Apr 16, 2024 Regular City Council Meeting

[1. Roll Call]

[00:00:02]

MEETING THAT MEANS ADJOURN. UM GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR OUR REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR APRIL. 16TH 2024 AT THIS TIME IS HEALED. WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROAD? COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT COUNCIL MEMBER JONES COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH LEE PRESENT VICE MAYOR. HE YEAR, MAYOR HERE. ALL RIGHT. NEXT VICE MAYOR HERE WILL LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER. LET US PRAY. YOU TURN TO GOD, OUR FATHERS ONCE AGAIN WE COME BEFORE YOU LORD, GIVING YOUR NAME ON PRAISE AND GLORY. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS GLORIOUS DAY.

NOW LORD, WE ASK OUR BLESSINGS UPON THIS MEETING THAT WOULD BE FRUITFUL TO THY NAME. WE ASK THAT BLESSINGS UPON OUR CITIZENS , HEAVENLY FATHER AND OUR ADMINISTRATION AND THIS COUNCIL HAVING A FATHER BE WITH US WALK WITH US HAVING A FATHER. LET US DO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PLEASING IN THAT SIGHT DOOR. KEEP A HEADS OF PROTECTION AROUND ALL OF US. LET US SEE NO EVIL OR DO NO EVIL. LET US NO ACCIDENTS BEING NO ACCIDENTS OR CAUSE ANY ACCIDENTS. LORD WE ASK THAT BLESSING UPON THIS CITY IN A SPECIAL WAY. THERE'S A LOT OF EXCITING THINGS GOING ON IN THIS CITY. HAVING A FATHER THAT WE ASK THAT YOU WILL BE, UH, KEEP US IN MIND. HEAVENLY FATHER AS WE MAKE THESE DECISIONS, HEAVENLY FATHER TO THE GLORY OF YOUR NAME TO HELP YOUR PEOPLE HERE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. THIS IS OUR PRAYER. IT'S IN JESUS' NAME. I PRAY AND I THANK YOU. AMEN. AMEN. THAT CAN EVERYONE PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

OUR PLEASURE. TO THE UNITED STATES. FOR WHICH IT STANDS. I THINK, UH, JUST. NEXT IS ITEM

[4. Determination of the Presence of a Quorum]

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

[00:05:04]

HOW IT WORKS. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK I GUESS. NICE. BUT. IN THIS WAY.

YOU. MHM. GOOD AFTERNOON TO, UH, AGAIN TO, UH, MAYOR PAY AND VICE MAYOR HILL MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL CITY ADMINISTRATION, MR ALMOND. OF CITY ATTORNEY UM, AND THE CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG. THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FROM COUNCIL FIRST FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT YOU GIVE TO THE LIBRARY AND ITS MISSION TO UM, PROMOTE READING INFORMATION AND LITERACY. UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY, OF COURSE, OUR LIBRARY IS MORE THAN THE TRADITIONAL LIBRARY AND , UH, WE COULD NOT DO ALL OF THAT WITHOUT DEFINITELY WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF COUNCIL. UH, I PUBLICLY ALSO WANT TO SUPPORT. UH UH, THANK MY STAFF. UH, AGAIN , IF THEY WOULD JUST STAND UP BECAUSE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINE TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN. AND LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST LIKE, UH, THANK THE CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG BECAUSE WE'RE HERE TO SERVE YOU AND WE COULD NOT DO OUR JOBS IF YOU DID NOT, UH, COME TO THE LIBRARY AND UTILIZE ALL THE RESOURCES HERE AGAIN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OK, THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE, UH 2024 NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TELE COMMUNICATORS, WE PROC PROCLAMATION. AND THE STATES, WHEREAS EMERGENCIES CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME OF DAY OR NIGHT THAT REQUIRE POLICE FIRE OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. AND WHEREAS WHEN AN EMERGENCY OCCURS TO PROMPT RESPONSE OF POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS IS CRITICAL TO THE PROTECTION OF LIFE AND PRESERVATION OF PROPERTY. AND WHEREAS THE SAFETY OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS IS INDEPENDENT UPON THE QUALITY OF ACCURACY OF INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM CITIZENS WHO CONTACT THE DISPATCHERS AND WHEREAS MAINTAINING A CALM DEMEANOR WHILE COMMUNICATING WITH CITIZENS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING TRAUMATIC SITUATIONS, AND DISPATCHERS MUST RAPIDLY AND ACCURATELY GATHER AND RELAY INFORMATION TO FIRST RESPONDERS AND CITIZENS TO MAINTAIN PUBLIC SAFETY AND POSSIBLY SAVE LIVES. AND WHEREAS THE 911 TELECOMMUNICATIONS ARE THE TRUE BACKBONE OF THE 911 SYSTEM, AND THE LINK BETWEEN PEOPLE CALLING FOR HELP IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND THE FIRST RESPONDERS THAT ARRIVE ON THE SCENE AND WHEREAS PUBLIC SAFETY TELE COMMUNICATORS ARE THE SINGLE VITAL LINK FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS BY MONITORING THEIR ACTIVITIES BY RADIO, PROVIDING THEM INFORMATION AND ENSURING THEIR SAFETY. AND WHEREAS PUBLIC SAFETY TELLING ME FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE CONTRIBUTED SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE APPREHENSION OF CRIMINALS , SUPPRESSION OF FIRE AND TREATMENT OF PATIENTS BY PROVIDING EXCELLENT SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS EVERY DISPATCHER HAS EXHIBITED COMPASSION, UNDERSTANDING, PROFESSIONALISM AND EXTRAORDINARY DEDICATION TO OUR CITY DURING THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR JOB IN THE PAST YEAR, AND THEREFORE I, SAMUEL, PAM, BY VIRTUE OF THE AUTHORITY VESTED ME AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF

[00:10:03]

ON BEHALF OF CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT YOUR PATIENCE, YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND YOUR LOVE THAT YOU GIVE TO THE DISPATCHES EACH AND EVERY DAY AGAIN. WE SAID THANK YOU.

[6. Responses to Previous Public Information Posted]

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

I MOVED THAT WE ACCEPT THE, UH AND IMPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. RIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN SMITH LEE.

SECOND ALL RIGHT, MISS HERE. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES. I COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH LEE, VICE MAYOR HEAL A MO.

[8. Official Public Hearings]

[00:15:03]

SO IF SOMEONE COMES BEFORE US, AND THEY HAVE A CONCERN AS TO WHETHER THEIR STRUCTURE OR USE CAN CONTINUE IN THE MANNER THAT IT CURRENTLY EXISTS, UM WE WOULD MAKE A DETERMINATION FIRST AS THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR IN MY OFFICE IF THAT PERSON IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THAT DETERMINATION, THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAL FOR THE BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS TO THEIR CASE. AND THEN ALSO ALLOWANCE OF SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS AND ACCESSORY IMPROVEMENTS ON NON CONFORMING LOTS THAT'S ALSO TOUCHED BY THIS REQUEST. I DID WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT WE TOOK A LOOK AT IS KIND OF WHAT THE IMPACT WOULD BE AS A RESULT OF THIS TEXT AMENDMENT, SO WE'VE REVIEWED THE BLIGHTED PROPERTIES LIST THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT MAINTAINS, AND YOU'LL ALSO BE HEARING ABOUT TONIGHT AND DETERMINED THAT OF THE 35 STRUCTURES IDENTIFIED ON THE LIST THAT WE RECEIVED, WHICH WAS , UM, I THINK DATED BACK TO OCTOBER 2023. 24 OF THOSE STRUCTURES. ALMOST 70% WOULD BE HELPED BY THIS ORDINANCE, THEIR EXISTING STRUCTURES SUCH AS DUPLEXES THAT CURRENTLY ARE IN LOTS THAT MAKE IT SO THEY CANNOT REDEVELOP AND IMPROVE. SO NOW THOSE DUPLEXES COULD COME INTO BE RENOVATED AND REMOVE SOME OF THE BLIGHT THAT WE SEE IN THE CITY. I ALSO WANTED TO NOTE THAT THIS TEXT AMENDMENT REALLY ORIGINATED FROM SEVERAL PROPERTY OWNERS COMING TO US TRYING TO IMPROVE EXISTING STRUCTURES, AND I WANTED TO SHARE THAT THE STRUCTURES THAT WE HAD LISTS OF THAT WERE SHARED WITH US WERE ARE ALSO HELPED BY THIS TEXT AMENDMENT. SO 932 TO 934. PRIAM STREET WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT CAME TO US. IT'S IN A DISTRICT THAT ALLOWS A DUPLEX SO IT WOULD BE ABLE TO BE RENOVATED AND REMAIN AS SUCH, UM RIGHT NOW OUR LANGUAGE WOULD MAKE IT SO THE STRUCTURE WOULD HAVE TO BECOME A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, SINCE THE LOT WIDTH ISN'T TO WHAT IS REQUIRED. 622 AND 624 INDEPENDENCE AVE. AS WELL. 1009 WEST HIGH STREET AND 1004 MACKENZIE STREET. THESE ARE ALL PROPERTIES THAT COULD BE ABLE TO REMAIN AS DUPLEXES DUE TO THIS CODE AMENDMENT. SO RECOMMENDATION PLANNING COMMISSION DOES RECOMMEND APPROVAL AND READOPT OF THE PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENTS TO ARTICLE 24 NON CONFORMING USES AS WELL AS OUR ARTICLE, 25 SUPPLEMENTARY HEIGHT AREA AND BULK REGULATIONS. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU, MS. ALRIGHT NEXT. WE ARE HOLDING THE PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS. ON TO A READOPT ARTICLE 24 NONCONFORMER USES AND ARTICLE 25 SUPPLEMENT YOUR HEIGHT AREA AND BULK REGULATIONS IS SET FORTH IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO ALLOW THE REHABILITATION AND CONTINUATION OF NON COMPLIANCE STRUCTURES AS DEFINED AND TO CLARIFY THE ALLOWANCE OF SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS AND ACCESSORY IMPROVEMENTS, OR NONCONFORMER LIVES RECORDED PRIOR TO ADOPTION OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE. OH, YES, MR PACKER. GOOD EVENING, MR MAYOR. MEMBERS OF KELTY. MY NAME IS MICHAEL PACKER. I LIVE AT 1245 WOODLAND ROAD IN PETERSBURG. I COME TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE AMENDMENT AS SUGGESTED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL ALLOW EXISTING STRUCTURES TO BE ABLE TO BE USED IN IN A GOOD WAY OR IN THE FUTURE, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN USED TO FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME IN THE PAST. UH IT ALSO, THOUGH, DOES NOT GIVE AUTHORITY TO LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE INDIVIDUALS TO INCREASE DENSITIES, UH, ABOVE WHAT THE ZONING DISTRICTS ARE REQUIRE. I KNOW THAT THE CITY OF PETERSBURG IS CONSIDERING A NEW ZONING ORDINANCE. THAT WOULD BE IN MY OPINION, THE TIME TO DETERMINE IF SOME DISTRICTS NEEDED TO INCREASE THE DENSITY. IT SHOULD BE COUNCIL'S DETERMINATION ON NOT ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF AS TO WHETHER THAT ADDITIONAL DENSITY UH, SHOULD BE GRANTED, UM AND, UM FOR THAT REASON. UM I, UH, SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE OF THE AMENDMENTS I NOTICED IN THE

[00:20:02]

AND THAT'S THE ISSUE. I'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE ZONING OFFICE. I'VE BEEN TALKING TO, UH, THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE AND I RECEIVED AN EMAIL THE OTHER DAY TELLING ME WELL, UH, MR LEWIS, YOUR DEED WAS FROM 1946. WELL, I DON'T CARE IF IT WAS FROM 1846. IT WAS THE DEED THAT THE CITY GAVE ME AND WITH THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF WHAT MY PROPERTY LOOKS LIKE AND THERE WAS ANOTHER DEED NEXT DOOR TO IT WITH A LEGAL DIS. THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS ON THE DEED LEGAL DESCRIPTION. I ASSUME THAT LEGAL DESCRIPTION MEANS LEGAL DESCRIPTION. AND RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, I'M I'M PRETTY FLEXIBLE IF THEY IF SOMETHING CAN BE WORKED OUT, BUT TO TAKE 12 FT OF MY LAND, AND THEN TO SEND ME A TAX LETTER SAYING THAT WE'RE STILL CHARGING YOU FOR THAT 12 FT. THERE IS CLEARLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT PICTURE. THANK YOU. YES, SIR. YES. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. ALL RIGHT, GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JASPER LEWIS AND I'M IN FAVOR OF, UH THIS ORDINANCE. THAT ONE OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WAS ON THE BOARD WAS 1009, WHICH HAPPENED TO BELONG TO MY WIFE AND I, WE'VE HAD IT FOR OVER. 30 YEARS, ALMOST 40 YEARS NOW, AND IT'S BEEN A DUPLEX SINCE 1927.

AND, UH, IT'S ONLY BEEN VACANT, MAYBE A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS. AND WE WANTED TO RENOVATE IT, AND, UH THIS ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW? WOULD HELP US TO GO AHEAD AND RENOVATE THE PROPERTY PROPERLY. AND, UH, A THANK YOU. MR WILLIAMS. MR. LEWIS MR. LEWIS I'M SORRY. CAN YOU STATE YOUR ADDRESS AGAIN FOR US, PLEASE? UH, THE ADDRESS OF THE PROPERTY. YES. 1009 1011 WEST HIGH WEST HAT, OK? THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. MY NAME IS J PER BEEN A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF THE CITY.

I'M ALSO A REAL ESTATE INVESTOR IN THE CITY FOR THE LAST DECADE, AND I COULD SPEAK HERE AS PART OF THE PSB TECHNICAL, ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE PSB CO. HEIGHTS. AND AS OF REMEMBER, WE HAVE COME TO THIS, UM MEAN WHEN WE CAME IN DECEMBER BY THE NARCO FOREMAN BECAUSE WE HAVE MEMBERS AND WE ALSO HAVE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING WHO HAVE BOUGHT HOUSES IN THE CITY THAT ARE NOT THAT REALLY CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITH IT. IMAGINE WE'RE BUYING DUPLEXES THAT WE CONSIDER DUPLEXES BEING TOLD THAT WE CAN NO LONGER USE THEM AS DUPLEXES. AND NOW THEY ARE EIGHT BED TWO BATH HOUSES WHO'S GONNA RENT A EIGHT BED TWO BATH HOUSES IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. THAT'S NOT A LIVING QUARTER THAT ANYBODY IN THE CITY CAN AFFORD. AND WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY LIVE IN. SO BECAUSE OF THAT WE ARE, WE CAME TO THE, UM ZONING AND PLANNING AND ASKED THEM. COULD YOU PLEASE LOOK AT CHANGING THIS? BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE CITY, AND WE CAN'T DO THAT, WITH THE BEING FORCED TO MAKE A DUPLEX STATUS, EIGHT BEDS, FOUR BATHS. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHO'S GONNA LIVE

[00:25:04]

THE TITLE OF THIS ORDINANCE WOULD BE HOW IT WAS LISTED ON THE AGENDA. OK, I JUST BECAUSE THIS ONE ALSO TALKS ABOUT QUAD PEX IS THIS IS THE INCORRECT TITLE AND I'M I'M GLAD YOU CAUGHT THAT SO WITH THE TITLE OF THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO UPDATE THIS TITLE. ALL RIGHT. SO IS THERE ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED AT THIS POINT? BY THE CLERK OR BY YOU? YES I'LL GET AN UPDATED ORDINANCE BASED ON THIS MOTION TO REFLECT THE TITLE OF THE ITEM, AS WAS ON THE AGENDA, ALL RIGHT. HOW ABOUT, UH, I GUESS, UH, MR WILLIAMS, CAN YOU WEIGH IN ON THIS? DO WE NEED TO ADD THIS? UH, LANGUAGE TO THE PENDING MOTION, OR CAN IT JUST GO THROUGH THE WAY IT IS? YES, SIR. I, I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU, UH, ASK THE MOTION BE AMENDED TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE WITH THE TITLE THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE AGENDA PACKAGE RATHER THAN THE TITLE THAT IS ON THE ORDINANCE ITSELF AND THAT'LL RESOLVE IT. ALL RIGHT. UM, I THINK WE ARE. MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE ZONE. THE ORDINANCE WITH THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS.

ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAD A MOTION IN A SECOND, SO YOU'RE AMEND A MOTION WITH THOSE NECESSARY CORRECTION? YES, WITH THE NECESSARY CORRECTIONS, AND WE HAVE VICE MAYOR SWIFT LEE, WHO SECONDED WITH THE AMENDMENT. OK, WE GOOD. OKAY, DISCUSSION. COUNCILMAN JONES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW WE COULD SIT HERE AND, UH ACT LIKE WE DIDN'T HEAR THIS MAN SAY. HIS LAND WAS BASICALLY TAKEN FROM HIM. PARTS OF IT. HE'S BEEN CHARGED FOR IT, AND WE'RE GONNA SEE HIM MOVE THIS MOTION WITHOUT ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE, AND IF IT'S JUST ONE IF IT'S JUST ONE OF I'M SURE THERE'S MANY OTHERS. AND WE SHOULDN'T BE PASSING ANYTHING UNTIL WE TAKE CARE OF STUFF LIKE THIS. FIRST FIRST. SECONDLY I DISAGREE WITH THE YOUNG MAN WHO SAID NOBODY IN THE CITY CAN AFFORD STUFF. I KEEP TELLING Y'ALL THIS CITY IS NOT POOR. WE ARE POWER. WE'RE NOT POOR. SO TO SAY WE CAN'T AFFORD CERTAIN THINGS THAT I DISAGREE WITH THAT. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE OUT HERE THAT CAN'T AFFORD A LOT OF STUFF. ALL RIGHT. SO WE WE'RE NOT GONNA SIT AND SAY CAN'T

[00:30:01]

HE WAS WAITING ON SOMETHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. RIGHT. THIS THIS IS THE ISSUE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT? BUT WE TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD TAKE OF IT BACK THEN. RIGHT AND IT WENT BACK TO PLANNING AND THEY THEY WENT OVER AND CAME BACK WITH THIS ADOPTION SO HE CAN FIX HIS HOUSE. HE'S TAKEN CARE OF. OK, WELL AGAIN. I TELL YOU, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THAT ISSUE. OF THIS YOUNG MAN'S PROPERTY BEING TAKEN AND CHARGED FOR IT, HE SAYS HE'S FLEXIBLE. TO WORK WITH YOU. SO WE NEED TO COME COME UP WITH SOMETHING. TO ADDRESS THAT SITUATION. RIGHT? M MS YOU WANT TO, UH, TO ADDRESS WHERE YOU ARE WITH, UM, DOCTOR LEWIS'S SITUATION? YES WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH DOCTOR LEWIS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO. I THINK THERE'S JUST SOME INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE COLLECTED FROM THE BOTH WORKING WITH THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE AND THE CIRCUIT COURT AS WELL TO LOOK AT THE RECORDS THERE. UM BUT IT MIGHT JUST BE. I THINK WE'RE JUST HAVING AN INTERPRETATION DIFFERENCE OF THE DEED. MHM. BUT WE'VE BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING WITH HIM ON THIS. WHEN WILL WE HEAR BACK FROM YOU ON THAT? I BELIEVE MY TEAM'S ALREADY REACHED BACK OUT. I'LL FOLLOW BACK UP WITH THEM. OK? ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND AT THIS TIME IS HERE. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER, CUTHBERT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS STAYING COUNCIL MEMBER OF WESTBROOK COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH, A VICE MAYOR. NEXT IS ITEM, A B A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE READOPT SECTION 2-108 OF THE PUB PETERSBURG CITY CODE PERTAINING TO RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CLERK WITH RESPECT TO THE PUBLISHED ORDINANCES. SECOND READING. ALRIGHT. ALL RIGHT, MR WILLIAMS. OH, OK, YOU CAN GO FOR HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UH AND HONORABLE MAYOR, UM AT THE LAST MEETING, OR PERHAPS IT WAS THE ONE BEFORE THAT, UH, COUNCIL ASKED ME TO, UH, HELP CLARIFY THE SIBIL, UH, OF THE CLERK WITH RESPECT TO UNICODE. UM, YOU MAY RECALL SEVERAL YEARS AGO WAS PROBABLY 20. 1920 20. WE DISCOVERED THAT ORDINANCE THAT WERE BEING ADOPTED BY A COUNCIL AND THIS WAS ORDINANCES THAT WERE PRETTY OLD. I MEAN, TALKING BACK, YOU KNOW, LONG BEFORE 2019 OR SOME, FOR SOME REASON, NOT MAKING IT INTO THE PUBLISHED CODE OF ORDINANCES. AND AT THAT TIME LIKE MANY LOCALITIES, UH, THAT RESPONSIBILITY WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CLERK. UM AND IN TALKING TO THE FORMER CLERK, UH, WHO WAS HERE? UH, SHE INDICATED? YES, SHE UNDERSTOOD IT WAS A PROBLEM. BUT IT WAS A PROBLEM THAT EVEN PRE DATED HER EXISTENCE. THERE WAS A BACKLOG OF THAT SO TO SPEAK. AND SO WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT WITH COUNSEL, THE DECISION WAS MADE THAT WE WOULD TRY TO HELP HER AND PART OF THAT HELP WAS MY OFFICE WOULD TAKE OVER HANDLING THE PUBLICATION OF, UH, PUBLISHED CODE OF ORDINANCES IN THE MUA CODE FOR THE ORDINANCES AND ZONING WOULD HANDLE THE ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS AS WELL. AND AS WE HAD WITH MUNI CODE, AND SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN YOU ADOPT A, UH ORDINANCE OR RESOLUTION. UH, WE GET A COPY OF IT FROM THE CLERK AND MY PARALEGAL, THEN CONTACTS MUNICH CODE AND SAYS THIS NEEDS TO BE IN THE PUBLISHED CODE OF ORDINANCES, AND THEY PUBLISH IT AND THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR OR WHOEVER THEY HAVE IN PLANNING AND ZONING. DOES THAT FOR THE ZONING ORDINANCE, UH, AT THIS LAST MEETING, THE DISCUSSION CAME UP AND COUNSEL SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T WE DO LIKE EVERY OTHER LOCALITY AND HAVE A CLERK DO IT AGAIN. AND UH, I BELIEVE THE CURRENT CLERK OR OUR NEW CLERK, UH, INDICATED SHE DIDN'T HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH TAKING ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY. AND SO I BROUGHT AN ORDINANCE AS YOU'VE REQUESTED TO CLARIFY. THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES ARE NOW BACK WITH THE CLERK IF YOU CHOOSE TO ADOPT IT. SO THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY. UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU PLEASE LET ME KNOW. OK, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS. ON THE ORDINANCE REQUESTED BY CITY COUNCIL TO AMEND AND READOPT ARTICLE 24 NON CONFORMING USES AND ARTICLE 25 SUPPLEMENTARY HEIGHT AREA AND BULK REGULATIONS AS SET FORTH IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. OK I'M GONNA THE WRONG ONE. ALL RIGHT. I'LL PUT HAND CONSIDERATION ORDERS TO AMEND THE READOPT SECTION 2-108 OF THE PETERSBURG CITY CODE PERTAINING TO RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CLERK WITH RESPECT TO PUBLISH ORDINANCES, SECOND READING. I GOT SOMETHING TO SAY. IS THIS A IS THIS PERTAINING TO THE CLERK? DUTIES TO THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. UM NED, THIS IS WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT COMING UP LATER FOR THAT, OK? THIS PUBLIC

[00:35:07]

RIGHT, SEEING NO OTHER HANDS. 011 MORE. YES, YES. YES, SIR. COME ON, OK. OK, PERFECT. ONLY FOR THE OTHER. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE TAX RATE FOR PEOPLE THAT'S COMING UP IN THE NEXT THE NEXT PUBLIC HEARING, SO WILL BE THE TAX RATE, OK? THIS IS FOR THE REAL ESTATE EXEMPTION FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED. YES, MA'AM. HELLO. MY NA ME IS CYNTHIA. UM AND, UM 400 BLACK BROTHER. OR SUMMER DRIVE. SORRY. UM, I'M A SINGLE MOM. AND COMPARING. I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR LIST REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INCOME I PUT DOWN. UM REALLY? UM, I. I PUT DOWN THE SAME THING EVERY YEAR. UM BUT THEN WHEN I MOVED HERE, I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE FOR SIX YEARS NOW. UH, YOU KNOW, COVID JUST MESSED UP EVERYTHING AND A LOT OF THINGS WERE ADDED AND I COULDN'T GET AN APPOINTMENT TO TALK TO ANYONE. AND THEN AFTER THAT, I APPLIED AND I WAS DENIED FOR ANY HELP.

AND EVERYTHING HAS JUST INCREASED. AND I'M NOT SURE I CAN'T MAKE MY BUDGET MAKE

[00:40:03]

THEIR CAP IS SO MUCH IT'S NOT REALLY FAIR. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP. MONEY'S NOT GONE UP. I'M ABOUT $1000 SHORTS. I'M SORRY. THEY INCREASE IS JUST GOING UP. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE ENDS MEET. SO YOU KNOW, AND FOR OUR SENIOR CITIZENS WHO ARE DISABLED, YOU KNOW THEY HAVE SUCH LIMITED INCOME. AND IF THAT'S INCREASED AS WELL, THEY'RE GONNA LOSE OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEY MAY LOSE THEIR HOME BECAUSE FOOD'S GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE. UH AND THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR SO MANY THINGS. I? IT WOULD JUST BE NICE IF EVERYTHING WAS MORE FAIR. UM, YOU KNOW, SO I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE OTHER PLACES THAT HAVE A HIGHER INCOMES THAN HERE, BUT WE JUST NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT I MEAN MY MYSELF ON THE DEAF I'M DISABLED. I HAVE LIMITED INCOME AND IF AND IF YOU WANNA INCREASE UM YOU KNOW, I'VE I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING FOR THREE YEARS. SO YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TAX MYSELF. IT'S JUST A REAL STRUGGLE. THANK YOU. OK, THANK YOU. AGAIN UM, COULD I HAVE THE NAME AND ADDRESS AGAIN, PLEASE? CYNTHIA. WALLEN OK, THANK YOU. YEAH. BLACK. THANK YOU. OK? SEEING NO OTHER HANDS. THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED, THANKS TO GO TO DISCUSSION PROMOTES THE COUNCIL OR YES.

COUNCILOR JONES. YES, MR MAYOR. THANK YOU. I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO A MAN CHAPTER. 106 TAXATION ARTICLE THREE REAL ESTATE DIVISION THREE EXEMPTION FOR THE ELDERLY AND DISABLED AS IT IS WRITTEN. OK? THANK YOU. VICE MAYOR HILL SECOND MOTION TO SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ALL RIGHT, SAYING NO. MISS HILL. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROAD? COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, A COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH LEE, VICE MAYOR. RIGHT. NEXT WE MOVE ON TO ITEM D, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT. THE REAL PROPERTY TAX RATE. SECOND READING. ALRIGHT, MR ALMAN. MR MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. UH, IT IS THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AS WE ARE IN BUDGET TIME FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER SETTING THEIR REAL ESTATE TAX RATE. OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IS $1.27 PER 100 OF ASSESSED VALUE. AS A RESULT OF THE REASSESSMENT THAT OCCURRED THIS YEAR. UH, WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING. UH, TO, UH, EITHER IF WE HOLD THE RANKS OR REDUCE IT TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT IS CONSIDERED UM THE LOWER TAX RATE WOULD BE A DOLLAR 12 PER 100 TO OFFSET THE INCREASE, WHICH WOULD NORMALIZE THE, UH INCREASE. SO THIS EVENING. WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER, UH, YOUR TAX RATE WE HAVE ADVERTISED IT AT A DOLLAR 27 PER 100.

THEREFORE IT'S CAPPED COUNCIL CAN ALWAYS GO BELOW THAT. BUT AS WE DISCUSSED, WE ARE WE CANNOT GO ANY HIGHER. SO THAT'S WHY WE ADVERTISE IT AT THAT RATE. UH, CERTAINLY THE DOLLAR 27 SUPPORTS OUR OUR BUDGET NEEDS AND OUR ABILITY TO MAKE INVEST FURTHER INVESTMENT. INTO THE COMMUNITY, UH, AS WE ARE NOW DISCUSSING THROUGH OUR MEETINGS AND OUR WITH OUR BUDGET, AND WE WILL BE DISCUSSING WITH THE COMMUNITY. SO UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. ALRIGHT. OK THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW ON THE TAX RATE. WHERE'S THE GENTLEMAN THAT CAME CAME UP FIRST WITH RED HAT. YOU LET ME START WITH YOU, SIR. NA ME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.

ROBERT ANDERSON. 549D. PETERSBU, VIRGINIA. YEAH. LET'S PULL THE MIC OVER BACK. YEAH. ROBERT ANDERSON, 549 NORTH AZALEA ROAD, PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. THANK YOU AND I CAME BEFORE YOU LAST MONTH. ABOUT THIS THIS TAX RATE. AND I. I WISH SOMEONE PUBLICLY. OR PRIVATELY WOULD TELL ME WHY PETERSBURG HAS THE HIGHEST RATE IN THE AREA. THERE'S NO OTHER LOCALITY WITH A RATE. I'D LIKE

[00:45:01]

UM, AND IT'S A RIPPLE EFFECT. I I KNOW A YOUNG LADY WHO HAS A VOUCHER FOR AND SHE CAN GO TO PETERSBURG, PRINCE GEORGE COLONIAL HEIGHTS. I SAID, WELL, WHERE ARE YOU GOING? NOT PETERSBURG. NO WAY. BECA BECAUSE I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ARE YOU ALL CONSIDERATE OF THE PEOPLE IN PETERSBURG? WITH THESE HIGHER RATES. WITH THE NEW ASSESSMENT. MOST OF THE RATES ARE ARE ARE DOUBLED. AND THAT'S THAT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. I MEAN PEOPLE ON FIXED INCOME. I MEAN, PLEASE. I HOPE I'M NOT WASTING MY TIME. ALL RIGHT, MISS BOB RUDOLPH. RUDOLPH 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. NOW I KNOW WHEN WE DID THIS TWO YEARS AGO. A LOT MORE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN OUT ABOUT THE REASSESSMENTS AND WHAT THIS MEANT. SO RIGHT OFF THE BAT . I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO FIND PEOPLE ARE GONNA CONFUSE THEIR INCREASES IN ASSESSMENTS WITH THE INCREASE IN TAX RATES, SO I HOPE YOU CAN SORT THROUGH EVERYTHING THAT GETS TALKED ABOUT. BUT TWO YEARS AGO. UH, WHEN YOU WENT FROM 135 TO 127 THE ACTUAL FULL REDUCTION TO HAVE THE NOR TO NORMALIZE THE AS THE, UM THE REVENUE WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE TWICE IT WOULD BE. I DON'T KNOW SOMETHING LIKE 120.

THIS YEAR WE'RE LOOKING AT GOING FROM THE RANGE IS FROM 127 TO 112. I BELIEVE IF YOU WENT AND DID IT LIKE YOU DID TWO YEARS AGO, YOU WOULD JUST GO IN THE MIDDLE SOMEWHERE. LIKE 119, OR 120. AND I UNDERSTAND, AS MR ALTMAN SAID THAT IT BENEFITS THE CITY. TO KEEP THAT MONEY AND KEEP THE TAX RATE HIGHER, SO THE CITY BENEFITS FROM THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE WHICH IS ALMOST $3.5 MILLION. IN BUILDING THE 25 BUDGET. MY ISSUE IS THE RE. I MEAN, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT OF REASONS WHY PEOPLE CAN'T LIVE WITH THE TAX RATE STAYING AS IT IS, IT NEEDS TO BE REDUCED. UM, I'LL GIVE A LITTLE ALTERNATE POSITION ON THAT. I. I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH OUR BEING ASKED TO ACCEPT THAT THE CITY WOULD KEEP THE $33.4 MILLION. BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND IT ON BECAUSE WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A 25 BUDGET TO LOOK AT. I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, IT COULD BE ANYTHING. I REMEMBER. UM I LOOKED AT LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. WHERE CAN WE HAVE 659 POSITIONS? BUT MR ALTMAN HIMSELF RECENTLY SAID WE ONLY HAVE 500 OF THOSE FILLED. SO HOW MUCH EXTRA MONEY IS THAT GENERATING AND THAT JUST SEEMS TO BE A PERSISTENT SITUATION FROM YEAR TO YEAR. I'VE GOT AN ANALYSIS THAT I'LL BRING TO YOU LATER ABOUT SOME DISCRETIONARY SPENDING. THAT'S OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. THERE'S THINGS IN THE BUDGET NOW THAT WOULD INDICATE YOU DON'T NEED TO INCREASE THE REVENUE. I MEAN THIS REV. THE REV. YOU COULD EVEN TAKE SOME SAVINGS OUT OF THE BUDGET THAT YOU'RE USING THIS YEAR AND DO SOME MORE SOMETHING FOR CITY EMPLOYEES. THE ONES WHO WE HAVE. I MEAN, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY VACANCIES, SO PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT. THIS WHOLE PROCESS HAS GOTTEN COCKEYED. BY ASKING PEOPLE TO EXPECT THAT WE CAN WE TRUST THAT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THAT MONEY ON REFLECTS THE NEEDS AND THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG. BUT WE HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT WE'RE JUST OPERATING ON AN A, UH, YOU KNOW, A LEAP OF FAITH. AND I DON'T THINK THE RESULTS FROM THE PAST INDICATE THAT MAYBE WE ALL WANT TO MAKE THAT LEAP OF FAITH. SO FOR THAT REASON I HAVE I REALLY KINDA HAVE A HARD TIME ASKING THAT WE THAT WE DON'T GO ALL THE WAY DOWN OR CLOSE TO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 112. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. RIGHT HERE. UP FRONT. YES. MY NAME IS CYNTHIA. WELL, 1 400 BLACK. ONE MOMENT. CYNTHIA. THEY DIDN'T HEAR ME. UM CYNTHIA WALLEN 400 BLACK DRIVE. UM, SIX YEARS AGO WHEN I WHEN I MOVED HERE TO PETERSBURG. BEFORE I REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE BECAUSE I HEARD THERE WAS AGGRESSION. THERE WAS ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS, BUT I WENT AHEAD AND MOVED ON FAITH AND I GOT THE HOUSE. IT WAS CHEAP. I WAS EXCITED WHEN I MOVED. I KNEW

[00:50:02]

THEY SAID PETERSBURG IS A DANGEROUS PLACE. I'M NOT COMING TO WHERE YOU LIVE, SO I COULD NEVER GET AN APPRAISER TO COME TO MY HOUSE. SO I CALLED THE MORTGAGE AND SAID, HOW AM I GOING TO GET THIS DONE? UM YOU KNOW, HOW CAN I GET EQUITY FOR MY HOME AND MY PROPERTY? THEY SAID SORRY. YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO KEEP PAYING THIS INSURANCE, UH, UNTIL THE VALUE GOES DOWN AND, UM BECAUSE I COULDN'T USE THE APPRAISER. SO I THOUGHT YOU'RE PLANNING TO INCREASE THE REAL ESTATE TAX AGAIN. MY MORTGAGE IS GONNA INCREASE, BUT I DIDN'T CAN'T GET ANY OF THAT EQUITY OUT. I COULDN'T GET THE PRIVATE INSURANCE. SO I'VE SPENT ALL THIS MONEY AND I WANT TO REMOVE THE PRIVATE INSURANCE. UM I WANT THE P I OFF AND THEN I CAN AFFORD THIS. I MEAN, IT'S ABOUT 25% INCREASE. MY HOME INSURANCE HAS INCREASED ANOTHER 25. SO THAT MEANS MY PAYMENTS ARE EVEN MORE. IT'S $800 MORE. SO I MEAN, IT'S THE TAX. IT'S JUST NOT FAIR. I THINK YOU NEED TO KEEP IT. LOWER IT DOWN TO WHERE IT WAS. YOU KNOW? AND SO IF I CAN GET RID OF THIS PRIVATE INSURANCE, I CAN AFFORD YOUR INCREASE. BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I CAN'T I MEAN, I CAN'T PAY $1000 A MONTH. AS AN INCREASE. I'M JUST PAYING MORE AND MORE AND MORE EVERY TIME AND THE INSURANCE KEEPS INCREASING. AND HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO AFFORD THIS? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO LIVE, ESPECIALLY WITH SENIOR CITIZENS WHO HAVE HAVE LIMITED INCOME? IT'S JUST NOT FAIR. I MEAN, I WISH I'D KNOWN THIS BEFORE I WENT. I WAS EXCITED TO LIVING IN PETERSBURG. BUT NOW IT SORT OF SEEMS LIKE A WASTE. UM I THINK I THINK WE NEED TO THINK TWICE ABOUT HOW WE CAN MATCH. UM UH, WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN MATCH THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE WITH THE CITY AND WE NEED TO HAVE A SAFE LIFE. AND OTHER PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, THEY THINK. OH, WE'LL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND MOVE HERE TO PETERSBURG AND MAKES EVERYTHING HIGH BECAUSE THEY'RE THINGS OUT.

BUT WE ARE STUCK THOSE WHO HAVE TO LIVE HERE. THANK YOU. OK? YOU. RIGHT? DR LEWIS. AGAIN DOCTOR KENNETH LEWIS. 503 MISTLETOE STREET. WARD FIVE. PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. APPROACH CAREFULLY. BECAUSE MY YOU. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TAX RATE. AND NOT TAX ASSESSMENT. I HAVE NO REAL ISSUE WITH THE DOLLAR 27 PER $100 TAX RATE. BUT IT BOTHERS ME THAT MY TAX ASSESSMENT INCREASED BY 900% OR ABOUT 150. OR BY 200% FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND SO IT LITERALLY DOUBLES THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT I WILL PAY TO THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND INCLUDING THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT I MENTIONED BEFORE THAT I DON'T OWN BUT I'M BEING INCREASED THE TAX ON SO I SPEAK CAUTIOUSLY ABOUT YOUR ASSESSMENT OF $1.27. WHEN IT'S THE RATE, IT'S NOT THE RATE. THAT IS IMPACTING ME. IT IS THE ASSESSMENT. EVEN MY BACKYARD PART OF MY BACKYARD GOT INCREASED SOMETHING LIKE 900% BECAUSE IT BELONGED TO A PIECE OF IT BELONGED TO ANOTHER LADY.

AND WHEN I CUT HER GRASS SHE DIED. SHE GAVE ME THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY AS A GIFT. THE ONLY THING THAT YOU CAN DO IN IT IS GROW FLOWERS OR A TREE. BUT UH, THE, UH, SOMEONE FROM THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE CAME OUT AND LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, WELL, THE REASON THAT IT WAS INCREASED IS

[00:55:03]

ALL RIGHT. SO I ECHO BARB RUDOLPH IN THIS WHAT ARE WE USING THIS MONEY FOR? BECAUSE A YEAR AGO WE PUT MONEY IN THE FUND BALANCE, AND WE BOUGHT EMPTY LOTS DOWNTOWN WITH THE EXTRA MONEY WE HAD FROM OUR PREVIOUS BUDGET. SO WHY DO WE NEED MORE MONEY AGAIN? ARE YOU GOING TO PUT IT INTO THE CITY INTO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE? ARE WE GOING TO SEE MORE PROGRAMMING? IS THE LIBRARY GOING TO BE OPEN ON SUNDAYS? ARE WE GOING TO INCREASE OUR POLICE FORCE? IF WE'RE NOT DOING THESE THINGS, WHAT IS THE POINT? YOU'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T NEED AT THAT AT THAT POINT, AND THAT'S NOT FAIR TO ANYONE. SO UNLESS YOU CAN EXPLAIN TO US WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH THIS. I DON'T THINK ANYONE HERE CAN SUPPORT IT.

THANK YOU. UM YES, MR PACKER. MAY MEMBERS. COUNCIL MY NAME IS MICHAEL PACKER. I LIVE AT 1245 WOODLAND ROAD. AND I WOULD, UH, ASK COUNSEL TO CONSIDER LOWERING THE RATE NOT NECESSARILY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO A POINT OF EQUAL. REVENUES WITH THIS YEAR'S ESTIMATED TAXES, BUT, UH, A PORTION OF THAT DECREASE, UH, THE GOOD NEWS. IS THAT OUR VALUES WENT UP SUBSTANTIALLY OVER THE LAST BIENNIUM. UM AND THAT'S GOOD FOR ALL OF US WHO OWN PROPERTY IN PETERSBURG TO KNOW OUR PROPERTY IS WORTH MORE. AH! ALSO THE CITY KNOWS THAT OUR PROPERTIES ARE STILL NOT EQUAL TO EQUAL TO SIMILAR PROPERTIES IN THE SURROUNDING AREA, SO WE NEED TO HAVE A HIGHER RATE THAN OUR NEIGHBORS IN ORDER TO GENERATE ENOUGH INCOME TO OPERATE GOVERNMENT. THE PROBLEM.

IS WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION. AS YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO GET NEW INDUSTRY AND NEW BUSINESS IN PETERSBURG. THEIR ASSESSMENTS ARE GOING TO BE AT WHAT IT COSTS THEM TO BUILD. AND THAT'S THE SAME WHETHER IT'S HERE OR IN THE SURROUNDING AREA, AND THAT'S THE LARGEST PART OF THE COST OF THE VALUE OF THE REAL ESTATE IS THE IMPROVEMENT. WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT UM, INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS TO PETERSBURG. AND IT'S DIFFICULT TO COMPETE. IF OUR RATE IS SO MUCH HIGHER THAN OUR NEIGHBORS, AND I THINK IF WE LOOK AND SEE HOW WELL WE'VE DONE IN THAT REGARD, WE CAN SEE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW SOMEHOW SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS ARE EATING OUR LUNCH IN THAT REGARD THERE THEY'RE THEY'RE DOING BETTER THAN WE ARE . SO MY HOPE WOULD BE THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER NOT LOWERING THE TAX. ALL THE WAY BACK DOWN TO MAKE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF REVENUE, BUT TO LOWER SOME SO THAT WE HAVE A CHANCE TO ATTRACT SOME NEW BUSINESS AND NEW INDUSTRY IN PETERSBURG. IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL, WE'LL MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. AND WHAT YOU REDUCE IT TO IN THE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT OCCURS THAT HELPS YOUR CITIZENS WITH A LOWER RATE. IT GETS THE BUSINESSES IN INDUSTRIES IN TOWN THAT WE NEED FOR JOBS. UH AND TO GIVE US SOME BALANCE IN ALL FOR THOSE REASONS, I, I WOULD ASK YOU CONSIDER IT, UH, WHEN I FIRST CAME TO WORK FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, THE RIGHT WAS A DOLLAR 45. UH AND IT NEEDS TO COME DOWN. UM BECAUSE OF THE VALUES GOING UP, SO, UM IN IN IN

[01:00:08]

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BARBARA HOOSIER. I LIVE AT 2335. ANDERSON STREET. IN PETERSBURG 23805. FIRST OF ALL, I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY I UNDERSTAND THAT MARKET VALUES OF HOMES HAVE INCREASED OVERALL IN OUR COUNTRY. WE KNOW THAT. GIVEN THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES FOR OUR IMPOVERISHED AREA. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE FEAR OF BEING FORCED OUT OF OUR HOMES . MANY OF US FEEL LIKE THE TAXES CONTINUE TO GO UP. THEY'RE GONNA LOSE THEIR HOMES. UH DUE TO INABILITY TO PAY OUTRAGEOUS AND UNREASONABLE TAX INCREASES YEAR AFTER YEAR. IF WE CHOOSE TO APPEAL ACCORDING TO OUR LETTERS. THAT PROCESS ALSO REQUIRES THAT THE RESIDENT SPENDS MONEY ON AN APPRAISAL AND THAT'S ANOTHER FOUR OR $500 OUT OF POCKET. MANY OF US ARE ON FIXED INCOMES. AND SOME OF US WHO WORK EVERY DAY. STEEL CANNOT AFFORD THE ADDITIONAL STRAIN. AND FINANCIAL BURDEN. IF FAMILIES ARE DISPLACED OR FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOMES FOR UNPAID TAXES, THEN WE ARE CREATING ANOTHER LEVEL OF HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY. TO ADD TO THE PROBLEM THAT WE ALREADY HAVE WITH HOMELESSNESS. AS OUR LEADERS YOU CANNOT OPEN BURDEN AND UNDERSERVE US AT THE SAME TIME. AND EXPECT POSITIVE OUTCOMES IN A SYSTEM THAT APPEARS TO BE BROKEN RIGHT NOW.

I THINK THAT WE CAN DO BETTER. AS A COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER. AND WE CAN DO BETTER.

PEOPLE OF PETERSBURG DESERVE A FAIR AND HONEST CHANCE HERE. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT, SEEING NO OTHER HANDS. ON THIS PUBLIC HEARING. I MR. MARQUIS ALLEN, CAN YOU, UM, COME UP FRONT? UM, M, MY KEYS, THE DIRECTOR OF PARKS AND RECS. I KNOW. UM THE, UM, TOPIC THAT CAME UP. WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? WITH THE EXTRA REVENUE THAT WE HAVE FROM FROM MAINTAINING THE TAX RATE. UM YOU KNOW, UM, LIKE MR PACKER SAID THE TAX RATE WAS A DOLLAR 45 CENT. TWO YEARS AGO, WE LOWERED IT FROM A DOLLAR 35 TO A DOLLAR 27. AND, UM, PART OF, UM PART OF MAINTAINING IT TO A DOLLAR 27. WE WAS ABLE TO GIVE $2 MILLION MORE TO OUR SCHOOLS LAST BUDGET YEAR AND ALSO THE PROPERTIES THAT WAS, UH, BOUGHT DOWNTOWN BECAUSE WE UNDER A COURT ORDER TO BUILD A NEW COURTHOUSE. SO WE GOT THOSE PROPERTIES SO AND MY BUDGET HEARINGS I KNOW WE HAVE HAVE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CASH STRAPPED HERE, AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO TOO MANY THINGS FOR OUR YOUTH HERE IN THE CITY, AND I INVITED MARQUIS UP HERE BECAUSE MARQUIS WANTS TO SHOW WE WANT TO DO WITH THAT MONEY AND MAINTAINING BECAUSE I KNOW THE QUESTION HAD BEEN ASKED SO BECAUSE FOR YEARS WE HAVE BEEN BEEN REALLY DIS DOING A DISSERVICE TO OUR KIDS HERE, NOT HAVING ADEQUATE PLAYGROUNDS AND PARKS AND ALL OF THEM HAVE HAVE BEEN THE SAME FOR THE LAST 45 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE. UM, AND NOTHING'S BEEN CHANGED, BUT MR MARQUIS ALLEN HAS DONE A REMARKABLE JOB OVER AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX AND HE HAS A VISION THAT WE WANT TO PUT IN PLACE NOW TO UPGRADE OUR PARKS FOR OUR KIDS TO HAVE A NICE PLACE TO PLAY AND TO COME AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. MARQUIS, COULD YOU UM PRESENT, PLEASE. SURE, YES. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. I'M GONNA BE REALLY BRIEF. IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE ABOUT AN EIGHT MINUTE 8 TO 10 MINUTE PRESENTATION. UM BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO THROUGH IT. SO WELL, UM SO THE NEXT SLIDE. SO THE OFFICER RECREATION. OUR BIGGEST CONCERN AROUND MISSION IS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE. UM AS IT RELATES TO OUR SENIORS, ADULTS AND YOUTH POPULATION BY

[01:05:03]

SO YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS NEED A COMPLETE UPLIFT. I THINK OUR CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THOSE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENTS IF WE UPGRADED AND YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM A SAFE PLACE TO GO. SO AS YOU SEE, THESE ARE ALL OF THE PARKS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. WE'VE A PLATFORM GRANT FUNDING SO CDBG FUNDING YOU SEE FARMERS STREET. YOU SEE JEFFERSON STREET LEGENDS , UM LOW STREET MACKENZIE STREET. OH CURSED THE SPORTS COMPLEX. WE'RE CURRENTLY RENOVATING AND THEN WEST VIEW IS A CITY OWNED PARK AS WELL. FARMERS STREET. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW. UM THIS IS THE CURRENT CONDITION. WE HAVE GREAT NEWS SO TODAY DUE TO THE CDBG FUNDING, UM WE WILL BE STARTING CONSTRUCTION IN ABOUT TWO WEEKS. UM AND WE WILL HAVE A BRAND NEW BASKETBALL COURT TENNIS COURT AND PICKLEBALL LINES. YOU SEE JEFFERSON STREET.

WE NEED TO FIX THOSE COURTS. YOU SEE THE SIGN AND THINGS OF THAT SORT. UM, AND THAT'S JUST A CONTINUATION OF THAT. SLOW DOWN WITH THE PICTURES, PLEASE. BACK UP AND SLOW DOWN, PLEASE. BACK UP ONE MORE. GO AHEAD, MR ALLEN. YEP SO YOU'RE YOU'RE DEFINITELY SEE JEFFERSON STREET AS ONE AND AS SHE GOES THROUGH THAT SO THE PLAYGROUND IS IN DECENT SHAPE. YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY HE NEEDS TO BE MARCHED AND THINGS OF THAT SORT. MCKENZIE STREET. THAT'S THE CURRENT CONDITION. WE DID PUT UP THE GOALS AND DID WE ALSO PUT UP SOME SOCCER GOALS? SO WE DID INVEST IN THAT, UM, WITH OUR CURRENT BUDGET, BUT OBVIOUSLY, UM, IT NEEDS TO BE COMPLETELY RENOVATED. THE PLAYGROUND AND PAVILION, AS YOU SEE IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. AND THIS WOULD BE A POTENTIAL NEW LOOK.

SO THIS IS ONE OF THE COMPANIES THAT WE REACHED OUT. UM THEY HAVE BEEN VETTED THROUGH THE STATE, SO THEY HAVE A STATE CONTRACT SO IT WOULD BE FAIR AND COMPETITIVE PRICING. FARMERS STREET POOL. THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE IN 21. UM SO WE HAVE MADE SOME EFFORTS ON FIXING THE POOL SO THAT WE CAN OPEN ON TIME. THIS IS WHERE FARMERS STREET POOL LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW . WE WILL OPEN THE POOL ON TIME. SO THAT'S A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR THE CITY AND THE RECREATION DEPARTMENT. WE INSTALLED A POOL COVERS SO THAT WOULD HELP US WITH OUR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE BENEFITS OF IT. SO YOU COULD SEE OUR KIDS, UM, ENJOYING, UH, THE POOL AND SWIMMING AND BEING ACTIVE. LEGENDS PARK IS OUR MOST USED PART. UM SO IT'S USED QUITE A BIT. UM YOU KNOW IF YOU RIDE BY YOUR DEFINITELY SEE DURING AS THE WEATHER CHANGES, YOU'LL SEE CROWDS OF KIDS AND ADULTS USING THAT SPACE. CURRENTLY THIS IS THE BASKETBALL COURT. HONEY, YOU CAN SEE THE SIGNIFICANT CRACK AND YOU CAN SEE THE FADING AND THINGS OF THAT SORT. UH TENNIS.

WE DID DO A GOOD JOB OF PUTTING OUR NETS UP. PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL IS PLAYING THEIR MATCHES AT LEGENDS PARK, SO WE WERE ABLE TO INVEST IN THAT TO AT LEAST GET IT RELATIVELY PLAYABLE. AND WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT VISIT THIS CITY. UH YOU HAVE TEAMS THAT THAT'S WITHIN THE DISTRICT THAT COMES IN PLACE, SO I THINK WE CAN MODERNIZE THAT TO GIVE OUR KIDS THE SAME OPPORTUNITY AS OTHER LOCALITIES. PLAYGROUND JUST NEEDS SOME BASIC CLEANUP. MULCH THINGS OF THAT SORT. UM, BUT WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS ON THAT. AND THIS IS A SOCCER FIELD . SO WE HAVE STARTED SOCCER.

WE'RE NOT SECOND YEAR WITH SOCCER. WE PARTNERED WITH Y'ALL CITY. UM SO OUR YOUTH SOCCER NUMBERS ARE STEADILY INCREASING. AH, WE WOULD LIKE TO EVENTUALLY DO A SPLASH PAD. UM I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT AMENITY. UM FOR OUR YOUTH AND OUR CITIZENS, SO THAT WOULD KIND OF BE LIKE A PHASE THREE APPROACH. UM ONE OF THE MAIN COMPLAINTS WAS THIS. WE HAVE WORKED ON DEMOLITION PROCESSES. SO WE GOT RID OF ALL OF THOSE BUILDINGS SO THAT WE CAN START DOING SOME TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION AND REPURPOSED THIS SPACE. AND YOU CAN SEE THE AFTER PICTURES OF THAT DEMOLITION. UH POTENTIAL NEW LOOK, THIS IS ABOUT A $500,000 PROJECT. UM SO THIS IS A POTENTIAL NEW LOOK. I SPOKE TO THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR THAT HIGH SCHOOL, WE WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE TO KEEP FOUR TENNIS COURTS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO HOST MATCHES AND REGIONAL EVENTS . UM AS YOU SEE AT LEGENDS RIGHT NOW THAT SMALLER SIDE WITH BASKETBALL IS A LOT OF TIMES OUR KIDS ARE GETTING KICKED OFF THE COURTS BECAUSE THE ADULTS WANT TO USE THAT SMALLER SPACE. SO WE CAN KEEP THAT SMALL SPACE AND

[01:10:01]

YOU CAN SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SIGN. UM YOU CAN SEE THE BASEBALL WHERE WE PAINTED THAT AND IMPROVED THAT. YOU COULD SEE THE DEBRIS WHERE YOU COULDN'T EVEN SEE THE SIGN WHEN YOU COME INTO THE COMPLEX, AND WHEN YOU COME INTO THE SOFTBALL SIDE OF THE COMPLEX YOU CAN SEE THE AFTER PICTURE. UM THIS IS WHAT OUR BASEBALL FIELD LOOKED LIKE. AND WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, COME TO A POINT OF DOING BETTER. THIS IS WHERE OUR KIDS PLAYED THEIR HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL GAMES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO SO DUE TO OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH RICHARD BLAINE, WE DID RECEIVE $109,000 TO RENOVATE THE BASEBALL FIELD. SO OUR KIDS THEY DON'T HAVE A BASEBALL FIELD THAT IS JUST AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN ANY OF THEIR COMPETITION. THIS IS OUR V I P SEATING AREA. UM USED TO BE A BEER GARDEN AS WELL SO WE CAN IMPROVE THAT. HOW YOU CAN SEE THE SIGN. SO WHEN PEOPLE ENTER FOR TOURNAMENTS OR KIDS THAT ARE PLAYING WHETHER IT'S THROUGH PETERSBURG SCHOOLS OR YOUTH PROGRAMS, YOU CAN SEE THE SIGN IMPROVEMENT. UM WE GOT RID OF THAT STRUCTURE, SO WE'RE REALLY MAKING AN EFFORT OF GETTING RID OF TRAILERS AND STRUCTURES THAT ARE NOT BEING USED. THESE ARE RUNNING, SO WE REPLACED THE IRONING. SO WHEN YOU RIDE INTO PETERSBURG, YOU WOULD SEE PETERSBURG COLORS. YOU CAN SEE THE AWNINGS AS YOU PULL UP INTO THE LOT. AND THEN THESE ARE PICNIC TABLES THAT WE FIX. AND THEN WE DID NEW SCOREBOARDS. AND THEN WE RE STRIKE THE PARKING LOT, AND OBVIOUSLY LATER DOWN THE ROAD, WE WOULD NEED TO REPAVE THE PARKING LOT. THIS WAS OUR CONFERENCE ROOM TO CONDITION THAT IT WAS IN. SO NOW WHEN WE HOSTED 24 PLUS TOURNAMENTS, WE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE A MEETING AREA. UM AS WELL, UM, THAT WE CAN MARKET AND CONTINUE TO USE.

THIS IS OUR BATHROOMS WHERE WE HAVE FIXED OUR BATHROOMS. UM AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX ON THE SOFTBALL SIDE. AND YOU CAN SEE THE BEFORE AND AFTER IS OF THE PAINT JOB, UM AUBREY JONES FOOTBALL FIELD. UM WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF REPLACING THE SIGN. YOU CAN SEE THE CONDITION OF THAT. UH THE SCHOOL BOARD. UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR KIDS, THE BERG BOYS, UM, PLAY PRETTY MUCH ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND, AND THEY PRACTICE EVERY NIGHT, SO WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM A NICE SCHOOL BOARD. YOU COULD SEE WHERE THE PRESS BOX WASN'T NECESSARILY SAFE, SO WE TREATED THAT WOULD AND WE STAINED IT. WE PARTNERED WOULD BOND SECURES. THEY DID A BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT WHERE WE DID SOME FRESH PAINT. UM IN RESULT ALSO, YOU COULD SEE OUR TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE. SO THE FIRST TOURNAMENT THAT WE HAD WE HAD OVER 2000. PEOPLE COMING TO THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, UM, TO VISIT AND TO ACTUALLY PLAY. THESE ARE JUST SOME IMAGES OF THE TOURNAMENT. THEN JUST A QUICK UPDATE JUST ON OUR PROGRAMMING ASPECT, AND I'M ALMOST DONE SO WE HAVE A SENIOR PROGRAM. WE WILL THINK TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH FOREIGN PASTOR DIGS FOR ALLOWING US TO USE THE SPACE. SO THIS IS GAME DAY. THESE ARE FIELD TRIPS. THEY WENT TO A FIELD TRIP YESTERDAY TO THE VIRGINIA BEACH WINERY, SO WE GO ON FIELD TRIPS ONCE A MONTH.

THEY HAVE SOCIALS. EXERCISE CLASSES ONCE A WEEK. SPECIAL EVENTS. WE USE THE LIBRARY A LOT. SO I WANT TO THANK MR CROCKER WITH THAT. BUT THIS IS OUR TRUNK OR TREAT EVENT AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX WHERE WE HAD CLOSE TO 1800 FOLKS ATTEND THAT EVENT DURING OUR TRUNK OR TREAT.

EVENT. AND YOU SEE THE COLLABORATIONS WOULD, UM CITY DEPARTMENTS AND NONPROFITS. TREE ILLUMINATION IS SOMETHING THAT WE TYPICALLY DO EVERY YEAR. HOLIDAY PARADE. UH SO WE'VE MOVED THAT BACK TO DOWNTOWN. SO UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR AS WELL. MLK DAY. SO THAT'S AN ANNUAL SPECIAL EVENT. AND THEN WE KICK OFF BLACK HISTORY MONTH WITH A GOSPEL EXTRAVAGANZA IT NORMALLY SELLS OUT THIS YEAR. THIS PAST YEAR. WE HAVE VIRGINIA STATE GOSPEL, KURATA OPENERS UP. AND THAT'S A RECORDING ARTISTS. THEN WE TRANSITION TO A BLACK HISTORY

[01:15:01]

PETERSBURG ONE EVERY AGE GROUP. UM BUT IT'S ALLOWING OUR KIDS AND NOT HAVE TO TRAVEL TOO FAR THEY CAN BE WITHIN THE SURROUNDING LOCALITIES. SOCCER HAS BEEN A SUCCESS ARE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN INCREASING EACH YEAR WE'VE RECEIVED SO THAT'S PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER FIELD OR THE TURF FOOTBALL FIELD, SO WE OPENED UP. UM, AGAINST CHARLES CITY THERE, SO WE HAVE ABOUT EIGHT TEAMS THIS YEAR, WHICH IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FROM WHERE WE STARTED. EWW BASEBALL. WE'RE GETTING READY TO START AT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. SO WE WILL HAVE A YOUTH BASEBALL PROGRAM. WE NORMALLY PARTNERED WITH FOUR GREG ADAMS. THEY DO PLAY AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX. AND THEN YOU WOULD ALSO SEE, UM PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL THAT USED A BASEBALL FIELD. RICHARD BLAND AND THEN ALSO LIFE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY. SPRING BREAK CAMP. THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE STARTED. SO OUR KIDS WE HAD BEFORE AND AFTER CARE, SO WE OPENED THAT UP AT ABOUT 730 IN THE MORNING. YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES. THIS IS A COOKING CLASS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE S U P H I AND THEN YOU COULD SEE THE E M S FIRE DEPARTMENT ALSO, SO WE JUST DON'T WANT TO ROLL THE BALL OUT. WE WANT TO INCORPORATE ENRICHMENT AS WELL. SUMMER CAMP.

UM LET'S MOVE AS OUR THEME THIS YEAR WE TOOK OUR KIDS TO THE FEDERAL COURT BUILDING.

PETERSBURG NATIVE JUDGE GREGORY WE PARTNERED WITH PC I AS WELL, SO, UM, OUR KIDS HAD THAT EXPERIENCE. THEY WENT FISHING WITH WANDA'S, UH, THEY GO TO SCHOOL WADERS. ICE CREAM TRUCK COMES ONCE A WEEK. GANG TRUCK COMES JUST ABOUT ONCE A WEEK. AND THEN I JUST WANT TO THANK MY STAFF, SO I AM MARQUEES ISLAND AND DIRECTOR QUINELLA. HENDERSON HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK IN OUR PROJECTS. RYAN MASSENBURG WORKS WITH PROGRAMS AND OPERATIONS. JANELLE SINCLAIR HELPS WITH OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. SHE'S THE ONE THAT'S BEEN WRITING A LOT OF THE CDBG GRANT PROPOSALS ALSO WANT TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER FOR HIS SUPPORT. AND THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ALONG WITH AMIR, RIGHT. THANK YOU MY CASE. AND YOUR STAFF FOR ALL YOU DO, UM, DEREK KENT. CAN YOU GO BACK TO LEGENDS PARK, PLEASE? BECAUSE THAT IS THAT IS THE NEXT PHASE. AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING EVERYONE IF WE CAN JUST BECAUSE WE GOT US SOME SUPPORT MARKIS AND HIS STAFF AND WHAT HE'S DOING FOR OUR KIDS HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE LEGENDS PARK IS IN TERRIBLE SHAPE. AND I'M JUST ASKING FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND ALSO FOR THE PUBLIC SUPPORT. CAN WE FINALLY DO SOMETHING WITH LEGENDS? PART WE TORE DOWN ALL THAT JUNK OUT THERE THAT WAS BEEN SITTING THERE BOARDED UP.

AND NEXT NEXT, THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS BUDGET YEAR IF WE CAN HOLD HOLD ON TO THE TAX RATE IN THESE REVENUES. WE WANT TO UPGRADE THIS PART. FINALLY, INSTEAD OF THE LAND, CONSTANTLY DELAYING WHAT OUR KIDS NEED RIGHT THERE. GO BACK. YOU SEE YOU SEE THAT? YEAH. GO BACK TO THAT DIAGRAM, AND YOU SAY THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S OVER. RIGHT RIGHT THERE. RIGHT AND AS YOU SEE IN THE SENATE THERE YOU HAVE SHUFFLEBOARD. YOU HAVE A FAMILY A PLACE FOR KIDS TO SIT AND EAT WHEN THEY GO TO THE STORE. UM ALSO IS IT PRESENTS? IT PROVIDES A MUCH WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT, ALL THOSE POTHOLES AND THINGS OVER THERE. IT'S TERRIBLE. I WAS WITH COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK AND HIS DAUGHTER, UM, PLAYING OUT THERE WHEN SHE WAS ON THE SLIDES AND EVERYTHING AND YOU HAVE TO DRIVE THROUGH CRATERS TO GET THROUGH THERE. SO I'M SO I'M ASKING FOR COUNSEL SUPPORT. FOR THIS YEAR.

WE LOWER THE TAX RATE TWO YEARS AGO, BUT WE MUST ADDRESS THESE NEEDS TO GIVE MY KEYS AND PARKS AND RECS THE FAMILY FUND THEM FULLY TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS HERE FOR OUR YOUTH ABOUT HOLDING THEIR TAX RATE AT DOLLAR 27. WE CAN DO THAT. SO I'M JUST ASKING FOR THE SUPPORT AND FOR THE CITIZENS PATIENTS. WE BEEN SO FAR BEHIND THROUGH THE YEARS WITH THE FINANCIAL CRISIS, THE COVID CRISIS AND EVERY TIME GETS HIT PARKS AND RECS BUDGET ALWAYS GET HIT. LET'S FINALLY FULLY FUND PARKS AND RECS AND GET THESE UPGRADES DONE FOR OUR KIDS, OKAY? ALRIGHT, VICE MAYOR HILL. YEAH THANK YOU, MR ALLEN FOR YOUR VISION AND MANY TIMES WE TALK ABOUT THERE'S NOTHING TO DO FOR THE KIDS, BUT WE KNOW BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE THICK OF

[01:20:05]

SO I THINK YOU KIND OF NEED BOTH THINGS GOING AT THE SAME TIME SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING TO. AND I'LL SAY THIS. YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT YOU KNOW THE DISTRUST AND STUFF THAT PEOPLE PUT OUT THERE. WHATEVER WHETHER YOU CALL IT PROPAGANDA, OR IF YOU THINK IT'S TRUE OR NOT UNDERSTAND? I'VE BEEN I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE, SO I AM PETERSBURG, ONE OF YOU. BUT I THINK WE HAD A POINT RIGHT NOW. COVIC WAS A BAD THING FOR THE WHOLE WORLD. NATION. STATE AND LOCALITY, BUT WHAT IT DID IS SOMEWHAT ALRIGHT, LEVEL THE FRONT PLAYING FIELD BECAUSE IT GOT US TO A POINT TO WHERE, AS EVERYBODY WAS DEALING WITH THE SAME THING, BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE FOUND TO GETTING BACK UP. PULLING OUR BOOST DROPS BACK UP FROM 2016 AND COVIC. TO RIGHT NOW, TO THE POINT TO WHERE, AS WE CAN ACTUALLY DO SOME THINGS WHEN WE GOT ON. I KNOW WHAT MYSELF AND FEW MEMBERS OF COUNCIL GOT ON. GOT ON COUNCIL AS SOON AS WE GOT ON COUNCIL EVERYTHING DROPPED ME. I MEAN, WE WERE DEALING WITH WATER CRISIS AND EVERYTHING. WE'RE FINALLY GETTING TO A POINT TO WHERE AS WE CAN ACTUALLY. DO SOME THINGS AND MAKE POSITIVE CHANGE. SO I'M NOT SAYING I MEAN WE CAN DO A BALANCING ACT AND I HEAR EVERYBODY CHRIST, BUT YOU KNOW, MY HEART IS FOR THE KIDS. MY HEART IS FOR THE KIDS AND THE SENIORS. AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT MISS BRITNEY FLOWERS, BRINGING UP HER PROPOSAL FOR THE SENIORS THAT'S GONNA HELP. UH THE SENIORS. THIS RIGHT HERE IS GONNA HELP OUR CHILDREN AND A LOT OF TIMES IS ON THE BACKS OF THE MIDDLE AGES, LIKE IT IS IN MOST SITUATIONS SO WE CAN LOOK AT YOU KNOW THESE TAX RATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT. I'M NOT SAYING ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, BUT I JUST WANT US TO BE ABLE TO SEE. I WISH WE WOULD HAVE HAD BOTH THINGS RUNNING AT THE SAME TIME, SO EVERYBODY WOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHERE MONEY'S POCKETS OF MONEY. THINGS LIKE THAT ARE GOING THANK YOU. RIGHT COUNSELOR COVER THANK YOU, MR MAYOR. MR MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. UM, AS FOLLOWS. TO ENCOURAGE JOB CREATION. AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN PETERSBURG. AND TO BE FAIR TO OUR CITIZENS. MANY OF WHOM WE HEARD FROM TONIGHT. A MOVE THAT COUNCIL ADOPT THE ORDINANCE THAT'S IN COUNCIL'S AGENDA PACKET. AS PART OF AGENDA ITEM EIGHT D. EXCEPT THAT THIS REAL ESTATE TAX RATE SHALL BE REDUCED FROM A DOLLAR 27 PER 100. TO A DOLLAR 20 PER 100 OF ASSESSED VALUE. SUCH CHANGE TO BE EFFECTIVE JULY 1 2024. ALL RIGHT. ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN.

JONES. I SECOND SO ALL RIGHT. SO YOU'RE GOING TO DROP THE TAX BASE SO THAT WE CAN SCRAP THE PLANS FOR LEGENDS BASICALLY. OKAY? BECAUSE BECAUSE IF YOU'RE NOT HOLDING, NOT HOLDING THIS SO BIG BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET IN FRONT OF US. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE GONNA DROP YOUR TAX RATES WERE JUST PUSHED BACK MORE FUNDS, RIGHT? OKAY? THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT THAT'S SO COUNCIL COVER SAID HE'S GOING TO TAX BREAKS, SO HE'S GIVING IT BACK. SO YOU HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. YOU CAN'T ADDRESS THOSE THOSE NECESSARY OVERLOOKING. LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT. WE DEFINITELY HOLD ON. IF I HAVE THE FOR MR MAYOR? YES. AH, WE HAVE PASSED YOU REAL ESTATE TAXES. AS OF THIS TIME LAST YEAR. THAT WE ARE NOT COLLECTING. OF ALMOST $5

[01:25:08]

AND THE OTHER IS TO BE FAIR TO OUR CITIZENS. YEAH THIS 120 IS A MIDPOINT BETWEEN 112. WHICH IS WHAT WE'D HAVE TO LOWER THE RATE TO IF OUR CITIZENS WERE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO PAY ANY MORE IN THE WAY OF REAL ESTATE TAXES THAN THEY PAID IN THE CURRENT YEAR. OR WE COULD LEAVE IT AT 127. AND THEN THE CITIZENS WOULD END UP PAYING 4,000,003 $0.5 MILLION MORE. LIKE SOLOMON, WE CAN SPLIT THAT BABY IN HALF. AND I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE DO JUST THAT. AT 120. BASICALLY A MIDPOINT BETWEEN 112 AND 127. SO UH, THAT'S THAT'S MY MOTION, AND I APPRECIATE THE SECOND AND I HOPE THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN COVER. I JUST DON'T AGREE WITH THE BECAUSE WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT HOLD BACK TAXES AND I'M I JUST DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN COUNT PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THEIR TAXES AND JUST SELL OFF THEIR PROPERTY TO MAKE $5 MILLION. THAT IS, THAT IS THAT'S THAT'S JUST NOT WHERE WE NEED TO GO AS A CITY. AND FROM GOING BACK YEARS PAST, WE GOTTA FOCUS ON HOW WE CAN BUILD THE CITY FOR THE FUTURE AND WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY LARGE AMOUNT OF NEEDS, AND THERE'S NO NEED TO NOT REALIZE THAT WE HAVE UM, COURTHOUSE THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD THAT'S GONNA BE EXTRA MILLIONS DOLLARS. MORE MONEY. POLICE THEY NEED EXTRA MONEY FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT NEEDS BETTER EQUIPMENT. THE KNEES ARE HUGE ACROSS THE BOYS. EVERY TIME WE GET AHEAD IF WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS IT, LEE JUST NOT ADDRESS THE NEEDS. NOT NOT ADDRESS ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS WITH POTHOLED STREETS IN THESE BABY. I KNOW YOU HEARD, COUNCILMAN JONES SAY WE NEED TO EXPAND STREET PAVING EVERY TIME YOU CONTRACT THEIR BUDGET. WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE. WE STAY BECAUSE I BECAUSE I RATES HAVE BEEN FLAT FOR DECADES HERE NOW THAT PETERSBURG IS FINALLY GROWING LIKE THE REST THE OTHER THE OVEN LOCALITIES. WE PLAYING FOR 40 YEARS WORTH OF KETCHUP RIGHT NOW. SOME STREETS HAVE NEVER BEEN PAID WHOLE TIME HERE, SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON. BUT AT THIS TIME. WE? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THEIR AND THEIR DISCUSSION. YES, DISCORD DISCUSSION. UM, MR MAYOR. AH! SOME OF US WOULDN'T I KNOW SOME OF US HAVE BUDGET MEETINGS? I WAS IN THE BUDGET MEETING TODAY. WE'RE DOING TWO ON TWO NOW.

WITHOUT FINANCE. UH OUR BUDGET FINANCE TEAM, SO SOME OF YOU ALL HAVEN'T SEEN THE BUDGET. AND YOU AND SOME OF YOU ARE HAVEN'T SEEN HOW IT WOULD IMPACT ON OUR WAY. I HIT MY TWO ONTO TODAY.

[01:30:01]

GARY COZY WITH FINANCING BUDGET. UM SO JUST KIND OF TALKING, UM MORE ADVICE MARY HILL IS REFERRING TO IF WE HOLD THE CURRENT TAX RATE OVER DOLLAR 27. ALL PROGRAMS CAN BE FUNDED, INCLUDING, UM, THE PROGRAMS THAT MR ALLEN WAS TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT. UM IF WE DROP THE TAX RATE TO ABOUT A DOLLAR 19, THERE WILL BE NO NEED TO BE AT LEAST $2.3 MILLION CUT IN FUNDING.

AND, UM, TWO PROGRAMS AND IF WE DROP IT EVEN LOWER THAN THAT TO A DOLLAR 12, THEY'LL NEED TO BE AT LEAST $3.9 MILLION CUTTING PROGRAMS. OKAY, SO TWO POINT SOME WILL BE CUT. 2.3 WILL BE CUT. AND THEN IF WE GO LOWER THAN THAT, IT WOULD BE 333 MILLION WOULD BE CUT ALMOST 4 MILLION, ALMOST FOUR OR ALMOST $4 MILLION TO BE CUT. OKAY, UM SO ANYWAY. THAT WE CAN FIND A HAPPY MEDIUM. BETWEEN THE 120. THAT COUNCILMAN COUPLE HAS A PROPOSED AND THEN 127. IT. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN SMITH SMITH LEE MAYOR AH, I HAVE I HAVE NOT HAD MY BUDGET MEETING. UM I THINK MY HUSBAND'S WHAT WEDNESDAY. UM CAN I CAN WE TABLE THIS AND TELL THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH FAIRNESS AND REFERENCE TO THE BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN GET A BETTER PICTURE OF EVERYTHING? BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO VOTE ON SOMETHING THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN.

THAT'S IT. SUBSTITUTE MOTION. SUBSTITUTE MOTION IN THAT SUCKING THAT MOTION MOTION IN A SECOND. ALL RIGHT. YES, ALRIGHT, COUNSELOR, JONES. THANK YOU, MR MAYOR. UM I DO AGREE WITH THE TABLE AND IT BUT I HAVE SOME ISSUES. UM I SAID LAST YEAR. ABOUT THIS. TWO ON TWO BUDGET.

MESS. IT IS A MESS, BECAUSE NOT ONLY DID YOU NOT HAVE DID YOU HAVE A MEAN THEY DIDN'T HAVE A MEETING WITH THE BUDGET. NEITHER SO IT IS A MESS BECAUSE I SAID LAST YEAR, YOU MAY HAVE A QUESTION THAT YOU ASKED. THAT COULD TEACH ME I DON'T KNOW. AND IT FAIR FOR ALL OF US TO KNOW THE SAME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS THAT YOU MAY GIVE YEAH, IT IS A MESS. NOW. I WAS GONNA ASK. TWO.

I THINK ONE OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS IS THE CITIZENS. I'M NOT BEING EXPLAINED TO PROPERLY. NOW WE HOLD THIS THING AS IT IS, SO WE'RE BASICALLY TELLING THEM DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT. WE'RE JUST GONNA HOLD IT THIS YEAR LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR. IS THAT RIGHT, MR MAN? Y'ALL OKAY WITH THAT, RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT OKAY WITH IT. BUT HERE WE GO, AND I GOT TO ADDRESS EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM BECAUSE WE'RE WRONG. AND I WANT YOU ALL TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX ON THIS THING, BECAUSE ONE HAND WE SAY WE NEED STUFF FOR THE KIDS. THE KIDS ARE IN TROUBLE, THE CRIME WRITTEN AND ALL OF THAT STUFF, AND ON THE OTHER HAND, WE SAID, WE NEED TAX BREAKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING, AND WE JUST HOLD IT WE CARRIED ON A BASICALLY EXTENSION OF LAST YEAR. UNTIL WE CAN GET SOME FINANCES FOR NEXT YEAR. I THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING, BUT I STILL GOT A PROBLEM WITH THIS THING ON THE MONEY. A LOT OF MONEY. THAT IS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT WE SAID WE'VE GOT TO ADD TO A CUP AND WE GOT A LOT OF BIG SALARIES THAT PEOPLE DON'T DESERVE. YOU KNOW? WE GOT THAT. BUT I'M SAYING THIS TO THE PEOPLE. AND TO US, WE CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. ASIA. WE CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. WE ARE THE ONES SUPPOSED TO FIX IT. Y'ALL IN US? I AM AN EMPLOYEE OF THE CITIZENS I'M NOT EMPLOY OF THE CITY. BUT WE CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. OUR KIDS DO NEED US. AND I'M ASKING IF WE COULD JUST HOLD IT. I RESENT MY SECOND IF WE CAN

[01:35:08]

THE BUDGET CALENDAR IS ON THE AGENDA FOR ACTUALLY. LATER AND 26. SO WE HAVE. OKAY, OKAY, OKAY. OKAY? SO THE BUDGET CALENDARS ON THE AGENDA AS LATER ITEM. WE HAVE COMMUNITY MEETINGS THAT ARE TARGETED FOR THE 22ND THROUGH THE 26TH OF THIS MONTH. SO THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE THE BUDGET. AND HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. SO THAT'S PART OF OUR BUDGET CALENDAR. SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO HERE IS YOU CANNOT ADOPT THE BUDGET THE SAME NIGHT THAT YOU ADOPTED TAX RATES.

THAT'S TYPICALLY WHY YOU ADOPT YOUR TAX RATE AHEAD OF THE BUDGET IT SETS. THE RATE ALLOWS US TO PLAYING AROUND WHAT THOSE EXPENDITURES ARE GOING TO BE. SO IF YOU DO NOT TAKE ACTION TONIGHT, YOU WILL NEED TO TAKE OUR WE ROOF TARGETED THE SECOND MEETING IN MAY TO ADOPT A BUDGET. SO IF WE'RE GONNA STAY ON THAT BUDGET PATH, WE WILL NEED TO ADOPT THE BUDGET THE TAX RATE AT THE FIRST MEETING IN MAY BECAUSE WE CANNOT DO THEM THE SAME NIGHT PER STATE CODE. SO OR WE HAVE TO PUSH THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD. TYPICALLY, YOU WANT TO GET IT ADOPTED AS SOON AND AS YOU CAN, IN MAY THAT ALLOWS FOR PARTICULARLY IN SCHOOL SIDE OF THE WORLD TEACHER CONTRACTS TO BE AFFIRMED FOR THE NEXT THE UPCOMING YEAR SO THEY HAD THEY HAVE SOME OBLIGATIONS ON THEIR SIDE THAT TYPICALLY THAT DRIVES THE BUDGET ADOPTION PIECE. SO JUST SAYING THAT THIS COMMUNITY WILL GET AN OPPORTUNITY WITH BUDGET COMMUNITY BUDGET PRESENTATIONS, SO THAT WILL THAT IS PART OF OUR PLAN THAT IS IN THE PACKAGE THIS EVENING.

CITIZEN PETERSBURG. WE GOT A DECISION TO MAKE TONIGHT. NOW I'M PLAYING WITH YOU GUYS. WE HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO EITHER RAISE THE TAX RATE RIGHT TONIGHT. REDUCE IT. OR KEEP IT THE SAME NOW WHAT'S IT THE WHAT'S AT STAKE TONIGHT? NOW LOOK AT LOOK IN RICHMOND.

LOOKING. NO NO, NO, NO. LISTEN THERE WAS SIX YOUTH MURDERED IN RICHMOND AND LESS THAN A WEEK.

KNOCK ON WOOD. WE DON'T GOT THAT PROBLEM RIGHT NOW. IF WE INVEST IN OUR YOUTH, THE SAME ONES THAT WE COMPLAIN ABOUT. WE BROUGHT HIM TO THIS WORLD, BUT WE COMPLAIN ABOUT HIM. Y'ALL MAKE THE DECISION. NO NO, NO LOSING. DON'T SAY WE'RE NOT. WE'RE NOT RICH. WE WE'RE NOT RICHMOND, PETERSBURG. BUT HERE WE GO. WE GOT TO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT. OKAY HAVE IT BOTH WAYS WE CAN'T SPLIT IT THREE WAYS. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT, BUT WE HAVE A MOTION MOTION TO HOLD IT IN. MOTION IS THE TABLE BUT I MADE A SECOND. I MADE AN ALTERNATE MOTION MOTION HERE. OKAY ALL RIGHT. SO WE HAVE THE MOTION TO TABLE ON ON THE FLOOR FIRST. ALRIGHT. AND THAT IS A MOTION TO TABLE AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO THAT SPECIAL MEETING. THE 1ST 1ST WEEK OF MAY. THE FIRST MEETING WHERE WE HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING. WE WOULD WE WOULD WANT TO HAVE AH, ESPECIALLY MEETING IS PART OF YOUR FIRST MEETING IN MAY TO ADDRESS THE TAX RATE. YES, SIR. OKAY? ALL RIGHT. THIS HILL.

COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. COUNCIL MEMBER COOKED BURGER. REMEMBER JONES. OF STAYING.

ALRIGHT GO AHEAD. WESTBROOK HIGH COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH LEE. I HEAL PARENT I CARRY ALRIGHT NEXT.

WE'RE GOING TO WEIZMAN HERE. YES. AH! I JUST I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS SAID. LIKE IT WAS SOMETHING NEFARIOUS DONE. WELL, WE'RE ON COUNCIL. THREE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL MEET TOGETHER IS ANY ILLEGAL MEETING. SO LET'S LISTEN. THREE NO IS THREE. IF THREE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL MEET TOGETHER, IT'S ILLEGAL. TWO ON TUESDAY IS WHEN YOU GET WITH SOMEONE, AND THEY SHOW YOU THE SAME THING. THEY'RE GONNA SHOW ALL SEVEN OF US EITHER. YOU CAN

[01:40:02]

[9. Public Information Period]

O'CLOCK NOON THE DAY OF THE MEETING ITEM BE SECOND IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER IF THEY SIGN UP PERSONS WHO HAVE SIGNED THE SIGN UP SHEET PLACED BY THE CLERK AND THE REAR OF THE MEETING ROOM PRIOR TO THE MEETING REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. TONIGHT. WE'RE GONNA START OFF WITH MISS JULIE NICKERSON. ALRIGHT NEXT, MISS AMANDA GREEN. GOOD EVENING HERE NOW. UNFORTUNATELY TO GO AFTER THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO. UM MY NAME IS AMANDA GREEN. I RESIDED 301 ROTH STREET ON POCAHONTAS ISLAND. I DID WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING AS IT RELATES TO THE BUDGET. IF WE COULD GET THE BUDGET OUT SOONER. I THINK THAT WOULD HAVE HELPED YOU GUYS AND ALSO THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY. UM I KNOW I'M A CPA AND MOST OF THE ORGANIZATIONS I WORK FOR WE NORMALLY HAVE THE BUDGET OUT AROUND ABOUT SAY ABOUT JANUARY FEBRUARY TIME FRAME, JUST A PRELIMINARY VERSION. AND THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY SO WE CAN ACTUALLY BE MORE INFORMED, AND YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE BEEN INFORMED AS WELL. SO MAYBE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND STOOD WHY YOU WANTED TO HOLD THE RACE WHERE YOU HAD THEM, SO I ONLY HAVE TWO MINUTES AND 30 SECONDS. SO IN FRONT OF EACH CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IS A PACKET THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED BY THE POCAHONTAS ISLAND RESIDENTS. UM INSIDE OF THAT PACKET. UM, NOT EVERYBODY COULD SHOW UP TONIGHT. SO I HAVE SIGNATURES AND ADDRESSES OF POCAHONTAS ISLAND. RESIDENTS WHO SUPPORT THESE THREE INITIATIVES THAT WILL BE GOING OVER TONIGHT.

ONE OF THE FIRST INITIATIVES IS A BRIDGE ASSESSMENT. BRIDGE STREET. IF YOU ARE UNDER THE BRIDGE, THERE IS A GAP. UM, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BRIDGE, UM, EXHIBIT NUMBER ONE AND TWO OF INITIATIVE ONE. THERE'S PHOTOGRAPHS OF THAT. UM THERE'S A TOTAL OF ABOUT SEVEN OR EIGHT PILLARS UNDERNEATH THAT BRIDGE. ONE OF THOSE PILLARS HAS THAT GAP THAT I SPOKE TO, UM THERE'S SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE'S PICTURES OF OTHER PILLARS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT GAP. SO WE WERE REQUESTING THAT THE CITIZENS OUT THE ENGINEER TAKE A LOOK AT THAT INITIATIVE NUMBER TWO. I'M SORRY TRYING TO GET THEIR INITIATIVE NUMBER TWO IS THAT WE ARE REQUESTING THE FY 25 BUDGET REQUESTS. EVERYBODY TALKING ABOUT MONEY, UM, TO ENGAGE VERA TO PERFORM A TRAFFIC STUDY ON FIFTH STREET, JOSEPH JENKINS, ROBERTS STREET AND BRIDGE STREET TO ASSESS WHERE THE HEAVY TRUCKS ARE COMING FROM. UM I KNOW WE HAD A WARD FOR MEETING A WHILE BACK, AND NO ONE COULD REALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION WHERE THE HEAVY TRUCKS COMING FROM. I COUNTED A TOTAL OF SIX TRACTOR TRAILERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE YESTERDAY. UM, THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THE HEAVY TRUCKS.

INITIATIVE NUMBER THREE. I WANT TO GET BACK UP ON ISSUES OF NUMBER TWO REALLY QUICK IN 2021R TREATMENT PLANT MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO SPEND 100 AND $7 MILLION IN UPGRADES. THEY ALSO SAID THEY WERE CONSTRUCTING NEW ROAD. OBVIOUSLY NONE OF THOSE THINGS THE CITY HAS NOT REALLY LIKE, PUSH THAT INITIATIVE FORWARD, AND THAT'S 107 MILLION AND IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, UH, SOUTH WATER TREATMENT PLAN HAS ACCUMULATED ROUGHLY ADDITIONAL 4 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS IN ABOUT 4.5 MILLION IN CASH AND EQUIVALENTS. ALRIGHT SO INITIATIVE NUMBER THREE ONLY HAVE 35 SECONDS HERE. INITIATIVE NUMBER THREE IS ALSO FOR ANOTHER

[01:45:05]

A LETTER FROM CITY MANAGER ALTMAN INFORMING CBW EMMA THAT PETERSBURG IS WITHDRAWING. SO I WAS ASKING, WITHDRAWING FROM WHAT IT TURNS OUT THAT OUR STAFF HAD EARLIER NEGOTIATED IN GOOD FAITH WITH ASHLAND, COLONIAL HEIGHTS AND HOPE, WELL, A NEW TRASH COLLECTION CONTRACT BEGINNING THIS COMING JULY, 1ST. AND THIS REGIONAL GROUPS SELECTED WASTE MANAGEMENT.

MERIDIAN DIDN'T EVEN MAKE THE TOP TWO PROVIDERS. YOU SEE CBW EMMA'S CONTRACT WITH MERIDIANS.

COVERING THE FOUR CITIES WAS EXPIRING. OUR PIECE WAS ON JUNE 30TH. MISS HINES ALSO TOLD ME THAT THE EXISTING CONTRACT WITH MERIDIAN COULDN'T BE RENEWED. THAT IS A NEW CONTRACT WITH SOME PROVIDER HAD TO BE EXECUTED BEFORE JULY, 1ST. WASTE MANAGEMENT GOT WIND OF YOUR ABRUPTLY BACKING OUT OF THE UPCOMING CONTRACT. AND THEIR SPECIAL COUNSEL ADVISED YOU IN LATE JANUARY THAT THE CITY WOULD NEED TO RELY ON AN EMERGENCY PROCUREMENT UNDER THE VIRGINIA PUBLIC PROCUREMENT ACT. WHICH STILL REQUIRES A PUBLIC PROCESS DOCUMENTED AND EVA ALMOST THREE MONTHS HAVE PASSED. AND NOT A SINGLE ACTION IS SHOWN UP. I DID LEARN VIA FOIA RECENTLY THAT THE CITY IS CURRENTLY SECURING A NEW CONTRACT WITH MERIDIAN THAT WILL BEGIN ON 7124. THAT'S A QUOTE.

I'M STILL LOOKING FOR THAT CONTRACT. CITIZENS WANT TO KNOW. HOW MUCH IS STICKING WITH MERIDIAN GOING TO COST US? I'M BETTING THAT THERE WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE. AFTER ALL, THEY HAVE TO TRANSPORT ALL OF OUR GARBAGE TO LUNENBURG COUNTY AND IN JULY WITHOUT THE OTHER NEARBY LOCALITIES TO SHARE ON THOSE COSTS, MERIDIANS EXPENSES WILL GO UP. NOT TO MENTION ALL THE LOST EARNINGS THEY WANT TO RECOUP DUE TO THE CLOSURE OF THE LANDFILL. THE 2025 BUDGET MIGHT TELL US ABOUT THIS, BUT WE KNOW IT'S NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. ANOTHER QUESTION IS WHY YOU ALL KNOW HOW DISSATISFIED PETERSBURG CITIZENS ARE WITH THE SERVICE WE'VE BEEN GETTING FROM MERIDIANS.

NONETHELESS YOU DECIDED TO PASS UP OBTAINING SERVICES FROM THE TOP NATIONAL TRASH COLLECTION COMPANY TO STICK WITH THE MARGINAL AT BEST PROVIDER. NOW I REALIZED THAT MERIDIANS EXPECT SOME SPECIAL TREATMENT IN RETURN FOR THOSE GENEROUS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS THEY GAVE TO THE MAYOR AND THE FORMER MAYOR. WHEN THEY RAN FOR RE ELECTION TO COUNCIL IN 2022 $5000 APIECE IS BIG MONEY IN OUR LOCAL ELECTIONS. AND STRINGS ARE LIKELY TO BE ATTACHED. NOW IF THIS ACTION WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN PUBLIC WITHOUT ALL OF THE SECRECY WITHOUT ALL THE COVERING UP AND THE FAILURE TO JUSTIFY MAYBE SOME SENSE COULD BE MADE OF IT. BUT INSTEAD YOUR ACTIONS GIVE THE APPEARANCE OF FOLLOWING A COUPLE OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO NEED TO SATISFY THEIR DONORS RATHER THAN SATISFY THE PUBLIC THAT ELECTS YOU. NEXT IS THEN WITH CHRISTIAN.

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. AND FOR THE SAKE OF SOMEONE. CALLING.

WHEN I GIVE MY ADDRESS FOR THE SAKE. I'VE MOVED TO 900 WIND FIELD. DR WINFIELD ROAD. I'M SORRY. AND I DID THAT FOR THE SAKE OF SOMEONE, WHETHER IT BE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL OR SOMEONE IN THE COMMUNITY. CALLING A MEMBER OF PETERSBURG REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY. WHO IN TURN

[01:50:01]

I JUST WANT TO KNOW IS NOT GOING TO WORK. WITH THAT BEING SAID. I HAVE TO ADDRESS SOMETHING AS A CITIZEN. LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME. MR WESTBROOK BEFORE YOU WERE BORN. COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT FATHER SERVED AS VICE MAYOR OF THIS VARY ASSEMBLY. WHEN THEN. HER MOM'S FRONT.

LEROI, THE FIRST BLACK MAN APPOINTED MAYOR OF ANY VIRGINIA LOCALITY. I WAS SITTING RIGHT HERE. WHEN BOB RUDOLPH WAS A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD THAT WAS RIGHT HERE. I WAS A THORN DEN, AND I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE ONE NOW. WE AS CITIZENS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT OUR BUDGET BECAUSE IT DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT WHEN WE SEE OUR MONEY GOING TO PRIVATE PARTIES THAT NO ONE ELSE IN THIS CITY WAS INVITED TO YOU'RE TAKING MONEY. DONATING THEM TO WHOMEVER WITHOUT COMING TO US TO CITIZEN FIRST, REMEMBER? YOU WORK FOR US. WE DON'T WORK FOR YOU. WE DON'T RUN TO BE ELECTED CITIZEN. YOU WANT TO BE ELECTED CITY COUNCIL PERSONS? AND WE HOPE YOU ALL REMEMBER THAT THE NEXT TIME WE COME UP HERE COMPLAINING OR WANTED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITHOUT MONEY. LET'S BUT NOT LEAST WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. LET'S NOT FORGET OUR TEACHERS. BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR TO OUR TEACHERS. THAT CITY COUNCIL IS STILL SITTING ON MONEY THAT HAS BEEN SENT DOWN BY THE STATE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO THEM BECAUSE, REMEMBER AS OUR COMMUNITY GOALS. SO DOES OUR SCHOOL. SO IN OTHER WORDS, IF OUR SCHOOLS ARE GOING DOWN, IF WE WANT OUR COMMUNITY TO GO UP, WE SHOULD WANT THE SAME FOR OUR EDUCATION. BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF OUR KIDS BEING GRADUATED IN THAT EDUCATED. THANK YOU. NEXT STEP, MR OLDEST HILL. I'M OTIS. HELL. AND I'M AT 203 2ND. THREE. PETERSBURG. HELLO, EVERYONE. UM I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S UP WITH YOU GUYS. I'VE I'VE SENT A COUPLE REMINDERS AND I'VE GOT NO RESPONSES. YOU KNOW THE DEAF COMMUNITY WE KEEP WAITING. FOR THE FIRE MARSHALL TO COME BY AND HE'S ALREADY PASSED THE THINGS THAT WE NEED. UH WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN GIVEN BOXES OUT FOR FIRE ALARMS, BUT FIRE DEPARTMENT. ONE MOMENT. WE? YOU KNOW, THERE'VE BEEN SMOKE DETECTORS AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS. AND WE STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THOSE, UM CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING? THIS IS THE 3RD 4TH TIME I'VE BEEN UP. IF YOU COULD JUST LET ME KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GONNA GET HERE. IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. UH, WE'VE REQUESTED THIS. HIDE SECOND ISSUE. I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT THE HURRICANE. UH, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE THE HURRICANE WARNINGS UM THE POLICE HAVE LOVE AN ACT ON THE PHONE. THAT'S REALLY A GOOD ONE FOR THE DEAF AND THE COMMUNITY. HERE IN PETERSBURG. THE LOW KICK LOCATION. I MEAN, WE'VE HAD HURRICANES HERE BEFORE. IT WOULD BE INFORMATION THAT COULD BE TEXT ABOUT BAD WEATHER OR AND IT ON MY PHONE.

IT WOULD GIVE ME A WARNING. UM, SO HERE'S THE APP. THAT WOULD BE EASY TO USE NOT ONLY BENEFIT THE DEATH, BUT HEARING AND LIKE UM IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE HEARING AND THE DEAF. TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF WARNING SYSTEM. FOR BAD WEATHER. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT, MR ROBERT TRULY. NEXT IS BRANDON RALLY. GREETINGS EVERYONE. INGREDIENTS COUNCIL. UM JUST WANTED TO SPEAK

[01:55:07]

THAT WAS YOUR YESTERDAY WAS SENATOR AIRED. AND HOW THE A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS WERE GIVEN FROM THE PROTESTERS PERSPECTIVE. OPERATORS OF THE FUTURE CANCINO. IN HOW UM, ONLY ONE HAD APPRECIATION OF 500 ROOMS. AND THERE'S SOME OTHER DIFFERENT DISCREPANCIES, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I'M HERE. TO ADVOCATE FOR RESOURCES AND FUNDINGS TO BE DERIVED FROM THE CASINO PROFITS IF YOU WILL. TO GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN A WAY THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN THEN DISPERSES THERE NEEDED SO, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S DIFFERENT ROADS IN DIFFERENT WARS. THEY NEED TO BE REPAVED DIFFERENT, SMALLER ISSUES. BUT IF EACH COMMUNITY OR EACH WARD HAD THEIR OWN CHEST UM , DERIVED FROM THOSE DIFFERENCES PARTICULAR FUNDS. THEN THEY CAN GET THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS NEEDS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT HAVING TO GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL AND HAVING TO AFFECT THE BUDGET, AND THAT'S THE WAY THIS IS CURRENTLY DONE. OTHER CITIES MOST NOTABLY LIVE CASINO IN BALTIMORE, WHERE THEY HAVE WARDS THAT HAVE COALITION. IF YOU WILL OF PEOPLE , CITIZENS FROM THE WITHIN THAT COMMUNITY WHO VOTE ON HEY, WE WANT THIS PROJECT DONE. WE HAVE 10 MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO GO FIX THOSE DIFFERENT ISSUES OR WHATEVER THEY VOTED UPON. AND THEN THOSE ISSUES GET RESOLVED.

WHETHER IT'S COMMUNITY BLAKE COMMUNITY UPLIFTMENT NEW ORGANIZATIONS AND WE FOUNDED WHERE THIS COMMUNITY FARMS X Y Z JUST TO CONSIDERATION FOR COUNCIL. AS YOU GO FORTH INTO THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS, UM, THIS INHERENTLY WITH THE BUDGET CONCERN IN AND OF ITSELF. WOULD HELP. I GUESS, MOVE ALONG SOME OF THOSE ISSUES WITH DIFFERENT PARKS AND HOW WE WANT TO SEE OUR PARKS UPLIFTED AND HOW WE WANT TO SEE EVERYTHING'S GOING ON. YOU KNOW, WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND I GUESS IT'S WORTH FIVE WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO A MILLION DOLLARS OR SO FROM CASINO FUNDS.

THEY CAN THEN SAY COOL. WE WANT TO UPGRADE THE PARK LEGENDS PARK TO HAVE X Y Z PARTNER PARTNER PARKS AND RECS AND THEN GET THOSE THINGS ACCOMPLISHED. JUST A SUGGESTION. BRINGING THE POOR COUNCIL. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. NEXT MOVE ON TO ITEM 10

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

SO IT'S INTERESTING TO ME THAT WE'VE HAD SO MUCH CONVERSATION OVER $3.4 MILLION TONIGHT BECAUSE ON SUNDAY AT THE CASINO OPERATORS PRESENTATIONS, WE HEARD THAT $60 MILLION WOULD BE GIVEN TO THE CITY. THE FIRST YEAR. ACTUALLY, BEFORE THE FIRST YEARS, I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY. AND THAT'S PART OF THE RFP. SO I REALLY FIND IT INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT HOW THE PUBLIC COULD PARTICIPATE IN THAT WHEN YOU GET THIS MUCH INVOLVEMENT FOR $3.4 MILLION WHAT ARE YOU GONNA GET WITH $60 MILLION AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE MANY OF THE SAME QUESTIONS . WHAT'S THE CITY PLANNING TO DO WITH THAT MONEY? WE'VE HEARD ABOUT PARKS AND RECREATION TONIGHT, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S A GREAT THING. AND I THINK ANY TIME WE CAN SUPPORT MR ALLEN AND THE THINGS HE'S TRYING TO DO, IT'S REALLY VALUABLE, HOWEVER. PLACES TO PLAY DOESN'T MEAN OUR KIDS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO OR THAT THEY'RE SAFE. BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE TO TAKE THEM THERE. I BROUGHT UP ON SUNDAY AT THE CASINO EVENT. PETERSBURG HAS THE HIGHEST RATE OF SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS IN THE STATE. OVER 70% OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH CHILDREN. ARE SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS. OVER 70. WHAT ARE SINGLE PARENTS SUPPOSED TO DO? SO THE RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT MAYBE THE CITY SHOULD USE SOME OF THAT $60 MILLION TO MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN HAVE A PLACE TO GO

[02:00:03]

BECAUSE I DON'T CARE HOW GREAT OF A JOB IT IS. IF I'M EXPECTED TO SPEND HALF MY SALARY ON A DAYCARE PROVIDER, I'M GOING TO STAY AT HOME. AND SO THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE IN THIS CITY, AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SOME GENERAL EDUCATION ABOUT WHAT LEADS TO CRIME. AND POOR HEALTH OUTCOMES BECAUSE THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND YOU GUYS CAN HAVE A FABULOUS PRESENTATION FROM THE CRATER HEALTH DISTRICT ANYTIME YOU WANT, THAT WILL DETAIL EVERY BIT OF THAT. SPECIFIC TO PETERSBURG. AND THAT IS SQUANDERED BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT YOU DON'T ASK FOR IT.

SO IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO SPEND $60 MILLION TO BETTER THIS CITY START THERE. ALL OF IT'S GOING TO IMPROVE EVERYTHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT. PEOPLE NEED TO HAVE A SAFE PLACE FOR THEIR KIDS TO GO. THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE WE HAVE A TENNIS COURT OR A BASKETBALL PLACE. THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT SAFE. COMMUNITY POLICING MAKES IT SAFE. BUT THAT REQUIRES POLICE OFFICERS. SO IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO USE THE MONEY WISELY, I REALLY STRUGGLE WITH THE PURPOSE. AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU GUYS PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THAT AND THINK ABOUT HOW PASSIONATE THE CITIZENS MIGHT BE ABOUT HOW YOU SPEND $60 MILLION. THANK YOU.

YES, AGAIN. DR KENNETH LEWIS. 503 MISTLETOE ST WARD FIVE. MANY THINGS, OF COURSE. WHEN WE SEE GOOD THINGS WE COMPLEMENT WHEN WE SEE CONCERN THINGS WE TALK ABOUT THEM. AH TO MR ALLEN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION ABOUT THE LEGENDS PARK. PLEASE REMEMBER THE WEST SIDE OF THE PARK, WHERE THE COOPER FIELD IS AND THERE'S A SPECIFIC SIGN UP THERE THAT SAYS NO DOGS ALLOWED IN THE PARK. HOWEVER EVERYONE HAS MADE THAT THEIR DE FACTO DOG PARK. AND THE COOPER FAMILY IS STILL ALIVE AND WELL IN PETERSBURG. AND OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE COOPER FAMILY. PLEASE RESPECT THE PURPOSE OF THAT PART OF THE PARK ALSO, UH, IS PER USUAL BEING WITH THE WILCOX WATERSHED CONSERVANCY, IF YOU DON'T ADDRESS THE ISSUE, THEN YOU WILL EITHER HAVE WILCOX ROAD OR YOU WILL HAVE LEE PARK LAKE, ONE OF THE DEFENSE LAKE, SO PLEASE TAKE CARE OF THAT.

REGARDING MY FIRST SITUATION THAT I BROUGHT UP HERE. I NOTICED YOU HAD A PIECE OF PAPER. A PRIEST. UH, PAPER UP THERE, AND IT MENTIONED AVERAGE INCREASE OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT OF TAX ASSESSMENT OF 14% AND SO AGAIN, I SAY, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH LOWERING THE TAX RATE TO A DOLLAR 27 WITH SOME REASONABLE INCREASE AND WHAT I SAW THERE LOOKED FAIRLY REASONABLE AT 14% 900% IS NOT REASONABLE. 150% IS NOT REASONABLE. DON'T BREAK MY BACK TO SUPPORT SOMEBODY ELSE'S DREAM. AND REGARDING THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY THAT I SPEAK OF. THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION IN THE DEED IN THE CLERK OF COURTS SAYS THAT THAT DEED WHERE THE HOUSE IS BUILT. WAS 29.5 FT FRONTAGE. MY DEED WAS 46.5 FT FRONTAGE, AND SO NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ASSESSMENT DOCUMENT AND IT SAYS LEGAL DESCRIPTION. MY DEEDS STILL SAYS, UH 1 1 53 FT DEEP BY 33.5 FT LONG PLUS EASEMENT. AND THERE, SAYS TWO PARCELS. THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS. IT DOESN'T GIVE A DIMENSION. IT SAYS TWO PARCELS. WELL ONE OF THOSE PARCELS AS PART MINE, I GUESS. AND THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. ALSO SENSITIVE AS IT IS, YOU KNOW THAT I'M PART OF A GROUP THAT WANTS TO PRESERVE THE OLDEST PUBLIC BLACK HIGH SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL. PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR HIGH SCHOOL IN WASHINGTON. D. C IS NOT THE OLDEST PUBLIC BLACK HIGH SCHOOL IN THE UNITED STATES. IT WAS CONCEIVED IN NOVEMBER OF 1870 PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL, THE SCHOOL THAT IS PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL. IT WAS ALREADY OPERATING IN JANUARY OF 1817 18 7. I DIDN'T MEAN THE 1970 1870, BUT IN JANUARY OF 1870, OUR HISTORIC PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL WAS ALREADY FUNCTIONING. AND SO WE ARE THE OLDEST. WE HAVE THE OLDEST PUBLIC BLACK HIGH SCHOOL IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. BUT WHEN YOU GOOGLE IT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET PAUL

[02:05:01]

I'VE BEEN PAYING WAY TOO MUCH BEFORE. BUT NO ONE CONTACTED ME ABOUT POSSIBLY GETTING ANY OF THAT MONEY BACK ANYWAY. HOW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE WATER BILL. UM ALL OF US NEED TO HAVE WATER TESTING KITS TO CHECK TO MAKE SURE OUR WATER IS SAFE BECAUSE MY WATER HAS GOT A REALLY BAD SMELL TO IT. WHEN YOU TURN THE WATER OFF AND YOU TURN IT ON. SOMETIMES IT'S BROWN AND IT'S LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE. THIS WATER MAY NOT BE GOOD. IT MAY NOT BE SAFE FOR MY KIDS. AH AND FOR SENIOR CITIZENS OR ANYONE ELSE TO DRINK. AH, THE NEXT THING UH, CONCERN IS THAT THE LIBRARY? I'VE NOTICED THE LIBRARY HERE. I MEAN, I ALL THE ACTIVITIES THEY DO IS WONDERFUL. UM BUT I CAN'T ALWAYS GET ENOUGH INFORMATION FOR MY KIDS. SO YOU KNOW? I'M ALWAYS BEHIND WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING, AND I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE LIBRARY COMPUTERS HERE ARE NOT REALLY UPDATED. THE INTERNET'S NOT VERY FAST, IT'S VERY SLOW. UM SO ANYWAY, MAYBE NEW COMPUTERS FOR THE LIBRARY.

UM YOU KNOW, BECAUSE SOMETIMES AT HOME, I DON'T HAVE INTERNET AND I HAVE TO COME HERE AND USE IT ON THE COMPUTERS. IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING. I HAVE TO GO TO CHESTERFIELD LIBRARIES. AH BECAUSE PETERSBURG IT'S NOT FAST ENOUGH FOR SO I JUST THINK IF WE COULD ADD SOME SOME NEWER EQUIPMENT THAT GREAT BECAUSE I DON'T ALWAYS HAVE INTERNET AT HOME. AND A CF USED TO PAY $30 A MONTH. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU COULD AFFORD THE PAYMENT. BUT NOW THE INCREASE THEY THEY'VE INCREASED. SO MAYBE IF YOU COULD SET UP MORE CELL TOWERS AND INVITE MORE COMPANIES TO COME IN SO WE COULD HAVE A BETTER INTERNET BUT WE HAVE ONE WIFI PROVIDER AND I CAN'T AFFORD THAT ONE. SO IF WE HAD MORE OPTIONS FOR INTERNET CHOICES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. FOR THE KIDS TO USE FOR ME TO USE. STAY UPDATED WITH ME. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT NOW THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT NOW. BACK TO COUNSELING CUFF BEAR. SORRY ABOUT THAT COUNSELOR COVER WE GOT EVERYBODY, THAT'S ALL FINE. THOSE WERE INTERESTING COMMENTS, AND I APPRECIATE THEM. AH, HEARING THEM. UM MR VAN BOY, HE'S UH YES. THANK YOU. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A SUCCESS STORY.

AH! THAT OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CODE ENFORCEMENT. AH! THIS IS THE WAY 130 NORTH JEFFERSON. ST LOOKED AH! IN JANUARY OF 2017. CERTAINLY. I THINK WE NO ONE WOULD DISAGREE THAT THAT IS A BLIGHTED PROPERTY. AH! NOW, UH LET ME FAST FORWARD TO AH, THE PRESENT. MR VAN BOYS, WOULD YOU PUT THAT PHOTOGRAPH UP. THIS IS THE SAME BUILDING. UH, HARD TO BELIEVE. BUT WE HAVE CODE ENFORCEMENT. UM, MR MILLER. CHIEF READ. AND, UH, THOSE WHO WORK WITH THEM. TO THANK FOR THIS KIND OF PROGRESS. AND THIS IS WHAT AH! CODE ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT IS CAPABLE OF

[02:10:04]

THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN JONES. HMM. THANK YOU, MR MAYOR. TO THE CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG. I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AROUND IN THIS ROOM HAVE BEEN ON COUNCIL FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN A PACKED HOUSE. SO YOU GOTTA GIVE YOURSELVES A HAND FOR THAT. AND

[02:15:01]

THEY MIMIC US. THEY SEE US, ARGUING THAT SHE WAS FUSSING. THEY SEE US THROWING AWAY AND WASTING, AND WE RIDE PAST HIM. AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU SOMETHING JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE A FATHER IN THE HOUSE. THAT DON'T EXIST. THAT'S ONLY GAVE YOU FROM HAVING YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BE A FATHER TO THAT CHILD WHEN HE COMES PAST YOU OR MOTHER TO HIM. IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL AS MINE IF YOUR KIDS COME NEAR ME. I AM TO PROTECT THEM FOR YOU . AND I EXPECT ANY OF YOU TO DO THE SAME THING FOR MY KIDS. THAT'S HOW I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO. YOU HAVE A SAFE COMMUNITY. NOW, MY LAST THING REAL QUICK. WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO. WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SO FAR. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHY EVERY STEP IN OUR GROWTH WE ALWAYS END UP FACING SIMILAR ISSUES. JUST BECAUSE IT PASSED. THE PAST IN THIS CITY AIN'T TALKING ABOUT NO WELLS, NOT RICHMOND OR ANYWHERE ELSE THAT PASSED IN THIS CITY. HAS BEEN COVERED UP AND SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET. BY PEOPLE WHO WAS UP HERE BELONG BEFORE ANY OF US WAS UP HERE. YOU KNOW IT'S BEEN COVERED UP AND SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET. I TELL YOU A STORY REAL QUICK. RACISM HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED IN THIS CITY YET. WE JUST FORGET ABOUT IT. AND WE THINK WE'RE GONNA WALK INTO THE FUTURE, HOLDING HANDS AND NOT ADDRESS THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST. THOSE THINGS HAVE A LINEAGE OF HOW WE OPERATE TODAY.

IT CONNECTS US TO HOW WE OPERATE TODAY. LISTEN, LOOK AT YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE BLACK CITY MAJORITY WHITE FIREFIGHTERS BECAUSE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BLACK CITY MAJORITY BLACK POLICE OFFICERS, RIGHT MOST OF THE FIREFIGHTERS GETTING PROMOTED HAPPY TO BE WEIGHT. MOST OF THE COPS IN PETERSBURG HAPPENED TO BE BLACK. LOOK AT THE DYNAMICS OF THAT THING AT ONE TIME IT USED TO BE BALANCED. IT'S US. THEY GOT TO FIX THAT. PEOPLE COME HERE TO DO A GOOD JOB, AND I KNOW THE CHIEF IS DOING A GOOD JOB. AND I KNOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS DOING A GOOD JOB.

BUT WE HAVE TO NOT AFFECT I HAVE TO. I'M GONNA DENOUNCE ANY EVIL AND HEINOUS ACTS OF THE PAST THAT WAS SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET BY ANYBODY IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG BEFORE WE ALL GOT UP HERE SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, HOLDING HANDS AND MOVE FORWARD IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER. AIN'T NO

[02:20:02]

I RIDE AROUND, BOYS SEVEN. IF YOU NEED ME TO RIDE AROUND YOUR WARDS, LET ME KNOW. BUT I DO REPORT THAT MR RANDALL WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, MR WILLIAMS FOR ALWAYS GET HELP ME OUT. BUT PLEASE CUT YOUR GRASS. I'M ALL ABOUT THE BEAUTIFICATION OF THE CITY. I KNOW IT'S NOT A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, OF COURSE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT WHETHER IT IS BUDGET, TWO KIDS, A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU KNOW IT'S GONNA TAKE A LOT OF DISCUSSION AND COMPROMISE BUT SMALL THINGS ABOUT BEAUTIFYING THE CITY. I THINK THAT WE ALL CAN GET ON BOARD WITH THAT, SO I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. OKAY COUNSELOR. MS. SMITH LEE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I WANTED. I WANT TO PICK WITH HONOR. DON'T YOU BE RIDING AROUND IN MY AREA? THANK YOU. AND IT'S COOL SPRING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT WE'RE HAVING OUR JOINT WARD MEETING ON THURSDAY AT 6 P.M. PLEASE COME OUT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, UM DEPARTMENT HEADS AND, UM CITY OFFICIALS TO COME OUT AND YOU KNOW, JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITHIN THE CITY BECAUSE I NOTED, NOT EVERYBODY IS ABLE TO COME TO THE COUNCIL MEETING. IN EACH WARD. BUT UM, WE'RE HAVING A MEETING AND I HOPE THAT WE HAVE GREAT PARTICIPATION. I'M REALLY A LITTLE TAKEN BACK IN A IN A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS THAT WAS SAID AND THE AGGRESSIVENESS. THE LAUGHTER. THINGS ARE SERIOUS . AND I JUST FOR THE LIFE OF ME.

I LIVED HERE ALL MY LIFE. AND ALL AND THINGS HAVE NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE WAY IT IS. BUT WHERE SO NEGATIVE ABOUT EVERYTHING, EVEN PICKING UP A PIECE OF PAPER. MARLOW. THANK YOU. BECAUSE WHEN YOU GET UP AND YOU SPEAK AND YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT IS THE ISSUE, BUT YOU DON'T BRING LIKE UH, HATRED SPIRIT. WE? THIS IS OUR CITY. NOT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE PEACHES AND CREAM AND PERFECT BY NO MEANS. BUT THIS IS WHERE WE LIVE. IT'S NOT THE BEST AND IT'S NOT THE WORST. BUT I'M SAYING WE CAN MAKE IT. WE CAN MAKE IT RIGHT. IT'S ABOUT HOW WE TALK TO EACH OTHER. IT'S ABOUT HOW WE FEEL ABOUT EACH OTHER. BUT I TONIGHT. I SAW SOME AGGRESSIVENESS. I SAW SOME SOME PEOPLE THAT FEELS LIKE THIS IS THE WORST PLACE EVER. YES. YOU GET UP HERE AND SPEAK IT. SO I JUST ASKED MY LORD AND SAVIOR. TO HAVE TWO PEOPLE TO HAVE HEART. TO KNOW THAT EVERYTHING

[02:25:12]

YOU KNOW YOU'RE PAYING TAXES, SOME PAYING TAXES. SOME AREN'T PAYING TAXES. WE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE, I THINK WHAT IS 60% OF PEOPLE IN THE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG? THEY DON'T OWN A HOUSE. ONLY 30% DO OR SOMETHING TO THAT TO THAT TO THAT NATURE, BUT WE TREAT EVERYBODY THE SAME, SO ANYWAY WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO MY WARD WITH ME IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. UH THANK ALL THE DIRECTORS WHO WORK OVER WHEN THEY GET OFF FROM WORK, AND THEY STILL COME TO THE WARD MEETINGS AND SIT AND ANSWER QUESTIONS. THINGS OF THAT NATURE. QUOTE SOMEONE. COUNCILMAN JONES ON ON THE ON FACEBOOK. HE WENT FACEBOOK LIVE.

SAYING LIKE IT WAS VERY POSITIVE , VERY INTERJECTED AND THANK MY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WILL BE DOING THE SAME THING COMING UP. I WANT TO THANK, UH IN PARTICULAR, MR TAYLOR FOR WORKING ON MORE THAN AVENUE DEPART. WE GOTTA WALK. IN PART. I KNOW I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A WHILE, BUT THEY'RE ALREADY DREADED. UM THE WALKING AREA AND THEY'RE GONNA PUT THE P WARLOCKS DOWN SOMETIME NEXT WEEK OR SO AND THEN WE'LL START WORKING ON IT BECAUSE EBO THAT'S ANOTHER PARK TO BE IN OUR CITY COMING UP TOO SOON TO ONE. THANK MR ALLEN, FOR ALL ALL HE DOING,

[02:30:07]

POLICE PUBLIC WORKS, EVERYBODY PR PEOPLE. EVERYBODY WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOUR TRANSIT.

EVERYBODY WHO WORKS FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE TAKE A BROTHER A LOT OF STUFF, AND WE GOT TO REALIZE THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CITY AND THEN THE SCHOOL BOARD, TOO, AS WELL BECAUSE A LOT OF DECISIONS THEY MAKE SCHOOL BOARD. THEY MAKE DECISIONS. OF COURSE WE FUND THEM, BUT THEY MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. SO A LOT OF TIMES WE GET QUESTIONS ABOUT SCHOOL BOARD . THAT'S WHY WE BRING OUR SCHOOL REPS TO OUR WARD MEETINGS SO THEY CAN ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS. THEY CAME TO MIND AS WELL. SO THANK YOU ALL HAVE A BLESSED DAY

[11. Items removed from Consent Agenda]

[12. Finance and Budget Report]

FINANCE AND BUDGET REPORT ITEM A, WHICH IS THE PROPOSED FY 25 BUDGET CALENDAR. FINANCE TEAM.

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. UM, TONIGHT WE HAVE FOR YOU. JUST KIND OF GOING OVER THE BUDGET CALENDAR. THERE IT IS THE BUDGET CALENDAR FOR FY 25 AND MY APOLOGIES IF ANYBODY CANNOT SEE THE WRITING LISTED ON THE SCREEN. UM SO KIND OF JUST GOING OVER WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR . THE WEEK OF THE EIGHT TO THE 18TH IN JANUARY. WE WERE DOING MEETINGS WITH DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS. UM AFTER THAT, THE 18TH THE REQUEST TEMPLATES WERE SENT OUT TO THE DIRECTORS AND BUDGET HOLDERS. AND ON THE 22ND OF JANUARY, WE COMPLETED OUR REVENUE PROJECTIONS. AND FEBRUARY THE 21ST OF FEBRUARY TO BE EXACT BUDGET REQUESTS. WHERE DO FROM DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND BUDGET HOLDERS. UM AND IN THE MONTH OF MARCH, WE ARE ACTUALLY DEVELOPING THE BUDGET DOCUMENT. MOVING ON TO APRIL, WHICH IS WHERE WE CURRENTLY ARE FINALIZED THE BUDGET BY THE FIFTH UM, THE 15TH TO THE 19TH WEEK OF THE CITY COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOPS.

UM AND AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER. THE WEEK OF THE 22ND TO THE 26 WILL BE THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.

UM AND WHICH THE BUDGET WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY . BEFORE THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.

UM THE SEVENTH OF MAY. WE'RE LOOKING TO DO THE FIRST READING OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND THE 21ST OF MAY WILL BE THE SECOND READING AND ADOPTION. UM AND THEN THE FISCAL YEAR ENDS ON THE 30TH OF JUNE AND OUR NEW FISCAL YEAR, 25 BEGINS ON THE FIRST OF JULY. YEAH, THAT IS ALL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. OKAY. COUNSELOR COVER I'M LOOKING AT THE SOMEONE THAT IS IN FRONT OF US HERE. WHEN WILL THE PUBLIC GET TO SPEAK ON THE BUDGET? AT THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS AND THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING IN MAY. OKAY, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT APRIL. ON HIS SECOND TO 26 COMMUNITY MEETINGS. YES, SIR. AND THEN AGAIN. ON MAY THE SEVENTH PROPOSED BUDGET FIRST READING OR WILL JUST THAT'S JUST A CONSENT AGENDA ITEM, ISN'T IT? CORRECT? SO YEAH, THE REAL PUBLIC INPUT IS GOING TO BE THE 21ST. UM MAY THE 21ST 22ND 2ND 20 22ND 20 THROUGH 26. THERE'LL BE COMMUNITY MEETINGS WHERE THE CITIZENS CAN COME OUT. AND PROVIDE COMMENT, BUT THEN THEY ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AT THE BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING AT THE MAY 21ST MEAN RIGHT? RIGHT, OKAY. AND MR ALMOND. HOW WILL THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS BE, UH HILD, WHERE WILL THEY TAKE PLACE? IN THE PAST. WE'VE DONE SOME THROUGH ZOOM FOR THOSE, AND WE'VE DONE A COMBINATION OF IN PERSON AND ZOOM AND THEN IN THE PAST, WE'VE CONDUCTED SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS HERE, NOT NECESSARILY IN THIS ROOM BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF TURNOUT, BUT WE GET THE SMALLER ROOM TO DO SOME BUDGET MEETING. SO THE IN PERSON MEETINGS WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE LIBRARY. IS THAT THAT'S OUR YES, SIR. I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU, MR MAYOR. THANK YOU NEXT. JUST AS A FORMALITY. COULD WE GET COUNCIL TO ADOPT THE BUDGET CALENDAR? OKAY? ALRIGHT. UM AT THIS TIME WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT

[02:35:03]

[13. Unfinished Business]

[14. New Business]

AND AS YOU KNOW, WE'RE COMING INTO THE ELECTION SEASON. SO SHE'LL BE MONITORING THE RIGHT AWAYS FOR CAMPAIGN SIGNS ALONG WITH OTHER TYPES OF SIGNS. NEXT, PLEASE. CODE ENFORCEMENT WILL PROVIDE CITYWIDE. INFORMATION ON THE FOLLOWING TOPICS. BUT FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO GO OVER MAY MAYORS BUILDING SAFETY MONTH. AND THE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE OFFICIAL AND HER TEAM IS PUTTING TOGETHER A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AH TO ADDRESS THE BUILDING SAFETY MONTH. SO CODE ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIZES OR ENFORCEMENT ONTO THREE AREAS NUMBER ONE BEING LIFE SAFETY.

NUMBER TWO BEING UNHEALTHY LIVING CONDITIONS AND NUMBER THREE BEING BLIGHT. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S BLIGHT ALL OVER THIS CITY, AND WE'RE ACTIVELY ENFORCING AH, THE BLIGHT PROBLEM. UM WE ENCOURAGE BUSINESS OWNERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PUT TOGETHER AN EMERGENCY CONTINGENCY PLAN AND WHAT THE EMERGENCY CONTINGENCY PLAN CONSIST OF IS IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY THAT TAKES PLACE. YOU KNOW WHOM TO CALL? THE NUMBERS. HAVE YOUR HAVE A CELL PHONE, OR, UM, COMMUNICATIONS THAT, UH, DEVICE AND HAVE A PLAN TO BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN YOURSELF AND KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE. SO CODE ENFORCEMENT WILL BE OUT IN THE MONTH OF MAY WILL BE CONDUCTED INSPECTIONS. UH WELL WILL BE TALKING TO TENANTS. IN DIFFERENT PLACES WHERE PROVIDING LITERATURE AND WE'RE EXPLAINING TO CODE ENFORCEMENT PROCESS. UM SO OUR OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE WILL BE OUT IN THE MONTH OF MAY TO VARIOUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. NEXT.

PLEASE BLIGHT, SO THIS IS THE DEFINITION OF BLIGHT. WE ALL KNOW WHAT BLIGHT LOOKS LIKE, BUT BLIGHT IS, UH, NEGLECTED. UH PLACES WHETHER IT'S BUSINESS OR HOMES. THAT HAVE SAID, VACANT FOR A YEAR OR MORE WITHOUT ANY ATTENTION, AND IT'S GOTTEN INTO A STATE OF DISREPAIR WHERE IT'S BECOME A DANGER TO OUR COMMUNITY , AND IT'S BECOME AN AREA. THAT HARBORS, UH, ILLEGAL ACTIVITY AND IS DANGEROUS TO OUR HOMELESS POPULATION. NEXT. SO THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF LIGHT. UM THIS IS 623 HARRISON STREET, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW AH NEGLECTED THIS PROPERTY HAS BECOME AND WHAT A DANGER TO OUR COMMUNITY. THIS THIS PROPERTY HAS CAUSED ALONG WITH ALL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT I'M GOING OVER. UM 625. THROUGH 627 HARRISON STREET. YOU SEE THE STATE OF DISREPAIR. THIS PROPERTY IS 6 23 6 25 HARDING STREET. AGAIN. AH BLIGHTED PROPERLY PROPERTY THAT'S DANGEROUS TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS NEXT 216 TO 18 ST MARK STREET. AGAIN. ANOTHER EXAMPLE.

NEXT. SO 132 LITTLE CHURCH STREET NOW A REASON WHY THIS AREA SO IMPORTANT IS BECAUSE WE

[02:40:06]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, CHIEF. READ CHIEF RAY LOOK ALSO, UM, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN IN IN YOUR BUDGET TO TAKE DOWN SOME SOME OF THAT BLACK YES, SIR. WE HAVE SOME. WE HAVE SOME GENERAL FUND MONEY AND WE HAVE SOME CDBG FUNDED. UM MONEY. TAKE DOWN BLACK. UM VICE MAYOR HILL. UM THANK YOU, MR REVOLVE. DID YOU DO AND YOU AND YOUR TEAM YOUR STAFF? UM MR ARTMAN ALONG WITH MISTER REED, CAN YOU ALL GET TOGETHER? GET A LIST. PROPERTIES I KNOW YOU JUST SHOWED THOSE FROM THE WORST TO THOSE THAT NEED TO COME DOWN. TO THE ONES THAT PEOPLE PROBABLY THEY WERE WORKING WITH TO TRY TO HELP THEM TO RESTORE IT OR WHATEVER THEY CAN DO, UH, TO THE ONES YOU KNOW. JUST GIVE US A LIST WHERE WE CAN KIND OF GO DOWN THE LIST BECAUSE LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THEM CAN BE REHABBED OR SOMEONE PROBABLY NEED TO BE TORN DOWN. I DON'T KNOW, BECAUSE I'M NOT AN EXPERT AT THAT. BUT MAYBE WE CAN HAVE A LIST WHERE WE CAN JUST GO THERE, AND I'M PRETTY SURE YOU ALREADY HAVE ONE, BUT THAT THAT WE CAN GET A GET A PRESENTATION OR THE COUNCIL CAN SEE. WE REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE THAT AND THEN WITH THE CAUSES FACT THAT THEY NEED TO OR JUST LEAST LET US KNOW WHERE IT IS. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE PASS ON AND PASS IT ON TO RELATIVES WHO DON'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE. TAXES ARE OLD AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO WE CAN JUST GET A STANDARD LIST ON HOW WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THOSE. AND THOSE THOSE PARTICULAR PROPERTIES, NOT JUST THOSE, BUT ALL OF OUR LIFE IF YOU WILL.

YES, SIR. AND CODE ENFORCEMENT ALSO HAS A PROPERTY, UM, MAINTENANCE OUTREACH COORDINATOR THAT IS ALSO WORKING WITH PEOPLE IN LOW INCOME AREAS. AH PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTIES. AND WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO STIMULATE. PEOPLE. LIVING IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. YES SIR. AND? AND IS THAT THE DEMO LIST THAT YOU JUST SHOWED US? YES, SIR. OKAY. YES. SO THAT'S THE DEMOCRATS. THAT'S WHEN HE'S COME DOWN. GOOD. THANK YOU, COUNCILOR JONES. THANK YOU. HOW YOU DOING, CHIEF? GOOD, SIR. UM I WANT TO ADDRESS YOU AND I WANT TO ADDRESS THE PUBLIC COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER. A LIST THAT YOU SHOWED A LOT OF THOSE HOUSES BEEN THERE FOR OVER 15 YEARS. YES SIR. I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT IT'S FINALLY GETTING ADDRESSED.

UM WHEN I WAS FIRE MARSHALL IN THE CITY. ANYTHING THAT WAS A HAZARD TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

WATER FIREFIGHTING AMS, I WROTE IT UP AS A HAZARDOUS. TO PUBLIC SAFETY IS IN THE CODE THAT WE COULD DO THAT. YES, SOME THINGS. DOING THAT TIME. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORT, BUT I WANT TO SHOW I WANT TO CLARIFY SOMETHING TO THE CITY. IT JUST HAPPENED, AND I THINK IT'S REAL BIG AND I THINK IS THE CREDIT. SHOULD GO TO ALL OF US CITIZENS. CITY COUNCIL. SEER TOW IT HAPPENED. SO LET ME SEE WHAT YOU GUYS ABOUT. THE CARRIAGE HOUSE BECAUSE I SAW ON FACEBOOK AND EVERYWHERE ELSE WHERE PEOPLE LIKE POOR PEOPLE. THEY'VE BEEN PUT OUT KNEE THE NEED SOMEWHERE TO GO AND THIS OR NOT LET ME SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU GUYS. IT WAS THE CITIZENS. MADE THE CALL. ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE. BEING IN A BUILDING FOUR STORIES, I BELIEVE. WITH NO ELEVATOR 55

[02:45:06]

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROPERTY OWNER. SO I SEE WHERE EVERYBODY SAID WAS VOLUNTEER.

VOLUNTEER. THEY VOLUNTARILY MOVED. THE PEOPLE KNOW THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE. BECAUSE THEIR CERTIFICATE OF OCRACY DEPENDED ON EGRESS. IT DEPENDED ON US BEING ABLE TO GET IN THERE SAFELY MAKE THE RESCUE. SAVE A LIFE AND GET OUT SAFELY. WITH NO ELEVATORS. EVERYBODY LIFE WAS AT RISK. AND WHEN I HEAR THE PUBLIC SAYING WHERE'S THE CITY? AND WHEN ALL THIS IS GOING ON? WHERE'S THE MAYOR AND WESTIE, WHERE THE CITY MANAGER AND WHEREAS THE COLD COMPLIANCE AND WHERE'S EVERYBODY AT WE WERE RIGHT HERE? WE DID WHAT WE HAD TO DO. WE DIRECTED HIM TO DO WHAT HE NEEDED TO DO, AND HE DIRECTED YOU TO DO WHAT YOU NEEDED TO DO. TO MAKE THOSE PEOPLE COME INTO COMPLIANCE. THAT'S HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS.

THAT'S HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK . AND I EXPECT US TO MAKE SURE THIS HAPPENS WITH ANY APARTMENT COMPLEX IN THIS CITY, THE WHOLE HOUSING OUR CITIZENS AND OUR SENIORS BECAUSE THAT'S BUT Y'ALL KEEP MAKING THE PHONE CALL. YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT MAKE THE CALL. GO. AND WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT. THAT'S A I'M SO THANKFUL THAT IT WORKED. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU.

COUNCILOR JONES, VICE MAYOR HILL. MR MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. IF I'M IN ORDER, I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADAPT THE DEMO LIST. THERE HAS JUST BEEN SHOWN THAT WE CAN START TURNED IN THESE BUILDINGS. OKAY COUNSELOR. WILL SMITH LEE MOTION IN THE SECOND AT THIS TIME ITSELF. CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? BERG? AH COUNCIL MEMBER JONES. THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN.

COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK. COUNCIL MEMBER, SMITH LEE. VICE MAYOR HUGH I. I THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CYNTHIA. APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL DO. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM NEXT UP. UM OKAY. OKAY

[15. City Manager's Report and Special Reports]

GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WE'VE HAD A DISTINCT HONOR OF HAVING UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA'S WORLD AND COOPER CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE. COME DOWN. I'M GOING TO HAVE DR ERIC SOURCE IN THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR COME UP, INTRODUCES TEAM AND THEN HE'S GOING TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR GOOD EVENING OF CITY COUNCIL. THANK YOU. UM I FIRST WANT TO THANK MR MOORE FOR THE HOSPITALITY. THEY SHOWED US. WE

[02:50:02]

JUST VERY SIMPLY TO THINK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THERE'S REALLY TWO WAYS YOU CAN THINK ABOUT. THIS ONE IS YOUR EXPORTS. YOU'RE BRINGING MONEY IN FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY, AND I KNOW THERE'S TALK ABOUT A CASINO, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT WOULD BE COMING IN MONEY COMING IN FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY, THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY THAT'S SELLING TO PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. PERHAPS AND THEN THE OTHER PART OF IT IS THE MONEY YOU'RE GOING TO CIRCULATE INSIDE YOUR ECONOMY, AND BOTH THINGS HAVE TO HAPPEN TOGETHER FOR YOU TO MAXIMIZE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN A PLACE LIKE PETERSBURG. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE DATA. SO FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, UNFORTUNATELY, PETERS REALLY HAS LOST ON AVERAGE ABOUT 1% OF ITS JOBS. AND I LOOKED AT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. THE STATE OF VIRGINIA IS GROWING JOBS AT ABOUT 1% SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE SHRINK THAT GAP? AND PERHAPS TURN IT TOWARD PETERSBURG IS EVEN GROWING FASTER THAN THE STATE. VIRGINIA DOES PRETTY WELL NATIONALLY, ALTHOUGH IT'S BY, NOT BY MEANS THE FASTEST GROWING STATE. UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A CONSIDERATION PETERSBURG'S ECONOMY HAS I'M SURE AS YOU'RE VERY WELL AWARE, CHANGED OVER TIME. AND THAT'S PROBABLY HAD A BIG IMPACT ON THE LEVEL OF INCOME IN THE COMMUNITY . IT'S MUCH MORE DRIVEN BY HEALTHCARE TODAY. SOME BY ACCOMMODATION AND HOTEL AND TOURISM. BUT YOU CAN SEE IT'S MUCH LOWER IN TERMS OF THINGS LIKE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES COMPARED TO THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. SO THAT'S HAD A BIG SHIFT ON YOUR INCOME, YOUR UNEMPLOYMENT AND OTHER THINGS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. JUST LOOKING OVER TIME AGAIN. YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT'S GROWN IN SOME AREAS, BUT ALSO DECLINED. UNFORTUNATELY DECLINES EXCEED THE AREAS THAT HAVE GROWN. I DO WANT TO SAY THIS IS ALL HISTORICAL, OBVIOUSLY MOVING FORWARD. WE DO SEE SOME IMPORTANT CHANGES HAPPENING IN PETERSBURG AND I THINK I SPENT THE LAST 20 YEARS WORKING AT MICHIGAN STATE, WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES LIKE DETROIT AND FLINT, AND I THINK WE SEE A LOT OF THIS HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN IN DISTRESS ARE NOW STARTING TO SEE SOME ECONOMIC PROGRESS FINALLY, AND I THINK PETERSBURG IS AMONG THOSE AND I THINK SO. AS WE LOOK FORWARD, THE QUESTION NOW WILL BE. HOW DO WE MAXIMIZE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND LEVERAGE IT FOR THE LONG TERM BECAUSE CHANGING ECONOMY TAKES A LONG TIME? IT WON'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE THAT THE COMMUNITIES FACE, YOU KNOW, WILL WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO BE ADDRESSED. NEXT SLIDE. THIS IS THE POPULATION PROJECTIONS, BUT I WILL SHOW YOU IN A MINUTE THAT ACTUALLY THERE'S SOME IMPROVEMENTS HAPPENING THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT TO NOTE. AH I KNOW THE POPULATION HAS DECLINED. I THINK WE EXPECTED TO STABILIZE AND I YOU KNOW, THESE PROJECTIONS ARE KIND OF BEFORE. A LOT OF THE MORE IMPORTANT NEW THINGS ARE HAPPENING. SO I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THAT CERTAINLY THE POPULATION COULD GROW AGAIN.

AND I THINK THAT'S VERY POSSIBLE ACTUALLY. NEXT SLIDE. JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU. WHY IS POPULATION DECLINING? YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IN THE PAST IT WAS, YOU KNOW, BIRTHS AND DEATHS AND SO FORTH. BUT I WANT TO NOTE ON THAT FINAL. THAT PURPLE BAR SHOWS THAT THERE IS IN MIGRATION COMING INTO PETERSBURG. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING. A LOT OF PARTS OF VIRGINIA IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA AND MORE RURAL PARTS OF VIRGINIA. WE SEE ACTUALLY POPULATION GOING UP NOW AND SO PREVIOUS BERG CAN BENEFIT FROM THAT OVER TIME IN TERMS OF JOB CREATION, INCOME GROWTH AND OTHER POSITIVES IN TERMS OF QUALITY OF LIFE, SO THAT IS I WANT TO JUST KNOW THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING BEFORE SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS MAY HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE. NEXT SLIDE. THIS JUST SHOWS YOU WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MANY PARTS OF THE US SMALLER METRO AREAS. PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.

THE BIGGER AREAS BECAUSE IT'S BECOME SO EXPENSIVE, SO THAT IS SOMETHING PETERSBURG CAN TAP INTO, MORE, PERHAPS, AND ATTRACT MORE RESIDENTS HERE WHO WILL BRING INCOME WHO WILL BRING JOBS AND PERHAPS ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SO FORTH. NEXT SLIDE. SO THINK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE IN PETERSBURG NEXT SLIDE. I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, YOU KNOW, JOB CREATION OBVIOUSLY IS ALWAYS THE FIRST THING WE THINK ABOUT, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT JOB QUALITY MATTERS AS WELL.

WHAT KIND OF JOBS ARE BEING CREATED? WHAT KIND OF WAGES WHAT KIND OF BENEFITS? UM I KNOW YOU'RE INTERESTED IN MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME. HOW DO WE RAISE THAT? I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND AND THEN TAX REVENUES. I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A VERY LIVELY DEBATE TONIGHT ABOUT

[02:55:04]

WE THINK NOW FOR PETER'S WERE TO BE THINKING NOW YOU KNOW WHETHER THESE THINGS HAPPEN OR NOT THAT IT'S IMPORTANT HOW THAT STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD. NEXT SLIDE. I ALSO WANT TO NOTE BECAUSE WHO BENEFITS FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS A QUESTION WE SHOULD ASK, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THE RESIDENTS OF THE COMMUNITY DON'T BENEFIT. YOU KNOW, IT'S OUTSIDERS THAT MAY BENEFIT SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, DETROIT HAS THOUGHT ABOUT A LOT. THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES IN DETROIT. SOME MAJOR BUILDINGS BEING PUT IN AND THE CITY WAS VERY INTENTIONAL. THE CITY COUNCIL ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE BENEFITING NOT JUST SUBURBANITES AND OTHERS, AND SO THEY PUT IN SOME POLICIES ABOUT CONTRACTING AND ABOUT WHO'S GETTING THE JOBS. DETROIT ITSELF HAS THREE CASINOS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DID. AND THAT WAS THOSE CAME A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN THINK ABOUT DOING TO MAKE SURE YOUR RESIDENTS ARE BENEFITING FROM THESE INVESTMENTS. NEXT SLIDE. FINALLY, THE NEW TAX DOLLARS THAT COME IN, POTENTIALLY WHETHER IT'S DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE A PLAN TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO MAKE SURE THOSE REVENUES ARE BEING USED EFFECTIVELY TO IMPROVE SERVICES OR ENHANCED SERVICES. BLIGHT YOU KNOW, ISSUES LIKE BLIGHT OR ISSUES LIKE PARKS, MAKING SURE WE MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS IF THAT'S MONEY, ONE TIME MONEY THAN USING IT FOR ONE TIME PURPOSES AND SO FORTH. WE THINK THESE AGAIN THERE'S SOME IMPORTANT STRATEGY YOU CAN LEARN FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES. WE THINK TO MAKE SURE THIS DOLLARS ARE USED EFFECTIVELY. SO THANK YOU. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. UM, I THINK THAT'S

[03:00:04]

THAT'S ALL I GOTTA THINK. SURE. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, ERIC. YOU AND THE TEAM WE ENJOYED HAVING YOU IN PETERSBURG TODAY, SO DON'T STAY AWAY TOO LONG. HURRY UP AND COMING BACK, AND WE HAVE SOME MORE OF THAT GOOD SAUSAGE BARBECUE SOMETIMES.

YES, THANK YOU, MAN. APPRECIATE IT. YEAH THE WE READ IN PETERSBURG TODAY. THAT'S RIGHT.

I WAS GONNA SAY WE NEED TO HAVE THIS THE O G STORE OPEN BEFORE WE CAN. YOU KNOW, IT'S GOT TO BE

[16. Business or reports from the Clerk]

THANK YOU AGAIN, CHIEF. APPRECIATE YOU, MAN. YOU AND YOUR STAFF. THESE GUYS. THANK YOU, MAN. YOU GOTTA UNDERSTAND THESE THE ONES THAT PROTECT US. ONE PHONE CALL. THEY'LL GET THEIR MAN. I'M TELLING YOU, YOU KNOW. SO THANK Y'ALL, MAN. FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, WE NEED TO

[03:05:02]

[17. Business or reports from the City Attorney]