Thank you.

Council is now in session.

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

Father God, Lord, we thank you for your love, Lord, for your mercy, for your grace, Lord.

We thank you for your mercies, Lord, that are made new every day in this city.

Father God, we pray that you you give us discernment, Lord.

Give us knowledge, Father God, and wisdom, Lord, as we make deliberations concerning this great city.

Lord, we pray these and all things in your son, Christ Jesus' name.

Amen.

Please stand with me for the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States America.

Under God, individual liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Councilman Whitaker.

Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll?

Councilmember Bonn.

Here.

Councilmember Jeffries.

Here.

Councilmember King.

Here.

Council Member Newens here.

Councilmember Smith is excused.

Councilmember Ward.

Present.

Councilmember Whitaker.

Present.

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Mayor West.

President.

And before I ask for uh McLindley to do the certification of the closed meeting, I would like to take just a moment to recognize our esteemed leader, Mr.

Calvin Wright, for his birthday tonight.

Thank you.

Happy birthday.

That might have been under new business.

Thank you, Mr.

Thank you for all that you do, and thank you for being here on your birthday, your thirty-ninth, I do believe.

Thank you.

Also, yesterday was um Councilmember Daniel Whitaker's 50th birthday.

Council Whitaker, are you awake?

My secret out.

Good.

Good.

Okay.

Would you please provide the certification?

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.

Motion please.

Second.

Thank you, Mr.

DeBond.

Please prepare to vote.

Motion to certify the closed meeting is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Next says uh proposed agenda.

Are there any changes to the proposed agenda?

Seeing none, uh, without any uh disagreement, we'll just move forward.

Next is a presentation.

I'll turn the gavel over to uh Vice Mayor uh Ritter and I'll go down to the podium if you'll call our guests.

Thank you.

Like to welcome here tonight the following leaders from our school system.

Dr.

Joppy, would you come up, please?

Dr.

Cotton, Dr.

Shonda Wyndham, Dr.

Anna Helmer, Dr.

Lori Martin, Mr.

Grant Stanley, and Dr.

Enrique Wiggins.

Dr.

Joppy will um be receiving the proclamation and will follow you, Mayor with remarks.

I'd like to present this to you on behalf of our council and proclamation for career and education.

Career and technical education.

Thank you for your leadership in this area.

You really have trail blades where you've made a difference for the school system and in turn a lot again for all your efforts.

Thank you for all your time.

Thank you.

I just have an hour or worth of time related.

I'd like to share my house.

Well, it's a good thing you didn't hear me because that was not a very good joke.

But anyway, um, I do appreciate uh Vice Chair Ritter.

Thank you for introducing my wonderful team.

This work happens because of great people who do great work.

And Dr.

Joffy was going to fill in for me this evening, but my plans were canceled for this evening, so I'm happy to be here tonight.

So thank you for that.

I do want to share just a few positive things that's happening this year with career and technical education.

Smith Tech opened at Oscar Smith Middle School this year.

We're so excited.

It's our School of Computer Science Innovation and Design.

And we opened this year with 200 students enrolled in grades six and seven.

We're adding eighth grade students next year, and from what I understand, we already have a waiting list, so we have lots of students excited to be involved in that program.

And it's a partnership with Old Dominion University, and that's going really well.

And I would invite any of you, if you're interested, to come visit.

We would love for you to go.

Not only are they involved in STEM and innovation and design work, they're also the first middle school to have a music production uh elective course, which is a fan favorite for our middle school students and one of mine as well.

So if you'd like to join me there for a visit, we also implemented major clarity, which really helps our students prepare for college and career readiness.

Uh actually, one of your council members actually took the major clarity assessment in good news.

Um council member Pat King, you picked the right career field uh because you uh you ended up in that exact area where you're where you're practicing.

And then, of course, uh we had a future focus event this year for our ninth grade students that was very popular.

Um we have really invested quite a bit in helping our students look at what's next as they move into the future, and then we're real excited about future pathways that's coming up, which is a career exploration event for high school juniors and seniors to help them develop a roadmap for their future, and what we're really focusing on are those three pillars enrollment, enlistment, and employment, and we all know how important those are.

And the event is scheduled for Thursday, April 30th, so put this on your calendars, uh 10 to 1, 10 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

It'll be at the Chesapeake Conference Center.

We're gonna serve over 500 Chesapeake students, and it's planned uh with our partnership with the CTE Advisory Council and Virginia Ed Strategies.

I also want to put in a plug for our Grow Our Own program, which we continue to do, our internship programs for our students in Chesapeake, where they get work-based learning experiences and they get paid.

You all may remember when you did internships, you did those for free.

Our students get paid now, which is great.

They get 40 hours of paid internship work right in the school system.

And then, of course, last year we opened Peak Cafe, which you all have had the opportunity to benefit from when we've had events at our central office with our culinary students.

Signing Day is a fan favorite for you all.

I know many of you attend that as well.

That will be in May.

Last year, 70 students participated with 30 employers right here in Chesapeake.

Those students got careers.

Students were happy, but guess who was most excited?

Parents.

Uh, because their children are employed.

And then, of course, I could go on and on, but that's May 28th at 6 p.m.

Put that on your calendar as well.

And of course, the worlds of work is something we've been doing for our middle school students, which has been very popular as well.

And what I'm so proud of is these great folks are always thinking about ways that we can encourage students to pursue a career pathway, and there's so many options for our students, and it's our mission to make sure they know what's available to them so that when they graduate with a diploma and a plan, each and every one of our students in Chesapeake Public Schools.

And I do want to say thank you to all of you because you are so supportive of career and technical education.

We couldn't do this without your support.

And I also want to point out that a lot of the things I mentioned, economic development supports as well with the scholarships we offer with our career and technical education students as well as some of our events.

And again, that's certainly at your direction and with your support.

So thank you all.

And I look forward to seeing you at some events this spring.

Appreciate that.

Thank you.

What?

I was just waiting for you to get back.

I'm gonna pass the gavel back to the mayor.

Thank you.

Next uh is where are we?

Citizens comments.

All right, citizens' comments.

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 reasonable considering the purpose of the meeting as established by the city council's rules of order and procedure.

Any speaker that delays, interrupts, or otherwise disrupts city council's ability to conduct its 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?

Yes, sir.

We have one speaker, Vic Nichols speaking on various items.

Isn't this one number eight?

Yes, sir.

Yes, ma'am, agenda items.

Okay, so the friend um still water city manager six and city clerk one a stillwater.

Let me go over.

I don't think you have your mic on, do you?

Okay.

May you want to get a little closer.

Try again.

There you go.

You're good.

Okay.

Like for y'all to take a look at Stillwater.

I took a look at this.

This is really nice.

There is an area here that they're putting on here that you can have food trucks and stuff.

If y'all remember the very successful Saturday morning farmers market that we had out here, we haven't had anything like that in ages.

And that's the first thing this reminded me of is a place where people can get together and stuff.

So I was really excited when I saw this and it was pointed out.

So just you know, that's kind of a little flash thing.

And another one, brownstones.

Um being able to see this here, I've only seen it in one other place.

And at least in this area, I've seen it more in like Boston, Balmer, places like that.

So I like that style.

It's something different.

So just you know, one to say, hey guys, take a look.

This is something really different, it's nice, and I'm really great.

The other thing is on that other issue is on greenbrier.

And I'm sitting here wondering where we are going with Greenbriar, because we're not doing anything about the infrastructure.

How many years have I been up here and says stuff about the traffic and it's just getting worse?

So, where is this money actually going to help out the traffic there because the businesses suffer when people go, we don't want to go there because of the traffic.

I mean, that that's an that's a very easy one.

And that's especially along Greenbrier and Volvo in that area, and that's what I'm looking at.

Y'all are putting a lot of money into Dollar Tree.

Dollar Tree is not investing in us, they definitely don't want to help little kids' sports or things, anything like that.

They're always a no-one.

That's not a good corporate group here.

I mean, hey, developers over here, they at least do more for the city and its people than big Dollar Tree.

They're a nice name, but I know these guys.

If you wanted to have little league uniforms or something, you needed, hey, can we get you to sponsors for $500 or something?

These guys would do it.

That's the difference.

We need to start making these corporate people when they come here, remember the ones who accepted them.

And when we constantly give things to Dollar Tree all the time at the expense of others, it's a problem, guys.

We see it and we feel it.

How about supporting Chesapeake?

Thank you.

Thank you.

That concludes the speaker.

Next is consent agenda, Madam Clerk.

Would you please present it?

City Clerk items one, acknowledgments, public necessity, convenience, general welfare, and good zoning practice requires the following zoning reclassification request to be heard.

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

This item is tentatively scheduled to be heard by the planning commission on March the 11th, 2026, and will be considered by City Council at a future meeting.

APLN REZ 2025-017, Steelwater.

Two resignation.

Jaquela Bird Stop Inc.

City Manager Item 1, request a transfer 264,185 in the Capital Budget from the Park Program Improvement 2 project to the Northwest River Park Improvements Project requested by Parks Recreation and Tourism.

Item two, request to amend the FY 2026 operating budget by transferring $1,050,000 within the general fund to the police department and increasing the appropriation of the Central Fleet Fund by $1,050,000.

Requested by budget.

Item 3, request to amend the FY 2026 Capital Improvement Program by appropriating $3,015,000 to the Bel Air Avenue Extension Project and $380,000 to the Oak Grove Park Phase 2 project requested by budget.

That concludes the consent agenda, Mayor.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Are there any items councils would like to consider removing from the regular agenda?

I would like to remove number city manager item two from consent agenda.

Thank you.

We have a motion.

Move approval.

Second.

For all item but number two, please prepare to vote.

Vote and record.

Motion to the to approve the consent agenda with the exception of City Manager Item Two is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Thank you.

Next is regular agenda.

We will go to item two under consent.

Ms.

Ritter.

Thank you.

I just want to direct a couple questions to the city manager, if I might.

There was some confusion.

Questions I was asked about this.

Could you explain this, please?

Yes, ma'am.

Actually, this came as a request from the police department in next for next year's budget, the budget where we're preparing right now.

And it's to replace a significant amount of aging vehicles in the police department's fleet allocation, so uh police cars.

And we during the pandemic and actually in the years since the pandemic, we've been running these vehicles for way longer than we should.

For during the pandemic, it was because vehicles were very hard to procure.

And then over the past several years, um inflation has sort of been out of control, and the cost of vehicles has skyrocketed, rocketed in addition to being hard to procure.

So we've been running vehicles for a lot longer, and the longer you wait to purchase them, those the costs continue to escalate.

So by purchasing them now, we'll do a couple things.

Number one, um, there's a long lead time to get these vehicles in and outfitted, so we'll be able to get them deployed sooner, and the police department deserves the very best equipment.

We can't have equipment in the field that's likely to fail, um, so we'll get them that equipment quicker.

The second is it'll be more cost effective because we'll be procuring them sooner.

And the third is over time, as we're replacing the fleet, you don't want your entire fleet to need to be replaced at the same time.

So you'll see in this budget year, we're starting to get back to a normal purchase schedule where we're staggering vehicles over time so that we don't need to replace them all at one time.

But we did feel that given the critical nature of the work the police does, we wanted to expedite this request.

Thank you, Mr.

Price.

I think sometimes it's important to explain reasoning behind some of these budget items, and to be able to replace vehicles with a critical need and save money at the same time.

Um, especially as we go into the budget, we know things are going to be tight for people.

So thank you for your foresight.

And with that, I would move approval of this item.

Thank you.

Mr.

Fedder could have a second, please.

Second.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve city manager item two is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Next is regular agenda.

Mr.

Manager.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Item 4 is a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute a memorandum of understanding entering into the FY26 Markets Alert Regional Cost Share between area community service boards requested by Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health Care.

Thank you, sir.

Motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Ms.

Ms.

Nilan.

Second.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 5 is a request to accept and appropriate $377,0164 received from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority to the Opioid Settlement Grant requested by CIBH.

Ms.

Redder.

Thank you.

Move approval.

Thank you.

Second, please.

Mr.

Jefferson?

Second.

Thank you.

Any discussion on this item?

Yes, please.

Spoke to the manager about this.

Chesapeake has been very fortunate in two ways.

He gave me this additional information that frankly I probably should have known.

But I thank you for that.

So I'm going to ask you if you could explain the source and why these grants have become so important to the city.

Sure, there's two ways that the opioid grant programs get funded.

Number one is there's been nationwide settlements and statewide settlements of for opioid lawsuits against the pharmaceutical companies, the companies themselves, plus distributors plus suppliers, including pharmacies.

So a very significant amount of money has been made available to compensate communities across the country for costs incurred, including future costs associated with the opioid epidemic.

So in Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia has settled several of these suits, and then those monies get allocated to jurisdictions based on different criteria that the opioid abatement authority and the Commonwealth use to disperse those funds.

So that's what's happening with this agenda item tonight.

The second, you all will see from time to time where we will specifically apply for grants for a purpose.

So for example, um in the school, the recovery school that we recently stood up, mental health staff from the City of Chesapeake will be providing clinical services, and that was a specific grant that was applied for out of opioid funds.

Similarly, some of the mental health, new mental health beds at the Chesapeake Regional Medical Center.

So we get direct allocations from the Commonwealth, but we also have an opportunity from time to time to apply for grants.

So just to be clear, I think it's important again that people understand where we're going.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

So these grants are allowing the city to go above and beyond our budgetary plans to help with opioid abatement and overdoses, and particularly with deaths due to opioid use.

So there are two sources.

One is the state legal action that is run through the opioid abatement authority.

The second is Ms.

Lindley's office was critical in this that our city was a direct plaintiff in some of these significant lawsuits.

But the settlement the city gets also comes through the OAA, but it is not part of the same lawsuit.

Is that would that be a correct characterization?

Well, the funds that come for the lawsuit are all filtered through the state, as you said, and then we get our allocated percentage based on the memorandum memorandum of understanding we entered into with the Attorney General.

So we're a very fortunate locality in that we essentially have two sources from which to draw.

And I I would like to recognize what a great job our staff does writing these grants.

We've been the recipient for in excess of five million dollars that we would not have had to help with these issues, and would like to recognize Mr.

Wright, who is leading the efforts on the OAA stop grant.

And what a great job they're doing.

We've learned not surprisingly, I guess.

In studies, the biggest challenge we really face right now is how to educate the public as to how to get access and what resources are there.

So I guess that comes under the old column of you don't know what you don't know.

But we're gonna do the very best job we can have people understand where they can get help and what resources are available, especially to families in need of it.

So thank you.

And I hope everybody will understand the importance of these funds and what they are doing to make life better for people here in the city.

Thank you for indulging me.

Thank you.

Motion is in order by Ms.

Ritter.

Excuse me, Ms.

Ritter has made a motion for approval.

Dr.

Ward has seconded it.

Any further discussion?

Dr.

Ward?

I'm sorry, I did have a question.

Go ahead.

Um to the uh attorney about the funds.

I just wanted to, because we received a very lengthy report is the part of the Hampton Old Planning District Commission meeting.

Uh and I think Mr.

Councilman Breader for being a part of that um program.

But some of the funds that we are getting because a lot of the in addition to cities, there were a lot of information about the pharmaceutical companies who had been sued because of the prescriptions and all of that.

I just want to know that any of our funds come from the results of those lawsuits that were won, because and there were a lot of them named.

I just wanted to know if some of the funds came from that source or that pot of money.

Yes, you are correct.

In fact, that tonight's um the item on tonight's agenda represents funds from a lawsuit involving Walmart and Walgreens and several other defendants.

And so we have numerous lawsuits, again, several defendants, and a lot of the funds that are coming in are a result of those settlements.

Thank you.

I just wanted to make sure that you know the public you know is aware too.

Uh we certainly have issues with uh a lot of uh residents um needing these resources, but I was also wanting to make sure that all these companies, because there are a lot of things that have been done, and be uh really concerned about that too.

Uh, residents are really the victims of some of this distribution of uh these um medicines or prescriptions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other discussion?

See none, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record, Madam Clark.

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

Item six is a request to transfer $2,811,800 from the Greenbrier Site Infrastructure Capital Improvement Project to the Bel Air Avenue Extension Capital Improvement Project requested by public works.

A motion is in order.

Move approval.

I've got back to Whitaker.

Oh, thank you.

Dr.

Ward, thank you.

Any other discussion on this item?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 7 is an ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute a co-build agreement between the city and the South Side Network Authority regarding the party's respective rights and duties addressing the cooperative installment and sale of conduit for fiber optic cable along a parallel route within the City of Chesapeake, requested by information technology.

A motion, please.

Move.

Thank you.

Second.

Thank you.

Mr.

Whitaker, any discussion?

Yeah, I'm again ask the manager a question.

I know there are people out there listening.

So could you explain, please, what this means and what it means.

I guess I see Mr.

Miller in the back, and we can that is you, right, Harvey.

Um if you need be, have him come down and discuss the um success of the City of Chesapeake and their involvement in the authority.

So I'll take a shot, and then if if we get into trouble, I'll call Mr.

Miller.

Um Chesapeake is building a fiber optic ring around the entire city to be able to um uh provide fiber optics in areas where it doesn't exist, really to improve um high-speed internet access throughout the city.

In addition, the Southside Network Authority, which is a collection of uh it's a uh it's the South Side cities have joined together to form an authority to build a regional ring connecting to the undersea cables to light that fiber to be able to really provide that high-speed internet access across the entire region.

So in one area of this project where Chesapeake Connects, which is the city's ring, um intersects uh uh in with the South Side Network Authority, we decided uh in order to save time, money, effort for both organizations, we would do a co-build along that one piece.

So while um the city's infrastructure was being built, the South Side Network Authority infrastructure was being built at the same time, and this um agenda item will allow for the reimbursement of the city from the South Side Network Authority of um cost incurred.

And it's about 1.7 million dollars.

Yes, ma'am.

And that money will be allocated to information technology.

So I know I I know I've taken up some time, but I always think it is important to recognize the staff's work.

So, Ms.

Fitzpatrick.

Thank you.

This is really a very complicated project, two projects that are complicated that you have helped the city navigate.

Mr.

Miller also I learned something every day from him about how important this is for the city.

But for people in Chesapeake, I want you to know we are the first of the five cities to complete our portion of the construction.

Chesapeake took a different route than the other four.

Um, and I won't call their names, but they're easy to figure out.

But we are the first ones finished, we are the first ones ready, and very quickly, our own project will be coming to life.

So this can benefit everybody, but it has been a huge lift.

This is not easy.

And I want to thank Ms.

Fitzpatrick, Mr.

Miller, and everybody who has been involved.

Jay Crail, who is not here, um, is the project manager to say we're going to be able to advance because of the foresight and the hard work you all have put in.

So thank you all, and the support of Mr.

Price.

Thank you very much.

And to you, Ms.

Ritter, thank you for all that you are doing to make uh this thing move move forward as well.

We do have a motion for approval.

Is there any other discussion, Mr.

Bodhidgeon?

Okay.

Seeing none, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Thank you.

Next, the citizens' comments on services policies and affairs.

Yes, sir.

We have four speakers.

They will get five minutes each.

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

I want to address several things.

One, speed cameras.

Alexandria took in 3.5 million, they were tops.

Chesapeake took in 3.1 million.

So, in another words, we're ripping off people for money.

I don't care how you're going to spin it.

I have heard it before.

I've been up here long enough.

Greenburn at Kemptsville, child of accounts member got rear-ended there, and that's why we put the speed camera there.

Okay?

Please.

I know because I talked with them.

Y'all have already been caught violating Virginia law on this because it's not supposed to be based on dollars.

I remember that.

The stats showing that if those things are effective in that area compared to other areas of the city, I still ain't never seen it at all, which kind of makes me suspicious.

Next, redistricting.

What we are looking at flat out is five seats in Fairfax and two in Richmond, which means Chesapeake is going to get dumped.

I don't care what party you are on, we are going to get hosed in that situation.

So for once in our lifetimes, can we have everybody sit there and realize that this is all of us, we're not going to benefit by this.

If Fairfax wants them data centers, they're going to shove them every which way there are, and it's not going to be good for this area.

We're already very much into sitting there looking with rezoning and everything like that.

You can forget Southern Chesapeake, it will they'll put data centers down there.

So I suggest y'all start doing something over screaming about our power and what happens to Chesapeake as a whole should that pass.

Now, because somebody mentioned ice.

Let me go through a couple of things there.

33,179 criminal illegal aliens were in custody in one state, sanctuary state.

Those crimes included 399 homicides, over 3300 assaults, um, 8300 dangerous drug offenses, and over 1,200 sexual predatory offensers.

We had one uh illegal that raped his girlfriend's dog to death.

That those kind of things kind of make me nervous.

This is why I understand we have compassion for people, but I ain't got no compassion for anybody that rapes their girlfriend's dog to death.

No offense, but I don't.

Okay.

I also personally, and this is painful.

I lost uh a friend who had been here on a green card for 13 years.

Her and her husband had advanced technical degrees, but we couldn't get them a citizenship.

They paid thousands to stay here and and into our taxes and everything.

They were law-abiding citizens, they did all the stuff right, all the tests, they spent their time and everything to be good members of this society, and I lost them after 13 years.

But yet we want other people that disregard us to stay, and I find that a slap in the face, not just to my friends, but to me.

While we're at it, the two-A city deal.

I still haven't seen y'all moved on that.

Other cities and counties are already speaking up, reaffirming that.

Where is this city?

Y'all were behind it before.

What's the problem now?

Because you know what?

Six semper tyrannists.

There's a reason that state flag has that as it is.

We have rights.

I had a handicapped senior get very upset because they're terrified as to what would happen without not being able to have guns or magazines or anything else, but yet we're gonna be a sanctuary state.

That is very scary.

I can actually deal a lot better with people with guns than I can a government that's trying to take our rights away.

And while I forgot a couple of things, on still water, two things that weren't mentioned.

How much time was wasted going back and forth because the city is rewriting development plans.

I need to see this because after what happened with the Dragus issue, I want to make sure that our affordable homes are affordable and they're not affordable.

If we're gonna sit there and have developers have to go back and forth.

I don't know if that's happened, but I'm bringing it up because I want to make sure y'all remember it.

All right.

If you're gonna sit there and want a developer to put only 10 homes, there, single family homes there, and 30 town homes, tell them ahead of time.

Because back and forth only delays us getting product out to people, and we know housing is needed and affordability is an issue.

That doesn't help it.

Thank you.

Tommy Hart speaking on public safety, followed by Melinda Wilson.

Oh, that great big thing.

Okay.

A little over a year ago I come in here and I I know I know y'all remember, but I told you about a Chesapeake police supervisor who I believe murdered and robbed a man on a canal bag, named Alan Forehand.

After that, uh I guess the chief of police sent two detectives to my house to uh invite me to go downtown for questioning.

I had something to do and I couldn't go with them, but they said I need to come down later on.

Of course, I was warned by two different police officers.

It was a one said it was a trap, other than said it was a setup, but same thing.

But anyhow.

We went down there, and I think I come down here and told y'all about all the false information that the police give me when they had me down.

First thing they did when I sat down, they showed me a truck.

Said, who you do, can you identify that truck?

I said, No, I can't identify that truck.

He said, Well, that's what you know, how much you know about this murder case.

That's the victim's truck.

I said, You're a line.

He said, Why you say that?

I said, the victim was driving a Toyota, and that's a Chevalet.

He shoved that back into folder, pulled out a Toyota.

Both the car trucks were the same, painted the same way.

I believe they've spent a lot of money making them trucks look alike.

This was all set up to try to trap me, but they fell in the trap.

So anyhow, they showed me two trucks, and I said, those are not the trucks.

I was surfing through the TV a couple of weeks, a couple months ago now, and all of a sudden I see on the television a murder of Alan Forehand.

And here's Detective Thomas on there, the same one that showed me the other two trucks and told me that they would belong to the victim.

He had the true truck on television the third time.

So they got three trucks in the crime folder for uh the murder of Alan Forehand.

Now, they showed me the bullet bullet, I said.

I had three bullets.

I was told that this lieutenant on the Chesapeake Police Board broke into evidence room and stole my bullets.

Plus, they said he stole the hammer handle that I had.

When they uh detector Griggs uh uh investigated the murder, he left the three bullets that the boy went through the guy's head in the ground right there next to the guy's truck.

He shoveled up the blood and threw it in the canal.

When I found those bullets, I called Detective Griggs and I said, Hey, you need to come down here and recover these bullets so it can go in with the case.

He said, Leave the damn bullets alone.

I don't need them, I know who committed the murder.

Well, he wasn't lying then.

He knew who committed the murder.

It was his lieutenant that committed a murder.

But yeah, they uh told me that those bullets were my bullets.

Detective Thomas told me, Oh, your bullets, he didn't break in there and stealing bullets, they were found in a crack in the safe.

I said, Why are they in a ziploc bag?

He said, Oh, the bag was your evidence envelope was getting tattered, so we'd switched them over.

You don't keep evidence in a ziploc bag.

Then I said, All right, you got the bag, let me see it.

He said, Oh no, you can't see it.

The chief says you can't look at nothing.

And I went to the chief and I told the chief, I said, I want to see my envelope.

That envelope belonged to me.

It was stolen from me.

If they sent them bullets off to the lab, the lab would have sent the bullets back to me because my return address was on the envelope.

I called the lab a half dozen times.

They never received the bullets.

Ches Peak Police said, Oh, yeah, we sent the bullets in.

If they sent them in and didn't change the envelope, I would have got them back.

So the bullets are no good, the hammer handle's no good.

None of the evidence.

I'm the only one that turned in any evidence on that murder.

The rest of those either thrown in the canal or left and scene.

Now I would like for y'all to get this thing straight.

You know he'll the Chesapeake police will never convict anybody of the murder of Valorant Forehand as long as I'm living.

I'm 86 years old and I'm gonna live a few more years.

They don't want to do it because when they call me up on the stand, I'm gonna raise my right hand and I'm gonna say it's all a bunch of lies.

That whole case, they don't have anything in that case that's the truth.

Thank you, sir.

All right.

Followed by Sam Barackie, good evening, uh, Mr.

Mayor, Council members.

Uh thank you very much for allowing me this opportunity to speak on an uh issue that's very important to me.

Uh my name is uh Melinda Wilson.

I live at uh 1617 Road Street, Chesapeake.

And I as an American citizen and a longtime resident of Virginia, I am requesting that you put an end to cooperation of local police with immigration and customs enforcement.

And there are several reasons why uh local law enforcement should not act as immigration agents.

Public safety depends on trust when residents, whether they are documented or not, fear that calling the police could lead to detention or deportation.

Crimes will often go unreported.

Victims stay silent, and our entire neighborhoods become less safe.

Those that are in public service have a moral and constitutional duty to protect all the residents of our city.

The Fourth Amendment guarantees freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures.

These protections do not disappear based on your immigration status.

Local governments should not be complicit in practices that undermine constitutional rights.

There is also a very clear fiscal issue.

Our tax dollars should fund our local priorities, not the federal deportation.

Using local resources to assist immigration enforcement takes money away from the services.

Recent actions by ICE in a variety of cities have raised serious concerns, including the use of excessive force and a complete disregard for constitutional rights.

Regardless of anyone's views on immigration policy, no agency should operate without uh oversight or accountability.

And Chesapeake should not be enabling this program.

And for those reasons, I humbly ask the council to terminate all contracts and or agreements between our city and federal immigration enforcement agencies, whether voluntary or presented as required.

Our city must stand for constitutional rights for citizens and genuine public safety.

And thank you all very much for your time.

Thank you, ma'am.

Next speaker.

That concludes the speakers.

We have one other.

Sam Baracki.

Requesting concurrent advertising for PLNREZ 2025-G017.

She wasn't trying to hurry your feet.

Good evening.

My name is Sam Baracki.

Business address is 5267 Greenish Road in Virginia Beach, currently, soon to be 300 Cedar Lake Drive in Virginia in Chesapeake.

I am here this evening on behalf of the applicant Virginia Builder Holding to request respectfully request approval for concurrent advertising associated with the rezoning application, PLN REZ 2025017 Stillwater.

This request is driven by contractual hardship with the owner of the larger parcel, which necessitate timely action in order to close the prop but to close on the property in accordance with the agreed upon contract terms.

We would like to take this time to thank planning staff for their continuing corporation guidance and cooperation throughout the process over the course of designing and reviewing more than 21 different layout for this community.

Staff input has been instrumental in shaping Stillwater into a community we believe will serve as a benchmark for future future rezoning effort within the Hickory-Edinburgh area.

The rezoning application is tentatively scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission in March 11 2026.

Approval of concurrent advertising will allow the application to advance to City Council for consideration in March 17.

Thereby avoiding another costly extension and avoid unnecessary delays.

With that, I stand by to answer question.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

We do have a request for action on a future agenda items from all the speakers from one speaker of the four.

Can I have a motion, please?

I would like to move approval for a concurrent advertising.

Thank you, Mr.

Wedger.

Thank you.

Ms.

Newens.

Is there any discussion?

Pardon?

Oh, Dr.

Ward, I apologize for that.

Thank you.

Any discussion.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

Motion to approve concurrent advertising for PLEN REZ 2025-017 still water is approved by 80 vote.

Thank you.

Next is unfinished business.

Do we have any unfinished business from council members?

Seeing none, we'll go to new business.

Madam Clerk, would you please present the new business A?

A resolution confirming confirming the declaration of an emergency in the City of Chesapeake due to severe winter weather, effective January the 23rd, 2026, and concluding that state of emergency ceased effective January 28, 2026.

Motion please.

Move approval.

Second.

I'm sorry, I didn't see a name on it.

Dr.

Ward.

No, second.

Ms.

Newens, any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Oh.

Thank you.

Mayor.

Yeah.

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

Oh, yeah.

Item B, a resolution confirming the declaration of an emergency in the City of Chesapeake due to severe winter weather, effective January 29, 2026, and concluding that the state of emergency ceased effective February the third, 2026.

Thank you.

A motion, please.

Mr.

Newt.

Thank you.

Mr.

Whitaker?

Second.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Thank you.

Are there any additional new business items Council members have at this time, Ms.

News?

I just want to take a moment to thank our city staff for the work under these storms.

Our public works crew did an excellent job of preparing in advance for storms and then maintaining the roads for us.

Mr.

Manager, if because we have had all these storms, I imagine there's a lot of potholes surfacing.

What can people do if they notice a pothole to get that taken care of?

Best thing would be to contact 382 City so we have folks that are available to uh log.call and then it helps us uh make sure that we follow up quickly.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And I appreciate that recognition.

I would like to say I I learned something about you know forecasting obviously is not always an exact science.

However, on that um the um storm where we had the really intense winds and it was bitterly cold.

Um, our utilities folks in particular, we had some water main breaks, um, and folks might have never noticed because the utility folks were responding in those winds that were sometimes 20 and 30 miles an hour where the real field was below zero, they were out there fixing water main.

So definitely appreciate the uh recognition.

Thank you.

Ms.

Gooder?

Thank you.

I want to thank particularly Mr.

Wright and Mr.

Barber for sticking around.

Um there are two requests I had, Mr.

Manager for naming recognition for two very remarkable women who should be recognized for their immeasurable contributions to the city.

The first who passed away right after Christmas was Peggy, I'm gonna do the whole thing.

If you've lived here a long time, Peggy Forehand Stillman Stolnicker, who built for the city of Chesapeake a remarkable nationally recognized library system.

Peggy was should be recognized for so many things, but her devotion to the public and to build a library system as we have today, really is remarkable and a feat of sheer will, particularly in a time when money was very tight.

So I've spoken to the manager and the mayor and to Mr.

Wright to ask the library advisory board and the public library foundation to please come back with a recommendation on how to include Peggy's name, which is Margaret.

Actually, Clara Margaret, she'd kill me if she heard me say that, um, into the central library.

Um I think it will have overwhelming support.

I I can't say how fortunate we were to have her.

And the next person, also a remarkable woman, um, who left us way too early in her life, Claire Askw.

Claire did equally remarkable things with our parks recreation, and it wasn't tourism then.

But she is responsible for so many acquisitions and again served at a time when money was very scarce.

And her contributions to the city also should be recognized.

And I've heard this from Mr.

Barber, and I know Mr.

Bun will probably be happy to weigh in because you worked for Claire.

She had a particular fondness for the Western Branch Park.

So if we could get back from your advisory board, a way to incorporate her name into the Western Branch Park.

And she was a resident of Western Branch.

So Mr.

Manager, thank you for allowing me to bring you know these ideas forward.

We're very judicious on using names.

It can cause issues, it can cause friction.

But in this case, I think by choosing a location that was very special for two very special women.

Maybe be able to do these recognition in April if we can.

Thank you so much.

And thank you for allowing me to bring those forward.

Thank you, Ms.

Ritter.

Dr.

Ward.

I'll just do Mr.

Nair, and I want to thank Councilman Ritter for bringing those names up.

And both Margaret Steelman.

We worked together for so many years.

So I do think that is such a great recommendation.

We have Women's History Month coming up next month in March.

So I think it certainly would be a great recommendation.

And also Claire asked you.

And we have Black History Month this month and Women's History Month next month.

Claire Ask you and I have long history, probably longer than anybody on this council.

She was my sub-teacher back in the 1960s, before going to Parks Recreation Tourism, but I taught English and she always I could always call on Claire to come in for me if there was a necessary event that I had to attend, like my mother's funeral.

She was just there for me and a great job as a sub-teacher and eventually a teacher in the Portsmouth School system.

So I do think that both women deserve the recognition and your timing is really appropriate because we are celebrating Black History Month, African American History Month, and of course Women's History Month in March.

So thank you for that.

And while I'm speaking, I do want to just give a shout out to Mr.

Luther in the administration of and I'm sorry, uh certainly superintendent, is not here in the CTE folks, but he just did um he called and sent an email and asked me to do um Black History podcast uh for our Chesapeake school system, and I just into really emphasize the Cornland School, and I appreciate that.

Um I was asked by Mr.

Lutu to present for all of the elementary students at Hickory Elementary, um, the fourth and fifth graders a few years back, a couple of years, about three years, and they did their 100th anniversary.

But he wanted me to talk about the Cornland School, and he remembered, and uh they were just so good.

And Mr.

Barbara is still here uh with Cornland, you know, it's very near and dear to my heart.

Um, and we're gonna have a visitation uh get ahead of Mike, but we got the information from Jessica, a little peak peak preview of the new visitors center, I think it's in um this month.

Uh so very appropriate too for Black History Month.

But we have some great things going on in our city, whether it's Parks Becation, libraries, and I feel blessed to have been a part of a lot of that uh that has happened over the last 53 years in Chesapeake, and thank you for the Western Branch being recognized, Eddie.

Oh, Councilman Ritter.

Um, because I'm always pitching for Western branch, but I can do D Creek and Western Branch too.

And it's good to recognize people.

Yeah, they feel good to let it be known.

Our citizens who may not know have known these women, but we remember.

And I thank you for all of that.

Thank you.

Any other new business?

Mr.

Buddh.

I'll be very brief.

I do want to follow up though.

What's the status on the Dr.

D.K.'s trail?

Have we got a set of update on that?

And then while you're coming down to I will echo um the vice mayor's um comments on Claire Asky, she was actually the superintendent when I first started my career with the city of Chesapeake in the early eighties.

Great lady.

So where we are in the update of that, we're vetting it through our various sports and commissions and all.

Any other new business?

Next is uh we do have a closed meeting.

A motion to conduct a closed meeting to one discuss the acquisition and conveyance of certain real properties located in the southern Chesapeake planning area where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body.

And two, to discuss the investment of public funds where competition negotiation or bargaining is involved where the financial interests of the city would be adversely affected if made public initially, specifically regarding a unique economic development opportunity.

Second?

Yeah.

Second.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote.

And record Madam Clerk.

Motion to conduct a closed meeting is adopted by an eight of it is now seven thirty-one.

Council will go into closed session.

A motion is certified that to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters exempt 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.

Move approval.

Amen.