Chesapeake City Council Meeting - January 27, 2026
Chesapeake City Council Meeting - January 27, 2026
The Chesapeake City Council held a regular meeting on January 27, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting began with a special recognition of City Clerk Sandy Madison for her ten years of service to the city. All nine council members were present. Actions included approving a consent agenda with routine refunds and a budget transfer, appropriating grant funds for school resource deputies, authorizing a resolution on proffers, correcting the version date for the adopted 2045 Comprehensive Plan, making numerous board and commission appointments, hearing public comments, and scheduling a future closed meeting.
Consent Calendar
- Routine approvals were passed unanimously (9-0), including:
- Refunds totaling $46,821.41 to Yourspace Starmount, LLC ($27,434.12) and Waggoner Greenbrier, LLC ($19,387.29).
- Acceptance of the resignation of Sabrina Bankes from the South Norfolk Revitalization Commission.
- A budget transfer of $306,000 ($70,378 from the Administration Program and $235,622 from the Operations Program) to the Animal Services Program in the Police Department's FY 2026 Operating Budget.
Public Comments & Testimony
On Agenda Items:
- Marcus Bolton (representing self, residence: 1217 Seabour Avenue): Spoke on the vacancies on the South Norfolk Revitalization Commission. He stated he had been making connections in the community and had applied for a seat, urging the council to consider his application and his plans for empowering the community.
On Non-Agenda Items (Services, Policies, and Affairs of the City):
- Vic Nicholls (self): Expressed dissatisfaction with city planning, specifically criticizing traffic planning in the Greenbrier area and mentioning a 45-second wait for a right turn. He commented on regional growth and housing costs, suggesting micro-apartments and ADUs as solutions. Mr. Nicholls voiced concern that the city was not doing enough to retain senior residents who have paid taxes for decades. He also urged the council to maintain peace in the city in the context of prior discussions on immigration enforcement.
- Tommy Hart (self, residence: 1900 St. Brides Road): Testified in detail about his past experience as a detective in internal affairs with the Chesapeake Police Department. He alleged he faced retaliation for investigating a corrupt lieutenant, including being ordered not to create paperwork, being asked to sign a false letter, being told by a chief that he "could not function as a police officer if you can't lie for the good of the department," and ultimately being demoted and transferred.
Discussion Items
Appropriation for School Resource Deputy Program (#26-O-012):
- City Manager Price presented a request to appropriate $125,583 to the Sheriff's Office FY 2026 Operating Budget for the School Resource Deputy Program. Vice Mayor Ritter confirmed with the City Manager that the funds were a grant from the State Department of Criminal Justice Services and not from the General Fund. The funds support a contracted service between the schools and the Sheriff's Department. Vice Mayor Ritter recognized the School Security Task Force members present in the audience, thanking them for their work. The item was approved unanimously (9-0).
Resolution on Proffer Agreement (#26-R-007):
- City Attorney Lindley presented a resolution authorizing her to execute an agreement terminating a tri-party agreement to clarify and enforce proffers. The resolution was approved unanimously (9-0) with no discussion.
Correction to 2045 Comprehensive Plan Adoption (#26-R-008):
- City Clerk Madison presented an item to amend the action taken at the January 20, 2026 City Council meeting to correct a clerical error regarding the incorrect version date for the 2045 Comprehensive Plan and its Master Transportation Plan. Vice Mayor Ritter moved to amend the approval with a version date of January 20, 2026, for both documents. The motion was seconded by Council Member Smith and approved unanimously (9-0).
Nominations and Appointments
Without objection, the council took the following actions on boards and commissions:
- Airport Authority: Carl Rickerson and George Yacus were nominated. Interviews will be conducted on February 10, 2026.
- Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Board: Nominations were continued.
- Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority: Brenton Artis, Lakela Lofton, and Ryan Shrader were nominated. Interviews will be conducted on February 10, 2026.
- Economic Development Authority: Todd Mayfield was appointed.
- South Norfolk Revitalization Commission: Marcus Bolton, Sarah Brown, and William Nertney were appointed.
- Chesapeake Commission on Health and Well Being: Santiera Brown-Yearling (reappointed), Krystle Aponte, Monica Quinton, and Shaughanassee Vines were appointed.
- Chesapeake Community Criminal Justice Board: Lakishi Stevenson (reappointed), Wallace Chadwick III, Katherine Gonyea, Cristina Hood, Jodie Love, and Ronald Telsch were appointed.
- Chesapeake Interagency Consortium: Kenya Brown (Juvenile Services) was appointed.
- Chesapeake Land Bank Authority: Kristi Wooten (Economic Development Authority representative) was appointed.
- Chesapeake Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Finance Board: Corrie Kring (City Treasurer) was appointed.
- Eastern Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority: Tonya Gill (Economic Development Authority representative) was appointed.
- Fine Arts Commission: Appointments were continued.
- Local Emergency Planning Committee: Matthew Ellis (Federal Law Enforcement), Edward Hanrahan (Industry representative), Robert Lee (Emergency Management), and James Partain (Transportation representative) were appointed.
- Natural Event Mitigation Advisory Committee: Oran 'Doug' Crowson (Emergency Management) was appointed.
New Business
- Council Member Ella Ward commended the Chesapeake Public Schools Director of Communications Jay Lewter for creating a podcast on the Cornland School and Historic Village in recognition of African American History Month in February. She also thanked the city manager and staff for the recent approval of an agreement for lighting at the Cornland School.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously (9-0).
- Sheriff's Office Budget Appropriation (#26-O-012): Approved unanimously (9-0).
- Proffer Agreement Resolution (#26-R-007): Approved unanimously (9-0).
- Comprehensive Plan Correction (#26-R-008): Approved unanimously (9-0).
- Certification of Closed Meeting: Approved unanimously (9-0) for the closed meeting held prior to the council meeting. The council also voted unanimously (9-0) to convene a closed meeting on February 10, 2026, at 4:45 PM to interview candidates for the Airport Authority and the Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
- Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 7:00 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Thank you. I'd like to recognize Vice Mayor Ritter at this time for the invocation and the pledge of allegiance apply. Thank you. Um I just want to give a little prelude. Our former council member Susie Kelly always said this prayer, and I think this is an extremely appropriate time. Um to revive that. It's the prayer of St. Francis. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me so love. Where there is injury, pardon, where there is doubt, faith, where there is despair, hope, where there is darkness, light, where there is sadness, joy. Divine master grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood, as to understand, to be loved as to love with all my soul. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen. Join me in the Pledge of Allegiance, please. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America. And to be violent for which it stands. One nation, under God, with a region. Yes, I have to record down. Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll and thank you, Vice Mayor Ritter, for that prayer. Councilmember Bunn. Here. Councilmember Jeffreys? Here. Councilmember King. Here. Councilmember Newens? Here. Councilmember Smith. Here. Councilmember Ward. Present. Councilmember Whitaker. Present. Vice Mayor Ritter? Here. Mayor West. Here. At this time I'm going to go down to the podium and turn the uh gavel over to the Vice Mayor. Ms. Madison, would you get no idea? Can you tell? Okay, thanks. We're glad. We're happy to have you all here. Um the mayor has a special recognition he would like to make. So there are oftentimes council will find things to disagree on. But there's one thing that we do not disagree. That is how much care and appreciate you, David Mattis.
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