[00:00:07]
ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK EVERYONE FOR JOINING US FOR THE JUNE 25TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
[1. Roll Call]
AT THIS TIME, MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? YES SIR. COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT.HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK.
PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH LEE. PRESENT. VICE MAYOR. HILL HERE. MAYOR PARAM HERE. SIR. YOU HAVE A QUORUM. NEXT VICE MAYOR HILL WILL LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER. LET US PRAY. ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHERS, ONCE AGAIN WE COME BEFORE YOU, PRAISING YOUR HOLY AND YOUR RIGHTEOUS NAME. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS OF THE DAY. NOW, LORD, AS WE DELIBERATE IN THIS MEETING, HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH US, GUIDE US, AND STRENGTHEN US.
HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THY BLESSINGS UPON OUR CITIZENS. HEAVENLY FATHER, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THY BLESSINGS UPON THIS COUNCIL AND A SPECIAL WAY.
HEAVENLY FATHER, AS WE DELIBERATE AND DO YOUR, DO THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY, WE ASK THAT BLESSINGS UPON OUR ADMINISTRATION AS WELL AS OUR EMPLOYEES. HEAVENLY FATHER, BE WITH US, GUIDE US AND STRENGTHEN US. HEAVENLY FATHER, LET NO HURT, HARM, NOR DANGER COME NOW, NONE OF US. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE BE CAREFUL TO GIVE YOUR NAME ALL THE HONOR, PRAISE, AND THE GLORY. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY AND WE THANK YOU. AMEN, AMEN. AMEN. NEXT IS ITEM THREE, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. CAN EVERYONE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE? ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. NEXT IS DETERMINATION, THE PRESENCE OF A
[5.a. Approval of Revised May 7, 2024 City Council Closed Session Minutes - Pages 2-5]
QUORUM. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. ITEM FIVE IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS. WE HAVE ITEM A, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE REVISED MAY 7TH, 2024. CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION MINUTES, MISS HILL, WOULD YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THOSE? YES, SIR. THE MINUTES, UNFORTUNATELY, DID NOT REFLECT THE VOTE OF VICE MAYOR HILL. HE WAS PRESENT. HE WAS ACTUALLY PRESIDING AT THE MEETING. AND SO THE REVISED MINUTES NOW HAVE HIS NAME LISTED AS AN AFFIRMATIVE VOTE UNDER THE, IN REGARDS TO THE TAX RATE. OKAY ALL RIGHT. MAY I ASK FOR CLARIFICATION? SO HOW MANY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WERE PRESENT WHEN THAT VOTE WAS TAKEN ON THE TAX RATE? I'M SORRY. TAKE YOUR TIME. SO, SIR, ALL SEVEN WERE PRESENT. MYERS SMITHLEY, PARHAM AND HILL VOTED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, YOU, ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER WESTBROOK, VOTED NAY AND COUNCIL MEMBER JONES ABSTAINED. THAT VOTE COUNTED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, AND HE DID NOT STATE A REASON FOR HIS ABSTENTION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THAT'S INTERESTING. AN ABSTENTION COUNCIL IS AN AFFIRMATIVE OR DOESN'T COUNT. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. MR. WILLIAMS. I DON'T RECOMMEND GETTING INVOLVED IN ARGUING THE LEGALITIES, BUT THERE IS LEGAL AUTHORITY TO SUPPORT THAT. A ABSTENTION IS THE EQUIVALENT OF. WE'RE ON A BASKETBALL TEAM AND SOMEONE SAYS, OKAY, YOU WANT TO BE BLUE SHIRTS OR RED? AND THE GUYS SAY, HEY, LET'S TAKE A VOTE . AND SO I SAY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S BLUE OR RED. I'LL GO WITH WHATEVER THE MAJORITY SAYS. SO I THINK WHAT MISS HILL IS TRYING TO SAY IS THAT AN ABSTENTION IS SIMPLY ACQUIESCENCE TO THE WILL OF THE MAJORITY. AND SO SHE WOULD COUNT IT AS A AFFIRMATIVE VOTE. HOWEVER, COUNCILS THAT TYPICALLY DO THAT HAVE THAT EMBODIED IN THEIR RULES. SO FOR FUTURE CLARIFICATION, SO WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE ARISE REGARDING HOW THE ABSTENTION IS COUNTED. I RECOMMEND THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER AMENDING ITS RULES IN THE FUTURE TO ADDRESS THAT. BUT REGARDLESS, THE ISSUE IS AT THIS POINT, EVEN WITH THE ABSTENTION, YOU HAVE FOUR IN FAVOR OF THE TAX RATE, AND A MINORITY OPPOSED.THEREFORE THE LEGISLATION PASSED PROPERLY. THANK YOU. KEEP ON GOING. VICE MAYOR HILL. NO, I'M JUST SAYING THANK YOU. THAT'S IT'S CLARIFICATION FOR ME. I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE REVISED MAY SEVEN, 2024 CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION MINUTES. COUNCILMAN MYERS SECOND WITH A MOTION TO SECOND. MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT. AYE COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. AYE.
VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PARHAM. AYE, SIR. THAT MOTION CARRIES. NEXT, WE MOVE ON TO
[5.b. Approval of the City of Petersburg's FY2024-25 Proposed Revised Operating Budget and Appropriation Ordinance - Pages 6-136 ]
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ITEM B, MR. MR. MAYOR, LET ME INTERJECT. WE HAVE ONLY SIX MEMBERS HERE. YES. WHICH IS A QUORUM, WHICH IS A QUORUM, AND I INTEND TO LEAVE THIS SPECIAL MEETING, UNLESS COUNCIL WILL INSTRUCT THE CITY MANAGER TO ACHIEVE A BALANCED BUDGET BY MAKING SALARY REDUCTIONS IN EACH DEPARTMENT BASED ON THE ANTICIPATED VACANCIES IN THAT DEPARTMENT. AND DO SO BEFORE JULY 1ST OF 2024. AND ALSO REDUCE THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE FROM $1.27 PER 100 TO $1.25 PER 100. SO I AM GOING TO LEAVE THIS MEETING AT THIS POINT AND LET THE REST OF COUNCIL CONSIDER HOW THEY WANT TO PROCEED. IF COUNCIL WILL GO ALONG WITH THAT MOTION, PLEASE CALL ME ON MY CELL PHONE AND I'LL BE GLAD TO RETURN. THANK YOU. POINT OF ORDER, MR. MAYOR. PLEASE MARK ME ABSENT.POINT OF ORDER, MR. MAYOR. WE CAN'T MARK YOU ABSENT. MR. COPELAND. MR. COPELAND. OKAY WELL, ANYWAY, WE HAVE ITEM B, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG'S 2425 PROPOSED REVISED OPERATING BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE. VICE MAYOR HILL. MR. MAYOR, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE CITY COUNCIL FY 2024 2025 PROPOSED REVISED OPERATING BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN MYERS. SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER MYERS. AYE.
COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR.
PERRY. AYE, SIR. THAT MOTION CARRIES. NEXT ITEM SIX IS NEW BUSINESS ITEM A TO AUTHORIZE THE
[6.a. Authorize City Manager to Enter Into a Contract for Municipal Solid Waste Services - Pages 137-188]
CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE SERVICES. MR. ALTMAN. SO I GOT THE SHORT END OF THE STICK HERE. I GOT THE BAD ONE. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. AS COUNCIL HAD DIRECTED, WE PUT OUT A BID FOR SOLID WASTE COLLECTION SERVICES IN THE CITY, WE RECEIVED THE BIDS IN. WE'VE DONE OUR EVALUATION AT THIS POINT, I WOULD REQUEST THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING MYSELF TO ENTER INTO THE CONTRACT FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE CONTRACT COLLECTION SERVICES WITH MERIDIAN WASTE VIRGINIA, LLC, THE COST WILL BE $10 AND $0.49 PER MONTH PER HOUSEHOLD, WHICH IS AN ACTUAL REDUCTION OF $1.19 FROM WHAT WE'RE PAYING CURRENTLY. OKAY MISTER MAYOR. YES, VICE MAYOR.IN ORDER TO MAKE A MOTION. YES. MAKE A MOTION THAT WE AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE SERVICE. OKAY. COUNCILMAN MEYERS SECOND. ALL RIGHT, MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK.
AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PERRY. AYE. THE MOTION CARRIES. ALRIGHT. SO AGAIN, AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY AGAIN AND THANK THE CITY STAFF FOR PUTTING TOGETHER OUR, OUR OPERATING BUDGET. AND I JUST WANT TO WANT, WANT THE RECORD TO, TO DEFINITELY SHOW THAT WE THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES THAT THAT DESERVED A WELL NEEDED RAISE WITH THE WITH INFLATION BEING WHAT IT IS AND THE PRICE OF EVERYTHING FROM, FROM GROCERIES TO EXPENSES OF LIVING INCREASING, THE BEST THING WE COULD DO WAS TO BE ABLE TO GIVE OUR ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES SOME SORT OF COMPENSATION TO HELP OFFSET THEIR EXPENSES, I KNOW FOR MANY YEARS THE CITY WAS IN IN DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS IN WHICH WE COULDN'T GIVE THOSE GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES THE MUCH NEEDED RAISES THAT THEY DESERVE.
AND I'M JUST HAPPY THAT THAT COUNCIL STANDS AND UNITED WITH A BUDGET THAT CAN FINALLY ADDRESS OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSETS WE HAVE, WHICH IS OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. THANK YOU ALL. AND THIS MEA
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.