Feb 04, 2025 Regular Work Session

LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PARA. AYE. ALL RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES OUR CLOSED

[00:00:04]

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

PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. PRESENT. VICE MAYOR. HILL. HERE. MAYOR. PAM. HERE. SO YOU HAVE A QUORUM. NEXT, VICE MAYOR HILL WILL LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER. LET US PRAY. ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHER, ONCE AGAIN, WE COME BEFORE YOU, GIVING YOUR NAME, HONOR, PRAISE, AND GLORY.

WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS OF THE DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR KEEPING US SAFE FROM ALL HURT, HARM AND DANGER. NOW, LORD, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS MEETING, HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT WE DO THOSE THINGS THAT ARE PLEASING IN THY SIGHT. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT BLESSING UPON OUR EMPLOYEES ALL OVER OUR CITY. HEAVENLY FATHER, BE WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. HEAVENLY FATHER, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR EMS, AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. HEAVENLY FATHER LORD, WE ASK THAT BLESSING UPON THIS COUNCIL AS WE DO THIS BUSINESS. HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT YOU WILL GIVE US WISDOM AS YOU GAVE SOLOMON TO HELP THE BETTERMENT OF OUR CITY. WE ACTUALLY EVEN A SPECIAL BLESSING UPON OUR CITIZENS.

HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT YOU WOULD KEEP THEM, LET THEM SEE NO ACCIDENTS, CAUSED NO ACCIDENTS OR BE NO ACCIDENTS. WE ASK A SPECIAL PRAYER FOR OUR YOUTH, HAVING THEIR FATHER, THEIR LIVING IN TIMES THAT WE HAVE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. HEAVENLY OUR FATHER, WITH ALL THE SOCIAL MEDIA AND WHAT HAVE YOU. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD KEEP THEM AND KEEP THEIR MINDS STAYED ON THEIR STUDIES OR THEIR EDUCATION. HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT THEY CAN BE A BETTER PETERSBURG THAN WHAT IT WAS BEFORE. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFLUX OF NEW THINGS COMING TO OUR CITY. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU WE CAN KEEP OUR HANDS TO THE PLOW AND NOT LOOKING BACK. WE ASK A SPECIAL BLESSING UPON OUR CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF, ALL DIRECTORS. HEAVENLY FATHER, BE WITH THEM AND STRENGTHEN THEM. LORD, IF WE SIN AGAINST YOU.

HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU WILL FORGIVE US OF OUR SINS. THIS IS OUR PRAYER. IT'S IN YOUR DARLING SON, JESUS CHRIST NAME WE PRAY AND WE THANK YOU. AMEN. AMEN. NEXT IS ITEM THREE, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. COULD YOU PLEASE STAND AND JOIN US 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,

[4. Determination of the Presence of a Quorum ]

[5. Presentations ]

[00:05:01]

YES. ALRIGHT. THE REAL FIRST RESPONDERS, THE FIRST FIRST RESPONDERS. THAT'S RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. AND I WANTED TO GET YOU ALL FIRST BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A TON OF WORK TO DO AND HAVE WORKED ALL DAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE YOU AND THANK THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN. HOT DOGS AND HAMBURGERS ON ME. STEVE, YOU LET ME KNOW WHAT DAY YOU WANT TO DO IT. OKAY? HOT DOGS, HAMBURGERS AND CHIPS ON ME. ALRIGHT. THANK Y'ALL. OH. HOW ABOUT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THANK WELL NEXT WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE UVA PRESENTATION. PHASE ONE, MR. MOORE. GOOD EVENING. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS COUNCIL. THE THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING. THAT'S OUR FAMILY. WE WERE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN. YES, WE ARE BLESSED TONIGHT. NO STRANGER TO COUNCIL, WE HAVE MR. BRIAN DAVID FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, WELDON COOPER CENTER. HE IS COMING BACK TO TALK WITH US AND I'LL HIS 30 PLUS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, NOT ONLY AS A PLANNER BUT AS A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, WILL GREATLY BENEFIT OUR EFFORTS AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THE CITY FORWARD. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, MR. BRIAN. DAVID. OKAY. THANK YOU. BRIAN, I'M GOING TO SECOND OR THIRD THE MOTION FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS, UTILITY FOLKS, THEY ARE TRULY THE FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THEY HELP THINGS WORK THROUGH PROBLEMS. AND PEOPLE DON'T KNOW REALLY THE JOB THEY DO AND I DO. AND SO CERTAINLY HATS OFF TO THEM. IT'S A PLEASURE TO COME TO YOU ALL TONIGHT. I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH SOME SLIDES THAT I UNDERSTAND WERE IN YOUR PACKAGE. BRIAN CONTACTED ME. LET ME, LET ME BRIAN DAVID WITH COOPER CENTER AND MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR HILL, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, MR. WILLIAMS AND MR. ALTMAN. BRIAN HAD CONTACTED US. IT WAS A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO ABOUT LOOKING ON HOW TO GET YOUR ARMS AROUND THE NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INVESTMENTS THAT ARE COMING TO THE CITY. AND I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY STARTS FROM COMING UP WITH A PLAN AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THESE INVESTMENTS WILL BRING TO THE CITY IN RETURN FROM ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND HOW YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO STRUCTURE THOSE INVESTMENTS AS INVESTMENTS FOR THE CITY. AND WHAT I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH IS WE'VE GOT A PHASE ONE PROJECT THAT WE'RE GOING TO KICK OFF WITH, WITH BRIAN, WITH MR. ALTMAN AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENT HEADS ON HOW TO COME UP WITH A PLAN, THIS THIS IS GOING TO BE THE PLAN FOR THE PLAN, SO TO SPEAK. JUST AS A FOOTNOTE, COOPER CENTER HAS BEEN PART OF UVA SINCE 1931. REALLY, WHERE WE FIND OURSELVES IN THE WORK WE DO IS WE HELP BRING DATA, EXPERIENCE AND SUPPORT IN MAKING DECISIONS FOR PUBLIC SECTOR BODIES LIKE YOURSELF. SO WE REALLY ARE FACILITATORS. YOU ALL ARE THE DECISION MAKERS, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF WHAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE AND HOW TO MAKE GOOD THE BEST DECISIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY. I'LL BE THE PRIMARY CONTACT FOR THIS DOCTOR. ERIC SCORSONE, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, WILL BE PART OF THE TEAM. DOCTOR TERI RAHON, WHO'S AN ECONOMIST AS WELL AS JOE

[00:10:02]

[00:15:06]

FASTER RECOVERY, FASTER REPAIRS AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE. THE NEXT GROUP CAN COME AND SAY, WE WANT TO PUT ALL OF OURS INTO EDUCATION, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AS WE KEEP SEEING THINGS, YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? WE KEEP PENNY PINCHING THINGS INTO IT. IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S PUTTING 25% HERE AND 25% THERE. AND I'M JUST SAYING IT'S NOT A REAL QUESTION TO YOU, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, MR. MAYOR, THAT'S LOOKING AT HOW EVERYBODY'S SAYING, WELL, WE WANT TO WE'VE GOT A WHOLE LIST OF INITIATIVES. WE WANT TO PIECE IT HERE AND PIECE IT THERE AND PIECE IT THERE. AND I JUST ONE DAY WOULD LIKE TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE WANT TO PUT IT ALL INTO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OR ALL INTO OUR EDUCATION, EITHER ONE, YOU KNOW, A PUBLIC WORKS OR WHATEVER. BUT WE GOT TO START, YOU KNOW, PUTTING MORE POWER WITH OUR WHAT OUR BUCKS AND STUFF. BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. I PERFECTLY UNDERSTAND THAT. AND I THINK, I THINK THE IDEA OF AT LEAST THE CONCEPT OF THIS IS THAT YOU COULD DECLARE A YEAR OF INVESTMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALL THESE ADDITIONAL REVENUES GO TO THAT. BUT AS YOU AS, AS THESE YEARS COME FORWARD IN THE PLAN, YOU CAN MIX AND MATCH THEM. OR YOU CAN STRATEGICALLY IDENTIFY ONE AREA YOU WANT TO MAKE INVESTMENT. I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT BY DOING TARGETED WAYS, YOU COULD LEVERAGE OUTSIDE DOLLARS. AND SO THIS BECOMES ALSO A FUND TO BRING IN DOLLARS EITHER THROUGH GRANTS OR LOANS. FRANKLY, I THINK BECAUSE THIS IS ALL WE WANT TO BE REAL CONSERVATIVE ON PREDICTING THE REVENUE STREAM AND THEN HOW BEST TO LEVERAGE THAT. SO I THINK IT'S UP TO COUNCIL TO STRUCTURE HOW THE DELIBERATION ON THE INDIVIDUAL AREAS OF INVESTMENT THAT YOU MAKE. BUT IT DOESN'T SAY YOU HAVE TO GIVE EVERYBODY OR THESE PROJECTS AN EQUAL AMOUNT EACH YEAR. THAT'S I THINK I THINK NOT NOT NECESSARILY WHAT I WAS THINKING TO BE DONE. I APPRECIATE THAT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN COOPER, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND MR. DAVID, WELCOME TO OUR MEETING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. GLAD TO BE HERE. WHAT SHOULD COUNCIL EXPECT FROM YOUR GROUP IN TERMS OF DELIVERABLES AND WHEN SHOULD WE EXPECT IT? TWO GOOD QUESTIONS. THE DELIVERABLES WILL BE CERTAINLY A NARRATIVE DOCUMENT WITH WITH VISUALS AND THINGS. THERE WILL BE AN ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS AS PART OF THAT AS WELL AS A ROADMAP, BASICALLY A FUTURE STEPS, FUTURE PHASES. IN TALKING WITH BRIAN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF A STARTUP. SO WE'RE WE'RE DOING THIS FROM THE GROUND UP. I DON'T WANT TO SAY I'M GOING TO BE COMING IN HERE AROUND EASTER WITH IT. THAT'S PROBABLY TOO SOON. BUT I THINK PROBABLY IN THE 6 TO 8 MONTH TIME FRAME, ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, THAT WE CAN WE CAN GET THIS DONE. YOU SAID 6 TO 8 MONTHS, 6 TO 8 MONTHS FROM NOW YOU WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO BRING BACK. I THINK PROBABLY IN TALKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND MR. MOORE, I THINK COMING WITH AT LEAST AN OUTLINE OF WHERE WE'RE GOING, I THINK GETTING A GUIDANCE FROM THE COUNCIL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO THERE MAY BE A TOUCHBACK OR A COUPLE TOUCHBACKS BEFORE WE GET TOO FAR. I DON'T HAVING WORKED FOR ELECTED BODIES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IT'S PROPER TO SAY TO GO AWAY, COME BACK AND SAY, HERE, HERE IT IS, WITHOUT YOU HAVING EVER SEEN THE INPUTS TO IT. SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK THROUGH THIS TIMELINE. BUT BUT RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE MULTI YEARS FOR SURE. THE FUTURE PHASES. YOU KNOW THIS WILL BE GOING ON FOR A WHILE. WELL IT'S EXCITING TO HEAR ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES. LET ME MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE. I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR GROUP CONSIDER. SURE. ONE IS THE RESULTS OF THE PARKING STUDY THAT I BELIEVE IS

[00:20:06]

WHETHER THAT'S A GOOD IDEA, BAD IDEA. IF IT'S A GOOD IDEA, WHAT COULD IT ACCOMPLISH? AND HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT ACCOMPLISHING IT? ANOTHER THING IS, AND I'M BRICKS AND MORTAR. OKAY? I MEAN, I THE CREATION OF TWO PARKING GARAGES IN DOWNTOWN. I PERSONALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE.

ONE ON EAST BANK STREET, KIND OF IN FRONT OF WHERE THE OLD JAIL USED TO BE. AND ANOTHER ONE ON THE WEST SIDE OF MONROE STREET. NOW, THIS IS JUST CHARLIE TALKING. COUNCIL HASN'T ENDORSED THESE THOUGHTS, BUT I'D LIKE YOU TO SCRATCH YOUR HEAD AND THINK ABOUT THAT. THE PARKING GARAGE ON THE WEST SIDE OF MONROE STREET, I THINK WOULD. ELECTRIFY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST COUPLE OF BLOCKS OF NORTH SYCAMORE STREET. NOW, I'M USING GEOGRAPHIC TERMS THAT YOU MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH REASONABLY, BUT IT YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN IS PRETTY COMPACT. SO. YES, SIR.

WELL, SO THOSE ARE JUST THOSE ARE THOUGHTS ABOUT PARKING GARAGES. AND AT THE SUGGESTION OF THE PAUL AT THE I WON'T SAY SUGGESTION, BUT AT THE MENTION BY THE CITY MANAGER THAT THERE WAS A PARKING GARAGE OVER IN RICHMOND, THAT. COMBINED PARKING AND A GROCERY STORE, I WENT OVER TO THE PARKING GARAGE ON L ELWOOD, RIGHT NEAR ELWOOD THOMPSON GROCERY, AND ON THE FIRST FLOOR. IT'S A PURE PARKING GARAGE. SECOND FLOOR IS A PUBLIX, PLUS AN AREA FOR PARKING. AND SOME OF MY MEMBERS OF COUNCIL HAVE BEEN GOOD ENOUGH TO GO OVER AND LOOK AT THAT WITH ME. IT LOOKED LIKE A DYNAMITE IDEA. WE WE'D LOVE TO HAVE A GROCERY STORE IN DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG. I THINK THAT'S AGAIN, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF, BUT I BELIEVE FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD THAT THERE'S NOT A MEMBER OF COUNCIL WHO WOULD SAY, NO, WE DON'T NEED A GROCERY STORE DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG. IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL IF THAT COULD BE FOLDED INTO IT. ALSO, WE DON'T HAVE A DRUG STORE IN DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG AND MAYBE THAT COULD BE PUT INTO IT AS WELL. THE CITY OF I GUESS IT'S BEEN 18 MONTHS AGO, BOUGHT A THE LAND THAT A CAR DEALERSHIP HAD BEEN ON, WE CALL IT. SOME OF US CALL IT THE SUTIL PROPERTY. IT WAS WHERE MAZDA CHEVROLET WAS 50 YEARS AGO. IT'S RIGHT OVER THIS DIRECTION. YES, SIR. AND IT'S A WASTELAND RIGHT NOW. BUT THE CITY OWNS IT. AND WE DEFINITELY NEED SOME IDEAS ABOUT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT PROPERTY. AND THE LAST SPECIFIC THAT I HAVE TO SUGGEST IS MAXIMIZING THE BENEFIT OF SOUTHSIDE DEPOT. IT'S A BUILDING THAT IS, I THINK, READY FOR OCCUPANCY, MR. ALTMAN, OR WE'RE THERE. WE'RE WE'VE GOT A COUPLE LITTLE PUNCH LIST ITEMS TO GO WITH THE CONTRACTOR, BUT WE'LL BE BE PUSHING SOME PEOPLE IN IN SPRINGTIME. GOOD. WELL THAT'S GREAT. AND WHO WILL YOU BE PUSHING IN IN THE SPRINGTIME? I'M GOING TO PUSH MISS WILLIAMS AND OUR TOURISM STAFF. WELL, THAT'D BE WONDERFUL. THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. IN ANY EVENT, MR. DAVID, IF YOU'RE NOT ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH SOUTHSIDE DEPOT, PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF FAMILIAR WITH IT. SOME OF US HOPE THAT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WILL PUT AT LEAST A SATELLITE PRESENCE THERE, AT LEAST AS A START. I PERSONALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE ENTIRE VISITOR CENTER OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE GO

[00:25:06]

LET ME TAKE THE POOR CREEK SERVICE AREA AS FIRST. AND YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THE PLANNING DIRECTORS HERE, BUT THIS IS A SMALL AREA PLAN. IT'S A PIECE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE ENTIRE CITY. SO IT'S INTENDED TO BE VERY COMPLEMENTARY, BUT ITS FOCUS IS GOING TO BE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY. AND SO THAT IS REALLY WHERE WHERE IT'S FOCUSED ON LAND USE IS CERTAINLY A PART OF THAT TRANSPORTATION, WATER, SEWER, ALL THE ELEMENTS THAT GO INTO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS SMALL AREA PLAN AROUND ECONOMIC ACTIVITY FROM THESE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE, IS COMPLEMENTARY TO THE OVERALL GOALS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO WE'RE WILLING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COORDINATING IT THAT AS FAR AS THE RIVER DOWNTOWN. COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT'S INTEREST IN DOWNTOWN, THOSE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE, I GUESS, WOULD BE ATTRACTIVE TO A HOTEL INVESTOR, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE STARTING FROM, IS HOW TO HOW TO ATTRACT HOTEL INVESTMENT AND HAVING THOSE TYPE OF AMENITIES, OR AT LEAST HAVING BEING ABLE TO TELL THE STORY OF WHAT THE CITY IS DOING TO CREATE THOSE AMENITIES MAKES IT A GOOD PLACE FOR THEM TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT. SO I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS CAPTURING WHAT IS GOING ON NOW. CERTAINLY THE PARKING IS IMPORTANT PIECE TO THAT, AND IT'S TRYING TO TAKE ALL THIS INFORMATION AND PUT IT IN A FORMAT THAT THEN COULD BE RECRUITING INTEREST FROM INVESTORS TO CREATE A HOTEL, ANOTHER SECOND HOTEL DOWN HERE.

I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WE'LL PROBABLY DISCOVER AS WE GO ALONG THAT YOU ALL WILL WANT TO, TO PURSUE, AND I HOPE THAT'S THE CASE. I WANT IT TO BE THE CASE THAT THIS STARTS LAUNCHING YOU ALL TO TAKE FURTHER STEPS IN PLANNING THE FUTURE OF THIS, AT LEAST FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT. I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER ELEMENTS THAT GO INTO IT, BUT THIS IS REALLY KIND OF GETTING THE STAGE SET OF WHAT WHAT INVESTMENTS MAKE INVESTMENTS FOR YOU. I THINK BECAUSE YOU PRETTY MUCH ANSWERED, I JUST DON'T WANT US TO GO BACK TO SQUARE ONE. I MEAN, WE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY INTO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND IN A YEAR, I'M ALMOST THINKING IT'S OUTDATED BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE CASINO POSSIBILITY FOR DATA CENTERS AND THINGS OF THAT SORT. SO AGAIN, I JUST HOPE THAT THIS WILL ADD TO WHAT'S ALREADY THERE AND NOT START ALL THE WAY OVER FROM SCRATCH. NO, SIR. IT I GIVE YOU CLEAR EYED REPRESENTATION THAT THIS IS NOT STARTING BACK FROM SCRATCH FOR ANYTHING. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN HAS A ROLE AS A LEGAL LEGAL STATUS AS A DOCUMENT IN VIRGINIA THAT YOU HAVE TO UPDATE EVERY FIVE YEARS. THIS IS A LOOKING AT IT IN A, IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT EYE TOWARD THE ECONOMIC DRIVERS FOR THIS AREA AND THEN HOW THAT CAN BENEFIT THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE CITY, AND THEN WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND DOLLARS TO GET ANOTHER RETURN BACK TO THE CITY FROM INVESTMENTS? OKAY, VICE MAYOR HILL, MY QUESTION PROBABLY IS NOT SO MUCH TO YOU, BUT MAYBE TO THE CITY MANAGER. AS CITY COUNCILMAN, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS WE DO IS WRITE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. AND AS WE, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT SOME TIME AGO, AS FAR AS US PUTTING SOMEONE OR WHEREAS WHEN WE MAKE DECISIONS TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE FOLLOWED THROUGH BECAUSE THAT HAS A BEARING ON WHEN WE WHEN WE MAKE A DECISION TO DO SOMETHING.

SO THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT YOU PUT IN ON YOUR END WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO WHATEVER IT IS WE COME UP TO. SO CAN YOU KIND OF SPEAK TO THAT FROM YOUR OFFICE TO YOUR DIRECTORS, TO YOUR SUPERVISORS, TO THE ACTUAL WORKERS? IS IT HAVE WE BEEN THINKING THAT WAY? AND I KNOW

[00:30:06]

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. DAVIS, FOR THE PRESENTATION.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE JOURNEY WITH YOU. IT'S AND THERE WILL BE A DESTINATION ON THAT JOURNEY, MAYOR. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE JOINING YOU ALL WITH

[6. Public Comments ]

I'VE LIVED IN PETERSBURG FOR 80 YEARS AND IN CAMELOT FOR 50 PLUS YEARS. AND WHEN I GOT THE NEWS THAT THERE WAS POSSIBLY GOING TO BE ANOTHER SOURCE OF NOISE IN MY AREA, DO WE HAVE THE. THE LEADING STEEL YARDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IN THE, IN THE WHAT DO YOU CALL THAT ANYWAY? THE INDUSTRIAL PARK. WE HAVE THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAVE THE SPORTS PARK. AND NOW WE'VE GOT ANOTHER LAY DOWN YARD OUT NEAR DEFENSE ROAD IN HALIFAX. I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE DATA CENTER, WITH ITS POSSIBLE HUM, MIGHT BE ANOTHER SOURCE OF IRRITATION TO MAKE THE CAMELOT AND RAMBLEWOOD AND OVERBROOK NOT QUITE SO PLEASANT ANYMORE. WE'VE BEEN BOMBARDED WITH THE NOISE FROM THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, AND FORTUNATELY I'M ABLE TO HANDLE THEM A LITTLE BIT BETTER BECAUSE I'M GETTING DEAF. BRIAN TOLD ME TONIGHT SOMETHING THAT IF ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD ANSWERED MY EMAIL, I COULD HAVE SAVED MYSELF A LOT OF CONSTERNATION. AND YOUR TIME? HE TELLS ME THAT THE AREA ACROSS OVER BY RAMBLEWOOD IS NOT THE PRIMARY PLACE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PUT THE DATA CENTER. AND IN FACT, HE LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT'S REALLY NOT EVEN IN CONTENTION.

THAT'S WONDERFUL. I'M GLAD TO HEAR IT, BECAUSE TO ME, THAT'S ONE OF THE FEW PLACES WE HAVE LEFT FOR RECREATION TO GO INTO AND THAT SORT OF THING. ALSO, I'M PARTICULARLY HAPPY TO KNOW THAT THE. WATERSHED CONSERVANCY IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE. THAT WAS DONE IN 1935 AND 40, AND WILCOX LAKE IS KIND OF DETERIORATED OVER THE LAST BUNCH OF YEARS. AND I'M HAPPY TO SEE THAT, THAT IT MIGHT COME BACK. I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND FOR QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE RESIDENTS IN CAMELOT, RAMBLEWOOD AND OVERBROOK, PLEASE PICK AN ALTERNATIVE SITE FOR THE DATA CENTER. BUT THAT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN ALREADY DECIDED. IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE RIGHT ACROSS THE RAILROAD TRACKS.

OKAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK. THANK YOU. MAYBE OUR COUNCILMAN CAN RESPOND TO MY EMAILS WHEN YOU GET A CHANCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT, MISS CELESTE REVISH.

GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. VICE MAYOR HILL, OTHER BOARD, COUNCIL MEMBERS ON ON A PRESENT. AND

[00:35:01]

GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. VICE MAYOR, MY NAME IS BOBBY BEVERLY. I LIVE AT 2305 DUNDEE DRIVE, PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. WHEN GOOD CITIZENS WANT TO HELP THE CITY, THEIR EFFORTS ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED. WHEN THEY DISAGREE, THEY ARE FREQUENTLY DISCREDITED. AND ONE OF THOSE CITIZENS WHO SIMPLY WANTS TO SUPPORT THE MANY INDIVIDUALS STRUGGLING TO PROVIDE FOR THEIR FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN WHO FIND IT DIFFICULT TO CONCENTRATE IN SCHOOL DUE TO THE PERSONAL CHALLENGES THAT THOSE WHO HAVE NEVER LIVED IN UNDERPRIVILEGED NEIGHBORHOODS MAY NEVER UNDERSTAND. I MUST ADMIT THAT IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS, I WITNESSED SOME POSITIVE LEADERSHIP. VICE MAYOR HILL, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS AND BEHIND THE SCENES. I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO COREY HARRIS FOR HIS FAIR AND BALANCED PERSPECTIVE DURING MY SITUATION.

IF HE CAN SET ASIDE HIS DIFFERENCES TO HELP THE CITY, THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT HIS CHARACTER. THIS ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE LACK OF INTEGRITY IN THOSE WHO TRIED TO DISCREDIT HIM BEHIND HIS BACK. IF OUR LEADERS GOALS IS TO UNDERMINE AND DRIVE PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE CITY, THEN YOU HAVE SUCCEEDED IN PERSUADING ONE OF OUR OWN TO LEAVE. CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT MISTAKE.

ADDITIONALLY, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT I AGREED TO PAUSE MY SITUATION ON THE CONDITION THAT IT NEVER HAPPENS TO ANY CITIZEN AGAIN. IF YOU ARE CONFIDENT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE CITY IS HEADING, THEN WHY GET UPSET WHEN SOMEONE DISAGREES WITH YOU? IF YOU BELIEVE CITIZENS ARE NEGATIVE, HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THE LIES AND GOSSIP SOME LEADERS SPREAD ABOUT THEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR JOB IS CHALLENGING, BUT I ALSO BELIEVE YOU MAKE IT HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.

THANK YOU. MISS BOB RUDOLPH. GOOD EVENING, BARB RUDOLPH, 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I WANTED TO REVISIT SOMETHING FROM THE LAST MEETING TO PROVIDE SOME CLARITY AT THE END OF THE PUBLIC HEARING

[00:40:05]

BACK IN THE 90S. WE WERE STRUGGLING TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO BUY SOME BLEACHERS BECAUSE THE SCHOOL WAS NOT BUILT WITH A FOOTBALL FIELD. THAT'S WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE 90S. WE WERE TRYING TO GET BLEACHERS. WE WERE LEASING BLEACHERS. SO I JUST WANTED TO ACQUAINT YOU WITH SOME HISTORY SO THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY. THANK YOU.

NEXT, MR. GARY TALLEY. GOOD EVENING. COUNCIL. I'M STILL GARY TALLEY. I'M STILL AT 23, 23 FORT ROSS STREET. I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS. COUNCILMAN HILL, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT FOLLOW UP AND YOU ALL HAVE NEVER BEEN VERY GOOD AT THAT. SO I'VE GOT SOME QUESTIONS. WHY HASN'T THE JEWISH CHAPEL AT BLANDFORD CEMETERY BEEN REPAIRED YET? THAT ACCIDENT WAS ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO. THE RETAINING WALL BETWEEN CITY COUNCIL AND THE HOTEL PETERSBURG THAT WAS DISCUSSED ABOUT TWO, ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO. AND IT WAS DISCUSSED ABOUT WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. WHY DID IT FALL DOWN NOW? WE'VE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. WHO WOUND UP BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR IT DURING THE MEETING? ABOUT THREE MEETINGS AGO. WELL, DURING THAT DISCUSSION, THE RETAINING WALL THERE WAS MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A $6 MILLION FUND FOR EMERGENCY REPAIRS. WHY CAN'T WE USE THAT MONEY FOR THE OAK HILL, OAK STREET BRIDGE AND MAYBE THE LAFAYETTE STREET BRIDGE? WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING IN 20 WEST BANK STREET? WORK HAS STOPPED THERE MONTHS AGO. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHEN IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE OR PICK BACK UP. WHEN CAN WE EXPECT SOME REAL DEVELOPMENT AT SYCAMORE? SYCAMORE GROVE? WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S STILL PRETTY MUCH SITTING THERE EMPTY.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT, NORMAN VAUGHN. YES? HELLO, EVERYONE. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT A PIECE OF PROPERTY. I OWN TWO PIECES OF PROPERTY DOWN ON UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD, AND I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH PARKING. MY TENANTS ARE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH PARKING. THE OWNER OF THE LOT ACROSS ACROSS FROM MY PROPERTY SAYING THAT WE CANNOT PARK THERE ANYMORE UNLESS WE GET AUTHORIZATION. AND I REACHED OUT TO THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY. HE DIDN'T CALL ME BACK OR ANYTHING.

NOW THE STREET IS ON UNIVERSITY BOULEVARD GOING DOWN TO HERE, AND IT'S NO PARKING ON THAT STREET WHERE MY PROPERTY IS AT. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. AND I'M AT A LOSS OF WORDS, AND I'M

[00:45:04]

AND I DON'T KNOW NOBODY. NO ONE IS GIVING ME A GOOD ANSWER. YOU KNOW, THAT CAN HELP ME OUT. AND I WONDERED IF Y'ALL CAN HELP ME OUT ON THIS SITUATION WITH MY TENANTS AND THEM AND THEIR GUESTS HAVING SOMEWHERE TO PARK. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. VAUGHN. IF YOU COULD GO BACK THERE TO THAT BACK TABLE AND TALK WITH MR. BRIAN MOORE BACK THERE ABOUT THOSE PROPERTIES, RIGHT. ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK. YES, YES, YES. RIGHT IN THE BACK. OKAY. THANK YOU. NEXT, MR. DAVID BETTS. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. MY NAME IS DAVID BETTS. 1127 HI, PEARL STREET. MY QUESTION. MY STATEMENT IS YEARS AGO, THE CITY ACTUALLY TOOK 10% OF OUR EARNINGS. AND NOW THAT THE NOW THAT YOU GOT THE CASINO COMING HERE, I'M THINKING IS Y'ALL GOING TO MAKE A WAY TO GIVE THE 10% BACK? AND I THINK YOU SHOULD ALSO GIVE 10% INTEREST ON THAT.

AND THEN YOU GOT GUYS THAT'S BEEN WORKING THAT BEEN WORKING FOR SO MANY YEARS. AND YOU GOT GUYS COMING IN MAKING MORE THAN THEY'RE MAKING. AND THEY DONE BEEN THERE. I GOT A GUY THAT BEEN ON THE JOB 45 YEARS AND HE'S MAKING THE SAME. HE'S MAKING LESS THAN THE GUY THAT COME IN. MAYBE SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS AGO. I'VE BEEN HERE 20. I'VE BEEN HERE 27 YEARS IN THE SAME THING I'M SAYING. THAT'S CRAZY. I MEAN, INVEST BACK INTO YOUR PEOPLE. THESE ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WEATHERED THE STORM WITH THE CITY. NOW, THE SAME THING I'M SAYING WITH THE CITIZEN NOW YOU'RE GETTING YOU'RE GETTING READY TO GET THIS CASINO, THIS CASINO COMING IN EVERY, EVERY LOCATION WANTS SOME MONEY OUT OF THE FROM PETERSBURG OR COLONIAL HEIGHTS. HOPEWELL.

DINWIDDIE INVEST BACK INTO THE PEOPLE THAT THAT ACTUALLY VOTED THE CASINO IN BECAUSE IT WON'T Y'ALL THAT DID IT. IT WAS THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY THAT DID IT. JUST LIKE THESE HOTELS LIKE MR. COOPER BROTHER. Y'ALL SUPPORTED HIM WITH THE HOTEL. I'M ASKING THAT Y'ALL ACTUALLY PUT MONEY ASIDE. PUT MONEY ASIDE TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY, BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY HOTELS THAT Y'ALL DON'T BLOW OPPORTUNITY WITH. I'M SAYING, NOT KNOWING WHETHER Y'ALL GET WHETHER THE CITY GOING TO ACTUALLY GET THEIR MONEY BACK, THAT'S BACK INTO THE PEOPLE THAT ACTUALLY SUPPORTED THIS, THIS CITY, THIS ACTUALLY VOTED THIS CASINO IN. DON'T JUST JUST SIT BACK AND SAY, WELL, THE BIG MAN ALWAYS THE MAN. GET GET SOME, GET THE MONEY. LET THE SMALL PEOPLE GET SOME. I MEAN, ACTUALLY SET SOME MONEY ASIDE JUST FOR THIS LOW END OR LOW INTEREST LOANS. IT DON'T MAKE SENSE THAT PEOPLE YOU GOT ACTUALLY GET PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE ALL THEIR LIFE, THEY CAN'T EVEN AFFORD TO LIVE HERE NOW BECAUSE OF COURSE, I GOT A FEW HOUSES. I MEAN, THAT'S ME, BUT IT'S A WHOLE LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE, I MEAN, AND THEY AIN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE HERE. OUR AVERAGE HOUSE. I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THREE BEDROOM, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $1,200 AND THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S BIGGER THAN MY WHOLE PAYCHECK IN TWO WEEKS. I MEAN, IT'S CRAZY, BUT I'M ASKING THAT Y'ALL ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING TO HELP. THE PEOPLE THAT ASK THE VOTERS CASINO IN IS NOT IT, WON'T Y'ALL? IT WAS THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY THAT VOTED THE CASINO IN. AND ACTUALLY, I MEAN, IT'S THAT'S ALL THAT'S ALL THE PEOPLE ASKING FOR EVERYBODY TO ACT LIKE THEY'RE SCARED TO SAY ANYTHING. BUT I'M GOING TO SAY WHAT I WANT TO SAY ANYWAY, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENED. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

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

[00:50:02]

COUNCIL MEMBER. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PERRY. AYE.

THE MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. NEXT TO GO UNDER ITEM EIGHT, SPECIAL REPORT. NO ITEMS TONIGHT. NOT SPECIAL REPORTS. I'M UP. MONTHLY REPORTS, NO ITEMS. FINANCE AND BUDGET

[10. Finance and Budget Report]

[Items 11-14]

PERFECT. YEAH. GOOD EVENING, VICE MAYOR. MAYOR COUNCIL. THE PRESENTATION THAT I HAVE, IT'S ON THE SCREEN I THINK WAS IN YOUR PACKET. I'LL BE GLAD TO GO THROUGH IT. OR IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON WHAT WAS THERE, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER THOSE HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE TO DO IT.

COMING UP. MR. MAYOR, DO YOU MIND IF WE JUST HAVE MR. BAILEY TALK ABOUT THE WATER LINE ISSUES THAT WE HAD THAT MOST PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WEREN'T REALLY AWARE OF? YEAH. THAT HAPPENED JUST TO GIVE AN OVERVIEW WE HAD ABOUT BETWEEN THE THURSDAY NIGHT AND THE MONDAY, WE HAD ABOUT TEN LEAKS. WE UTILIZED CONTRACTORS FOR A COUPLE OF THEM, BUT THE BULK OF THOSE WERE FIXED BY CITY STAFF. WHILE OUR NEIGHBOR WAS HAVING ISSUES, WE WORKED ROUND THE CLOCK MONITORING TANKS, SWAPPING VALVES, MOVING WATER AROUND. AND AT THE SAME TIME, THERE WAS A LEAK IN OUR MAIN TRANSMISSION LINE COMING IN FROM LOCKS. AND WE GOT THAT FIXED ALSO. SO WE DID NOT END UP IN A CRISIS LIKE OTHER FOLKS. AND THE STATE HAS COMPLIMENTED ON US ON THE WAY. WE COMPLIMENTED MYSELF AND MY STAFF ON THE WAY WE HANDLE ALL THOSE LEAKS AND SHUFFLE TANKS AROUND, MOVED WATER TO KEEP WATER THROUGHOUT THE CITY. PERFECT. THANK YOU FOR THAT. APPRECIATE THAT. ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PRESENTATION OR ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS ON THE COUNCILMAN COOPER? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AND THANK YOU, MR. BAILEY, FOR BEING WITH US TONIGHT. I HAVE A I HAVE SEVERAL CONSTITUENTS ON TERRACE AVENUE WHO HAVE A WATER ISSUE. APPARENTLY THERE'S SPRINGS IN THE IN THE BANK AND THEIR HOME IS BUILT INTO INTO THE BANK. AND AS A RESULT, THERE'S A AT A COUPLE OF PLACES THERE IS A FREQUENTLY A SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATION OF WATER. AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS TO THE CITY MANAGER BEFORE, AND I WAS TOLD, I BELIEVE, THAT THIS WOULD BE ADDRESSED IN THE DRAINAGE STUDY. MR. ALTMAN, DO YOU KNOW IF IT IS BEING ADDRESSED IN THE DRAINAGE STUDY, THE OVERALL DRAINAGE STUDY THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY? YES, SIR.

IT IS A PART OF THAT. BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE FOR US TO JUST SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT, IF YOU CAN GIVE ME THE ADDRESS AFTER THE MEETING, WE CAN SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT THIS AS OPPOSED TO WAITING FOR THE OVERALL CITY STUDY TO BE COMPLETED. GREAT. ALL RIGHT. WELL, I'LL DO JUST THAT. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT INVITATION TO DO THAT. MR. BAILEY, THE OTHER THING, WHAT CAN COUNCIL OR I SHOULD DIRECT THIS TO MR. ALTMAN? I'M SORRY, MR. ALTMAN. WHAT CAN COUNCIL DO TO PREEMPT THE RECURRENT WATER LINE BREAKS THAT THAT. I MEAN, WE'D ALL LOVE TO PREEMPT THAT. I KNOW, AND WE DON'T HAVE CRYSTAL BALLS, AND, I DON'T KNOW, THE ODDSMAKERS COULD MAKE A FORTUNE ON GUESSING WHERE THE NEXT BREAKS WILL BE. BUT WHAT CAN COUNCIL DO TO PREEMPT THAT AND PREVENT THAT? THAT MAY I MAY I SPEAK TO THAT? ABSOLUTELY. WHEN I WAS HERE BEFORE, ABOUT TWO YEARS, WE HAD THREE LEAKS, THREE MAIN BREAKS IN THE MAIN LINE COMING FROM LOCKS. WE WERE REPLACING THAT PART OF THAT PIPE. NOW THAT PROJECT IS UNDERWAY. CONTRACT WAS AWARDED TO GODSEY AND SONS IS DOING THAT. BUT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO MAKE THAT LINE THE MOST STABLE LINE IN THE IN OUR INVENTORY WOULD BE A HELP TO EVERYBODY. BECAUSE IF THAT LINE BREAKS, EVERYBODY GOES DOWN. IN WHICH WHICH LINE WAS THAT, MR. BARLOW? IT WAS. WE HAVE TWO LINES OF 16 INCH LINE AND A 20 INCH LINE COMING FROM OUR LOCKS FACILITY. OUR WILL PUMP OUR FEEDS, LOCKS AND THEN LOCKS, FEEDS THE REST OF THE CITY. AND WE'RE CURRENTLY REPLACING IT FROM LOCKS, WHICH IS BEHIND THE DOMINION FACILITY OFF WASHINGTON. IT'S GOING TO END

[00:55:01]

SO THEY GOT FIRE PROTECTION NOW THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE. WE COMPLETED THAT IN HOUSE FOR I THINK, ABOUT $35,000. SO, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T HAVE CREWS THAT CAN DO THAT ALL THE TIME. BUT IT JUST WORKED OUT THAT THERE WERE NO LEAKS. AND WE GOT WE COULD PUT PEOPLE ON IT FOR THREE DAYS AND WE GOT IT DONE. SO GREAT. OKAY, MR. ALTMAN, LET ME GO BACK TO YOUR REFERENCE TO A STUDY AND TO FOLLOW UP ON VICE MAYOR HILL'S COMMENT ABOUT FOLLOWING UP. WHEN CAN COUNCIL EXPECT THAT STUDY? SO DAVENPORT'S WORKING ON THE ON IT NOW. AND WE ANTICIPATE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS THEY'LL BE FINISHED. THEY'RE LOOKING AT WE'VE WE'VE GOTTEN TOGETHER A LIST OF CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT THEY CAN LOOK AT. AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO THE RATE STUDY IS ONGOING. I CAN CHECK IN WITH MR. WELL, ROLAND COUCH AND FIND OUT WHAT THEY THINK THE COMPLETION DATE WOULD BE TO BRING BACK TO COUNCIL FOR REVIEW. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. AND IF YOU WOULD SEND TO ALL COUNCIL AN EMAIL LETTING US KNOW, I GUESS IT WOULD BE SOMETIME DURING THIS CALENDAR YEAR, IS THAT I MEAN, THIS FISCAL YEAR? I'M SORRY. YEAH, THAT'S IT WOULD DEFINITELY BE BEFORE JUNE.

RIGHT? OKAY. WELL THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE WE NEED TO DO THINGS THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE. AND THAT IS TO TRY TO PREEMPT THESE PROBLEMS. WE, MR. BAILEY AND I TALKED ABOUT

[01:00:01]

IT'S BEEN PROVEN OVER AND OVER THAT THIS CITY, WE'RE FAILING THE TEST. THIS STUFF'S BEEN HERE SINCE YOU WAS HERE IN YOUR LAST CAPACITY. AND YOURS. AND WE KEEP STUDYING FOR THE TEST WHEN WE NEED TO TAKE THE TEST AND GET IT GOING. AND WHAT I'M SAYING IS, AT WHAT POINT WHEN WE'RE REPAIRING THINGS, DO WE REPLACE IT VERSUS REPAIRING? YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHY I SAID WHAT I SAID ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE MONEY, BECAUSE WE COULD USE THAT HELP GOING DIRECTLY INTO THAT INFRASTRUCTURE TO GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED AND YOU WHAT YOU NEED. SO WE WON'T HAVE TO STUDY AS LONG. I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE I MAY NOT BE HERE ON THE NEXT TERM. WHO ELSE RAN ON NEXT TERM? NONE OF THEM. WE MAY NOT BE HERE. AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME MORE PEOPLE UP HERE AND WANT TO STUDY, STUDY, STUDY. AND SOME OF Y'ALL OUT THERE MAY NOT BE HERE. WE ALL HAVE A DEATH DATE OR EXPIRATION DATE. AND MY THING IS WE GOT TO STOP STUDYING FOR A TEST THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR NOW. SO IF I COULD CLARIFY JUST OKAY, I WILL SAY I USE THE WORD STUDY. WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING IS CREATING A FINANCIAL PLAN OF HOW WE CAN SPEND THE MONEY TO GET THE WORK DONE. I COPY THAT, WE KNOW THE PROBLEMS OUT THERE. WE HAVE OLD INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT'S HOW TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT AND THE PROJECTS. SO WE'RE REALLY COMING UP WITH A FINANCIAL PLAN ON HOW TO DO THAT. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING. SO MY APOLOGIES IF I WASN'T CLEAR. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. SO I'M GOING TO GO DOWN THE LIST. NORMALLY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENTS I KNOW I TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE, BUT COMING INTO BERKELEY MANOR NORMANDY, THAT WHEN YOU CROSS THE HILL OFF OF WE CROSS OVER OLD WAGNER ROAD, THAT FIRST STREET GOING ACROSS, EVERY TIME IT RAINS IT PUDDLES REALLY BAD INTO PEOPLE'S YARDS.

NOW HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED WHEN THE CITY MANAGER AND PARKS AND REC DIRECTOR, MARQUIS ALLEN. AND I THINK YOU HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT TOO. BUT I KNOW AT THE PARK, WHEN WE CLEANED THAT PARK UP AND HE FOUND AN EXTRA CURB, MR. MAYOR, BACK THERE. WHERE DURING A CARRIAGE THAT WAS WIDER THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS. BUT WHEN THEY CLEANED IT UP, BECAUSE THAT USED TO FLOOD TOO. BUT WHEN THEY CLEANED IT UP, IT NO LONGER FLOODS RIGHT THERE. THEN THAT WAS BY ACCIDENT. IMAGINE IF WE GO AND DO SOMETHING ON PURPOSE JUST IN THE FRONT. AND I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE THIS IS THE AREA WHERE THE CASINO IS GOING TO BE DIRECTLY AFFECTING ACROSS THE STREET, AND THOSE PEOPLE WANT SOME ACTION. THAT'S BEEN SWIMMING POOLS UP THERE EVERY TIME IT RAINS. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I'M THROWING OUT THERE. MY NEXT THING IS, AND I'M NOT LOOKING FOR AN ANSWER TO THAT, I JUST WANT TO SHARE MY CONCERNS. MY NEXT THING IS, AS WE SAID, NORMANDY INFRASTRUCTURE SOUTHSIDE DEPOT. I SEE SOMETHING ON HERE ABOUT WE HAD TO MEET WITH A CONTRACTOR TO SHOW A ROOF LEAK. I THOUGHT WE WERE STILL WORKING ON THAT THING. AND WE HAVE CONTRACTORS ALREADY THERE. I MEAN, WASN'T THE ROOF ALREADY DONE? NOW, I DO WANT TO ANSWER ON THAT BECAUSE WE STILL DUMPING MONEY INTO THIS THING. I'VE GOT TO I'VE GOT TO CHECK TO GET YOU THE ABSOLUTE CORRECT ANSWER. BUT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE ROOF WAS DONE. PART OF PART OF THE BUILDING ROOF WAS DONE. THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER PART OF THE BUILDING. THE ROOF WASN'T DONE FOR WHATEVER REASON, AND THAT SCOPE WAS WAS PUT TOGETHER BEFORE I GOT HERE. SO WHEN CONTRACTOR B DID HIS PART OF THE ROOF, THEY DIDN'T TIE INTO CONTRACTOR A AND IT LEAKED BETWEEN THOSE. SO WHAT DID THEY USE LEGOS OR SOMETHING? I MEAN, THIS THIS PART WE'RE NOT IT'S REALLY IF I, IF I UNDERSTAND TALKING TO MR. MR. KOPPEL TODAY IT'S WHERE THE WEST WING TIED INTO THE BUILDING THAT WASN'T PART OF THE SCOPE OF SERVICES FOR, FOR THE FOR THE ROOF ON THE

[01:05:04]

THEY'RE GOING TO DO A SPACE NEEDS ANALYSIS TO DETERMINE HOW BEST TO USE THAT. AND IF WE NEED TO BUILD ON, WE'LL COME BACK WITH A REQUEST TO BUILD ON. ALL RIGHT. SO LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE NEGATIVES. WE GOT THAT WE INTERVIEWED A CANDIDATE FOR A PERMANENT FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR POSITION AND THEY DECLINED OUR OFFER. NO NEW QUALIFIED CANDIDATES HAVE APPLIED. ARE WE NOT FIGHTING FOR CANDIDATES ARE WE NOT? ARE WE JUST OFFERING THEM SOMETHING? AND THEN THEY SAY NO AND YOU DON'T GO AFTER THEM? OR DO YOU? WE JUST INTERVIEWING JUST TO SAY WE INTERVIEWED OR WHAT ARE WE DOING. BECAUSE THERE'S PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT'S I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN ONLY WE'RE NOT JUST THE PEOPLE THAT, THAT THAT APPLY. AND THEN WE MAKE AN ATTRACTIVE AN OFFER AS WE CAN. WE CAN'T OFFER THEM 100% OF THE SALARY. BUT IF THEY COME IN AND THEY'RE QUALIFIED, EVEN THOUGH THEY DON'T KNOW OUR SYSTEM, WE'RE NOT OPPOSED TO GOING UP INTO THE 75% OF THE RANGE. BUT IF WE IF WE DO AND THEY LOOK AT US AND SAY, NO, IT'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY, YOU KNOW, SO HERE'S MY THING. YOU JUST SAID WE CAN'T OFFER 100% OF THE SALARY, BUT IT'S LISTED IN THIS RANGE. AND TALKING ABOUT THE 100% OF THE RANGE, RIGHT.

EXACTLY 100% OF THE RANGE. BUT THERE'S BEEN PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN HIRED THAT WENT OVER THAT 100% OF THAT RANGE, YOU KNOW. SO WHY, IF WE NEED THIS, IF WE NEED THIS POSITION. YEAH. NO, I DON'T AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE INTERVIEWERS ARE LOOKING AT THAT RANGE. AND IF THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE QUALIFIED AND WE NEED THIS POSITION BECAUSE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? WE'RE GOING TO KEEP COMING IN HERE SAYING WE DON'T HAVE NOBODY. AND IT'S GOING TO THIS PART OF KICKING IT DOWN THE ROAD. IT REALLY A NEED TO REEVALUATE THE POSITION AGAINST THE MARKET AND SEE WHERE THAT SALARY RANGE SHOULD BE BASED ON WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT. SO MY SUGGESTION IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO HIRE FOR ANY POSITION YOU NEED TO PUT, DON'T EVEN PUT THE RANGE. JUST PUT IT RIGHT THERE. WHAT YOU'RE HIRING FOR BECAUSE PEOPLE COME IN HERE THAT'S QUALIFIED, THEY WANT THAT TOP DOLLAR. LIKE I WANT THE TOP DOLLAR FOR WHATEVER JOB I'M DOING. YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TOP DOLLAR FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING. AND SOME OF Y'ALL IN HERE GETTING TOP DOLLAR FOR WHAT Y'ALL DOING. YOU GOT TOP DOLLAR. WELL ACTUALLY I DIDN'T HE BEAT ME DOWN A LITTLE BIT BUT YES. YEAH, BUT Y'ALL Y'ALL AIN'T GONNA LOAN ME NO MONEY, YOU KNOW. SO MY THING IS WE JUST GOTTA MAKE SURE WE FIGHT FOR THE CANDIDATES. THEY WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS TEAM. DON'T LET THEM WALK AWAY, MAN. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU LETTING GO. AND IF YOU CAN OFFER THAT TOP SALARY, GIVE IT TO THEM. THEY STILL GOT PROBATION. WE CAN TAKE IT RIGHT BACK, BUT AT LEAST FIGHT FOR THEM, MAN. THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND IF I COULD SPEAK TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT STUDIES WHEN WE WERE HERE BEFORE, WE RECOGNIZED THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE A TIE IN TO PRINCE GEORGE. CURRENTLY, FIRE DEPARTMENT HELPS US WITH THAT, AND THEY HELPED US DURING THE LAST WATER CRISIS. TALKING ABOUT THE REEVES ROAD PROJECT. NOW WITH THE CONNECTION. YES, YES, YES. CITY MANAGER ALREADY TOLD ME ABOUT IT AT THE RETREAT. YEP.

CHIEF TOLD ME THE CHIEF HELPED WITH THAT AND HIS STAFF AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. BUT THE PLANS HAVE BEEN SITTING THERE SINCE I WAS HERE, SINCE WE WERE HERE BEFORE. BUT NOW WE DUSTED THEM OFF AND GOT AN UPDATE ON COST, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE RFP OUT TO GET PRICING TO DO THAT. SO THIS IS THE CROSS CONNECT WHERE PRINCE GEORGE IS WILLING TO PAY FOR HALF OF THAT PROJECT COST. AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE. AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND SO THANK YOU, MR. MISTER MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK, MR. BEVERLY, WHEN IS THE LIST COMING OUT FOR THE ROADS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PAVED THIS YEAR? AND WHEN IS THE LAST WE CAN SUBMIT THIS FISCAL YEAR? YES, I KNOW WE IT WAS AROUND THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR. IT WAS ALREADY OUT. SO THAT LIST WAS LAST SPRING SO THAT THEY STILL HAVEN'T FINISHED PAVING THOSE ROADS. I'D HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE WHERE WE ARE. PROBABLY. PROBABLY SO. BUT I'LL

[01:10:01]

[16. City Manager's Agenda]

ANY ITEMS. SO THIS EVENING, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AT THE LAST MEETING, YOU APPROVED THE ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT RELATED TO DATA CENTERS AND ASKED. WELL, ASKED IF COUNCIL PROVIDED ANY COMMENT THAT WE BRING THOSE ITEMS BACK TO YOU THIS EVENING. WE HAVE A REPORT ON THOSE COMMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED AND FOR COUNCIL OR COUNCIL GUIDANCE. CERTAINLY NO ACTION TONIGHT, BUT ANY KIND OF GUIDANCE ON WHAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO DO TO MOVE FORWARD.

GREAT. THANKS. MARCH. THANKS. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL NAOMI SIODMAK I'M THE PLANNING DIRECTOR FOR PETERSBURG. SO I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT RELATED TO DATA CENTERS AFTER THE ACTION WAS TAKEN IN THE LAST MEETING. SO AT THE JANUARY 21ST MEETING, COUNCIL NOTED THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN GIVING US SUGGESTIONS ON SOME CHANGES THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY MAKE TO THE CODE THAT WE ADOPTED. WE'VE TAKEN THOSE CONSIDERATIONS, AND WE'RE PRESENTING THOSE TO YOU TODAY FOR FURTHER RECOMMENDATION FROM YOUR END ON HOW YOU'D LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT INFORMATION. SO SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT WE HEARD THAT ALL DATA CENTERS WOULD REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE LANGUAGE IN OUR CODE THAT WE JUST ADOPTED IN JANUARY STATING THAT DATA CENTERS ARE ALLOWED BY RIGHT IF THEY MEET SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS. THOSE REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE A NOISE STUDY, BUFFER REQUIREMENTS AND SETBACKS. SO IF THOSE ITEMS CAN'T BE ADDRESSED THAT WE DID INCLUDE IN THE CODE, THEN THEY WOULD APPLY FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SO IF THEY CAN'T MEET THE NOISE REQUIREMENTS OR THE BUFFER, THEN THEY WOULD REQUEST A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. THIS REQUEST IS SPECIFICALLY TO MAKE IT SO ALL DATA CENTERS, NO MATTER WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, HAVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. NEXT REQUEST THAT WAS SENT TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL IS THAT NO NOISE FROM A DATA CENTER SHALL REACH RESIDENTIAL AREAS OR PUBLIC PARKS OTHER THAN DURING POWER OUTAGES OR PERIODIC TESTING OF BACKUP GENERATORS. SO RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE THE REQUIREMENT OF A NOISE STUDY. WE HAVE IT. SO IT HAS TO MEET THE INDUSTRIAL STANDARDS IN OUR CODE. SO I BELIEVE THOSE IN ARE AROUND THE 70 DECIBEL RANGE AT THE PROPERTY LINE. THIS WOULD MAKE IT SO THAT NO NOISE FROM THE DATA CENTER CAN REACH THOSE PROPERTY LINES OF RESIDENTIAL AND PUBLIC PARKS. THERE WAS ALSO A REQUEST TO AMEND THE DEFINITION WE HAVE FOR DATA CENTERS AS WELL. RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A DESCRIPTION OF WHAT A DATA CENTER IS. BUT IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE WE CLARIFY SAYING AN ESTABLISHMENT WHOSE PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO ENGAGE IN THE DESCRIPTION WE PROVIDED. SO JUST REALLY MAKING IT CLEAR THAT IF SOMEONE HAS KIND OF A SECONDARY PURPOSE WHERE THEY'RE MANAGING DATA, IT WOULDN'T BE CLASSIFIED AS A DATA CENTER. SOME OTHER SUGGESTIONS THAT WE GOT IN IN OUR EMAIL AS WELL. TALKING ABOUT THE BRIDGE OVER THE TRAIN TRACKS FOR THE POTENTIAL DATA CENTER AT THE RAMBLEWOOD SITE. SO WE WERE THINKING THIS WOULD BE BEST IN A PURCHASE AGREEMENT OR AS A PROFFER WHEN THE PROPERTY IS REZONED. SO RIGHT NOW THE PROPERTY ISN'T PROPERLY ZONED FOR A DATA CENTER, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ZONED INTO AN INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT. SO THAT WOULD BE THE TIME WHERE WE WOULD WE WOULD INCLUDE WITH THE DEVELOPMENT, WITH THE REZONING, WITH A PURCHASE AGREEMENT FROM THE CITY, A REQUIREMENT THAT THEY BUILD THAT BRIDGE FOR ACCESS, A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WE HEARD NOT FROM COUNCIL, BUT AT THE WARD MEETING THAT WAS HELD RECENTLY ON DATA CENTERS, THERE WAS THE MENTION THAT I MENTIONED AT THE LAST MEETING SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE 100 FOOT SETBACK. SO BUILDINGS THAT ARE A DATA CENTER HAVE TO BE SET BACK 100FT FROM THE PROPERTY LINE. WE TOOK A LOOK AT SOME OTHER LOCALITIES, AND SOME HAVE PROPOSED THAT THAT SETBACK BE 200FT. AND SOMEONE HAD A GOOD POINT TOO. THEY WERE SAYING, THINK ABOUT A FOOTBALL FIELD, IT'S 300FT. SO WHEN YOU'RE THINKING OF THAT, HOW MUCH IS 100 FOOT SETBACK? SOMETHING TO VISUALIZE. WE ALSO HEARD CONCERNS ABOUT NOISE REGARDING GENERATOR TESTING AND USAGE. SO WE TOOK A LOOK AT SOME OTHER CODES AS WELL. AND LOUDOUN COUNTY HAS LANGUAGE THAT LIMITS THE HOURS OF GENERATOR TESTING, EXCEPT FOR WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY NEEDED AND FOR EMERGENCY USE. SO WHAT WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL TODAY IS ANY FEEDBACK AND THOUGHTS ON THE INFORMATION WE PROVIDED. ARE YOU ALL INTERESTED IN A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR DATA CENTERS? ARE YOU INTERESTED IN CHANGING THE LANGUAGE SO NOISE CAN'T BE BEYOND THE PROPERTY LINE AT A RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY OR A PARK PROPERTY. CHANGING THE SETBACKS OF BUILDINGS AND SO FORTH. AND WITH THAT DIRECTION, WE CAN MAKE THOSE EDITS AND GO BACK TO PLANNING COMMISSION. LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS. COUNCILMAN COOPER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR, AND THANK YOU, MR. MONK. MR. MONK, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? LET'S GO DOWN THE LIST

[01:15:06]

AND THIS STUFF. ABOUT 70DB AT THE PROPERTY LINE OF THE OF THE BUSINESS THAT I THINK THAT COULD CAUSE A LOT OF A LOT OF DISCOMFORT FOR A NUMBER OF OUR RESIDENTS. PERSONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT PROVISION ADOPTED. MR. ALTMAN. GOT AN EMPTY CHAIR HERE FOR A MOMENT.

I'M NOT SURE. MR. MAYOR. HOW WOULD WE EXPLORE THE WHETHER THERE'S AN APPETITE FOR NO NOISE FROM DATA CENTERS SHALL REACH RESIDENTIAL AREAS OR PUBLIC PARKS AND SO ON, AS IN ITEM TWO BEFORE US, MR. WILLIAMS. SO WHEN I SAW THAT LIST, I COMMENTED QUIETLY TO THE MANAGER THAT I THOUGHT THAT THAT PARTICULAR ONE, AT LEAST AS IT'S WORDED, THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE THE MOST PROBLEMATIC, BECAUSE IF YOU TRY TO REGULATE THE NOISE BASED ON THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE, YOU RUN INTO A NUMBER OF POTENTIAL ISSUES. THE LAW DOESN'T CARE WHETHER IT'S NOISE FROM A LAWNMOWER OR WHETHER IT'S FROM A DATA CENTER. IT EITHER REACHES THE THRESHOLD TO BE DISTURBING TO THE CITIZENS OR IT DOESN'T. AND I HAD THIS IN THE CONTEXT OF A FIRST AMENDMENT CASE WHERE SOMEBODY WAS USING A LOUDSPEAKER AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT MUSIC COMING FROM A LOUDSPEAKER, BUT IF IT CAME FROM A LAWNMOWER, IT WOULD BE OKAY. AND WHEN YOU START TRYING TO PARSE THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE, YOU YOU'RE ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE. WHAT DO YOU THINK? DATA CENTERS HAVE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? I DON'T, BUT WHEN YOU START TRYING TO REGULATE BASED ON WHAT THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE IS, YOU RUN INTO A PLETHORA OF ISSUES WHERE PEOPLE SAY, OKAY, WELL, NOT FROM A DATA CENTER, BUT FROM THIS OR THAT. SO I JUST WOULD SAY OF THE THREE THAT YOU HAVE THERE, THAT'S THE MOST PROBLEMATIC JUST FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE. WELL, I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEMATIC PIECE OF IT. I DON'T THINK YOU'VE EXPLAINED IT FOR DATA CENTERS DO NOT HAVE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, SO WHY NOT? WHAT WOULD BE THE LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS? WHAT WOULD BE THE LEGAL CONSEQUENCES OF THIS COUNCIL ADOPTING? ITEM TWO? HOW COULD THAT GET US INTO LEGAL HOT WATER? WELL, BECAUSE BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO ARGUE WHY THAT'S NOT ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS. WHY A NOISE FROM A DATA CENTER IS MORE ANNOYING OR MORE DISTURBING TO A CITIZEN THAN A NOISE FROM A LAWN MOWER? HOW DO YOU ARBITRARILY SAY, OH, WELL, IF IT'S NOISE FROM A DATA CENTER, IT CAN'T REACH THE EDGE OF THE PROPERTY. WELL, BUT BUT THE NOISE FROM A JACKHAMMER OR THE NOISE FROM A PASSING CAR IS PERMISSIBLE. THE WHOLE PREMISE OF THE LAW IS THAT IT HAS SOME COMMON SENSE. AND THIS PARTICULAR SECTION LACKS IT.

WELL, LET'S TALK COMMON SENSE. A LAWN MOWER DOESN'T GO 24 OVER SEVEN 365. A DATA CENTER DOES.

THAT'S COMMON SENSE. BUT YOU PLACE THOSE SAME TIME RESTRICTIONS ON THE LEVEL OF NOISE, NOT ON THE SOURCE. YEAH. AND I DO WANT TO NOTE TOO, THAT RIGHT NOW ALL INDUSTRIAL USES

[01:20:01]

THEY LIVE HERE, MISS SIODMAK. THEY DON'T LIVE IN ANOTHER CITY. THEY HEAR IT WHEN THEY GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. COUNCILMAN COOPER, THEN YOU TOUR ONE OF THESE THINGS. WHAT'S THAT? DIDN'T YOU TOUR A DATA CENTER? I DID, AND THE ONE THAT I. THERE WAS NOT A PEEP COMING FROM THE ONE THAT I WRITE. SO I DON'T THINK THAT THIS REALLY IS GOING TO. RIGHT. SO WHY ARE WE DISCUSSING SOMETHING WHEN WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A DATA CENTER HERE IN PETERSBURG? THE ONE THAT YOU SAW WAS NOT PUTTING OUT NOISE. WHAT IS THE I MEAN, WHEN THAT TIME COMES, WE HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ARGUE AGAINST AT THIS CURRENT TIME. AND THESE NEW AGE DATA CENTERS LIKE THE ONE YOU VISITED. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO THE PUBLIC THAT IT WAS QUIET? I MEAN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT YOU CAN JUST JUST SAY, I'M GOING TO COME AND PUT A NOISE ORDINANCE IN PLACE OF SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE. WELL, ALL DATA CENTERS ARE NOT THE SAME. I THINK, ALTHOUGH I HAVE, I'VE BEEN TO ONLY ONE. BUT IF IT'S NOT A PROBLEM, GREAT.

BUT LET'S RUN THROUGH THIS FOR A MOMENT AND SEE HOW OUR EXISTING ORDINANCE WOULD WORK IF WE INCLUDED THIS PROVISION. NO NOISE FROM DATA CENTERS SHALL REACH RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND SO ON. IF WE INCLUDED THAT IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE FOR DATA CENTERS, AND IF THE DATA CENTER APPLICANT COULD NOT MEET THAT, THEN THE DATA CENTER APPLICANT WOULD STILL HAVE A SAFETY VALVE OPTION, NAMELY TO SEEK A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FROM CITY COUNCIL. IS MY UNDERSTANDING CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. IF WE ADDED THIS AS ONE OF THE REGULATIONS, AS THE CODE IS WRITTEN NOW AND THEY COULDN'T MEET THAT REGULATION, YES, THEY COULD REQUEST A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. YEAH. I DON'T WANT TO SEND THE WRONG SIGNAL. HERE I AM A HUGE SUPPORTER OF DATA CENTERS, BUT I'M ALSO A HUGE SUPPORTER OF OUR CITIZENS AND THEIR RIGHT TO GO TO SLEEP AT NIGHT. SO I WONDER IF, GIVEN THAT WE'VE GOT THIS SAFETY VALVE IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE FOR DATA CENTERS, NAMELY, IF THEY CANNOT MEET, LET'S PRETEND FOR A MINUTE THAT NO NOISE FROM DATA CENTERS SHALL REACH RESIDENTIAL AREAS.

LET'S PRETEND THAT THAT'S IN OUR ORDINANCE. IF A DATA CENTER APPLIED AND CHOKED ON THAT AND SAID WE CAN'T DO THAT, THEY COULD STILL COME TO THIS COUNCIL AND SEEK A SPECIAL USE PERMIT.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WOULD ESTABLISH A PRESUMPTION IN EFFECT. AND BUT THERE'D BE A SAFETY VALVE. AND COUNCIL COULD CONSIDER APPLYING THE SAFETY VALVE OR USING THE SAFETY VALVE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. IF WE WERE JUST FALLING ALL OVER OUR FEET TO GET A PARTICULAR DATA CENTER. SO I FOR ONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PLANNING COMMISSION CONSIDERED, CONSIDER THIS PROVISION AND REPORT BACK TO COUNCIL. BUT LET ME I MEAN MAYBE I'M ODD MAN OUT. MAYBE IT'S YOU KNOW, THERE'S SIX PEOPLE THAT SEE THIS DIFFERENTLY. BUT MR. MAYOR, COULD WE EXPLORE THIS IN A CONVERSATION NOW? I MEAN, HOW DO HOW DO OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL FEEL ABOUT THIS? I THINK WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION BEFORE, AND THAT'S WHY WE GAVE YOU THE FIELD TRIP TO SEE A DATA CENTER.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION THAT WHEN THAT TIME COMES, WE WILL COME BACK AND AMEND WHEN AND IF WE EVEN GET A DATA CENTER ON THE HOOK. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS SO, SO PRELIMINARY THAT HOW DO YOU EXCLUDE ANYTHING IN A CITY LIKE PETERSBURG, IN WHICH YOU HAVE SOME AREAS THAT ARE VERY RURAL AND VERY INDUSTRIAL, BUT YOU WANT TO PUT NOISE IN PLACE FOR SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING. IF BY CAMELOT, IF THEY DECIDE THAT THEY JUST WANT HOMES THERE, WE CAN JUST ONLY PUT RESIDENTIAL HOMES THERE. AND IT'S NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT NOISE, YOU KNOW, SO, SO IT'S THE THING IS BEING STRATEGIC WITH IT. AND, AND ON TOP OF THAT, LISTENING TO OUR RESIDENTS BECAUSE OVER ON THE CAMELOT SIDE OF A LOT OF GOOD NEIGHBORS OVER THERE. AND I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WHAT WE HAVE ON THAT SIDE OF THE TOWN. AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A IT'S A PLACE THAT A DATA CENTER SHOULD, SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO, TO ACTUALLY ESTABLISH THEMSELVES. BUT BUT AS OF NOW, UNTIL WE DETERMINE WHAT AREAS AND WHEN AND IF IT HAPPENED, THIS THING MAY NOT

[01:25:06]

RIGHT NOW THEY ARE IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY DATA CENTERS TOWARDS THIS SOUTH SOUTHERN END OF VIRGINIA. SO IT'S MORE OF A HAIL MARY OF US PUTTING THE CITY IN A POSITION TO ACQUIRE SOMETHING WHICH IS MORE OF A ECONOMIC GENERATOR FOR SMALL CITIES LIKE PETERSBURG THAT HAVE LIMITED AMOUNTS OF REVENUE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE LARGE SWATHS OF LAND. IF WE WAS IN COLONIAL HEIGHTS OR SOMEWHERE, I WOULD REALLY BE CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOTHING BUT RESIDENTIAL AND NOWHERE TO PUT THEM. BUT IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS, WE'RE NOT SITTING THIS NEXT UP TO THE BACK OF ANYBODY'S NEIGHBORHOOD OR BACKYARD. SO I MEAN, THE WHOLE NOISE DISCUSSION IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT YOU TO CONTINUE TO RESEARCH. WE HAVE MORE COUNCIL MEMBERS GOING UP TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA TO TOUR AT THE HYPOTHETICALS OF WHAT THESE DATA CENTERS LOOK LIKE. AND EVEN IN MY TRAVELS, I WAS IMPRESSED. IS SOUND JUST LIKE YOUR YOUR YOUR AIR CONDITIONING UNIT RUNNING AT YOUR BACK DOOR, YOUR TRAIN OR YOUR HEAT PUMP BLOWING. SO IT WASN'T THAT OUTRAGEOUS NOISE OF A LAWNMOWER. SO, SO AT THIS TIME, UNTIL WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN ACTUAL POTENTIAL COMPANY COMING, I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO, TO PLAY PLAY THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION.

BUT IF BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN WHOEVER THAT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE RESIDENTIAL BESIDE CAMELOT, IF THAT'S THE WILL OF THE COUNCIL, THAT THAT WE ONLY LOOK AT THOSE THOSE AREAS FOR, FOR MORE RESIDENTIAL HOUSING AND THAT KEEPS THE NEIGHBORHOODS QUIET. I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT. AND COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK IS ON THAT END OF TOWN AND THERE'S A THERE'S A NEED THROUGHOUT THIS, THIS CITY FOR MORE HOUSING IN GENERAL AND FOR THOSE AREAS AND THOSE, THOSE RESIDENTS LIKE DOCTOR GROSSMAN, THAT MAY BE THE RIGHT FIT BECAUSE CAMELOT WAS NEVER FINISHED OUT. AND IT SHOULD BE SOME STIPULATIONS ON WHAT GOES RIGHT NEXT TO HIS NEIGHBORHOOD, BEING THAT CAMELOT WAS DESIGNATED TO BE A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT THINGS TO PRESERVE THOSE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL, BECAUSE WE HAVE ENOUGH NOISE ON ON THAT SIDE OF TOWN, LIKE HE SAYS. YEP. AND, AND BUT THESE AREAS LIKE OUR INDUSTRIAL PARK OR MORE AGRICULTURAL LAND, THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE. BUT FARMLAND IS, IS IDEAL FOR WHERE OUR PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING FACILITY IS. THERE'S HUNDREDS OF ACRES OUT THERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WAGNER ROAD. THERE'S MORE FARMLAND ON THAT END. SO I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN RULE THAT NOISE TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS. I THINK IT'S MORE OF, OF, OF MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT LOCATED IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA. AND, AND I THINK IT'S RIGHT NOW, THIS IS ALL EXPLORATORY. AND I'M NOT EVEN CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL EVEN GET A DATA CENTER. SO BEING DOING THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATION BEFORE WE EVEN HAVE A BIRD IN THE HAND IS KIND OF PRELIMINARY RIGHT NOW. OKAY. WELL, I DON'T YOU KNOW, IT'S EITHER GOING TO BE TOO SOON OR TOO LATE, AND I'D RATHER BE TOO SOON THAN TOO LATE. SO. ALL RIGHT, I'M MR. MAYOR, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO MAKE A MOTION AT THIS POINT? YOU KNOW, THIS IS A WORK SESSION. SO ON THE WORK SESSIONS, PER THE RULES, WE ONLY APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO THERE'S NO OTHER MOTIONS MADE.

THIS IS MORE EXPLORATORY. AND INFORMATION REASONS ONLY. WELL COULD WE PUT THIS ON THE BUSINESS AGENDA. THE FEBRUARY 18TH MEETING PLEASE. OKAY. AND ALSO IN THAT TIME I WOULD LIKE TO IF ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT NEED TO GO AND EXPLORE, GO UP TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA TO SEE THESE DATA CENTERS, TO WELCOME AND HEAR THE NOISE. I LIKE FOR EVERYBODY TO AT LEAST BEND AND SEE HOW THESE OPERATIONS WORK. BEFORE WE EVEN COME TO A TO A COUNCIL VOTE ON THIS ISSUE. I THINK IT'S ONLY FAIR TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY IS EDUCATED ON IT. AND, COUNCILMAN COOPER, MAYBE YOU CAN MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GOES AND ONCE THEY GO, JUST LET ME KNOW AND WE'LL ADD IT TO THE AGENDA. OKAY. WELL, I'D LOVE FOR THEM TO GO. I CAN'T MAKE THEM GO. I WENT AND COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK WENT AND YOU WENT, AND COUNCILMAN MYERS WENT. I'M. AND I DIDN'T HEAR A PEEP. AND THAT'S WHY THIS THAT'S WHY I THINK THIS IS A NON I THINK THIS PROVISION IS NOT GOING TO STOP A SINGLE DATA CENTER. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T GET DATA CENTERS THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE THAT I VISITED, BECAUSE THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF I'M SURE

[01:30:03]

RIGHT? AND THAT'S WHY I DON'T WANT TO ADD IT UNTIL EVERYBODY HAS HAS SEEN IT. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT. WELL, THIS BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE TILL, TILL THE MARCH MEETING JUST FOR THE SAKE OF PEOPLE'S JOBS AND WORKING AND WHEN THEY CAN COME AND EXPLORE AN ACTUAL DATA CENTER IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. OKAY. THANK YOU, VICE MAYOR HILL. YES. I DON'T WANT US TO KILL THIS PROJECT BEFORE IT EVEN GET OFF. WE DON'T HAVE A DATA CENTER. IT'S BEEN A WHOLE LOT OF TALK ABOUT A DATA CENTER. AND THIS IS JUST ONE OF THE ECONOMIC DRIVES THAT WE SEE. WE GOT A GENTLEMAN TO COME AND PRESENT WITH TWO TO PRESENT TO US THE BENEFITS, THE PROS AND THE CONS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. BUT I THINK AS A CITY, OVER YEARS, WE HAVE KIND OF LACK FOR A BETTER TERM.

AND I KNOW, COUNCILMAN COUPLER, I KNOW YOUR HEART AND I KNOW YOU'RE FOR THIS PROJECT. YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE RIGHT, RIGHT WAY. AND I THINK WE ALL ARE. BUT I THINK AS A CITY OVER, OVER YEARS, JUST LOOKING AT THE PAST, EVEN BEFORE THIS COUNCIL CAME ON, THAT WE HAVE ASSASSINATED THINGS BEFORE IT EVEN GOT OFF. AND WE'RE IN A POINT NOW. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING TO CITIZENS ABOUT DATA CENTERS AND ALL THAT, AND WE'RE NOT EVEN THERE YET. WE GOT EVERYBODY UP IN THE RAW. WE'RE NOT EVEN THERE YET, Y'ALL. WE GOT PEOPLE TAKING PRECIOUS TIME OUT OF THEIR SCHEDULE, GOING TO MEETINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND WE'RE REALLY NOT THERE YET. AND I BELIEVE IN BEING TRANSPARENT AND LETTING THE AND LETTING YOU KNOW THE CITIZENS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHAT MAY BE COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE, BUT THIS IS NOT EVEN THERE YET. WE HAVE NOT HAD A DATA CENTER REALLY COME TO US SERIOUSLY ABOUT LOOK, WE REALLY WANT TO BE IN YOUR CITY RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW? SO BEFORE WE KILL THIS, LIKE WE'VE KILLED THINGS BEFORE PREVIOUS COUNCILS. YOU ALL REMEMBER KINGS DOMINION WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. BUSCH GARDENS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE.

Y'ALL REMEMBER WATER COUNTRY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE. AND WE WAS DEPENDING ON BRANDON WINSTON TO STAY HERE. WE GOT ENOUGH REVENUE AND ALL THAT, AND WE TEND TO KILL THINGS BEFORE IT EVEN GETS STARTED. SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, BEING PROACTIVE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE WAS TALKING TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE. BUT UNTIL WE GET TO THAT POINT RIGHT THERE, LET'S LET'S, YOU KNOW, THREE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, INCLUDING MYSELF, WE HAVEN'T GONE THIS YEAR. AND I CAN'T PROMISE YOU THAT I'M GOING TO GO SEE IT BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH. OUR I HAVE A PACKED SCHEDULE MYSELF, SO WE'LL TRY TO GET IT ON THE AGENDA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. COUNCILMAN COUPLER I'LL GET WITH THE MAYOR. I'LL GET WITH THE OTHER TWO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WHO HADN'T GONE TO SEE IT YET. AND THAT'S JUST ONE. BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, IT'S JUST LIKE SOMEBODY HAVING A WINDOW UNIT ON OR A TRAIN UNIT, YOU KNOW, TO COME ON TO THIS HUMMING. AND SO I JUST DON'T WANT US TO KILL THIS THING, BECAUSE FOR EVERY $1 THAT THEY MAKE, THE CITY MAKE ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO $26. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A BIG BENEFIT, NOT JUST TO THE CITY. IT'S A BIG BENEFIT TO THE CITIZENS. AND THAT MEAN WE CAN DO INFRASTRUCTURE, ALL THESE THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT MEAN THAT WE CAN LOWER REAL ESTATE TAXES. I MEAN, WE CAN BUILD SCHOOLS AND ALL THAT. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THIS RIGHT HERE MAY BE EVEN HUGER THAN THE CASINO COMING. SO I JUST DON'T WANT US TO KILL THIS THING BEFORE IT STARTS. AND NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. BUT SOMETIMES WE GET SO DOWN INTO THE WEEDS OF THINGS TO THE POINT TO WHERE, AS A DEVELOPER, I LOOK AT THIS AND PLAYBACK THIS. NOW, I DON'T WANT TO COME HERE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO SEE BEYOND THIS. AND PETERSBURG IS GROWING AT AN ALARMING RATE. AND I'VE SAID THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT WE GOT TO BE READY. AND I KNOW WE'RE GETTING READY AND TRYING

[01:35:04]

WE HAVE 20 EXISTING ZONING DISTRICTS. FOR A LOCALITY OUR SIZE, IT'S TYPICAL TO HAVE 8 TO 15 DISTRICTS. OTHERWISE, WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY ZONING DISTRICTS, YOU HAVE A TENDENCY TO HAVE REDUNDANT REGULATIONS, SPOT ZONING AND INCONSISTENT ENFORCEMENT. AND HERE ON THE SIDE PICTURED, YOU CAN SEE A LIST OF ALL OF OUR ZONING DISTRICTS, WHICH IS SOON TO HAVE AN ADDITIONAL DISTRICT AS WELL FOR THE CASINO. SO OUR CURRENT APPROACH WITH OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OR EXCUSE ME, OUR ZONING UPDATE AND SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE UPDATE, IS TO UPDATE ALL 20 OF THOSE ZONING DISTRICTS TO HAVE NEW DESCRIPTIONS. WE WOULD THEN HAVE A SEPARATE CHAPTER IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE THAT WOULD EMPHASIZE THE DESIGN FOR THOSE DISTRICTS. THE ZONING OF PARCELS WOULD NOT CHANGE. FOR EXAMPLE, ANY PROPERTIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY RESIDENTIALLY ZONED BUT WERE ENVISIONED BY COUNCIL TO BE INDUSTRIAL IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WOULD STILL REMAIN RESIDENTIAL AND BE INCONSISTENT WITH THE COMMUNITY VISION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED. SO HERE YOU CAN SEE OUR ZONING MAP AND OUR CURRENT PROCESS WOULD STILL LOOK LIKE THIS. CURRENT ZONING MAP HERE. YOU WOULD STILL HAVE YOUR M-2. YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR M-1, YOUR INDUSTRIAL ZONES, YOUR R-1, ZONING DISTRICT, R2, R3, AND SO FORTH. THOSE WOULD STILL EXIST. THEIR NAMES WOULD STILL EXIST, THEY MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT DESCRIPTIONS, AND THEY WOULD HAVE A SEPARATE CHAPTER FOR DESIGN REQUIREMENTS. SO SOMETHING WE WANTED TO RUN BY YOU ALL AND GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON IS YOUR OPENNESS TO ONE. REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ZONING DISTRICTS IN THE CITY. AGAIN, IT'S TYPICAL FOR A LOCALITY OUR SIZE TO HAVE BETWEEN 8 AND 15. ALIGN THOSE DISTRICTS BETTER WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO THAT WOULD BE LOOKING TO REDUCE THE NUMBER. RENAME THOSE DISTRICTS, THEN ALSO INTEGRATE DESIGN AND FORM IN EACH OF THOSE DISTRICTS. AND WE WOULD, AS A PART OF THIS PROCESS, CONDUCT A CITYWIDE REZONING TO ADOPT A NEW ZONING MAP AND DISTRICTS THAT ALIGN WITH THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP. IN OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE WOULD LOOK TO TAKE FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL AND DIRECTION FROM THE COMMUNITY. FOR ANY DISTRICTS THAT NEED TO REMAIN SO. SOMEONE THAT MIGHT HAVE EXISTING ENTITLEMENTS, LIKE A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS PROFFERS IN PLACE AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS IN PLACE, WE WOULD WORK TO CONTINUE THOSE,

[01:40:06]

SO CHARLOTTESVILLE HAS DONE THIS. SO I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A LOOK AT WHAT THEY'VE DONE.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE IMAGE ON YOUR LEFT. ALSO, MY LEFT IS OF THEIR FUTURE LAND USE MAP. AND YOU CAN SEE IN THIS THAT THE COLORS, THEY'RE SHOWING MORE DENSITY ALONG THE CORRIDORS AND SO FORTH. THEY HAVE DIFFERENT COLORS THERE. BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THEIR PREVIOUS ZONING MAP BEFORE THEY AMENDED IT TO MATCH THEIR FUTURE LAND USE MAP AND THAT VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE COLORS DON'T QUITE ALIGN. YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT DENSITY ALONG THE CORRIDORS IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU HAVE A LOT OF DIVERSITY IN WHAT THOSE USES ARE AND THE DIFFERENT AREAS. YOU'RE REALLY SEEING WHAT SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SEE AS SOME SPOT ZONING IN DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE IT'S COMMERCIAL, RIGHT NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL AND SO FORTH. HERE YOU CAN SEE WHAT CHARLOTTESVILLE THEN DID. WHAT THEY WORKED TO DO IS THEY AMENDED ALL THEIR ZONING DISTRICTS. THEY EMPHASIZED FORM AND DESIGN, AND THEY MADE THEIR ZONING MAP LOOK A LOT LIKE THEIR FUTURE LAND USE MAP. THAT VISION THAT WE GOT, YOUR SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR. YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT'S REFLECTED ALONG THE CORRIDORS AND SO FORTH IN THIS MAP. SO CONSIDERATIONS WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IF COUNCIL IS INTERESTED AND WILLING AND HAS THE SUPPORT TO UPDATE THE ENTIRE ZONING MAP TO MATCH THE FUTURE LAND USE PLAN. IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE WANT TO REALLY GAUGE THIS WITH YOU ALL BECAUSE AGAIN, IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROCESS, IF WE ARE REDUCING ZONING DISTRICTS, RENAMING ZONING DISTRICTS, COMPLETELY, CHANGING WHAT OUR DISTRICTS ARE ON OUR ZONING MAP, WE HAVE TO REZONE THE WHOLE CITY TO MAKE IT CONSISTENT. SO IF WE GO THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS AND WE DON'T HAVE THE SUPPORT WE NEED, WE WILL HAVE SPENT THE $200,000 TO UPDATE OUR ZONING ORDINANCE AND UPDATE OUR ZONING DISTRICTS WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO ADOPT AND IMPLEMENT IT. SO WE REALLY NEED TO KNOW WHAT LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT YOU ALL HAVE. IF YOU'RE NOT OPEN TO CHANGING THE ENTIRE MAP, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE HAS PROFFERS OR EXISTING ENTITLEMENTS ON THE PROPERTY, THE NEW ORDINANCE. THE ORDINANCE WE WOULD HAVE WOULD LOOK A LOT LIKE IT IS NOW THE EXISTING DISTRICTS, A SEPARATE DESIGN CHAPTER AND SO FORTH. SO WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO IF WE WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A WHOLE FULL BLOWN CHANGE THE DISTRICT NAMES, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS, MATCH THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP. WE WOULD DEFINITELY NEED ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SO I'M SHARING WITH YOU HERE THAT THE COST WOULD GO UP A LITTLE BIT FOR THIS PROCESS. AN ADDITIONAL POTENTIALLY 25 TO $40,000 TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT AND TO WORK WITH OUR CONSULTANTS THAT WE HAVE NOW TO REZONE THE PROPERTIES, TO RENAME THE DISTRICTS, TO REDUCE THE DISTRICTS AND SO FORTH. SO WHAT? WE'RE HOPING TO GET DIRECTION FROM YOU ALL TODAY, OR IF YOU NEED ME TO TALK TO YOU AGAIN ANOTHER TIME, BUT HOPEFULLY TODAY. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW OUR ZONING PROCESS IS A LITTLE ON HOLD UNTIL WE GET THIS DIRECTION. DO YOU WANT US TO CONTINUE OUR CURRENT ROUTE? SO AGAIN, ZONING MAP STAYS THE SAME. IT'LL STILL HAVE DESIGN STANDARDS. AND. YOU THOUGH THE ZONING MAP WILL STAY THE SAME.

THINGS WILL NOT MATCH THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M SAYING. THINGS WILL STAY THE SAME. THEY'LL HAVE DESIGN STANDARDS, MAYBE SOME LOT DIMENSIONS, HEIGHT, DIMENSIONS AND SO FORTH WILL CHANGE, BUT WE'LL STILL EMPHASIZE FORM. BUT IN A SEPARATE CHAPTER. OR ARE YOU OPEN TO UPDATING THE ZONING MAP TO MATCH THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP? AGAIN, REGULATIONS TYING WITH THE VISION FOR THE COMMUNITY, RENAMING AND REDUCING THE NUMBER OF EXISTING DISTRICTS, AND INTEGRATING DESIGN WITHIN EACH OF THOSE DISTRICTS. AGAIN, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO MOVE FORWARD. IT WILL REALLY HELP ENHANCE THE PRODUCT THAT WE'RE BRINGING TO YOU ALL, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW IF WE HAVE THAT SUPPORT BEFORE WE START REWRITING DISTRICTS. AND WE COME BEFORE YOU AND THERE'S NO COMMUNITY SUPPORT OR COUNCIL SUPPORT, WE CAN ALSO LOOK INTO SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE. SO SOMETHING THAT WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT IS KEEPING THE SAME DISTRICT NAMES, BUT IDENTIFYING SOME ZONING DISTRICTS WE COULD POTENTIALLY PHASE OUT OVER TIME.

SO MAYBE NO ONE'S REALLY USING THE TH ZONE. THE RESIDENTIAL, RESIDENTIAL TOWNHOME ZONING DISTRICT. SO WE WOULD IDENTIFY THAT AS A DISTRICT THAT WE COULD WORK TO REZONE THOSE PROPERTIES, DELETE THAT SECTION FROM THE CODE, AND REZONE THOSE TO SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE NEW THE NEW STANDARDS WE ESTABLISH. SO THIS IS KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GAUGE. I HOPE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, LET ME KNOW. I'M CERTAINLY WILLING TO ANSWER THEM. VICE MAYOR HE'LL. COME A YEAR TO COUNCILMAN MEYER'S.

[01:45:09]

BUT WE. BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN ADD IT TO THE AGENDA. DON'T YOU THINK WE NEED TO BE EDUCATED ON WHAT IT IS THAT SHE'S ASKING US FOR, AND NEED TO HAVE MORE TIME TO BE EXPLANATORY WITH RESPECT TO IT? YEAH. SO WHY ARE WE DOING THIS TONIGHT? CERTAINLY. WELL, THIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN THAT TONIGHT. IS IT THE FIRST STEP SHE'S ASKING US TO GIVE HER GIVE HER A DECISION. WELL SHE SHE DID AND SHE ALSO DID. BUT IF YOU NEED SOME MORE TIME TO LET HER, WE CAN GET A MEETING ON THE 24TH. SO WHAT? I GOT TO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT FOR. I APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION. YES.

RIGHT NOW AS WE TRY AND FIGURE THIS OUT, BERKELEY GROUP, OUR CONSULTANT, IS ON HOLD. SO THEY'RE TRYING TO WAIT FOR US FOR DIRECTION ON WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE KEEPING OUR DISTRICTS AND HAVING A SEPARATE DESIGN CHAPTER OR REDUCING THOSE DISTRICTS RENAMING THEM. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS HOPING TO GET FEEDBACK FROM YOU ALL SOONER. BUT IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK, IT'S JUST GOING TO IMPACT OUR TIMELINE A LITTLE BIT WITH CREATING OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.

RIGHT? COUNCILMAN JONES, THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I AGREE WITH VICE MAYOR HERE AND COUNCILMAN MEYERS, BUT SINCE YOU HERE, I GOT SOME THINGS I WANT TO SAY. YOU SAY YOU BRING A PRODUCT TO US. JUST. I DON'T SEE A PRODUCT THAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO US. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THE CITY IS UNIQUE. AND ALL OF THOSE 20 DISTRICTS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RENAMING AND REDUCING THEM TO TRY TO BE LIKE CHARLOTTESVILLE OR WHOEVER ELSE BUT PETERSBURG. PEOPLE, WE'RE PETERSBURG, AND WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE SOMETHING TODAY AND GOING TO NEED IT TOMORROW. YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTIAL TOWNHOMES THAT YOU USE, FOR EXAMPLE, DELETE IT IF YOU WANT TO, AND THEN SOMEBODY'S GOING TO COME 20 YEARS, TEN YEARS DOWN THE LINE AFTER WE'RE GONE, AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE BACK RIGHT HERE ASKING TO PUT IT BACK ON AND STUFF OF THAT NATURE. WE'RE UNIQUE. MISS NAOMI AND I LIKE TO STAY UNIQUE BECAUSE THAT UNIQUENESS IS WHAT'S ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO US, TO THIS CITY. BECAUSE IF WE GO AND BE TO WHAT YOU SAY, WHAT'S THE WORD YOU SAY YOU WANT TO CONTROL, YOU WANT TO CONTROL, AND I CAN'T EVEN I SHOULD HAVE WROTE IT DOWN. BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE THAT WAY. WE WANT TO STILL ENFORCE THINGS. WE GOT TO ENFORCE, BUT WE WANT TO BE BEAUTIFUL TO ALL POSSIBILITIES, POSITIVE POSSIBILITIES. IF WE GO DELETING THINGS OUT OF THE CODE, WE'RE GOING TO NEED IT LATER. I GUARANTEE YOU, THERE'S SOME THINGS RIGHT NOW THAT FIT CERTAIN PEOPLE AND CERTAIN DEVELOPMENTS AND CERTAIN AREAS IN THE CITY RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T WANT TO TOUCH THAT BECAUSE THEY THIS IS THEIR THIS IS HOW THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, YOUR YOUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS AND ALL THESE AREAS. MAN, WE DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH THAT. I MEAN, JUST LEAVE IT LIKE IT IS AND LET IT GROW. LET PEOPLE CONTINUE TO COME BECAUSE THEY SEE FERTILE SOIL. WE ARE FERTILE RIGHT NOW. RICHMOND AND EVERYWHERE ELSE IS OVERCROWDING. AND THEY WANT A PIECE OF THIS SOIL. THEY WANT TO PLANT THEIR SEEDS HERE. THEY WANT TO PLANT FOUNDATIONS HERE.

SO I, I'M JUST I'M YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR IT AGAIN FROM ME. BUT I THINK WE SHOULD JUST I THINK WE SHOULD KEEP OUR UNIQUENESS, MAN. WE GOT TO KEEP REMEMBERING, REMINDING OURSELVES WITH PETERSBURG. AND WE ARE DEFINING OURSELVES AS PETERSBURG, NOT RICHMOND, NOT CHESTERFIELD, NOT CHARLOTTESVILLE. WE ARE PETERSBURG. PETERSBURG BECAME PETERSBURG BECAUSE OF LONGEVITY.

IT'S LONGEVITY AND HIS WILL TO BE DIFFERENT AND HIS WILL TO BE UNIQUE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO BE. THAT'S WHAT BRING PEOPLE HERE TO US. THANK YOU. THANKS. AND I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT CURRENTLY IN OUR CODE WE DO SEE REDUNDANCY. SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS.

WE'RE TRYING TO ELIMINATE REDUNDANCY. YOU HAVE ONE ZONING DISTRICT THAT SAYS LOT SIZE IS 5000FT■S. YOU HAVE THE NEXT ONE THAT SAYS LOT SIZE IS 5000FT■S. ESPECIALLY WITH OUR FUTURE LAND USE MAP AND OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT'S LOOKING TO SUPPORT MORE DIVERSITY OF HOUSING WHILE RESPECTING THE CONTEXT OF THE DEVELOPMENT. WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE A DISTRICT THAT SAYS THIS ONE ALLOWS A DUPLEX, AND THIS ONE ALLOWS A DUPLEX, BUT ALSO A TRIPLEX. YOU KNOW, IF IT'S GOING TO LOOK THE SAME, HOW CAN WE MAKE THAT MESH TOGETHER? SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO. SUPPORT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, SUPPORT THE HISTORIC COMMUNITY DESIGNATION THAT WE CREATED, THE NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGNATION WE CREATED AND REFLECT THAT THROUGH ZONING. OKAY. VICE MAYOR HILL. YEAH, I THINK I AGREE WITH WHAT EVERYBODY IS SAYING, INCLUDING YOU. BUT I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, LIKE, KIND OF NAIL DOWN THIS RIGHT HERE IS DEFINITELY A WORKSHOP. I UNDERSTAND, MR. ALTMAN, THAT THIS IS THE FIRST STEP TO THAT. SO I'M PRETTY SURE WE CAN HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS. MAYBE WE CAN DO SOME WITH A

[01:50:04]

BUT I AM UNDER THE MINDSET OF WHAT COUNCILMAN JONES SAID. WE ARE UNIQUE AND I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING HERE, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THE SAME THING ON EVERYTHING. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. YOU'RE TRYING TO GET IT SPREAD OUT AND GET THE RIGHT AREAS AND THE RIGHT THINGS IN THE RIGHT AREA. BUT I THINK THIS RIGHT HERE NEEDS TO BE DONE AT THAT WORKSHOP OR WHATEVER. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU. OKAY, I DO HAVE A CLARIFYING QUESTION BEFORE THAT MEETING. SO IF I'M BRINGING THIS BACK TOWARDS YOU ALL FOR THE JOINT MEETING, WHAT COULD I PROVIDE FOR YOU TO HELP BRING CLARITY? I WAS TRYING TO MAKE THIS AS CLEAR AS POSSIBLE.

YOU KNOW, VISION VERSUS REGULATION. BUT WHAT QUESTIONS MIGHT YOU HAVE THAT I CAN HELP ANSWER AT THAT LATER TIME? I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS MOST OF THE TIME THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD GIVE US SOME SORT OF INSIGHT ON HOW, IF THIS NEEDS TO BE. CUT DOWN TO SMALLER ZONING AREAS THAT ARE HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE FACT THAT THAT SAINT FRANCIS, IN MY AREA, WHERE WE HAVE LOTS OF TREES AND, AND LARGER LOT SIZES, HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT WORK IN PLACES LIKE WARD FIVE TO HAVE THE SMALLER AREAS, AND THEN YOU HAVE CERTAIN AREAS LIKE VICE MAYOR HILLS THAT HAS LOTS OF APARTMENTS. SO I JUST DON'T KNOW. IT'S LIKE WHAT COUNCILMAN JONES SAYS, WE ARE SO DIVERSE AND I'VE NEVER SEEN A PLACE QUITE LIKE PETERSBURG. THERE'S NOT LIKE WHEN YOU'RE GOING UP NORTH AND YOU JUST SEE A BUNCH OF BROWNSTONES EVERYWHERE AND NO GRASS, NO YARDS AND JUST KIND CONCRETE AND ASPHALT. WE HAVE A MIX OF ALL TYPES OF THINGS. AND I THINK JUST, JUST PROVIDING THE, THE, THE, THE WHY AND HOW WE CAN MAINTAIN THE FABRIC OF PETERSBURG WITHOUT CHANGING IT TO ELIMINATE ANY THINGS THAT HAS BEEN PART OF, OF OUR FABRIC.

BECAUSE THE ANSWER IS IT'S COMPLICATED. I MEAN, IT'S I JUST DON'T SEE ANY COOKIE CUTTER APPROACH TO MAKING THIS, THIS, THIS EASY JUST BECAUSE PETERSBURG HAS SO MANY DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING I COULD NEVER FIGURE OUT. AND AREAS LIKE CRATER ROAD HOW YOU CAN HAVE A, A, A WENDY'S AND A HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, AND HOW IS HOW SO MANY THINGS ARE MIXED ALL TOGETHER TO ME. I THINK YOU DIDN'T HAVE A PLANNER WITH A LOT OF THESE THINGS WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS JUST KIND OF MIXED ALL TOGETHER. AND AT THIS TIME, HOW DO YOU CREATE ZONING? THAT EVEN MAKES SENSE BECAUSE I'VE NEVER SEEN SOME OF THE MIXES THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL COMBINED TOGETHER. AND IT'S, AND IT'S, IT'S THE GIFT AND IT'S THE CURSE OF PETERSBURG. BECAUSE, BECAUSE YOU'VE SEEN IT IN SOME AREAS IN WHICH YOU CAN DESIGNATE THIS A WAREHOUSE DISTRICT. BUT HOW CAN IT BE A WAREHOUSE DISTRICT WHEN YOU GOT A SMALL HOUSE RIGHT BESIDE A WAREHOUSE? SO IT'S I THINK WE NEED GUIDANCE FROM, FROM OUR PLANNING TO REALLY BREAK DOWN ALL OF THE MANY DIFFERENT VARIABLES OF IT BECAUSE, BECAUSE EVEN WITH US BEING A HAVING A LOT OF AGRICULTURAL LAND, DO WE WANT TO KEEP THAT AGRICULTURE? WHAT IS THE FUTURE LAND USE OF THAT? I WOULD HATE TO CHANGE IT TO SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, THAT TEN YEARS FROM NOW WE HAVE RULED OUT A POSSIBILITY OF BEST USE OF THAT LAND, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GROWING AS A CITY, BUT YET MAINTAINING THE UNIQUE FABRIC OF WHAT OUR COMMUNITY LOOKS LIKE, BUT STILL TAPPING THE UNDEVELOPED AREAS.

SO I THINK THAT'S THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING THAT I SEE. VICE MAYOR. YEAH, I THINK AT THIS POINT, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE AREAS WHERE WE STILL HAVE SPACE AND LOOK AT HOW WE DEVELOP THAT OR WHAT WE ZONE THAT FOR. IT MAY ALREADY BE ZONED FOR THE RIGHT THING, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND ANOTHER THING THAT THAT THAT KIND OF IRKS AT TIMES IS WHEN DEVELOPERS, BECAUSE THEY KIND OF SKIRT AROUND YOU GUYS AND COME TO US AND THEY WANT TO PUT SOME IN THE AREA OR WHAT HAVE YOU. AND YEAH, AND YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, SOMETHING CRAZY LIKE APARTMENTS NEXT TO THE HOSPITAL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID. AND THEN, THEN SOMETIMES THE PLANE WILL COME UP AND PLANNERS WILL COME UP AND THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE IT'S ZONED FOR THAT, LIKE, REALLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE REALLY. AND THEN WE GOT TO DENY IT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I'M JUST SAYING WE'VE DONE THAT MANY TIMES UP HERE. SO JUST A FORWARD THINKING OF WHAT'S THERE NOW AND WHAT'S THE

[01:55:05]

I MEAN, I MEAN, IN, IN, IN SOME AREAS IT'S LIKE, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT CAMELOT AREA HAS A LOT OF AGRICULTURAL LAND THAT IS OUT THERE BESIDE CAMELOT. AND I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD BE CHANGED OVER TO INDUSTRIAL. ALL RIGHT. BUT I WOULD SAY THAT THE AREAS OFF OF SQUIRREL LEVEL AND HALIFAX THAT HAVE ACTUAL FARM LAND WITH NO HOUSING AROUND IT, SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AS POSSIBLE CHANGES TO AN INDUSTRIAL SITE. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T GROW OUR INDUSTRY HERE, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO REALLY GROW OUR TAX REVENUE AND CREATE THE AMOUNT OF JOBS THAT WE NEED TO SUSTAIN. SO I WILL FOCUS IN ON A LOT OF THE, THE, THE, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE, LIKE THE AREA BESIDE WALMART, WE HAVE THE, THE COW PASTURE THERE. WHAT SHOULD THAT BE ZONED FOR BEST USES? BECAUSE WE'VE CHANGED THE ZONING ON THAT. I KNOW AT LEAST TWO, MAYBE THREE TIMES. AND JUST JUST TO TRY TO GET THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE WANTED. BUT WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT'S COMING TO PETERSBURG, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN A, IN A STAGE OF, OF GROWTH RIGHT NOW THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW DO WE ACCOMMODATE WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE, BUT YET BE MINDFUL TO WHAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS FAR AS RESIDENTS AND THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE THAT THEY HAVE HERE IN THE CITY. ALL RIGHT, MR. ORBAN, I THINK WE'VE GOT THE DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL. ADD IT TO THE AGENDA FOR THE JOINT WORK SESSION, AND THEN WE'LL BRING BACK SOME SAMPLES FOR Y'ALL TO LOOK AT AS TO WHAT WHAT'S BEING DISCUSSED HERE. I THINK THERE'S SOME PLUSES AND MINUSES TO DOING IT THAT WAY. SO WE'LL BRING IT BACK. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. NEXT MISS WE GO TO ANOTHER ITEM SYCAMORE STREET IN TREES. GREAT. SO LAST COUNCIL MEETING THERE WAS ALSO A REQUEST TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON SYCAMORE STREET BETWEEN WASHINGTON STREET AND WEST STREET. JUST WANTED TO SHARE SOME ATTENTION. AND THAT'S BEEN ON THAT CORRIDOR. AND SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR FEEDBACK ON THIS AS WELL. SO OF COURSE, YOU ALL HAVE SEEN THE INITIAL CONCEPT THAT THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER BROUGHT FORTH. THAT WAS REALLY EARLY ON WHEN THE TREES WERE JUST REMOVED FROM SYCAMORE STREET, AND THERE WAS INTEREST IN THIS BLOCK. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THIS CONCEPT THERE WAS TALK ABOUT BIKE LANES, ALSO LITTLE AREAS FOR STORMWATER MANAGEMENT, PUSHING THE TREES OUT A LITTLE BIT TO INCREASE THAT VISIBILITY FOR THE BUSINESSES AS WELL. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S COME BEFORE YOU BEFORE. AND I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT BACK. WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A MULTI-MODAL PLAN WITH THE CRATER PLANNING DISTRICT. SO WITH THAT DISTRICT THEY'RE IDENTIFYING KEY CORRIDORS THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY FOCUSED ON YET. WE HAVEN'T REALLY PLANNED YET, AS WELL AS CORRIDORS AND AREAS LIKE CHESTERFIELD, HOPEWELL AND SO FORTH. AND IN THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED SYCAMORE STREET AS A CORRIDOR WE WANT TO FOCUS ON. WE'VE IDENTIFIED IDENTIFIED IT AS A MULTI-MODAL, TREE LINED STREET. THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO EMPHASIZE IN THERE AND WHAT WILL RESULT FROM THIS PLAN. AND THERE WILL BE A DRAFT IN JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS, WILL BE A CONCEPT KIND OF LIKE THIS SIMPLE ONE THAT YOU'RE SEEING ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN THAT HAS THE BIG HEADING SYCAMORE STREET, AS WELL AS COST ESTIMATES. AND THAT WILL CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SUBMIT FOR GRANT FUNDING BECAUSE WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION. USUALLY THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST BARRIERS TO SUBMITTING FOR A GRANT TO MAKE A ROAD AND ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS. HAVING A CONCEPT AND HAVING A COST ESTIMATE. AND THIS WOULD LOOK AT SYCAMORE FROM OLD STREET ALL THE WAY IN OLD TOWN TO CRATER ROAD. THEN I WANTED TO SEE I WANTED TO GET SOME INFORMATION FROM THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER. ARE WE LOOKING TO JUST PLANT TREES NOW? SO MAYBE WE DON'T WANT THIS BIG CONCEPT THAT'S COMING FROM THE MULTI-MODAL PLAN. MAYBE WE'RE LOOKING FOR A NOW SOLUTION. SO THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER, THEY'VE BEEN OVERLY HELPFUL AND WE'VE THEY'VE KIND OF HAD TO PUT THE BRAKES A LITTLE BIT. SO THIS WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL COST IF WE'RE LOOKING TO WORK WITH THEM ON THIS. AND FUNDING HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED. SO I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. SO THEY'VE IDENTIFIED A COUPLE FIRMS THAT WE COULD WORK WITH, THE MERIDIAN CIVIL SURVEY OR GREEN BLUE URBAN ARE FIRMS THAT DO. THIS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER WOULD HELP US WITH ENGAGEMENT AND RENDERINGS FOR THIS PORTION OF SYCAMORE STREET BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND WIDTH. THAT'S ABOUT $20,000 THAT THEY'RE ESTIMATING. THEN IF WE'RE LOOKING TO JUST PLANT TREES, GENERALLY WHERE THEY WERE, THERE ARE ABOUT 11 TREE WELLS THAT EXIST IN THE AREA THAT WOULD INCLUDE ABOUT 4800 PER TREE. SO WHAT WE'D BE LOOKING TO DO IS

[02:00:05]

AND I WAS DISTRESSED WHEN THE CITY TORE THOSE TREES DOWN. I MEAN, THE CITY TOOK THEM DOWN IN A WEEK. AND HERE WE ARE A YEAR OR TWO LATER, AND WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO REPLACE THEM. BUT WHAT WOULD ITS FOUR LANES NOW? TWO LANES NORTHBOUND, TWO LANES SOUTHBOUND. IF WE REDUCE THAT FROM FOUR LANES TO TWO LANES, WELL, WOULD WE HAVE TO REDUCE IT FROM FOUR LANES TO TWO LANES? UNDER THE TREE PROPOSAL THAT YOU'VE PUT BEFORE US TONIGHT, THE INITIAL ONE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FROM THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER? YES, BECAUSE IT'S LOOKING TO BRING THE TREES OUT INTO THE ROAD A LITTLE BIT FURTHER FROM THE STOREFRONTS TO HELP INCREASE THAT VISIBILITY, DO STORMWATER MANAGEMENT AND ADD BIKE LANES. WELL, IT WOULD BE BEAUTIFUL, BUT DO YOU THINK IT WOULD CAUSE ANY TRAFFIC FLOW PROBLEMS? AND THAT'S WHY IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO LOOK AT THIS WHOLE CORRIDOR FROM A MULTIMODAL PERSPECTIVE. SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A POTENTIAL SOLUTION. DO ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION WITH A CENTER LANE THAT'S A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN LANE OR A LEFT TURN LANE EACH WAY. SO WE COULD LOOK FROM A CORRIDOR WIDE PERSPECTIVE INSTEAD OF JUST LOOKING AT THE BLOCK BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND WIDTH. WELL, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT I'VE HEARD HERE EARLIER TONIGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, STUDIES SEEM TO SLOW DOWN PROGRESS SOMETIMES, AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL IN ORDER TO DIRECT PROGRESS. BUT LET'S FOCUS ON THE BLOCK BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND WITH. IS THERE A WAY TO PRESERVE THOSE FOUR LANES AND ALSO HAVE STREET TREES? BECAUSE I WANT STREET TREES, BUT I THINK IT WOULD CREATE HAVOC IF WE GOT RID OF TWO LANES. THIS WOULD BE THAT OPTION. SO WE GOT A PROPOSAL FROM THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER TO DO ENGAGEMENT RENDERINGS AND WORK WITH EITHER MERIDIAN CIVIL SURVEY OR GREEN BLUE URBAN TO PLANT TREES, GENERALLY IN THE WELLS THAT THEY EXISTED BEFORE. IT'S ABOUT 4800 PER TREE BECAUSE IT CREATES A TREE BOX, IT DOES STORMWATER MANAGEMENT. IT REPAIRS THE SIDEWALK AND PREVENTS THE TREE FROM, YOU KNOW, GROWING ROOTS ANYWHERE. MAYBE YOU DON'T WANT IT TO GO SO WELL. A BIG COMPONENT OF THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS IS SELECTING THE RIGHT KIND OF TREE, WHICH WE'VE 100% EARLIER GENERATIONS HAVE NOT DONE A REAL GOOD JOB. I MEAN, ALL YOU GOT TO DO IS LOOK AT THE TREES IN FRONT OF WASHINGTON STREET METHODIST CHURCH AND YOU THINK, MY GOSH, WHAT WERE THESE PEOPLE THINKING WHEN THEY PLANTED THESE HUMONGOUS OAKS? BUT IN ANY EVENT, BACK TO THE PRESENT AND BACK TO WHAT WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT, CAN YOU DO YOU HAVE A PLAN THAT FOR THE BLOCK BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND WIDTH THAT HAS BOTH TREES AND FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC, THIS ONE, BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT IT AND I'M NOT SEEING IT. THOSE ARE JUST THOSE AREN'T SPECIFIC RENDERINGS FOR THIS CORRIDOR.

THOSE WERE JUST RENDERINGS TO SHOW HOW THE TREES ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE SPACE. THIS IS A QUOTE THAT I ASKED FOR THAT IS SPECIFICALLY TO PUT TREES WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE. WELL, CAN YOU BRING BACK TO COUNCIL A PLAN, A DIAGRAM, KIND OF LIKE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW

[02:05:03]

WELL, IT MAY BE HARD FOR I MEAN, WE NEED COUNCIL TO DECIDE WHETHER TO ASK YOU TO DRAW A DRAWING. I MEAN, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? IT'S TAKING MY TIME AND CAPACITY. SO IT HELPS TO KNOW THAT COUNCIL AS A WHOLE IS INTERESTED. WELL, FELLOW MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, ARE WE INTERESTED IN SEEING A DIAGRAM THAT WOULD SHOW US THE THAT WOULD PRESERVE THE TWO NORTHBOUND TWO SOUTHBOUND LANES BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND WITH AND AT THE SAME TIME HAVE STREET TREES ON EITHER SIDE. ARE WE INTERESTED IN THAT? AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN THAT? I MEAN, ALL RIGHT, LET ME SEE. COUNCILMAN MYERS, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE BUSINESS OWNERS IN THAT BLOCK THAT THEY WERE HAPPY THAT THEY REMOVED BECAUSE THEY OBSTRUCTED THEIR DOORWAYS AND THEIR SIGNS. SO AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, AND THEY'RE YOU AND I BOTH SHARE THOSE THAT PARTICULAR STREET AND ALL THAT I HAVE HEARD THERE IS THAT THEY DO NOT WANT THEM REPLACED. MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. VICE MAYOR. SO WHAT I WAS TALKING TO MR. ALTMAN ABOUT SOME TIME AGO IS THE PLANTERS THAT WE HAVE, OR THAT WE COULD GET AND PUT SOME BEAUTIFICATION OF PLANTS THERE AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING TREES THERE, BECAUSE IF YOU PUT THOSE TREES THERE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LEAVES AND EVERYTHING, I MEAN, THEY LOOK NICE. BUT I COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, THE SIDEWALKS BUCKLING UP AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE PRUDENT IF WE PUT PLANTS THERE LIKE WE HAVE AT THE NORTHERN END OF SYCAMORE STREET, THAT WE CAN PUT SOME GREENERY ON THERE. AND I THINK THAT WILL BE ABLE TO HELP OUT BOTH THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING. WE DO WANT SOME GREENERY THERE. THAT'S THAT'S NOT THE ISSUE. BUT I THINK THE TYPE OF GREENERY, IF YOU START PUTTING, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME THING WITH THE SIDEWALKS BEING BUSED UP AND THINGS LIKE THAT RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY BUSINESS RIGHT NOW. AND A LOT OF THE BUSINESSES DOWN SYCAMORE STREET, NORTH SYCAMORE STREET, YOU HAVE SOME OF THE ROOTS THAT ARE BUSTING UP THE PAVEMENT AND STUFF. SO WE JUST GOT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE PUT THERE.

BUT I THINK PLANTS WILL GO BETTER THERE IN PARTICULAR FOR THAT. NOW, ON ANOTHER NOTE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $4,800 A TREE. THIS IS A GRANT, RIGHT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET. NO, THIS IS AGAIN, THIS IS A QUOTE THAT I GOT AND I'M SEEKING DIRECTION FROM YOU ALL ON. IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE CORRIDOR OR JUST THE SEGMENT OKAY. SO. SOME SO I HAVE AN IDEA AND YOU KNOW, THIS, YOU KNOW, JUST SOMETHING THAT CAME TO ME. WE HAVE A LOT OF WOODED AREA THAT IF WE GET SOMEONE PROFESSIONALLY TO GO IN TO SEE IF WE CAN MAYBE GET SOME OLD, YOUNG TREES THAT ARE, THAT ARE COMING UP, MAYBE WE CAN GET THOSE TREES LIKE AGRICULTURE. SCHOOL IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO US. I'M JUST SAYING. AND SEE IF WE CAN GET SOMEONE WHO KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO GO OUT THERE AND MAYBE DIG IT UP, AND THEN USE THOSE TREES, AS OPPOSED TO PAYING $4,800 A TREE. IT MAY BE A LONG SHOT OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO PUT THE WRONG THING THERE. BUT IF SOMEONE WHO REALLY KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING, IF WE IDENTIFY AN AREA JUST LIKE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE MAYOR'S HOUSE, IT'S A WOODED AREA ON THE BACKSIDE OR WHAT

[02:10:03]

[02:15:03]

FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK. ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS. HE WAS MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. MR. COREY HARRIS, FOR WHAT HE'S BEEN DOING BEHIND THE SCENES. I ASK THAT BOTH CHIEFS LOOK AT YOUR EMAIL. I THINK HE'S BEEN TRYING TO DO SOME SOME THINGS FOR WITH CAMERAS THROUGH HIS NONPROFIT TO BE MORE VIGILANT. I KNOW HE GOT WHAT MISS MARLO ON OUT AT THE POCAHONTAS ISLAND AND GAVE HER SOME, SOME, SOME, SOME CAMERAS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I THINK HE REACHED OUT TO YOU ALL ABOUT SOME SOME THINGS THAT HE WANTED TO DONATE TO FIRE AND TO POLICE.

I BELIEVE IT IS. SO IT MAY BE AN EMAIL OR TWO FROM COREY HARRIS IN YOUR IN YOUR EMAIL BOX. SO AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK HIM FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID BY MR. BOBBY BEVERLY. HE WORKING ON ONE SIDE. I'M WORKING ON THE OTHER SIDE TO BRING SOME THINGS TO QUIETNESS FOR NOW. ALSO, MR. BEVERLY ALSO THANK HIM FOR HIM STANDING UP SPEAKING TO COUNCILMAN EDNA SMITH LEE AT AT ANOTHER EVENT AND THEY KIND OF SQUASHED SOME THINGS. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK HIM FOR HIM, YOU KNOW, BEING A MAN ABOUT IT AND JUST COMING TO HER. AND THEY SPOKE ABOUT THAT. I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO WHAT THEY SPOKE ABOUT. BUT THAT'S BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM. I JUST WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THAT. ALSO, I WANT TO MAYBE ADDRESS OR TALK VERY QUICKLY ABOUT OUR RETREAT.

I THINK IT WAS VERY FRUITFUL THAT WE HAD THIS RETREAT. YOU ALL DON'T KNOW, JUST BEING UP HERE ON COUNCIL AND WE ONLY CAN MEET TWO AT A TIME, TWO AT A TIME, UNLESS WE'RE IN A MEETING.

IF WE MEET MORE THAN THREE AT A TIME, THEN IT'S CONSIDERED A MEETING, WHICH IS ILLEGAL. ONLY TIME WE CAN BE THREE OR MORE IF IT'S A WEDDING OR IF IT'S A FUNERAL, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING EVENT LIKE THAT OR OR A CITY EVENT. YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T MEET LIKE THAT. BUT IT'S GOOD FOR US TO GET TOGETHER AND BREAK BREAD AND JUST TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE CITY AND SEE WHERE THE CITY OF VISION IS GOING AND HOW WE SET THINGS OUT. YOU KNOW, NO ONE IS DOING ANYTHING NEFARIOUS. NO ONE IS SPENDING ANY, ANY UNUSUAL MONEY. ALL LOCALITIES DO THIS. AND FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE RETREATS BECAUSE WE KNEW THE FINANCIAL SITUATION THAT WE WERE IN, AND WE DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE PRUDENT. BUT IF ANYTIME WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A RETREAT, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THEN. SO WE CAN DEVISE PLANS TO GET THE CITY OUT OF THE JAM THAT IT WAS IN THAT WAS LEFT TO US FROM, FROM PAST GENERATIONS. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY, BECAUSE HOW DID OUR RETREAT HIT? THE NEWSPAPER WAS WAS BAFFLED TO ME AND COLONIAL HEIGHTS DIDN'T WITTY EVERYBODY HAVE RETREATS ALL THE TIME, WHETHER LOCALLY OR OR AWAY? AND I'M NOT POINTING A FINGER AT NO ONE, BUT IT JUST BAFFLES ME HOW THE WAY WE ARE ALWAYS SCRUTINIZED, AS IF WE'RE DOING SOMETHING ILLEGAL OR WHAT HAVE YOU. AND NONE OF US HAVE TAKEN ANY RED CENT FROM THE CITY IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR FAMILY AND TO OUR OUR SAFETY, OR DETRIMENTAL TO OUR LIVES. THE ONLY THING WE'VE EVER DONE IS TRIED TO MOVE THE CITY FORWARD. SO, YOU KNOW,

[02:20:06]

IT WAS WELL NEEDED. WE STAYED IN MEETINGS ALL DAY. AND I'M NOT YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TRYING TO THROW NOBODY UP ON THE BUS. BUT WE STAYED IN MEETINGS ALL DAY AND I WAS TIRED BY THE TIME WE GOT OUT. I WAS TIRED FROM THE TIME WE PUT OUR BAGS DOWN, WE HAD TO GO DOWNSTAIRS AND WE HAD TO GO THIS PLACE. WE TOOK TOURS AND ALL THAT AND SOME, SOME INDIVIDUALS DIDN'T EVEN SEE THE CASINO. SO AND THIS WAS THEIR FIRST TIME ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE WHOLE CASINO ALL UP ON THE BOTTOM. YOU ALL ARE GOING TO BE AMAZED AT WHAT'S COMING TO OUR CITY. WE HAVE BROUGHT ONE OF THE LARGEST DEVELOPMENTS IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA IS COMING HERE TO PETERSBURG. AND I KNOW WE JUST KIND OF SAID, OH, THE CASINO COMING, BUT IT'S AMAZING HOW THE WAY THAT THEY DO BUSINESS AND HOW THE WAY THAT IT'S MORE AND HOW THE WAY THEY TAKE CARE OF THEIR EMPLOYEES. SO THE VERY NEXT DAY, RIGHT HERE IN THIS ROOM, WE HAD. A JOB FAIR.

AND CORDISH WAS RIGHT RIGHT THERE WHERE THAT TABLE IS RIGHT THERE. BUT THE UNSETTLING THING WAS THAT WHEN WE WENT OVER THERE, THEY SAID MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO CAME TO HIS TABLE WAS FROM THE SURROUNDING AREAS. THERE WAS NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE FROM PETERSBURG THAT WENT TO HIS BOOTH. THEY HAD ALL DIFFERENT BOOTHS HERE. BUT SO WE'RE BRINGING SOMETHING HERE FOR OUR PEOPLE. WE KNOW OTHER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. SO I ADMONISH THE PEOPLE OF PETERSBURG, PLEASE GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AND FILL OUT THE APPLICATION IF YOU WANT EMPLOYMENT. IF YOU'RE RETIRED, PLEASE TELL YOUR GRANDCHILDREN TO GO AND FILL OUT AN APPLICATION. LAST THING, THE GENTLEMAN WHO ESCORTED US AROUND. THERE'S A BIG BOARD DOWNSTAIRS ACROSS FROM THE EMPLOYEES CAFETERIA. EMPLOYEES CAFETERIA? THERE WAS NOTHING ON IN THE CAFETERIA THAT WAS OVER 3 OR $4. THEY ATE ALL HEALTHY FOODS. ANYTHING HEALTHY THAT YOU WOULD EAT IS FREE. WELL, ON THE BOARD, THEY GOT ALL THESE PICTURES ON THE WALL AND THEY SAID WHAT THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE YOUR ENTRY LEVEL. WHEN YOU FIRST JOIN THE KURDISH GROUP AND WHERE YOU ARE NOW, THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS WALKING US AROUND, WHO WAS THE MANAGER OF THE WHOLE FACILITY, HIS ENTRY LEVEL JOB WAS DISHWASHER, AND NOW HE'S THE MANAGER OF THE WHOLE FACILITY.

THAT'S THE POSSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN PETERSBURG, THAT SOMEONE CAN COME OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, OR SOMEONE WHO'S IN A DEAD END JOB CAN START AT A AT A DECENT WAGE, COME IN AND MAYBE EVEN BE MANAGER, OR EVEN MORE SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE DOING FOR THE FIRST HALF. AND THEN THE SECOND HALF WAS ALL WHERE ALL OF IT WAS CITY WORK, BUT IT WAS ALL CITY WORK. BUT. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL. I REALLY WANT TO THANK OUR CLERK FOR SETTING UP EVERYTHING. SHE DID A MARVELOUS JOB. SHE MADE SURE OUR ACCOMMODATIONS WAS RIGHT. SHE DID AN EXCELLENT JOB AND SHE MADE SURE WE WAS ON POINT WITH EVERYTHING. WE HAD TO BE HERE. WE HAVE TO BE THERE. WE HAD TO BE UP THERE. WE HAD TO. I MEAN, IT WAS IT WAS WORK, Y'ALL. I'D RATHER SIT IN THE COUNCIL MEETING ANY DAY, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. BUT IT WAS GOOD TO GET AWAY, TO BREAK BREAD WITH MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTER AND SUMMER STAFF. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. SORRY FOR TAKING UP THE TIME. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU,

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.