Dec 12, 2023 Regular City Council Meeting

[00:00:01]

TESTS OKAY? GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. WE'RE GOING TO START OFF WITH OUR LAST MEETING OF THE

[1. Roll Call]

COUNCILMAN MYERS HERE. COUNCILOR SMITH LEAN. COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. VICE MURRAY HILL HERE, PARENTS LET US PRAY. GOD AND OUR 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. NOW LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH US IN THE MIDST OF THIS MEETING AND BLESS US HAVING A FATHER. WE ASK THAT YOU GIVE US WISDOM ON HOW HAVING A FATHER THAT WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS THAT ARE HELPFUL AND FAVOR FEL FOR OUR CITY. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT BLESSINGS UPON OUR RESIDENTS FIRST RESPONDERS HEAVENLY FATHER, BE WITH THEM, GUIDE THEM AND PROTECT THEM. SPECIAL BLESSING UPON THIS COUNCIL HAVING YOUR FATHER WE ASK THAT YOU GO WITH OUR MAYOR IN HIS ABSENCE. 70 FATHER CONTINUE TO BE WITH HIM AND HIS FAMILY AS WELL HAPPENING, FATHER. WE ASKED OUR BLESSINGS UPON OUR CLERK CABINET FATHER AND SHE HAS DELIVERED HER NEW LIFE INTO THE WORLD. WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH HER AND HER FAMILY AS WELL. BE WITH US ALL HAPPENING, FATHER LET THIS MEETING GO FRUITFUL TO YOUR NAME. IT'S IN YOUR NAME. WE PRAY. AMEN. LET US STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. RIGHT THERE. PLEASURE LEADERS PLAN. OUR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. OR TO THE REPUBLIC. MY GOD.

YOU HAVE A QUORUM, MR VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU. THE QUORUM HAS BEEN DETERMINED. UH I LIKE TO

[4. Determination of the Presence of a Quorum]

[12. Finance and Budget Report (Part 1 of 2) ]

AND BRING AND BRING IT TO AH! FIVE AND MAKE THAT FIVE E AFTER ALL THE OTHER PRESENTATIONS.

COUNCILMAN MARIUS MOVE COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK SECOND IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND THAT WE MOVE ITEM NUMBER 12 A, WHICH IS PRESENTATIONS OF UPDATES ON CITY FINANCES AND MAKE THAT FIVE E AH, AND OUR AGENDA. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED HAS THE SAME RIGHT? THANK YOU. DETERMINATION OF A ESTABLISHED. SO PROCLAMATIONS RECOGNITION

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

NO, I DON'T SEE IT.

HERE WE GO. SO.

[00:05:48]

BATTERSEA FOUNDATION, PETERSBURG AREA ART LEAGUE HISTORIC PETERSBURG FOUNDATION. POPULAR LAWN PARK ASSOCIATION AND THE SYMPATHY, SYMPATHY SYMPHONY AND MANY OF THE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS. A LOT OF FANTASTIC ACTIVITY IN THE DOWNTOWN. WE HAD SANTA SANTA WAS DOING A GREAT JOB, ESPECIALLY WITH THE KIDS. YOUR PHOTOS THERE. GREAT JOBS. SPECIAL EVENTS, MR NELL. THE BAND WAS FANTASTIC. YOU'LL SEE ARE GOOD, FRANK. CANADA. PHILLIPS THERE. AND THERE'S A CITY MANAGER. EVERYBODY HANGING OUT WITH SANTA LOOKING GOOD HARVEST VICE MAY. HOLIDAY TOURS CENTER HILL HEAD OVER 500 VISITORS IN TWO DAYS. WE FEEL THE DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE TENTS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE L. L BEAN POP UP THE PARADE AND THE ONLINE ADVERTISING OF ALL OUR EVENTS. SO EVERYTHING CREATED WHAT WE WOULD CALL THIS PERFECT STORM. LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL CENTER HILL WAS. WELL. LOOKING WELL. THE HOMES TOUR OVER 350 TICKETS WERE SOLD FOR THE TOUR. AS PEOPLE ARE GOING FROM PLACE TO PLACE, ESPECIALLY AS THEY WERE COMING FROM SENATOR HILL GOING ON THE HIGH STREET. WE CAUGHT A LOT OF PEOPLE BUYING STUFF AT L. L. BEAN. SOME OF THE BEAUTIFUL HOMES. I WISH I COULD EVEN SIMULATE SOME OF THAT IN MY HOUSE. THAT'S JUST AWESOME.

PETERSBURG PARADE. YOU SEE OUR WONDERFUL HIGH SCHOOLERS, MR JONES. I THINK YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE PICTURE. YOU SEE A YOUNG LADY YOU MIGHT KNOW. RIGHT BEHIND THE BANNER. THAT'S YOUR DONALD THE KIDS DID A GREAT JOB. VERY PROUD OF HIM. THERE'S A HORSES AND A FEW OF OUR VICE MAYOR WAVING. I SEE THE MAYOR'S FAMILY. THE HORSES WERE PHENOMENAL. ALWAYS LIKE THE HORSES. MY GRANDFATHER WAS A BLACKSMITH. IS MR WESTBROOK. DON'T WORRY, MR WESTBROOK. THOSE KIDS ARE GOING TO GET BIG AND THEY WANT THEIR OWN CAR. OKAY? JUST BE READY FOR THAT. ALRIGHT GET SANTA ON THE AREA. THAT'S A BRAVE SANTA, WHICH I HAVE TO SAY THAT AND R. L L BEAN POP UP STORE. I'M GONNA LET OUR BUSINESS PARTNER MISS EVEN RE BOWMAN. SHE'S GOING TO COME UP AND SPEAK TO THIS. HI, EVERYONE. I'M BACK. UM I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAD A GREAT POP UP THIS PAST WEEKEND. THANK YOU FOR ALL WHO CAME OUT. THANK YOU TO PUBLIC WORKS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO EVERYBODY TO SPECIAL EVENTS THAT WE'RE IN A PART OF THIS EVENT. SEE WE HAD OUR MAYOR WAS OUT THERE WITH THE POLICE OFFICERS OUT THERE. IT WAS A GOOD SEVERAL COMMENTS FROM OFFICERS AND IT SAID THIS IS SUCH A FUN POSITIVE EVENT FOR OUR CITY. AND I FEEL LIKE HAVING THAT MESSAGE CONVEYED OVER AND OVER AGAIN CONTINUES TO PUSH AWAY THAT NEGATIVE VIEWPOINT THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT BEEN TO PETERSBURG CONTINUE TO TRY AND GROW. WE HAD PEOPLE WHO NOT VISIT THE CITY IN OVER 40 YEARS. WE HAD FAMILIES. WE HAD KIDS RUNNING IN THE STREET BECAUSE BANK STREET WAS CLOSED AND IT DID NOT AFFECT BY THE WAY THAT WE CLOSED IT ANY BUSINESSES. IF ANYTHING, ALL IT DID WAS TO PROMOTE A TOWN SQUARE VIBE THAT CONTINUES TO MAKE IT A FAMILY ORIENTED TOWN, WHICH I FEEL LIKE PETERSBURG IS ON THE PATH TO BE. IT WAS GREAT FOR RESIDENTS FOR THEIR KIDS TO GO OUTSIDE AND TO PLAY AND HAVE FUN AND TO SEE THE L L BEAN BOOT. AND THEN YOU GO

[00:10:05]

THEY WANTED TO EAT LOCAL AND SHOP LOCAL AND SEE LOCAL WE WORKED SIDE BY SIDE. WITH THAT LLB AND TEAM, THEY SAID IT WAS I QUOTE A HALLMARK MOVIE FEEL FOR THEM. I ACTUALLY HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE SAY THAT UM I LOVE PETERSBURG. SO IN MY OWN MIND POINT, I SEE THAT, BUT IT'S NICE FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FROM HERE TO HAVE THAT VIEWPOINT IT IT MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD. IT SHOULD MAKE YOU ALL FEEL VERY PROUD OF THE CITY THAT YOU WORK FOR. UM IT WAS ALSO JUST GREAT TO HAVE THE ATTENTION OF SUCH A BIG BRAND. IT CREATED A LOT ADVERTISING AND FOOT TRAFFIC WISE. FOR THE CITY FOR THE CITY PAGES. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ADVERTISING LATELY FOR THE CITY AND THAT I'VE HAD OVER 15. PEOPLE SAY, GOSH, THAT LOOKS GREAT. THAT COMMERCIAL IS AWESOME. I'M FROM HERE, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN AN AD FOR PETERSBURG AND WITH THE ADVERTISING IN THE POP UP AND THE BRAND NAME. ALL IT DOES IS CREATE FOOT TRAFFIC FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. LET'S SEE SO AGAIN. AS I SAID, WE INCREASED IN LOCAL FOOT TRAFFIC. YOU COULD SEE SOMEBODY WITH AN L L BEAN BAG AND AN ANTIQUE FROM DOWN THE STREET AND THEY'RE WALKING THE STREET. UH WE HAD INCREASED IN SMALL BUSINESS SALES. THERE WERE LINES OUT THE DOOR AND I WENT TO LOOK AT A RESTAURANT IN AROUND 1030 ON SATURDAY. THERE WERE LINES OUTSIDE OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS STORES GOING DOWN SYCAMORE. UP BANK STREET AS WE SAW THE PROOF OF CONCEPT WITH CENTER HILL AND DIFFERENT THINGS HAVING THAT PERFECT STORM MAKES PETERSBURG EVENTS THE NUMBER ONE EVENT THAT WEEKEND. UM WE CREATED A PROOF OF CONCEPT OF POP UP SHOPS IN THE CITY ON BANK STREET WITH THE WAY THAT IT WORKS WITH THE WAY WE CLOSE THAT STREET NOT ALL THE WAY THROUGH. BUT HALFWAY THROUGH HAVING DISTRICT 19 YOU KNOW IS NOT A BUSINESS. IT'S DISTRICT 19 , BUT THAT MAKES IT TO WHERE WE'RE NOT CUTTING OFF FOOT TRAFFIC FOR ANY BUSINESSES WERE ACROSS FROM THE SIEGE MUSEUM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN ALL THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE OPEN OR SLAMMED. THEY HAD THE BEST WEEKENDS THEY HAVE HAD, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL FOR A BUSINESS BOTTOM LINE. YOUR BOTTOM LINE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN TO BE ABLE TO SAY MY FIRST WEEKEND IN DECEMBER WILL HELP ME KEEP THE LIGHTS ON IN JANUARY IS SOMETHING EVERYBODY AND ANY SMALL BUSINESSES LOOKING FOR UM, WE ENJOYED BEING IN PETERSBURG WAS THE EXACT COMMENT THAT L. L. BEAN COMMENTED ON A INSTAGRAM ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PAGE, SO JUST THAT SMALL LITTLE BIT A VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION. I FEEL LIKE AS A GREAT PROOF OF CONCEPT TO SHOWCASE THAT. WHY NOT? PETERSBURG WHY'D YOU KNOW PEOPLE KEPT ASKING? WHY? AND I RESPONDED, WHY NOT? UM. WE HAVE BEEN THE BEST SELLING PROBLEMS SHOP TO DATE ON TOUR FELLOW BEAN WE WENT THROUGH EVERY STATE AND WHERE THEY THEIR EAST COAST DWARF LAST SIX MONTHS IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, IS THE NUMBER ONE POP UP BESTSELLING TOUR. SO I'D HOPE TO KEEP THOSE NUMBERS. THEY HAVE A COUPLE MORE STEPS TO MAKE. BUT THAT AGAIN SAYS THAT WE ARE PROVIDING SOMETHING IN THIS AREA THAT PEOPLE EITHER WANT. THEY'RE INTERESTED IN OR THEY JUST WANT SOMETHING FUN, EVEN IF I DON'T SHOP AT L. L BEAN. BUT I JUST LIKE TO GO IN FOR A GOOD TIME. THAT IS WHAT WE WANTED WAS TO CREATE ENVIRONMENTS LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M NOT GOING TO GO TO L A BEAN. BUT I'M GOING TO GO TO LONG STREETS AND ALIBIS AND I'M GOING TO GO TO MARIA'S. I'M GOING TO GO SHOP LOCAL ONLY LOCAL BUSINESS, SO THAT WAS SOMETHING WE REALLY ENJOYED DOING. MY VIDEO IS GOING TO PLAY. WE MADE THIS VIDEO AND SAID, COME BACK NEXT YEAR. UM IF YOU GUYS MISSED US, WE'LL BE BACK NEXT YEAR BASED ON THE NUMBERS. THAT'S HOW THE TOUR WORKS. WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE A SECOND ANNUAL L L BEING SHOP. UM AND PETERSBURG IN THE SAME WEEKEND, SO IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO CREATE THAT SATURDAY SQUARE VIBE WHEN ELLA BEING COMES TO TOWN. NOT ONLY DID WE DO IT ONCE AND OVERALL, IT WENT I HATE TO SAY IT FLAWLESSLY. WE HAD NO ISSUES. WE HAD FABULOUS RESIDENTS. CONSUMERS EVERYONE.

WE HAD PHENOMENAL HELP WITH THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS I MEAN, IT WENT PRETTY GREAT, WHICH IS HARD TO DEAL WITH AN EVENT BUT FOR THEM TO SAY, YOU'RE OUR BEST SELLING ON TOUR THAT SAYS ME THAT PETERSBURG IS A GREAT AREA FOR POP UPS. IT IS GREAT FOR BUSINESS, AND THAT SHOWS IT TO THE WORLD ALSO, SO WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE THEM BACK. A SECOND ANNUAL DOES NOTHING BUT AGAIN DRIVE UP THAT FIRST WEEKEND OF BUSINESS SALES. SMALL BUSINESSES GET I DON'T KNOW, PREPARED AND READY, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO, AND HOSTING

[00:15:01]

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM MANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? BUT I'LL SPEAK OF ON THAT. THAT WEEKEND PARTICIPATED IN MOSTLY ALL OF THOSE EVENTS. UH MY LAST STOP WAS SITTING HERE MANSION AND BUT IT WAS A GREAT WEEKEND FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG.

THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE TRAVELING FROM ALL OVER AND AS SOME OF YOU ALL MAY KNOW, MY BUSINESS IS DOWN IN OLD TOWN. ONE OF MY, UH NEIGHBORS NEXT TO ME, SAID THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST WEEKS THAT HE'S EVER HAD. YOU KNOW, DURING THE HOLIDAY TIME DURING THIS TIME OF YEAR, SO I THINK IT WAS THE BUZZ OF EVERYTHING GOING ON, I WOULD SAY, AND I THINK, UH, THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT IS CONSIDERING THIS THAT IF WE DO THE LIGHTING OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE, ALONG WITH THE PARADE THE SAME DAY I THINK WE'LL GET MORE PEOPLE AT THE LIGHTING OF THE CHRISTMAS TREE. BUT THEN I WANT TO THROW A CAVIAR ALSO BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OUT ON THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CITY THEY ARE USED TO THE PARADE COMING THERE. SO I WANT TO SAY, THINK ABOUT MAYBE HAVING A THANKSGIVING PARADE. JUST THINK ABOUT IT. AH BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS, UH WE'LL PROBABLY BE THE ONLY ONE IN THE AREA TO HAVE A THANKSGIVING PARADE. AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW IF IT'S FEASIBLE, MAYBE WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. MR CITY MANAGER IN THE FUTURE. I KNOW THAT BE PARADE TO DEATH. BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE, UH , WHEN THE BRIDGE OPENED YOUR HAIR, VIRGINIA STATE PARADE, THEN YOU HAVE WE HAVE THANKSGIVING PARADE. THEN YOU HAVE A CHRISTMAS PARADE. BUT I THINK YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST UH, I HAVE A LOT OF BUZZ ABOUT THE CITY IN THE AREA. SO YOU KNOW IF IT'S FEASIBLE, I WANT TO THANK PUBLIC WORKS AND WANT TO THANK OUR FIRST RESPONDERS ARE POLICE OFFICERS ARE FIRE FIGHTERS ARE E M S ONE THANK RECREATION OF POP. I WANT TO THANK YOUR DEPARTMENT.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB, SO LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND. THANK YOU.

NEXT. WE HAVE ITEM B. FIVE B PRESENTATION BY GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER INCORPORATED ON THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMUNITY ASSISTANT PROGRAM. HELLO. THANK YOU FOR THIS CHANCE TO PRESENT TO THE CITY COUNCIL. UM, WE'RE REPRESENTING THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER. UM THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER HAS WORKED WITH NAOMI, THE PETERSBURG DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KAREN FIREHAWK IS ALSO A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA AND HER CLASS HAS BEEN WORKING, UM WITH SOME MEMBERS OF THE CITY ON MAPPING AND WE'RE TRYING TO CONTINUE THIS WORK IN THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY. UM THROUGH THIS PROGRAM THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TODAY. IT'S WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY, AND IT PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AT NO COST OF THIS CITY. SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT HAS JUST STARTED AND CITIES ARE OPEN ON THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY FOR CITIES TO APPLY, SO WE'RE HERE TO JUST PRESENT THIS OPPORTUNITY TO YOU AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE. CAN WE GET? CAN WE GET YOUR NAME? YES DEFINITELY. UM, MY NAME IS JESSICA HONG. MY NAME IS KENDALL TOPPING. I'M THE VIRGINIA COMMUNITY AND URBAN FORESTER FOR THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER. WELL, JESSICA IS THE COMMUNITY PLANNER. SO HERE'S A LITTLE AGENDA, THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO COVER WITH YOU. SO UM, JUST A QUICK INTRODUCTION A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHO WE ARE, UM EXPLAINING THIS PROGRAM, THE COMMUNITY FOREST REVITALIZATION PROGRAM. UM SOME EXAMPLES OF THE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THAT WE CAN OFFER. THE WAYS THAT WE WITH UM, WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY WITH COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND PLANTING AND THEN END WITH SOME OF OUR EXPECTED OUTCOMES AND QUESTIONS.

SO THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER WHERE A GROUP OF LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS, URBAN FORESTERS G I S ANALYSTS. I S A ARBORISTS AND PLANNERS. UM THE WORK WE DO SPANS FROM CONSERVATION PLANNING MAPPING DESIGNED WILDLANDS TO DOWNTOWN, SO IT'S A RANGE OF SPACES. UM WE

[00:20:02]

MAINTENANCE HOW DO WE KEEP OUR TREE STATE SAFE IN STORM EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS? HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS? THE COMMUNITY PLANTING PLANTS AND, OF COURSE, RIGHT TREE RIGHT PLACE. SO EXACTLY WHAT IS THE COMMUNITY FORESTRY REVITALIZATION PROGRAM, OTHER THAN AN EXTREMELY LONG NAME. SO IT ORIGINALLY CAME FROM THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WITH THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW GRANT IT WAS EVENTUALLY TRANSFERRED DOWN TO THE STATE VIA THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY, AND IT'S OFFERING TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR VIRGINIA'S URBAN FOREST THROUGHOUT COMMUNITIES IN THE STATE. HENCE THE NAME. AND THEN EVENTUALLY IT COMES DOWN TO THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER AS WE ARE THE PROVIDERS OF THE SERVICES. WILL BE ADOPTING FOR COMMUNITIES PER YEAR, AND ALL THAT'S REQUIRED IS A STAFF TIME COMMITMENT TO ATTEND THEIR MEETINGS AND OUTREACH. THERE IS NO COST TO THE CITY AT ALL TO THIS PROGRAM. SO LIKE I SAID OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD WILL BE ADOPTING 12 TOWNS, CITIES COMMUNITIES. OVER A PERIOD OF 2 TO 3 YEARS SO EACH ADOPTION PROCESS LASTS AROUND TWO YEARS. THE FIRST YEAR IS BASED ON PLANNING DESIGNING MAPPING. WHAT DOES THE CITY HAVE? WHAT DOES IT NEED TO PRESERVE? WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT AND HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE IT? THE SECOND YEAR IS COMMUNITY OUTREACH WITH FEET ON THE GROUND, EXPANDING TO THE COMMUNITY. NEXT MONTH. SO THE FIRST THING WE OFFER IS TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND MAPPING MAPPING YOUR LAND COVER, WHICH INCLUDES IMPERVIOUS SURFACES, WATER, BARE EARTH TREE CANOPY AND PERVIOUS SURFACES. AS OF NOW , A MAP HAS ALREADY BEEN CREATED VIA THE CLASS AND U. V. A PETERSBURG HAS A 47% TREE CANOPY COVER, WHICH IS A GREAT NUMBER, HOWEVER, UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS NOT DISTRIBUTED EQUITABLY OR EQUALLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE CAN HELP ADDRESS. WE ALSO CAN ASSIST WITH DIFFERENT MAPPING, SUCH AS SURFACE TEMPERATURE, WHERE EXACTLY ARE THE URBAN HEAT ISLANDS IN PETERSBURG AND I BELIEVE WE ALREADY HAVE THE MAPS FOR THAT AS WELL WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OTHER UNIVERSITIES. WE CAN ALSO MATT PRIORITY POTENTIAL PLANTING AREAS. WHAT TREES? WHERE ARE GOING TO ABSORB THE MOST STORMWATER? WHERE ARE YOU GETTING THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK? WHERE IS THE TEMPERATURE BEING LOWERED THE MOST. THESE ARE JUST SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN HELP EXPAND ON. AN ECOSYSTEM BENEFITS. WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOUR TREES DOING FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG? WHY SHOULD WE HAVE THEM? WHY SHOULD WE PLANT MORE? WELL LUCKILY, WE'VE ALREADY DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS. THE TREES AND PETERSBURG DURING A TWO YEAR STORM, WHICH IS A COMMON THE CURRENTS NOW MORE THAN TWO YEARS. YOUR TREES ABSORB 40 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER DURING EACH RAIN EVENT. THAT IS THE EQUIVALENT OF 80 OLYMPIC POOLS. SO THAT IS SIGNIFICANT WATER THAT'S BEEN AVOIDED INTO YOUR COMBINED SEWER SYSTEMS, SEPARATE SEWER SYSTEMS AND IMPERVIOUS SURFACES. WE'VE ALSO CALCULATED THE AIR QUALITY BENEFITS THAT YOUR TREES PROVIDE. UM YOUR TREES ABSORB 53,934 OF NITROGEN.

EACH YEAR. THEY ALSO WITH EROSION, ABSORB AND PREVENT THE LOSS OF 2712 TONS OF SEDIMENT ENTERING THE RIVER. AND AS FAR AS OZONE. IT'S £200,000 OF OZONE IS ABSORBED BY YOUR TREES EACH YEAR. AS WELL AS £40,000 OF PARTICULATE MATTER, WHICH ARE SOME OF THE AIR POLLUTANTS THAT

[00:25:03]

AND THIS IS ONE OF OUR EXAMPLES OF OUR CODES AND ORDINANCES. WE LIKE TO CALL IT SMART DEVELOPMENT. WE'RE NOT AGAINST DEVELOPMENT OR INDUSTRY GROWTH. WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S BENEFITED THE MOST AMOUNT OF PEOPLE AND DOES THE LEAST AMOUNT OF DAMAGE WHILE MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THE CITY ALREADY HAS. WE ALSO LIKE TO MAXIMIZE STORMWATER RETENTION VIA ZONING CLUSTER ORDINANCES. CHESAPEAKE BAY PROTECTION ACT EXPANSIONS, ETCETERA, ETCETERA. ONE OF THE NEXT THINGS WE DO IS AN URBAN FORESTRY MASTER PLAN NOW THAT WE KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE, AND WE HAVE THE BASE BLOCKS AND HOW TO SUCCEED. WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS? WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS? AND HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ACHIEVE THIS? THIS IS WHEN WE WOULD WRITE A PLAN DETAILED FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. IN ORDER TO PUT LOGISTICAL GOALS AND EXACTLY THE STEPS ON HOW TO MAKE IT MORE EQUITABLE AND BENEFICIAL URBAN FOREST FOR THE CITY. THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A MAINTENANCE PLAN, WHICH IS EXACTLY THE HOW TO ONCE WE HAVE THOSE GOALS IN THE MASTER PLAN. HOW EXACTLY ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE? THIS WOULD INCLUDE ADVICE ON PLANTING NURSERY STOCK PRUNING. HOW OFTEN DO YOUR TREES NEED TO BE MAINTAINED? RISK ASSESSMENT? WHEN DO THEY NEED TO BE REMOVED? AND HOW OFTEN DO THEY NEED TO BE REMOVED? STAFF TRAINING AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUTREACH TO SOME OF YOUR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS.

THIS IS A MASTER MAINTENANCE PLAN. THIS IS MOST LIKELY WHAT WOULD BE FOR PETERSBURG. SINCE IT IS A SMALLER COMMUNITY. THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE BASIC ASSESSMENT. LIKE WE SAID OF WHAT DOES THE CITY HAVE INCLUDED THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT YOUR TREES BENEFITS ARE GENERAL GOALS AND THEN SIMPLER STEPS LESS DETAILED ON? HOW DO WE ACCOMPLISH THAT, INCLUDING BUDGETING, PLANTING PLANS AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH? AND THEN AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE PROVIDE MORE THAN JUST ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING. WE WORK WITH COMMUNITIES EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS. SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF WAYS WE MIGHT WORK WITH DO COMMUNITY OUTREACH ARE LISTED ABOVE, BUT WE'RE REALLY STRIVING. FOR HELPING REINFORCING CREATE PARTNERSHIPS. UM WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. SO UM NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES AND OTHER NONPROFITS, UM, ARE IMPORTANT TO US. SO WE IN PROJECTS THAT GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN THE VISIONING UPKEEP AND MAINTENANCE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE AND DOING THAT EARLY TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED. UM EXAMPLES OF WAYS THAT, UM WE'VE HAD PARTNERS TAKE CARE OF LOCAL PARKS, AND WHEN A CITY HAS LOW CAPACITY TO DO MAINTENANCE FOR ADDITIONAL PARKS, LOCAL PARTNERS HAVE ADOPTED PARKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE SAFE, CLEAN AND READY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO USE. UM OTHER EXAMPLES THAT, UM, WE'VE HELPED OUT WITH, UM, IS HELPING STARTUP PROGRAM THAT COULD BE IN THE FORM OF A LEAF BRIGADE WHERE IT'S FILLING MULTIPLE NEEDS. SO ONE EXAMPLE OF THIS, WHERE ELDERLY NEIGHBORS WERE HAVING TROUBLES WITH MAINTAINING THEIR LEAVES AND BREAKING UP THEIR YARDS, AND THEY HAD A LOT OF YOUTH. WHO WERE IN NEED OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. SO BEING ABLE TO FULFILL THAT NEED AND HELP START PROGRAMS LIKE THAT WHEN THAT IS POSSIBLE. UM SO THIS IS DONE.

USING THIS TOOL THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS CREATED THE U. S FEDERAL AND COMMON JUSTICE SCREENING TOOL. UM SO THIS IS PART OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE STATE IS USING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS DONE EQUITABLY. UM IF YOU CAN SEE ON THIS MAP, PETERSBURG'S, UM, LOCATED IN WITHIN THESE AREAS THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERING DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES. BUT IT'S BASICALLY FOCUSING ON UM, AREAS THAT ARE IN GREATEST NEED, AND, UM, BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT THOSE AREAS SO THAT, UM. THE FUNDS ARE BEING DISTRIBUTED MORE EQUITABLY, SO UM. THAT'S PART OF WHAT THIS

[00:30:05]

SO THINKING ABOUT THE ECOSYSTEM BUT ALSO THINGS LIKE FOOD FORCE OR AUTUMN LIKE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE CITY AND PROVIDING SHADE WHERE THAT IS NEEDED. SO THINKING REALLY HOLISTICALLY ABOUT HOW TREES CAN BE USEFUL FOR YOUR CITY, AND, UM, THE PARTNERS THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THIS AS WELL. THAT'S A REALLY BIG PIECE OF HOW WE DO OUR WORK. UM SO EXPECTED PROJECT OUTCOMES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROCEED WITH THIS PROGRAM IS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CITY'S NATURAL RESOURCES AND ASSETS, REDUCING STORMWATER RUNOFF AND IMPROVING WATER QUALITY.

REDUCING URBAN HEAT BY INCREASING URBAN TREE CANOPY COVER ENCOURAGING RECREATION THROUGH HEALTHY HABITS. INCREASING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND APPRECIATION OF URBAN TREES.

INCREASING GOVERNMENT AND LEGAL SUPPORT FOR TRUE PRODUCTION PROTECTION AND ESTABLISHMENT AND FINALLY A MORE RESILIENT AND CLIMATE READY COMMUNITY. SO THAT'S OUR PRESENTATION. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? COUNCILOR JONES. HELLO HOW YOU DOING? WELL THANKS. ALL RIGHT. I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS LONG ANSWER. JUST GIVE ME THE BEST SHORT ANSWER. YOU CAN. THE LAST THING YOU SAID, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STORMWATER RUNOFF. CORRECT. AND I DO BELIEVE WE CHARGE OUR CITIZENS.

EXTRA ON THEIR BILLS FOR STORMWATER RUNOFF. MHM. AND. IF WE GO IN THIS PROGRAM THAT WILL HELP CUT THAT COST TO OUR CITIZENS, CORRECT. IDEALLY WHEN WE'D BE PLANTING, WE'D BE MAPPING THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF STORM WATER THAT CAN BE WRITTEN TENDED. REDUCED THAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR. SO IDEALLY, YES. IT WOULD HELP REDUCE STORMWATER RUNOFF, WHICH ALSO HELPS THE BURDEN ON THE CITY. WE CAN'T GUARANTEE FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD BECAUSE SOME AREAS YOU JUST CAN'T PLANT ANYTHING THERE, BUT WE CAN ALSO WORK EXCESSIVELY WITH THE STORM WATER DEPARTMENT ON THIS AS WELL, THEY'RE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS PIECE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH NEXT QUESTION. AND YOU MAY HAVE SAID IT BUT PRIORITY. HOW ARE WE CHOOSING IN PRIORITY? FOR THESE TREES AND FOR THIS PROGRAM, I KNOW I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE TREES IN THE MEDIAN GOING DOWN EAST WASHINGTON STREET TOWARDS FOUR GREG ADAMS. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF STORM RUNOFF THERE AS WELL. SO HOW DO YOU CHOOSE? BECAUSE WEST WASHINGTON STREET NEED THE SAME THING AND SODAS? SYCAMORE STREET GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF TREES, BUT YEAH. IT'S NOT IT'S THERE ANYMORE. UM SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF WAYS THAT WE GO ABOUT PICKING WHERE TREES ARE PLANTED. SO ONE IS JUST BY LOCATION WHERE TREES ARE LIKE WON'T CONFLICT WITH UTILITIES WILL BE IN PLACES THAT LIKE WILL SURVIVE. WE'RE THINKING ABOUT LIKE THE LONG TERM POTENTIAL, BUT IT'S ALSO FOCUSED ON JUST WHAT YOU EXPRESSED LIKE. THESE ARE AREAS THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN PLANTING TREES, AND THOSE ARE AREAS THAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON TWO BECAUSE IF THE CITY WANTS THE TREES THERE, THEN THEY'RE GOING TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE. IF THEY'RE LOCATED IN A PLACE THAT LIKE ISN'T SUITABLE FOR TREES.

THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY NOT GOING TO SURVIVE AND NOT GOING TO THRIVE. SO WE ARE WORKING BOTH LIKE THINKING ABOUT THE BENEFITS. LIKE WITH STORM WATER AND AIR QUALITY, BUT ALSO WITH WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS AND NEEDS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT QUESTION. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. I'M GOING THIS ONE FIRST. TELL ME THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL BENEFITS. OF THE URBAN TREES. ON THE WELL BEING OF OUR CITIZENS. GREAT QUESTION. GOOD QUESTION. WE SHOULD HAVE ADDED THAT SLIDE, BUT SOME OF THE SOCIAL BENEFITS AND HEALTH BENEFITS I'LL GO WITH THE HEALTH BENEFITS FIRST. UM THE FIRST, UM REDUCED THEM ASTHMA RATES AND CHILDREN THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR ANSWERS, ACCORDING TO LUNG HEALTH. UM ANOTHER SOCIAL ASPECT IS ONE. IT PROVIDES COMMUNITY OUTREACH. IT HELPS US PROVIDE SAFE PLACES FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY, ESPECIALLY DURING THE HOT SUMMER. SOCIALLY TREES ALSO REDUCED STRESS. JUST SEEN LOOKING AT A TREE CAN REDUCE STRESS. ALSO STUDIES HAVE SHOWN TREES PLANTED BY SCHOOLS ACTUALLY DECREASED 80 HD SYMPTOMS AND CHILDREN AND INCREASED TEST SCORES AND CHILDREN. WE ARE JUST NATURALLY

[00:35:04]

HOSPITAL VISITS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE SHORTER. WHEN PATIENTS ARE LOOKING OUT A WINDOW AT A TREE AGAIN. IT'S BECAUSE IT REDUCES STRESS. TREES HAVE ALSO BEEN KNOWN IN MORE TREED AREAS. CRIME REDUCTION HAS BEEN NOTED THIS IS PARTIALLY BECAUSE THE HOTTER IT IS THE MORE LIKELY THERE IS TO BE CRIMES COMMITTED BECAUSE HE INCREASES TEMPER. THERE'S BEEN STUDIES SHOWN IN CRIMES OF PASSION. TREES HELP REDUCE THIS AND ALSO AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNITY ASPECT, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER NOT ONLY FOR PLACES TO PLAY IN SHAPE, BUT SOMETHING TO TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. THESE ARE JUST SOME I CAN GLADLY SEND YOU A LONG LIST OF THE OTHERS.

BUT ON THE TOP OF MY HEAD, THOSE ARE THE ONES I GOT. DID I MISS ANY IT'S GOOD LIST, OKAY. TREES, TREES DEVELOPED THEIR OWN. STYLE OF NETWORK THEIR ROOTS. IT'S A WHOLE NETWORK SYSTEM. THAT'S WHERE WE GET IT FROM THE NETWORK . ARE WE TALKING ANY TREES? ARE WE TALKING FRUIT TREES OR OAK TREES OR JUST ANY KIND OF TREE? WHAT KIND OF TREE WE'RE TALKING? SO I WOULD BE THE URBAN FORESTER ASSISTING IN YOUR SPECIES LIST, WHICH I'VE ALREADY WRITTEN, BUT, UM IT'S HONESTLY ANYTHING THE COMMUNITY WANTS. IF THERE'S A FOOD FOREST DESIRE NEAR A SCHOOL WE'LL GLADLY HELP PICK OUT THE RIGHT FRUIT TREES THAT ARE GOING TO SURVIVE, PRODUCED FRUIT AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE FRUIT TREES AND DIFFERENT WARS AND EVERYWHERE SO EXCUSE FOR HAVING NO FOOD IN THIS CITY.

NATURAL FOOD GROWING YOU KNOW? SO MY LAST QUESTION. I KNOW SOME QUESTIONS, BUT UM, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ACTIVATE AND MOTIVATE THE COMMUNITY? TO HELP OUT WITH THIS PROGRAM. I THINK. SOMEWHERE WE WANT TO START IS JUST LIKE, UM, TAPPING INTO THE GROUPS THAT ARE ALREADY PRESENT AND JUST PARTNERING AND SEEING WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN KIND OF LISTENING FROM THE COMMUNITY HEARING FROM DIFFERENT GROUPS WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND THEN KIND OF SEEING WHERE TREES AND IN IN LIKE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE IN GENERAL CAN MEET THOSE NEEDS.

UM SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS MOST INTERESTED IN DOING, UM, AND WHERE GROUPS ARE ALREADY FORMED, SO TAPPING INTO CHURCHES , LOCAL GROUPS IS KIND OF NORMALLY WHERE WE LIKE TO START. UM BUT OBVIOUSLY YOUNG KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY BETTER THAN WE DO. AND WE'RE HERE JUST TO SUPPORT AND WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS. BUT AS ACTIVE AS, UM THE COMMUNITY IS LIKE THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE NEED TO START WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN MAKING THIS HAPPEN. SO MM HMM. THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE BASED ON TREES FROM READING YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. ONE OF THE NUMBER ONE CONCERNS WAS PLACES FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY. WE CAN START WITH THAT WE CAN INTRODUCE TREES, BUT WE CAN ALSO ASSIST IN DESIGNING WHAT THE PARKS GOING TO LOOK LIKE ASSISTANCE ON WHO'S GOING TO MAINTAIN IT. WHERE DOES IT NEED TO GO? WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT BENEFITS? IT'S GOING TO THESE SMALLER COMMUNITY MEETINGS, HEARING WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. AND FIGURE OUT IF TREES CAN FIT INTO THE MIX, AND IF THEY CAN'T, HOW ELSE CAN WE HELP? WE KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY GOOD AT GRANT WRITING . SO IF THAT'S NOT, YES, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE IN OUR STAFF WHO ARE REALLY GOOD AT GRAND WRITING, SO IF IT'S NOT INCLUDED WITHIN OUR CURRENT PROGRAM WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR YOU TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO MAKE THOSE PROJECTS HAPPEN. THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION. I KNOW THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF YOUR PROGRAM. HOW WOULD THAT HIT US? 00 BESIDES STAFF TIME OF LIKE WORKING WITH US, MAYBE BEING INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY EVENTS, ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO COME TO COMMUNITY EVENTS. UM BESIDES THAT, IT'S FREE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THAT'S ALL I GOT. AH! COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. UM HAVE YOU WORKED WITH I HEARD YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH A CLASS OUT OF U V A. HAVE YOU WORKED WITH THE PROFESSORS OVER AT VIRGINIA STATE. WE HAVE ONE IN THE AUDIENCE DOCTOR WOULD ATTACK THAT IS VERY MUCH. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU JUST TOOK HER PRESENTATION FROM A COUPLE MONTHS AGO AND UPGRADED IT. SO I'M ALL ABOUT CONNECTING THE RESOURCES. SO, OF COURSE SHOUTOUT TO YOU VIA, BUT RIGHT HERE IN VIRGINIA, VIRGINIA STATE. ARE YOU UTILIZING THOSE RESOURCES? WE'RE IN COMMUNICATION. UM WITH THE CLASS . UM AND WE ARE PART OF THE SAME RAFTS COMMITTEES, SO WE'VE BEEN HAVING SOME MEETINGS TOGETHER AND UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK WITH URBAN HEAT AS WELL. AND WE JUST WANT TO CONTINUE THAT WORK AND CONTINUE WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING. YEP, WE PLAN ON PARTNERING. HARDCORE WITH V S YOU. WE ALREADY HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY ON ALL THE PLACES THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PLANTING AND HOW TO HELP THE COMMUNITY. SO WE'RE ON IT. OKAY AND IT'S ESPECIALLY IN MY WORLD WAR SEVEN. WE DO HAVE A LOT OF TREES AND ANOTHER

[00:40:01]

ALSO PRUNING HELPS REDUCE THE RISK OR LIKELIHOOD OF TREES TO FALL IN STORMS BECAUSE YOU'RE CUTTING AWAY WHAT'S ALREADY WEAK. BUT DEAD AND STANDING TREES UNLESS THERE WAS A VERY CONTAGIOUS DISEASE OR INVASIVE SPECIES, WHICH LUCKILY HAS NOT HIT PETERSBURG YET TO MY KNOWLEDGE BUT THEY DON'T AFFECT THE HEALTH OF OTHERS AT ALL. IN FACT, THEY PROBABLY INCREASE THE HEALTH BECAUSE AS THEY'RE DECOMPOSING, THEY'RE RELEASING SOME OF THOSE NUTRIENTS THAT GO STRAIGHT INTO THE TREE. SO UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING CONTAGIOUS, THEY DON'T HARM THE OTHER ONES. THAT BEING SAID, IF IT'S KAREENA LARGE PILE AND VISIBILITY ISSUES. YEAH HAUL THEM OUT OF THERE. SO IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR GOALS ARE. BUT AS FAR AS ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE. THEY'RE NOT DOING THAT. IT'S MORE OF THE VISIBILITY OF SOME TREES AGAIN.

GOING DOWN THE SQUIRREL LEVEL ROAD, UM, THAT HAVE JUST FALLEN. AND MY LAST QUESTION IS JUST HOW DID HOW DOES PLANNING TREES IN AREAS THAT MIGHT BE MORE SWAMPLAND? THERE'S A LOT OF AREA GET IN WARD SEVEN. THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY USABLE. UH EVEN ON THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT HOW WOULD MAYBE TREES HELP? TO JUST BEAUTIFY THAT AREA INSTEAD OF IT. JUST LOOKING LIKE A SWAMP . YEAH SO THERE ARE TREES SPECIFICALLY THAT HAVE EVOLVED JUST FOR THAT SWAMP LIFE. WE COULD HELP DESIGN A LITTLE PARK IN THOSE AREAS. IF THEY'RE OPEN, MAYBE CREATE A BRIDGE WALKWAY THAT YOU CAN WALK OVER THE SWAMPY AREAS VIA OLD WOOD THAT CAME FROM TREES THAT HAD TO COME DOWN SO IT COULD BE A CIRCLE EFFECT. AND THEN WE PLANT SOME NICE, BALD CYPRESS. SOME BLACK GUM IN THERE TO GIVE IT SOME SHADE. AND THERE YOU GO. YOU HAVE A NEW PARK FOR THEM TO HANG OUT AND YOU'RE ABSORBING THOUSANDS OF GALLONS OF STORMWATER WHILE AT IT, SO IT MIGHT NOT STAY FOR LONG. COUNCILWOMAN KNOWS SMITH LEE. GOOD EVENING. GREAT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. I REALLY LIKE I LOVE TREES. YEAH YOU CAN REALLY MEDITATE. JUST LOOKING AT TREES. YOU CAN IMAGINE DIFFERENT THINGS. UM I MIGHT HAVE MISSED THIS. BUT HOW? HOW DID YOU ALL COME TO FOLD TO PETERSBURG? SO MAINLY OR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KAREN FIREHAWK, UM, THAT TEACHES THE CLASS. UM, SHE GOT INVOLVED IN, UM RAFT FIRST RAFT. UM. SO IT'S THE COLLECTION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INVESTED IN, UM, KIND OF CLIMATE CHANGE. RESILIENCY UM, AND THEY ASKED KAREN TO BE A PART OF THE WORK. THEY WERE ALREADY WORKING IN PETERSBURG. UM AND UM, KAREN'S CLASS LIKE I NEEDED A SITE TO WORK WITH, SO I THINK THAT'S WHEN THE PARTNERSHIP FIRST STARTED. UM AND HERE. WE ARE ONGOING TRYING TO CONTINUE THIS PARTNERSHIP AFTER THE CLASS ENDS. UM KAREN'S CLASS IS TEACHING THIS SPRING AND CONTINUING THAT WORK IN PETERSBURG, BUT THIS. POOL OF MONEY IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW, AND WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER THAT TO THE CITY AS WELL. ALSO BIG SHOUT OUT TO NAOMI, WHO HAS BEEN ESSENTIAL IN HELPING GIVING US THE INFORMATION AND HELPING GIVE US TOURS OF PETERSBURG SO WE ALREADY HAVE A GAME PLAN ON HOW TO HELP YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

WE APPRECIATE IT. LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU SOON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THEN WE'LL GO TO ITEM FIVE C PRESENTATION AND UPDATE ON POOR CREEK. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR HAVING MR VICE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL GOT HARD COPIES IF YOU GUYS I WANT TO SEE IN PERSON. YES. THANK YOU. HAVE BIGGER TEXT THIS TIME, SO HOPEFULLY, UH, A LITTLE EASIER TO READ. SO MY NAME IS BEN ANDERSON WITH JOHNSON, MERRIMAN AND THOMPSON HERE TO DISCUSS THE OVERALL SOUTH EAST PETERSBURG INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM. AND STATUS UPDATE, SO THE PROJECT IS UNCHANGED IN TERMS OF THE SCOPE. IT INVOLVES A NEW ELEVATED WATER

[00:45:01]

THAT'S AN UPDATE SINCE THIS WAS LAST DONE. WE DO NOT NEED THE LAND USE PERMIT ON THE WATER MAIN PROJECT BECAUSE THE PRESSURE REDUCING VALVE BOLT AND FURNITURE ROAD SHIFTED SLIGHTLY, SO WE THOUGHT WE'RE GOING TO NEED THAT WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO ELIMINATE IT. AND THEN WE GOT A LETTER FROM DOMINION ON UPGRADING THE SERVICE AT THE WASTEWATER PUMP STATION. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE UPDATES AND NOW GO THROUGH PROJECT TO PROJECT SO THE WATER MAIN PROJECT, UH, THROUGH THE ASSISTANCE AND DILIGENT WORK FROM PUBLIC UTILITIES AND CITY PROCUREMENT.

THE PLANS AND SPECS WERE COMPLETED. THE FRONT END WAS FINALIZED AND WE ADVERTISED ON NOVEMBER 15TH. WE HAD OUR PRE BID MEETING ON THE 29TH. THE I JUST MENTIONED THE LAND USE PERMIT WAS ALREADY APPROVED AND WE RECEIVED THAT AND THE BID OPENING IS JANUARY 5TH.

CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 2025 AND WE'RE IN THE PROGRESS OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS CURRENTLY. THE SECOND WATER PROJECT INVOLVING THE WATER MAIN BOOSTER STATION AND PRESSURE REDUCING VAULTS. WE GOT THE VD H CONSTRUCTION PERMIT LAST MONTH.

AND THE UP. WE JUST GOT THE BID. READY? PLANS RESPECT, SO WE WILL BE DOING OUR FINAL REVIEW ON THAT THIS WEEK. THE FRONT END WAS SUBMITTED TO CITY PROCUREMENT FOR REVIEW TODAY.

AND AS LONG AS THERE'S NO ISSUES WITH THE PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS WE COULD POTENTIALLY ADVERTISED THIS WEEK , IF NOT NEXT WEEK AND THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THAT PROJECT, WHICH IS MUCH SHORTER, SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY, 2025. LASTLY THE WASTEWATER PUMP STATION ENFORCEMENT PROJECT. CITY AND JMT COMPLETED THE REVIEW. THE 100% PLANS INSPECTS LAST MONTH.

WE GOT REVISED PLANS AND SPECS. LAST WEEK, AND WE SUBMITTED THE FINAL REVIEW OF THE BID DOCKS TODAY. UM THE INNOVATIVE BARREL DISCOVERY PERMIT JUST MENTIONED. WE GOT THAT AS WELL. AND WE'RE AIMING TO ADVERTISE IN DECEMBER AS LONG AS THE FINAL REVISIONS CAN BE MADE IN TIME, AND THE CONSTRUCTION COMPLETION IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST. 2025 SO WE'RE CONTINUING OUR BIWEEKLY MEETINGS WITH THE DESIGN FIRMS AND CORRESPONDING ON PROJECT ITEMS WEEKLY. THE PROJECTS ARE CURRENTLY ON SCHEDULE, ALL TO BE CONSTRUCTED BY 2025. AND THEY ARE AHEAD OF THE 2026 FUNDING DEADLINES THROUGH THE E D. F GRANT FUNDING THE EPA GRANT FUNDING AND THE ART OF FUNDING BEING DISTRIBUTED THROUGH D E Q. UH WE SUBMITTED THE REIMBURSEMENT AND FOR EXCUSE ME, THE REIMBURSEMENT NUMBER ONE THROUGH THE ARMPIT FONDS OF 2.5 MILLION BACK TO THE CITY. SO THOSE ARE ALL REIMBURSEMENTS FOR WORK THAT'S BEEN COMPLETED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS ON THESE PROJECTS. WE SUBMITTED THE REIMBURSEMENT NUMBER TWO FOR 400,000 THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING PROCESSED BY THE Q AND WE'RE GONNA BE BEGINNING THE THIRD REIMBURSEMENT. PROBABLY THIS WEEK AS WE JUST GOT THE DESIGN FIRM INVOICES, SO THESE PROJECTS ARE STILL CURRENTLY ON SCHEDULE, AND WE ARE AHEAD OF THE BUDGET BASED ON ALL OF THE 100% BID, READY CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATES. KATE. THANK YOU. YOU SAID WE'RE WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND WE'RE ON BUDGET.

YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. QUESTIONS, UH, COUNCILMAN JONES. HOW YOU DOING? GOOD. THANK YOU FOR THE PRINCE PROBLEM. UM I JUST GOT A QUESTION ON. REIMBURSEMENTS SO WE'RE SAYING IT'S 2.5 MILLION IS COMING BACK TO THE CITY. YES, SIR. WHERE IS THAT GOING TO THE GENERAL FUND.

[00:50:08]

MHM. SAME THING. 4400 K RIGHT. YES, SIR. IT'S ALL I THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THANK YOU APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. THANK THANK YOU. COOL THANK YOU. WE'LL GET READY FOR ITEM. FIVE D PRESENTATION AND UPDATE ON CAPITAL PROJECT. GOOD EVENING, VICE MAYOR. COUNCIL. UM THIS IS A. PRESENTATION ON THE STATUS OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF PETERSBURG.

OKAY THE FIRST PROJECT IS SOUTHSIDE DEPOT AS WE'VE OFFERED ME WITH THAT PROJECT HE HAD OPERA FUNDS ABOUT 2.15 MILLION. UM ORIGINAL SCOPE OF WORK. WE ALL KNOW WHAT THAT INCLUDED.

THESE ARE UP TO DATE PHOTOS AS OF YESTERDAY. YOU'VE GOT THE MAIN BUILDING AS WELL AS THE UM, THAT FRONT SECTION YOU GOT THE ENTRANCE NEXT LIED. ON THE INTERIOR OF SOUTHSIDE DEPOT. YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE WALLS THAT HAVE BEEN, UM COMPLETED TO THE RIGHT. UPPER IS THE WOMEN'S RESTROOM THAT'S GETTING READY TO BE TILED, AND BELOW IS THE MEN'S RESTROOM, JUST GETTING READY TO BE TIRED AS WELL. NEXT NEXT LIFE? ONLY IN THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING ON THE FIRST FLOOR STEPS GOING UPSTAIRS. UH YOU'VE GOT THE UPSTAIRS SECTION WHERE YOU'VE GOT THE ROOM THAT LOOKS OVERLOOKS. UM I WANT TO SAY. RIGHT BEHIND CUOCO SPOT THAT THAT ST UH AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE COPPOLA THAT THE ITEM ON THE RIGHT WHICH IS BEING WHICH IS AN AUDITION. AND IT'S GOT SOME EXTRA THINGS THAT MAY AFFECT THE TIMELINE, BUT WE WERE WORKING ON IT. NEXT SLIDE. OKAY THEN YOU GOT THE REAR SOUTHSIDE DEPOT. UH AND THEN OVER TO THE RIGHT YOU'VE GOT SOME, UM A SECTION THAT THAT WHOLE SECTION WILL BE PAINTED THE SECTION ON THE RIGHT IS NEW. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S THAT'S DUE TO BE PAINTED VERY SOON, SO WE'RE PROGRESSING AS YOU CAN SEE ON SOUTHSIDE DEPOT NEXT SLIDE.

FARMERS STREET WE HAD ABOUT 3.26 MILLION IN OPERA MONEY FOR, UM PHARMA STREET, WHICH WOULD BE THE NEW POLICE STATION. UM CURRENTLY WE HAVE PHASE ONE. WE HAVE PHASE ONE GOING ON RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE EXTERIOR SELLING THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING AS WELL AS TAKING CARE OF ANYTHING ON THE ROOF, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AND THAT WAS GLASS BLOCKS. UM WE PHASE ONE IS DUE TO BE COMPLETED. IN THE END OF JANUARY OF 2024. YOU'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS WE'RE DOING. WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME ENHANCED LIGHTING. UH THE TEMPORARY FENCE THAT WOULD BE UP IN PHASE TWO WILL BE CONSISTENT OF H V A C, ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL AND THOSE ITEMS WOULD BE BE IT. UH THE COMPLETION DATE OF JANUARY 24. IT'S GOING TO BE WEATHER DEPENDENT, AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOME SPECIAL PAINT THAT WE'RE WAITING FOR. NEXT SLIDE. AND YOU WILL PAVING. UH WE'VE GOT A CAPITAL BUDGET THAT INCLUDES A 1.5 MILLION AND FOR NEXT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM UPGRADE WE MET WITH MOTOROLA LAST WEEK. AND LOOK AT THE DETAILED DESIGN REVIEW COMPLETION TARGET DATE OF THAT IS OCTOBER 24TH. OCTOBER 2024. AND THEN THAT FUNDING IS 3.2 MILLION, WHICH COMES FROM THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES. QUITE A ROAD SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS. THIS HAS BEEN A PROJECTS HAS BEEN GOING ON. PROBABLY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. WE KNOW WE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH EMINENT DOMAIN AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, BUT, UH, THAT'S C MAC FUNDED, WHICH IS 100% REIMBURSABLE THAT CONTINUES TO MOVE ON NEXT SLIDE. WE HAD THE SYCAMORE STREET. COVERED REHAB. THAT AFFECTS WARS FOUR AND FIVE B THAT FUNDED STATE OF GOOD REPAIR FUNDING ABOUT

[00:55:04]

AND THEN HAS TO BE LOOKED AT BETTER FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. WE'VE GOT LOCKS WATER MAIN PROJECT, WHICH IS FUNDED $3.5 MILLION FROM HER THE EQ 700,000 THAT WAS JUST SUBMITTED LAST WEEK, TOO. TO PURCHASE IT AS WELL AS THE PRINCE GEORGE WATER SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, CONNECT PROJECT. THAT WAS SUBMITTED LAST WEEK TO PURCHASING AS WELL. NEXT SLIDE.

CITY WIDE RANGING STUDY. UM, DARRYL COME ON UP. DARRYL IS OUR STORM WATER MANAGER AND HE IS, BUT HE'S BEEN WORKING IN MEETING WITH D E Q AND OTHER AGENCIES AND HAVE HIM GO THROUGH THE, UH, CITYWIDE DRAINED THE STUDY, AND THEN IT STORM WATER DRAINAGE PROJECTS, HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. EVEN COUNCIL STAFF. UH CITY WIDE RANGE STUDY WAS ABOUT 70% COMPLETE ON THE STONE WHERE THE INVENTORY WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE FIRST PASS ON ON THE ATTENDANCE RUNNING WATERSHED, AND BECAUSE ONE WATERSHED WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING 1ST 1ST RUN FIRST PASS IN THE IN THE BLACKWATER SWAMP AND PULL CREEK. THEY MOVE OVER TO HARRISON CREEK. SO WE'RE WE'RE DOING OUR FIRST PASS OF OUR ALL OUR INVENTORY, OUR STRUCTURES AND WATERWAYS AND THEN WE'LL ACTUALLY GO BACK AND WE HAVE TO DO SOME FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THE STRUCTURES THAT WERE INACCESSIBLE DUE TO TRAFFIC OR OTHER REASONS, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE IN THE INVENTORY.

WE'VE ALSO STARTED. UM OR OUR OUTREACH ON THE WAR MEETINGS. I THINK WE ARE OUR PARTY FROM J.

J. R A WAS ATTENDING, ATTENDING ONE WORLD MEETING LAST WEEK. UM SO THAT THAT OUTREACH IS ALREADY STARTED, HOPEFULLY WILL BE COMPLETE, UM WITH THE STUDY AND STARTING TO GET PROJECTS PRIVATIZED BY BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. UM AS FAR AS THE STORM WATER DRAINAGE PROJECTS.

WE'RE LOOKING AT NORTH WIDE HILL PHASE ONE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ONE THAT ONE IS, UH, PENDING. WE'RE ABOUT READY, GO CONSTRUCTION BUILT ON THAT AND WE HAVE SOME EASEMENT. WE HAD TO GET RECONSTRUCTION IS MISSING. THAT IS HAS BEEN FINALIZED. UH WE SEND THE DOCUMENTS THIS WEEK ON THAT. SO WE GIVE ME GO TO THE ADVERTISEMENT OF THAT, UH, PHASE TWO IS THE GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE OF IT. THAT ONE WILL PROBABLY BE A WRAP OF GETTING THAT ONE STARTED AND IN FORRESTER'S DESIGNER PLANS AND ALL THAT STUFF, GET INSTRUCTION GOING. UM THEN, THEN, UH, PROBABLY BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, PROBABLY GET OUT TO BED PART LATER ON IN THE FALL.

UH FOR, UM, FOR THE ACTUAL FAITH COMPARED TO COMPLETION OR PHASE 1. APRIL 24 APRIL PHASE 2 JUNE 2025 THE CLAREMONT DRAINS PREPARE. WE'RE GONNA READ SCOPE THAT ONE LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL NOW WE HAVE WE HAVE SOME NEW NEW NEW LEADERSHIP IN IN IN IN PLACE . NOW UM, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES, SO WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND BE SCOPED THAT AND LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO ON THAT. I HOPE WE CAN GET THAT ONE DONE THIS YEAR AS WELL.

POLICE BRANCH. UM THE MOU IS HOPEFULLY EXECUTED NOW, UM V S U PERSONNEL SIGNED IT. CITY MANAGERS. UM I THINK, ASSIGN IT. I BELIEVE SO. SO WE'RE ABOUT READY TO MOVE FORWARD TO THE CONSTRUCTION BUILD ON POLICE BRANCH NEXT SLOT. BUT WILCOX OUR MAINTENANCE. SOME PLAN HAD TO BE RESTARTED. UM UH, WE HAD TURNOVER BECAUSE INTERNALLY BUT WE ALSO HAD TURNOVER.

UNFORTUNATELY ON THE ON THE PRIVATE SIDE, UM, THE ENGINEER THAT ACTUALLY HAD DONE THE MAINTENANCE PLAN, UH, HAD LEFT, UM, THE FIRM THAT THAT WE WERE USING. UM AND SO WE HAD TO KIND OF BACKTRACK AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PLANS WERE WERE ARE ARE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR COMMENTS.

WE'RE GONNA GET OUR COMMENTS BACK TO THE TO THE TO THE FIRM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING WHAT THE BAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT WE HAD ASKED HIM TO DO, AND SO ONCE THAT IS FINALIZING THE FINAL PLANS WERE IN THE CONSTRUCTION BID PHASE ON THAT I'M TRYING TO GET TO CONSTRUCT AND BUFFETS ON BOTH WILCOX AS WELL AS NO WHITE HILLS PHASE ONE. IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, UM, WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS BEFORE FOR THE FOR CHRISTMAS. THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S THE PLAN. UM THE DESIGN PLANS ARE UNDERWAY. WE'RE ABOUT 40. 45% SOMEWHERE IN THERE IN TERMS OF OUR ACTUAL DESIGN WORK ON THE OVERTOPPING. THAT'S THE FINAL DESIGN ON WILCOX. HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET GOING ON THAT THIS YEAR AND BE, UH, UH, COMPLETE ON THE ON THE ON DESIGNED BY MARCH 24 AND GET THEM PLEAD ON THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION BY JUNE OF NEXT YEAR. YOU KNOW 225 2025 AS FAR AS THE ACTUAL COMPLETE OVERALL UPGRADE OF OTHER OTHER DAN WITH THE OVERTOPPING AND EVERYTHING DONE. BYE BYE. JUNE 2025 FOR SHIRLEY AVENUE. UM YOU'LL BE SEEING A LOT MORE STREAM

[01:00:01]

ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL COUNCILMAN COUPLER.

THANK YOU, MR VICE MAYOR. UH, SEE THAT THERE'S GOING THERE ARE GOING TO BE WARD MEETINGS. TO DISCUSS THE CITYWIDE DRAINAGE STUDY. IS THAT CORRECT? THE STAFF PERSON FROM G R A WILL ACTUALLY BE ATTENDING THE WAR MEETINGS THAT ARE ALREADY BEEN SET UP, YOU KNOW, AS AS THEY ARE SET UP. SO WE'RE JUST WE'RE TAPPING INTO THE EXISTING WARD MEETINGS AS THEY'RE BEING ANNOUNCED AND SET UP. WE HADN'T NECESSARILY, UM, DONE ANY SEPARATE, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISHING STARTING MEETINGS JUST FOR THE CITY WIDE RANGING STUDY. THEY WERE JUST KIND OF PICK IT BACK IN ON THE DRAIN ON THE WARD MEANS THAT ALREADY YOU KNOW, I INTRODUCED THEIR STARTED. YOU KNOW, AS AS THEY'RE ANNOUNCED, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD KIND OF BE IN TUNE WITH THAT AND WHEN, WHEN WE WHEN WE SEE THAT WARMING BE ANNOUNCED, WE COULD JUST KIND OF GET ON THE AGENDA FOR THAT WAR MEETING AND MAYBE JUST KIND OF DO A LITTLE PLUG FOR THE SINGLE BY DRAINAGE STUDY ON THAT WARNING. THAT'S OUR AUTHOR ALREADY ESTABLISHED, SO AS YOU'RE SETTING UP YOUR BOARD MEETINGS UM, FOR WHATEVER FOR ALL OF OUR WORDS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST WE'RE JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JOANNE AND, WELL, JERRY WOULD KIND OF BE LISTENING AND KIND OF JUMP IN AND GET ON THE AGENDA FLOWS MEETINGS AS THEY'RE AS THEY'RE SET UP. WELL WHAT WOULD IT BE OUT OF PLACE FOR ME TO SCHEDULE AWARD MEETING. OF FOR PURPOSES OF DISCUSSING THE DRAINAGE. YES IF YOU'D LIKE TO. YES AND I GUESS GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR OFFICE TO COORDINATE THINGS IS THAT J R A IS OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY OUTREACH? UH LEG FOR THIS STUDY. THEY THEY'RE ACTUALLY UNDER CONTACT ON OTHER CONTENT UNDER CONTRACT TO DO IT. SO YEAH, WE WILL REACH OUT TO THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE THERE. AND OF COURSE, I'LL BE THERE. AND YOU KNOW IF WE NEED TO YEAH, WELL, WE'LL BE THERE. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN JONES. HOW YOU DOING? ALRIGHT, SO. WELL, I GET STARTED. I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW. NOT BEATING NOBODY UP. SHE LAUGHING AT ME, OKAY. UM I WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. GO AHEAD, ASK HIM. AND THIS IS FOR EVERYBODY. UH, THIS TRAIN STATION TO WORK LOOKS SO NICE. I MEAN, MY HEADS OFF TO THE PEOPLE THAT'S DOING THE WORK AT THIS TRAIN STATION. TALKS THAT SOUTH SIDE RIGHT. SOUTHSIDE DEEPER WAS LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTRY, RIGHT? AS YOU RECALL. WE WERE JUST IN HERE. THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING. ABOUT A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS IT NOT PUTTING A ROOF? OR THE KIND OF ROOF THAT HE WANTED TO PUT ON WHICH IS SIMILAR TO EVERY ROOF THAT WE HAD THAT WE HAVE DOWNTOWN ON HIS BUILDING. HOWEVER, I'M LOOKING AT OH, THAT'S BEAUTIFUL WORK AT THIS TRAIN STATION. AND I'M WONDERING WHAT. GIVE THIS DEPOT STATION PASS. ON THE ARCHITECTURAL ORIGINAL ARCHITECTURAL MATERIALS. BECAUSE WHAT I'M SEEING NEW WINDOWS, WHICH IS LOOK LIKE THE NEW WINDOWS IS IN THE NEW BROOKLYN MANOR. I'M SEEING NEW EVERYTHING. YOU COULDN'T FIND ON THE ANTEBELLUM PERIOD OR THE CIVIL WAR PERIOD.

THIS IS UP TO DATE STUFF. THIS BUILDING LOOKS LIKE A PAIR OF OLD TENNIS SHOES WITH NEW SHOESTRINGS. SO WHAT GIVES THIS BUILDING A PAST WHEN YOU GOT PEOPLE WHO WANT TO WORK ON THAT STUFF? ARE WE GIVING THESE PASSES OUT WHAT GIVES THIS BUILDING THE PAST TO GET UP TO DATE STUFF? ON IT, AND IT'S DOING ESPECIALLY LOOKING AT ITS HISTORICAL CONTENT. YOU DON'T TRAVEL WITH. OKAY. CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS. COTTON SLAVES, EVERYTHING. NOW LOOK LIKE YOU'RE READY. HAVE HOUSE PARTY IN THAT THING. WE DON'T CARE IF WE HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN THERE,

[01:05:02]

YEAH RIGHT THERE. THAT'S THE ONLY THING THAT'S THAT'S NEW. THAT'S A STOREFRONT. WE CALL IT A STOREFRONT, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAD TO GET. PERMISSION FROM THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW REVIEW THOSE 66 PANES OF GLASS WINDOW, BUT IT'S GOT THE IT'S JUST GOT THE DICK SPRING, SIX PAINS RIGHT, THE PIECES GOING ACROSS AND IN IN THE BACK OF THE WINDOW, AND WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR THAT? THAT SIX PAIN. BIG WINDOWS TO BE THERE WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED WITH THE SPECS ARCHITECTURE REVIEW BOARD APPROVED IT AND CONTRACTED WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR IT. I DON'T KNOW THE REASON. I JUST KNOW THAT IT WAS IN THE DESIGN OF THE WITH THE R P. MR ALTMAN, DO YOU KNOW THE REASON I WILL. I WILL FIND OUT I WILL FIND OUT. I DON'T I DON'T REMEMBER THE KNOW THAT THE DESIGN WAS DONE. WHAT 678 YEARS AGO OR MORE. WHEN THE PROJECT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.

MY JUST LOOKING AT IT. MY GUESS IS THERE WAS PROBABLY A DOOR FRONT OR SOME SORT OF WINDOW THERE ALREADY IN THE PAST AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LIGHT, REMEMBER, CORRECT? EXCUSE ME FOR INTERRUPTING. BUT IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY SAID THAT DOOR THAT GREEN DOOR TO THE LEFT OF THAT.

I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WAS I BELIEVE? WHAT WAS THERE? OKAY? OKAY, OKAY. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND IN THE RESIDENTS. I THINK COUNCILMAN JONES JUST BASICALLY AH, WAS MAKING THE ARGUMENT THAT WE HAVE SOME FIXTURES IN OUR COMMUNITY. THAT WE. UH, JUDGE THEM. DIRECTLY BY THE CODE TOOTH AND NAIL. BUT THEN WE HAVE OTHERS. THERE ARE PROPERTIES OR OTHERS THAT WE LET MODIFIED. SO.

LIKE HIS WORDS ON LAST TIME. WE'RE NOT GONNA GO BACK AND FORTH BECAUSE BECAUSE I ASKED HIM TO LET ME DO THIS. THANK YOU , UH, WE'RE GONNA BE WE'RE GONNA TRY TO BE ABOUT THE BOARD ON BOTH ENDS WITH OUR RESIDENTS AND WHAT? WHAT WHAT? WHAT I'LL FIXTURES AS WELL. SO HE WAS JUST BASICALLY MAKING A POINT. IT WASN'T AGAINST YOU ALL. BUT HE WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT CASE THAT WE HAD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. THE GENTLEMAN WANTED TO PUT ON A ROOF. THEY'RE SIMILAR TO ALL THE ROOSTERS IN THE AREA, AND IT CAME UP WITH THE UH, HISTORICAL REVIEW BOARD. THEY DIDN'T ADD IT FOR THAT REASON, BUT IT'S GOING TO COME BACK BEFORE US AND WE CAN HEAR FROM THE GENTLEMAN. SO WITH THAT, BEING SAID, IS ANY OTHER OTHER QUESTIONS FROM ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. LET'S GIVE THEM A HAND. THANK YOU. SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE UP TO WE'RE

[12. Finance and Budget Report (Part 2 of 2) ]

[01:10:07]

WE KNOW THAT HE TALKS WITH A VOICE MONITOR. SO JUST TUNE YOUR EAR TO HIM. I HAVE A VOICE ISSUE AND HAVE TO USE A TEXT TO SPEECH AT PLEASE BE PATIENT. GOOD AFTERNOON, HONORABLE MAYOR, HONORABLE VICE MAYOR, HONORABLE COUNCIL MEMBERS HONORABLE CITY MANAGER. I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE MISS SHAKIRA WIN CITY OF PETERSBURG FINANCE MANAGER. SHE IS GOING TO ASSIST IN THE MID YEAR FINANCIAL PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. OKAY. OH, GOOD EVENING, VICE MAYOR, CITY MANAGER AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL ONCE AGAIN, I AM SHAKIRA WIN FINANCE MANAGER PRESENTING THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT, MID YEAR FINANCIAL REPORT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

OKAY? THE FINANCIAL OBJECTIVES PROMOTE LONG TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY BY ESTABLISHING EFFECTIVE FINANCIAL POLICIES. PROVIDE THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITIZENS WITH FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY BY PROVIDING CONSISTENT MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORTS. ENSURE THAT THE CITY HAS SUFFICIENT RESOURCES TO PERFORM MANDATED RESPONSIBILITIES. COORDINATE LONG TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING WITH ESSENTIAL DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS AND ENSURE THE CITY HAS THE ABILITY TO INSULATE ITSELF FROM FISCAL CRISIS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OKAY. THIS IS AN OVERVIEW TO SHOW EVERY DEPARTMENT AND FUN BUDGET AND THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES AGAINST THE BUDGET THROUGH NOVEMBER. 30TH 2023. THE FIRST COLUMN IS THE DEPARTMENT. THE NEXT COLUMN IS THE COUNCIL ADOPTED BUDGET. THE THIRD COLUMN IS THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES THROUGH NOVEMBER 30TH 2023 AND THE LAST COLUMN SHOWS THE ACTUAL PERCENTAGES OF THE BUDGET EXPANDED. EXPENSED.

NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AND THIS FINAL PRESUMPTION. SORRY, YES. AND THAT'S ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENTS ON THIS PAGE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. OKAY? AND THE LAST COLUMN THIS PERSON THE FINAL COLUMN AT THE BOTTOM, THE TOTAL AND I BELIEVE IT. IT CUT OFF ON THE CAN YOU GO BACK ONE? YEAH, IT CUT OFF ON THIS PRESENTATION. MY APOLOGIES FOR THAT. BUT WE HAVE THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND. THE TOTAL IS 84,000. I'M SORRY, 84,202,004 AS THE BUDGET. THE ACTUAL TOTAL EXPENDITURES 35,361,000. AND THAT IS AS OF NOVEMBER, 30TH. AND SO WE HAVE EXPENDED 42% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET AS OF NOVEMBER, 30TH. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. AND SO THESE ARE THE OTHER MAJOR FUNDS.

THE STREET FUND. WE HAVE EXPENDED 31.45. PUBLIC UTILITIES FUND 34.81. STORM WATER FUND 13.19. AND DOGWOOD TRACE 43% MASS TRANSIT FUND 24% EXPENDED TO THIS POINT. OKAY THIS NEXT SLIDE IS REGARDING ARTHA. AND THESE ARE THE REMAINING PROJECT FUNDS THAT ARE OBLIGATED. AND THE BALANCES REMAINING AS OF NOVEMBER. 30TH 2022 2023. AND AS YOU CAN SEE DOWN TOWARDS THE

[01:15:03]

AND SO AS OF THE BEGINNING OF THIS FISCAL YEAR OR THE END OF LAST FISCAL YOU'VE BEEN IN WITH THIS FISCAL YEAR. WE HAD 11,348,000 REMAINING IN OUR PAPA. WE HAVE EXPENDED 1,000,897 . JUST IN THIS FISCAL YEAR FROM JULY TO NOVEMBER, SO THAT LEAVES US WITH 9,463,009 REMAINING IN AN ART BUFF. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. GARRICK OKAY. UPCOMING FOR THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. OUR PRIORITY PROJECTS WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF FISCAL YEAR 25 2025 BUDGET. WE WILL BE DEVELOPING THE FISCAL YEAR. 2025 5 YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT OF FISCAL YEAR 2024 REVENUE PROJECTIONS. FISCAL YEAR, 2024 YEAR AND CLOSED PROCESS. AND CONTINUE PRODUCTION OF MONEY MONTHLY BUDGET TO ACTUAL FINANCIAL REPORTS. OKAY? AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THAT WAS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. AT THIS TIME. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE VICE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND SENIOR MANAGER FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN COUPLER. THANK YOU, MR VICE. MAY I SEE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT EXPENDITURES, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT REVENUES. IN THE PAST, WE'VE GOTTEN INTO SOME PRETTY DEEP WATER. WHEN, UH WE ESTIMATED REVENUES. UM AND THEY DIDN'T MATERIALIST. DO YOU HAVE ANY. THAT'S THE OTHER SIDE OF THE EQUATION. BLASTER IS, UH, GOING TO COME UP AND PROVIDE AN ANSWER TO YOU. GREAT. THANKS.

WHILE DOING SO. UM, JUST WANT TO SAY THAT. OUR BUDGET LOOKS LOOKS GOOD. A LOT OF THE MONEY HADN'T EVEN BEEN SPENT YET. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK THE STAFF. ALL THAT YOU DO. THE KENYAN CONTINUE TO MOVE THE CITY FORWARD, SO WE STILL UM IT'S BEEN A GREAT YEAR FOR US BECAUSE WE GOT, UH INCREASE. I LIKE TO CALL IT OUR REPORT CARD. FINANCIALS. AH ARE LOOKING GOOD. SO WE THANK ALL THOSE WHO COLLECT AND COMMISSIONER REVENUE TREASURER. ALL THOSE WHO PLAY A PART AND GETTING BILLS OUT AND COLLECTING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND PAYING OBVIOUS LIKE TO THINK THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF AND HIS TEAM AS WELL.

WE WILL BE COMPLETING OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS IN JANUARY. WE'RE JUST CLOSING F I 2023 WE ARE VERY ENCOURAGED BY OUR PRELIMINARY RESULTS. OKAY, UM I THINK THE QUESTION WAS REVENUE SO UM, COUNSELING COUPLE OF DO YOU WANT TO BE A LITTLE MORE CLEAR? IF YOU COULD. WELL I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT YOU WILL HAVE A REPORT TO US ON REVENUES IN JANUARY. IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY THAT'S GREAT. LET ME ASK ANOTHER QUESTION. IF I MAY.

BACK WHEN DEVENPORT MADE ITS PRESENTATION TO US IN THE SUMMER. THEY TALKED ABOUT. PUT

[01:20:01]

SO WE ARE WORKING WITH THIS CITY TREASURER AND DAVENPORT'S ON THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FOR US. NO WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT. ALL RIGHT. WELL, WHEN WE HAVE OUR WORK SESSION, I THINK IT'S ON JANUARY 2. OUT. MR ALTMAN. COULD THAT INFORMATION BE PRESENTED TO US AT THAT TIME? YES. YES, SIR. OKAY. THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. I THINK THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT DAVENPORT'S RECOMMENDED ABOUT HAVING A FINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE FINANCE COMMITTEE WAS INVOLVED IN MAKING A RECOMMENDATION. YES. I DON'T KNOW. HERE'S THE FINANCE COMMITTEE. MR ALTMAN HAS THE FINANCE COMMITTEE BEEN PUT TOGETHER YET? FINANCE COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP IS THERE BUT WE HAVE NOT MET YET. OKAY, WELL, DEVENPORT SUGGESTED THAT WE HAD THIS. COMMITTEE. BACK IN JUNE, AND WE HAVEN'T MET YET. IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT THE WE'VE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH SCHEDULING, AND I KNOW THAT SOUNDS ODD GIN FROM JUNE TO NOVEMBER. DAD REPORT HAS BEEN REALLY BUSY AND ALL OVER THE PLACE. UM IN A COUPLE OF INSTANCES WHAT I'VE CALLED AND TALKED TO THEM. THEY'VE BEEN OUT OF STATE. OUR REPRESENTATIVES SERVICING OTHER COMMUNITIES, SO WE'RE WORKING TO GET MEETING ESTABLISHED. I WANT I'D LIKE TO TRY TO GET ONE DONE ON THE FIRST OF THE YEAR SO WE CAN GET THAT. GET THAT PIECE DONE AND THEN GET GET ALL OF OUR POLICIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AROUND THAT. CONCLUDED AND GET THE MONEY INVESTED AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE SPRINGTIME. BUT WE GET $52 MILLION AND THE FUND IS PAYING 5. YOU KNOW? AND WE HAVE WE STILL HAVE IT JUST WE'RE WAITING FOR THE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO ME IS THAT THE STRUCTURE IS WE WERE FORMING THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, BUT AS IT STANDS, THE TREASURER HAS THE ABILITY TO INTEREST IN CHARGE OF CITY INVESTMENTS. NO, NO, NO, I DON'T. I DON'T WANT THE BUCK BEING PASSED TO SOMEBODY ELSE. I'M NOT PASSING THE BOOK. WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON INVESTMENT STRATEGIES. WELL. WE NEED TO INCREASE THE RPM. WE'VE GOT $52 MILLION WE'VE GOT A GOOD AS GOLD SAFE. PLACE TO PUT IT IN EARNED 5. WELL, LET'S SEE WHEN YOU REPORT TO US ON JANUARY 2.

I'LL BE ESPECIALLY INTERESTED HOW MUCH OF THE $52 MILLION IS NOW IN THIS LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOL EARNING APPROXIMATELY 5. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AT OUR WORK MEETING IN IN JANUARY WITH THOSE, UH, QUESTIONS ANSWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. WE THANK EVERYONE FOR

[6. Responses to Previous Public Information Posted]

[7. Approval of Consent Agenda]

[01:25:05]

[9. Public Information Period]

UH MY CONCERN ARE THE SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. AND THE LACK OF BUILDING ANY NEW ONES.

IT SEEMS LIKE THE CITY IS UNDER PREMISE, WHICH I BOUGHT A BRILLIANT WE PUT ALL OUR EGGS.

WE SAID WE NEED A CASINO. TO BUILD SCHOOLS YET THE SURROUNDING AREAS THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM BUILDING SCHOOLS WITHOUT CASINOS. URGENCY COMING UP. I NOTICED THAT WITH SOME GENERAL IMPROVEMENTS MADE ON BUILDINGS IN THE CITY. BUT NONE OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS WERE MADE UPON THE SCHOOLS IN THIS CITY. EVERY KID IN THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL. THAT THEIR GRANDPARENTS OR GREAT GRANDPARENTS ATTENDED. THIS IS INEXCUSABLE. ANOTHER PART THAT HAS COME TO ME IS THIS I'M HERE TO DEMAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. IF I DON'T GET ANNOUNCEMENT, 30 DAYS, I'M PREPARED TO FILE SUIT. THE REASON FOR THIS IS THIS NEARLY HALF OF ALL PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN THE UNITED STATES WERE BUILT BETWEEN 1950 1969. WE ONLY HAVE TWO THAT WAS BUILT OUTSIDE THAT TIME PERIOD. WHAT HAPPENS IF CHILDREN ARE EXPOSED TO ASBESTOS? WHEN IT'S BETTER. IT'S FIBERS ARE INHALED. THEY CAN COACH CHRONIC HEALTH PROBLEMS TO THE LONG STROKE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACK, INCLUDING A RARE TYPE OF CHEST CANCER CALLED MESOTHELIOMA. THEY CAN OCCUR AS LONG AS FIVE DECADES AFTER ASBESTOS EXPOSURE. WHEN THE U. S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY STARTED THIS, TOO. IT'S ULTIMATELY ANSWER SELF WITH 10 YEAR EFFORT TO BAN THIS BESTEST, ONE OF THE FIRST STUDIES DECLARED IN THIS OLD, NO UNCERTAIN TERMS, THE AGENCY HAS DETERMINED THAT EXPOSURE TO ASBESTOS IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS POSE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO PUBLIC HEALTH. PETERSBURG RANKS WORST AS THE UNHEALTHIEST CITY AND STATE OF VIRGINIA. WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES. NO TO OUR CHILDREN. WE MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. THIS ISN'T SOMETHING YOU CAN PUT OFF AND NOTICED THAT YOU PUT IN FOR THE REFERENDUM TO GET A CASINO. BUT YOU PUT IN THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PUT IT INTO 2025. IF ALL GOES WELL, EARLIEST SCHOOL WOULD BE BUILT. IN 20. 29 OR 2030. THIS IS UNEXCUSABLE. WE CANNOT DO THIS. THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK PAST. THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS TODAY. THESE KIDS ARE DYING. IF THEY'RE NOT DOING IT NOW, LIKE THEY SAID, THESE THINGS CAN COME UP IN FIVE DECADES. WHY. YOU JUST I JUST HEARD, THE MAN SAID WE HAVE $52 MILLION IN A BUDGET. SCHOOLS ARE BEING BUILT IN THE STATE, ANYWHERE FROM 13 TO $25 MILLION. TELL ME WHY. BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT. 30 DAYS. I DON'T GET AN ANSWER CONTACTED A C L U.

I'M GOING TO DEMAND AN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. I'M NOT GONNA LEAVE IT UP TO YOU AND ONE THING I BELIEVE WHEN THE MAIN REASONS ONLY ONE OF YOU. AND I DON'T THINK ANY DEPARTMENT HERE IS IN THE CITY HAS A KID THAT ATTENDS PEACE BREAK PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MR JONES. THE COULD BACK UP THE CITY MANAGER. HE WANTS TO ADDRESS SOME SOME COMMENTS. FRED

[01:30:07]

JUST ONE AHEAD. WE TYPICALLY DON'T DO THIS, BUT HE WANTS YOU. YEAH, BECAUSE THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S FINE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. YEAH BUT WE FOUND MONEY TO BUILD A GARAGE THAT NO CARS ARE PARKED IN. NO CAUSE SO WE CAN'T DO THAT. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THIS BAD WE HAVING KIDS ARE GOING TO GO TO SCHOOL TOMORROW. THEY'RE GOING TO BE EXPOSED TO ASBESTOS FIBERS AND WATER IN LAYER PIPES. SO THE URGENCY IS THERE. I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. BUT THIS IS WHEN IT COMES TO CHILDREN. THEY SHOULD NOT BE SOMETHING THAT'S PUT OFF. A SECONDARY OR TERTIARY. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR RESPONSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DON'T GO AWAY.

THE CITY MANAGER. YES, SIR. CAN WE LOOK AT GETTING THAT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW. FOR THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY ARE OLD, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I DON'T THINK WAS EVER DONE. SO I WOULD SAY. I'M NOT AN EDUCATOR, AND I DON'T LIVE IN THE WORLD OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION, BUT. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM DEALING WITH OLDER SCHOOLS AND PREVIOUS COMMUNITY THERE ARE THERE HADN'T TYPICALLY THERE HAS TO BE A FROM AN ASBESTOS PERSPECTIVE. THERE HAS TO BE A SURVEY TO IDENTIFY THAT AND FIND WAYS TO MEANS TO OR MEDIATE THAT SO I KNOW WE DID OUR I THINK THE FIRST THING WE WOULD DO IS CHECK WITH SCHOOLS TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY OF THOSE PLANS ALREADY DONE BEFORE WE WOULD GO AND DO SOMETHING. THEY SHOULD HAVE SOME THINGS. I WOULD THINK THEY WOULD HAVE SOME THINGS ON THE BOOKS. I KNOW. IN THE PREVIOUS COMMUNITY. WE HAD ASBESTOS SURVEYS FOR ALL OF OUR OLDER SCHOOLS THAT WERE DONE, SO WE'LL CHECK WITH SCHOOLS FIRST. AND THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, UM NEXT? NOT NO, LET'S LET'S WE CAN SAY ABOUT COMMENTS FOR AFTER WE HAVE OUR TIME BECAUSE THIS IS THE PEOPLE'S COMMENTS. I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS THAT, UH, NEXT. WE HAVE PAMELA BEGUM. HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS PAMELA BEING ON MY LIVE AT 1717 WEST PRINCETON ROAD HERE IN PETERSBURG. VERY CLOSE TO PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL. UM I SHARE THE GENTLEMAN'S CONCERNS. I AM AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER. I ACTUALLY HAVE ASTHMA. AS A RESULT, RESULT OF MOLD POST HURRICANE KATRINA WORKING IN NEW ORLEANS, SO I KNOW THE SERIOUSNESS AND I HAVE A FRIEND DYING OF MESOTHELIOMA RIGHT NOW. MY PARENTS MOVED TO PETERSBURG IN 1984. I MOVED HERE IN 2011 TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. I WANT TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION, BUT I ALSO CAME HERE TO GET SOME INFORMATION. I'LL TALK TO MR WILLIAMS. AND SO WE WILL HAVE A FOLLOW UP MEETING ABOUT MY WATER AND SEWER QUESTIONS. I WAS GONE ALL SUMMER. AND YET I HAD THE SAME KIND OF WATER BILL. I ALWAYS HAVE NO ONE IN THE HOUSE. NO. ONE RUNNING WATER. SAME ISSUES I'VE BEEN WRITING ABOUT FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS NOW. BUT I WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME INFORMATION BECAUSE I AM AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER. I LIVE HERE IN THE COMMUNITY I WORK REMOTELY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. I'M ACTUALLY AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE EXPERT.

AND WE ARE NOW THE E P. A S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER, INCLUDING VIRGINIA. I'M NOT SEEING PETERSBURG APPLICATIONS. I'M NOT SAYING PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA IN THE MIX AT ALL FOR BILLIONS WITH A B BIDEN BILLIONS OF DOLLARS COMING OUT. IT'S NOT JUST IRA. IT'S AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE. AND DON'T THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT ALL THESE FOLKS I CAN'T SEE THE TIME WHO ARE JUST SHOWING UP ARE SHOWING UP BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT PETERSBURG. THE PIMPING HAS STARTED. AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS. WE ARE ON A LIST AS A DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITY, THE CLIMATE AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE SCREENING TOOL THAT THE YOUNG LADY SHARE WITH YOU IS FLAWED.

IT'S FLAWED BECAUSE FIRST OF US ALL. IT DOESN'T INCLUDE RACE AS A MAJOR CRITERIA FOR

[01:35:02]

COMMUNITY BENEFITS AGREEMENT IS A TEMPLATE. THAT STATES WHAT THE FOCUS OF OUR INTEREST IN PETERSBURG ARE. I PERSONALLY THINK WE HAVE A GREAT TREE CANOPY. BUT WE COULD PROBABLY DO BETTER, HOWEVER. IS THAT REALLY THE FIRST PRIORITY? AND THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER JONES FOR YOUR QUESTIONS? BECAUSE IT IS MOST DEFINITELY ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE INEQUITABLY TREATED. WE NEED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. WE NEED GOOD SCHOOLS. WE NEED JOBS. WE NEED PEOPLE PAYING TAXES. WE NEED SAFE, DRINKABLE WATER, AND THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO TALK TO THE WATER PERSON BECAUSE I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED RIGHT NOW. CAN'T SAY EVERYTHING I NEED TO SAY, BUT I REALLY WANTED YOU TO KNOW THAT JUST BECAUSE WE CAN'T ALL COME TO COUNCIL MEETING DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION. AND THANK YOU FOR THE NEWSLETTER. BUT WE'RE STILL GETTING IT LATE, MISSED TWO MEETINGS BECAUSE THE NEWSLETTER WAS LATE. LUCKILY I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS MEETING TONIGHT. I'M HERE. I WANT TO HELP US. WE CANNOT NOT GET THIS MONEY AND RIGHT NOW IN THE STATE. I DON'T KNOW WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT IS. PETERSBURG SHOULD BE GETTING REGGIE MONEY REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INITIATIVE MONEY. WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT MONEY, AND I WAS ON A CALL YESTERDAY WHERE SOMEONE SAID, IT'S PETERSBURG GETTING IT? I SAID, I DON'T KNOW. I'LL LEAVE IT THERE. WE CAN TALK LATER. I NEED MUCH MORE TIME. BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MONEY COMING OUT THAT WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR AND IT'S ON THE TABLE AND WE'RE NOT GETTING IT. I DON'T KNOW WHO YOUR GRANT WRITER IS.

BUT I LIKE TO MEET HER. THANK YOU. MISS WILLIAMS, CAN YOU JUST RAISE YOUR HAND? OKAY YOU GET A CHANCE. CAN YOU GET HER INFORMATION, PLEASE? THANK YOU. CAN I GET? UH CAN WE HAVE SARAH MELISSA? IS THAT WHAT TECH DEAC? DOING? SARAH? MELISSA? WHAT? JACK? TO CENTER COURT. I'M NOT JUDGED. I'M SORRY. I DO THIS EVERY TIME. UM SO FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK MR JONES FOR HIS GOOD QUESTIONS TODAY. AND THIS. THESE ARE TWO PICTURES. IF THE CITY COUNCIL COULD PLEASE TURN AROUND AND DIRECT THEIR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN. OF SYCAMORE STREET BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND WITH RESIDENTS HAD NO SAY IN THIS. WE WERE AWARE OF IT ABOUT 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT OCCURRED. THESE TREES THAT WERE THERE WERE NOT PERFECT. BUT THEY WERE NOT USELESS. UM IF YOU COULD THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I PROMISE. I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH TIME. WE'VE TALKED A LOT TONIGHT. ABOUT WHAT WE WANT OUR CITY TO BE ABOUT HOW WE CAN WORK TOGETHER. HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE LEAST AMONG US IS REPRESENTED. AND SO FOR THE REMAINDER OF MY TIME. I'M GONNA SHUT UP. AND I'M GONNA LET US CONSIDER AND THINK ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH THIS OPPORTUNITY THAT IS NOW PRESENTED TO US ON SYCAMORE STREET. HMM.

[01:40:08]

MISS. UH, GINA VIDAS. IT. GENEVIEVE GORE. LOWER YEAH. I'M SURE THERE'S NOT TOO GENEVIEVE'S IN THE ROOM. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS WANT THAT. THAT WAS FUNNY. EXCUSE ME. NOTHING ALRIGHT, SO GENEVIEVE LORNE 19 GUARANTEES STREET HERE IN TOWN. ALRIGHT SO, INTERESTINGLY I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE TREES THAT WERE JUST ON THE SCREEN FIRST, UM WE HAVE TO DO BETTER ABOUT HOW WE TAKE CARE OF THINGS LIKE THAT. SO PLANTING THE RIGHT TREES. I KNOW I'VE SPOKE WITH FOLKS IN CHARGE OF THAT, AND THOSE WEREN'T THE RIGHT TREES, SO WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB.

WE NEED TO PLANT THE RIGHT TREES. WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE TREES. WE PLANT BECAUSE TREES ARE GOOD, BUT THAT WASN'T IT. SO THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO COME TOGETHER AND THE DEPARTMENTS TO COME TOGETHER TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE FUTURE. UM I WILL SAY I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THAT RESTAURANT SIGN THAT I CAN NOW SEE ON SYCAMORE THERE. IT'S SUPER CUTE.

SO UM, THAT'S GOOD. BUT PLEASE IN THE YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY AND WE NEED TO TAKE IT. ALRIGHT, SO TWO MINUTES. ALRIGHT SO I'M GOING TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT WITH YOU GUYS SO FIRST ONE TO SHARE A DEFINITION. THIS IS FROM OXFORD LANGUAGES DICTIONARY. THE DECK THE DEFINITIONS FOR GENTRIFICATION, SO THE PROCESS WHEREBY THE CHARACTER OF A POOR URBAN AREA IS CHANGED BY WEALTHIER PEOPLE MOVING IN. IMPROVING HOUSING AND ATTRACTING NEW BUSINESSES. TYPICALLY DISPLACING CURRENT INHABITANTS IN THE PROCESS. SO THE REASON I WANT TO READ THAT TO YOU. IT'S BECAUSE I LOVE I GET NOTIFICATIONS FROM REALTOR DOT COM ON MY PHONE WHEN THERE'S A HOUSE FOR SALE, AND PETERSBURG. IT'S KIND OF RANDOM. I DON'T GET ALL OF THEM, BUT I GOT ONE EARLIER THIS WEEKEND, AND IT WAS FOR A HOME ON SOUTH JEFFERSON STREET. AND WHILE I WAS READING IT IT SAYS SOME NICE THINGS THAT TALKS ABOUT IT BEING IN A FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY, AN ENTERPRISE ZONE WALKING DISTANCE TO THE FARMERS MARKET. BUT THEN IT SAYS. SECOND. LET ME GET TO THIS PART. AREAS UNDERGOING MAJOR GENTRIFICATION, SO HURRY AND BUY YOUR PIECE OF HISTORY. THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS IN A REALTOR DOT COM ADVERTISING FOR A HOUSE FOR SALE AND PETERSBURG. I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOOD. I THINK THAT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE NOT NEW PEOPLE COMING HERE TO BUY HOUSES. AND. RIGHT NOW. WHO WOULD BE DISPLACED BY GENTRIFICATION. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT THIS AS FAR AS WE KNOW PETERSBURG IS AT LEAST HEALTHY CITY IN THE STATE. AND THE CDC SAYS THAT GENTRIFICATION DOES NOT HELP HEALTH HEALTH OUTCOMES. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT. WE NEED TO REMEMBER. SOME OF THE HEALTH EFFECTS. CREATED. TALK ABOUT SPECIAL POPULATIONS, SPECIAL POPULATIONS BEING THE POOR WOMEN, CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY AND MEMBERS OF RACIAL, ETHNIC ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF PETERSBURG ACROSS THOSE DIFFERENT GROUPS. SPECIAL POPULATIONS AND AGAIN. THIS IS FROM THE CDC. ARE AT INCREASED RISK FOR THE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES OF GENTRIFICATION. STUDIES INDICATE THAT VULNERABLE POPULATIONS TYPICALLY HAVE SHORTER LIFE EXPECTANCY. HIGHER CANCER RATES, MORE BIRTH DEFECTS , GREATER INFANT MORTALITY AND HIGHER INCIDENCE OF ASTHMA, DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. WE DON'T NEED MORE OF THAT. SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT AS A CITY WHAT WE'RE DOING TO

[01:45:04]

AND IF NEED BE, I'LL SEND IT TO YOU, BUT IT'S I THINK IT'S LIKE PAGE FOUR OF YOUR RULES. DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT BRIEFLY. WAS A FAVORITE TOPIC. THE CASINO. I'M ASSUMING THAT THE DIRECTION IS YOU ALL WANT TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. AND I THINK THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL PROBABLY WANT SOME THINGS, MAYBE IN RETURN FROM PETERSBURG'S LEADERSHIP. SO WHEN I WAS JUST GOING TO MAKE A FEW SUGGESTIONS, OR MAYBE IT'S LIKE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS OR WISH LIST, BUT I'D SAY TO START WITH IS, UM, LOOK AT WAYS TO INCREASE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION BECAUSE THERE WASN'T ANY LAST YEAR. IT JUST GOT SPRUNG ON EVERYBODY. SO IF YOU LOOKED AT DANVILLE AS A MODEL, THEY HAVE A CITIZENS GROUP THAT LOOKED AT, UM IDEAS FOR HOW TO USE THE RABBIT. THE REVENUE THAT COMES FROM OPERATING A CASINO. BUT THERE'S THINGS LIKE THAT. THERE'S ALSO, UM YOU KNOW, WE I MEAN, THEY TELL THOSE CORNY ADS FOR THE RICHMOND CASINO OR THAT GUY WENT AROUND AND ASKED PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANTED, BUT I FOUND THAT KIND OF IT WAS THE GUY HE WAS OFF PUTTING, BUT WE COULD USE A BETTER PERSON OR A SURVEY AND DO SOMETHING SIMILAR. WHAT DO PEOPLE WANT IN A CASINO AND ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX? WHAT DO THEY EXPECT FROM IT? WHAT'S IT GOING TO DO FOR PETERSBURG AND YOU KNOW YOU CAN EXCUSE MR JONES FOR HEARING THAT MESSAGE ABOUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE GET BUILD NEW SCHOOLS BECAUSE THAT WAS IN THE HYPE THAT THE CITY HAS PUT OUT IS IF WE GET A CASINO, WE CAN BUILD A NEW SCHOOL OR TO NEW SCHOOLS. THIS THAT AND THE OTHER THING. I MEAN, I REALIZED THAT MR ALTMAN SAID THAT IT HAS THERE ARE THERE IS A SEPARATE TRACK IN THE CITY IS PURSUING IT FOR WHICH I'M GRATEFUL. BUT YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE HEARD THE HYPE SO IT'S LIKE, THINK ABOUT THIS AS A NEW DAY, Y'ALL. I MEAN, LOOK AT THE OPEN TO ALL ANY AND ALL IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES DON'T GO BY THE PAST SCRIPT, DON'T USE LAST YEAR'S SCRIPT. ONE THING IN PARTICULAR TO ME. IS. PLEASE LOOK AT ALL POSSIBLE LOCATIONS. IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A CASINO DON'T BE LOCKED IN TO THE PLAN THAT WAS DEVELOPED A YEAR AGO. BECAUSE THERE'S LOTS OF POINTS. THERE'S LOTS OF PROS AND CONS FOR DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CITY TO HAVE AN TO HAVE, UM, AN ENTERTAINMENT AREA WHERE THE CASINO SO AND YOU EVEN THE GROUP THAT YOU WORKED WITH WITH, UM CORDISH. I MEAN, THEY SPECIALIZED IN DOING DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN AREAS OVER THEY DIDN'T SPECIALIZE IN BUILDING AN OUTLYING PARCEL SOMEWHERE, WHICH IS WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING HERE. AND I'M JUST GONNA MAKE A QUICK COMMENT FROM MY OWN PERSONAL PASSIONATE ABOUT. THIS IS WHEN I HEARD THE PHRASE OF WE'RE BUILDING US WHEN TO BUILD A CITY WITHIN A CITY. I FOUND THAT REALLY SCARY FOR SOME OF THE REASONS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ALLUDED TO TONIGHT, INCLUDING. WHAT GENEVIEVE JUST TALKED ABOUT IS YOU'RE BUILDING YOU'RE BUILDING SOMETHING OUT ALMOST IN PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY. WHAT'S WHAT HAPPENS TO THE REST OF PETERSBURG THAT'S ALREADY BEEN NEGLECTED, AND IT'S SUFFERING FROM ALL KINDS OF DETERIORATION IN NEGLECT. I MEAN, IT JUST BECOMES GETS FURTHER AND FURTHER BEHIND, SO UM, I WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE TO SAY ABOUT THIS. BUT I HOPE YOU ALL WILL SEEK PUBLIC INPUT, EVEN HAVE MEETINGS WHERE PEOPLE CAN TALK ABOUT IT BECAUSE THERE'S ALL KINDS OF POINTS OF VIEW AND YOU SHOULD HEAR ALL OF THEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THOMAS HARRISON. THOMAS HARRISON 1201 HALIFAX STREET. GOOD EVENING, COUNCILMAN. CITIZENS UH , I CAME UP HERE TODAY FOR WELL, FIRST I'D LIKE TO ECHO WHAT WILLIAM JONES SAID WE DO. YOU ALL KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN SCREAMING ABOUT A SCHOOL SINCE DAY ONE SINCE I MET ALL OF YOU, UM I'M FOR THE CASINO, BUT I'VE ALSO SCREAMED THAT WHEN WE BREAK GROUND FOR THE CASINO, WE SHOULD DEMAND THAT WE BREAK GROUND FOR THE SCHOOL AT THE EXACT SAME TIME LIKE IF WE'RE GONNA SELL OFF FOR SCHOOL, THEN LET'S SAY THAT THE SCHOOL SHOULD OPEN BEFORE THE CASINO OR IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CASINO. UM THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SPEAK TO WAS, UM WE HAVE THESE DUPLEXES AND UM. GANG OF DEVELOPERS CAME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO DISCUSS DUPLEXES SO MUCH SO THAT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, I BROUGHT IT UP TO FIND OUT WHAT WE COULD DO BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL THESE

[01:50:01]

THERE'S SEVERAL OPTIONS WE HAVE. BUT WHAT? I'VE NOTICED THAT THE COUNCIL HAS DONE IS NOT PUT IT ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE WE DID THAT TWO MONTHS AGO, AND IT'S STILL NOT BEFORE YOU ALL AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT ONE. WHY YOU ALL AREN'T EVEN TALKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE I COUNTED ROUGHLY 27 VACANT DUPLEX IS, UM, I KNOW THAT AT OUR PLANNING COMMISSION, WE HAD AT LEAST 10 DEVELOPERS. THEY WERE READY TO MOVE ON DUPLEXES. SO MY UNDERSTANDING FROM MEETING WITH THE PEOPLE WE WERE PUTTING TOGETHER. A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS IN IN MOST CITIES IF IT WAS A DUPLEX, AND IT SAT FOR 100 YEARS , IF IT HAD TO ADDRESS IS IF IT HAD TWO SETS OF WATER, THEN WE SHOULD MAKE A RULE TO MAKE IT ABLE TO BE A DUPLEX AGAIN. WHY ARE WE TURNING A DUPLEX INTO A SINGLE FAMILY HOME? AND WE'RE SAYING WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF INVENTORY WHEN CURRENTLY WE DON'T WE JUST NOT USING INVENTORY THAT WE HAVE. UM AND LASTLY, UM. WHEN I WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOLS, I HAVE A DAUGHTER THAT WENT TO SCHOOL HERE AND JUST LAST NIGHT. SHE TOLD ME THAT AT VERNON JOHNS WHEN SHE WAS THERE, THEY HAD MOLD AND THEY JUST PUT A BOARD OVER IT AND LET HER GO ON THE SCHOOL. DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT. SHE JUST MENTIONED IT TO ME. LAST NIGHT. SHE'S CURRENTLY IN AT THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL, BUT I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SCHOOLS. WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE WINDOWS.

WE HAVE CLASSROOMS THAT DON'T HAVE WINDOWS AND WE HAD PEOPLE COME UP HERE AND TELL US THE IMPORTANCE OF SUNLIGHT AND TREES . AND WE HAVE KIDS THAT CAN'T SEE TREES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE WINDOWS IN CLASSROOMS. SO TO ME, THE THESE BUILDING THE SCHOOLS SHOULD BE OUR TOP PRIORITY BECAUSE AGAIN WE DID. SOUTHSIDE DEPOT. UM BUT WE DON'T HAVE BASKETBALL RIMS LIKE I'M GLAD THAT WE SPENT TWO POINT WHATEVER MILLION DOLLARS MAKING SOUTHSIDE DEPOT WONDERFUL FOR TOURISTS WHEN THEY COME TO TOWN, BUT WHEN THEY COME TO TOWN, AND THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO, I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN $2 MILLION PUT IN THE PARKS FOR THE KIDS, AND THEN WHEN PEOPLE COME TO SOUTH SIDE DEPOT TO GET TOURISM THAT HAVE SOMEPLACE TO GO. YOU ALL CHOSE TO CHANGE THE PRIORITY. I'M WITH IT. I JUST THINK WE SHOULD TAKE A MOMENT AND DO SOMETHING FOR THE YOUTH BECAUSE THE REASON WE'RE HAVING ALL THESE PROBLEMS, AND IT'S ONLY GONNA GET WORSE IS DUE TO LACK OF ENTERTAINMENT, LACK OF ACTIVITIES AND LACK OF EDUCATION FOR THE YOUTH. I MEAN, THIS IS AND SHOULD BE OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. THE YOUTH OF THE CITY. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. CAITLYN MCKAY. HEY, GUYS. MY NAME IS CAT MCKAY I LIVE AT 16 WEST BANK, ST. PETERSBURG UM, I AM HERE THIS EVENING TO HONESTLY JUST SAY THANK YOU. UM, I COME HERE. REPRESENTING MULTIPLE SMALL BUSINESSES. THAT, OF COURSE, ARE LOCATED IN OLD TOWN. I PERSONALLY OWNED THREE BUSINESSES IN OLD TOWN. UM, A RESIDENT OF OLD TOWN. UM AND. EVERYONE REALLY WANTED CITY COUNCIL TO KNOW THAT OF COURSE, THEY COVERED THE L L. BEAN THING WITH YOU AND GIVE YOU ALL THE STATISTICS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT FROM THE BUSINESS OWNERS. WE REALLY JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY. UM FOR SUPPORTING FOR L L BEING COMING. IT DID MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON EVERYONE. UM AND NOT JUST OLD TOWN WE SPENT, UH, LARGE MAJORITY OF THE WEEKEND WHEN WE REALIZED THAT PEOPLE WERE VISITORS AND THAT THEY WERE NEW TO PETERSBURG TRYING TO EXCUSE ME. SEND THEM TO OTHER AREAS IN THE CITY EVERYWHERE FROM SIMONAS ON CREATOR ROAD TO RESOLUTION WINERY, WE TRIED TO HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT PETERSBURG ISN'T JUST OLD TOWN, AND EVEN THOUGH THE POP UP WAS BEING HELD IN OLD TOWN, THERE WERE SO MANY MORE OTHER POSITIVE AREAS OF OUR CITY. UM WE WOULD ALSO ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, AND ALL OF THEM WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MINUTE AND JUST SAY WHAT AN AMAZING JOB. UM THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DID, UM, IN OVERSEEING ALL THE THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE FOR THEM TO COME TO TOWN. UM I CO OWN OLD TOWN MINGLE WHERE L L BEAN WAS HOSTED AND THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THEY REALLY

[01:55:03]

THAT ENDS OUR PUBLIC. COMMENT. THEN WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE ITEM 10 BUSINESS OR REPORTS FROM

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

HE'S ALSO DONE WORK ON NORTH JEFFERSON STREET. AND DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB THERE. SO I KNOW HE WILL SEE THIS THROUGH TO THE END. SO WE DO HAVE OCCASIONS TO CELEBRATE AND 126 SOUTH JEFFERSON IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM. UM ANOTHER. REASON TO CELEBRATE. IS THAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO GET BOLD ENOUGH. TO TAKE CASES TO COURT. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING THIS ALL ALONG.

UH UM. WE WEREN'T I REMEMBER WHEN UH, MISS FARRELL BENAVIDEZ WAS THE CITY MANAGER. I WOULD ASK HOW MANY CASES HAVE WE TAKEN TO COURT THIS YEAR? THE ANSWER WOULD BE NONE. UM SO WE FINALLY TURNED THE CORNER ON THAT. AND I DON'T REALLY CHEER WHEN. THE PROPERTY OWNER IS CONVICTED OF A CRIME AND HAS TO GO TO JAIL. I WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE THE CODE VIOLATION CORRECTED. THAT IS THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF TAKING PEOPLE TO COURT. IT'S NOT TO PUT HIM IN JAIL. IT'S TO. IT'S TO IMPROVE THE BUILDINGS AND BRING THEM UP TO UP TO UP TO CODE. BUT, UM IN NOVEMBER. THE GENERAL DISTRICT COURT JUDGE. SENTENCED A MAN TO 36 MONTHS IN JAIL. SUSPENDED 20 MONTHS, SO THAT'S 16 MONTHS LEFT. UM. FOR UH, HEALTH AND SAFETY VIOLATIONS AT A LOCAL UM, FORMER MOTEL. AH I THINK THAT

[02:00:07]

JANUARY 2ND GIVEN THE TIME FRAME AND THE HOLIDAYS AND CONSULTANTS CONTENTMENT, BRINGING THE ARBORIO SIR CONSULTANT PROBABLY MORE IN TIME FRAME FOR FEBRUARY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, THE TIME TO PLANT NEW TREES IS IN THE WINTER. BEFORE SPRING GETS HERE, SO CAN YOU GIVE US A DATE WHEN YOU EXPECT TO BRING A REPLANTING PLANNED BEFORE COUNCIL AND BEFORE THE PUBLIC. WOULD BE THE FEBRUARY WORK SESSION. ALRIGHT, WELL, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. UM WELL, I THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND I THINK THE PUBLIC AND COUNCIL ALL LOOK FORWARD TO THE HERE IN THE DETAILS OF THE REPLANNING PLAN, AND I HOPE IT INCLUDES A TIMELINE FOR GETTING ROOTS IN THE GROUND BECAUSE THIS WINTER IS THE TIME. BUT TO PUT THOSE TREES IN. THANK YOU, MR VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU, UH, COUNCILMAN JONES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING TONIGHT. I AM. GETTING READY TO CELEBRATE MY FIRST COMPLETED YEAR ON CITY COUNCIL. YOUNG CLAIRE. A LOT OF LEARNING UP HERE. LOT OF LEARNING AND A LOT OF LEARNING FROM OUT THERE TOO. SO I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR REACHING OUT TO ME SHOWING ME THE ROPES AND YOU KNOW? POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTIONS AND STUFF. THANK YOU KNOW, I GOT THE WILLPOWER TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION. RIGHT? WHAT TO SAY THAT THANKS TO ALL THE SPEAKERS TONIGHT. THANK YOU TO MY COMRADES COUNCIL. I MAY NOT AGREE WITH ALL OF THEM ALL THE TIME. AND, UH BUT EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM HAVE GIVEN ME SOME GOOD ADVICE AT SOME POINT IN TIME. OR ANOTHER. AND EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM HAS BEEN A PAIN IN MY BUTT AS SOME POINT OR ANOTHER. BUT I APPRECIATE THEM BECAUSE SITTING OUT THERE WITH YOUR, UH BEFORE THIS YEAR. I WAS CONSIDERED AN ANGRY MAN. THEY PROBABLY STILL CONSIDER ME THAT. UM, BUT SITTING UP HERE IT'S A BLESSING. TO BE HERE BECAUSE I REPRESENT

[02:05:04]

BECAUSE I'M FOCUSING ON THE PROJECTS FOR THESE TWO WARD MEETINGS. CAN I'M SORRY, PIN OAKS. I'M NOT GONNA FORGET THE ACRES DO THEY COME INTO, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT IN MY WARD, BUT WE FOCUS ON OUR PIN OAKS AND PETERSBURG EAST APARTMENTS. UH I DON'T THINK ANYBODY REALLY EVER BEEN OUT THERE TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE. ON THAT THEY CAN DO EXACTLY WHAT I DID. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE NO COLLEGE GRADUATE OR ANYTHING ELSE TO COME AND REPRESENT THE PEOPLE. YOU JUST HAVE TO STAND ON TRUTH. THAT'S IT. NOBODY CAN FIGHT THE TRUTH. AND THAT'S WHAT I STAND ON, AND THAT'S WHY I SPEAK LIKE US SPEAK. AND IF I'M LYING, YOU JUST STOPPED ME WITH THE TRUTH.

ANYBODY YOU KNOW, UM. SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT MEETING ON THE 17TH OF DECEMBER, WHICH IS A SUNDAY PETERSBURG EAST FROM 12. PM TO ONE PM. AND THEN IN PEN NOTES FROM 2 P.M. TO 3 P.M. AND FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED BY O G RIBS AND BARBECUE. YOU KNOW THE WORLD FAMOUS BARBECUE, YOU KNOW? SO, YES, SO IT'S FREE. AND THINGS WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT NEED TO BE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE POWERS OF SELF COMMUNITY ISSUES AND CONCERNS. ONE OF THE BIG THINGS IS WHO'S COMING TO HELP YOU. AND OUR CHILDREN CAN'T UNSEE. BUT WE ALLOW THEM TO SEE THAT'S TRUE. THAT'S TRUE. ANOTHER TOPIC IS TIME. AND ALWAYS BE READY. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOLIDAYS AND HELL IS WAYS. AT THESE MEETINGS. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA EAT. IT WAS A GOOD TIMES. UM I WANT TO PICK IT BACK REAL QUICK. COOL. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT PEOPLE NEED TO GO TO JAIL. UH SINCE MY COMRADE OVER HERE WAS TALKING ABOUT HOTEL OWNER NEED WENT TO JAIL. YOU GOT SOME TIME, RIGHT? AND THAT'S FUN. I WAS GREAT. THAT WE'RE FINALLY STARTING TO SEND PEOPLE. TO JAIL. FOR THESE KIND OF, UH PROPERTIES, HOWEVER. RAMADA INSET THERE FOR EVER.

NOBODY WENT TO JAIL. HOTEL PETERSBURG. WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SIT THERE LIKE THAT FOREVER. NOBODY WENT TO JAIL. OR YOUR HOTEL SITTING THERE NOW. JUST WAITING FOR A FIRE. AIN'T NOBODY GOING TO JAIL. AND I THINK THE HOTEL WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS OLD HOWARD JUSTIN, WHICH IS OKAY. IT NEEDS EVERYTHING THAT'S SITTING LOOKING LIKE THAT. SOMEBODY NEED TO GO TO JAIL AND THEY NEED TO BE KNOCKED DOWN. UM. SKATING RINK. I AM WAITING ON THE FIRE ALARM AND THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM TO GET INSPECTED AT THE BUILDING. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT HOPEFULLY BY CHRISTMAS. IF NOT, IT WILL BE BY THE NEW YEAR, SO IT'S STILL ON TAP, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK IT'S FAKE, BUT IT'S STILL COMING. AND IF YOU WANT TO DONATE TO THE EFFORTS OF OPENING THE SKATING RINK POLICE SEE ME. I'LL SEE SOMEBODY ON THE TEAM, BUT IT'S COMING. ALL RIGHT, SO YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES CAN COME. WE KEEP THE CRIME FREE. KIDS CAN SKATE FREE EVERY SUNDAY. AS LONG AS WE KEEP CRIME DOWN IN THE CITY. THAT'S MY PROMISE. TO THE CITY, SO LET'S MAKE IT A FAMILY EVENT. LET'S KEEP IT GOING. THANK YOU, COUNSEL FOR ALL THE SUPPORT YOU GUYS GIVING ME, UM WELCOME ME AND THIS GUY RIGHT HERE. MY FRIEND RIGHT HERE, MAN. BUT HE NEVER STEERED ME WRONG. I DON'T WANT YOU ALL THINKING WE ENEMIES UP HERE. THAT'S MY HOMEBOY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

CAREFUL, MAN, WESTBROOK. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. I'M GONNA KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET TONIGHT.

UH JUST WE'LL HAVE TWO POINTS IN THE FIRST ONE IS JUST TO FOLLOW UP. PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL HAD THEIR FIRST ANNUAL FORENSIC SPEECH AND DEBATE TOURNAMENT THIS PAST WEEKEND AND THERE WAS A GREAT SUCCESS WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE MORE OF THE COMMUNITY COME OUT. BUT I DO KNOW IS THE GROWING ART FORM IN SPORT THAT PEOPLE ARE GETTING BEHIND, BUT THEY DID HAVE OVER 250 COMPETITORS. FROM 30 HIGH SCHOOL . SO AS WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THESE SCHOOLS, IT IS ABOUT HOW OTHER PEOPLE COME INTO VIEW OUR SCHOOLS SO HOPEFULLY UH, MR JONES AND EVERYBODY ELSE CAN KEEP THE SAME ENERGY AND TAKE IT TO SCHOOL BOARD TO SING TO THEM AS WELL AS THEY COME TO SING THE

[02:10:02]

UM A LOT OF TIMES GOING INTO THESE COLD MONTHS. THE ELDERLY ARE MISSING SOMEONE A LOVED ONE COULD BE VERY LONELY. UM, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE STATISTICS OUT OF OUT THERE DID A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE, UH, TRANSITION IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER AND JANUARY, SO PLEASE KEEP YOUR ELDERLY IN MIND CHECKING IN ON HIM. JUST GIVE HIM A HEY, WHAT'S UP? JUST THINKING ABOUT YOU. UM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR LOVE THROUGH THIS SEASON UNTIL WE GET TO THAT WARM WEATHER IN MARCH 15 APRIL SOMETIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MARIO. I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY EXCEPT MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OF YOU ALL AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. CAN YOU, UH, GIVE A REPORT ON THE PARIS STREET ARTISTS SPACE JUST REAL QUICK, WHAT WAS DONE THIS PAST SATURDAY? IF YOU WILL. THE ART SPACE? YEAH CAN WE DID THE RELAUNCH FOR FRIDAY FOR THE ARTS ? UM BACK IN DECEMBER. THE EIGHTH WAS WELL, WELL ATTENDED AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING OUT THERE AND I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMAN HILL FOR COMING OUT AND SUPPORTING. FRIDAY FOR THE YARDS, BUT I'M SURE ALL OF DOWNTOWN WAS FESTIVE. I WANT TO STATE CAT. ALSO, I TALKED TO KAT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT RELAUNCHED, STARTING IN MARCH, UM WITH THE NEW ARTS COUNCIL, SO MOVING FORWARD TO CREATE A SYNERGY FOR DOWNTOWN AND ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN. AND THAT SMITH LEAGUE. HELLO EVERYBODY. I AM SO UPSET BECAUSE I COULDN'T PARTICIPATE IN SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT, UM OCCURRED IN THE LAST UM, TWO WEEKS LIKE THE CHRISTMAS PARADE AND LB. UM I I'M GETTING OVER ACUTE BRONCHITIS. UM I'VE BEEN DOWN FOR LIKE, ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND A HALF AND I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF FOR NOT COFFIN SO MUCH TODAY BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A COFFIN. MARATHON WITH MYSELF. I JUST WANT TO SAY, UM HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALL AND EVERYBODY WHO, UM , LIVE AND LOVE THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. IT'S HARD SOMETIMES TO RECEIVE. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IN REFERENCE TO, UM, OUR CITY. AND WE ALL KNOW THAT. WE'VE BEEN ECONOMICALLY STRAPPED FOR SO MANY YEARS AND NOW WE'RE BEGINNING TO PULL OURSELVES UP. DUE TO JUST HARD WORK OF EVERYBODY WHO WANTED TO GIVE THEIR LOVE AND TIME AND WORK HERE IN THE CITY. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY. EVEN THOUGH I'M ON CANCEL, BUT I'M NOT. I DON'T LET ANYBODY TALK BAD ABOUT OUR CITY. I BECAUSE I GREW UP HERE. I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE AND I KNOW WHERE WE'VE BEEN, AND I KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING. SO I THANK GOD FOR UM THE LAST FEW YEARS. BECAUSE YOU CAN REMEMBER. WE WERE LIKE TRULY. MIGHT $18 MILLION IN THE HOLE. AND NOW WE HAVE. OF FUN BALANCE OF $52 MILLION SO THAT HAS TO SPEAK FOR SOMETHING. AND YEAH, WHO DOESN'T WANT? I WANT A NEW SCHOOL FOR ALL OUR BABIES. I TRULY DO. BUT I KNOW WITHIN OUR HEARTS WE ARE TRYING. YOU MIGHT NOT THINK THAT WE TALK ABOUT THINGS DON'T TALK

[02:15:07]

WANT TO THANK OUR PR TEAM. FOR GIVING US MORE OF A VISIBLE, UH, LIGHT. WHEN IT COMES TO OUR OUR CITY. WE DON'T ALWAYS GET. UH THE GOOD STORIES, UH, IN THE PAPERS SOMETIME, AND THAT'S FINE . BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK UH, THAT IT WAS A MAYOR'S IDEA TO COME UP WITH THE NEWSLETTER AND THEN OH, JOANNE AND HER TEAM. THEY THEY PUT IT INTO EXECUTION, SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM.

AND THANK ALL OF OUR HARD WORKERS OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. ALSO ON ANOTHER NOTE. UH WE NEED TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A PLAN. UH, MR ARTMAN ON THE PARKING LOT. WE SPOKE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE THEM NOW WE PURCHASED THEM. THEN WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO, YOU KNOW , CRUSH HIM UP AND PAY THEM AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. UH THOSE THOSE LOTS THAT WE PURCHASED DOWN IN THE OLD TOWN. AH WANNA, AS YOU ALL KNOW, LEAF REMOVAL SHOULD BE GIVEN GETTING READY TO START. SO PLEASE, UH, REGULAR LEADS TO THE EDGE OF THE YARD. I KNOW WAR TWO SHOULD BE STARTING NEXT WEEK, AND I THINK SOME PEOPLE ARE IN WARFARE, SOME WORKING IN WAR FORWARD TODAY, SO PLEASE BRING YOUR LEASE TO THE CURVE. HOPEFULLY, WE WON'T HAVE ANY SNOW. WITH THE LEAVES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, SO I KNOW PUBLIC WORKS. THERE'LL BE AROUND I WANT TO TALK ABOUT I KNOW THE COMMISSIONER. REVENUE IS NOT HERE, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE JUST POPPING UP.

ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SELLING THINGS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT DEPARTMENT THAT GOES TO OR SHE JUST WALKED THROUGH THE DOOR. GOOD. UH OUR COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER REVENUE I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU SEE HOW YOU CAN. YOU KNOW YOU SEE HOW YOU CAN YOU CAN SPEAK SOMETHING UP. UH MISS FLOWERS. COULD YOU COME TO THE MIC RIGHT QUICK, VERY QUICK.

YEAH. OKAY YEAH. SO UM, WHAT I WAS ASKING, AND YOU CAN YOU CAN. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT IF YOU WANT TO. I WAS ASKING JUST THEN, RIGHT WHEN YOU CAME THROUGH THE DOOR. THIS MAY GO TO YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COME TO US OR GO TO YOU. WE HAVE A LOT OF VENDORS. IT JUST POPPING UP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SELLING STUFF. WHO IS THAT? YOU OR JUST HAVE A BUSINESS LIFE? OKAY SO HOW DO WE HOW DO WE CHECK IF THEY HAVE BUSINESS LICENSE OR NOT? CAN POP UP ON THEM? ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE AWARE OF IT. I WILL GO OUT MYSELF. OKAY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. WELCOME I APPRECIATE YOU SEE, THAT WON'T HARD. AH THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF THAT GOING ON. IN THE CITY.

YOU KNOW, YOU RIDE UP AND DOWN, CREATE A ROLE PEOPLE JUST SELLING WHATEVER YOU KNOW, AND, UH AND WE DON'T KNOW. IF THEY'RE LICENSED OR WHAT, HAVE YOU SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR? UH COLD AND FLU ARE TO BE AWARE OF AS WELL. AND THEN I WANT TO TALK ABOUT BLIGHT. I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A SITUATION FOR COUNCILMAN COUPLE AND IT'S BEEN A GREAT AH, FOR HIM TO BE ON COUNCIL BOOK,

[02:20:02]

THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY THANK YOU ALL FOR PAYING YOUR BILLS BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU WITH THAT BEING SAID WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM. UH, NUMBER 11. ITEMS REMOVED FROM

[12. Finance and Budget Report]

[14. New Business]

WHAT I'M ASKING FOR YOU ALL IS YOUR SUPPORT FOR US TO APPLY AND PARTICIPATE IN THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AGAIN. THIS IS ABOUT A TWO YEAR PARTICIPATION AT NO COST LOOKING AT CREATING A TREE PLANNED MAINTENANCE PLAN IDENTIFYING WHAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF EXISTING CONDITIONS AND SO FORTH, AND I DID WANT TO JUST SHARE A FEW MORE FACTS. THEY SHARED SOME GREAT FACTS AND I WANTED TO SHARE SOME INFORMATION BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON HEALTH AND SAFETY AND PROPERTY VALUES AND BUSINESSES, AND I JUST WANT TO SHARE SOME MORE INFORMATION ON THE BENEFITS OF TRUE TREES AND LANDSCAPING IN OUR CITY. SO TREES CAN HELP IMPROVE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH. THEY CAN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BE MORE ACTIVE, CAN SAVE LIVES DURING HIGH HEAT EVENTS DUE TO HEAT REDUCTION AND EVAPORATE TRANSPIRATION. THEY LEAD TO LESS DEPRESSION AND AREAS WITH MORE TREES, MORE CONNECTED COMMUNITIES AND LOWER CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE. THEY CAN ALSO REDUCE PROPERTY VIOLENCE AND VIOLENT CRIME. THIS IS BECAUSE TREES HELP ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO SPACES. YOU GET THOSE EYES ON THE STREET. PEOPLE ARE THEIR THEIR PRESENT. AND ALSO THERE'S THIS IDEA OF IMPLIED SURVEILLANCE. PEOPLE SEE AN INVESTMENT IN AREA AND THEY HAVE THAT IT LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE CARE MENTALITY. LOOKS LIKE PEOPLE ARE OUT HERE AND INTERESTED IN THE SPACE. COULD ALSO ADD TO HOUSE VALUES. IF SOMEONE HAS A PROPERTY ON A TREE LINED STREET, IT CAN ADD AS MUCH AS $22,000 IN VALUE TO THAT HOUSE. ALSO REDUCES DRIVING SPEEDS AND INCREASES PEDESTRIAN SAFETY BECAUSE OF BUFFERS DUE TO TREES.

IT ALSO INCREASES BENEFITS TO BENEFIT BUSINESSES. PEOPLE HAVE A TENDENCY TO SHOP LONGER ON TREE LINED STREETS AND PAY ABOUT 13% MORE PER ITEM WHEN THEY'RE SHOPPING, AND ALSO, EACH STREET TREE HAS A TENDENCY TO ABSORB AS MUCH AS THE FIRST INCH OF STORM WATER. WHICH SAVES MONEY ON STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, SO I WANTED TO SHARE THOSE WHILE YOU ALL. CONSIDER THIS RESOLUTION AND PARTICIPATING AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU BEFORE WE ENTERTAIN THIS MOTION THAT WE NEED TO OPEN THE FLOOR UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. YES WHEN THEY OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL, SUPPORTING THE APPLICATION AND PARTICIPATION OF THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMUNITY ASSISTANT PROGRAM. UH BOB RUDOLPH. THIS THING IS KIND OF LOUD. THANK YOU, UM BARBARA RUDOLPH 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I WAS I WAS SUGGESTING FROM YOUR RULES THAT IT WOULD BE MOVED AND SECONDED BEFORE YOU OPEN IT UP TO THE FLOOR. BUT I'M GLAD YOU'RE OPENING IT UP TO THE FLOOR, SO NO CRITICISM. I JUST WANTED TO HEARTILY ENDORSE. UM, YOUR APPROVING THIS RESOLUTION. I MEAN, IT'S ANYTHING THAT IS

[02:25:04]

UM I SPOKE WITH HIM BRIEFLY TONIGHT AND I JUST WOULD MENTION THE SAME THING TO YOU. IS THAT I THINK, UM THERE'S SO MUCH NEED FOR UNDERSTANDING AND EDUCATION AMONG PETERSBURG CITIZENS ABOUT JUST ECOLOGY, BASIC ECOLOGY AND THE BENEFITS AND THE INTER RELATIONSHIPS OF THE OF THE ECOSYSTEM WITH YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU IN FACT, COUNSELOR, JONES MENTIONED A COUPLE OF THINGS WHEN HE TALKED ABOUT THE NETWORK OF THE TREE ROOTS AND ALL THAT, BUT YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE TALKING AND WHAT INTEREST ANOTHER EXAMPLE. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE TREES ON THIS, THE TREES ON SYCAMORE STREET THAT COUNSELOR CUTHBERT TALKED ABOUT THAT WERE CUT DOWN. I MEAN, THOSE ARE IN VERY SMALL TREE WELLS, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT AS WE PLAN TO REPLACE THEM. THAT YOU'D BE LOOKING AT PONDING AWAY TO MAKE PART OF THAT SIDEWALK, MORE PERMEABILITY. SO THAT'S MORE SUPPORTIVE OF TREE LIFE BECAUSE A TREE GROWING IN A LITTLE SPACE ABOUT THE SIZE OF THIS THIS PODIUM RIGHT HERE IS NOT. THAT'S NOT THE MOST HEALTHY SITUATION AND BEING SURROUNDED BY CONCRETE . I'VE LEARNED SOME OF THAT THE HARD WAY FROM KILLING TREES, BUT , UM I HOPE THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO INVEST IN TREES AND TAKEN AND TAKEN CARE OF HIM, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE SOME KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO SURROUND. IF YOU IF YOU PUT A TREE UP, AND THEN YOU PUT ALL KIND OF STREETS AND DRIVEWAYS AROUND IT. YEAH IT'S GONNA GROW FOR A WHILE, BUT IT'S NOT GONNA IT'S GONNA DIE BEFORE ITS TIME. SO PLEASE HELP. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS AND SUPPORT IT BY VOTING FOR TONIGHT, BUT ALSO PUTTING CITY RESOURCES TOWARD IT AND ENCOURAGING CITIZENS TO BE INVOLVED. THANKS.

MA'AM DID NOT COME OVER HERE TO YOU. YOU. COME ON. YES. IT'S VEGAN. SO OF COURSE NOBODY'S AGAINST TREES. I'M A GIRL SCOUT LEADER HERE. I'M ON THE WILCOX BOARD VIRGINIA CONSERVATION NETWORK BOARD. I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE THIS STATEMENT AGAIN. NOBODY IS AGAINST TREES, BUT I HAPPEN TO KNOW, AT LEAST FROM THE USDA. THIS THIS WAS A $1 BILLION URBAN FORESTRY GRANT PROGRAM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT VIRGINIA GOT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS GROUP IS GETTING. WE GOTTA WE GOTTA CREATE AWAY. THEY'RE GOING TO BE CITY RESOURCES REQUIRED. WE HAVE TO CREATE A WAY IN WHICH THESE GRANT PROGRAMS ALSO BENEFIT US. I'M GOING TO SAY THAT EVERY TIME YOU HEAR ME COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENTS. I DON'T MIND THESE FOLKS DOING THIS PROJECT. NOT ONLY INVOLVED VIRGINIA STATE, BUT ALL VIRGINIA STATE FOLKS ARE NOT PIERS BERG FOLKS ANYMORE. SO YOU HAVE TO INVOLVE THAT 18 TO 25 GROUP. WE HAVE JOB CORPS. WE HAVE PATHWAYS WE AVOID. WE HAVE Y M C. A. WE HAVE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS, THERE HAS TO BE MORE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. I LOVE TREES. I'M AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER. BUT I DON'T KNOW I'M NOT AN ARBORIST. OUR PEOPLE, OUR KIDS. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT AN ARBORIST IS. THEY DON'T EVEN GET THAT EXPOSURE SO I'M SAYING DON'TE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT MAKE THEM WORK FOR US. I HAVE KILLED TREES , AND FORTUNATELY, WE PLANTED SOME TREES A GUILT FIELD FOR ARBOR DAY, AND WE DID NOT PLANT THEM IN THE RIGHT PLACE. ONE LIVED ONE DIDN'T SO THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER HERE WITH THE SIDEWALKS AND TREE ROOTS, SO SOMEBODY'S GOTTA DO. THERE'S GOTTA BE A REPORT SOMEWHERE ON WHAT HAPPENED WITH THIS PARTICULAR SET OF TREES BUT THROUGHOUT THE CITY I MEAN, WILCOX IS FULL OF TREES. THAT'S WHERE I LIVE. AND SO I THINK WE DON'T HAVE A BIG TREE CANOPY ISSUE AND PETERSBURG BUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ENGAGEMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE WITH THESE FOLKS FROM OUT OF TOWN. WORKING HERE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR YOUTH AND OUR 18 TO 25 TO TRAIN TO TEACH LANDSCAPING TO TEACH WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW. EVERYBODY CAN'T JUST GO AROUND AND HANDLE TREES. SO THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA SAY. THANK YOU. SIR. MY NAME IS LEONARD CURRY. I LOVE IT TO 14 WOODLAND ROAD. UH YOU ELECTED ME TO THE CDBG ADVISORY COMMITTEE AT THE LAST MEETING. AND IN PREPARATION FOR THAT. I'M ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. IN PREPARATION FOR THAT THERE'S A FOUND UH, MORE THAN 18 COMPETITIVE GRANTS. PROGRAMS THAT WERE THAT. FOR DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES THAT PETERSBURG CAN APPLY FOR. THREE OF THEM DOVETAIL WITH THIS PROJECT. UH BUT IT ISN'T JUST PLANTING TREES . IT'S UH, CONTROLLING, UH,

[02:30:06]

OKAY AND THIS IS ONLY ONE PROGRAM. BUT THERE ARE TWO OR THREE OTHERS THAT THAT FIT WITH IT. AND IF WE CAN SUBMIT A COMPREHENSIVE GRANT. APPLICATION. I THINK WE HAVE A CHANCE TO GET, YOU KNOW, PRETTY LARGE SUMS OF MONEY. I TALKED TO MR JONES. TWO WEEKS AGO ABOUT THE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS PROGRAM , WHICH ALSO WOULD INCLUDE THAT THAT'S WORTH MORE THAN A MILLION DOLLARS IS EXACTLY FOR THE STRESS COMMUNITIES. THERE'S ALSO THE DOWNTOWN REJUVENATION GRANT THESE LADIES THAT'S LADY. WE WERE JUST SAYING THERE'S TONS OF MONEY COMING THROUGH ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL. OR LAW NOW, BUT IT'S MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. AND A LOT OF HIS EARMARKED FOR DISTRESSED COMMUNITIES WITH POPULATIONS HAVE LEFT LESS THAN 50,000. THIS IS ONE AND LET'S NOT BEAT THESE GIRLS UP BECAUSE THEY INTRODUCED US TO ONE PROGRAM, BUT THERE ARE MANY OF THEM. AND I THINK OUR COMMITTEE WILL BE LOOKING AT THOSE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. I'M SARAH MELISSA JACK AND I HEARTILY SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM. UM I HAVE BEGUN TO WORK WITH THESE FOLKS OVER THE PAST YEAR. I MEANT VERY IMPRESSED BY WHAT THEY CAN DO. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ECHO MISS, UM BINGHAM'S POINT THAT DOCTOR BINGHAM NOT TRUE. UM BUT, UM, THAT WE DO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BENEFITING FROM THIS, UM, BOTH VIRGINIA STATE. HAS BEEN GOING AFTER SOME OF THIS MONEY. UM AND I HAVE WRITTEN REPEATEDLY TO THE CITY COUNCIL. UM AND OTHERS ON CITY IN THE CITY ABOUT WAYS TO USE THIS MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING. UM AND I WOULD JUST ASK THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO RESPOND QUICKLY. I KNOW NAOMI HAS BEEN FANTASTIC ABOUT THAT.

AND DR UM MR CUTHBERT. TONIGHT WAS FANTASTIC ABOUT THAT. UM BUT IT REALLY IS GOING TO TAKE EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER. UM AND AGAIN. IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT TREES, BUT IT'S ABOUT IMPROVING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY. AND RESILIENCY OF OUR CITY. UM I THINK IT'S BEEN SAID OVER AND OVER, BUT I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GO WRONG BY SUPPORTING THIS TONIGHT. THANK YOU. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS ARE NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTING THE APPLICATION AND PARTICIPATION IN THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMUNITY ASSISTANT PROGRAM. OH, COUNCIL WHEN MYERS SO MOVED COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK SECOND. IT'S BEEN MOVED IN PROPERTY. SECOND THAT WE SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTING THE APPLICATION AND PARTICIPATION IN URBAN FORESTRY COMMUNITY ASSISTANT PROGRAM. UM MR ARTMAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? HOW SOME JONES HI. COUNCILOR CUTHBERT COUNCILOR MYERS. BUT.

AND THAT'S SO FLEEING. I WESTBROOK COUNCILOR, VICE MAYOR OF HILL ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU

[15. City Manager's Report]