Portsmouth City Council Public Work Session - December 9, 2025

The Portsmouth City Council convened for its final public work session of 2025 to address key community initiatives, fiscal reporting, and infrastructure challenges. The meeting featured presentations from YMCA leadership regarding facility expansion and community impact, the Retirement Board and investment consultants providing an annual financial update on the defined benefit system, and the Public Works Director outlining a new strategy for bulk waste collection. Council members also recognized long-serving staff, reviewed upcoming legislative items, and engaged in public testimony regarding social services and emergency preparedness.

Consent Calendar & Administrative Items

• The City Council adopted the minutes from the November 24, 2025, November 25, 2025 call meetings, and the November 25, 2025 regular meeting by a vote of 7-0.
• The Council accepted and appropriated a $25,433.33 grant from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality for litter prevention and recycling programs.
• The Council accepted and appropriated a $4,250,000 grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia for sanitary sewer pump station upgrades.
• A resolution establishing the official City Council meeting schedule for 2026 was adopted unanimously (7-0).

Public Comments & Testimony

• G.W. Thompson (Virginia Organizing): Expressed support for the city's recent partnership during snow events and urged the Council to prioritize the establishment of a permanent homeless shelter. Thompson advocated for stronger inter-agency collaboration to ensure no neighbor is left behind during severe weather.
• Councilman Hugo: Expressed strong support for the opening of the Lexington Reserve senior housing development and noted the connection between homelessness services and housing availability provided by Four Kids.
• Councilwoman Bryant: Expressed pride in honoring Portsmouth Public Schools' Teacher of the Year and Judge Johnny E. Morrison for his 25-year commitment to the Adult Recovery Court.
• Councilman Tillage: Offered holiday greetings to the community and expressed appreciation for the collaborative efforts of the City Council and staff.
• Mr. C.W. Luke McCoy (Public Comment/Acknowledgement): Received a standing ovation for 50 years of service to the city. He expressed support for the continued collaboration between the City Council and staff to improve quality of life.
• General Public Comments on Ordinance 25-359:
  • Tim Anderson (Representing Bar 9): Expressed strong opposition to the revocation of the use permit, arguing the revocation is an "outrageously punitive action" disproportionate to technical violations, as the murder in the parking lot was unrelated to the business operations.
  • Retana Brown (Bar 9 Owner): Expressed disagreement with the revocation, stating cooperation with city investigations and that the business had no prior complaints.

Discussion Items

YMCA of Hampton Roads Presentation & Future Partnership

• Anthony Walters (YMCA President & CEO): Detailed the YMCA's history, annual impact serving 220,000 residents, and strategic goals. He highlighted programs including drowning prevention, free summer teen memberships, and affordable child care.
  • Position: Expressed full support for a collaborative partnership to improve the YMCA's footprint in Portsmouth. Walters stated they are "open to any idea off the table" regarding operating city facilities, such as the Sportsplex, to reduce overhead costs and expand capacity for child care, teen engagement, and senior services.
• Vice Mayor Moody: Expressed full support for the swim programs and questioned the manifestation of the Christian emphasis in the mission; Walters clarified that core values like faith and respect are integral to their operations while welcoming all backgrounds.
• Councilman Hugh: Expressed appreciation for the cross-section of community members utilizing the facility and the reliability of child care services.
• Councilman Tillage: Asked if the YMCA provides paid jobs for teens; Walters confirmed they are developing a "360 version" of employment including internships and shadowing.
• Councilwoman Thomas: Asked about potential partnerships and rate structures; Walters indicated the YMCA is willing to subsidize member rates through fundraising to align with city discounts, such as those offered to HRT employees.
• Mayor Glover: Echoed the need for a solution, noting the current facility is aging (formerly a Catholic school) and the Sportsplex property has been vacant for 10 years. He expressed a desire to partner with the YMCA, philanthropic community, and city staff to create a first-class recreation facility and requested a meeting with City Manager Carter to define next steps.

Portsmouth Retirement System Financial Update

• John Morrison (John Hancock) & Brian Bernbaum (Greystone/Morgan Stanley): Presented the annual valuation for the closed defined benefit system.
  • System Status: The system is currently 74-75% funded as of June 30, 2025, with a target to reach 100% funding by 2037. The city's contribution for FY 2026 is projected at approximately $8.9 million, rising to $10 million next year.
  • Investment Strategy: The portfolio utilizes a discretionary mandate with a target allocation of 70% stocks and 30% bonds. The system returned 11% in the past plan year, significantly outperforming the 7.25% assumed rate of return.
  • Cost of Living: Current policy does not include automatic cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) until the fund exceeds 80% funding; however, the city currently injects funds from the general fund to supplement payouts, covering roughly 50% of the wage increase.
• Councilman Dodson: Expressed concern regarding the smoothing of asset values and requested a distribution of benefit recipients by income level and age to better understand who relies on the system.
• Councilman Tillery: Noted the importance of funding stability and asked if the system's contribution could be smoothed to avoid budget volatility.

Bulk Refuse Collection Reforms

• Mayor Glover & Manager Carter: Emphasized the need to address illegal dumping and optimize resources.
• Mr. Gerard Roberts (Public Works Director): Presented the current inefficiencies of the street-by-street collection model, citing high labor and fuel costs, environmental hazards, and a $900,000+ annual program cost. He recommended a shift to advanced scheduling, stricter enforcement with civil citations, and reduced allowable cubic yard limits.
  • Position: Expressed a firm position that the current system is unsustainable and that moving to advanced scheduling is necessary to eliminate waste bottlenecks and illegal dumping.
• Councilman Hugel & Vice Mayor Moody: Expressed strong support for the new plan. Councilman Hugel noted residents currently stacking bulk items on his property and requested the ordinance account for agreed-upon neighbor cooperations to prevent penalizing such arrangements. Vice Mayor Moody cited the successful clearing of illegal dumping at Brandon Lane as evidence that enforcement works.

Key Outcomes

• Future YMCA Collaboration: The Council and Mayor agreed to initiate a working group involving the YMC, City Manager Stephen Carter, and relevant stakeholders to explore a partnership for a new recreation facility, potentially utilizing the Sportsplex property. No financial commitment was made today, but the direction is set.
• Retirement System Funding: The system's funded status was acknowledged as stable, with the city projected to contribute $8.9M in FY 2026. The Council received a request to provide specific demographic data on retirees.
• Bulk Waste Policy: Public Works was directed to draft an ordinance implementing advanced scheduling for bulk refuse, including administrative fees for unscheduled pickups and increased penalties for illegal dumping. The Council is to review draft language in a subsequent meeting.
• Bar 9 Revocation (Ordinance 25-359): The public hearing concluded with the Council adopting a resolution to revoke the use permit for Bar 9 due to non-compliance with 21 conditions of approval (12 currently unmet). The vote was 3-0 in favor of adoption.
• Recognition: C.W. Luke McCoy was formally recognized for 50 years of service; Teacher of the Year Deshauna Honore and Judge Johnny E. Morrison were congratulated for their respective community contributions.
• Homeless Shelter: The Council noted the request from the public to place the permanent homeless shelter on a future agenda, with Vice Mayor Moody suggesting the Pop Warner football team receive a public meeting to be recognized.