* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:05] HERE. [Call to order and roll call ] HERE, HERE. DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? QUORUM? OKAY. ALRIGHT, THANKS. UM, ARE THERE ANY, UM, AMENDMENTS OR ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA? HEARING NONE. UM, THIS TIME DO I HEAR MOTIONS [CLOSED MEETING ] TO GO INTO CLOSED MEETING, UH, 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 A PUBLIC CONTRACT OR DISCUSSION IN AN OPEN SESSION WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE CITY'S BARGAINING POSITION. AND TO CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS, EDA SUPPORT AGREEMENT 1 0 1 CITY POINT ROAD, SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A AND EIGHT FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL, VIRGINIA AMERICAN WATER RATE CASE AND COUNCIL RULES UPDATE SECTION 2.2 DASH 37 11 A ONE AND EIGHT TO DISCUSS PERSONNEL MATTERS, DOCK COMMISSION AND WATER RENEWAL OPERATIONS CONTRACT MOTION. I MOVED. SECOND. SECOND. ALRIGHT, IT'S BEEN PROPERLY, UM, MOVED BY, UM, COUNSELOR DAY AND SECONDED BY, UM, COUNCILOR WHEAT. UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILOR WHEAT? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. CASE TAKE SECONDS. COUNCILLOR HARRIS. COUNCILOR HOLDER? YES. COUNCIL DAY? YES. MOTION CARRIED? SIX. OKAY. ALRIGHT. SESSION. ANY DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILOR REED? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS. YEAH. VICE MAYOR JOYNER? YES. COUNCILOR HARRIS? YES. COUNCILOR OLE? YES. COUNCILOR DAY? YES. MOTION PASSES. 60 ZERO. OKAY. UM, CERTIFICATION, PLEASE. I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT. PJ, IS YOUR MICROPHONE ON? IT'S ON. I THINK I NEED TO CHANGE THE CERTIFICATION PLEASE. CERTIFICATION. OKAY. MM-HMM . WE'RE ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS. LAWFULLY EXEMPTED FROM OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS AND TWO IDENTIFIED IN THE CLOSED MEETING. MOTION DISCUSSED IN THE CLOSED MEETING. CALL, CALL, UH, UH, COUNCILLOR WHEAT? YES. COUNCILLOR ELLIS? YES. VICE MAYOR JOYNER? YES. COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES. COUNCILLOR OLI. YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. OKAY. ALRIGHT. UM, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE MEETING THIS EVENING. UM, UH, COUPLE OF, UM, QUICK ITEMS. UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT AND ALSO COMMUNICATIONS WITH CITIZENS. SO PLEASE MAKE SURE IF YOU DO WANNA SPEAK, SIGN UP, UH, FOR COMMUNICATION WITH CITIZENS. IF YOU ARE SPEAKING, UH, TO A PARTICULAR, UH, PUBLIC HEARING, YOUR COMMENTS MUST BE RELEVANT TO THAT PUBLIC HEARING, BUT DO MAKE SURE YOU CHECK OUT WHAT YOU KNOW IF YOU WANNA SPEAK AT A PARTICULAR PUBLIC HEARING. SO I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT. UM, UM, LET'S SEE. [REPORT OF THE CITY MANAGER ] REPORTS OF THE CITY MANAGER. SURE. THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR. MM-HMM . I JUST HAVE TWO BRIEF ANNOUNCEMENTS BEFORE WE GET ONTO OUR STAFF ITEMS. THE FIRST IS, AS YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS BEEN VERY DILIGENTLY INVOLVED IN THIS WATER RATE CASE WITH THE SEC. AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS BEEN DILIGENT IN MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY IS, IS REPRESENTED WELL TOMORROW, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS, UH, EVIDENTIARY HEARING SCHEDULED FOR 10:00 AM AT THE SEC BUILDING. IT IS AT 1300 EAST MAIN STREET IN RICHMOND. AND, UH, WE HAVE ENCOURAGED OUR RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE. THEY WERE ABLE TO SIGN UP BY JUNE 3RD TO EITHER SPEAK IN PERSON OR PROVIDE WRITTEN COMMENTS, EVEN IF YOU HAVE NOT PRE-REGISTERED OR ABLE TO ATTEND THAT MEETING, UM, TOMORROW TO, TO, UM, PARTICIPATE OR SEE HOW THAT EVIDENTIARY HEARING GOES. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE AWARE OF THAT. THE [00:05:01] SECOND ITEM HAS TO DO WITH OUR RECREATION AND PARKS, UH, TEAM WHO ARE NOW HANDLING SPECIAL EVENTS FOR US. UH, WE WERE EXPECTING TO HAVE A JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION NEXT WEEKEND. HOWEVER, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HAVE AN EVENT AS WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST. AND SO RECREATION AND PARKS WILL BE SEEKING RESIDENT INPUT SO WE CAN PLAN FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE AN EVENT THAT EVERYONE CAN BE, UM, UM, PROUD OF. AND SO WE WILL CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THE HOLIDAY AND MAKE SURE IT'S RECOGNIZED, UM, BETWEEN NOW AND OUR NEXT MAJOR EVENT. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUBLICLY SET THAT BEFORE WE PUT OUT, UM, SOME SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS JUST KIND OF UPDATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT THAT. AND THAT CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS THIS EVENING. OKAY, CHIEF, GOOD EVENING ADVICE, MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. I'M HERE TO, UH, GIVE YOU THE JUNE POLICE CRIME SUMMARY AND, UH, FOR STATISTICS. UH, THE FIRST SLIDE, UH, FOR VIOLENT CRIME, AT THIS POINT WE ARE AT MINUS 44% IN VIOLENT CRIME REDUCTION AND, UH, PROFIT CRIMES. WE ARE DOWN BY THE MINUS 5%. SO TOTAL MAJOR CRIME REDUCTION IS MINUS 14% AT AT THIS TIME PERIOD. THE NEXT SLIDE WOULD BE THE, UH, CRIME SUMMARY WHERE WE LOOK AT, UH, 2022 VERSUS WHERE WE WERE AT IN 2026. AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GAUGE IN THAT BASED ON THE 2022, WE STARTED A, A TECHNOLOGY INCREASE. AND AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, IF WE LOOK AT THE 2022 VERSUS 2026, VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN MINUS 43%. UH, PROPERTY CRIME DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD IS DOWN MINUS 30% IN TOTAL MAJOR CRIMES. GUG IN 22, 20 22, AND 2026 IS DOWN MINUS 32%. I WAS SU SUSPECTED, UH, OVERDOSES, UH, IN 2026. SO FOUR FATAL. WE'VE HAD TWO NON-FATAL OR TOTAL OF SIX AND GRAND TOTAL FOR IS WHAT? 2026 IS EIGHT. SO, UH, FATAL, WE ARE, UH, SAME AS 2025. IT'S BEEN LOWER IN THIS YEAR. AND, UH, ALSO IN THE GRAND TOTAL COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS. UH, NARCOTICS, UH, ENFORCEMENT, I'M LOOKING AT, UH, THE TOTAL NARCOTIC INCIDENTS WITH ARRESTS. THESE ARE INCIDENTS WITH ARRESTS IN 2023, IT WAS A TOTAL OF 55. 2024 WAS A TOTAL OF 49. 2025 WAS TOTAL OF 29. AND HERE WE ARE IN 2026. WE'RE HALFWAY IN THE YEAR. THERE'S 22 TOTAL NARCOTIC INCIDENTS WITH ARREST MATE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PERSONS THAT WERE ARRESTED FOR NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS, IT WAS A TOTAL OF 50 IN 20 23, 46 IN 2024. 2025 WAS 27. AND HERE WE ARE SIX MONTHS INTO 2026, AND WE ARE AT 22 TOTAL PERSONS THAT HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR NARCOTICS. I VERIFIED THE SHOTS FIRED, UH, FOR 2024. THIS WAS A TOTAL OF 64, 20, 25, 54, AND SO FORTH. THUS FAR IN 2026 IS TOTAL NINE. OKAY. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH MEETINGS ARE THE SAME. NOTHING HAS CHANGED, UH, HIRING AND RECRUITMENT. NEXT SLIDE. UH, I HAD, WHEN THIS CAME OUT, IT WAS TWO DISPATCH POSITIONS, BUT SINCE THAT TIME, I'VE HIRED ANOTHER, UH, DISPATCHER. SO WE ARE, UH, ONE POSITION THAT IS VACANT CURRENTLY FOR DISPATCH. UH, WE HAVE FIVE POLICE OFFICERS POSITIONS THAT ARE OPEN. AND THE FOLLOWING RECRUITMENT EFFORTS ON JUNE 11TH, OUR RECRUITMENT TEAM WILL BE AT THE HAMPTON ROADS CONVENTION CENTER, AND ALSO THE SAME DATE THEY'D BE, THEY WILL BE IN FORT LEE. THAT'S ON, ON A THURSDAY. UH, COMMUNITY POLICING OFFICERS AWARDS HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE MY, MY LAST REPORT, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ON JUNE THE FIRST, UH, THEY HAD AN END OF SCHOOL EVENT AT COLLEGE OF WILSON SCHOOL. AND, UH, OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM, WE BROUGHT THE GAMING TRAILER OUT THERE AND PROVIDED THAT, THAT, THAT WAS PROVIDED FOR THE STUDENTS. AND THE HOURS WERE FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM. ALSO, ON JUNE THE FIFTH, WE HAD THEIR SPECIAL OLYMPICS TORCH RUN. AND THIS YEAR IT WAS A CHANGE. THEY STARTED AT THE [00:10:01] PUBLIX IN CORNIER HEIGHTS AND ENDED AT THE ROSES PIZZA IN HOPEWELL. AND THERE WAS A GOOD TURNOUT ON JUNE THE FIFTH. UH, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM, ALONG WITH MYSELF, UH, WE ASSISTED THE HEALTHY FAMILIES AT ATWATER PARK. IT WAS BUILDING BRIDGE. IT WAS A BUILDING BRIDGES EVENT THAT FOCUSED ON GUN VIOLENCE AND, AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY. AND THE EVENT WAS FROM 5:00 PM TO 8:00 PM AND THIS IS A YEARLY MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL EVENT, AND IT WAS VERY GOOD TURNOUT. ON JUNE THE 27TH, FROM 12:00 PM TO EIGHT, THE HOORAY FOR HOPEWELL 250 WILL BE HELD DOWNTOWN. AND WE WILL BE PROVIDING A TOUCHY TRUCK, WHICH IT WILL GIVE THE CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE LIGHTS AND SIREN AND VIEW THE INSIDES OF THE FLEX FIELD. IN MY, THIS, THE STRATEGY, THIS IS, UH, IS CALLED OUR STRATEGIC ENFORCEMENT TEAM. THIS IS A SUMMER MONTH FOCUS OF THE MONTHS OF JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST. AND THE FOCUS WILL BE ON THE, IT IS A SPECIALTY TEAM THAT IS FOCUSED, UH, NOT ANSWERING CALLS FOR SERVICE UNLESS IT'S PRIORITY. AND THEIR FOCUS WILL BE ON CURFEW VIOLATIONS, UH, CITIZEN CONTACTS, FIELD INTERVIEW CALLS, AND BE FOCUSING ON A LOT OF MUSIC, UH, HOTSPOTS IN THE CITY BASED ON CRIME ANALYSIS. AND, UH, ALSO WE WILL BE DIRECTING PATROLS AND HAVING OUTDOOR ROLL CALLS AT ALL HRHA PROPERTY. UH, WE ALSO WILL BE ADDRESSING CRIME AND DISORDER THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF HOPEWELL. AND ONCE AGAIN, WE WILL PERSIST. WELL, WE WILL BE ASSISTING PATROL ON PRIORITY CALLS FOR SERVICE IF NECESSARY. AND WE ALSO WILL BE FOCUSED ON FIREARMS AND NARCOTICS VIOLATION AND ALSO SERVING OUTSTANDING WARRANTS. THAT CONCLUDES THE END OF MY CRIME SUMMARY, AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, MR. POLLARD. GOOD EVENING. GOOD VICE MAYOR, JOY. GOOD EVENING. CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, CITY MANAGER VINCENT JONES. UM, I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT TONIGHT. UM, WE HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, WORK WITH THE PLANNING OFFICE, UM, JAMES JONES. UM, UH, CHRIS WARD HAS GIVEN ME GREAT SUPPORT WITH, UH, THE USE OF THAT YOUNG GENTLEMAN. AND WE HAVE, UM, BEEN ABLE TO, UM, HOPEFULLY BRING A BETTER PRODUCT TO THE CITIZENS AND ABLE TO ACCESS THEIR REAL ESTATE DATA. UM, THAT NEW, UM, VEHICLE IS GOING TO BE CALLED, UH, QUEST ATLAS SITE. IT'S GOING TO BE PROVIDED BY THE CIVIC, VANGUARD, UH, COMPANY. UM, THEY ARE, UH, PRESENT AND FOUNDER. UM, UM, UM, GOD, UH, MY, MY, MY BRAINS SLIPPED. UM, CHRISTIAN, JAMIE CHRISTENSEN IS, IS HERE AND HE'S GOING TO GIVE A DEMONSTRATION. UH, BUT THE NEW WEBSITE IS, IS BROUGHT FORTH BECAUSE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE EITHER IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE OR THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, OR JUST COMMON CITIZENS, HAD DIFFICULTIES IN ACCESSING REAL ESTATE DATA. UM, THIS NEW WEBSITE IS GOING TO HAVE A, A REALLY DYNAMIC FEATURE, A BIG CHANGE, AND MORE CUSTOMIZED TO WHAT HOPEWELL HAS AND WHAT IT HAS TO OFFER. UM, IT WILL HAVE A CHAT FUNCTION. UM, YOU WILL NOTICE A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN THE, THE MAPPING, UM, TABLE FORMATS WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY QUERY DATA AND SAVE THAT DATA, AS WELL AS, UM, LOOKING AT FLOOD AND ZONING MAPS FOR THAT PARTICULAR AREA IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOODS. UM, YOU CAN QUERY BY NAME STREET PARCEL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW EVERY SINGLE THING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW YOUR SPECIFIC STREET ADDRESS. YOU CAN GET, UM, GET A GOOD START WHEN YOU JUST START WITH 4 0 2 ELM STREET. THAT WILL BE ENOUGH TO QUERY THE INFORMATION AND GET AN IDEA OF WHAT YOUR ASSESSMENT WILL BE AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR AS FAR AS WHERE DO YOU FIT INTO THE REAL ESTATE MARKET FOR YOUR AREA. UM, YOU CAN GET SOME QUERY FUNCTION AS FAR AS HOMELESS, SIMILAR HOME SIZES LIKE YOURS THAT SOLD IN THE MARKET. THAT FUNCTION SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EASIER. UM, CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW THE BETA TEST SITE IS AVAILABLE TO THE CITIZENS OF HOPEWELL. UM, YOU CAN ACCESS THAT INFORMATION RIGHT NOW. AND BASICALLY THE, THE NEXT THING IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PICTURE OF OUR, OUR NEW WEBSITE AND, UH, WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE OFFERING. AND IT'S, IT IS VERY BASIC, BUT I THINK THE, THE, UH, SIMPLIFICATION BUT ALSO THE IMPROVED POWER BEHIND THAT SIMPLIFICATION IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE, UH, REALLY EXPERIENCING. AND I HOPE, WELL, I KNOW [00:15:01] JAMIE'S GOING TO PROVIDE A GREAT, GREAT, UH, PRESENTATION TO YOU AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE AFTER THAT. ALRIGHT, SIR, HERE'S DANIEL CHRISTENS. HI AGAIN. MY NAME IS JAMIE CHRISTENSEN. I'M THE PRESIDENT OF CITY OF VANGUARD. WE'RE A MAPPING AND SOFTWARE COMPANY BASED OUT OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY FOR A FEW YEARS AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT UPGRADING THE WEBSITE. WE WORK WITH ABOUT 35 LOCALITIES IN VIRGINIA, UH, NEARBY. THAT INCLUDES THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, SURREY COUNTY, UM, AND MANY OTHERS. AND I'M HOPING I CAN DO A LITTLE DEMONSTRATION. SO JAY, WHAT'S THE BEST WAY? GREAT. YEAH. SO LATER THIS MONTH, THERE WILL BE A LINK MADE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY ASSESSOR'S WEBSITE WHERE THE NEW PAGE WILL BE AVAILABLE. UM, IT WILL TRY DIFFERENT BROWSER. THAT'S FINE. WE CAN ACTUALLY DO IT OFF HERE BECAUSE THAT LAPTOP IS OUT OKAY ON THE COMPUTER. SORRY, SHOULD I COME OUT HERE? YEAH, YOU CAN JUST PUT A TAB. DO YOU MIND IF I SCAN IN HERE? , THANKS SO MUCH. SO THE FUN OF, UH, LIVE DEMOS. SO THE FIRST THING THAT POPS UP IS A CHAT SCREEN. YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THREE WAYS TO CONNECT TO THE SITE. YOU CAN LOOK AT IT VIA CHAT, VIA MAP. WE'RE ALL VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY, BUT FOR MANY FOLKS, THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CITY BOUNDARIES OR WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE. SO CHAT'S HELPFUL AND ALSO A TABLE VIEW. BUT IF WE GO BACK TO THE CHAT, YOU CAN SEE, YOU CAN JUST, JUST LIKE WE'RE SORT OF GETTING USED TO NOW WITH SOME OF THE CHAT TOOLS, YOU CAN JUST ASK A QUESTION. YOU CAN TYPE IN AN ADDRESS. SO IF I JUST START TO TYPE IN 300 NORTH, IT'LL START TO BRING BACK ADDRESSES. AND IF I KEEP TYPING HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE IT BRINGS BACK 300 NORTH MAIN STREET. SO HERE WE ARE AT CITY HALL AND THAT COMES UP IN THE CHAT WINDOW. UM, I CAN THEN CLICK ON THE ACTUAL PROPERTY AND WE WILL BRING YOU TO THE MAP. AND THE MAPPING INFORMATION IS A VERY DETAILED MAP OF THE PROPERTY. ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE TABS FOR ALL THE ASSESSMENT INFORMATION. SO WE HAVE A PROPERTY CARD THAT GIVES US A DETAIL ON THE OWNERSHIP, ALL OF THE ASSESSMENT INFORMATION, WE CAN GET IMPROVEMENT INFORMATION INCLUDING SKETCHES, PHOTOGRAPHS. AND THIS IS TRUE FOR ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS. SO IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE IMPROVEMENT, YOU CAN BRING THAT BACK. AND THEN A HISTORY TAB THAT SHOWS US THE SALES HISTORY AND THE ASSESSMENT HISTORY. AT THE TOP WE HAVE A NUMBER OF BUTTONS. IF I CLICK ON THE INFO BUTTON, FOR INSTANCE, IT'LL BRING BACK AN ACTUAL PROFILE OF THE PROPERTY BOUNDARY. AND IF I HOVER MY MOUSE OR MY FINGER OVER TOP OF THAT, I CAN SEE THAT IT ACTUALLY GIVES ME BACK THE ELEVATION. THIS CAN BE VERY HELPFUL FOR FOLKS WHO ARE DOING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR SITE SURVEYS AND EVEN FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES OPERATIONS. I CAN ALSO, IF I WANT TO JUST EXPORT THE INFORMATION INTO A PDF FORMAT SO THAT I HAVE A [00:20:01] PROPERTY CARD THAT I CAN TAKE WITH ME, PROVIDE TO A CLIENT, UH, USE IT IN OTHER WAYS, I CAN THEN GENERATE A PDF. IT'S DOING THAT HERE AT THE BOTTOM. WHEN I'M DONE WITH THAT, I CAN OPEN IT UP AND YOU CAN SEE I GET A FULL PROPERTY CARD. SO THIS TAKES ALL OF THAT INFORMATION THAT'S ON THE WEB AND MAKES IT AVAILABLE FOR ME WHERE I CAN PRINT IT ALONG WITH ALL THE ASSESSMENT INFORMATION, ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS, SALES INFORMATION, AND THEN A MAP OF THE PROPERTY. SO IF YOU'RE IN THE REAL ESTATE COMMUNITY, THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR YOU TO GO TO A PROPERTY, LOOK UP THE ADDRESS, CLICK THE EXPORT BUTTON, AND YOU HAVE A CARD AVAILABLE. IT'S JUST SORT OF TWO CLICKS AND YOU'RE DONE. I CAN ALSO FIND PROPERTIES THAT ARE NEARBY. SO LET'S SAY I WANTED TO FIND ALL THE PARCELS WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET OF THIS PARTICULAR PARCEL. I JUST RUN THAT QUERY AND THEN IT GIVES ME A RESULT SET OF ALL THOSE PROPERTIES. SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO CONTACT CITIZENS OR IF YOU'RE DOING AN ASSESSMENT OR ANALYSIS, THIS GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO FIND THINGS THAT ARE NEARBY. WE ALSO HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE CITY, HAS A LICENSE WITH A SOFTWARE COMPANY CALLED EAGLEVIEW. EAGLEVIEW GIVES US WHAT WE CALL OBLIQUE IMAGERY WHERE WE CAN LOOK, ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE IMAGERY, UM, FROM A BIRD'S EYE VIEW. AND THIS GIVES ME THE ABILITY, AGAIN, FOR ASSESSMENT, BUT ALSO FOR PLANNING AND FOR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AND FOR UTILITIES TO REALLY GET DETAILED INFORMATION. I CAN ZOOM IN AND OUT ON THIS PART AND IT'S VERY, VERY DETAILED. UH, IMAGERY INFORMATION. WE ALSO HAVE DATA FROM GOOGLE. SO THIS GIVES US THE ABILITY TO, WITHOUT LEAVING THE WEBSITE, WE CAN GO TO GOOGLE MAPS. I CAN SEE A 2D MAP. I CAN DRAG MY LITTLE PERSON IN HERE AND GET AN ACTUAL STREET VIEW. SO HERE WE ARE RIGHT OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL. I CAN ALSO SWITCH TO A 3D VIEW. THIS 3D VIEW ACTUALLY LETS ME, WITHOUT LIVING LEAVING THE CITY SITE, I CAN GO INTO IT AND LOOK AT IT LIKE I WOULD IN GOOGLE EARTH. AND WHAT'S REALLY GREAT ABOUT THIS IS ALL THESE INTEGRATIONS ALLOW FOR YOUR CITIZENS, YOUR STAKEHOLDERS AND STAFF TO ACCESS ALL THIS DATA WITHOUT LEAVING THE CITY SITE. SO YOU'RE ALL RIGHT HERE INSIDE OF THE PLATFORM. AND THEN FINAL PIECE IS THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THE REAL ESTATE TAX INFORMATION LIVE AND YOU HAVE A DIRECT CONNECTION. SO IF YOU FIND YOUR PROPERTY, YOU CAN CLICK THE REAL ESTATE TAX BUTTON AND BRING UP THE TAX INFORMATION AND PAY IT RIGHT HERE THROUGH THE SITE. SO IF WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO A DIFFERENT PLACE AND SEARCH, YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET TO THIS INFORMATION, FIND YOUR REAL ESTATE TAX INFORMATION AND PAY IT ONLINE. AND AS WE LAUNCH THE SITE, WE HAVE ROOM FOR MORE BUTTONS AND FOR MORE INTEGRATIONS. AND WE EXPECT TO SEE MORE THINGS COMING ONLINE IN THE FUTURE. I'LL JUST SORT OF WRAP WITH, UH, A PIECE HERE IN TERMS OF THE ABILITY TO CHAT. SO I CAN ACTUALLY ASK THE SYSTEM QUESTION. SO I COULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE, SHOW ME PROPERTIES SOLD LAST SPRING. SO I CAN JUST ASK IT A QUESTION AND HERE IN THE CHAT IT WILL TAKE THAT, ANALYZE IT AND PROVIDE ME WITH A SET OF RESULTS. SO NOW I SEE THAT THERE WERE 212 PROPERTIES SHOWN THAT WERE WERE SOLD LAST SPRING. I CAN LOOK AT THAT ON A MAP. I CAN TAKE THAT INFORMATION, I CAN EXPORT IT, I CAN REVISE MY QUERY IF I WANT TO. UM, THIS REALLY GIVES ME A POWERFUL TOOL WITHOUT HAVING TO ACTUALLY KNOW THE DATA IN THE CITY TO ASK QUESTIONS, GET ANSWERS, AND FIND THE INFORMATION. AND AS I MENTIONED, WE REALLY THINK IT'S A POWERFUL WAY FOR STAFF STAKEHOLDERS AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR CITIZENS TO GET THE DATA THAT'S AVAILABLE WITHIN THE CITY. SO I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE HERE AND HAPPY TO SHARE. THERE'S A LOT MORE TOOLS. OBVIOUSLY. AS I SAID, WE HAVE A CHAT MODE, A MAP MODE, AND THEN IF YOU'RE LIKE ME AND YOU JUST LIKE EXCEL SPREADSHEETS, IT ALL IS AVAILABLE JUST AS A TABLE. AND HERE IT IS. I CAN SEE ALL THAT INFORMATION. AND FOR INSTANCE, JUST TO SORT OF SHOW HOW THAT WORKED HERE IN THE CHAT, YOU CAN SEE THE LAST SALE DATE STARTED IN MARCH 2ND, 2025 AND GOES ALL THE WAY THROUGH MAY. SO IT WAS ABLE, ABLE TO INTERPRET THAT QUESTION I ASKED AND GIVE ME A RESULT BACK. THAT'S ALL THE PROPERTY SOLD LAST SPRING. IS THIS ALREADY AVAILABLE? WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE, WE WANTED TO REALLY GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COUNCIL TO SEE IT HERE TONIGHT. UM, AND THAT WE'RE IN THE WORKS HERE TO HAVE THIS GO LIVE BY THE END OF THE MONTH. OKAY. WOW. UM, SO BY JUNE 30TH, WE EXPECT TO HAVE THE NEW SITE AVAILABLE AND THIS WILL ALL BE HERE, BUT WE WANT TO GIVE YOU A FIRST EARLY LOOK HERE AS WE ROLL IT OUT FOR THE CITY. SO YOU MENTIONED BETA TESTING. MM-HMM . TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS YOU'RE USING. GREAT QUESTION. SO THREE STAGES. OUR FIRST STAGE IS TO MAKE THE SITE AVAILABLE FOR STAFF. AND THE STAFF HAVE BEEN EVALUATING THE SITE FOR SEVERAL WEEKS NOW AND BE GIVING US FEEDBACK. AND THEN WE BEGIN A NEW ROLLOUT HERE AT THE END OF THE MONTH, THE SITE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR EVERYONE TO GET ACCESS TO. AND THEN ON THE TOP OF THE SITE WE HAVE A FORM THAT SAYS FEEDBACK. IF YOU CLICK THAT LINK, THIS GIVES FOLKS THE ABILITY TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK DIRECTLY TO THE CITY STAFF AND OUR TEAM SIMULTANEOUSLY. AND AS THAT FEEDBACK COMES IN, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A TICKETING SYSTEM WHERE OUR TEAM WILL GET THAT FEEDBACK, WE'LL LOOK AT IT, WE'LL REVIEW IT, WE'LL FIX THE ISSUE AND THEN SEND IT BACK TO CITY STAFF. WHAT WE TYPICALLY SEE IS THAT BY THE END OF THE FIRST MONTH OF GO [00:25:01] LIVE, SO BY THE END OF JULY, EVERYTHING THAT IS SORT OF OUT THERE THAT MIGHT BE AN ISSUE OR A QUESTION WILL BE RESOLVED AND IT WILL BE IN A STEADY STATE. BUT IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION BECAUSE AS YOU ROLL OUT A MAJOR PIECE OF SOFTWARE LIKE THIS IN THE CITY, YOU CAN'T EXPECT THAT ON THE FIRST DAY IT'S GONNA BE PERFECT. THERE'S GONNA BE SOME THINGS WE'RE GONNA NEED TO ADJUST AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FOR. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE DO THIS PROCESS WHERE WE WANNA BRING IT TO THE COUNCIL. YOU HAVE AN EARLY LINK TO THIS, IT'S AVAILABLE FOR YOU. IT'S IN YOUR, IT'S IN YOUR PACKET. SO YOU CAN CLICK ON THAT LINK TONIGHT, YOU HAVE FULL ACCESS TO THAT AND CERTAINLY CLICK THAT FEEDBACK FORM AND PROVIDE US WITH ANY FEEDBACK YOU MIGHT HAVE. AND WE WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT. AND THEN AS WE ROLL THIS OUT IN JULY, THERE OBVIOUSLY WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STAFF, BUT ALSO MOST IMPORTANTLY STAKEHOLDERS AND CITIZENS TO THIS FEEDBACK AS WELL. THANK YOU. QUALITY LOOKS GOOD. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. THANKS. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY. ALRIGHT. MOVING ALONG [ACTIONS RESULTING FROM CLOSED MEETING ] TO ACTIONS RESULTING FROM THE CLOSED SESSION. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE BRADFORD SMITH? UM, FOR THE DOCS COMMISSION? OKAY. SECOND. OKAY. UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILLOR WHEAT? YES. COUNCILLOR ELLIS. YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. COUNCILLOR HARRIS. MAYOR, PARTNER, I MEAN, SORRY. EXCUSE ME. COUNCILOR OLI? YES. AND COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. MOTION PASSES. SIX ZERO. ALRIGHT, WE'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG TO OUR PRAYER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. HAVE THE PRAYER BY, UH, PASTOR HARVILLE, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. UM, THAT WILL BE LED BY MYSELF. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. IT'S PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT. THANK YOU. IT'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR WORD OF PRAYER. HOLY AND GRACIOUS GOD, IT IS WITH HEARTS FULL OF THANKSGIVING THAT WE COME BEFORE YOUR PRESENCE THIS NIGHT. LORD GOD, WE LIFT UP THE ENTIRE CITY OF HOPEWELL TO YOU, LORD. WE LIFT UP EVERY RESIDENT OF OUR CITY. FROM THE YOUNGEST BABY TO THE OLDEST SENIOR CITIZEN. LORD GOD, WE PRAY FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT FACETS OF OUR CITY. LORD, I PRAY TONIGHT FOR CITY GOVERNMENT, FOR THE MAYOR, THE VICE MAYOR, FOR EVERY MEMBER OF COUNCIL. LORD, I PRAY FOR ALL THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WORK TO KEEP US SAFE. I PRAY FOR ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. I PRAY FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, ESPECIALLY OUR CHIEF LORD GOD, I PRAY FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS, ESPECIALLY OUR CHIEF LORD. I PRAY FOR THE PARAMEDICS FOR ALL THOSE WHO, UM, COME WHEN THEY ARE IN, THEY ARE NEEDED. THEY RUSH LORD TOWARD THE DANGER. SOMETIMES NOT KNOWING IF A CALL COULD GO SIDEWAYS IN A MOMENT'S NOTICE. BUT LORD, THAT IS WHERE WE PLACE OUR COMPLETE TRUST AND FAITH IN YOU. LORD, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TOMORROW HOLDS, BUT WE KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW. AND IT'S YOU, LORD GOD WOULD GIVE YOU THANKS FOR YOUR PROVIDENTIAL CARE OVER US. LORD, YOU ARE OUR CREATOR, REDEEMER AND SUSTAINER LORD. YOU ARE THE AUTHOR OF LIFE. YOU ARE THE GIVER OF ALL GOOD GIFTS. GOD, I THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS THAT YOU'VE POURED OUT UPON THE CITY OF HOPEWELL. LORD, WE RAISE OUR CONCERNS BEFORE YOU. NOW WE PRAY FOR THE ISSUES THAT ARE OUR MINDS AND HEARTS. LORD, WE PRAY THAT ALL OF US TOGETHER, ALL DIFFERENT FACETS OF THIS COMMUNITY WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER TO BRING HOPE TO ALL IN THIS CITY WHO NEED IT TO BRING COMFORT TO ALL WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO BRING PEACE TO THOSE WHO HAVE KNOWN SO MUCH CHAOS. LORD GOD, WE PRAY FOR YOUR HEALING POWER TO BE UPON EACH AND EVERY RESIDENT OF THIS CITY IN EVERY WAY IN WHICH HEALING IS NEEDED. GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IN THIS CITY IN THE FUTURE. LORD, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW US TO PLAY SOME SMALL PART IN THE BETTERMENT OF THIS COMMUNITY. I PRAY GOD, THAT WE WOULD EACH FIND A WAY TO MAKE OUR FAMILY, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, OUR CHURCH, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR PARTICULAR ROLE WE PLAY IN THE GOVERNMENT, OUR SCHOOL WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES. MAY WE MAKE IT THE VERY BEST THAT IT CAN BE THROUGH OUR POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS. WE THANK YOU FOR HEARING AND ANSWERING OUR PRAYERS. IT IS IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. A PLEASURE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. MOVING ON TO OUR CONSENT [CONSENT AGENDA ] AGENDA. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED. SECOND. ALRIGHT. UH, IT'S BEEN MADE BY, UH, COUNCILOR WHEAT AND SECONDED BY, UH, COUNCILOR DAY. ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY. ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILLOR WHEAT. YES. COUNCILLOR ELLIS. YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER. YES. COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES. COUNCILOR OLE. YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. MOTION PASSES. SIX TO ZERO. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MOVING [COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS] ON TO COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS. UM, [00:30:01] COULD SOMEONE PASS THE, OH, DO YOU ALREADY HAVE? YEAH, I THINK HE'S GONNA GET THOSE SHEETS. OKAY. AND WHILE HE IS GETTING THOSE, UM, COULD YOU READ THE UM, STATEMENT? YES MA'AM. A COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS PERIOD LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF 30 MINUTES OCCURS AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. PERSONS ADDRESSING COUNSEL OR POST A 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 IMPERTINENT ABUSIVE OR SLANDEROUS STATEMENTS OR INSIGHTS, DISORDERLY CONDUCT IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS MAY BE BARRED FROM FUTURE COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITIZENS AND REMOVED. OKAY. ALRIGHT. COMMUNICATION UNDER COMMUNICATION FROM CITIZENS. THE FIRST PERSON, UM, SIGNED UP IS MARK BURROUGHS. GOOD EVENING, MARK BROS. WARD THREE. UH, IT'S BEEN A ROUGH COUPLE OF MONTHS IN THE PAST TWO MONTHS I'VE GOTTEN UP HERE AND I'VE STATED MY OPINION. I'VE SAID SOME THINGS TO SOME FOLKS DIDN'T NECESSARILY APPRECIATE AND I WON'T REVISIT THOSE WORDS PRECISELY BECAUSE Y'ALL HAVE SHOWN YOUR PROPENSITY TO RUN AND TAKE OUT RESTRAINING ORDERS AGAINST THE CITIZENS OF THIS CITY FOR EXERCISING THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT HERE. THE SUPREME COURT HAS RULED ON THIS MULTIPLE TIMES AND I RECOMMEND THAT Y'ALL GET OLD YEEHAW BOY OVER HERE IN THE CORNER TO DO HIS JOB AND ADVISE Y'ALL. THE SUPREME COURT HAS RULED ON THIS MULTIPLE TIMES. TOM PLACE AND MANNER OUTSIDE OF THAT, YOU CANNOT RESTRICT MY FREE SPEECH DURING THESE MEETINGS. IF I SAY SOMETHING YOU DON'T LIKE, OH, WELL COPE WITH IT. THAT'S YOUR ISSUE. GET OVER IT. IF I SAY SOMETHING NOT RELEVANT TO THE TOPIC, OH, WELL THAT'S YOUR ISSUE. GET OVER IT. THE ONE THING I WILL SAY THAT I DO NOT SUPPORT THROUGH ALL OF THIS, AND I WILL ADAMANTLY SAY AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN SO THAT THERE IS NO CONFUSION. I DON'T KNOW WHO OR WHY ANYBODY ONLINE WOULD THREATEN Y'ALL OVER A VIDEO THAT THE PROGRESS AND THAT'S RELEASED OF THE SITUATION. I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY WOULD DO THAT. IT WAS NOT DONE AT MY DIRECTION, IT WAS NOT DONE AT MY BEHEST, MY REQUEST OR ANY OF THE ABOVE. AND I DO NOT CONDONE NOR PROVE OF IT. AND I HOPE THAT THE PERSON WHO MADE THREATS AGAINST Y'ALL'S LIVES HAS BEEN ARRESTED AND IS BEING DEALT WITH ACCORDINGLY BECAUSE THAT IS NOT THE WAY THINGS ARE DONE. THAT BEING SAID, THIS IS Y'ALL'S LAST AND FINAL WARNING FROM MARK EDWARD BURROUGHS AND GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD. AND IF YOU DOUBT ME, GET HIM TO DO WHAT YOU PAY HIM TO DO FROM HERE ON OUT. I'M NOT GOING AFTER YOUR OFFICES. IF YOU SUPPRESS MY RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH, I WILL GO AFTER YOU PERSONALLY. YOU WILL NO LONGER HAVE QUALIFIED IMMUNITY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. I WILL DO MY DAMNEDEST TO TAKE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE FROM YOU MONETARILY IN A COURT OF LAW. DON'T MISCONSTRUE IT AS A THREAT. 'CAUSE GOD KNOWS I DON'T NEED ANY OTHER DAMN RESTRAINING ORDER. OKAY? THIS IS Y'ALL'S LAST WARNING FROM ME. I WILL STRIP YOU OF YOUR QUALIFIED IMMUNITY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, SIR, IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. SIR, YOUR COMMENTS CAN BE CONSTRUED AS ABUSIVE. UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK THAT YOU REFRAIN FROM ABUSIVE, UM, LANGUAGE. I'M SORRY, MA'AM. WHAT PART OF THAT? FIRST OF ALL, YOU'RE INTERRUPTING THE MEETING, WHICH BY YOUR OWN CITY CHARTER IS GROUNDS FOR REMOVAL. SIR, YOU SHOULD BE ASKING THE DEPUTY TO REMOVE YOURSELF. NO, SIR. SECOND OF ALL, WHAT PART OF THAT IS ABUSIVE? WELL, I THINK YOU'RE, YOU, YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP. UM, MY THREE MINUTES WERE INTERRUPTED. I'LL RECLAIM MY TIME. WELL, BUT HOW WAS THAT ABUSIVE? I THINK, I THINK YOU'VE BEEN, YOU YOU'RE COMING AT US IN A VERY ABUSIVE WAY AND SO I I'M VERY SORRY THAT YOU FEEL ABUSED, MA'AM. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS THAT I HAVE LONG ENFORCEMENT FAMILY MEMBERS AND I HAD OFFICERS COME TO MY HOUSE TO SERVE ME WITH PAPERWORK THAT THEN THEY HAD TO GO TO THEIR SUPERVISORS AND EXPLAIN TO THEM WHY I WAS BEING SERVED WITH THE RESTRAINING ORDER. BECAUSE Y'ALL DON'T LIKE THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH. SO FORGIVE ME IF I DON'T [00:35:01] GIVE TWO BACKS ASS A FLYING F****R. GIVE A DAMN. EXCUSE ME, SIR. ABOUT YOUR FREEDOM. EXCUSE ME, SIR. YOUR ABUSIVE LANGUAGE. EXCUSE ME, SIR. YOUR LANGUAGE IS ABUSIVE AND INAPPROPRIATE. YOU'LL HAVE TO PLEASE SIT DOWN. SHOULD THE ATTORNEY, YOU MIGHT WANNA ADDRESS YOUR FOLKS THERE. QUESTIONS FROM THE CHAIR? EXCUSE ME? IS THERE A QUESTION FROM THE CHAIR? I MEAN, I, I THINK HIS, HIS COMMENTS OR HIS, HIS LANGUAGE IS, IS INAPPROPRIATE. UH, MA YOUR FEELINGS ARE IRRELEVANT WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONSTITUTION, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FREEDOMS, WHEN IT COMES TO THE BILL OF RIGHTS. WHEN IT COMES TO THE FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, FOURTH, FIFTH, WHATEVER AMENDMENT. YOUR PERSONAL FEELINGS ARE IRRELEVANT AS RULED BY THIS. THE FEDERAL AND THE VIRGINIA STATE SUPREME COURTS ON MULTIPLE IANS. ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA SIT DOWN BECAUSE MY TIME IS UP, BUT I ADVISE YOU, GET WITH YOUR CITY ATTORNEY, FIND OUT WHAT THE FACTS ARE. 'CAUSE I'M TELLING YOU, MY PATIENCE IS WEARING OUT AND WE'RE GONNA FIND OURSELVES ON THIS BUILDING. EXCEPT NEXT TIME I'M GONNA BE SITTING AT A DIFFERENT TABLE. THANK YOU, SIR. MS. LARK GREENWOOD. GOOD EVENING LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I'M LARK GREENWOOD FROM WARD SIX. LET ME HIT MY TIMER. I'M START, I'M GONNA MAKE THIS QUICK WITH Y'ALL. UM, I LISTENED TO MR. JONES FROM LAST, UH, MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE VIRGINIA AMERICAN WATER GOING UP 30%. UM, I DID MY DILIGENCE AND I DID THE SEC REPORT AND I'LL LET THEM KNOW THAT DOMINION POWER I HAVE, UH, I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN. I'M ON SOCIAL SECURITY. DOMINION POWER HAS ALREADY HIT MY, UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? UH, BUDGET PLAN. YEAH. A HUNDRED BUCKS. AND THEN I'VE GOT YOU GUYS HITTING ME UP. UM, I REFINANCED RECENTLY, SO I GOT A LITTLE EXTRA A HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT I'D LIKE TO USE IT FOR FOOD AND I'D HAVE TO HAVE TO PUT IT TOWARDS VIRGINIA POWELL. I MEAN DOMINION, VIRGINIA AMERICAN. I JUST HOPE THAT Y'ALL HAD SIGNED UP TO GO. 'CAUSE HE SAID THE THIRD, HE HAD TO DO IT BY THE THIRD. I'VE ALREADY DONE MY PART AND GAVE MY GRIEVANCE IN REGARDS TO IT. I HOPE Y'ALL GO TO THE MEETING TOMORROW NIGHT AND REPRESENT YOUR CONSTITUENTS BECAUSE THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY. THAT'S A, THAT THAT'S A BIG HIKE THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE HOMEOWNERS. UM, THERE'S A LOT OF SENIOR CITIZENS THAT ARE HOMEOWNERS THAT ARE ON FIXED BUDGETS WITH SOCIAL SECURITY. WE CAN'T KEEP AFFORDING THIS. I MEAN, I'M MISSING TEARS OVER IT. IT'S REALLY STRESSFUL FOR ME. UM, SO THAT'S ONE THING. THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT THE, UM, THE DEAL WITH THE, UH, COURTHOUSE ROAD, ARLINGTON AVENUE AND BERRY STREET, THAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, I KNOW THAT'S, UM, I'VE BEEN LUCKY THAT I GOT A TIMEFRAME ON THAT. HOWEVER, THE SPEED LIMIT HASN'T BEEN CHANGED TO 25 YET. AND IT'S BEEN A FEW MONTHS SINCE WE DISCUSSED THAT LAST TIME. THE CHILDREN ARE OUTTA SCHOOL. WHAT IS IT GONNA TAKE A CHILD TO GET HIT OR HURT OR KILLED TO GET 25? THESE ARE RESIDENTIAL AREAS. MR. MR. HARRIS KNOWS THIS. HE SPOKE TO ME IN REGARDS TO THIS BACK WHEN HE LIVED ON COURTHOUSE ROAD WITH HIS CHILDREN. HE COULDN'T LET HIS CHILDREN WALK. CHILDREN HAVE TO WALK IN THROUGH YARDS AND STUFF. THE, YOU KNOW, COURTHOUSE IS NARROWER THAN ARLINGTON AND PEOPLE GO FLYING DOWN THERE. I'M DOING 35 AND I'VE GOT PEOPLE PASSING ME. THERE'S NO CAMERA THERE AT THE SCHOOL EITHER. THERE SHOULD BE A TRAFFIC, YOU KNOW, SPEED, SPEED THING THERE. CATCH SOME OF THESE KIDS. MOST OF 'EM ARE YOUNGER, YOU KNOW, KIDS ON THEIR PHONES THINKING THEY'RE HAND READY HAULING DOWN THE ROAD. THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT WE HAVE A, UM, FERAL CAT ISSUE WITHIN THE CITY. I HAD CALLED, UM, HOPEWELL HUMANE SOCIETY A COUPLE WEEKS AGO ABOUT TNR TRAP NEUTERING RELEASE. AND SO THEY HAD GAVE ME TWO TO THREE WEEKS THAT THEY WOULD COME OUT. SO I CALLED THEM YESTERDAY TO RETURN MY CALL TODAY AND COME TO FIND OUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY FUNDS TO DO IT RIGHT NOW. MS. GREENWOOD, THEY HAD COME MS. GREENWOOD, YOU GUYS, YOUR TIME IS UP. YOUR TIME IS UP. OH, LET ME FINISH. OKAY. CAN I TAKE A PAUSE? I COME BACK IN FIVE MINUTES. I'M SORRY. THANK YOU. BUT LOOK INTO THAT. 'CAUSE WE HAD RABIES, CAT HAD RABIES. Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE NEED THAT DONE 'CAUSE THEY WILL TRAP 'EM AND, AND GIVE THEM UM, VACCINATION [00:40:01] RAB BAGS. THANK YOU. SO THEY NEED ABOUT $5,000. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. UM, SHARAH FULLER. SORRY. GOING AS BEST. IT'S OKAY. UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UH, MY NAME IS SHARA FULLER. I LIVE IN WARD FIVE. UM, WELL, WITH SUMMER BEING OUT THERE ARE A LOT OF SUMMER EVENTS GOING ON, UM, OVER AT PARKS AND RECREATION, BUT ALSO IN THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES AT INSIDE OF HRHA. A LOT OF PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW IT, BUT THERE IS AN ACTUAL, UM, SHE'S A RESIDENT COORDINATOR. HER NAME IS NICOLE DORN. SHE'S WORKING WITH ALL OF THE PARENTS TO TRY TO GET THEM INVOLVED WITH FINANCIAL LITERACY CLASSES TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND ABOUT HOME OWNING AS WELL AS JOB OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PROMOTE THEM TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SUSTAINABLE. BUT ALSO JUST IN GENERAL BECAUSE AS MUCH AS WE'RE TRYING, SOME THINGS ARE JUST NOT ABLE TO BE TAUGHT, THERE ARE ALSO LACKING IN THEIR IN HOMES. SO WE ARE WORKING WITH AN HRHA TO PROMOTE THOSE THINGS, TO GET THE COMMUNITY BE, TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE EDUCATED. UM, SO IF, FOR THOSE WHO DO LIVE IN PIPER SQUARE, THOMAS ROTH DAVISVILLE, UM, EVEN SOME PARTS OF LANGSTON PARK IN THE SUMMIT, THEY COULD DEFINITELY REACH OUT TO MS. DORN TO GET SOME MORE ASSISTANCE IN INFORMATION ABOUT THOSE THINGS. 'CAUSE THEY ARE BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY WITH DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO HELP PEOPLE BE A LITTLE BIT MORE, I I DON'T WANNA SAY SELF-SUFFICIENT, UM, BUT JUST OVERALL. SO THAT WAY WE CAN, WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE. UM, ADDITIONALLY THERE WAS A SLIGHT CHANGE, SORRY, CHIEF TAYLOR, WARD FOUR AND WARD FIVE HAVE ACTUALLY MERGED TOGETHER AS A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH GROUP. WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH CAPTAIN FOR WARD FOUR ON ITS OWN. BUT AS IT CURRENTLY STANDS, NO ONE HAS VOLUNTEERED. AND I DID NOT LIKE SEEING THE WARD NOT BEING SERVICED. SO I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY YES. I PICKED UP THE BATON AND I SAID I WANNA MERGE THEM TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY, THEY STILL NEED THE INFORMATION. THEY STILL, THESE ARE STILL RESIDENTS WHO NEED TO BE SERVED. SO WARDS FOUR AND WARD FIVE MEET TOGETHER AT WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH THE FIRST MONDAY OF THE MONTH AT 6:00 PM IF ANYONE WHO LIVES IN ANY WARD, WHETHER FOUR OR FIVE, SIX OR SEVEN, ANY WARD, THEY'RE WELCOME TO TAKE IT ON. BUT THESE ARE RESIDENTS WHO DO NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, THAT THEY DO NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED IN OUR CITY. IN OUR CITY. AND I WOULD LOVE FOR OUR NEIGHBORS TO CONTINUE TO BE SERVICED. UM, EVERYONE IS DOING THEIR BEST, BUT IT DOES REQUIRE MORE FROM A CITIZENS. SO I JUST WANNA PUT THAT OUT THERE, THAT THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY OVER THE SUMMERTIME. PEOPLE CAN VOLUNTEER AT THE SCHOOLS, THEY CAN VOLUNTEER, UM, TO TAKE BOOKS FROM THE SCHOOLS. 'CAUSE THEY DO HAVE QUITE A FEW FREE BOOKS THAT DO NEED TO GET TO THESE COMMUNITIES. AS WELL AS DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY. LIBRARY. PEOPLE CAN SIGN UP FOR THAT FOR CHILDREN, FIVE AND UNDER FOR FREE. BUT THESE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROMOTE LITERACY IN OUR HOMES, IN OUR COMMUNITIES. 'CAUSE IT DOES START WITH US AS PARENTS, US AS A COMMUNITY TO ENCOURAGE THAT. SO THANK YOU ALL. THANK THANK YOU. OKAY. APRIL JONES TYLER. I THINK THAT WAS HER THAT WAS OUT THERE. APRIL. SEE? OKAY. I COULD LET DARLENE. MS. THOMPSON, YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND GO? YEAH, LET, I'M GONNA LET MS. THOMPSON GO FIRST. OKAY. YES. AND THEN SHE CAN COME. ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA LET MS. THOMPSON GO. OKAY. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU. DARLENE THOMPSON, WARD SIX. YES, MA'AM. UM, I STAND BEFORE YOU ALL TODAY BECAUSE AT THE LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, AT THE END OF THE MEETING, I HEAR YOU ALL AUTHORIZED TO GIVE HRHA $391,000. I CAME BEFORE YOU ALL A MONTH AGO AND INQUIRED ABOUT YOU ALL STOP CHARGING THE CI CITIZENS FOR A DECAL THAT WE ARE NO LONGER RECEIVING. HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING BACK. THIS CITY COUNCIL HAS NO AUTHORITY OVER HRHA AND I'M WONDERING WHY WE CAN SPEND $391,000 TO DO THEIR FORENSIC AUDIT WHEN THE DIRECTOR WAS HERE AND SAID THAT THEY RECEIVED OVER $5 MILLION. HUD SHOULD BE ALL OVER THIS BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOU ALL ARE STACKING THIS CITY UP WITH BOARDS AND WHO YOU ALL WANT ON THESE BOARDS TO BE ABLE TO DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL WANT TO DO. YOU ALL HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER HRHA, BUT Y'ALL SPENT 391,000 OF OUR DOLLARS TO DO THEIR FORENSIC AUDIT WHEN IT TOOK YOU ALL OVER EIGHT YEARS [00:45:01] TO DO YOUR OWN. AND THE ONLY THING HE REPORTED TO US WAS INTERNAL CONTROLS. WHEN YOU ALL KNOW WHAT THOSE INTERNAL CONTROLS WERE, NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT IT. Y'ALL CAME OUT WITH A CLEAR AUDIT. BOY YOU ALL KNOW IT. I KNOW IT AND GOD KNOWS IT. OKAY? IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THIS CITY NOW HAS YOUR CFO THAT IS CONTINUING TO FIND MONEY FOR YOU ALL TO SPEND OFF THE BACK OF THE CITIZENS. THIS CAN'T. ALL OF THIS MONEY IS COMING FROM THE CITIZEN. CONTINUE TO SAY SALARY SAVINGS. SALARY SAVINGS. IF YOU CAN STACK THAT SALARY SAVINGS UP THE WAY THAT YOU ALL ARE STACKING IT UP, THAT MEANS YOU ARE OVERSTAFFED. YOU ARE STACKING THE BUDGET THE WAY THAT YOU WANT TO. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING. THESE CITIZENS ARE FILLING IT. THEY CAN CONTINUE TO COME BEFORE YOU ALL UNTIL YOU ALL, WE DON'T HAVE IT. BUT YOU ALL CONTINUE TO SPEND OUR TAX PAYING MONEY BETWEEN THE MARINA, SHILOH LARGE, THE SCHOOL OVER DAVISVILLE, ALL OF THIS STUFF IS STILL SITTING. BUT YOU ALL THIS GUY DONE A GREAT JOB IN PRESENTING WHAT YOU ALL WHAT WE CAN SEE ONLINE. BUT HE IS NOT TELLING US HOW WE ARE ABLE TO CUT BACK OR YOU ALL ARE ABLE TO CUT BACK AND WHAT YOU ALL ARE CHARGING THESE CITIZENS. EVERY TIME WE SPEAK, WE HAVE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE LIKE THROWING THEIR HANDS UP. LIKE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. I DON'T MISS MY CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MS. APRIL JONES. TYLER, HELLO. UM, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS APRIL JONES. TYLER, I'M IN WARD TWO. UM, I WANTED TO DISCUSS SOME CONCERNS. I WANTED TO CON, UM, TO DISCUSS, UH, SOME CONCERNS THAT I HAD AS FAR AS WITH ATTENDING MY DAUGHTER IN SUNDAY'S SCHOOL AT WOODLAWN. UM, AS FAR AS, UM, NOT BEING ABLE TO, UH, RIDE THE BUS WITH THEM ON THEIR FIELD TRIPS. ALSO, UM, MY DAUGHTER'S FIELD TRIP WAS SCHEDULED THE SAME DAY AS A PARENT POLICY COUNCIL MEETING AND I'M THE CHAIRPERSON THERE ALSO. UM, THE TEACHER WASN'T RESPONDING TO MY EMAILS. UM, FOR SOME REASON, UH, WHEN I WOULD TRY TO UTILIZE MY EMAIL, THEY HAD ACCESS TO IT. SO MY EMAIL IS CONTROLLED. UM, LET'S SEE. ALSO, I WANTED TO, UM, ADDRESS ALSO ISSUES WITH THE HOPEWELL REDEVELOPMENT HOUSING AUTHORITY. MY, UM, BATHROOM ISSUES SUCH AS THE, UH, PAINT PEELING OFF THE WALL. THE CONTRACTOR, UM, HELD THE PAINT OFF AND DIDN'T COMPLETE THE JOB. UH, THERE'S STILL MILDEW UP IN MY CEILING, UM, WHICH IS TURNED INTO SOME MOLD AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT ADDRESSED ANY OF THOSE ISSUES. AND THAT'S, UM, PRETTY MUCH ALL I WANTED TO DISCUSS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. OKAY. [REGULAR BUSINESS ] MOVING ON TO REGULAR BUSINESS UNDER R ONE PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST FROM, UM, YOSEF ABULA TO OPERATE A USED AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP ON PARCEL OH TWO FIVE, UM, ON OAK LAWN BOULEVARD, CHRIS WARD, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, WE HAVE A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST THIS EVENING AS IT RELATES TO 38 0 5 OAK OAKLAWN BOULEVARD, ALSO IDENTIFIED AS PARCEL 0 2 5 0 2 2 5. THE APPLICANT IS, UH, MR. YUSEF ALA. THE OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY IS, UH, IS ALSO, IT'S THE SAME, BUT IT'S UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME. JOE'S ENTERPRISES LLC, LOCATED WARD SEVEN AND ZONE B FORMS. THE REQUEST THIS EVENING IS TO OPERATE A USED AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP AT THIS LOCATION. AND JUST AS A REMINDER, THE CUP REQUIREMENT WAS ADDED TO THE ORDINANCE, UH, JUNE OF LAST YEAR. SO THE GENERAL AREA MAP IS ON THE LEFT, AND THEN A CLOSER IN VERSION OF THE PROPERTY IS ON THE RIGHT. YOU MAY REMEMBER THIS PROPERTY AS THE FORMER VERIZON STORE. MM-HMM . SO WITH AN AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP USE, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND THAT WOULD, UH, THOSE TYPICALLY RELATE TO PARKING AND THE DISPLAY OF VEHICLES [00:50:02] AS WELL AS THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME VISUAL CLUTTER. THE APPLICANT'S POSITION WITH THIS APPLICATION IS THAT THIS USE IS CONSISTENT WITH OTHER COMMERCIAL USES IN THE DISTRICT. THE AESTHETIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT HE'LL BE MAKING TO THE PROPERTY WILL IMPROVE THE AREA AND THAT THE USE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THEY DID SUBMIT A PARKING PLAN AT OUR REQUEST, SO ALL THE PARKING THAT'S UP AT THE BUILDING WILL BE, UH, RESERVED FOR CUSTOMERS. AND, UH, THE IDENTIFIED HANDICAP PARKING. AND THEN THE, UH, DISPLAY PARKING IS WHAT WE CALL IT. WHERE, WHERE THE VEHICLES FOR SALE WILL BE PARKED ARE OUT, UH, AWAY FROM THE BUILDING, BUT STILL IN THE CENTER OF THE PARKING LOT. SO THE EXISTING LOT HAS 31 SPACES. UH, IT'S MORE THAN ENOUGH THAN WHAT THE ORDINANCE REQUIRES. UH, ALL PARKING IS LOCATED AT LEAST, UH, 50 FEET FROM THE ROAD'S EDGE. SO IT SHOULD NOT, UH, CREATE ANY SORT OF VIS VISUAL OBSTRUCTION TO TRAFFIC ON EITHER OF THE TWO STREETS. AND THE BUILDING, UH, IS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE TO HANDLE AN OFFICE USE. SO FOR THESE REASONS, UH, STAFF DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS THAT THE PARKING LOT, UH, WILL BE SEALED, COATED, AND STRIKED. THE PARKING PLAN WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. UH, ALL PARKING MUST BE IN DESIGNATED SPACES AND WITH NO PARKING ON GRASS OR USING RAMPS OR LIFTS THAT THE PARKING LOT LANDSCAPE ISLANDS THAT ARE ALREADY EXISTING WILL BE MULCHED AND MAINTAINED. AND THEN THE INSTALLATION OF STREET TREES. AND THAT IF THE POLE SIGN, WHICH IS A NON-CONFORMING SIGN, BUT HE IS ALLOWED TO USE IT. UH, IF HE DOESN'T MAKE ANY, UH, STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO IT, AS LONG AS THE POLE SIGN IS PAINTED, THAT'D BE A CONDITION OF APPROVAL. UH, THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL ONES TOO. THAT EXCESSIVE DECORATION DESIGNED TO DRAW ATTENTION IS PROHIBITED. VEHICLE WASHING IS PROHIBITED ON THE PROPERTY. THE PROPERTY MUST COMPLY WITH ALL LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND THAT ALL CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MET. PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF BUSINESS ZONING APPROVAL, UH, WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC HEARING. AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION DID VOTE FOUR TO ZERO TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL WITH STAFF'S CONDITIONS. I WILL SAY THAT THE APPLICANT, UM, HAS ALREADY STARTED TO MAKE SOME OF THESE CHANGES. THE PARKING LOT HAS ALREADY BEEN SEALED AND RETRIED AND LANDSCAPING HAS BEEN ADDED. UH, THE STREET TREES AS WELL AS THE LANDSCAPE ISLANDS HAVE BEEN, UH, CLEANED OUT MULCHED AND, UH, THEY LOOK, THEY'RE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD. I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY, BUT THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. OKAY. QUESTIONS THIS TIME I'LL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. UH, THERE IS NO ONE THAT'S SIGNED UP. DOES ANYONE WANNA SPEAK ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING? CLOSE IT THAT, AND WE ARE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION THIS EVENING ON ANY PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. ALRIGHT, ANYTHING ELSE? ALRIGHT. NO QUESTIONS. THAT'S IT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE. YEP. PART TWO. LET'S SEE. ALRIGHT, SECOND PUBLIC HEARING. UH, IT'S RELATING TO OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM AND THE 20 26 20 27 PROGRAM YEAR. QUICK BACKGROUND. UH, THE CITY OF HOPEWELL IS A-C-D-B-G ENTITLEMENT COMMUNITY, JUST MEANING THAT WE RECEIVE AN ANNUAL ALLOCATION AUTOMATICALLY EVERY SINGLE YEAR. UH, HUD'S MISSION IS TO CREATE STRONG, SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES AND QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOMES FOR ALL. THE USE OF CDBG FUNDS MUST MEET AT LEAST ONE OF THREE NATIONAL OBJECTIVES. NUMBER ONE BEING BENEFIT TO LOW TO MODERATE INCOME PERSONS PREVENTION OR ELIMINATION OF SLUMS AND BLIGHT, OR AN URGENT NEED, UH, TYPICALLY RESULTING FROM A NATURAL DISASTER AND A PRESIDENTIAL DECLARATION. SO THE CITY'S RECEIVED, UH, SINCE 2020, APPROXIMATELY $1.6 MILLION FROM HUD, UH, OF CDBG FUNDING. UH, THE CDBG PROGRAM DOES HAVE CAPS ON HOW MUCH MONEY YOU CAN SPEND ON CERTAIN ACTIVITIES. IT'S 20% FOR ADMINISTRATION, 15% TOTAL FOR PUBLIC SERVICE PROJECTS, AND THEN THE BALANCE CAN GO TOWARDS OTHER, UH, I JUST GENERICALLY CALL THEM CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, BUT THEY CAN RELATE TO HOUSING, INFRASTRUCTURE, UTILITIES, AND PARKS. [00:55:03] SO FOR THIS YEAR'S ALLOCATION, THE CITY WILL BE RECEIVING $263,796. THE WAY THIS BREAKS DOWN IS 57 50 2,759 FOR ADMINISTRATION, 39,569 FOR PUBLIC SERVICE TOTAL. AND THE BALANCE BEING A HUNDRED SEVENTY ONE FOUR HUNDRED SIXTY 7,000. SO OUR CONSOLIDATED PLAN, OUR FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN, WHICH WE, UH, HAD APPROVED LAST YEAR, SETS UP OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. GOING INTO THE 26 27 PROGRAM YEAR WILL BE YEAR TWO. BUT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, OUR PRIORITY NEEDS, UH, WERE IDENTIFIED AS WELL AS THE GOALS AND THE PROJECT TYPES THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE AND HOPE WELL. SO I WON'T GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THOSE, BUT, UM, THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS. SO THE CDBG COMMITTEE, UM, HAS MET AND HAS REVIEWED ALL THE APPLICATIONS. SO THE, SO THE CITY PUTS OUT, UH, REQUESTS FOR FUNDING EACH YEAR WHEN OUR, WHEN OUR FUNDS COME IN. AND, UM, THE CDBG COMMITTEE, WHICH CONSISTS OF FIVE CITY COUNSELORS, HAS MET AND REVIEWED ALL THESE APPLICATIONS. SO I'LL BE GIVING TO FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS. BUT, UM, BEFORE WE GET THERE, THE 20% OF THE FUNDING FOR THIS COMING YEAR IS GOING TO BE FOR ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM. THAT'S 52,759. UH, WE HAD QUITE A FEW PUBLIC SERVICE REQUESTS FOR FUNDING. AGAIN, WE ARE CAPPED AT 15% OF OUR TOTAL ALLOCATION. SO THE COMMITTEE, UH, REVIEWED THE APPLICATIONS AND CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS. UH, $5,000 FOR HURON'S PROGRAM, WHICH IS CALLED ROCKS AND RULERS. IT'S AN AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM THAT PROMOTES ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT, UH, FOR YOUTH, UH, $10,000 TO HEALTHY FAMILIES TO PROVIDE COUNSELING, UH, TO AT-RISK FAMILIES, PRIMARILY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CHILD ABUSE. $12,569 FOR THE JAMES HOUSE, WHICH IS, UH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER. AND THEN 5,000 TO CRATER COMMUNITY HOSPICE, UH, WHICH WOULD PROVIDE HOSPICE AND SUPPORTIVE CARE TO LOW TO MODERATE INCOME RESIDENTS OF HOPEWELL. AND THEN LASTLY, UH, THE BALANCE. SO THAT WAS OUR PUBLIC SERVICE SECTION. THIS IS OUR NON-PUBLIC SERVICE SECTION. THE BALANCE OF THE FUNDING, WHICH IS $171,468, WOULD GO TO PROJECT HOMES TO REHABILITATE, UH, HOMES OWNED BY INCOME ELIGIBLE HOMEOWNERS. AND, UM, THEY ESTIMATE WITH THIS MONEY, THEY CAN, UH, ADDRESS EIGHT PROPERTIES THIS YEAR. SO ALL OF THESE, UH, SUB-RECIPIENTS HAVE BEEN FUNDED IN THE PAST EXCEPT FOR THE ONE NEW ONE, WHICH IS, UH, CRATER COMMUNITY HOSPICE. SO HERE'S A SUMMARY TABLE OF ALL THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE CDBG COMMITTEE. OUR 30 DAY COMMENT PERIOD, UH, ESSENTIALLY STARTS TOMORROW AFTER THIS PUBLIC HEARING. IT'LL RUN AGAIN FOR 30 DAYS. SO ANY CITIZEN THAT WANTS TO COMMENT ON THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, CAN DO SO EITHER AT THE DEPARTMENT BY EMAILING US, COMING IN PERSON, GIVING US A PHONE CALL. UH, THE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN, WHICH INCLUDES THE DRAFT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS AT THIS POINT, THE HARD COPIES ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR LOBBY AT THE HOPEWELL HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY LOBBY, THE PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, UM, AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY. BUT THAT IS THE FUNDING RECOMMENDATION FOR THE UPCOMING PROGRAM YEAR FOR CDBG. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION OF THE HEARING. WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP 'CAUSE ANYONE WANNA SPEAK? CBG? OKAY. CLOSE IT UP. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. R THREE ON THIS COUNSEL. UM, I'M GOING TO GIVE A COUPLE OF BRIEF REMARKS ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE, AND THEN I'M GONNA ASK, UH, MR. JOSH ELLI TO COME UP AND DO A, A SHORT PRESENTATION HERE. UH, SO THIS CAME ABOUT, WE WERE LOOKING AT OUR CODE OF ORDINANCES AS IT APPLIES TO WHAT IN MODERN PARLANCE GETS CALLED TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES. AND THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S ALL, THERE'S ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES THAT EXIST. OUR ORDINANCE, UH, SUCH AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, DOESN'T, DOESN'T TAKE ANY OF THOSE OTHER OPTIONS INTO ACCOUNT [01:00:01] OTHER THAN SPEED BUMPS. IT ONLY ADDRESSES SPEED BUMPS AND SORT OF CONFUSINGLY, SURPRISINGLY, IT DOES TWO THINGS, UH, THAT, UH, THAT, THAT I'M RECOMMENDING SHOULD BE, UH, SHOULD BE CHANGED HERE TONIGHT. UH, AND THAT IS FIRST, UH, IT REQUIRES COUNSEL TO GET INVOLVED IN ANY PLAN THAT THE CITY HAS TO INSTALL A SPEED BUMP ANYWHERE. AND THEN SECOND, IT REQUIRE, OR IT, IT LIMITS THE USE OF SPEED BUMPS TO ONLY PARKS, PLAYGROUNDS, AND OTHER RECREATIONAL AREAS. SO UNDER OUR CURTAIN CODE ORDINANCES, THOSE ARE THE ONLY PLACES THAT THE CITY IS ABLE TO AUTHORIZE SPEED BUMPS. UM, AND AGAIN, THERE IS NO, THERE IS NO AUTHORITY FOR ANY OTHER SORT OF TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES WITHIN OUR ORDINANCE. SO WHAT THIS ORDINANCE WOULD DO IF ADOPTED WOULD BE TO A, ALLOW ALL THOSE DIFFERENT FORMS OF TRAFFIC, CALMING MEASURES. B, ALLOW THEM WHEREVER IN THE CITY THEY MIGHT BE NECESSARY. AND C, IT WOULD SET UP THE CHIEF OF POLICE, THE FIRE CHIEF, AND THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AS THE THREE OFFICIALS WHO WOULD GET TOGETHER AND DECIDE WHERE THOSE MEASURES ARE NEEDED AND WHICH ONES TO USE. AND IF THOSE THREE OFFICIALS CAN'T COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON THEIR USE OR PLACING OR LOCATION, THEN THAT WOULD COME IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL, UH, TO, TO DECIDE. AND, UH, BEFORE WE MOVE, BECAUSE MR. ELLI IS GONNA TALK ABOUT SORT OF WHAT TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES EXIST, I WANT TO GIVE COUNSEL A CHANCE TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SORT OF THE, THE, THE, THE PROCESS OF, OF HOW WE GOT HERE FIRST. AND THEN, UH, I'LL INVITE MR. ELLI TO COME UP. GOOD EVENING, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL. UM, LIKE ANTHONY SAID, I'M JUST HERE TO PRESENT, UH, JUST SOME BACKGROUND AS TO WHAT, UM, TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES ARE, UM, DIFFERENT TYPES, UM, AND JUST SOME STAFFING SUGGESTIONS. UM, SO FOR BACKGROUND TRAFFIC COMING MEASURES ARE SAFETY DEVICES THAT ARE COMMONLY FOUND TO, WELL, THEY'RE DESIGNED TO REDUCE VEHICLE SPEEDS, ALLEVIATE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC AND, UH, IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. UM, THEY'RE COMMONLY USED IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, NEAR SCHOOLS AND PARKS. UM, AND WHERE CUT THROUGH TRAFFIC IS FOUND TO BE COMMON. UM, SO THAT WOULD BE THE COBBLESTONE NEIGHBORHOOD IN HOPEWELL. WE'VE DONE THAT BEFORE. MM-HMM. UM, SO THESE ARE THE COMMON STEPS THAT WE TAKE TO IMPLEMENT TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES RATHER JUST, UM, IT'S SUGGESTION MADE BY A CITIZEN AND WE JUST IMPLEMENT IT. SO COMMONLY WHAT YOU DO IS YOU CONDUCT AN ENGINEERING STUDY REVIEW. NORMALLY RIGHT AFTER YOU FIND A COMPLAINT OR A WORK ORDER SUBMITTED BY A CITIZEN, YOU DEVELOP A, A CONCEPTUAL PLAN. UM, YOU GARNER COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORT. UM, YOU GET APPROVAL FROM YOU GUYS, LOCAL OFFICIALS, AND THEN ULTIMATELY YOU SEE AN IMPLEMENTATION. SO CONSTRUCTION, UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CALMING MEASURES. UM, SOME ARE NON-INTRUSIVE. SO THESE ARE GATEWAY SIGNS, NARROWING PAVEMENT MARKINGS, UM, POLE MOUNTED SPEED DISPLAY SIGNS, WHICH WE HAVE ON ROUTE 10 AS YOU ENTER THE CITY. UM, OR JUST SIGNAGE, DENOTING ADDITIONAL FINES FOR SPEEDING. UM, THEN YOU HAVE YOUR V YOUR VERTICAL DEVICES, WHICH ARE WHAT WE COMMONLY HAVE. SPEED BUMPS, SPEED BUMPS, SPEED TABLES, UM, OR RACE INTERSECTIONS AND CROSSWALKS. AND THEN WE HAVE HORIZONTAL DEVICES. SO THOSE CAN BE CUR, UH, CHOKERS OR CURB EXTENSIONS. SO THE CURB ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ROAD CHOKES OUT INTO THE, THE STREET. UH, YOU CAN HAVE RAISED MEDIANS, UM, OR, UH, THERE'S SOME OTHER ONES AS WELL. UM, PRIOR TO IMPLEMENTING SPEED, UH, TRAFFIC CON TRAFFIC CONTROL MEASURES, THERE ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT. UM, AN INCREASE IN EMERGENCY VEHICLE RESPONSE TIME. UM, YOU CAN FIND THAT NOISE INCREASES IN NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO SNOWPLOW REMOVAL, UM, THAT CAN BE DAMAGING TO THE PLOW OR REALLY THE SPEED HUMP, UM, DAMAGE TO LOW CLEARANCE VEHICLES AND THEN INCREASE MAINTENANCE COSTS TO ADDITIONAL WEAR AND TEAR FROM THE VEHICLES. SO IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I GLADLY CAN ANSWER THEM, BUT QUESTIONS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. I WILL OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. WE DID HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP AND THAT WAS MARK BURROWS, I BELIEVE HE HAS LEFT. UM, ANYBODY ELSE WANNA SPEAK ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? ALRIGHT, I'LL CLOSE THE UPON HEARING. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU [01:05:01] VERY MUCH. MOVING ON TO, UM, R FOUR, UM, RESOLUTION TO CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS TO THE HOPEWELL SCHOOL BOARD, MR. BESSETTE. SURE. SO THERE ARE TWO OPENINGS COMING UP ON THE HOPEWELL CITY SCHOOL BOARD, UH, ON JULY 1ST. UM, AS THE CITY IS REQUIRED BY STATUTE TO DO SPECIFICALLY, THAT'S VIRGINIA CODE 22.1 DASH 29.1. UH, THE CITY HAS TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE NOMINEES TO, UH, TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. UM, THE CITY ANNOUNCED THAT COUNCIL WAS CONSIDERING, UH, RAH FULLER, RUTH JOHNSON, WILLIAM BUTLER, BRENDA PELLUM, AND JACKIE HORAK TO, UH, THOSE, TO THOSE POSITIONS ON THE HOPEWELL CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD. UM, THE, THE STATUTE REQUIRES THAT TONIGHT THERE BE A PUBLIC HEARING AND THAT AT A LATER MEETING, AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE IT SCHEDULED FOR THE 23RD OF JUNE, UH, THAT THE, THAT CITY COUNCIL MAKE THOSE APPOINTMENTS. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT IS WE'RE HOLDING THAT PUBLIC HEARING. THAT'S CORRECT. ALRIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING. THERE'S NO ONE SIGNED UP. DOES ANYONE WANNA SPEAK TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? OKAY. NOT, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. ALRIGHT. OKAY. UM, MOVING ON TO R FIVE, UM, RESOLUTION AMENDING THE FISCAL 26 BUDGET, SO I, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO, I SEE. SPEAK TO COUNSELOR . I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK TO. SO THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS A SIMILAR RESOLUTION TO ONES THAT THIS COUNCIL SAW LAST YEAR AND HAS SEEN THIS YEAR TOO. IT'S SIMPLY MOVING, UH, MOVING FUNDS IN COUNCILOR ELLIS'S DISCRETIONARY BUDGET FROM WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, COMMUNICATIONS AND, UM, AND, AND CONFERENCES AND MOVING THEM TO HIS AWARD IMPROVEMENT FUND. SO WE ALRIGHT. SHOULD I ABSTAIN FROM THAT? YES. OKAY. OKAY. YOU HAVE A COUNCILLOR HARRIS HAS MADE THE MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. OKAY. COUNCILOR WHEAT ROLL CALL. ANY, ANY DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILLOR WHEAT? YES. COUNCIL ELLIS ABSTAIN. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES. HERE. COUNCILLOR OLI? YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. MOTION PASSES. FIVE TO, OKAY. FIVE. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO, UM, R SIX. UM, MS. MARTINEZ, GOOD EVENING. MIKE MAYOR, UH, JOY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. TONIGHT I COME BEFORE YOU TO REQUEST THE REALLOCATION OF AQUATIC SALARY SAVINGS IN THE AMOUNT OF $59,280 TO MOVE INTO A CIP LINE SO THAT WE CAN LOOK TO DO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE RECREATION PARKS DEPARTMENT. AS YOU KNOW, OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, I HAVE COME AND ASKED FOR FUNDING FOR THAT, AND THIS IS A WAY THAT WE CAN START PUTTING MONEY TOWARDS THAT. UM, IT'S NOT GONNA COVER THE ENTIRE AMOUNT, HOWEVER, IT GIVES US A NICE START FOR THAT AND AGAIN, REVISIT NEXT YEAR AS TO HOW WE CAN GO ABOUT FUNDING IT FULLY. UM, BUT THAT IS THE REASON WHY I'M HERE TONIGHT AND THIS IS OUT OF OUR AQUATICS LINE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HIRE A QUALIFIED CANDIDATE AND AS YOU KNOW, OUR LIFEGUARDS REQUIRE CERTAIN CERTIFICATIONS. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT. OH, I'M SORRY. UM, OKAY. DO I HEAR A, A, A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE THIS RESOLUTION? SECOND. OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOTION'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILOR DAY AND SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR WHEAT. UM, ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILOR WHEAT? YES. COUNCILLOR ELLIS? YES. VICE MAYOR JOINER? YES. COUNCILOR HARRIS? YES. COUNCILOR OLI? YES. COUNCILOR DAY? YES. MOTION PASSES. SIX TO ZERO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO THANK YOU, MS. MARTINEZ. UM, MOVING ON TO, UM, R SEVEN, UM, CHIEF RUPER, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UM, [01:10:01] TONIGHT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING A, UH, APPROVAL FOR OUR GRANT APPLICATION BEFORE YOU, UM, DURING MY BUDGET PRESENTATION, I DISCUSSED OUR, UH, DESIRE TO, UH, CHANGE SHIFTS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND, UM, HAVE A PRESENTED A STAFFING, UH, PLAN, A FOUR YEAR PLAN TO DO THAT. UM, PART OF THAT PLAN WAS TO APPLY FOR THIS, UH, SAFER GRANT THROUGH, UH, FEMA. AND WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT ALLOWS, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO RECEIVE, UH, 75%, UH, REIMBURSEMENT FOR, UH, THE SALARY FOR THOSE FOR THE POSITIONS SHOULD WE BE APPROVED FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS AND THEN 35% OF THEIR SALARIES ON THE THIRD YEAR WITH THE FOURTH YEAR. UH, THE CITY WOULD, UH, THEN SHOULDER THE FULL COST FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS. SO THIS IS SIMPLY, UH, APPROVAL TO APPLY FOR THE GRANT. UM, UH, SHOULD WE, UH, RECEIVE THE GRANT AND BE APPROVED FOR THE GRANT, THEN, UM, UH, WE ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO ACCEPT THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THEN TO EITHER ACCEPT OR, UH, OR REJECT THE, THE GRANT, UM, IF WE ARE SO, UM, APPROVED. THAT'S ALL. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. DO I HEAR ANY MOTION? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE OKAY. MOVE FORWARD WITH THE GRANT. OKAY. YOU HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR POLLEY? SECOND. SECOND. SECOND FROM COUNCILLOR WHEAT. ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ROLL CALL PLEASE. COUNCILLOR WHEAT? YES. COUNCILOR ELLIS? YES. VICE MAYOR JOYNER? YES. COUNCILLOR HARRIS? YES. COUNCILLOR POLLEY. YES. COUNCILLOR DAY? YES. MOTION PASSES. SIX ZERO. ALRIGHT. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? YE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. A AYE. AYE. ALRIGHT. YOUR ADJOURN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.