You ready?

Council is now in session.

We don't need that reinforced.

I'd like to recognize Councilmember Ward at this time for the invocation and delete us in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

We ask for special blessing on the city council meeting tonight as we deliberate and make decisions for our Chesapeake citizens.

We are inherently mindful of the fact that we were indeed elected to serve our city and our citizens.

And God, we speak your favor in providing a healing for our nation.

Where there is hatred, replace it with love.

Where there's turmoil, replace it with peace, where there's dissension, replace it with compromise, where there are wars and random acts of violence, replace these with peace and act of kindness for one another.

As we work together on this council to make decisions for all of our citizens, let us keep fairness and honesty, compassion and love in our decision making processes.

And as our students prepare to be returned to schools, colleges and universities, we pray for them to have a safe return.

And we pray for parents, teachers, and schools to have the resources they need for a productive year for these and all other lessons we ask in thy precious and holy name.

Please join me as we pledge with the American flag.

Only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements were discussed.

Second.

Please vote.

And record, Madam Clerk.

Motion to certify the closed meeting held on August the 12th, 2025 at 320 is adopted by an 8.0 vote.

Next is our approval of the proposed agenda.

Move approval.

Thank you.

Ms.

Newens.

Thank you.

Dr.

King.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote.

And Madam Clerk, please record.

Motion to approve the agenda as presented is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Next to the minutes, uh the approval of the minutes from the meetings July 8th, 15th, 25th, 2025 are presented.

Motion please.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Second.

Who's that?

Thank you.

Dr.

King, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

The minutes from the meetings of July 8th, 15th, 22nd, 2025 are adopted by an 8-0 vote.

At this time, I will go down to the podium for a special award and like to turn the gavel over to uh Ms.

Ritter.

Thank you.

Today we're honoring a remarkable milestone.

175 years of unwavering ministry at Lake Drummond Baptist Church.

Since 1850, this congregation has been a steadfast light in the community, standing strong through the Civil War, offering comfort during World War II, and remaining a place of prayer, hope, and service through every generation.

The mayor's having a little trouble with his voice.

So in this these are the words he would have used.

It is my privilege to present this proclamation in recognition of the church's enduring legacy and profound impact.

So at this time, we'd like to invite senior pastor W.

A.

Buddy Hoggard, his wife Jerry, to come forward to receive the honor, and we would like to invite the congregation to join him.

Pastor Hyger, on behalf of our council, I really do want to present this to you and your congregation.

You know, faith is a very important part of who we are as a city, and it certainly is a very important part of how we function every Tuesday night and as we do uh our business in running this city is without your faith and your prayers.

I don't believe that we could do what we do.

So thank you and God bless.

And I'd like to give you an opportunity to have a say a few words.

Okay.

He is a pastor.

A few words.

A few words.

In 1843.

I didn't mean for you to read that.

No, I'm not reading this.

In 1843, the canal was finished.

Just seven years later, Northwest Baptist Church saw a need for a house of worship where we sit right now, and said he planted us with nine members dismissed from the church to start.

Seven miles closer to the canal.

At that time, the canal had a couple of hotels, many saw mills, lots of commerce, paddle boats, uh schooners, and uh barges.

A house of worship was needed there.

And obviously it was because it still sits there.

And I thank my God, my Lord Jesus Christ, that he set that house there.

I've only been there for 18 years, but the other 158 were amazing, and I stand on the shoulders of all of those.

In fact, Hebrews 12 says it best.

I stand with so great cloud of witnesses as I preach the word, and with these who are around me, these who have confessed Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior also, we seek to serve the Lord Jesus Christ our Lord.

And as we do that, we not only become good citizens, but ambassadors here in Chesapeake and beyond.

So I thank you for this proclamation.

Could I ask you all to gather around?

Rick, could you stay down there for a photo?

I'd love to take a picture of all of you.

So we have to come on up here for you.

Yeah.

Try to camera versus at that rate.

Thank you all so much and congratulations.

Thank you.

Next is citizens' comments.

Excuse me.

Next is citizens' comments on agenda items only.

Do we have any speakers, Madam Floor?

Yes, sir.

We have one.

Excuse me, we have two speakers.

One, Vic Nichols speaking on various items, and Alan Krasnoff for questions only.

On City Manager Item Number Three, only four jobs are getting created for this.

Am I correct?

It's amazing what they get for only producing four jobs.

On City Manager Item Four.

Is there any conflict of interest with Atherton construction?

I took a look at VPAP and didn't see anything, but I just would like to see that it was verified by council members before they vote on that.

And for number seven, my question is why was it so much of a problem now that we have to do kind of an emergency funding jack up the rates while VEPCO is going to put at least four more increases on us?

Um so I'm wondering why why are we waiting until now?

Why is there not small increases, but like stormwater?

We had to sit there and do a big increase.

We have to do a big increase for this.

Why are we waiting so long for things like that?

On City Attorney Item One.

Um, so it's amazing that City Council will sit there and enact something for its own people, but for the unwashed, we get shut up.

We have been, I've watched people be interrupted, told they're off topic or anything else when they're trying to draw a conclusion between something they talk about and to the point of what the topic is.

When we have two people that can get the recycling moved within a month, when we have three people that can get a gun ordinance, but yet when a lot of people show up to say we love our community and we don't want a high risk item in our area, we're gonna shut you up.

So how is it that we're going to sit here and do this for council member, but we won't do it for the regular people because Virginia Beach does this still.

I watched the planning commission in about 10 years.

And they let them speak.

That's what y'all are going to do if you give it to them, if you give it to yourselves, then you need to give it to us too.

Because we're just as important.

Thank you.

Alan Krasnoff, questions only on his item.

Thank you.

Would you please present the consent agenda?

City Clerk Item 1, acknowledgement for rezoning applications.

Public necessity, convenience, general welfare, and good zoning practice requires the following zoning reclassification request to be heard.

This request is not a public hearing item at this time.

This item is tentatively scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission on September the 10th, 2025, and will be considered by City Council at a future meeting.

A P O N R E Z 2024-014, saw your property.

Two resignations.

A.

Dwight Parker, Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health Care Board, and B, Jamika Jackson, Chesapeake Interagency Consortium.

Item one, City Manager Item.

Request to accept and appropriate $2,500 receipt from the Office of the Attorney General to the 2025 Virginia Rules Camp Grant requested by police.

Item two, request to transfer $318,080 from the Russell Memorial Library Edition Capital Improvement Project to the Library Facilities Improvements Capital Improvement Project requested by libraries.

Item three, a resolution by the City Council of the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, endorsing and supporting the application by Purdue Agribusiness LLC to the Commonwealth of Virginia's Department of Rail and Public Transportation for $750,000 in industrial access railroad funds requested by economic development.

That concludes the consent agenda, Mayor.

Thank you.

Are there any requests to remove any of these items to the regular agenda?

The announcement motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Second Ward.

Thank you.

Wait a second.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Thank you.

Next is our regular agenda, Mr.

Manager.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Item 4 is a resolution approving an award of Great Bridge Village Plan Implementation Seed Funding in the amount of 150,000 to Atherton Construction and Development Incorporated and distributing appropriated funds for such award to the economic development authority requested by economic development.

Thank you.

Is there a motion, please?

Move approval.

Second.

Thank you, Mr.

Whitaker.

Dr.

Ward, any discussion?

No discussion.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the resolution as presented is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Item 5 is a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Briggs funeral home for removal, storage, and limited cremation of deceased individuals during routine and mass casualty incidents, ensuring proper handling when ward capacity is exceeded or next of kin or unavailable, requested by the police department.

Motion, please.

Mr.

Mayor, if I may.

I'm sorry, we don't.

I didn't have that on.

Thank you.

I would move to continue the matter for 30 days to have more information from the manager presented.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

Dr.

Ward.

Any discussion?

Seeing none, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to continue the item to the September 9th, 2025 City Council meeting is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Next item.

Item 6 is a request to add one full-time equivalent deputy clerk of the Circuit Court 4 position to the complement of the clerk of the court.

Appropriate $51,509 in state revenue to the Clerk of the Circuit Court FY 2026 operating budget and transfer $25,491 within the clerk's operating budget to offset the total estimated cost for the remainder of the fiscal year requested by clerk of the circuit court.

Motion, please.

Move to approve.

Second.

Ms.

Ritter, thank you.

Mr.

Wednesday.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

I have a question.

Yes, Ms.

Ritter.

To the manager, if I might.

Is there any necessity for this to be an emergency?

I don't believe so.

From an appropriations perspective, so it would become effective immediately.

So I know that other jurisdictions have already effectuated this position.

It's something that was authorized for the beginning of the fiscal year.

So but I would leave it to maybe the clerk to determine whether it's the question would be if they don't approve it, if they approve it as an emergency, the funds become available immediately.

If it's not as an emergency, it's 30 days before we can transfer the funds to them.

Could he come down and you know the rules?

Thank you, Councilman Redder for the COVID.

You got to have a mic, Mr.

I apologize.

I know it's hard to say.

There you go.

Thank you.

First of all, thank you, Councilman Woman Retta, for the question referencing an emergency.

If it is indeed 30 days, we request that it would be an emergency to allow us to get ahead because the circuit team from the Supreme Court is coming down for training, and we would like to act immediately for that.

Thank you.

Thank you for the question.

And again, Mr.

Manager, thank you for putting it on the agenda for us.

Thank you, City Council.

Thank you.

I would ask the who was credited with making the motion.

I have Bonn and Whitaker.

If they would be willing to make that an emergency.

Sure, absolutely.

Yes.

Yes.

Thank you all.

Thank you, Ms.

Newens.

Thank you.

Mr.

Krasloff, do you mind coming down again?

I have a question about some of the services that your office provides.

It's come to my attention recently that electronic filing has since ceased.

I am sorry, say it again.

It's come to my attention that electronic filing with your office is no longer, it's been terminated.

Are we talking about e-filing?

Yes, like filing with the clerk's office through by email at the at the clerk email address, that that's no longer in effect.

Will adding this additional position allow that service to resume right now, e-filing is uh basically overseen by the uh the Supreme Court, the circuit team.

And what happens is we are hoping that with as it relates to e-file, and I spoke to Councilman Ritter about this.

Right now it's my understanding.

We would prefer number one to have pro se or self-representing litigants to go ahead and use e-file and it's my understanding we are doing research right now to see if that would be allowed.

I don't know the clear, I need clarification from the law itself.

In reference to the actual as an attorney, you would appreciate Councilwoman Ritter Newman, so I apologize.

That unless both parties agree, you have to then do paper.

Otherwise you can't do e-filing.

And we are hoping that that will be rectified.

We are asking all uh attorneys to please, and this is on the civil side.

We don't have criminal e-filing at this time because we haven't been given the opportunity.

So that was basically the question.

We had criminal e-filing ever since COVID.

Since 2020, we were allowed to criminal e-file.

And then that recently changed July 1, that that's been no longer allowed with your office.

That was an office policy, is my understanding, and it was due to staffing.

So I didn't know if this would change that to allow that service to resume.

I can certainly look into that because I would love to have criminal e-filing.

And we were told that as of right now, we don't have it because of what's going on at the circuit team in the Supreme Court.

They haven't provided it yet.

They received the grant, and they are currently have it in three phases.

The first phase is with guardianship and conservativeship.

I asked when are we going to have e-file and as you suggested, and they said it's coming.

I said, Well, it will be in a year, it's coming.

Is it going to be in two years?

It's coming.

I don't have a specific answer.

However, there is a vendor called Tyler.

But it's my understanding, and we're looking at the law right now, that Tyler Technologies does have e-fileing, but the Supreme Court is not allowing them to enter it interface with our circuit court management system.

That's what's holding that up.

So we're doing everything we can to be more accessible to the public.

We're asking attorneys now to please provide their emails so we can be much quicker, effective, to get the orders back to them.

Anything we can do that we can do online, we welcome it.

I can get back to you with a better answer, hopefully, I apologize, but uh it's my understanding right now.

We're going to look at the law.

I got something from uh some office uh in Rockingham County that they were using Tyler, and apparently the law has changed to allow them to use the circuit court management system.

When we were talking to Tyler several months ago, that was in the case.

So I'm all open to do whatever is more accessible for the uh everyone, not just the attorneys, but also for those people that I don't have any representatives as well.

So perhaps if we can maybe just have an update on if the e-filing is gonna come back or what the reason for the change was, because it was represented.

There was an email that your office had, CC Clerk Criminal that attorneys or pro se representatives would email to to e-file criminal correspondence.

And my understanding is that was ceased due to staffing.

So I didn't know with the staffing change if that would change that or if there was looking at bringing that out.

But I can certainly promise you once I have an answer for you, hopefully tomorrow I'll be in touch with you.

I'll be in touch not just with you, but to all the other council members sending an email letting them know the outcome of that discussion.

Thank you.

No, thank you for the question.

We do have a motion to approve as an emergency.

No other discussion.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented as an emergency action is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

I must manager.

Item 7 has multiple parts.

It will be read as one item.

Consideration of budget amendments related to the public utilities rate adjustment.

A request to increase revenue in the public utilities FY26 operating budget by 1,674,847.

B, request to reduce transfers to capital projects from the FY 2026 operating budget by $3,928,153.

C.

Request to increase general expenses in the FY 2026 operating budget by $1,500,000.

D, request to increase capital outlay in the FY 2026 operating budget by $4,103,000.

E request to reduce transfers from the operating fund to the Sanitary Sewer System Capital Project by $1,314,700.

F request request to increase revenue bonds to the Sanitary Sewer System Project by $1,314,700.

G, request to reduce transfers from the operating fund to the water distribution project by $2,613,453.

H request to increase revenue bonds to the water distribution project by $2,163,453.

I request to appropriate $975,000 to the water tank rehabilitation project.

J.

Request to appropriate $4,556,000 to the Sanitouri Sanitary Sewer Pump Station Project.

K.

Request to appropriate $2,700,000 to the Lake Gaston Water Treatment Plant Project.

And L to request to appropriate $8 million to the Northwest River Water Treatment Plant Project.

Move approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Whittaker.

Have a second?

Second.

Thank you.

Dr.

King is already in discussion.

Question, Mr.

Mayor.

Ms.

Ward, Dr.

Ward?

Yes.

Mr.

Manager.

Because there are so many transfers and they all are related to public utilities.

And I know so many of our citizens would feel concerned about a 4.9 percent raise, I mean increase in funding for the next few years, maybe five years.

Is there anything that can be on the city's website that could put this in a few explanations just in case?

I know we were not able to talk that much about it, about the details of it, but because we've got over $8 million, and transfers and some to bonds, and a lot of our citizens may not quite get the full understanding of what all these transfers are about and you know how it could impact the uh increase in their fees.

Uh I think a little more of an explanation, because it's a red, it's just a lot of transfers, and I think that though some are going through bonds now that would extend you know the length of when it has to be repaid, but many of our citizens don't get that.

Uh and there is anything that we can do uh to help clarify some of this so that citizens could kind of understand why and you know, with the you know needs that we have coming up of our utility program, I should really would appreciate that.

Yes, ma'am.

We do have a motion for approval.

And if there's no other discussion, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

Motion to approve the budget amendment request A through L as presented is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Item 8 is a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a right-of-way agreement with Virginia Electric and Power Company, a Virginia Public Service Corporation doing business in Virginia's Dominion Energy Virginia to convey a non-exclusive franchise utility agreement on city-owned property located at 1733 Indian Creek Road in the City of Chesapeake, requested by Parks Recon Tourism.

Motion, please.

New approval.

Thank you.

Second.

Ms.

Ritter.

Thank you.

Mr.

Whitaker.

Any discussion?

Pardon?

Mr.

Smith.

Mr.

Smith, I apologize to the second.

If you'll push those buttons, it is easier for me to tell Ms.

Ritter or Mr.

Smith.

Any other just any discussion?

Not toward your lights on.

See none.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the resolution as presented is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Thank you.

Next is city attorney items.

All right.

Item one, a resolution adopting a policy for individual remote participation at public meetings by Chesapeake City Council members.

Motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Whiteger.

Thank you, Ms.

Ritter.

Is there any discussion?

Do none.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the resolution as presented is adopted by an 8 0 vote.

Yes, sir.

We have three speakers.

The first is Vic Nichols speaking on the affairs of the city, followed by Tommy Hart.

I didn't hear from the city attorney as to why three males have been able to drop a profanity or two, but two of us females were called out for that.

Um in my case, and it wasn't even profane word.

Wondering why there is discrimination.

It was stated earlier that faith is an important part of our city and part of our Tuesday night.

Well, the Bible says a righteous man knows the rights of the poor, a record a wicked man does not understand such knowledge.

However, it's kind of hard to do that when you're not able to speak and are blocked from doing that.

I wanted to address the gas project that we had.

If you take a look at CISA, NIST and CSRC and the DHS, they all have different definitions of what is critical infrastructure.

They do include energy.

So we're paying more and more and more.

What are we getting for it?

It would be nice to have an update on the Deep Creek Bridge because by the time it's done, the pyramids will have been able to be completed before the Deep Creek Bridge ever gets done.

I'd like to address some issues in Greenborough.

Jarmin and Crossways, Jarman will be green with no traffic while traffic from the hotels and the businesses wait and wait.

That's not a good thing for people to see.

Volvo turning left on Greenburgh still has backing up with two life cycle light cycles, and we still haven't done anything on that.

Edenway North now backs up to the credit union bank already because of lights and illegal blocking the intersection, but you want to extend that to Battlefield and think it's going to solve all that problems now.

Not sure how, because you have the hotel at Summit Point that hadn't been built, thrasher development, the increase in zoning you just did.

Yet the Green Bar Plan had number one issue as traffic.

You didn't include Creambrier in the comprehensive plan stop.

Green buyer kind of reminds me of what South Norfolk was.

They were a jewel.

And what happened to them?

The money was taken, it was moved elsewhere, just like happens with our TIFF money.

But there is not anything that is actually truly working on those issues because Volvo should have been three lanes rather than allowing development to hit right up to the state there and trying to push a one-lane Eden Way Road that was only meant for the Greenbrier Property Owners Association to get in and out of those thousand homes that go off of there, and then you're gonna put more on there.

Nobody thought that went out.

There was no such thing as planning.

If it is, show me.

Pretty scary.

Tommy Hart speaking on public safety, followed by Ashley Van Ot.

There you go.

Okay.

It's hard to say.

Yeah, hell, I'm old.

My name's Tommy Hart.

I live at 1900 St.

Bright's Road.

Last week, or last time we had a meeting, I said I was through.

Well, two Sundays ago, I was talking on the phone, and my wife was surfing through the television, and all of a sudden I heard an ABC officer found a dead man in a ditch.

I didn't think it was me.

So I told her I said, leave it there.

And it was, they said it was Alan Forehand that got killed.

Well, it was me that found him, but he wasn't in no ditch.

He was in the intercoastal waterway.

This officer has told so many stories.

I don't believe he knows anything about this murder.

Detective Cosana passed away about six months ago.

I'm the only one left.

If I say anything about this murder, then the police department dreams up a lie, fabricates evidence, and tries to make it look like I don't know what I'm talking about.

I was there 15 minutes after this boy was murdered.

I watched this phony investigation.

There was only two police officers allowed to be there, Detective Briggs and Macpherson.

But the police report shows that Detective Cherry and Kosiana did the investigation.

Why can't the police department set down?

I'll help them, but I can't talk to him because hey, I'm too honest for him.

This murder happened 48 years ago.

And he gets on television a couple Sundays ago, and he's asking for someone in the general public to call in and tell them that they seen this pickup truck on the side of the road 48 years ago.

Can you all remember 48 years ago what you've seen on the side of the road?

And he said the pickup truck was turned around and heading out to the highway like he was going to have a quick getaway.

That's a blatant lie.

He was facing towards the canal because I went past, seen the truck, come back and looked at it, and I thought it was a drug deal or something going on, and parked my car down the highway, walked down the highway and walked in behind the truck.

Of course, there was nobody in the truck, and then I was searching around and found a body.

This ain't the only murder he was involved in.

Y'all gut me for a while.

I'm tired of the lying and denying.

Why Detective Thomas is not investigating.

He is basically covering tracks.

He's trying to cover up what I'm uncovering.

But uh four or five years ago, I was well, it's been about ten years ago when I was pushing this again.

I was told that, oh, they've already arrested two people.

That murder's over with.

Well, who did they arrest?

Oh, we can't tell you.

Why can't they tell me?

Because they were lying.

I mean, the name of the game with this murder is Lie, Lie, Lie.

That's all the police department wants to do.

Why can't they go ahead, sit down, get it straight on the report.

Detective Griggs and Lieutenant Macpherson were the only two officers allowed to go to the scene of this murder.

And I watched them destroy the evidence.

But yet they've got the evidence.

The only evidence they got is what I was supposed to have turned in.

I've seen the evidence, it's fabricated.

There's no way they can try this case if they I don't care who they arrest.

As long as I'm living, I'll go to court under oath and I'll testify.

It is not the bullets, the bullets are gone.

It's not the hammer he was beaten with because the hammer he was beaten with was a ball peen hammer, and the hammer handle they've got in evidence is a call hammer.

They have screwed this thing up so bad.

And but no one I've tried to talk to three Congress attorneys.

Mr.

Your time is up, sir.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Ashley Van Note speaking on human services programs.

Good evening.

Is that okay?

Okay.

Good evening.

My name is Ashley Van No.

I am a mother of eight and a community advocate and nonprofit leader.

And I'm here tonight to ask you all, council members, to turn your attention to the need for improvements and the way our citizens are being treated.

The most vulnerable families are being treated when they're seeking resources.

The Department of Social Services, the process for seeking those resources is not straightforward.

There's a lot of red tape.

There's a lot of conflicting information.

And when parents are managing the challenges of poverty and frequently higher than the average needs of their children because of trauma and other things, they really struggle.

Working with my clients, I see where they get discouraged because they come in, they ask for a specific program or specific type of assistance, they get differing information from different people, they get frustrated, and they often just give up and walk away without the assistance.

As a professional myself in the helping field, I know more than the average person might, the average parent, about accessing resources and supports.

And even for myself, searching for support for my children has been frustrating and time consuming.

The case that prompted me to come here tonight was I recently opened a case with Chesapeake to access respite care for one of my very high needs children.

After the referral, I waited two weeks with no contact, and I went in person, made my own contact.

The DSS policy is five days, especially when you have a crisis situation.

It was another month after that before we were assigned a worker, and that was with me proactively emailing and calling repeatedly.

Then most recently, about a month after the case was opened, we had a financial crisis directly related to this particular child, his needs, my inability to work because of managing his behaviors and so forth.

The answer was no with no explanation, except for some speculation that funding had run out.

I happen to know that the fiscal year just started.

Most parents are going to go and look up the operating budget and find out well how much money was allocated for family preservation.

The city of Chesapeake had 127,000 allocated just in PSSF funding, and that is specifically to stabilize families.

It is not money that's designed to remove children from their homes unless that's the only option.

And when parents come to this to DSS seeking assistance, that is the funding stream from which we can pull things like rent use rent assistance, utilities, um, respite care, therapeutic services, and so forth.

Um and so I'm asking each of you, because there's no policy in the world that can compel integrity.

There's no way that you can mandate ethics or humanity or compassion.

That has to come from the person that's doing the job.

And so I'm asking you: are families being shamed and degraded when they're coming in?

Um are they being treated in a fair and unbiased way?

You're not going to get that answer from the Department of Social Services.

You're gonna have to talk to the actual per individuals who are utilizing those services, not just the parents, but the children as well.

So you need to be in the community.

This is urgent, this is important.

School is starting back, families are struggling, and they are being discouraged from accessing the services that they need.

You can start with me after the meeting.

I'm an open book.

You can start here.

But this is important.

I am asking each of you to make this a priority in the next month, the next few days.

Find someone who's vulnerable.

Find someone who does not have the resources that they need, who doesn't have the capacity, intellectual or otherwise, to maybe do the research or know whether what they're being told is true.

Find out if they're being given accurate information, find out if their worker is following up with them.

Find out if their child is being given services or if that family is slipping through the cracks until a crisis happens.

Now that child is in foster care.

Now you have exacerbated the trauma of an already traumatic situation because poverty in and of itself is traumatic.

And now this is where we run into children who turn into adults who end up in the justice system.

We don't have to, it doesn't have to get that far.

We have the funding, we have the resources, we have the education, we have all of the information that we need to tell us that if we start now by utilizing the funding and resources that we have to stabilize families, to preserve families where they are, to support them, you will you can your juvenile justice budget will go down because it won't be necessary because these children will be whole, healthy, and thriving before they even get to that point.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Mr.

Manager, would you get her information, have someone meet with her and then advise us as to what we should do?

Thank you.

That does conclude our speakers up, Madam Clerk.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Next is unfinished business.

Do we have any unfinished business the council members would like to bring up at this time, Ms.

Ritter?

Thank you.

I have a couple.

We've had some discussions, if I might, to the manager about certain signs in historic districts that may or may not be eligible for the existing village grant program, but might be eligible for the EDIP grant.

And I want we talked about the specifics.

I wonder if you could let the council know whether or not the staff believes that that would be a viable route.

We'll dispatch a response to council.

Thank you.

And additionally, I'm sorry, Mr.

Jurgens left.

With all of these changes for public utilities, there are a couple of things that I've raised in the past, and I would really like to see if there's any way to accelerate the replacement of water meters.

I think that would go an awfully long way to resolving some of the billing issues.

So it would make that request along with the request, I consistently read from folks about the $25 charge from utilities to come out and determine that the water meter be replaced.

So I'd like to find a way that that can be waived, or if the meter does need replacement, the cost be waived.

Would you please?

I I know that the escalation of bills is difficult for people.

They think the rates are just going up.

They're really paying for the construction costs for all of those installations.

So if there's a way we can find a highlight that for folks, even on the website, I think it would be really helpful.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Ritter.

Any other unfinished point?

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I would like to thank the city manager Price and also Deputy City Manager Salais for the project they were working on in reference to the farmers market in South Norfolk.

I heard that's coming along and uh it's about to take place, but I would like for them to give us some update as far as that project is concerned.

We'll dispatch an update to council.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Dr.

King.

Yeah.

I just wanted to say I think Ms.

Nichols made a really good point that if council members are able to attend meetings virtually, we should should really be considering also allowing our constituents to attend virtually.

And I'd like to see if we can look into that as a possible option.

City manager.

If that's the direction of council, we will look at that.

Could I ask a question?

Yeah.

Ms.

Ritter?

Thank because they can attend virtually.

So there's a live streaming of the meeting.

But do you mean participate?

Right.

That we tried that during that, but the manager will send a report on that.

We had a conversation at the uh meeting this morning with our legislative eagle, HRTPO and had a gentleman was talking about it prior to the meeting.

And I I think that some of the cities have allowed this with actually speaking and some with sending in email text messages.

My preference would be to send in text messages.

I think we have to really understand that our meetings are limited in terms of time that we have to conduct a business.

We have sometimes too many speakers that we can't really hear them all in a in a timely manner to complete the business that we are called to do that night.

So I would be a little reluctant to want to open up for actual another speaker, but certainly messages that uh you know more someone may have that they could send through text or email, I think would be appropriate for us all to be able to see.

But I I think we could I'm not saying let's do that.

I'm saying I would like to hear the pros and cons of both.

Any other Ms.

Ms.

Newens?

To that point, can we also have information about the estimated cost of implementing that?

I think that would cause us to have to purchase a significant amount of equipment.

That would be on obviously taxpayer dimes.

So maybe get some information about other jurisdictions that utilize it and the success or lack thereof success and then the cost of implementing it.

But I think it's worth exploring, getting some more information on the other unfinished business.

Move the news business item A.

Madam Clerk, would you please present that?

An initiating resolution requesting the Chesapeake Planning Commission to consider and make recommendations concerning proposed amendments to Article 12 of the Chesapeake Zoning Ordinance to bring the zoning ordinance into alignment with the recently updated South Norfolk Historic Design Guidelines.

Motion please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Butaker.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Is there any discussion?

Mr.

Smith.

Yes.

Mr.

Meet, Mr.

City Manager, if you could.

Could you tell us the impact this will have on the residents of South Norfolk in reference to aligning these two together financially?

If any.

I'll ask Deputy City Manager Solas if he has a better handle in that.

Thank you, Mr.

Manager, Mr.

Mayor, Councilmember Smith.

What we will bring back to City Council is basically an outline of what changes to the code need to be made.

So this is just the initiating resolution to determine what uh consistencies may need to be made to the code from the guidelines.

So we will be bringing that back to City Council and we'll find out at that time.

And from a process perspective, when City Council approved the design guidelines, that's sort of the concept.

This is what you would like to see where, uh, but our zoning ordinance doesn't reflect that.

So we would have to make changes to the zoning ordinance, but before we do that, there's public hearings before the planning commission, then you'll get a recommendation from staff and the planning commission for your consideration.

See no other lights on.

I won't move uh I'm sorry, where are we with a motion for approval and eight uh item A?

Please pres please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

I think that was A.

Motion to approve the initiating resolution as presented is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Thank you.

Would you read item B?

An initiating resolution requesting the Chesapeake Planning Commission to consider and make recommendations concerning proposed amendments to Chapter 70 of the Chesapeake City Code to update the medium and size requirements for final subdivision plates in accordance with changes to regulations promulgated by the Virginia Library Board.

Motion please.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Second.

Dr.

Ward.

Any discussion on this item?

Seeing none, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the initiating resolution as presented as adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Any other new business items council members would like to bring up at this time.

Mr.

Smith, you'll be recognized.

Yes, Mr.

Mayor, thank you.

That is currently not the case for the mayor and members of City Council.

It was approved by the Virginia State General Assembly in reference to that increase in an amendment.

And the cities that have taken advantage of that are Newport News, Hampton, and Portsmouth.

The increase would not go into effect until July of 2027, even if we voted in favor of it.

Population-wise, Portsmouth has 96,482 people.

Residents, Newport News population is 181,165.

And Chesapeake's population is 256,740 approximately.

Okay.

Along these salaries for for mayor and city council member is not to exceed for the mayor for a population of 175,000 to 259,999.

The mayor center would increase to 51,000, and council members would increase to 47,000.

And I move to approve to have this put on the agenda once it is shared with the public for city councils.

Members to have the increase in salary according to in accordance with the General Assembly amendment to the Code of Virginia, which is 15.2-1414.6.

First of all, let me ask for a motion, and I would like to go to the city attorney.

I mean a second on that motion.

The last part was my motion, sir.

Yeah, I'm looking for a second.

Okay.

For clarification purposes.

Ms.

Ritter?

I I don't think it needs to be a motion and a second.

It's a request.

Well, that would be up to Mr.

Smith.

So he made it a motion.

Okay.

Mr.

Smith, do you have a request for the city manager?

Instead of a motion.

I was putting it in the form of a motion.

Yes, sir.

I understand that's your preference.

Yep.

Do we have a second?

Do we have a second on the motion?

Being uh chair of the uh it is not appropriate for me to uh make a second on this motion.

However, I I would like to make a point to to Mr.

Smith's point is, you know, I I think this is a an issue.

I personally would like to see what the public thinks about it.

Uh it may not need to be a agenda item, but it would certainly be a topic worth discussing.

We're going to be having an election for council members in two years, and I guess when that comes up.

Uh one of the things that concerns me about what can actually run for an office that that basically doesn't pay uh a salary.

It's either someone who is retired or someone who has a business and they're going to lose the business.

I would like to see if there is a if there is a desire from the public to see if we uh want to increase that so it would be possible for more people to run for these offices.

Or if it doesn't matter, then it probably wouldn't be wise to do.

But personally, I would love to see what the public has to think about it.

And I'm not sure at this point how to bring that up without being an agenda item, but I would like to have some further discussion about that.

Dr.

King.

My only concern about the motion is the amount, the increase that's being requested.

And I think we should revisit that because it's almost a hundred percent increase from understanding what we are asking.

Yeah.

We did without a second, we can't really discuss the motion.

Uh yeah.

Let's read where I'm gonna give you the uh gavel for the run this for a moment.

Hand it.

There you go.

I would like go ahead.

We have a second.

You need to ask a second.

Are you second?

You need to turn your light on.

Mr.

Mayor.

Are you seconding the motion?

Mr.

Mayor.

Excuse me.

I have the capital.

Oh, I'm sorry.

This is my dream.

I want to yield to the question.

I would like to make a second so that we can have a discussion.

Yeah.

Almost.

Dr.

King.

Thank you.

We have a second on the motion.

And Dr.

King, you have the uh one of this discussion.

My concern is the amount of increase that we're discussing.

Because currently, if I'm correct, it's 25,000 per council member, 27 for the mayor.

You're asking for an increase up to 47,000 for council members and 50 for the mayor.

That would be my concern with the motion.

It says not to exceed 51,000 for the mayor and 47,000 for city council.

So should the motion include an amount because that makes it so poorly defined.

Well, Madam Attorney, I I it is uh, I mean, I think that is the code.

Would the motion it would be better to not have a amount or a as the motion was made not to exceed the amount that the code is calls for?

I think it's appropriate to have it be tied to not exceeding the amount that the statute would allow.

And then as with every ordinance, we would have this as a public hearing and ordinance we presented, and council could tell staff to modify the amounts included in the ordinance.

Okay.

So we do have a motion and we still have a second, Dr.

King.

Okay.

Is there any other discussion, Ms.

Ritter?

Thank you.

Um I just can't support this.

Um I think one of the most important things that we should have in a bond with our citizens is confidence.

And I'm not a betting person, but I'm thinking we're not going to get a ton of support for that.

Have it just been a request to go on a future agenda, that would be one thing.

But having it been a motion to be included and a second, then it will give us an opportunity right now to vote and let people know how we feel about the issue.

Thank you.

Any other discussion?

Ms.

Newlands?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, I echo Councilmember Ritter's comments.

I think at a time where, especially a time where we our services are decreasing or our fees are increasing.

Uh the last thing that should be on our mind is increasing our own salary.

So the mayor made a comment about you don't get, I guess the type you don't get a lot of candidates who want to run for office.

Um several of us are full-time employed.

I have a full law, full-time law practice, um, and I'm still able to run for office.

And I don't do it for the money, obviously.

Um I do it to serve, and I think that should be the intention of people who run for office is not to do it for a $50,000 salary or to put a penny in their pocket.

It should be to serve.

So I cannot support increasing our salary.

Um I I was shocked to hear when I ran that there even was a salary to begin with, um, because I thought this was a job on service, but um I can't support increasing a salary, especially at a time when people are struggling so much.

We just had a speaker talk about she's struggling with her children and her care, and I think it's just um very um ill-informed to to then take some of that taxpayer money and put it in our pocket in return.

So I cannot support the motion to increase our salaries.

Uh Dr.

King out of the kitchen just a moment before I do, I do want to respond to Ms.

New Hans.

I wish you would not put words in my mouth.

I did not say that I would um I would want this so that more people could run or that it would they would do it for the money.

Look, your choice to run is your choice.

My point is that there would be more people who could afford to do it if there were if there was an increase in what we're paid.

But the sacrifice, I I mean, I look at people on this council right now whose businesses have dramatically suffered because of the time they spend on on city council issues.

And I'm not saying that a uh getting a salary, I don't believe that getting a bigger salary is changes your motive for running.

There are a lot of people that want to serve but simply can't afford to because they're not retired, or they can't make the money that they make in their own business, Dr.

King.

Um I just wanted to ask if it would be appropriate to ask Councilman Les Smith to um withdraw the motion and we reconsider it at a future point in time.

Uh Mr.

Smith, would you consider withdrawal at this time for for consideration later?

I I could do that.

I don't see where it would go, but I can I can definitely do that.

Thank you.

And take it back before uh council at a later date.

Thank you.

I want to try to be nice here.

Well we have a we have a uh uh withdrawal and you agree on the second okay.

This matter has uh as of further discussion.

Is there are there any other issues under new business councils would like to discuss?

Seeing none, I do believe we have a closed meeting.

A motion to conduct a closed meeting to discuss the acquisition or acquisition and conveyance of certain real properties located in the Great Bridge Planning Area for discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body as permitted by Section 2.2-3711A3 of the Code of Virginia.

Move approval.

Thank you.

Second, please.

Second.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record Madam Clark.

Mr.

Whitaker.

Motion to conduct a closed meeting.

Is adopted by an eight-o vote.

City Attorney Lenley, would you please provide the language for the certification of the closed meeting?

A motion to certify that to the best of each member's knowledge.

Only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements were discussed, and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered.

Motion please.

Motion to certify the closed meeting is adopted by an eight-o vote.

Dr.

War, would you please give us our benediction?

You got we just want to say thank you for all the deliberations that were made tonight by this council, and it is our desire that those decisions that were made were for the best interest of our great citizens in our city.

Now give us traveling verses as we return to our respective homes.

These are not the blessings we have in our precious and holding aim.

Amen.

Council is adjourned.

Thank you.