[00:00:01]
MEMBER. SMITH. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. AND I WOULD LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADD TO TONIGHT'S AGENDA. A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE A COMPETITIVE APPLICATION FOR THE INDUSTRIAL REVITALIZATION FUND IN SUPPORT OF THE DEMOLITION OF THE FORMER TRAVEL END TO THE AGENDA.
COUNCILMAN MYERS. SO MOVED. COUNCILMAN SMITH SECOND. ALL RIGHT. CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE.
COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO AUTHORIZE THE COMPETITIVE APPLICATION FOR THE INDUSTRIAL REVITALIZATION FUND IN THE SUPPORT OF THE DEMOLITION OF THE FORMER TRAVEL END. COUNCILMAN MYERS SO MOVED COUNCILMAN JONES SECOND. RIGHT. MISS, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT.
AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. AYE. AYE.
MOTION CARRIES. RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES OUR CLOSED SESSION, AND WE'LL ROLL RIGHT ALONG INTO OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. AT THIS TIME, MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT HERE? COUNCIL MEMBER JONES HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH HERE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. MAYOR. PAM HERE. SO YOU HAVE A QUORUM. ALL RIGHT. NEXT, COUNCILWOMAN ANNETTE SMITH LEE WILL LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER. LET US BOW OUR HEADS.
MOST GRACIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE TODAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, JUST KNOW THAT OUR CITY IS APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE COVERED OVER US WITHIN THE LAST NINE YEARS. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE LITTLE BOY. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE HIS NAME, BUT HIS ARE A M YOU ARE. THAT SAVED HIS FAMILY TODAY, LORD. HE WAS ONLY 11 YEARS OLD. THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR HIS QUICK RESPONSE AND THE KNOW HOW TO SAVE HIS FAMILY LIFE. LORD, JUST CONTINUE TO BLESS OUR CITY AND ALL WHO SERVE TO MAKE IT RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. WE THANK YOU. WE ADORE YOU AND WE APPRECIATE YOU. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. THANK YOU. 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, FOR DETERMINATION, FOR PRESENCE OF A QUORUM. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. NEXT WE HAVE OUR
[5. Public Comments]
PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. WE'LL START OFF WALKING IN MISS MARLOWE GREEN. DON'T SIT DOWN.COME ON UP. I HAD SOMETHING FOR YOU GUYS. I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND JUST HAND IT TO YOU ALL WILLY NILLY. NOW, SINCE I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO PUT IT TOGETHER. GOOD AFTERNOON, MISS GREEN. I'M SORRY. I JUST GOT OFF WORK. SO. MARLOWE GREEN, 301 ROFF STREET. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS TIME. JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY MENTION THE RULES OF COUNCIL, AS I DID NOT SEE ANY EXPLICIT LANGUAGE THAT PROHIBITS THE USE OF A VISUAL AID, SUCH AS A SCREEN PRESENTATION. SO I WAS NOTIFIED BACK IN APRIL THAT WE COULD NO LONGER OFFER VISUAL AIDS AT THE PUBLIC PERIOD, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. SO JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE REMOVING THIS OPTION LIMITS THE ABILITY OF THE PUBLIC TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE IMPORTANT INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WATCHING VIRTUALLY AT HOME. IT'S A MAJOR DISSERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS THAT RELY ON THESE MEETINGS TO STAY INFORMED AND ENGAGED. SO I FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S ORDERLY AND WELL STRUCTURED. SO, I MEAN, A CONSIDERATION COULD BE GIVEN TO REQUIRE THE PUBLIC TO GIVE THE PRESENTATION TWO BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. SO I'M RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING CLARIFICATION ON THIS DECISION AND WHETHER ANY FORMAL POLICY CHANGE IS TAKING PLACE. THE COMMUNITY DESERVES TRANSPARENCY AND ACCESS TO THE SAME TOOLS COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF USE TO CONVEY INFORMATION.
[00:05:02]
ALL RIGHT, NOW I WANT TO TALK ABOUT AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON POCAHONTAS ISLAND. THE GENTLEMAN YOU SEE WITHIN YOUR PACKET WAS ACTUALLY AT MY HOME ON MAY 28TH. ON THE NEXT DAY.EXCUSE ME. ACTUALLY, THE SAME DAY HE PLACED RED TAG NOTICES ON SEVERAL PROPERTIES ON THE ISLAND. HIS FIRST QUESTION AFTER RINGING MY DOORBELL WAS WHETHER I WAS THE PERSON WHO PREPARES THE NEWSLETTER. THEN HE PROCEEDED TO ASK WHETHER I KNEW THIS CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL AND THAT HE ASKED, WELL, OBVIOUSLY I KNEW HE KNEW THIS INDIVIDUAL BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME I EVER SAW HIM, HE WAS WITH THAT PERSON. SO IT WAS A VERY UNUSUAL EXCHANGE OF EVENTS. AND SO I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THIS IS CHECKED. THIS IS NOT CHECKERS. THIS IS ACTUALLY CHESS. AND I WILL NOT TOLERATE INDIVIDUALS TARGETING ME. NOT SAYING THAT ANYBODY ON CITY COUNCIL OR THE CITY MANAGER HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT, BUT IT WAS A VERY UNUSUAL, YOU KNOW, CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT OCCURRED THAT DAY. AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT I NEED PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE A COMMUNITY. AND SO NOBODY'S GOING TO POINT THE FINGERS AT EACH OTHER. SO I DO NOT WANT ANYBODY FROM THE CITY KNOCKING ON MY DOOR ANYMORE, UNLESS THEY'VE ALREADY SPOKEN WITH ME.
AND WE KNOW WE HAVE AN APPOINTMENT BECAUSE THAT JUST REALLY WASN'T SAFE. AND IT WAS KIND OF UNUSUAL WHAT TRANSPIRED. SO NOW I'LL QUICKLY MOVE ON WITH MY 32, 32 SECONDS TO SAY, 1206 WEST HIGH STREET. THOSE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS. I'M HOPING THAT THE CITY WILL GET A CODE COMPLIANCE NOTICE SERVED A RED TAG, THE SAME WAY THEY WERE ABLE TO GO 0 TO 100 AND LIGHTNING SPEED TO GET THE NOTICES PLACED ON THE HOMES ON POCAHONTAS ISLAND. LET'S DO THE SAME THING FOR 1206 WEST HIGH STREET. AS YOU SEE, THAT PROPERTY HAS A COLLAPSING ROOF LINE. THE PORCH IS DETERIORATING AND IT HAS A COMPROMISED FOUNDATION. I'VE LIVED THERE FOR OVER. I WAS LIVING THERE BETWEEN 2016 TO 2023, COMPLAINED ON IT EVERY OTHER MONTH. IT HAS NEVER BEEN RED TAGGED, BUT IT WAS, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY ALARMING TO SEE HOW QUICKLY POCAHONTAS ISLAND PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN RED TAGGED, SO I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE ONE TOMORROW. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
NEXT. AMANDA WYATT. GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS AMANDA WYATT. I OWN PROPERTY ON POCAHONTAS ISLAND, 224 WHITMAN STREET, AND I'M ONE OF THE PROPERTIES OF RED TAG.
BUT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THE SPEAK TO SOME PEOPLE, AND THEY WORK ALONG WITH ME BECAUSE I HAD JUST HAD A CONTRACTOR COME OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THE PROPERTY. AND THEN THE NEXT DAY, THE SAME DAY, TO BE HONEST, IT WAS VERY TIGHT. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR WORKING ALONG WITH ME, BUT I'M GETTING READY TO DO SOME WORK MYSELF. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT, MISS BARBARA RUDOLPH. BARB RUDOLPH, 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING. I WANT TO I WANTED TO COMMEND WHAT MARLO GREENE JUST SAID ABOUT THE PRESENTATIONS OF CITIZENS BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE MATERIALS THAT WAY. AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL TAKE THAT, TAKE THAT TO HEART AND LOOK AT THAT POLICY. I WANTED TO MENTION A COUPLE THINGS. ONE IS THE A SOMETHING YOU ADDED TO THE CLOSED SESSION AT THE END OF THE CLOSED SESSION AGENDA AT THE PREVIOUS MEETING, WHICH WAS TO RESCIND THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS MADE. THE DEAL FOR SYCAMORE GROVE AND THE ADAMS STREET DEVELOPMENT. I UNDERSTAND FROM READING THE STORY IN THE PROGRESS INDEX, THE RECENT STORY, THAT THE CITY HAS NOT BEEN WILLING TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ON WHAT'S GOING ON, AND I HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL RECONSIDER AND GIVE US MORE TO KNOW WHAT WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHY. BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SO MANY PROMISES MADE. I MEAN, THINK ABOUT THAT. IT'S BEEN OVER TWO AND A HALF YEARS SINCE A VISIT BY GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN, WHEN HE AND MAYOR PARHAM STOOD IN A PARKING LOT IN ONE OF THOSE OR ONE OF THOSE PRICEY PARKING LOTS DOWNTOWN AND TALKED ABOUT THAT IT WAS GETTING A GROCER, A MAJOR GROCER IN HERE WAS IMMINENT. AND LIKE TWO, TWO DIFFERENT CHAINS WERE FIGHTING OVER PETERSBURG OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I THINK IS WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAID. SO APPARENTLY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
BUT WE SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE BACK TO GROUND ZERO. SO I THINK PEOPLE I THINK PEOPLE HAVE HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT IT, IT DESERVES MORE ATTENTION. FINALLY, I JUST I WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE EARLIER MEETING ABOUT THE BUDGET AND THE COMP AND CLASS STUDY. I DO SHARE COUNCILOR CUTHBERT'S CONCERN ABOUT THE STUDY, IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S BEEN GOING ON A
[00:10:01]
LONG TIME. I LOOKED BACK, THE RFP FOR THAT STUDY CLOSED ON MAY 3RD, 2023. SO THAT'S OVER TWO YEARS AGO. SO IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME TO GET THIS STUDY. SO OF COURSE EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO DO. BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO I MEAN, I THINK THAT COUNCILOR CUTHBERT IS ASKING ABOUT THE INCREMENTAL CHANGE THAT WOULD RESULT FROM THAT STUDY AND HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT VARIOUS POSITIONS AND DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY. THE QUESTIONS I'VE BEEN ASKING, WHICH I'VE DISCUSSED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WITH MR. COZIER AND MR. GLASPER, AND I KNOW THAT THEY ARE DOING THIS, SO I'M NOT IT'S NOT A COMPLAINT, BUT IT'S A REMINDER THAT WE DON'T HAVE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE POSITIONS, WHAT THEY'RE MAKING NOW AND HOW MANY THERE ARE, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE, WHAT THE STAFFING IS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE, HOW MANY ARE FIREFIGHTERS, HOW MANY ARE CAPTAINS, THAT TYPE OF THING. AND WE USED TO HAVE ALL THAT ON OUR BUDGET WHEN IT WAS PRESENTED. SO I'M LOOKING FOR THAT TO BE ON THE FINAL BUDGET. AND IF IT'S POSSIBLE AT THAT POINT TO SHOW A DISTRIBUTION OF THE COMP AND CLASS FUNDING, THAT WOULD BE GOOD. BUT OTHERWISE, MY UNDERSTANDING, BECAUSE I THINK THAT MR. COKER MADE IT VERY CLEAR IN THE BRIEFINGS THAT THAT THE $3 MILLION IS A PLUG THAT NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED FURTHER. AND I ALSO APPRECIATE WHAT MR. ALTMAN SAID THIS AFTERNOON, WHICH IS THAT I REALLY THINK THE EMPLOYEES DO NEED TO HEAR ABOUT THIS BEFORE ANY OF US ARE TALK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH, BECAUSE THEY THEY ARE LIKE ME, PROBABLY. THEY KNOW WHAT'S BEEN BEING TALKED ABOUT FOR OVER TWO YEARS AND IT'S LIKE, IT'S OVER. IT'S THIS IS PAST RIPE. SO PLEASE, PLEASE RESPECT THEM AND SHARE INFORMATION WITH THEM TO KEEP THEIR MORALE UP, SUCH AS IT IS.THANKS. THANK YOU. NEXT, MR. BOBBY BEVERLY.
GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. 2305 DUNDEE DRIVE. I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT MR. COREY HARRIS VERY QUICKLY. MR. HARRIS NONPROFIT VIRTUAL MUSEUM WEBSITE. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN DONATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF VIRGINIA DONATED CITY HALL SCHOOLS, OTHER NONPROFITS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR CHRISTMAS ITEMS LAST YEAR. YET HE GETS NO RESPECT. I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT. AND THE REASON WHY THAT IS SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THIS CITY NEEDS A LOT OF HELP FROM, ESPECIALLY THE RESIDENTS FROM PETERSBURG, SUCH AS MYSELF AND MR. HARRIS. I'M GOING TO SAY SOMETHING I KNOW IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. I JUST WANT TO PUT IT ON RECORD. BUT I THINK HE'S DOING AN APOLOGY. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. I DON'T KNOW WHERE EXACTLY I NEED TO GO WITH THIS, BUT I WILL JUST TOUCH ON ONE OF THESE THINGS THAT'S ON THIS LIST. THE VIRTUAL MUSEUM. SO DOCTOR FARLEY WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. WELL, SHE WAS THE ONE WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA WITH MR. HARRIS. AND THERE ARE SOME OF YOU THAT IN FRONT OF ME THAT ARE VERY MUCH AWARE OF THIS, AND IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT I WAS ONE OF THE PERSONS THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE MUSEUM, NOT SHOCKED BY THAT. I AM SHOCKED WITH THE FACT THAT SOME OF YOU THAT ARE STANDING AND SITTING BEFORE ME ACTUALLY HAVE JOINED FORCES WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO SPEAK ON THE SUBJECT. AND I'M GOING TO CLOSE WITH THIS ONE RIGHT HERE. THERE'S A VIDEO GOING AROUND THAT EVERYONE SEEN. IT'S ONLINE. HER NAME IS MISS ATKINSON, SO SHE'S PUSHING THIS NARRATIVE THAT PETERSBURG IS THE ORIGIN OF MEMORIAL DAY. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT ACCURATE. SO WHAT YOU ARE CREATING FOR YOURSELF BY HAVING THESE OTHER PEOPLE SPEAK FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, YOU'RE HAVING PEOPLE THAT ARE TELLING LIES. BECAUSE ACTUALLY, MEMORIAL DAY STARTED IN SOUTH CAROLINA, CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA. AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT WAS 13 BLACK WOMEN THAT STARTED IT EASILY CAN BE PROVEN. I ACTUALLY PUT IT ONLINE TO DEBUNK MISS ATKINSON. SO I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CORRECT THIS THING WITH MR. HARRIS, BECAUSE HE DESERVES TO BE RESPECTED, JUST LIKE EVERYONE UP IN FRONT OF ME. SO WITH THAT, I SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT, MISS SARAH. GOOD EVENING.
GOOD EVENING. SARAH. MELISSA WOODY AT 22 CENTER HILL COURT. I'M COMING BEFORE YOU. IN A PLEA FOR TRANSPARENCY, WE SAW THE ARTICLE ON SYCAMORE GROVE AND THE LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT
[00:15:02]
WHY WE DON'T HAVE THAT, WHY WE DON'T KNOW WHY. WHY WE DON'T KNOW THAT THAT PROJECT HAS BEEN CANCELED. I THINK THAT THE CITIZENS DESERVE TO KNOW THAT AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT AND UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATIONS AND THE MACHINATIONS BEHIND THAT. ANOTHER PIECE OF WORK THAT THE CITY IS DOING THAT ALSO DESERVES MUCH MORE TRANSPARENCY IS THE COURTHOUSE PROJECT. AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN NO PUBLIC MEETINGS, AND THAT DOES AFFECT TWO HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN OUR CITY. AND I THINK WE SPENT MORE TIME ON SANDWICH SIGNS THAN WE'RE SPENDING INFORMING THE PUBLIC ABOUT $1 MILLION CONTRACT IN BUILDING PROJECT THAT WILL BE A MAJOR CHANGE TO DOWNTOWN FOR DECADES TO COME. SO I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD PUT THE SAME AMOUNT, YOU WOULD SOLICIT THE SAME AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY INPUT ON A COURTHOUSE PROJECT OR ON SYCAMORE GROVE THAT YOU DO ON SANDWICH BOARD SIGNS. FINALLY, MAYBE SOMEBODY CAN CLARIFY FOR ME. I BELIEVED THAT AFTER A MOTION HAD BEEN SECONDED, THERE WAS A PLACE FOR COMMUNITY INPUT. WHEN YOU'RE IN A MEETING, I KNOW THAT THERE WERE TWO VOTES ALREADY TODAY. I MISSED THAT DISCUSSION PART, SO I DON'T KNOW IF I'M WRONG, BUT IF SOMEBODY COULD HELP CLARIFY THAT FOR ME, I'D APPRECIATE IT. YES, I'LL KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT. THANKS. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. NEXT[6. Approval of Consent Agenda (to include minutes of previous meetings)]
WE'LL MOVE ON ITEM SIX, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA. A MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS. MAY 20TH, 2025 CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION B FIRST READING SCHEDULE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 135 FRANKLIN STREET, 116 AND 120 NORTH JEFFERSON STREET, LOCATED IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. FIRST READ AND SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND ANTHONY JACKSON FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 723 HARDING STREET, LOCATED IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. ITEM D FIRST READ SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND BARBARA. CONSTRUCTION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 201 GRAHAM STREET AND 617 SOUTH SYCAMORE STREET. ITEM E FIRST READING SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PERTAINING TO SHORT TERM RENTAL USES IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG F FIRST READING SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING TO AMEND AND ADOPT THE CITY ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ADD LANGUAGE CLARIFYING THE ABILITY TO COMPENSATE PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS. ITEM G FIRST READ AND SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR MICHAEL NICK TO APPEAL A DECISION MADE BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD REGARDING 224 EAST FILLMORE STREET IN THE POPLAR LAWN HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT DETERMINED THE WINDOWS SHOULD BE REPAIRED WHEN POSSIBLE AND REPLACED IF NECESSARY WITH WOOD CLAD AND ALUMINUM. THE APPLICANT SEEKS TO REPLACE ALL WINDOWS WITH WOOD CLAD IN ALUMINUM. ITEM H FIRST READING SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING TO APPROVE THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS FOR PROGRAM YEAR 2025 THROUGH 26. IN FISCAL YEAR 26, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE CDBG ADVISORY BOARD. ITEM I FIRST READ AND SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GRANTS. FUND THOSE ITEMS FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.ENTERTAIN A MOTION AT THIS TIME. COUNCILWOMAN SMITH LEE, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES, A SECOND OF A MOTION AND A SECOND. MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL
[7a. LISC Petersburg - Jane Ferrara, Executive Director of LISC Virginia]
MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. MAYOR. PARENT. AYE. NEXT IS ITEM SEVEN. SPECIAL REPORTS. ITEM A LISTS PETERSBURG JANE FERREIRA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF LIST. VIRGINIA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MISS FERREIRA. GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND MR. CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. I PAID THE CITY MANAGER A VISIT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO OR A FEW WEEKS AGO, I GUESS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST VISITING. I WANTED TO UPDATE HIM ON, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT THAT LISK WAS UNDERTAKING IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. AND SO HE THEN ASKED ME IF I WOULD COME TO THIS MEETING AND SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL AS WELL. MY NAME IS JANE FERREIRA. I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR LISC VIRGINIA. AND JUST FOR THOSE OF[00:20:05]
YOU THAT AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH LISK, LISK STANDS FOR LOCAL INITIATIVES SUPPORT CORPORATION, WHICH IS A MOUTHFUL, BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE. AND YOU CAN SWITCH THE SLIDE, I GUESS, TO THE NEXT ONE. WE'RE ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NONPROFITS, AND AS A NONPROFIT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION, WE'RE WHAT YOU'RE CALLED A WHAT IS CALLED A CDFI OR A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION. AND AS IN THAT ROLE, WE PLAY AS A LENDER AND A RESOURCE PROVIDER. WE ARE, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WE BRING FINANCIAL AND PROGRAMMATIC RESOURCES TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED. AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN PETERSBURG FOR QUITE SOME TIME.WE CAN SWITCH NEXT SLIDE. FOR QUITE SOME TIME. AND I WILL SAY THAT OUR VISION FOR THIS CITY AND THIS COMMUNITY IS HOPEFUL. WE KNOW THINGS CAN BE DIFFERENT, AND WITH INVESTMENTS, THINGS CAN REALLY BEGIN TO CATALYZE. OPPORTUNITIES CAN BE CATALYZED FOR RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. NEXT SLIDE. THE ESSENCE OF OUR WORK IS MOVING CAPITAL AND EXPERTISE, INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND PLACES TO GROW AUTHENTIC AND LASTING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. SO IN OUR ROLE AS A CDFI AND INTERMEDIARY, WE AGGREGATE RESOURCES, PRIMARILY FINANCIAL RESOURCES IN THE IN THE FORM OF LOANS AND GRANTS THAT COME THROUGH LISC. AND THEN AS A COMMUNITY PARTNER, WE DEPLOY THOSE CAPITAL RESOURCES IN THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE MOST IN NEED OF THOSE KINDS OF INVESTMENTS. NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS TELLS YOU OR SHOWS YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF LISC. AS A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION HEADQUARTERED IN NEW YORK CITY, WE DO HAVE COVERAGE IN JUST ABOUT EVERY STATE IN THE UNITED STATES. AND ALSO THAT INCLUDES OUR PROGRAMS IN RURAL AREAS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. WE ALSO HAVE AFFILIATE ORGANIZATIONS THAT INCLUDE OUR FOR FUND MANAGEMENT AND TAX CREDIT SYNDICATION AFFILIATES. SO BROAD STREET, WHICH WAS FORMERLY NEWMARKET TECH SERVICES CORPORATION, LISC FUND MANAGEMENT, LISC GREEN, AND THE NATIONAL EQUITY FUND, WHICH INVESTS IN LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDITS. AND THEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE PROVIDE PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORT IN TEN AREAS. HOWEVER, I WILL SAY IN THIS REGION AND IN RICHMOND, WE FOCUS MUCH MORE NARROWLY IN FOUR CORE AREAS, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN JUST A MINUTE. BUT NEXT SLIDE. BUT BEFORE I DO, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT THIS YEAR, 2025, LISC IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE ARE CELEBRATING OUR OUR 35 YEARS OF WORK IN THE CENTRAL VIRGINIA REGION AND OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, THROUGH GRANTS AND LOANS AND OTHER RESOURCES, WE'VE INVESTED OVER $203 MILLION IN THE OVERALL CENTRAL VIRGINIA MSA, WHICH HAS BEEN LEVERAGED TO ALMOST $800 MILLION OF INVESTMENT, SUPPORTING 6900 AFFORDABLE HOMES AND APARTMENTS AND ONE POINT 1,000,000FTā S OF COMMERCIAL SPACE. SO, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE FOUR PILLARS OF WORK AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WEALTH BUILDING. AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THE DETAILS OF ALL OF THESE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME. SO NEXT SLIDE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LENDING. NEXT SLIDE. SO NEXT SLIDE UNDER WEALTH BUILDING THIS AREA OF WORK PRIMARILY OCCURS WITHIN OUR FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITY CENTERS. WE DO HAVE ONE IN PETERSBURG A TOTAL OF FIVE FOLKS THROUGHOUT VIRGINIA AND CHARLOTTESVILLE. ONE IN PETERSBURG WHICH IS OPERATED BY OUR PARTNER, SOUTH SIDE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HOUSING CORPORATION. AND THE FOC IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A FULL SUITE OF FINANCIAL COACHING SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS TO PROMOTE WEALTH BUILDING AND FINANCIAL STABILITY. SO THE CORE SERVICES COME IN THE FORM OF EMPLOYMENT TRAINING, FINANCIAL EDUCATION AND BENEFITS ACCESS IN PETERSBURG. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN PETERSBURG? WELL, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE HAVE SERVED 309 PETERSBURG RESIDENTS. WE'VE LAUNCHED A SMART SAVINGS PROGRAM, WHICH IS AN ASSET BUILDING PROGRAM WHEREBY OUR PARTICIPANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO ESTABLISH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS, WHICH ARE THEN MATCHED WITH MONEY PROVIDED THROUGH GRANTS. WE HAVE AN INTEGRATED PROGRAM WITH OUR HOMEOWNERSHIP READINESS
[00:25:09]
PROGRAM THROUGH WORTH, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MINUTE. AND DIGITAL INCLUSION. WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT DIGITAL INCLUSION. IT WAS LAUNCHED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND BASICALLY IT WAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY. WE RECEIVED A FEDERAL GRANT THROUGH THE NTIA, PARTNERED WITH VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY TO CREATE A TRAIN THE TRAINER PROGRAM. AND BASICALLY WE TRAIN VSU STUDENTS TO BE IN THE COMMUNITY TEACHING FUNDAMENTAL, FUNDAMENTAL AND FOUNDATIONAL AND PRACTICAL LAPTOP AND INTERNET SKILLS THAT WOULD INCLUDE JOB SEARCHES, TELEHEALTH, ACCESS TO RESOURCE AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. WE HOST THESE CLASSES ON SATURDAY MORNINGS AT THE PETERSBURG YMCA. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE ASSISTED 120 RESIDENTS.PETERSBURG RESIDENTS SPECIFICALLY. AND AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM, THOSE THAT GRADUATE, THE 120 FOLKS HAVE ALL RECEIVED A FREE LAPTOP AS A RESULT OF GOING THROUGH THAT PROGRAM. NEXT SLIDE AND NEXT SLIDE. SO ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING FRONT, WE WORK IN A COUPLE AREAS. OUR LONGEST STANDING PROGRAM IS THE MNR, WHICH IS PARTNERSHIP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD RENEWAL. THROUGH THE GENEROUS FUNDING OF THE CAMERON FOUNDATION. SOME OF OUR OTHER KEY PARTNERS ARE PROJECT HOMES AND REBUILDING TOGETHER RICHMOND, AMONG A NUMBER OF OTHERS, INCLUDING HISTORIC PETERSBURG FOUNDATION, WHEREBY WE HAVE DONE SOME INTENSIVE INVESTMENT IN THE LAWN HISTORIC DISTRICT, FOCUSED ON RENOVATING HISTORIC HOMES TO STABILIZE THE NEIGHBORHOOD. WE HAVE SO FAR IMPROVED 14 HOMES. THIS IS IN A BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE OF A HOUSE LOCATED AT 120 LIBERTY STREET, THE LAST HOME AFTER, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK IT'S BEEN 10 OR 11 YEARS OF WORK. THE LAST HOME WAS JUST FINISHED AND I BELIEVE IT WAS SOLD RECENTLY, SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT A DECADE OF IMPROVEMENT IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OVER THE LAST OVER THE LAST YEARS, NEXT TWO YEARS AGO, WE INITIATED A HOMEOWNERSHIP PROGRAM TO HELP ASPIRING HOMEOWNERS ACHIEVE THEIR DREAM OF BECOMING HOMEOWNERS. AND SPECIFICALLY, WE WERE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH THOSE FOLKS THAT HAD EXPERIENCED HISTORICAL BARRIERS TO ACHIEVING HOMEOWNERSHIP THROUGH SO THROUGH THE HOME THE WORTH PROGRAM, WHICH STANDS FOR REALIZING, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, WEALTH OPPORTUNITIES REALIZED THROUGH HOMEOWNERSHIP. IT'S A REGIONAL PROGRAM THAT WAS FUNDED BY THE WELLS FARGO FOUNDATION, AND IT HAS ALLOWED US TO ASSIST ASPIRING HOMEOWNERS WITH DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE, HOUSING COUNSELING, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER SERVICES TO GET THEM HOMEOWNER, HOMEOWNER READY, AND THEN ALSO TO ULTIMATELY BECOME THOSE HOMEOWNERS IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE ASSISTED 78 FAMILIES WITH 68 OF THOSE FAMILIES BECOMING HOMEOWNERS SINCE 2023. WE'VE ALSO DEPLOYED 120,000 OF DOWN DOWNPAYMENT ASSISTANCE GRANTS AND PROVIDED HOUSING COUNSELING SERVICES THROUGH OUR PARTNERS. OUR KEY PARTNERS IN THE INITIATIVE INCLUDE HOME OF VIRGINIA, SOUTHSIDE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, HOUSING CORPORATION, VIRGINIA HOUSING PROJECT HOMES HOME OF VIRGINIA, AND THE BETTER HOUSING COALITION. SO IT TAKES A WIDE GROUP OF DIVERSE PARTNERS TO PULL OFF A PROGRAM LIKE THIS. BUT WE'RE SEEING REAL SIGNIFICANT RESULTS AROUND THE REGION IN TERMS OF HELPING PEOPLE BECOME HOMEOWNERS. THE OTHER THING I JUST WANT TO MENTION, UPCOMING IN THIS YEAR, LATER THIS YEAR, WILL BE ESTABLISHING SOME ADDITIONAL HOME BUYERS CLUBS IN RENTAL COMMUNITIES, MAYBE SOME FAITH BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO PROVIDE HOMEOWNERSHIP EDUCATION. WE ARE CONDUCTING A HOUSING DEVELOPER TRAINING INSTITUTE TO PREPARE SMALL CONTRACTORS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING HOUSING DEVELOPERS, THE SKILL SETS AND TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED TO ENTER THE FIELD. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO BE STANDING UP AN AIRES PROPERTY SERVICES PROGRAM. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT AIRES PROPERTY IS, IT'S ALSO CALLED TANGLED TITLE. AND THIS IS WHERE LEGAL TITLE TO A PROPERTY DOESN'T ACCURATELY REFLECT THE CURRENT OWNERSHIP OR OCCUPANCY OF A DWELLING. AND THIS CAN OCCUR WHEN A PROPERTY IS PASSED DOWN THROUGH
[00:30:01]
GENERATIONS WITHOUT PROPER DOCUMENTATION OR LEGAL TRANSFERS. SO WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM? WELL, THIS IS A PROBLEM BECAUSE IF A IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS INTERESTED IN OBTAINING RESOURCES THROUGH MANY HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE CLEAR TITLE, YOU CANNOT QUALIFY FOR THOSE HOME REPAIR PROGRAMS, GRANTS, AND RESOURCES.ANOTHER THING THAT'S BEEN ON OUR RADAR OF LATE IS DISASTER RELIEF. AND WITHOUT CLEAR TITLE, IT COULD BE A VERY PROBLEMATIC IN A DISASTER SITUATION IN OBTAINING DISASTER RELIEF FUNDING THROUGH FEMA AND OTHER SOURCES. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE CLEAR TITLE, WE'VE CREATED THE AIRES PROPERTY NETWORK. IT'S BRAND NEW. IT'S THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN THE STATE. IT'S A FREE AND CHARITABLE NETWORK OF LEGAL PROVIDERS AIMED AT HELPING THOSE TO QUALIFY TO EARN FULL LEGAL RIGHTS AS A HOMEOWNER, AND BY CLEARING THESE TITLE TO HOMEOWNERS, THEN THEY CAN ACCESS THAT EQUITY TO DO WHAT WE ALL DO WITH EQUITY, WHICH IS IN MOST CASES OUR BIGGEST SOURCE OF WEALTH. THE RICHMOND AIRES PROPERTY NETWORK CAN CAN FUND A CASE OF UP TO $7,500 PER CASE TO CLEAR THOSE SERVICES. NEXT SLIDE AND THEN NEXT SLIDE. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPACE. NEXT SLIDE IN THE PETERSBURG AREA FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. AND WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING LOW COST CAPITAL TO SMALL ENTREPRENEURS, PARTICULARLY PETERSBURG ENTREPRENEURS WITH 0% BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM THROUGH A RELAXED CAPITAL ACCESS AND PAIRING IT WITH TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE THROUGH THE SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. WE THUS FAR IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, WE HAVE PROVIDED $415,000 IN 0% INTEREST LOANS TO BUSINESSES ACROSS ACROSS THE CITY. AND THEN DOWN BELOW IS JUST A BREAKDOWN OF THE VARIOUS WAYS IN WHICH WE HAVE ASSISTED BUSINESSES. NEXT SLIDE LENDING. SO AS A CDFI AND A LENDER, LENDING IS CORE TO OUR MISSION. IT'S BRINGING CAPITAL, MAKING CAPITAL ACCESSIBLE IN AREAS AND TO PROJECTS THAT MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE SUCCESSFULLY QUALIFY FOR YOUR MORE TRADITIONAL FORMS OF FINANCING AND OTHER LENDING PRODUCTS. FOR THE MOST PART, WE FINANCE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, COMMUNITY FACILITIES. WE ALSO INVEST IN OTHER WAYS THROUGH OUR AFFILIATE ORGANIZATIONS OF NEW MARKET TAX CREDITS AND HIGH TECH OR LOW INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT. SYNDICATIONS. IN FACT, THIS VERY BUILDING WE'RE SITTING IN TODAY WAS ASSISTED BY LISC NEW MARKET TAX CREDIT INVESTMENT WE WERE PROUD TO DO. IT'S A LOVELY FACILITY AND REALLY BECOME AN ANCHOR IN THIS COMMUNITY. ALSO WANTED TO THANK AND CONGRATULATE THE DEVELOPERS OF THE PETERSBURG HOTEL. WE WERE DELIGHTED TO HELP WITH THAT PROJECT TO RESTORE THAT BUILDING TO ITS ORIGINAL GRANDEUR. SO YOU'VE SO YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND YOU'VE HEARD ME MENTION PARTNERS. AND I HAVE TO SAY, THAT LIST DOES NOT DO WHAT IT DOES IN A VACUUM OR BY ITSELF. WE RELY ON STRONG, LIKE MINDED PARTNERS TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO AND TO CREATE THE IMPACTS THAT WE DO IN THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. NEXT SLIDE. SO WE BELIEVE IN A COLLECTIVE IMPACT APPROACH TO COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT, WHERE DIVERSE GROUPS WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS COMMON GOALS. WE'RE JUST VERY PLEASED TO DO THIS WORK IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF WRAPPING UP OUR NEW THREE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN. THE CITY OF RICHMOND PLAYS. I MEAN, I'M SORRY, THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. EXCUSE ME, MAYOR, THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PLAYS PROMINENTLY IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN. WE ARE MAKING DEEPER COMMITMENTS IN THIS CITY AND WE'RE PROUD TO DO SO. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF ANYBODY HAS THEM. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE
[7b. Presentation of the Recommended Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Fund Subrecipients for Program Year 2025 - 2026 and Fiscal Year 2026]
ITEM B WHICH IS A PRESENTATION OF THE RECOMMENDED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUND SUBRECIPIENTS FOR PROGRAM YEAR 2025 2026. IN FISCAL YEAR 2026, BESIDE MY GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. YES, NAOMI, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. I'M HERE TO MOSTLY INTRODUCE[00:35:01]
KOFI ADDY, WHO IS THE CHAIR OF THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT ADVISORY BOARD. HE WILL BE TAKING YOU THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION AS WELL AS THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS. AND NEXT MONTH WILL BE THE ACTION MEETING ON THIS ITEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GREETINGS. MAYOR, VICE MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF. LET ME PUT THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT. MY NAME IS KOFI ADDY. I AM THE CDBG ADVISORY BOARD CHAIRMAN, AND WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION FOR PROGRAM YEAR 2025. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ALRIGHT. HERE'S THE AGENDA FOR THIS EVENING. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. I THINK MOST OF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT AS YOUR CDBG ADVISORY BOARD, WE ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM UNDER THE TUTELAGE AND GUIDANCE OF NAOMI, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND ALSO JENNIFER MURPHY, OUR ADMIN FOR CDBG. THIS HAS BEEN YEAR FOUR FOR ME AND YEAR FOUR OF REVITALIZING THE CDBG ADVISORY BOARD. I WILL SAY THIS. IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN AN INTERESTING JOURNEY AND ALSO BEEN A REWARDING JOURNEY AS WE'VE HELPED MULTIPLE NONPROFIT AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES USE CDBG FUNDS APPROPRIATELY. NEXT SLIDE.BOARD COMPOSITION. WHO ARE WE? AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE ONE MEMBER, PAUL BOYER, PER WARD.
EXCUSE ME. AND FIVE AT LARGE FOR A TOTAL OF 12. WE CURRENTLY HAVE SIX ACTIVE MEMBERS ON THE BOARD.
OUR ADVISORY BOARD ROSTER. I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCILMAN. COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK'S NOT HERE.
COUNCILMAN JONES, I THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY FROM YOUR WARD ON THE BOARD. SO JUST I IMPLORE YOU TO FIND SOMEBODY SO THAT YOUR WARD'S NEEDS CAN BE HEARD. AND WE HAVE PROPER REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD AS WELL. BUT WE DO HAVE QUITE A FEW VACANCIES, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A FULL BOARD SO WE CAN JUST HAVE A LARGER BODY. I CAN PROVIDE SOME INPUT. ALL RIGHT. WHAT CAN THE CDBG FUNDING DO? AS IT STANDS, THE PROGRAM IS DIVIDED BASED ON POPULATION. AS WE KNOW, 50 K OR MORE. YOU GO DIRECTLY TO HUD, 50 K POPULATION OR LESS. YOU PARTICIPATE IN THE STATE. CDBG PETERSBURG HAS WE'LL SAY A SPECIAL. WE ACTUALLY REPORT DIRECTLY TO HUD OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AND YOU'LL SEE LATER ON IN MY SLIDES WE RECEIVED SOME ACCOLADES AND KUDOS FROM THE FIELD OFFICE IN RICHMOND AS WE'VE TRANSITIONED TO A VIABLE AND A MORE SUSTAINABLE PROGRAM HERE IN THE CITY. FUNDING CATEGORIES ARE THOSE BELOW. THOSE ARE NOT ALL ENCOMPASSING, BUT JUST THE OVERALL CATEGORIES OF WHAT WE CAN FUND. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS. WHILE THESE ARE JUST THE BROAD PROJECTS OR THE BROAD AREAS, THERE'S BEEN MANY THINGS WE'VE FUNDED. FOR INSTANCE, WE FUNDED PARKS AND REC IN THE PAST. WE FUNDED CITY DEMOLITIONS. WE FUNDED NUMEROUS OF NONPROFITS THAT OFFER MULTIPLE SERVICES TO THE COMMUNITY. SO IT'S NOT AN ALL COMPASSING LIST, BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH CDBG FUNDING. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE GOVERNED BY 24 CFR 5070 AND ALL PROJECTS AND ALL SUBRECIPIENTS MUST MEET ONE OF THE NATIONAL OBJECTIVES KEYNOTES HERE AT THE BOTTOM 15% CAN GO TO PUBLIC SERVICES AND 20% FOR CAPPED AT ADMIN FEES. SO NO MORE THAN 20% OF OUR YEARLY ALLOCATION CAN GO TO CDBG ADMIN. NO CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR ON THIS WHERE AS THE ECONOMIC FORTUNES OF THE CITY CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. SOME OF THE CENSUS TRACKS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THESE CENSUS TRACKS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO HAVE CDBG PROGRAMS RUNNING THEM. IT JUST MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROGRAM IS ADMINISTERED PROPERLY IN THE SENSE OF WE HAVE TO HAVE A TARGET POPULATION FOR WHAT THAT PROGRAM OR WHAT THAT FUNDING IS GOING TO USE, AND THAT'S RESPECTIVE TO ANY CITY. PETERSBURG, UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE UPON A TIME, AND WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE BOARD, THE ENTIRE CITY WAS CONSIDERED LOW TO MODERATE INCOME. BUT AS THE ECONOMIC FORTUNES IMPROVE, SOME AREAS ARE UNLIKE. OTHERS MAY NOT BE DIRECTLY ELIGIBLE. BUT FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE, THERE'S POCKETS THAT CAN USE CDBG. BUT IT DOESN'T CHANGE OUR PROGRAM AS A WHOLE AS IT STANDS NOW. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. PROGRESS REPORT.
WE WANT TO PUBLISH ONE TO JUST SHOW YOU ALL THE PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN GOING ON OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS. ANOTHER GOAL IS TO FILL OUR VACANT BOARD SEATS. ALSO MEETING NETWORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE MONTH OF MARCH AND APRIL. WE TEND TO MEET WITH OUR SUB RECIPIENTS TO GIVE THEM A PLATFORM TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THEIR PROGRAMS, HEAR MORE ABOUT
[00:40:04]
WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY. WE ALSO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING OF NEEDS WHERE WE GET THE INSIGHT FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND WE DO THAT FAR ENOUGH IN ADVANCE. SO THAT WAY, NOT ONLY DO WE TAKE OUR OWN RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, AS A BOARD, WE ALSO HEAR THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT AS WELL. SO THAT WAY WE COME TO A VIABLE CONSENSUS. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE WILL CONTINUE TO UPDATE OUR OPERATING PROCEDURE. FUNNY STORY, MAYOR PERME, WHEN YOU FIRST APPOINTED ME, I THINK I GOT A BINDER THAT WAS DATED, I THINK, 1992. SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP THAT UPDATED. SO THAT WAY THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. ALL RIGHT.ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IN NOVEMBER OF 2020 FOR THE FIELD OFFICE. THE HUD FIELD OFFICE FROM RICHMOND DID COME DOWN AND GIVE US SOME ACCOLADES AND KUDOS ON HOW WE'VE BEEN ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM.
HATS OFF TO NAOMI AND JENNIFER FOR GETTING US RIGHT AND THEN ALL THE OTHER PARTIES AS WELL.
THAT DREW THE TIME. I'VE BEEN CHAIR HAS HELPED US ALONG. SO AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS, HOPEFULLY HUD WILL RECOGNIZE THAT PETERSBURG IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK WHEN IT COMES TO CDBG. NEXT SLIDE. SO WHAT I HAVE HERE IS A LETTER FROM HUD. I'LL MAKE SURE YOU ALL GET A COPY OF THIS. THIS IS JUST TALKING ABOUT THE CURRENT YEAR POTENTIAL ALLOCATION. WE ALSO KNOW NATIONAL POLITICS PLAYS A PART IN THIS. BUT IT ALSO TALKS ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM HUD OF WHAT OUR FUNDING SHOULD GO TO. SO JUST SOME KEY NOTES WE'VE BEEN AWARDED OR POTENTIALLY AWARDED $585,812. WE ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SECTION 100 AND 81. ABOUT THIS IS SINCE WE ARE COMPLIANT AND SINCE WE HAVE HAD MET OUR TIMELINESS GOALS, WE ARE ELIGIBLE TO BORROW AGAINST OUR FUTURE AWARDS. SO THAT DOLLAR FIGURE OF $2,929,060 IS A SECTION 108. SO IF WE WANTED TO TACKLE BIGGER PROJECTS, WE COULD. BUT THAT'S ALL BASED ON OUR TIMELINESS AND OUR PROGRESS AS A BOARD AND THE PROGRESS WE MADE. RECOMMENDED USES. SO IN THE LETTER, AS YOU'LL SEE, THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT THE DIRECTOR MENTIONED THAT WE SHOULD FUND OPPORTUNITY ZONES, GAP FINANCING FOR LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY PROJECTS, AND ADDRESS LOCAL HOUSING SHORTAGES. AS WE KNOW, HOUSING, EVEN IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE AS IT IS A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM AS WELL. THAT BEING SAID, OUR PLANNING DEADLINE IS AUGUST 16TH, WHERE WE HAVE TO HAVE AN ANNUAL ACTION PLAN AND EVERYTHING WRAPPED UP FOR THIS PROGRAM YEAR. ALL RIGHT. I GUESS THE MOMENT EVERYBODY'S BEEN WAITING FOR. SO THESE ARE THE APPLICANTS, AS YOU WILL SEE.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THE METRICS AND THE STATISTICS HERE ON THE SUBSEQUENT SLIDES. BUT AS A TOTAL. $1,385,355 WAS REQUESTED FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD. BUT WE HAVE A BUDGET OF 585,000, ROUGHLY. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THAT FIGURE IS IN YELLOW. SO WE HAVE MORE NEED THAN WE HAVE FUNDING.
THIS TENDS TO BE A TREND EVERY YEAR. NEXT SLIDE. TAKE YOU THROUGH THE BREAKDOWN OF THE STATISTICS. AS YOU SEE PUBLIC SERVICES CONTINUE TO BE OUR BIGGEST REQUESTS FOR CDBG FUNDING. AND THIS IS GOING OFF OF WHAT OBJECTIVE NATIONAL OBJECTIVES THE SUBRECIPIENT ARE GOING TO MEET. NEXT SLIDE. ALL TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT APPLY, WE SEE NON-PROFITS AND CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS ARE THE MAJORITY OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE APPLYING. THAT TREND HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS. SO BREAK DOWN. WE HAVE BEEN AWARDED PREVIOUSLY STATED $585,812 FOR PUBLIC SERVICES WERE CAPPED AT $87,871 AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE CAP FOR TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM IS 117,162. SO YOU'LL NOTICE THAT NUMBER AT THE BOTTOM 582436. WE DO HAVE TO ADD SOME MINOR FIGURES OR MINOR FUNDING TO SOME OF THESE SUB RECIPIENTS. DUE TO THIS LETTER COMING OUT AFTER WE MADE OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT THESE ARE THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATION. SO THE GOAL IS ON THE 17TH AFTER CITY COUNCIL HAS. I GUESS, THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
AND WE'LL MAKE A DECISION ON THE 17TH. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING DIFFERENT THIS TIME AROUND, AND I KNOW I'VE MET WITH RESPECTIVELY, SOME OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, SOME OF YOU ALL STILL HAVE TO MEET WITH IS TO MEET WITH YOU ALL ONE BY ONE. TWO BY TWO IS JUST TO GIVE YOU ALL INSIGHT ON THE APPLICATIONS AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. SO THAT WAY WHEN WE COME HERE ON
[00:45:02]
JUNE 17TH, WE CAN MAKE A SOLID DECISION AND MOVE FORWARD. NEXT SLIDE. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I'LL BE OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS OR REMARKS. AND THANK YOU AGAIN. OKAY. THANK YOU KOFI. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK FOR YOU AND THE BOARD. NEXT. ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS AGAIN, MISS KOFI, FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER FOR US. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MOVING ON IT. NEXT ITEM EIGHT IS MONTHLY REPORTS. NO ITEMS TONIGHT. FINANCE AND BUDGET REPORT PASSED THE BUDGET EARLIER. THANK YOU ALL FOR SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE NEXT BUDGET. ITEM TEN CAPITAL PROJECTS UPDATE NO[11a. June Presentation]
ITEMS. THEN WE JUMP TO UTILITIES JUNE PRESENTATION. MR. BARLEY. GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR COUNCIL.GOOD AFTERNOON. OUR MONTHLY REPORT FROM UTILITIES. WE HAD 29 WATER UTILITY WORK ORDERS AT 44 WASTEWATER WORK ORDERS. WATER METER WORK ORDERS ARE 54 OF THOSE. UTILITY BILLING HAD A TOTAL OF 246. THERE WERE 63 TERMINATIONS AND 186 NEW SERVICES. FROM STREETS.
STREETLIGHT OPERATIONAL INSPECTION. THE STREET OPERATIONS DIVISION BEGAN INSPECTING STREET LIGHTS, AND I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT WORD FOR WORD. BUT ESSENTIALLY WE BEGAN AGAIN, BEGAN INSPECTING STREET LIGHTS IN THE CITY YESTERDAY. LAST NIGHT SHOULD TAKE 4 TO 6 WEEKS TO GET THAT DONE. WE PLAN ON DOING IT ANNUALLY. WE HAVE FOUR EMPLOYEES OUT BETWEEN 9 AND 590 9 P.M. AND 5:30 A.M, ONES THAT WE FIND THAT ARE HOURS. WE'RE LOGGING THOSE AND GETTING WORK ORDERS, ONES THAT BELONG TO DOMINION VIRGINIA ENERGY. WE'RE SENDING THEM A NOTICE OF WHAT LIGHT IT IS, WHAT THE POLE NUMBER IS, SO THEY CAN REPAIR THOSE. THE CITYWIDE POTHOLE BLITZ ENDED ON MAY 2ND. USING CITY CREWS AND CONTRACTORS, WE REPAIRED MORE THAN 3200 POTHOLES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. RESIDENTS, IF THEY HAVE POTHOLES THAT WE DIDN'T GET TO OR THAT OCCURRED AFTER THAT, THEY CAN REACH STREET OPERATIONS DIVISION OR THROUGH THE CITY'S WEBSITE. THE SERVICE REQUEST CITYWIDE CLEANUP HAPPENED ON MAY 10TH. STREETS SUPPORTED THAT AND ARRANGED FOR DUMPSTERS AT COOL SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, PLEASANT LANE PARKING LOT, PEABODY MIDDLE SCHOOL, HALIFAX STREET PARKING LOT, PITTMAN ANNEX WITH STREET PARKING, BLANFORD SCHOOL PARKING LOT, AND LEGENDS PARK, AND THEY ACCEPTED ITEMS SUCH AS TRASH, FURNITURE, APPLIANCES, CARPET, FOOD, WASTE, GRASS, LEAVES AND BRUSH. WEEKLY LITTER CONTROL STREET OPERATIONS CONTINUOUSLY PERFORMING LITTER REMOVAL ACTIVITIES IN ALL SEVEN WARDS. SPECIAL ATTENTION AND EFFORTS ARE ALSO DIRECTED TO THE CITY'S GATEWAYS, MAJOR ROADWAYS AND DOWNTOWN AREAS. WE DO A WEEKLY DEBRIS AND ILLEGAL DUMPING CONTROL. THE CITY, THE STREET OPERATIONS DIVISION CONTINUOUSLY PERFORMS REMOVAL ACTIVITIES IN ALL SEVEN WARDS OF THE CITY TO ADDRESS ILLEGALLY DUMPED ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, AND ILLEGAL SIGN REMOVAL. WE KEEP CREWS OUT ON THE ROAD ALMOST EVERY DAY, AND EVERYBODY'S INSTRUCTED EVERYBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT, NOT JUST STREETS. IF THERE'S A SIGN LEFT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD, STOP AND PICK IT UP. WE ARE SEEING FEWER OF THOSE NOW SINCE WE'VE BEEN AGGRESSIVELY WORKING ON THAT FOR THE LAST PROBABLY TWO MONTHS. FISCAL MANAGEMENT, THE CONTRACTOR ASSESSED THE ROOF ON FISCAL MANAGEMENT AND WILL SEND A QUOTE FOR THAT SPACE OVER PROCUREMENT. FRAZIER ELECTRIC HAS GIVEN US A QUOTE FOR OVERHEAD SIGNS AND WILL START WORK NEXT WEEK. TRAIN STATION. THERE WAS A HOLE AT THE BASE OF ONE OF THE COLUMNS, WHERE THE ENGINEER TOOK A PIECE OF WOOD OUT TO DO TO DO THEIR STUDY, AND THAT WAS REPAIRED. 309 FAIRGROUNDS POA HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR REPLACEMENT HVAC, HVAC SYSTEM GROUNDS IS DOING THE ROUTINE GRASS CUTTING THAT WE DO EVERY YEAR, AND HANDLED ILLEGAL DUMPING ON PRINCE GEORGE'S AVENUE, ALBERT JONES FIELD, NORTH UNION STREET, VARIOUS PLAYGROUNDS, SOME ON POCAHONTAS ISLAND AND 801 SOUTH ADAMS STREET. STORMWATER. THE DATA COLLECTION AND INVENTORY PHASE OF THE CITYWIDE DRAINAGE STUDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED. THE MODELING PHASE HAS BEGUN. CONSTRUCTION PHASE ON MULTIPLE PROJECTS. NORTH WHITE HILL IS NOW COMPLETE. FLEETS BRANCH. THE PRE-CONSTRUCTION NOTICE TO PROCEED HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ARE UNDERWAY. THE PATH FORWARD FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE SINKHOLE ON BANK STREET HAS BEEN REESTABLISHED. THE EXTERNAL CONSULTANT, WHICH IS TIMMONS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION FOR THE CERTIFIED FLOODPLAIN MANAGER, HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY RETAINED FOR ANOTHER YEAR. THE CFP ROUND FOR APPLICATIONS BEING CONSIDERED FOR AWARD BY DCR.
THREE OF THE FIVE APPLICATIONS WERE AWARDED. EPA DISPUTE HAS NOW BEEN SETTLED IN OUR FAVOR.
THE LATEST CANDIDATE WAS INTERVIEWED FOR FLOODPLAIN ADMINISTRATOR. HE STARTED MAY
[00:50:01]
19TH. HIS NAME IS LUKE PETERS. SHARP YOUNG MAN DOING A GOOD JOB. SO FAR, 95% OF ALL STORMWATER REVIEWS ARE DONE ON TIME. THE STORMWATER SITE PLANS ARE REVIEWED AND 16 STORMWATER AND SOIL EROSION BUILDING PERMIT REVIEWS WERE COMPLETED. AND I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MR. BAILEY. I JUST WANT TO ADD UNDER THAT DEBRIS PICKUP THAT YOU HAVE, WE HAVE AN ALLEY UP ON SYCAMORE STREET ACROSS FROM THE OLD PIZZA PLACE.
YES. I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT BEFORE THE MEETING. I'VE GOT A NOTE TO GET WITH. ACTUALLY, IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY, SO I'LL GET WITH CODE COMPLIANCE IN THE MORNING BECAUSE THEY DID DUMP A MATTRESS AND SOME MORE STUFF OUT THERE. SO I'LL GET WITH CHIEF REED FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
OKAY. PERFECT. ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL FOR MR. BARLEY? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. PRESENTATION STREETS. NO ITEMS TONIGHT. FACILITIES. NO ITEMS
[15a. Discussion on Amending the City of Petersburg Zoning Ordinance to Remove the Requirement for a Special Use Permit for Public or Government Buildings and to Allow Animal Pounds in A, Agricultural District Regulations]
TONIGHT. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. NO ITEMS TONIGHT. WE'LL GO TO THE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA. MR. ALTMAN, DISCUSSION ON AMENDING THE CITY OF PETERSBURG ZONING ORDINANCE TO REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR PUBLIC OR GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND ALLOW ANIMAL POUNDS IN A AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT. REGULATIONS ASIDE. MARK. YES? HELLO. MAYOR AND COUNCIL WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT AND GET SOME DIRECTION ON A POTENTIAL TEXT AMENDMENT TO THE CITY ORDINANCE. SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH SOME NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS TO CITY FACILITIES, INCLUDING THOSE TO THE ANIMAL SHELTER AS WELL AS THE COURTHOUSE. WE KIND OF WANT TO GAUGE FROM YOU ALL IF THERE'S INTEREST IN AMENDING OUR CODE. RIGHT NOW, OUR CODE REQUIRES A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR ANY GOVERNMENT BUILDING, AND ALSO DOES NOT CURRENTLY PERMIT ANIMAL SHELTERS AND AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS. SO BACKGROUND AGAIN, RIGHT HERE, PER OUR ARTICLE 23 SUPPLEMENTARY USE REGULATIONS, A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS NEEDED FOR ANY GOVERNMENT FACILITY. SO WE WANT TO TALK TO YOU ALL TODAY. WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM YOU ALL. WE'VE RECEIVED DIRECTION, THAT THERE IS INTEREST IN MOVING FORWARD WITH BOTH THE COURTHOUSE AS WELL AS THE ANIMAL SHELTER.SO WE'RE SEEING IF JUST IN GENERAL, SINCE WE'LL BE WORKING WITH YOU ALL FOR ALL GOVERNMENT FACILITIES, IF THERE'S AN INTEREST IN REMOVING THIS REQUIREMENT THAT COUNCIL APPROVE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR PROJECTS THAT THEY'RE ALREADY IN SUPPORT OF. SO HERE AGAIN IS THE ASK JUST TRYING TO GET DIRECTION. WE'LL TAKE THIS TO PLANNING COMMISSION IF THERE'S INTEREST. SO GETTING RID OF THAT SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND ALLOWING ANIMAL SHELTERS IN AGRICULTURAL ZONING DISTRICTS AS WELL. SO LOOKING FOR QUESTIONS, COMMENTS AND ANY DIRECTION YOU MIGHT HAVE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. NAOMI, HOW YOU DOING? SO I'M OKAY WITH THIS, BUT I'M CURIOUS.
WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST? WHAT ARE YOUR IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION? OH, SURE. I GUESS WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH YOU ALL THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS. WE WORK WITH COUNCIL TO GET GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS MOVING FORWARD. THE NEED FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT ON CITY OWNED PROPERTY FOR GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE THAT WE'RE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY ON. JUST SEEMS JUST A LITTLE REDUNDANT. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING ON OUR END. AND THEN FOR ANIMAL SHELTERS AND AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT, WE CAN DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT ANY STIPULATIONS OR STANDARDS THAT SHOULD BE IN PLACE IF ACRE SIZE NOISE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, JUST TO HAVE A STANDARD IN PLACE FOR OTHER AGRICULTURAL ZONES. BUT WE DEFINITELY THINK THAT THAT KIND OF USE CAN FIT ON A LARGE PROPERTY, LIKE AN AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY. AND THIS WILL HELP US OUT IN THE FUTURE WITH OUR WITH WITH ANIMAL SHELTERS. EXACTLY. AND ALL OF THAT STUFF. SO, MR. MAYOR, IF NOBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO ASK, I LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. WHERE DO WE TAKE THE NEXT ONE? NEXT ONE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS NEAL. APPRECIATE IT. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. MR. OKAY. WE'LL WORK WITH PLANNING COMMISSION AND MOVE
[15b. COPS and SAFER Grant Presentations]
THIS FORWARD AND COME BACK BEFORE YOU ALL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANKS. NEXT ITEM, BE COPS AND SAFER GRANT PRESENTATIONS. SO, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, WITH OUR RETREAT, WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THESE TWO GRANT PROGRAMS. AND UNFORTUNATELY, AT THE TIME, THEY WERE A LITTLE RICHER THAN THAN WE THOUGHT. WELL, AT THE TIME, WE KNEW. AND NOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CHANGES. SO I WANT TO BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION. THE CHANGES IN THE PROGRAMS, AND THEN SEE IF COUNCIL IS STILL INTERESTED IN US APPLYING FOR BOTH PROGRAMS, FOR GRANT PROGRAMS, TO ADD ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS AND ULTIMATELY FIREFIGHTERS. AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE CHIEF. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING. AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, THIS YEAR THERE'S BEEN SOME CHANGES TO THE GRANT THAT'S OFFERED THROUGH THE[00:55:02]
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, OFFICE OF COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING. IN PREVIOUS YEARS, THIS WAS A GRANT THAT'S FUNDED PER YEAR. THIS YEAR, THE GRANTS HAD SOME SOME SLIGHT MODIFICATIONS. THIS IT PROVIDES UP TO A 75% FUNDING FOR ENTRY LEVEL OFFICERS SALARIES AND FRINGE BENEFITS UP TO THREE YEARS. THERE'S A ONE TIME ONE OFFICER PAYMENT OF $125,000.THAT'S NOT PER YEAR. THAT'S SPREAD OUT OVER A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS. THERE'S A LOCAL MATCH OF 25% THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE CITY, AND THE PURPOSE IS TO ENHANCE COMMUNITY POLICING CAPACITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY OVERALL. SO THE REQUIREMENTS ARE WE ARE TO WE HAVE TO HIRE NEW OFFICERS, ADDITIONAL FULL TIME SWORN OFFICERS ONLY MUST BE OVER AND ABOVE THE CURRENT BUDGETED OFFICER'S LEVEL, WHICH OUR CURRENT FULL STRENGTH COMPLEMENT IS 8888 SWORN OFFICERS. WE CANNOT USE THESE GRANT FUNDS TO SUPPLANT EXISTING POSITIONS OR REPLACE RETIREES. IT'S A FIVE YEAR GRANT CYCLE. THAT CYCLE INCLUDES ONE YEAR OF RECRUITMENT, THREE YEARS OF ACTUAL FUNDING OF THE OFFICER, AND THEN ONE YEAR OF RETENTION OBLIGATION THAT'S REQUIRED BY THE CITY. AND AS I SAID BEFORE, THERE'S A 25% MATCH REQUIREMENT BY THE CITY. THE DOJ CAPS THE REQUEST AT 20% OF THE ACTUAL STRENGTH, AND THAT THAT 20% OF THE ACTUAL STRENGTH, WE ARE ABLE TO APPLY FOR UP TO 17 OFFICERS BASED ON OUR COMPLEMENT STRENGTH OF EIGHT OFFICERS. AND AS YOU SEE THAT THAT'S JUST A AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE OFFICERS AND SOME OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN PREVIOUS YEARS AND WHAT THEY'VE REQUESTED VERSUS WHAT THEY'VE OBTAINED IN TERMS OF THEIR AUTHORIZED STRENGTH OF OFFICERS. NYPD HAS 33,000 OFFICERS, APPROXIMATELY. CHICAGO HAS APPROXIMATELY 13,000. CINCINNATI HAS APPROXIMATELY 1000 IN EACH OF THOSE AGENCIES IN PREVIOUS YEARS RECEIVED ABOUT 50 OFFICERS AS OPPOSED TO THEIR REQUEST. RIGHT NOW WE ARE WE'LL BE DISCUSSING WITH THE CITY MANAGER EXACTLY WHAT WE'LL BE REQUESTING. BUT IF WE WERE TO REQUEST THE FULL COMPLEMENT OF 17 ADDITIONAL OFFICERS, WE WOULD HAVE A MATCH. AND THE ACTUALITY OF IT, WE WOULD PROBABLY GET ABOUT 3 TO 7 OFFICERS BASED ON PREVIOUS YEARS AND OTHER AGENCIES AND WHAT THEY REQUEST. AND IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT WE WOULDN'T GET ANY BASED ON A CUT BY DOJ. IT'S A COMPETITIVE GRANT NATIONWIDE AND THERE ARE ONLY 250 GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL BE AWARDED. SO ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT? WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS IF WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS GRANT OPPORTUNITY, THE CITY BE WILLING TO PUT FORTH A 25% MATCH. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. NEXT, WE'LL GO TO QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU CHIEF. YES, SIR. I GOT QUESTIONS AND STATEMENTS. I THINK I'M GONNA ASK THE QUESTIONS FIRST AND THEN SAY MY STATEMENT LAST. CHIEF.
HOLD. MR. CITY MANAGER, EITHER ONE OF YOU TEN YEARS AGO TO NOW, IN COMPARISON, WHERE ARE WE IN TERMS OF AUTHORIZED STRENGTH? SO IF WE GO BACK ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, AND AS YOU PROBABLY HEARD ME SAY IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS, ESPECIALLY DURING THE ADVANCE, WE WERE AT ABOUT 126 AUTHORIZED STRENGTH OF SWORN OFFICERS, OFFICERS. TODAY WE STAND AT 88. SO I WANT US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS WITH BOTH OF THESE GRANTS. BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S THESE GRANTS IS GOING TO BE QUITE ENOUGH FOR US, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR NEED RIGHT NOW TO BE AHEAD OF THE CURVE.
WHAT DOES AN INCREASE IN CRIME DO AND A DECREASE IN STAFFING DUE TO A DEPARTMENT LIKE YOURS? WELL, CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WE'RE WE'RE RUNNING ABOUT ANYWHERE BETWEEN 70 AND 100,000 CALLS A YEAR PER, PER YEAR CALLS FOR SERVICE. THIS PAST YEAR, I THINK WE WERE SOMEWHERE IN THE 95 TO 98,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE RAN BY OUR DEPARTMENT AS AS CALLS FOR SERVICE INCREASE, IT CAUSES US TO HAVE TO BE STRETCHED EXTREMELY THIN. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF DEMANDS THAT'S PUT ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BY WAY OF TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT
[01:00:05]
INVESTIGATIONS AND THINGS THAT REQUIRE MANPOWER TO DO JUST THOSE THINGS. CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, WE'RE STRAPPED. WE'RE REALLY STRETCHED THIN. AND WITH THE ANTICIPATION OF INCREASE IN.OUR COMMUNITY, IN OUR IN OUR CITY, IN TERMS OF PEOPLE COMING INTO OUR CITY, WE DO SEE THAT THERE WILL DEFINITELY BE A NEED FOR US TO JUST CATCH BACK UP TO WHERE WE WERE TEN YEARS AGO, AND WE DON'T WANT TO BE BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL WITH THIS. EVERYBODY. AND YOU TALKED ABOUT TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT, MR. CITY MANAGER, ABOUT IF WE ALL DO NOTHING ELSE, AT LEAST GIVE YOU ENOUGH OFFICERS RIGHT NOW TO GIVE YOU NOT NOT ENOUGH OFFICERS, BUT MORE OFFICERS TO WHERE OUR CORRIDORS ARE PROTECTED. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY A TAX BASE BECAUSE THEY COME SPEEDING THROUGH EAST WASHINGTON STREET, WEST WASHINGTON STREET, WAGNER ROAD. SOMEBODY TOLD ME SYCAMORE STREET, YOU KNOW, ALL THE STREETS AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OFFICERS. AND WE HAVE A LOT OF FACTORS RIGHT NOW THAT THAT PROHIBITS OUR OFFICERS TO DO ANYTHING. ONE OF THE FACTORS IS OUR INABILITY TO HOLD A MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE. HERE. I SIT IN THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE FOR TWO HOURS ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. SO THINGS LIKE. AND THERE WERE TWO OFFICERS EACH TIME. SO THAT'S TAKING PEOPLE OFF THE STREET TRAFFIC. WE. A TRAFFIC UPTICK. HAVE YOU ALREADY STARTED TO SEE THAT WITH THE CASINO COMING AND WITH EVERYTHING COMING INTO THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ALL THE BUILDING AND STUFF GOING ON, I KNOW WE'RE GETTING A LOT MORE VISITORS, PEOPLE COMING HERE TO BUY STUFF AND BUY PROPERTIES AND BUILD HERE. I WONDER IF THE TRAFFIC UPDATE, WE'VE SEEN AN UPTICK IN OUR TRAFFIC FLOW HERE IN OUR CITY AND ALL OF OUR CORRIDORS, ESPECIALLY OUR MAJOR CORRIDORS AS AS TRAFFIC IS REROUTED FOR CONSTRUCTION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE ON ON OUR INTERSTATES, A LOT OF THE TRAFFIC COMES THROUGH OUR CITY BY WAY OF ADAMS STREET, COMING THROUGH COLONIAL HEIGHTS INTO OUR CITY BEING REDIRECTED ONTO THE INTERSTATE. SO YES, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S IMPORTANT, I'LL SAY, IS THAT IN TOUCHING BASES ON WHAT YOU SAID, ALL OF OUR OFFICERS, ALL OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO AS THEY CAN ENFORCE TRAFFIC. BUT BECAUSE OF THE DEMANDS THAT WE HAVE ON OUR CALLS FOR SERVICE, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO OUR OFFICERS ARE NOT ABLE TO REALLY SIT AND RUN STATIONARY, RADAR, RUN MOBILE OR MOVING RADAR SO AS THEY CAN IN BETWEEN CALLS FOR SERVICE. ALL OF OUR OFFICERS ARE DOING TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE DO HAVE A DEDICATED TEAM THAT I WILL SAY NEEDS TO INCREASE IN NUMBERS SO THAT WE CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN ADDRESSING SOME OF THE SPEEDING COMPLAINTS THAT WE GET IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
OFTENTIMES, WE'VE HAD COMPLAINTS AND A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS. AND DO WE WANT TO ADDRESS IT? ABSOLUTELY. CAN WE ADDRESS IT EFFECTIVELY THE WAY MOST PEOPLE WOULD WANT US TO DO IT WITH THE AUTHORIZED STRENGTH THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW? IT MAKES IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, MR. CITY MANAGER, I THINK, AND IT'S JUST WHAT I THINK OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW, IT MAY APPEAR THAT THEY'RE OKAY, BUT I THINK THEY'RE HURTING. I MEAN, LOOK AT VEHICLES, WE LOOK AT STAFFING. I MEAN, THEY GOT ENOUGH STAFFING, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFFING, IF THAT MAKES ANY SENSE. YOU GOT A LOT OF AREAS IN THAT POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT CAN BE BEEFED UP. AND I WANT TO ADD THIS TO THE RECORD. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SAYING CRIME IS GOING TO INCREASE BECAUSE OF THE CASINO. LET ME TELL Y'ALL SOMETHING. AIN'T NO CASINO HERE YET IN CRIME HAS PICKED UP, SO WE CAN'T BLAME IT ON THE CASINO. WE GOT TO BLAME IT ON THE MINDSET OF THE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
YOU GOT PEOPLE SHOOTING, YOU GOT PEOPLE. YOU GOT ALL KIND OF THINGS HAPPENING. AND WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RIGHT NOW TO BE AHEAD OF THAT CURVE, BECAUSE IT MAY INCREASE WHEN THE CASINO COME. BUT ARE WE AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND WITH THIS SAFER GRANT AND THIS COPS GRANT, I THINK YOU'RE IN COMPETITION WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS ACROSS THE NATION FOR IT. SO WE MAY NOT GET, WHAT, TWO OFFICERS OR ENOUGH MONEY FOR TWO OFFICERS. HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET AHEAD OF THIS CURVE, MAN? AND IF NOTHING ELSE, AT LEAST BEEF UP OUR TRAFFIC, BECAUSE THAT'S BEEN A BIG THING. I THINK YOU JUST HAD A MEETING ON SPEEDING. YOU. DID. WE JUST HAD A MEETING ON SPEEDING. YOU WITNESSED SOME SPEEDING. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST WE DON'T WANT OUR OFFICERS GETTING HURT, OUR COMMUNITY GETTING HURT. AND WE WANT WHEN ANY TIME A COMMUNITY, A PERSON IN THE CITY PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL 911, WE WANT SOMEBODY TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND, YOU KNOW, SO I REMEMBER A TIME
[01:05:01]
WHERE PETERSBURG HAD ENOUGH POLICE OFFICERS. I MEAN, WE HAD OUR SWAT TEAMS. WE HAD YOU CAN HAVE A BURGLARY GOING ON AT A BANK AND A HIGH SPEED CHASE AND WELLS, AND WE HAD ENOUGH TO COVER ALL OF THAT AT ONE TIME. AND I SAW IT FIRSTHAND BECAUSE I WAS A PART OF IT. AND BY THE WAY, SPEAKING OF HIGH SPEED CHASES, I WANT THE WORLD TO KNOW THAT WE REALLY DON'T DO HIGH SPEED CHASES. IT'S OTHER LOCALITIES CHASING THEM THROUGH PETERSBURG, YOU KNOW? I MEAN, THEY COME RIGHT THROUGH, AND THAT'S HOW WE GOT A LOT OF MESS GOING ON RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THEY COME RIGHT IN PETERSBURG CHASING THEM RIGHT ON THROUGH, YOU KNOW. SO WE JUST GOT TO GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE, MAN. AND SO I WONDER WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ALONG WITH THIS. YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY QUESTION TO YOU. SO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT. YOU'RE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT. WELL AT THAT TIME THE GRANT PROGRAM WAS THREE YEARS, 100% OF SALARY IS WHAT WE WOULD GET. AND THAT WAS GOING TO ALLOW US ON BOTH POLICE AND FIRE SIDE TO MAKE THOSE ASKS, GET PEOPLE IN. AND THEN IN THAT TIME FRAME WE WOULD HAVE THE, THE, THE PERMANENT CASINO AND THE FULL IMPACT OF THOSE REVENUES DURING THAT TIME PERIOD TO PLAN FOR AND FALL BACK ON TO, TO HANDLE THE INCREASED COST. NOW, BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES IN THE PROGRAM, WE DON'T WE WON'T HAVE THAT FULL ADVANTAGE. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THAT ON A LITTLE BIT EARLIER. SO WHAT WE WANT, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO IS APPLY. AND I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF THE OLD MILITARY WE'RE GOING TO ASK FOR 17, WHICH IS OUR CAP. WE MIGHT GET FIVE. I THINK WE CAN PROBABLY AFFORD THE FIVE. AND THEN WE LOOK AT UPCOMING BUDGETS, WHETHER WE CAN REAPPLY, BUT ALSO LOOK TOWARDS AS REVENUES BEGIN TO COME IN WITH THE CASINO FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, HOW WE CAN ADD ADDITIONAL OFFICERS. RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE THAT CAPACITY, BUT COMING MOVING FORWARD, WE WILL. SO THAT'S WHERE THE RELYING ON THIS GRANT TO GET US MOVING BOTH ON ON BOTH SIDES, AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BALANCE IT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT BOTH BOTH THOSE SALARIES ARE GOING TO BE AN EXPENSE TO HANDLE. SO WE GOT TO SIT DOWN AND MAKE SURE WE'RE WE'RE FINANCIALLY SECURE AND DOING IT IN A SOUND MANNER MOVING FORWARD. BUT WE WANT TO BUILD BECAUSE WE KNOW AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE WANT TO GET BOTH POLICE AND FIRE UP TO STRENGTH WHERE WE USED TO BE AND ADD THOSE OFFICERS. SO WE'RE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT. WE JUST WE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A CURVE BALL THROWN TO US WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION, AND THEY CHANGED THE PROGRAM. I THINK WE WERE WE WERE ALL SITTING I THINK, ON BOTH. CHIEF WOULD AGREE. WE WERE SITTING. WE FELT PRETTY CONFIDENT. AND THEN THE RULES CHANGED. AND I KNOW WHEN CHIEF CHRISTIAN CAME TO ME WITH THE RULE CHANGE, I WAS LIKE, WHOA, HOLD ON. THIS IS BASICALLY ONE ONE YEAR, ESSENTIALLY.BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, IF WE TAKE THAT 25 AND WE DIVIDE IT BY THE THREE YEARS AND THEN MULTIPLY THAT BY TO GET OUR 25, OUR MATCH IS GOING TO BE TEN, ABOUT TEN AND A HALF. BUT WE KNOW THAT THE SALARY IS GOING TO BE MORE THAN OUR STARTING SALARY IS MORE THAN THAT 125 DIVIDED BY THREE. SO WE'RE GOING TO BE INVESTING OUR OWN DOLLARS INTO THIS MORE THAN THE 25% MATCH. RIGHT? SO WE JUST NEED TO NEED YOU ALL TO BE AWARE OF THAT BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD. I DON'T WANT US TO MAKE THIS COMMITMENT RUN OUT AND DO IT AND COME BACK TO YOU AND SAY, HEY, WE FORGOT TO TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO. SO WE WANTED TO DO THIS PRESENTATION ON THE FIRE SIDE.
AND I DON'T WANT TO STEAL THE CHIEF HOOVER'S THUNDER. THEIR PROGRAM IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. THEIRS IS THREE YEARS OF $125,000, 125 EACH YEAR. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT EASIER ON THAT SIDE THAN IT IS ON CHIEF CHRISTIAN'S SIDE. BUT IN BOTH INSTANCES, WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE COUNCIL WAS AWARE OF THE CHANGES IN THE PROGRAM AND ARE STILL COMFORTABLE WITH US MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE AT THE RETREAT, WE WERE ALL READY TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE OF THE CHANGES. WE I FELT IT PRUDENT TO COME BACK AND MAKE SURE Y'ALL WERE STILL WILLING TO LET US MOVE FORWARD AND APPLY FOR THESE GRANTS. THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER. ONE LAST THING, MR. CITY MANAGER. YOU THINK MOVING FORWARD, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, BUT DO YOU THINK WE'RE READY FOR THE UPTICK IN EVERYTHING COME THIS OCTOBER NOVEMBER? ARE WE. AND IT'S FOR BOTH OF YOU, CHIEF. YOU TWO ARE WE DO WE THINK WE GOT ENOUGH RIGHT NOW OR ARE WE AHEAD OF THE CURVE RIGHT NOW, OR AT LEAST AT THE CURVE RIGHT NOW, TO BE PREPARED FOR THE DEFINITELY THE INCREASE IN TRAFFIC. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE COMING TO PETERSBURG IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN YOU GOT TO ADD ALL KIND OF OTHER THINGS TO WEATHER AND ALL THAT. SO YOUR FIRE TRUCKS GOING TO BE RESPONDING ALL KIND OF EVERYTHING. I'M NOT WISHING THIS ON US. I THINK I JUST, I REALLY DON'T I WANT THE VISITORS, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO COME WITH SPEEDING AND ACCIDENTS AND, AND ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF. SO ARE WE RIGHT NOW. WHERE ARE WE AT? ARE WE READY? AND IF WE'RE NOT READY, WHAT CAN WE DO OR WHAT WILL WE DO BESIDES THIS TO
[01:10:02]
GET READY BEFORE OCTOBER NOVEMBER, IF THAT'S A FAIR QUESTION. SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED WE NEED SOME MORE BODIES ON BOTH SIDES, BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE, POLICE AND FIRE.ULTIMATELY, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED ANOTHER STATION DOWN IN THAT END OF THE OF THE CITY. WE'RE GOING TO NEED SOME MORE BODIES, AND WE NEED THOSE BODIES NOW, WITHOUT THAT STATION AND WITHOUT THE CASINO, WE NEED SOME WE NEED SOME FEW EXTRA BODIES. I THINK WE WILL BE IN A POSITION. AND I THINK BOTH CHIEFS WOULD AGREE. I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO BE WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE WHATEVER COMES OUR WAY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT. WE'RE GOING TO START, YOU KNOW, GETTING IN. YOU KNOW WE WERE GOOD. WE'RE GOING TO START LOOKING AT ADDING THOSE POSITIONS. AND IF AS REVENUES COME IN AS WE PAY KIND OF DISCUSSION AT OUR BUDGET, PUBLIC HEARING, AS REVENUES COME IN, WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL. THIRD QUARTER. FOURTH QUARTER TO SAY, HEY, WE COULD BUDGET AN APPROPRIATE SOME FUNDS. WE'VE GOT REVENUE COMING IN. WE'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND PUT SOME, PUT SOME OPPORTUNITY OUT FOR SOME ADDITIONAL POLICE OR FIRE SO WE CAN GET SOME PEOPLE IN THE ACADEMY, BECAUSE WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ACADEMY COMING UP NEXT JULY. I KNOW FOR FIRE, I'M, I THINK Y'ALL'S RUNS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT JULY IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY. SO WE'LL BE IN POSITIONS AS REVENUES ARE COMING IN TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND ADDRESS ADDITIONAL POSITIONS BEYOND WHAT WE CAN DO IN THESE GRANTS. ALL RIGHT. THANK THANK YOU, CHIEF. THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU CHIEF. YES, SIR. I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION. ALL RIGHT.
[15c. Multi-Year Strategic Plan Finance Update - Davenport & Company, LLC]
NEXT WE HAVE ITEM C, MULTI-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN. SO I GUESS THE QUESTION, ARE Y'ALL COMFORTABLE WITH US MOVING FORWARD? YES. ABSOLUTELY. ABSOLUTELY. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL. YEAH.ITEM C, MR. MAYOR, OUR FRIENDS AT DAVENPORT HAVE ASKED IF THEY COULD MOVE THIS PRESENTATION TO THE 17TH THEY WERE CAUGHT UP WITH, I THINK, WITH ANOTHER ONE OF THEIR CLIENTS THIS EVENING.
AND WE'RE GOING TO BE PRESSED FOR TIME. SO IF THAT'S IF IT'S OKAY WITH COUNCIL TABLE THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING WHERE THEY'LL COME AND PRESENT. AND IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT, I DO HAVE ONE ITEM THAT IS NOT HERE THAT I JUST WANT TO MENTION QUICKLY THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING FORWARD A PROPOSAL TO COUNCIL TO ADD THE STORMWATER FEE TO THE REAL ESTATE TAX BILL. WE FEEL THAT THAT WOULD INCREASE COLLECTIONS ON OUR REAL ESTATE, ON OUR STORMWATER FEE. SO WE'LL BE WORKING THROUGH THAT TO BRING THAT TO COUNCIL FOR CONSIDERATION. AND IF ALL GOES WELL, IF YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE, WE'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET IT IN PLACE IN TIME FOR THE FIRST BILLING, WHICH WOULD GO OUT IN AUGUST FOR THE FIRST QUARTER, WHICH WOULD BE DUE IN SEPTEMBER.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE THIS EVENING, MR. MAYOR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DID YOU WANT TO COMMENT? WE JUST GOT THIS DOCUMENT FROM FROM CHIEF CHIEF HOOVER. IS THERE ANYTHING WE NEED TO DO ON THIS ONE? I THINK IT'S THE IT'S JUST KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE SAFER GRANT IS. BUT IF Y'ALL ARE COMFORTABLE WITH US MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. AND THEN WE'LL REPORT BACK TO YOU WHERE WE STAND IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL. OKAY.
PERFECT. THAT'S GREAT. SO WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH GRANT OPPORTUNITIES WITH POLICE AND FIRE FOR THOSE POSITIONS OKAY. PERFECT. THANK YOU CHIEF. NEXT WE HAVE REPORTS FROM THE CLERK.
NOTHING HERE. ANYTHING. JUST EXCITED THAT I'VE COMPLETED ONE YEAR WITH THE CITY. YES. YAY! THANK YOU. WONDERFUL. NEXT BUSINESS OF REPORTS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY, MR. WILLIAMS. NO REPORT, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT, WELL, NEXT IS ITEM 18. ADJOURNMENT. ALL RIGHT,
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.