[00:00:02]
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING TO
[Call to order and roll call]
ORDER.[CLOSED MEETING]
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO GO INTO CLOSED MEETING UNDER VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A THREE EIGHT AND 29 TO DISCUSS THE ACQUISITION OR DISPOSITION OF REAL PROPERTY, WHERE DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE BARGAINING POSITION OR NEGOTIATING STRATEGY OF THE PUBLIC BODY? THE AWARD OF THE PUBLIC CONTRACT WHERE DISCUSSION AND OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION.AND TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS, REAL ESTATE DISCUSSIONS, EXCUSE ME, REAL ESTATE CONTRACT DISCUSSIONS, 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A SEVEN.
CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL PERTAINING TO ACTUAL OR PROBABLE LITIGATION, NATIONAL OPIOID SETTLEMENT AND 2.2 DASH 3 7 11 A ONE TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNSELOR DAY AND SECONDED BY COUNSELOR OLI.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
ALRIGHT, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO COME OUT? A CLOSED MEETING? SO MOVED.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR WHEAT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
CERTIFICATION UNDER VIRGINIA CODE 2.2 DASH 37 12 D.
WERE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS.
LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND TWO IDENTIFIED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
MOTION DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING.
ALRIGHT, WELL, I WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR VISITORS COMING OUT HERE TONIGHT FOR TONIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
[REPORT OF THE CITY MANAGER]
MOVE INTO THE REPORT WITH THE CITY MANAGER, MR. ROGERS.THAT'S, WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, THE CHIEF HERE.
WE SUPPOSED TO START WITH OUR CRIME REPORT.
UH, THE CHIEF SEEMS TO BE DELAYED INSTEAD.
I MENTIONED LAST WEEK, UH, THE HOORAY FOR HOPEWELL, UH, EVENT THAT'S COMING UP.
I'M GONNA ASK ABOUT KYLE ENGLISH TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION ON, ON, UH, WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT, SO THE CITIZENS ALSO AWARE OF WHAT'S COMING UP WITH THAT.
GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
UH, I COME BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IN PRESENTATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM'S CONCEPT FOR OUR FLAGSHIP EVENT PLANNED FOR SUMMER OF 2026.
UM, IT IS THEMED CENTERED AROUND THE VA TWO 50 CONCEPT.
UM, VA TWO 50 IS THE STATE OF VIRGINIA'S OFFICIAL INITIATIVE TO COMMEMORATE THE 250 DAY ANNIVERSARY OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
VA TWO 50 FEET FOCUSES ON VIRGINIA'S CENTRAL ROLE, UM, IN THE FOUNDING OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND THEY, UH, THE STATE OF VIRGINIA IS ENCOURAGING COMMUNITIES TO HOST EVENTS, UM, TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THEIR MUNICIPALITY TO THE, UM, FORMING OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AND OF COURSE, TO CELEBRATE THIS SUCH OCCASION.
UM, THE EVENT THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 27TH, 2026 IS TERMED THE HOORAY FOR HOPEWELL HISTORY CELEBRATION.
SO, SO WHAT IS THE HOORAY FOR HIS HOPEWELL HISTORY CELEBRATION? IT IS A FAMILY FUN EVENT WITH, WITH HOPEWELL HISTORY THEMED, UM, AND WE WILL HAVE PLENTY OF PLANNED ACTIVITIES.
THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN DOWNTOWN HOPEWELL AS WELL AS APPOMATTOX, UH, MANNER.
AND I'LL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INTO HOW BOTH, UH, SPOTS WILL PLAY INTO THE EVENT.
BUT THE PLANNED ACTIVITIES WILL CENTER AROUND, OF COURSE, FAMILY FUN, SUCH AS THE KID ZONE.
THEY'LL HAVE, WE WILL HAVE THE, UH, KAYAK POOL THAT YOU MAY HAVE SEEN AT, AT RIVERS AND ROADS IN SEPTEMBER OF 25.
[00:05:01]
AND WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF INFLATABLES THAT KIDS CAN ENJOY AS WELL AS GAMES.UM, WE WILL HAVE, UH, HISTORY WALKING TOURS, WHICH I'LL GET INTO SHORTLY.
A TROLLEY TOUR THAT WILL GO THROUGH DOWNTOWN, UM, THROUGH CITY POINT AND UP TO APP APPOMATTOX MANOR.
AND, UM, A LOT OF CIVIC GROUPS WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE AS WELL TO PROMOTE, TO PROMOTE THEIR ORGANIZATIONS, UM, VENDORS THAT WILL NOT REALLY BE COMPETITIVE WITH OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES.
AND, UM, HOPEWELL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SAFETY PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS HHFD AND HPD WILL BE THERE TO, UH, DO TOUCH A TRUCK AND HAND OUT BRANDED, UH, MERCHANDISE TO CITIZENS.
THE, THE MAP FOR THE HOORAY FOR HOPE WALL HISTORY CELEBRATION IS, IS IN FRONT OF YOU.
UH, WE, WE, WE ARE DOING, WE'RE HOPE PLANNING TO HAVE MINIMAL STREET CLOSURES IN HOPES OF U UTILIZING MINIMAL RESOURCES IN TERMS OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
THE PLAN IS TO SHUT DOWN HALF OF COSTON STREET FROM THE BEACON THEATER DOWN TO THE LIBRARY, AND THEN ABOUT HALF OF, UM, LIBRARY STREET AS WELL.
AND, UM, THE, THE STARS THAT YOU SEE ON YOUR YOUR MAP ARE KIND OF THE WALKING TOUR, UM, POINTS OF INTEREST WHERE FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO, UM, EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF HOPEWELL USE UTILIZING THEIR, THEIR PHONE TO SCAN A QR CODE.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL GO OVER THAT IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL SHORTLY.
I ALSO WANNA BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE, THE BOTTOM OF THE MAP WHERE YOU'LL SEE SOME NAMES OF SOME CERTAIN BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN.
THOSE ARE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE, UM, AGREED TO BE OPEN DURING THE EVENT.
AND THAT'S ONE THING WE REALLY WANT TO STRIVE.
THE REASON WE LEFT BROADWAY OPEN FOR THE, FOR THIS EVENT, AGAIN, ONE FOR MINIMAL RESOURCE USAGE AS WELL AS TO PROMOTE, YOU KNOW, OUR EXISTING BUSINESSES THAT, THAT HAVE STOREFRONTS HERE AND THE CITY AND NOT DISRUPT THEIR OPERATIONS.
UH, THE HISTORY SIDEWALK TOUR, UH, AGAIN, YOU, I MENTIONED THE STARS ON THE MAP.
UM, THIS PICTURE TO THE, TO THE RIGHT THAT YOU'LL SEE, UM, ON THE HOORAY FOR HOPEWELL HISTORY PAGE, ESSENTIALLY, VISITORS WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, USE THEIR PHONE TO SCAN THEIR QR CODE ON THESE SANDWICH BOARDS, AND EACH SANDWICH BOARD, AND EACH QR CODE WILL BE A DIFFERENT KIND OF POINT OF INTEREST, IF YOU WILL.
AND THE POINTS OF INTEREST FOR OUR, UH, HISTORY FOCUS WILL BE PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF HOPEWELL THAT MADE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FOUNDING OF NOT ONLY VIRGINIA HOPEWELL, BUT THE UNITED STATES, PLACES WHERE HISTORIC EVENTS TOOK PLACE IN HOPEWELL, AS WELL AS PRODUCTS, PRODUCTS THAT ARE MADE AND WERE PREVIOUSLY MADE IN THE CITY.
AND AGAIN, WITH, WITH THE HOPEWELL HISTORY KIND OF BEING THE FOREFRONT OF THIS EVENT, WE COULDN'T NOT INCORPORATE APPT MANOR.
AND IN DOING SO, WE, UM, ARE COLLABORATING WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE THEY HAVE AGREED TO, TO BE A PART OF THIS EVENT.
SO, AS, AS, UH, FOLKS TAKE THE TROLLEY, AGAIN, I, I DIDN'T MENTION OUR TROLLEY TOURS, BUT A TROLLEY WILL BE RUNNING FROM BROADWAY DOWN THROUGH CITY POINT TO APPOMATTOX MANOR, WHERE FOLKS WILL BE AWARE, FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF, OF THE TROLLEY, EXPLORE APPOMATTOX MANOR GRANT'S, UH, CABIN, UH, HOP BACK ON THE TROLLEY AND GO THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
AND, UM, THE NPS HAS PROCURED THE CHESTERFIELD CONCERT BAND TO PLAY FROM SEVEN TO 8:00 PM UH, AS FOLKS KIND OF HEAD DOWN TOWARDS THE RIVER FOR THE, UH, REC PARKS FIREWORK SHOW FOR THE EVENING.
AND, UM, THAT, THAT IS THE CONCEPT.
UH, CAN I ANSWER ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HOPE GRAVE FOR HOPEWELL TWO 50 CELEBRATION? UH, DON'T SEE ANY LIGHTS.
GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL.
I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE APRIL CRIME SUMMARY REPORT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND STARTING ON, UH, OUR CRIME SUMMARY FOR STATS FOR, UH, VIOLENT CRIME TOTAL.
UH, WE, FORTUNATELY WE'RE DOWN MINUS 32%, UH, FOR AS PROPERTY CRIMES TOTAL.
UH, FORTUNATELY AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE DOWN MINUS 13%.
SO TOTAL MAJOR CRIME AT THIS TIME PERIOD IN, IN APRIL, WE'RE MINUS 18% TOTAL CRIME.
AND THE SLIDE THAT WE COMPARE, 2022, UH, 20 22, 23, 24, 25.
THE PAST FOUR YEARS, WE, I REALLY FOCUS ON, UH, 2022 WHEN WE STARTED INITIATING TECHNOLOGY.
AND COMPARING 2022 TO WHERE WE AT IN 2026, WE HAVE A MINUS 29%
[00:10:01]
DECREASE IN VIOLENT CRIME.AND AS FAR AS PROPERTY CRIME, ONCE AGAIN, IF WE COMPARE 2022 TO 2026 AS FAR AS PROPERTY CRIME, WE ARE DOWN MINUS 30%.
SO TOTAL MAJOR CRIME COMPARED TO 2022 WHEN WE INITIATED TECHNOLOGY UNTIL NOW, WE'RE DOWN MINUS 30% DECREASE IN CRIME.
UH, SUSPECTED OPIOID OVERDOSES.
UH, 2026, UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD ONE FATALITY, UH, THREE NON FAVORABLE AND A TOTAL OF FOUR FOR 2026, THUS FOUR, STILL THE LOWEST IN THE PAST YEARS.
2025 IS 54, THUS FOUR IN 2026.
WE'VE HAD A TOTAL OF SIX CALLS FOR VERIFIED SHOPS FIRED, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETINGS, UH, JUST TWO CHANGES.
WARD SEVEN, IT USED TO BE CALLED, UH, AUTUMN WOODS IS GOING BACK TO BEING CALLED, CALLED LORD O TAYLOR AND WARD SEVEN, UH, IT'S THE, IT'S THE FOURTH WEDNESDAY AT WOODLAWN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, AND THE STAR TIMES IS AT 6:00 PM THIS IS A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUP.
AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, CAPTAIN RIGHT NOW IS COUNSELOR
THEREFORE, IS THERE, THERE IS NO OTHER CHANGES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
WATCH HIRING, RECRUITMENT, UH, APPLICATION AND TESTING WAS APRIL THE 25TH.
WE'LL BE APRIL THE 25TH AT THE ACADEMY.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, THREE EMERGENCY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION OPERATORS.
THERE ARE THREE VACANCIES, AND WE STILL HAVE TWO APPLICANTS IN THE BACKGROUND STAGE.
UH, CURRENTLY, UH, WE HAVE FIVE POLICE POSITIONS THAT ARE UNFILLED.
UH, THREE APPLICANTS REMAIN IN THE BACKGROUND.
AND WE HAVE FOLLOWING RECRUIT EVENTS APRIL THE 17TH AT VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY.
MAY THE SEVENTH WE'LL BE AT THE VALLEY EVENT.
AND, AND JUNE 11TH AND AUGUST THE 11TH, WE WILL BE IN FORT LAKE FOR THE TRANSITION PROGRAM.
OUR COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICER, THE ONLY UPDATE IS, ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE, UH, A NEW WARD SEVEN NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUP.
AND O OFFICER TIFFANY SHERROD IS THE NEW AWARD OFFICER FOR THAT, FOR WARD SEVEN.
AND FOUND PAGE IS, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, THE POLICE MEMORIAL BREAKFAST IS SCHEDULED FOR MAY 7TH.
WE WILL BE AT THE MOOSE LODGE AT 7:00 AM.
UH, WE HAD THE LITTLE FEET MEET.
THAT'S A SPECIAL LIMITS, SPECIAL LIMITS FIELD DAY THAT WAS HELD AT HOPEWELL HIGH SCHOOL ON THE 10TH.
UH, APRIL THE 17TH WILL BE A QUESTION AND ANSWER AT VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENTS.
THE TIME IS FROM 1:00 PM 5:00 PM AND, UH, YEARLY DRUG TAKE BACK WILL BE APRIL 25TH HERE AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
AND THE TIME IS 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM UH, THAT CONCLUDES MY APRIL CRIME SUMMARY REPORT, AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNSEL? OKAY.
SEEING NO LIGHT, UH, CHIEF, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UH, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR, UH, MEN AND WOMEN HAVE DONE, UM, YOU'VE CONTINUED TO SHOW GREAT REDUCTION, UM, AND THE OPIOID FATALITIES AND NON FATALITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, GREAT WORK AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, C CENTER, UH, CITY OF REFUGE AND OTHERS, UM, THAT BEEN REALLY GREAT.
AND IT'S ALSO GREAT TO SEE THAT VIOLENT CRIME AND, UH, PROPERTY CRIME ARE, ARE ALSO DOWN TOO.
AND SO, UH, THANK YOU MR. ROGERS.
STACY, UM, THE WHOLE LEADERSHIP TEAM FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE.
THANK YOU FOR USING SUPPORT, MR. MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
UH, WE'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION NOW BY DR.
LJ MERKEL FROM THE CRATER PLANNING, UH, UH, DISTRICT.
UH, THIS IS ABOUT, UH, THE TITLE IS AN INITIATIVE FOCUSING ON HOPEWELL'S DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH BURDEN OF FATAL OPIOID DOSES.
YOU HAVE, UH, A COPY OF THE PRESENTATION AT YOUR, AT, AT YOUR DESK, AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING THAT TO US.
UM, PARTICULAR MAYOR, VICE MAYOR.
UM, I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO EACH COUNCIL MEMBER FOR GIVING ME A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TODAY.
I'M FROM CRATER HEALTH DISTRICT, AND I'M HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUE, WHO IS OUR EPIDEMIOLOGIST SENIOR KATRINA SFRI.
UM, MY ROLE AT CRATER IS OVERDOSE PREVENTION PROGRAMMING.
[00:15:01]
UM, AND WE HAVE DONE A GOOD BIT IN PETERSBURG IN THE LAST YEAR, BUT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO HOPEWELL.AND I'M GONNA PRESENT, UH, SOME REASONS WHY AND SOME WAYS THAT WE'RE GONNA GONNA WORK ON THAT.
SO MY AGENDA TODAY IS JUST TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES AND, AND THE PURPOSE.
UM, THERE, THERE'S, THERE STILL REMAINS, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD A VERY GOOD REPORT FROM THE CHIEF.
UM, THERE STILL REMAINS A, A HIGH FATAL OVERDOSE RATE IN THE BIG PICTURE FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, IN PARTICULAR, THE, UM, WE IDENTIFY THAT BY THE ZIP CODE.
UM, I WANNA FRAME THAT, UH, ADDICTION AS A TREATABLE CHRONIC BRAIN DISORDER.
AND I HAVE PROVIDED SOME MATERIALS IN YOUR PACKET THAT SPEAK TO THE COST OF ADDICTION, BOTH IN LIVES AND IN THE, UM, ECONOMIC, UM, HITS DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE ECONOMY.
UM, UH, MOST OF WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS THE ROLE OF NALOXONE AS A REV REVERSE, UH, UH, A REVERSAL OR A RESCUE DRUG FOR OPIOID OVERDOSES.
AND, UM, INTRODUCE THE IDEA OF A HARM REDUCTION VEN MACHINE THAT, UH, CRATER HEALTH DISTRICT IS GONNA BE BRINGING TO HOPEWELL.
OKAY, THIS IS, UH, FACTS THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW.
I PROMISE I WON'T PRESENT TOO MANY, TOO MUCH DATA TODAY.
BUT, UH, AS YOU MAY KNOW, CRATER HEALTH DISTRICT IS PART OF THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
UM, SEVERAL DISTRICTS ARE, ARE PART OF THAT, AND WE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF IT.
UM, THERE ARE 160,000 PEOPLE THAT LIVE AMONG THE CITIES OF HOPEWELL, EMPORIA AND PETERSBURG, AND THE COUNTIES OF GREENSVILLE, PRINCE GEORGE DENWITTY, SURY, AND SUSSEX, UM, AT THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, AS WELL AS THE CRATER HEALTH DISTRICT.
WE FOCUS, WE, OUR MISSION IS TO, UM, HELP BUILD RESILIENT COMMUNITIES.
UM, WE HAVE A, AS, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE IN THE SENIOR PACKET, WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE, KEY PRIORITIES.
BUT IF WE LOOK AT HOPEWELL, UM, HOPEWELL IS 15% OF THAT POPULATION OF THE 160,000.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY OF HOPEWELL HAS ITS OWN STRATEGIC PLAN AND ITS OWN PRIORITIES LARGELY FOR, UM, ADVANCING, UM, ECONOMIC GROWTH.
AND, UH, I THINK WHAT WE SHARE AS THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY, UH, IMPROVING THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND ENRICHING OR CREATING, BUILDING AN ENRICHED ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR FAMILIES, HEALTHY FAMILIES.
SO WE, WE DO HAVE SOME SHARED PRIORITIES.
OKAY, THIS IS A, A BUSY, UH, BUSY SLIDE, AND IT WILL BE THE BIG SLIDE THAT HAS TO DO WITH DATA.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO NOTICE ANYTHING EXCEPT THE LINE ITSELF.
THIS IS DATA THAT'S PRESENTED BY THE, UM, IT WAS ACCRUED BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
AND IT IS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS.
IT'S NOT JUST OPIOID OVERDOSE, BUT DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THE CRISIS WITH DRUGS STARTED BEFORE 2007, BUT THIS DATA AND THIS GRAPH STARTS IN 2007.
AND DURING THE FIRST FEW YEARS, WE SEE A PRETTY STEADY IMPACT OF FATAL OVERDOSES.
AND LARGELY THAT THOSE DOSE OVERDOSES WERE DUE TO OVER PRESCRIPTIONS.
UM, AND THEN, UH, IF THERE'S AN OVER PRESCRIBING BY THE DOCTORS, THEN THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MISUSE AMONG THE PATIENTS.
AND THEN YOU'LL SEE GRADUAL RISE AT FIRST AS THE, THERE WE GOT A HANDLE ON THE PRESCRIPTIONS, BUT PEOPLE TURNED TO THE STREET FOR THEIR DRUGS BECAUSE THEY WERE ALREADY ADDICTED.
AND, UM, THOSE, THOSE DRUGS, STREET DRUGS DON'T HAVE THE SAME KIND OF QUALITY CONTROL.
AND SO THE CONTAMINANTS AND THE ELEMENT OF MAYBE FENTANYL OR SOME OTHER, UM, DRUGS THAT ARE PART OF THAT STREET DRUG, UM, INCREASE THE RISK OF FATAL FATALITIES TO OVERDOSE.
UM, THEN WE SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A BLIP, WHICH, UH, IS LARGELY HEROIN ON THE STREETS.
AND THEN YOU'LL NOTICE A VERY STEEP INCLINE.
UM, AS WE APPROACH THE, UH, 2010, UH, 2000, UH, 19 AND 20, AND IT PEAKS AT 2021, THAT STRIKING SLOPE IS BECAUSE OF FENTANYL IN THE STREET.
FENTANYL, AS YOU MAY KNOW, IS A SYNTHETIC OPIOID AS MANY MORE, MANY TIMES MORE POWERFUL THAN HEROIN.
AND THE BAD NEWS IS THAT THEY'RE DOING MORE AND MORE, UM, REFINEMENTS OF FENTANYL, AND IT'S BECOMING MORE AND MORE POTENT, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'RE MORE AND MORE LIKELY TO SEE OVERDOSE DEATHS.
BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS, UM, IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE CHIEF PRESENTED, UM, THERE'S A FLATTENING OF THE CURVE THAT YOU CAN'T HELP BUT NOTICE.
SO AFTER 2021, IT LOOKS LIKE THINK THERE'S A DIFFERENT PICTURE, A DIFFERENT LANDSCAPE, IF YOU WILL.
AND, UH, THE DOTTED LINE AT THE, IN 2024 REPRESENTS WHAT WE, WHAT WE ARE PROJECTING AS THE 2024 DATA.
[00:20:01]
DOESN'T HAVE, UM, IT HAS CHECKS AND BALANCES, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT, UM, 2024 DATA RELEASED QUITE YET.WE'RE, WE'RE STILL MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE NUMBERS RIGHT.
AND THERE IS SOME DELAY IN PART FROM, UM, COVID AND IN PART FROM FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO KEEP THAT SLOPE IN MIND AND REMEMBER THAT FLATTENING OF THE CURB, YOU CAN PROCEED, PLEASE.
UM, JUST SO THAT WE'RE ALL STARTING ON THE SAME PAGE AND WE'RE ALL IN THE 21ST CENTURY, UM, I WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT ADDICTION IS NOT A MORAL FAILING.
MAYBE SOMEONE MADE A BAD CHOICE ABOUT STARTING TO TAKE DRUGS.
MAYBE THEY MADE A BAD CHOICE ABOUT CONTINUING TO TAKE DRUGS AND MISUSE THEM.
BUT ONCE YOU'RE USING THE WORD ADDICTION, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A TREATABLE CHRONIC DISORDER THAT AFFECTS PRIMARILY THE BRAIN.
SO IT IS NOT UNLIKE DIABETES, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, MAYBE KIDNEY DISEASE, MAYBE SCHIZOPHRENIA.
IT IS A CHRONIC, TREATABLE DISEASE, MAYBE NOT CURABLE, TREATABLE.
UM, AND IF WE START FROM THAT PREMISE, I THINK IT'LL BE A LOT EASIER TO GET THROUGH THE REST OF THE SLIDES KNOWING THAT OPIOID USE IS NOT A, UH, NOT A CHOICE.
OPIOID DISUSE AND THE ADDICTION TO OPIOIDS IS NOT, UM, NOT A CHOICE.
OKAY? SO NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT HOPEWELL DATA.
UM, SOME OF THIS DATA, UH, ACTUALLY OVERLAPS WHAT THE POLICE, WHAT THE POLICE CHIEF WAS TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE YEAR 2022, I BELIEVE HE STARTED WITH.
SO WHAT, IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, AND YOU LOOK AT THE GRAPH HERE, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE CAPTURING SOME OF THAT DECLINE TOWARD THE END.
REMEMBER THE SLOPE WE SAW EARLIER FOR THE ENTIRE COMMONWEALTH FLATTENED OUT AROUND 2021.
NOW, THIS GRAPH HAS TWO LINES ON IT.
ONE LINE IS PETERSBURG AND ONE LINE IS HOPEWELL.
AND THIS DATA IS COLLECTED BY ZIP CODE.
SO WHAT YOU SEE AS THE PURPLE IS THE ZIP CODE.
THAT'S THE PRIMARY ZIP CODE IN, IN PETERSBURG.
AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHERE MUCH OF PETERSBURG PROBLEM IS, IS IN THAT ZIP CODE.
AND IN THE, UH, TEAL, THE DARK TEAL LINE IS THE, UH, THE FATALITIES TALLIED FOR JUST THE ZIP CODE OF 2 3, 8, 6 0, WHICH YOU ALL RECOGNIZE.
NOW, THE WRITING ON THIS SLIDE IS THE, IS THE PUNCHLINE BECAUSE 30% OF THE OVERDOSE FATALITIES IN THE CRATER DISTRICT ARE IN HOPEWELL, WHICH IS ONLY 15% OF THE POPULATION.
SO THAT'S WHY IN PUBLIC HEALTH, WE DEFINE THAT AS A, AS A HEAVY BURDEN, EVEN THOUGH WE DO HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS.
SO THIS IS MY SCHOOL TEACHER PART.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ENLIGHTEN YOU AS TO WHAT AN OVERDOSE IS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SLIDE ON, OR THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT, UM, THAT DEPICTS A, UH, RECEPTOR IN THE BRAIN.
AND THE GREEN, YOU KNOW, SATELLITE LOOKING THING IS, UM, DEPICTING OPIOID, A A CHEMICAL AND MAYBE MAYBE A MOLECULE OF THE OPIOID.
AND WHEN THE MOLECULE, THE OPIOID GETS INTO THE BLOODSTREAM AND GETS TO THE BRAIN, IT NESTLES RIGHT INTO A RECEPTOR BECAUSE THEY MATCH, IT'S ALMOST LIKE PUZZLE PIECES.
SO IT SETTLES THERE AND PROVIDES A SENSE OF EUPHORIA TO THE PERSON WHO'S TAKEN THE DRUG.
MAYBE A LARGE PART OF WHY THEY TAKE THE DRUG.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THAT RECEPTOR ALSO CONTROLS THE BREATHING SO THAT IF THAT RECEPTOR IS OCCUPIED BY OPIOID, IT DECREASES THE RATE OF BREATHING AND THE DEPTH OF THE BREATH.
SO, SADLY, AS CRUDELY AS IT SOUNDS, IF SOMEONE DIES OF AN OPIOID OVERDOSE, THEY HAVE SUFFOCATED IN THEIR SLEEP.
THAT'S WHAT'S IN THE RIGHT HAND SIDE.
WHEN THE RIGHT HAND, UH, DIAGRAM IS, YOU KNOW, YOUR, YOUR OUR FRIENDS, THE RECEPTOR AND THE OPIOID MOLECULES, YOU SEE THEM THERE.
BUT WHAT YOU'LL NOTICE IS THAT THE OPIOID MOLECULES HAVE BEEN DISPLACED FROM THE RECEPTOR.
THE RECEPTOR HAS A LOT MORE, A GREATER AFFINITY TO THE MOLECULES OF THE NALOXONE DRUG THAN TO THE OPIOID.
SO THE NALOXONE, THE PRESENCE OF NALOXONE AROUND THOSE RECEPTORS DISPLACES THE OPIOID.
SO THE, UM, THE BREATHING CAN SORT OF PROGRESS TOWARD MORE NORMAL BREATHING.
THE KICKER IS THAT IT DOESN'T LAST THAT LONG.
THAT EFFECT WILL LAST SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 TO 90 MINUTES.
SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT SOMEONE THAT SURVIVES AN OVERDOSE GET MEDICAL TREATMENT BECAUSE THE OPIOIDS STILL IN THEIR SYSTEM AND THEY NEED MEDICAL SUPPORT UNTIL THAT OPIOID IS PASSED THROUGH.
SO BREAKING NEWS, UM, PROBABLY AROUND COVID, I THINK THAT PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, VENDING MACHINES BECAME POPULAR.
FOR EXAMPLE, THERE WOULD BE A VENDING MACHINE THAT, UH, STUDENTS COULD GO UP TO 'EM, PUT THEIR COAT IN, AND THEY COULD
[00:25:01]
GET MASKS AND GLOVES AND HAND SANITIZER.UM, SO THERE'S AN ENTITY THAT IS KNOWN THAT'S CALLED A PUBLIC HEALTH VENDING MACHINE.
SINCE THE YEAR, I WANNA SAY THE YEAR 20, 22 OR FOUR, THOSE VENDING MACHINES HAVE ALSO SOMETIMES INCLUDED NALOXONE.
SO IN FACT, NOW AS OF 2026, MORE THAN HALF THE STATES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HAVE PUBLIC HEALTH VENDING MACHINES THAT INCLUDE NALOXONE.
YOU CAN SKIP TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WHAT IS A NALOXONE OR A, UM, HARM REDUCTION VENDING MACHINE FROM THE, FROM THE CRATER HEALTH DISTRICT LOOK LIKE? WELL, IT LOOKS LIKE THE, UH, THE MACHINE THAT'S DEPICTED ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, IT'S CALLED A LOCKER VENDING MACHINE.
AND IT'S NOT UNLIKE A SANDWICH VENDING MACHINE THAT YOU MIGHT FIND IN A BREAK ROOM OR IN THE STAFF, UH, CAFETERIA OF A HOSPITAL.
UM, A CODE'S PUT IN THE, UH, DOOR IS RELEASED AND SOMEONE CAN TAKE OUT WHAT, WHAT IS IN THAT PARTICULAR LOCKER.
NOW WHAT ELSE IS IN THE LOCKER BESIDES NALOXONE? ANYTHING A DONOR WANTS TO PUT IN THERE THAT MAKES SENSE FOR HARM REDUCTION? IT MIGHT BE CONDOMS, IT MIGHT BE A KIT FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE UNHOUSED.
UM, ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS SOCKS IN THE WINTERTIME.
UH, IT COULD BE A A DO IT YOURSELF, UH, FIRST AID KIT MIGHT BE A FEMININE HYGIENE KIT, BUT IT WILL ALWAYS INCLUDE INFORMATION, RESOURCES OF HOW TO GET INTO RECOVERY, HOW TO GET INTO TREATMENT, AND THE BENEFITS OF TREATING THIS CHRONIC BRAIN DISEASE.
UM, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THE CONCLUSION OF MY TALK IN TERMS OF INFORMATION.
THERE ARE TWO MORE SLIDES THOUGH.
UM, BECAUSE IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHAT I EL MERKEL WOULD ASK OF YOU AS INDIVIDUALS IS THAT YOU SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM.
UM, I'M SURE EVERYONE WANTS TO RE REDUCE OVERDOSES IN GENERAL, IN PARTICULAR FATAL OVERDOSES.
UM, WE NEED SOME HELP, SOME ASSISTANCE IN SECURING A LOCATION, AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THE, THE PARAMETERS ARE ON THAT.
UM, BASICALLY WE WILL SOON BE ROLLING IT OUT ONCE WE WORK ON THAT, WE, YOU KNOW, NAIL DOWN THAT LOCATION AND TALK WITH THE OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY IN TERMS OF THE, THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF OUR STRATEGY.
SO EVENTUALLY WE WILL BE ROLLING IT OUT AND WE'D CERTAINLY LIKE YOUR SUPPORT AS INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
UM, AND THEN, 'CAUSE I'M A HEALTH EDUCATOR, MY BIG ASK OF YOU IS THAT YOU EACH LEARN REVIVE AND HOW TO USE NALOXONE AND SAVE A LIFE.
UM, I THINK SANITATION WORKERS NEED TO HAVE NALOXONE AND KNOW HOW TO SAVE A LIFE AND NOT FOR THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, BUT FOR WHAT THEY COME ACROSS IN, IN THE PUBLIC.
SO I BELIEVE STRONGLY IN NALOXONE, AND I VERY STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT IT'S NALOXONE THAT HAS HELPED US WITH THAT CURVE.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL WANTS TO HELP PREVENT FEDERAL OVERDOSES.
SO THIS IS WHAT A MUNICIPALITY CAN DO, UM, WORK DILIGENTLY TO REDUCE STIGMA.
STIGMA IS A BIG BARRIER FOR PEOPLE SEEKING TREATMENT.
SOMETIMES THE DOCTORS HAVE STIGMA, BUT IT IS, IT IS A HUGE, A HUGE BARRIER.
AND IF WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT ADDICTION IS NOT A MORAL FAILING, BUT ADDICTION IS A TREATABLE CHRONIC BRAIN DISORDER, I THINK WE'RE OFF TO A BETTER START.
SO THAT KIND OF EDUCATION IS, IS WHAT I MEAN BY SAYING WORK TO DECREASE STIGMA.
THAT'S FOR ANOTHER, THAT'S FOR ANOTHER TALK.
UM, WE WANT TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF TREATMENT OPPORTUNITIES, DIFFERENT KINDS OF TREATMENT CENTERS.
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL SOMEONE'S CIRCUMSTANCE MIGHT ALLOW, NOT ALLOW THEM TO BE IN RESIDENCE FOR, UH, 90 DAYS IN A TREATMENT CENTER.
THERE ARE OTHER OPTIONS TO DO THAT.
AND THE MORE OPTIONS WE HAVE AND THE MORE CAPACITY EACH ONE OF THOSE AGENCIES HAS, THE BETTER CHANCE WE HAVE OF TREATING SOMEONE, IF WE CAN KEEP THEM ALIVE, IF WE CAN TREAT THEM, KEEP THEM AWAY FROM THE DRUG, EVENTUALLY THEIR BRAIN WILL RESUME THAT KIND OF THINKING AND DECISION MAKING THAT WE WOULD ALL HOPE FOR EACH OTHER AND OUR CHILDREN.
UM, PEER RECOVERY, UH, NAVIGATORS ARE IMPORTANT.
SO AGAIN, THOSE ARE PROGRAMS THAT NEED TO BE, UM, IDENTIFIED, SUPPORTED, AND EXPANDED.
AND, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS OF COURSE NEED EDUCATION AND RESOURCES, UM, KEYWORD RESOURCES THERE.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME BASED ON THE MATERIALS THAT YOU HAVE OR THE THINGS THAT I'VE SAID? UH, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, COUNCILLOR HARRIS, DR. MURPHY, WHAT IS THE TIME FRAME OF IMPLEMENTATION OF SUCH A OPINION MACHINE? WELL, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION.
I WILL SAY THAT WE WERE, I'LL DISCLOSE
[00:30:01]
THAT WE VIRTUALLY WERE GIFTED THESE VENDING MACHINES.UM, MY COLLEAGUE, UH, MS. SAFFERY HAS, SHE SPIED THEM AND SHE NEGOTIATED THAT CRATER WOULD OWN THEM.
THEY'RE NOT IN THE CRATER DISTRICT YET.
SO ONE THING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN LOGISTICALLY IS WE HAVE TO BRING THEM HERE.
UM, ONE WILL GO TO PETERSBURG AND ONE WILL GO TO HOPEWELL.
UM, AND OUR PROCUREMENT OFFICER HAS LET ME KNOW THAT WE, THEY WILL HIRE ONE TRUCK WITH A LIFT FOR ONE TRIP TO STANTON TO BRING, BRING THOSE TWO MACHINES HERE TO CRATER.
SO CURRENTLY THAT'S THE HOLD UP IS WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'LL BE LOCATED.
WE DON'T KNOW IN PARTICULAR WHERE THE HOPEWELL ONE WILL BE LOCATED.
IF WE CAN FIND THAT OUT, WE CAN HIT THE GRANT RUNNING.
UM, BECAUSE THEN THE NEXT THING THAT WOULD HAPPEN WOULD BE A DISCUSSION WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT IS OUR ROLE? WHAT IS THAT PERSON'S ROLE? WE WOULD LOOK AROUND FOR, UM, COMMUNITY SHAREHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WOULD HELP US KEEP IT SUSTAINED, UM, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T COST THAT MUCH TO SUSTAIN IT.
AND AS YOU'LL SEE FROM THE MATERIALS THAT I'VE, UH, INCLUDED IN YOUR PAMPHLET, THERE IS A GREAT COST TO NOT HAVING NALOXONE.
BUT IF WE CAN HAVE LOW BARRIER NALOXONE, WHICH IS NO COST TO THE PUBLIC, I MEAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND THE STATE OF VIRGINIA WILL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO PUT NALOXONE IN THERE.
THE OTHER THINGS THAT GO IN THERE CAN BE WHAT THE COMMUNITY DECIDES THEY NEED.
YOU KNOW, IN THE WINTERTIME IT MIGHT BE SUCKS, MIGHT NOT BE SOCKS IN THE SUMMERTIME, MIGHT BE A SNACK, A PROTEIN BAR.
UM, IT COULD BE, AS I SAID BEFORE, DIFFERENT LITERATURE RESOURCES FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE IN NEED OF SOME GUIDANCE AND SOME NAVIGATION TO, UH, RESOURCES.
SO THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS CAN BE MADE VERY QUICKLY ONCE WE HAVE THE STAKEHOLDERS AT THE TABLE.
UM, I WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT KATRINA AND I ARE AVAILABLE
UM, BUT SOME OF THOSE LOGISTICS CAN ONLY BE RESOLVED ONCE WE HAVE A LOCATION.
WHAT ARE YOU ASKING OF THE CITY? WELL, I QUITE SERIOUSLY, THOSE LAST TWO SLIDES ARE ALL THAT I'M ASKING IN THE CITY.
THE, THE SLIDE BEFORE THIS IS I'M ASKING YOU AS INDIVIDUALS TO TRUST THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF HOPEWELL CITIZENS IN, IN MIND, AND THAT WE HAVE THE RESOURCES AND THE TOOLS TO HELP FIGHT THE OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC HERE.
AND THAT'S L AND Y'ALL THEN THE NEXT SLIDE.
THAT LAST SLIDE IS REALLY, UM, NOT A COMMITMENT TO ME.
UM, IT'S REALLY JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU AS A BODY AND THE MUNICIPALITY AS A, AS A REGION TO TAKE SERIOUSLY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO.
I MEAN, AS A MOTHER AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SEEN CHILDREN, UM, FALL TO OVERDOSE AND, AND ADDICTION AND OVERDOSE, IT IS A TERRIBLE HELPLESS FEELING.
BUT IF I CAN TELL YOU WHAT THINGS YOU CAN DO AS A GROUP, AS A BODY, AND AS INDIVIDUALS, I THINK THAT WE'RE ALL READY TO TAKE STEP FORWARD.
WHAT I WOULD, UH, RECOMMEND IS, UM, YOU KNOW, MEET WITH, UH, WITH OUR CITY MANAGER AND WE HAVE A NEW, UH, PERMANENT ONE THAT'S COMING IN.
UM, AND I THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF YOU GOT TO MEET HIM, HIS NAME IS, UH, UH, VINCENT JONES.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE, THE VENDING MACHINE IDEA IS, YOU KNOW, A VERY GOOD, INNOVATIVE IDEA.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WOULD GO A LONG WAY INTO, YOU KNOW, HELPING OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW THE, THE PARTICULARS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF SOME OF THE, THAT OPIOID SETTLEMENT MONEY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, GOING OUT TO SOME OF THE LOCALITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, MR. ROGERS AND, UH, MR. BASSETT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP OUT AND DO SOME OF THIS.
UM, BUT I'D RECOMMEND YOU GUYS GETTING TOGETHER.
AND THEN IN ABOUT A MONTH, UM, WHEN MR. JONES GETS HERE AS THE, AS THE NEW PERMANENT CITY MANAGER, UM, IT'D BE GOOD FOR YOU TO, UH, MEET WITH HIM AS WELL.
UM, AND OF COURSE, WE ARE ALWAYS HAPPY TO COME AND UPDATE THE BODY AS TO WHERE WE ARE AND, AND HOW, HOW WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, I WOULD ALSO INVITE THE OPPORTUNITY, OR REQUEST THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME SOMETIME DURING ONE OF YOUR, UM, UH, SESSIONS, ONE OF YOUR, UH, SMALL GROUP MEETINGS PERHAPS, AND, AND TEACH RAPID REVIVE.
AND EVERY PARTICIPANT IN THE RAPID REVIVE RECEIVES A TWO DOSE KIT OF NALOXONE.
AND I WOULD FEEL BETTER PUTTING MY HEAD ON THE PILLOW AT NIGHT KNOWING THAT THERE WAS MORE NALOXONE IN HOPEWELL.
THANK YOU ALL VERY, VERY MUCH.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, ONE LAST THING.
ON THURSDAY NIGHT AT, UH, SIX O'CLOCK SIX O'CLOCK,
[00:35:02]
UH, AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, WE ARE HAVING A CITIZEN BUDGET FORUM.UH, CITIZENS HAVE COME FORWARD AND, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT THE BUDGET AND, AND, AND I THINK THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET.
SO IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DIALOGUE.
WE'LL HAVE PRESENTATION BY, UH, A COUPLE OF, UH, OUR, OUR MAJOR DEPARTMENTS AND WE'LL BE THERE TO ASK QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, THEY ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM, UH, FROM THE CITIZENS.
SO WE, WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME OUT TO THAT EVENT AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
CAN YOU GUYS GET A PRESS RELEASE PUT OUT, UH, FOR THAT AS WELL? IT'S, IT'S OUT.
[ACTIONS RESULTING FROM CLOSED MEETING]
MOVING ON TO ACTIONS RESULTING FROM CLOSED SESSION.AT THIS TIME, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPOINT MR. DONALD BARBER? MR. BRUCE BROCKWELL, MR. ELLIOT ALTI, DR.
UH, MS. COURTNEY BIKOWSKI, DR.
GARY ACKERMAN, MR. JOHN REDLING, MS. NANCY FLOWERS, AND MS. BARBARA PATTON TO THE BEACON THEATER BOARD.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR, JOIN AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
AT THIS TIME IS THERE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY ATTORNEY TO ENTER A COMBINED SUBDIVISION PARTICIPATION AND RELEASE FORM AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO MOVED.
MOTION HAS BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR WHEAT AND SECONDED BY, UH, COUNCILOR DAY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
COUNCILLOR OLI, VICE MAYOR JOINER.
AT THIS TIME CAN WE HAVE, UH, THE PRAYER, UH, BY REVEREND BOGGS AND I WILL LEAD IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AFTERWARDS.
PLEASE RISE MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS, FRIENDS OF THIS GREAT CITY, I INVITE YOU TO JOIN WITH ME, PRAY TOGETHER PLEASE ALMIGHTY GOD AND CREATOR OF ALL AND PROVIDER OF ALL GOOD AND PERFECT GIFTS.
WE PAUSE IN YOUR PRESENCE TO RECOGNIZE YOU THIS EVENING AND TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOODNESS, FOR YOUR KINDNESS, MERCY AND GRACE.
GRANT TO US WE WOULD PRAY WISDOM IN PURSUING AVENUES OF SERVICE THAT HONOR YOU.
AND WE PRAY FOR CLARITY TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY.
WE PRAY FOR PATIENCE TO FACE OBSTACLES WITH WHICH WE STRUGGLE AND STRENGTH TO FACE THOSE OBSTACLES.
THE GRACE TO BE FORGIVING, THE HUMILITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR WEAKNESSES.
WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD FIND HONOR IN THIS GATHERING AND SHOWER YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THE LEADERSHIP WHICH CARRIES THE BURDEN OF THE DECISION MAKING ON BEHALF OF THIS GREAT CITY.
AND IT'S IN THIS PRAYER, LORD, THAT WE ASK AS WE PRESENT OURSELVES BEFORE YOU IN THE NAME OF CHRIST.
ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
AN INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY, UH, COUNCILOR DAY.
ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
[COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS]
OKAY.MOVING 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 COUNCIL 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 TO ON AN ITEM SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING.
ALL REMARKS MUST BE ADDRESSED TO THE COUNCIL.
AS A BODY, ANY PERSON WHO MAKES A PERSONAL IMPERSONATE, ABUSIVE OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENT OR INSIGHTS, DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARRED FROM FUTURE COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS AND REMOVED.
FIRST PERSON I HAVE SIGNED UP FOR TONIGHT IS STEVE ROMANO.
[00:40:05]
MAYOR GRACE MAYOR COUNCIL.I'M A 2 0 6 CIRCLE DRIVE, HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA WARD THREE.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT GETTING OLD AND LIVING ON SOCIAL SECURITY.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING AS OF TODAY, THE CITY OF HOPEWELL WITH KAPLAN PORTFOLIO HAS $6.2 MILLION IN IT.
SCHWAB HAS 6 MILLION, SOME ODD DOLLARS.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN RETIRED 12 AND 14 YEARS, RESPECTIVELY.
WHEN WE WERE BOTH WORKING, WE HAD A LOT OF MONEY.
TWO CARS, GAS, FOOD, GOING OUT TO EAT.
WHEN MY SECOND CAR DIED, I DIDN'T BUY ANOTHER ONE.
ONE CAR TAKES US TO THE DOCTOR.
IT'S NOT A LUXURY, IT'S A NECESSITY, BUT IT'S 10 YEARS OLD AND I'M STILL PAYING PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES ON IT.
I FIND THAT RIDICULOUS AT, AT OUR AGE.
I WISH SOMEONE ELSE WOULD PAY MY PERSONAL PROPERTY ON IT.
WELL, WE MOVED IN AND I TOLD PEOPLE IN NEW YORK WHAT OUR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX WAS.
THEY COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, BUT THEY WON'T DO THAT NOW.
AND I CAN'T SAY WITH ALL THE MONEY THAT YOU DO HAVE AND ALL THE MONEY YOU'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SPENDING TONIGHT, WHY YOU CAN'T GIVE SENIORS A BREAK ON THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES? I JUST FIND IT CRAZY.
YOU WANT TO DO ALL YOUR PROJECTS, DO THE RIVER WALK, BUILD A HOUSE, WHATEVER IT HAPPENS TO BE.
WHATEVER MONEY WE HAVE, IS IT, I CAN'T GET A JOB.
I CAN'T GO TO WORK FOR MONEY 'CAUSE I'M NOT GONNA DO THAT.
SO IF I'VE GOTTA LIVE ON A BUDGET, I WISH THE CITY OF HOPEWELL WOULD LIVE ON A BUDGET AND AT LEAST TRY TO HELP SOME SENIORS OUT.
AND IF SOMEBODY SAYS TO YOU, WE WOULD LIKE TO HELP YOU, AND THEY SAY, I DON'T NEED IT, GOD BLESS 'EM.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS MR. MARK BURROWS.
Y'ALL KNOW THAT, UM, COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO, ACTUALLY, I GOT UP HERE AND ASKED YOU, ACTUALLY IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO.
I GOT UP HERE AND ASKED Y'ALL, UH, TO BE AWARE OF WHAT ALL HAPPENS AT THE STATE LEVEL AS BILLS WERE PASSED THROUGH AND REJECTED AND SO FORTH AND SO ON, AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR US HERE IN HOPEWELL.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT MEETING, A COUPLE OF PEOPLE CAME UP TO ME AND POINTED OUT TO ME THAT A FEW YEARS AGO BEFORE I MOVED HERE, HOPEWELL CITY HAD ADOPTED A SECOND AMENDMENT RESOLUTION TO BECOME A SECOND AMENDMENT SANCTUARY CITY.
UH, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, AGAIN, I WASN'T HERE AT THE TIME.
THE REASON I'M STANDING HERE TONIGHT IS BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AT THE STATE LEVEL HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO AFFECT US HERE IN THIS CITY.
IF IN FACT, HOPEWELL ADOPTED A TWO-WAY SANCTUARY CITY MENTALITY SOME YEARS AGO, I FEEL AS THOUGH Y'ALL HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT BASED OFF THE FACT THAT MANY OF YOU WERE PREPARED TO VOTE YES TO BAN WEAPONS IN OUR CITY PARKS AND THROUGHOUT OTHER CITY PROPERTIES AS EARLY AS LATE FALL LAST YEAR.
UM, SO I STAND HERE TONIGHT TO BRIEFLY ASK Y'ALL TO REMEMBER WHAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE IN THE PAST AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE AS A CITY, BUT ALSO AS A STATE AND WHAT Y'ALL OWE US WHEN YOU GO TO TALK TO STATE REPRESENTATION AND WHAT YOU HAVE COMMITTED TO IN THE PAST AND WHAT YOU HAVE COMMITTED OUR CITY TO.
THE OTHER REASON I STAND HERE TONIGHT IS SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME WORK DONE ON THE TAX ON VEHICLES.
A FRIEND OF MINE, UH, HIS TAXES WERE PAID MULTIPLE YEARS.
UH, HE DID FALL BEHIND, UM, BUT HE JUST RECENTLY GOT CAUGHT UP.
HE'S PAID THEM NOW THREE WEEKS AGO.
AND THE DMV HAS STILL NOT RELEASED HIS VEHICLE
[00:45:01]
BECAUSE THE TREASURER'S OFFICE CAN'T SEEM TO PULL THEIR HEAD FROM THEIR FOURTH POINT OF CONTACT AND NOTIFY THE DMV THAT, UH, THAT HIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE RELEASED SO THAT HE CAN RENEW HIS REGISTRATION AND GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK.UM, THE TAX TACS, UH, PEOPLE COLLECTION AGENCY I ADJUSTER CALLED UM, FAILED AT MAINTAINING RECORDS, SHARING RECORDS.
UM, AND Y'ALL SHOULD, AND THE AMOUNT THAT THEY CHARGE, UH, AND ARE CHARGING MY FRIEND IS OBSCENE.
AND GIVEN THE CITY'S INCOME LEVEL, I I'D STRONGLY ENCOURAGE Y'ALL TO PUSH THE TREASURER, TREASURER'S, OFFICE COMMISSIONER, WHOEVER, TO FIND ANOTHER COLLECTION AGENCY.
UH, MR. BURROWS, WILL YOU PLEASE, UH, ASK YOUR, UH, FRIEND TO REACH OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE SO THAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE A NAME SO WHEN WE GO TO TALK TO THE TREASURER, WE CAN SEE IF THAT ISSUE CAN GET RESOLVED? YES, SIR.
UH, NEXT IS, I THINK IT'S VICTOR LAVIN.
BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 25 YEARS NOW.
UM, FIRST TIME HERE AT A MEETING.
UH, AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
WOULD ANYBODY MIND IF I TOOK A PICTURE WITH YOUR NAME SO I CAN KNOW A FACE TO A, TO A NAME? IT'S ON OUR CITY WEBSITE.
HUH? IT'S ON OUR CITY WEBSITE.
IS IT? YEAH, IF YOU GO ON, UH, HOPEWELL VA.GOV AND YOU JUST GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
YOU'LL SEE ALL OF OUR NAMES AND THEN YOU'LL SEE PICTURES AND, UH, WHICH WARDS WE REPRESENT.
WHICH WARD DOES HE LIVE IN? HE LIVES IN MY WARD.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, INTRODUCE MYSELF AGAIN.
UM, NOT REALLY PLEASED WITH THE WAY, UM, THINGS ARE GOING WITH THE CITY.
NOT THAT YOU'RE DOING WRONG, IT'S JUST THAT YOU'RE NOT DOING RIGHT.
UM, LIKE STEVE SAID, UH, ROMANO SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M ALSO RETIRED, UH, AND BEEN RETIRED SINCE 2019.
UH, VERY DIFFICULT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO GET BY.
UM, AND I HOPE THAT MAYBE WE CAN COME TO SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT ON WHAT Y'ALL SPENDING, HOW YOU'RE SPENDING IT.
AND THAT, TO ME, THAT'S, THAT'S MY BIGGEST CONCERN, IS HOW Y'ALL ARE SPENDING OUR MONEY.
IT'S, IT'S, I DON'T, I, I, I FOUND, I DON'T KNOW MR. PAUL AT, AT HOW YOU CAN SIT THERE AND, AND I, I DIDN'T GET, I'M SORRY, MR. ROGERS.
WHEN WAS THAT? WHEN WAS THAT MEETING THAT, THAT YOU SAID YOU ONLY HAVE WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, THURSDAY NIGHT.
OKAY, NEXT IS MS. LAURA GREENWOOD.
LAURA GREENWOOD FROM MARCH SIX.
I GOT A REAL QUICK ONE FOR YOU.
UM, IT'S BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION BY THREE LOCALS IN THIS, IN, IN MY AREA THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL IS NOT RUNNING THE UNITED STATES FLAG OR THE STATE FLAG.
AND I SAID, WHAT? SO I WROTE OVER THERE AND IT WASN'T, IT'S NOT RUNNING.
I KNOW THERE'S A-R-O-T-C THERE.
SO THE ROTC COULD ACTUALLY RUN THE FLAGS UP AND TAKE IT DOWN IN THE EVENING BEFORE THEY GO HOME.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK INTO DOING? I MEAN, THEY'RE GETTING CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL FUNDED, WHICH IS ALL TAXPAYERS MONEY.
SO WE CAN AT LEAST BE, YOU KNOW, HIGH SCHOOLS CAN RUN THE FLAGS.
UM, MR. ROGERS, WILL YOU REACH OUT TO DR.
HACKNEY ABOUT THAT FOR US? AND THEN JUST GIVE US AN UPDATE? THANK YOU.
MY APOLOGIES MR. MAYOR, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY COMMENTS.
WE'RE JUST HERE FOR THE ADDITIONAL USE, UH, VOTING.
UH, MS. DEBBIE RANDOLPH, MY NAME NAME'S DEB RANDOLPH.
UH, I'M FROM WARD ONE AND PROBABLY FROM THE LAST, UH, 30 TO 60 DAYS, I'VE BEEN HEARING SOME THINGS ABOUT THE BEACON THEATER, GOING ON A TAD BIT THROUGH THIS, UH, RESOURCE HERE AT CITY COUNCIL AND LOOKED FOR MORE INFORMATION INCLUDING THE TALENT BANKS,
[00:50:02]
ET CETERA.UM, I'M GLAD I WAS HERE FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT ON THE BOARD, BUT I HAVE TO QUESTION HOW YOU ALL WENT ABOUT THAT.
UM, CERTAINLY I DIDN'T SEE A LARGE, UH, PRESENTATION OR ADVERTISEMENT FOR PEOPLE TO BE ON THAT BOARD.
I CERTAINLY KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE FROM THE RESOURCES THAT I UTILIZED OVER THE LAST 30 DAYS TO ASK WHO KNEW ABOUT IT, NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE DID.
NOT THAT A LOT OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC DID, AND CERTAINLY WAS QUESTIONING HOW THE PEOPLE THAT YOU APPOINTED TONIGHT OR ARE GONNA APPOINT IN THE FUTURE GOT ONTO THE BOARD.
THERE'S NOTHING ON THE TALENT BANK, UH, RESOURCE PAGE ABOUT A BEACON BOARD.
THERE WAS NOTHING ABOUT WHETHER YOU NEEDED TO FILL A TALENT BANK OUT.
MOST PEOPLE THAT CAME AND TALKED TOLD ME THEY HAD TO BRING RESUMES.
SO AS A COUNCIL, ISN'T IT THE NORMAL PROCESS TO MAKE IT OPEN AND TRANSPARENT PROCESS TO PICK AND CHOOSE PEOPLE FOR A BOARD, BOARD? I DON'T MIND WHO YOU PICK, YOU DO THAT ANYWAY, BUT QUITE FRANKLY, I'M QUESTIONING HOW THIS EVEN WENT ABOUT UNLESS YOU ALREADY HAD PEOPLE THAT YOU HAD IN MIND AND WENT DIRECTLY TO THEM, WHICH AGAIN, I'M NOT QUITE CLEAR IF THAT'S THE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT THAT WE WANT.
SO I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION SO THAT MAYBE YOU ALL CAN TELL THE CITIZENS A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR PLAN FOR THE BEACON.
I CERTAINLY HAVE HEARD THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A POTENTIAL FOR A NONPROFIT.
I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH PEOPLE WHO INITIALLY STARTED IT.
I KNOW HOW CONVOLUTED THE BEACON INITIATION AND HOW THEY HAD TO DO THINGS FOR TAX CREDIT PURPOSES TO GET THE MONEY THEY NEEDED WAS AND STILL IS.
AND I'M SURE THAT OUR CURRENT CITY ATTORNEY WORKING WITH STEFAN AND VML ATTORNEYS HAS WORKED THROUGH THAT PROCESS FOR YOU ALL, HOPING THAT, AGAIN, THAT YOU ALL WOULD USE A FAIR AND OPEN PROCESS TO INFORM THE CITIZENS WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT THE PLAN WILL BE, WHETHER IT'S THE BEST PLAN FOR THE CITY AND THE BEACON AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE'D BE WORKING ON THAT BOARD.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING.
AND, UH, NEXT IS MS. DARLENE THOMPSON.
DARLENE THOMPSON WARD SIX, UM, ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, I GUESS NOW, THE ROBERT BOB GROUP CAME IN IN AUGUST AND IN JANUARY THEY BROUGHT MR. BRANSON IN MAKING $13,000 A MONTH.
AND WITHIN A MONTH HE CAME BEFORE CITY COUNCIL AND SAID THAT THIS CITY WAS BROKE AND THAT THIS CITY WAS GOING TO BE IN A FINANCIAL RUIN WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
IN 2024, THIS CITY COUNCIL STARTING AROUND MAY INCREASED OUR TAX RATES, INCREASED OUR REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT, DONE THE TRASH COLLECTION ACROSS THE BOARD.
I CAN'T, I DON'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO GO THROUGH ALL WHAT YOU ALL VOTED ON THIS CITY COUNCIL THAT WE GAVE A SEAT THERE ON OUR BEHALF AND IT DIDN'T STOP.
JUST RECENTLY, THEY CAME BEFORE US AFTER THEY WENT DOWN TO WILLIAMSBURG AND SPENT $17,000 FOR ONE DAY, NOT EVEN A GOOD 24 HOURS, WHERE THEY WAS TRYING TO, THE ROBERT BARBER GROUP APPARENTLY WAS TRYING TO GET THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AND CAME TO US AND SAID, YOU ALL GOT TO PAY $5 AND 25 CENTS.
IF YOU DO $5 AND 25 CENTS TIMES 10,434 RESIDENTS HERE IN HOPEWELL, THAT'S AROUND $54,000 A MONTH IN A YEAR.
THIS CITY WILL BE GETTING $657,000.
AND NOW IT'S TIME FOR FOUR OF YOU ALL TO GO UP FOR REELECTION AND YOU WANT OUR CI UM, SIGNATURES TO PUT YOU ALL BACK ON THE BALLOT WHEN YOU ALL HAVE NOT WORKED ON OUR BEHALF.
STACEY GETS UP HERE EVERY WEEK WITH THESE SHOWING WHAT OUR ANNUAL, OUR ACTUAL BUDGET AND ALL IS $8.4 MILLION HIGHER FOR 26 THAN IT WAS FOR 25 8 0.4 MILLION.
[00:55:01]
ON TOP OF WHAT THEY WERE ALREADY GETTING FROM US.OKAY, THE NEXT ONE, UM, 4.6 TO 3% WITH A TOTAL OF 1.6.
EVERY PAGE HERE IT SHOW WHERE THIS CITY IS GETTING MORE MONEY, NEVER TALKING ABOUT THE SURPLUS THAT YOU ALL ARE GETTING FROM THESE CITIZENS ON OUR BACKS.
Y'ALL FORCED US TO PAY WHAT YOU ALL SET FOR US TO PAY, AND NOW YOU ALL WANT OUR VOTE.
WOULD Y'ALL STOP PUTTING THAT TIMER BACK UP THERE SO I CAN KEEP UP WITH IT? PLEASE? UH, PLEASE HAVE A SEAT, MS. THOMPSON.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS MR. CJ GLOVER.
UM, BEFORE I, BEFORE I START THIS, I HAVE A PRESENTATION IF YOU GUYS WANNA SEE IT AND IF YOU, IF YOU FOLKS WANNA SEE IT.
IT'S THE SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION.
IT'S IN THE COMPUTER OF THIS BAG.
DO YOU WANT TO SEE IT OR DO YOU, CAN YOU SPEAK UP? I I'M SORRY.
THE SLIDES SHARE PRESENTATION.
I HAVE CJ GLOVER ART AND I AM HERE AND I, I'M A STUDENT AT CARTER G WOODSON MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND I'M WARD ONE AND I WANT THE SCHOOL, I WANT CARTER G WOODSON MIDDLE SCHOOL MILL AND LAND WOODLAWN LEARNING CENTER TO HAVE RENOVATIONS OR NOT, OR REPLACEMENTS.
SO THAT WAY THEY CAN ALL BE SAFE WITHOUT, SO THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GO INTO SCHOOL AND FEEL SAFE AND ACTUALLY BE SAFE AT THE SAME TIME.
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THAT YOU GUYS HAVE REPLACED THE KNEE, LIBRARY, KNEE AND OTHER AREAS AT THE FRONT, THERE'S STILL NO OTHER AREAS THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO FIX.
LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BATHROOM, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH BATHROOMS. THERE'S BATHROOMS WITH BROKEN FIXTURES.
THERE'S ENTIRE HALLWAYS WITHOUT SPRINKLER SYSTEMS. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IN THE CLASSROOMS THERE ARE SOME CLASSROOMS THAT HAVE LIKE WINDOWLESS PLACES, WHICH I KNOW IS PROBABLY NOT UP TO FIRE CODE, MEANING IF THERE'S A FIRE YOU ARE NOT ESCAPING, WHICH IS A BIG HAZARD.
SO, UH, SO I WANT, AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IN THE WOODLAWN LEARNING CENTER, IT'S EVEN WORSE, TRUST ME ON THIS.
AND I WANT PEOPLE WHO GO INTO SCHOOL FEELING SAFE, WHETHER THEIR PARENTS HAVE DIED OR NOT, TO, TO ACTUALLY BE, BE SAFE PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY HAVE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS IN THEIR SCHOOL, PEOPLE TO HAVE, HAVE ENOUGH BATHROOMS TO HAVE, TO NOT HAVE TO SHARE BATHROOMS WITH ANOTHER SEVENTH GRADE NEED, NEED POD OR SO.
AND YEAH, I WANT PEOPLE TO BE SAFE, INCLUDING MY MOM AND ALL THE OTHER STAFF WHO WORK THERE, THERE.
BECAUSE IF YOU WERE A STUDENT THERE AND YOU, AND THERE'S A FIRE, WOULD, WOULD YOU WANT TO GROW UP AND BE AN ARCHITECT AND TRY TO FIX THAT, FIX THE CODE? OR WOULD YOU WANT TO, YOU JUST COMPLETELY NEGLECT THE SCHOOL SO THAT WAY THEY MAY HAVE A STRONG POTENTIAL FOR TRAGEDY? WHAT WOULD YOU GUYS CHOOSE? SO AGAIN, I WANT, I WANT TO USE, HAVE THE MONEY BE USED FOR RENOVATIONS AND OR FORMS OF REPLACEMENTS FOR WOODLAWN LEARNING CENTER AND CARTER G WOODSON MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE OF, OF BROKEN FIXTURES AND BATHROOMS NOT BEING ENOUGH, NOT NOT BEING ENOUGH OF SAID BATHROOMS ALONG WITH CLASSROOMS WITH LIKE NO FORMS OF WINDOWS FOR PEOPLE TO ESCAPE DURING FIRES AND ENTIRE HALLWAYS WITHOUT SPRINKLERS, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER BIG PROBLEMS LIKE OPEN CEILING TILES, MILLS, MILLS THAT ARE COMPLETELY OPEN, TAR LEAKING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK YOU GUYS.
AND UH, CJ, THE PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU HAVE ON HERE.
OH, UH, CJ THE PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU HAVE ON HERE THAT YOU SIGNED UP, IS THAT, IS THAT YOUR NUMBER? THE PARENTS, THE PARENT.
MORE TIME FOR STUDIES, UM, AND JUST LESS DISTRACTIONS.
UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE THIS PHONE NUMBER, UH, TO YOUR CITY COUNSELOR, UH, VICE MAYOR JOINER, AND THEN THAT WAY SHE CAN REACH OUT AND TALK TO YOU.
SO FROM COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS, UH, WE HAD SOME CONCERNS.
UH, THE FIRST ONE WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS, UH, MS. RANDOLPH'S
[01:00:01]
CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY.UH, MR. BASSETT, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON, UH, THE PROCESS AND HOW MANY PRESENTATIONS WE'VE DONE AND THE OUTREACH THAT WE'VE DONE? UH, ON THE BEACON? ON THE BEACON? YES, SIR.
UH, IN JANUARY THERE, I BELIEVE I, I GAVE A PRESENTATION OF THE FIRST JANUARY, UH, NO, SORRY, THE SECOND JANUARY MEETING.
I THINK THE FIRST JANUARY MEETING MIGHT HAVE BEEN CANCELED FOR, FOR WEATHER, UM, ON WHAT THE PROCESS WAS GOING TO BE.
THAT THERE WERE GOING TO BE APPOINTMENTS MADE TONIGHT, I BELIEVE THE NEXT MEETING IN EARLY FEBRUARY MEETING, UH, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION BY KEVIN FOSTER AT THE JOHN RANDOLPH FOUNDATION ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN THERE.
AND WE TALKED AGAIN THERE ABOUT, ABOUT THE, UM, THE APPOINTMENTS TONIGHT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, IT'S BEEN ON THE AGENDA FOR A COUPLE OF MEETINGS NOW THAT, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN, UM, THAT THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, INTERVIEWS AND YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE ANY OTHER BOARD OR COMMISSION, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A PRIVATE INSTITUTION, ANY OTHER BOARD OR COMMISSION THAT IS NAMED BY CITY COUNCIL, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY, ANYONE IS AL ALWAYS WELCOME TO REACH OUT TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO PUT THEIR, THEIR PROVERBIAL HAT INTO THE RING ON AN APPOINTMENT BY CITY COUNCIL.
AND, UH, MS. RANDOLPH, I ENCOURAGE YOU IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT AN APPLICATION IN YOURSELF, YOU CAN HAVE AN, YOU CAN, I THOUGHT YOU ALL CAN GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
ALRIGHT, SO THEN WE HAD SOME, UH, COMMENTS, UH, FROM MS. THOMPSON AND, UM, MS. JORDAN.
UM, IF THE CITY COUNCIL HADN'T ADOPTED, UH, THE NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, UH, WOULD WE STILL BE RECEIVING, UH, THOSE SAME MATERIAL WEAKNESSES ON OUR AUDIT? UM, YES, WE WOULD.
IF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES WERE NOT ADOPTED, WE PROBABLY WOULD BE RECEIVING THE SAME AUDIT FINDINGS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
REMEMBER THE CITY RECEIVED AN ACTUAL DISCLAIMER IN 2019 IN THEIR FINDING AUDIT THAT HAS SINCE BEEN CHANGED TO UNMODIFIED OPINION, WHICH IS A CLEAN AUDIT, WHICH IS WHAT YOU WANT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, 25 TO FEDERAL HOUSE TOMORROW WILL BE PRESENTED BEFORE COMMUNITY COUNCIL THE 28TH.
IN REGARDS TO THE COMMENT ABOUT THE TREND ANALYSIS THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT MS. THOMPSON, IT'S NOT A SURPLUS.
WHAT IS IT TO SHOWING YEAR OVER YEAR OF WHAT THE REVENUES LOOK LIKE AT THIS PERIOD OF TIME VERSUS WHAT IT DOES RIGHT NOW? SO IT'S NOT A SURPLUS OF FUNDS, WE'RE JUST SHOWING THAT THE CITY IS TRENDING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION FOR THE KIND OF FISCAL YEAR.
SO AS OUR REVENUES COME IN, FOR INSTANCE, YOU SAID 1.4 BILLION TRENDING HIGHER, UM, THIS YEAR OVER LAST YEAR, WHICH MEANS WE COLLECTED MORE REVENUE MAJORITY THAT STEMS FROM, UM, ADDITIONAL COLLECTIONS WITHIN TREASURER'S OFFICE AND OTHER GRANTS ARE SOMETHING, UH, FUNDING AS FAR AS THE EXPENSES.
WE TRY TO KEEP THEM LEVEL AND THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, HOW SEE OUR BUDGET REGARD TO EXPENSES.
AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I'D LIKE TO ASK, UH, FOR YOUR CLARIFICATION.
UH, MS. JORDAN HAD CITY COUNCIL, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, FROM THE COMMENTS THAT, UH, THAT I GATHERED, UM, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMED AS IF MS. THOMPSON WAS PERFECTLY FINE WITH STATUS QUO AS, AS IT WAS BACK THEN, HAD CITY COUNCIL NOT ADDRESS THE MISMANAGEMENT AND, UM, POOR LEADERSHIP, FINANCIAL LEADERSHIP.
OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, WOULD CITY COUNCIL HAVE CONTINUED ITS PATH TOWARDS INSOLVENCY OR BANKRUPTCY? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I'M NOT SURE OR AWARE IF THE COMMUNITY OR COUNCIL WAS THERE PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL.
THE 2023, THE CITY ACTUALLY HAD A NEGATIVE ACCOUNT BALANCE IN THEIR CITY MASTER ACCOUNT, WHICH IS NOT, THAT MEANS THEY COULDN'T MAKE PAYROLL, THEY MEANS THAT THEY COULDN'T MAKE ACCOUNT PAYROLL.
UM, NOBODY WAS ACTUALLY MONITORING CASH FLOW AND MONITORING THE CITY'S FINANCES AT THAT TIME.
THAT IS A BAD SITUATION TO BE FOR ANY LOCALITY.
THEY ACTUALLY TOOK MONEY OUT OF ONE OF THEIR, UM, INVESTMENT ACCOUNTS TO JUST TO PUT MONEY BACK INTO THE CITY ACCOUNT SO THAT THEY COULD MAKE PAYROLL.
WHEN WAS THAT? THIS, I WANNA SAY IT WAS 23, 24 WAS BEFORE MY ARRIVAL HERE.
AND WHEN IT HAPPENED, IT WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE.
BUT THE, I I'LL SAY THE MANAGEMENT OF CASH FLOW IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.
THEY HAVE THE, THEY ARE THE ADMINISTRATORS OVER THE C BANK ACCOUNT AS WELL AS THE
ALRIGHT, DO WE GET SO? NO, MA'AM.
[01:05:01]
COMMS THAT YOU MADE, YOU EMAIL ME OR CALLSO THANK YOU, UH, MS. JORDAN AND MR. BASSETT FOR CLEARING UP, UH, MORE MISS AND DISINFORMATION, UH, FROM INDIVIDUALS.
[REGULAR BUSINESS]
MOVING ON TO OUR REGULAR BUSINESS, OUR FIRST R ITEM IS GOING TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT OF 1001 PARAMOUNT ROAD AND 2 2 5 SOUTH 15TH AVENUE.MEETING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I HAVE, UH, TWO CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUESTS FOR YOU THIS EVENING.
THE FIRST ONE RELATES TO 1001 PERRY MO ROAD PARCEL 2 5 4 0 0 1 0.
AGAIN, BOTH OF THESE ARE FIRST READINGS FOR THIS PARTICULAR CUP.
THE APPLICANT IS MR. CHARLES BENNETT OF JOY FELLOWSHIP CHURCH.
THIS PROPERTY'S LOCATED WARD FOUR AND ZONED R TWO.
THE REQUEST IS TO ALLOW A SIX FOOT FENCE IN A FRONT YARD IN THE R TWO DISTRICT FRONT YARD FENCES ARE LIMITED TO FOUR FEET IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO WE'VE GOT A GENERAL LOCATION MAP ON THE LEFT AND THEN A CLOSE IN AERIAL VIEW ON THE RIGHT.
IN THE CLOSE IN AERIAL VIEW, YOU'LL SEE A RED LINE THAT'S THE LOCATION OF THIS NEW FENCE.
UM, SO IT'S NOT GONNA ENCIRCLE THE ENTIRE PROPERTY, BUT JUST, UM, THAT EASTERN PORTION.
THE APPLICANT'S POSITION HERE IS THAT, UH, THERE'S SOME ATHLETIC FIELDS UP AT THE FRONT AND THAT A TALLER FENCE TALLER THAN FOUR FEET WILL, UH, PROVIDE BETTER CONTAINMENT OF THE ATHLETIC FIELD.
IMPROVED SAFETY FOR CHILDREN, UTILIZING THOSE FIELDS AND IMPROVED OVERALL PROPERTY SECURITY.
THESE ARE SOME IMAGES SUPPLIED BY THE APPLICANT AS TO THE PROPOSED FENCING, AND AGAIN, UM, A TIGHTER VIEW OF THE LOCATION OF THIS NEW FENCE.
UH, STAFF DOES CONCUR WITH THE APPLICANT'S PO POSITION THAT A SIX FOOT FENCE IN THE FRONT YARD WHILE ENHANCED SAFETY AND SECURITY.
UH, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WAS SOLICITED, UH, THROUGH THE ADVERTISEMENTS, BUT WE DID HAVE TWO PERSONS SPEAK AT THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, ONE WAS AGAINST A SIX FOOT FENCE IN THE FRONT YARD AND THE SECOND JUST HAD CONCERNS ON A DITCH LINE.
SO STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS THAT THE NEW FENCING AND ENTRAN ENTRYWAY WILL BE IN SUBSTANTIAL CONFORMANCE WITH THE FENCING AND ENTRYWAY EXAMPLES AS PRESENTED TO YOU THIS EVENING.
PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, ALSO RECOMMENDS APPROVAL, UM, AT THEIR PUBLIC HEARING WITH A FIVE ZERO VOTE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS.
THE APPLICANT IS HERE THIS EVENING IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, OTHERWISE I'LL MOVE ON TO THE SECOND ONE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING? SEEING NO LIGHTS? OKAY.
SECOND CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST.
THIS EVENING RELATES TO 2 25 SOUTH 15TH AVENUE, ALSO IDENTIFIED AS PARCEL 0 2 4 1000.
AGAIN, FIRST READING, UH, THE APPLICANTS ARE MR. EUGENE BROWN, DANTE PATTON, AND LINWOOD JEFFERSON.
THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY IS LOCATED IN WARD ONE AND ZONED B TWO LIMITED COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
THE REQUEST THIS EVENING IS TO, EXCUSE ME, TO OPERATE AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP.
YOU MAY REMEMBER THAT CUP REQUIREMENT WAS ADDED IN JUNE OF LAST YEAR FOR AUTO RELATED USES THE MAP HERE ON GENERAL LOCATION.
THEN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS THE CLOSE END VERSION.
YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS BUILDING.
UM, THE SECTIONS IN THE MIDDLE AND THEN AT THE NORTH ARE UTILIZED FOR THE MCDONALD'S, UH, EMPLOYEE MANAGER TRAINING FACILITY.
SO WITH ANY, UH, AUTO RELATED USE, THERE ARE SOME POTENTIAL IMPACTS THAT STAFF IS GONNA LOOK AT.
AND THOSE INCLUDE PARKING, OUTSIDE STORAGE OR DISPLAY OF PRODUCT, NOISE POLLUTION, AIR POLLUTION, WASTE DISPOSAL, AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS, POTENTIAL SAFETY RISKS, AND ANY OTHER AESTHETIC
[01:10:01]
CONCERNS CAN LEAD TO DECREASE IN PROPERTY VALUES.THE APPLICANT'S, UH, PROPOSES TO ONLY USE TWO OF THE SIX BAYS THAT ARE ACTUALLY AT THIS PROPERTY, AND IT'LL BE THE TWO FRONT BAYS.
THEY WILL NOT WORK ON VEHICLES OUTSIDE AND NOR WILL THEY STORE INOPERABLE, UH, VEHICLES.
UH, THE BUSINESS WILL OPERATE ON AN APPOINTMENT ONLY BASIS, SO NO WALK-INS OR DROP-OFFS.
AND OF COURSE, THEY WILL PROPERLY HANDLE STORE AND DISPOSE OF HAZARDOUS LIQUIDS AND MATERIALS.
SO HERE'S A STREET VIEW IMAGE OF THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION.
AGAIN, IT WOULD JUST BE THE USE OF THE TWO BAYS UP FRONT.
IT DOES HAVE A FENCED PARKING LOT THAT IS SECURE AND WILL BE SECURED IN THE EVENINGS.
AGAIN, IT DOES HAVE SECURED OFF STREET PARKING.
THE BUILDING DOES ALLOW FOR INDOOR STORAGE OF ALL MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT, AND OF COURSE, THE APPLICANT PROPOSES TO STORE, MANAGE AND DISPOSE OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGULATIONS.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS APPLICATION.
STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
UH, NUMBER ONE, THE EXTERIOR OF THE PROPERTY TO BE KEPT CLEAR AT ALL TIMES WITH NO OUTSIDE STORAGE OF MATERIALS, PARTS, OR EQUIPMENT.
NUMBER TWO, UH, OUTDOOR DISPLAY OF ITEMS FOR SALE PROHIBITED.
NUMBER THREE, ALL VEHICLES ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, THE BUSINESS.
WE WILL BE PARKED IN THE OFF STREET PARKING LOT.
NUMBER FOUR, ALL AUTO REPAIR WORK MUST OCCUR INDOORS.
NUMBER FIVE, INOPS AND, UH, IN ARABLE VEHICLES AND ABANDONED VEHICLES MUST BE REMOVED OR STORED INDOORS.
UH, AFTER 30 DAYS, THE STORAGE HANDLING AND DISPOSAL OF HAZARDOUS MA MATERIALS WILL COMPLY WITH ALL REGULATIONS.
AND THEN THE GENERAL, UH, CONDITION THAT THE USE AND PREMISE WILL COMPLY WITH.
THESE ARE THE SAME, UH, PROPOSED CONDITIONS WITH THE PREVIOUS AUTO RELATED CEPI THINK IT WAS A MONTH AGO, SIX, SIX WEEKS AGO, PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED FIVE TO ZERO TO APPROVE THIS REQUEST WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS.
UH, THE APPLICANTS ARE HERE THIS EVENING, SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS FOR THEM, THEY'RE AVAILABLE.
I'M ALSO AVAILABLE AND THAT'S IT FOR THE CEPS TONIGHT.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR, UH, THIS ONE? MM-HMM.
OKAY, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, THE ONLY PERSON THAT WE HAVE SIGNED UP FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS MR. MARK BURROWS.
UH, I DON'T KNOW THE GENTLEMAN THAT, UH, WHEN I OPEN UP THE SHOP, BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT WE SIT UP HERE AND WE TALK ALL THE TIME ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO BRING MORE BUSINESSES, MORE REVENUE TO THE CITY, BUT THEN Y'ALL MAKE IT INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO DO SO AND GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, SO FORTH AND SO ON.
SEEMS KIND OF OXY MORE HONOR TO ME.
SO IF WE COULD JUST, UH, GET RID OF THIS HEADACHE AND
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AT THIS TIME, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS FOR 1001 PARAMOUNT ROAD AND 2 2 5 SOUTH 15TH AVENUE AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO, SO MOVED.
UH, COUNCILOR WHEAT FOR THE MOTION.
AND COUNCILOR HARRIS FOR THE SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE, ROLL CALL PLEASE.
MR. MAYOR, I'M ASSUMING THAT THE BOTH OF THOSE APPROVALS ARE WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS? YES.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE A MODIFICATION TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS APPLICATION THIS EVENING.
AGAIN, THIS IS, UH, FIRST READING.
PUBLIC HEARING RELATES TO NINE 15 RIVERSIDE AVENUE, WHICH IS PARCEL 0 6 6 0 8 8 8.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE THE MAP HERE, UM, OF THE PROPERTY, THE GENERAL LOCATION MAP, AND THEN ON THE RIGHT IS A CLOSE AND AERIAL.
THIS IS VIRGINIA AMERICAN WATER'S INTAKE PUMP STATION.
IT'S LOCATED JUST EAST OF THE ROUTE 10 BRIDGE.
THEY, OF COURSE, ARE THE APPLICANT
[01:15:02]
FOR THIS MODIFICATION TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, AND THEY ESSENTIALLY ARE, ARE REQUESTING TO HAVE BARBED WIRE SECURITY, UM, BARBED WIRE FENCING ON THE TOP OF THEIR REGULAR SECURITY FENCING.UM, THE DISTRICT THAT THIS PUMP STATION IS LOCATED IN DOES NOT CURRENTLY ALLOW THAT, BUT IT DOES, HAS HAVE A PROVISION FOR THE MODIFICATION TO THE STANDARDS TO ALLOW IT.
SO THE APPLICANT IS, UM, PROPOSING ESSENTIALLY THE THREE STRANDS OF BARBED WIRE WHERE ADDED SECURITY ON THE PERIMETER SECURITY FENCE AND FOR THE CITY'S WATER INTAKE PUMP STATION.
SO THE WAY THAT MODIFICATIONS TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS WORK IS THAT, UM, IT SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED IF ANY OF THE, UH, FOLLOWING CONDITIONS ARE MET.
AND NUMBER ONE, THE GRANTING OF THE MODIFICATION WILL CONSTITUTE THE GRANTING OF A VARIANCE, A SPECIAL EXCEPTION OF ADDITIONAL USE OR REZONING.
STAFF DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT IT DOES THAT.
NUMBER TWO, ORDINARY FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS OF THE PRINCIPAL REASON FOR THE REQUESTED MODIFICATION.
STAFF DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THAT IS THE REASON FOR THIS REQUEST.
THE REASON IS FOR, UH, ADDED SECURITY.
NUMBER THREE, THE MODIFICATION AMENDS A PROPERTY SPECIFIC CONDITION IMPOSED BY CITY COUNCIL OR THE BCA UNLESS SUCH CONDITION SPECIFICALLY GRANTS SUCH MODIFICATIONS, UH, TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
IT DOES NOT AMEND A PROPERTY SPECIFIC CONDITION.
AND NUMBER FOUR, THE APPLICANT CREATED THE CONDITION OR SITUATION GENERATING THE NEED FOR THE MOD MODIFICATION.
UH, STAFF DOES NOT BELIEVE THAT THE APPLICANT HAS CREATED THIS CONDITION.
SO STAFF, UH, RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE MODIFICATION TO DEVELOP THE STANDARDS TO REQUEST, UM, BARBED WIRE ALONG THE TOP PERIMETER OF THE SECURITY FENCING WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITION THAT THE FENCING WILL COMPLY WITH.
THE SAME STANDARDS THAT ARE SET FORTH IN ARTICLE 18, SECTION A SEVEN B THREE OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE THAT APPLIES TO FENCING AND INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
AND IN THOSE DISTRICTS, THE FENCING MAY BE UP TO 10 FEET, UH, HIGH AND DOES NOT EXCEED THREE STRANDS ON TOP WITHIN THAT 10 FOOT HEIGHT LIMIT.
PLANNING COMMISSION VOTED, UH, FIVE TO ZERO TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS REQUEST WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDED CONDITION.
WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS APPLICATION, AND, UM, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE APPLICANT IS HERE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M ALSO AVAILABLE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? SEEING NO LIGHTS.
ALRIGHT, I'M, GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, ONLY PERSON I HAVE SIGNED UP TONIGHT IS MR. MARK BURROWS.
I'M, GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MODIFICATION TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AT 9 1 5 RIVERSIDE AVENUE AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? I MOVE.
ALL MOTIONS BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR WHEAT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.
I'M GONNA INTRODUCE MR. CHRIS AND, UH, DAVENPORT JIMMY TO TALK ABOUT THE ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF GO BONDS FOR, UM, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, JIMMY SANDERSON WITH DAVENPORT, FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO THE CITY.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST COME BACK AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A REPORT ON WHERE WE STAND WITH THINGS AGAIN.
STACY SAID THAT THE, THE AUDIT'S GONNA BE READY TOMORROW, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, OUR GOAL THEN IS TO TAKE THAT AND THEN BE ABLE TO TALK TO SOME INVESTORS WAITING FOR THAT IN PARTICULAR.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO YOU, UM, YOUR MAY 28TH MEETING WITH THE RESULTS OF THAT.
UM, I DON'T WANNA RUSH IT THOUGH, SO, UM, I THINK MORE TO COME ON THAT, BUT OUR GOAL IS TO AT LEAST COME BACK WITH YOU WITH THE ACTUAL RESULTS, UM, OF THE, UM, OF, OF INVESTORS WHERE THE INTEREST RATES ARE, UH, THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF, OF THE LOAN AS WELL.
UM, MR. COLE, UM, WHO IS BOND COUNSEL TO THE CITY, UH, CAN TALK THROUGH THE PROCESS WITH RESPECT TO THE ORDINANCE.
A FIRST READING NOW, UM, A SECOND READING, UM, ON THE 28TH, BUT THEN ALSO THE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION AT THAT TIME.
UM, UH, BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS GENERALLY THAT YOU HAVE.
MS. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UH, CHRIS CULP FROM
[01:20:01]
HUNT, ANDREWS CARETH IN RICHMOND.I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THERE FOR YOU AGAIN.
AND OUR ROLE, AS JIMMY SAID, AS BOND COUNSEL, WE ARE A SPECIALIZED LEGAL, UH, LEGALIZED COUNSEL WORKING IN CONCERT WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY AND, UH, FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO, UM, PUT TOGETHER A FINANCING, UH, THAT MEETS THE STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS AND, UH, FEDERAL TAX REQUIREMENTS.
BECAUSE WE WOULD BE ASKED AT THE END OF THE FINANCING TO PROVIDE AN OPINION TO THE HOLDER OF THE BOND, THE LENDER THAT, UH, THE INTEREST ON THE, THE BOND IS TAX EXEMPT FOR FEDERAL INCOME TAX PURPOSES AND THAT IT HAS MET ALL OF THE STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS.
SO AS A PART OF THE STATE LAW REQUIREMENTS, UM, THE CITY AND BEFORE ISSUING DEBT IS REQUIRED TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING, UM, AND THEN CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF THAT ORDINANCE.
THE ORDINANCE IS ON A FIRST READING TONIGHT, AND IT'S A SHORT FORM AUTHORIZATION FOR THE ISSUANCE OF UP TO $15 MILLION TO, UH, FINANCE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS, MOSTLY HVAC RELATED.
UM, AND SO THAT IS FOR CONSIDERATION.
AND THEN SUBSEQUENT TO THE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, AND I THINK WAS INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA, PACKAGE IS A BOND RESOLUTION FOR CONTEXT TO, UH, PROVIDE MORE DETAIL ABOUT, UH, THE SPECIFICS OF THE BOND ISSUE AND ALLOWS THE COUNCIL TO APPROVE THE PARAMETERS OF THE FINANCING, THE MAXIMUM PRINCIPAL AMOUNT, UH, A MAXIMUM INTEREST RATE AND A MAXIMUM, UH, TERM.
UH, AND THAT SO LONG AS THE FINANCING FITS WITHIN THOSE PARAMETERS, THEN THE DELEGATION TO CITY STAFF AND TO THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE ON THAT FINANCING WOULD BE AUTHORIZED AND NO FURTHER ACTION BY COUNSEL WOULD BE REQUIRED.
UH, THE FINANCING IS SET UP IN A MANNER SIMILAR TO WHAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED BACK IN THE FALL AS A GENERAL OBLIGATION FINANCING, UH, BUT FOR, FOR THESE GOAL PURPOSES.
SO THAT'S A, A BRIEF OVERVIEW, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT COUNSEL MAY HAVE OR GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE ORDINANCE AND THE RESOLUTION.
SO TONIGHT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE GOTTA HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN WE APPROVE ON A FIRST READING THE ORDINANCE AND THE RESOLUTION.
AND THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING WE DO THIS, UH, THE SIMILAR PROCESS.
JUST, JUST TO, ARE, ARE YOU ASKING FOR A PASSAGE ON FIRST READING NO.
TONIGHT, OR ARE WE LOOKING FOR PASSAGE IN TWO WEEKS? UH, I THINK THAT'S UP TO, UH, COUNSEL.
UH, IT'S ALLOWED IF THERE'S A, A LARGE ENOUGH MAJORITY TO WANT TO DO THAT.
IF, IF, IF IT'S COUNSEL'S PLEASURE TO TAKE A VOTE TONIGHT, YOU CAN TAKE ONE TONIGHT.
IN WHICH CASE I BELIEVE THERE IS NO ACTION REQUIRED IN, IN TWO WEEKS.
UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND OPEN UP.
FIRST PERSON THAT I HAVE SIGNED UP TONIGHT IS MR. MARK BURROWS.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS, UH, BACK ON JANUARY 13TH, UH, DURING A COUNCIL MEETING.
THEN DURING R THREE, MS. JORDAN STATED THAT THE $15 MILLION WILL NOT BE USED FOR SCHOOLS, BUT INSTEAD, INSTEAD TOWARDS OTHER EXPENSES, UH, WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, SHE SPECIFICALLY NAMED CITY HALL AS ONE OF THE EXPENSES THAT WILL BE COVERED BY THAT $15 MILLION.
I WOULDN'T SWEAR UNDER OATH, UH, DUE TO MY WONDERFUL MEMORY, BUT I COULD HAVE SWORN THAT THE STORM WATER INCREASE THAT SHE HAD SAID THAT THE STORM WATER INCREASE THAT WAS VOTED IN THAT EVENING WAS GOING TO COVER SOME OF THESE EXPENSES FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, TO INCLUDE THE HVAC FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, FURTHERMORE, WHY ARE WE TAKING LOANS OUT WHEN WE CAN'T AFFORD TO EXIST AS A CITY WITHOUT CONTINUOUSLY INCREASING THE COST TO THE CITIZENS? THE LOANS THAT YOU'RE ASKING THESE FOLKS FOR MAY OFFER SOME TEMPORARY REPRIEVE, BUT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE TAXPAYER'S BACK FOR YEARS TO COME, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE $15 MILLION IS NOT GOING TO BE A SIMPLE PAYOFF.
WHERE'S THAT MONEY GOING TO COME FROM? HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? AND WHETHER OR NOT THAT MONEY IS GOING TO COME OUTTA Y'ALL'S HIND PARTS AND MY HIND PARTS, 'CAUSE MY HIND PARTS IS ABOUT TAXED OUT.
UM, FURTHERMORE, THE YOUNG LADY OVER HERE, UH, SPEAKING ABOUT THE CONDITION OF HER SCHOOLS, IN MY OPINION, THAT SHOULD BE THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY FOR ANYTHING.
UH, WE'RE SPENDING $25,000 ON A SECURITY BARRIER AT THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE
[01:25:01]
AND $4,005 ON CHAIRS FOR THE VERY SAME OFFICE.THE WAY I SEE IT, THAT'S $29,000.
THAT CAN PUT A COUPLE OF TOILETS IN A, IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, THAT IF A, IF A MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WILLING TO COME UP HERE AND DISCUSS, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, AS ADULTS, WE SHOULD BE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE MIDDLE SCHOOL PRESENTS THEM TO US, PRESENTS THE ISSUES TO US.
AND LASTLY, I WANNA KNOW WHO'S BEEN FIRED, WHO'S BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT THIS MAYOR A COUPLE MINUTES AGO.
YOU ASKED HER TO SPEAK ABOUT SOME STUFF FROM 10 YEARS AGO REGARDING DISINFORMATION OR WHATNOT.
YOU WERE ON COUNCIL WHEN SOME OF THIS STUFF WAS GOING ON.
MS. VICE MAYOR, YOU WERE ON COUNCIL THEN MR. HARRIS, YOU WERE ON COUNCIL AT THAT TIME.
WHO'S BEEN FIRED? WHO IN THE CITY'S BEEN HELD ACCOUNTABLE TAKING THE TASK OUTSIDE OF WHO WE'VE ELECTED OUT OF OFFICE, WHO'S BEEN TAKING THE TASK BECAUSE WE'RE STILL PAYING THE BILL FOR IT, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY ACCOUNTABILITY.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS MS. LAURA GREENWOOD.
WHERE'S THE CLOCK TONIGHT? I GOT MY, UH, LAURA GREEN REMOVAL AWARD.
I'M GONNA MAKE THIS REAL QUICK FOR YOU 'CAUSE I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL THIS STUFF.
NUMBER ONE, ONE OF THE CITY, ONE OF THE CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WAS GIVEN THIS INFORMATION FROM ONE OF THE COUNSELORS.
THIS IS WHERE THE $15,000 WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOING TO.
IT'S, UH, 13, 14 DIFFERENT THINGS HERE AND A ROUGH A AVERAGES OUT TO 14, $14 MILLION, 605, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THEN THIS BS COMES OUT, WHICH IS, IN MY OPINION, A DISCREPANCY OR DELIBERATELY DONE.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROPOSED BOND IS TO PAY COSTS RELATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION IMPROVEMENT REPLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES AT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, HVAC UPGRADES, ET CETERA.
NONE OF THESE OTHER 13 OTHER THINGS ON HERE.
SO THE LAST THING IS, I'M GLAD YOU GUYS BROUGHT THE TREASURER IN HERE.
I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THE UM, COMMISSIONER IN HERE BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO GO THROUGH THEIR FILES.
THIS IS THE PART THAT TICKS ME OFF.
YOU'RE GETTING $15,000 LOAN WITH CLOSE TO 5% INTEREST THAT TAXPAYERS ARE GONNA PAY FOR.
OKAY? AND THE OTHER PART IS, THIS INVESTMENT THAT YOU HAVE IS OVER 21,000,690 $500,297 AND 64 CENTS.
WHY DO YOU NEED A $15,000, UM, LOAN MILLION? WHY DO YOU NEED IT? HERE'S SOME MONEY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY INTEREST ON THIS.
STOP SCREWING WITH THE PEOPLE.
YOU'RE MISREPRESENTING THE TRUTH TO THE PEOPLE.
DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE CITIZENS' OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
ALRIGHT, NEXT UP IS JAN GLOVER.
GOOD EVENING CITY COUNCIL NEIGHBORS.
I AM HERE BECAUSE I LOST A BET TO MY 11-YEAR-OLD
MY DAUGHTER INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD THE GUTS TO GO AND TELL CITY COUNCIL THAT WOODLAWN NEEDED TO BE FIXED OR REPLACED AND CARTER G NEEDED TO BE FIXED OR REPLACED.
I SAID, CJ, I DON'T WANNA LOSE MY JOB.
FACT OF THE MATTER IS THIS, THE SEVENTH GRADERS KNOW HOW BONDS WORK BECAUSE IN SEVENTH GRADE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE SECOND WORLD WAR AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR, WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR THE UNITED STATES TO STAND UP TO NAZIM AND BEFORE THAT TO THE KAISER AND THE VARIOUS COLLECTIONS OF DOMINOES THAT FELL OFF IN A ROW RIGHT AFTER THE WHOLE ARCH TWO FRAN FERDINAND GETTING, YEAH, THERE'S A REASON WHY I DON'T TEACH SEVENTH GRADE.
I TEACH SIXTH, BUT I USED, I USED TO TEACH EIGHTH GRADE CIVICS.
THERE'S A LOT OF MATH IN EIGHTH GRADE CIVICS.
[01:30:01]
IT'S CIVICS AND ECONOMICS.THERE'S A REASON WHY I'M NOT ON ANY KIND OF A CITIZEN'S ANYTHING COMMITTEE.
THERE'S ALSO A REASON WHY I'M NOT A MATH TEACHER.
ANYTHING THAT COMES DOWN TO US CHANGING THE SCHEDULES.
LIKE TODAY WHEN WE TOOK THE PRACTICE READING SOL, YOU'LL SEE ME COUNTING ON MY FINGERS.
A BOND IS A CITIZEN PURCHASES IT AND IT'S PAID BY BY THE CITY AT INTEREST.
A BOND IS PART OF YOUR CAPITAL.
YOU CAN SET IT ASIDE AS YOUR OWN INVESTMENT.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE INVESTMENTS THAT IT'S GUARANTEED TO PAY AT A SET AMOUNT.
IT'S NOT LIKE A STOCK MARKET INVESTMENT THAT GOES UP AND DOWN WHEN THE CITY HAS INVESTMENTS THAT PAY BACK AT A SET RATE OF INTEREST.
SOME OF THE CITY'S INVESTMENTS ARE IN BONDS.
CORRECT? DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT? YEAH.
SOME OF THE CITY'S INVESTMENTS ARE IN STOCKS THAT GO UP AND DOWN AND THE CITY HAS TO PAY THE PAYROLL.
DO I HAVE THAT RIGHT? BECAUSE KEEP IN MIND, I WASN'T ALWAYS A TEACHER.
I, I HAD A DAUGHTER AND NEEDED TO BE ON THE SAME SCHEDULE WHEN WE WENT TO BALANCE CALENDAR.
SO I WENT BACK TO GRADUATE SCHOOL AND GOT MY VIRGINIA TEACHING LICENSE IN FOUR SUBJECTS.
SO IF THE CITY WERE TO TAKE THEIR ACCOUNT AND ALL THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE AND IF WE SPEND OUR CAPITAL, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR RETIREMENT FUND, RIGHT? IF YOU SPEND YOUR RETIREMENT FUND THAT YOU'RE COUNTING ON YOUR FIXED INCOME TO COME FROM, IF YOU TAKE SOMETHING OUT OF YOUR PRINCIPAL, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT MONTHLY INCOME OR IS IT GONNA BE LOWER? IF YOU SPEND THE PRINCIPAL, YOU STOP GETTING THE INTEREST FROM HIM.
SO YOU CAN'T SPEND YOUR MAIN SET OF MONEY.
SOMETIMES IF YOU TAKE A LOAN AT 5% INTEREST AND YEAH, YOU'RE PAYING THAT 5%, BUT DOES ANYBODY HAPPEN TO KNOW THE CURRENT RATE OF INFLATION OFF THE TOP OF THEIR HEAD? IT'S ABOVE 5%.
WE WILL BE PAYING THIS LOAN BACK WITH MONEY THAT IS WORTH LESS THAN WHAT WE BORROWED IT AT.
ALSO, I AM REALLY TIRED OF COMING HOME FROM WORK WORK AND BEFORE I PUT MY COAT ON HAVING TO SHAKE IT BECAUSE WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH COCKROACHES AT MY WORKPLACE.
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THE STUDENTS, ALTHOUGH SOME OF THEM, GOD BLESS THEM.
ALRIGHT, NEXT UP IS MS. DARLING THOMPSON.
IF YOU ALL ARE DARLING THOMPSON WARD ON SIX, IF YOU ALL ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COMMENT AFTER WE SAID SOMETHING, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND COMMENT ON WHAT YOU ALL SAID.
I REMEMBER WHEN STACEY CAME HERE, SHE SAID THAT YOU ALL HAD INFLATED THE BUDGET WAS INFLATED BY 7.1 MILLION.
THAT WAS AFTER MR. BRANSON LEFT.
ONE THING I DON'T DO IS MISS MY CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.
OKAY? I'VE COME BEEN COMING TO THESE MEETINGS SINCE 2018.
ALL OF THESE NUMBERS THAT IS ON THESE PAPERS, I GUESS IT'S TRUTH, BUT IT SHOWED THAT WE ARE NOT IN A DEFICIT.
IT WOULD'VE SHOWN THAT WE DO NOT NEED $15 MILLION.
'CAUSE NO WAY COULD YOU ALL HAVE PUT A PLAN TOGETHER THAT QUICK.
I CAN CALL MR. CHARLES BENNETT TO FIVE FIVE FIVE.
HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO COME IN HERE AND GET MONEY FOR THE BANK OF AMERICA.
HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GET MONEY OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
BUT HE ASKED FOR $500,000 FOR THE MARINA.
YOU ALL CAME UP WITH THE MONEY AFTER THE BUDGET WAS SET, THEN Y'ALL GAVE HIM $94,000.
THEN IN THIS BUDGET THAT YOU ALL JUST ARE PLANNING TO SET FOR THE CITY, YOU ALL ARE PUTTING ANOTHER 500,000.
WHEN HE HAD JUST ASKED FOR 250,000 TO DO A STORE, TO BUILD A STORE DOWN AT THE MARINA.
NOW IT'S UP TO 500 BECAUSE Y'ALL JUST THROWING MONEY ALL OVER THE PLACE AND ACTING LIKE YOU ALL ARE BROKE.
ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS GOOGLE, WHEN WAS OUR ASSESSMENTS INCREASE? IT GIVES YOU THE DATE AND THE TIME.
YOU ALL CAN GO AND PULL IT UP.
THIS IS WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE TO THESE CITIZENS.
TAX THE HECK OUT OF THEM WHILE THE BOB GROUP HAS WALKED OUT WITH OVER THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS PLUS MORE PAYING THIS ROGERS 20.
WELL, WHICH THE BOB GROUP GETS IT $21,000 A MONTH.
BUT Y'ALL NEED 15 MILLION ON THE ONLY THE REASON THAT OUR NOW, UM, DEBT AND WHAT WE ARE PAYING AS FAR AS UM, UM, EMPLOYEES, THEY HAVE GIVEN CHARLES BENNETT A UH, PERSON.
[01:35:01]
THE CITY, UH, ATTORNEY, GOT TWO EMPLOYEES, SO ONE EMPLOYEE.IF YOU ARE A BROKE, YOU DON'T CONTINUE TO SPEND THIS KIND OF MONEY.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO DO AND ACT LIKE WE ARE CRAZY.
WHEN THE CITY, UM, TREASURE CAME, HE BROUGHT THE NUMBERS.
Y'ALL AIN'T BROKE Y'ALL UP IN INVESTMENTS.
I CAN'T EVEN INVEST BECAUSE I'M SPENDING OUR MONEY IN TAXES, REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO COME UP HERE UNTIL Y'ALL GET IT RIGHT.
BUT I'M HOPING THAT THEY VOTE YOU FOR OUT THIS YEAR THAT YOU ALL DON'T HAVE AND SKIP THAT SIGNATURE.
THAT'S ALL THAT I HAVE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE, UH, ONCE AGAIN MISINFORMATION, UH, THAT WAS PUT OUT BY THE PUBLIC OR I SHOULD SAY CERTAIN PUBLIC MEMBERS, UH, MS. JORDAN, DID CITY COUNCIL EVER INCREASE THE STORM WATER TAX? THAT IS THE UNFUNDED MANDATE FROM THE STATE OF VIRGINIA? YOU DON'T HAVE TO AUTHORITY TO DO THIS WITHOUT ASKING.
THIS, THIS IS, WE ARE CORRECTING THE RECORD.
MS. RANDOL, THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING.
PLEASE STOP TALKING OR YOU'RE GONNA BE ESCORTED OUTTA THE BUILDING.
MR. DEPUTY, YOU PLEASE ESCORT MS. RANDOL OUTTA THIS MEETING.
DID THE ONLY CITY COUNCIL ACTION THAT THE CITY TOOK WITH THE STORM WATER FEE WAS TO TAKE IT OFF OF THE DATA INTEGRATOR BILL AND TO MOVE IT OVER TO THE REAL ESTATE TAXES? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY FOR 10 YEARS.
THIS CITY DID NOT MANAGE ITSELF WELL UP UNTIL THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT 2015, THERE'S A WHOLE NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM.
THERE'S A WHOLE NEW CITY COUNCIL OF WHICH, YOU KNOW, THIS COUNCIL AND THIS MANAGEMENT TEAM HAS ACTUALLY TAKEN TOUGH ISSUES AND HAD TO WORK THROUGH IN CLEANING UP PREVIOUS CITY COUNCIL'S, MESSES AND LIES.
SO ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THIS NECESSARY TAKING CARE OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS CITY COUNCILS TOOK AWAY THE CAPITAL FUNDING FUNDING THAT WAS USED AT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO BALANCE THEIR BUDGET.
WHICH MS. JORDAN, YOU KNOW, DID YOU NOT, YOU KNOW, PREVIOUSLY MENTION THAT, UM, THE PRE, UH, PREVIOUS COUNCIL BUDGETS EITHER RAN IN THE DEFICIT OR WERE LEADING TO, UH, BANK THE CITY TO BANKRUPTCY.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT PREVIOUS YEARS WHERE HWR, UM, IT WAS 40 MILLION VERSUS TO 20 MILLION THAT RECEIVED.
SO IT'S BEEN A LOT OF THAT BACK AND FORTH.
ALSO, I JUST WANT SAY, IF YOU GO TO THE A PA WEBSITE, YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THAT THE CITY OF HOBO FISCAL DISTRESS LIST, IT WAS HOPEWELL AS WELL AS VIS WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF COMING OFF THAT LIST.
THAT'S A BIG THING FOR THE CITY OF HOME.
YOU GUYS BEEN ON LIST PRICE AND TIME.
IT'S REPORT THAT THE, UH, UH, AUDIT THE HEALTH ACCOUNTANTS, THEY PUT OUT THE REPORT EVERY YEAR AND VIS THAT HAVE BEEN ON THAT LIST.
IF YOU GO TO THE APA GOV WEBSITE, YOU'LL SEE IT OUT THERE.
SO WHAT WE'RE TELLING YOU IS NOT FALSE INFORMATION.
CAN YOU, AND, AND, AND THE THING IS IT'S NO, EXCUSE ME.
YOU'VE ALREADY HAD A CHANCE TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK.
THIS IS, THIS IS THE TIME WHERE WE ARE ADDRESSING MISCOMMUNICATION.
DID THE CITY REPRESENT OR DID YOU EVER STATE THAT THE CITY EVER OPPORTUNITY TO SIGN TO SPEAK? MR. BURROWS, THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING.
PLEASE STOP TALKING OR YOU'RE GONNA BE ESCORTED OUTTA THE CITY HALL.
I'LL SAY, MR. DEPUTY, WILL YOU PLEASE REMOVE HIM? ALRIGHT.
STACEY, DID YOU EVER STATE THAT THE CITY MISREPRESENTED OR OVERINFLATED, MR. DEPUTY, PLEASE REMOVE HIM FROM CITY HALL.
STACEY, DID YOU EVER STATE THAT THE CITY MISREPRESENTED OR INFLATED ITS BUDGET?
[01:40:02]
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.AND ALRIGHT, SO THAT ADDRESSES ALL THE MISS AND DISINFORMATION, UH, FROM THIS PUBLIC HEARING.
SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA AND THE MAXIMUM PRINCIPLE OF $15,000 AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? 15 MILLION.
SEE ONCE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, YEAH, 15 MILLION.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, SEEING NO LIGHTS ROLL CALL PLEASE.
DID YOU COUNSELOR PAUL, I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD THE CLERK'S LIGHT ON SO, UH, NO, PRESS THE LIGHT.
YEAH, THAT'S THE CLERK'S LIGHT.
WHAT'S THIS? NO, THAT'S HER LIGHT IS PRESS THAT ONE TO SEE.
PRESS THE ONE THAT'S TO YOUR LEFT.
WELL THEN WHAT DO YOU GOT? HE GETS THIS ONE.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S YOUR LIGHT THERE.
SO THERE'S TWO LIGHTS ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH MAKES NO SENSE TO ME, BUT THAT THAT'S ALRIGHT.
UM, I MEAN, I JUST WANTED TO COMMENT THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD AND AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAVE REPEATEDLY COME TO US AND SAID EITHER REPLACE THE HBA SYSTEM OR PAY LARGE SUMS IN REPAIR BILLS OR RUN THE RISK THAT WE HAVE NO, UH, AIR CONDITIONING IN THE SCHOOLS, IN WHICH CASE THEY'D HAVE TO SHUT DOWN.
SO, I MEAN, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE IN AN ABSOLUTE POSITION WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS THE SCHOOL ISSUES.
I JUST WANTED TO GO ON RECORD AS SAYING I'M TRYING TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH THIS.
AND I CAN SAY, YOU KNOW, WE TRIED, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT TO THE STATE, UM, AND ASKING THEM FOR BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THIS AND UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T GET, UM, CARRIED IN THE HOUSE OF DELEGATES BILL, UM, OR THE, THE BUDGET BILL.
WE DIDN'T GET CARRIED IN THE, UH, SENATE BUDGET BILL.
AND, UH, WHEN THEY CAME TOGETHER TO RECONCILE, UH, WE STILL, UH, YOU KNOW, WEREN'T IN THERE UNFORTUNATELY.
UH, DESPITE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS OF MEETING WITH SENATORS AND DELEGATES OF BOTH MONEY COMMITTEES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, UH, COUNCILOR LEY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, THE SCHOOL HAS TO HAVE HVAC AND A FUNCTIONING ONE BECAUSE IF IT DOESN'T THEN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SEND, UH, KIDS INTO SCHOOL THERE.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE KIDS IN SCHOOL THAN TO HAVE THEM OUT ON THE STREET.
WAS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT HAD ANY COMMENTS? CALL FOR THE WORD.
SO NOW A, NOW THAT THE ORDINANCE IS TAKEN, UH, CARE OF NOW YOU NEED THE RESOLUTION OR IS THAT ONE COMING BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING? UM, I BELIEVE IT'S, IT'S YOUR PLEASURE.
IF, IF COUNSEL WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION HAVING DISPENSE WITH THE SECOND READING OF THE ORDINANCE AND ADOPTED THE ORDINANCE TONIGHT, UM, YOU COULD PROCEED TO CONSIDER THE RESOLUTION IF THAT'S YOUR PLEASURE.
IS THAT, THAT'S ALL ANYTHING WE JUST GO AHEAD.
RESOLUTION DOESN'T, DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A REQUIREMENT ON AVERAGE TO HAVE TWOS ANYWAY.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE ISSUANCE, SALE AND AWARD FOR THE CITY OF HOPEWELL, VIRGINIA OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT BONDS IN ONE OR MORE SERIES HERE TO FOUR AUTHORIZED AND PROVIDING FOR FORM DETAILS AND PAYMENT OF SUCH BONDS AS PRESENTED TONIGHT.
MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY VICE MAYOR JOINER AND SECONDED BY COUNCILOR EL UH, HARRIS HARRIS.
SEEING NO LIGHTS FOR DISCUSSION.
UH, WITH THAT, THAT WILL CONCLUDE.
MS. ENGLISH HAS WAITED ALL EVENING FOR THE LAST TWO ITEMS. I ONE.
I COME BEFORE YOU, UH, FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, UM, ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION
[01:45:01]
TO OUR BUDGET AND THE AMOUNT OF $509,700.THIS IS DUE TO ADDITIONAL STATE AND LOCAL FUNDING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
YOU APPROVED OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET ON APRIL 22ND, 2025.
YOU THEN APPROVED A SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $778,650 IN SEPTEMBER OF 25 AND ANOTHER SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $4,758,285 IN FEBRUARY OF 26.
AND ALL THAT MONEY WAS TO ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO THE BUDGET FOR GRANTS THAT WE RECEIVED.
UM, THE SCHOOL DIVISION HAS SINCE RECEIVED NEW GRANTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $509,700.
WE RECEIVED AN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVISIONALLY LICENSED TEACHER GRANT, ANOTHER SCHOOL SECURITY OFFICER GRANT, A YEAR ROUND SCHOOLS GRANT, A CAMERON FOUNDATION, AND A JOHN RANDOLPH FOUNDATION GRANT.
THESE FUNDS WILL INCREASE THE OPERATING BUDGET TO A TOTAL OF $76,305,087.
AND THE ENTIRE HOPEWELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGET TO A TOTAL OF $82,257,456.
UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, FOR MS. ENGLISH? MM-HMM.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RELU, THE SCHOOL DIVISION SUPPLEMENTAL APPROACH AND RESOLUTION TO AMEND THE FY 26 HOPEWELL PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION AS PRESENTED TONIGHT? SO MOVED.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NO LIGHTS? ROLL CALL PLEASE.
UM, ALRIGHT, THAT CLOSES OUT TONIGHT'S MEETING.
UM, MS. ALLEN ON YOUR SECOND MEETING AS THE, UH, AS THE NEW CLERK.
AND THEN ALSO CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. KYLE ENGLISH FOR HIS FIRST TIME PREVENTING PRESENTING IN FRONT.