Oct 15, 2024 Regular City Council Meeting

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THAT CONCLUDES OUR CLOSED SESSION. THAT MEETING IS ADJOURNED. NEXT, WE ROLL ON INTO

[1. Roll Call]

HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK.

PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. PRESENT. VICE MAYOR. HILL. HERE. MAYOR. PERRY. HERE. NEXT IS ITEM TWO. OUR OPENING PRAYER. VICE MAYOR HILL WILL LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER. LET US PRAY.

OUR GOD AND OUR FATHER IS ONCE AGAIN WE COME BEFORE YOU, GIVING YOUR NAME, HONOR, PRAISE, AND GLORY. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS OF TODAY. WE THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US ALL DAY LONG. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRACE AND YOUR MERCY.

LORD, WE ASK THAT FORGIVENESS OF SINS OF OMISSION AND COMMISSION THOSE THINGS WE KNOW OF AND THOSE THINGS THAT WE KNOW NOT OF, THAT WE HAVE DONE. NOW, LORD, WE ASK THY BLESSINGS UPON THIS MEETING, HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT IT MAY BE FRUITFUL TO THY NAME. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU WILL BE WITH US, THAT WE WILL MAKE WISE DECISIONS FOR THE CITY, THE CITIZENS, AND THIS AREA. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK A SPECIAL BLESSING UPON OUR CITIZENS. HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT YOU WILL KEEP THEM FROM ALL HURT, HARM, AND DANGER. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK EVEN A SPECIAL BLESSING FROM OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR EMS, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. HEAVENLY FATHER, BE WITH THEM, GUIDE THEM AND STRENGTHEN THEM.

HEAVENLY FATHER. LORD, WE ASK THAT BLESSING UPON THIS COUNCIL IN A SPECIAL WAY. AS WE MOVE AND DELIBERATE THIS MEETING ON TODAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT YOU WILL GET ALL THE HONOR, ALL THE PRAISE, AND ALL THE GLORY, AND ALL WE DO, AND ALL WE SAY IS IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY AND WE THANK YOU. AMEN. AMEN. NEXT, EVERYONE, PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I 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 ITEM

[4. Determination of the Presence of a Quorum]

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

AND I LOVE THOSE PINK TIES AND PINK BADGES. IT'S NICE. NICE. LOOKING GOOD. I'M INVITING MY ENTIRE STAFF TO JOIN US. YES, PLEASE. YES. THEY WERE KIND OF CONFUSED FOR A SECOND. SOME OF YOU ALL CAN COME ON THIS SIDE RIGHT HERE. AS I INTRODUCE, INTRODUCE THEM TO INTRODUCE THEM. I'M GONNA INTRODUCE YOU. WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME? THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU. I FIRST. I'D FIRST LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE VICE CHAIR OF THE BOARD. THE NUMBER ONE SHERIFF. HE'S BEEN SERVING AS THE SHERIFF IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. THE LONGEST. AND HE DROVE ALL THE WAY FROM MARTINSVILLE FOR THIS PRESENTATION. SO WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE HIM. HE'S BEEN MY FRIEND FOR ALMOST 20 YEARS. SHERIFF, THE HONORABLE SHERIFF STEPHEN DRAPER. THANK YOU.

SHERIFF. THAT'S MIGHTY KIND. YEAH, WE'D LIKE TO SAY I AM SHERIFF STEVE DRAPER FROM MARTINSVILLE. AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE. AS I TOLD THE SHERIFF, I WOULDN'T HAVE MISSED THIS ONE IF I SAID WE'VE BEEN WE'VE BEEN BUDDIES SINCE SINCE THE START. AND WE'VE BEEN REAL CLOSE FRIENDS. SO IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF THE LEPC. WE CALL IT THE DEPUTY MAYOR FOR SHORT. BUT ANYWAY, OUR OUR PROGRAM MANAGER, TODD CLINGENPEEL. OKAY. AND BOBBY MOORE. YOU. BOBBY IS RETIRED FROM VMC OR VALLEY, WHICH IS PART OF LSC, BUT HE'S STILL VERY ACTIVE WITH US. SO I WANT TO GET THAT BEFORE WE START OUR PRESENTATION. BUT I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND CITY ADMINISTRATION. I DO SERVE AS A CO-CHAIR OF THE VIRGINIA LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMISSION VALLEY ACT. I BRING YOU GREETINGS FROM AND CONGRATULATIONS FROM THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF LSC. OUR COMMISSION IS MADE UP OF SIX SHERIFFS AND SIX POLICE CHIEFS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH. I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO RECOGNIZE

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MISTER MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS EVENING. MY NAME IS TODD CLINGENPEEL, AND I'M A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE EPILEPSY PROGRAM. I'M ALSO WORKING FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. DCJS IS WHO I ACTUALLY WORK FOR AND ASSIST THOSE SIX CHIEFS AND THOSE SIX SHERIFFS WITH THE PROGRAM HERE THAT WE ARE DOING WITH ACCREDITATION. YOU KNOW, THE SHERIFF STARTED OFF BY TALKING ABOUT 192 STANDARDS. BUT I WANT TO THROW SOMETHING ELSE AT YOU. THERE'S 192 STANDARDS. THERE'S 570 PLUS BULLETS WITHIN THAT, THAT THEY HAVE TO PROVE THAT THEY ARE DOING AS A LAW ENCY HERE IN THE COMMONWEALTH. AND YOUR SHERIFF AND HER APPOINTEES DID A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH PROVING THAT THEY WERE DOING THAT. I ALSO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT WITH WITH NEARLY 400 AGENCIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE ACCREDITATION, SHERIFF CRAWFORD AND HER STAFF MAKE THE 110TH AGENCY OUT OF NEARLY 400 TO ACHIEVE THIS, SO THAT IS A PHENOMENAL ACHIEVEMENT. SO. BOBBY MOYER IS RIGHT BACK HERE.

HE WAS THE TEAM LEAD BACK IN JULY WHEN THEY CAME ON JULY 23RD AND 24TH TO ASSESS YOUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE. AND IN HIS REPORT HE STATED THAT YOUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS FULLY PREPARED FOR THEIR MISSION. A COUPLE OF OTHER WORDS THAT HE SAID THERE IS THAT EVERYONE WITHIN THE AGENCY DISPLAYED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF HONESTY, PROFESSIONALISM, INTEGRITY AND PRIDE IN WHAT THEY DO EACH AND EVERY DAY. THEY WORK CLOSELY AS A TEAM, AND THEY ALSO HAVE A PERSONAL COMMITMENT AND DRIVE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT'S CORRECT AND RIGHT AS A PART OF THEIR PROFESSION. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS A GREAT WAY TO END THIS AND GIVE THE FLOOR TO SHERIFF CRAWFORD HERE. SHERIFF, I'M GOING TO TURN THIS BACK OVER TO SHERIFF DRAPER TO PRESENT YOUR AWARD TO YOU. THERE THERE IS A PLEASURE TO JUST TO GIVE THESE CERTIFICATES. IT'S SOMETHING.

BUT AS I TOLD SOME OF THE DEPUTIES WHEN I CAME IN, CONGRATULATE ALL OF THEM. AND I CONGRATULATE ALL OF YOU ALL FOR A FANTASTIC JOB. BUT AS SOON AS I HAND THIS CERTIFICATE TO THE SHERIFF, FOUR YEARS FROM ME, I'LL START WORKING ON NEXT FOUR YEARS. IT STARTS TODAY. SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A FOUR YEAR CERTIFICATION, BUT WE LOOK FORWARD TO FOUR MORE YEARS AND DOING IT AGAIN. THANK YOU. BEFORE YOU DO, I ALSO WOULD LIKE YOU TO GIVE A BIG HAND TO OUR CERTIFICATION MANAGER, LIEUTENANT CHRISTOPHER BAILEY, BECAUSE HE STEPPED IN AND PULLED EVERYTHING TOGETHER WHILE WE'RE STILL MANAGING OUR COURT CASES, OUR CIVIL PROCESS AND TRANSPORTATION. SO HE HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB ALONG WITH THE ENTIRE STAFF. SO IF YOU WOULD GIVE HIM AND THE ENTIRE STAFF A HAND, I'D APPRECIATE IT. OKAY, LET ME GET HIM TO WHERE HE CAN HEAR US. BUT HERE'S OUR CERTIFICATE THAT AND IT SAYS CERTIFICATE OF ACCREDITATION.

THIS DOCUMENT REQUIRES OR CERTIFIES THAT PETERSBURG SHERIFF'S OFFICE CAME BEFORE THE VIRGINIA LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMISSION ON OCTOBER 3RD, 2024 AND HAS MET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SET FORTH BY THE SAID COMMISSION AND IS THEREFORE ACCREDITED AS AN ACCREDITED AGENCY FOR A PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS. THIS IS THEIR INITIAL AWARD, AND WE'RE GLAD TO PRESENT IT TO HER.

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YEAH. WE CAN GO FROM THIS WAY. ANYWAY, BE SURE WE'RE HERE. LET'S SEE. HOW ARE YOU DOING? YOU'RE FINE LIKE THIS. THANK YOU. SIR. YEAH. LET ME GET A PICTURE OUT HERE. YEAH. WE WANT TO GET EVERYBODY ON THIS SIDE. EVERYBODY COME ON AROUND. Y'ALL GO AROUND. OH, COME ON. LET ME GET IN THE BACK. RIGHT HERE. THANK YOU. MY PLEASURE. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL SEE YOU WITH ONCE IN TEN YEARS. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH. SMILE. OKAY, GREAT. THANKS. DOWN THERE. I GOT HER HANDS IN MINE.

THERE WE GO. ONE, TWO. THREE. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. CHRIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SHERIFF. I DIDN'T REALIZE YOU WERE THE LEADER ON THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, CHARLIE. GOOD TO SEE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. GOOD JOB. HOW ARE YOU? COUNSELOR? ONE OTHER THING. BEFORE I DO LEAVE, I FAIL TO REMEMBER THAT OUR CITY MANAGER, ARETHA, SENDS GREETINGS. SHE WAS GOING TO TRY TO MAKE IT TONIGHT, BUT SHE COULDN'T. SOMETHING CAME UP, BUT I TOLD HER I WOULD PASS IT ON. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. SHERIFF.

APPRECIATE YOU. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM FIVE B, WHICH IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS PROCLAMATION.

STATES WHEREAS OCTOBER IS NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. AND WHEREAS OCTOBER 18TH, 2024 IS NATIONAL MAMMOGRAPHY DAY. AND WHEREAS ABOUT 1 IN 8 US WOMEN, ABOUT 12% WILL DEVELOP INVASIVE BREAST CANCER OVER THE COURSE OF HER LIFETIME. WHEREAS IN 2024, AN ESTIMATED 310,720 NEW CASES OF INVASIVE BREAST CANCER ARE EXPECTED TO BE DIAGNOSED IN WOMEN IN THE US, ALONG WITH 56,500 NEW CASES OF NON INVASIVE BREAST CANCER. AND WHEREAS, ABOUT 2800 NEW CASES OF INVASIVE BREAST CANCER ARE EXPECTED TO BE DIAGNOSED IN MEN IN 2024, A MAN'S LIFETIME RISK OF BREAST CANCER BREAST CANCER IS 1 IN 726. AND WHEREAS ON THE AVERAGE, EVERY TWO MINUTES A WOMAN IS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES. WHEREAS ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE AND PREVENTION, BREAST CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON CANCER IN AMERICAN WOMEN EXCEPT FOR SKIN CANCER. AND WHEREAS, BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNITE ALL CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO PREVENT BREAST CANCER DEATHS THROUGH INCREASED EDUCATION AND REGULAR SCREENING. AND WHEREAS THIS OCTOBER, AS WE DISPLAY PINK RIBBONS OR WEAR PINK CLOTHING TO RAISE AWARENESS, WE RECOGNIZE BREAST CANCER SURVIVORS, THOSE CURRENTLY BATTLING DISEASE, FRIENDS AND FAMILIES OF A DIAGNOSED PATIENT AND APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF OUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND RESEARCHERS WORKING ON FINDING A CURE. AND NOW, THEREFORE, I. SAMUEL, BY VIRTUE OF THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 2024 AS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH AND OCTOBER 18TH, 2024 AS MAMMOGRAPHY DAY IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. OCTOBER 15TH, 2023. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYBODY HERE TO ACCEPT? BREAST CANCER AWARENESS. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCIL. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING. TO PETERSBURG, THE CITY OF PETERSBURG IS GOING TO BE PARTNERING WITH BOND SECURE SOUTHSIDE MEDICAL CENTER. AND IT'S GOING TO BE A CANCER PINK PARTY LUNCH AND MAMMOGRAM EVENT

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AND WHEREAS ONLY A COORDINATED COMMUNITY EFFORT WILL PUT A STOP TO THIS CRIME. AND WHEREAS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PREVENTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE JAMES HOUSE, THE ACCREDITED NONPROFIT CRISIS CENTER THAT PROVIDES COST FREE, CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT, ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE IN PETERSBURG AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. NOW, THEREFORE, I, MAYOR SAMUEL PARHAM, BY VIRTUE OF THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 2024 AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND URGE THE CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG TO WORK TOGETHER TO ELIMINATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SO I WANT YOU TO HELP US AND. I CAN'T.

GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. THE PETERSBURG DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND INTIMATE VIOLENCE PARTNER TASK FORCE HAS SERVED OUR COMMUNITY OVER 20 YEARS AND IS A CITY WIDE COLLABORATION THAT SEEKS TO END DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THROUGH THE DOMESTIC, THROUGH COORDINATED PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY, AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS. AND SO WE THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THIS HONOR AND PROCLAMATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY.

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[6. Presentations]

WE'LL CONTINUE TO OFFER PSYCHIATRY, SOCIAL WORK, ALL OF THE TYPES OF THERAPIES THAT WE CURRENTLY OFFER. ONE DIFFERENCE WILL BE A STATE OF THE ART MEDICAL CLINIC THAT'S GOING TO OFFER RADIOLOGY, RADIOLOGY, DENTAL, OPHTHALMOLOGY, ALL OF THE MEDICAL SERVICES THAT WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER IN-HOUSE VERSUS SENDING PEOPLE OUT FOR THOSE SERVICES. AND THIS IS A RENDERING OF THE MAIN LOBBY. AND I THINK ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS I LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE IS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A 90 SEAT MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM, AND THE IDEA IS REALLY TO BRING THE COMMUNITY TO US. WE KNOW THAT THE HISTORY OF CENTRAL STATE COMES WITH A LOT OF STEREOTYPES THAT I THINK ARE MOSTLY INACCURATE, AND THE ONLY WAY TO BREAK DOWN THOSE STEREOTYPES IS TO TELL PEOPLE OUR STORY AND LET THEM EXPERIENCE US. AND BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY. SO FINDING A WAY TO BRING IN OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND STAKEHOLDERS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE IT THEIR HOME AS MUCH AS IT'S GOING TO BE OUR HOME. IN A FEW YEARS. SO ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME ABOUT THE UPCOMING PLANS FOR CENTRAL STAT? I TELL YOU, IT REALLY LOOKS GREAT AND IT'S A LONG TIME COMING. SO YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF CENTRAL STATE TO THIS COMMUNITY. IT'S REALLY QUITE AMAZING. IT SUSTAINED ITSELF FOR THIS LONG AND HAPPY THAT YOU FINALLY GOT THE NECESSARY FUNDING TO UPGRADE THOSE FACILITIES. SO IT'S A GREAT TIME. ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN JONES, HOW ARE YOU

[00:25:07]

VICE MAYOR HILL. SO IS CENTRAL STATE IN DINWIDDIE OR IN PETERSBURG? DINWIDDIE. BUT OUR PLANNING COMMITTEE IS HAVING A MEETING. IS IT YOU SAY OUR PLANNING COMMITTEE OR USING THE SPACE. THEY'RE USING THE SPACE. BUT YOU SAY THE PLAN. OKAY. SO THERE'S THE PLANNING FOR THAT CODE REQUIRES A PLANNING COMMITTEE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ABOUT A PLANNING COMMITTEE. IT'S CALLED A PLANNING COMMITTEE. OKAY. WHEN YOU SAY PLANNING, I THINK ABOUT OUR PLAN. OKAY. GO AHEAD. GOTCHA. TO SUBMIT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY RECOMMENDATIONS ON CLOSURE OR NOT. CLOSURE. OKAY. LET ME WORD THIS CAREFULLY. IN THE EVENT OF CLOSING OR ANYTHING CLOSING MANY TIMES, WHAT HAPPENS AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN PREVIOUS YEARS FROM WHAT I'M TOLD AND KIND OF WHAT I SEE IN MY CITY, I'M BORN AND RAISED HERE, THAT WHEN YOU ARE CLOSE SOMETHING OR WHEN THEY THEY COME TO PETERSBURG AND WHAT HAVE YOU, WE DON'T PARTICULARLY CARRY THEM TO THE LOCATION WHERE THEY CAME FROM. COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? MEANING PATIENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO I DON'T WORK AT HIRAM. I'LL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION. PART OF A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THAT PLANNING COMMITTEE IS TALKING ABOUT RESIDENT PLACEMEN.

SO SAY THAT AGAIN. IT'S TALKING ABOUT FINDING RESIDENT PLACEMENT. SO TAKING A LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PATIENTS THAT THEY HAVE AT HIRAM AND WHAT LEVEL OF CARE THAT THEY NEED, AND MAKING SURE THAT PLANNING IS DONE IN ADVANCE. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. OH. ONE MORE. COUNCILMAN COOPER. WELL, I DON'T THINK YOU FULLY ANSWERED VICE MAYOR HILL'S QUESTION. ARE THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE DEINSTITUTIONALIZED? ARE THEY GOING TO BE? MOVED TO FACILITIES IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG? OH, I MISUNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION. I'M NOT SURE YET. THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLACEMENTS, AND I'M SURE NOT EVERYONE WILL BE PLACED IN PETERSBURG. PERHAPS OTHER PLACES AS WELL, DEPENDING ON THE LEVEL OF CARE THAT THEY NEED. WELL, THE PATTERN IN THE PAST HAS BEEN THAT A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN MOVED INTO GROUP HOMES IN PETERSBURG AND PETERSBURG IS DOING MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE NOW. SO I HOPE YOU WILL KEEP THAT IN MIND. A LOT OF THESE GROUP HOMES END UP IN THE WARD. I REPRESENT, AND I GET COMPLAINTS FROM CONSTITUENTS QUITE FREQUENTLY, SO I HOPE YOU WILL KEEP THAT IN MIND AND BRING THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF THIS COMMITTEE OR SUBCOMMITTEE, BECAUSE IT IT'S A REAL PROBLEM IN THE EYES OF MY CONSTITUENTS, MANY OF THEM. THAT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW, AND I CAN PASS THAT ALONG.

THANK YOU. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT WE GO TO ITEM SIX B WHICH IS A PRESENTATION BY GILBANE BUILDING COMPANY AND COMMONWEALTH ARCHITECTS OF THE NEW PETERSBURG COURTHOUSE. HISTORICAL INFORMATION. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US TONIGHT. WE'RE SUPER EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU FURTHER ABOUT YOUR NEW COURTHOUSE HERE IN PETERSBURG. BEFORE GILBANE STARTS ANY MEETING, WE LIKE TO START WITH A GILBANE CARES MOMENT. I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO REFLECT UPON THOSE SUFFERING FROM HURRICANES HELENE AND HURRICANE MILTON. THANK YOU. I'M RACHEL PEST. I'M BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER AT GILBANE BUILDING COMPANY, AND I HAVE MY TEAM HERE WITH ME. I HAVE BRETT THOMPSON, WHO IS OUR PROJECT EXECUTIVE, LEE SHADBOLT, WITH COMMONWEALTH ARCHITECTS, AND JANE SUTTON, ALSO WITH COMMONWEALTH ARCHITECTS. SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO BRETT. THANK YOU

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[00:35:06]

SPACE NEEDS STUDY. WE TOOK OUR GROUP OUR ESTIMATING GROUP. WE TOOK OUR NATIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF COURTHOUSES, COMPILED THIS TEAM TOGETHER AND SAID, HEY, WE'VE GOT AN IDEA FOR YOU. LET'S USE THE PPA PROCUREMENT METHOD AND TO PRESENT TO THE CITY AN IDEA FOR MOVING FORWARD. HOW DO WE GET OFF CENTER? HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS? SO AGAIN, WE PUT TOGETHER WHAT WE THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT OUR DESIGNERS THOUGHT WE COULD BUILD FOR A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT AND A CERTAIN TIME AND PRESENTED A PPE PROPOSAL. AND SO WE'RE HERE TODAY, RIGHT, TO TALK ABOUT THROUGH THAT AND HOW WE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. THE NEXT STEP IN THIS PROCESS IS AN INTERIM AGREEMENT PHASE. AND THE INTERIM AGREEMENT PHASE IS REALLY DESIGNED TO CONTINUE THAT COLLABORATION, CONTINUE THE COORDINATION WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THEIR WORKING GROUP TO FINALIZE THAT DESIGN. SO THE DESIGN SERVICES AND THE OTHER DESIGN WORK THAT WOULD BE NEEDED, SUCH AS GEOTECHNICAL OR UTILITY STUDIES OR TRAFFIC STUDIES, RIGHT. EVERYTHING WE WOULD NEED TO DEVELOP A SITE DESIGN. SO THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT AGREEMENT PHASE. WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH EVERYONE, THE PLAYERS INVOLVED TO FINALIZE THAT DESIGN THROUGH THAT PROCESS. ONCE THE DESIGN GETS ABOUT 80% DONE AND WE FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH AND YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH ON THE SCOPE OF WORK, WE WOULD THEN GO TO A COST PROPOSAL AND A AGREE ON A COST AND AGREE ON A SCHEDULE AND GUARANTEE YOU THE COST OF THAT OF THAT COURTHOUSE. SO AGAIN, WE HAVE A IT'S A PROCESS, RIGHT? WE'RE HERE TO WORK WITH YOU. WE HAVE A TEAM HERE. BUT THIS IS A VERY TEAM CENTRIC APPROACH. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THEIR WORKING GROUP TO CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS DESIGN AND AGREE ON HOW WE HOW WE MOVE FORWARD. AND A BIG PART OF THAT IS TO CONTINUE THE ENERGY THAT WE FEEL IN PETERSBURG, RIGHT, WITH WITH CENTRAL STATE AND SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED IN TOWN. AND JUST ONE PART OF THAT IS THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS. AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO RACHEL. YEAH. SO BACK IN APRIL, WE HELD OUR TRADE CONTRACTOR OUTREACH PROGRAM, WHICH IS TO INVITE LOCAL BUSINESSES WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY TO COME MEET US, MAYBE WHO WE HAVE NOT MET BEFORE, TO SEE HOW THEY CAN BEST JOIN OUR TEAM, NOT JUST ON THE COURTHOUSE PROJECT, BUT OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE AROUND THE COMMUNITY. SO THESE ARE SOME PICTURES FROM THE LAST TRADE CONTRACTOR OUTREACH EVENT THAT WE HAD. AND WE ALSO HAVE ONE THIS THURSDAY HERE AT THE APPOMATTOX EVENT CENTER IN PETERSBURG. SO WE ENCOURAGE ANY LOCAL, SMALL, DIVERSE OWNED BUSINESS TO COME MEET WITH SOME MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM TO SEE HOW WE CAN PARTNER ON OUR PROJECTS GOING FORWARD. OKAY, SO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON ANYTHING ON THE SCHEDULE OF THINGS MOVING FORWARD OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO I THINK ONE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU ALL BEING HERE. THIS HAS BEEN A PROJECT THAT WE KNOW

[00:40:07]

COUNCILMAN COOPER. THANK YOU, MAYOR. TWO QUESTIONS. CAN WE GO BACK TO THE SKETCH ON THE PAGE THAT WAS TITLED, I THINK, HISTORY OF THE PROJECT DRAWING. YES, I SEE NORTH SYCAMORE STREET. I SEE OF RECTANGLE OF KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE UP TOWARD THE TOP. IT'S GOT AN X THROUGH IT ADJACENT TO SELL OFF PARCEL. WHAT IS THAT X INDICATE I ACTUALLY DID THE SKETCH. I DON'T BELIEVE THE CITY OWNS THAT PARCEL, SO I PUT AN X THROUGH IT AS WELL AS THE ONE ABOVE IT.

THOSE ARE THE BUILDINGS THAT THAT ARE TO THE LEFT OF THE PARKING LOT. IF YOU'RE FACING HUSTINGS ON SYCAMORE, THERE'S THE BUILDINGS THAT RUN DOWN TO THE CORNER AT BANK. SO THEN THE BUILDINGS ARE REPRESENTED IN THE AREA BY THE X AND THE. THE VACANT AREA IS THE PROPERTY THAT THE CITY OWNS DOWN THERE, THE BLANK AREA, I SHOULD SAY, WHERE IT SAYS SELL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

DOES THE X INDICATE THAT WE'RE TEARING THOSE BUILDINGS DOWN? NO, IT'S JUST AN INDICATION THAT WE DON'T OWN THOSE PARCELS, THAT THEY'RE THERE, BUT WE DON'T OWN THEM. OKAY. RIGHT. THIS WAS PART OF A BUILDING ON THE CORNER OF THE GLOBE IS SHOWN HERE ON THE CORNER OF EAST TABB WITH AN X THROUGH IT. RIGHT. THAT'S THEY'RE NOT BEING TORN DOWN. THAT'S JUST SHOWING THAT IT'S NOT CITY, A CITY CONTROLLED PARCEL. OKAY. GOOD. BECAUSE I'LL, I'LL STAY SEATED NOW SOMETHING I'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD ABOUT THIS IS WHERE DOES PRICE COMPETITION ENTER INTO THE CALCULATION HERE. WHAT? I THOUGHT COMPETITION FOR BASED ON PRICE WAS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION. AND YET I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT IN THIS PROCESS. IS THAT ANYWHERE IN THIS PROCESS.

SO THE PRICE COMPONENT WAS PART OF OUR PPA PROPOSAL. WE HAVE A PUBLIC AND A PROPRIETARY BOOKLE.

SO THE PROPRIETARY BOOKLET WAS CONTAINING OF SCHEDULE AND COST. BUT IS THERE ANY PRICE COMPETITION? I MEAN HOW DO WE KNOW THAT SOMEBODY ANOTHER. WELL QUALIFIED FIRM WOULD NOT DO THIS PROJECT FOR LESS MONEY? SURE. I THINK YOU KNOW, THE JUDGING CRITERIA. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT UP

[00:45:05]

SO WE CAN'T RELEASE THAT INFORMATION. BUT THEY WERE ALL IN THE SAME GENERAL PRICE RANGE.

SO WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE'LL WE'LL MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS AND ULTIMATELY WHAT WE ENVISION HAVING ON OUR SIDE WOULD BE A PRICE NOT TO EXCEED ON THE COST THAT THEY'LL MEET WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS. AND WE HAVE A NUMBER THAT WE'RE WE THAT WHAT WE'RE WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR.

SO WE NEED TO GET THEM TO OUR NUMBER. WELL, I HOPE YOU WILL FIGHT LIKE A TIGER. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. AND THAT'S OUR GOAL. AND I GUESS THE REALLY BENEFIT OF THIS PROCESS IS, IS COST CONTROL, RIGHT. WE CAN BRING A DESIGNER IN. AND AS WE DESIGN, WE CAN ADVISE ON THINGS THAT WILL INCREASE COSTS OR SAVE MONEY. RIGHT. SO THIS RELATIONSHIP WORKING TOGETHER AND THAT PARTNERSHIP IS, IS THE BENEFIT OF THIS THIS RELATIONSHIP. SO ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR THE EXPLANATION. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. FOR THAT QUESTION. HOW WOULD YOU DO YOU ALL. WELL. WE MOVE TO ITEM SEVEN WHICH IS RESPONSES TO PREVIOUS PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD. ITEM

[7. Responses to Previous Public Information Posted]

[8. Approval of Consent Agenda]

[9. Official Public Hearings]

AND I BELIEVE, GARY. GARY, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT? BECAUSE WE DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T HEAR. YES. I'M SORRY, 1.5 MILLION CONTRIBUTION FROM THE CITY. AND THEY'RE AMENDING THEIR OWN BUDGET. THE FOOD SERVICE BUDGET, TO INCREASE IT BY $2 MILLION. SO THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE BUDGET AMENDMENT IS 3.5 MILLION. I BELIEVE THAT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE FOR THE SCHOOLS IS HERE THIS EVENING. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SPECIFIC TO THE SCHOOLS, REQUEST. YOU. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JOHN WALLINGFORD. I'M THE INTERIM CFO FOR PETERSBURG CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I HAVE WITH ME DOCTOR WOODS, AND WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT THIS PROJECT OR THESE PROJECTS. I WOULD SAY JUST 1 OR 2 THINGS. $2 MILLION TO $2 MILLION THAT MR. KOZAR MENTIONED COMES FROM FUND BALANCE. THAT'S IN OUR FOOD SERVICE FUND. AND LIKE GARY MENTIONED, THE 1.5 WOULD BE A RETURN FROM A PORTION OF THAT MONEY THAT WAS SWEPT BACK FROM THE SCHOOL DIVISION. I BELIEVE IT WAS IN MID-AUGUST. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE. OKAY. RIGHT BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEARING, LET'S I HAVE A QUESTION FROM COUNCILMAN JONE. YES, SIR. HOW ARE YOU DOING? YES, FELLAS. HOW Y'ALL DOING? GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE TONIGHT. ONE OF A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I JUST GOT TO ASK. WHY DID IT TAKE COMPLAINTS FROM CITIZENS AND THE STATE TO COME DOWN, AND FOR US

[00:50:13]

I'M CURRENTLY THE MOST SENIOR MEMBER. I'M AN INTERIM PERSON. I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY SCHOOLS NOW FOR ABOUT SIX MONTHS. THE QUESTION YOU ASK IS VERY GOOD. THE NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM, WHO IS WITH THE SCHOOL DIVISION, IS ACTUALLY WORKING ON THE KINDS OF PLANS THAT YOU'VE ASKED ABOUT.

WE HAVE FUND BALANCE IN OUR FOOD SERVICE FUND TO THE EXTENT OF ABOUT $3 MILLION, 2 MILLION OF WHICH WE INTEND TO SPEND ON THI. I HAVE MET WITH THE CITY MANAGER ON ON 1 OR 2 OCCASIONS. HE'S RAISED THE SAME QUESTIONS. WE'VE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT NEED, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING TOWARDS. WE'VE HAD BOTH THE AUDIT OR THE REVIEW THAT WAS PERFORMED BY BY VDOE ON OUR FOOD SERVICE OR NUTRITION OPERATIONS. WE'VE ALSO HAD A FIRM NAMED ALVAREZ AND MARSAL WHO'S COME COME IN AND LOOKED AT SOME BUSINESS PROCESSES. SO THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN A VERY PROACTIVE STANCE ON BOTH CAPITAL PLANNING AND MAINTENANCE AND OUR BUSINESS PRACTICES. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER AND I'LL GIVE CREDIT TO THAT. TO THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT FOR TRYING, BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE SHE'S THE ONE THAT GOT THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DOWN HERE, I THINK. AND IF SHE DID, THAT'S VERY PROACTIVE. HOWEVER, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S EASY MAINTENANCE. I MEAN, EVERY SIX MONTHS YOUR HOOD'S GOT TO BE CLEANED AND SERVICE. THAT'S EASY. WHOEVER'S IN THOSE POSITIONS, JUST LIKE THE CITY CITY MANAGER, WE GOT TO HOLD PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR NOT DOING THEIR JOB. WE CAN'T KEEP GIVING THEM A CHECK. THIS. THESE PEOPLE MONEY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THEIR MONEY. AND WE KEEP GIVING PEOPLE A CHECK. BUT WE GOT TO CHECK BEHIND THEM, YOU KNOW. SO I'LL GIVE THE CITY SUPERINTENDENT THAT MUCH CREDIT AND THE SCHOOL BOARD. BUT WE STILL NEED TO HAVE A SIT DOWN AND GO OVER ALL OF THIS STUFF, SO WE MAKE SURE IT DON'T HAPPEN EVER AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ANSWER. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR THE FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE RE ADOPT THE FY 25 PETERSBURG SCHOOLS BUDGET TO ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR FOOD SERVICE UPGRADES TO INCLUDE CAPITAL AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS. MISS RUDOLPH, MR. THANK YOU MAYOR. GOOD EVENING, BARBARA RUDOLPH 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I JUST I WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT COUNCILOR JONES WAS SAYING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT IS. BUT I WANT TO ADD SOMETHING TO IT. IT'S NOT JUST HOOD CLEANING FOR $3.5 MILLION. I MEAN, $3.5 MILLION IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. AND THAT IF YOU GO THROUGH THAT, THE ACTUAL DOE STUDY THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA PACKAGE, THERE'S EXTENSIVE WORK NEEDED. AND I KNOW YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT. COUNCILOR JONES, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THE PUBLIC IS, BUT IT'S A LOT OF IT'S MORE THAN JUST DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. I WOULD SAY FROM READING OVER IT. AND I WOULD ADD THAT ACTUALLY, A MEMBER OF THE TEAM WHO CAME FROM DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CONTACTED ME AT THE RIGHT AFTER THIS, THEY THEY MADE THE SITE VISIT AND WAS EXTREMELY ALARMED WITH THE CONDITION. I MEAN, THAT IT WAS SO BAD. I MEAN, ALMOST TO

[00:55:07]

[01:00:06]

AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR FUNDS THESE TIMES, FUNDS COMING UP FOR, FOR ALLOCATION FOR MORE THINGS ON THE SCHOOL THAT'S OLD. SO WE STILL WE SHOULD CONSIDER THAT. BUT AS YOU COME TOGETHER WITH THIS, THE SCHOOL BOARD AND I YOU KNOW, I JUST TOOK MY HEAD OUT TO THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE, BUT IT'S TIME FOR SOME TO GO. IT'S TIMES ARE CHANGING, JUST LIKE YOU ALL ROLES MIGHT END VERY SOON. SO THE THING IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A GROUP. THIS IS A CITY. THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE CITY COUNCILS OR THE CITY OR THE SCHOOL BOARD OR WHATEVER OTHER DEPARTMENT WE HAVE. WE HAVE STILL HAVE A DIVIDED CITY WITH A CASINO CONSIDERATION, A CASINO COMING TO A CITY THAT'S NOT OPERATING PROPERLY. WE GOT TO LOOK AT THAT. WE ARE LAUGHING STOCK TO SOME PEOPLE. YOU MIGHT BE PATTING YOURSELF ON THE BACK OR THEY MIGHT BE PATTING YOURSELF ON THE BACK OF WHAT IS BEING DONE, THOUGH NOT GIVE YOURSELF A PAT ON THE BACK UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE. IT IS NOT DONE YET. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO MORE HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED AND BACK TO COUNCILMAN JONES. YES, I'D LIKE TO TABLE THIS UNTIL WE CAN MEET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SCHOOL BOARD. HAVE A JOINT MEETING, AND PERHAPS WE CAN GIVE MORE MONEY. MR. CEO, TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GUYS CAN TAKE CARE OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. BUT UNTIL, LIKE SOME OF THE CITIZENS SAID, WE SIT DOWN AND MEET WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND COME TOGETHER LIKE THE MAN JUST SAID ON ONE ACCORD, WE CAN'T JUST KEEP GIVING OUT MONEY. THEY NEED THE MONEY. I KNOW, I KNOW, THEY NEED IT, BUT WE NEED TO COME UP WITH A PLAN AND A PREVENTION PLAN AND A POSITIVE PLAN. SCHOOL BOARD, CITY COUNCIL AS ONE. SO MR. CITY MANAGER CAN YOU MAKE THAT MEETING HAPPEN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE? THIS YEAR? YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT WAS A MOTION. AND, COUNCILMAN COOPER, I SECOND THE MOTION SECOND BY COUNCILMAN COOPER. MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PAM. AYE. THAT MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM NINE B, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO UTILIZE THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND TO FUND EMERGENCY REPAIRS. OKAY, SO THIS ITEM, AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE BROUGHT BEFORE YOU THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND. SOME BACKGROUND. SO THE FINANCIAL POLICY STATES THAT THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND SHALL BE USED FOR UNFORESEEN EMERGENCY EXPENDITURES OR UNPLANNED UNFORESEEN DECLINES IN REVENUES. SO THESE TWO WOULD BE UNPLANNED, UNFORESEEN EMERGENCY EXPENDITURES. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SITUATION AT 110 BANK STREET. THERE WAS A PARTIAL BUILDING COLLAPSE THERE. AND THEN ALSO THE COLLAPSE OF A STABILIZATION RETAINING WALL BEHIND CITY HALL. SO THE TOTAL COST FOR THE TWO ITEMS IS LISTED THERE, $655,936. AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING USING THE FUND TO FUND THESE REPAIRS. RIGHT. MR. CITY MANAGER, TO ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON THE TWO ITEMS FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION THIS EVENING, THE BUILDING AT TWO 110 BANK STREET THAT WE HAD AN OVERNIGHT STORM FLASH FLOOD THAT WASHED OUT UNDERNEATH THE FRONT ENTRANCE OF THE BUILDING AT 110 AND IT COLLAPSED INTO THE BRICK HOUSE RUN DRAINAGE WAY. AND AS A RESULT, WE HAD TO GO IN AND DO SOME REMEDIATION. DENOTES DEMOLITION OF THE BUILDING AND CLEAN OUT THE DRAINAGE WAY TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER FLOODING AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO BANK STREET, SO THAT REQUIRED THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE REQUESTING FUNDING TO FUND AND MOVE FORWARD WITH. AND THEN THE SECOND ITEM, THE RETAINING WALL AT CITY HALL BETWEEN CITY HALL

[01:05:04]

QUESTION. COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. HOW ARE YOU DOING, SIR? YOU KNOW, I'M ALL ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE SPEAK TO WHERE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO CAN YOU TELL THE PUBLIC WHAT IS THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND? SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY A PART OF OUR COMMITTED FUND BALANCE. IT'S ANOTHER FUND THAT WE WOULD HAVE THAT WE USE FOR WHAT YOU SEE HERE. SO IT CAN BE WE ESTABLISHED IT PER OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES. SO COUNCIL VOTED TO APPROVE FINANCIAL POLICIES IN JULY OF 23. SO WE WERE BRINGING THIS FUND TO COME IN LINE WITH THOSE POLICIES. SO LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST A FUND TO BE USED FOR UNFORESEEN UNPLANNED EVENTS. ALL RIGHT. HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THAT FUND? $4.7 MILLION. 4.7. ALL RIGHT. I REMEMBER THIS MEETING A WHILE AGO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT EMERGENCY REPAIRS. AND NOBODY HAD A DEFINITION ON WHAT EMERGENCY REPAIRS WERE. NOW, TODAY WE GOT UP HERE. WE'RE UP HERE WITH A REQUEST FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS. BUT NOBODY EVER MADE A DEFINITION ON WHAT EMERGENCY REPAIRS WAS. SO. SO, NUMBER ONE, THE BRIDGE, THE. BRIDGE. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. EMERGENCY REPAIR. RIGHT. IT WAS UNFORESEEN. I UNDERSTAND THAT. I FIRST I WANT TO SAY I DON'T WANT TO BE NICE TO THE CITY AND MEAN TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THE SAME WAY WE TABLED THAT AND SIT DOWN WITH THEM. I NEED TO HOLD Y'ALL ACCOUNTABLE ABOUT THIS MONEY.

BECAUSE IF WE GOT IT TO GIVE TO US, WE GOT IT TO GIVE TO THEM. YOU KNOW? SO I WANT TO SAY NOW WITH THE WITH THE THAT OLD DMV BUILDING THAT'S PART OF THAT'S PART OF THE REQUEST, RIGHT ON BANK STREET. OKAY. I GOT THAT. THE ONE. SO NOW THE HOTEL WALL. THE WALL BY THE HOTEL PETERSBER.

I DON'T CONSIDER THAT AN EMERGENCY REPAIR BECAUSE WE GAVE ENOUGH MONEY. TELL HIM, GIVE SOME OF IT BACK TO FIX WHATEVER WE SPENT OR GAVE HIM. IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE. YOU KNOW, WE WAS GENEROUS. HE GOT THE MONEY. GIVE IT BACK. WE DON'T NEED TO USE OUR FUNDS TO FIX SOMETHING NEIGHBORING THEM. I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BENEFIT THE CITY SOME KIND OF WAY. SOME WAY OR SOME SHAPE, FORM OR FASHION. BUT GIVE US SOME OF THAT MONEY BACK TO FIX THIS STUFF. WE DON'T WANT TO KEEP USING OUR STUFF, YOU KNOW? I KNOW IT'S GOING TO PISS SOMEBODY OFF SOMEWHERE UP IN HERE OR OUT THERE, BUT IT DON'T MATTER BECAUSE IT'S YOUR MONEY. IT'S YOUR MONEY, AND I'M JUST.

AND I'M NOT FUSSING WITH YOU, YOUNG MAN. I'M JUST SAYING. I'M STATING THE OBVIOUS, MAN. WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A DEFINITION OF EMERGENCY REPAIRS. NOW, TODAY, WE SITTING UP HERE WITH TWO EMERGENCY REPAIRS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. SO AGAIN, IF WE GOT IT TO GIVE TO OURSELVES, THEN WE GOT IT TO GIVE TO OUR SCHOOLS. THAT'S ALL I GOT, MISTER MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO JUST CLARIFY. THE RETAINING WALL IS THE CITY'S RETAINING WALL. IT ISN'T A PRIVATE RETAINING WALL.

IT'S OURS. THAT WAS FAILING. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT THAT WALL HAS BEEN THERE FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS, AND THERE AIN'T NOTHING HAPPENED TO IT SINCE. UNTIL WORK STARTED HAPPENING BESIDE IT. SO IT GOT TO BE SOME VIBRATION. SOMETHING HAPPENED SINCE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THAT HOTEL.

SOMETHING STARTED MESSING WITH THAT FOUNDATION OF THAT WALL. AND THAT'S WHY IT FALL. IT'S FALLING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT AIN'T GOING TO JUST FALL BY ITSELF. SO MANY THINGS DON'T HAPPEN OVER THERE. IT AIN'T FALL NOW IT'S FALLING BECAUSE YOU GOT A HOTEL BEING BUILT. I UNDERSTAND IT'S PRIVATE, I UNDERSTAND IT'S OURS, BUT IT AIN'T START DILAPIDATING UNTIL CONSTRUCTION STARTED HAPPENING. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. ALL RIGHT, NEXT, MR. BOB RUDOLPH.

I'M JUST GOING TO SPEAK. BOB RUDOLPH, 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I'M JUST GOING TO SPEAK FOR SEVERAL PEOPLE HERE. AND THANK YOU, COUNCILOR JONES, BECAUSE THAT'S A QUESTION THAT WAS ON THE MIND. CERTAINLY WHEN I LOOKED AT THE PICTURE, I THOUGHT, DOES THE BACK OF THE

[01:10:01]

HI, MR. GARY TALLEY. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL GARY TALLEY, 2323 FORT RICE STREET. A QUESTION WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EMERGENCY? WE HAVE TWO BRIDGES OUT TEN BANK STREET THAT WORK THERE SEEMS TO HAVE STOPPED WHEN THE SINKHOLE IS STILL THERE. WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EMERGENCY TO USE THIS THIS THIS MONEY FOR. OKAY. THANK YOU, MISS PAULA. CHESTER. GOOD AFTERNOON. PAULA CHESTER, 1013 OAKMONT DRIVE, PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. I ALSO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHY AREN'T THERE EXTRA MONEY FROM THE CONTRACTOR? I'M A FAMOUS WATCHER OF HGTV HOME OWNERS, CONTRACTORS WHO BUILD HOMES FOR PEOPLE. AND THEY ALWAYS ADD A LITTLE EXTRA INTO THAT TOTAL COST THAT THEY GIVE TO THIS PERSON TO BUILD THEIR HOME. IN CASE OF AN UNEXPECTED EVENT. SO I DO BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE SOME EXTRA MONEY WITHIN THAT CONTRACTOR THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT RETAINER WALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. BACK TO COUNCILMAN JONES. MR. MAYOR. YOU AGREE TO MAKE A MOTION? NO, NO. SO JUST BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA MAKE A MOTION. MAYOR. SO WHAT? I WANT TO I'M GONNA LIKE THE CITIZENS ON THIS. WHAT CONSTITUTES AN EMERGENCY WITH THE BRIDGES THAT WE HAVE OUT AND WHAT HAVE YOU.

AND IF WE DO HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE BRIDGES, WHY AREN'T WE DOING THAT NOW, AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING ELSE NOW? I'M ALL FOR THE HOTEL. I AM, BUT I DO KNOW THE RETAINING WALL IS OURS. AND ANYTIME YOU START MESSING AROUND, YOU KNOW, BUILDING AND STUFF LIKE THAT, IT IS A CONTINGENCY THAT SOMETHING MAY HAPPEN. SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO REALIZE THAT. BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW, DO WE HAVE THE FUNDS RIGHT NOW TO TAKE CARE OF THE BRIDGE AND START ON THAT RIGHT NOW, OR I MEAN, WHERE ARE WE WITH THAT IN PARTICULAR? BECAUSE THAT'S THE HOTTEST BUTTON TOPIC RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, THEY COULD CARE LESS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS, BUT RIGHT NOW, YEAH. SO WITH THE FUNDING THAT WAS PLACED IN THERE, THE $4 MILLION ABSENT, IF LET'S ASSUME COUNCIL APPROVES THIS, WE WOULD HAVE FUNDING TO MOVE FORWARD. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD HAVE FUNDING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ALL OF IT, EVEN IF WE DIDN'T TAKE THESE FUNDS. I THINK THE BRIDGE PROJECT, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, AT WHITE OAK AT OAK HILL, IS ABOUT $5 MILLION. SO IT'S OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO DO PULL UP, Y'ALL HOLD UP THE COMPLETELY. THE REPLACEMENT OF THE BRIDGE, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS TRYING TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR SO THAT, YOU KNOW, TODAY WE THE THIS FUND WOULDN'T PAY FOR ALL OF THAT. YOU'D HAVE TO GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO DO THAT. SO AS WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE WHAT WE WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, WE CAN BRING COUNCIL AN OPPORTUNITY TO FUND FUND THE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT.

[01:15:03]

RIGHT. BUT THAT WALL LET THE OWNER KNOW OF PETERSBURG HOTEL. IT'S NOT NOT ANY HARD FEELINGS TOWARDS THEM. I'M JUST I WANT TO KNOW IF THEY'D BE WILLING TO PAY AT LEAST 10% OF THE COST. YOU KNOW, AND I WANT TO KNOW THAT, LIKE, BEFORE THE WEEK IS OUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S FAIR, YOU KNOW, HEY, IT'S BOTH OUR IT'S RIGHT HERE AT THE BUTT OF YOUR PROPERTY. YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T HAPPEN UNTIL YOU STARTED DOING SOME OF IT. YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PAY 10%, AT LEAST 5% SOMETHING, YOU KNOW. BUT THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY. AND THE VICE MAYOR ON THAT? YES, SIR.

YES. OKAY. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. VICE MAYOR HILL, SO BASICALLY WHAT IT SAYS IS PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO UTILIZE THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND TO FUND EMERGENCY REPAIRS. SO YOU JUST WANT THE FUND TO YOU WANT THE FOR THAT PARTICULAR REPAIR OR JUST YOU JUST WANT IT THERE. AND JUST IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENED, DID YOU JUST USE THAT FOR AN EXAMPLE? I'M JUST ASKING. SO COUNCIL ESTABLISHED THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND AT A PREVIOUS MEETING AND AUTHORIZED THE $4 MILLION TO BE PUT IN THAT FUND TONIGHT. WE'RE ASKING THE ABILITY TO UTILIZE 655. LET'S JUST CALL IT $656,000. OF THOSE FUNDS TO ADDRESS THESE TWO PROJECTS AND HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR ON THE OAK HILL BRIDGE SITUATION, AND WE CAN BRING BACK A PROPOSAL FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION TO FUND MOVE FORWARD WITH REPAIR AHEAD WITH REPAIRS FOR THAT. SO WHAT ABOUT THE LAFAYETTE BRIDGE? YEAH, WE CAN TALKING ABOUT BOTH BRIDGE.

YEAH THAT ONE TOO. YEAH WE CAN WE CAN BRING BACK WE CAN BRING BACK BOTH WOULD JUST WE WON'T BE ABLE TO. WE'LL HAVE TO GO SOME SOME SOURCE OTHER THAN THIS FUND BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY. BUT WE CAN DO BOT. OKAY. SO 600 AND SOME THOUSAND 656,000. AND THEN THAT'LL LEAVE.

HOW MUCH OUT OF THE 4,000,004.1 ISH. HOW MUCH? 4 MILLION. ROUGHLY. ROUGHLY 4.1. ROUGHLY 4 MILLION. 4.1 MILLION. OKAY. HOW ABOUT WE DO THIS ONE? ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES. HOW IS THE MONEY IN THAT? IN THAT THE STABILIZATION FUND REPLENISHED. WHERE IS THAT COMING FROM? SO WE WOULD DO EVERY YEAR WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, WE WOULD PUT MONEY IN THE IN THE STABILIZATION FUND TO THE EQUIVALENT AMOUNT THAT WAS REQUIRED BY OUR STATE, OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES FOR, FOR THAT PARTICULAR BUDGET YEAR. SO AS THE BUDGET RISES, SO TOO WILL THE STABILIZATION FUND. SO IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, LAST JUST LAST COUNCIL MEETING, WE HAD A YOUNG MAN UP HERE SAYING THAT WE HAD MORE MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE MILLIONS THAT WHEN WE MENTIONED ABOUT THE SCHOOLS HAVING EXTRA MONEY FOR A NEW SCHOOL, THAT WAS IT WAS DOING THAT SLIDE PRESENTATION. WE HAVE MORE THAN $4 MILLION TO GO TOWARDS EMERGENCY FUNDS. SO WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE THAT'S NOT INCLUDED AS PART OF OUR GENERAL OPERATING FUND THAT'S SITTING

[01:20:03]

WE GOT TO PROTECT IT AND THEN UTILIZE THE REVENUE COMING IN THROUGH THE PHARMACEUTICAL AND OTHER THINGS. AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL WITH THE REFERENDUM IN NOVEMBER, THAT'S ANOTHER REVENUE SOURCE THAT THOSE DOLLARS COULD BE USED TO LEVERAGE TO DO ADDITIONAL CAPITAL PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT, RIGHT? WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT NOW. TONIGHT, WE JUST HAVE AND IT'S I KNOW IT'S A SMALL REQUEST. WE'VE DONE SOME WORK. WE NEED TO PAY SOME CONTRACTORS. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE REQUEST APPROVED THIS EVENING. WE WILL BRING BACK A PROPOSAL FOR LAFAYETTE AND OAK HILL FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION. BUT I WANT TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT WE DON'T GET OVERZEALOUS. AND LOOK AT THAT 40 MILLION AND START SPENDING IT DOWN, BECAUSE WHEN DAVENPORT GETS UP IN A LITTLE BIT TO TALK ABOUT THE COURTHOUS, THEY CAN TELL YOU PART OF THAT IS WE NEED TO BE SOLVENT AND WE NEED TO HAVE THAT MONEY THERE, BECAUSE IF NOT, OUR BOND RATING WILL GO DOWN AND WE'LL HAVE SOME NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES TO IT. UNDERSTOOD. WHAT I'M ASKING NOW IS IN THIS OVERALL PLAN THAT WE COME UP WITH A PRIORITY LIST BECAUSE BECAUSE OF COURSE, THINGS HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED LONG BEFORE ANYBODY UP HERE GOT IN THESE CHAIRS, YOU KNOW, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN A PRIORITY LIST ON THOSE NEGLECTED THINGS. SO THAT'S. AND WE NEED WE NEED THAT, YOU KNOW. ABSOLUTELY.

THAT'S PART OF WHEN WE DO OUR ANNUAL BUDGET AND CAPITAL BUDGET PROPOSAL AND DISCUSSION WITH YOU THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT FIVE YEARS. IT'S GOING TO IT'LL BE A FIVE YEAR PLAN. YOU

[01:25:04]

SO THAT WAY WE DON'T GET KICKED TO THE SIDE AND SOMETHING HAPPEN AND TAKE PLACE OF THAT THING. SO JUST LIKE YOU GOT THIS BRIDGE HERE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD PUT SOME MONEY DOWN ON IT TO SAY, THIS IS FOR THAT, THEN WE KNOW THAT'S STILL IN LINE AND NOT SKIPPED OVER. AND WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THAT'S THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. SO AS YOU FUND FULLY FUND OR PARTIALLY FUND PROJECTS, YOU FULLY FUND IT. WE START WORKING ON IT, YOU PARTIALLY FUND IT, THEN WE COME BACK THE NEXT YEAR, GET THE REMAINING AMOUNT OF FUNDING, AND THEN WE START WORKING ON IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO FUND EVERYTHING FULLY RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO DO AS BEST AS WE CAN TO FUND THOSE ITEMS AND CREATE THAT PLAN. AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW IT WALKS THROUGH THE YEARS. AGREEING YOU KNOW, YOU ONLY TECHNICALLY FUND THE FIRST YEAR WHEN YOU ADOPT THE BUDGET, BUT IT GIVES YOU A FIVE YEAR AND BEYOND. LOOK AT EXPENDITURES SO YOU CAN BETTER PLAN FOR THOSE EXPENDITURES. YES, SIR. OKAY, THAT'S ALL I GOT. ALL RIGHT.

COUNCILMAN MEYERS, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. WHAT WHAT IS OUR SPECIFIC LIABILITY FOR THIS WALL? AND. IS THE NEED FOR THE CITY TO HAVE TO PAY FOR IT? WELL, IT WAS FAILING AND COLLAPSING INTO THE BUILDING. WE HAD TO STABILIZE IT AND SHORE IT UP TO KEEP IT FROM COLLAPSING INTO THE BUILDING. AND THEN PUT STRAW IN UNDERNEATH IT. THERE'S A PHOTOGRAPH TO PROTECT THE PRIVATE PROPERTY FROM BEING DAMAGED BY OUR PROPERTY. SO WHEN DID WE LEARN THAT THIS STARTED TO TAKE PLACE? AND DOES WHY IS IT THAT THE INSURANCE WE DON'T HAVE INSURANCE WITH RESPECT TO WE TAKE CARE OF THE SITUATION. WE HAVE INSURANCE. WE'RE JUST WE NEED TO FIND OUT IF THE CLAIM WILL BE HONORED OR NOT. AND THERE'S A CHANCE THAT OUR INSURANCE COMPANY WON'T HONOR THE CLAIM. BUT SHOULDN'T WE WAIT TO SEE IF THE ANSWER IS YES OR NO? WELL, IF WE IF WE SUBMIT THE CLAIM, COUNCIL WILL MAKE AN ASSUMPTION. COUNCIL APPROVES THE REQUEST. THIS EVENING. IF WE MAKE A CLAIM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO APPROVE ANYTHING THIS EVENING BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION. IS IT YES OR N? AND FRANKLY, I'M I'M NOT TRYING TO BE A HARD IN HERE. I'M. I MEAN, WE HAVE PUT ENOUGH MONEY NEXT DOOR TO NOT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT THESE EXTRA ADDED FEATURES THAT WE NEED TO ADD. NOW. I WANT THE HOTEL OPEN, BUT NOT AT A COST. A TREMENDOUS COST TO THE CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG. I MEAN, YOU NEED TO GET THAT ANSWER AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN RECONVENE AND GIVE YOU THE AUTHORITY. BUT UNTIL WE HAVE THAT ANSWER, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD VOTE ON THIS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO. ALL RIGHT, MOVING FORWARD, IF I MAY, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT, VICE MAYOR HILL. YES. THANK YOU. MOVING FORWARD, YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE US A PRIORITIZED LIST AND CITIZENS, WE ARE IN LIKE THE CITY MANAGER SAID, OF COURSE WE'RE WE WERE IN SURVIVAL MODE FOR YEARS NOW. WE ARE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT SURVIVAL MOVE WHERE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO SOME THINGS. WE DO HAVE OUR FINANCIAL PEOPLE, DAVENPORT THAT IS HERE. THAT WILL BE GIVING A PRESENTATION, AND MAYBE THEY CAN ANSWER SOME OF THESE THINGS. AND THE ABILITY OF US, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO OUR COFFERS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK TO WHERE WE WERE, BUT WE STILL GOT TO STILL TAKE CARE OF THE CITIZENS AND WHAT HAVE YOU.

SO RIGHT NOW, AT THIS TIME, CAN YOU FIND OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IF OUR INSURANCE WOULD

[01:30:02]

WELL WE'VE ASKED WE CALLED A CONTRACTOR TO COME OUT AND DEMO THE WALL AND BEGIN THE REPLACEMENT SO WE COULD SHORE IT UP AND STABILIZE IT TO KEEP IT FROM COLLAPSING SO WE CAN. SO IS IT STABILIZED NOW? YES. OR IS IT MORE STABILIZED NOW? YES. SO. AND. AND WE HAVE AND WE'VE HIRED THESE CONTRACTORS NOT THE CONTRACTORS THAT THEY'RE USING. CORRECT. WE IT WE IT'S BEEN EVERYTHING'S BEEN ON OUR SIDE. WE HAVEN'T THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER HASN'T DONE ANYTHING BECAUSE IT WAS OUR WALL. OKAY I UNDERSTAND OKAY. SO NOW WELL 600,000 EVEN THOUGH YOU SAY THAT I STILL NEED TO KNOW WHAT PRECIPITATED THE MOVEMENT OF THIS WALL. OKAY, OKAY. SO CAN YOU JUST GET BACK WITH US WITH THE INSURANCE? MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I MOVE THAT WE TABLE THIS UNTIL WE GET FURTHER NOTICE. BACK FROM OUR CITY MANAGER. THAT'S MY MOTION.

COUNCILMAN JONES, SECOND. ALL RIGHT, MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT, ABSTAIN. COUNCIL MEMBER JONES I, COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS I. COUNCIL MEMBER.

WESTBROOK I. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE I VICE MAYOR. HILL I MAYOR. PARHAM I. MOTION CARRIES NEXT IS ITEM C A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF FUNDING FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS FOR THE 2024 ELECTION. ELECTION EQUIPMENT GRANT. ALL RIGHT, GAR. OKAY. SO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS, THEY PROVIDE FUNDING TO LOCALITIES TO ENHANCE VOTING SYSTEM AND ELECTION PROCESSES. FUNDS CAN BE UTILIZED TO ACQUIRE POLLING SOFTWARE, EQUIPMENT, TRAINING, ETC. SO WE HAVE GONE OUT AND APPLIED FOR THIS GRANT AND WE HAVE RECEIVED THIS GRANT. THE GRANT IS THE GRANT AMOUNT IS $65,690. AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THIS GRANT TO FUND THE EQUIPMENT PURCHASES. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ACCEPTANCE AND APPROPRIATION OF FUNDING FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS FOR THE 2024 ELECTION. EQUIPMENT GRANT.

YES, DOCTOR. WITTY ACT. SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO CONGRATULATE. I'M SORRY I MISSED YOUR NAME, BUT YOUR YOUR RECEIPT OF A GRANT AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE COUNCIL TO CONTINUE TO APPLY FOR GRANTS. I KNOW IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK, AND IT IS A WAY TO SAVE THE CITIZENS SOME MONEY. SO GOOD WORK. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. NEXT, VICE MAYOR HILL, I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE APPROPRIATION FUNDING FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS FOR THE 2024 ELECTION. EQUIPMENT GRANT. COUNCILMAN MYERS SECOND MOTION IS SECOND. MISS HILL, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT. I COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. I COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK I. COUNCIL MEMBER.

SMITH. LEE I VICE MAYOR. HILL I MAYOR. PAM I. MOTION CARRIES NEXT IS ITEM D A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION AND REFUNDING BONDS OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. NOTE. MR. MAYOR, WE HAVE MR. COUCH HERE. THIS EVENING FROM DAVENPORT TO WALK US THROUGH THE ITEM. THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. MR. MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. IF I COULD ASK, DOES EVERYONE HAVE A COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION AT THEIR AT THEIR DESK? IF NOT, I'VE GOT HARD COPIES. IT SHOULD SAY IT'S IN THE PACKET. YES. 54. YEAH. GIVE THEM. GIVE THEM THE HARD COPY. SO IT'S.

OKAY. AND AGAIN MY NAME IS ROLAND COUCH WITH DAVENPORT AND COMPANY RICHMOND IN RICHMOND,

[01:35:06]

WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR NEARLY A DECADE IN TERMS OF AS ITS FINANCIAL ADVISOR, AS WE'VE WEL, I'LL GO THROUGH THIS PLAN OF FINANCE IN ANTICIPATION OF YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE BONDS FOR THE COURTHOUSE, AS WELL AS FOR THE LITTLE REFUNDING REFINANCING THAT WE HAVE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AS WELL. THIS IS A FOLLOW UP PRESENTATION TO THE MEETING THAT MY COLLEAGUE DAVID ROSE ATTENDED BACK IN SEPTEMBER.

KIND OF BRIEFING YOU ON ON THIS TIME FRAME AND WHAT IS BEFORE YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ALSO TOUCH ON THE ASPECTS OF FUND BALANCE. WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT OF THAT TONIGHT IN TERMS OF THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATION. WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT, WHERE THE CITY HAS BEEN OR HAD BEEN IN THE DEPTHS OF ITS FISCAL CRISIS BACK IN 2016, AND WHAT THAT FUND BALANCE MEANS IN TERMS OF CITY'S WHEREWITHAL TO RUN DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS, RUN THE BUSINESS OF BEING A CITY AS WELL AS KEEPING A GOOD CREDIT STANDING, WHICH ALLOWS YOU TO UNDERTAKE A SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL. PROJECTS SUCH AS THIS AS WELL AS OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT THE CITY WILL BE FACING DOWN THE ROAD, AS WELL. WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE STAND TODAY AND IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023, THE CITY ISSUED ITS GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS TO REALLY BEGIN THE FUNDING OF WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING TONIGHT, WHICH IS THE BALANCE OF THE FUNDING FOR THE COURTHOUSE IN 2023. THE CITY UNDERTOOK AN APPROXIMATE 30 MILLION FOR A PORTION OF THE NEW COURTHOUSE. WE HAD STRATEGICALLY ADVISED AT THE TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF INTEREST RATE CONDITIONS TO OBTAIN THAT FUNDING. IN ANTICIPATION OF GOING THROUGH THE PPA PROCESS, WHICH WE HEARD A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TONIGHT AS WELL, TO REALLY FULLY FUND AND DEVELOP AND BUILD THIS COURTHOUSE TODAY, WE STAND HERE WITH THE CITY MOVING FORWARD WITH THE ISSUANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 60 MILLION OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND FUNDING TO FUND THE BALANCE OF THE COURTHOUSE, AS WELL AS OTHER PROJECTS, WHICH INCLUDE POLICE STATION, ANIMAL SHELTER, AS WELL AS OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. AS ALL A PART OF THIS PACKAGE. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE IDENTIFIED A AN EXISTING BOND ISSUANCE THAT'S A CANDIDATE FOR REFINANCING FOR INTEREST RATE SAVINGS THAT WE CAN INCLUDE AS A PART OF THIS OVERALL FINANCING. SO THE FOLLOWING PAGES WILL GO OVER THE PLAN OF FINANCE AND THE PROJECTIONS WITH RESPECT TO THE BOND TRANSACTION GOING FORWARD.

SO TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT YOUR DEBT POSITION LOOKS LIKE TODAY, EXISTING TAX SUPPORTED DEBT IS APPROXIMATELY 69.2 MILLION. AND THIS IS THE WHAT WE CALL TAX SUPPORTED DEBT THAT'S PAID BY THE GENERAL FUND, NOT DEBT THAT'S PAID BY WATER AND SEWER FUND FUNDED FROM WATER AND SEWER ENTERPRISES OR WATER AND SEWER REVENUES. THIS IS TOTALLY GENERAL OBLIGATION INDEBTEDNESS. TYPICALLY THESE THESE TYPES OF BONDS FUND WHAT WE'LL CALL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, LIKE CITY FACILITIES, COURTHOUSES, CITY, CITY ASSETS SUCH AS COULD BE BUILDINGS, INFRASTRUCTURE, ETC. PART OF THIS DEBT POSITION HERE TODAY INCLUDES THE 2023 BOND, WHICH FUNDED THE INITIAL TRANCHE OF FUNDING FOR THE COURTHOUSE IN THE TO THE TUNE OF APPROXIMATELY $30 MILLION. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 2024 DEBT SERVICE, WHICH YOU SEE BELOW, IS THE ANTICIPATED DEBT STRUCTURE. AFTER WE ISSUE THE BONDS FOR THE 2024 DEBT, AND WHICH WOULD BE THEN LAYERED ON TOP OF THE OF THE DEBT SERVICE, THE CITY HAS TODAY, DEBT SERVICE WOULD GRADUALLY GO UP TO ABOUT 2020 IN 2026 AND HIT THE PEAK IN TERMS OF DEBT SERVICE. THIS WOULD FULLY INCORPORATE ALL OF THE FUNDING FOR THE COURTHOUSE, AS WELL AS THOSE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE MIX. THAT IS TO SAY, THE CONTEMPLATED RIGHT NOW POLICE STATION, ANIMAL SHELTER AND OTHER GENERAL INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL. LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL REFUNDING COMPONENT OF THIS TRANSACTION, IT'S ABOUT A ONE AND A HALF TO $2 MILLION TRANSACTION, DEPENDING ON THE MARKET SAVING MARKET ISSUANCE HERE IN THE CURRENT MARKET. THIS IS REALLY THIS IS A REFINANCING OF ABOUT $1.6 MILLION OF BONDS THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY ISSUED THROUGH VIRGINIA RESOURCES AUTHORITY. THE AVERAGE INTEREST RATE ON THOSE BONDS IS ABOUT 5%. WITH

[01:40:06]

WHILE THIS IS A SMALL TRANSACTION, WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY DO THIS TRANSACTION SEPARATELY FROM ANOTHER BOND ISSUE, BUT BECAUSE WE ARE DOING A BOND ISSUE WHICH HAS ECONOMIES OF SCALE BUILT IN, WHERE WE CAN BASICALLY TACK THIS, THIS REFINANCING ON AND GET THOSE ADDITIONAL SAVINGS WITHOUT ANY MATERIAL COSTS OF ENTERING INTO THIS KIND OF DEBT. WITH RESPECT TO THAT, IN THE CURRENT MARKET, JUST TO GIVE YOU A BENCHMARK OF WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR, THE PRESENT VALUE SAVINGS IS APPROXIMATELY 7.8% OF THE BONDS WERE REFINANCING. YOU COULD SEE THAT RIGHT THERE IN THE CHART ON THE RIGHT. TYPICALLY, WHAT'S CONSIDERED A WORTHWHILE TRANSACTION TO UNDERTAKE IN TERMS OF REFINANCING IS ANY TIME YOU COULD ACHIEVE SAVINGS THAT'S IN EXCESS OF 3% OF THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE REFUNDING. SO WE'RE MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT IN TODAY'S IN TODAY'S MARKET, THE RESOLUTION THAT YOU HAVE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION ESTABLISHES THAT 3% TARGET TO DO THE REFINANCING. SO IF WE DON'T MEET THAT TARGET WE'RE NOT GOING TO REFINANCE THESE BONDS. ONE OF THE RATIOS THAT WE'VE OFTENTIMES COME TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO LOOK AT WITH RESPECT TO DEBT BURDEN AND DEBT DEBT POLICIES THAT THE CITY HAS, IS THE DEBT SERVICE VERSUS EXPENDITURES POLICY. WHAT WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU TONIGHT IS AFTER THE ISSUANCE OF THE COURTHOUSE. THE COURTHOUSE COMPLETION FINANCING AND THE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE BONDS WE'RE CONSIDERING TONIGHT, THE NEW LEVEL OF DEBT SERVICE WOULD BE ABOUT 7.5 MILLION PER YEAR. THIS EQUATES TO ABOUT 6% OF BUDGETED GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES. CITY POLICY STANDS AT 10%. THAT'S AN INDUSTRY WIDE BEST PRACTICE WITH RESPECT TO A DEBT SERVICE RATIO. SO WE'RE STILL WELL BELOW THAT.

EVEN WITH THE ISSUANCE OF THE OF THE NEW DEBT. SO FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF HOW MUCH DEBT IS TOO MUCH DEBT, WE'RE WE'RE WELL BELOW OUR OUR POLICY HERE. AND WE'VE GOT SOME CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, FOR OTHER PROJECTS GOING FORWARD BASED ON THIS POLICY METRIC. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A REFRESHER IN TERMS OF THIS DEBT POLICY, WE ROUTINELY HAVE PRESENTED THIS TO COUNCIL EACH YEAR AS WE LOOK AT A FINANCIAL REVIEW AND CONSIDER THE POTENTIAL FOR NEW CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT MAY HAVE TO UNDERTAKE SOME ELEMENT OF DEBT FINANCING. WITH RESPECT TO THE TIMETABLE TONIGHT, WE'RE AT THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS AUTHORIZATION OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATION FUNDING FOR 2024 BONDS. THE RESOLUTION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION WOULD ALLOW US TO PROCEED FORWARD NEXT STEPS THAT WE ANTICIPATE OCCURRING HERE ARE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE NATIONAL CREDIT RATING AGENCIES. THE CITY IS RATED BY ALL THREE NATIONAL CREDIT RATING AGENCIES, A+ BY STANDARD AND POOR'S, A+ BY FITCH AND A1 BY MOODY'S. AS WE'LL KNOW, THE CITY HAS WORKED VERY HARD TO EARN THESE CREDIT RATINGS BACK, AND THAT DOES ALLOW THE CITY ACCESS TO BOTH PUBLIC MARKET FUNDING AS WELL AS DIRECT BANK LOAN FUNDING. WE HAVE WE HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THE SITUATION WITH THE CITY DURING THIS FISCAL CRISIS WHERE IT DIDN'T HAVE THESE CREDIT RATING.

THEY ACTUALLY WERE BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE, AND IT RESTRICTED THE CITY'S ACCESS TO EVEN OPERATE BY OBTAINING FUNDING THROUGH EITHER BANKS OR THROUGH THE CREDIT MARKETS. HER.

THOSE WERE VERY DIFFICULT TIMES, WHICH THE CITY AS A CITY COULD NOT ACCESS, COULD NOT PAY FOR THOSE FUNDS FROM BUDGETARY STANDPOINT, WE'VE COME A LONG WAY SINCE THEN, AND THIS FINANCING REALLY IS PROOF POSITIVE OF THE ABILITY TO ENTER THE MARKETS, TO REALLY FUND ESSENTIAL CAPITAL NEEDS, SUCH AS CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE THE COURTHOUSE, WHICH IS A MANDATED PROJECT FROM THAT, FROM THAT STANDPOINT, WHEN WE LOOK AT GOING FORWARD, AFTER WE TALKED WITH THE RATING AGENCIES, WE ANTICIPATE GETTING THE RATINGS BACK IN TIME TO HAVE THE BONDS SOLD IN THE PUBLIC MARKETS. ABOUT NOVEMBER 21ST AND THEN BY DECEMBER 12TH, CLOSING ON THE BOND FUNDS AND HAVE THE FUNDS IN HAND AVAILABLE TO INVEST UNTIL THEY ARE SPENT. WE WOULD ANTICIPATE IN TODAY'S MARKET THAT THE REINVESTMENT OF THOSE BOND PROCEEDS, THEY CAN BE PUT INTO THE STATE NON ARBITRAGE PROGRAM, WHICH IS A POOL ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE FOR

[01:45:06]

HELLO, COUNCIL. SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WE'RE ISSUING THESE BONDS TO PAY FOR THE COURTHOUSE. THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND OTHER NEEDS ARE ALL OF THOSE. I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF ALL OF THOSE NEEDS ARE LISTED EXPLICITLY IN THE MINUTES, SO THAT CITIZENS HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE ALL OF THOSE. IF ALL OF THIS MONEY IS GOING TO THAT, OR IF THE MONEY IS GOING OTHER PLACES, THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR MORE, MORE, MORE LOANS ESSENTIALLY. AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE IN A GOOD WAY PLACE TO PAY THOSE BACK. BUT JUST AS ANY OF US WHO HAVE BOUGHT A HOUSE AND ASK FOR A MORTGAGE, OFTENTIMES WE ARE REQUIRED TO KNOW HOW MUCH THAT THAT HOUSE IS GOING TO COST BEFORE WE ASK FOR A MORTGAGE. AND RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE A CLEAR IDEA OF WHAT THAT COURTHOUSE IS GOING TO COST, BECAUSE THAT IS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. AND I THINK THAT THE CITIZENS AND CITY COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THAT INFORMATION BEFORE THEY ASK FOR MORE LOANS. RIGHT. MISS BOB RUDOLPH? THANK YOU. I ALSO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW HOW THE PROCEEDS OF THE BOND ISSUANCE WILL BE SPENT. BUT FIRST, I WANT TO MENTION THAT AND MR. GOOCH REFERRED TO IT WHEN MR. ROSE WAS HERE A MONTH AGO AND MADE A PRESENTATION ABOUT THIS, THAT PRESENTATION SAID THE BOND ISSUANCE WAS $50 MILLION.

TONIGHT IT'S $60 MILLION. AND THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE AGENDA PACKAGE, ABOUT $66 MILLION. SO THERE'S A LITTLE CONFUSION. AND GOING FROM 50 TO $60 MILLION IS NOT INSIGNIFICANT. I'M NOT QUESTIONING THAT. WE NEED TO BORROW AND TO DO AND TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON THIS. BUT MY QUESTIONS ARE SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO WHAT DOCTOR WITTIG SAID. I MEAN, WE THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION THAT'S VAGUE. ONE THING, AS SHE MENTIONED, IS THE COURTHOUSE PROJECT AND THE TOTAL COST. WE'VE ALREADY GOT $30 MILLION THAT WE'VE BORROWED. NOW WE'RE GOING FOR 66 MORE. MOST OF WHICH I ASSUME IS FOR THE COURTHOUSE. THE OTHER TWO PIECES, THE POLICE, THE POLICE STATION OR POLICE DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS AND THE ANIMAL SHELTER AGAIN. WHAT WHAT ARE

[01:50:09]

SO BUT WE MAY NOT NEED IT. ALL RIGHT OKAY. SO MISTER ALDERMAN, IF I COULD IF I CAN ASK IF I CAN ANSWER A QUESTION ABOUT THE NOT TO EXCEED SIZE IN THE RESOLUTION BASED ON CURRENT MARKET ESTIMATES, OKAY, OKAY. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO A BOND ISSUE BASED ON CURRENT MARKET ESTIMATES. THE SIZE OF THE BONDS IS ABOUT $60 MILLION, ROUGHLY 60. THE NOT TO EXCEED SIZE IS JUST A LEGAL PARAMETER THAT ALLOWS US TO ACCOMMODATE CHANGES IN THE BOND SIZE TO FUND $60 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS. THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO INTO HOW WE SIZE A BOND ISSUE.

IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE INTEREST RATES ARE ON THE BONDS AND WHAT THE INVESTORS WANT IN TERMS OF BOND YIELD. SO THAT BEING SAID, THE CURRENT MARKET SIZE IS ABOUT 60. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT CONTINGENCIES AND MARKET CONDITIONS, WE'VE GOT A NOT TO EXCEED OF APPROXIMATELY 66, 66.

WE'RE NOT PLANNING TO FUND $66 MILLION WORTH OF CASH TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, FOR PROJECTS WE'RE PLANNING TO FUND. 60 MILLION. OKAY. THANK YOU. RIGHT. AND I'M HEARING YOU OF WHAT THE PUBLIC WAS BASICALLY ASKING CAN CAN YOU GIVE BASICALLY A BALLPARK BREAKDOWN OF, OF THE COST OF THOSE, THOSE THREE ITEMS BECAUSE LIKE MISS RUDOLPH SAID, WE DID USE SOME ARPA FUNDS TO GET

[01:55:07]

WE'RE ESTIMATING NOW THAT THE RATES ARE ABOUT 4% PLUS OR MINUS A LITTLE BIT AS WE GO TO 2020, NOVEMBER OF 21. ONCE WE GET READY, WE GET THE CREDIT RATINGS WITH THE OFFERING DOCUMENT DONE, YOU KNOW, WORK WITH THE UNDERWRITERS TO SELL THE BONDS. THERE WILL BE A DATE CERTAIN THAT WE'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PAY ON THOSE BONDS. NOW, IF WE HAD A CRYSTAL BALL AND CAN KNEW EXACTLY WHEN THAT THE LOWEST RATE WOULD BE, THAT THAT'D BE GREAT. BUT WE UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T. THE BEST THING WE HAVE TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW IS RATES HAVE BEEN COMING DOWN. WE'RE IN A VERY, VERY GOOD POSITION TO LOCK IN THE RATES AND LOCK IN THAT COST OF MONEY. OVER TIME, WE ALWAYS WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO REFINANCE THAT. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE PERMANENTLY STUCK IN THAT FOR THE LIFE OF THE BONDS. TYPICALLY AFTER A TEN YEAR WINDOW. THAT'S HOW THESE BONDS WORK. YOU'VE GOT THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT THE CURRENT MARKETS. AND IF WE CAN REFINANCE FOR SAVINGS, WE CAN ALWAYS TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. SO IS IT SAFE TO SAY THAT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW. IT IS SAFE TO SAY WHAT THE RATES ARE GOING TO BE ON NOVEMBER THE 21ST, 2024? WE DO NOT. BUT BASED ON CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS, WE'RE IN ABOUT A 4% RANGE FOR COST OF FUNDS FOR 30 YEAR. THAT'S ESSENTIALLY A 30 YEAR MORTGAGE ON THAT TYPE OF LOAN, BECAUSE I PREFER WE DO IT AT THE LOWEST INTEREST RATE POSSIBLE. THAT'S ONE OF MY QUESTION, WAS FOR YOU, BUT MY NEXT QUESTION IS TO YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR. I'VE BEEN HEARING STUFF ABOUT THE 60,000,066 MILLION AND. BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE OF 42 MILLION PLUS THE 15 MILLION WHICH GIVE US $57 MILLION? WHAT

[02:00:06]

WE HAVE IT IN ANOTHER FUND THAT WE INVEST THAT GENERATES INTEREST FOR US, THAT WE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE FUNDS WITHIN 24 HOURS. BUT IT'S NOT CREATING $15 MILLION OF SPENDABLE MONEY. IT'S JUST CREATING THE INTEREST OFF OF THAT. RIGHT THAT WE WOULD HAVE, WHICH JUST TO JUST TO KIND OF CHIME IN ON THAT THE INVESTMENT POOL THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN THIS FUND BALANCE IS, IS ESSENTIALLY KIND OF YOUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT. AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE UNASSIGNED FUND. UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE. YES. AND PER POLICY, YOU KNOW, BASED ON YOUR POLICY, YOU YOU'RE REQUIRED PER YOUR POLICY TO KEEP ABOUT 33 TO 34 MILLION BASED ON YOUR BUDGET SIZE. TODAY, YOUR POLICY IS A PERCENTAGE OF BUDGET. SO THAT FUND BALANCE, THINK OF THAT AS AS YOU'RE ALLOWING YOU TO OPERATE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF A FISCAL YEAR WITHOUT HAVING TO BORROW REVENUE ANTICIPATION NOTES OR BORROW TO MAKE TO MAKE EXPENSE PAYMENTS, TO MAKE YOUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET, BUDGETARY EXPENSE PAYMENTS. AT THE SAME TIME, WHILE THAT MONEY IS SITTING THERE AND WORKING, IT IS ACTUALLY WORKING FOR YOU AND YOU'RE EARNING INTEREST ON IT.

SO IN TODAY'S MARKET, I THINK THAT'S WHAT MR. CITY MANAGER TALKED ABOUT AS WELL. IS THAT A PART OF THAT FUND BALANCE, NOT NEEDED, IS NOT NEEDED TO BE USED ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. IT'S INVESTED AND IT'S ACTUALLY EARNING MONEY FOR YOU. SO TODAY'S MARKET'S PROBABLY EARNING ABOUT CLOSE TO 5%. SO TONIGHT THAT THAT 5% ON 15 MILLION IS ACTUALLY GENERATING QUITE A BIT OF RETURN FOR YOU WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT. SO YOU KNOW, THIS THIS FUND THIS FUND BALANCE IS NOT GOING TO STAY AT THE SAME LEVEL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. IT'S GOING TO GO UP AND DOWN DEPENDING ON HOW YOUR EXPENSES ARE PAID, MADE AS AND ALSO HOW YOUR REVENUES COME IN BECAUSE YOUR TAX REVENUES COME IN ON A CYCLICAL BASIS AS WELL. SO THINK ABOUT IT AS BEING THERE TO ALLOW YOU TO WORK YOUR PAYMENTS OVER TIME. BUT WHILE IT'S THERE FOR YOU, IT'S ONE GIVING YOU A SOLID ABILITY TO HAVE A GOOD PHYSICAL STANDING AND FISCAL HEALTH AMONGST ALL THE LENDING COMMUNITY OUT THERE, WHICH YOU MIGHT NEED FROM TIME TO TIME.

PUBLIC MARKETS WHERE THE CREDIT RATINGS AS WELL. BUT IT ALSO WORKS FOR YOU AND GENERATES INTEREST INCOME FOR YOU. THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH. OKAY. COUNCILMAN COOPER, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. COUCH, GOOD TO SEE YOU. GOOD TO SEE YOU, TOO. EXPLAIN THIS TO ME.

DOES THE SIZE OF OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AFFECT THE INTEREST RATES THE CITY PAYS? WHEN WE BORROW LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT? YES, IT DOES NOT. IT'S MORE. IT AFFECTS YOU BY AFFECTING YOUR CREDIT RATING AND YOUR CREDIT QUALITY. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT IT'S A TWO STEP PROCESS, THE SIZE OF THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AFFECTS OUR CREDIT RATING, AND OUR CREDIT RATING AFFECTS THE COST OF BORROWING LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY. THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT. THIS TIME LAST YEAR I THINK WE BORROWED AROUND $35 MILLION.

BALLPARK FIGURE IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK IT WAS 30 MILLION. 31 MILLION IN THAT RANGE. 30 MILLION OF IT WENT TO THE WENT TO THE COURTHOUSE. AND HAVE WE SPENT ANY OF THAT MONEY YET? YES, SIR. WE BORROWED 31 MILLION. A MILLION OF THAT WENT TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF THE FIRE TRUCK THAT COUNCIL HAD AUTHORIZED. OKAY. SO WE BORROWED 31 MILLION AND WE'VE GOT 30 MILLION LEFT. YES, SIR. OKAY. SO WE ALREADY HAVE 30 MILLION SITTING THERE. SITTING IN SNAP

[02:05:11]

BUT I DON'T KNOW FOR A FACT OR FOR A FAIR, STRONG DEGREE OF CONFIDENCE HOW THAT MIGHT AFFECT TAX AND MUNICIPALS IN THE LONG RU. WE HAVE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ALSO GOING TO BE PLAYING IN THERE. THE OVERALL ECONOMY, FEDERAL DEFICITS, NATIONAL DEBT INTERACTIONS, GEOPOLITICAL CONSIDERATIONS. IT'S HARD TO KNOW THAT THAT IS GOING TO OCCUR WITH A FAIR DEGREE OF CONFIDENC.

WHAT I DO KNOW IS IN TODAY'S MARKETS, THEY HAVE BEEN COMING DOWN AND THEY STAND AT NEAR 45 TO 50 YEAR LOWS. SO IT IS A GOOD TIME TO BORROW. YEAH. FORGET 45 TO 50. WE CAN GO BACK 175. I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S LIKELY TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. THEY COULD GO UP. THEY COULD GO DOWN, MR. CUTHBERT. I MEAN, I COULDN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH THEY WOULD BE DIFFERENT FROM TODAY'S MARKET. I MEAN, IT'S YOUR YOU'RE THIS IS A PROGNOSTICATION AT THIS POINT. AND IT COULD EASILY BE VERY WRONG COMPARED TO A YEAR AGO WHEN WE BORROWED $31 MILLION CAVE. THE RATES FOR MUNICIPAL BONDS RATES HAVE RISEN COMPARED TO A YEAR AGO. THEY HAVE SINCE COME DOWN A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.

YEAH, THEY WENT UP AND THEN THEY CAME DOWN. YEAH. RIGHT. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS THINKING? WE TABLE THIS UNTIL, SAY THREE MONTHS FROM NOW AND REVISIT THIS AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN THOSE THREE MONTHS. THANK YOU. ARE PLAYING AN INTEREST RATE GAME AT THIS POINT. I MEAN WE KNOW WE KNOW WE HAVE WE KNOW WE HAVE WE KNOW WE HAVE IN TERMS OF CURRENT MARKET, WE'VE GOT AN AUDIT THAT'S DONE FOR FISCAL YEAR 23. WE'VE GOT VERY GOOD CREDIT RATINGS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO IS PUT OURSELVES IN A POSITION WHERE WE COULD HAVE A POTENTIAL INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU CAN LOOK BACK AND SAY, HINDSIGHT'S 2021 WAY. IT COULD BE GOOD FOR YOU. ONE WAY IT COULD BE VERY BAD FOR YOU. WELL, WE'RE BETTING NO MATTER WHAT, IF WE ISSUE NOW, WE'RE MAKING A BET. IF WE WAIT, WE'RE MAKING A BET. WOULD YOU AGREE? IF WE ISSUE NOW, WE KNOW WE HAVE. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE HAVE. THREE MONTHS. BY TRYING TO PROJECT AND PREDICT THE FUTURE.

WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WE COULD HAVE ISSUED. I MEAN, WE COULD ALSO SAY, YEAH, IF WE HAD ISSUED THREE YEARS AGO WHEN THE INTEREST RATES WERE AT ROCK BOTTOM, WE'D HAVE 1% ACROSS THE FUNDS. WE'VE GOT $30 MILLION ALREADY. WE HAVEN'T SPENT WE BORROWED IT FOR THE COURTHOUSE.

IT'S SITTING THERE. EVERYTHING I READ SAYS INTEREST RATES ARE GOING TO FALL IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. I KNOW, I, I JUST THINK WE OUGHT TO TREAD WATER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I, I CAN'T SEE

[02:10:02]

WE'LL HAVE THE FUNDING IN PLACE NOT ONLY FOR THIS COURTHOUSE TO FINISH IT OFF, BUT ALSO HAVE THE POLICE STATION AND THE OTHER, OTHER FUNDS LOCKED IN PLACE. I MEAN, THAT THAT GETS US A BIRD IN HAND. WE KNOW WHAT WE'LL HAVE GOING FORWARD. WE'LL KNOW WHAT THIS COST WILL BE. AND AS WE'VE SAID, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO REFINANCE THIS AT A LATER DATE ALWAYS IS ALWAYS OUT THERE. MR. MAYOR, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW FROM FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S PERSPECTIVE AND MOVING FORWARD. I KNOW WITH WE WERE HERE WHAT MAYBE GETTING FUNDS TOGETHER FOR SOUTHSIDE DEPOT AND I SAW THE COST JUST GO THROUGH THE ROOF. WHAT IS THE COST OF BUILDING SOMETHING NEW FOR POLICE? IF WE'RE SAYING 10 MILLION INTO THAT OLD BUILDING, I DON'T WANT PD TO HAVE ANOTHER SOUTHSIDE DEPOT THAT TURN TURNS INTO. WE PUT 10 MILLION IN IT. NEED 15, NEED 20. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE OLD THINGS, DO WE NEED TO LOOK AT BUILDING NEW RATHER THAN GETTING TO THESE RELICS OF BONES AND THESE OLD BUILDINGS? ONCE YOU GET INTO IT, YOU REALIZE YOU THINK YOU HAVE PLUMBING. YOU DON'T HAVE PLUMBING. YOU THOUGHT THE ROOF WAS GOOD, BUT NOW THE ROOF IS BAD. YOU DON'T HAVE AN HVAC SYSTEM THAT'S UP TO DATE, AND THAT TURNS INTO ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, BALLOON AFTER BALLOON AFTER BALLOON. SO I'M I'M JUST NOT A BIG FAN OF KEEP PUTTING MONEY INTO THESE, THESE OLD MONEY PITS. I FEEL LIKE TOM HANKS WHEN, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE TUB FELL THROUGH THE FLOOR. REMEMBER HOW TOM TOM WAS? THOUGHT HE HAD THE HOUSE, BUT HE DIDN'T. SO YEAH. SO I JUST DON'T WANT THE CITY TO GET INTO THIS MONEY PIT THING BECAUSE I CAN LOOK BACK ON A FEW PROJECTS AND IT HURTS THE TRUST OF THE PEOPLE BECAUSE YOU THINK YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE COMPLETED AND IT TURNS INTO YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR DELAY, DELAY, DELAY. BECAUSE I THOUGHT FOR SURE I TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE THAT USED TO WORK FOR US AND SAY, YEAH, AS POLICE OVER ON PALMER STREET. NO NOT YET. THEY SHOCKED LIKE WE THOUGHT THAT THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE. SO WHAT IS THE BEST PATH FORWARD IN MAKING THE MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK? IS IT IS IT DESIGNED SOMETHING NEW AND NOT GET CAUGHT IN THIS WHOLE REVOLVING THING WE HAVE AND TRYING TO REHAB OLD BUILDINGS IN THE CITY? YEAH. I'LL TELL YOU THE BEST PATH FORWARD. KNOCK IT DOWN AND GET OUR PUBLIC SAFETY DESERVES SOMETHING NEW. JUST LIKE ANYBODY ELSE AROUND US. THEY DESERVE A NEW POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE DESERVE A NEW FIRE ADMINISTRATION. WE DESERVE A CITY HALL. WE DESERVE NEW SCHOOLS. WE DESERVE ALL OF THAT STUFF. WE GOT MONEY ALL OVER THE PLACE. BUT YET WE AIN'T GOT NO MONEY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.

YOU KNOW, AT THE COURTHOUSE, WE STILL DON'T KNOW THE COST ON THAT. I HEARD ABOUT THIS CONTRACT. THE POLICE STATION, ALL THIS STUFF. SOUTHSIDE DEPOT. WE HAVE THROWN SO MUCH MONEY AWAY AND SO MANY THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN FIXED. YOU KNOW, ALREADY, WITH THE MONEY THAT WE INVESTED IN OLD STUFF, IN THESE THINGS, IN THESE BUILDINGS, AND WE'VE WRITTEN FROM EVERYBODY. I MEAN, WE JUST GOT ALL KIND OF STUFF GOING ON, MAN. PEOPLE SCATTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE WORKING EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY IN THIS CITY, THEY NEED IN ONE BUILDING, ONE BUILDING THEY NEED THEY NEED AN ATMOSPHERE, A POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE, AND COMING TO WORK ON HOPES AND A WING AND A PRAYER, IS NOT IT? YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? YOU KNOW. SO IT'S BACK ON YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. OKAY, SO LET'S SEE THAT A LOT OF NEEDS. NO, JUST JUST I DON'T WANT TO BOMBARD YOU, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF CITY OPERATIONS, AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU GO TO LITTLE SMALL TOWNS LIKE SOUTH HAMPTON. THEY GOT MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES. EVERYTHING'S IN ONE ROOF. PRINCE GEORGE HAVE A WHOLE MUNICIPAL COMPLEX OF THINGS IN ONE AREA. WHEN DO WE STOP SCATTERING EVERYBODY SO WE CAN DO A ONE STOP SHOP FOR WHEN PEOPLE CAN COME TO ONE MUNICIPAL BUILDING? IF WE'RE GOING TO SPEND, SPEND ONCE, GET IT BUILT RIGHT, DON'T INVEST IN A BUNCH OF OLD STUFF AND STILL HAVE PEOPLE SCATTERED EVERYWHERE, LIKE WE SAID, WE NEED TO COME UP WITH WITH WITH NEW FIRE ADMIN, NEW FIRE POLICE DEPARTMENT, NEW POLICE DEPARTMENT. HOW DO WE GET ALL OF THAT IN IN IN ONE SWOOP? BECAUSE

[02:15:04]

[02:20:08]

CAN. RIGHT. I JUST WANT SOME SOME EXPERTISE HERE. AND SAYING THAT IF THIS 6 BILLION WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO COVER SOUTH SIDE DEPOT, IT'S GOING BACK TO PAGE NUMBER SIX. BECAUSE YOU SEE WE ARE WELL UNDER OUR POLICY. BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THE NEEDS TO, TO DEFINITELY MAKE THIS CITY OPERATE THE WAY IT SHOULD OPERATE. I JUST DON'T WANT. YEAH. MR. MAYOR, I'M GONNA HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT ONE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE'RE UNDERFUNDING OUR NEED RIGHT. AND IF WE UNDERFUNDED THE NEED, I JUST WANT A SOUND MANAGEMENT DECISION ON WHETHER THIS IS GOING TO BE ENOUGH OR NOT. WE KNOW THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW CITIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH THAT THAT DON'T HAVE, HAVE, HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDINGS THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF A CITY OUR SIZE AND I'VE SEEN IT IN SO MANY CITIES FROM FROM HAMPTON TO NORFOLK AND EVERYTHING. WHEN THEY WENT TO GO AND BOND, THEY BONDED AND THEY BUILT SOMETHING TO PUT EVERYTHING IN NEW. ONE TIME. I JUST DON'T LIKE GOING BACK AND FORTH A PIECE HERE, A PIECE THERE. IF WE'RE GOING TO BOND IT, THAT'S BONDED AND BUILD IT RIGHT AND GET EVERYTHING WE NEED IN THAT, OKAY. BECAUSE IF NOT, IT'LL BE ANOTHER 30 YEARS IN THIS CITY AND YOU STILL HAVE EVERYONE SCATTERED ALL ACROSS THE PLACE. AND, AND IT'S UNFAIR TO THE CITIES BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY NEW DEVELOPERS THAT COME HERE AND THEY JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY GOT TO GO TO THIS BUILDING, TO BUILDING, TO THIS BUILDING TO GET THIS STUFF APPROVED. AND NOW WE'RE AT A TIME THAT THAT, THAT WE CAN REALLY GET, GET SOME FUNDING HERE TO FINISH UP SOME PROJECTS, BUT YET BUILD SOMETHING NEW THAT CAN GET EVERYBODY IN ONE BUILDING. I DON'T WANT TO UNDERMINE THIS, BECAUSE AS YOU SEE ON PAGE SIX HERE, PAGE SIX HERE, SAY YOU HAVE ROOM. SO I WANT MANAGEMENT TO REALLY COME AND BUILD IT RIGHT FROM, FROM, FROM, FROM BEGINNING TO END.

BECAUSE THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE COST ON ALL THESE THINGS ARE GOING THROUGH THE ROOF. AND EVERY TIME WE DO A PROJECT HERE, IT ALWAYS BALLOONS AND GOES OVER BUDGET. AND I'M JUST TIRED OF HAVING TO GO BACK AND ALLOCATE FUNDING. SO, SO CAN YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN TO ME EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR? OH, WHAT WHAT I'M ASKING FOR IS WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR US TO HAVE A GOVERNMENT BUILDING WITH ALL OF THE ASSETS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN THERE AND NOT COMING BACK TO POLICE FIVE YEARS FROM NOW SAYING THAT WE NEED MORE MONEY TO, TO GET THIS FUNDED. WHAT DOES IT COST TO DO A COURTHOUSE AND THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING? CAN WE GET EVERYTHING ALL IN ONE? SO ARE YOU ASKING FOR THE COURTHOUSE AND THE CITY HALL? YES, I'M ASKING FOR A COURTHOUSE AND A MUNICIPAL BUILDING. BUILDING? MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT TO HAVE ALL OF OUR CITY OFFICES THAT WE NEED. AND DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO COST? LOOK. AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING MR. MR. COUSY ON ON ON IF WE'RE HERE ON PAGE SIX. YEAH. YOU KNOW, YOU SEE WHERE WHERE WE'RE AT. DO WE NEED TO GO TO, TO A SEVEN INSTEAD OF THIS SIX HERE ON THESE BONDS HERE OR NINE AND A HALF TO STAY UNDER WHAT IS RECOMMENDED. BUT TO BE ABLE TO REALLY ADDRESS THESE NEEDS, THAT INCLUDES HAVING THAT SOUTHSIDE DEPOT DONE. NOT BECAUSE WE KEEP GOING BACK AND FORTH. AND EVERY YEAR THE COST OF BUILDING THINGS KEEP GOING THROUGH THE ROOF AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND KEEP BONDING AND BONDING AND BONDING. I KNOW, I KNOW, MR. MAYOR. ONE TIME, ONE TIME BOND TO, TO FIX IT. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR MUNICIPAL BUILDING INCLUDED IN THERE AND WE CAN GO ON DO, DO WE HAVE THAT TYPE OF CAPACITY. MR. MAYOR YOU BASED ON THAT CHART, YOU DO HAVE CAPACITY. BUT AT THIS POINT WE DON'T WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BALANCE OF, SAY, CITY FACILITIES. CITY HALL FACILITIES ARE CONSOLIDATED JUST SAY THEY WOULD BE. AND $65 MILLION TO BUILD A CITY HALL OFF THE OFF THE CUFF. YEAH. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE WE HAVEN'T DONE ANY ANALYSIS ON THAT. WE HAVEN'T FULLY DONE. BECAUSE WHAT'S ALSO UNDER CONSIDERATION, WE KNOW IS THE POTENTIAL SCHOOL THAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIKE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GRANT IN HAND AS WELL. YOU ALSO HAVE LITERARY LOAN FUNDING AS WELL. SO THAT HAS TO BE FACTORED IN. AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ANALYSIS ON IN TERMS OF TIMING OF THOSE PROJECTS AND WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO HIT YOUR CAPACITY, WHEN THEY'RE GOING INTO YOUR AFFORDABILITY. BECAUSE WE CAN'T WE CAN'T DO IT ALL AT ONCE. BUT ONCE THOSE REALLY START TO CRYSTALLIZE AND FORM, WE CAN

[02:25:04]

YOU COULD POTENTIALLY SAVE ON THE COST OF ISSUANCE WITH RESPECT TO THAT. BUT AGAIN, WE DON'T KNOW THE TIMING OF THOSE OTHER FACILITIES AND WHEN THEY WOULD OCCUR BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO BORROW TOO FAR IN ADVANCE, WE HAVE TO BORROW WHAT WE REALISTICALLY CAN SPEND. THIS IS TO MR. CUTHBERT. WHAT IS A COMFORTABLE NUMBER, SIR? WHAT WHAT IS A COMFORTABLE NUMBER? THE COST OF THE FACILITY FOR THE CITY HALL AND THE. AND THE COURTHOUSE. IF WE'RE DOING CITY HALL AND THE COURTHOUSE BASED O. LET'S JUST ASSUME THE 60 MILLION WE HAVE IN HERE, WE'RE DOUBLING THAT NUMBER TO 120, 130 MILLION. DO WE HAVE THE CAPACITY OF $120 MILLION? I THINK THE ANSWER IS YOU MAY HAVE CAPACITY, BUT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO. DO YOU HAVE THE CAPACITY WITHOUT BEING IN TROUBLE? THAT'S YOUR QUESTION. WE WE'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ANALYSIS BECAUSE WE IT'S NOT IN THAT IS ALSO THE SCHOOLS. WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THE SCHOOLS ARE COMING INTO PLAY, AS WELL AS THE CITY, THE CITY HALL FACILITY AND HOW THOSE LAYER IN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IF THEY ALL HAPPEN, IF THEY ALL HAPPEN AT ONCE, IT MIGHT IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT STRAINING ON THAT CAPACITY. BUT IF THEY HAPPEN OVER TIME, THAT EASILY COULD FIT POTENTIALLY WE'D HAVE TO DO THE ANALYSIS TO SEE, OKAY, WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF, SAY, A $65 MILLION CITY HALL PLUS ON TOP OF A $30 MILLION SCHOOL? SO BUT WE ALREADY KNOW THAT OVER TIME IS EVENTUAL. BUT HE'S ASKING WHAT CAN WE DO NOW? SO ON THAT DO WE NEED SOME MORE TIME? SHOULD THIS BE SOMETHING THAT WE GET FURTHER ANALYSIS ON? WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO TOTALLY GET THAT DONE? MR. MAYOR, I WITHDRAW MY MOTION RIGHT UNTIL SO I SAW MR. ALTMAN. YOU'RE HERE. DROPPED. SO GO AHEAD, GO AND SPEAK TO THAT.

WELL, NO, LET ME LISTEN, YOU GUYS. I KNOW EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL WANT DOWN THERE. LOVE YOU GUYS TO DEATH AND YOU KNOW IT. WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION HERE. WE HAVE A COURT ORDER. YEAH, AND WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. I'M NOT GOING TO JAIL FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, OKAY? I'M NOT. AND SO. YOU MAY CAN LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN ADD IN THE PROCESS. AND BY THE NEXT MEETING, DECIDE. BUT I THINK THAT YOU ALL SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS COURTHOUSE RIGHT NOW. WE'VE ALREADY SPENT AN EXPENSE, A HUGE EXPENSE, FIXING THAT FARMER STREET BUILDING. AND WE STILL NEED ANOTHER $10 MILLION. THAT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME WHATSOEVER. BUT SAY IT RIGHT NOW TO THE PUBLIC.

NO SENSE TO ME WHATSOEVER. AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE WANT A CITY HALL WHERE WE CAN HOUSE EVERYONE. BUT I BELIEVE IN A MONTH OR SO YOU MAY BE ABLE TO GET WHAT YOU NEED. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH RESPECT TO WHAT IT IS WE'RE ORDAINED TO DO. KEEP US OUT OF HIGH WATER. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? BECAUSE WE CAN ALWAYS COME BACK 30 DAYS LATER AND ADD YOUR CITY HALL TO IT. SO MR. MASON IS THAT OKAY? MR. MAYOR? MR. MAYOR, YOU WANT TO CALL FOR THE VOTE? ALL RIGHT, SO YOU HAVE YOUR MOTION ON TO. AND A SECOND BACK. COUNCILMAN MYERS, ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION? COUNCILMAN COOPER? WHAT? TELL ME WHAT THE MOTION IS, PLEASE. THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE FUNDING. I'VE READ IT. LET'S SE. MOTION WAS TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTIONS. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, I'M READY TO VOTE. MR. MAYOR.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MISS, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCILMEMBER CUTHBERT? I'M VOTING YES, BUT I THINK THAT BEFORE WE BUILD A NEW CITY HALL, WE NEED TO BUILD A NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. COUNCIL MEMBER JONES, I, COUNCIL MEMBER, MYERS COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK I COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PARHAM. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU.

NEXT IS ITEM E FOR A PUBLIC HEARING FOR COUNCIL TO RESOLVE AND REALLOCATE $279,552.95 OF CDBG FUNDS FOR CRITICAL HOME REPAIR. POWER, POWER. I SEE YOU GUYS. I CAN'T YOU. GOOD EVENING,

[02:30:16]

THANK YOU, MR. DE. GOOD EVENING. HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL. AGAIN. MY NAME IS JENNIFER MURPHY. HYPHEN JAMES, AND I AM YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ADMINISTRATOR. SO LET'S GET STARTED WITH THE PRESENTATION. CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? WE CAN SKIP THE AGENDA AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. OKAY. SO THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE ASKING IS WHY. OH I CAN DO THAT MYSELF. OH COOL. THE QUESTION THAT WE'RE ASKING IS WHY? WHAT IS THE REASON THAT WE'RE COMING TO YOU TODAY TO ASK THAT WE RECONSIDER ALLOCATING FUNDS TO HELP WITH CRITICAL HOME REPAIR. SO WHAT THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ADVISORY BOARD IS REQUESTING IS THAT COUNCIL CONSIDER REALLOCATING FUNDS FROM THE CORONAVIRUS MONEY THAT WAS RECEIVED BACK IN 2019. IT INVOLVES THE REHABILITATION OF SINGLE UNIT RESIDENTIAL HOMES THAT MAY INCLUDE ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SUCH AS HEATING, VENTILATION AND HVAC. FOR EXAMPLE, CRITICAL HOME REPAIR WOULD HELP TO IMPROVE THE SELF-CONTAINMENT ABILITY OF A FAMILY OR INDIVIDUAL IN THE EVENT OF COVID OR ANOTHER PANDEMIC. REMEDIATING THE HOMES WOULD PREVENT THE POTENTIAL FOR ENCOUNTERING OTHER RISKY LIVING CONDITIONS, SUCH AS BEING IN A CROWDED SHELTER OR COHABITATING WITH EXTENDED FAMILY, AND IT WOULD ENABLE CITIZENS TO BE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES FOR SAFE ISOLATION. OKAY, SO WHAT'S THE BACKGROUND? SO AS A PARTICIPANT IN THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND PLANNING DEVELOPMENT IS THE HOST OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ENTITLEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE CITY. AS A RECIPIENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS, WHICH COME DOWN FROM HUD, THE CITY RECEIVED CORONAVIRUS AID RELIEF FUNDS, AND IT'S A LONG SENTENCE IS CORONAVIRUS AID RELIEF AND ECONOMIC SECURITY, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS THE CARES ACT. AND IN 2019, THE CITY RECEIVED $561,734 DOLLARS FROM HUD TO ADDRESS THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. IN 2020, THE CITY AMENDED ITS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT RESOLUTION AND ACTION PLAN TO INCLUDE THIS RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS AND ALL OF THE CITY CDGB CORONAVIRUS FUNDS WERE TO BE ALLOCATED TO PREPARE FOR, PREVENT AND RESPOND TO CORONAVIRUS IN 2021. $16,000 1600 THOUSAND DOLLARS OF THAT MONEY WAS USED FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND THOSE WERE GRANTS TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY. AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL $263,552.85 WAS USED FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE CALL CENTERS. THERE WERE TWO CALL CENTERS, ONE THAT WAS HOUSED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WITHIN CRATER HEALTH DISTRICT, AND ANOTHER CALL CENTER THAT WAS HOUSED IN CITY HALL. ADDITIONALLY, FUNDS WERE COMMITTED TO PUBLIC WORKS FOR FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS TO A POOL HOUSE, ROOF, WHICH THE POOL HOUSE ROOF WAS LEAKING AND THAT QUALIFIED FOR CORONA MONEY BECAUSE IT ENABLED PEOPLE TO HAVE AN OUTDOOR SPACE TO COME TO FOR RECREATION. SO THAT WAS 18, 100, $350. SO THE FISCAL REPORT.

SO JUST TO GO OVER WHAT WAS WHAT WAS RECEIVED AND HOW THAT MONEY WAS BROKEN DOWN. SO AGAIN, THE CITY RECEIVED THE $561,734. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT CALL CENTER RECEIVED, $216,245, AND $0.45.

[02:35:12]

THEY DON'T HAVE A DEADLINE, AND WE NEED TO USE THIS MONEY BY JULY 6TH OF 2026, OR WE WILL HAVE TO RETURN IT TO HUD. SO IN THAT EVENT, WE UPDATED OUR REQUEST TO ASK THAT THE TOTAL AVAILABLE BALANCE BE GIVEN TO A CRITICAL HOME REPAIR PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO HELP SUPPORT FAMILIES IN NEED. PRESENTLY, WE HAVE ONE OF OUR SUBRECIPIENTS THAT DOES CRITICAL HOME REPAIR, KNOWN AS PROJECT HOMES. THEY CURRENTLY HAVE A WAITING LIST OF ABOUT 161 HOUSEHOLDS, WITH 25 OF THOSE HOMES BEING SLATED FOR IMMEDIATE REPAIR. ON YOUR SLIDES, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE TYPES OF REQUESTS FOR REPAIR ARE ROOF LEAKS, HEATING SYSTEMS, PLUMBING, ADA ACCESSIBLE BATHROOMS. ALL OF THESE THINGS QUALIFY UNDER THE HUD QUALIFICATIONS. I'M GOING TO ASK MR. JUSTIN RANDOLPH FROM PROJECT HOMES TO COME UP AND TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL ABOUT HOW THEY PRIORITIZE CLIENTS AND PRIORITIZE THE ORDER OF REPAIRS. JUSTIN. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. SO, LIKE JENNIFER SAID, I'LL SPEAK TO THE PRIORITIZATION OF CLIENTS ON THE WAITLIST BECAUSE I REMEMBER FROM A PREVIOUS MEETING THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT CAME UP. YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DETERMINE THE ORDER IN WHICH WE SERVE OUR CLIENTS? SO WE HAVE A POLICY THAT WE'VE PUT INTO PLACE, AND I'LL JUST READ IT AS IS. BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS, THE HOMEOWNER WILL CALL IN REQUESTING SERVICE. SHE'LL, YOU KNOW, GIVE HER ISSUES THAT EXIST INTERNALLY. WE'LL ASSESS THOSE ISSUES. AND IF CERTAIN ISSUES ARE OF CONCERN, LIKE LEAKING ROOFS, MISSING FLOORS, NO HEAT, WE'LL HAVE ONE OF OUR PROJECT MANAGERS OUT WITHIN 15 BUSINESS DAYS TO TAKE A LOOK, MAKE SURE THOSE ISSUES ARE EXACTLY WHAT THEY SAY THEY ARE, AND FROM THAT POINT, WE'LL BUMP THEM UP IF NEEDED AND THEN GO THROUGH THE NORMAL INTAKE PROCESS. WE HAVE.

PRIORITIZATION OF REPAIRS IS BASICALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT A HOME, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DETERMINE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO D. AND THE BIG THING WE FOCUS ON IS THE BUILDING ENVELOPE, WHICH IS MAKING SURE NO AIR FROM THE OUTSIDE LEAKS IN AND NOTHING FROM THE INSIDE LEAKS OUT, BASICALLY TRYING TO KEEP THE HOMEOWNERS DRY AND SAFE. AND COMING UP, IS THE WINNER. SO OBVIOUS? ONE PRIORITIZATION OF REPAIRS. AS YOU SAW ON OUR LIST, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH LACK

[02:40:04]

THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU JUSTIN. OH I'LL GO TOUCH ON THAT. YEAH. YOU CAN. SO THIS IS A IT'S A BREAKDOWN OF OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS AT PROJECT HOMES. SO IF YOU LOOK TO THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN, YOU'LL SEE CRITICAL HOME REPAIRS. IT SHOWS YOU. LAST YEAR, PROJECT HOMES COMPLETED A TOTAL OF 153 HOMES. TOTAL COST OF 1.2 MILLION, WITH AN AVERAGE COST OF ABOUT 8.3 PER HOUSEHOLD. AND ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS SOME OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE HOMEOWNERS THAT WE SERVE. THANK YOU JUSTIN. SO THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE EXTENT OF THE PRESENTATION. DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US AT THIS TIME? I WILL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN WE'LL HAVE QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL START OFF WITH MISS HINES. GOOD EVENING AGAIN. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK PROJECT HOMES BECAUSE THEY PUT A SPLIT UNIT HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING IN THE BUILDING THAT WE ARE USING FOR THE HUB TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THE ELEMENTS. BUT I AM GOING TO ASK COUNCIL WHY YOU'RE EVALUATING THIS. YOU KNOW, WE BUILD AN ANIMAL SHELTERS AND EVERYTHING, BUT YET WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE SLEEPING OUTSIDE. SO ALL I'M SAYING TO YOU, PROJECT HOMES HELPED OUR BUILDING. BUT WE HAVE A VERY SMALL BUILDING. WE CAN ONLY ACCOMMODATE A FEW PEOPLE, SO I DON'T KNOW, BUT WHY ARE YOU EVALUATING THIS MONEY? CAN YOU LET US USE THE HARDING STREET REC SO WE CAN PROVIDE MORE ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO IN THE CITY WHERE NO CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN GIVEN. SO I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE THE MONEY, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIVES.

BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ANIMAL SHELTERS AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE SLEEPING ON THE BACK OF THE LIBRARY. SO I JUST WOULD LIKE FOR THE CITY TO CONSIDER USING SOME OF THE MONEY FROM COVID TO, TO HELP OUR RESIDENTS THAT DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GO. YES, MA'AM. IN THE BACK. YES, MISS MAYOR HOWARD MARY HOWARD ON SOUTH PARK DRIVE IS VERY. YEAH. I'M I'M FEELING THAT AS WELL BECAUSE I AM THE CHAIRWOMAN FOR THE BOARD OF HOUSING FOR PETERSBURG REDEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING AUTHORITY WERE HERE AND I GET CALLS EVERY DAY ABOUT SOMEBODY NEEDING HOMES AND PEOPLE GETTING PUT OUT. SO I WOULD SAY CONSIDER A PORTION OF THAT MONEY TO HELP WITH GETTING SOME PLACE FOR PEOPLE. THAT'S HOMELESS TO AT LEAST HAVE SOMEWHERE TO GO BECAUSE IT IS GETTING COLD OUTSIDE. SO I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY CONSIDER USING SOME OF THAT MONEY, DO SOME SPLITS. LET'S LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY. Y'ALL BEEN PUTTING A LOT OF THINGS ON THE TABLE TONIGHT. LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT. LET'S PUT THAT ON THE TABLE AND TALK A LITTLE FURTHER OKAY.

THANK YOU MISS RUDOLPH. I THINK I JUST FIRST I WANTED TO COMMEND THE CDBG FOLKS. THAT WAS A VERY THOROUGH PRESENTATION, AND I APPRECIATE THAT THEY MADE IT SO CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THE MONEY, WHAT MONEY HAD COME IN AND WHAT IT HAD BEEN USED FOR AND WHAT REMAINS, I MEAN, AS A NUMBERS PERSON. SO I THINK THAT SHOULD THAT WOULD BE A GOOD STANDARD FOR ALL THE PRESENTATIONS THAT HAVE TO DO WITH MONEY IN THE CITY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT COMMENT. AND YES, I THINK IT'S A WORTHWHILE EXPENDITURE. I KNOW IT ADDRESSES SOMETHING COUNCILOR CUTHBERT BROUGHT UP AS A CONCERN WHEN THE CDBG MONEY WAS ALLOCATED IN THE SUMMER, AND IT WAS A VALID CONCERN, AND I'M GLAD THE CITY IS TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT NOW. AND I WANTED TO, BUT THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDING DID BRING UP TO ME ASKING ABOUT ARPA MONEY. AND OF COURSE, WE ALSO EARLIER WE REFERENCED CARES MONEY AND THAT MAY BE GERMANE TO WHAT MISS HINES AND MISS HOWARD ALSO ASKED ABOUT IN TALKING ABOUT THE NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS. I MEAN, AS ONE ISSUE THAT'S PERSISTENT AND IS SEEMS TO BE GOING UNADDRESSED BY THE CITY, BUT THE BIGGER ISSUE OF ARPA FUNDING AND CARES

[02:45:02]

THE ARPA MONEY IS MORE RECENT, BUT STILL HAS BEEN AROUND FOR MAYBE THREE YEARS. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A REPORT FROM THE CITY ON HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT AND ON WHAT AND WHAT REMAINS, AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE COULD BE BECAUSE THE REMEMBER THE ARPA PROGRAM WAS OVER $20 MILLION. I SERIOUSLY DOUBT WE'VE SPENT THAT WHOLE $20 MILLION NOW IN TERMS OF THE HOMELESS. ARPA MONEY WOULD BE ADDRESSING AND SAME AS THIS THIS SAME CDBG. I MEAN, IT'S ADDRESSING A ONE TIME NEED.

IT'S MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR, YOU KNOW, IN THE NOT TO BE IT'S NOT RECURRING, BUT IT STILL MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP. BUT MY BIGGER QUESTION REMAINS, CAN WE GET A THOROUGH ACCOUNTING OF ALL OF THAT MONEY AND WHAT'S BEEN SPENT? WHAT REMAINS, WHAT ARE THE PLANS? AND OF COURSE, THE P WORD PRIORITIES. WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES NOW? BECAUSE THOSE PLANS WERE MADE YEARS AGO, YOU ALL'S PRIORITIES HAVE CHANGED. I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN SOME NEW SQUEAKY WHEELS THAT HAVE EMERGED SINCE THEN, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN GREASED AND SOME OF THEM HAVEN'T. SO PLEASE LOOK AT THAT. I THINK THAT I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO SOLVE GETTING A NEW MUNICIPAL BUILDIN, BUT IT COULD TAKE CARE OF SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE GOING ON THAT THAT WE SAY WE CAN'T SPEND MONEY ON. THANK YOU. ANYWAY. AGAIN, BERNARD GANNAWAY 652 OLD WAGNER ROAD. I DO TIP MY HAT OFF TO MISS HINES AND MISS HOWARD. THEY ARE ALSO RESIDENTS. BEEN HERE ALL THEIR LIVES JUST ABOUT HERE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE BELIEVE IN AS FAR AS OUR CITIZENS, THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T BELIEVE THAT CITIZENS DO COME FIRST AND BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE WILL COME, I DO SUPPORT. I KNOW I'VE HAD SOME TIMES WITH THE PROJECT HOMES I PERSONALLY, BUT ONE OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS AND THEY DO EXCELLENT WORK AND THEY NEED ANY HELP THEY CAN GET. I APPRECIATE THEM AND I APPRECIATE PEOPLE COMING FORTH LIKE MYSELF TO BRING UP ABOUT THAT ISSUE.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO MORE HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. NEXT. COUNCILMAN COOPER, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED. WESTERN. OH. SECOND MOTION TO SECOND. ALL RIGHT. QUESTION. COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU. AND THANK EVERYBODY THAT SPOKE TONIGHT. AND I DON'T MEAN IN ANY WAY TO SOUND INSENSITIVE, BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE. AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, I THOUGHT THE ASKING PRICE OR COST OR DONATION, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO SAY, IT WAS $100,000. AM I WRONG ON THAT? ANYBODY? YEAH. SO WE WERE INITIALLY ASKING FOR $132,000 AND CHANGE TO GO TO PROJECT HOMES FOR CRITICAL HOME REPAIR. SO LET'S PAUSE RIGHT THERE. AND THEN WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, LET'S PAUSE RIGHT THERE. BUT NOW WE'RE ASKING FOR COVID MONEY, WHICH IS ALTOGETHER 200,000. IS THAT AM I AM I RIGHT ON THAT. SO IT'S ALL MONEY FROM THE COVID CARES ACT. SO IT WAS MONEY THAT WAS GIVEN IN 2019 FROM THE CARES ACT TO THE CITY TO ADDRESS THE PANDEMIC, TO PREPARE FOR PREVENT THE PANDEMIC. SO THE FIRST 132,000, WE WERE ASKING FOR TO GIVE TO THE CRITICAL HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, THE SECOND 132,000. WE WERE ASKING TO SUPPORT THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, CREATE A HEALTH DEPARTMENT, COVID CARE CONTAINMENT UNIT, BUT THEY ARE UNABLE TO ACCEPT THE FUNDS AT THIS TIME. I UNDERSTOOD NOW, AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO HEAR ME CLEAR JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE UNABLE TO ACCEPT THOSE FUNDS DON'T MEAN WE SHOULD ALLEVIATE FROM THAT OBLIGATION.

THEY STILL GOT TIME. NOW I WANT TO I WELL, AND BEFORE WE START DIPPING INTO SOMEBODY ELSE'S POCKETS, THERE'S $200,000 ON THE TABLE. NOW, I WANT TO MAKE AN ALTERNATE MOTION THAT WE GIVE YOU WHAT? WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO GIVE YOU, WHICH IS THAT 100,000 WHICH YOU REQUESTED LAST

[02:50:01]

LAST TIME THEY WERE HERE, THEY REQUESTED THE 137,000. AND THEY'RE RIGHT. MR. I'LL TELL YOU THE EXACT AMOUNT. GIVE ME TELL ME THE EXACT AMOUNT. IT WAS. HOLD ON. I GOT TO TAKE THOSE GLASSES OFF TO LOOK AT THE 132 OR SOMETHING. IT WAS, OH, BOY, I GOT YOU. I CAN'T SEE. WAS IT 132 90? IT WAS 132,000 AND CHANGE. THAT'S RIGHT. THERE. IT WAS $132,900. YEAH. SO MY ALTERNATE MOTION IS TO MAKE SURE WE GIVE THEM THAT. THAT'S WHAT YOU ASKED FOR THE LAST TIME. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET YOU GET THAT TO YOU IF YOU WANT ANY MORE MONEY AND YOU GOT TO COME UP THE NEXT GO AROUND. BUT YOU ASKED FOR THIS AND TO ADD ON TO IT, I JUST DON'T TAKE KINDLY TO THAT BECAUSE AS YOU HEAR THE PUBLIC SAY, THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT THEY NEED MONEY FOR. THEY WOULD LIKE MONEY TO GO TO. AND I'M NOT FUSSING OR NOTHING LIKE THAT. I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU WHAT I'VE SAID. I REMEMBER SAYING, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT MONEY. DO YOU HEAR ME SAY THAT? I SAID THAT SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE MY ALTERNATE MOTION, MY SUBSTITUTE MOTION IS TO GIVE 132,000 TO THIS ORGANIZATION AND TAKE THE OTHER HALF THAT THEY REQUESTED AND PUT IT ON HOLD, AND CONSIDER GIVING MONEY TO OR ALLOCATING THAT MONEY TO THE HOMELESS INITIATIVES. AS LONG AS THE HOMELESS HOMELESS INITIATIVES HAVE THEIR PAPERWORK TOGETHER TO RECEIVE FUNDS TO PUT THE HOMELESS IN A PLACE. HOUSING AUTHORITIES, YOU'VE GOT, EVERYBODY CAME UP AND SPOKE. YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE VACANCIES. YOU KNOW, CHURCHES UNLOCK YOUR DOORS, ANIMAL SHELTER. LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT ANIMAL SHELTER, THE ANIMAL SHELTER. AND IT'S CRAZY. BUT DON'T BLAME US FOR IT. BUT THE STATE YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES MADE A LAW THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD A ANIMAL SHELTER. THEY DIDN'T MAKE A LAW TO BUILD A HOMELESS SHELTER. NOW Y'ALL NEED TO GO AT THEM. THAT'S THE LAW. THAT'S THE LAW. AND WE GETTING FINED FOR IT. WE'RE GETTING FINED FOR A LAW FOR SOME ANIMALS LIKE Y'ALL SAY. WE'RE BUILDING AN ANIMAL SHELTER. BUT THEY MADE THIS LAW. WE DIDN'T MAKE IT. AND NOW WE GOT TO ABIDE BY IT, BY THEIR LAW FOR ANIMALS, THEIR LOVE OF ANIMALS OVER THE PEOPLE. THESE ARE Y'ALL STATE REPRESENTATIVES. GO AT THEM. THAT'S WHO YOU GO FOR. SO THE ANIMAL SHELTER GOT TO BE BUILT, THE COURTHOUSE GOT TO BE BUILT. ALL THIS STUFF GOT TO BE BUILT.

BUT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR HOUSE, PETERSBURG, WE HAVE BUILDINGS. WE HAVE BUILDINGS FOR EVERYTHING ELSE. YOU KNOW, WE CAN CONSIDER THAT. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE YOU WHAT YOU ASKED FOR THE LAST TIME, BROTHER. THAT'S ALL I CAN DO, COUNCILMAN JONES. LIKE I SAID, DEFINITELY AGREE WITH YOU. ONE THING I WILL PUT IN PERSPECTIVE, THOUGH, FOR ALL THE CITY COUNCIL, AS YOU MAKE A DECISION THAT CRITICAL HOME REPAIR DOES HELP THE PEOPLE WHO COULD POTENTIALLY BE HOMELESS. WE'RE TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE WHO, IN $132,000, WILL MEET OUR MARK, BUT WE JUST WANT ALSO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE. IT'S NOT ANY DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN HOMELESS OR SOMEBODY WHO COULD POTENTIALLY BE HOMELESS. SO THIS IS TRYING TO HAVE HOME SECURITY FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE THESE REPAIRS THAT MAY NOT GET THROUGH THE WINTER. I UNDERSTAND THAT IN PERSPECTIVE. SO I UNDERSTAND THE APPEAL OF TRYING TO HELP THE HOMELESS. AND I HONESTLY AGREE WITH YOU ALL, BUT THAT TWO POPULATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY ARE ONE IN THE SAME. BUT YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR THAT, BROTHER THE LAST TIME YOU CAME UP HERE. AND I GOT TO GO ON WHAT YOU ASKED FOR THE LAST TIME, NOT WHAT YOU ADDED ON. YOU UNDERSTAND? BUT WE GOT TO GO ON WHAT YOU ASKED FOR. YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS EXTRA STUFF THE LAST TIME. AND THEN BECAUSE YOU ASKED FOR THAT NOW, EVERYBODY CHIPPING IN. WE NEED THIS TOO. YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? MAY I SAY SOMETHING? MY INTERJECT PLEASE? I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT THAT YOU'RE SAYING. ONE OF THE ISSUES IS THE TIMELINESS OF BEING ABLE TO USE THE MONEY BEFORE THE DEADLINE. AND IT MIGHT SOUND LIKE JULY 6TH, 2026 IS FAR AWAY, BUT TIME MOVES QUICKLY AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO RETURN ANY OF THAT MONEY BACK TO HUD BECAUSE IT MAKES US LOOK BAD, AND THEN IT IT REDUCES OUR ABILITY TO GET ADDITIONAL MONEY IN THE FUTURE. SO ONE, I DO AGREE WITH YOU THAT HELPING THE, THE UNSHELTERED POPULATION IN THE CITY IS VERY CRUCIAL. HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOKED AT OUR LIST, THE WAITING LIST WAS 161 PEOPLE. THE AVERAGE HOME REPAIR IS ABOUT $15,000, SO YOU CAN

[02:55:02]

INFRASTRUCTURE SET UP FOR WHATEVER ELSE THAT MAY BE NEEDE. AND I WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH YOU SINCE YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS FOR THE HOMELESS INFRASTRUCTURE, AND MAYBE YOU CAN MEET WITH MISS HINES AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT SPOKE, SET IT UP AND COME BACK TO US WITH IT. YOU SAID YOURSELF IT'S MORE MONEY. ASK FOR IT THEN ONCE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IS SET UP. BUT ALSO, MARLO, YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT THIS MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON THE HOUSES IN PETERSBURG. WE DO. AND I WANT TO MAKE IT TO BE VERY CLEAR, VERY CLEAR THAT IT'S ONLY TO BE SPENT ON THE HOUSES HERE IN IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. CORRECT. AND HAVE YOU ALL GONE TO CAMERON AND ASKED THEM FOR MONEY OR ANYBODY ELSE, RATHER THAN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG? YES, WE HAVE SO AND SO. DID CAMERON PROVIDE YOU ALL ANY FUNDS? NO. ARE YOU REPRESENTING THE ORGANIZATION? ARE YOU REPRESENTING THE CITY? I'M NOT REPRESENTING. WHO ARE YOU REPRESENTING? I'M REPRESENTING THE CDBG ADVISORY BOARD. YOU'RE REPRESENTING THE CITY. SO ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS THAT WE DID ALLOW THE OTHER GENTLEMAN TO SPEAK. UNDERSTOOD. ALLOW THE OTHER GENTLEMAN TO SPEAK BECAUSE I ASKED THE QUESTION, HAVE YOU GONE TO THE TO THE CAMERON FOUNDATION AND ASKED THEM FOR ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY? I DON'T NEED THE CITY INTERVENING IN THAT PARTICULAR ANSWER. SO, SIR, HAVE YOU ALL GONE BEFORE CAMERON? YES, WE HAVE. ARE YOU A PART OF THAT ORGANIZATION, SIR? DO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT? I CAN TAKE IT. YEAH, WELL, HE'S THE ORGANIZATION. ARE YOU A PART OF THAT ORGANIZATION? NO. OKAY, THEN. THEN THEN YOU CAN'T ANSWER FOR THEM, SIR. YOU CAN'T ANSWER FOR THEM, OKAY? NO, YOU CAN'T. IT'S A CONFLICT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SIR, HAVE YOU GONE TO CAMERON AND ASKED FOR MONEY? AND HAVE THEY PROVIDED YOU ANY FUND? THEY HAVE NOT PROVIDED ANY FUNDS. YES, WE HAVE WENT AND ASKED. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. I'M FINE. I GOT ONE DONE. ALL RIGHT.

CONTEXT IS GETTING LOST. VICE MAYOR HERE. YEAH. ONE THING THAT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE, AS CITIZENS, BUT ALSO IN PARTICULAR YOU ALL THIS COMMITTEE, WHEN YOU DO FIND SITUATIONS AND I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVEN'T DONE THIS WHERE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ISSUES WITH THEIR HOUSES. THIS MAYBE TEACH THEM HOW TO ACCESS THEIR INSURANCE POLICIES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. BECAUSE I DO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, MOST HOMEOWNERS DO HAVE INSURANCE. IF YOU'RE A HOMEOWNER, I KNOW AND JUST TEACH THEM HOW TO FINAGLE THAT IF THEY CAN. I KNOW IT MAY BE TOO HIGH. I KNOW THE PREMIUM MAY BE TOO

[03:00:05]

AND THAT'S WHAT MAY COME OUT OUT OF THIS. SO I'M JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, RESPECTFULLY, I KNOW TEMPERS ARE HIGH. CALM DOWN, BRO, IT'S ALL GOOD. IT'S ALL GOOD. BUT I JUST SAY HELP THE CITY. EXCUSE ME. THIS IS ALL TRYING TO HELP THE CITY VICE MAYOR. THIS IS WHAT? TRYING TO HELP THE CITY AND THE CITIZENS. BUT. BUT SO? SO. SO YOU. YOU'RE THERE. WE ARE HERE. AND WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS WHEN WE GO AROUND AND PEOPLE SEE THAT WE'RE DOING THINGS FOR OTHER PEOPLE.

WHAT THE CITY DID. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TALK. THE CITY DID THIS, THE GRANT MONEY. THEY GOT GRANT MONEY DOWN THERE BECAUSE WE ALWAYS GET CALLS LIKE, DO Y'ALL GOT GRANT MONIES TO FIX UP EVERYTHING Y'ALL GOT GRANT MONIES TO HELP US START OUR BUSINESS? DO Y'ALL GOT GRANT MONEY TO DO ANYTHING? I'M JUST SAYING, IF YOU WILL HELP THEM ACCESS PROBABLY WHAT THEY HAVE, WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW THEY HAVE, EVERYBODY UP IN HERE HAS A IF YOU'RE PLAYING PAYING FOR YOUR YOUR HOME, YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF INSURANCE ON IT. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. I'M NOT SAYING TO HOLD BACK MONEY BECAUSE YOU GOT IT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT, BUT I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THE FALLOUT THAT MAY COME WITH THIS. THAT'S ALL. BECAUSE I DO KNOW MY CITIZENS. I KNOW MY CITIZENS, OUR CITIZENS. SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DO, FOR ONE, JUST LIKE HE JUST HAD TO DO JUST THEN YOU WANTED THE WHOLE MONEY, JUST LIKE HE SAID. WELL, LOOK, OTHER PEOPLE CAME UP AND SAID, WELL, WE GOT THIS, THIS GOING ON WITH US. SO IT'S A DOMINO EFFECT. SO I'M JUST ASKING, IS ANYBODY TALKING TO THE HOME OWNERS TO SEE IF THEY DO HAVE INSURANCE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE? AND YOU ARE. YES, SIR. OKAY. IT'S PART OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I WANTED.

THAT'S ALL I WANTED. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. COUNCILWOMAN SMITH. SIR, YOUR PROJECT HOME IS A 500 AND 13C. YES, MA'AM. SO THEREFORE, YOU SAID YOU APPLIED FOR A GRANT FROM THE CAMERON FOUNDATION? YES, SOMEWHAT. SO, SO, SO WHEN I WAS TRYING TO MAKE THE POINT EARLIER, THE CDBG AND THE CAMERON FOUNDATION HAD A JOINT MEETING BACK IN SEPTEMBER TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF HOW THE CRITICAL HOME REPAIR PROGRAM WAS GOING TO BE ADMINISTERED WITHOUT ANY FUNDS THIS YEAR. AND CAMERON FOUNDATION, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THEM, BUT THE GIST WAS IF THE CITY IS NOT GOING TO PROVIDE EXAMPLE AND FUNDING, WE WON'T DO IT EITHER. THEY WANT THE CITY TO PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR OWN BEFORE THEY WOULD PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING. SO BEYOND CONTRARY BELIEF, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE EXAMPLE. SO WITH US RUNNING THIS PROGRAM, AS WE'VE DONE FOR MANY YEARS, THE CAMERON FOUNDATION SAID, HEY, IF YOU GUYS WILL FUND IT, IF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG WILL, WE'LL ADD FUNDS. BUT THEY WANTED THAT INITIAL INVESTMENT FIRST. BUT AS IT STOOD BEFORE TODAY, EXCUSE ME, SEPTEMBER. AND THEN TODAY WE HAD ZERO FUNDING IN THE CRITICAL HOME REPAIR DEPARTMENT. PERIOD. SO CRITICAL HOMES DID NOT APPLY FOR A GRANT THROUGH THE CAMERON FOUNDATION. CORRECT. WE APPLIED THROUGH PETERSBURG. I CAN'T HEAR YOU, SIR. APPLY FOR THE GRANT THROUGH PETERSBURG FOR FUNDING THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, BUT NOT THROUGH THE CAMERON FOUNDATION.

NO, I DID NOT. OKAY, SO YOU YOU YOU MAY NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT. OKAY. BUT WHEN YOU WHEN YOU APPLY FOR THOSE GRANTS, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO HAVE YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING. YOU KNOW. AND I'M QUITE SURE THAT IF YOU HAD APPLIED. NOT RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH. IF I COULD, COULD I. SO THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN ALLUDING TO. THE MEETING IN SEPTEMBER WAS A MEETING WITH THE CDBG BOARD ADVISORY BOARD FROM THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND CAMERON FOUNDATION. THE OVERALL ONUS OF THE MEETING WAS IF PETERSBURG ITSELF, AS A CITY, IS NOT GOING TO FUND ITS OWN CRITICAL HOME REPAIR, THEY WERE NOT GOING TO FUND ANY ADDITIONAL MONEY FOR PROJECT HOMES, REBUILDING TOGETHER, OR ANYONE THEY WANT US TO SET THE EXAMPLE FIRST AND HAVE OUR OWN CDBG FUNDS BE USED FIRST, AND THEY WILL GIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDS. SO WITH A ZERO BALANCE, IT WAS A NO GO IMMEDIATELY AND THAT WAS WHAT THE MEETING WE HAD IN SEPTEMBER. BUT BUT BUT YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED CORRECT. WELL SO LET ME RIGHT. AM I RIGHT AS FAR AS WHEN YOU WHEN YOU SAY PROJECT HOMES HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED, THEY ARE A LEGITIMATE 500 AND 1C3 THAT HAS BEEN WORKING IN THE TRI CITIES AREA. BUT WHEN THEY APPLIED FOR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS THAT THAT FUNDING WAS DENIED. WHEN WE CAME TO THE CITY COUNCIL BACK IN AUGUST, I BELIEVE IT WAS JULY THAT FUNDING

[03:05:06]

SMITH. LEE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PERRY. AYE. THAT MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS ITEM F A PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND ADOPT SECTION 20 1-2 OF THE PETERSBURG CITY CODE PERTAINING TO THE PETERSBURG ARTS COMMISSION. EXPANDING THE NUMBER. OF WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? WHERE ARE WE AT? THERE. REALLY PRETTY GOOD GIFTS. HONORABLE MAYOR AND HONORABLE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THIS WAS ACTUALLY A REQUEST FROM COUNCILMAN MYERS, WHO HAS BEEN SPEARHEADING EFFORTS ON THIS PETERSBURG ARTS COUNCIL FOR CITY COUNCIL. AS YOU MAY RECALL, WHEN THE ARTS COUNCIL WAS INITIALLY FORMED AS A ADVISORY BOARD, THE QUESTION WAS RAISED BY THE ARTS COUNCIL ABOUT FORMING A FOUNDATION SO THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO COLLECT DONATIONS ON BEHALF, ON BEHALF OF THE ARTS COUNCIL AND USE THAT TO BENEFIT THE CITY. THE ONLY WAY THEY COULD REALLY DO THAT WAS THROUGH A PRIVATE EFFORT. I HIRE PRIVATE LEGAL COUNSEL AND KEEP THOSE FUNDS AND THAT MONEY SEPARATE FROM THE CITY AND THEN MAKE DONATIONS AS THEY MOVE FORWARD.

SO THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND AN ATTORNEY TO HELP WITH THAT. I BELIEVE SANDY GRAHAM ASSISTED THEM. AND SINCE THAT TIME, THEY'VE ACTUALLY APPOINTED TWO MEMBERS THAT CURRENTLY SERVE ON THE COUNCIL. I DON'T KNOW THEIR NAMES. SANDY'S ONE OF THEM. AND THEN THEY HAVE ANOTHER MEMBER.

BUT THESE TWO MEMBERS ACTUALLY SERVE IN THE CAPACITY. THAT'S THAT'S NOT REALLY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBERS NORMALLY DO OR MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. THEY ACTUALLY SERVE IN A CAPACITY OF SIMILAR TO AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND THEN OF COURSE, SANDY SERVING IN A CAPACITY AS LEGAL COUNSEL. SO COUNCILMAN MYERS INQUIRED, WELL, WHY DON'T WE MAKE THEM EX OFFICIO MEMBERS THAT OPENS UP TWO MORE BOARD SEATS THAT WE CAN SUBSEQUENTLY FILL WITH VOTING

[03:10:01]

THEY'RE NOT PAID POSITIONS, THOUGH. UNDER THIS PROVISION, THE ARTS COUNCIL DOES HAVE THE OPTION TO USE DONATED FUNDS, NOT CITY TAX DOLLARS, TO REIMBURSE MR. GRAHAM FOR LEGAL FEES INCURRED OR LEGAL FEES ASSESSED FOR PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE COUNCIL ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS.

OKAY. THANK YOU. WELL, THIS IS THE WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND TO ADOPT SECTION 20 1-2 OF THE PETERSBURG CITY CODE PERTAINING TO THE PETERSBURG ARTS COMMISSION. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO HANDS, PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.

VICE MAYOR HILL, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ADOPTION. SECTION 20 1-2 OF THE PETERSBURG CITY CODE PERTAINING TO THE PETERSBURG ART COMMISSION. COUNCILMAN SMITH LE, SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. MISS HILL, WILL YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT I. COUNCIL MEMBER JONES I. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. YES. I. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE I VICE MAYOR. HILL. I. MAYOR.

[10. Public Information Period]

THE ORDER TO SPEAK IS LIMITED BY THE 30 MINUTE TIME PERIOD SHALL BE DETERMINED AS FOLLOWS A FIRST IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE NOTICE OF THE PERSONS WHO HAVE NOTIFIED THE CLERK NO LATER THAN 12:00 NOON OF THE DAY OF THE MEETING. B SECOND, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE PERSONS WHO HAVE SIGNED THE SIGN UP SHEET PLACED BY THE CLERK IN THE REAR OF THE MEETING ROOM PRIOR TO THE MEETING. REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. I WILL START OFF WITH MISS QUEEN ZAKIA SHABAZZ. THANK. NEXT UP, MISS BOB RUDOLPH. YEAH. DEREK. I WAS HOPING FOR GARRETT TO. THERE YOU GO. THANK YOU. GARRETT. OKAY. BARBARA RUDOLPH, 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I WANTED A LITTLE CHANGE OF PACE FROM ALL THIS HEAVY DISCUSSION OF MONEY. THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MONEY, TOO, THOUGH. DID A COMPARISON OF THE CASINOS IN VIRGINIA ACTUAL AND PROPOSED? AND I THINK YOU CAN SEE THAT BEFORE YOU ON YOUR, YOUR SCREEN AND IT'S REMARKABLE HOW MANY SIMILARITIES THERE ARE WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS ACROSS ALL OF THEM. I MEAN, THE SIZE OF THE CASINO FLOOR, THE NUMBER OF SLOT MACHINES, THE NUMBER OF TABLE GAMES, THE NUMBER OF HOTEL ROOMS, THE NUMBER OF, WELL, RESTAURANTS AND BARS, AND EVEN THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES ARE PRETTY SIMILAR. BUT WHAT STANDS OUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT PETERSBURG? LOOK AT THE TOP ROW, IS WE'VE GOT A $1.4 BILLION INVESTMENT AND MOST OF THE OTHERS ARE ABOUT A HALF $1 BILLION. SO WHAT WHAT'S DIFFERENT THIS? YOU'LL RECALL THAT ON MAY 28TH, YOU HAD A SPECIAL MEETING AND YOU SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH CORDISH. AND THAT LAID OUT A NUMBER OF THINGS ABOUT THE PROJECT. AND IN THERE IT DISCUSSED THE THREE PHASES.

CORDISH IS OBLIGATED TO COMPLETE PHASE ONE AND PHASE TWO, WHICH IS THE PERMANENT CASINO. THE INTERIM CASINO, WHICH LATER BECOMES AN EVENT SPACE, AND THE HOTEL. EVERYTHING THAT'S OUTLINED IN GREEN UP THERE, THAT IS PHASE THREE, AND CORDISH IS NOT UNDER ANY OBLIGATION, ACCORDING TO THIS AGREEMENT, TO DEVELOP PHASE THREE. IT SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN IN ABOUT SIX YEARS DOWN THE ROAD IF THE IF THE REFERENDUM PASSES, THEY MIGHT TAKE IT UP, THEY MIGHT INVEST IN IT DEPENDING ON MARKET CONDITIONS. SOMEBODY ELSE MIGHT IT MIGHT NEVER GET DONE. BUT THAT'S WHY IT'S 1.4 BILLION. BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE PART THAT'S CIRCLED IN MAGENTA, IT'S VERY COMPARABLE TO WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO IN NORFOLK, WHAT THEY DID AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN DANVILLE AND BRISTOL AND WHAT RICHMOND WOULD HAVE DONE. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. THANK YOU FOR BEARING WITH ME ON THAT. NOW, ONE OTHER THING. OH, THEN HOW COME THIS THING STOPPED WORKING? GARRETT, HELP ME OUT. I THINK I HAVE ANOTHER SLIDE. OKAY, THERE WE GO. THIS IS A DIFFERENT TOPIC HAVING TO DO WITH THE CASINO. ALSO, I'M SORRY I LOST SOME TIME THERE, BUT IT'S ABOUT EMPLOYMENT

[03:15:02]

HERE AGAIN, BURNELL GANNAWAY, 652 OLD WAGNER ROAD. FIRST OF ALL, TAKE UP MY TIME. I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE MY MAYOR FOR THE OUTSTANDING PRESENTATION FOR YOU AND YOUR WIFE ABOUT PROSTATE CANCER. AND I WANT TO GET MY CHECK UP TO WRITE. ALSO. MOVING TO THE CITY I'VE BEEN ASKING THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION FOR THAT ABOUT A LIGHT AND I DON'T KNOW MY CITY COUNCILMAN, MR. MARLO JONES, HAS PURSUED THIS ALL ABOUT LIGHT. MANY YEARS AGO, WHEN THEY HAD THE MAJOR STORM, A POLE WAS TAKEN DOWN IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. IT HAD A LIGHT THERE, NEW POLES PUT UP, BUT THE LIGHT WAS NEVER PUT UP. IT'S BEEN ABOUT OVER. I THINK 6 TO 8 YEARS. I THINK NOW MAYBE MORE. I PLEASE NEED A LIGHT BECAUSE IT'S DARK AND IT'S REAL DARK IN THERE. YOU CAN'T HARDLY SEE IN THAT AREA. PLEASE. I DO NEED THAT LIGHT THERE. WE DON'T NEED TO HAVE. I DON'T GO BY THE DOCTOR'S LIGHT. THE DOCTOR'S LIGHT. NOT ENOUGH FOR THAT AREA. THEY HAVE LIKE LITTLE LIGHTS THERE. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. THE DOCTOR'S OFFICES ARE. BUT I NEED A LIGHT. PUT BACK UP ON THAT. ON THAT POLE. MR. CITY MANAGER, YOU GET INTO THAT, MAKE SURE YOU GET THAT DONE. ALSO, I ALSO WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER ABOUT INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY AND HONESTY, AS WELL AS IN DEALING WITH OUR CITIZENS. WE RESPECT. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WATCHING YOU A LOT. WELL, THEY DON'T WATCH YOU LIKE ME. I WAS WATCHING AT HOME. A LOT OF TIMES I GET VERY DISCOURAGED WHEN I SAY, BUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING TODAY? SOMETHING HAPPENED WITH MY DAUGHTER. I HURT MY DAD. I TALKED TO MY CITY COUNCILMAN ABOUT THAT. MY DAUGHTER HAD A SITUATION HAPPEN AND SHE CALLED SOME FROM THE CITY DEPARTMENT, WATER DEPARTMENT AND IT WAS NOT PLEASANT. WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, CITY MANAGER OR WHOEVER ARE IN CHARGE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE ARE CITIZENS THAT LIVE HERE AND WE'VE BEEN HERE, THAT PLEASE RESPECT THE CITIZENS WHEN THEY CALL. YOU SHOULD SHOW THE BEST OR THE BEST AT THE TOP, JUST LIKE YOU ALL WOULD BE PROFESSIONAL. WE WANT THEM TO BE THE SAME AND I KNOW THEY ARE UNDER PRESSURE TO ALSO. ANOTHER THING WAS ABOUT THE OR ABOUT MOVING OUT OF THE CITY. DID WE EVER GET A BREAKDOWN OF HOW MANY PEOPLE IS ACTUALLY MOVING OUT? SO A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE STILL MOVING OUT. THE CITY, AND WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S THE PROJECTION OF ALL THIS MONEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THE PEOPLE MOVING OUT. THAT WOULD BE JUST MONEY LOST. I WANT TO BE A PART OF BRINGING PEOPLE IN. AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE MOVING OUT, THEY'RE MOVING OUT FASTER. THEY'RE MOVING IN BECAUSE YOU GET A BREAKDOWN ON THAT. OKAY. AND THEN JUST LIKE I WENT TO DAVENPORT, WHICH I KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT TONIGHT, BUT STILL, AS I SEE DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON, WE NEED MONEY AND WE DON'T NEED TO GET IT ALL FROM THE CITIZENS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

MISS PAT HINES. PUT YOUR HANDS. 1227 HAMILTON STREET. BUT I'M ALSO STANDING HERE AS THE PRESIDENT OF A NONPROFIT THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2007, A 500 AND 1C3. AND FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE TAKEN IN THE UNSHELTERED IN THIS CITY. AND WE DID IT STRICTLY ON COMMUNITY DONATIONS. THIS YEAR, I DID APPLY TO DOMINION ENERGY FOR ONE OF THE COMMUNITY GRANTS. WE HAVE CERTAIN CHURCHES THAT HAVE PLEDGED $5,000 MATCH MONEY. MR. JONES, YOU HAD HAD IT APPROVED THAT THE $3,000 THAT WOULD COME TO OUR EFFORTS. WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED A DIME OF THAT MONEY.

THEY SAID IT NEEDED TO COME BACK TO YOU ALL. SO ALL I'M TELLING YOU IS THAT WINTER IS COMING. WE

[03:20:06]

THERE IS NO IN AND OUT AT 7:00 IN THE MORNING. THEY LEAVE. THIS IS PROVEN AND TRIED. WE'VE DONE IT FOR TWO YEARS. SO ALL I'M ASKING THE CITY TO DO IS TO HELP ME HELP THEM. THANK YOU. NEXT, MISS CHERYL BROWN. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE, ENGAGING MEETINGS THAT I'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH WHAT TOOK PLACE HERE TONIGHT AND ENCOURAGED. I LEARNED SOME THINGS FROM THE COUNCIL AND A LOT FROM THE CITIZENS AT LARGE. I ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE MISS RUDOLPH WITH HER INVESTIGATIVE. SHE'S A NUMBERS PERSON AND I JUST AM SO THANKFUL FOR THE ENGAGEMENT. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE. I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH TONIGHT'S MEETING, BUT I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO SPEAK TO MAYOR PARHAM SPECIFICALLY. PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ME BY FACE, BUT THEY SEE ME FOLLOWING THEM WITH THE CAMERA AROUND THE CITY AND MY GOAL IS TO FOLLOW ORDINARY PEOPLE DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS TO PRODUCE AND PROMOTE POSITIVITY IN MEDIA, TO OFFSET THE NEGATIVITY THAT'S SPOKEN OVER OUR CITY. AND I DID NOT KNOW UNTIL RECENTLY THAT MAYOR PARHAM WAS GOING THROUGH A CANCER BATTLE. I JUST LEARNED THAT, AND I DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD THAT IN COMMON BECAUSE I MOVED TO PETERSBURG THINKING TO DIE. BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW, I MOVED HERE. I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND THEY BASICALLY SAID, FIND A NEXT OF KIN TO HELP YOU. BUT LONG STORY SHORT, I WAS FLYING BACK AND FORTH TO BOSTON FOR MY CHEMO TREATMENT. I WAS BEDRIDDEN AND WHEELCHAIR BOUND FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE YEAR. BUT LONG STORY SHORT, I WOULD WITH THE ENERGY I HAD, I WOULD GO AROUND AND FILM POSITIVITY IN PETERSBURG AND PRAISE GOD. LAST MONTH I RANG THE BELL. I FINISHED MY TREATMENTS. SO THE REASON I'M SAYING THIS TO MAYOR PARHAM IS BECAUSE WHAT? EVEN WHEN I WAS WOBBLING OUT TO SUPPORT PEOPLE, I WOULD SEE MERE PALMS SMILING, FACE SHOWING UP, AND YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SAYING NOBODY ELSE SHOWED UP. IT'S JUST THAT THE LORD PUT IT ON MY HEART TO JUST BE GRATEFUL FOR LIFE AND FOR SOMEBODY ELSE WHO'S PROMOTING AND USING THEIR ENERGY FOR POSITIVITY. AND THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE GO ON TO ITEM 11.

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

[03:25:13]

PLANNING AND ZONING. MISS NAOMI, ALWAYS DOING A GREAT JOB. AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. ALRIGHT.

SHALONDA AND BRIAN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE CITY IS GROWING AND Y'ALL DON'T SEE THE WORK BEING DONE. BUT THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING BEHIND THE SCENES AND UP FRONT, GETTING THESE PEOPLE TO MOVE IN AND BUILD AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. FINANCE DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU FOR EXPLAINING AND TEACHING. NOT JUST ME, BUT THE PUBLIC. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET TO THE MEAT. MR. BARLEY. MR. BARLEY. NOW. I AIN'T GONNA LIE TO YOU. I GOT A I'M ALWAYS ME. BUT I WASN'T A BIG FAN OF YOURS INITIALLY, AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I DIDN'T LIKE THE FACT THAT AN EMPLOYEE WAS HIRED UNDER YOUR WATCH. AND THEN TWO MONTHS LATER, GIVEN A BIG RAISE OVER TOP OF YOUR OTHER EMPLOYEES. BUT THAT'S NOT FOR ME TO BE CONCERNED WITH. THAT'S HIS PROBLEM. IT PAINTED A BAD PICTURE IN MY MIND ABOUT YOU.

[03:30:01]

YOU TALK TO THEM, YOU ASK THEM IF THERE'S ANYTHING THEY NEED AND YOU FACILITATE AN ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOU YOU GUYS DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT Y'ALL CAN STOP THIS TIME BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GO OVER. I CAN TELL YOU THAT NO.

I'M GOING TO TAKE SOME OF CHARLIE'S TIME. THIS MAN. BECAUSE HE'S BACK IN THE SADDLE.

HE PICKED BACK UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF AT. AND WE HAVE FOUND, WELL, I SAYING WE BECAUSE HE REPRESENTS US, HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS THAT WE WEREN'T COLLECTING. SOME OF IT WAS BECAUSE COMMERCIAL METERS WERE NOT EVEN DOCUMENTED. AND WRITTEN IN HIS WORKERS AND HIM IN THE EFFORT WENT OUT THERE AND THEY FOUND HIS MONEY AND WE STARTED BUILDING THEM. AND I THINK WE FOR THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, WE GOT OVER $500,000 BACK. IS THAT RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE PICKING UP WE'RE PICKING UP SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING. YES, SIR. YEAH. AND NOT JUST COMMERCIAL STUFF, BUT RESIDENTIAL STUFF. I MEAN, THIS IS TO BE COMMENDED, MR. BROWN. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR CREATING A WORKABLE ATMOSPHERE.

ALL RIGHT? SO THANK YOU FOR THAT, MAN. ALL RIGHT. IT'LL NEVER GO ON FORGOTTEN. TRUST ME.

FIRE CHIEF. MR. HOOVER, I TALKED ABOUT YOU TODAY UP TOP. YOU KNOW WHERE I WORK AT. AND I CAN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH BECAUSE YOU'RE MOVING THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT IN A DIRECTION WHERE WE COME FROM.

AND THAT'S GREATNESS. YOU KNOW, THAT'S GREATNESS, MAN. YES, HE IS. AND FOR ONCE, I COULD SLEEP WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY GOT THE RIGHT LEADER IN PLACE NOW.

SO, MR. HOOVER, MAN, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. WASN'T JUST SEE WHAT Y'ALL DON'T KNOW. HE OPENED THE DOORS FOR ME, HIM AND CHIEF ORVILLE AND ALL THE GUYS. WHEN I CAME IN, HE WAS MY DPO INSTRUCTOR, AND I WAS I PROBABLY WAS A HEADACHE TO HIM AT THE TIME, BUT I CAN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH. MR. HOOVER, FOR GUIDING THIS DEPARTMENT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THEY OUT IN THE STREET WORKING. YOU SEE THEM IN THE PUBLIC MORE? I SEEN SOME PICTURES IN THE WEBSITE, MAN.

IT'S JUST IT JUST GIVE ME CHILLS. YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT ENCOURAGES OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO WANT TO BE A PART OF YOUR ORGANIZATION. SO THANK YOU, MAN. I APPRECIATE YOU FOR THAT AND NOT JUST FOR THAT. I WANT TO ALSO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE YOU PROMOTED A NEW FIRE MARSHAL, MR. LAMAR JOHNSON. AND I WANT TO SAY, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S HERE OR NOT, BUT IF ANYBODY DESERVED THAT, HE SURE DESERVE IT. YOU KNOW, HE'S FROM HERE. AND THIS IS OUR THIS IS HIS HOM.

HIM AND I GREW UP IN PECAN ACRES. AND TO SEE HIM GO TO FIREFIGHTER TO FIRE MARSHAL MEAN A LOT. AND I KNOW YOU DIDN'T DO THAT LIGHTLY, SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT RIGHT. POLICE CHIEF MR. CHRISTIAN. MAN, IN TODAY'S WORLD AND I'M SPEAKING FROM A FIREFIGHTER PERSPECTIVE, A FIRE MARSHAL PERSPECTIVE IN A LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE. NOBODY WANTS TO WEAR A BADGE.

THIS DAY AND TIME. IT'S HARD TO GET PEOPLE TO WANT TO WEAR THEIR BADGE AND DO THE JOB THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO DO. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR MOVING YOUR DEPARTMENT IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT TIME OF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. YOU HAVE BUILT THE DEPARTMENT BACK UP AND I SEE GREAT THINGS, AND I'M HEARING FROM BOTH OF YOUR DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS HIS GREAT THINGS, AND IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE YOU HEARD GREAT THINGS FROM PUBLIC SAFETY ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, AND THEN COMING FROM THE STREETS, YOU KNOW, IT MEAN A LOT, MAN. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITIZENS WHO'S ASSISTING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE SPEAKING UP MORE. THEY'RE SEEING THINGS AND THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IT AND WE'RE MAN, LISTEN, YOU DO A CRIME TODAY. THEY'RE GOING TO FIND YOU TODAY. AND Y'ALL SEE THAT, YOU KNOW. SO THAT'S TO BE COMMENDED. THANK YOU. I WANT TO I GOT A MOTION I WANT TO MAKE I KNOW I'M TAKING A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, BUT YOU AND COUNCILMAN COOPER'S TIME. YES, SIR. OKAY. START THE CLOCK. YEAH. COUNCILMAN. ALL RIGHT, SO, LOOK, I GOT I GOT A COUPLE OF MORE THINGS REAL QUICK. RIGHT NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS IS I WANT TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR THE CITY, BE HAPPY TO COME TO WORK. YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU GUYS. AND I'M TALKING TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO SOME OF YOU DEPARTMENT HEADS MAKE MORE MONEY THAN SIX EMPLOYEES PUT TOGETHER,

[03:35:03]

BUT I WANT TO ALSO POINT OUT TO THE TREASURER AND THE AND THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE, BECAUSE TO HAVE ALL THIS MONEY WE HEARD ABOUT TODAY COME THROUGH THEIR HANDS, MAN, AND LICENSES AND ALL THAT STUFF IS, IS RIDICULOUS. I WOULD HAVE LOST COUNT A LONG TIME AGO. YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY I GOT TO TAKE NOTES. AND AS MISS FLOWERS HERE. SO I HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR YOU. NOW, YOU KNOW WHAT I'LL SAY? THAT I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO. TO SAY THAT. LET'S PROVE IT. A LOT OF PEOPLE I GET TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYING THE COUNCIL IS STEALING MONEY. COUNCIL IS DOING THIS, COUNCIL IS DOING THAT. AND MY NEWEST THING TO ANYBODY THAT SAYS THAT, PROVE IT. IF YOU GOT ANY ACCUSATIONS ABOUT COUNCIL, JUST PROVE IT. THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON I KNOW THAT WILL COME UP HERE WITH FACTS WHEN THEY GOT AN ACCUSATION ON COUNCIL, THAT'S MISS RUDOLPH. SHE COME UP HERE WITH WITH SOME FACTS IN A HEARTBEAT AND SOME RESEARCH. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SO IT'S HARD TO PROVE HER WRONG IF SHE COME UP HERE. BUT I'M TELLING ANYBODY IN THE PUBLIC PROVE IT.

IF YOU GOT ANYTHING THAT THAT SAYS WE'RE TAKING SOME OR WE'RE DOING SOMETHING ILLEGAL, DON'T JUST SAY IT BECAUSE IT'S THAT MINDSET THAT MAKES EVERYBODY ON THE OUTSIDE OF PETERSBURG TALK BAD ABOUT PETERSBURG. SO IT MAKES ME WONDER, WHY DO WE NOT LIKE FOR OUTSIDERS TO TALK BAD ABOUT US? BUT HERE WE ARE TALKING BAD ABOUT US. WE MAKE THEM PAINT A PICTURE TO TALK BAD ABOUT US. WE GIVE THEM PERMISSION TO TALK BAD ABOUT PETERSBURG. WE'RE ON THE MOVE, Y'ALL. WE'RE ON THE MOVE TO GRO. YOU KNOW, I WANT TO APPLAUD MISS HOWARD AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO'S MOVING FOR THIS. THIS THING. I KNOW WE CAN'T TALK FOR OR AGAINST THE CASINO. I'M JUST SAYING, GO OUT THERE AND VOTE YES OR NO. DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. I MISS BERNICE, ORVILLE IS IN THE HOSPITAL, AND SHE'S ON LIFE SUPPORT. SHE'S THE MOTHER OF THE FIRST BLACK BATTALION CHIEF, WHICH IS BOBBY HARVELL. HE'S PASSED AWAY. BOBBY VILLE WAS THE FIRST BLACK BATTALION CHIEF IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION, NOT JUST BECAUSE HE WAS THE FIRST BLACK BATTALION CHIEF. HE TAUGHT ME. HE WORKED BESIDE WAYNE HOOVER, CHIEF HOOVER, YOU KNOW, AND THESE GUYS SET THE TONE FOR PEOPLE. THAT'S PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT DEPARTMENT TODAY. AND I WANT I'M NOT ASKING MUCH WHEN I ASK COUNCIL TO HELP ME OUT. AND WE WANT TO RENAME NOT RENAME IT. DON'T EVEN HAVE A NAME. IT'S A BRIDGE ON HINTON STREET. I WANT TO NAME THAT CHIEF BOBBY HARWELL MEMORIAL BRIDGE. AND I WANT TO MAKE THAT MOTION TO DO THAT. SIR. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION. VICE MAYOR HILL, SECOND MOTION AND A SECOND. I WITHDRAW MY SECOND AND LET COUNCILMAN MYERS SAID HIM SECOND. COUNCILOR MYERS SECONDED. MR. MAYOR, DID YOU WANT TO INCLUDE IN THAT MOTION TO DIRECT THE MANAGER TO ERECT APPROPRIATE SIGNAGE TO THAT EFFECT? YES, SIR. MR. MANAGER, COULD YOU ERECT THAT? AND THEN BEFORE WE PUT THE SIGN OUT, HAVE THE FAMILY CONTACT US SO WE CAN HAVE THEM OUT THERE. AND EVERYBODY PUT MISS HARVELL IN YOUR PRAYERS. CHIEF ARVIL REAL QUICK. I KNOW REAL QUICK THERE WAS A FIRE AT THE. OKAY. YES, YES. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES, ALL RIGHT. SO THERE WAS A BIG FIRE AT THE OLD MR. MYERS. WHAT IS THAT BUILDING OVER THERE? THE APARTMENTS. PINE PERRY STREET LOST? NO, IT WAS WHERE THE CITY MANAGER LIVED AT. I STAND CORRECTED. IT'S WHERE SHE LIVED AT. USED TO LIVE AT MISS HIGH STREET LOFTS. AND THERE WAS A CATWALK AND SOME FIREFIGHTERS GOT OUT OF THEIR TRUCK AND THEY WENT TO GO UNDER THAT CATWALK WITH A HOSE. AND SHE JUST HAPPENED TO BE THERE AT THE TIM. AND HE YELLED AT HIM, HEY, GET YOUR FOR MONEY! THERE. THAT'S WHAT HE SAID. AND AS SOON AS THEY GOT THE MONEY, THAT THING COLLAPSED. HE DESERVED HIS NAME ON THAT BRIDGE. THAT'S RIGHT. BECAUSE HE SAVED THESE GUYS LIVES. HE SAVED US. HE SAVED THESE PARENTS FROM CRYING. AND I JUST GOTTA PUT THAT OUT THERE, MAN, YOU KNOW? SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THAT. AND TODAY ON THIS NIGHT, THAT HINTON STREET BRIDGE WILL BE NAMED CHIEF BOBBY HOWELL BRIDGE. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. I ONLY NEED TWO TONIGHT. YEAH, THAT WAS A LOT. NO, I DON'T NEED TO

[03:40:08]

PEOPLE WERE SAYING HOW WE ARE CHANGING THE NARRATIVE OF PETERSBURG, ESPECIALLY OUR FINANCIAL HOUSE. SO AS YOU SEE US UP HERE DEBATING ABOUT HOW MONEY IS SPENT, GIVEN OUT AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE THAT THE NARRATIVE OF YEARS AGO IS BEING CORRECTED AND WE ARE GOING FORWARD WITH BECOMING A WEALTHY CITY BECAUSE I DON'T SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH BORROWING MONEY TO MAKE MONEY AND DO THINGS MORE APPROPRIATE INSTEAD OF SPENDING ALL OUR MONEY TO ZERO TO GET THINGS DON. SO I'LL JUST SAY THAT ON THE RECORD. THIS SATURDAY, THE BURG BOYS LITTLE LITTLE LEAGUE FOOTBALL TEAM HERE IN PETERSBURG IS HAVING THEIR HOMECOMING ON ALBERT JONES FIELD. THE GAME STARTS AT 9 A.M. IT'S THREE GAMES THAT DAY. PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE LITTLE LEAGUE FOOTBALL TEAM. THEY ARE FIVE AND ONE RIGHT NOW, BUT FIVE AND OH IN THEIR DIVISION AND ON THE GREAT PACE TO MAKE THE PLAYOFFS. THEY'RE ALREADY MAKING PLANS TO GO DOWN TO FLORIDA TO PLAY THIS FALL THIS WINTER BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING VERY GOOD. SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SUPPORT OUR YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAM. SECONDLY, I WOULD LIKE TO HOPEFULLY THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING OUT DOING EARLY VOTING. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE OF NOVEMBER 5TH TO GO AND CAST THAT BALLOT. SO PLEASE GO OUT AND GET YOUR EARLY VOTING. IF YOU SO CHOOSE TO BEAT THOSE LINES FOR NOVEMBER THE 5TH, WE'D LIKE TO GO BACK AND SAY, HAPPY 30TH REUNION TO MY CLASS! THE CLASS OF 1994. AS WE CELEBRATED THE FHS HOMECOMING. WE'D LIKE TO. WE HAVEN'T SAID IT ON THE MIC IN A COUPLE OF, I WOULD SAY, EVEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, BUT I KNOW WHEN WE FIRST CAME, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON COUNCIL, I WAS THANKFUL THAT THE COUNCIL WAS SUPPORTING THE STOP THE LITTERING CAMPAIGN. I HAVE SEEN AN UPTICK OF LITTERING, ESPECIALLY IN CERTAIN PARTS OF SEVENTH WARD, AND I HOPE THAT IN A MAJOR THOROUGHFARES OF THE CITY, I HOPE THAT WE CAN GET BACK TO POLICING OURSELVES AND PICKING UP LITTER. AND EVEN IF IT'S NOT OURS, JUST MAKING SURE THAT OUR CITY IS LOOKING CLEAN. A TROUBLING THING TO ME, THOUGH, IS WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION, I DO HAVE TO CALL IT OUT. IS THE ATTENDANCE AT PTA EVENTS AT SCHOOLS? I'M NOT GOING TO SAY WHICH ONE FOR THE SAKE OF RECORD, BUT I WENT TO A PTA MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO AND IT WAS UNFORTUNATE THAT IT WAS ONLY FIVE PEOPLE THERE, AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE FIVE. WE CAN'T KEEP COMPLAINING ABOUT THINGS IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME OUT AND LET OUR VOICES BE HEARD. SO THAT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS CAN SEE WHAT THE CITIZENS WANT DONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR EDUCATION, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE MORE MONEY AND DO MORE THINGS BECAUSE WE'RE MORE EDUCATED ON HOW TO USE THAT MONEY AND THE RESOURCES THAT ARE HERE. BUT IT ALL COMES FROM NOT SENDING OUR STUDENTS TO OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL JUST FOR A DAYCARE. ARE WE HELPING THEM WITH HOMEWORK AT NIGHT? ARE WE REALLY WORKING WITH THE TEACHERS? ARE WE REALLY WORKING WITH OUR PRINCIPALS? ARE WE REALLY SUPPORTING OUR LEADERSHIP, ESPECIALLY DOCTOR BROWN, EVEN IF SHE'S AN INTERIM ROLE? I TALKED TO HER THIS PAST WEEK AND SHE HELPED SOME THINGS WORK OUT FOR ME BECAUSE I DO HAVE A DAUGHTER IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, SO I WAS THANKFUL FOR HER. BUT AGAIN, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO REALLY CRACK DOWN ON MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE BEING MORE INVOLVED WITH OUR PETERSBURG EDUCATION SYSTEM AS A WHOLE. TOMORROW IS WE'RE AN ANTI-BULLYING WEEK, TOMORROW IS UNITY DAY. SO IF YOU ARE LISTENING TO THIS, THE KIDS ARE SUPPOSED TO WEAR ORANGE CLOTHES TO SUPPORT. SO IF YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THAT ANTI-BULLYING, THAT WOULD BE GOOD. COMING UP, WE KNOW WE HAVE HALLOWEEN. WE HAVE THE HARVEST FESTIVAL AT PLEASANTS LANE ON THE 31ST FROM 530 TO 630. BUT AS WELL WE HAVE THE TRUNK OR TREAT AT THE SPORTS COMPLEX ON THE 26TH FROM 4 TO 6. AND THE REGISTRATION FOR THAT EVENT DOES CLOSE THIS FRIDAY.

THIS ALSO THIS FRIDAY. MISS HOWARD, I WILL SUPPORT HER AS WELL AS TOMMY AS WELL AS OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING WITH A CERTAIN CORPORATION TO VOTE YES. PETERSBURG. THEY ARE HAVING AN EVENT THIS FRIDAY THE 18TH. DID I DO THAT CORRECT? YEAH. NO SUPPORT. RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. BUT IT IS AN EVENT THIS FRIDAY THE 18TH. SO COME OUT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME IN PETERSBURG AND THE HALIFAX TRIANGLE AS THE TRIANGLE USED TO BE JUMPING. WE CAN DO IT AGAIN THIS FRIDAY FROM 5 TO 9.

THEY WILL HAVE A KIDS ZONE FOOD, RAFFLE AND ENTERTAINMENT. SO PLEASE COME OUT AND ENJOY THE GOOD WEATHER THIS FALL. WEATHER AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARDS A GREATER THING HAPPENING IN PETERSBURG. AND WITH THAT, I WILL YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME. 17 SECONDS. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN MYERS. I GOT TIME LEFT. OH. ANYWAY, GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD EVENING

[03:45:09]

THE SECOND MEETING IN NOVEMBER. THE SECOND MEETING. OKAY. IS THAT GOOD? NAOMI. SECOND MEETING. YEAH. SECOND MEETING NOVEMBER. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, NAOMI. AND THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. OKAY.

COUNCILWOMAN SMITH, LEE, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. MARLO, I COMMEND YOU ON ALL YOUR ACCOLADES YOU GAVE OUT TONIGHT ON EVERYBODY BECAUSE SOMETIMES I LISTEN TO URBAN RADIO AND THEY SAID, YOU NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT YOU. AND SO I THINK I THANK Y'ALL FOR JUST STANDING BY THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. WE'RE NOT ALWAYS. RIGHT ON THINGS, BUT WE'RE WILLING TO JUST LEARN AND KEEP IT MOVING. BECAUSE I CAN REMEMBER WHEN WE WAS $19 MILLION IN THE HOLE AND I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOD, WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO? AND STAYING AT COUNCIL MEETINGS AT 12 TO 12:00 AT NIGHT, TRYING TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE GOING THROUGH. BUT GOD BE THE GLORY. LOOK AT US NOW. IT IS JUST AMAZING HOW WITH SO MANY BLIGHTED PROPERTIES AND IF YOU RIDE AROUND PETERSBURG, YOU'RE SEEING DEVELOPMENT AND THAT'S A BLESSING. AND IF YOU GOT HOMES BEING BUILT, THAT MEANS SOMEBODY'S GOING TO BUY IT. SO COUNCIL THANK Y'ALL. THANK Y'ALL FOR JUST DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB AND STICKING TOGETHER. THANK YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COUNCILWOMAN ANNETTE SMITH LEE. HER BIRTHDAY WAS YESTERDAY AND SHE WORKED YESTERDAY. AND WORKING TODAY. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU'RE WELCOME. ALL RIGHT. ALSO JUST A REMINDER. PLEASE TAKE SOMEONE TO THE POLLS ON NOVEMBER THE FIFTH IF YOU CAN. IF YOU CAN GET OUT AN EARLY VOTE. FINE. TODAY IS THE LAST DAY FOR BEING GETTING REGISTERED. TO VOTE. YOU CAN REGISTER TO VOTE UP UNTIL 11:00 PM TONIGHT ONLINE. BUT PLEASE JUST REMEMBER TO TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU, OKAY? STROLL TO THE POLLS. THAT CONCLUDES CONCLUDES MY REPORT. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR HILL. YES. GOOD EVENING. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AGAIN. YEAH. HAPPY BIRTHDAY. BIRTHDAY. YEAH. I KNOW YOU DO. I WANT TO SAY THANK EVERYONE FOR STICKING IN HERE WITH US ON TODAY. ONE THING THAT I DO WANT TO BRING UP FROM THE EMAIL WE LEARNED A LOT, AND I'M GOING TO TRY TO GET A GENTLEMAN TO COME DO A PRESENTATION ON SOME THINGS. AFTER I TALKED TO THE COUNCIL ABOUT SOME VERY GOOD INFORMATION, ME AND COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK WAS IN ONE CLASS TOGETHER, WAS IN A COUPLE OF CLASSES TOGETHER, BUT THIS ONE CLASS IN PARTICULAR. SO I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL IT. MAYBE I CAN GET THE GENTLEMAN TO COME AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ON AN OFF NIGHT FOR ALL THE COUNCIL AND ALL THE CITIZENS TO TALK ABOUT, JUST CITY GOVERNMENT AND THINGS THAT WORK IN URBAN CITIES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. AND THINGS THAT

[03:50:02]

AND BUT IT'S SOMETIME IT'S A SHAME THAT OUR OWN PEOPLE CAN'T SEE WHAT WE'VE DONE. AND I'M NOT THROWING ANY ROCKS BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE HERE WITH US. YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE THICK AND THIN, BUT IT JUST FELT GOOD. OTHER MAYORS, OTHER CITY MANAGERS, OTHER COUNCILMEN, I MEAN, THEY COMING UP TO US AND ALL YOU HAD WAS PETERSBURG ON AND SAID, OH, YEAH, I KNOW PETERSBURG. Y'ALL DOING GREAT THINGS. OF COURSE THEY TALK ABOUT THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT WAS ABOUT ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE UP UNTIL THIS POINT. SO I'M PROUD AND I WANT YOU ALL TO BE PROUD OF YOUR CITY BECAUSE WE'RE DOING A HECK OF A JOB. WE'RE DOING A HECK OF A JOB. OF COURSE WE GOT A WAYS TO GO, AND YOU ALWAYS CAN LOOK, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES WE FOCUS, ESPECIALLY COUNCIL. WE FOCUS SO MUCH ON THE NOISE AS OPPOSED TO FOCUSING. IT'S MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE FOR US THAN AGAINST US. AND I DON'T THINK THEY ARE AGAINST US PERSONALLY, BUT SOMETIMES THEY'RE JUST AGAINST, I GUESS WHAT COUNCIL STOOD FOR OR WHAT IT STANDS FOR. LIKE I WAS LOOKING ON ON ONE OF COUNCILMAN JONES POST, SOME GUY PUT IT ON THERE, YOU KNOW, ALL ALL OF Y'ALL STEALING MONEY LIKE REALLY LIKE LIKE LIKE YEAH I MEAN LIKE LIKE REALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE REALLY WE WE'RE STEALING MONEY. WE DON'T. RIGHT? NO. YEAH. YEAH. YEAH. WE DON'T WRITE NO CHECKS OR NOTHING. BUT ONE THING I WILL SAY THIS ABOUT THE SCHOOL BOARD. MOSTLY EVERY HOUSE THAT I'VE GONE TO, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE CIT. EVERYTHING IS ABOUT THE SCHOOLS. IT'S ABOUT IT'S NOT ABOUT ROADS AND LIGHTS AND ALL THAT. I KNOW MR. GANAWAY. HE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT LIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS HOUSE, AND I TRIED MY BEST. I KNOW MARLO JONES TRIED TO GET THAT LIGHT UP FOR HIM. PLEASE.

BUT IMMA TELL YOU THIS, THEY'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THEY NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT WATER BILLS AND STUFF. EVERYTHING. EVERY HOUSE I KNOCKED ON. WHAT YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THE SCHOOLS? WELL, BUT LOOK THEY RUN UNOPPOSED. BUT WE ALWAYS GOT SOMEBODY RUNNING AGAINST US AND I'M NOT THROWING ANY SHADE ON THEM. NOT AT ALL. BUT THEY ALWAYS WANT US. BUT WE CAN'T REACH OUR HAND OVER THERE.

BUT SO MUCH. AND I HAVE TO TELL MY CITIZENS THAT OUR JOB IS TO FUND THEM. WE CAN'T WRITE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR THEM. WE CAN'T DO THAT. BUT I THINK THE REGULAR CITIZENS WHO'S NOT, YOU KNOW, CIVIC MINDED AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY THINK EVERYTHING JUST FALL ON US, WHICH IT DOESN'T. YOU KNOW, I CAN'T GO TO THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE'S OFFICE AND TELL HER WHAT TO DO. I CAN'T GO TO THE TREASURER'S OFFICE AND TELL HIM WHAT TO DO. I MEAN, THEY DON'T KNOW THE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT. AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT EVERYTHING, EVERY DOOR I KNOCKED ON WITHIN THESE LAST FEW MONTHS, ELDERLY TO OLDER, I MEAN, TO YOUNGER. IT'S A SCHOOL.

I'M NOT THROWING THEM UP UNDER THE BUS AT ALL. I'M NOT. BUT THEY RUN UNOPPOSED AND I'M NOT TRYING TO GET NOBODY TO TELL THEM TO RUN AGAINST THEM OR NONE OF THAT, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANYBODY DOING THAT FOR ME. OF COURSE I HAVE AN OPPONENT, BUT STILL. SO YOUR SCHOOL, SINCE TWO THINGS ARE YOUR HUB AND I'M GOING TO WRAP THIS UP. CRIME AND YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE HAVE A GREAT CHIEF AND WE HAVE A GREAT POLICE FORCE. THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THE CRIME. WE ALL GOT TO COME TOGETHER AND BE OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER AND TAKE CARE OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR YOUTH AND HELP THEM WITH THE RESOURCES THEY NEED. AND TONIGHT WAS A PROVEN NIGHT. WE NEED TO TALK TO THEM. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TALK TO THEM, AND I'M PRETTY SURE WE'LL GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED AND ALL THAT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR HILL. I'M JUST GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON SOMETHING THAT YOU JUST SAID. JUST JUST TO SHED SOME LIGHT TO PEOPLE ON WHAT GOES ON ABOUT ENGAGEMENT, ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS. YOU SEE THAT? YOU SEE THAT OFFICER RIGHT BACK THERE, OFFICER COOPER, RIGHT THERE. WAVE YOUR HAND RIGHT THERE. THAT RIGHT THERE IS A IS MR. ENGAGEMENT RIGHT THERE THE WAY THAT MAN RIGHT THERE WORKS IN OUR SCHOOLS TO KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE. HE GETS SO MUCH RESPECT FROM THOSE KIDS AND SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T NEVER HEAR ABOUT. THEY HAVE THEIR CHALLENGES INSIDE THE SCHOOLS. BUT WE HAD A HOMECOMING TWO WEEKS AGO, AND COOPER WAS IN CHARGE OF THAT, THAT CROWD. AND WE HAD ZERO INCIDENTS AT A HOMECOMING. AND HE WORKED THAT CROWD KEPT OUR KIDS SAFE. EVERY TIME I SAW HIM, HE HAD HIS LOOK. HE HE GRABBED THE OFFICER. LET'S GO. HERE, GRAB THE OFFICER. LET'S GO THERE. AND THE KIDS, STEADY. RESPECT HIM. SO IT'S SO MUCH ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND THAT LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT. AND I JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR BEING A RESOURCE BECAUSE I HAD A CHANCE TO GO WITH HIM TO THE SCHOOLS, ALONG WITH CHIEF CHRISTIAN, JUST TO TALK ABOUT

[03:55:02]

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THOSE WALKS WAS GREAT. ALL OF THAT. THAT VEGAN PIZZA WE HAD WAS DELICIOUS OUT THERE AT THE PARK. IT'S THINGS LIKE THAT WE HAVE TO BRING. AND IF MR. CITY MANAGER, WE NEED TO WORK ON BRINGING SOME VEGAN ALTERNATIVES, WE HAVE ENOUGH CHICKEN AND BARBECUE PLACES AND PIZZA PLACES. IF WE CAN GET SOME, SOME SOME COUNCILMAN JONES DOWN THERE BESIDE YOU, YOU BETTER WATCH IT. YEAH. OTHER THAN OG REELS UNDER THERE, OG REELS, WE STILL NEED A PLACE FOR OG RIBS. BUT BUT JUST JUST GETTING BACK WITH TO THAT ENGAGEMENT THING BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY SAID TONIGHT AND IS, IS, IS REALLY SHOCKING TO ME HOW ESPECIALLY THIS IS A YEAR WE'RE ENCOURAGING EVERYBODY TO COME OUT AND VOTE. BUT YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY AND THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT'S YET TO BE DONE FOR THIS CITY. IT'S JUST SHOCKING TO ME WHEN I LOOK OUT INSIDE THE AUDIENCE AND YOU LOOK AT THE ENGAGEMENT, WE HAVE PEOPLE RUNNING FOR COUNCIL THAT HAVE EVEN BEEN TO A COUNCIL MEETING AND THAT IS SAD. AND, AND I'M, I'M HOPING THAT IF THEY REALLY WANT TO SERVE THAT THEY WOULD GET THE, THE CHARISMA OF MISS RUDOLPH AND SHOW UP EVERY DAY AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR CITY AND BE WELL INFORMED. AND IT'S A SHAME THAT THAT WE HAVE THAT GOING ON WITH THIS CITY RIGHT HERE IS GOING UP. BUT WE DON'T NEED ANY HICCUPS OF PEOPLE NOT BEING ENGAGED AND NOT BEING INFORMED. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE CALLED CALLED OUT, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE JUST NOT HERE SITTING UP HERE WITH A SUIT ON IS WORK TO BE DONE. AND THIS THING GOES ON SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

WE HAVE A FAITH IN BLUE EVENT WE URGE YOU ALL TO COME OUT WITH FOR SHERIFF CRAWFORD. WE HAD THE RT WALK AGAINST HUNGER, WHICH WAS WONDERFUL. THE PETERSBURG SYMPHONY IS COMING ON OCTOBER 27TH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SUPPORT THAT. ALSO, WE HAVE SOME SOME SPEEDING GOING ON ON 460 FOR COUNCILMAN JONES. JUST WANT TO BRING THAT TO PD BETWEEN HARDEE'S AND WAGNER ROAD. THEY'VE BEEN SPEED BALLING THROUGH THERE. SO WE CAN GET SOME TRAFFIC UP THERE TO SLOW THEM DOWN. ALSO AT THE VIRGINIA MUNICIPAL LEAGUE CONFERENCE, SOMETHING I WANT TO SHARE TO JOANNE AND TO MARCH AS WELL. I WAS IN A BREAKOUT SESSION ON I AND I CAME UP WITH AN IDEA SITTING THERE IN AI ABOUT HOW WE NEED TO CREATE A, , A TOURIST DESTINATION HERE IN PETERSBURG THAT PEOPLE COULD SCAN WITH THEIR PHONE. WE CAN HAVE AN AI GENERATED PERSON TO SAY, WELCOME TO PETERSBURG, COME AND CHECK OUT BLANFORD CEMETERY. YOU CAN GO DOWN HERE. COME EAT IF YOU WANT. FISH, COME EAT AT KROGER SPOT. AND THERE'S THESE AI GENERATED PEOPLE CAN CAN BE OUR POINT OF ACCESS BECAUSE WE SAY WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE. BUT AI IS GOING TO LET US BE ABLE TO MARKET AND BE ABLE TO APPEAL TO PEOPLE THAT VISIT OUR CITY, AND WE CAN LOOK AT GETTING THAT SET UP THAT WE CAN HAVE A AI PERSON WORKING IN THAT ACTUAL AI THAT IS THE REPRESENTATIVE OF EVERY PERSON THAT'S TOURING THROUGH PETERSBURG, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY LACKING. AND WE SEE SO MANY VISITORS AND SO MANY PEOPLE ASK, SO HOW DO I GET TO YOUR TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER? WE GOT TO CREATE ALL OF THAT THROUGH AI NOW, AND IT'LL BE MUCH MORE BENEFICIAL BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY EVENTS AND THINGS THAT'S GOING ON EVERY WEEK IN PETERSBURG. AND BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE BENEFICIAL. BLESS YOU TONY. ALL RIGHT TONY NESE, THAT'S A WRAP FOR ME. THANK YOU TONY. ALL RIGHT NEXT WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM 12. ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. NO ITEMS TONIGH. ITEM 13 FINANCE AND BUDGET

[14. Old Business]

[04:00:08]

RIGHT. SO WE MIGHT AS WELL GOING ON BACK TO THE BEGINNING WHERE WE WAS AT, BECAUSE WHAT? I'M NOT GOING FOR IT. NO, WE'RE NOT GOING BACK TO A DOLLAR. WE MADE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE HOUSING AUTHORITY. I'M GOING TO MOVE TO DENY THAT REQUEST. AND I DON'T CARE WHO HATE ME AFTER THIS OR BEFORE THIS OR IN THE FUTURE. I DON'T CARE. I MOVE TO DENY IT, DENY IT, DENY IT. NO MORE DOLLAR BUSINESS IN THIS CITY. NO MORE COUNCILMAN, GOVERNOR, I SECOND THE MOTION. WHAT'S THAT? SO WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE GOING. SO JUST A POINT OF ORDER. JUST FOR COUNCIL TO EVEN CONSIDER IT. A MEMBER FROM THE PREVAILING SIDE THAT THAT IS A SIDE THAT VOTED IN FAVOR OF IT PREVIOUSLY HAS TO MAKE A MOTION FOR COUNCIL TO RECONSIDER IT. SO YOU DON'T EVEN NEED THE MOTION NOT TO RECONSIDER. IT'S ALREADY LAW UNLESS SOMEONE FROM THE PREVAILING SIDE SAYS, I MOVE THAT WE RECONSIDER, GETS A SECOND, THEN YOU CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH IT. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN MEYERS, I MOVE THAT WE RECONSIDER. COUNCIL. WESTBROOK. SECOND MOTION AND A SECOND. WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCILMAN CUTLER. MR. MAYOR, HOLD TIGHT REAL QUICK.

YOU HAD A MEETING ABOUT A MOTION THAT I MADE WITHOUT ME BEING THERE. THAT'S BS. AT LEAST YOU COULD HAVE DONE WAS INVITE ME TO THE MEETING TO THE TABLE. YOU DIDN'T HAVE THE DECENCY TO DO THAT AND THINK I'M GOING TO RECONSIDER SOMETHING. HECK NO. I'M NOT GOING TO RECONSIDER IT.

AND THEN WHEN YOU CALL THE ROLL, I'M GOING TO SAY NO AGAIN. ALL RIGHT. QUESTIONS? VICE MAYOR.

ALL RIGHT. QUESTION. ALL RIGHT, MISS HILL, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT. NO MATTER TO ME, BROTHER. DO WHAT YOU GOT TO DO. AND THIS IS JUST FOR THE PURPOSE OF DISCUSSING IT, TO DECIDE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO. SO YOU'RE NOT LOCKING YOURSELF IN IF YOU. COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT, THIS IS A MOTION TO DO WHAT? MR. WADE, IT'S SIMILAR TO A MOTION TO TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING? IT'S IF YOU IF A MAJORITY OF YOU VOTES FOR IT. COUNCILMAN JONES. NO. COUNCILMAN. MYERS. COUNCILMAN. WESTBROOK A COUNCILMAN. COUNCILWOMAN SMITH.

[04:05:02]

I'M NOT SAYING DON'T DO ANYTHING OR DENY THE HOUSING AUTHORITY ANYTHING. I'M SAYING $2,200.

[04:10:01]

HOUSING AUTHORITY. LET'S TAKE THAT MONEY AND PUT IT SOMEWHERE ELSE. ARE YOU THAT SELFISH? THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT THAT MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THIS CITY? SINCE WE SUPPOSED TO WORK TOGETHER IN THIS CITY? THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. SO MY STANCE STANDS IN THE DISCUSSION FOR ME.

ALRIGHTY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. OKAY. I WANT TO DO WHAT Y'ALL GOING TO DO. WHERE WE AT? WHERE WE AT? YOU GOT IT BACK UP FOR DISCUSSION. I MEAN. ALL RIGHT. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO? YOU GOING TO LEAVE IT THERE? YEAH. YEAH. WHERE YOU GONNA LEAVE IT LIKE IT IS? OKAY. I MOVE THAT WE SELL THE PROPERTY FOR A NOMINAL FEE OF $1. SECOND, I SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK MOTION. AND A SECOND. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING THAT MISS HILL, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT, I, COUNCILMAN JONES. NO. NO AND NO COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. I. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PERRY. NO.

MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE ITEM 15. NEW BUSINESS ITEM A APPROVAL OF CHANGE ORDERS

[15. New Business]

COME ON NOW. I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CHANGE ORDERS AS PROPOSED. COUNCILWOMAN SMITH SECOND, A MOTION TO SECOND DISCUSSION. COUNCILMAN JONES, YOU KNOW. NO. NO, MAN. I MEAN, ALL THESE CHANGE ORDERS. MR. MYERS, HOW MANY CHANGE ORDERS DO WE SAY THE LAST TIME THEY HAD 40, 40 CHANGEOVERS CHANGE WHAT IS IT CALLED? LOOK, THAT'S NOT COUNTING THE CURRENT YEAR. AND THAT'S NOT COUNTING CURRENT YEAR, MAN. I MEAN, FIRST OF ALL, DO YOU HAVE A PROJECT MANAGER OVER THAT THING RIGHT NOW? WE DID HAVE A PROJECT MANAGER, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE PROJECT MANAGER DID RESIGN EARLIER THIS YEAR. SO WE'VE ACTUALLY TAKEN THAT OVER. AND WE'RE YOU KNOW HONESTLY COUNCIL WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET THIS ONE ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. IS THERE GOING TO BE ANY MORE CHANGE ORDERS TO THIS PROJECT? I CAN'T SAY THAT, BUT I MEAN I THINK WITH THIS ONE WE'RE LOOKING AT A COMPLETION DATE OF SOMETIME OF MID JANUARY. SO WE ARE DOING OUR VERY BEST. I MEAN, I CAN'T SAY THAT WITH THIS AND ALL OF OUR OTHER PROJECTS, TO KEEP THE CHANGE ORDERS TO A MINIMUM. SO AS YOU ALL WELL KNO, THIS PROJECT HAS KIND OF A THE PROJECT THAT NEVER ENDS CITY MANAGER KIND OF ALLUDED TO IT EARLIER IN THE MEETING THAT WHEN WE UNCOVER SOMETHING FROM A WALL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE'RE ALWAYS FINDING SOME, SOME THING. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS IT'S CRAZY. I MEAN, WE GOT OUR GUY AND THIS IS NOT AGAINST YOU, MAN. I APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS, MR. CITY MANAGER AND EVERYBODY. BUT WITH THE MONEY WE PUT IN THIS THING, WE COULD HAVE FIXED

[04:15:03]

BUT WE KEEP IT JUST ON WHAT YOU SAID. WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANY MORE CHANGE ORDERS. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO CEASE ALL OPERATIONS WITH THIS THING UNTIL WE GET A PROJECT MANAGER, UNTIL WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE HOLD THE CONTRACT AND WHOEVER IS WORKING ON THIS THING TO WHATEVER YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO. YOU DON'T ASK US FOR NO MORE MONEY, GET IT DONE. SO I OKAY, OKAY. GO AHEAD. AND WILLIAMS, CAN YOU COME TO THE PODIUM, PLEASE? DON'T DO THAT YET. OKAY. WE'RE GOING. PLEASE HELP US TO GET THROUGH THIS. AS AS I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT OUR PLANS ARE FOR IN THE FUTURE. AND SO I THINK TO ELEVATE TO THAT LEVEL, PLEASE PROVIDE US SOME SEMBLANCE OF AN OUTCOME. RIGHT. WE'RE REALLY CLOSE TO FINISHING THIS PROJECT. IT WILL BE THE VISITOR CENTER FOR THE CITY, THE MAIN VISITOR CENTER. I'M IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF APPLYING FOR A $4 MILLION GRANT TO FINISH THE WEST WING, SO WE'RE REALLY CLOSE. OKAY, SO GO ON AND TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUR INTENT IS FOR THE VISITOR CENTER FOR THE WEST WING. IT WOULD BE TO HAVE A YEAR ROUND FARMERS MARKET IN THE WEST WING, SORT OF LIKE CHARLESTON. SO THAT GRANT IS DUE FRIDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

OKAY. AND SO WE'RE REALLY CLOSE ON THIS AND IT'S IT WILL BE THE TOURISM CENTER FOR THE REGION.

NO. BUT JOANNE, CAN YOU SELL IT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT. WELL, IT'S GOING TO WE THE ORIGINAL PLAN, WHICH HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR A LONG TIME, WAS TO PARTNER WITH THE PARK SERVICE.

WE'RE STILL IN TALKS WITH THE PARK SERVICE THAT THEY WOULD COME IN AND SOMEHOW PARTNER WITH US THERE. YOU KNOW, THEY WANT THEY SAY THEY WILL START WITH PROGRAMING. IT IS GOING TO INSIDE. IT'S GOING TO TELL THE STORY OF PETERSBURG AND THEN THE WHOLE WEST WING. AS I SAID, WOULD BE VERY MUCH LIKE CHARLESTON, NORTH CAROLINA, WHERE YOU WOULD GO THROUGH AND IT WOULD BE PEOPLE FOR FARMERS MARKET SELLING ART AND OTHER THINGS YEAR ROUND. SO THAT IN ITSELF IS GOING TO BE AN ATTRACTION. SO IT'S GOING TO BRING PEOPLE DOWN INTO THE DOWNTOWN OLD TOWN AREA FOR SHOPPING. WE NEED THIS FOR VISITORS. AND WE'VE SPENT WITH THE RENOVATIONS THAT STARTED ON THE 40 CHANGE ORDERS PRIOR, THAT WAS BEFORE I WAS BACK WITH THE CITY. I MEAN, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ON THIS, AND TO GET THIS CLOSE AND NOT COMPLETE IT, I THINK THEN IT WOULD BE WRONG. SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU DO APPROVE THE MONEY TO COMPLETE I.

SO WE GET THIS CLOSE, BUT WE STILL DON'T HAVE A PROJECT MANAGER, AND YOU DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE OF THESE CHANGE ORDERS. WE'RE THIS CLOSE TO THE FINISH LINE. WE DON'T DUMP SOME MONEY INTO THIS THING. YEP. WE DON'T DUMP SOME MONEY INTO THIS THING, MAN. I'M WITH YOU. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IF YOU. WE HAVE PUT THIS MUCH MONEY INTO IT AND NOT COMPLETE IT IN MY OPINION, AS TOURISM IS UNDER MY DEPARTMENT WOULD BE A MISTAKE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO LET IT SIT THERE AND YOU SPENT PROBABLY OVER THE YEARS, WELL OVER 4 MILLION ON IT. BUT THE THING HAS BEEN SITTING THERE SINCE THEY SOLD THE LAST SLAVE FROM DOWN THAT AREA. I MEAN, IT'S BEEN SITTING FOR A LONG TIME. SO NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, I IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. BUT FOR THAT TO BE A VISITOR CENTER, IT'S TO ME IT'S KIND OF HIDDEN, DON'T YOU THINK.

I MEAN, WHEN A VISITOR CENTER YOU WOULD THINK WOULD BE SOMEWHERE, AS SOON AS PEOPLE COME INTO THE CITY. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER STORY. BUT LET'S GET TO THIS THING. I WOULD JUST SAY SO.

THE ONE THING THAT SHE DIDN'T MENTION THAT TIES IN HERE IS THE APPOMATTOX RIVER TRAIL AND THE FALL LINE TRAIL THAT'S COMING DOWN. YEAH, IT'LL ALL TIE IN. WHY? I BROUGHT HER UP HERE.

MARCH. I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S DOING. OKAY. I'M SORRY, I DID IT. WILL CONNECT WITH. BE OVER THERE KICKING HER UNDER THE TABLE. IT WILL CONNECT WITH THE FALL LINE TRAIL. ALL RIGHT. SO.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND LET'S LET'S PUSH IT, MAN. I LISTEN FOR SOMEBODY TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE WITH THESE GUYS, WITH THESE CHANGE ORDERS. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING MAN. I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANOTHER CHANGE ORDER. LOOK, WE COMPLETELY AGREE AND UNDERSTAND. I MEAN, IT'S BUT I ALSO KNOW WHEN YOU GO IN AND YOU FIND SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T MEET CODE, YOU KNOW, FROM A CODE PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIX IT, RIGHT? SO I AGREE WITH MISS WILLIAMS. WE HAVE

[04:20:04]

I CAN'T GUARANTEE YOU THERE WON'T BE, BUT WE'LL WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR VERY BEST. WE WILL GIVE YOU 90 DAYS. AND I'M NOT MISTAKEN, I THINK WE'RE IN A POSITION TO POTENTIALLY BE FINISHED IN MID JANUARY. CORRECT? CORRECT. WE GOT MID-JANUARY AS A COMPLETION DATE. CORRECT. OKAY. VICE MAYOR. SO I WILL ALWAYS WAS THE ONE THAT ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOCK DOWN ALL THIS OLD STUFF AND JUST PUT UP A PLAQUE AND SAY, THIS USED TO BE HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY AIN'T LIKE THAT BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KEEP THE HISTORY. AND I UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY THAT WE NEED WITH THIS. BUT BEING THAT WE ALREADY GOT THE MONEY AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. WE ALREADY GOT A MOTION SECOND TO APPROVE. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I'M PAYING ATTENTION. Y'ALL TALKING. MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. NO. NO. NO. YES. HI. MAYOR PERRY, A MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM 15 B, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER INTO AN INTERIM AGREEMENT WITH GILBANE BUILDING COMPANY FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW PETERSBURG COURTHOUSE, AS PER PPE GUIDELINES. AS ADOPTED BY CITY

[04:25:04]

LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PERRY. ABSTAIN. MR. MAYOR. YES. ONE QUICK THING.

BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT THING, MR. ART. MAN, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THE CLOCK FIXED DOWN IN OLD OLD TOWN? SINCE YOU GOT YOUR ENGINEER HERE. WE DISCUSSED THAT LAST WEEK AND WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING THAT DONE. WE'VE ASKED OUR. AND SO I'LL JUST. YEAH, WE DIDN'T APPLY. WE DID NOT SUBMIT FOR AN INSURANCE CLAIM OKAY. WHICH WE SHOULD HAVE. SO WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THAT NOW TO GET THE INSURANCE CLAIM. IF WE CAN HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE, WE'LL GET THE CLOCK UP AND THEN WE'LL JUST REPLENISH WITH THE INSURANCE FUND. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AND JUST FOR A POINT OF CLARITY, THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE, MISS BRITTANY FLOWERS, JUST TEXTED ME AND SAID THAT WE DO HAVE A VEGAN RESTAURANT THAT THAT FILLED OUT A BUSINESS LICENSE FOR SYCAMORE STREET. THANK YOU, MISS FLOWERS. APPRECIATE THAT. SHOUT OUT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT PARK. ONE OF THEM WAS IN. YES. WHAT WAS THE NAME OF ITEM 16? CITY MANAGER'S REPORT. REPORT. NO ITEMS THIS EVENING. MR. MAYOR. ARE WE GOOD? WE GOOD. NEXT BUSINESS OF REPORTS FROM THE CLERK, MISS HILL. NO REPORTS. BUSINESS REPORTS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, MR. WILLIAMS. NO REPORT. MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT, NEXT ITEM 19. ADJOURNMENT. ALL

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.