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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Hampton City Council Work Session - June 11, 2025

City Council — Wednesday, June 11, 2025

BodyHampton, Virginia

SessionCity Council

DateWednesday, June 11, 2025

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:57:58

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:45

Good afternoon and welcome to the Hampton City Council work session.

0:49

Um ask clerk to call the roll, please.

0:52

Councilman Bowman.

0:53

Present.

0:54

Vice Mayor Brown.

0:56

Councilwoman Campbell.

0:57

Present.

0:57

Councilwoman Farby.

0:59

Councilwoman Harper, present.

1:01

Councilwoman Muggler, present.

1:02

Mayor Greg.

1:04

Present.

1:05

And we have uh four presentations on our agenda this afternoon.

1:09

So it will be a busy meeting, but a lot of good information.

1:12

So we're looking looking forward to that.

1:14

So I'm gonna ask the city manager to uh introduce the first presentation.

1:18

Thank you, Mr.

1:19

Mayor.

1:19

We are pleased to have with us as our first item today, Mr.

1:23

Duck Smith, who's the chief executive officer for the Hampton Roads Alliance, which is our regional economic development organization for Hampton Roads.

1:31

He's here today to share with the City Council the great work that the Regional Economic Development Organization is doing to advance uh marketing and attraction of firms as well as the growth of existing businesses in our region.

1:46

And so with that, I'm pleased to introduce Mr.

1:47

Smith.

1:48

All right, Ms.

1:48

Munty, thank you.

1:49

Uh, Mayor Gray, members of council, it's always a pleasure to be with you all.

1:51

I'm gonna take a little point of personal privilege if you don't mind.

1:54

I was talking to um Mary ahead of time.

1:57

Um I was crushed to read this morning about Randy Gilliland.

1:59

And Randy and I served, yeah.

2:01

I was on the Portsmouth City Council when he was on Hampton City Council, and in those days, the MPO and the PDC, anybody's been around a long time, the MPO and the PDC were all convoluted, and Randy and uh Cliff Hayes and I from Chesby were sort of the young folks in the room, and we were put on the reform committee, we were put on the first legislative committee, and um a lot of my thinking about just regionalism and and my perspective on how on how important it is, you know, came from those relationships.

2:26

He and I would talk between meetings about what was coming up and um just a uh um uh great legacy for Hampton, but also a great legacy for Hampton Roads, and just uh I feel for for the community and I feel for his family, and just wanted to share that with him.

2:40

So thank you all.

2:41

Um I'm gonna take a moment, uh, a few minutes, and and I love this picture.

2:45

And in some ways, Vice Mayor, um, in some ways, uh this is a snapshot of just what we're about these days.

2:52

That is a we're on the Battleship Wisconsin in downtown Norfolk.

2:55

Um the uh in the red there is Secretary of Commerce and Trade Karen Merrick, and uh we are surrounded by representatives from probably 15 Australian companies, and it's right before the Sea Air Space Conference in um in DC a year and a half ago.

3:10

Um and um I'm gonna talk a little bit a lot about that because we've really the organization has really made a pivot to really lean in on defen with at the end of the day, we're a military industrial defense community, and we do things here that no one else can do.

3:24

And for a lot of years, we from an economic development perspective, we turned our back on that.

3:29

I'll talk a little bit about why, but that has really changed in the last two or three years, and I think that's serving us well, and I think it plays well uh for Hampton and the and the peninsula.

3:37

So I'll tell you a little bit uh Mary said it really well about kind of what we do, uh, who we represent.

3:43

Um I I believe this is a moment in time that creates some real opportunity for for the region.

3:48

I'm gonna talk about that, and uh I want you to understand what the AUKUS program is.

3:52

I suspect you do, uh, but then being lean in a little more about um how we're focused on energy and defense right now, and then uh something we're calling the regional investment playbook.

4:03

And I'll close with a couple of comments on uh the EB Riffa.

4:07

Um you all know this, but it's worth saying we we represent 15 organizations or 15 uh communities from Virginia Beach to Newcast County.

4:14

Newcast County came in in July of last year.

4:17

Uh five years ago, we were 11 communities, so the Williamsburg communities, Greater Williamsburg joined, and then Newcast County, and then we had uh about 60 companies that were investing in us.

4:26

Uh we went through a capital campaign, and today about 110 uh companies invest in the alliance, and that's really important because I I would I would argue this region followed an old economic development model for a lot of years, which was we really ceded economic development to the to the public sector and the private sector really wasn't at the table.

4:45

And we really want the private sector at the table out of their self-interest and candidly matching the money that you all and the resources that you all put forward, so we feel good about the model, our our core activities are just what Mary said, bringing business traded sector businesses into the region, meaning companies that are selling their goods and services outside the region.

5:03

If we bring a new new store in, that's great, but we're divvying up the same pie.

5:08

If we bring a new law firm in, that's great, we're divvying up the same pie.

5:10

We want to grow the pie.

5:12

One of the changes that took place five years ago was our the alliance getting really actively involved in existing business.

5:21

And the reality is 85% of our growth comes from the businesses that are here.

5:25

And if you're in any kind of sales organization, you know that hanging on and growing a customer is a whole lot easier than bringing in a new customer.

5:32

So that was an important change.

5:33

And then one of the things we've really ramped up in the last couple of years is the research, the business intelligence component of what we do.

5:41

And we've got some really talented folks that drive that and services that we provide.

5:45

Again, I mentioned the 15 localities obviously that you all know well.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Economic Development█████████████████████████25%

Senior Services█████████████████████████25%

Technology and Innovation████████████████████20%

Procedural██████████10%

Active Transportation██████████10%

Engineering And Infrastructure██2%

Taxation██2%

Workforce Development█1%

Legislative Advocacy█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Hampton City Council Work Session - June 11, 2025

The Hampton City Council held a work session on June 11, 2025, starting at 1:00 PM and adjourning at 6:11 PM. The meeting included presentations on regional economic development, aging demographics, bus stop amenities, and broadband infrastructure, followed by a closed session. Councilmembers Bowman, Campbell, Harper, Mugler, and Mayor Gray were present initially; Vice Mayor Brown arrived at 1:02 PM, and Councilwoman Ferebee arrived at 2:28 PM.

Consent Calendar

None noted.

Public Comments & Testimony

None from the public; only presentations by invited speakers.

Discussion Items

Hampton Roads Alliance Update (Item 25-0074): Doug Smith, CEO, presented the Alliance’s strategic shift toward defense and energy-focused economic development, emphasizing the AUKUS program, submarine manufacturing (Pillar 1), and advanced technologies like AI and quantum (Pillar 2). He highlighted that the Alliance’s investor base grew from 60 to 110 companies, and community membership from 11 to 15. Over the past five years, the Alliance supported nearly $2.5 billion in investment and 7,000 jobs, compared to $0.5 billion and 6,000 jobs in the prior decade. Smith noted that Hampton Roads is the fifth-largest recipient of DoD funds nationally and the largest per capita, with 20% of U.S. shipbuilding occurring in the region. He discussed the Regional Investment Playbook, to be unveiled at a June 26 event, and the Eastern Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority (EVRIFA) as a tool for collaborative investment. Vice Mayor Brown asked about defense spending distribution; Smith clarified that over $3 billion of Virginia Beach’s funding is from one company (ADS). Brown also inquired about a major league sports team; Smith said the region lacks infrastructure and financial capacity for top-tier leagues but noted opportunities in soccer or hockey. City Manager Bunting noted that Hampton holds two seats on the Alliance leadership, and EVRIFA could finance shared assets like stadiums.
Serving an Older Peninsula (Item 25-0136): Adelia Thompson, CEO of Peninsula Community Foundation (PCF), and Bill Massey, CEO of Peninsula Agency on Aging (PAA), presented a demographic study. Thompson reported that while the 30-60 age group grew by 20%, the 60-80 group grew by 133% across the region. By 2050, some neighborhoods will have significantly higher concentrations of residents over 80. Key challenges include: homes built before 2000 unsuitable for aging in place, limited transportation, high EMS usage by older adults, and reduced sales tax revenue as seniors spend less. Massey highlighted PAA’s services, including Meals on Wheels (over 30,000 meals delivered in Hampton last year), Veteran Directed Care, and a new CMS-funded GUIDE program for dementia patients. He noted that family caregivers face emotional stress, sleep deprivation, and financial hardship, costing employers an average of $6,400 annually per caregiver employee in productivity loss. Massey urged including older adult concerns in the city’s legislative package and promoting job opportunities for older workers.
Briefing on Amenity Improvements to Hampton Roads Transit Bus Stops (Item 25-0167): Interim Public Works Director Michael Bowry reported that 71 bus stops have been upgraded since 2012 on routes 101 (Hampton to Newport News via Kecoughtan Road) and 114 (Hampton to Warwick Boulevard via Mercury Boulevard). Upgrades include four tiers: Tier 1 (21 stops) – fully enclosed shelters with roof, bench, trash can, and solar lighting; Tier 3 (41 stops) – partial enclosure with same amenities; Tier 4 (2 stops) – roof only with bench, trash can, and lighting; and 7 stops received only a bench and trash can. Right-of-way availability determined the type of upgrade. Vice Mayor Brown raised concerns about weather protection for seniors; Bowry confirmed full enclosure isn’t always feasible but roofs and lighting are provided. HRT is considering adjusting feeder route eligibility to allow more upgrades citywide, pending board approval. Mayor Gray asked how many additional shelters could be installed; Bowry said all eligible stops on routes 101 and 114 have been addressed, but new funding and board approval are needed for expansion.
Digital Infrastructure Expansion Initiative (Item 25-0152): Chief Information Officer David Williams and Marcellus Nixon, Executive Director of the Southside Network Authority (SNA), presented a plan to extend a regional fiber ring across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel and Monitor-Merrimac to the Peninsula. The ring connects to the MAREA transatlantic cable in Virginia Beach, which is among the fastest in the world. The initiative aims to increase broadband competition, lower costs, and expand access to underserved areas still using copper infrastructure. The total estimated buildout cost for Hampton and Newport News is $15 million, with $250,000 for the first three phases (asset assessment, needs assessment, conceptual design). Nixon estimated the asset assessment at 45-60 days, needs assessment about two weeks, and conceptual design about a month, totaling roughly five months. Williams emphasized the project can proceed in parallel to avoid underutilized infrastructure. Councilwoman Harper asked about timeline; Nixon provided estimates. Councilwoman Ferebee asked about annual maintenance; Nixon said roughly 10% of infrastructure cost, suggesting a capital improvement fund. Councilman Bowman asked about governance; Nixon indicated Hampton and Newport News could join SNA with a buy-in similar to the $5 million contributions from south side cities. Councilwoman Mugler confirmed the plan would address areas with only one provider. Discussion included cybersecurity: Nixon clarified the fiber ring is passive and does not transmit data, so ISPs are responsible for security. The initiative also includes connecting to data centers in Ashburn, Virginia, and Atlanta, Georgia. City Manager Bunting noted planning funds are already allocated for the initial assessment.

Key Outcomes

Votes: A motion to enter closed session (Item 25-0164) passed 7-0; a motion to certify the closed session (Item 25-0166) passed 7-0. Specific appointments were considered in closed session but not publicly voted on.
Directives/Next Steps: The council expressed support for moving forward with the broadband infrastructure assessment and will receive updates on the Hampton Roads Alliance playbook. No formal votes were taken on the presentations; they were for discussion and information.

Meeting Transcript

Good afternoon and welcome to the Hampton City Council work session. Um ask clerk to call the roll, please. Councilman Bowman. Present. Vice Mayor Brown. Councilwoman Campbell. Present. Councilwoman Farby. Councilwoman Harper, present. Councilwoman Muggler, present. Mayor Greg. Present. And we have uh four presentations on our agenda this afternoon. So it will be a busy meeting, but a lot of good information. So we're looking looking forward to that. So I'm gonna ask the city manager to uh introduce the first presentation. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We are pleased to have with us as our first item today, Mr. Duck Smith, who's the chief executive officer for the Hampton Roads Alliance, which is our regional economic development organization for Hampton Roads. He's here today to share with the City Council the great work that the Regional Economic Development Organization is doing to advance uh marketing and attraction of firms as well as the growth of existing businesses in our region. And so with that, I'm pleased to introduce Mr. Smith. All right, Ms. Munty, thank you. Uh, Mayor Gray, members of council, it's always a pleasure to be with you all. I'm gonna take a little point of personal privilege if you don't mind. I was talking to um Mary ahead of time. Um I was crushed to read this morning about Randy Gilliland. And Randy and I served, yeah. I was on the Portsmouth City Council when he was on Hampton City Council, and in those days, the MPO and the PDC, anybody's been around a long time, the MPO and the PDC were all convoluted, and Randy and uh Cliff Hayes and I from Chesby were sort of the young folks in the room, and we were put on the reform committee, we were put on the first legislative committee, and um a lot of my thinking about just regionalism and and my perspective on how on how important it is, you know, came from those relationships. He and I would talk between meetings about what was coming up and um just a uh um uh great legacy for Hampton, but also a great legacy for Hampton Roads, and just uh I feel for for the community and I feel for his family, and just wanted to share that with him. So thank you all. Um I'm gonna take a moment, uh, a few minutes, and and I love this picture. And in some ways, Vice Mayor, um, in some ways, uh this is a snapshot of just what we're about these days. That is a we're on the Battleship Wisconsin in downtown Norfolk. Um the uh in the red there is Secretary of Commerce and Trade Karen Merrick, and uh we are surrounded by representatives from probably 15 Australian companies, and it's right before the Sea Air Space Conference in um in DC a year and a half ago. Um and um I'm gonna talk a little bit a lot about that because we've really the organization has really made a pivot to really lean in on defen with at the end of the day, we're a military industrial defense community, and we do things here that no one else can do. And for a lot of years, we from an economic development perspective, we turned our back on that. I'll talk a little bit about why, but that has really changed in the last two or three years, and I think that's serving us well, and I think it plays well uh for Hampton and the and the peninsula. So I'll tell you a little bit uh Mary said it really well about kind of what we do, uh, who we represent. Um I I believe this is a moment in time that creates some real opportunity for for the region. I'm gonna talk about that, and uh I want you to understand what the AUKUS program is. I suspect you do, uh, but then being lean in a little more about um how we're focused on energy and defense right now, and then uh something we're calling the regional investment playbook. And I'll close with a couple of comments on uh the EB Riffa. Um you all know this, but it's worth saying we we represent 15 organizations or 15 uh communities from Virginia Beach to Newcast County. Newcast County came in in July of last year. Uh five years ago, we were 11 communities, so the Williamsburg communities, Greater Williamsburg joined, and then Newcast County, and then we had uh about 60 companies that were investing in us. Uh we went through a capital campaign, and today about 110 uh companies invest in the alliance, and that's really important because I I would I would argue this region followed an old economic development model for a lot of years, which was we really ceded economic development to the to the public sector and the private sector really wasn't at the table. And we really want the private sector at the table out of their self-interest and candidly matching the money that you all and the resources that you all put forward, so we feel good about the model, our our core activities are just what Mary said, bringing business traded sector businesses into the region, meaning companies that are selling their goods and services outside the region.

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