Apr 01, 2025 Regular Work Session

MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PARENT. AYE. THE MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES OUR CLOSED

[00:00:05]

COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH.

LEE. PRESENT. VICE MAYOR. HILL. HERE. MAYOR. PARENT. HERE. NEXT. VICE MAYOR HILL WILL LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER. LET US PRAY. OUR GOD AND OUR FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS OF THE DAY. NOW, LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH US IN THE MIDST OF THIS MEETING, HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT WE WOULD DO THINGS PLEASING IN THY SIGHT. WE ASK THY BLESSINGS UPON ALL OF OUR CITIZENS. HEAVENLY FATHER, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, HEAVENLY FATHER, OUR MINISTRATION, HEAVENLY FATHER, AND ALL THE STAFF AND WORKERS OF THIS GREAT CITY. BE WITH THIS COUNCIL THAT WE MAY LEAD YOUR PEOPLE, HEAVENLY FATHER, TO HIGHER HEIGHTS AND DEEPER DEPTHS IN YOU. FOR THE REVITALIZATION OF OUR CITIZENS. WE ASK A SPECIAL BLESSING UPON OUR YOUTH.

HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT YOU BE WITH THEM DURING THIS SPRING BREAK TIME AND COVER THEM AND STRENGTHEN THEM AND PROTECT THEM. IT'S IN YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST'S NAME. WE PRAY AND WE THANK YOU. AMEN. AMEN. NEXT, CAN EVERYONE PLEASE STAND AND JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. NEXT IS ITEM

[4. Determination of the Presence of a Quorum]

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

NORMALLY I HAVE. FOR EVERYONE TO GET DOWN HERE. OH, OH. I'M SORRY. PROPERTY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. KNOW, THAT LITTLE GIRL BACK? THERE? OH, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS ITEM B WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD. APRIL 5TH THROUGH 11TH, 2025. THE WEEK OF THE YOUNG

[00:05:04]

WHEREAS CHILDREN UNDER FIVE NEED DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, EARLY CHILD CARE AND EDUCATION SETTINGS. WHEREAS WE MUST WORK TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO INCREASE AWARENESS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION NEEDS, WHILE ALSO CREATING HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN TO GROW, THRIVE AND BECOME PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY. NOW, THEREFORE, I, SAMUEL PALMER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL 5TH THROUGH 11TH AS WEEK OF THE YOUNG CHILD AND COMMIT TO INVESTMENTS THAT STABILIZE, SUSTAIN, AND SUPPORT CHILD CARE AND EARLY LEARNING SO THIS ESSENTIAL WORKFORCE CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND OUR ECONOMY. IN WITNESS THEREOF, WE HAVE UNTIL SET OUR HANDS AND CALLS THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TO BE AFFIXED. THIS FIRST DAY OF APRIL, 2025. THANK YOU AGAIN, BILL, FOR YOU.

ARE YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, THANK. YEAH. MIX IT UP. RIGHT. THIS IS. YOU. I JUST WANT TO THANK OUR DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES FOR ALL THE HARD WORK AND THE THINGS THAT THEY SEE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS SPECIFICALLY OF OUR YOUTH HERE IN THE CITY. I KNOW IT WASN'T BILL. THEY COME AND TALK ABOUT THE GREAT THINGS THAT GO ON AND THE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THEY THEY DEFINITELY ENCOUNTER ON A DAILY BASIS. AND WE THANK YOU AND ALL YOUR STAFF FOR ALL YOU DO TO

[6. Public Comments]

[00:10:04]

WELL, SHE'S COMING UP. IF I MAY, MR. MAYOR, CAN YOU GET HER INFORMATION? PUBLIC WORKS. AND THANK YOU, MISS LUNDY. PLEASE GIVE HIM YOUR INFORMATION. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS HARRIET NGUYEN, AND I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT APPROVED PLANS FOR 401 GROVE AVENUE. I WAS GIVEN THE PLANS, AND I LIVE AT 405 GROVE AVENUE. AND I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET SOMEONE TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THESE PLANS IN TERMS OF THE APPROVED BUILDING THAT THEY ARE PLANNING TO BUILD THERE. THE PROXIMITY OF MY HOUSE AND THE PARKING SPACE THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THIS PROPERTY, AND I'M LOOKING AT SAFETY WISE IN TERMS OF MY HOUSE, THE STREET, JOHNSON LAND THAT RUNS CLOSE BY. IF YOU AGAIN, I HAVE COPIES OF IT. I HAVE PICTURES I'VE TAKEN IN WHICH MAXWELL FROM DEVELOPMENT CAME DOWN TO SHOW ME HOW CLOSE EVERYTHING IS TO MY HOUSE, AND I REALLY HAVE SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING AND HOW A TWO STORY BUILDING WITH RENTAL PROPERTY UPSTAIRS AND OFFICE SPACE AT THE BOTTOM. IT'S GOING TO BE ON THAT LITTLE LOT. SO LIKE I SAID, I HAVE PICTURES, THE DRAWINGS OF IT. BUT PLEASE CAN YOU HAND THOSE TO OH, SURE. WITH TWO OFFICERS OFFICER STREET WOULD TAKE THEM. OH YEAH. AND. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND THE MARK IS RIGHT HERE. HERE WE GO. THERE IT IS. WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. OH, THIS IS. WHERE WAS THE OFFICER? THIS IS.

OKAY.

SO. DID I HAVE ENOUGH? YES. WE HAVE. YES.

WE. WE HAVE EVERYTHING. AND WE HAVE YOUR INFORMATION. SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT AND THE CITY MANAGER. PLEASE, PLEASE DO GET ON TOP OF THIS. OKAY. YEAH. PLEASE DO.

BECAUSE AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THIS HAS BEEN APPROVED AND DOMINION POWER HAS CONTACTED ME ABOUT REROUTING THE LINES AND ALL OF THIS. BUT LIKE I SAID, THIS IS NOT I'M NOT GETTING IT. I CAN'T SEE IT, SO. OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SIR. WELL, MR. MAYOR, YOU YOU MENTIONED ME. IT SOUNDS LIKE ALL THE APPROVALS HAVE BEEN GRANTED, SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT ANYBODY AT THIS POINT CAN DO. I, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THE LADY'S PLIGHT, BUT SINCE I GOT A SHOUT OUT AND SINCE THIS IS IN WARD FOUR, I THINK I OUGHT TO RESPOND. MR. MR. ALTMAN, ARE THERE ANY OPTIONS FOR DOING FOR ADDRESSING THE LATEST CONCERNS? SO I'M

[00:15:07]

WE'VE APPROVED THE PERMIT MEETS ALL, MEETS ALL OF OUR ZONING REQUIREMENTS. IT MEETS BUILDING CODE. I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO FROM A CODE PERSPECTIVE TO PREVENT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOUSE. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. ALTMAN. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT UPDATE CONCLUDES. WE HAVE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING.

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

COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. THE

[8. Special Reports]

NEXT SLIDE. 16 YEARS AGO, I STARTED HERE, NOT 16 YEARS AGO. ABOUT 18 YEARS AGO, I STARTED HERE WITH THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AS A TRANSIT OPERATOR. DURING THAT TIME, MY SECOND YEAR HERE, WE RECEIVED 7 TO 9 BRAND NEW TRANSIT BUSSES. THIS WAS DONE THROUGH A GOVERNMENTAL. FUNCTION CALLED A LEASE TO OWN PROGRAM THROUGH BBNT BANK. WE GOT NINE 29 FOOT GILLIG BUSSES, WHICH WAS WELL DUE, WELL OVERDUE. AS YOU KNOW, NOTHING LASTS FOREVER, NOTHING LASTS FOREVER. AND THE WORLD OF TRANSIT, THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED USEFUL LIFE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. WHAT THIS MEANS IS ALL BUSSES, FACILITIES, COMPUTERS, HARDWARE THAT ARE FEDERALLY FUNDED OR STATE FUNDED WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS AND STATE DOLLARS HAVE A USEFUL LIFE. AGAIN, IN ORDER TO MOVE THIS CITY FORWARD FOR THE FUTURE, WE NEED ROLLING STOCK. WE NEED ROLLING STOCK. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS SLIDE HERE GIVES A BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THE USEFUL LIFE YEARS ARE. SO IF WE HAVE A LARGE HEAVY DUTY TRANSIT BUS THAT SEATS 35 TO 40 INDIVIDUALS, ITS USEFUL LIFE IS 12 YEARS. IF

[00:20:01]

THAT PAT IS TRYING TO GET. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO COUNCIL'S ATTENTION FIVE YEARS AGO. FIVE YEARS AGO, I WAS NOT IN THE POSITION TO BE STAND BEFORE YOU AND MAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO COUNCIL FIVE YEARS AGO. WE HAVE DEDICATED EMPLOYEES HERE AT TRANSIT. I'M ONE OF THEM, ALONG WITH THE REST OF THESE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU SAW BEHIND ME. SOME OF THEM ARE STILL OUT ON THE ROAD NOW BECAUSE THEY CAN'T MAKE THE MEETING. BUT AS A SHOW OF FORCE, WE'RE HERE TO HELP AND ASSIST THE CITY. WE'RE NO DIFFERENT THAN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS AND WE WANT TO TRANSPORT OUR CITIZENS. WE WANT TO TRANSPORT YOU, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS. WHO WHO DO YOU KNOW? TOURS OF THE CITY AND NICE, NEW, DEPENDABLE ROLLING STOCK. NEXT SLIDE. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISTER MASON AND YOUR STAFF FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. NEXT I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. VICE MAYOR HILL. YES. HOW YOU DOING, MR. MASON? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR ALL YOU DO. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT YOU PUT IN. WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FLEETS, HOW MANY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT SIZES ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE 29 BUSSES WITHIN OUR FLEET. OUT OF THOSE 29 BUSSES, WHICH YOU JUST SAW, 22 OF THEM HAVE MET THEIR USEFUL LIFE. 22. SO WE HAVE NO SPARE RATIO. YOU KNOW, WE'RE DEPENDING ON THESE BUSSES THAT HAVE MET THEIR USEFUL LIFE TO TRANSPORT OUR CITIZENS, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE OF THE BREAKDOWNS. GRTC WAS SO KIND TO US TO DONATE FOUR BUSSES. I THINK THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO DONATE TWO MORE TO US UNTIL WE CAN, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING TO GET ROLLING STOCK IN. I'M IN TALKS WITH THE CITY MANAGER, ALONG WITH THE DAVENPORT GROUP, TO TRY TO COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS FOR REPLACEMENT TO GET THIS ROLLING, BECAUSE WE NEED BUSSES. WE NEED BUSSES. AND I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE I WAS OPERATIONS MANAGER FOR A LONG TIME. I WAS NEVER GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A DIRECTOR AND NOW I AM. AND LIKE I SAID, THIS

[00:25:03]

HELLO. MR. MASON, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIMELESS AND HARD WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. ON THE AVERAGE, HOW MUCH DO ONE OF THOSE ROLLING STOCKS COSTS? WELL, THE BUSSES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THROUGH THE ABC, ABC COMPANY, IT'S A $750,000 BUS. TYPICALLY WE WERE ALWAYS BUYING GILLIG BUSSES, WHICH TOTALED $1 MILLION. THESE BUSSES ARE COMING WITH EVERYTHING ALREADY ON THEM.

CAMERAS, FAREBOXES BIKE RACKS, PASSENGER COUNTERS, DRIVER PROTECTIVE BARRIER. SO THAT MEANS WHEN THE BUSSES ARRIVE, THEY'RE READY TO HIT THE ROAD SO NOTHING WILL, YOU KNOW, STOP US FROM PUTTING THEM RIGHT ON THE ROAD. IN THE PAST, WHEN WE WERE PURCHASED BUSSES, IT WAS JUST THE BUS, ONLY WITH NONE OF THOSE ITEMS TO IT. SO YOU'RE TALKING IF WE GET A BRAND NEW BUS IN, IT MAY BE 3 OR 4 MONTHS BEFORE IT HITS THE ROAD. THESE BUSSES IN MANUFACTURING TAKES ANYWHERE BETWEEN 12 TO 18 MONTHS TO BE MANUFACTURED. THANK YOU. SO TO CLARIFY, WITH THE CURRENT BUSSES, IT'S REALLY A $1 MILLION PLUS. YES. THE ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT AND INSTALLATION. YES.

EXPLAIN THAT, MR. MARCH. SAY THAT AGAIN. SO, WITH THE CURRENT BUSSES THAT WE HAVE. THEY WERE PURCHASED, BUT THEY DIDN'T COME WITH THEIR OWN BIKE RACKS WITH ALL OF THOSE OTHER ITEMS. THAT'S CORRECT. SO THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL PURCHASE MAKING ALL OF THAT STUFF BETTER. NOW ALL OF THEM ARE ON THE BOTTOM, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE SAVING MORE RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. OKAY. COUNCILMAN JONES. YES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. HOW YOU DOING, MISTER? ALL RIGHT. MASON. AND. TO YOUR EMPLOYEES, I WANT TO PERSONALLY SAY I APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO. AND TO YOU, WE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE, AND I'M GOING TO BE DIRECTING THEM TO YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. BUT I'M ALSO ASKING YOU, MR. MASON, AS A DEPARTMENT HEAD. NONE OF MY QUESTIONS BY ANY MEANS HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR YOU, BECAUSE I SEE THEM ON A DAILY BASIS. BUT I GOT SOME QUESTIONS. ONE. HOW MANY MILES PER YEAR DO WE TRAVEL IN PETERSBURG? PER BUS? WITHIN THE CITY, WITHIN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG? YES. OVER. I WOULD SAY 900,000 MILES. I DIDN'T SEE 900,000 ON THAT SLIDE. WELL, IT'S NOT ABOUT IT WAS NOT IT WAS

[00:30:03]

AND THAT'S HOW WE GET OUR FUNDING THROUGH MILES AND RIDERSHIP. SO YOU ALSO TALKED ABOUT PICKING UP PEOPLE FROM. BASICALLY LOW INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS TO TAKE THEM TO THE CASINO. EXPAND ON THAT FOR ME. NOT ONLY CASINO. YOU MENTIONED THE CASINO HOSPITALS, JOBS, BUT YOU MENTIONED THE CASINO. I MENTIONED THE CASINO CASINO, BECAUSE IF WE'RE GETTING READY TO BUILD A BRAND NEW CASINO, IT ONLY MAKES SENSE TO HAVE NEW BUSSES TRANSPORTING OUR CITIZENS AND CITIZENS THROUGHOUT THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS TO THAT CASINO. RIGHT. WHAT PROGRAM DO YOU HAVE FOR YOUR WORKERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE BEST TRAINING AND THE BEST TREATMENT, AND THEY'RE GETTING THE BEST TREATMENT BECAUSE YOU'RE THE DIRECTOR, BUT THE BEST TRAINING WE CAN POSSIBLY GET. WE HAVE A STATE OF THE ART TRAINING PROGRAM CALLED TAPCO, WHICH IS GIVEN TO EVERY NEW TRANSIT EMPLOYEE WHEN THEY COME THROUGH THE DOOR. AND IT'S MAINTAINED WITH OUR THROUGH OUR SAFETY COORDINATOR FOR FURTHER ONGOING TRAINING. I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT. ONGOING TRAINING. THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION. MY LAST AND FINAL QUESTION. WE TALKED ABOUT USEFUL LIFE AND YOU MENTIONED ALL KIND OF EQUIPMENT THAT YOU GOT AT YOUR FACILITY. LAST TIME YOU WERE HERE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE BUS CANOPIES.

AND YOU SAID WE HAD TO GET A GRANT. MR. HODGES, CAN YOU PULL UP MY PICTURES? MR. MAYS, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE IN THESE PICTURES RIGHT HERE? WHAT I SEE IN THAT PICTURES ARE BUS STOP SIGNS. LOOKS LIKE A PART OF A BUS SHELTER. NEXT PICTURE. THOSE ARE BUS BENCHES ALONG WITH ANOTHER BUS. LOOK LIKE BUS SHELTER. NEXT PICTURE. SAME THING. BUS STOP. SEATS. BENCHES.

NEXT PICTURE. SAME. SAME PICTURE. BUS STOP. SEATS. BUS SHELTER. AND THE NEXT PICTURE.

[00:35:09]

THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE. THREE BUS SHELTERS AND 30 BENCHES. I COUNTED MORE THAN THREE. NO, I COUNTED MORE THAN THREE. THREE BUS SHELTERS AND 30 BENCHES. OKAY. EVEN IF IT'S JUST ONE, WHY IS IT NOT SET UP AND PUT OUT THERE? WE HAVE 400 CITY MANAGER. WE HAVE 420 BUS STOPS.

AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID IN THE LAST MEETING. SO WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE WHAT BUS STOPS ARE OUR PRIORITIZED BUS STOPS. BUT HAVING TO SIT OUT THERE FOR OVER FIVE YEARS. LOOK AT THE WOOD ON THIS THING. NO, THAT'S NOT BEEN THERE FIVE YEARS. SO HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN THERE, SIR? I THINK A COUPLE OF YEARS, A COUPLE OF YEARS, A COUPLE OF YEARS. WE CAN'T PRIORITIZE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT WE SUPPOSED TO PRIORITIZE IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES. HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT, MR. CITY MANAGER. ACCOUNTABILITY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED HERE, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE, AS WE FOUND TODAY, AN ISSUE WITH A SHELTER THAT WE WERE GOING TO INSTALL. THAT WAS PART OF WHAT AND REALLY NO OTHER WAY TO EXPLAIN IT OTHER THAN IT FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS IN THE TRANSITION BETWEEN THE PREVIOUS DIRECTOR. AND NOW COMMITMENT WAS MADE TO RELOCATE A PUT A SHELTER IN ON SIX SOUTH SYCAMORE. AND LITERALLY WHEN WE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE EMAIL, WITHIN TWO WEEKS, THE DIRECTOR WAS HAD LEFT. SO WE'RE CATCHING UP ON THAT. SO THAT'S A COMMITMENT ON ONE OF THESE SHELTERS, AND WE HAVE OTHER COMMITMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET IN PLACE AND MOVE AND WORK THROUGH THOSE. AND I WOULD AGREE. I MEAN, WE'RE I SEE PEOPLE DRIVING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY THAT ARE AT A BUS STOP THAT ARE STANDING IN THE RAIN, AND WE DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. SO WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT PRIORITIZING THOSE, GETTING THOSE IN AND HAVING THE FUNDING TO PUT THE PAD IN PLACE AND GET IT UP. I THINK ONCE WE HAVE THE PAD IN PLACE, WE CAN PROBABLY GET ONE UP IN ABOUT THREE WEEKS, GET THE CONCRETE PAD, GET EVERYTHING SET. WE HAVE MORE NEED THAN WE HAVE SHELTERS. IT'S A MATTER OF PRIORITIZING THAT. AND I AND I AND I'LL SAY I WASN'T HERE FOR YOUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION AT THE LAST MEETING, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE BACKSTORY IS HERE, BUT IF WE KNOW THERE'S PLACES IN WHICH COUNCIL IDENTIFIES THAT WE'D LIKE TO DO AN AD SHELTERS, WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO WORK TOWARDS THAT AND WORK TOWARDS FINDING SOME FUNDING FOR THAT. ONE MORE MINUTE. QUESTION FOR MISS MASON. WASN'T ALL OF THAT PURCHASED BACK UNDER THE FORMER TRANSIT DIRECTOR, CHARLES KOONTZ? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY, SO HE NEVER PUT THOSE NEVER INSTALLED THOSE. YOU ORDERED THEM? THAT'S CORRECT. NOW YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, YOU HAVE TO REALIZE, AGAIN, PRIORITIZING BUS STOPS IS NOT AN EASY TASK BECAUSE MOST OF OUR CITY STREETS, SOME DON'T EVEN HAVE SIDEWALKS WHERE OUR BUS STOPS ARE LOCATED. SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CUT A PAD TO PUT A PAD, THEN A SHELTER, THEN A BENCH. WE HAVE SOME BUS STOPS RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE BENCHES, BUT NO SHELTER BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A CURB CUT OUT OR A SIDEWALK, BUT STILL, THE ANSWER I GOT LAST TIME WE WERE HERE WAS WE WERE GOING TO LOOK FOR SOME GRANTS WHEN WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE. SO EVEN IF WE FOUND GRANTS TO GET THEM, WE STILL GOT THREE. THAT YOU SAY I COUNTED TEN, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU SAID WE GOT 1 TO 3 OF THEM AND WE'RE WAITING ON GRANTS, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO DO THE SAME THING WITH THESE GRANTS, WITH THESE BUS STOPS AND CANNABIS. LET THEM SIT FOR A FEW MORE YEARS. YOU WERE HERE AFTER THAT DIRECTOR LEFT BECAUSE YOU TOOK HIS PLACE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE AT THAT GRAVEYARD OVER THERE? NOT JUST THE OLD BUSSES, BUT THESE THINGS ARE HERE. SO I'M ASKING EVERYBODY, ARE WE GOING TO PRIORITIZE ANYTHING LIKE THESE BUSSES? WE GOT TO PRIORITIZE THESE BUS STOPS, TOO. THE MAYOR ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT OUR PEOPLE IN COLONIAL HEIGHTS LAST GO AROUND, AND I FOLLOWED UP.

WHAT ABOUT OUR PEOPLE HERE IN PETERSBURG? LAST GO ROUND AND HERE WE ARE TODAY, READY TO VOTE ON SOME BUSSES. BUT WE CAN'T. WE CAN'T EVEN PRIORITIZE AND PLACE IMPORTANCE ON THOSE PEOPLE USING THE BUSSES. BUT WE WANT TO EXPAND OUTSIDE WHAT WE'RE WILLINGLY READY TO GIVE THEM BUS STOPS. LIKE YOU SAID AT THE LAST MEETING, THAT'S ALL I GOT. BECAUSE IF I GO ANY FURTHER, MAN, IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO BE. THAT'S ALL I GOT, MR. MAYOR. THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU. ALL

[00:40:03]

SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT THAT BENEFITS NOT JUST THE CITY OF PETERSBURG CITIZENS, BUT ALSO IT PROTECTS THE LIABILITY OF WALMART HAVING THEM IN THEIR HIGH TRAFFIC AREA BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT ON THE CORNER. BUT BUT I'LL SHOW YOU, MR. WILLIAMS. YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. YEAH, I WAS THINKING YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ONES IN COLONIAL HEIGHTS THAT ARE NEAR THE SOUTH PARK BOULEVARD. THAT'S PRETTY SIMPLE. FIX ON THOSE IF TALKING ABOUT THE ONE IN THE CITY. BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BUS STOP IN PETERSBURG IS CLOSER TO THE STORE. CORRECT.

THE BUS STOP IN PETERSBURG IS RIGHT IN BETWEEN WHERE TRAFFIC COMES INTO THE STORE AND IS RIGHT ON THE CORNER LEAVING OUT OF THE WALMART. SEE, I'M SAYING BECAUSE THEY THEY, THEY MOVED IT BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT THE BUS STOP IN FRONT OF THE STORE. RIGHT. SO. WELL, NO, WE STILL HAVE THE BUS STOP THERE AT THE STORE. WE HAVE TWO BUS STOPS AT WALMART. THE EASIEST SOLUTION TO THE WALMART WITH THE STOP THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE PEOPLE ARE HUDDLED IN THAT CORNER. IF WALMART CAN GIVE US TWO PARKING SPACES ON THE PAVEMENT, WE CAN EASILY SET TWO BENCHES RIGHT THERE. AND THE SHELTERS. THAT'S ALL WE NEED. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO DO A PAD BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE CEMENT. ADDED TO THAT, MR. MAYOR. MR. MASON IS CORRECT. ON THE BUS STOP COMING OUT OF STORE. THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WE WAS FIGHTING ABOUT THAT YOU HAD PUT IN THE BACK OF THE STORE. YES. SO WE FIXED THAT PROBLEM. YES. THE ONE THAT'S AT THE CORNER WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, MR. MAYOR, THAT COMES FROM THE OTHER SHOPPING CENTER. YES. HAS BEEN RELOCATED. YES. THAT'S THE PROBLEM RIGHT THERE. WE NEED TO GET IT BACK IN THERE, BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE GOT TO WALK FROM ROSE'S, FROM THE ABC STORE, FROM TRADITIONS, FROM EVERYTHING ALL THE WAY UP THERE. THAT'S WHY THEY COME TO THAT ONE. THOSE ARE NOT THE PEOPLE COMING OUT

[00:45:03]

YEAH. FROM. YEAH. SO THE REASON WE HAD TO RELOCATE THAT BUS STOP WAS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

WE'VE HAD NUMEROUS BUS ACCIDENTS RIGHT THERE. NONE NONE OF TRANSIT'S FAULT WHERE PEOPLE WILL GO AROUND THE BUSSES AND HIT BUSSES. JUST LAST WEEK WE HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH THE BUS THERE. SOMEBODY RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE BUS AND IT WAS BECOMING A SAFETY ISSUE. SO WE HAD TO RELOCATE IT BECAUSE, I MEAN, THE BUSSES WERE GETTING DAMAGED AND TORE UP. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I SAY, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, BACK TO MY ROLLING STOCK. PRESENTATION.

THAT WAS A VERY, VERY BAD SAFETY ISSUE. WE HAVE OWNERS WHO WORK IN THOSE STORES, WHO PARK THEIR VEHICLES THERE, LEAVE THEM AND THEY'RE RIGHT AT THE BUS STOP. SO VEHICLES COME AROUND, HIT THE BUSSES, RUN INTO THE BACK OF THE BUSSES. IT WAS A VERY BAD SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT WAS CAUSED BY MY SAFETY COORDINATOR, WHO IS, YOU KNOW, IN CHARGE OF ANYTHING SAFETY WISE, DEALING WITH TRANSIT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE NO MATTER WHERE YOU PUT A BUS STOP, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT ISSUE WITHOUT WITHOUT US AND BEING ENFORCEMENT. NOW, THAT PLACE GOT SPEED BUMPS RIGHT THERE IN THE PLACE WHERE THE MAYOR IS SPEAKING OF. THERE ARE NO SPEED BUMPS. SO TO ME THAT WOULD BE MUCH OF A SAFETY ISSUE RIGHT THERE ON THAT CORNER, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID. AND OVER THERE ON THAT SHOPPING CENTER. SO WE HAVE CONSTITUENTS AND PEOPLE AND CITIZENS GOT A WALK FROM THE STORE WAY DOWN THERE TO THAT CORNER. NOW YOU HAVE OTHER OPTIONS. LIKE YOU SAID, MAYBE WE CAN GET TWO PARKING SPACES IN THAT SHOPPING CENTER OVER THERE TO WHERE NOBODY IS RUNNING BEHIND OR RUNNING INTO THAT BUS. WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT TO WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO WALK ALL THE WAY FROM DOWN TIMBUCTOO TO COME UP TO WALMART TO CATCH THE BUS, BECAUSE THAT'S TWO BUS STOPS AND ONE SHOPPING CENTER, YOU KNOW, THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE. YOU KNOW THAT. YOU NEED TO PUT THAT BACK OVER THERE, GET US A PARKING SPACE IN THAT SHOPPING CENTER SO THEY CAN AT LEAST WALK INTO THE PARKING LOT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUS DRIVER, SAFE EQUIPMENT SAFE. CASE CLOSED. YOU KNOW, BUT IT NEED TO BE THERE. THE FOCUS IS, TO ME, IS OUR PEOPLE BEING SAFE AND YOUR BUS DRIVERS, YOU KNOW. RIGHT. RIGHT. YOU'RE CORRECT. NOW THE ISSUE WE HAVE IS, IS THE ROUTE OF THE BUS WHEN THE BUSSES COME THROUGH THAT ROSES SHOPPING CENTER, YOU KNOW, WE GO TO WALMART. SO WE'RE TURNING WALMART'S LOT AND IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE SENSE FOR US TO MAKE A LOOP AROUND THAT. STOP WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE STANDING TO GO TO THAT PARKING LOT. SO WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS WHEN WE COME OFF CRATER ROAD INTO WALMART'S PARKING LOT, IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET TWO PARKING SPACES, YOU KNOW, THAT KEEPS PEOPLE FROM OFF THE CORNER. I MEAN, WE GOT THE BUS STOP SHELTERS THERE AND BUS BENCHES. THE BUS JUST PULLS RIGHT INTO IT, I THINK LIKE THE LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, WE'LL SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT IT. BUT YOU USED TO HAVE THAT ROUTE WHERE YOU CAME THROUGH THAT SHOPPING CENTER. YES WE DID, YOU KNOW. SO WE GOT TO LOOK AT THAT WHOLE THING, MAN. WE WANT TO KEEP EVERYBODY SAFE. WE WANT TO LOOK AT THAT WHOLE THING. AND I DON'T THINK IT'S FEASIBLE FOR YOU TO HAVE TWO BUS STOPS THAT CLOSE. WAL MART GOT THERE IS RIGHT AT THE DOOR. BUT THESE PEOPLE STILL GOT TO WALK FAR. SO WE WANT TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE YOU HAD IT COMING RIGHT THROUGH THAT SHOPPING CENTER GOING ON INTO THE WALMART PARKING LOT. SO WE'RE GOING TO SIT DOWN AND TALK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW. SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. WILLIAMS, I'LL JUST SAY THAT THE MANAGER AND I CAN MEET WITH COUNCILMAN JONES AND MR. MASON, FOUR OF US SIT DOWN AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT. IF WE GO OUT THERE, MEET WITH THE COUNCILMAN OF THAT WARD TWO. WARD TWO. THANK YOU.

YES, VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MAYOR. YES, VICE MAYOR HILL, HOW MANY OF THE WORKERS WERE HERE IN 2016? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THANK YOU. ALL THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS. TOOK A 10% CUT DURING THAT TIME. AND WE THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. WE THANK YOU FOR THE ONES WHO ARE WHO CAME ON. MAYBE AFTERWARDS. MR. MASON, YOU GOT A HEAVY LOAD TO LIFT. WE CAME IN HERE TALKING ABOUT NEW BUSSES AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STOPS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, AND THAT'S ALL PART OF IT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S ALL PART OF IT. MOST PEOPLE, WHEN THEIR CAR GETS SO MANY MILES ON IT, THEY START LOOKING FOR NEW CARS. WE REGARDLESS IF IT'S STILL RUNNING OR NOT. I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT IS AT THIS POINT THAT WE DO HAVE TO GET SOME SOME MORE BUSSES. SO BECAUSE WE'RE SPENDING OVER $300,000 A YEAR AND, AND MAINTENANCE, NOT SAYING WE WON'T BE ABLE TO SPEND ANY MONEY WITH NEW BUSSES, BUT JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO. I DO WANT TO SEE IF WE COULD DO SOME MORE PROMO TO GET MORE SIGNS ON THE BUSSES TO HELP WITH FUNDING AND STUFF LIKE THAT TOO AS WELL. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE FOR THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, BECAUSE I SEE YOU ALL ALL THE TIME, AND IT IS A BIG THING

[00:50:03]

ACCOUNTABILITY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. A THANK YOU AIN'T JUST GOING TO CUT IT UP IN HERE.

SO I'M LETTING YOU KNOW. MR. VICE MAYOR, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I DON'T APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. I WASN'T TALKING TO YOU. I WAS TALKING TO THE WORKERS, THE EMPLOYEES, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT. BUT YOU SAID WE CAME HERE TALKING ABOUT BUSSES, BUT WE ENDED UP TALKING ABOUT BUS STOPS AND CANOPIES. AND I HAD TO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE I BROUGHT THAT UP. AND YOU WAS HERE AT THE LAST MEETING. I'M THE ONE WHO BROUGHT IT UP FROM THE START. I WAS THE ONE THAT BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE BUSSES AND THEN THE MAYOR BROUGHT IT UP. NO, SIR. SO. ALL RIGHT, THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. APPRECIATE YOU. TRANSIT RIGHT NOW AND WE'LL BE GETTING BACK WITH YOU. WE'LL HAVE THOSE FUTURE CONVERSATIONS AND WE'LL ADDRESS THOSE THOSE NEEDS AS WELL FOR THE BUSSES. SO AS YOU CAN SEE, COUNCIL IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO. AND WE WANT TO GET IT RIGHT. AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING UNTIL WE GET IT RIGHT. FOR ALL OF Y'ALL. AGAIN, THANK ALL OF OUR TRANSIT EMPLOYEES. WE WERE THERE WITH YOU. WE GOT YOUR BACK. WE'VE HEARD YOUR VOICES TONIGHT. AND ARE WE GOING TO WORK CLOSELY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN OKAY. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NINE MONTHLY REPORTS. THERE ARE WE HAVE ITEM B PRESENTATION TO DISCUSS ALLOCATIONS OF THE REMAINING $132,090 IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, CDBG COVID CARES ACT FUNDS TO SUPPORT SOCIAL SERVICES. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JENNIFER MURPHY JAMES, I AM THE CDGB ADMINISTRATOR, AND I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ADVISORY BOARD TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY. SO NEXT SLIDE. SO THE CONTENT OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE TO TALK ABOUT THE REQUEST ON BEHALF OF THE ADVISORY BOARD TO SHOW YOU SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS REQUEST. AND HOW AND HOW THE ADVISORY BOARD FEELS THAT THIS THIS REQUEST WILL BENEFIT THE CITY OF PETERSBURG.

SO THE ADVISORY BOARD UPDATE INDICATES THAT BACK IN OCTOBER OF 2024, THEY REPORTED THAT THERE WERE $264,000 IN CDGB FUNDS AVAILABLE THAT WERE LEFT OVER FROM THE 2019 COVID CARES ACT. $132,000 WAS AWARDED TO SUPPORT CRITICAL HOME REPAIR. THE BOARD LISTENED TO PUBLIC COMMENTS AND UNDERSTANDS THE CONCERNS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE UNSHELTERED AND THE HOMELESS IN THE CITY. HUD ALSO MANDATES THAT WE ADDRESS THAT ISSUE IN THE FIVE YEAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN, WHICH WAS FROM 2020 TO 2025. THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN EXPLAINS OR EXPRESSES THAT HOMELESSNESS AND ADDRESSING THE UNSHELTERED, THAT'S IN THE FIVE YEAR PLAN. SO HUD DOES REQUIRE US TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES. MYSELF, THE PCDI DIRECTOR, THE ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR. WE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MISS PAT HINES, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF A SHELTER CALLED THE HUB. WE MET WITH THE HEALTHY START LOVING STEPS PROGRAM, AND WE MET WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE AND WHAT'S BEING DONE IN THE CITY. THE INFORMATION THAT WE GATHERED WAS SHARED WITH THE ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS ON FEBRUARY 12TH, AND ON FEBRUARY 28TH, THE CDGB ADVISORY BOARD VOTED ON A PLAN OF ACTION. HUD IS REQUIRING THE CITY TO ADDRESS THE UNSHELTERED CONCERN. AS PER THE PETERSBURG'S 2020 2024 CDGB CONSOLIDATED PLAN, WHICH INDICATED THAT HOMELESSNESS IS AN AREA THAT WILL BE REMEDIATED ON FEBRUARY 6TH OF 2024. AT A COUNCIL MEETING, CITIZENS ALSO REQUESTED THAT THE CITY ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF THE UNHOUSED. THE ADVISORY BOARD REQUESTS SUPPORT FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG,

[00:55:07]

PETERSBURG HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WHICH HAS A COVID CARE RESOURCE AND COORDINATION PROGRAM AND ALSO IS THE HOST OF THE HEALTHY START LOVING STEPS HOME VISITING PROGRAM. WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES AS THE LEAD COORDINATOR TO SUPPORT COLLECTIVE IMPACT AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION AMONG SERVICE PROVIDERS, UNHOUSED AND AT RISK INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES MAY RECEIVE TARGETED SERVICES SUCH AS OUTREACH, INTAKE ASSESSMENT, EMERGENCY SHELTER, RAPID REHOUSING, AND RENT ASSISTANCE. THE ULTIMATE GOAL GOAL HERE BEING PERMANENT HOUSING AND STABILITY. IN CLOSING, THE ASK FOR THE APRIL 15TH ACTION MEETING IS THAT I'M SORRY, I'M NOT SURE WHY I HESITATED THERE, BUT IN CLOSING I ASK, IS THAT THE REMAINING CDGB FUNDS BE USED TO SUPPORT THE PETERSBURG DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES COORDINATION, COLLABORATION AND DELIVERY OF HOMELESS PREVENTION AND REMEDIATION SERVICES? AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE 50 YEARS OF CDGB CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF CDGB. AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT AWARD WINNING CDBG PROJECTS ARE CREATED THROUGH COLLABORATION. AND WE BELIEVE THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL, THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES IS THAT VEHICLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. NEXT, WE'LL START OFF WITH VICE MAYOR HILL.

YES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT THAT SCREEN. WHERE THEY TALK ABOUT ALL THOSE GO BACK. BACK, BACK, BACK. YEAH. RIGHT THERE. THE CREATIVE NUMBER ONE, THE CREATIVE AREA COALITION OF HOMELESS COUNTY 681 SHELTERED, UNFILTERED, UNSHELTERED, UNSHELTERED PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. FOR THE REGION, FOR THE REGION, FOR THE REGION.

SO WHEN THINGS HAPPEN IN THE REGION, DOES IT GET TAGGED TO PETERSBURG? PETERSBURG? BECAUSE I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT THIS AND ABOUT THE HEALTH AND EVERYTHING. DOES IT GET TAGGED TO PETERSBURG? AND SO THERE'S A CYCLE OR OVERFLOW THAT HAPPENS

[01:00:03]

THANK YOU. BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN JONES. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT THE VICE MAYOR JUST MENTIONED. HE SAID WE'RE ALWAYS AT THE TOP OR THE BOTTOM OF STUFF. AND, YOU KNOW, FIRST I WANT TO SAY WITH CASH, THAT'S A GREAT EFFORT AND WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE IT. BUT I WANT TO KEEP IT REAL WITH EVERYBODY IN HERE. YOU SAID A LOT OF WORDS, AND EACH ONE OF THEM HAD, IN MY OPINION, DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS AND MEANING. YOU MENTIONED HOMELESSNESS. YOU MENTIONED UNHOUSED. YOU MENTIONED SHELTER.

YOU MENTIONED AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE HOMELESS AND UNHOUSED. EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT WORDS, THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT MEANINGS WITH THOSE THINGS AS WELL. HOMELESSNESS IN THIS CITY AND ANY OTHER CITY YOU RIDE THROUGH, YOU GOT SOME PEOPLE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY CHOOSE TO BE HOMELESS. I KNOW BECAUSE I ASKED MYSELF, COME ON AND STAY IN THIS SHELTER. I DON'T WANT TO STAY IN THE SHELTER. PEOPLE CHOOSE TO BE THAT WAY SO THEY DON'T DESERVE TARGETED CARE. NOW, WHEN I LOOK AT WHAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE UNHOUSED, WHAT IS A HOTEL TO YOU OR A MOTEL? IS THAT A HOUSE THAT'S SHELTER, BUT IT'S NOT A HOUSE, SO IT'LL FALL INTO ANYBODY LIVE THERE? THEY'RE STILL CONSIDERED UNHOUSED, CORRECT? CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. SO EVEN A HOTEL, IF YOU GO THERE, THEY HAVE A LIST WHICH IS A DATABASE ON WHO'S THERE. MY CONCERN AND MY ISSUE IS SINGLE MOTHERS AND SINGLE FATHERS THAT SOCIAL SERVICES SEE A LOT OF.

AND LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S ALL TIED TOGETHER. BUT OUR SCHOOLS ARE HAVING PROBLEMS AND HAVING PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE UNHOUSED. AND THE LADY TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY WHO LIVED IN ONE OF THE PROJECTS, SHE SAID, MY DAUGHTER SAID, I WANT A REAL HOUSE. AND I JUST MENTIONED THAT YESTERDAY ABOUT HOW WE PUT THESE PEOPLE INTO OAKS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND WE FORGET ABOUT THEM WITHOUT A WAY OUT TO BE HOMEOWNERS LIKE WE ARE, YOU KNOW. SO BEFORE I FOCUS ON SOMEBODY WHO DON'T WANT TO BE HOUSED, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE TRUE UNHOUSED, WHICH IS THOSE WOMEN AND MEN STAYING IN HOTELS. NOW, I'M NOT SAYING THAT ALL OF THEM WANT TO BE HELPED EITHER, BUT THE PRIORITY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIORITY AGAIN, ARE THOSE WITH KIDS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I BROUGHT UP TO THE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD A LONG TIME AGO AND TO COUNCIL, IS THAT WHEN THE SCHOOLS SEE THAT A CHILD HAS A HOTEL FOR AN ADDRESS, THEN THAT SCHOOL OR THAT HOTEL SHOULD CONTACT SOCIAL SERVICES AND SOCIAL SERVICES SHOULD GO DO A WELFARE CHECK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE REASON WHY I'M GOING TO PAUSE RIGHT THERE, YOU GOT HUMAN TRAFFICKING, YOU GOT SEX

[01:05:03]

I'M JUST I AGREE, I'M JUST SAYING SOME ANSWERS TO SOME OF. YES, MA'AM. LET ME FINISH.

TARGETED SERVICE. TARGETED SERVICE SHOULD GO TO THOSE WHO YOU FIND IN THESE HOTELS. WHO MAY BE HOOKED ON THE DRUGS, WHO KIDS JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL IS COMING FROM.

THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE OUT HERE WHO'S FEEDING THESE PEOPLE. I KNOW PAT HINES IS ONE OF THEM.

YES. POTHINUS HAS A BIG HEART. WE GOT TO GET HER HER MONEY, TOO, FROM THAT. THAT RENTAL AGREEMENT THAT WE HAD DOWN THERE. THAT'S JUST A SIDE NOTE, BUT SHE'S GOT A BIG HEART. BUT WE CANNOT BE HOUSING EVERYBODY THAT WANT TO MOVE. LIKE THE VICE MAYOR SAID, WHEN YOU MOVE ONE IN IN THIS CITY, WE IGNORE THE ONES WHO REALLY NEED THE HELP BECAUSE WHAT A HOMELESS PERSON WOULD DO THAT'S COMING FROM CALIFORNIA, WOULD CALL HIS FRIENDS IN CALIFORNIA AND SAY, THEY PUTTING US UP IN THE HOUSE, THEY PUTTING US UP IN A SHELTER. AND MY THING IS THIS IF YOU GOT ENERGY ENOUGH TO STAND UP AND ASK FOR A DOLLAR AT A STORE OR A DOLLAR ON THE CORNER, YOU GOT ENERGY ENOUGH TO SIGN A WAIVER AND WORK FOR THIS CITY AND CLEAN UP A STREET, CLEAN UP A NEIGHBORHOOD. NO BACKGROUND CHECK IS BEING DONE ON THE HOMELESS PEOPLE, THE ONES THAT WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF. WE DON'T KNOW IF WE HOUSING PEDOPHILES OR NOT. SO WE GOT TO WE GOT SOME SERIOUS DEEP DIVING TO DO BEFORE WE JUST START THROWING MONEY AT THINGS WHERE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S PEOPLE WHO'S IN NEED RIGHT NOW, AND I SEE A SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVE HERE RIGHT NOW.

WHO? I'M NOT FINISHED, MA'AM. I'M NOT FINISHED. YOU GONNA GET YOUR CHANCE, YOU KNOW, BUT WE HAVE KIDS. WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIORITY, WE HAVE KIDS IN THIS CITY WHO ARE SERIOUSLY, SERIOUSLY BEING ABUSED JUST BY WHAT THEY SEE. AND THEN THEY'VE BEEN ABUSED BY WHAT THEY DON'T SEE OUT OF US AND OUT OF Y'ALL. SO I'M MAKING MY POINT TO SAY. WE'RE GOING TO GET WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO GIVE HER. BUT I NEED SOME DATABASE. MISTER MAYOR. I NEED TO SEE WHAT THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM. I MEAN, THE EASIEST THING IS WHERE'S YOUR ID CARD? IF YOU GOT A PETERSBURG ADDRESS OR A PETERSBURG ID, A PO BOX, THEY'RE GETTING CHECKS, THEY'RE GETTING SOMETHING. BUT WE STILL NEGLECTING THE ONES IN THE HOTELS. YEAH. YOU KNOW, I AGREE I AGREE. AND SO I THINK I NEED TO APOLOGIZE TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE CLEARLY MY PRESENTATION MISSED THE MARK. AND THE PRESENTATION MISSED THE MARK. AND IT DID NOT CLEARLY PRESENT THE INTENTION OF MY ASK OR THE ASK OF THE ADVISORY BOARD. SO THE ASK IS THAT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES BE SUPPORTED IN PREVENTION AND REMEDIATION OF HOMELESSNESS. SO THEY CURRENTLY AND THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES DIRECTORS HERE, AND HE CAN STAND UP AND SPEAK A LITTLE MORE ELOQUENTLY THAN I'M ABLE TO. BUT THE IDEA IS THAT THE FUNDS ARE USED TO SUPPORT THE ONGOING WORK THAT SOCIAL SERVICES DOES NOW, TO PREVENT A FAMILY FROM BEING EVICTED, TO PREVENT A FAMILY FROM ENDING UP IN A HOTEL IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT IN THE EVENT THAT THEY DO NEED EMERGENCY SERVICES, THEY WOULD ALSO GET THAT SUPPORT. I JUST WANT TO

[01:10:03]

IN 2007. I'VE WORKED IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF RICHMOND, AND I'VE WORKED IN PETERSBURG FOR OVER SIX AND A HALF YEARS. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CAUSES AND THE CONCERNS, AND I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, I BELIEVE, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CHILDREN WHO ARE BEING HARMED BECAUSE THEY'RE BEING RAISED IN HOTELS. AND THAT IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT THE CRATER HOMELESS AREA COALITION ON HOMELESS IS TRYING TO ADDRESS, AND TRYING TO GET CHILDREN OUT OF THAT SITUATION. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES IS SEEKING TO DO, IF THEY ARE GRANTED THIS FUNDS, IS TO COORDINATE SERVICES AMONGST PROVIDERS, INCLUDING PAT HINES, INCLUDING THE. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, TO COORDINATE SERVICES TO DEVELOP A COORDINATED SYSTEM OF CARE THAT WOULD PREVENT FAMILIES FROM BEING HOMELESS IN THE FIRST PLACE. YES, MA'AM. MA'AM, LET ME LET ME CUT ACROSS REAL QUICK.

WHEN YOU SAY YOU WANT THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO HELP WITH HOMELESSNESS, I THINK WE NEED TO CLARIFY. WE WANT DO WE WANT TO HELP WITH HOMELESSNESS OR THE UNHOUSED. SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS PREVENTION FIRST, PREVENTION AND REMEDIATION SECOND. SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM BEING IN THE POSITION WHERE THEY END UP UNHOUSED, UNSHELTERED OR HOMELESS. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE UMBRELLA. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MR. OTTO TO COME UP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES PROVIDES, AND THEN HE CAN EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THESE FUNDS WILL HELP SUPPORT WHAT HE'S DOING. WELL, WHY WHY HE'S COMING UP TO THE MIC EVICTION. WE TALK ABOUT NUMBER TWO AS ONE OF THE HIGHEST EVICTION RATES. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS I DO KNOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING EVICTED BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING EVICTED BY SLUMLORDS. SO THAT'S ON US WHEN WE WORKING OUR BUTTS OFF NOW TO TARGET SLUMLORDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO THEY WON'T HAVE TO RENT FROM THEM. BUT WE NEED A PROGRAM TO WHERE THESE FUNDS WOULD GO AND TO WOMEN AND MEN WHO ARE SINGLE OR EVEN MARRIED AND STRUGGLING AND HAVE TO LIVE IN A HOTEL, BECAUSE WHEN YOU PUT THEM IN THAT ATMOSPHERE, MR. MAYOR, THEY, THEY, THEY ARE SURELY GOING TO FALL. THAT'S ALL I GOT.

I AGREE, AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY DOES HAVE PROGRAMS TO HELP PEOPLE, TO TEACH THEM ABOUT CREDIT, TO TEACH THEM ABOUT BUILDING UP THEIR SAVINGS AND TO HELP THEM MOVE FROM BEING IN SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, TO MOVE FROM SUBSIDIZED HOUSING TO HOME OWNERSHIP. SO THOSE PROGRAMS DO EXIST, RIGHT? REAL QUICK. I HAVE TO LEAVE OUT, ALONG WITH MY COMMUNICATION STAFF, BRIAN MOORE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR BLEACH TECH. AND MCCALL JUST PURCHASED A FACILITY IN PETERSBURG, $354 MILLION. LARGEST ACQUISITION OF ANSELM MCCALL. AND I'M GOING TO DO THE KEYNOTE ADDRESS. SO KEEP THIS CONVERSATION GOING. I JUST WANT TO CHIME IN BECAUSE I HAVE TO LEAVE. Y'ALL CAN KEEP IT GOING. BUT ALSO PLEASE COORDINATE WITH THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE JUST LIKE WHAT WHAT WHAT COUNCILMAN JONES SAYS, LOOK, WE HAD WE HAVE MISTER LUNDY HERE REPRESENTING THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND THEY THEY ARE ADDRESSING SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS ON OUR END AS WELL. AND THAT IS THE MENTAL HEALTH AND THAT TRAUMA END. OKAY. BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING THAT, BECAUSE OF THIS HOMELESSNESS AND UNSHELTERED ISSUE, OUR KIDS CAN'T LEARN. SO WE HAVE TO WRAP ALL OF THOSE THINGS TOGETHER. AND LIKE WE SAY, ADDRESS THE YOUTH. BECAUSE IN DOING THAT, WE ADDRESSING THE HEALTH AND OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM AS WELL. SO AGAIN, Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT EVENING. AND RIGHT NOW VICE MAYOR HILL WILL BE TAKING OVER.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT I. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILOR JONES. THANK YOU SIR. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT, MR. VICE MAYOR. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THAT'S ALL. ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? COUNCILMAN CUTLER? THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. HELLO. HELLO. I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING. LET ME GO BACK TO THE BASICS. PAGE 196 SAYS THAT $132,000 WAS AWARDED TO SUPPORT CRITICAL HOME PAIR. ARE YOU PROPOSING THAT WE TAKE THAT 132,000 AWAY FROM CRITICAL HOME? NO, THAT WAS THE SO THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT THAT WAS LEFT OVER THE ORIGINAL BALANCE WAS 264,000 PRESENTATION, 264,000. AND SO

[01:15:02]

AND I UNDERSTAND WHY. BECAUSE THE 264 WAS DIVIDED BY TWO. IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. I'M I'M OVER THAT CONFUSION NOW. HOW EXACTLY WILL THIS 132 BE SPENT IF THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS? I MEAN, WHAT'S THE LINE ITEM. THERE'LL BE SO MUCH FOR ADMINISTRATION. THERE'LL BE SO MUCH FOR THIS. THERE'LL BE SO MUCH FOR THAT. AND ALL THE NUMBERS WOULD ADD UP TO 132. IS THAT CORRECT? YES. SO ACTUALLY THE SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL BE USING THAT MONEY DIRECTLY FOR PREVENTION SERVICES SUCH AS RENT ASSISTANCE, UTILITIES ASSISTANCE. AND THAT'S WHY I WOULD LIKE MR. OTTO TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT A PROGRAM THAT HE HAS NOW WHERE THIS MONEY WOULD SUPPLEMENT THAT EXISTING PROGRAM. ALL RIGHT. WELL, GREAT. WELL THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.

THANK YOU. ANY VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM, SHE REFERENCES, WE GET EVERY, EVERY NEW FISCAL YEAR, ROUGHLY 32 TO $34,000 FROM A FEDERAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION FUND, WHICH IS PROMOTING SAFE AND STABLE FAMILIES. WE GET THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR, AND TYPICALLY THE MONEY IS SPENT WITHIN 3 TO 4 MONTHS BECAUSE WE FOCUS IT PRIMARILY ON MAINTAINING FAMILIES AND HOMES THAT COME TO OUR ATTENTION. AND SO WHEN THE CDBG MANAGER REACHED OUT TO US SEVERAL MONTHS AGO TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THIS PROGRAM, WE FELT IT WOULD WE COULD LEVERAGE OUR EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE. THERE WOULD BE NO ADMINISTRATIVE COST PULLED FROM THAT MONEY. SO THE FULL 132,000 WOULD BE USED FOR SERVICES. AND I'M NOT SURE OF WHAT THE HUD RESTRICTIONS ARE, BUT WE CERTAINLY I THINK LISTENING TO THE COMMENTS TONIGHT, WE COULD PRIORITIZE, YOU KNOW, MOVING THIS TO FAMILIES THAT ARE IN MOTELS AND HOTELS. WE CERTAINLY ENGAGE WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, WHETHER WE GET INTAKE REPORTS OR THROUGH OTHER NONPROFITS AND PROVIDERS THAT MAY BRING FAMILIES TO OUR ATTENTION THAT ARE IN NEED. AND SO, CERTAINLY WE COULD TARGET THE PROGRAM UNLESS THERE'S RESTRICTIONS AGAINST THAT AND TO, YOU KNOW, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO PUT A SMALL DENT IN IT. BUT THE MONEY IS TIME RESTRICTED, AS YOU HEARD, AND HAS TO BE SPENT BY, I THINK, NEXT JULY. AND SO IT JUST MADE SENSE TO COLLABORATE WITH OUR DEPARTMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TO RAMP UP INFRASTRUCTURE AND COULD USE OUR CURRENT CHILD WELFARE TEAM. AND SO WHEN WE DO WORK WITH THE FAMILY, THAT WOULD BE GET PREVENTION FUNDING. THEY HAVE TO AGREE TO A TWO MONTH VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT TO WORK WITH US THROUGH CASE MANAGEMENT. SO WE WOULD NOT ONLY PROVIDE THE HELP TO GET THEM INTO AN APARTMENT OR SOMETHING MORE STABLE. WE'LL ALSO WORK WITH THEM FOR A MINIMUM OF TWO MONTHS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN CONNECT THEM TO OTHER ANCILLARY SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S JOB SERVICES, OTHER POTENTIAL FINANCIAL SERVICES, ETC. SO WE FEEL THAT WE CAN QUICKLY RAMP UP AND, YOU KNOW, ADEQUATELY USE THIS MONEY TO HELP THOSE IN CRISIS. THANK YOU, MR. CUTLER. ARE YOU FINISHED? NO, BUT THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. LET'S SAY YOU SUCCEED IN GETTING A FAMILY OUT OF A MOTEL. THERE'S AN EMPTY ROOM IN THE MOTEL AT THAT POINT. AND WE WE'VE DOCUMENTED THAT THERE ARE 681 UNSHELTERED IN THE AREA. THAT'S NOT JUST PETERSBURG. THAT'S OUTSIDE OF PETERSBURG NOW. YOU MIGHT THINK IN TERMS OF A VACUUM. WE'VE GOT A VACUUM IN PETERSBURG. WE'VE GOT THIS ONE EMPTY ROOM IN THE MOTEL BECAUSE WE JUST EMPTIED IT. NOW, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT ONE EMPTY ROOM IS GOING TO BE FILLED? MR. COUNCIL MEMBER, I CAN'T SPECULATE ON THAT. AND THERE'S ALSO CITY REGULATIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT RESIDENTS OR

[01:20:03]

BUT I MEAN, OUTSIDE OF THAT, THERE'S NOTHING TO STOP, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THEY CAN PAY AND THE MOTEL OWNERS ARE GOING TO WANT TO FILL THEIR ROOM AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M NOT SURE THIS REALLY MOVES THE NEEDLE FOR PETERSBURG RESIDENTS. I UNDERSTAND IT PROBABLY DOESN'T MOVE THE NEEDLE, BUT THIS MONEY IS TIME LIMITED. AND I THINK WAS THE CDBG GROUP WAS TRYING TO ENSURE THAT IT DOESN'T REVERT BACK. AND SO WE KNOW THERE'S A NEED NOW. AND I THINK WE'RE ASKING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPROPRIATELY SPEND IT TO HELP FOLKS RIGHT NOW THAT ARE IN CRISIS. COULD WE INSTEAD TAKE THIS 132 AND ADD IT TO THE OTHER 132 THAT'S IN CRITICAL HOME REPAIR? I'M GOING TO LET HER ANSWER THAT. THAT'S NOT IN OUR AREA. SO WHEN WE CAME BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, INITIALLY, WE DID REQUEST THAT THE WHOLE 264,000 BE ALLOCATED TO CRITICAL HOME REPAIR. AND 132,000 WAS AWARDED TO CRITICAL HOME REPAIR. WHAT WE DID, WE LISTENED TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS. THERE WERE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO STOOD UP, SUCH AS MISS PAT HINES, WHO AND FROM HOUSING AUTHORITY AS WELL, WHO FELT LIKE WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE CITIZENS WHO ARE NOT HOUSED OR AT RISK OF LOSING HOUSING. WE HEARD THEM AND THE ADVISORY BOARD REGROUPED, AND WE MET WITH MISS HINES AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY.

AND THIS IS THE SOLUTION THAT THAT MADE THE MOST SENSE, BECAUSE THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES ALREADY HAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ONE OPERATE A PROGRAM SUCH AS THIS, BUT TWO, TO HELP FACILITATE THAT COORDINATION BETWEEN ALL THE SERVICE PROVIDERS AND STAKEHOLDERS. ARE YOU ASKING FOR COUNCIL TO TAKE ANY SPECIFIC ACTION? YES. TODAY THE ASK IS THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE USE OF THE $132,090 TO BE AWARDED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. SO, YEAH. MR. MISTER ALTMAN OH, NOT. YEAH. NOT TODAY. SORRY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL AGREES WITH. WE'D HAVE TO BRING BACK A FORMAL ACTION AT YOUR APRIL 15TH MEETING FOR YOU TO TAKE TO APPROPRIATE THE FUNDS, BUT THIS IS JUST TO SEE IN WHAT DIRECTION COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO GO. THIS IS THE PROPOSAL. AND YET, YES, WE YOU KNOW, YOU COULD USE IT FOR THE HOUSING PIECE THAT WE FUNDED WITH THE OTHER HALF OF THE FUNDING EARLIER. ARE THERE SPECIFIC BECAUSE IT'S COVID CARES FUNDING? CORRECT. I THINK THERE'S A LIMITED SCOPE AND WE JUST CAN'T USE IT FOR ANYTHING THAT'S A LIMITED SCOPE IN WHICH WE CAN USE IT FOR BECAUSE THE FUNDING WAS PROVIDED IN IN REACTION TO THE COVID AND THE CRISIS THAT WAS OCCURRING THERE.

THAT'S CORRECT. COUNCILMAN COOPER. WELL, THANK YOU. MY YOU KNOW, MY PREFERENCE IS TO TAKE THE 264 AND PUT IT ALL INTO CRITICAL HOME REPAIR TO HELP THE ELDERLY AND WHO WHO NEED THE HELP TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES AND IN THAT FASHION, ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS ALSO BY PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS. I WOULD PREFER THAT, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALLOW OUR SENIORS TO STAY IN THEIR HOMES FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME AND WE COULD ADDRESS OUR HOUSING BLIGHT ISSUES ALSO. I MEAN, I DON'T DISPUTE THAT SOME GOOD WOULD COME FROM THE PROPOSAL YOU PUT BEFORE US, BUT I DO QUESTION WHETHER WE'RE JUST CREATING A VACUUM SO THAT SOME OF THESE 681 THAT WE SEE ON THIS. CHART IN FRONT OF US, THEY'RE JUST GOING TO MOVE INTO I MEAN, IT'S UNFORTUNATE, BUT THEY'RE JUST GOING TO MOVE INTO THE VACUUM THAT WE'VE CREATED BY MOVING FAMILIES OUT OF THE OF THE MOTEL. SO IN MY ASSESSMENT, A BETTER USE OF THIS HALF OF THE 264 WOULD BE TO PUT IT WITH THE FIRST HALF AND SPEND IT ON CRITICAL HOME REPAIR SO THAT OUR SENIORS WHO ARE INCOME RESTRICTED COULD STAY IN THEIR HOMES FOR LONGER. AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE ADDRESS BLIGHT AND WE'RE NOT CREATING A VACUUM THAT BRINGS MORE OF THE OF

[01:25:09]

AND YOU THE HOTEL OWNERS INCLUDE THEM TALK TO THEM SEE WHAT THEY GOT COMING IN. YOU KNOW THEY'LL TELL YOU IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DEFINITELY THEM. AND THAT'S ALL I GOT, MR. VICE MAYOR, BECAUSE YOU PUT THAT TEAM TOGETHER AND I'M ON YOUR SIDE, YOU KNOW. BUT I CAN'T BE THERE IF WE AIN'T INCLUDING EVERYBODY WHO'S A PART OF THIS PROBLEM. THANK YOU. I THINK THE ONLY THE ONLY MISSING PIECE IS THE. BECAUSE EVERYBODY ELSE ON YOUR LIST IS THERE EXCEPT FOR THE SCHOOLS. SO MAYBE ENGAGE THE SCHOOL. BUT WE'RE GOING TO BRING THIS BACK ON THE. YEAH. AND SOME OF THE HOTEL OWNERS IF YOU CAN, IF WE HAVE TIME FOR THAT PLEASE DO. WE'RE GOING TO BRING THIS BACK ON THE 15TH. WELL, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS LET US REGROUP AND MEET WITH EVERYBODY AND THEN BRING IT BACK AFTER WE'VE HAD THAT CONVERSATION. SO WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO PUT THAT TOGETHER IN THE

[01:30:04]

[10. Finance and Budget Report ]

ITEM TEN A THE FY 2025 2026 PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET. GOOD JOB. GOOD EVENING, GARY COZIER BUDGET MANAGER. SO TONIGHT WE JUST WANTED TO BRING BEFORE YOU OUR PROPOSED BUDGET TO KIND OF GET IT IN YOUR HEADS AND START THINKING ABOUT THIS AS WE BEGIN TO SCHEDULE OUR MEETINGS, AS WELL AS COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AS WELL AS A SPECIAL BUDGET MEETING. SO HERE WE ARE. WE ARE AT THIS POINT RIGHT NOW, PROPOSING A ENTIRE ALL FUNDS BUDGET OF. $138,931,917. SO, YEAH, THIS IS KIND OF JUST WHAT IT IS. WE WANT TO GET THE NUMBER BEFORE YOU. OBVIOUSLY, WE'LL HAVE A FULL IN DEPTH PRESENTATION REGARDING THE BUDGET AT A FOLLOWING MEETING, BUT THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PROPOSED AS OF AS STATED. AND JUST SO FOR COUNCIL, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE CLERK TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS WITH EACH ONE OF YOU TO GO THROUGH THE BUDGET, AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. AND WE'LL BE SCHEDULING COMMUNITY MEETINGS AS WE HAVE TO DO PRESENTATIONS AND GET INPUT FROM THE CITIZENS AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS. OKAY, SO WE'LL BE DOING TWO ON TWOS LIKE WE LIKE WE NORMALLY DO TWO ON TWOS, AND THEN THERE'LL BE THE ONE LONE PERSON AT THE END. BUT YES SIR WE'LL DO THAT OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN CUTLER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? WELL, HOW COULD WE POSSIBLY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WHEN WE HAVEN'T SEEN THIS THING UNTIL 30S AGO? WELL, WE'RE GOING TO. I GUESS THIS IS RIGHT HERE. JUST A PREVIEW OF WHAT'S TO COME. AND I'M PRETTY SURE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AN IN-DEPTH LIKE WE NORMALLY DO. WHEN WE SIT DOWN, WE GO DOWN LINE BY LINE, PRECEPT, PRECEPT, SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE MONIES THAT MATCH UP WITH THIS RIGHT HERE. WELL, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE ANYTHING ONCE IT'S BEEN PROPOSED. AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE CAKE HAS BEEN COOKED ONCE AGAIN. NO, NO. AND I SEE THE CAKE IN FRONT OF ME. I DISAGREE WITH THAT, BUT. WELL, I WAS. SO. THE ADMINISTRATION HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET. SO WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET. BUT THROUGH THE WORK SESSIONS AND COMMENTS MADE, WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON WHAT INDIVIDUAL COUNCILORS ARE INTERESTED IN AND HOW THOSE NEEDS MAY BE. SO WE HAVE A STARTING POINT AS WHAT WE HAVE.

IT ISN'T SET IN STONE. WELL, I THINK THINGS ARE OUT OF SYNC. AND I'M BEGINNING, AFTER HAVING GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS ONCE OR TWICE, TO REALIZE THAT THAT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO CHANGE A PROPOSAL ONCE IT'S BEEN PRESENTED. I THINK THE CONSULTATION WITH COUNCIL NEEDS TO COME BEFORE. THE CAKE IS PUT TOGETHER THAT I SEE IN FRONT OF ME. I IT'S GOING UP LIKE THIS.

WELL, OF THE FUNDING IN FRONT OF YOU WHERE COUNCIL HAD REALLY HAS THE ABILITY TO MAKE CHANGES IS THE GENERAL FUND. ALL THE OTHER FUNDS ARE TYPICALLY THEY ARE THEY GENERATE THEIR OWN FUNDING TO PRODUCE THOSE PROJECTS OR TO ADDRESS STORMWATER OR UTILITY UTILITIES, FUND THE GOLF COURSE, FUND MASS TRANSIT. SO GENERAL FUND IS WHERE WE LIVE AND WHERE WE BUDGET AND OPERATE FROM. AND I I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS SEVERAL TIMES, NOT JUST HERE IN OTHER PLACES, AND THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR SOME DISCUSSION AND MANEUVERING OF FUNDS. IT'S A PRESENT. IT'S A PRESENTATION PRESENTATION OF A PROPOSED BUDGET. AND THEN THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS TO AMEND THOSE THAT PROPOSAL TO ADDRESS CONCERNS AND NEEDS OF THE COUNCIL. YEAH.

BECAUSE SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL WE WE'VE DONE THAT. YOU KNOW, AFTER WE'VE HAD OUR TWO ON TWOS. BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, COUNCILMAN COOPER. BUT YOU WANT TO GET IN FRONT OF THE BALL BEFORE THIS RIGHT HERE WAS PRESENTED. SO WE'LL START OUR TWO ON TWOS WHEN BE WORKING WITH MRS. HILL TO SCHEDULE THOSE WITH YOU. HOPEFULLY WE CAN START GETTING THEM SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK. OR THE SOONER THE BETTER. THANK YOU. WE'LL LOOK AT Y'ALL'S AVAILABILITY AND WORK WITH HER TO SCHEDULE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN JONES. SO I JUST WANT TO. IT'S A LEARNING MOMENT FOR ME AND THE PEOPLE. TOTAL REVENUES IS EQUAL TO. TOTAL EXPENSES WOULD LEAVE US WITH 0 A.M. I RIGHT? CORRECT. YES. SO YOU WOULD NEED TO BALANCE THE

[01:35:05]

THE ONE QUICK QUESTION. EXCUSE ME. I SEE THESE NUMBERS. RIGHT. AND I'M EXCITED BECAUSE I KNOW WITH ALL THE GROWTH THAT PETERSBURG IS HAVING, WE'RE GOING TO GET WE SHOULD BE GETTING SOME DECENT AMOUNT OF FLOW COMING THROUGH THE CITY WHERE THERE'S A CLOUD THING OR DATA CENTER OR EVEN A CASINO. BUT I KNOW THAT NUMBER, LIKE YOU SAID, IS GOING TO RISE UP. NOW, ARE WE GOING TO BE IN THE SAME BOAT WHERE WHERE THAT NUMBER RISE UP? WE'RE GOING TO BALANCE IT OUT TO WHERE WE STILL GOT ZERO, OR ARE WE GOING TO HAVE SOME MONEY TO WORK WITH? IT WILL ALWAYS BE BALANCED. WELL, WHAT I'D SAY IS I'M REQUIRED BY CODE TO PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET TO COUNCIL. WHAT WE WILL HAVE IS THERE'S ADDITIONAL REVENUES COME IN. MY PLAN IS NOT TO ACCOUNT.

SO LET'S JUST USE LET'S USE THE CASINO. WE'RE NOT GOING TO ACCOUNT ALL THE NEW CASINO REVENUE IN OPERATING. THERE WILL BE A PERCENTAGE THAT WILL GO TOWARDS OPERATING. BUT WE'RE GOING TO ACCOUNT FOR SOME OVER IN CAPITAL, SOME TOWARDS SCHOOLS, SOME TOWARDS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. BUT IT'S NOT AS IN STONE. WHEN YOU DO THAT WE CAN CHANGE. THERE WILL BE WHEN WE GET THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE IN, THERE WILL BE SOME PRIORITY ABILITY FOR US TO PICK SOME PROJECTS FOR COUNCIL TO DO, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO SUCK ALL THAT UP INTO THE ADMINISTRATION AND SAY, WELL, NOW THIS IS WHAT IT COSTS US TO OPERATE. AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO BE, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE KIND OF KEEPING UP WITH SOME INFLATION ON SOME ITEMS AND SOME AND SOME COSTS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. THE GOOD NEWS IS OUR HEALTH INSURANCE RENEWAL CAME IN AT 0% INCREASE. SO THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL MONEY THERE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE IS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE CLASS AND COMP SYSTEM, AND WE FACTORING IN THE ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT THE CLASS AND COMP SYSTEM, WHICH WILL GET EVERYBODY TO THE NEW STEP AND ACCOUNT FOR THE COMPRESSION THAT WE HAVE IN OUR, WITHIN OUR WORKFORCE. SO BUT AS WE GROW IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE COMES IN, MY OBJECTIVE IS NOT TO PUT IT ALL TOWARDS THE GENERAL FUND. MY OBJECTIVE IS TO HOLD IT AND DIVIDE IT OUT AND KEEP SOME IN RESERVE SO WE CAN ADDRESS SOME ISSUES AND HAVE THE ABILITY FOR AS WE AS WE WORK AND WORK THROUGH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WE CAN THEN START ALLOCATING FUNDS OF THE NEW MONEY TOWARDS THOSE STRATEGIC INITIATIVES THAT COUNCIL HAS OUTLAID FOR US.

WELL, TWO THINGS AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK THANK YOU GUYS FOR EDUCATING ME ON THAT. I DON'T KNOW IT ALL AND THE CITIZENS DON'T KNOW IT ALL. WE NEED TO LEARN. AND WITH THAT SAID, I HOPE WE HAVE A CLASS, MAYBE A QUARTERLY CLASS TEACHING ME AND THE CITIZENS ON ON THIS STUFF. YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE. AND NUMBER TWO, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS OUR REVENUE GO UP, I DON'T WANT SALARIES TO GO UP THAT THAT OF THE PEOPLE THAT'S ALREADY OVER 100,000, BUT THE ONES WHO'S ON THE BOTTOM GETTING PAID FIVE AND $10 AN HOUR, WE NEED TO LOOK FOR THEM. BUT I KNOW WE'RE NOT TRYING TO PUT IT ALL IN ONE BUCKET, BUT WE DO NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE.

BUT WE NEED TO DO OUR CLASS BECAUSE I'M INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE BUDGET

[01:40:03]

NO, SIR, NO, SIR. SO THE BUDGET IS JUST A PLAN, RIGHT? THAT THAT'S THAT'S THE PLAN. SO FOR FISCAL YEAR 24, WHICH ENDED JUNE 30TH, 2024, THAT BUDGET WAS THE AMENDED NUMBER WAS $88 MILLION FOR THE GENERAL FUND. THE 25 NUMBER FOR FISCAL 25 WAS ADOPTED AT 94 MILLION. AND WE JUST RECENTLY AMENDED IT TO 96 MILLION. SO THIS BUDGET WILL BE AN INCREASE FROM THE $96 MILLION BUDGET THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY IN. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE THE PROPOSAL IS TO INCREASE THE GENERAL FUND REVENUE. SORRY. THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES FROM 96 MILLION TO

[01:45:09]

CORRECT. THAT'S THE ASSUMPTION. THAT IS THE ASSUMPTION. YES. YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE TAXPAYERS GETTING LEFT OUT OF CONSIDERATION HERE, THE TAXPAYERS ARE LEGITIMATE STAKEHOLDER IN ALL OF THIS BUDGET PROCESS. NOW, AS COUNCILMAN JONES SPOKE EARLIER, ELOQUENTLY THIS EVENING, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT OUR CITIZENS ARE BEING PINCHED WITH MAINTAINING THEIR PROPERTY IS THAT THE TAX RATES ARE SO HIGH, THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE IS SO HIGH. AND IT ONLY COSTS US ABOUT $250,000 IN ROUND FIGURES. MAYBE IT'S 300,000 TO LOWER THAT TAX RATE BY A PENNY. AND YET WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GENERAL REVENUE EXPENDITURES OF AN INCREASE OF $8 MILLION. AND GIVEN THE TAXPAYER NOTHING, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL NEEDS TO TALK ABOUT. AND MAYBE THE DECISIONS WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THE TAXPAYER JUST KEEPS PAYING. AND THAT'S TOUGH. TOENAILS. BUT THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO ME. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A SHARING OF THIS OF THESE REVENUES. AND ONE WAY TO THE WAY TO SHARE THAT I'M PROPOSING OR I'M ADVOCATING, IS THAT WE NEED TO READJUST SOME OF THESE TAX RATES DOWN INSTEAD OF JUST BUILDING UP, BUILDING UP, BUILDING UP, BUILDING UP. I, I'M NOT SAYING TAKE THE WHOLE 9 MILLION, $8 MILLION INCREASE FROM 96 TO 104 AND GIVE IT TO THE TAXPAYER. BUT I THINK SOME OF THAT INCREASE NEEDS TO GO BACK TO THE TAXPAYER. THAT'S ONE COUNCILMAN'S VIEW IN ANY EVENT.

THANK YOU, MR. COZIER. AND THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THANK YOU SIR. AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE JUST PRESENTING THIS TODAY, BUT AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE WILL ALL SIT DOWN AND GO OVER THE BUDGET LINE BY LINE ITEM TO IF WE HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR DISCREPANCIES, THEN WE WILL ADDRESS IT TO YOU. THAT IS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU, YOU YOU YOU YOU JUST PRESENT IT.

YOU DON'T SAY THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO. THAT IS CORRECT. UNTIL WE ALL SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND THE FINANCE TEAM, THE BUDGET TEAM, THEN WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME TYPE OF SOLUTIONS, BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED SOME OF THESE THINGS BEFORE. YES, MA'AM. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS TO THIS PARTICULAR TEAM HERE, MAN, BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS WILLING TO TEACH AND THEY COME UP AND THEY SHARP WITH WHAT THEY PRESENT. OUR QUESTIONS LIKE WE SAID WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THEM WHEN WE CAN. BUT AGAIN MAN I THINK YOU DID IT GOOD WHEN YOU GOT THESE TWO GUYS IN PLACE, YOU KNOW. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THAT CITIZENS ACADEMY THAT MR. MARSH WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT WOULD ADDRESS ALL PHASES OF THE CITY THAT THAT CITIZENS COULD GO THROUGH SO THEY CAN LEARN HOW THE CITY OPERATES AND WORK. AND THEN AT THE END, I GUESS THEY'LL GET A CERTIFICATE OR SOMETHING. AMEN. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE MOVING ON TO ITEM NUMBER TEN. TEN B FY 2024 FUND BALANCE REPORT. GO AHEAD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO NOW WE'RE MOVING ON INTO THE FY 24 FUND BALANCE REPORT. SO THERE WAS A REQUEST FROM COUNCIL TO KIND OF DELVE INTO WHAT MADE UP THE FUND BALANCE INCREASE FROM OUR MOST RECENT CLOSED FISCAL YEAR. AND SO THIS THAT'S WHAT THE INTENT OF TONIGHT IS TO KIND OF EXPLAIN THAT. SO THE INCREASE IN THE FUND BALANCE OVERVIEW. SO THE FUND BALANCE IS BROKEN DOWN INTO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES. WE HAVE A NON SPENDABLE FUND BALANCE WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS COMMITTED. AND

[01:50:02]

THAT'S NOT SALARIES OR BENEFITS. SO ALL OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES, WE HAVE THE 2 MILLION NUMBER THERE. SO TOTAL EXPENDITURES YOU SEE IS FROM THE SALARY AND FRINGE RELATED IS 2.5. OTHER EXPENDITURES IS TWO. SO FOR THAT TOTAL OF 4.6 MILLION RIGHT OUT OF THE 4.6 MILLION, WE TRANSFERRED 2.5 MILLION TO OTHER FUNDS. SO THAT BE OUR GRANTS FUND. WE HAVE A GOLF COURSE FUND, THINGS LIKE THAT. WE MAKE TRANSFERS TO THESE FUNDS EACH YEAR. SO LESS THE TRANSFERS. THE INCREASE NUMBER IS THAT $2,060,121. SO HERE'S JUST A SUMMARY AGAIN RIGHT. INCREASE IN REVENUE. EXTRA 6 MILLION LESS EXPENDITURES RIGHT. EXTRA 2 MILLION. SO THAT MAKES UP THAT 8.3 MILLION. AND IN REVENUES. AND WE DID RECEIVE A QUESTION ABOUT IF WE COULD PROJECT THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR'S FUND BALANCE OR IF IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR OR MORE THAN THIS FUND BALANCE NOTED HERE. AND I JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IN FINANCE, WE REALLY CAN'T PROJECT WHAT THE FUND BALANCE IS GOING TO BE AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. HOWEVER, WE DO NOT SEE THERE BEING A LARGE INCREASE IN FUND BALANCE THIS GO AROUND JUST WITH ALL OF THE UPCOMING THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN THE CITY, THAT CITY DEPARTMENTS HONESTLY NEED TO PREPARE FOR. SO

[01:55:06]

I'M NOT SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION. WELL, I THINK THE ANSWER IS THE $9.3 MILLION, BUT.

WE GOT IN $9.3 MILLION MORE OF FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH OF 2024 THAN WE NEEDED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. ISN'T THAT THE CASE? WE GOT IN $9 MILLION MORE THAN WE PLANNED, RIGHT? AND SO IF THE QUESTION WAIT A MINUTE, IF THE QUESTION IS BY HOW MUCH MORE DID WE TAX OUR CITIZENS THAN WE NEEDED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, THE ANSWER IS $9.3 MILLION. SO THE ANSWER REALLY COULDN'T BE THAT, BECAUSE THE GENERAL FUND IS MADE UP OF NOT ONLY TAXES, RIGHT? YOU HAVE PERMITS, FEES, LICENSES, ALL OF THAT STUFF THAT FUNDS THE CITY FALLS UNDER THE GENERAL FUND. SO IT'S NOT ONLY TAXES. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S CORRECT TO SAY THAT WE TAXED THE CITIZENS AN EXTRA $9 MILLION, BECAUSE THE $9 MILLION IS NOT ONLY FROM TAXES, OF COURSE. IT'S ACCURATE TO SAY THAT BECAUSE IF WE DID TAX THE PEOPLE LESS $9.3 MILLION LESS, WE WOULD HAVE ENDED UP WITH A ZERO FUND BALANCE AND A PERFECTLY BALANCED BUDGET. CORRECT? THAT IS NOT CORRECT, BECAUSE IF THERE ARE OTHER LINES WHERE WE COLLECTED MORE LIKE SAY FOR EXAMPLE, BUILDING PERMITS, IF WE BUDGET $5,000 FOR BUILDING PERMITS AND WE COLLECTED $100,000, THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TAXES. BUT IF WE HAD DECREASED TAXES BY $9.3 MILLION, IT WOULD HAVE ALL EVENED OUT. REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES WOULD HAVE WOULD HAVE BALANCED OUT PERFECTLY. AND SO THAT TRANSLATES INTO WE TAX THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG $9.3 MILLION MORE THAN WE NEEDED TO IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. AND I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THAT AS A CITY COUNCIL AND REVISIT THESE TAX RATES. YEAH. MOVING. RIGHT. OKAY. YOU GOT THAT ON THE RECORD. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SESSION. WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE A WORK SESSION ON OUR TWO ON TWO. SO WE CAN GO DEEP DIVE IN THIS RIGHT HERE. BECAUSE I KNOW WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF THINGS TO DO IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. WE GOT BRIDGES THAT NEED TO BE BUILT. WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AND WE'LL SEE WHERE WE CAN CUT ANY CORNERS THAT TO GIVE THE CITIZENS ANY TYPE OF BREAKS THAT WE CAN AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND THEN THE MONIES FROM THESE NEW DEVELOPMENT HAVING BEEN REALIZED AS OF YET. SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF EVEN THE CASINO THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT THAT HAVE NOT BEEN REALIZED EVER. NOW, WE CAN'T BET IT ON THAT. WE CAN'T ALWAYS WE CAN'T BET EVERYTHING ON THE CITIZENS EITHER. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID. SO WE'LL TRY TO SCHEDULE A FINANCIAL WORKSHOP, GIVE WITH THE MAYOR AWAY FROM THIS SO WE CAN DO A DEEP DIVE, AND THEN WE STILL DO OUR TWO ON TWOS. COUNCILMAN JONES, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING? NO. AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS AGAIN TO THIS TEAM. AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I DID HAVE, I WAS GOING TO DIRECT IT TO YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER, ABOUT THE GOLF COURSE. AND IT WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT

[02:00:03]

[Items 12 - 14]

THE 2025 TRAFFIC SIGNAL CONFLICT MONITORING. TESTING IS GOING ON. THE ANNUAL LEAF COLLECTION IS BEING COMPLETED AND ON WEEKLY LITTER CONTROL. WE HAVE PEOPLE OUT EVERY DAY PICKING UP TRASH AND AS SOMEBODY CALLS IN WITH A SPECIFIC AREA, WE'LL ADDRESS THAT AS WE GET A REQUEST. BUT WE GENERALLY HAVE ROUTES THAT WE TRY TO COVER. OKAY. WEEKLY THE STREET OPERATIONS IS CURRENTLY PERFORMS ACTIVITIES IN ALL SEVEN WARDS TO ADDRESS ITEMS ILLEGALLY DUMPED THE DAY JUST PUT DOWN BELOW SHOP, THERE'S A MATTRESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. THEY HAD TO GO OUT AND GET THAT UP. SO WE DO A LOT OF THAT. WE DID THE ILLEGAL SIGN REMOVAL, HAD SEVERAL COMPLAINTS FROM COUNCIL ABOUT SIGNS ALONG ROADWAY. WE HAD OUR WHOLE STREETS DEPARTMENT, PART OF OUR UTILITIES FOLKS OUT PULLING UP SIGNS. JOANNE WILLIAMS PULLED UP A BUNCH FOR US ON A SATURDAY, SO WE WORKED PRETTY HARD AT THAT AND GOT AHEAD OF IT. BUT I SAW TODAY A COUPLE BACK OUT WHERE SOME OTHERS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REMOVED. ON PERSONNEL ISSUES, STREETS, DEPARTMENTS, ABOUT 65%, AND WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 61% ON OUR MOTOR EQUIPMENT OPERATORS. FACILITIES WORKED AT 701 SOUTH ADAMS FIRE STATION TWO. FIRE STATION FOUR. COMMONWEALTH'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WORKED AT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AT A WATER LEAK. FORT ROSS, WHICH HAS AN ISSUE WITH THE SEPTIC TANK. THEY HAD TO GET THAT PUMPED OUT. MARKET STREET FIRE STATION, WORKED ON THE HVAC UNITS. POLICE DEPARTMENT MADE FIVE SPARE KEYS FOR THE OFFICE AT THE CHIEF'S REQUEST, AND JR COURTS DELIVERED TWO CHAIRS FOR DEPUTIES AT THE FRONT SECURITY CHECKPOINT. STORMWATER DIVISION AND CONSTRUCTION PHASE ON MULTIPLE PROJECTS. FLEETS BRANCH STREAM RESTORATION PROJECT.

PRE-CONSTRUCTION AND NOTICE TO PROCEED IS COMPLETED AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY IS UNDERWAY. THE FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR POSITION IS VACANT. IT SAYS NO NEW QUALIFIED APPLICANTS. BUT ALTHOUGH AT THE END OF LAST WEEK WHILE I WAS ON VACATION, THEY DID HAVE AN INTERVIEW THAT WAS SUCCESSFUL. AND THEY WERE. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THEY'RE GOING TO DO ANOTHER ONE THURSDAY OR FRIDAY, SECOND INTERVIEW FOR THE SAME CANDIDATE, SO THAT POSITION MAY FINALLY GET FILLED. 95% OF ALL OUR STORMWATER REVIEWS AND INSPECTIONS WERE ACCOMPLISHED

[02:05:04]

NINE STORMWATER AND SOIL EROSION BUILDING PERMIT REVIEWS WERE COMPLETED. AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. SO, MR. WILLIAMS, MR. WILLIAMS WAS EXPLAINED TO ME ABOUT WHEN I KNOW. THANK YOU ALL FOR GETTING THE SIGNS OUT IN THE RIGHT WAY. BUT THERE IS AN ORDINANCE THAT WE DO HAVE ON THE BOOKS TO FIND INDIVIDUALS WHO PUT SIGNS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. MR. WILLIAMS, AT OUR NEXT MEETING, COULD YOU BRING THAT OUT SO WE CAN HAVE IT READ, OR AT LEAST EXPLAIN HOW HOW IT'S READ? YES, MR. VICE MAYOR, I SPOKE ABOUT THIS WITH THE MANAGER. WE DO HAVE A SIGN ORDINANCE THAT PERTAINS TO THE ERECTION OF SIGNS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY, AND I THINK HE'S GOING TO HAVE ZONING PRESENT THAT WITH REGARD TO SIGNS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY. THERE'S A STATE CODE PROVISION THAT ENABLES US TO CLEAR THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THOSE SIGNS, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT MR. BAILEY HAS BEEN OPERATING UNDER. THANK YOU. AND, MR. ALTMAN, HAVE YOU MADE ANY HEADWAY WITH THE BRIDGE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BRIDGE THAT WE GAVE YOU AUTHORIZATION TO SPEAK ON, THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING BACK THE REQUEST TO UTILIZE THE EMERGENCY FUND THAT WE ESTABLISHED TO UNDERTAKE THE WORK. THANK YOU. GOTTEN COST ESTIMATES BACK ON THE BRIDGE, AND WE BRING THAT TO YOU ALL FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE NEXT MEETING. AND WILL THERE BE A SUMMER WIDE CLEANUP? I KNOW I THINK MISS JOANNE WILLIAMS TEND TO ORGANIZE THAT. I THINK ALONG WITH YOU ALL THE I HAVE TO LOOK, I BELIEVE IT'S MAY 10TH, SECOND, SECOND. WHAT IS IT MADE OF? SECOND SATURDAY IN MAY. IT'S RIGHT THE WEEKEND BEFORE ARMED FORCES DAY. OKAY. SECOND, I THINK ARMED FORCES DAY IS THE 17TH. YEAH, YEAH. OKAY. MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND. 10TH. OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN JONES, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. MR. CITY MANAGER, I THINK AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. THE LAST MEETING WE HAD, I. I'M JUST ASKING. EDUCATE ME. I THOUGHT COUNCIL PRETTY MUCH GAVE YOU THE GREEN LIGHT TO NOT JUST LOOK INTO THE BRIDGE, BUT TO USE WHATEVER YOU GOT TO USE TO GET IT GOING. SO DO WE NECESSARILY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING FOR YOU TO GET THAT THING GOING? SO WE MOVED IT ON.

WE JUST NEED TO GET SO WITH THE FUNDS THAT WE WANT TO USE AS WE JUST NEED YOUR AUTHORIZATION TO USE THEM. SO I'LL GET WITH TONY. AND IF BECAUSE I THINK WE GAVE YOU AUTHORIZATION, IF WE THINK THAT'S ENOUGH, THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD WITH UTILIZING THEM. IF NOT, WE'LL JUST COME BACK AND HAVE YOU APPROVE IT? NO, I'D RATHER FOR YOU BRING IT BACK, BECAUSE THEN WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY ON ON COUNCIL MEMBERS OF COUNCIL SAY, WELL, WE DIDN'T AUTHORIZE YOU TO USE THAT MUCH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO JUST GO AHEAD AND DO IT THE WAY YOU WAS GOING TO DO IT. A LITTLE BIT OF SELF PRESERVATION FOR ME. YEAH. OKAY. YEAH I JUST REMEMBER YEAH WE DID GIVE HIM THAT. WE GAVE HIM AUTHORITY Y'ALL. Y'ALL YOU WANTED ME TO BRING BACK A RESOLUTION TO IT. AND YOU KNOW AND THIS IS THE ONE. WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CHECKING ALL THE BOXES OKAY. SO IF THERE'S ANY AUDIT CHALLENGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. GOTCHA. EVERYTHING IN PLACE. ALL RIGHT? IT'S ALL ABOUT LEARNING. MR. BRADLEY. POTHOLES, CITY MANAGER, POTHOLES. CAN YOU TELL THE PUBLIC WHAT CAN THEY DO WHEN THEIR VEHICLE IS DAMAGED BY A POTHOLE? BECAUSE I'VE HIT A COUPLE. LUCKILY, MY VEHICLE IS NOT DAMAGED. BUT THERE'S PEOPLE THAT'S THAT'S TEXTING AND EMAILING SAID MAN. AND I MEAN, THEY BLASTING US OUT AND I KNOW WE CAN'T GET TO EVERY POTHOLE, BUT WHEN SOMEBODY'S VEHICLE GETS MESSED UP, IF THERE'S DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE OR ANY, ANY INJURY CAUSED AS A RESULT OF THINGS RELATED TO THE CITY OR OWNED BY THE CITY, JUST CONTACT THE RISK MANAGER. HER NAME IS ANNA ROBINSON AND SHE'LL HAVE A CLAIM SUBMITTED THROUGH OUR LIABILITY CARRIER. IS SHE HERE? IS IT OKAY IF THEY WANT TO SEND IT TO YOU, JUST HAVE THEM SEND IT. OKAY.

THE ADVICE THAT ACTUALLY AT THE AT THE MAYOR'S BOARD MEETING AT THE END OF THE MEETING, SOMEONE APPROACHED ME ABOUT HAVING DAMAGE DONE AND I SAID, WELL, LOOK, JUST SUBMIT AN INSURANCE CLAIM AND WE'LL SEND IT TO OUR INSURANCE CARRIER AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. SO THAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS FOR ANYBODY. ALL RIGHT. OTHER POTHOLES THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THAT THAT WE HAVEN'T GOT TO BY ALL MEANS SHOOT ME AN EMAIL OR OR GIVE ME A CALL WHATEVER TEXT AND WE'LL WE'LL PUT IT ON THE LIST AND GET TO THEM. I'LL POST THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY SEE THAT.

ANOTHER QUESTION IS, WELL, NOT A QUESTION. YOU SAID ON YOUR FLIER, ON YOUR SLIDE, YOU SAID YOU HAD 11 FULL TIME POSITIONS. THAT WOULD MEAN STREETS. HANG ON. LET ME LET ME GO BACK TO THAT. SO WE HAVE YEAH, WE HAVE VACANCIES THAT HE MAY ACTUALLY HAVE MORE TODAY. I MEAN WE JUST

[02:10:02]

YOU KNOW, THEY THEY WOULD LOVE TO COME OUT HERE AND DO THIS WORK. SO I THINK YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT PUTTING IT ON THE BUSSES, YOU KNOW, FOR ADVERTISEMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. PUBLIC WORKS SHOULD BE A POSITION, MAN. I MEAN, EVEN OUR HOMELESS POPULATION, WE COULD GIVE THEM A JOB, YOU KNOW, IF THEY'RE WILLING TO WORK, YOU KNOW, SAY THAT AGAIN. YEAH. THEY THEY HAVE JOB FAIRS, BUT APPARENTLY THE JOB FAIRS, YOU KNOW, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THEY SAY, YEAH, BUT WE STILL GOT 17 POSITIONS, YOU KNOW, AND WE STILL ORDER, ORDER, ORDER, ORDER THAT WE DO. THEY DO PUT IT OUT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY DON'T PUT IT OUT. COUNCILMAN JONES HAD THE FLOOR. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY DON'T PUT IT OUT. I'M SAYING THAT WE NEED TO GET INTO THE SCHOOLS MORE. WE NEED TO GET INTO THE COMMUNITIES MORE. YOU KNOW, JOB FAIRS IS ONE THING, BUT ACTUALLY GOING OUT THERE AND I DO SEE Y'ALL IN THE STREET AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I WISH I SEE A LOT OF OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE STREET. I SEE HER OUT IN THE STREET, MISS NAOMI, YOU KNOW. BUT BUT JUST GETTING IT OUT THERE, NOT JUST ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, PUT IT ON THE BUS, EVERYBODY RIDING THE BUS. YOU SEE IT AS THEY RIDE PAST. I SAW A LITTLE QR CODE ON THE BUS BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, MAN. BUT I THINK IF YOU HIT THOSE LOW INCOME AREAS, MAN, PEOPLE WANT TO DO BETTER AND THEY WANT TO DO RIGHT, AND IF WE'RE NOT GIVING THEM AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, TO JUST KNOW WHERE IT'S AT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T JUST PUT IT OUT THERE AND SAY IT'S OUT THERE, Y'ALL GO FIND IT. IF WE JUST RIDE IT PAST THEM, I'M A PRIME EXAMPLE. REAL QUICK, MR. VICE MAYOR. I SELL RIBS, BUT I DON'T JUST SAY I GOT RIBS AND JUST PUT IT OUT THERE. I SMOKED THAT TRUCK UP AND I DRIVE PAST YOUR CHURCH. I DRIVE PAST YOUR FRONT DOOR, AND I LET THAT SMOKE GET IN EVERYWHERE AND WORD OF MOUTH. BUT BUT GUESS WHAT? BUT YOU'RE GOING TO SMELL THAT SMOKE AND YOU COMING RIGHT TO ME BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IT'S RIGHT THERE. AND I'M JUST SAYING GO FLAUNT IT AROUND. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, YOU KNOW, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT EVERYBODY'S DOING. MR. CITY MANAGER, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR STAFF AGAIN, Y'ALL. EVERYBODY HERE, I'M STILL LEARNING EVERYTHING AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY UP HERE. AND I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT. BUT WE STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO MAN. AND SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT. AND THE FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR YOU SAID YOU GOT THAT ADVERTISED IN THAT. SO I'M GOOD. WE ACTUALLY HAD AN INTERVIEW FOR FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR. THEY'RE GOING TO BRING THAT CANDIDATE BACK FOR A SECOND ONE. SO ARE YOU GOING TO ARE YOU LOOKING? I'M KEEPING MY FINGERS CROSSED. WHAT ABOUT THE PAY? BECAUSE YOU SAID AT FIRST THAT WE CAN'T PAY TOP DOLLAR. WELL, THERE'S A THERE'S A PAY RANGE. I'M LOCKED INTO THAT PAY RANGE. I CAN, I CAN IF THEY'RE REALLY GOOD. SOMEBODY IS REALLY GOOD. I'LL GO UP AS HIGH AS I CAN. BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO EVER BRING. PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK YOU EVER OUGHT TO BRING ANYBODY IN AT 100% BECAUSE THEY GOT NOWHERE TO GO. THEN THEY'RE LOCKED IN. DID WE BRING YOU IN AT 100%? NO, NO, CLOSE TO IT. I'LL SAY THIS. IF WE GET A GOOD CANDIDATE IN AND IT'S TYPICALLY IF IT'S KIND OF WITH OUTSIDE NOT NOT THE FULL RANGE. BUT WE TYPICALLY HAVE A HIRING RANGE.

IF IT'S OUTSIDE THAT THEN DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE THE ABILITY TO COME TO ME. AND IF WE GOT A GOOD CANDIDATE AND LIKE IN THIS INSTANCE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FILL THIS POSITION SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE. AND I THINK THERE'S A NEED FOR WE I'VE BEEN HERE. WE NEED TO GET SOMEBODY, WE NEED TO GET THAT CHAIR. WE NEED TO GET SOMEBODY IN IT. WE GET A GOOD, QUALIFIED PERSON. WE MAY HAVE TO GO A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE WANT TO GET THAT PERSON IN THERE. SO WE HAVE I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF LEEWAY THERE. SO THE GOOD THING THAT WE'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. STREETS FACILITIES ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

NO REPORT. CITY MANAGER NO REPORT. MR. MR. VICE MAYOR BUSINESS REPORT FROM THE CLERK.

[17. Business or reports from the Clerk]

[02:15:04]

WHEN A PERSON SAYS, ALL DUE RESPECT LIKE ME, MR. JONES WAS SAYING THAT MEAN WE REALLY MEAN, BUT THIS IS MY BUDDY UP HERE AND NO HARM. SO I WANT NOBODY GOING OUT SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WAS UP THERE FIGHTING AND FUSSING AND STUFF BECAUSE WE WANT, BUT WE BOTH OF US ARE PASSIONATE. HE ALL UP IN MY WARD TRYING TO CHANGE THINGS AND ALL THAT, YOU KNOW, AND I'M GOING DOWN IN HIS WARD. I'M GOING TO GET SOME STUFF DONE DOWN THERE. PLEASE DO. ALL RIGHT. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR FOR THIS MEETING TO BE ADJOURNED? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AMEN. M

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.