[00:00:05]
[Call to order and roll call]
TO ORDER.CAN I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? MAYOR? PARDON? HERE.
ALRIGHT, UH, WE GOT PERFECT ATTENDANCE.
GOING INTO, UM, NO REMOTE MOTIONS.
[CLOSED MEETING ]
HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED MEETING, UH, PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A THREE EIGHT AND 29 TO DISCUSS THE ACQUISITION OF 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 OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION INTO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, UH, REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS, REAL ESTATE CONTRACT DISCUSSION, SUPPORT AGREEMENT WITH THE EDA LEASE FOR CITY DEPARTMENT OFFICES, 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A ONE AND EIGHT, UH, TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS, INCLUDING CITY CLERK BEACON THEATER BOARD, HOPEWELL WATER RENEWAL, AND THE RECREATION COMMISSION.
UH, COUNCILOR OLI HAS MADE THE MOTION AND HAS BEEN SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOYNER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
WE'RE GO AHEAD AND COME OUT A CLOSED SESSION.
DO I HAVE A, UH, MOTION TO COME OUT? CLOSED MEETING.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR LEY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING THE LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
CERTIFICATION UNDER VIRGINIA CODE 2.2 DASH 3 7 12 D WERE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS.
LAWFULLY EXEMPT FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND TWO IDENTIFIED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
MOTION DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I THINK I'VE SEEN MORE STAFF HERE THAN, THAN CITIZENS IN A GOOD LONG WHILE,
BUT IT'S GOOD TO SEE EVERYBODY.
[REPORT OF THE CITY MANAGER]
WILL START OFF WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT.I WANT TO FIRST BEGIN BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE HARD WORK OF THIS COUNCIL DURING THE, THE PROCESS OF, UH, UH, SEARCHING FOR A CITY MANAGER.
AND THAT ENDED IN A SUCCESSFUL SEARCH.
AND, UH, COUNCIL LATER TONIGHT WILL, UM, UM, BE PRESENTED WITH AND VOTE ON, UH, THE, A CONTRACT FOR THE NEW CITY MANAGER AND MAKE THAT APPOINTMENT.
SO I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN A NUMBER OF, UH, SEARCHES WITH COUNCILS AND Y'ALL WORKED REAL HARD, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
I MEAN, AND, AND, AND IT WAS A MULTI-STEP PROCESS.
SO WE, WE WERE PROUD OF THE, THE, THE COLLEGIALITY THAT EXISTED DURING THE PROCESS.
AND THEN WE GOT A GOOD, A, A GOOD RESULT.
MR. MAY YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE YOUR CITY MAYOR? YES.
UM, TONIGHT WE HAVE, UM, MR. VINCENT JONES.
UM, I BELIEVE I SAW HIM OUT IN THE OFFICE THERE.
UH, ALL IN THE BACK ROW, THE MAN OF THE HOUR.
BUT, UM, YOU MIND JUST STANDING REAL QUICK FOR US? UM, THIS IS, UH, OUR NEW CITY MANAGER, UH, STARTING AND I BELIEVE IT'S MAY 3RD, UH, LATER.
WE WILL, UH, IN THE MEETING, UH, BE VOTING TO APPOINT YOU.
UM, AND WE'RE REAL EXCITED TO HAVE YOU.
UM, AND I CAN SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE GOT A, UH, A GOOD WILLIAM AND MARY GRADUATE.
UM, BUT YOU BRING A LOT OF GREAT EXPERIENCE.
UM, YOU BRING A PLETHORA OF KNOWLEDGE AND, UM, WE'RE VERY, VERY EXCITED, UH, TO, TO HAVE YOU, UH, STARTING IN MAY.
AND, AND, UH, UNDER THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF, UH, COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS. UM,
[00:05:01]
WE HAVE THE, UH, FEBRUARY FINANCIALS FOR MS. JORDAN.UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, OUR TREASURER AND OUR COMMISSIONER OF REV REVENUE WHO WILL BE, UH, PRESENTING TONIGHT.
SO LET'S START WITH MS. JORDAN.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THIS IS THE FEBRUARY FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING REPORT.
CITYWIDE FINANCIALS FOR FEBRUARY.
MY THING, REVENUES ARE TRENDING POINT 11 OR 8.4 MILLION, HIGHER FOR 26 VERSUS 25.
EXPENSES FOR FEBRUARY ARE TRENDING.
8.4 MILLION HIGHER FOR 26 VERSUS 25.
KEY DATES FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL ARE DECEMBER, FEBRUARY, MAY, AND JUNE.
INCREASE IN EXPENSES STEM FROM THE ANNUAL CLASS AND COMP STUDY INCREASES AS WELL AS INCREASE IN SCHOOL ENTERPRISE AND CAPITAL EXPENSES.
ANY QUESTIONS ON CITYWIDE GENERAL FUND FOR FEBRUARY IS TRENDING 1.39 MILLION, HIGHER IN REVENUE FOR 26 VERSUS 25.
INCREASE EXPENSE FROM STEMS FROM INCREASE IN CLASS AND COMP STUDY.
OVERALL, WE ARE STILL TRENDING BETTER FOR 26 AND 25, ABOUT $3 MILLION.
ENTERPRISE FUND FROM FEBRUARY.
REVENUES ARE TRENDING 5.4 MILLION HIGHER THAN 26 THAN 26 THAN 25 FOR 26.
EXPENSES ARE TRENDING 9.9 MILLION HIGHER IN EXPENSES, REVENUE STEM FROM ON TIME AND CAPITAL BILLING, WHICH IS BEING BILLED UPFRONT VERSUS AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
AND INCREASE IN EXPENSES STEM FROM, UM, CAPITAL PROJECTS AS WELL AS MAINTENANCE COMPARED TO LAST YEAR'S SPEND OF $5.6 MILLION 1.5 MILLION THE SAME TIME LAST FISCAL YEAR.
WE'VE ALREADY SPENT 5.6 MILLION FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS WITH, UM, THE PLAN.
AS FOR OUR SCHOOLS, OUR SCHOOLS IS TRENDING 1.3 MILLION HIGHER IN REVENUES FOR 26 VERSUS 25, AND EXPENSES ARE TR TRENDING 5.2 MILLION HIGHER IN 26 VERSUS 25.
THERE WAS A DECREASE IN THEIR FEDERAL REVENUES RECEIVED FOR THEIR ESSER GRANT, WHICH WAS CONSIDERED THEIR, THEIR COVID MONIES AND SECOND QUARTER HEAD START.
WERE STILL WAITING FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE SCHOOLS ON THAT PIECE RIGHT HERE.
DID YOU HAVE A LE I HAD A QUESTION.
UM, SO WHERE WE ARE WAITING FOR THE REIMBURSEMENT, DO WE EXPECT THAT TO BE IN THIS PHYSICAL YEAR? YES, THEY HAVE TO JANELLE'S JUST RUNNING A LITTLE BIT BEHIND WITH REIMBURSEMENT REQUESTS TO THE STATE, BUT IT'LL BE THIS PHYSICAL YEAR.
AND IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR THIRD QUARTER AS WELL.
SO SALARY SAVINGS ALLOCATION, GENERAL FUND SALARY SAVINGS, ABOUT $876,000.
WE ARE, WE ARE REQUESTING THAT WE CAN ALLOCATE THE FUNDS TO THE AUDITS.
PREVIOUSLY WE WERE, WE WERE ONLY BUDGETING ABOUT $205,000 PER YEAR, BUT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN PUSHING THE AUDITS THROUGH, WE NEED AN ADDITIONAL ABOUT $615,000 FOR THIS YEAR SO THAT WE CAN FINISH PAYING FOR THE COMPLETION OF OUR AUDITS.
COMMISSIONER, REVENUE SECURITY UPGRADE BARRIER, $25,000.
WE'RE ASKING TO USE A SALARY SAVINGS TOWARDS THAT.
ALSO, THEIR OFFICE CHAIR, WHICH IS ABOUT $4,000.
FIRE SEWER LINE AT STATION TWO $50,000 WATER LEAK AT STATION ONE $105,000.
AND THE SHERIFF OFFICE RADIO IS $80,000.
THEIR SYSTEM IS OUTDATED AT THIS POINT AND THEY NEED A NEW, UH, RADIO SYSTEM IF IT'S NOT COVERED BY COMP BOARD AND ICE.
WE HAD A, A MEETING WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THEY HAVE ALREADY LOOKED INTO THE COMP BOARD.
THE COMP BOARD WOULD NOT ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL MONIES TO THEM FOR THE RADIO SYSTEM AND I DON'T BELIEVE THE ICE FUNDING CAN BE USED TOWARDS THAT EITHER.
AS FAR AS THE ENTERPRISE FUND, THE 166,000 WILL GO TOWARDS HRW PUMP AND TANK REPAIRS, 63,000 TOWARDS SEWER PUMP REPAIRS
[00:10:01]
AND 24,000 TOWARDS REFUSE SERVICE CONTRACTS.MS. JORDAN, I KNOW IN PART OF OUR, UM, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO UTILIZE, UM, YOU KNOW, SAVINGS TO HELP, YOU KNOW, ADD AND, YOU KNOW, UH, AUGMENT, UM, OUR UNDESIGNATED FUND BALANCE AND THEN ALSO THE, UH, RESERVE FUNDS.
ARE WE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING WITH THAT? NOT CURRENTLY.
THE SALARY SAVINGS WE CURRENTLY HAVE, THEY ARE GOING TOWARDS, UH, ADDITIONAL EXPENSES THAT WE NEED FOR RIGHT NOW.
BUT AS WE MOVE CLOSER TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR MM-HMM
WE WILL BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE SALARY SA WELL OUR SAVINGS REVENUES OVER EXPENSES TOWARDS OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES.
FOR FEBRUARY, INVOICES PAID 1,185 FOR A TOTAL OF $5.4 MILLION AND WE ARE 71% PAID SO FAR WITH OUR DEBT.
AND WE HAVE A 2.1 MILLION REMAINING TO PAY FOR THE REST OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
THE 25 A CFR IS DUE TO BE COMPLETED IN MARCH 31ST OF THIS YEAR.
UM, WE DO NOT SEE ANYTHING HOLDING US UP AS OF YET.
WE JUST HAD ANOTHER UPDATED MEETING WITH DAVID AND WE'RE MOVING, WE'RE MOVING ALONG.
WELL ALSO, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE HAVAS FOR THE SCHOOLS LATER ON THIS AFTERNOON.
WHEN JIMMY COMES UP TO PRESENT THE DIAGNOSTIC, HE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE COMING UP.
WOULD THAT BE FOR, WOULD THAT BE FOR THE HVAC SYSTEMS? YES, MA'AM.
AND, UH, MR. JANAY, VERY PLEASED TO HAVE A TREASURER'S REPORT.
WE'D LIKE, UH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD PRACTICE TO, TO HAVE THE TREASURER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF, UH, REVENUE COME AND BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS FROM TIME TO TIME.
AND I'M GLAD THEY HAVE AGREED TO DO SOMETHING.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, REST OF COUNCIL.
UM, THIS IS JUST THE COLLECTION SUMMARY, UH, FROM THE LAST THREE YEARS, UM, JUST TO KIND OF TELL US WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WHERE WE'RE GOING, UM, AND HOPEFULLY HOW WE CAN IMPROVE.
SO FOR REAL ESTATE, UH, IN 2023, UM, THE TOTAL ADJUSTED BILL, 21,354,000 70, 79, AND 86 CENTS.
UM, THE IN RECEIVABLE 140,000 LEFT.
UM, SO WE WERE AT A 99.27% COLLECTION RATE, UM, 24 20 2,179,961 AND 65 CENTS.
UH, WE ENDED UP AT A 98.5% COLLECTION RATE FOR 2024.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN TO 2025, A LITTLE BIT LOWER AT 96.45% ON REAL ESTATE FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY.
2023, WE WERE AT A 96.25% COLLECTION RATE, UM, 20 24, 94 0.48.
AND LAST YEAR WE WERE AT 89.7 WITH AN INRE RECEIVABLE OF OVER 2.1 MILLION.
AND FOR BUSINESS LICENSE, UH, 2023 WE'RE AT 99.63.
UH, 2024, BIT OF AN INCREASE, 99.77% COLLECTION RATE.
UM, HOWEVER THOSE ARE STILL BEING COLLECTED.
UM, AS OF APRIL 1ST IS IT WILL BE THE DEADLINE.
THAT NUMBER IS STILL GOING UP.
UH, AS FAR AS OUR BANKING ACCOUNTS, UM, LITTLE OVER SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION AS OF THREE 18.
SPECIAL WEAR WELFARE, 124,000, UH, DATA INTEGRATORS ACCOUNT, 5,600, UH, SCHOOL BOARD CAFE $333, BEACON THEATER JUST UNDER 50,000.
AND THE EMS REVENUE RECOVERY AT 57 890.
AND THEN FOR OUR INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS, THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF 'EM.
UM, UNTIL THE NUMBERS GET UPDATED IN APRIL.
UH, THE KAPLAN PORTFOLIO, A LITTLE OVER 6 MILLION.
UH, AND THEN THE US BANK SEWER SYSTEM, 377,000 AND THEN SCHWAB WAS JUST OVER $6 MILLION IN OUR INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS.
IN, IN TERMS OF, UH, THAT THREE OR FOUR PERCENTAGE, UH, THAT'S UNCOLLECTED.
UH, WE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS THAT YOU'RE TAKING.
YEAH, IT'S, UH, YOU MIGHT WANNA SHARE THAT.
SO WE HAVE A COUPLE COLLECTIONS AGENCIES, UH, WITH REAL ESTATE AND WITH PERSONAL PROPERTY.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH TACS.
WE USE THOSE FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY.
UM, AND WE'RE STARTING TO CRACK DOWN.
UM, WE'RE SU THE POST OFFICE HAS BEEN A BIG ISSUE ON THESE UNCOLLECTED AMOUNTS.
[00:15:01]
UM, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM, UH, AS WELL.I MET WITH A, UH, HOUSE DELEGATE AS WELL FOR CONGRESS.
UH, AND SHE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE US POSTAL ISSUES AS WELL.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING ON THAT.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT SENDING MORE NOTICES, UM, REACHING OUT WITH TACS AND OUR OTHER COLLECTIONS FOR REAL ESTATE, UH, JASON DUNN'S OFFICE, UM, TO TRY TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE ON THESE APPROACHES.
SEND OUT MORE NOTICES, UM, AND, AND JUST TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT.
'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE UNFAMILIAR.
WE GET A LOT OF PHONE CALLS SAYING THAT THEY NEVER RECEIVED A BILL OR THEY NEVER RECEIVED A NOTICE.
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE THOSE NOTICES TO LET PEOPLE KNOW.
THAT WAY THEY DON'T GO UNNOTICED AND UNCOLLECTED.
UM, COUNCILOR RIPLEY AND THEN VICE MAYOR JOINER.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY QUESTION.
UH, YOU KNOW, SEE THAT WE COLLECTION WAS TRENDING DOWN AND DO WE SEE THAT CONTINUING OR DO YOU THINK IT'LL RISE? OH, NO MA'AM, IT'S GONNA RISE.
I CAN PROMISE YOU WITH CAN YOU, CAN YOU BE MORE SPECIFIC WHEN YOU SAY POSTAL ISSUES? I MEAN, IT'S JUST THE FACT THAT THEY'RE JUST NOTICES ARE GETTING LOST OR WHAT.
UH, JUST TODAY I GOT AN ORIGINAL 2022 PERSONAL PROPERTY BILL, UH, RETURNED TO US, UH, OF 3 16 26.
UM, THE ORIGINAL 2022, NOT A SUPPLEMENTAL, NOT RECENT.
IT, IT JUST NOW MADE IT BACK TO OUR OFFICE THREE 16 OF 26.
UM, DID IT MAKE IT BETTER? BECAUSE THERE, WHY DID IT COME BACK? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
I, IT'S, MOST OF THE TIME IT'S ADDRESSES AREN'T VALID.
UM, BUT THEN WE CAN RESEND IT TO THE SAME ONE AND IT'LL GET THERE.
AND OUR COMMISSIONER REVENUE IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR FINANCE TEAM.
AND, UH, SO WE'VE GOT, UH, MS. DEBBIE, UH, REASON AND HER ASSISTANT, UH, AMANDA, AMANDA WILL BE PRESENTING.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'LL START WITH OUR REVENUE ESTIMATES FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, I PUT ON 2025 AND 2026.
THAT WAS JUST REPORTED IN DECEMBER.
BUT I TREND SEEING THAT GOING WITH LICENSE FEES ABOUT 7.1 MILLION, UM, MACHINERY TOOLS IS INCREASING.
IF YOU, AS YOU CAN SEE, ABOUT 9.8 TO 10.1 MILLION.
AND THIS IS NOT INCLUDING THE REBATES.
YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE THAT WE BACK TO THE MANUFACTURERS.
THIS WOULD BE THE MACHINERY TOOL REBATES THAT, UM, WE ISSUED THEM A CHECK AT THE END OF THE YEAR AFTER BOTH HALVES ARE PAID FOR EXPANSIONS ON THEIR PLANTS AND MANUFACTURERS.
PUBLIC SERVICE IS REPORTED TO US BY THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON HERE IT IS, THE ESTIMATES IS 4.9 AND THAT HAS INCREASED TO ABOUT 5.5 MILLION.
AND THAT IT'S PROBABLY GONNA STAY ABOUT THE SAME.
MAYBE IT'LL INCREASE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, NEXT IS GONNA BE THE BUSINESS LICENSES.
AND THAT HAS DECREASED 'CAUSE THE AMOUNT OF BUSINESSES HAVE DECREASED A LITTLE BIT, BUT I ACTUALLY SEE THAT TRENDING BACK UP SINCE I JUST WAS RUNNING SOME REPORTS DOWNSTAIRS.
AND JUST LET ON, LEMME PULL BACK FOR YOU, PLEASE.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS, UH, AN ITEM THAT YOU GUYS ARE, YOU KNOW, STILL WORKING ON.
UM, AND IT DEALS WITH, UH, YEAH, I THINK 20, IT'S GONNA BE MORE 2027.
UM, THEN IT, WE WILL PROBABLY THIS ONE, BUT I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING THE WORK NOW FOR IT.
UM, HAVE YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, COME OUT WITH A DRAFT FOR, YOU KNOW, THE RESTRUCTURING OF, OF BUSINESS LICENSES? UM, I, THAT'S BEEN MENTIONED TO ME.
I HAVE NOT DONE THAT YET, BUT I, THAT'S IN THE WORKS.
THAT I'M GONNA BE WORKING WITH THE CITY WITH THAT.
OH, CAN I PLEASE PULL THAT? SORRY.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT 2.1 MILLION FOR THE BUSINESSES.
ACTUALLY, THE AMOUNTS OF THE AMOUNT OF BUSINESSES DECREASED BY ABOUT A HUNDRED, BUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY REVENUE COMING IN IS INCREASING.
SO THE GROSS RECEIPT'S GONE UP.
SO THAT NUMBER ACTUALLY SHOULD BE 2.1, NOT 1.7.
I'M SEEING, I I THINK IT'S GONNA TURN A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THAT.
UM, FOOD AND BEVERAGE IS NOT ON THE ORIGINAL REVENUE ESTIMATES THAT ARE SENT, UM, BUT I DID INCLUDE THAT INTO THE NEXT SLIDE.
[00:20:01]
HOW MUCH IS COLLECTED ON THAT, JUST TO LET Y'ALL KNOW MM-HMMUM, AND I DID CONCLUDE IN THERE 'CAUSE THAT'S AN INCREASE THAT WE HAD FROM 8% TO 10% RECENTLY.
AND I JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT THAT IS INCREASING OVER THE YEARS.
THE TREND IS GOING UP SINCE THAT INCREASE HAS TAKEN PLACE.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE BRAND NEW TAX
UM, THIS IS A HARD ONE, BUT IT'S, WE'RE AT $300,000 RIGHT NOW.
HONESTLY, I JUST RAN THE REPORT BEFORE WE CAME UP HERE AND WE DID NOT EXPECT TO ACTUALLY HAVE MORE THAN WHAT THE REVENUE ESTIMATES HAVE, BUT IT SAID IT'S TRENDING A LITTLE BIT OVER $300,000 RIGHT NOW.
SO ARE YOUR, ANY QUESTIONS IS, IS YOUR FORECAST STILL, UH, UH, ABOUT THE SAME AS WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU STARTED THE PROCESS? OR, OR ARE YOU FORECASTING TOTALLY A BIT MORE? I'M FORECASTING A BIT MORE.
SO WE START THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH, SORRY, WITH, WITH, WITH, UH, UH, WORKING WITH STACY AND, AND, UH, AND THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND WE DO OUR ESTIMATES BASED THAT ON A POINT IN TIME AND, UH, THIS INCREASED FORECAST AND REVENUE WE HAVE NOT INCORPORATED IN THE BUDGET THAT YOU WILL BE PRESENTED TONIGHT.
AND, UH, WE LEAVE IT THAT WAY BECAUSE I THINK THAT, UH, COUNCIL OUGHT TO HAVE SOME DISCRETION MM-HMM
IN, IN, IN, UH, DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO USE THAT REVENUE OR WHETHER YOU WANT TO PUT IT ALL IN ALL IN THE CAPITAL AT SOME POINT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, UP FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
AND, AND FINALLY, COUNCIL MAYOR, UH, HOORAY FOR HOPEWELL HISTORY CELEBRATION VA, UH, 2 5250 SIGNATURE EVENT ON JUNE 27TH, 2026, THE CITY OF HOPEWELL WILL HOST ITS OFFICIAL VA TWO 50 SIGNATURE EVENT.
HOORAY FOR HOPEWELL HISTORY CELEBRATION AS A PART OF THE NATIONWIDE AMERICA TWO 50 COMMEMORATION.
THIS FULL DAY EXPERIENCE WILL CELEBRATE HOPEWELL'S ROLE IN AMERICAN HISTORY, AMERICA'S STORY CONNECTING ITS COLONIAL ORIGINS, UH, RIVER BASED COMMERCE, AND CONTINUED, UH, REVITALIZATION.
THE EVENT WILL BEGIN AT LUNCHTIME AND DOWNTOWN HOPEWELL AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE EVENING, CULMINATING IN THE CITY'S ANNUAL FIREWORKS ON THE APPOMATTOX, UH, DISPLAY.
THROUGHOUT THE DAY, VISITORS WILL ENJOY HISTORY, THEME MUSIC ON A STAGE ALONG THE LIBRARY STREET, FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES, ROOTED IN HISTORICAL THEMES AND STRONG PARTICIPATION FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
UH, WE WILL HAVE, UH, UH, CHARLES BENNETT AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, UH, GIVE US SOME MORE DETAILED BACKGROUND OF WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN ON THAT DAY.
[ACTIONS RESULTING FROM CLOSED MEETING]
ACTIONS RESULTING FROM THE CLOSED MEETING.DO I HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, APPOINT MR. HEATH DAVIS? MR. SCOTT ADAMS, DR. CHRISTIAN VOLK, AND MR. ANDREW PARKER TO THE HOPE WATER RENEWAL BOARD.
MOTIONS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
AT THIS TIME DO I HAVE A MOTION TO RECOGNIZE MS. BE SHEILA HOWARD FOR HER SERVICE TO THE CITY AND TO APPOINT MS. SADE ALLEN TO BE THE CITY CLERK AND TO DIRECT THE CITY ATTORNEY TO DRAFT A, UH, A CONTRACT, UH, TO THAT EFFECT.
MOTIONS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILLOR WHEAT AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING A LIGHT TO ROLL CALL PLEASE? COUNCILOR ELLIS? YES.
AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPOINT MR. JOSHUA HOLLOWAY TO THE RECREATION COMMITTEE? SO MOVED.
SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR WHEAT AND SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[00:25:01]
SEVEN TO ZERO.IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR OFFICE LEASES AND LEASE, UH, AMENDMENTS FOR THE SPACE IN THE WILLIAMS BUILDING? MOVED SECOND.
MOTION TO BE MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR WHEAT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION FOR OFFICE LEASE SPACE IN THE 200 NORTH MAIN STREET BUILDING? SO MOVED.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY, UH, COUNCILOR WHEAT AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR ELLIS.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
AND IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE EDA GRANT FOR SITE DEVELOPMENT? SO MOVED.
SECOND MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR WHEAT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
AT THIS TIME CAN I HAVE, UH, PASTOR COLLIER? UH, PLEASE COME FORWARD WITH THE PRAYER, UH, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BY MYSELF.
WE COME BEFORE YOU THRONE TODAY ASKING FOR YOUR WISDOM AND FOR YOUR GRACE.
UPON THIS BODY, WE PRAY GUIDANCE, LORD, FOR THIS COUNCIL, FOR THE MAYOR, THE VICE MAYOR AND ALL MEMBERS.
FATHER, WE PRAY THAT THE BUSINESS THAT IS BEFORE THIS COUNCIL WILL BE REFLECTED UPON IN SUCH A WAY, GOD, THAT IT LOOKS OUT FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY.
LORD, WE KNOW THAT ALL WISDOM FLOWS FROM YOU.
AND SO WE LOOK TO YOU FOR GUIDANCE AND LET OUR CONVERSATION BE SEASONED WITH SALT.
AND LORD, HELP US TO BE QUICK TO LISTEN AND SLOW TO SPEAK, SLOW TO GET ANGRY, BUT ALLOW YOU, LORD, TO WORK IN THE MIDST OF THIS PEOPLE.
WE PRAY YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THIS CITY, THAT GOD, ALL THOSE THAT ARE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY CAN FEEL LORD, THAT THEY ARE REPRESENTED BY THOSE THAT LOOK OUT FOR THEM.
AND WE PRAY BLESSINGS AND GUIDANCE AND DIRECTION IN ALL BUSINESS BEFORE THIS BODY.
AND WE PRAY IT IN CHRIST'S NAME.
I LADIES TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD AND INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION
[CONSENT AGENDA]
TO, UH, ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR WHEATON, SECONDED BY VICE MAYOR JOINER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO, LIKE, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS]
ON TO 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 COUNSEL MEETING PERSONS ADDRESSING COUNSEL APPROACH THE MICROPHONE, GIVE THEIR NAME, AND IF THEY RESIDE IN HOPEWELL, 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 IMPERSONATE ABUSIVE OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INCITE DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARGED FROM FUTURE COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS AND REMOVED.
FIRST PERSON I HAVE SIGNED UP TONIGHT IS MS. LAURA GREENWOOD.
UH, NEXT PERSON I HAVE SIGNED UP IS MR. ED HAUSER.
UH, MR. MARK BURROWS I'LL TAKE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, SO I ACTUALLY WASN'T GONNA SPEAK TONIGHT.
AND THEN, UH, IN HEARING SOME OF THE BUDGETARY THINGS, UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I GUESS WE AS THE CITIZENS NEED SOME ANSWERS TO.
UH, NUMBER ONE IS $25,000 FOR A SECURITY BARRIER, AS WELL AS $4,000 FOR OFFICE CHAIRS FOR THE COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE.
WHILE CITING THAT THERE'S NO FUNDING FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RADIO, UH, SYSTEM, I FEEL THAT WE MAY
[00:30:01]
HAVE GOTTEN THINGS SKEWED SOMEWHERE.UM, WHEN DID OUR HIGH NEEDS BECOME MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUR SAFETY? UH, YOU KNOW, IF I, IF WE'RE SITTING COMFORTABLY, BUT WE'RE BEING ROBBED, KIND OF USELESS, UM, I REALIZE WE HAVE A POLICE DEPARTMENT AS WELL, BUT IF THE SHERIFF'S DE DEPARTMENT RADIO IS NO LONGER EFFECTIVE, THEN WE'RE RELYING ON OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT ON THE ROADS AS WELL.
THAT'S, THAT'S AN ISSUE TO ME THAT PERHAPS WE NEED TO DENY A REQUEST FOR SECURITY BARRIER AND SOME CHAIRS AND START SAVING SOME MONEY FOR A RADIO SYSTEM.
UH, JUST MY IDEA OF PRIORITIES, UM, SECONDLY IS, IS I REALIZED THAT FUNDING IS A NECESSARY EVIL.
UM, AND THEN, AND LISTENING TO THE TREASURER'S REPORT, I STARTED TO REALIZE THAT A LOT OF Y'ALL SMILED WHEN Y'ALL WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW AGGRESSIVELY Y'ALL ARE PURSUING THESE DEBTS.
I WISH THAT Y'ALL WOULD PURSUE SOME OF THE ISSUES HERE IN HOPEWELL WITH AS MUCH ENERGY AND VIGOR AS YOU DO COLLECTING THE FUNDS.
I REALIZED THAT SOME OF Y'ALL DO ON CERTAIN ISSUES, SOME OF Y'ALL JUST SKIRT OVER EVERYTHING, IT SEEMS LIKE.
UM, BUT I, I WISH THAT Y'ALL WOULD PURSUE THE ISSUES THAT WE BRING TO THIS COUNCIL WITH AS MUCH BIGGER AS Y'ALL PURSUE OUR WALLETS.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED BUSINESSES IN HOPEWELL.
WE NEED BUSINESSES TO GROW AND HOPEWELL TO STAY IN HOPEWELL TO FEEL SUCCESSFUL IN HOPEWELL SO THAT THEY GROW AND STAY IN HOPEWELL.
RIGHT? WHY ARE WE ISSUING A REFUND TO THE BUSINESSES FOR THEIR MACHINERY AND TOOLS? ARE THEY CONTRIBUTING TO THE CITY IN SOME OTHER MEANS THAT US, AS THE CITIZENRY ARE NOT AWARE OF, I DON'T WANNA RUN THEM OUT OF TOWN, BUT WE, THE CITIZENS ARE BEING TAXED TO DEATH WHILE THEY'RE ENJOYING RELIEFS AND HAVING PRIVILEGES AND BENEFITS TO US AS THE TAXPAYERS ARE PAYING FOR, SUCH AS THE FIRE ACCESS TO FIRE AND EMS, THAT, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THEY AREN'T CONTRIBUTING TO HELP FUND, TO HELP TRAIN, TO HELP EQUIP OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
NOT TO CALL ANYONE OUT, JUST THEY'RE, FROM MY KNOWLEDGE, THE BIGGEST IN TOWN.
WE NEED A NEW FIRE STATION, NEW TRAINING FACILITIES.
IF ADVENT SIT, WOULD KICK OPEN THEIR WALLET A LITTLE BIT.
IT'D HELP US THE CITIZENS A LOT.
AND THEN YOU'RE, IT WOULD JUSTIFY A REFUND.
IT WOULD JUSTIFY SOME CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CITY.
UM, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR IN ALL OF CITY OF HOPEWELL.
UM, I COME BEFORE COUNCIL, AS Y'ALL KNOW, REGULARLY TO REMIND THE CITIZENS OF THE VARIOUS EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON.
UH, JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU TO COUNCILLOR REPOLE, TOMORROW EVENING AT 6:00 PM WARD SEVEN WILL BE HAVING ITS VERY FIRST NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETING.
IT IS EXTENDED BEYOND JUST AUTUMN WOODS.
IT IS NOW COVERING THE ENTIRETY OF THE WARD.
SO IF YOU HAVE A NEIGHBOR, EVEN IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN WARD SEVEN, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED IF YOU CAME OUT TO SUPPORT.
UM, COUNCILLOR RIPLEY HAS DONE A TREMENDOUSLY FANTASTIC JOB TO GET THIS GOING, TO GET THE COMMUNICATION OUT THERE.
SO IT IS GREATLY APPRECIATED IF YOU ALL COULD COME AND SUPPORT THE WORK THAT SHE'S DOING.
BUT ALSO ALL THE WORK THAT ALL THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF HOPEWELL ARE DOING TO BETTER OUR CITY.
UM, IT TAKES ALL OF US TOGETHER.
UM, IT, WHILE IT IS GEARED TOWARDS SUPPORTING OUR SENIORS 55 AND OLDER, IT IS FOR EVERYONE.
UM, WHILE WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS GETTING MORE SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE TO SUPPORT OUR SENIORS, WE DO WANT ALL OF THE CITY TO FEEL SAFE.
SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THERE THAT ARE NOT JUST FOR SENIORS, BUT FOR EVERYONE.
SO IT WOULD BE GREAT IF EVERYONE COULD COME OUT TO THAT.
WARD SEVEN'S MEETING IS, UM, WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT WOODLAWN, UM, BAPTIST CHURCH, UM, AT 6:00 PM UM, BUT ALSO THERE IS HOPPING HAPPENINGS.
IT'S AT, AT WATER, UH, SOCCER COMPLEX, WHICH THEY HAVE WORKED SUPER HARD TO GET BACK UP AND WORKING.
AND TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER, THANKS TO TABITHA MARTINEZ AND THE REC AND PARK CREW, THEY WORK VERY HARD.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE IN THE CITY REALIZES HOW HARD ALL OF OUR DIRECTORS WORK AND HOW PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY WORKING TOGETHER TO BRING OUR CITY BACK TOGETHER TODAY, ALONE.
I SHARED WITH MR. ENGLISH THAT THERE WERE THREE VIDEOS THAT POPPED UP ON MY TICK YOU, TIKTOK FOR YOU PAGE MM-HMM
TO JUST HIGHLIGHT BUSINESSES IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
ONE WAS BREW AND BLOSSOM, THE OTHER WAS WHAT? THE CUP.
AND I KNOW IT'S TECHNICALLY NOT HOPEWELL, BUT IT WAS THE SALTY SIREN.
BUT IT'S HIGHLIGHTING TO PEOPLE AND IT'S GOING EVERYWHERE.
SO PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO COME TO HOPEWELL.
SO WE'RE DOING OUR PART, BUT COME TO THE VERY CITY
[00:35:01]
EVENTS SO THAT WAY WE CAN KEEP HAVING MORE.UM, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THEY CAN REACH OUT.
THANK WHAT TIME IS THE TRIAD MEETING ON THURSDAY? YES MA'AM.
AND I, I'LL POST THAT ON FACEBOOK AND I CAN EMAIL Y'ALL AS WELL, IF THAT'S OKAY.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS, UH, DAN HAN HANNAN.
SO MY NAME IS DAN HEN I LIVE IN WARD FIVE.
UH, JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT, UH, AGREEMENT WITH THE GENTLEMAN THAT SPOKE TWO PEOPLE AGO.
UM, AND ALSO AGREE WITH HIS STATEMENT, UH, OF CONCERN AT HOW GLEE SEEMED TO SPREAD AT THE SORT OF INDICATION OF USING AGGRESSION AGAINST THE CITIZENS TO COLLECT TAXES.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU EXAMPLE OF HOW THAT AGGRESSION AFFECTS ONE PERSON, WHICH IS ME AND MY WIFE.
SO I MOVED HERE IN 2022, RIGHT? GOT A FIXED RATE MORTGAGE.
WHEN I MOVED IN, IN 2022, MY MORTGAGE WAS $1,250.
IN AUGUST OF 2023, I GOT A NOTICE OF DELINQUENCY FROM THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.
NOT, NOT TO MY MORTGAGE COMPANY, RIGHT? NOT TO MY ESCROW AGENT, RIGHT? TO ME, WELL, IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE THEY EVEN MADE AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO FIND WHERE MY, UH, TAX MONEY WAS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? OH, WELL, THAT MEANS THAT I, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M DELINQUENT ON TAXES, MEANING, UH, MY MORTGAGE COMPANY HASN'T CUT THE CHECK YET.
SO MY MORTGAGE WENT UP TO $1,500.
FIXED RATE MORTGAGE WENT FROM 1250 TO 1500 OVERNIGHT.
AUGUST OF 2024, I AM REASSESSED, OR MY ESCROW ANALYSIS IS REDONE.
AND, UH, THE CITY IN COOPERATION WITH VIRGINIA HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, WHICH IS MY MORTGAGE HOLDER AND ESCROW AGENT, MY MORTGAGE DROPPED TO $1,200 A MONTH.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY BELOW WHAT I MOVED IN AT, AT 1250.
SO IT WENT FROM HERE TO HERE TO HERE ONLY TO THEN REVERSE LAST AUGUST AND GO UP TO 1550.
NOW THIS IS ALL, MAYBE JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVING ERRORS IN HOW THEY DO THEIR ESCROW ANALYSIS, HOW COMMUNICATION HAPPENS BETWEEN THE CITY AND MY MORTGAGE COMPANY.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, A DOLLAR 17 PER HUNDRED, I CAN DO THAT ON A NAPKIN AND FIGURE OUT WHAT MY TAX RATE IS, SPREAD IT ACROSS 12 MONTHS AND FIND OUT WHAT MY MONTHLY LIABILITY IS.
RIGHT? EVERY SIX MONTHS SINCE ESSENTIALLY I MOVED IN, I GET A NOTICE OF DELINQUENCY BECAUSE MY MORTGAGE COMPANY JUST HAS NOT YET CUT THE CHECK.
THAT'S THE AGGRESSION THAT YOU THINK IS LIKE, SO, UM, UH, APPROPRIATE AND IT CAUSES ME STRESS, ANXIETY, UH, THEN MY, MY BILL CHANGES.
MY MORTGAGE BILL CHANGES OVERNIGHT EVERY YEAR UP DOWN LIKE A BALLOON.
SO, YEAH, MR. HANNON, I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, RECOMMEND THAT YOU MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO NO, I HAVE WITH THE TREASURER WE, EVERY SIX MONTHS WE GOTTA, WE AND WE RESOLVE IT EVERY SIX MONTHS AND IT STILL HAPPENS.
[REGULAR BUSINESS]
MOVING ON TO, UH, REGULAR BUSINESS.UH, THE FIRST ITEM IS R ONE, THE APPOINTMENT OF THE NEW CITY MANAGER.
AT THIS TIME DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPOINT MR. VINCENT JONES TO BE THE CITY MANAGER OF HOPEWELL AND TO APPROVE HIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT AS PRESENTED.
I ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA GIVE IT TO MR. HARRIS.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY MR. HARRIS AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR WHEAT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[00:40:06]
ALRIGHT, UH, MOVING ON TO R TWO.THE CITY OF THE HOPEWELL EMPLOYEE REPORT.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, TONIGHT.
WHERE IS
IT'S A GOOD MANAGEMENT TOOL, BUT WHEN YOU ASK EMPLOYEES THEIR OPINION AND THEY TELL YOU GOOD MANAGEMENT REQUIRES THAT YOU LISTEN AND YOU DO SOMETHING.
SO WHAT WE WILL, THE TYPICAL PROCESSES OF, AT LEAST THAT I USE, IS WORK WITH THE DIRECTORS, GO OVER THESE SURVEYS, UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY MEAN IN TERMS OF, UM, OUR SUPERVISORY, UM, INTERACTION BETWEEN EMPLOYEES AND SUPERVISORS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO MORALE AND LOOK AT THE, IT, IT USUALLY PAY ALWAYS COMES BACK AS AN ISSUE.
UH, COMMUNICATION COMES BACK AS AN ISSUE.
AND TO WORK WITH THE LEADERS TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN BUILD ON, UH, WHAT WE FIND AND IMPROVE IT TO MAKE THIS, UH, ORGANIZATION A MORE DESIRABLE, UH, PLACE TO WORK AND, UH, REALLY, UH, MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO, TO HOW WE DO THINGS.
SO, UH, WE STARTED THE SURVEY, I THINK, UH, THE LAST BACK, BACK IN THE FALL IN NOVEMBER.
AND, UH, WE GOT, UM, I THINK A LITTLE OVER 50%, UH, RESPONSE, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND, UH, SO TONIGHT WE WILL, UH, HAVE A, AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE SURVEY SAID.
THANK WE HAVE KARA, UH, GIVEN, UH, FROM, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE, UH, CENTER FOR SURVEY.
WE RESEARCH THE WELDON CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
MY NAME IS KARA CARA FITZGIBBON.
I SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR SURVEY RESEARCH.
WE'RE A UNIT OF THE WELDING COOPER CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AT UVA.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE HOUSED WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY, UH, WE'RE VERY EXTERNALLY FACING AND A LOT OF OUR WORK IS WITH OTHER AGENCIES AROUND THE STATE, UM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, OFTEN DOING EITHER EMPLOYEE SURVEYS LIKE WE SPEAK ABOUT TONIGHT, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY RESIDENT SURVEYS.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED TO NOW GET TO PRESENT THOSE RESULTS TO YOU TONIGHT.
UM, I'LL MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY AND I WANNA START WITH JUST AN OVERVIEW, ORIENTING THE MAIN AIM AND PURPOSE HERE, AS WELL AS THE DESIGN WE FOLLOWED, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO THOSE RESULTS.
UM, SO GENERALLY, AS MR. ROGERS NOTED, WE'RE TRYING TO GET A COMPREHENSIVE FEEDBACK POINT ON HOW CITY EMPLOYEES FEEL IN TERMS OF THEIR SATISFACTION GENERALLY WITH THE CITY AS A WORKPLACE AS WELL AS WE DOVE IN ACROSS 23 TOPIC AREAS, TRYING TO FURTHER UNPACK WHAT ARE THE ASPECTS WITHIN THE WORKPLACE, UM, THAT MIGHT BE SHAPING THEIR EXPERIENCE.
ADDITIONALLY WITH THAT, THEN LOOKING AT THOSE AREAS TO TRY TO SHINE A LIGHT ON WHERE MIGHT BE THE KEY FOCAL POINTS TO RESPOND TO, TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN SUPPORT, UM, AND POSSIBLY IMPROVE THE CITY AS A WORKPLACE FOR ITS EMPLOYEES.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THIS INFORMATION, UH, CAN BE DEEPLY VALUABLE AS A, A GUIDING POST FOR ACTION MOVING FORWARD.
UM, AND IT'S VALUABLE AS A TOUCH POINT ON CURRENT NEEDS AND PRIORITIES OF EMPLOYEES.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS DATA CAN PROVIDE YOU A BASELINE, UM, SO THAT IN FUTURE YEARS YOU CAN REVISIT AND, UM, AGAIN, COLLECT FEEDBACK FROM EMPLOYEES AS A MEANS TO TRACK POTENTIAL CHANGES, IMPROVEMENTS, UM, MONITOR WHERE AGAIN, NEEDS AND PRIORITIES MIGHT SHIFT OVER TIME.
UM, BUT IN AND OF ITSELF THERE'S VALUE
[00:45:01]
ADHERING HOW EMPLOYEES ARE DOING TODAY.GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, SO WE COLLECTED THIS DATA THIS PAST FALL THROUGH AN ANONYMOUS SURVEY.
WE WANTED TO, UH, MAINTAIN ANONYMITY TO HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGE RESPONSE AND MAKE SURE THAT EMPLOYEES FELT COMFORTABLE BEING TRANSPARENT IN THEIR EXPERIENCE.
UM, WE HEARD FROM 52%, WHICH IS A STRONG RESPONSE RATE.
UM, AND OUR TEAM MANAGE ALL DATA COLLECTION, ALL DATA PROCESSING AND REPORTING OUT TO MAINTAIN THAT, UH, PRIVACY OF RESPONDENTS.
WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, AND NOW IN TERMS OF WHO WE HEARD FROM, UM, WE ASKED A HANDFUL OF QUESTIONS BOTH ABOUT THE RESPONDENT'S OWN BACKGROUND AS WELL AS THEIR POSITION WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, AND HERE IS THE BREAKDOWN WE HAD ACROSS DEPARTMENTS.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE A, A FAIR SHARE ACROSS DEPARTMENTS IN TERMS OF WHO RESPONDED.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF SOME OF THOSE PERSONAL DEMOGRAPHIC ITEMS, UH, WE ASKED GENDER, WE'RE ROUGHLY EVENLY SPLIT WITHIN OUR SURVEY RESPONDENTS AS WELL AS EDUCATION.
WE HAVE THE, UH, MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS WHO HAVE EARNED UP TO A TWO YEAR TECHNICAL DEGREE OR HAVE SOME COLLEGE.
UM, AND THEN BY RACE AND ETHNICITY, THE MAJORITY OF THE RESPONDENTS WERE WHITE, FOLLOWED BY ALMOST A THIRD IDENTIFYING AS BLACK AFRICAN AMERICAN.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME REPRESENTATION FROM HISPANIC AND MULTIRACIAL OR OTHER RACIAL CATEGORY.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF THEIR JOB PROFILES, WE ALSO ASKED ABOUT HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY.
UM, AND THERE'S FAIR REPRESENTATION OR VARIATION ACROSS CATEGORIES.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT ONE IN FIVE WHO HAVE BEEN WITH THE CITY LESS THAN TWO YEARS, AND WE ALSO HAVE OVER A QUARTER WHO'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY OVER 15 YEARS.
WE DO HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION AND, UM, SORT OF VANTAGE POINT AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE CITY.
WE ALSO ASKED ABOUT THEIR MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY STATUS AND APPROXIMATELY 40% OF RESPONDENTS ARE IN ONE OF THOSE ROLES.
UM, AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE WHO RESPONDED ARE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME REPRESENTATION AMONG PART-TIME OR OTHER, UH, STATUS SUCH AS TEMP.
THAT'S, OH, AND UM, I SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT WE DID, AND IN A MOMENT I'LL PRESENT OVERALL WHAT ARE WE FINDING AND HEARING FROM RESPONDENTS, BUT WE ALSO LOOKED AT COMPARISONS ACROSS SOME SUBGROUPS, UM, AND THE CATEGORIES THAT WE'LL BE, UH, OCCASIONALLY REPORTING ON OR COMPARISONS WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE SEEN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HOW MEN AND WOMEN RESPONDED BETWEEN HOW LENGTH OF EMPLOYMENT AND BETWEEN, UM, MANAGER AND SUPERVISOR VERSUS NOT BEING IN ONE OF THOSE ROLES.
SO IN TERMS OF, WE'LL CALL THEM SORT OF GENERAL MEASURES, WE ASK THREE ITEMS THAT ARE INTENDED TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW, UH, ASSESSMENT OF HOW THE EMPLOYEES MIGHT BE VIEWING, UH, THEIR WORKPLACE EXPERIENCE.
SO FIRST WE ASK RESPONDENTS ABOUT THEIR OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH THE CITY AS A PLACE TO WORK.
AND WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY TWO THIRDS WHO ARE SATISFIED OR VERY SATISFIED, ANOTHER QUARTER WHO ARE NEUTRAL AND ABOUT ONE TO 10 THAT REPORT BEING EITHER DISSATISFIED OR VERY DISSATISFIED WITH THE CITY AS A PLACE TO WORK.
UM, TO THAT POINT ABOUT COMPARISONS, WE SAW NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GROUPS IN THESE RATINGS TO THAT ITEM.
UH, AS ANOTHER INDICATOR OF HOW EMPLOYEES FEEL, WE ASKED WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE CITY AS A PLACE TO WORK.
WE HAD A PRO, WE HAD HALF WHO STRONGLY OR SOMEWHAT AGREED THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND THE CITY.
UM, A LITTLE OVER A THIRD KIND OF WERE NEUTRAL, NOT ONE DIRECTION OR THE OTHER.
AND WE HAD 14% WHO STRONGLY ARE SOMEWHAT DISAGREED WITH THAT ITEM.
UM, WE DID OBSERVE A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE WHERE, UM, MEN REPORTED SLIGHTLY HIGHER AGREEMENT LEVELS TO THAT ITEM, THOUGH IT WAS STILL OVERALL FAVORABLE FOR BOTH GROUPS.
UM, AND THEN THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT HOW THE EMPLOYEE RATED THE CITY TODAY AS A WORKPLACE COMPARED TO HOW IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, AND THERE WE SEE SOME MORE SPREAD AND, AND, UM, DIFFERENCE IN EXPERIENCE WHERE 35% SAY IT'S MUCH OR SOMEWHAT BETTER.
UM, WE HAVE 39% WHO SAY IT'S ABOUT THE SAME AND THEN A QUARTER WHO SAY IT'S MUCH OR SOMEWHAT WORSE.
UM, AND I RECOGNIZE AND UNDERSTAND THERE HAVE BEEN
[00:50:01]
LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND I THINK THIS IS LIKELY REFLECTIVE OF THAT.SO I THINK THIS IN PARTICULAR COULD BE AN ITEM TO REALLY WATCH AND OBSERVE OVER TIME IF YOU DO, UH, REVISIT COLLECTING THIS FEEDBACK FROM EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND ON THIS ITEM WE DID NOT FIND ANY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES ACROSS CATEGORIES, WHICH I THINK IS PARTICULARLY RELEVANT WHEN WE THINK OF THAT LENGTH OF EMPLOYMENT WHERE, UM, THOSE WHO'VE BEEN HERE 15 YEARS VERSUS LESS THAN TWO, AND IN BETWEEN THEY HAVE SIMILAR RATINGS ON THIS ITEM.
AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO DIVE INTO KEY TOPIC AREAS.
UM, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, WE ARE NOT VISITING EACH OF THESE ITEMS, BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE 23 AGAIN, SORT OF ASPECTS OF THE WORKPLACE THAT WE EXPLORED MORE IN DEPTH.
SO SOME OF THESE INCLUDE PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS, UM, EXPERIENCE WITH TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, UM, FEELINGS OF EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT, UH, IMPRESSIONS OF COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE CITY AND SO ON.
UM, NOW WITHIN EACH OF THESE AREAS, I COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
PLEASE RECOGNIZE THAT'S QUITE SMALL, SO LET ME, UM, READ THAT OUT FOR YOU.
BUT WITHIN EACH AREA WE WOULD ASK A SUBSET OF ITEMS THAT WE'RE GETTING AT SPECIFIC DIMENSIONS TO THAT AREA.
AND THEN WE ASKED AN OVERALL ITEM.
SO SOME EXAMPLES OF THIS SLIDE IS SHOWING QUESTIONS WE ASKED ABOUT THE KEY AREA, TOPIC OF DIGNITY AND WORTH.
SO SOME OF THOSE ITEMS INCLUDED AGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENT.
I'M PROUD TO TELL PEOPLE THAT I WORK FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, UM, OR MY JOB GIVES ME A FEELING OF PERSONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT.
MY JOB MAKES GOOD USE OF MY SKILLS AND ABILITIES.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES TO TRY TO CAPTURE, UM, DIMENSIONS OF THAT TOPIC, AREA OF DIGNITY AND WORTH.
UM, AND SO ACROSS EACH OF THOSE SUB ITEMS, WE'RE USING THE SAME SCALE OF AGREEMENT, ONE TO FIVE, WHERE A HIGHER SCORE INDICATES GREATER AGREEMENT, INDICATES GREATER PRESENCE OR, UM, A POSITIVE RATING OF THAT AREA.
AND THEN BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS SLIDE, THEN FOR EACH OF THESE TOPIC AREAS, WE ASK A GENERAL ASSESSMENT.
SO OVERALL, HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR EXPERIENCE OF DIGNITY AND WORTH WITHIN THE WORKPLACE AT HOPEWELL? AND THAT IS AGAIN, ON A SCALE OF ONE TO FIVE.
NOW FROM VERY DISSATISFIED TO VERY SATISFIED.
NOW WE UM, THEN FURTHER EXPLORED THESE TOPIC AREAS, BOTH IN TERMS OF HOW ARE EMPLOYEES RATING THESE AREAS AND THEN ULTIMATELY WE'LL GET TO HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE.
SO IN TERMS OF THE PERFORMANCE OF THESE AREAS, WE TOOK AN AVERAGE SCORE ACROSS EACH OF THOSE SUB ITEMS WHERE ON A SCALE OF ONE TO FIVE, FIVE BEING A HIGH SCORE, BEING POSITIVE, UM, WE THEN RANKED OR SORTED ALL OF THOSE AREAS.
AND ON THIS SLIDE ARE THE TOP FIVE MOST HIGHLY RATED PERFORMANCE AREAS THAT IS COMMITMENT TO HOPEWELL.
THAT IS THE EMPLOYEE'S SENSE OF COMMITMENT TO HOPEWELL RECEIVE THE HIGHEST SCORE, UM, FOLLOWED BY FAIR TREATMENT OF CUSTOMERS, RESPONSIVENESS TO CUSTOMERS, OPPORTUNITY TO CREATIVELY, UM, APPLY THEIR SKILLS AND IDEAS TO THEIR JOB AND FEELINGS OF DIGNITY AND WORTH WITHIN THE WORKPLACE.
SO THOSE WERE ALL, UM, THE HIGHEST RATED ITEMS. WE DID SEE SOME DIFFERENCES IN RATINGS AMONG SUBGROUPS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, COMMITMENT TO HOPEWELL WAS HIGHEST AMONG EMPLOYEES WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE CITY THE LONGEST.
I THINK THAT CAN BOTH BE A, A CAUSE AND EFFECT IN EITHER DIRECTION.
UM, CREATIVITY APPLIED TO THE JOB, SLIGHTLY HIGHER, UH, REPORTED AMONG EMPLOYEES WHO'VE BEEN HERE FIVE TO 15 YEARS VERSUS THOSE LESS THAN TWO HIGHER AMONG MANAGERS AND SUPERVISORS.
UM, AND FEELINGS OF DIGNITY AND WORTH, SLIGHTLY HIGHER AMONG MEN.
UM, AND AS I MENTIONED, WE, WE RANKED ALL OF THE, OR SORTED ALL OF THE AREAS BASED ON THESE PERFORMANCE RATINGS.
AND SO RELATIVE TO THAT ARE FIVE AREAS THAT RECEIVED THE LOWEST PERFORMANCE RATINGS.
MR. ROGERS HAD ALREADY MENTIONED THIS IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT, PAY IS AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, FEELINGS OF THE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT, UH, THAT RELATES TO THINGS LIKE AMOUNT OF STRESS FELT AT THE
[00:55:01]
JOB, UH, FEELING THERE'S ENOUGH TIME TO PERFORM THE DUTIES WELL, UH, BALANCE BETWEEN WORK DEMANDS AND, UH, THEIR PERSONAL DEMANDS.UH, RELATIONSHIPS WITH UPPER MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS AND ISSUES WITH DIVISION MANAGERS.
UM, AND WE AGAIN SAW SOME DIFFERENCES IN SPECIFIC ITEMS UNDER THESE AREAS BETWEEN GROUPS.
UH, SO FEELINGS OF WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT HAD SLIGHTLY MORE POSITIVE RATINGS AMONG NON-MANAGERS AND NON SUPERVISORS AS WELL AS AMONG MEN.
UM, SLIGHTLY MORE POSITIVE RATINGS AMONG RELATIONSHIP, SORRY, AMONG MEN IN TERMS OF RELATIONSHIP WITH UPPER MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND THEN ISSUES WITH DIVISION MANAGERS.
UM, SLIGHTLY HIGHER RATINGS AMONG EMPLOYEES WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE CITY LESS THAN FIVE YEARS.
ONE, UM, I PROMISE WE'RE WE'RE STARTING TO LAND THE PLANE.
UM, SO WE HAVE BOTH HOW ARE EMPLOYEES RATING THEIR EXPERIENCE ACROSS THESE DIFFERENT AREAS? HOW DO THEY THINK IT'S GOING? UM, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO CAPTURE, ALRIGHT, AND HOW IMPORTANT IS A GIVEN AREA TO THE EMPLOYEES? AND WE LOOKED AT THIS IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO IN OUR FIRST TABLE HERE ON THE LEFT, WE HAVE REPORTED IMPORTANCE.
WE JUST POINT BLANK ASKED EMPLOYEES, WE GAVE THEM A LIST.
WHICH OF THESE DO YOU CONSIDER THE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU THAT YOU'D LIKE LEADERSHIP TO FOCUS ON? UM, AND THEY COULD PICK UP TO FOUR AND PAY WAS AT THE TOP WHERE APPROXIMATELY TWO THIRDS OF EMPLOYEES SELECTED THAT ITEM.
ADDITIONALLY, DIGNITY AND WORTH TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT QUALITY WORKFORCE COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE CITY WERE ALL IMPORTANT AS REPORTED BY EMPLOYEES.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WE CALCULATED ANOTHER MEASURE OF IMPORTANCE WHERE WE LOOKED AT CORRELATIONS WITH THEIR OVERALL SATISFACTION WORKING WITHIN THE CITY, THEN ACROSS THEIR SATISFACTION WITH EACH OF THE INDIVIDUAL AREAS.
SO IF I HAVE, UM, REALLY STRONG SATISFACTION IN TERMS OF MY EXPERIENCE OF DIGNITY AND WORTH WITHIN THE CITY, IS THAT CLOSELY ASSOCIATED WITH A HIGH OVERALL SATISFACTION? AND WHAT WE SEE IS THAT WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT, AGAIN, DIGNITY AND WORTH, UH, DIVERSITY AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY, COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE CITY AND IMPRESSIONS OF DIVERSITY AND EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT ARE ALL THE MOST STRONGLY CORRELATED TO THEN EMPLOYEES OVERALL SATISFACTION.
NOW, HOW DO THESE TWO, UM, LENSES INTERSECT? HOW DO PERFORMANCE RATINGS INTERSECT WITH IMPORTANCE RATINGS? UM, WE'VE IDENTIFIED AREAS OF STRENGTH.
SO THESE ARE AREAS WHERE IT'S BOTH IMPORTANT TO THE EMPLOYEE AND THE EMPLOYEE FEELS LIKE.
UH, CURRENTLY THINGS ARE GOING WELL IN THAT AREA.
WE THEN HAVE, AND THAT'S IN THE GREEN AT THE TOP LEFT IN THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THIS MATRIX IN ORANGE, WE HAVE WHAT WE'D CONSIDER, UM, FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT, SORT OF THE TOP PRIORITY AREAS TO ADDRESS OR PUT ATTENTION TOWARDS.
THESE ARE AREAS WHERE EMPLOYEES RELATIVE TO OTHER AREAS RATE THE, THAT PERFORMANCE THE LOWEST, YET IT'S OF HIGHEST IMPORTANCE AS REPORTED BY EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND THEN IN SECOND PRIORITY ARE THOSE AREAS WHERE IMPORTANCE IS EITHER MEDIUM AND PERFORMANCE LOW OR IMPORTANCE HIGH AND PERFORMANCE MEDIUMS. IN OTHER WORDS, THE IMPORTANCE IS OUTRANKING THEIR ASSESSED PERFORMANCE.
UM, SO THOSE AREAS OF STRENGTH, THEY DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT DIGNITY AND WORTH THAT.
UM, IT'S BOTH IMPORTANT TO THE EMPLOYEE AND THEY'RE SAYING THEY DO FEEL A SENSE OF VALUE IN THEIR WORK.
THEY FEEL PROUD TO SAY THEY WORK FOR THE CITY.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE EMPLOYEE INTEGRITY, DIVERSITY, EMPLOYMENT, OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, EMPLOYEE RELATIONS WITHIN THE CITY, AND EMPLOYEES SENSE OF COMMITMENT TO THE CITY.
THESE ARE ALL AREAS THAT SHOULD BE CELEBRATED AND ALSO MAINTAINED, UM, FOR AREAS TO PRIORITIZE AND FOCUS ON, UH, TO AGAIN, STRENGTHEN AND HOPEFULLY IMPROVE THE WORK EXPERIENCE.
WE HAVE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT, RELATIONSHIPS WITH UPPER MANAGEMENT AND PAY.
UM, SECOND PRIORITY TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE CITY BENEFITS, QUALITY OF THE WORKFORCE, EMPLOYEE RELATIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, UH, DIVERSITY, EMPLOYMENT, OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE CITY AND ISSUES WITH DIVISION MANAGERS.
UM, I HAVE A CONCLUDING SLIDE SUMMARIZING THAT, BUT I THINK FOR THE SAKE OF TIME WE CAN JUST, UH, PAUSE THERE AND I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS.
[01:00:03]
I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL.OKAY, WELL THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
LEMME SAY THAT THE NEXT STEPS FOR US AS A MANAGEMENT TEAM IS TO TAKE THIS INFORMATION, UH, SIT TOGETHER AND SEE WHAT LESSONS WE'VE LEARNED AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN SOME OF THESE AREAS WITH THAT, THAT WE'RE SHOWING MORE.
AND SO THIS WILL BE WORK THAT WE'LL DO WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND WE'LL LEAVE IT, WRAP IT UP IN A NICE BOW FOR MR. JONES.
AND THEN, UM, LET ME ACTUALLY ASK THIS NEXT QUESTION.
SO YOU, WE'VE DONE THIS INITIAL, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU ARE STARTING, YOU KNOW, WITH YOUR TEAM, YOU SEEM TO BE MR. JONES' TEAM TO, YOU KNOW, PUT A PLAN OF ACTION TOGETHER.
DO YOU GUYS, YOU NORMALLY COME BACK ONE YEAR, TWO YEARS AND DO ANOTHER SURVEY OR WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME TO GAUGE IT SO THAT WAY WE CAN SEE WHAT THE SUCCESS IS? SO I CAN SPEAK FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, BUT, UM, I'LL TAKE BOTH.
I, I WOULD SAY FROM, FROM MY MANAGEMENT STYLE, I LIKE TO DO IT EVERY TWO YEARS, OKAY? MM-HMM
AND WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, UH, THAT'S A TYPICAL CADENCE WE'LL DO WITH OTHER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL.
UH, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY HAVE IT BE ALIGNED WHERE WHEN YOU ARE ENGAGING STAFF, AGAIN, YOU'RE DOING SO IN A MEANINGFUL WAY MM-HMM
THAT CAN INDEED, UM, GIVE TIME FOR CHANGES TO HAVE TAKEN EFFECT OR GIVE TIME FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION TO ACTUALLY BE IN PROCESS.
UM, YOU DON'T WANT TO OVERUSE THE TIME AND ENERGY OF STAFF BECAUSE IT, IT, IT'S VERY GENEROUS FOR INDIVIDUALS TO SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCE.
AND SO YOU WANNA MAKE SURE WHEN YOU'RE DOING SO, IT'S INDEED AT A STAGE WHERE IT CAN BE CAPTURING SOMETHING.
UM, AND SO I THINK TWO YEARS CAN BE AN APPROPRIATE CADENCE.
UM, AND EVEN THINKING TO THAT QUESTION OF HOW ARE THINGS TWO YEARS AGO OR HOW ARE THINGS NOW COMPARED TO TWO YEARS AGO? MM-HMM
CERTAINLY YOU CAN ADJUST THAT QUESTION.
I KNOW IT CAN BE RESPONSIVE TO WHEN YOU'RE ADMINISTERING, BUT I THINK TWO YEARS IS AN APPROPRIATE CADENCE.
OR AGAIN, IF BIG CHANGES ARE HAPPENING AND YOU NEED MORE TIME FOR THAT TO SETTLE, THEN THREE YEARS, I THINK IT SHOULD BE TAILORED TO THE ENVIRONMENT.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO R THREE.
UM, AND I WILL, UM, YOU, YOU, YOU TELL ME HOW DETAILED YOU WANT ME TO GO INTO THIS.
I, I KNOW YOU'VE ALL SEEN THIS PRESENTATION IN THE PAST.
WE CAN HIT ON SOME CHANGES AND THEN GO TO SORT OF LIKE THE END PART.
UM, YEAH, I THINK IF YOU JUST HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, AND THEN MAYBE AT THE END WE'LL GO OVER SORT OF WHERE WE STAND WITH THE HVAC.
UM, SO MAYBE FLIP TO THIS VERY FIRST PAGE.
UH, THE ONLY REAL CHANGE HERE IS WE ADDED THE 2025 TRANSACTION HERE, UH, 15 MILLION.
THE INTEREST RATE, FOUR POINT, UH, NINE 1%, UM, THAT'S LOCKED IN THROUGH THE LIFE OF THE LOAN.
AND WE DO HAVE THE ABILITY TO REFINANCE THAT COME 2031.
SO IF RATES HAVE COME DOWN AFTER THAT, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD LOOK TO, TO REFINANCE THAT, UM, THAT PIECE AS WELL.
UH, WE CAN SKIP THE NEXT COUPLE PAGES.
UM, AGAIN, THIS, THIS IS A GOOD PAGE OF SOFT.
UM, WE'VE UPDATED THIS TO INCLUDE THE 2025 BOND.
UM, I'LL JUST POINT OUT AGAIN, YOUR PAYOUT RATIO DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, OVER 70% MEANS YOUR PAYOFF MORE THAN 70% OF YOUR DEBT OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
IT'S A VERY STRONG PAYOUT RATIO.
AND WE'VE, UM, PAID DOWN OVER $34 MILLION OF DEBT SINCE 2015.
JUST REMIND FOLKS THAT WE, WE HAVE HISTORICALLY BROKEN OUT, UH, EXISTING CITY, CITY, UH, SIDE DEBT AND THEN GEO SCHOOL DEBT AS WELL.
SO YOU CAN ALWAYS HAVE THAT SEPARATED AND SEE WHERE THAT STANDS.
UM, THE NEXT COUPLE SLIDES WE CAN SKIP.
THERE'S NO CHANGE, UH, NO CHANGE TO THE WASTE ORDER PAGE, NO CHANGE TO THE ER SYSTEM, DEBT SERVICE, NO CHANGE TO THE CREDIT RATING FEES, THE RATING METHODOLOGY SECTION.
MAYBE WE WILL, I'LL JUST MAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS SLIDE 14, JUST A REMINDER OF HOW THE PROCESS WORKS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT JUST A SCORECARD, WHICH IS JUST THE NUMERICAL ANALYSIS THAT THE RATING AGENCIES DO.
THEY HAVE SOME NOTCHING FACTORS THAT THEY CAN ADD TO IT.
AND THEN THERE IS STILL A LITTLE BIT OF A BLACK BOX THAT THEY, THEY KEEP TO MAINTAIN, UH, AND, AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE YOUR RATING UP OR DOWN.
BUT, BUT WHAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IS JUST THE, THE PURE SCORECARD.
THESE ARE THE CATEGORIES, UM, THAT THEY LOOK AT.
MAINLY IT'S THE ECONOMY, YOUR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK, WHICH A REMINDER THAT'S THE SAME FOR ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN VIRGINIA BECAUSE
[01:05:01]
YOU ARE ALL, UM, UNDER THE SAME INSTITUTIONAL, UM, INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURE.AND THEN, UH, NUMBER FOUR IS, UH, IS LEVERAGE.
UM, SO WE, WE'VE DONE THIS IN FOR YOU.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS, IS 20 20, 20, 21, 23.
WHY DON'T WE JUMP TO SLIDE 19, WHICH IS HEADER IS BASED ON, UH,
UM, AGAIN, FOR, FOR YOU UP THERE, IT'S SLIDE 19.
UM, WE, UM, WHEN WE RAN THIS LAST YEAR, WE WERE IN THE AA TWO CATEGORY NUMERICALLY.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE COMING OUT INTO THE AA THREE CATEGORY ONE NOTCH BELOW.
NOW THE, THE REALITY IS IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, THE, THE SCORE THAT YOU SEE IN THE VERY FAR RIGHT, UM, AT THE TOP PORTION, WHICH IS A 3.56, RIGHT? SO WE ARE JUST INTO THAT 3.5 CATEGORY THAT MOVES US INTO THE, UM, INTO THE AA THREE, UH, RATING CATEGORY, STILL STRONG, UH, CREDIT RATING.
I'LL POINT OUT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENCES FOR YOU, SOME OF WHICH YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER.
UM, THE FIRST WAS A CHANGE IN THE ECONOMIC GROWTH, AND THAT WAS ACTUALLY A CHANGE THAT MOODY'S MADE, UM, IN THE, IN THE AREA THAT YOU'RE PUT INTO.
SO HISTORICALLY YOU WERE IN THE RICHMOND MSA, UH, NOW YOU'RE IN THE PRINCE GEORGE AND HOPEWELL, MSA, NOT QUITE AS STRONG AS, UM, AS THE RICHMOND, UH, MSA.
SO YOU WENT DOWN 0.3, UH, ON THE WEIGHTED SCORE ON THE FAR RIGHT THERE.
YOU ALSO LOWER IN THE, UH, FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE THAT'S SPECIFICALLY, UM, RELATED TO TOTAL CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS THAT THAT DROPPED FROM FY, UM, UH, 23 TO 24.
I WILL NOTE TO YOU THAT WE ARE HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THE AUDITORS TO MAKE SURE THAT NUMBER, UH, TOTALLY REFLECTS ALL OF YOUR INVESTMENTS.
UM, AND SO, UM, I'M GONNA PUT, JUST TO PUT A LITTLE ASTERISK BY THAT ONE.
UM, STACY ACTUALLY TALKED TO THEM TODAY, AND SO WE'RE GONNA GET SOME FOLLOW UP INFORMATION ON THAT.
AND, AND AGAIN, WE'RE EXPECTING THE 25, UM, AT THE END OF THE MONTH TOO.
SO AGAIN, THIS WILL BE AN AREA THAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT CAREFULLY.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE ONLY CHANGES.
AGAIN, DOESN'T CONCERN ME, UM, THAT YOU MIGHT DROP FROM THAT.
THE, THE, THE A A TWO TO THE AA THREE, AGAIN, STILL A STRONG CREDIT RATING OVERALL.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU.
UM, MR. SANDERSON, SO, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE AREA BEING RECLASSIFIED INTO NO LONGER BEING PART OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE METRO RICHMOND, BUT NOW INTO LIKE PRINCE GEORGE.
DOES THAT INCLUDE PETERSBURG AS WELL? I THINK THE WAY THAT MOODY'S, AT LEAST THEIR, THEIR DATABASE, IT JUST CITES, UH, PRINCE GEORGE AND HOPE.
BUT WE CAN, WE CAN CONFIRM IT.
YEAH, THE REASON THAT I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE, UM, I'D BE CURIOUS TO SEE THE ANALYSIS THAT'S DONE.
UM, IF IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT YOU PETERSBURG GETTING THE CASINO, IT'S ALSO GETTING THE DATA CENTER AND THEN ALSO, UH, PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY GETTING THE BIG, UM, LEGO FACILITY, UM, OUT THERE.
AND SO HOW THAT, YOU KNOW, AFFECTS US BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE END UP GETTING THE SECONDARY AND TERTIARY BENEFITS.
IT'S GONNA BE, UM, IT'S, IT IS A LOOK LOOKING BACK VIEW AS WELL TOO.
MAY ULTIMATELY INCREASE YOUR, YOUR, IT'S LOOKING AT THE GDP BASICALLY OF THE, OF THE REGION MM-HMM
IF THAT'S, IS, IF YOU'RE INCLUDED IN THAT, IT IS GONNA INCREASE YOUR, YOUR GDP COMPARED TO THE, THE WHOLE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
UM, THE NEXT SLIDE IS, UM, SORT OF LOOK AT IT AS A HEAT MAP.
RIGHT? AND SO POPWELL IS, IS THE, UH, ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, AND IF YOU'RE IN THE PINK COLOR, YOU'RE IN THE, A CATEGORY OR BELOW THE DARK GREEN, YOU'RE IN THE AAA CATEGORY AND THE, IT'S CALL IT THE BEIGE, YOU'RE IN THE DOUBLE A CATEGORY.
SO YOU CAN SORT OF SEE WHERE YOUR DIFFERENT SPECIFIC ITEMS OF THE SCORECARD COME OUT.
AGAIN, THE RESIDENT INCOME, UH, ECONOMIC GROWTH, YOU CAN SEE THOSE WERE IN THAT PINK CATEGORY.
YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL OVER THAT, CERTAINLY, AT LEAST NOT IN THE SHORT TERM.
UH, SAME THING WITH THE FULL VALUE PER CAPITA THAT WE'RE IN THE BEIGE THERE.
UM, YOU DON'T HAVE, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN TURN THE SWITCH ON QUICKLY AND INCREASE YOUR, YOUR FULL VALUE PER CAPITA.
UM, THE AREAS WHERE YOU, YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER IS THE LEVERAGE AND YOUR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE.
AND A LOT OF THAT, UH, YOU'VE HEARD US TALK ABOUT IT BEFORE IS, IS REALLY CONTINGENT ON YOUR, YOUR FUND BALANCE AND YOUR RESERVES.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, WE'VE ALWAYS PREACHED TO, UM, TO YOU TO, TO KEEP THOSE AT A, AT A STRONG LEVEL.
SO OVERALL, UM, OVERALL, YOU KNOW, PRETTY CONSISTENT WITH THE PRIOR YEAR, SLIGHT DECREASE, UM, IN YOUR OVERALL SCORE.
BUT SOMETHING WE WANTED, WE WANTED TO SORT OF TRIPLE CHECK, UH, WITH THE AUDITORS AS WELL.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THERE WAS A BIG DRIVER WAS THAT CASH AND, AND INVESTMENTS LINE UP? YEAH.
BECAUSE THAT CAME FROM THE OXYGEN PLANT.
AM I CORRECT MS. JORDAN? I BELIEVE SO.
UM, I HAVE DAVID GOING BACK TO CHECK IT.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE MISSING
[01:10:01]
P IN THERE AS WELL, BUT THERE WAS A ISSUE IN 24 WHERE THEY WERE BUYING IN EXITS ABOUT LIKE SIX AND A HALF MILLION POUNDS.AND THEY WERE PULLING OUT OF THIS FUND THAT REALLY SHOULD HAVE CAME, YOU KNOW, TO COUNCIL IT, IT REALLY SHOULD HAVE, UM, IT ENDED UP, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IT WAS PRIOR TO ME, BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY OVERSPEND THE CITY'S BANK ACCOUNT BY LIKE SIX AND A HALF MILLION.
SO THERE WAS NO MANAGERIAL OVERSIGHT BEING DONE OVER THIS AT ALL.
UM, THE, UM, ON THE HVAC PROJECT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH SCHOOLS, UM, ESPECIALLY HERE RECENTLY.
WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO, TO JUGGLE THE, THE, THE BUDGET AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND, AND WHAT MAY BE IN THERE FOR YOU ALL AND, AND NOW WHAT MAY NOT.
UM, AND SO, UM, I GUESS AS OF YESTERDAY, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT THE, UM, THE MONEY AND THE BUDGET FOR HVAC IS NOT THERE CURRENTLY.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT CHANGES A LITTLE BIT ON HOW WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT, UM, THE, THE, THE FUNDING OF THIS.
UH, WE DON'T WANT TO, WE DON'T WANNA BORROW MONEY AND THEN HAVE A, A, A MONEY COME FROM THE BUDGET AND NOT BE ABLE TO PAY IT BACK.
SO, UM, WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING THAT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET CURRENTLY, WE ARE GONNA SUGGEST THAT WE COME BACK TO COUNSEL, UM, AT YOUR APRIL 14TH MEETING MM-HMM
FOR A PUBLIC HEARING AND A FIRST READING OF, UH, OF THE ORDINANCE, AND THEN COME BACK TO YOU ON THE 28TH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF, OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING A BORROWING THAT WILL COVER THE, UM, BASICALLY THE EIGHT, ALMOST 8 MILLION THAT WE WERE HOPING TO GET FROM THE, THE STATE'S BUDGET.
UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA ALSO MAKE SURE WE INCLUDE, YOU DO HAVE NORTH OF $3 MILLION OF GRANT MONEY FOR THIS PROJECT, UH, WHICH IS TERRIFIC.
THE WAY THAT PROGRAM WORKS THOUGH, YOU CAN'T ACCESS THAT REALLY UNTIL THE FOURTH QUARTER OF, OF THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
SO WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SUGGEST IS MAYBE WE DO TWO PIECES OF DEBT.
ONE THAT WILL COVER THE GRANT PIECE THAT WE CAN REPAY AS SOON AS WE GET THAT GRANT MONEY IN.
AND THE OTHER PIECE THAT WE'LL COVER WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO GET FROM THE STATE BUDGET THAT WE WOULD DO AS A LONGER TERM, UH, LONGER TERM FUNDING AND AND FINANCE OVER OVER 15 OR 20 YEARS.
UM, OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO YOU CERTAINLY BY THE 28TH WITH, UM, WITH, UH, PROPOSALS FROM INVESTORS.
SO YOU'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT INTEREST RATE IS.
UH, I'LL, I'LL, AGAIN, I'LL PUT MAYBE A LITTLE ASTERISK BY WHETHER WE WILL HAVE EVERYTHING BUTTONED UP SO WE CAN TALK TO YOU, UH, ON THE 14TH, BUT IF WE DO HAVE INFORMATION THERE, WE CERTAINLY WOULD SHARE IT WITH YOU.
BUT WE ABSOLUTELY WOULD HAVE IT BY THE 28TH OF APRIL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MR. SANDERSON? MM-HMM.
UM, MR. BASSETT, R FOUR, EXCUSE ME, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
THIS IS GOING TO BE, UH, UNDER OUR, UH, NEWLIGHT NUISANCE ORDINANCE, OUR FIRST USE OF THE, UH, OF THE, THE BLIGHT FUNCTION.
UH, VIRGINIA CODE CALLS THIS SPOTLIGHT.
UM, THE WAY THAT, THAT THIS PROCESS WORKS, UH, AND HAS, UH, WHERE YOU FIND IT IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT, IS, IS, IS COUNSEL FOR A PROPERTY AT 3008 RIVER ROAD.
UM, THERE ARE SOME PHOTOGRAPHS, UH, RELEVANT PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE PROPERTY IN, IN THE AGENDA PACKET FOR TONIGHT.
UM, HAPPY TO LOOK AT THEM, BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU A BROAD OVERVIEW OF HOW THIS WORKS.
UM, FIRST, THE CITY DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING, UH, AND DEVELOPMENT TYPICALLY THROUGH THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, UH, REACHES OUT TO THE LANDOWNER OR THE, THE, THE HOMEOWNER, UH, LETTING THEM KNOW THAT, UH, HE'S MADE A PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION THAT THE PROPERTY IS BLIGHTED.
AND TYPICALLY THIS, THIS CONSISTS OF VARIOUS, UM, VIOLATIONS OF THE BUILDING CODE OR THE FIRE CODE THAT ALL BETWEEN THEM, UH, ADD UP TO, UM, TO THE, THE, THE, THE BUILDING MEANING THE DEFINITION OF A SPOTLIGHT OF URBAN FLIGHT.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENS FIRST IS THAT, THAT THAT INITIAL DETERMINATION IS MADE.
THE, THE OWNER IS GIVEN 30 DAYS TO PROPOSE AN ABATEMENT PLAN.
HERE WE HAD A PROPOSAL OF AN ABATEMENT PLAN FROM, FROM THE OWNER.
UM, THE NUMBER OF THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN AT THIS PROPERTY IS, IS PRETTY EXTENSIVE.
SO ACTUALLY IT WAS NEGOTIATED BACK WITH THE, WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER TO GIVE HIM SOMEWHAT MORE TIME, ACTUALLY THAN, THAN, THAN HE HAD ASKED FOR.
BUT, UM, WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS IF,
[01:15:01]
IF COUNSEL DECIDES TO ADOPT THIS ORDINANCE, I KNOW IT'S CONFUSING.THERE'S, THERE'S AN ORDINANCE THAT THIS IS ALL BASED ON, BUT THE LAW REQUIRES THIS TO BE AN ORDINANCE TOO.
UH, IF COUNSEL ADOPTS THIS ORDINANCE, THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THEN THE HOMEOWNER, THE LANDOWNER, IT CAN, IT COULD BE, UH, FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TO HERE, IT HAPPENS TO BE A RESIDENCE.
UM, HAS THE AMOUNT OF TIME DESCRIBED IN THE, UM, IN WHAT'S CALLED THE SPOT BLIGHT ABATEMENT PLAN, UH, HERE, I BELIEVE IT'S UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF MAY, MAY 15TH, TO ADDRESS AND AMELIORATE THE, THE DIFFERENT, UM, CONDITIONS THAT MAKE IT, UH, MEET THE DEFINITION OF BLIGHT.
UM, IF THE LANDOWNER DOES NOT DO SO, THE, THE SPOT BLIGHT LAW ALLOWS THE CITY TO CONSIDER CONDEMNATION OF THE PROPERTY.
AND SO THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD INVOLVE THE CITY POTENTIALLY TAKING THE PROPERTY AMELIORATING THE PROBLEMS ITSELF AND, AND, AND PRESUMABLY SELLING IT ON, UH, TO, TO SOMEBODY WHO'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF IT BETTER.
SO STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION HERE IS TO APPROVE THE SPOTLIGHT ABATEMENT PLAN THAT THE LANDOWNER AND, UH, THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT HAVE, UH, HAVE AGREED TO.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE DECLARING THE 3008 RIVER ROAD LIGHTED AND APPROVING A SPOTLIGHT, UH, ABATEMENT PLAN AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO I'LL SECOND IT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? UH, COUNCILOR POL? YES.
I NOTICED THAT ALMOST ALL THESE DATES ARE A FULL YEAR OUT.
THEY'RE ALMOST ALL THE SAME APRIL AND MAY OF 2026.
IS THERE A REASON WHY THERE ISN'T MORE OF A STEP PROGRESSION OUTLINED? SURE.
ACTUALLY, THE, THE, THE LANDOWNER HAD PROPOSED TO GET ALL OF THESE THINGS DONE BY APRIL 15TH.
ORIGINALLY, UH, OUR, OUR BUILDING OFFICIAL THOUGHT THAT, THAT THAT WAS ACTUALLY JUST TOO RESTRICTIVE A TIME, AND THAT HE WAS SORT OF SETTING HIM UP HIMSELF UP FOR FAILURE BY, BY PROMISING TO GET THEM ALL DONE BY APRIL 15TH.
AND SO IT WAS ACTUALLY THE BUILDING OFFICIAL WHO GAVE IT ANOTHER MONTH ON MOST OF THE ITEMS. BUT FOR EXAMPLE, WHY WOULDN'T IT BE STAGGERED SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SIDING WOULD BE DONE WITHIN SIX MONTHS, OR THE ROOF FIRST, OR MM-HMM
I MEAN, IT STRUCK ME AS BEING ODD THAT IT'S NOT STAGGERED, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, ONE GRAND SLAM.
ESSENTIALLY ALL THAT HAS TO BE DONE BY, I THINK THE, THE REASON THERE IS, IS, IS TWOFOLD, NUMBER ONE, UM, A LOT OF THESE, A LOT OF THE THINGS CAN BE DONE WITH THROUGH, THROUGH CONTRACTORS.
UH, YOU KNOW, AT, AT THE SAME TIME, NONE OF THEM, OR VERY FEW OF THEM ARE DEPENDENT.
THE COMPLETION OF SOME OF THEM IS NOT DEPENDENT ON, OR THE BEGINNING OF CERTAIN STEPS IS NOT DEPENDENT ON THE COMPLETION OF OTHER STEPS.
THEY'RE ALL A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT ARE ALL SORT OF DISJOINT FROM EACH OTHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN YOU GO ABOUT THE PROCESS OF STARTING TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL CONTRACTORS, YOU, YOU, YOU, WE DON'T WANT TO PUT HIM IN A POSITION WHERE HE'S COMMITTED TO DOING ONE THING FIRST AND THEN OTHER THINGS SECOND.
AND THEN IT TURNS OUT THAT THE AVAILABILITY, THE AVAILABILITY OF CONTRACTORS IS REALLY THE OPPOSITE FROM WHAT HE'S COMMITTED.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, I MEAN, WILL WE GET PROGRESS REPORTS OR THAT KIND OF THING AS WE GO? OR IS IT JUST WE WAIT A WHOLE YEAR AND AND SEE IF THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE DONE? SORRY, IT'S, IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY ALL OF THESE COMMITMENTS ARE, ARE BY, BY MAY OF, OF THIS YEAR.
PARDON? SO IT IS, IT IS, IT IS A, IT IS A PRETTY AGGRESSIVE ABATEMENT PLAN THAT'S PRETTY AGGRESSIVE.
WELL, I SAID THAT THE, THE LANDOWNER HAD PROPOSED GETTING IT ALL DONE BY THE MIDDLE OF APRIL.
AND, AND, AND, AND OUR BUILDING OFFICIAL THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS, THAT WAS NOT, THAT WAS NOT REALISTIC.
MY APOLOGIES TELLING YOU BECAUSE I COULDN'T SEE HER DOING ALL THIS BY 26TH.
AND ACTUALLY, I BELIEVE THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING, IS IT NOT? UM, YES.
THIS IS, THIS IS MEANT TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, AT THIS TIME I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR IT TONIGHT.
UM, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CLOSE IT.
AND NOW WE'LL CONTINUE WITH THE MOTION.
[01:20:01]
UH, ROLL CALL PLEASE.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, TODAY WE'RE RETURNING WITH THE, UM, HEALTH INSURANCE RENEWAL.
UM, THIS YEAR THE RENEWAL CAME IN AT A 15.7% INCREASE.
UM, LAST YEAR, WE, LAST WEEK WE PRESENTED, UM, OPTIONS.
UM, THIS WEEK WE'RE REQUESTING, UM, COUNCIL ACTION, UM, ON THE RENEWAL PLAN, OPTION B BASED ON, UM, LAST, UM, SESSIONS AND PRESENTATION.
UM, YEAH, JUST IN, YOU KNOW, FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, DID ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. SMITH? NO.
UM, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE OPTION B? PLANS AND RATES AS RECOMMENDED BY ONE DIGITAL AND PRESENTED TONIGHT SHALL MOVE.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY, UH, MR. COUNCILLOR HARRIS.
UH, ANY DISCUSSION SEEING THE LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
MOVING ON TO THE MARATHON PORTION OF THE MEETING.
MR. BASSETT, YOU WERE THE FIRST TO GO.
I, I AM GOING TO KEEP THIS QUICK.
UM, THIS, SO WE STARTED, THERE'S, THERE'S A SLIDE IN THERE IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED, THAT JUST TALKS ABOUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE BUSINESS OF THE, THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICES CAN, CAN YOU? YEAH.
UM, WE, WE DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHANGE OUTSIDE OF DISCRETION OR, OR, SORRY, OUTSIDE OF NON-DISCRETIONARY SPENDING.
THAT IS TO SAY SALARIES AND, UH, AND BENEFITS FOR EMPLOYEES.
UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS ACTUALLY PROPOSING A 10% CUT TO OUR, OUR, UM, EXPENDITURES.
OTHERWISE, UM, OUTSIDE OF, OUTSIDE OF THOSE NUMBERS, IF YOU LOOK THROUGH HERE, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
THERE'S, YOU HAVE ONE AREA HERE WHERE WE'RE AT.
WE ARE ACTUALLY ASKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE IN LODGINGS BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'VE FOUND THAT THAT SENDING, UH, THE TWO ATTORNEYS AND THE PARALEGAL TO, UH, TO CONFERENCES WAS NOT QUITE FITTING WITHIN, WITHIN THE BUDGET.
BUT ALL TOLD, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE NEXT SLIDE SHOT A, UM, THIS REPRESENTS, THIS REPRESENTS A, A 10% REDUCTION IN DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, UH, AT THE, THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
UM, IF YOU GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE, THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS JUST SHOWING THIS, IS THIS IS HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT YEAR ON YEAR ON OUTSIDE COUNSEL BY THE CITY.
UM, YOU'LL NOTICE THE ONE FOR 25.
THIS ACTUALLY, UH, OF COURSE GOES ALL THE WAY THROUGH, UH, JUNE OF, OF, OF 25.
UM, YOU'LL RECALL THAT, THAT, THAT MY TENURE HERE BEGAN WITH YOU IN FEBRUARY OF, OF THAT YEAR.
SO, UH, THE, THE MOST RECENT FISCAL YEAR, THE ONE THAT'S GONNA BE ENDING IN, IN THREE MONTHS, IF YOU LOOK HERE ON THE FAR RIGHT, UH, THE BLUE PLUS THE RED IS THE PROJECTED.
THAT'S, THAT'S HOW MUCH, UH, IS GONNA BE SPENT ON OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY BRINGING IN SPENDING ON OUTSIDE COUNSEL BEYOND THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS ATTEMPTING TO BE A FULL SNAPSHOT OF WHAT OUTSIDE COUNSEL HAS BEEN COSTING THE CITY AND IS, AND IS ON TRACK TO COST THE CITY NOW.
AND I WILL SAY THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT 26 HERE, THERE IS A COUPLE OF ITEMS WHERE, UM, THEY ARE LINGERING FROM, FROM PAST, UH, FROM PAST YEARS.
AND SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE THIS NUMBER, I, I PREDICT SMALLER AGAIN, NEXT YEAR THAN IT IS HERE.
I, UM, THIS IS NOT STRICTLY SPEAKING THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, BUT THERE, THERE IS A, THERE IS A LAW LIBRARY.
UM, IT HAS HAD A, UH, IT HAS HAD A BUDGET OF $12,000.
IT HAS BEEN COSTING THAT, UH, PRETTY MUCH YEAR ON YEAR, BUT, UH, TOOK A LOOK INTO IT.
IT HAS NOT BEEN UTILIZED IT, WHEN I SAY IT'S NOT BEEN UTILIZED THERE, THERE ARE WESTLAW TERMINALS IN IT THAT HAVE LITERALLY IN CALENDAR YEAR 2025, NEVER, NEVER BEEN SIGNED ONTO.
[01:25:01]
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN THESE CONTRACTS REDUCED IN PRICE.WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA BE SHORTLY MOVING THE LAW LIBRARY FROM THE COURTHOUSE TO THE, TO THE LIBRARY PROPER SO THAT IT IS GONNA BE AVAILABLE FOR PEOPLE'S USE, UH, ON A MORE REALISTIC BASIS FOR PEOPLE'S LIVES THAN, THAN, YOU KNOW, UH, NINE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING TILL FOUR O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON, UH, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AT, AT THE, UM, AT THE COURTHOUSE.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON THAT AND NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO HERE'S SOMETHING JUST TO SORT OF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT ABOUT WHAT THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DOES THAT'S HARD TO QUANTIFY IN DOLLARS AND CENTS.
THERE'S THINGS THAT I, I, I, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT CITY GETS A VALUE OUT OF, OUT OF THIS OFFICE THAT, THAT I CAN'T REALLY PUT INTO DOLLARS AND CENTS, BUT JUST BREAKING DOWN NUMBERS THAT, THAT WE COULD PUT A CONCRETE NUMERICAL VALUE ON.
WE WERE ABLE TO, TO IDENTIFY AT LEAST $411,000 THAT HAS BEEN SAVED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE OVER THE PAST YEAR, EITHER THROUGH PAYING LESS FOR THINGS, NOT ALLOWING MONEY THAT WAS OTHERWISE GONNA WALK OUT THE DOOR TO WALK OUT THE DOOR.
UH, AND, AND AMOUNTS, UH, AND THIS IS, THIS IS BEYOND AMOUNTS SAVED, UH, DIRECTLY BY THE CITY, AS WE ALREADY LOOKED AT WITH, WITH OUTSIDE COUNSEL FEES.
THIS IS, THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, ONE PLACE WHERE OUTSIDE COUNSEL FEES ARE BEING CA COUNTED IN THIS $411,000 THOUGH IS THE EDA.
OF COURSE, THE EDA HAS ITS OWN SEPARATE LINE ITEM FOR OUTSIDE COUNSEL.
BUT, BUT THIS TAKES INTO ACCOUNT MONEY THAT THE EDA HAS SINCE THE 1ST OF JANUARY THIS YEAR, BEEN ABLE TO SAVE ON NOT SPENDING MONEY ON OUTSIDE COUNSEL FEES.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE END OF MY BUDGET PRESENTATION.
ANY QUE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
UM, NOT A QUESTION, BUT THANK YOU ONE FOR, YOU KNOW, YOUR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, REDUCE IT SINCE, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, MAJOR NEEDS THAT WE STILL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH.
BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT YOUR OFFICE IS, UM, YOU'RE SO AGGRESSIVELY GONE AFTER COST SAVING MEASURES MM-HMM
UH, TO HELP THE CITIZENS AND THE CITY ITSELF.
SO I, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, MOVING ON TO THE CITY COUNCIL'S, UH, BUDGET.
FOR THE CITY COUNCIL'S BUDGET, THE CURRENT YEAR IS $203,711 AND 36 CENTS.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO DECREASE THAT BY $7,047 AND 6 CENTS DUE TO A HEALTH INSURANCE SAVINGS, BRINGING YOUR CURRENT BUDGET TO $196,664 AND 30 CENTS.
GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR MEMBER COUNCIL MADHOUSE, DIRECTOR OF WATER RENEWAL.
I'M HERE TO, UH, PRESENT MY PROPOSED, UH, FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET.
UH, WE'RE GONNA FIRST TOUCH ON, UH, THE OPERATING BUDGET, THEN WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR WATER RENEWAL AND THEN COVER THE COLLECTION SYSTEM, UH, 1 41.
SO THE FIRST SLIDE IS JUST A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE PLANT.
I'D LIKE TO PUT THIS UP THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE FOR, UH, PUBLIC INFORMATION.
BUT, UH, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, WE CAN READ THAT ON YOUR OWN TIME
I THINK YOUR COLLEAGUES WILL APPRECIATE THAT.
SO HERE, HERE IS THE OVERALL, UH, OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET FOR HOPPO WATER RENEWAL.
WE ARE COMING IN AT $21.5 MILLION, WHICH IS A 12% INCREASE OVER THE 19.2 MILLION THAT WAS APPROVED THIS TIME LAST YEAR FOR THE FACILITY.
YOU CAN SEE LABOR, UH, LABOR'S INCREASING 8%.
THAT COVERS THE 3% PAY, UH, INCREASE FOR THE EMPLOYEES THAT'S PROPOSED, AS WELL AS ANOTHER 5% TO COVER THE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS THAT GO ALONG WITH THOSE INCREASES.
ENERGY COSTS, WE'RE KEEPING THOSE RELATIVELY FLAT.
WE'RE, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND SOME SAVINGS IN OUR WATER USE ON SITE.
THIS IS WATER, ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON SOME THINGS TO TRY AND OPTIMIZE, UH, AND HOPING TO KEEP THAT LEVEL.
CHEMICALS HAVE GONE DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
UH, WE'RE PROJECTING BECAUSE WE'RE EXPECTING SOME BETTER EFFICIENCIES AS WE HAVE IMPROVED THE OPERATIONS.
AS WE WORK TOWARDS REFINING SOME OF THOSE THINGS, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SEE SOME SAVINGS OVERALL.
UH, THE BIG TICKET ITEM, UH, MAINTENANCE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A 37% INCREASE.
A LOT OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE CATCH UP MAINTENANCE
[01:30:01]
WORK, AS WELL AS THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH THE CONSENT ORDER, UH, WHICH WE ARE WORKING THROUGH WITH DEQ.SO, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE SIDEBAR, UH, WE'RE EXPECTING REGULAR ROUTINE MEANT MAINTENANCE AND THE CATCHUP MAINTENANCE TO BE ABOUT 60% OF THAT BUDGET WITH 40% OF IT BEING ATTRIBUTED TO THE CONSENT ORDER.
SO HOPEFULLY IN, IN ANOTHER TWO YEARS OR SO, WE CAN START TO SEE THIS MAINTENANCE LINE DROP A LITTLE BIT AS WE'VE KIND OF GOTTEN CAUGHT UP.
AND WE ARE INTO THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE ROUTINE WORK THAT WE CAN SUSTAIN YEAR TO YEAR AND KEEP THE FACILITY OPERATING, UH, UTILITIES.
UM, SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE OUR WATER, UH, OUR WATER IS.
SO WE'RE KEEPING THAT FLAT, UM, UPFRONT THAT VIRGINIA AMERICAN ARE TOO HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
UH, SUPPLIES AND ADMIN ARE ALSO UP, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY COST OF THINGS LIKE LAB SUPPLIES, LAB EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS THE CONTRACTING SERVICES TO SUPPORT, UH, THE, UH, MAINTENANCE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING, UH, ARE ALL MOVING UP AND, UH, AND, AND NEEDED MOVING FORWARD, UH, TO GET US BACK IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO OVERALL, A 12% INCREASE AT 21.5 MILLION.
SO ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE ALLOCATION BREAKDOWN BECAUSE OF THE, THE COMMISSION STRUCTURE AND THE WAY THE BILLS ARE PAID.
UM, THE CITY'S PORTION OR THE, THE PORTION AMONGST THE CITY AND THE, UH, THE INDUSTRIES IS, IS BROKEN DOWN BY FLOW AND LOADING, POLLUTANT LOADING, SO THAT, THAT CALCULATES OUT.
AND THE CITY'S PORTION OF THE 21 IS, UH, ABOUT 4.8 MILLION.
SO WE PAY 22.2% OF THE OVERALL OPERATING BUDGET.
UH, AND THE REST IS PICKED UP BY THE OTHER INDUSTRIES, AND YOU CAN SEE THEIR PERCENTAGES THERE AS WELL.
MOVING ON TO OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS.
THIS IS A SLIDE THAT YOU SAW A VERSION OF, UH, AT MY UPDATE, UH, TWO WEEKS AGO THAT SHOWED WHERE, UH, CERTAIN PROJECTS WERE IN THE LISTING.
THIS, THIS IS ALL THE NEW PROJECTS THAT WERE BASICALLY KICKING OFF IN FY 27.
SO WE'VE PROPOSED A $6.1 MILLION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, UH, LIST.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE VARIETY OF, UH, PROJECTS THERE.
A LOT OF 'EM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROJECTS HERE TO IMPROVE THE OPERATION AND, UH, RELIABILITY OF THE OXYGEN PLANT.
A NUMBER OF THESE PROJECTS ARE IDENTIFIED IN THE DEQ CONSENT ORDER FOR US TO TAKE CARE OF OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
AND, UH, AND AREN'T REALLY, AREN'T OPTIONAL THINGS.
A LOT OF PLANT OPTIMIZATION AND CATCH UP WORK.
AND IF YOU JUMP TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU WILL SEE THE COST ALLOCATION BREAKDOWN.
THE COST ALLOCATION AMONGST THE INDUSTRIES FOR CAPITAL OPERATES A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN IT DOES FOR THE OPERATING BUDGET.
SO EACH, EACH POLLUTANT PARAMETER, UH, HAS A DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE ASSIGNED TO THE DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES AND THE CITY.
AND SO WHEN YOU BREAK DOWN THE PROJECTS AND WHAT THEY'RE TREATING AND HOW IT ALLOCATES OUT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PERCENTAGES ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
UH, THE CITY WILL PAY 21% OF THAT 6.1, SO WE'LL COME IN AT JUST UNDER $1.3 MILLION FOR CAPITAL.
MR. ELLINGHOUSE, IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU COULD PROVIDE AT A LATER DATE, THIS EXACT CHART FOR 25 26? UH, I CAN DO THAT, YES.
I, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME, BUT I CAN, I CAN PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE YEARS OF HISTORICAL INFORMATION.
ON, DO YOU, DO YOU WANT THE CAPITAL OR DO YOU WANT O AND M AND CAPITAL? UH, BOTH IF POSSIBLE.
YEAH, I'LL PUT THAT TOGETHER AND GET IT OUT, COUNSEL.
AND THEN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, THIS IS JUST A SUMMARY SLIDE ON THE O AND M BUDGET, UH, AND THE KEY COST DRIVER.
SO, YOU KNOW, LABOR MAINTENANCE AND CHEMICALS, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE ALWAYS A KEY, UH, KEY DRIVER FOR US.
WE, UH, WE ARE LOOKING TO SEE SOME COST REDUCTIONS IN SAVINGS THROUGH, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE AND CONSULTING SERVICES.
EVEN THOUGH, UH, SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS WENT UP DUE TO THE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
WE'RE, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO FIND SOME EFFICIENCIES IN THERE.
AND OUR, OUR MAJOR GOAL HERE IS TARGETED INVESTMENT TO, UH, IMPROVE SYSTEM RELIABILITY AND OPTIMIZE WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO WE TOOK THIS BUDGET TO THE WATER RENEWAL COMMISSION LAST WEEK AT THE, UH, THE SPECIAL MEETING WE HAD ON THE 17TH.
AND THE COMMISSION DID APPROVE THIS BUDGET TO BRING FORWARD TO COUNCIL.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT BEFORE WE JUMP TO THE SEWER CAR? UM, I GOT A COUPLE.
[01:35:01]
THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PLANT.YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE SEEN A SPIKE IN THAT, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, VERY MUCH UNDERSTANDABLE.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE DECREASE OF IT, BECAUSE IT'LL GET BACK ONTO THE ROUTINE, UM, MAINTENANCE PLAN MM-HMM
UM, IS, YOU KNOW, CAN WE START FORECASTING ABOUT, OR, YOU KNOW, START LOOKING AT, UM, PLANNING TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, THAT DROP AND THEN REPROGRAM IT BACK INTO CAPITAL SO THAT WAY WE CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, AN INCREASE IN CAPITAL.
'CAUSE UH, WHAT I JUST DON'T WANT TO END UP HAPPENING IS, YOU KNOW, WE END UP HAVING, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER SWITCHGEAR, YOU KNOW, GO DOWN OR THE OXYGEN PLANT GO DOWN, OR, YOU KNOW, WE END UP GETTING THE GRAVITY THICKENERS THAT ARE JUST SO CLOGGED UP THAT THEY'RE JUST, YOU KNOW, TOTALLY NOT, NOT FUNCTIONING TO THE WAY THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I, I'VE TALKED TO, UH, TALKED TO MR. FITZWATER AND, AND CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AS WELL AS SOME OF THE STAFF IS, IS PUTTING TOGETHER A FIVE AND 10 YEAR MM-HMM
CIP PLAN SO THAT WE CAN START TO IDENTIFY THE PROJECTS AND OUT YEARS WHEN THEY WILL ANTICIPATE NEEDING DONE.
SO, ONCE WE, ONCE WE DEVELOP THAT PLAN, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE WILL BE STARTING TO DO KIND OF ONCE THIS BUDGET CYCLE IS OVER AS WE PREPARE FOR THE NEXT IS, IS ONCE WE'VE GOT OUR ARMS AROUND THAT, WE'LL THEN HAVE THOSE PROJECTS IDENTIFIED.
AS MAINTENANCE COSTS, I'LL SAY COME DOWN MM-HMM
BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF THE CATCH UP, WE SEE WHERE THE DOLLARS ARE GONNA BE NEEDED IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN ONCE WE KIND OF HAVE THAT PLAN, THEN AS INFRASTRUCTURE AGES AT DIFFERENT RATES OR WHATEVER, WE CAN SHIFT SOMETHING UP A YEAR.
WE CAN SLIDE SOMETHING BACK A YEAR, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO TRACK THE, YOU KNOW, THE EFFICIENCY AND THE OPERATION OF THE PLANT AND RESPOND TO IT WITH THESE CAPITAL PROJECTS IN TIME.
BECAUSE JUST IN TERMS OF LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY THERE, I MEAN, THERE'S NO WAY THAT THE PLANT CAN FUNCTION ON JUST $6 MILLION OF CAPITAL CORRECT.
I MEAN, IT, IT'S SIGNIFICANTLY HAVE, HAS GOT TO INCREASE IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, PREVENT THESE MAJOR CATASTROPHES FROM HAPPENING.
AND, AND THE CAPITAL BUDGET ALSO COMES INTO PLAY WHERE THERE'S A, THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH IN A GIVEN YEAR.
SO, SO SOME OF THAT IS, IS CASH FLOW, SOME OF THAT IS ALSO TIME ALLOWED TO GET THE PROJECTS DONE.
THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS HAVE $10 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS AND ONLY ACCOMPLISH FIVE.
UM, SO SOME OF THAT GOES IN, SO AS WE PUT TOGETHER THIS MULTI-YEAR PLAN, WE'RE THEN GONNA BE ABLE TO LOOK AT AND WE'LL GET, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL SCOPE THESE PROJECTS OUT, WE'LL GET ESTIMATES, BUDGETARY ESTIMATES, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO WORK THEM AND EVALUATE 'EM ACROSS AN ENTIRE FISCAL YEAR TO DETERMINE WHAT THE RIGHT PROJECT LOAD IS PER, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST CASH FLOW, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, HUMAN CAPITAL RIGHT.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SHUFFLE THAT STUFF AROUND AND KIND OF LEVEL SOME OF THESE THINGS OUT SO WE DON'T HAVE THESE HUGE SPIKE YEARS AND THEN LEAN YEARS WHERE WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT MONEY THAT ENDS UP, YOU KNOW, NOT BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF TO, YOU KNOW, BE REINVESTED BACK INTO CAPITAL.
THAT THAT'S JUST WHAT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, INTO, IN THE FUTURE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU I SAW ON HERE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT, UH, CAMERAS MM-HMM
UM, AND I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GONNA HELP WITH SECURITY, BUT WHAT ARE WE, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT DOING IN TERMS OF RESTRICTED ACCESS? SO THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SHORTLY BEFORE, UH, COMING OVER HERE TODAY.
SO THE CAMERA SYSTEM THAT THE FACILITY CURRENTLY HAS IS OUT OF DATE.
IT, IT'S AN OLD SYSTEM MM-HMM
AND, UH, SOME OF, UH, SOME OF OUR FOLKS HAVE BEEN TALKING TO, UH, THE OTHER CITY STAFF WHERE CAMERA SYSTEMS ARE USED WITHIN, WITHIN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS AND TALKING ABOUT UNIFYING ON ONE PLATFORM MM-HMM
SO THAT WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, REDUNDANCY FROM A OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE STANDPOINT OF THOSE SYSTEMS. SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A, A MORE HARDENED SYSTEM, SO IT'S HARDER TO ACCESS FROM THE OUTSIDE OKAY.
TO COMPLY WITH, UH, CURRENT EPA WATER AND WASTEWATER SECURITY STANDARDS.
BUT ALSO THIS ALLOWS US TO KEEP EYES ON A LOT OF THE PLANT PROCESSES FROM THE CONTROL ROOM, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE OPERATORS RUNNING AROUND TO SEE EVERYTHING WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE SOMEBODY IN THE CONTROL ROOM WATCHING OVER THE SYSTEM, SEEING THINGS HAPPEN, AND THEN RESPOND TO ALARMS OR UNUSUAL CONDITIONS AS NEEDED.
YEAH, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S JUST GOING ON IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S IN, IN DISCUSSIONS IS, YOU KNOW, RAMPING UP SECURITY FOR, FOR KEY INFRASTRUCTURE MM-HMM
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, IF, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LIKE ADD, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FLOCK YOU CAMERAS, THE LICENSE PLATE READERS COMING DOWN HUMMER, ROSS ROAD MM-HMM
I THINK THAT THAT WOULD END UP HELPING AS WELL.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE JUST NOT LOSING SIGHT.
NO, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SITE SECURITY AS WELL AS OPERATIONAL, YOU KNOW, EFFICIENCY SO THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN KEEP YOUR EYES ON, ON THINGS AS THEY'RE HAPPENING AROUND THE PLANT, NOT JUST KEEPING PEOPLE OUT.
IS THAT WHAT YOUR QUESTION WAS? YEAH, JUST, JUST THAT THIS, THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN A, A, A REALLY A BIG
[01:40:01]
ISSUE FOR SEVERAL YEARS MM-HMMAND WAS NEVER REALLY ADDRESSED.
AND, UM, ANYBODY CAN WALK IN THERE.
THEY, YOU, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THAT WE DO HAVE THE, THE SLIDE GATE NOW THAT OPERATES.
THAT'S SO, SO IT DOES, SO IT DOES CLOSE.
WE, WE DON'T KEEP IT CLOSED DURING THE DAY BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY TRUCKS COMING IN AND WELL, THAT'S FINE, BUT IT WASN'T, OH, SEE THAT, THAT WAS, THAT'S, THAT'S NEW.
BUT IT'S BEEN CLOSED AT NIGHT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING SITE IMPROVEMENTS.
ONTO THE SEWER COLLECTION SYSTEM.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE FUND THAT IS, UH, THAT, THAT IS USED TO PAY FOR OPERATION OF THE SEWER COLLECTION SYSTEM AND PLUM STATIONS.
THIS IS CLEANING AND MAINTAINING OF THE GRAVITY SEWER LINES, THE FORCE MAINS AND THE PUMP STATIONS.
SO, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS WHERE THE, UH, HOPEWELL CUSTOMER'S SEWER BILLS GO.
UH, AND THEN FROM THIS, THE CITY'S ABLE TO PAY THE REGIONAL PORTION OF, OF WATER RENEWAL AS WELL AS PUMP STATION.
SO WE, UM, WE'VE GOT, UH, THE 25 26 BUDGET THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WA WORKING UNDER HAS AN, I'M GONNA SAY AN UPDATED BUDGET NUMBER OF 11 POINT, ALMOST $4 MILLION.
SO THAT ORIGINAL BUDGET WHEN IT WAS PROPOSED THIS TIME LAST YEAR WAS A LITTLE OVER 9 MILLION DUE TO SOME, YOU KNOW, JUST EMERGENCIES IN THE SYSTEM AND SOME BREAKDOWNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'VE HAD ADDITIONAL FUNDS PUT INTO IT THAT, THAT HAD BEEN COLLECTED FROM, FROM CUSTOMERS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE ANOTHER REQUEST COMING HERE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT THAT, UH, 11.3 MILLION, ALMOST 11.4 MILLION, UM, IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE REDUCED A LITTLE BIT.
WE'VE, WE'VE TAKEN CARE OF SOME OF THE ISSUES.
UH, WE'RE PROPOSING A $10.8 MILLION BUDGET FOR THE SEWER COLLECTION SYSTEM, SO ABOUT A 5% DE DECREASE, AND WE ARE PROJECTING THE REVENUE TO MATCH THOSE NEEDS.
AND THEN, UM, I'VE INCLUDED JUST, UH, FOUR, FOUR PROJECTS THAT I THINK ARE, ARE OF, OF INTEREST TO COUNCIL.
THEY'RE AT, UH, THE, THE ONLY PROJECT THAT IS ACTIVELY, I'LL SAY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, IT'S QUEEN ANN, IT'S DOING SOME SURVEY STUFF AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR THE DESIGN ART QUEEN ANNE MM-HMM
BUT THE OTHER THREE ARE, WE'RE GETTING READY TO START KICKING THOSE OFF.
WE'RE, WE'RE SCOPING THOSE OUT WITH THE ENGINEERS OKAY.
TO GET THOSE PROJECTS DONE AS WELL.
SO YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE REVISED BUDGET, YOU KNOW, BEING ABOUT $570,000 DECREASE MM-HMM
WHERE IS, WHERE'S THAT DECREASE GOING? IS THAT GOING OVER FOR, TO THE PLANT SIDE OR FOR THE CITY'S PORTION? I, OR IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE YET.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE BEING A LITTLE ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE OKAY.
OF WHAT WE'RE GONNA SPEND BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE AN EMERGENCY MIGHT POP UP OR SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN.
SO WE'RE HOPING, WE'RE HOPING REVENUE'S GONNA COME IN ABOVE, YOU KNOW, OUR ESTIMATE.
WE SET IT TO MEET OUR NEEDS MM-HMM
BUT WE'RE EXPECTING WITH THE RATE INCREASE THAT IT WILL COME IN HIGHER, BUT A LOT OF TIMES INCREASES TO FEES AND RATES AND WHATNOT, SOMETIMES HAS AN OFFSET BECAUSE PEOPLE CAN CHANGE SOME BEHAVIORS MM-HMM
SO WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO KIND OF TEMPER THAT A LITTLE BIT AND NOT, UH, AND NOT CREATE A BUDGET THAT MIGHT FALL SHORT OF YEAH.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST WHERE, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE KEEPS TAKING THE HIT.
I SAID, OH, WELL WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, FUND INFRASTRUCTURE, WE CAN'T FUND INFRASTRUCTURE MM-HMM
AND THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, STAYING AFTER, YOU KNOW, REPLACING THE LATERALS, THE MAINS, THE MANHOLES, THE ATIONS, UM, EVERYTHING.
AS, AS WE GET FURTHER, YOU KNOW, INTO THE FISCAL YEAR AND, AND WE SEE WHERE REVENUE PROJECTIONS ARE, WE'VE GOT A LIST OF PUMP STATIONS THAT NEED CAPITAL WORK.
AND, AND SO AS FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE FOR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, WHETHER THEY'RE LARGE PROJECTS OR SMALL PROJECTS, JUST TO GET THEM BECOMING A LITTLE BIT MORE RELIABLE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE INTENDING AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING.
I WAS LIKE, OH, $570,000 YOU COULD START ANOTHER PUMP STATION IF YOU WANTED TO.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE DOWNSIDE IS WE'VE GOTTA WE'VE GOTTA SPREAD THE, SPREAD THE WORK OUT.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
TONIGHT I HAVE THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
WE ARE, UM, JUST ASKING TO MAINTAIN FUNDING FROM 26 NO INCREASES.
[01:45:01]
KEEP US AT ABOUT ONE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE DEPARTMENT.UH, THEY ARE IN PRIORITY ORDER.
UM, THE FIRST ONE BEING A NEW POSITION, AND THAT WOULD BE A NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
THE DEPARTMENT USED TO HAVE, UH, FOUR PLANNERS, ACTUALLY.
FOUR PLANNERS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE'RE DOWN TO TWO, AND THAT WOULD BE MYSELF AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR.
UM, THE MOST RECENT FULLY STAFFED DEPARTMENT THAT I COULD FIND WAS BACK IN OH SIX.
AND, UH, THE FOUR POSITIONS EXISTED AT THAT TIME, BUT THEY WEREN'T, UH, FILLED.
MY GUESS IS, I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY WERE NEVER REFILLED AND ULTIMATELY ELIMINATED, UH, BUT I'M SURE IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH BUDGET CUTS AT SOME POINT WAY BACK THEN.
BUT TODAY, UM, SINCE 2020, PLANNING APPLICATIONS HAVE ACTUALLY INCREASED 56% IN THE LAST SIX YEARS.
AND SITE PLANS HAVE ALSO INCREASED.
THEY'VE DOUBLED IN THE LAST SIX YEARS.
AND THE VALUE OF A SITE PLAN, WHICH, UH, THE COMPLEXITY OF A SITE PLAN CAN, IS EQUATABLE TO, UH, THE VALUE OF A, OF A PROPOSED PROJECT.
SO THAT'S INCREASED 133% SINCE 2020.
SO THE WORK IS STEADILY INCREASING.
THAT'S A GOOD SIGN FOR THE CITY THAT OUR WORK IS STEADILY INCREASING.
HOWEVER, OUR STAFF STAFFING HAS NOT.
SO, UH, BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR, WE, WE ARE STAFFED TO FIVE ACTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND WE WEAR MANY HATS IN THE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE A ZONING ADMINISTRATOR, SUBDIVISION AGENT, FLOODPLAIN MANAGER, UH, CHESAPEAKE BAY ACT ENFORCEMENT AGENT, FEDERAL RESPONSIBLE ENTITY, FAIR HOUSING OFFICER.
AND THEY EVEN MADE US AN EPS CONTACT, WHICH IS, UM, STYROFOAM
SO WITH THE STATE BAN ON STYROFOAM, UH, MY OFFICE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY, UH, COMPLAINTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR, UM, PROHIBITION.
UH, THIS POSITION IS ONE OF THE FOUR THAT DIDN'T EXIST PREVIOUSLY.
AND A NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER ESSENTIALLY WILL FOCUS ON NEIGHBORHOOD ISSUES, UM, HOUSING IMPACT, UH, TRENDS, THAT SORT OF THING IN INCREASED IN TARGETED ZONING ENFORCEMENT.
SO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER WOULD WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR, OUR ZONING ENFORCEMENT, UH, OFFICER.
THIS PLANNER POSITION WOULD ALSO SERVE AS A LIAISON TO THE FEW CIVIC GROUPS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY.
UH, COULD ALSO ASSIST WITH ESTABLISHING MORE CIVIC ROUTE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER WOULD IDENTIFY EMERGING PROBLEMS AHEAD OF TIME INSTEAD OF BEING MORE REACTIONARY.
WE ALSO ANTICIPATE THAT THIS PERSON WILL HELP US WITH, UM, GOING AFTER MORE GRANTS RANTS.
AND THEN A, UH, A BIG ASSIST THAT THIS POSITION WILL PROVIDE TO THE DEPARTMENT IS THAT WE CAN DO SOME OF THIS PLANNING IN-HOUSE INSTEAD OF RELYING ON OUTSIDE PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE.
AND AGAIN, THEY WOULD HELP, UM, WITH SOME OF THE DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES THAT MYSELF AND MS. DAVIS, UH, UNDERTAKE.
SO, UM, THERE ARE SOME OFFSETS TO THIS POTENTIAL POSITION.
SO A, UH, WE ARE PROPOSING TO ELIMINATE A POSITION THAT WAS ADDED TO OUR DEPARTMENT LAST YEAR, AND THAT IS THE CITY RECEPTIONIST POSITION.
UM, OUR PERMIT TECHNICIAN ACTUALLY HAS TAKEN ON THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES.
THAT'S JUST A PART OF HER REGULAR DUTIES.
SO WE DO HAVE SOME SAVINGS FROM THAT.
UH, NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT CLOSE TO IT.
UM, WORKING CLOSELY WITH DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT TO ADJUST SOME OF OUR ENTERPRISE ZONE, UH, INCENTIVES THAT THE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY OFFERS.
RIGHT NOW IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT FEE WAIVER ON PLANNING APPLICATIONS AND BUILDING PERMITS.
AND WORKING WITH MR. BENNETT HERE, WE ARE LOOKING AT NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, UH, WAIVER, BUT MORE, UH, MAYBE AROUND A 50%, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOME SAVINGS TO THE, OR ACTUAL, UH, REVENUE INTO THE DEPARTMENT THAT WE CURRENTLY, UH, WEREN'T GETTING.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE, THIS, UH, NEW POSITION WILL HELP US SAVE ON OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE COSTS.
SO, UH, BECAUSE ENTERPRISE ZONE INCENTIVES FLUCTUATE FROM YEAR TO YEAR PRETTY DRASTICALLY, UH, I'M ESTIMATING THAT THIS NEW POSITION ULTIMATELY WOULD ONLY COST US BETWEEN ZERO AND $20,000 ON A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS.
WE DO HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GOES THROUGH 2028.
UH, IF WE DON'T HAVE THIS POSITION, UH, ASKING FOR A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO HIRE OUTSIDE
[01:50:01]
ASSISTANCES TO REDO OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THESE DAYS FOR OUR CITY, WE COULD BE LOOKING, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH WE DO, COULD BE UPWARDS OF $150,000 AND HIGHER.SO THIS POSITION WOULD END UP BEING A SAVINGS FOR NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET OF $150,000.
AM I UNDERSTANDING THAT CORRECTLY? UM, I AM PROPOSING THAT YET, YES.
UH, MAYBE NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE A HUNDRED.
WHAT WE WOULD DO IS, UM, OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ACTUALLY, THAT'S HER SPECIALTY IS LONG RANGE PLANNING.
IF WE'RE ABLE TO GET THIS POSITION, MS. DAVIS WOULD TAKE ON THE LION'S SHARE OF UPDATING OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE STILL MAY NEED A LITTLE BIT OF OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE ON SOME, UH, DATA COLLECTION, DATA ANALYSIS TYPE THING.
BUT I WOULD SAY A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE MONEY THAT WE WOULD NORMALLY SPEND TO HIRE A CONSULTANT TO DO OUR COMP PLAN, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IN-HOUSE WITH MS. DAVIS.
UM, I MYSELF COME FROM THAT REALM AS WELL.
UM, I USED TO BE, IN FACT, I, UH, HAVE WORKED IN HOPEWELL'S NOT ON YOUR COMP PLAN, BUT ON YOUR OB VILLAGE PLAN WHEN I WAS A CONSULTANT.
SO, UM, I'LL BE HELPING MS. DAVIS ON THAT TOO, IF, IF THIS BECOMES A REALITY FOR US.
UM, LASTLY, OUR SECOND ASK, AND THIS IS A BIG ASK, UM, BUT IT IS SECOND PRIORITY, UH, TO, FOR US TO SWITCH TO INTEGRATED ONLINE PERMITTING SYSTEM.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE TAKE IN PAPER PERMITS.
IT'S A LOT OF PAPERWORK, IT'S A LOT OF, UH, STAYING ON TOP OF AND TRACKING THESE PERMITS.
UM, AN ONLINE SYSTEM WILL IMPROVE OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ACCESSIBILITY.
IT'LL INCREASE, UH, INTERNAL AS WELL AS EXTERNAL EFFICIENCIES.
IT ENHANCES TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND ULTIMATELY CREATES LONG-TERM COST SAVINGS.
WE'RE ESTIMATING ONLINE SYSTEM BEING ABOUT $180,000.
IT'S QUITE A BIT WITH AN ANNUAL OF AROUND 82.
THAT'S A QUOTE FROM ONE SPECIFIC ONLINE PERMITTING APPLICATION.
UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL OUT THERE WHERE THAT NUMBER IS NOT HARD AND FAST.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE AS A LONG TERM PRIORITY FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
MAYBE NOT NECESSARILY REALISTIC FOR THIS YEAR, BUT, UH, SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE FUTURE.
DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH THE ANNUAL CALL SAVINGS WOULD BE EACH YEAR, LIKE ONCE IMPLEMENTED? I DON'T.
UM, I'M NOT SURE I'LL BE ABLE EVEN TO ATTACH A DOLLAR AMOUNT TO THAT MM-HMM
BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE HOW I WOULD DO THAT.
UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY MORE OF, UM, AN INTERNAL WORKFLOW MANAGER.
ASPECT IS HOW IT WOULD HELP US IN THE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE PERMITTING IS, STARTS WITH US AND THEN SPREAD OUT AMONGST ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS FOR REVIEW.
UM, WE CURRENTLY DO THAT THROUGH, MOSTLY THROUGH PAPER.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO TRACK, IT'S DIFFICULT TO MANAGE ONLINE.
SO IT WOULD BE SAVING US FROM AN EFFICIENCY STANDPOINT, LIKE A TIME MANAGEMENT STANDPOINT.
UM, WE CAN DIVE DEEPER INTO THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN ATTACH A NUMBER TO IT.
BUT I, I KIND OF DON'T WANT TO JUST MAKE UP SOME NUMBER.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING THAT'S, YEAH.
I THINK IT WOULD JUST, IT WOULD JUST BE GOOD TO KNOW FOR, FOR LONG-TERM PLANNING.
BECAUSE IT SAYS CREATES LONG-TERM COST SAVINGS AND RESILIENCE AT THE BOTTOM.
UH, IT'LL SAVE US DEFINITELY ON COPYING AND PRINTING COSTS.
SO, UM, LOOK, 'CAUSE I MEAN, I'M JUST, I'M THINKING, YOU KNOW, LONG TERM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ENTERING ITS NEXT PHASE, YOU KNOW, WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR FINANCIALS BE, YOU KNOW, BEING CURRENT HERE WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT 30 DAYS.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE NOW ENTER, YOU KNOW, THIS NEW CHAPTER AND THIS NEW ERA WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ABLE TO EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVELY GO AFTER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SEE THINGS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, OH, OKAY, WELL THIS POSITION HERE, YOU KNOW, MAY ONLY COST US $20,000 A YEAR, BUT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN YOU COST US 150 AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN OFFSET, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY 130,000.
THAT POSITION PAYS FOR ITSELF EVERY FIVE YEARS.
WITH STILL GENERATING REVENUE THAT WE CAN GO AND APPLY TO OTHER BIG CRITICAL NEEDS THAT WE NEED IN THE CITY.
WE'LL, WE'LL DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THIS.
UM, AND TRY TO ATTACH A REALISTIC NUMBER FOR YOU.
UM, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE, WE AS A DEPARTMENT ARE NOT READY TO SWITCH TO ONLINE PERMITTING RIGHT AWAY.
UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION IS, IS EXTREMELY INTENSIVE.
IT REQUIRES, UH, UH, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT REVIEW OF INTERNAL WORKFLOW.
AND MORE THAN LIKELY THAN NOT, WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE SOME DRASTIC CHANGES TO HOW WE DO THINGS INTERNALLY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT BEFORE WE EVEN GET TO THE POINT
[01:55:01]
OF IMPLEMENTING AN ONLINE SYSTEM.'CAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR INTERNAL SYSTEMS WORK WITH THAT PARTICULAR APPLICATION.
AND WE ALSO DON'T WANT YOUR ROLLOUT TO BE A DISASTER LIKE MUNI WAS, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE A REFLECTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT WE DON'T HAVE OUR ACT TOGETHER.
NO, THAT MY QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH MUNI.
AND YOU KNOW, WAS THIS GOING TO BE A MUNIS PROGRAM? SO ANY, ANY PROGRAM THAT WE WOULD PUT FORWARD, UM, IT HAS TO TALK, IT'S GONNA HAVE TO INTEGRATE WITH MUNI.
UM, TYLER MAKES THEIR OWN INTEGRATED SYSTEM.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S FOR THIS PARTICULAR APPLICATION.
IT, IT, IT, IT'S MADE BY THE SAME COMPANY THAT MAKES MUNI THAT MANAGES MUNI.
UM, SO IT, IT'S A FULL INTEGRATION THERE.
UH, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT.
UM, BUT I'VE HEARD HORROR STORIES ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT PARTICULAR APPLICATION.
BUT THERE ARE OTHERS THAT DO INTEGRATE WITH MUNI AS WELL THAT ARE NOT MADE BY TYLER.
IT CAN, IT REALLY CAN BECOME A DISASTER.
IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME REAL STRATEGIC PLANNING ON THE FRONT END BEFORE WE EVER START TO SWITCH OVER.
I DID WANNA PUT THIS IN HERE THOUGH, JUST TO GET IT ON YOUR RADAR.
THAT NO, NO, THAT'S APPRECIATIVE.
UM, THAT'S THE END, END OF MY PRESENTATION.
JUST THOSE TWO ASK LEVEL FUNDING, UM, AND ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT'S AVAILABLE.
I JUST WANNA MAKE, I JUST WANNA MAKE ONE COMMENT THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER I THINK IS A REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, POSITION AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'VE INCLUDED IT AND, UH, I THINK IT'S, IT.
A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO WE WENT TO HAMPTON AND LOOKED AT WHAT THEY HAD DONE AND THEY HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER AND THEY HAD JUST DONE SO MUCH DOWN THERE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING SOMETHING SIMILAR HERE.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO HEALTHY FAMILIES.
THEY HAD AN EVENT TONIGHT, BUT I'M JUST GONNA DO AN OVERVIEW OF HER BUDGET FOR FISCAL 26.
HER, UH, CURRENT BUDGET WAS 957,888.
FOR 27, SHE IS REQUESTING 1.2 MILLION.
HER INCREASE STEMS FROM ADDITIONAL GRANT MONIES BEING RECEIVED FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR IN THE AMOUNT OF $247,257.
HER REQUEST IS FOR A FAMILY SUPPORT SPECIALIST PART-TIME AS WELL AS A PART-TIME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
ADDITIONAL FUNDING SUPPORT, CLINICAL MENTAL, MENTAL, MENTAL HEALTH CONSULTATION, WHICH WOULD BE FULLY FUNDED BY THE ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDS EXCEPT FOR $117.
SO HER ONLY REQUEST FOR NEXT YEAR IS $117.
SHORTEST PRESENTATION OF THE NIGHT.
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, THE CHAMPION THAT CLEANED UP THE CSA ISSUES.
UM, GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.
MY NAME IS WANDA WILLIAMS AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF HOPEWELL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
SO, UH, SHANTE DIDN'T ASK FOR A LOT.
I'M GONNA BE ASKING FOR SOME MONEY.
UM, SO BEFORE I GO INTO WHAT I'M ASKING FOR, I WANNA GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE DO AND WHO WE ARE.
WE ARE COMPRISED OF THREE DIFFERENT DIVISIONS.
WE HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE, UM, SERVICES DIVISION.
WE HAVE OUR BENEFIT PROGRAMS AS WELL AS OUR FAMILY SERVICES.
OUR BENEFIT PROGRAMS DIVISION DOES ALL OF OUR BENEFIT PROGRAMS. THAT INCLUDES OUR MEDICAID, SNAP, TANF ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, UM, AS WELL AS OTHERS CHILDCARE.
SO WE DO A LOT IN BENEFIT PROGRAMS FOR OUR FAMILY SERVICES SIDE.
UM, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, ADULT PROTECTIVE SERVICES, FOSTER CARE, ADOPTION ASSISTED PROGRAMS. AND SO WE DO A LOT ON THAT SIDE TOO.
AND SO WHEN TONIGHT I WANNA HAVE A CONVERSATION FROM THE POINT OF LET'S TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, WE THINK ABOUT FIRE AND POLICE, BUT THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES IS ALSO ONE OF YOUR AGENCIES THAT HELP WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.
BECAUSE WE ARE THE AGENCY THAT MAKES SURE CHILDREN ARE SAFE AS WELL AS ADULTS.
WE MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES STAY TOGETHER.
WE PUT SERVICES IN PLACE, WE FEED PEOPLE BY
[02:00:01]
PROVIDING SNAP BENEFITS.WE MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE BY PROVIDING MEDICAID AS WELL AS WE PROVIDE THEM A CHECK.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE PROVIDE ENERGY ASSISTANCE, WHICH HELPS WITH THEIR HEATING AND COOLING COSTS, AS WELL AS THE PIP PROGRAM, WHICH IS THAT PROGRAM THAT WE OPERATE AND DO CASE MANAGEMENT FOR DOMINION, VIRGINIA POWER.
IF WE DIDN'T DO WHAT WE DID, THEN AS A CITY, WE WOULD HAVE THE PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE.
PEOPLE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SORT SUPPORT THEMSELVES OR THEIR FAMILIES.
AND SO IN KEEPING IN MIND WITH THAT, WE STARTED KEEPING SOME DATA.
UM, JAY, THE IT DIRECTOR CAME TO ME AND HE SAID, YOUR AGENCY RECEIVED MORE PHONE CALLS THAN ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
HOW SHOCKED WAS IT? I, SO AS OF JANUARY OF 2025 TO JUNE OF 2025, WE STARTED KEEPING, UH, A TALLY OF THOSE CALLS.
WE RECEIVED OVER 21,000 CALLS IN OUR DEPARTMENT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR OF 25.
WE HAD OVER, WE HAD ALMOST FOUR, WE HAD OVER 1300 PEOPLE WALK INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO REQUEST SOME TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.
UH, IT'S BASED ON OUR DATA THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE STATE.
OVER 14,000 NEIGHBORS IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL RECEIVE EITHER MEDICAID, SNAP OR TANF.
THAT IS NOT THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING ASSISTANCE WITH FOR OUR VIEW PROGRAM.
THAT IS NOT THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING CHILDCARE ASSISTANCE TO.
THOSE ARE NOT THOSE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE 36 CHILDREN WHO ARE IN FOSTER CARE.
WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THOSE CHILDREN AS IF WE ARE THEIR PARENT.
WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF ALL OF THEIR NEEDS AS WELL AS WE STILL FOLLOW OUR KIDS WHO ARE ADOPTION ASSISTANCE.
AND SO I, AS YOU SAY, I NOW HAVE CSA THAT YOU SO GRACIOUSLY HAVE MENTIONED.
AND THE FIRST TIME YOU MET ME, YOU SAID THANK YOU BECAUSE SINCE YOU'VE BEEN IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS.
STILL TO THIS DAY, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS.
HOWEVER, CSA JUST CAME UNDER ME, SO TAKE NOTE OF THAT.
UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT THE BENEFITS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING IN THE FORM OF SOCIAL SERVICES, WE ARE PROVIDING OVER $134 MILLION.
SO EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE LOOK AT THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES AS IF WE ARE SPENDING MONEY, WE ALSO HELP PUT MONEY BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
WE PUT MONEY BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY BY PROVIDING PEOPLE WITH ALMOST $15 MILLION IN SNAP BENEFITS SO THAT THEY CAN BUY FOOD, THEY ARE ABLE TO GO TO THE DOCTOR, THEY'RE ABLE TO RECEIVE A CHECK TO THEN HELP SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY.
AND ALL OF THAT MONEY IS COMING BACK INTO THE CITY OF HOPEWELL.
UM, I AM REQUESTING SOME POSITIONS BECAUSE I NEED SOME POSITIONS TO HELP SUPPORT WHAT WE HAVE TO DO BECAUSE OUR PROGRAMS ARE EITHER FEDERALLY MANDATED OR BASED ON THE STATE.
AND SO I AM REQUESTING TO NUMBER ONE, ABSORB THE CSA POSITIONS UNDER THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES SO THAT AS A CITY, INSTEAD OF YOU PAYING A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR SALARY, THEN THEY WILL BE UNDER DSS WHERE AS YOU KNOW, UM, THAT IS 15.5% THAT YOU ATTRIBUTE TO OUR BUDGET.
UM, I AM ALSO REQUESTING AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR 'CAUSE I NEED SUPPORT IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
AGAIN, I HAVE A NEW DEPARTMENT, CSA, THAT IS A WHOLE DEPARTMENT WITHIN ITSELF.
I AM REQUESTING A HUMAN SERVICES ASSISTANT TO HELP US WITH OUR FOSTER CARE.
CURRENTLY I HAVE 36 CHILDREN IN CARE.
I HAVE ONE FOSTER CARE WORKER AND ONE SUPERVISOR.
SO THERE IS A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE WORK THAT GOES WITH THAT.
WE HAVE TO, UH, PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION TO NOT JUST, UM, THE STATE, BUT FEDERAL.
I HAVE AUDITS IN MY AGENCY ALMOST EVERY SINGLE MONTH FROM EITHER THE STATE OR THROUGH A RESULT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WITH THE CHANGES WITH HR ONE, IT IS NOW REQUIRING THAT, UM, IN INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RECEIVING SNAP BENEFITS HAVE TO DO SOME TYPE OF WORK AND TRAINING COMPONENT.
WE HAVE BEEN EXEMPT AS A LOCALITY FROM DOING THAT, BUT HR ONE TOOK ALL
[02:05:01]
OF THOSE EXEMPTIONS AWAY.AND SO THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM WILL ALLOW US TO HELP OUR NEIGHBORS TO BE MORE PREPARED TO SEEK EMPLOYMENT AND TO PROVIDE TRAINING FOR THEM.
UM, I'VE COMMUNICATED WITH THE STATE, THE STATE HAS GIVEN ME ONE OF MY WISHES THAT THIS POSITION IS PROVIDED AND THAT IS FOR US TO HAVE A VAN TO GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY TO ASSIST OUR NEIGHBORS WITH HELPING THEM SECURE EMPLOYMENT AS WELL AS TRAINING.
I ALSO NEED A BENEFIT PROGRAM SPECIALIST TO HELP WITH THAT POSITION SO THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT AND SERVICES FOR THAT PROGRAM.
I AM REQUESTING A PART-TIME ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PERSON BECAUSE I DO HAVE, AND I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR MY DEPARTMENT, FOR INDIVIDUALS, FOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN ADOPTED THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
CURRENTLY THAT PERSON IS A CONTRACTOR.
I DO NOT HAVE A DEDICATED PERSON WHO'S THERE AT SET TIMES DURING THE WEEK TO ASSIST WITH THAT CASELOAD.
AGAIN, THAT IS A FEDERALLY MANDATED PROGRAM.
BECAUSE OF THE DEMANDS FOR THE FAMILY SERVICES, THERE'S A LOT OF TRAINING THAT'S INVOLVED.
AND SO WHAT WE ARE DISCOVERING IS BASED ON WHAT OUR REQUIREMENTS ARE TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, WE NEED SOMEONE TO HELP US TRAIN OUR FAMILY SERVICES WORKERS.
WE ARE NOT IN THE POSITION HERE IN HOPEWELL WHERE I CAN GET SOMEBODY WHO HAS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE OR ANY EXPERIENCE TO COME TO HOPEWELL.
SO A LOT OF TIMES I'M GETTING, UM, STAFF THAT ARE COMING DIRECTLY FROM COLLEGE, AND THIS IS A HIGH STRESSFUL AND DEMANDING, UH, CASELOAD.
AND SO WE'RE ASKING TO HAVE A PART-TIME PERSON TO HELP US IN OUR TRAINING SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE STAFF OR THE STAFF ARE READY TO GO OUT TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO.
FOR THIS FEDERALLY MANDATED PROGRAM.
UNLIKE THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, THERE IS AN IT DEPARTMENT, THE CITY OF HOPEWELL IT DEPARTMENT CANNOT COME INTO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND ASSIST US WITH OUR IT NEEDS BECAUSE WE ARE USING STATE EQUIPMENT.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES WE ARE AT A DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE WE ARE SCRAMBLING TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS OUR IT ISSUES.
WHEN IT RAINS, OUR INTERNET SLOWS DOWN WHEN THE WIND BLOWS, OUR INTERNET SLOWS DOWN.
AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF IT RELATED ISSUES AND WE DON'T HAVE THE STAFF INTERNALLY THAT HAS THE KNOWLEDGE TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO I'M REQUESTING THAT WE HAVE AN IT PERSON TO HELP US PART-TIME WITH THAT.
IN ADDITION, I'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF PHONE CALLS THAT WE RECEIVE.
I TALKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT COME INTO OUR DEPARTMENT.
I CURRENTLY HAVE TWO RECEPTIONISTS AT THE FRONT DESK.
IF ONE OF THOSE PERSONS IS NOT AVAILABLE, OR NORMALLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MONTH, WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING IN, THEN I HAVE TO PULL SOMEBODY FROM THEIR FULL-TIME POSITION TO COME UP TO HELP SUPPORT THAT FRONTLINE STAFF.
THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF MY AGENCY BECAUSE THEY ARE THE FACE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
AND SO HOW MUCH AM I REQUESTING THIS IS, THIS FIGURE IS ACTUALLY NOT CORRECT BECAUSE AT FIRST I WAS REQUESTING TWO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
I DIDN'T EVEN TALK ABOUT MY ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
I WAS REQUESTING TWO ASSISTANT DIRECTORS, AND NOW I'M ONLY ASKING FOR ONE.
SO MY BUDGET INCREASE IS 893, UH, THOUSAND DOLLARS.
MINDFUL THAT THAT IS ALSO INCLUDING THE CSA POSITIONS THAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY FUNDING A HUNDRED PERCENT.
HOWEVER, THERE IS ONLY A 15.5% MATCH THAT THE LOCAL AGE THAT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS TO PROVIDE.
AND SO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT MATCH WILL BE $138,000.
BUT IF WITH ME REQUESTING ONLY ONE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, THAT AMOUNT DOES, UH, DECREASE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL? UM, AND THIS PART, WELL, I THINK I MIGHT JUST HAVE TO GET OFFLINE.
'CAUSE THIS MIGHT JUST GET LIKE TWO, LIKE IN THE NUANCE AND THEN THE WEEDS, UM, ABOUT TRYING, WELL, LET ME JUST TRY TO JUST ASK IT OUTRIGHT.
THE THE 15%, SO MOVING CSA, WHICH IS TOTALLY CITY FUNDED, 100% MOVING THAT OVER UNTO YOU.
[02:10:01]
CORRECTLY THAT THE STATE WILL THEN PAY 85% OF THOSE SALARIES AND THEN THE CITY PAYS 15%? CORRECT.SO IF WE, WHAT IS THE SAVINGS OF THAT 85% THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE, OR EXCUSE ME, THAT WE, THAT WE NOW HAVE? I CAN'T TELL YOU THE EXACT FIGURE.
BUT I CAN GO BACK AND FIND OUT WHAT THOSE SALARIES AND THOSE BENEFITS ARE FOR THOSE TWO POSITIONS AND LET YOU KNOW.
BECAUSE WHAT I LIKE SEEING YOU FROM AN EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, WITH MR. BASSETT, UM, AND YOUR OTHER DIRECTORS THAT HAVE COME UP HERE, UM, AND YOU KNOW, WELL, AND, UH, AND CHRIS WARD AS WELL, IF WE CAN FIND WAYS OF SAVING MONEY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THROUGH, YOU KNOW, RECLASSIFYING POSITIONS, AUGMENTING POSITIONS, OR YOU KNOW, THIS, YOU KNOW, VERY CREATIVE, UM, RESTRUCTURING LIKE WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
I MEAN, I'M VERY, YOU KNOW, WILLING TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, POSITIONS COMING IN, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO, TO HELP THE CITY.
THAT'S THE TYPE OF, YOU KNOW, REALLY STRATEGIC, YOU KNOW, MINDSET THAT I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE.
UM, BUT YEAH, I'D JUST BE CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THOSE SAVINGS ARE.
UM, AND THEN THIS IS MAYBE A QUESTION FOR YOU, MAYBE JAY OR MR. ROGERS, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE IT SUPPORT SYSTEM, UM, IS THERE ANY SORT OF LIKE CERTIFICATION, UM, TRAINING THAT SOME OF OUR FOLKS CAN GO THROUGH AT THE STATE LEVEL THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, BE CERTIFIED TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST YOU GUYS? THE, UNFORTUNATELY THE, UM, VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, ADIDA DOES NOT.
IT HAS TO BE SOMEONE WITH THE STATE.
IT HAS TO BE THEIR CONTRACTOR.
THEIR, UM, ENTITY THAT THEY'RE BRINGING IN TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR US.
WHEN I SAY THAT WE NEED ASSISTANCE, I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A ADOBE PRO MM-HMM
NOW I HAVE PEOPLE IN MY AGENCY WHO ARE IN A POSITION THAT, UM, HAS THIS UNDER THEM MM-HMM
BUT THEY'RE NOT EQUIPPED TO TALK TO THE STATE TO IMPLEMENT ME RECEIVING THIS MM-HMM
AND I WANT THIS SOFTWARE BECAUSE IT'S GONNA HELP MY STAFF BE A LOT MORE EFFICIENT RIGHT.
IN, IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS.
SO THAT'S NOT A PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT, UM, THE STATE WILL HAVE.
UM, I KNOW JAY HAS TRIED TO TALK TO THE STATE MM-HMM
TO SEE IF, UM, WE CAN HAVE, UM, THE, THE, THE, UM, FIBER LINES MM-HMM
THAT YOU ALL HAVE COMING TO OUR DEPARTMENT.
ALL OF OUR, ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING OUR INTERNET, IS PROVIDED BY THE STATE.
SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECTLY, THIS IS MORE STATE STATUTE, SO MR. ROGERS AND MR. JONES, UH,
AND I THINK THIS WOULD BE GREAT TO INCLUDE IN OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA GOING FORWARD FOR, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION.
UM, BEING THAT THIS CAN END UP HELPING, YOU KNOW, ALL COMMUNITIES THAT IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF TRAINING CERTIFICATION PROCESS THAT LOCAL EMPLOYEES CAN DO THROUGH THE STATE, BE CREDENTIALED AND THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANNUAL CERTIFICATION THAT THEY CAN END UP HELPING, I THINK, YOU KNOW, HELPING YOU GUYS.
UM, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, THESE COST SAVINGS THAT, THAT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET WITH US AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TRY TO, YOU KNOW, WORK THROUGH.
BUT I THINK A GOOD LONG-TERM SOLUTION THAT WILL HELP IS IF WE CAN GET, YOU KNOW, A STATE POLICY, YOU KNOW, LAW CHANGE OR SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
YOU KNOW WHAT? MY TEAM HAS BEEN BUSY.
IT, IT TAKES, I, I DON'T DOUBT IT, IT, IT, IT TAKES, I DOUBT IT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THERE WERE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES, I HAVE SOME OF MY EMPLOYEES HERE AND I HAVE ONE OF MY BOARD MEMBERS, UM, HERE AS WELL, MY ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER.
UM, BECAUSE IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO US AND WE'RE SO PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND TRYING TO ASSIST THE COMMUNITY.
WE JUST WANNA DO A GOOD JOB AND WE STRUGGLE 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO HELP US GET TO THAT LEVEL WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE THE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT WE'RE TRYING.
UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT GO BACK TO THE DAYS OF ALL THAT THOSE CSA ISSUES.
I KNOW MR. BOB WILL ATTEST TO IT, UH, AS HE WAS WRITING UP THE REPORTS AND HE WAS WITH US AND WALKED US THROUGH, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO GET IT REINSTATED AND, AND, AND WORK THROUGH THOSE ISSUES.
[02:15:01]
I JUST DON'T EVER WANT THE CITY TO EVER GET TO THAT POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO FULLY FUND IT OURSELVES.IT IS, UM, A LOT OF WORK AND, AND WE ARE WORKING HARD TO GET THE PROGRAM BACK WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.
AND IT'S NOT JUST MYSELF THAT DOES THAT.
AND COLLECTIVELY WE DO WORK HARD.
OCS RIGHT NOW IS HAPPY WITH US.
YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CALL FROM SCOTT.
AND SO, UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH, UM, OR EMAIL, LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY, RIGHT? CALL OR EMAIL.
WE ARE WORKING WITH, UM, WE ARE WORKING WITH HI HIS DEPARTMENT MM-HMM
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON ON POINT.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, UH, THEY EXPECT ONE OF THE CITY OF HOPEWELL STAFF TO BE THE CSA COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR.
IF WE STAY ON TRACK, THAT PERSON MAY BE ONE OF THE, THE CSA COORDINATOR OF THE YEAR AT THE CONFERENCE IN OCTOBER.
AND WE'RE WORKING HARD TO BE ON TRACK SO THAT SHE CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT ROLE.
SO WE'RE DOING SOME GREAT THINGS OVER AT DS, BUT WHEN SHE GETS IT, 'CAUSE I KNOW SHE'S GONNA GET IT, I WANT, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT SHE COMES UP HERE AND SHE GETS RECOGNIZED BEFORE THE PUBLIC.
I WILL MAKE SURE THAT, AND AND I ALSO, YOU KNOW, WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE DOLLAR FIGURE IS, THAT IT IS END UP SAVING THE CITY AND PREVENTING HAVING TO FULLY FUND IT.
UM, BECAUSE THAT, AND, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE OXYGEN PLANT CRUSHING US, I MEAN, THE CITY, YOU KNOW, WAS DAG ON CLOSE TO INSOLVENCY.
UM, SCOTT AND I HAVE HAD AN EX EXTENSIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
BUT LIKE I SAID, NO PHONE CALLS, NO EMAILS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, THANK YOU ALL.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I WILL TRY TO KEEP THIS AS SHORT AND SWEET AS POSSIBLE.
UM, SO JUST A LITTLE INTRODUCTION, UM, KIND OF ABOUT WHAT WE DO, UH, AND HOW OUR OFFICE IS BROKEN DOWN.
THAT'LL LEAD INTO WHERE WE'RE AT LATER.
UM, MYSELF, UH, CHIEF DEPUTY, DEPUTY TWO, A DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTOR, FULL-TIME, A DEPUTY ONE, UH, AND THEN A GENERAL CLERK, AND THEN TWO PART-TIME GENERAL CLERKS.
SO SEVEN ALTOGETHER, SIX ON A DAILY.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE COLLECT FOR.
UH, WE WORK WITH THE COMMISSIONER REVENUE VERY HEAVILY, UM, AS WELL AS THE REAL ESTATE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.
UH, AND WE COLLECT STORMWATER FEES FOR PUBLIC WORKS AS WELL AS UTILITY PAYMENTS FOR, UH, HWR.
UM, ALL IN CON YOU KNOW, IN ACCORDANCE WITH 58.1 DASH 31 27.
AND THIS IS JUST KIND OF A BREAKDOWN ON HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING IT.
UH, THE DAILY COLLECTIONS AT THE WINDOW, UH, PAYMENTS SENT IN, PAYMENTS PAID ONLINE.
UM, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE PROCESSED ON A DAILY WITH A DAILY CLOSE REPORT.
UM, ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH 58.1 DASH 31 54.
ALRIGHT, SO NOW INTO THE BUDGET.
THE BUDGET WAS AT 103 FOR PART-TIME WAGES.
UH, WE WANT TO DROP THAT $26,000, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE THOSE TWO PART-TIME EMPLOYEES WHO ARE SALARY CAPPED.
UM, SO THAT LEAVES US ROOM FOR ONE MORE PART-TIME POSITION FOR A PART-TIME, UH, DELINQUENT TAX COLLECTOR.
SO THAT WOULD BE A CHANGE OF MINUS 25.28%.
AND THAT IS GOING TO GET MOVED.
WE WANNA MOVE IT TO OUR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
SO THIS IS ALL OF OUR COLLECTIONS METHODS.
UM, WE ARE ABOUT 87% AS OF RIGHT THIS SECOND ON THE BUDGET.
SO WITH MOVING FORWARD, LIKE I ADDRESSED EARLIER, UH, I'D LIKE TO IMPROVE COLLECTIONS.
THEREFORE, EVERY DMV STOP THAT WE HAVE OFF EVERY AUCTION THAT GOES TO SALE, EVERY, YOU KNOW, ABANDONED PROPERTY THAT GOES TO OUR COLLECTIONS ATTORNEYS, UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY THAT GOES TO COLLECTIONS ATTORNEYS, UM, ALL OF THAT STARTS TO ADD UP.
SO IF THOSE DMV STOPS AND THINGS START TO INCREASE, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GOING TO NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE.
'CAUSE, UH, JUST FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE EVERY DMV STOP WE TAKE OFF, THAT'S $30 TO OUR BUDGET.
UM, IT COMES BACK INTO THE CITY, BUT IT GETS TAKEN OUT OF OUR BUDGET.
SO IT'S, IT'S KIND OF RECYCLES ITSELF, BUT IT DOES REMOVE FROM OUR BUDGET COMES BACK TO THE CITY.
SO, UH, FOR TRAINING, UH, ALL OF MY STAFF IS FAIRLY FRESH.
[02:20:01]
TWO THAT ARE UP FOR CERTIFICATION.THEY'VE BEEN THERE OVER TWO YEARS.
UM, THE REST OF 'EM ARE UNDER THAT CERTIFICATION.
UM, SO I'M TRYING TO GET THEM TRAINED UP, READY TO ROCK, READY TO ROLL, UH, AND HAVE THE, EVENTUALLY HAVE THE ENTIRE OFFICE CERTIFIED WITH THE TAV, THE TREASURER'S ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIA.
SO REQUESTING A THOUSAND DOLLARS INCREASE FOR TRAINING.
UM, MOST OF IT'S FAIRLY LOCAL, UM, SO THAT'S WHY IT'S ONLY THE THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND THEN, OH, WENT TOO FAR WITH THAT LODGING INCLUDED AS WELL, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THE SAME EXACT REASON.
UM, SO THIS ONE LOOKS A LITTLE SCARY, I KNOW, BUT, UH, WITH THE STORMWATER BILLS NOW BEING SENT ON REAL ESTATE TAXES, UM, ALL THE EXEMPT PROPERTIES THAT WE DID NOT USE TO SEND DELINQUENT LETTERS TO WILL NOW BE GETTING REAL ESTATE BILLS, NOT BILLS, BUT THE STORMWATER FEE THAT'S ATTACHED TO THE BILL.
UM, SO THAT IS A PRETTY HEFTY INCREASE.
I THINK IT WAS 427 ACCOUNTS, UH, THAT ARE EXEMPT THAT WILL START GETTING THOSE STORMWATER FEES.
UM, AS WELL AS TRYING TO SEND OUT MORE NOTICES LIKE I ADDRESSED EARLIER.
UH, JUST TO TRY TO KEEP PEOPLE ON TOP OF TAXES SO THEY DON'T FALL BEHIND.
UM, AND WE GET TO THE COLLECTIONS PART.
ANY QUESTIONS? UM, THIS WON'T BE A QUESTION PER SE FOR YOU, BUT, BUT IT'S UNDER YOUR, YOUR JURISDICTION.
THIS IS PROBABLY MORE FOR MR. OH, SHE LEFT ALREADY.
I'LL GET UP WITH YOU MR. ROGERS.
UM, I GOT A QUESTION FOR MR. SANDERSON ON THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOL.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
AGAIN, THIS IS HARD TO FOLLOW.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA START WITH THE FIRST SLIDE.
NO, WELL I HAD A COUPLE TO JUST TO TELL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE COMMISSIONER.
JUST A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE COMMISSIONER AND THE REVENUE.
SO YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE THAT, UM, ABOUT OUR COMMISSIONER AS THE ELECTED, UM, OFFICIAL IN WHAT SHE DOES AND WHAT SHE'S RESPONSIBLE AND HER STAFF IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
TALKS ABOUT WHAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TO LET EVERYONE, OF COURSE EVERYONE KNOWS, BUT I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO HAVE THAT WITH THEM.
I JUST WANTED TO GET, YOU CAN SKIP THIS SLIDE.
I JUST WANTED TO GET INTO THE THREE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE.
THE FIRST WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE CAPITAL PROJECT OF OUR OFFICE SAFETY.
UM, AND IT'S, I HAVE SOME REASONS THERE ON, AND THE BIGGEST THING IS THE SAFE COURT AND PROTECTIONS OF THE TAXPAYER'S INFORMATION.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW IN OUR OFFICE.
WE CAN MAYBE HAVE THREE TAXPAYERS IN OUR LITTLE AREA AT A TIME.
AND WE ALSO ASSIST DMV AS WELL, UM, THE SELECT OFFICE.
AND I DID MENTION SOME SAFEGUARDING SITUATIONS IN THE CODE OF VIRGINIA IN THEIR FOR YOUR REVIEW TO SEE WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT.
UM, AND IF THIS IS OUR PRIORITY ONE, UM, SECOND GO NEXT.
AND THEN PERSONNEL WITH US STARTING WITH THE CIGARETTE TAX.
THERE'S A LOT OF SAFETY REGARDS WITH THE CIGARETTE TAX.
AND WE HAVE THE STAMPS THAT WE STORE IN OUR OFFICE AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT PROTECTS US.
WE HAVE A SAVED, WE'VE HAD TO PURCHASE THAT, BUT IT'S WITH OUR DMV ITEMS. SO THERE'S NOTHING TO REALLY PROTECT THE CITY'S CIGARETTES STAMPS RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I ALSO LISTED ON THERE WHAT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ABOUT.
THAT'S, IT'S JUST VERY IMPORTANT, THE SAFEGUARD AND THEN IT FALL FALLS INTO THE PERSONNEL BECAUSE, UM, THAT'S THAT TAX BECOMING HERE.
IT, WE NEED A TAX AUDITOR, AND I HATE TO MENTION THIS, BUT AN INCRE, ANOTHER POSITION IN THE OFFICE WOULD HELP US WITH, UM, AUDITING AND MAINTAINING THE STAMPS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LOCAL, UM, THE LOCAL BUSINESSES.
'CAUSE WE HAVE TO GO OUT THERE AND CONFISCATE THEM NOW WITH THE CODE THAT'S WRITTEN UP.
AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING THAT WE ANTICIPATED.
AND I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT THAT'S PART OF THE PERSONNEL.
AND THEN IF YOU COULD GO TO THE THIRD, SO THE GENERAL OVERALL MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT THE CHAIRS THAT, THAT WAS MENTIONED, THAT'S A HOLE THAT WE'RE NEEDING.
IT'S JUST THE BROKEN CHAIRS IN THE OFFICE.
AND ALSO IT'S A COUPLE OTHER THINGS LIKE OUR EDUCATION AND OUR TRAINING AS A WHOLE.
THAT $4,000, JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW.
'CAUSE LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, OUR FOOD,
[02:25:01]
I HATE TO MENTION THIS, BUT THE MEALS AND THE TRAINING THAT WE DO WITH THE INCREASE OF IT AND OUR, OUR BUDGET'S VERY LOW WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO TRANSFER MONEY TO MAINTAIN THOSE BUDGETS.JUST TO TOUCH ON THAT, NOW, YOU NEED THESE CERTIFICATIONS AS WELL TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THINGS LIKE THE DMV SELECT.
AND SOME OF THESE OTHER SERVICES THAT YOU PROVIDE THE CITIZENS.
AND OUR, UM, OUR CERTIFICATES AND OUR THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN FOR TRAINED EXPERIENCE IN THE HOUSE.
FOR OUR STAFF THAT WE HAVE TO OUR CERTIFICATIONS.
WE HAVE THOSE AS THREE OF US, MYSELF, DEBBIE, AND LISA, THAT WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT AS WELL.
AND FEES HAVE GONE UP AS WELL ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.
TOTAL DOLLARS, JUST TO LET Y'ALL KNOW.
AND, UH, YOU CAN GO INTO THE NEXT, THE CONCLUSION, I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW WHAT THESE POSSIBLY COULD HELP US AS FAR AS EFFICIENT AND ACCURATE TAX ADMINISTRATION, EMPLOYEE RETENTION, AND ALSO TO MAKE OUR OFFICE SECURE IS OUR BIGGEST PRIORITY WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN THERE.
COUNSEL HARRIS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I I JUST GOT ONE QUESTION.
HOW, HOW SECURE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW? UM, SO IN OUR OFFICE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY WINDOWS FOR THE CITIZENS TO TALK TO US LIKE THE OTHER OFFICES DO ON OUR FLOOR.
WE'RE, AND WE'RE THE ONLY OFFICE OPEN TO PUBLIC.
SO WE HAVE THINGS IN OUR OFFICE.
UM, SO SECURITY NUMBERS, THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DISCUSS WITH TAXPAYERS THAT IT'S HARD TO, BECAUSE THERE'S NO PRIVACY FOR US.
IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN IN OUR OFFICE THAT THERE'S FOUR STAFF UP THERE THAT'S WAITING ON CUSTOMERS AND THEN THE LITTLE WAITING AREA.
THERE'S NOWHERE FOR US TO TAKE THIS, UM, TAXPAYERS UNLESS WE GO INTO DEBBIE'S OFFICE AND TALK TO THEM.
'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY SAFE AREA.
WE NEED SERVICE WINDOWS AND WE NEED A PLACE FOR TAXPAYERS TO COME.
IF I GET THREE PEOPLE IN MY OFFICE, THERE'S NOWHERE FOR ANYBODY TO GO.
THEY HAVE TO STAND IN THE HALLWAY.
THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE OF THE MURAL.
I'VE BEEN ASKING FOR PROBABLY SINCE 2005 TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE.
I WAS PROMISED THE OFFICE BESIDE ME, SO THEY COULD DO SOME WINDOWS THERE.
BUT WE REALLY NEED SECURITY WINDOWS.
SO WE HAVE ALL THAT MONEY IN THERE.
WE HAVE ALL THOSE STAMPS IN THERE.
WE'RE NOT REALLY SET UP TO DO ALL THAT.
THAT IS NORMALLY DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TREASURER.
SO ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO, I'M JUST, THE REASON WHY I WAS ASKING BECAUSE JUDGE NEED THAT NOW.
WHO YOU BEEN BEGGING
AND THAT WOULD BE OVER THE COURSE OF SEVEN YEARS.
THIS IS NUMBER EIGHT WITH YOUR THIRD CITY MANAGER NORMALLY.
WELL, WE TOOK OVER THE DMV MONIES BECAUSE OUR TREASURER AT THE TIME, THE CURRENT ONE DIDN'T WANT TO, WOULD NOT DO HER PART.
SO I STEPPED IN AND SAID, OKAY, WE'LL DO IT ALL.
WELL THAT TOOK A, A LOT OF ROOM OUTTA MY OFFICE.
'CAUSE WE HAD TO HAVE A SAFE, WE HAD TO HAVE SEPARATION OF DOORS, EVERYTHING THAT COULD LOCK.
SO I MEAN, WE JUST, WE RUN OUT OF ROOM, BUT I'VE GOTTA HAVE SOMEWHERE FOR MY TAXPAYERS.
SO WHAT WE DID, UM, WE BUILT FINANCE COMMITTEE PRESENTATION I DID EARLIER.
WE ALLOCATED SOME COST SAVINGS.
WHERE, WHERE ARE THE DOLLARS? OKAY.
SO I, SO I, I SEE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT YOUR, YOUR CHART HERE WITH THE DOLLAR FIGURES.
UM, DO ANY OF THESE RESULT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE AU THE TAX LICENSE AUDITOR POSITION AND WHATNOT.
DO YOU FORESEE ANY, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, SAVINGS, UM, FROM THAT POSITION SAVINGS OR THE WHY WE'RE REQUESTED IS BECAUSE THE CIGARETTE TAX IS DOING SO WELL.
AND WE, THAT'S WHY, SO IT WOULD, THERE'S NO SAVINGS, UNFORTUNATELY.
IT WOULD BE A POSITION THAT WOULD, WE'RE REQUIRED TO GO OUT AND COUNT THESE AND START TAXING CON TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE CONFISCATED IF THEY'RE NOT A, A STAMP ON 'EM MM-HMM
AND WE HAVE TO COUNT 'EM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
I'M JUST GONNA BE HONEST WITH YOU.
WE ARE, WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION.
SO IT, IT'S, WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'S, IT'S MEETING A STATE REQUIREMENT.
AND WE ALSO, THIS AUDITOR WOULD NOT JUST DO CLET
[02:30:01]
TAX.WE'VE NEVER HAD A TAX AUDITOR SINCE BEFORE MS. ROBINS LEFT.
SO AT LEAST SINCE 2004 MM-HMM
AND I MEAN, WE REALLY NEED ONE AND WE'VE ALL BEEN TRYING TO PICK UP, BUT LIKE I SAID, WITH THE EXTRA DUTIES WE'VE TAKEN ON MM-HMM
IT'S GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S HARD FOR US TO GET OUT IN THE CAR AND EVEN GO TO THE BUSINESSES ANYMORE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
IT WOULDN'T JUST BE FOR THE CIGARETTE PACK.
WELL, YEAH, I, I GUESS YOU KNOW, WHAT I WAS THINKING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALSO FOR, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH PEOPLE OPERATING WITHOUT A BUSINESS LICENSE.
UM, AND I WOULD ASSUME THAT THAT POSITION WOULD INCORPORATE THOSE DUTIES, UH, AS WELL.
WE DO HAVE A LICENSE INSPECTOR.
AND THEY WOULD WORK HAND IN HAND WITH THEM AND THE FURNITURE AND FIXTURES, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE OUT THERE GOING TO THE STORES LIKE WE USED TO EVERY YEAR.
AND WE DON'T HAVE THE MANPOWER TO DO IT WITH DMV IN THE STANCE NOW.
AND HONESTLY, THE SAFETY OF IT, WE HAVE TO TAKE TWO STAFF OUT OF OUR OFFICE TO GO DO THESE AUDITS ON THE ROAD RIGHT NOW.
MYSELF AND USUALLY THE BUSINESS LICENSE INSPECTOR DEBBIE AND THE BUSINESS LICENSE INSPECTOR.
UH, REMEMBER THAT, UM, THERE'S A SOLUTION.
AND THAT, THAT'S WHERE I WAS, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY NEXT POINT, RIGHT.
THEY FINISH THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE AN OFFLINE CONVERSATION MM-HMM
I THINK A SOLUTION THAT YOU GUYS WILL LIKE.
ALRIGHT, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, MAYOR, VICE MEMBER, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES.
SO IF YOU COULD PUT THE THREE MINUTE TIMER UP THERE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, SO OPERATIONALLY, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY INCREASE, UH, THIS YEAR.
YOU WERE ABLE LAST YEAR TO PUT OUR BUDGET TO FUND, UH, MR. KYLE ENGLISH, THE BUSINESS RETENTION EXPANSION SPECIALIST.
IF HE KEEPS DOING WHAT HE'S DOING, I'M GONNA RETIRE EARLY.
SO, UM, I'M SUPER EXCITED FOR HIS EFFECTIVENESS HERE IN THE CITY.
UM, WHAT I DO WANT TO COVER WITH YOU TONIGHT IS, UM, TWO 10 YEAR, UH, PLANS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WE HAVE TO DO IS, IS THINK STRATEGICALLY.
WHAT IS THE CITY'S PLACE? WHAT IS THE CITY'S POSITION? WHAT IS THE CITY'S WAY THAT WE HAVE THE MOST VALUE? AND WHERE DO WE ADD VALUE INTO THE PROCESS? AND SO, UH, THIS IS THE SAME, UH, PLAN THAT YOU SAW LAST YEAR.
UM, SOME ITEMS HAVE BEEN UPDATED.
UH, SOME ITEMS HAVE BEEN, UM, UH, FUNDED.
FOR INSTANCE, UH, LAST YEAR I PRESENTED YOU THE PLAN TO COMPLETE THE RIVER WALK TO, UH, TO THE MARINA.
AND THAT'S BEEN FUNDED WITH THE, UH, WITH THE GEO BOND THAT Y'ALL RAISED EARLIER.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE AS BEING FUNDED.
SO, UM, ALL OF THESE ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE, BOTH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN THAT YOU GUYS AS A BODY AND THE EDA, UM, AGREED LAST, UH, LAST YEAR, UM, JOINTLY ON.
SO, UH, OVER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE ALIGNMENT WITH THE, UM, WITH THE FOCUS AREAS.
AND REALLY, UM, I'M READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THEM ALL.
UH, I LOVE WHAT, WHAT MATT SAID EARLIER WHEN HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE FACT YOU COULD GIVE HIM $10 MILLION AND HE COULDN'T SPEND IT ALL IN ONE YEAR.
IF YOU GIVE ME $10 MILLION, I WILL SPEND IT ALL IN ONE YEAR.
STACY'S GONNA PUMP THE BRAKES DOWN.
STACY'S GONNA, SO, BUT, BUT ANYWAY, UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, IS JUST SAY THAT, UM, THE ONES THAT I REALLY WANT TO, UM, FOCUS ON ARE THOSE STRATEGIC ONES THAT HELP POSITION US FOR THE BEST GROWTH IN THE FUTURE.
AND THERE'S ONE THAT I KNOW IS DEAR TO ROBERT BOB'S HEART, AND THAT IS TO GET THIS, UH, RIVERFRONT COMPREHENSIVE OVERLAY PLAN DONE.
IT'S, IT'S A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND, UH, I'M IN FULL ALIGNMENT WITH THAT.
YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE BUDGET.
UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT OUR, OUR WATERFRONT INVESTMENTS.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU GUYS HAVE FUNDED THE CONNECTION TO THE MARINA, UH, FROM THE RIVER WALK, AND THEN ALSO THE, UH, THE A DA ACCESSIBLE, UH, TRAILHEAD THERE.
UH, THE BIDS COME IN FOR THAT ON APRIL THE FOURTH.
UH, WE'LL BE OPENING THE BIDS FOR THOSE.
UH, I'VE BEEN, UM, HEARING A LOT OF GOOD THINGS FROM PEOPLE INTERESTED IN BIDDING.
IT'S, IT'S GETTING A LOT OF GREAT COVERAGE, UH, IN THE SUBCONTRACTOR MARKET.
UM, BUT I'M, I'M ALSO, UH, REALLY EXCITED, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO GET THE, UH, UH, THE MARINA
[02:35:01]
STORE RENOVATION DONE THIS YEAR WITH THE EXTERIOR PATIO DECK.UM, AND, UH, AND RESTAURANT CONVERSION.
UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT DRAWINGS COMPLETED, UH, AND READY, UH, TO APPLY FOR PERMITS.
UH, WE'VE RECEIVED PRELIMINARY NUMBERS AND SO THAT'S READY TO GO.
IT'S THE FIRST ITEM THERE AT THE VERY TOP.
OH, I SEE IT RIGHT AT THE TOP.
SO, UH, I'M HERE TO SPEND YOUR MONEY WISELY.
NO, BUT, UH, BUT AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS, UH, PRIORITIZING THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU GUYS WANT, I'M HERE TO, HERE TO HELP EXECUTE, SO, OKAY.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, HAVE YOU, ARE THESE PRIORITIZED IN ANY WAY? HAVE YOU PRIORITIZED THEM? JUST THE 500,000 AT THE TOP.
BUT YEAH, THEY'RE NOT OTHERWISE.
THE, THE TWO, THE, THE, THE BIG ONES I'M, I, I TOUCHED ON EARLIER, WHICH WAS THAT O THAT RIVERVIEW OVERLAY PLAN.
AND THEN, UH, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO GET THE MARINA STORE DONE.
ALRIGHT, MS. JORDAN, BRING IT HOME.
AS MR. ROGERS SAID EARLIER, WE'RE, THIS IS OUR PRELIMINARY PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.
WE DID NOTICE SOME NUMBERS CHANGE AS FAR AS REVENUES CONCERNED GIVEN THE COMMISSION OF THE REVENUES REPORT FROM EARLIER TODAY.
SO WE WILL BE GOING BACK INCREASING THE REVENUE ASIDE SOME AS WELL AS GOING BACK AND WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS TO SEE WHAT OTHER ITEMS WE CAN IMPLEMENT FROM THE ADDITIONAL ORIGINAL REQUEST THAT WE RECEIVED.
SO OUR PRIMARY CITY PROGRAMS AND FUNDS, GENERAL GOVERNMENT ENTERPRISES, HEALTH AND WELFARE SCHOOLS AND DEBT, WE JUST SKIP THAT ONE.
OUR PROPOSED BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27 MAINTAIN OPERATIONS AT CURRENT LEVELS.
FUND NEEDED CAPITAL WILL REMAINING FUNDS IF AVAILABLE, BUILD RESERVES IF REVENUE LEFT AFTER FUNDING CAPITAL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RE REMAINDER OF THE CLASS AND COMM STUDY.
PUBLIC SAFETY AND PARKS AND REC WAS COMPLETED LAST FISCAL YEAR.
ALL OTHER DEPARTMENTS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASE.
WE DID PUT A PLACE OVER PLACEHOLDER IN FOR OPTION B, WHICH COUNCIL ADOPTED TONIGHT, WHICH WOULD BE AN INCREASE OF 6% OR $293,000 INSTEAD OF THE 15%, $896,000 A COLA, 2% ACROSS THE BOARD, POLICE AND FIRE STEP INCREASES AS WELL AS 2% ACROSS THE BOARD FOR THE STATE, UH, SOCIAL SERVICES AS WELL AS ALL CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS A BREAKDOWN ON REVENUE TYPE.
WE DID HAVE, UM, MORE REALISTIC CIG CIGARETTE TAX ESTIMATES FOR OTHER TAXES.
SO IT WAS A REDUCTION OF 324,000.
WE DID HAVE A REDUCTION OF PUBLIC CORP AT FIRST, HOWEVER, WE DID NOTICE THAT IT WENT FROM 4.5, I THINK IT WAS 5.5 TONIGHT.
SO WE NEED TO INCREASE THAT ONE AS WELL.
PERSONAL PROPERTY GRANT FUNDS IS, WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE FEDERAL PIECE AND THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND TRANSFERS STEMS FROM THE SOCIAL SERVICES ALIGNMENT WITH THEIR STATE BUDGET.
AND, UH, ALSO FINES AND FORFEITURES INCREASE COMES FROM SCHOOL ZONE FINES AND COLLECTING A LOT OF MONEY IN THE SCHOOL ZONE.
THIS PIE CHART IS JUST A BREAKDOWN OF HOW OUR REVENUES COME THROUGH AND THE PERCENTAGE OF THE ACCOUNTS TO OUR BUDGET.
THE NEXT SLIDE, PAGE SEVEN, IS A BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES BY DEPARTMENT AND CITY COUNCIL.
THERE WAS NO, UM, INCREASE, BUT IT WAS A SLIGHT DECREASE DUE TO LOSS OF HEALTH INSURANCE FOR A PREVIOUS COUNSELOR CITY CLERK.
THE ONLY INCREASE WAS ABOUT THE $2,000.
UM, FOR ADVERTISEMENT, ALL OF THIS IS ALREADY BUILT INTO THE 2% COLA AS WELL.
CITY ATTORNEY, 2% INCREASE, UM, FOR SALARIES.
CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET HAD A OVERALL DECREASE, BUT THE CITY DEPUTY CITY MANAGER'S POSITION WAS MOVED FROM FINANCE TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
HUMAN RESOURCES SLIGHT INCREASE, 2% FINANCE, AGAIN, DCM POSITION MOVED FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND ONE LESS ACCOUNTING POSITION.
WE LOST SOME, UM, AN EMPLOYEE DIS NOT BY DEATH, BUT WE HAD AN EMPLOYEE LEAVE THE CITY.
BUT AS WE RESTRUCTURED THE DEPARTMENT, IT WAS, IT WAS NOTED THAT IT WAS NO LONGER NEEDED.
SO INSTEAD OF US HAVING THREE ACCOUNTING POSITIONS, WE HAVE A SENIOR ACCOUNTANT AND A STAFF ACCOUNTANT AS WELL AS AN ACCOUNTING MANAGER POSITION THAT ALL FOCUS ON OUR GENERAL LEGISL.
SO WE HAVE SUFFICIENT ACCOUNTING POSITIONS.
SO WE'RE GIVING MONEY BACK TO THE CITY.
[02:40:01]
UM, VOTER REGISTRATION, THEIR INCREASE, A LOT OF IT STEMS FROM ADDITIONAL ELECTIONS THIS YEAR.NEXT YEAR COMMISSION OF THE REVENUE IS A 2% INCREASE SO FAR.
TREASURER INCREASE IS A 20,000 FOR POSTAGE, FOR DELINQUENCY NOTICES, AS WELL AS THE 37,000 DMV STOPS.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY WAS A SERVICE CONTRACT INCREASES CIRCUIT COURT CLERK IS STATE FUNDED POSITIONS ADDED IN 26.
WE, WE CAME BEFORE COUNSEL AND DID A COUPLE OF, UM, RESOLUTIONS TO ADD ADDITIONAL POSITIONS FOR THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY AS WELL AS THE CIRCUIT COURT THAT WAS PAID BY THE STATE SHERIFF'S.
INCREASE IS THE 2% CIRCUIT COURT LAW IN TURN 2% AS WELL.
SLIGHT DI DECREASE IN GENERAL DISTRICT COURT POLICE INCREASE IS THE STEP INCREASE.
AS WELL AS, UM, BRINGING BACK SOME UNFUNDED POSITIONS FROM LAST YEAR.
THREE UNFUNDED POSITIONS, FIRE INCREASES DUE TO THE STEP INCREASE.
PUBLIC WORKS IS 2% AS WELL AS SOME CLASS AND COMP IMPLEMENTATION THAT WE DID NOT DO LAST FISCAL YEAR FOR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, PLANNING DEVELOPMENT IS THE POSITION TRANSFERRED FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IN 26 FOR THAT WAS FOR A PERMIT TECH.
NOW WE'RE CONVERTING THAT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER.
SO CHRIS WILL RECEIVE HIS NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNER POSITION.
NON-DEPARTMENTAL, THERE WAS A SLIGHT DECREASE.
OUTSIDE AGENCIES A SLIGHT INCREASE AS WELL AS TRANSFERS WAS A, A DECREASE.
IT WAS OVERALL OUR DEBT SERVICES DOWN FOR NEXT YEAR.
AS WELL AS, UM, THESE SOCIAL SERVICES TRANSFERS ARE DOWN DUE TO THE, UM, CSA FALLING UNDER SOCIAL SERVICES BUDGET.
THE QUESTION WAS BROUGHT UP EARLIER.
HOW MUCH IS THE SAVINGS FOR MOVING IT? IT'S ABOUT FOR ABOUT $140,000.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS JUST A BREAKDOWN BY DEPARTMENT FOR EXPENSES.
PAGE NINE IS OUR TRANSFERS GRANT MATCH CITY SHARES.
SO OUR CITY SHARE FOR DSS IS 1.2.
TRANSFER TO SCHOOLS IS 13.5 CSAC, AND PMT IS 962,000.
RECREATION 2.5 MILLION CAPITAL PROJECTS SO FAR IS 2 45.
AGAIN, WE'RE GOING BACK TO REEVALUATE THE REVENUES BASED OFF OF THE, THE REPORT.
THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE PRESENTED TONIGHT TO ADD ADDITIONAL CAPITAL FUNDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
DEBT SERVICE 2 92 AND HEALTHY FAMILIES IS 356,000.
SLIDE 10 IS THE AMOUNT GIVEN TO OUR, UM, OUTSIDE AGENCIES.
SEES THERE WAS A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE LIBRARY REQUEST THAT WE RECEIVED THIS FOR THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR.
AND THE ADDITIONAL MONIES TO THE BEACON THEATER CAME FROM $30,000 A DAY WAS ALLOCATED IN PUBLIC WORKS FOR MAINTENANCE.
HOWEVER, THE BEACON HAS BEEN DOING THEIR OWN MAINTENANCE.
SO WE JUST TRANSFER THE MONEY FROM PUBLIC WORKS TO THE BEACON THEATER.
GENERAL FUND, THIS IS JUST A BREAKDOWN YEAR OVER YEAR PER DEPARTMENT.
THE FIRST ONE IS OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
POLICE INCLUDES ADMIN, COMMAND, PATROL, DETECTIVES, PROPERTY RECORDS, COMMUNICATIONS, AND ANIMAL CONTROL.
INCLUDES FIRE, EMS PUBLIC WORKS, WHICH, WHICH INCLUDES GROUNDS AND BUILDING AND, UM, BUILDING GROUNDS.
WHAT ELSE? WE HAVE ASPHALT, UH, CONCRETE PUBLIC SERVICE.
THE NEXT IS PLANNING, UM, DEVELOPMENT.
WE, UH, CITY MANAGER INCLUDES ASSISTANT, UH, CITY MANAGER, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS COMMUNICATIONAL GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS.
OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, WHICH INCLUDES ACCOUNTING, BUDGET, PROCUREMENT, AS WELL AS THE CITY ASSESSOR.
AND WE MOVE ON TO OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
RW EXPENSE BREAKDOWN COMMISSION APPROVED THEIR BUDGET ON MARCH 17TH.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR STORM WATER.
OUR NEXT SELECTION IS HEALTH AND WELFARE.
OUR SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, OUR CSA HEALTHY FAMILIES.
THIS TIME WE ADDED ADDITIONAL, UM, SLIDES FOR OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS.
THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN OUR PRESENTATION LAST YEAR.
[02:45:01]
FIRST ONE IS COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE IS THE AMOUNT REIMBURSED BY THE COMP BOARD FOR THE COMMISSIONER OF THE REVENUE IS 171,585.COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE ALSO HAS TWO ADDITIONAL POSITIONS FULLY FUNDED BY THE CITY.
OUR TREASURER REIMBURSED BY THE COMP BOARD IS 150,995.
TREASURER OFFICE HAS A TOTAL OF NINE POSITIONS.
SIX FULL-TIME, THREE PART-TIME ONLY FIVE ARE ARE COMP BOARD POSITIONS AND PARTLY REIMBURSABLE.
OUR COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY REIMBURSED BY THE COMP BOARD IS 632,000 9 0 8.
COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY HAS ADDITIONAL POSITION FULLY FUNDED BY THE CITY.
OUR SHERIFF REIMBURSED BY THE COMP BOARD 440,114.
OUR SHERIFF OFFICE HAS A TOTAL OF 30 POSITIONS, 16 FULL-TIME, 14 PART PART-TIME ONLY SEVEN OUR COMP BOARD POSITIONS AND PARTLY REIMBURSABLE.
THE REMAINDER OF THE FUNDS COME FROM THIS CITY.
AND OUR LAST CONSTITUTIONAL IS OUR CLERK OF COURTS REIMBURSED, REIMBURSED BY THE COMM BOARD 391,417.
AND WE GO INTO OUR DEBT SERVICES, WHICH WE HAVE, UH, A HUGE DECLINE IN 27, WHICH ALSO WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE NEW $15 MILLION BONDS THAT WE HAVE.
WHAT JIMMY REFERENCED EARLIER, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GONNA TAKE OUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THE HAVAC, THOSE PAYMENTS WILL NOT BE DUE.
THE FIRST INTEREST PAYMENT WON'T BE DUE UNTIL JANUARY 15TH, 2027.
AND THEN THE PRINCIPAL WILL NOT BE DUE UNTIL JANUARY 15TH, 2028.
SO SCHOOLS WERE DOING A LEVEL FUNDING AGAIN FOR THEM, 13.5.
THEN WE GO INTO OUR CAPITAL DETAIL.
IF YOU GO TO PAGE 44, YOU'LL SEE OUR OVERVIEW OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS REQUESTED AND BY DEPARTMENT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THE FIRST COLUMN IS 26 AND PRIOR YEARS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO ROLL OVER.
AND THEN FOR 27 ACTUAL REQUESTS AGAIN THERE.
SO FAR WE HAVE REQUESTS OF $7.7 MILLION FOR CIP.
YOU ALREADY SAW EARLIER THAT WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 245 ALLOCATED TOWARDS IT.
HOWEVER, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS THAT SAY ENGINEERING, THEY'RE MATCHED WITH VDOT.
SO IT'S REALLY NOT MONEY, EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS 7.7, NO REALLY NOT MONEY THAT'S REQUIRED FOR THE CITY TO PAY UP FRONT.
BUT WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS TO SIT DOWN AND REALLY TALK ABOUT THE CIP AND WHAT OTHER IN INCENTIVES THAT THEY WOULD LIKE FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE PRESENTED PREVIOUSLY TO BE INSTILLED INTO THE BUDGET.
ANY QUESTIONS THAT
THAT WAS FASTER THAN THE NEW YORK MINUTE.
RIGHT?
WE HAVE WORKSHOPS FOR COUNCIL.
WE'RE GETTING BACK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS AND WE ALSO HAVE WORKSHOPS FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IN APRIL, WE'RE DOING TWO TOWN, UH, CITIZEN TOWN HALLS FOR THE BUDGET.
BECAUSE WE COULD HEAR TONIGHT FROM WHAT WAS SAID, PEOPLE REALLY DON'T UNDERSTAND RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, THE TOOL TAXI IS AND WHY WE WOULD GIVE MONEY BACK TO RIGHT.
SO, SO I, I THINK THAT, THAT THE WORKSHOP WE SHOULD WALK THROUGH ABSOLUTELY.
SOME OF THOSE ITEMS. ABSOLUTE.
MAY I ASK, YOU SAID CITIZEN TOWN HALLS ABOUT PRIMARILY JUST THE BUDGET? MM-HMM
THAT WE SIT DOWN AND TALK TO THE COMMUNITY.
THEY CAN ASK QUESTIONS AND GO MORE INTO DETAIL WITH THE BUDGET.
AND THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'D ALSO, IT'D BE GOOD, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE SOME STUFF.
'CAUSE I MEAN AMANDA, YOU KNOW, MADE A REALLY GOOD COMMENT THAT SAID, YEAH, IT SAYS, YOU KNOW, FURNITURE, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY ALL ENCOMPASSING OF FURNITURE CERTIFICATION, TRAINING AND SOME OTHER ITEMS THAT THEY NEED AS WELL.
SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THINGS LIKE DMV SERVICE.
SO WE, WE, WE HAD A, A, UM, QUICK BUDGET SESSION IN, UH, EARLIER, I THINK, UH, LA LAST YEAR.
AND UH, SO WE WANNA DO ANOTHER ONE.
AND, AND UH, REALLY, UH, TRY TO GET A BIG TURNOUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE, WE HAD A QUITE A FEW PEOPLE SHOW UP, BUT HOPEFULLY THIS SHOULD BE A LARGER TURNOUT.
I THINK THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE LAST ITEM.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.