Good evening, everyone, citizens of Portsmouth.

Want to acknowledge our visitors, everybody who is here with us.

Certainly our city staff want to thank them for being here tonight at our public work session for July the 14th.

Also want to take a moment to acknowledge those who are watching us online.

Thank you for being here.

I'm going to introduce our city manager, Mr.

Carter, Stephen Carter, City Attorney, Mr.

Derek Challenger, our deputy city assessor, Mr.

Sheeran.

Yes, sir.

And our city clerk, Ms.

Debo White.

With that, Miss White, could you please call the vote?

Yes, sir, Miss Bryant.

Present.

Dr.

Dyson.

Here.

Mr.

Hegel.

Present.

Mr.

Moody.

Here.

Mr.

Thomas.

Here.

Mr.

Tillage.

Here.

Mayor Clapper.

Here.

Thank you.

Mr.

Carter.

Sir, sir.

You have the floor.

Thank you very much, Mayor.

Welcome everyone to our Tuesday, July 14th work session.

I have two items designed for you this evening.

The first one is our quarterly update of our crime statistics from Chief Jenkins.

And a follow-up of our short-term rental discussion with Ms.

Rondo Russell.

Dr.

Russell, her team's kind of been busy in front of you this month.

They've uh presented uh uh quite a bit on different subjects, but this is a recurring one because we're trying to get a uh a an ordinance that we want to put in front of you guys and try to work this way to the finish line on that.

But first we have uh Chief Jenkins.

Uh I think we have Chief Jenkins.

I'm not Chief Jenkins.

Thank you.

Oh there he is.

Sir Appreciate it.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Afternoon.

Uh evening.

I'm not sure if we that far yet, but uh so today I'm gonna give you our uh quarterly uh crime stats update.

We're uh gonna have a pretty good conversation.

I'm gonna kind of dive kind of deep a little bit deeper than I normally do to kind of uh let you see kind of how our uh our numbers not only look but they how they transcend into uh the way they move across our city.

I think it's important for us to kind of uh because sometimes it feels like we're chasing it.

And so I think it's important for you to kind of see how these things move from month to month.

Uh and uh we're also going to talk about some of our uh newest acquisitions to uh some of the technology coming to the city.

And lastly, we're gonna uh talk about staffing and some of the challenges and really go into a a little deeper dive into uh some of what it takes to become uh uh an officer for the city of Portsmouth.

All right, so to start off, um as you'll see uh this uh graph here represents uh some improvement, but also uh some challenges when we look at uh uh our individual robberies and those are robberies to individuals, robbers to businesses, you'll see an increase of about 22 percent.

Uh and one of the uh things that is uh is important for us to to note about that as uh things get tougher for us economically.

Uh you're gonna see different challenges, uh whether it be from larcenies, whether it be uh breaking and innerings, burglaries, things of that nature, but also uh historically as school is out, as uh more people are out, things uh change in that aspect.

Uh currently year to date, we're as it relates to homicides, and I'm not gonna spend spend a tremendous amount of time on that.

Uh our numbers are equal to where we were last year.

Uh and so um, you know, again, uh I often talk about every life that we have that is lost is uh is one too many, but uh you know, we had a a very big drop last year, and we're kind of uh seem like we're kind of leveling off where we historically are over the course of time.

Our aggravated assaults, we'll spend a lot more time talking about that, but you can see our number of incidents have decreased uh quite quite a bit.

We went from 139 individual incidents to 108, uh, which represents uh a 23% reduction in that.

Uh simple assaults.

These are you know things just as simple simple as uh pushing shoving match actually with Fist of Cuffs, those percentages are down about 23% uh during that quarter.

Now when we talk about property crimes, property crimes for us uh rel for us is the bigger challenge for us, and again, uh as we relate to uh some of the challenge.

When you look at our uh breaking and entering our burglaries, you'll see almost a uh a 50% increase in our uh in our uh burglaries.

Our motor vehicle thefts are up 34%.

And again, uh a lot of that is a tribute to people one, first and foremost, leaving the vehicles, key fobs, cars running, things of that nature, but also uh we know our young youth are out.

Uh they're looking for ways to get around town for whatever reason uh and uh uh unlocked vehicle and uh and running into the store, you're just inviting someone to take your car.

And so uh though that number is up, our shoplifting uh is up about 82 percent uh uh across the city.

I can tell you one area uh in particular that is of concern is our uh ABC establishment in Churchland, which represents about 24% of all of our larcenies throughout the city.

That's that's really that's really huge.

Um when you think about how crime has moved, of course, we now have counter stores and uh at least two of our locations.

So that's kind of taking care of that problem.

So crime moves to where the opportunity still remains, and that that's one of the challenges.

Uh we are our larceny for motor vehicles and our lost motor vehicle parts, uh, whether that be Cadillac converters, whether that be hubcaps or things of that license plates, uh both of those have seen a direct downward spiral.

And uh again, you're looking at current uh versus prior.

All right, so uh talking about our narcotics, drug enforcement, those incidents are have have seen a reduction uh as as a weight as also as it relates to uh drug equipment violations and weapons law violations, about 12%.

So again, weapons law brandishing of firearms, uh knives, things of that nature.

Uh drug activity violations can be uh uh a double-edged sword.

It can be there are less offenses, which I would say that's not the case.

I think there's more or less reporting of those incidents that are occurring are uh just across the city.

Um we have been very targeted with trying to address some of our known places, one of which is that 1100 block of London Boulevard.

We've been spending a tremendous amount of time in that particular area.

Uh the uh hotels in that area have been uh very good partners with us with allowing us uh access to their uh camera system uh that feeds back to our real-time crime center that is allowed for us to to make a significant amount of arrest in that particular corridor.

Um but one of which, and and and again, just just for the sake of not naming, but one of which is become a a uh a place uh again that is is becoming frequent of that.

Um again, I think the from my standpoint, the owner is trying to do everything he can do to bring that into compliance.

So is I don't think it's risen to a point where uh there is a need for us to uh try to do violations or something that we they're actually really trying to help with clean that cleaning that problem up.

But what we see is we come out, we'll move folks from the ABC store, they'll go across the street, we'll move from across the street, they'll go into the apartment into the hotel complex, and it's just a uh a cycle of moving folks uh place into place.

And I and I know uh you have seen a a lot of folks, whether it be homeless, new vagrancy, but starting to uh be in various places.

And again, uh homelessness is not, and I've said it hundreds of times is not the issue, it's the other artifacts that come along with that that become problematic, trash, things of that that we are trying to address.

So again, burglary part is one of the things that we're focusing on for again for repeat offenders, those individuals that we know that are out.

We had a pretty significant arrest of about a ring in the Craddock area that span a couple of cities.

Again, our use of our LPRs has been very a very, very good tool for us with trying to track down these individuals that we know, especially when they're using uh vehicles, uh, and again focusing on the the patterns as it relates to our shoplifting and again trying to educate uh not only just our citizens but our businesses.

There are things that businesses can do to kind of make themselves less attractive to criminal activity.

Uh sometimes when you walk in the stores, uh you'll notice that they put things at the very forefront that they want folks to see.

Well, some of those things are easier for folks to walk out of the store with.

So, you know, those things that are more high dollar items that you put towards the back or your lease have uh individual that they have to pass in order before they can actually uh walk out of the store.

That's one of the things that you've seen uh or that we continue to press upon uh with our businesses, and then also using uh our data, the numbers uh from our calls for service, our cats, things of that nature, to make sure we are educating our officers of time and places that when we know things are happening, these are the places that we want you to be.

So uh a mixed bag, right?

So about 8% fewer incidents across the city.

Our victims are fewer, but our crimes as it relates to burglary and motor vehicle thefts are up.

And again, these are just you know some progress that's been shown, but again, still challenges that we uh often we're we're still dealing with.

So uh the next several graphs that we're gonna put uh put up is really put showing you uh a month to month of not only the actual number of incidents, how many arrests that were made, how many were clear by arrest and how many actual warrants, but also um looking at how these compare to our 25 2025 numbers going across.

So you can see that that time frame from January to April uh compared to last year, you have about a 19% reduction in the number of incidents that's happened.

Uh, when you compare that to the June time frame of January to June 2025 to 20 uh 2026, you got a 13% reduction in so in time frame.

Homicides for us always have been and continue to be a one of those crimes that generally take a law or longer time for us to solve.

And of course, that a lot of that has to do with not only uh witnesses and evidence, but community involvement.

Uh sometimes we have situations that happen, we have multiple people that are present during it, during it happening, nobody comes forward to provide any information.

Uh our robberies are uh equally as hard because most of the time folks are wearing masks, they generally take uh advantage of situations where they're coming from a behind or uh individual.

You'll see uh unlike the one that we posted today where the folks are pretty uh or easily identifiable uh based on the cameras that are there, but you know, just like as we continue to advertise that they're there, folks are becoming more wise in that.

Our aggravated assaults, however, um you'll see a lot more increase in uh the arrest for the aggravated assaults as as it and again a lot of those are acquaintances, they're domestics, they're you name it, there are all kinds of things that are related to that.

Now I got a questionwoman Thomas.

Just real quick, what's CBA stand for?

Clear by arrest.

Clear by arrest.

Yeah, thank you.

So if you if you uh if you look at April, our April time frame, and I I'll kind of pay attention to this right here represents our uh Prentice Park, apprentice place part of the section of the city.

And so if you if you pay attention to April, and then you look at uh if you look at the very next month for May, you'll notice that the the map totally looks totally different.

You'll see that that crime almost is non-existent.

Um and it goes from green from a little bit of crime to red.

There, there's a lot of uh uh lot of situations that are happening there.

So I'll give you an example.

We had a uh we had a a rash of car break-ins in Lake Shores area um late part of uh May.

That one incident based on all of the cars that were reported will make it glow beat red, obviously.

However, when you look at whether or not you're gonna continue your deployment or increase your patrols, do you increase your patrols based on one incident or a series of incidents?

And so uh as we look at that at the data, as we look at how these moves, you'll notice that in 220 uh 221 zone right now, and which is our London Oak zone uh area in Mount Herman, you'll see that consistently over the last couple of months that we've we've been having some issues in that particular area, and you can see that there hasn't been uh a lot that's changed in that.

Same thing in our 221, um sorry, 2211 zone, which represents where we are, our county street, uh downtown area, you'll see that it it changes month to month.

Uh our areas in Churchland on the other side, you'll see there the those incidents we we do have situations that occur in, but they're not enough of it for it to become a problematic to where it will show where we're looking at it on uh as it relates to hot spots for crime.

Uh our aggravated assaults.

Um again, the map will show you what these uh assaults and where they're occurring at throughout the city.

And as you can see, uh from the time frames that we're experiencing and reduction in uh you know and those things, but by far the the two drivers for us all the assaults, aggravated assaults itself, and the brandishing of the firearms.

Um again, just a tremendous amount of guns on the street.

Uh we've had a lot of success with prosecuting those brandishing crimes uh afterwards, but again, uh the the message there is we're always obviously looking for better way to resolve people's conflicts than pulling a gun on someone uh this is a little bit so I can give you a little bit more context of some of our aggravated assaults.

Um the one for the first one in April was a 25-year-old male that was uh uh attending a a party at an event hall.

Um it was uh unsanctioned party, first and foremost, at an unsanctioned location.

Um that turned into a shooting.

Um the next one going down to LaSalle Avenue, we believe that uh that to be actually a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

These are the things that don't get put out all the to the public.

Public just hears we had a shooting.

Well, the reality is sometimes people shoot themselves, and we have several of those across, whether it be cleaning the firearm, whether it be handling handling a firearm while they're intoxicated, uh, or or you you name it, there's a a different, many different ways.

We even unfortunately had uh uh a situation just a few weeks ago where uh a juvenile was handling a firearm and uh unfortunately lost his life as a result of it.

Um when we move over to our next set of events, uh there was uh one of those in particular that two females were um were bought.

One one boyfriend brought his female to fight another girl, another young lady.

When the when the other young lady's boyfriend stepped in to intervene that he didn't want them to fight, the gentleman pulled his firearm and shot him because he wouldn't let him fight.

You know, this is the kind of stuff that we're talking about, you know, and again, how do you address situations like that?

Um I know many of you have seen the the gentleman that rides around on the bicycle that has the dog thrown his head.

So he's riding around in the community uh in in May.

Somebody takes the opportunity to pop his dog, he turns around and says, you know, hey, why you hit my dog?

And the guy shoots.

Luckily, I saw him during our festival and we had some conversation not too long ago.

But again, somebody took the opportunity to shoot to hit his dog.

The man's just riding down the street minding his business.

And you know, just like any of us would do, confront a person for doing something to your dog, and then he pulls a gun and shoot it.

Um and then when we move over to a couple of our crimes that occur in in June, uh, again, social media dispute where the individuals decided that we're gonna take this dispute and meet up and try to address it.

Um and that ended up in the in a gunshot wound.

Another one individual shot in the hand said he was driving in the area, don't know what happened, but he ends up shot in his hand.

Probably shot itself.

These are the things that just to provide a little context to some of the stuff that we hear and see within the city that don't necessarily get reported on the back end.

As we look at uh again, our property crimes, again, property crimes are by far one of the hardest crimes for us across the nation to be able to solve.

Again, most of the time when they're done, folks are away from the home, they're at work.

Again, crimes are opportunity.

And most of the time, people don't have basic things like serial numbers for the items, photos of the items, those things that commonly would show up in pawn shops or on now or marketplace or Craigslist, those type of things.

You know, if we come across it, it makes it harder to identify.

So again, I do always try to remind people of those items that are high dollar items that we get.

Make sure you record your serial numbers, take pictures of those things and put them in a secure location in the event something like that happens and it you get lost of it or it gets relieved of from you, that we have something that we can hopefully try to track it.

And again, just another map to kind of show how this crime moves throughout the city as we try to uh to try to tackle it.

Again, same consistent as we look at our 112 zone, our 112 zone represents a not only a violent area but a lot of property crimes in that particular area, which is when we talk about why police spend so much time in particular areas, the data says that that's where the crime is occurring, and that's where your needed needed the most.

And so those things are pretty consistent, and not only um our one twelve apprentice park zone, but parts of Craddock as well.

Craddock doesn't have the level of violence that that's been associated, but uh, but also um some of the stuff that we're more property crimes in that aspect.

So I'm moving on to uh some conversation about some of our technology updates that we have uh coming to the city.

Uh we were uh able to get a contract signed with Flock.

Uh as you know, Flock handles our gunshot detection and LPR.

Um so uh part of our contract that we are uh expanding is our uh as our drone is first responder.

Uh not that's not just a police mechanism that uh we'll be utilizing.

I'll have a brief uh video presentation of that, but that has the ability to be used by all city services, fire, um, our uh our public works.

Uh it there's a lot of capabilities that that will do for us to be able to help.

We're getting an additional um uh two miles of uh gunshot detection, which we don't have any in the churchland area, so we're now expanding that out into the churchland area.

Um there are uh an additional 12 mobile trailers that we're that we're getting for those hot spot areas that we can move around, not only for parades and festivals, because we've been trying to uh handle that as more of an emergency management approach to make sure that when we're gonna have folks in a in large number of people in a particular area, you want to make sure that we have some some coverage as it relates to that, but also uh securing having more cameras in our business districts, and then also some live view cameras with detection as if we get in have a car crash in a particular area that cameras activated to be able to actually show the actual accident and uh help us to be able to get uh individuals there for uh for response from the police.

Do I just hit enter?

That's just okay.

All right, this will uh we had a situation where there was a fact that had just occurred in a shopping center, and our real-time operators were able to pick out what we believe to be in the vehicle on camera.

We were also able to search the partial plate provided by the reporting party at the initial location.

We were able to follow that vehicle on our fixed asset cameras until it arrived to a second location where then the drone was able to pick up this aspect in the vehicle, and then it provided overwatch until our units were able to get there to conduct an enforcement stop.

Having that work hand in hand, LPR and DFR in tandem with Arctic really helps us handle calls more efficiently.

Having three launch locations has been really amazing because we're able to now be on scene to certain situations within 30 seconds, so that has allowed us to just be that much faster and providing a better response to the community.

So we we definitely did our uh due diligence as it relates to um to our DFR um conversation with that.

We had several companies come in and actually provide demos for us.

One of the things I can tell you is uh this is a lot cheaper than me asking you all for a helicopter.

A lot cheaper in that aspect.

So uh think in terms of uh us having y'all do know we had three helicopters at one point, right?

Portsmouth had three helicopters at one point.

Yeah, uh, and actually uh unfortunately we had some council members uh lose their life in a crash with that.

Yeah, in Florida.

But yes, we had three helicopters, so this is a cheaper, less intrusive uh uh part of that.

But so we will have three uh of these assets uh stationed at various points uh across the city.

Um I can tell you from some of the demos that we have that we've been able to get a drone up and to a point within about 30 to 40 seconds and be able to have uh eyes on what's taking place that way we're able to feed data to the officers who's probably still navigating through traffic blocked by train, the information is uh being able to be relayed.

Now, one of the things I want to make sure that I highlight because again, this is part of that big brother conversation.

The way these calls um these calls come, if I have a call at Victory Crossing, then the drone would leave from whatever location and go straight to Victory Crossing.

It's not a surveillance type thing.

Now it does it has the ability to, if I just want to take it out and just fly over uh Mr.

Hugo's backyard.

Now, if I see Mr.

Hugo in the backyard doing something unscrupulous, I couldn't use it because uh there are laws that that govern for us to be as called fruits of the poisonous tree.

All right, so I could not use it, and that that's important for folks to know that this is not a additional uh thing for us to be able to surveil just individually randomly.

This is if if we have the uh ability, and what we saw during our demo is we had the ability to clear about 25% of the calls that we got with not even without even have to deploy a police officer to that.

If you're thinking about being more efficient uh for if we have a gunshots fired call, you send a drone out there, if you don't see anybody out there shooting, you don't have any person laying on the ground, you're able to kind of clear that call in that manner.

Uh vehicle accidents, and you were able to kind of see if you need more or less assets in a particular area.

Um so there are a lot of benefits from that, but not just on the police side.

Think in terms of if you have uh a report of a fire and you need to get units out there to tell you early on how many units you're gonna be able to uh need.

But what about a water main break?

You know, what if you need to do a a uh surveillance aerial surveillance of an area that's related to uh potential water main breaks.

So there are a lot of different things that we're gonna be able to utilize with these drones that I think will be very beneficial for us.

And it and again, just the other parts of that entire uh technology suite, um, and probably the most important part is not gonna necessarily require police officer to have to be able to do that.

Uh so I think that's that's really gonna be helpful for us as well.

Chief, can I throw in uh search and rescue in that uh drone situation also uh when there were the events uh to have to be able to get out and do an assessment without having people go off to do that assessment, um those are the other kind of things that we will be using this this technology for.

Yeah, right.

So when they were there on the house.

Uh wanted to highlight a couple of things.

So it's no doubt that our single greatest internal uh struggle is hiring qualified.

They make no uh make no steps about that, not only hiring but retaining what we have.

We have uh stop the bleed, and that that is good for that aspect.

However, it continues to be uh a challenge with hiring police officers.

Now, one of the things I wanted to really highlight is we have people that apply, and I'll say it again as I always do if you know somebody's looking that has a good background that has the temperament and demeanor.

Portsman Police Department is hiring.

We're looking for good folks who want to sort of be a service to the to the community.

We had an R day hiring event on uh May the 20th.

We had about 29 or so individuals come to that, seven of those individuals are already at some level part of the the background process.

From that, we were able to do some conditional offers of hire for folks, and again, understand what that means.

That means my intention is to hire you, Ms.

White, pending that you don't have anything bad in your background, and that you can pass a drug test, psychological exam, all those other things.

Well, guess what?

We lose a tremendous amount of people in their background.

If we have a hire, if we if if we get a hundred candidates, we'll be lucky if we can find 10 to 15 that have the type of background associated with what we're looking for.

And I'm gonna just pop just a little bit forward so you can understand.

When a police when a person uh applies to be a police officer, and these are all the steps after the application, that they there's the the written exam, which we have folks that can't pass the written exam.

And it's not uh similar to the ASVAP.

I mean, it's not uh it's not the hardest thing in the world, but it it tests basic arithmetic, reading, writing, comprehension skills, but we have people that cannot pass that.

Um so we we're working it to at least get all things considered.

Let's say they're having taken a test in a while, we'll give them another opportunity to test.

However, how many times do you allow a person to test before you say maybe this isn't for you?

Second part of that is the agility test.

Now I can tell you that that is not a uh tremendously hard test.

Um you can I've I've walked that and completed it.

Okay, it's not a an overly strenuous test, but we have folks that cannot pass the agility test.

Now, we are working with some of these folks.

We'll continue to, but by the time you get to the end of your process, you need to be able to pass that test.

I can tell you, January of 2027, the Department of Criminal Justice Services is gonna come out with a whole new standard of that of requirements for police officer, and one of them is about 60 hours of mandated uh physical fitness, in addition to them having to pass a physical agility test in an under a minute and 36 seconds.

That's something that they don't have to do right now.

That's gonna be a big lift for a lot of people that are gonna come in that's not prepared.

There's an or board that they have to go through along with again this background check.

And let's talk about that just a little bit.

There's the employment verification part of that.

There is the financial credit, uh, there's neighborhood contacts, there's personal references.

There's also, have you ever done uh what type of drugs have you done?

Uh if you've done cocaine or mushrooms, there some of these things are automatic disqualifiers up uh from us for within a certain time frame.

We are working to make sure the hours falls in line with other cities, but I can tell you you don't want a person that's recently out of rehab putting on the uniform.

Okay, and again, these are just challenges that we're that we're talking about.

There's the passing of the polygraph exam.

Uh there's the civil service commission review, and again, uh that is something that we continue to work through, and then there's the interview with myself, and then from there, there's the conditional job offer.

None of this is done within, and you can get this done in about six weeks if you have a super responsive applicant.

That means you get an email, you respond to it.

You get a phone call, you answer it.

You super responsive.

If you have not hired anyone or uh done anything with uh the workforce now, you can they're a little bit different.

And so there's a lot of chasing by employers to get folks to respond to email and turn in packages and things of that nature.

So it's not as easy, you know, uh probably when some of us were looking, you know, you turn in your application and today, your mom said call a couple of days and just say, hey, you know, did you get my application?

Today it's not like that.

Today it's phone rings, they're not gonna answer.

So you send them a text message, and then they respond to the text.

So just different challenges.

And then, of course, they have to pass the medical and psychological part of that.

All of that takes a tremendous amount of time, and we're just talking about again a responsive person.

And if I hire you today, let's just say our academy folks just started.

If I hire you today, you go to the academy in January, then you will not, we will not see you be able to be deployable until January of next year.

So it takes that long for us to be able to get it.

That is why it's super important for us to keep what we have as as we can.

I'm happy to say that we are starting to get some laterals, meaning they're they're leaving where they're coming from to come here, which says we're doing some things right, um, which is the easiest way, but you know, at the same time, we don't want to keep, we don't want to rob from this one to get that one.

We need to get some new blood into the city.

Let me just back up just to kind of close it, close out on this.

Uh, right now, because we can't send anyone to the academy until January, our focus is uh on our professional support staff, those duties that that don't necessarily require an officer.

Um we're gonna spend the next 60 days to focus on rec uh records personnel, crime scene techs.

Uh so if again, if you know anybody looking, please go to the website and uh and and look for some of those positions, but also some of the new positions, part-time police officer um is a new position.

Harbor Master, I think we have about eight applicants for that uh right now.

Our public safety aid, uh, I think I was told about 10 real-time crime center tech, about 22 applicants for that, and then we're well on our way for our uh volunteer and police uh services program.

Uh we did have a meeting today with our academy personnel.

They're they are gonna allow us to move forward with an auxiliary new class for auxiliary.

We haven't had one of those in a long period of time, and we've had have had some interest with that from some of our military personnel.

So that is a positive thing for us in that aspect.

All right, any questions?

Seeing none.

Nice try, Ghost.

Thank you very much as always to for breaking it down.

It's really helpful in particular to see that hiring process.

I did not realize that many steps were involved in the process, and it's it's really important that we know that because that's a question we hear often is hire more police, hire more police, and people certainly we can help communicate that process.

Um just a couple of questions.

The first what kind of training do the real-time crime um folks need for the for the drones?

Do they go through a special training for that?

Yeah, it seems like it would be intense.

Yeah, so so they're gonna have to be uh in the end FAA certified drone pilots.

Okay.

Uh and so there's a a course for for that.

The drone still flies itself.

I mean, it it pretty much is you type in where you want it to go, it it leaves the dock and it sends on its own.

Uh but it still also qualifies you to be in the field to be able to fly a drone because uh you have to and when you're in the field, you have to have a person that can cite the drone as well.

So there is a requirement for them to to qualify under FAA rules, take a test and be certified in that aspect.

Um of course we we put them through the training.

Uh and so the goal is to have all of our uh or or as many of our crime scene techs, um uh our real-time crime center techs certified to be able to do that.

Uh, of course, our uh officers that are uh certified will spend some time in there with the ability to be able to do that, but you know, we need them on the street.

So that's for flying the drone and for watching watching what's happening from the drone.

They get trained.

So they're you're training them from within.

Correct.

Okay.

Yes, ma'am.

Yeah, that's that's interesting to know.

Um the community violence interrupters.

I know you guys have a very particular relationship as police, but what are you getting information from them about summertime heat wave, kids out?

What what's that conversation like leader?

We uh we work closely with our folks, they have their responsibilities on the uh side of community relations with those individuals.

Obviously, we have our side.

There are there are conversations that we uh sometimes have in relations to that, and that that's without diving too deep into those other parts.

I I'll say this, and I think this it's in it's important to kind of note that folks that are really engaged in doing violence and eruptions, their lives are in danger as much as anyone else's.

So they're sometimes some of the one of the biggest things they can't be perceived as is if they're cooperating in that particular aspect.

Um so um we really let them uh try to address those things at the lowest level.

Um those uh neighborhood beasts that we know that uh that we see come time um some of our areas are more challenging.

And we're we're we're reevaluating even to the point of whether or not we have the right per people in the right places.

Um it does require them to be there.

I mean you have to be there to be able to stop some of the stuff.

It can't be absentee in that.

So we're really having to pay a lot of attention to make sure people are where they say they are in that aspect.

So it is a it is a different um thing for us to try to manage as a city and as a department when it comes to uh the balance and eruptors, but um overall it's been a uh a pretty successful program, but there are a lot of growing pains with it.

Okay, that's good to hear.

I was wondering based on the maps where you showed that some of the pockets were moving, if maybe that was a a correlation where that's part of when you look at it, yeah.

That the redder the part parts are in particular, there probably is a violence interruptor that's in that particular area, and we're saying I need you to help us address this particular thank you.

And then just lastly, thank you for speaking to London Boulevard.

That was a conversation that we had recently, and I'm sure we all had noticed big problem.

That was a problem, and it's um it's noticeable.

Um and of course it's near Icy Norcombe.

Correct.

So we're glad that your team is aware of that.

And um part of that, Mr.

Carter, we had talked about earlier was some of the litter issues and some of the um landscaping related issues.

So I we all know that that's that crime and litter and landscaping, all of that goes hand in hand.

So um what again this is more for Mr.

Carter.

Um what kind of enforcement do we have in that corridor that could support the police work related to the crime, the the litter and the landscaping?

Well, one of the things that we've talked about is kind of doing the same push that we did on uh high street, not necessarily the same things, but taking different portions of our community and then addressing it the same way we tried to address high street just before the festival.

Um that takes a lot of effort and coordination.

Uh so um can't say we can do it all the time, but one of our goals is to pick some place uh a little different than the rock to block thing where we just go out and then all of us hit it.

But we go out as a team on and have some real definite projects that we want to try and accomplish in that area.

So that's that's the way we're trying to address that.

And I think too, some of it is the businesses there having the responsibility for cleaning up their areas, and it kind of comes and goes and they will clean up and then it will get messy again, but um, you know, not necessarily that it's that it's us, but what what power do we have to go to those businesses and say you need to keep this as tidy as you can, litter-free move people along, what what's in our control there?

Yeah, I have uh have an offline conversation with my attorney here to uh to advise me on what we can and can't do, you know.

So or even some of our inspectors that go through the neighborhood and we'll cite people for property issues related to their own homes.

Do we do we have inspectors that go through business corridors that same day?

All of our all of our areas of NCD are covered by an inspector.

They are covered by an inspector.

Okay.

Thank you.

Councilman Dougle.

Councilman Hugo's next, and then um Councilwoman Thomas and then Vice Mayor Moody.

Thanks, ma'am.

So Chief, uh legislative package this past year, you submitted several things that were aimed to give you some relief to be able to use retirees or non law enforcement certified people to do some things.

Can you address the implications of the what got approved and and what that means to you in terms of uh some relief to your staffing issues?

Yeah, so um we're still combing through some of the the newest parts of it.

Yeah.

Uh I don't think we were all that successful with some of the things, well many of the things that we have requested.

Um they they did give us uh the opportunity in in some of the aspects to uh look at uh they're still trying to figure out whether they're gonna allow a non-sworn individual or retired individual to be able to do something as small as uh issue the um speed zone school zone cameras, uh whether or not there's uh a training component.

I think they put that to DCGS to come up with what that looks like.

Um we haven't got any real movement with uh with the legislation as it relates to our one of our biggest issues is transportation of uh our mental health people that we're dealing with across the state that's still in code that it has to be law enforcement, whether that's police or sheriff to be able to do that.

Uh again, uh outside of what betting that we have here locally, we're going to Petersburg, we're going to Bristol, we're going to Northern Virginia.

And again, depending on where that is, that's eight hours out, eight hours back, requiring two officers to be able to do uh so there are a number of things that we had hoped for that we have not gotten any movement on, and it'll it'll be something that we asked for in our package again.

I don't I don't think people quite uh really understand the scope uh in particular for a city uh like ours for losing two or three people to be able to to do that.

And I often say when we make comparisons, you have to make comparisons to things that look similar.

You can't compare uh, you know, when people say, well, they're this particular agency is almost full staff.

Do they do they have the challenges that we have?

And if they don't, then you can't compare us to that.

Um so those things really have not gotten any better for us in that aspect, but those positions that we are going to do internally will hopefully give us uh some relief even with the uh uh the public safety aids again, uh responding to the crashes, all of those things will help us, and again, the biggest part is uh I uh talking with Mr.

Carter about is that those positions as long that they're not uh funded position, so you have budget to be able to pay for it, you can have as many part-time individuals, and although it's 29 hours, it's 29 hours that you you figure out whether you just want somebody that we got a speed problem, I want to put a part-timer out there just to do nothing with traffic, you know, and handle those speedings through neighborhoods and things like that.

So it does give us a some levels of creativity.

Um obviously some of our sister cities have now, you know, are doing the same thing.

So uh we'll see what how that benefits us in the long in the long run.

But legislatively, just a challenge.

And then, you know, uh next year we'll uh we'll have the marijuana legalization to have to deal with.

Um and uh again, there are only going to be 350 of those across the state, so that doesn't tell you how many portsmen we'll have, whether it's one of or ten, but there's gonna come in phases, but you have that one and then everybody else will be under that same thing of enforcement of you, you know, your your legal and out of compliance.

Was there any relief to your officers that have to sit at the emergency room?

None, uh sir.

Okay.

So you bringing reinitiating the the same issues.

We write we back right back in, you know, uh every morning we get a report on how many folks we have in the hospital, and that could be um one officer, generally one officer, one person.

Every once in a while, depending because uh our particular facility, when they're bought in, if they were side by side, then you could have one officer watch two people.

But because all mental cases go through the emergency department, you might have one person in bed one and another person in bed 17.

You can't you have to have one person to watch uh that and again uh there's some relief sometimes, depending on if we have a a part-time officer through the Safe Harbor grant to be there, could be a sheriff's deputy, could it be a police officer that's there, but that's not 24-7.

Um, and and again, so regardless of that that fact, you still have to make sure you have somebody there when you have those uh uh emergency custody orders and temporary detention orders that have to be executed.

Okay, thank you.

Yes, sir.

Councilwoman Thomas and Vice Mayor Moody.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chief, for this presentation and and the data that you provided.

Um something you said, uh especially when looking at the heat maps with the neighborhoods, um and going through this data you mentioned that like we can't, you know, arrest our way out of some of the issues that we're facing.

And that brings me back to something that uh I mentioned before about our holistic approach and our kind of citywide approach to some of these issues.

So how are we currently working interdepartmentally across the city departments to address some of the the crime and the burglaries and the drug violations?

They cross departments and issues and you know, whether it's with the youth, parks and rec, uh whether it's with neighborhood facilities, whether it's it's uh again, behavioral health care social services.

How currently are we addressing this in a citywide interdepartmentally, um, and should we consider maybe a citywide kind of public safety task force led by you, Mr.

Carter, the manager, to bring all these entities and departments together to review the hot spot data that the chief uh police is presenting to us and to come what up with coordinated plan because how are we currently having those interdepartment departmental discussions?

And if not, I think there's uh a place for that.

I'll do those.

Okay, yes, sir.

No.

No, no, we're not okay.

No to your idea, no, we're not having that right now.

Okay, we're not doing it in that manner there.

There seems that's designed for you know different groups to work together, but there's we don't have a holistic look at any of these items as far as uh I would say public safety that way.

So they are dealt with on a uh as needed basis that there's a team that needs to go out and do something, and we identify a team to go out and do something, but there's there's no task force as you say that just kind of monitors this and say, hey, well, let's all go here, let's all do this.

I I would make a recommendation that we should look into that from your office, Mr.

Carter, to form.

I mean, you even had on our budget uh uh public safety director.

Director of public safety director of public safety.

Uh I think there's an opportunity with that position that is in our current budget that I don't know if we hired for that position or not yet, but I think there's some opportunity there to create such a task force to bring every department um to the table to work on the root causes of some of the crime because it's not just a police issue, it crosses multiple departments, and I think it's time for us to approach it in that manner.

Uh so that's my suggestion.

The idea of that position is to have someone that's over public safety, period.

So no matter what public safety needs, that person is the one that's trying to harness all those things and make it happen.

Uh that's that gives it a different look than for sure.

Yeah, and I agree.

I think that person is the right.

I just also think it's important for our other department heads, whether it's social services, behavioral health care, parts, and right, to understand how what understand how their services kind of dive down into addressing and might have some impact into the data and the crime that we're seeing in the city.

Absolutely.

Okay, so that's my suggestion.

If we can once that person is hired, I think we should form my recommendation is that we form a task force, uh safety public safety task force with the interdepartmental uh directors or heads to kind of approach this, not just from a police standpoint, but from other departments as well across the city.

Well, absolutely keep that in mind.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you, Chief.

Vice Mayor Moody.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Chief, thank you for the uh presentation.

Uh I particularly like the additional detail, uh breaking it down uh to the community grassroots uh roots level.

Uh my question, uh the civil service commission review.

Is that a functionary uh process?

Is it a what sir?

Uh is that just uh um I guess what I'm asking uh uh do you lose any recruits between the commission review and your interview?

And do you set in on the civil service uh review?

So there are times there there are there are often.

Um the one thing I can tell you about uh our commissioners is generally if there's a uh a person that there is some question about there is an opportunity to um to at least discuss uh what I would say challenges again if if I'm if I have a person that's 16 years that was at 16 and did something as a as a youthful juvenile that wasn't uh super egregious, uh, should I hold that person accountable now that he's 35 years old and with a different thought process as forever and ever not be uh an officer.

I I would probably tell you no.

Um there have been times when they there are questions about that and we have to go into some depth conversation about it.

Um I do uh when we do have those opportunities that uh we have a person that is denied by the civil service commission, uh we often encourage them to appeal that process where they can come in and um and actually speak on uh whatever that challenge is.

I think one of the challenges I see with that is that oftentimes the person when they're coming, they don't necessarily know what reason officially that they've been rejected for.

So there's sometimes just a little uh ambiguous conversation about you know whatever.

Um I can tell you that Portsmouth right now in in the Hampton Rhodes area is the only city that has a civil service commission that um has anything to do with hiring.

And I think that's something for uh consideration for uh for you all to consider whether or not we continue that moving forward, uh understanding what civil services were uh originally uh put in place for.

I think we have a a lot of uh different things now through uh federal legislation that govern those things.

So that's just my uh uh great thought process on that.

You all are uh are the drivers in that, Mr.

Carter uh obviously has some thoughts on that as well, and I'm sure y'all will have some conversation with that.

Um but you know, it is an additional step that we have to to jump through that other cities do not.

I guess the my next question would be to our city attorney uh to come back and see what that process would be to eliminate that additional step.

I I can kind of tell you some of that now.

That'd be great.

Um there is um several cities um in the western part of the state who had civil service commissions and then they got rid of them.

Um so it's in our charter.

So that is part of that's something that had to be part of our legislative package which we request the uh General Assembly to change our charter uh to remove the civil service um component.

And luckily uh we don't have to reinvent the wheel because other places have done the same thing.

So that part is uh, you know, once we get the if we get the um direction to do that, we have plenty of samples to rely on as we go through that process.

Um so just for my personal perspective, um, I've been counsel for the Civil Service Commission for the last five or six years.

Um I also concur that it's an ethnic step.

And although there is a process to appeal the process, that's time because you know the decision was made that they were disqualified, then they have to appeal, uh, and and the civil service meets uh quarterly.

So it's just more time.

And then so that's uh an issue.

Um so but that's the the process.

It's it's a charter change.

So it'd be up to this council uh whether or not to include it in our legislative package at uh uh when when that time comes.

Correct.

And it's my understanding that we will be meeting with our legislative delegation on Monday.

Um I think that's correct.

Um and we will we're just starting the process of firming up our uh priorities legislatively for next year.

So this is uh very timely discussion.

Very timely.

Very good.

Well, then maybe at the right time council can discuss it in more detail.

Um, for one, would like to see that included.

Two, three.

Okay, uh, I guess it sounds like we want to give some type of direction to the manager.

So we have a consensus to move forward with asking the manager and our legislative committee to go forth and put that request in our legislative agenda package.

Um, all in favor of making it happen.

Please note by saying uh okay.

Sounds like we're moving that one forward.

Thank you guys.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

Well, um, that's all chief.

I want to say to you and the department, you know, watching us bring on new officers is certainly a good thing, but also knowing what our existing officers and the programs that you guys are putting in place, uh, let's just know that you all are working very hard to keep us safe and secure and and to make our city better.

So want to thank you for all the hard work that you and your team are putting in.

It is appreciated.

I know we don't hear that a lot, but we've had some very important events in the city.

I know we don't hear that a lot, but we've had some very important events in the city, uh, most notably the 250th, you know, celebration cell 250.

You know, folks were out, they were about, they were helping out.

Um many people made a lot of positive comments, and so we're proud of the work you guys are doing.

Keep it up.

If there's anything that we can do to help you, we're we're here to help out.

Thanks, sir.

But I will say too that the issue with the police and being at the emergency room, that is a regional issue as well, and we will include that in our regional package.

So having the localities, and I think Mr.

Carter, we need to bring that up more appropriately to the chief administrative officers and the mayor's meeting that we have.

I think the mayors and chairs that we we need to make that a priority because I think that's something we all can benefit from.

So we we will take that up at the region and our mayors and chairs, which could maybe push it across the finish line.

Yes, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you, Chief.

Appreciate you.

Mr.

Carter, you have the floor.

Thank you, sir.

Uh Dr.

Russell, the next contestant.

This is um short-term rentals part two.

Uh, we're getting closer to trying to massage what we think we want to bring back.

We want to make sure that we're heading in the right direction.

So Dr.

Rosal will leave that process with us this afternoon.

Dr.

Russell.

Good evening.

Mayor Leverman's council.

Uh uh would be remiss if I did not share with you that Miss Michelle Bowman is also present with me this evening to provide an update for council and has been very instrumental in the development of um this ordinance uh regarding short-term rentals and our policies and procedures.

Uh so the last time we met, we went through uh very thorough update of our community touch point meetings, the proposed draft ordinances, um, and just very quickly let me go through some important um terms um related to our review.

So the uh short-term rental by definition, as it is outlined in the code of Virginia is for the rental of a dwelling that is less than 30 days, and the catalyst for our development of a local ordinance for short-term rentals was related to uh just the growing activity in this area, neighborhood concerns related to uh trash, noise, nuisance activities, um just uh fairness and competition is a short-term rental, uh a uh replacement for a uh short-term stay at a hotel, a motel facility, and in uh the the requirements for the different venues um uh comparable, uh tax compliance, uh the ability of Portsmouth to collect uh a transient occupancy tax uh for short-term rentals that is um uh made available when we regulate this use, and then just the need for some regular regulatory clarity.

So today uh Portsmouth does not have prescriptive regulations for short-term rentals, and for that reason um we adhere to the guidance provided by the code of Virginia.

And the code of Virginia states that if a property owner, uh, and let me correct something because we haven't uh said lessees, less sees as well, uh, reside in the property for uh at least 185 days, 50 percent of the time, then a short-term the property can be used as a short-term rental by right, which means no registration, no zoning permitting, no nothing is required for the use of that property locally.

Okay, um, we wanted to add to the discussion what is permitted um by the code of Virginia.

So the code uh for short-term rentals does permit local ordinances to provide a registration requirement.

Uh the code recognizes that localities do have the uh regulatory authority for uh land use purposes to regulate short-term rentals uh as well as the taxing authority for transient uh occupancy taxes to collect the transient occupancy tax and provide um some framework for enforcement guidelines.

What can our uh local ordinance do?

Uh an administrative requirement uh can provide administrative requirements for uh short-term rentals registration, um if we have an ordinance that was adopted after 2023, um, then uh those requirements are are are limited uh but impactful.

We can have operational requirements, which Ms.

Bowman is prepared to discuss with you, and we have proposed that previously.

Okay, so prior up to June 23rd with our 11 touch point meetings in the community.

These this is what we heard.

We heard concerns related to parking and street capacity, concerns by our community members related to safety and their quality of life.

Just by virtue of the number of short-term rentals that were located in their community and those nuisance activities that can and sometimes are associated with those noise, trash parties, things of that nature.

We heard that neighboring property owners, civic associations want as requirement that there's registration or a zoning permit that's required before the use of the property as a short-term rental.

We had concerns from both adjacent property owners as well as investors.

Those are persons who have bought properties specifically to use the short-term rentals.

We had requests for guest logs and access to guest logs.

And is the Portsmouth Police Department or the Portsmouth Codes compliance departments have the capacity to enforce these ordinances.

In response to these concerns, we reviewed the draft proposals and we continue to move forward the capacity limits for short-term rentals, meaning to a total of eight, two persons per bedroom.

Heard some concerns about what are who are persons.

You know, are we counting children as persons or only adults as persons?

We appreciate that feedback as honestly we we hadn't thought about that at all, which caused us to take a step back and look at all of the definitions in the ordinance construction.

And so it it the proposal now includes that complaints and enforcement.

We continue to include an operation standard for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, identification of a responsible party that lives when a lives within a prescriptive radius of the short-term rental that can respond within an hour if there is a problem.

Notice and transparency that came out of our civic association discussions, and we believe that it is reasonable to provide notice to the civic association as well as neighboring property owners that a property is being proposed for short-term rental.

A change prior to June 23rd that we believe is reasonable is a parking plan for those areas that don't have opportunities for off-street parking, uh communities like Old Town, and then those areas that have narrow streets and limited opportunities for off-street parking.

The current or the regulations that were proposed prior to June 23rd would have prohibited those communities from having a short-term rental, for example, specifically in addition to the required two parking spaces or single family residence, the ordinance language required an additional parking space.

So if you don't have any an additional off-street parking space.

So if you have no opportunities for off-street parking, that would have precluded those communities.

This feedback came from four additional work sessions, community stakeholder events, um recommendations for a tiered regulation system, uh, concerns about absent uh absentee owners of short-term rentals.

Uh, in our stakeholder meetings, we had representatives that were investors, and we had uh representatives that were neighboring property owners and civic association representatives.

There were more representatives that were neighboring property owners.

However, some of the concerns raised by investors is that I specifically bought multiple properties in the city of Portsmouth to be used as short-term rentals.

What then does happen to my property and my investment, given that I cannot live in multiple properties 50% of the time.

There were concerns related to definitions and events.

But the way we are proposing to address that is to differentiate in the definitions who are the registered tenants and then who are the guests, but specifically exclude events.

Our recommendation is in our operations and implementation of the ordinance to tie as much of that as possible back to the applicant of the short-term rental venue or opportunity with a caveat that the ordinance does include a provision for the zoning permit to be revoked for non-compliance and nuisance behaviors or activities.

We were also asked to ensure that our ordinance is uh we benchmark our ordinance for metric purposes against those in our neighboring communities to learn from their advanced work in this this area so that we don't duplicate some of those same concerns, and then lastly, we were asked to consider accessory structures located on the same property as potential units for the short-term rental, garage apartments, um any any accessory structures, and we have some concerns related to those.

So the potential draft ordinance refinements that we are recommending is that we add a tiered category for short-term rentals, and so the more intensive the use, the more intensive the regulations, specifically if the if it is an owner-occupied short-term rental.

If it is an owner-occupied property, our recommendation is that there is uh only uh a registration requirement.

Okay, if there's a if it's an owner-occupied um property, then there is an administrative registration property.

If it is a short-term rental that's one non-owner occupied, it is uh a registration uh process through a zoning permit, annual inspection, local point of contact, um, those are just examples of all the operational standards that we previously presented, and we're happy to review those with you as well.

If it is a short-term rental where there are multiple, so uh a property owner has three.

I think the person that we spoke to actually have four, so they have they have four, then um a conditional use permit would be required, and so it's important that we stipulate you know, conditional use permit is tied to every property.

So one owner, non-owner occupied would be permitted with the registration uh zoning permit, and then those other three would require a conditional use permit, but that is three specific use permits, and let me tell you why we believe from a planning perspective that's a good choice.

And let me tell you why we believe from a planning perspective, that's a good choice.

The conditional use permit process, just as a land use tool, it presumes that in a zoning designation or a district where use is itemized as permitted with a conditional use permit.

It permits a case-specific evaluation of the appropriateness of a short-term rental at that location in an accessory structure.

Um for review by the planning department, which then would make a recommendation to the planning commission, which then would make a recommendation of the planning staff.

That would um evaluate the proximity of the proposed short-term rental to other short-term rentals.

Um the burden that the community is being asked to bear relative to the density and the frequency of disuse uh in those areas.

And we believe that that's that's that's appropriate.

We want to be very clear that that number in terms of maximum capacity still remains eight, because the use should continue to operate in a manner consistent with the residential use of properties in the general area.

Now that in terms that's that number of eight is related to the registered um, I'm not gonna say guests, I'm gonna say registered uh lessees, those persons who are leasing the property.

Uh, and then uh we it's it's guest up to eight.

Um I hope I hope we've been clear.

I uh available to answer any questions with Miss Bowman's help.

Yes.

All right, I'll take a deep breath and stiffen up.

Here we go.

Yes.

So I'm I'm still not clear.

Um questions we asked last time is if somebody owns a large apartment building and they decide they want to kick out all their full-time tenants and turn it into a short-term rental.

They're all connected in the same property in the same building.

Um would that be limited if they've got 16 apartments?

Would they be limited to only eight guests between the 16 apartments or only eight guests per apartment?

No.

The um so what we've learned that's not a question you asked the last time, but I'm prepared for the the answer.

I really am the uh the code actually has a requirement in there that for a multifamily unit, up to 10% of those units can be um designated a short-term rentals.

So not all the units right.

Um ask me about accessory structure.

I'm ready for you.

Are you ready?

Louis, um you want to answer before I ask it?

You ask me.

Yeah, go ahead and tell me about the accessory structures.

So I'm gonna I'm gonna use that question as just a perfect example of how the reason I'm interested in is because the owner is on the property full time, and I think it's a great management opportunity to make sure it's a good rental.

Okay, right.

I think I don't know.

A cornerstone of planning and practice is just dialogue and bouncing ideas off of each other, right?

And so before that question was asked, I it it I I didn't have a reason to look at it or to explore it, right?

And so after that question was asked, and the you know, we we we start from uh from the positive.

Well, why why not?

Why is this a problem?

And the reason it's a problem is another cornerstone of what we do in planning is to protect the uh property, uh health safety and and and property, right?

And so a structure accessory structures would have to be evaluated for compliance with fire and safety codes to ensure that they are have have habitable units.

Uh and so the proposed revisions to the ordinance don't specifically exclude them because there's something that likely can meet all of those requirements, but all of them can't.

And so that would require a site-specific evaluation of the appropriateness of now.

Having said that, the use that you proposed would probably not work.

Probably not work.

Not work.

What use?

Um acronym.

Do you remember what it was?

But I looked it up.

Four.

The carriage.

Yes.

Oh, yes, we know, we know.

Okay.

Yes, the Bardo.

Yes.

We're probably not.

But we I wanted to throw it out as a thought exercise.

Oh to get you through it.

Also, the t we also talked about tents, tents, too, and make sure that that's ex kind of excluded also.

And they're not having seen anything on that also.

Or camping.

Camping rental, camper rentals and things like that.

Yes.

Excluded.

And pools, yes, are all covered.

Yes.

Thank you for researching that very much.

I'll probably have another question in a minute, but let's take opportunity.

Counselor Waterman.

Thanks, Mayor.

Thank you, Dr.

Russell.

Yes.

Could you explain the the event piece again?

I I think I missed what you were the event space.

So events and commercial use, weddings, um receptions would are excluded from this.

So when we talk about the eight in terms of capacity, eight is still the number.

And that's the number of registered guests, those persons who have uh rented the unit and will be uh residing at that unit for some period of time.

That is not the um should say that as a positive guest that will would be visiting those persons who were renting the unit.

Okay, are not limited to those to that eight.

And typically the um uh portals that manage the um dashboards or the short-term rentals have a limit to um the number of registered guests, sorry, the number of additional guests, and we will address that in our operational standards and issues.

Okay, so likely require um if they're using a dashboard that we have their template lease agreement.

Okay, so you're saying I can have all of my bridesmaids come and stay, and we all register, but then other people can come to visit, but they can't be registered guests there.

Is that what you're saying?

It's close.

You can have eight of your bridesmaids.

Right.

That's good.

Yes, good case.

Okay.

Oh mean.

Okay.

So you're what you're saying is other guests can come over to the house, they can't stay there.

And you can't have uh and it can't be an event.

Can't be an event hole there, a wedding there.

Got it.

Or reception.

Thank you.

Can I ask a question?

It's just for my notes.

Mr.

Carter, you have the floor.

Do you have rights, mate?

Not the number.

Okay.

If I have no one eight registers.

Yes, thank you.

Okay, it's that's the kind of stuff.

And then I have I don't know, seven or eight other people that come.

To your barbecue.

Right.

But I but I can't call it a party, I can call it a barbecue.

Yes.

What's the difference?

What's the difference?

So I'm saying, okay, I got 20 people in the house.

You say you can't have a part.

I said, I'm not having a party.

I just got 20 people in the house.

Mr.

Carter, we're we're really gonna with where is we're gonna have to really tighten this up with our definitions.

But honestly, for for enforcement encoding, and it's it's a company basis.

You know, if you manage it in a way that is uh I've used this term, I hope I have, but haven't I remember that I did tonight?

Your quiet and peaceful enjoyment of that property should not interfere with Mr.

Challenger's quiet and peaceful enjoyment of that property.

And so if he doesn't have a reason to complain, he doesn't have a reason um that would cause the city of Portsmouth to engage in an enforcement posture regarding the use of that property as a short-term rental, no harm, no foul.

But Mr.

Challenger just don't like that.

This is a short-term rental.

So you see 40 people he just calls it.

He's a caring.

Yeah.

It happens.

Yes.

That's one of those unintended consequences.

Yeah.

I was just challenging how we define it.

That's all I mean.

Okay.

Thank you, Mayor.

So you got it, sir.

One of my uh big concerns with with the restrictions that we put in here is that this is a burgeoning industry.

And we want to encourage businesses and industry because they generate income for our our city.

And I'm so glad you just you're sort of stepping away from that first draft because it was so stricted that it was just gonna squash this industry coming into our city completely.

It was gonna be a slaughter.

So I'm so glad to see some uh revisions come in and that encourage a revenue stream for our city because uh I I use these things everywhere almost everywhere I go and uh uh spend money.

I just don't like hotels.

Um so thank you.

Thank you very much for taking a second step with this.

I'm encouraged to see what we're gonna do in the end.

I want to say thank you.

So our our path forward, or what we'd like to propose as a path forward is um to revise the draft language.

So Mr.

Challenger uh at our last meeting said, I haven't seen this yet.

Um and you hadn't seen it because it was so different.

It you know, it just changed.

Jeff thought though, and we sent it to Jeff again, Jeff Miller, who agreed that um, you know, it wasn't ready to be um shared broadly in draft ordinance language.

If we are satisfied with this approach, uh we are ready to revise the draft to move forward with this framework and then bring that back for one last review councilman Hugo and then Councilman Tillage.

Yeah, thanks, Mayor.

So Dr.

Russell, I do appreciate that you guys have done a lot of getting gathering opinions, bouncing ideas, a lot a lot of that's reflected in here now, and and it's really a lot better than uh then where we started.

Um kind of coming back to the city manager's question about uh uh is my barbecue a party or an event or what what exactly is happening when my eight bridesmaids uh gather up with eight bridegrooms and and uh and we all hang out together.

Um I I know that some of the short-term rental platforms have strict rules on parties and events uh as we're figuring out how to define what is and what isn't.

My my suggestion to you is to go to those platforms that we know prevent parties and events as policy and look at the way they've defined those things so that we're at least as strict as they are because there are some short-term rental platforms out there that are all about uh uh you know Airbnb won't let you have a party, but I will and and you know, we'll rent the place by the hour if you choose to.

Well, that uh specifically that's not what we want.

Uh and so making sure that we look at the platforms that that already have rules and make sure that our rules are at least as stringent as those so that we don't end up with great big gatherings that somebody wants to call something other than a party.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mary.

Um, I think and I think to that point, I think um including in the ordinance uh we issue the permits as part of that, including um sound ordinances uh noise noise noise ordinance.

Um I think that that in itself could help to uh alleviate um massive crowds of people, um especially you know if music is played or things of that nature.

So having the owner uh have a sound monitor in their home that notifies when sound is above a certain level.

Um and then of course the cameras.

I think I think both of those things should be a part of every uh permit that is issued, uh the security and the sound uh ordinances exterior cameras.

I know this will be clear.

Any other questions from Dr.

Mussel's one?

Well, Dr.

Russell, I just want to thank you uh for the work that you and your team did on behalf of council.

You know, in my mind, I think this is the way we're supposed to work through the process and having worked with you.

Um if I'm the chief visionary officer, you certainly can hold the title of being you know close to that.

I understand.

Thank you so much.

You know, well, one of the things I enjoy about Dr.

Russell, we had the privilege of going to um Harvard together and doing the just city program.

And everyone in the room, they were mostly architects and people like Dr.

Russell planners, and they had a lot of positive things to say about we have a very good planner in our city who really takes the ideas and bring them to fruition.

And so that's a credit to you and your your talent.

And so thank you for being the listener and being very deliberate in bringing back this this information.

It's appreciated.

Okay.

So my I think that I mean we can call for the consensus, but it sounds like with our minds clear that we want to test the manager with going forward with the draft that was proposed for the next iteration.

Yes, sir.

What we'll do, I don't know that we really need a consensus on this.

Yeah, we're going to do that.

We didn't get it.

That's pushback.

So we this was a listing session.

We're gonna incorporate what we heard, bring that back again.

Very good.

Very good and very fun.

So thank you for that.

And I don't think we have a closed session.

Um so there is one last thing that I had yesterday.

Um I shared some information with you all.

Um once again, you know, I take my role as chief visionary officer very serious.

I spend a lot of time in the community looking at things and trying to see how we can perhaps prove it and integrate it in our vision of making our city, you know, a livable, walkable place that people want to come to and enjoy all of the things that we are in a historic court festival maritime city.

So I sent you all a rendering of uh uh idea that came to me about what we could potentially do over at our pavilion with our support public art folks.

And I share that because one, I think, you know, as we look out the window and we look at our building right across the road here, it doesn't really say welcome.

And I think we have an opportunity with that big canvas that's there, that big big white canvas to put something there that perhaps says welcome to our city.

And me and Mr.

Carter had talked about that uh just preliminarily.

There's nothing official, but just wanted to share that thought.

As we go forward in the development and the things that we're doing as a team, I just want to share positive things that I think we can do to enhance our city and certainly encourage feedback to that to that end.

So let me know what you guys think.

The folks who support Portsmouth Public Art is really excited about, and we're fortunate to have a group of artists and folks in our city that really want to participate.

I don't know if you saw the was it was it Richard Bland, was it Richard Dale.

Richard Dale, there you go.

The Richard Dale painting that the most recent painting that was done by Support Portion of Public Art.

Has anybody been by to look at that?

Yes.

If you haven't, you probably need to.

Um uh Richard Dale, of course, was was a hero here in the city of Portsmouth, very instrumental in starting the shipyard.

I did not know that history uh before that that bureau went up, and I've since learned a lot about it.

Bottom line, we're gonna continue to share those kinds of things, create input, create a buzz about it, but I think it starts us down the road of really focusing on how we as a team are gonna continue to work with our citizens and everyone else to improve our city.

So the the conversation will continue.

I think one of the things that the folks that support public art uh are doing now is putting together some type of proposal conceptually, and they will share that.

I'm asking that they come before council and give us a presentation or really updating us on the work that they've done and the work that they perhaps will do in the future.

So just thought I'd share that.

And if there's no other questions or business to conduct, uh that concludes our public work session.

Okay, Mr.

Carter, do you think that's a good thing?

That will be for me.

Good evening.

Good evening, citizens of Portsmouth.

I want to welcome you all to our city council meeting on today, July 14th.

Want to acknowledge all of the folks who are here, also from our city departments.

Thank you all for being here in the audience and being with us.

In addition to that, wanna welcome those who are watching online.

Also, I want to take a moment to acknowledge our city manager, Mr.

Stephen Carter, our city attorney, Mr.

Derek Challenger, and our city clerk, Miss Deborah White.

Thank you all for being here tonight.

And now I will ask if everyone would please stand for a moment of silence, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

Thank you.

I pledge 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.

Seven members of City Council are present.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

And we have the minutes of a called meet the minutes of a called meeting on June 23rd, 2026, and a regular meeting on June 23rd, 2026.

Do we have a motion and a second to approve the minutes?

Second.

Please vote electronically.

Seven members of City Council approved.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Now we have come to the item of City Council rules, speaker rules.

And Madam Clerk, would you please read the speaker rules?

Yes, sir.

Ladies and gentlemen, city council rules require a limit of up to five minutes to speak.

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

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

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Yes, and now we will move to the next item on our agenda, public hearings, item 26-166.

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

UP-26-23.

Read the resolution on this public hearing item.

Newport resolution granted the request of M Venable for a use permit to construct one over one dwellings, townhouse dwellings, and multifamily dwellings on the property located at 109 Missy Elliott Boulevard in the conditional multifamily urban residential zoning district.

The property is owned by Ella.

The property is approximately 30.49 acres, and the future land use map of the Bill 1 Portsmouth comprehensive plan designates this property for mixed use quarter uses.

Deferred from the June 9th, 2026 City Council meeting.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Is the applicant present?

You would please come forward.

If you would please come forward, state your name.

You will have 10 minutes.

Yes, sir, thank you.

Yes, ma'am.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, City Council, and staff.

My name is Melissa Venable.

I'm the president of Land Planning Solutions located at 5857 Harbor View Boulevard in Suffolk, Virginia.

Newport zoned more than 20 years ago.

And I'm glad to say that I was involved even back then.

Um makes me feel really old.

Um provided a mix of housing opportunities as well as commercial and retail.

And this particular phase, phase three, was the portion of the plan that would provide affordable housing options near near near retail and employment centers.

As you know, the majority of phase one began development within a couple years of after it was rezoned and slowed in 2009.

Phases two and three have had several failed attempts to development, and in January 2025, both phases two and three were acquired through the city tax auction due to delinquency and taxes and a CDA bond.

The owner of phase three, Ella Homes, which I think it just said Ella in the in the excerpt that was just read, but it's Ella Homes for any confusion.

They're with me this evening and able to answer any additional questions.

Has been paying both the taxes and the bond fees for the past 18 months since the purchase in 2005.

They have been working through the city process so that we can move forward with engineering plans and construction permits once the CUP willing at your discretion will be approved this evening.

They have obtained zoning verification letters from the city, essential to moving forward.

The letter verified that our revised layout follows the urban design principles and follows the example the design guidelines established in the original rezoning.

The site reconfiguration was only due to the need for an additional storm on management pond area as regulations have changed and become more stringent in recent years, and I think that's up on the uh board here.

You see the 2006 guidelines or plans on the left-hand side that was, or I'm sorry, the plan that was within the guidelines on the left-hand side, and our revised plan on the right hand side of the screen that we're submitting.

You'll see that there's a very large additional pond on this plan.

Um that pond is um given us.

We we've had to reconfigure a few things, but the intent and the overall plan is the same.

What you'll also find is that we have 33 less proposed units in this plan as what was in the original.

The original had 427 units, and this has uh 394 units, and they're pretty evenly distributed in the product types.

We'll go through in a here in a second.

So we're at the point now.

We've met with staff, um, they've reviewed the plan, they reviewed the product types that you see in your package.

Um, like I said, the entire parcel was designated in the zoning case, um all having attached homes, and that all needed to come back to you with it with a conditional use permit, even though the property is already zoned.

We're opposing three types of of housing.

Um, all three products will be for sale, which was um I think there was some confusion on that because one of the products or one of the homes are flats, and that looks like it's a an apartment, but they're actually going to be condominiums for sale, which is really I think helpful helpful for an entry level to enter into the market.

So, in the original application or in the original zoning, this building was or the multifamily was shown as a three-story building because of the loss of area.

We're proposing this building as a four-story building, but I think the opportunity here is that these buildings will now have elevators as opposed to being walk-up.

They'll have elevators and they'll be secure buildings with um uh this I just lost the word, but the key card entry.

Um, so you'll have a secure building in this location.

Uh, the other, oh let me also back up just for a second because I want to talk about pricing that has come up before um in council here, and I think it's important to note that this will be the largest unit type that's going to be proposed, um, about 1,150 square feet to 1,600 square feet, and the price range for this product type would be 200, uh, the high 200,000 to 300,000.

Um there's two other product types that are going to be offered as well, a three-story town home, which is very similar in appearance to the homes that were built in phase one.

They will have rear entry garages and a front porch or stoop that emphasizes pedestrian orientation and pedestrian connectivity, walkable streets.

This product would be sold in the mid-200,000 dollar range, and the size of these homes would be about 1400 to 1,500 square feet.

Lastly, we're proposing a one over one stacked townhouse townhouse.

I'm sorry.

Um, this addresses we believe the affordability that needs to be addressed desperately in the Hampton Roads area.

Um, this home will also meet the design criteria set forth.

It will emphasize a walkable street network with parking to the rear of the home and porches and stoops lining the street network.

The stacked townhouse will provide a two-bedroom home in the low 200,000 dollar price range.

These homes will be about 900 to 1100 square feet.

This would allow neighbors to leave the rental market and enter into home ownership.

Uh, we'd like to ask for your support today to move forward with this conditional use permit to construct the proposed unit types mentioned that meet the established architectural design standards and that were set forth about 20 plus years ago based on the staff and planning review.

Based on the staff and planning review, we believe that we are in conformance with what was set forth, and I will stand by for any questions you might have.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you, ma'am.

We do have a question from one of my council colleagues, Councilman Dodson.

So you have the floor.

Yes, sir.

Yes, so I was on the committee that helping to review some of this, and I'm not sure whether it's direct this at planning and zoning or whether directed at you.

Um so yes.

So if you have a question to be directed at planning and zoning, uh you can forward that to the manager and he'll call for the question.

Okay, how about I ask it and we just figure out where it goes?

That's that's fine, sir.

Thank you, sir.

Um I'm concerned again with developments like this on the BMP management.

I'm not sure how that's because we're having some other neighborhoods that the management of the BMP is somewhat under their control and some not under their control.

And the question is if let if it's let go, how is it there a penalty or management or something along those lines to make sure that those BMPs are properly maintained and don't become uh under the Chesapeake Bay Act and get out of hand and then you can't recover them?

Sure.

So in in recent commun in recent years, um, and in communities that are established probably in the last 10 years, um, these ponds have to be controlled under the property owners association, and this will have a homeowner or property owners association.

Um they will care for the open space that surrounds the property.

We have a clubhouse and pool and active area in the center of the property, and the storm owner management ponds are will be within that as well.

There is an agreement in most cities, and I believe it's in place here in Portsmouth as well, and again, that's over the last less than 10 years that the we make an agreement with the city, and then the property owners association takes that over, but those ponds have to be maintained annually, they have annual contracts, um, and that's part of the requirement within those documents now.

So one of our other communities in the city fell apart, lost their HOA, and the BMP went to the sideways.

I'm wondering are the is that situation also covered if the HOA falls apart.

Right.

I I think that is more of an attorney uh the city attorney question or planning.

Um I have not experienced an HOA falling apart in any of the developments that we've worked on in the past.

Or as nice as this is, I doubt it will, but I hope you're right, and I I can't imagine, um, but that's probably I would think an attorney question because that stormwater management agreement actually comes from the city, and then everybody has to agree to it or abide to it.

So we'll what we'll ask the question of the city manager and then he'll directly.

I don't know that that's the attorney question right this second.

Okay, so I have four questions on the list here.

Okay.

In the drawings, I could not.

You had a drawing where it might be a 12-foot alley or a 20-some foot alley, and it was not specified as to which one in some of our city uh alleyways, there's been a problem with encroachment on the 12-foot alleys where people would put uh accessory structures or or uh would those be big enough for our city vehicles to get through.

And I have some concern there that I don't know whether that would be covered if we agree to this.

Um let you do this, or is there does it's compliance that has to be met for the city code?

And I'm not sure where that question goes.

So I I I can answer it as we've begun some of the engineering on this, and we're also doing the engineering work on the phase two product project.

In no case, in neither case are we incorporating 12-foot alleys in all cases.

We have 20-foot or even wider alleys, um, depending on accessibility to the front of the drawings showed a 12-foot at one point.

I think in the design in the original design criteria, yeah, they had the optional one-way alleys, but I think as again, time has progressed.

I think we've learned that the 12-foot alley isn't work, and we have in in the picture you see here, they're all designated as um 20 foot or wider.

Thank you very much.

Um, the last one I have is uh I think for the city, and that is that um in some of the drawings.

If we approve this, some of the drawings seem to have setbacks that I was concerned about that might not be compliant, or are we approving if we approve the plan?

Do we approve a setback like that that might not be compliant, or would that have to would they still have to meet our city requirements?

Mr.

Carter, you have the floor, sir.

Thanks, sir.

This is a conditional use permit that not the actual engineer drawing of anything.

That's not what you're approving.

You that's not what you're approving tonight.

That's what I'm trying to define.

Yes.

Good.

Thank you for your thank you.

That's it's a beautiful uh went to the rest of the drawings.

This is fantastic.

Thank you so much for bringing it forward.

Thank you very much.

Vice Mayor Moody, sir, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you for the investment in our city, particularly the uh the housing that will uh help with the affordable housing problem in our city and really every city.

My question though is with the BMP, will it uh have aeration?

Yeah, the the ponds will either have the bubblers or they'll have fountains.

Um we found that the bubblers sometimes work a little bit better over a long-term period, but yes, we will have aeration in those ponds.

Very good.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

We do have two speakers for this public hearing.

Our first speaker is Ms.

Jo Ann Clark.

Ma'am, if you would come forward, state your name, you will have five minutes.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of council.

I feverishly was looking at this particular item, and unfortunately, I couldn't find any detailed information.

I was talking to Peter.

Evidently, the way this item was presented and linked was under 26-166, not under the UP designation.

So there I have a bunch of questions, and maybe in the next phase, someone could get back with me and give me some information.

But it looks like a great project, and yes, it looks like affordable housing, which would be welcome in the city.

And my question is, of course, about the usual stuff.

Traffic, signalization, schools, water, and roads.

That's a tough intersection already.

So it's gonna generate a lot of vehicles, hopefully, when these phasings are done.

Do you all have some dates as the phasings will occur?

That was one of my other questions.

And somebody from the city could just get back with me and let me know what that is.

And I did want to bring up to your attention um water.

I read in the paper today that there's in Suffolk, they're going to look at with the DEQ a program with Selenus LLC for industrial polymer chemical production plant.

They will need nearly a hundred and twenty-three million gallons of water.

This is our sister city, who which we provide water to.

It's water, ma'am, sir.

Ma'am, it's it's not relevant to the use permit.

That's a different subject.

If you wish, if you wish to present that, we will have time to may I say that the way I would normally get this information was not available to me, not because I was an heir, but because the city made a mistake.

Ma'am.

Ma'am, I I have I have said You tried to run me over this morning.

You should have said sorry.

Well, well, well, that's another aside.

We're gonna but in any event, but in any event that is not relevant to the discussion of the use permit item.

If you would like to continue, you need to speak to the item at hand.

If you have a question concerning any other matter, we have a department, a city leadership team that is more than happy to assist you.

Again, I would like further information on this project and how it relevates to the taxpayer.

Thank you very much.

Our next speaker is Mr.

Kenneth Bullock, sir.

If you would come forward, state your name.

You have five minutes.

Um council mayor, um, vice mayor.

I just want to tell y'all what a great job that y'all are doing.

Um, to be honest with you.

I wasn't speaking about this, but uh my name was down, so I just want to tell y'all y'all are doing a great job.

I want y'all to keep up the good work with respect to what y'all are doing for the city of Portsmouth.

I've been a city partner for a long time.

I'm a builder in the city of Portsmouth, and I just think that with this city council right here has come a long way.

And um, and y'all are really doing a great job.

And that's what I want to say.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a public hearing.

Item UP-26-03.

If you wish to come and speak on this public hearing item, you are asked you're advised to do so, but if you come forward, you must state your name, and you will have five minutes to speak on this public hearing item, item UP-26-03.

I'm Donna Biggs, and I live in the Woodbine Farms and Portsmouth.

And when I was looking at all this design, I couldn't hear what she was saying.

And I didn't say anything or point.

But the thing of it is I was wondering have they talked with the civic, have they talked with the civic league about what they want to do so the people have a chance to talk about what it is?

Um the other thing is you know today.

Our people are not being cared for because they're just being overrun by sticking them together and all.

And I'm seeing all the how are all these designs going to bring people together to communicate, to work together, to have fun together instead of keeping them separated in little apartments and stuff.

So that's what I'm concerned about.

And did somebody say we need a place to live?

And that's what made them come and make a design.

Is somebody asking these people, hey, we need a place to live?

Can you build something?

So I'd like to know how are we allowing all these buildings of houses and apartments and everything.

Are people asking for it?

Are people asking for it?

Thank you, ma'am.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a public hearing.

You are not required to have signed up to come speak on this public hearing item.

However, if you come forward and speak on this item, um, state your name, and 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.

We've adopted any additional discussion on this item.

Please vote electronically.

This item is adopted 70.

Thank you, madam clerk.

Now we're moving on on our agenda, item 26-167, city manager's report, and we will be uh doing this under consent agenda, and I will now ask our city clerk, Miss Deborah White, to please read the consent agenda items.

Yes, sir.

Item A, adoption of an ordinance accepting with appreciation the donation by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission of a disaster medical support unit for use by the Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services.

Item B, adoption of an ordinance accepting a forensic discharge planning grant and the amount of 107,835.38 cents from the Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Health Care as fiscal agent for the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and appropriating set funds in the FY 2027 Behavioral Health Care Service Fund for use by BHS.

Item C adoption of an ordinance accepting PHAC continuum of care planning grant funds in the amount of $95,199 from the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development and appropriating set amount in the FY 2027 Social Services Fund for Use by the Department of Social Services.

Item D, adoption of an ordinance confirming that city payroll practice will shift from payment in advance to payment and arrears and appropriating $4,596,200 from the fund balance of the general fund to the FY 2027 general fund budget and transferring 1,621,200 of set amount to various fund budgets for the purpose of maintaining payments to employees and employee leave balances through this shift through said shift.

Item E, adoption of an ordinance accepting settlement funds in the amount of $15,94.34 cent from opioid settlement and appropriating said amount in the FY 2027 Behavioral Health Care Service Fund for use by BHS for approved abatement purposes as defined by the Virginia Opio Fund and Settlement Allocation MOU.

And item F adoption of an ordinance accepting settlement funds in the amount of $35,217 from the PFAS settlement with BASF Corporation and appropriating set amount in the FY 2027 Public Utilities Fund for use by the Department of Public Utilities for water supply testing and treatment and other authorized uses under the terms of the settlement.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Council colleagues, we are we're in need of a motion and a second to pursue to approve the consent agenda.

Move to accept.

Second.

Any additional discussion on this item?

Seeing none, please vote electronically.

The consent agenda is adapted 70 right.

Thank you, madam clerk.

We're now moving to the next item on the agenda, which is new business.

Item 26-168.

Boards and commissions.

And Mr.

Hugh, Councilman Hugo, do we have any boards of commissions to this evening?

Thanks, Mr.

Mayor.

We have no board and commission business for this evening's meeting.

Thank you, sir.

Next item, item 26-169.

Items submitted by council members.

Councilman Hugo, sir, you have the floor.

Yeah, thanks, Mayor.

So I want to start off by uh mentioning that that uh this week we have a couple of interesting summer camps going on over at the children's museum.

Uh one's called Maritime Mania, the other is our GoTech summer camp.

Uh those summer campers are uh getting uh full STEM experience through the week uh to be exposed to our our maritime uh industries and our blue, our blue maritime business uh uh sector here in Portsmouth.

Uh so we're excited for for our summer campers uh uh the experience they're gonna have this week, uh which will include interacting with the uh the second item that I want to mention the multi-agency craft conference, which is uh Navy speak for military boat show.

I want to welcome the American Society of Naval Engineers to the Renaissance Hotel and also to the North Landing wet slip.

Uh if you've been by there uh today, you've noticed that the wet slip is full of military boats.

Uh they'll be operating in and out of uh North Landing and up and down the Elizabeth River uh for all day tomorrow, all day Thursday.

Uh one of the uh one of the ships that's uh uh in North Landing is a Navy research vessel called Stiletto.

Uh so tomorrow I want to invite folks to the waterfront.

Uh Stiletto will get underway and sit out in the turning basin between here and Norfolk.

Uh and uh between one and one thirty tomorrow, we'll have a uh James Bond like jet pack demo.

Uh people getting underway from the backside of the Renaissance Hotel, uh flying their jet pack out to Stiletto and back.

Uh should be uh interesting, exciting uh demonstration, and uh all of our summer campers are gonna be uh down to uh to witness all that uh and to tour uh the the boats that are uh that are in the north landing.

Uh and so I want to invite uh uh the the uh Portsmouth uh neighbors uh to uh to come and join uh in the fun at uh at the MAC conference uh and in particular between one and one thirty tomorrow for this uh very interesting jet pack demo.

Thanks, Mayor.

Thank you, sir.

Councilman Dodson, sir.

You have the floor.

Thank you.

Um I wanted to ask the uh city manager if we could get an update on the um shipyard museum as to uh status and target opening dates at a future date.

So we have HVAC issues at the uh shipyard museum.

And we put some temporary things in place to get it open during the uh Juneteenth and Cell 250 event, uh but that wasn't something that we could do that permanently.

Uh that that facility needs to be completely reevaluated.

Um, there is no targeted opening date right now.

What we're looking at doing is actually transitioning to a different facility.

We'll uh fulfill the we're looking at right now is on the corner of uh court and county.

All right, but uh we're evaluating that facility now to move all those artifacts into that building.

It's just gonna cost us too much to try and uh do something for that building and in that facility.

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

Yes, thank you, Mayor.

Um, I just want to take this moment to offer condolences to one of our dedicated board board uh and commission's member, a citizen that served very faithfully Mr.

Sean Prince and offer condolences to the friends and family and neighbors and citizens uh that knew uh Mr.

Sean Prince, he was uh served on the Portsmouth Redevelopment Housing Authority Board, and as well as I believe the Historic Uh Commission.

So I just want to offer our condolences and thank you know, may he be remembered for the service that he provided to the city.

Um, in addition, I know we're in the thick of uh summer, but you know, school is approaching, so I do want to bring our citizens and community attention to August 15th for the next balling on the river date.

Um, that's always a fun activity.

And I I believe, if I remember, I don't see Mr.

Palmerchuk, but that's also gonna be a city back to school event as well on that day.

So uh just keep that on the lookout for uh some soon back to school events.

I wanted to make sure that our citizens are aware of.

So thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

And I also would wanted to take a moment to mention that we have upcoming the first week in August, our national night out.

And that's really a good opportunity for the whole community to come out, get to know your neighbors, and intermingle and interact with our police and fire department and all other city departments to really have a good day of information, sharing, and community engagement.

So I believe the date on the national night out is August the 4th, uh, but we will certainly verify that if that's not correct.

But put that on your schedule.

We look forward to seeing all of our citizens and all of the members of the Portsmouth family there.

Our next item is item 26-170 and report on pending items.

Mr.

Carter, do you have any pending items, sir?

The only thing I have is a report back that was provided to you guys in your email.

Uh, I think we uh feel pretty caught up on those things finally.

We got everything that uh that was requested.

Here we got some new notes from this evening's uh work session council, so we'll uh make a report back on those of the next commission.

I'm sorry, me next city council meeting.

All right, that's it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Carter.

Next item is item 26-171, non-agenda speakers.

And madam clerk, would you please read the non-agenda speaker rules?

Yes, sir.

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

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

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

Four minutes into your remarks, you will see a real uh yellow light.

At the end of five minutes, you'll see a red light here 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 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.

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

Thank you, madam clerk.

And so tonight our first speaker is Mr.

Sergi O'Neal.

Sir, if you would come forward, state your name, you will have five minutes.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, members of council.

I'm Sergi O'Neill.

I reside at 2101 Nashville Avenue here in the city of Portsmouth.

I'm here tonight on behalf of New Generation Marching Warriors and its relationship with the Portsmouth Parks and Wreck Department.

For the past almost two years now, New Generation has been practicing at neighborhood facility in preparation to represent the city and all the glory that it entails in other in other cities throughout Hampton Roads as well, as well as even as far as recently as DC this past weekend.

We've come to an impasse.

That we're given the opportunity to share our concerns and our ask and our uh needs as far as to make the relationship with the Portsmouth Portsmouth Parks and Rec the best it can be to provide the opportunity for 125 plus youth to still show their musical talent across the city, across the state, and across the country.

You know, I got involved with New Generation, not because of me.

My days of playing music are over.

I marched in the community band years ago.

I got involved with New Generation because New Generation has been around almost as long as I've been on this earth.

34 years.

If you run the city records, no other community band in Portsmouth has lasted this long.

It has lasted this long due to the dedication, the determination, the preparation of those who are involved and those youth who are actively pursuing musical talents to take them to the next level.

It has come with very little to no community or city support until this past year by way of Portsmouth United, which we appreciate, Chief Jenkins, Chantier Matthews, and all of those who have put that effort together to show what real involvement with our youth in the community looks like.

We know we have a youth crime problem.

It's no secret.

New generation has tried to provide an avenue to help support the fight against youth crime, the fight against youth homicides, the fight against youth criminal activity, period.

We received a letter last week stating that we had not, as an organization, upheld our end of the agreements.

Even all the way through to members of council, the city manager and the city attorney regarding these issues.

I really don't.

My ask tonight is simple.

And their families that the use agreement between Parks and Recreation, the City of Portsmouth, and New Generation be reinstated.

Every ask on that letter, we are working actively to resolve it.

Make no mistake about it.

And its followers, if we take this program away, there is a very drastic impact that it's going to have across this city.

Because guess what?

We're telling the public that no matter how much good you're doing, if the red tape isn't always ironed out and crossed, you can take it somewhere else.

We're not in support of that.

And I don't believe anybody who's an elected official or an appointed will want to stand by that.

I think if you value your career, you will take a hard look at that as an elected or appointed official.

So in closing, I thank you all, and anyone that is here right now that is in support of new generation, please stand.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Miss Monica Atkins.

Ma'am, if you would come forward, state your name, you will have five minutes.

Greetings, mayor, vice mayor, city council members, city manager, staff, and members of the Portsmouth community.

My name is Monica Atkins, and I'm the executive director for Stop the Violence 757.

Thank you for allowing us to speak this evening and for the opportunity to share the voices of our people we serve.

Stop the Violence 757 was found from a place of unimaginable loss after the tragic death of my son Antonio Atkins to gun violence.

Instead of allowing that pain to define our future, we chose to transform it into a purpose by creating a safe spaces where children can learn, grow, heal, and discover their potential.

Every day our mission is to show young people that they have values, their voices matters, and they can become leaders in their schools in their neighborhoods.

Through mentoring life skills, academic enrichment, STEAM activities, I'm sorry, STEM activities, conflict resolutions, community service, and positive affirmations.

We are helping building a generation that chooses peace over violence.

Tonight, I didn't want you to hear only from me.

I wanted you to hear directly from the children's whose lives are being impacted by Stop the Violence 757.

They are the reason why I we do this work.

They are represented here to the hope in the future of our community.

At this time, I like to invite three of our youth to share what stop the violence 757 means to them.

Normally, the speaker that signs up is the speaker.

This is a part of our speaker rules.

That is the speaker that has the opportunity to speak.

Our normal protocol is such as that.

Okay.

I will read it for him then.

Okay.

Not a problem.

Thank you.

All right.

Starting with Mia.

Good evening.

My name is Mia.

Mila.

We would like to personally invite you out to our production, the untold legacy of Stop the Violence 757 at venue 757 Friday, August the 7th, from 3 to 6 p.m.

Sorry, 3 to 6 p.m.

This play tells a powerful story about a making power positive choices, overcoming violence, and bringing hope to our community.

We would be honored to have you join us.

Thank you for supporting the youth for Portsmouth.

Student number two.

From Mrs.

Ava.

My name is Ava.

This summer.

We have learned so much through camp, STEM activities, reading, field trips, life skills, and positive affirmations.

We are learning that we can become leaders and make a difference in our community.

Stop the violence 757.

Give us a safe space to learn, grow and believe in ourselves.

Student number three.

Gratitude and introduction.

Good evening, Mayor, Vice Mayor, City Council members, and everyone here.

My name is Amore.

And I want to thank you for allowing us to be here tonight.

I am a part of the Stop the Valence 757.

This program has helped me learn respect, team, leadership, and how to make positive choices.

Thank you for caring about the youth in our city.

We would like to end with a positive affirmations.

I don't recite them, they do, so if it's okay for them to recite their positive affirmations.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

All right.

So would you like to leave us in a positive affirmation?

Come on.

You got it.

All right.

It's okay.

Ready.

I'm smart.

I am smart.

I am respectful.

I am respectful.

I am smart.

I am smart.

I am kind.

I am kind.

I am powerful.

I am valuable.

I am a leader.

I am a leader.

I am bold.

I am bold.

I am loved.

I am loved.

I am me.

I am me.

I'm so proud of you.

Because I believe in myself.

Thank you for all this.

And Miss Ms.

Atkins, ma'am, if you could share the information of when and where of the upcoming play, we can certainly probably work with our marketing department to get that on our website.

Thank you.

Okay.

Mr.

Gladgola is sitting over there.

If you give it to that lady in the right there, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Councilwoman Bryant, ma'am.

You have the floor.

Stay.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Ms.

Can you all stay out?

I think our my colleagues on council would like to say something to the to the children.

Yeah, the students would come back up.

Please.

And the staff.

Miss Atkins, thank you for coming tonight with your teachers.

And I want to take a minute to thank each and every one of you for coming up before us this evening.

And I could read on your faces that you were very prepared to speak to us tonight and that you came ready to go.

I'm looking forward to visiting you all later this week, and I do hope that you will maybe have an opportunity to read your statements to me there where we have a little bit more time.

But we want to take a minute to appreciate the hard work that you guys put into preparing for tonight and for being here tonight with all of these people here.

So thank you for your hard work.

We appreciate it.

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

Thank you.

And I echo the sentiments of Councilwoman Bryant.

Uh I know it takes a lot to come up here and we talked briefly in the hallway about you were ready and prepared to come speak on the microphone and share your positive affirmations.

And for that, you already showed what you what you say you believe.

I am bold, you said that, and I believe in who I'm becoming, and I think that's so strong and so necessary of a message to share amongst your friends, each other, and I thank you for coming to share that today, because that required courage, and thank you, Miss Atkinson, and stop the stop the violence 757 as an organization for what you do.

Um and I want to meet you all, and I would love.

I I I tried to capture some of the names of the the students uh that provided the statement.

So I is it Mia, Ava, and Amore.

Okay.

Well, Mia, Ava, and Amore.

I look forward also to hearing what you have to say personally because your voice matters and what you say matters.

So thank you so much for that.

Thank you all again.

We really appreciate you being here, and thank you for the work you do with our children.

Our next speaker is Miss Alexandra Westfall.

Miss Westfall, if you would come forward, state your name.

You will have five minutes.

Good evening.

Uh my name is Alexandra Westfall.

Um, and I'm here on behalf of the citizens of West Haven.

And I just want to start by thanking you for um your time being here tonight.

Thank you for being present.

Thank you for listening to me tonight and all the other nights that we've been together at City Council.

Um I wanted to share that we had our largest and longest civic league meeting last night.

Umfficor Nance was there for quite a bit of time, answering lots of questions from um interested neighbors.

Um, but I'm here tonight to speak a little bit more about the zoning um concerns that we've been raising with you all um since April.

And uh I also I wanted to extend again another um thank you to the city and the departments for pulling together a report and some data.

Um many of the residents in the neighborhood watched the public work session um and gratefully got a digital copy of the presentation to circulate to some um who prefer to print and read things like that.

Um and I'm not gonna say uh too much about it um right now, but I just wanted to emphasize that um we're willing to work and I'm willing to work with the city to find some um reasonable understanding of maybe what is neighborhood character.

I heard that discussed a lot at the public work session.

Um I think there are many facets to um some of this development and the character of the neighborhoods that they are in and would encourage um further discussion and dialogue on that.

Um I just wanted to see one more thing.

Uh yeah, anyway.

I just again thank you for taking the time.

Thank you for um having a public work session.

It's been informative for me, it's been informative to um neighbors in the community, and we look forward to continuing to have conversation and dialogue about this and uh making improvements that everyone can be happy with.

So um thank you again.

Thank you, ma'am.

Our next speaker is Miss Joanne Clark.

Ma'am, if you would come forward, state your name.

You will have five minutes.

Good evening again, Joanne Clark.

Um, I want to endorse and support the new generation group.

I hope that you find a way to work with them and parks and recreation.

I know that parks and recreation is overwhelmed with so many things that they do, and they do many of them very well.

But they also need maybe some extra staff if you can squeeze some out to work with more child development programs that are in the wings.

They work very hard at the city park, and parks and rec is doing a great job, but the insurance policies for something like this group are really out of the realm of what people can afford, and maybe you all can work with them, and I support that.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Our next speaker, Andrew Shannon.

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

You will have five minutes.

Excuse me, just you don't have to state your address with your name, but you will have five minutes, sir.

Thank you so much, Mayor Glover, members of City Council.

I am Andrew Shannon.

You can Google Andrew Shannon, Andrew Shannon civil rights.

You'll know all about me.

We just won a case in the Virginia's state supreme court.

Sometime when you Google Andrew Shannon, you're gonna come up with Mayor Shannon Glover.

The namesake.

Yes, sir.

So why are we here?

Well, you know, I read recently.

I want to say, I want to be honest with you.

I travel from the Midwest because I live in the Midwest from Indiana.

But there was a call for action to be here on behalf of some ambassadors for the city of Portsmouth.

Now who are these ambassadors?

I'm talking about new generation marching band.

I got involved in civil rights because of uh Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

ally, Dr.

Curtis W.

Harris.

Have you all seen the movie Selma?

He's on that movie.

He marched five days.

50 miles.

10 miles per day.

Some didn't make it.

We're here because these young ambassadors for the city of Portsmouth.

We're asking for your support.

Because see, I know a little bit about new generation marching band.

I called for some marches.

They came.

I marched on a lot of localities here in Hampton Rose.

I marched on the mansion in Richmond.

And you know what?

When you read about teen takeovers, and there was just one at Chesapeake Square Mall.

We got some young people, over 125, which represents 500 families.

They're doing something positive.

Mr.

Shannon, how you know about new generation?

Mr.

Lionel T.

Hines, the founder, and then his son, Chris Hines.

These, that generational torch.

Because some of the young people I had in my Flavanna County teen scene.

New generation came in 1997.

We packed the gym in Fluvana County.

I know you don't know about Fluvana, but it's outside of UVA.

I know y'all know about UVA.

So, Flew Vanna County, they came in force.

Also, who came from Portsmouth?

I I never forget Large Brother Seafood.

Man, we ate some seafood too.

So these young people came, they traveled, they were ambassadors for the city of Portsmouth.

And guess where else they came?

This year, we're celebrating the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington.

Did you hear what I say?

The March on Washington, which is I have a dream.

The dream is right here.

Stand up, young people.

Stand up, stand up.

Let them let them see the faces.

Stand up.

Don't be scared.

Stand up.

This is the dream.

This is the dream.

Mayor Glover, I came, I saw these kids on Friday.

It just, I was just so overwhelmed with just the love and appreciation of these young people working hard, doing positive things.

No lights, no camera, just doing positive things.

And you say, Shannon, why'd you bring up the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington?

I have a dream.

Because on the 59th anniversary of the March on Washington and I have a dream, new generation, ambassadors for the city of Portsmouth.

They were in Cambridge, Maryland with me for Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr.

celebration.

Now you all may not know about Cambridge, but you know about Harriet Tubman.

And so these young people was out.

We did a takeover way before it became popular.

We did a street takeover, but it was positive.

All the elected officials, everybody in the region was there.

So that's why I'm here.

Well, I said we win.

Amara, Andrew Shannon Civil Rights, Google it.

Dr.

Curtis Harris, King Ally.

He's my mentor.

And he helped me, a young man, 28 years old in 1993.

And he only thing he asked is that I help somebody else.

Well, I'm here in the day in the city of Portsmouth to help these young people.

And I'm asking you to help them.

They're doing positive things.

Dr.

Joseph Lowry, he received the presidential medal of freedom from um President uh Obama.

They were there with him.

Martin Luther King III, son of Dr.

King.

They were here with us.

And Dr.

Bernice A.

King, Dr.

King's daughter.

So help us to continue the legacy of the ambassadors for the city of Portsmouth.

We even gave them a proclamation across the water.

So I want y'all to give them one here and embrace them and love on them and say we got positive things.

I'm tired.

I know we're tired of seeing the negative stuff going on.

I know we're tired of seeing the negative stuff going on, sir.

I know it.

Okay.

You ain't even got to call them.

They generally called the okay.

They said, Mr.

Shannon, your time.

And I gotta say this.

These things were developing one part of 757.

Because there were none.

And they used to tell me my time is up.

When I said my time ain't up.

So then they would bring these.

Thank you, Mayor Glen.

I think we got the same hairstyle.

We do.

Thank you, members of council.

We come to you in the spirit.

I hope you we accept you helped accept what I said in the spirit.

That is that we wanted to present it to you.

Thank you.

That's the spirit of love.

I beloved community.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you, and God bless you.

Yeah.

Councilman Dotson, sir, you have the floor.

Mr.

Shannon.

I don't think there's any doubt about the support for this group here.

Um we have expressed our support over and over and over again.

We're up against an administrative thing that I would very much encourage you to speak to uh those uh in charge.

But we we I know I for one, and I have the perception the rest of the council is very much in sort of part of this group.

Thank you so much.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, sir.

Because sometimes they need to hear it.

We need to hear the love.

Thank you, sir.

Appreciate it.

Now I'm gonna take an offering.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Christopher Hines.

Sir, if you would come forward, state your name.

You have five minutes.

Good evening.

Uh Christopher Hines from King's Gate Crossing.

Oh, that's hard to follow.

Uh between Mr.

Andrew Shannon and Sergio.

And I had some written, and I just I have to express uh my sincere disappointment.

We went to I had two meetings in the last two weeks.

September 2nd, I met with Mayor Glover and City Manager, Mr.

Carter.

On the third, I met with Mark Palmerchuk and the rest of the staff from Parsons Rex.

I expressed, especially in the second meeting that you know we were going up to DC to represent this area.

And requested additional practice time because the last performance we got caught with our pants down.

We were right there at Church and Middle School.

And I I can't express this enough.

This is an art.

If it's eight o'clock and we're not finished, we're gonna keep going until it's done.

I can't explain it no other way.

You can't just leave because the clock strikes eight o'clock.

And um, so in requesting additional practice time, we were shut down completely.

We stayed like 8:30 one night, kids still out there playing their horns, and we keep talking about liabilities.

Two people were shot Friday night, and we practiced, and I told you respectfully, I said we're gonna practice one way or another.

I saw the email about how you can't access your own trailer.

We had the issue with the kid that came here from South Carolina to play with his band, and I just happened to be in the Bahamas.

You know what he did?

He slept in the trailer.

I took full ownership of it.

I couldn't get him home.

I didn't have service on my cell phone.

He got up that morning, he played his horn at five o'clock, and Mark Palmer Chuck in the city, they they cut the lots and changed them.

That problem was solved, sir.

Sir, what one thing that you're asked when you were speaker, we don't we don't recommend you call people's names out.

Right, he's not on the city council.

I understand that, but see, he's staff as well.

I read the rules.

Well, sir, if if if you don't follow the rules, you will forfeit your right to speak.

All right, so we had a meeting, and we were shut down, and I can't believe that.

Can I say that the city manager signed this?

Can I say that?

Well, yeah, the city manager signed this this form that shut us down completely.

And I had to explain to the kids while we were playing on the sidewalk.

Some kids were just turned away completely, they just didn't show up.

We had the biggest performance of the season two days later.

They waited until Thursday in the midnight hour, actually, or that evening to say, no, you can't do that.

You can't practice at all.

I came to you for support two years ago.

Nothing, nothing's changed.

Did you get a chance to look at the uh the proposal that I gave you?

I looked at the proposal.

It's no way because still in my bag.

I I looked, I looked at what you talked about.

Right.

I heard you, sir.

Yep.

You you had an audience.

You had an audience with me and the city manager.

And and while you're conveying things, make sure that you convey exactly what I shared in that meeting.

We opened up the door.

Let's let's be very clear.

Is this I need the rest of my time?

No, no, no, you get your time.

Oh, you can't do it.

But what I want I want to share with you is in our meeting with me and the city manager, we were very clear on what the expectation was and how we wanted to help the organization.

Is that clear?

Is that true?

Yes, you also indicted the black church.

Okay, okay.

And I asked what they were doing.

So no, I asked what the community was doing.

That's not what happened.

But but but what we won't do, we won't do that.

Right.

That's not what we're gonna do.

Keep it to the script, keep it to the script, and once you're done, please take your seat.

Right.

That's what we're gonna do tonight.

So you indicted the black church.

You asked us what was the black church doing.

I mentioned I'm from the black church, they do a lot for us.

That's how that conversation went.

I too am from the black church.

So I said we're not indicting.

You have your five minutes.

When you get done, you will be asked to take your seat, sir.

That's not what this is about.

It was supposed to be about the children.

Let's keep it there.

You you you you cancel their practice.

Let's keep it there, sir.

You cancel their rehearsal.

If you choose to continue to be combated, I'm gonna ask you to take your seat.

That's what I'm going to do.

He's gonna give his rest of his time to me.

I'm gonna he can't yield, he can't yield any time.

He is the he is the registered speaker.

If he continues to continue on that line, then he is going to be out of order.

And he's going to be asked to take his seat.

Okay.

That is how we're going to proceed.

Right.

Okay.

So I'm from the black church.

The black church does a lot for new generation.

That's never been a problem.

The meeting was about what the city could do for us, or at least I thought, and it became more about what everyone else is or is not doing.

I did not come out of that meeting with a lot of confidence in the city leadership.

Uh things were said about you know Portsmouth United.

Yes, that's they don't have an unlimited unlimited resource.

That's very limited.

Like we can't depend on them for every single thing.

Mr.

Carter, you told me, oh, I'm sorry, the city manager mentioned that the city cannot be our main source of uh resource.

I completely agree.

But we need something.

We still haven't addressed the transportation issue outside of the meeting that we had when we came here a year ago.

We asked, could we get any that it's nothing's changed?

Um I'm gonna stay at Parks and Rec because the 1%, the problem in the community, that's what they are.

We get to them first and we prevent them from getting involved in crime further down the line.

So being on Elm Avenue and the problem areas is the best place for us.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Tyveon Stiffs Cherry.

If I mispronounced that, I apologize.

Our next speaker is Mr.

Jamari Edne.

He's right here.

Okay.

Well, sir, if you would come forward, state your name, you will have five minutes.

Hello.

Uh, my name is Tyvion Stith Cherry.

I'm with New Generation.

I'm here today to ask for your support and helping us keep a safe, reliable, practice place to practice.

New generation is much more than just a marching band.

It has a made a positive difference in my life and the life of many other young people in our community.

This program teaches us discipline, teamwork, responsibility, leadership, and respect.

It gives us a place where we can grow, learn, and become better people, not just musicians.

In a city where we hear about shooting, rob shootings, robberies, violence, and other dangerous situations almost every day.

New generation gives us something positive to focus on instead of being out in the streets with nothing to do.

We're spending our time practicing, learning and working towards together towards our goals.

This program keeps many kids and even adults in a safe environment where they can build friendships and stay motivated and make good decisions.

And by taking away our practice space, that doesn't affect a band, it affects an entire community of people who are trying to do something positive with their lives.

We deserve a place where we can continue to practice, grow, and represent our city with pride.

Many of us have found confidence, purpose, and a sense of belonging through new generation.

Without programs like this, some people, some young people could lose opportunities that may change their lives for the better.

This space is more than just a place to rehearse, it is where we learn, grow and respect friendships and stay focused on something positive.

Taking it away doesn't just say that.

It doesn't just affect young people and families.

That depends on this program.

If we could please get our practice space back so we could continue doing what we love and continue making positive impact on our community, we want the opportunity to keep learning, performing, and staying in a safe environment instead of losing a place that has helped so many of us become better people.

Thank you for listening, and I hope you will consider the difference of the difference new generation makes in our lives by allowing us to return to our practice space.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Mr.

Jamari Edney.

Adamson.

If you would please state your name, you have five minutes.

Good evening.

My name is Jamari Edney Addison, and my purpose of speaking here today is to give you all a deeper understanding of the reason why new generation having a practice space is so important to the community.

First off, new generation has given people of all ages to a chance to come together and do something that will improve the community rather than breaking it down.

Giving children of all ages a safe space to come and unite without having to worry about violence shouldn't be something that is definitely suspended.

It is a joy to see children younger than me wanting to pick up an drum or learn an instrument like I once did five years ago.

As a student leader of the New Generation Mass Band, I get to do something that I feel impacts the community instead of doing something that is dangerous, unsafe, or illegal.

I asked for the city council, vice mayor, mayor, and city staff to give us a chance to do something safe and give some the children something safe to do during the summer.

As I come to a close, I hope this gives you a deeper understanding of why new generation having a practice space is so important to the community.

Thank you.

Thank you, young man.

Our next speaker, our next speaker is Gary Mohammed.

Mr.

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

You will have five minutes.

Yeah, good evening.

Thank you for the opportunity.

I declined.

I changed my mind.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Jeremiah Fawkes.

Jeremiah.

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

Good evening.

Mayor, Vice Mayors, Council members, and everyone here today.

My name is Jeremiah Fawkes, and I'm here to speak on behalf of the new generation Marching Warriors.

I've seen what New Generation has done for me and for so many other young people.

It's more than just the loud band or group that plays music.

It's a family.

It's a place where we belong.

New generation teaches us responsibility, discipline, teamwork, leadership, and confidence.

And it gives us a safe place to be ourselves, stay focused, and work towards something positive in our lives.

Without programs like this, many young people lose opportunities that could change their lives for the better.

We deserve a reliable place where we can practice, grow, and continue building a brighter future.

When organizations like New Generation, um, yeah, new generations don't receive the support they need.

It's the youth who suffer the most, not just today, but for years to come.

I also want to address um city manager based on the decisions that have been made regarding new generation and our access to parks and recreation facilities.

I do not believe the current leadership has reflected the needs of Portsmouth Youth.

I believe the city should seriously evaluate whether this leadership is serving the best interest of the young people it is meant to support.

I respectfully ask this council to stand with new generation, ensure we have fair access to the facilities we need and make decisions that put the youth of Portsmouth first.

Please don't let opportunities like this be taken away from us.

We are the future of this city, and we're simply asking for the chance to keep growing.

Thank you for your time and thank you for listening.

Thank you, sir.

Vice Man Moody, you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I want to salute the uh uh the young folks who spoke here tonight, young uh musicians.

There was a time when I was a young musician, and uh don't play anymore, but I'm also sitting next to uh active drummer that still plays.

Um but uh you know we we know what the administrative issues are.

Uh they haven't fully been explained here tonight, and this is not the place to really explain them.

But sometimes people need assistance and trying to do uh the right thing and wade through the administrative necessities that a municipality has to follow to protect the citizens in our city.

But in saying that, uh Mr.

Manager, I I hope that we can reach out and continue dialogue and with new generation and offer some assistance in helping them uh fulfill what's necessary for any group that does business uh uh with the city.

The city can be liable uh if things aren't done right, and the seven of us up here uh are responsible for making sure the city is not uh not put in a uh precarious situation that's gonna end up uh uh costing the taxpayers.

So, Mr.

Manager, can we uh uh get with the the leadership of the of this group and and offer some assistance and helping them fulfill what's needed.

Okay, Manager Carter, you have the floor Vice Mayor Mood, absolutely.

Uh in the actual letter that I signed that was sent to them, one of the things I talked about was if we want to expedite the process for them.

When uh Mayor uh Glover called me into the meeting uh that he was having with Mr.

Hines, one of the things that I personally offered was I'll do what I can to help you.

So those that that door is open.

All right.

I've I've articulated the things that the city needs.

At any point that they're ready to to move forward, we we stand ready to move forward.

That has that was in the letter that I sent.

That has been our statement from the very beginning.

We're ready to help at it at any point.

Okay, that that sounds good.

Uh keep uh and it does take two parties to get something done.

So uh Mr.

Manager, keep uh counsel abreast on on how those uh meetings are working out you sir.

Councilman Tillage, sir.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I too want to thank the young um young people who came today to speak to voice their opinion to speak about the uh experiences that you have with new generation.

I think those type of experiences are invaluable.

Um this the impact that new generation and marching band and the leaders of it have on the children is is great, and I want to just to see it to continue.

Um to council excuse me, to Vice Mayor Moody's point.

Um, it is a two-way street.

I do think that um I I too would like a report back um from the city to see how we can move forward.

Um, but I I do think that the the conversation uh it is a give and take um I think from the city side um as well as from the other side as well.

And so I think we can find a happy medium, and so I would encourage um both parties to sit down as soon as possible uh to resolve this issue uh because you all are invaluable to the to the invaluable to our community, and I think that I don't think any member of city council um or city leadership uh wants to see your program go away.

Uh we want to, if anything, enhance it.

And so I look forward to seeing how um Mr.

Carter, you and your team can work with uh Mr.

Hines and his team to quickly resolve this situation as soon as possible.

Thank you, sir.

Councilwoman Thomas, you have the floor.

Yes, thank you, Mayor.

Um thank you, new generation, for coming to express uh your concerns and the young people, especially uh for the courage to come speak.

Um I won't go over anything that my colleagues have always already said.

Um I think just speaking to some of you, you know, your leadership before that you are actively working to provide those items that was outlined in that letter, and that will be you know the way to move forward with the city facilities.

Outside of that, um, as I expressed, you know, it was a you all had that uh event in Washington DC.

Um I I saw the video.

I you know, I'm glad that the performance was successful and that you all did an awesome job.

Um my follow-up then was to reach out to you all to offer an alternative space for practice.

And we were talking a lot about the black church, but that was a church that I encourage even while you're working through this this um this you know, providing the items to the city.

Um there is other community support uh for possible practice uh locations.

I won't put the pastor's name out there, but uh Mr.

Hines, you know who that pastor is that is you know willing to speak with you and offer some alternative practice space in the meantime.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Ms.

Tiffany Stewart.

Stewart, if you would come forward, state your name.

You will have five minutes.

Good evening, members of council.

My name's Tiffany Stewart, and I'm the president of local 539, representing the firefighters, paramedics, and dispatchers that serve this city daily.

We just came from our union hall where we had a meeting about the new step plan.

Members are frustrated and confused.

This plan has discrepancies that require changes.

And it confirmed what employees have felt for a long time that the decisions about the workforce are made without the people who live the consequences in the room.

This step plan focuses heavily on training hours or ISO.

These classes benefit our skills, but they also are connected to Portsmouth's ISO rating, which lowers insurance costs for every homeowner and business.

If our training generates that much value for the city, then our compensation should reflect it.

Tonight council voted to move millions of dollars from the general fund to cover July's third check.

We aren't arguing about covering payroll, but it shows that when money is needed, it can be found and moved in a single meeting.

What we're left feeling is that it's not about affording it.

We just don't seem to be worth investing in.

Portsmith chose the lower federal standard because it was cheaper.

That fight had to go to court, and we won.

The lesson though was deeper.

It's the difference between fairness and enforceability.

No moral argument is enough to compel fair behavior.

Portsmith has shown me that the only way to enforce anything here is with a judgment.

Our union was once asked, what is it that you don't already have?

Let me answer that.

We still don't have four firefighters on a truck.

For years we have raised that concern.

It is the federal standard, and our risks are documented.

Five firefighters were injured on an incident where staffing limitations made it more dangerous, and the city received OSHA citations.

We are now pursuing a federal safer grant to close that disappointing gap.

Across the water, Norfolk is advertising better schedules, higher pay, and a reliable step plan.

And your workforce is applying.

But when experience leaves, Norfolk will collect the return on Portsmouth's investment for free.

That is what happens when a workforce is not treated as an investment to be protected.

In 2023, this council voted to adopt a collective bargaining.

Every city worker deserves a regulated structured format to collaborate with their employer.

Tonight I'm calling on this council to put an ordinance on a public agenda in an open session within 60 days.

That means no later than the September 8th meeting.

Show us a vote on the record and finish what you started.

Our members answer emergency calls every day in the heat, the rain, and the shine.

We won in court, and we're here tonight.

I would be glad to answer any questions.

Okay, thank you.

Councilman Tillard, do you have the floor, sir?

Thank you, Mayor.

First of all, I want to thank our public safety officials for the uh type of work that you all do.

It's thankless job.

Um I thank you all each and every day for that.

Um I do um would like to request that the city manager um uh conduct a feasibility study um on establishing uh fourth shift.

Um we've we've heard the concerns of our public safety when it comes to overtime burnout retention and in his report back if we can get like a full analysis of what it would take financially and the staffing uh to implement such a fourth shift.

Um I see other localities across the Commonwealth are adopting of a similar program, and so we can have this information.

I think it will be valuable for us as we try to make decisions on physical impact, but also the impact that we have on our public safety.

So if we can get that uh report back to us, I think by September 8th, I think that that would be a good start on seeing if that's something that we could do.

Thank you.

Scarter, you want the floor?

Okay, Vicemair Moody, so you have the floor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um Ms.

Stewart uh in her last appearance before this council spoke about the need of the eleven additional positions that the fire chief uh supported and uh submitted uh for the current budget.

Uh and we've already been uh uh cited by OSHA for not complying.

So uh Mr.

Manager, if you could uh get back with us uh on how we can uh uh implement what OSHA says we should be doing uh for the safety of the firefighters uh and understand these positions are needed uh primarily primarily for the single apparatus uh uh uh facilities fire stations, and let us know how we can uh fulfill that uh gap.

I don't think there is any time that we should be putting uh firefighters at risk uh because uh the lack of positions, lack of not having four firefighters uh on the on these uh uh fire engines.

So uh I'm asking unless uh any of my colleagues object, um I'm asking for a report back, see how we can uh implement that as soon as possible.

Scarter, you want the floor, sir?

Okay, Councilman Dodson, so you have the floor.

Thank you.

I just wanted to express my support for Mr.

Tillage and Mr.

Moody's uh motion.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Mr.

Steve Carroll.

Please state your name, and you will have five minutes.

I have two things I want to talk about, but I'm gonna focus on this one first.

Coming to you is a copy of my water bill record for the past year.

Uh it's a bar graph.

Notice out of 13 months of billing history, four months in example one are exactly the same.

Two months in example two are the same.

Two months under example three are the same.

Three months under example four are the same.

There's a clear pattern of a peculiar repetitive meter reading.

And what a coincidence.

Eleven out of thirteen months.

Uh this doesn't pass the smell test.

There's something wrong here.

Now, social media is full of complaints of billing irregularities with Porcela's system.

And I currently pay on average well over 100 a month for a water bill.

And it's only my bride and I at home.

And you can see that our usage is not that high.

This is not a water leak problem.

I don't know what the explanation is.

I mean, I'm hoping I'm gonna get a valid one here tonight before I sit down.

But I have never questioned the veracity of my water bill in all the years that I've lived here until now.

And I think my questions and concerns are pretty valid.

A rep told me today that our water meters are read remotely from an office downtown.

I presume to make it more efficient and more accurate.

What do you see wrong with this picture here?

Uh in any given month, a bill should go up and down.

Why do I have so much repetitive billing on mine?

So to put it in perspective, somebody mentioned here there was something about a very large customer potentially using millions of dollars worth of water a month.

Would it be fair for them to be overbilled because of a flaw in the algorithm or the reporting, or if this is just a simple matter of uh triflingness in the office not reading the meters and and fulfilling the information into the system properly?

Would it be fair for them to be over billed?

Furthermore, would it be fair for the beleaguered ratepayers in this city who are already paying through the nose for real estate taxes, water, and other utilities to pay more than what we should be paying, or subsidizing another user's water bill because of a flawed system?

Now I can't prove that it's being flawed, but there's something wrong with this picture here, and I'd like an explanation for it.

Now, the other thing that I wanted to talk about was this letter that came today about a water problem.

It says here that we've been putting a chemical in the water system to mitigate corrosion in the uh water that leaches lead into our system.

Well, and it's worked nicely for 30 years.

Well, why has it been put forward that we may have a lead problem in the water?

Do we or do we not have a problem?

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

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

Uh yes, thank you, Mr.

Carroll, for for bringing this.

Uh quick question for I think this is for Mr.

Carter.

That letter that Mr.

Carroll is referring to, was that something that all our citizens received today?

I just wanted to get some clarity there.

Mr.

Carter, you have the floor, sir.

Yes, there's not a problem with with lead.

That's that's just for a requirement that we have to send out because we were late uh providing some testing.

We've we've all already caught up with the test and we are and we were never actually behind on the testing.

What happened was there was a state requirement that was set originally, then it and then it went away.

We use the fact that it had gone away.

The state came back and said, No, you should have done it, so now we got to catch up.

So there's no problem with uh actual lead in the water.

All right, that was just a regulatory requirement that we had to do.

To address the uh bill being the same sometimes, uh you're not billed per gallon, you billed per tier.

Meaning the first tiers, there's a certain amount of gallons you use, and as long as you're below that, you're gonna get billed that amount when you go to the next tier, you're gonna get an amount when you go to the next two year get them out.

So it's not actually per gallon.

It's as you transition those tiers.

Normally people use the same amount of water because you do the same kind of thing all the time.

And when you have people visit, you go on vacation or other things that affect that, then you may drop or or move to a different tier.

But normal tiers are gonna be approximately the same.

That's why you're gonna get kind of a if you do the same thing, you're gonna get the same kind of a bill.

But that's what that is.

I hope that's the case.

That's exactly the case, sir.

Councilwoman Thomas, ma'am.

You have the floor.

Thank you.

Uh, just to follow up on the explanation.

Thank you, Mr.

Carter regarding the letter.

You know, I'll be honest, I have not checked my mail today, so if I received the letter as well as the citizen, is it possible to get a copy email to council?

And I only asked that because whenever, okay, whenever you hear chemical led, there are going to be chemical uh community concerns, just those words.

Uh so I understand it's a state regulation.

This letter is probably a matter of procedure.

Um, but I would like to just see the letter and read it through for myself in case and get some type of like blurb or explanation so that if other citizens have questions that we can provide some answers.

So thank you.

We'll provide the letter and some talking points on it, so you know how to talk about it.

Yes.

But that's that's what's happening with your bill, sir.

And the letter, timely or not, does have some inconsistencies about we have a problem, but we have a system in place that we're not supposed to have a problem.

That's the concern.

Okay.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker, Mr.

Mark Godaldi Gutrowski.

Mr.

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

Your name, you'll have five minutes.

Mayor, council and other neighbors, Mark Gadilda Getrovsky speaking.

Uh I want to talk to you tonight about the calendar that is running, the 90-day calendar.

We actually have two that are running concurrently.

We're in a grace period, I guess, regarding parking fee change implementation.

Uh with the serious consequences from non-compliance to occur 90 days from the first of July.

So I have spoken, I've actually written to you all about a waiver on parking fees for people coming to events of this sort, city council meetings, work sessions, and other special meetings that are civic in nature.

Uh, I don't believe that participation in those sorts of events should be behind a paywall.

Um, people who make the effort to come out and be present and participate shouldn't be penalized for doing so.

Um I think that what I asked of you probably was too big a bite was trying to eat the Tyrannosaurus Rex all in one gulp.

So let me break it down.

Let me offer this workaround.

Uh one of my concerns was council work sessions, which start at 5 or 5.30, depending on whether it's a Monday or a Tuesday work session.

Um let me suggest that work sessions start at 6 p.m.

when the meters go off.

Virtual meters.

After six, there's no parking fee.

So start the work session at six, and then nobody has to sweat it in terms of uh going through the procedure for paying the parking fee.

Um what that would do, actually uh make that 615, so that people have a 15-minute window to get situated in the parking facility before the actual viewing of the session starts.

So what that would do on a Tuesday when there is a council meeting, um would necessitate moving the council meeting start time back.

Council meetings are already outside the 8 a.m.

to 6 p.m.

window by virtue of starting at seven.

So consider that possibility.

Uh let me turn to solid waste.

A couple of things that I am concerned about having looked at that uh flyer that came out recently.

Bin sizes going to a 95 gallon bin present problems for some of us, some of us who don't have the physical strength to wrestle that thing to the curb and then back to its parking place.

So the question is, can we retain the older bins for those who cannot handle a 95-gallon bin and have a two-tier system?

What will become of the old bins?

Some people might want to have them for storage for other purposes than trash.

Does the city have a disposal plan?

I assume you do.

But would that plan be disrupted if people who wanted to retain them for their own storage purposes did so?

And then there's a broken glass issue that surfaced that I hadn't seen ever addressed in previous information postings.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Our next speaker is Ms.

Sheila Joseph.

Ma'am, if you would come forward, state your name, you will have five minutes.

139 Grand Street, Portsmouth, Virginia.

I was planning on speaking about the letter that I had received, but when I went through the letter, it did mention about our meters even have led, and I was concerned about, you know, it did speak about Portsmouth side and the homeowner side on my letter.

I don't know if mine's is the same as his or not.

I got that today.

But also I wanted to know if it's someone that can test that we go and test the water so we know in our community, you know, are we safe?

Because I remember back to mall time when we had the hurricane floor, they said boil your water, but on this letter saying boiling the water is not good enough, and it affects all ages.

There's a lot of people sick already.

And I need somebody to get with us to reinsure us that it's not a problem, you know.

Other part I'm I wanted to speak about that I gave everybody a picture of the sign called Maplewood Neighborhood, which is in another neighborhood on Noble Street, which is Fairville.

I'm the civil lead president, and I have um welcome the people about our neighborhood.

We finally got it, and I got trees removed so you can see it now.

And um I'm gonna go out of town, and it was some things that maybe somebody can follow up with me before I leave this week, you know, and let me know if um the things that I have addressed about our community.

Now, first the water bill, I did come prepared concerning the water bill.

Um, I'm gonna use for an example.

I had spoken so many times after we got the new one, um software in my request for the software, I was saying that make the bill so that the citizens can understand what they paying for.

And when they pay the bill, show us on the statement when it was posted.

Well, my bill is not showing any of that, and also I'm trying to understand how we can pay a bill, say the 20, I'm uh say last month on the first, and then 26, another bill come.

And so you see, that's two bills within the same month.

I'm trying to understand, but I'm always paying my bill early, not late, but I'm being treated as if I owe Porsche a 300 and something dollar bill, I got today when my bill is only 93 dollars, and I read it off to you all exactly what I was paying for.

And I read it off to you all exactly what I was paying for.

This bill that I came for last month, and it was due on the 9th, but I went to pay it on the seventh, which is two days early.

I'm always paying it early because I'm getting this process that y'all go through for the take the money because the money is always there.

So if you would take it the day I gave it to you, it is still, you know, receive it.

But also I'm concerned about the seventh when we posted.

I had to ask for a bill, but the lady did not give me 7-9 bill.

She gave me August.

How can we get August bill before we could get to pay July, which is for June?

Um, another thing I have an issue.

The City of Portsmouth allow HRSD bills, you know, uh for the use using our meter, our water meter.

And same thing is happening with that.

I paid the bill before it's due, and again, you get another bill within the same period of time.

I keep all my bills.

I control my bills.

And a lot of people say, how in the world you have six utility bills and only paying less than $300.

I said, because I know how to do it, and I don't waste.

So I just wanted to try to understand how I'm paying two times to the um HRSD.

Somebody need to get me some clarity on that.

And the water bill.

It's never been on time from the time they went live.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You know, because I've been asking a long time.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Ms.

Latoya Fleming.

Ma'am, if you would come forward, state your name.

You will have five minutes.

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

It's an honor to be before you.

My name is Latoya Fleming, and I'm here tonight to respectfully request a collaborative resolution regarding new generation community band and the impact the current suspension is having on the Portsmouth youth.

New Generation Community Band is not just a music program, it is a youth development program that has served the Portsmouth community for more than three decades.

The program was founded in 1992 by Mr.

Lionel Hines.

In 2023, leadership transition to Chris Heinz.

And under his leadership, the organization has grown significantly.

Today, the program serves approximately 125 young people, has developed community partnerships, secured sponsors, and continues to provide students with opportunities for mentorship, discipline, leadership, teamwork, and personal growth.

This is exactly the type of program communities say they want for young people.

We understand the city has a responsibility to ensure safety, accountability, proper facility use, and protection of public resources.

Those expectations are appropriate.

However, the question before us is whether there was a better way to address concerns while protecting the opportunity these young people have.

Impacting students who had been preparing for this opportunity.

Students have been exposed to educational opportunities and scholarship pathways, including significant scholarship support connected to Virginia Union University of approximate $500 in scholarships.

In just three hours, more than a hundred individuals signed a petition calling for immediate conditional reinstatement of new generation community ban while the city and the organization work together to resolve the outstanding requirements.

First, direct city leadership and new generation community ban representatives to meet immediately and establish a temporary conditional agreement that allows rehearsals to resume while outstanding compliance uh items are finalized.

Second, create a clear corrective action plan with measurable expectations regarding supervision, facility use, scheduling, cleanup procedures, storage access, and communications.

Third, review the city's process for the youth organizations using public facilities to ensure requirements are clearly communicated, consistently applied and designed to support partnership rather than create unnecessary barriers.

Portsmouth has an opportunity tonight to show these young people what leadership looks like.

Leadership looks like accountability, leadership looks like communication, leadership looks like finding solutions.

New generation community ban has spent more than 30 years investing in Portsmouth youth.

The shit city should not have to choose between protecting its resources and protecting opportunities for children.

We respectfully ask that the city work with the organizations to find a path forward that allows these young people to continue learning, growing, and representing Portsmouth with pride.

Thank you.

And I also signed up at 10 o'clock this morning, so I don't know why I was last.

Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Have a great day.

You too.

Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes our speakers for the evening.

Since there's no other business to conduct, um, this meeting is adjourned.

Drive home safely.