Hampton City Council Work Session – October 14, 2026

The Hampton City Council met in a work session on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. Mayor Jimmy Gray presided; all seven council members were present. The open session included four staff/guest presentations: Hampton University economic impact, towing advisory board recommendations, the development process assessment implementation, and cannabis legislation. No minutes were available; the summary is based on the agenda and transcript. Council later voted unanimously to enter closed session.

Discussion Items

Hampton University Economic Impact

• Hampton University President Darrell Williams presented a study by Chamura, commissioned by a Virginia legislative subcommittee, on the economic impact of the Commonwealth’s four HBCUs. Combined impact was $1.6 billion; Hampton University-specific findings included nearly 2,100 jobs per year, about $115 million in economic impact, and $7.32 million per year in public revenue.
• Enrollment is 4,891, a 49.9% increase; faculty grew from about 254 in 2022 to about 306. Williams said most new faculty come from outside the area and contribute to the local economy.
• Williams highlighted university investments: a workforce development center on Butler Farm Road, culinary arts/business networking and digital/AI centers, a new School of Religion downtown, the Hampton Well Nest community pharmacy/wellness/mental health center, and an off-campus restaurant, Milk and Honey.
• He also reported a new $2.4 million summer grant for workforce pathways for people ages 11–27, in addition to about $2.25 million in TRIO funding over 50 years.
• The study ranked HU number one in Virginia for social mobility and top 50 nationally, with Williams noting that results vary by methodology.
• Williams said HU helps fill the regional workforce gap: with about a 52% gap in certain jobs, the gap would be 63% without HU’s contribution.
• Williams expressed support for deeper city-university collaboration, including consolidated workforce pathways and city-sponsored grants to HU for workforce upskilling, especially in digital/AI.
• Councilmembers expressed pride and support. Councilmember Harper praised workforce development; Councilmember Ferebee noted her family ties and urged continued work on heritage tourism and entrepreneurship; Vice Mayor Brown called for treating downtown Hampton as a college town, and Williams agreed. Mayor Gray mentioned the youth climate action plan event with 150 high school students and HU students, and thanked Williams for the voting precinct effort.

Towing Advisory Board Follow-Up

• Deputy City Manager Brian DeProfiel, Towing Advisory Board Vice Chair Ashley Abbott, and former Councilman Hobbs presented. Background: Hampton’s police-initiated towing rates had not been amended since 2008; the towing advisory board was established in 2000, disbanded in 2011, and re-established in 2024. The board had presented recommendations on September 9, 2026, and council asked staff and the board to refine the rates.
• Current Hampton rates: $125 base for most vehicles, $285 for very large vehicles over 26,000 pounds, $10 after-hours surcharge, $28/day storage, $62.50 per half hour for additional recovery, and $25 per half hour wait-time after the first hour.
• Regional comparison: all other major Hampton Roads cities except Suffolk updated towing fees in the last two years; Suffolk’s rates are tied to the state default rate of $210. The state rate is reviewed annually and allows a $30 after-hours surcharge. Newport News has a lower base but allows add-ons such as a $45 dolly, $30 GoJack, and $25 administrative fee.
• Abbott stated the board was addressing police rotation tows, not private property tows. The board originally proposed a flat $240 fee, but accepted the state-based structure: $210 daytime plus $30 after-hours. Proposed increases included storage to $55/day, a DMV processing fee with documentation, additional recovery at $62.50 per half hour, and wait-time standby at $62.50 per half hour. The board also requested annual rate review.
• Staff recommended adding the city manager’s office as an appeal step for towing-related violations.
• Vice Mayor Brown confirmed that the board and staff were aligned on the state-rate approach rather than the flat $240 rate.
• The item was scheduled for final council action at the 6:30 p.m. meeting that evening.

Development Process Assessment Implementation

• Community Development Director Kim Michael reported on implementation of the Clarion development process assessment. The assessment identified five challenges: staffing and retention, workflow and technology limitations, inconsistent procedures, outdated planning guidance, and complexity of the zoning ordinance.
• Achievements included about 35 workflow and portal improvements to the permitting system, a new departmental mission/vision/values framework, improved SOPs, clearer comment letters, appointment scheduling, staff cross-training, concurrent review, major/minor site plan review, and reduced site plan/subdivision review times.
• A new permitting software is being pursued; the comprehensive plan update has an RFP out, and a full zoning ordinance rewrite is expected in roughly two to three years, likely with outside consulting help. The city manager said funding steps have been taken.
• Customer surveys are ongoing, with 20–30 responses per month. Councilmember Campbell encouraged continuing the feedback loop; Councilmember Harper asked about surveys; Councilmember Ferebee requested a consolidated annual report for citizens; Vice Mayor Brown asked for percentage-based progress updates and suggested a post-call survey.

Cannabis Legislation Briefing

• Assistant City Attorney Corey Wolf and Senior City Planner James Randolph briefed Council on the state’s coming retail cannabis marketplace. They emphasized Virginia’s Dillon Rule and said localities cannot prohibit newly legalized cannabis uses, including by de facto bans.
• Retail sales can begin as early as July 1, 2027. The state will issue 350 retail licenses. Retail stores cannot sell tobacco or alcohol and cannot allow on-site consumption. A statutory 1,000-foot buffer from hospitals, schools, universities, and child day programs cannot be reduced, though other buffers may be considered.
• Cultivation licenses are tiered by canopy; tiers 1–4 are uncapped up to 25,000 square feet, and only five larger tier 5 licenses are available. Microbusinesses, limited to 5,000 square feet of indoor canopy or 10,000 square feet of outdoor canopy, may combine cultivation, processing, and retail at one site.
• Staff recommended requiring a use permit for each cannabis use and proposed zoning districts: retail in C1/C2/C3; indoor cultivation in M1/M2/M3; outdoor cultivation in the Langley flight approach zones 1–4; processing/testing and transport/delivery in manufacturing/commercial districts. The existing Cunningham Drive medical dispensary could seek dual-use retail, with the retail portion going through a use permit.
• Proposed operating hours mirrored ABC retail store hours: 10 a.m.–9 p.m. Monday–Saturday and 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday. The city is required to adopt a local cannabis sales/use tax, likely through the spring budget process; tax returns go to the state and revenue is disbursed quarterly. Staff also recommended local penalties for public consumption mirroring state penalties.
• The Cannabis Control Authority will begin accepting preliminary applications starting February 1. The city would have 30 days from notice to file a written objection. Draft regulations are still incomplete and could supersede local rules if conflicts arise.
• Council feedback included: Councilmember Ferebee raised equity concerns about manufacturing zones near homes, and staff noted the use permit process would include public notice; Councilmember Muggler questioned Langley flight approach residential pockets and preferred starting with more restrictive hours; Councilmember Campbell suggested a noon opening instead of 10 a.m. and considering buffers similar to vape shops; Councilman Bowman asked about the two-ounce per-transaction limit and license background checks. Staff responded that background checks are required, with exceptions for cannabis offenses, and the city cannot change the transaction limit. Councilmembers noted VML discussion about license allocation possibly using regional usage data; the city attorney said staff would follow up.

Key Outcomes

• No ordinance votes were taken during the work session. The towing rate ordinance was scheduled for a final vote at the 6:30 p.m. council meeting on the same date.
• Cannabis staff recommendations were presented for Council feedback; staff will use the comments to draft local ordinance language.
• Council voted unanimously to enter closed session under Virginia Code Section 2.2-3711(A)(8) for consultation with legal counsel regarding collective bargaining, and under Section 2.2-3711(A)(7) and (8) for pending litigation and other legal issues/transactions. The open session ended at approximately 3:00 p.m. The agenda listed a resolution certifying the closed session for after the closed session; no certification vote appears in the transcript.