* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. UH, CAN I [00:00:01] HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? MAYOR? PARDON? HERE. VICE MAYOR JOINER. HERE. COUNCILLOR HARRIS? HERE. COUNCILLOR ELLIS HERE. COUNCILLOR DAY HERE. I DON'T THINK SHE COUNCILOR. OLE OLE HERE. OLE. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A QUORUM. OKAY. UM, ALRIGHT. UH, SADE, DO YOU MIND GIVING COUNSELOR STOKES A PHONE CALL? YES. HELLO. HI, COUNCILOR STOKES. HEY. SO THIS WE'RE, THE ZOOM HASN'T STARTED, BUT WE ARE DOING ROLL CALL AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO INTO CLOSED SESSION. SO I WANTED TO GET YOUR ROLL CALL. ALRIGHT. WHY IS IT NOT LETTING ME JOIN ZOOM SO WE HAVE IT IN THE BACK. HE'S WORKING ON GETTING YOU IN THE CLOSED SESSION. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO, COUNCILOR STOKES. YES. HERE WE HAVE A QUORUM. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, [Additional item] IS THERE A MOTION TO ALLOW COUNCILOR STOKES TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY? I SECOND. ALRIGHT. MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR DAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR ELLIS. UH, COUNCILOR STOKES. FOR THE RECORD, CAN YOU STATE, STATE WHERE YOU'RE CONDUCTING THE MEETING FROM AND WHY YOU'RE ASKING TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY? I'M AT HOME. I, I RETURNED BACK HOME TO HELP OKAY. AT HOME FOR MEDICAL REASONS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES. MAYOR. PARDON? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILOR DAY? YES. COUNCILLOR OLI? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SIX TO ZERO. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. AT THIS TIME IS [CLOSED MEETING] THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSE MEETING UNDER VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A THREE EIGHT AND 29 TO DISCUSS THE ACQUISITION WITH DISPOSITION OF REAL PROPERTY, WHERE A DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY. 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, REAL ESTATE CONTRACT DISCUSSIONS, UNSOLICITED OFFER ON CITY OWNED REAL ESTATE, AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A ONE TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS INCLUDING BOARDING COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS, CITY CLERK CONTRACT, HRHA AND THE BEACON THEATER. FOLLOW UP ON ATTORNEY REVIEW. SECOND. SECOND. OKAY. UM, ONE QUESTION. I, UM, I JUST NOTICED THIS, UM, MR. BASSETT, UM, UM, TO TALK ABOUT YOUR, UM, EVALUATION. DO WE NEED TO ADD THAT? NO, IT'S IN THE, THERE'S JUST A, THERE'S JUST A, UH, COMMA MISSING. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. UH, SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILOR HARRIS? YES. MAY I? PARDON? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. COUNCILOR STOKES? YES. COUNCILLOR OLI? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SEVEN TO ZERO. OKAY. OKAY. [RECONVENE OPEN MEETING] VICE JOINER. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? UH, COUNSELOR STOKES ON THE PHONE? OKAY. COUNCILOR HARRIS? YES. MAYOR. PARDON? YES. COUNCILLOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. COUNCILLOR STOKES. YES. COUNCILOR LEY? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SEVEN TO ZERO. OKAY. UH, CERTIFICATION PLEASE. CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE 2.2 DASH 3 7 12 D, WERE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS. ONE. LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND TWO IDENTIFIED IN THIS CLOSED MEETING. MOTION DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING. COULD YOU ASK, UH, BEFORE WE DO UP, CAN YOU ASK, UH, COUNCILOR STOKES TO MUTE HERSELF? 'CAUSE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK. COUNCILOR STOKES, ARE YOU ABLE TO GO ON MUTE? [00:05:05] I THINK SO. Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES. SO I'M GONNA HANG MY PHONE UP. WE CAN'T HEAR YOU ON ZOOM, BUT YOU CAN'T ALL THAT FEEDBACK. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. YEAH. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES. CAN, CAN YOU HEAR US? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR US? CAN YOU HEAR NOW? COUNCILOR STOKES? CAN YOU HEAR US? YEAH. OKAY. I CAN HEAR SOMEBODY. OKAY. OH, THERE YOU GO. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. I'M READY. COUNCILOR HARRIS? YES. MAYOR I, PARDON? YES. COUNSELOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILOR DAY? YES. COUNSELOR STOKES. CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? IT'S CERTIFICATION. OKAY. YES. COUNCILOR OLI? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. OKAY. UH, AT THIS TIME DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPOINT VICE MAYOR JOINER TO THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE AND COUNCILOR OLI TO THE CRATER PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION? SECOND. SECOND. SO MOVED. OKAY. MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR STOKES AND SECONDED BY, UH, COUNCILLOR ELLIS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES. MAYOR PART? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILOR DAY? YES. COUNCILOR STOKES? YES. COUN COUNCILOR OLE? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SEVEN TO ZERO. OKAY. AND, UH, BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR WORK SESSION, UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, INTRODUCE EVERYBODY TO, UM, OUR CURRENT COUNSELOR FOR WARD SEVEN. UM, MS. LEVIA OLI. UM, SHE COMES FROM A BACKGROUND IN, UH, HR AND, UM, HEALTH INSURANCE AND, UH, WORKED HER WAY UP, UH, THE CORPORATE LADDER AND, UH, HAS DONE EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. AND WE LOOK VERY MUCH FORWARD TO, UH, WORKING WITH HER, UH, DURING YOUR TIME HERE. THANK YOU. FORWARD TO LEARNING A GREAT DEAL. , DID YOU WANT HAPPY BIRTHDAY? YEP. AND THEN ALSO, UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO ANNOUNCE THAT I THINK IT WAS HIS 93RD BIRTHDAY. IS THAT RIGHT? YES. UH, A FORMER, UH, MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL AND A FORMER MAYOR, UH, MR. JAMES PATTERSON. UH, IT WAS HIS BIRTHDAY YESTERDAY, SO WE WISH HIM A HAPPY, HEALTHY 93RD YEAR AND FOR MANY, MANY MORE. HOPEFULLY WE GET HIM TO THAT CENTURION LEVEL. ALRIGHT. AND AT [WORK SESSION] THIS TIME, WE'LL MOVE RIGHT INTO OUR WORK SESSIONS, UH, WITH OUR FIRST ONE BEING FROM MR. WARD. GOOD EVENING MAYOR BY SPAY COUNSEL. UM, ACTUALLY, KELLY DAVIS, UH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT WILL BE PRESENTING THE YOUR FIRST TWO WORK SECTIONS. THANK, THANK YOU, KELLY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU EVERYONE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM. YES. GREAT. WONDERFUL. ALRIGHT. OUR FIRST WORK SESSION FOR TONIGHT IS A ZONING AMENDMENT REQUEST RELATED TO SIGNAGE REGULATIONS IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL ZONING ORDINANCE. UH, THIS IS A BRIEF AGENDA OF THE SLIDE PRESENTATION. PRIMARILY A BACKGROUND PROPOSED CHANGES TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND THE B ONE DISTRICT STANDARDS, AND THEN STAFF RECOMMENDATION. THIS ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT IS PROPOSED TO CLARIFY REGULATIONS IN THE SIGN ORDINANCE AND ADDRESS EXISTING INCONSISTENCIES BETWEEN DISTRICTS. BUT PRIMARILY IT IS PROPOSED IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE HAD FROM BUSINESSES AND PROPERTY OWNERS FOR DIFFERENT SIGN, PARTICULARLY IN DOWNTOWN, BUT ALSO IN OTHER DISTRICTS AS WELL. THINK COUNSEL HAS RECEIVED SOME LETTERS TO THIS EXTENT REGARDING THE B ONE ZONING DISTRICT, AND IT HAS ALSO COME UP AS A RESULT OF A COMMUNITY MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH DOWNTOWN PROPERTY OWNERS. WITH REGARDS TO THE DOWNTOWN DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT, UM, I'M GO MOVING THROUGH THIS BRIEFLY GIVEN THE TIME TODAY, BUT IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. UH, WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS SECTION OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE, WE ARE PROPOSING CHANGES TO FREESTANDING SIGNS. THE FIRST CHANGE IS TO MODIFY THE SIGN AREA AND HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS IN THE B TWO, B THREE AND B FOUR ZONING DISTRICTS. THE B THREE AND B FOUR ARE THE MOST INTENSIVE DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE. AND, UM, THE SIGN REQUIREMENTS [00:10:01] IN THOSE DISTRICTS ARE ACTUALLY SMALLER THAN IN B TWO, WHICH IS MORE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS DISTRICT, LIKE AROUND BROADWAY AND, UM, CITY POINT ROAD. SO WE'RE MAKING SOME CHANGES TO MAKE THOSE MORE CONSISTENT AND APPROPRIATE FOR THE DISTRICTS. UH, WE'VE ALSO HAD SOME REQUESTS ALONG THE OAKLAWN WOOD WOODLAWN ONE-WAY PAIR FOR, UH, AN ADDITIONAL FREESTANDING SIGN ON THOSE THROUGH LOTS. COUNCIL HAS APPROVED SOME EXCEPTIONS FOR THAT IN THE PAST, GOING AHEAD AND CODIFYING THAT. SO IF WE GET OTHER BUSINESSES ON THROUGH LOTS IN THE THAT CORRIDOR, WE WON'T HAVE TO COME TO COUNCIL FOR EACH OF THOSE REQUESTS. THEY WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME REQUIREMENTS AS OTHER FREESTANDING SIGNS. UM, WE ARE ALSO EXEMPTING SMALL SIGNS, FOUR SQUARE FEET OR LESS FROM THE REQUIREMENT THAT, UM, ALL FREESTANDING SIGNS BE MONUMENT STYLE. THAT'S THE STYLE THAT LOOKS LIKE A BOX OR A MO A MONUMENT. UM, THERE'S AN EXAM, TWO EXAMPLES ON THIS SCREEN HERE BEFORE YOU BASICALLY ALLOWING SMALLER SIGNS THAT MIGHT BE, UM, JUST FOR A SMALL BUSINESS OR A SINGULAR BUSINESS THAT ARE SMALLER FOR WAYFINDING SIGNAGE TO BE LESS, LESS, UM, STRINGENT REQUIREMENTS. THERE. ALSO, UH, ADDING ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE BASE AND FOUNDATION. WE'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS AS TO THOSE REQUIREMENTS IN OUR ORDINANCE, AND SO WE'RE ADDING SOME CLARIFYING LANGUAGE THERE. WE ARE ELIMINATING, UH, A REQUIREMENT THAT IS PRETTY STRINGENT ON HEIGHT TO WIDTH RATIO, BUT INSTEAD OF THAT, ADDING SETBACKS FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY TO HELP DRIVE SOME OF THE, THE, UM, HEIGHT AND WIDTH REQUIREMENTS IN A DIFFERENT WAY. OTHER PROPOSED CHANGES TO GENERAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR SIGNAGE, WE'VE STARTED TO SEE SIGNS COVER. THIS IS AN, THIS PHOTO IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE WINDOW SIGNAGE COVERS THE ENTIRE WINDOW. UM, RIGHT NOW IT WAS THE, THERE'S AN EXEMPTION IN THE ORDINANCE TO EXEMPT TEMPORARY WINDOW SIGNS. THIS IS REALLY MORE OF A PERMANENT SIGN, SO WE'RE CLARIFYING THAT THAT EXEMPTION, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A SIGN PERMIT TO HAVE WINDOW SIGNS, BUT THEY CAN ONLY COVER UP TO 25% WINDOW CO, UH, 25% OF THE WINDOW. AND THAT'S REALLY TO HELP WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, BEING ABLE TO SEE INTO THE BUILDING. UM, AND AS FOR COMMUNITY APPEARANCE AS WELL. AND THEN THE FINAL CHANGE TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS IS MODIFYING AND CLARIFYING THE AWNING SIGN AREA REQUIREMENTS. THERE'S SOME, UM, EXISTING POTENTIALLY TYPOS IN THE ORDINANCE THAT ARE VERY DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET. AND, UM, SO WE'VE CLARIFIED AND MADE THAT A MORE, UM, MADE THOSE RESTRICTIONS MORE ALIGNED WITH BEST PRACTICES FOR SIGNAGE IN THE B ONE ZONING DISTRICT. THAT'S OUR DOWNTOWN ZONING DISTRICT, WE ARE INCREASING THE COMBINED BUILDING SIGNAGE OR PROPOSING TO, THESE ARE ALL PROPOSED CHANGES TO INCREASE THE COMBINED BUILDING SIGNAGE FROM 50 SQUARE, OR I'M SORRY, THOSE ARE MIXED UP. UM, THE FROM 50, THE CURRENT IS 50 AND WE WOULD BE PROPOSING TO INCREASE IT TO 75 SQUARE FEET. UM, PROJECTING SIGNS ALSO INCREASING SLIGHTLY BASED OFF OF THE, THE LINEAR FEET OF BUILDING FRONTAGE. UM, THAT'S IN THESE ARE SPECIFIC INQUIRIES THAT WE HAVE HAD FROM MULTIPLE PROPERTY OWNERS DOWNTOWN FOR LARGER PROJECTING SIGNS, UM, WE'RE ALSO MAKING SOME CHANGES TO OR PROPOSING CHANGES TO FREESTANDING SIGNAGE. UM, THE BIGGEST CHANGE FOR FREESTANDING SIGNS, ALTHOUGH THE SIZE IS CHANGING, UM, IS NOT REQUIRING THAT MONUMENT STYLE STANDARD BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE THE ADDED A RB REVIEW. UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS COME OUT OF THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UM, SO THAT FOLKS THAT WANT A SMALLER SIGN OR A BLADE SIGN LIKE OR EXAMPLE IN THIS PHOTO HERE, UH, WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT SUBJECT TO A RP REVIEW. AND THEN FINALLY, WE, WE DID ADD FLAGS IN THE LAST ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, BUT WE WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THE FLUTTER FLAGS ARE NOT PER PERMITTED IN DOWNTOWN. AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT A RB HAD REQUESTED AS WELL. AND WITH THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL AS PRESENTED TONIGHT. AND PLANNING COMMISSION HAS ALSO RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THIS. AND I'LL STAND READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. DAVIS? OKAY. NONE. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTION? GO AHEAD AND BRING UP THE NEXT ITEM. I GUESS THERE HAS TO BE A MOTION. [00:15:02] IT'S FOR ANOTHER DAY. OKAY. YEAH. OKAY. UH, MOVING ON TO WORK SESSION NUMBER TWO. SO WE'RE OKAY? YEAH. ARE YOU PREPARED FOR ME TO START? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. MM-HMM . UM, ALL RIGHT. SO THE SECOND REQUEST IS FOR ZONING AMENDMENT FOR TO ALLOW URBAN AGRICULTURE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL. AGAIN, THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT BRIEFLY, AND THE BACKGROUND HERE IS THAT THE CITY OF HOPEWELL HAS INITIATED THIS. THE PLANNING COMMISSION INITIATED THIS REQUEST AND DIRECTED STAFF TO RESEARCH HOW TO ALLOW URBAN AGRICULTURE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL IN A BUYRIGHT MANNER. WE'VE STARTED TO SEE SOME INTEREST IN THIS USE THROUGHOUT, UM, IN VARIOUS PARCELS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO WE WANNA, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A PATHWAY TO DO THIS LEGALLY. UH, IT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ALLOW, UH, BETTER ACCESS TO FRESH FRUITS AND VE VEGETABLES IN THE CITY. AND SO THIS WAS PROPOSED AS A WAY TO DO THAT. THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE THAT YOU ALL SHOULD BE AWARE OF AS YOU REVIEW THIS ORDINANCE. IT IS CURRENTLY NOT ALLOWED AS A PRIMARY USE. SO IF YOU SEE A COMMUNITY GARDEN, IT'S AN, IT WOULD BE AN ACCESSORY USE. SO WE DO ALLOW YOU TO HAVE RESIDENTIAL GARDENS OR COMMUNITY GARDENS ACCESSORY TO ANOTHER USE, BUT IT CURRENTLY IS NOT ALLOWED AS A PRIMARY USE. OTHER ISSUES ARE RELATED TO FENCING, ACCESSORY STRUCTURES, UM, WATER AND AND ELECTRIC SERVICE. ALSO, UM, TIED TO, YOU CAN'T HAVE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE A LEGAL USE AS WELL AS ENFORCEMENT. UM, PRIMARILY THE CURRENT CONCERN BEING THAT SOMEONE MIGHT FENCE A PROPERTY FOR URBAN AGRICULTURE AND ACTUALLY TRY TO USE IT FOR MORE OF A JUNKYARD CONDITION. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT ALLOWING ANY NUISANCE CONDITIONS THROUGH THIS USE. SO THE FIRST, UH, WE CONDUCTED A LOT OF RESEARCH AND ACTUALLY DIDN'T FIND VERY MANY GOOD EXAMPLES IN VIRGINIA, BUT WE DID FIND A FEW AND, UH, CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF ADDING WHAT MARKET GARDEN, WHICH YOU MIGHT ALSO HEAR AS REFERRED TO AS AN URBAN FARM OR COMMERCIAL GARDEN. SO I WON'T RE REVIEW READ THIS WHOLE DEFINITION TO YOU, BUT THE THING TO KNOW IS THAT THIS WILL ALLOW, UM, CULTIVATION OF CROPS FOR SALE OR DONATION TO PUBLIC OR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. UM, AND IT WOULD ALSO ALLOW ACCESSORY EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES AND ONSITE SALE AND DISTRIBUTION. THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS INCLUDED IN THAT YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF AS WELL, OR THAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE PACKET, BUT I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO DETAIL ON THESE TONIGHT. UM, THE MARKET GARDEN USE WOULD BE PROPOSED FOR BUYRIGHT IN ALL BUSINESS DISTRICTS, AND THAT IS THE B ONE, B TWO, B THREE, AND B FOUR DISTRICTS. THERE ARE ALSO SOME SIGNIFICANT USE STANDARDS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS TO ADD A NEW SECTION, UH, SECTION H, WHICH WOULD HAVE USE STANDARDS FOR THESE TWO USES. UM, SOME OF THE, THE USE STANDARDS SHOWN HERE WOULD BE APPROVAL OF A PLAN WHEN THEY COME TO GET THEIR BUSINESS ZONING APPROVAL. UH, THERE'S LIMITS ON THE BUILDINGS AND STORAGE THAT CAN BE ON SITE, AS WELL AS ONSITE LIMITS ON ONSITE SALES. WE HAVE SOME STANDARDS RELATED TO COMPOSTING SOIL AND MULCH STORAGE. AGAIN, TRYING TO PREVENT THE ACCUMULATION OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF THESE MATERIALS TO THE EXTENT THAT THAT BECOMES THE PRIMARY USE OVER THE ACTUAL FARM. AND THEN AS WELL, WE HAVE INCLUDED STANDARDS FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS, UM, INCLUDING THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE SITE MAIN WELL MAINTAINED AND NO EXTERIOR ONSITE EQUIPMENT, TOOL STORAGE, VEHICLE STORAGE, ET CETERA. THE SECOND DEFINITION, OR USE THAT IS BEING ADDED TO THE ORDINANCE IS AN URBAN AGRICULTURE INDOOR. THIS IS A BEST PRACTICE THAT WE ARE STARTING TO SEE IN ZONING ORDINANCES TO ALLOW FOLKS TO CONDUCT URBAN AGRICULTURE IN BUILDINGS. UH, THIS IS PROPOSED IN ALL OF THE B DISTRICTS AND THE M DISTRICTS. AND THERE ARE ALSO SOME USE STANDARDS PROPOSED WITH THIS RELATED [00:20:01] TO INDOOR USES, UM, EXTERIOR STORAGE, THE KEEPING OF ANIMALS, THE CONTROL OF ODORS, AS WELL AS IN YOUR COMMERCIAL AND MIXED USE DISTRICTS REQUIRING A PORTION OF THOSE, THOSE SPACES TO STILL INCLUDE THE RETAIL SERVICES FOR WALK-IN CUSTOMERS. SO YOU KEEP THAT, THAT ACTIVATED STOREFRONT. AND WITH THAT, UH, I STAND READY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL AND PLANNING COMMISSION ALSO RECOMMENDED APPROVAL. AND I DO JUST WANNA NOTE THAT THE FULL ORDINANCE AS IT'S DRAFTED FOR ADOPTION FOR BOTH THIS AND THE PREVIOUS WORK SESSION ARE INCLUDED ON YOUR, UM, ON THE DAIS AS WELL AS IN THE BACK FOR THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ARE THERE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MS. DAVIS? UH, VICE MAYOR JOYNER? YEAH, I, I DO HAVE ONE COMMENT AND IT JUST RELATES TO THE BUILDINGS. JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE DON'T HAVE A SITUATION AND I'M SURE THIS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE WRITING THE ORDINANCE TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, A HOOP HOUSE THAT MM-HMM . THAT IS IN USE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, AND THEN THEY SAY, OH, WELL I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THIS ANYMORE AND IT LOOKS AWFUL, AND THE PLASTIC IS TORN AND FLYING ALL AROUND. I MEAN, I THINK THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF THAT ALONG ROUTE FIVE, ALONG ANY VIRTUALLY ANY CORRIDOR IN THE STATE WHERE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, GET, THEY THINK THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A NURSERY OR WHATEVER, AND IT DOESN'T WORK OUT. AND I'M JUST VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IN THE CITY HOW IT CAN GO WRONG. OKAY. YEAH. PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE TEMPORARY STRUCTURES, IT SOUNDS LIKE. YES, YES. I'M VERY CONCERNED. I WILL DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE ADDRESSED THAT OR, UM, LOOK AT AN AMENDMENT. YEAH, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MM-HMM . THANKS. YEAH. UM, THE ONLY COMMENT THAT I HAVE IS, UM, I THINK THIS IS EXCITING. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING ACTUALLY, UM, THAT I SAW A LOT OF WHEN I WAS, UM, OUT OF TOWN AND, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, UH, SMALL TOWNS ON THE WEST COAST AND IT'S, UM, VERY POPULAR. UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT GIVES GOOD DEFINED PARAMETERS OF WHICH, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN EXERCISE. THIS, I THINK IS GONNA BE AN ATTRACTIVE DRAW, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR CITY. BUT I DO AGREE WITH, UH, VICE MAYOR JOINER THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ALLOW THIS, THAT, UM, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, IT'S MANAGED PROPERLY MM-HMM . EXACTLY. AND I, I, I DO SUPPORT THIS. I THINK IT'S GREAT. IT'S GREAT. I'LL ALSO JUST NOTE THAT WE DID MEET WITH, UH, POTENTIAL URBAN AGRICULTURE FARMS HERE IN HOPEWELL TO HELP, YOU KNOW, REVIEW THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE WEREN'T MISSING ANYTHING. OKAY. SO WE GOT SOME GOOD FEEDBACK THROUGH THAT PROCESS AS WELL. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, KELLY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY. SEEING NONE. ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO NUMBER THREE. UH, MS. WILSON, UH, WITH THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FOR HRHA. GOOD EVENING TO MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I'M LISA WILSON WITH THE HOPEWELL REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY. AND ON BEHALF OF OUR BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, UM, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE THIS EVENING. UH, FOR THIS BREVITY OF TIME, WE WILL BE PROVIDING YOU WITH AN OVERVIEW OF HR HA'S OPERATIONS, OUR VISION, OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, AND WE WILL END IT WITH SOME DEVELOPMENT UPDATES. SO I'LL BE DOING THE FIRST PART OF THE PRESENTATION, AND THE LAST PART WILL BE PROVIDED BY OUR DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT, MR. VARS MCCOY. AND I DO WANNA SAY GOOD EVENING TO OUR COMMISSIONERS, THANKFUL FOR THEIR SUPPORT. AND OUR GENERAL COUNSEL IS HERE, MR. DARIUS DAVENPORT AS WELL. SO, THANK YOU AGAIN. UM, CAN SHE SPEAK UP PLEASE? YES, I CERTAINLY CAN. YES. SO IF WE COULD GO BACK TO THE, UH, OTHER, THE FIRST SLIDE. THANK YOU. SO WE'LL START OFF WITH HR HA'S VISION. IT'S CALLED VISION 2030, AND IT WAS ADOPTED BACK IN 2013 BY OUR COMMISSIONERS. IT WAS THEN REVISED IN 2018. AND IT IS BASICALLY THE DRIVER FOR WHAT WE DO AT HRHA. UH, OUR VISION STATEMENT IS TO TRANSFORM LIVES AND COMMUNITIES BY EXPANDING ACCESS TO HOUSING AND EMPOWERING OUR RESIDENTS TO THRIVE. AND SO WE ARE WORKING TO ACHIEVE THIS VISION. AND WE HAVE SOME BULLETS SUMMARIZED ON THE SLIDE. UH, SO WE'RE SEEKING TO REDEVELOP OUR PUBLIC HOUSING. WE ARE WANTING TO DEMOLISH IN THE OBSOLETE UNITS THAT WE HAVE. WE'RE WANTING TO ENHANCE OUR RESIDENT SERVICES, AND WE DEFINITELY WANT TO TRY TO EXPAND ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CITY AND EVEN BEYOND. SO, UM, MOVING ON TO THE, UH, NEXT SLIDE, UH, WITH VISION 2030. THAT'S BASICALLY THE FRAMEWORK AND GUIDING PRINCIPLE [00:25:01] FOR OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WE HAVE SUMMARIZED HERE. SO THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND WHAT WE'RE SEEKING TO DO OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THESE ARE SPECIFIC MILESTONES THAT WE'RE WANTING TO REACH, AND WE ARE DEFINITELY EXCITED ABOUT WORKING TOWARDS THEM. AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SLIDE, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ADDING ADDITIONAL UNITS TO OUR PORTFOLIO, INCREASING OUR RESIDENT SERVICES ENROLLMENT. AND AS NEW UNITS COME ONLINE, WE ARE HOPING TO SEE SOME ENERGY SAVINGS OVER THE NEXT, UH, COUPLE OF YEARS AS WE DO SOME SUSTAINABLE MEASURES AND HAVE ENERGY EFFICIENT PRODUCTS, UM, INCORPORATED INTO OUR DEVELOPMENT. UM, WITH THIS, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF FINANCIAL STABILITY, NOT JUST LOOKING TO HUD FOR OUR FUNDING, BUT TRYING TO D DIVERSIFY OUR REVENUE SOURCES. AND WE DEFINITELY WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE MAINTAINING OUR RESERVES TO KEEP OURSELVES SOLVENT. AND AGAIN, WE'RE SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW OUR FOOTPRINT IN DEVELOPMENT. SO WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. I'M GONNA MOVE ON THROUGH, AND, UM, AFTER WE'RE FINISHED, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM IF, IF THAT'S OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO THIS NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS OUR OPERATIONAL SNAPSHOT. IT PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAMS WE CURRENTLY ADMINISTER, THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS WE SERVE, AND THE COST TO OPERATE OUR, UH, ORGANIZATION. I WILL SAY THAT 82% OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET IS FUNDED BY HUD. THE REMAINING PORTION, WE HAVE SOME STATE FUNDING, TENANT REVENUE, AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS, UH, REVENUE THAT HELPS TO SUPPORT OUR OPERATIONS. ALRIGHT, MOVING ON THROUGH. YEP. SO THIS NEXT SLIDE PROVIDES EXAMPLES OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS. HUD REQUIRES EVERY FIVE YEARS THAT WE DO WHAT'S CALLED A PHYSICAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT. AND THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINE OUR CAPITAL FUNDING, OUR CAPITAL, UM, PLANNING, WHAT PROJECTS WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON AND HOW WE PRIORITIZE THEM. SO THE ASSESSMENT HELPS US IDENTIFY WHAT, UM, REQUIRES REPLACEMENT, WHAT REQUIRES REPAIR, AND IN THE ORDER THAT WE DO THAT. UH, THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS IS EVERY YEAR WE PROVIDE THE PHA PLAN AND WE MAKE IT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WHERE YOU CAN MAKE COMMENTS AND PROVIDE EDITS AND REALLY GIVE INPUT AND FEEDBACK INTO OUR CAPITAL. UM, CAPITAL STRUCTURING, UH, SOME OF THE EXAMPLES ON THE SLIDE, WE WE'RE WORKING ON MODERNIZATION OF OUR UNITS ROOF REPLACEMENT AS NEEDED. UM, WE ARE REPLACING APPLIANCES NOW WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE CAPITAL PLANS THAT WE HAVE FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. ALRIGHT, NEXT SLIDE. THANK YOU. SO THIS IS, UH, WE WANTED TO SHARE SOME PHOTOS OF SOME OF THE UNITS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON. UH, WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS WE ARE REHABBING OUR THOMAS ROLFE AND DAVISVILLE APARTMENTS BECAUSE WE'RE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HOUSING FOR OUR RESIDENTS. UM, WITH ME BEING HERE IN THIS CAPACITY, I'M VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT WANTING TO REPLACE AND REHAB UNITS WITH, UH, NEW APPLIANCES, NEW COUNTERTOPS, NEW CABINETS, NEW FLOORING, NEW PAINT. UM, SO EVERY UNIT AS WE ARE, YOU KNOW, RAMPING UP OUR, UH, OCCUPANCY, EVERY UNIT WILL BE REHAB TO LOOK LIKE WHAT WE SEE HERE. AND THIS IS AN ACTUAL UNIT IN THOMAS ROTH. SO WE ARE VERY GLAD THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, TO DO THAT. ALRIGHT. UM, THE NEXT SLIDE. MOVING ON DOWN. SO THIS IS JUST A BIT OF INFORMATION AS IT RELATES TO OUR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE. WE HAVE SOME TIME GOALS HERE FOR DIFFERENT, UM, MAINTENANCE REQUESTS, DIFFERENT, UM, SERVICE REQUESTS THAT COME UP FROM OUR RESIDENTS. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS WE'RE WANTING TO ADD SYSTEMS AND PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE MEASURES SO WE CAN IMPROVE OUR EFFORTS WITH OUR MAINTENANCE SERVICES AND TO IMPROVE, UM, OUR UPKEEP WITH OUR AGING UNITS. OUR UNITS ARE, ARE QUITE OLD, RIGHT? MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE. AND I'M JUST ABOUT DONE. UH, THIS NEXT SLIDE MAYBE, IS THERE ONE BEFORE THAT ONE MAYBE? YEAH, THERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT. SO THIS SLIDE HERE IS JUST LAYING OUT SOME INITIATIVES WE HAVE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT. WE DO HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY HERE. AND THESE ARE JUST SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE PLANNING TO ROLL OUT TO IMPROVE OUR WAY OF CONVEYING IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND TO IMPROVE OUR ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR RESIDENTS. WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO GET FEEDBACK SO WE CAN SEE HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITIES. UM, THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES HERE. WE'RE DOING NEWSLETTERS, WE'RE WORKING ON DOING, UM, TEXT ALERTS. WE'RE [00:30:01] WANTING TO REENGAGE OUR RESIDENT ADVISORY BOARD, HAVING, UM, BIWEEKLY, BIMONTHLY MEETINGS. AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET SOME REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK, UH, ABOUT RESIDENT CONCERNS SO WE CAN ADDRESS THEM COLLECTIVELY. SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO. AND, UH, YEP, THIS SLIDE HERE, UH, THIS IS JUST LAYING OUT OUR REMEDIATION PLAN FOR ANY HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS THAT WE ARE RUNNING INTO ON OUR PROPERTIES. UM, THIS TIES A BIT TO WHAT WE'RE CALLING BLACK SUBSTANCE. IF THERE'S ANYTHING IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE UNITS, WE DO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE. WE DO HAVE A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE TO ADDRESS THIS WITHIN OUR THOMAS ROLFE AND DAVISVILLE COMMUNITIES. SO WE'RE VERY GLAD THAT WE DO HAVE, UH, THOSE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THAT CONCERN. THEN WE'RE COMING ON DOWN TO THE END. UH, JUST WANTED TO, UH, LET COUNCIL KNOW, UM, SOME REAL TIME CHALLENGES THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY CONTENDS WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS. UM, I DO BELIEVE UNDERSTANDING THE CONTEXT AND THE CLIMATE WE'RE IN AS A HOUSING AUTHORITY IS PARAMOUNT TO OUR OPERATIONS AND IT REALLY INFORMS OUR DIRECTION AND STRATEGIC PLANNING AS WE MOVE FORWARD. SO WITH HUD'S EVER CHANGING REGULATIONS, POLITICAL SHIFTS, ERODING FUNDING, AGING BUILDINGS, AND RESIDENT AND LANDLORD NEEDS, WE'RE MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO BE ADAPTABLE FORWARD THINKING. AND WE DEFINITELY WANNA BE ALIGNED WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AS WE MOVE THE AGENCY FORWARD. SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO TRANSFORMING HOUSING AND BEING THE CATALYST FOR IMPROVING OUR COMMUNITIES HERE IN HOPEWELL, AND WE'RE SEEKING TO DO THAT IN HOPEWELL AND BEYOND. SO I DO WANNA THANK YOU, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO YOU. AND ACTUALLY THAT'S THE LAST BIT OF WHAT I HAVE FOR MY PART OF THE PRESENTATION. UM, AND IF WE GO, PROBABLY HAVE TO GO DOWN QUITE A BIT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OUR DEVELOPMENT SECTION AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. MCCOURT. YEP. RIGHT THERE. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MR. MCCOY AND THEN I'LL COME BACK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS YOU'D LIKE TO ASK AT THAT TIME TOO. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. GOOD EVENING. EVENING. UM, PICKING UP WHERE MS. WILSON LEFT OFF, UM, BEEN ASKED TO JUST GIVE A SUMMARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS OF HOPEWELL REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY. UM, I'LL FIRST START OFF BY JUST DISCUSSING THE, THE VERY KIND OF GENESIS OF THIS. UH, A FEW YEARS AGO STARTED WORKING WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY AND THE FIRST THING THAT WAS DONE WAS REALLY TO CREATE THIS VISION OF, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT VISION 2030 THAT WAS SHARED. AND TALK ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR DEVELOPMENT. UM, THERE WAS AN UNDERSTANDING YEARS AGO THAT, YOU KNOW, HUD WAS KIND OF MOVING IN A DIRECTION THAT SAID THERE WASN'T MORE PUBLIC HOUSING MONEY COMING, IT, IT JUST WASN'T COMING. AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BEGAN TO REDEVELOP ITS PROPERTIES, UH, USING OTHER FUNDING OUTSIDE OF HUD TO DO THAT. UH, MOST RECENTLY, UH, PIPER SQUARE, WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE LATE SEVENTIES, UH, WAS REHABBED, UH, WHAT WE CALL A SUBSTANTIAL REHAB. IT WAS A $23 MILLION PROJECT, UH, WHICH RESULTED IN COMPLETELY NEW SYSTEMS WITHIN THOSE UNITS. SO NEW HVAC, NEW, UH, PLUMBING, NEW FIXTURES, NEW FLOORING, UH, NEW LIGHTING, YOU NAME IT. UH, TOP TO BOTTOM REALLY, UH, WORKING THROUGHOUT THE BUILDINGS AS WELL AS, UH, ASSIGNING A NEW, UH, EXTERIOR TO THE BUILDING SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO WERE TO DRIVE THROUGH PIPER SQUARE TODAY, UH, MIGHT NOT RECOGNIZE IT AS IT ONCE STOOD. IN FACT, WE OFTEN GET ASKED, DID WE TEAR IT DOWN AND REBUILD IT? UH, WE DID NOT. UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, NEXT ON THAT, UH, THIS COUNCIL WOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY HAS ALSO, UH, BEEN WORKING TOWARD DEVELOPMENT OF, UH, THE RENDEZVOUS APARTMENTS, UH, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE HIGHLAND PARK, UH, HIGHLAND AREA OF THE CITY, UH, NEAR CAVALIER SQUARE. UM, THIS WOULD BE A 64 UNIT DEVELOPMENT. AND IT'S CURRENTLY, UH, IN THE PRE-DEVELOPMENT PHASE, UH, MUCH OF ITS FUNDING HAS BEEN SECURED IN JUST LOOKING FOR THAT, UH, LAST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE TO GET THAT ONE STARTED. UM, OTHER DEVELOPMENT, UH, IS REALLY IN THE EARLY STAGES, UM, DEVELOPMENT, I'LL SAY THIS, SOMETIMES WHEN WE SEE NEW DEVELOPMENTS COME ONLINE, UM, IT SEEMS LIKE IT JUST KIND OF HAPPENS OVERNIGHT, UH, THE PHYSICAL PART OF IT. BUT THE REALITY IS MOST DEVELOPMENT TAKES ABOUT FIVE TO 12 YEARS, UH, FROM CONCEPT TO [00:35:01] ACTUAL COMPLETION. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE WORK THAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IS DOING, UH, IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT. THE, THE PIPER SQUARE PROJECT, UH, IS ONE THAT WAS BEGAN IN, UH, 2018, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. AND OF COURSE IT WAS COMPLETED IN 2024. SO I ALWAYS LIKE TO GIVE PEOPLE THAT LENS TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT'S HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES TO BRING THOSE DEVELOPMENTS TO FRUITION. UM, UNLESS I'LL SAY THIS, THAT THE, UH, THIS BOARD ALSO, UM, LOOKED AT, UH, THE CITY AND, AND REALLY IS ALWAYS ASKING A QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN, WHAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DOES WORK WELL WITH WHAT THE CITY HAS DONE. AND, UH, ONE OF THOSE AREAS IS IN SINGLE FAMILY. UH, THE, THE BOARD HAS ALSO BEEN LOOKING AT HOW CAN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, UH, WORK WITHIN THE SINGLE FAMILY SIDE OF THINGS TO BRING MORE, UH, HIGH QUALITY, UM, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING, YOU KNOW, FOR SALE HOUSING, UH, TO THE CITY AS WELL. UM, SO YEAH, I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT AND, OKAY. OKAY. UM, LET'S SEE. UH, THE FIRST PERSON THAT I HAVE FOR A QUESTION IS, UH, COUNSELOR STOKES AND THEN MYSELF, UM, THEN VICE MAYOR JOYNER? MM-HMM . OKAY. UH, MS. STOKES, IF YOU'RE, YEP. OKAY. UH, YEAH, YOU'RE ON MUTE. COUNCILOR STOKES. OH, I'M SORRY. THERE YOU GO. AND WE, ARE WE UNMUTED? YES, YOU ARE UNMUTED NOW. THEY GOT NEW STUFF UP HERE. . I CAN RAISE MY HAND. CAN YOU SEE ME RAISE MY HAND? UH, NO MA'AM. NOT ON THAT SCREEN. THAT'S WHAT I WAS PLAYING WITH. BUT AT ANY RATE, UM, FROM THE FIRST PRESENTATION, UM, WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THE RELOCATION OF DAVIS? THAT IS, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE ON THE RELOCATION OF DAVISVILLE? IS THERE ANY PLANS FOR THAT COMMUNITY? YEP. THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. COUNCILLOR STOKES AND I WILL SAY, UM, IS TO BE DETERMINED THE TIMEFRAME FOR WHEN THINGS WILL OCCUR WITH DAVISVILLE. UH, WE'RE DOING THINGS KIND OF IN A SEQUENCE, SO WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING THE RENDEZVOUS ONLINE, WHICH WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. UM, AS MR. MCCOY ALLUDED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH SOME, UH, PRE-DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES ONCE WE GET THE RENDEZVOUS ONLINE, THAT WILL GIVE US THE GO AHEAD TO BEGIN LOOKING AT OUR PLANS FOR THOMAS ROLFE AND DAVISVILLE. SO I DON'T HAVE A TIMEFRAME, UH, TONIGHT FOR WHEN THAT WILL OCCUR, BUT WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE A WELL, UH, WELL THOUGHT OUT, WELL PLANNED, UH, RELOCATION PLAN FOR THE DAVISVILLE RESIDENTS, BUT I THOUGHT SOME YEARS BACK THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN PUT IN PLACE AND WHAT HAS CAUSED THIS SLOW DOWN WITH DAVISVILLE THOMAS ROTH COURT AND THEN TO RUN IT MM-HMM . YEP. SO I DON'T, I MEAN, YI MEAN YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, A DIRECT ANSWER BECAUSE THE TIMEFRAME ON IT AND WHERE WE AT NOW DON'T MATCH. SO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. LET'S SEE IF I CAN TRY. SO, UM, AS MR. MCCOY ALLUDED TO, WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, UM, THERE ARE THINGS THAT COME ALONG THAT YOU HADN'T PLANNED FOR. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN WHERE YOU, UM, MAY HAVE TO CHANGE GEARS, THE TIMEFRAME MAY CHANGE, SOME THINGS MAY HAVE DELAYS. YOU MAY HAVE TO RE REDIRECT YOUR FOCUS, YOU MAY HAVE TO CHANGE WHAT YOU HAD INITIALLY STARTED TO DO. AND IT'S JUST IN THE WORLD OF DEVELOPMENT THAT THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CONTEND WITH AS FAR AS THE TIMEFRAME FOR DAVISVILLE AND THE RELOCATION. UM, I DON'T HAVE A DEFINITIVE TIMEFRAME TONIGHT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SERIES OF DELAYS AND CERTAIN THINGS THAT HAVE IMPACTED OUR DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE, UM, SOME CLEAR, A CLEAR PATH FORWARD WITH THE TIMEFRAME FOR RENDEZVOUS AND THOMAS ROLFE. AND THEN WE WILL CERTAINLY, UH, CONSIDER DAVISVILLE AND [00:40:01] THE TIMEFRAME FOR THAT. SO IT WILL KIND OF HAPPEN IN TANDEM. LIKE THESE THINGS WILL BE COORDINATED TOGETHER, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DEFINITELY COME BACK WHEN WE DO HAVE A SOLID DEFINITIVE TIMEFRAME. UM, I'LL DEFINITELY COME BACK AND I CAN RELAY THAT, BUT JUST TO TRY TO, UH, TO TRY TO LAND THIS PLANE. I WILL SAY THAT BECAUSE WE'VE HAD UNEXPECTED AND DIFFERENT THINGS OCCUR WITH OUR OTHER PROJECTS, OUR OTHER DEVELOPMENT, IT DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE TIMING FOR DAVISVILLE. SO DO YOU HAVE FUTURE PLANS OF MAKING SURE THAT THE MEMBERS OF THIS CITY COUNCIL ARE KEPT ABREAST? LIKE MAYBE A 30 TO 60 DAY REPORT ON WHERE YOU AT, WHERE, WHERE YOU ARE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE PLANS? SO WE DON'T HAVE TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS YEARS LATER? YES, MA'AM. YES. WHEN WE HAD A DIFFERENT SET OF EXPECTATIONS, AND I WASN'T ON COUNCIL THEN, BUT I FOLLOWED AS A CONSTITUENT, AND IT, IT GIVES ME GREAT CONCERN, THE CHANGES, UM, AND YOU'RE NOT BEING DEFINITIVE WITH THE CHANGES, BUT IF YOU COULD KEEP US IN THE LOOP, UM, WE WOULD BE ON TOP OF WHAT IS HAPPENING. SO WHEN THE CONSTITUENTS, THE CONSTITUENCY, PARTICULARLY PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS AND OUR TAX PAYING PEOPLE WANNA KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING. I THOUGHT THEY PLANNED TO DO THIS, I THOUGHT THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN BY THIS DATE. IF WE HAVE REPORTS OR SOME MORE COMMUNICATION FROM HIM, WE'D BE ABLE TO PROPERLY ANSWER OUR CONSTITUENTS, MA'AM. OKAY. WELL THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK. AND I DO AGREE THAT, UM, THERE SHOULD BE TIMELY AND RELEVANT COMMUNICATION AS RELATES TO OUR PROJECT. SO WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTING TO KEEP COUNCIL APPRISED OF OUR UPDATES AND DEFINITELY KEEP YOU ALL IN THE LOOP BECAUSE WE WANT TO CONTINUE BUILDING OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY SO WE CAN WORK ON SOME ADDITIONAL PROJECTS. SO WE WILL BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT KEEPING COUNCIL ABREAST OF WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON. SO THAT'S A FAIR, FAIR COMMENT. AND I AM YOUR LIAISON SO I CAN KEEP THEM ABBRA. YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, SO I HAVE, UH, TWO QUESTIONS. UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT, UM, YOU HAVE THE PUBLIC SIDE, PUBLIC HOUSING SIDE OF Y'ALL'S MISSION, BUT THERE'S ANOTHER SIDE OF Y'ALL'S MISSION IN ATTRACTING NEW DEVELOPMENT AND NEW HOUSING. YES. YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL. UM, SO WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS TO, UH, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SECOND PART OF Y'ALL MISSION? UM, AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE ARE, YOU KNOW, CONTINUING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, FOCUS A LOT OF OUR DECISION MAKING ON MAKING SURE THAT, UM, WE ARE DOING THINGS THAT ARE MAKING US LOOK BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER. MM-HMM . FOR OUR BOND RATING, UM, FOR THE BOND RATING AGENCIES. AND THE TWO OF THE BIGGEST, UM, FACTORS IN THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S OVERALL VALUE. SO THE VALUE OF ALL ASSETS WITHIN THE CITY. UM, AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING STOCK. AND THEN IT ALSO LOOKS AT, YOU KNOW, MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME. UH, WHAT ARE Y'ALL'S PLANS FOR ADDRESSING THE NEW HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT PIECE? YEAH, SO WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO DO IS, LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH SOME OF THESE CURRENT, UH, PROJECTS, BUT WE'RE WANTING TO DO IS REALLY, UM, ENGAGE THE CITY. UM, SINCE I'VE JOINED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IN THIS CAPACITY, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS, PLANNING SESSIONS, IDENTIFY SOME AREAS WITHIN THE CITY THAT COULD BE REALLY RIPE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE COULD, UM, PUT TOGETHER A PROJECT AND DEAL TO BRING IN THE NEW HOUSING. UH, WE DO HAVE SOME IDEAS WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH, UM, OUR CONSULTANT, MR. MCCOY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOME AREAS WHERE WE COULD, UM, COULD REALLY BUILD UP, UM, SOME REALLY NICE PROJECTS, REALLY NICE DEVELOPMENTS. AND IT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, MIXED USE, UM, POSSIBLY SOME RETAIL. UM, BUT WE DO HAVE PLANS AND WOULD LIKE TO, UH, DISCUSS THOSE BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE WOULD NEED THE CITY OR WANT THE CITY'S BLESSING TO MOVE FORWARD IN THOSE AREAS. BUT WE CERTAINLY ARE, UM, WANTING TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT BRINGING NEW HOUSING, NEW DEVELOPMENT, UM, TO THE CITY TO HELP WITH THE, THE VALUE AND TO HELP BRING UP THE, THE ASSET VALUE AND, UM, JUST THE APPEAL AND JUST THE OVERALL, UM, AESTHETIC OF THE CITY. SO WE'RE DEFINITELY WANTING TO DO THAT. WE DO HAVE SOME IDEAS, LIKE I SAID, THERE ARE SOME, SOME POTENTIAL, [00:45:01] UM, AREAS AND LOCATIONS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, DISCUSS WITH THE CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SO. OKAY. UM, MR. ROGERS, CAN YOU GET WITH MS. WILSON AND LET'S GET A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE, UM, THE HRHA BOARD AND, UH, CITY COUNCIL SO WE CAN START TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS AND THESE PROJECTS? ABSOLUTELY. AND LET'S SHOOT FOR, YOU KNOW, OCTOBER TIMEFRAME. OKAY. UM, NO BETTER TIME THAN THE PRESENT. ALRIGHT. UM, THEN THE NEXT QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, UM, YEAH, I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE TALKED HERE, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THESE, UM, THESE NEW PROJECTS YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CAPITAL AND THE MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVING OPERATIONS. UM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY AND THERE'S SECURITY ISSUES, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN, UH, THE HOUSING COMMUNITIES AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, ISSUES I THINK ALSO WITH INDIVIDUALS LIVING IN UNITS, UM, THAT ARE NOT ON LEASES. UM, HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED AT BRINGING IN OR, UH, RESEARCHING OR CONSIDERING BRINGING IN A TURNAROUND SPECIALIST THAT HELPS US SPECIALIZE IN, IN HOUSING AUTHORITIES, UM, TO HELP YOU GUYS IMPLEMENT, UM, SOME, YOU KNOW, BEST PRACTICES AND HELP, YOU KNOW, FURTHER Y'ALL'S MISSION? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. UM, MAYOR. PARDON? WE ARE ACTUALLY, WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, IN THE PROCESS OF PROCURING AND BRINGING ON A THIRD PARTY WHO SPECIALIZES IN EXACTLY WHAT YOU DESCRIBED OKAY. UNIT TERMS, SUPPORTING OUR MAINTENANCE AND REALLY HAVING A DEDICATED RESOURCE TO GET OUR UNITS ONLINE FASTER, BETTER, AND THAT KIND OF THING. SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, WE ARE. OKAY. MM-HMM . HAVE YOU GUYS ALREADY ISSUED OUT THAT RFP OR HAVE YOU GUYS UH, SPOKEN WITH THE STATE ON WHO'S ON LIKE THEIR PRE-APPROVAL LIST? I HAVE NOT. OKAY. AND I CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT. OKAY. UM, 'CAUSE I THINK THAT THAT'LL END UP HELPING, SAVING YOU A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF VETTING, UM, AND WORKING WITH THE, THE PRE-APPROVED LIST. THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND THEN IT ALSO, THEY ALSO HAVE, YOU KNOW, VERY HIGH STANDARDS OF QUALITY THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUARANTEE THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET GOOD QUALITY WORK FROM THESE INDIVIDUALS. YEAH. DULY NOTED. UM, THE FOLKS WE WERE TALKING TO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST LOOKING AROUND TO SEE, UM, WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES THERE ARE. MM-HMM . THIS ONE COMPANY, UM, THEY WORK, THEY CURRENTLY WORK WITH ABOUT FOUR OTHER HOUSING AUTHORITIES. SO WE WERE LOOKING AT HOW TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE EXISTING CONTRACT WITH THEM. BUT I WILL CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP, UH, WITH THE STATE. UM, THAT'S EVA, RIGHT. UH, I'LL CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP ON THAT. UM, OKAY. THANK YOU. UM, UH, HOLD ON ONE SECOND. UH, COUNSEL, IT'S MY, GO AHEAD. IS MY QUESTION PERIOD UP OR I CAN STILL QUESTION? YOU CAN, UM, IT'S JUST, YOU'LL BE ON YOUR SECOND ROUND, SO I HAVE TO LET, UH, THE OTHER FOLKS GO FIRST THAT HAVE THEIR HANDS. OH, OKAY. DEAR. THANK YOU. YEAH, NO PROBLEM. UH, SO NEXT IS VICE MAYOR JOYNER AND COUNCILLOR DAY, AND THEN COUNCILLOR HARRIS. YEAH. AND THEN STOKES. OKAY. MS. WILSON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS GOING BACK TO THE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN THAT YOU HAD. YES. CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT AND LOOK AT IT? COULD WE GET TO THAT SLIDE? THE COMMUNICATIONS ONE? THAT ONE RIGHT THERE? MM-HMM . THAT ONE. MM-HMM . HOW MANY OF THESE THINGS ARE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW? SO RIGHT NOW, THE FIRST ONE WE DO HAVE THE NEWSLETTERS. RIGHT? RIGHT. WE DO HAVE THE RAD ADVISORY BOARD MEETINGS, BUT THEY'RE ONLY WHEN WE CALL THEM LIKE, OKAY, WE'LL SCHEDULE THAT. YOU GONNA SET THAT UP? MM-HMM . HOW ABOUT THE RESIDENT TEXT ALERT SYSTEM? IS THAT IN PLACE NOW? SO WE ARE WORKING ON THAT BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CONVERTED TO A NEW ERP, UH, IT'S CALLED YARDI UHHUH . AND WE ARE, WE ARE STILL LEARNING THEIR, THE FUNCTIONALITY AND WE DISCOVERED THAT WE HAVE THAT FUNCTIONALITY IN OUR EXISTING SYSTEM. SO, OKAY. WE, WE HAVEN'T DONE IT YET, BUT WE ARE CERTAINLY GONNA, THAT'S GONNA BE NEXT ON OUR, OUR LIST. AND THEN WE DO WORK WITH FOOD DISTRIBUTION. UM, THERE'S A LOCAL ORGANIZATION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, DELIVERS FOOD TO OUR SITES. OKAY. AND HRJ WEBSITE PORTAL. WE'RE WORKING ON OUR, UH, WEBSITE AND PORTAL NOW. OKAY. WE DID A FRESH FACELIFT OF OUR WEBSITE, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING TO IMPROVE THE, THE PORTAL. OKAY. YEAH, I, I JUST WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY, I THINK THAT THAT'S, THIS PIECE IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND I THINK PROBABLY LEADS TO MOST OF THE CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS, QUITE FRANKLY, THE FACT THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON OR THEY, THEY HEAR THEY GET MISINFORMATION, THAT KIND OF THING. SO I THINK THE SOONER THE, YOU AND, AND THE COMMISSIONERS CAN MAKE SURE THAT THIS ALL IS IN PLACE AND WORKING WOULD BE VERY, YOU KNOW, VERY BENEFICIAL TO YOU. THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD RELATES TO, AND, AND, UM, [00:50:01] IT MIGHT BE, UM, SOMETHING FROM MR. MCCOY, UM, WITH REGARD TO THE RENDEZVOUS, YOU MENTIONED THAT ABOUT 92% OF THE FUNDING, YOU HAVE ABOUT 92% OF THE FUNDING READY, THE OTHER 8%. HOW, HOW, WHAT KIND OF DOLLARS ARE WE TALKING? AND DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT, DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET THAT, THAT OTHER 8%? YEAH. UH, YEAH. I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THAT. I'M REAL, REAL, REAL GLAD TO SEE YOU BACK. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I'M HAPPY TO BE, WE, YOU KNOW, THIS WOULD, WE HAD HOPED THIS WAS GONNA BE, AS I'M SURE Y'ALL DID, THIS WOULD'VE ALREADY BEEN BUILT BY NOW IF THERE HADN'T BEEN, YOU KNOW, SOME WAVES. BUT WE'RE REALLY GLAD TO HAVE YOU BACK WORKING ON THE RENDEZVOUS. YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO BE BACK. THANK YOU. GOOD, GOOD. UM, AND YEAH, I DO, I I BELIEVE THE, THE REST OF THE, UM, THE LAST MILE OF FUNDING IS ON ITS WAY. OKAY. UM, WE, WE HAD SOME REALLY PROMISING, UH, PIECES THAT WE WORKED ON. RIGHT. UM, THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR, OR THE, UH, DISTRICT PLANNING COMMISSION HAS BEEN REALLY GOOD. AND, UM, WE ARE ON THEIR LIST. THEY DON'T GET FUNDING EVERY YEAR. YEAH. UH, BUT THEY WORK WITH VIRGINIA HOUSING TO GET I CUT YOU OFF. YEAH. UM, THANK YOU MR. BESSETTE FOR THIS. UM, CAN I HAVE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING UNTIL WE COMPLETE THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING? NUMBER FOUR. I MOVE SECOND. ALRIGHT. MOVE. MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR, UH, DAY, OR EXCUSE ME, VICE MAYOR JOINER, SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY. UH, ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALLED POLICE COUNT? COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES. MAYOR. PARDON? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILOR DAY? YES. COUNCILOR STOKES? YES. COUNCILOR OLE? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SEVEN TO ZERO. ALRIGHT. PLEASE CATCH MR. SET. THANK YOU, MR. SUCH AN EXCITING TOPIC. , THANK, BUT, BUT I DO HAVE STILL HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION. OKAY. TALK TO, TALK TO US. YOU KNOW, ALL YOUR FUNDING, MOST OF YOUR FUNDING COMES FROM HUD. WHAT ARE YOU HEARING IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, CHANGES TO FUNDING? THAT WOULD BE, YEAH, AND THAT'S MY LAST, THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION. SORRY. SORRY FOR THIS. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. YEAH, SO IT'S REAL INTERESTING. YOU KNOW, WE ARE WATCHING THINGS VERY CLOSELY AND YOU KNOW, THE THING THAT I WATCH IS WHAT'S CALLED THE, UH, YOU KNOW, HUD DOES A PRORATION OF THE FUNDING. SO EVERY YEAR THEY'LL SAY, HEY, YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR 5 MILLION, BUT I LOOK AT THE PRORATION PERCENT BECAUSE THAT'S THE ACTUAL AMOUNT WE GET. AND, UM, I WILL SAY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING, OUR PRORATED AMOUNT, UM, HAS, HAS DECREASED. MEANING THEY SAID, WE'LL GET THIS AMOUNT, BUT THE ACTUAL AMOUNT WE GET IS MUCH LESS. OKAY. FOR OUR SECTION EIGHT AND HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER, IT HAS BEEN FUNDED 100%. SO THAT LETS ME KNOW THERE IS A DESIRE AND A, A WISHING TO MAINTAIN OUR, YOU KNOW, HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER RENTAL PROGRAM. RIGHT. BUT NOT, WHEREAS PUBLIC HOUSING. YEAH. OKAY. THAT IS NOT DESIRABLE AND THAT'S JUST THE TRUTH. YEAH. OKAY. I REALLY, I APPRECIATE IT. I THINK THAT'S GOOD FOR PEOPLE TO HEAR AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S GOING ON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU COMING AND THANKS FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO BE HERE. WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILOR DAY HARRIS, AND THEN STOKES. AYE. OKAY. UM, SO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT PIPER SQUARE. ARE ALL THE SECURITY CAMERAS NOW WORKING THERE? UM, I KNOW AT ONE TIME THERE WERE SOME THAT WERE NOT, AND YOU KNOW, THIS WAS BEING BROUGHT TO ME BY CONSTITUENTS THAT WERE CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CRIME MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE SECURITY CAMERAS WERE NOT WORKING AND, YOU KNOW, IF THEY, THERE WERE CRIME THERE THAT MAYBE HAVING THE CAMERAS WORKING, YOU KNOW, MIGHT HAVE LED TO FINDING OUT WHO WAS, YOU KNOW, CAUSING THE CRIME. SO I JUST WONDERED IF ALL OF THOSE ARE NOW FUNCTIONING THAT ARE THERE. YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. IT WAS UNFORTUNATE. WE HAD SOME INCIDENTS THERE, AND AT THE TIME THERE WERE SOME CAMERAS THAT WERE OFFLINE. WE HAD SOME ELECTRICAL ISSUES. WE, WE LEARNED THAT, UM, DURING THE REDEVELOPMENT, UM, PARTS OF OUR PROJECT, SOME OF THE WIRES WERE CUT. OKAY. AND WE HAD TO HAVE THEM REPAIRED. SO WE'VE SINCE HAD THOSE REPAIRED. UM, OUT OF ALL OF THE PIPER SQUARE CAMERAS, THERE'S ONE CAMERA THAT IS STILL OFFLINE. AND WE HAD THE MANUFACTURER, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW HOW YOU CRY, YOU KNOW HOW THEY SAY THE SQUEAKY WHEEL, RIGHT? YEP. SO, YOU KNOW, AFTER MY, UH, MANY MONTHS OF CRYING AND ALL OF THAT, THE MANUFACTURER CAME TO PIPER SQUARE AND THE CAMERA WAS DEFECTIVE. OKAY. SO WE HAD TO GET IT REPLACED. SO THEY'RE ALL WORKING NOW THOUGH? WELL, NO, STILL WAITING ON THE ONE CAMERA. OH, OKAY. OKAY. YEAH. SO, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, OTHER THAN THAT ONE, IF WE WERE TO PULL IT UP, YOU'D BE ABLE TO SEE, UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE PROPERTY. SO WE DID HAVE AN ISSUE, BUT IT'S SINCE, FOR THE MOST PART, [00:55:01] BEEN FIXED. OKAY. AND MY LAST QUESTION OR QUESTION AND COMMENT, UM, I THINK I DO THINK THAT THE RESIDENT ADVISORY BOARD IS, IS PARAMOUNT BECAUSE I DO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE, UM, COMMENTS THAT I GET, YOU KNOW, ARE JUST FEELING LIKE THEY'RE NOT BEING HEARD SOMETIMES BY HRHA. UM, WHEN YOU HAVE THESE MEETINGS, ARE THEY ON A SATURDAY? ARE THEY IN THE EVENING? LIKE, WHEN ARE YOU DOING THESE, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO ATTEND AND GET THERE. AND, BECAUSE I JUST THINK THAT'S A, A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS COMMUNICATION PANEL THAT YOU HAVE HERE. YEAH, I AGREE. SO WITH THE RESIDENT ADVISORY BOARD, AND A LOT OF THESE THINGS ARE HUD DRIVEN. HUD REQUIRED, UM, THERE IS AN APPLICATION PROCESS THAT A RESIDENT, LIKE THERE'S A FORMAL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A FORM YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT. RIGHT. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED. UM, AND CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, ANY RESIDENT IS WELCOME TO JOIN ANNOYING. MOST OF THE MEETINGS WE'VE HAD, THEY'VE BEEN DURING THE DAY, DURING THE WEEK, UM, DURING OUR BUSINESS HOURS. UM, AND THE RESIDENTS WOULD, WOULD MEET AND DISCUSS, UM, THE ISSUES THAT WERE ON THE AGENDA. UM, IT'S A FORMAL MEETING, YOU KNOW, WE HAD, WE HAVE MINUTES, WE RECORD IT AND ALL OF THAT. BUT I AGREE, WE, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE WANTING TO, UM, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISH A REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HEARING FROM THE RESIDENTS THEY'RE GETTING TOGETHER AND WE'RE HAVING SOME REAL ENGAGEMENT, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, KEEP THEIR TRUST AND, YOU KNOW, HAVE THAT COMFORT. SO. RIGHT. I DO, I DO THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, VERY IMPORTANT. AGREED. YEAH. THANK YOU. UH, COUNCILLOR HARRIS, MS. WILSON, WHAT, WHAT IS, UM, YOUR CONCERN ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THAT THE RESIDENTS ARE HAVING IN REGARD TO RECERTIFICATION, RECERTIFICATION? OR ARE YOU RECEIVING PROBLEM CALLS FROM PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR CERTIFICATION? YEAH, SO, EXCUSE ME. THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION. AND FOR SOME FOLKS, UH, RECERTIFICATION, THAT'S JUST THE PROCESS WHERE OUR RESIDENTS WOULD, UM, COME IN AND PROVIDE US ANY UPDATES TO THEIR, EXCUSE ME, TO THEIR INCOME OR THEIR HOUSING COMPOSITION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT TO DETERMINE IF THERE SHOULD BE ANY CHANGES IN THEIR RENT OR ANY OF ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IT NORMALLY OCCURS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. AND WE HAVE HAD, UH, SOME THINGS, SOME THINGS TO WORK THROUGH WITH THE RECERTIFICATIONS. IT'S TIED TO A COUPLE THINGS. UM, WE'VE HAD TRANSITION STAFF, WE'VE HAD TURNOVER. WE HAVE THE NEW SYSTEM IN PLACE. SO THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE NEW SYSTEM, GETTING OUR STAFF TRAINED AND RETAINING STAFF. UM, AND AS A PART OF THAT, WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH RECERTIFICATIONS. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT TO SAY I'VE BEEN ON AN APOLOGY TOUR, BUT WE'VE BEEN MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO, TO RECTIFY AND MAKE IT RIGHT. AND THAT'S, WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS. UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL WORKING TO IMPROVE THAT. WELL JUST WANT TO COMMENT, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU ARE SEEKING WAYS TO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, TO DEAL WITH THAT SITUATION BECAUSE, UM, WE TEND TO RECEIVE A LOT OF CALLS HERE AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL IN REGARDS TO RECERTIFICATION AND OTHER THINGS IN THE, IN THE, UH, IN THE HOUSING THAT YOU HAVE NOW. AND, UM, AND THAT'S CONCERN THAT, THAT I HAVE MYSELF IN REGARDS TO THE AMOUNT OF CONVERSATION THAT I RECEIVED ABOUT SITUATIONS THAT YOU HAVE IN THE HOUSING RIGHT NOW. AND, UH, ONE OF THEM IS THE CONDITION OF THE HOUSING AND THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF COMMENT ABOUT THE CONDITION OF SOME OF THE HOUSING THAT THEY'RE LIVING IN. AND IT'S NOT A DAY THAT GO, GO BACK TO THE ENTIRE SEVEN DAY WEEK THAT I DON'T GET A PHONE CALL FROM INDIVIDUALS OUTTA HOUSING TALKING ABOUT MOLD. AND NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THERE'S BEEN ANOTHER VISIT WITH, UH, RESIDENTS CONCERNING MOLD IN PIPER SQUARE, AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WERE AWARE OF, UH, I JUST RECEIVED A CALL JUST BEFORE THIS MEETING TONIGHT ABOUT MOLD IN THE BUILDINGS, THE WHOLE BUILDINGS FROM, UH, MAINTENANCE PEOPLE. AND SO FROM OUR MAINTEN, I'M SORRY, FROM OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF YES. FROM THE MAINTENANCE. AND, UH, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WERE AWARE OF IT, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF IT, THAT THAT'S THE CONCERN THAT'S OUT THERE. [01:00:01] AND THAT'S SOMETHING I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'RE WORKING TO DEAL WITH IT, YOU JUST SAID, I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO COMMUNICATE A LITTLE BIT BETTER WITH THE, UH, RESIDENTS IN REGARDS TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE MAKING AN EFFORT TO GET THIS THING FIXED. BECAUSE NOW YOU GOT INDIVIDUALS TALKING ABOUT HEALTH CONDITIONS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT GOES WITH IF THERE IS MOLD. AND OF COURSE OVER THERE IN PIPE SQUARE YOU GOT A WHOLE LOT OF MOLD EXPERTS. SO MM-HMM. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU DO. AND, UH, SO I, I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE ON TOP OF IT. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT FEEDBACK. YEAH. UM, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? YES, SIR. MS. WILSON, YOU AND I HAVE, UH, WORKED ON THIS SITUATION AND MM-HMM . UM, IN PARTICULAR, EVERYTHING THAT'S BLACK IN AN APARTMENT IS NOT NECESSARILY MOLD. YOU, YOU'VE HAD, UH, MOLD INSPECTORS COME OUT AND, AND, AND, AND IN SOME OF THE APARTMENTS WHERE THEY'VE LOOKED IN, UH, WHERE PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS MOLD AND IT WASN'T. RIGHT. BUT LET ME ASK THROUGHOUT PIPER SQUARE OR ANY OF THE AREAS, DO YOU HAVE RETAINED A, UM, A CONTRACTOR THAT DOES REGULAR INSPECTION, UH, FOR MOLD BECAUSE IT IS A HEALTH HAZARD FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS? YEAH, THAT'S A, UM, GREAT QUESTION. AND, YOU KNOW, DULY NOTED. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PIPER SQUARE AND THEN WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC HOUSING SIDE, THOMAS ROTH DAVISVILLE. SO, UM, UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWING THE ISSUES IN, IN BOTH SIDES, UM, WE'RE TAKING OUR COURSES OF ACTION FOR EACH ONE, YOU KNOW, AS WE NEED TO. WHAT WE ARE GEARING UP TO DO ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING SIDE IS WE WILL BE, UM, PROCURING, UM, SOMEONE TO COME IN AND DO AN INSPECTION OF ALL THE UNITS. UM, AND THEN WE WILL LOOK AT ANY REMEDIATION PLANS FOR THE PUBLIC HOUSING SIDE, PIPER SQUARE, BECAUSE IT IS A DIFFERENT, THE, THE FUNDING AND THE STRUCTURE IS A BIT DIFFERENT. SO, UM, WE DO HAVE PLANS FOR PIPER SQUARE. UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING IT ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS. SO AS WE ARE MADE AWARE OF THE CONCERNS, WE IMMEDIATELY HAVE SOMEONE COME OUT AND DO TESTING. UM, BUT I DO THINK IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO CONSIDER HAVING SOME REGULAR INSPECTIONS, UM, WITH THESE UNITS. SO WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT. BUT I WILL SAY, UM, BECAUSE THE, THE FUNDING IS DIFFERENT, WE DO HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR BUDGETARY, YOU KNOW, OUR RESOURCES TO SEE HOW WE CAN BEST DO THAT. BUT WHAT I WANT COUNCIL TO KNOW IS THAT, UM, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME, THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS. SO, UM, IT IS MY HOPE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT WE ARE CONCERNED AND WANT TO GET THESE ISSUES ADDRESSED, UM, AS SOON AS WE CAN, THE BEST WAY WE CAN. UM, SO THAT OUR RESIDENTS DO, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE AFFORDED THE HEALTH AND SAFETY, UM, IN THEIR HOMES THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE. SO IT'S DEFINITELY OUR PRIORITY TO DO THAT. OKAY. UM, MS. STOKES, UM, AND I, I'D LIKE TO COMMENT BECAUSE I'VE EXPERIENCED SOME, SOME, SOME DISCORD ON AND, AND I'M GIVING COMPLIMENTS TO MY FELLOW COUNSELORS 'CAUSE YOU'RE ASKING SOME VERY GOOD QUESTIONS. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNED ME IS, YES, WE HAVE TO DO THE INSPECTIONS AND WE HAVE TO DO ALL THE THINGS WE ARE SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT YOU JUST CAN'T BRING IN AN OUT OF TOWN INSPECTION COMPANY AND EXPECT ME TO ALLOW A STRANGER IN MY HOUSE FROM OHIO. THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. AND THERE'S PROTOCOL BEFORE YOU EVEN GET THERE THAT WAS NOT MET AT. ALRIGHT. AND IT, THE RESIDENTS JUST AS, UH, COUNCILOR DAY TOUCHED UPON, HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMMUNICATION. THUS, THE REASON HUD REQUIRES THE RESIDENT COUNCIL, RESIDENT COUNCIL JUMPS IT OFF PUBLIC HEARING AND WE KNOW WHO'S COMING IN OUR HOME, BUT I KNOW YOU GOTTA CATCH UP INSPECTIONS, BUT YOU STILL GOTTA FOLLOW PROTOCOL AND RULES AND RESPECT PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENCE AND ANYBODY ELSE, NOBODY'S GONNA LET [01:05:01] A STRANGER IN THEIR HOME FOR, I'M NOT FROM OHIO ON A TWO WEEK NOTICE OR A 30 DAY NOTICE. AND THAT'S NOT THE RULE. SO THERE ARE THINGS I KNOW THAT HAS TO BE FIXED BEFORE WE CAN GET TO WHERE WE GOTTA GET TO AND THE RESIDENTS FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH OUR LEADERSHIP. DULY NOT, BUT THANK YOU. AND THAT'S MY COMMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU MS. WILSON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. AND THEN, UH, MR. ROGERS WILL BE REACHING OUT TO YOU ON GETTING THAT, UH, JOINT MEETING TOGETHER. YES. THANK YOU. UH, SO, UH, IN THE INTEREST OF CHARLES, UH, FOR, UH, NUMBER FOUR, CAN YOU CONDENSE YOUR, YOUR PRESENTATION? WE KIND OF KNOW WHAT'S WHAT ABOUT WE KINDA GO , SO, AND, AND, AND I AM JUST THE SPONSOR. MM-HMM . PASTOR COLLIER, THIS HERE OKAY. FROM CITY OF REFUGE TO DO, TO DO IT. AND, UH, SO I'M JUST SETTING UP THE OKAY, THAT'S FINE. PRESENT PRESENTATION FOR HIM. THAT'S WHOEVER WANTS TO DO WHOEVER DOES THE PRESENTATION. UM, 'CAUSE WE'RE ALREADY AT EIGHT 15 AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE, TO REGULAR MEETING. I'LL BE BRIEF . OKAY. IT SAYS EVERY PASTOR BEFORE SERMON STARTS. RIGHT. PASTOR FAMOUS LAST WORDS, . JUST, JUST TO, JUST TO SET THIS UP, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, I DID A WORK SESSION WITH A MODEL FROM RELIGIOUS, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICES IN, IN NEW BERN. WHEN WE CAME BACK FROM THAT TRIP, WE HAVE GONE TO, UH, COMMUNITY MEETINGS, OC THREE, WE'VE BEEN TO COMMUNITY CENTER. AND PASTOR CALLERS AND PASTOR BOGGS HEARD THAT PRESENTATION. THEY SAW IT AND IT RESONATED WITH THEM. AND TONIGHT, UH, THEY'RE HERE. UM, HE'S HERE. PASTOR BOGGS IS ON, UH, OUT OF TOWN. BUT, UM, TO TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE SIMILAR IN HOPEWELL MM-HMM . IF THAT'S THE END. OKAY. I'LL TRY TO CONDENSE IT AS, AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE. UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TO, UH, MAKE THIS, UH, BRIEF, UH, YOU KNOW, PRESENTATION BEFORE YOU OBVIOUSLY WE'RE CITY OF REFUGE, UH, HOPEWELL. WE RUN A, UH, RECOVERY PROGRAM FOR THOSE THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION WE'VE BEEN IN THE CITY SINCE 2018, AND WE'VE COME BEFORE YOU TO PRESENT A PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH AN ONGOING ISSUE IN HOPEWELL THAT'S BEEN ADDRESSED, THAT'S BEEN SPOKEN OF BRIEFLY, WHICH IS THE HOMELESS ISSUE. SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MOVE THIS, UH, MOVE THIS CURSOR. JUST TELL ME WHICH ONE TO HIT. JUST, JUST HIT, HIT THIS ARROW RIGHT HERE. OKAY. HERE WE GO. DOWN. YEP. UM, HOPE CENTER MISSIONS AND GOALS IS TO HELP TO ERADICATE HOMELESSNESS IN HOPEWELL. THAT'S A, THAT IS A, THAT IS A QUITE THE FEAT. UH, YOU KNOW, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GREAT, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO, UH, UH, DEAL WITH THE REAL ISSUE HERE, AND THAT IS TO ARREST THE SLIDE INTO HOMELESSNESS BY, AT RISK POPULATION. WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THOSE THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH THIS ISSUE, UH, TO A PLACE OF UPWARD MOBILITY AND TO SECURE LOCATION FOR A POINT OF ENTRY WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY, UH, SPEAK TO THEM AND, AND DEAL WITH THEM, UH, AT A PERSONAL LEVEL, LEVEL. AND ALSO TO HELP TO PROVIDE A PERSONAL SHELTER AS NEEDED. UM, AND I'M STILL NOT GETTING THIS THING PIECE I SAID, PAGE DOWN. WRITE THIS ONE. OKAY, HERE WE GO. ALRIGHT. UM, PRESENTLY WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, OUR PARTNERS THAT HELP US TO DEAL WITH THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY THE POLICE, THE CHURCHES, UH, HOSPITALS, DISTRICT 19 HRHA FOOD PANTRY, AND, UH, OUR LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND WHAT WE WOULD DO, WE, WE WOULD, UH, GATHER CLIENTS INFORMATION AND, UH, ASSESS THEIR PRESENT NEEDS AND ASSIGN PERSONAL NAVIGATORS TO GUIDE THESE INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE, THE PROCESS. UH, WE WOULD COLLECT THE INFORMATION AND REPORT, UH, THAT DATA TO, UH, THOSE THAT ARE, UH, IN, IN A PLACE THAT NEED TO HEAR THIS INFORMATION MONTHLY. AND WE WOULD MAINTAIN CLIENT FILES. UM, UH, OUR GOAL IS FOR 25 AND 26, IS TO PROVIDE AN OVERNIGHT SHELTER, EVENING MEALS AND CLOTHING, UH, TO HAVE A, A CENTER AND, UH, OF AN ADMINISTRATIVE FACILITY PRESENT. WE'RE LOOKING AT CITY OF REFUGE, LITERALLY MOVING OUR ENTIRE OPERATION TO THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE ST. JAMES, UH, CHURCH EDUCATIONAL BUILDING. UH, WE WOULD PROVIDE DAILY FOOD AND MAIL, UH, MEAL DISTRIBUTION, AND PROVIDE, UH, THAT WITH ASSISTANCE FROM OUR PARTNERS. AND WE WOULD HAVE A CLOTHING CONSOLIDATED AND TO A CENTRAL FACILITY WHERE THESE INDIVIDUALS CAN GET THE NECESSARY SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. UM, UH, WHAT WE WOULD LOOK AT IS DEVELOPING, UH, SOMETHING SIMILAR, I THINK THAT, UH, WAS, UH, WAS SEEN AT NEWBURN, WHICH WAS DEVELOP THESE PODS THAT WOULD PREVENT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS TO FIND THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED TO HELP THEM, UH, GATHER THAT UPWARD, UPWARD MOBILITY. UH, MOBILITY. UH, FIRST IT'D BE AN EDUCATION POD, UH, WHICH, WHERE THEY COULD PURSUE A GED, AN ESLF, UH, VSU SCHOOLS, CONTINUING EDUCATION. [01:10:01] THERE WOULD BE LEGAL SERVICES POD, WHICH WOULD BE, UH, PRO BONO LEGAL SUPPORT. THERE WOULD BE JUDICIAL PROCESS. HELP MANY OF OUR CLIENTS THAT WE PRESENTLY DEAL WITH, WITH THE CENTER, AND MANY THAT ARE, UH, ON THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE STREETS ARE DEALING WITH LEGAL ISSUES AND, UH, NEED SOME HELP THERE. THERE WOULD BE A HOUSING POD, WHICH WOULD BE LANDLORD SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND RAPID REHOUSING, FINANCIAL SUPPORT, BANKERS, ADVISORS, AND FINANCIAL CLASSES. THIS IS A GOAL. THIS ISN'T PRESENTLY WHAT'S IN PLACE, BUT THAT WOULD BE WHAT WE WOULD TRY TO PURSUE. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, WE WOULD TRY TO FIND AN EMPLOYMENT POD FOR JOB TRAINING, UH, RESEARCH, UH, AND FINDING EMPLOYEE, UH, PARTNERSHIPS PRESENTLY, UH, THE CITY OF REFUGE WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UH, ARE ADDRESSING THE NEED OF, OF MEALS, UH, THAT, UH, WE PROVIDE MEALS, UH, FOUR TIMES A WEEK, AND WE HAVE 14 PLUS LOCAL CONG CONGREGATIONS AND OTHER PARTNERS THAT HELP TO PROVIDE THESE MEALS. THERE ARE 35 TO 40 INDIVIDUALS THAT WE SERVE IN THESE MEALS, NIGHTLY WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHOLESOME FOOD, FOOD THAT'S BEEN PREPARED. UH, WE HAVE PARTNERS THAT WE, UH, HAVE ALONGSIDE THAT ARE SCHOOLS, EMPLOYERS, LANDLORDS, LEGAL FIRMS, BANKS, FOOD PANTRIES, AND CHURCHES OBVIOUSLY, TO HELP US TO MEET THAT NEED. WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS AND PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES. AND WHAT THE BENEFIT OF THIS, UH, SERVICE IS TO REDUCE THE HOMELESSNESS, TO STRENGTHEN THE FAMILIES, AND TO LOWER PUBLIC COST. AND, UM, OUR STARTUP REQUIREMENTS, AND I'M TRYING TO GO AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, IS TO, YOU KNOW, IF WE GET THE FACILITY THAT WE NEED, IS TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE THESE SET UP REQUIREMENTS MET TO BUILD, UH, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE A RENTAL, UTILITIES, UH, SHELTER, BEDS, LINENS, APPLIANCES AND FURNITURE. UH, AGAIN, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE FOOD SERVICES AND CLOTHING, SET UP EQUIPMENT, UH, SUPPORT TOOLKITS, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY TRANSPORTATION TO GET THESE INDIVIDUALS FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER AS NEEDED. AND ULTIMATELY, UH, WHAT WE HOPE TO ARRIVE AT, WHICH WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, JOINING TOGETHER WITH THE CITY, WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH CHURCHES, WITH ALL OF THEIR ENTITIES, IS TO PROVIDE A PROCESS. 'CAUSE THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE NEED. I KNOW THAT THERE'S A REAL MAJOR CONCERN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THIS HOMELESS ISSUE WITHOUT GIVING SOME TYPE OF SOLUTION IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. THERE'S REALLY NO HOPE OF MOVING THEM UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF PROCESS TO PROVIDE FOR THEM. NOW, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, WITH THIS POPULATION. UH, WE DEAL WITH A SIMILAR, UH, KIND OF SCENARIO AS WE'RE DEALING WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'D HAVE TO LAYER THAT. WE'D HAVE TO GET, YOU KNOW, THAT FINANCIAL SUPPORT. OBVIOUSLY, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE, PROVIDE SERVICES, THERE IS A FINANCIAL NEED THERE. UH, WE NEED THE FUNDING, THE CITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND AGAIN, PARTNERSHIPS WITH BUSINESSES AND OTHER LOCATIONS. AND, AND WE NEED TO HAVE A MORE PERMANENT SOLUTION TO THE HOUSING ISSUE. NOT JUST PROVIDING SHELTER, BUT ALSO PROVIDING A TRANSITIONAL OPTION FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS TO MOVE FROM THE SHELTER TO A MORE PERMANENT RESIDENTIAL SUPPORT SYSTEM. UM, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. WE HAVE A PROJECTION, WE HAVE AN IDEA, BUT THIS IS, AGAIN, THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS. AND, UH, IT'S A MATTER OF WORKING TOGETHER. AND I, I GUESS, SET ALL OF THAT TO SAY THIS. WE ALL WANT SOLUTIONS, BUT SOLUTION DOES NOT COME FROM ONE ENTITY. THAT'S WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IN THE CITY OF REFUGE. WE NEED PARTNERS. WE NEED PEOPLE IN THE CITY WORKING WITH US. WE NEED PRIVATE INDUSTRY WORKING WITH US. WE NEED CHURCHES AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATION WORKING TOGETHER COLLECTIVELY FOR THE NEED OF THOSE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SERVE. NOW, ULTIMATELY, YOU ALL KNOW THAT A RISING TIDE RISES ALL BOATS. AND SO IF WE CAN HELP THESE INDIVIDUALS FIND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPORT THAT THEY'RE NEEDED, UH, AND SOME OF 'EM NEED MENTAL HELP ASSISTANCE, SOME OF 'EM NEED JOB TRAINING, SOME OF THEM JUST NEED AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT THERE IS A HOPE BEYOND THEIR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES AND SITUATIONS. WE BELIEVE THERE'S A MODEL THERE THAT IF WE PURSUE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHERS COMING ALONGSIDE OF US, THAT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. UH, YOU KNOW, ERADICATING HOMELESSNESS, THAT'S A LOFTY GOAL, BUT WE CAN START THE PROCESS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ULTIMATELY DESIRE. AND I KNOW THIS COUNCIL DESIRES AS WELL. SO, UH, THAT'S SORT OF IN A NUTSHELL, VERY QUICKLY TRYING TO BE THE HONORING OF YOUR TIME. I'M WILLING TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY TONIGHT. BUT THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LETTING US PRESENT THIS TO YOU TONIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR PASTOR COLLIER? I JUST HAVE COMMENT. MM-HMM . I'M JUST, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. LIKE, I, I'M REALLY, CAN THEY SEE ME? MY, I'M SO EXCITED TO SEE SOMETHING. YOU KNOW, THEY GOT A RAISE HAND BUTTON ON THEY COMING TOGETHER NOW, SO THIS IS GREAT. AGREE. UH, [01:15:01] COUNSELOR STOKES, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO SAY? OH, I, OKAY. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? OH, YEAH. YEAH. YES. DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON, ON THIS? I, I, I DID. I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER I'M SITTING HERE. , I TOLD YOU THIS NEW STUFF OVER HERE, BUT, UM, SITTING THERE TRYING TO, OKAY. JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN I CAN SPEAK NOW. NOW, YES. OKAY. I'M, I'M IMPRESSED WITH WHAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT. UM, I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE COORDINATION OF THE DIFFERENT SERVICES AND THE LANDLORDS AND THE FEEDING AND THE, THAT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE. UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT. THANK YOU, CITY OF REFUGE FOR THE WORK YOU'VE PUTTING IN, AND, UM, JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR THIS. I, THIS IS SOMETHING I'M VERY INTERESTED IN. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR STA. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU PASTOR CALLIER SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, OUR LAST ONE, UH, MR. BASSETT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. UH, SO WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A PROPOSED, UM, IT'S KIND OF AN OMNIBUS ORDINANCE THAT WOULD BRING TOGETHER IN OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES, UH, NUISANCE. RIGHT NOW IN OUR CODE, WE ONLY HAVE NUISANCE, UH, FOR THE PURPOSE OF GRASS AND WEEDS. UH, OTHERWISE WE DON'T HAVE A PUBLIC NUISANCE ORDINANCE WITHIN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL. UM, AND YOU KNOW, AS I WAS GOING TO DRAFT THAT FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION, I NOTICED THAT THERE'S THIS WHOLE LIST OF RELATED ITEMS, UH, CRIMINAL BLIGHT, SPOTLIGHT, DERELICT BUILDINGS, INOPERABLE VEHICLES THAT ARE ALL, IN MANY CASES, UH, OLD USING OLD FASHIONED LANGUAGE BEING UNCLEAR, BUT ALSO JUST EXISTING ALL OVER IN THE CODE OF ORDINANCES. AND SO THIS WOULD, BESIDES CREATING A NUISANCE ORDINANCE BEYOND GRASS AND WEEDS, IT WOULD MODERNIZE THE OTHER ONES AND BRING THEM ALL TOGETHER IN THE SAME PLACE IN THE CITY CODE OF ORDINANCES. AND THE REASON WHY YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO ALL BE TOGETHER IS THAT THESE ARE ALL DIFFERENT ORDINANCES, UH, TOOLS THAT ARE USED BY AND ENFORCED BY TYPICALLY THE SAME INDIVIDUALS. LIKE THIS IS THE BUILDING INSPECTOR AND THE, AND THE, UM, AND THE ZONING INSPECTOR. UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, ANYONE LOOKING FOR ANY OF THESE, LIKE IF, IF THE ZONING INSPECTOR'S BRINGING A CASE IN COURT, OFTENTIMES WHAT WE'RE BRINGING IS A CASE THAT HAS A LITTLE BIT OF ZONING VIOLATION, A LITTLE BIT OF INOPERABLE VEHICLES, A LITTLE BIT OF SOMETHING ELSE UNDER THIS ORDINANCE. SO THAT'S THE REASON TO, TO BRING THEM ALL TOGETHER. I WILL SAY WITH THE NUISANCE ORDINANCE AS RECOMMENDED HERE IN THIS DRAFT, IT WOULD GIVE THE ABILITY FOR NOT ONLY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS ZONING, BUT ALSO THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, THE CHIEF OF POLICE AND THE FIREMAN TO PURSUE NUISANCE UH, UH, ENFORCEMENT WHERE NEEDED. OKAY. YEAH. THAT WAS JUST THE BIGGEST THING THAT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, IS THAT WE ARE PUTTING TEETH IN HERE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T REALLY HAD IT IN THE PAST THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REMEDY A LOT OF THESE ISSUES THAT ARE CHRONIC ACROSS THE, THE CITY. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I MEAN, PUBLIC NUISANCE IS A BIG TOOL THAT LOCALITIES HAVE MM-HMM . AND, UH, IT'S, IT'S AVAILABLE TO US HERE IN THE CITY OF HOPE, WHILE WE JUST HAVEN'T TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF IT. YEAH. GREAT. THANK YOU, MR. BASSETT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY? MM-HMM. OKAY. SEEING NO LIGHTS. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, NOW WE'RE GONNA GO INTO OUR REGULAR MEETING. I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. UH, HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE. MAYOR, I PART, MAYOR I PARDON? HERE. VICE MAYOR JOINER. HERE. COUNCILOR HARRIS. HERE. COUNCILOR ELLIS. HERE. COUNCILOR DAY. HERE. COUNCILOR STOKES. HERE. COUNCILOR OLI. HERE WE HAVE A QUORUM. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, UH, WE'LL [01:20:01] HAVE THE PRAYER BY PASTOR COLLIER, UH, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, BY MYSELF. PLEASE RISE. LET'S BOW OUR HEADS. FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE JUST COME BEFORE YOU TODAY IN NEED OF YOUR GUIDANCE AND YOUR WISDOM AND DIRECTION. WE THANK YOU FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN, LORD, TO HELP THIS CITY. WE PRAY, GOD, GRANT THEM WISDOM, GRANT 'EM GUIDANCE AND DISCERNMENT ON THE THINGS THEY SHOULD DO. AND UPON THOSE THINGS, THEY SHOULD NOT. AND I PRAY, GOD, THAT YOU WOULD BRING UNITY TO THIS COUNCIL, BRING UNITY TO THIS CITY SO THAT THOSE THAT THEY SERVE, GOD WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE ALL THAT THEY HAVE NEED OF. WE ASK YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THIS TIME, AND WE ASK IT IN CHRIST NAME. AMEN. AMEN. AMEN. A PLEDGE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY. UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO AMEND THE REGULAR MEETING AGENDA TO MOVE THE CITY MANAGER REPORT, UH, TO IN FRONT OF THE INFORMATION PRESENTATION SECTION? SO MOVED. SECOND. OKAY. UH, MOTIONS MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR ELLIS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILOR HARRIS? YES. MAYOR. PARDON? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILOR DAY? YES. COUNCILOR STOKE? YES. COUNCILOR OLI? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SEVEN TO ZERO. OKAY. AT THIS TIME, IS THERE [CONSENT AGENDA ] A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA? I'LL SECOND IT. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES. MAY I PART? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS. YES. COUNCILOR DAY? YES. COUNCILLOR STOKES. YES. COUNCILOR OLE? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SEVEN TO ZERO. OKAY, MR. ROGERS, THE FLOOR [REGULAR BUSINESS ] IS YOURS. OKAY. CHIEF TAYLOR HAS HIS, UH, MONTHLY REPORT. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. GOOD AFTERNOON, MADAM VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU THE SEPTEMBER CRIME SUMMARY. AND OUR FIRST SLIDE, UH, IS, UH, CRIME STATS. AND THESE STATS ARE THROUGH AUGUST THE 31ST. AND, UH, UH, MURDER, RAPE, ROBING, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS. UM, WE HAD 63 IN 2024. WE HAD 60 IN THIS YEAR, SO FORTH. SO WE'RE MINUS THREE, WHICH WERE VIOLENT CRIME RIGHT NOW WITH DAMN MINUS 5%. BUT LET'S GO BACK TO, UH, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE MURDERS. AND THEN YOU SEE IN 2024, WE HAVE FOUR. AND ON YOUR SLIDE TONIGHT, IT'S SHOWING FIVE. BUT SINCE THIS REPORT WAS DONE, WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL HOMICIDE, WHICH TAKES OUR TOTAL TO SIX. AND THE 800 BLOCK OF CHESTNUT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT, IT WAS NOT A RANDOM ACT. UH, WE'RE GETTING ALL THE FACTS TOGETHER TO HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UH, BRING WHOEVER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR JUSTICE. UH, THE RECENT, UH, HOMICIDE ON RALEIGH STREET, UH, FORTUNATELY WE WAS ABLE TO MAKE AN ARREST IN THAT INCIDENT WITHIN 24 HOURS OF IT, OF IT BEING REPORTED. UH, SO OVERALL WE HAVE SEX, BUT WE HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS STRIDES AND MAKING ARREST ON THE PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE HOMICIDES. THE OTHER, UH, ONE THAT I WANT TO FOCUS ON WAS THE ROBBERIES, WHERE YOU SEE IN 2024, WE HAD THREE. IN 2025 WE HAD 12. AND AS I REPORTED PREVIOUSLY, THESE, UH, UH, THERE IS NO INDIVIDUAL PATTERNS OR GROUP OR INDIVIDUALS. THESE ARE INDIVIDUAL ROBBERIES THAT THINGS ARE BEING STOLEN FROM BIKES TO PHONES. AND WE HAD AN INCIDENT WHERE A JUVENILE EVEN, UH, STOLE A CAR FROM A NEIGHBOR, AND HE WAS CAUGHT AND ARRESTED FOR IT. SO WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKING INTO THESE INDIVIDUAL ROBBERIES, UH, AND, UM, DOING WHAT WE CAN TO, TO SOLVE 'EM. UM, I'M HERE TO REPORT, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST THE AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS HAD BEEN GOING UP, UM, REPORTED THAT WE AT A MINUS 22% IN AGGRAVATED REPORTS, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS. I'M SORRY. SO THAT'S GOOD NEWS. AND GOING TO, UH, ARSON, BURGLARY, LARSON, MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS, [01:25:01] UM, PROPERTY CRIME, I MEAN, AT THE TOTAL, UH, PROPERTY CRIMES, UH, IT WAS, UH, A TOTAL THAT WE ARE DOWN, UH, MINUS 26%, UH, ARSON, WE HAD THREE, IT STILL REMAINS AT THREE. REAKFAST WE HAD 22 WE'RE DOWN 18 MINUS 18%. UH, LARCENIES WAS 201 AND TWENTY TWENTY FOUR, A HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR, AND 2025, WHICH IS MINUS 12%. SO WE'RE MINUS 12% IN, IN ALSO ON THE LARCENIES. AND A GOOD THING TO REPORT IS THE MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS. 'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES THAT WE HAD IN THE PAST. AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT MOTOR VEHICLE THEFTS OVERALL ARE DOWN MINUS 65%. UH, OUR PROPERTY CRIME, CRIME TOTAL, UH, MINUS 23% AND TOTAL MAJOR CRIME IS MINUS 23%. MOVING ON TO MY NEXT SLIDE, UH, THE OPIATE OVERDOSES. I'M STILL HAPPY TO REPORT THAT SINCE WE STARTED REPORTING THESE, UH, INCIDENTS AND FROM 2020 THROUGH 2025 WE'RE IN THE LOWEST, UH, OPIATE FAILED OR NON-FATAL, UH, INCIDENTS THAT WE, WHEN WE, WE STARTED REPORTING THIS. SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. UH, VERIFIED SHOTS FIRED. UH, 2024, WE HAD 33 AND 2025, WE HAD 39. AS I CONTINUE TO REITERATE THAT, ONCE WE GET THESE CALLS OF VERIFIED SHOPS FIRED, WE GO BACK IN THE AREA, WE KNOCK ON DOORS, UH, THE NEXT DAY WE DO OUTDOOR ROLL CALLS, UH, KNOCK AND TRY TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION WE CAN FROM NEIGHBORS TO FIND OUT WHO, UH, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM AND ALSO ANY FORENSIC EVIDENCE THAT WE CAN, UH, COLLECT. SO WE, UH, ALWAYS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN REDUCE THESE VERIFIED SHOT CALLS, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETINGS. UH, I'M GONNA WANT TO TALK ABOUT THESE BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT. AND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE GOT, UH, WE GOT CITY POINT, WE GOT FARMINGDALE, WE GOT COBBLESTONE, WE GOT , WE GOT WARD SEVEN, UH, WARD THREE, WARD TWO, AND WARD FOUR. AND THE REASON WHY I MENTIONED THESE, 'CAUSE I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT NATIONAL NIGHT OUT BECAUSE I WANT, 'CAUSE WE, WE GONNA HAVE THIS AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, AND I WANT TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT THAT ALL THESE GROUPS THAT ARE, THAT I'M JUST REPORTING THAT THEY SHOW UP AND WE WANT TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT THAT THEY COME OUT FOR NATIONAL NIGHT OF. AND MY NEXT SLIDE ON HIRING RECRUITMENT. UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE 12 VACANCIES, UH, AND TWO DISPATCH VACANCIES. THE TWO DISPATCH VACANCIES WAS, UH, BECAUSE WE, UH, IN, UH, INCREASED STAFFING TO INCREASE IT TO TWO ADDITIONAL DISPATCH POSITIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FILL. UH, FOUR UNCERTIFIED RECRUITS ARE STILL IN THE ACADEMY. THEY STARTED JULY THE SEVENTH, AND THEY WILL BE GRADUATING DECEMBER THE 19TH. UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL ALL FORWARD WILL GRADUATE. UH, THE GROUP RECRUITMENT TEAM WILL BE GOING TO BRIGHT POINT COMMUNITY COLLEGE ON SEPTEMBER 17TH, AND THEY ALSO WILL BE GOING TO VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOR SAFETY THERE ON SEPTEMBER 17TH AS WELL. AND UNDER THE BACKGROUND INVEST BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION, WE HAD 13 APPLICANTS, INCLUDING ONE PRE-CERTIFIED AND TWO DISPATCH APPLICANTS ARE IN THE PROCESS AND ALL. OFFICER 30TH, WE HAD A ALL DAY TESTING EVENT THAT WAS HELD AT CREDIT ACADEMY. WE HAD 12, UH, CANDIDATES THAT PARTICIPATED AND FIVE CANDIDATES PASSED. NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. UH, DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. UH, WE'RE CONTINUING OUR FOOT PATROLS DOWNTOWN. OUR BUSINESS CHECKS DOWNTOWN, UH, CONTINUE TO INTERACT WITH OUR CI CITIZENS AND BUSINESS OWNERS DOWNTOWN. UH, THE BEACON THEATER OVERTIME, UH, THAT WE HAD WAS SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER THE FIFTH. WE'RE CONTINUING TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT ON EAST RANDOLPH ROAD AND, UH, ALSO ON APP STREET. AND THAT'S CONTINUED BY THE POLICE AND SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. AND, UH, BIKE PATROLS, UH, ARE SCHEDULED. WE HAD, UH, SOME SCHEDULED FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, BUT AFTER THIS MONTH, UH, WE WERE DISCONTINUE THE BIKE PATROLS BECAUSE THAT WAS, UH, FOCUSED ON THE SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS. AND WE WILL DO BIKE PATROLS, UH, DURING SPECIAL EVENTS AND ON SPECIAL OCCASIONS UNTIL SPRING AND SUMMER. UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OFFICERS, UH, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE HIM, UH, ATTEND THE HR HA COMMISSIONER'S MEETINGS EVERY MONTHLY MEETINGS THAT HE, [01:30:01] HE ATTENDS AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH HR HA STAFF, UH, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, BACK AGAIN, OCTOBER 7TH FROM 5:00 PM TO EIGHT. AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE IT AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER. UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL BE, UH, HAVING THE GRILL OUT. WE'LL BE, UH, COOKING HOT DOGS. UH, WE WILL HAVE OUR BOOTH SET UP. WE'LL BE GIVING INFORMATION, GIVEAWAYS AND, UH, OTHER ITEMS THERE FOR OUR CITIZENS. UH, ALSO THIS, UH, EVENT, UH, WE ARE WORKING ON, UH, GETTING THIS OUT ON FACEBOOK. UH, WE HAVE A FLYER OUT, UH, THIS WEEK. AND MY FOCUS IS I'M WANT TO GET OUT, GET WITH MY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OFFICERS TO TALK ONCE AGAIN TO THE BLOCK CAPTAINS TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE INFORM OF THE DATE AND TIME AND, AND GET A GAUGE OF HOW MANY, UH, CITIZENS AND THEIR AWARDS WILL BE PARTICIPATED. AND IN, UH, WITH, IN THE BEGINNING STAGE OF A, A BUSINESS WATCH GROUP. AND, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT OFFICER HAS BEEN WORKING WITH CITY STAFF AND THEY STARTED OUT IN THE WEST SIDE OF THE CITY. AND THEY, UH, WENT TO THE LOCAL, UH, HOTELS TO DISCUSS THEIR CONCERNS AND PARTNERSHIP AND COMMUNICATING WITH, WITH THE, UH, BUSINESS DISTRICTS IN THE WEST SIDE. TRAFFIC CONCERNS, UH, SPEED BUMPS. UM, MR. MAYOR, YOU BROUGHT THIS UP AT OUR LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND I ALSO REACHED OUT TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT DIRECTOR. AND FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO ALL THE DETAILS, BUT, UH, THE, FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS STANDPOINT, UH, THEY WERE NOT IN FAVOR OF THE SPEED BUMPS. AND IF WE GO TO SECTION 33 14 OBSTRUCTING THE STREET WITH GATE CHAINS, ET CETERA, RIGHT NOW, AS THE ORDINANCE READ, WE WOULD HAVE TO PASS A ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE, UH, SPEED BUMPS IN RESIDENTIAL BECAUSE IT READS RIGHT NOW COUNCIL MAY AUTHORIZE SPEED BUMPS AND PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, AND OTHER RECREATIONAL AREAS. MY NEXT SLIDE WAS, UH, CONCERNS FROM THE FIRE CHIEF THAT HE'S HERE. I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL THE DETAILS, BUT HIS CONCERNS WAS, UH, MOVE WITH EXTREME CAUTION, UH, CONCERN ABOUT THE RESPONSE TIMES AND, UH, EQUIPMENT, UH, WORSE MAINTENANCE ISSUES. AND WE TALKED ABOUT, UH, HE TALKED ABOUT SOME, UH, MAYBE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON NARROWING THE STREETS. AND, UM, ONCE AGAIN, UH, THE ISSUE WAS RESPONSE TIME AND RESPONSE TIME IS CRITICAL. SO THAT'S A MATTER THAT, UH, CITY MANAGER CAN DISCUSS FURTHER, IF SO, DESIRES WITH THE DIRECTORS AND YEAH. SEE, CAN WE COME TOGETHER AND, AND, AND MAKE A DECISION? YEAH. UH, TRUCK ROUTE. UH, COUNCILOR HARRIS, YOU BROUGHT THAT UP AT OUR LAST, UH, MEETING AND I LOOKED INTO THAT. SORRY FOR THE DELAY, SIR. UH, THE CONCERN WAS THE 18 WHEELER UTILIZING THE STREET AS A CUT THROUGH ON, UH, REVEREND CW HARRIS STREET. AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED. I WORKED WITH THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND NEW SIGNS HAVE BEEN POSTED ON, UH, E ON RANDOLPH ROAD EAST AND WESTBOUND AT RANDOLPH ROAD AND REVEREND CW HARRIS STREET. AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT, I DO HAVE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PICTURES ON HERE. AND ALSO, UH, NEW SIGNS WERE POSTED IF YOU, ON REVEREND CURTIS HARRIS STREET FOR THE BUSINESSES, UH, THE POWER PLANT, THE LAWN CARE THAT IF THEY MAKING THAT LEFT TURN ONTO REVEREND CW HARRIS STREET IS SIGN IS A SIGN THAT SAYS NO TRUCK ROUTE. NO, NO THROUGH TRAFFIC THERE, NO TRUCK TRAFFIC. SO THEY, THEY, THEY ARE INFORMED THAT THEY CAN'T MAKE THEIR LEFT TURN. THEY NEED TO MAKE THE RIGHT AND GO DOWN WINSTON CHURCHILL. AND ALSO, WE DID POST THIS ON, UH, FACEBOOK, THIS UPDATED INFORMATION AND MY LAST SLIDE ON SOLUTIONS, UH, ABOUT THE SPEED BUMPS. MY RECOMMENDATION WAS AMEND THE ORDINANCE TO ALLOW SPEED BUMPS ON CITY STREETS. UH, IF YOU SO DESIRE, UH, FOR CURRENTLY OR IN THE FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS. UH, WE, WE'LL BE DOING DIRECT PATROLS IN THE LOCATION WHERE SPEEDING IS REOCCURRING IN ENFORCE THE SPEED LIMIT. UH, WE ARE UTILIZING OUR SPEED TRAIL WITH RADAR TO SHOW MOTORS THERE. SPEED TO TELL 'EM THEY NEED TO SLOW DOWN. UH, WE WE'LL HAVE, UH, SEVERAL SPECIAL OPERATIONS WILL BE HELD THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UH, FOCUSED ON SPEEDING VIOLATIONS AND, AND HOLDING THESE SPEEDERS ACCOUNT. AND OUR FUTURE GOAL, UM, IT'S A GOAL IS, UH, TO HAVE A TRAFFIC SAFETY ENFORCEMENT UNIT TO ENFORCE THE TRAFFIC LAWS AND, AND EDUCATE THE CITIZEN, THE HOPEWELL. AND LASTLY, WE, WE TALKED [01:35:01] ABOUT SKI SPEED CAMERAS AND UNFORTUNATELY SPEED CAMERAS, UH, ON THE VIRGINIA CODE, UH, ONLY ALLOWED IN WORK ZONES OR IN HIGH TRAFFIC FATALITY AREAS IN, IN THE STATE. SO UNFORTUNATELY WE WON'T BE ABLE TO DO MOVE FORWARD WITH SPEED CAMERAS BECAUSE AGAINST VIRGINIA CODE. THAT, UH, CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE OF ME. OKAY. UH, VICE MAYOR JOINER, AND THEN MYSELF. YOU JUST ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS 'CAUSE I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE, UH, TRAFFIC SAFETY DIVISION, YOU KNOW, THE TRAFFIC DIVISION. THAT, THAT MY QUESTION KIND OF GOES BACK. CAN, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE, UM, I'M JUST CONFUSED ABOUT THE VACANCIES AND WHERE WE STAND WITH THE P YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE AND THAT KIND OF THING. CAN YOU JUST, I MEAN, I, CAN YOU CLARIFY FOR ME? UM, LET'S SEE. OKAY. RIGHT HERE. SO WE'VE GOT 12 SWORN VACANCIES, BUT WE'VE GOT FOUR RECRUITS. SO IF THOSE FOUR RECRUITS COME IN, WILL THEY FILL THE 12? NO, MA'AM. NO, NO MA'AM. OKAY. IT'S 12 CURRENT VACANCIES WE HAVE. OKAY. SO, OKAY. SO THE, BUT WE, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE, WE'VE GOT, UM, FOLKS THAT ARE IN BACKGROUND CHECKS AND THAT KIND OF THING. YES. THOSE COULD POTENTIALLY FILL THAT. YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ALRIGHT. AND, UH, WE JUST HAD A, A FINAL, UH, UH, MEETING WITH ONE OF OUR, UH, APPLICANTS AND WE WILL BE OFFERING HIM, UH, THE, THE JOB TOMORROW. OKAY. AND HOPEFULLY HE'LL HE WILL ACCEPT. OKAY. AND, UM, YEAH, 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, PETERSBURG IS UP TO, THEY'VE, THEY'RE FULLY STAFFED NOW, OR I THINK I SAW SOME THINGS THERE WAS FULLY STAFFED. I JUST WOULD LOVE TO SEE US GET A LITTLE BIT ABOVE THAT 12. AND I KNOW YOU HAVE THE SAME GOALS. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS WE WANNA GET ACCOMPLISHED, I WAS JUST KIND OF CONFUSED ABOUT WHERE WE STOOD ON THE, YOU KNOW, WHO WAS IN THE PIPELINE, WHO WASN'T. UM, AND, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S BASICALLY IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANKS FOR, THANKS FOR, AND THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR FOLLOWING UP IN SUCH A, IN, IN SUCH A THOROUGH MANNER WITH REGARD TO THE SPEED BUMPS AND THAT SORT OF THING. I DO HAVE ONE THING THAT DOES RELATE TO TRAFFIC AND THAT IS MAPLEWOOD AVENUE. I THOUGHT WE TALKED ABOUT A WHILE BACK ABOUT MAKING, YOU KNOW, THAT A ONE WAY STREET AND THAT KIND OF THING. YOU CAN BARELY, I COULD, I CAN BARELY GET THROUGH. I MEAN, WITH A CAR AND I DON'T KNOW HOW A SAFETY VEHICLE CAN GET DOWN THERE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, WE HAVE NO, NOT MADE, THERE'S NOTHING HAPPENING. THERE'S BEEN, I DON'T SEE ANY ACTION BEING TAKEN. WELL, AND I, THAT'S MAYBE NOT YOUR ALLEYWAY, BUT, WELL, UH, I, I, I WANT, WE HAD A CONCERNED CITIZEN, A CONCERN ABOUT THE, UH, STOP SIGN VIOLATION AND THE SPEEDING. SO THAT HAS BEEN A FOCUS FOR THE LAST, UH, SUB COUPLE, ABOUT A WEEK, WEEK AND A HALF. WELL, I KNOW, I KNOW. WHICH, I KNOW EXACTLY WHICH, I KNOW WHICH INTERSECTION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. AND WE ARE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH BY THE WAY. WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON THAT MAPLEWOOD AND, UH, BROWN AVENUE AND ALSO WILL, UH, THOSE CREPE MYRTLES. THAT, THAT, THAT ON. UH, I THINK, I THINK, YEAH, I THINK THERE MIGHT, I KNOW EITHER BROWN, CEDAR LEVEL, WHATEVER. I KNOW, BUT I THINK THEY, THEY HAD 'EM CUT BACK SO WE CAN SEE THAT STOP SIGN A LITTLE BIT BETTER. EXACTLY. EXACTLY. YOU GET THAT RIGHT ON MAPLEWOOD. YEAH. BUT THE MAPLEWOOD, YOU KNOW, MAPLEWOOD IS JUST A REAL PROBLEM. ONCE YOU GET WITH THE PARKING ON BOTH SIDES, YOU JUST CAN'T BARELY GET A PIECE. WE STILL, UH, ARE LOOKING AT THAT. WE'LL FOCUS IN ON THAT. ALRIGHT. AND WE'LL, WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON, APPRECIATE THAT ON SOME IDEAS AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THAT TREATED BETTER. I KNOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW IT'S A, IT'S, I KNOW, IT'S A TOUGH ONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHIEF. I APPRECIATE IT. I NOTE THAT WE WILL HAVE THAT DISCUSSION INTERNALLY OKAY. OKAY. TO TRY TO SUB DOWN A SOLUTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UM, FIRST QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND FROM, UH, POLICE, EXCUSE ME, FROM FIRE, UM, ABOUT THE SPEED BUMPS. UM, BUT WHAT ANALYSIS WAS DONE TO FIND OUT HOW THESE OTHER LOCALITIES, UM, ESPECIALLY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND THE RICHMOND, UH, PRETTY MUCH, WELL RICHMOND ITSELF ARE PUTTING THESE SPEED BUMPS OR SPEED HUMPS, WHATEVER THEY'RE CALLING 'EM THESE DAYS. UM, AND THEY'RE NOT IMPACTING THEIR RESPONSE TIME, OR IS IT REALLY IMPACTING THEIR RESPONSE TIME AND THEY'RE ACCEPTING THAT RISK? UM, THAT THAT'S A FREE FOR ALL FOR ANYONE? UM, WELL, I, I WOULD'VE TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE RESEARCH AND WORK WITH THE FIRE CHIEF TO GET MORE, UH, INFORMATION AND GET BACK WITH YOU UNLESS, UH, FIRE CHIEF CAN OR PUBLIC COURT CAN ANSWER THAT. HE'S JUST EXCITED THAT HE HAS A QUESTION THAT'S NOT WASTE. NO, I'M GOOD TO STAY IN MY SEAT. . UM, SO SPEED, HUMPS, SPEED TABLES, SPEED BUMPS, THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT APPLICATION MM-HMM . RIGHT? UM, NOT EVERY SITUATION IS THE SAME. THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME WARRANT. SO, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT A TRAFFIC [01:40:01] ENGINEER CAN LOOK INTO. THEY ALL REPRESENT COMPROMISES TO RESPONSE TIMES FOR THE FIRE CHIEF, FOR POLICE, UM, THAT THAT'S SOMETHING FOR COUNSEL TO CONSIDER. MM-HMM . UM, RELATIVE TO SPEED BUMPS, THEY'RE PROBABLY THE MOST ABRUPT, UM, CHIEF HITS ONE, HE'S GONNA KNOW IT, AND THEN I'M GONNA KNOW IT 'CAUSE HIS TRUCK'S GONNA BE IN MY SHOP. SO, UM, AND PEOPLE WILL KNOW IT. THEY'RE LOUD. THEY'RE, THEY'RE MEANT, THEY DO THEIR JOB AND THEY DO IT WELL. UM, THE OTHER PROBLEM WITH, UM, TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES LIKE THAT, THEY PRESENT CHALLENGES DURING SNOW, SNOW DUTY. UM, THEY TEND TO GET RIPPED RIGHT OFF THE ASPHALT FROM THE GET-GO. UM, SO THEY PRESENT MAINTENANCE AND REPLACEMENT CHALLENGES. UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT I KNOW ABOUT TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES. UM, CHIEF, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD ADD IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NFPA, YOU KNOW, THE NATIONAL STANDARD ON ON THAT JUST ABSOLUTELY, UM, RECOMMENDS THAT THEY'RE NOT USED WHATSOEVER, UM, BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT. I MEAN, IT'S, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF STUDIES DONE ON THE IMPACT TO RESPONSE TIMES, WHETHER OR NOT OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAVE DECIDED TO IGNORE THAT DATA AND, AND CHOOSE INSTEAD TO HAVE THOSE TRAFFIC CALLING MEASURES. APPARENTLY THEY, THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE DECIDED TO DO. BUT THE NFP STANDARD, YOU KNOW, FORBIDS THEM TO BE USED, UH, IN REGULAR STREETS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE IMPACT TO RESPONSE TIMES. AND THAT IS BASED ON STUDIES AND DATA. SO, UM, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND GET ALL THAT PULLED ALL THAT FOR YOU FROM NFPA, BUT, BUT THAT DEFINITELY IS THE CASE. UM, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THE IMPACT TO OUR APPARATUS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD, UM, AXLES COME OUT FROM UNDERNEATH AN ENGINE, UH, JUST BECAUSE OF THE, THE IMPACT OF ALL THE RAILROAD TRACKS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO THIS WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS JUST THE, THE, THE, THE CONDITION. YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THE RAILROAD TRACKS ARE ONE OF THE, THE MOST, UH, IMPACTFUL, I GUESS TO OUR APPARATUS. BUT THIS WOULD JUST ADD SOMETHING ELSE THAT WOULD AGAIN, YOU KNOW, CAUSE A MAINTENANCE ISSUE AND, AND CHALLENGES FOR US. THAT'S ALL I HAD TO ADD. OKAY. I JUST, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW THE, THE OTHER LOCALITIES AND, YOU KNOW, AND MAYBE WHAT IT IS, IS THEY'RE JUST ACCEPTING THE RISK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT THAT'S A PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE, YOU KNOW, UM, ARGUMENT OR WHATEVER THAT THEY'RE, OR POSITION THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE. BUT I WOULD JUST BE REALLY CURIOUS TO SEE, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, ALEXANDRIA, ARLINGTON, UM, YOU KNOW, RICHMOND, WHAT THEY'VE JUST DONE. UM, AND EITHER, YOU KNOW, JUST ACCEPTING THE RISK OR IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE FOUND A WAY TO WORK AROUND IT WITHOUT COMPROMISING, UH, THEIR RESPONSE TIMES. I MEAN, I, I JUST, I THINK IT'S WORTH, YOU KNOW, THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THAT LEVEL OF ANALYSIS AND RESEARCH JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. I AGREE. I THINK THIS WOULD BE A GOOD QUESTION FOR, UH, THE VIRGINIA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE. MM-HMM . AT THE PAROLE'S BOARD BOARD TO, TO ASK, UH, TO POSE THE QUESTION AND SEE WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING IN STATE. EXCELLENT. YEAH. SO WE WILL DO THAT. OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU. GREAT. UM, OTHER QUESTION IS, I KNOW ON HERE WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SPEED CAMERAS AND I KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BE PUT IN SCHOOL ZONES. UM, LIKE WHAT WE HAVE, UM, CAN, YOU KNOW, THE LOCALITIES DESIGNATE MORE SCHOOL ZONES, SO IF THERE IS A WELL ESTABLISHED, UM, LIKE A PRIVATE SCHOOL, LIKE A WESTERN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL OR A BROADWAY BAPTIST THAT ARE ON VERY, UM, BUSY. VERY, YEAH, BUSY. THANK YOU. BUSY VISIBLE HIGH TRAFFIC ROADS, YOU KNOW, CAN WE CREATE A SCHOOL ZONE THERE AND THEN ALLOW FOR, YOU KNOW, CAMERAS TO GO IN, BECAUSE I MEAN, WE HAVE SOME, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF ISSUES, UM, UP AND DOWN 15TH AVENUE, UM, I THINK THAT'S WHAT A CUT THROUGH ON 17TH OR 20TH, SOMEWHERE RIGHT THERE MM-HMM . MM-HMM . AND THEN OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, ON, ON BROADWAY. AND, UM, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL FOLKS THAT HAVE HAD ACCIDENTS, UH, WHERE 15TH AND BROADWAY COME TOGETHER AND THEY'RE EITHER SHOTGUNNING THROUGH 15TH TO GO STRAIGHT, OR THEY'RE SHOTGUNNING BROADWAY GOING STRAIGHT THROUGH. OKAY. WELL, CHIEF, I DON'T MEAN TO STEAL YOUR THUNDER, BUT I THINK I HAVE AN ANSWER OKAY. FOR YOU, MR. MAYOR. UM, SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT'S A PRIVATE OR A PUBLIC SCHOOL MM-HMM . UH, THE RESTRICTION ON THE USE OF SPEED CAMERAS IS JUST TO, IT HAS TO BE A INTERSECTION THAT HAS A MARKED CROSSWALK AND IS WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF A SCHOOL PROPERTY. OKAY. OKAY. SO A PRIVATE SCHOOL IS, YEAH, A PRIVATE SCHOOL WOULD, WOULD BE ELIGIBLE. OKAY. THERE, UM, YOU KNOW, ME PER, I WOULD LOVE FOR THIS TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL. ABSOLUTELY. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST THE, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE TWO, BUT LET'S, I LOOK IN, YOU KNOW, HOLISTICALLY ACROSS THE CITY AND, YOU KNOW, SEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS THAT WE KNOW HAVE PROBLEMS WITH SPEEDING, AND THAT WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT, UH, THIS. OKAY. EXCELLENT. AND I THINK THAT'LL GIVE SOME, UH, CAUSE OF RELIEF FOR SOME SPEEDING ISSUES FOR THE FIRE CHIEF AND, UH, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, BUT NOT TOTALLY YET. I STILL WANNA SEE THE ANALYSIS. . UM, OKAY. UH, ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS? OKAY. [01:45:01] SEE YOU. NONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHIEF. YOU'RE WELCOME. MAY I, UH, COUPLE OF, COUPLE OF POINTS MM-HMM . ON THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT, UM, HOPEWELL WAS, UH, VERY PLEASED TO SPONSOR OR HOST RATHER, A ROUND TABLE WITH SENATOR WARNER ON WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS IN THE REGION. AMONG THOSE PRESENT, THE MAYORS OF RICHMOND AND PETERSBURG, AS WELL AS LEADERSHIP FROM CHESTERFIELD AND HENRICO COUNTY, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN MCCLELLAN, SENATOR ED, AND DELEGATE COYA, WHO WERE, UH, WERE PRESENT, UH, ALONG WITH 50 PLUS OTHER LEADERS AND, AND EXPERTS FROM AROUND, UH, FROM THE REGION. THE PRINCIPAL DISCUSSION WAS, UH, THE CURRENT STATE OF WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, IN THE REGION, PRINCIPALLY ABOUT HOPEWELL, THE HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL. UH, THE SENATOR SUGGESTED THAT LEADERS CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION AND, UH, COME BACK WITHIN 60 DAYS, UH, WITH, UH, SOME IDEAS OF HOW WE COULD WORK TOGETHER TO, UH, APPROACH, UH, STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES FOR ADDITIONAL WATER RESOURCES. YOU AND THE VICE MAYOR WERE, WERE PRESENT AND PART OF THAT DISCUSSION. AND, AND, UH, SINCE THAT MEETING, THE MAYOR HAS, UM, UH, PICKED UP ON SENATOR, UH, WARNER'S, UH, SUGGESTION AND HAS IN, UH, REACHED OUT TO THE OTHER MAYORS AND OTHER LEADERS ABOUT, UH, COMING TOGETHER TO EXPLORE OUR COLLECTIVE OPTIONS AS A REGION. AND SO, APPARENTLY, HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE WILL GET TOGETHER AND, AND SEE HOW FAR WE CAN GO WITH THAT. YEAH, WE, UM, OUR, UH, LOBBYIST FIRM, DBS, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TAKING THE LEAD OF, YOU KNOW, COORDINATING AND ORGANIZING, UM, YOU KNOW, THESE FOLKS, THESE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE, UM, A PART OF THIS WORKING GROUP. UM, WE'VE ALREADY GOT REPRESENTATIVES, UH, FROM PETERSBURG, UH, FROM PRINCE GEORGE HOPEWELL, UM, LET'S SEE, COLONIAL HEIGHTS. NO, NO. UM, WE, WE DID, WE GOT A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CAPITAL REGION, CAPITAL AREA REGIONAL MILITARY ALLIANCE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF FORT LEE'S INTERESTS. UM, WE'VE ALSO GOT, UM, SOME SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, UH, FROM THE STATE, UM, AS WELL AS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR. UM, WE GOT A LOT OF, UH, PE ENGINEERS, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WORKING ON GETTING THEIR FIRST MEETING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE KIND OF LIKE A ORGANIZATION, GET TO KNOW YOU, UH, WHO YOU'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, BE WORKING WITH. AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, TRANSITION OVER, UH, INTO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND COMING UP WITH THOSE, UH, FEDERAL AND STATE POLICY, UM, PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE CAN GIVE TO, UH, DELEGATE COYER, UH, SENATOR AD. AND THEN ALSO, UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, UH, SENATOR WARNER AND CONGRESSWOMAN MCCLELLAN. UH, SO THIS IS VERY EXCITING STUFF, UM, VERY, VERY, UH, EXCITING. UM, AND IT, LIKE MR. ROGERS SAID, IT WAS A GREAT, UM, ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD. EXCELLENT. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF GREAT COMPLIMENTS, UM, FORWARD, YOU KNOW, THE CITY PUTTING THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BRINGING A LOT OF THESE FOLKS TOGETHER. UM, SO THANK YOU, MR. ROGERS, UH, AND YOUR, YOUR STAFF FOR, YOU KNOW, PULLING THIS OFF AND, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY SHINE A GOOD LIGHT ON HOPEWELL. OKAY. NEXT POINT. NEXT WEEK IS OUR COUNCIL RETREAT. MM-HMM . AND, UH, OUR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH YOU TO WORK OUT LOGISTICS. IF THERE'S ANYTHING REMAINING, FEEL FREE TO CALL HER. BUT WE WILL START ON MONDAY AT 11, UM, AM UH, AT THE HILTON DOUBLETREE ANDN IN AND IN WILLIAMSBURG. SO WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH EACH OF YOU ABOUT TRANSPORTATION ARRANGEMENTS, AND, UH, YOU ALSO HAVE SOME ASSIGNMENTS, AT LEAST ONE TO READ THE BOOK THAT WE HAVE GIVEN YOU, UH, WHICH WILL BE DISCUSSED AS A PART OF OUR, OUR TEAM BUILDING, UH, AT, AT THE, IT'S A GREAT BOOK SO FAR. DON'T RUIN THE ENDING FOR ME. I GOT 25% MORE TO GO. OKAY. IT'S A GREAT READ, THIS GREAT BOOK. TERRIFIC. AND, UM, YOU GUYS HAVE GOTTEN, UH, COUNCILOR OLI? THE YES. THE BOOK? YES. EXCELLENT. GREAT. YES. MM-HMM . UH, COUNCIL AND DIRECTORS HAVE BEEN INVITED TO A SENIOR LEADER'S WORKSHOP FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, UH, TRAINING ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, UH, AND BY BEING HOSTED BY FEMA AND WILL BE CONDUCTED BY FEMA, UH, OUR EMERGENCY FEMA FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. UM, AND, UH, ROBERT, UH, WILLIAMS, OUR EMERGENCY, [01:50:01] UH, PREPAREDNESS COORDINATOR, WILL REACH OUT TO COUNCIL MEMBERS TO FACILITATE YOUR REGISTRATION IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO ALREADY. I'VE DONE THAT ALREADY, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR, UH, UH, YOUR PARTICIPATION. AND FOR DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, THE MESSAGE IS, SIGN UP PLAIN AND SIMPLE. OKAY. WANNA SEE YOU THERE. UH, AND, UM, I'LL BE THERE. AND, UH, I, I THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, UH, SEMINAR, UH, WITH RESPECT TO NATIONAL NIGHT OUT. UM, IT'S ALWAYS, UH, ONE OF MY FAVORITE ACTIVITIES FOR A CITY TO DO, AND I HOPE THAT, UH, UH, MOST OF US CAN, CAN ATTEND AND BE PRESENT. I WILL ENCOURAGE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AS WELL TO, TO SHOW UP AND, AND, UH, BE PRESENT. NOT MUCH TO DO. JUST BE AVAILABLE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING A DOG AND PONY PONY SHOW OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S GOOD FOR, FOR GOVERNMENT TO MEET THE CITIZENS, AT LEAST ON THAT NIGHT, AND, AND, UH, LEARN A LOT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COMMUNITY AND, AND, UH, UM, FOCUS ON ONE HOPE. WELL, MOVING FORWARD. SO, UH, I HOPE YOU WILL ATTEND. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, MOVING [INFORMATION/PRESENTATIONS (Part 1 of 2)] ON TO, UH, INFORMATION PRESENTATIONS. UH, MR. PASSETH, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AS YOU KNOW, STAFF CONDUCTED A TALENT SEARCH FOR CITY CLERK. THE CITY RECEIVED 79 APPLICATIONS, INTERVIEWED SEVEN OF THOSE APPLICANTS, AND SHORTLISTED TWO OF THEM FOR COUNSEL TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS WITH ONE OF THOSE CANDIDATES. UH, MS. MICHELLE, ALICIA HOWARD IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT FOR COUNSEL'S CONSIDERATION FOR APPOINTMENT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. AT THIS TIME, DO I HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE OR TO APPOINT, UH, MS. VA SHEILA HOWARD TO BE THE CITY CLERK FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL. SO MOVED. OH, MAN, YOU GOES PASSED. UM, MOTION WAS MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL, PLEASE. COUNCILOR HARRIS? YES. MAYOR. PARDON? YES. COUNCILLOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. COUNCILLOR STOKES. YOU'RE, YOU'RE MUTED. COUNCILOR STOKES. COUNSELOR OLE? YES. VICE MAYOR JOYNER? YES. ALRIGHT. MOTION PASSES. SIX TO ZERO. CONGRATULATIONS MS. HOWARD, WELCOME TO THE TEAM. YES. AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU UP HERE ON THE D IN TWO WEEKS. YES. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. ALL THANK YOU. AND I'M LOOKING SO FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU. SAME HERE. THANKS. SAME. MM-HMM . OKAY. [COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS] MOVING ON TO, UH, COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS. UM, MADAM CLERK, DO YOU MIND READING THE STATEMENT, PLEASE? A COMMUNICATION FROM CITIZENS PERIOD LIMITED IN TOTAL TIME TO 30 MINUTES IS PART OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING, ALL PERSONS ADDRESSING THE COUNCIL SHALL APPROACH THE MICROPHONE, GIVE THEIR NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE IN, HOPEWELL, THEIR WARD 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 PRESIDING ALL REMARKS SHALL BE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNSEL AS A BODY. ANY QUESTIONS MUST BE ASKED THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER. ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL IMPERTINENT ABUSIVE OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INCITES DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND COUNSEL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARRED BY THE MAYOR FROM A FURTHER AUDIENCE BEFORE COUNCIL AND REMOVED, SUBJECT TO APPEAL TO A MAJORITY OF COUNCIL C RULES, 4 0 5 AND 4 0 6. OKAY. UH, THE ONLY PERSON THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT IS MS. APRIL JONES. TYLER, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS APRIL JONES. TYLER, I'M IN WARD TWO. UM, SO FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS YOU ALL WITH A QUESTION, UM, OF CONCERN. SO, UH, THE FIRST QUESTION IS, UH, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO A FOLLOW UP, UM, CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER. UM, UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THROUGH THE SECRETARY, I'M UNABLE TO DO A FOLLOW UP. SO, UM, MY QUESTION FOR YOU ALL TONIGHT IS, UH, WHAT IS THE PROCESS TO DO A FOLLOW UP WHEN I CONTACT THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE? AND, UM, [01:55:02] ALSO, UM, MY ISSUES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS TONIGHT IS WITH PUBLIC HOUSING. UM, SO THE FIRST ISSUE IS I, ME AND MY TWO CHILDREN, UM, AGES ARE, UH, THREE AND FOUR. SORRY, I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS. UM, THREE AND FOUR. UM, WE HAVE BEEN MOVED INTO A HOME THAT WAS NEVER INSPECTED. UM, ALSO MY LEASE CONTRACT WAS BREACHED. IT WAS, UM, THE YEAR DATED 2024. I RECEIVED A, UM, TENANTS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES UNTIL THE YEAR OF 2025. UM, THEIR IFIED INFORMATION ON THE CALCULATION WORKSHEET, ALL ZEROS. UM, I HAVE PASSED COCKROACHES, SPIDERS, PAINT, PULLING OFF THE WALL AS OF TODAY. UM, THERE'S BEEN WATER LEAKS, WATER LEAKS IN MY CEILING, NO PROPER AIR VENTILATION, UM, WITH ME. UM, THERE'S MOLD IN MILDEW PRESENT. UM, IN MY BATHROOM, UH, MY SON'S TEACHER, A NURSE, UH, WROTE A LETTER REGARDING WEBB'S BUG BIKES ON HIS ARMS. OTHER TENANTS HAVE BEEN FACED WITH RATS, CEILING FALLING ON THEIR COUCH. SIMILAR ISSUES. I'M ALSO SPEAKING UP FOR OTHER TENANTS AS WELL. UM, I'VE BEEN TRAPPED IN MY SCREEN DOOR A TOTAL OF SIX TIMES. UM, TO ME THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I HAVE ATTENDED A TOTAL OF FOUR BOARD MEETINGS. NOTHING RESOLVED, UM, TO ADD, UM, THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE ME WITH MY PROJECT BASED VOUCHER INFORMATION. UM, THE RECERTIFICATION, THEY HAD ME DO, UH, REQUIRED INFORMATION FROM MY KIDS. DADDY DOES NOT LIVE WITH ME. UM, ALSO I REQUESTED FOR MY RECERTIFICATION INFORMATION, UM, IF I COULD HAVE THAT IN WRITING, THAT WAS REFUSED TO ME BY, UM, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. UM, I'M SUPPOSED TO BE TRANSFERRED. UM, AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL NOT PROVIDE ME THIS INFORMATION. I'M NEEDING THIS INFORMATION TO, UH, PROVIDE TO MY GSS WORKER. THEY NEED THIS IN ORDER TO HAVE ME, UM, TRANSFERRED. AND THAT'S, UM, THAT IS ALL THAT I HAVE TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. UM, GET OUR NAME? YEAH. WE GOT YOUR, YOUR PHONE NUMBER HERE. UM, YES, SIR. I'M GONNA PASS THIS ALONG TO MR. ROGERS AT THE END OF THE MEETING. AND I'M GONNA ASK HIM, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GIVE YOU A CALL YES, SIR. OR TO HAVE, UH, OR TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW SOMEONE WITH, UM, THE HOPEWELL REDEVELOPMENT HOUSING AUTHORITY ADDRESSES ALL OF YOUR ISSUES. THANK YOU. AND I ALSO, EXCUSE ME, I DIDN'T MEAN TO I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. UM, AND I ALSO HAVE OTHER AT TENANT INFORMATION. UM, IF BY ANY CHANCE CAN I PASS THAT ALONG TO HIM? YES. AS WELL. MM-HMM . UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID OF RETALIATION, SO I TOLD 'EM I WILL, YOU KNOW, SPEAK UP ON THEIR BEHALF AS WELL TONIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU MUCH FOR YOUR, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, THAT'S ALL THAT I HAD SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT. UH, MOVING ON TO OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. POINT [INFORMATION/PRESENTATIONS (Part 2 of 2)] OF ORDER, MAYOR. OKAY. I DIDN'T GET TO VOTE REGARDING THE CLERK OR MAKE A DISCUSSION 'CAUSE I HAD TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. WHAT IS THE PROCESS? 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT, I WANT MY VOTE AND COMMENT RECORDED APPROPRIATELY. OKAY. I MEAN, YOU CAN MAKE, AND WE CAN JUST ADD IT TO THE RECORD. WHEN DO I MAKE IT? YEAH, JUST GO AHEAD AND MAKE IT NOW. OKAY. UM, ON THE VOTE FOR THE CITY CLERK, MY COMMENT WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, I DID NOT LIKE THE DUE PROCESS THAT WAS DONE DURING THE SELECTION. UM, OTHER CITY CLERK, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED MORE, UH, OF THE APPLICATIONS AND GIVEN SOME PREFERENCE TO OUR TAX PAYING RESIDENTS. UM, SO MY VOTE WAS NO. OKAY. AND I WANTED IT RECORDED AS SUCH. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . UM, AND, UH, SADE, PLEASE, UH, HAVE MY COMMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDED TO THE OFFICIAL MINUTES, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS PROCESS, UH, WAS A VERY THOROUGH PROCESS IN WHICH WE UTILIZED OUR, UM, STAFF AND OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE GETTING THE BEST OF THE BEST. AND, UH, WE WERE NOT ALLOWING ANY, UH, PERSONAL, UH, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, UH, TO CLOUD OUR JUDGMENT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. UH, LET'S SEE HERE. MOVING ON. UM, WELL, WE DO HAVE, UH, SOME FOLKS SIGN UP ON PUBLIC HEARINGS. DID, UH, THESE, THIS IS, UH, PAULETTA. JARRET. YES, SIR. DID YOU WANNA TALK DURING COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS OR THE ACTUAL PUBLIC HEARING? UM, I'M GONNA PASS HER RIGHT NOW AND I APOLOGIZE. I'LL SPEAK WITH YOU LATER. UM, JARED'S WIFE. OH, OKAY. OKAY. [02:00:01] MM-HMM . OKAY. UM, CALM, I GUESS IT'S MAYBE COMMISSIONER JONES HARRIS, I THINK. OKAY. THEY WERE HR CHECK. ALRIGHT. UM, AND THEN A MR. MICHAEL MAYO. OKAY. DID YOU WANNA SPEAK ON THE PUBLIC HEARING OR COMMUNICATIONS FROM, OR, OR COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS? MR. MAYO'S AN APPLICANT. OH, HE'S AN APPLICANT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. JUST WANNA MAKE SURE. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. WE'RE [PUBLIC HEARING] GONNA MOVE BACK ON TO OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS NOW. UH, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE, UH, READ THE STATEMENT WHILE MR. RUPERT COMES UP TO THE MIC? OH, I'M SORRY. I'LL READ IT FOR YOU SINCE I GOT IT HERE. UH, EACH PERSON ADDRESSING THE COUNSEL SHALL STEP TO THE MICROPHONE, GIVE THEIR NAME, LOCALITY AND PHONE NUMBER, AND LIMIT, LIMIT COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES OR LESS. NO PERSON SHALL BE PERMITTED TO ADDRESS COUNSEL 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 COUNCIL AS THE BODY AND NOT 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, UH, NO QUESTION SHALL BE ASKED OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, INCLUDING THE ADMINISTRATION, EXCEPT THROUGH THE PRESIDING OFFICER, MR. ROOFER, UH, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UM, AS YOU KNOW, BACK IN JULY, I BROUGHT TO YOU A PRESENTATION ABOUT, UH, AN INCREASE IN OUR, UH, EMS FEES. UM, AS I DISCUSSED THEN, OUR EMS FEES ARE, ARE FAR BEHIND ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS SURROUNDING US. AND, UM, THIS WOULD BRING US, UH, UH, BACK INTO, UH, UP TO A, A LEVEL THAT WOULD, UM, ALLOW US TO GET ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UM, TO SUPPORT OUR OPERATIONS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. UM, BASICALLY, AS YOU CAN SEE IN OUR DRAFT ORDINANCE THAT, UM, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, HELPED US DRAFT, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE BASICALLY, UM, INCREASING IT TO 135% OF ME MEDICARE ALLOWABLES. UM, SO THAT ALLOWS THAT RATE TO BASICALLY BE ADJUSTED EACH YEAR AS MEDICARE ADJUSTS THEIR RATE. UM, WE ALSO DISCUSSED, UM, UH, SOME OPTIONS FOR RELIEF FOR OUR CITIZENS. UH, THEY CAN, UH, DO AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION FOR $69 THAT ALLOW THEM TO NOT SEE A BILL FROM US IF THEY ARE THEM OR ANY OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD ARE TRANSPORTED, UH, ON AN AMBULANCE. AS WELL AS, UH, SOME RELIEF GIVEN TO THEM AS WELL IF, UH, THEY APPLY FOR, UM, UH, REDUCED RATE. UH, AND THAT'S BASED ON THE POVERTY LEVEL THAT'S PUBLISHED EVERY YEAR ALSO BY, UH, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. AND SO, UH, WE, UH, THAT IS WHAT IS PRESENTED TONIGHT. UM, IF YOU'D LIKE, I CAN GO BACK THROUGH THAT PRESENTATION OR THAT'S ALRIGHT. OKAY. OKAY. UH, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD. WELL FIRST, UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. RUPERT OR CHIEF RUPERT BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING? SEEING NO LIGHTS? ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. I DO NOT HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP ON THIS. UH, IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS? NO. OKAY. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. UH, IS THERE A MOTION, UH, TO APPROVE THE FEE CHANGE, UH, ORDINANCE, UH, FOR FIRE EMS AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO, MOVE. OKAY. MOTIONS MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR DAY. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEE NO LIGHTS. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILL HARRIS, MAY I PARDON? YES. COUNCILLOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. COUNCILLOR STOKES? YES. COUNCIL OLI? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SIX TO ZERO. OKAY. UH, MOVING ON TO PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER TWO. UH, MS. ENGLISH. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. EVENING. JANELLE ENGLISH, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE FOR THE SCHOOL DIVISION. I'M HERE FOR, UM, DR. HACKNEY. UM, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET SCHOOL'S BUDGET, UM, BY THE AMOUNT OF $778,650, WHICH IS ADDITIONAL STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING. UM, THE SCHOOL DIVISION'S ORIGINAL BUDGET WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL ON APRIL 22ND, 2025. AND SINCE THEN WE'VE RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL STATE GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $40,650 FOR A, UM, IT'S A SCHOOL SECURITY OFFICER GRANT AND WE MUST CARRY OVER STATE [02:05:01] AND LOCAL FUNDS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 THAT WERE RESERVED TO PROVIDE A RETENTION BONUS TO OUR EMPLOYEES IN THE AMOUNT OF $738,000. SO THESE FUNDS WILL INCREASE THE TOTAL, UM, SCHOOL OPERATING FUND TO $72,574,676. THAT'S IT. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FOR MS. ENGLISH BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? SEEING NO LIGHTS? ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP A PUBLIC HEARING. UM, MS. JART, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY IF YOU WANNA SPEAK. WELL ON THIS TOPIC. I MEAN, LIKE ON THE, ON THIS TOPIC? YEAH. ON THE SCHOOL? YEAH. ON THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. NO, I DON'T HAVE, ALL MY CHILDREN ARE, ARE OUT OF THE HOUSE. OKAY. SO THIS IS MY FIRST TIME BEING HERE, SO NOW I, I'M GETTING A FEEL OF IT. I'M GONNA START BEING MORE VISIBLE, UM, BECAUSE I JUST NEED TO BE MORE VISIBLE. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . OKAY. UH, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE SIGNED UP. IS THERE ANYONE THE AUDIENCE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY. SEEING NONE, I'M GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 HOPEWELL PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO MOVE, I'LL SECOND IT. UH, MOTIONS MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY MYSELF. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. ROLL CALL PLEASE. MAYOR. PARDON? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. COUNCILLOR STOKES? YES. COUNCILOR OLI? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SIX TO ZERO. OKAY. MOVING ON TO PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER THREE. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. UH, TONIGHT WE HAVE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST TO CONSTRUCT SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING ON NON-CONFORMING LOT ACTUALLY CONSISTS OF TWO, TWO PARCELS, EXCUSE ME. UH, 0 1 3 1 5 9 5 AND 0 1 3 1 6 0 0 ALSO IDENTIFIED, UH, OR ACTUALLY LOCATED ON SOUTH 19TH AVENUE. THE APPLICANT IS VETS HOUSING LLC. THIS PROPERTY'S LOCATED IN WARD FIVE AND ZONED R TWO. UH, THE NONCONFORMITIES WITH THIS PARTICULAR, UH, LOT ARE BOTH IN THE WIDTH AND THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE. UH, IT'S JUST SMALLER ON BOTH THE APPLICANT'S PROPOSING TO BUILD A ONE STORY SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING. THREE BEDROOM, TWO BATH, 1,352 SQUARE FOOT. A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, OOPS, LEMME BACK UP. JUST GOT SOME ELEVATIONS HERE OF WHAT THE PROPOSED HOUSE WILL LOOK LIKE. UH, FRONT AND REAR, LEFT AND RIGHT. THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING TO CONSTRUCT, UH, THIS DWELLING, WHICH IS LARGER THAN THE AVERAGE SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD. AND THAT AVERAGE SIZE IS 1075 SQUARE FEET. APPLICANT'S PROPOSING VINYL SIDING, UH, IT'S CONSISTENT WITH OTHER HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND AS REQUIRED BY THE ORDINANCE, THE DWELLING WILL MEET ALL DISTRICT SETBACKS. STAFF IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITT APPLICATION WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS THAT THE TWO LOTS WILL BE COMBINED THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE RE SUBDIVISION PROCESS. UH, 12 INCH MINIMUM EAVES ALONG ALL ROOF EDGES, UH, 20% TREE CANOPY, DRIVEWAY OF ASPHALT OR CONCRETE BRICK OR STONE FOUNDATION ON ALL FOUR SIDES ALONG WITH FRONT FOUNDATION PLANTINGS. AND ESSENTIALLY THAT THE APPLICANT WILL CONSTRUCT THE HOME AS PRESENTED TO YOU. THIS EVENING PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, AGREED WITH STAFF'S CONDITIONS. THEY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL THREE TO ZERO AT THEIR PUBLIC HEARING. UH, THE DEPARTMENT HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY COMMENTS AND NO COMMENTS WERE PRESENTED AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION, PUBLIC HEARING EITHER. I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT THIS APPLICATION AND THE APPLICANT IS ALSO HERE THIS EVENING. UH, MR. MAYO. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, MR. WARD BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE, UH, PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY. SEEING NONE? YES. OH, I'M SORRY. YES, MA'AM. I PRESSED IT TWICE. SORRY, BECAUSE THAT DIDN'T WORK. OKAY. AM I DONE OFF? HOLD IT, THAT'S WHAT IT IS. GOTTA HOLD IT. OKAY. YEAH. CAN YOU HOLD IT FOR ME? MAKE SURE IT'S WORKING OKAY. NOW IT CAME UP OKAY. [02:10:01] OKAY. I JUST PRESSED IT. I DIDN'T HOLD IT. THAT'S OKAY. YEAH, IF IT DOESN'T COME, WE'LL JUST WAVE ME DOWN. NEW PERSON. SORRY, , I APOLOGIZE. YEP. YES, MA'AM. UM, SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A REAL LACK OF PRIVACY AND ROOM FOR THE PERSON WHO'S GONNA LIVE IN THIS HOUSE. I, I WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY BECAUSE WHEN YOU BUY A HOME, THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THAT YOU HAVE SOME PRIVACY, SOME SAFETY, UH, SECURITY, AND SOME ROOM TO ENTERTAIN IN YOUR YARD AND NOT BE INTERRUPTING OTHER NEIGHBORS. I, I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE THINK THIS EXCEPTION SHOULD BE APPROVED BECAUSE OF THOSE REASONS. THAT'S WHY THE RULE IS THERE TO BEGIN WITH, IS TO PROVIDE MORE SPACE FOR PEOPLE. SO OUR ORDINANCE ALLOWS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF HOMES, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ON NON-CONFORMING LOTS. IT'S IN OUR ORDINANCE AND IT'S A PROVISION THAT, UH, STATES ESSENTIALLY YOU CAN CONSTRUCT A HOUSE ON THESE SOMEWHAT SMALLER LOTS. THEY MAY NOT BE AS WIDE AS THE MINIMUM STANDARDS OR THEY MAY BE, UH, NOT MEETING THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOTAGE. AND THE ORDINANCE ALLOWS TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS SO THAT YOU AS A CITY COUNCIL CAN ATTACH CERTAIN CONDITIONS TO THE APPROVAL. UM, THESE ARE, THESE CONDITIONS HERE THAT ARE LISTED AT THE END. UM, EVERYBODY UP HERE IS PROBABLY REALLY TIRED OF SEEING 'EM 'CAUSE THEY COME THROUGH ON EVERY SINGLE APPLICATION. UM, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE STANDARD THAT, UH, STAFF AND, AND I WOULD ASSUME COUNSEL HAS AGREED UPON AS, AS PREFERRED CONDITIONS FOR APPROVAL. SO, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT REALLY ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT AS THE WAY STAFF PERCEIVES IT IS, AS LONG AS AN APPLICANT IS MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS, WE ARE GOING TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL. AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THIS APPLICANT IS MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS SET FORTH IN THE ORDERS, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO MEET THE DISTRICT SETBACKS, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE SHORTER OR NARROWER A LOT, THEY STILL HAVE TO MEET SETBACKS. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION OR? UM, I'LL, I'LL DO SOME MORE RESEARCH AND FOLLOW UP AS WE HAVE OTHER ISSUES. I PERSONALLY, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND OTHERS, MCING HOUSES JUST ON, ON VERY SMALL POSTAGE LOTS. AND I, I POST TO STAMP LOTS AND I, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THAT AS A WHOLE. AND WE TALK ABOUT IT'S, IT COULD BE A FIRST HOME FOR, UH, A STARTER FAMILY HOME AND THIS KIND OF THING. MM-HMM . BUT THEY TURN INTO TO RENTAL PROPERTY ALMOST ALWAYS THEIR RENTAL PROPERTY. THEY'RE NOT, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE HOUSING SOMEBODY WHO HAS A HARDSHIP AND, AND COULDN'T OTHERWISE AFFORD A LARGER HOME OR A LARGER SPACE. WE'RE TURNING IT INTO RENTAL PROPERTY AND, AND I, I DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUOUSLY DO THIS. SO, BUT THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING THAT YOU HAVE SOME PROTOCOLS THAT YOU'VE USED IN THE PAST AND THAT THIS MEETS THE STANDARD FOR YOUR PROTOCOL. ABSOLUTELY. AND WE CAN, WE CAN DISCUSS THIS FURTHER OFFLINE TOO, IF, YOU KNOW, AT A LATER TIME IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION. I WOULD. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY. I'M GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE FULL HEARING. UM, MR. MAYO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MICHAEL MAYO. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF VET'S HOUSING. UH, WHAT OUR MISSION IS, IS WE AIM TO PROVIDE SUBSIDIZED HOUSING FOR OUR VETERANS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE PUBLIC. AND WE BELIEVE THIS PROJECT WILL BE, UM, THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE, UM, A SINGLE FAMILY HOME AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE POINT FOR LIKE A, A NEW FAMILY, UM, OR A, UM, SOMEONE THAT'S LOOKING TO RETIRE AND DOWNSIZE. UM, THIS PARTICULAR ONE, WE ARE NOT LOOKING TO, UM, RENT OUT IN ANY WAY. UM, WE TYPICALLY ONLY RENT, UH, OUR MULTIFAMILY NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS 'CAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO CAPITALIZE ON, ON OUR, UH, SCALE, UH, TO GET THE PRICE DOWN. UM, OTHER THAN THAT THOUGH, WE THINK THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR A FAMILY TO GET A HOME AT AFFORDABLE PRICE AND FOR THE CITY TO COLLECT ADDITIONAL REVENUE. UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER. OKAY. UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? UH, YES MA'AM. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT YOUR VETERAN PROGRAM? 'CAUSE I'M VERY PRO VETERAN AND SO I'D LIKE A LITTLE BIT TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR VETERAN PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE OFFERING. YEAH, SO WE'RE, WE'VE PARTNERED WITH, UM, HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, [02:15:01] PROVIDE HOUSING WITH THEIR, YOU KNOW, UTILIZING THE, THE HUD VASH PROGRAM. SO, UM, WE FOCUS ON WITH THAT PROGRAM TO CAPITALIZE ON ECONOMIES OF SCALE. WE TYPICALLY WILL ONLY DO MULTIFAMILY, UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET OUR PRICE DOWN TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO DO IT. UM, SO ON THIS ONE, SINCE IT'S A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, JUST A SINGLE LOT, WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO PROVIDE AN AFFORDABLE HOME FOR PEOPLE. OKAY. UH, VICE MAYOR JORDAN. YEAH, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THEN YOUR COMPANY NAME SEEMS A LITTLE BIT, SO YOU REALLY AREN'T FOCUSED ON VETERANS AT ALL? NOT REALLY. I, WELL WE ARE, UM, THAT IS OUR FOCUS ON THIS PARTICULAR LOT. UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET, YOU KNOW, AT A, UM, REALLY GREAT PRICE. UM, SO WE WENT AHEAD, WE WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND DEVELOP IT AND, UM, PROVIDE A, A NICE HOME FOR SOMEONE. SO, SO, BUT YOU'RE NOT WORKING DIRECTLY WITH ANY VETERANS GROUPS? I MEAN, LIKE, SO THIS, THIS HOUSE IS NOT SLATED FOR A, A VETERAN TO, YOU KNOW, A VETERAN TO PURCHASE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND YOUR MULTI-FAMILY BUSINESSES, I MEAN, ARE, ARE YOU FOCUSED ON, ON VETERANS? I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT VETERANS GROUP DO YOU PARTNER WITH? WELL, WE WORK WITH THE, WITH THE HUD VASH PROGRAM. SO THEY'RE THE ONES THAT PROVIDE THE, THE HOUSING VOUCHERS, UM, FOR, FOR VETERANS. OKAY. AND WE ARE FAIRLY NEW. OUR COMPANY JUST STARTED THIS YEAR, SO WE ARE UP AND COMING, GETTING OFF THE GROUND, BUT WE DID JUST SECURE, UM, A FIVE ACRE, UM, DEVELOPMENT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF RICHMOND THAT WE ARE GONNA DO ALL MULTIFAMILY AND PROVIDE I SEE. SOLELY TO VETERANS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. OKAY. UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO LIGHTS. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT? NONE. OKAY. I'M, GO AHEAD AND, UH, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. UM, I THINK, UH, YEAH, OUT OF RESPECT FOR, UH, COUNCILOR LEY FOR JUST STARTING, UM, AND IF YOU'RE AMENABLE TO THIS, UM, IS EVERYONE OKAY WITH JUST TABLING THIS ITEM? SO THEN THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD BE, YOU KNOW, SPUN UP OR YOU DO YOUR, I HAVE QUESTIONS TOO, RESEARCH THAT YOU'D LIKE TO DO AND WE CAN, UH, PUT IT AS OUR UNFINISHED BUSINESS ITEM AT THE NEXT MEETING. THANK YOU. OKAY. ANYONE STAY WITH THAT S YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, UH, MR. BASSETT, DO WE NEED A MOTION FOR THAT OR IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH? NO, NO. YOU DON'T NEED A MOTION TO CARRY IT OVER TO ANOTHER OKAY. ANOTHER MEETING. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SO WE'LL DO THAT AS OUR FIRST TIME OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS AT THE NEXT MEETING. UH, PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER FOUR, I NEED YOU TO DRIVE THIS ONE. THANK YOU. UH, MAYOR, VICE MEMBER MEMBERS, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING. UM, I'M HERE TONIGHT TO, UM, HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE SALE OF 6 33 EPPS STREET. AND THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A CONFORMING LOT, BUT IT'S A LITTLE INTERESTING STORY. SO, UH, THIS IS IN B VILLAGE. THERE WAS A, A HOUSE HERE IN THE PAST AND THROUGH SOME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT I'M NOT, UH, FULLY UP TO SPEED ON WHAT HAPPENED, I BELIEVE IT WAS A BLIGHT SITUATION. BASED ON SOME OF THE RECORDS I WAS ABLE TO FIND, THE CITY ACQUIRED THIS LOT, UM, LOT 6 3 2 A AND THEY, UM, THEY ACQUIRED THIS LOT. AND THEN ALSO THERE'S A, THERE'S A RIGHT OF WAY BESIDE IT THAT'S SHOWN HERE IN THIS PICTURE IN YOUR CALF, IN YOUR, UM, YOUR, UM, ACTION FORM THERE, COUNSEL ACTION FORM AND, UH, INCORPORATED THAT IN 2017, UH, INTO A LARGER, UH, PROPERTY, THIS WAS DONE AROUND THE TIME THAT THE STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT WAS DONE. MM-HMM . ON RIVERSIDE. AND I BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THE ACQUISITION OF THESE LOTS WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. OKAY. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM IS, IS WE TRY TO FIND, UM, LAND THE CITY HAS IN SURPLUS THAT'S NOT PRODUCING TAX REVENUE. AND WE, AND WE, UH, OPEN THAT UP FOR PEOPLE TO PURCHASE. THIS WAS, UH, ACTUALLY AN UNSOLICITED OFFER. WE, WE WERE NOT ADVERTISING THIS, UM, BUT, UM, MR. NATHAN DAVENPORT AND HIS COMPANY, UM, MADE US AN UNSOLICITED OFFER, WHICH, UM, WE, UM, REVIEWED, ENCLOSED SESSION AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, FOR THE CONTRACT APPROVAL, UH, THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR PACKAGE. UH, THIS IS FOR $13,000 AND THE APPLICANT, UM, WHO WILL BE IF, IF APPROVED TONIGHT BY THIS PUBLIC HEARING, [02:20:01] UH, THEY WILL BE WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND PLANNING AND ZONING ESSENTIALLY TO REESTABLISH THAT LOT THAT YOU SEE THERE. THAT WAS, UH, INCORPORATED IN 2017 INTO A LARGER PARCEL. HIS INTENT IS TO BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY HOME FOR SALE. AND AS I SAID, IT, IT WILL BE A CONFORMING LOT BASICALLY AS IT WAS BEFORE 5,200 SQUARE FEET IN B VILLAGE AT THE END OF UP STREET. SO, A LITTLE BIT OF A LONG STORY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT THE CITY'S GONNA GET IS A HOUSE BACK ON THE LOT, UH, THAT WAS TORN DOWN AND A FAMILY IN THERE PAYING TAXES AND EATING AT WAVES AND GETTING COFFEE FROM THE COFFEE SHOP. AND THERE YOU GO. SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, MR. BENNETT? OKAY. SEEING NO LIGHTS WHEN WE GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THIS ONE. IS THERE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS? ALRIGHT. SEEING NONE PUBLIC HEARING'S NOW CLOSED. ALRIGHT. IS THERE A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE THE CONTRACT SALE? UH, PARCEL SLASH TAX ID NUMBER 0 6 6 0 6 2 5 2 MFK PROPERTIES LLC AS PRESENTED TONIGHT. SO MOVE SECOND. ALRIGHT. MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECOND BY, UH, COUNCILOR ELLIS. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES. MAYOR. PARDON? YES. COUNCILLOR ELLIS? YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. COUNCILLOR STOKE? YES. COUNCILLOR OLI? YES. VICE MAYOR JOYNER? YES. MOTION PASSES. SEVEN TO ZERO. OKAY. WITH THAT OUR MEETING AUTOMATICALLY ADJOURNS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.