[00:00:01]
FIVE O'CLOCK.ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? MAYOR? PARDON? HERE.
WE HAVE A, THE AGENDA BACK UP.
UM, AT THIS TIME, UH, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, HAVE, OR AS, UH, AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER, UM, HAVE MR. BESSETTE SERVE AS OUR DEFACTO.
IS THAT RIGHT? CLERK? THE CLERK PRO.
ONE DAY I'LL GET THE LATIN RIGHT.
UM, AND AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ALLOW, UH, COUNCILLOR STOKES TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY? SECOND.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
UM, MS. STOKES, UH, FOR THE RECORD, CAN YOU STATE WHERE YOU'RE CONDUCTING THE MEETING FROM AND THE REASON WHY, UH, YOU'RE ASKING TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY? YES.
UM, I'M CONDUCTING THE MEETING FROM HOME AND IT'S FOR MEDICAL REASONS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UM, IT SHOULD BE A MOTION TO NAME ME AS CLERK PRO TEM.
UM, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO NAME, UH, MR. BASSETT AS THE CLERK PRO TEM? SO, MOVE SECOND.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY.
SEEING NO LIGHTS FOR DISCUSSION.
ALSO, UH, MR. MAYOR, I BELIEVE THERE WAS TO BE A MOTION TO REARRANGE THE, UH, THE AGENDA TONIGHT SLIGHTLY TO BRING UP, UH, THE, THE MAYOR'S ADDRESS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO MOVE UP THE REPORTS OF THE CITY MANAGER, UH, TO AFTER THE INFORMATION AND PRESENTATION? SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[CLOSED MEETING ]
UH, GO INTO, UH, CLOSED MEETING.IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED MEETING, UH, PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A 29 AND EIGHT TO DISCUSS THE AWARD OF A PUBLIC CONTRACT WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION.
AND TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS, UH, REAL ESTATE CONTRACT DISCUSSIONS, UNSOLICITED OFFER ON CITY OWNED REAL ESTATE, VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A EIGHT.
UH, THE RE HUNT VERSUS HOPEWELL UPDATE, AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A ONE TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS INCLUDING BOARD AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS.
DISTRICT 19 HOPEWELL, PRINCE GEORGE HEALTHY FAMILIES SCHOOL BOARD, AND HOPEWELL REDEVELOPMENT HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND THE CITY CLERK POSITION.
UH, MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY MYSELF.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE.
[RECONVENE OPEN MEETING ]
ALRIGHT.WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND COME OUT A CLOSED MEETING.
[00:05:01]
IS THERE A MOTION TO COME OUT OF CLOSED SESSION? I SECOND THAT.[REGULAR MEETING ]
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY, UH, VICE MAYOR JOYNER.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
COUNSELOR ELLIS, THIS IS THE MOTION TO COME OUT BEFORE THE SESSION.
UH, YOU HAVE COUNCILOR STOKES? YES.
PARDON ME A MOMENT WHILE I FIND MY CURSOR.
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE 2.2 DASH 37 12 D, WERE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS.
LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND IDENTIFIED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
MOTION DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
UH, AT THIS TIME IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE, OR EXCUSE ME, TO APPOINT, UH, SUSAN GILL TO THE DISTRICT 19 COMMUNITY SERVICE BOARD AND BRITTANY IRVING TO THE HOPEWELL PRINCE GEORGE HEALTHY FAMILIES BOARD.
MOTIONS HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR OPEN MEETING.
I'M CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
UH, FIRST WE'LL HAVE A PRAYER BY REVEREND TUCKER, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
UH, IS REVEREND TUCKER OH, THERE YOU ARE.
MOST GRACIOUS, HEAVENLY FATHER, WE PRAISE YOU AND WE THANK YOU DEAR LORD, FOR THE GIFT OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT.
DEAR LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR WATCHING OVER OUR DEAR CITY HOPEWELL LORD.
AND WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GIVE COURAGE.
WE PRAY FOR HONESTY, LORD, FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS, LORD, AND FOR A SPIRIT OF UNITY, LORD, TOUCH THEM LORD AND TOUCH THEIR HEARTS LORD, FOR THERE ARE TIMES, LORD, THAT COME UPON US, WHICH ARE DIFFICULT DAYS.
AND LORD, WE PRAISE YOUR NAME AND WE ASK LORD FOR YOUR HELP AND GUIDE US AS WE NAVIGATE DIFFICULT WATERS.
AND WE THANK YOU DEAR LORD, FOR THE LOVE THAT YOU SHOWER UPON US EVERY DAY.
MAY WE CONTINUE TO SHARE THAT LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER.
BLESSED IT BE YOUR HOLY NAME OH LORD.
TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND TO THE REPUBLIC BY WHICH IT STANDS, WHICH STAND NATION, ONE NATION GOD, LIBERTY WANT.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY AMENDED THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? I MA'AM.MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOYNER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[lNFORMATION/PRESENTATIONS ]
UH, NEXT ITEM WILL BE THE INFORMATION PRESENTATIONS FOR, UH, MINAL UTILITY BILLING.WE AMENDED THE, YEAH, IT WOULD BE RIGHT AFTER THIS.
[00:10:05]
SHOULD WE GO COPIES TOO? WE HAVE COPIES OF THIS IF YOU WOULD LIKE.IT'S IN OUR, WE NEED ANOTHER ONE OVER HERE.
ISN'T THIS? WE HAVE EVERYTHING.
I THINK WE HAVE EVERYTHING THE SAME.
IS IT, IS THIS IT? I BELIEVE SO.
JUST NEED, FIRST OFF, MY NAME'S KEVIN SENEK, I'M WITH MENAL AND WITH ME IS MY COLLEAGUE JASON BROWN.
UM, AND FIRST OFF, I JUST WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS AND SAY THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND WE REALLY WANTED TO MEET EVERYBODY AND GIVE YOU, UH, A NICE 20,000 FOOT OVERVIEW, A LITTLE BIT ON MANAL, A LITTLE BIT ON THE BILLING PROCESS, AS WELL AS THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE, UH, DEVELOPED AND THAT WE THINK WE CAN CARRY OUT AND, AND REALLY HELP YOUR CITY, UH, COLLABORATE WITH, UH, YOUR, YOUR FINANCE FOLKS AND, AND MAKE THIS PROGRAM VERY SUCCESSFUL.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.
UM, THE MENAL TEAM IS BASED OUT OF DALLAS, TEXAS, OR ADDISON, TEXAS.
UM, JUST 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, OUR TIME LIMIT'S GONNA HIT UP.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME ITEMS. UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING UNTIL WE COMPLETE R THREE? SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
SORRY, JUST A MOMENT WHILE I CATCH UP.
UM, SO A, AS I SAID, UM, I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU A LITTLE BIT TO THE TEAM, RIGHT.
AND JUST GIVE YOU A, A, A LITTLE OVERVIEW.
UM, JASON HEADS OUR IMPLEMENTATION TEAM, AND HE'S GONNA BE VERY WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH YOUR INTERNAL PEOPLE ON GATHERING THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO DO THE SEWER AND TRASH BILLING.
UM, THE KEY, I THINK, POINT ON THIS SLIDE IS JUST THE, UH, AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE THAT OUR TEAM HAS.
UM, MANAL HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 30 YEARS IN, IN THE US OVER 75, UH, WORLDWIDE.
AND WE, WE JUST HAVE A REALLY GOOD TEAM OF PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE BILLING, UH, INDUSTRY AND CAN DO A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION.
AND, UM, JUST HAS, WE'RE NOT A NEW COMPANY.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE.
THIS IS OUR CORE BUSINESS AND, UH, THIS STAFF IS GONNA BE WORKING WITH STACY'S CREW TO DO A SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THAT'S THE POINT OF OUR FIRST SLIDE OF THE PEOPLE.
OUR SECOND ONE IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MENAL.
AND SO, AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE BASED OUT OF ADDISON, TEXAS.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER 30 YEARS.
UM, WE'RE A PRIVATELY HELD COMPANY, UH, BASED OUT OF, OUT OF GERMANY.
UM, AND, AND REALLY THERE ARE A COUPLE KEY MARKETS THAT WE FOCUS ON.
AND WE STARTED MANY, MANY YEARS AGO, UM, IN THE SUBMETERING BUSINESS FOR MULTIFAMILY APARTMENTS.
SO WHAT WE WOULD DO IS WE WOULD PUT SUB-METERS INSIDE OF APARTMENTS, WE WOULD READ THEM REMOTELY AND THEN BILL THE APARTMENT RESIDENT FOR THEIR EXACT USAGE.
RIGHT? AND SO THAT IS A BIG PART OF OUR CORE BUSINESS, RIGHT? AND OUR, OUR SECOND MARKET THAT WE, THAT WE GOT INTO WAS THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THEY DID, GUYS, IS THEY SAID, WE HAVE SOME VERY BAD HOUSING THAT IS IN NEED OF REPAIR.
AND ABOUT 18 YEARS AGO, THEY DECIDED TO PRIVATIZE IT.
[00:15:01]
ALL RIGHT? SO, UH, WHEN THEY PRIVATIZED IT, THEY TORE DOWN ALL THE BAD HOUSING AND BUILT BRAND NEW STUFF, RIGHT? AND MANAL WAS A BIG PART OF THAT PROGRAM.SO MANY OF THE BASES, UM, ON THE WEST COAST AS WELL AS THE EAST COAST, UH, WE HAVE DONE THE METERING FOR, FOR WATER, GAS, AND ELECTRIC.
UM, SO FORT BELVOIR, THAT'S ONE OF OUR PROJECTS.
THE FORMER, UH, FOR LEAVE FOR ADAMS IS, IS, WAS A, WAS A PROJECT OF OURS AS WELL.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE, WITH THE MILITARY PRIVATIZATION BILLING.
AND FROM THERE, WHEN WE STARTED TO DO THAT BILLING, WE'RE LIKE, WOW, THESE ARE LITTLE CITIES.
AND THAT'S WHAT MOVED US INTO THE MUNICIPAL MARKET WHERE WE WOULD HELP CITIES THAT NEED ASSISTANCE WITH THE WHOLE TURNKEY PROCESS OF SENDING THE BILL OUT, COLLECTING THE PAYMENTS, UM, ISSUING THE MONEY BACK TO THE CITY, ALL THE WEBSITES, RIGHT? SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW, HOW THAT PART OF HOW WE GOT INTO THE, UH, MUNICIPAL SECTOR, RIGHT? UM, WE BILL SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 450,000 BILLS A MONTH, RIGHT AROUND THAT RANGE.
AND THAT'S FOR ALL THREE MARKETS, FOR THE MUNICIPAL STUFF, THE MILITARY, AND, UH, THE MULTIFAMILY.
THOSE ARE KIND OF THE, THE KEYS.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS THAT OUR SISTER COMPANY IS A COMPANY CALLED ZENNER.
AND I, I THINK THEY MIGHT DO A LITTLE BIT OF BUSINESS WITH THE CITY, AND WE MANUFACTURE GLOBALLY WATER AND GAS METERS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE FIT ON THE MENAL DOES THE BILLING SIDE.
ZENNER, UH, IS THE PRODUCER OF METERING AND A MI SYSTEMS. SO THAT'S THE OVERVIEW THERE.
UM, THIS IS THE KEY SLIDE FOR THE COUNCIL THAT I, THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU.
AND, AND THAT IS WHAT IS THE VALUE PROPOSITION THAT WE WANT TO BRING, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND THE FIRST THING IS, IS REALLY IMPROVING THE CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS IN HOPEWELL, RIGHT? WE REALLY THINK THAT THIS IS, THIS IS KEY, RIGHT? AND THE, AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE GONNA DO THE WHOLE PROCESS, WHICH INCLUDES THE, THE BILLING, THE CALL CENTER, THE PRINT AND MAIL, THE, UH, PAYMENTS AND COLLECTIONS, THE REIMBURSEMENTS, ALL THE REPORTING ASPECTS THAT THE COUNCIL WILL NEED, RIGHT? WE WILL HANDLE THE WHOLE THING, RIGHT? UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT WITH THE FINANCE GUYS THIS MORNING ABOUT IS THE COLLECTION PIECE.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT MS. STACY GETS ALL THE KEY METRICS ON A MONTHLY BASIS OR A WEEKLY BASIS TOO, THAT THE MONEY IS FLOWING BACK AND FORTH.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT THING.
EVERYTHING WE COLLECT GOES BACK TO YOU GUYS, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S A BIG PART OF OUR, OF OUR PROCESS, RIGHT? SO TODAY WE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEIR NEEDS IN TERMS OF REPORTING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, EACH CUSTOMER REQUIRES A LITTLE MORE CUSTOMIZATION.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO, YOU KNOW, IN THAT RESPECT.
UM, THE CALL CENTER, A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR BUSINESS.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TURNOVER WITH OUR CALL CENTER, RIGHT? WE, WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO IT.
IT'S KEY THAT IS REALLY THE CONDUIT BETWEEN US AND, AND, AND YOUR, UH, CONSTITUENTS.
SO ANSWERING THE PHONE IN A, IN A, IN A QUICK TIME, RESOLVING ISSUES QUICKLY, NOBODY WANTS TO WAIT ON HOLD, RIGHT? AND SO WE REALLY STRIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CALL CENTER IS, IS, YOU KNOW, PROCESSING PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS AND PAYMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND NOT EVERYBODY WANTS TO TALK TO SOMEBODY.
AND SO WE HAVE SOME AUTOMATED FEATURES THAT JASON IS GONNA GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF HOW THAT WORKS AND HOW THAT CAN HELP, UH, STREAMLINE PEOPLE'S ANSWERS AND, AND RESOLVE THINGS, RIGHT? SO THE LAST ONE IS REALLY THE, THE BIGGEST ONE.
AND THAT'S THE COMMUNICATION, RIGHT? THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP.
WE DON'T WANNA DO THIS FOR A YEAR.
WE WANNA DO THIS FOR A LONG TIME WITH YOU GUYS.
WE WANT A LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP.
AND WHAT THAT REALLY REQUIRES IS A COLLABORATION.
WE WANTED TO MEET ALL OF YOU GUYS AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE ISSUES, YOU CALL, YOU CALL US, RIGHT? SO HAVING GOOD COMMUNICATION, HAVING A GOOD COLLABORATION, A PARTNERSHIP, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
AND WE'VE KIND OF LAID OUT A, A PLAN WITH, WITH MS. STACY'S TEAM ON, ON HOW WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THAT WITH OUR WEEKLY MONTHLY MEETINGS AND GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE.
[00:20:01]
KIND OF THE OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY.UM, UNLESS YOU GUYS HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS, WE'RE JUST GONNA KICK IT OVER TO, UH, JASON FOR THE PROCESS OF HOW WE ACTUALLY DO THE BILLING.
IT'S LIKE KEVIN WAS SAYING, WE DO HAVE A PROCESS THAT WE USE THAT PRETTY MUCH GOES FOR ALL OF OUR CLIENTS, BUT WE CAN CURTAIL THOSE OR MODIFY THOSE TO, YOU KNOW, THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF A CITY.
BUT WE START OFF WITH OUR IMPLEMENTATIONS.
THE THING WITH THAT IS WE, LIKE, WE MET TODAY WITH STACY TO KIND OF GO OVER A COUPLE, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT SHE REQUESTED OR THINGS THAT ARE ISSUES NOW FOR THE CITY THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE DEVELOP A PROCESS THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE THAT, YOU KNOW, GETS RID OF THOSE ISSUES THAT YOU HAVE.
BUT WHAT WE LIKE TO DO IS WE LIKE TO MEET WITH THE CITY TO KIND OF GO THROUGH WHAT THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE SO THAT OUR CALL CENTER KNOWS, SO THAT OUR TEAM KNOWS IF SOMEONE CALLS AND THEY ASK FOR A SPECIFIC QUESTION, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO TELL THEM SO THAT THEY ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE AS WHAT THE CITY IS.
THOSE ARE NOT TELLING TWO BIG, TWO DIFFERENT STORIES TO TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, RIGHT? WE LIKE TO DO AN AUDIT OF ALL THE ACCOUNTS THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE WE SET UP, WHEN WE SET UP THE FIRST TIME, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE SEE THAT MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM A POLICY OR SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US, BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE WORK OUT ALL OF THOSE KINKS BEFORE WE DO OUR FIRST BILLING SO THAT WE'RE JUST ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, RIGHT? WE DO A PARALLEL BILLING TO MATCH THE LAST BILLING THAT WAS DONE BY THE PREVIOUS COMPANY, JUST TO SEE THAT, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ON TRACK FOR WHAT THEY WERE BILLING.
OBVIOUSLY, IF THINGS COME UP THAT WE WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM THEM, BUT WE WOULD KIND OF CATCH THOSE THINGS IN THE VERY BEGINNING SO THAT WE'RE NOT SIX MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MIGHT HAVE GONE WRONG, RIGHT? UM, METER READS ARE NOT NECESSARILY DOING METER READS WITH YOU ALL, BUT WE ARE RECEIVING A FILE FROM VIRGINIA AMERICA WATER, WHICH WOULD BE OUR METER READS THAT WE'RE GETTING, RIGHT? SO WE BASE OUR SEWER USAGE OFF OF THE REEDS THAT WE GET FROM VIRGINIA AMERICA.
SO THEY HAVE A PROCESS THAT WORKS WITH US WHERE WE CAN GO AND DOWNLOAD THOSE FILES FROM THEM AND WE USE THAT TO IMPORT INTO OUR SYSTEM FOR OUR BILLING OF THE SEWER.
AND THEN WE WORK WITH THE TRASH COMPANY AS WELL TO KIND OF GET, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BILLING EVERYONE CORRECTLY FOR THAT, UM, UTILITY BILLING, LIKE I JUST SAID, WE, WE WILL REVIEW THE READS FROM VIRGINIA AMERICA JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT NOTHING LOOKS WEIRD SO THAT WE CAN WORK THAT OUT BEFORE WE SEND OUT A BILLING.
IF, FOR INSTANCE, IF THEY HAVE A HIGH USAGE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE IDENTIFY THAT CAN BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION OF, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE HERE AT THE CITY OR BRING IT UP WITH VIRGINIA AMERICA JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT READ IS CORRECT.
AND THEN WE ALWAYS REVIEW ALL OF OUR ACCOUNTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO VACANT USAGES, VACANT ACCOUNTS THAT AREN'T GETTING BILLED OR THAT SHOULD BE BILLED, THAT HAVEN'T BEEN SHOWING UP ON VIRGINIA AMERICA STATEMENTS.
WE GO THROUGH AND WE DO MODIFY OUR STATEMENT TO MATCH, OBVIOUSLY HAVE THE LOGO FOR THE CITY COUNTS FOR THE CITY ON THE, ON OUR STATEMENTS.
AND THEN WE LOOK FOR ANY REGULATIONS THAT MAY BE REQUIRED SO THAT WE'RE MAKING SURE TO PRESENT ALL THE INFORMATION ON OUR STATEMENTS FOR Y'ALL.
UM, CUSTOMER SERVICE, LIKE KEVIN WAS MENTIONING, YOU KNOW, THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM THAT WE HAVE HAS VERY LOW TURNOVER.
WHEN THERE IS TURNOVER, IT'S USUALLY BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN PROMOTED WITHIN THE COMPANY, STARTING FROM THE COMPANY.
UM, THEY ALL ARE FULL-TIME, THEY'RE ALL BASED IN OUR DALLAS OR ADDISON OFFICE, SO YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OUT CALLS TO, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT COUNTRY OR, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT PLACE.
IT DOESN'T KNOW, UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMPANY.
AND THEN WE LIKE TO RESOLVE ALL OF OUR CALLS WITHIN ONE APPROACH.
SO IF IT CAN BE ANSWERED WITHIN ONE APPROACH, WE LIKE TO DO THAT.
IF NOT, THEN WE FOLLOW UP BACK WITH THE CUSTOMER.
UM, LET'S SEE, BILINGUAL, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, SO WE'VE GOT THAT COVERED.
UM, THERE'S AN IVR DEAL WHERE IT'S AN EASY TREE WHERE YOU COULD GET TO SOMEBODY QUICKLY IF YOU NEED TO SPEAK TO SOMEBODY, OR IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND YOU JUST WANT TO PAY YOUR BILL OR GET A BALANCE, WE GIVE THAT TO YOU SO THAT, THAT'S A, THAT'S KIND OF A NICE FEATURE, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND THE CITY IS ASSIGNED TO THE CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER IN THE VERY BEGINNING SO THAT WHOEVER OUR MAIN POINT OF CONTACT IS, IS GONNA HAVE THAT PERSON THAT WILL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON FOR THE VERY BEGINNING.
THEY HAVE CONTACT WITH THEM INSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR CELL PHONE NUMBER, THEY HAVE THEIR OFFICE NUMBER, SO THEY'RE ALWAYS ABLE TO GET AHOLD OF SOMEBODY IF THERE IS A QUESTION OR JUST COMMUNICATION.
AND LIKE KEVIN WAS SAYING EARLIER, WE DO WEEKLY MEETINGS IN THE VERY BEGINNING JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME PAGE SO WE CAN WORK THROUGH ANYTHING THAT MAY BE COMING UP.
WE TYPICALLY DO LIKE A MONTHLY MEETING WITH THE CITY JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE COMMUNICATION IS THERE, THAT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S OUTSTANDING OR A QUESTION THAT'S HAD BY ONE PERSON OR THE OTHER, THAT THAT JUST GETS RESOLVED.
AND WE ALWAYS KNOW THERE'S A STANDING MEETING TO GO THROUGH THAT.
AS FAR AS PAYMENTS, UM, WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR PAYMENTS.
WE DO LIKE LOCKBOX, YOU CAN MAIL IT IN, YOU CAN PAY, YOU KNOW, A CH WE PAY WITH THE CREDIT CARD OVER THE PHONE.
YOU CAN PAY WITH AN ELECTRONIC CHECK.
WE WERE SPEAKING WITH TIM, UM, WITH STACY EARLIER TODAY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IT WHERE SOMEONE COULD COME IN TO MAKE A PAYMENT AT THE CITY, THEY CAN GO AND LOG INTO THEIR ACCOUNT AND LIKE WITHIN FIVE SECONDS THEY CAN POST THAT PAYMENT TO THEIR ACCOUNT.
THAT ACCOUNT'S AUTOMATICALLY POSTED.
[00:25:01]
THE CHECK THAT EVENING IN YOUR REGULAR BANK DEPOSIT, AND THEN THE CUSTOMER'S ACCOUNT'S ALREADY CREDITED.YOU HAVE THE MONEY FOR IT RIGHT THEN.
SO THERE'S NO MAILING IN A CHECK BACK TO US TO BE ABLE TO PROCESS TO THAT PERSON'S ACCOUNT.
YOU'RE ABLE TO DO IT INSTANTLY THROUGH A SYSTEM.
SO YEAH, SO WE'RE GONNA SET THAT UP WITH THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT TOO, SO THEY'RE NOT OVERWHELMED, BUT IF PEOPLE DO WANT TO COME IN AND MAKE IN-PERSON PAYMENTS, WE GIVE YOU THAT OPTION.
THE IDEA IS TO MAKE IT EASY FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS.
NOBODY'S CRAZY ABOUT PAYING A UTILITY BILL, WE GET IT.
BUT WE WANT TO, WE JUST WANT TO GIVE THEM REALLY GOOD SERVICE THAT THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
AND THEN GOING BACK TO CLIENT RELATIONS, LIKE I SAID, YOU ARE ASSIGNED A CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER.
THEY'RE, THEY WILL BE IN THE KNOW THE WHOLE TIME WHILE WE'RE SETTING IT UP.
AND THEN THAT'S YOUR CONSTANT POINT OF CONTACT.
IF THERE'S ANY ISSUES OR ANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP, YOU'RE ALWAYS KNOWING COMMUNICATION WITH THEM.
YOU HAVE A DIRECT LINE TO THEM AS WELL.
WHAT WE DO IS IF THERE IS ESCALATIONS FROM CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE ALWAYS ESCALATE, BUT THEN BEFORE WE GO TO THE CITY, SO WE HAVE THAT SET OF POLICIES THAT WE KNOW TO GO BY.
IF, IF A CALL CENTER TAKES A QUESTION THAT THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER, WE WOULD ESCALATE IT TO THEIR IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR AND THEN IT WOULD GO TO A CUSTOMER, THEIR CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER, JUST TO SEE IF THEY CAN RESOLVE IT.
AND THEN IF NOT, THE CLIENT RELATIONS MANAGER WOULD CONTACT THE CITY TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH THAT.
THAT WAY YOU'RE NOT GETTING PHONE CALLS FROM MULTIPLE PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
YOU KNOW, OVER THE SAME QUESTION, OVER MULTIPLE QUESTIONS.
WE KIND OF LIKE TO FUNNEL IT SO THAT THERE'S NOT AS MUCH COMMUNICATION HAVING TO GO TO THE CITY JUST ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
JUST ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE ESCALATED AND THE MONTH END REPORTS.
SO, UM, WE DO, SO AS FAR AS WEEKLY RECONCILIATIONS, ALL THE FUNDING THAT IS PAID TO US, WE RECONCILE IT WEEKLY.
LIKE EVERY FRIDAY OR EVERY MONDAY, WE GIVE YOU A REPORT AND WE SAY, OKAY, HERE'S ALL THE MONEY THAT WAS COLLECTED BY THE, BY US.
WE SEND IT TO YOU THROUGH A WIRE.
SO YOU HAVE THAT WEEKLY WITH THE RECONCILIATION OF WHAT THOSE PAYMENTS ARE.
AND THEN WE DO A MONTH END REPORT AS WELL, WHICH SHOWS ALL THE MONEY THAT WAS COLLECTED DURING THE WEEKS OF THE MONTH.
IT BREAKS THAT DOWN, RECONCILES IT ALL, AND THEN SENDS JUST BASICALLY AN AR REPORT TO YOU.
I MEAN, SEVERAL DIFFERENT TABS IN THE REPORT BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AT THE END OF EACH MONTH WHEN WE CLOSE OUT, WE SEND IT BACK TO OUR CONTACT HERE AT THE CITY AND KIND OF BREAKS DOWN ALL THE PAYMENTS.
ANYTHING THAT'S OUTSTANDING, ANY DISCONNECTIONS THAT WERE, HAD, ANY DISCONNECTIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T BEEN TURNED BACK ON, JUST ANY PAYMENTS AND ALL RECONCILIATION OF ALL OF THAT.
SO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS, GUYS THAT I WANT TO JUST BRING UP IS WE, WE WANT TO, UH, MAKE THIS, UH, A GOOD COMMUNICATION PROGRAM TO ALL OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS, RIGHT? WHETHER WE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE GO THROUGH YOUR, YOUR WEB PORTAL OR WHATEVER, BUT WE JUST, WE WANT TO, WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHO WE ARE, THAT THIS IS A LEGITIMATE BILL, YOU KNOW? AND SO WE'RE KIND OF BRAINSTORMING SOME IDEAS THIS MORNING ON HOW BEST TO COMMUNICATE THIS MESSAGE TO YOUR, TO YOUR RESIDENTS.
BUT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT.
AGAIN, THE THEME OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, IS SOLID COMMUNICATION, COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION WITH THAT.
WE THINK THIS PROGRAM COULD BE SUCCESSFUL.
UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM CITY COUNCIL? UH, WE HAVE COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY AND THEN VICE MAYOR JOYNER, AND THEN MYSELF.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UH, AS WE'RE LOOKING UP INFORMATION ONLINE, UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, STATS IN REGARDS TO YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE REVIEWS, UM, ACCORDING TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR EMPLOYEE RATING WITH GLASSDOOR, AND INDEED, YOU'RE, UH, A LITTLE LESS THAN A A THREE, UH, 2.8 RATING OUT OF FIVE.
UM, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? 'CAUSE OVERALL, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT IN TRANSITION FOR THE CITIZENS TO, UM, HAVE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY STATS TO SPEAK TO THAT? SO, THANK YOU COUNCILMAN HALLMAN FOR THAT QUESTION.
I, I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE RATING AND I CAN KIND OF GET BACK TO YOU ON IT AND GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A REPLY.
BUT THE, THE KEY THAT I WANT TO SAY IS THAT WE ARE GONNA BE TRACKING METRICS, UH, FOR YOU GUYS ON EXACTLY HOW MANY CALLS WE TOOK, HOW LONG THEY, THEY ARE THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SHARE THIS INFORMATION BACK WITH YOU GUYS SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THESE ARE THE AMOUNT OF CALLS WE, WE CAN'T, I DON'T KNOW, WE COULD PROBABLY TELL WHO CALLED IN, RIGHT? I THINK WE CAN, BUT THE MAIN THING IS METRICS, FEEDING YOU GUYS INFORMATION THAT SAYS THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING SO FAR, RIGHT? UM, FROM WHAT WE'VE LEARNED FROM, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST DUE DILIGENCE TO YOUR QUESTION OF CALL CENTER, THERE'S A LOT OF CALLS COMING IN FOR YOUR SIZE, RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADD SOME
[00:30:01]
PEOPLE TO DO THAT, BUT WE THINK WE CAN BRING CALL VOLUME DOWN BY GIVING 'EM THE TOOLS, DOING THE ONLINE BILLING, AND, AND YOU KNOW, JUST WORKING WITH THEM MONTH BY MONTH.SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I, I DON'T, I'M SORRY, I APOLOGIZE.
I DON'T HAVE THAT BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU RATING, AND WE CAN LOOK INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA TRACK THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU TRANSPARENT DATA ON, ON WHAT WE'RE GETTING, AND THEN YOU'LL EVALUATE US AND SAY, HEY KEVIN, THIS IS WHAT YOU GUYS NEED TO WORK ON.
OR, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU THE METRICS OF THE WORK EXPERIENCE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER TO THOSE KIND OF REGARDS.
BUT, UH, IN, IN MAKING A DETERMINATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE COMPANY OR WHEN THE COMPANY COMES IN AND HOW IT IS WHEN YOU'RE WORKING WITH THE, UM, CITY YEAH.
THIS IS THE REASON, UH, FOR MY QUESTIONS.
UM, NOT NECESSARILY JUST LIMITED TO THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, BUT WITH YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE OR EVEN YOUR CLIENTELE LIKE WORKING WITH THE MUNICIPALITIES AND SO FORTH.
I'LL BE VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING THAT INFORMATION.
AND WE CAN, I'LL GIVE YOU MY CARD AND WE CAN TALK FURTHER ABOUT THIS AND YOU KNOW, GET SOME MORE THANKS.
JUST TO ADD ONE POINT TO THAT, I MEAN, WE DO HAVE ACCESS TO, WHEN WE DO HAVE CUSTOMERS WHO MAY COMPLAINT OR, YOU KNOW, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, WE ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE CALLS.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANTED TO SEND A CALL TO SOMEBODY, YOU'RE ABLE TO HEAR THE CALL THAT HA ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, ONE STORY MAY BE DIFFERENT, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER STORY, YOU KNOW, GOOD OR BAD EITHER WAY.
BUT WE DO GIVE YOU ACCESS TO THOSE PHONE CALLS, SO WE ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO LISTEN TO THOSE PHONE CALLS.
YOU HEAR BOTH SIDES OF THE CONVERSATION.
SO THOSE ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO YOU ALL AS WELL.
AND, AND TO ANOTHER POINT, 'CAUSE THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
YOU MAY HAVE SOME IDEAS, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIFE DEALING WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE AND WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDN'T OR WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE TELLING YOU.
WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
EVERY, EVERY, EVERYONE'S A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS NOT GONNA BE PERFECT GUYS.
IT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH YOU, BUT WE'LL BE BACK HERE RIGHT, TALKING TO YOU, GETTING YOUR FEEDBACK AND THAT'S WHAT I COULD PROMISE YOU.
SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS.
SOME MIGHT BE LIKE RIGHT ON SPOT, MAYBE OTHERS AREN'T, BUT LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT IT, RIGHT? YEAH.
UH, VICE MAYOR JOYNER, THEN MYSELF.
I WAS WONDERING HOW MANY MUNICIPALITIES YOU ACTUALLY SERVED.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 6, 6, 6 DIFFERENT ONES.
AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SERVICING THOSE MUNICIPALITIES? OUR OLDEST ONE WE'VE BEEN, UM, SINCE 2016.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE CITY OF TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA.
AND THEY HAVE LIKE 36,000 RIGHT.
AND WHAT ARE YOUR COLLECTION RATES? I MEAN, HOW DO, UM, I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS HERE, BUT I WOULD SAY THEY'RE IN THE UPPER NINETIES.
I MEAN, 90 TO 95 PROBABLY FOR THE MAJORITY OF THEM.
I MEAN, DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES HAVE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, WAYS TO INCREASE THEIR COLLECTION.
SOME PEOPLE DO LIENS, SOME PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO DISCONNECT THE WATER THEMSELVES.
SO IT KIND OF HELPS WITH YEAH.
YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT ARE ABLE TO DO MORE, THE COLLECTIONS OBVIOUSLY ARE BETTER.
THE ONES THAT WE MIGHT JUST BILL, YOU KNOW, TRASH TO, SOMETIMES IT'S HARDER TO GET PEOPLE TO PAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO WORK WITH THE CITY.
WE DO HAVE SEVERAL, WE DO AUTO DIAL CALLS TO HELP PEOPLE TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THEIR PAYMENTS ARE PAST DUE AND OKAY.
UM, QUESTION FOR YOU ON, UM, PAYMENT METHODS.
UM, DOES YOUR COMPANY ALLOW YOU TO ACTUALLY LIKE, PAY IN ADVANCE AND THEN IT WOULD BE CREDITED TO YOUR ACCOUNT AND THEN YES.
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY NEXT MONTH IF IT WAS, OR IS JUST A REDUCED AMOUNT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO IF YOU MAKE A PAYMENT, YOU CAN PREPAY ON YOUR ACCOUNT.
SO IT JUST SITS ON YOUR ACCOUNT AS A CREDIT.
BECAUSE I KNOW THERE ARE SOME CITIZENS THAT LIKE TO JUST WRITE, YOU KNOW, ONE CHECK, FORECAST IT OUT.
AND, UM, THAT'S A GOOD, THEY RECEIVE A STATEMENT EACH MONTH, BUT THE STATEMENT WOULD SHOW WHAT THEIR CREDIT BALANCE IS ON THEIR ACCOUNT.
UM, ALSO AT YOUR CALL CENTER, UM, WILL YOUR CALL CENTER SPECIALIST, UM, BE ABLE TO, UH, TAKE INFORMATION FROM A SENIOR CITIZEN TO, UH, SET UP LIKE AUTOMATIC BILLING? YES.
IS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS? ANYTHING ELSE? NO.
UM, MOVING ON TO OUR, UH, AGENDA AMENDMENT FOR THE REPORTS OF THE CITY MANAGER, UH, MR. ROGERS.
OH, FIRST OF ALL, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL, I'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, CHIEF GREG TAYLOR AND HIS TEAM AT THE HOPEWELL POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR BEING RE-CERTIFIED, UH, BY THE
[00:35:01]
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION.I'VE BEEN THROUGH CERTIFICATION PROCESS IN SEVERAL CITIES AND IT'S, IT'S HARD WORK.
THEY, THEY COME TAKE, UH, UH, ONSITE AND VISIT AND TALK TO PEOPLE AND, AND, UH, REALLY, UH, DETERMINE IF WHAT, UH, WHAT THEY SAY IN THE APPLICATION IS TRUE.
SO CONGRATULATIONS ON DOING THAT.
SECONDLY, I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT I HAVE, UH, ELEVATED, UH, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, STACY JORDAN TO DEPUTY CITY MANAGER.
AND IN ADDITION TO RETAINING HER DUTIES AS CFO MS. JORDAN, WE'LL ASSUME OVERSIGHT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, THE HOPE WELL WATER, OUR RENEWAL DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND FUNCTIONS, UH, AS REQUIRED BY THE CITY MANAGER.
AND, UH, I'VE TOLD HER TO GET READY BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS HOW CITY MANAGERS ARE MADE.
YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU BROADEN YOUR BASE.
SHE HAS A SOLID FINANCE BASE AS AS, AS WE'VE ALL SEEN OF HER WORK ON THE BUDGET AND, AND ON THE AUDITS THAT SHE'S BEEN HERE.
SHE'S, SHE'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO THE CITY AND WE'RE PLEASED TO HAVE IT.
I'M VERY PLEASED TO, UH, WORK WITH HER AND TO, UH, POUR INTO HER, UH, BY EXPERIENCE AND, AND, AND HELP HER BECOME THE, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROFESSIONAL AND LEADER THAT, THAT SHE WANTS, WANTS TO BE.
UH, THE OTHER POINT IS THAT, UH, I'M, THIS IS THIRD WEEK I THINK.
AND, AND SO I'M STILL SNOOPING AROUND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW THINGS WORK AROUND HERE TO WE SO WE CAN GET TO A CADENCE OF OPERATION FOR, FOR ALL STAFF.
I, I'VE SAID TO STAFF THAT, UM, I BELIEVE IN BORING GOVERNMENT, NO DRAMA.
LET'S JUST GET IT DONE FOR THE CITIZENS.
AND I'M GOING TO WORK WITH, UH, UH, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ALL STAFF HERE TO, UH, BE THE BEST PUBLIC SERVICE PROFESSIONALS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN GIVE, UH, EXCELLENT SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
AND WE WILL BE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT AND WE WILL COMMUNICATE, UH, WITH COUNSEL AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR ISSUES ARE, ARE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD, UH, BY THE STAFF SO THAT WE CAN IMPLEMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE WILL WORK ON.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAKE SOME TIME, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME CONCERNS THAT CITIZENS HAVE BROUGHT UP AT OUR, UH, PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ABOUT THE TERMINATION OF, UH, TWO OF OUR EMPLOYEES, UH, THAT THEY WERE, UH, WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION AND THAT WE DID NOT PROVIDE OUR, UH, PUBLIC WITH THAT, UH, JUSTIFICATION.
UM, THE FIRST THING IS THAT SOME CITIZENS HAVE COMPLAINED THAT, UH, OUR DECISION, UH, TO TERMINATE THEIR EMPLOYMENT WAS, UH, WITHOUT CAUSE IT IS TRUE THAT WE DID VOTE, UH, FOR TERMINATION WITHOUT CAUSE, MEANING ONLY THAT WE VOTED TO AWARD THESE EMPLOYEES THEIR CONTRACTUAL SEVERANCE PAYMENT INSTEAD OF ACCUSING THEM OF ANY MISCONDUCT AND WITHHOLDING SEVERANCE.
IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEIR TERMINATION WAS WITHOUT REASONS.
AND THAT COUNSEL, UH, HAD REASONS, UH, FOR THIS AND THAT EVERY MEMBER, UH, DISCUSSED THIS FOR NEARLY FOUR HOURS, UM, DURING THE FEBRUARY 12TH MEETING.
AND ALSO, UH, SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS.
AND WHILE COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO SHARE THOSE REASONS, UM, WITH THE CITIZENS FOR TRANSPARENCY, THESE ARE PERSONNEL MATTERS FOR WHICH THESE, UH, FORMER EMPLOYEES DESERVE THEIR PRIVACY.
AND IT IS THAT REASON THAT WE CANNOT PUBLICLY DISCUSS THESE ISSUES.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS ]
UH, WE'RE MOVING ON TO OUR COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS.UM, MR. BESSETTE, WILL YOU PLEASE READ THE STATEMENT? A COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS PERIOD LIMITED IN TOTAL TIME TO 30 MINUTES IS PART OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS.
AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, ALL PERSONS DRESSING COUNCIL SHALL APPROACH THE MICROPHONE, GIVE THEIR NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE AND HOPE WELL THEIR WORD NUMBER AND LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES, NO ONE IS PERMITTED TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION ON THE REGULAR AGENDA OF THE MEETING.
ALL REMARKS SHALL BE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNCIL AS A BODY ANY QUESTIONS MUST BE ASKED THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL IMPERTINENT ABUSIVE OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INCITES
[00:40:01]
DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARRED BY THE MAYOR FROM FURTHER AUDIENCE BEFORE COUNCIL AND REMOVED, SUBJECT TO APPEAL TO A MAJORITY OF COUNSEL C RULES 4 0 5 AND 4 0 6.DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT? WE DO.
UH, WE HAVE FOUR PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT.
UH, I KNOW SOME OF YOU, I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF YOU.
I OWN A BUSINESS AND HOPEWELL, I OWN HOPEWELL UPON LOAN, LIBERTY FIREARMS AND SURPLUS.
UM, I'VE SERVICED THIS CITY FOR A WHILE.
I'VE GOTTEN ALONG WITH MY CLIENTELE.
CURRENTLY I HAVE CLOSE TO, UH, 450 PEOPLE THAT ARE IN PAWN, UH, OVER 1200 ITEMS THAT ARE IN PAWN.
UM, I DO ANYWHERE BETWEEN ABOUT 30,000 TO ABOUT $125,000 A MONTH.
THAT'S MY AVERAGES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR.
UH, I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN ASKED TO LEAVE MY PIECE OF PROPERTY.
UH, IT'S NOT MY PROPERTY, IT WAS THE OWNER'S PROPERTY.
IT WAS SOLD TO SOMEBODY ELSE, UH, WITH OBJECTIONS, WITH THE WAY THAT THEY HAD HANDLED CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION, UH, AS WELL AS THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY HAD GIVEN ME TO CONTINUE AT THEIR PLACE ON THEIR BUILDING.
UM, I HAVE LOOKED INTO OTHER BUILDINGS.
I HAVE LOOKED INTO OTHER PROPERTIES AROUND TOWN, AND I HAVE FOUND ONE CURRENTLY.
UM, IT IS THE OLD FOOD LAND, UH, THAT IS AT, UH, 7 0 5, UM, WEST CITY POINT.
UM, IT IS CURRENTLY ZONED B TWO.
I'M ASKING THE COUNSEL TO LOOK INTO IT TO SEE IF THERE IS A WAY THAT I COULD POSSIBLY GET A VARIANCE OR MAYBE RESUME THE PROPERTY TO B THREE.
CURRENTLY A PAWN SHOP IS ONLY ALLOWED TO BE IN B THREE.
UH, I COULD RUN MY FIREARM STORE OUT OF IT.
UM, BUT THAT'S A RETAIL STORE, THAT'S A STANDARD RETAIL STORE.
UH, WITH ME BEING ASKED TO LEAVE AS OF JUNE 30TH, I'M GOING TO LEAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR PRODUCTS, A LOT OF PEOPLE WITHOUT THEIR ITEMS. UH, I HAVE CURRENTLY OVER 300, UM, UH, LAYAWAYS IN MY STORE AS WELL TOO.
UM, IF THEY DO NOT GET 'EM OUT BEFORE THE 20TH, I WILL HAVE NO WAY OF GETTING IT BACK TO THEM.
AND BY VIRGINIA LAW AND WITH THE COUNCIL AS WELL TOO, KNOWING YOUR OWN REGULATIONS WITH INSIDE THE COUNCIL.
I AM NOT EVEN REQUIRED TO GIVE BACK ANYTHING AT THIS POINT ONCE I'VE, UH, UM, TOLD MY CLIENTELE THAT I'VE LEFT.
UM, I PROBABLY WILL BE APPROACHING YOU IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, IF NOT WITHIN THIS WEEK, UM, TO SEE IF THERE IS SOME WAY THAT WE CAN COME TO AN AGREEMENT.
WHEREAS I CAN GET A VARIANCE BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE INTO A LARGER BUILDING, WHICH THIS IS, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO FIX IT UP, WHICH I KNOW COUNCIL HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, WARDS AS WELL TO FIX PROPERTIES UP TO MOVE IN VIABLE BUSINESSES AS WELL TOO.
AND LIKE I SAID, I HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 17 YEARS AND I WISH NOT TO GO ANYPLACE ELSE, BUT THIS IS ONE OF MY LAST CHOICES THAT I ACTUALLY HAVE AT THIS POINT.
UM, CAN WE ASK YOU TO, UM, LEAVE YOUR INFORMATION WITH OUR, UM, CITY MANAGER? SURE.
AND SO THEN THAT WAY, UM, OUR DIRECTOR FOR DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING AND ALSO, UM, WELL, VERY WELL, WELL, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS HERE TOO, UM, THAT THEY COULD WORK WITH YOU ON THIS.
'CAUSE IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A BUSINESS EXPANDED HERE.
I TALKED TO MR. WARD AS WELL TOO, SO.
UM, AND HE BASICALLY, I COULDN'T GET ON THE AGENDA FOR, UH, THIS MEETING MM-HMM
THAT'S WHY I DID IT AS A SIGNUP.
UH, BUT HE BASICALLY HAD TALKED TO ME, UH, ASKED ME TO TALK TO CITY COUNCIL AND, UH, TELL HIM WHAT SOME OF MY CONCERNS WERE AND ASKED FOR A LITTLE BIT OF HELP BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING AT THIS POINT.
WITH APOLOGIES ON, UH, PRONUNCIATION.
[00:45:01]
I'M RIPLEY BALLOU FROM WARD ONE.I WANT TO FIRST OF ALL, UH, CONGRATULATE, UH, THE NEW CITY MANAGER.
UH, INTRODUCTION AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, THE TONE THAT YOU'RE SETTING HERE AND THE PROMISE THAT YOU'RE GIVING TO THE, TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SECONDLY, I'D LIKE TO ALSO, UH, COMMENT ON THE SPEED ZONE REDUCTION THAT'S, WE ARE NOW SEEING ON ROUTE 10, WHICH WAS, HAS BEEN IN PLACE NOW FOR ABOUT A MONTH.
I'VE ONLY SEEN ENFORCEMENT OF THAT OVER THE LAST WEEK AND JUST DRIVING AROUND TWO OR THREE TIMES.
I HAVE SEEN FOUR POLICE CARS SPEEDING AROUND, YOU KNOW, GOING AFTER PEOPLE.
AND SO I'M GLAD THAT THERE'S SOME ENFORCEMENT ON IT, BUT I WONDER WHETHER IT MIGHT BE MORE EFFECTIVE TO ACTUALLY HAVE SPEED CAMERAS.
UH, THEY ARE A GOOD SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THE CITY AND, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE DON'T HAVE TO GO AND CHASE THESE GUYS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING 45 MILES AN HOUR AND I HAVE NOT SEEN THE TRUCK SLOW DOWN.
SO I REALLY THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS IS REAL.
IT'S THERE FOR A SAFETY REASON AND I APPLAUD THE CITY FOR MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.
AND FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE, UH, REALLY TERRIBLE BEHAVIOR THAT I SAW FROM SPEAKERS HERE LAST WEEK.
UM, I URGE THE COUNCIL TO ENFORCE THEIR 4 0 5 AND 4 0 6 RESTRICTIONS.
USE YOUR GAVEL AND STOP PEOPLE FROM MAKING THREATENING AND OBNOXIOUS COMMENTS, PERSONAL COMMENTS TO THE COUNCIL.
MY NAME'S MARK BURS, WARD THREE.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M ONE OF THOSE ANOINTING OBNOXIOUS PEOPLE THAT THIS GENTLEMAN JUST SPOKE OF, AND I CHALLENGE ANY OF YOU TO TRY TO STRIP ME IN MY VOICE 'CAUSE IT WILL NOT WORK, I PROMISE.
FIRST, I'D LIKE TO STATE THAT I DON'T KNOW IF THE DECISION TO FIRE THE CITY MANAGER AND CLERK WAS ROOTED IN RACISM OR NOT.
I'M NOT IN YOUR HEADS OR YOUR HEARTS, BUT I WILL SAY THE OPTICS AREN'T GOOD.
A LOT OF THIS CHAOS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY STARTING THE PROCESS WITH THE SPEECH THAT YOU JUST GAVE MR. MAYOR.
HAD THAT BEEN DONE FIRST, A LOT OF US WOULD'VE BEEN GONE INTO IT WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE OPEN-MINDED, UH, AS WELL AS NOT CASTING A VOTE TO ROB US CITIZENS OF OUR VOICE BY CONTINUOUSLY CENSORING US AND USING THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AS YOUR SHIELD.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO STATE THAT TWO OF THE COUNSELORS HERE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH ME AFTER THE LAST MEETING AND THEY'VE BOTH GAINED A LITTLE BIT OF RESPECT FOR ME SINCE THEY WERE WILLING TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS AND PROVIDE SOME UNDERSTANDING TO ME.
I MEAN IT, UH, WHERE THE HELL WAS I AT
THAT BEING SAID, I'M STILL IN AWE THAT SOME OF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DESERVE A SEAT UP THERE.
DON'T GET ME WRONG, I DO APPRECIATE THE GOOD THAT YOU DO FOR OUR CITY, BUT IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE NEGATIVE ADD OVERSHADOWS THE GOOD.
IT SEEMS AS IF SOME OF YOU CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU WANT INSTEAD OF WHAT WE NEED.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COUNCIL REMEMBER THEIR PURPOSE TO SERVE US PEOPLE.
YOU ARE NOT IN CHARGE OF ANYTHING TO INCLUDE THESE VERY CHAMBERS.
YOU ARE MERELY OUR VOICE ON ISSUES YOU ALL NEED TO TAKE A GOOD HARD LOOK AT, AT YOURSELVES IN THE MIRROR AND ASSESS IF YOU ARE SERVING US OR YOUR OWN OR YOUR PUPPET MASTER'S DESIRES.
I WILL NOT SIT HERE SILENTLY WHILE SOME OF YOUR, SOME OF YOUR DECISIONS BRING HARM TO OUR CITY.
LASTLY, ALL OF THE PROTESTORS, YOU'RE WELCOME TO.
FEEL FREE TO COME OUT AND SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN'S SPORTS TEAMS OR BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OR JUST TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY CLEANUP DAY.
COME SHOW THAT YOU ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT OUR CITY AND NOT JUST BEING PART OF A NEWS CLIP.
BECOME PART OF THE SOLUTION THAT THIS CITY NEEDS.
[PH-1 - Second Reading Fiscal year 26 Budget Adoption- Stacey Jordan, CFO]
MOVING INTO OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS, UH, WE HAVE OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS THE SECOND READING FOR FISCAL YEAR 26, BUDGET ADOPTION.UH, MS. JORDAN, GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
TONIGHT IS OUR SECOND READING ON THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET.
THE FIRST READING WAS CONDUCTED ON MAY THE 13TH.
WE ALSO HAD OUR COMMUNITY BUDGET MEETING ON MAY THE 20TH.
WE HAVE OUR TOTAL FISCAL YEAR BUDGET AT 222,772,514
[00:50:05]
GENERAL FUND AT 70 MILLION 518 0 68.SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDE CLASS AND COMP IMPLEMENTATION FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL AS RECREATION 3% STATE FUNDING COLA FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, AS WELL AS OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, AS WELL AS A 3% CITY FUNDED COLA FOR CITY EMPLOYEES.
THERE WAS A $500,000 HEALTH CAR COST INCREASE THAT WAS ABSORBED BY THE CITY AQUATICS PROGRAM MANAGER, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY, AS WELL AS THREE FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS WAS NEWLY ADDED FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 26.
SCHOOL OPERATING FUND IS LEVEL AT 13.5.
MANDATED SERVICES FOR SOCIAL SERVICES AT CSA HAS ALSO BEEN FUNDED.
WE HAVE LIMITED CIP, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO PULL TOGETHER ABOUT 650,000 AS WELL AS 250,000 TOWARDS OUR RESERVE.
THERE'S ALSO THE BUDGET RESOLUTION TO BE ADOPTED TONIGHT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 25 26, UH, BUDGET FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. JORDAN BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.
UH, HEARING NONE, UH, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, MS. BASSETT, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING? WE HAVE NO ONE SIGNED UP FOR EITHER PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.
UM, MR. BASSETT, I SENT AN EMAIL OUT ON MAY 13TH ASKING FOR MY EMAIL TO BE READ.
DID YOU RECEIVE IT, SIR? IT WAS, IT WAS HANDED UP AT THE, ON THE DAY ON OF THE NIGHT, ON THE NIGHT OF IT WAS HANDED UP.
DO YOU WANNA RETHINK THAT ANSWER? IT WAS HANDED TO ME ON THE DAY OF THAT NIGHT.
WOULD YOU LIKE, UH, EMAIL MA'AM? IS THIS ON THE BOARD? MAYOR, IS THIS ON THE BUDGET HEARING N NO, SIR.
IT'S NOT ON THE BUDGET HEARING.
UM, I'M SORRY, BUT WE, THIS IS STRICTLY FOR THE, UH, BUDGET HEARING THAT WE HAVE FOR TONIGHT.
THAT WAS, UH, SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE DURING THE COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS, BUT IF YOU CAN, UM, JUST GIVE HIM, UH, TO MR. BASSETT AND THEN WE CAN, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT YOUR COMMENTS WERE.
SO CAN I NOT SPEAK AT THE COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT? YOU CAN SPEAK ON, UH, EITHER ONE OF THESE PUBLIC HEARINGS, BUT IT HAS TO BE COMMENTS ON THE ACTUAL PUBLIC HEARING.
MR. MAYOR, NORMALLY Y'ALL ARE NORMALLY AT, AT THE END OF THE SIGNED UP CITIZENS.
Y'ALL ASK IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YES SIR.
COMMENT THAT WAS SKIPPED TONIGHT.
SO IS IT NOT REASONABLE TO ASK TO ALLOW HER TO OR ALLOW WHAT SHE GOT? SAY.
ONLY, AND BECAUSE I WAS NOT HERE IN TIME TO, FOR THE, TO SIGN OFF FOR THE SIGNIN SHEET.
UM, COUNSEL, AND HE IS CORRECT IS COUNSEL, IS EVERYONE ALL RIGHT WITH GIVING HER THREE MINUTES? MM-HMM.
SO, MR. BASSETT, MAY I ASK, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE EMAIL THAT WAS, THAT IT WAS HANDED TO YOU PRIOR TO THE, TO THE MEETING? YEAH, I, SORRY.
I I WAS HANDED YOUR STATEMENT.
IT'S THE ONE I'M THINKING ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING OF LAST MEETING.
WE SIMPLY RAN OVER TIME AND IT WAS ALLOWED EXTRA TIME FOR THE, TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO PAY FOR THE FIRST, BUT THIS WAS THROUGH AN EMAIL.
I WAS NOT HERE BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL ISSUE.
SO THIS SHOULD HAVE CLEARLY BEEN READ BECAUSE THE MAYOR DID ASK YOU, WAS THERE ANYBODY THAT HAD SENT IN ANY EMAILS FOR YOU TO READ? AND YOU SAID, NO, SIR.
DO YOU, DO YOU THINK THIS IS, I MEAN, YOU THIS IS HERE TO DESIGN.
YEAH, I MEAN, YOU CAN READ THE EMAIL.
I MEAN, YOU HAVE YOUR THREE MINUTES.
WELL, ACTUALLY I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES SO I REALLY CAN'T SEE IT.
BUT IF I COULD, I WOULD LIKE, LIKE TO GIVE IT TO THE MR. BASSETT SO YOU CAN READ IT.
OR I CAN GIVE IT TO YOU AND YOU CAN READ IT.
[00:55:01]
UH, I CAN READ IT.DURING THE LAST MEETING WHERE THE MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR, UH, COUNCILOR ELLIS COUNCILOR DAY FIRED OUR CITY MANAGER AND CITY CLERK, I AM NOW ASKING THAT THE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR JOINER, COUNCILOR ELLIS AND COUNCILOR DAY TO BE RESIGNED OR REMOVED FROM THEIR POSITIONS FROM THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
THEY'RE CONTINUING TO PUT OUR CITY AT RISK.
THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT COUNCILORS HARRIS, HOLLOWAY AND STOKES WOULD NOT BE A PART OF.
THAT IS A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.
WE AS THE PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND EVERY CONVERSATION THEY HAVE CONCERNING HOPEWELL AS A WHOLE, WHEN THE MAYOR AND HIS POSE BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE ABOVE THE LAW AND IGNORE THE LAW THAT THEY NEED TO BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE.
THE MAYOR AND HIS POSE, UH, BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE DECISIONS CONCERNING HOPEWELL AND THEIR WARDS.
HOWEVER, THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE DECISIONS WITHOUT OTHER CONSTITUENTS.
THIS IS NOT ONLY INAPPROPRIATE, BUT ALSO RACIST BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ALLOWING OTHER CONSTITUENTS WHOM ARE BLACK TO BE INVOLVED IN CONVERSATIONS OR DECISIONS.
THE FIRING OF THE CITY MANAGER AND CLERK HAVE LOST THE CITIZENS OF HOPEWELL MORE, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE REPLACEMENTS OF THEM, BUT ALSO BY LAWSUITS THAT ARE BROUGHT AGAINST THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
HOW DOES THE MAYOR SEEM TO THINK HOPEWELL CAN AFFORD TO PAY $21,000 A MONTH FOR THE NEW INTERIM CITY MANAGER AND WHAT IS REASONABLE FOR THEIR REMOVAL? WE AS CITIZENS TO DATE, HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS.
WHAT EXACTLY DID THEY DO WRONG? ESPECIALLY WHEN THE NEW INTERIM CITY MANAGER MADE SLIGHTLY LESS TO THE MRS MAKE'S REPORT TO ME AND MANY CITIZENS WE DON'T SEE.
IF SLIGHT CHANGES ARE BEING DONE, THEN IT'S OBVIOUSLY THAT MRS. MAN WAS DOING HER JOB AND DOING IT WELL.
SO TONIGHT I'M ASKING FOR THE MAYOR, RITA JOINER, RONNIE ELLIS, AND SUSAN DAY TO RESIGN OR BE REMOVED FROM THEIR POSITIONS.
THEY ARE INCOMPETENT, RACIST, AND OBVIOUSLY HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY CAN AND WILL MAKE DECISIONS ON THEIR OWN AND WITHOUT TRANSPARENCY.
SO, MR. ROGERS, IF I MAY, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME YOU TO HOBO, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE FOR YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH AND WHAT OUR CITIZENS OF HOPEWELL ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT.
YOU WANT TO SHOW US TRANSPARENCY, AND THAT'S ALL WE'VE EVER ASKED FROM THESE PEOPLE.
AND WE HOPE THAT YOU, WE'LL STAND BEHIND YOUR WORD BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING THAT FROM HERE.
AND I ONLY OPEN MY HANDS SO FAR.
MS. STAIR, YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE NOT ALL UP.
SO MOVING ON TO OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET? UM, BUDGET RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED? SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[PH-2 Tax Rate Ordinance Title 34- Stacey Jordan, CFO]
TO OUR SECOND PUBLIC HEARING.MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, CAN WE AMEND THE TITLE OF THIS TO SAY AMEND CHAPTER 13TH OF THE CITY OF HOPEWELL CODE INSTEAD OF TAX RATE ORDINANCE? PLEASE.
CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? TO AMEND, UM, INSTEAD OF SAYING TAX RATE ORDINANCE, IT'S AN AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 1334 OF THE CITY OF HOPEWELL CODE.
CAN WE DO THAT WITHOUT A CHILD CHANGE? SHE'S JUST ASKING FOR THE AGENDA ITEM TO CHANGE A TITLE.
OH, I WAS CONFUSED THE WAY SHE ASKED.
I DIDN'T MEAN THE NO, NO, YOU'RE FINE.
SUBSTANTIVELY IT'S NOT CHANGING.
SO THIS IS AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 34, TAXATION OF THE CODE OF, UM, VIRGIN CODE OF VIRGINIA CITY OF HOPEWELL CODE IN REGARDS TO ADDING THE TAX RATES WITHIN THE CODE AS, UM, REQUIRED SO THAT THE CITY DOES NOT HAVE
[01:00:01]
TO ADOPT TAX RATES EVERY YEAR UNLESS THEY'RE BE TO BE CHANGED.ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. JORDAN? OKAY.
UM, WHY WOULDN'T WE DO THAT THOUGH? SO WE DO NOT HAVE TO, UM, APPROVE THE TAX RATES EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
SO THIS WOULD CHANGE THE, UH, CITY OF HOPEWELL CODE SO THAT THE TAX RATES ARE INCLUDED WITHIN THE CODE.
MOST OF THE LOCALITIES HAVE IT WRITTEN WITHIN THEIR CODE AS WELL, BUT THE CITY OF HOPEWELL DID NOT.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO AMEND THE CODE SO THAT MOVING FORWARD, ANY CHANGES WOULD JUST HAVE TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL IF WE DECIDE TO CHANGE THE TAX RATES IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
SO YOU ARE ASKING US TO AMEND THIS TONIGHT? JUST ON THE DOWN.
YOU ASKING US TO AMEND THIS TONIGHT WITH JUST THAT STATEMENT? YES, MA'AM.
IT'S JUST CHANGING THE CODE OF THE CITY OF HOPEWELL TO INCLUDE THE TAX RATE WITHIN THE CODE THAT ALREADY EXISTS.
BUT I DON'T, I NEVER UNDERSTOOD ANY CITY TO CHANGE A CODE WITHOUT SOME DISCUSSION.
THIS DON'T, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR TONIGHT.
IF OKAY, IF, IF I MAY, I I MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHEDD SOME LIGHT ON THIS.
SO IN LOOKING OVER THE CITY'S CODE OF ORDINANCES, UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS SORT OF THE, THE, THE COMPILED PUBLIC FACING CODE OF, OF THE CITY, WE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE GO AHEAD.
MY, MY COMPUTER IS LISTENING TO ME.
UM, SO OUR PUBLISHED CODE OF ORDINANCES HAS PLACES WHERE THE TAX RATES ARE EITHER NOT GIVEN OR EVEN PLACES WHERE THE TAX RATES ARE ARE OUT OF DATE.
SO EVEN THOUGH CITY COUNCIL EACH YEAR ADOPTS TAX VARIOUS TAX RATES, UM, THE MOST EASILY ACCESSIBLE PLACE FOR CITIZENS TO SEE WHAT THEIR TAX RATES ARE, ARE SHOWING THE WRONG NUMBERS.
UM, AND SO THIS, THIS IS PRIMARILY AN EFFORT TO, TO GET THAT SQUARED AWAY.
NONE OF THESE RATES THAT ARE PUBLISHED IN THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE ARE DIFFERENT FROM WHAT CITY COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED.
THESE ARE PRECISELY THE SAME TAX RATES THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS ADOPTED FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? UH, COUNCILLOR STOKES IT DOES, BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE.
UM, I WOULD RATHER, I MEAN, IT IS JUST, UNLESS I MISS SOMETHING IN ANOTHER MEETING, AND YOU ALL ALREADY HAD SOME
UM, IT'S COLD TURKEY FOR ME, SO I WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND KNOW FOR MYSELFS.
UH, COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY, UH, UH, I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SPEAK TO THE SAME FACT THAT IT'S THINGS LIKE THIS THAT CAUSE ISSUES.
NOW IN THIS CASE, UM, I WOULD AGREE THAT IT IS, IT IS NECESSARY.
BUT AGAIN, I DO AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY WITH COUNCILOR STOKES AS INTO THE UNDERSTANDING, TRANSPARENCY, A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING ARE ALREADY PRE-CON CONVERSED.
UM, EVEN AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, I HEAR THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE, AS MY GRANDMA WOULD SAY, ABOUT THE NEXT MOVES THAT'S HAPPENING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT WE DON'T EVEN HEAR THESE THINGS AS A CITY COUNSELOR.
UH, I HEARD FROM CONSTITUENTS THAT THE, THE MADAM WAS BEING HIRED IN HER PLACE.
SO SELF THE SAME WHEN WE BRING THINGS LIKE THIS.
UM, SOME, NO, BUT THERE'S NO PRELUDE BEFORE.
AND I THINK THAT IT SHOULD JUST BE, UH, PARTICULARLY DIS DISCUSSED.
BUT IN THIS, IN THIS CASE, WE UNDERSTAND THIS.
'CAUSE SOME OF THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN BROUGHT BY, BUT I, I AGREE.
AND STATUTES OF ALL THAT, THAT SHOULD HAPPEN.
CAN I JUST SAY ONE THING? IT'S JUST REALLY A CLEANUP OF THE CODE THAT ALREADY EXISTS.
SO COUNSEL, I'M, I'M QUITE AWARE OF THIS ONE.
COUNCIL ADOPTS THE TAX RATES EVERY SINGLE YEAR, BUT THE CODE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT WHAT HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
SO THIS IS A CLEANUP PROCESS TO MAKE SURE, I JUST THINK IT'S UNTIMELY.
I THINK IT'S UNTIMELY AND IT SHOULD BE TABLED FOR US TO REVIEW AND COME BACK
[01:05:01]
SO THAT WE'LL UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND.UM, YOU, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT DONE.
YOU SEE A CODE PROBLEM, BUT NEVER PRESENT THAT UNTIL NOW.
AND THEN YOU ASKED US TO VOTE ON IT.
THAT'S NOT, THAT'S JUST NOT GOOD BUSINESS.
UH, SORRY, I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMEONE OVER THERE SAYING SOMETHING.
UM, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANYONE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING? YES SIR.
THIS IS FOR THE AMENDMENT TO THE CODE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
I'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU.
I DON'T KNOW A DADGUM THING ABOUT A BUDGET.
I'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU THE REASON I, THE REASON I'M NOT RUNNING FOR YOUR SEAT IS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW A DADGUM THING ABOUT A BUDGET.
WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO REVIEW, AMEND, EDIT ANY CODE THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM TO ENSURE THAT THERE AREN'T THINGS AND NOTHING AGAINST YOU, MA'AM.
I DON'T KNOW YOU FROM ADAM OR EVE, BUT TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S NOTHING EMBEDDED IN THAT CODE THAT COULD BE USED AGAINST THE CITIZENRY LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, I UNDERSTAND, BUT I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND, UM, WHY IT IS THAT EVERY YEAR YOU ALL HAVE A FIRST READING AND A SECOND READING DURING THE BUDGET PERIOD AND THE BILLS AND ALL HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT OUT.
IT HAPPENED LAST YEAR AND IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED OUR REAL ESTATE BILLS, BUT WE ARE HAVING A SECOND READING.
IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOU ALL REALLY NEED TO CLEAN UP YOUR HOUSE.
YOU HAVE NOW, LIKE THEY SAID, THEY PAYING AN INTERIM MANAGER 21,000.
NOW THEY ARE BRINGING STACEY IN AS A DEPUTY.
YOU ALL, Y'ALL DONE THE SAME THING WITH MAKER.
Y'ALL BROUGHT HER IN AS A IT DIRECTOR AND THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FIRED.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT Y'ALL PLANS ARE.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL ARE TRYING TO SHOW THAT WE ARE STILL BRINGING BLACKS INTO THE POSITION SO WE ARE NOT RACIST, BUT THIS IS ALMOST LIKE A STAB IN THE BACK.
NOW SHE IS ALMOST TAKING HER POSITION IN HELPING, UH, YOUR INTERIM MANAGER.
OKAY? THIS IS JUST, YOU ALL JUST CONTINUE TO PUT KNIVES IN OUR BACKS AND DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO DO.
AND YOU ALL SAT THERE WITH YOUR STONE FACES AS IF YOU ALL HAVEN'T DONE ANY WRONG.
I CAN SEE THROUGH YOU ALL 'CAUSE I DON'T MISS MY CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
STACEY WAS THE SAME ONE THAT CAUSED THE CITY TREASURE TO BE, BE ARRESTED, THROWN IN JAIL FOR THREE DAYS.
IT WAS HER THAT FILED THOSE CHARGES.
NOW SHE IS INTERIM CITY MANAGER WITHOUT YOU ALL SEEKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO EVEN BE LOOKED AT.
Y'ALL GOING TO BRING IN AN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY.
HE'S ONLY WORKING FOUR DAYS A WEEK, GETTING PAID $165,000, BUT NOW GETTING AN INTERIM AT 115,000, YOU ALL JUST SPEND OUR MONEY ANY WAY YOU WANT.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE, I, I WANT TO TRUST YOU SIR, BUT YOU ARE HERE FOR A MINOR PERIOD OF TIME.
THIS CITY, THE CORRUPTION THAT GOES ON OUR TAX DOLLARS THAT'S BEING SPENT ANYWAY, THAT YOU ALL WANT TO SPEND 'EM WITHOUT NO OVERSIGHT.
SO Y'ALL BUDGET WENT FROM 17,000 TO 20 OR 21,000 MILLION, I'M SORRY, MILLION ALL ON THE BACKS OF US CITIZENS THAT
[01:10:01]
HAD NO SAY SO.MS. THOMPSON, YOUR TIME IS UP.
ALRIGHT, I'M GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UM, IS THIS ON THE TOPIC? YES.
I WANTED TO SIMPLY, WE NEED YOU TO STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
MY NAME IS NATALIE HOSKINS AND I'M HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO SUPPORT DR.
MINKER, UH, BRITTANY WILLIAMS. AND I WANT TO REITERATE AND ASK WHY DOES IT SEEM THAT THE BLACK, EXCUSE ME, IS THIS, UH, RELATED TO THE AMENDMENT OF CHAPTER FOUR OF THE CITY CODE? IT'S RELATED TO WHAT COUNSELOR HOLLOWAY BROUGHT UP.
IT SEEMS THAT THE BLACK CITY COUNSELORS DON'T GET THE SAME INFORMATION, EXCUSE ME, THAT THE WHITE CITY COUNSELORS DO.
IS THIS RELATED TO AMENDING CHAPTER 34 OF THE CITY CHARTER? SHE'S REFERRING TO WHAT I SAID ABOUT IT.
THIS, THIS IS NOT, HAS NOTHING TO DO.
THAT'S A PERSONNEL RELATED ISSUE.
SHE, SHE'S MAKING A STATEMENT ABOUT THOSE TWO PEOPLE, BUT SHE, SHE JUST REITERATED THAT SHE'S SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT I TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT THE RAID IN REGARDS TO, UM, THE INFORMATION NOT BEING RECEIVED ON THE ORDINANCES AND SO FORTH.
BEFORE WE MAKE THESE DECISIONS, YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR COMMENTS, JERMAINE, TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND NOW AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT TO CHAPTER 34 OF THE CITY CODE AS PRESENTED? UM, MR. MAYOR? YES.
UM, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE MOTION.
IS THAT ONE OF ORDER? NO, YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION.
CAN I MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND, UM, THAT WE TABLE THIS SO WE CAN GET A BETTER REVIEW AND UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT SHE'S ASKING? YEAH, YOU CAN MAKE THAT MOTION.
A MOTION TO LAY ON THE TABLE FOR THE, FOR THE DAY.
IT WOULD BE CALLED A MOTION TO LAY ON THE TABLE FOR THE DAY.
SO YOUR MOTION IS TO DELAY THIS ITEM TO THE NEXT MEETING.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR UH, STOKES AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH.
UH, AND FOR THE, UH, PUBLIC, IS THERE A SPECIFIC REASON WHY THIS WOULD BE, IT'D BE A PROBLEM TO TABLE IT UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
UH, MS. GEORGE, SINCE WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET RESOLUTION, I DON'T BELIEVE IT WILL, BECAUSE THE BUZZ BUDGET RESOLUTION TALKS ABOUT THE RATES WITHIN.
WE STILL HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UPDATE OUR ORDINANCES.
OUR ORDINANCES SHOULD MATCH WHAT IS PRO WHAT IS PROVIDED ON OUR CITY'S WEBSITE.
NOW THIS WAS PROVIDED IN THE AGENDA PACKET.
UM, I THINK SADE PUT OUT THE AGENDA THURSDAY LAST WEEK.
SO IT'S BEEN IN THE AGENDA PACKET, THE, THE, THE ADOPTION.
BUT THE INFORMATION, THE INFORMATION HAS BEEN, IT'S JUST THE ORDINANCE.
I DIDN'T GET THAT PARTICULAR PIECE, UH, THAT PARTICULAR SET.
UM, I, I DON'T HAVE THAT IN MY PACKAGE.
UM, I BELIEVE IT MIGHT BE PAGE 2 0 5.
'CAUSE I PULLED MINE FROM THE AGENDA.
YEAH, IT'S, IT IS NOT IN MY, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT IN MY, UM, SO DO WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT CAN DO THE CONTROL? THIS HERE? MM-HMM.
OH, HE'S GOT, HE'S CAN YOU TRY TO GO TO PAGE 2 0 5? 'CAUSE IT WAS INCLUDED.
YEAH, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE A MOMENT, BUT I'M SURE I CAN DO IT.
SO, UH, SO MY QUESTION ONLY AT THIS MOMENT IS, I DON'T THINK IT WENT IS THE AGREEMENT OF THE INFORMATION PRESENTED, BUT JUST AS THE CITIZEN HAS SPOKE ABOUT IS SURE.
IN FACT, AND UNFORTUNATELY EVERYTHING IS, HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.
WE DON'T HAVE EVERYTHING THAT'S PRESENTED.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, WILL THIS CAUSE ANY OTHER ISSUE OR DELAY? IT MAY CAUSE ISSUES IN REGARDS TO THE COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE BEING ABLE TO BILL BY PUTTING THIS RESOLUTION.
WHY, WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE SHE NEEDS TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE HAS THE ORDINANCES AND EVERYTHING MATCHED.
WHAT IS, WHAT ARE WE CURRENTLY BILLING FOR? THAT'S THE ISSUE.
COUNCIL HAS BEEN ADOPTING TAX RATES EVERY YEAR, BUT THE ORDINANCES IN THE CITY HAVE NOT BEEN BEING UPDATED.
SO THIS IS A, A HOUSEKEEPING THING TO UPDATE, WHICH Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY PASSED YEAR OVER YEAR.
IF YOU GO TO MUNI CODE ONLINE AND GO TO THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, ALL OF OUR CODES ARE THERE THAT HAVE TO BE UPDATED
[01:15:01]
AS YOU ADOPT CERTAIN THINGS THROUGHOUT THE, THIS HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED.UNDERSTOOD IT WHEN YOU WERE SAYING IT THE FIRST TIME.
I JUST WANTED TO GET THE CLARIFICATION TO THE CITIZENS ON WHETHER OR NOT THIS WOULD HURT IF IT'S DELAYED OR NOT.
SO THAT'S WHAT NO, BUT WE CAN DO IT IN ON THE NEXT MEETING IF NEED BE.
BUT IT'S JUST, LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST A HOUSEKEEPING THING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
BECAUSE YOUR ORDINANCE SHOULD, SHOULD BE, UM, DONE AS YOU ADOPT STUFF, COUNSELOR.
SO ONE OF THE COUNSELORS, UM, PART OF THE REASON FOR THE TIMING HERE IS, IS GETTING THESE UPDATES TO MUNI CODE SO THAT THEY ARE IN TIME FOR THEIR, THEY ONLY ROLL OUT PUBLICATIONS FOR TIMES A YEAR.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET THESE TWO MUNI CODES SO THAT THEY CAN BE PUBLISHED TIMELY.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT HERE IS A SITUATION WHERE THE, THE, THE TAX RATES THAT APPLY TO CITIZENS ARE NOT BEING REFLECTED IN THE PLACE WHERE THE CITIZENS CAN SEE WHAT THEIR TAXES ARE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE AREAS IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCES THAT SAY OUTDATED NUMBERS FOR THE TAXES.
CERTAINLY I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT.
IT'S JUST THE TIMELINESS THAT YOU ARE PRESENTING IT TO US IN AN OPEN PUBLIC MEETING AND ASKING ME TO VOTE ON SOMETHING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I'M CAUGHT OFF GUARD.
BUT IT'S, UM, I WOULD HAVE WANTED SAY SOMETHING, THE INFORMATION IN THE MEETING PRIOR TO THIS MEETING.
UH, SO, AND I THINK THAT'S ONLY FAIR TO ASK THAT YOU TABLE IT IN CASE I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
WHAT, REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER QUESTIONS I HAVE AS A COUNCIL PERSON IS RIDICULOUSLY NO GOOD.
I KNOW WHY YOU SAID IT, AND I, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING YOU'RE SLIPPING THROUGH AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT.
I, I, I'LL, I'M, I'LL WITHDRAW MY SECOND, UH, WITH THE ADDITIONAL COMMENT THAT, UH, UH, A STATE VOTE TO THIS, UH, ORDINANCE CHANGE LIMITED TO AS SPOKEN, UH, AS THE CFO HAS SPOKEN, AND FOR THOSE PURPOSE ONLY.
SO I WITHDRAW FOR THAT REASONING.
SO COUNCILLOR HOLLOWAY HAS WITHDRAWN HIS SECOND.
THE MOTION HAS DIED FOR A LACK OF A SECOND.
IS THERE A MOTION TO AMEND CHAPTER 34, UH, IN OUR CITY ORDINANCE AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SECOND THAT, ALRIGHT.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? UM, THANK YOU, UH, MS. JORDAN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CLEAN THIS UP.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I I WANT TO JUST GENTLY REMIND CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO READ OUR AGENDA PACKETS BEFORE WE COME HERE, BUT IT'S NOT IN MY, YEAH, THESE ARE, I READ MINE.
THESE ARE ARE SENT, THESE ARE SENT OUT ON THURSDAY.
THERE'S THE ELECTRONIC AND THE IN PERSON AND OUR PAPER COPY.
AND SO IF YOU ALSO HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU CAN ASK THEM BEFOREHAND.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT AS THE CITY ATTORNEY AND AS MS. JORDAN HAS STATED THAT WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, CLEAN THESE THINGS UP BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DONE IN THE PAST.
[R-1- Budget Amendment Resolution- Supplemental Appropriation #4 & #5 - Dr. Melody Hackney, Superintendent of Schools]
MOVING ON TO R ONE.UH, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE HAVE DR.
HACKNEY, BUT WE HAVE MS. ENGLISH.
ANYTHING, UM, HOPEFUL I'LL PUBLIC SCHOOL'S BUDGET WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL ON MAY 28TH, 2024 WITH SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS APPROVED ON SEPTEMBER 24TH AND JANUARY 28TH.
SINCE THEN, HOPEWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS RECEIVED ADDITIONAL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GRANTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $146,000.
WE RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE JOHN RANDOLPH FOUNDATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $23,000.
THE EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVISIONALLY LICENSED TEACHER INCENTIVE GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000 AND A SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $108,000, WHICH EQUALS $146,000.
SO HOPEWELL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS REQUEST THAT CITY COUNCIL APPROVE A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 25 SUPPLEMENTAL SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION AS PRESENTED.
OKAY, AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE FY 25 HOPEWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION AS PRESENTED? SO, MOVE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED
[01:20:01]
BY COUNCILLOR ELLIS.IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[R-2 -IRF Grant Application Resolution - Charles Bennett, Economic Development Director]
ON TO R TWO.UH, MR. BENNETT, UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I WANT TO, UM, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU TONIGHT ABOUT, UM, REGULAR BUSINESS ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS A REQUEST TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION THAT WOULD EN ENABLE US TO APPLY FOR A GRANT TO THE, UH, INDUSTRIAL REVITALIZATION FUND.
AND I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND HERE.
UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT ANY OF YOU ARE HEARING ABOUT THIS, UH, EXCEPT WHEN YOU SAW THE AGENDA PACKAGE COME OUT.
AND I WANT TO HAVE AN EXPLANATION ON, I SINCERELY APOLOGIZE THAT THIS IS SO LATE IN COMING.
UH, BUT HERE'S THE, HERE'S THE GENESIS OF THAT.
WE HAD HERE IN, IN HOPEWELL IN THE PAST, WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH THE INDUSTRIAL REVITALIZATION FUND.
UM, SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER THE LAMB ARTS, UH, PROJECT THAT WAS A RECIPIENT OF THE INDUSTRIAL REVITALIZATION FUND.
UM, AND THEN A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE GOT A MIXED USE ON MAIN STREET GRANT, UH, THAT'S BEING USED AT 2 0 7, UM, BROADWAY, UM, IN THE OLD, UH, TREASURE HUNT BUILDING, UH, THAT BARBARA CONSTRUCTION IS, IS USING FOR THAT.
SO, UM, WE HELD HERE ON APRIL 24TH.
WE HAD A VIRGINIA BROWNFIELDS CONFERENCE HERE, AND SOME OF THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, THEY WERE HERE TOURING DOWNTOWN, LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS.
AND THEY TOLD THE, UH, THE, UH, DREW DAY BARRY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOPEWELL DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP, THEY SAID, WE DO HAVE A, A MUCH SMALLER, UH, PROGRAM.
NOW, UH, THIS, THIS, THIS PROGRAM DURING COVID HAD A LOT OF MONEY IN IT, BUT, UH, BUT THIS YEAR THEY DID GET A, A SMALLER AMOUNT OF MONEY.
3.8 MILLION WAS AVAILABLE, AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH FOR THE WHOLE COMMONWEALTH FOR PEOPLE TO, TO, UH, SEND IN APPLICATIONS FOR.
AND, UH, THEY SAID, THEY SAID, YOU GUYS SHOULD CONSIDER DOWNTOWN SINCE YOU'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WITH THOSE IN THE VAST CONSIDER SENDING AN APPLICATION, UH, IN FOR ONE OF THOSE.
UH, THE CHALLENGE BECOMES, UH, WHEN, WHEN THAT, WHEN THAT CAME UP AND DREW CAME TO ME, AND I GUESS THE FIRST OR SECOND WEEK IN APRIL, I'M, I'M SORRY, IN MAY, AND SAID, HEY, CHARLES, THEY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO MAKE AN APPLICATION.
UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ON BUILDINGS? AND I, THE CHALLENGE IS IT'S A ONE FOR ONE GRANT, UH, MATCH.
AND WE ARE, WE ARE NOT DOING, THE CITY'S NOT DOING THE, THE MATCH.
WE'RE NOT, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY BUDGETED FOR THIS.
SO THIS WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM THE OWNERS.
AND SO I SAID, LET'S SEND AN EMAIL TO ALL OF THE OWNERS OF PROPERTY IN DOWNTOWN HOPEWELL THAT'S VACANT OR THAT NEEDS TO BE RENOVATED.
AND LET'S SEE IF ONE, IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN, IN SUBMITTING THEIR BUILDING, AND THEN IF THEY'RE WILLING TO BE ABLE TO PUT UP THE MATCH.
SO THESE ARE REALLY THE TWO THINGS.
AND WE SENT A, WE SENT A LIST OF THINGS.
WE'RE GONNA NEED A BUDGET, WE'RE GONNA NEED YOUR PLAN, WE'RE GONNA NEED THIS AND YOUR COMMITMENT.
WE RECEIVED TWO, UM, UH, PEOPLE WHO RES RESPONDED BACK.
HE HAS A BUILDING AT THE END OF MAIN STREET, UH, THAT HE'S WORKING ON NOW FOR A COWORKING SPACE.
HE SENT HIS BUDGET, HIS INFORMATION, AND THEN JASON BARRIO WITH, UM, WHO, WHO PURCHASED THE OLD SOCIAL SERVICES BUILDING FROM THE CITY LAST YEAR.
SO DREW AND I MET, UH, ON TUESDAY OF, OF LAST WEEK, UM, TO GO THROUGH THESE BECAUSE THE DEADLINE IS MAY 30TH.
AND, UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WITH, WITH, UH, THE PROPERTY IS IT HAS TO MEET THE DEFINITION OF BLIGHT.
SO THE INDUSTRIAL REV REVITALIZATION FUND MONEY ONLY WORKS IF IT'S A BLIGHTED PROPERTY.
AND, UM, THERE WAS REALLY ONLY ONE BUILDING OF THE TWO THAT WERE SUBMITTED.
UH, AND THAT WAS THE, THE OLD SOCIAL SERVICES, UH, BUILDING AT, UH, 2 56 CASON, UM, GERALD BOSCH'S BUILDING DOWN HERE ON MAIN STREET.
UH, IT DID NOT MEET THE DEFINITION OF BLIGHT.
IT'S IN TOO GOOD OF CONDITION.
I CALLED HIM AND EXPLAINED, UH, EXPLAINED THAT TO HIM, AND HE, HE SAID HE, HE COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD.
THE OTHER THING, UH, THAT I WANT TO JUST KIND OF, UH, REMIND COUNSEL ABOUT IS THAT WHEN THE MONEY COMES IN, UH, FROM THIS, IF, IF WE ARE AWARDED, UM, AND IT'S A, IT'S A FOR PROFIT, UH, THEN IT HAS TO GO AS A LOW INTEREST LOAN, IT, IT'S NOT A GRANT THAT'S GIVEN.
THE PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY IT BACK.
[01:25:01]
AND THIS PROGRAM HERE, UH, THIS YEAR IS PRIME MINUS TWO WITH A FLOOR OF FIVE.SO, UM, IN THE CALF THAT I'VE SENT YOU, THERE IS A, THERE IS A, UM, AN ERROR, UM, THAT I HAVE ON THE SECOND PAGE WHERE IT SAYS INTEREST RATE 2.5%.
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY, SO THIS YEAR IT'S A 5%, UH, IS THE FLOOR FOR THAT LOW INTEREST LOAN.
SO, UM, I WANT TO THANK, UH, DEBBIE RANDOLPH.
SHE CALLED ME TODAY AND, AND POINTED OUT THAT ERROR.
AND, UM, THIS IS, IT'S MY FAULT FOR DOING SOME, SOME CUTTING AND PASTING FROM THE ONE WE DID AT 2 0 7.
SO, SO THAT BRINGS ME TO WHERE I'M AT TODAY.
UH, AND WHAT I'M ASKING FOR TONIGHT.
SO WHAT I WHAT I'M ASKING FOR APPROVAL TONIGHT IS, IS THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, UH, COUNCIL, WHICH IS THE GOVERNING BODY, THEY HAVE TO GIVE APPROVAL FOR US TO MAKE THIS APPLICATION.
UM, IF YOU GUYS DON'T APPROVE, THEN WE CAN'T MAKE THE APPLICATION.
THERE'S ZERO TAXPAYER DOLLARS INVOLVED.
UM, AND THE MAJORITY OF ALL THE, THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE WITH THE DEVELOPER, UH, JASON AND, AND DREW DAY BARRY WITH DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP, GETTING ALL THE INFORMATION TOGETHER.
UM, I HAVE TO, I'M THE ONE WHO HAS THE PORTAL TO UPLOAD IT AS THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, UM, CONTACT FOR THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO, JUST LIKE WE DID THE LAMB ARTS, UH, THEY, THEY WROTE THE GRANT INFORMATION, YOU GUYS BLESSED IT, AND THEN WE UPLOADED IT.
THERE'S ONLY 3.8 MILLION FOR THE WHOLE STATE.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE WOULD FALL IN THIS, BUT SOMETIMES THEY DO AWARD LESSER AMOUNTS.
SO THEY ASK US ON THE APPLICATION, THEY SAY, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU WANT? AND THEN WHAT'S THE LEAST YOU CAN DO? AND SO WHAT, UH, THE DEVELOPER IS, IS ASKED ESSENTIALLY FOR THE LEASE THAT, THAT THEY WOULD DO WOULD BE FOR THE MOLE REMEDIATION IN THE BUILDING FROM THE ROOF LEAKING OVER THE YEARS.
AND I'VE PUT PICTURES IN HERE.
I I'M SORRY TO, I'M SORRY TO TAKE SO MUCH TIME, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M PRESENTING IT TO YOU.
AND THE REASON WHY IT'S THE FIRST TIME I'M PRESENTED TO YOU IS I DIDN'T KNOW LAST MONDAY WHAT BUILDING WAS GONNA QUALIFY.
WE, WE HAD TO GIVE THE PEOPLE TIME TO PUT IT TOGETHER.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I SEE IT'S FUNNY ABOUT LIKE 11 O'CLOCK, I CALLED DREW AND I SAID, I SAID, ARE WE GONNA PUNT AND JUST GO TO NEXT YEAR? AND THEN I, WE, THE EMAILS CAME IN WITH THE BUDGETS AND I SAID, MAYBE IT'S A SIGN.
SO WE'RE ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES AND GETTING IT DONE.
BUT, UM, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
UM, YOU GUYS JUST, UH, CERTIFIED TWO THINGS IN THIS RESOLUTION.
ONE, IT'S BLIGHTED AND, UM, AND, AND THEN YOU CERTIFY ESSENTIALLY THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE GIVING ME PERMISSION, UH, TO PUSH UPLOAD ON THE, ON THE BUTTON.
AND I, AND I'LL ACTUALLY, I HAVE TO UPLOAD THIS RESOLUTION, UH, BEFORE END OF DAY FRIDAY.
SO, UM, I'LL ASK THE CLERK IF, IF, IF IT'S FAVORABLE TONIGHT TO SIGN IT SO WE CAN GET IT UPLOADED AND THEN, THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU NEVER WIN WHAT YOU DON'T WHAT YOU DON'T PLAY.
AND SO IF, YOU KNOW, IF WE DON'T GO FOR IT, THEN WE WE'RE, WE'RE GUARANTEED WE'RE NOT GONNA GET SOMETHING.
IF IT'S SUCCESSFUL, WHAT'LL HAPPEN IS IT'LL HELP TAKE THAT BUILDING FROM THE BLIGHTED CONDITION IT'S IN AND HELPED MOVE IT, UH, CLOSER TO HAVING 11,000 SQUARE FEET AVAILABLE IN, IN DOWNTOWN FOR, FOR BUSINESS.
AND, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT MEDICAL OFFICE, UH, AS A, AS A USE, UH, FOR THAT AS, UH, PROBABLY MOST LIKELY USE FOR THAT AS, AS MEDICAL OFFICE, WE THINK 'CAUSE OF THE SIZE AND WINDOWS AND ACCESSIBILITY AND EVERYTHING.
SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, READ A RESOLUTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT FUNDING LOANS, UH, AS A FORM MENTIONED BY, UH, DIRECTOR BENNETT.
THE MOTION HAS BEEN MADE TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION, UH, AS PRESENTED TONIGHT, UH, AND HAS BEEN SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR HARRIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, UH, COUNCILLOR HARRIS JUST GOT ONE QUESTION.
CAN YOU TELL US WHY THE, UH, DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP WITH CHILDREN AS A PHYSICAL AGENT VERSUS THE EDA? OH, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
THAT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE SEVERAL DIFFERENT MECHANISMS, UH, TO TAKE MONEY THAT'S RECEIVED AND TO DISTRIBUTE THAT MONEY.
AND SO, AS YOU MAY BE AWARE, WE USE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO DISTRIBUTE INCENTIVES AND LIKE FACADE IMPROVEMENTS, GRANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, SO THE TIMING OF THIS ONE, THE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ONLY MEETS EV THE FIRST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH.
AND THE TIMING OF THIS MADE THAT VERY DIFFICULT.
THE, THE SECOND REASON, SO, 'CAUSE WE DON'T MEET AGAIN UNTIL THIS COMING MONDAY, WHICH IS AFTER THE GRANT IS DUE.
AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A PACKAGE TOGETHER.
WE STILL DON'T HAVE A PACKAGE TOGETHER.
WE'RE KINDA LIKE BUILDING THE AIRPLANE WHILE WE FLY IT RIGHT NOW.
SO IT'S, IT'S TI JUST THE TIMING.
BUT THE OTHER, THE OTHER REASON
[01:30:01]
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT IS SO, UM, THE HOPEWELL DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP, THEY ARE OUR ACCREDITED MAIN STREET ORGANIZATION.UM, AND MA VIRGINIA MAIN STREET FALLS UNDER THE DHCD, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE GRANTOR ESSENTIALLY THAT, THAT WE'RE APPLYING TO.
AND SO, UM, I BELIEVE, I BELIEVE IT'S ADVANTAGEOUS, IT'S ADVANTAGEOUS FOR THE APPLICATION TO COME THROUGH.
OUR MAIN STREET PARTNER ACCREDITED PER MAIN STREET PARTNER.
THEY ALSO ALREADY HAVE THE REVOLVING LOAN SET UP, UM, THROUGH THE SMALL BUSINESS, UM, DIVERSITY BANK, UM, WITH THE COMMONWEALTH THAT WE'RE USING TO FUND, TO, TO FUND THE 2 0 7 BROADWAY.
SO IT'S SO, IT IT'S KIND, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A A WE DID THE HARD WORK TO GET THAT SET UP TO DO THE 2 0 7 AND IT JUST KIND OF PLUGS, PLUGS RIGHT IN.
UM, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IN THE, IN THE FUTURE, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR ANOTHER GRANT WOULD WORK BETTER THROUGH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
THE TIMING ON THIS ONE AND THE MAIN STREET PARTNER ASSOCIATION IS THE, UM, THAT, AND THAT, AND DREW DAY BARRY, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HE'S, HE'S DOING MOST OF THE WORK, LIKE TYPING THIS, YOU KNOW, UP AND GATHERING THE INFORMATION.
SEEING NO OTHER LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[R-3 - Resolution Amending the Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Budget- Stacey Jordan, CFO]
BRING US HOME.THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO MOVE THE UM, CATTLE RESERVE FUNDS THAT WAS ALLOCATED IN 24 OF 1.5 500,000, AND THAT TO BE ALLOCATED TOWARDS SEWER CAPITAL QUEEN AND PUMP STATION AND SEWER STREET REPAIRS.
UM, BACK IN 2023, THE CITY HAD ALLOCATED FUNDS FOR, FOR SPECIFIC SEWER PROJECTS IN OUR LGIP IN APRIL OF THIS PAST YEAR, WE ADOPTED A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION SO THAT ANY MONEY WE PAY TOWARDS FIXING THESE PROJECTS, WE CAN REVER REIMBURSE OURSELVES THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND THROUGH OUR LGIP INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS THAT WAS ALLOCATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE PROJECTS.
THIS IS A RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE CAPITAL RESERVE FUND AND AMOUNT OF 1.5 TO TAKE 500,000 OF THAT AND DESIGNATE THOSE FUNDS TOWARDS THE QUEEN AND PUMP STATION AND SEWER STREET REPAIRS, AS WELL AS OTHER SEWER CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND THEN THE CITY WILL REIMBURSE OURSELVES.
THE, UH, I GOT YOU UNTIL YOU GOT BACK TO THE END PART.
YOU TALKING ABOUT THE REIMBURSEMENT OF THE ENTIRE MONEY AND THEN USE THE 500,000 TO BE NO.
SO WE WILL PAY UP FRONT AND THEN WE, WE REIMBURSE OURSELVES FROM THE LGIP MONEY THAT WAS SET ASIDE SPECIFICALLY FOR THESE PROJECTS IN 2023.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR THE, UH, CITY OF COUNCIL? OF THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA AMENDING THE FY 25 CAPITAL BUDGET AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SECOND.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, UH, COUNCILOR HOLLOWAY? I, I WANT CLARIFICATION THE $500,000 PORTION, WHERE IS TO THE PUMP? EXPLAIN THAT PORTION.
IT'S TO START THE, UM, QUEEN AND PUMP STATION DESIGN PHASE AS WELL AS THE FIXING.
I, I BELIEVE THE QUEEN AND PUMPS ARE STILL CURRENTLY DOWN ALONG WITH MANCHIN HILL, BUT IT'S TO START THE DESIGN PHASE, RIGHT.
WHY ARE WE NOT ALLOCATING THE REST OF THE FUNDS TO THE OTHER APPROPRIATED THINGS? AND I KNOW THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND SO FORTH, NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT THEY WERE ON THE REQUEST.
THIS WAS FROM HIS REQUEST FOR THE OTHER SEWER CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE EXISTING AS WELL.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO SAY.
'CAUSE HE JUST ASKED, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN 500,000.
IT IS, BUT FOR US TO START RIGHT NOW, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PAY THIS TWO 50 TO START THE DESIGN PIECE OF IT AND SOME OTHER PROJECTS OR 200 SOMETHING THOUSAND AS WELL FOR, UM, A VENDOR.
I DON'T WANNA SAY THE VENDOR'S NAME OUT LOUD, BUT JUST START THIS PROCESS AND THEN WE WILL REIMBURSE OURSELF AND THEN THAT'S HOW WE'LL JUST KEEP GOING MOVING FORWARD.
YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO SAY.
SO WE, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE HE HIT ENOUGH FOR THE REMAIN.
AND I JUST WANNA SAY, UH, THANK YOU MS. JORDAN.
UH, MR. ROGERS AND THEN ALSO, UM, MR. CAMPBELL, UH, FOR DOING THIS HOUSEKEEPING AND CLEANING UP.
UM, 'CAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, THIS PROJECT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE BY NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, BEING APPROVED, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER, YOU KNOW, 18, 19 MONTHS AGO, IT, IT, IT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, UM, YOU KNOW, LEAKS, UH, FROM THERE, UM, THAT,
[01:35:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED.UM, BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORKING HARD TO MAKING SURE THAT WE CLEAN UP THE PAPERWORK, THAT WE'RE GETTING THIS IN DESIGN PHASE AND WE CAN GET THIS GOING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE SEWAGE LEAKS.