Chesapeake City Council Meeting Summary - January 13, 2026

The Chesapeake City Council convened on January 13, 2026, to honor Mayor West with an energy advocacy award, deliberate on zoning amendments for data centers, approve significant grant funding for police and water infrastructure, and pass a resolution renaming a local lake to honor a fallen officer. The meeting featured extensive public testimony regarding data center impacts, police department culture, property rights, and immigration policies, followed by the approval of a comprehensive budget and strategic plans.

Consent Calendar

• Zoning Applications: Acknowledged items PLN REZ 2025-009 (Meridian Reserve North), PLN REZ 2025-011 (Elbow Estates Proper Modification), and PLN PUD M 2025-001 (Scenic Heights PUD Modification) for future planning commission hearings.
• Resignations: Accepted resignations for Michael Daniels (Chesapeake Redevelopment Housing Authority), Antonio Taylor (Chesapeake Agricultural Advisory Commission), and Alveda Alexander (Community Criminal Justice Board).
• Grants & Appropriations:
  • Accepted $10,000 from the Virginia Department of Forestry for Clean Water.
  • Authorized applications for grants from the National Police Dog Foundation and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (Public Safety Answering Point education program).
  • Accepted $12,000 from the Beasley Foundation for the Explorers Post Program.
  • Accepted $3,000 from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management for the FY 2024 State Homeland Security Program.
  • Accepted $93,948 from FEMA (FY 2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant) and transferred $9,395 for matching funds.
  • Petitioned the Virginia Department of Transportation for urban highway system street additions.
• City Manager Item 4 (Deferred): Request to accept and appropriate $236,966 for the Operation Ceasefire Forensic and Analytic Technology Grant was subsequently moved to regular agenda for individual discussion and approval.
• Vote: The Consent Agenda (excluding Item 4 initially) was adopted unanimously (9-0). Item 4 was later approved unanimously (9-0) after Councilmember Ritter highlighted the significant impact of the grants on police capabilities.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lee Damore (Representing South): Expressed strong opposition to data centers, citing lack of transparency in past projects (Etheridge Woods), concerns over tax revenue losses compared to traffic solutions, and the fear that Chesapeake is becoming merely a "cog and a wheel." Stated that elected officials often run "rough shot" over citizen wishes to keep infrastructure development from being intrusive.
• Leda Moore: Reported full support for increased transparency and public advisory committees in data center projects. Identified the Etheridge Woods project as a "poster child" for failures regarding transparency and argued that the current ordinances "fall short of protecting the citizens." Emphasized that orange signs are insufficient for notification.
• Dennis Cashman: Stated a position requiring clarification on the 500-foot buffer zone for data centers. Expressed concern that the buffer should measure "from the property line to property line" and not from rooftops. Argued that 27,000 residential parcels within 500 feet suggests the current buffer definition is semantically ambiguous and potentially insufficient to protect residents from noise and operational impacts.
• Kenneth Byrd: Expressed full support for the resolution to rename Oak Grove Lake to "Officer Timothy Shock Memorial Lake." Framed the vote as a necessary act to "honor the fallen," "remember the survivors," and support the healing of Officer Shock's family and the police department.
• Vic Nichols: Expressed strong opposition to the current city management of infrastructure and housing.
  • Stated that the city cannot manage infrastructure for the approved growth levels and criticized the lack of support for "two A city" status.
  • Expressed opposition to high density strategies, arguing they do not increase affordable units but rather increase construction costs once height exceeds five stories.
  • Demanded enforceable commitments from data center projects, including no energy rate hikes, meaningful community say, local job guarantees, and closed-loop cooling systems.
  • Called for a cap on real estate assessments at acquisition cost and a limit on tax bill increases to 3%.
• Tommy Hart: Spoke about his termination from the police force due to insubordination after refusing to sign a false report. Expressed a position that police officers should not be ordered to "lie for the good of the department" and recounted an incident where a sergeant ordered him to fabricate evidence.
• Linda Tyndall: Expressed deep concern regarding the South Central Water Main project and the Public Utility Franchise Area (PUFA). Stated that while the city claims connection is not mandatory, she fears future enforcement and liens under City Code Section 78-52A for federally backed loans (FHA/VA). Requested to be removed from the PUFA to ensure connection is officially optional.
• Katrina Castle: Expressed strong opposition to the city's cooperation with ICE. Characterized the current policy as putting "profit over people" and described the collaboration as enabling mass incarceration. Stated that federal agencies are "lying" about targeting criminals, citing that over 70% of detainees in Virginia have no criminal history. Called for an end to warrantless searches, ICE in schools, and compliance.

Discussion Items

• American Power Play Award: Council received American Power Play's 2025 nomination of Mayor West for leadership in energy policy. The presentation highlighted the Mayor's advocacy for federal energy tax credits and the influx of investments from LS Greenleak (offshore wind) in Chesapeake.
• Data Center Initiatives (New Business): Motion to initiate resolutions requesting the Planning Commission to amend the Zoning Ordinance to make data centers a conditional use in appropriate districts. Council requested clarification on buffer zones and transparency measures during previous public testimony.
• Budget Amendments: Approved a request to amend the FY26 operating budget to appropriate $187,500 to the non-departmental Chesapeake Airport Authority account. Council Member Jefferies requested a progress report on initiatives designed to offset city expenses, with the City Manager noting that formal conversations on implementation will resume in March.
• Land Bank Strategic Plan: Approved the 2025-2030 strategic plan for the Chesapeake Land Bank Authority.
• South Central Water Transmission Project: Approved a funding source change for $11,966,159 for the South Central Water and Sewer Transmission project. The City Manager clarified that federal funds from the Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCP) will cover nearly half the cost, with the remaining balance to be covered by the Navy via user fees. He explicitly stated that connection to the new water main is not mandatory for nearby residents, though it remains incentivized, and confirmed that mandatory connection laws (PUFA) do not apply to this specific extension serving a public facility in an area not intended for service. Captain Geist noted this is the only project in Hampton Roads receiving this DCP funding.
• Oak Grove Lake Renaming: Approved the resolution to rename Oak Grove Lake to "Officer Timothy Shock Memorial Lake" and the park to "Oak Grove Park." Councilmembers Ritter and Downs expressed gratitude to the officer's family and the organization Law Enforcement United for their advocacy.
• Ice Cooperation (Citizen Comment): While the Mayor noted high citizen satisfaction scores, no council action was taken on the ICE cooperation topic during this meeting; it remained a point of public opposition raised by Ms. Castle.

Key Outcomes

• Award Presentation: Mayor West was formally recognized as an "American Power Player" for 2025 by the organization Conservatives for Clean Energy.
• Consent Agenda Vote: Item 1 (Zoning/Resignations/Grants) approved 9-0. Item 4 (Operation Ceasefire Grant, $236,966) approved 9-0 after individual discussion.
• Budget & Grants:
  • Approved $187,500 appropriation for the Airport Authority.
  • Approved resolution for the South Central Water and Sewer Transmission Capital Improvement Project ($11,966,159) switching from future revenue bonds to Federal grant funding.
  • Approved $184,000 appropriation from the Virginia Department of Social Services for the Department of Human Services as an emergency action.
• Strategic Plans: Approved the Chesapeake Land Bank Authority 2025-2030 Strategic Plan.
• Zoning Initiatives: Adopted (9-0) the initiating resolution to amend the Zoning Ordinance to allow data centers as a conditional use.
• Memorial Renaming: Adopted (9-0) the resolution designating Oak Grove Lake as "Officer Timothy Shock Memorial Lake."
• Closed Session: Approved a closed session for (1) prospective economic development discussions regarding a non-announced business and (2) litigation consultation regarding a building code appeal in southern Chesapeake.