO AGREE IN CONTRACT WITH OUR PROPOSAL THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE LANGUAGE THAT OUR CITY ATTORNEY PUT IN THERE, WHICH SAYS THAT IF PUBLIC FUNDS ARE NOT APPROPRIATED, THEN THIS CONTRACT IS NULL AND VOID.
AND, AND THEY AGREED TO THOSE, TO THOSE TERMS. THE REASON WHY I BRING THAT UP IS I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS IS ALREADY SOMETHING THAT THAT IS DONE AND THERE'S NO GOING BACK BECAUSE WE WOULD LOSE SOME TYPE OF, OF MONEY OR DEPOSIT OR ANYTHING.
UM, WE ACTUALLY CANNOT, UH, DO THAT.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS.
SO, UM, THAT BRINGS US TO TONIGHT AND, UM, TONIGHT IS, IS WHERE WE WOULD REQUEST TO APPROPRIATE THESE FUNDS.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE IN A TIME WHERE THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE A LOT OF OF EXTRA FUNDS.
WE DO NOT HAVE, WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION TO MAKE, UM, LIKE A LOT OF, OF SPENDING THAT DOESN'T HAVE A, A REAL BIG IMPACT.
SO I'VE, I'VE SPENT SOME TIME LISTENING TO CITIZENS OVER THE LAST 48 HOURS, AND I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO, UM, ROBERT BOB AND SOUGHT HIS COUNSEL.
'CAUSE I, I RESPECT HIM AS SOMEBODY WHO REALLY UNDERSTANDS AND, AND KNOWS, UM, HOW THESE TYPE OF TRANSACTIONS TAKE PLACE.
AND WHEN WE SUBMITTED THE BID FOR THE $500,000, WE DID IT ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT IT, THAT WE HAD ASSESSED FOR 750,000 GOING BACK, UM, FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, SIX YEARS, THE, THE, THE PROPERTY'S NEVER BEEN ASSESSED FOR LESS THAN 600.
AND SO, UM, IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH MR. BOB LAYING OUT THE, THE DETAILS FOR THIS, HE SAID, CHARLES, HE SAID SOMETHING THAT YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU CONVEY TO THE CITIZENS AND YOU CONVEY TO COUNSEL TONIGHT IS THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPENDING AND INVESTING.
AND THE DIFFERENCE IS WHEN YOU CAN INVEST MONIES INTO A PROPERTY AT BELOW ASSESSED VALUE WITH A SIGNIFICANT MARGIN, AND THEN YOU CAN POSITION THOSE FOR REDEVELOPMENT, FOR THE TYPE OF USES THAT WILL MAXIMIZE THE TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE CITIZENS.
YOU ARE PLACING THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS IN A WAY THAT CAN GENERATE MORE REVENUE FOR THEM, THAT THAT WOULD BE ABLE IN THE FUTURE TO PROVIDE THOSE KIND OF SERVICES THAT THE CITIZENS NEED AND DESERVE.
SO HE SAID, HE SAID THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE MAIN POINT THAT YOU WANT TO GET ACROSS TO THE FOLKS WHO ARE COMING OUT TONIGHT INTO COUNCIL, IS THAT WE DO NOT AS A CITY JUST GO AFTER ANY PIECE OF PROPERTY AT ANY TIME.
THERE'S PROPERTIES THAT GO UP FOR SALE ALL THE TIME.
[00:20:01]
SITE THAT'S STRATEGIC, A SITE THAT IS POSITIONED IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOU CAN UTILIZE DRIVE THROUGH AND TWO MAIN ROADS IN A CORNER THAT'S GOT A, A LOT OF DAILY TRAFFIC AND VISIBILITY, YOU WANT TO SEE HOW YOU CAN MAXIMIZE THE TAX REVENUE FOR THAT.AND SO IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WE'VE PREPARED TONIGHT THAT I, I HUMBLY ASKED YOU GUYS TO APPROVE, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS WE WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY WITH, UM, BASICALLY SAVINGS FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 2025.
AND WE WOULD LIKE TO REPOSITION THIS PROPERTY SPECIFICALLY FOR RETAIL ESTABLISHMENT WITH DRIVE THROUGH SERVICE.
WHAT THAT'S GONNA MEAN IS CURRENTLY WITH ITS FORMER USE, THIS PROPERTY HAS BEEN GENERATING FOR THE CITY APPROXIMATELY $6,000 A YEAR IN REAL ESTATE TAX REVENUE.
SO THAT'S ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING.
AND THEN WHEN THE BANK WAS THERE, WE GOT SOME B POLL TAX IN ADDITION TO THAT.
BUT WHAT WE WEREN'T GENERATING WAS ANY MEALS AND FOOD TAX OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THERE'S A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH DOWNTOWN HOPEWELL WHEN IT COMES TO KEEPING FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS.
AND THAT PROBLEM IS WE'RE NOT LARGE ENOUGH AND DENSE ENOUGH TO HAVE CONVENIENCE TRANSACTIONS.
PEOPLE WHO COME AND GO IN BUSINESS IN DOWNTOWN HOPEWELL, THEY'VE GOTTA CREATE A DESTINATION.
THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PRODUCT OR A SERVICE THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO GET IN THEIR CAR AND DRIVE TO BECAUSE THAT PRODUCT OR SERVICE IS SOMETHING THAT'S SUPERIOR, THEN THEY CAN GET SOMEWHERE ELSE OR THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT THEY RECEIVE OR THE PRICE POINT.
THE TRIFECTA IS WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THREE OF THOSE GREAT SERVICE, GREAT PRODUCT, GOOD PRICE.
AS YOU CONTINUE TO GROW A CRITICAL MASS OF PEOPLE, THEN YOU CAN START HAVING CONVENIENCE TRANSACTIONS.
THE ALTERNATIVE TO HAVING CONVENIENCE TRANSACTIONS WITH A DENSITY OF PEOPLE IS TO HAVE CONVENIENCE TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE CONVENIENT AND YOU OFFER PRODUCT AND SERVICE.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE DESIRE AT THAT PRICE POINT.
AND WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT LOOKING BACK OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS IN DOWNTOWN HOPEWELL, THE ESTABLISHMENTS WITH DRIVE-THROUGHS GENERATE ON AVERAGE BETWEEN 50 AND $60,000 A YEAR IN MEALS AND FOOD TAX.
AND THEY SURVIVE IN THE GOOD TIMES AND THEY SURVIVE IN THE BAD TIMES.
AND THEY'RE NOT SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE SAME TYPE OF FORCES THAT A REGULAR STOREFRONT WITH NO ONSITE PARKING WITH NO DRIVE THROUGH WOULD BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO.
BECAUSE WE ARE CREATURES OF HABIT AND WE LIKE CONVENIENCE.
SO WE FEEL LIKE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WE CAN TAKE AND INVEST THIS MONEY IN THIS PROPERTY FOR A SHORT TIME.
BECAUSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, WE WANT TO FLIP THIS TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
PRIVATE SECTOR, MEANING A DEVELOPER OR, OR THE ACTUAL END USER WHO WILL COME IN AND BUILD SOMETHING THAT WE PUT IN THE PERFORMANCE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS SOMETHING WILL GENERATE FEE FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX AND SOMETHING THAT WILL HAVE A DRIVE THROUGH COMPONENT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO MAXIMIZE THE FUTURE REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
AND SO THAT'S THE RESOLUTION THAT'S BEFORE YOU.
AND THAT'S THE CASE AND ARGUMENT THAT I MAKE.
UM, I MADE A COMMITMENT TO COUNSEL AND TO THE CITY WHEN I WAS HIRED TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, WHICH IS I DON'T PRESENT ANYTHING.
I CAN'T DEFEND IF, IF I CAN'T DEFEND IT, I WON'T PRESENT IT.
AND SO I FEEL WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT THE INVESTMENT OF PUBLIC FUNDS IN THE $500,000 FOR A PROPERTY THAT'S WORTH $750,000 WITH OUR OWN ASSESSMENT, LIKELY MORE BECAUSE WE NORMALLY OFFER ASSESSMENT OR MORE FOR PROPERTIES WHEN WE GO TO ACQUIRE THEM.
I FEEL LIKE THAT THIS IS AN INVESTMENT AND I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THIS INVESTMENT WILL OVER THE LONG TERM, WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO SELL OR DO A LONG TERM LAND LEASE, WHICHEVER OPTION SEEMS THE BEST FOR THE, FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE, FOR THE OPERATOR, I FEEL LIKE THAT IT'S GONNA BRING MUCH MORE REVENUE THAN IF WE LEAVE TO CHANCE, UH, SOMETHING GOING IN THERE THAT WOULD NOT GENERATE THE SAME KIND OF REVENUE, MEANING AN OFFICE USER, WHICH WE MAY THEN GET ANOTHER FIVE TO $10,000 A YEAR IN TAX REVENUE OR, OR A NONPROFIT.
NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT NONPROFITS, NOT THAT WE DON'T WANT OFFICES, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE A RETAIL SPACE WITH DRIVE THROUGH ON THAT KIND OF CORNER, WE THINK IT'S THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE TO CONTROL, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN AND INCENTIVIZE THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN TO HAVE THAT FOOD AND BEVERAGE WITH DRIVE THROUGH.
AND SO THAT'S THE ARGUMENT, THAT'S THE DEFENSE.
AND THIS IS HOW WE GOT HERE, UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IF COUNSEL DECIDES OTHERWISE, THEN WE WILL JUST SIMPLY TERMINATE THE CONTRACT FOR, FOR BASICALLY NO, UH, NO SUPPORT OF THE
[00:25:01]
ALLOCATION OF FUNDS.AND THEN IT WILL LIKELY JUST GO TO THE NEXT PERSON, WHOEVER THEY MAY BE.
SO, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHO THEY WOULD BE OR WHAT THEY WOULD DO.
I'M OPEN TO TAKE QUESTIONS THERE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. BENNETT BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING, SEEING THEIR LIGHTS? UM, MAD CLERK, DO YOU HAVE THE STATEMENT OR DO YOU NEED ME TO READ IT? I HAVE YOU HAVE IT.
EACH PERSON ADDRESSING THE COUNSEL SHALL STEP TO THE MICROPHONE, GIVE THEIR NAME, LOCALITY AND PHONE NUMBER AND LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES OR LESS.
NO PERSON SHALL BE PERMITTED TO ADDRESS COUNCIL A SECOND TIME UNTIL ALL OTHERS HAVE BEEN HEARD ONCE.
AND NO ONE SHALL SPEAK MORE THAN TWICE ON ANY SUBJECT IN ANY ONE MEETING.
ALL REMARKS SHALL BE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNCIL AS A BODY AND NOT TO ANY MEMBER THEREOF.
NO PERSON OTHER THAN THE COUNCIL AND THE PERSON HAVING THE FLOOR SHALL ENTER INTO ANY DISCUSSION, EITHER DIRECTLY OR THROUGH A MEMBER OF COUNCIL WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE MAYOR.
A COUNCIL MEMBER, INCLUDING ADMINISTRATION, EXCEPT THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER C RULES 4 0 5 AND 4 0 6.
AT THIS TIME, THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
UH, THE FIRST WE HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK TONIGHT IS ED PASS.
I RESIDE AT SIX 18 NAPMA STREET IN WARD ONE.
LOOKING AT THIS ACQUISITION OF THIS, THIS PROPERTY, I'M OPPOSED TO IT.
AND I'M OPPOSED BECAUSE I, I DON'T FEEL THAT WITH ALL THE PRIORITIES THAT THIS CITY HAS, THAT WE SHOULD BE SPENDING MONEY ON A PROPERTY SUCH AS THIS.
AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS, I APPRECIATE THAT IT'S AN INVESTMENT, BUT IT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT THERE'S NO TELLING WHEN IT MIGHT BE REALIZED.
AND THE CITY HAS MORE URGENT NEEDS AT THIS TIME THAN IN INVESTING IN SOMETHING OF THIS NATURE.
UH, NEXT IS, UH, MARTIN MITCHELL.
UH, MARTIN MITCHELL HOPEWELL, WARD THREE, MR. PARTON.
UM, I WOULD ALSO OPPOSE THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE NO LEGITIMATE PLANS AT THIS TIME FOR ITS USE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO INVEST A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS INTO A PROPERTY THAT COULD SIT FOR, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG, AND WE HAVE MUCH MORE PRESSING ISSUES IN THIS CITY AND THINGS TO TAKE CARE OF THAT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS COULD ADDRESS.
COUNCIL ALSO HAS CONTROL OVER THIS PROPERTY AND THE CITY DOES THROUGH THE EDA, THROUGH ZONING, THROUGH PLANNING.
AND ULTIMATELY COUNSEL HAS TO SIGN OFF ON ALL OF THEM ONCE THEY PASS THIS.
SO I WOULD'VE SAY LET THE SECOND BIDDER OR SOMEBODY ELSE BUY IT.
LET THEM PRESENT THEIR WARRANTS.
LET THEM ABSORB ALL THE COSTS TO DEVELOP IT, AND THEN YOU CAN DECIDE WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT THERE OR NOT.
UM, I WANT, I HAVE GIVEN THIS A GREAT DEAL OF FAULT.
I HAVE SPENT THE PAST TWO DAYS, THE MAJORITY OF IT, TRYING TO DECIDE.
MOST OF YOU KNOW THAT I'M THE PENNY PINCHER.
I WAS THE PENNY PINCHER ON COUNCIL.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS, WHAT IS IT GOING TO COST THE CITY? AND THIS ANSWER IS $500,000.
UM, WE STILL DON'T HAVE OUR CERS, WE DON'T HAVE A BOND RATING.
I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, BUT I'M NOT, I THINK I ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER.
IS THERE GUARANTEE WE CAN MAKE OUR EXPENSES EVERY MONTH? I DON'T THINK IT IS.
WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING OURSELVES STRAIGHT.
WHAT HAPPENS LIKE HAPPENED AT OVER ON WINSTON CHURCHILL,
[00:30:02]
A SINKHOLE.IT TOOK MONEY THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO FIX IT.
WHAT HAPPENS IF WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY? NOW YOU'RE TAKING MONEY OUT OF THE COFFERS THAT WE MAY NEED.
SO HOW IS IT GOOD BUSINESS TO GO OUT AND SPEND YOUR NEST EGG? THAT'S GONNA HELP US IF WE NEED IT ON A BUILDING.
AS MR. MITCHELL SAID, YOU ALL STILL HAVE CONTROL OVER.
IF SOMEBODY COMES IN, SUCH AS THE GENTLEMAN WITH THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT OUT ON 2 95, UH, HOPE PRESSED, WE CAN CONTROL THAT.
UM, THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN CERTAINLY DO AS A COUNCIL.
MY MY IMMEDIATE FIRST QUESTION AS ALWAYS, WHAT'S IT GOING COST THE CITY? NOTHING.
IT IS GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND THERE WILL PROVIDING A DISASTER.
THE PLANS ARE CONTINUING TO BUILD THAT DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL BRING PEOPLE MM-HMM
AND IT WILL BE WORKING IN THE WEST END OF HOPEWELL, WHICH IS A VIABLE PLACE.
I KNOW IT SOUNDS LIKE A, AND I'M FOR PRO.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY I AM AGAINST IT.
I JUST DON'T RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF OUR CITY, OF OUR STATE OF OUR COUNTRY TONIGHT IS NOT CERTAIN.
HOW CAN WE MAKE A DECISION LIKE THIS? THANK YOU.
MR. MAYOR, BEFORE CONTINUING, I WANT, YES.
YOU MAY WANT TO TAKE A VOTE TO EXTEND THE MEETING.
UH, AT THIS TIME IS THERE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING UNTIL WE FINISH R NINE, MR. BAY? I'LL TRY TO BE REAL SHORT AND SWEET.
UM, UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECOND BY COUNCILOR ELLIS.
DURING DISCUSSION, SEEING NONE WILL CALL PLEASE.
GO AHEAD, MR. AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, I SAT IN THE SET, NO WITNESS.
DIDN'T SIT IN THESE SEATS UNTIL THE END.
BUT ANYWAY, I DID SERVE ON CITY COUNCIL AND, BUT I WANNA TELL YOU, WHEN I WAS ON CITY COUNCIL, INE HAGER WAS THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.
AND, UM, WE HAD CITY MANAGER AND WE KNEW WHERE WE WERE ALL THE TIME.
I MEAN THE, THE TREASURER WAS JERRY STOKE, GERALD STOKES, CLINT STRONG WAS THE CITY MANAGER.
WE GOT A REPORT AND WE KNEW WHERE WE WERE.
WHAT CONCERNS ME THE MOST IS BACK IN EITHER THE 16 OR 18, WHEN I WAS IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF VIRGINIA, THE AUDITOR OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS CAME TO MY OFFICE AND SAID, DELEGATE INGRAM, YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING WITH HOPEWELL.
AND I SAID, WHAT'S WRONG WITH HOPEWELL? THEY HAD NOT FILED, DID THIS WAS THE AUDITOR OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS, SAID, WE DID NOT KNOW WHERE WE WERE BECAUSE THEY HADN'T FILED REPORT.
SO I CALLED THE CITY MANAGER AND WE, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO THIS.
THEY PROMISED ME IT WAS GONNA BE DONE BY NOVEMBER.
OKAY? THIS, WE WERE IN SESSION THEN.
WE, THE CITY HOPEWELL STILL DOESN'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE.
WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE.
BUT YET YOU'RE GONNA SPEND, THIS IS NOTHING AGAINST MR. BENNETT.
LEMME TELL YOU, MR. BENNETT MYSELF ARE WORKING ON ANOTHER BIG DEAL FOR THE CITY.
I JUST FINISHED BUILDING A BIG BUILDING OUT ON OKLAHOMAN BOULEVARD
[00:35:01]
THAT HE HELPED ME WITH.BUT, BUT LEMME TELL YOU, HOW IN THE WORLD CAN YOU SPEND MONEY WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE? AND THE TAX ASSESSMENTS IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL MINE, MY OWN, THE PROPERTIES THAT I HAVE HERE IN THE CITY, SOME OF 'EM WENT UP 48%, 45%, 35%, 20 SOME PERCENT.
SO, AND YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THE LAW SAYS YOU MUST ADVERTISE THE RATE THAT WOULD BRING YOU IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, WHICH MEANS YOU'D PROBABLY HAVE TO LOWER A RATE TO ABOUT 9 CENTS ON A HUNDRED.
AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
I TOLD EVERYBODY, 'CAUSE I'M HONEST, I TOLD EVERYBODY IT'S A TAX INCREASE.
WHEN I VOTED FOR A TAX INCREASE OR TAX IN REAL ESTATE TAXES, I TOLD THE PEOPLE I VOTED FOR A TAX INCREASE.
ALL I'M SAYING IS, IS I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN ALLOCATE MONEY WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE, YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.
AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, UNLESS YOU DID IT IN THE LAST MONTH OR TWO, I DON'T THINK YOU STILL KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.
DO I STILL HAVE A COUPLE MORE MINUTES? YES, SIR.
THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, THEY DON'T BALANCE, THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE, THEY'RE OFF OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OR SO.
EVEN, I MEAN, NOT ONLY DOES THE CITY NOT BALANCE, WE DON'T HAVE A BALANCE HERE BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE.
EVEN THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY DOESN'T BALANCE.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS I THINK PRIVATE ENTERPRISE IS THE BEST WORK OF ALL.
AND I THINK I WAS GONNA BID ON THAT BUILDING, BUT I DIDN'T BID ON IT, BUT I WAS GONNA BID 200,000.
THE TAX ASSESSMENT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN WHAT SOMEBODY'S GOING TO PAY FOR A BUILDING.
IT MAY BE WORTH EVERY DIME OF THAT, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PAY IT NOW.
AND I STILL SAY, UH, THAT MY PERSONAL OPINION AND NOTHING AGAINST MR. BENNETT, BUT I DON'T THINK THE BUILDING'S WORTH $500,000.
I'VE BEEN IN THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS NOW, OH MY GOD, 50 SOMETHING YEARS.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING I THINK IT'S A BAD INVESTMENT FOR THE CITY.
I THINK THAT, UH, SOMETHING BODY, AND I'VE FORGOTTEN WHO, BUT CHICK-FIL-A, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO SELL A PROPERTY OUT ON OKLAHOMA BOULEVARD AND CHICK-FIL-A, THEY SAID IT WAS NOT BIG ENOUGH.
SO HOW THE WORLD, MY PROPERTY, MY HOW THEY GOING TO COME DOWN HERE AND HAVE LINES UP, GO UP HERE TO CHICK-FIL-A ANYWHERE YOU WANT TO GO OR GO TO CHESTER AND LOOK HOW THEY'RE BACKED UP TO A BREATH.
YOU KNOW, I'M JUST SAYING, I DON'T SEE HOW THE ACIDIC CAN BUY IT OR DO ANYTHING WHEN THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
ALRIGHT, THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? UH, YES MA'AM.
COUNSEL, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TONIGHT.
UM, I TOO, AS MS. DENTON INDICATED, HAS SPENT A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME LOOKING AT THIS AND IN FACT TALKED TO TWO COUNSELORS.
I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BOTH TALKING TO ME.
I'VE TALKED TO MR. BENNETT AT LENGTH.
I APPRECIATE HIM TALKING TO ME.
AND AGAIN, AS SOMEBODY THAT HAS BEEN ON COUNCIL, HAS BEEN THE CHAIR OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HERE IN TOWN.
AND I LOVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND I APPRECIATE THE JOB THAT MR. BENNETT HAS BEEN DOING.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO SAY THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, I'M AGAINST THIS AS WELL.
UM, MY ISSUE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MONEY.
AND ON COUNCIL, THAT'S ALWAYS WHAT I LOOKED AT THE BOTTOM LINE.
I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE WELL INTO THE ACCOUNTING OF WHERE THE CITY'S AT AND WE'RE ALMOST OUT OF A HUGE MESS THAT
SO WE'VE BEEN WAITING AND WAITING AND FINALLY GOT THE STATE IN THANKS TO, UH, ME AND PATIENT BENNETT ON THE FINANCE COMMITTEE AT THAT TIME.
AND WE GOT THE STATE TO COME IN.
YOU ALL HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT I ALSO STILL LOOK AT THE FINANCES.
I, UH, WAS NOT AS HAPPY AS, UH, YOU ALL WERE TO HAVE THE TAX INCREASE, OF COURSE.
BUT I KNEW WE NEEDED TO DO IT.
AND WE ARE USING THAT MONEY FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND TO PAY FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS.
WE NEED TO BRING THEM UP TO SPEED ONCE AGAIN.
AND IF YOU FOLLOWED THIS CITY FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME, WE'VE DONE THAT NUMEROUS TIMES.
AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS AT THE BOTTOM LINE BECAUSE WE'RE A SMALL CITY.
BUT I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT THAT INCREASE IS GOING TOWARDS OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS, WHICH I A HUNDRED PERCENT AGREE WITH.
WE'VE GOTTA GET THEM TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE A SAFE CITY.
[00:40:01]
THAT INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT MR. PARTON HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR YEARS.EVEN WHEN I WAS ON COUNCIL WITH THEM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T KNOW THE SITUATIONS THAT WE WERE IN MONEY-WISE FOR THAT.
AND WE COULD NEVER AGREE ON GETTING FULL FORCE INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK THAT WE HAVE MANY ALREADY EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT NEEDS A LOT OF WORK.
I KNOW THAT MR. PARTON IS STILL LOOKING FOR MORE MONEY FOR PAVING, WHICH THAT HAS BEEN A RECURRING ISSUE OF THE MAYOR.
AND IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS, BUT YOU'RE GOING OUT AND SPENDING THOSE FUNDS ON A POTENTIAL INVESTMENT AS AN EDA PERSON, I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT YOU HAVE.
BUT THE TIMING HAS TO BE RIGHT AS WELL.
MAYBE HAD THIS BEEN IN SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR, WHICH WE CAN'T PLAN THOSE THINGS, I WOULD'VE BEEN MORE IN FAVOR OF THIS BEING SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD DO.
BUT RIGHT NOW WITH THE NEW, UH, ASSESSMENTS AND THE NEW THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, WE'RE NOT REALLY PROVIDING A WHOLE LOT TO OUR CITIZENS ON A BASIC LEVEL.
WE HAVE SO MUCH CURRENT EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE NOT TAKING CARE OF THAT YOU ALL HAVE TALKED ABOUT YOURSELF IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS OR LESS.
UM, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAN AFFORD THIS.
I KNOW WE WANNA CONTROL IT FOR KEEPING WHO'S GOING TO POSSIBLY COME, BUT WE DO THAT WITH EVERY PROPERTY WE SELL OR HAVE UP FOR SALE BY ANYBODY.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT MONEY THAT'S POTENTIALLY GONNA COME IN FROM, UH, OTHER, UH, AREAS THAT ARE BEING MARKETED.
BUT QUITE FRANKLY, I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS IS GOING TO MAKE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE RIGHT NOW UNLESS WE SPEND THE MONEY AND THEN HAVE AN ISSUE.
WE TOOK AWAY LONG AGO THE SPEEDING A FEW TIMES OFF.
WE TOOK AWAY THE STUFF THAT THE CITY MANAGER HAD FOR AN EMERGENCY FUND.
NOW WE HAVE NO EMERGENCY FUND, SO WE'VE GOT TO SPEND IT APPROPRIATELY.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? I'M ED HOUSER WARD FIVE.
UH, MS. RANDOLPH SAID A LOT OF STUFF THAT I WANTED TO SAY.
UH, WE'VE GOT INFRASTRUCTURE HERE IN HOPEWELL THAT'S COLLAPSING, WHICH NEEDS ATTENTION BAD.
WE HAVE PUMP STATIONS WHICH ARE GETTING READY TO FALL TO PIECES.
TAXES ARE STEADILY GOING UP, HURTING THE PEOPLE THAT IT'S ALREADY HURTING.
AND Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT BUYING A BUILDING FOR A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
IT'S A, IT'S A LOT BETTER THINGS WE COULD USE THAT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR HERE IN HOPEWELL OTHER THAN BUYING A BUILDING.
AND LIKE MR. BENNETT SAID, IT'S AN INVESTMENT, BUT GUESS WHAT? YOU NEED MONEY TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT.
YOU KEEP TAKING ALL THE MONEY WE DO HAVE AND NOW YOU WANNA BUY AN EMPTY BUILDING WITH IT.
IF THAT BUILDING WAS A DESIRED PROPERTY, GUESS WHAT? IT WOULDN'T BE EMPTY RIGHT NOW.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT.
WE GOT A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS THAT NEEDS TO HELP THIS CITY.
WE GOT ROADS THAT AREN'T FIT FOR A CUPBOARD WAGON THAT'S BREAKING WHEELS OFF OF VEHICLES.
WE GOT SEWERS COLLAPSING, BUT YET Y'ALL WANNA BUY A BUILDING.
Y'ALL NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? YES, MA'AM.
EVELYN BURTON FIFTH WARD CORNERSTONE COURT.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY I CONCUR WITH WHAT THE OTHERS HAVE STATED TO YOU.
AND MY PRAYER IS THAT YOU HAVE ENGAGED IN ACTIVE LISTENING AND LISTENED TO OUR CONCERNS AND HEAR THE CITIZENS FOR ONCE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? HEARING NONE.
GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, MR. BENNETT? YES, IF I COULD ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMMENTS.
I MEAN, THERE IS JUST ABSOLUTELY, IT'S WONDERFUL TO SEE SO MANY CITIZENS ENGAGED IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND WE HAVE TO GET HERE TOGETHER.
UM, I DO WANT TO POINT OUT JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS IN, IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, PART HERE BEFORE COUNSEL MAKES THIS VERY IMPORTANT DECISION.
UM, WE, WE DO MR. INGRAM, WE DO NOW KNOW WHERE WE ARE AS A CAST POSITION DAILY.
THE TREASURER'S BOOKS ARE BALANCED, THE, UM, OUR ACCOUNTING'S BALANCED, SO THE CITY KNOWS WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY.
NOW HAVE, HAVE YOU, UH, JUST REAL QUICK, HAVE YOU REPORTED TO THE CO AUDITOR OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS IN RICHMOND? SO THAT WELL WILL NOT LOSE ANY FUNDING? ALL OF THAT IS IN THE, THE PROCESS BEING DONE BY OUR AUDITORS, BUT, BUT WE INTERNALLY, OUR FINANCE
[00:45:01]
DIRECTOR KNOWS WHERE WE'RE AT.MR. MR. BENNETT, WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T MS. JAMES, THE COUNCIL MEMBER KNOWS WHERE Y'ALL I'M JUST ASKED A QUESTION.
WHAT I, OKAY, SO WHAT I, I I WAS JUST SAYING THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL IS GETTING FINANCE REPORTS.
THE COUNCIL KNOWS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, THE COUNCIL KNOWS I SIT IN THE FINANCE MEETINGS AND HEAR THE REPORTS FROM THE, FROM THE FINANCE AND FROM THE TREASURER.
SO THAT'S ONE THING I, I WANTED TO POINT OUT.
AND, AND IT WAS NOT THE CASE WHEN, WHEN I STARTED HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE YEARS AGO WE DID NOT KNOW, BUT, BUT WE'RE IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE NOW WHERE WE'RE AT.
UM, SO THE O THE OTHER THING IS I WANTED DIS I WANTED DIS DISPEL THIS MYTH THAT WE CONTROL THE PROPERTY, THAT PROPERTY WHEN IT IS, WHEN IT IS SOLD TO WHOEVER BUYS IT, ANY USE IN THE B ONE DISTRICT IS BY, RIGHT? THEY DON'T COME BEFORE COUNCIL, THEY DON'T COME BEFORE PLANNING COMMISSION.
IF IT'S IN THE B ONE USE, THEY CAN DO IT.
OR WHAT THEY CAN DO IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
SO THEY CAN BUY THE PROPERTY AND DO NOTHING WITH IT, AND IT WILL JUST SIT THERE AND WAIT AND WAIT AND WAIT AND WAIT AND WAIT.
ONE OF THE MODELS THAT WE FIND IN, IN REDEVELOPMENT, IN ECONOMICALLY STRESSED AREAS IS SOMETIMES THE EDA OR THE CITY HAS TO BE THE PERSON TO GO IN BECAUSE IF THE CITY DOESN'T GO IN AND TAKE THAT STEP, THEN THE BOTTOM FEEDERS WILL COME IN AND THEY WILL BASICALLY BUY AND SIT AND HOLD AND DETERIORATE.
AND THEN YOU JUST ESSENTIALLY ARE SERVING NOTICES, PUTTING PLAQUES ON SAYING CUT THE GRASS, FIX THE LIGHT, WHATEVER.
THIS IS A VERY PROMINENT PIECE OF, OF REAL ESTATE, BUT ALL OF THE CONCERNS ARE VALID.
AND THIS IS THE THING, THE TAXES ARE BURDENSOME ON OUR PEOPLE.
MY JOB AS DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOURISM IS TO GROW BUSINESSES THAT BRING IN REVENUE.
THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE THE CITIZENS TO HAVE TO BEAR IT BECAUSE BUSINESSES GENERATE MORE REVENUE THAN INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLDS.
AND SO ROBERT BOB HAS MADE IT CLEAR TO US IN MULTIPLE SESSIONS AND EVEN BEFORE COUNCIL HERE, WE CANNOT SAVE AND CUT OUR WAY OUT OF OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION.
IF WE DO NOT GROW OUR TAX BASE IN THE CITY, THEN WE WILL DIE IF WE ARE NOT GROWING THE TAX BASE.
AND SO I SAW THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW THE TAX BASE.
I PRESENT IT TO COUNSEL AS AN OPPORTUNITY AND COUNSEL TOOK ACTION AND SUBMITTED A BID.
WE DON'T KNOW WHO ELSE SUBMITTED A BID.
WE DON'T KNOW IF NO ONE SUBMITTED A BID.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THE NEXT PERSON WAS 500,000 AND WE OUTBID 'EM BY $1.
BUT WHAT WE KNOW IS WE SUBMITTED A BID AND WE WERE AWARDED A BID.
AND IF COUNSEL CHOOSES TO MOVE FORWARD, I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MARKET IT ALONG WITH THE TEAMSTERS BUILDING THAT AS OF THIS AFTERNOON, I'VE BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION BY THE TEAMSTERS TO MARKET THAT TOGETHER FOR, FOR ALMOST A FULL ACRE OF LAND ON THAT CORNER THAT WE CAN MARKET AS ONE PROPERTY FOR RETAIL WITH DRIVE THROUGH AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
BUT YOU KNOW, I SUPPORT WHATEVER DECISION COUNCIL HAS AND I THINK THE CITIZENS HAVE MADE SOME REALLY GREAT ARGUMENTS.
TIMING'S NOT IDEAL, BUT WHEN OPPORTUNITIES COME UP, I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO PRESENT THEM AND WE'RE GONNA TRY OUR BEST TO GROW OUR TAX BASE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
AND I DON'T WANT ANYBODY WATCHING TONIGHT ONLINE.
I DON'T WANT ANY DEVELOPERS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, HOPEWELL'S TOO POOR OR HOPEWELL'S TOO DOWNTRODDEN.
AND HOPEWELL DOESN'T WANT TO BE A PLAYER IN GROWING THEIR, THEIR ECONOMY.
'CAUSE I BELIEVE IN HOPEWELL AND I WAS BORN HERE, I WAS RAISED HERE, AND Y'ALL HAVE TO HOOK ME WITH HOOKS AND CHAINS AND DRAG ME OUTTA HERE
SO I'M GONNA KEEP, I'M GONNA KEEP SERVING THE CITY.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? UM, ONE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, UH, IS ACTUALLY FOR THE FINANCE, UH, DIRECTOR.
UM, A COMMENT WAS MADE BY A, UH, FORMER MEMBER ON CITY COUNCIL THAT STATED WE HAVE, UH, ZERO EMERGENCY FUNDS, GOOD EVENING COUNSEL AND COMMUNITY.
UM, WE DO HAVE EMERGENCY FUNDS.
UM, IN 24 WE WERE ABLE TO PUT AWAY ABOUT $7 MILLION IN DIFFERENT, UM, FUNDS BASED OFF OF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT WE ADOPTED.
AND WE'LL HAVE SOME FOR 25 AS WELL, SOME SAVINGS.
I DO UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY'S RE UM, QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO
[00:50:02]
PURCHASING A BUILDING VERSUS DOING INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY.UM, CHARLES ALREADY KNOWS HOW I FELT ABOUT IT WHEN HE BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION.
BUT THIS IS AN INVESTMENT FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
UM, AND, AND I WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ELABORATE ON THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST AN ISSUE THAT JUST CAME UP OVERNIGHT TO OUR CITY GOING BACK AT LEAST 10 YEARS SINCE I, YOU KNOW, SAT IN THE AUDIENCE AND LISTENED TO MEETINGS.
THERE WAS NOT A PROACTIVE CITY COUNCIL WHEN IT CAME TO INFRASTRUCTURE.
THERE WASN'T, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN, YOU FINALLY HAVE A CITY COUNCIL UP HERE RIGHT NOW THAT IS GOING TO BE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE STATE HAS COME DOWN ON US.
WE'RE GONNA END UP HAVING CONSENT ORDERS BECAUSE OF POOR DECISIONS PREVIOUS COUNCILS MADE.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, JUST LIKE WHAT MR. BENNETT SAID, AND THE ROBERT BOB GROUP SAID IT, ALVAREZ AND MARCEL SAID IT, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT GROWING OUR ECONOMY.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT TRYING TO BRING IN BUSINESSES.
AND YES, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T LIKE TO INTERFERE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, THE POINTS THAT EVERYONE IS MAKING.
BUT WHEN I KNOW THAT THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY UNSAVORY CHARACTERS IN THE CITY THAT COULD SEE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICK UP A BUILDING VERY CHEAPLY AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE SOME SORT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATE BUSINESS THAT WOULD NOT BRING US IN AS MUCH REVENUE AS WHAT IT COULD IF WE MARKETED IT PROPERLY AND WE ACTUALLY SOLD IT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR A, YOU KNOW, A, UH, SOME SORT OF, YOU KNOW, MORE COMMERCIAL DRIVE THROUGH STAFF, UM, ENTITY, WE COULD END UP MAKING A LOT MORE MONEY AND BEING ABLE TO DO MORE INVESTMENTS OVER TIME.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH MEETING PAYROLLS AND EXPENSES.
UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE STATED, UM, THIS CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED SOUND FINANCIAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT WERE APPROVED BY NOT ONLY THE ROBERT BOB GROUP BUT ALVAREZ, MARCEL AND ALSO THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
YOU KNOW, THEY LIKE SEEING THE PROGRESS THAT WE ARE MAKING IN TERMS OF GETTING OUR FINANCIAL HOUSE BACK IN ORDER.
ONE THING THAT WE JUST RECENTLY DID WAS WE DID A DIAGNOSTIC BOND RATING FOR OURSELVES.
AND ACCORDING TO THE DIAGNOSTIC THAT WAS DONE WITH ADDING UPDATED INFORMATION FOR 2024, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A HALFWAY DECENT BOND RATING.
BUT WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PUT MONEY AWAY IN THE RESERVES AND WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE PRO GROWTH IN THE CITY.
AND WE HAVE TO, UH, DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, BRINGING BUSINESSES IN.
WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY TAKE THE NET WORTH OF THE CITY AND MOVE IT UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND EVERYONE'S, UM, POINTS.
AND YET, YES, THIS IS A VERY TOUGH DECISION, UH, BECAUSE AS, UM, YOU KNOW, COUNSELOR OR FORMER, UH, COUNSELOR RANDOLPH SAID, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GO AND STRIKE A CHECK RIGHT NOW AND BE ABLE TO GO AND SPEND $500,000 ON FIXING PUMP STATIONS AND GOING THROUGH AND PAVING STREETS, FIXING STORM WATER.
I WOULD LOVE TO DO IT ALL, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE ENGINEERING AND THERE'S A LEAD TIME WITH THAT.
SO WE CAN'T JUST GO AND BUCKET A BUNCH OF MONEY RIGHT AT IT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, BE VERY METHODICAL IN PLANNING OUT OUR DOLLARS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I KNOW IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY THE MOST POPULAR DECISION IN THIS ROOM TONIGHT, BUT I DO THINK IN THE LONG TERM BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY, I DO THINK THAT THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? OH, I'M SORRY MA'AM.
MAY I SPEAK TWICE AS ANYBODY ELSE? WELL, WE'VE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I SEEING NO OTHER LIGHTS AT THIS TIME.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO PURCHASE 1 0 1 CITY POINT ROAD TAX PARCEL? ID 0 8 0 0 0 6 0 AS, UH, PRESENTED IN THE RESOLUTION TONIGHT.
THANK MOTIONS BEING MADE BY COUNCILOR ELLIS AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR, OR EXCUSE ME, VICE MAYOR JOYNER.
ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL? NO.
UH, MR. HARRIS, MR. MY QUESTION ABOUT THIS ISSUE IS,
[00:55:01]
IF NOT NOW, WHEN UH, WHEN WILL WE BE IN A POSITION TO DO WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO IN THIS CITY TO SORT OF PUSH US FORWARD IN REGARDS TO WHAT WE NEED? WE, WE, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING TO MR. BENNETT ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN DO TO BRING REVENUE INTO OUR CITY.AND WHAT I'M HEARING RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO DO IT.
IT'S NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO DO IT.
SO, LIKE, I, I'M, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST TRYING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION MYSELF.
IF NOT NOW, WHEN, BECAUSE WE RIGHT NOW ARE FAILING IN REGARDS TO BRINGING REVENUE INTO THE CITY.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD LIKE TO, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M, WHAT I'M HEARING TONIGHT IS EVERYBODY'S COME TO THE MIC HAS BEEN IN DISAGREEMENT WITH US GOING FORWARD WITH THIS.
NOW IS THIS THE WILL OF THE CITY? YES.
BECAUSE THE WILL OF THE CITY, IF THIS IS WHAT THE WILL OF THE CITY IS, THEN I'M ABOUT FOR THE WILL OF THE CITY.
BUT WHAT IT IS THAT I'M NOT SEEING IS ALL OF THE CITY, NOBODY FROM MY WARD HAS GOTTEN UP AND SAID ANYTHING FROM WARD TWO.
AND, UH, AND, AND, AND SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHERE, WHERE DOES THAT PUT ME IN REGARDS TO UNDERSTANDING? BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I WANT TO DO WHAT THE WILL OF THE CITY IS.
NOW I DO KNOW THAT WHEN WE DID THINGS IN OTHER AREAS, WE, THERE WERE REFERENDUMS THAT WERE SENT OUT TO GET INDIVIDUALS OPINIONS ABOUT THIS.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED? AND IF IT CAN, SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO, IF WE CAN DO THAT SO I CAN GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF OUR ENTIRE CITIZENSHIP HERE IN OAKWELL, BECAUSE I REALLY WANT TO DO WHAT THE ENTIRE CITIZENSHIP WANTS TO DO.
AND WHAT I'M HEARING RIGHT NOW IS NOT A FAIR ASSESSMENT OF THE ENTIRE, UH, AND I RESPECT EVERYBODY THAT'S GOING 'CAUSE I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO SPEND MONEY IF, UH, THE, THE, THE PEOPLE DON'T WANT US TO SPEND IT.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, I HEAR EVERYBODY AND I'M, AND I'M FOR THAT, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, ARE WE COVERING OR IS THE COVERAGE RIGHT? THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING IF NOT NOW, WHEN THERE IS NO COVERAGE, NONE OF THE COUNCIL HAVE TO WORK OUT.
YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER ON MS. YES.
I'M AND I'M GETTING TO LEAVE 'CAUSE YOU ALL ARE NOT GONNA LISTEN TO US AND YOU'RE GONNA DO EXCUSE ANYWAY.
I'M, I'M FINISHED WITH MY COMMENT.
AT THIS TIME, UH, COUNSELOR DAY.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK STACY JORDAN, CFOI HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, AS FAR AS OUR BOND RATING, HOW DOES DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS LOOK FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE? IS THIS LOOKED AT AS A POSITIVE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE INVESTMENTS INTO THE CITY AND TRYING TO, TO WORK TOWARDS BUILDING OUR ECONOMY BACK UP? IS THAT GONNA BE LOOKED AT AS A POSITIVE WORKING TOWARDS THAT GOAL? YES MA'AM.
ANYTHING THAT'S LOOKED AT AS AN INVESTMENT TOWARDS THE CITY OF HOPEWELL IN GENERAL IS GONNA, IT'S GONNA BE A GOOD LOOK ON THE BY.
UH, SEEING NO MORE LIGHTS, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[REGULAR BUSINESS ]
ON TO, LET'S SEE THIS FIRST REGULAR BUSINESS ITEM.ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR, UH, CHILD FOR THE CHILDCARE, CHILDCARE MONTH.
UH, IS THERE A, I THINK IT'S LA JOYCE LEWIS PRESENT.
WELL WE WILL JUST READ THE PROCLAMATION OUT LOUD AND WE'LL JUST, UH, GET IT TO HER.
UH, WHEREAS THE CHILDCARE AWARENESS IN AMERICA AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS NATIONWIDE ARE RECOGNIZING CHILDCARE PROVIDERS ON THIS DAY.
WHEREAS THE CHILDCARE SYSTEM SUPPORTS CHILDREN'S GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT, IT CREATES A POSITIVE ECONOMIC IMPACT TO FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES.
AND WHEREAS CHILDCARE PROVIDERS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES, BY FOSTERING WELCOME SPACES, SUPPORTING WORKING FAMILIES IN CREATING POSITIVE, ENRICHING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE CHILDREN CAN DEVELOP LIFELONG SKILLS.
AND WHEREAS HOPEWELL RECOGNIZES THAT CHILDCARE HAS BEEN AND CONTINUES TO BE A LIFELINE FOR FAMILIES, COMMUNITIES, AND THE ECONOMY.
AS SUCH, IT IS, UH, PROVIDED MUCH NEEDED SUPPORT TO PROVIDERS TO HELP SUSTAIN THE VIABILITY
[01:00:01]
OF CHILDCARE BY HEALTH AND SAFETY STANDARDS AND ALL LICENSES FACILITIES MUST ADHERE TO, TO, UH, STRICT SAFETY STANDARDS INCLUDING REGULAR INSPECTIONS, STAFF TRAINING AND FIRST AID AND CPR FOR EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, INCLUSIVE POLICIES, POLICIES TO PROMOTE INCLUSIVE PRACTICES AND ACCOMMODATE CHILDREN WITH DIVERSE NEEDS, INCLUDING THOSE WITH DISABILITIES AND VARYING CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS TO ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO SERVICES AND CITY WILL FOSTER WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS, AND HEALTH SERVICES TO CREATE A NETWORK OF SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES, ENSURING ACCESS TO RESOURCES THAT PROMOTE CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT AND WELLBEING.WHEREAS SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE, AND HIGH QUALITY CHILDCARE REPRESENTS A WORTHY COMMITMENT TO HELP FAMILIES SUPPORT CHILDREN'S HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT, LEARNING AND KEEPING OUR ECONOMY GROWING STRONG.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOHN PARTON AND RITA JOINER AS MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR OF HOPEWELL AND ALL MEMBERS ON CITY COUNCIL HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 9TH, 2025 AS PROVIDER APPRECIATION AND HOPE WEALTH AND ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO RECOGNIZE CHILDCARE PROVIDERS FOR THEIR ESSENTIAL WORK AND VALUE AND THE VALUABLE, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS THEY ARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
ALRIGHT, AT THIS TIME, DO I HAVE ANYONE FROM ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL PRESENT MASTER.
MR. HARRIS, YOU SAID IF NOT NOW, WHEN MA'AM, EXCUSE ME.
YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER TO THE CITIZENS OF MA'AM, YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER.
THAT'S WHEN AT THIS TIME WE'RE GOODNIGHT THE PROCLAMATION FOR ANNUAL CARE AND CONTROL APPRECIATION WEEK.
WHEREAS THE ANIMAL SERVICE UNIT IS COMMITTED TO SETTING THE STANDARD OF PROFESSIONALISM AND ANIMAL WELFARE AND PUBLIC SAFETY THROUGH TRAINING, NETWORKING, AND ADVOCACY.
AND WHEREAS THE ANIMAL SERVICE UNITS DE DEDICATE THEIR LIVES TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF AT RISK HELPLESS ANIMALS.
AND WHEREAS THE ANIMAL SERVICE UNIT PROFESSIONALS WORK TO RESCUE AND PROTECT ANIMALS FROM INJURY, DISEASE, ABUSE AND STARVATION.
AND WHEREAS FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THROUGHOUT THE NATION TAKE THIS TIME TO RECOGNIZE THANK AND COMMEND ALL ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL PROFESSIONALS FOR THE DEDICATED SERVICES THEY PERFORM.
AND FOR FULFILLING THE COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING THE HIGHEST AND MOST EFFICIENT LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND NOW, THEREFORE, I JOHNNY PARTON, CAM JOINER MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR OF HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 13TH THROUGH 19TH 2025 AS ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL APPRECIATION WEEK IN HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA, AND URGE ALL CITIZENS TO RECOGNIZE ANIMAL CARE PROVIDERS FOR THEIR ESSENTIAL WORK AND HOW VALUABLE THEY ARE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND MY LAST ONE FOR TONIGHT, UH, DO WE HAVE ANYONE FROM, UM, DISPATCH OR, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATIONS.
I JUST TO REPRESENT ANIMAL CONTROL AND DISPATCH COMMUNICATION.
WHEREAS EMERGENCIES CAN CONTINUE, CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME THAT REQUIRE POLICE, FIRE, OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
AND WHEREAS WHEN AN EMERGENCY OCCURS, THE PROMPT RESPONSE OF POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND PARAMEDICS IS CRITICAL TO THE PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PRESERVATION OF PROPERTY.
AND WHEREAS THE SAFETY OF OUR POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS IS DEPENDENT UPON THE QUALITY AND ACCURACY OF INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM CITIZENS WHO TELEPHONE THE HOPEWELL COMMUNICATION CENTER AND WHERE PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS ARE THE FIRST AND MOST CRITICAL CONTACT OUR CITIZENS HAVE WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS ARE THE SINGLE VITAL LINK FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND PARAMEDICS BY MONITORING THEIR ACTIVITIES, BY RADIO, PROVIDING THEM INFORMATION AND ENSURING THEIR SAFETY.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS ARE THE HOPE WEALTH COMMUNITIES HAVE CONTRIBUTED SUBSTANTIAL TO THE APPREHENSION OF CRIMINALS, SUPPRESSION OF FIRES AND TREATMENT OF PATIENTS.
EACH DISPATCHER HAS EXHIBITED COMPASSION, UNDERSTANDING, AND PROFESSIONALISM DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR JOB.
IN THE PAST YEAR AND NOW THEREFORE, I, JOHNNY PARTON AND RITA JOINER MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR OF HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE PROCLAIM APRIL 13TH THROUGH 19 2025 IS NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK IN HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA, AND URGE ALL CITIZENS TO RECOGNIZE ANIMAL, UH, EXCUSE ME, UM, TELECOMMUNICATORS FOR THEIR ESSENTIAL WORK AND HOW VALUABLE THEY ARE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING ANIMAL CONTROL
[01:05:01]
OF DISPATCH.ALRIGHT, AT THIS TIME WE ARE MOVING ON TO R TWO.
GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR ADAM ICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, ONE MOMENT TONIGHT, I COME BEFORE YOU TO FINALIZE THE MOA FOR THE 2025 THROUGH 2027, UH, NOVA SOUTH SWIM SEASON.
AS A QUICK RECAP, I JUST WANNA PROVIDE YOU A HIERARCHY OF WHAT THE DEPARTMENT LOOKS LIKE AT ITS CURRENT STRUCTURE.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR AQUATICS DIVISION REQUIRE HAS THREE FULL-TIMERS AND MULTITUDE OF PART-TIMERS THAT ARE ALL CURRENTLY VACANT.
OUR PART-TIME STAFF HAS FOUR POSITIONS WITH A TOTAL OF A FTE OF 0.63.
OUR CURRENT BUILDING OPERATIONS, UH, STAFFING WOULD BE 67.5 HOURS WITH NOVA, 75 HOURS AS OF JULY 1ST, OUR GOAL IS TO GO TO REOPENING AT 6:00 AM AS WELL AS SATURDAYS FROM NINE TO THREE.
THAT WILL INCREASE, UH, STAFF HOURS TO 79 HOURS WITH NOVO SOUTH BEING AT 81.
FOR THOSE THAT ARE VISUAL LEARNERS LIKE MYSELF, UM, I LIKE TO SEE EVERYTHING OUT ON A DIAGRAM SO THAT WE COULD SEE THAT THAT IS WHAT OUR CURRENT STRUCTURE LOOKS LIKE WITH THE THREE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
THAT'S KIND OF THE OVERLAP THAT WE ARE HOPING TO START WITH AND WE'RE PROUD TO SAY THAT THE AQUATICS PROGRAM SPECIALIST JUST STARTED THIS PAST WEDNESDAY.
UM, SO WE SHOULD BE RESUMING SOME ADDITIONAL HOURS HERE SHORTLY AFTER HER TRAINING PERIOD HAS COME TO A CONCLUSION.
MY GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE, UH, WITH FOUR PART-TIME POSITIONS TO KIND OF OVERLAP SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE LUNCH BREAKS FOR THE STAFF.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IDEALLY, UM, IF WE HAD FOUR FULL-TIME AQUATIC STAFF THAT WILL PROVIDE THE COVERAGE WHERE I WOULDN'T HAVE TO RELY SO HEAVILY ON PART-TIME STAFF.
THE MAJORITY OF MY PART-TIME STAFF ARE COLLEGIATE OR, AND OR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, SO THEY'RE ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE EVENINGS OR ON WEEKENDS.
SO HAVING FOUR FULL-TIME LIFEGUARDS DEDICATED TO THE CENTER WILL ALLOW THE OPERATIONS FOR THE ENTIRE FRAME.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE, UH, DIAGRAM UP TOP, UM, THAT WILL PROVIDE COVERAGE FOR EVERYTHING THAT'S FROM 6:00 AM TO 8:00 PM WE WILL HAVE COVERAGE SO THERE IS NO LONGER A GAP IN BETWEEN LUNCHTIME TO HAVE TO SHUT DOWN 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE STAFF.
SO THE CURRENT MOA TERMS, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS LANE ON THE SCREEN, EXCUSE ME, IS MONDAY THEY HAVE FOUR LANES FROM 4 45 TO SIX 15 AND THEN TWO LANES FROM SIX 15 TO SEVEN 30.
THEY HAVE SIX LANES IN THE MORNING FROM FIVE TO SEVEN, AND THEN FIVE LANES FROM 4 45 TO 7:30 PM WEDNESDAY IS ALSO FOUR LANES AND THEN DROPS DOWN TO TWO.
AND THEN SATURDAY THEY CURRENTLY USE SIX UH, LANES BECAUSE WE AREN'T OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE DO MOVE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, THEY WILL HAVE DROPPED DOWN TO FOUR LANES.
UH, THEIR CURRENT RENTAL RATE IS $11 PER LANE PER HOUR.
AND I'M SORRY THIS IS REALLY SMALL, BUT THIS IS OUR CURRENT POOL SCHEDULE.
AGAIN, I'M A VISUAL LEARNER, SO THIS HELP BRINGS IT DOWN.
UH, WE HAVE LEARNED TO SWIM THAT WE ALSO PARTNER WITH WITH SWIM RVA.
WE ALSO HAVE A GROUP THAT'S A MARINE TRAINING THAT COME IN AND WE WOULD LIKE TO GET OUR SCUBA DIVING GROUP BACK INTO THE POOL AS WELL.
SO HAVING THAT ADDITIONAL STAFF PERSON ALLOWS US ADDITIONAL HOURS TO FILL THOSE IN WITHOUT MAKING THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS IN THE EVENING.
SO, UH, WE CAN HAVE THAT POOL OPERATIONAL FOR THE CITIZENS NOVA'S NEW REQUEST, UH, FOR THIS UPCOMING TWO SEASONS IS MONDAY, FOUR LANES FROM 4 45 TO 7 45, 6 LANES FROM 5:00 AM TO 7:00 AM WHICH WILL MEAN WHEN WE REOPEN ON 6:00 AM NEXT YEAR, NEXT FISCAL YEAR, EXCUSE ME.
UM, TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS IT WOULD NOT BE OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR THAT FIRST HOUR OR SO, BUT THEY'LL STILL BE OPEN AT 7:00 AM WHEN THEY TYPICALLY SWIM TEAM LEAVES.
AND THEN WEDNESDAY WE HAVE FOUR LANES.
THURSDAY WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
IT'S THE SAME DUPLICATE OF TUESDAY.
LA UH, SO EXCUSE ME, WE COULD STRIKE OUT FRIDAY.
I DID NOT UPDATE THIS, UH, POWERPOINT PRESENTATION AND WORKING WITH NOVA SOUTH, THEY, UM, WOULD PREFER SATURDAYS INSTEAD OF FRIDAY NIGHT PRACTICE.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE BOTH OF THEM.
'CAUSE THEY WERE STILL ON A COMMUNICATIONS.
AND THEN THE RENTAL RATE FOR NEXT SEASON WILL GO UP TO $12.
AND THEN IN 20 26, 20 27 SEASON IT WILL GO UP TO 13 HOURS.
SO HOPEFULLY GET THEM TO THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVED RATE AT $15.
AND IN THE COMING YEARS, JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT AGAIN, THIS IS WHAT THE WIN NOVA REQUESTED POOL SCHEDULE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
[01:10:01]
AREAS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, STARTING AT THREE O'CLOCK TO 6:00 PM THAT IS WHAT WE CALL OUR YOUTH TIME.THAT'S WHEN OUR KIDS CAN COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY CENTER, UM, 12 AND ABOVE.
THEY GET TO COME INTO COMMUNITY CENTER WITH NO SUPERVISION.
THEY GET TO UTILIZE THE GYM AS WELL AS THE POOL.
SO I JUST WANTED MAKE SURE WE HIGHLIGHTED THAT FOR YOU ALL AS WELL TONIGHT.
AS I'VE REQUESTED BEFORE MY BUDGET PRESENTATION, UH, REQUESTING A FULL AQUATICS PROGRAMS MANAGER POSITION TO HELP FACILITATE THIS MOA AS WELL AS THE GENERAL OPERATIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, AS OF APRIL THROUGH JUNE, WHICH WE'RE ALREADY PAST APRIL, UH, WHAT THE INVESTMENT WOULD BE WOULD BE $20,000 $587 FOR FISCAL YEAR 26.
WITH BENEFITS, IT WOULD BE $82,350 WOULD BE THE REQUEST.
IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS ALL HAPPEN, THE ACTUAL MOA IS ATTACHED IN YOUR DOCUMENTS AS WELL.
I DON'T HAVE A COPY FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT IT IS PART OF THE ATTACHMENTS THAT WENT OUT.
UM, THE HIGHLIGHTED AREAS WERE THE THINGS THAT WERE CHANGED AND WAS AGREED UPON BY NOVA SOUTH.
AND I WILL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? SEEING NO, ONE SECOND.
SO YOUR HOURLY RATE, YOU'RE GONNA GO UP TO 15.
SO THEY HAVE REQUESTED THAT WE CONTINUE ON THE PATH THAT WE HAVE BEEN ON IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, WHICH IS THEY GO UP A DOLLAR PER SEASON OKAY.
TO, UNTIL WE GET TO THAT $15 RATE.
NOW, IF CITY COUNCIL CHANGES THAT RATE BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, IT'S AGAIN GONNA GO UP A DOLLAR PER YEAR UNTIL THEY GET TO THAT CITY COUNCIL RATE.
AND, UM, EVERYTHING WORKED OUT WELL WITH THEM.
TOOK THREE TIMES, BUT WE FINALLY GOT IT.
THIS IS THE MOA THAT THEY, THEY WOULD LIKE TO KEEP, UH, THEM HERE IN HOPEWELL.
UM, ALRIGHT, SO YOU KNOW WHAT I'D LIKE AT THIS TIME.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MOA WITH NOVA CELL, UH, AS PRESENTED TONIGHT AND AGREED UPON, UH, BY BOTH PARTIES? MR. MAYOR, MAY I HAVE A SMALL, UM, ADJUSTMENT WITH THAT? YEAH.
CAN WE HAVE THE CITY MANAGER SIGN THAT, UH, MOA SINCE IT'S A TWO YEAR COMMITMENT? YEAH.
AND TO INCLUDE, UH, THE CITY MANAGER TO SIGN, UH, THE NECESSARY CONTRACT THERE A MOTION THAT I
AND I GOT COMMENTS THAT THE, UM, PEOPLE CANNOT HEAR YOU ON YOUR MIC, YOU HEAR.
THANK MR. GASTON CITY COUNCIL.
WE ARE HAPPY TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND I KNOW THAT I CAN SPEAK, UH, BOTH FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD AS WELL AS, UH, JANELLE, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.
UM, WHEN WE SAY, IN ADDITION TO BEING YOUR SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND YOUR SCHOOL'S FINANCE DIRECTOR, WE ARE ALSO RESIDENTS OF WARD FOUR.
AND WE ARE IN THIS STRUGGLE WITH YOU ALL AND I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT TO YOU, UH, UH, ANOTHER LEVEL FUNDED BUDGET, UM, BY ASKING YOU TO HELP US, UH, ULTIMATELY TO, UH, ROLL OVER OUR SAVINGS FROM THIS YEAR.
MOST, MOST OF IT AROUND PERSONNEL POSITIONS THAT WE JUST CAN'T FILL WITH QUALIFIED CANDIDATES RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT A BRIEF SLIDESHOW, BUT WE JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN SO BLESSED, AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THIS, BUT WE HAVE, UM, FOR A LONG TIME WANTED TO START HAVING REGULAR FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS WITH OUR, BOTH OF OUR BOARDS.
AND WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS RECENTLY, UH, NOT JUST IN PREPARATION FOR, UH, OUR, OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION, BUT MORE SO BECAUSE OF SOME OF THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
AND WE'VE JUST FELT SO SUPPORTED WITH AN UNDERSTANDING THAT A PART OF YOUR INVESTMENT IN HEALING THIS CITY IS AROUND OUR SCHOOLS AND THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION THAT OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE AND THE BUILDINGS AND THE, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, THAT SUPPORTS, UH, THAT PROCESS.
JANELLE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT THE MONEY, AND I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT
[01:15:01]
THE TEACHING AND LEARNING, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA BE DONEON THE FIRST PAGE OF THE PRESENTATION, WHICH IS A CHART HERE THAT SHOWS, UM, WE JUST WANTED TO SHOW THE REVENUE THAT WE RECEIVED AND LET YOU KNOW THAT WE DO RECEIVE IT FROM, UM, FROM THE CITY, FROM YOU, FROM THE STATE, FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND WE HAVE OTHER FUNDS.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING COMES FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT, UM, WITH THE FEDERAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDING MOST OF THE BALANCE.
OTHER FUNDS ARE FROM NON-GOVERNMENTAL GRANTS, MISCELLANEOUS FUNDS, AND A CARRYOVER OF PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED FUNDS.
SO IF YOU LOOK DOWN IN THE CHART, THERE IS A BREAKDOWN, UM, OF EACH REVENUE SOURCE.
AND THE FIRST COLUMN, UM, HAS THE FISCAL YEAR 25, OUR CURRENT YEAR, ORIGINAL ADOPTED BUDGET.
AND THAT'S COMPARING IT TO OUR FISCAL YEAR 26 PROPOSED BUDGET.
NOW, THESE FIGURES ARE FOR ALL FOUR FUNDS.
SO THEY'RE OPERATING FUND, WELL, EXCUSE ME, THREE FUNDS REALLY, OPERATING FUND, CAFETERIA FUND, AND THE TEXTBOOK FUND.
UM, THE THIRD COLUMN OF FIGURES IS YOUR DOLLAR INCREASE.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THE STATE REVENUES ARE INCREASING ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION, WHERE THE FEDERAL, LOCAL, AND OTHER REVENUES ARE ALL DECREASING.
UM, AND OVERALL THERE'S A TOTAL INCREASE OF 1.4, ALMOST $1.5 MILLION ACROSS ALL SOURCES.
AND THAT PERCENTAGE INCREASE IS ONLY 1.96%.
AND THEN THE LAST COLUMN, YOU'LL SEE, UM, THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET.
SO THE STATE DOES PROVIDE THE MAJORITY OF THE FUNDS AT 63.8%.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT COMES IN AROUND 12.5%.
UH, THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ABOUT 17.8%, AND THEN OTHER FUNDS MAKING UP ABOUT 5.8100000000000005% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET.
UM, AND THE SCHOOLS, UH, JUST TO NOTE, HAVE RECEIVED LEVEL FUNDING FROM THE CITY FOR EIGHT OF THE LAST 10 FISCAL YEARS.
YOUR NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A FEW BULLETS OF THE BROAD, UH, CATEGORIES OF EXPENDITURES THAT WE NEED TO INVEST IN, UH, THIS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, THERE ARE SPECIFIC REQUIRED TEACHING POSITIONS BASED ON OUR STATE COMMITMENT OF, UM, STAFF TO STUDENT RATIOS.
UH, WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO HELP OUR TEACHERS WHO ARE NOT QUALIFIED, NOT CONSIDERED HIGHLY QUALIFIED TO GET QUALIFIED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, UH, INVESTING IN AN ACCELERATED LICENSURE PROGRAM TO DO THAT.
UM, ONE IN THREE OF OUR TEACHERS DOES NOT MEET THAT, THAT CRITERIA.
SO THAT'S OBVIOUSLY AN URGENT, URGENT, UM, EXPENDITURE AND EXPANSION OF OUR BUDGETING, UM, CONTINUING THE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE SPECIFICALLY, UH, UH, SINCE COVID, UM, WHERE WE HAVE A LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN IN EVERY ONE OF OUR BUILDINGS.
WE SHUDDER TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DID NOT CONTINUE THOSE SUPPORTS.
THEY ARE LITERALLY MAKING THE DIFFERENCE IN THE STABILITY OF MANY OF OUR CHILDREN AT ALL LEVELS IN, IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THE NEXT IS WE'VE HAD A HUGE INCREASE IN OUR RENEWAL RATE FOR HEALTH INSURANCE THIS YEAR.
IT'S, IT'S 27%, UM, THAT EQUATES TO OVER A MILLION DOLLARS IN NEW MONEY.
SO THAT'S A BIG EXPENDITURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING TO FUND.
UM, SOME ALSO SOME SPECIALIZED PROGRAMMING FOR OUR NON-TRADITIONAL LEARNERS THAT ARE JUST NOT SUCCEEDING IN PARTICULAR AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL THAT WE'VE TALKED EXTENS EXTENSIVELY ABOUT WITH OUR JOINT FINANCE COMMITTEES.
UM, WE HAVE TO MATCH THE OR, OR WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE 3% INCREASE THAT THE STATE WILL PROVIDE US FOR ABOUT HALF OF OUR EMPLOYEES THAT ARE CONSIDERED, UH, MEET THE SOQ MINIMUMS. UM, WE NEED TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE REST OF OUR STAFF TO STAY COMPETITIVE, UM, UH, IN, IN, IN THIS TIME WITH OUR SURROUNDING SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND UPON YOUR RECOMMENDATION, AND WE ENTHUSIASTICALLY AGREE, THE ADDITION OF ONE FINANCE POSITION TO HELP US HELP YOU IN THE STRUGGLE WITH THE CERS.
SO, UM, AGAIN, WE ARE, UM, OKAY, AFTER SHE TELLS YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE MONEY, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA GET THERE WITHOUT, UH, ANY INCREASE FROM COUNSEL THIS YEAR FOR OUR BUDGET.
SO ALL OF THE, UM, NEEDS THAT DR.
HACKNEY JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT, THOSE EQUATE TO ALMOST $4.6 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NEXT YEAR THAT WE WOULD NEED.
UM, AND THEN ESTIMATED NEW STATE REVENUES IS ONLY ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
SO THAT LEAVES A DEFICIT NEXT YEAR OF ABOUT $2.1 MILLION.
SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO MAKE UP THAT $2.1 MILLION IS, UM, AS DR.
HACKNEY SAID BEFORE, WE HAVE LOTS OF VACANCIES, UM, BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T FIND ENOUGH TEACHERS TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS.
SO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED PERSONNEL VACANCY SAVINGS OF ABOUT $1.4 MILLION THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO APPLY TO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
AND ALSO IN THE THIRD AND FOURTH, FOURTH QUARTER, WE ARE STRATEGICALLY
[01:20:01]
CONSERVING FUNDS, UM, ONLY SPENDING WHAT WE HAVE TO SPEND TO TRY TO BE ABLE TO USE THOSE SAVINGS TO APPLY FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO COME TO THE CITY AND ASK YOU FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR NEXT YEAR.AND THAT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE AND A BAD PROBLEM TO HAVE.
BUT IT, IT CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US THIS YEAR TO HELP YOU AND TO BE ABLE TO COME AGAIN WITH A PROPOSAL THAT, UH, UH, SUPPORTS YOUR CONTINUING TO FUND US AT THE, AT THE SAME RATE YOU HAVE FOR PRETTY MUCH THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
UM, AND, UH, WITH, WITH ONE CAVEAT, AND THAT'S THAT YOU ALLOW US TO, TO CONTINUE TO CONSERVE THOSE FUNDS.
I MEAN, THE, THE PERSONNEL ONES ARE NOT GONNA CHANGE.
WE WE'RE IN, YOU KNOW, THE LAST FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO FILL THESE POSITIONS AND PROBABLY WOULDN'T CHOOSE TO AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA TRY AGAIN NEXT YEAR.
BUT ANYWAY, SO THE LAST, THE LAST SLIDE BASICALLY IS JUST THE REQUEST THAT JANELLE, TO WHICH JAIL JUST REFERRED, IF YOU WILL, ALLOW US TO ROLL OVER THE, THE, THE PERSONNEL SAVINGS THAT WE HAVE THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE PREDICTING AND ARE, WE'RE PRETTY SURE ABOUT BECAUSE THEY'RE, THE PEOPLE ARE NOT IN THOSE POSITIONS.
AND THE ADDITIONAL, UM, MONEY FROM THE, UH, SOME OPERATIONAL SAVINGS THAT WE'RE CONSERVING HAVE BEEN CONSERVING SINCE JANUARY, THAT WILL ALLOW US TO, UM, PRESENT YOU WITH A, UH, A BUDGET THAT, THAT ASKS FOR LEVEL FUNDING FROM THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW WE'RE IN THIS WITH YOU AND IT'S OUR PLEASURE TO TRY AND HELP DO OUR PART TO GET, GET US THROUGH THIS.
UM, IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM, UH, CITY COUNCIL? UH, SEEING NONE, UM, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU GUYS.
UM, IT'S REALLY BEEN A PLEASURE, YOU KNOW, WORKING THESE PAST, I GUESS MAYBE COUPLE MONTHS NOW, UM, THROUGH A LOT OF THESE ISSUES AND BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT GOOD DIALOGUE AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, WORKING ON THIS TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, BOTH, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL DIVISION AND THE CITY HAS A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, PRESSING PRIORITY NEEDS.
AND, UM, I JUST REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO PROBLEM, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS REQUEST, UM, TO INCORPORATE INTO Y'ALL'S, UH, BUDGET RE RESOLUTION.
NO, JUST WANNA, I WOULD JUST ECHO YOUR COMMENTS, THAT'S ALL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM COUNSEL? DO YOU GUYS NEED A MOTION FOR US? OR IS THE INTENT GOOD ENOUGH? WE CERTAINLY TRUST YOU.
I, I THINK AS, AS LONG AS THIS IS A YES THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO SAVE AND WE HAVE A COMMITMENT THAT WE CAN BUILD THE BUDGET NOW BASED ON, BASED ON THAT WE NEED A MOTION.
YOU WANT A MOTION TO INCLUDE IN THE BUDGET RESOLUTION? YES.
IS THERE A, UH, MOTION, UH, TO YEAH.
WELL, THEY STILL GOTTA, YOU STILL GOTTA COME BEFORE A PUBLIC HEARING, BEFORE COUNSEL, RIGHT? NO, NOT FOR THEIR BUDGET.
YOU HAVE YOUR OWN PUBLIC HEARING BUDGET.
SO YOU'RE ACCEPTING THEIR BUDGET TO GO INTO OUR BUDGET RESOLUTION.
BUT I, I THOUGHT WE'VE DONE PUBLIC HEARINGS IN THE PAST FOR THE SCHOOL BUDGET THAT I THINK IF, IF, IF COUNCIL'S SATISFIED FOR IT TO ENTER THE BUDGET, MEAN THE, BUT THE, THE OVERALL BUDGET'S GONNA BE RIGHT.
I JUST, I THOUGHT IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARINGS, BUT YEAH, NO, I'M, I'M PERFECTLY FINE.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE, UM, HOPEWELL CITY FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO, MOVED SECOND.
UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY, UM, COUNCILOR DAY.
UH, VICE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
AS, UM, THE HR DIRECTOR APPROACHES THE PODIUM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, INFORM COUNSEL THAT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY MR. WOLF WHO CONDUCTED THE COMPENSATION STUDY TONIGHT.
HE WILL BE ONLINE TO PRESENT THE, UH, THE STUDY AND THE ROADMAP, UM, FOR THE CITY.
UM, UH, MS. MS. SMITH, MS. SMITH WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT WE WILL BE ASKING FOR ADOPTION TONIGHT OF A TWO PHASE APPROACH OF IMPLEMENTING THE PUBLIC SAFETY, UM,
[01:25:01]
STEPS FOR SWORN AND CERTIFIED OFFICERS FOR POLICE AND FIRE, AND TO PROCEED WITH IMPLEMENTING THE, UM, THE SECOND PHASE FOR FY 24, UH, I'M SORRY, FY 27, AND ADOPTING THOSE COMPENSATION AND STUDY, UM, UM, RESULTS IN THE NEXT UPCOMING, UH, FISCAL YEAR.SO, WITH THAT SAID, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. SMITH AND MR. WOLF.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UM, BRIAN, ARE YOU ON MY EXCUSE MY VOICE.
MY ALLERGIES TODAY ARE ACTING UP
I'VE GOT A SORE THROAT TOO, SO DON'T FEEL BAD.
CAN YOU ALL SEE MY SCREEN? CAN YOU SEE THE PRESENTATION? EVERYTHING'S GOOD? YES.
SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHO'S IN THE ROOM, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF, UH, INTRODUCTION.
UM, THAT'S MOSTLY A RECAP OF WHAT I PRESENTED LAST TIME WITH SOME OF THE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS, EXCLUDED, AND WE'LL JUST KIND OF GET RIGHT INTO THE BUSINESS OF IT.
BUT, UH, FOR THOSE, UH, WHO HAVEN'T MET ME BEFORE, IF THERE'S ANYBODY IN THE ROOM WHO THAT QUALIFIES FOR, UH, MY NAME'S BRIAN WOLF.
I'M A PROJECT MANAGER WITH EVERGREEN SOLUTIONS, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OSCA AND, UH, THE CITY ON THIS, UH, COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA TALK TODAY ABOUT SOME OF OUR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, THE GOALS OF THE STUDY, AGAIN, WERE TO, WE'RE GONNA JUST SKIP THIS AND KIND OF GET INTO IT.
THE GOALS OF THE STUDY WERE TO REVIEW THE CURRENT COMPENSATION AND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS TO LOOK AT INTERNAL, UH, UH, I'M SORRY, UH, MARKET EQUITY, UH, SURVEY THE PEERS FOR MARKET EQUITY, UH, AND THEN ALSO LOOK AT CURRENT COMP COMPENSATION SYSTEM TO, UH, DETERMINE IF THERE WAS ANY ISSUES WITH MAJOR INTERNAL EQUITY THAT COULD BE RECTIFIED THROUGH, UH, SOME OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN WE'VE PRODUCED A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND A SOLUTION.
AND TO FOLLOW THIS MEETING, WE'LL BE PRESENTING THE FINAL REPORT TO OSCA IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
BUT WE WANNA GET THROUGH THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WE WERE DOING WAS GOOD TO GO.
THE PROJECT OCCURRED IN FOUR PHASES.
WE'RE BASICALLY IN THE FOURTH PHASE NOW.
SO WE'VE DONE THE OUTREACH, THE INTERNAL ANALYSIS, AND THE EXTERNAL ANALYSIS, AND WE'RE IN THE SOLUTION AND REPORTING PHASE.
UH, SO WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY, AND THAT'S GOOD.
UM, WE ARE GONNA SKIP SOME OF THIS.
WE, UH, COLLECTED MARKET DATA FROM 19 PEERS.
UH, ALL OF THE DATA WE COLLECTED WERE CO UH, WERE CORRECTED FOR COST OF LIVING.
UH, WE USED A HUNDRED JOBS THAT WERE BENCHMARKED, UH, AND, UH, AND COMPARED TO A HUNDRED LIKE POSITIONS IN THE EXTERNAL LABOR MARKET, UM, MARKET SURVEY RESULTS WERE FAIRLY CONSISTENT.
WE FOUND THAT THE CITY WAS, UH, BELOW MARKET, UH, NOTABLY HERE IN THE ADJUSTED FOR, IN THE ADJUSTED FOR COST OF LIVING SECTION HERE, UH, YOU KNOW, NOTABLY BELOW MARKET AT AN INCREASING RATE AS THE RANGES PROGRESSED.
AND WHAT THAT TELLS US IS THAT YOUR RANGES, UH, WERE SLIGHTLY NARROWER THAN THE MARKET.
AND THE MARKET HAD MORE TOP END GROWTH FOR WHAT WE FOUND.
UH, WE DID COME UP WITH, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROPOSED PAY PLANS, WHICH IS WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO EMPHASIZE TODAY.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE RECOMMEND OR ARE RECOMMENDING A, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, STEP PLAN FOR SWORN AND CERTIFIED POLICE AND FIRE EMPLOYEES.
YOU'LL SEE THE GRADES, THIS IS JUST SORT OF HALF OF IT.
I'M GONNA SHOW YOU THE OTHER HALF IN JUST A MOMENT.
BUT THE GRADES ARE REGULARLY NUMBERED.
UH, PS 1 0 1 THROUGH PS 1 25 WITH A LOW END OF 34,528, AND A TOP END MINIMUM OF 139,000 8 0 1.
UH, IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, YOU WILL, YOU WILL NOT USE ALL OF THESE GRADES.
UH, WE JUST WANTED TO SHOW YOU, YOU KNOW, AND PRESENT A COMPLETE PLAN THAT IS AS FLEXIBLE AS YOU NEED IT TO BE.
SO IF YOU HAD CADETS, OR IF YOU HAD, YOU KNOW, OTHER SWORN STAFF LATER IN THE, IN THE PLAN THAT NEED ALTERNATIVE, ALTERNATIVE PAY GRADES, UH, WE, YOU'VE GOT A FULL AND ROBUST PLAN TO PLACE THEM INTO.
THIS SHOWS, UH, STEP ZERO, WHICH IS THE HIRING RATE.
UH, THIS ASSUMES ZERO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, MEETS THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS TO COME IN AND FILL THE JOB, AND ROLLING UP THROUGH STEP EIGHT ON THIS PAGE, AND THEN THROUGH, OH, OKAY.
UH, STEP STEPS NINE THROUGH 20 ON THIS PAGE.
SO, AGAIN, THE GRADES ARE STILL NUMBERED, BUT THIS IS KIND OF PICKING UP WHERE WE LEFT
[01:30:01]
OFF ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.SO WAS STEP NINE 10 ON UP TO STEP 20.
UH, THE ADVANTAGES OF A STEP PLAN ARE WELL DOCUMENTED, UH, IN PARTICULAR FOR A PUBLIC SAFETY ORGANIZATION.
IT GIVES, UH, EMPLOYEES, UH, IN THOSE ROLES, THOSE, UH, SWORN AND CERTIFIED ROLES, UH, THOSE SORT OF BOOTS ON THE GROUND FOLKS, IF YOU WILL.
UH, SOME, SOME, SOME PREDICTABILITY IN THEIR COMPENSATION AS THEY LOOK FORWARD TOWARDS THE FUTURE OF THEIR CAREERS WITH AN ORGANIZATION.
UH, AND SO FOR THAT REASON, THEY REMAIN, THESE STEP PLANS REMAIN VERY POPULAR IN THESE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY ROLES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.
UM, THIS, UH, PRESENTATION IS VERY SHORT, SO THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR, UM, QUESTIONS HERE AS WE GO.
UH, BUT BEFORE I MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PAY PLAN, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PUBLIC SAFETY GRADES? UH, VICE MAYOR JOINER, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
DOES THIS, DOES THIS INCLUDE, BECAUSE IT WAS, WE PROCLAIMED THE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A PROCLAMATION ABOUT DISPATCHERS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
WAS THAT INCLUDED IN, ARE THEY INCLUDED IN THIS IN THIS MORNING? NO, THEY'RE NOT.
UH, THE STEP PLAN IN THIS CASE IS FOR THE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, THE SWORN AND CERTIFIED SORT OF THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND FIRST RESPONDERS, UH, IN YOUR RANK STRUCTURE, UM, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT STAFF WOULD BE IN THE NEXT PLAN, WHICH I CAN SHOW YOU HERE.
THERE'S A GENERAL EMPLOYEE PLAN, ALSO NUMBERED 1 0 1 THROUGH 1 25.
SO THEY'RE SIMILAR IN LAYOUT, BUT THESE JUST HAVE OPEN RANGES, WHICH IS THE OTHER PREDOMINANT PAY SCALE TYPE THAT WE SEE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
WHERE THEY'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A, A MINIMUM.
SO SOMEONE MEETING A MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF A JOB LIKE DISPATCHER MIGHT COME IN AT, CALL IT $41,000 OR $38,000, OR WHATEVER THE MINIMUM MIGHT BE.
AND THEN THROUGH THE COURSE OF THEIR CAREER, HOWEVER, THE, THE EMPLOYER, UH, ADVANCES SALARIES, BE IT COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS ACROSS THE BOARD, INCREASES MERIT BASED PAY, UH, ANY NUMBER OF METHODS CAN PROGRESS AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE THROUGH THESE RANGES.
I JUST
BUT YOU HIRED A POLICE OFFICER THAT HAS FIVE YEARS EXPERIENCE IN A NEIGHBORING JURISDICTION.
YOU HAD THE FLEXIBILITY OF HIRING THEM INTO THE STEP PLAN AT A STEP THAT'S COMMENSURATE WITH THEIR LEVEL OF PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE.
SO WHAT WOULD, I MEAN, JUST FOR CURIOSITY, WHAT WOULD, UM, LIKE IN TERMS OF YEARS OF SERVICE, WHERE DOES THAT FIT IN PER STEP? I MEAN, IS IT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THAT? WELL, YEAH.
SO IN, IN MOST TRADITIONAL STEP PLANS, UH, STEPS ARE AWARDED ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, YOU KNOW, BARRING, YOU KNOW, ANY ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, OR BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, UH, YOU KNOW, AND ADMINISTRATIVELY YOU WOULD LOOK FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE MEETING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT TYPICALLY STEPS ARE EVALUATED ANNUALLY.
UH, AND THERE WOULD BE, UH, AN EMPLOYMENT POLICY ON THE CITY'S PART THAT WOULD SPEC, THAT WOULD, UH, SPELL OUT HOW THOSE STEPS ARE.
WELL, I, YOU QUALIFIED FOR, DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT LIKE, IF YOU WERE BRING, JUST TO USE THE EXAMPLE, YOU'RE BRINGING SOMEBODY IN FROM ANOTHER JURISDICTION AND THEY'VE GOT FIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WHERE DID THAT, WHERE WOULD THAT GENERALLY FALL UNDER THE STEP? WOULD IT BE STEP FIVE? NO.
SO OUR CURRENT POLICY, UH, IN, IN THE CITY ONLY AWARD UP TO SIX STEPS FOR EXPERIENCE.
AND SO YOUR, YOUR HIRING POLICY WOULD DICTATE THAT, OKAY, I JUST REALIZED IT TOOK A SIP OF A BEVERAGE AND A COZI AND I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW IT'S A SPRITE AND NOT A BEER.
I'M NOT DRINKING A BEER DURING YOUR, DURING YOUR PRESENTATION
BUT YEAH, UH, SO SOME CREDIT FOR PREVIOUS USER EXPERIENCE, UH, YOU KNOW, UP, UP TO AND INCLUDING STEP SIX, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOU'RE TIED TO GIVING A ONE FOR ONE AWARD.
UM, WE'VE SEEN SITUATIONS WHERE EMPLOYERS WILL CREDIT 50% OF PREVIOUSLY DOCUMENTABLE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, OR UP TO 75% OF PREVIOUSLY DOCUMENTABLE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WHEN CALCULATING AN ENTRY STEP.
UH, AND THOSE HIRING GRIDS ARE FAIRLY COMMON.
UH, PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY IN SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT IS, IS EASY TO DOCUMENT, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY FITS INTO THAT CATEGORY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES A, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE A SWORN OFFICER IN A NEIGHBORING JURISDICTION, YOU'VE GOT THE, THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE A, A SWORN OFFICER OF THE LAW IN YOUR STATE.
AND SO THERE'S CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS OF QUALIFICATIONS THERE.
UM, AND SO THE EXPERIENCE IS EASY TO DOCUMENT IN THOSE CASES.
NOT ALWAYS AS EASY IN OTHER INSTANCES.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT A NON-SWORN PAY PLAN OR A GENERAL EMPLOYEE OPEN RANGE PAY PLAN, YOU TYPICALLY HAVE A SIMILAR POLICY IN PLACE THAT SAYS THAT WE MAY HIRE UP TO 20, THAT, YOU KNOW, THE 25TH PERCENTILE, THE FIRST QUARTILE OF THE RANGE, OKAY.
AS A HIRING GRID, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD SEE THERE.
BUT THE KEY HERE IS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE, THE, THE, THE PLAN ITSELF IS DESIGNED TO BE CONSISTENT, UH, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM WITH, UH, A
[01:35:01]
SLIGHT BUMP IN THE RANGE SPREAD HERE AT THE BOTTOM.SO THE RANGE SPREAD IS THE DISTANCE AS A PERCENTAGE FROM THE MAXIMUM, UH, OVER THE MINIMUM.
SO IN THIS CASE, 56,000 9, 71 AND 20 CENTS, WE INCLUDED THE SENSE NOT EVERYBODY DOES.
SO PEOPLE JUST CUT IT OFF AT THE MOST OF THE CLOSEST DOLLAR, AND THESE PERCENTAGES GET A LITTLE LESS PRECISE, BUT IS 56, 9 71 20 IS 65% HIGHER THAN 34, 5 28 EVEN.
AND THEN THE MIDPOINT PROGRESSION OR THE DISTANCE BETWEEN RANGES IS ALSO CONSISTENT FOR THE MOST PART UNTIL YOU GET TO HIGHER LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP WHERE, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO GET TO MARKET COMPETITIVE PAY FOR DEPARTMENT HEADS, YOU KNOW, CITY MANAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD NEED, IF WE WERE CONTINUING AT A 6% PACE, THIS MIGHT BE ANOTHER 15 GRADES LONG, AND THOSE ARE JUST GRADES YOU'RE NOT REALLY, NOT REALLY GONNA USE.
SO WE TYPICALLY WILL ACCELERATE THE GROWTH OF THE TOP END OF THE RANGE TO MAKE THESE, TO MAKE THE PLAN AS COMPACT AS POSSIBLE TO STILL MEET YOUR NEEDS.
SO THAT'S THE OPEN RANGE PLAN.
UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, AN IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGY, UH, WE PRESENTED A NUMBER OF OPTIONS AT A PREVIOUS MEETING.
AND, AND AGAIN, WE'VE BEEN BACK AND FORTH ON, UH, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, OF, UM, COOPERATION AND SORT OF COLLABORATION ON WHICH IMPLEMENTATION METHODOLOGY PRESENTS THE MOST FEASIBLE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION.
IN THIS CASE, WE CAME TO A HYBRID PARITY APPROACH, UH, HYBRID PARITY CREDITS, UH, YEARS IN SERVICE WITH THE ORGANIZATION AND A FACTOR OF ALSO YEARS IN THEIR CURRENT JOB CLASSIFICATION.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO DIFFERENT CALCULATIONS OF, SO IF I'VE BEEN HERE FOR 10 YEARS, I'VE BEEN AT MY CURRENT JOB FOR TWO OF THOSE 10 YEARS, AND I GET SOME PORTION OF THE YEARS OF THE 10 YEARS PLUS SOME PORTION OF USING THE 50 50 SPLIT OR A BLENDED, A BLENDED RATIO BETWEEN THE TWO TO PLACE THE EMPLOYEE INTO THE PAY RANGE.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN DONE IN THIS CASE.
I THINK THERE, THERE YOU'RE LOGICAL QUESTION MAY, MAY COME TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THIS GONNA COST OR WHO'S IMPACTED.
UM, IN SOME OF THE BACK AND FORTH WITH FINANCE AND CITY MANAGEMENT, WE HAD, UH, LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT CAN THE CITY OF AFFORD AND WHAT ARE THEIR TOP PRIORITIES.
UH, AND SO WE DID, UH, ELECT TO PUT FORWARD A, A PRESENTATION.
UH, AND I THINK FINANCE IS PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, STILL WORKING ON SOME OF THE IMPLEMENTATION, YOU KNOW, DOLLAR FIGURES.
BUT THE FIRST PHASE, THE FIRST ROUND OF IMPLEMENTATION WOULD OCCUR FOR THOSE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEES.
AND I THINK SKA, THERE WAS, THERE WAS A, WAS THERE ANOTHER GROUP AS WELL OR WAS IT JUST PUBLIC SAFETY RIGHT AT THE MOMENT? RIGHT.
I, I KNEW I DIDN'T WANNA MISSPEAK, BUT I, I BELIEVE IT WAS RECREATION, SO, YEAH.
SO FIRE, POLICE AND THE, UH, RECREATION FOLKS WOULD BE IN THE FIRST ROUND OF IMPLEMENTATION.
AND, UH, THE DETAILED BREAKDOWNS OF, YOU KNOW, WHO'S IMPACTED BY NAME AND PREFER HOW MANY DOLLARS ARE, ARE IN THE POSSESSION OF THE CITY AT THE MOMENT.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
SO I, UH, I FEEL LIKE MY BREVITY IS A, A BLESSING AND A CURSE.
WELL, BRIAN, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS, SO I, I THINK ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY IS, HAS COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT WE ARE WHERE WE ARE.
DO YOU GUYS NEED A MOTION TONIGHT OR IS THIS ALREADY, YOU'RE ALREADY INCORPORATING THIS INTO THE BUDGET.
SO YOU DON'T NEED, THIS IS JUST INFORMATION.
WELL, WELL WE NEED APPROVAL OF THE STEP PLAN.
WE ACTUALLY NEED A FORMAL APPROVAL FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT'S A HR THAT GOES INTO POLICY.
THAT'S WHAT SHE USES WHEN NEW PEOPLE COME ABOARD.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE, UH, THE STEP PLAN AS PRESENTED? I MOVED SECOND.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UM, I NEED APPROVAL THAT COUNCIL IS APPROVING THE TWO PHASE APPROACH.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE TWO PHASED APPROACH FOR IMPLEMENTING ADJUSTMENTS AS PRESENTED? SO, MOVE.
MOTIONS HAS BEEN MADE AND PROPERLY SECONDED.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[01:40:01]
PART? YES.MOTION PASSES BY YOUR THANK YOU, BRIAN.
UH, NEXT UP IS OUR CITY ATTORNEY, UH, MR. BASSETT, BEFORE WE CONTINUE THAT, UH, MR. MAYOR, UH, SPEAKING TO BRITTANY, I BELIEVE THERE MAY HAVE BEEN, UM, MISS STATEMENT EARLIER ON THE SCHOOL BUDGET PRESENTATION FOR THE MOTION.
UH, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOU MAY HAVE REFERRED TO ADOPTING THE, THE, THE CITY BUDGET RATHER THAN THE CITY SCHOOLS BUDGET.
SO, JUST, JUST A, A MOTION TO AMEND THAT.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO AMEND, UH, THE PREVIOUS MOTION TO CLARIFY THIS? THE HOPEWELL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOL BUDGET.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY, UH, COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR ELLIS.
SO COUNCIL, WE HAVE, UM, ACTUALLY A TRIO OF VOTES UP HERE FOR PRODUCTION.
THE FIRST ONE BEING THE TREASURER AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE DUTIES ORDINANCE.
UM, THE SECOND ONE AFTER THAT, I'M JUST PREVIEWING HERE, IS GONNA BE THE COUNCIL'S RULES OF CONDUCT, AND THE THIRD IS THE A TV ORDINANCE.
EACH ONE OF THESE HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO COUNCIL AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING, UH, AND THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION, UH, BUT NOW BEFORE I ASK FOR VOTE, UH, I'D LIKE TO GIVE COUNSEL THE OPPORTUNITY ON THE TREASURER AND DIRECTOR OF FINANCE DUTIES ORDINANCE TO ASK ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
YOU SEEING NO LIGHTS? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE REGARDING THE DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND THE CITY OF TREASURER AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO MOVED.
MOTIONS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
RULES OF CONDUCT? UH, AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO OFFER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL.
ASK ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS THEY MAY HAVE BEFORE VOTING ON THE, THE MEASURE.
SEEING NO LIGHTS AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CITY COUNCIL? UH, RULES OF CONDUCT IMMEDIATELY.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HARRIS AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, IT'S YOUR LAST ONE, MR. BESSETTE.
AND ONCE AGAIN, NOW IN THE A TV ORDINANCE.
IF THERE ARE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? SEEING NO LIGHTS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE A TV ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR ELLIS AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HARRIS.
ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, MR. CROCKER, PRESENT, ACCOUNTED FOR.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE GOOD? UH, GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
MIKE CROCKER, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL.
UM, WHAT I HAVE TONIGHT IS THE PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET FOR HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL.
UM, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I DO WANT TO THANK, UM, ALL OF THE CITY STAFF THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED, THE TAC COMMITTEE.
UM, THE COMMISSION ITSELF, IT'S A, IT'S A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TO GET THIS BUDGET TOGETHER.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF OPINIONS IN THE ROOM,
AND IT, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT BUDGET.
UM, BUT NONETHELESS, WE PERSEVERED THROUGH THAT AND COME OUT WITH A BUDGET THAT'S BEEN BLESSED BY THE COMMISSION.
THAT'S WHAT WE BRING TO YOU TONIGHT.
UM, I WON'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON THE ENTIRE BUDGET.
HOWEVER, I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME THINGS.
UM, NOTABLY THE BUDGET IS, REPRESENTS A TOTAL INCREASE OF 1.8599999999999999% OVER LAST YEAR.
UM, SO NOT A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
[01:45:01]
AND THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONS WITH THAT RELATIVE TO THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO RELATIVE TO PENDING CONSENT ORDERS AND THE LIKE.UM, WHAT IT DOES REPRESENT, THOUGH IS, UM, SOME INCREASES TO MAINTENANCE.
UM, AND THEN ANY BUDGET CATEGORIES THAT HAVE INCREASED OR DECREASED ALONG THE WAY IS ESSENTIALLY A REALLOCATING OF FUNDS TO, UM, THE APPROPRIATE LINE ITEMS WHERE THEY ARE IN FACT NECESSARY FOR, FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY I'VE BEEN DOWN THERE FOR I GUESS A MONTH AND A HALF, MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER.
UM, IT'S BEEN A LONG MONTH AND A HALF.
UM, I ASKED MY ACTING DEPUTY, UM, ANDY FITZWATER TO COME WITH ME TONIGHT.
HE'S, HE'S THE REASON I'M HALF OF A HUMAN STANDING HERE INSTEAD OF, UH, BARELY, BARELY A HUMAN STANDING HERE.
I'M VERY GRATEFUL, UM, TO HAVE HIS EXPERTISE.
UM, THE ADDITIONAL LEADERSHIP DOWN THERE HAS, HAS MEANT A LOT, UM, THROUGH CULTURE CHANGE, PROJECT PRIORITIZATION, THERE'S A RENEWED SENSE OF PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP AMONGST THE STAFF.
AND, AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO IS, IS CHALLENGING.
IT'S VERY CHALLENGING, I'M NOT GONNA LIE.
UM, THEY MIGHT LOOK AT ME SOME DAYS AND MAN, GO, MAN, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT GUY? BUT IT'S, IT'S ALL FOR, IT'S ALL FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
UM, AGAIN, THIS BUDGET'S BEEN DELIBERATED ON, UM, BY THE TAC COMMITTEE WHO IS INSTRUMENTAL.
AND I DO WANNA THANK OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS IN HELPING US PRIORITIZE.
UM, WE HAVE A LENGTHY LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE AT THAT FACILITY, AND THEY, THEY DON'T HAVE AN OVERNIGHT.
UM, AND THROUGH THE TAC COMMITTEE PRIORITIZING THAT THE COMMISSION WAS ULTIMATELY ABLE TO, UM, INCLUDE THAT AS A PART OF THIS BUDGET AS WELL.
UM, I'LL SKIP THROUGH HERE AND MAKE A COUPLE HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE THE EXISTING, UM, ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE FOR THE PLANT.
AND WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THIS, UM, NOT RELATIVE TO BUDGET IMPACTS, BUT RELATIVE TO, UM, ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND HOW IT WORKS FOR THE FACILITY DOWN THERE AND THE STAFFING COMPONENT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS EVERY DAY AND, AND DOES THIS WORK FOR, FOR THE ENTERPRISE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RUN.
UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE THE LIST OF APPROVED POSITIONS.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY THAT THESE ARE APPROVED POSITIONS.
THEY ARE, THESE ARE NOT ALL FILLED.
UM, CURRENTLY IT STANDS, I BELIEVE AT, UH, 56 AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE NINE VACANCIES AS OF YESTERDAY.
SO THAT CREATES SOME CHALLENGES AS WELL, UM, ESPECIALLY IN, IN, UH, IN THE MAINTENANCE PART OF, UM, THE, NOT ONLY THE PLANT, BUT THE SEWER SYSTEM AS WELL.
UM, HERE YOU'LL YOU'LL NOTE, UH, THE PROPOSED OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET FOR THE PLANT STANDS AT, UH, PROPOSED AT 19.2 MILLION.
UM, I WILL PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP ME IF YOU THINK SOME OF THESE, UH, YEAH, GO BACK.
UM, SO THIS LEVY IN LIEU OF TAXES, UM, I NOTICED WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT WENT DOWN, BUT YOU KNOW, IT WENT BACK UP.
IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, YOU'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT, UH, YEAR TO DATE THROUGH MARCH 31ST.
SO, UH, THE FIRST AND SECOND COLUMN ARE 22, UH, FISCAL YEAR 22, 23, 23, 24.
UM, SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS WITH, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS VIRTUALLY GONE UNCHANGED FOR SOME X NUMBER OF YEARS.
AT LEAST SINCE 2020 MAYBE, GIVE OR TAKE.
UM, IS THAT SOMETHING BECAUSE WE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS PAID TO THE CITY, CORRECT? UH, I'LL BE HONEST, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT LEVY AND LIE OF TAXES IS WRITTEN IN THIS BUDGET.
STACY MAY HAVE SOMETHING TO OFFER THAT'S UP TO RELATIVE TO THAT.
UM, YOU TO ANSWER ANYWAY, MAYOR OKAY.
THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN ACTUALLY GO UP AND, YOU KNOW, HELP THE CITY ON, YOU KNOW, ITS CAPITAL SIDE, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT EXPLORING BEING THAT IT HASN'T BEEN RAISED IN SO MANY YEARS.
I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S A, IT'S A MONEY THING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PAYING OURSELVES, BUT IT COULD END UP, YOU KNOW, FREEING UP DOLLARS TO GO TOWARDS, YOU KNOW, OTHER CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
I, I HAVE A QUESTION WITH REGARD TO THE MAINTENANCE.
SO THE, THE REASON THAT THE ACTUAL, THE UNAUDITED 2324, IT WENT WAY DOWN.
IS THAT JUST BECAUSE THINGS JUST WEREN'T GETTING DONE? I MEAN, IS THAT, I THINK THAT'S A SAFE ASSUMPTION.
UM, I TRY TO, I TRY TO READ BETWEEN THE LINES RIGHT? AND LOOK AT WHAT THE STORY TELLS ME, UM, AND THEN PUT THAT INTO REAL LIFE AND WALKING THROUGH THE PLANT.
THAT'S, THAT'S HIGHLY PROBABLE.
BUT IT, I MEAN, WE'RE REALLY, EVEN OUR PROPOSED BUDGET FOR IS NOT EVEN AS HIGH AS IT WAS
[01:50:01]
AS MAINTENANCE WAS IN 22, 23.I MEAN, DO WE NEED TO SPEND MORE? I MEAN, I'M REALLY ASKING DO, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE DON'T, IS THAT REALLY WHAT WE NEED? I MEAN, IT'S JUST, I GUESS IT'S, IT'S HARD TO YEAH, I THINK SO.
HAVING A GOOD IDEA, A GOOD SCOPE OF THE MAINTENANCE, AND MR. FITZ WONDERER WILL LOVE THIS PART.
HAVING A GOOD SCOPE OF ALL OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE WORKING WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT WE'VE ALLOCATED.
WE WILL GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR AND HAVE TO SHUFFLE MONEY FROM ONE CATEGORY TO ANOTHER AND REPRIORITIZE ALONG THE WAY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WILL AVOID THAT.
UM, AND YOU MAY SEE A NUMBER AT THE END OF THE YEAR THAT IS MORE REFLECTIVE OF 22 AND 23, JUST GIVEN ANECDOTALLY WHAT I SEE AT THE FACILITY.
UM, THIS IS A, THIS IS A PLACE TO START, THAT'S FOR SURE.
SO I GUESS IT'S JUST KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A MESS RIGHT NOW.
IT'S A, IT'S ON ITS WAY TO NOT BEING A MESS, BUT IT, IT WOULD TAKE A MINUTE, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT BEING DRAMATIC AND, OKAY, THANK YOU.
YOU'LL NOTICE THE CHANGE IN THAT CATEGORY TOO, RELATIVE TO WHAT WAS BUDGETED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
IS, UM, SHOWING AN INCREASE, IS IT ENOUGH? WE'LL KNOW SOON ENOUGH THERE'S, UH, A DILIGENT MAINTENANCE EFFORT UNDERWAY AS WE SPEAK YEAH.
TO DEAL WITH SOME THINGS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DEALT WITH IN A WHILE.
I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT THAT'S, IS THAT ENOUGH TO, OF COURSE WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT JUST CONCERNED ME.
DOES THAT INCLUDE THE SECOND, WAS IT THE SECONDARY CLARIFIER THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT WAS CAKED UP AND GROWING VEGETATION? UM, SO THERE'S A CAPITAL ALLOCATION IN THE BACK OF THIS BUDGET THAT REPRESENTS, THAT'S GOING, UM, SOME OF THESE PROJECTS.
SO LIKE THE GRAVITY THICKENER, RIGHT.
THE ACTUAL ONGOING MAINTENANCE TOO.
I AM PROUD TO REPORT TODAY, THANK GOODNESS THE, UM, INDUSTRIAL FINE SCREENS WERE PUT BACK IN TODAY, WHICH, UM, WILL GO A LONG WAY TOWARDS, LET'S PAUSE, UM, PREVENTING SOLIDS BUILDUP AND THE CLARIFIERS.
UM, SO WE WILL NOTICE IMPROVEMENT IN THAT, BUT A LARGE CHUNK OF MONEY WILL BE SPENT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR TO CLEAN OUT THE SLUDGE THAT'S IN THOSE CLARIFIERS.
BUT WITH THE SCREENS BACK IN PLACE, I THINK WE CAN SAFELY ASSUME THAT WE'LL BE IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION, UM, AFTER WE SPEND THAT MONEY, THAT IT WON'T BE SOMETHING THAT RECURS.
AND PLEASE STOP ME ALONG THE WAY IF YOU, UM, I, I'VE GOT A QUESTION ABOUT.
SO, UM, YOU'RE, I'M GOING TO THE NET END OF THE LABOR MM-HMM
UM, I'M LOOKING AT THIS COUNT.
YOU SAY YOU'VE GOT NINE VACANCIES, NINE VACANCIES, AND THEY ARE, THEY'RE INCLUDED THAT THOSE VACANCIES ARE INCLUDED IN THIS PROPOSED FILLING, THOSE ALL CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
ALL OF THE APPROVED POSITIONS ARE REPRESENTED IN THE BUDGET.
JUST MAKING SURE YOU'LL NOTICE, I MEAN, THROUGH 3 31, WE'RE AT 2.1 MILLION IN SALARY EXPENSES, YOU KNOW, OUT OF, OUT OF A $3.4 MILLION BUDGET MM-HMM
UM, SO THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOME SAVINGS REALIZED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT WITH THOSE VACANCIES SURE.
UM, THIS SHOWS, UH, EIGHT FULL TIME AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, HAD HAD A VACANCY COME ABOUT.
SO THAT'S WHERE I GET THE NINE FROM.
SO THOSE SALARY SAVINGS THAT YOU HAVE, ARE YOU GUYS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REALLOCATE SOME OF THOSE FROM OPERATIONAL OVER TO HELPING FUND SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS? NO, THEY WERE ALREADY APPROVED TWO BUDGETS, UH, TWO MEETINGS AGO.
UM, WHEN THE FINANCE DIRECTOR REALLOCATED THOSE SAVINGS TO THE, UM, THE ATTORNEY FEES FOR THE OH, THAT'S RIGHT.
BUT THAT WA BUT THAT WAS ONLY UP TO THAT TIME OF THAT PRESENTATION.
THERE MAY BE SOME EXTRA THAT COME ABOUT BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE BUDGET YEAR BECAUSE YOU GOT SOME STILL THESE VACANCY STILL.
I MEAN, IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE SOME EXTRA MONEY, YOU CAN MAYBE AT LEAST START ENGINEERING AND DESIGN AND JUST START, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE, THE BALL ROLLING ON THE NEXT YEAR'S.
UM, BUT I WILL ALSO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN ENTERPRISE FUND AND THE, THE COMMISSION DID ADOPT THE EVERGREENS, UM, SALARY PROPOSAL FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES AS WELL.
SO THAT'S BUILT INTO THE BUDGET.
UH, AND, AND, AND THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY IS ONLY ONE FOURTH OF THAT CALL.
SO NOT AS MUCH, UM, BECAUSE THE OTHER INDUSTRIES PITCH IN FOR THOSE SALARIES AS WELL.
SO HAVE YOU GUYS STARTED, UM, LIKE AN EXECUTIVE SEARCH FOR THE DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY DIRECTOR POSITIONS? THAT WILL BE FOR THE INTERIM THAT COMES ON BOARD.
HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
THAT'S PART OF THE SCOPE OF HIS WORK.
I WILL SAY THAT ANY SAVINGS THAT WE FIND BETWEEN,
[01:55:01]
UM, OR REALLOCATION THAT WE FIND BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE YEAR WILL LIKELY GET EATEN UP IN MAINTENANCE.UM, IT WILL NOT TAKE LONG TO DO THAT.
SO, SO THE, THE, UM, THE EVERGREEN GOES SOUTH, SO YOU ARE, SO WE ARE ACCEPTING THE EVERGREEN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ALL THESE EMPLOYEES THAT HERE AT WESTWATER? YES, AND I BELIEVE SO THE ALLOCATION THAT DR.
MECKER REFERS TO AS WELL IS ALSO CONTAINED IN THE BACK OF THIS BUDGET, UM, RELATIVE TO, UM, COST SHARE PERCENTAGES.
RELATIVE TO THE INDUSTRIES AND THE CITY.
UM, AS I HAD MENTIONED, UH, REMOVING SOME OF THAT SLUDGE AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO WILL BE CONTRACTUAL COSTS THAT WE INCUR THROUGH, UM, SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A VERY SMALL MAINTENANCE STAFF, UM, AND WE KEEP THEM BOOKED UP ON, UM, A LOT OF PROJECTS.
SO WE WILL HAVE TO UTILIZE THIRD PARTY STAFF TO HAVE SOME OF THIS WORK DONE.
I HAVE A, PROBABLY A REALLY STUPID QUESTION, BUT THE NUMBERS WE'RE LOOKING HERE MM-HMM
THEY'RE, THEY'RE, LOOK, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE FACILITY AND SO, OKAY.
JUST YOU'RE LOOKING INSIDE THE FENCE.
SO IF IT, IF I CAN DISTINGUISH THE WASTEWATER FACILITY, THIS REPRESENTS HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL INSIDE OF THE FENCE.
UM, WHEN WE STEP OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE, WE ENTER A TERRITORY THAT IS ALL THE CITIES.
UM, IS THAT OUR, IT'S OUR BURDEN TO CARRY.
SO I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE THAT THE SEWER LINES BEING LIKE SPIDERWEBS THAT CONNECT TO ALL OF OUR, OUR CONSTITUENTS, ALL OF THE PUMP STATION SERVICE, ALL OF OUR PUBLIC, THAT'S OURS TO BEAR, THAT IS OUTSIDE OF, UM, THAT IS OUTSIDE OF THIS BUDGET.
THIS REPRESENTS WHAT THE COMMISSION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
THIS REPRESENTS WHAT THE COMMISSION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
AND NOT, AND WE DON'T AND WHAT, AND OUR PART IS WHAT? ONE ONE FOURTH.
WE SHOULD GET TO THAT ACTUALLY.
RELATIVELY QUICKLY, YOU WILL NOTICE HERE, I'LL GO BACK.
ONE, UM, INCREASE, UH, THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN LEGAL SERVICES DUE TO A NUMBER OF THINGS, NOT ONLY THE FOURTH AMENDMENT, UM, ALSO PENDING, UM, PENDING ORDER FROM THE STATE MAY ALSO TAP INTO THAT AS WELL.
UM, THIS, THIS IS PROBABLY GOOD JUST FOR HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR, UH, ANY OF THE NEWER COUNCIL FOLKS.
UM, SO OUTSIDE TREATMENT REVENUES, THIS IS LEACHATE AND SEPAGE COLLECTIONS, UH, FEES THAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY RECEIVE THROUGH OUTSIDE PARTIES BRINGING SEWAGE OR LEACHATE TO THE FACILITY, UM, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT IT USED TO BE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF REVENUE FOR THE CITY AND THAT HAS LARGELY DROPPED OFF.
UM, WHICH IS WHY YOU SEE, UM, PRIOR BUDGETS BEING A LOT HIGHER.
UM, AND NOW WHERE WE STAND, THOSE DELIVERIES HAVE DROPPED OFF SIGNIFICANTLY.
WHY EXACTLY IS THAT OTHER FACILITIES ARE ABLE TO TAKE A, A SIMILAR WASTE AND IT COULD BE, UM, FOR TRAVEL COSTS COULD BE MORE CONDUCIVE FOR THEM TO VISIT ANOTHER FACILITY.
AND I THINK ALSO PART OF IT WAS, UH, CAPACITY.
LIKE I THINK, UH, YEARS AGO, I THINK, UH, DICKIE THOMPSON, JERRY BARLEY ENDED UP, YOU KNOW, SENDING PEOPLE BACK BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T HANDLE ALL THE FLOW AT ONE TIME.
UM, AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH WEATHER.
IT'S SOME WEATHER RELATED TO RIGHT.
AND UNFORTUNATELY THAT WAS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FROM PREVIOUS COUNCILS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE BEEN MAKING MORE MONEY AND REINVESTING BACK IN.
UM, BUT YEAH, AS MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS STILL STAND, PREVIOUS COUNCILS JUST DIDN'T PRIORITIZE PROPER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
UM, I WILL SAY JUST TO FOR THE PURPOSES, IT, AT A WASTEWATER FACILITY, UM, YOU REALLY NEVER GET TO A PLACE WHERE YOU SAY, AH, OKAY, WE CAN SIT BACK.
IT'S NOT THAT TYPE OF OPERATION.
THESE THINGS ARE, YOU COULD THINK ABOUT IT RELATIVE TO US WORKING 24 HOURS A DAY.
AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO REHABILITATE OURSELVES AND TAKE A NAP AND, AND COME BACK FULL CIRCLE.
THESE PLANTS RUN 24 7 AND THE ONLY TIME THEY STOP IS WHEN SOMETHING BREAKS OR WE SHUT IT DOWN TO REPLACE SOMETHING THAT'S ABOUT TO BREAK.
UM, SO THEY DO REQUIRE CONTINUAL, UM, INVESTMENT AND REINVESTMENT.
UM, YOU'LL SEE HERE A LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, THAT, UH, ULTIMATELY THE T UH, PRIORITIZE AND THE BUDGET REQUESTS THAT REPRESENT, UM, YOU KNOW, EACH OF THESE PARTICULAR LINE ITEMS. THIS IS ONE PARTICULAR YEAR,
THERE'S A LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS, UM, THAT IS MUCH LONGER THAN THE LIST I'M SHOWING YOU RIGHT NOW, BUT THIS IS REPRESENTS NEXT YEAR.
WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE COST OF THE, THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OXYGEN PLANT? WHAT'S
[02:00:01]
THE, WHAT IS, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT THERE? I MEAN, I, I KNOW WHAT IT WAS MAYBE A YEAR AGO.WHAT IS IT NOW? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA? I DON'T HAVE CURRENT DOLLARS.
UM, I KNOW AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS LOOKED AT, UH, THE COST WAS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 17 AND $20 MILLION.
UM, THAT'S ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE PUT IN FOR, FOR, UM, EARMARK REQUEST.
YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE WILL BE SUCCESSFUL, MAYBE WE WON'T, BUT, OKAY.
KEEP MY FINGERS CROSSED ON THAT.
AND HOW IS THAT, I MEAN, IS IT, IT'S HOT.
I MEAN IT'S RUNNING, UH, TRUST ME, YOU WOULD KNOW IF IT WASN'T BECAUSE OH YEAH.
UM, IT, IT'S RUNNING, UH, I'LL GET THE CREW A LOT OF CREDIT.
THEY DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO KEEP THAT THING MOVING ALONG.
WHEN I CAME UP IN HERE THIS EVENING, I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO USE THIS ROOM AS THE INCINERATOR
I'M THINKING ABOUT REPURPOSING COUNCIL CHAMBERS, BUT THAT'S ALRIGHT.
UH, THESE ARE THE PROPOSED CAPITAL ALLOCATIONS.
SO THIS GETS DOWN INTO A BREAKDOWN OF HOW, UH, ALL OF THE PARTNERS IN THE COMMISSION SPLIT UP THOSE COSTS.
WELL, COULD YOU BACK UP? SURE.
LIKE TERRY, SURPRISING THEY CARRY A SHARE.
PARDON? THAT'S 'CAUSE THEY GOT THE MOST FLOW.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS TOTAL, UH, WATER RENEWAL BUDGET FACTORY AND CAPITAL EXPENSES.
AND THE LIKE FOR A TOTAL OF 27.5 MILLION.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A, UM, IT'S IS A, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT UTILITY.
UM, ESPECIALLY FOR A CITY BESIDES OF HOPEWELL.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA, I DO WANNA WRAP BACK AROUND AND SAY I'M, UM, INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED WITH THE STAFF, THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS, UM, EVERYBODY COMING TOGETHER.
IT'S A VERY CHALLENGING TIME, EVEN FOR MYSELF TO ENTER THIS ARENA, UM, DURING BUDGET SEASON, DURING MY OWN PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET SEASON, UM, WITH THE CHALLENGES THAT THE PLANT FACES, UM, AND THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COME THROUGH WITH THIS.
DOES IT HAVE EVERYTHING WE WANT? EVERYTHING WE NEED? NO, BUT THE INDUSTRIES KNOW WHERE WE STAND.
DEQ KNOWS WHERE WE STAND, UM, AND WE HAVE A PATH FORWARD.
AND THANKS TO MR. FITZWATER FOR, UM, BACKING ME UP ON THAT.
AS I SAID, HE'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE HELP TO ME AND TO THE STAFF.
UM, WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY FINAL QUESTIONS AND THEN I HAVE, UM, ONE PARTICULAR THING TO TOUCH ON RELATIVE TO THE NETWORK OUTSIDE OF WATER RENEWAL AS WELL.
YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UM, PROBABLY ALL OF US WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR STEPPING IN.
AND, UM, THIS PRESENTATION WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WE JUST TAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME.
WE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP DURING THIS VERY DIFFICULT TIME.
THE, UM, LIKE I SAID, THE, THE STAFF HAVE BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH.
UM, THEY'VE EMBRACED ME, MY IDEAS, MR. FITZWATER AND HIS IDEAS.
UM, THERE'S A LOT MORE, THERE'S A LOT MORE COMRADERY AMONGST THAT STAFF THAN WHEN I SHOWED UP THERE.
UM, AND THAT'S GOOD TO SEE BECAUSE I'LL BE HONEST, A FACILITY LIKE THAT DOESN'T RUN WITH THE TERM.
I, UM, THERE'S NO I IN TEAM AND I, THEY HEAR ME SAY IT AD NAUSEUM AND I'M SURE THEY'RE SICK OF IT, BUT IF THEY DON'T HAVE EACH OTHER'S BACKS AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO UNDERTAKE, THEY WILL NOT BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND I THINK THEY'RE STARTING TO REALIZE THAT.
UM, SO I'M VERY, I'M VERY PROUD OF 'EM.
I'VE ONLY, LIKE I SAID, I'VE ONLY SPENT A MONTH AND A HALF WITH THEM, BUT THERE'VE BEEN SOME SERIOUSLY LONG DAYS.
UM, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY'VE DONE AND, AND ALL THE, THE UM, THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN EDUCATING ME ON WHAT IT IS THAT THEY DO AND HOW THIS PLANT RUNS SO WELL, AND I'VE HEARD GREAT THINGS FROM THE INDUSTRY PARTNERS TOO.
INDUSTRY PARTNERS HAVE VERY COMPLIMENTARY VIEW, SO, WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT
UM, I DID WANNA TOUCH ON THE PUMP STATION NETWORK AND, UH, ALSO THE COLLECTION SYSTEM NETWORK.
SO WE GO TO THE WASTEWATER PLANT, WE SEE IT, WE SEE ALL THAT.
IT'S MADE OF ALL THE OPERATIONAL PROCESSES, THE SOLIDS REMOVAL, UM, THE INCINERATOR, THE OXYGEN PLANT.
WHAT WE DON'T SEE IS WHEN WE LEAVE THE GATE AND UNDERNEATH OF THE GROUND IS THE SERIES OF CONNECTED PIPELINE NETWORKS THAT SERVICE EVERY ONE OF OUR TOILETS, EVERY ONE OF OUR SINKS, EVERY ONE OF OUR COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF IT, A LOT OF IT THAT WE DON'T SEE.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF IT IN TERRIBLE CONDITION, AND SOME HAVE UNKNOWN CONDITION TO BE FAIR.
UM, AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE FIGURE OUT WHAT CONDITION IT'S IN IS TO SURVEY IT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE LAST COMPREHENSIVE, UH, SANITARY SEWER EVALUATION HAS BEEN DONE.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME LOOK AT THE, NOT ONLY THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, BUT THE PUMP STATIONS AS WELL.
UH, THE PUMP STATIONS ARE ONE COMPONENT, RIGHT? UM,
[02:05:01]
WE'LL USE, UH, WE'LL USE A COUPLE EXAMPLES.SO IN THE EVENT THAT YOU HAVE, UH, A PUMP STATION THAT'S RECEIVING INCREASED FLOW, IT'S, IT'S EASY TO SAY, OKAY, WE NEED TO UPGRADE THE PUMP STATION TO HANDLE THAT ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
WELL, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT LEAVES THE PUMP STATION, TYPICALLY DOWNSTREAM, YOU HAVE A FORCE MAN THAT'S THERE.
IT MAY BE ADEQUATE, IT MAY BE INADEQUATE, IT MAY BE SUBPAR CONDITION.
YOU PUT BIGGER PUMPS ON A PIPE LIKE THAT, AND YOU'RE GONNA END UP WITH CATASTROPHIC SCENARIO.
I THINK WE'LL SEE SOME OF THAT IN THE ORDER.
I THINK, UH, MAYOR PARK, YOU HAD ASKED ME ABOUT OVERFLOWS.
UM, AND I THINK THERE WILL BE A SECTION OF THE CONSENT ORDER THAT WILL LIKELY REFERENCE OVERFLOW CONDITIONS THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED AT OUR PUMP STATIONS.
AND THAT WILL PUT THE PRESSURE ON US TO TAKE A LOOK AT NOT ONLY THE STATIONS, BUT THE CONVEYANCE SYSTEM ITSELF.
I, I DIDN'T WANNA TOUCH ON THE FACT THAT, UM, THE, THIS IS JUST FOR THE PUMP STATIONS.
UH, IT'LL PUT YOU TO SLEEP IF YOU NEED SOMETHING TO, TO READ TONIGHT BEFORE YOU GO TO BED.
UM, BUT IT DOES OUTLINE OF, UM, ALL OF THE PUMP STATIONS LISTED HERE, VARIOUS ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE LOOKED AT AND, AND BELIEVE IT DID RECOMMEND, UM, PUMP STATION REPLACEMENT AT, AT THIS TIME.
SO THIS STUDY WAS 20 22, 20 23.
SO THE INFORMATION IS STILL VALID.
UM, AND SOME OF THESE CONDITIONS HAVE IN FACT WORSENED ANY PUMP STATION REPLACEMENTS.
UH, WERE RECOMMENDED FOR MANCHIN HILLS PUMP STATION, NORTH COLONIAL PUMP STATION, SHERWOOD LANE.
UM, THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE FULL REPLACEMENTS.
WE MAY HAVE A COUPLE OTHERS THAT HAVE ENTERED THAT TYPE OF SCENARIO JUST BY THEIR WORSENING CONDITION.
UM, BUT LOOKING BACK AT THIS, UH, CHART, THIS IS A WAY, AND THIS DIDN'T REALLY, THERE'S A CAPACITY LINE ON HERE, BUT I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT CAPACITY IN TWO, TWO SEPARATE WAYS.
THE PUMP STATION AND THEN THE LINES.
THIS DID NOT LOOK AT THE LINES.
THIS IS JUST SPECIFICALLY PUMP STATIONS, SO MM-HMM
UM, THE MAJORITY OF OUR PUMP STATIONS HAVE INADEQUATE BACKUP POWER FACILITIES, WHICH IS CATASTROPHIC DURING ANY SORT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, NO POWER CONDITION, WHETHER THAT BE A STORM OR NOT.
THERE ARE MANY OF THESE PUMP STATIONS THAT MYSELF OR MR. FITZWATER CANNOT SEND A MECHANIC INTO BECAUSE OF H TWO S GAS AND CONCENTRATIONS THAT NO HUMAN SHOULD BE BREATHING.
UM, THOSE CONDITIONS WITH H TWO S GAS HAVE ALSO INCREASED, UH, OR THEY'VE SPED UP THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DEGRADATION OF THESE FACILITIES.
IT CAUSES SIGNIFICANT, UM, CORROSION AND RUST TO OCCUR ON ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS.
UM, VENTILATION COMPONENTS IF THEY'RE PRESENT.
A LOT OF THESE FACILITIES DON'T HAVE VENTILATION COMPONENTS.
UM, SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, ARE, ARE COMMON.
UM, YOU'LL SEE, UH, THE ELECTRICAL CONDITION IS A COMMON THEME AMONGST THIS CODE, COMPLIANCE, SAFETY, VENTILATION.
UM, IT DID GO SO FAR AS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL PUMP STATIONS.
AND THIS IS FROM A VISUAL PERSPECTIVE.
SO THESE FOLKS, THIS IS FROM THE DEBERRY REPORT, CORRECT? YEAH.
THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE SOME VISUAL OBSERVATIONS AND NOTATIONS AND COME UP AT THAT TIME WITH, UM, ESSENTIALLY WHAT THEY FELT LIKE THE UPGRADES WOULD COST, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS WOULD COST THESE FACILITIES.
AND THEN TO GIVE IT A RANGE AND COST, I THINK WE CAN SAFELY ASSUME FROM THE TIME THIS REPORT WAS DONE UNTIL NOW, THAT THE TOP END OF THAT HIGHER RANGE COST IS PROBABLY MORE ACCURATE THAN WHAT WAS, UH, ORIGINALLY REPRESENTED.
UM, I SAY ALL THIS TO, TO PUT US IN THE MINDSET OF THINKING ABOUT OUR SEWER SYSTEM HOLISTICALLY, NOT ONLY THE TREATMENT PLANT, BUT THE PUMP STATION AND COLLECTION SYSTEM NETWORK THAT JUST LIKE PAVING, THIS WAS NO DIFFERENT.
UM, THESE ARE A SERIES OF ASSETS THAT WE OWN AND MAINTAIN, AND WE HAVE TO HAVE A LONGER TERM OUTLOOK FOR ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE CONCERNS AND REPAIRING THEM.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT BYPASS PUMPING COSTS AND OPERATIONS THAT WE EXPERIENCE, THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT.
UM, IS IT, IS IT CRITICAL? YES, WE HAVE TO DO IT.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE AN OPTION, BUT AT LEAST IF WE'RE ABLE TO DEVELOP A PLAN MOVING FORWARD OF HOW WE TACKLE THIS, THERE'S LIGHT AT THEN AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, UM, TO, TO REDUCE SOME OF THAT PUMPING COSTS, UPGRADE THESE PUMP STATIONS AND FOCUS ON SOME LINE WORK AS WELL THAT WE DEFINITELY KNOW NEEDS TO BE DONE.
BUT AGAIN, EACH OF THESE PUMP STATIONS HAS A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS, COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.
UM, WE ALSO DID PUT IN FOR, UH, A SERIES OF THESE, UM, IN THE FEDERAL AIRMARK AS WELL.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO CARRY 20% OF THAT COST IF WE WERE SUCCESSFUL, BUT, UM, FINGERS CROSSED WERE SUCCESSFUL 20%, UH, PENNIES RELATIVE TO THE OVERALL COST.
UM, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, WHETHER, WHETHER I'M, UH, INVOLVED
[02:10:01]
WITH THE SEWER UTILITY OR NOT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I, I THINK SHE A PRIORITY SHOULD BE PUT ON NOT ONLY THE, UM, REHABILITATION UPGRADE, REPLACEMENT OVERHAUL, CALL IT WHAT YOU WILL, UM, ESTABLISHING A PRIORITY RANKING, A CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN OF SORTS THAT GOES BEYOND FIVE YEARS BECAUSE IT WILL TAKE LONGER THAN FIVE YEARS TO, TO DO THIS.AND IT WILL TAKE LONGER THAN FIVE YEARS TO TAKE A LOOK AT LINE WORK AND HAVE SOME OF THAT LINE WORK DONE.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA SPEND A MINUTE TOUCH ON THAT.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, MY TIME HAS BEEN SPLIT BETWEEN PUBLIC WORKS WATER RENEWAL, AND AS IT'S, AS I HAVE, UH, FREE TIME, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY, I TRY TO VENTURE OUT INTO THE PUMP STATION NETWORK TO REALLY IZE ON WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
UM, SO THAT I CAN ACCURATELY INFORM COUNSEL.
BUT WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE SURVEY OF, OF ALL OF THIS.
I MEAN, UM, WHERE DO YOU START WITH THAT? I MEAN, AND, AND WHAT KIND OF DOLLARS DO YOU THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT? SOMETHING LIKE THAT? I DON'T KNOW.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF EXPLORING THAT.
UM, THE BEST WAY TO TACKLE THAT.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I WOULD SAY WE SHOULD SIT ON.
WE SHOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF WHERE IT IS.
SO WE HAVE SOMEWHERE TO START.
I DO KNOW THAT WHEN WE UPGRADE THE PUMPS IN QUEEN END, THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE CUT AWAY WITH NOT UPGRADING THE FORCE NOW OUTSIDE OF THAT FACILITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, HEY, CHALK ONE UP, WE GOT ONE ON THE LIST.
UM, BUT THERE ARE MORE TO FOLLOW.
AND OBVIOUSLY CAMERAING LINES AND GETTING CONDITIONS OF THOSE LINES, THAT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS.
AND I WILL GIVE THE SEWER COLLECTION CREW A LOT OF CREDIT.
THEY PUT THE MILES ON THAT CAMERA, SO THE MONEY THAT WE SPENT TO BUY THAT CAMERA HAS PAID FOR ITSELF OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
UM, THEY CONTINUE TO SURVEY THE SYSTEM AND SOME OF THAT DATA CAN BE USED FOR A CONSULTANT TO HELP US DEVELOP A PRIORITIZATION ABOUT WHERE WE START FIRST.
I CAN TELL YOU LINDA NEWMAN AND HER CREW ARE JUST PHENOMENAL.
AND THERE'S VERY FEW PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD THAT ARE AS PASSIONATE ABOUT SEWAGE IS WHAT SHE IS AND PREVENTING BLOCKAGES AND HELPING CITIZENS.
UM, HER AND HER TEAM DO A MARVELOUS JOB.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, PLEASE RELAY, UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY KIND THOUGHTS AND, UH, MY ACCOLADES, UH, TO HER AND HER TEAM, SAME THING.
UM, YEAH, REALLY, YOU KNOW, FROM ALL SERVICE.
FROM ALL THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE THING I DON'T GET AS MANY CALLS ABOUT AS WHAT I USED TO, UM, WHEN I FIRST STARTED ON CITY COUNCIL.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, UM, SHE'S VERY RESPONSIVE.
SAID SHE'S, SHE'S ONE MOST RESPONSIVE PUBLIC RELATIONS SEWER FOLKS WE HAVE.
UM, SO MY QUESTION FOR YOU, AND YOU MAY NOT HAVE THIS, UH, NOW, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY BY, YOU KNOW, OUR NEXT BUDGET MEETING, YOU'LL HAVE IT.
HOW MANY PUMP STATION UPGRADES, REPAIRS, OR TOTAL REHABS DO YOU HAVE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET? OUTSIDE THE QUEEN ANN? ONE THAT WE'VE DONE A SEPARATE APPROPRIATION FOR? I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANY OTHER THAN MAYBE SOME PUMP REPLACEMENTS, BUT I WILL SAY THAT'S, THAT'S TRIAGE.
THAT IS, THAT'S, THAT'S TRIAGE.
UM, THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET REPRESENTS HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL.
I DO WANT EVERYBODY TO SAY THAT, RIGHT? YEAH.
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE OUTSIDE THE FENCE, THE SEWER BUDGET.
I, YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THAT WITH ME.
UM, I DO KNOW, SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UM, ROUGHLY THE SEVEN, SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, I BELIEVE THAT, UH, FUND 41 AND 43, WHICH IS MAINTENANCE AND THEN SUPER OPERATIONS.
COLLECTIONS OUTSIDE THE FENCE OF THAT, WHAT THEY GET, I BELIEVE OVER HALF OF THAT GETS EATEN UP IN POWER CONSUMPTION COSTS FROM THESE MM-HMM
THEY ARE, THEY'RE BIG POWER SINKS.
AND I'LL BE HONEST, THE OLDER SOME OF THESE MOTORS GET, THE MORE ELECTRICITY THAT THEY USE.
SO, UM, BUT I'M HAPPY TO, TO LOOK INTO THAT AND GET MORE INFORMATION AND BRING IT BACK TO YOU.
'CAUSE I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE NEED TO, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE OUR BUDGET AND YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF OUR, YOU KNOW, OTHER FUNDS THAT WE HAVE ON THE CITY SIDE, YOU KNOW, YES.
I KNOW IT'S NOT ATTRACTIVE, YOU KNOW, TO THE, UM, YOU KNOW, RATING AGENCIES TO TAKE GENERAL REVENUE AND PUT IT IN THERE OVER TIME MULTIPLE TIMES.
BUT IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, SCRAPE UP ENOUGH DOLLARS TO DO, YOU KNOW, A GOOD HANDFUL OF THESE AND START KNOCKING THESE THINGS OUT, I THINK IT WOULD DO US A WORLD OF GOOD.
UM, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZING THOSE IN OUR BUDGET.
I THINK THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS CERTAINLY A START.
UM, AND THEN WE LEARN MORE INFORMATION, RIGHT? MM-HMM
AT DAY TO DAY AS FAILURES OCCUR WHERE WE HAVE TO KIND OF SHIFT PRIORITIES.
SO I THINK, UH, MYSELF AND MR. FITZWATER AND SOME OF THE STAFF AT WORK OUTSIDE OF THE FENCE HAVE BEEN, UM, DELIBERATING ABOUT HOW WE PUT TOGETHER A PRIORITIZE LIST, WHERE DO WE START? AND SOME OF OUR CONSULTANTS HAVE SOME HISTORICAL CONTEXT WITH THIS, SO WE'LL UTILIZE SOME OF THEIR ASSISTANCE TO REALLY GET TO WHERE DO WE START BEYOND CLEAN.
AND I SAY THE PROBLEM'S BIGGER THAN THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. CROCKER?
[02:15:08]
DO YOU NEED ADOPTION OR APPROVAL OF THIS TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET OR IS IT JUST GONNA BE IN THE OVERALL BUDGET? IT'LL BE IN THE OVERALL BUDGET.UM, SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVEN'T SEEN AND I DON'T HAVE MUCH HISTORICAL CONTEXT FOR.
HOWEVER, WHAT I CAN OFFER YOU IS THERE'S A WAIVER REQUEST FROM A, UM, AND I BELIEVE ROBERTO WAS STILL WITH US.
SO FROM AMARAL HOMES, LLC AND, UH, INTENDS TO ACQUIRE TWO LOTS, UM, ON MARYVILLE AVENUE.
AND THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THESE PARTICULAR LOTS IS ADJACENT TO AN UNOPENED STREET.
THERE'S A SECTION OF GRANBY STREET THAT IS, UM, UNIMPROVED AT THE MOMENT.
THERE'S, SO THERE'S A GAP IN BETWEEN THE TWO SECTIONS OF GRANBY STREET.
UM, AND THERE'S A CONDITION OF THE STREETS CODE THAT, UM, STATES THAT, UM, ANYBODY WISHING TO DEVELOP ON THOSE LOTS, WHETHER THEY'RE FRONTAGE LOTS OR CORNER LOTS WOULD PROVIDE FOR, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT OR OPENING OF THAT STREET.
AND ITS, UH, SUBSEQUENT IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, I DON'T NEED TO TELL CITY COUNCIL THAT.
AND, UH, DEVELOPING A STREET AND PUTTING IN THE APPROPRIATE APARTMENTS TO SUPPORT, UH, STREET CONSTRUCTION IS THE MATH DOESN'T MATH, IT'S COST PROHIBITIVE FOR A SINGLE FAMILY LOT.
UM, SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA DEVELOP A SINGLE FAMILY LOT.
UM, HOWEVER, THE STREETS CODE DOES ALLOW FOR CITY COUNCIL TO GRANT A WAIVER, UH, FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ABUTTING STREET.
AND THIS LOT HAPPENS TO BE A CORNER LOT.
AND I WILL, THIS IS THE SUBJECT LOT HERE.
THE UNIMPROVED SECTION OF GRANBY STREET.
YOU'LL SEE THERE, UH, CURRENTLY HAS A STREAM RUNNING THROUGH IT, UM, WHICH IS SERVICED BY DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT DRAINS GRANBY STREET AND PART OF MARYVILLE AVENUE.
UM, THERE ARE OTHER LOTS THAT WOULD TECHNICALLY FRONT GRANBY STREET THAT IF THEY WERE IMPROVED WOULD FALL SUBJECT TO THIS CONDITION AS WELL.
BUT ONLY ONE OF THOSE LOTS WOULD REPRESENT, UM, A CORNER LOT AND FALL INTO A SIMILAR SITUATION SUCH AS THE ONE I BRING TONIGHT.
UM, SO THE REQUEST FROM, UM, AMARAL HOMES IS FOR A WAIVER OR EXEMPTION FROM DEVELOPING THIS PARTICULAR SECTION OF STREET, GIVEN THAT THEY HAVE FRONTAGE ON MARYVILLE AVENUE AND THUS DO NOT NEED, UM, THEIR LOT TO BE SERVICED BY THAT SECTION OF GRANBY STREET.
AND THIS IS, UH, SO THIS IS A, THIS IS A WAIVER THAT CAN BE GRANTED BY COUNCIL.
IT'S NOT, UH, IT IS NOT A POLICY FOR, UM, CITY DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS TO GRANT THIS.
IT ACTUALLY STATES EXPLICITLY THAT IT IS COUNCILS TO, TO GRANT.
UH, HERE YOU'LL SEE THE IMAGE OF, UH, THE CURVE OF MARYVILLE.
AND IF YOU LOOK STRAIGHT INTO THE WOODS, THAT WOULD BE WHERE GRANBY STREET WOULD CONTINUE IF IT WERE IN FACT OPEN AND IMPROVED.
AND THIS IS, UH, A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO THE TURN LOOKING DOWN MARYVALE AVENUE AT THE FRONT OF THE SUBJECT LOT.
AND THE DEVELOPER HAS ALSO INCLUDED, UM, IT'S ALSO INCLUDED JUST SOME SKETCHES, NOT THAT IT'S RELEVANT AT THIS POINT OF, UM, ELEVATIONS OF THE HOUSE THAT THEY WOULD INTEND TO, UH, CONSTRUCT.
NOT REALLY RELEVANT, UM, FOR THIS TOPIC OF CONVERSATION, BUT, UH, CERTAINLY THE CONTEXT IS HELPFUL.
SO THAT IS THE REQUEST TONIGHT.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS UNDER CONTRACT FOR THE LOTS IN TIMES OF THE ESSENCE RELATIVE TO THAT CONTRACT.
AND THEY DO REQUEST THAT COUNSEL, UM, GRANT THEM A WAIVER FROM THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, FROM THE REQUIREMENT TO DEVELOP THE UNOPENED STREET ON GRANBY STREET.
I'LL GLADLY TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, ROBERTO, WHO REPRESENTS AMARILLO HOMES IS ALSO HERE IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR HIM.
I DON'T SEE ANY LIGHTS FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE WAIVER REQUEST, UH, AS PRESENTED? SO MOVE SECOND.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR ELLIS.
[02:20:01]
ROLL CALL PLEASE.THAT WILL CLOSE NOW OUR MEETING.