Portsmouth City Council Work Session and Regular Meeting – September 23, 2025

The Portsmouth City Council held a work session followed by a regular meeting on September 23, 2025. The work session included presentations on traffic calming policies, the school capital reserve fund ordinance, and legislative initiatives. The regular meeting consisted of an eight-item consent calendar, new business, liaison reports, and a closed session. Seven members were present, with all votes recorded as 7-0.

Consent Calendar

• Ordinance 25-271: Accepted $252,461 in additional IVE foster care funding from the Virginia Department of Social Services for FY 2026. Adopted 7-0.
• Ordinance 25-272: Accepted $424,733 in summer food service program reimbursement from the Virginia Department of Education. Adopted 7-0.
• Ordinance 25-273: Authorized sale of city-owned property on Lake Kilby Road to Suffolk for $93,400, funds to public utilities. Adopted 7-0.
• Ordinance 25-274: Accepted $40,000 Stop the Bleed grant to purchase 68 trauma kits for city buildings. Adopted 7-0.
• Ordinance 25-275: Accepted $5,700 donation from DeLong Company for fire department equipment. Adopted 7-0.
• Ordinance 25-276: Accepted $500,000 opioid abatement grant from Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority. Adopted 7-0.
• Ordinance 25-277: Accepted $167,000 Adult Recovery Court grant from Supreme Court of Virginia. Adopted 7-0.
• Resolution 25-278: Approved FY 2026 agreement with Virginia Department of Health for Portsmouth Health Department services. Adopted 7-0.
• Resolution 25-279: Certified support for $480,000 Port Host Community Revitalization Fund grant for 1117-1121 High Street. Adopted 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Aaron Cody (2908 Tam Bark Lane): Presented six election examples to advocate for ranked-choice voting in Portsmouth City Council elections, noting that in most cases the outcome did not change but majority support was ensured.
• Christopher Hines (119 Kingsgate Drive): Spoke as director of New Generation Marching Band, highlighting 33 years of youth programming and urging city support. He referenced a previous incident where Vice Mayor Moody called him a “thug” during a 2016 tunnel protest. Vice Mayor Moody responded that his comment was not directed at the individual and that he had since apologized online.
• Joseph Kelly (27 Hobson Street): Thanked city for support of the Island Parks Music Festival and a recent festival downtown. Expressed concern about gun violence and urged city leaders to convene civic league meetings. He cited a fatal shooting after speed cameras were removed from Dahlia and Manley streets.
• David House (Portsmouth): Complained about repeated code enforcement failures at a West Haven property (cited 13 times since May 2023 with no resolution). He provided documentation and suggested citizens use a special grand jury nuisance procedure under Virginia Code.
• Sergei O’Neill (1420 Elm Avenue): Same support for New Generation Marching Band, criticized recreation center staff for denying access to band equipment, and called on the city manager to address the issue.
• Daniel House (114 Gillis Road): Presented case of a structurally damaged vacant building at 2301 Victory Boulevard. He argued city inspectors opened and closed cases without action despite visible violations, and that the final notice lacked any listed violations.
• Tony Goodwin (Portsmouth): Offered institutional knowledge on downtown redevelopment, citing his 25 years of experience and his business Market Street and General Store on High Street. He urged council to work with existing downtown businesses and learn from past mistakes.
• Bridget Toole (951 Green Street): Addressed barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals seeking employment and housing. She asked the city to make behavioral health services available to returning citizens and to open city jobs (e.g., janitorial) to them. Councilman Tillage requested a report on city background check policies and possible exceptions. City Manager Carter directed her to the Portsmouth at Works program.

Discussion Items

• Traffic Calming Discussion (Work Session): City Engineer James Wright presented an overview of traffic calming measures, costs, considerations, and a draft policy. Key points included: eligibility limited to residential and some collector streets; a petition threshold of 60% for initial measures and 75% for physical devices; a phased approach from education to enforcement to physical devices; and a post-installation evaluation after six and 12 months. Council members provided feedback: Vice Mayor Moody supported a case-by-case approach with clear procedures; Councilwoman Thomas emphasized equity and proactive city identification of problem areas rather than relying solely on citizen requests; Councilman Hugel advocated for defined thresholds for speed studies; Councilwoman Bryant inquired about the existing Safe Streets for All action plan and federal funding; Councilman Tillage warned about traffic diversion and proliferation; Mayor noted there is no dedicated traffic calming budget and suggested setting aside a fixed annual amount. No formal vote was taken; staff was directed to refine the policy for future consideration.
• Portsmouth Public Schools Capital Reserve Fund Ordinance (Work Session): City Manager Stephen Carter explained the ordinance passed in December 2024, which creates a capital reserve fund for schools. Key rules: annual deposit limit $7 million, overall cap $21 million, funds limited to emergency capital needs or projects on the approved school capital list. Council discussed derivation of the limits (mutually agreed with school superintendent) and compliance triggers (audit due by December 31 each year). Councilwoman Bryant asked about noncompliance standards. No vote was taken; the presentation was informational in anticipation of a request from the school system.
• Legislative Initiatives (Work Session): City Manager Carter reviewed the proposed state and federal legislative agenda for the upcoming year, including adding Portsmouth to a state code section on special use permit expiration, allowing retired law enforcement to execute temporary detention orders, creating a class 2 misdemeanor for leaving firearms in unlocked vehicles, expanding photo enforcement review periods, and budget requests for the Prince Street Transmission Main ($16M), sanitary sewer pump station rehabilitation ($22M), and the Portsmouth homeless shelter (gap of $9M). Federal items include a congressional study of the PILT program and a grade separation study. Councilman Dotson asked about juvenile jail program funding and suggested including sunshine law modifications for council communication. Councilwoman Thomas proposed including maternal health funding under the Virginia mommy bus legislation. Council was asked to provide feedback by October 1, with a legislative committee meeting on October 9 and a joint session with General Assembly representatives in late November.

Key Outcomes

• All nine consent calendar items and the new business resolution were approved by unanimous 7-0 votes.
• The council held a moment of silence in remembrance of former Mayor Gloria Webb, who served from 1980 to 1996.
• Councilman Dotson requested updates at the next meeting on jail funding, the gift card issue, and the Crawford Bay RFP.
• Councilman Hugel directed citizen Joseph Kelly to the crime task force community engagement committee.
• Councilman Tillage requested a report on city employment policies regarding background checks for formerly incarcerated individuals.
• The council voted unanimously (7-0) to go into closed session under Virginia Code sections 2.2-3711 A7 (actual litigation) and A6 (investment discussion) for two specific legal cases and a PPEA proposal.
• The regular meeting was adjourned after the closed session.