[00:00:04]
[Call to order and roll call ]
WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.[Call for amendments to the agenda]
UM, AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO PULL, UH, C TWO AND MAKE THAT THE NEW R SEVEN AND SCRATCH R SEVEN.UH, SEEING NO LIGHTS FOR DISCUSSION, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[CLOSED MEETING]
AT THIS TIME, IS 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 OR DISPOSITION OF REAL PROPERTY, WHERE 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 WITH 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, FRANCISCO LANDING, AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A ONE TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER PERSONNEL MATTERS INCLUDING BOARD OF COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS, UH, H-R-H-A-C-P-M-T AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A EIGHT.
BANKER V HOPEWELL LAWSUIT UPDATE.
MOTIONS HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR ALLISON, SECOND BY COUNCILOR DAY.
DO I HAVE A MOTION AT A CLOSED MEETING? I SECOND.
MOTIONS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
CERTIFICATION UNDER VIRGINIA CODE 2.2 DASH 3 7 12 D ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS.
LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND TWO IDENTIFIED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
MOTION DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TO OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR TONIGHT.
UH, WE HAVE A PRETTY, UH, FULL AGENDA AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE THIRD MEETING IN A ROW WHERE WE CAN BEAT PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY FOR EFFICIENCY.
[REPORT OF THE CITY MANAGER]
WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UM, MR. ROGERS, WHO IS, UH, JOINING US VIRTUALLY, UH, FOR THE REPORT OF THE CITY MANAGER, MR. MAYOR.COUNCIL, UH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT.
UH, FIRST I WANT TO, UM, REMIND CITY EMPLOYEES THAT THERE IS AN EMPLOYEE OPINION SURVEY THAT HAS BEEN ISSUED AND THE DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 20TH.
WE'VE RECEIVED QUITE A FEW, BUT WE'RE, OUR RESPONSE RATE IS NOT WHERE I'D LIKE IT TO BE.
I'D LIKE IT TO BE REALLY UP 70, 80%.
SO, UH, PLEASE TAKE TIME AND CITY EMPLOYEES COMPLETE THE SURVEY.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU SO THAT WE CAN, UH, DEVELOP A PROGRAM TO ADDRESS, UH, THE CONCERNS THAT, UH, THAT YOU IDENTIFY.
THE SECOND, UH, ISSUE THAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, HIGHLIGHT IS THAT, UH, WE ARE PROCEEDING WITH THE, UH, SEARCH FOR THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL.
UH, I TALKED WITH THE RECRUITER THE OTHER DAY, UH, AND WE, WE ARE GETTING SOME GOOD RESUMES.
UH, THE ITEM, UH, THE RECRUITMENT ANNOUNCEMENT CLOSES ON NOVEMBER 7TH, AND AFTER THAT PROCESS, THEY WILL SCREEN AND THEN, UH, PRESENT US SOME CANDIDATES AND WE'LL START SETTING UP INTERVIEWS IN, IN,
[00:05:01]
UH, IN NOVEMBER.I BELIEVE, UH, WITH RESPECT TO THE CITY MANAGER, WE, UH, THAT AWARD HAS BEEN MADE AND AFTER THE, THE FOY YEAR PERIOD WHERE WE, WE, UH, THEY CAN'T START WORK UNTIL AFTER 10 DAYS, UH, THEN WE WILL, WE WILL, UH, RUN FAST ON THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
AND, UH, GET THAT, UH, UH, TONIGHT, UH, THERE IS, UH, UH, UH, STACY WILL MAKE, UM, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER WILL MAKE, UH, HER FINANCIAL REPORT AND TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT IT.
SHE HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF PUTTING TOGETHER, UM, UH, THAT, THAT REPORT, AND SHE'S UPPED IT A LEVEL AND I THINK YOU'LL FIND IT, UH, UH, UH, VERY USEFUL AND AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE STATUS OF OUR FINANCES IN THE CITY.
UH, TONIGHT YOU ARE GOING TO, UH, UH, IN, IN THE CONSENT AGENDA, BE ASKED TO VOTE ON, UH, THIS PROPOSED FINANCING FOR $15 MILLION FOR OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
IT WAS DISCUSSED, UH, AT THE LAST, UH, MEETING AND, UH, PRESENTED BY OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR.
UH, WE AT THAT TIME IDENTIFIED, UM, UH, THE NUMBER OF ITEMS THAT WE, UH, WILL CONSIDER FOR.
UM, I'M PROJECTS THAT WE CONSIDER DOING, UH, ONCE THAT, UH, UH, THAT FINANCING IS COMPLETE AND WE EXPECT IT TO BE COMPLETE IN, UM, IN, IN NOVEMBER TO CLOSE IT OUT.
UM, THE PAYMENT WILL NOT BE DUE UNTIL, UH, 2027.
AND AT THAT TIME, BECAUSE OF OUR REPAY BACK OF DEBT, UH, WE WILL HAVE, UH, PAID BACK, UH, A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD PUT, UH, LESS STRESS ON, ON, ON OUR FINANCIAL CAPABILITY.
AND, UH, WE, WE HOPE THAT, UH, UH, COUNSEL, UH, WILL CONSIDER AND, AND PASS THAT, UH, THAT ITEM TONIGHT, UH, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA IF THEY WILL.
SO THAT'S, UH, THOSE ARE THE, UH, THE ITEMS THAT I WANTED TO, WANTED TO SHARE.
COUNSEL AND STACY, UH, YOU READY FOR THE FINANCIAL, UH, REPORT? YES, SIR.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THIS IS THE FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 26.
CITYWIDE FIRST QUARTER CITYWIDE.
FOR FIRST QUARTER REVENUES ARE TRENDING 2% OR 4.1 MILLION HIGHER FOR 26 VERSUS 25.
EXPENSES FOR FIRST QUARTER ARE TRENDING 1% OR 1.4 MILLION HIGHER FOR FISCAL 26 VERSUS 25.
THE KEY DUE DATES FOR THE CITY FOR REVENUE IS DE IS DECEMBER, FEBRUARY, MAY AND JUNE.
OUR GENERAL FUND, FIRST QUARTER GENERAL FUND FOR, FOR THE FIRST QUARTER IS TRENDING 0.99% OR 361,000.
LOWER IN REVENUES FOR 26 VERSUS 25.
25 POINT 25 OR 597,000 HIGHER THAN 25.
INCREASE IN EXPENSES STEM FROM THE ANNUAL INCREASES IN CLASS AND COMP STUDY INCREASES.
I AM SORRY, IT'S KIND OF SMALL.
UM, ON MY SIDE, OUR ENTERPRISE FUND BUDGET TO ACTUALS FOR FIRST QUARTER ENTERPRISE FUND FOR FIRST QUARTER IS TRENDING 10 POINT 87% OR 5.5 MILLION, 5.4, EXCUSE ME.
MILLION HIGHER IN REVENUES FOR 26 VERSUS 25.
EXPENSES FOR 26 ARE TRENDING 0.4% OR 396,000 LESS IN EXPENSES IN 25.
INCREASES IN REVENUES FROM ON TIME BILLING AND COLLECTED MONIES OWED FROM DATA INTEGRATORS ARE SCHOOLS FOR FIRST QUARTER SCHOOLS IS TRENDING 0.71% OR 806,000 HIGHER REVENUES FOR 26 VERSUS 25 EXPENSE.
THIS IS OUR TRENDING 3.77% OR 2.5 MILLION MORE IN 26 VERSUS 25.
A SLIGHT INCREASE IN REVENUE STEM FROM STATE REVENUES GIVEN TO THE PROVIDED TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
YEAH, WE GOOD? WE'RE NOT IN SYNC.
WE'VE BEEN PASSED THROUGH ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
[00:10:01]
PASSED SCHOOLS.IT, IT SHOULD BE DEPARTMENT BUDGET TO ACTUALS FOR FIRST QUARTER NEXT.
DEPARTMENT BUDGET TO ACTUAL NOT QUITE YET.
DEPARTMENT BUDGET TO ACTUALS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER.
UM, THERE ARE ONLY TWO DEPARTMENTS THAT DID NOT THREE, EXCUSE ME, THAT WORK, UM, A LITTLE BIT HIGHER TRENDING.
WE SHOULD BE ABOUT 25% AND THAT WAS FINANCE IT AS WELL AS THE MARINA.
BUT THOSE WERE DUE TO REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE.
UM, FOR IT, IT WAS A 365 MIGRATION 'CAUSE THAT WAS PAID IN FULL UPFRONT.
AND FOR ACCOUNTING IS DUE TO US DOING MULTIPLE A CFR IN THE, IN THE FISCAL YEAR.
THAT SHOULD BALANCE ITSELF OUT TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR.
NEXT SLIDE IS OVERTIME BY DEPARTMENT FIRST QUARTER FIRE, POLICE, SEWER OPERATIONS, SHERIFF, AS WELL AS THE TREASURER AND HWR ARE SLIGHTLY OVER, UM, FOR OVERTIME.
AND THAT'S DUE TO THE VACANCIES IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS? NO, I'M, NO, I'M JUST SAYING IT.
OUR ACCOUNTS PAYABLE VERSUS DEBT.
FOR THE FIRST QUARTER, WE PROCESS 4,171 INVOICES AND PAID $19,741,836.
OUR DEBT PAYMENTS ARE ON TIME, UM, FOR OUR BOND ADMIN FEES, INTEREST PAYMENTS, AS WELL AS OUR PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS.
OUR REMAINING BUDGET ON OUR DEBT IS CURRENTLY $4 MILLION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
LAST YEAR WE PRESENTED BEFORE COUNCIL TO ALLOCATE THE FISCAL YEAR 25 SURPLUS FUNDS.
THIS IS THE 25 SURPLUS FUND ALLOCATION REQUEST.
WE WOULD LIKE TO PUT 882,000 TOWARDS CAPITAL RESERVE.
UNASSIGNED 1 MILLION ASSIGNED $399,000.
AND THAT'S TOWARDS THE APPARATUS BUDGET STABILIZATION OF 500,000 AND REPLENISHMENT OF FUND BALANCE 500,000 FOR NOVEMBER.
PUBLIC HEARING IS NOVEMBER 18TH, UPDATES ON FISCAL YEAR 24 AND 25.
MR. FOLEY SHOULD BE THERE TO PRESENT.
WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON 24.
ALL ITEMS ARE DUE TO MR. FOLEY AT, ON OCTOBER 31ST.
AND THEN WE'LL MOVE RIGHT INTO 25.
MR. ROGERS, UM, DAVID ROSE, AS WELL AS JIM JIMMY SANDERSON, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISORS AND MYSELF, WE HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK AND WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT WAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME REFINANCING ON THE CITY'S DEBT.
SO ONCE WE MOVE PAST 24, WE'LL START LOOKING INTO THAT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY COME FEBRUARY, ONCE WE GET SOME GOOD PRELIMINARY FIGURES TO GO BEFORE THE CREDIT RATING AGENCIES TO OBTAIN A BOND RATING FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTIONS? NO, NO QUESTIONS.
BUT, UM, UH, STACY, I WILL HAVE TO SAY THAT THAT UH, NICE, YOU KNOW, FINALE THAT YOU GAVE, UH, WAS PROBABLY SOME OF THE BEST NEWS.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE, UH, CITIZENS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW AND UNDERSTAND, UM, MUNICIPAL FINANCE, UM, ARE REALLY GOING TO APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
ON THIS, THIS IS REALLY, REALLY EXCEPTIONAL.
ALRIGHT, WELL, IF THERE'S, OKAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. MAYOR.
[ACTIONS RESULTING FROM CLOSED MEETING ]
IF THERE ARE NO, UH, QUESTIONS, WE'LL MOVE ON.UH, TO ACTIONS FROM CLOSED MEETING AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPOINT, UH, EXCUSE ME, COURTNEY CURTIS TO THE CPMT BOARD.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY MYSELF.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
AT THIS TIME, UH, I'LL HAVE PASTOR HART, UH, UH, LEAD US IN PRAYER, FOLLOWED BY MYSELF FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
IS PASTOR HART NOT HERE? OKAY.
ALRIGHT, WELL, I'LL LEAD US IN, UH, IN PRAYER.
UH, DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, UH, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES THAT CONTINUE TO SERVE OUR CITY AND CONTINUE TO DELIVER SERVICES TO OUR CITIZENS.
LORD, WE PRAY THAT YOU'LL BE WITH US TONIGHT AND GIVE US GUIDANCE AND GOOD WISDOM AS WE MAKE DECISIONS TO MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD.
[00:15:01]
AMEN.I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
[CONSENT AGENDA ]
UH, MOVING ON TO THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.UH, WE MOVED OUT, UH, C TWO, UH, TO BE THE NEW R SEVEN.
AND AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE REMAINING OF THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY MYSELF.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS]
UH, COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS.UH, MADAM CLERK, WILL YOU PLEASE READ THE STATEMENT? A COMMUNICATION FROM CITIZENS PERIOD LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF 30 MINUTES OCCURS AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.
PERSONS ADDRESSING COUNCIL APPROACH THE MICROPHONE GIVE THEIR NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE IN HOPEWELL OF THEIR WARD NUMBER, EACH COMMENT IS LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES.
NO PERSON IS PERMITTED TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL REMARKS MUST BE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNCIL.
AS A BODY, ANY PERSON WHO MAKES PERSONAL IMP PERTINENT, ABUSIVE OR LANT STATEMENTS OR INCITES DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARR FROM FUTURE COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS AND REMOVED.
THE FIRST ONE THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT IS MS. LAURA GREENWOOD.
YODA STOKES IS MY REPRESENTATIVE WHO'S NEVER HERE.
SHE NEEDS TO RESIGN AND HAVE SOMEBODY APPOINTED IN HER PLACE.
I'M FED UP WITH THIS COUNSEL, NO OFFENSE, I HAVE OFFERED MY HELP.
I'VE GIVEN YOU AN ANALYSIS REPORT ON THE RESTAURANT FOR THE MARINA THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON EACH OF YOU TO DO.
NOW ABOUT THIS $15 MILLION LOAN YOU GUYS WANT.
IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF SURPLUS TO COVER ANY SERIOUS SITUATION SUCH AS THE PUMP STATION.
HAD THIS, UM, COUNCIL MADE SURE THE PUMP STATION WAS MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE PROPERLY.
WE WOULDN'T BE AT THIS PREDICAMENT.
BY THE WAY, YOU ARE NOT ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE TO BE OUR PERSONAL REAL ESTATE BROKER.
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOWERING OUR TAXES AND MAINTAINING THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE CITY.
INDUSTRIAL PLANS PROVIDE THE CITY WITH MILLIONS, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
I'M LOOKING INTO THIS FURTHER TO SEE HOW MUCH THAT IS.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING YOU ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR MISAPPROPRIATING TAXPAYERS FUNDS.
IT'S ALSO MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CITY AUDIT THAT STARTED SOMEWHERE OVER TWO YEARS AGO IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE.
WE, THE PEOPLE OF HOPEWELL, ALONG WITH THE LAW FIRM, WILL REQUIRE OUR OWN AUDIT.
IF THIS ISN'T PROVIDED IN A TIMELY MANNER, I PERSONALLY HAVE A, UM, PETITION FROM WE THE PEOPLE TOGETHER TO BRING A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST YOU AND THE CITY.
PLEASE DO TAKE ME, PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME GO THERE.
I GAVE YOU ADVICE LAST TIME I WAS HERE.
NEVER UNDERESTIMATE SOMEONE YOU DON'T KNOW AND WHO THEY KNOW.
I SUGGEST YOU GO ON FACEBOOK'S PAGE, HOPE WELLS VIRGINIA, UH, CONCERNED CITIZENS PAGE TO REVIEW WHAT WE, THE PEOPLE WE THE PEOPLE EXPECT AND HAVE TO SAY.
AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO MAKE COMMENTS AND LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.
THERE IS NO EXCUSE NOT TO WHERE IS THE CITY'S TREASURY REPORT, BY THE WAY? WHEN SOMEONE MESSES WITH MY FAMILY, MY PETS MY INCOME, YOU'LL SEE THE MAMA BEAR COME OUT.
SO I'M HERE, I'M HERE TODAY FOR THAT.
SO I DON'T, I DARE YOU TO CHARGE ME ONE RED PENNY IN MY WASTEWATER BILL BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN INCOMPETENT IN THE FUNDING OUR, OUR CITY.
NOW I'M TICKED OFF THERE'S WASTE USE OF OUR FUNDS.
[00:20:01]
THIS IS NOT YOUR PERSONAL BANK.DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? IT'S OUR MONEY.
ALRIGHT, UH, NEXT ONE I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT.
UM, CITY MANAGER AND, UH, DEPUTY MANAGER.
I KNOW THEY'RE THEIR WAY, BUT GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
UM, MY NAME IS SHERA FULLER AND I LIVE IN WARD FIVE.
UM, AND I DO APOLOGIZE, I MISSED LAST, UH, LAST MEETING, BUT I CAME IN AT THE END AND I WAS LIKE, OH, I MISSED IT.
I DID HEAR THERE WAS SUCH LOVELY COMMENTS AS FEEDBACK FROM THE CITY'S NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, WHICH I MUST SAY WAS A GREAT TURNOUT.
UM, I WANT TO THANK HPD, UH, CHIEF TAYLOR WITH OFFICER RE DAVID, CAPTAIN TERRY AS, BUT ESPECIALLY TABITHA MARTINEZ AND THE ENTIRE PARKS AND REC TEAM.
ALL THE VENDORS, EVEN HOPEWELL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UH, DR.
HACKNEY CAME OUT, ALL THE VENDORS WHO CAME AND MADE THAT SUCH A GREAT SUCCESS.
AND I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COUNSELORS BECAUSE THERE WAS SO MUCH POSITIVE FEEDBACK THAT I WAS GIVEN.
I ALSO WANNA THANK THOSE WHO GAVE SUCH NEGATIVE, UM, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISMS. WE'LL CALL IT THAT WAY, BECAUSE TO THAT PERSON, THEY, THAT WAS THEIR INTENT TO TRY TO BREAK THE CITY.
BUT THE CITY IS STRONGER TOGETHER.
AND SO WE'RE NOT GONNA BREAK FROM NEGATIVITY.
WE'RE GONNA BUILD AND WE'RE GONNA KEEP DOING BETTER AND STRONGER.
WE'RE STRONGER TOGETHER THAN WE ARE APART.
SO I DEFINITELY WANNA THANK THAT PERSON FOR THEIR NEGATIVE COMMENTS.
UM, AND UM, WE'RE LOOKING TOWARD NEXT YEAR'S EVENT.
WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO TALK TO VENDORS.
WE'RE TALKING TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE SO THEY CAN COME OUT AND SUPPORT.
SO IT CAN BE BIGGER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR BECAUSE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, IT WAS THE BIGGEST TURNOUT WE'VE HAD SINCE BEFORE COVID ID AND WE PACKED OUT THAT REC THAT REC CENTER.
SO IF YOU DIDN'T SEE IT, THERE'S PHOTOS ON FACEBOOK, PLEASE GO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
BUT BETWEEN NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUPS AND HPD, WE ARE WORKING OVERTIME TO JUST BRING THE CITY BACK TOGETHER BETTER THAN EVER.
SO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THE SCHOOL EVENTS.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE EVENTS COMING OUT.
UM, THERE'S CITY EVENTS COMING UP.
UM, AND IF THEY HAVE, IF PEOPLE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, PLEASE SIGN UP TO ATTEND LINDA HELPING HAND AND SHOW UP.
I KNOW WE ALL SEE IT CONSTANTLY POSTED, BUT WE WANT NICER THINGS.
WE WANT MORE EVENTS GOING ON IN OUR CITY, BUT THEN PEOPLE DON'T SHOW UP.
SO HOW DO YOU EXPECT PEOPLE TO DO MORE FOR A CITY WHEN THE CITIZENS DON'T EVEN SHOW UP FOR THE EVENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY HAPPENING NOW? AND I GET IT, THERE'S PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK AND SHUT IN.
AND THIS ISN'T TOWARDS THOSE, BUT THOSE WHO CAN ATTEND, THOSE WHO CAN SUPPORT, SUPPORT, WE'RE, WE'RE ALL ONE.
I APPRECIATE THOSE WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND, BUT IT WAS A GREAT EVENT.
EVEN MCGRUFF HAD ACTUALLY DUNKED THE CHIEF TAYLOR.
SO THOSE WHO NOT KNOW, CHIEF TAYLOR WAS OUR, HE WAS OUR PERSON IN THE DUNKING BOOTH AND MCGRUFF GOT HIM PRETTY GOOD
SO IT WAS, IT WAS QUITE AWESOME.
UM, BUT ALSO WARD FIVE WILL BE HAVING THEIR MONTHLY NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING MONDAY THE THIRD, THE DAY BEFORE THE, UM, ELECTIONS.
FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND, WE DO GO LIVE ON FACEBOOK SO THAT WAY THOSE CAN WATCH IT VIRTUALLY.
UM, WE'RE TRYING TO EXTEND THAT OUT TO ALL OF THE WARDS SO THAT WAY IT CAN MAKE IT EASIER FOR THOSE WHO ARE SICK AND SHUT IN OR WHO JUST AREN'T MOBILE LIKE THAT.
SO WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST, BUT PLEASE BE ON THE LOOKOUT AND GIVE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH CAPTAINS THE FEEDBACK SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER.
BECAUSE ALL OF THE COUNSELORS DO WORK WITH THEIR, WELL, MOST OF THE COUNSELORS WORK WITH THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH CAPTAINS TO BUILD IT.
UM, I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO COUNCILLOR HARRIS, UM, MAYOR PARTON, MS. DAY.
I JUST MET YOU EARLIER, UM, COUNCILLOR POLL.
BUT I'VE TALKED TO MS. JOYNER AND COUNSELOR ELLIS ACTUALLY TALKED TO HIM EARLIER TODAY, BUT I PROMISE THEY ALL MAKE IT A POINT TO BE VERY AVAILABLE.
UM, SO, BUT PLEASE EVERYONE COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE CITY FOR THE EVENTS THAT THEY'VE GOT GOING ON.
I JUST LOVE TO GIVE YOU ROUND APPLAUSE BECAUSE YOU MISS IT.
THAT WAS THE JOKE LAST MEETING THAT I SAID, YOU KNOW, I I LOVE GIVING, YOU KNOW, CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE AND, YOU KNOW, GIVING, YOU KNOW, GLOWING PRAISE TO FOLKS AND YOU KNOW, THE ONE NIGHT SHE'S NOT HERE OR SHE COMES LATE, YOU KNOW, I WASN'T ABLE TO GIVE IT TO HER FACE TO FACE.
BUT NO, REALLY AND TRULY, YOU DID A MARVELOUS JOB.
YOU KNOW, THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ONE OR TWO PEOPLE THAT TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, BREAK IT, TRIED TO BE UGLY, BUT YOU ROSE ABOVE IT AND YOU PERFORMED BEAUTIFULLY.
AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S AMAZING WHAT HAPPENS WHEN FOLKS WORK TOGETHER AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB.
OKAY, UH, NEXT PERSON THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT IS MR. WAYNE PARSONS.
UM, I HEARD, JUST HEARD TODAY ABOUT THE PLANS ABOUT THIS, UH, LOAN Y'ALL WANNA TAKE OUT.
I'VE GOT A SUGGESTION FOR Y'ALL AND YOU SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER IT.
THE CITY OWNS NUMEROUS DERELICT AND VACANT PROPERTIES
[00:25:01]
TO NAME A FEW.THERE'S A LOT ON 21ST STREET THAT THE CITY PURCHASED.
THE LAND AT ARLINGTON NEW FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO BUILT, BE BUILT THERE.
NOW THE FIRST SHOVEL OF DIRT WAS MOVED.
UH, THEN YOU GOT THE PROPERTY OVER HERE NEXT TO THE HOSPITAL.
MY UNDERSTANDING IT WAS GOING, SUPPOSED TO BE PURCHASED FOR THE FUTURE VISITOR CENTER.
IT'S ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD.
THERE'S NO CROSSOVER TO GO TO GO TO A WELCOME CENTER.
THERE'S NUMEROUS OTHER PROPERTIES I CAN NAME A WHOLE BUNCH.
YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS PROBLEM.
TAXPAYERS DON'T HAVE TO PAY INTEREST ON THAT.
NOW, ANOTHER SEMINAR, MAYBE THAT'S WHY YOU CAN'T CATCH UP WITH 'EM.
IT TOOK ME TWO AND A HALF MONTHS TO GET A 30 MINUTE MEETING WITH HIM.
PEOPLE ARE MAKING A, GETTING A LOT OF TRAVEL MILES AT THE CITY EXPENSE.
AND I CAN'T SEE WHAT ANY OF Y'ALL NEED TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE THIS CITY TO HAVE A SEMINAR TO WORK ON MATTERS IN THIS CITY.
YOU GOT RESTAURANTS, YOU GOT, UH, HOTELS, YOU GOT CENTERS TO HAVE YOUR CONFERENCES IN.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY YOU TO GO THERE.
IT'S JUST THE SAME SHAME THAT SO MUCH MONEY IS BEING WASTED IN THIS CITY.
UM, I JUST FOUND OUT HERE RECENTLY THAT, UH, GOOD MAN, THAT THAT SERVED THE CITY AS THE DIRECTOR OF WATER RENEWAL AND PUBLIC WORKS.
WHY'D HE LEAVE? HE WAS DOING HIS JOB, MAN, RIGHT? YEAH.
WAS HE OR, OR WAS IT BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT HE WAS TRYING TO WEED OUT RAN TO HR AND COMPLAINED ABOUT HIM? MUST BE TRYING TO HIDE SOMETHING.
Y'ALL LOOK INTO WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON IN CITY HALL? THANK YOU.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS MR. ED HOUSER.
Y'ALL JUST TOOK $17,000 TO TAXPAYERS MONEY AND WENT TO WILLIAMSBURG, SUPPOSEDLY FOR A RETREAT TO LEARN HOW TO COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH CITIZENS.
WELL, YOU'RE HAVING A MEETING HERE TONIGHT ABOUT BARRING $15 MILLION.
HOW MANY CITIZENS IN HOPEWELL KNOW ABOUT IT? AIN'T NO COMMUNICATION THERE.
YOU KNOW, WHERE'S THIS MONEY GONNA BE SPENT? A LOT OF QUESTIONS BEHIND THAT.
IS IT A FIXED RATE? IS IT A WILL BE NON-FIXED RATE? WHERE'S THIS MONEY GONNA BE SPENT? IS IT GONNA BE ASPHALT PUT ON INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S GONNA COLLAPSE AGAIN, LIKE IN MANSION, HILLS,
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE HERE.
SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE THESE PEOPLE.
AND HOPEWELL CAN'T KEEP AFFORD TO PAYING STUFF GOES UP AND UP AND UP AND GET NO ANSWERS FOR WHAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR.
SO, AND NOW, LIKE I JUST SAID, WE GOT A INTERN CITY MANAGER, WHICH IS A SHORT TIME.
WE'RE GONNA GO BE HERE TILL THE POSITION'S FILLED.
HE JUST COMES FROM A WILLIAMSBURG RETREAT AND NOW HE'S DOWN IN TAMPA, FLORIDA.
GUESS WHO'S PAYING FOR THAT? US 5,000 A MONTH.
YOU KNOW, WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR HIM TO BE IN FLORIDA? IS HE AN EMPLOYEE OF HOPEWELL? NO, HE IS NOT.
HE'S A CONTRACTOR OF ROBERT BOB.
IF HE WANTS TO BE IN FLORIDA, LET ROBERT BOB PAY IT.
Y'ALL NEED TO REEL IN THIS MONEY THAT Y'ALL ARE THROWING OUT.
OKAY, NEXT UP IS MS. DARLENE THOMPSON.
UM, DARLENE THOMPSON, WARD SIX.
UM, IT SEEMED LIKE IT NEVER STOPS.
IT SEEMED LIKE IT IS DONALD TRUMP ON STEROIDS HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
YOU ALL ARE DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO DO WITH TAX PAYING DOLLARS.
[00:30:01]
YOU HAVE SUSAN DAY THAT RAN ON YOUR VOTE.WE GOING TO TAKE OUR CITY BACK.
UM, WHAT WOULD, WHAT DID YOU RUN ON? MIKE
EACH TIME YOU ALL COME OUT, IT'S A YES, YES, YES, YES, YES.
NONE OF YOU ALL TALK TO THE CITIZENS.
IS NO BOARD MEETINGS GOING ON AND YOU ALL HAVE BEEN DOING EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO DO? WHY WOULD YOU ALL EVEN CONSIDER BARRING $15 MILLION AND OUR AUDITS HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN COMPLETED? AND JOHNNY, IF I DON'T, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, YOU SAID THAT YOU DON'T LIKE WORKING IN THE DEFICIT.
IF THAT'S NOT IN THE DEFICIT, WHAT IS IT? IF IT'S NOT THE DEFICIT, WHAT IS IT? IF YOU CAN'T COME UP WITH THE MONEY NOW, HOW YOU GOING TO COME UP WITH THE, THEN BY THE TIME THIS MONEY NEEDS TO BE, UM, PAID BACK, YOU ALL PROBABLY IS GOING TO BE GONE.
ANYWAY, NEXT YEAR, IT'S TIME FOR REELECTION FOR FOUR OF YOU ALL.
AND I HOPE THE PEOPLE IS WATCHING AND SEEING WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS CITY.
BECAUSE EVERY MONTH IS YOU ALL SPENDING MONEY THAT WAS NOT BUDGETED FOR.
TODAY WE GOT A BILL IN THE MAIL THAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO PUT THE WATER BILL IN WITH THE, OUR REAL ESTATE TAXES.
YOU ALL ARE NOT TALKING TO THE CITIZENS ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO DO.
YOU ALL DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO DO.
MY PARENTS TOLD ME, DARLENE, DON'T BE A FOLLOWER, BE A LEADER.
I SEE SUSAN DAY ELLIS HARRIS, AND MA'AM, I DON'T KNOW YOU, BUT I HOPE YOU DON'T BE A FOLLOWER ALONG WITH WHAT JOHNNY PARDON AND RITA JOINED, WANTS YOU ALL TO DO, INSTEAD OF READING AND GETTING UNDERSTANDING FOR YOU ALL SELF, YOU ALL ARE FOLLOWING WHAT THEY WANT YOU ALL TO DO.
JOHNNY PARDON HAS GIVEN MONEY TO WESTERN MAN OF $13,500.
HE IS PUSHING FOR THE RIVER WALK.
HE IS PUSHING FOR SUB PUMPS UP THERE IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOTHING OF TALKING TO THE CITIZEN AS TO WHAT IT IS THAT THEY WANT.
THE TAXPAYER, THE ONES THAT PUT YOU ALL THERE, WE VOTED FOR YOU ALL.
WE VOTED FOR YOU ALL AND YOU ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY.
LOOK AT, 'CAUSE IT'S TIME FOR DARLENE TO SIT DOWN.
[REGULAR BUSINESS]
MOVING ON TO OUR REGULAR BUSINESS.UH, FIRST ITEM IS, UH, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ADDRESS.
I AM REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF MEETING WITH THE INTERIM SUPER, UH, INTERIM CITY MANAGER, MR. ROGERS ON, UM, IN LATE AUGUST.
AND WE TALKED AND AGREED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, COME BEFORE YOU, BEFORE BUDGET SEASON.
WE START OURS AT ABOUT THE END OF NOVEMBER.
UM, AND, AND SHARE WITH YOU OUR LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLAN AND TRY TO WORK TO ALIGN OUR NEEDS AND YOUR ABILITY TO CONSIDER OUR NEEDS WITH OUR LONG-TERM GOALS.
SO TONIGHT, UM, YOU'RE GONNA GET A REALLY, REALLY FAST, QUICK VERSION OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
MOVING, SPEAKING, UH, INTO THE MIC.
TALK MORE IN, YEAH, THERE YOU GO.
UM, UH, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A QUICK VERSION OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND THEN, UH, WE'RE LOOKING ESPECIALLY FORWARD TO TIME, UH, WITH OUR FINANCE COMMITTEE THAT WE'VE DONE SOME INCREDIBLE FOUNDATIONAL WORK, UH, MOVING FORWARD, UH, AS WE, UM, MOVE INTO OUR, OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT SEASON.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR OUR OPERATION STAFF AND OUR FINANCE STAFF WHO ARE HERE.
AND, UH, YOU HAVE A COPY OF THIS.
I AM NOT GOING TO READ ALL OF THIS.
I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT JUST A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THE BULK OF OUR PRESENTATION NEEDS TO BE OUR OPERATIONS DIRECTOR WHO TALKS TO YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SOME OF OUR SIGNIFICANT AND URGENT, UM, FACILITIES NEEDS.
SO, UH, JUST I YOU JUST ONE QUICK SECOND.
BECAUSE I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET CUT OFF ON OUR TIME LIMIT.
UM, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO EXTEND THE MEETING UNTIL WE FINISH R SEVEN? I'LL SECOND MR. MAYOR.
THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S NO LONGER ANY NEED FOR THAT.
[00:35:01]
YEP.HACK, I'M REALLY GONNA TRY TO TALK FAST TOO.
SO WE JUST WANNA BEGIN WITH JUST A, A FOCUS AND, AND AN UNDERSTANDING THAT EVERY GREAT CITY INVESTS IN WHAT IT VALUES THE MOST.
AND, UM, WE ARE HERE, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT BIASED, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THE GREATEST ASSET TO OUR COMMUNITY IS OUR CHILDREN.
THEY ARE OUR GREATEST RESOURCE.
SO, UM, I'VE SHARED WITH YOU OUR VISION.
I'M NOT GONNA, AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA READ TO YOU, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, YOU'LL SEE KEY WORDS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US IN THE HEART OF OUR WORK.
UM, ASPIRING TO EXCELLENCE, UH, PARTNERING WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, UM, INSPIRING OUR CHILDREN, NOT JUST TEACHING THEM, UM, PERSONAL SUCCESS AND PURPOSE, NOT JUST ACADEMICS OR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.
AND FINALLY, UH, AND MAYBE MOST IMPORTANTLY, IGNITING IN OUR STUDENTS, UH, A DUTY, A CIVIC DUTY, AND A PASSION TO MAKE OUR WORLD A BETTER PLACE.
THE NEXT, THE NEXT SLIDE ARE, ARE SAFETY, FUN, UH, A LOVING ENVIRONMENT WHERE KIDS ARE SEEN, HEARD, AND LOVED.
UM, WHERE THEY'RE ACQUIRING ALL THE NECESSARY KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND OPPORTUNITIES AND ABILITIES TO BE READY AND PREPARED TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETY AFTER THEY LEAVE US.
WE STILL ESPOUSE THESE FOUR, WHAT WE CALL OUR CREW VALUES.
THE C STANDS FOR OUR SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY, OUR REAL WORLD, DEEPER LEARNING, E EMPATHY AND EQUITY, AND W WORKS OF EXCELLENCE.
SO UNDER COMMUNITY, WE'RE LOOKING TO FOCUS ON A SENSE OF BELONGING, A ONENESS, SOMETHING THAT CONNECTS ALL OF US AS A CITY AND AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, UNDER REAL WORLD DEEPER LEARNING, WE'RE PRE PRESENTING INSTRUCTION AT A DEEPER LEVEL OF EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT PROVIDE NOT JUST THE CONTENT, BUT REAL WORLD CONNECTIONS AND RELEVANCE TO WHAT WE'RE TEACHING AND WHAT THEY'RE LEARNING.
UNDER EMPATHY AND EQUITY, WE JUST DON'T FOCUS ON AN ACADEMIC, UM, ORIENTATION.
BUT WE, WE WORK TO TEACH OUR STUDENTS COMPASSION, WALKING IN OTHER PEOPLE'S SHOES AND EMBRACING EQUITY WHERE EVERY CHILD HAS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW, UM, IN OUR DISTRICT WHERE THEY ALL GET WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND FINALLY, WE HAVE THE HIGHEST STANDARD OF EXPECTATION FOR QUALITY FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
AGAIN, NOT READING, BUT, UH, OUR CORE BELIEFS.
THERE'S DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN GOOD SCHOOLS AND A GOOD, GOOD CITY.
UM, ONE THAT RESPECTS OUR STUDENTS, LOVES OUR STUDENTS, HAS HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF THEIR ABILITIES, ET CETERA.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT FEW SLIDES ARE AROUND OUR CURRENT REALITIES.
WE FELT LIKE IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH SORT OF AN, AN URGENCY OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IN BUDGET SEASON, WE NEED YOU TO KNOW WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY FACING, SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES, SOME OF OUR ORGANIZATIONAL VULNERABILITIES.
SO THERE ARE FIVE AREAS THAT OF FOCUS, THAT OUR STRATEGIC PLAN OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WILL HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES AND, AND NEEDS THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME HELP WITH.
UM, THE FIRST IS, UH, UH, IS THE ACADEMIC, UH, IMPROVEMENT AND OUR CULTURE IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
AND I'M JUST GONNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THESE, UH, UH, OUR, OUR SCHOOLS ARE ALL NOT FULLY ACCREDITED, AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY OUR GOAL.
OUR BALANCE CALENDAR WE BELIEVE IS WORKING, BUT AT SOME POINT THERE IS GOING TO BE AN EXPECTATION AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT THE LOCALITY TAKEOVER THE COSTS OF THAT.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, SINCE COVID, WE HAVE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN STUDENT JUST UNIQUE NEEDS, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND BEHAVIORAL.
UM, WE ARE FINDING AN EXTENDED NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT TO SUPPORT THEIR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF INCREASED PROGRAMMING THAT WE BELIEVE THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND, AND, AND CONTINUE TO, UM, ADVANCE.
UM, THE SECOND AREA, SECOND THIRD AREA IS AROUND STAFFING, STAFFING, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE, UM, SO SOME OF OUR CURRENT REALITIES IN THAT AREA THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY CONCERNING US IS THE NUMBER OF PROPERLY LICENSED AND ENDORSED TEACHERS HAS SIGNIFICANTLY BEEN REDUCED.
THAT'S A NATIONAL PROBLEM, NOT UNIQUE TO HOPEWELL, BUT A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN HERE.
UM, 60% OF OUR TEACHERS ARE, ARE FULLY LICENSED, WHICH MEANS 40% OF THEM ARE NOT.
SO ONE IN THREE TEACHERS IN A HOPEWELL CLASSROOM DOES NOT HAVE A PROPER LICENSE, UH, UH, TO TEACH.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AND WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME HELP WITH THAT.
UM, APPROPRIATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN PARTICULAR FOR THOSE UNLICENSED OR NEW TEACHERS, NEW TO THE FIELD, AND IN SOME CASES, NOT HAVING A TEACHER PREPARATION PROGRAM.
UM, PREVIOUSLY, UH, AND IT'S, AND ALSO IN THAT AREA, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE HAVE BECOME LESS COMPETITIVE IN RETAINING HIGHLY QU, HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO STAY COMPETITIVE AT THE STARTING SALARY RANGE, BUT WE ARE REALLY FALLING BEHIND IN THE MID AND UPPER RANGES.
AND WE HAVE SOME ROCKSTAR VETERAN TEACHERS THAT WHEN THEY GET TO A CERTAIN THRESHOLD, THEY CAN GO TO
[00:40:01]
ONE OF A NUMBER OF SURROUNDING DISTRICTS AND MAKE A LOT MORE MONEY FOR THE SAME JOB.SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT WAYS TO INCREASE THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, NATIONALLY, THE MORALE OF TEACHERS HAS, HAS BEEN REDUCED.
SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS ONE OF OUR CURRENT REALITIES THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON UNDER COMMUNITY PARTNER PARTNERSHIPS, OUR PARENT ENGAGEMENT CONTINUES TO DECREASE AS STUDENT AGE, AS STUDENTS' AGE.
WE WISH THAT OUR PARENTS WOULD BE AS INVOLVED AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AS THEY ARE AT THE, THE PRE-K AND THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
BUT, SO WE WANNA CONTINUE TO REALLY WORK TOWARDS, UM, BETTER ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR FAMILIES AND OUR COMMUNITY.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A VERY BENEVOLENT CITY AND PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO HELP.
BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'VE GOT SOME WORK TO DO BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME UNTAPPED RESOURCES THAT ARE OUT THERE AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE CAN MAKE THAT, UM, UH, IN MOVING INTO THE FUTURE.
AND FINALLY, AND THE, THE ONE THAT YOU ALL, IN PARTICULAR THROUGH YOUR WONDERFUL FINANCE, UM, COMMITTEE AND, AND FACILITIES COMMITTEE IS OUR, OUR BIGGEST AND MOST URGENT, UM, PRIORITY IS OUR FACILITIES.
AND, AND THE CURRENT REALITY IS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN MINIMAL, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO, UM, FUND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS SINCE OUR BUILDING BUS REPLACEMENT FUND HAS ENDED.
AND WE'RE HAPPY AND EXCITED THAT THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, BACK IN PLACE.
UM, BUT THERE, AS A RESULT OF THAT, MANY OF OUR BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT NEEDS HAVE, UH, BEEN COMPOUNDED OVER TIME.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST TO REITERATE, OUR FIVE FOCUS AREAS OF OUR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN ARE ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT, UH, IMPROVEMENT OF SCHOOL CLIMATE IN ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS, ENHANCEMENTS TO OUR STAFFING AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
UM, INCREASED COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS TO, UH, IMPROVE AND ENHANCE SOME OF OUR SIGNIFICANT AND URGENT FACILITIES NEEDS.
UH, IN YOUR PACKET, AND I'M GONNA JUST FLY RIGHT OVER THEM.
EACH ONE OF THOSE FIVE AREAS HAS A, A LIST OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT, UM, YOU, YOU CAN SEE, UH, AROUND ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT, INCREASING A NUMBER OF TARGETED PROGRAMS FOR OUR KIDS WHO NEED MORE SUPPORTING OUR STAFF, UH, IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND THEIR RETENTION, DEVELOPING MORE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, AND ULTIMATELY OUR FACILITIES, WHICH AGAIN, IS OUR MOST URGENT AREA BECAUSE IT IMPACTS ALL THAT WE DO.
SO, UH, AGAIN, WE'RE GRATEFUL TO THE BUDGET AND FINANCE, UM, COMMITTEES OF BOTH THE COUNCIL AND OUR SCHOOL BOARD.
THEY HAVE DONE A LOT OF WORK AND HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS TO BOTH DEFINE AND EXPLAIN, UM, THE URGENCY OF OUR WORK WITH RESPECT TO OUR FACILITY.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN, UH, THE, THIS PART OF THE PROGRAM OVER TO, UM, BERLIN, GREGORY, OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, WHO'S GONNA DO A DEEPER DIVE, UM, INTO, UH, OUR FACILITIES ISSUES.
WE, UH, WE'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE OUR OVERALL CAPITAL BUDGET WITH COUNCIL BEFORE AND WITH THE, UM, FINANCE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND WE'VE REALLY APPRECIATED THAT PARTNERSHIP AND THAT WORK.
UM, WE WANTED TO SHARE HOW THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR, UM, ONGOING STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY PROBABLY ONE OF OUR GREATEST NEEDS.
AND, YOU KNOW, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IN SCHOOLS ARE NOT JUST COSTS, THEY'RE CATALYSTS.
UM, THEY RAISE PROPERTY VALUE, STRENGTHEN NEIGHBORHOODS, ATTRACT FAMILIES, AND BUILD THE WORKFORCE THAT THIS CITY DEPENDS ON.
AND I'VE BEEN IN, THIS IS MY 25TH YEAR IN EDUCATION.
THE MAJORITY OF IT'S SPENT ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL SIDE OF THE HOUSE, AND I'VE NEVER HEARD PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THIS.
UM, YALE JUST RELEASED A STUDY.
UM, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA IS LOOKING AT, UH, HOW THEY CAN START TO IMPROVE THE FACILITIES BECAUSE IT'S EXTREMELY DISPROPORTIONATE, UM, IN THE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS THAT ARE GOING INTO SCHOOLS.
SO YALE DID A STUDY AND THEY'VE DONE A DIRECT CORRELATION TO, UM, WHAT CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, SPECIFICALLY BUILDING ENVELOPE PROJECTS DO TO STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES.
YOU KNOW, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT PROGRAMS, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, CURRICULUM, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD MANY PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE, THE IMPACT THAT, UH, CAPITAL INVESTMENTS MAKE.
THEY FOUND THAT, UM, STUDENTS GAINED SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS OF INSTRUCTIONAL, UM, PROGRESS, UM, OVER A THREE TO EIGHT YEAR PERIOD.
THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT JUMP.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE, THE CHARTS THERE IN YOUR, UM, PACKET.
BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HVAC IN ROOFING, WHICH ARE TWO OF OUR GREATEST NEEDS, THOSE HAVE THE GREATEST DIRECT CORRELATION TO STUDENT ACADEMIC OUTCOMES.
THEY ALSO, UH, TOOK THE STUDY A STEP FURTHER AND THEY
[00:45:01]
DISCOVERED THAT THERE'S A DIRECT CORRELATION TO ATHLETICS FACILITIES AND THE MEDIAN, MEDIAN HOUSE PRICES, UH, IN THE COMMUNITIES WHERE THOSE INVESTMENTS WERE MADE.AND, AND SO WE'RE SEEING WHERE THESE PROJECTS ARE TAKING ON THAT ONE, SUITING, ACADEMICS IS GOING UP, AND TWO, THE HOUSE PRICES ARE GOING UP BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENTS IN SCHOOLS.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY FASCINATING RESEARCH BECAUSE NOBODY'S REALLY TALKING ABOUT IT.
UM, AND IT'S DEFINITELY DISPROPORTIONATE.
UM, WE'RE SEEING HIGHER, UM, MORE AFFLUENT COMMUNITIES THAT THE COST PER PUPIL IS EXTREMELY, UH, HIGH VERSUS, UH, LOWER INCOME COMMUNITIES.
WE'RE JUST NOT SEEING THOSE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, SO YOU'VE SEEN THE SPREADSHEET, UM, AND IT'S OVERWHELMING.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE $61 MILLION WORTH OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S, THEY COMPOUND OVER TIME.
WE LOOK AT BUILDINGS LIKE WOODLAWN THAT NEED TO BE COMPLETELY, UH, UH, REBUILT, AND IT'S A LOT, IT'S OVERWHELMING.
IT IS THE HVAC SYSTEM AT HOPEWELL HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, THE ROOF AT CARTER G WOODSON AND OUR SCHOOL BUS REPLACEMENT.
UM, AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, THERE IS NO QUICK FIX FOR THE, UH, UM, HVAC SYSTEM AT HOPPO HIGH SCHOOL.
THE PIPING THAT RUNS THE GEOTHERMAL, THE GEOTHERMAL WELLS, THE, UM, IS CORRODED.
IT'S FALLING APART, AND THERE IS NO, NO FIX TO THAT.
AND SO WE ARE IN A POSITION WHERE, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S DIRE.
UM, IF WE LOSE, AND HERE'S THE WE COMPRESSORS THAT ARE RATED TO LAST 20 YEARS, WE'RE SEEING THEM LAST 18 MONTHS.
SOME OF THOSE COMPRESSORS ARE 20, $30,000 A PIECE WHEN YOU HAVE TO REPLACE MULTIPLE OF THEM, UH, WHICH WE HAD TO DO THIS PAST SUMMER WAS $175,000.
UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S SIGNIFICANT.
SHOULD THERE BE A FAILURE AND ONE OF THE PIPES JUST CORRODES COMPLETELY ON US, UM, THERE IS NO FIX TO THAT.
WE WON'T HAVE AIR CONDITION, UH, IN THE SCHOOL.
UH, BECAUSE OF THE CITY'S WORK, THE FINANCE, UH, COMMITTEE'S WORK.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MOVE SOME CONVERSATIONS FORWARD WITH, UH, SOME OF THE HVAC PARTNERS IN THE AREA, UM, WHERE THEY WEREN'T WILLING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION BEFORE BECAUSE THERE WAS NO FUNDING SOURCE.
UH, THEY'RE HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS NOW BECAUSE THEY SEE THE, THE CITY IS IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE.
AND SO WE, THAT PRICE IS SITTING SOMEWHERE AROUND, UM, $4 MILLION TO REPLACE THE YOUTH TOP ROOFTOP UNITS, UH, TO VACATE THE, THE GEOTHERMAL, UM, FOR HVAC.
UM, THE NEXT, UH, KIND OF DESPERATE SITUATION IS THE ROOF AT CARTER G.
UM, THE ENTIRE ROOF NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.
WE RECEIVED A GRANT, WE REPLACED A PIECE OF IT THIS PAST YEAR, UM, THE SIXTH GRADE WING AND THE GYM.
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE PICTURES UP THERE.
IF, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT VIDEO, UM, ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN LITERALLY JUST SQUEEZE WATER, UM, OUT OF, UH, THE INSULATION.
UM, WE, AFTER WE DID THE CORE SAMPLES, YOU CAN SEE THE INSULATION AND, UH, YOU CAN SQUEEZE THE WATER OUT.
UM, WE HAVEN'T, SINCE THE BUILDING BUS REPLACEMENT FUND WENT AWAY, AND, UM, YOU ALL KNOW THIS ALREADY, UM, KIND OF THE AVERAGE YOU WANT TO KEEP BUSES ON THE ROAD IS ABOUT, UM, 15 YEARS.
THAT'S WHAT, UM, PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
UH, WE HAVE 11 BUSES THAT GO OUT THIS YEAR FOR NEXT YEAR, THREE THE YEAR AFTER, UH, FIVE, THE YEAR AFTER THAT.
THERE HASN'T BEEN A, BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT FUND IN PLACE, THERE'S BEEN NO OPPORTUNITY, NO, UM, FUNDING SOURCE TO START TO REPLACE THOSE BUSES.
SO THEY'RE, WE HAVE 11 RIGHT NOW THAT ARE, THAT ARE REACHING THEIR AGE LIMIT.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, IT'S TOUGH IN A COUPLE OF SENSES.
ONE, PROBABLY THE, THE, THE MORE URGENT IS THEY TAKE SO LONG TO GET WHEN YOU FINALLY ARE ABLE TO, UH, ATTAIN A, A FUNDING SOURCE.
AND SO IT'S NOT ALL, UH, BAD NEWS EITHER BECAUSE OF THE, THE CONVERSATIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE HAD.
UM, WITH THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MOU IN PLACE AND WE'RE ABLE TO SAVE EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE CAN, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RELAUNCH SOME RESOURCES ON OUR SIDE.
WE HAVE, UH, MOVED AROUND SOME POSITIONS AND CREATED A PROJECT MANAGER POSITION.
SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE MULTI-YEAR HARD TO GET INTO, VERY COMPLEX REQUIRED ENGINEERING STAMPS AND, UH, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN, UH, ARCHITECTURE.
[00:50:01]
OF THOSE THAT WE JUST HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, IN THE PAST BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY NOW TO, UH, WITH THE MOU IN PLACE TO CARRY SOME FUNDS OVER, UH, WE STARTED TO THINK ABOUT THINGS DIFFERENTLY.UM, INSTEAD OF KNOWING THAT WE, WE CAN'T MOVE SOMETHING FORWARD BECAUSE THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY, NOW THAT WE HAVE THAT IN PLACE, WE, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE EVERY DOLLAR WE CAN TO, TO SUPPORT A CAPITAL PROJECT.
AND SO IF YOU'LL MOVE THE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SEE ON THE, ON THE BOTTOM OF OUR LIST, THINGS LIKE, UM, FLOORING REPLACEMENTS, THINGS LIKE, UH, PAINTING A WAREHOUSE, UH, THINGS OF THOSE, UH, UH, THAT NATURE, PARKING LOTS.
WHILE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO PAVE PARKING LOTS, WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW WE CAN JUST MANAGE EVERY RESOURCE THAT WE HAVE.
AND, UH, IF YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, YOU SAW MYER ON THE, ON THE LIST, UM, YOU KNOW, UP, UP IN THE TOP LEFT HAND CORNER.
THAT'S WHAT MYER USED TO LOOK LIKE.
UM, AND, AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO, TO MOVE SOME FUNDS AROUND, UH, CARRY SOME FUNDS OVER AND GET MYER, UH, REDONE.
UH, SOME OF THE PARKING LOTS WERE JUST FALLING APART.
WE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO, TO GET THOSE GRAVELED AND, AND REDONE.
WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE IT AND INVEST EVERY DOLLAR WE CAN IN, UM, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUILD A NEW WAREHOUSE, BUT WE'RE GETTING CREATIVE IN SPACES THAT WE OWN.
SO WE'VE CREATED A WAREHOUSE AND A SPACE THAT WE'VE ALREADY, WE ALREADY OWN.
AND WE'RE CHECKING THAT OFF OF OUR, OUR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE LIST.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'LL KEEP GOING, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS JUST COMPOUND OVER TIME WITH DEFERRED MAINTENANCE, BECAUSE WE WERE SITTING, UH, THE MINDSET, I THINK WAS WAITING ON BUILDING SOMETHING NEW AND NOT SO MUCH IN HOW WE USE DOLLARS TO INVEST IN WHAT WE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED TO JUST REBUILD, REPAINT, TAKE CARE OF ALL THE, UH, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE THINGS THAT HAVE GONE, UH, JUST UNDONE FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO, IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT STOP SLIDE, TRYING TO, UH, STRETCH EVERY DOLLAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED TO THINK ABOUT THINGS, UH, AS CREATIVELY AS WE CAN.
AND SO, UM, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN CONVERSATIONS TO HELP FUND A PIECE OF THE, THE ROOF AT CARTER G.
UM, WE HAVE FOUND, UM, A, A STATE CONSTRUCTION GRANT TO, TO TAKE US, UH, UH, ABOUT HALF THE WAY.
UM, AND WE FOUND A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH ANOTHER GRANT.
AND WE'RE ABOUT $200,000 SHORT, AND WE CAN GET ANOTHER PIECE OF THE ROOF DONE.
AND SO, WHILE, YOU KNOW, THE ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS WE NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ROOF.
WE'RE JUST CHIPPING AWAY AT IT AND FINDING EVERY FUNDING SOURCE WE CAN.
SO THAT GREEN PORTION OF THE ROOF UP THERE, THE WORST PORTION WHERE YOU SAW THE WATER BEING, WE RUNG OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH CITY COUNCIL SUPPORT, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT PIECE OF ROOFING DONE.
THE OTHER BLUE SECTIONS STILL NEED TO BE DONE.
UM, BUT WE CAN'T WAIT, UH, TO FUND THE $2 MILLION PROJECT.
WE HAVE TO GET EVERY PIECE THAT WE CAN GET DONE, UH, WITH, WITH WHAT RESOURCES WE HAVE.
ANOTHER THING I LISTED ON HERE WAS, YOU KNOW, UH, THE SECURITY GRANT.
WE'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT THINGS DIFFERENTLY TOO, AND HOW WE CAN USE OPPORTUNITIES LIKE A SECURITY GRANT, BUT HOW DOES THAT SUPPORT LIGHTING? AND SO WE'VE WRITTEN INTO OUR SECURITY GRANT THAT ALL THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING AROUND OUR BUILDINGS, THINGS THAT, AGAIN, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE THAT JUST HAVEN'T BEEN TAKEN CARE OF BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE FUNDS.
OUR SECURITY GRANT NOW IS GOING TO FUND SOME UPDATED LIGHTING FOR SAFETY.
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS RESPONSIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE EVERY PIECE OF FUNDING THAT WE CAN.
UM, WE'VE PRESENTED THIS, UH, A COUPLE OF TIMES AND IT, IT STARTS TO FEEL DESPERATE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE HOPE TOO BECAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE STARTED TO MOVE SOME THINGS FORWARD.
UM, IF, IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE HVAC AT HOPEWELL HIGH SCHOOL, IT IS A REACHED POINT, CRITICAL.
UM, AND, AND SO WE, WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP, WE APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATIONS.
HACKNEY IS GOING TO, UH, TO CLOSE US OUT.
I JUST, I JUST WANNA SAY HOW THANKFUL WE ARE TO HAVE COUNSEL THAT ALLOWS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THIS OVER TIME, TO STRATEGIZE IN CREATIVE WAYS TO SOMETIMES FEEL LIKE WE'RE DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE.
I'M SORRY THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE FOR A PUBLIC COMMENT DIDN'T STAY TO
UM, WE LOVE YOU AND APPRECIATE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR US.
AND JUST GONNA END WITH A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS.
UM, EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE INVEST IN OUR SCHOOLS IS A DOWN PAYMENT ON THE FUTURE OF HOPEWELL OUR CHILDREN, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS IN OUR COLLECTIVE HOPE.
THIS IS A MOMENT TO MAKE HOPEWELL'S
[00:55:01]
FACILITIES MATCH THE PROMISE OF ITS PEOPLE, TO CREATE AND ENHANCE OUR EXISTING SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT JUST SAFE AND FUNCTIONAL, AND THEY ARE THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT WORTHY OF LOTS OF BRILLIANCE THAT THEY HOLD INSIDE THEM.UM, WE'RE NOT JUST BUILDING SCHOOLS.
WE'RE BUILDING HOPEWELL'S FUTURE.
AND WE JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE TAKE THIS RESPONSIBILITY VERY SERIOUSLY.
WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS FIGHT WITH YOU.
UM, WE'VE BEEN PARTNERS IN THE WORK, AND WE ARE, WE UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR CHALLENGES.
AND WE ARE THANKFUL THAT WE'RE ALMOST THERE WITH THE AUDITS.
WE HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO HELP YOU GET THERE AND GET US GET THERE TOGETHER.
AND, UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND GET TO WORK TOGETHER.
YOU'VE BEEN WONDERFUL PARTNERS.
YOUR REPRESENTATIVES THROUGH YOUR FINANCE COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN A JOY TO WORK WITH AND, AND UNDERSTANDING OUR NEEDS WHILE WE HAVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE, FULLY UNDERSTOOD YOUR LIMITATIONS AND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE.
SO, UM, I THINK WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY AHEAD OF US.
WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND THAT, UM, WE'VE GOTTA GET STARTED SOMEWHERE.
AND WE HOPE THAT WHAT WE'VE GIVEN YOU TONIGHT IS AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES, UM, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO COME TOGETHER AND FOCUS ON MOVING FORWARD.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
UH, MS. JORDAN, THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE CITY'S A CFR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
I, GOOD EVENING AGAIN, COUNSEL DAVID FOLEY WILL COME FORWARD TO PRESENT THE FISCAL YEAR 23 A CFR REPORT.
HE'S RIGHT HERE WITH A BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE.
UH, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UM, THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING.
UM, WE'VE COMPLETED THE AUDIT FOR THE FY 23 ACT FIRST.
THEY'RE HERE TO PRESENT THE RESULTS OF THAT TO YOU ALL.
AND I HAVE COPIES OF 'EM I'D LIKE TO PASS OUT IF I COULD.
OR YOU CAN JUST GIVE 'EM TO CHARLES.
SO, UH, INCLUDED IN THE, UM, CITY'S, UH, ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT, UM, THERE ARE, UH, THREE DIFFERENT, UH, REPORTS, UH, FROM US THAT COMMUNICATE, UH, THE RESULTS OF THE AUDIT.
UM, THE FIRST IS ON TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE REPORT ON, UH, NUMBERED PAGE THREE.
AND THIS IS OUR, UH, INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT.
AND THIS REPORT IS WHERE WE STATE, WE DID, UH, PERFORM AN AUDIT ON THE CITY'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, AND IT'S WHERE WE ISSUE AN OPINION, UM, ON THE CITY'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
AND WE HAVE ISSUED A, UH, UNMODIFIED OPINION ON THE CITY'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, UH, WHICH MEANS THAT THE CITY'S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED, UM, IN ACCORDANCE WITH, UM, GENERAL ACCEPTED TO THE COUNTY PRINCIPALS.
UM, THE OTHER TWO, UH, REPORTS, UH, THAT WE ISSUE, INCLUDING IN THE
AND THOSE REPORTS ARE IN THE BACK OF THE REPORT.
UH, THOSE START ON, UM, PAGE 1 46.
SO THE FIRST, UH, REPORT, UH, BACK HERE IS OUR REPORT OVER THE CITY'S INTERNAL CONTROLS, OVER, UH, ITS FINANCIAL REPORTING.
AND, UH, SIMILAR TO PRIOR YEARS, UH, WE DO, UH, REPORT, UH, MATERIAL WEAKNESSES, UM, IN THE CITY'S INTERNAL CONTROLS.
UM, THESE FINDINGS ARE SIMILAR TO, UM, WHAT WE'VE REPORTED, UH, THE PAST FEW YEARS, UM, IN THE MAIN THEME OF THESE FINDINGS OR, OR RECONCILIATIONS AND, AND MONTHLY, UH, PROCEDURES THAT HAVE IN PLACE, UH, TO ENSURE THE, THE ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF, OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
AND AS I'VE SAID PRIOR, AS WE'RE KIND OF WORKING THROUGH THESE OLDER YEARS, THESE FINDINGS ARE GONNA KEEP POPPING UP JUST BECAUSE THIS WAS 3, 2, 3 YEARS AGO.
THOSE PROCEDURES HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO BE PUT IN PLACE.
SO, BUT AS WE WORK THROUGH THESE OLDER YEARS AND GET TO MORE CURRENT, HOPEFULLY WE CAN SEE, UH, SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THESE AREAS.
SO IS IT, SO IT SHOULD BE 2025, IS THAT THE ONE THAT SHOULD BE THE GOOD CLEAN AUDIT? UH, THE, WHEN WE, I THINK THAT HAS THE, THE POTENTIAL.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S, WE'LL WORK WITH CITY MANAGEMENT TO SEE HOW THEY'RE PROGRESSING ON THE, THE MONTHLY
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RECONCILIATIONS.UM, BUT I THINK, UM, FY 25 IS WHERE I THINK YOU CAN SEE, UM, SOME IMPROVEMENT.
THAT'D, THAT WOULD BE NEXT YEAR.
FIRST, FIRST HALF OF NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND THEN THE, UH, THIRD AND FINAL REPORT, UH, THAT, UH, FROM US, IT'S INCLUDED IN THE ACT FOR, IS THE, UH, THE REPORT OVER THE, UM, CITY AND SCHOOL BOARD'S COMPLIANCE WITH ITS, UH, MAJOR FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAMS. UM, AS PART OF THE AUDIT FOR THE MAJOR FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAMS, WE GO THROUGH, UM, A, A COMPLIANCE SUPPLEMENT ISSUE BY OMB TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY'S COMPLYING WITH THIS, UH, FEDERAL GRANT, UM, AWARDS.
IT'S THERE EXPENDING THOSE, UH, GRANT AWARDS.
UM, THIS REPORT, UH, THIS REPORT WAS CLAIMING WE KNOW THAT NO, UH, SIGNIFICANT DEFICIENCIES AND MATERIAL WEAKNESSES IN THE CITY OR, UH, SCHOOL BOARD'S, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH THIS, UH, MAJOR FEDERAL, UH, GRANT PROGRAMS. OKAY.
UM, BUT THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR, UH, FY 23.
UM, STACY STATED, UH, STATED WE WILL BEGIN, UH, WORKING, UM, ON FY 24, UM, WITH THE GOAL OF COMPLETING THAT IN DECEMBER.
AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE, UM, OUR WEEKLY, UM, MEETINGS WITH MANAGEMENT JUST TO KEEP EVERYBODY ABREAST OF WHERE WE ARE, WHAT'S NEEDED.
DO YOU WANNA GET IT DONE BEFORE CHRISTMAS? IT'D BE A GREAT CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR US.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, MR. FOLEY? I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
SO THE MAIN, THIS, THESE MATERIAL WEAKNESSES ARE THE, ARE ARE CERTAINLY VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE ELIMINATE THOSE.
'CAUSE WE CANNOT HAVE A CLEAN AUDIT IF THERE ARE ANY MATERIAL WEAKNESSES.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE ALL RECONCILED BY THE, BY THE FISCAL YEAR 26.
SO, AND I MEAN, THESE ARE, AND YOU FEEL COM YOU FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT ON THAT? I MEAN, BASED UPON WHAT YOU'RE SEEING NOW? WELL, AGAIN, WE'RE, I MEAN RIGHT NOW WE, WE'VE LOOKED THROUGH 23, SO NONE OF THESE PROCEDURES WERE IN PLACE.
SO AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE YEAH.
UM, WHEN WOULD, NOW YOU MIGHT SEE SOME THINGS IN FISCAL YEAR 24 WHERE THERE WERE SOME CHANGES MADE, WOULD YOU NOT TRYING TO THINK.
I MEAN, I, I KNOW THE ROBERT BOB GROUP GOT STARTED IN THE MIDDLE OF FY 24, SO YEAH.
IT'S PROBABLY 25, SO MAYBE BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR THERE STARTED TO BE SOME OF THESE PROCEDURES IN PLACE.
BUT CERTAINLY AS WE WORK THROUGH 24, UH, WE'LL STAY IN COMMUNICATION WITH, WITH MANAGEMENT TO SEE ALRIGHT.
THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, PROCEDURES ARE BEING ENACTED.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S A BIG PIECE OF INTERNAL CONTROLS THAT YOU'RE DOING THESE MONTHLY RECONCILING, MONTHLY RECONCILIATIONS AND THEY'RE DONE TIMELY.
SO EVEN IF YOU'RE CAUGHT UP BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, IF YOU WENT THE WHOLE FISCAL YEAR WITHOUT DOING IT, THEN THOSE, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF THE ISSUE WITH THESE OLDER, OLDER YEARS.
OKAY, UH, MOVING ON TO R THREE.
UH, MS. JORDAN, I'M SO SORRY, MAYOR.
I DON'T HAVE THE COPY OF THE AGENDA IN FRONT OF ME.
WHAT IS, WHAT IS R THREE? OH, THAT'S OKAY.
UM, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SAID, UH, FOR MR. UH, JIMMY SANDERSON TO COME ON UP.
UH, DAVENPORT, MR. JIMMY SANDERSON IS HERE TO DO THE DIAGNOSTIC FISCAL YEAR 23 CREDIT RATING.
UH, MR. MAYOR, UH, MEMBERS COUNSEL, JIMMY SANDERSON WAS DAVENPORT.
UH, WE ARE THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO THE CITY.
UM, YOU'VE SEEN THIS PRESENTATION BEFORE.
UM, AND, AND, AND MAYBE IT'S A GOOD LEAD INTO THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, THE, THE DEBT FINANCING TO REMIND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND NEW MEMBER, UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR EXISTING DEBT.
SO, UM, THIS SLIDE, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS ALL OF YOUR TAX, UH, TAX SUPPORTED DEBT THAT'S OUTSTANDING.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THERE, THE ORIGINAL AMOUNTS WERE ABOUT 53 MILLION NOW DOWN AROUND 29 MILLION.
LET'S GO A FEW PAGES FORWARD TO KEEP GOING FORWARD.
UM, THIS IS WHAT YOUR DEBT SERVICE LOOKS LIKE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
AND GRAPHICALLY, YOU CAN SEE OVER THERE ON THE LEFT, UM, THAT OUR DEBT SERVICE DROPS, UM, ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS OUT IN AN FY 28.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WITH THE, THE NEW DEBT STRUCTURE IS TO, TO DO INTEREST ONLY FOR A LITTLE BIT AND THEN HAVE, UM, THE NEW DEBT SERVICE COME ONLINE, UM, OUT IN 28 TO, TO LIMIT THE IMPACT ON YOU FROM A BUDGETARY STANDPOINT.
ONE OF THE THINGS TO NOTE, AGAIN, DOWN THE BOTTOM THAT THE BOTTOM BULLET, THE CITY'S PAID OFF ABOUT $34 MILLION WORTH OF DEBT, UH,
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SINCE 2015, WHICH WAS THE LAST TIME YOU, YOU BORROWED FOR BORROWED FROM MONEY.UM, JUST A REMINDER, WE DO KEEP TRACK OF SORT OF THE CITY'S GENERAL BORROWINGS VERSUS SCHOOLS AND VERSUS UTILITIES.
UM, HERE YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKOUT BETWEEN THE, THE, THE, WHAT I'LL CALL THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND, UH, DEBT ON THE LEFT, THE SCHOOL DEBT IN THE MIDDLE.
UH, AND WE ROLL THAT UP ON THE FAR RIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT WE CONSIDER THE TAX SUPPORTED, UH, DEBT.
WE DON'T HAVE RATINGS RIGHT NOW, UM, ON THE GENERAL FUND, BUT WE, WE PLAN TO PURSUE THAT, UH, HOPEFULLY HERE SOON.
UM, THIS IS YOUR UTILITY DEBT.
UH, THE TOP PART IS THE, IS, UM, THE REGIONAL WASTEWATER BONDS.
THAT'S REALLY THE COMMISSION, UH, PIECE OF THE DEBT.
THAT'S ABOUT 5 MILLION OUTSTANDING THERE.
UH, THE BOTTOM PIECE IS THE CITY'S, UH, THE CITY'S SEWER SYSTEM BONDS.
UM, APPROXIMATELY 19 MILLION, UH, OF DEBT OUTSTANDING THERE AS WELL.
TOTAL ABOUT, TOTAL LESS THAN, UH, LESS THAN 25 MILLION.
WE'LL SKIP THE NEXT FEW SLIDES THAT JUST LAY OUT AGAIN, THE DEBT SERVICE STRUCTURE ON THE UTILITY SYSTEMS. KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING.
AND THEN MAYBE WE'LL GO A COUPLE MORE SLIDES.
COUPLE ONE MORE, AND WE'LL STOP THERE.
UM, YOU'VE SEEN IN YOUR PACKET WHAT WE, WE WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON MOODY'S.
THEY DO A GOOD JOB OF BREAKING OUT HOW THEIR SCORE, HOW THEIR RATING IS, IS CALCULATED IN PARTICULAR.
UM, IT, AND THEN THEY HAVE A SCORECARD.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE, UM, ON THE LEFT, THE ECONOMY ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT 30% OF YOUR SCORE.
UH, FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE IS ANOTHER 30%.
INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK IS, UH, 10%.
AND LEVERAGE, MEANING YOU'RE BORROWING, UH, IS ANOTHER 30%.
BUT SOME OF THESE THINGS YOU HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER AS A COUNCIL.
SOME THINGS YOU, YOU DON'T, AT LEAST IN THE SHORT TERM.
THE ECONOMY'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
YOU CAN CERTAINLY GUIDE THE CITY AND, AND GROW THE, UH, GROW THE ECONOMY OVER TIME.
BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN, UH, TURN QUICKLY.
UM, THE OTHERS, AGAIN, ARE, ARE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER.
INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK IS ONE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER.
ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN VIRGINIA GET THE SAME SCORE FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK, UH, PIECE OF, OF MOODY'S RATING.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UH, FY 20, AND THEN TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THEN I'M GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH ONE MORE SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS BASED OFF THE FY 23 ACT FOR, AND THE GOOD NEWS IS WE REALLY DIDN'T SEE ANY, ANY, UH, MATERIAL CHANGE FROM THE PRIOR YEARS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT.
SO YOUR SCORE HAS STAYED ABOUT THE SAME.
BUT, UM, BUT JUST TO REMIND YOU, UM, WE'VE GOT SORT OF THE CATEGORIES THAT MOODY'S LOOKS AT ON THE LEFT.
AGAIN, THE ECONOMY, FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE FRAMEWORK LEVERAGE, AND THEN A TOTAL SCORE.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOU FALL IN EACH OF THESE.
UH, I'LL JUST PICK ONE FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, THE EASY ONE IS, UH, YOUR FUND BALANCE AND LIQUIDITY RATIOS.
THOSE ARE VERY STRONG, UH, WHERE YOU ARE.
UM, AND YOU, YOU, YOU FALL OUT IN THE AAA CATEGORY IN THAT, IN THAT REGARD.
UM, I WILL SAY IF YOU LOOK AT THE VERY TOP LINE, WHICH IS LINE TWO RESIDENT INCOME, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT'S ON THE LOWER END.
AND SO THEY PUT ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER AND THEY, THEY CALCULATE A NUMBER DOWN AT THE BOTTOM.
UH, IT'S 3.23, AND THAT 3.23 NUMBER EQUATES TO A DOUBLE A TWO, UH, RATING ON THEIR SCORECARD.
AND THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED THAT FOR YOU.
SO IF YOU FALL BETWEEN 2.5 AND 3.5, YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THAT, UH, THAT DOUBLE A TWO CATEGORY, WHICH IS A VERY, VERY STRONG, VERY STRONG RATING.
THIS, WE WANNA GIVE YOU A SENSE OF SORT OF WHERE YOU STOOD WITH, UM, WITH SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS, SMALL AND AND LARGE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, I WANTED TO POINT OUT, UM, AGAIN, THIS IS SORT OF COLOR CODED, HEAT MAP KIND CALL IT.
UM, AND YOU'RE ON THE FAR LEFT AND IT'S THE 23 NUMBERS.
UM, IF YOU ARE IN THE, THE VERY FIRST ONE, IF YOU'RE IN THE SINGLE A OR BELOW CATEGORY, IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN PINK.
IF YOU'RE IN THAT SORT OF BEIGE CATEGORY, YOU'RE IN THE DOUBLE A.
AND THAT'S WHERE, UH, ECONOMIC GROWTH IS.
AND GREEN CATEGORY BEING YOU'RE IN THE AAA CATEGORY AND YOU GO DOWN TO THE BOTTOM AGAIN.
AND WE'VE GOT YOU AT THAT, UM, AA TWO SCORE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT, IF YOU LOOK AT CHESTERFIELD AT THE VERY BOTTOM, YOU'LL SEE THAT CHESTERFIELD SCORES OUT AT A, AT A DOUBLE A ONE CREDIT RATING.
BUT THE RATING AGENCIES NOTCHED THEM UP ONE TO AAA.
UM, THEY DO THE SAME FOR THE CITY OF RICHMOND.
COLONIAL HEIGHTS SCORES OUT AT A, AT A DOUBLE A ONE, BUT THEY NOTED THEM DOWN TO A DOUBLE A TWO.
SO THAT'S JUST, UH, I WANNA REMIND YOU THAT THE, THE RAW SCORE ISN'T THE END OF THE STORY RATING UNION IS DUE.
RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MOVE YOU UP OR DOWN A LITTLE BIT BASED OFF OF SORT OF, UM, UH, NONS STATISTICAL ITEMS THAT THEY MIGHT FIND.
AND, AND WE MAY FIND THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN OUR, OUR, OUR HISTORY WITH OUR, UH, AUDITS, THEY MAY SAY, UNTIL WE SEE YOU GET A NUMBER OF AUDITS ON TIME, WE'RE GONNA, WE MAY KEEP YOU AT A LOWER, A LOWER LEVEL UNTIL YOU GET BACK UP AGAIN.
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UM, THAT'S IT, MAYOR.AND, AND THE ONE THING I DID DO JUST 'CAUSE I I, I SUSPECT ONE OF YOU WOULD ASK AS YOU'RE A GOOD GROUP, I DID TAKE THE $15 MILLION THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA CONSIDER TONIGHT, THREW THAT INTO THE, THE ANALYSIS FOR 2023.
AND IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE THE NUMBERS MATERIAL.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU DO THAT.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON, ON THIS PIECE.
UM, YOU MIGHT HAVE ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
UH, 'CAUSE I NOTICED THERE WAS A DIFFERENCE ON, IF YOU LOOK AT SHEET 18 AND 19, UH, WHERE OUR WEIGHTED SCORE COMES UP TO A 3.23, RIGHT? AND THEN THE NEXT SHEET OVER IS 3.19.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT SHOULD BE 3.23.
YEAH, IT'S A GOOD, GOOD CATCH.
BUT, UM, NO, BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK AND, YOU KNOW, SHOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE DOING, YOU KNOW, THE RIGHT THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE FOLLOWING THE BEST PRACTICES AND OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, UM, AND INCREMENTALLY, YOU KNOW, MAKING IMPROVEMENTS ON, YOU KNOW, THIS RAW SCORE.
SO, I MEAN, WE CAN GO BACK AND WE CAN LOOK AT, WHAT WAS IT, 2020 WHEN WE FIRST DID IT AND WE'RE SHOWING, YOU KNOW, 3.31 AND NOW WE'RE DOWN TO A 3.23.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVEN'T EVEN HAD THE, UM, THE AUDITS COME OUT YET THAT SHOW US ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING THE NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S GONNA LOOK REALLY GOOD, COME HERE FOR THE NEXT TWO, UM, DIAGNOSTICS THAT WE GO AND DO.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE GONNA BE A LOT OF THE INTANGIBLE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE, THAT THE RATING USERS ARE GONNA LOOK AT TO MM-HMM
YOU KNOW, THE POLICIES THAT YOU PUT IN PLACE WITH THE ROBERT BOB GROUP AND, AND AGAIN, GETTING THOSE MATERIAL WEAKNESSES REMOVED, RIGHT.
MATERIAL, MATERIAL ARE HUGE, ARE GONNA BE IMPORTANT TOO.
BUT IT'S JUST GOOD TO SEE THE INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENT THAT, THAT WE'RE MAKING OVERALL.
IT'S, IT'S JUST GREAT NEWS ALL THE WAY AROUND.
DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. SANDERSON? SEEING NONE.
UH, MOVING ON TO, UH, R FOUR, UH, THE CITY OF HOPEWELL BRANDING CAMPAIGN, UH, MS. HOLLAND AND, UH, MR. BESSETTE.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
TONIGHT I'M PLEASED TO SHARE WITH YOU A BRANDING CAMPAIGN DEVELOPED FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL AND TO DISCUSS WHY THIS INITIATIVE IS TIMELY AND NECESSARY.
COULD YOU SPEAK UP, GINGER? COULD YOU SPEAK INTO OKAY, SURE.
IS THIS BETTER? A LITTLE BIT BETTER? YEAH.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE ORIGINATING AGENCY WAS ENGAGED TO HELP DEFINE THE CITY'S OFFICIAL COLORS AND PRODUCE A HIGH RESOLUTION VERSION OF THE LOGO.
OVER THE TIME, OVER THE TIME THE CITY'S LOGO HAD BECOME PIXELATED AND THE ORIGINAL GRAPHIC FILE COULD NOT BE LOCATED.
TO ADDRESS THIS CONCERN, WE HIRED THE ORIGINATING FIRM AND THEY RESEARCHED THE PROCESS, THE PRECISE COLOR PALETTE, AND THE FONT STYLE TO ENSURE BRAND CONSISTENCY ACROSS ALL PLATFORMS. THE ORIGINATOR AGENCY ALSO DEVELOPED ALTERNATE LOGO VERSIONS AND VECTOR FILES FOR PRINT MATERIALS AND SOCIAL MEDIA TEMPLATES.
THIS EVENING, MR. MICHAEL HARRIS AND HIS ASSOCIATE DANTE, WILL PRESENT THE COMPLETE BRANDING PACKAGE THEY HAVE CREATED FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, MICHAEL AND DANTE.
HI EVERYONE, THIS IS MICHAEL HALL.
UM, I WANNA THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A DELAY, SO UNFORTUNATELY I'M NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT YOU ALL SEE AT THE SAME TIME.
SO I WOULD ASSUME THE PACKETS ARE IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY.
SO I'LL BRIEFLY GO THROUGH, UM, IN THE NEXT FIVE MINUTES, JUST THE PACKAGE AND EXPLAIN EVERYTHING THAT IS THERE.
AND THAT'LL LEAD TIME FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
IT'S NOT GONNA TAKE THAT LONG, BUT I WANNA LEAVE MORE TIME FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED.
UH, WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER IS PRETTY MUCH A STANDARD TEMPLATE THAT WE HAVE FOR BRAND GUIDELINES.
AND BRAND GUIDELINES SERVE A PARTICULAR PURPOSE FOR BRANDON AND MESSAGING FOR MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, IF YOU NOW GO TO PAGE TWO, YOU'LL SEE, UH, ADDITIONAL LOGO THAT WAS CREATED.
THIS IS ONE OF THE OPTIONALS, UH, COLOR SCHEMES THAT WAS CREATED FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
AND THEN ON PAGE THREE, YOU WILL SEE THE ORIGINAL LOGO OR THE LAST LOGO THAT WE WERE GIVEN.
AND THEN AFTER WE WERE GIVEN THAT LOGO, THIS WAS THE FINAL UPGRADE THAT WAS APPROVED.
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THE PRIMARY THING THAT WAS DONE WAS EVERYTHING WAS REDRAWN INTO A VECTOR FORMAT, WHICH WILL REMOVE ALL PIXELATION COLORS.WERE, UH, SPECIFICALLY APPLIED.
A SMALL CHANGE WAS MADE WITH ELEMENTS OF THE BOAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LINES WERE STRAIGHT AND THE LINES WERE CRISP.
AND THEN, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THAT, THE ROPE CAN NOW BE USED AS AN ACTUATOR IN DIFFERENT DESIGN ELEMENTS.
AND THE FONTS WERE CHANGED FROM BLACK TO BLUE.
AND THEN ON THE NEXT PAGE, ON PAGE FOUR, YOU WILL SEE THE OFFICIAL CITY OF HOPEWELL LOGO, OR WHAT WE DEEMED TO BE OFFICIAL ONE TO BE USED.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GO OVER TO NOW PAGE SIX, WHICH WILL SHOW YOU THE FONTS THAT WERE PUT INTO PLACE.
AND THESE FONTS WERE TO BE USED PRIMARILY.
IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING LIKE MCDONALD'S, COCA-COLA, APPLE, YOU WANT TO HAVE A CONSISTENCY WITH FONTS AND COLOR USAGE.
SO THIS WAS A GUIDELINE FOR ANY WEBSITE UPDATES OR INTERNAL DESIGN ELEMENTS THAT WOULD BE HANDLED BY YOUR GRAPHIC DESIGN DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THEN PAGE SEVEN IS JUST AN EXTENSION OF THE COLOR PALETTE.
THE ACTUAL NAMES ARE NOT DEDICATED NAMES FOR THE COLORS, BUT YOUR PRIMARY THING THAT YOU WANNA PAY ATTENTION TO ARE PANTONES.
PANTONES ARE UNIVERSAL COLORS FOR MIXING ELEMENTS FOR PRINTING, BUT AS WELL AS PANTONES BEING USED, WE HAVE THE, UH, HEX COLORS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE COLORING FOR THE WEBS, UH, WEB COLORING, WHICH ARE YOUR, UH, WHAT YOU SEE AS A HASHTAG.
SO WHERE YOU SEE LIKE HASHTAG A 9 3 8, 4 7, WHEN THOSE COLORS ARE USED, THEY HAVE A UNIVERSAL COLOR DISPLAY ON ALL, UH, MOBILE DEVICES.
AND THEN WE JUST HAVE A SAMPLE CLEARANCE OF WHEN USING A LOGO, UH, ABOUT HOW MUCH SPACE SHOULD BE AROUND A LOGO FOR NO INTERRUPTION AND CLARITY OF USAGE WITH THE LOGO.
THE ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT WAS PUT IN WAS ALSO USED FOR ALTERNATE LOGOS.
SO YOU HAVE A HORIZONTAL LOGO.
WE CREATED A SOCIAL MEDIA AVATAR, UH, 'CAUSE THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ABOUT EXPANSION INTO SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR OUTREACH TO CONSTITUENTS, AS WELL AS OUTREACH TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT.
AND ON PAGE 10, YOU'LL START TO GET IN SOME OF THE SAMPLE GRAPHICS THAT WERE CREATED.
GRAPHICS AND COLORWAYS ARE NORMALLY CREATED SO THAT WHEN CONSTITUENTS SEE IT, THEY AUTOMATICALLY KNOW WHAT'S ABOUT TO BE DISCUSSED.
SO LIKE THIS WOULD BE A COLOR SCHEME FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER.
UM, ON THE NEXT ONE, THIS WOULD BE A UPDATE.
AND I'M SORRY, I'M ON PAGE 11 NOW.
UM, THE NEXT ONE, THIS WOULD BE A UPDATE FOR LIKE, TRAFFIC ADVISORY ROAD BEING SHUT DOWN, UH, ANYTHING ACCIDENTS, ET CETERA.
THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE JUST A NEWS UPDATE.
SO THESE ARE ALL JUST TEMPLATES THAT CAN BE USED BY SOCIAL MEDIA, UH, MANAGER OR JUST AN INTERNAL DESIGN TEAM.
UH, PAGE 13, YOU'LL SEE JUST A SAMPLE USE OF IF THERE WAS LIKE A QUICK NEWSLETTER OR SOMETHING THAT WAS GONNA BE SENT OUT WITH AN EMAIL BLAST OR EVEN USED FOR OUR SOCIAL MEDIA, AGAIN, TO SEND AN ALERT.
AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS THE BREAKING NEWS, WHERE YOU COULD MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
UH, ONE OF THE PRIMARY THINGS, OR MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER WAS A UNIVERSAL EMAIL SIGNATURE.
UNIVERSAL EMAIL SIGNATURES CONTAIN A LOT MORE WEIGHT THAN MOST PEOPLE DO.
UH, CONSIDER UNIVERSAL EMAIL SIGNATURES HELP FOR CYBERSECURITY PURPOSES.
UM, WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE, BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME DIFFERENT HACKERS OR DIFFERENT PEOPLE WILL NOT HAVE THE EXACT FONTS THAT ARE USED.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE ON PAGE 15, THERE'S A SAMPLE OF AN EMAIL SIGNATURE THAT WOULD BE UNIVERSAL FOR ALL EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY.
AND THEN BELOW IT, IT SHOWS YOU THE EXACT STRUCTURE SO THAT WHEN YOU'RE SETTING UP YOUR, UM, EMAIL SIGNATURE, YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT SIZE THE FONT SHOULD BE AND WHAT FONT SHOULD BE USED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
YOUR IT DEPARTMENT WOULD NORMALLY COME BY AND MAKE SURE THAT THE FONTS ARE ALL INSTALLED ONTO YOUR SYSTEM SO THAT YOU CAN USE IT.
AND WE SENT OVER THE FONTS AND THERE WAS ABOUT 50 DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE LOGO SENT OVER, UH, BECAUSE THE LOGO WAS SENT OVER IN MULTIPLE FORMATS,
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WHICH ARE DIFFERENT COLORS AS AS YOU SAW THE ALTERNATES.BUT THEY WERE ALSO SENT OVER IN ALTERNATE FILE FORMATS.
PNG, WHICH IS PRIMARILY USED FOR INTERNET PURPOSES 'CAUSE THEY HAVE A TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND.
EPS FILES, WHICH ARE VECTOR FILES THAT ARE PRIMARILY USED FOR PRINTING, UH, ARE LARGE FORMAT PRINTING BECAUSE OF THE MATHEMATICAL ELEMENTS BEHIND EPS ADOBE ILLUSTRATOR FILES, WHICH WOULD ALLOW A GRAPHIC DESIGNER TO TAKE ELEMENTS OF THE LOGO TO BE USED IN MULTIPLE WAYS.
AND THEN THE JPEG FILE IS JUST A FLATTENED IMAGE THAT CAN BE USED FOR GRAPHICAL PURPOSES.
UM, THE BRAND GUIDELINE BOOK WAS PUT TOGETHER SO THAT ALL DEPARTMENTS KIND OF HAD A UNDERSTANDING AND KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THE LOGO SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE USED.
AND TO MAKE SURE ANY UPCOMING PROJECTS THAT WERE RELEASED BY THE CITY HAD MORE OF A UNIVERSAL LOOK.
SO, LIKE ANY OTHER MAJOR CORPORATION, BUT ESPECIALLY IN MUNICIPALITIES, THE USE OF CONSISTENT COLORS AND FONTS ALLOWS RESIDENTS AND TOURS TO RECOGNIZE THE BRAND, WHICH STRENGTHENS MESSAGING BEHIND THE CITY.
THERE WAS ACTUALLY NO STRUCTURAL CHANGES MADE TO THE LOGO.
THERE WERE NO ELEMENT OR DESIGN CHANGES MADE BESIDES SOME CLARITY WITH THE FLAG ITSELF.
BUT THE LOGO WAS BASICALLY REDRAWN FROM SCRATCH AND NOW YOU WOULD HAVE A UNIVERSAL LOGO, FONTS, AND COLORS TO USE FOR ALL PROJECTS MOVING FORWARD.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FROM CITY COUNCIL? OKAY.
UH, MR. BASSAT, UH, HAS A PORTION OF THIS AS WELL.
THIS IS JUST BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S SORT OF RELATED.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, UH, WE HAVE APPLIED, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY WITH THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION TO HAVE THE CITY'S SEAL TRADEMARKED, UM, FOR TRADEMARK PROTECTION.
AND AT SOME POINT IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, I'M GOING TO BRING IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, AN ORDINANCE TO REGULATE THE USE OF THE, UH, THE, THE CITY SEAL.
AND COUNSEL ALSO, UM, THIS, UM, BRANDING PROCESS.
AND WE PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THIS, UM, IN JANUARY OF NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THEY ARE UNDER A LOT OF PROJECTS RIGHT NOW.
SO THEY CAN'T BRING THIS INTO THE FOLD RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE TALKED ABOUT DOING THIS IN JANUARY.
UH, NEXT IS R FIVE WITH MR. BENNETT.
UM, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.
I HAVE PREPARED A SHORT ONE AND A HALF HOUR POWERPOINT PRESENTATION.
I'M HERE TONIGHT, UH, TO GIVE YOU A REPORT ON THE, UH, CITY OF HOPEWELL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, MACHINE AND TOOLS TAX REBATE, UH, PROGRAM.
AND, UM, IF IT'S OKAY, I'LL, I'LL DRIVE IT.
SO THE, UM, I'D LIKE THIS UPDATE FOR JUST A SECOND HERE.
SO, UM, IN ESSENCE, UM, FOR THE, FOR THE SAKE OF THE PUBLIC WHO MAY BE WATCHING OR REVIEWING THIS LATER AND, AND, AND DON'T, UH, FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT, I'M GONNA TAKE JUST A, A FEW MINUTES AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THE MACHINE AND TOOLS TAX IS.
SO, UH, IN THE CITY OF HOPE BAR, WE HAVE A MACHINE AND TOOLS TAX.
AND THIS IS ASSESSED ON THE ORIGINAL CAPITALIZED COST AND YEAR OF PURCHASE OF, OF NEW MACHINERY.
UM, THE ASSESSMENT IS, UH, IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING THE WAY THAT IT'S DONE.
UM, IT'S A, IT'S A 25% OF THE ORIGINAL CAPITALIZED COST BEFORE YOU START TO PUT ANY VALUATION ON TAXATION ON IT.
SO THE WAY I LIKE TO EXPLAIN IT IS, IF I BOUGHT A HUNDRED DOLLARS TOOL, UM, I WOULD NOT BE PAYING $3 AND 10 CENTS TAX ON THAT BECAUSE THAT A HUNDRED DOLLARS TOOL, AS SOON AS I PUT IT TO USE AT MY MANUFACTURING FACILITY, OUR COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE REDUCES THAT DOWN TO $25.
SO 75% OF THAT, UH, ORIGINAL COST IS TAKEN AWAY IMMEDIATELY.
AND THEN YOU'RE CALCULATING THE $3 AND 10 CENTS PER HUNDRED ON BASICALLY 25% OF THAT ORIGINAL.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW WHY THAT IS THE WAY IT'S CALCULATED, IT'S NOT UNIVERSAL AROUND THE, THE, UH, STATE OF VIRGINIA.
[01:25:01]
90% OF THE VALUE.SO THEY HAVE A, THEY, THOSE PEOPLE HAVE A LOWER, UH, COST PER HUNDRED, BUT THEY, BUT THEY VALUE IT HIGHER.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY MUNICIPALITY THAT DOES MACHINE AND TOOLS TAX DOES IT IN A LITTLE DIFFERENT WAY.
THIS IS THE WAY THAT HOPEWELL'S BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE.
I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE METHODOLOGY, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT OUR ENTERPRISE ZONE AND THE REBATE FOR IT.
BUT THE WAY THAT YOU, UH, THE WAY YOU GET TO IT IS, IS IMPORTANT IN, IN, IN UNDERSTANDING IT.
UM, THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE TO FILE, UH, BY THE 15TH OF EVERY FEBRUARY.
AND THEN TAXES ARE, ARE, ARE DUE ON THAT, UH, THE 15TH OF JUNE AND THEN THE 5TH OF DECEMBER FOR THEIR MACHINE AND TOOLS TAX.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT'S, UM, INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS, UH, IT'S, IT'S CUMULATIVE ON EQUIPMENT THAT IS PLACED IN SERVICE AND, AND BEING USED AND EQUIPMENT THAT IS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE.
AND IT ALSO, UH, DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT.
SO IF SOMEONE IS DOING A, AN UPGRADE TO A MANUFACTURING FACILITY, THAT HAS TO DO WITH POLLUTION CONTROL, UM, THAT IS EXEMPT FROM OUR MACHINE AND TOOLS TAX, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE PART OF THE, THE, THE PROCESS.
SO, UM, OVERALL THE CITY OF HOPEWELL MACHINERY AND TOOLS TAX, UH, CONTRIBUTES ROUGHLY, I SAY ROUGHLY 'CAUSE IT, IT EBB AND FLOWS UP AND DOWN, UM, YEAR OVER YEAR, BUT ROUGHLY AROUND $10 MILLION OR 19% OF THE ANNUAL REVENUE TO THE CITY'S GENERAL FUND.
AND HERE AGAIN, STATING THE, UM, POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT IS, IS EXEMPT FROM THAT.
SO IN OUR ENTERPRISE ZONE, UM, WE HAVE A REBATE PROGRAM AND THIS REBATE PROGRAM IS, UH, IS PART OF OUR LOCAL INCENTIVE.
UM, JUST A QUICK, UH, OVERVIEW FOR, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE ENTERPRISE ZONE.
THE ENTERPRISE ZONES ARE, ARE DESIGNATED, UM, AND APPROVED BY THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA AS AREAS THAT WE INCENTIVIZE FOR INVESTMENT AND, AND, AND DEVELOPMENT AND JOBS.
AND, UH, SO AS A LOCALITY, WE APPLIED FOR THESE ENTERPRISE ZONES, AND WE HAVE THREE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
AND AS PART OF THAT, THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, THEY PUT INCENTIVES IN, UH, ON THE TABLE FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING INTO THAT AREA TO, TO OPEN A BUSINESS OR TO MAKE MORE INVESTMENT.
AND THEN, UH, WE, AS A LOCALITY, WE ALSO, UH, PUT INCENTIVES IN AND ANY INCENTIVE THAT WE, WE PUT IN OR THAT WE CHANGE OR MODIFY, WE HAVE TO SUBMIT TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA FOR THEIR APPROVAL ON THE MODIFICATION OF CHANGE, UH, THAT WE DO TO THAT INCENTIVE.
SO, UH, WE SET UP THIS ENTERPRISE ZONE, UH, MACHINE AND TOOL TAX REBATE PROGRAM THAT TAKES FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS AFTER A NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT OR A NEW TOOL IS PUT IN SERVICE AND IT RETURNS BACK TO THE MANUFACTURERS A 30% REBATE.
SO IF THEIR TAX ON THAT NEW PIECE OF EQUIPMENT WAS A HUNDRED DOLLARS, WHEN THEY PAY THAT A HUNDRED DOLLARS TAX, THE CITY TREASURER RETURNS A REBATE OF THEM OF $30 BACK ON THAT FOR THE YEAR, THE FIRST YEAR THAT'S IN THAT AFTER COMPLETION, AND THEN THE SUBSEQUENT TWO YEARS.
SO SIMPLY PUT OVER THE FIRST THREE YEARS, THE MANUFACTURER GETS 90% OF THEIR TAXES BACK AND SPREAD OUT OVER A THREE YEAR, THREE YEAR PERIOD
AND FOR IT TO BE ELIGIBLE, IT HAS TO BE A EITHER A NEW MACHINE AND TOOL EQUIPMENT OR A REPLACEMENT THAT INCREASES THE ASSESSED VALUE.
AND THIS IS WHERE, UM, THE FOLKS IN THE COMMISSIONER REVENUES OFFICE HAVE A, A, A REALLY, REALLY, UM, TEDIOUS JOB BECAUSE THEY RECEIVE THESE REPORTS THAT BY THE FEBRUARY 15TH, THAT, THAT HAVE ALL THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S BEEN PUT IN SERVICE NEW, AND THEN THE EQUIPMENT THAT HAS BEEN IDLED OR TAKEN OUT, TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE, AND THEN WHAT'S POLLUTION CONTROL OR NOT.
SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF WORK THAT THEY DO IN CALCULATING WHAT THE MACHINE AND TOOL STACKS IS GONNA BE.
AND THEN, UM, THE SUBSEQUENT REBATES, BECAUSE THOSE REBATES ARE TRACKED OVER A, A ROLLING THREE YEAR PERIOD.
SO I WAS ABLE TO, UM, TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE LAST, UH, FIVE YEARS FROM, UM, WELL, WELL, FOUR, FOUR COMPLETE YEARS FROM 20 TO 24, AND LOOK AT WHAT THIS, UM, ENTERPRISE ZONE PROGRAM HAS DONE AS IT RELATES TO THE MACHINE AND TOOLS TAX.
AND, UM, SO OVER THIS FIVE YEAR
[01:30:01]
PERIOD, THERE WAS APPROXIMATELY $250 MILLION IN NEW MACHINE AND TOOLS THAT WERE PUT IN SERVICE, UM, USING THE, THE CALCULATION AND VALUATION THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN TAX REVENUE.UM, BUT BECAUSE THOSE WERE, UH, PART OF THE ENTERPRISE ZONE, THERE WAS A REBATE THAT WAS RETURNED, UH, JUST UNDER $2 MILLION.
AND SO, UH, THE EFFECTIVE TAX REVENUE COLLECTED, UH, WAS ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THERE IN 20 20, 20, 21, 22, AND THEN 23, THERE WAS A, A LARGER INCREASE OF, OF, UH, NEW EQUIPMENT THAT, THAT WENT ONLINE.
MOST OF THIS MACHINE AND TOOL STACK, UM, IS IMPACTFUL ON OUR LARGE MANUFACTURERS.
SO WHY AM I HERE GIVING THIS REPORT TONIGHT? THE REASON WHY I'M HERE IS BECAUSE ON DECEMBER 8TH, 2020, THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO EXTEND THIS PROGRAM UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST OF THIS YEAR.
SO THIS PROGRAM, UH, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR LOCAL INCENTIVES UNDER THE ENTERPRISE ZONE, UH, IT WILL SUNSET DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
UM, AND WHAT WE WILL NEED TO DO, THE BODY WILL NEED TO TAKE ACTION AS IT RELATES TO THIS.
UM, WE, WE CANNOT, AS PART OF THE ENTERPRISE ZONE, WE CANNOT JUST REMOVE AN INCENTIVE AND LET IT SUNSET.
UM, AND WHAT THE ACTION IS THAT WE PROPOSE TO TAKE, HAS TO GO THROUGH A PROCESS WHERE WE SUBMIT IT TO THE, THE FOLKS WHO OPERATE THE ENTERPRISE ZONE AT THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, AND THEY WOULD REVIEW AND APPROVE THE, THE MODIFICATION CHANGE TO IT.
AND THEN THAT WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY, UM, APPROVED OR, OR MODIFIED.
SO I'M NOT HERE TONIGHT ASKING FOR ANY ACTION.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO START THE PROCESS OF THE EDUCATION, WHICH IS WHAT THE PROGRAM IS, WHAT THE PROGRAM DOES, WHAT THE IMPACT PACT HAS BEEN, AND, UM, TO SAY THAT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO TAKE SOME FORM OF ACTION.
UM, AND THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS WE CAN DO WITH THAT.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS SET UP, UM, THE, THE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ESSENTIALLY A YEAR TO SUBMIT FOR THAT NEW EQUIPMENT THAT IS IN PLACE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
SO EVEN IF, EVEN IF WE MAKE AN ACTION BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, UM, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE FOR AN EXTREMELY LONG TIME BECAUSE THERE'S A PERIOD OF TIME BASICALLY BY THE 15TH OF FEBRUARY OF EVERY OF EVERY YEAR THAT THE REPORTING'S DONE, AND THEN THE TAXES ARE CALCULATED.
WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS WE DON'T WANT TO GET OUT OF SEQUENCE WITH OUR BUDGET, AND WE DON'T WANNA GET US OUT OF SEQUENCE WITH THE, UH, MANUFACTURERS AND THEIR ANTICIPATION OF THE TAXES THAT THEY, THEY'LL BE PAYING.
UM, THE OTHER THING TO REMEMBER IS EVEN IF THIS PROGRAM ESSENTIALLY WERE TO SUNSET, UM, AND WE DIDN'T TAKE ANY ACTION, THERE'S STILL THREE MORE YEARS OF ABATEMENT THAT WOULD CONTINUE FOR THE, THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S PLACED IN SERVICE THIS THIS YEAR.
SO I KNOW THERE'LL BE QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, SO I'M HERE TO START ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR COUNSEL OR ANY QUESTIONS THAT COUNSEL MAY HAVE? OKAY.
UH, MOVING ON TO, UH, R SIX, UH, MR. BASSETT.
AND THIS IS AN ITEM THAT COUNCIL, COUNCIL HAS DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY LAST MONTH.
UM, SO AS YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNANCE OF OUR HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL IS SET OUT IN THE CITY'S CHARTER, AND THAT CHARTER CREATES A TWO STEP PROCESS FOR ALL COMMISSION ACTIONS WHERE THE COMMISSION MAKES DECISIONS.
BUT EACH OF THOSE DECISIONS IS SUBJECT TO OVERRULE BY COUNSEL.
UM, THE CHARTER DOESN'T, THE CHARTER ALSO HAS THE PROBLEM OF IT NOT CREATING ANY POSSIBILITY FOR THE HWR AS RESIDENTIAL
[01:35:01]
CUSTOMERS.THAT IS PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY OR FORT LEE TO BECOME PARTNERS IN ITS SUPPORT AND ITS GOVERNANCE.
UM, AFTER, AFTER SPEAKING WITH COUNCIL AND THEN WITH, UH, WITH SOME OF OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS, UM, WHAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY IS A DRAFT RESOLUTION FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION THAT WOULD REQUEST THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS BY FIRST BRINGING THE GOVERNANCE OF THE HWR INTO THE COMMISSION ITSELF INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THAT TWO STEP PROCESS.
AND ALSO BY ALLOWING FOR PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY AND FORT LEE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THE COMMISSION ONCE THEY BECOME FULL CONTRIBUTORS TO ITS OPERATION.
UM, AT THE END OF THIS PROCESS, IF, IF THIS IS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, YOU WOULD HAVE A COMMISSION THAT, JUST AS IT IS TODAY, HAS, CAN HAVE ON IT ANYWHERE BETWEEN THREE AND SIX MEMBERS, UH, REPRESENTING INDUSTRY.
AND THEN IT WOULD HAVE TWO MEMBERS REPRESENTING, UH, HOPEWELL IN THAT BEING THE CITY MANAGER AND ONE MEMBER OF CITY COUNCIL.
AND THEN, NOT IMMEDIATELY, BUT IF, AND AS PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY OR FORT LEE BECOME WHAT'S CALLED A USER OF THE FACILITY, THAT IS TO SAY, UH, UH, NOT JUST A CUSTOMER, BUT UM, WOULD ALLOW THEM TO BECOME PARTNERS IN BOTH THE GOVERNANCE ON THE COMMISSION AND ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR, UM, INVESTING IN THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE, UH, OF THE FACILITY.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THIS DRAFT RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF COUNSEL FOR CONSIDERATION WOULD DO.
IF IT'S COUNSEL'S PLEASURE TO, TO PASS THIS, IF IN EFFECT PASSING THIS RESOLUTION WOULD BE TO ASK, UM, OUR LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE IN THE STATE SENATE, UH, SENATOR AIRED TO CARRY A BILL FOR US IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO SEEK THIS CHARTER CHANGE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, MR. BESSETTE? THIS, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE ACTION ON YEAH.
THIS IS, THIS IS A RESOLUTION.
IT, IT, IT ONLY REQUIRES TO COME UP IN FRONT OF COUNCIL ONCE, AND Y'ALL ARE ALLOWED TO TAKE ACTION TONIGHT IF YOU SEE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THAT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPT AN AMENDMENT TO THE CHARTER FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO MOVED.
SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UH, MOVING ON TO, UH, R SEVEN.
UH, WE PULLED OUT FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, THE DISCUSSION ON THE, UH, CAPITAL FUNDING ORDINANCE AND RESOLUTION.
UH, STACY, CAN YOU GIVE US JUST A VERY BRIEF, UM, RUNDOWN AGAIN, UH, FOR US AND FOR THE PUBLIC? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
MAYOR PARTON, UH, DAVENPORT AND, UH, RT TAYLOR WITH CRUZ, THE UNDERWRITER CAME BEFORE COUNSEL A MONTH AGO TO PRESENT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THE CITY HAD FOR, UM, PRIVATE FUNDING OF $15 MILLION.
ORIGINALLY IT WAS 10 AND WE DECIDED TO INCREASE IT TO 15 FOR SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR BOND COUNCIL, MR. CHRIS
YOU'LL HEAR FROM SHORTLY IN REGARDS TO OBTAINING THESE BONDS AND, UM, THE RESOLUTION OF ORDINANCE TO BE PASSED TONIGHT SO THAT WE CAN START THE PROCESS OF CLOSING ON THESE, ON THIS, UH, PRIVATE FUNDING FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
UH, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I'M SORRY I'M NOT THERE WITH YOU, UH, THIS WEEK AS I WAS TWO WEEKS AGO, BUT, UM, YOU HAVE A FOR YOU FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, TWO ACTION ITEMS AND WE'D ASK FOR SEPARATE VOTE ON EACH ONE IS THE ORDINANCE, WHICH IS THE SECOND READING OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, THAT WAS INTRODUCED TWO WEEKS AGO AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THAT IS JUST A, A, UM, BASIC, UH, AUTHORIZATION BECAUSE THE CHARTER ASKED FOR, UM, ACTION BY ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF DEBT.
AND THEN WE HAVE BEFORE YOU FOR CONSIDERATION AS WELL TONIGHT, A BOND RESOLUTION THAT GETS INTO MORE DETAILS FOR THIS SPECIFIC, UH, BOND ISSUE THAT WOULD AUTHORIZE WITHIN PARAMETERS, UH, THAT ARE SET OUT IN THE RESOLUTION BY MAXIMUM PRINCIPAL AMOUNT, INTEREST RATE, UM, FINAL MATURITY DATE, UM, AND ISSUANCE OF THE DEBT, UM, WITHIN
[01:40:01]
THOSE PARAMETERS.AND THEN DELEGATING TO, UH, CITY, TO THE MAYOR AND TO CITY STAFF TO FINALIZE THE DETAILS SO LONG AS THEY FIT WITHIN THOSE PARAMETERS.
UH, THE RESOLUTION ALSO INCLUDES, UH, THE TYPICAL TAX, UH, COVENANTS THAT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR THIS DEBT TO BE ISSUED ON A TAX EXEMPT BASIS.
UM, AND THEN INCLUDES AN AUTHORIZATION FOR, UH, DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UH, ISSUANCES, UH, BOTH IN A LIMITED OFFERING, UH, PUBLIC OFFERING, AS WELL AS A, UH, BANK PLACEMENT OR A LIMITED, UH, PLACEMENT SITUATION.
UH, AND, UH, WE EXPECT THE, UM, UH, AND MR. SANDERSON MAY BE ABLE TO GET INTO THIS FURTHER, THE DISCUSSION FURTHER WITH THE CREWS AND ASSOCIATES, FOLKS FROM RT TAYLOR, THAT THAT IS THE, THE WAY TO PROCEED, UH, IN A, UM, IN A, UH, PLACEMENT WITH THEIR INVESTOR.
UH, BUT THAT IS A, A, A BASIC OVERVIEW OF THE RESOLUTION, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT COUNSEL MAY HAVE, UH, ON THE RESOLUTION OR THE ORDINANCE OR OTHER MATTERS ABOUT THE FINANCING.
SO YOU JUST NEED TWO SEPARATE MOTIONS, ONE FOR THE RESOLUTION AND ONE FOR THE ORDINANCE FOR THIS, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS FOR MR. COL? NO.
WAS THAT MR. HARRIS? OKAY, GO AHEAD.
UH, I GOT A QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE, UH, THE 6% THAT WE HAVE.
CAN, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW THAT PROCESS IS, HOW, HOW IT WORKS IN REGARDS TO THE MATURITY DATE AND, UH, THE IZATION IN REGARDS TO THAT 6%? MR. MAYOR, I CAN ADDRESS THAT.
UM, THE 6% IS A, IS MR. COLE I WAS DESCRIBING IS A PARAMETER.
THAT'S THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE AUTHORIZING STAFF TO GO OUT AND, AND BORROW AT AN INTEREST RATE.
SO THEY CAN'T, THEY COULDN'T GO BORROW AT A HIGHER INTEREST RATE THAN THAT.
THE RATE IS NOT SET UNTIL, I THINK WE'RE GONNA SET IT ON, UM, ON THURSDAY IS WHEN WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY LOCK IN THE INTEREST RATE AFTER, AFTER YOU CONSIDER IT, IF YOU GIVE IT APPROVAL.
RIGHT NOW, THE INTEREST RATE IS LESS THAN 5%, IT'S ABOUT 4.8% OR SO, BUT IT COULD MOVE UP OR DOWN, UM, BETWEEN NOW AND, AND THURSDAY.
BUT 6% IS THE NUMBER THAT WE ALWAYS JUST PUT A HIGHER NUMBER IN THERE, UM, BECAUSE WE HAD TO PUT IT IN THERE A MONTH AGO AND WHEN THE PAPERS CAME OUT.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT CAN BE, UH, THAT IT, THAT CAN BE ON THE BONDS.
SO WHEN IS THE FIRST PAYMENT DUE? SO THE, THE STRUCTURE IS GONNA BE DONE, UM, AGAIN, SO WE'RE TRYING TO LIMIT NO, NO INTEREST PAYMENTS WOULD BE DUE IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
SO THE FIRST INTEREST PAYMENT WOULD BE IN FY 27, WHICH IS SCHEDULED.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SET IT FOR JULY 15TH, 2026, WHICH IS AN FY 27.
AND THEN THE FIRST PRINCIPAL PAYMENT WOULD BE MADE IN JANUARY OF 2028, WHICH IS FY 28.
I'VE GOT ONE OTHER QUESTION IN REGARDS TO THE SPECIFICS ABOUT THE REASON WHY WE ARE ENTERING INTO THIS, THIS, UH, BOND ISSUE IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH, IS IT DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH CAPITAL EXPENDITURES? YES, SIR.
SO THE, THE RESOLUTION AND THE, THE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS SET OUT THE SPECIFIC TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT YOU CAN SPEND THIS MONEY ON.
UM, AND SO THERE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RESOLUTION, UM, IT'S THE VERY FIRST PARAGRAPH WHERE IT LISTS THE TYPES OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT, UM, THAT THESE PROCEEDS CAN BE USED FOR.
SO IT'S STARTING SORT OF RIGHT THERE AFTER THE 15 MILLION TO FINANCE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES FOR GOVERNMENTAL PURPOSES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION CAPITAL COST TO CONSTRUCT, IMPROVE, EXPAND, REPLACE EXISTING PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND FACILITIES, UH, PUMP STATIONS, ROOF REPLACEMENTS, HVAC, ROAD AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS, PEDESTRIAN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, STORM WATER, UH, SEWER PIPE REPLACEMENT, PARK AND REC IMPROVEMENTS, AND RIVER WALL COMPLETION COSTS.
SO THE, UM, STAFF HAS A LIST OF, OF PROJECTS
[01:45:01]
THAT, THAT, UM, BOND COUNCIL HAS REVIEWED.PART OF THE, OF THE PROCESS IS ONE, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE ELIGIBLE TO BE ISSUED ON A TAX EXEMPT BASIS WITH WHICH THEY ARE FOR GOVERNMENTAL PURPOSES.
THEY ALSO HAVE TO BE FOR EXISTING BUILDINGS, UH, UNDER YOUR CHARTER FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE, UH, GEO BONDS, UH, GENERAL ALLEGATION BONDS WITHOUT A, UM, WITHOUT A REFERENDUM.
AND IN REGARDS TO THE FIRST PAYMENT, IS IT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE, WOULD BE IN 2028? WOULD THAT BE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE BUDGET FOR THAT YEAR? SO, SO THE FIRST PAYMENT WOULD BE AN FY 27.
IT WOULD BE JUST TO BE AN INTEREST PAYMENT AND IT WOULD HAVE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE, IN THE BUDGET FOR FY 27.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE FOR CAPITAL FUNDING AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY MYSELF.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, I JUST GOT ONE COMMENT.
I JUST WANT, I WANTED TO MAKE THE COMMENT IN REGARDS TO BEING IN SUPPORT OF, UH, THIS PARTICULAR BOND ISSUE AND THE EXPENDITURES, AND THIS ONE'S ABOUT LISTENING AND LISTENING TO THE, UH, THE, THE SCHOOL BOARD AND WHAT IT IS THAT'S HAPPENING AND SOME OF THE OTHER CAPITAL EXPENDITURES THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF A CITY.
I SEE THAT THIS RIGHT HERE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE POSITIVE.
UH, HOWEVER, I DON'T WANT TO OVERSTEP, UH, OUR LIMITS OF WHAT WE CAN AFFORD TO DO AS A CITY.
AND ALSO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE IS EQUITABLY SPENT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
SEEING NO OTHER LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UH, NEXT MOTION IS TO, UH, APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR CAPITAL FUNDING AS PRESENTED TONIGHT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR MEETING TONIGHT.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT.