Portsmouth City Council Work Session and Regular Meeting – March 10, 2026

The Portsmouth City Council convened on March 10, 2026, for a work session followed by a regular meeting. The work session featured presentations on senior services, property assessments, and the capital improvement plan. The regular meeting included public hearings on a proposed city hall project and use permits, as well as the adoption of a consent agenda. Several citizens addressed the council during public comment periods.

Consent Calendar

• Adoption of Minutes: Approved minutes from multiple February 2026 meetings (called and regular).
• Consent Agenda Items (26-72): Adopted 7-0 as a block:
  • Item A: Ordinance accepting $33,235 from the Virginia Crisis Intervention Team Coalition for crisis intervention program funding.
  • Item B: Ordinance accepting $4,250,000 from the state general fund for sewer pump station improvements.
  • Item C: Resolution authorizing the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority to provide project-based Section 8 vouchers at Ansel Apartments.
  • Item D: Resolution authorizing negotiation of an interim agreement with Ripley Heat Wall Company and partners for the proposed city hall/parking garage public-private project.

Public Comments & Testimony

• PPEA Public Hearing (City Hall Project):
  • Gary Bahena (428 North Street) – Opposed the proposed terms, stating the developer would own the land and charge rent, similar to a prior Armada Hoffler proposal. Urged council not to proceed without addressing ownership and financing issues.
  • Mark Yadlotrovski (address not stated) – Criticized significant redactions (proprietary trade secrets) in the proposal, the lack of minority representation in project images, and the absence of financial details.
  • Lisa Lucasberg (1541 Rotunda Road, former Vice Mayor) – Expressed support for a new city hall but raised concerns about long-term fiscal impact, opportunity cost, and suggested an open RFP process to ensure transparency.
  • Ariana McCoy (3718 Newport Avenue, Norfolk) – Supported relocation from an urban planning perspective, citing better use of waterfront land and potential for downtown vibrancy.
  • Fred Pasquin (370 Middle Street, President/CEO of Fairlead) – Supported the proposal, urging council to move forward with the interim agreement, highlighting the development team’s diligence.
  • Tony Goodwin (Parkview neighborhood) – Provided historical context and urged consideration of design and parking integration, suggesting an elevated city hall above a parking structure.
• Use Permit Public Hearings: No public speakers for either item.
• Non-Agenda Speakers:
  • Lindsay Jones (1603 Barron Street) – Called for restoration of the historic brick wall at Oak Grove/Portlock Cemetery along Pennsylvania Avenue, citing dumping, vandalism, and safety concerns. Councilman Dodson and Vice Mayor Moody supported exploring restoration options.
  • Sergey O'Neill (2101 Nashville Avenue) – Urged more year-round youth programming and better promotion of Portsmouth United and its Peace Week initiative. Council members acknowledged efforts and invited him to the weekly Portsmouth United meetings.
  • David Whitfield (address not stated) – Attempted to discuss alleged lack of transparency in police FOIA process and misconduct reports. The Mayor ruled the topic out of order as outside council jurisdiction; the speaker was seated after multiple warnings.

Work Session Presentations (Discussion Items)

Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia

• Presenter: Steve Zollis, CEO. He noted that one in four Portsmouth residents are aged 60+, and for the first time seniors outnumber children (by 2030, state-wide gap of 200,000).
• 2025 Portsmouth Statistics: 4,000 free rides to medical/grocery; 643 call-in requests for assistance; 5,000 hours of companion program; 12,000 home-delivered meals; 5,600 senior center meals; 131 Medicare counseling sessions.
• Request: $75,000 to raise per-capita senior support from current ≤3% equity (vs. $3,740 per child) to 6% (aiming for 20% floor). Funds would go to programs ($42,500), senior emergency fund ($25,000), and operations ($7,500).
• Council Response: Council members expressed strong support, discussed connecting with Portsmouth United for grants, intergenerational programs, and the need for weekend meal delivery. Vice Mayor Moody asked for cost to close the gap from 5 to 7 meals/week.

Property Reassessment Presentation

• Presenter: City Assessor Steve Edwards. Key metrics:
  • Median home sale price: $282,000 (up 2.6% from prior year).
  • Residential assessments up 4.42% overall; commercial up 10.1%.
  • Total proposed land book: $11.5 billion (increase of $653.5 million).
  • Foreclosures: 64 judicial, 76 non-judicial, 2 deeds in lieu.
  • 42% of city land is tax-exempt (federal, state, local, etc.).
  • Disabled veterans exemption program: 1,390 recipients, assessed value $443.9 million.
• Council Discussion: Questions on why commercial had more “no change” properties (due to not yet visiting all), income approach methods, staffing shortages (only 2.5 commercial appraisers), and the need for legislative change to allow sharing of tax data for income verification. Councilman Hugel noted disparity between assessment increase (4.42%) and sales price increase (2.6%). Councilwoman Bryant cautioned against labeling the city “poor,” emphasizing it is a working-class, proud community.

Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Presentation

• Presenter: City Engineer James Wright. Outlined project evaluation criteria (public health, compliance, cost savings, community impact). Defined project phases (scoping, design, bid, construction, closeout).
• Major Projects Over $5M: Included pump stations, dam upgrades (lead/copper compliance), traffic signals, neighborhood improvements, High Street corridor, fire stations, school projects, city hall relocation, public safety complex, sportsplex (listed at $93.75 million in programming phase).
• Lead and Copper Rule Compliance: Unfunded mandate requiring service line sampling and replacement. City has done initial inventory, now doing 2,000 samples with machine learning; replacement cost unknown until sampling complete (deadline ~2032).
• Project Dashboard: Under development, to include GIS map and monthly updates; expected by end of May.
• Council Discussion: Councilman Hugel emphasized aligning cost estimates with school board and using consistent phase terminology. Manager Carter noted the city uses its own “worst case” estimates as source numbers. Vice Mayor Moody questioned lead/copper compliance timeline and sampling plan. Interim Attorney Challenger mentioned exploring affirmative litigation to recover costs for unfunded mandates.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda: Adopted 7-0, including resolution to negotiate interim agreement for city hall project.
• Use Permits: Approved 7-0 for both UP-25-16 (multifamily at Laundron Ave.) and UP-25-17 (three townhouses at Prentice Ave.).
• Directions to Staff:
  • Connect Senior Services with Portsmouth United and other foundations (Portsmouth General Hospital, Beasley Foundation).
  • Explore cost and options for Oak Grove/Portlock Cemetery wall restoration (Vice Mayor Moody request).
  • Provide update on MWBE program integration into city processes (Councilwoman Thomas request).
  • Include project dashboard as monthly update attachment (Councilman Hugel request).
• Deferrals: A scheduled presentation celebrating the track team’s state championship was moved to the next meeting.

Note: The meeting adjourned around 7:05 PM after the regular session; the work session preceded it.