Sep 19, 2023 Regular City Council Meeting

[00:00:02]

ITEM FOUR ADJOURNMENT. THAT MEETING IS ADJOURNED. NEXT WE ROLLING RIGHT ON INTO A RECKLESS SCHEDULE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. IT IS OFFICIALLY 5 11 AND WE'RE GETTING STARTED. MADAM CLERK.

COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCILOR CUTHBERT COUNCIL MEMBER JONES YEAH, MEMBER SMITH LEE PRESENT COUNCIL MEMBER MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK, PRESIDENT. VICE MARY HILL HERE, PERN HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ITEM TO PRAYER VICE MAYOR HERE WILL LEAD US AN OPENING PRAYER.

LET US PRAY. THEY HAVING TWO FATHERS ONCE AGAIN WE COME BEFORE YOU, LORD, GIVING YOUR NAME ON THE PRAISE AND GLORY. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS OF TODAY.

LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH US AS WE DO THE BUSINESS OF OUR CITY. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT BLESSINGS UPON US HAVING A FATHER LORD, WE ASK THAT BLESSING UPON OUR CITIZENS, UH, THAT YOU WOULD KEEP US SAFE FROM ALL HER HOME AND DANGER BE WITH OUR UH, OUR STAFF AND OUR WORKERS HAVING A FATHER, OUR EMPLOYEES BE WITH THEM IN THEIR FAMILIES. HEAVENLY FATHER BE WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. E M S OUR FIRE AND OUR POLICE HAVING A FATHER BE WITH THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AND GOD AND PROTECT THEM AS WELL. BE WITH THIS COUNCIL HAVING A FATHER THAT WE DO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PLEASING THAT SITE. THAT YOU WOULD TAKE US TO HIGHER HEIGHTS THAN YOU. HAVING A FATHER. WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD BE WITH CITY MANAGER AND OUR CITY ATTORNEY AND ALL THOSE WHO WORKED AT A LEGIT FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS OF THE DAY. IT'S IN YOUR NAME. WE PRAY. AMEN. WITH THE MAN. NEXT IS ITEM THREE PLEASURE LEADERS. CAN EVERYBODY PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME? THE PLEDGE OUR PLEASURE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. DO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IS THERE. ONE NATION. UNDER GOD. INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

[4. Determination of the Presence of a Quorum]

[5. Proclamations/Recognitions/Presentation of Ceremonial Proclamations]

GOOD EVENING. I'M AVRAAM FACTOR WITH SORRY. HOW YOU DOING? GOOD CORRECT EQUITY, PLUS THE DEVELOPER OF THREE. BUNCHES OF PROPERTIES ALL IN THE DO THE VIRGINIA AVENUE SCHOOL JUST AS A REFRESHER OF THE THREE KIND OF PARCELS ARE THE VIDEO VIRGINIA AVENUE SCHOOL ITSELF, WHICH WE WILL TURN INTO 49 SENIOR APARTMENTS, PROBABLY MAINTAINING THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THE PROPERTY. ANOTHER. 46 SINGLE FAMILY ATTACHED HOMES THAT WILL BE RENTAL UNITS IN THE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE OF THE VIRGINIA AVENUE SCHOOL. AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL 18 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WILL BE HOME OWNERSHIP. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY THE LAST 2.5 3 YEARS HONEST REDEVELOPMENT EFFORT. WE'VE BEEN UNFORTUNATELY STALLED FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF FOR TWO DIFFERENT, UNRELATED REASONS. BUT THEY WERE COMPOUNDING ON THEMSELVES, WHICH I'LL DESCRIBE IN A MINUTE. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS I THINK WE SEE A VERY CLEAR LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, WHICH I'LL SAY THE GOOD NEWS FOR LAST. SO WHY WE'VE BEEN STALLED.

WE WERE PREPARED TO CLOSE LAST A YEAR AGO SUMMER BUT THEN VIRGINIA AS A STATE RAN OUT OF TAX EM BOND ALLOCATION AUTHORITY FOR ALL NEW PROJECTS IN THE STATE THAT YEAR. SO WE COULD NOT CLOSE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BOND ALLOCATION TO DO SO. WE GOT BASICALLY TOLD TICKET NUMBER WAIT IN LINE WE DID PATIENTLY IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR. WE WERE ABLE TO SUBMIT FOR BOND ALLOCATION AGAIN AND WERE AWARDED IT AT THAT POINT BECAUSE WE WERE AT THE HEAD OF THE LINE.

WE ARE ON A MARCH TO CLOSE IN APRIL. WE DID CLOSE THE BOND FINANCING IN APRIL, BUT OUR GENERAL CONTRACTOR FELL OUT JUST AS WE DID. SO, SO WE'VE BEEN SPENT THE LAST FEW MONTHS.

LOOKING FOR A PLACEMENT GENERAL CONTRACTOR WHICH I'M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE. AS OF YESTERDAY, WE SIGNED A LETTER OF INTENT. WE FOUND ONE. THEY'RE VERY WELL KNOWN IN THE RICHMOND PETERSBURG AREA. DAVIS BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION WE ANTICIPATE THAT HAMMER SHOULD START GETTING SWUNG IN THE VIRGINIA AVENUE SCHOOL BY AROUND THANKSGIVING, NOW THAT THEY ARE DAVID'S BROTHERS ON BOARD. AND READY TO GO. SO THAT'S THE FIRST PARCEL OF GROUP OF PROPERTIES. THE SECOND IS THE SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOMES FOR RENT. THEY WERE MOVING IN PARALLEL WITH THE SCHOOL. THEY WERE IN THE SAME BAND FINANCING THAT DID CLOSE IN APRIL. THEY SHOULD. ALSO YOU SHOULD ALSO START SEEING WORK DONE ON THOSE LOTS BY AROUND THANKSGIVING AT THIS POINT. UM AND THEN LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, THE HOMEOWNERSHIP LOTS. THEY'RE ACTUALLY LITTLE HEAD OF THE RENTAL. WE ANTICIPATE YOU SEEING ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION STARTING ON THOSE LOTS THIS WEEK. AND THE

[00:05:01]

WE HAVE THE PERMITS IN HAND. UH, WE'VE, UM CLOSED ON THE TRANSFER OF THE PROPERTIES. UM WE HAVEN'T HAVING A HARD TIME MAINTAINING THE VIRGINIA OUT OF SCHOOL TO THE STANDARDS WE ALL HAVE.

THERE'S ACTIVE ANNELISE, UM EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE ON THE PROPERTY. PEOPLE DO BREAK IN.

WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN. BUT WE KNOW THAT THE ONLY REAL SOLUTION TO THAT IS TO START WORKING ON IT AND GET PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING EVERY DAY TO HAVE EYES THERE EVERY DAY. AND AS I SAID, WE ANTICIPATE HAVING THAT IN PLACE BY THANKSGIVING. UM WE ARE, AS WE ARE FRUSTRATED, HAS TAKEN US AS LONG TO GET HERE AS IT HAS, UM, IT HASN'T BEEN NECESSARILY THE EASIEST IN THE WORLD DOING REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY OVER THE LAST 2.5 YEARS THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT COVID RELATED SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND THEN INTEREST RATES GOING UP.

BUT WE DID FIRST START THIS PROJECT. WE HAD A CONSTRUCTION. BUDGET OF ABOUT $14 MILLION WERE NOW UP TO $2021 MILLION BECAUSE OF COVID RELATED PRICE INCREASES . WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT CAN TAKE UP TO A YEAR TO ORDER AND GET DELIVERED TO THE SITE, WHICH WE'RE SEEING IN OTHER PROJECTS. UM SO WE KNOW WE'RE NOT GETTING PICKED ON IN THIS. IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE INDUSTRY. AND WE KNOW IT'S BEEN. IT'S FRUSTRATING FOR YOU FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THIS IS TAKING LONGER THAN ANY OF US EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD TO GET STARTED, AND WE DO.

GREATLY APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. WE FEEL HORRIBLE ABOUT IT. IF IT MAKES ANYONE FEEL BETTER, AS I SAID, WE HAVE SOME $2 MILLION OF OUR OWN MONEY. INTO THIS TO GET IT TO WHERE IT IS TODAY, SO WE ARE FEELING BOTH THE PERSONAL AND FINANCIAL PAIN OF THESE DELAYS. BUT AS I SAID, WE THINK THE LIGHT IS AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, AND WE'RE HOPING THANKSGIVING BRINGS GOOD NEWS FOR ALL OF US. I'M SURE THERE ARE ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE , RV, AND, UM, I THINK MY FIRST THING IS THAT, UM UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE WHOLE DELAYS AND PROBLEMS WITH, UM SECURING A CONTRACTOR AND EVERYTHING BUT THE ONLY THING I ASKED IF YOU CAN SECURE THE STRUCTURE AND REMOVE THE OBSCENITIES SPRAY PAINTED ON THE BUILDING. I THINK THAT'S MY THE THING THAT GIVES ME MOST HEARTBURN IS THAT THAT FENCING HAS BEEN BREACHED, AND IT'S BEEN ABLE TO BECOME A BOARD FOR GRAFFITI AND OTHER OBSCENITIES. THAT SHOULDN'T BE THERE. SO IF YOU COULD JUST TAKE CARE OF THAT ASAP FOR US? YES, SIR. UM JUST SO THE KIDS WON'T HAVE TO SEE THAT GOING TO SCHOOL. UM TALISMAN JONES. TO MY FELLOW MEMBERS ON COUNCIL, PLEASE PARDON ME. AS I SPEAK. TO THIS YOUNG MAN. I WANT YOU TO TAKE WHAT I'M SAYING TO HEART.

HE'S SELLING WOLF TICKETS AND I DON'T BELIEVE NOTHING YOU'RE SAYING LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. WHAT YOU'RE SAYING UP THERE. WOULD YOU TALKING LIKE YOU'RE TALKING? THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE. SOMEBODY TELLING ME THEY LOVE ME AND CHEATING ON ME AT THE SAME TIME, SO I WANT TO ASK YOU SOMETHING. HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE THIS CITY? BECAUSE YOU LOVE THIS CITY. YOU WOULD HAVE DONE WHAT YOU SAID SHE WAS DOING YEARS AGO. THAT PLACE LOOK A MESS OVER THERE. NOW YOU WANT TO BLAME IT ON VANDALISM AND ALL OF THAT. IT AIN'T THE VANDALS. PROBLEM IS YOUR PROBLEM. YOU MADE THESE PROMISES. AND I DON, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE IT DONE BY THANKSGIVING. I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY END UP HAVING ANOTHER FIRE IN THERE BEFORE THEY THING GETS FIXED ON I'M UPSET WITH THIS THING, MAN. I'M TIRED OF DEVELOPERS COMING INTO THE CITY MAKING PROMISES AND THEY LIVING UP TO HIM. YOU'RE SETTING THE EXAMPLE FOR THE REST OF THEM. I'M HERE NOW.

I'M GONNA MAKE SURE I STAY ON YOUR BUTT. I'M GONNA MAKE SURE OF IT. STOP MAKING FALSE PROMISES. WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR NO MORE OF IT. ACTION ACTION. THAT'S WHAT WE WANT ACTION. IS BRINGING A WHOLE AREA DOWN. I MEAN, IT LOOKED BETTER THAN THAT BEFORE YOU TOOK OVER IT. YOU GOTTA TIGHTEN UP, MAN. YOU GOT A TITLE, BUT I WISH THERE WAS SOME KIND OF WAY WE TAKE IT BACK. AND DO WHAT I DOGGONE SALES. THAT'S ALL I GOT. CALCIUM COPPER. THANK YOU, MR MAYOR. AH! I CERTAINLY I CONCUR WITH COUNCILMAN JONES. EMOTION ON THIS THING. HAVE WRITTEN BY THAT BUILDING. HALF A

[00:10:02]

INVITATION TO ALL SET FIRE. AND, UH, THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT BUILDING TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

WHAT IS YOUR DEADLINE? FOUR. OCCUPANCY WHEN YOU HAD THE RIBBON CUT IN AND PEOPLE WILL MOVE IN. ASSUMING WE START CONSTRUCTION BY THANKSGIVING. WE HAVE A 18 MONTH CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE. IT WAS, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SHORTER PRE COVID. BUT AS I MENTIONED WITH THE ELECTRICAL STUFF, WE HAVE TO ASSUME IT MIGHT TAKE UP TO A YEAR TO GET ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT DELIVERED TO THE SITE. IT TOOK 14 MONTHS FOR US TO GET ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT DELIVERED TO A PROJECT. WE JUST COMPLETED SO WE'RE HOPING IT'S FASTER, BUT WE'RE NOT COUNTING ON IT. WHAT DEADLINE DOES THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT ESTABLISHED? FOR COMPLETION OF THIS PROJECT. I WOULD HAVE TO REREAD IT TO TELL YOU THE EXACT DATE. I DON'T WANT TO CITE IT WITHOUT ME IN FRONT OF ME. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOU COULD BE ABLE TO MEET IT OR NOT. AT THIS POINT. UH, I DO NOT KNOW. WELL. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT DEADLINE. AND. IF IT IS WITHIN 18 MONTHS. AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS 18 MONTHS. YOU COULD BE IN THE FALL. AND. I'M OF THE SAME MIND AS COUNCILMAN JONES.

WE WANT TO SEE THE PROJECT FINISHED. WE WANT TO SEE DEVELOPERS LIVE UP TO THEIR PROMISES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILOR MYERS. YEAH, UM. UH I'LL BE, UM I WANT TO SAY THAT YOU KNOW, I AM DISAPPOINTED ON THE TIMELINE, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME POSTED.

IS I'VE KEPT THE MAYOR POSTED IN THE CITY MANAGER AND I DO KNOW THAT THERE IS A PROCESS AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY FOLKS THAT'S SITTING UP HERE WANT TO CONTINUE TO KICK THE PROCESS.

BECAUSE IF THE STATE DOESN'T HAVE THE FUNDING TO PROVIDE YOU FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. IT SLOWS YOUR PROJECT DOWN AND EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT EVERYBODY OUTSIDE OF YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE. ALL EVERY ALL OF THE PARTIES ARE RESPONSIBLE TO SOME POINT. BUT I HAVE TO CONCUR WITH THE MAYOR THAT I DO NEED TO HAVE. THE BUILDING WHITEWASHED SOMEHOW. AND GET THAT GRAFFITI OFF OF THERE WOULD UM, NOTED ON THE ON THE GRAFFITI, AND WE WILL GET RIGHT ON THAT. UM, I WOULD WE AS A DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAVE TO OWN THE LAST FIVE MONTHS OF DELAY. OUR GENERAL CONTRACTOR FALLING OUT IS NOT THE REST OF THE WORLD'S PROBLEM. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BUT TO YOUR POINT WE COULDN'T HELP WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THAT, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND IT. AND TO YOUR POINT . I UNDERSTAND THAT AND SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD BE BEAT UP FOR IT. YOU'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT IS A PROJECT AS WELL NEEDED IN WARD FIVE. HE HAD THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE I MADE A PROMISE YOU MADE A PROMISE. ALL OF US MADE A PROMISE BY AGREEING TO ALLOW YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. SO IF THE PROCESS FAILED THEN IT'S THE PROCESS. SO EVERYONE TAKES A HIT FOR THE BLAME. BUT I DON'T THINK PERSONAL ATTACKS UNNECESSARY AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT. OKAY SO THEREFORE THANK YOU. FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO IN WARD FIVE. CONTINUE TO HELP MY CONSTITUENCY MOVE FORWARD. AND TO INCREASE THE ASSESSMENTS OF THEIR PROPERTY SO THAT THEY CAN BE FINANCIALLY STABLE, MOVING FORWARD. AND SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER WARD AND I CAN TELL YOU SOMEONE MIGHT HAVE SAID THAT IT WAS BETTER BEFORE YOU CAME HERE. NO IT WAS NOT. IT WAS HORRIBLE WHEN I CAME HERE. AND IT'S NOW MOVING FORWARD. IF YOU GO DOWN EVERY BLOCK HEARD FROM EVERYBODY ON THIS COUNCIL. SOMEBODY'S RENOVATING SOMETHING OVER THERE IN WARD FIVE, SO IT IS DEVELOPING. MUCH BETTER THAN IT HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND WE APPRECIATE IT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THOSE SHOVELS IN THE GROUND. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. UM, NEXT, WE MOVE ON TO ITEM B. IS TO PRESENT A TRIAD MEDALS INTERNATIONAL WITH THE 2023 INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR AWARD. AND THE INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING YEAR AWARDED TO MANUFACTURER PRODUCER BIG OR SMALL, OPERATING THE INDUSTRY A SECTOR THE WAR RECOGNIZES BUSINESSES THAT ARE USING EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE COMPETITIVENESS AND PROFITABILITY. THE RECIPIENTS OPERATION DEMONSTRATES A LEADERSHIP POSITION WITHIN THE

[00:15:02]

[6. Responses to Previous Public Information Posted]

POSTED. THERE ARE NO ITEMS TONIGHT. THEY'RE UNDER COUNCIL COMMUNICATES. UM ITEM SEVEN,

[7. Approval of Consent Agenda (to include minutes of previous meetings):]

[8. Official Public Hearings]

PREPARED BY THE APPLICANT AND DATED JUNE 13TH 2023 SUCH BUFFER SHALL BE PLANTED WITH SUCH LANDSCAPING AND BE A WIDTH OF UP TO 150 FT AS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SCREENING FROM

[00:20:03]

LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. APPLICANT IS HERE AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC HAND FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE ORDINANCE APPROVING THAT PETITION TO REZONE THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 22 55 JAMESTOWN ROAD. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL OPEN IT UP NOW BESIDE MARK. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT? YES, MR PATTERSON. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR PARAM AND CITY COUNCIL. UM JOE BATTISTON. ONE SOUTH SYCAMORE, ST PETERSBURG. UH I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT. BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO ADD JOBS AND SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM TAX REVENUES. I THINK IT'S A WIN WIN. AH I BELIEVE THAT THIS SHOULD BE PUT THROUGH UNANIMOUSLY, IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ONLY GOING TO DO GOOD FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YES, MR FERGUSON. MY NAME IS RAY FERGUSON 2476 POLE LANE. I THINK THIS IS A WIN LOSE. AND IT'S A WIN FOR THE CITY. BUT IT'S A LOSE FOR THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE NEAR THIS. THERE ARE A COUPLE 100 PEOPLE AND FAMILIES THAT LIVE NEAR THIS PROPERTY. SO THINK ABOUT THAT. THE CITY HAS SENT LETTERS OUT TO THE OWNERS OF THE TRAILER PARKS. NOT ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE THERE. BUT TO THE OWNERS OF THE TRAILER PARKS, SO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS WHO WATCH YOUR KIDS GET ON SCHOOL BUSSES AND WATCH TRAFFIC GO FLYING AROUND THE SCHOOL BUSSES, WHICH I SEE A LOT IN THAT AREA. THEY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON. SO IT HAS NOT BEEN DONE PROPERLY AND THE FACT THAT THIS WAS VOTED DOWN AND NOT BE ABLE TO SEND BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE. I JUST I THINK I HONESTLY THERE'S A BIG AREA THERE. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY, UM, DOCUMENTED HAS NOT BEEN PROBABLY NOTIFIED. UM YOU HAVE NOT GOTTEN INFORMATION BACK FROM FOUR. GREG ADAMS. YOU'VE NOT GOTTEN INFORMATION BACK FROM THE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE THIS WHICH I AGREE. IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY. IF YOU'RE GOING TO PROVE THIS, YOU NEED TO HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND YOU DON'T HAVE IT. AND NEITHER DID THE PLANNING COMMITTEE. AND NEITHER DID THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE NEAR THIS. SO IF YOU APPROVE THIS UNDERSTANDING, YOU'RE TAKING A LOT OF RISK. BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND ONE OTHER THING I'LL SAY ABOUT IT. IS DURING THE FIRST PLANNING COMMITTEE. RIGHT WHERE TASTE BARBERSHOP IS. OKAY? THE HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM WERE THERE. THE WIFE COULDN'T SPEAK. THE WIFE WAS SITTING BACK THERE CRYING. THE HUSBAND SPOKE AND WAS TOLD THAT HE WAS LIED TO AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT THEY COULD NOT DO THAT THEY COULDN'T GET INTO BUT HE ACTUALLY WENT ON TAPE AND TALKED ABOUT THIS. SO THERE'S A LOT OF UNDERCOVER STUFF THAT'S GOING ON THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION HERE. CITIZENS HAVE BEEN INFORMED PROPERLY. THE TASTE. BARBERSHOP HAS BEEN BASICALLY UNDER LEGAL. THEY'VE BEEN THREATENED THEM WITH LAWSUITS THAT THEY SPEAK OUT AGAINST IT ANYMORE. OKAY THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW. SO IF YOU APPROVE THIS, THE CITY HAS TAKEN A LOT OF RISK. WHICH IS WHY I SAY IT'S A WIN LOSE. THANK YOU AT THIS TIME. WE ALSO HAVE MR KEITH BOSWELL FROM VIRGINIA GATEWAY REGION, I KEEP. WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS RIGHT? THANK YOU, MR MAYOR. MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS KEITH BOSWELL AND PRESIDENT CEO OF VIRGINIA'S GATEWAY REGION . I'M NOT A RESIDENT IN THE CITY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER MY OPINION ABOUT THE PROJECT. I THINK UM I REALLY LIKE MR FERGUSON'S COMMENT. I THINK IT'S A WIN FOR THE CITY. I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE RESIDENTS, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT. UM I CAN'T SAY THIS. THERE'S A DEARTH OF THIS TYPE OF INDUSTRIAL SITE IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM AND I'M REPRESENTATIVE, SEVEN REGION

[00:25:05]

I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO HAVE UH, A QUIET LIVING SPACE. THEY WANT TO PROTECT THE SANCTITY OF THEIR OF THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT 4 60 IS ONE OF OUR MAJOR TRANSPORTATION CORRIDORS. YES SAFETY PLAYS A BIG THING. SAFETY PLAYS EVERY CORNER OF THE CITY. SAFETY PLAYS IN THE PARKING LOT OUTSIDE, AS I TOLD MR FERGUSON, I SYMPATHIZE WITH THEM. I UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM. UNDERSTAND THAT THEY HAVE CONCERNS AND THE COMMENTS THAT CAME BEFORE US THAT NIGHT. BUT AS STEWARDS OF THE CITY AND MOVING THE CITY FORWARD I MADE THE MOTION. TO APPROVE THE DEVELOPERS PROJECT TO BRING IT BACK TO CITY COUNCIL. FOR THE SAKE OF MOVING THE CITY FORWARD. LETTING DEVELOPERS KNOW THAT PETERSBURG IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS, NO MATTER WHAT OUR PAST EXPERIENCES. WHAT OUR PAST CHALLENGES HAVE BEEN. WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. WE ARE HERE TO EMBRACE YOUR PROJECT. WE ASKED THAT YOU COME TO US. CONSIDER PETERSBURG HAVE A VIABLE PLAN IN PLACE. AND LET US TAKE IT FORWARD. I ASK THAT YOU PASSED THIS AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM GENTLEMEN, IN THE BACK. YES. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I'M RICHARD BURGESS AND I'M REPRESENTING SHIRLEY AND HERMAN BURGESS THAT LIVE AT 24, 90, OLEIN AND PETERSBURG. UM WE HAVE QUITE A FEW CONCERNS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS NATURE AT THIS AREA. WE REALLY FEEL THAT THERE'S MORE APPROPRIATE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD TRULY, UM INHABIT THIS AREA. WE DID NOT OPPOSE THE AQUA, UM, APARTMENT COMPLEX THAT WAS ACTUALLY DEVELOPED RIGHT ACROSS ARE ADJACENT TO THAT PROPERTY. IT IS. IT IS THRIVED. IT'S DONE. WELL UM, AS AS A PLANNING COMMISSIONER. AT THAT POINT IN TIME, I WAS ON ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR 13 YEARS , AND WE HELPED TO SEE THAT IMPOSTOR THAT THROUGH IT'S A GATED COMMUNITY AND HAS SERVED THE CITY PETERSBURG WELL. WE DO BELIEVE THAT A THAT DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR OVER THE HERE IN THIS AREA, BUT WE'D LIKE TO REALLY SEE SOMETHING THAT IS MORE ADDRESSED TO THE ACTUAL CITY OF

[00:30:03]

WE HAVE GREAT CONCERNS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC THAT'S GOING TO BE GENERATED, ESPECIALLY THE TRACTOR TRAILER TRAFFIC. THAT WOULD BE TURNING RIGHT OUT OF THIS AREA AND TRAVELING DOWN 4 60 EASTBOUND, AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE PULLING OUT ON 24 60 THAT WILL HAVE TO NEGOTIATE THIS ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY THE TRACTOR TRAILERS. UH IF THERE IS A CONSIDERATION TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE THIS, I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER REDUCING THE SPEED LIMIT FROM WHERE THE 40 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT SIGN IS HEADING EAST ON 4 62 ARE MORE APPROPRIATE SPEED INSTEAD OF INCREASING THE SPEED RIGHT AT THAT AREA ALSO REMIND YOU BE MINDFUL OF THE ACTUAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S RELATED, ESPECIALLY ON 4 60. THAT PAYMENT IS ALREADY FAILING OUT THERE, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO FAIL, ESPECIALLY WITH HEAVIER TRUCK TRAFFIC. YOU ALSO HAVE THE PAVEMENT THAT'S ON Y IN THE ROAD THAT HAS NOT BEEN OVERLAID EVER SINCE THAT ROADWAY WAS ACTUALLY BUILT, SO THERE ARE ISSUES THAT THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH COSTS THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO INCUR AND HAVE TO ADDRESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, GENTLEMEN, IN THE BACK, YES. CITY COUNCIL MAYOR. MY NAME IS CARL VANDENBERG LIVE AT 24 04 COUNTY DRIVE. OWNED THE PROPERTY AT THE BEGINNING OF POLLING AND I HAD THREE OTHER DRIVEWAYS THAT GO RIGHT OUT ALL 4 60 NEXT TO POLE LANE. UH LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I ASKED ABOUT ACCELERATION LANE ON THE EASTBOUND EXIT OUT OF THIS, UH, PROPERTY. HOW FAR IS THAT LAYING GONNA GO? IS IT COMING? ENCOMPASS PART OF POLLING AND TAKE PART OF MY LAND. IF IT DOES , I WON'T BE ABLE TO RENT MY PROPERTY ANYMORE, AND I'VE GOT EIGHT UNITS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE THEY'VE NEVER ADDRESSED THAT TO ANYBODY AND EVERYBODY ON POLE LANE HAS THE SAME QUESTION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. RIGHT? YES, SIR. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS GOOD EVENING. I OWN AND OPERATE AND CONTROL EIGHT BUSINESSES AND 4 60 STARTING AT 21 56. ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 21 74. I DO HAVE TO AGREE WITH MR JONES. WE SHOULDN'T MAKE AN ISSUE OF SAFETY, SOMETHING THAT COMES UP AT A MEETING. JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY SEEMS TO THINK THAT DEVELOPMENTS COME IN THE AREA. I THINK SOME OF THE SOLUTIONS CAN COME FROM WHERE THIS DEVELOPMENT IS. IT SHOULD BE A STOPLIGHT THERE. NOW WE'VE GOT TWO PLACES TO SLOW THE TRAFFIC DOWN BECAUSE TRAFFIC IS AN ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE SPEED. BUT IN OUR CITY WE CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO HAVE SOMETHING ELSE FOR REVENUE. THERE'S NEVER GONNA BE A BUILDING THAT'S GONNA HAVE HOUSING THERE. YOU NEED $8 MILLION WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SEWER WATER. IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN OVERNIGHT, HIS SECOND GENERATED ENOUGH REVENUE TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY TO COME UP WITH A BILL TO DO THAT.

WAREHOUSING IS A GREAT PROJECT FOR IT. I DO THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT A REASONABLE REDUCTION IN SPEED LIMIT OF 100% BESIDE THAT, BECAUSE I SPEND MY DAY LOOKING OUT OF A WINDOW NINE HOURS A DAY AT MY BUSINESS AT THAT ROAD. I PROBABLY KNOW MORE ABOUT THE SPEED THAN ANYBODY ELSE THERE BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I SPEND MY ENTIRE DAY WORKING. BUT I THINK IF WE WERE TO GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT THE PLAN AND DEAL WITH SOME OF THE TRAFFIC ISSUES I THINK WE CAN TAKE CARE OF A LOT OF THE CONCERNS FOR NOT JUST THIS PROJECT, BUT THEY HAVE THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE CROSSING THE ROAD TO REDUCE THE TRAFFIC. STOP US. THE TRAFFIC COMPLETELY TO CROSS. IT'S EASILY DONE. I AM ALL FOR THIS PROJECT. I THINK IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN. IF YOU PUT A LIGHT THERE, YOU GET RID OF THE ACCELERATION RANGE. I HOPE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CITY AND I HOPE IT'S PROJECT CAN BE

[00:35:04]

TYPICALLY, THAT'S GOING TO COME FROM BUSINESSES THAT COULD BE IN THE CITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ALRIGHT QUESTION THIS PUBLIC HEARING HIS CLOTHES. MASSAD MARK. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO ADD THAT I HEARD THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC? LIGHT IS THAT INCLUDED IN THIS PROPOSAL IS SO FOR WE COULD SPEAK ABOUT THE TRAFFIC STUDY. THE APPLICANT CAN TALK TO THAT. I KNOW THEY ALSO CAME IN. THERE IS NO ACCELERATION LANE, BUT THERE IS A STACKING LANE. THEY CAME IN TODAY WITH A DESIGN THAT SHOWS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IF THERE'S INTEREST IN SAYING THAT, BUT WHETHER REZONING ALL WE CAN DO IS WORK WITH WHAT IS PROFFERED. SO WHAT THE APPLICANT OFFERS TO US TO DO. SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO YOU. YOU THE BUFFER THAT IS PROPOSED. OF COURSE, WE CAN SPEAK WITH THE APPLICANT TO SEE IF THEY'RE WILLING TO DO OTHER. UM ADDRESS OTHER CONCERNS AND DO OTHER PROJECTS TO HELP WITH THAT. VICE MARY HILL. YES, ALSO, UM. SO WITH THE SPEED AND WITH THE TRAFFIC STUDY, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAY THAT SO, UH WE CONTROL THAT NOT THEM, RIGHT? THE SPEED OF THE ROADWAY. YES, WE CONTROL THAT. RIGHT? YES, YES. SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, UH, WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT. I DON'T THINK WE NEED A AND I KNOW HOW WHENEVER WE DO A SPEED STUDYING ALL THOSE THINGS, WE JUST USE COMMON SENSE. AND THEN WHEN YOU GET TO THAT AREA WHERE THE RESIDENTS ARE, WE BREAK THE SPEED DOWN A LITTLE BIT SO WE CAN JUST KINDA BE ON WATCH OUT.

MAYBE PUT SOME BLINKING LIGHTS UP THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WE DECIDED TO GO THROUGH. I DON'T KNOW. IT WAS A STOPLIGHT. WILL BE. I PROPOSE TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK WE CAN WITHOUT PUBLIC WORKS AND INDIVIDUALS LIKE THAT CITY MANAGER. I THINK WE CAN KIND OF LOOK AT IT TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY'S BEAM BEAM LINEMAN DO THAT. BUT IT IS A MAJOR HIGHWAY ON THE EAST COAST. I MEAN, IT'S NOT JUST I KNOW IT'S IN OUR CITY IS GOING THROUGH OUR CITY, BUT IT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR HIGHWAYS THAT WE ALWAYS BRAG ABOUT THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, 4, 60, EAST AND WEST AND 301 RIGHT ONE, AND WE HAVE 95 85 NORTH AND SOUTH. WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THAT COMING COMING THROUGH OUR CITY, SO IT IS A MAJOR CHORD DOOR. OR TO GET TO ANYWHERE ON THE EAST COAST. SO, UM BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US AS A CITY LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC IN THAT AREA FAR AS BREAKING DOWN THE SPEED AS SOME OF THE RESIDENTS, F SAY. RIGHT? COUNCILOR JONES. I WANT TO PIGGYBACK OFF VICE MAYOR HILL'S , UM, STATEMENT IN THE YOUNG MAN HERE. IF WE PASS THIS THING WE NEED TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. FOR THE SAFETY OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT QUOTE. I MEAN, I'M TALKING ABOUT MORE THAN JUST TRAFFIC LIGHTS, BUT CROSSWALKS EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN THROW AT IT. THAT AREA IS NO DIFFERENT THAN GOING THROUGH WAVERLY AND WAKEFIELD. ALL WHAT? TRAFFIC GO FROM 55 TO 45 35 25. YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO THAT HERE.

WE NEED TO DO IT AND WE'RE GONNA PASS THIS THING, YOU KNOW? UM SO I NEED YOU TO CONSIDER THAT REAL HARD TO MANAGE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. IN THIS AREA SAFE. BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH WAVERLY IS 25 FROM 45 JUST LIKE THAT. AND UH AND THEY ARE BY, BUT YOU KNOW, WE GOT STATE TROOPERS IN PETERSBURG POLICES. READY TO WRITE. YOU GOT NOTHING PINS THEY CAN RIGHT. SO THANK YOU. CHIEF. OKAY? COUNCILOR COVERING THANK YOU, MR MAYOR. THIS IS NOT AN EASY DECISION. RIGHT? THE PLUSES. AND MINUSES BOTH ON THE TABLE. IT'S A MIXED BAG, YOU MIGHT SAY. AND I WANT TO THANK MR RAY FERGUSON AND MR BURGESS. OH FOR SPEAKING WELL AND SPEAKING PERSUASIVELY.

HMM. THAT SAID. I THINK IT'S NOT REALISTIC. TO HOLD OUT FOR GROCERY STORE. UM I'D LOVE TO SEE IT, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME. ANYWHERE NEAR THIS. OPPOSED REZONING. AND MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT. IS WHAT DRIVES RETAIL. YOU KNOW THE PROPOSED REZONING TURN INTO THAT. AH! THE PROPOSAL IS TO GO TO M ONE. AND I THINK THAT

[00:40:02]

COUNCILOR MYERS SECOND IN A SECOND. AT THIS TIME, MADAM CLERK AND PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

COUNCILOR BECAUSE BERT COUNCIL MEMBER JONES MEMBER SMITH LEE I . COUNCIL MEMBER, MYERS COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK. VICE MAYOR HILL PERM PAST. RIGHT NEXT AND MOVE ON TO ITEM EIGHT B, WHICH IS CONSIDERATION OF A PUBLIC HEARING IN THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND 21-2 OF THE CITY CODE ARTS COUNCIL. TERMS OF OFFICE SECOND READING, MR WILLIAMS. HONORABLE MAYOR, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL IN JULY COUNCIL ADOPTED AN ORDINANCE CREATING THE ARTS COUNCIL. UM THAT ORDINANCE INCLUDED PROVISIONS THAT CREATED . A BELIEVE IT WAS A NINE MEMBER BOARD. UH FIVE OF THOSE MEMBERS ARE SEVEN OF THOSE MEMBERS WERE IDENTIFIED AS BEING ONE FROM EACH WARD. UM THE CLERK COLLECTED APPLICATIONS FOR THOSE POSITIONS AND PRESENTED THEM TO COUNCIL LAST MONTH. AND. COUNCIL ATTEMPTED TO APPOINT A NUMBER OF THOSE MEMBERS, BUT THERE WEREN'T MEMBERS FROM EACH WARD IDENTIFIED IN THAT ORDINANCE, AND ONE OF THE REASONS IS THAT SHE DIDN'T RECEIVE APPLICATIONS FROM EACH OF THE WARDS. AND SO COUNSELING. MYERS MADE A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THAT ORDINANCE THAT WAS JUST RECENTLY ADOPTED. TO REMOVE THE WARD REQUIREMENT. BUT HE ALSO IN ADDITION TO THAT WANTED TO INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE BOARD. 2 11 MEMBERS AND SO THE AMENDED ORDINANCE THAT YOU

[00:45:06]

BUT ANYWAY, I'LL TAKE I'LL TAKE THE SMALL VICTORY. ALRIGHT SAYING NO OTHER HANDS. THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS, COUNCILOR MYERS. YES, SIR. MR MAYOR. I MOVED. THAT WE RE ADOPT AND THE MEN VERSION OF AMEND THE AMENDED VERSION OF 21 DAYS TO. OF THE CITY CODE ARTS COUNCIL TERMS OF OFFICE. COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK SECOND. FRANK AT THIS TIME, MADAM CLERK.

PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. COUNCIL MEMBER CUPBOARD COUNCIL MEMBER JONES MEMBER SMITH LEE KASSELL MEMBER MYERS COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK, MAYOR HILL PAST AWESOME, MR MAYOR. IF I MAY. I MOVED TO REAPPOINT THE SLATE OF CANDIDATES. HOWEVER I WISH TO DISCARD AMBER SALTER. UM AND TO REPLACE AMBER SALTA WITH MISS TONY AS CLARK OKAY? ALRIGHT, VICE MAYOR HILL. SECOND THE MOTION ON THE SECOND ALRIGHT, DISCUSSION. ALL RIGHT. FIVE OTHER POSITIONS OPEN FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO BE ON THIS ARTS COUNCIL. WE HAVE EMOTION A SECOND, MADAM CLERK.

[00:50:02]

THIS IS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WHO IS NOT A CITY EMPLOYEE IS THAT NO, IT'S A DEPARTMENT HEAD OF THE CITY THAT EVERY BOARD CURRENTLY HAS ONE THAT ENSURES THAT THEY COMPLY WITH FOIA THAT THEY HAD COMPLIED WITH THE OPEN MEETING REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY TAKE MINUTES, ETCETERA RIGHT NOW, THE ARTS COUNCIL DOES NOT HAVE ONE. THAT'S WHY I WAS PRESENTING. I UNDERSTAND.

THANKS. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION IN THE SECOND. MADAM CLERK. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCILOR MARCO EFFORT. REMEMBER JONES? BY SMITH LEAGUE COUNCIL MEMBER MYERS COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK, VICE MARY HILL PERM MOTIONS PASSED. NEXT. WE HAVE ITEM A D, WHICH IS CONSIDERATION OF APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE AND PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 19TH 2023 TO INCREASE THE URBAN HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE FUNDING FOR STREET OPERATIONS AND FY 24 AND THE AMOUNT OF 1,066,200. MR WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR CITY COUNCIL. THIS AGENDA ITEM WHEN WE DO THE BUDGET FOR STREET OPERATIONS, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STATE IS GONNA GIVE US. AND SO WE ALWAYS HAVE TO COME BACK. AFTER THE FACT. TWO. INCREASE IN ALL CASES SINCE I'VE BEEN HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN INCREASE OF WHAT WE BUDGETED AND THAT AMOUNT IS 1,000,006 OR $6000 269 DOLLARS IN 33 6 WAS WHICH IS ALWAYS GOOD . WHEN YOU GET MORE MONEY. I KNOW THAT WE HAD A, UM BUDGETED TO PAID TO ACTUALLY PAY UP TO $1.5 MILLION WORTH OF PAVING.

THAT CONTRACT FOR THE CURRENT CONTRACT THAT WE HAD FOR THE PAVING COMPANY. ENDED AT THE END OF LAST FISCAL YEAR. SO WE REBUILD IT. AND THE SAME CONTRACT, THE ONE TO BID.

HOWEVER, THE COST WENT UP. I WANT TO SAY ABOUT 56. SO BASICALLY AT THE END OF THE DAY.

TO PAY TO PAY THE SAME ROADS THAT WE WERE GONNA PAVE. PROUD TO THE NEW CONTRACT AT 1.5 MILLION TO GET THAT SCENE. THOSE THINGS, ROADS PAVED WOULD BE ABOUT $2.4 MILLION. SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE THIS IS WHAT'S NEEDED TO ACTUALLY PAY. THE 1.5 THE REVERSE THE BUDGET IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO ALREADY. THANK YOU, MR WILLIAMS. UM THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING NEXT FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE. FOR THE URBAN HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE FUNDING FOR STREET OPERATIONS IN THE HANDS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE STREET OPERATIONS. SAYING NINE THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. NEXT, UM COUNCILOR MYERS. YES I MOVED THERE. WE CONSIDER APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE IN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 1920 23 TO INCREASE THEIR RIBBON HIGHWAY MEAN ITS FUNDING FOR STREET OPERATIONS FISCAL YEAR 24 WHEN THE AMOUNT OF 1,000,066 AND SIX AND 9.33 RIGHT, VICE MAYOR HILL. SECOND. RIGHT, MADAM CLERK. CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER EXPERT COUNCIL MEMBER JONES REMEMBER SMITH FLEE COUNCIL MEMBER MYERS REMEMBER WESTBROOK. VICE MAYOR HILL PERM MOTIONS PASSED NEXT WAS A CONFIRMATION OF THE MOTION TO ADOPT IT. CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. MOTION TO ADOPT. ALRIGHT. NEXT

[9. Public Information Period]

[00:55:05]

WHEN I WAS TREASURER. I WAS CLEANING OUT SAFE ONE DAY. AND TOWARD THE END OF MY TERM. AND I FOUND THIS, UM, CERTIFICATE. CERTIFICATE IN THE, UH ON THE BOTTOMS UP, BLESS YOU. UH I FOUND THIS CERTIFICATE THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITY. AH BY PETERSBURG MUTUAL SAVINGS AND LOAN 50TH ANNIVERSARY SAVINGS CERTIFICATE. IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE CITY OF PETERSBURG ON AUGUST 1ST 19 $6900 DEPOSIT WHICH MAY BE HELD TO 50 YEAR MATURITY ON AUGUST 1ST 2019 AND REDEEMED THEN AT FULL DIVIDEND. WELL. UM I CONTACTED CHUCK PATTON. THIS WAS, UH GIVEN TO THE CITY BY HIS FATHER, BILL PATTEN OR WILLIAM PATON. AND. SO IT'S TAKEN A LITTLE WHILE TO TRACE THE BANKS THAT HAVE TAKEN OVER FROM PETERSBURG MUTUAL SAVINGS AND LOAN OVER THE 50 YEARS, BUT WE FINALLY TRACKED IT DOWN. UH CHUCK PATTON INTRODUCED ME TO MR MARK JOHNSON. AND MR JOHNSON, WHO IS THE STATE? AH, HE REPRESENTS. UM I HOPE I GET THIS RIGHT MARKS. UM HE'S THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT MANAGER. UH, WITH STATE OF REPRESENTS, UH TRUEST.

TO THE STATE OF VIRGINIA OR REPRESENTATIVE STATE OF VIRGINIA TO TRUEST YOU CAN STRAIGHTEN THAT OUT FOR HIM, MARK UM, BUT HE HAS, UM WE HAVE TWO GENTLEMEN THAT HAVE COME TO PRESENT THIS CHECK. TO THE CITY. AND SAM ON CUE. YOU CAN COME DOWN AND, YOU KNOW, ACCEPT THIS CHECK WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN AND SO THE TWO GENTLEMEN THAT ARE HERE WITH MR JOHNSON. UH, OUR JARET PATTERSON. HE'S A MARKETING PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA. UH AH! I CAN'T READ THAT. I THINK I ASKED MARK, BUT HE IS WITH TRUEST. FLOYD MILLER IS PRESIDENT OF METROPOLITAN BUSINESS LEAGUE AND

[01:00:06]

AND SAM. UH MR MAYOR. EXCUSE ME, UM DON'T SPEND IT ALL IN ONE PLACE.

THANKS, MISS BARBARA RUDOLPH. THANK YOU. COUNCIL BARB RUDOLPH 16 75 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I WANT TO GO BACK IN TIME AND REVISIT A COUPLE OF PREVIOUS ACTIONS. UM WE'LL START WITH, UM MARCH 19TH 2019. COUNCIL ADOPTED A DISPOSITION PROCESS FOR CITY OWNED REAL ESTATE PROPERTY. UM, AND THIS ALSO THIS PARTICULAR UM . PAPER INCLUDES ITS SIGHTS. THE CODE OF VIRGINIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF VIRGINIA. WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT. AH THEN WE MOVE FORWARD IN TIME TO OCTOBER 18TH 2022. CITY COUNCIL HAD A PUBLIC HEARING TO AUTHORIZE THE HOTEL PETERSBURG DEVELOPER TO USE THE PARKING LOT ADJACENT TO 1 35 NORTH UNION STREET. TO FACILITATE REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. AND THIS CITY COUNCIL PASSED AN ORDINANCE. I'M MENTIONING THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCEDURE I MENTIONED FROM 2019. THEN I'M COMING BACK TO RECENT HISTORY.

UH AT THE JULY 26TH CLOSED SESSION MEETING. YOU ALL ADDED SEVERAL ACTION ITEMS AFTER THE AFTER THE CLOSED SESSION, SO THIS WAS NEVER ACTUALLY ON AN AGENDA THAT ANYBODY WAS AWARE OF ONE OF THOSE WAS AN ACTION AND I'M GOING TO READ THE QUOTE DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR 1 35 NORTH UNION STREET ON TERMS CONSISTENT WITH THE DRAFT PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR THE HOTEL PETERSBURG. 1 35 NORTH UNION STREET, OF COURSE, IS CITY HALL. MY CONCERN IS THAT. WE HAVE. WE HAVE A CODE OF VIRGINIA AND THE CONSTITUTION OF VIRGINIA

[01:05:01]

AND THEN WHEN YOU ALL VOTED ON THIS MOTION TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT. YOU DIDN'T HAVE A SUPERMAJORITY BECAUSE COUNCILOR OR VICE MAYOR.

HILL WAS ABSENT THAT DAY. AND COUNCILOR CUTHBERT ABSTAINED. THAT'S FIVE OUT OF SEVEN. THE SUPERMAJORITY IS 75% 75% OF SEVEN IS 5.25. AND SINCE YOU CAN'T TAKE A FRACTION OF A PERSON YOU HAVE TO ROUND UP TO SIX SO BRINGING ALL THIS UP, BECAUSE, UM IT'S SORT OF. IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS DONE IN A VERY LOW KEY MANNER. AND I'M SAYING THIS IS NICELY AS I CAN.

IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS INTENTIONALLY HANDLED IN A WAY THAT IT WOULD MINIMIZE DISCUSSION AND ATTENTION TO IT. BUT I HOPE THAT YOU WILL GO BACK AND REVIEW YOUR PROCEDURE FROM 19, AS WELL AS THE CODE OF VIRGINIA AND THE CONSTITUTION. AND, UM AS WELL AS PERHAPS GIVE US A PLAN OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY WHAT IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE NEW CITY HALL AND MANY OTHER THINGS THAT I'VE RUN OUT OF TIME TO TALK ABOUT, BUT I CERTAINLY CAN COME BACK AND TALK ABOUT IT LATER DATE. MR MAYOR. YES MR WILLIAMS. CAN I JUST MAKE A STATEMENT TO ADDRESS ANY POTENTIAL MISINFORMATION ON THAT? I THINK THE CODE SECTIONS THAT MS RUDOLPH'S I HAD ARE CORRECT. BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN A CONVEYANCE OF CITY HALL THAT THAT WOULD COME BACK REQUIRE AN ORDINANCE REQUIRE SIX VOTES. THERE'S BEEN A PURCHASE AGREEMENT PREPARED FOR COUNCILS DIRECTION, AND THE MANAGER HAS DISCUSSED THAT WITH MR CUTHBERT , BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A CONVENIENCE OF ANY KIND AND WASN'T SIGNED OR EVEN FAVORABLY CONSIDERED BY THE POTENTIAL PURCHASER. SO UM, NO, NOT THIS. MR. CUTHBERT, THE HIS HIS BROTHER.

ALL RIGHT. AND WE HAVE MR JIM WILLING. I THINK MR WHEELING HAS ALREADY SPOKEN. I THINK THANK YOU LAUGH, RIGHT? OKAY. UM, MISS GENEVIEVE, LORD. I WILL EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING. I HOPE EVERYONE'S GOOD. ALRIGHT SO I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ONE THING TONIGHT. IT'S A LITTLE LENGTHY, BUT IT'S JUST ONE TOPIC. ALRIGHT, SO UH, A LITTLE WHILE AGO, CITY COUNCIL PASSED THE 23 24 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET. AND INCLUDED IN THAT BUDGET. THERE WAS NO CHANGE NO RAISE FOR EMPLOYEES. ALRIGHT THAT THEIR SALARY'S STAYED THE SAME TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE REASON I BRING THIS UP JUST FOR A FEW THINGS. SO THE AVERAGE SALARY FOR CITY EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG IT'S ABOUT $52,000. ALL RIGHT. NOW. BETWEEN JULY 1 22 IN JULY. 1 23.

INFLATION RESULTED IN A DIFFERENCE OF $1656 BASED ON THAT AVERAGE SALARY. SO THAT MEANS THAT YOUR AVERAGE CITY EMPLOYEE WHO'S MAKING $52,000 HAS APPROXIMATELY $1600 LESS BUYING POWER THIS YEAR THAN THEY DID LAST YEAR. NOW THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE ALSO AT LAST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, IT WAS ADDRESSED A DEFICIT OF EMPLOYEES ABOUT 110 EMPLOYEES IF I'M CORRECT SO I BRING ALL OF THIS UP. BECAUSE. WE CANNOT EXPECT TO HAVE ALL OF OUR POSITIONS FILLED. IF THE CITY IS NOT PROPERLY COMPENSATING THEIR EMPLOYEES. OR CONSIDERING THE FACT THAT INFLATION OCCURS AND YOUR AVERAGE CITIZEN YOUR AVERAGE EMPLOYEE. WHO MAKES $52,000 A YEAR, WHICH IS MUCH DIFFERENT THAN DEPARTMENT HEADS. WHO ARE MAKING A LOT MORE AND YOU MAY BE HEARING FROM DIRECTLY THAT'S $1600 A YEAR MATTERS. IT'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S ABOUT $64 PER PAYCHECK. AGAIN. MAYBE THAT'S NOT A LOT TO EVERYONE. BUT THAT'S A LOT TO SOME PEOPLE.

[01:10:01]

BUT THAT WILL BE FOR A DIFFERENT DAY. THANKS SO MUCH. WAS THAT CORY? HARRIS.

GOOD EVENING, COREY HARRIS, 23 16 ANDERSON STREET. AWESOME. AND JONES COUNCILMAN CUT BERRY. CAN I SHOW YOU THIS? I DON'T KNOW. COUNCILMAN JONES. THIS IS PRIVATE. THIS CAN BE SHARED WITH BOTH OF. SEVERAL WEEKS AGO. I WAS AT A MEETING. BUSINESS MEETING. AND I LOST THE CONTRACT. A BIG CONTRACT. BECAUSE. THE PERSON THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK WITH SAID THAT THEY QUOTE THEY DON'T DEAL WITH FELONS. LAST TIME I CHECKED. I WASN'T. ONE NOW I KNOW WHERE THAT SOURCE CAME FROM, BUT I WON'T SAY IT PUBLICLY. THEN COUNCILOR JONES.

THAT PIECE OF PAPER. I SHOWED YOU YOU KNOW THAT PERSON BESIDES ME ON THAT PAPER? OKAY? AND YOU KNOW THE DAY LOOK AT THE DATE ON THE RIGHT CORNER. THEN THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING. FOR A LONG TIME.

AND I ALSO WENT TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. DURING THAT TIME. YOU DON'T WANT ME TO FINISH THE STORY ABOUT THAT. SO WHY AM I HERE? PETERSBURG POLITICS HAS ALWAYS BEEN MESSY. YOU TALKED ABOUT MY DYING FATHER. SAYING THAT HE WAS DRUNK. WHEN HE WAS DYING. YOU SLANDER MY NAME? AND CALLED ME A FELON. AND YES, I DO HAVE EVIDENCE. LAST TIME I CHECKED. THAT WAS CALLED SLANDER. CORRECT. SOME GOING TO MAKE MYSELF VERY CLEAR. MY NAME IS SLANDERED. ONE MORE TIME. I AM GOING TO SUE THIS CITY. NOT ONLY AM I GOING TO SUE THE CITY EVERY SINGLE THING THAT I HAVE AND WHAT FLORENCE FARLEY GAVE ME. I WOULD MAKE PUBLIC. NOW YOU GUYS CAN CALL ME BITTER OR YOU WANT. BUT THE FACT IS WHEN I GET UP ON THIS PODIUM. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CITY'S IMAGE. I'M TALKING ABOUT POVERTY. I'M NOT FLATTERING YOUR NAME. DON'T SLANDER MY. AND I'M GOING TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT. YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WHATEVER LOSS YOU WANT TO PUT OUT THAT THAT'S FINE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIKE ME. BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT MY FATHER YOU CROSSED THE LINE. AND YOU DO NOT WANT TO GET IN A PR FIGHT. WITH ME. YOU SAW THOSE LETTERS, CORRECT COUNCILMAN COPTER. YES THEY WERE VERY IMPRESSIVE, VERY IMPRESSIVE. THIS IS NOTHING NEW TO ME. MY DISHES HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND I WORKED WITH A LOT OF IMPORTANT PEOPLE, AND HE BOTH OF THEM. GOT PROOF. THAT'S ALL I NEED TO SAY. I LIKE THOSE BACK IF YOU DON'T MIND.

[01:15:15]

[10. Business or reports from the Mayor or other Members of City Council]

[01:20:04]

ALRIGHT NOW THERE'S THAT HELP US, THOUGH. GET A ROOF ON THIS BUILDING. THIS CIVIL PENNANT.

THE CIVIL PENALTIES ARE JUST DEFINES, ACCORDING POSES. THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE ISSUES ARE STILL OUTSTANDING. UH HUH. AND BEFORE THE COURT FOR THE COURT PROVIDE SOME LEVEL OF. RELIEF I GUESS TO US, NOT THE OWNER. WHEN IS IT? SCHEDULE IS 1917 POWER DEMAND SCHEDULED TO COME BACK BEFORE THE COURT AGAIN. I DON'T. I DON'T HAVE A DATE THAT LAST QUARTER AND WAS JUST ADJUDICATED A WEEK, MAYBE TWO WEEKS AGO. BUT ONCE THE COURT ENTERS A FINDING LIKE THAT, EVERY DAY AFTER THE COURT MAKES A FINDING THEY CAN RECITE, BUT AT THIS POINT THERE HASN'T BEEN A NEW CITATION, BUT I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A WEEK SINCE IT'S NOT UP TO THE COURT TO RE SITE. IT'S UP TO CITY STAFF TO BRING IT BEFORE THE COURT. IS THAT TRUE? RIGHT THERE. THEY HAVE TO REINITIATE AND ANOTHER VIOLENT NOTICE. SOCIETE SHIN NOTICE OF CITATION NOTICE OF VIOLATION. NO NOTICE ABOUT VIOLATION NOTICE OF CITATION AND THEN BRING IT BEFORE THE JUDGE NOTICES CITATIONS ALREADY ISSUED. THAT THAT STAYS IN FORCE, SO THEY JUST CONTINUE ON WITH THE CITATION. FROM THIS 0.4. THEY COULD ISSUE ONE TODAY TOMORROW. TYPICALLY THEY'LL WAIT 10 DAYS TO ENSURE THAT THE APPEAL PERIOD HAS EXPIRED BECAUSE EVERYTHING OCCURS IN GENERAL DISTRICT COURTS AND TURNED OUT TO A TRIAL. THE NOVO, THEY'RE PROBABLY PRETTY CLOSE TO THAT 10 DAY PERIOD. NOW I'M GUESSING WELL, MR ALTMAN WHEN THE 10 DAY APPEAL PERIOD HAS EXPIRED. IF THERE HAS BEEN NO APPEAL, WOULD YOU INSTRUCT STAFF TO INITIATE THE PROCESS BEFORE THE JUDGE AGAIN? OKAY GREAT. LET ME GO TO THE NEXT ONE. MR VAN VOICE WOULD YOU PUT ON THE SCREEN 4 30 SOUTH. SECOND MORE STREET, PLEASE. YEAH, THAT'S THE FRONT AND WE CAN ALL SEE PAINS OF PLAYERS OUT OF THOSE. WHEN DOES SASH AH, MR VAN BOYS, WOULD YOU PUT THE BACK OF THAT BUILDING ON THE SCREEN? UH, THE BACK OF IT HAS A LOT MORE. GOING ON THEN JUST A FEW PANES OF GLASS. OUT OF WINDOW SASH. UH HUH. MR ALTMAN. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF EFFORTS TO BRING 4 37TH SYCAMORE. IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PETERSBURG. BUILDING MAINTENANCE CODE. GOOD BUILDING.

NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES TOOK THE PROPERTY TO COURT AND THE JUDGE GRANTED A CONTINUANCE TO OCTOBER 20TH. RIGHT? THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAD BEEN BEFORE THE COURT. IS THAT CORRECT? I BELIEVE SO OKAY? SO IT COMES BACK ON OCTOBER 20 WE MEET ON WHAT OCTOBER. 19 IS THAT RIGHT? MIGHT BE THE 19TH. I THINK THIS OCTOBER 2ND 19 ALRIGHT. WELL, WHEN WE GET TOGETHER THEN FOR OUR BUSINESS, SORRY FOR OUR AH! WORK SESSION IN NOVEMBER. WOULD YOU BRING US UP TO DATE, PLEASE ? ON 4 30 SOUTH SYCAMORE STREET. GREAT. JUST JUST TO ADD. I WAS NOTIFIED AFTER THIS. WITH CONTINUED NOW TO THE 20TH. BUT AS I UNDERSTAND IT THERE 39 CHARGES THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES HAS FILED AGAINST THE OWNER OF THAT PROPERTY THAT THEY'RE ASKING TO HAVE HEARD ON THE 20TH. WELL GOOD. ARE WE ON THE CIVIL SIDE OR THE CRIMINAL SIDE? UH I BELIEVE THESE ARE CRIMINAL, AND THAT'S WHY THEY DIDN'T GET HIM TO ME UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST RETURN SINCE 39 CRIMINAL SENATORS, I BELIEVE, OKAY, CRIMINAL COMPLAINT BACK IN JULY. YES, SIR. WELL I THINK WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO AH! SAVING THAT BUILDING. LET ME GO TO THE LAST ONE. AND THAT'S 1 25. NORTH. MARKET STREET. MR VAN BOYS, WOULD YOU PUT THE WEST FACADE ON IT ON THE SCREEN? THAT IS THE FRONT OF THAT BUILDING, PLEASE. YEAH. THIS MAY LOOK FAMILIAR TO YOU BECAUSE UM ABOUT A MONTH SIX WEEKS TWO MONTHS AGO. THE PROPERTY OWNER APPEALED THE DECISION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD. CHALLENGING AH, THE DENIAL OF UM . PERMISSION TO PUT THOSE STEEL PLATES UP THAT YOU SAW IN THAT PICTURE. AH! I THINK THERE'S THREE OF THEM. UH I BELIEVE THAT

[01:25:05]

THE ORIGINAL RETURN DATE ON THAT SUMMONS WAS SEPTEMBER THE 12TH AND WE APPEARED THE ATTORNEY REPRESENTING THE OWNER REQUESTED THAT THE TRIAL DATE BE SET. I BELIEVE IT WAS SET UP A MONTH OUT, SO IT'S OCTOBER THE 11TH. IT'S GOING TO BE TRIED, UM, I MET WITH, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES DIRECTOR. AND THE BUILDING MAINTENANCE OFFICIAL AND THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLANNER, ALONG WITH THE OWNER AND THE ATTORNEY, AND THEY WERE DIRECTED TO BRING FORWARD A PLAN TO MAKE IT SAFE. OTHERWISE WE'RE PURSUING, UH, WE'RE GOING FORWARD WITH THE TRIAL AND WE'RE GOING TO SEEK THE FULL PENALTY. RIGHT ALRIGHT, WELL THE NIGHT NEXT COURT DATE IS OCTOBER 11TH.

SO, MR ALMOND WHEN WE MEET AT OUR BUSINESS MEETING IN OCTOBER , WOULD YOU GIVE COUNSEL AN UPDATE ON THAT PLACE AND BEFORE I LEAVE 1 25 NORTH MARKET? UM MR VAN BOYS, WOULD YOU PLEASE SHOW THE OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS THAT YOU'VE GOT THERE? THE SOUTH FACADE.

YOU DON'T HAVE THE SOUTH FACADE. OKAY WELL, WE'LL GET THAT NEXT TIME. UM, I MAY BE ABLE TO HELP YOU WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT CAME UP DURING THE VISIT THERE ON THE SOUTH FACADE. THEY HAD A BIG WINDSTORM THAT OCCURRED SOMETIME IN JUNE, AND THAT'S BEEN SEPARATELY CITED BY ANOTHER PROPERTY MAINTENANCE PERSON, NOT MR SHOP, ONE OF HIS SUBORDINATES , AND THAT'S BEING PURSUED ON A SEPARATE TRACK, SO THEY'VE ISSUED A NOTICE OF VIOLATION ON THAT. THEY HAVE NOT YET REACHED THE POINT OF THE NOTICE OF CITATION, BUT I'M GUESSING IT'S COMING SOON. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU, MR WILLIAMS. AND I THINK NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES FOR KEEPING THINGS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. MR MAYOR. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU, MISS LUCAS. OKAY I HAVE ONE STATEMENT BEFORE WE CONTINUE THE REST OF THE REPORTS FROM THE OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND THIS IS JUST A REMINDER. UM THERE WILL BE PUT IN PLACE AND MOVING FORWARD AND IMPLEMENTED BASED OFF OF THE RULES OF COUNCIL BECAUSE WE GIVE THE CITIZENS THERE THREE MINUTES, UM, BASED OFF OF THE RULES OF COUNCIL THAT COUNSELOR APPOINTEE OR I'M SORRY, APPROVED. IT ALSO STATES THAT FOR THE BUSINESS AND REPORTS FROM OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER SHALL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO PRESENT THE COUNCIL, A BUSINESS UPDATE AND REPORT FROM HIS OR HER AWARD. INFORMATION PROVIDED DURING THESE REPORTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO EVENTS OCCURRING IN THE RESPECT OF MEMBERS WARD AND CITY AND SHALL NOT INCLUDE PROPOSALS OR PRESENTATIONS OF ANY NEW ACTION ITEMS. SO THIS IS JUST A REMINDER TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WHEN WE GET TO THIS PORTION OF THE AGENDA, YOU GUYS HAVE FIVE MINUTES APIECE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE THAN THAT WILL BE ON THE DECISION TO SUSPEND THE RULES OF COUNSEL IN ORDER FOR YOU TO EXTEND YOUR TIME PAST FIVE MINUTES, BUT JUST JUST THIS IS JUST A REMINDER.

TWO. BE APPRECIATIVE OF THE CITIZENS HAVING THEIR THREE MINUTES AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO THEIR THREE MINUTES AND COUNCIL HAS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO THEIR FIVE MINUTES AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES. GO AHEAD AND THIS HAS BEEN THE RULES. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. UM I WANT TO START OFF WITH, UM I WANT TO SAY REST IN PEACE TO A GOOD FRIEND, LONG TERM RESIDENT. BERKELEY MANNER ALWAYS IN A ROW, MR FITZGERALD. I WANT TO SEND OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS OUT TO THIS FAMILY, MISS PET FISH DRILL AND HER SON. MR FISH, GERALD HOWARD. IT WAS LIKE A BROTHER TO ME. UM SO I WANT TO SEND OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS OUT TO HIM.

AND ALSO I WANT TO SEND ANOTHER ONE OUT TO MISS CUBA LAST NIGHT. UH WE CALL THE QUEEN S SEARCH. I GREW UP WITH HER. UM AND THE ILLUSIONS BARBERSHOP FAMILY AND THE PIN OAKS FAMILY. UM THOUGHTS

[01:30:04]

AT THE PARK AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX. FROM ALL OVER VIRGINIA. ENJOYING EVERY FIELD THAT WE HAD. EVERY FIELD. AND GUESS WHAT? DOUBLE. THE AMOUNT IS COMING BACK. NEXT WEEKEND. SO I WANT TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER. THERE WAS SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. AND I WANT TO ASK COUNSEL IF WE CAN DIRECT THIS INVESTOR, MAKE SURE GET WITH MR MARQUEES AND MAKE SURE ALL OF THAT STUFF IS TAKEN CARE OF. FOR THE APPEARANCE. UH, PARKS AND REC AND OF THE PRINCE OF THE CITY. BECAUSE THEY ENJOY OUR I SAID. I MEAN, WE TURNED DOWN, FIRST ENROLLED AND YOU TURN DOWN BALLPARK DRIVE. YOU SEE PEOPLE FISHING, BUT WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO THE PARK THERE'S BALLS, EVERY BALL PLAYING EVERYWHERE. UM IT REMINDS ME OF HOW LEE PARK USED TO BE, MR MAYOR. WITH THE WITH THE TOURNAMENTS ALL OVER THE PLACE, AND THIS WAS NICE FROM THEY GOT THEIR SIX IN THE MORNING. IN A STATE ABOUT NINE AT NIGHT. THAT'S ALONG THE GAMES WENT AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN BE PROUD OF. AS A CITY. UM AND MY HAT'S OFF TO MR MARQUEES ISLAND FOR RUNNING A DECENT SHOW OUT THERE AND, UH, WE JUST WANT TO TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THOSE SAFETY THINGS AND THE GRASS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO TO THAT END LAST WEEK, THAT'S NOT GOING AGAINST MY TIME. I'LL TAKE THIS IN MY TIME. UH MISTER MISTER BYERLY, MR ALLEN AND MR FAGAN OUR GOLF COURSE AND I MET TO DISCUSS THE SPORTS COMPLEX TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS WE HAVE ALL THESE PEOPLE COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY INTO OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE PROVIDE A FIRST RATE EXPERIENCE FOR THEM AND ADDRESS THE MAINTENANCE ISSUES COMING UP WITH A PLAN TO KEEP THAT MAINTENANCE OF THOSE MAINTENANCE ITEMS ONGOING AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH EACH OTHER. NOW I WILL FOREWARN COUNCIL WHEN WE GET INTO A DISCUSSION OF A FIVE YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THERE WILL BE SOME ITEMS OUT THERE THAT WE WILL NEED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE LARGER ITEMS, BUT WE ARE MAKING . WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES THIS SUMMER WITH THE CURRENT NUMBER OF TOURNAMENTS AND THE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GRASS CUTTING MR FAGAN AT THE GOLF COURSE THEY'VE TAKEN OVER THE MAINTENANCE OF THE FIELDS THEMSELVES, AND THEY ARE IN FANTASTIC SHAPE. AND AS A RESULT OF THE MEETING LAST WEEK, THEY'RE GOING TO BE DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK ON THE OUTSIDE OF THOSE FIELDS ON THE CUTTING THE GRASS AND GETTING THOSE ITEMS INTO CONDITIONS, SO WE FULLY RECOGNIZE THE ASSET THAT WE HAVE, AND WE WANT TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THAT TO GENERATE REVENUE FOR THE COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO GENERATED POSITIVE FIELD. WE REALLY DO ANYTHING BEFORE THE 30TH 29 AND 30 ABSOLUTELY. WE'RE WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT EVERY WEEK BECAUSE WE KNOW AS YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE CONTINUING TO COME BACK WEEK AFTER WEEK AFTER WEEK. RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. UM THAT LEADS ME TO MY NEXT THING, PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP. UH UM. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT TWO DEPARTMENT HEADS. AND EMPLOYEES NOW. MAKE SURE I'LL LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE RULE IS THAT NO MEMBER OF COUNCIL SHALL INTERFERE WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S DUTIES AND THE AGENTS OF THE CITY MANAGER, HOWEVER. IS NOT AGAINST THE LAW FOR YOU TO TALK TO ANY OF US. NOT AGAINST ANY LOVE FOR YOU GUYS TO COME TO US, AND I WANT TO SAY THIS TO YOU GUYS. IF YOUR JOB IF YOU ARE WORKING A JOB AND YOU'RE KEEPING HOLD ONTO A LIE. THEN YOUR JOB IS TO BE A LIAR AND NOT FOR WHAT YOU ASSIGNED FOR. ALRIGHT WHAT I MEAN, BUT THAT IS IF SOMEBODY'S MISTREATING YOU MISHANDLING YOU. OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. MAKE SURE IT'S IN WRITING. AND MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE PROPER STEPS. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU TELLING US BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO. WE'RE GONNA BRING IT TO THE BACK ROOM AND TALK ABOUT IT, AND IT'S GOING TO GET TO THE CITY MANAGER ANYWAY. SO WE'RE NOT A CITY OF DISRESPECT AND MISTREATING EMPLOYEES, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS KNOW THAT. I JUST WANT TO TALK

[01:35:02]

GRASS POP, JUST GRASS HIGH. NOT EVEN THAT HARD JUST OUT OF THE CURB IT AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I KNOW THEY GOT ASSIGNMENT. EVERY DAY, BUT PROBABLY NO OWNERSHIP MEANS YOU SEE THIS STUFF. Y'ALL JUST CUT IT. GET OUT TO STOP YOUR TRUCK. CUT IT. YOU KNOW, ISN'T IT? DON'T RIDE PAST IT AND WAIT FOR SOMEBODY TO TELL YOU WHAT TO DO. AND I'M SAYING THIS TO YOU. SO YOU SO YOU CAN SHARE WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES. UH HOPE I'M NOT OVERSTEPPING THE BOUNDS. BUT I'M JUST SAYING, THIS IS WHAT I SEE. AND IF THEY JUST DID THAT LIKE TRASH. I SAW SOME CITY WORKERS AND I'M NOT PUTTING THEM ON THIS, BUT PARK SOMEWHERE, AND IT WAS A CAN ON THE STREET. ME AND SOME TRASH AND THEY WERE RIGHT BACK. THEY HAD A PICKUP TRUCK. COULD HAVE PICKED IT UP, PUT IT IN THE BACK OF THE TRUCK AND KEPT ON GOING, BUT IT'S PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP. IF I CAN STOP IN ANY OF US CAN STOP IF ANY OF Y'ALL CAN STOP AND PICK UP TRASH. YOU KNOW, OR OR HELP OUT THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THIS CITY. IT'S GONNA TAKE EVERYBODY. IT'S NOT JUST YOUR DEPARTMENT'S EVERY DEPARTMENT, FIRE DEPARTMENT POLICE DEPARTMENT E. M S ALL OF THAT STUFF. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP AND WE SEE IT STRONGER ON ONE END AND NOT STRONG ON THE OTHER HAND, BUT YOU GUYS ARE THE FACE OF HELP BEAUTIFY THE CITY WITH THE GRASS CUTTING AND ALL OF THAT STUFF. SO THAT'S THAT LAST BUT NOT LEAST. UM ON A CALL UP, MR. CHIEF. MCAULIFFE, CHIEF. CHAMBER NOW, CHIEF CHRISTIAN IS HERE AND I WANT TO CALL IT MR TALLY. BECAUSE I BOUGHT, UM SHARE WITH COUNSEL. THESE BRACELETS HERE. THESE BRACELETS ARE DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM. AND PEOPLE WITH THIS HEARING IMPAIRED. AND THE POLICE CHIEF, I'M GONNA GIVE THIS BACK TO YOU. BECAUSE HIS OFFICERS WILL BE TRAINED TO I DIDN'T IDENTIFY TO BE EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH ANYBODY WHO GOT THIS BRACELET ON BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO MINUTES AND IT'S HAPPENING OVER THE YEARS AND OVER THE WORLD. UNITED STATES EVERYWHERE JUST PEOPLE GETTING SHOT BECAUSE THEY HAVE AUTISM, OR THEY HAVE HEARING IMPAIRED. DEFICIENCIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND NO AND OFFICERS WE LIKE TO BLAME THEM.

BUT HOW DID THEY KNOW? HOW COULD THEY KNOW? SO THIS IS AN EFFORT TO HELP OUT HELP THAT OUT, CHIEF AND I'M GONNA GIVE THIS TO YOU. AND MR TALLY IS HERE NOW, IS THERE IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN HERE? THERE'S AUTISTIC OR GOT HERE. ANY PERIOD ISSUES IF YOU ARE COME ON UP, SO THE CHIEF COULD PUT A BRACELET ON YOU NOW. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS TO THAT. AND WHILE I'M AT IT, CHIEF I'M GOING TO YOU. FOR YOUR FARMERS. LIKE FOR YOU TO HELP SHARE THAT WITH, UM THE POLICE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND E. M S BECAUSE THIS COULD HELP OUT WITH EVERYBODY. THIS CAN HELP OUT WITH EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW? SO MR TYLER, I THOUGHT OF YOU WHEN I MADE THIS UP. BECAUSE YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN HERE AND JUST PUT IT ON WHEN YOU WHEN YOU GO OUT THE HOUSE, YOU PUT THAT THING ON, OKAY? ALL RIGHT. YES, SIR. I WANT TO TALK TO YOU. CAN I GET ONE MORE MINUTE? I HAD A REALITY CHECK THIS WEEKEND. WHEN IT COMES TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND A SHOOTING. UM, I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU, CHIEF. BUT I'M GONNA SHARE WITH YOU NOW, UH, CITIZENS, Y'ALL HAVE JUST AS MUCH RESPONSIBILITY. BECAUSE I SAW IT FIRST HAND THIS TIME. I'M ALWAYS GETTING CALLS ON WHAT THE POLICE NOT DOING AND WHAT THIS IS NOT DOING WITH THAT IS NOT DOING BUT I SAW A FRUITS HAND. I GOT A CALL ABOUT SOMEBODY GRANDCHILD GETTING SHOT AT BY THREE YOUNG MEN. CALL CHIEF CHAMBERS. AND HE GOT ON THE PHONE IMMEDIATELY WITH THE GRANDMOTHER. THE GRANDMOTHER WAS WILLING TO COOPERATE. HOWEVER, THE MOTHER. SAID SHE WASN'T GONNA LET HER CHILD COOPERATE.

AND THAT PUT THE POLICE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. AND YOU GUYS DON'T EVEN SEE THAT, BUT THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. IF YOUR CHILD IS GETTING SHOT AT AND YOU KNOW ABOUT IT I SUGGEST YOU TALK ABOUT IT. BECAUSE EITHER WAY YOU LOOK AT IT IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, YOU DON'T GET SHOT AT AGAIN. DO NOT COME CRYING. AFTER THAT HAPPENED, AND WE'RE NOT DOING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. YOU GOT TO TALK. MOTHERS YOU ALL DAY. YOU GOT TO TALK. BECAUSE TURNING ABOUT HER GRANDCHILD LIFE AND THE MOTHER WAS REFUSING. TO GIVE THE NAME

[01:40:02]

BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T TALK THAN MY CHILD IS AT RISK THEIR KIDS THAT RISK YOUR KIDS AT RISK. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL SOMEBODY ELSE. CHILD GETS SHOT AT HANDLE IT. IT'S ALL I GOT. YEAH. COUNCILOR WESTBROOK. HMM. ALRIGHT UM YEAH . I USED TO BE THE LONG WINDED WIFE NOW I'M I GOT COUNCIL MEMBER JONES. YOU GOT THAT FROM ME? UM SO I WOULD TRY TO BE SWEET, SHORT AND SWEET, UH, TRY TO ALWAYS KEEP IT TO A GOOD SEVEN POINT. SO MY SEVEN POINT START WITH FIRST OF ALL, YES, 74 BIG WAR ENERGY. UH FIRST OF ALL, LIKE TO SAY HAPPY HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. UM, I DO HAVE A LOT OF HISPANIC RESIDENTS IN MY WARD AND ALL OVER THE CITY, SO I DO WANT TO PROPERLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HISPANICS OF THE CITY ARE CONTRIBUTING AND YOU ARE RECOGNIZED. UM AND HOPEFULLY MAYOR PARENT WAS SECOND THAT NOTION TO MOVE ON TO POINT NUMBER TWO WHICH I THINK IS VERY GOOD ENERGY. UM I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THE BACK TO SCHOOL MOVEMENT , UM, THAT THE CITY OFFICIALS, VIRGINIA STATE AND A LOT OF OTHER CONCERNED CITIZENS WERE AT SCHOOLS REALLY WELCOMING THE STUDENTS BACK OFF THE BUSSES AT THE DROP OFF, JUST GIVING THEM GOOD ENERGY TO START THE SCHOOL.

BUT I HOPE THAT THAT ENERGY CONTINUES MAINLY WITH SUPPORT OF P T A MEETINGS. I DON'T HAVE DATES, BUT I'VE ALWAYS HERE WHEN I GO TO SCHOOLS THAT THE P T A MEETINGS ARE NOT PROPERLY SUPPORTED. AND MAYBE AGAIN, I CAN'T OVERSTEP BOUNDARIES WITH SCHOOL BOARD DOES, BUT MAYBE WE STARTED DOING SOMETHING AT THE PHS FOOTBALL OR BASKETBALL GAMES BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS HEAVILY ATTENDED THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONCERNED CITIZEN OR SOME TYPE OF PT A MOVEMENT TO HELP OUT THE SCHOOLS AND KEEP GET OUR PARENTS AND RESIDENTS CONTINUALLY INVOLVED IN THEIR EDUCATION. AND ON THAT POINT OF EDUCATION, I WOULD LIKE TO AS WELL GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UH GOVERNOR JUNKIN. HE COULD HAVE CAME TO ANY OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE PAST WEEK, BUT HE DID CHOOSE PLACES. ELAINE SO AGAIN SEVENTH WARD GOVERNOR JUNKIN. THANK YOU FOR COMING TO VISIT PLEASANT LANE, AND I DO KNOW THAT THERE'S ALWAYS A LOT OF NEGATIVE PUBLICITY ABOUT HIM, BUT I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE HIM IN THE SCHOOL READING TO THE YOUNG KIDS, AND HOPEFULLY OUR CITIZENS CAN AGAIN FOLLOW THIS ENERGY TO SUPPORT OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. UM THREE IS, UM I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT FULLER. THEY HAD A RIVER CLEANUP ON SEPTEMBER THE NINTH. UM I DID HAVE SOME OF MY STUDENTS SUPPORTED OVER AT THE POCAHONTAS ISLAND. UM THE ROTARY PARK. UM, AND IT WAS VERY LOW TURNOUT, BUT GOOD RESULTS. THEY DID GET CLEANED UP THAT PARK A LOT, AND I HOPE THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT FOLDER AS THEY CONTINUE TO EXPAND THE RIVERWALK TRAIL. UM I DID TALK TO THE OFFICIALS THERE AND THEY HAVE PURCHASED THE LAST PIECE OF LAND SO THAT THAT RIVER TRAIL CAN EXTEND FAR BEYOND WHERE IT IS NOW, IF YOU EVER WALKED BY VIRGINIA STATE TO THE WATERFALLS . IT WILL BE EXTENDING ALL THE WAY OUT. UH, ALWAYS INTO, UM, THE PARK OUT IN, UH, THAT WE OWN AND THEN WOODY. BUT IT IS OURS CAN CALL THE NAME RIGHT NOW. OR THE FERNDALE. THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME OUT SO THAT RIVERWALK IS COMING BECAUSE THEY DID PURCHASE THE LAST PIECE OF LAND.

HOPEFULLY FULLER WILL COME AND PRESENT IN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO TO UPDATE THE HOST COMMUNITY ABOUT THEIR PURCHASE. UM NEXT UP IS, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SECOND WITH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES WAS TALKING ABOUT NOT TO GET ON YOU BECAUSE I DO KNOW YOU'RE JUST KNEW, MR BARLEY. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. BUT I HAVE NOTICED THAT AS I RIDE AROUND, I DON'T WANT TO PICK ON ANYONE WARD IN PARTICULAR, BUT A LOT OF THE EASEMENTS HAVE OVERGROWN GRASS. THAT, AS I SAID, COULD BE JUST WE'D EAT, BUT THE CITIZENS ALWAYS THINK THAT IT'S THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY, AND THE CITY IS LOOKING FOR THE CITIZENS TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY SO BECAUSE IT'S THAT GRAY AREA HOPEFULLY, THE CITY CAN JUST IMPROVED THE WALKWAYS BECAUSE OUR KIDS ARE USING THEM TO WALK TO SCHOOL WHILE RESIDENTS ARE USING AND IT'S SORT OF A LOT OF THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE, UH, AFFAIRS OF THE CITY, UM AND THEN ONE PARTICULAR BECAUSE IT IS IN SEVENTH WARD, MR BARLEY. UM COULD YOU CHECK ON 2051 ANCHOR AVENUE, WHICH IS RIGHT BEHIND YOUR DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS.

IT'S ABOUT 4.09 ACRES. THE CITY DOES OWN IT, BUT THE GRASS IS NEVER CUT AND IT MAKES THAT WAREHOUSE DISTRICT FROM THE STREET LOOK HORRIBLE. UM AGAIN 2051 ANCHOR AVENUE RIGHT BEHIND WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS OFFICE IS UM I JUST THINK SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THAT. IF PLEASE

[01:45:02]

GENEVIEVE YES, MA'AM. OKAY, THANKS. I NEED YOU TO HELP ME. OKAY. THANK YOU. UM ALSO IN SO I WANT TO FOLLOW UP MR WITH COUNCILMAN JONES AND, UH COUNCILMAN. WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME? WESTBROOK YEAH, THAT'S IT . BUT YOU KNOW, I GET THIS WAY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW NORMALLY I'M HERE PLEASING AND SAYING WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT THE WORKS DEPARTMENT. BUT LET ME LET ME BE VERY CLEAR. TONIGHT. WHEN I CALL YOUR PHONE ANSWERING, AND WHEN I CALL YOUR PHONE AND SEND YOU A TEXT, YOU GOT TRASH RUNNING DOWN THE STREET. YOU GOT LOADS, TRUCKLOADS OF TRASH SITTING IN THE STREET AND BEEN SITTING THERE FOR A WEEK. AND NOBODY IS THERE TO PICK IT UP. YOU DON'T RESPOND. I DON'T LIKE IT. I DON'T. AND IT MAKES THE CITY LOOK HORRIFIC. SO IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A WORKS DEPARTMENT THERE NEEDS TO BE CONCERNS THAT COME ALONG WITH IT, AND THAT YOU SAY THE GRASS IS GROWING ON THE EASEMENT. BUT THEY'RE GROWING IN THE CURBING ON THE SIDE ON THE STREET. CURBING 5 FT HIGH. AND ALL Y'ALL RIDE AROUND IN YOUR TRUCKS ALL DAY LIKE YOU DON'T SEE IT. I SEE IT. EVERYBODY ELSE SEE IT. DON'T YOU ALL SEE IT IN THIS ROOM? SO HAS THE YOU ALL DON'T SEE IT AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF YOUR TRUCK AND START DOING SO I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME LEADERSHIP MOVING FORWARD AND DIRECT YOUR EMPLOYEES TO DO THEIR JOB. PERIOD. IT LOOKS HORRIBLE. IT IS NEVER LOOKED AS BAD. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN SMITH LEE. MY TURN. HELLO EVERYBODY. UM THE FIRST THING I WANT YOU TO KNOW TODAY WAS THE FIRST DAY OF VOTER REGISTRATION . SO IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY WHO HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED TO VOTE , PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET REGISTERED TO VOTE. YOUR VOTES DO COUNT. I WANT TO THANK THE VOLUNTEERS, ESPECIALLY BERNARD LONDON FOR HELPING UM, BUILT THE PREY GROUND AT, UM, COOL SPRING ELEMENTARY. I MEAN, IT WAS GOOD. LIKE 80 PEOPLE JUST DOING THE WORK TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS HAVE SOMETHING NICE. THAT COOL SPRING ELEMENTARY. YOU NEED TO GO BY THERE AND CHECK IT OUT. ALSO UM I WOULD LIKE TO PRAY FOR THE TWO STUDENTS AT VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY AND THEIR FAMILY. FAMILIES. UM. WITH THE TRAGEDY THAT HAPPENED TO BOTH OF THOSE STUDENTS. RIGHT

[01:50:03]

WE HAVE A LOT OF PLACES THAT THE PEOPLE THAT CAN CARRY THEIR CLOSE TO IF THEY WANT TO RECYCLING OR WHATEVER LIKE THAT. SO IF YOU WILL, PLEASE CHECK INTO THAT 800 NUMBER ON THERE AS WELL. UH, SO ALSO, UM, UH, OVER THIS PAST WEEKEND. I KNOW IT WAS A WALK AGAINST CRIME, AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND ALL THOSE WHO WALKED IN THE WALK AGAINST CRIME . BUT THIS COUNCIL WAS SOMETHING KIND OF DISTURBING IN THE PAPER WAS SAID NO ONE ON COUNCIL WAS THERE. AH I GUESS, I GUESS, UH YOU KNOW? MY ONLY THING WITH THAT IS WE HAVE BEEN AT SO MANY WALKS AGAINST CRIME WE HAVE BEEN AT SO MANY VALID AH! SEMINARS AND SHOOTINGS AND WE COMMEMORATE AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT WE DON'T GET PUT IN THE PAPER FOR BEING THERE. BUT THE ONE TIME THAT WE'RE NOT AS SOMETHING WE GET SHOUTED OUT LIKE WAS NO ONE FROM COUNCIL THERE WHERE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE THERE WHO ARE RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND STUFF THEY WEREN'T AT THE OTHER ONES. AND I'M NOT DOING THE EXACT THEM. BUT IT'S LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT COUNCIL WASN'T THERE AND WE'VE BEEN AT HIM. I KNOW I'VE BEEN AT HIM FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS. SO YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ONE OF AND I'M NOT DOING THE PAPER UP UNDER THE BUS, BUT I'M JUST JUST JUST LOOKING AT HOW THINGS ARE WRITTEN. AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAVE I HAVE A CONSTITUENCY CALLED ME AND I WAS LIKE, WELL, I HAD THE FUNERAL AS SOMEBODY IN D. C SO NO, I WASN'T THERE SO WE CAN'T BE AT EVERYTHING BUT OUR HEARTS ARE DEFINITELY WOULD THE FAMILIES THEY HAVE LOST, LET LOVED ONES AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO OR HOW THEY ARE CONNECTED. TO US, AND I JUST LEAVE THAT FOR THAT. ALSO. I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN JONES FOR THE BRACELET. AH ESPECIALLY , YOU KNOW, THE AUTISM AND THE YELLOW BRACELETS. SOME OF YOU ALL WHO KNOW ME PERSONALLY AND MY OLDEST SON. HE'S ARTISTIC, SO I'LL BE BEGINNING THAT TO HIM AS WELL. SO AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST , UH, PUBLIC WORKS. I'M GLAD I'M NOT GONNA BEAT UP ON PUBLIC WORKS ANYMORE. BUT I'M GLAD THAT I HAVE SOME OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS. THAT AIN'T A FIGHT WITH ME. I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE WAY I CITY LOOK FOR YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN UP HERE, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO IN ON PUBLIC WORKS, BUT THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF MY STAPLES ABOUT CURVE EGE. UH, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW WHEN YOU IF YOU GO TO SPRAYING CHEMICALS, PLEASE DON'T SPRAY NOBODY YARD BECAUSE WE HAD

[01:55:01]

IF YOU HAVE ILLEGAL GUYS NORMAL WHOEVER LEAVE A GUN OR ANYTHING , COME TO THIS GUN BUYBACK PROGRAM AND TURN IT IN AND YOU GET YOU A GIFT CARD. AND WE ALSO WANT TO DO A JOY RUN WALK THAT DAY TO WALK AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND PETERSBURG. SO WE ASKED EVERYONE TO JOIN US THERE. UM, ALSO, UM WHAT VICE MAYOR HILL TALKED ABOUT. THE CLERK SAYS SHE THAT WE DIDN'T GET AN INVITE TO THAT, UM TO THE REGIONAL. UM UM RALLY OR WHATEVER SO IS SOMETHING'S COME ACROSS THE WAY AND OTHER THINGS DON'T BUT THAT'S SOME SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T GET A FORMAL INVITE TO UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT FOR THOSE THINGS, PLEASE SEND IT TO THE CLERK, MS NYKESHA LUCAS.

SO SHE CAN PUT IT ON OUR CALENDARS. UM NEXT UP. UM I'M WANNA THANK WAYNE WAYNE JUST COMPLETED ANOTHER GREAT YEAR OF JAZZ IN THE STACKS HERE. AT THE LIBRARY IS ALWAYS A HUGE EVENT.

WHEN YOU HAVE A GREAT CROWD HERE, AND, UM AND EVERYONE LOOK FORWARD TO AND COMMEND HOW GREAT OF A TIME THAT YOU PROVIDE HERE. HAVING JAZZ HERE IS REALLY COURT COURT FIRE HERE IN PETERSBURG THAT IT IS THE PLACE TO BE, AND, UM, WE JUST GOT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE FREE EVENTS LIKE THAT, BECAUSE OUR CITIZENS REALLY DO ENJOY THEM. AS OF THAT, WHAT ELSE? WE HAVE THIS? I THINK THAT'S ALL WE HAVE. THAT'S OH, THE WALK AGAINST HUNGARY. THAT'S THE LAST NAME. WELL, WE HAVE OUR WALK AGAINST HUNGER COMING OUT. WE ASK EVERYONE TO PLEASE JOIN US AT THE PARK.

DOWNTOWN CHURCHES UNITED. IT'S GOING TO BE OCTOBER. 7TH, MARK, MARK YOUR CALENDAR. UM IT STARTS AT 10 O'CLOCK AND IT'S GOING TO BE A THREE MILE WALK OUTS. EVERYONE TO PLEASE JOIN US. UM ALSO HERE AT THE LIBRARY TO I AM PARTICIPATING IN SOMETHING FOR COMMUNITY AND SCHOOLS. WE ARE RAISING MONEY FOR PETERSBURG SCHOOLS HERE AT THE LIBRARY. YOUR VERY OWN IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE DANCING WITH THE STARS HERE, SO, SO NEEDLESS TO SAY, I HAVE TO GET OUT HERE AND SHAKE A LEG OR TWO. AT THE LIBRARY ON SEPTEMBER 30TH. SO WE ASKED PEOPLE TO BAD TICKETS. ALL THE

[02:00:03]

THERE ARE NO ITEMS. UM OUT OF 12 FINANCE AND BUDGET REPORT. NO ITEMS TONIGHT. 13 I'M FINISHED

[13. Unfinished Business]

[14. New Business]

VICE MAYOR HILL. I MOVE THAT WE ARE APPOINTED PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TO THIS BOARD. CUT. AND ALSO MR RANDALL WILLIAMS TO THE AS THE ALTERNATE COUNCILWOMAN SWIFTLY SECOND ALRIGHT, BUT MOTION IS SECOND ALL IN FAVOR. UH ANY OPPOSED THE MOTION CARRIES NEXT IS ITEM B CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT AUTHORITY BOARD. IT'S LUCAS. ALSO FOR THIS BOARD IS TO APPOINT MR JERRY BARLEY AS THE ALTERNATE TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT AUTHORITY BOARD. VICE MAYOR HILL MOVED. COUNCILMAN SMITH LEE SECOND PROMOTION TO SECOND ALL IN FAVOR. I POST. THE MOTION CARRIES NEXT MOVE ON TO ITEM C CONSIDERATION OF APPOINTMENT TO THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW BOARD, LUCAS OKAY. WE HAVE A VACANCY ON THIS BOARD, WHICH TERM EXPIRES ON SEPTEMBER. 30TH 2025, AND YOU GUYS HAVE THE TABLE IN FRONT OF YOU. UM WE HAVE TWO NEW APPLICANTS, JOSEPH YATES AND CALVIN ARE PHELPS JR AND THIS WILL BE TO FILL THE SEAT WHERE THE REMAINING TERM FROM 2023 AND TILL 2025. FRANK. COUNCILOR CUPBOARD. I MOVE THAT WE NOMINATE JOSEPH 50 EIGHT'S TO THIS POSITION. OKAY? CARSON JONES. I SECOND THE MOTION IN A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR. AH, THE POST. THE MOTION CARRIES. TEXAS ITEM D CONSIDERATION OF APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE FOR THE VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY YOUTH GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $194,733 2ND READING. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS.

RIGHT WE'RE LOOKING TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE. THIS IS FOR MR CROCKER, RIGHT? LIBRARY. OKAY? GOOD EVENING MAYOR, PARENT MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UM WE HAVE TWO GRANTS ACTUALLY ON THE

[02:05:04]

WE HAVE MISS PAT CAULKINS. MR MICHAEL PARSONS. FANCY TERRELL. AS A PART OF THE TEAM, AND, UH.

VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY YOUTH HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF OUR EFFORTS IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO ADDRESS CHILDHOOD OBESITY AND HEALTH ISSUES. AND AS YOU WILL SEE THE NEXT GRANT, UM UM, IT'S UH, VIRGINIA FOUNDATION HEALTHY, YOUTHFUL, ALMOST $400,000 OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES, AND I THINK THAT'S TREMENDOUS THAT THEY WOULD DO THAT. AND SO AT THIS TIME, I'LL ASK MICHAEL PARSONS, WHO'S THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR FOR THE VIRGINIA FOUNDATION OF HEALTHY USED TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THEIR SUPPORT. AND THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WE HAVE MISS PET HAWKINS. YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FIRST GRAND THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, MICHAEL PARSONS AND THE DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS FOR THE VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR HEALTHY YOUTH. OUR FOUNDATION FUNDS CURRENTLY MORE THAN 90 YOUTH SERVING ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS VIRGINIA. WE'VE BEEN WORKING OVER THE PAST SIX MONTHS OR SO TO FIND.

QUALITY YOUTH HEALTH INITIATIVES AND PETERSBURG TO FUND SO I HEARD YOU GUYS MENTIONED THE KABOOM BUILD. WE GOT TO FIND A KABOOM PLAYGROUND AT THE Y M C. A BACK IN MAY AND PART FIND A PART OF THE PLAYGROUND AT COOL SPRING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I SAW SOME OF YOU GUYS THERE AND I STILL HAVE BLISTERS FROM THAT, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE PETERSBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS SUBMITTED TO GRANT PROPOSALS TO OUR FOUNDATION. WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW BOTH PROPOSALS , AND BOTH HAVE BEEN FORMALLY APPROVED FOR FUNDING. SO I'M JUST HERE TO FORMALLY LEND OUR SUPPORT TO WAYNE AND HIS TEAM AT THE LIBRARY AND TO SAY THAT IF THESE PROPOSALS ARE APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL WE FULLY INTEND TO FUND JUST UNDER $400,000 OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO SUPPORT THESE PROPOSALS. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH APPRECIATE YOU. YES. I WANT TO BUT ONE ALRIGHT? VICE MARY HILL. MR MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UH I WOULD LIKE TO IF WE IF WE IN ORDER TAKES 14 AH, D AND E. AND APPROVE. THE PRE APPROVED THE ORDINANCE AS REGARD TO BOTH OF THEM FOR THE VIRGINIA FOUNDATION OF HEALTHY YOUTH GRANTS. ALRIGHT. COUNCILMAN JONES SECOND. ALRIGHT THAT'S THE MOTION THE SECOND FOR VIRGINIA FOUNDATION HEALTHY YOUTH GRANT. THAT'S THE $194,733 AND $199,250. ALL RIGHT. UH HUH. IS READING THAT PUBLIC HEARING. IS THAT CORRECT OR NOT? THERE SHOULD BE NO PUBLIC HEARING. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS BUT WE HAVE IT APPROVED ALL IN FAVOR.

HIGH POST. ALRIGHT THE MOTION CARRIES THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO APPRECIATE YOU.

NEXT IS ITEM L CONSIDERATION OF AN APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE FOR VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FIRE PROGRAMS. AID TO LOCALITY CARRYOVER FUNDS FROM FY 23 TO FY 24 BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF 21,008 $959.58. COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. UH MOVED THERE. WE ACCEPT THE MOTION. FOR THE CONSIDER VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FIRE PROGRAMS. THE ORGANIST. THE ORDINANCE. EXCUSE ME THE ORDINANCE. ALL RIGHT. THANKS FOR YOUR HEEL. EMOTION IS SECOND TO ACCEPT THE ORDINANCE ALL IN FAVOR POST. THE MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM G CONSIDERATION OF APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE FOR THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, RADIOLOGICAL EMERGENCY, PREPARING HIS GRAND CARRY OVER FUNDS FROM FY 23 TO FY 24 BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $3949.98 2ND READING COUNSELOR MAYER. ALRIGHT COUNSELOR. MS SMITH LEE SECOND, ALRIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR. I SUPPOSE. MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT, MH CONSIDERATION OF APPROPRIATION ORDNANCE FOR THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANT CARRIER WILL FIND SOME FY 23 TO FY 24 BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $1717.20 SECOND READING COUNSELING MYERS MOVIE.

VICE MAYOR HILL SECOND EMOTIONAL SECOND. THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANT ALL IN FAVOR.

ANY OPPOSED THE MOTION CARRIES. NEXT ONE. WE WANT TO ITEM I CONSIDERATION OF APPROPRIATION

[02:10:06]

COUNCILOR WESTBROOK MOVE COUNCILOR MYERS. SECOND THE MOTION SECOND FOR THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE GRANT ALL IN FAVOR. HI. THE OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES.

ITEM K CONSIDERATION OF APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE TO ACCEPT AN APPROPRIATE FUNDING FROM THE VIRGINIA OFFICE OF E. M S RESCUE SQUAD ASSISTANCE FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $52,757.10 SECOND READING. 1000 WESTBROOK MOVED. VICE MARY HILL. MOTION A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR. AND HE

[15. City Manager's Report]

[02:15:02]

AS A COMMUNITY, WE WILL WORK TO REMAIN A PLACE THAT IS WARM AND WELCOMING, THAT CELEBRATES AND LIFTS UP OUR BLACK HERITAGE AND CULTURE WITH INCLUSIVE SPACES AND EVENTS THAT DRAW PEOPLE FROM ACROSS PETERSBURG AND THE REGION. WE WANT IT DOWNTOWN TO BE A REGULAR FAVORITE FOR RESIDENTS FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR SERVICE MEMBERS, TOURISTS AND OTHERS WHO SPEND TIME IN DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG. SO THAT'S THE BROAD BRUSH OF WHERE WE'RE HEADED AND WITHIN THAT WE'VE GOT THOSE FIVE GOALS THAT ORGANIZED THE STRATEGIES. AND SO THOSE ARE FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANT DOWNTOWN TO BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS SO THAT, UM, CHAPTER OF THE PLAN WILL HAVE IDEAS FOR HOW TO SUPPORT DIVERSITY, SUPPORT AND DIVERSIFIED DOWNTOWN'S BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND RESTORE THE ECONOMIC VITALITY AND BUILDING STOCK. THE SECOND GOAL . IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE CALLING IT RIGHT AT HOME. AND SO THAT'S NOT JUST ABOUT DEVELOPING DOWNTOWN AS A LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH HOUSING, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AN INCLUSIVE SPACE AND EVERYBODY FEELS RIGHT AT HOME, EVEN IF THEY DON'T LIVE DOWNTOWN. THE THIRD GOAL. WE'RE THAT'S REALLY ABOUT THE PUBLIC REALM AND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE AND FOSTER LUSH AND LOVELY CONNECTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN TO THE RIVER AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS NEARBY SO THAT PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO WALK AND TO BIKE AND TO EXPLORE. THERE'S A GOAL CALLED ON THE MAP THAT'S ABOUT REALLY GROWING DOWNTOWN AS A DESTINATION, A PLACE THAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT AND THEY KNOW HOW TO FIND. AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS WE'RE CALLING POSITION FOR SUCCESS. AND SO THAT'S REALLY ABOUT BUILDING CAPACITY AND RESOURCES FOR IMPLEMENTATION, SO THAT ONCE THE PLAN IS COMPLETE, THERE'S THE PEOPLE AND THE DOLLARS AND THE, UM UM, TIME THAT'S NEEDED TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN. NEXT SLIDE, SO I'M JUST GONNA RUN THROUGH FAIRLY HIGH LEVEL SOME OF THE DIRECTION OF THE STRATEGIES FOR EACH GOAL AND SOME OF THE WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC THAT SAYS, OR, YOU KNOW, UNDERSCORES WHY THESE IDEAS MATTER AND IN OCTOBER, WE'LL HAVE MORE DRAWINGS AND MORE DETAILS TO SHARE WITH EVERYBODY. SO OPEN FOR BUSINESS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UM THIS WAS THE YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE RANKED, UM , TOPIC FOR PEOPLE WHEN THEY SAID WHEN WE ASKED THEM. IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT DOWNTOWN, WHAT WOULD IT BE? THEY SAID, WE WANT NEW, DIVERSE BUSINESSES. BUSINESSES THAT WILL DRAW EVERYBODY, NOT JUST A SELECT GROUP OF PEOPLE BUSINESSES THAT WILL REACTIVATE OUR BUILDINGS THAT HAVE FALLEN INTO DISREPAIR. UM AND REALLY BUSINESSES THAT REACTIVATE OUR STOREFRONT SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE INTO THE WINDOWS AND REALLY HAVE A SENSE THAT DOWNTOWN IS ALIVE AND THRIVING. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THE STRATEGIES THAT SIGNAL DOWNTOWN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS WILL BE BOTH SHORT TERM AND LONGER TERM. UM THERE WILL BE IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO ACTIVATE THE EXISTING VACANT GROUND

[02:20:03]

UM AND THEN THERE WILL BE KIND OF PROGRAMMATIC RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW TO BETTER BUILD A PIPELINE OF NEW BUSINESSES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON BLACK AND WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS. THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE SOME THINKING AND SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT CULTIVATING NEW COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT. SO WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME, UM LARGE DEVELOPMENTS IN DOWNTOWN THAT ARE ON THE TABLE, AND OUR ECONOMISTS ON THE TEAM IS THINKING THROUGH HOW TO BEST RECRUIT, UH NEW BUSINESSES THAT CAN COMPLEMENT WHAT'S EXISTING AND WHAT'S HERE AND SOME IDEAS THAT HAVE COME TO THE TOPPER. EVERYBODY'S INTERESTED IN THE GROCER. IS THERE A SMALL FORMAT GROCER THAT COULD REALLY THRIVE AND DOWNTOWN? OR MAYBE A MULTI TENANT MODEL THAT PAIRS A GROCERY WITH A PHARMACY OR GROCERY WITH A HARDWARE STORE, AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OTHER MODELS IN THE REGION FOR THAT, AS WELL. NEXT SLIDE. FOR RIGHT AT HOME. THIS IS THE GOAL THAT TALKS ABOUT HOUSING AND ALSO PROGRAMMING WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT DOWNTOWN FIELDS INVITING AND INCLUSIVE. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT IS THAT PEOPLE WHO LIVED OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN IN THE PAST AND ALWAYS FEEL WELCOME, AND SOME PEOPLE SAY THERE'S REALLY STILL A SUBTLE RACISM PROBLEM, AND NOT EVERYBODY FEELS COMFORTABLE IN THE DOWNTOWN. AND SO THIS, UM GOAL IS ABOUT HOW DO WE HAVE MORE RESIDENTS IN THE DOWNTOWN AND HAVE MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE HERE ALSO STILL KNOW THAT DOWNTOWN IS THEIR PLAYGROUND, TOO? NEXT SLIDE. UM 63% OF THE RESPONSES TO THE QUESTION ABOUT THE BIGGEST ISSUE FOR DOWNTOWN HAVE TO DO WITH HOUSING OR RELATE TO HOUSING BOTH IN TERMS OF NEW DEVELOPMENT . AND HOW DO WE BALANCE HISTORY WITH PRESERVATION AS DOWNTOWN GROWS AND CHANGES AS WE THINK ABOUT HOW TO BUILD A BIGGER CUSTOMER BASE FOR SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES, AS WE THINK ABOUT RESTORING OUR BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC BUILDING STOCK UM AND PRESERVING, UM, HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES THAT A RANGE OF PRICE POINTS, SO HOUSING IS ALSO IN FRONT OF MINE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE'VE DONE SOME WORK TO LOOK AT. YOU KNOW WHAT IS EXISTING IN TERMS OF HOUSING IN THE DOWNTOWN AND FIRST AND FOREMOST, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THE RESIDENTIAL HOMES THAT REMAIN HERE. THE HISTORIC HOMES WE'VE BEEN LOOKING WITH A LOT OF INTEREST AT THE VACANT UPPER FLOORS ALONG SYCAMORE STREET AND CRUNCHING SOME NUMBERS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND. YOU KNOW HOW MANY DIFFERENT OWNERS ARE THERE? UM AND HOW MUCH POTENTIAL IS THERE, AND WE THINK THAT THERE'S POTENTIAL IN THOSE VACANT UPPER FLOORS TO HOUSE OR TO CREATE AT LEAST 250 APARTMENTS. AND SO WE ARE THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION ACROSS PROPERTY OWNERS AND TO REALLY FOCUS ON MAYBE ONE BLOCK AT A TIME WHERE WE CAN SIGNAL WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER. WE'RE PUTTING THE LIGHTS ON UPSTAIRS, AND WE WANT MORE PEOPLE TO LIVE IN DOWNTOWN AND REALLY ENJOY THE HISTORIC BUILDING STOCK. THAT'S THERE. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT AREAS WHERE THERE'S A CHANCE TO CREATE NEW HOUSING AND NEW DEVELOPMENT. SO OF COURSE, THERE'S THE MIXED INCOME OR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT. EXCUSE ME AT BANKS AND ADAMS STREET. WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES SURROUNDING THE HALIFAX TRIANGLE AREA, AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S CONTINUED INTEREST IN ADAPTIVE RE USE OF SOME OF THE FORMER WAREHOUSES THAT REMAIN AND HAVE NOT YET BEEN REPURPOSED. SO ALL OF THAT WILL, UM, COME UP IN THIS CHAPTER OF THE PLAN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. UM AND THEN I THINK THERE'S A SOME WORK THAT WILL BE DOING ABOUT HOW, UM DESIGN GUIDELINES AND HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT IS RESPECTFUL AND THAT SCALE WITH UM AND COMPLIMENTARY OF THE HISTORIC FABRIC IN THE DOWNTOWN AND SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT YOUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS THAT ARE EXISTING AND THINKING THROUGH WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT CHARACTER AREAS IN THE DOWNTOWN. THERE'S AN ECLECTIC MIX, AND WE'LL HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT LOOKED REALLY HONOR AND COMPLEMENT THE EXISTING FABRIC AS WELL AS MAKING ROOM FOR NEW TYPES OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN. UM AS DOWNTOWN GROWS AND CHANGES NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AND THEN THE LAST PIECE OF THIS CHAPTER IS ABOUT PROGRAMMING. AND SO WE REALLY WANT TO CURATE PROGRAMMING THAT'S DESIGNED TO DRAW A WIDE RANGE OF AUDIENCES. SO THERE'S UM PEOPLE ON THE SLIDE WHO ARE INTO RUNNING. THERE'S PEOPLE ON THE SLIDE WHO ARE INTO BIRDING. THERE'S PEOPLE WHO ARE INTO MUSIC AND DANCE. AND I THINK THAT ALL OF THAT IS TO SAY THAT DOWNTOWN HAS A LOT OF SPACES THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES. AND ONE THING THAT REALLY CAME THROUGH LOUD AND CLEAR IN THE PUBLIC INPUT. AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN INTEREST IN. HOW CAN WE GET MORE STUDENTS TO REALLY SEE DOWNTOWN AS THEIR BACKYARD AND TO, UM REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAMMING THAT HAPPENS IN DOWNTOWN IS REFLECTIVE AND CENTERS, THE BLACK COMMUNITY THAT IS THE MAJORITY COMMUNITY WITHIN PETERSBURG. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO WONDER AND WONDER. THAT'S ABOUT THE PUBLIC REALM. WE HEARD

[02:25:10]

SO THESE ARE JUST SOME PICTURES FROM OTHER PRESIDENTS CITIES. UM NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES TO EMBED SOME ADDITIONAL SHADE AND GREEN SPACE AND GATHERING SPACE WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN ITSELF, SO NOT NECESSARILY ALONG THE RIVER . UM ONE OF THE PLACES THAT WE'VE BEEN KIND OF LOOKING AT IS THE PARKING LOT THAT'S IN FRONT OF THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE, AND THEN WE THINK THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE AS NEW PARKING GETS BUILT. WITHIN A PARKING DECK NEARBY TO SAY MAYBE THAT PLACE CAN REALLY BE USED AND INHABITED BY PEOPLE AND CAN BE A PLACE OF COMING TOGETHER. UM AND SO THAT YOU'LL SEE SOME IDEAS ABOUT THAT AS WELL AS IDEAS ABOUT IMPROVING THE EXISTING ALLEYWAYS, WHICH ARE REALLY A FUN WAY TO EXPLORE YOUR DOWNTOWN AND WE THINK THAT THERE'S A WAY TO INVITE MORE PEOPLE TO EXPLORE THOSE HIDDEN ROOTS. NEXT SLIDE.

UM AND THEN, LASTLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO IMPROVE THE STREETS AND THINKING ABOUT WAYS IN PARTICULAR OF NARROWING THE CROSSING DISTANCE ALONG WASHINGTON AND WITH WITH GREENING AND PLACES FOR PEOPLE, PEDESTRIAN REFUGES RIGHT NOW, THE PARTS OF THOSE STREETS CURB TO CURB IS WIDER THAN LIKE THE ENTIRE NORTH BEND OR SOUTH BEND SEGMENT OF 95 95 AS IT PASSES THROUGH PETERSBURG, SO IT'S LITERALLY HIGHWAY RIGHT THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN, AND SO, UM, THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERS ON THE TEAM ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO MAKE THAT SAFER AND MORE COMFORTABLE ACROSS MORE COMFORTABLE TO WALK ALONG WITH WITH SHADE AND WILL BE PROVIDING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRIORITIZE SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE FOR SAFETY AND ACCESSIBILITY AS WELL AS, UM MORE CONSISTENT DESIGN ELEMENTS SO THAT YOU KNOW YOU'RE SIGNALING TO PEOPLE. YOU'RE IN DOWNTOWN SLOWDOWN. PARK YOUR CAR, GET OUT AND WALK. THIS IS A PLACE THAT'S THAT'S WORTH YOUR TIME. NEXT SLIDE. JUST A FEW MORE. UM SO THE ON THE MAP GOAL THIS IS ABOUT REALLY CELEBRATING AND DOWNTOWN AS A DESTINATION. WE KNOW FROM THE CELL PHONE DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED THAT DOWNTOWN IS MISSING OUT ON A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE STUDENT MARKET AND THE SOLDIER MARKETS AND REALLY AN EVEN SMALLER FRACTION OF VISITORS TO THE BATTLEFIELD ARE MAKING IT TO DOWNTOWN. AND SO WE WANT TO CHANGE THAT AND BRING MORE DOLLARS TO DOWNTOWN. UM NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO I THINK WE'VE BEEN HEARING ALL ALONG THAT YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD REALLY SEE DOWNTOWN NOT JUST AS A DOWNTOWN, BUT AS A COLLEGE TOWN AS A MILITARY TOWN. THERE'S YOU KNOW , NEARLY 15,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY AT THE BASIN ON THE CAMPUS AND THEN UM , OVER 235,000 VISITORS ANNUALLY TO THE BATTLEFIELD. AND SO IF WE CAN JUST GET, UM MORE OF THOSE PEOPLE TO SPEND TIME IN DOWNTOWN , IT WILL BE REALLY GOOD FOR DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES AND FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE. NEXT SLIDE. SO THERE WILL BE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT TARGETED MARKETING RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT GATEWAYS SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE AND CAN FIND THEIR WAY AROUND. UM RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT EVENTS THAT DRAW PEOPLE TO THE DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. UM AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT WAYS TO HAVE A STRONGER PRESENCE FOR V S U IN THE DOWNTOWN, SO WHETHER THAT'S LEARNING SPACE OR LIVING SPACE OR STUDENT PROJECTS IN THE DOWNTOWN WAYS TO WORK WITH BUSINESSES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE WELCOMING STUDENTS AND OFFERING A MIX OF PRICE POINTS THAT ARE STUDENT FRIENDLY. WE THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE SUCCESS OF DOWNTOWN. AND THEN THE LAST ONE. LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST ABOUT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE IS ABOUT, UM POSITIONING DOWNTOWN FOR SUCCESS . AND SO WE'VE HEARD THAT WE DON'T JUST NEED A ROAD MAP. WE NEED TO FOLLOW IT UP WITH EXECUTION. NOW IS THE TIME EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST AND SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR DOWNTOWN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO THERE WILL BE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT FORMALIZING THE MAIN ST PETERSBURG ORGANIZATIONS SO THAT THERE CAN BE PAID STAFF TO SUPPORT PLAN IMPLEMENTATION. WE WILL HAVE IDEAS ABOUT WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES WE THINK THAT THAT STAFF SHOULD REALLY FOCUS ON FIRST AND HOW THEY CAN BUILD THEIR CAPACITY OUT WITH SOME STUDENT INTERNS AND STUDENT MARKETING AND CONNECTING WITH DIFFERENT AUDIENCES. THE PLAN HAS IDENTIFIED WE WILL BE

[02:30:03]

TAKE THAT INTO, UM, THE DESIGN. UM, WHEN WE COME BACK IN OCTOBER, WONDERFUL ALRIGHT, COUNSELOR, JONES. HOW YOU DOING ? THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. I APPRECIATE THAT I SAW UM AND I THINK TWICE ON THEIR WAY YOU HAD BALANCING HISTORY. AND I WANT TO I THINK I'M ON THE RIGHT ROAD WITH THIS THING, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THERE. A LOT OF HISTORY IS NOT BEING TOLD, HAS NEVER BEEN TOLD AND NEVER WILL BE TOLD. UM SOME HISTORY IN THIS CITY. HAS BEEN ERASED AND CURRENTLY BEING YOUR RACE AND I DON'T THINK HISTORY WHATEVER. BE BALANCED. FROM NOW AND BEFORE NOW. SO I'M THINKING YOU ARE SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT. IN THE HISTORY FROM HERE, GOING FORTH TO WHERE EVERYTHING CAN BE BALANCED AND FAIR FOR ALL PEOPLE. IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG IS THAT WELL, YEAH, SO I THINK THAT THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT WAYS TO INTERPRET WHAT I REFERRED TO. UM AND THEY'RE PROBABLY BOTH ON THE TABLE. SO I THINK, UM WE CAN PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW TO, UM MAKE SURE MAKE MOMENTS AND MAKE SPACE AND TIME AND INVESTMENTS IN TELLING HISTORY AS IT DESERVES TO BE TOLD, AS IT MAYBE HASN'T BEEN TOLD IN THE PAST AND THAT CAN BE ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE PLAN IS TO SAY, ACTUALLY, UM, WE WANT TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THE HISTORIC NARRATIVE OR BROUGHT IN THE HISTORIC NARRATIVE IN A WAY THAT FEELS LIKE IT DOES HONOR TO THE TO THE PAST HERE. UM I THINK MOST OF THE POINTS WHERE THAT WAS REFERENCED IN. THE PLAN IS SORT OF ABOUT, UM, DEVELOPMENT AND SAYING, YOU KNOW, THERE IS INTEREST IN BUILDING DOWNTOWN AND BUILDING NEW STUFF, NOT JUST RENOVATING OLD BUILDINGS, AND SO WITH THAT COMES A CHALLENGE OF HOW DO YOU DO THAT? WELL AND HOW DO YOU DO THAT? IN A WAY THAT SAYS, WE RECOGNIZE WE'RE IN A HISTORIC DOWNTOWN. WE ALSO RECOGNIZED THAT NEW BUILDINGS DON'T ALWAYS LOOK LIKE BUILDINGS THAT WERE BUILT, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO, AND SO HOW DO YOU DO THAT? IN A WAY THAT, UM IS RESPECTFUL OF THE SCALE AND COMPLIMENTARY BUT ALSO KIND OF, UM, ALLOWS FOR CHANGE AND A VERY VARIETY OF STYLES. AND SO, UM PART OF WHAT THAT WAS REFERRING TO IN THE PRESENTATION IS SORT OF THE PHYSICAL FORM OF THE ARCHITECTURE THAT COMES IN DOWN THE LINE. AND SO I THINK. UM I'M NOT SURE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION EXCEPT TO SAY THAT I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT THAT THERE IS, UM THERE ARE INTERESTING HISTORIES AND NARRATIVES THAT ARE MAYBE NOT PART OF THE PUBLIC REALM OR THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE AND THERE COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN PLAN TO SAY WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SHARING THAT THOSE HISTORIES ALL HISTORIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOU.

YES ALSO, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT THIS IS THIS. THIS WORK IS JUST RIGHT ON TIME. UM FOR SO LONG. WE HAD BEEN BEEN ASKING AND SEARCHING FOR GREAT PLANNER, AND WE NOW HAVE THAT HERE WITH MISS NAOMI. SO I'M GLAD THAT THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO WORK WITH HER AND GET HER ROOTED

[02:35:03]

[16. Business or reports from the Clerk]

PETERSBURG HALF CONGRATULATIONS . AND LIKE LIKE YOU'RE A ROCK STAR, AND WE HAVE TREMENDOUS PEOPLE THAT COME FROM PETERSBURG SCHOOLS, AND YOU DEFINITELY ARE SHOWING THAT YOU WOULD NEVER ALRIGHT. NEXT BUSINESS REPORTS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, MR WILLIAMS AND ITEMS PORTIONS OF ALL RIGHT NEXT ITEM, 18 ADJOURNED A MOTION T

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.