Good evening, everyone.

Welcome to our uh works session tonight, which is uh on our legislative priorities, Mr.

Manager.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Yes, it's that time of year uh where we're talking about our legislative priorities both at the um state and federal level, and so I'll turn it over to our legislative affairs director, David Westcott.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Manager, and I know this is everybody's favorite time of the year to hear my once a year legislative priorities for the city of Chesapeake.

Uh Mayor West, Vice Mayor Ritter, and members of council, it's a privilege to speak with you tonight as we introduce the FY26 legislative package.

This presentation also marks a personal milestone in my life.

It is my five-year anniversary with the City of Chesapeake in my sixth General Assembly session representing our community.

I'm truly thankful for the opportunity to serve the city and for all that we have accomplished over the years together.

In a period of five years, we have won five Virginia Municipal League Innovation Awards, had almost 20 pieces of legislation that have been signed into law, received almost 47 million dollars through federal earmarks and state budget request, with five point six million dollars awaiting congressional approval for FY25.

With the help of our Chesapeake delegation and your direction, we have positioned this community to grow and succeed.

These actions continue to strengthen service, support economic opportunities, and ensure Chesapeake is an exceptional place to live, work, farm, and play.

Their work is critical when I am in Richmond reviewing and tracking more than 3,000 bills and attending 24 full Senate and House committees, accompanied by 64 subcommittees, many of which have legislation assigned to them that affects either the local government or things that uh could it possibly affect the city of Chesapeake.

We are fortunate to have a city manager who understands Richmond's political landscape and policies that it produces, which has been an essential in advancing our priorities.

And the last day of session, which is the best day of session of the well, it's the best day of the year because it's March 14th and that's my birthday.

So our legislative package formulations.

So we've got a couple new members on council since I presented this legislative pack or the legislative package last year.

But it's always good to go over exactly how this all comes together.

First and foremost, we seek the input of council in our city departments.

We also seek the city council's direction.

Most importantly, we also work with members of our General Assembly.

We listen to different items and different concerns that they have, but also we participate in our city memberships, such as Virginia Municipal League, Virginia Association of Counties, which they also come out with their own legislative packages that deals with local government.

So that's really helpful to us.

Just to really know like where they're coming from.

Also participating in VA focused groups, committees, subcommittees that meet throughout the year.

So even when we're not in session, I'm usually in Richmond about two to three days a week throughout the entire year.

So there's always something going on.

If there's a bill that's been passed by or it's been killed or it's been referred to a committee or a study, usually I'm there 99% of the time, unless I'm sick, hopefully I'm not sick, but usually I'm there.

And a lot of those pieces of legislation that get referred to those committees and subcommittees often become bills next year.

Last but not least, but working with our other legislative directors.

There's 12 of us in the entire state.

They're either in Northern Virginia or in Hampton Roads.

So we work together as a cohesive team to figure out exactly what legislative items, you know, they're hearing in their neck of the woods and what things they think that members of their delegation are going to be bring forward the following session.

So here's our partners kind of already discussed this, but many of y'all are very familiar with Hampton Roads Planet District Commission, HRTPO, HR TAC, VML, VACO, Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance.

We work with them, we look at their legislative packages both at a state level and at a federal level and see where we can work together on shared initiatives.

So our top legislative priorities.

So this year we have four legislative priorities.

Unauthorized entry of emergency vehicles, and that's a really interesting one.

And then also conveyance of easement via plat.

Chesapeake, hold on, let me just go back.

Okay.

Currently, agencies across Virginia are facing critical staffing shortages, especially in specialized civilian and technical positions.

Hold on, let me get, I thought I clicked it.

Many retired retired officers have the skills and institutional knowledge we need, but current law discourages their return.

What this initiative does is it allows retired sworn officers to work in civilian non-sworn positions.

An example, fingerprint examiners, forensic specialist, background investigators, retirees keep their VRS retirement benefits while working in these roles.

So what are the qualifications for re employment?

There has to be a six-month break after retirement, must retire in good standing.

Positions don't require law enforcement certification.

So really, why does this matter?

Well, it addresses staffing shortages and keeps experienced talent in the system, which is super important, saves training and overtime costs, which that's a key, and then expands the hiring pool for hard-to-fill positions and maintains operational continuity and strengthens public safety statewide.

And finally, this is a practical, cost-effective solution that benefits localities and taxpayers as well as public safety.

And it assures we retain valuable experience of those who have already dedicated their careers to serving not only the city but the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Authorities for localities to use development agreements.

Chesapeake is one of the few localities in the region that is expanding.

And our ability to coordinate infrastructure with development must expand with it.

Large and fast growing localities like Chesapeake need flexible tools to manage development and infrastructure planning.

Current law limits how we can form long-term binding agreements with developers to ensure predictable high quality growth.

What this initiative would do is it would authorize localities with populations greater than 250,000 and a transfer of development rights, or better known as TDR, and this was discussed, I believe, at our most recent council retreat program to enter into a 15-year binding development agreements, renewable every 10 years.

These agreements can cover density, building height, setbacks, parking, stormwater, public improvement, other elements of design and phase construction.

The key benefits here is it creates predictability for both developers and the locality.

Once terms are met, vested development rights are secured.

It allows property owners to dedicate land or fund public improvements that advance comprehensive plan goals and encourages infrastructure investment and balanced growth where enabled by our comprehensive plan while protecting community interests and property rights in our rural areas.

So really, why does this matter?

It gives large localities a powerful planning and economic development tool, and it helps ensures that as we grow, we are aligning development with infrastructure capacity, schools, roads, and stormwater systems.

Finally, this amendment supports smart growth, predictable outcomes, and shared responsibility between localities and developers, and it helps cities like the City of Chesapeake plan for the future with stability, foresight, and fairness.

Now, this is probably one of the most interesting ones that our police department brought to us.

And but as we continue working to protect our first responders and the equipment that they rely on, we must ensure that the law keeps pace with real world risk.

A recent incident right here in the City of Chesapeake made it clear without stronger legal protections, unauthorized entry into emergency vehicles can and will happen.

This is why we are seeking this legislative initiative to close that gap in current law and prevent these dangerous situations before they occur.

Currently, Virginia law protects public transportation vehicles from trespassing, but not emergency vehicles and not other city owned vehicles like police cars, fire trucks, or even ambulances and public works vehicles.

This leaves a serious legal gap that puts life-saving equipment and public safety at risk.

A recent incident here in Chesapeake highlighted this issue when individuals entered an ambulance without authorization and posted it online.

My understanding was that they were making a YouTube video or a music video, so I'm not sure what that music video turned out like, but this is where this legislative initiative comes from.

This legislation creates a clear legal consequence for unauthorized access to emergency vehicles.

It establishes a new Class IV misdemeanor for anyone who enters or remains in or on an emergency vehicle without permission, and applies to law enforcement vehicles, firefighting vehicles, emergency medical service vehicles, any public works vehicle, public utility vehicle, or essential vehicle used in providing for the safety of the public.

When seconds count, equipment must be ready, and this bill helps ensures it is.

It protects critical emergency equipment, ensures continuity of emergency response, and aligns protections for emergency vehicles with those already in place for public transportation.

So what's the benefit?

Well, it strengthens our public safety statewide by safeguarding the tools and vehicles first responders rely on, and it sends a clear message to deter any type of activities such as this, unauthorized entry into an emergency vehicle is unacceptable and carries real consequences.

This amendment closes a clear gap in Virginia law protecting both first responders and the public, and it's a common sense measure.

The conveyance of easement via platina, this was submitted to us by our City Attorney's Office, and what this does is an ensuring efficient land development procedure is critical to supporting growth in Chesapeake.

Yet in our current legal framework, there are limits as to how utility easements may be formally dedicated when a subdivision is not involved.

Under existing law, localities can accept utility easement dedication through subdivision plats, but the code does not clearly state that the same process may be used for Platts.

This ambiguity leads to extra paperwork and unnecessary legal recordings that slow down otherwise routine development projects.

To address this gap, the city supports legislation to amend Title 51.1, Subtitle II, Chapter 6, Article 1 of the Code of Virginia, to ensure that utility easements may be dedicated via Platz without requiring a separate written deed.

This clarification would streamline operations by reducing duplicative documents, lowering administrative costs, and provide an predictable process for developers and property owners alike.

Additionally, the change promotes consistency across project types and improves coordination with the existing procedures such as the vacation of easements under administrative regulation 4.17.

When the rules are consistent, the work becomes faster and more aligned with modern development needs.

Ultimately, this legislation strengthens our ability to serve the community by improving efficiency, reducing delays, and reinforcing certainty in the conveyance of public utility infrastructure.

So our supportive legislative initiatives.

Now, just as a reminder, since it's been a year since the last time that we brought this forward to you with the FY25 package, but our supportive legislative initiatives are initi our initiatives that are important to the City of Chesapeake, but we are not specifically looking for bill patrons on this item.

But what does happen is, in many cases, when we put something in our supportive legislative initiatives, if this particular issue comes up in the General Assembly session, let's say, you know, Delegate Hayes or uh delegate Amanda Batten out of you know the peninsula, if one of those, if one of those individuals or any member of the delegation in the General Assembly puts this forward, we are going to support it in committee.

So with our three supportive legislative initiatives is amend the Code of Virginia, and this is an item that y'all will remember in our package last year.

Public safety officers define dispatchers, animal control officers, as well as park rangers, as well as restoration of locality share of excess clerk fees.

That's not a new one.

That was also in our legislative package last year at the at the request of our clerk of the circuit court, as well as pop-up events and community safety.

Now that came from our chief administrative officers meeting that our city manager is involved with, with other uh city managers and Board of County Supervisors chairs across the Hampton Roads region.

For our first one, not you know, nothing new here, but Chesapeake Animal Control Officers wear badges of authority and are equipped with firearms and ballistic vests to aid them in the performance of their duties, enforcing the applicable provisions of the Code of Virginia and local ordinances regarding animal welfare.

Chesapeake Animal Control Officers also have law enforcement authority to enforce the provisions such as securing felony warrants, Virginia uniform summons, vicious domestic animals, even in cases of livestock and dangerous wildfires.

Approval of this recommendation is foundational to the future discussions regarding implementing hazardous duty provisions for Chesapeake Animal Control officers within VRS and any other relevant statute related to the law enforcement hazardous duty provisions.

One thing you will probably remember last year is that a member out of our own delegation who represents a very small portion of Chesapeake, but nonetheless does represent cities uh represent citizens here, is Senate Senator Emily Jordan, as well as one of our own delegates, delegate Nadarius Clark.

They both put this item forward last year.

It made almost made it to the finish line, but once it got to the, you know, once the bills crossed each other's chambers, they ended up uh coming to a fate of being killed in committee.

So the restoration of localities' share of excess clerk fees.

Now, this is a really interesting one.

The City of Chesapeake is in alignment with the clerks, a clerk of court association and other localities that seeks the restoration of our entitlement to two-thirds of excess clerk fees as outlined in the Virginia Code section 17.1-285.

In 2009, during the physical crisis, a budget provision reduced this share from two-thirds to one-thirds.

Despite no change to the statute, this ongoing reduction deprives localities of the rightful revenue.

We respectfully request that the General Assembly amend the budget language to restore the two-third allocation, ensuring Chesapeake and other jurisdictions receive the funding necessary to support essential local services.

And it is also, to my understanding, that many other localities throughout Hampton Roads will also adopt this into their legislative package.

I believe just I guess it was probably last week that Suffolk adopted this, or this was also in Suffolk's uh draft legislative package.

Our next one, which came from our chief administrative officers uh group that our city manager serves in, this deals with pop-up events and community safety.

Cities across Virginia, including Chesapeake, are experiencing a growing trend of unpermitted or spontaneous pop-up events.

They're often organized online without notice.

These large gatherings can overwhelm normal operations by creating traffic congestion, blocking access to public spaces, disrupting nearby businesses, and in some cases escalating into overcrowding or disorderly conduct or property damage.

This proposal would give localities the ability to designate pop-up zones and predictable high traffic areas and temporarily implement safety measures such as reduced speed limits, curfews for unaccompanied minors, and restrictions on crowd size or occupancy.

Zones would only be activated when credible public safety concerns are present, and localities would be required to provide clear public notice through signage, social media, and official channels to ensure transparency.

By establishing a proactive consistent framework, this policy would help local governments and law enforcement manage these gatherings before problems escalate, protect nearby businesses, neighborhoods, and maintain safe and accessible community space while preserving fairness for the public.

Now we do have two legislative requests from partner organizations.

One comes from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and one comes from the Hampton Roads Plan and District Commission.

The second one is one that y'all are very familiar with if you serve on uh HRPDC.

We have a couple members of council that serve on there.

The first one deals with the Midhaden fisheries.

While not a direct issue for the City of Chesapeake, it's still in the overall concept does affect the ecology in the Hampton Roads region.

And what we would request the General Assembly devote additional resources to better understand the ecology of Menhaden in the Chesapeake Bay region and to direct the Virginia Marine Resource Commission to implement additional conservation mind and management strategies for the Menhaden reduction fishery for Virginia's waters.

Targeted management options such as quota periods, time area closures, fisheries observers, and reduction fishery landing fees could provide ecology relief at key times of the year and support the advancement of Menhaden Science.

However, given the scale and concentrated nature of this fishery, the persistent lack of science and ongoing ecological warning signs, Virginia should consider prohibiting industrial reduction fishing in the Chesapeake Bay until adequate science is developed to inform future sustainable management.

Our second one, and I should have probably gone through that slide, anyways, but I got a little carried away here.

And uh, but our second one is primary and secondary road fund.

And this is exactly how it's stated is Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission uses Hampton Roads Transportation Fund Sales and Gas Tax to fund the $5 billion interstate project.

Uh $3 billion in primary and secondary road needs remain unfunded.

And what HRPDC is asking other localities as well and its members is to support creation of a dedicated fund for future critical projects without new taxes.

Projects prioritized by HRTPO and managed by HRTAC, preserving existing commitments.

And we've got two more that did not make it into the slideshow, but nonetheless are very important.

This these were just submitted to us today, and you know, it this is up for council consideration.

But uh our Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, which Chesapeake is in the Virginia Dare Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District, they are requesting the increased funding for Virginia Agricultural Cost Share, which is known as VAX, and Virginia Conservation Assistant Program, known as VCAP.

This what they're asking is is support increased funding for Virginia Conservation Assistant Program, or known as VCAP, Virginia Agricultural Cost Share VAX, as well as sufficient staffing in soil and water conservation districts to implement these programs.

VCAP and VAX are important tools for residents, businesses, churches, institutions, and local governments and farmers to get funding for conservation landscaping practices that reduce stormwater runoff, flooding, and improve water quality.

And I will say that this is then an ongoing issue for the soil and water conservation network in Virginia as a total.

Every year this funding has, you know, has been shipped away.

And now, you know, there's not a lot of funding that goes to these soil and water conservation districts, and the amount of work that they do is quite incredible.

This is probably my favorite slide, and I might have said that earlier on another slide, but this actually, this is my second favorite slide, and I'll show you my first favorite slide in a second.

But this is all of the state and federal funding that the City of Chesapeake has been awarded in a five-year period.

To me, I'm super proud of this because it just shows not only the commitment of our staff here at City Hall and the hard work that they've done in helping me submit these projects both at a state and federal level, but also the commitment from our General Assembly delegation at the state level and our congressional uh representatives and U.S.

U.S.

Senate representatives up in Congress.

And so far, and we're still waiting on money to come back for or to be approved by Congress.

It's waiting in committee right now, so you'll see the federal funding for FY25 for Myers Road Sidewalk Expansion, Schooner Trail Park, and Career Academies of Chesapeake.

So you'll see the federal funding for FY25 for Myers Road Sidewalk Expansion, Schooner Trail Park, and Career Academies of Chesapeake.

But that total is just amazing.

And I don't think that there's another community out there in the Hampton Roads region that has gotten the funding that the City of Chesapeake has gotten.

And that really honestly goes to not only our city council, but as well as our state delegation, our federal delegation in the team that we have here working in Chesapeake.

All right.

So our delegation, everybody knows who members of our General Assembly are, but it's always good to show this.

I just wanted to let you all know because every year I just say, hey, here's here's members of our General Assembly.

But a lot of times I don't know if everybody knows what committees they serve on.

The diversity that we have in the General Assembly is second to none.

Chesapeake literally has the best delegation at the state level, and nobody's paying me from the House of Delegates or the State Senate to say that, but we really do have the best delegation.

Well, I mean, just starting off, uh, Madam President Pro Tim, Senator uh Madam Chair of uh Senate Finance and Appropriations, Louise Lucas.

She serves on, she's the chair of finance and appropriations.

She's on the rules committee.

She's on commerce and labor, and she's on education and health.

And quite honestly, if those are not the most important committees in the General Assembly, I don't know what are, but we're super lucky to have her as well as Emily Jordan, who serves on courts of justice, Senator Chrissy Newcraig, who serves on education and health and general laws.

A lot of those land use items that the City of Chesapeake is very interested in goes through general laws about 75% of the time.

We also have delegate Nadarius Clark, who is the Vice Chair of Agriculture, Chesapeake, and Natural Resources.

Delegate Jay Leftwich is the ranking member on general laws, which is a very important committee, and we're super lucky to have his leadership on there, as well as uh Chairman Cliff Hayes, who serves as the uh chair of science and technology committee in the House of Delegates.

And so with the big AI boom and all of the technological advancements that are going on, uh Chairman Hayes gets a lot of those pieces of legislation, as well as delegate Benita Anthony, who serves on finance and transportation.

Very important committees.

So I had to ask permission from Chris to put this slide together because Chris does not like jumbled up slides, and I'll just go ahead and say this.

But he allowed me to show you this slide for informational purposes.

These are all of the committees that meet during the General Assembly.

So you will see, you'll see the full House committee, all of them.

I think there's about what, 12 on there.

I'm horrible at counting from this distance.

But then we also have all of the House subcommittees.

We have all of the Senate full committees and then the Senate subcommittees.

Every one of those committees meets about two to three times a week, depending on what their workload is.

And we have to keep track of every single one of those committees because every single one of those committees affects local government in some way, shape, or form.

So when we look at those 3,000 pieces of legislation that are filed each year, yes, we do go through about 99% of those.

Our city attorney's office works works hand in hand with us, our city manager's office, our department directors.

We have great communication, and quite honestly, I couldn't do the job that I do if it wasn't for everybody back here giving me the support that I have.

So we are able to tackle this as one team for the entire session.

And I think we do a really great job.

And our success in the General Assembly as far as our legislation that's been signed into into law by the by two governors now has been quite tremendous.

And with that, that is the presentation.

I hope I didn't go over my time, but if there's any questions, I'd be happy to answer any of them, or at least try to.

Before we uh ask for questions, I want to thank you, Mr.

Westcott, for your energy, your thoroughness.

And I know you do exercise that same energy and thoroughness when you're in Richmond as well.

So appreciate the job that you're doing.

Thank you.

Mr.

Bond.

Thank you, Mayor West.

Just have a couple questions.

Um, pay seven authority for localities to use development agreements.

Yeah, I just want to ask the um the manager to just give me a little bit more detail about that.

So council, thank you, Councilmember Biden.

So council has been uh discussing with staff the possibilities of implementing new land use tools like transfer of development rights that would preserve the rural character of Southern Chesapeake and then allow for opportunities for increase, for example, mixed use development in places that have uh infrastructure to accommodate that type of growth.

But one of the tools we don't have is the ability to mitigate impact.

So for example, if you had a project um in a receiving area for a transfer of development rights, so say an area where you were going to plan for um additional residential density, um, we don't have the ability to negotiate for road impacts or schools impacts or some of the other infrastructure that might be necessary to serve that development.

So this tool would give us the ability to uh be able to negotiate those uh um impacts uh so that we could uh help mitigate them on behalf of the community.

Thank you.

And the second um question I have is I might want to direct this to our newest council member Jeffries.

Um I was a little surprised about page eight, that there's no penalty or criminal criminal trespass or tampering when you enter a HamLamps or anything else.

That's we were similarly surprised, and uh so this was uh um an instance where we hadn't faced before, uh, but it's definitely uh this would be closing the gap in the existing law.

Yeah, I just think that's a really serious offense.

And I mean, do you feel like a class four misameter is enough?

Jeff, I mean you your public safety, I'd like to get your opinion too.

Well, how did we land on the class four misdemeanor?

That's the recommendation of the police department.

Okay.

Any other questions or comments, Mr.

Batter?

Thank you.

Um, Mr.

Westcott.

Oh God.

First of all, all right, this may not be for you.

This might be if I might for the manager or the attorney.

When we're talking about the plat recordations, a few years ago, an issue came up with access easements.

Do we have that ability now to do those by plat?

These are these seem to be utility easements.

Our focus was utility easements because actually there was kind of an issue that came up where development permits was handling these, they they get plats for subdivision plats and then they would not do an accompanying deed.

But utilities was having to go through the whole process of doing a deed.

So there was kind of an inconsistency between the departments.

We researched it, and that's why our focus was on utility easements.

It's my understanding that if it's part of a subdivision plat, access would be acceptable via just the plat alone.

Um I would have to go back and do research to confirm, but I think that unless there is some other statute on the books, that would access would require a deed at this point.

Okay.

Could you do that research and come back and if it's appropriate, we could add it to this?

We've had an issue or two about access and whether or not it was assumed or it was done by deed or plat.

So if you could look at that, um the re I just wanted to make a point and somebody can answer me.

I guess it would be Mr.

Westcott, perhaps.

Um re-employment, don't teachers have that at don't the um school divisions have the ability to have exactly the same arrangements with retired teachers?

I do believe so.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

So we would be aligning retired law enforcement with what's already allowed for exactly teachers.

Exactly.

And in fact, if you look in our past five, I guess it would be five years of legislative packages, those are items that the City of Chesapeake was the patron for, well, not the patron for, but we were the ones that were really pushing that in the General Assembly.

I mean, from Senator Lucas to Senator Cosgrove to Senator Craig, and I mean it just the list goes on, but those are items that that have been in our packages over the years.

Okay, and just real quickly, if you would, particularly for um our newest members.

Could you give a paragraph about what the JLARC process is and that acronym means?

Oh, absolutely.

So JLARC stands for Judicial Legislative Audit and Review Commission.

And so typically what happens is there's a number of pieces of legislation.

It could deal with uh staffing shortages uh in local and you know, state-owned hospitals.

Is is smart scale, and I'm just making this up as an example, but it could be like is smart scale funding, is that is that working for rural rural areas, or is it work, you know, or is it working here?

What the funding, the different funding mechanisms that make that up.

So what ends up happening is is members of the General Assembly will put pieces of legislation in and it will go to a w really any committee that that subject falls under.

And so if the body feels like, hey, you know, this is a good idea, or hey, this is a it this is something that we did not realize, we didn't realize the negative effect, or we just don't know enough about it.

Many times the uh the JLARC Commission who um who we used to have a couple members that uh of our delegation that served on that, but what will end up happening is those pieces of legislation go goes to the JLARC staff and they review those items in a year time.

And usually within that one year, they report back to the members that serve on that on that commission and say, hey, here's what our findings are, here's what we suggest.

This is what the legislation would look like.

And oftentimes about 99 percent of the time, the the items that come out of JLARC end up becoming pieces of legislation that are that move through the General Assembly.

So we shouldn't panic necessarily when it goes to a JLARC.

No, not necessarily, because a lot of times what will end up happening is JLARC will report back and say, hey, look, we looked into this issue.

It's really not an issue.

Uh it's it's really not the issue that we thought it was.

This actually can be resolved without legislation.

So a lot of times that happens.

And other times really it's just for informational purposes, like for example, uh about two months ago or three months ago when the last JLARC meeting took place, uh they were studying General Assembly pay.

And the different members, you know, they've one example was is and I forgot who the delegate or the senator was, but they said, hey, you know, General Assembly members, the Senate, Senators and delegates haven't gotten a pay raise in 25 years.

Why don't we look at, you know, raising our pay?

And I'm not saying that in a negative way.

I'm just saying, but those are the items that that they review.

It could even be stuff dealing with uh the OAG's office.

I mean, it just it depends.

There's it it's really a catch-all, uh, so to say.

So, and and that's exactly how like the Virginia Housing Commission is.

I mean, there's you have the Virginia Housing Commission, and then you have three commissions that that are subsets of that commission, and oftentimes when you we get ha housing legislation, those bills, those bills don't really pass out of the house.

They just get referred to a commission, and then they come back the next year and then they get voted on.

Thank you.

And for anybody listening, um, before I ask the mayor to explain the um road fund.

Um I just wanted to let people know that today the governor released a video about the SNAP benefits.

Um we are the only state to my knowledge that is pursuing using emergency funds to help people with the who are losing their SNAP benefits due to the shutdown.

So I would encourage people to look for that.

In some ways, it's a p it's a parallel program.

Um the benefits will be given differently, but they will still be coming.

And I would encourage people who need to look to please look at that video.

I actually had to watch it twice to understand the changes, but it's a very good explanation of how the benefits maybe we could even put a link or some kind of information on the website for people, or through social media, how they can access it.

This will activate the first Monday in November.

So I think our state government should be congratulated, frankly, for being the only state to make this move and to be sure that people in need of that benefit actually can access it.

And um I think that's really important in Virginia to be the only state that has come up with a solution short term.

I I think we should be real proud to be Virginians right now.

Absolutely.

So I'm gonna ask the mayor, I'm it's a very interesting conversation about the roads.

So the primary secondary road fund uh request was one that was it passed the General Assembly and Senate last year and went to the governor's office was and was vetoed primarily because there was no funding source uh identified in that that uh that legislation.

So as you some of you may remember the General Assembly and Senate passed it the right for the regions to do a point seven cents tax of uh sale and gas tax, yeah, to sale and gas tax to uh help alleviate uh traffic congestion in the region.

As a result, I think it's six billion dollars worth of transportation projects and two hundred miles of interstate with uh with uh express lanes and two tunnels were accomplished with a great great achievements for this region, and we all came together.

Uh every every city, every county came together and and supported that.

We're now at a point where those projects are have been funded and plans to to complete the the that, but we still have a three billion dollar gap or need in secondary and primary roads that are that do not qualify under those funds.

So it came before uh the Hampton Roads uh transportation HR TPO uh that last week, and it passed again, but not without a funding source.

So uh I plan on bringing it back to them to uh to request that they increase that 0.7 cents of uh percent of a penny to one penny, which increase it to 0.3, so that if it does pass, it gets to a governor's office, they won't have that reason to um uh voted down.

And David, I I know there are some, there are two localities that would like to divert our attention from these transportation needs to other needs, such as school construction, uh flooding in their cities and so forth.

And I know there are some legislative uh guys that do in in those cities that that do your job who uh who kind of advocate amongst you to not support this.

And I would encourage you not to let them to do that because we pay for our schools, we have paid for our schools, and I and we don't build fancy hotels and and water parks and all of that.

So because we t deal with the infrastructure in our our city, and so for any other city to say you know, we need to be able to tax for our needs, uh, is a little on the hypocrisy side.

So uh I would ask you to really support that and council members if you uh have opportunity to talk to other uh council members uh in other cities.

So I'd appreciate your support on it.

It really is needed, particularly highways like uh 58, 460, and even 17 if we end up going uh needing more infrastructure down 17 for the Williams Farm.

So there are a lot of I I think uh independence, independence boulevard is a need for relief in Chesapeake, I mean at Virginia Beach, and that would be quite a source for them.

It's a lot that they can accomplish without a little bit of money through bonds and and so forth.

Uh Dr.

Board, did you have something you want to say?

Oh, thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

And I just wanted to make sure that uh legislative um representative there understand that I'm definitely in support of what the mayor is saying, and the only two of us on it, uh each our TPO.

Um hopefully he's gonna always be there, but I know uh we did have the case maybe 20 billion dollars.

I am the alternate voting member of that body, and what he said is exactly the truth, and that was uh I was sitting there and listening to yeah, the other city, but what he said is the truth, and we need that money, and uh it was a little bit we have a bit of a fight.

I mean, this is the second year that we've had this oldest three cents, but our secondary roads, and I mean, and I travel uh 58 and going, I mean it is really a nightmare uh now when you're trying to get to the submarine.

Uh it's really bad, really sad.

So uh just want to make sure you know that we are in certainly agreement with that uh proposal when it comes up.

Thank you.

So uh acknowledge uh delegate Jackie Glass who did a superb job in carrying that through uh both the House and getting support in the Senate as well.

So good work and good work to our delegation.

She does a great job.

Yes, she does.

Uh so you have anything else you need to add?

That's it, Mr.

Mayor, Mr.

Manager.

All right, we will convene a regular meeting in thirty minutes.

But I think I'm gonna go.

We have a quorum.

Thank you.

Council is now in session.

I'd like to recognize Councilmember Smith at this time for the indication and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Heavenly Father, thank you for blessing our city and for blessing us with the ability to listen, speak, and thank.

You bless us with gifts we sometimes take for granted.

Father, let us take those gifts to conduct this meeting tonight to make Chesapeake the best city it can be.

These are our prayers we ask in Holy Grace's name.

Amen.

Thank you, Councilman.

Thank you, Councilman Smith.

Uh Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll?

Councilmember Bunn.

Here.

Councilmember Jeffries.

Here.

Councilmember King here.

Councilman Member Newens is excused.

Councilmember Smith?

Here.

Councilmember Ward?

Present.

Councilmember Whitaker?

Present.

Vice Mayor Ritter?

Here.

Mayor West.

Here.

Next is the approval of the proposed agenda.

Are there any changes to the proposed agenda?

Ms.

Ritter.

Um yes.

I would move approval of the agenda with the following amendment to move the item City Manager 5.

Um SPSA and board and commission appointments to be discussed following the closed session.

Thank you.

Go a second, please.

Second.

Thank you.

Mr.

Bunn.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Next is approval of minutes.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Second.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to adopt the minutes from September the 9th, 16th, 23rd, 2025, are adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Alzheimer's awareness.

Harvey is a valued member of our city's IT department and a true hometown hero.

On October the 5th, while working part-time at Applebee's on Sam's Circle, Harvey did not hesitate when a customer began choking during his birthday dinner.

Drawing on his Boy Scout training, he performed the Heimlich maneuver and saved her life.

Harvey calls it an easy fix.

We call it heroism in action.

The kind that reflects the very best of our city's spirit, courage, compassion, and service.

I would like to talk.

Would you please present and then allow Harvey to have a few remarks?

So thank you, Mayor West, Vice Ritter, Vice Mayor Ritter, and members of council.

I'd like to go ahead and read the award that's going to be presented to Harvey this evening.

The exemplary citizenship special recognition for unwavering courage and uncommon compassion.

The City of Chesapeake takes great pleasure in recognizing Harvey Miller for his heroic act of bravery and selflessness, compassion displayed at Applebee's on Sam's Circle in the City of Chesapeake, where his swift and courageous actions saved the life of a choking customer during what was meant to be a joyful birthday celebration.

Because of his knowledge of life-saving techniques and his ability to remain calm under pressure, a life was spared, and a family celebration was restored to a joyful instead of tragedy.

A sincere word of gratitude is extended for embodying the change for good we desire to see in the world.

And Harvey, I would like to present this on behalf of the City Mayor and Council.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Okay, your terms.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor West.

Vice Mayor Ritter, and members of City Council.

I am truly humbled by this recognition.

On that day, I didn't think about anything other than helping someone in need.

And I believe that what that's what makes Chesapeake such a special place.

Our community is built on people who care for one another, who act with compassion, and who step for it when it matters most.

The city's care standards, courteousness, attentiveness, resourcefulness, empowerment, and stewardship represent exactly what we all strive to live by, both on and off the job.

I'm proud to serve a city that lives those values every day.

I share this recognition with all my colleagues and neighbors who make Chesapeake a caring and safe community.

Thank you for this honor, Mayor.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Thank you very much.

When I first read that, I didn't think I'd ever have an opportunity to actually hear you describe what happened, and I just thought, man, an IT guy did that.

But anyway, thank you.

Next is City's uh citizens' comments on public hearing items.

The City Council meeting constitutes a limited public forum.

Therefore, public comments must be relevant to items on the council's agenda or otherwise reasonable considering the purpose of this meeting.

As established by City Council's rules of order and procedure, any speaker that delays interrupts or otherwise disrupts City Council's ability to conduct this meeting in an orderly manner by disorderly, insolent or disturbing action, speech or other conduct, will be declared out of order.

Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers who wish to speak prior to the presentation of the public hearing items?

No, sir.

Thank you.

Next is consideration of public hearing items.

Madam Clerk, would you please?

Item A, a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a boundary line agreement by and between the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, and the City of Suffolk, Virginia, to establish the common boundary line in the Pewesville area and authorizing the city attorney to petition the Chesapeake Circuit Court for the entry of an order approving this common boundary line.

And do we have any speakers?

Yes, sir.

We have two speakers.

The first speaker is Vic Nichols, followed by Pamela Brandy.

Just uh a little bit of confusion here.

So there was never a boundary there, or this is this actually a change.

And if so, since they are just a few residents, basically, or a few people along that way.

Have we asked them where they want to go and make sure that they are able to go with whatever city they choose because it should be their choice.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Pamela Brandy.

Hello.

Um I have concerns for what you all are doing.

For you all had a public hearing, both Chesapeake and Suffolk.

You all said that you were going to let the residents know based off our questions that we asked, you would all provide that to us.

You did not.

Which that is not true either.

The boundary line is based off of our votes, the voting district that Pinkerman uh provided in her uh paperwork saying that she was submitting things to the higher courts.

It never went to the higher courts, she never completed or even did the prerequisite for this boundary line.

And you all said that you care about the residents, yet you do not, because we have been speaking out about what is going on in Pewsville, and all of a sudden, after all these years, you and in Suffolk seem to now want to be able to come together, but you never heard the residents when we speak about what's going on in Pewsville.

The things that you all said that you were going to do for us have not been done.

The money that you said that you all had specifically for Pughesville has never been put in Pewsville.

And the request that I personally, right along with other residents have asked, was that we wanted to know what GIS map that was sent up originally.

We've been asked about the boundary lines.

We've asked about what is actually going on and what happened to the um uh the um master drainage plan and the boundary lines for that.

And I've also personally asked about um the minion power when you and the city of Suffolk came together and had the um meaning of power to charge us, specifically myself, which I am one of the residents, utility tax for the city of Suffolk, and we said that we wanted our money back, and we haven't gotten back.

But you've been doing a lot of things behind closed doors on public knowledge information, and then when you come out to us, you do not tell us the truth.

We already know the truth.

You write in your plans, you write in what you want other people to read, but never the facts.

You continue to bear false witness on the truth and the lives of going on in Pewsville.

You all said that y'all had sent out uh letters to the individuals that those property affect.

Well, I just not too many of us that received those.

I never received mine, and you have affected me because my property, you all move my legal deed from the city of Chesapeake to the city of Suffolk.

We purchase our homes where we wanted to live at.

And every resident in the United States of America has a right to choose to purchase land, home, or anything else in whichever city they choose to live in, not where y'all choose to put us at.

We're not calendar, we are people, we are human beings.

And we voted you all in based off of what you all said that you were gonna do for us, and yet you failed to do so.

When you all made a vow and uh uh oath, not only did you make it to us, but you made it unto God.

And God said when you make a vow in an oath to him, he expects you all to uphold it quickly, and so do we.

So again, I say the residents do not agree with this.

We want to be heard, but not only just for you to go through the motion to do a public uh open house, but to actually to answer the question and tell us the truth.

So I stand on what I say.

As you all serve, you are supposed to serve unto God over all of God's people, and it's not just a few, it's all of us.

I stand.

That concludes the speaker.

Thank you.

Motion is in order.

Move approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Redder.

Second.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Any discussion, Council members?

Mr.

Manager, I'd like to just ask, could you just briefly uh describe what was how it was decided to draw to draw the boundary lines here?

Yes, sir.

So we tried to do this uh cooperatively with the City of Suffolk in a way that would uh minimize, you know, try to respect existing um understandings of boundaries and remember this this issue goes back a hundred plus years, right?

This boundary has never been settled.

Um so to try to settle that boundary and then have the least disruption as possible on residents.

So my understanding is that this affects 11 or 12, 11 properties uh that are undeveloped, 11 undeveloped properties.

So no person that lives in Chesapeake now will become part of Suffolk.

No person that lives in Suffolk will now become the part of Chesapeake.

So it's the least impactful solution to uh execute uh uh what we've been trying to achieve in fixing this boundary line.

Right.

Thank you, sir.

We do have a motion for approval and a second.

Any other discussion, Ms.

uh Dr.

Ward?

Uh yes, I'm sorry, thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh, because um Mr.

Manager just stated that no person was switched, and Ms.

Brandy is saying I know she has been a Chesapeake resident for years, so has he been has her household been shifted to suffer?

And we've talked about this many times before.

I just wanted to make sure that it's clear that he now her home is still in Chesapeake because that has been part uh a large part of her problem.

That is not that is correct.

So and there's no no individuals, no existing homes in Chesapeake that are switching to Suffolk or vice versa.

Um Ms.

Brandy did bring up a point about the Dominion Bills Dominion a little over a year ago, maybe closer to two years ago, in error, and nothing to do with the cities, not at the request of the cities, but in error started charging um some Chesapeake residents with the Suffolk utility tax and some maybe some Suffolk residents with the Chesapeake utility tax.

We've made them aware of that error.

That's a Dominion uh uh error, and we intend to continue to pursue them.

Um but uh that once these boundaries are fixed, we will send them to Dominion to resolve that situation, which frankly should have never happened in the first place, but has nothing to do with the City of Chesapeake or the City of Suffolk.

Thank you.

Now you explained that Dominion actually sent out erroneous information based on where they thought they live, and they should be re that should be done.

It should be re embarrassed the money that they pay if they sit down in the area at some point.

I know you're working on it, but still I'm still working on it, but remember that money would go to either the city of Chesapeake or the City of Suffolk.

So the money that was collected is to be remitted to the City of Chesapeake or the City of Suffolk.

And so you know, we're gonna go back, work with Dominion, try to get an accounting of what that should have been, and then uh to make sure that each city is made whole.

And that they don't have to pay okay double.

All right, then thank you.

Thank you.

We do have a motion for approval, seconded.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

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

Thank you.

Next item.

An ordinance authorizing the issuance of general obligation public improvement bonds of the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, in the maximum principal amount of $39,315,000 pursuant to Section 6.05 of the city charter requested by finance.

Thank you.

And do we have any speakers?

Yes, sir.

We have one speaker, Vic Nichols.

I wanted to ask if we could um actually give to the taxpayer how much is the final cost we're gonna have to pay with interest or at least some idea of it, because every year we issue these, and there's nothing, any kind of follow-up or anything that says, you know, 39 million, 315,000.

We're putting out, we're gonna need to take this much in taxpayer interest to pay for the bonds.

So that's that's all I'm asking.

Thanks.

Thank you.

We have a motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Ms.

Ritter.

Second.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Any discussion?

Ms.

Ritter?

Just a question, if I might, to the manager.

Please.

Would you or the finance director want to explain about the general issuance and where it may be going or not?

So this is an annual authority that we put out for potential borrowings for future capital improvement projects.

It's not an actual issuance when we go to do an issuance.

This gives us the authority to do it, but we come back to council and let you know the specifics of it.

Okay, and you base that essentially on market conditions when it's a good condition to borrow or not.

Yes, ma'am.

So if the conditions are poor, we wait.

But this just authorizes you to go ahead.

When the market uh is right for us to go, and the need is there, yes.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

We have a we have a motion by Ms.

Ritter and seconded by uh Councilman King for approval.

There is no other discussion.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote.

And Madam Clerk record.

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

Thank you.

Next is our consent agenda.

And before I ask you to read that, Madam Clerk, I would like to acknowledge or recognize uh Councilman Jeffries.

Excuse me, Mayor, we skipped over the speakers.

Apologize.

Thank you.

Next is citizens' comments on agenda items only.

Do we have any speakers for that?

Yes, sir.

We have Vic Nichols speaking on various items, followed by Roguard Ross.

On City Manager Item 2 with the resolution on the designated agent.

I respectfully ask that we maybe limit that a little bit so that it is, you know, definitely hire up people that would make those decisions.

On number 10 boards and commissions, this is a general one.

Especially for the planning commission, three out of the four people that were nominated had conflicts of interest.

And the fact is your career can potentially go a little bit bigger and you earn a little bit more because you've been on a planning commission.

So I think we need to take a little bit better look into making sure how we do that, because when people have to recuse themselves, you then start losing people on the board who can vote on things.

And that becomes a um becomes a problem there.

That's it.

Thank you.

Rogard Ross, representing Friends of Indian River, speaking on City Manager Items 4 and 5, followed by Brennan Waters.

How much time do I have?

Five minutes?

Okay, thank you.

Good evening.

Um Mr.

Mayor, uh Vice Mayor Ludder, and members of the City Council.

Um item number four regarding the City Code amendments to the um for the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Act.

Um I'm supportive of that.

Uh but one thing we do need is some requirements for informational sign it's along the protected buffer.

The C BPA ordinance is our primary tool for protecting land along our waterways, uh, at least in the Chesapeake Bay Water said.

It protects the hundred-foot buffer along the waters, so known as the resource protection area from development, and is critically important for protecting water quality and coastal resilience.

Um the planning department set as a draft of these changes, which reflect the General Assembly changes in 2020 for the funds of Indian River to review, and we did look at it carefully.

Overall, uh the changes follow the model ordinance very well.

Uh they provide some critical protections for mature trees and also factor in uh sea level rise for climate resilience in planning these things.

One thing we could do better job on is for sign it.

Um too often what happens is the city requires the developer to protect the land, but then um the first tenant that moves in uh or the business that moves in cuts down the trees and claims that ignorance.

I didn't know.

And then we try to make them plant it back and they plant a few saplings, and that never does uh as much as what we lost in the first VAT Act.

The model ordinance had a section to require the location of signage along the RPA boundary to alert property owners of the environmentally sensitive areas and protect the RPA from secondary impacts following completion of construction activities.

We did not include that in our ordinance.

I asked planning if they could include that.

They said they would only do it if City Council told them to.

So I'm here asking, can you ask them to please add some informational sign it so that the first people who move in don't cut down the trees we protect it so hard.

On item number five for the CIPSA use agreement.

Those of us in the Green Drinks, Chesapeake, we got a nice briefing from SIPSA on the new facility, and some of us actually went and took the tour of the Portsmouth facility.

It was a very innovative solution.

The day of our tour, the pilot system was separating plastic bags from the trash, and it seemed to be doing a very good job of it.

The guarantees of 20 percent waste being diverted for recycling and 30 percent turned into biochar for carbon sequestration is very enticing.

But there are a few things I ask you to keep in mind.

Just because the system picks items out of the waste stream for recycling, doesn't mean it actually gets turned into a reusable product in the future.

Has to be shipped to somebody else and used.

On the aluminum and metal, it's going to be recycled.

Some of the paper is going to turn to cardboard.

Plastic, it's a mixed bag.

Some of it may turn into a carpet some someday, but a lot of it may end up being burned, uh, and it ends up creating a carbon footprint.

And even if 50 percent of the waste is diverted as promised, as guaranteed, that still leaves 60,000 tons every year of Chesapeake trass ending up in the landfill.

That's an average of 1,300 pounds for each and every household every year.

The mantra has always been reduce reuse and denly cycle.

We can't let this new AI technology lull us into complacency that's going to magically solve all our problems.

Encouraging incentivizing and enabling waste reduction needs to continue to be something we stay in high on our list to do.

At $86 a ton, every 10 percent we reduce or less densal waste will save the city one million dollars.

On the other hand aside, every 10 percent we increase our waste is going to cost us a million dollars.

That's five pounds per household.

If you say five pounds every week per household, we save a million dollars.

So encouraging that is going to be a good cost savings.

And less waste also is good for the water and the air and the natural habitat and less power.

So uh I love that we're gonna have 50 percent of diversion, but we need to get rid of the other 50 percent too.

And so let's keep that on our map.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Brennan Waters, representing Stormwater Committee.

Good evening, members of council.

Mayor West.

My name is Brendan Waters, and on behalf of the Chesapeake Stormwater Committee as the Chair, we are recommending the appointments of Audrey E.

Doan as member and Milton L.

Johnson as alternate member.

Mrs.

Dones' background includes erosion and settlement sediment control and stormwater management for the cities of Portsmouth and Norfolk.

These are regular items of discussion for the committee.

Mr.

Johnson's background includes environmental regulatory work for various state and federal agencies.

Likewise, this is a regular topic at our meetings.

We believe Mrs.

Doan and Mr.

Johnson's expertise will be beneficial to the committee's work and look forward to the City Council's decision.

Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you, Mr.

Water.

That concludes the speakers.

I would like to call on Council Member Jeffries.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I am an employee of the City of Chesapeake and a member of its police department.

I am disclosing this personal interest because city manager items one and three could benefit police department employees as the police department is a group of three or more people, and all of its members could be affected by this transaction.

The city attorney advises that I can participate if this disclosure is made.

Therefore, while I do not have a conflict that bars my participation, I hereby make this disclosure and affirm that I am able to participate in this transaction fairly objectively and in the public's interest.

Thank you, sir.

Madam Clark, would you please present the consent agenda?

City Clerk Item 1, resignation.

Barbara Harrington, Fine Arts Commission, City Manager Items 1, request for the authority to apply for $25,000 from the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services drone trade and replacement grant program requested by the police department, a resolution designating the city manager as the designated agent to review and act on subdivision plants, site plans, and plans of development and authorizing the city manager to delegate these responsibilities to one or more city employees requested by planning.

That concludes the consent agenda.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Could I have a motion, please?

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Second.

Thank you.

Ms.

Ritter.

Any discussion.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Next is our regular agenda.

Mr.

Manager, would you please present your items?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Item three is a request to establish a new capital improvement project entitled SWAT vehicle replacement and appropriate 1,245,000 from the high priority one-time account to the newly established project requested by the police department.

Thank you, sir.

Motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Seeing none, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 4 is an ordinance amending chapter 26 of the Chesapeake City Code entitled Environment, Article 9, Section 26-515 to reflect applicable regulatory changes and provisions requested by the planning department.

Thank you.

Motion is in order.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Second.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Smith.

Any discussion on this item?

No, I think okay.

Dr.

Ward, did you say none?

Seeing none, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Next is citizens' comments on services and policies and affairs of the city, non-agenda speakers.

Madam Clerk, would you please call the speakers?

Yes, sir.

They will get three minutes each.

The first speaker is Sandra Lewis representing South, followed by Vic Nichols.

How long do we get?

Okay, I know it used to be five.

Um the reason I'm here today was to ask uh Vice Mayor Ritter and Newman.

Based on the fact that we have a very stressful election coming up, and that it has affected everybody in our city like no other election has.

When I come in here today and I was looking at everybody on the city council, I couldn't help but think that y'all obviously are there because you want to help the city.

And I have never before seen anything like this election where people are coming out and attacking each other.

On my own Facebook page, people have came out.

Um, and I had a call for my attorney today, Jeff Schwartz, who is a state and federal attorney, and he wanted me to remind you folks that every time you use your cell phone and stuff at city council meetings, it becomes part of public document.

But Ms.

Ritter and Ms.

Newens you're not allowed to well, there were council members.

Can I say that?

There were council members that were attacking me as well as Wallace Chadwick's friends on from the police department.

I do trust the police department, and I do believe they are investigating it through the Internal Affairs Division.

Uh and my attorney told me that another agency from the government had called him today and said they were investigating.

But I don't understand why in individuals on city council, them knowing that they work for us, the citizens, why you would come out and attack the citizens, and then say that it was because you're trying to be as fair as you can, you know, and stay in true to your party.

I don't think that there's any time or place that you attack a citizen and then blame it on the election and who you're voting for.

I think that that's not a good thing because everybody comes up for re-election.

And it's not fair.

I'm doing the button.

I hear what you're saying.

I hear what you're saying, but your comments really aren't relevant to the to the agenda that we're talking tonight.

So I'm gonna ask you to please give up the your uh speaking and or change your topic, one of the two.

Uh but my topic that city council members, ma'am.

Which one?

This one.

Okay, thank you.

That city council members are attacking me, voter intimidation is not relevant.

It's not relevant to this agenda tonight, correct?

Yeah.

So you you don't think that is important?

No, ma'am.

This is not the proper place to discuss it.

Could you tell me where it is so I can sign up for that place, sir?

I'm sorry, ma'am, your time is up.

Right, but can you tell me where I should go?

No, ma'am.

Thank you.

Thanks for good, sir.

Next speaker, please.

Vic Nichols speaking on city affairs, followed by Tommy Hart.

I had sent several emails to council, one of which was regarding dock landing and Columbia gas.

I haven't heard anything from that.

Hadn't heard anything either about the senior housing and the insect issue, so I'm wondering why I haven't.

Um again, the problems in Greenbrier with traffic in the lights.

Um we're waiting 45 seconds upwards on Eden Way North and Greenbrier.

So these things really need to be taken care of because the holidays are coming up, and it just gets worse from there.

I would like to find out how much percentage of the TIFF funds in South Norfolk and Greenbrier actually go to the community themselves, not to the General Kitty, but actually to working for things for us.

Second, in a study that was done in traffic of Virginia of the biggest problem areas, number 10 was battlefield, number three was military.

Of course, Green Bar hits the consensus of all that, so again, traffic is an issue with the school board that you will be meeting with on Thursday.

There have been a number of negative comments about a lack of ADA accommodations on the sports fields.

They are basically impassable for a number of people, and I think the council needs to take that issue up because one of the comments made are there isn't funds.

Y'all provide the funds.

All that extra traffic when it's not meant for that area, tears up the road quicker, and then of course it cost us to have to keep repaving it more and things like that.

So that becomes an issue there, and especially that's something that I think this city could look at, as I know Fairfax has.

Also, at um 5 56 p.m., the um uh statement was made regarding no water parks.

I believe Western Branch was supposed to be getting one of those, and dealing with the infrastructure.

I think I can disagree with and that I put up with.

There's several things that are coming there, and we're putting more stuff there and making it bigger, but the infrastructure in terms of the roads that the Greenborough residents said is a huge issue has still not been addressed.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Tommy Hart speaking on public safety, followed by Pamela Brandy.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, and members of council.

My name's Tommy Hart.

I live in 1900 St.

Brides Road, Chesapeake.

Uh it's gonna take me about three or four nights to get this.

I'm gonna give you all a layout of how things happened.

First of all, I've I've come on the police department when the city become a city.

I spent nearly seven years there.

Three years of that time, I was a detective on advice, narcotics, and internal affairs.

I spent a lot of time trying to investigate George Pappus, because I was please don't use other people's names on in your discussion.

You can use a police officer, but he's not here to defend himself.

All right.

Anyhow, uh try you know, I tried to get the chief of police to let me start an investigation, and I was told no.

And I was number one on the sergeant's list.

And after I had told the chief about the things that this person was doing.

The chief of police.

I made 76.

The chief had a what he called a surprise promotion test.

They gave everybody 24 hours.

He got a captain who was very honest.

He asked him to give the test and give the answers to this person that I am talking about.

And he was the captain wouldn't do it.

So he was sent out of town.

And Lieutenant was head of the Detective Bureau give the test.

And he came to me the night after the test in tears.

And he told me, he said I hated to do it to you.

He said, but I wanted to keep my job.

He said, I gave him the answers to the test.

And he made 96, so he done pretty good.

He missed the down one of the down answers, but he had the test in his hand.

But anyhow, I stayed on the top of the sergeant's list for three years.

They wouldn't let me get on there because they said I had a big mouth.

Because they said I was too honest.

That's exactly what the chief of police told me.

He said, You're too honest to be a policeman.

You need to find another uh job.

And eventually I did.

I went with the state and they they paid the price.

Well, I aggravated a few of them.

But anyhow, the way I get all my information or got my information, the detectives, this person was head of the detective bureau.

He assigned all the cases.

He assigned the murders he committed.

He assigned the robberies he committed, and he gave them to the person, and when the person would find out that he was the one involved in it, they had nowhere to go.

And that's why I'm saying y'all need to have a commission to oversee it.

Somebody that they can go to.

Okay, thank you.

Your time is up.

Appreciate you.

Okay, yes, sir.

I got more time.

Next week.

Hi.

Pamela Brandy speaking on affairs of the city, followed by Linda Tendell.

Okay, to answer correctly, uh, city manager, uh, November 22nd is when Dominion Power uh started charging Chesapeake resident and myself personally with uh utility tax for the city of Suffolk, but they gave an explanation to the reason why.

However, it's amazing how Dominion Power would answer you, answer the city of Suffolk, but it refused to answer the residents myself when I asked the question, and on April 20, uh April 2025, they decided to change things back over, but yet they did not provide a reason why they made that change, and it wasn't because of my accident.

Okay, things that was done was done intentionally.

Also, uh Jesus gave us dominion, authority, and power over everything, but never over another human being.

Uh the concern is one, you all have received the email from what Carolyn White sent to you all concerning what's going on here.

However, I would like to just uh briefly read and make it known that the um 12 lots that you're all talking about, six of those 12 lots uh belongs to Mr.

Carlton uh Rembrand Renbert, who sent both city lawyers an email to straighten out the matter of paying taxes to both cities on the same lots.

Pewsville civically reached out to you also on his behalf.

No response was given two years ago.

And now that Ms.

Brandy, and I'm reading part of uh Carolyn email, exposed all the lies uh being told to the resident, a plan suddenly arrived.

God forbid.

Also, um Chesapeake refused to allow the truth of Suffolk cover up of the 2011 redistrict and the new maps that have uh presented to her as the old boundary lines taking of Chesapeake resident at John, Pearl, Clifton, Charlotte, and Queen Street.

Miss Pinkerman keep the lies going as she did.

Uh the emergency request for Chesapeake Peelesville resident to be placed in the 84th precinct.

So now the lives will need an emergency request each year until the 10-year redistricting come again.

Also, um, with the help of the civic in an in note innovation, uh Miss Karen Greenheights and uh Zach Sparks, who spoke with Miss Pinkerman, Chesapeake Register, uh of her error, she changed the precinct that tell her why um telewise for some of those uh residents, yet the ballots remain with the 84th precinct to this present election of November 4th, 25, two separate ballots, one and two for the Pewesville residents.

Pakerman, Chesapeake Register of her era, she changed the precinct that telewide um teleb for some of those uh resident, yet the ballots remain with the 84 precinct to this present election of November 4th, 25, two separate ballots, one and two for the Pewesville residents.

This is also discrimination against the residents.

No matter how you vote tonight, just remember that this is uh and um matter how you vote tonight to present this gerrymandering, even though uh manager Chris Price did not see it.

Money laundry and discrimination schemes against Suffolk has been presented.

All right.

Next speaker, please.

Linda Tyndale speaking on South Central Water Transmission Main, phase one, followed by Vanessa Butler.

Good evening.

Linda Tyndall, 1045 West Road.

I attended the meeting at Grassfield High last week concerning the South Central Water Transmission Main and Loop Phase 1 West Road.

I was blindsided.

I learned that the information previously shared in our community and at city council meetings for the last several years is incorrect.

We have been told that this project was necessary for the airport, and a later PUFA expansion was approved for the Springton development.

The residents on my end of West have been informed that these were forced mains, and our rural existing homes on West Road would not be included in the project because of the high pressure.

Future developments would have the option to connect with substations.

Six nights ago, I was shown the plans for individual water meters and provided the cost for the meter and the one-time connection fee.

I was informed of my responsibility to hire a licensed plumbing contractor to connect to the house and disconnect my well.

My home is 800 foot from the road.

The cost will be substantial.

Monthly water bills would then be an additional concern.

This project has been represented as a desperate need for the sewage line to the airport and will provide a part of a loop to connect to Frank Williams Farm down Ballahack to the Northwest Annex and on to Battlefield Boulevard at the water treatment plan to complete the desired loop.

None of the city provided documents distributed prior to last week's meeting mentioned water meters or mandatory connections.

At the October 15th, 2024 City Council meeting, Amanda Newins asked if the PUFA expansion would require hookup for the houses on West Road.

At the December 17th, 2024 City Council meeting, Daniel Whitaker asked prior to the Springton and their PUFA vote if West Road residents would be forced to or have the option to connect to the project.

Both times the answer given to the seated council was no.

We have functioning wells, water softeners, and septic systems in place.

This project would render our investments obsolete.

I do not need or want to replace the system at my farm.

I do not trust city water.

I have several friends who had miscarriages in the 90s because of our city water.

The chemicals in the treated water will harm the beneficial bacteria in our septic tanks.

We are requesting that the municipal code 78-52A be amended for this project to read that it is not mandatory for existing rural homes to connect and that we are not to be billed for the service that we are not utilizing.

Please help us as this is a commercial project, not a citizen-driven improvement for an unserved area.

Let the 1292 connection fees at Springton pay for the project.

Thank you.

Next speaker.

Vanessa Butler, speaking on the proposed water and sewer on West Road, followed by Mallory Perkins.

Hi, my name is Vanessa Butler.

I live at 1021 West Road.

My comments are about the new water and sanitary line that is proposed to be down both sides of West Road.

For over three years, we was led to believe that we would not have to hook up to either one of these lines.

And now, due to the information from October 22nd meeting at Grassfield High School, it has come out that is to be mandatory.

I want to know who and when this was changed to a mandatory compliance for those.

I bought my property because it is in a rural area and it had well and septic.

I do not want to be beholden to the city of Chesapeake for those services, and I do not want to be responsible for another bill.

So I ask please make this an optional an option for the people that live along West Road or grandfather us in so that we do not have to be forced to hook up to a service we do not want.

I have a well in septic, they work fine, and that's what I want to continue.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next speaker, please.

Mallory Perkins speaking on the Gilmerton Bridge.

Lack of signs, traffic when the bridge opens, followed by Road Guard Ross.

This button.

Okay.

Okay.

First of all, three minutes is cut throat.

But uh just to say something to get everybody on the same page.

I think that everybody sitting up here wants a prosperous city.

I think that they want everybody to be happy.

One of the number one things.

Okay.

One of the number one things uh she hates is what the bridge being opened, right?

Okay.

Anyway, so uh traffic, the flow of traffic sucks.

Okay.

It will keep people from living here.

Personally, I want to move because I hate the traffic.

Can we put signs up?

Before the Gilmerton Bridge, before the bridge, stating, hey, bridge is opening at this time.

When I see that sign, or people in that area who are familiar with the area, they'll be like, I'm gonna take an alternate route.

Maybe I'll take Campus Cellar Road, maybe I'll take Bainbridge, maybe I'll take the Jordan Bridge, maybe I'll take the wraparound.

Spending 45 minutes of my day, especially at a bridge that gets stuck all the time, is the worst.

I have a daycare and I have parents who are like, I would love to come there.

However, the traffic getting to and from that area is terrible.

I think that obviously we know for any economy to be successful, traffic has to like work or be better.

And I know you guys are working on that, and I know the roads take a long time, but signs don't.

If I know like there's an accident, I'll be like, oh, let me take another route.

They're there to just show people this is what you're about to drive into.

If you want to take another route, you can.

And I think that, like actually, four people today have spoken on how bad traffic is.

I think signs are an easy fix.

Just throw up some signs.

That's all.

Let me know.

So then I can go the other way.

Thank you.

All right.

Thank you.

Road Guard Ross speaking on legislative priorities.

Good evening again.

Um earlier this evening uh at your work session, you were believed on the draft left legislative priorities that you'll be voting on in November.

Um behalf of Chesapeake Sustainability Network, we we did send you uh letters and then got passed out a page here of some of the additional requests.

Did he hear that one of these for additional funding for VCAP and the Virginia Agricultural Cost Share for the Sound Water Conservation District is making your list, and I'm very grateful to see that.

Thank you.

Uh a few of the other items we had on here was also we need some better tools from Richmond on protecting our trees.

And as always, legislation every year to do some of that, and we really want the City of Chesapeake to support that.

Umother item is with regards to protecting non-data center customers from increasing costs from data centers.

The JLOC study, and they explain what JLOC was earlier today.

Um estimated that a typical residential customer of Dominion Energy would experience generation and transmission related cost increases of about 14 to $37 a month by 2040 due to the increased uh build out of energy systems for data centers.

Data centers should be shouldering this cost, not the residents and not the small businesses.

Uh PFAS is another item that's uh we had a big crisis here in 2016 around Defentless with PFAS contamination.

And uh it's still a big problem.

It's getting into our water, it's getting into our soil, and we need DEQ to do something.

And lastly, it's very local to Indian River.

Um hunting season is coming up again a few years ago.

We uh tried to get uh some changes in general assembly so you guys could um prohibit hunting in um high density areas of the city.

Uh you can and you do on land, but uh you're not allowed to manage it on state water.

And so that's why we need to go to General Assembly.

And again, you guys supported us a few years ago on this, and we'd like some support on that again this year.

Thank you for your consideration.

Hopefully, we'll see some of these things in your final draft.

Thank you.

Good evening.

Mr.

Rollins.

That concludes the speakers.

Thank you.

Ms.

Manager.

The um Gilmerton Bridge signed request.

I I think I've had a friend of mine who's called me maybe a half a dozen times, and I'll honestly fail to uh request that.

I think it's a reasonable request if we could take a look at that.

I appreciate it.

Um regarding the West Road thing, would you do you would you like to comment on the water mandatory hookup thing?

Yes, sir.

So uh we'll dispatch a report to council and I apologize for any confusion uh in inconsistent messaging.

So there's two parts of this.

One is the sewer project, one is the water uh project.

Sewer is solely designed um to serve the uh um the airport and the business park that's uh down by the airport, it is a force main uh uh transmission uh line.

Uh water project has two parts.

So um if you think about that area, um, and I'm sorry I don't have a map available with me, but um the northern portion of the area is in the utility service area, it's planned for utility service, sort of the middle portion at leapfrogs then an area that's not planned for utility service, and then goes back to um in and around the airport, which is kind of an island um in that that is intended for service.

So that's it's really unique.

That doesn't happen a lot usually when we do these mandatory connections, it's in kind of a um uh an island inside of the planned service area, not sort of leapfrogging that service area.

So this is probably something that you needs a unique approach that's not kind of uh uh what we normally do in these situations.

So um I'll have staff take a look and see.

It's very it's actually um uh very relatively few properties that that are impacted by that.

Um but we'll see um we'll take a look at what changes council might want to consider if they wanted to address you know the mandatory connection versus voluntary connection and then what in we do have some incentives to encourage folks to um to connect early on because it's significant cost savings you know for people to connect early on, so it's sort of to maintain or enhance those incentives, but then take a look at can we make that voluntary in those kind of unique circumstances?

So uh we'll prepare that uh report for council and dispatch that shortly.

Yeah, I appreciate that.

And based on Mr.

Whitaker's comments and some others, I think the council will be very interested in in uh pursuing that option.

Mr.

Whitaker, do you have a Yes?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Actually, I was uh want to ask the manager if there's any way that we could look into this and uh and potentially come up with something instead of mandatory, maybe some options to make it optional.

Um I think there is more than one way to fix this, and it and I think that would be very good for the people along West Road to somebody that has will and septic myself.

I know I spent about $7,000 for a water softener.

Uh a will that I have costs about 10,000 dollars.

That's a huge investment.

And so I think there's a stigma that comes with mandatory.

Uh so if there's some way that you can look into that and then come back to council with recommendations, I would greatly appreciate it.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Mr.

Buddh.

Mayor West, uh, Mr.

Whitaker um brought the questions to the city manager that I was going to ask, so he did it for me.

Thank you, Mr.

Weber.

Thank you.

Um could I Mr.

Rutter?

I just want to make sure you all are clear.

The water and sewer are two separate things.

There's no mandatory hookup because there is no availability to access the sewer.

Correct.

Unless that's the force main, as opposed to the water, which is what the Mr.

Whitaker has brought to our attention and the manager is going to address.

So when you send out that memo, we want to be sure the speakers here tonight get a copy and know what their options may be.

Thank you.

Um Dr.

Ward?

Oh, thank you.

Um Mr.

Manager, and I'll rev mention it.

But the Gilmington Bridge situation is really uh it's just been exacerbated over the last couple of years, and I guess 50 week.

And there used to be um information about the openings of the bridge.

Uh and now we get nothing.

And is there any way that can be um looked into a little bit faster because it is really uh traffic backup, it's a nightmare.

And it wasn't that bad.

Now we do have more traffic, but there used to be even openings or I mean with the uh on well, the TV station, you know, that will give you some bridge opening on the Gilminton Bridge at 10 o'clock.

Or is it every hour, or is there some way we can look at to see?

Because now it seems as if it's every time there is um, you know, if even a smaller vessel is coming through that it opens.

I mean, I was I do travel it a lot, and it's really bad.

And then I think it's because it's opening not on a regular basis, not on the time, like you know, on like the you know, Great Break Bridge, you know, every hour is going to open.

But this it seems to be opening now, whenever there's a vessel out there that's one that wants to come through, even small or large, and it just opens.

Uh so I do think we need to look at that.

Is there any way we can manage that?

This this is a city owned bridge.

I'll have the team take a look at that.

There's other players involved in that, including the Coast Guard and the uh in the openings, but we'll make sure that uh we have the staff take a look at both signage to be able to notify the community and uh what we can do uh to better update the community and council on uh on bridge openings.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Finally, uh Mr.

Manager, we had a couple of requests for additional um legislative items.

I I think the one that we've had before would not warrant a lot of discussion since we've we've done it before with the hunting.

Um but the other, I think from my my gathering is that that may require more discussion before we consider that.

Yeah, I think so.

So some of the uh we we've had some requests for legislation that would cost um cost the city money in terms of match funds or other things, so that's not a thing we would be in a position to support right now.

Right, but it's something that we will put on the list for next year's budget discussion that you know if we had money available to match this thing, this is the kind of a kind of grant program um that we could support.

Um other legislative initiatives we and and and we do have Mr.

Westcott taking a look at that list.

Um we're not in a position to sponsor bills at this point.

We have sponsors for all of our bills, but if we believe there are other folks that are going to sponsor legislation that advances council's priorities, um we could look to uh um help advocate for that legislation.

Thank you, sir.

I appreciate that.

Uh we do have an amended agenda, so we will next go to unfinished business.

Do we have any unfinished business council members would like to bring up at this time?

See none.

We'll go to new business.

Uh Madam Clerk, would you please an initiating resolution requesting the Chesapeake Planning Commission to consider and make recommendations concerning proposed amendments to Article 14 of the Chesapeake Zoning Ordinance to allow City Council to approve modifications to setbacks and other design requirements for involuntarily removed billboards as part of the conditional use permit approval requested by planning?

Thank you.

Uh motion, please.

Group approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Whitaker.

Second.

Thank you, Mr.

Jeffries.

Any any uh discussion?

Your ventriloquist.

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

Next item, please.

An ordinance amending Article 4 of the chest of the City of Chesapeake Human Resources Classification and Compensation Plan to amend half days of leave as provided by the State to full days of leave for city employees.

Mr.

Bond.

Move to approve.

Thank you.

Second.

Any discussion.

Oh, I just I'm sorry.

Go ahead and just talk to a few.

Um anyway, our staff is really excited, hoping that this was going to pass tonight.

So I appreciate it.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Okay.

I got it.

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

Right.

Thank you.

Any other new business items at this time?

See none.

I'd like to call uh City Attorney Lindley for the provide the language of the closed meeting topics.

A motion to conduct a closed meeting to discuss one prospective candidates for appointments to city boards, commissions, and authorities for the purpose of considering candidates for the Chesapeake Redevelopment Housing Authority, Planning Commission, Fire Prevention Code Appeals Board, Library Board, Natural Event Mitigation Advisory Committee, Parks Recreation and Tourism Advisory Board, Southeastern Public Service Authority, Stormwater Committee, and Utility Review Board.

And two, the disposition of certain real properties located in the Great Bridge Planning Area, where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body.

And three, the investment of public funds where competition or bargaining is involved, where if made public initially, the financial interest of the governmental unit would be adversely affected, and discussion on the award of a public contract involving the expenditure of public funds, or discussion in an open session would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body.

Um, all as specifically relates to the proposed SIPSA contract.

And four, legal impacts of the federal shutdown as it relates to city operations.

All of these uh items are permitted by Section Two.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Wedaker.

Thank you.

Council would now go into closed session.

I don't know what the four five four I do.

I think I'll have one.

I believe it's a wall.

I thought it's probably more five.

Yeah, could you want to work for the house?

I mean it's no stuff on the reality.

I think for what you want to do.

But I'm like, oh, I think that's why we should say that.

Normally, I'm not sure.

Oh five.

Oh yeah.

But what we won't tell you.

Well, I'm going to go to the rock.

I want to make the wrong part.

I know the white book.

I don't know about it.

Yeah, we've got that.

Well, you always put it.

I didn't mean to have it.

Yeah, well, I need to be full.

But you have to open this on the real bigger one.

But most of the time.

Yeah.

Well, it might still be a little bit of a thing.

Well, I think I do a good thing.

Oh my gosh, the wife.

I feel good.

But I'll put the game on a new right.

I would like to read my channel.

Yeah, you made it up.

Oh, you got a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a little bit of a hell of a funny.

A motion is certified 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.

Thank you.

Uh motion, please.

Approved.

Second.

Thank you, Mr.

Whitaker, and Dr.

Ward.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to certify the closed meetings adopted by an eight oh vote.

Thank you.

Now I'd like to go back to item five, Mr.

Manager.

Would you please present that item?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Item five is a resolution authorizing and directing the city manager to execute a First Amendment to agreement for use in support of a solid waste disposal system by and between the Southeastern Public Service Authority of Virginia and the City of Chesapeake, Virginia, requested by public works.

A motion, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Move to approve.

Second, please.

Thank you, Mr.

Jeffers.

Second.

Thank you, sir.

Any discussion.

Seeing none, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clark.

Next is the motion to approve the resolution as presented is adopted by a seven to one vote.

This time I'd like to turn to Gavel over to Vice Mayor Ritter and to do boards and commissions.

And I believe, Miss Manison, we have a continuance.

Charlie J.

Johnson and Farley Perkins.

Natural event mitigation advisory committee.

Parks Recreation and Tour Tourism Advisory Board.

We will reappoint Susan Starkey, Torless Ward, and appoint Sidney Perry and James Steele.

Southeastern Public Service Authority will reappoint Earl Sorry.

Aubrey Dawn and Milton Johnson as alternates.

Motion to approve the slate as read into the record is adopted by an eight-o vote.

Is that correct, Miss Patterson?

That is correct.

Thank you.

Just double checking.

I would I call on a council member Smith at this time for our benefiction and adjournment.

We pray that you continue to keep us out of harm's way.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Council is now adjourned.

I have an emergency.

What is our location?

September 16th, two thousand twelve, in the city of Chesapeake.

Uh, Brandon Peller's body was dropped off at a Chesapeake General Hospital.

Um, he was twenty-four years old at the time.

And uh the last time the victim was seen alive was that morning.

Prior to being dropped off at the hospital, I believe he was with some friends in the Kemp'sville area of Virginia Beach.

So through tracking his phone, we're able to put him in that location of Centerville and Kemptsville.

Several phone calls were made uh in and out of his telephone, and the last one connected to the network right about the city line between Virginia Beach and Chesapeake.

Through the investigation, we talked to several people who knew Mr.

Peller, two brothers and an acquaintance.

On the way to pick up Mr.

Peller, they were flagged down by an unknown vehicle, their own words, with an unknown person in it.

And this unknown person advised them that Mr.

Peller had been shot.

The men picked up Mr.

Peller and put him in their vehicle and drove him to the hospital.

Once at the hospital, the one brother stayed with Mr.

Peller while the acquaintance drove away.

He would always make you love him no matter who you were, what you did.

He uh he would give the shirt off his back.

He cared about other people, he would take care of them before he would take care of himself.

I mean, I've heard stories about him taking his money, his paycheck, and helping friends who get their kids school clothes because they didn't have anything, or buying Christmas for his friends' kids because they didn't have any money.

Then he had his own child, and he really changed the way he thought and the way he acted, and he was very important to him.

He loved his son.

Um I like to tell the person that may be involved or may have killed my son that um we forgive you.

We're not upset any longer.

We're past that.

We just want to have someone come forward, give us the information or the police, just so we can have closure and put an end to this so that we can move on with our lives and stop focusing on the what happened.

I know there are people out there who know what happened to Brandon Peller.

We were just looking for that phone call to just let us know where he was, who was with him, and what transpired.

What's gonna solve this case is somebody coming forward to say that they were either there when the incident happened to Brandon Peller, or they have firsthand knowledge told by somebody what happened to Brandon Peller, and we could cooperate that information and move forward with this investigation and to help the family to get some answers to what questions that they have.

We are a national organization.

Our motto is we ride, we educate, and we serve.

Um we're long-distance motorcycle club that uh has men and women who have the same passion of riding our iron horses.

We try to educate the community on the rich history of the 9th and 10th cavalry of the Buffalo Soldiers, and we serve our community, and we're connected to the Cuffy Town because there are 13 Buffalo soldiers buried in this area.

And because we represent the Buffalo Soldiers, we've connected ourselves with Cuffy Town, and every year on Veterans Day, we come out and we spend time with the local community.

We have a small service, and we have a reef laying and a flag raising at the cemetery.

Buffalo Soldiers are a uh first African American all unit in the in the U.S.

Army.

A vast majority of our members are veterans, retired police officers, uh veterans from various branches of the service.

Our founder, Kenneth Dreammaker Thomas in Chicago, founded the Buffalo Soldiers in 1993, and he wanted to start an all-African American motorcycle club at that time that would have a positive impact on the community and the country.

Anyone that would like to become a member or even just participate, even if they don't want to become a member, they can we can be reached at Hampton Roads Buffalo Soldiers dot com.

Hi, my name is Marvin with the City of Chesapeake Waste Management Division.

If we miss your container on collection day, please leave it at the curb and we'll send somebody back as soon as possible to pick it up.

You can call us at 382 City, or you can visit us at City of Chesapeake.net slash trash, and we'll send somebody by as soon as possible.

Always remember to have your can out by 7 a.m.

the morning of so that we may be able to get it.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm Officer Dupre Foster with the Chesapeake Police Department, and today we're gonna learn about the SWAT team.

I'm here with Sergeant Sparrow.

Good afternoon.

Hey there.

Thanks for coming out and hanging out with us.

Yes, sir.

So tell me a little bit about the SWAT team and what it's all about.

What do y'all do?

So the SWAT team is a collateral unit within the department.

Uh currently we have 26 operators, and then we have one uh commanding officer, which is a lieutenant.

Uh the SWAT team is basically stood up to respond to high risk situations, whether they be high risk warrant services or barricaded subjects, hostage rescue.

We also do high risk tracking in the woods and some type uh sometimes we do dignitary protection if we have uh you know VIPs coming in the area, like Vice President Pence came not too long ago.

So wow, so you ought to do a lot of cool things.

Yes.

So what does it take to like become a SWAT team officer?

A lot of people ask that.

You have to go through an application process.

Basically, you have to have an exceptional eval, it exceeds eval, uh, no use of force issues or anything within your uh your file.

You also have to be able to uh have good marksmanship skills, so 90% or above in uh pistol qualifications.

And once you qualify for that and go through the background investigation and pass a physical fitness test, there's a five-week course.

Uh, we call it the basic SWAT operator course, and it encompasses pretty much everything we do.

Uh since we're a collateral team, people that come out of the basic SWAT school are are operational at that point.

They have all the skills they needed to be an operator, um, and that includes building clearing, water operations, um, firearms, um, and all everything pretty much that we need to do our job effectively.

So, that training, do you all send an officer somewhere else for specialized training?

No, we do that in-house.

Uh we have, I would say collectively, you know, it's probably over a hundred years of experience put together between our senior operators as well as our new operators, and they come from all backgrounds, some come from the military before they were here.

Uh, we often uh cross-train with some military, so we pick up a lot of stuff that we can put together uh in-house and do our SWAT school.

Nice, and so some of the things that the equipment that you use.

Can you talk a little bit about that equipment?

Anything special?

I guess you have a lot of special.

Oh, yeah, so we have we have all kinds of equipment.

Also, we have our basic our entry gun, so which is uh 11.5 inch barrel, it's a what we call AR-15 uh rifle.

We use suppressors on those.

Uh the snipers have a 308.

Um, it's a JP precision rifle, and that's that's for long range uh engagements.

Uh, we also have the breaching unit, they have all their various tools which uh range from manual breaching tools to explosive breaching.

Um, they also use hydraulic breachers.

Uh we have a maritime unit, which has zodiac uh little inflatable boats with motors.

In case we have a water out, we can get there, you know, by water.

We also have a tech unit, which is probably our up and coming unit where we're starting to utilize more tech with the SWAT team.

So we have you know miniature robots, we have large robots, we have pole cams that are on a long pole.

We also have drones now, so we have drones, we've incorporated that in the SWAT team.

Now, with the drones, we have a separate drone team in the department.

Correct.

Are they joint with you all or has it work?

No.

So the UAS team within the department, um, their responsibility is more or less for a major instance, they're gonna give you the bird's eye view in the sky.

Um, they can also do uh for accident reconstruction and whatnot, they can give aerial for that.

Um, not so much on the tactical side.

So if we need a drone to go indoors, uh, that would be more us.

If we have you know a lot of obstacles to where they would be worried about uh damaging their drones are much more expensive.

So I think one of theirs probably is about $30,000 just for one.

Wow.

So they're not really too keen on getting that close to obstacles, is where ours are a little bit less expensive, and you know, we can we can do a little bit more with them and risk getting the damage and get them closer to the event.

So how long have you served on the SWAT team?

I've been on uh this is my fifth year total.

Uh so some guys on the team, and we have one guy that's been on for 20 years, so a few that's been on a little bit less than that.

So we have a lot of experience, and we also have a lot of new guys, which is good.

So we're bringing up a lot of new people.

Okay.

And so, what would you say for someone who say they're interested in law enforcement, they want to be a SWAT officer.

See all these TV shows nowadays with SWAT and all these things.

What could you tell them to prepare themselves to become a police officer, maybe even a SWAT officer one day?

So being physically fit obviously is number one.

Uh we carry a lot of gear.

Uh not, you know, we just have we have a rifle, pistol, and all that stuff, but also our our entry gear, which includes uh soft armor and entry plates and also a ballistic helmet.

So you can be looking to carry anywhere from 30 to 40 if you're a breacher, maybe even 50 or 60 more pounds on your person getting from point A to point B to wherever the problem is.

And sometimes depending on where we're at on the call out, you know, you could be 50, 100 yards, you gotta get to the staying physically fit, uh keeping up with the marksmanship skills.

You know, once they're an officer and they come to the department, even if they're not starting out with good marksmanship skills, they can come down to the academy, and the instructors are more than willing on working with them and bringing that up to the level it needs to be.

Um, and just conducting themselves in a professional manner once they get here, staying out of trouble.

Obviously, for one, uh use of force is a big thing, making sure there's no problems with use of force complaints or decision making.

Um, and and pretty much that's it.

You know, being a good officer all around in their primary duty, having a good eval is what we're looking for.

Good deal.

Hey, well, thank you so much for hanging out with us, Sergeant Sparrow.

Sir, take care.

Thank you so much for watching.

That's all we have for today.

If you want to learn more about the Chesapeake Police Department, visit us online at Chesapeake Police.com.

Life doesn't always give you time to change the outcome.

Pre-diabetes does.

With early diagnosis, pre-diabetes can be reversed.

Take the one minute pre-diabetes risk test today.

Go to do I have prediabetes.org.

Turn off the burner.

Do not move the pan or the lid until everything has cooled.

Then douse everything in cold water before throwing it away.

Inspect your stovetop to make sure there's no permanent damage.

And if a fire starts in your oven, turn off the heat, keep the door closed until it's cool.

Then have it checked or serviced before using it again.

Stay safe in the kitchen.

Hi, I'm Sherry with Waste Management Division of Publix Works.

Please place your uh yard waste and clear plastic bags at the curb.

And if we don't get to you immediately, please leave it there and we'll get to you ASAP.

For more information, please visit City of Chesapeake.net slash trash.

Thank you very much.

Today I'm going to talk to you about physics.

Come on in, girls.

Let's go.

This is the first rocket to get humans to Mars.

Really tall.

I'm a rocket structural engineer designing and building parts of the rocket.

You are the generation that will be stepping foot on Mars.

So I have a group of astronauts on my hands.

Yes.

You can become a rocket scientist or whatever else you want to be.

That you'll see, or oyster castles in this case.

So the oyster castles will protect the wetlands, and the wetlands are going to protect the shore from eroding.

So see you can build them up high and interlock them.

So it helps it's stable.

It's a very stable port platform to protect the shoreline from erosion.

We have 777 oyster castles that we're gonna put in on this north facing point.

It's gonna be about a hundred and thirty linear feet of oyster castles.

And the entire project is going to be 670 linear feet.

The rest of it will be with the coconut core logs.

And then behind this, we're gonna backfill with sand and we're gonna plant them with the native wetland grass called Spartina Ultra Neflora.

In order for something of this magnitude to occur, you really have to have a lot of community support and community backing for the project.

They need to understand why it's important and why it's gonna benefit the health of the river.

And so we'll need help with if you don't want to carry a log, we need help carrying this down, these down.

We you know, we have a lot of materials to get down there.

It's a combination of creating a new shoreline or at least extending out your shoreline to a place at which it previously was established.

The baby oysters, oyster spat will be floating around in the water, and they are looking for a place to hatch themselves onto.

So these oyster castle structures, they provide that perfect place for the new baby spat to find its home.

They really over time just begin to look like a beautiful oyster reef.

And then as you have more oysters there, you also see higher levels of fish biodiversity, um, crustacean biodiversity, and then the other just marine life that exists within our waterways here.

And we're really focusing on Indian River because it in the latest state of the river report, it failed as far as bacteria.

So we're trying to implement living shorelines and rain gardens, and we're about to launch a pet waste campaign.

Our partner HRSD just found out that it was not from humans, so it's probably from dogs.

You know, people think that pet waste is fertilizer, it's not, it's very harmful, has a lot of harmful bacteria.

So keep your soft shorelines, your living shorelines and wetlands are really important.

It's really important to pick up your dog waste.

It's really important to try to filter stormwater when you can.

So as of last Wednesday, we brought in 30 cubic yards of sand.

We think the whole project might take about 120, so we'll be about a quarter of the way just through the sand.

And then the sand is necessary because we need to make the proper elevation for the wetlands to thrive and grow, so then they can protect the shoreline from erosion.

And so what you have over here is the crow logs, and behind me is the oyster castle that we've uh put in.

And eventually this will both act as habitat for oysters.

And we're gonna put like uh eighty bushels of oyster shell on here, and it'll also help protect the uh shoreline here from the roads, and if you can see how cliffs happening over there.

The Indian River, which we're standing in right now has indefinite water quality issues because of bacteria and fertilizer that washes in from lawns, and oysters are a great filter.

They filter like 40 gallons of water an hour, and so we wanted more oysters.

That's what kind of started us.

Um it's surprising to see how many volunteers are out here.

People really care about uh their local environment, and they obviously really care about the watershed around here.

It's exciting to see that.

We have a commitment to doing both a service activity and an environmental outreach.

So this was planned into our work schedule, so technically we're out of the office, but it's our way of giving back from the company.

And I've learned that it's a lot messier out here than I ever thought it could be, and I think that this kind of outreach program would be really great to clean up the shoreline because it needs it.

Wanted to do some good.

Yeah, it is.

I love coming out and doing uh hard work, and uh I have learned that oysters are really important for the river and they can filter out a lot of uh the contamination that's in there.

Yeah, and it's really hard to build an oyster reef.

Oysters like to settle on hard boxes like this.

They prefer oyster shell, but they'll settle on concrete also.

Over time, they'll be covered with oysters.

We hope.

So this is a long-term project, it's a marathon, not a sprint, as we've been saying.

Um, but it's exciting because now you get to look at it, and it really you can tell we're building a wetland and a living shoreline.

Welcome to the Chesapeake Public Library.

We want to learn about our family history.

Do you have anything that could help?

You can check Ancestry.com here at the library or heritage quest.

And it's free.

Do that story times?

That's also free.

I need to send some documents to my school.

We offer scanning and faxing, or you can always scan your document and attach it to your email.

Free.

Do you have any movies?

We've got all kinds of movies.

Free and free.

So come check us out.

During the fall season, the leaves will, of course, clutter the lawn and make it chore.

But please remember not to rake them or grass clippings into storm drains or ditches.

They clog up the flow of storm water and can lead to flooding.

Leaves and grass clippings can also wreak havoc on local waterways as they decompose.

Ideally, just mulch them right into the lawn using your mower.

This contributes water and nutrients to the lawn and can minimize your need for fertilizer.

If you have too many leaves or grass clippings to mulch and need to get rid of them, place them in clear plastic bags or compostable paper bags, pile them by the curb, and public works will pick them up on your scheduled garbage day.

There's no need to call for bulk pickup for this collection.

Each residence is limited to 30 bags of leaves or grass clippings each week.

The number goes up to 50 bags in the months of November and December.

But remember, mulching in place with your lawnmower works great too.

For more information, call 382 City or go to City of Chesapeake.

Parents make mistakes.

Sometimes they forget.

And that lapse can lead to disastrous results.

Every 10 days in the US, a child dies from heat stroke after being left alone in a hot car.

The inside of a car heats up faster than you think.

Never leave a child alone in a motor vehicle.

Look before you lock and visit where's baby.org for more life-saving tips.

Every year, cyclists are either injured or killed by motor vehicles.

So let's do our best to prevent accidents by keeping the following rules in mind.

Cyclists have a right to use the roads, but drivers should be cautious and give cyclists at least three feet of passing distance and only pass when it's safe to do so.

Cyclists should wear helmets, be highly visible, use bike lights and mirrors, and wear reflective gear after dark.

And don't forget to always ride in the same direction as traffic.

Whether you're in a car or on a bike, the same road rules and traffic signals apply to everyone.

So let's look out for each other and keep our Chesapeake Roads safe for all.

Go, go, go, go.

And I have never seen the turnout at a volunteer project so intensely on a weekday.

So we've been doing this now for about three weeks.

We've had people from the city of Chesapeake come out, which we we've really appreciated.

The city participating.

We've got residents at Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Portsmouth coming out.

College students from all the major colleges here in Tidewater come out.

And just people who are interested in helping the river.

If you need help, that there's people out there during the weekday that's willing to help you.

I will barreled a bunch of uh sand, so that's really what I mainly did today.

And I planted the fences too.

So that was cool.

I've never done anything hands-on like this, so it was a really good experience, and I hope to come back one day and see everything, you know, grow and that you know, to see that I actually helped and did something.

We've been fighting some high tides, but we're really moving along.

And as of last week, we finished placing sand and we planted another 3,000 plants.

Hopefully, we'll be done by the end of this week.

It's going really well.

Yeah, we've been really, really pleased.

Hands down.

There's no way that we would have been able to accomplish this much in this little amount of time without the like outstanding volunteers that we've had.

So huge kudos to them.

Really, hats off.

Stewardship is my interest.

Stewardship of the environment, stewardship of our river.

It is so impressive.

Got a huge age range of people out here.

And to a person, they're positive, they're encouraging one another, they are loving what they're doing.

It's kind of on the level of prison labor, but no one's complaining about it.

And uh young and old men and women, families.

It's really fantastic and encouraging.

And because of that, we were able to install uh 45 core logs, uh, over 800 oyster castles.

We put in 115 tons of sand, and then we planted the area with over 5,000 marsh grasses.

And because of that, this project now will serve as a buffer between what occurs upland and then what eventually goes into our waterway here at Indian River.

Uh, we will, as a result, see the reduction of 20 pounds of nitrogen that goes into the river annually, uh, 10 pounds of phosphorus that goes into the river annually, and nine tons of sediment that goes into the river annually.

And then also as a result, we'll just see a natural boom and the oyster population and fish and crustacean species that will come here to visit this beautiful wetland and the oyster castle sill.

Over 120 people came to volunteer in this project, both from inside the Indian River community and from the uh larger Hampton Roads area.

We have information about this out on the Friends of Indian River uh Facebook page, and and so we're trying to get word out, and there's been a lot of positive feedback on everything that we've done here.

We expanded the wetlands by some 3,000 square feet and we put in nearly 800 oyster castles, which should help build the oyster population.

That was very important to us.

The work we're doing will hopefully improve the water quality and the wildlife habitat and make the river a healthier and better place for everybody, I realized at that moment, these people really needed us.

And I was going to make a difference right here in my community.

Be there for your community at National Guard.

Life doesn't always give you time to change the outcome.

Go to do I have prediabetes.org.

You're watching Chesapeake Television.

The reason for that is catalytic converters, which is a which is part of your vehicle's exhaust system.

They have a lot of precious metals and a lot of high-value metals inside these.

And what happens is uh when these devices, these converters are stolen, there's almost like a black market for them where uh the thieves take them and they they sell them for the materials in them.

Uh a lot of times it's it's hard to prosecute these because if you find uh a suspicious individual or vehicle with a bunch of cadet converters in it, it's hard to find where they came from.

So what we decided to do is we were able to uh get some grant money and we purchased an etching machine.

So what we're doing here today is we uh basically it's an event where citizens bring their car here.

We use the etching machine to etch the vehicle's VIN number on the catalytic converter, and then we're using um high heat fluorescent orange spray paint to just spray paint CPD on the cartilage converter.

And our hope is that if uh a thief goes under your vehicle and sees this fluorescent orange paint with CPD, hopefully it'll be a little bit of a deterrent for them.

They'll realize that it's marked, you know, it's it's not worth the the risk is not worth the reward in their case.

Royce's record service, uh, you know, huge thank you to them.

They're volunteer volunteering their time.

We've on Tilden Avenue in Chesapeake.

Uh and uh this is the second one.

We're planning another one in June.

We we don't have the exact logistics worked out on that yet, but if you follow us on our department social media, our Facebook page, Chesapeake Police Department, um, as soon as we find out and get that more concrete, we'll be posting it there on our on our social media.

A couple things you can do to kind of make yourself the the the hardest victim to be.

Um, park under well lit areas, you know, try to park around other cars, um, things like that.

And unfortunately, some of these uh thieves they're they're very skilled and with the right tools.

They can get up underneath the vehicle and within 30 seconds to a minute they can have that cattle can river off and and load it in there uh the suspect vehicle and and they're they're down the road.

And and it could be a fairly expensive um, it's it's a very expensive repair, also, as we're talking in into the thousands of dollars to repair these.

Hey pets, does your human have an emergency kit ready for you?

Mine does.

It has enough food and water to last me at least three days, plus my medications, copies of my medical records, and a first aid kit.

There's also this cute picture of me and him together, just in case he has to prove ownership.

I guess if you have one of those cat pets, you should have kitty litter and stuff like that for them too.

But why would you have cat when you could have a dog?

Just barking out loud.

Make sure your human is prepared for emergencies.

Learn how at ready.gov slash pets.

Woof woof.

All right, ready?

Seek up.

Seek up.

Seek seek seek seek up.

Seek up.

Seek seek seek.

Yes.

Yes?

Show me.

Show me.

Show me.

Show me.

Quincy is an electronic storage detection canine.

And he can detect a chemical that's sprayed on all memory chips and any device from something as small as a micro SD card to a very large computer.

He is mainly used for uh child exploitation, human trafficking, um, and that type of crime, but we've recently found that he can alert to card skimmers, card readers, um guys, other dogs that are trained just like he is, have located uh phones from homicides and um different crimes.

He's alerted to um items that have been buried to the ground.

Um he also alerts to items buried in the water.

Um he is also cross-trained to comfort live victims if we come across them on scene when we're doing warrants, and he will also help comfort them while they're testifying in court.

Well, my biggest concern was that I have another dog at home and how she was gonna react to him, but they've uh taken to each other very well.

And um my boys adore him, so they like uh like him just like they like our dog, and he's very good with them too.

I mean, he is cross-trained to do victim comfort if we come across the live victim.

Show me so he's very loving, as you can see.

He just does this, he would do this all day.

What's a couple of gone?

Woof woof.

Hey Pets, does your human include you in their emergency planning?

Because they should.

My human has made sure that I will have somewhere safe to go if he ever has to evacuate.

He's also created a buddy system with our neighbors.

So if an emergency happens while he's not home, they will come to make sure I'm okay.

No matter what happens, he will never leave me home alone if there's a disaster in our area.

Learn more about how you can prepare your humans for emergencies by visiting ready.gov slash pets.

Woof up.

The community emergency response team, cert, is a partnership between emergency services and the citizens of Chesapeake.

By training volunteers in basic emergency skills, our community is much more prepared for a disastrous event that could overwhelm or delay the city's fire and EMS services.

Teams are located throughout the city, meet monthly, and train quarterly.

CERT needs more members who want to give back and serve their community.

For more information about CERT and how you can help, go to Cityofches.net and join your local team today.

Prior to me getting um promoted to sergeant, I was a handler for just shy of four uh 15 years.

This is uh Echo.

Here I I really wanted a dog.

Yes.

Uh identify the Echo as a uh candidate, and thanks to Chief Seleschi who approving it, giving us the opportunity to uh work her.

Now I uh I'm back in the game, so to say.

And uh she's she comes home uh with me.

Uh she loves the family, the family loves her, they're able to get a uh get around her and play with her.

So she came um to the shelter initially as a stray, and we did hold her for her stray period.

We were able to locate her owners.

Uh however, her owners weren't able to provide the care that she needed.

They recognized that, and they wanted Echo to have a better life.

We recognized her potential as far as being a good working dog.

Like a little cat.

We recognize this potential all the time.

You know, and these animals aren't just wonderful companions.

She works for for play and and uh affection, love.

But they do make great working dogs, especially specific breeds that need a job to do.

Yeah, she doesn't work for food.

Go ahead, go ahead.

Get up in the camera.

Finding her in animal services uh saved us a lot of money because usually we uh spend uh the prices are going up, so we're spending up to $10,000 for a dog.

Um, so that saved us money there, and then putting our own school on saved us additional money.

And she's just a big lover.

She likes to jump and hug and give kisses.

Honey, what I think you need is a socket wrench.

I play JB basketball.

I'm sorry, I don't think it looks right.

This is good and it's all good, baby.

Isn't it really all good?

If you love me enough to routinely test your handyman scales, not to mention the strength of your marriage, then of course you'll visit nhtsa.gov slash the right seat to make sure I'm in the right car seat.

I'm gonna call my dad.

It's a great accomplishment.

It's one of the hardest schools that you can go through.

Um, especially being the first female in Chesapeake to have passed this school.

Um, it's very rewarding, it's very uh exhilarating to say the least.

Uh thank Sheriff Jim O'Sullivan for giving me the opportunity to be able to go through this school and and to obtain this certificate to my portfolio.

Yeah.

Well, Sheriff's Office is extremely proud of McKenzie, Deputy Powers, uh, for her accomplishment.

Um, she's the first female in the city of Chesapeake to be able to graduate such a school.

I happen to know her from when she was in high school, uh volleyball player, uh competitive volleyball, and then Oscar Smith volleyball.

She's always been tenacious and an athlete and real competitive.

So then when she joined over here, uh she always stood out as things we would want her to do.

She graduated through the police academy for extra certification.

Uh she did a great job with that.

And then she has a bit of a passion with uh monster trucks and things like that.

She could probably put one together, take it apart.

So this is ideal for her.

It's in her wheelhouse.

So one of the main things that they teach you in training is slow courses.

You're at about five miles per hour controlling this 850 pound bike inside of small cone areas, and when you first start, you think there's there's no way I'm gonna put this in this little area, and as they build you up and you build the confidence within the bike, you realize that you can, but getting past that mental uh block is the hardest part.

We use them for not only parades, um, any escort that we have to do funerals to presidential.

We can also do traffic control with them, um, traffic citations, anything along those lines, these are these are built for.

I see all the the guys that are out doing it, and there's only two other females in the Hampton Roads region, and uh really only one of them rides, from what I understand, and being able to be that female presence out there to show other women in the department or that want to join or from other areas that they can do it and that you know it's it's obtainable.

It's super important to our mission and the sheriff's mission.

Uh Jim O'Sullivan, as we expand the program, as we extend the expand the unit that we're able to encompass everybody, males and females to do the job, and you know, with her being the first, it can open the doors to maybe sometime down in the future having a second female.

Oh, absolutely.

I can't wait until I'm out there serving the city of Chesapeake on my new rod.

Yeah.

Okay.

Oh, you got it, you got it, keep going.

Oh sorry.

I got you instead.

There we go.

There we go.

What are all the invasive species you're talking about?

Well, there's a whole mess of them.

Right now, though, we are focusing mainly on different species of Lugustrum, which is commonly called privet, um, and English ivy specifically.

As you can see, the privet crowds out stuff on the floor.

The ivy acts as a ground cover cover that then creeps up trees and then as it gets verticality, it puts out its seeds and spreads to these natural areas.

So that sounds invasive to me.

It is, no, and it's important to have folks, wonderful people out here volunteering, like the people over at Dollar Tree and the uh folks here at Chesapeake to make sure that we can kind of combat these invasive species together.

I think we got a lot done.

We were super energetic, uh, had great teamwork, got a lot, a lot done, had a couple huge massive piles around.

So I think we did great.

If you look here, this native pawpaw tramp plant was um crowded out by the Ivy, it had no chance of growing.

Um and now we might be able to see fruit from it.

Um we clear it from the trees over here so it doesn't take over the tops.

If you look back there behind you, you might see a whole bunch more.

Um it's a lot of work, but it's really rewarding, and it's it's good to find something that I'm able to do to help the community.

Is that the ticket to do the job?

Yeah, some of them um the privet when it's too big to pull up, we cut it and treat it with the chemical so it doesn't take off roots and it had been cut before, so a lot of it's hard to get up now.

So if I have a big vine, I'll be vine, I cut and spray.

So I have a big privet, cut and spray.

Um, but uh a number of groups, um, some small, some very large, some businesses, some just individuals.

Um, working with our staff just to clean up our parks and to get it rid of a lot of these evasive plants.

All right, now I go from that side.

Yeah.

There we go.

It's so important that uh we have so much uh extra help out here uh as well as some of our other parks, uh, just because of so many things that our staff, especially when we get in the middle of uh mowing season and edging season and all, just trying to keep uh uh other facilities nice and and beautiful, but this is just the other extra things that just really um just are priceless in helping us so that will just be uh help us with long-term maintenance and also preserve the park and the trees and um and a lot of the vegetation for many many years to come.

We got a lot more people willing to do community service around here than I would have expected, and I like that.

It's a really good thing.

I made it to the next adventure takes us to yet another park on the water.

Elizabeth River Park is nestled right beneath the Jordan Bridge with ADA accessible pathways, amenities, and more.

On this brisk yet beautiful morning, we perused the grounds under the bridge and ran into one of our park technicians that is usually on site or in the snack shack.

It's convenient, it's a beautiful park, breezes, shade.

It has a comedy fit.

There's nothing like a waterfront park with a nice breeze.

He says you take your walk with your pets.

We have signs posted throughout the park.

Your dog always, always has to be on a leash.

You're required to pick up after you pit.

Again, we have the mutt hit stations.

We have access to the Jordan Bridge, which is a mile across and a mile back.

A lot of people actually walk or run or jog their dogs across the bridge.

I don't think that's for Penny, but Elizabeth River Park has it all.

Great grills, a view, gazebo, outdoor exercise equipment, playgrounds for people, and a dog park too.

So one for the large dog, one for the smaller dogs.

You have to have your dog rich and have a dog membership with the city of Chesapeake.

One of the unique things about the Elizabeth Rural Car is that we actually have a fishing pier.

No fishing license required.

And dogs are loud on the pier.

Dogs are allowed on the pier.

Woo-hoo!

Thanks, Mr.

Lightfoot.

We'll save the crabbing lessons for later and visit the dog park too.

Happy trails and happy tales, everybody.

We'll see you next time with Penny in our parks.

You know, it's it's just so wonderful to see our seniors out here interacting with each other with us with all the vendors to find out new and interesting information that can help them.

And you know, as Sheriff Newhardt's vision many many years ago to provide that service to the seniors, and I'm just so proud to be able to carry that tradition on today.

Yes.

We're having lots of fun.

The vendors and the stuff that we get and the information about uh Medicare and stuff, you know, information that I didn't really know about.

All right, let's get into the grandma.

It's such an honor to give back and celebrate the individuals who've given so much to our society.

I like to say they are the giants whose shoulders we stand on, and anytime we can recognize their awesomeness, I'm here for it.

As I mentioned, walking around and getting the sage wisdom that only comes from experience in life.

Am I the only one in here that's nice to sit?

I think so.

Are you having fun?

You having fun?

What's your favorite part?

What did I like best?

Oh, I like music.

The band, yeah, that's a good feeling for me.

See, seeing citizens doing the thing that they want to do.

Yeah, I'm having fun.

What's your favorite part?

Just eating.

The cheesecake.

I think it's an entertainment, and also the food is always good.

We have a packed house here today, and it's uh it's the hardest ticket in town.

I the best part of this is just seeing their smiling faces, they're true heroes.

They paved the way for me and my children, and it's just an honor to be in the same room with them.

And present to us, our speaker for this occasion.

A man who loves sharing his ideas, thoughts, and feelings with children.

A man who believes in the power of having a voice and exercising that voice.

A man who believes that you can take a reluctant reader and teach them the power of hands on the page.

And a man throughout his work believes that you can change the world.

One for the other time.

Please join me in bringing back home to the podium.

Our burial thing.

I don't remember remember seeing a book written by a black author in my classroom.

I don't ever recall seeing a book with a black character in it in the school library.

The fact that we are sitting here today and recognizing this young sister Shania, it says a lot.

It says a lot about where we are.

And I just want to take this moment and make sure that you acknowledge that because it says a lot about who you are and where you're headed.

Do y'all understand what I'm saying?

I had an opportunity to speak to some students from Great Bridge High School on the yearbook committee and uh journalism club, and they asked some really important questions that I think are gonna guide my talk today.

One of the questions, if I recall, was there a moment in your life where you thought that you were gonna be a writer, you were gonna be a writer who wrote something that mattered to young people.

Was there like a moment where you knew your words were gonna have that type of impact?

The other question was were there some teachers who impacted you and helped you become who you are today.

My favorite book as a three-year-old, which I used to run around the house screaming was Fox Sox Knox Box, Fox and Sox, Socks and Box.

I loved me some Dr.

Seuss.

And so as a three-year-old growing up in New York City, I memorized this book and read it and recited it every day.

Well, one particular day I was at school.

I went to a school called Riverside.

It was inside of a church called Riverside Church, built by John D.

Rockefeller.

And so at the end of the day of school, I built a house out of these wooden blocks.

I wanted to show my mom and surprise her.

This was a castle, you know, in my mind.

And so she arrived to pick me up, and before she get, you know, came in to get me, this kid came over and he kicked the blocks over and knocked my house down.

And of course, I went up to him with my weapons.

The only weapons I had.

And I said, those were my blocks that you flipped.

Lest you want a quick pay back, better fix my quick block stack.

Right?

And he started crying.

And when my mother came in, the teachers were like, Mrs.

Alexander, when you talk to you, your your son Kwame is arrogant.

He intimidates all the other kids with his words.

And my mother said, Thank you.

My mother was the first teacher.

She was that first person who made me.

And my fondest memory of high school was the crushes I had and playing tennis.

And I started out being a pretty average tennis player and ended up by my senior year being the number one player on the team.

So I learned a lot about resilience and perseverance at Great Bridge High School and in Chesapeake.

But certainly it impacted my writing because everything I do is about helping young people understand that they have a voice, that they matter, that they, you know, one of my favorite quotes is I am the greatest, not because I am better than anyone, but because no one is better than me.

And that's something I learned here in Chesapeake.

And I've went through and I've made sure that the structure's safe for firefighters to train in.

It's uh low visibility conditions, and they have to go through and make a search and try to find victims inside.

As a fire department, we don't they don't come across very often that we have a structure that we can fill full of furniture, fill full of smoke, and get inside and train real life scenario.

A lot of times we're using concrete burn buildings, and we already know the layout when we go inside.

But uh in this situation, the firefighters have no idea the layout, they have no idea where the victims are.

Like when they get that call at two o'clock in the morning and there's a report of victims inside.

This is the same setup here.

That's the problem.

Firefighters are coming off their engine.

Uh they're gonna be stretching a hose line to the front door, and they're gonna make entry and do what we call a oriented search.

And that's where they take their hose line in, and the in the event they find fire, they can put it out.

They're gonna be oriented to their members in the hose line and going off that line into bedrooms looking for victims that may be inside the structure and dragging them outside.

And then we also can do a what we call a vent inner search.

This is when we pull up in front of a structure and a family member is out front and they're stating, hey, my family's inside, or my child's inside, and they're in that bedroom right there.

As a fire department, we're gonna come off the engine, we're going straight to that window.

We're gonna take the glass out of the window, we're diving in, we're gonna go across the room and shut that door.

That'll isolate us from the heat and fire and give us a chance to do a thorough search of that bedroom.

Isolate.

Uh you can't see anything, all you can do is feel.

Uh so you've got to feel around for that victim and get them right back to the window and outside.

That uh that makes it so we don't have to go in and search find our way through the house because houses can be very chopped up.

It allows us to get right in that bedroom and get them out as fast as possible.

Because at the end of the day, it's about them.

Good job.

Uh, we've got everything set up, trained like it's a real deal, and you all put in the effort like it was the real deal, and we appreciate that.

Yeah, man.

Thank you.

Good stuff.

Yeah, realistic.

And then go back and talk about it, learn about it, and uh be ready for the real thing.

Thank you.

Good job.

Appreciate it.

All right.

Hey Pets, does your human have an emergency kit ready for you?

Mine does.

It has enough food and water to last me at least three days, plus my medications, copies of my medical records, and a first aid kit.

There's also this cute picture of me and him together, just in case he has to prove ownership.

I guess if you have one of those cat pets, you should have kitty litter and stuff like that for them too.

But why would you have cat when you can have a dog?

Just barking out loud.

Make sure your human is prepared for emergencies.

Learn how at ready.gov slash pets.

Woof, all right.

Today in the studio, we have a really interesting topic that we're covering, and we have real live meteorological meteorologists.

Wow, I knew that was gonna be a hard one to say.

Jeff Orrich, Eric Seymour from the National Weather Service, Wakefield, both meteorologists, right?

Correct.

Yeah.

Thank you guys so much for being here.

You know, I think everybody's idea picture of a meteorologist is like the seven-day forecast, and you know, on the evening news.

And yeah, with the exactly, we got rain coming, all that stuff.

Um there's actually a lot more to this science.

Tell me a little bit about what you guys do out at Wakefield.

Jeff, we'll start with it.

So we're really behind the scenes.

I mean, we were a federal agency, so we've worked for the federal with the federal government.

But our job is to really do all the forecasts and warnings and provide the information at the local level.

So we do cover a pretty good sized area.

Chesapeake's almost somewhat in the middle.

Uh we go all the way up to Maryland.

Uh we get Ocean City.

Yeah, we go across to uh like Fort Apia Hill and like over towards Hanover, Ashland.

We have all of Richmond.

Um we go as far west as Farmville.

Um in Louisa and Carl Lake.

So if you're going out to Carl Lake, Lake Gaston, uh, we forecast for those areas down to Elizabeth City.

Um so it ends up being 66 different uh counties and cities that we have to forecast for.

And the other side of that is obviously all the water because with the rivers, the tributaries, the bay, the ocean.

So we do a lot of marine forecasting for all of our marine partners, the everything from the Navy uh to the Coast Guard to you know the fishermen, the pilots, and then we also get really big into a big issue around here is tidal flooding.

So we forecast tides nowadays, just like we forecast weather.

So we've been really kind of expanding what we do and how much information we provide.

So you know, here in Chesapeake, yeah, we're forecasting the weather like you see every day, but we're also forecasting the tides and what's happening with the water levels here.

So, you know, that's one of our big problems around here is is tidal flooding.

And we'll definitely get into that because that is uh something here in Chesapeake because we are so low and we are so flat and so close to the water.

Um, you mix that the tide with rain and all that sort of stuff, and and it can uh spell some issues.

Eric, what about you?

What what is what is your forte uh at Wayfield?

Um I'm the warning coordination meteorologist.

So I am the liaison between our guys that are doing the forecast and everything that Jeff was talking about, and then working with the emergency management community, um working some with the media as well, um, trying to trying to be that go-between, answering questions, um, when we're changing things, when things are new that are coming in.

It's my job to make sure that you know those folks know the new things that are out there, the new techniques and new tools that are available to try to help, especially with the emergency management community, trying to help them make decisions, things like that.

Um we get to do some things too where we get to play a little bit, doing tabletop exercises and stuff like that.

So you know, we get to sometimes look at interesting weather cases and apply them in real time and then see um what decisions people make, what things, what things we need to communicate.

In a lot of cases, it helps us then improve um, you know, improve our communication, improve the information that we provide to help people make decisions in a timely fashion.

I think that's a really important piece of this.

So the the city's emergency management department um gets their info from you, the scientists, the experts who are saying this could happen, and then emergency management kind of takes that and runs with whatever the plan may be, right?

That that's kind of how it works.

You guys keep in contact with them.

We do.

I mean, our our our role when you talk talking about hurricanes or winter storms or anything like that, you know, we're the meteorologists are doing the forecast, they're issuing the warnings and everything, but then there's another whole aspect of it now that comes up for us.

It's just as important as the forecast.

We call it decision support services, uh, but really bottom line, what it is is us basically working with our key partners, helping them understand what the weather threats are and sometimes what they aren't, you know, because there's sometimes there's a lot of talk about different things, you know.

There's always a lot of hype out there, you know, on social media, this, that, and the other sources.

So it's like what's real, what's not real, um, what are the real threats and how bad are those threats going to be?

When are they going to occur?

Um, and we also start talking about what ifs, you know, say, okay, this is our this is our best guess.

I mean, we think it's gonna do XYZ.

We think, okay, the water level is gonna hit five and a half feet.

Maybe there's a chance it could go to six and a half, and so what's the chance that that might occur?

So we start talking in probabilities, you know, uh narrowing down the focus as much as we can to help folks know what to expect, and then also talk a little bit in probabilities because we know you know, tracks of storms can change, things can change, especially that last you know, 24 hours where you have to make maybe some quick adjustments.

And so kind of helping our partners stay ahead of that in case there are changes to the forecast that they could adjust quickly.

And if you think about what all of this was like 10, 20 years ago, it was a very different game.

You guys have incredible technology now to be able to get pretty darn close to what's actually gonna happen.

Talk to me about some of that technology that you guys are able to use to make these accurate forecasts.

Well, I think there's a couple different things.

Um, you know, we've had a lot of changes with like satellite imagery, things like that that have got it's gotten um used to be, you know, a lot of times we would see maybe at best would be a 15 minute between image.

So now we have stuff we can see it minute by minute.

Um so that makes a big difference.

So you're able to then take what's actually happening in reality and then take a look at what the models are saying and and and start comparing apples to apples that way and make adjustments to the models.

But the models have gotten a lot better too.

They've gotten a lot more detailed.

Um, the ability to you know, as computer technologies change, it can process so much more data.

Um so and and then we have not only do we have you know, 15, 20 years ago we had like maybe like one or two models.

Now you're talking we've got so many more models, and you're able to then start taking those models and actually kind of averaging them all together to start coming with consensus views and things like that.

So you've had so much change in that at that point to be able to get the forecast more exact and you know, then when you start talking in the near term, you'd look at some of the changes that's happened with radar and things like that, where we're able to, you know, we're we're almost to the point we can almost a lot of times we can you know we can see now like if a tornado is on the ground, we actually have the ability to actually see the data, you know, see, you know, um, you know, will we, you know, some of the I wouldn't say damage, but some of the you know, grass and things like that that give debris that gets pulled up into the storm.

We can see that now.

Um so it's so it's made a difference in in that respect as well.

So you've got a lot of those, you know, new tools now for us to work with, and it's helped us get the forecast a lot more accurate.

It's helped our partners too.

I mean, it I go back to the 20, 25 years ago, you know, Floyd and other storms, um, even getting into a little bit of Isabel, um, you know, the the accuracy was good, it's not like it is today.

Um and so now, you know, when we're a lot of times we're three days out, you know, from a storm, you know, there's there's a lot of pretty good confidence.

You may not know every single detail, but there's pretty good confidence on how it's gonna unfold, what the impacts are gonna be, the general impact areas, even with hurricanes.

I mean, three days out, you're you're there's still error, but I mean you're still pretty you're pretty narrowed in, I mean, from a preparedness perspective.

So we're definitely able to communicate, I think, with a lot more confidence.

Um, and we're seeing our our partners, the emergency management, state, local level, even federal level.

Yeah, they push decision timelines further out because they kind of have to because the population increases, so that's kind of forced issues, you know.

There's no way of getting out of here without going across the bridge, you know, pretty much.

So and everybody from North Carolina is coming this way, you know, in a hurricane situation, you know, evacuating.

So they're either coming here or they're going down uh towards Rocky Mount.

So, you know, we're having to make decisions further out in time, um, but the accuracy further out in time is is improving.

So we're we're able to communicate with more with more confidence, and again, we talked about probabilities.

So, with all the models that Eric talked about, you know, we are definitely able to say, okay, you know, this is what we expect, let's say, you know, 50 mile an hour wind.

What's the chance it might go to 75 mile an hour wind?

Um, if we're talking about sheltering, you know, what's the chance the winds may go over 110 uh mile per hour wind and maybe start to threaten some of the some of the school shelters?

So, you know, we can definitely have more educated conversations and provide a lot more information now than we used to.

I I think you touched on a really good point there about the education.

Like you guys have the forecast, you have the science that goes behind it, but there's also that um helping the community understand what that means for them and you know the probabilities that a huge piece of it, and and to be able to convince the community of why they should take a certain action, um, knowing full well that you know the storm could totally turn the other way and nobody you know could be prepared for that.

But um, I think that's a really interesting and really important piece of it.

Um, let's talk a little bit about the confusing parts.

There's there's every different kind of watch and warning.

You know, you got a hurricane watch and warning, uh storm surge, flooding, um, and then having to educate folks on the difference between a watch and a warning and what do folks need to be paying attention to?

What do they need to be honed in on and and what do we need to help them understand about this stuff?

Yeah, uh the first thing we talk about hurricanes, especially, you know, first thing a homeowner, anybody down here should do is assess their threats.

So, you know, what are your threats, you know, right where you live at your house.

You know, are there large trees nearby?

So, you know, are falling trees gonna be a problem?

I mean, you look at the different tornadoes that have come through here.

I mean, you have pines and oaks that are you know huge that are coming through houses as if they're just you know sticks of butter and a knife going right through it.

So that's a huge threat.

We lose people from falling trees just about every time a tropical system comes through here.

Uh they're falling into people's houses, they're being crushed, um, injured.

So that's you know, what's the threat there?

What's the threat from flooding?

I mean, you know, a lot of areas around here are low.

So if it if it rains real heavy and there's a lot of ponding around your house or on the roads, I mean, imagine what 20 inches of rain might do.

You, you know, and all of a sudden water's in your house now.

Not only that, maybe it's it's the way you're gonna evacuate.

You know, if you wait too late and all of a sudden you've had eight inches, ten inches of rain, and now the roads are flooded, you you can't leave and even if you want to.

So you gotta assess that you know, think about that, and then also the tides aspect of it.

You know, if if we get into just a good, you know, king tide, you know, high tide, and the water's close to your house, or we have what's called minor flooding events, you know, and you the tides are kind of coming up, or maybe the road that you again you're trying to exit out on or evacuate, and that water's coming up to the edge of that.

And if we start getting some good storm surge, that's all gonna be flooded.

So you assess your threats.

I think that's that's the first thing.

Um, and then when you get to the hurricane watches and warnings, you know, hurricane watches just you know that's put up about 48 hours before the storm is gonna get here, and they push the timeline out as accuracy is increased, they push that out farther and farther.

So it's more of a heads up that has hey, hey, you got about maybe two days, 48 hours before this hurricane is gonna get up here.

You get the hurricane warning at about 24 hours, maybe 36 hours.

They say, okay, now you're within the 24 hour window.

So that's really definitely getting into that go-no-go phase.

I mean, if you're gonna go, you're going to evacuate when the hurricane warning is out.

That's when you really need to be kind of finalizing things because you don't have too long uh before those hurricane conditions are gonna arrive.

So the difference between a watch and a warning and a hurricane situation, um, and even in a winter storm, it's really just more of a how how long before it gets here, how long before it is so it's about 48 hours, a little bit more than that nowadays uh for the watch, and you get in the warning, and it's usually within about 24 to 36 hours.

We're narrowing it down, and we're also saying it's much more likely.

You say, okay, look, confidence is increasing, and now it's getting the events getting closer, you need to start finalizing what you're doing, getting ready, and and either hunker down and shelter in place, depending on the conditions, and if you can write it out, or go ahead and evacuate.

So it sounds like you really need to have that planning in place when the sky's blue, so you know what you're gonna do, and then when the warning comes out, that's kind of when okay, I'm looking at my plan, and now it's time to take action.

Okay.

Um, we you know, we talk a lot about flooding here in Tespeak.

It is it is not uncommon.

Um there's a lot of different kinds of flooding though.

Can we talk about the different types of flooding that we tend to see?

Yeah, I mean, we when we're when we're looking at flooding, okay, we're looking at could be flooding from heavy rainfall.

So could be flash flooding.

Um, one of your problems in the urban areas is you know, you've got a lot of concrete.

You don't have the surface that allows water, you know, it's an imperfect surface at that point, so water's not being absorbed into the ground.

So you have a natural