Good evening everyone.

I want to welcome you tonight to tonight's public work session of the Portsmouth City Council on March 3rd, well, March 10th, 2026.

Want to acknowledge all of the citizens who are out in the audience, as well as our city staff who is here with us and our invited guests and visitors.

Also want to take a moment to acknowledge those up on the dais um who are on the city leadership team, starting out with Mr.

Stephen Carter, our CEO city manager, also interim city attorney, Mr.

Derek Challenger, and tonight we have with us our deputy city clerk, Miss Anita.

Good to see everybody.

And with that, I will ask my colleagues who are here with us today to peace.

No.

Yeah, please note your presence electronically.

Six members of City Council are present.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Mr.

Carter, sure you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Good evening, everyone.

Thank you for being with us this evening.

We have a few presentations for you this evening.

Uh starting with our senior services of Southwest Virginia, Miss Uh Kathleen Cullen, Mr.

Steve Zolos, uh we'll start with that presentation.

If you're ready, you can start making your way forward.

Um also we have our city assessor.

He's gonna do a the real assessment presentation for this year.

And our final presentation on the uh t CIP plan will be by uh Mr.

James Wright, our senior city engineer this evening.

But uh first up is the senior services of South West Virginia.

Uh hello, good afternoon, everybody.

And uh I'm already up there, but my name is James Overton and uh you appointed me to this board, and thanks for appointing a senior to the senior citizens board.

You know, I think I can offer a whole lot being a senior now.

But anyway, um we are here to do a presentation, and Steve is going to represent us with his presentation and um I hope you take it all in and you know, consider what he has to say.

Appreciate it.

Thank you, Mr.

I haven't done this in a long time.

You know, it's it feels good to be back up here, you know, talking to you guys.

Thanks for that.

Oh, it's good to see you, sir.

Thank you.

Well, good afternoon.

I am Steve Zollis.

I'm the CEO of Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia.

I want to thank you for having me here today to let you know um what's going on in the city of Portsmouth as it relates to the older adults, 60 plus that we see, the veterans that we serve as well, and those with disabilities are all folks that we serve.

I want to especially thank you for appointing James to our board and for Kathleen being an essential part of our board as well.

So as you can see, I'm gonna talk a little bit about the solutions for a changing landscape because things are have really changed, and um part of my job is to make sure our communities understand what's changing and why uh perhaps we should have a little bit different thinking now.

I can get this to turn okay.

This is gonna be a long presentation.

Do I need to do that?

Not yet.

There's no on-off switch on this, right?

Something.

Okay, well, let me just talk to you about this.

That's right.

Are you able to turn the slides if I ask you?

Okay, you can go to the next slide if that'll work.

Perfect.

Just to start to let you know that one in four residents of Portsmouth are 60 years old and older.

That's a change that we're going to look at a little bit more closely.

You can go ahead and go to the next slide.

You can see here already, it says by 2030, but certainly already the folks age 60 plus have exceeded those under the age of 18.

First time in history in our community, certainly first time for our state as well.

This is a significant adjustment that's going on, a change in our thinking.

You can go to the next one.

The demographers tell us that this shift is not temporary, but it's going to be long term.

Some people think, well, we have the baby boom, it's going to come, it's going to go, but because of the uh increasing longevity, um changes in what what is commonly called now exponential technology.

Um the longevity and age is continuing to grow, and so we're expecting to see this on a long-term basis.

And they say that this is uh the greatest challenge of this generation.

The on a statewide level by 2030.

Um it's expected that there that seniors will outpace uh those under the age of 18 by 200,000 people.

Go to the next slide.

So that's what the demographers say.

Who cares?

They look at numbers, big deal.

But what do we see around here in our community?

Uh key indicators.

First, we see the closing and consolidating of schools.

We see reduction in youth programs, reduced demand for pediatrics, and smaller kindergarten classes, which tell us what they're seeing is a reduction in under 18.

And go to the next slide.

And what do we see as senior services of Southeastern Virginia?

We see first growing elder hunger.

We have the demand for more uh home-delivered meals than ever.

Uh in fact, we have a waiting list.

Uh we see increasing elder homelessness.

We understand that older adults cannot live on the street.

However, they're the fastest segment of the homeless population, which is just unacceptable.

Um, limited access to services.

Uh we have we provide transportation.

You've probably seen the IRIDE buses uh throughout the town.

Um we have a van that's strictly committed to dialysis patients and those going to chemotherapy.

Um then finally we see a strain on family caregivers.

Without the family caregivers, we'd all be in a lot of trouble.

We do a lot to support our caregivers as well.

Next slide.

So what happens when you have a lack of support for your older adult community?

More calls for emergency responders, you have increased homelessness as we've talked about.

We have more acute hospitalizations, higher utilization of nursing homes, and a loss of income for family caregivers.

Next.

So here's what we've done in the city of Portsmouth in 2025.

We provided over 4,000 free rides to medical appointments to the grocery stores, to the key places that older adults who have limited access to transportation can get to.

They just call us, we schedule them, we pick them up from the home, we take them to where they're going, and then we pick them up and bring them back home.

All of our vehicles are uh ADA compliant.

We have lifts uh so that folks in wheelchairs can get in, folks in walkers can get in comfortably as well.

We answered from the city of Portsmouth 643 calls for people who just needed to find out I'm in trouble, I don't know what to do.

How do I deal with this problem, this situation?

And we feel those calls as well.

Over 5,000 hours of companionship.

We actually have uh what we call the senior companion program, where we team older adults who are more mobile, more active with uh folks who might have some kind of limitations.

We we match them to uh based on friendship, what they like to do.

So if someone likes to shop and they can't get around, we match them with someone who likes to shop and can get around.

Um they build friendships and they become very close and it battles social isolation in the most direct way possible.

Um over 300 hours of affordable in-home care, um eight hundred wellness sessions that were attended.

We do a lot with the senior station uh here in Portsmouth.

12,000, over 12,000 home delivered meals just in 2025 right here in Portsmouth.

Um then we also do the senior center meals with over 5,600 meals served there.

And then a lot of a lot of folks here we do Medicare benefits counseling, they think oh, it's just a gimme.

Um there is so much demand for an unbiased non-sales Medicare counseling that by the time we get halfway through open enrollment, we have to close and say we can't take any more, and we have to send them just to Medicare site to try and um figure it out themselves.

It's of high demand, and um we did over 131 folks here in Portsmouth this year helping them navigate um the uh benefits that they've earned throughout their life to get what they need today.

Next slide.

So we like to tell a story every now and again just to bring home you know the importance of what we do.

This is a a person who um attends our senior center.

We call them the better together cafes.

Whenever we can get somebody out and about instead of getting a meal at home where they can get um companionship, they can get physical fitness, they can get social activities, make a friend.

We try and do that.

Desi is one of those people.

Um, and I'll just walk through this.

She was born and raised in Portsmouth, worked since 1977 at the Norville Naval Medical Center.

Um now she's 69 and she cares for her 91-year-old uh parents who require an increased amount of time.

So she's a caregiver.

And she started attending the Portsmouth Better Together Cafe to take care of herself through their nutrition and wellness program housed at the senior station, and she enjoys the camaraderie, she enjoys bingo size, exercise programming and the education classes that we provide there.

Desi says, I love it.

It's a chance to move, have fun and play bingo, and you know how we seniors love bingo.

So just a quick testimony for you uh for one person who's been affected right here in Portsmouth.

Um so this is this is where the uh rubber really meets the road.

When we look at the support for 18 and under or under 18 per capita here in the city of Portsmouth, approximately 3,740 dollars per person in support.

When we look at the support for seniors, uh 206 dollars per capita.

Um, and we look at that and we say what's happening is we're we're not seeing the changing demographics, which is why I wanted to present that up front and be able to say I think um we need to consider do our older adults need uh greater financial support from our jurisdictions, and then and what we're suggesting is eventually to get to an equity floor of 20 percent.

So if so, if you're supporting uh per capita children for ten thousand dollars per capita, then two thousand dollars per capita would be set aside for seniors.

Um and then we think that we're not looking to go, hey, let's be equal.

We we need to keep our schools, we need to keep our um youth um fully active, um, but we think a 20% equity floor is appropriate.

We're not asking for that at this point in time.

Our request this year is for $75,000.

That's three dollars and fifty-two cents per capita or um uh six percent equity.

So we're asking to move up to six percent, not the 20%, and then be able to look in um uh detail each year and be able to say is there is it possible this year to do a little bit more uh on behalf of our older adults?

Go to the next slide.

So the total ask of 75,000, 42,500 would go to direct program costs, which I've described some of those to you today.

25,000 would go to our senior emergency fund where we're help folks if they don't have heat in the winter, if they don't have air conditioning in the summer and other emergencies like that, where there's um actually uh risk of life.

We apply those dollars in that way, and then 7500 for operation support, finance admin, um, the staff to help do these things.

So I appreciate there you go.

Um I appreciate the time to come and present to you, give you some numbers, uh things to think about, and I'm certainly um here to answer any questions you have about the senior population or what we're doing here in Portsmouth.

Councilman Dodson, sir, you have the floor.

Thank you.

Um I'm one of your people.

Thank you very much.

Um I'm not sure it was you guys, but I I had to go through the Medicare uh program this year, and it is horribly confusing uh even for one of us that has at least a quarter of our wits uh about us.

That may quarter may be debatable among the rest of the council, but I'll claim it.

Um can I ask how you got you got help?

How was the help you received?

I'm I'm not sure whether it was you guys or one of the other agencies uh that went, but I experienced the same thing as halfway through the cycle, the doors closed this year.

Yeah, and I was very disappointed.

I was like, Well, how is everybody gonna get a help?

Yeah, it was very disappointing to see that it might have been you guys that that helped me.

Thank you.

Yeah, you're very welcome.

Um, one of the things that um I proposed to this council last month was a human rights commission.

And the groups that you serve are the ones that I'm targeting.

I'm not sure whether it's an idea that we're gonna uh explore further, but I would love to sit down with you and see the needs, um, explore would something like this in a group that advises us here.

Would you all fit into that because we're targeting the same groups here?

Yeah, I'm um so can we schedule a session uh after to see?

I don't want to push this human rights commission through.

I just want to see if there's a fit or feasibility for it, and your your counseling would help.

Yeah, I would be glad to represent uh myself um for our organization, but I would come to that and represent our organization and the seniors of Portsmouth so that um there's a clear picture.

Well, not just the seniors, the disability, the there's a slew of group groups out there that we're trying to see if they need representation.

Yes, sir.

Or whether what the services we have can adequately cover that.

But yes, please schedule with me.

Okay, I'll do that.

Councilman Tillage, sir, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um thank you for the presentation.

Um my question is do you do you currently participate with uh Portsmouth United?

To receive grant funding?

I don't think we do.

Okay.

Um if we could connect them with Portsmouth United, I think that that would be uh a good start because the the slide that you presented uh that shows the per capita uh for the youth versus per capita for seniors that's alarming to me.

Um I'm fully believe in investing in our kids as much as we can, but we cannot forget about our seniors.

And so um if we could see there's some ways that we could partner with Portsmouth United to see how we could provide more assistance to our seniors, especially seniors that are experienced in fixed incomes on top of nail, trying to decide if they're gonna get medication or or food on top of housing.

So um Mr.

Carter, if we could connect them or see if that's a possibility.

Absolutely.

All right, appreciate it.

Yeah, thank you for the connection.

I appreciate that.

Councilwoman Thomas, ma'am, you have the floor.

Thank you.

And although I wasn't present physically, I was able to hear thanks to the beauty of technology.

So thank you for the presentation.

I heard you say that um you've had to turn away some because of the wait list, the Medicaid, I guess, consulting, you've had to turn some of that away.

Have you had to turn away services for some of the other um services you offer due to uh wait list or just demand for it as well?

Yeah, so there's a number of ways, and we're we're seeing demand across the board.

So we have a wait list for meals.

Um, and you know, our home delivered meals are to homebound older adults.

They have to qualify to get the meals, which means there's no there's not a caregiver there for them.

They can't get out to the store.

So they're really relying on this.

And right now we deliver five meals a day, uh five meals a week.

Um we really have a goal of getting to seven meals.

Everybody should eat every day.

But even now at five meals, we have a waiting list, and we're always looking and trying to figure out how do we how do we level that out.

Same thing with transportation, we don't have a waiting list, but what happens is it gets to be you have to schedule two and three weeks out, and you know, there's some things that are just you need demand right now.

Um, and when it gets too far out, you know, we start losing folks that need the ride that can't get to their medical appointments or things like that.

Um so that's another uh example of not a wait list, but people not being able to be served.

Okay, and then my follow-up also uh Councilman Tilich mentioned a partnership with Portsmouth United.

They have a number of senior housing developments that have come to uh have been recently developed, um large population.

I'm sure some of those folks meet the need.

Do you partner with PRHA in terms of like identifying some of the possible need or using some of their facilities or whatever?

How you do with senior station, I think that's a great question.

Yeah, so you know, mostly for for that um uh we would partner with our iRide transportation to make sure we're serving those communities.

But we're certainly um, you know, there are senior apartments and things like that that we have more detailed um partnerships with, and we can certainly do that.

And and I will tell you, um, Portsmouth is one of our targets for this coming year to be able to say what can we do more in Portsmouth.

Um I'll tell you it's our primary target.

We serve other populations on the other side of the water as well as west of here.

Um, but we're going through our strategic planning right now, and um Portsmouth is our primary.

Okay, I think that would be a great uh connect.

Um like you said, you're doing it through your transportation, but they also have a great um viewpoint of the senior need and senior population um just due to some of the senior housing they are trying to meet um the need for as well in Portsmouth.

So thank you for this.

I think this is de definitely necessary, um, especially with the ratio of uh 60 plus year olds, uh my parents being a sum of them.

So I really appreciate this presentation.

Thank you.

And if you if you have a particular contact that you think I should make, um please get that to me.

Okay, we'll do.

Thank you.

All right, thank you.

Councilman Hugo, sir, you have the floor.

Yeah, thanks, Mayor.

And thanks, Mr.

Zolius, for the brief.

Uh I just want to uh pile on to uh to what Councilman Tillage said regarding uh connecting to Portsmouth United.

One of the benefits of of connecting into that group, we're depending on Portsmouth United to integrate the efforts of a lot of nonprofit work.

And there are a bunch of nonprofits that are out doing similar things to some of the things that that you offer.

And so, particularly as you're trying to figure out where help can come to Portsmouth, it won't do us any good if you decide well we want to provide more of something when we already have somebody plugged into Portsmouth United that's already providing that service, and they're and they have a good insight into what's what's available and what's not available, so that as you're making your decisions uh you can engage with them to figure out what what does help look like for the community because nobody else is out doing some of the things that you're doing.

Yeah, and and I really appreciate that.

Part of our goal is to um partner with everybody that we can.

That's logical because we we can't we we can't keep up and we recognize that.

So, even with, for example, our meals, if there's a local meals on wheels, we usually provide the meals if they can provide the transportation.

Um it's a it's a great example of a partnership where we can help them thrive and meet the needs by you know our financial assistance as well as our our vans and things.

Yeah, and I so I get it, and uh the challenge to a lot of folks like you is uh there's all this stuff going on, and you don't necessarily know all the stuff that's going on.

The benefit that we have is Portsmouth United knows a lot about the stuff that's going on and also has pretty good insight into the the where the needs are not being met uh and and may be able to work with you to to help plug some of those gaps.

So I appreciate your work and and uh and I want to encourage you to engage with uh with Portsmouth United.

I will certainly do that.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Bryant, ma'am, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Mr.

Zolos.

Um very interesting presentation.

Thank you for sharing with us.

Um the conversation tonight has me wondering if you all ever partner with youth in any ways.

One thing that we are trying to do with our youth population is keep them very active and engaged, and it seems that there might be an opportunity here for an overlap.

Is that something you've done in any other localities?

Yeah, for sure.

Um intergenerational programming is really key for us.

Uh an example would be in in the city of Franklin, we did a historic renovation of a school, turned it into 28 senior apartments, uh community center, and a medical clinic and a community garden.

And there's a uh elementary school just on the other side of our field.

Um, and so we partner with them and the residents to come out and do the gardening there as an example.

There were also murals uh in the facility that we partnered to be able to redo those murals.

Any way that we can partner with the um the youth as well as the teachers when we can, uh we want to do.

Okay.

Yeah, I think that's an absolutely wonderful opportunity and would really suit our city well.

And so if you're making Portsmouth one of your targets for next year, I would love to hear more about that.

That's a great opportunity.

Thank you.

Sure.

Vice Mayor Moody, sir, you have the floor.

The uh the real senior will uh now speak on this council.

Um thanks for the presentation.

Uh so when you deliver the the meals uh to the homes uh you provide the transportation, right?

In some instances we provide the transportation, but like I said, we like to partner.

Um so if there's a local um group that does that's trying to serve that purpose, we will try to empower them and um uh team up with them in order to uh make sure everybody gets meals that's needed.

And and the reason why I ask that question, uh at one time I know our sheriff's department uh uh distributed meals uh to seniors uh at home.

So you might uh reach out.

Uh I know uh a few years ago they had some deputies that did that during the day.

Uh so might be uh worthwhile to look into that again.

And did uh also hear you correctly saying only uh you only deliver five meals.

Five five meals one a day, um, five days a week.

So there's two days of the week uh where seniors aren't getting uh food from your organization.

Uh what would what would it take to close that gap uh money wise?

Oh and and you you don't have to uh share that right now, but I think it would be good if you get back with uh counsel uh on what that cost would be.

Okay because I don't think anyone should go lacking five meals is great, but uh speaking for myself, I don't know that I could make it without the other two meals uh a week.

But uh it would be good to put a figure to that and see what that that would take.

Yeah.

Uh above all, people uh uh seniors uh should not be uh uh uh missing uh two days uh out of the week with food.

So I I agree a hundred percent.

I'll have those numbers for you tomorrow.

Okay.

Thanks.

Mr.

Zolos, a couple of questions for you.

First of all, uh are you connected with Mercy Chefs?

Do you have a relationship with them?

We've worked with Mercy Chefs, especially during COVID.

Um we partnered with them uh in order to provide the influx of meals over COVID that we needed.

Um so I do have the relationship uh with them.

We're not using them right now for our meals, uh, but that's a possibility for us to expand.

And we we do um we have uh meal providers.

Um we have maybe I think five now.

We try and move them because there's safety involved in uh delivering meals.

They have to stay a certain temperature, they have to be delivered by hand uh to the hand of the recipients, things like that.

Um but we but we are constantly looking for additional, especially um if we move to seven meals a day.

We would we would probably team up with Mercy Chefs and say, how can we do this?

Sure, because I know I've spoken to Gary and and his team.

They are very much engaged in helping to cover those kinds of gaps.

So that's a great resource as you know.

The other thing is what where do you all get your primary funding from?

Our primary funding comes through the older Americans Act, which comes through the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services.

And then that the dollars that they get are distributed to all the area agencies on aging across the state.

Correct.

Um I will tell you, I'm I'm not battling them.

I have a really good relationship with DARS.

Um, but we're the largest triple A.

We serve more um elderly, more elderly in poverty, more elderly minorities than any other area agency.

We get about $18 per capita.

Um other agencies get up to 40 dollars per capita.

And so I'm they they have a um a formula they use for the distribution.

And believe me, I'm ringing the bell saying we need to change this formula um because we're not we're not getting our share down here.

Got it.

Yes, sir.

The other question I have we we have a couple of foundations in the city of Portsmouth.

Uh the Portsmouth General Hospital Foundation.

Are you aware of that foundation?

I'm I'm good friends with Alan, yes.

Okay, very good.

Also, we have the Beasley Foundation.

Are you good friends with Steve and Best too?

I am not yet.

Okay, well, we'll make sure that you become good friends with Stephen Best.

Very good.

I look forward to that.

As you know, um, is headquartered here in the city of Portsmouth, and I know my good friend Stephen Best would like to meet you.

Very good.

I look forward to the connection.

Thank you.

We'll we'll make that happen for you.

Okay.

All right.

Any other questions from my colleagues from Mr.

Zulas?

Thank you, sir.

And as I said, before you leave, I'd like to make sure we make that connection.

So very good.

Thank you all.

I appreciate the time.

Appreciate it.

Thank you very much.

Scarter, sir, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mrs.

Zullis.

Mrs.

Olds, just before you sit, if you don't mind, there's a young lady just to your left.

If you give her your contact information, she'll be able to make sure that you get in contact with some of these other agencies that we've talked about this evening.

All right, thank you very much.

All right.

Our city assessor, Mr.

Steve Edwards, he is the next presentation for us this evening.

He's gonna talk about our reassessment for uh the current year.

Mr.

Edwards, the floor is yours, sir.

Is it gonna work?

Of course not.

All right.

Good evening.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of council, fellow appointees, staff, and citizens.

Tonight we're gonna talk about this thing.

Can you hear me?

Yeah, you might need to pull it up a little bit more to speak back to it.

There you go.

We're gonna talk about the annual reassessment.

And with your indulgence, if you don't mind uh the first six slides are boilerplate you see every year.

Vice Mayor Moody's probably seen them for the past 28 years.

So if uh nobody has any questions on those, I'd like to go ahead and skip through those and save some time of let y'all listening to me read through those stumbling.

All right, so we're gonna go to slide eight and councilman Hugel, you will notice page numbers.

And uh what our office does is the scope of work required for mass appraisal differs significantly from other or from that of individual residential and commercial appraisals.

Individual appraisals focus on a single property while mass appraisal evaluates an entire universe of properties.

Individual appraisals rely on property specific adjustments, mass appraisal applies, statistical modeling across assessment neighborhoods to achieve uniform valuation.

Individual appraisals are governed by use PAP, whereas mass appraisals are regulated by both use PAP and applicable state tax code requirements.

And sir, just for us folks that don't understand initials.

What do they use PAP is the uniform standard of professional appraisal practice?

Okay, thank you very much.

That's the appraisal Bible for us.

We violate it, we lose our license.

And the state gives 20 reasons we go through determine the sale is not valid before we can say it is a valid sale and use it in the valuation.

Now we're getting into some of the analytics we used.

Well, nine.

And the first thing that comes in to play is interest rates.

And as you can see over the years, we've had interest rates as low as 2.96 during the COVID years up to 2023, where it was back up to close to seven.

At the end of 2025, it was down to 6.15.

And the reason interest rates play such a role is they directly influence borrowing costs, buyer demand and investor behavior.

When interest rates are low, borrowing is cheap, which allows buyers to afford higher price or higher purchase prices for the same monthly payment.

This typically increases demand for commercial property or residential and commercial properties, putting upward pressure on property values and encouraging new development.

Lur rates also make real estate more attractive to investors, further supporting price growth.

And another factor that comes into play is days on market.

And we have, as you can see, our days on market are starting to tick back up, but they're still below one month.

And what the days on market refers to how quickly a property sells after being listed.

And it also when it's this low it reflects that it's still a seller's market not a buyer's market and it's excuse me.

It indicates stronger buyer demand limited supply and competitive and and a competitive market where properties often receive multiple offers.

Low days on the market common is commonly associated with upward pressure on prices reducing negotiating reducing negotiating leverage for buyers and making an overall healthy market conditions.

The next slide slide number 11 it just shows that uh the seven cities and their days on the market and shows that we're right in line with just about everybody else with the exception of Virginia Beach was a which has an absurdly low 15 days and then our next slide will be the total transfers per year total transfers is basically the number of property transfers in a year it includes sales and wills deeds of gift everything like that that changes the ownership of a property and we've remained steady for the last since 2023 we're pretty much at a slow pace creeping back up it's be quite a while we before we hit that uh high number we had in uh 2021 and then the next slide kind of shows the same information over the seven cities and we're not at the top but we're definitely not at the bottom of the number of transfers and number of transfers does indicate that we're if they stay study or they're constantly increasing indicates a very healthy market because we have a lot of properties that are moving and then next slide the foreclosures we have we have our foreclosures have creeped way up the 64 foreclosures which these are the judicial foreclosures where they actually go to court to take the property back.

We also had 76 non-judicial foreclosures which are where the lender uses the power of sale clause and the deed of trust to force the sale without going through the court process and we had two deeds in lieu of foreclosure which is where the people give it back prior to it going into foreclosure.

Next slide and then our median sales prices are continuing to tick up we're we went from two seven basically two seventy five last year to two eighty two this year is the median price house you can buy in the city of Portsmouth and then throughout the city or the area we're still the lowest median price of all the area of any of the seven cities and then you throw in the coast in York County just to see what goes there some really off the chart pricing but we're still we've uh as it goes we're still the lowest one and if basically if you look at the tax rate of other cities and the tax rate of ours I know everybody says it's high but if you look at their median thing house with their tax rate and ours we're still paying less yes and uh the next slide is just the last three years final land books as of July 1st that shows almost a billion dollar increase in overall assessments in that time frame and then this is just kind of a breakdown to show what we have in the city we have 1,699 condos with a median price of 1957 20 430 duplexes with a median price of 218425 27235 single family dwellings with a median price of 250170 townhouses that two or median assessments I'm sorry not median price the townhouses 2078 with a median assessment of 1889 sixty and then 37 triplexes with 247 360 median assessment and in addition to that we also have 11,040 apartment units and various multifamily buildings and many more on the horizon and then the next slide it just gives a breakdown of our housing stock and you can see that basically 75% of our housing stock was built from prior to 1979 and just gives you the overall median assessment of each range of housing price from everything built prior to 1900 through up until the new construction we put on a couple months ago and there'll be several pages of just specific neighborhood and uh increases that uh if you have any questions about those I'll be happy to answer and we'll get through and just pie chart and on page 25 is just basically telling you the percentage we have of each property in these different ranges of

And there'll be several pages of just specific neighborhood and uh increases that uh if you have any questions about those, I'll be happy to answer, and we'll get through and just pie chart and on page 25 is just basically telling you the percentage we have of each property in these different ranges of or different value ranges, and you can see basically uh from 150 to 300,000 is the majority of the properties.

This is single family townhouses and condos within the city, and then I think the final slide for residential just gives you the breakdown of the fact we had 47 properties decreased, and I was looking at those, most of those were demolitions.

We had 2131 properties that had no change this year, 16,951 properties went up between 0.1% and 3%, 8,049 properties went up between three and five percent, five thousand and twenty-eight went up between five point one and ten percent, five hundred and forty-three went up over ten percent, and five hundred and sixty-seven went up over fifteen percent.

And then the next few slides we're gonna get into are the commercial property classes and how much they increased, and we had some significant increases in those this year as we actually were able to have our commercial staff fully staffed for once, and we got everybody out, and they were looking at different various property classes, and we were able to put tapes on properties and get them measured and revalued, and then overall commercial slide 30 commercial within the city is 49 percent, which should be general commercial, which is your convenience stores, fast food restaurants, offices, 26% multifamily, which is your apartments, and 25% industrial, which is your warehouses and any industrial processing or manufacturing facilities, many storage, things like that, and then uh the next slide just shows the three commercial categories broken down and how they've increased over time, and then there's a pie chart that also like the residential gives you how much of our commercials valued at certain ranges and the percentage of those properties, excuse me, and then for the commercial breakdown, we had 52 properties decrease, 654 that didn't have a change, 1,510 that were between 0.1 and 10 percent, 11 that went up between 10 and 15, and 117 that went up over 15 percent, and now we get to the uh the good stuff on uh page 34.

We had a total of 33,316 residential properties spread out over 210 neighborhoods, and 2,451 commercial properties in seven commercial districts of that, only 0.14 percent of the residential properties decreased, 93.46% of the residential properties increased, and six percent stayed the same, given the residential value property increase of four point four two percent overall, and our commercial increase by ten point one percent overall, and you can see on the uh slide 35 that the overall proposed land book is gonna increase from 10.8 billion to 11.5 billion, which is a total increase of six percent or six hundred and fifty-three million four hundred and ninety-two dollars and nine or six fifty-three, four ninety-two, nine sixty-three.

And if the tax rate were to stay the same, that's eight point one million.

And then the next slide is just uh the state corporation commission and the state department of taxation tax certain things within the city that we don't, like the railroads and communication towers and things like that, and you tip public utilities.

And last year, this is the totals that they provided and the corresponding levies that came with it from the SEC, we got an additional 1.49 million, and from the rolling stock railroads that the state department of taxation completes.

We got another 273,000.

And then we get some additional information that uh for programs that we don't administer, but we have a hand in the uh 37.

The disabled veterans program, which is run by the commissioner revenue's office.

As of 35, we had processed in the time frame that's been going on.

We currently have 1,390 recipients in the program that is an assessed value of 443 million 865,880 from the proposed, and that's 3.9% of the proposed land book, which and equates to uh 5 million 149,632 in annual exonerations.

We're getting roughly 10 a week, if not more.

We're still working on the ones from February, and we have at least 30 in our office that haven't been processed and added to this number yet.

The senior citizens tax relief actually went down a little bit this year.

That's at 108 million eight hundred eighty-seven thousand one hundred, and the tax freeze was sixty-six million three hundred and sixty-one ten.

And there's a bar chart that kind of shows on slide 38 how those have fared.

The tax relief dropped from 124 to 108.

The tax freeze went up a little bit, and the disabled veterans program went up quite a bit.

And then our non-taxable properties have also increased this year, with the biggest being the United States government at 4.1 billion.

And uh I think we have a pie chart on the next page that kind of shows that the taxable to non-taxable value overall, 67% of our value is taxed, 33% is not, but land mass 42% is not taxable, and 58% is.

So overall, 42% of the land in the port city of Portsmouth we receive zero for, and that's excluding the programs I just mentioned prior.

And then on to the next steps.

During nine to four in our office.

And you can also we have to have your application in by 5 p.m.

on the 27th for your informal hearing.

The Board of Equalization Applications will be accepted through April 24th.

And during all this, our staff will still be out working the new construction and their building permits for the fourth quarter.

And once all that's completed, we will generate our land book as of July 1st, 2026.

And looking forward uh for some things we've got coming.

We've got quite a few developments coming.

Uh some of you may have seen over by Chick-fil-A.

We have seven cities coffee.

The foundation is in on that right now.

We've got y'all just passed our approved blunt point apartments when uh Victory Boulevard uh and Newport, I think phase three is what they were calling it over in the old Academy Park, where that's gonna be like 492 residential, and there's I don't I haven't heard or seen, but I know there was apartments coming to the old Kroger site.

Two transload facilities, one on Virginia Avenue, which is currently under construction, and the one on Harper, which I think is in the print planning stages.

The King's Landing Townhouses in the uh Link District, which I was just informed today, are gonna have around a $500,000 asking price.

And then uh we've got some multi-million dollar renovation going on on at 309 high street, and then we also have the Crawford Bay and Municipal Center redevelopment on the horizon.

And with that, uh take questions.

Uh when I look at the uh I'm trying to find that sheet on the relative values of properties, um page 25, residential property value by range.

National statistics uh point to the high end of the low end at about four, if I remember right, 14 percent is the national average for high end and 14 percent for the low end.

And when I look at our distribution, uh if I add those numbers up, we don't even have one percent in the high end distribution of homes.

Um depends on your definition of high end according to the national statistics that I was reasonable, uh which would be uh over 600.

Um paints a picture to me that we're a very poor real estate city.

Uh and I think we talked about this last year that I was hoping we could get some comparison of that to the national averages so that we could when we talk to development and zoning and things that we might want to look at in the city to get us in a better financial balance to where we can support some of the social programs we haven't trying to support the poor by taxing the poor is not is not a good thing to do.

Um we need desperately need money.

On the uh on page 15 also, I hear a lot of people complain about the property values going up.

Um is it rule of seven?

Am I correct when with finances when I say rule of seven that predicts the inflationary price of things going up that it's about a 10-year double in the price?

And if I look at this chart, I think that exactly gives me that we are on a normal inflation uh progress in there from 2015 to 2025 uh shows about doubling the prices in 10 years, which is a normal inflation.

And I I get a lot of people uh complaining that my assessment's gone up so much I can't afford it, and I'm like but it's but it's worth I think the issue is not so much that it went up so much they can't afford it, it's they have escrow accounts, which if you don't call them and say, hey, my assessment went up a hundred dollars, then your escrow is gonna go up four hundred dollars because they're gonna play catch-up.

Yeah.

Because it just did it to me.

Yeah, so I hear those complaints, but your numbers reflect that we are in the normal inflation path here uh where we should be.

On page number 30, um, it brings up the question of of these commercial industrial multifamily units.

So uh Mr.

Carter is trying to get our employees in the departments to report to other departments where they see things that are out of line.

Um when they see code violations, they report it to the other.

Are we in your department also observing things and reporting them when we see violations?

The reason I bring it up is that I was aware of a trailer park that went and installed a whole new section on what was supposed to be a retention plan, they filled it in and started developing it without permits.

And I was wondering if y'all see that we haven't heard about that one yet, but generally if we see something going up without permits, we contact them, and if they see something, they contact us.

Good.

I wanted to make sure we were all kind of on the same page there.

Thank you.

Councilman Councilman Hugo, you have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thanks for the brief.

As always.

Um several questions.

So page 26.

Um we had uh quite a few properties that increased uh significantly.

Okay, five thousand in the five to ten percent range, and several hundred even more than that.

Uh what are the typical drivers for those kind of increases?

Were they things we hadn't visited in a while?

Or we've been, yeah, as I told you last or last year during my evaluation, I was gonna get people back out on the street, and that's what we've been doing.

We've had people back on the street, and we've seen a lot of these neighborhoods that hadn't had uh anybody to them in years, some of them five, six years back prior to COVID, might have been the last time they were seen.

So we got out and may not have hit all of them we wanted to yet, but we've hit quite a few and found a lot of things.

Okay.

By by finding a lot of things, are you are you saying you found a lot of improvements that have been made that you weren't alerted to process?

Some of them we've tracked back and there were permits was just during COVID, and we don't know if you know during COVID, there was people weren't in the building, so sometimes permits weren't getting to us, or they were getting down there and getting sat on a desk and then but we do have a process so that if a permit is issued, you all get notified so that you can go inspect.

Yeah, everything good.

Thanks.

Yeah, right now everything's working like it normally should.

Okay.

Uh on page 33.

Uh, so our commercial properties had no change in value compared to 6.4% of our residential properties that had no change in value.

Did the commercial properties have no change because we didn't visit them or really they weren't hit by inflation?

They they were when we looked at everything and did our analysis on them, they were in line.

Okay.

Um page 34, the next page then.

Um to caveat that some of them, yes, some of them we haven't gotten to yet, but a lot.

I mean, there's several classes I know of that we looked at, and they just they were in line with what the market sales were showing.

And would you say we're caught up on commercial, we're catching up on commercial?

I would say we're catching.

We're not caught.

We're we're we're on the right path.

Okay.

Can you give us a guesstimate of when you feel we'll be caught up this coming year or two years or right now?

The plan I have in place is the IWA standard, which is to get it all looked at in a six-year period.

Okay.

Hopefully, I'm standing here in six years telling you it's done, and we're starting over again.

Okay.

Page 34.

Uh, so the uh increase on residential is 4.42 percent.

Yes.

But back on page 16, the increase in sales price is only 2.6 percent.

So why are why are we seeing a higher increase on our assessments than we're seeing in increase in sales price?

The sales price.

Well it we're not at we were not at 100 percent of sales price, so we have to so they're not catching or they were not moving at the same pace.

So we're trying, right?

We were at I think 94% last year.

Okay when it was all said and done, and the state gave us our report card.

Okay.

On page 14, your foreclosure report.

Can you remind us which foreclosures you count and which you do not count?

Judicial ones are the ones that I counted.

Okay.

And then uh finally on page 39, the uh the value of federal government property is estimated at 4.2 billion dollars.

That that's looks like the same number as a year ago.

Do you all I think it moved?

It went up a little bit, it didn't go up much.

And and you don't do that assessment, you get that assessment information.

We we did this year.

Usually they'd have it, but our contact is no longer there.

So we we've got we finally got a new contact, but it was after I got this done, so we just ran it on our models and ran the cost on it and then went up slightly.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Councilwoman Thomas, maybe you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you so much for the presentation.

Um actually I wanted to I had another question, but Councilman Hugo brought up a great point here regarding the difference between uh the residential increase and the commercial increase on that slide 26 versus 33.

And I know you I I think I just heard you say the reason for the difference in the no change between the residential, which and the commercials because you haven't caught up yet on the commercial property reassessments yet.

Is that correct?

Sorry, I didn't.

You said you haven't caught up on the commercial property reassessments, and that's the no, we've worked well, we're not caught up, we're currently working on them, but we reviewed some of those and they were in line with the market, and some of those we haven't actually seen yet.

So it's kind of a little mixed bag of both.

Okay.

I and I guess my only concern here is as we're playing catch up, it's just the hit on the residents.

Um, in terms of they are like you were just talking about the escrow and increase in the mortgages or whatever they pay.

That's you know, as we're paying catch-up, that's a big hit within a year, um, larger than some of our commercial property owners.

So to me, uh I would be concerned as a residential owner versus the commercial owner that I'm getting hit sooner than a commercial property owner here.

So that's that's one concern that um councilman Hugel's question kind of brought to mind.

But I my my my question that I was originally gonna ask is regarding the what page 27.

It was starting on page 27.

Let me turn to that.

Oh, the the percent change back commercial property class.

So pages 27 through uh 29.

Mm-hmm.

And so are is this a I'm looking at some of the larger increases here, like so for hotel, I see 105.2 percent.

Is that due to the new hotel that's coming?

My my appraisers actually went out and put tapes on them, remeasured them and then we got information and revalued them.

Okay.

And same for like something like convenience store not as high as that but like is that the same type of convenience stores were also they went to all the convenience stores this year and spoke to a lot of their proprietors and pulled tapes on them and got information of things that we didn't have and picked up a lot of information.

Okay and trailer park and it's funny uh councilman dots and mentioned the trailer park issues that the same reason like there was some changes in some trailer parts commercial property actually was a second trailer park that was not called a trailer park this year or in prior years it just it didn't it was under a non class code okay and we found out it was a trailer park so when we picked it up and revalued it with as a trailer park and it generated a pretty big increase on it.

And um in terms of just I guess how we are how your department is moving to better get notified of when these changes occur what can you explain that to me a bit more like permit yeah is it just you get notified through the permit yes when the permitting department sends us down permits monthly and then they can get distributed to the appraisers and the appraisers go out and start looking at the properties and then taking notes of what's there and then what do they need to come back or if the work's done and then so once we get caught up I don't want to say caught up but once we kind of get back on track with um the assessments of our commercial properties it sounds like we're back on track with the residential can you say that we shouldn't that our homeowners and commercial property owners shouldn't expect these like larger increases.

I'd like to say never say never but okay you can't say you can't rule anything out.

Okay.

I just wanted to kind of get in a better idea of what our homeowners can expect.

I think a lot of the big spikes are probably finally caught and hopefully put to bed for once okay thank you and a lot I think a lot of the people because we caught a few last year and some of the calls we got were oh you got me gotten away with it for all these years I guess I can't complain.

So other ones did and then like most people in the city they're personal friend of the mayor and they're gonna call him and he's gonna take care of it thank you.

I don't know if you heard that thank you.

Vice Mayor Moody sir you have the floor thank you mayor uh thanks for the presentation getting back to the commercial uh side of it uh most of my colleagues have uh answered uh or asked most of those questions but I got uh two pertaining to the method that you use to evaluate uh income producing commercial properties there's an income method and also a property value method I take it you mentioned you got the tape measure out and measured some of the convenience stores um how how do we know that uh that's a fair method we've used we what we do is well we value by all three methods there's the sales comparison approach the cost approach and the income approach some of them may not be app applicable to a particular property so but we we rule we don't rule them out until we rule them out so if we have income information on the property and it's a property that's typically transferred based off of income that's the best my the best valuation method that's what we're gonna use if it's a property type that's done on a on sale like apartments are done based off of income whatever they generate is what they're gonna sell for based off of a cap rate and cost and expenses.

So you're comparing the the two methods the the income versus the property value?

Yes we we y'all we always do the cost approach but if it's not the best method to use and there's a better method we're gonna use the best method how do you get the how do you get the income income we send out letters every year asking for income and expense and we get it and then we're there's publications you can also get that will may not have the exact income for somebody but it'll give you the industry standards for particular like a class A apartment or industrial building or a warehouse or something like that.

So you send those out what what percentage do you get back?

Last year we got back 33% this year we only got back around 26 or 27% and that was last year I think we called around and everybody had a great year last year.

It's the best year we've ever had.

I don't know what last year was, but this year was back to the norm around because norm is around 25 percent.

We're still above that, but not so we we're we're leaving that that really erodes the uh the income.

And well, and it probably it's hard to say because we're doing 25 percent of all the properties I sent them to, not all of them are income producing properties, so we have to take that into account too.

Of the income producing properties, if you just pulled those, it's probably a higher percentage, but we send them out to I think it's like two thousand properties.

And not all of them, some of them come back and they're just marked owner occupied.

Well, then they're not it's not considered an income producing property.

Right.

Instead of relying on uh the mail method uh sending it back.

Couldn't you get that information uh uh here?

I mean, restaurants pay uh meal tax, sales tax.

Uh unfortunately the commissioner is not allowed to share that with us by Virginia law, correct.

Okay, they they can't share that uh no, it would be that would make my life a lot easier.

Well, it would not only make it easier, it would be uh a more fair method.

Yeah, uh you guys want to give them the lobby uh the legislation for that, I would I would happily uh get on board with that.

Because I've stated before that I thought the the residential piece uh is carrying the load in our city, and and getting back to the commercial, even though there were some uh increases in the evaluation of that uh or valuation of that, uh what percentage were actually uh physically assessed.

All of them were physically assessed, but so your assessors visited every oh no no, I mean we we can't visit everything in one year.

They visited we've done around 400 site inspections where they get out and pull the tape and probably driven by everything, but and and I ask this question every year too.

Uh do you have enough uh commercial assessors to be able to get the job done?

We have one or one, two I'm gonna say two and a half, because I got one who's split halfway between residential and half commercial, and then I have Mr.

Hines who we've had for about three years, unfortunately, Mr.

Hines is retiring at the end of this year, so but I have somebody ready to step into his place, but um, that's gonna open me up for more residential, but uh and I'm having a hard time hiring like everybody else, trying to find somebody qualified.

So we we're still understaffed and being able to uh do assessments for a commercial property.

Well, commercial, I think the three we have or two and a half we have is perfect is fine for our parcel count.

It's uh once I can get the one that's doing half residential, half commercial to full-time commercial, and I'll have three commercial appraisers, and that'll put me at the IAA standard for the number of parcels each one should have, and then it'll be a lot quicker looking at things and getting everything reviewed and looked at.

I'm struggling right now finding residential appraisers.

I've got seven interviews of schedule from the last ad we had.

Unfortunately, I have those seven, only maybe two of them or really somewhat somewhat qualified.

Well, sounds like we have a ways to go.

Yeah, and I'm uh every city has an advertisement out right now, and we're all fighting for the same group of people.

But there's got to be a better method uh on uh getting the income uh statements back from the commercial properties.

Uh I t I take it when you send those out, uh we we rely totally on the voluntary method of them sending them back.

And then you've got quite a few who have tax reps who tell them do not send them in.

Well, if the assessments, if we don't like the assessment, then we'll provide it.

So you're fighting that battle, kind of like having your attorney telling you not to talk.

Was anything in the code, uh Virginia State Code that uh requires that to be sent back?

No.

The only penalty they get is if they do not provide them during the informal or BoE, they cannot use it in court.

So if their income would cause their assessment to be lowered and they show up in court and say, well, here's our income.

Well, you didn't provide it prior to that, so you can't provide it now, and then they automatically lose.

Well, just seems like there would be a better way in getting that information uh back.

Uh yeah, I mean, if if you can you guys can put that in your legislative packets to get them to let the commissioners give us the information, that would streamline a lot of things.

Well, maybe we can consider that uh when we put our next legislative package together.

Thanks for the presentation.

Thank you.

Sounds like an appropriate ask.

Councilwoman Bryant, ma'am, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Mr.

Edwards.

You are a wealth of information.

Um we all have a pretty good understanding up here of the page 40 slide, which shows the area of taxable versus non-taxable land.

But um, if you could explain that, I think it's helpful for citizens to know, especially given some of the discussion that we'll be having later this evening.

The 58 and 42 one?

Yeah.

58 percent of the city's land mass is taxable, 42 percent of the land mass is not.

That's uh 42 percent of the land mass is local government, federal government, state, regional churches, charities, and whatever else is on that slide.

Local, regional, state, U.S.

church, hospitals, and educational.

It counts for 42 percent of that of the overall piece of Portsmouth.

And to go a step further, how does that compare to our neighbors?

Not just in general, no one's close.

And so thank you for highlighting for us the looking forward 2026 and beyond and showing some of the developments that were moving forward with and why they're important to help us with that disparity.

Mr.

Edwards, thank you for that update.

But one one of the things I want to caution, not caution, but you you know, we have to be careful about the words that we use on this diet.

And and and I say that because we are not a poor city.

As you understand, we are a working class, hardworking, proud city, and it's reflected in the homeownership in these numbers.

In addition to that, we just we just were informed once again that almost 50 percent of our land we receive no tax revenue from, but yet we still maintain a community, and sure we have a diverse housing stock, but we cannot use that kind of language when we're talking about our people.

This is not a poor community.

We are working towards improving our community and the access to greater resources through our economic development that we're doing in this city and new homes that are coming in this city.

Let me be clear.

Portsmouth was voted as the number one place for first-time home board buyers in the United States.

So we're doing a lot of good things, and I want our citizens to know that we're gonna continue to work hard to bring tax revenue into our city to make sure that we're helping those seniors and those residents and those young families to be able to afford homes in the city of Portsmouth.

We need to be proud of that fact, and we need to support that effort as we go forward.

Yeah, and we see it, and you can see it with the numbers, they're still going up.

So that's telling you that it's desirable.

Correct.

Councilman Tillage, sir, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

And also just want to point out on page 19, um, where it talks about the market data, um, and it shows that from the year 2020 to present, we have developed a hundred, I mean, excuse me, eight hundred and forty-six uh parcels.

Um, and so that means we're on track uh to have developed uh more new new housing in over two decades um here in the city of Portsmouth since the 1990s.

And so we are making good strides to achieving um housing here in the city of Portsmouth.

So I just want to point that out.

And so by the time we add the developments um that you mentioned on your last slide, um, we would have hit over 1200 by year end of 26.

So that puts us literally more than over a decade, two decades.

Yeah, well, maybe a little longer than that for that big 492 might take a little bit longer, but it'll be a 2030.

Actually, yeah, 2030, we should probably surpass what we had in 2000, 2009, easy.

Absolutely.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Mr.

Carter, sure, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mr.

Edwards.

Our next presenters on Mr.

James Wright, our city engineer will uh provide information on our 2026, 2030 CIP plan.

Mr.

Wright, whenever you're ready.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of City Council.

Before you again talk a bit about the CIP, I know you've seen me the past couple of weekends here, but I'm gonna take a little bit of a different tone and go through some of the topics that you asked questions about in some of your previous uh presentations that I've given.

So next slide.

Next slide.

So our CIP, when we're looking at our CIP, we ask a number of questions about each project, and the questions typically fall into these categories.

So I'm gonna use the pump a pump station as an example.

So a pump station ensures that sewage is safely converted to treatment facilities.

If it fails, sewage backs up in the streets, waterways, and homes.

It directly protects public health and the environment.

Pump stations are subject to state and federal requirements.

Failure to meet capacity, reliability, and redundancy standards can result in violations and fines.

Many upgrades are mandated to maintain compliance.

If a pump station fails, impacts may include sewer overflows, environmental pollution, service interruptions to entire neighborhoods or critical facilities, emergency repairs that cost far more than planned CIP work.

A single failure can have system wide impacts.

As far as the operational budget, upgrades may reduce OM costs by improving efficiency, reducing emergency call-outs, and lowering power consumption.

Pump stations are also strong candidates for grants.

Long-term cost savings of potential grants helps strengthen the score when you're looking at pump station projects.

Community impacts.

A reliable pump station benefits thousands of residents by preventing backups and maintaining essential services.

Environmental benefits include preventing sewage discharges, also promote and support community quality of life.

And as far as strategic alignment, pump station upgrades support infrastructure resilience, environmental stewardship, neighborhood livability, and long-term system reliability.

These align with City Council's vision principles.

Next slide, please.

So looking at the uh cost estimates, the bigger or more complicated complicated a project is, more complex a project, more it's going to cost.

Price changes that we look at are based on construction demand and current economic conditions.

Looking at materials and equipment availability, limited materials and equipment that are in limited supply or have long lead times can increase project costs.

If you have a number of like projects going on at the same time, fewer available contractors often mean higher bids.

And then just general market as inflation fac as inflation and future cost increases also must be built into estimates.

Next slide, please.

So these are couple of project terms that you might hear when we're discussing projects, or you might see in a report back or a note.

And so just to give you some definitions on those project terms.

So we're looking at scoping is what what the what does that project need to include?

The design, plans, drawings, and technical documents needed to build the project.

Advertisement or bid, public advertis, it's the public advertisement so that contractors can submit bids.

Um appropriate city staff reviews that information, um, including those bids and selects a contractor.

Um the construction phase, um, the contractor that actually building the project according to those plans and specifications.

Um this includes inspections and coordination with city staff.

Um notice to proceed.

It's a communication to the contractor that it can begin the work.

It starts the project's construction timeline.

Mobilization generally uh is when the contractor brings equipment, crews, trailers, and materials to the site to prepare for construction activities.

Closeout is final inspections, paperwork, punch lists, approvals are completed, and then the project's finished and turned over for whatever use that project may have.

Um a couple of other things that you may hear.

A couple of other things that you may hear, programming.

So programming for a building is that early planning phase where you figure out what that building needs to contain, how big it should be, how the spaces should work together.

It might include identifying what functions and services are going to be in the building, listing the rooms, spaces, and equipment that are needed, referred to as space needs, estimating how much square footage each space will require.

Understanding how those departments and other groups that are in that building should function and should function next to each other, and then documenting all those needs into a program that guides the design phase.

Preliminary engineering report or PER is an early stage of a study that examines the problem, evaluates possible solutions, and then recommends the best option before the full design starts.

You would typically identify project needs or deficiencies, evaluate different alternatives or design options, review environmental permitting and site constraints, provide cost estimates for each option, and then recommend the most feasible cost effective solution.

Next slide, please.

So recurrent CIP projects help the city shift from costly emergency plan repairs to plan maintenance because prependative work is cheaper and reduces service interruptions.

So I did this before we had the issues with City Hall, but by example is for HVAC.

So systemic HVC evaluations allow for the early identification of equipment problems, which can prevent emergency breakdowns and costly repairs.

These evaluations identify failing components, inefficiencies, ventilation problems, and units near the end of their search useful service life.

Findings from evaluations allow for the city to schedule replacements and repairs in a controlled budgeted manner instead of reacting to sudden sudden system failures.

By treating HVSC evaluations after occurring CIP items, the city reduces unplanned downtime, minimizes service eruptions in public facilities, and improves overall safety and reliability for the building occupants.

And you see a number of similar types of recurring CIP projects that we have throughout the portfolio in our CIP.

This doesn't list them all, just a couple of the key ones.

Next slide, please.

Regulatory initiatives ensure that our drinking water system meets state and federal mandates.

Dam upgrades for our drinking water reservoirs, which are complying with an unfunded mandate of improved safety and resiliency.

The CIP also includes continued improvements to sanitary sewer pump stations to reduce overflows and maintain reliable service.

On the community side, there are targeted investments across the city.

Upgrades to traffic signal system, improves both safety and traffic flow.

The city also is investing in several neighborhood improvement projects and supports upgrades to the pavilion to enhance recreational and community gathering spaces.

For economic development, the CIP continues to support the completion of the complete high street innovation corridor in the Link District.

This project is central to reactivating one of our core commercial corridors.

For facilities, we are investing in our public safety and institutional infrastructure, upgrades for multiple fire stations, new Craddock fire station, several public school projects are in the budget, funding for jail modification, juvenile detention improvements, and middle school classroom additions to meet capacity and program needs.

Next slide, please.

So these are some of the larger CIP projects, the ones that are typically over five million dollars, the ones we had to take a careful look at and to see how those funds would be distributed throughout the project lifetime.

So the timing of CIP project funding is based on how long each phase of a project is expected to take.

Funding is also scheduled so that projects fit together without overloading staff and so the city stays within its debt limits.

So for an example, I'm gonna go back to a pump station.

So you have a sewer pump station, that project might take four years.

Part of that project, that four-year time frame is to stay within your debt policy, but also to avoid stacking too many projects on top of your workload at once.

So year one might find scoping and design, and you get the funds for that for that initial phase.

Year two, final design, bid preparation, permitting, and all those things that get you ready for construction.

Year three, you're ready to start construction, so you're advertising, going out for bid, getting that contractor in place.

That's when you need that that larger influx of funds so you can sign the contract and move on.

The last year of that project is just basically you're under construction, you get to the end, you close it out, and you move on to the next project.

Next slide, please.

So similar to the uh the products in the general fund, enterprise fund, have a number of projects that are also that are larger and have those similar triggers.

However, these projects focus on regulatory compliance, flood control, and modernizing obsolete infrastructure.

Here we're prioritizing unfunded mandates, neighborhood flood release, and the renewal of end of life systems.

Next slide, please.

Portsmouth is facing several major mandated projects, each costing more than 100 million dollars.

These new mandates come on top of long-standing requirements to update our sanitary sewer system, which also exceeds 100 million dollars.

Large projects such as a city hall relocation, public safety complex, K through eight school, and a sportsplex put significant pressure on the city's debt capacity, and because of this, the city must carefully plan when each project will move forward so that we can stay within our debt policy limits.

The departments managing these major construction efforts must also balance this work with their other project responsibilities, all while keeping normal city operations running smoothly.

Um, as previously mentioned at the retreats, the city manager is working on uh project managers for several departments and also our program manager position for these large, larger scale projects.

Next slide, please.

So with everything that's going on, uh we've been tasked to develop a project dashboard.

Um we're developing this dashboard so we can give a clear, easier summary of each CIP project.

This dashboard will display a short overview of what the project is and why it is being done, where the project's located, and what category it falls under, whether it's a utility, a facility, or transportation or what have you.

Um what is the expected cost if the project is in design, or what is the actual cost if the project is in construction?

Whether the project's actually is in the scoping phase, design phase, bidding phase, or where is that project stand in that sequence?

Then a simple indicator as to whether the projects is meeting its schedule and talk cost targets, and then um a um a column or or area where we address and show the milestone or update what's needed for the stakeholders to know what's coming next.

Um next slide, please.

This is uh an AI generated uh sample of what uh a dashboard might look like.

Um, the actual dashboard that we're working on is it's twofold.

It'll be in a spreadsheet form um that we can post to the website, but also in the in a graphical form that's supported by GIS where um you can go on and click onto the map each type of project in each category to have a different type of symbology.

So if you're looking for a municipal facility, you'll click on to that type of symbology and be able to pull up, say um the pay center.

You'll be able to pull up the pay center, it would show under construction and those things about the pay center as part of the general project description, show it on the map.

Um that is gonna be backed by our project management software, and we're gonna be able to export that information out and update that and post that month monthly, and we're looking to have that complete by the end of May.

Um, with that, um I will take any questions.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you, Mr.

Wright for the presentation.

Um you you mentioned the retreat several times, and yes, I know we had kind of gone over this, but it's good for the public to also be able to hear some of the projects, some of the things that are going into you know moving our projects forward, and I'm very happy to see um just that sample of a dashboard.

Uh we talked about it, our retreat being more not just transparent, but being able to just go find information easily.

So I think the dashboard being available on the website is a great feature for the many projects that we have coming up and currently in progress for the city.

Um so that's a great start there in terms of what you plan on doing and even just the a quick look at what a dashboard would look like, but including more information.

My only question is uh I saw the sports flex, we didn't get to talk about that much.

Is that um is that in cry like is that the green we have the green light on that?

Is that and does that include the I know we talked about an aquatic center before?

Is that part of this plan?

I see the 93 million, 93.750,000 um estimate here.

Is that what that's so two things?

Yes, it is listed in the proposed CIP that you'll see when the city manager does this budget.

Um the phase that we would be in, we would be in the programming phase, that early scoping phase.

Okay.

Um then for those anticipated time losses when we would need to have additional funds, you'll see those actually listed in the in the CIP budget as well.

Okay.

Great.

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Yes, ma'am.

Councilman Hugo, sir, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thanks for the question.

Mr.

Wright, could you could you pull the microphone up so everyone can hear, please?

Mr.

Wright, thanks for the brief.

Um I appreciate the uh the information that you're intending to include in the project dashboard.

I think all of that information is going to be helpful for us to keep tabs on on what's going on, what phase we're in, all of that.

So as we're engaging uh at civic leagues and other places, we can we can share more details than we've had in the past.

Uh and as we talked about, Mr.

Manager at the retreat, if you'll consider including that information in your monthly update as a attachment in the back, or kind of helping us know what's tracking and what's not tracking, that that'll all be helpful.

Um page four, you shared uh uh what goes into CIP cost estimates.

So while I appreciate that you shared what goes in, um the question that I asked at the retreat was why is your number different than the school system number for the exact same project.

So just last night at the work session, uh we were presented with the school system CIP list, and again, their numbers and your numbers are not in sync.

Their numbers are all smaller than your numbers, and so I would ask Mr.

Manager when when you meet with Dr.

Bracey if we can figure out how to get all of our numbers in sync so that we're all tracking to the same the same numbers on the CIP stuff, so we don't fool ourselves into thinking we got enough money to get stuff done when in fact their estimates are lower than our estimates.

We use ours.

I know you do.

I'd like that.

I'd like all of us to agree on what the number is, and seems like that ought to be easy enough.

We're all working to the same goal.

But with permission from them.

Vice Mayor Moody, so you have the just one more thing, ma'am.

Sorry.

And then on page five, project terms.

So I appreciate that you shared these terms.

Uh it's important that we all we're all speaking the same language, but then I listened carefully to what you said compared to what's on the slide.

So the slide says scoping.

You said programming, which sounds a whole lot like scoping, and then you went on to say preliminary engineering report, which sounds a whole lot like scoping.

So you got three descriptors for the same thing.

It would be helpful if we it's you're you're you're spot on, it's correct.

Yeah, so if if we get confused, it's because the language we're using is three different things describing the same thing.

If we can figure out what we want to call that and call it that, then at least I won't be confused.

Well, it it it's it's intentional because it actually is.

You'd like to confuse us.

No, not intentional, there's three different because it it's intentional.

So simple scoping, just trying to figure out what a project is.

If you're looking at a more complex project, um city hall programming, that's gonna take you to a certain level of design as part of that process.

You may get to maybe 10 or 15 percent during that programming phase.

So it's a little bit of a hybrid preliminary engineering engineering report.

A lot of times it'll get you to a 35% design.

So it's it's a hybrid between the two, and I mentioned those just because I'm up here as some of my colleagues are up here giving you that information, they may use those terms just to give you a frame of reference as to what they're um talking about.

And so all those terms are viable, it just depends on what type of project you're talking about.

Yeah, so so I bring this up because you're getting ready to give us a dashboard, and one of the things that you're gonna put on the dashboard is what phase are we in?

And so it's kind of important that we're we're all describing the phases the same way, so that when you say we're in design, we know that we're past scoping, programming, or preliminary design, and we're into I guess that's a detailed design, but anyway.

My point is language is important and if you don't want to confuse me, I don't want to be confused is the bottom line.

Not trying to confuse and that comment section is part of the dashboard, is where you can capture some of that, provide some additional excuse me, information.

Um, if I may, uh the question you asked about why our estimates are different from the school board estimates, um, not just the ones we get from the schools.

They're sometimes different from the ones we get from other departments.

Um just because in our department we see different things in a bit more of a larger realm.

We may get an estimate from say general services or properties management that's lower, and so we'll start asking questions.

Um actually, what does that estimate entail?

Have you looked at permitting?

Have you looked at all those other things that we talked about?

And if they haven't, then those estimates need to be adjusted.

And so that's why our numbers are going to be different.

A lot of times, just for CIP purposes, throwing out to a vendor and get an estimate from a vendor.

Well, vendor is just going to give you an S.

He's gonna take a look at HVAC and just give you an estimate replace a unit and looked at duct work and looked at controls and added other things.

Whereas as we're looking at that, what is it gonna take to actually build the project?

So your estimate is going to be different, and that's why our estimate is going to be higher.

Okay, I I'm tracking with everything you said.

At the end of the day, somebody has the Trump card to say we're we're gonna single up on what we looked at this every way to Sunday, and this is our very best guess of what's gonna cost.

And the reason that it's important to me is when you present a five-year plan, it's all got to hang together, and we're gonna have to, as we talked about the retreat, the the knobs that we twist to kind of stay inside the debt ceiling for our debt service.

The biggest knob we have to to move is timing.

And if we convince ourselves we're gonna do something for 85 million dollars, when in fact our very best guess is a hundred million dollars, then what we're not we we don't have the best information to to time the thing in the plan.

So we're all one team, one fight.

We ought to be able to agree on what our very best number is and put that down on the paper.

Thank you.

Mr.

Carter, sure, you have the floor, and then Vice Mayor Moody.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, just a couple things uh for um Councilman Hugo.

Uh when Mr.

Wright and his team provide that information, that becomes our source number for internally.

Now we still have to kind of work out this with the school system for their source number, but that becomes our source number because we're gonna we're gonna always look at the worst case scenario type when we're preparing for this.

Now, when we do these exercises and we go through the scope and we go through the programming, if we come out with a better number, that's great.

But what we want to do is make sure that we prepare just in case that doesn't happen.

And the other thing on the terms, uh, what we will do is we just listed the terms on this uh particular presentation.

However, when we put it on the website, we'll get definitely definitions with them also so that when you see the term, you know what the definition is, and Mr.

Wright also alluded to.

Uh, there are gonna be a remarks in a comment section to kind of give you it won't just be a picture and a and uh a word, it'll be some narrative about what's actually happening with that project.

So I think we'll be able to to incompress what you're talking about.

So everybody uh is moving along on the same road.

Great, thanks.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor Moody, sir, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, thanks for the presentation, uh, Mr.

Wright.

Uh got a couple of questions on the uh requirements for the lid and and copper compliance and also the uh dam upgrades uh which are unfunded mandates.

Are we on the clock for that?

What's the drop dead time that that has to be fulfilled?

Um I'll have to confirm for you for the lead and copper rule for replacement.

I think it's a 2032.

Um we've done the initial inventory.

Um we're getting ready to do the sampling plan so we can uh come up with our replacement plan and schedule and for the for the dam upgrades, we're we're currently tracking um right now and looking at all available funding sources to help us get through both of those mandates.

So the uh deadline on both is 2032?

I'll have to look at the one for the for the dams.

I think the dams, I don't necessarily know if there's a deadline.

I think it's reasonable progress.

Uh right now, we're in the the PER phase, preliminary engineering reports.

Um we're we're checking certain boxes as we uh communicate with the regulatory folks, and right now we're we're on track.

Okay.

And refresh uh my memory on what this lead and copper rule compliance consists of.

So there's uh a mandate for service lines uh specifically for the for the I think it's uh hospitals, child care, um, and things like there's there's one more in that category, but it's uh can't have any basically lead or galvanized uh service lines.

So is this municipal uh no, it's it's every it's every line within the city.

So everybody that gets water from the city have to have an evaluation or an estimation of what that that might be.

Uh so uh we basically go through, do records research, um, go through all the all the data and make a determination about looking at age, service records and all those things to come up with your initial inventory, and you we think we have this many um potential or this many unknowns.

Uh where we are now is we're doing a sampling plan.

So, what's that sampling size?

I think it's 2,000 samples, and you have to sample on the public side of the meter and on the private side of the meter.

So that's that's two samples for each location.

So that's why it's two thousand samples.

So we're in the process of doing the sampling.

Doing that piece, and we're going to feed that information into a machine learning model to basically tell us uh what we think we have as far as um number of um potential lead service lines or galvanized service lines in the city.

And based on that, we'll develop a replacement program to go through and address those infrastructure.

So there's funding available for for the phases up to the initial inventory for the program for the sampling phase.

We haven't been able to identify any funding, any funding for the replacement phase.

There's funding available for the work on the private side, we're working through National League of Cities to set up a program so that we can because we're not allowed to just go into private property.

So to set up our set up a program so we can address those uh lines on private property, because we're responsible basically from the main all the way up to the foundation of the house for replacing the uh that service line where there's lettered albanized.

So that that's entirely different from our normally maintenance rule uh on our sewer lines and water lines.

Yeah, we typically stop at the property line.

Yeah.

Uh so right now, are we doing the self-analysis or is somebody else making that determination whether it passes?

So we have a team and includes the consultant, but it's mostly um with the public utility staff, so it's their uh their personality operations and also with um some input from the folks out of the treatment plant.

And we're providing a support and logistical role uh for that effort.

So we we don't know exactly what that cost will be until we finished uh sampling?

We have a a broad big number cost, but until we actually get out and do the do the sampling and refine that a bit, it is just that that balloon number based on what we think it might cost because we have to dig up the road um and do other things as we're going through the process.

So all those numbers, um, all that effort is into that large number.

That's why that number is so large.

But once we do the sampling, we'll be able to refine that number a bit.

And what's our goal for finishing the sampling and the analysis?

And we have to finish the sampling either by the end of this year or spring of next year, and then it's on to the replacement plan.

Okay.

Thanks.

Councilman Dotson, so you have the floor.

Thank you, sir.

Um, and to follow that Mr.

Moody's comment there, uh I'm hopefully we are coordinating with road maintenance to make sure we're not gonna dig up roads right after they replace them, too.

Um because I'm concerned that the plans may not overlap.

You you may not be able to do that just for this, just because of the mandate that you have.

And so um you'll try to coordinate that as best as possible, but some of it right now because you don't have the sampling plan in place.

Um I'm just wondering whether we should sample those roads first that they are planning on.

Typically, we're gonna try to avoid digging the road just for the sampling plan.

And for that, it's just a patch, not uh we're not gonna be 200 holes down the same road road.

It's it has to be targeted within the neighborhood, so one neighborhood might get 15 samples, another might get a number of to get to that two thousand number.

So not all digging in the same place.

Right.

Also, since we first made this presentation, page number eight.

Um there I have still have trouble integrating this information into the priority, and I'm thinking that it's it's more based on timing that it is priority, but I feel like I want to make sure that we integrate with the schools properly, and I look at it and go.

Well, is sportsplex before the K8 in the new middle?

And is is that the right priority, or is is it on this sheet this way just because of timing?

So I'm trying to understand this sheet seems to cover uh uh a two-axis matrix, and I'm not able to digest that well.

Well, they're not listed in any particular priority or order, what they're just listed as to show you what those major projects are, what the magnitude is and what the potential time frames are based on this initial look for the proposed CIP.

You won't actually see the breakout in some of that until you have the CIP document in your hand.

And that's been coordinated with finance so that we understand that curve we were talking about trying to stay under our uh uh credit line.

Correct.

Uh up there too.

Um I'd love some way to integrate this better into my mind so that I could especially the school board's important.

Right.

And uh I can't communicate with the chart the way it is.

If there's some way to help me better understand it, and I'd love some explanation.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Attorney Challenger, you have the floor.

In response to uh Councilman Moody's uh Michael.

Okay, be good.

In response to Councilman Moody's uh point about the uh lead and copper.

Uh one of the things I wanted to look into was affirmative litigation to help pay for those costs.

Um we've uh been successful with the opioid litigation, getting remediation costs.

We've been successful with PFAS for forever chemicals.

So this is something that we want to look and see if we can find funded because as we mentioned before, this is an unfunded mandate.

Um so this is something that we're gonna be looking at in the next couple of weeks to see whether or not uh we can uh we cover some of these costs as relate to this.

Sure.

Thanks.

Mr.

Carter, sure, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you to all the presenters for this evening.

Uh very informative and great discussion from the council.

Uh our meeting, our regular meeting tonight has four public hearings.

One is a project-based uh section eight vouchers at Ansel Apartments by the Norfolk Housing and Redevelopment Authority.

We also have our PPEA public hearing this evening.

Um we have a couple of use permits to um evaluate ones on West Craddock and one is in apprentice place.

And finally, we have a couple of uh grants that we're receiving, totaling 4,000.

I'm sorry, 4 million 250, 283, 235 dollars.

Neither one of those grants require matching funds for the city, so those are just dollars that we will have to uh improve our uh uh sewer pump stations and also for behavior health for crisis intervention team correlation funding.

That's it for this evening, Mayor.

Thank you so much, and I appreciate you guys.

Thank you, sir.

And I want to thank everyone for uh joining us for this public war session at this time uh with no other business to conduct.

This meeting is adjourned.

We will start up our regular council meeting at 7.05.

Good evening, everyone, and welcome to our city council meeting on March the 10th.

I want to welcome everyone in attendance, all of our citizens who joined us tonight for this very important meeting.

Also want to acknowledge uh all of our guests who are here to present and our city staff who is in the audience.

And I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge on the dias here our city manager, Mr.

Stephen Carter, our interim city attorney, Mr.

Derek Challenger, and our deputy city clerk, Miss Anita Shira.

Thank you all for being here.

And I will now ask for us all to stand for a moment of silence, followed by the pledge of allegiance.

Thank you.

I pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

We have the minutes of a called meeting on February 9th, 2026, a called meeting on February 10th, 2026, a regular meeting on February 10th, 2026, a called meeting on February 21st, 2026, a called meeting on February 24th, 2026, and a called meeting on February 27th and 28th, 2026.

Do we have a motion approve?

The minutes.

Move adoption.

Second.

Please vote electronically.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

And some of you, if you have a agenda in front of you, you may have saw where we had a presentation tonight.

We have moved that to the next meeting to celebrate our track team that won the state championship.

However, uh they are doing important work tonight by rooting on the girls' basketball team at Manor High School.

So we'll we'll entertain them on the next meeting.

Madam Clerk, would you please read the city council rules?

City Council rules require a limit of up to five minutes to speak.

As you approach the speaker's podium, you will notice a timer.

At the beginning of your five minutes, you will see a green light.

Four minutes into your remarks, you will notice a yellow light.

At the end of five minutes, you will see a red light.

Hear a beep, and we ask that you conclude your comments at that time.

While speakers have an opportunity to address counsel on matters of public concern, all comments should be made in a matter that respects the seriousness of the forum and should not be made in a belligerent, sarcastic or demeaning fashion.

All remarks shall be directed to the city council as a body rather than to any particular member of the city council, staff, or the audience, and should be limited to matters that only the Portsmouth City Council can influence.

A speaker who fails to observe this basic rule of the quorum would be deemed out of order and will not be allowed to conclude his or her comments.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

We're not to the agenda item of public hearings, item 26-69.

And Madam Clerk, would you please read the public hearing item?

Public hearing with respect to the adoption of a proposed resolution authorizing the provision and administration of project-based section eight vouchers at Ansel apartments by the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

The proposed resolution may also authorize the provision and administration of project-based vouchers and other affordable housing developments in Portsmouth by other housing authorities, subject in each case to express approval by the Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a public hearing item.

If you wish to come and speak on this public hearing item, you're not required to have signed up, but when you come forward, you need to state your name and address, and you will have five minutes.

Seeing no one to come forward, this public hearing item is closed.

We will be voting on this public hearing item under city managers heading with the consent agenda.

Our next item item 26 death 70.

Public hearing.

Oh, excuse me.

Madam Clerk, would you please read the public hearing item?

Public hearing hearing pursuant to Virginia Coast sections 56-575.17B, 15.2-1800, and 15.2-1813 regarding one, the proposed submitted by Ridley Ripley Heat Heat Wall Company, MEB, and their partners under the Virginia Public Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 for the construction of a new city hall parking garage on the former site of the County Street Garage at 220 County Street, and two, the potential conveyance of real property interest in the property by the city in furtherance of the project.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Do we have the presenters here with us?

If you would come forward, state your name and address.

You will have 10 minutes.

There you go.

All right.

Good evening.

Good evening.

Mayor Glover, Vice Mayor Moody, members of Council, Manager Carter, City Attorney Challenger, and Madam Clerk.

My name is Dan Heatwell, and on behalf of our team, I have the privilege tonight to present to you our proposal for a new city hall and county street parking garage.

Next slide.

Let's start with the why.

The current city hall faces many challenges common to aging municipal centers, such as aging systems, as evidenced by the current shutdown of this building, inefficient space utilization and security, inadequate technological infrastructure, and accessibility limitations.

Next slide.

Now let's talk about what this proposal is and what it is not.

This proposal is for a new city hall and county street parking garage.

And we are asking the city to authorize the negotiation of an interim agreement, which will allow us to proceed with the necessary evaluation and due diligence to advance the design and provide the city with cost and financing options.

This is not an approval to build the project or to proceed with a binding comprehensive agreement.

Next slide.

From Ripley Heat Will Company, my partner, Jimmy McCune, from MEB, Mark Olmsted, Eric Keplinger, Justin Ballard, and Trip Smith, from Clark Nexon, Scott Boyce and Danny Walker, and from Kimley Horn, Lawrence Benson.

And gentlemen, if you would like to stand so we can see what you look like.

Yeah.

Okay, thank you.

All right.

All right.

Thanks.

Collectively, our team has decades of experience working in Portsmouth and have completed many municipal projects under a similar structure to what we have proposed, a few of which you can see here.

Next slide.

The City of Portsmouth has long identified this waterfront location as valuable real estate for the community and for economic redevelopment.

The former jail is being demolished.

The former public safety building has been vacated, and the current city hall faces aging infrastructure issues which necessitated its closure currently.

Moving City Hall is the final piece of the puzzle to unlock the potential of the city's waterfront and will serve as a new vibrant central administration hub for the city.

This project has been a goal of the cities for more than a decade, and as your number one strategic pillar says, it's time to get stuff done.

What you see here is uh where the former County Street parking garage was and the proposed location of the new city hall, the new parking garage, and the extension of the Middle Street Pedestrian Plaza.

Next slide.

So this is uh an aerial view uh of what uh those new buildings would look like.

Go next time.

So uh this project was led by Clark Nexon, who has conducted multiple programming studies for the city over the last several years.

Uh during those cities, Clark Nexon met with every city department, incorporated their feedback into the design, and that is led the scope of what brought us here today.

Next slide.

Uh this is a summary of that programming study, uh, the different departments they met with that have been incorporated into the new design, the total square footage estimated for each department, the personnel estimated for each department, and the overall uh building sizing that is proposed today.

Uh a few of the highlights.

Uh we tried to optimize departmental adjacencies, folks who work together on a daily basis on the same floor adjacent to each other, so you don't have to go from the first floor to the sixth floor for meetings three times a day.

Uh providing an accessible ground floor council chamber that is uh both easily accessible to the public and safe and secure, and then efficient delivery of services to the citizens of Portsmouth.

So those services that they use on a daily basis have those available and easily accessible on the ground floor of the building.

Uh so this is a proposed schematic of how that might look.

Uh the entrance in from the plan view, the southeast corner, which will lead you into the lobby, council chambers, and then uh those city services such as public use utilities on the ground floor, on the second floor, registrar, uh registrar's office, city manager's office, city clerk, and other services such as that.

Again, this is uh a rendering of the building.

Uh it's in keeping with the design of the current downtown while uh incorporating a modern flair to it as well.

Some of the highlights of the building itself.

Um your fiscal budget uh identified this project, and it talked about a few key factors.

Uh, one of those is a state of the art advanced facility uh with the necessary technological infrastructure to allow the city to operate at its uh most efficient use.

Uh prominent street frontage and an easily accessible entrance to the citizens, an extension of the Middle Street pedestrian plaza to activate and serve as a community hub, and then a parking garage designed to accommodate not just the new city hall, but both existing and future downtown businesses.

And again, this is sort of a close-up image here showing how the building and the parking garage would be incorporated next to each other.

Uh this is a perspective of the extension of the uh Middle Street Pedestrian Plaza that would lead you from the city hall right into high street.

Uh, this could be activated for different festivals, farmers markets, things like that, or just serve as a natural gathering place downtown.

This is a perspective as you're standing in the parking garage looking across the plaza at the new entrance to the building.

Uh you see the multi-story height, the grand lobby there uh that will serve as that main entrance for the citizens.

So to summarize, uh moving City Hall from its current location has been a long-standing plan of the cities.

Um as was discussed earlier today, when you have 42 percent of the land not creating real estate taxes, uh, you have to get creative.

And your most valuable land is currently occupied by a former jail, a vacated public safety building, and the current municipal center.

By taking the first step to relocate the city hall, it opens up a myriad of options uh for the city with this site.

Uh this transition could allow for new private tax generating redevelopment of the area, uh enhance tourism and cultural aspects, as well as publicly accessible spaces for the citizens.

Uh and with that, uh again, we would ask you to uh consider favorably the request in front of you to authorize the negotiation of a resolution uh of an interim agreement so that our team can continue working uh to present the best proposal to you all for your consideration.

Uh we have members from all aspects of our team here tonight, and would certainly welcome the opportunity to answer any questions that you have.

So thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr.

Hewell.

Councilman Dotson, so you have the floor.

My concern is the same as it's been for just this whole topic came up is that is moving the city hall a separate entity from just developing the whole site is to one in the I don't know which is a better idea, but I know that we as a team have not had that discuss that open discussion over uh alternative plans to this, and then that's my only concern here.

The um good idea about this one is that we can vacate this this property and and get it moving, um, and it gives us something to break off and chew and say, hey, listen, let's just get something done.

Uh but I really want to say we need to have a couple of minutes to ourselves to uh really vet through the alternatives to this plan at some point.

uh alternative plans to this and then that's my only concern here the um good idea about this one is that we can vacate this this property and and get it moving um and it gives us something to break off and chew and say hey listen let's just get something done uh but I really want to say we need to have a couple of minutes to ourselves to uh really vet through the alternatives to this plan at some point um I don't know when if there's a plan for that or when that might be thank you sir councilwoman Thomas ma'am you have the floor thank you so much for the presentation uh we've been looking forward to hearing more about the plan and um just starting this discussion today um one thing that I I mentioned during our initial work session when this was first um the unsill unsolicited proposal was brought up is just can you speak to I I see your team is here but can you speak to how um you have in the past or even what's projected with this project if it move forward how do you incorporate minority of women owned business um enterprises within large projects like this and kind of speak to your track record there sure uh with these projects um there's there's a couple ways that that happens um for one is hosting uh information sessions so we will advertise during the um uh I guess pre-construction phase of this job uh to get out to the community we will host these events uh to say what you know type of contracts we are looking for from everything from survey to electricians to plumbing to brick you name it all those trades will have an opportunity to come in see what the uh available bids are and we'll be able to apply for those um and then some of it is is just statutory when you when you do a municipal project um certainly those aspects have to be taken into consideration thank you so you you would say that in the past with some of the projects you have done is that something you've tracked or can you provide maybe sure I our team can absolutely provide uh you know record of past participation that we've done okay thank you so much councilman Hugo sir you have the floor thanks mayor and thanks for the brief thanks for coming to us uh with your proposal it's encouraging that we have uh developer interested in working with us in uh in a collaborative relationship um so when in greenville we saw a mixed use parking garage I wonder if you all considered that in in the design I bring it up for a couple of reasons one the ground floor of the parking garage going to be facing the plaza be nice to uh have retail there instead of just cars two seems like mixed use uh could help us defer the cost of doing uh the the entire project by giving uh some some other sources of revenue to help pay and so I wondered if you had looked at that uh thought about it uh and and uh maybe would consider that so uh excuse me uh the city hall was actually uh excuse me the uh parking garage it is actually very advanced in design that was under a separate CIP that the city did for a replacement of the existing county street garage so we incorporated that existing design into our plans uh that design we we did have a slight tweak uh the original design showed the uh vehicular entrance where the middle street plaza is now um we felt from the idea of extending the middle street plaza as pedestrian only uh would create a safer condition there so we anticipate uh flipping the entr vehicular entrance to the garage but uh we did not sort of start from scratch with that design since the city had already invested and and that design was near 100 percent okay thank you mr carter sure you have the floor thank you mayor uh I just wanted to add a little bit of context to this uh about what this actually is what this is not that we're asking for this evening uh this is the conceptual proposed design from uh Ripley Heat Wall we really thank them and their team for being a part of this and bringing this to us for evaluation this is an evaluation and a due diligence phase not a get ready to bill phase we're requesting to negotiate an interim agreement uh that the that interim agreement will take us if we decide to move that port will take us through the 35% design of the building when we negotiate the interim agreement we'll bring it back to this council again for approval of the agreement before we move forward once we move forward should the council agree to move forward uh we'll work on getting to that 35% design at the 35% design is when we'll get some really hard and fast numbers about what it is that we've done any changes like what you're talking about if we need to incorporate changes those all the we're we'll do all those things then we'll evaluate what our options are as far as should we do this is there other things that we should do instead that's when that's when we'll work through all of those all of those different options that we have we'll get to the point then where we'll have some real hard and fast numbers about what this is actually going to cause right now all we have is projections what that process does is get us to the point where we know what this is going to cost how long it's gonna take who's going to be involved in the process.

Is there other things that we should do instead?

That's when that's when we'll work through all of those, all of those different options that we have.

We'll get to the point then where we'll have some real hard and fast numbers about what this is actually going to cost.

Right now, all we have is projections.

What that process does is get us to the point where we know what this is going to cost, how long it's going to take, who's going to be involved in the process.

What this is not is an approval or a final design.

We don't we we know what's been proposed.

We don't know what the final design is going to be.

This is not a guaranteed price.

We know what's been proposed.

We have no idea what the changes are going that we're going to work out together to come up with a design that's going to be built.

This is not an approval to finance anything.

This is only approval to work on getting to the point where we have enough information to make a good sound decision.

And this is not a commitment to build the city hall at this point.

This is the commitment only to see what we can do to get to the point where we know what we're going to really ask you guys for.

So I just want to put that a little bit of context so to let everybody know what we're what we're asking for tonight.

We're not asking to build the building you saw in the picture.

What we're asking for is the opportunity to negotiate with Ripley Heat Wall about what will it take to build the building that we need.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you, Manager Carter.

Vicemair Moody, you have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh, thanks for the presentation.

You know, I've been on council soon to be 28 years, and I guarantee you, in most of that 28 years, we've been talking about the need to get City Hall off the waterfront.

So there's been lots of discussion uh, even among the current council members at our retreat.

So this is uh if it comes to fruition, it it will indeed be a uh not only a dream come true, it'll be in the best interest of the city, as you mentioned in your presentation.

Uh we've got valuable taxable property uh uh as part of that 42 percent of non-taxable property that uh uh Mr.

Edwards, our assessor, went over earlier.

Uh my question, I know the uh outside design is conceptual uh design.

At what point will you uh have a uh interior uh uh so one of the slides did show the kind of floor plate of each floor, uh what that would look like.

The all of the design to date has been dictated by Clark Nexon's programming studies.

So they've done multiple studies uh with the city interviewing all the different departments, and that's what led us to the design that you see here.

Uh that would be part of the ongoing uh getting to that 35 percent design and cost standpoint would be re-engaging with all those departments, um presenting options uh to the city, their working group to evaluate and coming up with a design that works best for everyone, both on the interior and the exterior of the building.

And and the reason I ask uh obviously the exterior will be something admired by people driving by citizens, but the people who work in there uh that would be a concern of mine currently uh to do business, most citizens have to go up to numerous floors.

I would I would hope there's a lot of thought in making it more customer friendly by having a lot a lot of those departments uh uh on the even the first floor, uh certainly to be able to conduct business there so the uh uh physically challenged people won't won't have to uh ride elevators uh to be able to conduct business with the city.

But uh this is definitely need needed and uh has been discussion.

So uh yours is uh certainly one uh concept that uh we have before us, and uh look forward to uh the process proceeding.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Vice Mayor, and thank you, Mr.

Hibwell.

Thank you.

We do have a speaker uh for this particular item.

Our first speaker is Mr.

Gary Bahena.

Mr.

Bahena, if you will come forward, state your name and address.

You will have five minutes, sir.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor, Vice Mayor Moody, Council, City Manager, Attorney Challenger.

My name is Gary Vihena.

I live here in Old Town at 428 North Street.

Uh many of you know me for other reasons, mainly paddle battle and junior paddle battle.

But I occasionally try to make a cognitive point on something that actually is more important for our city, and this is one of those times.

What some of you may not know about me is what I used to do for a life before I just moved here.

For over 40 years, I represented developers.

I've done developments from both as a lawyer and as a financial advisor.

I've done developments as as small as $5 million.

I've done two, including one for a Federal agency that was valued at over $1 billion.

Bond financing.

That particular deal involved bond financing.

This used to be my bread and butter before I started just hanging out in Portsmouth and doing more fun things.

I've offered my services to the city for free.

To that point when we had the retreat.

Everybody went around that that Saturday and talked about what happened on Friday and what their takeaways were.

And I agreed completely with Mr.

Carter.

The big takeaway for everybody was get it done.

Some of you did that with a southern accent that I'm not going to try to mimic, but it's geeter done.

And what Mr.

Carter said, and what I agreed with was it's not just important to get it done, it's important to get it done right, to be deliberate about it, to get it done right the first time, because we're about to embark on the grand redevelopment of the City of Portsmouth.

And if we do something foolish, I'm telling you as somebody who lived and breathed and ate and went to bar mitzvahs and baptisms for lots of developers.

Sharks in the water, and you're you're the scum.

You're you're you're what they're going after.

So don't make that mistake.

To our point, some of you may remember we had an offer very similar to this back in 2018 and 2019 from Armada Hoffler.

Um this is a slightly better offer for the city in that we're getting fleeced less.

But Armada Hoffler's offer was they wanted the city to turn over the county street land for free.

They wanted the city to turn over the plaza here for free.

They were going to build you an office building, a city hall, a new garage, charge you full market rent for that garage that you just gave them the land for, charge you full market rent for the office building that you just gave them the land for.

And then when it was all done and you were done paying off their mortgage with our city tax dollars, they would sell you your property back at full market value.

I hear snickering, but you know what?

That's what this offer is, other than they're not asking you to give you the public safety building in City Hall for free.

I'm at a disadvantage from you.

I can only see what was shown to the public.

Um to the public is, in very clear language, they'd like you to give them, they're asking you, that's their proposal, to give you, give them the county street property for free.

They're going to own that property.

They're going to rent you that property at full fair market value, including the parking garage.

And then at the end of the day, you can buy it back for market.

We haven't made a lot of progress since 2018.

What I personally would ask you to do is to not move forward with the interim agreement until this issue is worked out.

I know that during the presentation, the work session presentation, Mr.

Donahue and Mr.

Carter implied that we would own the land.

That's not what the proposal says.

And as somebody who has done a lot of bond financing, that's not the way it would be done.

The person who is issuing the bonds is going to have to own the land because they're going to have to mortgage the property.

That's that kind of is a package.

That's the way we've done it before, but you know, in DC and Maryland and in Virginia.

I would ask you to not move forward.

But if you are, please make sure that in the months that you're working on the interim agreement, these points are addressed because we're going to look like fools if we pay for the land by giving it to them, if we pay for the land again by paying them rent, and if we pay for the land again by buying it back.

Thank you very much.

Our next speaker is Mr.

Mark Badaldi Yotrovski.

Mr.

Yetrovsky, if you would come forward, state your name and address.

You will have five minutes.

Good evening, Mayor, Council, and other neighbors.

So I spent a good portion of last week looking over the proposal that is on the city's website.

And there were a number of things that struck me about it.

The proposal that we're talking about at this moment.

But fifty-six pages of that presentation were not visible to me as a member of the public downloading from the link that was posted on the city's website.

And the reasons, proprietary information, trade secrets, principally, which meant that there was no financial statement of the proponents to look at.

The project description, 38 pages, the largest part of redaction, that wasn't there.

I mean, there were 38 pages of project description that were redacted.

Proposed schedule, I would think that's rather innocuous.

Two pages weren't there, and what was in the remainder of the document had nothing concrete in it.

Development, financing, and operation, one page, not there.

And assumptions of financial elements.

Two pages, not there.

And services.

Four females, all looking to be European American, and I saw no African American, I saw no Asian, I saw no other ethnic groups that would be readily identifiable by pigmentation in there.

Now at the end of the 73 pages that were accessible to the public, there was discussion of swam and reaching out to try to obtain minority contracting participation, and that's all well and good.

But the people driving the project, the people identified in the picture book section of the description, they all look kind of like you and me.

So how well can these folks reach out for minority participation?

I'm not sure.

I won't say it's not possible, but it's not the same as if you are integrated throughout the structure of the organization itself.

I'll leave it there for now.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Caitlin Serpa.

Caitlin Serpa.

Okay.

Once again, ladies and gentlemen, this is a public hearing.

If you wish to come and speak on this public hearing item, you're not required to have signed up.

However, if you come forward and speak on this item, you will state your name and address, and you will have five minutes.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of council, city manager, and staff.

I am Lisa Lucasberg, former Vice Mayor of the City of Portsmouth and a resident of 1541 Rotunda Road in the City of Portsmouth.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak regarding the unsolicited proposal to construct a new city hall and parking garage.

And thank you to Ripley Heatwell for their presentation and overview.

As our city considers the long-term priorities, it is important that we carefully evaluate both the potential benefits and concerns associated with the USP.

The potential advantage of building a new city hall, a modern municipal building can improve operational efficiency and accessibility for residents who rely on city services.

A new facility may allow for departments to be consolidated, improve technology infrastructure, and create a more functional environment environment for the public and city employees, one of which I am a former employee.

Construction of a new civics building can serve as a symbolic and economic catalyst.

In other cities, a well-designed government center has helped to stimulate nearby development, attract private investment, and reinforce a sense of civic pride.

If the proposed proposal includes innovative financing structures such as public-private partnerships, it may offer opportunities to reduce upfront public capital costs while leveraging private investment.

However, there are also significant considerations and potential drawbacks that deserve careful review.

One of the most important concerns is financial impact.

When USPs are presented as privately initiated long-term lease agreements, financing obligations or operational costs may ultimately commit taxpayers to substantial future expenditures, as we have previously seen in the downtown tunnel tax deal, which continues to burden residents with increases for the next 40 plus years.

Transparency regarding the full life cycle cost of the project is essential before any decisions should be made.

Another consideration of opportunity is opportunity cost.

Our city currently faces major priorities, including a need for transformational waterfront development that can drive economic growth, expand the tax base, create jobs, and attract future residents and visitors.

To ensure fairness and transparency and the best value for the public, the city should consider whether uh an open solicitation process or feasibility study would allow multiple concepts and financing approaches to be evaluated.

A good approach would be to open the RFP process within 90 to 100 days following the initial USP process to ensure a uh fairness and opportunity to other potential developers while giving priority points, priority points to the USP group for their initial desire to invest in our city.

Finally, there's a matter of location and long-term planning.

A new city hall could align with the city's comprehensive development plan, and I believe the site that has been proposed might be a good one.

In closing, the proposal may represent an opportunity, but it also raises important questions.

The responsibility is to ensure that every major investment reflects sound fiscal stewardness and advances of the future we all envision for our city.

Thank you for your intent for your attention and your consideration.

Thank you, ma'am.

Once again, this is a public hearing.

Anyone who would like to come and speak on this public hearing item can do so.

If you come forward, state your name and address, you will have five minutes.

Hi.

Hello.

My name is Ariana McCoy.

I live at 3718 Newport Avenue in Norfolk.

I support the relocation of City Hall from four perspectives as an urban planner and architect in training, a former Craddock resident, and a former business owner in Portsmouth at 3505 Western Branch Boulevard.

Portsmouth downtown and waterfront are among the city's most important assets.

The city's own planning framework calls for walkability, mixed use activity, and downtown vibrancy.

Relocating City Hall better aligns a major public function with that vision.

It also frees valuable waterfront land now occupied by a tax-exempt government use that is neither the highest nor best use of the land.

That matters from a planning and fiscal standpoint.

And the city's February 9th presentation states that moving City Hall would reclaim valuable waterfront real estate and open the door to tax generating redevelopment, tourism, cultural activity, and a more publicly accessible shoreline.

In addition, in addition to moving departments and offices, it's also about using one of Portsmouth's most valuable sites in a way that creates greater long-term public benefit.

As a former business owner, I understand that civic investment sends a signal.

Public buildings shape foot traffic, confidence, and momentum.

A well-placed civic hub can support nearby businesses, improve the downtown experience, and attract investment.

If the current site is redeveloped well, it can expand the tax base in a way a tax exempt municipal use cannot.

From an architectural perspective, civic buildings should express clarity, dignity, accessibility, and trust.

And if the current city hall has real functional and accessibility deficiencies, relocation is an opportunity to create a civic building that better serves residents and staff.

Supporting relocation does not, does not mean ignoring due diligence, but the core planning idea or ideas are sound.

Move a limited public use off a high value waterfront site, strengthen the downtown core, and create the potential for long-term public and fiscal benefit.

Portsmouth should not be using some of its most valuable waterfront land in a way that limits both public potential and fiscal return when there is a real opportunity to create a more effective civic hub and unlock broader long-term benefits for the city.

And I encourage that council move forward.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Once again, this is a public hearing.

If you want to come speak on this item, come forward, state your name and address.

You will have five minutes.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of Council, Mr.

Manager, staff.

My name is Fred Pasquin.

I'm a resident at 370 Middle Street in Portsmouth.

I am also the uh president and CEO of Fair Lead.

I've been in that role since 2017.

We're a company based in Portsmouth.

As I told you, I'm a resident of the old town community and neighborhood, been there since uh 2020, and since about 1245 yesterday afternoon, I'm also the president of the Portsmouth Partnership.

That just happened yesterday.

And the the Portsmouth Partnership is a group of business leaders, community leaders that look towards the good of this community.

In 2019, Fairley made a decision to purchase this facility behind us at Wavy Street, 12 and a half acre yacht repair facility.

And we had learned on a Wednesday afternoon that Ocean Marine and Yacht Center was having some financial challenges.

And myself and a small team looked at that facility on Thursday.

We met with its president, Mr.

Jim Bento at the time on Friday, had breakfast with him on Saturday, and on Monday at 2 o'clock, had a discussion with its owners, Suntex Marinas, and at 2009 that afternoon, nine minutes into the conversation, we had an agreement to purchase a facility in five days because sometimes duration is the risk.

Sometimes moving things in what we know to be is the right direction is the right move.

It's an intelligent risk, and I appreciated the manager articulating what is going to happen from here.

I'm also uh a member of the Board of Directors for Tidewater Community College.

And in that role, I've had the pleasure of working with Mr.

Justin Ballard, which I think many of you have met with MEB.

And I can tell you he's a man of competence and character.

And I've been in their in their war room at their facility in Virginia Beach and see the disciplines that they exercise and the developments and the quality that they exercise and their developments.

And I just want to commend what they've done here.

They've taken a risk.

They've said duration is the risk.

They've made investment.

I wasn't aware of uh how many meetings they've had with the city to put the floor plan together until tonight, but you see the diligence that has been done.

And so I just come to you to commend the vision that this council has had.

Similar to City Council, there has been discussions about the jail.

And everyone could agree that wasn't the best location for the jail.

I think what you're what you are asking tonight and what you're demonstrating to even evaluate this, I suspect some of you are going to miss this view.

This is a nice view.

The view at County Street is not going to be as nice.

Fairlead has our home office on the corner of Crawford and High Street.

We have a lot of employees who park in the parking lot that would be developed.

We're going to miss that parking lot if we move forward with this.

But that we're willing to make that sacrifice because we see it as a superior use of this waterfront and of that parking lot.

So I just ask you, look at the goodwill that this team has put forward.

Look at what they've done, look at the vision, ask yourself, why not now?

Why not this council?

Why would we not proceed with this?

What is in our way?

What leadership do we have that can ensure all the risks that have been brought up can be mitigated, and this is a best development for the city.

Duration is a risk.

So is not getting it right.

We often on a teeter-totter, we put all the technical aspects way ahead of the time, and I'd say don't fall to that temptation.

Private companies can move with alacrity and make big decisions in five days.

Do the same.

So thank you.

Thank you, sir.

This is a public hearing.

If you wish to come speak on this item, state your name and address.

You will have five minutes.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, City Council members, and of course, our city manager and city staff.

My name is Tony Goodwin.

I reside in the historic section of the Parkview neighborhood here in old and in downtown.

And like many have said before, we've obviously taken a lot of interest in this concept.

And of course, as Mr.

Bahina said, this is nothing new in this location because of the Amara Hoffler proposal that also came to the same site.

You know, a little history as I always like to bring in here for context and understanding we are looking at it at this frame of getting into the interim agreement.

But you know, City Hall in Portsmouth uh was not necessarily City Hall for a long time.

It was town hall behind in the parking lot directly behind the 1846 courthouse until temporarily it moved into the Seaboard Railroad Station, which is number one high street just down the street, temporarily, until, of course, a new city hall and it could be established.

And most of this actually on this waterfront, everybody always talks about why would we build municipal buildings and non-taxable properties on the waterfront?

Well, they had to condemn all the CD bars that were down here and railroad property and everything else.

And when we didn't have a seawall, this was not very desirable property.

So hence the reason we have city buildings on property that we had to condemn and take for the public good.

That's the reason we're here.

Now, fast forward to this building being built in the late 870s, early 80s, the building is less than 50 years old, and we know as citizens, and a lot of you up here know this building has not lived a very healthy life.

You know, back when the building was covered in bricks and the bricks were literally falling off at fifth floor, sixth floor, and down onto the plaza, the building was falling apart for whatever reason, if it was maintenance or if it was just not built the proper way.

We've obviously spent a lot of money in this building.

That's beside the point, it needs to be replaced, it's tired.

We know that.

And where we put it is very, very important.

But I also caution you in saying that if we put it in downtown and we want to think big and we want to have vision, I think having a city hall that's so much smaller than a massive parking garage just across the Middle Street Mall might be something to think about and say, okay, listen, they're building buildings, and as I shared with a couple of you on council, buildings whereas parking is actually in the first and to the maybe fifth or sixth floor, and the city hall building is actually on top, but it looks like one 12-story building.

That may be a savings if you think about how they are building construction now.

Whereas you elevate the building, you create prominence.

The city actually owns, of course, and some of you may not know, the city owns two out of the three buildings of Guardian Court, which is directly across the street from this property.

Whereas, of course, Easy Pass and the uh ERC is is housed as a tenant to that property owner, but otherwise the city owns the dispatch building, and of course, the Detective Bureau, and we're moving all those guys, I hope, to a new so public safety complex, which will be vacant at some point in time.

So, what I'm suggesting is we can actually create another civic complex as a feature to what we're talking about building here at this particular site where you're proposing to build City Hall.

Now, take into consideration these are only just concepts and things that you just think about as you're going through your process, but also take into consideration that this one particular parcel is actually in the historic district.

The side where you're proposing to build the parking garage is not.

So when you looking at the aesthetic features of the exterior of the building when it comes to the architect making a design, they need to take those situations in control in consideration as well.

You're asking the citizens to build new buildings that would infill into historic districts.

We also need to do the same thing for city buildings.

And I believe when I was on the uh downtown design commission, is when the children's museum went through and we tried to say, hey, we don't like neon lights on the outside or LED lights.

Well, it was outside the historic district, really didn't have a voice.

But we have this property, and it will be in an historic district.

So take that into consideration too under the design process if we get to that point.

But again, I think what's more importantly uh more important in my conversation or my comments tonight is that consider the multi-level facility parking and realize that when you do open up this waterfront development for building, there'll probably be about a thousand to two thousand car parking garage built with it by a private developer.

So you will have parking probably exceeding what you were actually build right behind the children's museum.

So just take that into consideration when you're thinking about how much it's going to cost, and of course, how much the design has form and function.

That's what's key.

But thank you very much for taking and spearheading this under this direction of council and leadership.

It's an exciting time for Portsmouth for many, many reasons, and I'm looking forward to being part of that as well.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Anyone else do we come and speak on this public hearing item?

Seeing none, this public hearing item is closed.

We will be voting on both those public hearing items in the consent agenda.

Our next item 26 das 71.

Public hearing items on use permit applications.

Item A, UP Des 25-16.

And Madam Clerk, would you please read the resolution we are considering for this item?

Resolution granted the request of community housing partners for a use permit to construct multifamily dwellings at approximately 2.3 combined acres located at 2216 and 2220 Laudron Avenue in the multifamily urban residential zoning district.

The properties are owned by Portsmouth Acton Square LP.

The future land use map of the Bill 1 Portsmouth comprehensive plan designates this property for low to medium density single family residential.

Planning commission recommends an approval with conditions and the resolution reads a resolution granting a use permit to community housing partners corporation to construct and operate a two-building multifamily dwelling development having not to exceed 39 total dwelling units at 2216 and 2220 Wadron Avenue.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Is the applicant present?

You will come forward, sir, state your name and address.

You will have 10 minutes.

Good afternoon.

My name is Milo Pfeffer.

I am an affordable housing developer in uh uh Christiansburg, Virginia is where our company is based at 448 Depot Street, Northeast, Christiansburg, Virginia.

Um we are requesting an extension or I guess a new adoption of this conditional use permit.

We are facing delays at the site that were unforeseen.

Uh as part of the package, I believe you saw that there is a uh geotechnical report that was conducted um earlier or later last year, which revealed some unforeseen conditions at the site, which required us to conduct additional work, specifically surcharging, which will need to be done, and that would put us past the deadline for the use permit which we are under right now of July of this year to have footers in the ground.

Um there are no uh changes to the proposed plans since we initially submitted them in 2023.

And if you have any questions about the site, I'm happy to answer them.

And thank you very much for your time.

Thank you, sir.

Are any questions from my colleagues on council?

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a public hearing.

If you wish to come and speak on this public hearing item, you will come forward, state your name and address.

You will have five minutes.

Seeing none, this public hearing item is closed.

Council members.

We're in need of a motion and a second.

Over the option.

Second.

Any additional discussion on this item?

Seeing none, please vote electronically.

This item has been adopted 7-0.

Our next item, item B, UP-25-17.

Yeah, Madam Clerk, would you please read the rebel resolution that we are considering for this item?

Resolution granting the request of C Nesbet for a use permit for the development of three townhouse units on approximately approximately 0.16 acres located at 1607 Prentice Avenue in the multifamily urban residential zoning district.

The future land use map of the Bill 1 Postmas comprehensive plan designates this property for mixed residential uses.

Planning commission recommends approval with conditions, and the resolution reads a resolution granting a use permit to see Nesbet to construct three townhouse units at 1607 Prentice Avenue.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Is the applicant present?

You would come forward, sir, state your name and address.

You will have five minutes.

Thank you.

Good evening, City Council.

My name is Irving Henderson, and I'm the designer on this project.

Good evening.

My name is Curtis Nesbitt.

I'm the owner.

Thank you for listening to us about this project here.

Umce again, I'm here with the owner, Mr.

Nesbitt.

Mr.

Nesbitt isn't just a developer, he's also the former a former residence of Princess Avenue.

He used to live directly next door to the proposed town homes, town home site, and wants to bring a new uplifting design to his former neighborhood.

Mr.

Nesbitt currently lives in the old town in Old Town Portsmouth.

He has a real relationship with the neighborhood and the people that lives in this neighborhood.

In my 20 years of being a um designer, this is the first time I ever work with a developer who's actually from the neighborhood.

So it's very refreshing to be in this situation with Mr.

Nesbitt here.

We are offering to the community three new single family townhomes.

These townhomes were designed with large families in mind.

Each unit would have four bedrooms and two and a half baths.

Each unit would have a true front yard.

Most townhomes don't, and plenty of backyard space.

Some townhomes almost sit directly on the sidewalk, only a couple of feet from the sidewalk.

These townhomes will be sit will sit 30 feet from the sidewalk, given plenty of front yard space for the new owners and a sense of privacy as well.

Each unit will have their two all-street parkings for each unit.

This will also allow for current street traffic not to be affected by asking for forgiveness to put parking onto the street.

With Mr.

Nesbitt being from this community, he has firsthand knowledge of what type of design would work seamlessly seamlessly with the community and with the existing homes as well.

Did you did you provide any slides, sir?

Um the representative from zoning said slides will be provided.

So manager Carter, you you wanna take that Ms.

Russell.

Do you have a slide presentation for the gentleman here?

We we do.

It appears that there's a perhaps a problem with the projection.

Um we might need to pull up our PowerPoint and remove the other one.

Okay, we'll take we'll take a moment, we'll work it out.

It's it's okay.

No rush.

We'll pause your 10 minutes.

Appreciate that.

Ha!

I'm finished anyway, but okay.

That's that's the West Craddock one.

So okay.

Here we go.

There we go.

There we go.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Gentlemen, you may you may continue.

Um, yeah, I just want to talk about the slides.

Um, so as you see, this is the overall view, the satellite view of the neighborhood.

Um, Mr.

Nesby used to live next right next door at 16 what?

1615.

1615.

So he's from this neighborhood, and he's trying to reinvest back into his neighborhood.

Um next slide, please.

This is the elevation view of it.

And he used to live to the right.

Yeah, the house to the right that used to be his neighborhood.

I mean his uh his home.

Okay, next slide, please.

Once again, that's just the street view of the neighborhood.

Plenty of all-street parking, but we don't have to worry about that because we have um plenty of on-street parking, but we don't have to worry about that because we will be providing all street parking.

Um, next slide, please.

These are some of the homes that's in the neighborhood.

We try to follow those type of homes where they have a gable in the front or like a reverse gable on the side.

Um, so we went with the same design.

Next slide, please.

Okay, next slide, please.

Okay, so these are the homes here with the gable set on the side.

We have a front porch.

Um, we made sure we didn't do too much slab in the front, just enough concrete slab for parking and grass just to keep the water um stormwater from rushing onto the street, and just to give the new owners a sense of home with grass in the front for their dogs or whatever else they want to use.

Uh we have front porch as well.

All right, next slide, please.

That's the overall view showing the grass in the front, showing the parking.

Um, the one in the middle we did the back to back because the one in the middle is only 17.

It's been changed wide.

Each space need to be nine feet wide, so we didn't have enough to do the side by side, so we went um we stacked them in the middle, um, which I actually like because it opened up the uh the area more with more grass.

Uh next slide, please.

And that's just some more.

Well, the dimensions are cut off on this one, but on the left-hand side we had some dimensions on it just to show the overall height of each one.

Um, first level nine feet, tall for the ceiling height, and then other two um are eight feet.

Okay, next slide, please.

Side view.

We do have um decking in the back, um, a deck in the back for them to enjoy.

And like I said, we have the gable on the side, similar to the other problem houses that's already in the neighborhood.

Okay, next slide.

And that's the rear, showing the balconies in the rear, sliding door.

We're gonna have a patio and in the back, plenty of space in the back.

Gonna have it fenced off as well.

Uh next slide.

That's some more views, just giving you an idea of how it's gonna look.

Like I said, once again, the townhomes would be sitting 30 feet from the front, I mean 30 feet from the sidewalk.

So sometimes these new developments kind of sit directly onto the street almost, which I think are assholes.

Um, so we definitely pushed them back far enough to to not uh to impose on any neighbors or to stick out like a sore thumb.

So we would definitely push them back far enough to not uh to impose on any neighbors or just stick out like a sort of uh next slide, please.

And that's pretty much it.

We have a floor plan too.

I don't see it coming up.

Uh yeah, the floor plan wasn't included.

Um, but like I said, it's gonna be um well unless it's some more slides you could keep going.

That's that it's it okay.

Um four bedrooms and two and a half baths, so pretty big for families in that area, and that's it for me.

Okay, all right.

Thank you for listening.

Thank you.

Thank you both.

Um, are there any questions from my colleagues on council?

Seeing none, I do want to say to the both of you, um, we appreciate uh the city of Portsmouth uh when folks like yourselves, particularly Mr.

Nesbitt having lived in the community, come back to make a commitment to our community.

Um it's certainly something that we encourage others to do, and we're appreciative of the fact that you uh participating in that type of redevelopment in our communities.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a public hearing.

You uh are not required to have signed up to speak on this item.

If you come forward, state your name and address, you will have five minutes.

Seeing none, this public hearing is closed.

Council members, we in need of a motion and a second.

Move adoption.

Second, any additional discussion?

Seeing none, please vote electronically.

This item has been adopted 7-0.

Thank you.

That concludes our public hearing items.

We're now moving on to our item.

Well, city managers report consent agenda item 26-72.

And um, do we have a well we do have a public speaker?

We do have a speaker for this item.

Excuse me.

Would you want me to read the items first and then yes, yes?

Item A, adoption of an ordinance accepting funding in the amount of 33,235 dollars from the Virginia Crisis Intervention Team Coalition and appropriating said funds in the FY2026 behavior health care service fund for use in furtherance of the post-month crisis intervention program.

In ordinance accepting, I mean item B, an ordinance accepting 4,250,000 from the state general fund and appropriate set amount in the sewer pump station improvements project in the FY 2026 capital improvement fund budget for sanitary sewer pump station upgrades.

Item C a resolution authorizing the North Redevelopment and Housing Authority to provide and administer project-based vouchers and and sale apartments in accordance with section 36-23 of the code of Virginia and item D, a resolution authorizing the negotiation of an interim agreement pursuant to the city hall parking garage PPA proposal.

Thank you, madam clerk, and we do have a registered speaker for the consent agenda, and that is Mark Adoldi Yotrovsky.

Sir, if you would come forward, state your name and address.

So Mayor, Council, and other neighbors.

That was not clear to me from the material in the agenda.

Uh it is reasonable to go down this path.

Um clearly, this old building isn't what it used to be.

We're pretty close to it.

And uh it's probably weathered the ensuing slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, at least as well as I have, if not better.

Um, we're still able to sit here, talk here, carry on some business here.

It's not falling down around our ears.

So the folks who put it together in the first place, and those who have maintained it diligently in the interim.

But we are in a new era, and in public buildings, uh 50 years and more is a very long time.

It's not like your house, it's not like my house.

There are people coming and going at all hours and in larger numbers than we could ever accommodate in our homes.

So it is fitting and proper for us to seek out alternatives to living with this relic of the past, this old house.

Um if the 35 percent design reveals the answers to some of those holes in the presentation along the way, uh, that's a benefit to the public as well to see where we are going, what it's really going to cost us, and what the benefits and and liabilities are.

So I'm in favor of this.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Council members, we are in need of a motion and a second.

Move adoption.

Second.

Any additional discussion?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Councilman Tilly, sir.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, first of all, I want to just um have city manager if you could just uh clarify um the process in which the you know we received the unsolicited bid and then it was opened up to the public, correct?

Absolutely.

Okay, so the and it was open up for how long the requirement was to be open four to five days, but I think we were open well about 60 days, so we exceeded what was required.

Gotcha.

So once once the city received it, we did open it up for up for opportunity for other developers and businesses to submit as well.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Um, and then my last point is I just want to um mention that early the city manager mentioned that the vote for 20-m excuse me, 26-72 is to solely allow him and his professional staff to be able to move forward with the negotiation of an interim agreement.

Uh, with that being said, um, as negotiations commence, um, I want to be very clear that I expect um uh minority and women-owned businesses to be top priority um in this development.

Uh we are a majority minority city, and this project must reflect that of this community.

Um I'm looking more I'm looking forward to more than just good faith efforts, and I expect to see a plan that is robust and meaningful for minority and women-owned businesses all across all phases of the development.

Our city's investment should directly benefit our local uh diverse economy, and I look forward to seeing how this team intends to meet those expectations throughout the negotiation phase with specific meaningful percentage goals as we move forward.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Any other comments from our colleagues?

We have a motion and a second.

No additional discussion, please vote electronically.

This item has been adopted 7-0.

Well, the consent agenda has been adopted 7-0.

Thank you, madam clerk.

Next, we will move to our next agenda item new business, item 26-73, boards and commissions.

And Councilman Hugo, do we have any boards and commission?

Uh we have no board and commission business this evening, Mayor.

Thank you, sir.

Next item, item 26-74.

Items submitted by council members.

Are there any items submitted?

Councilman Dotson, sir.

You have the floor.

Thank you, sir.

Um, at previous meetings we've discussed um and audit position that we took off the pillars, and I'd love to have a robust discussion on how we solve that problem uh brought brought to our agenda in the future.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Any other items?

Councilwoman Thomas, so you have the floor.

Yes, thank you.

Um, I just want to say I I agree with that um to bring that.

I know we have other positions we are looking into right now, but I think we I would like to also see that added to our next agenda if we can get that discussion going or our next work session item.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other items submitted by council members, councilwoman Bryant, ma'am.

Thanks, Mayor.

Um, thank you to the Heat Wall Partners for being here tonight and bringing your presentation.

Looking forward to continued discussion as we look ahead to development along the waterfront.

Um, as we saw tonight for Mr.

Edwards' presentation, we know it's significant for us to use this property wisely.

Um also thank you to Mr.

Nesbitt for bringing his project before us.

Very excited for him and for that to move forward.

Um wanted to thank our schools.

Many of us spent this last week reading across America, and it's always a wonderful opportunity for us to visit our schools to be amongst the children and to promote that message of lifelong learning.

So thank you to our school partners for inviting us in and allowing us to share that day with you all.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Thomas, ma'am, you have the floor.

Yes, thank you, uh Mayor.

Uh something I forgot to mention for our for an upcoming work session request as well.

Um, you know, we talked a lot about our MWBE.

Uh Mr.

Carter, you have updated us before about the hiring of an MD MWBE, I believe, program manager.

Can we get some more information about how not just for the city hall development, but just our all our future development, continue to make sure that that pillar and importance is a part of these future conversations with development.

Just an update of how that program is moving along, how it's being incorporated in our city processes, so that we continue to keep an eye on MWBE involvement as well.

So thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Uh, if you look in your um report back, well, not the report back, but the monthly report, there's always something in there about the status of that.

But if you want something in particular, we absolutely can bring that in.

Yes, I and I did see that I appreciate always appreciate your very detailed reports, uh, Mr.

Carter.

But I'm just looking to make sure that we have a better understanding of throughout our processes as we evaluate future CIP future development, how that continues to be at the forefront, and just the overall um briefing would be helpful, I think, as a council on where we stand with that.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Our next item is report on pending items.

Mr.

Carter, item 26.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh check emills.

Uh Miss Uh Hog is going to send you the report back.

Uh it was my fault.

Uh, didn't get through it today.

There's some events that happened in City Hall that kind of kind of took me away from being able to approve that.

But I finally got that approved and back to her, so she's got she's emailed those things to you.

So thank you again for that.

And thank you, Ms.

Hogan.

Next item, item 26-76.

Non-agenda speakers.

Madam Clerk, would you please read the non-agenda speaker item?

Council Burning.

I mean, read the speaker statement.

City Council rules require a limit of up to five minutes to speak.

As you approach the speaker's podium, you would notice a timer.

At the beginning of your five minutes, you will see a green light for minutes into your remarks.

You will notice a yellow light.

And then in the five minutes, you will see a red light, hear a beep, and we ask that you conclude your comments at that time.

While speakers have an opportunity to address council on matters of public concern, all comments should be made in a manner that respects the seriousness of the forum and should not be made in a belligerent sarcastic or demeaning fashion.

All remarks shall be directed to the city council as a body rather than to any particular member of City Council, staff or the audience, and should be limited to matters that only the Portsmouth City Council can influence.

A speaker who fails to observe this basic rule of decorum decorum will be deemed out of order and not allowed to conclude his her comments.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Our first speaker tonight, Lindsay Jones.

Lindsay Jones, if you would come forward, state your name and address.

You will have five minutes.

Good evening, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh Members of City Council and uh Portsmouth Citizens.

My name is Lindsay Jones.

I live at 1603 Barron Street in the West Parkview section of Portsmouth.

I've lived in West Park here for the past 25 years.

I'm here tonight to speak about the Oak Grove slash Portlock Cemetery, the brick wall which runs along Pennsylvania Avenue, as well as the condition of the iron fencing along London Boulevard.

All of you should have received a package from me about a month ago.

Mr.

Carter, I apologize if I have not given you a copy.

I will make sure that you get one.

When I first moved here, the gates on Peninsula Avenue were locked at night, but have not been locked, done so for the last few years.

Therefore, allowing dumping of trash, vandalism of markers, as well as illicit sexual activities in the cemetery.

I have for years brought this concern to the community league.

I have the full agreement and unanimous sort of the West Parkfield Community League members concerning this urgent need to maintain the structure as well as the cemetery on the whole.

A brief note.

The wall has been in need of repair, pointing up as well as some reconstruction of one of the columns in order to maintain its integral strength for some time.

That time okay.

Should this wall be removed, from what I understand, a new metal wall is being considered to replace it.

Should this occur, the result is the neighborhood will become just another visual open space.

The cost of removing the wall and placing a new iron one will be more expensive than restoration.

The wall at present creates a feeling of security and peace for the residents of West Parkview, and this is a very mixed neighborhood, and all the people there like one another, as well as the parts of Portview.

An additional benefit to the wall is to stabilize property values in both neighborhoods.

A visual reminder of the importance of this cemetery to the public in general is the number of markers that have and flowers that have been placed on that regularly over the past number of years.

The cemetery may be considered to be the western border of the city of Portsmouth and is reinforced by the wall's construction in the 1850s.

Portsmouth relies for a considerable amount of its revenue from tourists, local, regional, national, and international tourists as well.

This is and this is in part due to the age and importance of our national story as well as the international reputation of Goshport Shipyard and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Interred in the cemetery are representatives from all of the armed forces from the Civil War to present of all races.

It is well documented that two congressmen and three Medal of Otter winners are interred there.

It is my understanding that the property maintenance of the cemetery is a city responsibility.

We hope the city will also adhere to the code of enforcement standards as set forth in February.

It is my hope that those citizens of West Parkview that the wall be maintained in a manner befitting the status as a historical structure and a reminder to all its citizens of our collective and combined history.

I thank you very much.

Thank you, sir.

Councilman Dodson, sir, you have the floor.

Thank you, sir.

Um I wanted to remind everybody that my ancestry in the city goes back further than most people in this room.

And many of my ancestors are buried in the cemetery.

I'd love some attention to be paid for be paid to it.

Thank you, sir.

Um councilman Moody, sir.

Vicemor Moody, you have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Mayor.

The the wall of the cemetery certainly has historic value.

I don't think we should sit idle and just let the wall continue to deteriorate.

With that said, uh uh, Mr.

Manager, perhaps uh you can come back with council with some options uh and even some cost uh of repair repairing the wall uh ver versus uh replacing it.

Uh uh I would hope that we could uh repair it since it does have historic value.

So uh hopefully you can get back with us uh on some remedies.

I have some sauce in the Thomas.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Mr.

Sergi O'Neill.

Mr.

Neil, if you would come forward, state your name and address.

You will have five minutes.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor members of council.

I'm Sergey O'Neill.

I was at it 2101 Nashville Avenue here in the city of Portsmouth.

So we know uh the seasons are ready to change.

It's getting warmer outside, thank God.

I think our kids are more excited than anybody here.

But I think we must be proactive as we approach the spring and summer seasons.

As we can look to our neighboring cities, such as in Virginia Beach to see what happened this past weekend at the ocean front.

I don't think we should stand by and be idle and wait until something like that happens here in Portsmouth.

I understand that we have a good robust spring break program that Parks and Rec is working very, very hard to put together for this for the youth for spring break.

However, I would like to see more programming that engages our youth throughout the rest of the year.

Because keep in mind that violence knows no season.

And to our city as a whole to say that spring break or summer break, whenever break is enough focus on the problem at hand, on the issue at hand.

I'm a person about solutions.

And to really, really take that session and hear directly from them as to what our youth would like to see going forward in this city.

Because if you think about tonight, there were a lot of projects being discussed, you know, moving city hall, some new houses coming around, townhomes being developed.

But what do we have coming for our youth to really look forward to?

So I I would hope that in that session that there's a real attention to what our youth would like to see come up for our city.

Because remember, those the kids that we have now will be the adults of the future of this city, and they will inherit whatever we start planning for them now, whatever initiatives we start putting forth for them now.

So let's be mindful of their voice and their opinions when we are looking to the overall growth of the city because I, you know, I feel like that at the end of the day, they are the youth are as valuable just like as any adult in this room.

They come um with a lot of different ideas.

They come with a lot of you know creativity.

You know, some of us, you know, we are old school methods, you know.

I'm I'm a I'm probably one of those two, you know, just because of the people I will raise around.

But you know, I'm always open to listening to our youth and to see we know where their mind um, what their mindset is and see like what do they really want to have come of Portsmouth because I can tell you know, being a person that has lived across Hampton Roads and even out of state before and then come back to Portsmouth.

I would say, you know, there's something there has to be something to draw to keep our youth here.

You know, we want to grow, like we want to really grow.

We want to be, you know, a bigger city than what we are.

Like we want to have as many people here as we can.

However, the opportunity has to be there.

Any, you know, any person, you know, up and coming in the world, always looks for where the opportunities are the closest, and they they grow their roots there.

People that are, you know, growing family, you know, starting families or whatever, they're looking for what opportunities are around.

So, you know, let's let's really you know hone in on those opportunities and see what our youth have to say and what they would like to see.

Um closing, I would like to say this.

I really think that you know we have you know, there's a lot of good youth initiatives across the city that are up that are going on right now by way of Portsmouth United and some other programs.

I think the city really really I I like what you know has been come of promoting that, but we really need to promote that even more to really let people know, because people still ask, what is Portsmouth United?

Some people don't even know how the grants work.

And when that starts to come out, then you know, of course, the misinformation starts of how the grants work with Portsmouth United, you know, put out misinformation of people abusing those grants funds.

So I would think that if we could do anything, let us hone in on those opportunities to really educate people what these programs really entail.

Thank you.

And Mr.

Neil, before I open it up for questions, you are aware that the Portsmouth United program meets every Thursday at the Welcome Center.

Are you aware of that?

Yes, sir.

And you can encourage your friends and others to join you in that in that place so that they can be informed and updated.

So that's a good point that you make.

Thank you very much.

Yes.

Councilwoman Bryant, ma'am.

You have the floor.

Thanks, Mayor.

And thank you, Mr.

Neil.

You've brought up lots and lots of great points, and I want you to know that we are having conversations about youth involvement and have specifically, you know, shared some of your thoughts about the youth being the future of the city, and it's important to have them involved.

And I was fortunate to attend the Portsmouth United meeting on Thursday and was glad to see it was a very full room.

There was a lot of conversation about Peace Week.

So I'm glad you brought this to us because it's a good opportunity to remind everyone that Peace Week is the Portsmouth United initiative to keep kids engaged and safe during spring break.

They are in the planning process now, finalizing plans.

This is separate from the parks programs, but this is free programming for kids, and they also have released a new app for easier access to information.

So if you have a smartphone, you can find the app in your app store.

It's called Portsmouth Buzz, like a B buzz.

Portsmouth United is still a new department for us program for us.

So we're always encouraging people to come to those meetings and to share the word.

So it's always good to talk about it.

Thank you for reminding us to bring that information forward tonight.

Thank you, Mr.

Neal.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Vice Mayor Moody, so you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Councilwoman Bryant uh actually uh covered it uh very well.

I was at the uh same uh Portsmouth United meeting uh this past week.

I was really surprised at the turnout and also with the engagement from the folks that were there.

Uh it sounds like to me they're planning along with Peace Week, uh they're really focused on activities uh for the youth, and including uh uh basketball, uh, and and I think even some uh youth teams.

So uh it was uh it was a good experience.

Uh Ms.

Matthews did a great job engaging the uh folks that were there.

It is a new program uh Portsmouth United to the city, so I think we're gonna be seeing even uh uh more uh good things uh uh for our youth uh coming out of that organization.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Vice Mayor and Councilwoman Thomas, ma'am.

You have the floor.

Yes, thank you.

I won't be long, but thank you, Mr.

Neil, for coming to speak about the youth and just making sure we keep them at the forefront as we continue to you know do development across the city, do different programmings, and uh councilwoman Bryant laid out just some of the great things that Portsmouth United has coming up, so it's as well as Vice Mayor Moody.

Um, but one thing that we did discuss um at our previous work session today, um, what where's additional CIP projects and in that project list just for the public that didn't have a chance to see, um, was potential for the our vision for the sportsplex?

Um, and knowing that you know, we we talked about it several retreats ago, the need for an aquatic center, and so to develop and have more activities um at that particular sportsplex site for the youth.

So that's in our vision is on the you know, in our CIP briefing that we received today.

Um, so we have not lost um vision for that, and I think it's important that um we all continue to as we're developing the waterfront, as we're talking about city hall development, as we're talking about you know, future investment for a new K-8 school, New Churchill Middle School, though we also talk about the reinvestment in our communities so that our kids continue to have access to those activities.

So, thank you for just Frank coming to the talk to speak on that today.

But I wanted to let you know that's something that we just discussed at our earlier session.

Um specifically asked, like, hey, is this sportsplex that's in in here for that future aquatic center?

So thank you.

Next speaker, David Whitfield, Mr.

Whitfield.

If you would come forward, state your name and address.

You will have five minutes.

How are you doing?

My name is David Whitfield.

Uh, I am here to raise concern about Miss Julia Spicer, the records chief coordinator for sir.

Excuse me.

Under our rules, uh, we don't we don't call out individuals.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Okay, we don't call out individuals.

If you want to speak to a specific concern, you have every right to do that.

However, this council does not have any jurisdiction, or we do not have any control over legal matters.

Understood.

This is the same thing.

So I'm I'm just prefacing you.

If that's what you're gonna talk about, then you need to change the direction.

If you don't change the direction, I'm gonna have to ask you to respectfully take a seat.

This isn't about any legal matters.

Okay, go ahead, sir.

You have the floor.

FOIA um request forms that I've turned in about a situation and a uh the misconduct on our and an officer misconduct report.

There are multiple on um this incident happened on October the 5th, and it happened at 1015 Broad Street.

Um I am here trying to make awareness that Portsmouth internal affairs and my records were incomplete, done by the records coordinator of Portsmouth Police Department.

Um I've also brought proof of my allegations.

Sir, sir, excuse me.

Do you currently have a uh uh uh a legal court case pending?

No, this is just honestly me just being training transparency for between our police department and the city, and this is what the foyer process is made for.

Stanley is just as that point.

Um, and I would just like the council to hear what I've brought in.

I'm not gonna talk anymore.

Because as I shared with you, we can't affect council cannot affect what you're asking us for.

So because we can affect that change, then it is what it is.

I understand.

I sound linked to the five minutes.

I was going to bring this to the council just because this is a public figure, and we are trying to just have transferred order police departments.

We have a quote for a point of order.

The speaker is playing uh is playing a uh uh audio tape uh apparently incident, sir.

This is just an incident of me talking to Miss Julia Spicer.

Sir, yes, sir.

The point of order is taken, either change your course of discussion or have a seat.

Either change your order of discussion or have a seat.

Um, well, I would just like to uh bring to the council's attention that um uh that um that police records are not being transparent through the FOIA process, and through this process, you pay for um any any types of call to service, you pay for any type of officers that you might have interacted with, or just a situation that happens to ensure that the situation is on the correct level.

I am just here to make sure that the transparency is being done by the people that we elect and by the people that we put in office.

There's issues here that I would like to rise and bring to the council and and to bring to be a forthcoming that I can only prove by bringing what I'm saying, only only here for clarity for everyone who puts in for your quests and everyone who has a who has the right to file a misconduct report on any officer if they think that something is wrong and should not be harassed nor belittled for doing so.

Sir, your point well taken.

I just shared with you either you change your course.

This is the last time I'm gonna tell you, or you have a seat.

Which would you choose?

Um time is up, sir.

Have a second.

Thank you.

Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our speakers for this evening.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, uh please um share with us after the meeting.

Thank you all for coming and have a safe travel home.

Good night,