It is five forty six.

I'm now going to call our second legislative meeting of June to order.

Madame Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilwoman Green.

Councilwoman Marks.

Vice Mayor Bagley.

Madam Mayor, I move that the city council convene and close executive session, pursuant to Virginia Code sections two point two seven one one A1.

And to discuss the performance of the city council appointees.

Alright, the eyes have it.

We are now in closed session and we'll resume at 7 PM.

All right, Councilman Aguirre.

There's been a motion to reconvene in from closed executive session, and a second by Councilwoman Green.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right.

The eyes have it.

Thanks, Mayor Bagley.

Madam Mayor, I move that the city council adopt the resolution record.

Oh, no, that's right.

We have to come back to it.

Moving on.

Oh, sorry.

It's seven twenty-two.

If we're back in every session.

Madam Clerk.

Next item.

Moment of silence and pledge of allegiance.

Okay.

Yes, it is our practice to begin each meeting with a moment of silence followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

If you are able to stand, we ask that you please rise at this time.

Commissioner Masick had proposed several changes.

There were a few areas in the current plan where it talks about other sites that are available for bonus density, but did not mention our AHA states.

And so staff mentioned that they would take that into consideration and make um changes probably in the final iterations of the Duke Street plan that they put forth.

The next update was on the a late.

Uh members of council may recall that when we approved our moral obligation backing for the a late, we put in place several different things that ARHA needed to work through.

And so they gave us an update.

The first was on securing third party management that has been completed.

The next was on providing monthly relocation updates that has been completed, and all members of the Ladre have been relocated.

The next was on um detailing whether or not they would need to do a pilot payment.

That pilot payment will be based on their 2026 audit, which has been scheduled but is not yet completed.

The next item that they needed to comply with was around debt service payments.

Um they have been able to make their last three debt service payments on time and strictly from the cash flow from the property.

And then lastly, they're supposed to provide us with monthly updates on the Ladre, and that has been completed to date.

Moving forward, we will then continue to get an update on the audit and then whether any additional payments are needed.

Finally, we closed out with a review of the meeting schedule.

We decided that we are going to cancel the July meeting.

We will resume our regular meeting schedule in the fall.

And in the fall, we will hold a joint work session with their full board and with our council to get updates on the new CEO hiring process as well as other changes currently in the organization.

Uh Councilman Chapman, any additional updates?

Yeah.

Okay.

Uh Madam Clerk, next board and commission.

City council, school board, subcommittee, Mayor Gaskins, and Councilman Chapman.

Okay.

Uh city schools met last night, and the focus was on a presentation on dot paratransit.

And so our team member Owen provided that presentation.

Specifically, the discussion was around when ACPS looks at their transportation budget.

One of the highest costs is around transporting young people who have special needs or children with disabilities.

And so they were curious to understand how our dot program works and whether or not there might be additional opportunities to facilitate transportation from school to city programs like the Miracle League or therapeutic rec and vice versa.

And so we had a deep dive into that program.

Uh Councilman Chapman, any additional.

We also talked about our work plan, and so that will be circulated to the council uh once that is finalized.

Madam Clerk, next one.

Okay.

Um, I had the pleasure of attending my first economic opportunities commission meeting last week.

They are currently putting a lot of time and intention into reorganizing their own internal structure, uh, electing some new leadership as it rolls over, uh, preparing people to take over leadership in the interim and in the future.

Uh they are also preparing for their upcoming needs assessment and taking significant steps to embed themselves a bit better in the community, have a full plan, uh, have divided into teams and are really going above and beyond to uh tackle specific issues of uh you know their own education as to what's happening in the community so they can serve you better.

I look forward to attending again.

Thank you, Councilwoman Marks, Madam Clerk, Commission on Aging Counseling and Geary.

Apologies, Madam Mayor.

I was not able to make the commission and uh connect with them beforehand.

So it's a failure on my part.

So go to the next one.

Okay, so uh library board, we are welcoming the new slate of officers.

Uh Al Mosley will be the chair.

Uh Robert uh will be the vice chair.

Our treasurer will remain Diane Fox and our secretary will be Anne Fenn.

So thank you for them for stepping up for leadership roles.

Um we also had a little bit of back and forth on the study of potentially bringing the library fully under uh the city as a city department where we kind of landed was um if city staff and uh the group is willing to share uh a list of folks that will be interviewed and questions that will be asked of the interviewees because the concern that was brought up is that there would be a an inherent conflict of interest because the city is doing this study, which there was a lot of backforth, uh but we we figured it out, came to a compromise uh with seeing the interviewees and the questions, and we we can move forward.

Uh, but we we figured it out, came to a compromise that with seeing the interviewees and the questions, and we we can move forward.

Um moving on to TPB.

Uh, there was actually something that was really exciting.

Um TPB did a study on the cost-benefit analysis of future proofing for lack of a better word, uh, but also just environmental resiliency.

Um if you made certain investments for say a bus stop or uh flooding prevention, how much money would that save you over 30 years?

I believe was was the the term.

Um and I immediately sent some emails to uh our staff, and our staff is actually was doing the same thing at the same time, sending emails.

So I'm excited about some of the potential uh studies that we could do here in Alexandria to show if we do a certain level of investment, how much we can save on multiple different levels.

Um not just from something being out of order, but also from a health cost uh perspective with people going to the emergency room given um that things are getting hotter, and I immediately thought about the hot spots that we have in the West End and our study that we did with all of our bus stops across the city.

So I think this is a good collaboration that we could do, and hopefully uh TNES staff will be coming to us uh in in the future with uh a little bit of a report out on that.

Thank you, Councilman Agarry.

Madam Clerk, next item.

City Council general updates.

Are there general updates from council?

I see councilwoman Green, Councilman Age, and Councilwoman Marks.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I just want to um thank everyone involved, our RPCA, City Manager's Office, the community group that was put together to put on uh the Juneteenth celebration.

It was so much fun.

Um it gets bigger and better every year.

Um down to the entertainment to the food, just you know, the happy faces of people um that were there.

And I'm just so thankful because I know a lot of work goes into that and the emails that I've received, um the complimentary emails have um just really made me happy that we can put together an event like that that gets better each year, and that we can uh come together as community and celebrate culture.

So thank you so much to all involved.

Thank you, Councilwoman Green.

And I'll just say I see Director Taylor's ready to jump out of his chair again.

He was there dancing in the street.

Uh but it was it was a really really special day.

Councilman Agar.

Uh thank you, Madam Mayor.

I'll try and be quick.

Um so wanted to give a quick shout out to the CYFCC Champions of Children Awards, always a great event.

Um unfortunately it was competing with the evening that we were doing uh the community event with the Croatia football team, which I'm gonna give kudos to staff.

Um really great event with the Croatian national team.

Um, also very representative of our community here in Alexandria.

You saw the diversity, you saw the laughters, you saw the smiles, um, and even the adults, I mean, they were they were acting like kids.

There's a lot of the adults were even like super excited and and geeked to be there.

So thank you to everyone involved for making that happening.

Um I also had the opportunity to uh travel into DC on the 11th to the uh annual New American Heroes Awards, uh, where our very own Commonwealth uh Lieutenant Governor Gonzalez was being uh recognized.

So I wanted to give her a quick shout out uh for her award with New American Leaders.

Uh I'm gonna I'm gonna jumble the whole 12 through 14th together.

I mean, there's just so much going on.

The Alexandria 250 commemoration, sales on the Potomac, Jazz Fest.

I I know I'm gonna miss folks here, but big, big thank you to RPCA.

This is a huge lift over three days, very hot days.

Um, thank you to APD, thank you to CERT, thank you to the city manager's office, thank you to all the other to TNES, thank you to any other department that I'm missing right now.

Um this undertaking does not happen without a huge amount of collaboration across the city, and it was a huge, huge success.

We had so many people that were down at the waterfront having a great time, enjoying the music, enjoying the festivities, checking out the um the tall ships.

I was able to go to the three tall ships that don't typically dock uh here.

I did stop by the Providence too, not to not give it any love, but you know, it was cool to see the other three too.

Uh so just amazing, amazing weekend.

Uh really proud to call Alexandria home and everything that we do here.

Um the 16th, uh, just wanted to give a shout out to Valhan.

Uh I was uh the keynote speaker for their leadership academy.

Uh had a really good time and hope uh the students that I spoke with uh will take some take some things to heart and know that it will be okay.

They know what I'm talking about.

Sorry, inside joke.

Um then, well, we talked about Juneteenth.

Uh very long program for the day, but very, very um inspiring and um very important to have.

And again, big piece of collaboration on that day.

Uh on the 20th, I want to give a shout out to our own councilman Chapman for his uh bus tour.

Uh my wife and I had a great time uh going on the bus to check out historical African American sites in the city of Alexandria.

And um today, just want to give us a loud one last shout out.

Well, two last shout outs.

One to Little Birdie, a new uh restaurant opening on Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Rey.

And um so uh very excited about the on route charger uh that we are going to have at uh the West End.

I think that's what the West End formerly landmark site.

Uh Vice Mayor, Mayor, and myself were able to stop by.

So uh kudos to Dash and big thank you to uh Don Byer's office for uh getting that additional funding to us uh so that we can make this uh a reality.

And with that, that is my report.

Manikary, Councilman Marks.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

I have three items.

Uh first, I wanted to congratulate the 11 new high school graduates currently at the juvenile detention center, uh, which is an event I attended with our school board chair, Michelle Reef.

This ceremony was very moving, uh, not only because what these young people accomplished given their current circumstances, but also because of the support that they showed each other in this cohort.

Um it was really a a wonderful example and a reminder of what we can do when the city and the schools come together uh for our kids.

So that was a really wonderful event to attend, and I am uh really thrilled to have been invited.

Uh second, early voting for the midterm congressional primary is on now.

You can vote at the registrar's office for anyone who is watching or listening.

That is at 132 North Royal Street.

There will be early voting at Beatley Central Library on a few weekend dates this month and or actually in July and in August.

I encourage you to visit Alexandria VA.gov slash elections to find the specific dates so you can cast that vote in the primary.

Uh and then last to my colleagues, Madam Mayor, uh Vice Mayor Bagley.

Uh, you have all received the final version of a memo you've seen a couple of drafts of over the past two or three weeks that Councilman Chapman and I have put together with your feedback and input.

So tonight is the night where we're asking for your support to direct the city manager to devote some time to assessing how we can address the needs of the old town business corridor a little more intentionally.

Uh specifically, we'd like to ask staff for time to uh consolidate the years of research and information we've already gathered on this topic rather than reinvent it.

Uh tell us what services and financing we're already investing in the old town business corridor uh that is over and above the existing standard, and we don't want to relitigate a bid.

We have information on that.

What we do want is to investigate alternative framework options that would generate greater revenue via a consumption tax for the city, alleviate some of the pressure on residential property owners and provide strong return for participating businesses.

So with that, I will ask uh councilman Chapman if you have anything you'd like to add.

Councilman Chapman.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh again, I think for for me it's really um first let me thank Councilwoman Marks for kind of really spearheading this.

I think the reason I kind of signed on to kind of put forward a memo is that I think it's still pertinent for council to continue to recognize that we have some core business districts that will need additional support in the future.

And as we talk about um the headwinds that will be hitting the city and and everybody in the region, I think the creativity around how we continue to support the business community.

What does that look like?

All need to be things that we are talking about, trying to trying to set up for success now versus being reactive.

Uh so that's why I certainly appreciate what councilman marks has put forward because I think we are trying to be proactive and talking to the community and working through internal processes and making sure staff um are looking and helping council look at what is going to be best as we go forward.

Um it should not take another pandemic or another session or something like that for us to jump to uh creative opportunities when we have an opportunity right now to kind of uh invest time and space to to look at what can be done and be ready as we continue to see challenges uh with our regional economics as well.

So kudos to the councilwoman.

Glad to sign on.

Uh definitely look forward to questions that we've got.

Thank you, Councilman Chapman and Councilwoman Marks.

Let me open it up to see if others have questions or comments on the memo.

Vice Mayor Bagley.

Um I'm speaking up mostly just to express my support, you know, in terms of giving um city manager direction.

You know, I was supportive, I think twice when this matter sort of came um has come before us previously of the recognize the need um to support um our business community.

It's a big part of ALX Forward and a big part of what I think this council has talked about.

Um I've also seen the successful implementation of service district and bids um and in other localities, including some of our neighbors.

So um I again I what I appreciate about the memo is it's it's clear that there's already been a lot of work done.

And it's kind of he I hate to invoke this, but it's kind of like the study of the studies that we did with the torpedo factory, you know, let's pull together all the research that's already happened in one place, dust it off and update it where necessary, and then bring it forward so that we are ready as council councilman Chapman says to make some proactive ideas um and and to support our business community and and make Alexandria you know as business friendly a locale as possible.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Bagley.

Uh Councilman O'Nubi.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and um I appreciate the work that went into this by my colleagues.

Um certainly supportive as well.

I certainly appreciate the flexibility in there where we're exploring and discovering alternatives.

I appreciate that there are metrics in there for success and how we're gonna quantify success of these alternatives for sure.

Appreciate that as well.

Um I I guess my question to the city manager is there's a timeline in there to get back to us by the end of the year.

Is that feasible or is that too much for staff?

Just want to make sure, you know, because yeah, um yeah, it's it's a good question.

And I I do think that um based on what I've read uh and pulling together current information instead of what I'd argue is new research.

I think we can do that by the end of the year.

Yeah, and I'll be supportive.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you, Councilman Alnuby.

I guess I would just say um both to Councilman Marks and Councilman Chapman, thank you for bringing up the issue for preparing the memo and putting forth this opportunity for a discussion.

What stood out to me that I um particularly liked in the memo is that it's very intentional that this is not to relitigate a bid and sort of rehash old conversations, but really think through what does it look like to move forward.

And I think it raises some of the most pressing issues that we're dealing with right now around you know, trash, quality of life, um some of the noise issues.

I know we're even trying to look at bringing back the King Street detail because some of the public safety issues, and so I think really taking a holistic look around how do we want to invest in our business quarter corridors and what do they need in order to truly um promote the experience but also the quality of life of our residents is important.

So I think that is a majority of support.

Mr.

Manager, do you have what you need to move forward?

Great.

Um any additional updates, Ms.

Marks.

Okay.

Any additional oral reports from members of the council?

Uh Councilman Chapman.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um I forgot to turn this into the um the clerk, and so I just wanted to give council an update on Go Virginia.

I started um today with a full-day retreat with the Go Virginia Region 7 board.

Um and I think the on the lines of what we've been talking about here, um, one of the most eye-opening things that we had during that retreat was um a kind of a state of the region uh by folks uh over at um I forgot the name of the school, but uh George Mason uh university.

Um they had a couple of uh economists come out and talk about where things stand and and what we uh kind of should be looking at um for the upcoming years.

And you know, it was expressly said that local governments are going to struggle in these next few years, um given the headwinds that we're seeing in the various industries uh across this region and some of the job losses that we're seeing.

Um and so I think it's incumbent on us um to roll up our sleeves and not only are committing to do so with uh Go Virginia, but uh I I have no doubt we will have our conversations on this diet about how do we ensure this community and business community remains stable.

Um but the work uh for uh Go Virginia is um for folks who do not know what that is.

But the work uh for uh Go Virginia is um for folks who do not know what that is, um that is um a state government um board uh that is broken down regionally, has nine different um regions and uh basically they take in uh high growth opportunities and and requests and presentations and um look at what businesses or future businesses um should get uh state dollars.

Uh and so we'll be looking at opportunities for um a number of businesses to look at particular uh high growth industries that we are hoping to not only attract but keep in this region and uh making decisions on those.

One of the the things that I want to bring to this is uh up not only our knowledge as a council but um other electeds in North Virginia about the opportunities that are afforded us by the work of Go Virginia.

I think it has been quite the mystery or secret uh in the region, and I think there are definitely some opportunities for um organizations as well as businesses within Alexandria to take advantage of uh resources that they they're able to give out.

So uh glad to be on that board, and I'll make sure I get my uh my stuff in more time to the clerk, or at least I'll say that.

Yeah, one more meeting.

Right.

Um last but not least, uh, one of the things I'm doing this uh summer, even though we are off.

Um my aide and I are gonna do a couple of um about three different town halls where we are going to be working with um community members on talking about issues of international economic development.

What is uh what does Alexandria look like in that space?

Um gonna be partnering with uh school board member Chris Harris uh to talk about um how best organizations and individuals can partner with not only the city but AC but also ACPS.

I think that's been in a number of the conversations that I've had with individuals as well as for-profit and nonprofit organizations, concern about how do you who do you talk to at the city, how do you talk to somebody at ACPS if you are interested in partnering, if your nonprofit is interested in uh working with different populations within the city.

So trying to demystify that um is one of the things.

And then last but certainly not least, um, we are going to try to have an uh unofficial meeting of the unofficial night council uh to talk about uh how do we uh continue on uh basically from the work of Alex Forward, how do we try to implement um policies uh that uh really support Alexandria's nightlife.

Um it's one thing to talk about business in general and business attraction and retention, um, but we have a thriving arts community.

Uh we have a thriving restaurant scene and bar scene.

How do we talk about those things as policy matters?

Um, I think from the revenue standpoint, we can all agree that uh some of these businesses do bring in positive resonance new to not only the businesses themselves but the city.

But how do we make these these opportunities and experiences safe for people?

Um and so we want to talk about how do we do that in various parts of the city and continue to do that safely, um, but also make sure folks know that Alexandria is a place to hang out.

Thank you, Councilman Chapman.

I have two quick updates.

Uh, the first in March, I shared with the council that Councilman Chapman and I had attended our monthly ARHA work group meeting, and there we had heard that potentially 400 families might be facing eviction due to back rent, was able to partner with my interfaith council, specifically Alfred Street Baptist Church, Shiloh Baptists, Groveton Baptists, as well as a goodas Akeem.

And um, through work with ARHA identified that that number was actually 318 after we work with residents to be able to dispute and review their balances.

Over 1.2 million dollars was raised to clear the back rent for all 318 of those households.

And so wanted to provide a quick update.

Since March, 198 have paid their rent in full every single month.

Um, 71 have made partial payments and are working with ARHA on payment plans.

Unfortunately, 49 have made no payment uh since March and have been sent pay or quit notices.

Um they are some have reached out to DCHF and other partners in the city for additional support to navigate that process.

But all together that means that about 62% have been able to stay current on their rent since March.

And additionally, ARHA has brought back their housing specialists and case managers.

And so every single family, not just in the program, but um across ARHA will now have a housing specialist who can work with them that as a balance is accrued, we can be much more proactive in supporting them in clearing those balances and connecting with supports um and programs across the city.

We also did a survey in order to understand what are the reasons why people fell behind in the first place.

And the number one reason was related to job loss or underemployment.

And so are doing some work with DCHS and with the workforce development center to be intentionally about pairing people to some of the job opportunities and job fares that we have in the community.

So just want to thank you all for your support as I work to try and pull that together and just excited about the people who have been helped and also the folks who have been able to stay to stay current on their rent.

Lastly, I wanted to share a resident reached out to me about an idea for putting art in more non-traditional spaces, recognizing as Councilman Chapman just said that we have such a thriving arts and cultural initiative community.

And so this summer we're going to be piloting something we're calling art in every space, and we've identified businesses from car dealerships to real estate agents who are going to be partnering with local artists to do everything from visual art, like paintings and posters to even pop-ups of like musical performances.

And so we're going to have a launch event on Tuesday, July 7th, and another on Wednesday, July 8th.

And I'll be sending each of you an invitation to come to that.

And I think seeing no other oral reports, Madam Clerk, next item.

Alexander Fire Department update.

Mr.

Manager, one second.

Before we go there, I'm actually going to take a moment of privilege and ask for we have a number of items on consent.

I'd love a motion to take our roll call consent docket out of order.

Sure.

There's been a motion by Councilman Aguirre and a second by Councilwoman Green to take the roll call consent action docket out of order.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The ayes have it.

Madam Clerk, can you call uh the roll call consent items?

Action docket roll call consent items nine through 17.

Right.

Is there a motion to move items nine through 17?

So moved.

There's been a motion by councilman Aguirre and a second by Vice Mayor Bagley to move the roll call consent items nine through 17.

Madam Clerk, this is a roll call vote.

Please call the roll.

Vice Mayor Bagley.

Councilman Chapman.

Councilman Al Nuby.

Councilwoman Green.

Hi.

Council Mormon Marks.

Hi.

All right.

The ayes have it.

Madam Clerk, next item.

City Count City Manager's floor report, Alexandria Fire Department update.

Mr.

Manager.

So Mayor, this is uh annual update that uh our chief is going to give with his senior staff.

And um, there's a lot of great progress that have been made in the fire department, some really true truly signature uh efforts and initiatives, and uh he gets a chance to talk about that tonight.

He also has a uh relatively new senior leader with him tonight that I'm sure he'll introduce.

All right, well, thank you, everybody.

Uh mayor, vice mayor, uh council members.

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss the uh department.

Um, but as mentioned before we move forward, I do want to first introduce my assistant chief of administration, uh Chief Michael Cross, uh, 40 years with the department, doing his uh well, 41st.

He's been talking about retirement, but I'm gonna disregard that conversation right now.

Um, and as mentioned, we have a brand new uh assistant chief of operation, uh, Danny McCoy.

Um, he comes from the the uh DC fire department uh with a great background and experience, and we're very excited uh to have him join us here.

So with that, we'll jump into the presentation.

As mentioned, this is our update of the Alexandria Fire Department.

Um basically, we're just gonna go a quick overview of our operations and staffing with some highlights, accomplishments, and some discussions about the future of the uh department.

So just a quick overview.

Um we currently respond out of nine fire stations with a response model of nine engines, three trucks, and six transport units.

Our current staffing level is 348.5 FTEs with 301 of those being in operations.

Um we do have an additional four FTEs, which we will be obtaining mid fiscal year.

And I'll discuss more about that when we talk about the schedule.

Uh calls for service, just doing a quick comparison of calendar year 2024 to 2025, a slight increase in calls and the comparison of a fire year average from 2021.

As you can see, we continue to increase in call volumes, both in medical and fire and alarms.

All right.

So our attrition and vacancy rates, um, our retrition rate um continues to improve um for calendar year of 2024.

We were at uh 2.3 with a 10-year average of 2.1.

Right now we're at uh 2025 at 2.0.

The good news about that is the attrition hasn't been about people going to other fire departments.

I would say it's been about close to a year since we've had someone leave to go to another fire department.

These are mostly due to um retirements and other people leaving for other life reasons.

For example, we recently had a military spouse that had to move, so they made the choice to move out of the area.

But once again, it's not about going to another fire department.

And with that being said, we actually have five firefighters come back during the fiscal year 2026.

Um obviously a lot of good things happening for us.

Uh currently, our vacancy rate is only at five.

Um we did start a recruit school in May 26th with 14 recruits, which uh maxes our um capacity.

And we're planning another recruit class beginning of early next year.

Uh, new schedule update.

I'm sure many of you have spoken to some of the firefighters regarding new schedule.

Uh the 49-hour work week was implemented on October 11th of 2025.

Very successful.

Um, definitely helped improve morale, um, improving an overtime reduction and also holdovers.

We're not forcing people to not go home to stay and work overtime.

Um, that's been dropping as well.

So very successful.

Obviously, I want to thank the city manager and you guys for your support and helping us make those improvements for the fire members for the fire department.

Um, but the work continues because according to the CBA, uh, we are actually going to continue a reduction to 46 hours by the end of December 31, 2028.

Um, and as I mentioned earlier, those four FTEs that I mentioned, part of that is the city's commitment towards getting down to a 46 hour work week.

Uh CFIA accreditation.

Last time I was here, I mentioned that the city became accredited for the first time.

Um, this year, we provided our first annual compliance report, which was um successfully submitted and approved.

Um, it's somewhat of a regular process.

They wanted to make sure that you're continuing your continuous improvement as you promised you were going to.

So basically they check every year, and if they don't see improvement, they will pause our accreditation.

But great news, it was successfully submitted, no issues was noted.

Um, great opportunity for us to make improvements in the city.

Uh, for example, we were tracking our incidents by fire zones.

Uh, they felt that was too wide.

So actually, we're we made the decision to do it more on the session track, which kind of makes sense because that's kind of the data that the city's using.

So now when we have conversations about certain service in the city, now the fire department could do an apple store apples comparison in regards to what's happening on those specific tracks as well.

Um, another example of how they help us was they wanted to make sure that we're using data to make sure that we're evaluating our response uh deployment model, uh, which kind of leads me into the next slide.

Um, our EMS response model.

We've been looking at a response modeler.

Um, our main goal, plain and simple, we want to make sure we're making uh use of efficient resources for our EMS response.

Basically, let's send the appropriate need to the call that's needed.

A BLS call gets BLS services, or call that requires a paramedic gets a paramedic.

And that's kind of our goal here to make efficient uses of our resources.

Right now, out of those six transport units, uh, four of them are ALS with paramedics and two or BLS.

Um, we use many data points.

This is just one of the many data that we use.

What this one is showing is when we make a decision to say this type of call type requires a BLS response, or this one requires one paramedic or two.

When we make those changes, we want to make sure that we're making the right change and not causing any adverse impact.

So, for example, uh, when you see July 25 to September 25, that was like the baseline.

November of 2025, we made some adjustments to our call types, and those were basically successful because as you could see, our BLS calls 98% of the times remaining BLS, our ALS calls 99% of the time remaining ALS.

And that's a good sign for us.

That's saying that the adjustments that we're making are accurate because obviously we see a difference of those numbers, then we would have to reevaluate why we're not meeting those expectations.

So, once again, this is just one of the main data as we look at.

We look at response times, we look at unit hour utilization workloads when we try to make these uh determinations on what's best for the city in regards to our responses.

Um then next, and talking about the future.

I mean, obviously, maintaining staffing levels is very important to us.

Uh, very successful.

We want to keep managing our overtime, which we have been very successful with at this time, and once again, keep managing the holdovers to avoid members not being able to go home at the end of a shift.

Um, we want to continue making those annual accreditation annual compliance reports, because once again, that's showing that we are being successful and making improvements as we promised that we were going to uh with the organization.

Um another thing that we want to try to make improvements is in our insurance service office ratings.

Um we're up for renewal in 2028.

What that does is it basically tells the insurance company what the fire protection capabilities are in the specific area.

Um it's not just about the fire department, it also evaluates DEC and also the water supply within the city.

So basically, if you live in this area and we're a class two, that's gonna determine the rates that you make uh get for your insurance.

So obviously the lower the number, the better opportunities for our commercial and and residents to have better insurance rates as well, which is very important.

Uh we're currently a class two.

Our goal is to get to class one.

We're very close.

Um, I would say that less than one percent of departments in the US are both accredited and ISO one.

Um so we hope to be there in two years.

Um, and then finally, once again, our EMS response model, that's something that I can do in three months.

It's gonna be continuous evaluation where we try to see what's best for the city.

We want to make sure we don't move too fast or make too many changes, because if things go wrong, um it's hard to determine what caused the changes.

So we have to be very careful when it comes to these type of response model changes.

Um and that's pretty much a highlight of some of the things that we're working at.

Not sure if there are any specific questions you have in regards to what was uh discussed.

Okay, thank you, Chief.

Let me open it up to my colleagues for questions.

I see Vice Mayor Bagley.

Thank you, Chief.

And uh welcome to Alexandria.

Thank you for joining us.

And thank you for your 41.

Did I hear that right?

41 years of service.

Yeah.

Well, thank you so much.

That's um it's an incredible tenure.

Um the results here are really encouraging.

What I was curious about on the chart about um ALS and BLS and other response times is are we seeing like uh a lot of this presentation was focused on the human resources, right?

The firefighters themselves.

And I'm curious what impacts or changes or analysis you're doing about the equipment, like based on the types of calls and the analysis of the calls and based on usage and allocation.

Um, is that something you're looking at?

Is that something we're thinking about in terms of the kinds of infrastructure and the turnover and vehicle types and supportive items?

Yes, actually, we are actually we also uh develop an internal response model committee, which we're currently making some evaluations of those things you're discussing.

So even though we did focus about the EMS portion, we're also evaluating the apparatuses as well to ensure what's best for the city of uh uh Alexandria.

Okay, no, I appreciate that because I think it would be those, I know they're very expensive pieces of infrastructure, and um perhaps in the next update at whatever interval we're on, it would be great to get a little um a slide or two uh on that on the on the assets.

Um I think this is a related question.

When you're touching on the insurance, I find that fascinating that um our fire department can help reduce insurance costs for our residents and businesses.

Um, and you said you have like a two-year goal to potentially get to class one.

I'm curious what is our role from the city side?

Like not everything is in your control.

So, what what are the things that we as a council or a city manager or even planning and zoning can be mindful of that contribute to that analysis?

Yeah, well, I'm gonna go back to your first question because part of the EMS model review, for example, if we're sending a BLS transport unit with an engine and the engine's not needed, then we don't have to send the engine no more.

So part of that is also ensuring that we're kind of maximizing the use of our apparatus as well, because we don't have to send a large fire truck, then we don't have to.

So I just wanted to clarify that that also impacts the use of the apparatus as well.

Um, regarding to the ISO, um, we're handling most of it internally.

Uh as I mentioned before, part of the evaluation is DEC and in their dispatching capabilities.

And to be further them, they got an excellent score.

Um, so deck-wise, we're doing excellent.

The other part is the water department, regards to how many times they do inspections, how quick they um they um uh checked hydrants, uh flow uh water, they have to do those things a certain amount of time.

Um, so that's us coordinating with them in regards to making those capabilities.

But I would share that as well is going well for us.

Um we need a score of 90 to be a class one, and we were at 88.

So we're pretty close.

So overall, you know, I appreciate the support, but I think for the most part, the last few things that are needed, it's something that we could handle internally within the fire department.

And I think one one thing I want to just maybe reiterate and and um is like I think I should say one percent of fire departments are class one.

And and accredited and credited, but I think what what what residents shouldn't hear here is that like that we're not meeting some great standards in terms of response time and how we can handle things.

This is a very separate analysis insurance analysis.

It's just always shooting for better, that's all.

Yeah, no, I appreciate that.

Just wanted to make it clear like this is not an indication that we're not meeting um the top level of service.

The last thing I just touch on, if you could give us an update is sort of how are our mutual aid agreements, how are our relationships?

Obviously, we depend on and we provide, and if you could just speak to how that's how that status is.

Yeah, so this is very unique here.

I mean, something I'm not used to for where I came from.

Um we have here a mutual aid agreement in the northern uh Virginia area where basically we send the closest unit, and that's very unique.

You're not gonna find that in very uh many areas in the US.

Basically, we have an agreement, we send the closest unit.

So anytime there's a fire incident metal call, you'll see Arlington, you'll see Fairfax.

It's very common.

It also helps because when you get that big major incident, we're all used to working with each other and we'll be able to communicate and handle a major incident because we're already accustomed to working with each other.

So when it comes to that, we have excellent service when it comes to mutual aid.

And I and I asked that question just again to reassure citizens, like it is it is not an indication of uh of a lacking or uh insufficient resources.

It's really an indication of the strong mutual ties we have in the region and the interdependency that we go over there as well.

Yeah, we go to Fairfax.

Just as much, exactly.

Thank you, sir.

Yep.

And I think to put a finite point of our commitment to making sure that whose ever's closest to you gets to you as fast as possible.

I saw hands from Councilman Aguirre and then Councilwoman Green.

Um Chief, welcome, Chief Cross.

Congrats on 40 plus.

Um, and welcome to you as well.

Um glad to have you here in Alexandria.

The um man, I'm I'm a little bit out of a loss of work for words.

Uh everything that you're presenting really just speaks for itself.

Uh I'm glad the vice mayor asked about the apparatus because I remember we had that conversation about a year, year and a half ago.

Um I mean, I don't know what to say, like the attrition rate, the vacancies, the the full classes that we're getting.

I mean, this is amazing.

I mean, this is this is a big turnaround.

Um, I think it's a testament to to the work that you've done and uh, you know, uh the morale you've been able to build within the department.

Um, the fact that we're striving to be in the top one percent.

That's that's the that's the lens I'm gonna put it in.

We're striving to be in the top one percent, uh, which means we're already probably in the top five.

Um just this is this is great.

You know, keep up the good work.

Thank you.

Um, like the vice mayor said, if there's anything that we could do on our end to to continue the support, just let us know.

Um great.

Yeah, I appreciate that.

Thank you very much.

Councilwoman Green.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Welcome, Chief McCoy.

Again, congrats.

She crossed, I hope all of our firefighters stay 40 years.

Um, and then uh hello, Chief.

Thank you for the information.

My question is around recruiting.

And I was wondering do you work with a high school to recruit recent grads or even to go in to talk to them about the fire department?

Um, I would love to see more of our AC students in your academies.

Yeah, so currently we do visited the uh the EMC class um that's in the high school to recruit.

Um the school was planning and doing a a uh firefighter intern program.

Umard does have a classroom for that, um, but part of that takes resources from them as well to provide an instructor.

So I do have a deputy chief who is working with them to ensure that we move forward in that program to ensure that we do continue working with the schools.

So that was the intent.

Unfortunately, the school wasn't able to commit uh last time, but we're continuing those conversations to see we could make that program um exist and move forward.

Yep.

Uh councilman, to to that point too, I just wanted to mention that um from the occasions that I've gone to new recruit uh graduations, I have regularly regularly seen folks that are originally from the Alexandria area.

So um just want to commend you on that as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madame.

Um I I think what stood out to me, and I appreciate that you're focused on is the hours and the work-life balance, how you're trying to improve the working conditions um for people.

Um, so I would just say continue doing that.

I appreciate that because it's very important if we want to attract the best of the brightest, it's very important to make it pleasant to work here.

Thank you.

Yep.

Well, I have a question and then a comment.

My question was going to be I think one of the things that struck me is you said we were able to do all of this operating out of just nine fire stations.

And I know we've been talking a lot.

We last year approved our Alex West plan.

We're getting ready to have conversations about our Duke Street plan.

We just approved our housing master plan.

I'm curious how um the department is engaged in some of those planning efforts and what we need to be thinking about in terms of um needs as it relates to additional state like additional stations.

Yeah, I mean, so I mean, obviously, one of the things in conversation is the fire station and landmark.

I mean, obviously the call volume on the west end is increasing.

So that's something that we do have to address now and in the future.

Um currently we are evaluating potentially making some movements, but we are limited in space, so there's not so much we could do with the with the current infrastructure that we have.

But obviously, landmark would be very helpful.

Um do have some other stations, such as uh the one on Cameron Street that's also being evaluated this year.

There's a study that's gonna go in regards to finding an appropriate location for them as well.

So definitely we do need to continue working on the infrastructure of the fire stations.

Um and the focus does need to be a little bit more on the west side, because that's where our call volume is increasing.

Thank you.

And then I will just say I want to echo the thanks um for your service for joining the department and chief, especially for your leadership.

I think one of the things I always hear is just the professionalism and the dedication of each of the men and women in the fire service, but also how much they enjoy working with you and for you and what you've been able to do.

I mean, I think Councilman Gary said it worse, but not worse, better.

But just being at a loss for words, which is what I was gonna say, because you've only been here a short time, and this transformation and your ability to deliver on goals that have been long-term objectives for the department is really critical.

And I will just say I think you know this because you came and checked on me.

I had a chance to interact with our team recently, and the support that they provided, the way they show up for people in need, and honestly, the way that sometimes when you won't even listen to yourself, that they're there to step in and make sure that everyone is cared for, supported in every step of their journey, and also follow up.

Um, they followed up with me, but I know it's not just because I'm the mayor, because I've received multiple other emails from residents who said, you know, I had a 911 emergency a month ago, and people in the fire service are still checking on me today.

So just thank you, all each of you for the ways in which you continue to show up for this community.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Have the rest of the evening.

Thank you.

Uh, Mr.

Manager.

The next item is uh the update from our independent police auditor.

It's on.

All right.

Well, good evening, uh, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor Bagley, and members of city council.

Welcome also to members join of the community joining us online and in person.

I am Amaratu Kumara, and I serve as the independent policing auditor for the City of Alexandria.

Um the office provides an independent civilian oversight over the Alexandria Police Department.

Uh, we also work to support the independent community policing review board.

Um, and before I move forward, I just want to recognize um our chair, Deborah Porter, is in the room today.

Um, today um it's intended to be a brief overview and update.

Um, I will cover civilian oversight, what civilian oversight is, um, how it's structured here in Alexandria, and then we'll move forward to how to file a complaint or concern with our office.

If this is the first time some of you online or in the room have heard of our office, um, then we'll go through the investigations that we have um received or conducted from January through June, and then we'll turn um and end with community engagement and upcoming projects and events.

So, first, what is civilian oversight?

For those of you who are hearing about our office for the first time, or if this is your first time hearing of civilian oversight, um, it is the process in which individuals who are not sworn law enforcement are authorized to investigate, review and audit police misconduct complaints, um, as well as review um and investigate police policies and internal investigations.

Um, that authority can be created by uh statute or law.

Um, it can also be created by a federal consent decree with the Department of Justice.

Um, but at the heart of it is really community demand um for wanting a to participate in uh the process.

Um, so it all comes, it's all grounded in community.

Um, if you followed us through the ordinance process, this slide will look very familiar.

Um this is to say that civilian oversight in Alexandria is managed by two bodies.

Uh, first the AIPA, independent policing auditor.

That is the investigative arm.

Uh, we receive and investigate complaints, we review records um with our access to APD evidence and systems.

Um, we monitor APD internal investigations and we issue our findings and recommendations to the board for their independent review as well as the chief of police.

Uh the independent community uh police review board is the review arm of the sub civilian oversight here in Alexandria.

The board independently assesses our investigations for fairness, thoroughness, and uh objectivity.

Um, and they may also recommend their own policy changes and improvements.

Um both bodies are independent of the of the of the Alexandria Police Department, and we report directly to city council.

And so now I'm gonna quickly transition to how to file a complaint with our office and how residents can get involved.

If anyone has a complaint, a concern or question involving APD, there's several ways that you can get in contact with us.

Um residents can file a complaint through our city website.

Um you may also send us an email to AI Police Oversight at Alexandria VA.gov.

You may also email the independent policing review board at ICPRB at Alexandria VA.gov.

Um as well as we've also received uh complaints by phone and 311.

Um the website complaint form, I will say is the best option for those of you that are looking to uh file a complaint quickly with us.

Uh that is because it prompts you for all the information that you need in order for us to launch a full investigation.

So that includes the date, time, location, officer information, you'll be prompted for all of that information.

Um and for those of you following along in the room and online, if you scan the QR code, that'll take you straight to our complaint form.

Um when you go to our website, you'll see the buttons on the left uh part of your screen.

It'll prompt you if you would like to file a complaint or uh thank an APD officer.

We we also take commendations.

Once you click any one of those buttons, you'll be taken to the screen there on the right, and you'll see that you can file a complaint or submit a commendation for the officer.

Now we recognize that while we have a uh complaint form, it may not work for everyone, right?

So for those of you who do want to send your complaint via email or give us a call or even walk into our office, um, there's just a few reminders here to include in your complaint.

One, uh, it's important to have the date, the time, and the location of the incident.

Um, if you if the officer's name and badge number is known, it is important that you share it with us, and I will share that you do have the right to ask for an officer's name and badge number during an encounter.

Um it also be helpful if there's any witness information or supporting uh evidence such as photos, videos, or documentation that we can use for the investigation.

You do not need to be a U.S.

citizen or an Alexandria resident to file a complaint.

You may also file a complaint anonymously, recognizing that not everyone may be comfortable putting their names and coming forward.

Um our jurisdiction, though, just to note, is limited to members and policies of the Alexandria Police Department.

We don't investigate complaints involving members from other agencies.

And so now we'll move into the investigations that we've received from January through June.

Um in the first six months of the year, we've received five complaints and we've reviewed two critical uh incidents.

Um we've received two critical critical incidents as well.

Uh, one of the critical incidents uh that we received uh has actually been completed.

That investigation is the in-custody death of Alan Tucker Jr., which occurred last year on August 15, 2025.

Um the seven sustained allegations listed there come from the uh Alan Tucker final report.

Um it's important to say state that not only do they have um account accountability at the personnel level, the being the findings, but we also have findings for uh uh the broader department level issues involving policy reviews, uh training with the overall goal of risk reduction and making sure that an event like this doesn't happen again.

Um, and of the five complaints that we received, two of them were dismissed for um lack of jurisdiction because they involved um uh in a member of another agency.

Um and a quick reminder the chief of police does retain um sole authority on the implementation of the findings and recommendations by the board and the auditor.

Um, however, if any of the findings and recommendations are rejected, um, that rejection must be put in writing to the board, auditor, city council, and public.

Um and that written response is truly a transparency measure because it allows the public to see um how our recommendations are accepted and implemented.

And so getting deeper into the two critical incidents.

I'll start with the most recent one from May 18th, um, the Canterbury Square officer involved shooting.

I have been briefed and I've also reviewed the body worn camera footage on the incident.

Our office has also confirmed access to all available evidence and records.

And also once we receive all relevant evidence from the police department.

So first the criminal investigation and then confirming that we receive all evidence from APD.

We will initiate our independent administrative review.

And then finally, there were recommendations to improve interagency accountability and coordination, recognizing that there are many agencies involved with responding to someone who may be arrested and inspected for substance to be under the influence of some sort of substance.

The board will hold a public hearing on the Alan Tucker investigation on Monday, June 29th at 6 30 at the Dell Pepper Community Center in this room.

Virtual participation is available as well.

That hearing is where we will really have substantive conversation about the investigation and the findings.

Therefore, if anyone would like to attend, give public comment or even learn more about how to register for the event.

All on the city website, I mean on the city calendar.

For those of you who cannot make it, I do want to encourage you, if you do have some thoughts to share, to submit a written public comment.

Written public comments can be submitted to the AIPA and the board's uh emails, policeoversight at Alexandria VA.gov and ICPRB at Alexandria VA.gov with the subject line public comment, just to make sure we can capture everyone who has some feedback.

And so now I'll turn briefly to uh some some community engagement.

Uh this year we've really expanded our our presence in the community.

Um, one by bringing our board meetings into the community at the Charles Houston Rec Center, and then also by partnering with the uh Office of Race and Social Equity headed by uh Dr.

Emerald Christopher Christopher, as well as the Office of Uh Human Rights uh headed by Paul Valenti.

And so that's helped us get out to community cookouts, and we'll all be out together this weekend as well at the Pride event.

Um we will also at the Pride event have one pagers and information about the Alan Tucker public hearing available for people who are walking by.

Um so if anybody wants to stop by, that is a great place that you can find us to learn more.

Um we also we focused on youth engagement by hosting meetings uh with the ACPS PTSA led by our board members, Suzanne Berkeley, um, as well as the Alexandria City Public School Black Student Union.

Uh really quickly, I just want to highlight our Juneteenth event that we held on Friday.

Um, I also had a great time, uh Director Taylor, um, and I think everyone honestly that was involved.

Uh the event connected our event connected Juneteenth, freedom, um, public safety, and civilian oversight.

And truly the focus of the conversation is the delayed delivery of freedom to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, and how freedom requires more honesty than just a legal declaration, right?

It was it required intentional communication, enforcement, um, equal protection under the law for civil rights.

And so we focused on not just the complicated history between black uh black communities and policing, but also what public safety owes those communities today.

And so um, because there were many Juneteenth events happening, we did have a turn it turnout that was lower than uh expected.

But this con this conversation um we might explore having it either earlier in the week leading up to Juneteenth or just separately uh on that day to give it sort of its full uh its full attention.

And so uh quickly, uh just some upcoming projects that we're looking at.

Um the board will release its annual report in September.

Um this summer and fall, we will be hosting how to file a complaint sessions uh just to make sure everyone knows how to reach us.

Um and those will be listed on the city calendar.

Uh we will begin also working on the MOU review and putting together that revision uh advisory group this summer, um, sort of taking lessons we've learned from the complaints uh that we've already received and uh and investigated, but also uh our responses to the critical incidents.

Um and so those are those are the three things that we have coming up.

And that is all I have.

I'll pause here if you have any questions.

Okay, thank you for the presentation.

Let me open it up to see if my colleagues have questions.

Uh Vice Mayor Bagley and Ben again.

Uh Councilman Alnubi.

I'll be brief.

I was just um for the benefit of people who um might be learning more about your office.

Um, when you were talking about the Canterbury Square incident, you referred to CERT and the fact and the fact that like a criminal investigation.

Can you just um first explain who CERT is and what the acronym stands for, and then sort of why that is moving forward in the way that it is?

Yes, yes.

Um, so when there is a critical incident, a critical incident is involving serious death or injury of an individual in police custody.

And there are three agencies that are three separate investigations that are usually involved in reviewing an incident like that.

The first is a criminal investigation by the CERT team that you just mentioned.

The CERT team is the critical incident response team.

That is a multi-jurisdictional team made up of investigators and police officers from other jurisdictions that come in um and investigate the matter to determine whether the officers violated criminal law.

Um those that investigation is then turned over to the Commonwealth Attorney's Office, who then makes the final assessment as to whether the officers will be charged.

Um, regardless of whether the officers are charged, an administrative investigation by the Alexandria Police Department and the Office of the Independent Policing Auditor myself will occur.

And those usually follow the criminal investigation once we find out whether the officers will be charged.

And the purpose of a um administrative investigation uh is to determine whether the officers complied with APD policies.

Thank you for that.

I appreciate it.

And that the steps that you just outlined, were those steps followed in the Alan Tucker case.

Yes, that is the exact uh step that we followed in the Alan Tucker phase.

Uh it started with a criminal investigation by CERT.

Uh, once that investigation was completed, a final report was turned over to APD and myself.

And then APD completely completed their investigation, turned all evidence over to my office, and we began our administrative review.

Thank you for that.

And um uh the uh the only other comment I would make, it's it's less of a question and more of it, is um the presentation tonight was very focused on if you have a uh complaint or commendation.

And I think I just wanted to reiterate, and I think um, if um where can people reach out if they simply have questions, like they're a non-specific, non-situationally specific reaction or a question or a concern.

Um is is you know, how do they do that?

Yeah, I mean, first I want to plug our um board meetings there on the first they're on the first Wednesday of each month.

Um that is a great space for community members to come in, even if you're not registered for public comment, you can register there at the meeting and you can share your concerns or questions.

So that's one way that you can get involved and get in touch with us.

Staff always attend as well.

So AIPA will be there, but it is the board's meeting.

And then secondly, if you would like to just send it via email, our general email, policeoversight at Alexandria VA.gov is the best way to get in touch.

Thank you very much.

Those are my questions.

Thank you, Ice Mayor Bagley.

Councilmanal Newby.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, a couple questions.

Um, my first question is regarding subpoena power, and it was a big topic when we passed the ordinance.

So I want to know now a year and a half or almost a year in from your experience, all the investigations that you've conducted.

Did you get to any point where you were I could have used the subpoena power that you didn't get?

And if it's not, if not, then great.

Yeah, I mean, uh not currently.

I I can say that my access to the uh police system that holds all the evidence has not been interrupted.

Um, and so I because it is the form in subpoena deuces tech, um, meaning we can really only subpoena documents and and physical evidence.

I've never had that need yet.

Great, good to hear.

And if you ever do, please let us know.

Um, my second question was around license plate readers and policy around that.

I believe it was your intention at one point to review that.

Um, is that still the intention?

Have you done it?

Yes.

So this is something that I I brought to the board meeting as well.

They discussed maybe bringing in someone uh who isn't presented I believe to the IC IT commission on on this topic uh to also come in and speak to us.

We are still scheduling her to to come to a board meeting given the Tucker investigation everything else and and training honestly that we have but it is a conversation that we do plan to to hold and see that we plan to review.

Sorry thank you and and to that point um actually thanks for bringing that up I know the IT commission have had interest in that as well um is there room for collaboration or maybe some common areas where you can I my whole thing is I don't want to have different entities doing the same work like just to avoid redundancy and also to showing powers and you know sometimes people have different skill sets that they can complement each other I guess absolutely um I we definitely have an array of skill sets on our board and so I I can only imagine that uh through collaboration they could only be complemented with the with the IT commission.

So we are definitely open to that collaboration.

Sounds good.

Thank you appreciate that thank you Madam Mayor that's are there additional questions or comments I had one quick one.

You mentioned that should the chief um not agree to implement the recommendations as proposed by the auditor and the board that it is required sort of in writing as to why curious is that um written feedback posted anywhere I know it mentions it specifically needs to be emailed to three groups but just if the effort is transparency I'm just curious do we have a place to publicly post it.

Yeah so it would it will definitely be posted on our auditor website um that we have a documents and report section that we that we have we also have a press release section um but it is a requirement of the ordinance that the chief makes it public as well so not just submitting it to council the board and myself but making it a publicly available document.

I can't speak to where it will be on ABD's website but that will be something that I can discuss with the chief as well.

Thank you.

I appreciate that um well I would just say thank you again for the presentation I think the information about the work that your office is doing and all that you've been able to accomplish in the past year is really really um tremendous and has been impactful for our community thank you again for the reminder um for those watching and listening about the upcoming hearing as well as ways to proactively engage with your office.

Thank you.

Thank you.

All right Madam Clerk next item consideration of a resolution establishing the city A4PS ad hoc committee on school board election reform okay um so there is not a formal presentation on this one for everyone's background um I raised in oral reports I'm gonna say now a month ago that we had received a letter from the school board asking that we consider forming a joint uh committee focused on exploring election reform at that time we directed the city manager with majority support to um prepare a resolution and then to share that resolution with the school board uh to provide any guidance or not guidance any um feedback on the resolution so I want to first turn it over to manager to just share the feedback that he received from the school board and then open it up to my colleagues for any questions, comments or further discussion.

Mr manager great thank you mayor um so I had submitted um a draft resolution uh to this to the superintendent who I believe uh sent that on to the school board there were two change two recommended changes to the resolution that was drafted uh the first was an adjustment to the date at which the um uh the information would come back to the council the original resolution had uh I think a late December date um and uh the school board recommendation was uh to have that in the in November the reason for that is in case that needs to be uh provided to the state delegation at some level um that provides some additional time in order to do that um that was that was the first uh recommendation the second rec and that by the way is in the recommended resolution uh the and I did follow that conversation up with one of the delegates uh delegate uh Ben Parker uh who did talk me through their schedule and November is an appropriate time frame for that um the second one uh is not the the recommendation the school board was to remove some wording uh primarily related to uh removing the wording that would indicate decreasing school board size um language uh removal of uh word decrease and uh uh instead of including but not limited to uh labeled specifically which meant staggered terms board composition term lengths um that is not in i did not include that in the recommended resolution given the feedback I had gotten from council before

Um language uh removal of uh the word decrease and uh uh instead of including but not limited to uh labeled specifically, which meant staggered terms, board composition, term lengths.

Um that is not in, I did not include that in the recommended resolution given the feedback I got from council before uh in regard to interest in evaluating a decrease in the school board size.

Again, no actions get taken until the information gets in front of the council, and then the council makes the that that decision.

Thank you, Mr.

Manager.

Uh this time I want to open it up.

Are there questions, comments um on the resolution of proposed or any discussion?

Councilwoman Marks, and followed by Councilman Chapman.

Um apologies who do I direct this question to?

The city manager about the resolution.

To the crowd to everyone directed, and then we'll well say the question and then we'll get you to the right person.

Okay, my question is in the, I mean, should I tell you which in the four in the third whereas clause um where we're talking about what we're going to be discussing um on the agenda of this committee, which you've already addressed a little bit.

Uh I noticed that we say board composition and decreasing the size of the school board.

And I wondered if the two of those were redundant or if they mean different things in this context.

Um when I crafted that piece, I I've I always think of board composition was a broader.

I mean, thinking about um representation, not necessarily a number of how many people.

Um, and then the that's why there are two separate.

I'm sorry, I don't okay.

Yeah, so what do you mean?

Like like what's an example So in districts versus ad log.

Yeah, like district versus at large.

Okay, so we think composition that's what I meant in resolution for that, and then the decrease in board size, the size that was really related to how many people okay.

So rather than broadening or or leaving open what this committee could discuss with the words including but not limited to staggered terms, which is what they asked for initially.

We are saying that we we must discuss staggered terms, board composition, term lengths, and decreasing the size specifically, and anything else we want to discuss, but those four things must be discussed or entertained, is what I understand.

I don't I don't think it's a must, but I think that this when we received this the last time, it seemed across the um council that there was a desire that if we're going to open up election reform, there was not a will to just do it on staggered terms.

And that I think last time somebody said I I can't remember all the exact words, last time somebody said instead of like leaving it to the kitchen sink, let's be clear about what some of those areas might be.

And these were the ones that rose to the top.

Okay, so I'm reading including, but not limited to, meaning we must include those four things, but we can discuss other things if we'd like.

Yes.

And on the committee, um, I think the other thing that was discussed was that the first meeting would be a setting of your agenda and the topics that you will review.

Okay.

I'm the one that recommended we lose the decreasing the size of the school board because I thought that those two things were redundant.

I see the distinction now.

Um one of my hopes in eliminating that last phrasing, which may or may not be shared, was to set the table for this ad hoc committee to come in um with a fresh start.

And uh you know, the ability to start off from a collaborative and open mindset rather than sort of uh pushing on pain points that have come up in the past with the full intention of raising those topics, uh, but without sort of uh mandating them as part of this conversation, allowing them to to come together um in consensus of the people uh participating in the ad in the ad hoc committee.

So I would uh I would still consider amending and striking those last few words.

Okay.

Um I saw Councilman Chapman and then I think Councilman Gary was trying to get me at or I thought I heard a voice.

Councilman Gary.

Madam Mayor, apologies.

Is is Councilman Marks making a motion.

I didn't hear it as a motion.

Okay, I was gonna say I didn't hear a motion.

Okay.

Um thank you, Madam Mayor.

Good.

Okay.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Uh, I wanted to um raise a couple points.

Uh uh from the last meeting, I I withheld my support for moving forward on this and and still in a similar space.

I wanna want us to understand what kind of the the background for uh the letter from the the chair is and the timeline that school board is seeking, and frankly, um regardless of some of the other arguments I'll raise.

Let me start out by saying I think moving forward after the ad hoc committee work is is probably going to be challenging from the city side logistically, um, because we will be pushing a charter change with currently we don't have a legislative director, and most likely we'll have one by session.

I don't want to put that on staff, but I know they're working towards filling that position, but also that means that we would have a uh a legislative director getting their first shops in Richmond as our legislative director doing probably one of the most important things, which is a charter change, which can be highly risky depending on how others want to move on that charter, because once that charter is opened up in Richmond, um there are many things that can happen with it.

I don't mean to kind of sound like a boogeyman here, but I I think when I reached out to the city attorney's office to try to get uh a memo which she sent to council, I wanted to make sure council members understood the risk.

I've had a couple of conversations with former delegates as well as former former senators about um the history of of localities opening up their charter, and they're not always good stories.

Um, because once that charter is opened up down in Richmond, there can be things happening.

And and I the reason why I want to say that along with where we will be logistically with our staff is because that means if something happens, we will not necessarily to say this about whoever gets hired here, but we will have somebody in their first year with the city trying to navigate Richmond while we do a charter change.

I do not think that's the best position to put the city in.

This does not have to be time bound to this next year.

I certainly understand members of school board want this done now.

They've wanted it done now for the last however many years.

But if we are serious about actually doing whatever we want to do, or the majority of council wants to do, we're not doing I don't think it's I don't think it's in our best.

I don't think it's in our best um it's not the right time, frankly.

Like sure, it's it's definitely not in our best interest, but you know, the timing is not good for what we're trying to actually do.

If if the majority of council wants to do this, something comes back, that council wants to change, and and council pushes on.

I think we're we're setting ourselves up for um some issues.

Um that being said, um, so that's the logistical piece that you know I I hope those who support this measure uh consider at the end of the day.

Yes, it is a multi-part process where you know we set up a ad hoc committee.

I certainly understand that they do their work, come back, and then you know, we can lay out a time timeline.

Uh I again I'm I'm against the full uh ad hoc committee.

Um I do not think I have seen very limited research outside research that says the changes that we were are making are going to ensure student achievement.

I've seen limited research that says the changes that are being sought by our school board will achieve student success.

The work that we are usually called to do and asked by our school board are things that they believe will ensure student success to some degree.

The reason we've done a CBA is to retain teachers and quality staff so that we can have student outcomes.

The reason that we usually hear for resources for the school system is to ensure student success.

The reason why we hear about partnership with the school system is for student success.

I would love to hear before we approve an ad hoc committee about how this reaches student success.

I'm not hearing that.

I know board members have done work and tried to pull things together, but it has not correlated with student success.

It talks about uh electoral um dynamics.

It talks about board dynamics.

That to me does not pull me enough to say I'm willing to open the city charter to talk about a politician's career.

I do not care.

That is their choice either to run for election or not.

And given the the data that we have in front of us, many people have chosen not to run.

The correlation I do see and have has been talked about is the correlation between elected leadership on school board and superintendent turnover.

However, other jurisdictions across the country within the industry, talk about regular superintendent turnover.

We are at the average turnover rate for superintendents, especially post-pandemic.

During my time on a different school system, we have seen changes in our leadership.

Last time I checked, we were still one of the best jurisdictions in the region.

Even with leadership change.

So I certainly understand my colleagues' willingness to try to be uh in a more supportive position with ACPS.

Um, I think the conversations can still continue.

I would just suggest, and this is again preempting what will be hopefully a later conversation, is that when it comes to us actually moving forward on this, we look at the logistics of where we are as an organization and the urgency for this to actually happen.

Right.

Again, I'm I'm I'm backing a little a bit away from my position that no, we should never have an ad hoc commission.

Uh the mayor talked to me at length today about having the conversation.

So I take that in earnest.

But my concern, and I want to continue to raise this and beat this drum, is the execution of what we're talking about is dangerous.

We have already seen this last session.

A sitting state senator go fully against his locality.

Everyone on this diet knows exactly what I'm talking about.

And so the ability to do that, regardless of what we think about four-year terms, three-year terms, staggered terms, at large wards.

Once this goes to Richmond, with all due respect to the folks that we have helped, we have probably all worked to get those folks there, they have the power to do what they what the changes they want to make without real true engagement with this community, and I don't think they will.

But they have that ability, and I don't want to just throw down that, throw that out there because of a request by another body.

Again, this body is choosing to step out of alignment with the city council as well when it comes to elections.

And I think that to me is one of the most disrespectful things I've seen this board do in quite some time.

You're now going to have voters voting in a totally separate schedule from regular local elections just because a couple of folks want to do staggered terms.

Because they don't want to do anything else.

They want to do staggered terms.

That's been the center of that work.

Um, and I think that's egregious, but uh I've said that uh as for quite some time and will continue to say that, but I've I'm disappointed that we have to take that up, spend staff time, considerable staff time, uh, and then spend their staff time while they are undergoing a leadership change.

I would rather they focus on the leadership change.

Well, first, Councilman Chapman, I appreciate what you have raised, and I appreciate your willingness to have a conversation.

Oh, what I do want to say, just so I'm clear for my colleagues, I do agree with Councilman Chapman about the risk of opening up the charter should we get to that point.

And I think we all need to be very clear and mindful of that and be in lockstep, not only with um our legislative team at that point, but with our city attorney.

I would also say to you, I want to make sure we don't lose sight of, I think it was councilwoman Green when we first had this discussion brought up.

If we are going to take on that risk, what are we doing to take that on for the needs of the council and the specific charter changes we might see?

So while that is not mentioned in this resolution, I do think we need to be clear that if we get to this point any like an evaluation of that risk but also what else the council needs should we go down this path we have to have that information in hand and be able to look at that at the same time.

And I know we haven't I think we kind of just I think you brought it up and we just left it.

We need to make sure that that that is not lost either because I don't think we've had a summary of that.

One thing I did want to mention is right now what we have in the resolution is simply it comes back to us with a report by November 10th it does not require a specific action at that point.

And so we can have some discussion about what that is but that allows us to at least begin conversation.

With that I did see multiple hands go up that I saw councilwoman marks uh councilman on newbie and then I think and councilman Chapman's went back up so I'll come back okay.

Thank you madam mayor.

Um I don't disagree with councilman Chapman on much here but I am willing to have the conversation.

And I would like to have that conversation face to face looking each other in the eyes and sharing this information in a room instead of you know uh from the dais in front of microphones sort of back and forth.

Um I I know that you all know I have spent considerable time in electoral politics in general professionally and also here in Alexandria and have some unique perspective and deep understanding of what it would take to do this.

And I would love to just have a deep conversation once and for all about whether and why we would do this and I have the same questions as you as who who and why does this help to what end um I'm really interested because I don't have clear answers on that and I would like to know those um I'd also like to find out if if we are missing each other on anything if there are if there are some reasons why we should make considerations I would also like to discuss the timing and and what is why now and those are conversations I think we can have better if we are sitting across the table from one another and that is why I am supportive of it I am not necessarily supportive of the recommendations that we we think without talking them to them directly that school board is inclined to make but I am certainly willing to go through and be a thought partner um in how we might move forward together and also to have a good collaborative experience under our belts on this.

So that's why I am supportive of it and I want to be clear about that that it is more about the process and the experience than it is about um coming to a prescribed outcome that one body may want that not all of us are supportive of I'll leave it at that.

Councilman Alnuby Councilman Chapman Vice Mayor Bagley um a lot to react to so let me let me start with a couple of points here.

I'm not going to make a motion yet because I think there's still more to discuss but um I think on on the size I think there's a reason we have decreasing the size in here because myself I don't I'm gonna want to speak for anybody on on this day but I personally but I heard it from others people said we would not support any changes that does not include reducing the size I think that in itself is collaborative that itself is a compromise because I think also as was mentioned I don't know how many people here care about staggered terms for school board think it's going to improve anything I agree with my colleague Chapman Councilman Chapman I do not think it's gonna change anything I do not think that is the problem over there um as was mentioned the superintendent tenure is not out of step with the national average it's not that every time there was a majority of school board turnover there was a superintendent turnover and it's not when there was no turnover there wasn't a superintendent turnover.

I mean look at this cycle there was not a majority of school board turnover and there was still a superintendent turnover and the pattern holds so it could be more of a correlation than a causation um but our colleagues in the school board chose to believe that there's a causation there.

I disagree with that and that's why I wasn't necessarily in favor of staggered terms.

I'm okay if you want to have a conversation but that's the line I'm drawing if you want to have a conversation about staggered terms we're gonna have a conversation about reducing the size not about whether we should reduce the size or not what to reduce the size to and I'm going to be very clear if I support this resolution any recommendation that comes from the subcommittee that does not include reducing the size I will not support I will not vote for that's the first thing um actually because I have some statistics well since we're discussing this we are first of all before and apologies for taking a little longer on on this but I think this is very important um to discuss and to put all out there before the school board chair asked the council to create the subcommittee there was a petition out there in the community put out by two parents that had almost

Well, since we're discussing this, we are first of all before, and apologies for taking a little longer on this, but I think this is very important to discuss and to put all out there.

Before the school board chair asked the council to create this subcommittee, there was a petition out there in the community put out by two parents that had almost 600 signatures.

And the main thing, the main request in that resolution was reducing the size of the school board.

It was not staggered terms, it was not anything else.

They had salaries in there, they had staff aids, but they didn't care about staggered terms.

This the petition has to reduce the size of the school board, 600 signatures from the community from parents.

To put that number in context, the school board itself, as they were going through this process of looking at staggered terms while I was on the school board, they put out a survey to the community to ask about what people think about staggered terms.

They put the whole weight of the institution behind it, they blasted it out on all channels, tried to get people to respond.

They only got 450 responses.

Two dads got 600 signatures saying reduce the size of the school board.

Just to put things in context.

Ratio-wise to students compared to jurisdictions around us, big jurisdictions, jurisdictions that are over 10,000 people.

So comparable to just jurisdictions around us.

We have 16,000 students about and mine members.

That's about 5.5 school board members per 10,000 students.

Arlington has 28,000 students, roughly, and five school board members.

So almost double our size, five school board members.

Fairfax is almost 11 or 12 times our size, and they have 12 school board members.

And it goes on.

Prince William, same thing.

Eight school board members, almost eight times our size.

Um Lauden, several times our size, nine school board members.

We are by far the biggest school board by representation, or the biggest over-represented school board in as compared to school boards around us.

Since 2009, only one election.

Well, since 2009, at least one district had no competition.

2024 had no competition in any of the districts.

The only outlier was 2018.

So I think all these point to the size to reducing the size.

When it comes to student achievement, I believe the more competition, the better.

And if we reduce the size, that's more competition.

And that means more responsive, more responsibility, more accountability on the board, and hopefully that leads to better student achievement.

So I I would add these two.

So again, I would not support anything that does not say don't reduce the size that does not include reducing the size.

To my colleague's point about timeline, I would support removing the timeline.

I would support saying that any recommendation that comes from the subcommittee is not um binding that council could or could not take it up.

Um so we can have further conversation after the subcommittee comes back on the charter change and what does that mean for the city, what does that mean for council, whether whether we want to add anything and whether we want to do it this year?

Because my understanding, I don't know if anyone has the answer here.

Even if we get the charter change request or the resolution, whatever, and send it down to Richmond done by the end of this year and get the charter change done next year, it's not going to be implemented in the next election cycle.

It will still be implemented in 2030.

So why the rush?

We can take our time if we want to.

Um, and I would recommend we do that.

And I'll I'll stop here because I know my colleagues had more thoughts.

Okay, I think I had Councilman Chapman in the queue next, followed by Victor Bagley.

I can't uh uh was gonna raise confirmation.

I I do believe in what I saw.

Um maybe the manager can help me or whoever um about uh the timeline.

So I was understanding that the the rush on this was to get this done in order for it to be usable for the 27 election.

Uh my colleague just said that's not possible.

I thought that was the onus for this.

Yeah, um the conversation I had was had with this the delegate was for you to consider it.

What what information do you need and when do you need it?

And that was the November time frame, right?

So I think they they were referencing the next session.

I don't know when that would become effective.

We have to look into that.

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay, I said one more day point on that.

My understanding too from the registrar was that if they let's say they took it up in this session, by the time that session ends, everyone will have already had to declare their candidacy because we begin our elections for this cycle um next spring and I don't have the exact dates in front of me.

And so that according to the registrar at that point, even if they approved it, we would be so far into the start of campaigns that you couldn't then create a new set of rules at at that point.

And so what I what I would to that I I would say to my colleagues again, I would not put uh in date, I would not recommend uh putting an end date on this in terms of report, you know, again, let the subcommittee dictate the the schedule, get this to council and I would assume our legislative committee by whenever it's ready, deemed ready by my colleagues.

I I I would I guess I don't understand the rush if this is not something that's gonna take effect for uh really three years.

Um and so I I'm I would just say that you know, I'm not looking to plan to vote against it, so I'm not necessarily suggesting particular specific changes, but I would recommend, you know, I I don't understand why we would need to rush ourselves to get a report back to council to consider it to give it to the legislature for this session if it's not gonna be considered for you know quite some time.

Obviously, there is an education piece and probably some other things that need to happen, but you know, you still do have a couple of years to do that.

Um what I've seen that that seems to be a rush on this, and that's that's part of the concern.

Um again, I I also have concerns and I think the mayor raised this and uh councilwoman Green.

I think one of my biggest worries has been the fact that uh kind of what you raised, where if we open up the charter, the city now is dragged into a position where it now needs to go looking at things to do while we've got this charter open.

And I think that's part of my issue.

We need to lead this conversation, not somebody tell us, hey, you need to get some stuff done for us, and while you're there, you can play around with it too.

Like that that should not be the way this is run.

And I think that's my beginning from the start of these conversations.

That's been my concern.

There is no respect for how this is supposed to be done.

Um, and if there is a willingness from council to softly say no or not respond, I think school board probably should take that non-response.

And I think that was not done, um, which is partly why we're here.

Um, and again, you know, we have heard from parents directly.

They have not talked about staggered terms.

They have been very specific not to talk about staggered terms.

Size um of the school board um and pay to contain to retain people.

I think that's the biggest issue is the retention of people.

Um you're going to have staff turnover.

That's going to happen.

HCPS has lost countless.

I'm stopping to count of how many principals we've lost.

Uh and I don't believe that's due to our board structure or staggered staggered terms of the school board.

You know, those are academic leaders that have probably the greatest effect on what is happening in a school, regardless of the superintendent.

Um, and I'm not seeing correlation there either.

I haven't heard that from school board members about losing principals of the year multiple years in a row and the school board.

Just not.

So uh again, going down this rabbit hole with our school board.

Um while I certainly appreciate conversations, I just don't think it ends in a good space with the city.

I know um vice back and I'm gonna go to councilman Gary because you had a point on this, and then I'm gonna come to you.

Uh councilman Gary.

So um I think as part of the the group, the proposed ad hoc group, uh the registrar would be a member of that.

And I think we could get some clarity on some of what Councilman Chapman was asking because I'd be actually in disagreement with what the registrar is stating because as a school board member, you're not announcing in January or February.

You're you're announcing way letter.

Um and the fact that we had multiple special elections this year, we had potential um congressional elections with changing the districts and everything was happening at pace this year.

I I we I think we have plenty of runway.

Um now that that's a good conversation to have with the registrar.

I I agree, but um again, like I said respectfully, I would disagree that we are in a position where school board members are gonna start, you know, announcing their candidacy in January and February.

I mean, it's it's not impossible.

Sure, they could they can announce right now if they want to.

Um, but it's not to say that they're gonna be cut off uh because I believe uh the cutoff time for announcing for school boards what the the primary election around that time for for the council, which would be in June of next year.

Um I know I'm getting out of out of the jumping out of the line order here, so I'm gonna leave it at that to let the vice mayor speak and then I'll I'll have some other comments.

Thank you, Councilman Gary.

And I I guess I will just say, as we're having this discussion, even like the ways in which we're getting to the weeds of things that need to be wrestled.

I think this is why I have been supportive of the value of having a subcommittee who can be dedicated to work through this, um, because there are a lot of things.

And I do want to just emphasize to the point about leading and where we lead this conversation.

I guess I see it a little differently, Councilman Chapman.

I don't I don't I think if we come down to this point where we are opening up our charter, then the decision we make, we are making regardless of what is in the report.

We're making the decision based on how we want to move forward.

And that may be topics that we haven't even had a chance to decide that we're gonna discuss because this committee will bring forth some of those things.

I know there's been, I think, even a staff working group already on things we might need to look at within the charter.

So there's some information there, but I think it it all comes back to us, and we then get to decide where we go and how we move forward in that place.

It's the resolution doesn't speak to the city's needs, it's solely based on the school board.

And so I'm not understanding how if the resolution that's on the table is talking about the concerns of the the school board, how that then relates to any charter concerns that we have.

That doesn't that doesn't equate.

Yes, no, let me clarify.

What I meant to this resolution, yes, this is very specific to this ad hoc committee and school board election reform.

When we last were bringing this up during orals and councilwoman Green mentioned the need for things to look at within our charter, we directed the manager to work with staff to put forth a memo to us on what those things would be.

So I may be uh confusing the two as I'm talking about them both at the same time.

This committee, I do not think it is on this committee to make a decision for the full council and what we want to do with our whole charter.

I think that comes in the separate memo that is driven by our internal staff and what we want to look at there.

Sorry, so I wasn't, I was just saying they need to happen simultaneously because we need to be on the same timeline so that we have enough information for whatever we choose to do.

Um let me to that point.

When will when will we uh receive that memo?

Uh Mr.

Manager.

That's probably 30, 45 days out at least.

I mean, that's pretty significant, maybe 60 days.

So it would happen in the summer.

All right, Vice Mayor Bagley and then uh councilman care.

Um thank you.

So I think Councilman Chapman sort of concluded what I took down as a seven-point presentation of of um a very specific and detailed concerns and responses.

But what I think should be what I heard most clearly is how do these proposals enhance student achievement and success.

And I just um to the extent this resolution moves forward and this committee takes on this work.

What I what I would like them to hear as their charge is that is how do any proposals with regard to our school board align with student achievement and success, and that we never lose sight of that in our work on council and with the school board.

I will acknowledge that in my some of my work sessions in my time on council with school board, I have been disappointed at times by the lack of emphasis on this on student outcomes and achievement and success um in our conversations.

And I that's a wholly owned, that's not an accusatory statement, that is a wholly owned sort of you know, reaction to our process.

So I I just wanted to, you know, acknowledge that I think the specific concerns about opening our charter and the control that loss of control that potentially happens is real.

I I agree with the mayor and councilman Chapman's acknowledgement of that.

Um and I I agree that the ultimate charge to this work has to be about the bottom line for the students impacted.

Um having said that, and in the interest of like just moving us forward procedurally, I'm gonna put a motion on the floor to adopt the resolution and with that.

I my position on this is I gotta be honest, uh a little a little unlike what I've heard so far, which is I don't have the clarity of if this then that enunciated by some of my colleagues.

I just I don't um I do support the broader concept of small group in person, you know, face-to-face dialogue to have a conversation to see you know what what can be you know potentially agreed to, what can be not agreed to, looking each other in the eye in in a room.

Um and to be clear, nothing that the committee brings back is binding on this body, nor is the time frame.

So I'm putting a motion on the floor to approve this resolution, but I want to be very clear.

I don't think it binds us to taking action in General Assembly 2027.

I I think it is entirely possible that a committee reports back in the form of a report and it becomes part of a longer dialogue that could be General Assembly FY28, FY29.

So for me, this is my acknowledgement of some of the concerns about why now, while also allowing us to move forward with an ad hoc joint body.

Seconded there has been a motion by Vice Mayor Bagley and a second to approve the resolution establishing the city ACPS ad hoc committee on school board election reform.

Is there any further discussion?

Councilman Chapman.

Quick question for the the city attorney.

Um if two council members wanted to meet with two school board members, is that a public meeting?

Um no, that would not be a public meeting.

They're two different public, two different bodies.

So the reason I raised that question for the public and not to kind of go against what my colleagues have said, uh I appreciate that, but I do want it to be understood that if we wanted to have these direct in-person face-to-face meetings with all due respect, we can do that right now.

Um I've had those conversations with school board members.

I've been directly talking to them about what I like, what I don't like.

This is not the sh none of what I said should be new to any school board member that watches this video.

Um if it is, we can have that direct one-on-one, two-on-to conversation.

Um, but we can have these conversations.

And I think part of my frustration that folks have heard in the past is that we have a liaison program with school board members.

And so this conversation, other conversations can be had, should be had, should already have been been being been had.

I didn't say that right, but either way.

Um and so I I just want to want to clarify that for for the public as well.

Is that this is this should not be the first time we're we're trying to set up a face-to-face meetings because we can do that now.

Uh the movement wanted to respond by Spear Bagley.

Thank you.

And um, no, I it's an important clarification that it it you're right, it doesn't um rise to the level of of a um public meeting in the same sense.

Having said that, I I'm coming at this a little bit for my participation on the SLEP subcommittee, which same rules apply there.

It was two members of council, two members of school board, not technically, you know, a public meeting.

Having said that, I believe we noticed those meetings.

I believe they were held in public spaces that were accessible to the public.

I'm not sure if they were live streamed to be honest.

I don't think they were, and I think that's a key distinction.

I acknowledge, but um, I I guess as the movement, and I'm not making it part of the motion city attorney, just to be clear, but you know, I I my hope and expectation would be that these meetings would be publicly noticed and the would be held in a in a setting that is suitable for the public to attend and watch.

I recognize it wouldn't be legally required, um, but it certainly would be a best practice and an expectation of my as the movement, you know, an expectation.

Um, and and to councilman Chapman's point, he's absolutely right.

We we do have liaisons, and many of us speak to members who aren't our liaisons.

But what I did find useful about the SLEP subcommittee process is it was a set of meetings set out on a fixed schedule.

I served with Councilwoman Green on that.

Um then board member green.

But um, you know, it was a fixed schedule, staffed, resourced, um, and it it in our complex scheduled lives, it it it did provide some structure that I would hope would be useful here.

So I heard and understood, and and that's my expectation.

Any additional discussion.

Uh Councilwoman Marks, uh Councilman.

And oh no, actually, yeah, Councilman Marks, Councilman A Gary, Councilman Newby, because I think I skipped Councilman Gary a while ago.

I I got skipped by the motion.

Yeah, and then Councilman Gary, Councilman Councilwoman Marks, Councilman Newby.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um I I would disagree with my colleague on something that was said because um sure we could all have two on twos or one on ones, but the difference with this being there's gonna be actual staffing and a report that gets put out.

That and that's that's the difference, right?

We can have two-on-two conversations and then come back and say, well, I had this conversation with this school board member, that school board member, but it's not the same as putting together a written report saying this is the conversation that we had, these are the findings that we had, um, and here are our recommendations.

I think that's what the big difference is, and that's the point of having this ad hoc committee.

And again, like I appreciate the devil's advocate thing here.

But as this body, as a council, whatever the recommendation comes back, it's up to the body.

We don't have to follow any of it.

Like the same thing with the resolution, like we are this is our resolution, this is our process.

If the school board has a problem with it, tough luck, like it's ultimately the decision of this body to do what it's going to do and whatever decision it's gonna make.

Um, and in terms of the concern around, oh well, we're not taking control of this and going to Richmond.

Well, I mean, by putting together this formal ad hoc recommendation, this is us leading, this is going with a purpose and then being able to point to something if we make a decision on it, to then say General Assembly to state delegation, this is what we went through, this is what we looked at, this is what we deliberated, and this is what we came to a conclusion on.

So I would say we are being very clear.

Now, again, that's not to say that the state can't do what the state wants to do.

That's always um an option.

But then also at the end of the day, if the state's gonna tell us to do something, it's also up to us to follow through with it or not.

Um so we we could go in circles for for hours doing this, right?

So ultimately what I'm gonna say is that I'm comfortable moving forward with this resolution.

Um I like that we have a timeline on it because I don't want this to be going on forever.

Um if for whatever reason we do want to make a decision for this general assembly to then try and move something next year that puts us in a position to do it.

And if not, then we drop it.

And and that's that.

And you know, I I would hope that that will kind of kill the conversation with the school board over what they're have been consistently asking for for the last couple of years, because yeah, I I agree with my colleague, Councilman Chapman, and that, you know, I don't see this improving school outcomes either.

Um but you know, if it's something that they feel will help with the stability of their board, I'm willing to have that conversation as long as we're also having the conversation around the reduction in size, because I do believe that the reduction size will help with the stability of that body.

Um and the other thing is, you know, we've been having the same issues for years, and we're doing it the same way.

And this body most recently decided, hey, we're gonna do some of the budgeting differently.

So why not look at the way that the school board is is um is built, if you will, and what its composition is and sizes, because clearly it hasn't been working the way it's been going.

So why not try and make a make a change and see if that helps with it?

Thank you, Councilman Agarry.

Councilman Marks, Councilman O'Neobie.

Oh, I was hoping to close it out.

Um I will not reiterate what any of my colleagues have said, although there is broad and specific alignment.

What I will say is that as a parent in this school system for a decade with four years in front of me, what my friends and community members in the public school parent community, what they want to see is our government working for them and working together.

And I think this is a small smoke signal to send up to show our community that we can do that.

So I do hope we pass this and um I'm ready to move forward and vote, but I know we have Councilmember El Nubi.

I but I just I appreciate the conversation here.

I respect everybody's points and uh hope we hope we get to it for the kids.

Councilman Al Nubi.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um I think just real quick to that to that last point.

Um I do agree that the community wants to see our government working together functioning.

Um I would push back on the notion that it's not.

I think it is.

I think we collaborate and work with the school board.

I think the issue is I didn't want to bring this up, but unfortunately it's part of it that has to be brought up.

The issue is we are two bodies that are not equal, and one body insists to be treated as equal.

I think that is what causes the tension.

I think the other problem is the school board a lot of times it comes to to funding, and they the they treat council as as a bank, as a body that used to write a blank check.

It doesn't work like that.

Council has a fiscal financial responsibility to the community.

And as someone who served on both bodies, I'm speaking from my experience on both bodies.

I served on both bodies, and I know how things work and how both bodies see things.

And as a council member, my job is to look for the good of the broader community and all the services that we provide as a city, including services that we provide to the kids that go to those schools.

Maybe we don't provide it within the school building, but we provide these services, and that's where the inherent tension lies, and that's why it gets perceived as we don't know how to work together.

We attempted to work together on projects that could have saved the city money, like the high school transportation proposal that we brought up last year.

They decided after ever after six months of deliberations and work before we even got a chance to talk about it as two complete bodies.

They decided they don't even want to have the conversation at the at the beginning of the meeting.

They killed the conversation, they said we're not gonna do it.

That's not collaboration.

We went in there, we spent tons of, and I can attest to that myself, my colleague, the vice mayor, the city manager, the desk, general manager, staff put tremendous hours preparing for that meeting.

We walked into the meeting, and the conversation gets shut down in minute one.

That's not collaboration.

We attempted to collaborate.

We took initiative, we saw a problem, we brought a solution.

They they attended the meetings, the subcommittee meetings.

We brought it to a vehicle that existed, a collaboration vehicle that exists, the subcommittee.

And we were like, let's have the conversation.

And they never said from the beginning, we don't want to have the conversation.

They waited until the last minute before the two bodies were able to talk, and they said we're not gonna have the conversation.

So I had to bring that up because I think the I I just refuse the notion that we don't want to collaborate or we don't know how to collaborate.

Um I think I I was gonna ask my colleague, um, the vice mayor should make the motion about like if about the timeline, because I thought maybe not having a timeline in there, but my colleague, Councilman Aguirre made some great points.

So I'm fine with with the motion as it is.

I think it's been made clear to the community that whatever comes from the subcommittee is not binding.

Yes, it's not in writing in here, but I think it was made clear from this day by several of us right now.

So I hope that resonates.

Um, so I'm I'm ready to vote.

Good.

I'm gonna move us forward and stop the discussion because I think we've veered a bit off topic.

With that, there has been a motion and a second.

I did want to put forth you're not voting on the members who will be on the committee, but just for parents' stake sake, it will be councilman Aguirre, Councilwoman Marks with an alternate of Councilman Al Nubi.

With that, there has been a motion and a second to um by Vice Mayor Bagley and Councilwoman Marks to move the resolution establishing the city's ACPS ad hoc committee on school board election reform.

Madam Clerk, this is a roll call vote.

Please call the roll.

Hi, Councilwoman Marks.

Hi, Mayor Gaskins.

I councilman Gary.

Councilman Chapman.

Councilman Al Nubi.

Aye.

Councilwoman Green.

Aye.

All right.

The ayes have it.

Madam Clerk, next item.

Consideration and receipt of the RPCA 2026 resource allocation and cost recovery findings and recommendations and approval of updated resource allocation and cost recovery policy.

Okay.

Uh thank you, Director Taylor.

Um, and Ms.

Durham, and I believe we have a brief presentation to be in.

Thanks, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and members of council, Hasman Taylor, Director of Recreation Parks and Culture Activities.

I also have Laura Durham as a deputy director within RPCA.

So today we're going to be talking about our resource allocation cost recovery policy update.

This is the agenda.

So our RPCA resource allocation.

The request is to receive the information as an update, but the key elements on this discussion, and then my next slide.

The resource allocation cost recovery model guides to departments, use of tax dollars, alternate funding and user user fees and for programs and services.

The change in additions to the 2019 policy.

So this policy hasn't been updated since 2019 is based on community input and may impact fees to some programs moving forward.

When I say impact fees and programs, that wouldn't happen until FY28 proposed.

So some of the background information.

So if you can see on the your right-hand side of the screen is the tier, the various tiers.

So tier one being mostly community benefit.

So I'll say an example of that will be a community cookout or the Juneteenth event from this past weekend.

The highest tier is a personal training one-on-one swim class that is 100% individual benefit.

So this is how we this is our methodology on how we solicit feedback to the public.

So why it matters, right?

So why do we go through this process?

It provides a structure, fair, consistent framework for resource allocation, setting fees, and the cost recovery on how we receive like cover our costs for each program that we offer within RPCA.

It also aligns to community needs with services and available resources.

It guides the investment, both short-term and long-term for goals and implementation strategies, and it facilitates the increase and agility and decision making.

So like if we have a new partnership or a program that we're thinking about offering, we can have this to guide the why we do it and how.

So background information.

So we talk about community engagement.

So from November 2024 to January 2025, we held six community meetings, focus groups, and conducted online surveys with over 500 community members engaging in the public surveys.

And it was about 50 people attended in our in-person sessions.

So from January until from this year, 2026 until February, we went back out to the community to reaffirm like what we heard a year ago.

Is that still in line with like what you would like to see within this process?

We heard the same information that they supported it where we were with our feedback.

So then we took it to in February, we took it to the Parks and Rec Commission.

We had public comment period, and it reaffirmed what we've heard over the last pretty much two years from the community uh feedback aspect of it.

With that, I'll pass it over to Laura to do the key findings.

Sure, good evening.

So through the initial community engagement process, um, we had 26 categories of service.

Um one of the great things through the engagement process was it also helped some of our community members learn about what we do that they might not have known of all the different categories of service.

Unintended but uh fortunate outcome.

Um most of the categories stayed the same from 2019, but we did have some changes.

So four of our categories decreased um on the pyramid.

So community-wide and city-produced events moved from tier two to tier one, um, where the community weighed in that there was um greater community benefit.

We also had public equipment rentals and permitted services and trips moved from tier five to tier four.

Those still are in um highly individual, uh, but did move down one on the tier.

We also had two service categories that increased on the on the pyramid, which were our mobile or pop-up outreach programs and our partner or affiliate tenant leases.

Those are the longer term um lease agreements with partners and affiliates.

So the mobile and pop-up outreach moved from tier one to tier two, and the partner and affiliate tenant leases moved from tier three to tier four.

We also introduced the new service categories.

So we had added programs and services for vulnerable communities, and those were placed on tier two.

We added partnership programs and improvements, which were placed on tier two, and competitive sports leagues and tournaments, which were placed on by the community process on tier four.

So those were new categories of service that were in use, but we did not they've really evolved since 2019.

So we wanted to make sure they were part of the community dialogue.

Tier two categories of service are often candidates for alternative funding support, including grant sponsorships and donations in tax subsidies.

So that distinguishes from our recreation level leagues and tournaments for both RPCA and our affiliate and partner programs.

So that will lead to a discussion that's already underway and things we've been hearing for a number of years with the community regarding how we allocate our fields, how we also work and have fees for sports and programming.

So that conversation is still happening and will impact upcoming policy decisions around youth sports affiliates and our field allocation policy.

And those changes will be included in those policy updates, and there's still community dialogue around those.

No decisions have been made.

We also always want to make sure we're talking about reducing and removing barriers to access to our programs.

So the department has a policy for financial assistance for all these programs.

And in FY26, there were almost $840,000 in financial assistance across all of our different program areas and services.

And again, the other related policies that would be impacted by changes in the resource allocation and cost recovery policy would be our affiliate policy hands and related field allocation.

All right.

So next steps will be for adoption of the RPCA resource allocation cost recovery policy.

We'll begin implementation.

And I want to make sure I note this one that was on the screen, but this wouldn't impact until FY28 fees.

So we already did FY27 fee.

So we're going to adopt it.

Well, we're proposing that it'll be adopted, but like it'll go in effect July 1.

But this will you will not see any changes.

Our affilies will not see any changes until potentially FY28.

That I'll turn it back to the mayor and price mayor and members of countless.

Okay.

Thank you for the presentation.

Before I open it up to my colleagues for questions, I have two quick ones.

You mentioned that mobile and pop-up services move from tier one to tier two.

And that I guess because it's moving to tier two, our expectation is a greater recovery of cost.

I guess I'm curious if you could share more about that movement, because I feel like most of the times we're seeing the pop-ups and outreach programs.

They're at things like our community cookouts or our partnerships with ARHA or places where we're not going to get a high return from we're not going to get a financial return necessarily from being there, but there's a high community touch point.

So I guess I'm not understanding why that one has moved up from tier one to tier two.

And so this is part of a very rigorous community engagements where they're actually moving these services up and down the pyramid.

And the the dialogue overall was just around there is some individual benefit as well for all our services.

And through the course of all that conversation, they felt it was for tier placed better on tier two.

I think that that's also though why we point out that tier two services don't necessarily mean fees for services.

Okay.

So just so I'm reading it correctly, because I think the um piece that was attached to the memo says that tier two are targeted to recover a minimum of 20% of direct cost.

We're saying that I guess that's more of a suggestion and it doesn't have to achieve that.

They're targeted to recover direct costs.

That is the goal for in general for each tier.

And um how we do that, it doesn't have to be through user fees.

So it can be through other ways as well.

Okay.

Let me ask this um maybe it's just so I can have additional context.

Either um your staff or the manager, but currently when we do the mobile pop-ups and outreach programs, are we recovering any fees, whether it's from direct costs, grants, donations?

Because I I thought my assumption was that we're mostly paying for that.

That's correct.

We're not recovering fees.

Okay.

So in this case, it would move up.

And then it's the goal to try and then get more grants or so forth for.

I guess I'm just trying to understand if we know this is a program where we're not getting anything, we're not getting any direct costs back already.

We don't have an active strategy for going out and soliciting funds.

Does it behoove us just to leave it in tier one versus putting on maybe an extra staff expectation to go out and be soliciting resources for it?

Yes and no.

And here's why I say the yes part, because we we still can go from that zero to 20% in that percentile from tier one or tier two.

But then the grant funding, then we can do more grant fundings and go for grants to provide this service to the community as an outreach opportunity.

So the grant will help recover the 20% of the cost dependent if we move forward with this.

So this is all hypothetical right now.

Um, but we still have that option.

Like right now, we haven't updated since 2019.

So when the mobile art lab goes out, we're not recovering any cost-free and open to the community at all these various events.

We we still can do that style programming in addition to a grant-funded program where we do more pop-up events where it's more structured with support from a grant, if that makes sense.

Okay.

Um, let me say it back to you to make sure I'm covering it.

If we put if we left it in tier one, then we can't necessarily go out and try and position ourselves to be able to get additional resources to support it.

And because these things are under greater demand, we'd like to be able to have that flexibility to do that.

Correct.

Right.

Now I understand why it's there.

Because I guess my thought was just we know we're gonna do this.

We know we're gonna pay for it.

Um, you know, does having somebody dedicate their time to doing grant writing and application stuff to fund this, is that beneficial?

But I I also want to say sponsorships too, because I don't want to just say like grants and it's only for grants.

I want to go on record and make sure I'm like sponsorships.

We're looking at someone to sponsor the mobile art lab coming to Art on Avenue or coming to a neighborhood association that it could potentially be a sponsorship as well.

We're gonna have naming rights for the art lab.

Um I mean, I I think hearing that, I understand the strategy.

And I think all of us have been asking those labs and those programs to do more.

And so if the community needs to hear this loud and clear, that we're moving this up because we need your help to be able to expand it.

I get that.

Last question for me, just on the sport affiliate policy.

I know that there are a number, so I I understand that the groups were moved to tier four because there's a lot more individual benefit.

I guess I'm wondering there are probably sports leagues that'll say, but we offer a lot of scholarships or we offer free programs in the sport affiliate program in the sport affiliate policy.

Are we then looking at criteria that weigh sort of how they're doing community benefits, even if they're run by an individual organization?

Uh so there are a number of conversations uh going on actively with our youth sports advisory board with our park and recreation commission on on how though any updates would occur and how and what what those things are that we take into account um if we're it it as fees are implicated.

Um I I think the other distinction is that recreation level sports, those that are available to all where um there are no prerequisites for participating did stay at tier three.

So there is a distinction.

There's a spectrum of participation in sports in the community, and it was recognizing that.

Um so we're we're working through with actively with these key stakeholders what that means.

Like what does it mean when they offer scholarships and how does that impact um if we are to um increase fees, um, what that looks like for them in our own, because we have also have our own scholarship program for sports.

So those those are all things that will come back.

We haven't made final decisions on.

No, I'd love to follow that conversation more closely.

I mean, what's coming to mind for me are groups like Alexandria Little League or Alexandria Soccer Association.

And I do think we want to be mindful of if you are providing a tremendous benefit.

And a lot more of our kids are getting into those programs and maybe might be in rec programs, or maybe they're in both, but we're still providing that opportunity.

I think then we want to make sure that any policy we're putting here doesn't make it more difficult for them to be in that program.

And then last question I had.

Um, as part of the community engagement process or review, did you guys consult or reach out to the Office of Race and Social Equity?

Um so they have been involved broadly in in our discussions, but not specifically related to this.

Um not at this time, and we will reach out to them uh before we can make anything final.

Thank you.

Yeah, that was gonna be my suggestion.

Recognizing if the council approves this tonight, there's still a year before implementation.

Um I think it would be interesting given how we've been asking them to weigh in with their like budget equity tool on a lot of other policies as we're thinking about fees and things that might have unintended equity implications.

Um I think it'd be great to see how they could be involved.

So one important thing to know that I just thought about.

So we do work directly with them during the budget process.

They review all of our fees and give it a score.

So at some point they will see these fees proposed in FY28.

So we have worked with them in the past, and we will every time we do our fee increases, we send it to them before it gets to you all.

I think I think it would be great to do it proactively because I would hate to see they do that in the FY28 process, and they're like, this all gets low budget, low equity scores when we can know that now and be thinking about how that absolutely.

Um and not to say that is the case, just I think the interdepartmental collaboration.

Uh Vice Mayor Bagley, uh Councilwoman Green, Councilman Chapman.

Well, I don't want to get ahead of my colleagues.

I have a question and then I I was gonna put a motion on the floor, but um the I wanted to follow just a thread quickly about the affiliate policy.

And I think on the last slide, we can go back a slide.

Yeah, right here.

Affiliate policies.

Um is there an effort underway to also update the affiliate policy?

And do we have a time frame on that?

Yeah, we're in the um in the process of updating that now.

So we'll say the fall to have that finalized sometime this fall.

Oh, wonderful.

Okay, that's that's sooner than I thought you were gonna say.

That's okay.

Great.

Well, thank you for um clarifying that.

And is the affiliate policy also something that this body would have to adopt, or is that done at the at the administrative level?

No, no, no.

I mean, when they when after the review is completed and they've ready to update it.

I'm just curious if that's something that will come back to us or if that's just adopted at the director level.

I'll leave it to the same end.

I don't think so.

We'll need to look into that.

I mean, certainly you bring anything forward to you.

Um, but I I don't think it's a required element.

I'm not suggesting it should be.

It was more an educational moment for for me.

I think um what I would just ask is um I'm pleased to hear that it's moving forward fairly quickly, and if you could just you know provide us, I guess the the draft or you know, sort of the final draft and just have an opportunity for us to provide any feedback, not in the form of a vote, but but just to review it um before it's finalized.

Um, I understand there's other comments, but I I think optimistically I'd like to put a motion on the floor to adopt um the revised resource allocation policy um as proposed in docket item 19.

There has been a motion by Vice Mayor Bagley and a second by Councilman Chapman.

Any discussion?

And I have councilwoman Green.

Thank you, Madam Mayor, and this is the slide I need.

Um financial assistance.

So 839,916 went to financial assistance.

Not complaining about that.

I think that's wonderful.

But can you is there a breakdown on where most of the assistance is going to?

Is it after school programming?

Is it the sports programs that the kids are coming into?

Um but also every time I guess they sign up or every year is a new form filled out, showing that they indeed need the financial assistance.

So yeah, the form is annual.

We don't um ask uh families or um any community members to sign to fill it out multiple times a year, but it is annual.

It's based on uh federal assistance for the most part.

Um in addition, we also at any point, even without federal assistance, if a community member um is just at a certain um time that they need assistance, they can request it.

And we do also um honor that.

Uh and that would be like a one-time financial assistance, and they could apply again.

Um, the first part of your question, the significant majority of the financial assistance is for um after school and out-of-school time programming.

Um, and the remainder uh goes across um all of our programs, including for seniors, adults, um, our therapeutic recreation activities, swim lessons, everything else.

Do we break that data down?

Is that something that I could receive?

Yes, yes, we can break that down.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Madam Mayor.

Um, a couple things I wanted to just check in on.

Um so we could go ahead and move to action.

Um I saw the the public hearing date, and I guess February.

It seemed to be prior to the that meeting that I went to with the sports folks, and have they had a chance to kind of publicly weigh in on um I guess the fall policy um or uh the fall policy that you're talking about with the affiliates, but also kind of the the resource recovery changes.

I know we had mentioned uh that was coming out at that time for that meeting, and so I kind of want to understand how they've been able to weigh in on what will be new additions to the pyramid.

Yeah, so we took this um process, so this is the resource allocation cost recovery uh policy to both the um commission, the parks and recognition, in addition to our uh youth sports advisory council.

Um so we got some feedback there uh from those key groups.

That meeting you attended was our initial kick-off for the affiliate um policy that like were the proposed is based upon updating this policy.

So that was our first kickoff, and we're having some more follow-up meetings, but we wanted to move this one forward because these two policies, yes, they are similar.

Well, this policy is like the um umbrella, and then there's sub policy, which is the affiliate policy that kind of goes hand in hand with this policy.

So to answer your question, they have seen this particular policy, the resource allocation cost recovery policy.

They've seen the initial conversations, they've been a part of the initial conversations as it relates to the youth the affiliate policies.

Okay, um, thank you.

Yeah, the the next question I had um is about kind of market competition.

I know with some of our I guess more private groups, um will will our raising this to the level of three or four assume four or five.

Um will that keep us kind of market competitive with some of these more regional or not non-Alexandra-based sports teams that are probably looking for a place to play?

The reason I say that is because it looks like from what we have here, and I appreciate it.

This is kind of a revenue opportunity for for us as well.

So it's not just you know, 100% covers the cost, it actually brings in uh a little bit of revenue.

And so I just want to make sure if we're trying to do that, we're we're somewhere near the market.

I mean, I I don't mind it we're top of the market, but um if we're kind of in that competitive space to get some of these more regional folks, uh and uh and I just for clarification is that related to the fees that we charge for like the fees that we charge for uh uh a soccer field, right?

Um just on that out.

And we every year we look regionally at what other jurisdictions and private locations are doing.

We um comparable usually um start with other jurisdictions and local government and have both resident and non-resident rates, but we do test them for for the market as well.

Um with um so try to keep this really short.

Uh with the unstaffed parks.

I have a question about that, which uh I'll actually just kind of reach out to staff separately because it's kind of a unique situation that I just want to understand.

All right.

Okay, with that, there's been a motion and a second.

Is there any additional discussion?

Seeing none, Madam Clerk, this is a roll call vote.

Please call the roll.

Hi, Sam Bagley.

Aye, Councilman Chapman, uh Gaskins.

Aye, Councilman Gary, uh Councilman Alnuby, uh Councilwoman Green.

Councilwoman Marks.

All right, the ayes have it.

Thank you both for your presentation.

Madam Clerk, next item.

Consideration of city council schedule.

Move council schedule with uh the addition of VML.

All right, there has been a motion and a second to move the council schedule.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

All right, the ayes have it.

Um Vice Mayor Bagley.

Um Madam Mayor, I move that the council uh move or convene into closed session.

We we came out of closed session, right?

Yeah, we can go back.

Yeah.

So Madam Mayor, I moved that the city council reconvene and close executive session pursuant to Virginia Code Sections two point two, three seven one, A one, and discuss the performance of the City Council appointees.

I've had it.

All right, we are back in executive session.

Then a giri and a second and a second.

There's been a second, but oh no, I know I was turning it on to why any second by councilwoman Green to reconvene in closed executive session.

All those in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

All right.

The eyes have it.

Vice Mayor Bagley.

Madam Mayor, I move that the city council adopt the resolution regarding the closed executive session that was previously circulated to the council.

All right.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

A motion by Vice Mayor Bagley and a second by Councilwoman Green to adjourn tonight's meeting.

All those in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

Ayes have it.

We are adjourned at ten fifty-one.