OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Chesapeake City Council Meeting - February 24, 2026

City Council — Tuesday, February 24, 2026
BodyChesapeake, Virginia
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, February 24, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:05:33

Transcript — Verbatim
6:05

I want to welcome everyone to our work session.

6:09

Turn the uh Mike over to you.

6:11

Mr.

6:11

Manager.

6:12

Thank you, Mr.

6:12

Mayor.

6:13

So you'll recall that some time ago we gave you a briefing on an update, a very significant update to our parks and recreation master plan.

6:22

Following that update, we had a chance to work with the community a little bit to refine that plan.

6:27

So Mike Barber and his team are here to present to you tonight where we're at and be available to answer any questions.

6:33

So I'll turn it over to Mike.

6:35

Thank you, Mr.

6:36

Price.

6:37

Good afternoon, Mayor West, Vice Mayor Ritter, and members of City Council.

6:41

It's been almost 35 years, 35 years since a window into the year 2010, a plan for parks and recreation was adopted by uh Chesapeake City Council.

6:54

Um tonight we are very excited to um present to you a path to play, which um hopefully will serve us for the the next decade.

7:03

Um tonight will be for your consideration on adopting of this new master plan for the parks, recreation, and tourism department.

7:11

First, we'd like to thank our many residents and many community organizations for assisting in development of this plan.

7:19

This was indeed a community effort.

7:22

Um many groups and organizations stepped up, gave us feedback, gave us comments, came out to our public events, and really we took all of that into heart in developing of this plan.

7:33

We feel we've had good direction and solid resources over the last decade and really trying to take care of what we have and investing in modernizing some of our amenities as we moved into the future.

7:45

So that has been a real concentration over the last 10 years on really fixing a lot of the amenities that we have in our beautiful resources that we are so blessed to have.

7:54

This is this master plan has not only helped us for the future, but it's also helped evaluate those successes and will serve as a guide for us again for the next 10 years at least through successful models and best practices.

8:09

Um because we want to make sure at the end of the day, once this um project um plan is adopted, that we will make sure that Chesapeake remains an exceptional place to live, learn, work, farm, and play.

8:20

So with that, I'd like to reintroduce to you, Chris Destazi from Interface Um Studios, um, who was here last year with us and gave a brief presentation on where we were at that point.

8:32

And um will bring us to the home stretch tonight, and um uh Chris leads the consultant team of which they had several subcontractors, which he will talk to as well to make sure that we put together the best plan for Chesapeake.

8:45

Chris.

8:47

Thanks, Mike, and uh thank you to council for having me here today, the mayor of the city manager um for being a part of this process.

8:55

It's truly been a pleasure working down here in Chesapeake, getting to know your city, getting to be a part of this process and lending sort of my firm's additional capacity to this plan that is truly driven by and shaped by the people of Chesapeake.

9:12

Chris did get out of a foot of snow to get down here.

9:15

Um came from Philadelphia, so he made sure he got here this morning.

9:19

So I made sure.

9:20

Um, I'm from Philadelphia, as Mike said, uh, my firm is Interface Studio.

9:25

We uh do uh um urban planning, urban design, and a lot of park system planning.

9:31

Uh so you know, we've been working down here for the past about two years on uh Path to Play, Chesapeake's park recreation and tourism master plan, and it's really a pleasure to be here now to present to you the culmination of all that work.

9:47

So, as I mentioned, the schedule extended all the way back to April 2024.

9:52

Uh, and all of this is sort of in the packet in front of you.

9:56

So there's a lot of text in this um presentation.

10:00

It's sort of an executive summary of the plan.

10:01

I'm not going to read every single word, but I do want to highlight the tremendous amount of community engagement that went into this plan.

10:09

Uh the process engaged about 1,000 adults and about 500 youth across the city.

10:15

There were two dedicated public events.

10:17

Uh, I have to say, PRT puts on some of the best public events that I've had the pleasure of participating in as a consultant, uh, really showing off what makes the city great, what makes the department great, and gathering great input from residents.

10:31

The department dropped in on four different community events, held 11 different events at public schools across the city, getting over 500 uh youth involved in the process.

10:42

We had an advisory committee made up of uh members of city government, members of the public.

10:47

Uh we held four different meetings throughout the process.

10:49

They contributed uh their help, sort of guiding the process.

10:53

Uh a really essential part of the process.

10:55

We held a citywide statistically valid survey that was fielded by the National Survey Research Firm ETC Institute.

11:03

And that made sure, you know, we heard from 623 randomly selected residents from across the city.

11:11

And that makes sure that we're not only hearing from sort of the usual suspects who come out to meetings, but to the folks who don't always know how to participate or um don't have the time to participate necessarily.

11:22

You know, that survey goes to their households and makes sure uh that their voices are a part of this process.

11:28

There's also a citywide public survey that gathered uh over 250 responses, and then of course, our public comment period at the end of the process that made sure we gathered public comment on the final version of the plan and integrated those uh that feedback into this document that I'm presenting to you here today.

11:48

Before I jump into the strategies that are a part of the plan, I just want to talk a little bit about what we learned about the city as a part of this process.

11:56

First and foremost, PRT as a system and your city have grown tremendously since the 1991 parks and recreation plan.

12:05

As you of course know, Chesapeake's now the second largest city in Virginia.

12:09

Uh city population grew 66% since that previous plan.

12:14

Uh, and it's projected to keep growing over the coming decades.

12:18

Now, since that previous plan, PRT went from just nine parks and 977 acres, today 10 times as many parks, 90 parks, and 3,355 acres.

12:33

So it truly is time for a new vision for the system, a new plan for a system that is really nothing like it was uh when that previous plan was published.

12:44

In many ways, PRT is prepared uh for the continued growth of the system and has responded to the growth of the city really well.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Parks and Recreation███████████████████████23%
Procedural██████████████████████22%
Public Engagement███████████████15%
Economic Development█████████9%
Transportation Safety████████8%
Land Use and Zoning███████7%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Public Safety████4%
Pending Litigation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Chesapeake City Council Meeting - February 24, 2026

The Chesapeake City Council held a work session at 5:15 p.m. and a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on February 24, 2026, at City Hall. The work session focused on the 2026 Parks, Recreation and Tourism Master Plan, while the regular meeting addressed toll rate increases, adoption of the master plan, funding adjustments, public comments on various issues, and amendments to council rules. The council also entered a closed meeting to discuss a prospective multipurpose event center.

Work Session: Parks, Recreation and Tourism Master Plan

  • City Manager Christopher Price and Parks, Recreation and Tourism Director Michael Barber, along with consultant Chris D'Agostino of Interface Studio, presented the "Path to Play" master plan, replacing the 1991 plan. The process engaged approximately 1,000 adults and 500 youth, including a statistically valid survey of 623 randomly selected residents. Since 1991, the city's population has grown 66%, and the park system expanded from 9 parks (977 acres) to 90 parks (3,355 acres). The department provides over $71 million in recreational value, $27 million in health benefits, and $709 million in environmental benefits annually. Volunteer labor represents nearly a third of agency staffing costs ($9 million per year). Over half of playgrounds are over 20 years old; five community centers were built before 1980. The plan identifies four goals: maintaining existing assets, modernizing facilities, expanding programming for all ages and abilities, and promoting tourism. Council members, including Vice Mayor Ritter and Council Members Ward and Bunn, praised the department's work. Vice Mayor Ritter requested an update on the MOU with schools and discussed fees-in-lieu for parkland dedication. The presentation concluded with a special appearance by Miss Abilities Olivia Raymond, inviting the council to the 2026 Chesapeake Abilities Pageant on March 8.

Consent Calendar

  • Resignations: Accepted Robert Bricker from the Utility Review Board and Ronald Telsch from the Human Services Advisory Board (effective March 12, 2026).
  • Ordinance (Emergency): Amended City Code Chapter 74 to remove mandatory jail provisions for a third or subsequent traffic violation (approved 9-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Public Hearing – Toll Rate Resolution: Vic Nichols (self) spoke in opposition, noting the 11 a.m. meeting time made it hard for commuters to attend and requested better notification. Council Member Smith expressed reluctance but supported the increase due to bond repayment and maintenance needs; Mayor West encouraged E-ZPass use.
  • Agenda Items: Vic Nichols opposed proposed amendments to Council Rules of Order, citing concerns about First Amendment rights and transparency. Brad Moore (self) supported adopting the Parks Master Plan, praising community engagement.
  • Non-Agenda Comments: Vic Nichols raised multiple issues including redistricting, Dominion Energy rates, and a state parole program. Tommy Hart (self) alleged corruption in the police department and court system. Amber Snook (self) and Alan Keffer (self) expressed concerns about commercial development on Bedford Street, traffic safety, and notification of use permits. Brad Moore advocated for replacing Seaboard Avenue's concrete with asphalt to expedite the project. Judi Leader (self, representing Bedford Street residents) asked the city to confirm that all current projects have valid approvals and to check for lapsed permits. Mayor West directed the City Manager to investigate the Bedford Street concerns and contact residents, and the City Manager agreed to provide a report on Seaboard Avenue.

Discussion Items

  • Toll Rate Resolution (Public Works): A resolution to amend and extend toll rate schedules for the Chesapeake Transportation System. Council Member Smith noted the discount for using an E-ZPass and the ability to share transponders. The resolution passed 5-4 (Bunn, Jefferies, Ritter, Smith, West in favor; King, Newins, Ward, Whitaker opposed).
  • Parks and Recreation Master Plan Adoption: Resolution repealing the 1991 plan and adopting the 2026 plan. Council Members Ward and Bunn expressed strong support. Unanimously approved 9-0.
  • Funding Source Amendment (Public Utilities): Changed capital improvement budget expenses from future revenue bonds to cash. Approved 9-0 without discussion.
  • Raleigh Place Sewer CIP Appropriation: Appropriated $2,528,123 and changed $4,400,000 from cash to future revenue bonds, declared an emergency. City Manager Price confirmed the project is ready. Approved 9-0.
  • Amendments to Council Rules of Order and Procedure: The amendments require council member agenda requests to be voted on. Council Member Newins confirmed that denied requests are memorialized in minutes. Approved 9-0.
  • Special Election Discussion: Extensive discussion on the April 21 special election for a constitutional amendment. City Attorney Lindley explained that the state code requires early voting locations to be set 55 days prior, but the bill's timing (signed on a Friday) made it legally impossible to designate additional sites beyond the registrar's office. Council members expressed concern about voter access and transparency. Vice Mayor Ritter requested cost reports for special elections. Council Member Newins requested recognition for Jarrod Britt for alerting homeowners to a fire. Council Member King requested information on high water bills. Council Member Ward asked to explore a train crossing alert system.

Key Outcomes

  • Votes:
    • Toll rate resolution: Passed 5-4.
    • Parks Master Plan adoption: Approved 9-0.
    • Funding source change (CIP): Approved 9-0.
    • Raleigh Place sewer appropriation (emergency): Approved 9-0.
    • Consent agenda: Approved 9-0.
    • Council Rules amendments: Approved 9-0.
    • Closed meeting certification: Approved 9-0 (initial) and 8-0 (Council Member Newins excused).
  • Directives:
    • City Manager to investigate Bedford Street concerns and provide answers to residents.
    • City Manager to prepare a report and recommendation on Seaboard Avenue pavement policy (concrete vs. asphalt).
    • City Manager to post the Dominion Energy letter on the city website.
    • City Manager to provide a detailed list of Operation Ceasefire grants and value.
    • City Manager to provide information on how the city pursues advertising, lapsed use permits, and property inspections for Bedford Street.
    • City Manager to report costs of special elections.
    • City Manager to provide public input on Seaboard Avenue along with the report, including price points and timelines for concrete, asphalt, or tinted asphalt.
    • City Manager to provide information on extremely high water bills at the next meeting.
    • City Manager to explore a train crossing alert system.
    • Staff to arrange recognition for Jarrod Britt at a future meeting.
  • Closed Meeting: Convened at 7:43 p.m. to discuss a prospective multipurpose event center and investment of public funds (allowed under Virginia Code § 2.2-3711(A)(5) and (6)). Reconvened at 8:15 p.m.; certification approved 8-0.
  • Adjournment: 8:16 p.m.

Meeting Transcript

I want to welcome everyone to our work session. Turn the uh Mike over to you. Mr. Manager. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. So you'll recall that some time ago we gave you a briefing on an update, a very significant update to our parks and recreation master plan. Following that update, we had a chance to work with the community a little bit to refine that plan. So Mike Barber and his team are here to present to you tonight where we're at and be available to answer any questions. So I'll turn it over to Mike. Thank you, Mr. Price. Good afternoon, Mayor West, Vice Mayor Ritter, and members of City Council. It's been almost 35 years, 35 years since a window into the year 2010, a plan for parks and recreation was adopted by uh Chesapeake City Council. Um tonight we are very excited to um present to you a path to play, which um hopefully will serve us for the the next decade. Um tonight will be for your consideration on adopting of this new master plan for the parks, recreation, and tourism department. First, we'd like to thank our many residents and many community organizations for assisting in development of this plan. This was indeed a community effort. Um many groups and organizations stepped up, gave us feedback, gave us comments, came out to our public events, and really we took all of that into heart in developing of this plan. We feel we've had good direction and solid resources over the last decade and really trying to take care of what we have and investing in modernizing some of our amenities as we moved into the future. So that has been a real concentration over the last 10 years on really fixing a lot of the amenities that we have in our beautiful resources that we are so blessed to have. This is this master plan has not only helped us for the future, but it's also helped evaluate those successes and will serve as a guide for us again for the next 10 years at least through successful models and best practices. Um because we want to make sure at the end of the day, once this um project um plan is adopted, that we will make sure that Chesapeake remains an exceptional place to live, learn, work, farm, and play. So with that, I'd like to reintroduce to you, Chris Destazi from Interface Um Studios, um, who was here last year with us and gave a brief presentation on where we were at that point. And um will bring us to the home stretch tonight, and um uh Chris leads the consultant team of which they had several subcontractors, which he will talk to as well to make sure that we put together the best plan for Chesapeake. Chris. Thanks, Mike, and uh thank you to council for having me here today, the mayor of the city manager um for being a part of this process. It's truly been a pleasure working down here in Chesapeake, getting to know your city, getting to be a part of this process and lending sort of my firm's additional capacity to this plan that is truly driven by and shaped by the people of Chesapeake. Chris did get out of a foot of snow to get down here. Um came from Philadelphia, so he made sure he got here this morning. So I made sure. Um, I'm from Philadelphia, as Mike said, uh, my firm is Interface Studio. We uh do uh um urban planning, urban design, and a lot of park system planning. Uh so you know, we've been working down here for the past about two years on uh Path to Play, Chesapeake's park recreation and tourism master plan, and it's really a pleasure to be here now to present to you the culmination of all that work. So, as I mentioned, the schedule extended all the way back to April 2024. Uh, and all of this is sort of in the packet in front of you. So there's a lot of text in this um presentation. It's sort of an executive summary of the plan. I'm not going to read every single word, but I do want to highlight the tremendous amount of community engagement that went into this plan. Uh the process engaged about 1,000 adults and about 500 youth across the city. There were two dedicated public events. Uh, I have to say, PRT puts on some of the best public events that I've had the pleasure of participating in as a consultant, uh, really showing off what makes the city great, what makes the department great, and gathering great input from residents. The department dropped in on four different community events, held 11 different events at public schools across the city, getting over 500 uh youth involved in the process. We had an advisory committee made up of uh members of city government, members of the public. Uh we held four different meetings throughout the process. They contributed uh their help, sort of guiding the process. Uh a really essential part of the process. We held a citywide statistically valid survey that was fielded by the National Survey Research Firm ETC Institute. And that made sure, you know, we heard from 623 randomly selected residents from across the city. And that makes sure that we're not only hearing from sort of the usual suspects who come out to meetings, but to the folks who don't always know how to participate or um don't have the time to participate necessarily.

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