MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES OUR CLOSED SESSION. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. IT'S 
          [1. Roll Call]
          [00:00:07]
TIME FOR OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL MEETING AT THIS TIME IS HERE. WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          MYERS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. PRESENT. 
          VICE MAYOR. HILL. HERE. MAYOR. PERRY. HERE. SO YOU HAVE A QUORUM. NEXT, VICE MAYOR HILL WILL LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER. LET US PRAY. ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHER, AS ONCE AGAIN WE COME BEFORE YOU, LORD, GIVING YOUR NAME, HONOR, PRAISE, AND GLORY. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS OF TODAY. NOW, LORD, WE ASK THAT BLESSINGS UPON THIS MEETING, HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT IT MAY BE FRUITFUL TO THY NAME. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN OUR LIVES AS A CITY. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU CONTINUE TO BE WITH US AND STRENGTHEN US AND GUIDE US. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THY BLESSINGS UPON OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR EMS, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO ENCAMP YOUR ANGELS AROUND THEM. 
          DO THE SAME FOR OUR CITIZENS. HEAVENLY FATHER. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK FOR THY WISDOM TO BE SHOWN UPON THIS COUNCIL. HEAVENLY FATHER, LIKE YOU, GAVE SOLOMON. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK A SPECIAL BLESSING UPON OUR ADMINISTRATION WHO LEADS US. HEAVENLY FATHER, AND WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD CONTINUE TO BLESS ALL OF US. KEEP THE ENEMY AWAY. KEEP US FROM ALL HURT, HARM, AND DANGER. AND WE BE EVER CAREFUL TO GIVE YOUR NAME ALL THE HONOR, ALL THE PRAISE AND ALL THE GLORY. IT'S IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. NEXT IS ITEM THREE, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. 
          CAN EVERYONE PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF 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 FOUR, DETERMINATION OF PRESENCE 
          [4. Determination of the Presence of a Quorum]
          [5. Proclamations/Recognitions/Presentation of Ceremonial Proclamations]
OF A QUORUM. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. NEXT IS ITEM FIVE. PROCLAMATIONS. RECOGNITIONS OF CEREMONIAL PROCLAMATIONS. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM A, WHICH IS A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING CHAIR TAMMY ALEXANDER FOR OVER A DECADE OF SERVICE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION. AND THE PROCLAMATION STATES. WHEREAS TAMMY ALEXANDER WAS APPOINTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON MARCH 23RD, 2010, AND HAS SERVED WITH DEDICATION AND DISTINCTION FOR MORE THAN 14 YEARS, WITH MORE THAN FIVE YEARS AS CHAIR. AND WHEREAS TAMMY HAS DEMONSTRATED AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE GOALS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION, GUIDING AND SHAPING OUR COMMUNITY WITH BOTH WISDOM AND CARE. AND WHEREAS HER FELLOW PLANNING COMMISSIONERS HAVE NOTED TAMMY'S EXEMPLARY LEADERSHIP, PARTICULARLY HER SKILL IN RUNNING MEETINGS EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY AND SETTING A STANDARD FOR PROFESSIONALISM, PREPARATION AND RESPECTFUL DISCOURSE. AND WHEREAS TAMMY'S POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND STEADY HAND HAVE PROVIDED INVALUABLE SUPPORT AND STABILITY THROUGHOUT HER TENURE, SERVING AS A MODEL FOR CIVIC SERVICE. AND WHEREAS, TAMMY HAS EXEMPLIFIED INTEGRITY BY KNOWING WHEN TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND LEARN FROM MISTAKES, EMBODYING HUMILITY AND COMMITMENT TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE COMMISSION'S WORK. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED THAT THE CITY OF PETERSBURG CITY COUNCIL FORMALLY RECOGNIZE AND EXTEND THEIR DEEPEST APPRECIATION TO TAMMY ALEXANDER FOR HER EXEMPLARY SERVICE, LEADERSHIP, AND DEDICATION TO THE COMMUNITY. BE IT FURTHER PROCLAIMED THAT TAMMY'S LEGACY OF SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO INSPIRE FUTURE COMMISSIONERS, SETTING A HIGH STANDARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY'S WELL-BEING. NOW, THEREFORE, I, MAYOR SAMUEL PARHAM, ON BEHALF OF THE PETERSBURG CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE TAMMY ALEXANDER IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, AND WITNESS WHEREOF I HAVE HEREUNTO SET MY HAND AND CAUSED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO BE AFFIXED TO THE 17TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2024. MISS TAMMY ALEXANDER, SHE'S HERE TODAY. HEY, TAMMY. GOOD MORNING. COME ON. 
          COME ON. OH, I'LL COME TO YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          EVERYBODY GO. COME ON TO HIM. COME ON. COME ON. RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE. RIGHT HERE. RIGHT HERE. OH. THANK YOU. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MICHAEL. I CAN STAY 
          [00:05:15]
DOWN HERE. HEY, Y'ALL. MARLO. DOCTOR. NEXT IS ITEM B, PROCLAMATION IN MEMORY OF CURTIS LYONS. WHEREAS THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, MOURNS THE PASSING OF A BELOVED SON, CURTIS LYONS, WHOSE REMARKABLE JOURNEY THROUGH LIFE TOUCHED COUNTLESS HEARTS AND LEFT AN INDELIBLE MARK ON OUR COMMUNITY. WHEREAS CURTIS WAS A MAN OF DEEP ROOTS IN PETERSBURG, A PLACE HE CHERISHED AND PROUDLY CALLED HOME, WHILE ALSO LEAVING A LEGACY THAT REACHED ALL THE WAY TO HOLLYWOOD, INSPIRING THOSE WHO DREAMED OF GREATNESS. AND WHEREAS, THROUGH HIS UNWAVERING WILLPOWER AND DETERMINATION, CURTIS SET A BLUEPRINT FOR SUCCESS, DEMONSTRATING THAT WITH CHOICE AND COMMITMENT, ANYONE CAN ACHIEVE THEIR DREAMS. AND WHEREAS HE EMBODIED THE SPIRIT OF LOVE AND GENEROSITY, ALWAYS PUTTING FAMILY AND FRIENDS FIRST, AND HIS UNSELFISH NATURE SERVED AS A BEACON OF HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT FOR ALL WHO KNEW HIM. AND WHEREAS CURTIS INFECTIOUS SPIRIT, KINDNESS AND UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR HIS LOVED ONES WILL FOREVER BE ETCHED IN OUR HEARTS, REMINDING US OF THE PROFOUND IMPACT ONE INDIVIDUAL CAN HAVE ON THE LIVES OF MANY. AND WHEREAS, AS WE GATHER TO CELEBRATE HIS LIFE, LET US HONOR HIS MEMORY BY EMBRACING HIS LEGACY OF LOVE, RESILIENCE, AND BELIEF THAT WE ALL HAVE THE POWER TO CHOOSE GREATNESS IN OUR OWN LIVES. NOW, THEREFORE, I, THE HONORABLE SAMUEL PARHAM, ALONG WITH COUNCILMAN MARLO JONES AND THE ENTIRE CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THIS DAY IN MEMORY OF CURTIS LYONS, A TRUE PILLAR OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE SEND OUR LOVE AND SUPPORT TO HIS FAMILY DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME, URGING ALL CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG TO JOIN IN HONORING HIS LIFE AND THE VALUES HE REPRESENTED. MAY WE CARRY FORWARD HIS SPIRIT OF LOVE AND DETERMINATION, ENSURING THAT HIS LEGACY CONTINUES TO INSPIRE FUTURE GENERATIONS. SIGNED DECEMBER 17TH, 2024 BY MYSELF AND THE CLERK OF COUNCIL, MISS TANGIE HILL. IS ANYBODY HERE FROM CURTIS FAMILY? CURTIS. LYONS? YES. COME FORWARD PLEASE. 
          HOW YOU DOING? OKAY. CAN YOU DO. ALL OF THAT? LET'S SEE. I NEED YOU TO KNOW. I DON'T HAVE ANY. WELL. GOOD MORNING. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR. NEXT IS ITEM C PROCLAMATION IN MEMORY OF MR. HOWARD AND MRS. PATRICIA FITZGERALD. WHEREAS WE GATHER TO HONOR THE CHERISHED MEMORIES OF MR. HOWARD AND MRS. PATRICIA FITZGERALD, SENIOR, LONGTIME RESIDENTS OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, WHO GRACED OUR COMMUNITY WITH THEIR PRESENCE IN WARD ONE AND WARD TWO. WHEREAS THEIR UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO THE BETTERMENT OF PETERSBURG WAS A TESTAMENT TO THEIR CHARACTER AS THEY SELFLESSLY WORKED TO UPLIFT THOSE AROUND THEM, INSPIRING COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THEIR ACTS OF KINDNESS AND SERVICE. WHEREAS, AS BELOVED MEMBERS OF THE BERKELEY MANOR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEY FOSTERED A SPIRIT OF UNITY AND COMPASSION, TURNING THEIR HOME INTO A HAVEN OF SUPPORT AND FRIENDSHIP WHERE ALL WERE WELCOME. AND WHEREAS, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY NO LONGER WALK AMONG US, THE LEGACY OF MR. AND MRS. FITZGERALD LIVES ON IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE THEY TOUCH, REMINDING US OF THE POWER OF COMMUNITY, LOVE AND PERSEVERANCE. NOW, THEREFORE, I, THE HONORABLE MAYOR SAMUEL PARHAM, ALONG WITH THE VICE MAYOR DARREN HILL, COUNCILMAN MARLO JONES, AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY 
          [00:10:03]
PROCLAIM THIS DAY IN LOVING MEMORY OF MR. HOWARD AND MISS PATRICIA FITZGERALD SENIOR. WE HONOR THEIR REMARKABLE LIVES AND THE PROFOUND IMPACT THEY HAD ON OUR CITY. LET US CARRY FORWARD THEIR SPIRIT OF SERVICE AND COMMITMENT TO MAKING PETERSBURG A BRIGHTER PLACE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I HAVE SEAL OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO BE AFFIXED TO THE 17TH DAY OF SEPTEMBER. OF DECEMBER 2024, SIGNED BY MYSELF AND THE CLERK OF COUNCIL, MISS TANGIE HILL, AS THE FITZGERALD FAMILY IN ATTENDANCE TODAY. YES. COME FORWARD. YES. YES. 
          GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. 
          AND. ONE MORE, ONE MORE. NEXT IS ITEM D, PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FOR THE PETERSBURG CHAPTER OF THE LINKS AND THE PETERSBURG CHAPTER OF THE LINKS INCORPORATED. WE JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THEM FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING SERVICE AND THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO THE MANY ORGANIZATIONS IN PETERSBURG. WHETHER IT'S THE HOPE CENTER, THE PETERSBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THE PETERSBURG HEALTH DEPARTMENT, THE PETERSBURG PUBLIC LIBRARY, MAKING A DIFFERENCE IS WHAT MATTERS. AND WE'RE AWARDING THIS ON THE 17TH DAY TO THE PETERSBURG CHAPTER OF THE LINKS AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE LINKS. CAN YOU PLEASE STAND, PLEASE, SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE YOU AND ALL YOUR EFFORTS? WE THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU. TONIGHT. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IT? HI, HOW ARE YOU? THANK YOU. COME ON, LADY, I KNOW. YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO. BE. COME ON, COME ON, COME ON, COME. IN. 
          WE'LL BE. WE'LL BE COMING FROM ALMOST AN ANGLE. WE GO IN THE FRONT. I SEE THREE HANDS. 
          PERFECT. OKAY. THANK YOU. MICROPHONE. MICROPHONE. PRESIDENT. PRESIDENT KIM, WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS? PRESIDENT. YEAH. RIGHT HERE. YES. OKAY. THANKS. I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS HONOR. IT'S TRULY OUR PLEASURE TO CONTINUE TO COMMIT OUR SERVICE TO THE WONDERFUL CITY OF PETERSBURG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OKAY, CAN WE GO BACK TO. THE. ALLOW ME TO. HEY, HENRY, HOW ARE YOU? I'M FINE. 
          [6. Presentations]
NEXT IS ITEM SIX. PRESENTATIONS. ITEM SIX A. IT WAS A PRESENTATION BY CRISTA DONAHUE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF. READ TO THEM. GOOD EVENING, MISS DONAHUE. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TONIGHT. MY NAME IS CRISTA DONAHUE. I'M THE 
          [00:15:04]
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION CALLED READ TO THEM. THERE ARE A LOT OF SLIDES UP HERE. I AM NOT GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ALL OF THEM, BUT THEY'RE THERE. IF YOU WANT SOME MORE INFORMATION TO DIG INTO. BUT WHAT I DO WANT TO TELL YOU IS ABOUT THE NONPROFIT THAT I'M WITH CALLED READ TO THEM. WE CAN SKIP THIS SLIDE. AND THIS TELLS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION. SO WE CELEBRATED OUR 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY THIS YEAR. AND WE SPENT THE LAST 20 YEARS DEVELOPING LITERACY PROGRAMS FOR KIDS. THIS TELLS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF OUR PRIMARY PROGRAMS THAT WE DO. WE HAVE GOTTEN OVER 2 MILLION BOOKS INTO THE HANDS OF KIDS IN THOSE LAST 20 YEARS. WE'VE PARTNERED WITH SCHOOLS TO DO A LOT OF THAT, AND WE DO THAT WITH SCHOOLS ACROSS ALL 50 STATES. BUT WE'RE HEADQUARTERED IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND. SO YOU CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE. SKIP THIS, SKIP THE NEXT ONE. STOP HERE. SO IN THE SUMMER OF 2023, WE LAUNCHED A PROGRAM IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND CALLED DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY. AND SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THIS PROGRAM. IT'S A NATIONAL PROGRAM THAT WAS STARTED BY THE DOLLY PARTON FOUNDATION. AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO GET BOOKS INTO THE HANDS OF KIDS. DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY PARTNERS WITH A LOCAL ORGANIZATION TO BRING THIS PROGRAM TO ANY GIVEN COMMUNITY. SO WE LAUNCHED THIS IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND LAST SUMMER, AND WE JUST LAUNCHED HERE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG ON DECEMBER 1ST OF THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS WHAT THIS PROGRAM IS ABOUT, SO THAT YOU KNOW THAT IT'S HERE AND CAN HELP SPREAD THE WORD. SO DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY PROVIDES FREE, BRAND NEW, AGE APPROPRIATE BOOKS TO ANY CHILD BETWEEN THE AGES OF ZERO AND FIVE. SO WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND SINCE LAST SUMMER, AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT 4000 KIDS REGISTERED IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND. WE LAUNCHED IN PETERSBURG ON DECEMBER 1ST, AND WE HAVE 100 KIDS REGISTERED FOR THIS PROGRAM ALREADY. THOSE CHILDREN WILL START RECEIVING FREE, AGE APPROPRIATE BOOKS IN THE MAIL, A BOOK EVERY SINGLE MONTH UNTIL THE CHILD TURNS FIVE YEARS OLD. AND THIS DOES SO MUCH TO HELP PREPARE THAT CHILD FOR KINDERGARTEN. IT GIVES THEM ACCESS TO THESE BOOKS, ACCESS TO BONDING TIME WITH THEIR CAREGIVERS TO BE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND READ THESE BOOKS. THE BOOK COMES TO THE CHILD'S HOME WITH THE CHILD'S NAME ON THE BOOK, AND BY THE TIME THAT TIME THE CHILD IS FIVE, THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THIS BOOK IS COMING. THEY GET EXCITED ABOUT IT. THEY SEE THEIR NAME ON SOMETHING THAT CAME IN THEIR MAILBOX. IT'S JUST REALLY HELPS TO BUILD A LOVE OF READING. SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED THAT IT'S HERE. THE ONLY ELIGIBILITY FOR REGISTERING FOR THE PROGRAM IS THAT THERE'S A CHILD THAT LIVES WITHIN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, AND THEY'RE BETWEEN THE AGES OF ZERO AND FIVE AND GO ONLINE, REGISTER THE CHILD AND THE CHILD WILL START RECEIVING FREE BOOKS IN THE MAIL. SO YOU CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THIS SLIDE TELLS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS. AND SO YOU GUYS CAN LOOK THROUGH THAT AND SEE WHAT THE ROLES FOR OUR ORGANIZATION ARE, VERSUS THE ROLES OF THE DOLLY PARTON FOUNDATION. THEY CHOOSE THE BOOKS. THEY PARTNER WITH THE PUBLISHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BOOKS GET DELIVERED TO THE HOUSES. WHAT WE DO AS AN ORGANIZATION IS GET THE WORD OUT. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE AS BOOTS ON THE GROUND. AND THAT'S HOW I'M HOPING THAT YOU GUYS CAN GET EXCITED ABOUT HELPING TO SPREAD THE WORD. WE WANT EVERY ELIGIBLE CHILD IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS PROGRAM. SO YOU CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE. THESE ARE SOME OF THE PARTNERS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH. WE'VE DONE A COUPLE OF MEETINGS PRIOR TO LAUNCHING THE PROGRAM TO JUST HELP GET SUPPORT. AND THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT HAVE GOTTEN THE CHILDREN, THE CHILDREN REGISTERED ALREADY. SO WE'RE REALLY THANKFUL TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS. AND IF THERE ARE OTHERS THAT WE SHOULD PARTNER WITH, WE'D LOVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT. AND YOU CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE. THIS IS WAYS THAT YOU GUYS CAN HELP. HELP SPREAD THE WORD. HELP GET FAMILIES REGISTERED. HELP US TO GET THOSE BOOKS INTO THE HANDS OF KIDS. WE ALSO ARE. OTHER RESPONSIBILITY IS TO RAISE THE FUNDS THAT ALLOW THOSE BOOKS TO BE FREE FOR THOSE FAMILIES. SO WE'RE WORKING HARD ON DOING THAT, AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO LOTS OF SUPPORT FROM DONORS AND SPONSORS AS WE TRY TO REGISTER ALL OF THE ROUGHLY 2500 KIDS THAT ARE LIVING IN THE CITY OF RICHMOND OR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THIS PROGRAM. SO IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM. AND MY INFORMATION IS IN HERE AS WELL. SO IF YOU THINK OF THINGS LATER, JUST REACH OUT. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, MISS DONAHUE. AND ALL YOU DO WITH READ TO THEM. QUESTION ON COUNCILMAN CUTLER FROM THE QUESTION. NO. OKAY, OKAY, SCOTT. ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM SIX B WHICH IS PRESENTATION OF 2024 
          [00:20:06]
ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORT BY ROBERTSON FARMER AND COX. AND I'M MR. CITY MANAGER EXPLAINED UP TONIGHT. YES, SIR. MISTER MAYOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND THOSE IN ATTENDANCE. WE WILL BE POSTPONING THE PRESENTATION UNTIL JANUARY. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TIMING. WE. THE AUDIT IS STILL SCHEDULED TO BE SUBMITTED ON TIME. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR AUDITORS HAS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY IN THE FAMILY THAT PREVENTS HIM FROM BEING HERE THIS EVENING. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE MOVING THE PRESENTATION TO JANUARY. BUT THE AUDIT IS STILL ON TRACK TO BE SUBMITTED ON TIME BY DECEMBER 31ST, AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO THIS PRESENTATION, WE'LL HAVE IT IN JANUARY, POSSIBLY AT THE. YES, SIR. I'M HOPING THE WORK SESSION. WE'LL DO IT. THE WORK SESSION. YES OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL MOVE THAT TO THE WORK SESSION IN JANUARY. AND IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT. IT'LL BE ON TIME AND FILED BY DECEMBER 31ST THIS YEAR. ABSOLUTELY. WHICH IS GREAT. YEAH. IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE, BUT I AND UNDERSTANDING THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND WHY MR. FOLEY WANTS TO BE WITH HIS FAMILY RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT. ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'LL KEEP HIS FAMILY IN OUR PRAYERS. NEXT ITEM, SEVEN RESPONSES TO THE PREVIOUS PUBLIC INFORMATION POSTED UNDER COUNCIL 
          [8. Approval of Consent Agenda (to include minutes of previous meetings):]
COMMUNICATES. ITEM EIGHT, WHICH IS APPROVED THE CONSENT AGENDA. ITEM EIGHT MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS NOVEMBER 19TH, 2024 CLOSED SESSION B ADOPTION OF THE 2025 PETERSBURG CITY COUNCIL MEETING CALENDAR. C APPOINTMENT OF CAPTAIN PRIOR TO THE CAPITAL AREAS COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS. VICE MAYOR HILL, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS STATED. 
          COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK SECOND, MR. MAYOR. ALRIGHT, A QUESTION, COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT. I'D LIKE TO REMOVE THIS APPOINTMENT OF CAPTAIN PRIOR. THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU. COUNCILMAN COPELAND. TO THE MICROPHONE. THIS GREEN LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME. I DON'T KNOW. PULL YOUR MIC DOWN. OKAY. 
          I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS FURTHER THIS ITEM EIGHT C AND WONDER IF WE COULD REMOVE THAT TO FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND TALK ABOUT IT WHEN WE GET TO ITEM 12. OKAY, SO THAT'S A. MOTION TO WE'LL MOVE THAT. I CAN DO THAT AS A MOTION. OR I CAN ASK VICE MAYOR HILL IF, IF WILL YOU AMEND YOUR MOTION TO MOVE ITEM EIGHT C TO ITEM 12 UNDER ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. VICE MAYOR HILL. 
          YES. SO MOVED. ALL. AND COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. SECOND. SECOND. ALRIGHT. MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. A MEMBER MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. 
          [9. Official Public Hearings]
MAYOR. PERRY. AYE. NEXT, WE HAVE ITEM NINE, OFFICIAL PUBLIC HEARINGS. ITEM A, A PUBLIC HEARING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE RE-ADOPT. ARTICLE THREE DEFINITIONS. ARTICLE 14 B1 SHOPPING CENTER DISTRICT REGULATIONS AND ARTICLE 23 SUPPLEMENTARY USE REGULATIONS. 
          SPECIAL USES AS SET FORTH IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PERTAINING TO GATHERING AND EVENT USES, INCLUDING NIGHTCLUBS. MISS MOCK. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. 
          MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL. NAOMI SIODMAK, THE PLANNING DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. SO I'LL START WITH THIS ITEM TODAY TALKING ABOUT GATHERING AN EVENT. USES INCLUDING NIGHTCLUBS AND A PROPOSED ZONING AMENDMENT. WE'RE SUGGESTING. SO THE BACKGROUND. 
          WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHILE NOW AND HAVE DETERMINED THAT CLARIFICATION IS NEEDED ON SOME OF THE DEFINITIONS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY ZONING ORDINANCE RELATED TO EVENTS AND GATHERING SPACES. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING DISCUSSION WITH PLANNING COMMISSION SINCE MAY, BUT WAY BEFORE THAT WITH STAFF AND OTHERS. AS AN OVERVIEW, WE'RE LOOKING TO INTRODUCE SOME ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS RELATED TO GATHERING ENTERTAINMENT AND EVENTS. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO SPECIFY WHEN A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS NEEDED, SO THAT ADDITIONAL REVIEW BY PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL THAT ALLOWS US TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD CONDITIONS TO A PROJECT, AND THEN ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME STANDARDS SPECIFIC TO NIGHTCLUB USES THAT WE'D LIKE TO ADD. SO SOME DEFINITIONS ARE GOING UNCHANGED. WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH MULTIPLE PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE CITY ATTORNEY, TO IDENTIFY HOW WE SHOULD MODIFY DEFINITIONS OR HOW WE SHOULD NOT. SO THIS NIGHTCLUB DEFINITION IS EXISTING. AND WHAT WAS MADE FOR THIS DETERMINATION IS WHY IT SHOULD STAY. THE SAME IS WHEN YOU CHANGE A DEFINITION PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT STAGES. SO A USE THAT IS A CURRENT NIGHTCLUB COULD BECOME NONCONFORMING, ALLOWED TO OPERATE, BUT NOT 
          [00:25:04]
SUBJECT TO THE NEW DEFINITION. WHAT WE IDENTIFIED AS BEST FOR THIS PROCESS WAS TO KEEP THIS DEFINITION AND LOOK AT SOME OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT STANDARDS THAT WE CAN REQUIRE OF NEW NIGHTCLUBS, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. THAT DEFINITION IS STAYING THE SAME AS WELL. NEW AND AMENDED DEFINITIONS. WE ADDED DEFINITIONS SUCH AS BANQUET HALLS. AMENDED THE DEFINITION OF RESTAURANT. ADDED LOUNGE OR BAR. WHAT WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH IS REALLY WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN FOR A BUSINESS LICENSE, WE ARE SEEING PEOPLE APPLY. THEY'RE EITHER A RESTAURANT OR A NIGHTCLUB. WE KIND OF DON'T HAVE THAT IN BETWEEN. SO HOW AS WE GET MORE DIVERSE USES OF PEOPLE TRYING TO HAVE EVENT FACILITIES, AS PEOPLE TRY AND HAVE JUST A LOCATION FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE A DRINK. HOW ARE WE IDENTIFYING THESE AND REGULATING THESE? ALSO LOOKING AT DEFINITIONS LIKE A COMMUNITY CLUB, SOMETHING THAT MAY BE A MORE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DOES, VERSUS A PRIVATE CLUB WHERE IT MIGHT BE A FORMAL SOCIAL ORGANIZATION WITH A MEMBERSHIP, HOW THOSE ARE REGULATED AND DEFINED. SO HERE YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE STANDARDS FOR A NIGHTCLUB THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO AMEND KEEPING THE DEFINITION. BUT NIGHTCLUBS CURRENTLY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. AGAIN, THAT ADDITIONAL REVIEW BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL BEFORE APPROVAL IS COMPLETED. NIGHTCLUBS ARE ALLOWED IN B2, B3 AND M-1, AND THESE ARE SOME OF THE PROPOSALS THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING FOR A ORIGINALLY IT SAID NOT TO SERVE FOOD OR BEVERAGE BETWEEN 2 A.M. AND SIX. WE JUST CLARIFIED NOT TO SERVE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES DURING THAT TIME. WE ALSO GOT RID OF THAT ITEM F, WHICH NOTES THE AREA DEVOTED TO THE DANCE FLOOR SHOULD NOT EXCEED 250FT■S, OR 10%. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO INSTEAD IS HAVE SOMEONE COME UP WITH A MANAGEMENT PROGRAM WHERE THEY SHARE WITH US THE STAFFING LEVELS, THE FLOOR PLAN, AND THE TOTAL OCCUPANT LOAD. SO WE GET A BETTER PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING FOR THEIR NIGHTCLUB, ALSO PROPOSING THAT THEY HAVE A SECURITY PLAN THAT'S PROVIDED WHAT KIND OF LICENSED PERSONNEL WILL BE ON STAFF TO MANAGE CROWD CONTROL, CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND OTHER PROCEDURES AS WELL TO ENSURE CROWD MANAGEMENT AND STAFFING LEVELS FOR SECURITY? SO WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE SOME WE'RE HEARING SOME CONCERNS ABOUT NOISE. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE APPROVED AS NIGHTCLUBS HAVE TO MEET SOME SOUNDPROOFING MEASURES THAT MAKE IT SO NOISE WITHIN THE ESTABLISHMENT IS NOT AUDIBLE BEHIND BEYOND THE PROPERTY LINE WHEN THE DOORS ARE CLOSED, AND ALSO ADDING A REQUIREMENT THAT ANY SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR A NIGHTCLUB ESTABLISHMENT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO REREVIEW. AFTER A TWO YEAR COMPLIANCE PERIOD. SO YOU CAN SEE AND I TALKED THROUGH THESE AS WELL, SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT YOU'VE SEEN. WE CLARIFIED THE HOURS OF OPERATION AND ABILITY TO SERVE FOOD AND BEVERAGE. THE DANCE FLOOR MAXIMUM WAS REMOVED. THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT FOR LOUDSPEAKERS OR INSTRUMENTS TO CEASE PRIOR TO THE CLOSING OF THE ESTABLISHMENT. EVENT USES OTHER THAN NIGHTCLUBS WILL BE ALLOWED BY RIGHT. SO THOSE WHETHER IT'S AN EVENT FACILITY OR A COMMUNITY CLUB, THOSE WOULD BE ALLOWED BY RIGHT IN B1, B2 AND B3 ARE COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS AS WELL AS OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONSIDERATIONS. WE ALWAYS LIKE TO SHARE WHAT'S IN OUR VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY. SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO GATHER ARE IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS NOTED IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND ENTERTAINMENT USES ARE SOME OF THE MOST DESIRED THAT WE SEE IN NONRESIDENTIAL USES IN THE CITY. THESE USES ARE KEY TO SOME OF OUR DIFFERENT LAND USES THAT WE'RE PROPOSING. COMMUNITY, MIXED USE, CORRIDOR, COMMERCIAL AND SERVE BOTH RESIDENTS AS WELL AS VISITORS. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOSTERING THESE, BUT HAVING AN ORDINANCE THAT'S CLEAR FOR REGULATING THESE ON WHERE AND HOW THEY'RE APPROPRIATE. RECOMMENDATION STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL AS WELL. AND HERE IS A SAMPLE MOTION TO APPROVE, DENY OR AMEND THIS PROPOSED TEXT AMENDMENT. IF YOU'RE DENYING, PLEASE STATE A REASON WHY. IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO AMEND, JUST SAY I MOVE THAT WE AMEND AND PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING AMENDMENT. I WILL SAY THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONVERSATION OF MAYBE PUTTING THIS ON HOLD IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE NOISE ORDINANCE. AT THE SAME TIME, THOUGH, THEY CAN BE RELATED, THIS WILL REALLY HELP PLANNING AND ZONING REGULATE THESE USES NOW. AND WHILE WE'RE REGULATING THESE NOW, WHILE WE HAVE MORE USES TO CHOOSE FROM, WE CAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT NOISE ON A CITY LEVEL IN THE FUTURE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU MISS. SO I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND TO ADOPT ARTICLE THREE DEFINITIONS. ARTICLE 14 B1 SHOPPING CENTER DISTRICT REGULATIONS AND ARTICLE 23 SUPPLEMENTARY USE REGULATIONS. SPECIAL USES AS SET FORTH IN ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PERTAINING TO GATHERING AND EVENT USES, 
          [00:30:01]
INCLUDING NIGHTCLUBS. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO HANDS FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING, PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AS NAOMI, I GO WITH MY LAST THING I WROTE. FIRST, I HEARD YOU SAY REGULATE NOW. 
          REGULATE NOW. I HEARD YOU SAY THAT MULTIPLE TIMES. ARE YOU HAVING ANY PROBLEMS? ARE WE HAVING ANY PROBLEMS TO WHERE WE GOT TO REGULATE NOW? I MEAN, THIS SEEMS LIKE A SENSE OF URGENCY. SURE. THIS HAS BEEN A DISCUSSION AND I'VE SEEN IT IN PREVIOUS TEXT AMENDMENTS FROM BEFORE. I WAS HERE TO ADDRESS NIGHTCLUBS. I THINK THE BIGGEST CONCERN WE'VE HEARD IS NOISE. 
          BUT LOOKING FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE, OUR ISSUE IS A LACK OF CLARITY. SO AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING A GREATER DIVERSITY OF USES BEING PROPOSED THAT AREN'T A NIGHTCLUB AND AREN'T A RESTAURANT. HOW DO WE CLASSIFY THOSE, FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY CAN BE LOCATED IN THE CITY AND HOW THEY'RE APPROPRIATE. SO THAT'S REALLY THE BIGGEST ITEM FROM A ZONING STANDPOINT. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE STANDARDS WE'RE PROPOSING FOR A NIGHTCLUB AS WELL. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY NEW NIGHTCLUBS THAT COME TO THE CITY DO HAVE A SAFETY MANAGEMENT PLAN, DO ACCOMMODATE CONCERNS WITH NOISE BY HAVING MITIGATION INSTALLED. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO ADDRESS CONCERNS, NEW CONCERNS BEFORE THEY ARISE. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NIGHTCLUBS, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON NIGHTCLUBS. YOU SAID THE MAIN CONCERN WAS NOISE. WELL, I HAVE YET TO SEE A QUIET NIGHTCLUB ANYWHERE, YOU KNOW, SO I DON'T SEE HOW THAT CONCERN FITS IN WITH A NIGHTCLUB BECAUSE IT'S NOISE IN A NIGHTCLUB, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S PEOPLE OR MUSIC. AND MY NEXT QUESTION IS BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW OF ANY, BUT DO WE HAVE ANY NIGHTCLUBS IN THIS CITY? I DO HAVE A LIST. LET ME PULL THAT UP. BUT I WILL SAY REGARDING NOISE REQUIRING THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT, DETAILING THE STANDARDS REQUIRED AND HAVING THAT PROCESS ALSO CLARIFYING ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS HELPS US BETTER IDENTIFY WHAT'S A NIGHTCLUB AND WHAT'S NOT A NIGHTCLUB. SO WE CAN BETTER COME BEFORE YOU ALL FOR THAT SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR APPROVAL, I WILL TAKE A LOOK. 
          WHEN IT COMES TO NIGHTCLUBS, I THINK WE HAVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THE CIVIC CENTER TO HAVE A NIGHTCLUB. THAT CIVIC CENTER HAS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR THAT. I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY SPECIAL USE PERMIT I'M AWARE OF. NOW, I WILL SAY THERE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT MAY BE OPERATING CLOSE TO A NIGHTCLUB, BUT WE'RE APPROVED AS A RESTAURANT. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT THOSE. AND IF THEY ARE VIOLATING THE ZONING DEFINITION OF A RESTAURANT, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH REQUIRING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR REQUIRING THEM TO COMPLY WITH THE DEFINITION. SO I UNDERSTAND THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. I UNDERSTAND THAT PART. BUT IN RESPECTS TO THE CIVIC CENTER, THEY DON'T OPERATE AS SUCH ON A DAILY BASIS. CORRECT. IT'S ONLY WHEN PEOPLE RENT IT OUT OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO I DON'T THINK I THINK A NIGHTCLUB IS SOMEWHERE LIKE WE USED TO HAVE THE COPPER MINE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH WAS EVERY WEEKEND. THE CIVIC CENTER IS NOT SOMETHING THAT OPERATES LIKE THAT EVERY WEEKEND. AND THERE'S OTHER PLACES HERE THAT DON'T OPERATE LIKE THAT EVERY WEEKEND. IT'S JUST EVERY SO OFTEN. SO WE CAN'T SAY THAT THEY ARE NIGHTCLUB SPECIAL USE PERMIT OR NOT. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID. MY NEXT QUESTION IS AT 2 A.M. TO 6 P.M. I MEAN, 6 A.M. WHERE WHERE DID THAT TIME FRAME COME FROM ABOUT THE ALCOHOL? I BELIEVE THOSE ARE THE HOURS AT WHICH SOMEONE CAN SERVE ALCOHOL. I'M. IS THAT IS THAT EQUAL TO WHAT ABC ALLOWED? BECAUSE. 2 A.M. IS THE LIMITATION ON WHICH THEY CAN SELL IT. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE 6:00, BUT I KNOW 2 A.M. THEY HAVE TO STOP SELLING IT. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. ALL RIGHT. NEXT QUESTION. HAVE WE TALKED TO ANY OF THE OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS OR SO-CALLED NIGHTCLUBS TO SEE HOW THIS WOULD AFFECT THEM? FORTUNATELY, WE DID HAVE A WARD MEETING RECENTLY, AND SOME PEOPLE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IMPACTED DID ATTEND THAT MEETING AND HEARD A PRESENTATION ON THIS NIGHTCLUB. SOME WERE MADE CLEAR THAT IF THEY ARE OPERATING. SO WE HAVE AN OLD NIGHTCLUB DEFINITION. SOME SOME PEOPLE ARE GRANDFATHERED IN PER THAT OLD NIGHTCLUB. AND THAT DEFINITION WAS THE DEFINITION OF RESTAURANT. THAT SAID, IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN 250FT■S OF DANCE FLOOR, YOU'RE STILL A RESTAURANT. SO WE DO HAVE PEOPLE KIND OF GRANDFATHERED IN, PER THAT OLD DEFINITION THAT WE MIGHT SEE AS A NIGHTCLUB PER THIS. BUT SINCE THEY'VE BEEN OPERATING MEETING THAT DEFINITION, THEY CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE UNDER THOSE REQUIREMENTS. ALL RIGHT. SO MY LAST QUESTION, YOU SAID LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. SO ANYBODY THAT 
          [00:35:04]
HAS LIVE ENTERTAINMENT WILL BE CONSIDERED A NIGHTCLUB. NO, IT IS LIVE ENTERTAINMENT OPEN PAST 11 SERVING ALCOHOL AND DANCING. YOU HAVE TO MEET ALL THOSE THINGS. OKAY. I DIDN'T SEE THE ENDS AND THE ENDS AND THE ENDS OR THE COMMENTS OR ANYTHING. SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING. SURE. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S ALL I GOT, MR. MAYOR. OKAY. VICE MAYOR HILL. YES. THANK YOU, MISS NAOMI. SO I GUESS THE STICKING PART IS WHEN YOU HAVE RESTAURANTS WHO STAY OPEN PAST 11, WHO TURN INTO, LIKE, NIGHTCLUBS SOMEWHAT. SO I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THAT RIGHT NOW. SO IS THE MAIN PROBLEM IS, IS IT THEM BEING A CLUB OR A RESTAURANT OR BOTH? IS THAT THE MAIN? SURE. I GUESS THE MAIN CONCERN IS MAKING SURE THEY'RE MEETING THESE STANDARDS THAT WE'RE ESTABLISHING NOISE REGULATIONS, SAFETY MANAGEMENT PLAN, IF THEY'RE OPERATING AT ANY TIME AS A NIGHTCLUB. SO IF IT'S A RESTAURANT DURING THE DAY AFTER 11, THEY MEET THOSE CRITERIA THAT I SHARED. THEY SHOULD BE OBTAINING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. AND WE DO HAVE, AS I MENTIONED, BUSINESSES WE'RE INVESTIGATING THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED AS A RESTAURANT BUT MAY BE OPERATING IN A CAPACITY AS A NIGHTCLUB. SO TELL ME THIS IF I'M ARRESTED, SAY I'M A RESTAURANT AND I HAVE A RESTAURANT, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN AT 11:00, IT TURNS INTO, LIKE, A NIGHTCLUB. AS A RESTAURANT, CAN I CHARGE AT THE DOOR? I MEAN, AS A. YEAH, AS A RESTAURANT. CAN I CHARGE YOU AT THE DOOR BECAUSE I'M A NIGHTCLUB NOW? OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME IN FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IF THEY'RE MEETING. OUR NIGHTCLUB DEFINITION IS THAT EVERY TIME WHEN THEY DO IT, OR IS THAT JUST THAT ONE TIME? OKAY. SO THAT DOESN'T IMPEDE. YEAH. SO THAT DOESN'T IMPEDE. BUT ANYONE WHO LET'S SAY LIKE A BANQUET FACILITY AND SOMEONE IS RENTING IT OUT, THEY GET A THEY GET A USE PERMIT FOR THAT PARTICULAR DAY. AS SUCH, WE'RE CREATING AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT DEFINITION FOR EVENT FACILITIES AND BANQUET HALLS. SO THEY'RE NOT BLURRED WITH WHAT A NIGHTCLUB IS. SO WE ARE CLARIFYING THAT THAT SHOULDN'T BE RENTED OUT FOR LIKE A DAY PARTY. THAT SHOULD BE PRIVATE EVENTS, WEDDINGS, BANQUET HALLS AND SO FORTH. THAT IS WHAT AN EVENT FACILITY IS. AND IF YOU MEET THAT DEFINITION, YOU'RE ALLOWED BY RIGHT. IN CERTAIN DISTRICTS. THE ONLY THING WITH THAT IS A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS RENT OUT FACILITIES TO RAISE MONEY TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY. SO I WANT US TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT. 
          A LOT OF FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES, THEY'RE THEY'RE HAVING A PARTY AND SELL TICKETS OR DONATIONS, RATHER. AND THEN THAT SAME MONEY WILL GO BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY STAFF TO PAY ANYONE. SO WE GOT TO BE CAREFUL HOW THE WAY WE WORD THAT, SO THAT IF THEY CAN, THEY CAN HAVE THOSE, THOSE SPECIAL EVENTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT. SO OF COURSE, SO TELL ME ABOUT THE DANCE SPACE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE PROBLEM IS OR NOT THE PROBLEM. BUT THE ISSUE IS, IS THE DANCE SPACE BEING A RESTAURANT? EXPLAIN THAT AGAIN. 
          I SEE IT UP THERE. SURE. WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT THEN IS A PREVIOUS DEFINITION OF NIGHTCLUB THAT GAVE AN EXCEPTION TO IF YOU HAD A DANCE FLOOR LESS THAN A CERTAIN SQUARE FOOTAGE, YOU'RE STILL CONSIDERED TO BE A RESTAURANT. SO THIS CURRENT DEFINITION OF NIGHTCLUB HELPS ADDRESS THAT ISSUE. AND THEN THE STANDARDS WE'RE PROPOSING HELPS TO FURTHER MAKE SURE NIGHTCLUBS ARE BETTER NEIGHBORS IN THE COMMUNITY. ONE LAST QUESTION. AS FAR AS THE NOISE ORDINANCE OR THE NOISE PER SE. SO BASICALLY AT 2:00 EVERYTHING JUST SHUTS DOWN. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? WE DON'T HAVE THAT AT SHUTS DOWN AT 2:00. YOU JUST CAN'T SERVE ALCOHOL AT 2 A.M. SO WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC AND ALL OF THAT AT THAT TIME? I'M JUST ASKING. SURE. I THINK OUR IMPRESSION IS, IF YOU'RE NOT SERVING ALCOHOL AT 2 A.M, IT'S LIKELY THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE WHEN THINGS ARE WINDING DOWN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. MIKE, WOULD THERE BE AN ADMISSIONS TAX? HAVE WE TALKED WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE ABOUT AN ADMISSIONS TAX THAT COME ALONG WITH THIS, THIS OLD NIGHTCLUB DESIGNATION? IF SHE'S HERE? OKAY. I THINK THAT WOULD BE A HELPFUL QUESTION FOR HER. BUT SHE WAS INVOLVED EARLY ON WHEN WE WERE HAVING NIGHTCLUB CONVERSATIONS AND. OKAY, OKAY, MR. WILLIAMS. YES, MR. MAYOR, JUST TO LET YOU LET COUNCILMAN JONES KNOW AND FOLLOW UP TO HIS EARLIER QUESTION, THE HOURS THAT MISS MACK HAS LISTED 2 A.M. TO 6 A.M. FOR THE RESTRICTION OF ON SALE SALE OF MIXED BEVERAGES THAT MIRRORS THE VIRGINIA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE THREE. VAC. FIVE, DASH 50, DASH 30. I JUST EMAILED IT TO YOU. SO 
          [00:40:03]
WHAT SHE'S GOT IS WHAT THE STATE CODE ALLOWS. MISS. COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE, HOW ARE YOU? I'M WELL. HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING GREAT. THANK YOU. THAT'S RIGHT. WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE ADMISSIONS? ABOUT THE ADMISSIONS TAX? IF WE. JOB DISORDERS HAVE HAVE ARE YOU AWARE OF THE ADMISSIONS TAX AND THE TYPE OF REVENUE AND, AND ENFORCEMENT OF THAT. ANYBODY THAT HAS AN EVENT AND SELL TICKETS IN ADVANCE OR AT THE DOOR, THEY PAY 5%. OKAY. SO EVEN THAT CIVIC CENTER HAS BEEN DOING THAT. YES. BEEN PAYING THAT FOR YOU. OKAY. THERE'S A SPECIAL EVENT PACKET THAT'S COMPLETED OKAY. SO THAT'S PER EVENT NOT JUST BY THE THAT'S PER PER EVENT OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 
          VICE MAYOR MISS FLOWERS, IS THAT SO? HOW DOES THAT WORK WITH THE ACTUAL RESTAURANTS THAT ARE ALREADY. SO THEY PAY THAT ROLLED UP INTO AN EXAMPLE OF LIAISON IS LISTED AS A RESTAURANT. THEY OPERATE AS A NIGHTCLUB. THEY PAY ADMISSION TAXES. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 
          COUNCILMAN COOPER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. CITY MANAGER, HOW DO YOU THINK WE OUGHT TO HANDLE THIS SITUATION PROCEDURE WISE? WELL, GOD, I THINK CERTAINLY SOME QUESTIONS OUT THERE, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT. AND I HEARD THIS EVENING, WHICH WAS THE FUNDRAISERS RAISED BY THE VICE MAYOR, THAT I DON'T KNOW, THAT WE'VE REALLY LOOKED AT AS PART OF THIS. YEAH. MR. MARCH, BECAUSE THEY ARE NONPROFIT, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS WHO RENT OUT FACILITIES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THEY'RE NONPROFIT. OKAY. SO THE OTHER PIECE HERE IS MR. MARK MENTIONED EARLIER AND WHEN WE HAD THE WARD MEETING WAS THE CONNECTION WITH THE NOISE PIECE OF THIS. SO THE ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE IS WHILE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A NEED TO BETTER DEFINE THESE USES TO GIVE PLANNING STAFF A BETTER PATH TO REGULATING THEM, AND ONCE WE HAVE THOSE USES OUT THERE. BUT THERE IS CONCERN. AND THAT WAS EXPRESSED DURING THE WARD MEETING WITH RELATIONSHIP TO THE NOISE PIECE. SO THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ABOUT TYING THOSE TWO TOGETHER. YOU COULD POTENTIALLY TABLE THIS. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE NOISE ORDINANCE, RUN THOSE TWO TOGETHER. AND I KNOW THAT COUNCIL HAD PREVIOUSLY TABLED THE NOISE ORDINANCE DISCUSSION. 
          IN NOVEMBER MAYBE TO OR OCTOBER TO ALLOW FOR, I BELIEVE, THE COUNCILOR TO HAVE A WARD MEETING. SO THERE MAY BE AND BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CONCERN HERE MAY BE CENTERING AND WE HAD BUSINESSES IN DOWNTOWN AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS CAME IN THAT THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TIE THESE TWO TOGETHER AND ACT AS ONE, BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS WERE, I DON'T WANT TO SAY CONFUSED, BUT THEY DON'T SEPARATE THE ISSUE WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IT. FROM A CITIZEN PERSPECTIVE. WE'RE LOOKING AT IT FROM A USE PERSPECTIVE AND A NOISE PERSPECTIVE, BUT THE CITIZENS ARE LOOKING AT IT AS ONE ISSUE. SO IT COULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO ALLOW FOR THOSE TWO THINGS TO BE DISCUSSED AT THE SAME TIME. THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT COUNCIL TABLE THIS MATTER UNTIL COUNCIL HAS HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE THAT IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF BEING PRESENTED, BEING WORKED THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND ULTIMATELY PRESENTED TO US SO THAT WE COULD HEAR WE COULD VOTE ON BOTH THE NIGHTCLUB ORDINANCE AND THE NOISE ORDINANCE AT THE SAME TIME. ALL RIGHT. AS A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN MYERS, MAYOR. SECOND, BEFORE WE DO THAT, THOUGH, COULD I ASK THE QUESTION? YES. SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE A MOTION A SECOND WE HAVE DISCUSSION. COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR QUICK. MR. I HAD A COUPLE QUICK THINGS. HOW WILL THIS ESSENTIALLY, I SEE A LOT OF THE I DON'T WANT TO SAY A LOT, BUT I SEE A NOTE ONE WHEN CERTAIN CLUBS MOTORCYCLES THEY RENT OUT WAREHOUSE SPACE. HOW DO THEY GET LABELED. IS IT A IS IT A CLUB BECAUSE THEY'RE PRIVATE. AND NO YOU CAN'T COME IN. YOU KNOW REALLY UNLESS YOU WITH THE MOTORCYCLE ENTITY. BUT THEY'RE STILL PLAYING MUSIC AND SERVING ALCOHOL. HOW DOES THAT WORK INTO THIS DISTINCTION? SURE WE HAVE OUR DEFINITION OF NIGHTCLUB IS REALLY ANY TIME YOU MEET THOSE CRITERIA. DANCE FLOOR MUSIC OPEN PAST 11 SERVING ALCOHOL. YOU'RE A NIGHTCLUB AS WELL. AGAIN, THAT COULD BE LINKED TOGETHER. BUT I TRAVEL A LOT AND I SEE HOW IN OTHER THRIVING DISTRICTS THEY ARE USING ANY AVAILABLE SPACE, ESPECIALLY WAREHOUSES. AND I HAVE A WAREHOUSE DISTRICT ON WEST WASHINGTON, AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OFF OF SOUTH STREET. SO HOW AGAIN, DOES THIS GO FORWARD WITH SAYING SOMEBODY COMES IN AND THEY START OUT WITH ONE ENTITY, BUT NOW THEY'RE 
          [00:45:02]
PLAYING MUSIC AND DOING OTHER THINGS TO UTILIZE THAT SPACE BETTER. SURE, THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO COME TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND YOU ALL FOR SPECIAL USE PERMIT. WHEN THEY MEET THAT DEFINITION, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THAT SAFETY MANAGEMENT PLAN AND SO FORTH. AND I DID WANT TO BRING UP ONE MORE THING, SINCE THERE WAS THAT MOTION ABOUT THE NOISE ORDINANCE GOING INTO PLANNING COMMISSION, NOISE ORDINANCE HAS GONE TO PLANNING COMMISSION. PLANNING COMMISSION MADE A RECOMMENDATION. WE BROUGHT IT BACK. JUST TO REMIND YOU ALL A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND YOU ALL, IT'S STILL NOT LIKED. SO WE CAN GO BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION. WE DO HAVE SOME A FEW MORE MEMBERS, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT US TO DO THE SAME CIRCLE WHERE IT COMES BACK TO YOU ALL. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANOTHER THING I KNOW. THERE WAS MENTION AT ONE TIME OF MAYBE COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO GET FEEDBACK, OR IF THERE'S INITIAL FEEDBACK FROM COUNCIL THAT WE WANT TO COLLECT. BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE BEFORE WE GO THIS ROUTE, HOW DO WE MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL? I THINK ONE OF MY BIG QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE IS THAT ESPECIALLY WITH THE CASINO AND ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT POSSIBLY COMING ONLINE TOWARDS THE END OF 25, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW THAT OVERLAY IS GOING TO BE, WHETHER HOW ARE WE GOING TO ENFORCE THERE AS COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY. SO I THINK EVERYONE NEEDS TO BE CLEAR ON ON HOW ENFORCEMENT IS GOING TO BE FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT AND WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ANY TYPE OF FLEXIBILITY TO OTHER AREAS OF THE CITY, SUCH AS CRATER ROAD AND THE OLD TOWN AREA. OKAY. VICE MAYOR HILL. 
          YES, MR. MAYOR, THIS IS JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT. YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T WANT TO SAY YOU CAN DO IT DOWN HERE, BUT YOU CAN'T DO IT UP THERE OR VICE VERSA. OR YOU CAN DO IT AT THE CASINO, BUT YOU CAN'T DO IT DOWN IN OLD TOWN. SO WE GOT TO BE MINDFUL OF HOW THE WAY WE DO. SO MISS, MISS NAOMI, AS FAR AS THE NOISE ORDINANCE PIECE, YOU KNOW, GET WITH THE NEW MEMBERS OR WHATEVER, BRING IT BACK TO US. AND I KNOW WE TABLED IT LAST TIME, AND I'M PRETTY SURE WE'LL COME UP WITH A DECISION THIS TIME IF WE LINK THE, THE ALCOHOL AND THE CLOSING TIME AND ALL THAT TOGETHER. 
          BECAUSE MY THING IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ME JUST SPEAKING, YOU KNOW, THIS 2:00, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S AROUND RESIDENTS. I MEAN, THINGS SHOULD BE CLOSING DOWN, SHOULD BE SHUTTING DOWN. I MEAN, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BE RUNNING STUFF TILL 4:00 IN THE MORNING AND STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? THAT'S WHEN WE THAT'S WHEN WE GET THE CALLS AND THE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO WORK AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU MOVED INTO A AREA WHERE THERE ARE RESTAURANTS AND CLUBS AND STUFF, BUT, I MEAN, IT NEEDS TO CLOSE DOWN AT A CERTAIN TIME TOO, YOU KNOW, CAN YOU IMAGINE LIVING OVER TOP OF A BUILDING OR LIVING AROUND THE STREET FROM A BUILDING AND PEOPLE STILL ALLOWED IN THE PARKING LOTS AND ALL THAT STUFF LIKE THAT? YOU KNOW, YOU MAY BE THE OWNER, BUT YOU'RE GOING HOME TO WHERE IT'S QUIET, YOU KNOW, YOU MADE YOUR MONEY AND YOU'RE GOING HOME TO SOMEWHERE WHERE IT'S QUIET, AND THEN YOU COME AND YOU MAKE ALL THIS RUCKUS HERE. BOTTLES EVERYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. SO WE JUST GOT TO BE MINDFUL OF THE RESIDENTS AS WELL THAT LIVE IN THE AREA. WE UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF OUR DISTRICTS ARE, YOU KNOW, RESTAURANT PARTY DISTRICTS, IF YOU WILL. AND THAT'S FINE. AND WE MAKE MONEY OFF OF THEM AND THAT'S FINE. BUT AT THE TIME, IT HAS TO CLOSE DOWN AT A TIME WHERE PEOPLE CAN REST AND STUFF LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GOT APARTMENTS AND ALL THOSE THINGS, YOU KNOW. SURE. AND I WILL SAY WITH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND THE ABILITY TO DO A MANAGEMENT PLAN, THEY'RE SUBJECT TO COMING BEFORE PLANNING COMMISSION. AND YOU ALL, YOU ALL CAN PUT DIFFERENT CONDITIONS ON THEM CLOSING TIME WHEN THEY NEED TO BE, HOW THEY MANAGE THE CROWD CONTROL, WHEN THE DAY ENDS AND SO FORTH. SO OKAY. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION TO TABLE AT THIS TIME UNTIL THE NOISE ORDINANCE. MR. MAYOR BRINGS BACK FORWARD. 
          COUNCILMAN COOPER, COULD WE REVISIT HOW WE CAN GET THESE TWO ORDINANCES COORDINATED TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL AT THE SAME TIME? MISS MARK, WHAT? WHEN CAN THE NOISE ORDINANCE COME BEFORE COUNCIL? AND DO WE. MAYBE THIS IS A LEGAL QUESTION, BUT DO WE NEED TO HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE BEFORE COUNCIL CAN VOTE ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE? MR. WILLIAMS WELL, I, I THINK ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION HERE FIRST IS IT COUNCIL'S INTENTION TO SEND THE NOISE ORDINANCE BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR REVIEW? IT'S SITTING WITH YOU TODAY AND I'LL LET HIM VERIFY MY ANSWER. YOU'VE HAD YOUR PUBLIC HEARING. YOU CAN MAKE CHANGES TO IT AND ADOPT IT WITHOUT SENDING IT BACK. BUT IF YOU SEND IT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEY MAKE CHANGES, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THOSE REHEAR THOSE CHANGES. SO IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOUR COUNCIL'S INTENT IS. IF YOU WANT TO WORK OUT THE ISSUES WITH NOISE HERE AND WE CAN TIE THE TWO TOGETHER. BUT IF WE SEND IT BACK, PROBABLY THE BEST WAY TO 
          [00:50:04]
TEACH THEM TOGETHER IS YOU SEND THEM BOTH BACK, BRING THEM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. I DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE SAID THAT MUCH BETTER. SO WHAT YOU COULD DO IS JUST PUT IT ON THE SECOND MEETING. SECOND MEETING IN JANUARY, AND YOU HAVE THEM BOTH IN FRONT OF YOU, AND YOU CAN EITHER SEND THEM BOTH BACK, REVISE THEM, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO. JUST ASK THAT THEY BE PUT ON OUR REGULAR MEETING. JANUARY, LET ME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND. SO, MR. WILLIAMS, YOU'RE SUGGESTING THAT WE AT THE AT THE BUSINESS MEETING IN JANUARY, WE COUNCIL COULD SEND BOTH THE NIGHTCLUB ORDINANCE AND THE NOISE ORDINANCE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION. TO AS TO HOW BEST TO COORDINATE THOSE TWO ORDINANCES. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? YOU COULD OR YOU COULD ADOPT THEM, OR YOU COULD REVISE THEM FROM THE FLOOR WITHOUT FURTHER RECOMMENDATION FROM PLANNING COMMISSION. IT WOULD BE YOUR OPTION, BUT YOU WOULD HAVE THEM BOTH IN FRONT OF YOU AT THE SAME TIME AS YOU'VE REQUESTED. 
          WELL, MY PERSONAL FEELING IS THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO GET THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S INPUT ON HOW BEST TO COORDINATE THESE TWO ORDINANCES, TWEAK THEM OR NOT, IN LIGHT OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY COUNCIL TONIGHT AND THEN ADVERTISE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING AT WHICH THE PUBLIC COULD SPEAK, FOLLOWING WHICH COUNCIL COULD VOTE ON BOTH THE NIGHTCLUB ORDINANCE AS REVISED, IF AT ALL, AND THE NOISE ORDINANCE AS REVISED, IF AT ALL. SO THE MOTION ON THE TABLE NOW IS THAT THAT COUNCIL TABLE THIS UNTIL COUNCIL HAS HELD A HEARING ON THE NOISE ORDINANCE. AND. WHERE I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO GO IS TO SEE THAT MOTION ADOPTED, THEN FOLLOW IT UP WITH A SECOND MOTION THAT SAYS. WE'D LIKE BOTH. OR MAYBE I CAN INCLUDE IT IN THIS FIRST MOTION THAT BOTH MOTIONS, SORRY, BOTH ORDINANCES COME BEFORE COUNCIL AT THE SAME TIME. AT OUR WORK SESSION IN JANUARY, FOR US TO CONSIDER REMANDING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THEIR REWORK AS A COORDINATED. PACKAGE. SO MAYBE TO MAYBE TO KEEP IT AS SIMPLE AS I CAN, LET'S VOTE ON TABLING UNTIL COUNCIL HAS HELD A HEARING ON A NOISE ORDINANCE AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT MOTION, IF THE MAYOR FINDS THIS AN ORDER, I WOULD MOVE THAT BOTH ORDINANCES COME BEFORE COUNCIL AT OUR BUSINESS SESSION IN JANUARY FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER SENDING THEM BOTH BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO REWORK AS A CODE SO THAT THEY ARE COORDINATED WITH EACH OTHER. THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. MAYBE THERE'S A SIMPLER WAY TO DO IT. I WELCOME THE SUGGESTION OF OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. I. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS UNTIL THE 23RD. CAN WE HAVE BOTH HAVE BOTH OF THOSE BROUGHT BACK TO US IN JANUARY. THE SECOND MEETING IN JANUARY FOR DISCUSSION TO APPROVE THEM BOTH ON THE 21ST? YES. AND THAT IS THE PROPOSAL THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY MADE FOR THE NOISE ORDINANCE. YOU WANT TO COME BACK? YES. OKAY. RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND. MISS HILL, 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. AYE. NEXT IS ITEM 8B9B, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND RE ADOPT THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PERTAINING TO THE REGULATION OF ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENT, AND SMALL BOX DISCOUNT STORE USES WITHIN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. 
          MISS. OKAY, SO WE WANTED TO COME TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT ALL ABOUT THIS TODAY. RECENTLY, COUNCIL TASKED THE PLANNING TEAM TO TAKE A LOOK AT SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENTS. AND IN OUR RESEARCH REALIZED THAT THESE HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED AS OF 2021. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THOSE WERE ADDRESSED, THEY WEREN'T ADOPTED IN THEIR ENTIRETY. SO WHAT HAPPENED WAS AN ORDINANCE WAS PASSED AND THERE WAS AN ASTERISK IN THERE THAT JUST SAID REQUIRE THESE AS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, 
          [00:55:02]
ALONG WITH SMALL BOX DISCOUNT STORES. SO THERE WAS NEVER THE USE AS A LISTED SPECIAL USE PERMIT ADDED TO OUR CODE. WE'RE REALLY COMING BEFORE YOU ALL TODAY, JUST TO ADD A FEW ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS FOR REGULATIONS, AS WELL AS TO MAKE SURE THIS IS CODIFIED IN A CLEAR WAY THAT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS REQUIRED. SO SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENTS REALLY EMPHASIZING SMALL DOLLAR, SHORT TERM HIGH INTEREST LOANS AS OPPOSED TO YOUR TRADITIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS. AND THEN WE'RE ALSO BRINGING BACK SMALL BOX DISCOUNT STORES BECAUSE AT THE SAME TIME AS SHORT TERM LOANS WAS HEARD, THE SAME ACTION TOOK PLACE. A LITTLE ASTERISK WAS ADDED TO MAKE IT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE SINCE THIS CONVERSATION WAS HAD BACK IN 2021, IF THERE'S STILL INTEREST THAT THIS BECOMES OFFICIALLY CODIFIED AS REQUIRING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SO SMALL BOX DISCOUNT STORES RETAIL USES WITH A FLOOR AREA LESS THAN 12,000FT■S, OFFERING CONVENIENT SHOPPING GOODS FOR LESS THAN $10 PER ITEM. SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT USES LIKE THIS ARE OFTEN CONCENTRATED IN AREAS DISPROPORTIONATE, WITH DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNTS OF LOW INCOME AND MINORITY POPULATIONS. SOME NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS, SUCH AS THE SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENTS, INCLUDE PROLONGED INDEBTEDNESS AND A LACK OF ACCESS TO NUTRITIOUS FOODS RELATED TO THOSE GENERAL STORES. AS OF 2021, DISCOUNT STORES OUTNUMBERED FRESH FOOD RETAILERS IN THE CITY, AND SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENTS WERE ALMOST AS COMMON AS BANKS. SO THIS WAS WHEN THE CITY TOOK AN EFFORT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE ESTABLISHMENTS. THESE ARE A LITTLE HARD TO SEE, BUT THIS IS JUST THE VISUALIZATION OF WHAT I JUST SAID. SO THE BANKS AND THE PAYDAY LENDERS WERE ABOUT EQUIVALENT WITHIN THE CITY, AND SAME WITH THE NUMBER OF THESE 12 ZERO ZERO ZERO SQUARE FEET OR LESS ESTABLISHMENTS SERVING FOOD. THEY WERE REALLY PREDOMINANT IN PETERSBURG AS WELL. SO AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS UPDATE AND EXPAND ON DEFINITIONS FROM 2021, CLARIFY SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR BOTH OF THOSE USES, AND INCORPORATE SOME ADDITIONAL STANDARDS AS WELL. SO SHORT TERM LOANS PREVIOUSLY THESE WERE CALLED ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS LIKE CHECK CASHING ESTABLISHMENTS, SAVINGS AND LOANS AND SO FORTH. 
          WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS JUST REFERENCE STATE CODE FOR THIS DEFINITION. STATE CODE REALLY HAS SPECIFIC DEFINITIONS FOR PAYDAY LOANS, MONEY TRANSMISSIONS, VEHICLE LOANS. 
          AND WE WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT BANKS AND CREDIT UNIONS, THEY'RE NOT A PART OF THIS DEFINITION. WITH THAT, WE'RE PROPOSING ANOTHER DEFINITION, FINANCIAL INSTITUTION THAT CLARIFIES THAT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ARE OUR BANKS SAVINGS AND LOANS AND CONSUMER LOAN COMPANIES, AND THEY DO NOT INCLUDE PAWNSHOPS OR SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENTS. WE ALSO DON'T HAVE A DEFINITION FOR PAWNSHOPS. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S PUT IN THERE, REALLY MAKING IT CLEAR WHEN MONEY IS LOANED ON ACCOUNT OF SOMEONE PROVIDING THEIR PROPERTY, AND THEN AN EXISTING DEFINITION THAT WE DO HAVE. WE DID HAVE THAT SMALL BOX DISCOUNT STORE. THAT DEFINITION WAS CODIFIED DURING THAT TEXT AMENDMENT. IT'S JUST THE REQUIREMENT OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT WAS NOT. SO BOTH REQUIRE THAT SPECIAL USE PERMIT, THAT ADDITIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL APPROVAL AND REVIEW DISCOUNT STORES. WE'RE ALLOWING THEM IN OUR COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS B1, B2, B3, OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS AND OUR MIXED USE DISTRICTS AS WELL. NEW STORES MUST BE AT LEAST TWO MILES FROM AN EXISTING DISCOUNT STORE, AND MUST HAVE 10% OF THE FLOOR AREA DEDICATED TO FRESH FOOD. AND THIS IS A TYPE OF ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHMENT THAT WE'RE SEEING MORE WHEN IT COMES TO THESE DISCOUNT STORES AS WELL, THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING FRESH FOODS. 
          BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S REQUIRED THAT THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY. SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENTS, THOSE ARE LIMITED TO OUR B2 COMMERCIAL AND OUR INDUSTRIAL M1 DISTRICT. AND WE'RE ALSO SUGGESTING THAT THESE ESTABLISHMENTS SHOULD BE 2000FT FROM ADULT ENTERTAINMENT, RESIDENTIAL USES, SCHOOLS, PARKS, RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLY, AND SHORT TERM LOANS. OTHER SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENTS. SO SOME THINGS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AGAIN, THAT VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY, NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THESE LENDING PRACTICES CAN BE SEEN IN THE CITY AND THEIR LONG TERM IMPACTS ON FAIR HOUSING, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY WEALTH GOALS. MANY LOW INCOME RESIDENTS DO NOT HAVE READY ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD, SO MAKING SURE THAT THESE DISCOUNT STORES HAVING HEALTHY FOOD AS PART OF THE REQUIREMENT WILL HELP MEET THAT GOAL OF HEALTHY FOOD ACCESS, AND THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT AIMS TO REDUCE PREDATORY LENDING PRACTICES AS WELL. RECOMMENDATION STAFF RECOMMENDED APPROVAL PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL. AND HERE IS A SAMPLE MOTION AGAIN TO APPROVE, DENY OR AMEND. 
          LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THIS. OKAY. THANK YOU, MISS MARK. NEXT, WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND ADOPT THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PERTAINING TO REGULATION OF ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL 
          [01:00:01]
INSTITUTIONS, SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENT, AND SMALL BOX DISCOUNT STORE USES WITHIN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. ALL RIGHT. YES, MR. GREEN. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I AM JULIAN GREEN AND MY CONCERN IS ADOPTING ORDINANCES. MR. GREEN, GIVE ME YOUR ADDRESS REAL QUICK. 1625 BLAIR ROAD, WHICH IS WARD FOUR. THANK YOU. MY CONCERN IS THAT LISTENING TO WHAT'S BEING SAID AND ADOPTING ORDINANCE, AND I THINK WE NEED TO GO BACK AND REALLY TALK TO THE CITIZENS. THE WORDING THAT YOU HAVE HERE AND THE PEOPLE WHO USE THOSE SERVICES DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND IT APPLIES TO THEM HOW WE WANT TO REGULATE THINGS FOR THE INHABITANTS OF PETERSBURG, IT GOES BACK TO SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID IN THE PREVIOUS SITUATION. MY CONCERN WITH THAT, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE NOISE ORDINANCE AND THE TIME THAT YOU CAN STAY OPEN AND THE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS ANNUALLY IN PETERSBURG THAT WE'RE NOT DOING DUE DILIGENCE ON. WE HAVE VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY THAT STILL ADVERTISED AND RECOGNIZED AS BEING IN PETERSBURG. WE HAVE AT VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY HOMECOMING, WHERE PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO BE HERE, COMING FROM DIFFERENT CONCEPT AND CONSTRUCT OF WHAT NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA, OHIO, AND WE PLACE THESE KIND OF RESTRICTIONS ON THEM. THEY WANT TO COME AND DEAL AND ASSOCIATE WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND FORMER CLASSMATE. THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE THERE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'VE DONE. YOU'VE TABLED IT, BUT I WANT IT TO BE ETCHED IN YOUR MIND WHEN YOU GO BACK TO DO CONSIDERATIONS. LET US NOT PLACE THE HAMMER ON THE CITIZENS HERE IN PETERSBURG, AND MANY OF OUR PEOPLE REALLY GO TO THE STORES THAT TALK ABOUT $5 AND BELOW. I ONLY HEARD OF $5 AND BELOW WHEN MY GRANDDAUGHTER SAID, PAPA, I WANT TO GO TO $5. WHAT IS $5 AND BELOW? I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT. BUT THEN WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT AT OUR MATURITY, BUT YET STILL WANT TO PARTICIPATE. 
          LET'S GIVE DUE DILIGENCE TO THAT. I APPLAUD YOU FOR TABLING AND I ASK ALSO THAT YOU TABLE THIS AS WELL, UNTIL YOU GET A CHANCE TO EXPLAIN IT TO THE PUBLIC POPULATION IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, LET THEM SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND THAT MAKES SENSE TO THEM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO MORE HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT, I'M GOING TO COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS SAMPLE MOTION. AND TO NAOMI. MISS NAOMI, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS I HAVE. YOU GOT TWO MOUTHS FOR SHORT TERM LOAN PLACES AND 2000FT APART FOR SMALL BOX STORES. IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S BASICALLY 2000FT. IS ABOUT EIGHT CITY BLOCKS I THINK. SO BASICALLY WE CAN HAVE A DOLLAR STORE HERE AND RIGHT DOWN THE STREET WE CAN HAVE ANOTHER ONE AND ANOTHER ONE LIKE THAT. IS THAT WHAT WE'RE SAYING? SO ACTUALLY FOR THE SMALL DISCOUNT STORES, THE REQUIREMENT IS THAT THEY SHALL BE LOCATED AT LEAST TWO MILES FROM AN EXISTING SMALL DISCOUNT STORE. IT'S FOR THE SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE AT LEAST 2000FT FROM EACH OTHER, BUT ALSO PLACES OF ASSEMBLY, CHILDCARE CENTERS, SCHOOLS, PUBLIC PARKS, PUBLIC PLAYGROUNDS. SO NOT JUST EACH OTHER, BUT OTHER. AND THEY NEED A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. YES. 
          RIGHT. I THINK IT WAS EXPLAINED THE WHOLE GOAL PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE FOR THIS IS TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, FROM, LIKE YOU SAID, INDEBTEDNESS, PROLONGED INDEBTEDNESS. I GREW UP IN A FAMILY, IN A COMMUNITY, IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AMONGST MANY OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS IN PETERSBURG WHERE ALL WE DID WAS RENT FROM RENT A CENTER AND PLACES LIKE THAT. AND SOME OF OUR FAMILIES ARE STILL IN DEBT TO THESE PEOPLE, AND THEY LONG OUT OF BUSINESS. SO THIS IS WHY THIS THING IS HERE, IS IN IN PLACE. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MR. GREEN, WE WANT TO PROTECT YOU GUYS BECAUSE THE LOAN SHARKS ARE COMING. THEY SEE US ON THE RISE AND THEY COME IN FOR 
          [01:05:05]
ANYBODY WHO DOES NOT MAKE THE MONEY THAT MOST OF US MAKE, THEY COME IN FOR YOU. THEY COME IN FOR YOUR DOLLARS. PEOPLE SAY PETERSBURG IS POOR. WELL, IF WE'RE SO DAMN POOR, THEN WHY ARE YOU SETTING UP SHOP HERE? YOU KNOW, SO THIS IS WHY IT'S HERE. AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP TRYING OUR BEST TO PROTECT. AND IF IT DON'T WORK, THEN IT DON'T WORK. WE'LL COME BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. BUT MY GOAL, OUR GOAL IS TO PROTECT THE INTEREST OF OUR CITIZENS. THEY MAY NOT KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, THEY MAY NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. AND IT'S OUR JOB TO EDUCATE THEM. AND SOMETIMES WE GOTTA EDUCATE BY SHOWING, PUSHING THINGS LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW? AND THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. VICE MAYOR HILL, YES, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT. MANY TIMES WHEN WE ARE TRAVELING THE CITY, PEOPLE ASK US, WHY CAN'T WE HAVE THIS OR THAT, WHAT THEY SEE IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT WHY? WE GOT A FAMILY DOLLAR ON EVERY BLOCK AND I'M NOT TAKING IT BECAUSE I SHOP THERE TOO. BUT IT COMES A POINT IN TIME WHERE WE WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO ANOTHER LEVEL IN PETERSBURG AND WE NEED BETTER, AND WE NEED TO ASK FOR BETTER. THESE ARE LIKE COUNCILMAN JONES SAID, SOME OF THESE ENTITIES ARE LOAN SHARKS. 
          YOU'LL NEVER PAY IT OFF. THEN THEY HAVE THE YOU GOT TO PUT YOUR CAR UP FOR COLLATERAL. I KNOW PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR CARS BEHIND THESE THESE ENTITIES. SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE PROTECTING OURSELVES FROM THOSE BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARE ANYTHING ABOUT US. BUT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE SEE THESE THINGS ON THE RISE. AND IF YOU DRIVE DOWN HALIFAX STREET, WASHINGTON STREET, YOU COUNT THE NUMBER OF SMALL FAMILY DOLLARS, FOOD, LIONS, DOLLAR STORES AND ALL THAT IS IN EVERY AREA. WE ARE A FOOD DESERT. WE'RE TRYING TO GET GROCERY STORES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND I'M NOT THROWING THEM UP UNDER THE BUS. THEY HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR OUR COMMUNITY. BUT HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? I MEAN, HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? I MEAN, TO THE POINT TO WHERE THEY EVEN GONE SO FAR TO EVEN SAY ALCOHOL IN SOME OF THESE ESTABLISHMENTS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO WE ELECTED HERE WE SEE THINGS THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC DON'T SEE, BUT SOME DO BRING IT TO US. SO WE WANT THE CHANGE TO START COMING TO PETERSBURG. AND NOW THAT WE'RE GOING UP, THAT'S THE REASON WHY A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO COME IN TO SET UP SHOP HERE ON EVERY LITTLE CORNER. IF YOU ALL NOTICE THAT A LOT OF THE HOMES ARE BEING RECONSTRUCTED AND A LOT OF THE BLIGHTED PROPERTIES, YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME WE TURN AROUND, PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO COME INTO THE CITY, BUT ALL INTENTIONS ARE NOT GOOD INTENTIONS. SO THAT'S WHAT THIS RIGHT HERE IS FOR. AND AS FAR AS THE, THE, THE LAST. AND WE TYPICALLY DON'T DO THIS, THE, THE LAST ITEM THAT WE DISCUSSED BECAUSE MR. GREEN HAD BROUGHT IT UP. THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE. WE UNDERSTAND THERE IS A MECHANISM THAT SHE SPOKE ABOUT ABOUT HAVING A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. IF YOU RENT AN ESTABLISHMENT, YOU CAN HAVE A PARTY. SO WHEN THE ALUMNI OR WHAT HAVE YOU COME TO WANT TO, THERE'S A MECHANISM WHERE THEY CAN COME IN AND THEY CAN HAVE A GOOD TIME AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND THEY CAN GO BACK HOME. BUT THERE'S A PROCESS THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW. AND THAT'S WHAT WE DO. WE SET UP POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. SO, MR. MAYOR, IF I'M IN ORDER, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADOPT THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND ADOPT THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PERTAINING TO THE REGULATION OF ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, SHORT TERM LOAN ESTABLISHMENTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES, DISCOUNT STORE USE WITHIN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES, A SECOND MOTION TO SECOND, MR. MAYOR. 
          DISCUSSION. COUNCILMAN COOPER. YES, UNDER DISCUSSION IN THE PAPERWORK. OKAY, OKAY, OKAY. I WOULD POINT OUT THAT PAGE 114 IS REALLY IMPORTANT. IT TALKS ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF OUR POPULATION THAT IS LIVING IN POVERTY. ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS TRACK. I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS INFORMATION GATHERED TOGETHER BEFORE, BUT IT IS QUITE AN EYE OPENER. IT SAYS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN CENSUS TRACK EIGHT 101 THAT THIS IS ON PAGE 114 CENSUS TRACK EIGHT 101, THE PERCENT IN POVERTY IS 33.8%. 
          THIS IS THE KIND OF DATA THAT RETAILERS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IN DECIDING WHERE TO LOCATE, AND THEN ALSO LOCATE IN A CENSUS TRACK WHERE THE KNUCKLE WANT TO, OR MOST OF THEM THAT WE WANT ARE 
          [01:10:06]
NOT GOING TO WANT TO LOCATE IN A CENSUS TRACT WHERE 33.8% OF THE POPULATION IS LIVING IN POVERTY. 
          SO THIS IS. IMPORTANT INFORMATION, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LOOK AT PAGE 114. WHEN I GET BACK TO MY OFFICE, I'M GOING TO MAKE A COPY OF PAGE 114. AND I'M GOING TO MAKE. A, A, AN ELECTRONIC FOLDER TITLED CENSUS TRACT. FINANCIAL INFORMATION OR MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME OR POVERTY LEVEL. AND I'M GOING TO SCAN THIS PAGE AND PUT IT IN THERE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL TO US AS WE TRY TO PLAN THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY AND HELP THIS CITY BECOME THE PLACE THAT WE ALL WANT TO SEE. SO IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE, LOOK AT PAGE 114. AT LEAST IN THE INITIAL AGENDA PACKET. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT PAGE NUMBER CHANGES BECAUSE WE. IS IT THE SAME? OKAY. I'M TOLD IT'S THE SAME. WE HAVE A REVISED AGENDA PACKET. SO IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU LOOK IN THE ORIGINAL AGENDA PACKET OR THE REVISED AGENDA PACKET. BUT TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. PAGE 114. YOU MAY WANT TO SAVE IT YOURSELVES, WHERE YOU CAN LOOK AT IT AND THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF IT. THINK ABOUT WHY IS IT THAT WE HAVE SO LITTLE RETAIL IN PETERSBURG THAT WE CAN REALLY BE PROUD OF? AND I THINK THE ANSWERS COULD BE ON PAGE 114. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. A MOTION AND A SECOND AT THIS TIME, MISS HILL, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCILMEMBER CUTHBERT. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PARHAM. 
          AYE. THAT MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM C, PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND AND ADOPT A ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PERTAINING TO THE REGULATION OF TIRE SALE AND SERVICE USES WITHIN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. THANK YOU, MISS MACK. SO AGAIN, WE'RE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL DIRECTED US TO TAKE A LOOK AT. AND THAT IS TIRE ESTABLISHMENTS. SO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF EXISTING TIRE SALE AND SERVICE USES THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND ITS COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL AREAS, AND MANY OF THEM DEAL WITH USED AND DISCARDED TIRES. SO THERE ARE CONCERNS OVER THE ESTHETIC IMPACTS OF THIS WORK AND OF THE STORAGE OF TIRES ON THE CITY. SO TIRE SALES AND SERVICES CURRENTLY INCLUDING VULCANIZING, WHICH IS JUST THE REPAIRING, USING CHEMICALS AND PRESSURE. SO IT'S A LITTLE NOISY AND CHEMICALLY ARE ALLOWED BY RIGHT IN OUR COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS B2, B3, AS WELL AS OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS, M-1 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND M-2 HEAVY INDUSTRIAL OPERATIONS THAT INVOLVE SHREDDING, CUTTING, PROCESSING AND SALES OF DISCARDED AND USED TIRES ARE ALLOWED IN M1 AND M2. 
          AGAIN, OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS AND THEN A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS REQUIRED FOR ANY ESTABLISHMENT STORING OVER 200 TIRES. SO WE TOOK A LOOK AT THIS WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CAME TO THEM WITH A FEW OPTIONS. AND WHAT WAS FOCUSED ON IS REALLY MORE THE REGULATION OF USED TIRES THAN NEW TIRES. SO SALES AND SERVICE OF NEW TIRES WOULD BE ALLOWED IN B2 AND B3 DISTRICTS. VULCANIZING WOULD BE EXCLUDED. THAT'S THAT NOISY KIND OF CHEMICALLY PROCESSED TO REPAIR TIRES, AND SALE AND SERVICE OF USED TIRES WOULD BE LIMITED TO OUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS. WITHIN THE INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THOSE USED TIRE SALES AND SERVICES, INCLUDING SHREDDING, CUTTING, PROCESSING AND THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT WOULD BE REQUIRED REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF TIRES STORED. RIGHT NOW, IF IT'S MORE THAN 200, WE REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. NOW, IF IT'S USED TIRES IN AN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT THAT IS DOING SERVICING AND OPERATIONS LIKE THAT, IT WOULD REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SO OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REALLY EMPHASIZES VISUALLY APPEALING STREETSCAPES AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS TO OUR CITY, PARTICULARLY IN OUR COMMUNITY. MIXED USE AND CORRIDOR COMMERCIAL AREAS. AUTOMOTIVE USES ARE BECOMING LESS APPROPRIATE AS PRIMARY USES IN THESE AREAS, SUCH AS THESE TIRE ESTABLISHMENTS AND AGAIN, NEGATIVE ESTHETICS PER OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SHOULD BE MITIGATED WHERE POSSIBLE. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE, WHICH WE REALLY HOPE TO EMPHASIZE FORM AND DESIGN OF ESTABLISHMENTS WHERE MAYBE WE COULD BE A LITTLE MORE LENIENT IN WHAT'S ALLOWED BY RIGHT. BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT IN THE PLACE WHERE WE HAVE CODE IN PLACE THAT SAYS TIRE ESTABLISHMENT SHOULD HAVE EVERYTHING ENCLOSED, BE UP AGAINST THE STREET, SHOULD HAVE LANDSCAPING AND SO FORTH. SO AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT I JUST MENTIONED HERE. DESIGN STANDARDS WILL BE INTRODUCED. WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT YET. AND THAT'S WHAT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT ALLOWS 
          [01:15:02]
US TO DO. IT ALLOWS US TO ENSURE MITIGATION OF NEGATIVE IMPACTS. IF WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE IN PLACE. SO THE PROPOSED LANGUAGE WOULD ALLOW FOR OVERSIGHT OF THOSE USED TIRE ESTABLISHMENTS, WHICH WE SEE THE MOST OF OUR COMPLAINTS REGARDING, BUT WOULD STILL ALLOW THE SALE AND SERVICE OF NEW TIRES BY RIGHT IN COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS. IT WOULD ALSO ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES RELATED TO LARGER RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS THAT MIGHT INCLUDE TIRE SALE AND SERVICE, AS WELL AS AN ACCESSORY USE RECOMMENDATIONS, STAFF RECOMMENDED APPROVAL. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL AS WELL, AND HERE IS A SAMPLE MOTION. LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND AND RE-ADOPT THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PERTAINING TO THE REGULATION OF TIRE SALE AND SERVICE USES WITHIN THE CITY. SEEING NO HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. COUNCILMAN JONES. YES, MISS. NAOMI, HOW YOU DOING? SO WE TALKED ABOUT THE USAGE AND THE CHANGES AND THE VULCANIZATION, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR YOU SAY ANYTHING ABOUT DISPOSAL OF THESE TIRES. AND I ALSO HEARD YOU SAY, I'M GONNA JUST PUT IT ALL INTO ONE. I ALSO HEARD YOU SAY, THERE'S NOT ANYTHING LISTED ON HOW TIRES SHOULD BE STORED AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT THERE IS UNDER THE NEW FIRE CODE, YOU KNOW, FIRE CODE. YOU HAVE STORAGE LIMITS, YOU HAVE LOCATION REQUIREMENTS, YOU HAVE SEPARATION DISTANCES, FIRE DEPARTMENT ACCESS, FIRE SUPPRESSION, AND INSPECTING AND MAINTENANCE OF THESE TIRE FACILITIES. SO ALL THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITH WHATEVER WE COME UP WITH. BUT THAT ALREADY EXISTS. THESE CODES ALREADY EXIST. SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, MR. MAYOR, BECAUSE THESE CODES EXIST AND YOU GOT A GREAT TEAM OF FIRE MARSHALS AND A FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT HELP ENFORCE THESE, THOSE CODES. SO THAT'S ALL I GOT. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT UP. I DID FORGET THAT WHEN WE REVIEWED TIRES ESTABLISHMENTS IN THE PAST. WE DEFINITELY WORK A LOT WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE MEETING TIRE LIMITATIONS AND SO FORTH. SO I DO APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. VICE MAYOR HILL, YES, THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. I HAD TO GET THE ONE OF OUR FIRE MARSHALS TO LOOK AT A BUSINESS IN MY AREA THAT HAD TIRES EVERYWHERE AND JUST WAS A MESS, BUT HE TOOK CARE OF IT. SO IF I'M IN ORDER, MR. MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE READOPT THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PERTAINING TO THE REGULATION OF TIRE SALES AND SERVICE USE WITHIN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. 
          OKAY, I SECOND. COUNCILWOMAN SMITH SECOND. SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE. MADAM CLERK, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. 
          HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PERRY. AYE. MOTION CARRIED. NEXT IS ITEM D, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND REENACT SECTION 86, DASH 31. LIMITATION ON THE NUMBER OF PAWN. ARTICLE TWO PAWNBROKERS. END OF CHAPTER 86. SECONDHAND GOODS OF THE PETERSBURG CITY CODE. MR. MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AT AT OUR MEETING THAT WE HAD AT THE TRAIN STATION. THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COUNCILOR JONES ASKED US TO LOOK INTO. WE PREPARED THE AMENDMENT. CURRENTLY THE CODE ALLOWS FOR FIVE PAWNSHOPS AND WE'VE PREPARED A SIMPLY PREPARED AMENDMENT THAT REDUCES THAT NUMBER TO TWO. THAT IS SIMPLY ALL. THE ALL THE AMENDMENT DOES IS REDUCE THE NUMBER FROM 5 TO 2. WE'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OF COUNCIL. OKAY, NEXT, OPEN THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING OR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND REENACT SECTION 8631 LIMITATION ON THE NUMBER OF PAWN SHOPS. 
          ARTICLE TWO PAWNBROKERS IN CHAPTER 86 SECONDHAND GOODS OF THE PETERSBURG CITY CODE, AS AMENDED. THE CITY CODE FROM FIVE FIVE PAWN SHOPS TO TWO. RIGHT. SEEING NO HANDS. OH, I SEE ONE HAND BACK IN THE BACK. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ROLAND STOKES, AND I'M NOT A RESIDENT OF YET. WELL, OF PETERSBURG. BUT I WASN'T BORN HERE, BUT I WAS RAISED HERE. 
          [01:20:02]
GRADUATED FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE IN PETERSBURG. OKAY. AND I'VE BEEN LISTENING TO YOU, SIR. 
          SIR, WE HAVE TO STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. OKAY. I'M PETERSBURG TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK AT THE COUNCIL MEETING. GREAT BROTHER BRUCE ROLAND STOKES, JUNIOR, 6100 DAWES DRIVE, NORTH CHESTERFIELD, VIRGINIA. PER THE RULES, YOU HAVE TO BE A PETERSBURG RESIDENT TO SPEAK ON ISSUES DURING A PUBLIC HEARING. ALL RIGHT? YES. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. I MEAN, YOU'RE YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF INFORMATION AND THE TITLE OF WHAT YOU'VE BEEN GOING TO IS A PUBLIC MEETING, PUBLIC MEETING, HEARING ORDINANCES. I LIKE THAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH A LOT OF ORDINANCES. ALL RIGHT, MR. WILLIAMS, PERHAPS YOU COULD POSE A QUESTION TO THE CITY MANAGER WHO COULD RELAY IT TO COUNCIL. YES. ALL RIGHT. OKAY, OKAY. YOU GET IT TO THE CITY MANAGER. GOING THROUGH A LOT OF ORDINANCES AND. MEET OVER THERE. 
          YEAH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS. THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED, COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO ADDRESS TO THE PUBLIC AGAIN. 
          THERE WAS A TIME IN PETERSBURG WHEN YOU WOULD RIDE DOWN THE STREET. ANY STREET, MAINLY CRADLE ROAD AND WASHINGTON STREETS, EAST AND WEST. AND ALL YOU SAW WAS PAWNSHOPS. AND I CAN REMEMBER AS A AS A KID, PEOPLE USE THESE PLACES TO SELL THINGS, THINGS THAT WAS SENTIMENTAL TO THEM. THIS IS ANOTHER MOVE TO TRY TO PROTECT YOU GUYS AND TRY TO PROTECT ALL OF US, BECAUSE WE HAVE THINGS GROWING IN THIS CITY. WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS COMING TO THIS CITY, GOOD AND BAD. AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THE LOAN SHARKS ARE COMING. I THINK MORE PAWNSHOPS HERE WILL. I THINK IT WOULD INCREASE CRIME BECAUSE IT WOULD GIVE CRIMINALS AN AVENUE TO SELL YOUR STUFF WHEN THEY BREAK IN YOUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW? AND SO I THINK WE SHOULD REALLY MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HELP PROTECT US IN THE FUTURE. WHEN THAT CASINO COMES. I KNOW WE SAY THAT A LOT WHEN THE CASINO COMES, BUT WHEN IT COMES, IT'S BRINGING SOME GOOD STUFF, BUT IT'S GOING TO BRING SOME BAD PEOPLE WITH INTENTIONS TO DO BAD THINGS TO YOU. THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IF WE ALLOW FIVE AND TEN PAWNSHOPS IN THE CITY, AND WE AIN'T GOING TO KNOW WHO TO TRACK DOWN, WHERE YOUR STUFF GOING TO BE AT, YOU KNOW? SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO SAY I WANT TO, MR. MAYOR, IF NOBODY ELSE GOT ANYTHING TO SAY, I WANT TO, I WANT TO MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THIS THIS ORDINANCE ON THE PAWNSHOPS, REDUCING THEM FROM 5 TO 2. OKAY. AND THAT'S THE MOTION TO AMEND AND REENACT. SECTION 8631. LIMITATION NUMBER OF PAWNSHOPS FROM 5 TO 2. VICE MAYOR HILL I SECOND THAT MOTION TO SECOND. DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION. SEEING NONE. MADAM CLERK, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT I. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PERRY. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM E, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY CHARTER TO ADD SECTION 21.2, PROVIDE FOR NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS OF MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MR. WILLIAMS. HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THIS IS AN ITEM THAT THAT COUNCIL HAD ACTUALLY REQUESTED CONSIDERATION OF. MANY LOCALITIES LIKE PETERSBURG HAVE WARDS THAT ARE COMPARATIVELY SMALL TO, YOU KNOW, STATEWIDE ELECTIONS. AND HAVING THE WARDS DIVIDED, YOU KNOW, PARTIZAN, PUBLIC REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT IS OFTENTIMES NOT CONDUCIVE TO THE OPERATION OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THE ISSUES THAT YOU DEAL WITH ARE ARE SO CONCENTRATED AND YOUR THE POPULATION YOU SERVE HAS THESE SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT THEY ASK YOU TO DEAL WITH. OFTENTIMES THE PARTIZAN PRACTICE IS NOT BENEFICIAL TO THE OPERATION OF SMOOTH GOVERNANCE. AND SO ALL THIS ORDINANCE DOES IS GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY REQUESTS THAT THE CHARTER BE AMENDED TO REMOVE ANY PARTIZAN REQUIREMENTS FROM FUTURE COUNCIL ELECTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. WILLIAMS. THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY CHARTER TO ADD SECTION 21.2 TO PROVIDE FOR NONPARTISAN ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MISS RUDOLPH. 
          [01:25:02]
GOOD EVENING. BARB RUDOLPH, 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I SAW THIS THIS COVERED IN THE PROGRESS INDEX RECENTLY, AND THERE WERE SOME IT QUOTED MAYOR PARHAM AND COUNCILOR JONES, AND I JUST WANTED TO AFFIRM, REAFFIRM THAT I SUPPORT ALL THE ARGUMENTS THAT YOU MADE. AND I WAS ACTUALLY GIVEN A LITTLE BIT OF JOKE RIBBING FOR SUPPORTING SO STRONGLY, MAYOR PARHAM. BUT ACTUALLY, WE DO AGREE MANY TIMES. AND IN THIS CASE, YOU ARE RIGHT ON TARGET. THE PARTIZAN ELECTIONS ARE NOT ARE NOT A POSITIVE FOR US. I MEAN, WITH WITH SO MANY CANDIDATES ACTUALLY BEING IN ONE PARTY, HAVING A PRIMARY DISADVANTAGES, THE VOTERS AND THE CANDIDATES. I MEAN, I THINK IT ENDS UP THE VOTERS HAVE FEWER CHOICES IF EVERYBODY IF WE GO THROUGH A, A PRIMARY AND VARIOUS CANDIDATES ARE WEEDED OUT, WEEDED OUT, I DON'T KNOW THAT MAYBE THAT SOUNDS LIKE A HARSH TERM, BUT I JUST I JUST THINK FOR THE CHOICE, THE CHOICES THAT WE NEED TO HAVE, THAT STICKING WITH INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES, I'M NOT ALWAYS AN ADVOCATE OF THE SAYING IF IT IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT. BUT IN THIS CASE, I DEFINITELY AM. I THINK IT'S WORKED WELL FOR US TO NOT HAVE PARTIZAN DESIGNATIONS. AND IN THIS PAST ELECTION, I KNOW THAT THAT THERE WERE SOME CONTROVERSY WITHIN SOME OF THE PARTIES ABOUT THINGS, AND ALSO EVEN TO THE EXTENT THAT ISSUES WERE MADE ABOUT MEMBERS UP HERE OF, YOU KNOW, MAKING PARTIZAN SUPPORT OF DIFFERENT CANDIDATES THAT WAS OUTSIDE OF WHAT PARTY THEY WERE IN. I MEAN, JUST AT SOME LEVEL, IT JUST BECOMES KIND OF SILLY BECAUSE IT REALLY DOESN'T CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT OUR LOCAL CONCERNS ARE. SO I STRONGLY DO URGE YOU TO SEND THIS FORWARD AS A CHARTER CHANGE. THANKS. THANK YOU, DOCTOR KENNETH LEWIS. GOOD EVENING TO ALL PRESENT. YES. GOOD EVENING TO ALL PRESENT. 
          BETTER FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD, I'M DOCTOR KENNETH W LEWIS, 503 MISTLETOE STREET, WARD FIVE, IN THE CITY. AND IF THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORDINANCE IS TO DO AWAY WITH. PARTIZAN ELECTIONS AT THE LEVEL OF CITY COUNCIL AND SCHOOL BOARD AND THAT SORT OF THING, I AM IN COMPLETE FAVOR OF IT. I HOPE IT PASSES. I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT BECAME PARTIZAN FOR EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS, I SERVED ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND AT THAT TIME, IF YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OR IF YOU WERE A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL, YOU DID NOT. IT WAS NOT AN ISSUE OF RUNNING BASED ON A PARTY. YOU SIMPLY RAN BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE CITY. AND SO I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH WHEN IT EVOLVED TO THE ALLEGED PARTIZAN POLITICS. SO IF THIS IS TO PREVENT THAT, I FULLY SUPPORT YOUR VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS ORDINANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. JULIEN GREEN. JULIEN GREEN, AGAIN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MY GOOD FRIEND BOB RUDOLPH. 16 16, 25 1625 I HADN'T CHANGED FROM THE LAST SUMMER. 1625 BLAIR ROAD, MY GOOD FRIEND BOB RUDOLPH AND MY GOOD FRIEND DOCTOR LEWIS. I WAS A PART OF THE 1972 ACT AND COURT CASE THAT WE HAD IN VIRGINIA DEALING WITH PETERSBURG SPECIFICALLY. MANY OF YOU ARE YOUNG AND DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRUCT THAT WE HAD IN REPRESENTATION PRIOR TO THAT TIME. WHY IT BECAME PARTIZAN, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE EQUAL REPRESENTATION OF PEOPLE SERVING ON COUNCIL. YOU MAY HAVE SOMEONE WHO LIVE IN AN AREA THAT'S PREDOMINANTLY ONE GROUP, BUT WHEN IT CAME TIME TO VOTE, THAT GROUP AND RESIDENTS OF THAT WERE EXCLUDED. I GO BACK TO WHAT WE DECIDED IN 1972 THAT WE MAINTAIN THE PARTY AFFILIATION, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO GIVE THE DUE DILIGENCE OF THE CITY AND THE PEOPLE. OUR POPULATION BASE IS, WHAT, 80% AFRICAN AMERICAN? BUT WHEN THE VOTES ARE TAKEN, THOSE 80% ARE NOT THOUGHT OFF. I GO BACK AGAIN TO SAY, UNTIL WE CHANGE AND GET A DIFFERENT MINDSET IN THIS COMMUNITY, THEN 
          [01:30:05]
WE CAN LOOK AT THAT. BUT AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, I'M TELLING YOU WHAT I KNOW WHAT I WAS DEPOSED ON IN THE COURT IN RICHMOND, IN THE FEDERAL COURT. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO DO THAT, BECAUSE WE DON'T GIVE CONCERN FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MARGINALIZED. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT STREAMLINING THINGS. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE REALITY OF THINGS OF WHERE WE ARE NOW. SO WITH THAT, I DISAGREE. AND AT ALL DISPATCH, BECAUSE WHEN IT CAME TIME, WHEN THE VOTE WAS TAKEN AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE SITTING IN THE SEATS THAT YOU ARE TAKING NOW, SITTING NOW, THAT REALITY DIDN'T MANIFEST ITSELF. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. OH, DOCTOR LEWIS, YOU HAD A QUESTION, RIGHT? YOU WANT TO FOLLOW UP ON. YES. KENNETH LEWIS, 503 MISTLETOE STREET, PETERSBURG, WARD FIVE. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A WARD SYSTEM OR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A PARTY POLITICAL SYSTEM? PARTY POLITICAL SYSTEM, LIKE YOU SAID. RIGHT. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS. THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED, VICE MAYOR HILL. 
          YES, I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS. ACTUALLY, I WAS ONE OF TWO COUNCIL PERSONS WHO SAID THAT WE NEED TO GO BACK TO THIS. ALTHOUGH I DID RUN AS A DEMOCRAT, I WAS PROUD TO RUN AS A DEMOCRAT. SO LET ME LET YOU ALL KNOW HOW THIS HAPPENED. WE ARE ALWAYS GETTING OUR SIGNATURES AND EVERYONE WAS RUNNING AS WE NORMALLY WOULD RUN IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WE GOT AN EMAIL OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE RUNNING, GOT AN EMAIL SAYING THAT YOU HAVE TO STATE YOUR PARTY OR YOU COULD STATE YOUR PARTY. SO INDIVIDUALS WERE SCRAMBLING AROUND, INDIVIDUALS WERE TRYING TO GET THEIR SIGNATURES BECAUSE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, IN YOUR WARD, YOU HAVE TO GET 125 SIGNATURES OF, OF THE OF THE OF THE PEOPLE IN YOUR WARD THAT ARE REGISTERED VOTERS. SO SOME WAS GETTING THERE, SOME ALREADY HAD THEIRS, AND THEN THEY HAD TO BE VALIDATED FROM THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE. AND DOING SO I DID SO AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO GO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO HAVE AN ELECTION. WELL, WE DIDN'T, BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WAS RUNNING ALL OF THEM DIDN'T GET THEIRS IN. I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN US BEING NONPARTISAN. SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT CAME TO US FOR US TO RUN AS DEMOCRATIC OR OR REPUBLICAN OR INDEPENDENT. SO I RAN AS THE DEMOCRAT, BUT IT DOES NOT SERVE OUR COMMUNITY WELL, BECAUSE EVEN AT THE POLLS, WHEN YOU GET YOUR BALLOT, YOU GET A SAMPLE BALLOT WITH YOUR WITH YOUR AFFILIATION ON IT. BUT WHEN YOU GO IN THE POLLS, IT'S NOTHING BESIDES YOUR NAME. SO IT'S NOT A D OR A R OR A I BESIDE YOUR NAME. WHEN YOU RUN ON THIS LEVEL, I FEEL LIKE THAT WE WERE PICKED OUT OF A BUNCH OF PEOPLE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE IT IN OUR ORDINANCE THAT WE WERE ALWAYS BE INDEPENDENT. SOME AREAS HEADED IN THEIR ORDINANCE THAT THEY WOULD BE THAT THEY THAT THEY WOULD BE INDEPENDENT. BUT WE DIDN'T. AND I BELIEVE BECAUSE OF SO MUCH. POLITICAL THEATER, IF YOU WILL, THAT WAS ON THE SPOTLIGHT WAS ON PETERSBURG THAT WE WAS PICKED TO RUN LIKE THIS. SO I DID, AND OTHERS WANTED TO, BUT THEY COULDN'T BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T GET THEIR NAME AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO GET THEIR SIGNATURES. SO I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN US RUNNING AS INDEPENDENT BECAUSE I SERVE INDEPENDENTS, I SERVE DEMOCRATS, I SERVE REPUBLICANS, WE ALL DO. WE SERVE PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE AN AFFILIATION ON THIS LEVEL RIGHT HERE. BUT EVERYBODY ALWAYS COME TO US, WHETHER IT'S GOVERNORS, SENATORS AND DELEGATES ALWAYS COME TO US AND WANT US TO ENDORSE THEM. BUT NOBODY WANTS TO ENDORSE US. SO I THINK, IS IT A TIME THAT WE NEED TO STOP ENDORSING PEOPLE? AND THEY NEED AND WE NEED TO JUST, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE NEED THEM. AND I'M TALKING ABOUT STATE OWNED UP. AND MANY TIMES INDIVIDUALS WILL COME HERE, GET OUR VOTES AND THEN WE DON'T SEE THEM ANYMORE UNTIL THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. AT TIMES REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS. AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN A BIG THING. OUR MAYOR AND IF I CAN SAY THIS HAS TAKEN A LOT OF HITS BECAUSE OF HIS POLITICAL, I AIN'T GOING TO SAY POLITICAL BECAUSE OF HIM WORKING FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, HE HAS TAKEN 
          [01:35:04]
A LOT OF HITS. WHY IS YOUR MAYOR ALWAYS WITH THE GOVERNOR? BECAUSE HE'S THE GOVERNOR. 
          BECAUSE HE IS THE GOVERNOR. NOW, WHAT THAT DID, THAT PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON HIM, BUT IT ALSO PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON US FOR SOME, SOME THINGS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THAT WE DIDN'T GO BECAUSE WE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO BE THERE. SO HE WAS TAKING A HIT FOR A LOT OF US. BECAUSE THIS AREA IS PREDOMINANTLY DEMOCRAT, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY. WHEN I WAS GOING AROUND GETTING SIGNATURES AND ALL THAT AND EXCUSE ME, YOU KNOW, I GOT TO GET THIS OUT. 
          PEOPLE WAS ASKING ME MORE ABOUT HIM THAN WHAT THEY WERE ABOUT ME. WE'RE WHERE WE ARE NOW BECAUSE OF THE FRIENDSHIPS AND THE BONDS THAT HE AND THE GOVERNOR, BECAUSE WE'VE NEVER SEEN A GOVERNOR DOWN HERE THIS MUCH. AND I'M NOT. I'M A DEMOCRAT. I'M ON THE BALLOT AS A DEMOCRAT, AND I'VE SERVED UP UNDER OTHER GOVERNORS. BUT I'M JUST SAYING WE SHOULD NOT BE PARTIZAN HERE DUE SOLELY DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT SERVES US NO GOOD. NOW, IF MY NAME WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THERE WITH A D BESIDE IT, I WOULD HAVE SAID, YEAH, LET'S GO, LET'S DO IT. BUT NO, WHEN YOU WENT TO THE POLLS, YOU LOOK AT MY NAME. IT WAS NOTHING BESIDE IT. I HAD TO SPEND MONEY I HAD TO MISS MEET WITH MISS JACKIE, WHO'S SITTING ON THE FRONT. RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WILL. AND SHE HAD TO CHECK OFF ALL MY STUFF, AND I HAD TO TAKE MONEY DOWN THERE TO POUR TO THE TREASURER AND EVERYBODY AND ALL THAT. AND THEN WHEN IT CAME TIME TO VOTE, THERE'S NOT A D BESIDE MY NAME. AND STRANGELY, IT WAS ONLY THE CITY COUNCIL THAT WAS PICKED. NOT THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT THE CITY COUNCIL, NOT HOPEWELL, NOT DINWIDDIE, NOT COLONIAL HEIGHTS, BUT PETERSBURG. ASK YOURSELF WHY. ASK YOURSELF WHY. SO WE'RE NOT ABOUT TO POP. WE'RE ABOUT WORKING WITH ANYBODY WHO'S GOING TO HELP US WITH THE LATE, GREAT MCEACHIN. SAY TO YOU, MISTER MAYOR, BEFORE HE PASSED, HE SAYS, IF THE GOVERNOR IS WILLING TO HELP YOUR CITY, YOU WORK WITH THAT, GOVERNOR. DON'T PLAY THAT THAT PARTIZAN POLITICS THAT THEY WANT TO KEEP YOU IN A BOX AND NOT HAVE YOU WORK WITH ANYBODY TO. IT CREATES DISCOURSE AMONGST THE PARTY. BUT WE ARE HERE TO SERVE OUR CITY, NOT TO SERVE THE PARTY. AND WE HAVE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR CITIZENS HERE. AND WE HAVE ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE HERE FROM DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN, INDEPENDENTS. SO, SO IT'S JUST NOT FAIR. AND WHOEVER IS, IS, IS WILLING TO HELP. HE SAYS. YOU ALWAYS STICK WITH WHOEVER IS IN THE POWER SEAT WHO CAN HELP YOUR LOCALITY. AND THERE WAS SOME, SOME, SOME WORDS OF WISDOM BEFORE, RIGHT BEFORE HE PASSED, WHEN THE DEMOCRAT PARTY WAS HAVING A LOT OF HEARTBURN OVER THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, WORKING WITH SOMEBODY OUTSIDE OF THEIR PARTY LINES THAT THEY USED TO WORKING WITH. SO IT'S BEEN BENEFICIAL FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND, AND, AND, AND I'M OKAY WITH TAKING THE HITS. HOW ABOUT THAT TOO? YEAH, BUT IT'S NOT FAIR. IT'S NOT FAIR. 
          AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT THIS MAN HAS TAKEN A LOT OF HITS FOR ALL OF US. SO WITH THAT, I YIELD MY TIME. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THIS MOTION, BUT I THINK COUNCILMAN JONES WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES. YES, SIR. I'M A BIT OF A JOKESTER UP HERE SOMETIMES, BECAUSE, MR. MAYOR, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, WHEN THEY ASK YOU WHAT THE LATE, GREAT MCEACHIN SAID, YOU SAID BEFORE HE PASSED, I WOULD HOPE SO. I KNOW HE AIN'T SAY NOTHING TO YOU AFTER HE PASSED. THAT'S RIGHT. BEFORE HE PASSED. THAT'S RIGHT. SO. BUT ON A SERIOUS NOTE. MR. VICE MAYOR, YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY? I TELL YOU WHY. I TELL ALL OF YOU WHY? GANG MENTALITY. TO EASE A TAKEOVER. THE BIG PAYBACK. PETERSBURG BECAME INDEPENDENT JANUARY 1850. 
          AND WHAT THAT INDEPENDENCE WOULD MEAN IS THAT EACH AND EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU GOT A MIND OF YOUR OWN. WE DON'T NEED NO DEMOCRATS OR NO REPUBLICANS OR NO NOBODY ELSE COMING HERE TELLING Y'ALL HOW TO MAKE UP YOUR MIND. IT'S YOUR MIND NOW. WE FROM THE TOP ON DOWN TO GOVERNOR'S OFFICE. 
          SENATORS, DELEGATES, ANYBODY. COUNCIL TEACHERS, EVERYBODY. COMMUNITY. WE'VE DONE A POOR JOB OF EDUCATING. EVERYBODY. AND THIS IS WHY THEY WANT TO COME IN HERE AND TAKE IT OVER. THIS IS WHY THEY SAY, I WANT YOU TO SAY YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT OR A REPUBLICAN, BECAUSE WE JUST HAD AN ELECTION AND THESE GUYS HAD TO PUT THEIR NAME ON WHETHER THEY WERE DEMOCRATIC, DEMOCRAT 
          [01:40:02]
OR REPUBLICAN. AND THE RACE STILL WAS CLOSE. FOR SOME OF THEM, IT WAS A TEST DUMMY MOVE, IS WHAT IT WAS. SO WE SITTING HERE. BEING BULLIED. BUT THIS MOVE RIGHT HERE IS DO NOT WE WANT TO SEND A MESSAGE. WE WILL NOT BE BULLIED. WE ARE PETERSBURG. AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM MAY NOT LIKE WHAT THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM LIKE. AND THAT SIDE MAY NOT LIKE WHAT THIS SIDE LIKE. BUT WE DO OUR BEST TO COME INTO A MEDIUM TO PLEASE EVERYBODY. 
          THAT'S IT. LISTEN, $400 EVERY TWO WEEKS AIN'T WORTH WHAT WE GOT TO GO THROUGH, TRUST ME. BUT WE DO IT BECAUSE WE LOVE IT. AND WE GOT THE POWER TO MAKE CHANGE FOR EVERY INDEPENDENT VOICE IN HERE. THAT'S WHY WE DO IT. SO WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS THING. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THIS THING, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE IT, AND WE'RE GOING TO TELL EVERYBODY ON THE OUTSIDE OF PETERSBURG, BECAUSE I'M TIRED OF PEOPLE ON THE OUTSIDE TRYING TO TELL Y'ALL HOW TO LIVE ON THE INSIDE. SEE, A PERSON CAN'T HEAL FROM THE OUTSIDE. YOU GOT TO HEAR FROM THE INSIDE. SAME THING AS A CITY YOU CANNOT HEAL. WE CAN'T HEAL FROM THE OUTSIDE. WE CAN'T HEAL FROM OUTSIDE. VOICES. WE GOT TO HEAL FROM THE INSIDE. AND THAT'S EVERYBODY. COMMUNITY. Y'ALL HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS WELL. LET'S TAKE OUR EDUCATION. THOSE WHO ARE EDUCATED, WHO ARE EDUCATED AND LET'S PUT IT TO GOOD USE. 
          INSTEAD OF JUST SAYING WE GOT ONE, LET'S LET IT BENEFIT EVERYBODY SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE CAN IDENTIFY THE SHARKS AND THE SNAKES AND THE GANG MENTALITY THAT WANT TO COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND DIVIDE AND CONQUER. WE WON'T HAVE IT WITH PETERSBURG. WE'RE ON THE RISE. I AIN'T THINK ABOUT NO BROWN AND WILLIAMSON. I HEAR THE COUNCILMAN SAY THAT WAS THE COUNCIL OF THEN. WE'RE NOT GOING TO LIVE LIKE THAT COUNCIL DID. WE'RE NOT GOING TO RUN STUFF AWAY. WE'RE GOING TO BRING IT HERE AND DAMN IT, WE'RE GOING TO LIVE THE GOOD LIFE. EVERYBODY. 
          THE BOTTOM RAIL AND THE TOP RAIL. THAT'S ALL I GOT. ALL RIGHT, VICE MAYOR HILL, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE CITY'S CHARTER TO ADD A SECTION 2-1.2 TO PROVIDE THE NONPARTISAN ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF COUNCIL LIKE COUNCILMAN JONES. I CERTAINLY SECOND. ALL RIGHT. MOTION TO SECOND AT THIS TIME. 
          MISS HILL, WOULD 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. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT, WE HAVE ITEM F, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND. CHAPTER THREE, DASH 16 OF THE CITY CHARTER CONCERNING THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COLLECTOR OF TAXES. MR. WILLIAMS. MR. WILLIAMS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN REPORT UP HERE. YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? YES, SIR. I DON'T NEED HIM. DON'T MAKE HIM FALL. OF COURSE. MY FORMER MUSICIAN SELF LIKES THE GRANDSTANDING OPPORTUNITY HERE TO GET IN FRONT OF YOU. BUT THIS IS ANOTHER REQUEST OF CITY COUNCIL, AND IT'S IN REGARD TO THE COLLECTOR OF TAXES. IT ENABLES THE CHARTER TO BE AMENDED TO ENABLE HIM TO CONDUCT BANK RECONCILIATIONS. THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF SPECULATION REGARDING THIS, AND I JUST WANTED TO ELABORATE ON. SO IF YOU MAY RECALL, BACK IN JUNE, CITY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A MOU WITH THE TREASURER. AT THAT TIME, THE MANAGER HAD PRESENTED TO COUNCIL THAT WE'VE BEEN SPENDING $300,000 A YEAR TO SUPPLEMENT STAFF OF THE TREASURER TO ENABLE TO ASSIST IN GETTING THESE BANK RECONCILIATIONS DONE THAT ENABLE THE CITY TO GET ITS CAFR IN ON TIME AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THINGS WE HAVEN'T DONE IN YEARS, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY DO THAT. AND SO THE MANAGER PROPOSED, WELL, IF WE ARE GOING TO PAY THAT MUCH MONEY, WHY DON'T WE JUST START DOING IT IN-HOUSE AND SAVE OURSELVES, YOU KNOW, $280,000? AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WHAT HE DID AND I SAY 280 INSTEAD OF 300,000, BECAUSE PART OF THE DEAL IN IN EXCHANGING THE CITY, TAKING OVER THIS WORK FOR THE TREASURER IS THAT HE DID GET A PAY INCREASE TO ENABLE US TO WORK MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH HIM. 
          AND SO AT A SAVINGS OF $280,000, WHAT WE HOPE TO DO THROUGH THIS ORDINANCE IS ENABLE US TO MEMORIALIZE THAT FOR FUTURE TREASURES THAT MAY COME IN SO THE CITY CAN CONTINUE TO PERFORM THAT WORK AND ENSURE THAT OUR FINANCIALS ARE PROPERLY RECONCILED ANNUALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME. I THINK WE PROBABLY HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS TREASURER THAN WE HAD IN THE PAST, BECAUSE HE IS TRYING TO WORK WITH US ON THIS, AND I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE A BENEFICIAL THING IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS PASSED. SO THIS ORDINANCE JUST ENABLES YOU, AGAIN, TO GO TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND AMEND OUR CHARTER TO MEMORIALIZE WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING HERE IN PETERSBURG. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. WILLIAMS. SO NOW OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER THREE, DASH 16 OF THE 
          [01:45:01]
CITY CHARTER CONCERNING THE POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COLLECTOR OF TAXES, AS RUDOLF. 
          BARB RUDOLF, 1675, MOUNT VERNON STREET. I'M A LITTLE BIT RELUCTANT TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT IT, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT WHAT I JUST HEARD WAS KIND OF A PREEMPTIVE STRIKE, BUT IT WAS INTERESTING THAT MR. WILLIAMS SAID, TALKED ABOUT THE GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE TREASURER. I'VE HEARD SOME OF YOU UP THERE ATTACK THE TREASURER BRINGING QUESTIONS AND THEN LIKE HE BASICALLY SETTING HIM UP AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO ASK HIM ABOUT THINGS THAT HAD HE INVESTED CERTAIN THINGS. I MEAN, I CAN'T GO I CAN'T TELL YOU OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD WHEN THAT MEETING WAS. BUT I'M SURE SOME OF YOU REMEMBER IT. IT WAS EVEN TALKED ABOUT IN THE PROGRESS INDEX. SO I THINK THE INTENT, THE INTENT BEHIND THIS, WHICH IS TO IMPROVE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PERFORMANCE AND GET THE RECONCILIATIONS DONE TIMELY, IS EXCELLENT. AND I COMMEND THE FINANCE STAFF FOR WHATEVER HAPPENED. SO WE'RE GETTING THE ACHEFER DONE ON TIME THIS YEAR. I MEAN, CLEARLY THE LACK OF RECONCILIATIONS, TIMELY RECONCILIATIONS IN THE PAST WAS AN IMPEDIMENT TO GETTING THE REPORTS DONE ON TIME. SO THE CHANGES MADE ARE EXCELLENT. I THINK MR. WILLIAMS ALSO KIND OF OVERSIMPLIFIED THE PLUSES AND MINUSES OF THE MONEY. BUT I MEAN, THE BASIC POINT REMAINS THAT YOU WERE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY CONTRACTING WITH PRE-AUDIT FIRMS, AND NOW YOU BROUGHT IT IN HOUSE. THERE WAS A BIG INCREASE IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET BETWEEN 24 AND 25. BUT THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER DECREASE. THERE WAS A DECREASE IN THE ANOTHER PART OF THE BUDGET WHERE THE AUDITORS WERE CONTRACTED. SO IT'S JUST NOT QUITE AS SIMPLE AS DESCRIBED. BUT IT DID IT DID HAVE THAT IMPACT. I THINK. I THINK WHEN THIS GOES TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IF IT GOES TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, IT'LL BE PERCEIVED THERE. AND BY TREASURERS IN OTHER LOCALITIES AS A DECREASE IN THE PETERSBURG TREASURER'S RESPONSIBILITIES. 
          THAT'S HOW IT'S WORDED NOW. IN FACT, THE TREASURER NOBODY HAS GOTTEN THIS DONE AS A TREASURER SINCE, BASICALLY SINCE KEVIN BROWN, BECAUSE EARLY IN THE TENURE OF KEN PRITCHETT, THE PERSON WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING RECONCILIATIONS LEFT. AND EVER SINCE THEN, IT'S BEEN A TUG OF WAR BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THE TREASURER. AND IT'S BEEN ACRIMONIOUS AT TIMES. AND YOU ALL TRIED TO CHANGE THE CHARTER. I THINK IT WAS BACK IN 2019, AND THAT FAILED AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. SO MY CONCERN IS THE APPEARANCE OF THIS. THE APPEARANCE IS THAT DUTIES ARE BEING DIMINISHED FOR THE TREASURER, AND THE TREASURER IS BASICALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, HE'S BEING PAID PART OF PART OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOU. 
          AND IT'S EMPHASIZED IN THREE DIFFERENT PARAGRAPHS THAT HE'S GOING TO GO TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE CHARTER CHANGE. AND BASICALLY, IF HE DOESN'T SPEAK IN FAVOR OF IT OR SOMEHOW SCUTTLES IT OR SEEMS TO NOT BE TOTALLY SUPPORTIVE, THEN THAT COULD BE SEEN AS A BREACH OF CONTRACT, DOESN'T DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT'S GOING TO MEAN HIS HIS SALARY INCREASE IS WITHDRAWN. I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT I JUST I DON'T THINK IT'S AS AS SIMPLE AND CLEAN AS IT'S THE WAY IT'S BEING DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF HOW IT MIGHT BE PERCEIVED EXTERNALLY. AGAIN, I THINK THE OVERALL THE OVERALL INTENTION OF HAVING EVERYBODY COLLABORATE AND GET THE RECONCILIATIONS DONE ON TIME IS EXCELLENT. I JUST I'M JUST I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY THIS HAS BEEN DONE. AND I DON'T THINK I REALLY DON'T THINK IT'S RTD FRONT PAGE MATERIAL IN MY OPINION. THANKS. OKAY. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT I GO TO DISCUSSION OR MOTION FROM COUNCIL. VICE MAYOR HILL. I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER THREE, DASH 16 OF THE CITY CHARTER CONCERNING THE POWER ANDUTIES OF THE COLLECTORS OF TAXES. RIGHT. COUNCILMAN MYERS, SECOND. MOTION TO SECOND. AT THIS TIME, MISS HILL, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIED. NEXT IS ITEM G, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF APPROPRIATION. GRANT FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR MAIN STREET PROGRAM. MISS WILLIAMS, GOOD EVENING. GOOD 
          [01:50:04]
EVENING. MAYOR COUNCIL. THIS IS FOR YOU TO ACCEPT A $435,000 GRANT THAT THE CITY RECEIVED FROM DHCD FOR THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM, AS WELL AS A RESOLUTION THAT WE WILL BE WORKING WITH MAIN STREET. THIS WILL COVER A CITYWIDE WAYFINDING PLAN. FACADE ASSESSMENTS, AND LANDSCAPING. 
          ALL RIGHT. I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON CONSIDERATION OF THE APPROPRIATION GRANT FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM. RIGHT. SEEING NO HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. VICE MAYOR HILL. I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE APPROPRIATION GRANT FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. MAIN STREET PROGRAM. COUNCILMAN. WESTBROOK. SECOND, HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND. ANY QUESTION? QUESTION? YES, I HAVE A QUESTION, COUNCILMAN JONES. 
          WELL, IT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION, BUT IT'S A STATEMENT TO MISS JOANNE AND TO THE CITY MANAGER. YOU'VE BEEN GETTING QUITE A FEW OF THESE GRANTS, AND THAT'S GREAT WORK. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY TO EVERYBODY UP HERE, CAN WE CONSIDER GETTING HER A TEAM TO DO WHAT SHE'S DOING? BECAUSE IF WE HAD ONE CENTRAL LOCATION OR DEPARTMENT THAT DOES GRANTS FOR EVERYBODY, FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND YOU CAN YOU CAN JUST GET SO MUCH MORE IF WE GET HER A TEAM, YOU KNOW, AND I EXPECT US TO HAVE A TEAM IN A DEPARTMENT HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR SO WE CAN HAVE GRANTS FOR OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE DEPARTMENT AND ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT, PARKS AND REC, EVERYBODY. YOU KNOW, WE NEED A TEAM OF GRANT WRITERS. AND BECAUSE YOU CAN DO IT SO WELL, YOU CAN DIRECT IT, YOU KNOW. BUT WE NEED THAT TEAM. THAT'S I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, MAN, BECAUSE THERE'S ONE AND TWO AND THREE AND FOUR OF THESE GRANTS IS OKAY. BUT IMAGINE IF WE'RE GETTING 10 OR 15 OF THEM A MONTH, YOU KNOW. SO, MR. CITY MANAGER, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? WELL, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT MISS WILLIAMS WORK OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAS BROUGHT IN A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUNDING TO THE CITY, PRIMARILY IN THE ARENA OF POOR CREEK AND ALL THE FUNDING THERE. AND YES, THIS IS A TOPIC THAT MISS WILLIAMS AND I HAVE DISCUSSED AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH AND WHAT WE CAN BRING FORWARD AS PART OF THE BUDGET TO GET SOME HELP THERE. WE'VE GOT OVERCOME HER TENDENCY TO BE A LITTLE MICROMANAGING A LITTLE BIT, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, YEAH, SHE SHE LIKES SHE'S VERY PARTICULAR. THOSE OF YOU THAT WORK WITH HER, SHE'S VERY PARTICULAR BUT IS VERY GOOD THAT SHE'S VERY PARTICULAR. SO WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING HER A TEAM BECAUSE HER PURVIEW IS NOT JUST THE GRANTS PIECE. WE DEAL WITH TOURISM, WE DEAL WITH LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS. SO HOW CAN WE SUPPLEMENT THOSE THINGS AND GET THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN FOR HER TO FREE HER UP, TO DO SOME MORE THINGS FOR US? SO WE'RE WE'RE HAVING THAT DISCUSSION AND WE'VE BEEN HAVING THAT DISCUSSION, I THINK, SINCE WE WERE DRIVING UP AND DOWN THE ROAD AND EARLY THIS YEAR AND GOING BACK AND FORTH TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. SO WE ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY WE DO HAVE A TEAM. IT'S NOT JUST ME. NAOMI WORKS HARD ON GRANTS. WE HAVE PUBLIC WORKS. WE HAVE I CAN I CAN DO THE BASIC OF PRESENTING THE STORY OF PETERSBURG AND THE BASIC PART OF THE GRANT, BUT WE HAVE AN ENGINEERING TEAM THAT THEY REALLY HAVE TO GET IN AND DO THE DETAILS. SO WE HAVE A TEAM EFFORT RIGHT NOW ON THIS. SO WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A TEAM EFFORT. I'M TALKING ABOUT A GRANT WRITING TEAM. AND SINCE YOU SINCE YOU SAID YOU GOT A TEAM, I EXPECT MORE GRANTS THAN FROM ALL OF Y'ALL THAT SHE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, SO YOU SAID IT. SO LET'S DO THAT. THAT TEAM EFFORT BECAUSE WE GOT A TEAM. NOW I TRY TO GET YOU SOME MORE PEOPLE BUT YOU ALREADY GOT THEM. NO WE CAN WE CAN USE MORE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY PROJECT MANAGERS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST GETTING THE GRANT. IT IS THEN IMPLEMENTING THE GRANT. AND THESE ARE NOT EASY. AND I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN THIS. A LOT OF CITIZENS AND GENERAL PUBLIC, THEY BELIEVE THAT WE APPLY FOR A GRANT AND THEN WE'RE SENT A CHUNK OF MONEY. NO WAY. THESE GRANTS ARE TOTALLY REIMBURSED AS WE SPEND THE MONEY. SO THERE IS A LOT OF PAPERWORK AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITH THESE GRANTS. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I WANT TO FOCUS ON GETTING THEM GRANTS FOR ALL THESE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT NEED THEM. AND YOU CAN DISSEMINATE THAT. YOU CAN DELEGATE THAT TO NAOMI AND, AND THE AND THE ENGINEER AND EVERYBODY ELSE. BUT LET'S FOCUS ON GETTING THE TEAM TO GET THOSE GRANTS. AND YOU GOT PEOPLE IN PLACE WHO COULD USE THAT MONEY, AND YOU CAN DISSEMINATE IT LIKE THAT. SO, SO JUST LET ME GET YOU SOME PEOPLE, OKAY? THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YEAH I DON'T KNOW JOANNE. JOANNE. SHE, SHE WORK IN THE 
          [01:55:06]
FISHBOWL THERE. SO SHE Y'ALL KNOW HOW SHE IS. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND AT THIS TIME IS HERE. WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          SMITH. LEE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PARHAM. AYE. MOTION. ALL RIGHT. NEXT MOVE ON TO ITEM 
          [10. Public Information Period]
TEN, WHICH IS A PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD. PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD. LIMITED TIME TO 30 MINUTES SHOULD BE PART OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. EACH SPEAKER SHOULD BE A RESIDENT OR BUSINESS OWNER OF THE CITY, AND SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. NO SPEAKER WILL BE PERMITTED TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEMS SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION ON A REGULAR DOCKET OF THE MEETING AT WHICH THE SPEAKER IS TO SPEAK. THE ORDER OF THE SPEAKER IS LIMITED BY THE 30 MINUTE TIME PERIOD SHALL BE DETERMINED AS FOLLOWS. IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE NOTICE PERSON. NOTIFIED THE CLERK NO LATER THAN 12:00 NOON OF THE DAY OF THE MEETING. 
          SECOND, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE SIGNED UP 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. FIRST, WE'LL START OFF WITH MR. LEONARD CURRY. 
          MR. MAYOR COUNCIL, MY NAME IS LEONARD CURRY. I LIVE AT 2014 WOODLAND ROAD IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. MY ISSUE IS ON DATA CENTER. THE CITY COUNCIL HAS SET A JANUARY DATE TO CONSIDER LEGISLATION TO ALLOW A DATA CENTER TO SET UP OPERATIONS ON A 74 ACRE SITE AT 2255 JAMESTOWN DRIVE, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCILMAN MYERS FOR HIS MOTION TO DEFER AT THE LAST MEETING, TO DEFER THE ISSUE UNTIL JANUARY. SINCE THAT TIME, SINCE THAT LAST MEETING, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON DATA CENTERS. SO WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS NOT IS NOT MY OPINION. IT'S WHAT I FOUND THROUGH MY INDEPENDENT RESEARCH. DATA CENTERS GENERATE HIGH REVENUE, SO IT'S A REAL SOMETHING THAT CITIES LIKE OR COUNTIES, WHATEVER IT MAY BE, WOULD LIKE TO HAVE NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND MIT HAVE STUDIES THAT FOUND DATA CENTERS GENERATE LOTS OF MONEY FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR EVERY $1 IN SERVICES, THEY DELIVER BETWEEN 13 AND $21 IN TAXES. SO IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR THIS CITY TO HAVE HAVE HAVE ONE. BY CONTRAST, THE AVERAGE FAMILY CONTRIBUTES $1 IN TAXES AND TAKES $2 IN BENEFITS. SO WE LOSE ON FAMILIES AND WE MAKE BIG TIME ON DATA CENTERS. SO IT'S AN ATTRACTIVE SOURCE OF REVENUE. BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME NEGATIVE FACTORS TO CONSIDER. AND CENTER CENTERS GENERATE LOTS OF SOUND. IN FACT, THE RESEARCH THAT I DID FOUND THAT THE AVERAGE SOUND IS THAT OF A JET PLANE TAKING OFF. AND IT'S ALSO 24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR. AND THIS CITY HAS NO, NO NOISE ORDINANCE, SO WE CAN'T STOP THEIR SOUND. WHAT WILL BE THE IMPACT? THE MIT STUDY ALSO FINDS THAT DATA CENTERS CONSUME AS MUCH WATER AS A CITY OF 30,000 PEOPLE. SO DOES OUR. DO WE HAVE THE SUPPLY? THE WATER SUPPLY TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE HAVE TO PROVIDE. IF THE DATA CENTER COMES HERE. THE MIT STUDY FOUND THAT DATA CENTERS ALSO DEMAND WASTEWATER TREATMENT. AND SO THAT WOULD DOUBLE OUR DEMAND. OUR CAPACITY FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT. PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY AND FAIRFAX COUNTY HAVE ADOPTED REGULATIONS DEALING WITH WITH DATA CENTERS, AND IT MIGHT PAY US TO CONSULT WITH THEM TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY DID. THEY HAD PROBLEMS. THEY HAD CITIZENS OUTRAGED OVER THE SOUND PUBLIC DEMONSTRATIONS. WE WANT TO AVOID THAT. SO WHY DON'T WE CHECK OUT WITH FAIRFAX AND PRINCE WILLIAM TO FIND OUT WHAT THEIR PROBLEMS WERE AND HOW THEY RESOLVED THEM? SO THAT'S MY QUESTION. HAS THE CITY DONE RESEARCH TO FEEL SECURE IN ALLOWING A DATA CENTER, AND HAS THE CITY DONE ENOUGH TO SAFEGUARD CITIZENS FROM ANY NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE DATA CENTER? AND THAT'S MY QUESTION. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. NEXT, MISS BARB RUDOLPH. BARB RUDOLPH, 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I'M SORRY I MISSED THE LAST MEETING AND I REGRET THAT, BUT WHAT I ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS I GOT FROM WATCHING IT OR LISTENING TO IT WAS THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION, A COUPLE CONVERSATIONS THAT WENT ON AT THE HEAD TABLE DURING THE 
          [02:00:02]
MEETING ABOUT ABOUT CITIZEN COMMENTS. AND I GUESS I'LL PUT IT KIND OF IN A CHRISTMAS DESCRIPTION. YOU KNOW, THERE WERE NAUGHTY CITIZENS AND NICE CITIZENS. I MEAN, WE WERE THAT WAS DIVIDED UP. I MEAN, IT WAS THERE WAS CONCERN EVINCED THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S JUST TOO IT'S TOO ROUGH AND READY AND VERY AND, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO BRING UP DIFFICULT ISSUES WERE, WASN'T REALLY WELCOMED. AND THAT'S A CONCERN TO ME. AND I WAS GOING TO COME IN HERE AND TALK ABOUT THAT SOME MORE TONIGHT AND MAYBE TRY TO COME UP WITH SOME HYPOTHETICALS THAT MAYBE WOULD MAKE YOU THINK ABOUT IT. BUT I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO SET THAT ASIDE AND COME BACK WITH THAT NEXT YEAR, BECAUSE I THINK I HAVE SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE TO SUGGEST, BUT I NEED TO BRING SOMETHING WITH ME TO SHOW YOU, TO SHOW YOU ALL OR SHARE WITH YOU. SO AT LEAST GIVE YOU FOOD FOR THOUGHT ABOUT MAYBE LOOKING AT IT DIFFERENTLY. SO THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF SOMETHING FOR I HOPE THAT YOU'LL THINK ABOUT OVER THE HOLIDAYS AND INTO THE NEW YEAR, BECAUSE WE ALL WANT TO WE ALL WANT TO CONTRIBUTE. AND SOMETIMES CONTRIBUTIONS ARE JUST STRICTLY PRAISED. SOMETIMES THEY ARE ASKING QUESTIONS AND DIFFICULT QUESTIONS. BUT STILL, WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GOALS IN MIND, WHICH IS TO MAKE THE CITY BETTER. AND I'M JUST GOING TO ADD ON AN UNRELATED NOTE, I WANT TO I THINK HE'S LEFT, BUT I WANT TO COMMEND WAYNE CROCKER, OUR LIBRARIAN. HE IS AN OUTSTANDING PERSON TO WORK WITH. SEVERAL OF US HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BRING A CHRISTMAS TREE DISPLAY TO THE LIBRARY AS JUST A PLACE THAT NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND SCHOOLS CAN DISPLAY THEIR TREES, AND HE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE ACCOMMODATING AND WELCOMING AND HELPFUL. PLUS, I THE WHOLE LIBRARY IS DECORATED IN AN OUTSTANDING WAY AND I THINK DOES CREDIT TO THE CITY. YOU SHOULD ALL YOU ALL SHOULD LOOK AT IT FROM THE ENTRYWAY, THROUGHOUT ALL THE ROOMS. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK KEN PRITCHETT, THE SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR, WHO WAS ALSO JUMPED RIGHT IN WITH VERY LITTLE TIME TO RESPOND AND GOT THE SCHOOLS INTERESTED IN CREATING OR PUTTING TOGETHER TREES TO BRING HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE. AND THEY ARE ALL OUTSTANDING. BUT ONE OF ONE OF THEM IS PARTICULARLY NOTEWORTHY FROM PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL. AND IT'S NOW IN THE LIBRARY RIGHT BY THE STAIRWAY. SO IF YOU GO INTO THE LIBRARY, LOOK FOR THAT ONE, GO INTO THE CHILDREN'S AREA AND LOOK AT WHAT'S IN THERE TOO. THERE'S SOME BEAUTIES, AND I THINK, I HOPE THAT IT WILL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE AND MAKE THAT A TRADITION FOR THE SCHOOLS. 
          THANKS. THANK YOU. NEXT, MISS PAULA CHESTER. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY CONCERN IS I'M REQUESTING CONSIDERATION FROM YOU ALL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN DO SOME FACIAL CLEARANCE ON THE BUILDINGS ON SOUTH SYCAMORE, NOT NORTH SYCAMORE STREET. I THINK IT'S ABOUT TIME TO DO SOME POWER WASHING. THERE ARE MANY BUILDINGS ON THAT STREET THAT HAS MOLD BUILD UP FOR MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS AND IT'S AN EYESORE. SO I WAS HOPING MAYBE THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER PUTTING THAT AS BEING A PRIORITY NEXT YEAR. GETTING THOSE BUILDINGS POWER WASHED. ALSO, EVEN THOUGH THE CONCRETE SIDEWALKS ARE BROKEN IN SOME AREAS, POWER WASH, THAT WOULD MAKE US A STATEMENT ALSO THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. AND WHAT ABOUT THE PLANTING OF THE TREES THAT WAS TAKEN DOWN SO MANY YEARS BACK THAT ARE JUST EMPTY SQUARES OF SOIL? WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR US REPLANTING THOSE TREES? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF VISION FOR THE FUTURE? I THINK THAT WOULD ALSO BRING ATTRACTIONS AND MAKE A STATEMENT TO THE PEOPLE. AND MY LAST, MY LAST CONCERN, IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PLANT TREES, WHAT ABOUT STRAWBERRY BUSHES? AND KEPT THAT? THEY BE KEPT UP AND TRIMMED AND KEPT TO LOOK BEAUTIFUL. SO IT'S TIME FOR SOME FACELIFT ON ON SYCAMORE STREET. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. 
          NEXT, MISS BOBBY BEVERLY. 
          GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. I'M BOBBY BEVERLY. I RESIDE AT 2305 DUNDEE DRIVE. ON NOVEMBER THE 
          [02:05:07]
19TH, 2024, AN INCIDENT OCCURRED HERE AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY THAT MANY OF YOU ARE NOT AWARE OF. 
          THE EPICENTER OF THIS SITUATION IS THE ONE WHO SITS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNCIL. FOLLOWING THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING, THE MAYOR, WHO WAS FLANKED BY TWO POLICE OFFICERS, EXITED THE LIBRARY AND ADVANCED TOWARDS ME. IT MUST BE STATED THAT THE TWO OFFICERS WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL, AND THE CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG AND CHIEF CHRISTIAN CAN BE PROUD OF THEM. BUT THE ARROGANT, NARCISSISTIC MAYOR DISGRACED HIMSELF YET AGAIN. IT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME LUCIDLY THAT MY INCIDENT HAS BEEN A CONTINUING PATTERN OF INTIMIDATION AND ATTEMPTS TO INCITE CONSTITUENTS TO INSULT ASSAULT HIM. THUS, A CHARGE IS RENDERED TO THE VICTIM INSTEAD OF THE VICTIMIZER. ON THE DAY IN QUESTION, THE MAYOR APPROACHED ME WITH A HIDEOUS SMILE UPON HIS FACE AND TOWERED OVER ME. HE BEGAN TO TAUNT ME AND POINTED HIS FINGER DOWN AT ME. IN ADDITION TO THIS, HE ATTACKED MY PROFESSION AND EDUCATION BY STATING, I QUOTE, YOU ARE A FAKE. A HISTORIAN, UNQUOTE. I EQUALLY MATCHED HIS ENERGY WITH THE SAME PHRASE, BUT REPLACED THE WORD HISTORIAN WITH THE WORD MAYOR. IT WAS DIFFICULT USING THE WORD MAYOR IN THIS INSTANCE. THE TWO OFFICERS WATCHED IN AMAZEMENT AS THE MAYOR BELITTLED HIMSELF. HE EVEN HAD THE AUDACITY TO SLAM MY CAR DOOR AND TOLD ME I COULDN'T GET OUT OF MY CAR. I THEN DROVE OFF TO ESCAPE THE BULLISH ATMOSPHERE. WHEN COMPARING MY EDUCATION TO HIS POSITION OF MAYOR, THERE IS NO COMPARISON. 
          MY BIO READS AS FOLLOWS TWO DEGREES IN HISTORY. BOTH THE MASTERS AND BACHELORS. MY THESIS RESEARCH WAS ON HANNIBAL HAMLIN, FOR WHICH HE IS CLUELESS OF ONE PUBLISHED BOOK. AND LASTLY, 46 YEARS OF STUDYING IN MY DISCIPLINE. HE WAS SELECTED BY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS AND NOT THE CITIZENS OF PETERSBURG. HIS MISCONDUCT IS REASON FOR THOSE OF HIS WARD TO SIGN A PETITION TO REMOVE HIM EXPEDITIOUSLY FROM HIS SEAT AND APPOINT SOMEONE COMPETENT, TRANSPARENT AND LASTLY, LEVEL HEADED. BAD LEADERSHIP IS OBVIOUS IN THE CITY. WORST SCHOOLS IN THE STATE, A CASINO THAT WILL ENRICH THE RICH AND KEEP THOSE IMPOVERISHED. AND THERE'S A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT THE FACES OF COUNCIL WILL CHANGE. AS A CHILD IN PETERSBURG DURING THE 1960S AND 70S, I RECALL THIS PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH WAS SLOW. TODAY. THAT'S NOW PEOPLE OF THE SOUTH ARE SLOWER. LET'S CHANGE THAT BY REMOVING THE MAYOR BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY, AND THE OTHERS BEFORE THE CITIZENS TO HAVE HONEST REPRESENTATION FOR ALL CITIZENS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT PERSON IS PAULA CHESTER. CHARLIE SPOKE. OKAY. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. 
          AT THIS TIME. THAT'S IT. BUSINESS AND REPORTS FROM THE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. 
          [11. Business or reports from the Mayor or other Members of City Council]
WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN CUTLER. THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. TWO THINGS I WANT TO COMMENT ON BRIEFLY. ONE, I HAD A WARD FOUR MEETING. SINCE WE LAST MET AS A COUNCIL. I THINK IT WAS DECEMBER 4TH, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE NIGHTCLUB ORDINANCE. AS PROPOSED. THE CITY MANAGER WAS THERE, AND MR. ODMARK WAS THERE. MR. MARKS ASSISTANT. MR. CRUZ WAS THERE, AND EVERYONE ON THE CITY STAFF WHO SPOKE SPOKE WELL AND HELPED TO DISPEL MISUNDERSTANDINGS. AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY HELPFUL MEETING FOR THAT REASON. AND I THINK FOR THAT REASON THERE WAS THIS WAS NOT A CONTROVERSIAL PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE HAD TONIGHT ON THE NIGHTCLUB ORDINANCE, AND I THANK STAFF FOR THAT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY CONSTRUCTIVE. AND THERE'S NOTHING LIKE DISPELLING RUMORS AND LOOKING AT THE FACTS. AND WE DID THAT AT THAT WARD MEETING, AND I WAS PLEASED. THE OTHER THING I WANT TO THANK THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ADMINISTRATION IN GENERAL FOR THE STREET SWEEPER THAT I HAVE SEEN ON THE STREET, I LOVE TO HEAR IT GOING BY MY HOUSE. I 
          [02:10:06]
THINK I SAW IT TODAY, I KNOW I'VE SEEN IT AT A DIFFERENT LOCATION WITHIN THE LAST WEEK, AND IT'S BEEN DECADES SINCE I HAVE SEEN A STREET SWEEPER IN PETERSBURG. SO I THANK THE CITY MANAGER AND THOSE WHO REPORT TO HIM FOR THAT EFFORT TO KEEP OUR STREETS CLEAN. IT IMPROVES THE MORALE OF ALL OF US AND HELPS US BE EVEN MORE PROUD OF THE CITY THAT WE CALL HOME. SO I THANK THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF FOR THAT. MR. VICE MAYOR, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN JONES. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY. I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING AND FOR BEING HERE. A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO GO ACROSS IS I HAVE A WARD MEETING TOMORROW FROM 5 TO 8. IT'S A WARD MEETING SLASH COMMUNITY CELEBRATION. END OF THE YEAR FOR WARD ONE. BUT NOT JUST WARD ONE. BUT EVERYBODY IS INVITED TO COME OUT AND HAVE SOME REFRESHMENTS AND HEAR AND SHARE YOUR VISION FOR A BETTER WARD ONE. BUT NOT JUST A BETTER WARD ONE, BUT A BETTER PETERSBURG. I ASK EVERYBODY TO PROTECT PETERSBURG AT ALL COSTS. 
          THIS IS OUR CITY AND WE DON'T NEED TO KEEP. WE DON'T NEED TO ALLOW OUTSIDE INFLUENCE TO TELL US HOW TO LIVE AND HOW TO DRIVE, AND HOW TO EAT AND HOW TO SLEEP. IT'S OUR CITY AND IT'S ON THE RISE. AND NOW YOU'RE GOING TO SEE EVERYBODY WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS RISE. YOU KNOW, FROM THE OUTSIDE THEY'RE GOING TO START MOVING HERE. THEY'RE GOING TO START BUYING HERE, WHICH THEY'RE ALREADY DOING. SO I ADVISE EVERYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE START BUYING UP SOME PROPERTY. NOW, YOU KNOW, CONTACT THE CLERK. CONTACT THE CITY MANAGER. WE HAVE STUFF FOR SALE, YOU KNOW AND I DON'T WHAT YOU SEE NOW, YOU GOT A LOT OF THINGS THAT'S BEEN SITTING FOR 20 OR 30 YEARS, AND PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM THE OUTSIDE BUYING IT UP. AND WE CAN'T HOLLER ABOUT GENTRIFICATION. ANYTHING ELSE WHEN WE LET IT SIT THERE AND NOBODY TRIED TO BUY IT. SO WE GOT TO GET IN ON THAT PARTY AND WE GOT TO START BUYING THIS STUFF, YOU KNOW? EXCUSE ME AGAIN. THANK YOU SO MUCH. EXCUSE ME. I GOT THAT 804 SKATE. THAT'S WHERE THE LOCATION AND WARD TWO WOULD BE. WARDS ONE MEETING. IT IS IN WARD TWO ON THE ROAD. I'M PROUD. THAT'S RIGHT IN MY WARD. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN JONES. I'M PROUD OF YOU. YES, SIR. I'LL BE BRINGING SOMETHING TO WARD ONE REAL SOON. IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE BARBECUE OR SOMETHING, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT. BUT I WANT TO END BY SAYING. PETERSBURG, WE ARE AT A TIME NOW. THESE NEXT FEW MONTHS IS GOING TO BE REAL CRUCIAL. DON'T LET A HOLIDAY DICTATE SOMEBODY'S LOVE FOR YOU OR YOU THINK THEY DON'T LOVE YOU. YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO SHOW IT EVERY DAY ANYWAY. SO I ASK EVERYBODY HERE TO LIVE AND TO LOVE AND MOST OF ALL, ENJOY LIFE. WE'RE LEAVING THIS PLACE LEFT AND RIGHT, AND NONE OF US KNOW WHEN WE'RE LEAVING NEXT. THIS MAY BE THE LAST TIME YOU SEE ME. MAYBE THE LAST TIME I SEE YOU. BUT WE NEED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A SMILE. MAN, I LOVE SEEING PEOPLE SMILE. AND THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT EVERYBODY GOT IN COMMON. 
          CRIMINALS AND EVERYBODY. THEY HAVE SMILED AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIFE, YOU KNOW? AND SO RIGHT NOW, WHEN I ASK EVERYBODY, LOOK AT YOUR NEIGHBOR AND IF THEY LOOK FUNNY AND SMILE. I'M FULL OF JOKES TONIGHT. LISTEN. BUT I MADE ALL Y'ALL SMILE. AND I'M GOING TO REMEMBER THAT IF I NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN, I'M GOING TO REMEMBER THAT. AND YOU GUYS SHOULD REMEMBER IT TOO. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I LOVE YOU GUYS. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL THE WAY FROM NOW UNTIL AFTER VALENTINE'S DAY, BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER DAY WHERE PEOPLE GET IN THEIR BRITCHES AND JUST KEEP IT GOING, KEEP IT GOING AND DON'T PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE NEGATIVE. RIGHT, I LOVE Y'ALL. I GOT MORE TIME. OKAY. YOU GOOD? I YIELD MY TIME TO THE NEXT PERSON. AIN'T NONE SOME. NO. 
          YOU'RE NOT. WHAT? NO NO NO WE'RE NOT. YOU GOT FIVE MINUTES OR COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. THANK YOU. 
          NORMALLY I WOULD TAKE THAT TIME. THANK YOU MISTER COUNCILMAN JONES. BUT I'M GOING TO TRY TO BE QUICK FOR THE SAKE OF TIME. I KNOW WE'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME TONIGHT. TRY TO KEEP IT QUICK. 
          FIRST OF ALL, THANK AGAIN EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT. DO MY NORMAL SEVEN AND I'LL START OUT WITH NUMBER ONE. THANK YOU TO LENDING HELPING HANDS THAT NONPROFIT. THEY DID THEIR TOY DRIVE THIS PAST SATURDAY SERVICING OVER 550 KIDS GIVING OUT TOYS, GIVING THEM THAT THAT GOOD HOLIDAY CHEER. SO I THANK YOU TO MISS LAVARRO TALLY FOR CONTINUING DOING THE GREAT WORK FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. SECOND, THE ISSUE GRADUATION WAS THIS PAST SATURDAY. THEY HAD 
          [02:15:02]
OVER 300 GRADUATES. IS THAT CORRECT, DOCTOR LEWIS? YES. SO THEY HAD A GREAT TIME. AGAIN, SENDING OUT FUTURE LEADERS INTO THE WORLD FROM HBCUS, SHOWING THAT WE ARE THE CREAM OF THE CROP AND WE CANNOT BE COMPARED TO ANYONE ELSE. AT VSU. WE ARE BIG STATE. BUT WITH THAT ASIDE, NO BAR. THANK YOU TO LITTLE STATE NORFOLK STATE FOR HIRING MICHAEL VICK TODAY. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BRING A LOT OF ATTENTION, A LOT OF ATTENTION BACK TO HBCUS. THREE I'D LIKE TO THANK MISS COACH TERRY SMITH. FIRST OF ALL, HAPPY BIRTHDAY WHEREVER YOU ARE MISS SMITH. 
          COACH SMITH, SHE'S MY ASSISTANT COACH AT VSU FOR THE SPEECH AND DEBATE TEAM THERE. BUT THIS PAST SATURDAY AS WELL, SHE HAD HER SECOND ANNUAL PHS HOLIDAY SPEECH AND DEBATE TOURNAMENT. AND I'M GOING TO READ THIS STATEMENT FROM HER AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE IT ON THE PETERSBURG SCHOOL SYSTEM SITE OR FROM THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT SOON, SHE SAYS. WE HOSTED THE SECOND CHRISTMAS WAVE HOLIDAY SPEECH AND DEBATE TOURNAMENT. THERE WERE 303 STUDENTS FROM 30 SCHOOLS IN ATTENDANCE, RANGING FROM NORTHERN VIRGINIA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE 757 AREA. THIS WAS A BIG HOME WIN FOR PHS, AS TAYLOR THOMAS PLACED FIRST IN PROSE AND KIANI. DONAHUE PLACED FIRST IN POETRY. KIANI EVEN RECEIVED A PERFECT SCORE OF 100 FROM ONE OF HER JUDGES. JUSTICE MOORE PLACED SIXTH IN A VERY TIGHT STORYTELLING CATEGORY. OVERALL, THE TOURNAMENT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS, RECEIVING NUMEROUS COMPLIMENTS FROM VISITING STUDENTS, COACHES AND JUDGES. 
          AND AGAIN, I'M GOING TO KEEP AS LONG AS I'M ABLE TO KEEP EXPRESSING THAT I DO BELIEVE SPEECH IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG IS A SPORT AND IS VERY NEEDED. SO I'M GLAD FOR WHAT SHE'S DOING OVER HERE SO THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE CAN FIND THEIR VOICE AND ONE DAY BE IN THIS AUDIENCE AND COME UP TO THAT PODIUM AND MAKE COMMENTS OF HOW WE CAN BETTER MOVE THE CITY FORWARD, AND MAYBE EVEN ONE DAY SIT IN THESE SEATS THAT WE'RE IN. BECAUSE, AGAIN, I BELIEVE THAT THAT SUPERPOWER OF EXPRESSING YOURSELF IS WHAT ALL YOUTH NEED. WE CAN GET PAST A LOT OF THAT MENTAL HEALTH ANXIETY AND THINGS OF THAT SORT THAT IN MY DAY AND TIME, WE DIDN'T GET TO SAY THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T. IT WAS JUST, HEY, WE HAD A LOT TO SAY AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PLATFORMS TO SAY IT. NOW WE DO. SO THANK YOU, COACH SMITH, FOR IF I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR. MARQUIS ALLEN WITH THE PARADE. THE HOLIDAY PARADE I THINK WAS A GREAT SUCCESS AS WELL AS THE ILLUMINATION. BUT THIS IS WHERE I DO CALL OUT THE CITIZENS AND I THINK IT'S 5050. SO I'M NOT GOING TO JUST CALL OUT THE CITIZENS. BUT THAT ILLUMINATION, I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE MORE OF US COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE LIGHTING OF THE TREE AT THE TRAIN STATION. I DO KNOW IT WAS COLD, BUT JUST THOSE FEW MINUTES JUST TO COME OUT THERE. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING AS A COUNCIL AND THEN THEY SAY THAT WE'RE NOT, AND THEN WHEN WE DO STUFF AND WE PUT A LOT OF MONEY AND TIME INTO IT, PEOPLE DON'T COME OUT AGAIN. I KNOW IT'S COLD, BUT THAT'S WHAT THE SEASON IS ALL ABOUT, YOU KNOW? WRAP UP, THERE WAS THREE PICTURES WITH THE SANTA, HOT CHOCOLATE VENDORS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT, AND I REALLY DON'T THINK ENOUGH PEOPLE KNEW THAT THAT WAS GOING ON. MAYBE AGAIN, I THINK MISS JOANNE WILLIAMS FOR ALL THAT SHE DOES. BUT BEYOND FACEBOOK, I WAS NOT ON FACEBOOK BEFORE I WAS IN THIS SEAT ON CITY COUNCIL. NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE USE SOCIAL MEDIA, ESPECIALLY OUR ELDERS IN THE COMMUNITY. I THANK HER FOR HER ADVERTISEMENT THAT COMES OUT IN THE MAIL, BUT SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO AT LEAST CONTINUE TO TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT SO PEOPLE CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY, BECAUSE THERE IS A LOT GOING ON. FIFTH, AGAIN, JUST KEEP IT MOVING. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MISS JOANNE AGAIN FOR PUBLICIZING THE KWANZAA CELEBRATIONS THAT ARE COMING UP. I'M AN AVID SUPPORTER OF THE KWANZAA HOLIDAY. A LOT OF TIMES IT IS SKIPPED OVER, BUT I WILL NOT. SO OUTSIDE OF THE MAIN CELEBRATION ON THE 27TH AND RICHMOND, PETERSBURG HAS THREE DIFFERENT EVENTS ON THE 29TH, 30TH AND THE 31ST. SO PLEASE GO TO THE EXCUSE ME, THE PETERSBURG WEBSITE AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THOSE EVENTS FOR KWANZAA. SIX I'M CONCERNED AND HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE SOLVED THAT WE CAN. I SAW IT ON THE NEWS RECENTLY. THE NATIONAL NEWS, HOW RICHMOND GOT SHOWCASED FOR THEIR FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMS FOR THE YOUTH IN THE CITY. AND I THINK THAT WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF THAT. NOW WITH THE CASINO COMING, IT IS APPROVED. IT'S COMING. THERE IS NO TURNING BACK, THANK GOD. SO NOW WE HAVE TO PREPARE OUR RESIDENTS SO THAT WE CAN PROPERLY PROSPER FROM THIS BLESSING THAT IS COMING, CALLED THE CASINO. AND SO AGAIN, SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT FALLS UP UNDER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR MAYBE EVEN THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE AND THE TREASURER, SOMEBODY JUST AS A TEAM OR DAVENPORT WHO'S HELPING US RAISE THIS BOND RATING, HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD? AND THEN IN MY LAST ONE, THE PHS ALUMNI HOLIDAY PARTY IS THIS UPCOMING SATURDAY, 9 P.M. TO 2 A.M. AT THE CIVIC CENTER. SO IF YOU ARE A PHS ALUMNI, OR EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT, AND YOU JUST WANT TO SUPPORT PHS AND SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE SEEN IN THE LAST 1520 YEARS, I SEE PEABODY'S OUT THERE IN THE AUDIENCE. WE DO WANT TO SEE Y'ALL COME OUT. Y'ALL ARE MORE THAN WELCOME. I'M A PEABODY. I WENT TO PEABODY SO I CAN SAY I'M A LION MYSELF. BUT AGAIN, THAT ALUMNI PARTY IS THIS SATURDAY 9 TO 2. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MYERS. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I'M SORRY I ALWAYS HAVE TO FOLLOW THIS GENTLEMAN NEXT TO 
          [02:20:08]
ME. SO ANYWAY, LET'S SAY GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE. I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME TO THANK OUR ADMINISTRATION FOR ALL THAT THEY DO FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. PLEASE GIVE THEM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. I'D ALSO LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO RICHARD HARRIS. RICHARD HARRIS WORKS FOR THE WORKS DEPARTMENT, I BELIEVE. AND SO I ASKED HIM TO LOOK AT GILLFIELD BAPTIST CHURCH AND THAT ALL OF THE UNSIGHTLY CEMENT SIDEWALKS ARE OUT THERE. THEY HAVE JUST STARTED THIS WEEK TO RIP THOSE SIDEWALKS OFF AND PUT NEW SIDEWALKS IN. SO I'D LIKE TO THANK HIM FOR HELPING ME TO MOVE THAT FORWARD. AND THAT'S BEEN ONGOING FOR THE LAST EIGHT MONTHS. SO. AND ALSO, I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S IT FOR ME, SIR. SEE, THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. THAT'S RIGHT. 
          ANYWAY, MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALL. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. WE LISTEN, I'D LOVE TO SEE ALL OF YOU ALL HERE STARTING IN JANUARY FILLING THESE SEATS UP AGAIN. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. AND HAPPY NEW YEAR AS WELL. THANK YOU. OKAY, COUNCILWOMAN SMITH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. GOOD EVENING. THAT WAS KIND OF SLOW. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE OKAY. THAT'S BETTER. I WANT TO GIVE A BIG, BIG SHOUT OUT TO SCOTT FISHER FOR FEEDING THE HOMELESS AT THE HOPE CENTER ON THANKSGIVING DAY. NOT ONLY THAT, WE TOOK ABOUT 80 MEALS TO THE HOTEL ON CRATER ROAD AND THE ONE THAT WAS ON 460, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WERE VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE THAT THEY HAD A GOOD THANKSGIVING MEAL. THANK YOU, SCOTT, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DO IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO REPLENISH THE FOOD AT THE HOPE CENTER. ALSO, WARD SIX WILL BE HAVING A WARD MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, JANUARY THE 20. I GUESS IT'S THE 29TH AT COOLSPRING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. PLEASE COME OUT AT 6:00. I JUST WANT TO SAY, IS TRAVIS AND THE FIRE CHIEF IS HERE, CAN YOU PLEASE STAND AND CHAMBERS AND WHOEVER I MEAN, THE POLICE OFFICERS, PLEASE STAND IN ANY PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU ALL HAVE DONE THIS WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR. AND I'M JUST SAYING THAT, MAN, WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE SOME GOOD, GOOD, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SERVICE WORKERS. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND I HOPE YOU ALL CONTINUE TO LOVE PETERSBURG LIKE I DO. ALSO, I WANT TO I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO STEVE STINSON AND ALSO CHIEF MILLER IS CHIEF MILLER. PLEASE STAND. 
          PLEASE STAND. CHIEF, I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS IS, IS HAS REALLY HAD SOME SERIOUS, SERIOUS, NOT PROBLEM ON HER END, BUT HER NEIGHBOR HAS SOME ISSUES. AND THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR A WHILE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT. BUT SHE'S BEEN VERY, VERY PATIENT. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, STEVE AND CHIEF MILLER HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. I THINK WE ALMOST THERE AREN'T WE CHIEF. AND I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT IT TAKES A TEAM TO GET ANYTHING DONE. THERE'S NO I IN TEAM. AND WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US THAT THAT THAT'S HERE. SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT, CHIEF, FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DO EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR AND EVERY SECOND THAT CONTINUES. THAT FINISHED MY REPORT. VICE MAYOR HILL. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. GLAD TO SEE ALL OF YOU ALL HERE. THANK YOU ALL, PEABODY, FOR BEING WITH US TODAY. PEABODY ALUMNI I WENT TO PEABODY AS WELL. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. I WANT TO FIRST START OFF BY THANKING OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT ON LAST THURSDAY. MY NEIGHBORS ACROSS 
          [02:25:03]
THE STREET EXPERIENCED A FIRE IN THEIR HOUSE. AND JUST TO SEE THE FIREFIGHTERS TO COME OUT AND NO ONE WAS INJURED, IT ACTUALLY WAS A GREASE FIRE IN THEIR KITCHEN. BUT JUST TO SEE THE FIREFIGHTERS TO COME OUT AND PUT OUT THE FIRE AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS FINE, AND EVEN THE EMS TO COME OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE, BECAUSE IT WAS COLD OUT THERE, IT WAS REAL COLD, IF YOU ALL REMEMBER, LAST THURSDAY. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK CHIEF HOOVER AND FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRE WOMEN BECAUSE IT WAS A THEY HAVE A FIRE A LADY THAT WAS ON SCENE AS WELL. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING THERE FOR MY NEIGHBOR, MR. ALTMAN, I WANT US TO LOOK AT AND MAYBE SOME RESISTANCE TO THIS, BUT I WANT US TO LOOK AT CONTRACTING. PEOPLE TO HELP OUR PUBLIC WORKS, TO PICK UP TRASH. I THINK WE NEED TO MOVE TO THAT, TO THAT VEIN, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S SO MUCH TRASH AROUND HERE. AND I KNOW THEY GET TIRED OF MR. HARRIS, PROBABLY GET TIRED OF ME ALWAYS CALLING HIM, SAYING, YOU GOT TRASH ON THIS STREET, TRASH ON THAT STREET. BUT I THINK WE CAN MITIGATE THAT BY MAYBE GOING THROUGH A CONTRACT SITUATION, NOT TRYING TO DO AWAY WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS, NOT TRYING TO HIRE SOME MORE PEOPLE THAT WE GOT TO PAY INSURANCE FOR. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO GET SOME ACTUAL CONTRACTORS IN HERE TO, TO CLEAN UP AND THEN KEEP THE STREETS CLEAN. I KNOW, I KNOW, WE GOT THIS. THE STREET SWEEPER THAT COMES BACK, BUT I THINK WE NEED SOME HANDS OUT THERE BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE GO AROUND ME AND THE MAYOR AND OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, WE TALK ALL THE TIME AND IT'S JUST TRASH EVERYWHERE. SO I THINK I WANT TO LOOK AT A REPORT ON HOW WE CAN MAKE DO THAT, IF THAT'S FEASIBLE FOR US GOING INTO THIS NEXT YEAR THAT WE ACTUALLY CONTRACT INDIVIDUALS TO KEEP OUR STREETS CLEAN. SO, IF YOU WILL, WOULD YOU PLEASE LOOK INTO THAT? I WANT TO THANK MARQUIS HARRIS FOR THE CHRISTMAS EVENT AND ALL WHAT HE'S DOING. I MEAN, I'M SORRY, MARQUIS ALLEN, AS YOU ALL KNOW, HOTEL PETERSBURG IS NOW OPEN SO YOU CAN START MAKING YOUR RESERVATION. MAKE SURE YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS WILL COME OUT THERE AS WELL. WE DO HAVE A VIBRANT HOTEL, BOUTIQUE HOTEL I WANT TO THANK. MISS JOANNE WILLIAMS FOR THE TV COMMERCIALS. AND THEY PLAY ALWAYS AT THE AT THE BEST TIME DURING THE FOOTBALL GAMES, AND WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF GOOD LOOKS FOR THAT. ALSO OUR NEWSLETTER THAT CAME OUT, I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN JONES FOR PUTTING 804 SKATE IN WARD TWO. HE'S DOING A MARVELOUS JOB. LET'S GO OUT AND SUPPORT THAT PARTICULAR BUSINESS. LET'S GIVE HIM SOME LOVE AS HE HERE. I WANT TO THANK ONE OF OUR CITIZENS, MR. COREY HARRIS. HE COMES IN EVERY NOW AND THEN. WE SEE HIM PROBABLY ABOUT MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR, EVEN IF THAT. I WANT TO THANK HIM FOR HIS NONPROFIT THAT GIVES TO OUR SENIORS. HE DOES A LOT IN THE COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, WITH LIGHTS AND LAPTOPS AND JUST SO MUCH STUFF THAT HE GIVES TO OUR SCHOOL CITIZENS, I MEAN, OUR SCHOOL, OUR STUDENTS, ALONG WITH OUR SENIORS. I'VE EVEN TAKEN SOME THINGS TO OUR SENIORS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE LIGHTINGS AND EVERYTHING. YOU JUST BE SURPRISED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT HE HAS PUT INTO OUR COMMUNITY. SO I WANT A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO MR. COREY HARRIS. I WANT TO THANK THE RESIDENTS WHO USED TO LIVE IN PETERSBURG, BUT STILL HAS A HEART FOR PETERSBURG. I FELT BAD FOR THE GENTLEMAN WHO CAME UP. HE LIVES IN IN CHESTERFIELD, WHO SPOKE, WHO WAS TRYING TO SPEAK. AND I DO UNDERSTAND YOUR PASSION FOR YOUR CITY AND WHAT HAVE YOU. BUT COME ON BACK, COME ON AND MOVE BACK TO THE CITY. YOU KNOW, WE GOT PLENTY OF ROOM. WELL, I AIN'T GONNA SAY WE GOT PLENTY OF ROOM BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SETTING UP. BUT, YOU KNOW, I DO UNDERSTAND OUR RULES OF COUNCIL. YOU HAVE TO BE A CITIZEN WHO LIVES HERE, AND YOU HAVE TO BE EITHER A BUSINESS OR OWNER OR TO SPEAK, BECAUSE WE CAN'T GO UP TO RICHMOND AND SPEAK OR CHESTERFIELD AND SPEAK. IF WE DON'T HAVE A BUSINESS OR WE LIVE THERE OR WHAT HAVE YOU. BUT YEAH, WE I THANK ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP PETERSBURG IN OUR IN OUR PRAYERS. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. 
          APPRECIATE ALL OF WHAT YOU DO. LET THAT STUFF ROLL OFF YOUR BACK LIKE A DUCK. YOU KNOW, WE JUST KEEP ON MOVING. WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS A WHILE AND WE JUST KEEP IT MOVING, OKAY? ALRIGHT. 
          AMEN. AMEN. ALRIGHT. I'D LIKE TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYBODY. IT'S THAT WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR. AND I KNOW EVERYONE HAS, HAS, HAS THANKED SO MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS. 
          BUT I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT BECAUSE THIS IS A SPECIAL NIGHT. WHENEVER WE HAVE OUR FANTASTIC FOUR HERE, WE HAVE OUR ASSESSOR, MISS MARY BURKETT, BACK THERE IN THE BACK. STAND UP MARY, SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU. WE HAVE OUR CLERK RIGHT HERE, MISS TANGIE HILL HERE, WHO DOES A 
          [02:30:03]
WONDERFUL JOB. OUR CITY ATTORNEY, MR. TONY WILLIAMS, FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. AND OUR CITY MANAGER, MARK ALTMAN, FOR MAKING IT A BANNER YEAR HERE, I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE YOU GUYS. AND LIKE I SAID, IT'S ALL ABOUT US MOVING THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FORWARD. 
          AND LIKE, VICE MAYOR HERE. SAY, JOANNE, YOU GOT THOSE COMMERCIALS PUMPING. I SEE THEM EVERY SUNDAY. LOOK, WHEN I'M WATCHING CBS SIX SUNDAY MORNING, WE OPEN UP THOSE COMMERCIALS ON THERE AND IT'S GETTING A LOT OF GOOD EXPOSURE HERE TO OUR CITY. ALONG WITH LIKE, VICE MAYOR HILL SAID, WE WERE THERE FOR THE OPENING NIGHT OF HOTEL PETERSBURG, WHICH WAS A SPECIAL NIGHT, AND IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO SEE SO MANY OF THE SENIORS COMING BACK TO THAT HOTEL ALL EXCITED, BECAUSE WE CLOSED FIVE DECADES AGO. AND JUST JUST SEEING SEEING KIDS, I MEAN, SEEING THE YOUNG PEOPLE BACK IN THE BUILDING SINCE THEY WERE AS CHILDREN GETTING HAIRCUTS IN THEIR HOTEL IS REALLY MAGICAL. TO HAVE IT OPEN THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, I WANT TO THANK LOOK, WE HAVE OUR COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE, MISS BRITTANY FLOWERS. STAND UP. BRITTANY, YOU HAD A WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL CLERKS CLERKS CONFERENCE HERE AT MARIA'S. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO OPEN UP FOR HER. AND SHE DID ALL OF THAT ON HER BIRTHDAY WEEK. SO WE WANT TO SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HER AS WELL. SHE DID DOUBLE TIME HER BIRTHDAY. NOT JUST WORK, BUT BUT HOSTED ALL THE CLERKS SHE COULD HAVE DONE IN THE COMMONWEALTH. THAT'S RIGHT. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTANY. AND AS ALWAYS, WE HAD A ONE. I THINK THIS WAS THE BEST, THE BEST AND BIGGEST PARADE WE'VE EVER HAD HERE IN PETERSBURG FOR OUR CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. WE'RE JUST WORKING WITH PRESIDENT ABDULLAH AT VIRGINIA STATE TO GET VIRGINIA STATE BACK IN OUR CHRISTMAS PARADE, BECAUSE I TOLD HIM WHEN I SAW HIM LAST WEEK, I SAID, PRESIDENT ABDULLAH VIRGINIA UNION CAME DOWN HERE TO THE ST PETERSBURG PARADE AND SHOWED OFF. I MEAN, THEY THEY THEY MADE A HUGE IMPACT HERE. 
          AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN WORK TO, TO WORK THE SCHEDULE OUT TO GET EVERYBODY BACK ON TRACK BETWEEN VIRGINIA STATE AND THEIR HOLIDAY SCHEDULE TO BE PARTICIPANTS, I WANT TO THANK OUR PEABODY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ON BEING BEING HERE AS WELL. WE THANK ALL OF YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE HERE. AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN THINGS GOING ON AND SAID ABOUT APARTMENTS GOING ON IN PEABODY AND ALL THOSE THINGS. THOSE THINGS AREN'T TRUE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT CAME FROM. BUT JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, WE APPRECIATE ALL, ALL, ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED AND KEEP WORKING WITH YOU AND GETTING THAT STRUCTURE BACK ON. I KNOW RIGHT NOW WE HAVE VIRGINIA AVENUE SCHOOL THAT'S THAT'S MOVING FORWARD RIGHT NOW. AND, AND WE'LL HAVE SOME COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS ON PEABODY MOVING FORWARD WHEN THAT TIME COMES. ALSO, I WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW OUR NEXT MEETING, WE HAVE OUR ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING COMING UP JANUARY 4TH. SO THIS RIGHT HERE IS OUR LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR. SO WE'D LIKE TO WISH EVERYBODY A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR. AND LOOKING FORWARD TO AN EVEN BIGGER AND BRIGHTER 2025. YES. ALL RIGHT. 
          YES. VICE MAYOR. YES. THE CITY MANAGER IS GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS, BUT I REALLY WANT TO CONGRATULATE OUR FINANCE TEAM, ALONG WITH OUR TREASURER, ALONG WITH OUR COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE. HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT A BOND INCREASE THAT THAT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET AGAIN. 
          SO I DON'T WANT TO STEAL HIS THUNDER, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL THE FINANCE TEAM. I WANT TO THANK THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE, ALONG WITH OUR TREASURER, ALONG WITH ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD A WHOLE LOT TO DO WITH. I WANT TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR SITTING IN FRONT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. MR. MAYOR, YOU STILL GOT 
          [12. Items removed from Consent Agenda]
A 129 LEFT ON YOUR THING. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, I'M DONE. ALL RIGHT, LET'S LET'S KEEP IT MOVING. NEXT, WE GOT ITEM 12 ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. WE HAVE ITEM EIGHT C, THE COUNCILMAN ASKED ABOUT COUNCILMAN CARVER. IF YOU WANT TO GO BACK TO THE APPOINTMENT OF AN ITEM PRIOR TO THE CAPITAL AREAS COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY BOARD OF DIRECTORS, I KNOW THAT THAT CAME THROUGH. MR. WILLIAMS, WHAT A FEW WEEKS AGO, MR. WILLIAMS IT WAS WAS IT THAT THAT APPOINTMENT TO GET APPROVED? YES, I DID INQUIRE ABOUT THAT. AND IT ACTUALLY DOES REQUIRE THEM TO HAVE ONE THIRD OF THEIR MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNING BODIES THAT THEY SERVE AS A CONDITION OF FEDERAL FUNDING. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THAT IS. THERE ARE A 500 AND 1C3 ORGANIZATION THAT RECEIVES FEDERAL FUNDING. MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR AND I THANK COUNCIL FOR REMOVING THIS TO ITEM 12. IN THE MEANTIME, I HAVE ASKED THE CITY MANAGER FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION. CAP. I'LL CALL IT K-POP. MAYBE THEY PRONOUNCE IT 
          [02:35:05]
DIFFERENTLY. I APOLOGIZE IF THAT'S THE CASE, BUT I UNDERSTAND IT MORE. MY CONCERN WAS THAT THIS ORGANIZATION WOULD BE IN COMPETITION WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT MONEY, AND I'M TOLD THAT'S NOT THE CASE. THAT'S CORRECT. WE HAVE A OUR ENTITLEMENT COMES DIRECTLY TO US AND THEY RECEIVE A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT FUNDING STREAM THROUGH CDBG. SO I AM I MOVE THAT WE APPOINT MR. AFTON PRIOR TO THE K-POP. AND I WISH HIM WELL IN REDUCING POVERTY AND EMPOWERING LOW INCOME FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO BECOME SELF-SUFFICIENT, WHICH IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS ORGANIZATION. OKAY, WE HAVE A COUNCILMAN MYERS SECOND. SECOND, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCILMEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM 13. FINANCE AND 
          [13. Finance and Budget Report]
BUDGET REPORT ITEM A DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE MONTHLY UPDATE. GARY. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. AND I WILL NOT BE BEFORE YOU ALL ALONG. WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TO UPDATE ON TONIGHT. BUDGET TO ACTUALS AND EARNED INTEREST UPDATE. I WON'T BELABOR ON THE BUDGET TO ACTUALS. WE'RE PRETTY MUCH TRACKING WHERE WE SHOULD BE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE, YOU'LL SEE WE AT 31% 33% OF THE YEAR COMPLETED AS OF THIS REPORT. SO WE'RE DOING REALLY GOOD HERE. AS FAR AS OTHER FUNDS, THEY'RE LOOKING GOOD AS WELL, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS THERE. WHAT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT IS OUR EARNED INTEREST. SO IF YOU ALL REMEMBER IN THE FY 25 BUDGET, WE PROJECTED $1.4 MILLION THAT WE WOULD GET IN EARN INTEREST TO DATE JUST FROM THE LGIP, WHICH IS THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT POOL, WHERE WE HAVE FUNDS INVESTED FROM JULY UP UNTIL THE END OF NOVEMBER, WE'VE RECEIVED 809,000 AND $396 IN INTEREST ALONE, AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE OUR REGULAR BANK ACCOUNT THAT WE HAVE EARNING INTEREST WHERE WE HAVE RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL $215,985 IN INTEREST, FOR A TOTAL OF $1,025,381 IN INTEREST SINCE JULY OF THIS YEAR. AND THAT THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. SO I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS FOR GARY ON THE PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          [14. Unfinished Business]
THANK YOU GARY AND LEON FOR ALL YOU DO I APPRECIATE YOU. NEXT ITEM 14 UNFINISHED BUSINESS A CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND ADOPT THE FY 25 PETERSBURG CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGET TO ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR FOOD SERVICE UPGRADES TO INCLUDE CAPITAL AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS. MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. AND I THINK IN YOUR OCTOBER MEETING, WE CONDUCTED A PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND OR AMEND THE BUDGET AND PROVIDE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH AN ADDITIONAL ALLOCATION OF $1.5 MILLION FROM THE UNSPENT FUNDS THAT FROM THEIR PREVIOUS FISCAL YEARS, THAT WAS THAT WERE RETURNED TO THE CITY TO HELP THE SCHOOLS ADDRESS SOME OF THEIR CAPITAL NEEDS IN THEIR CAFETERIAS THROUGHOUT THEIR SYSTEM. SO THIS EVENING, WE HAVE THIS REQUEST BACK IN FRONT OF YOU TO ALLOCATE THE APPROVE THE ALLOCATION OF THE 1.25 MILLION ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO PETERSBURG PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS FOR UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR CAFETERIAS. ALL RIGHT, VICE MAYOR HILL, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE TO APPROVE THE AMOUNT OF 1.52. WHAT WAS IT, 1.5 MILLION? YEAH, $1.5 MILLION TO THE SCHOOL FOR THEIR FOOD SERVICES. OKAY. AND COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK SECOND. IT WAS A SECOND THERE. YES. THEY'RE ALSO AMENDING THEIR OWN BUDGET, THE FOOD SERVICE BUDGET AND THE AMOUNT OF $2 MILLION. SO THE TOTAL AMENDMENT IS 3.5 MILLION. 
          IT'S 1.5 FROM THE CITY AND 2 MILLION FROM THEIR OWN BUDGET. JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT OKAY. 
          THAT'S FINE. WELL. MR. MR. YES. SO. WOULD YOU CLARIFY FOR ME, PLEASE? ARE WE TAKING $1.5 
          [02:40:04]
MILLION? THAT'S NOW IN THE CITY'S CHECKING ACCOUNT OR WHEREVER, AND SENDING IT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, OR ARE WE TAKING $3.5 MILLION FROM THE CITY'S WALLET AND SENDING IT TO THE SCHOOL? IT'S 1.5 FROM THE CITY'S WALLET, BUT IN THIS SAME FASHION, WE ARE WE'RE AMENDING THEIR BUDGET UNDER UNDER THE SAME ORDINANCE, I GUESS YOU WOULD SAY THEY'RE AMENDING THEIR OWN BUDGET, AND THEY HAVE TO COME TO THE CITY TO GET THAT APPROVAL TO AMEND THEIR BUDGET. 
          OKAY. BUT OUT OF THE CITY'S WALLET, JUST 1.5 MILLION IS ONLY 1.5, CORRECT? YES. GREAT. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE HAVE A MOTION A SECOND, MR. MR. MAYOR, JUST TO CLARIFY, THE MOTION SHOULD BE TO AUTHORIZE THE SCHOOL TO AMEND THEIR BUDGET IN 3.5 AND TO APPROPRIATE THE 1.5 FROM THE CITY. OKAY. SO MOVED. ALL RIGHT. AND WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. ALL RIGHT. SO I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE MONEY FOR THE SCHOOLS. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS CLOSED. NEXT. CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PARHAM. 
          [15. New Business]
AYE. MOTION CARRIED. NEXT IS ITEM 15. NEW BUSINESS RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE DONATION OF TREES FROM VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOR FARMER STREET PARK AND SIDEWALK. YES. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL. WE'RE HERE BEFORE YOU ALL TODAY BECAUSE VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY WOULD LIKE TO DONATE $15,000 WORTH OF TREES AND TREE PROTECTION TO DO WHAT YOU SEE HERE. A PLANTING IN FARMER STREET PARK. I DO WANT TO JUST GIVE A LITTLE BACKSTORY AND A LITTLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT TO CRAIG AND NICOLE, WHO ARE HERE. THEY REALLY SPURRED THIS. THEY STARTED THE CONNECTION WITH VIRGINIA STATE, AND THEN IT BECAME A GREATER CONNECTION WITH THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER AND THE CITY. AND NOW WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ACCEPT THIS DONATION OF REALLY SIGNIFICANT TREES BETWEEN ONE AND A HALF TO THREE INCHES IN SIZE. SO THIS WILL LOOK LIKE A GREAT PLANTING FROM THE START. 
          WE'RE HOPING TO PLANT AS EARLY AS THURSDAY, JUST PENDING THE REMOVAL OF SOME DEAD TREES IN THE PARK. BUT THIS IS JUST BEFORE YOU ALL FOR THAT APPROVAL. THANK YOU. OKAY, WONDERFUL. LET'S GO TO COUNCILWOMAN SMITH LEE ON THIS ONE. SO MOVED. BUT I WANT TO CRAIG AND HIS WIFE TO STAND UP. THEY HAVE BEEN PILLARS IN IN WARD SIX WORKING SO, SO HARD PICKING UP TRASH, DOING THE CIVIC DUTIES THAT IN THE AREA THAT YOU LIVE IN. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I REALLY, TRULY APPRECIATE IT. ALRIGHT, SECOND, THAT'S A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN SMITH LEE, A SECOND FROM VICE MAYOR HILL TO APPROVE THE DONATION OF TREES FROM VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOR FARMER STREET PARK. ALL RIGHT. MISS HILL, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT, COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. HI. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PARHAM. 
          [16. City Manager's Report and Special Reports]
AYE. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. NEXT, WE HAVE THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT. MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I KNOW WE'RE PUSHING LATE. OUR JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS. ONE, I WANT TO THANK RIVERSIDE REGIONAL JAIL AND THEIR STAFF. THEY WERE HERE IN THE CITY TODAY VOLUNTEERING, FEEDING THE HOMELESS AND HUNGRY HERE IN THE CITY. SO I DO WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THAT. 
          OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR STAFF AT PARKS AND REC, PUBLIC WORKS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND SUCCESS ON THE PARADE. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT, AS WE TALKED ABOUT OUR BOND RATING INCREASE. SO WE RECEIVED AN INCREASE FROM STANDARD AND POOR'S FROM OUR A-PLUS TO A DOUBLE A MINUS. AND THIS IS A VERY BIG STEP FOR THE COMMUNITY MOVING FORWARD FROM OUR FINANCIAL STABILITY. WE SEE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASE FOR THE OTHER TWO. WHEN WE HAD OUR CONVERSATIONS AROUND THIS LAST BOND ISSUANCE FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE COURTHOUSE AND POLICE STATION AND ANIMAL SHELTER, COMMENTS WERE MADE BY BOTH MOODY'S AND FITCH ABOUT UPWARD PRESSURE TO MOVE THE CITY UP TO A DOUBLE A, SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT HOPEFUL THAT THAT WILL OCCUR SPRINGTIME OR SUMMER NEXT YEAR. EVERYTHING IS TRENDING IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION. I THINK IT'S A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT NOT ONLY FOR COUNCIL, BUT OUR STAFF HERE THAT'S DOING GREAT WORK WITH OUR FINANCES. IT'S A HUGE CREDIT TO ALL OF Y'ALL. AND FOR THOSE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WHO HAVE BEEN HERE IN THE DOLDRUMS, YOU SHOULD GIVE YOURSELF A ROUND OF APPLAUSE BECAUSE YOU STUCK TO IT AND YOU'RE YOU'RE REAPING THE 
          [02:45:01]
REWARDS FOR IT TODAY. ALONG WITH THAT, I WILL SAY WE DID COMPLETE THE SALE OF THE SECOND HALF OF THOSE BONDS ON THE 12TH, AND THOSE FUNDS ARE CURRENTLY SITTING NICELY IN A SNAP ACCOUNT GAINING INTEREST FOR US. SO WHICH IS WHERE THEY HAVE TO BE UNDER THE STATE STATE REGS. SO THEY'RE THEY'RE GAINING INTEREST FOR US TODAY IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE THERE. AND I WANT TO THANK MY TEAM, ALL OF THE CITY EMPLOYEES, FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK THIS YEAR AND ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY'VE MADE TO HELP THE CITY. AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE NEW YEAR AND JUST FINALLY WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR. WE AS A CITY ARE ON THE RIGHT PATH AND THINGS ARE ONLY GOING TO GET BETTER. SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. OKAY. AND BUT, MR. ALTMAN, HOW IS THE SCHEDULE WORKING FOR CHRISTMAS? SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE THE 20. LET ME GET MY CALENDAR. HERE. WE ARE OFF CHRISTMAS DAY FOR THE CHRISTMAS SEASON. AND THEN WE ARE OFF ON NEW YEAR'S DAY THE FOLLOWING WEEK. NEXT YEAR, WHEN IT MOVES TO WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH THAT FRIDAY. BUT THIS YEAR WE'RE OFF TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND OFF THE FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY FOR NEW YEAR'S. OKAY. AND ALSO I WANT TO COMMENT ALSO THAT WE HAVE THE MLK DAY EVENT ON MONDAY, JANUARY 20TH. THAT'S COMING UP. SHERIFF CRAWFORD IS HAVING THE FIRST EVER PARADE LEAVING FROM POCAHONTAS STREET ON POCAHONTAS ISLAND, ACROSS THE MLK BRIDGE TO FRANKLIN STREET. 
          SO CONTACT SHERIFF VANESSA CRAWFORD IF YOU'D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE. OKAY, MR. WILLIAMS, NO REPORT, MR. MAYOR. MR. MAYOR. YES. SO CHRISTMAS IS ON WEDNESDAY, AND WE'RE OFF. WHAT DAY? TUESDAY OFF. EVEN SO, WHY DO WE WANT TO COME BACK TO WORK ON MONDAY? NO. YOU'RE GIVEN A MONDAY OFF. SO WOULD COUNCIL SUPPORT MONDAY? I SUPPORT THAT ALL RIGHT. LET'S MAKE IT A REAL HOLIDAY. I'LL SUPPORT THAT MONDAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I MOVE THAT WE. MR. CITY MANAGER, DO WE HAVE YOUR APPROVAL? YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 30TH. NO, I'M TALKING MONDAY. CHRISTMAS. OH, 43RD. YEAH. THE 23RD, 24TH AND 25TH OFF. YES, SIR. OKAY. WE'RE I'M SURE OUR EMPLOYEES WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT IF, IF THAT IS THE WE AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THEM. SO I MOVE THAT WE GIVE THEM MONDAY OFF THE 23RD OF DECEMBER AND MERRY CHRISTMAS. SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. MOTION CARRIES. THAT WASN'T A ROLL CALL VOTE. NEXT. ANY BUSINESS REPORTS FROM THE CLERK? I JUST WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. SEE YOU IN 2025. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR DOING. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING. 
          THANK YOU ALL TO MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION. ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS ITEM 19. ADJOURNMENT. SO MOVED. SHOUT OUT
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.