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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

Uh city population grew 66% since that previous plan.

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

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.

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.

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.

You know, our our statistically valid survey showed that residents are really happy with the programming that the department offers, the day-to-day maintenance that the department provides.

Uh, and our data analysis has shown that the department has, as Mike said, sort of focused on rehabilitation of the existing uh system to great effect.

You know, 100% of playgrounds are inspected every year.

Uh all eight community centers have been almost completely rehabbed in the past decade.

And your residents are very committed to this system.

I think volunteerism is one of these sort of shining stars of the system.

Um a typical system, you know, volunteerism represents maybe five to seven percent of agency staffing costs.

Here it represents nearly a third of agency staffing costs, over $9 million a year worth of labor contributed by Chesapeake residents who love the parks and recreation system.

Uh the department maintains operating expenditures on par with national best practices and does so while offering extraordinarily low user fees, low fees for rec centers, low fees for programming.

Uh and we brought on an economic impact analysis firm uh Radbridge to help us quantify the broader impact of the system.

And they've come back and shown us that PRT as a department provides each year over 71 million dollars in recreational value to the residents of Chesapeake, over 27 million dollars in health benefits to the city, over 709 million dollars in environmental benefits for the city, and for each 1,000 visitors to special events that PRT hosts, the department injects about 100,000 dollars a day into the local economy.

So the department's doing a lot really well, nonetheless, the system is aging and there's some key gaps.

Uh the department is, you know, the department, the assets that the department maintains are getting older.

Over half of playgrounds are over 20 years old.

Five of your community centers were built in and before 1980.

And what that means is that they lack the sort of variety and modern amenities that many residents are looking for when they're choosing where to live these days.

And that's a really hard one for Chesapeake to tackle as such a tremendous geography.

Additionally, there's significant unmet demand for parks and recommended these according to the statistically valid survey, especially aquatics, waterfront places to hang out, as I mentioned, sort of these indoor rec spaces, restrooms, and natural and conservation areas, among others.

We know the city's investing more in PRT.

We know this body has invested tremendously more in PRT over the recent years.

But the department is playing catch-up.

Between 2020 and 2024, on average, the CIP for the department was about 11.6 million dollars, which far exceeds the national average and is a really important investment in the PRT system.

But this is building on uh previous years when sort of the average was around half that amount, which was significantly below the national average, which, like I said, is sort of uh, you know, the department is playing catch up on investment.

Um, but there's a lot of support among residents for the type of investments uh that PRT needs uh as demonstrated through our statistically valid survey.

So to summarize, Chesapeake has an opportunity, we believe, to level up the PRT system, to keep up with the needs of this growing city, to provide modern design, destinations and recreation that residents and businesses are looking for, and to strengthen operations and maintenance to sustain the system as it grows.

There are four goals in this plan to keep taking care of what we have.

This was the number one thing that came out of all of our engagement, keep taking care of the system that we have, modernize the system with investments in parks and rec facilities that residents want, fill the year with activities and fund for uh all ages and abilities, and invite tourists and residents to enjoy Chesapeake's nature, water, agriculture, and heritage.

So I'll jump into some of the recommendations in the plan now.

This is sort of an executive summary, as I said, so I'm happy to answer more questions and dive in deeper as needed.

Uh but the number one sort of capital strategy in the plan is to invest in signature destinations that residents and businesses are looking for, especially nature-based and water-based experiences that build on what's really special about Chesapeake.

And so, what are signature destinations?

We're talking about one-of-a-kind park experiences that bring together in one little place uh elevated design, public art, maintenance, programming, special events, sometimes commercial activities like uh restaurants or or snack uh shacks, places that can uh be fun for the whole family, uh, that are lively and exciting, and really can serve as a centerpiece for their neighborhoods, but also for the city.

The second capital strategy is really about investing in indoor recreation and aquatics.

The table in the top left there shows uh how much indoor rec space the city could accommodate given its population and projected population growth.

And our calculation shows that given projected population growth over the next 20 years, the PRT system could accommodate up to 287,000 additional square feet of additional rec indoor rec space, including aquatic centers, senior centers, and uh recreational space.

That could be split upong a variety of different areas, and I think there's a lot of flexibility in how the city could meet that kind of need.

Um at the bottom there, you know, it could be neighborhood centers that have smaller footprints, specialized programs.

Uh most of your existing centers are in that sort of middle bracket, community centers, but there's also a need for these sort of landmark regional recreation centers, uh, similar to say Kemptsville rec center across the border in Virginia Beach that offer one of a kind of experiences, their destination centers for people from across the city that can really define the system.

Uh, in terms of where those things could be located, the plan includes maps that show which areas of the city are underserved, what sort of areas of the city are growing, and where there are opportunity sites where we know there's capacity to build these sorts of centers.

Uh the third capital strategy is about an implementation of uh the zoning ordinance, particularly the elements that uh concern parkland dedication.

And there's certain things that the city uh that the department can do, and there's certain things that are in the plan that are more uh like best practices for your information as a council to consider into the future.

Uh so in terms of what the department can do and what the plan does, it defines how fees in lieu of the um of satisfying the dedication ordinance uh can be used by the department.

Uh and it states that fees could be used to acquire or improve sites within a half mile of the development that provided the fees uh in lieu.

However, if PRT determines that there's no adequate space within a half mile of the development, or if the development is already adequately served by nearby parks, fees may be spent at parks throughout the city that residents of the new development could be expected to use.

Uh as I mentioned, there's additional sort of national best practices in this plan around zoning ordinances for uh parkland dedication for your consideration uh to jump into, and I'm happy to answer questions about those as well.

Uh the fourth capital strategy focusing new park and amenity development in high need areas and areas of growth.

Chesapeake is a huge city.

Uh satisfying putting everyone within a 10-minute walk of a park would be a tremendous, tremendous task.

However, what you can do to really impact uh the day-to-day lives of residents is focus new park and amenity development in the communities that need it most and in the areas that are growing fast.

So this map shows in blue uh areas of recent growth according to the census, and in red, high need communities according to the trust for public land, and only those uh areas of the city that do not currently have walkable access to parks.

We've included this as uh an advisory map as you consider future park development.

The fifth capital strategies around supporting uh PRT's very successful rehabilitation efforts by continuing to make sure there are flexible ongoing CIP categories that allow money to flow to every type of asset throughout the system.

So this is something that you've done really well, and I've pointed, you know, Mike's pointing out, and I pointed out one of the real successes of PRT over the past uh recent years is in maintaining the system as it exists.

And one of the sort of behind the scenes things that make sure that happen is the CIP to make sure there are categories that allow rehabilitation money to flow to every sort of asset.

But as we're recommending these uh really transformative investments in the system, it's essential that you return to the CIP and make sure that there continue to be categories in the CIP that allow rehabilitation funds to flow to these new assets so that they can continue to be maintained over time.

The next two strategies focus on maintenance.

Uh, six and seven, maintenance of the system.

This work is often behind the scenes, it's less visible than big, shiny capital projects, but it is absolutely essential to ensuring the department delivers high quality parks and recreation facilities, not just on opening day, but day after day and year after year.

Um to summarize these two strategies, we recommend that the department as the department and the city grows, so must its maintenance capacity.

And that means new plans for the management of essential assets, new staff to care for these parks, trails, trees, these things that are a core part of what makes Chesapeake such a fantastic city.

Uh and new behind-the-scenes equipment and facilities to ensure that the maintenance team's work is efficient and effective as the department grows.

The next two strategies address recreation programming.

So, as I said, recreation programming is something residents say PRT does great.

Um survey data showed, however, that there is some unmet demand for recreation programming.

And so the department should continue to innovate around rec programs and events, especially special events, senior programs, adult programs, uh therapeutic recreation, and things related to nature, water, fitness, and wellness.

As the department innovates around programming, it's important to maintain these low user fees that the department has offered to make sure there's a low barrier to entry to the essential programs that the department offers.

And in order to maintain low uh user fees for sort of essential programs, the department should continue to look for opportunities to raise revenue sort towards sort of value-added programs, programs that are uh serve a smaller audience that aren't related to the core mission, uh, that are sort of a private service to sort of subsidize those um essential programs that we want to keep low cost for residents.

Lastly, uh tourism strategies.

So PRT, right?

And can't forget the T.

So the recommendation in the plan is to collaborate citywide to enhance destinations for holiday hospitality and entertainment.

So, what does that mean?

It means continuing to make sure that all three divisions of the PRT department collaborate with each other and inform each other's work, but also to continue to focus on nature, waterways, history, and agriculture as the distinctive sort of selling points of your city on the tourism stage.

Uh to enhance arts and culture offerings, uh, which are sort of a gap right now in the sort of larger offerings of the city from a tourism and uh recreation perspective, to pursue development of athletic facilities, performing arts facilities, andor convention space to accommodate uh larger scale events, which again is a sort of a gap in this uh system right now, and lastly, to evaluate lodging, dining, streetscape amenities, multimodal accessibility in key neighborhoods that are our destinations to make sure they really function as uh holistic tourism destinations.

So that wraps up the section about the strategies.

I just want to make a comment or two about implementation.

Um there may be opportunities for the department to increase revenue to really make sure you know the department's uh contributing to implementation of this plan through additional revenue.

Uh this table shows the feasibility and the potential to raise revenue of different strategies.

Currently, Chesapeake its revenue is uh earned income is sort of lower than the national average, about five uh dollars and fifty-eight cents per resident.

The national average is around 2171 per resident.

So if the department were to increase revenue, say up to the national average, it could generate up to five million additional dollars per year, but even a fraction of that, you know, not even up to the national average would be a significant uh increase that could benefit implementation.

Nonetheless, the extent and the pace of implementation will really depend on the trajectory of general fund support for both capital and operating.

So this chart represents the CIP from 2018 to 2024.

Uh and you can see the real jump with the uh important uh investments in the Cuffy Aquatic Center and the historical village.

Now, if investment continues at that level uh for the next 10 years, this plan could be uh implemented in its entirety.

Uh at a much lower level, sort of the pre-CUFI and historic village levels, uh, there might need to be significant sort of compromise in which elements of this plan are able to be implemented.

The last page I'm not gonna jump into and read this giant table to you uh right now, but I just want to uh let you know for future reference.

We've included two scenarios.

Um obviously the elements that could be implemented could be endlessly customized, but we just wanted to present two ways the plan could be implemented given a 20 million dollar a year budget for 10 years and a 15 million dollar budget uh for 10 years to show you sort of what kinds of things could be accomplished under each scenario.

With that, I just want to emphasize it again.

It's been a real pleasure to work with Mike and his team and to work with the city of Chesapeake and its residents.

It's been fantastic being able to help the city realize the vision for parks and recreation in this document.

And um, yeah, thank you.

Thank you very much for having me.

Do we have any questions that anybody may have or comments?

Open it up to the floor.

Well, while we're waiting, I'll just tell you, thank you.

We really do appreciate this.

This is very powerful and uh very effective.

Uh hopefully that we will be able to see a path forward to uh to play.

So it's been it's it's been good.

Thank you.

Yeah, I do have just a couple other things.

I do want to thank the consultant team, you know, led by Chris and the interface team.

Um, the PRT uh master plan advisory committee has been instrumental in this as well.

Uh the PRT advisory board.

Uh Jean, our chairman is here tonight and support.

Um we appreciate her being out here.

And various other um commissions and boards uh that served to support us for the plan.

We also like to thank the planning department um for their input as this plan is set up to work hand in hand with the recently adopted comp plan that that you adopted um a few weeks ago.

And finally, I'd like to thank just uh the PRT team and our staff for for input.

Um, all of our almost 300 folks um had the opportunities and most of them uh most folks uh did put in different things from saying, hey, we need more vehicles, we need better clothing to just uh we we tried to reach every every person within a department to have some discussion on what they thought would be um best for our path to play as as we go through in in the future.

And um especially want to thank our project team, uh Susie Davidson, um uh Anna Elizabeth Um and Lynn Jordan um of our team that that worked on this and really had to proofread the 200 and some pages all the way through, get all the pictures just right, uh, make sure things wouldn't look dated.

Um that was a task in itself uh on putting uh input and also to city manager's office and city council for their support and consideration in adopting this plan.

We have a lot going on over the next few weeks, as most of you do know.

Um we're close to finishing several of our larger scale projects.

Uh Chesapeake Garbaretum is just about complete, and we're furnishing it now.

Uh the historical village, having a little sneak peek on that on Thursday.

Um within the next few weeks will be completed as well.

Um we're so excited about that and getting that up and operational fully uh this spring.

And then right around the corner, we have our new park headquarters um and campsite store at Northwest River Park that should be scheduled to be opening up in um in April.

And uh we're very excited about that.

I think the mayor got down there the other day and saw that and and um seemed to be quite pleased with with what it was.

It's uh definitely a gym that we have right in our own backyard.

But we got one more thing we'd like to do.

And that'll get some trout in there.

There we go.

There we go.

We got we gotta be able to get the truck through though construction over with.

But we got one more thing we'd like to do before we close.

We have a very special invitation for you, and I like to bring down uh Melanie Beck, our therapeutic coordinator, to introduce to you a very, very special guest who has a message for you all today.

Good evening.

My name is Melody Beck.

I'm the recreation coordinator for therapeutic recreation programs for parks recreation and tourism.

Um, and I have the absolute honor of introducing an amazing human being next to me.

And I'm gonna brag on her because she will never brag on herself.

So I'm just gonna take a minute to read you some information um about our current missabilities, and then I'm gonna tell you a little bit more about her from my experience with her this past year.

So Olivia Raymond was born at Langley Air Force Base in 2003 and grew up as a military dependent living in Maine, Colorado, and Virginia.

She graduated from Grassfield High School and is currently taking classes in the culinary field.

As a young child, she was diagnosed with autism and tries to help others understand and embrace differences.

She feels advocacy is a skill that all individuals need and believes anyone can achieve their goals with the right support.

She is an avid Disney adult and her favorite character is Stitch.

Her interests include anime, painting, watercolors, shopping, and spending time with her family.

Now that's the official write-up introduction for Olivia, but I just want to share with you that I have the beautiful opportunity of participating in recreation programs with Olivia as part of our therapeutic recreation programs that we are so honored to get to do in parks, recreation, and tourism.

And I just want to personally say thank you to you all and to Mike and to all the admin.

Um he is very lenient with me when I give him the call or the email or go into his office and say, okay, hear me out, or I need you to use your imagination and then continue on with something sometimes outrageous and sometimes not.

Um so we are given the freedom to do lots of programs in Chesapeake.

I've lived in Chesapeake my entire life and have gotten to do recreation in Chesapeake my whole life.

Um my children do recreation here.

My best friend um growing up uh with me here in Chesapeake had a physical disability, and so participating in recreation was sometimes a challenge.

So this job is also very personal to me as it is professional to me.

So making things accessible to individuals with disabilities is very important, um, not just to me, but to this department um and I know to this council as well, and so I appreciate you all.

Um and Olivia here has gotten to participate in our recreation programs, but specifically our Miss and Mr.

Abilities pageant, where individuals get to come and shine and show everybody all the things that they can do.

And Olivia last year was her first time ever participating in the pageant, um, and she came out and she sang her heart out and she danced and she just blew everybody away.

And in this past year, she has gotten to attend several events where she has gotten to kind of go outside of her comfort zone a whole lot getting in front of thousands of people at celebrate freedom and introducing yourself and waving is not easy.

Um getting in front of city council, um, being around a bunch of girls in pretty princess dresses at the Princess Ball and signing autographs is hard.

Um, and you're not always in the mood to do things like that.

And Olivia gets up and she puts a smile on her face and puts that crown and sash on, and she has represented Chesapeake so well, and I am so proud of her growth and being able to watch her shine and do things that I don't think she thought she could do, and she has done it.

She sat outside in the freezing cold at the parade and waved and waved and smiled for several hours with us and has stuck it out and done such an amazing job, and I have appreciated getting to know her and getting to watch her grow and getting to watch her shine.

So I'm gonna let her take a moment um to speak.

Okay.

Hi, my name is Olivia Raymond.

We would like to invite you to the 2026 Chesapeake Abilities Pageant on March 8th at 4 p.m.

at the Chesapeake Conference Center.

The Chesapeake Abilities Pageant is a celebration showcasing all participants with disabilities, because testants will compete in casual wear, evening wear, interview, and talent.

I um so when I was Miss Abilities, I had a fun and memorable experience, like doing all these events, and I'm happy to pass on the crown now to someone different.

Thank you.

Olivia, Olivia, thank you for being here tonight.

We really do appreciate you, and I tell you, my ads off to you for your courage to get in front of so many people.

I like was just described.

I'd like to take some lessons from if you don't mind.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I would uh also uh Mr.

Barber, thank you for uh I think having so many people to get involved in this um study is is two things.

Number one, it's indicative of your hard work and your staff's hard work and and getting out there, but also I think it speaks to the level of interest that our citizens have in Chesapeake of about their uh parks and recreation department and and what uh what they what it offers to the citizens, it really is uh and you know, looking forward to this plan and looking forward to trying to see it implemented as quickly as possible.

Uh Ms.

Ritter, I think you had questions.

Thank you.

I was hoping not to be the first one because I could take up from now till Thursday.

Um he says just to Wednesday, so sorry sorry, everybody.

First, because if I get cut off, I want to be sure I say this.

Mr.

Barber, you have done an incredible job here.

Um when I moved my office recently, I had that 1991 plan.

I wasn't here now.

Seems like I was, and I just can't say enough about your accomplishments since you came to the city of Chesapeake.

And you have done more with less.

So I don't want to go without saying that, and I don't want to go without recognizing Olivia, the contributions of Jeff Bunn, Mr.

Bunn, the council member, who I believe was the heart and soul behind the establishment of the misabilities.

And thank you, Jeff.

Um it is such a it's a wonderful afternoon and evening.

I don't think I've missed any of them, and um you have you should take a lot of credit for that, Jeff.

Um, or Mr.

Bunn, excuse me, for that.

So I'm gonna have a number of questions.

I'm gonna save some for the agenda item.

Um, but one thing I would like to have you cover, and the time is short.

If you can give us an update on the good work you've tried to do with the schools, where are we with the MOU?

Um with them on the facilities.

We've spent a considerable amount of city budget funding to upgrade playgrounds and fields.

And so if you could kind of roll around in your head, and you can wait until the regular agenda or answer now, where are we on that MOU?

We are working, we have a working committee uh of about six or seven of us with schools and with um city folks.

Um Brian is uh Salais is on that as well, uh, to where we are meeting with them, just going through it step by step, seeing what needs to be updated, what needs to be clarified, especially as we get uh closer to the opening of the pool.

There will be a lot of things that need to be clarified in the MOU with that.

Um but as far as the investment, um, really it's it's been uh a lot.

The relationship has been very smooth until we really started middle school sports, um which then took a lot more time on the facilities and uh uh which uh created some times where recreation wasn't able to get on there where we normally would have been before.

So we're trying to iron that out and try to standardize because a lot of times the schools are forced to get um coaches that may not work in the school system, and so their schedule may be at night when a lot of the recreation teams would like to want to use some of the facilities.

So we're trying to work to try to standardize that more to have different windows and to have a little bit more structure to that than just the the middle school teams coming out and practicing whenever they can.

That's critical for us in recreation with all the recreation teams that we have and the many different sports.

So the short answer is the committee's working through that, trying to find um tune the uh report that we did about seven or eight years ago, which has led us in the right direction.

We just now need to really clarify several points and um just make sure that, especially with some new uh administration within schools as well as as I go to make sure that we overlap into that.

But um uh for the most part, from where we were to where we are now, it's been very successful in getting more community access to those uh facilities than than it was a decade ago.

Okay, because we have spent a considerable amount of capital to do that, and we want to make sure, of course, that we're able to share well with those facilities.

And one one other thing, I'm sorry, uh, that we are working now in part of whenever they do new schools or whatever, work will be at the table uh to help part of the planning to see if it's in a good area of one of the identified areas of where we might need some recreational services, not a maybe a full-scale center, but a smaller scale center.

And uh we're gonna do some trials, I believe, the summer uh too at some of those areas as well to get to some of those places that uh transportation is not easy to get to one of our uh major recreation centers as well.

Would that include Crestwood Elementary?

Yes.

The new one.

Yes, ma'am.

Thank you.

Um and then at some point I'd like to go over the fees in lieu issue.

Um I remember when that was enacted, and we had to do it through the subdivision ordinance.

And then there became a divergent path, and I actually read the report, which was quite well done, um talked about the pocket part.

We used to call them pocket parks.

And at one point, I think before you came, the department was not really interested in those because of the maintenance issues, but now they seem to have resurfaced.

Absolutely.

So if you could maybe we could schedule another work session to have this discussion on how you think we can amend that without amending the fees in lieu, particularly with multifamily housing that may or may not have trails or a clubhouse, but you know what amenities other than the occasional dog park.

So I I'd like to go through that.

And the Dismal Swamp.

Back when, gosh, I wish I could remember what year.

I usually have a good long-term memory.

When Route 17 flooded, and the state was willing to move the alignment for the new 17.

We had the chance to and the support of the then V Doc Commissioner Phil Shakett.

To turn that into what has become a real jewel, the dismal swamp trail.

And I'm hoping you've done a great job out there making it friendly.

And I think it's also spawned the opportunity for the historic village.

And I think we could use an update there.

And your take take over doesn't sound right.

Your acceptance of the work at the Chesapeake Arboretum has also just made a world of difference in those facilities.

Those are really successful.

Is that what the Sun Ray community center is used for?

The the well, um Sunray, when it's completed, um will be the agriculture folks are moving there, but there's community space to where seniors and other community groups would be able to meet there as well.

Um Rokabee's kind of been our hub since we redid that building about eight years ago.

Um that that's been our hub.

And um, our various senior groups meet at all of our other community centers as well.

But um the sun ray will give us another opportunity for another place for um for for meetings and for a kind of a central place for uh activities to happen for uh seniors as well as for some of the community groups there.

I think that would be those senior centers are super popular.

So Rokabee's taking off like we didn't even imagine.

So yeah, and it's not a large facility, is it?

No, no.

It's really um about 500 square feet.

All right, I'll save my other questions for the um agenda item.

Thank you.

And again, thank you for everything and the innovation and the caring that you've brought to the city.

Although your choice in sports teams, thank you, Ms.

We do have a couple of minutes left, and remember we do have this agenda item, so the point that you can't make uh in this, uh then we can certainly uh make them during the agenda.

Uh Dr.

Ward.

Just very briefly, I do want to thank uh Mr.

Mike Bob and our pop spectration tourists and all the staff and members of the work that you've done.

Um you've been working very closely, I guess we've been working very closely together for years, and I want to thank you and commend Ms.

Olivia Miss Abilities uh contest, and I just appreciate I was there and you won that ground, and I'm trying I've been there for several years now, but it's just amazing what you do and what you bring uh to our city and to our citizens and our students, you know, young people uh who might not have that opportunity in other cities, and I just want to thank you for what you do.

A good job, and especially the historical village too.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward, Mr.

Bond.

Thank you, Mayor West.

I'll be really quick.

Um Mike, I consider you like the inter Jogger Bunny, you just keep on going.

And I I agree with the Vice Mayor.

Um, you do more for less.

And I think um investing in parts of recreation is an investment in our city and just improving the quality of life to our citizens.

Um echo, Olivia, you're amazing.

Um thank you for being here tonight.

Um, thank you for your service, your year of service.

And uh Melanie back, you have brought the therapeutic recreation department division of the department to the next level.

You are a rock star.

And um also Jean McCollin Holt, 40 years ago, she and I worked together in Parts Recreation.

Now she's chairman of the PRT's advisory board, so good seeing you too.

But Mike and um all your team, you you guys really are amazing.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Byrnes.

Certainly do appreciate all your expertise in this department and your interest and your energy and all that you provide.

Thank you again.

Uh Mr.

Manager, are we done with all the other issues?

Okay, we're gonna uh uh begin our regular meeting, just 30 minutes.

So thank you again for being here tonight.

Okay, we have to council now in session.

I'd like to recognize Council Member Whitaker at this time for the invocation.

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

Father God, we pray that you you bless us each and every one here at this day, Lord, with a measure of discernment, Father God, as we have deliberations concerning this great city of ours.

Lord, we pray, Father God, that uh that we act wisely, Lord, and Lord, that you just continue to outpour your blessing on each and every person here.

Lord, we love you.

We thank you, and we give you the praise, honor, and glory.

And it's in your son, Christ Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Right now, we have been joined by Scout Troop 901, Pac 901, and Troop 800 with their Scout Master, Jeff Betts out of St.

Thomas, Episcopal Church to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which it stands for one nation under God and individuality.

Thank you very much, young man.

Thank you, Mr.

Whitaker, for that prayer.

And scouts, it's always a pleasure to have you guys here.

It really is.

And lady, here it's just uh it's just uh when you lead the Pledge of Allegiance, it just touches our hearts.

So thank you.

And for the leaders of the Scouts, thank you for being here and what you do for bringing up such wonderful kids.

Thank you, sir.

Okay, next is uh roll call, Madam Clerk.

Councilmember Bunn.

Here.

Councilmember Jeffries.

Here.

Councilmember King here.

Councilmember Newens here.

Councilmember Smith?

Here.

Councilmember Ward.

President.

Councilmember Whitaker.

Present.

Vice Mayor Ritter?

Mayor West.

President.

Next is the certification of the closed meeting held at 445.

City Attorney Lindley.

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 business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered.

Thank you.

A motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Second.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Please prepare to vote, vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

Motion to certify the closed meeting is adopted by a 9-0 vote.

Next is the approval of the proposed agenda.

Are there any changes to the proposed agenda?

Seeing none, we have a motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Mr.

Smith.

Second.

Thank you, sir.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the agenda as presented is adopted by a 9-0 vote.

Next is the approval of the minutes for the meetings of January 13th, January the 20th, and January the 27, 2026.

They are presented for your approval.

And without objection, if there are no changes or corrections, the minutes are approved as presented.

Next is citizens' comments on public hearing items.

The City Council meeting is limited to a public limited public forum.

So public comments must be related to tonight's agenda items.

And when speaking, I ask you please to focus on your remarks on the merits of the applicant application that you are speaking on.

Doing so helps this hearing fulfill its per its purpose of gathering relevant information for the voting body.

Additionally, to balance order with the public's right to speak and as outlined in the city council's rules of order and procedure.

Any speak speaker who delays, interrupts, or disrupts the meeting for disorderly, insolent or disturbing action, speech or conduct will be declared out of order.

Madam Clerk, are there any speakers who wish to speak prior to the presentation of the public hearing items?

No, sir.

Thank you.

Next is Council's consideration for the public hearing items.

Item A, a resolution to amend and extend toll rate schedules for the Chesapeake Transportation System toll facilities.

Requested by public works.

Thank you.

Are there any speakers on this item?

Yes, sir.

We have one speaker, Vic Nichols, representing South.

Hi, the reason why there were only a couple of comments by the public made about this is if I remember correctly, this meets at 11 a.m.

That's very hard for the people who pretty much are going to be paying those tolls.

They're going to usually be at work.

So maybe a better thing to do is we do have a system to alert people when things happen in the city.

Traffic accidents, stuff like that.

Why aren't we using that to alert these people and let them know that that's gonna affect them because you keep raising the rates, it makes it that much more expensive for them to live there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our motion is in order.

Move approval.

Thank you.

Mr.

Vice Mayor Reader.

Ritter.

Do we have a second?

Do we have a second?

Mr.

Bud.

Second.

Thank you, sir.

Uh is there any discussion?

Seeing none.

I will just quickly.

Uh Mr.

Smith.

Yes, uh Mr.

Mayor, thank you.

Fr from the workshop we had on this area here.

I did have concerns, some concerns in reference to the increases and what have you.

But the staff responded to those questions, and mine as well in reference to what can we do to reduce the price to make more people go through to answer that question that made sense.

I asked about the discount in the homes, and then asked that question because I didn't know that somebody could take their responder and give it to another family member to use.

So that makes sense.

I don't want to ask, I don't want to accept it increase, but I know it has to be done.

So that's why I'm in favor of it.

But it's not like I want to do it.

So but thank you, staff for all that you've done.

Thank you, Councilman, for your questions and uh thank the staff for their answers.

I think the bottom line that we probably want to project uh maybe three things is number one, these increases are to pay bond uh repayment, to pay for the maintenance of the of the bypass and the and uh the uh veterans bridge.

And finally, uh just would like to remind people, Mr.

Manager, as you've kind of reminded me today, that uh getting an easy pass instead of not having one is cheaper for you and cheaper for us.

And so we would encourage everyone to do that.

I think that includes our speakers.

Uh any others comments from council members.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

Someone hasn't voted.

Mayor West.

I'm sorry.

Motion to approve the resolution as presented is adopted by a five to four vote.

Thank you.

Next is uh citizens' comments.

Am I right?

Citizen comments on agenda items.

Uh we have two speakers.

Vic Nichols representing South, followed by Brad Moore.

Question on the changes to the council rules.

Here's my concern.

It looks like that if a council member brings something up and wants to put it on the agenda, is that it kind of has to have approval first before it gets out.

I definitely would like to know what people suggest.

Because you know what?

There might be things that are good, there might be things that are bad, either way, but we can support or look at what they do without council stifling everybody else's First Amendment rights.

I'd like to understand what it is they were bringing up, and that would be a boon, I think, to a number of people to see what's going on.

So my question is, are you going to add to this that if you pass it, that you will sit here and publish the members' name and what it was they wanted to bring forth so we know what's going on, and decisions are not made behind the scenes, but in front of we, the people, the governed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Mr.

Next Speaker.

Brad Moore representing SEP, speaking on City Manager Item One.

Good evening, Brad Moore, 1300 Park Avenue, um Ches Peak 2324.

Um, I just wanted to take a moment.

I'm glad I'm one of the people that came out here to speak in support of parks and recreations and tourism's uh efforts throughout this planning process and their engagement with the public.

I know they've done a terrific job.

They've probably explained it all to you in the work session, so I won't go back over it, but just say as a citizen, it's really appreciated.

I I came another week and said how much I appreciated the planning department, but it it goes doubly so maybe for parks and recreation and tourism.

Maybe I favor that department, but um they really do a great job year-round of serving our cities.

I think the the their department kind of guards, safeguards one of the greatest resources the city has, and that's our park system, our recreation system, and um as they continue to grow and help the city grow.

It I I really hope they'll attract more people and um do those kinds of things, but really their their engagement with the community throughout the process has been invaluable, I think, and it really shows how people, as long as you're willing to go to these public meetings, these town halls, those kinds of things, your voices get heard and they get incorporated into the city's documents when they come before you and it's really important for folks to know that when the when they see those advertisements, even if you can just spare a few minutes, the the city departments need your input on things like this because they're absolutely listening and they're absolutely incorporating your feedback to those plans.

Um so I would encourage you guys to discuss it if you if you have discussion, but certainly adopt their plan as presented.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Moore.

Um we will uh be considering the item regarding rules of order later on an agenda, and I think the questions that were uh asked will be um addressed during that time.

Next is our consent agenda.

Uh Madam Clerk, would you please present?

City Clerk Item 1, resignations a Robert Bricker, Utility Review Board, B, Ronald Telsch, Human Services Advisory Board, Effective 3126.

City Attorney Item 1, an ordinance amending the Chesapeake City Code, Chapter 74, entitled Traffic and Vehicles, Section 74-73 to remove the mandatory jail provisions for a third or subsequent violation.

This is requested as an emergency action, and that concludes the consent agenda, Mayor.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Are there any items that need to be removed?

The council members would like to be removed for the regular agenda.

See none in that motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Second.

Thank you.

Ms.

Newens.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented.

It's adopted by a 9-0 vote.

Next on our agenda is a regular agenda.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Item one is a resolution repealing the 1991 Parks and Recreation Master Plan and adopting the 2026 Park Recreation and Tourism Master Plan requested by Parks Recreation and Tourism.

A motion is in order.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Mr.

Bond.

Second.

Thank you, sir.

Any discussion?

Uh Dr.

Ward?

Just briefly, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Um you did have a work session on the presentation.

And I again want to publicly thank uh Mr.

Mike Barber, Parks Recreation and Tourism, your entire staff.

Uh they've just done a marvelous job for the community for our city, and they continue to do so.

Um a lot of great things going on.

There's always room for improvement improvement.

But we have one great thing that's going on, even this Thursday.

Hopefully, uh the rain will not prevent it on, you know, but it will prevail.

But just so many different things, whether Seattle read them or with me, the historical village has a great dismal swamp uh that we've been working on for years now, and it's really coming to fruition.

Uh, and I just want to thank him and the staff because I know what it's been a labor of love for me for the last six since 2010, uh 16 years, but to see it actually happening, bless you.

Uh, it's just amazing, and it's great for our citizens, and there are a lot of things too.

Other things for our seniors.

We talked about the rockey this afternoon in the work session, but uh a lot of great things for everybody, for young people, for our dogs the uh schools and they're working together, but uh Barbara deserves a hand.

I think for the great things, the great work that we have done, and I know it has not been easy.

Um dealing with me and my push to try to get the historical village done uh as quickly as possible.

It has been a labor of love, and I thank you, and we're gonna have that sneak peek, hopefully, on Thursday, if you know is willing.

But thank you.

Thank you, Parks Recreation, and all of your staff for the hard work.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Uh Mr.

Bond, did you have any come?

Mr.

Bond.

I'll be brief.

Um Mr.

Barber and your team, thank you for making a difference in the quality of life of our citizens.

I think um investing in parks recreation and tourism is a positive investment in the great quality of our citizens.

Thank you.

Is there any other discussion on this item?

Seeing none, we do have a motion from Dr.

Ward and Mr.

Seconded by Mr.

Bond for approval.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record, Madam Clerk.

Motion to approve the resolution as presented is adopted by a 9-0 vote.

Thank you.

Item two is a request to amend the funding source for capital improvement budget expenses from future revenue bonds to cash requested by public utilities?

A motion is in order.

Mr.

Smith.

Move approved.

Mr.

Bond?

Second.

Thank you.

Any discussion on this item?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented is adopted by a 9-0 vote.

Item 3 is a request to appropriate $2,528,123 to the Riley Place Sewer Capital Improvement Project, and to change the funding source of $4.4 million from cash to future revenue bonds for this same project requested by public utilities as an emergency action?

Motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Thank you, ma'am.

Second.

Second.

Ms.

Ritter.

Thank you.

Any discussion, Dr.

Ward or Ms.

Ritter?

Any other council members?

Discussion items.

Please prepare.

If I might.

It's unusual to have an emergency appropriation.

So while the backup material talks about a future project, Mr.

Manager, could you address that?

Is that this project ready to go?

Yes, ma'am.

The project is ready to go in a 10 minutes.

And it's Raleigh Place over in Western Branch.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clark.

Motion to approve the request as presented and as an emergency action is adopted by a 9-0 vote.

Next is citizens' comments on services, policy, and affairs of the city.

Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers?

Yes, sir.

We have three speakers.

All speakers will be allowed three minutes each.

The first is Vic Nickel speaking on city affairs, followed by Tommy Hart.

Okay.

Y'all want to raise, tell me for what?

You've got more flock cameras tracing people in Greenbrier than in Craddock, Virginia Beach Town Center, Sono and ORF.

Redistricting voting starts, quote unquote, on March 6th, but Article 11, Section 1 of the Constitution doesn't allow it to take effect until 416.

If this isn't blocked, the rule of law, our Constitution meets absolutely zero, and you all swore an oath to obey it, as I have more than once.

So I want to know why are you violating your oaths?

And what else would you violate if you let this go?

California's elderly parole program allowed David Funston, a serial child rapist to grow go free.

He used candy and toys to lure children as youngest four to molest them.

We have a state bill going for this.

What did Chesapeake do for this?

Did they speak against it?

Speaking of at the state level, sanctuary states aren't defending illegal immigrants out of empathy.

It's because of their constitution or their congressional seats.

It creates a permanent underclass.

And it's been done before.

Because the reason why slave states wanted slaves counted as two-thirds was definitely not because they were empathetic to them.

It was because it was all about their power.

Are you supporting us against that or not?

The City of Chesapeake, where are we at?

Our Treasurer doesn't even know the status of the upgrade.

She's been in there for six weeks.

What's up, guys?

We interfered before.

Can we interfere again?

I mean, we're paying for that.

What what's going on here?

And since you are doing budgets and want to raise our taxes, the claim Virginia was importing too much power was the excuse for the 2007 rate re relay uh rate re-regulation push with all the stuff for new generation.

Well, guess what?

We've got major power plants in West Virginia.

Those count as imports, even though we covered all that money, the capital cost for those we paid for.

How come you're not questioning that?

Or the fact that Dominion is charging us on demand and not by kilowatt hours.

I give you a good guess as to how I figured that one out.

Can you do something honestly about some of these problems?

The point is, are you gonna represent Chesapeake?

Are you gonna represent us, we the people in big issues that come before both at the state level and the regulatory level?

Again, I ask that you honor your oaths and do that.

I at least can say I am on the record of going against early voting because it violates our constitution.

I'm keeping my oath.

Let me see if y'all do.

Tommy Hart speaking on public safety, followed by Amber Snook.

Hi.

Good evening.

My name's Tommy Hart.

I live in 1900 St.

Brides Road, Chesapeake.

I have changed my subject after I found out I didn't have but three minutes.

My what I had lined up, but I will say one that I wanted to just talk about anyhow.

When I was an investigator with the state of Virginia, I was tipped off by an employee of the general district court, the man named CP, I won't say his name, was breaking into the court at night and going through the records.

He was a very good friend of a lot of policemen and the chief of police.

So I didn't know who to tell.

I went to Nelson Bondret, who was a clerk of the court and told him, and he said that he had been tipped off that somebody was going in.

He didn't know who it was.

Well, I knew who it was.

So he started watching, and sure enough, about two weeks later, he called me.

He said, Hey, I caught CP and a lieutenant on Chesapeake police department named GP, if y'all know who I'm talking about, was in the court going through the records.

Nelson Bondrick called a chief of police and reported it, and he told him, just keep it quiet and I'll take care of it.

And he and Nelson Bondrick come to me and asked me if I if after he waited two weeks and nothing was done, he came to me and asked me, would I start an investigation?

I contacted the ABC board director in Richmond, and they told me not to get involved in it because Chesapeake had been complaining about me getting involved in investigations that they didn't like me getting into.

I recommended he call state police.

So what records in the general district court?

You don't know what to say about them.

And it's that has gone on and gone on, and that's why I'm telling you, y'all need to do something about corruption.

That's the word I didn't want to say.

But it needs something be done about it.

When you got a lieutenant on the police department breaking into the court and going through the records, something needs to be done.

Amber Snook speaking on development at 828 Bedford Street, followed by Alan Kiefer.

Hi, good afternoon.

My name is Amber Snook.

I'm uh speaking on behalf of myself.

I reside at 841 Bedford Street.

I am speaking to you tonight in regards to the use permit that was granted at 828 Bedford Street, use ID 2025-034.

I am concerned with the approval of this use permit as this is a residential area.

Um I wanted to know if you could provide the residents information on how long signs are required to be published for notification of city council meetings in regards to use permits.

I don't expect an answer, obviously.

Um I can account for at least three of my neighbors who do not remember or recall receiving proper notification of this use permit before development.

I wanted to know if there was any records of any objections to this particular use permit.

In regards to this particular use permit, there appears to have been no objections because we were not properly notified in order to come in front of city council to object to those.

Regarding the use permit that was denied 20-23-007, it indicates this was dated back to September of 2025.

We wanted to know what the difference between that particular use permit and this one was.

As that previous application was denied, however, this one has been approved.

Is it possible to ask city council to go to the current cross underground location and complete traffic assessments of the current building at 1524 Mount Pleasant Road?

I asked this because today we had a situation where there was an accident in Mount Pleasant that rerouted through traffic all the way through Maxwell and Bedford.

If there had been an emergency situation, emergency would not have been able to get through because of the tractor trailers that were permit not permitting any fire EMT or any other emergency services.

And in addition to that, um my daughter, she's 10 years old, she gets on the bus at 7.45 a.m.

And uh there was a tractor trailer blocking the road where her bus was barely able to get through and pass through.

It's very concerning, obviously, with small children.

So I'd like to that to be taken into consideration and see what we as residents can do to continue to decline use permits in this particular area.

Thank you.

Alan Kiefer speaking on Maxwell and Bedford Street Development, followed by Brad Moore.

That one?

Okay.

Thank you.

I'm Alan Keffer and I've lived at 409 Slate Street for the last 50 years.

But for the first 20 of my 78 years that I lived at the corner of Maxwell Street in Bedford, therefore, my interest in that community.

I have grandchildren who live on those roads, siblings, cousins, relatives, people that I love.

In 1910, when Mennonite Deacon Clayton Berge and his friend, Shadinger moved from Pennsylvania to the Mennonite community.

Mr.

Shadinger bought a farm and a house on Herring Road, which was three-eighths of a mile from Mount Pleasant.

Herring Road was described as a privately owned farm lane.

It's now Maxwell Street, at least part of it.

And Mr.

Berge bought land adjacent to Mr.

Shadinger to the west, accessible by a lane through Shadinger's property.

He subsequently built a lane to Mount Pleasant.

Which was called in various deeds Burgess Road until it was renamed Wanger Road.

In 1916, your uh Otter Miller and Tom Tennefalls bought 60 acres at the end of Burghead Road.

And on the front of their property, and they divided it in half, built a house on each of their halves.

And over along the front of their property ran a farm lane, which eventually became Bedford Street.

At that time it was just a dirt road.

And it sufficed fine until the 1930s when the Norfolk City, not City Council.

The Norfolk Board of Supervisors petitioned the state of Virginia asking if they would take that little bit of road and make it part of the state's secondary road system, which the state did.

Promptly naming it Miller Road.

And it didn't take long for the city to or the county to petition the state to improve the road, meaning, could you pave it?

Because it was a dirt road.

And it took a couple more years, but they did, and they paved it by putting down a layer of tar and some stone, another layer of tar, some more stone.

And it was a paved road in the mid-1930s.

That was good for 20 years, and when they repaved it by doing the same thing atop what was there.

It was neat.

Now it's improved somewhat since then with asphalt, but it is still a farm lane with paving on top.

It wouldn't meet the criteria for any road and anything.

Excuse me.

Your time is up.

Could you just sum up what your concern is?

That the approval of the building for commercial properties back there is now allowing vehicles that shouldn't be on that road because they're too big and too heavy.

And this is the same reference that the previous speaker just spoke about thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Brad Moore, representing South speaking on growing pains.

Followed by Judy Leader.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, members of the council.

My name is Bradmore.

I'm still at 1300 Park Avenue in the South Norfolk Historic District.

But I'm here this evening to discuss CIP 43-270 concerning concrete pavement replacement on Seabourne Avenue.

How I want to want to preface my comments on that project by discussing a few other CIPs in the area.

Regarding the South Norfolk Municipal Building and the redevelopment of Johnson Park, I've recently heard a lot of negative feedback.

Namely where satellite parking for a private business was installed over top of what was left of Johnson Park there.

One of our citizens re citizenry's most precious finite resources, never referenced in a city's budget is patience.

I myself see the vision for that area, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to encourage folks to be patient that everything is going to work out.

When projects like the one I'm really here to discuss seem to be languishing and in inflationary purgatory.

At this point, I'd also like to give a shout out to the members of city staff who attended our most recent Civic League meeting.

It's always a gamble having public works as our informational speaker.

We always have questions, some of them more pointed than others, and with so much capital improvement happening in South Norfolk, it can be difficult to keep those conversations on track.

Seaboard Avenue did come up in discussion in the overwhelming majority in attendance expressed a desire for the city to revisit CIP 43-270 and the city's choice to use cement over asphalt.

Later that week I took the liberty of knocking on a few doors along Seaboard and discussing the matter with residents.

Unsurprisingly to me, none of the residents I spoke with cared one way or the other about the material used.

They just want their street replaced.

If it's going to ultimately cost more and take a decade to complete.

There are, however, numerous CIPs in and around the historic district that would benefit from reopening that discussion.

Thanks so much.

Thank you, Mr.

Moore.

Judy Leader, representing South.

Speaking on traffic on the road with businesses coming in, Bedford Street.

Yes.

I'm Judy Leader.

I live at 724 Bedmark Street.

You got a mic button there if you'll push a button.

Okay.

Thank you.

That works.

All right.

I have Judy Leader.

I live at 724 Bedford Street.

We've had a lot of businesses that have moved in to Bedford Street.

And more that still want to come.

16 acres were bought across the street from me, and they made it into four plots.

So that means four more businesses are going to be there.

We have a lot of traffic on that road already.

It is a lot of dump trucks, a lot of mulch trucks, a lot of semi-trucks, and we got to meet them every day when we go come and go out of uh Bedford Street.

I did want to bring up the fact too, and Amber brought it up that there was an accident on a semi-truck tried to turn down Wanger Road today and it stopped traffic.

So a lot of times they have to the police have to divert the traffic down our road.

Maxwell and Bedford Street.

So you mix that in with all the dump trucks and all the semi-trucks and all the you know other construction equipment that that is coming and going, it really becomes a mess sometimes.

So that is my concern.

All these businesses that are coming in.

But I do I do have a neighbor who couldn't be here tonight and he wanted me to ask a question.

And so I I don't know how we can get answers to these questions, but he wanted to know if the city could confirm that any projects that are currently underway on Bedford Street have all required approvals and renewals current and valid.

Do the approvals that were previously voted on and approved by the city ever expire if they are not kept active?

And if any have lapsed, will the city pause work and require the projects to return to planning and council?

Many nearby residents were not aware of earlier public comments or signage, and there is significant concern in the Bedford area about these projects moving forward under older approvals.

The neighborhood wants to be sure everything currently underway fully complies with the city's requirements.

That was that were his question, so I don't know if there's any way we could get those answers or not.

But I appreciate you listening to our concerns on Bedford Street.

Thank you.

That concludes the speakers.

Mr.

Manager, Bedford, what do you how would you suggest that we address these issues?

I thought the way the final speaker ended was a great way for us to start is take a look at those questions and provide answers to the community and then see where we go from there.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

We appreciate any feedback that you give us after you have done that.

Thank you, sir.

And the Seaboard Avenue, Mr.

Moore had issues.

You are familiar with that.

Would you advise us as to what has been on what we can do?

So historically it's been City Council's policy to re uh what we call replace like for like.

So in that instance, uh historical concrete streets we were replaced with concrete streets.

Staff has recommended a few times before that we abandon that policy.

Number one, the the concrete is very expensive, so we do way less projects.

It takes way longer to get done.

And number two, when there's uh um you know a replacement issue, or we have to tie the concrete into um and into asphalt, the results are not great.

And so um we would concur with uh um the speaker's recommendations, and if it's the will of council, we would bring an agenda item forward to make that happen.

Oh, I'm not sure what the will of council is, but I do think it is one that we should weigh in on.

I know that I met several years ago with someone who had an opposite feeling uh about that.

So I would like to uh be able to be more informed and make some recommendations.

We'll prepare a report and recommendation for council's consideration, and then if it's the will of council, we will schedule an agenda item uh for the first one.

Next uh is a board and commissions, and I'll turn the gavel over to our vice mayor.

Thank you, uh Mayor, and I would turn the I I won't throw the gavel, Ms.

Madison, but um we have entered into a new process for board and commission appointments, and the city clerk will read the list of appointments to be made tonight with the um approval of the city council, which are the approvals already been given.

The first board is the airport authority.

George M.

Yakus has been appointed.

Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority, Lakila C.

Lofton, Fine Arts Commission, Hannah G.

Zahara.

Stormwater Committee, Milton Johnson will move into a regular member position, and Ryan W.

Schrader will be an alternate.

And that concludes the appointments.

Thank you, Ms.

Madison.

Oh, I'm sorry, the gavel is not in front of me, but um I will symbolically return it to the mayor before he hits me on the head with it.

All right.

Next is uh unfinished business.

Uh any council members with unfinished business items they would like to bring up at this time.

Uh Ms.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mr.

Manager, on the item regarding uh C board with the Lake for Lake transfer, when you get a recommendation from staff, can we also get public input prior to that recommendation coming to council?

So would it be appropriate for you all to contact those who reside in that area to receive some public input, or would you prefer we do that at maybe a public hearing?

So I I would like to confer with staff.

We did have very good um uh public engagement at the at the Civic League meeting.

Uh of course, that that's not you know all of the folks that are interested in this subject, but um I'll discuss with staff and and when we uh brief City Council, um, sort of with the with the overview of the landscape, uh, we'll make some recommendations there.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Uh there will Ms.

Litter and then Mr.

Whitaker.

Oh, I'll defer, Mr.

Whitaker.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mr.

Manager, I was present at that at that Civic League meeting, and the topic of discussion was the community was overwhelmingly in support of fast tracking some better results based on staff's comments and is there any way when you come back with the report if you could give price points, timelines, concrete versus asphalt, maybe tinted asphalt that may appear to look more like concrete to protect the appearance of what's there in the historic TIF district.

Yes, sir.

Thank you very much.

Ms.

Ruder.

Thank you.

I have two issues.

Three actually, they're old business because they were just addressed.

Number one, I want to a week or two ago, I asked the city manager to send an inquiry to Dominion Energy regarding the significant increase in people's electric bills.

He has done so.

It's an excellent letter.

And while it was supposed to be put on a council web page, which answers all inquiries, I'm going to ask, I've already addressed this with Mr.

Covey, that this go with a prompt on it onto the city's website so that people can see the questions that were asked, and when the answer comes in, while I this is going to be like some kind of negotiation, I'm sure, because cynic that I am, I don't expect a full explanation.

Our citizens don't get them, and trust me, we don't get them either.

But I'm hoping against hope that this might be different.

But for everyone who's concerned about these bills, I hope you go to the city website and take a look at this letter.

It's comprehensive, it's responsive to what we've asked for, and hopefully, somewhere buried in the answer will be some answers that our folks are looking for.

It's really been a shock to people to open those bills.

And not to everybody, but I think the vast majority of people.

And if we could, I would like to get a detailed list of all the grants that we have gotten from Operation C SPIR, the grants that we have put in for that now will be null and void, and to say how much value this program brought to the city.

I was fortunate to represent the city on the rollout of Cease Fire and the previous governor's bold blue line.

Just speak as a city that values law enforcement, and they value safe streets and safe neighborhoods.

And by ending this program, those are going to be put in jeopardy because they have allowed our police department and our first responders without a burden on our individual city taxpayers to upgrade so much technology and so many assistance.

That efforts to keep you safe have now been canceled.

We all need to pay attention to that.

And the third thing, I I just have to do this, is Bedford Street.

And I am sure the manager will include the folks left.

That's my neighborhood.

We actually have a neighborhood out there.

It's called Fentress.

And 8,000 acres in Fentress have been purchased.

The development rights are purchased by the United States Navy to protect the mission of the Navy at NALF Ventress.

So it's a problem.

Bedford is more exposed than where I live.

My street in front of my house is 18 feet wide with no shoulder and ditches.

Two cars cannot pass.

Bedford is worse because of the development that's gone on because of our Ventress overlay district, allowing people who have sold their development rights to use their property for other uses.

So if you would include all that, and perhaps what we need to do on these narrow rural roads, is take a look.

I mean, we allow for the use permit process.

But we also need to take a look at the burdens.

You know, not only do they have to put up with these industrial use permits, but there's a 500-acre solar farm down there that has destroyed 500 acres of agricultural land.

So I think this the folks there and throughout the city need to know and need to know how we pursue advertising, how we pursue use permits that may have lapsed, and are we checking to make sure they are inspected properly?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next is a new business.

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

Consideration of proposed amendments to the City Council rules of order and procedure.

Motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you.

Do we have a second, Mr.

Smith?

Second.

Thank you, sir.

Any discussion on this item?

Ms.

Newens.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I just want to answer the speaker's question regarding I think the mayor referenced it.

What happens if the council member wants to bring an item to the council and it doesn't make it passed?

So it's my understanding if the council member brings it before council under new business and it's voted on, and the council does not approve it to go on the agenda.

Madam Attorney or Ms.

Madison, will that then be included, memorialized in our agenda or in our minutes that that happened?

It would definitely be in the minutes, any action taken by council.

Okay.

So then that would be memorialized for in the minutes for the future meetings, and then obviously files with the clerk.

So that would be available any items that came before council that did not make it to the agenda.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Nowis, which also I includes what the item is, right?

Thank you.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Any other uh discussion on this item?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

Motion to approve amendments to the City Council rules of order and procedure as presented as adopted by a 9-0 vote.

Thank you.

I do believe we have a excuse me.

Let me ask if there's any additional new business items.

Council members would like to bring up at this time.

Mr.

Smith.

Yes, is Ms.

Pinkerman here today?

She was, but there were no speakers, so she left.

Okay.

So I was under the impression that Ms.

Pinkerman would be here today to speak on behalf of the upcoming referendum and where the voting precincts will be.

And I'm not understanding why she is not here just to share that with us and to see whether or not she needs to be able to do that.

If you will go ahead and questions, I think we can get an answer for the case.

So that is my question is we don't know what the registrar is going to do as far as the voting precincts, what a referendum coming up, and transparency.

It should be shared.

What's going to take place?

And do they need city council's help?

Thank you, sir.

I am going to go to you, Ms.

Lindley.

And I may need you, Mr.

Manager, to weigh in on this.

I think we had some discussion about it.

I think we have an answers for you, Ms.

Lindley.

My understanding is that the General Registrar is moving forward with preparing for the special election.

Did you have anything else to add?

Okay.

Any other questions, Mr.

Smith?

No other questions, but that's what's pressing the votes to a certain extent.

We will only have them one location made available.

And I'm sure you're going to hear feedback from the citizens, and that's why I was trying to cut that off.

I understand.

Thank you.

Dr.

Ward.

Um thank you, Mr.

Mayor, and with respect to uh what Councilman Smith has asked, um, and I've been approaching and concerns over the years of who has the authority, because our citizens are confused about that to make those decisions, and a lot of times, as it is, I guess now, is that it's made by um our registrar, is to which precincts are going to be open and how early voting days are selected, and I know I've had some concerns about this in the past.

Um, you know, if you're gonna have two weeks uh before the election, or if there's gonna be some Saturday voting or location, and right now I'm hearing you say that with respect, all due respect, only early voting will be at the registrar's office.

Is that what I heard?

Because our citizens need to be clear about that.

Um it is a concern.

I mean, a lot of we have a lot of it doesn't matter if the senior citizens or whatever, you know, access to getting to the voting precinct has been an issue, uh, whether it was changing citizens in Camelot to vote in at St.

Mary's or across military highway, those kinds of things are happening, and we're not being able to make those decisions as a council member or as a council.

And some of our citizens are you know are not aware of that, and they think we have the authority to do that.

And uh we just voted on our rules and regulations, and I would like for a city attorney to uh let us know about that.

Where is it in our rules and regulations that city council has the authority to make those kinds of decisions about voting precincts, about locations, about changing, and so many changes have been made with regard to opening, let's say in Western branch, um, the library uh for voting and for it being closed down for nine months prior to a major election.

And City Council didn't have a choice about that.

And I think that's part of the thing that Councilman Smith is bringing it up.

Who has that authority to make these decisions?

And from what you just said, is this time it's only gonna be at the registrar's office.

That is a concern of a lot of our citizens, and is that the way the policy is stated?

Uh Dr.

Ward, I I'm gonna ask uh attorney Linley to answer your question.

And I think um, you know, I think there's a a strong legal uh precedent or uh uh direction for that, and then I will I'll address it by uh my point of view afterwards, Ms.

Lindley.

I want to start by just kind of giving the general process.

So when you have these election dates, usually you know it's a set election date that everyone knows well in advance, and the general registrar will identify a satellite early voting locations, you know, she'll secure them, then she takes that to the electoral electoral board.

They vote and they approve that location.

That's the first step.

And then now the locality generally doesn't have a lot of say over statewide elections other than establishing additional voting locations and security and things of that nature.

So taking that rule and applying it to this, once the local electoral board has that vote and they approve early voting locations, then the governing body can pass an ordinance establishing those early voting locations.

The State Code says that those locations have to be set at least 55 days prior to the election.

It also says that when you all consider your ordinance establishing those early voting locations, that has to be done by a public hearing, and it has to be um advertised twice prior to it, once a week for two successive weeks.

Um so that's where we are right now.

In this instance, our electoral board has not voted or approved any other early voting locations.

And so basically the issue kind of stopped at that point.

Now we are unfortunately at the timing where we will not be able to designate any early voting locations prior to that 55-day rule in the statute.

All of this is a very unique situation, though.

Um I'm sure you've probably seen about seen this in the news with the constitutional amendment.

The way the timing has progressed is not traditional, and there's also a lot of legal challenges um involved.

And so local governments are doing our best to navigate this situation.

So I can just tell you I do not believe that this is a normal normal you know progression.

However, because of the timing for when this bill was signed into law, and then the requirements in the State Code about when these things need to be established, that's our current status.

And so the general registrar is obviously the party vested to provide you with the official opinion, but that's my understanding of the law, and that is my understanding of why we are in this place right now.

Thank you, Madam Attorney.

Um what you just said is very important.

And I know it's in the State Code.

Is it possible for us to get a written copy of those statements?

Uh, because yeah, a lot of citizens who are concerned about this, and I want it to be accurate and what was really going on, and I've tried to explain this, and now I'm hearing it.

It is for real.

We as a council member, uh council members really don't get that option.

But if you could be in writing, I would appreciate that.

According to the state code.

Thank you.

We could probably uh get some uh further explanation from the registrar's office as well.

But you know, I I think uh Dr.

Ward to your question, and I understand it.

I think you're right.

A lot of people don't understand that it's not our authority, but honestly, if you think about it, uh other than approving uh the use of public property, it's it's good that we don't have say so as to when they are.

You don't want elected officials uh determining how uh when and where and how many precincts there are, you know, it it could be misused, uh and I assume that's the the reason that uh city councils do not have the authority to establish how where they're going to be vote when when and where voting is going to take place.

So we're limited to just approving the the buildings that are being used, and quite honestly, I think it's probably solid that that that is a good limitation to have.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

But it also means that no input at all, not approving with not even any input on where they are.

It's just a lot of citizens are impacted, and we owe it to our citizens to at least explain to them what's going on because they don't quite get it sometimes, and now that you know how it is done, then it helps our citizens to be more understanding rather than me having to say to them and tell them no, we did not make that choice, and no, we cannot make that choice.

And that's what I'm asking.

But those are the choices that we can't make, so it needs to be out to the citizens.

So we do get asked a lot of questions about a lot of things, and I appreciate the explanation.

Thank you, Madam Attorney.

Yes.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I just wanted to make a comment regarding um this issue about uh locations for voting.

Whether it's uh poll tax or a literacy test or restricted voter ID requirements or limited voting locations for our citizens, uh voter suppression is voter suppression, and as a democracy, we should want every voter to get to the polls.

And as a city, we should be working to ensure that that happens.

And when you have one location for early voting, that definitely is a hindrance to getting people out to vote.

Um so I respect the question, Dr.

Ward, and I think it's the legitimate one to consider.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Are they other uh Mr.

Niles?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I certainly understand the perspective of my colleagues on council, but Madam Attorney, as as I'm understanding what your explanation was, it sounds like the General Assembly put us in this position because they they were the ones who chose this constitutional amendment, and they are the ones who put this forth at such a I would say strange timeline.

So they've it's kind of put us in a difficult position where we can't, we're outside of that 55 days where we cannot have additional satellite locations determined by council.

So it's not something of our making.

I just want to be clear.

This is not something that the council or the city has done.

This is something outside of our hands that has put our hands behind our back and tied them and said this is this is what you get because we want to fast track this constitutional amendment and have a special election for it.

That's a fair um comment.

The long and short of it is this wasn't done in the traditional time frame, and so the bill was signed into law on a Friday, and all of the legal steps would have had to have been completed.

The electoral board would have had to vote on approved locations, and I would have had to post an ad to the pilot by noon the following Monday.

And so that's kind of the legal impossibility that most local government attorneys have kind of said this was problematic.

Um there's also questions, obviously, with the current legal actions that are all a mess.

Um, and then also the effective date.

Um, and so this is not I guess I just want to stress this is not the norm.

And we're doing our best because all of you raise valid points, and I understand, but this has been just a challenging fact pattern, and so we're all doing our best to follow the law and respect all rights.

Um, but this is not the norm, and so I would hate for any citizen to think that this is how we would typically conduct an election.

So then perhaps to my colleagues on council when we receive complaints, we encourage them to reach out to their uh General Assembly representatives, their delegates, and their senators, because they're the ones who are involved in setting and voting on passing this.

So it's I understand that they come to us because we're the ones that people see every day.

We're the local government.

But perhaps we encourage them to also reach out to the state government to show them that this is not something that we appreciate or approved how this was handled.

Mr.

Smith.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

My question to the uh attorneys at this point, do we have any recourse or is it all said and done at this point?

I don't believe there's any other opportunities for us to establish early voting locations based on this timeline because it requires a public hearing, because it has to be advertised, and because you have to have those locations established 55 days prior to the election.

That's not there's no workable solution around it.

Um I think when you and I had a quick conversation, I was like, if there had just been uh more time, they'll tell you, that would have been a different scenario.

Um, but also all of our actions are triggered by the local electoral board to move forward with approving those locations.

So the governing body really wasn't, I mean, we don't have a significant massive role in statewide elections, but in this case in particular, we really did not have an opportunity to weigh in or change you know our current path.

Thank you.

And do I get back to Wellington?

Thank you.

Oh, once more we do get two time to speak on it.

And I just want to say um respect to Councilman Newland's um statements.

Um talking about not this is this election, but things in the past, when um things libraries were closed or precincts removed when you had nine months or whatever.

So it's not just this time that the City Council is not aware of the citizens, not just us, but the citizens are not aware that their precincts have been moved and they don't get notification, uh places are closed where there's no early voting, so there's a history of citizens not being informed about the changes, and that's part of what it my question was.

It's not just this time, yeah, this is a short time, but I was concerned because the library was closed for nine months prior to a major election, and uh citizens were a lot of them were just not aware, so it's not just this 45-day one that has been a problem.

And we do need to uh make sure our citizens understand that this is the way our city things have been handled in the past.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate that.

Ms.

Ritter.

Thank you.

And I think a good point has been raised about how to best inform citizens, not just with rezoning actions, but with anything.

And of course, with that comes a cost that we bear here locally.

Um we've asked the city manager to give the costs of these special elections, because it looks as if we will have a series of them this year.

And all will come with the cost, and some of them have not been included in the registrar's budget.

So you know, uh this will give everyone an opportunity.

But I do want to raise a concern with the public who's so concerned about access, as they should be.

Should this referendum be successful?

And we don't even know if legally it's gonna be held or what the courts will decide.

But should it be successful?

I would urge anybody who's listening, or in the future and how we can publicize what's gonna happen to where you vote.

My understanding from a preliminary look at the lines that have been drawn, there can be a number of split precincts.

So you and your neighbor across the street or next door could be voting in different places.

Nobody knows who they're gonna get to vote for.

And you know, it's if we want to talk about transparency and getting information out.

This whole process has been like draping a black tablecloth over a table that didn't need it.

And I only mean that not in the case please uh nobody construes this as being anything other than a reference to the absence of information.

So we the public are very uninformed.

And I don't want to go into a big rant about the difference between required transparency of local governments and the total lack of transparency of what goes on in Richmond.

We cannot have more than two council members present at any unadvertised meeting.

Fair enough, because it might look like we're making decisions in a small group, which we don't do, we're not allowed to do.

But I wonder if all of you know that in Richmond, 21 senators can meet in a room with the doors closed in what's called the caucus meeting, make decisions without transparency, and come out and inflict unwavering harm on local government.

So there's a lot of difference out there.

But to the best of my understanding, I guess if my parents or my grandparents were alive, they'd remind us of the old adage, haste makes waste, or act quickly and repent in leisure.

So we had quick actions, they weren't transparent.

We don't know what we're going to do as voters, and we're really at the mercy of 140 people in Richmond and the courts.

So I guess this is my night to go on the rants.

But it's a great concern to me what is happening to the citizens of Virginia and particularly the citizens of Chesapeake.

And I hope you all join in that concern.

Thank you.

Council.

Is there another any other new business items, Councilmember?

Ms.

Newest.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

On a lighter note, um, last week we recognized a young gentleman that Councilmember Jeffries brought forward who kayaked out into a frozen lake and saved a dog.

And it was a remarkable uh moment having him here, and um, he was just humble as can be, and we watched that video.

Well, it's come to my attention that there's another young man in our community who has also shown some heroic action.

So uh Mr.

Mayor, if we could um bring forth um a gentleman by the name of Jared Britt, he um from what I've seen in a uh news story, he alerted a number of homeowners um to a house fire.

Their home was on fire.

He went and was knocking on their doors and trying to assist them.

So if we could arrange to have him brought before council and honor his heroic actions, that would be wonderful.

I could do that.

Thank you.

Dr.

King?

Yes, thank you, Ms.

Mayor.

Um, the last time we met, we talked about the water bills, um, and I brought up some personal issues that I was having.

And since that time, I probably received at least 20 calls with citizens with the same complaints.

Um, citizens who have ensured that there aren't any leaks, like myself who hired a contractor who put holes in the wall to make sure there were no leaks in the plumbing, um, hired someone to come out and investigate the irrigation system, and there are no leaks, had a plumber come out to check all the plumbing.

Um, and my water bill was still over $3,000.

So I think it's enough of a concern with enough of the constituents that we really look into that issue.

So I'm going to ask you, City Manager, if you could provide some information for us at the next meeting regarding why it is that these water bills are so extremely high.

Thank you.

Mr.

Smith.

Yes, Mr.

Mayor, thank you.

Uh just an announcement I would like to make.

I would like to thank City Council and members of staff for their support in the passing of my father as far as coming to the funeral home, the cars, the flowers.

I really do appreciate it.

I'm kind of going through a tough time now, but I need to be here at council, and thank you all for all your support.

Thank you, Councilman Smith.

And uh admire you for being here tonight considering all that you're having to go through.

Thank you, sir.

Any other uh new business items, Council members would like to bring up at this time.

Mr.

Mayor.

Uh Dr.

Ward.

And I'm not going to go into detail, but I do want us to um be thinking about.

I know there's a group who's concerned about the um rail road crossings, um, not only in Chesapeake but in Hampton Roads.

And you and I'm on the PDC and the PPO, and Mr.

Mayor, we brought this up several um, I mean, it has come up uh about the crossings.

Um Chesapeake has more railroad crossings.

I think we have the highest number in Virginia, and some of them used in the one in Port Law, for example, it has come up many times about the fact that is um it closes off people from getting uh through for long periods of time, 15, 20 minutes or in.

So I want to say there's an organization that's really trying to look at that.

Whenever you deal with railroads, we know that there are concerns because it's a federal thing, but uh we do have a lot of them where neighborhoods are locked off, even in Western Branch Cedar Grove when um you know, you know, train comes by a long uh long one.

A lot of those citizens uh behind that railroad can't get through, and even our emergency vehicles have difficulty, and we've talked about that sometimes before.

I know it's hard, but there is a group that's trying to um develop, I think they've already developed um an alert system.

Um, and I don't have all the details.

I did ask Andrew McClellan to send it to all of maybe our council members, but they're working on so that citizens can be alerted if that train is going across, which blocks you from getting out or emergency vehicles from getting in or out.

Um if something happens, they you know the trains have no way of just stopping, but we can alert citizens.

Uh, and this is kind of a kind of a low cost kind of thing for localities, but it's not just Chesapeake.

Uh, but Chesapeake was brought to that because it seems that we have more of these than Mr.

Manager knows about that, because we've talked about this in the past.

If there is a system that has been developed and at a minimal cost, I think something like $35,000 or something to alert citizens who live in the area where the real you know the train is crossing, that they can just get kind of an alert.

I know we used to get we get some on the bridges so that we know when the bridge is going to be open, at least the times of day.

So I want to just bring that up a thought, and and I was approached by you know um one of the persons who's heading this up um to let our citizens know uh when the train is going to be crossing.

I would appreciate we could just kind of look into that um system and see what can be done if anything, and if we can join with other cities who have this problem, it is a problem.

I sat behind that tracking on Portlock, and it is massive because it's lots of trains in one, you know.

If you've seen it, I don't know, that like 12 different tracks, you know, at one place where citizens need to get across, and sometimes uh being stuck there for a half hour or more.

And you could have an emergency trying to get somebody to the hospital or a doctor or whatever.

But if we could kind of look at that, Mr.

Manager, I'd appreciate that.

Thank you.

Any other and I'm done.

Any other new business items.

Next is uh uh Madam Attorney, would you apply please provide a language for a closed meeting topic?

A motion to enter to a closed meeting for the purpose of discussing a prospective business or industry where no prior public announcement has been made regarding its interest in locating facilities within the city, and for discussing the investment of public funds where competition or bargaining is involved and where initial public disclosure would or disclosure would adversely affect the financial interest of the governmental unit, specifically regarding the potential financing of a multi-purpose event center as permitted by section 2.2-3711 A5 and six of the code of Virginia.

Thank you.

A motion, please.

We approve them.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Second.

That's the fun.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to conduct a closed meeting is adopted by a 9-0 vote.

It is now 743.

Council will go into closed session.

Yes.

A motion is certified that to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed, and only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered.