Hello.

Ms.

Ritter, can you hear us?

Yes.

Okay, we are back in back in the meeting.

Thank you.

I got dropped.

Council is now in session.

I'd like to recognize Councilmember Whitaker at this time for the invocation and to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Father God, Lord, we just thank you for your love, Lord, for your mercy, for your grace, and we thank you, Father God, for the opportunity and freedom, Lord, to gather here, Lord, to deliver make deliberations concerning our city, Lord God.

Father God, I pray the way that you give us a measure of discernment and understanding, Lord, and that you give us wisdom, Father God.

Lord, we give you the praise, honor, and glory.

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

Amen.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Pledge Allegiance.

To the flag of the United States of America and to the Republican.

One nation, under God, individual with liberty and justice.

Thank you, Councilman Whitaker.

Madam Clerk, would you please call the roll?

Councilmember Bunn.

Here.

Council Member Jeffries.

Here.

Councilmember King here.

Councilmember Newman's here.

Councilmember Smith.

Here.

Council Member Ward, present.

Councilmember Whitaker.

Present.

Vice Mayor Ritter is excused.

Mayor West.

Here.

At this time, I'd like to recognize uh Councilman Ward.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Pursuant to Virginia Law and City Council's adopted remote participation policy.

I move that we ratify the remote participation of Vice Mayor Ritter in tonight's meeting.

Vice Mayor Ritter notified the mayor that she is unable to attend in person due to a medical condition and has requested to participate electronically from her residence.

The mayor has reviewed the request and determined that it complies with council's remote participation policy.

Vice Mayor Ritter will participate in the meeting in a manner that allows her to voice her voice to be heard by everyone in the council chamber, and her remote location will be noted in the meeting minutes as required by law.

Thank you.

Can we have a second, please?

Thank you, Councilman Smith.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Remote participation is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Thank you.

Are there any changes to the proposed agenda?

Seeing none.

Thank you.

Second.

And thank you, Mr.

Bunn.

Please prepare to vote.

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Yes.

What is your vote, please?

I vote yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

There are no minutes to be that are submitted for approval.

We'll go to proclamations for the emergency medical service week.

Today we recognize a vital public service that stands on the front lines of medical emergency responses in our community.

Emergency medical services professionals are often the critical link between crisis and care, providing life-saving services with skill, compassion, and dedication.

In recognition of emergency medical services week observed May 17th to May 23rd, we honor the extraordinary men and women who serve the city of Chesapeake each day.

At this time, I would like to invite Sam Dr.

Fire Chief Sam Guisano and Division Chief James Reynolds to come to the podium to receive their proclamation.

Chief.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I'm glad uh Vice Mayor Ritter is able to join us uh this afternoon.

Uh to our city council members and uh our Mr.

Manager, Mr.

Price.

Um today I've got Division Chief J.R.

Reynolds with me, who serves as our chief medical officer, and on behalf of the men and women of the Chesapeake Fire Department, thank you very much for this proclamation, recognizing the great work that our members do.

We take great pride in serving and caring for our citizens when they are experiencing injury, illness, uncertainty, and despair.

Our members are highly trained and have a servant's heart to protect and improve the quality of life of our community.

And they exhibit this core fundamental attribute over 33,000 times a year on EMS calls.

The Chesapeake Fire Department has received many awards for our EMS system, including the Mission Lifeline Award for 10 consecutive years.

And this award is presented to organizations demonstrating superior care in cardiac arrest patients.

Just speak has also been an early adopter of whole blood.

And this process saves lives from both traumas and medical emergencies.

And the CFD has been recognized for its innovative mobile integrated health care program that serves many of our most vulnerable populations.

And we are honored to accept this recognition, but it is truly our gift back to the community.

Thanking them for the opportunity and privilege it is to serve our wonderful city.

We could not provide the level of service to our community if it were not for the support we receive from our city council and our city manager, Mr.

Price, and his staff.

This is truly a team effort, and the ultimate winner of this teamwork is our community.

So on behalf of the entire department, thank you for the proclamation recognizing our EMS professionals and the support that you have given our department over many years.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chief.

And uh on behalf of our city council and I've pretty sure just about every citizen in this great city, we appreciate you.

We appreciate your leadership, we appreciate your department and all that you do for our city in keeping us safe.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Last week, May 3rd through May 9th, marked the 57th, marked this 57th Annual Professional Municipal Clerks Week.

We proudly honor our City Clerk, Miss Sandy Madison, and her outstanding staff with the city clerks off in the city clerk's office for their commitment to the city of Chesapeake.

Municipal clerks are guardians of our city's legislative history, the stewards of our official records, and the professionals who ensure the integrity, accessibility, and preservation of the vital documents that shape our community.

Their work often happens behind behind the scenes, yet it is the foundation to the effective operation of city government.

So on behalf of the city council and the citizens of Chesapeake, I extend the heartfelt gratitude to Miss Madison and her remarkable team for their faithful service, tireless efforts, and commitment to preserving the history and future of our great city.

Thank you.

So public comments must relate to tonight's agenda items.

When speaking, please focus your remarks on the merits of the application you're speaking on.

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

Additionally, to balance order with the public right to speak, and as outlined in the city council rules of order procedure, any speaker who delays, interrupts, or disrupts the meeting through the disorderly incident or disturbing action, speech, or conduct will be declared out of order.

Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers who wish to speak?

Yes, sir.

We have five speakers.

They'll get five minutes each.

The first speaker is Vic Nichols speaking on various items, followed by Dr.

George Reed.

Okay, first, CM4A on data centers.

This is something that a good number of people are against.

My question is is if you're representing us, why are you for this?

Because so far, when people have spoken out against it, you're supposed to be representing them, not something else.

On CM4B, the 5.7 million removed from the Green Bar TIFF.

We keep getting millions taken away, but nothing done for our infrastructure, especially on our roads and our traffic signals.

Why is that?

On CM4C with the budget, what is the break-even point where we pay nothing more per year?

Where is that?

Now it might not have gone up the quote unquote one percent, but fees are going up.

I saw an over 5% increase, it said on my real estate assessment that I got.

Um I'm also being charged hundreds of dollars higher than what I bought a car for just recently.

So somebody's um inflating things somewhere.

Y'all were the ones that wanted massive raises in your salary, and it was brought up twice.

Well, explain to me why we should hire you as our financial advisors when this is what we're seeing.

I'd like to know, especially we have 49 days until the state shuts down and they're blowing off our money and everything else on redistricting at SCOTUS, but nothing on a budget.

What is that going to do to us?

I've already talked to the schools, they have already done things to make sure that the teachers are going to be taken care of, but what happens to the city?

I haven't seen anything.

How much are we paying for Portsmouth first responder services?

And what is being done to wean the city off of red light camera and other types of financial gimme's.

Where is Greenbrier again getting the roads and the traffic light fixed?

I brought up issues on what are we going to do with the library.

Haven't seen anything about that.

I find that concerning.

On CM9, the Tali house, that's a hundred and fifty thousand EDIC grant.

Well, if we can afford that, how about we pay for the connections for the rural people that get stuck having to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket to hook to city services that most of them don't want and don't think they should have to be a part of?

So you know what?

If you can pay for them, you can pay for the people that put in constantly to the city.

For CM10, with those new structures that I talked about, who's going to be forced to pony up when?

Because don't tell me they're not going to be forced.

I want to know when and under what circumstances the city is going to force them to go in.

I smell how that's written.

MBA, we got a um planning planning a written policy for data centers.

Again, we come back to why.

I would like to know.

Thank you.

Dr.

George Reed, representing New Chesapeake Men for Progress, speaking in opposition to City Manager Item 4B, followed by Bradley Moore.

Okay.

What I was about to say is I vehemently oppose this ordinance to change the South Norfolk and Greenbride TIFF and to declare those remaining funds in there as surplus so the city can put it in the general fund.

South Norfolk has been neglected for 51 years that I've been in South Norfolk.

Bainbridge Boulevard flooding for 51 years.

The city's answer was to do a publication.

Just tell the citizen, build your house of structure higher, get flood insurance, and we'll post a sign telling you how deep the water is.

That's unacceptable.

When money is spent from the TIFF, voila, we build a city building.

We fix no streets.

Bain Beach Boulevard has so many patches and cracks in it.

It needs repaving.

Campistella Road, no sidewalk, bridges where people cannot walk unless a car stopped and let them walk over.

There are West Monday, 25 feet streets, ditches, mosquitoes.

Yet you want to come and take this money and take it somewhere else.

What kind of people are you?

Don't you have any respect, any concern for those of us who live in South Norfolk?

If so, you're not showing it.

I don't see any of you making any proposal discussing anything in this chamber.

What you do is read what's on the agenda.

Are you ready to vote and vote?

You know, being a city manager is not ceremonial.

We put you there to do things for us.

And you're not doing it.

Plain and simple.

Now, but it would be very, very wrong to the citizens in South Norfolk.

I can tell you five civic leagues that I'm associated with are opposed to this particular change.

So I hope you'll do that.

Ms.

Man, would I have another chance to come out?

Because it's something else I want to address.

Not for agenda items, non-agenda.

You will have a chance to speak if you signed up for it.

Yes, I did.

Okay.

Okay.

But here again, please fix the flooding on Bainbiz Boulevard.

Please fix the potholes.

It's too many to fix.

You need to repay Freeman Avenue as two four feet wide sinkholes right now.

And nobody seems to care.

I did call the center, and hopefully they'll come out and fix it.

But please don't take this money out of South Norfolk and spend it somewhere else.

You all had surpluses in the last four years of 372 million, according to the city's manager's report.

What do you do with it?

What do you do with it?

We don't know.

It goes in a slush fund, and you just spend it to do whatever you choose to do regardless of what the concern and problems that exist, particularly in South Norfolk.

So I beg you, do not pass this ordinance.

That money, clearly, by ordinance, it's supposed to be spent within the boundaries of that TIFF zone.

Let's do the right thing for a change.

Bradley Moore representing Cell speaking in opposition to City Manager 4B, followed by Linda Tyndale.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, members of council.

I'll be honest, I'm not going to stand up here for the full five minutes and do the same thing, but just as a resident of South Norfolk, I I'll I'll offer a different tone of the same opposition to the declaring the South Norfolk funds as a surplus that I do see what the city is doing in our neighborhood.

And I do know because I have conversations with folks regularly, and I'm also speaking on behalf of myself, not on behalf of the Civic League, but I also do have conversations with city employees regularly in various departments about not only what's being done but what we can do better and how we can bridge those gaps in my community in the historic South Norfolk district.

I have a lot of friends and neighbors in the portlock area, but I you know I share some of those concerns, but I don't take the same tone just because I understand that it's it's also hard to spend government money quickly.

To me, efficiently and effectively use it quickly, but I know of projects off the top of my head that if we were looking at a four million dollar surplus, that I know that in my neighborhood specifically, you know, Seaboard Avenue.

If we want to get on done with concrete, let's get on done with concrete.

You got four million dollars there.

Let's get on done with concrete.

I know at least one of my neighbors over on Ohio might appreciate that.

But at the same time, if you want to spend money on a study to decide whether asphalt is the right decision, there's money there to do that.

Um agenda, I'm prepared to talk about some other issues that are funded directly from the TIFF fund that you know I know the the Civic League is not in favor of those monies coming from the TIFF to pay for that.

So there's some money's being spent from there, and and there's if we're worried about the monies being spent and got this much left over, then we just need to come together and find a solution here.

I'm not going to tell you all what to do.

We elect you all, you're all fantastic leaders at what you do.

And our borough is not the only borough in the city of Chesapeake.

The Greenbrier Borough borough or the Greenbrier area is not the only area in Chesapeake.

There's needs in Deep Creek, there's needs in Hickory, there's needs in Edinburgh.

There's there's needs everywhere around the city, so we recognize that, but these TIFF districts are designed in such a way that you know they really were intended and they do for the most part benefit those neighborhoods that they are in, you know, adopted to, you know, serve, but we can really do a better job of, you know, let's lower that surplus and get those dollars invested in the greenbrier community.

Let's lower the lower those uh surplus numbers.

If we have a surplus fine, but let's you know make sure things are taken care of, and really what I'd encourage is, you know, when we do this, you kind of have to because the clock's ticking on the monies and that kind of thing, but we really need to sit down and have these conversations together.

And I know you all are good conversationalists and good listeners and and good speakers, so we appreciate your time, and I really think you'll kind of consider those thoughts when you go to make a decision here tonight on that city manager item.

Thank you so much.

Linda Tyndale representing self speaking in support of City Manager Item 10, followed by Vanessa Butler.

Good evening, Linda Tyndale, 1045 West Road.

Thank you for changing the city code to allow us the option to continue to use our wells instead of the mandatory connection to city water required by the current code.

I am certainly in support of this ordinance brought to City Council tonight.

But I still have the nagging fear that nothing is ever as good as it seems.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

What protection do we have to prevent another code change by the next director of utilities, a new city manager, or a future mayor and city council?

What happens then?

A forced immediate connection using the meter boxes that are currently being installed at each house on West Road, or will it be liens, fines, penalties, and interests attached to our deeds?

Mr.

Jurgens explained that it is the city's desire that we all connect.

Otherwise, the water will sit in the line and become stagnant before it gets to the airport.

Public utilities needs the water moving, or they will have to periodically flush the system with the hydrants.

That is why the incentives are now being offered.

What happens when a data center sucks our aquifers dry and our wells fail through no fault of our own?

Would our connections and water bills be paid by the data centers, or would our homes be condemned?

But back to the current item before you.

Thank you for rewriting the code and allowing us to continue to utilize our established private water systems in rural Chesapeake.

Good night.

Vanessa Butler representing SEPS speaking on item 10.

My name is Vanessa Butler.

I live at 1021 West Road, and I would like the proposed ordinance to amend specifically for the West Road people.

I would like it to be very simple.

I wanted to say it is not mandatory for the West Road residents to hook up to the new water line or the new sanitaire line now or in the future, including any changes to the deed.

I don't want to have to have be forced to hook up if a husband goes on my deed if my property goes into a trust.

I feel the way it reads now is actually a backdoor grab for money.

If you have the money that you got from the federal proper federal people to fund your project, because we the people on West Road do not want this.

By and large, we do not want it.

So we have to deal with the construction of your project, and it is not a pretty site.

So please put it in there to make it very clear for me that we will not be charged now or in the future for a mandatory hookup.

Thank you.

That concludes the speakers.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Next is our consent agenda.

Madam Clerk, would you please present the consent agenda?

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

These requests are not public hearing items at this time.

These items are tend to be scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission on June 10, June 10th, 2026, and will be considered by City Council at a future meeting.

APLN REZ 2025-019 Charlton Woods.

B PLN REZ 2025-020, Harleton Park.

One refund, Transnational Foods Inc., 12,863.

Kenneth Luxoy, Library Board.

B.

Leela Watten, Mosquito Control Commission, C, Benjamin Minor, South Norfolk Revitalization Commission.

City Manager Item 1: Request for the Authority to Apply for an Emerald Ash Bore Cost Share Program Grant from the Virginia Department of Forestry.

Requested by Parks Recreation and Tourism.

Request to transfer $75,000 of available appropriations within the FY26 Human Services Operating Budget requested by human services.

Three, a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute easement agreements conveying site development easements across public property consistent with the five-year capital improvement program involving improvement of property owned by the city of Chesapeake requested by the city manager effective as of July 1, 2026.

That concludes the consent agenda, mayor.

Thank you.

Are there any items council members would like to remove from the consent agenda and put into the regular agenda for discussion?

Seeing none, we need a motion, please, and a second.

Thank you, Mr.

Whitaker.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Uh any discussion?

No.

Vice Mayor Ritter, please cast your vote.

Yes.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Next is our regular agenda.

Price?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Item 4 has multiple parts.

I'll read them individually.

They're all related to the consideration of the FY 2026 through 2027 operating budget.

4A is an ordinance imposing and levying a tax within the city of Chesapeake, Virginia on all taxable property for the maintenance and operation of the city for the retirement of bonded debt and for the paying of interest thereon for the period from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, requested by the budget department.

Could we have a motion, please?

Move approval.

Thank you.

Councilman Newens.

Do we have a second?

Thank you, Councilman King.

Any discussion on this item?

Vice Mayor Ritter, please cast your vote.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clark.

Motion to approve the ordinance as presented, effective on and after July 1, 2026, is adopted by a 9-0 vote.

Item 4B is a request for a declaration of surplus monies in the amount of five million seven hundred thousand and four million three hundred thousand from the Greenbrier Tax Increment Financing District Fund Balance and the South Norfolk Tax Increment Financing District Fund Balance, respectively, and to transfer to the general fund requested by the budget department.

And before I ask for a motion, uh Mr.

Manager had a couple speakers who had some concerns about this item.

Could you please explain the purpose and of TIFF funds and how they work?

Yes, sir.

So the TIFF funds are their special financing districts that we have two of them, one in Greenbrier, one in South Norfolk, and they are used to help fund capital improvement projects within those districts.

What we do every year when we prepare the budget is we take all of the eligible capital improvement projects that departments are proposing, and for ones that are eligible for TIFF funding, that's the primary source of funding that we use.

So in years where we don't have enough projects to match the available amount of money, then we declare a surplus.

And by policy a few years ago, council directed that surplus to the public safety pay plan and ultimately the the tower plan for the city.

So that's that's what why we have this item every year.

I will say, particularly for the South Norfolk TIFF, in the coming years, we are going to we will it will be less likely we'll have a surplus because we have some very significant projects coming online.

So we have the South Norfolk Municipal Center and the parking garage and the Cuffy Center pool.

So just those two projects alone will you know once once they become, you know, once they become fully funded, they they will be significant drivers of how we use that that TIFF money in the Green Byer TIFF if you recall from the the uh greenbrier plan that council just approved.

There are there is a lot of new significant infrastructure necessary to accommodate the future of Greenbrier.

So likewise that that plan was approved, and so in the next in the future years budgets, you will start seeing infrastructure necessary to accomplish that plan, and similar to South Norfolk, if we choose to use TIFF financing to pay for those projects, then we'll likely see a significant reduction in any available surplus, meaning that we'll have to cover the cost of the um the pay plan through general um uh fund revenues, not TIFF surplus revenues.

Sorry for the long-winded discussion, but I expect that these numbers will come down dramatically in the future.

I will say that at the next opportunity when when we have uh um you know budget work session with council way in advance of of uh preparing the budget, we might want to have a conversation about this about what kind of projects we're seeing and whether or not council's policy from a few years ago on the pay plan needs to be revisited.

I got a couple of questions.

Is it fair to say or to state it another way other than surplus funds?

There are monies that do not qualify or are not appropriate for uh capital improvement projects in that TIFF area.

So for the TIFF money in particular?

Correct.

In other words, uh yeah, so if we have eligible, so not all projects are eligible to be funded with TIFF funds.

So if we have an eligible funding for a capital project within the TIFF district, the TIFF funding is what we use for that uh project.

So I'll give you an example uh that you might remember from last year.

We had considered for a time funding that with TIFF money instead of utility money.

So generally speaking, the utility pays for its own projects, but there are times where it's a project significant enough to the community where we might choose to use TIFF fund.

What we can't do is fund, for example, ongoing operating costs.

So if we had to add new public safety staff to the um to districts within Greenbrier or South Norfolk TIFFs, you can't pay the ongoing operations with TIFF funds, just capital uh infrastructure expenses.

Thank you.

Let's get a motion on the floor before we uh have any further discussion.

Can we have a motion, please?

Dr.

Ward.

Anyone like to make a motion?

Move approval.

Thank you, Councilman Newens.

Thank you, Councilman Whitaker.

Now, discussion on this issue.

I'll go to Councilman Rewards.

Uh Councilman Ward.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, because this is jointly in one uh motion, he was you know, he was green by in South Norfolk.

Now, recall last year we did have considerable discussion about this uh because of the 20 years I've been on council.

This was the first time that I can remember that um the South Norfolk TIFF was the you know, linked to the general fund, it is recommended here.

We did have quite a bit of discussion about that, and we did um link it to the general fund SURE Plus.

Um I do have some concerns about it.

Um we had those same concerns last year, but it has and uh the all the things that you mentioned, Mr.

Manager.

Could I ask if those and there are others because there are sidewalks and uh the pool and a lot of flooding going on, as some of the speakers have alluded to, and we know that's the truth, uh, and those same things came up last year, then this was proposed to equate the two uh as surplus funds, and there were some because in the beginning, um, many of us were not here, but the South Norfolk TIFF was really allocated for South Norfolk, as you kind of said, uh, but we changed it last year, and so I'm considered wondering why when all these things are being brought up again with the sidewalks, the knees and the flooding, um, and the roads because we travel there in Bank Bull Word as Bed and Pointexes, and some of the other ones are really out of show, would they not qualify for TIF funds?

Um a couple things.

So we've been doing this, I believe now for five years.

So it was part of the public safety pay plan discussion, so we've been declaring surpluses, and we and even before that, we declared surpluses prior to me being um city manager, so um, but not every year.

We have had them, I think every year since 2021.

Um, yes, there are a lot of lot of projects that could be used for TIFF funding, but none that have been advanced through the CIP, and quite frankly, we as a city don't have the capacity, you you could fund more projects, we don't have the capacity to execute those projects.

So we we right now have the uh perhaps the biggest capital improvement program in the city's history with the number of fire stations and the the public safety training academy, the South Norfolk building, the pool, um the Dismal Swamp Village.

We have so many projects going on right now that even if we had the money in projects, I do not believe over the course of the fiscal year that we have the staff resources to be able to take on additional construction projects.

Um however, I I do get the sentiment.

I understand, and uh I I think it's if if council wants to change the policy that you all adopted a few years ago about the the surpluses and and as a way to help uh pay for the public safety pay plan, that's a very worthwhile conversation.

But um, if you if you're if you do not adopt this item tonight, you have a structurally unbalanced budget, and the budget must be adopted by state code by this evening.

Any other comments?

But uh Councilman Newman's?

Thank you, Ms.

Mayor.

To the manager, just some questions.

You used a bunch of acronyms about CIPs and other things and whether or not they qualify.

Can you just break that down for us?

What do you mean that some capital improvement projects qualify, some don't qualify for the TIFF?

So and then if you don't mind, if when you get into that, what percentage, if you if just if you can give me a guesstimate of monies from our budget is going into the South Norfolk and Greenboro areas.

Are we making substantial investments in other ways that don't necessarily qualify through TIFF funds?

Yes, I'll take take those in two parts.

So examples of non-qualifying projects would be ongoing operational expenses that I mentioned earlier.

So, like for example, we'll have to staff up the pool.

Okay, when the pool comes online, the pool is eligible for TIFF funding.

And before you move on, what does that look like cost-wise?

The ongoing operational of the pool.

It's millions of dollars.

Annually annually, okay.

So that would be something that does not qualify for TIFF funding that we will be spending out of the general fund.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay, do you mind continuing?

Um the um projects that aren't eligible on the capital side, um, generally speaking, would be things that are utility projects because we have a utility fund and it's an enterprise fund, meaning it's supposed to be self-serving.

Do you mind sharing the cost of those or a guesstimate of what the cost of that is?

It's tens of millions of dollars.

Some of our larger projects in the city actually are in South Nova.

Um, and likewise the stormwater.

So stormwater is uh is um a service district fund that is created for stormwater projects, so you could choose to do projects with general fund revenue or TIFF revenue, it's just not something that that we've done because we've set that rate to be um sustainable at the amount of projects that we can handle in any one year without significantly increasing the amount of staff.

So those would be examples of projects that aren't eligible.

Another thing that I I failed to mention earlier is we have been tremendously successful in bringing in federal and state grant money to offset local cost of these capital projects.

So going back years ago with a big project that Congressman Scott helped us with with the sidewalk on Poindexter Street that that we'll be doing from Elizabeth from the park into town.

Um that's just one example.

Those are projects we otherwise would have funded with the TIFF that were in the CIP, but when we get money from the federal or state government, we're we no longer need to rely on the CIP.

So we're actually taking projects out of the CIP, and by declaring the surplus in the TIFF, the benefit of those those monies goes to the entire city, as with any project within the city, anywhere that we get money from the federal or state government to offset those.

Um we have federal and state money in the pool.

That's another example of a partnership.

Otherwise, it would have been fully funded, and this wouldn't have been an issue because we without those funds, we would have completely drained the TIFF.

So those are examples.

They were eligible projects, but they they're that portion of funding is no longer necessary because we have federal and state grants.

So it's I know it's very complicated, but I we do do our best to take every eligible capital project that we have the capacity to do in any given year, and then for those that are eligible for TIFF funding, we fund them through the TIFF.

Thank you.

For me, I think it's important when we are considering this item that at least something I look at is the investment that the city makes into these areas in addition to the TIFF.

So, like the manager said, Um, we are we are investing millions, and it just seems that the TIFF designation for what the money can be utilized for is very narrow in its definition.

So there's so many things that we are investing in these areas amongst other areas of the city that the TIFF money doesn't technically qualify for, but it is an investment to the area.

So that's what's important to me is that the money that's being collected in the TIFF, the value of it is going back into that community, and I think we are doing that in other ways.

And the money itself, I think you said is going into the general fund, which will fund the public safety pay plan, which is important to note, it's not going to another area of the city, it's going into what I think is the most crucial investment capital improvement project in our city, which is funding our public safety members, because if we're not safe, then everything else crumbles.

So I think this is a valuable investment.

I understand the concerns that the citizens brought up regarding the monies being declared as a surplus, but I think we are adequately putting the monies back in these areas in excess of what's being declared in surplus.

So that's why I'm supporting of it.

But Mr.

Manager, I think you were going to comment on one more thing I said.

I failed to answer the second part of which you just mentioned about funding outside of the TIFF into South Norfolk.

I'll just give you an example.

So council during the work sessions had a significant amount of conversation at the request of Council Member Smith and Councilmember Whitaker about what can we do to improve the living conditions of folks in Campus Stella?

And so we're taking the initial steps right now to look at uh potential uh development uh partners for redevelopment opportunities, expanding our support of the uh Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority and expanding the the scope of work that they do to really have some transformational projects at their campus Stella Square and others, and and and those will be very beneficial to the community, but will rely almost solely on general fund revenue because most a lot of those projects are not TIFF eligible, so a huge amount of investment going into South Norfolk outside of the TIFF.

Thank you.

Dr.

King, I'll call you on just a second, but I just want to at this point maybe just go back a step and think about and uh tell me, please, correct me if I'm wrong.

There's no additional expenses for residents or businesses in South Norfolk or in Greenbar.

Uh so the TIFFs money is created from businesses that were or the taxes that were uh kind of frozen at a point a point in time.

So in South Norfolk is from those businesses in Greenbrier, it's residential and business that were frozen at a certain point in time.

Then those of us who live in Greenbright, we're not paying any additional for that, but just taking the money uh that was at the additional money or the money that was at after the frozen, right?

What you just said is what the TIFFs are intended for, meaning you have special districts, you're not raising taxes on those districts, you're not levying additional fees, but you're saying within this district, before we we're gonna freeze the taxes at this level, whatever year you impose the district, and then increases over time have to be spent in the district unless there aren't eligible candidate projects, and so that's where we find ourselves.

Um, however, as council member new and said for for non-TIF eligible projects, we're investing huge amount of general fund um into South Norfolk.

But but that being said, the Dr.

Ward is right.

We've this has come up two years in a row, so I think outside of the budget process, it probably does warrant a policy conversation to make sure that we're still on the right track.

Thank you for clarifying that.

Uh, Dr.

King.

I was just gonna ask you, um, City Manager, if you could comment on how the TIFF money has been used in South Norfolk.

I think that's important for the public to know.

Yes, so the the current CIP has some of the biggest projects in the city's history.

So the South Norfolk Municipal Building, um, the the Cuffy Center pool, um, just to name a few, but the TIFF district in the past has paid for anything from um roads, bridges, parks, um, years ago, school projects.

We so we've done really the a variety um of projects.

Uh upcoming we'll have um uh relocation, uh police station obviously is relocating to the new municipal building.

Um, we'll be looking to redo the fire station.

Um, that's a TIP candidate eligible project.

So really the the full range of public um service projects that we've done in South Norfolk over over the time that that um the the um the library the it on Poindexter Street, all of the the redevelopment that that is that has happened there, so a huge amount of investment in in projects, but some and and they have been game changers, especially on the Poindexter corridor, but um some of the ones I just mentioned equally, if not more impactful uh coming in the future.

Thank you.

And was the relocation of the Wilson Bridge from TIFF funds as well?

I'm not sure I'd have to verify, but really, in any given year, any eligible project, if it can be TIFF funded, that's the source of funding we use.

Thank you.

Councilman Bunn.

Thank you, Mayor West.

Couple questions.

Um following up with a couple of speakers, I'm not sure who's who asked a question, but I want to ask a question.

Um the TIFF money cannot can it not be used for the flooding issue at right in Bay Ambridge Boulevard?

Since I've been driving for 40 years, that's been an issue.

So Bainbridge Boulevard is funded in the CIP.

I'm not sure if it's TIFF TIFF funding, but like I said, any eligible project TIFF is the source that we use.

Um so let's say hypothetically that it's TIFF funded today.

Um, then that's an appropriate source of funds if if it is um if that is how it's funded.

If it's not funded today and we used TIFF funds to do it, we would just supplant that with general funds so it's no net change to either the South Norfolk TIFF or the or the general fund.

And I'm probably not doing a great job of explaining that, but we have no more eligible projects that can be TIFF funded that we have the capacity to do this year that aren't already TIFF funded in the budget.

Okay.

Just request uh master the city manager to provide information on um the flooding on Bainbridge Boulevard and how far down that is if it's reasonable to say next year, two years, three years.

I'd like to get update on that.

And also one of the speakers did talk about sinkholes on Freeman Avenue.

Um, I've been noticing all over the city.

We've been had some issues with that too.

If you could look into that, I appreciate it.

Thanks.

Thank you, Mr.

Bond.

Uh Mr.

Smith.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh, for the city manager also.

How did you come up?

How do you derive it to prices as far as the funds?

The five point, what is it, 5.7 million and the 4.3 million?

How do you derive it?

Those numbers.

So the amount of money generated by the TIFF minus the amount of monies that we have programmed for eligible projects within the capital improvement budget.

And then that's the remainder.

Okay.

And is it also correct that 12.5 million from one and 19.7 from the other?

So there's still some left over.

Jonathan, our budget director is nodding yes, so I'll take his word for it.

Okay.

So it's like we're not spending it at all.

We just transfer and sum up.

That is correct.

Okay.

Thank you.

We that's a very good point.

It's the minimal amount necessary to fund the public safety pay plan, which is was council's priority at the time we adopted that.

Thank you all.

We have uh a motion by this new ones to approve this and second by Mr.

Whitaker.

Please prepare to vote.

Excuse me.

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Thank you.

Now please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Adam Clark.

Okay.

Motion to approve approved the quest as presented, effective June 30th, 2026 is adopted by an eight to one vote.

Item 4C is an ordinance making appropriations for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027 to prescribe the terms and payment and repeal all ordinances wholly in conflict with this ordinance requested by the budget department.

Could we have a motion, please?

Do you want to move to approve?

Let me let me get a motion with the this language if you don't mind.

I move to approve the fiscal year 2026-2027 operating budget and appropriation ordinance or fiscal year beginning July 1, 26, ending June 30, 27 to prescribe the terms and payment and to repeal all ordinances wholly in conflict with this ordinance.

Would you like to second that, Mr.

Mr.?

Yes, thank you.

Any discussion on this item?

Mr.

Smith.

Did you have discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Yes.

Thank you.

Council, please vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

Motion to approve the FY 2026-27 operating budget and appropriation ordinance for fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027, to prescribe the terms and payment and to repeal all ordinances wholly in conflict with this ordinance as presented.

Effective July 1, 2026 is adopted by a 9-0 vote.

Item five is a resolution of official intent to reimburse expenditures with proceeds of a borrowing requested by finance.

Motion please.

Move for approval.

Councilman Smith.

Second.

Thank you.

Uh Councilman Riddicker.

And any discussion?

Vice Mayor Ritter?

Did you want to?

Did you have this?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Council, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 6 is an ordinance making appropriations for capital improvement purposes for fiscal year July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, requested by budget.

Uh motion is in order.

Miss Newens.

Move approval.

Thank you, Councilman Newens.

Do we have a second?

Thank you.

Councilman Ward.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote.

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Yeah.

Thank you.

And please vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

Motion to approve the ordinance making appropriations for capital improvement purposes for fiscal year July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, as presented.

Effective July 1, 2026 is adopted by 9-0 vote.

Thank you.

Item 7 is a request for approval of the City of Chesapeake's FY 2026 through 2027 program year 52 community development block grant home investment partnership program.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development requested by planning.

Motion please move for approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Ritter.

Second.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Any discussion?

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Mr.

Smith, have a discussion.

Yeah.

Thank you.

I'm open.

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Yes, we were at the Redder before we had the discussion.

But go ahead.

Thank you.

I just want to know what are the plans for the money and how we apply for the grant.

Do you know what I share?

I'll ask our deputy planning director Rebecca Benz to address that.

Hi, good evening.

Um for the funding.

We have two new recipients and several other sub-recipients who we've worked with in the past.

It is broken down in the item that you received.

There is a detailed description, four pages worth.

Okay, thank you.

We do have a motion for approval.

Please prepare to vote.

And we already have Ms.

Ritter's vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clark.

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

Item 8 is a resolution affirming commitment to fund the locality share of projects under agreement with the Virginia Department of Transportation and provide signature authority requested by public works.

Motion please move to approve.

Thank you, Councilman Smith.

Thank you.

Councilman King.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Please vote and record, Madam Clerk.

Too many things going on.

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

Item 9 is a resolution approving an award of an economic development investment grant in the amount of 150,000 to trolley house refreshments incorporated of Virginia Corporation and transferring appropriated funds for such grant to the economic development authority requested by economic development.

Motion please move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Any discussion?

Ms.

Ritter.

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Council, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 10 is an ordinance amending chapter 78 of the Chesapeake City Code, Article 3, entitled Service Regulations and Policies, Section 78-52 regarding required connection to the city's water and sewer facilities to provide for exemptions to mandatory connection for certain water lines installed for reasons other than providing local water service to adjacent premises requested by public utility.

Motion please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Councilman Whitaker.

Second.

Thank you, Councilman Smith.

Any discussion on this item?

Councilman News?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

To the city attorney, there was a speaker who talked about language regarding ownership that if you transfer ownership, then you will be exempt from the exemption.

So essentially you'd be mandated to connect in certain circumstances.

Is that in all circumstances where there are exemptions or is that in certain circumstances?

That applies in the case of groundwater contamination.

So if someone is exempt from mandatory connection because they have a grand groundwater contamination issue, the existing property owner will not have to connect.

However, if there is a change in ownership, the new owner would have to connect, and the purpose behind that is obviously a public safety one that ultimately you want to have those properties that have contaminated wells and groundwater issues to have safe drinking water.

So that is the only provision that applies to your question.

And how do we determine if they are have contaminated wells or drinking water?

How does that process happen?

I think our DPU director might be able to answer the term than me.

I realize it.

But generally it's testing and monitoring, but I would defer to the expert.

Okay.

Mr.

Manager, do you mind if we okay?

Of the projects that we have that we listed in the memo that we have currently underway.

The only project that is being done for groundwater contamination of off-base residents is the line that's going down Mount Pleasant to now Fentress Airfield.

So the only place where this would apply would be in that proximity to that air base where we know that the groundwater is contaminated because of the sampling that the Navy has done in that area, and that's the reason that the Navy is installing the or paying to install this water line.

This does not this provision does not apply in any way on West Road.

It does not apply in any way on the line going to the Northwest Annex.

Now the line going to Northwest Annex is because they have on-base contamination, and that's one of the reasons because one of their two well fields is contaminated, but that's an on-based issue.

It's not going by any properties that have any off-base contamination.

So the purpose on that line is a transmission line to get to the Navy base itself.

So that provision for change of ownership only applies to the water line on Mount Pleasant, and then only in the proximity of the air base or yeah, the air base.

So to the attorney, then would there be any issue legally if we include that language within the ordinance that this provision does not apply to or only applies to these certain circumstances or areas that Mr.

Jurgens just outlined because I think as it's written, it seems very general, and I don't want the citizens to have the concern that this could someday apply to them if that's not their intent, the intent of this.

Well, it it's I would recommend against that, and the reason I would recommend against that is because we do know that there is a contamination plume in the vicinity of Northwest Annex.

It is possible that contamination plume will extend off base at some point.

So there may be another case in the future where we would need to install a line that would be for the purposes of uh groundwater contamination.

There are other areas in the city where we have discovered contaminated groundwater.

There's been places where we found arsenic and some other things in the groundwater that would qualify.

So when we wrote the ordinance, we tried to draft it in such a way that it ties to the purpose of the pipe, and that's specified in the memo, but not specifically in the ordinance.

But it allows us the flexibility that if we do have a circumstance similar to this in the future, it would be applied in that case.

So that's why we didn't specify in the ordinance that only that line.

So I guess how do we prevent a citizen from not knowing that they have groundwater contaminants, transferring title, and then finding out that they did have contaminants and now they have a mandatory hick hookup type situation?

It ties back to the purpose of the water transmission line, the water line that's being installed at the time that it's being stalled.

This the water line going to Fentress is being installed solely because of the groundwater contamination.

That is the whole purpose of the pipeline.

The other water lines are being installed for other reasons.

The one on West Road is a transmission main that's going to be the first part of the transmission loop.

So it has a different purpose, has nothing to do with groundwater contamination.

Do we provide notice to residents who live on properties who have groundwater contamination that their properties are subject to that?

So we're gonna be having public meetings.

We're gonna be sending when we start working forward, we're getting ready to acquire the easements that are going out to Mount Mount Pleasant Road now, and we'll be meeting with all of the residents that we're acquiring easements from, which is about, I believe, 70.

I don't want to swear to the number.

Um, and we will be sending notices out, and so we will absolutely notify those residents in writing of what the requirement would be.

May I add a quick comment too?

Just to bolster on what David's saying.

Um, when you have the mandatory connection for residential properties, if there is, you know, groundwater contamination on the property, the existing owner does not have to connect, but then they later sell it to a different property owner, that person would have five years to connect in case of residential or commercial uses, it's six months of the activation of the water line.

So it's I think it's something that will there will be ample notice and opportunity for them to plan for it and be aware of it.

I mean, this is just rest solely on the public policy premise that you're trying to ultimately not have people with unsafe drinking water, and so that's kind of that's why we applied it universally as applied as opposed to calling out specific areas.

It's just a general public policy premise that unsafe drinking water should ultimately have the ability to connect to city water, and we would not cover the cost of that transfer at that time.

So if title transfers in the case unless Miss Linley brought up and you have five years to connect, the city would not be covering that hookup.

You would have to be within six months of the water line being brought to the property.

Is that or being installed at the property?

Am I classifying that correctly?

That's that's how I yes, ma'am.

That's my understanding too.

Okay, thank you.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any further discussion?

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Sorry.

Thank you.

Council, but please prepare to vote, vote, and record.

Madam Clerk.

Motion to approve the ordinance as presented is adopted by a nine-o vote.

Thank you.

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

This would be non-agenda speakers.

Madam Clerk, do we have any?

Yes, sir.

We have seven speakers.

They will get three minutes each.

The first speaker is Vic Nichols, representing Self speaking on affairs of the city, followed by Gail Gilmore.

In Greenburgh, we supposed to have had Eden Way fixed the original total that I saw for it was 10 million dollars.

Considering 5.7 million this year and one other year, y'all could have had that fixed.

So um either that or you could have had Volvo Widen, which would have been the preferable issue, and um it it would also be nice that when the Greenbrier residents are in a forum with city employees that they don't shut you up because the questions you ask are much more in depth and probing than what people who are not used to these types of things are, because I really did not appreciate that happening, and that basically says the city does not want things known or questioned.

South Norfolk had dollars when it merged into Chesapeake in the 60s.

Well, Ches Peak took all the dollars and kind of dumped on it, the same thing that you're doing with Green Bar, which is one of the reasons why we support South Norfolk and we get it.

For Deep Creek, how about you keep the old bridge two lanes and those few cars that go straight or left onto George Washington, make it so that they don't hold everyone up that's going right on GW.

The timing of the lights also needs to be fixed.

And since the old bridge is only one lane now, why not make the left lane at the light that is now barreled off a left turn lane?

There is never any monitoring of the lights of the bridge by police, yet they sit down the road winning to catch people speeding.

The new traffic shift didn't seem to make things any better because folks coming from Moses Grandy continue to block the intersection, making it impossible for more than one to two cars to make it through the light.

You still need police at that intersection to be present and help the flow of traffic.

They probably have their ticket quite as in no time anyway, and people might actually follow traffic laws in the area because we have the same problems with Eden Way North getting blocked from Greenburn with the mall exits, and those need to be shut off also.

Also, are you buying Greenburn Northwine turning that into a rec center?

That would actually be worth something.

The Lakeside Park is also not ADA accessible to everyone.

There's a difference.

Louise Lucas has not posted in five days, and guess who took her phones?

She doesn't have access to them.

So you know what?

That's a good part of Chesapeake that is without a senator.

You all are the second largest city in Virginia.

Step up to the plate, guys.

Thank you.

Gail Gilmore, representing self speaking on the Black Male Achievement Breakfast, followed by Bradley Moore.

Okay.

I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mayor Rick West and members of the Chesapeake City Council.

I am Gail M.

Gilmore, a 38-year resident of Chesapeake, Virginia.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak this evening.

First of all, I would like to commend the new Chesapeake Men for Progress for the 18th annual Black Male Achievement and Scholarship Breakfast that was held April 18th, which also happened to be my birthday.

Twenty-one high achieving black males, three each from Chesapeake's seven high schools, were awarded scholarships of $2,500 each.

In addition, 10 high-achieving black males, one each from Chesapeake's 10 middle schools were awarded the Dr.

Donell Johnson Middle School Academic Scholar Award.

By the way, the late Dr.

Johnson was a teacher that taught at Crowdock High School in Portsmouth back in the day when I was a student there.

It was a fabulous event.

For years, the new Chesapeake Men for Progress, with one of their most outspoken members, Dr.

George Reed, have advocated for a multi-purpose center that would be used to host our city's high school graduations, serve as a performing arts and sports event venue.

For the longest time, it has still gone unfunded.

This has gone on for years.

I just listened to Dr.

Reed a few council meetings ago, still speaking on this subject.

I certainly agree with him that it is time to fund this project.

I believe that if this city being the second largest behind Virginia Beach in this area can host their graduations at the Virginia Beach Convention Center, Chesapeake should also be able to host our graduations, et cetera, at such a center.

As Dr.

Reed has also mentioned, it would generate revenue.

It has been frustrating because, according to the research, and I quote, after spending $65,000 for Johnson Consulting to conduct a market feasibility study for a potential multipurpose center, the city council has made building a convocation center for forming arts center and sports complex with a swimming pool a priority, but unfunded.

Unquote.

It's about time that this is funded.

I also have an ulterior motive.

When my two children who graduated from Western Branch High School 2002 and 2006, respectively, it rained both times, and we had to quickly exit the football field both times.

My grandson is scheduled to graduate with the Western Branch High Class of 2028.

It would be so nice to attend it at a nice Chesapeake venue without having to pay a toll to attend it in another city.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you for being the best guidance counselor I ever had the opportunity to work with.

Ms.

Gilboy, thank you.

Bradley Moore, representing South Norfolk Civic League, speaking on Guerrero Street Plaza, followed by Linda Tendell.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor, members of council.

My name is Brad Moore.

I'm here on behalf of South Norfolk Civic League.

Some of you have probably heard over the past few months.

Um we brought in planning to discuss the Greer Street Project.

We talked about it last month.

We talked about it at our meeting this month.

And unfortunately, I just want to say on behalf of the Civic League, we are in opposition to this project in general, mainly because it's funded through TIFF money, and it's temporary.

So at this point, I'm gonna yield the time back to the gentleman from South Norfolk and speak on behalf of myself and not the Civic League, but I've delivered the Civic League's message.

We talked earlier.

I certainly understand the conversations of capacity and not being able to get done things done quickly.

It's one of those things.

We can put a bed out all day long, but if nobody bids and nobody you know bids for the project, we can't get it done.

I also point well taken about you know the there are other operating monies, there are other general fund monies coming into our neighborhood and taking care of things.

Um but as for me and my personal opinion on this Greer Street project, it just, you know, it kind of goes to the same that I was saying earlier about the surplus TIFF funds.

That project was not communicated well to our community.

Um, prior to it being funded from the TIFF money, and if we talk about all those TIFF monies are going to TIFF qualified projects, please explain the logic in a temporary installation in places where our police have had to work with public works to pull up benches on Poindexter Street for folks that are already kind of they're doing their best they can.

The folks at the precinct are doing the best they can with the, you know, whether it's unhoused or just vagrant population in the area, but you set up, and and again, I'm speaking on behalf of this myself, not the Civic League, but you set up a space.

It's got benches, it's got tables, got all those things.

We can't expect the precinct to come from their brand new building, which will be difficult to get vehicles all the way from the garage over to where this plaza will be, and there has got to be a smarter way to go about this with our TIFF money.

And so I don't convey that on behalf of the Civic League, but I'm sure if you asked any of the residents in our neighborhood, we would say the same.

We weren't talked to about this project before it was decided that it was a done deal.

It was a done deal.

They showed up ready to ask us what coat of paint to put on it.

You know, that's not any fault of the planner assigned the project.

Olivia is a great planner, and and I appreciate her work in many number of ways, but it's also not fair to the staff who are already at capacity for issues to give them projects that the community doesn't care for.

Thank you.

Linda Tyndale, representing South, speaking on West Road, followed by Jennifer Economy.

Good evening, Linda Tyndale, 1045 West Road.

By now, you are all aware that the water and sewer line project is not going smoothly.

West Road is a mess.

The contractor is using the Springton site owned by the Dragus Company as ground zero for the duration of this huge project.

It's a perfect size and location for this purpose.

However, it was rezoned as residential on December 17th of 2024.

I do not recall any conditional use permits coming to council, and a quick search of the city website indicates this heavy duty utility project is not an approved use for a residentially zoned area.

The Dragus Company proffered as an incentive as incentive for the rezoning of the site to minimize impact on West Road and number 10 lane by declaring that all construction equipment and activity would enter and exit the site from the commercial campus area on 17 at Eaglet Drive.

The SJ Lewis Company is currently using dressage lane off of West Road for every dump truck and every tractor trailer delivering supplies, pipes, and equipment, employees, subcontractors, et cetera, all day long.

The residentially zoned Springton property is large enough to support this industrial project for the next three years.

But our two-lane rural road is not.

The promised construction entrance modification needs to be expedited.

They have the equipment on site to put the construction entrance in place on 17 at Eaglet.

Please require the same proffered modification that was a consideration for the residential rezoning to reduce the impact on our community and rural roadways throughout this city utility project timeline.

Tomorrow night from 5 30 to 7 30 at Grassfield High, there will be a the second open house hosted by the contractor, the engineer, and the city team.

I am requesting you to be there too.

Be sure to visit West Road before the meeting to see what we are facing.

The conditions are certainly causing a negative impact on the community.

I look forward to seeing you there tomorrow night.

Thank you.

Jennifer Economy speaking on data centers, followed by Mike Battle.

Good evening, Mayor West and members of City Council, Jennifer Economy 2708 Cedarville Road.

I appreciate that council is considering an initiating resolution tonight to develop a written policy for data centers.

But before any policy is drafted, we need to understand the full impacts these facilities would have on Chesapeake.

Data centers place enormous demands on electricity and water, create constant industrial noise, and offer very few permanent jobs.

Once they're built, the impacts are permanent, and residents offer often carry the burden.

Several cities and counties across the U.S.

have recently moved to ban or pause data center development as concerns grow about energy use, water consumption, and neighborhood impacts.

I'm asking if you can direct the planning commission to study these impacts first, transparently and publicly, and to include the option of a full ban or a temporary moratorium in their recommendations.

Our community deserves a clear evidence-based path before any policy is written.

Thank you.

Mike Battle, representing CEP, speaking general affairs, followed by George Reed.

Israel.

Okay.

All right.

I have been a resident of Chesapeake since uh 1985.

I have a long family history in this community going back to the Civil War.

My great grandfather fought for the 36 U.S.

Colored Troops.

He was stationed at Fort Monroe and was mustered into service in 1863.

With that being said, I do have deep roots in the community.

I would like to address deep concerns.

Many of our residents have, especially towards uh the council.

And I, yeah, I've come to several meetings and heard over and over and over again, individuals speak of issues as if, you know, it's just going against a blank wall.

And I um I'm hopeful, you know, in a state of America as we are today, which seems so many rights are being challenged on the left and on a right, that I hope that as a resident of Chesapeake to feel secure, and you all looking out for us as we voice our concerns regarding either a sidewalk or a bus stop.

And I would wish sincerely, if you all had opportunity to walk in our shoes to actually say, come down and walk through some of the communities so you can see firsthand what's actually going on.

Thank you.

George Reid, Affairs of the City.

Well, I'm back again about the performing arts and communication center.

I remember a meeting at Dr.

William, the late Dr.

William E.

Warrenhouse in 2004 that we talked about this.

And uh it was put in forward Chesapeake 2026 plan in 20005.

So it's been kicked around for what?

21 years.

Council finally made it a priority, I think about two or three years ago.

So it's still unfunded.

We don't seem to care about our kids.

And I'm gonna speak to the school board at the same thing because we transport our high school seniors, or they have to get there to Chartway Center, which we've paid, I believe, over a million dollars to to graduate our senior classes.

And the longer we wait, the more expensive it gets.

That is simply not fair or good for our students.

I I look at you, this council has been almost heartless, almost heartless.

You sit here, you don't really discuss us in public to us, so we know where you are on these issues.

All you do is vote.

Vote.

It's like a placeholder when it's my boat coming up and I'll vote.

I implore you, please find the funds.

We have surpluses every year.

Last four years, I'ma say it again.

You can build a fire station, you can build a police station, you can build a radio station, but you can't build a convocation center to hold our students.

That's all I want to say about that.

The other thing I want to mention to you is uh this city needs some affordable housing.

I've been reading several reports, and one of them says we are by 2030, we're gonna need 15,000 affordable housing.

Let me tell you why.

Uh it's difficult to bring business in when the workers can't pay to live in the city.

I had two policemen to tell me in the last two weeks, they live out of the city.

In fact, the report shows that 44% of our city workers in Chesapeake Regional workers work outside the city, while only 23% in Virginia Beach work out of the city.

We are doing things, but not to make the quality of life better for citizens.

We we need to get moving.

Thank you, Dr.

Reed.

That concludes the speaker.

Thank you.

Next is uh unfinished business.

Do we have any unfinished business from council members?

Mr.

Councilman Whitaker.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh Mr.

Manager, we've discussed this several times before.

Uh, and I don't know where we are.

Uh I want to kind of piggyback on what Mr.

Bund had said earlier.

Uh I first hand witnessed and drove through it actually quite a few times, uh, the flood borders from Freeman Avenue to Portlock on Bainbridge Boulevard.

Um, is it if you would could you please direct staff to take a look at that and make recommendations as to what it is that we can do to fix that?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other unfinished business items?

Council members would like to bring up.

Seeing none, we'll move to business.

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

An initiating resolution requesting the planning commission to consider and make recommendations concerning proposed amendments to the adopted Chesapeake Comprehensive Plan to amend the text correlating maps and technical document as necessary to adopt and incorporate a written policy governing the development and operation of data centers requested by planning.

Thank you.

Move approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Pedaker.

Second.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Any discussion?

Okay.

Uh Mr.

Owens.

I just want to clarify uh to the I believe the manager would be the appropriate person.

The initiating resolution that's before us today.

Currently, as it stands, data centers are able to go in the city by right in certain areas.

Do you know the areas that they're able to go by right as of now?

Largely industrial and commercial districts.

And that's regardless of how close those are to residential properties or schools or other neighboring businesses.

So the purpose of the initiating resolution is to restrict where data centers can go in our community to put some kind of placeholders or place markers in there that can dictate where data centers can or cannot go.

Both to limit the location and to put performance standards.

So even when they go in the appropriate location to make sure we have mitigation strategies to address noise and water and power and all of the things the communities express concerns about.

Okay, because as of right now, we don't have that.

They can just go there without any kind of mitigation.

Correct.

And I think we had the similar with battery storage facilities, and we did the same thing with battery storage facilities.

Is that right?

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Any other discussion?

Seeing none.

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Yeah.

Council members, please please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clark.

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

I do want to just take a moment to address a couple of the speakers who have concerns about uh cultural arts, uh, athletic facilities and graduation.

I will assure you that this is a concern for this council.

Uh it would be very premature to allocate funds without having uh an idea of of where, what, and how we're going to approach that, but we are open to it.

Not only open, we're looking for many different alternatives.

So hang in there with us, and uh uh it is a it is a genuine concern, and we hope to have something done as soon as possible.

So thank you for your your input.

Any other um new business items?

Dr.

King.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, at the last meeting, um, we talked about the possibility of increasing the amount of money that the city provides to the fine arts commission, and there were several members of that commission who actually spoke.

So for the city manager, I wanted to ask you where we stand with that.

So the finance commission had asked for $60,000 in additional funding from the city.

It did not make the um city manager's proposed budget.

Council did not add it into the adopted budget, however, have had some conversations with members of council since that uh since that time there does seem to be interest um from some members of council to provide a one-year grant in the amount of requested the $60,000 and and sort of see how that goes uh throughout the year and then uh decide in future budget years whether that would become uh some sort of ongoing additional funding.

Um we bring you final amendments to the budget, usually in June after the state adopts the budget.

I don't know when the state will adopt a budget this year, but we um when we bring the final budget amendment um to council, we likely would have the capacity um to do $60,000 grant um as a one-year grant.

So if that's the will of council, we will make that a recommendation in the um in the final budget amendments for this year.

Thank you, uh Councilman Newitz.

I'm just a piggyback on Councilmember King without objection.

Um, can I go ahead and make that direction on behalf of council that we do that?

Uh bring that forth to council on the June budget, and when we do that, Mr.

Manager, can you um bring forth some?

I guess like a memorandum of understanding of terms of how the monies are to be spent with the finance commission.

I believe we have that with other agencies that we give monies to, like um our commissioner of revenue or Commonwealth Attorney, the sheriff.

We have memorandums of understanding when monies are um given to them, how the city would like them to be spent or certain initiatives the city would like to have followed.

And then if there's any staff input with the commission, I know the commission is um filled with appointees who truly care about the topic, but if there's any staff members who are involved, I think that would be advantageous as well to have a city representative that can report back as like a liaison to council as to what the priorities are and the things that are being fulfilled.

I would like to request rather than be a direct direction uh for the record since there's money being spent.

Could you put either of you put that in a form of a motion?

Uh you don't really have to have formal motion.

Maybe you could help us out uh slightly.

You could make a motion to direct the city manager to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the fine arts commission to lay out the expectations regarding the sixty thousand dollar one year grant that you would provide to that commission and also to I guess research um providing a staff liaison to kind of advocate and um guide the commission in the use of that money.

Dr.

King, you was just want to sub move that one.

Do I need to restate it?

No.

Yes.

I moved it, we accept that.

What she said.

Yeah.

I'll second it.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Any any further discussion on it, Mr.

Bond?

Thank you, Mayor West.

Yeah, um, I guess the last meeting I also asked about the funding for a app at the police department of public safety.

Could we hold off on to the dispose of this particular item?

Any other uh discussion on this particular motion?

Oh, yes.

Um, certainly I agree with the motion and recommendation and having been a member of the Paraguay's commission for about seven and a half years is a long time overdue.

So I appreciate Dr.

King and Councilman Newlands for bringing that out.

Yeah, I just promoted you.

But it's a good cause, it really is.

Thank you.

We do have a motion on the floor.

Please prepare uh Vice Mayor Ritter?

Yeah, giving everybody a doctor.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Council members, please prepare to vote, vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

The motion is to direct the city manager.

Did you say is that the last vote or this vote?

Mr.

We just added final vote, yes.

The motion is to direct the city manager to consider a budget amendment of $60,000 for the fine arts.

Thank you.

Adopted by nano vote.

Thank you.

Any other new business items?

Seeing none.

I do believe we have a closed session.

So I'll go to uh Madam Attorney to please provide the language for the closed meeting topic.

A motion to conduct a closed meeting to discuss the acquisition of certain real properties located in the Deep Creek planning area, where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body as permitted by Section 2.2-3711A3 of the code of Virginia.

Thank you.

Motion please.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Vice Mayor Ritter.

Sure.

Thank you.

The motion to conduct closed meeting is adopted by nine.

I vote.

Thank you.

We'll now go into closed session.

Thank you for the I agree with that.

I'd like to make some of our community.

Councilmember Ritter, can you hear me?

Yes, I can be.

Okay, you're back on, thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Would you please provide the language of certification of the closed meeting?

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

Motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Vice Mayor Ritter?

Yes.

Thank you.

And vote and record Madam Clark.

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

Council Member Whitaker is recognized at this time for the benediction.

Father God, Lord, we just thank you again for your love, your mercy, your grace, Lord, and we thank you for the uh the meeting that we had, Lord.

We pray, Father God, that your that your sovereign will has been done, Lord, and uh that you continue to use us.

Each and every one is you is a council.

And individually, Lord, to facilitate, Lord God, your will for the city.

Lord, we love you.

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

And uh and and help Ms.

Ritter get better.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Pat, are you gonna run upstairs?

Thank you.

I gotta run up there, and I guess we're going.

I think we should have someone up there.

It's been about the like one.

Okay, we'll be right back.

That's what we have.

Okay, I mean it's been over here.

Okay