The Hampton City Council held its legislative session on August 13, 2025, at 6:30 PM in Council Chambers, with all seven members present. Mayor Jimmy Gray presided. The meeting began with an invocation by Councilmember Randy Bowman and the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Gray recognized Melanie Paul for donating two K-9 vests to the Hampton Police Division and congratulated Vice Mayor Steven L. Brown on receiving an Honorary Doctorate of Humanitarianism. Mayor Gray also announced that the proposed homeless ordinance would not be voted on that evening, pending a 90-day community engagement process; speakers on the topic were still permitted. The meeting adjourned at 8:29 PM.
All consent items were approved by a 7-0 vote.
13. 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and 2025 Annual Action Plan Angela Shenk (Management Analyst) presented the plan required by HUD for CDBG and HOME funding. The City is an entitlement community; for program year 2025, the allocation is approximately $1.3 million, with an estimated $150,000 in program income (total $1,536,634). Priority areas include preserving housing affordability, public facility improvements, increasing economic opportunities, supportive services, and effective administration. The Housing Rehabilitation Program has served 51 households using approximately $900,000 of the $2 million allocated; work slowed due to staffing shortages. The public hearing had no speakers; the plan was adopted by a 7-0 vote.
14. Ordinance to Amend Zoning Ordinance – Expiration of Use Permits City Planner Quinn Heinrich presented an amendment to Chapter 14, Section 14-12 to allow flexibility in use permit expiration for larger projects (e.g., multifamily developments) that take longer than two years. The default two-year expiration remains, but modifications are permitted. Staff and Planning Commission recommended approval. No public speakers; adopted 7-0.
15. Use Permit by Trilogy Developers, LLC – Multifamily Dwellings at LaSalle Avenue, West Pembroke Avenue, West Queen Street, and Michigan Drive (Former Lincoln Park Site) Chief Planner Donald Whipple presented the request for 380 apartment units (284 market-rate, 96 age-restricted) in the DT-1 District. The previous use permit expired due to the two-year construction deadline. Recommended conditions include a five-year nullification period. Staff and Planning Commission recommended approval. No public speakers; approved with nine conditions by a 7-0 vote.
16. Use Permit by Fishers Landing Eats, Inc. – Restaurant with Outdoor Dining at 4330 Kecoughtan Road City Planner Han Vu presented the request for a Restaurant 3 in the M2 District (outdoor dining prohibited otherwise). Proposed hours 11 AM–9 PM; staff recommended 5 AM–12 AM for consistency. Positive feedback from neighbors was received. No public speakers; approved with nine conditions by a 7-0 vote.
17. Resolution to Authorize Acquisition by Negotiation or Condemnation – Old Buckroe Pedestrian Upgrades City Manager Mary Bunting explained that a partial fee take (approximately 38 square feet) is needed for sidewalk construction from Pembroke Avenue to Fox Hill Road. The owner, Nicholas Perigo, was nonresponsive after numerous attempts to negotiate; eminent domain is necessary. No public speakers; approved 7-0.
City Manager Mary Bunting responded: the homeless ordinance is delayed 90 days for a stakeholder process; it was never about criminalizing homelessness but about addressing disruptions. The summer camp was praised; she committed to exploring budget options for FY2027 and partnerships with Hampton City Schools. CPS matters were noted for private follow-up. Street lighting issues will be addressed by Assistant City Manager Mitchell and Interim Public Works Director Bowery. Red-light cameras at Mallory Street were the only permitted tool to manage cut-through traffic; alternative routes exist. The old Wythe firehouse is expected to be preserved. Regarding crime, Bunting noted that the August 6 incident was rare and that prevention programs like Violence Interrupters are active; she urged context without overreaction.
Good evening and uh welcome to the Hampton City Council evening uh session. Uh like to ask the clerk to call the role, please. Councilman Bowman. Present. Vice Mayor Brown. Here. Councilwoman Campbell. Present. Councilwoman Fairby. Present. Councilwoman Harper, present. Councilwoman Muggler, present, Mayor Greg. Present. So our invitation will be given this evening by Councilmember Randy Bowman, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. So please stand and uh join us for the end. Dear God, thank you for another day. We pray for safety of our first responders. We know we cannot control everything, but we ask that you give us the strength to control our attitudes to be better towards one another. We ask for your protection over our community and nation and guard us from harm, violence, and discard. That your peace reign over our streets, homes, and health. Let up those that are struggling within our community, those experiencing hardship, poverty, loneliness, illness, and surround them with love and comfort. We pray that they'll look beyond themselves and work towards the well-being of the community as a whole by embracing the power of prayer. We know with you we can foster a stronger, more compassionate and resilient community. This is our prayer and ask that all of God's people that are believers respond in unison by saying amen. Amen. So I I talked to a couple of people uh in the lobby earlier, and they were here to speak on the uh homeless ordinance that was up on our agenda previously. And uh I do want to let you know that that we are not voting on that tonight. We had a uh presentation in our afternoon session of city council, but it was a presentation to update us on the engagement process that we have uh organized to get input on the ordinance before we finalize it or before it comes back to council for a vote. So if you're here tonight to speak on that, uh again, you know, if you've signed up, feel free to speak on it. That's perfectly fine. But we are not voting on that tonight, and uh it you know it will be on our agenda on a future date after we complete the uh community engagement process. Um next, I've got uh a couple of items on the mayor's comments, and I want to talk uh first about uh a member of our community, Miss Melanie Paul. Uh Miss Paul has been uh recognized over the years by Hampton Police Division for donating canine vests for the uh for some uh or donating vests for some of the canines that uh you know that our police use in uh in the in the course of their duties. Um she's been an active member of the Hampton Rhodes Pet Therapy Group since 2005, uh participating in animal assistance therapy for both Hampton and Newport News public schools as well as various hospitals and nursing facilities. Um and she has long supported the Hampton Police Division dating back to her tenure as a former um uh with tenure with former police chief uh Pat Manetti and working with the police academy of recruits to ensure that they understood how to assist and interact with uh individuals with disabilities, and she's provided similar training to other local police divisions and has also been recognized by the Air Force for for her contributions. Uh Ms. Paul worked for the former uh Virginia School for the Death Blind and Multi-Disabled for more than 20 years. Uh her past service to Hampton, the City of Hampton includes membership on our Clean City Commission, the mayor's committee for people with disabilities, and our animal control advisory uh committee. And over the years, Miss Paul and her dogs have received countless awards and honors. And as mayor, I wish to personally thank her for her uh many positive deeds in our community that uh have impacted all on a on a more broader level. So uh on behalf of our council and staff, I want to thank Miss Melanie Paul for you know supporting uh not only our uh police department uh but people in our community, especially with the emphasis on those who uh have disabilities. So uh I think we uh have Miss Paul, Miss Paul, will you come up front? And then we have a special friend here uh we want to bring up as well as one of our canine uh officers and our our canine dogs uh and who is wearing one of the vests that Miss Paul purchased. So I want to ask her to come up with it. Thank you so much, Mayor City Council. I usually do not tell people my very dark secret, and that is how I lost my hearing. I lost my hand. Intoxicated me the wrong medicine, septimas, and it cost me to be smoking in three months over 20 years ago. And doing what I wanted to helping the people in the city, especially the police department, and I love for them, never stopped me from helping humans and other communities. Deafiness means nothing to me.