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Record of Proceedings

Portsmouth City Council Meeting – August 25, 2026: Sewer Failure, Short-Term Rental Ordinance, Collective Bargaining

City Council — Tuesday, August 25, 2026
BodyPortsmouth, Virginia
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, August 25, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 5:09:17

Original source
Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

30:53

Good evening, everyone.

30:55

Those of you who are joining us online.

30:58

I want to acknowledge um our city staff that is here with us today.

31:03

Also our citizens uh who are in the audience uh listening to the public work session.

31:09

Thank you all for being here.

31:11

Take a moment to acknowledge our city manager, Mr.

31:15

Stephen Carter, our city attorney, Mr.

31:17

Derek Challenger, our city assessor, Mr.

31:20

Steve Edwards, and of course our city clerk, Miss Deborah White.

31:25

Thank you all for being

Unassigned speaker

31:26

here.

Speaker 1

31:27

Now I will ask uh that Ms.

31:30

White will please call the roll.

Speaker 2

31:32

Yes, sir.

31:33

Miss Bryant.

31:34

Present.

31:34

Dr.

31:34

Datson.

31:35

President.

31:35

Mr.

31:36

Hugel.

31:36

Mr.

31:37

Moody.

31:37

Here.

31:38

Miss Thomas.

31:38

Here.

31:39

Mr.

31:39

Tillich.

31:40

Here.

31:40

Mayor Glavmer.

31:41

Here.

31:41

Thank you.

Speaker 3

31:42

Mr.

31:42

Carter.

Unassigned speaker

31:43

Thank

Speaker 3

31:43

you very much, Mayor.

31:44

Welcome everyone.

31:45

Of course, sir.

31:46

We have a couple presentations this evening.

31:49

One is from HRSD.

31:51

They're going to help bring us some information about the Douglas Avenue's bill that we had a few weeks ago.

31:58

And then we're going to have another iteration of the short-term rental language for the new ordinance that we're pursuing.

32:07

First up is Mr.

32:10

Sean Hazleton from uh HRSD.

32:13

He's the director of Interceptor Operations South Shore.

Unassigned speaker

32:17

That's a long time.

Speaker 3

32:18

It's a long time.

32:19

Hey.

32:21

But Sean, uh thank you for coming to uh be with us this evening.

32:25

And I think you have a presentation as ready.

32:27

I do.

32:29

It just

Speaker 4

32:29

appears out of nowhere.

32:31

Thank you very much.

32:32

Uh good evening, uh Mr.

32:33

Mayor, uh Vice Mayor, of course, members of City Council, Mr.

32:37

Carter, thank you for uh arranging this.

32:39

Uh of course city staff, and more importantly, really the Portsmouth residents and uh really the community that are signing in online, of course, in the in the audience.

32:47

Uh I just want to thank you for the opportunity to be able to be here to talk about this important event that happened a few weeks ago.

Unassigned speaker

32:52

Um my name is Sean Hesleton, I'm the director of interceptor operations for the South Shore.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Short Term Rentals███████████11%
Procedural██████████10%
Water And Wastewater Management█████████9%
Zoning And Land Use████████8%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████7%
Personnel Matters███████7%
Economic Development██████6%
Public Engagement██████6%
Community Engagement██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Portsmouth City Council Meeting – August 25, 2026

A public work session and regular council meeting were held on August 25, 2026, addressing the Douglas Avenue sewer main failure response, an update on proposed short-term rental regulations, multiple use permit requests, consent agenda approvals, and a motion to advance a collective bargaining ordinance. The meeting began with a work session featuring presentations from HRSD and planning staff, followed by the regular council meeting with public hearings and council actions.

Consent Calendar

  • Routine approvals included acceptance of $140,654.85 in PFAS settlement funds (3M Company), a $550,000 Portsmouth host communities revitalization grant, a $30,000 tourism marketing grant, a $85,724 criminal justice planning grant with a $28,575 local match, $600,000 for five school resource officer positions, and several behavioral health grants totaling over $777,000. Also approved were a resolution to rename Eighth and Jefferson Park as Charles B. Whitehurst Senior Park, support for a Virginia Main Street designation, and a resolution certifying support for a $2 million federal marine highway barge grant for Crofton Industries.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • David House criticized the planning commission's notification process, highlighting signage that was difficult to read and delayed posting of agenda packets. He also reported that a property owner in West Norfolk had moved debris to multiple lots after a cleanup. He asked for better enforcement and transparency.
  • Alexandra Westfall (West Haven Civic League) raised concerns about the proposed zoning amendment reducing side-yard setbacks, stormwater capacity for new developments, and gun violence in her neighborhood. She urged council to consider neighborhood character and infrastructure.
  • Tiffany Stewart (IAFF Local 539 president) and Daniel Logan (Tidewater Federal Firefighters) testified in favor of collective bargaining, arguing it improves retention, morale, and safety. They emphasized that it is a collaborative process, not a confrontation with management.
  • Chris Hollis (LION organizer) and Melvin Smith (city worker) also expressed support for collective bargaining, noting its success in Richmond and Newport News.
  • Sheila Joseph raised ongoing issues with water billing errors and the removal of a safety stop sign she had previously requested.
  • Tony Goodwin spoke in support of the Main Street program, highlighting its 16-year history and importance for historic preservation and economic development.

Discussion Items

  • HRSD Presentation (Douglas Avenue Sewer Failure): Sean Hazleton (Director of Interceptor Operations) detailed the August 4, 2026 failure of a 30-inch reinforced concrete pipe installed in 1943. The break released an estimated 3.15 million gallons into Hull Creek at a rate of 12,000 gallons per minute. Within five hours, flow was throttled to 500 gallons per minute using valves and 30 pump-and-haul trucks. The repair was completed in 72 hours. Ongoing environmental monitoring shows enterococcus levels dropped below VDH beach action values within a week; sediment metals are below DEQ action value for biota effects. HRSD has invested $30 million in Portsmouth over the past decade and has $37 million in active projects, including the Douglas Avenue Interceptor Force Main Phase One (already in planning before the failure). Future $34 million in CIP investments are planned over seven years. Council members questioned inspection intervals, prioritization of pipe replacement, and coordination of capital projects with the city to avoid pavement damage.
  • Short-Term Rental Ordinance Update: Dr. Russell and Michelle Bowman presented a revised tiered framework based on owner occupancy and number of properties. Tier 1 (owner-occupied): administrative permit. Tier 2 (one non-owner-occupied): zoning permit, annual inspection, local contact. Tier 3 (multiple properties): conditional use permit, 24-hour manager, enhanced enforcement. Parking requirements: one additional off-street space beyond the existing two for single-family; a parking plan can be submitted for approval. Event prohibition for groups over eight. A 90-day transition plan for existing operators. The planning commission public hearing is set for September 1, 2026, with adoption expected by November and effective date January 1, 2027. Council discussed staffing needs for enforcement, tax collection, and concerns from downtown areas about parking plans.
  • Use Permit UP-26-04 (Oregon Acres): Applicant Juan Aponte proposed six townhouse units on 0.52 acres at 2400 Airline Boulevard. Public speaker David House noted outstanding zoning violations (unpermitted dumpster storage) and the three-story design incompatible with the neighborhood's one- and two-story homes. The planning commission had approved 6-0, but council denied the permit 4-3, citing character mismatch.
  • Use Permit UP-26-06 (West Haven): Applicant Keith Alexander sought renewal of an expired permit for seven townhouses on 0.37 acres at 1211 Rodman Avenue and 3614 Race Street. A public speaker raised density concerns and stormwater capacity. Council adopted the permit 7-0.
  • Use Permit UP-26-07 (Twin Pines): Portsmouth Redevelopment and Housing Authority requested construction of an 82-unit senior (62+) apartment building on 3.73 acres at 3993 Twin Pines Road. The project includes project-based vouchers (30% of income rent), one EV charging station, and design features for elderly residents. Council adopted 7-0.
  • Collective Bargaining Motion: Councilman Tillich moved to place the collective bargaining ordinance on the September 22, 2026 regular meeting agenda for a public vote. After debate, council unanimously (7-0) approved adding the item, with a closed session scheduled for September 8 to finalize the ordinance language.
  • Firefighter Staffing: Vice Mayor Moody expressed support for adding 11 firefighter positions, referencing a VOSH violation from March 2024 and the fire chief's budget request. The city manager will evaluate for FY28 budget.

Key Outcomes

  • Use Permit UP-26-04 (Oregon Acres) denied 4-3.
  • Use Permit UP-26-06 (West Haven) adopted 7-0.
  • Use Permit UP-26-07 (Twin Pines senior housing) adopted 7-0.
  • Consent agenda adopted (all items).
  • Motion to add collective bargaining ordinance to September 22 agenda adopted 7-0.
  • Council informally supports evaluating 11 additional firefighter positions for FY28 budget.
  • HRSD to provide contacts for affected residents and continue environmental monitoring and restoration, with final pavement restoration expected by mid-September.
  • Planning staff to continue short-term rental ordinance process; planning commission hearing on September 1.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. Those of you who are joining us online. I want to acknowledge um our city staff that is here with us today. Also our citizens uh who are in the audience uh listening to the public work session. Thank you all for being here. Take a moment to acknowledge our city manager, Mr. Stephen Carter, our city attorney, Mr. Derek Challenger, our city assessor, Mr. Steve Edwards, and of course our city clerk, Miss Deborah White. Thank you all for being here. Now I will ask uh that Ms. White will please call the roll. Yes, sir. Miss Bryant. Present. Dr. Datson. President. Mr. Hugel. Mr. Moody. Here. Miss Thomas. Here. Mr. Tillich. Here. Mayor Glavmer. Here. Thank you. Mr. Carter. Thank you very much, Mayor. Welcome everyone. Of course, sir. We have a couple presentations this evening. One is from HRSD. They're going to help bring us some information about the Douglas Avenue's bill that we had a few weeks ago. And then we're going to have another iteration of the short-term rental language for the new ordinance that we're pursuing. First up is Mr. Sean Hazleton from uh HRSD. He's the director of Interceptor Operations South Shore. That's a long time. It's a long time. Hey. But Sean, uh thank you for coming to uh be with us this evening. And I think you have a presentation as ready.

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