Chesapeake City Council Regular Meeting - June 24, 2025
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Chesapeake City Council Regular Meeting, June 24, 2025
The Chesapeake City Council held a work session at 5:30 p.m. followed by a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on June 24, 2025, in the City Hall Council Chamber. The work session focused on proposed amendments to the city's firearms discharge ordinance. The regular meeting included actions on consent items, a firearms ordinance amendment, nominations and appointments to boards and commissions, and a contentious reconsideration request for a Virginia Natural Gas (VNG) compressor station rezoning. Mayor Richard W. "Rick" West was excused from both sessions.
Consent Calendar
- City Clerk Items: Approved a $15,001.23 refund to RW Towne Realty LLC; accepted resignations from J. Kevin Curling (Chesapeake Interagency Consortium), Marguerite Laraia (Chesapeake Community Criminal Justice Board), and Amberlee Conwell (South Norfolk Revitalization Commission). Council Member Bunn recused himself from the refund item due to a professional conflict.
- City Manager Items: Authorized grant applications for FY 2026 Next Generation 9-1-1 Additional Funding and Public Safety Answering Point Call Handling Equipment from VDEM; accepted and appropriated $4,000 for a PSAP Education Program Grant and $350,400 for a CIBH Crisis Intervention Grant; approved a technical correction to the FY 2026 Operating Budget.
- City Attorney Item: Adopted a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a cost-sharing agreement with the City of Suffolk for engineering and surveying to establish the common boundary line in the Pughsville area.
- Vote: Approved 7-0 (Council Member Bunn abstained from the refund item).
Public Comments & Testimony
- On Firearms Ordinance (Agenda Item 8): Five speakers addressed the proposed amendment. James Bonavita, an expert witness, supported the ordinance but suggested requiring written permission for guests. Stephanie Fulford, Heather Browne, Kim Willis, and attorney Jerry Harris expressed concerns that the amendment was insufficient without backstop and minimum acreage requirements; they argued enforcement would remain difficult and urged stronger measures.
- On VNG Compressor Station Reconsideration (New Business B): Twenty-five speakers registered. Supporters (Randy Royal, Andre Wallace, Coleman Bonney, Reese Williams, Morgan Whayland — all VNG representatives; David Ropp, Hampton Roads Alliance president Doug Smith, Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable CEO Nancy Grden) urged reconsideration, emphasizing the project's importance for energy reliability, safety, and economic growth. Opponents (Nicole Stckle, Elena Maxino, Joseph Davis, Sarah Williams, Cheryl Davis, Melvin Williams, Jeff Staples, Dexter Cutler, David Parson, Cliff Randolph, Dr. George Reed, Jennifer Naperala, Sue Scerbo, Nancy Pettigrew, Luis Rivera, Dr. Charles Stover, Linda Tindell, George Wilson, Joyce Hampton, Lynn Godfrey, Timothy Ruth, Aidyn Livingston) opposed reconsideration, citing health risks, environmental injustice, property damage, and past misinformation; many expressed frustration that the June 17 denial was being revisited.
- On City Attorney Item 1 (Pughsville Boundary): Karen Greenhalgh (Civic Innovations) spoke in support, noting that boundary confusion has disenfranchised voters and caused tax issues for decades.
- Non-Agenda Comments: Vic Nicholls and Pamela Brandy spoke on city affairs and the Pughsville boundary issue, respectively. Pamela Brandy, representing the Pughsville Civic League, demanded transparency and accountability regarding the boundary realignment and alleged improper charges.
Discussion Items
- Work Session: Discharge of Firearms Ordinance Amendment: Police Chief Mark Solesky presented the proposed ordinance to prohibit discharge of firearms across property boundaries without written permission and impose a $250 civil fine on property owners who permit such discharge. He noted it was modeled after Suffolk's law and viewed as a first step. Discussion centered on why a berm requirement was not included (City Attorney Lindley cited complexity and council direction). Council Members Whitaker, Ritter, and Bunn expressed support as an incremental improvement; Council Member Newins questioned the enforceability and preferred referencing state reckless handling statutes.
- Regular Agenda – Item 6 (Buffalow Family and Friends Grant): Acting City Manager Geis explained the $400,000 was state pass-through funds. Council Member Newins successfully amended the motion to approve as an emergency action to expedite disbursement.
- Regular Agenda – Item 8 (Firearms Ordinance Adoption): After floor debate, Council Member Newins proposed deleting the words "at or" from Section (c)(2) to avoid making lawful discharge impossible on any property. The maker and seconder accepted the amendment. The ordinance passed 8-0. Council Members Ritter and Bunn urged staff to develop stronger follow-up measures within six months.
- New Business A – Compensation Ordinances: Ordinances setting compensation for City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk, Real Estate Assessor, and City Auditor were approved 8-0.
- New Business B – VNG Reconsideration: Council Member Ward moved to deny reconsideration; the motion failed 3-5 (King, Smith, Ward in favor; Bunn, de Triquet, Newins, Ritter, Whitaker opposed). Council Member Whitaker then moved to approve reconsideration; the motion passed 5-3 (Bunn, de Triquet, Newins, Ritter, Whitaker in favor; King, Smith, Ward opposed). The project will be readvertised and heard at the July 15, 2025 City Council meeting.
- Closed Meeting Authorization: Council authorized a closed meeting on July 8, 2025, at 4:20 p.m. to interview candidates for the Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority and South Norfolk Revitalization Commission (8-0 vote).
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved 7-0.
- Item 6 (Buffalow Family Grant): Approved as an emergency action 8-0.
- Item 7 (Fire Station 8 Road Naming): Resolution naming the entrance road in honor of retired Fire Chief Edmund Elliott approved 8-0.
- Item 8 (Firearms Ordinance): Ordinance amended to delete "at or"; approved 8-0. Staff was directed to return with potential further enhancements within approximately six months.
- New Business A (Compensation Ordinances): All five ordinances approved 8-0.
- New Business B (VNG Reconsideration): Motion to deny reconsideration failed (3-5); motion to approve reconsideration passed (5-3). The rezoning case will be heard at the July 15, 2025 meeting.
- Nominations and Appointments:
- Interviews scheduled for July 8 and July 15 for Chesapeake Hospital Authority (1 vacancy – Dr. Alireza Farpour nominated), Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority (4 vacancies – Stephen Blair, Farley Perkins, Dwight Parker, Jennifer Naperala nominated), Economic Development Authority (continued to July/August), South Norfolk Revitalization Commission (4 vacancies – Robert Culpepper, Michael Vecchione, Andre Council, Chasity Pritchett, Jennifer Naperala nominated).
- Appointments made without objection: Chesapeake Commission on Health and Well Being (Marcella Davis, Mary Riley, Steven Wilson), Chesapeake Community Criminal Justice Board (Gregory Lush), Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (Christopher Price, Brian Solis, Ella P. Ward), Local Emergency Planning Committee (Jordan Blasi), Parks, Recreation and Tourism Advisory Board (Ariyana Edwards, student), Utility Review Board (Denise Brinkley).
- Closed Meeting Authorized: July 8, 2025, at 4:20 p.m. for candidate interviews.
- Adjournment: Meeting adjourned following a prayer by Council Member Bunn.
Meeting Transcript
Do you have water hose on it? Because the fire boats are helping cool off requests. I bought a half pressure. And then we'll do that one. I got a nine by twelve. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a quorum. For the thing. Mr. Manager, we have one item, I believe, on the for the work session. Yes, sir. At the request of council, we uh have a an item discussing a proposed uh uh agenda item tonight, which is discharging firearms within city limits. It's a uh small small modification to our existing ordinance. And uh Chief Mark Soleski will give us a rundown, just a couple of slides, and uh then we'll open the floor to have a good discussion. Good evening. Earlier this year, several citizens appeared before council and expressed their concerns regarding the discharge of firearms over property lines. And at that time uh they shared that it had resulted in property damage and safety concerns. So at the May 20th, 2025 City Council meeting, uh city staff was directed to draft an amendment to the relevant Chesapeake City ordinance to address bullets crossing a homeowner's property line without their permission. The police department worked closely with the City Attorney's Office to draft the proposed amendment to Chesapeake City Code Section 46-42 discharging firearms. Staff reviewed several Virginia ordinances and ultimately drafted an ordinance modeled after the law that was adopted in Suffolk. We did that from the viewpoint of balancing the rights of gun owners to hunt and target shoot within the city while also acknowledging the need for the safety of neighboring property owners. This past Wednesday, June 18th, we met with a group of approximately two dozen community members at Hickory High School. Many in attendance had voiced their concerns about the issue and were interested in amending the ordinance even further than what was being proposed. We indicated that the proposed amendment should be viewed as one step in an ongoing discussion and that it would help the police department address their concerns. So basically, the proposed changes would prohibit the discharge of any firearm across the property boundary of another without their written permission. And also have the homeowners have some skin in the game by holding them responsible if they allow persons on their property to discharge firearms over the property lines onto their neighbors' property, and that would result in a $250 civil fine for the homeowners that were present and allowed such activity to take place. So that's in a nutshell is what is what we're uh pro staff is proposing. Uh that's what the ordinance uh changes that are on the agenda for tonight. Um I think it would be uh helpful to just also create an analogy. So right now our ordinance um prohibits BBs from crossing property lines, but it doesn't address bullets. So really this ordinance in a nutshell is is uh treating bullets like BBs as we move forward. Chief, I was interested in your uh comment that uh correct me if I'm wrong, you view this as potentially the first step in in these uh restrictions or these ordinances uh as we get additional information from uh uh citizens and and staff and council about it. Is that correct? That's correct, sir. And that would be a tool in our toolbox that we don't have now, and it would be helpful to address the existing concerns. So your point is we have to start somewhere. Yes, sir. Okay. Very good. Members of council. Questions, members of council. Council Member Whitaker. Thank you, Vice Mayor. Um actually goes to Ms. Lindley. Um many discussions I have had with with citizens uh and and uh members of our our police. There's a lot of concern where there has been conversation about berm requirements. And uh could you please elaborate as to why it is not or why it's frowned upon to potentially require berms? Uh yes. In this instance, we did not include any type of berm requirement because obviously we took the exact direction from council. Um and so we took that explicitly to just address bullets crossing property lines.
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