Virginia Beach City Council Formal Meeting Summary – June 3, 2026
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Virginia Beach City Council Formal Meeting – June 3, 2026
On June 3, 2026, the Virginia Beach City Council held a formal meeting that included updates on federal lobbying efforts, recommendations from the e-bike task force, a policy discussion on data centers, proclamations, and approval of the consent agenda. The council took decisive action on data centers and provided direction on e-bike regulations, emphasizing safety and state-level advocacy.
Consent Calendar
- Approved four ordinances by a vote of 11-0:
- Authorizing a lease agreement with the Virginia Beach Bar Association for office space at the Judicial Center.
- Donating 48 parking meters to the ViBe Creative District for an art project.
- Accepting and appropriating $725,220 from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation for the Princess Anne Bondwater Transmission Main project (with a local match of $80,580).
- Accepting and appropriating $43,400 from the Virginia State Police for police department training on human trafficking.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public speakers were present for the open mic portion of the formal meeting.
Discussion Items
Federal Government Relations Update
- The council received a presentation from the city's federal lobbyists at Becker & Polyakoff (Alfonso Lopez, Anthony Bedell, Perry Adair). Key highlights:
- In FY26, Virginia Beach received $15.34 million in federal grant funding and $12 million in final earmarks.
- For FY27, the Senate has proposed $35.6 million and the House $4.05 million for city projects, including Eastern Shore drainage improvements, Stormwater Operations Center, Virginia Beach Trail phases 2 and 3, Nimmo Parkway, and FEDACO mitigation barriers.
- The lobbyists noted that the final earmark number is likely to be closer to the Senate figure.
- Mayor Dyer stressed the urgency of the Nimmo Parkway project, citing public safety and military readiness concerns. The lobbyists confirmed they are actively engaging with Senator Kaine's office on environmental assessments.
E-Bike Task Force Recommendations
- Deputy City Manager presented the task force's recommendations, which were largely unanimous except for the issue of allowing e-bikes on the resort area bike path and signage/infrastructure.
- Key recommendations included:
- Advocate for state regulation (e.g., age restrictions, licensing, registration, helmet requirements, audible warning devices).
- Implement targeted communication and education campaigns for residents and visitors.
- Increase signage and create infrastructure for safe e-bike operation.
- Maintain the current ban on e-bikes on resort area sidewalks and boardwalk.
- Prohibit e-motos on shared-use paths and bike paths.
- Council Debate: Strong opinions were voiced.
- Vice Mayor Wilson and others opposed allowing e-bikes on the bike path, citing safety concerns for pedestrians, especially with Class 3 e-bikes capable of 28 mph.
- Councilman Hutchison and others supported the task force recommendation, arguing that enforcement is difficult and that most e-bikes (Class 1 and 2) are indistinguishable from regular bikes.
- Several council members called for deferring any decision on the bike path until other safety measures (speed limits, signage, age restrictions) are in place.
- Councilman Bellucci advocated for state-level age restrictions and licensing, particularly for Class 3 e-bikes, citing examples from New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
- Councilman Henley questioned the data on accidents, noting that only 7 of 13 bicycle accidents at the resort in the last 12 months involved e-bikes, and that enforcement resources are limited.
- Outcome: The council directed staff to move forward with education, signage, and state advocacy (including age restrictions and licensing). The decision to amend city code to allow e-bikes on the bike path was deferred pending these guardrails.
Data Centers – Policy Direction
- Staff provided a detailed presentation on data center types (subsea cable landing, co-location, data centers, hyperscalers) and their environmental impacts (power, water, noise).
- The planning commission had requested council consider amending the zoning ordinance to add a conditional use permit for data centers.
- Council Debate: A strong consensus emerged against allowing large-scale data centers and hyperscalers in Virginia Beach.
- Mayor Dyer stated the city is not a good fit for these facilities due to land, power, and water constraints.
- Economic Development Director Mandy Jarrett confirmed that the city is not recruiting data centers or hyperscalers, and that they are not part of the Innovation Technology Area (ITA) master plan.
- Council members agreed to pursue a zoning ordinance amendment that would make data centers and hyperscalers non-permitted uses, while subsea cable landing sites and co-location facilities would remain conditional uses.
- Outcome: The council unanimously directed staff to take an ordinance to the Planning Commission that would prohibit data centers and hyperscalers in I1 and I2 industrial districts, and to expedite the process. The goal is to have the ordinance back for council adoption as soon as possible.
Key Outcomes
- E-Bikes: Council adopted task force recommendations on education, signage, and state advocacy, including pursuing age restrictions and licensing. The decision on allowing e-bikes on the resort bike path was deferred pending safety measures.
- Data Centers: Council directed staff to prepare a zoning ordinance amendment banning data centers and hyperscalers (with exceptions for subsea cable and co-location facilities) and to expedite it through the Planning Commission.
- Federal Lobbying: Continued support for Nimmo Parkway and other priority projects; Mayor urged faster action on environmental reviews.
- Proclamations: Recognized Steele's 100th anniversary and declared June 2026 as Pride Month in Virginia Beach.
- Closed Session: Council certified a closed session held earlier in the day for real estate and personnel matters.
Council Liaison Reports & Other Business
- Councilman Work reported on the Old Beach Design Review Committee's request to amend design standards for wider structures. Staff was directed to work with the Planning Commission on potential code changes.
- Councilman Bellucci noted the successful 4-H Livestock Show and the Jackalope Festival.
- Councilman Henley praised the 5/31 Memorial dedication, noting the inclusive process.
- Councilwoman Remick highlighted the Forever Young senior program and a new business opening (Palace of Pickleball). She also reported on a meeting with teens from across Hampton Roads about oceanfront safety and youth spaces.
- Councilman Cal Jackson read a thank-you letter from a senior at Atlantic Shores Christian School.
- Mayor Dyer announced the formation of a task force for a safer Virginia Beach, with six meetings planned through October.
Open Mic
- No speakers came forward.
Meeting Transcript
Well we're gonna call this meeting together or Mr. Douhaney if we can get started. All right, so Mr. Mayor, members of the council, the first presentation will be kicked off by Brent McKenzie. He'll introduce the members of our federal lobbyist team. So go ahead, Brent. The floor is yours. Thank you, Mr. Manager. Good afternoon, Mr. Mayor, Madam Vice Mayor, and members of council. It's a pleasure to be with you this afternoon. Today we are joined by our federal government relations team from Becker and Polyakoff. We are joined by Anthony Bedell, Senior Corporate and Government Relations Director. Alfonso Lopez, senior corporate and government relations consultant, and Perry Adair, government relations consultant. They will provide a short uh update on our federal government relations program, provide uh overview of federal funds received over the last year, and an outlook uh for fiscal year 27. Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Alfonso Lopez. Um, just wanted to uh do a quick background about uh each of us at the firm, and then also uh talk about some details and be open to any questions you might have. So um, just by way of background, we are a national law and lobbying firm, been around for 50 years, uh 15 years in DC. We're recently named one of the top 100 lobbying firms in the country, uh, number 77 to be exact, um, very diverse bipartisan firm with folks who were chiefs of staff, um, and then senior political and uh policy people in the uh Trump White House, the uh Obama White House, uh, and both sides of the aisle in Congress. Um the team is made up of uh myself, and uh uh Anthony and Perry, but also our true grants expert, um, Amanda Wood, uh Omar Franco, who is as knowledgeable of his appropriations work as anyone in the country, and then Clarence Williams, who is a policy person extraordinaire in the weeds, can make things happen, and a former chief of staff on the in the House of Representatives. Um, we've had an incredibly successful uh 2025. Um, as you know, working closely with Brent McKenzie, who is amazing, and Andrew Damon, who was equally amazing, and your entire Virginia Beach um staff. Everyone who works for public works, transportation. You you have to be incredibly proud of the work they do on behalf of the city and how responsive they are to every opportunity we present to the city. And so from the mayor on down, thank you very, very much. Um, in total federal grant funding just last year, 15.34 million dollars. In final FY26 earmarks, 12 million dollars. Considering what was going on with uh the appropriations process last year, we thought that was incredibly good. This year, already, as a result of the House and Senate, we have 35.6 million dollars already um set aside in the Senate, and then 4.05 million in the House. Those bills will be reconciled, but uh it's looking like the Senate version will carry the day uh for the majority of our projects, and we are in incredibly good position relative to other communities and municipalities in uh the region. In uh you Virginia Beach is doing incredibly well. Uh and you are near the top for the entire Commonwealth of Virginia as well. Um with the breakdown of your marks, I want to hand it over to our uh our basically our uh our appropriations guru, Mr. Perry Adair. Uh good evening, Mr. Mayor, members of the council. Thanks for having us. Um, Perry Adair at Becker and Polykoff. Just gonna give you a quick overview of the awards uh to date, uh, both finalized and confirm uh pending. So FY26, that got cleared up in the if you remember that long shutdown, the mini bus that ended it. Uh those included the final slate of FY26 earmarks, uh the largest 10 million for the I-20 uh 264 Independence Boulevard interchange improvements to relieve congestion, and the one million award for Bo Creek Stormwater Park to relieve flooding and one million for Pungo Ferry Road. Those are finalized, and we're working with Brent and Andrew and our federal counterparts to draw those funds down if they're not already. So stay tuned for that. Uh moving forward on the preliminary side, Alfonso touched on this as well in the Senate, uh, with their little bit further behind than the House, which is pretty standard. We have 35.6 million pending uh 10 million each for eastern shore drainage improvements. That's a flooding and stormwater project, the stormwater operations center, and uh kind of a recording project that we've had, uh Virginia Beach Trail Phases two and three, and then five million for Nemo Parkway, and then 600,000 for FEDACO mitigation barriers to the police department. That's the Senate side, and that's at the member level stage. So Senator Warren's and Kane have put in for that those projects.
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