Council is now in session.

I would like to recognize Council Member Smith at this time for the invitation and to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for yet another day here on earth.

We thank you for the opportunity to live in such a great city.

Father, we ask that you that we focus on the positive, learn to work together, and bring out the best in one another.

And squirt in our hearts as we hold this meeting tonight in Jesus' name.

Council Member Bunn.

Council Member Jeffries.

Madam Attorney, would you please provide the language?

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

Thank you.

So moved.

Second.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to certify the closed meeting is adopted by an 8-1-8-0 vote.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Next is the approval of proposed agenda.

Are there any changes council members have for the proposed agenda?

Seeing none, a motion is in order.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Second.

Thank you.

Dr.

King, please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

Motion to approve the agenda.

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

Next is the approval of the minutes, the minutes for the meetings of May 12th, 19th, and 26, 26, 2026, and 2026 are presented for approval and without objection.

If there are no changes to corrections, the minutes, the minutes stand approved.

At this time I will go down to the podium for special presentations.

Thank you.

I've heard that before.

Tonight we have two very, very special exemplary citizens that we'd like to recognize.

It is truly an honor to introduce a true Chesapeake pioneer.

Make sure I have the right one.

And I do not.

Laura, why don't you come right on up?

You want to bring your wife and sister.

Hi.

Laura graduated in 1971 from Great Bridge High School.

Mr.

Hinton emerged as one of the most accomplished athletes to ever come from the Commonwealth of Virginia, earning respect not only for his athletic ability, but for his quiet strength dignity, and with which he navigated a rapidly changing chapter in American history.

And I will say of all the athletes that I've seen come out of the Great Bridge High School, he is absolutely the best.

Helping to shape a future that would create opportunities for generations of young men and women who followed.

Through his leadership, his mentorship, and his example, Mr.

Hinton helped to establish a foundation of inclusion, opportunity, and mutual respect that transforms both lives of both on and off the field.

Leave an enduring legacy of Louisiana State and his hometown of Chesapeake, Virginia.

His induction in the Louisiana State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021 stands as a testament not only to his athletic achievement, but to the life dedicated to opening pathways for others.

Proving the true greatness is measured not by records alone, but by lives.

One influences and the barriers that one helps remove.

Laura Hinton bodies the belief that each person has the power to become a positive change.

They wish to see in the world, demonstrating through his actions, his character, perseverance, and service that can leave a lasting imprint on the future of future generations.

It is my proud honor, Mr.

Henton, to provide you with this lack of our appreciation, except showing the resolution that we are presenting to you on behalf of our city council.

Thank you all.

And when you play in the SEC, you lose a little bit of cognitive ability.

So I got my little cheat sheet here.

That's why mine are all typed out.

First of all, I'd like to introduce you to my wife, Faye.

If you want to know the reason why I never came back, she's totally responsible for that.

And after 48 years of marriage and uh six years of dating before marriage, I'm stuck.

So my sister, Deborah Kim, who's also a Great Bridge Wildcat graduate, class of 74, said she wanted to be here and uh sharing this uh awesome, awesome uh anyway.

Celebration.

Stay right there.

I'd like to start off thanking the city of Chesapeake, especially Mayor West for uh inviting me to stand before you today, and it's a privilege for me to celebrate that period of time in our city's uh history.

We're talking about 1965 going forward when segregation was disappearing and people were starting to come together.

Uh at Greybridge High School, this was more and more of the young people decided, hey, you know, we were gonna, we want a different situation, we want to look forward, and uh with their that attitude and the uh uh influence that we that people over us had uh it led us to go forward and uh some of the people I'd like to mention uh Mr.

Phillips, I'm bad with first names.

Mr.

Phillips, Mr.

Chidham, Mr.

Blevins, Mr.

O'Brien, Mr.

Calhoun, Mr.

Oliver, and Mr.

Jennings were great leaders who had young people's interests at their heart.

That was the focus every day.

And I was fortunate enough to be an athlete, and uh, you know, these people put me in a position where I could grow and flourish.

I watched other people in front of me uh flourish and and uh it it was just something that I felt like I wanted to be a part of.

And uh certainly the city should be commended for providing educational experiences that has far-reaching impact.

We're talking about my contribution at LSU and in the Baton Rouge community, and it's because of what happened in Chesapeake, Virginia, that allowed me to go forward and embark upon this that great journey in the fall of 1971, being the signing a scholarship as the first black American to play football at LSU.

In conclusion, I know y'all have the people's work to do.

I'm gonna have a project that I'm gonna hopefully finish up before the years end.

And I want to thank the city of Chesapeake for keeping the bar at a high level, so that young people like myself can experience educational opportunities that will also have far reaching impacts.

And hopefully that will be followed by a documentary detailing the story of a young black boy who grew up, blessed to be from a place like Chesapeake, Virginia, and helped pave the way for others pursuing educational opportunities.

Thank you again, and God bless you all.

I introduced my family, but you can see some of my extended family is here also.

We're about to call a play, but you know well, we'll wait till we get outside to do all that.

But uh you you can see what I'm talking about with uh all the people that I was uh affiliated with starting from the seventh grade, that little building on the corner off Johnstown Road was where I started, and uh it was just a great experience.

So thank you.

Thank you all.

I will add uh here, Small.

So what Laura didn't mention is uh Great Bridge High School during this time where most of these folks were uh graduated and played sports, and part of the experience was soon after the closing of Crestwood High School or making Crestwood High School a junior high school, and that were they were tough times.

They were tough times for those who had who came from that community and those who were into great at Great Bridge High School.

This required a lot of adjustments.

But I'll tell you, Laura Henton was one of the main folks that helped make it work, and so were these people that are here tonight on his behalf.

They made it work and they made Great Bridge High School an even better place.

So thank you all, gentlemen.

It is also my honor to present an exemplary citizen certificate to Reese Jackson in recognition of over a decade of visionary leadership, transformational growth, dedicated service, and his president and chief executive officer of Chesapeake Regional Health Care, Healthcare.

Uh, Mr.

Jackson, would you come forward?

Reese accomplished many, many things uh during his stay and his leadership here at Chesapeake Regional.

The critical care uh unit that was there, the Cancer Center Expansion, uh, Level three trauma center, Behavioral Health Expansion and ED services, just to mention a few, Reese.

We owe you a great deal for your service to our great city at the hospital at Chesapeake Regional Hospital.

It certainly was a time of transformation of growth and a lot of positive things, and you through your leadership met the needs of many of our certain many of our citizens and those that are that aren't here in Chesapeake through Chesapeake Regional and the extension.

So I want to present this to you.

Reese Jackson in recognition for over a decade of visionary leadership, transformational growth, and dedicated service to Chesapeake Regional Healthcare and the community it serves.

And all members of council, um, Mr.

Price and Sandy over here as well.

Thank you all.

Thank you all.

Um I would say that um I say that um no recognition has ever meant so much to me as this, with the possible exception of uh being the guest speaker at the National Honor Society of Great Bridge High School, where I learned about Mrs.

Ruth Creekmore, by the way.

So that was a great night, too.

So when I began my stay at Chesapeake Regional, I felt like I had 20 allies.

I had uh the support of eleven authority board members, and uh nine city council members, and that level of support is what was necessary, you know, to grow the organization and to expand services.

Uh, it's uh you can't you can't be successful without the support of others.

Uh in my uh my time at Chesapeake Chesapeake Regional, I loved every minute, I loved every person, I loved all the employees.

The management team, the executive team, the medical staff, the foundation board, and the governing board members, and every external constituent that ever met, uh, to include each city council member, going back to that time and through today.

So I just want to uh say it was not only a great professional experience, but a great personal experience.

Um I wish my wife Mariah could have been here with me tonight, but our youngest daughter plays travel volleyball and uh season Orlando, so uh I couldn't uh bring my entourage, but I but I was impressed by by yours.

And um, but the city of Chesapeake truly is a great uh city, it's a great place to live, work, and play.

It's all true.

The adage is absolutely true, and uh forever.

Um the city of Chesapeake will be in the heart of both Marianne and me.

So thank you all.

Thank you.

Do what you gotta do.

A city council meeting is a limited public forum, so comments must relate to tonight's agenda without talking, please.

When speaking, please focus your remarks on the merit of the items you're speaking on.

Doing so helps this hearing fulfill this 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 rules of order and procedure.

Any speaker who dislays dislays, interrupts or disrupts the meeting throughout through disorderly insulin or disturbing action speech or conduct will be declared out of order.

Madam Clerk, do we have any speakers who wish to speak on agenda items only?

Yes, sir.

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

On city manager item three, why doesn't council advertise the higher increased energy costs from Dominion Power?

I think it would be very important for people to know and understand that there's not just the residential bills that get whacked, but since we are the ones that pay for the city through our taxes, you know, it would also be helpful to know that y'all are getting hit too.

On CM5, it would be nice if we had a summary for all of those.

And on CM6, the same thing.

Why doesn't the budget come with a total expense?

So, in another words, having a summary that says, you know, we're moving 2.6 million dollars around or something like that.

Um, that would be nice.

Um, is there a list of items that could be created from each year so that we check for expired funds before the budget is given so that we come up with less changes?

I don't know if there's a they're keeping track of it by the budget, but it seems like it would be easy if we had a list of whatever type of project, when it starts, when it ends, and then that way we know where in the budget that we're going to have to look for it.

I think that might be helpful on boards and commissions.

Um, I I have a little bit of a problem where um there was an issue regarding staff picking people to be on a group, but council's choices in uh for a number of um places that I've seen, I've especially addressed the planning commission, um, are pretty much you know what was accused of of um on that board with the um planning department.

So I have a little bit of a problem with that.

You know, we need to sit there and list out people's conflicts of interest, and there are a number of them on the planning commission.

For new business item A, did council fight any of this at the state level?

Because we have more solar places than anywhere else.

I think our voices should really have been big up there on this for new business item two.

Number two, the manufactured housing, that's kind of a huge problem, and that kind of goes without saying, but number six, um, if you take a look, how much room was there actually space for where the church wanted to have everything because needing to put all that parking, they would have only had room for maybe one home or two, and we're talking missionaries.

So I don't really see it as you know, somebody having 50-60 acres and they're only going to put on one to two acres of church, you know, maybe another acre for parking where they could sit there and build apartment buildings or things like that.

I, you know, we kind of have to look at that also on new business item D, boy, you want to talk about losing the confidence of people because you snuck through raises and benefits, and didn't even warn anybody.

Uh you know, it's it's one thing that things go through and stuff, and that you give things to people, but the fact is it does look like you wanted to hide it because you knew that there would be something said against it.

I you know, I think that it it was just on council's part or whoever put that on there, really needed to have sat there and just kind of been up front about it.

It would have been a lot better had that been done.

Thank you.

Next is our consent agenda agenda, Madam Clerk.

Would you please present it?

City attorney items.

The following items reflect statutory changes made in the 2026 session of the General Assembly and are being presented as emergency actions.

One, an ordinance amending the Chesapeake City Code, Chapter 74 entitled Traffic in Vehicles, Section 74-437 to amend language exempting drivers from liability for reckless driving when passing a stopped school bus.

Item two, an ordinance amending chapter 30 of the Chesapeake City Code in title finance and taxation, Section 30-17 thereof, adding electronic payment orders to the list of instruments for which the city treasurer is authorized to impose and collect an additional penalty of thirty-five dollars for the uttering, publishing, or passing of any check, draft, or order for payment tendered for taxes or any other sums due to the city, which is subsequently returned without payment by the receiving bank, depository institution, or other recipient of the order, and providing that no fee shall be imposed as a result of an electronic payment order that is not honored as a result of the non-existence of any account matching the account information provided by the taxpayer, provided that the taxpayer has not tendered any other electronic payment order that was not honored during the 12 months preceding the tender of the payment order in question.

Item three, an ordinance amending the Chesapeake City Code, Chapter 46, entitled Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions, Section 46-82 to establish protections and provide immunity from criminal prosecution for minor victims of sex trafficking.

Item 4, an ordinance amending the Chesapeake City Code, Chapter 74, entitled Traffic in Vehicles, Section 74-193 to amend language expanding the scope of individuals authorized to affirm violations of traffic light signal violations monitored by traffic control device violation monitoring systems.

Item 5, an ordinance amending the Chesapeake City Code, Chapter 74, entitled Traffic in Vehicles, Section 74-383 to provide public safety towing responders limited access to accident reports.

Item 6, an ordinance amending the Chesapeake City Code, Chapter 2, entitled Administration, Section 2-620.12 to modify the composition of the towing advisory board.

Item 7, an ordinance amending the Chesapeake City Code, Chapter 26, entitled Environments, Section 26-606 to prohibit hydraulic fracturing and bioslurry injection into the Northwest River watershed protection district.

That concludes the consent agenda, Mayor.

Thank you so much.

Are there any items that council members would like to remove for further discussion on the regular agenda?

Seeing none, a motion is in order to approve the consent agenda.

Councilman Smith.

Move to approve.

Dr.

King.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

See none.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record Madam Clark.

Motion to approve the consent agenda as an emergency as an emergency action is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

The regular agenda is the next item for consideration.

City Manager Price, would you please present your items?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Item one is an ordinance amending chapter 2 of the Chesapeake City Code, Article 11, entitled Chesapeake Land Bank Authority, Sections 2-731, 2-732, and 2-743 to update the principal office location and clarify member requirements for the board of directors and citizen advisory committee requested by the land bank authority.

Motion please.

Second is Dr.

Ward.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote.

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

Item two is a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an agreement with the Region 5 Community Service Boards for the establishment of a regional framework to ensure the availability of regional mental health services requested by Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health Care.

Motion please, Mr.

Bunn.

Move to approve.

Thank you.

Mr.

Jeffrey's second.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item three is a request to transfer $500,000 within within the FY2026 public works operating budget to cover increased expenses related to energy costs requested by public works.

Motion please.

Move approval.

Mr.

Smith.

Second.

Mr.

Whittaker.

I got Mr.

Smith making the motion first on the list.

Mr.

Ludaker, second.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item four is a request to appropriate 252,438 dollars in state revenue and transfer 149,212 from the general fund reserved for contingencies to the human services FY26 operating budget interagency consortium's pool fund for increased expenses from the Children's Services Act requested by Human Services as an emergency action.

Motion please.

Dr.

Ward.

Move approval as an emergency.

Thank you.

Second.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item five has multiple parts related to consideration of amendments for the fiscal year 27 operating budget, and I'll read them individually.

Item five A is a request to appropriate additional funding of $94,000 to the community development block grant and $2,355 to the home investment program grant.

Motion please move approval.

Mr.

Whitaker, thank you.

Second.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Give a question.

I'm sorry, Mr.

Whittaker.

No.

Mr.

Manager, if I may, there's a number of amendments that we're going to be making on the agenda.

Do you mind just describing or explaining why it is we're making so many amendments now versus why they weren't included in the budget?

Yes, ma'am.

So the uh we had a work session a few weeks ago, which would be a great resource uh for for folks to check out with good background and context on the budget process.

But if you think about the budget, we're actually developing it in December, January.

The city manager's budget is presented in February.

So more than a quarter of the year of the fiscal year hasn't passed yet when we uh approve that budget.

Once we present the budget to council, we're really focused on council's priorities.

Things that you would like to amend, remove, add, augment in the budget.

However, life goes on for the city.

And as we get in for more information in the last quarter on actual revenues and expenditures every year, we come back in the June time frame to make final amendments to the budget.

And there are things we didn't know when we presented the budget in February, and then technical corrections.

So things like money from should be in this account instead of this account, is an example.

The big caveat this year that's a little bit different.

Is normally at this meeting, we would uh also be approving amendments uh related to the state budget, which generally is adopted in May.

We we just recently had a state budget approved.

Um, so while this is called final budget amendments, we will actually will come back one more time in July or August to make final amendments relative to the state budget.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

I I'm glad you brought up the work session because I wanted to make a comment at least to the public that as we're going through these, it may seem repetitive from us.

I don't imagine a lot of us have a lot of questions because we hashed all that out in a work session previously.

So I just wanted the public to at least know that there is a resource there where we went through all these things.

Council had a great explanation, had some dialogue about a number of these items.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

I do have a motion for approval.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 5B is a request to appropriate two thousand five hundred dollars to the police department and the 2026 Virginia Camp Rules Grant program.

Uh I would like to call on uh Mr.

Councilman Jeffries.

Yes, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh I have a declaration of evidence of interest in three items that are coming up.

I'm an employee of the city of Chesapeake, and as a member of its police department, I'm disclosing this personal interest because city manager item five with particular particularly to subparts B, C, and G, could benefit the police department department employees.

Since the police department includes three or more people who may be affected, the city attorney has advised that I can participate if this disclosure is made.

I do not have a conflict that prevents me from participating, and I hereby affirm that I can participate fairly objectively and in the public's best interest.

Thank you, sir.

Council um is thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um what he said, but for the fire department, uh my spouse is an employee of the city and a member of its fire department.

I'm disclosing this personal interest because city manager item five could benefit fire department employees.

Since the fire department includes three or more people who could be affected, the city attorney has advised that I can participate if this disclosure is made.

I do not have a conflict preventing me from participating, and I hereby affirm I can participate fairly objectively and in the public's best interest.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh the manager has presented item B.

Could we have a motion, please?

Thank you, Dr.

Ward, Mr.

Smith.

Second.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote.

Oh, Dr.

Ward, did you have some please prepare to vote?

Vote and record, Madam Clark.

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

Item 5C is a request to appropriate $9,455 of revenue received from the Department of Criminal Justice Services and transfer $3,151 from seized assets to the FY26 Burn Justice Assistance Grant for the purchase of equipment to participate in the Court of Virginia's video conferencing network.

Motion.

Move approval.

Councilman News, thank you.

Uh Dr.

King.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 5D is a request to appropriate $292,109 in restricted state mental health funds to Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health Care for improvement or enhancement to the system transportation excellence and performance of Virginia Initiative.

Motion, please.

Dr.

King, thank you.

Second.

Second.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented is adopted by an eight-o vote.

Item five E is a request to appropriate two million dollars to the Public Works Chesapeake Transportation System to make a supplemental principal debt payment to the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank.

Motion please.

Motion to approve the request as presented is adopted by an eight of item five F is a request to reallocate three hundred and forty thousand dollars from non-departmental to the voter registrar's operating budget to fund the primary election.

It was rescheduled from June to August.

Motion please.

Thank you.

Thank you for the second.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 5G is a request to reallocate $10,686 from non-departmental to the police department to purchase a predictive wellness program designed for first responders.

Motion please, Mr.

Bunn.

Move to approve.

Thank you, Ms.

Newens.

Second.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented.

It's adopted by an eight-o vote.

Item 5H is a request to reallocate $60,000 to the parks recreation and tourism department to provide additional funding for the fine arts commission.

Motion please, Mr.

Bunn.

Move to approve.

Thank you.

Ms.

Councilman News.

If I could yield to Dr.

King.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh any discussion on this item.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 5i is a request to reallocate sixty-five thousand dollars from non-departmental to the general district court to fund an increase in the cost of court appointed counsel.

Motion please.

Mr.

Jeffries.

Move to approve.

Thank you, Mr.

Smith.

Second.

Thank you.

Discussion.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented.

It's adopted by an 8 0 vote.

Item 5J is a request to increase the sheriff's inmate workforce budget by 43,185 and increase the position complement by a.475 full-time equivalent position.

Motion please, Ms.

Newlands.

Thank you.

Mr.

Whittaker.

Thank you.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented.

It's adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Item 5K is a request to appropriate state revenue and fund balance from the Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health Care Special Revenue Fund to the CIBH Crisis Receiving Center Program to fund law enforcement overtime for the crisis intervention team and reduce the sheriff's office budget to fund all program costs in one program.

Motion, Mr.

Jeffries, move approval.

Mr.

Smith, second.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented.

It's adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Item 5L is a request to increase the public works operating budget by $86,800 to provide the city's contribution to Hampton Roads Transit for the microtransit grant.

Motion, Dr.

Ward.

Move approval.

Mr.

Smith.

Second.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 5M is a request to add language to the operating budget ordinance requiring quarterly reports of budget transfers.

Motion please.

Move approval.

Councilman Newman.

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

Item 6 has multiple parts related to the consideration of proposed amendments to the FY27 through 2031 capital improvement program requested by the budget department.

6A is a request to appropriate $500,000 to the unserved areas cost participation three capital improvement project.

Here we go again.

Second.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request is presented.

It's adopted by an 8-0 vote.

6B is a request to appropriate $400,000 for to the citywide BMP restoration to capital improvement project.

Motion.

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

6C is a request to establish a capital improvement project entitled traffic signal timing improvements and appropriate four hundred and fifty thousand dollars in Virginia Department of Transportation Revenue to the project.

Motion, Dr.

Ward.

Move approval.

Mr.

Whitaker.

Second.

Any discussion?

Just a beef comment, Mr.

Mayor.

Mr.

Manager.

I'm hopeful that it's going to help with this timing.

I think we experienced a little bit of it.

So people can get to work on time.

Thank you.

Public media, Mr.

Manager.

I have a motion for approval.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented.

It's adopted by an 8-0 vote.

6D is a request to appropriate $50,000 in lapse funding to the Forest Lake Stormwater Outfall Improvements Capital Improvement Project.

Motion, please, Mr.

Smith.

Move to approve.

Thank you.

Mr.

Whittaker, second.

Discussion.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

6E is a request to appropriate $500,000 in lapse funding to the regional broadband ring capital improvement project.

Motion please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Second.

Dr.

Ward, thank you.

Any discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented.

It's adopted by an 8-0 vote.

6F is a request to transfer $1 million dollars from the joint city school garage facility capital improvement project to the public works public utilities operating facilities replacement relocation capital improvement project.

Motion please.

Mr.

Smith.

Move to approve.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Second.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented is adopted by an eight-o.

6G is a request to modify the funding source of 121,920 of the number 10 lane bridge replacement repairs capital improvement project from the high priority one-time account to V.

reimbursements.

Motion, please.

Mr.

Whitaker, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented is adopted by an eight-o vote.

6H is a request to deappropriate 475,000 dollars in federal revenue in the advanced right-of-way acquisition to capital improvement project.

Motion, please.

Mr.

Smith.

Vote to approve.

Thank you.

Dr.

King.

Second.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented is adopted by an eight-o vote.

Six I is a request to modify funding in the Battlefield Park South Waterways Enhancement Capital Improvement Project by appropriating previously programmed funds.

Motion please.

Thank you.

Mr.

Jeffries.

Second.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented is adopted by an eight-o vote.

Six J is a request to add language to the capital budget ordinance requiring quarterly reports of budget transfers.

Motion, please.

Mr.

Smith.

Move to approve.

Thank you, sir.

Excellent.

Dr.

Ward, thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

And my voice was hoarse before we started that process.

And one more item 7 is a request for amendments to the FY27 operating budget and capital improvement program.

Thank you.

I do need a motion.

Move approval.

Thank you, Dr.

Ward.

Thank you.

Mr.

Jeffries.

Second.

Thank you, sir.

In discussion.

Ms.

Newlands.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mr.

Manager, I just want to clarify a couple things on the table that's listed under subsection D, uh, for modifying position compliments and associated funding based on changes approved by the city manager in accordance with the authority that council grants.

There's a number of things that it looks like we're removing funding from like a full-time telecommunicator position because we're replacing it with a part-time telecommunicator position.

And there's a number of things that complement each other, but then there's one part that I don't see necessarily the complement.

Is it we're removing funding from five police officer positions, assuming because they're unfilled, and are we replacing that with the public safety aid positions?

Yes, ma'am.

And what is a public safety aid position versus the police officer positions that are unfilled and how can they benefit the city instead of those unfilled positions?

I'll take a shot and ask Captain Geiss uh to bail me out if I get in trouble.

But um so we've had difficulty for years recruiting um public safety staff, particularly in the police department.

We made big strides with the public safety pay plan and maintaining that plan is really key to um uh getting uh police department uh recruits in, uh, but we still um you know still are not where we'd like to be, and so over the years we've created a couple classifications, including the one you mentioned, um, where they might not yet be of age where they can they can uh enter the academy, but we can get them in the door as staff members, you know, working with the police department and hopefully get them in a position where they can join the team at appropriate time when they're at the appropriate age.

So is it fair to say that a lot of these I guess transfers of a full-time position to a part-time position for the telecommunicator and then the the five police officer positions to the aid positions?

We're not removing anyone, we're just taking vacancies and turning them into something that we think we can fill to then supplement the department.

Okay, thank you.

Madam Clerk, do we have a motion on this one?

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Please uh we do have a motion for approval.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Motion to approve the request as presented is adopted by an eight-o vote.

Next is City Attorney Lindley's uh items, please present.

Item eight, an ordinance amending chapter sixty two of the Chesapeake City Code entitled Solid waste.

Article four sections sixty-two eighty six and sixty-two ninety-two thereof to add definitions for mulch and mulching materials and to permit limited temporary outdoor storage of mulch and multimaterials if certain requirements are met.

We'll approve them.

Your motion is Dr.

Ward, second.

Any discussion?

No.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

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

Non-agenda speakers.

Madam Clerk, would you please call?

Yes, sir.

We have eight speakers.

They will be allowed three minutes each.

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

Baggerly.

Baggerly, thank you.

On the council raises, four of you voted no.

You have until July 21st, the fourth Tuesday, to state that you are giving those raises up to the city.

Else we know you did this just because you're running for reelection, because it'll look good to say that you voted against it, but you're still taking the money.

Other people have given it up.

Let's see you do the same.

The rules of council, section 17, order of business, presentations is number six.

So it is part of the business meeting.

An elective body generally cannot ban applause based on ideology or viewpoint.

Courts have ruled they cannot prohibit it non-disruptive clapping selectively.

Enforcement considers consistency as a critical legal acquire requirement.

The standard is restrictions are only permissible if the clamping physically prevents the body from hearing comments or conducting business.

Cases like North v City of Santa Cruz established government bodies cannot define any rule violation as a disruption without evidence of actual interference.

I had the video times when clapping occurred last time and they stopped when the next person spoke or when the mayor did.

If we can't clap for people's speeches legally, you have to restrict applause during presentations because they are part of the business meeting based on your business rules.

Said that you could take money from the TIFF, go to the general fund, and then debt service.

Well, that's exactly why I said take the TIP money and put it towards Greenborough Roads, because all you have to do is that little intermediary step.

Thank you for proving my point.

Why are we not working with VDOT to get the on-ramp extended to the mall area from Costco?

Well, at least that's what V dot indicated is y'all were supposed to be doing it.

Why aren't you?

That is heavily needed, and yet you guys are not jumping on it.

Three, every concern I heard was on the traffic.

In the Green Bar area plan, greater than 2,000 comments were on the traffic and infrastructure, and the next closest one was over 1500 on the businesses.

The DIA stated that I was negative, but the fact is, council is not doing its job, and I'm calling you to account to do it so that we have better.

That's the difference.

Do me a favor and show how much the roads have increased in Green Bar since 2000, and then show how many extra units of residential and commercial have been created since then.

I think you will find that nothing has been done really on battlefield, Volvo, or any of the other places.

We have concerns.

We're bringing them, and that is not negative.

Steve Baggerly representing Hampton Roads campaign to abolish nuclear weapons, followed by Kate Durham.

Here.

Good evening.

I'm Steve Baggerly.

I'm with the Hampton Roads campaign to abolish nuclear weapons, which was founded to promote the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or the TPNW.

The TPNW is the first treaty crafted to facilitate global, verifiable nuclear disarmament by outlawing the development, manufacture, possession, testing, use or threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as the assisting of other states with their weapons programs.

HRCAN is a partner organization of ICANN, the international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for its role in bringing the treaty to fruition.

What has been passed out to you is a booklet that includes the Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speeches made that year in Oslo by two women on behalf of ICANN, along with the statements by ex-nuclear warriors, or they're coming around now.

You're also getting a copy of the ICANN City's Appeal Resolution.

Since the treaty entered force in January 2021, ICANN has been working around the world to put pressure on non-signatory governments to join the treaty by asking town and city councils like yours in the yet to ratify nations to pass the city's appeal.

Here's the text of the resolution.

Quote, our city is deeply concerned about the grave threat that nuclear weapons pose to communities throughout the world.

We firmly believe that our residents have the right to live in a world free from this threat.

Any use of nuclear weapons, whether deliberate or accidental would have catastrophic, far-reaching, and long-lasting consequences for people and the environment.

Therefore, we warmly welcome the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by the United Nations in 2017, and we call on our national government to join it without delay, unquote.

As of today, 74 UN member states have ratified the TPNW, and another 25 have signed it, half of the world's nations, with more in the pipeline.

Adopting the city's appeal isn't calling our government to unilaterally disarm.

Signing is the first step.

It precedes ratification and would signify the commitment to work with the other eight nuclear armed nations towards global disarmament.

Then, with all the nuclear armed states on board with a warhead dismantlement plan in hand, might the treaty be jointly ratified and disarmament begun together.

This is how treaties between the U.S.

and Russia brought world stockpiles down from over 70,000 nuclear weapons in 1986 to 12,200 today.

Whatever your protocol is, please consider passing the ICANN Cities Appeal and help move the world towards dismantling the remainder of these history-ending weapons.

Thank you.

Kay Durham, representing SEFS.

Speaking on ICANN City's appeal, follow by Dennis Hanson.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor and members of the council.

The treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons was born from a reawakening of the world's people to the humanitarian consequences of nuclear war.

That urgency is heard in the testimony of Setsuko Thurlow, who in 2017 was one of the women who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for ICANN.

She was only 13 years old when the atom bomb fell on her hometown of Hiroshima, Japan.

This excerpt from her acceptance speech picks up after she has crawled out of the rubble of a burning school.

I quote, as I crawled out, the ruins were on fire.

Most of my classmates in that building were burned to death alive.

I saw all around me utter unimaginable devastation.

Processions of ghostly figures shuffled by, grotesquely wounded people.

They were bleeding, burnt, blackened, and swollen.

Parts of their bodies were missing, flesh and skin hung from their bones, some with their eyeballs hanging in their hands, some with their bellies burst open, their intestines hanging out, the foul stench of burnt human flesh filled the air.

Thus, with one bomb, my beloved city was obliterated.

Most of its residents were civilians who were incinerated, vaporized, carbonized, among them members of my own family and 351 of my schoolmates.

In the weeks, months, and years that followed, many thousands more would die, often in random and mysterious ways from the delayed effects of radiation.

Still, to this day, radiation is killing survivors.

Whenever I remember Hiroshima, the first image that comes to mind is of my four-year-old nephew, Iiji.

His little body transformed into an unrecognizable melted chunk of flesh.

He kept begging for water in a faint voice until his death released him from agony.

To me, he came to represent all the innocent children of the world, threatened as they are at this very moment by nuclear weapons.

Every second of every day, nuclear weapons endanger everyone we love and everything we hold dear.

We must not tolerate this insanity any longer.

Unquote.

Thank you.

Dennis Hansen representing CEP, speaking on AKAN City's appeal, followed by Jimmy Culpeper.

Good evening, Mayor West, City Council members.

I am Dennis Hansen.

Multiply Sitsuko Thurlows experienced by millions, and we get a glimpse of the horror behind the remaining 12,200 weapons that have explosive power of one and a half million kilotons of TNT.

Indeed, even in exchange of less than one percent of the world's nuclear weapons, say between India and Pakistan would kill millions and create global climate disruption, threatening one billion people with starvation.

An all-out war nuclear war, say between the United States and Russia would kill hundreds of millions of people and bring about nuclear winter, destroying the ecosystems on which all life depends and starving billions.

Now is a critical time.

We are in the midst of a new arms race.

All nine nuclear armed states are upgrading and or expanding their nuclear arsenals, and more countries are considering their own nuclear weapons programs.

China is building 300 new missile silos to keep parity with the United States and Russia, ballistic missile capabilities over the next five years.

Russia is building nuclear-powered missiles and underwater drones intended to create radioactive tsunamis off hostile coastal cities like Norfolk.

North Korea continues to test ballistic missiles and cruise missiles to carry warheads.

England has committed to growing its arsenal by 40%.

The United States, Russia, and China are engaged in a race to build hypersonic missiles which can transport nuclear warheads at five times the speed of sound.

That means the nuclear missile defense systems are useless at this stage of the game.

It cuts down response times to minutes instead of hours.

This year we'll see the rise in the number of nuclear weapons in the world for the first time in 40 years.

The French are committing to expanding their nuclear arsenal and offering to base weapons in other European countries, starting stating that the next half century will be an age of nuclear weapons.

With many of the nuclear armed states engaged in conflict, the danger is greater than ever.

India and Pakistan recently had their most serious military clash in years.

The United States and Israel are at war with a handful of countries in the Middle East, including Iran over its nuclear program.

China and the United States tear each other down over Taiwan.

Combined with the dangers of nuclear launch by mistake, miscalculation, malfunction, madness, terrorism, or cyber attack.

Right now, the planet is closer to nuclear war than at any time since the nuclear uh the Cuban missile crisis.

Thank you.

Jimmy Culpepper representing CEF, followed by Bradley Moore.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayer and members of the City Council.

You may think that nuclear war is outside the scope of the city's concerns.

But she be assured that Hampton Roads is high on Russia's nuclear targeting list and soon to be high on China's as well.

Naval Base Norfolk, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and Newport Newsbuilding, I've worked at two or three of those.

All play key roles in the readiness of our Trident Nuclear Armed Ballistic Missile Submarine Fleet at Kings Bay, Georgia, and the construction of the replacement subs, the Columbia class.

We are surrounded by the seagoing infrastructure of Doomsday.

A single Russian missile can plant warheads at all three installations within moments, vaporizing square miles of the good people of Hampton Roads at ground zero with fireballs hotter than the sun.

And that would just be the beginning.

This isn't the first time Chesapeake has considered this issue.

In 2002, Major Mayor William Ward joined Mayors for Peace, an organization begun by the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to promote a culture of peace in a world without nuclear weapons.

Mayors for Peace continues to recognize Chesapeake as a member.

After the Cuban Missile Crisis, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamare was asked how the world averted disaster.

His answer, luck.

Well, a luck hold out for another 81 years and then another.

Deterrence is living by luck that is sure to run out one of these days, and the way things are going, maybe sooner rather than later.

Probability theory tells us that nuclear weapons exist the more likely they are to be used.

Chesapeake can play an important role by joining the cities that have passed ICANN's city appeals resolution.

These include Washington, DC, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Edinburgh, all capitals of nations with nuclear weapons on their soil.

Also, New York City, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver, Salt Lake City, two Portlands, Honolulu, Des Moines, Tucson, Anchorage, 63 other U.S.

cities, and hundreds in 23 other countries, have called on their governments to join the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons.

For Chesapeake to join this list would be a powerful statement of humanity's commitment to deter national nuclear annihilation.

As a military hub, we can also appreciate the global verifiable nuclear disarmament would free soldiers, sailors, and airmen from the task of pushing the buttons, igniting both global genocide and global suicide.

No human being should be burdened with such responsibility.

While accepting the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize, ICANN President Beatrice Finn said the story of nuclear weapons will have an ending, and it is up to us what that ending will be.

Thank you, sir.

Very much.

Thank you for your time.

Bradley Moore, representing South Norfolk Civic League, speaking on the annual South Norfolk July 4th parade, followed by Jennifer Knight.

Close good evening, Mr.

Mayor, members of council.

I'm actually speaking on behalf of just myself, 1300 Park Avenue in the heart of historic South Norfolk.

Um, but I might mention that uh event just here in a moment.

Um, but first I want to commend the city and particularly Miss Cosmos, Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and the local uh Virginia 250 Commission for the wonderful event held at the Great Ridge Battlefield and Waterways Museum over the weekend.

I know it was a lot of effort put into that event, the three-day celebration of the Sale 250 event and to get to be an affiliate harbor for that event, really made it feel special to be a Chesapeake citizen that day.

Um so I hope everybody got to partake.

But um, as the 250 theme continues, coming up in about a week and a half.

I want to remind everybody that um the city's also put a lot of effort into some other ways to celebrate the 250th anniversary of these United States.

Um we can celebrate freedom there at City Park on July 3rd from 4 p.m.

to 10 p.m.

Get there early so parking is easier for everybody.

Um, America's 250th anniversary and independence family fund day held at the Great Bridge Battlefield Waterways Museum from 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m.

on uh July 4th.

Um, but if you want to come on down or come on north and join us in South Norfolk, we are hosting America's Block Party right in the middle of the heart of South Norfolk, and we will be holding our annual Fourth of July parade.

Um our Grand Marshal we've uh voted on this year is going to be Robert Twine, and our honorary Grand Marshal is the South Norfolk Buritan Club, and I want to choose this opportunity just to you know give a little preview.

But um since 1980, that event has been put on between our civic league and the city of Chesapeake, and um being a historian myself, I went back and started looking at articles all the way back to the beginning, and the Ruratons have been there since the very beginning, helping us along the way.

So I'm proud to, you know, celebrate both Mr.

Twine, who's been helping us along the way, and the Ruratons for helping us get the job done.

Um, but more to the point, I mentioned to somebody when I came in today that I'm here to just thank the city of Chesapeake and remind you all that not all heroes wear capes, but some have the city of Chesapeake emblazoned on their business cards, and I don't want to make them blush too much, but I want to thank um Mr.

Sorry, Ms.

Harper, and Mr.

Brown and whoever else was in the room where it happened this morning in the Department of Public Works, who um has really been helping us all along the way.

I know Mike Barber picked up a couple phone calls today, and I know a lot of city departments are mobilized to make this celebration of American independence one of the best that that we've seen yet.

And I hope I'm definitely not gonna be around to see the next 250 years, but I know we can make this a good one together.

So anybody who's wanting to come out, come on out and join us.

Parking is at a premium there in South Norfolk too.

So you can use that wonderful municipal lot on Pointexter.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Jennifer Knight, representing SAF, hyperscale development, followed by Jacob Phillips.

Hi, good evening.

I'm Jennifer Knight and I live on Ballahack Road.

Based on recent actions by neighboring localities, the mayor of Virginia Beach saying, and this is a direct quote: hell no to data centers and Suffolk placing a temporary pause on them for further investigation, places Chesapeake in a dangerously precarious position that deserves immediate attention.

July 18th may be too late, and conditional use permits may not be enough protection for the citizens or irreplaceable natural resources like land and water.

It looks like Chesapeake is experiencing something called deal execution overrun, a condition where economic development transaction logic advances faster than public law governance systems can visibly reconcile authority, burden, cost, infrastructure, environmental capacity, life cycle obligation, and public accountability.

Local chambers and alliances have merged into your lane of sovereign governance and into my lane as a private citizen who will be expected to take on personal liabilities and burdens to facilitate their profits.

I've been receiving this offer, I brought it with me tonight for over a year now to ensure my private well and septic.

It didn't make sense to me until a few weeks ago.

When local chambers and alliances are holding public input meetings by invitation only, and we the people find about out about them by reading articles that smack of late night paid infomercials, that's not public input.

The profiteers aren't just bypassing the citizens, they're also skipping over elected officials and appointing members of the planning department to serve on to serve on stakeholder committees.

We didn't elect city planners.

I wouldn't even call them stakeholders because most of them don't even live in Chesapeake.

The Virginia Constitution, Article 1, Section 11, and our Bill of Rights as Virginians states the damaging of private property is not for public use.

If the primary use is for private gain, private benefit, private enterprise, increasing jobs, increasing tax revenue, or economic development.

Public benefits and public burdens require a public ledger.

Will you require a public benefit burden ledger before state supported or locally approved economic development obligations are funded, zoned, incentivized, implemented or functionally committed?

The citizens of Chesapeake have a lot to lose.

Not only could we lose access to basic necessities like running water and flushing toilets, but we would literally be footing the bill for the destruction of our own private property to uh to the profiteers' margins.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, Mayor West.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

Jacob Phillips representing Chesapeake Soccer Club speaking on Centerville Soccer Complex field conditions.

Good evening.

Thank you for your time.

I'm coming to you guys today on behalf of Board of Directors for Chesapeake Soccer Club regarding what we feel is uh ongoing deterioration of the soccer fields at Centerville Soccer Complex and Park.

As a nonprofit, all volunteer organization, CSC is committed to providing an affordable and safe environment for the children of Chesapeake and surrounding Hampton Roads areas.

We've been fortunate to see incremental growth over the last four years, and in doing that, on any given weekend host between 30 and 40 games at Centerville Complex, anywhere between five and hundreds five and seven hundred uh people attend on any given two days.

And the conditions that we're seeing as uh a complete lack of irrigation and field preparation through the partnership of the city and the permits that we're given.

We as a full volunteer nonprofit organization invest roughly 40,000 a year through lawn care and field maintenance in an effort to give back to the city's graciousness to give us permits to use the fields.

Um we respect the chain of command and the hierarchy, and we deal with those through the parks and rec, Stephanie Miller, uh Michael Bart uh Barber as well, but we feel as if the requests and the concerns have fallen on deaf ears, which is why I'm here today.

Um following the contacts, we find that we don't really get much response in that, so we're not quite sure where to go from there.

So we respectfully request the city council's assistance in working through the irrigation and field preparation, not for the fact of appearance, but for safety and concerns of the players on a on a daily basis.

I must be honest and state that I have some fear and concern of retaliation of coming to speak tonight, as I'm not always given the most professional and courteous responses when I do speak to the city.

I understand everyone is busy and I respect that, but at times I am concerned that um any future conversation, permit request, anything else might be um might be a little bit more difficult from tonight.

So just wanted to openly say that.

Um we are actively working and we'll continue to try to maintain the fields to the best of our ability, but we are limited because it is city property and we respect the boundaries and permit require requests and and rules, so we don't go above and beyond that.

But uh we do feel as if revitalizing the soccer fields, the Centerville Park will benefit our families, strengthen the local soccer community.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

That concludes the speakers.

Um, first of all, uh Mr.

Phillips, I can assure you that our staff does not operate that way in terms of retribution for people to speak their concerns.

That's why we we open these meetings for for your concerns.

Uh having said that uh, Mr.

Manager, I wasn't around when these soccer fields were uh acquired or created.

I know there was quite a uh uh uh an effort to to make it happen, and I don't know all of the uh arrangements or the conditions or the agreements that we had with community groups, but would you look into that and see if there's something that uh we can do to to alleviate or to help some of those problems?

If you have any thoughts if you want to share, that's fine.

No, a lot of a lot of field use uh in Chesapeake, um, but we definitely appreciate our nonprofit partners.

I appreciate you that you came out tonight to speak.

I can assure you, uh what the mayor said is true.

Um you shouldn't fear retribution.

I feel bad if if you would feel that, um, but we will definitely check out because we do have we're really blessed with excellent partnerships with with sports leagues and nonprofits, and and uh we'll figure out what's going on and see what we can do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Miss Lindley, we had several speakers who talked about asking us to take a as a council to take a position on nuclear weapons.

Uh I know there have been times where, as mayor, I have spoken as mayor for certain uh issues beyond our scope because but we normally do not take a position uh regarding issues that that we have no control of, but there are have been times where I've taken a position.

Could you do some research, get back to me, get to a get back to us and see if we choose to take a position uh how appropriate that would be.

Yes, thank you.

I appreciate your advice on that, and and for the record, uh we keep hearing uh from one source about the cost of living for council members of $36, a pay check uh that will uh to correct that will not begin until 2027.

Next is uh appointments of boards and commission.

I want to turn to our city clerk, Miss Madison.

The following is a slate of appointments Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority to Rail Cuffy, Chesapeake Interagency Consortium, Cameron Miller, Citizen Advisory Committee to the Land Bank Authority, Jack Willen Wiggins, Fine Art Commission, reappoint Homer Babbitt, John Barry, Mel Howerton, Quan McGill, and Hannah Zahara, and appoint Carrie Spencer, Human Services Advisory Board, Alexa Cole and Aya, Kayla Green, two student non-voting members, and Kimberly Porter.

Library Board appoint Kevin P.

Green as an attorney, public art committee, John Barry, Fine Arts Commission representative, and continue three appointments, utility review board, Matthew Vinson, Chesapeake City Council Audit Committee, Aman Council Member Amanda Newens, and that concludes the slate.

Thank you.

A motion is in order to approve the slate.

Mr.

Whitaker seconded.

Thank you.

Any discussion on the slate?

Motion to approve the slate of appointees as presented is adopted by an 8-0 vote.

Next on our agenda is unfinished business.

Do any council members have any unfinished business items?

Councilman Newlands.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mr.

Manager, there's been a lot of discussion regarding stakeholder groups when it comes to policy for or just uh feedback for staff when we're looking at policy for council consideration.

Can we discuss at our retreat uh what role council should play in giving information or feedback on stakeholder groups before they start giving, I guess, advice or input to staff and how we pick those stakeholder groups and maybe council can have input on a policy on how we move forward on that.

I think there are some speakers that are correct that ultimately council is the one who's who is responsible to the people.

We're the ones who are elected to the people.

So I think we have some obligation to have some input into some of those things.

Maybe we can have a discussion on that.

I think that's a fair point.

One thing I would say is um, and and this gets pointed out all the time, and we would certainly, you know, recognize this as well.

Staff can't be experts in everything and we're not experts in the way that our community are experts oftentimes.

So it's not at all uncommon to um to seek input and advice from a variety of stakeholders with different perspectives.

I think that you know what's been talked about is is probably a little more formal than what's actually happened, but I would we would welcome the discussion with with council to talk about how we use those groups really to just vet ideas, make sure that we're um tapping into the the um the you know resources and ideas and suggestions of the community, uh, but also want to be sensitive to council's desire to make sure that you know we have some protocols in place on on how we solicit input, and in the alternative, I think it also will protect staff if council has input because we oftentimes see staff get I don't want to say the word attacked but get scrutinized over their choices in stakeholder groups so if council has some level of input, then ultimately it's up to council who receives that scrutiny.

So staff isn't put in the middle.

So I think that could be appropriate as well.

Appreciate that.

Thank you.

Any other unfinished business?

Seeing none, we will uh go to new business.

Madam Clerk, would you please?

New business item A has two parts consideration of amendments to the 2045 comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance regarding solar and battery energy storage facilities requested by planning.

One is an initiating resolution requesting the Chesapeake Planning Commission to consider and make recommendations concerning proposed amendments to the adopted 2045 comprehensive plan to amend the text correlating maps and technical document as necessary to amend the written solar energy policy in response to changes enacted by the 2026 session of the general assembly concerning local regulation of solar and battery energy storage facilities.

Thank you.

A motion please move to approve.

Thank you, Mr.

Whitaker.

Can we have a second?

Mr.

Smith?

Second.

Thank you.

Uh any discussion on this item.

See none.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clark.

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

Thank you.

Next item.

Item two, an initiating resolution requesting the Chesapeake Planning Commission to consider and make recommendations concerning proposed amendments to Article 13 of the Chesapeake zoning ordinance concerning local regulation of solar and battery energy storage facilities to reflect statutory changes enacted by the 2026 session of the General Assembly.

Thank you.

And the motion is ordered, please.

Mr.

Whitaker.

Move to approve.

Thank you, sir.

We have a second.

Mr.

Jeffries.

Second.

Thank you, sir.

Any discussion on this item?

All right, let's prepare to vote vote and record.

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

Item B an initiating resolution requesting the Chesapeake Planning Commission to consider and make recommendations concerning proposed amendments to the Chesapeake zoning ordinance and any necessary and correlating amendments to reflect statutory changes enacted by the 2026 session of the General Assembly requested by planning.

Thank you.

Motion please, Mr.

Smith.

Move to approve.

Dr.

Ward?

Second.

Any discussion on this item?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

Madam Clerk.

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

Item C, an initiating resolution requesting the Chesapeake Planning Commission to consider and make recommendations concerning proposed amendments to the Chesapeake Zoning Ordinance Article 20.

And any necessary and correlating amendments regarding procedural changes to judicial review of board review board of Board of Zoning Appeals decisions to reflect statutory changes enacted by the 2026 session of the General Assembly requested by planning.

Thank you.

Motion, please.

Mr.

Whitaker.

Move to approve.

Thank you, Dr.

King.

Thank you.

Any discussion on this item?

Seeing none.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item one, an ordinance pertaining to the compensation of the city attorney.

Motion, please.

Move approval.

Thank you, Mr.

Whitaker.

Councilman Newlands.

Second.

Any discussion?

Mr.

Williams?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I just want to say there was a speaker that had I think scrutinized what council is taking action on regarding to the compensation of the appointees.

Normally our ordinance will list what the compensation is, but these ordinances don't have the information clearly listed.

So I think it was appropriate for public transparency that council is not awarding any salary raises.

Council is awarding a car allowance in lieu of mileage reimbursement, which is consistent with all executive level employees.

So council is not awarding any raises to appointees at this time.

We're awarding a benefit that all executive level employees receive in order to make it equal amongst all the appointees.

Thank you.

Thank you.

We do have a motion for approval and no other discussion.

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item two, an ordinance pertaining to the compensation of the city clerk.

Mr.

Jeffries, move approval.

Thank you.

Second.

Dr.

Ward.

Thank you.

Any discussion on this item?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote.

Record.

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

Item three, an ordinance pertaining to the compensation of the real estate assessor.

Thank you.

Motion please.

Mr.

Smith.

Mr.

Whitaker.

Second that.

And discussion?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

Item 4, an ordinance pertaining to the compensation of the city auditor.

Thank you.

Motion, please.

Mr.

Smith.

Move to approve.

Councilman Newlands.

Second.

Thank you.

Any discussion on this item?

Please prepare to vote.

Please vote and record.

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

I have received a request from Vice Mayor Ritter to place an item on the next agenda to create an ad hoc committee to help develop policies and if necessary code changes for support agri tourism.

So the item, I guess, would on the agenda would say why, but I think the discussion as to what their charge would be and how it is developed and who is developing and who's attending will be discussed after the it is an item placed on the agenda.

Any questions about that?

Is there any objection to that?

Seeing none, Mr.

Manager, we get that on the agenda next next time.

Are there any uh any additional new business items?

Uh Mr.

Bunn.

Thank you, Mayor West.

Um, going to ask the city manager if you can look into this.

Just curious to find out how many um teams or residents utilize our fields like the soccer clubs, I know there's other organizations too.

This was just like get an idea of how many of those teams are actual residents of Jesse Peak.

Thank you.

Any other items?

Uh so next is uh I'm sorry, uh Dr.

King.

That's okay.

Um I just wanted to say a month or so ago we had a citizen to come to speak before council, and they were concerned about an area in front of their home that was not maintained well by the city.

And I wanted to thank you, city manager, for getting on top of that and making it actually extremely beautiful on Muscarat Court.

So thank you for taking care of that.

It's it's beautiful.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman King.

Any other items?

So at this time I'm gonna call on City Attorney Lindley to provide a language for our closed meeting topic.

A motion to conduct a closed meeting to one, consult with the city attorney and staff pertaining to actual litigation or consultation in an open meeting would adversely affect the litigating posture of the city council, specifically regarding City of Chesapeake v Virginia Aviation Associates LLC.

Two, to discuss the acquisition of certain real properties located in the Great Bridge and Deep Creek planning areas where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body.

And three, discussing asserting a prospective business where no previous announcement has been made of the business's interest in expanding facilities in the city for the purpose of discussing potential economic development opportunities as all as permitted by sections two point two-thirty seven eleven A three five and seven of the Code of Virginia.

Thank you.

No, no, no.

Stop 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.

Thank you.

Please prepare to vote.

Motion to certify the closed meeting is adopted by an eight-o vote.

Yes.

Continue to keep our citizens safe, continue to bless our members of council.

We ask for traveling mercies, and you all agreed to name we pray.

Amen.

Council has adjourned eight fifty eight.