Portsmouth City Council Work Session and Regular Meeting - October 13, 2026

The meeting consisted of a work session featuring updates on the city's broadband expansion, capital improvement program (CIP), and drought management plan, followed by the regular city council meeting which included three public hearing items (all deferred), a consent agenda, board appointments, council reports, and public comments.

Consent Calendar

• The Broadband Authority accepted meeting minutes via a roll call vote (7-0).
• The City Council approved the consent agenda (items A-L) by a 7-0 vote, including acceptance of grant funds, certifications for revitalization grants, and adoption of the city's revised drought management plan. Specific grants included: $447,817.99 from USDA for summer food service; $591,226 from Virginia Department of Fire Programs; $2,937,775 from Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services for safer communities; $3,030 from Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation for Glasgow Street pump station; $17,029 and $9,900 from NHTSA for traffic safety and DUI deterrence; $250,000 Port Host Community Revitalization Fund grant for 817-825 High Street; and $128,000 from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation for an open space lands preservation trust fund grant.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tony Goodwin (Park View neighborhood) expressed support for the open space lands preservation trust fund grant (Consent Agenda Item K), noting that two previously non-conforming apartment properties in Park View are underwater and cause flooding issues for neighbors. He advocated using Virginia Outdoors Grant to acquire the land for open space and stormwater management, and suggested similar approaches for Cedar Grove cemetery flooding and Wall Street alleyway ownership issues.
• Tania Garcia Cartagena (Portsmouth resident) proposed a Boricua Cultural Center in the Craddock/Old Town area, featuring a gym, a mother's oasis with café and library, a screen-free teen area, and a "my first job" program for youth ages 14-18. She requested the council review the plan with the Department of Economic Development.
• David House (Simonsdale district) criticized the rollout of the new bulk trash pickup process, stating that the new process was not properly communicated and led to items being left on streets for weeks. He noted discrepancies between the waste management submission page and city code regarding limb diameter (6 inches vs. 18 inches) and pile size (reduced to 6x6x6). He asked for clarity on the hold status and future rollout.
• Mark Badal de Gutrowski (Portsmouth resident) spoke against the proposed 1% sales tax referendum for school construction, suggesting instead that casino revenue and future hotel occupancy tax be dedicated to school construction and maintenance, arguing residents are already heavily taxed.
• David Loving Good (owner of property at 749 Broad Street) complained that the city has allowed a neighboring property to become a junkyard within six feet of his home, attracting pests. He stated he received violation letters for his own property after complaining. He presented documentation showing a zoning violation notice from June 1st had not been enforced.
• Sherman Tyler (Portsmouth resident) addressed the city's sign policy at City Hall. He stated that candidates were only notified of the sign ban on September 18th (the day of early voting), contradicting a council member's claim that the change was voted on in May. He demanded to know why notification was delayed and called the process suspicious.

Discussion Items

• Broadband Expansion Update: The CIO reported on three critical projects:
  • GNW Railroad Agreement: Application approved. A flagger is needed; Danella coordinated with VDOT and GNW Railroad for an October 19th date. Splicing and testing begin then, with completion targeted for October 30th.
  • Tri-Cities/ODU Area: Survey completed and provided to ODU on October 5th. ODU acknowledged receipt of survey and draft deed of easement; their design and engineering team is reviewing the proposed route and easement language. Once technical review is complete, the package moves through ODU's real estate and legal teams (may take weeks). Fiber splicing will proceed quickly after execution.
  • Churchland Bridge: Danella found that a directional bore is required because the bridge contractor did not complete the tie-in. Boring began October 10th but was delayed by weather on the 11th. Work resumed this week to set the handhold and replace fiber; splicing and testing targeted for October 30th.
• Fiber Ring Update: Seven initial city sites (City Hall, Police Department Headquarters, Police Administration, Welcome Center, Detective Bureau, Fire Administration, Sheriff Training Building) will be connected to the fiber ring next week. All sites have been notified via change control forms. Each site may experience up to three hours of downtime during testing. Once these connections are complete, the remaining city sites will be migrated.
• Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Update:
  • Seven projects completed; ten active construction projects totaling over $90 million.
  • Several large projects (e.g., City Hall relocation, public safety complex, K-8 school, sportsplex enhancements, Craddock Fire Station) are at risk due to cost, scope, or funding exposure.
  • ARPA: $31 million spending requirement; expenditures to date just under $19 million. Anticipate meeting the December deadline with $35.5 million spent.
  • A project prioritization tool (modeled after HRPDC's spreadsheet) is being developed to score projects based on council priorities; will be refined at the council retreat.
  • A project dashboard with 90+ projects (title, description, milestones, costs) is expected by early 2027.
  • Council members requested details on specific projects (e.g., Twin Pines Road widening, pump stations, Charles Peak Park, jail modifications), asked for a full project list including non-city projects (like VDOT or HRSD), and emphasized the need for clear communication with the public and civic leagues.
• Drought Management Plan: Informational presentation by Public Utilities Director Michael Johnson and Ben Wright of Hazen & Sawyer.
  • The plan has three stages: Watch (voluntary conservation), Warning (mandatory restrictions on outdoor watering), and Emergency (further restrictions targeting 10% water use reduction).
  • Current conditions: rainfall surplus of 2.89 inches; reservoir storage at 87% (263 days of storage, trigger at 120 days); groundwater level at 11.19 feet (near trigger). Overall, conditions are normal but drier than typical. No drought stage is currently activated.
  • Residents on private wells are not subject to mandatory restrictions; they will be informed but not cited.
• Crawford Bay Development: The selection process involves a committee of two council members, the EDA, and economic development. A recommendation will be brought to the EDA and council for a vote. Council members expressed a desire for full transparency to review all submissions before the final selection.
• School MOU: City Manager Carter reported that there is a misunderstanding about the scope of the MOU between the city and school division. He stated his intent was to cover all projects, but the schools now do not want every project included. The K-8 school design is expected to start in January, take 16 months, with construction beginning about 4 years from now.

Key Outcomes

• Deferrals: All three public hearing items were deferred to the November 10, 2026 meeting: Item A (drug and alcohol treatment facility at 3736 Turnpike Road, deferred 6-1), Item B (multifamily complex at 2000 High Street, deferred 7-0), and Item C (short-term rental zoning amendment, deferred 7-0).
• Consent Agenda: Adopted 7-0.
• Boards and Commissions Appointments: Ollie Ray Farkin Dakish (Tilling Advisory Board) and Lavonda Graham Williams (Law Library Board) were appointed 7-0.
• Closed Session: Council voted 7-0 to enter closed session for legal consultation regarding a specific lawsuit, shootings in the city, and appointments to boards and commissions.
• Bulk Trash Policy: The policy remains on hold until January 1, 2027, per a previous council motion. The city manager affirmed that direction.
• Property Enforcement: Councilwoman Thomas requested a report on properties with multiple zoning violations over 60-90 days; the city manager agreed to provide that.