Portsmouth City Council Public Work Session and Regular Meeting – September 22, 2026

On September 22, 2026, the Portsmouth City Council held a public work session followed by a regular meeting at City Hall (801 Crawford Street). The agenda packet listed the work session as a called Joint Meeting with the Planning Commission for Monday, September 21, 2026, but the transcript indicates the session took place on Tuesday, September 22; this summary follows the transcript date. Six council members were present, with Dr. William S. Dodson, Jr. absent from the regular meeting. The work session covered the regional food bank, a $155 million City Hall financing plan, the bulk waste collection program, and political signs at City Hall. The regular meeting included a recognition, public hearings, the consent agenda, and adoption of a collective bargaining ordinance.

Work Session: Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia & the Eastern Shore

• Chris Tan presented, noting the food bank was founded in 1981 (45 years old), has delivered 442 million meals across a 4,400-square-mile service area covering 11 cities and counties, and works through 240+ partner agencies (up from 110 four years ago).
• Portsmouth distributions increased 79% over five years, from 1.5 million pounds in FY22 to 2.7 million pounds last year — the equivalent of 1.9 million meals, or 25 meals per city resident.
• The food bank set distribution records four consecutive years, growing 48% while most of the 199 U.S. food banks saw about a 5% decline.
• Produce distribution nearly doubled, from 4.5 million pounds in FY23 to 9.5 million pounds last year, including a 44% increase in Portsmouth alone. Protein doubled in two years; donated Purdue chicken rose from ~300,000 pounds per year to 1.4 million pounds last year.
• Portsmouth represents about 9% of food-insecure individuals in the service area but received 18.6% of duplicated-count services. The food bank served 5,000 unique Portsmouth households last year, with 28 partner agencies distributing about 75% of Portsmouth food.
• Direct city funding over the last five years totaled about $65,000; the food bank returned more than $15 million in food. Last year, a $15,000 city investment returned $5.2 million in food — a 348-times return on investment, calculated at Feeding America's $1.92-per-pound standard.
• The food bank distributed 26 million pounds last year, including 11 million pounds of rescued grocery-store food; every 2,500 pounds rescued saves one ton of methane. Purchased food rose from about $1 million in 2019 to $5 million last year; roughly 10% of food comes from federal commodities.
• Mobile pantries at Craddock, the SportsPlex, and Third Baptist serve about 20,000 people monthly and distribute about 380,000 pounds per year. Seven backpack sites deliver about 6,000 backpacks per year. The TCC Portsmouth campus market serves about 10,000 students and distributes about 45,000 pounds, with TCC reporting a 10% higher re-enrollment rate among users.
• A Bethel Worship Center Church pilot delivers food to homebound seniors — 93 orders delivered in Portsmouth — and a DoorDash delivery pilot is underway.
• Food hubs (three in Norfolk, one in Franklin) are rent-free, choice-based distribution sites connecting neighbors to legal aid, health screenings, and SNAP re-enrollment. A Portsmouth hub would cost about $10,000 per month in food ($120,000 per year); Tan suggested splitting roughly $30,000 each among the city, the food bank, and a corporate partner, with a three-year commitment.
• Councilwoman Thomas expressed full support for a hub and noted a possible food-desert location; Vice Mayor Moody, a former food bank board member, asked about site scouting; Councilman Hugel asked how nonprofits can partner (via foodbankonline.org, with a waitlist); Councilwoman Bryant called the hub a trust-building channel for city services. Mayor Glover directed the city manager to continue the conversation.

Work Session: City Hall Financing / 2026 Bond Plan

• Interim CFO Stephanie Council and Davenport advisors Kyle Laps and David Rose presented a plan of finance for a new City Hall.
• The estimated City Hall cost is about $125 million, plus about $30 million to reimburse the city for already-completed capital projects — approximately $155 million in total funding. The plan includes no increase in sales or other taxes.
• Credit ratings are Moody's Aa2, S&P AA+, and Fitch AA-. General fund revenues and expenditures have each grown about 7% annually, with positive net changes in fund balance every year. Available fund balance is about 43% of the total budget versus a peer median of about 39%.
• Tax-supported debt is about $300 million with a 10-year payout ratio of about 80%; pension bonds are expected to be fully paid off in about 10 years. Current debt service is about 7.5% of the budget (policy cap 10%), and debt is about 2.7% of assessed value (policy cap 4%).
• Planning assumptions include a 30-year repayment and a conservative 5% interest rate. Even with the $155 million layered in, the city remains within its debt policies. Davenport expects to return in November 2026 for a public hearing and ordinance, with borrowing completed by the end of the calendar year; a broader capital planning discussion is anticipated for winter/spring 2027.
• Councilman Dodson asked how other CIP and school projects fit; Councilman Hugel asked for ROI projections for developing the current City Hall waterfront site. Davenport confirmed the plan assumes only 1% assessed-value growth and 3% budget growth and does not rely on future economic development revenue. Mayor Glover called the project 'generational,' noted the city is financially strong, and urged patience to let the financial team complete its work.

Work Session: Bulk Waste Program Update

• City Manager Carter described the failed rollout of the scheduled bulk waste pickup system, saying the city tried to run scheduling and old canvassing simultaneously. Beginning October 1, scheduling would become the standard, with aggressive education, documentation, and readiness evaluations at 30, 60, and 90 days. The target is 95% successful service delivery before full enforcement, rather than an arbitrary January 1 date.
• Dashboard data showed 171 stops planned for the next day with four trucks; daily requests up 21% (17 vs. 14); weekly submissions 165 vs. 164; and September submissions about 1,400 vs. 837 last month. Plans include truck cameras, door hangers, bin stickers, a management dashboard, and a 'one city, one message' education campaign.
• Vice Mayor Moody called the rollout a failure, cited conflicting information (24-hour vs. 48-hour windows, confirmed by his own phone call that morning), said trash is accumulating citywide, and called for a timeout until January with a possible small-area pilot. Councilman Tillage concurred, noting residents were told different timeframes (including five days) and had trouble reaching staff by phone or online. Councilwoman Thomas supported delaying implementation while starting communication immediately; Councilman Hugel said the city has 'strike one' and must explain why the change is needed; Councilwoman Bryant recommended a communication playbook (press releases, home page icon, QR codes, door hangers), no fines starting October 1, and a citywide cleanup sweep.
• Consensus: return to the prior collection system through January, and remain on it until the city manager can demonstrate the new system will be an improvement. The manager will report back with data-driven improvements. Councilman Dodson also noted the front desk/phone system is not working well.

Work Session: Political Signs at City Hall

• Council discussed political signs during early voting. Councilman Tillage said the May consensus barred all political signs on city property, and his email asking for reconsideration drew no responses (Councilwoman Bryant corrected that she did reply). Mayor Glover said there was no intent to deny anyone sign rights, only to establish rules.
• Consensus: a limit of two yard signs per candidate, placed in designated grass areas on the Columbia Street side of City Hall and the small grass area next to the Water Street parking lot; signs may remain overnight but must be removed for maintenance, with the city providing notice; code enforcement will collect signs exceeding the limit. The city manager will send the policy to the registrar, candidates, and enforcement staff.

Regular Meeting: Consent Calendar & Public Hearings

• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Epsilon Nu Lambda chapter, was recognized for its 75th charter week; chapter president Keith Bailey addressed council.
• Public hearing 26-218 (resolution requesting the General Assembly to amend the city charter to delete Chapter 11, the Civil Service Commission) was held with no speakers; the resolution was later adopted as consent item H.
• Item 26-219 (CF Honeycutt use permit UP-01-08, 4592 George Washington Highway) was deferred to the November 10, 2026 meeting by unanimous roll-call vote.
• Public hearing 26-206 (UP-2608, T Cross event space/banquet hall at 500 Rodman Avenue) was approved 6-0 with conditions.
• The consent agenda (items A–H) was adopted 6-0, including: a $502,494.87 U.S. Department of Justice bulletproof vest partnership grant; $5,226,000 in FEMA BRIC funding through VDEM for phase one of the Lake Meade Dam adaptations; $500,000 from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority; $53,715 in PATH funding for homelessness outreach; $111,856 in Partnership for Success funding for youth substance misuse; adoption of the Portsmouth Flood Resilience Strategy; a Dominion Energy easement over 2045, 2017, and 2023 Frederick Boulevard; and the Civil Service Commission charter amendment resolution.

Regular Meeting: Collective Bargaining Ordinance (26-221)

• The council considered an ordinance adding Section 2-118 to the city code to establish a collective bargaining framework.
• Speakers in support included Tiffany Stewart (EMS lieutenant and president of IAF Local 539), who said negotiations with staff were productive and that contracts serve as long-term financial planning tools; Kurt Dietrich (president of the Virginia Professional Firefighters), who called it a historic opportunity; Todd Riley, speaking on behalf of the City of Roanoke's fire and EMS workforce as a sister locality; and Garland Alexander, a retired Local 539 member of 58 years.
• Rhoda Young expressed support but argued the proposed structure makes it harder for non-sworn and general employees — including human services, behavioral health, and 911 dispatchers — to organize, and warned of political consequences if workers are denied a voice.
• Chris Hollis (Laborers) expressed support but asked for four bargaining units instead of three, arguing the 'others' category unfairly groups distinct worker types; he cited the Richmond and Alexandria models and said collective bargaining has not broken those cities.
• The ordinance was adopted 6-0.

Council Member Reports & City Manager Announcements

• Councilman Hugel reported on a Minus 9 to 5 / ODU presentation on the state of child care in Portsmouth: 6,351 children under age five; two-thirds have all available parents in the workforce; 86 regulated programs with capacity for 4,490 children; and two pages of strategy recommendations. National Night Out is rescheduled for October 6.
• Councilwoman Bryant reported an urgent need for foster homes in Portsmouth, noted the assessor's office recertified for the Certificate of Excellence in Assessment Administration, and asked colleagues for policy direction on the community and regional funding framework.
• Councilwoman Thomas highlighted the PRHA Youth Build workforce development home at 605 London Street, now on the market for eligible buyers.
• Councilman Tillage promoted the Symphony on the River event and the 79th annual Fishbowl Parade on Saturday.
• Mayor Glover announced a community day Saturday at 1701 High Street.
• City Manager Carter announced: possible localized flooding with parking garages free starting tomorrow afternoon; Government 101 beginning Monday, September 28 at 6 p.m.; a peanut butter and jelly food drive competition; and Portsmouth being named a 2026 Virginia Municipal League Innovation Award winner for Rock the Block (environmental quality award), to be presented October 11.

Public Comments & Testimony (Regular Meeting)

• Desani Wilkerson (consent agenda speaker) described a planned organization for independent living, second-chance shared housing, and a Portsmouth wellness center offering digital literacy, job readiness, mentorship, and sound therapy; she said the effort is currently self-funded.
• Sergi O'Neill thanked council for clarity on the Portsmouth United funding structure, decried misinformation about participating nonprofits, and encouraged citizen engagement.
• Sherman Tyler expressed anger about the sign restrictions, saying candidates were not informed and that a candidate stood outside City Hall for eight hours; he suggested the timing near the election amounted to suppression. Councilwoman Bryant responded that the decision was made in May and that the work session had created a pathway forward.
• Sheila Joseph complained about overgrown grass, trees, and right-of-way maintenance along Frederick Boulevard and in neighborhoods, noted new security screening at waste management, and asked for better public notice of street work.
• Brian Williams (Parkview) requested speed tables or bumps and signage on Elm Avenue due to excessive speeding, military-base congestion, and vehicles being struck; Mayor Glover directed him to the traffic-calming request process.
• Rhoda Young thanked council for the sign compromise and urged continued listening to residents.
• Nicole Hardy (president, Charles Pete Little League) reported that the Charles Pete Little League Complex renovation is stalled; the contract with Turner Strategic Technologies (IFB #E500, $6,540,252.75, executed March 19, 2025) anticipated a 270-day completion, but the league remains displaced at an inadequate field since spring 2025. She said a $210,000 covered pavilion (item 91) was omitted from the final construction drawings. Councilwoman Thomas requested a report back and a designated communication contact.

Key Outcomes

• Bulk waste: consensus to revert to the previous collection system through January and until the city manager can demonstrate the new system will improve service; data-driven updates to council expected.
• Political signs: consensus allowing two yard signs per candidate in designated areas at City Hall, overnight placement allowed, removal for maintenance with notice; city manager to issue guidance.
• CF Honeycutt use permit (26-219) deferred to November 10, 2026, by unanimous vote.
• T Cross event space use permit (UP-2608) approved 6-0.
• Consent agenda adopted 6-0.
• Collective bargaining framework ordinance (26-221) adopted 6-0.
• Direction given to the city manager to: advance the food bank hub conversation; report back on the Charles Pete Little League project status, scope changes, and communication contact; and provide CIP/school integration and waterfront ROI projections ahead of the November financing decision.