[1. Roll Call]
          [00:00:02]
          THAT MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED. NEXT. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED ON OUR REGULAR SCHEDULE. CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR JULY 15TH, 2025. IT IS 505 AND AT THIS TIME IS HILL. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER JONES HERE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. 
          LEE PRESENT. VICE MAYOR. HILL HERE. MAYOR. PARENT HERE. NEXT. VICE MAYOR HILL WILL LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER. LET US PRAY. ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHER, ONCE AGAIN WE COME BEFORE YOU, GIVING YOUR NAME, HONOR, PRAISE, AND GLORY. WE THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY. WE THANK YOU FOR THE BLESSINGS OF THE DAY. NOW, LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH US. HEAVENLY FATHER, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS MEETING. HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE DONE DECENTLY IN YOUR NAME. NOW, LORD, WE ASK THAT BLESSINGS UPON OUR CITIZENS. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU THAT THERE WAS NO LOSS OF LIFE DURING THE STORMS THAT WE HAVE WITNESSED. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT EVERYTHING WOULD BE RESTORED. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT YOU WILL GIVE US THE RESOURCES AND THE WISDOM TO DO THOSE THINGS THAT WILL HELP FIX OUR INFRASTRUCTURE. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. HEAVENLY FATHER, THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE PULLING PEOPLE OUT OF CARS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY WERE SAFE. WE THANK YOU FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS, OUR POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE ON THE SCENE. WE THANK YOU FOR OUR PUBLIC WORKS. HEAVENLY FATHER, THOSE UNSUNG HEROES, HEAVENLY FATHER, THEY MADE SURE THERE WAS NO DROWNING. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO BE SAFE DURING THIS TIME OF STORMS AND WEATHER. HEAVENLY FATHER, BE WITH US, GUIDE US AND STRENGTHEN US. HEAVENLY FATHER, LET NO HURT, HARM, OR DANGER COME NOW, AND WE BE EVER CAREFUL TO GIVE YOUR NAME ALL THE HONOR, ALL THE PRAISE, AND ALL THE GLORY. SEND YOUR DARLING SON, JESUS CHRIST. NAME WE PRAY AND WE THANK YOU. 
          AMEN. AMEN. NEXT, CAN EVERYONE PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. NEXT DETERMINATION. PRESENCE OF A QUORUM. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS, AND CEREMONIAL PROCLAMATIONS. WE HAVE NO ITEMS TONIGHT. ITEM SIX RESPONSES TO 
          [6. Responses to Previous Public Information Posted]
PREVIOUS PUBLIC INFORMATION IS POSTED UNDER COUNCIL COMMUNICATES. ITEM SEVEN IS THE 
          [7. Approval of Consent Agenda (to include minutes of previous meetings):]
APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA TO INCLUDE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS. JUNE 17TH, 2025 CITY COUNCIL MEETING JUNE 1ST, 2025. CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING JULY 1ST, 2025. CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION JULY 1ST, 2025. CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION. VICE MAYOR HILL MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILWOMAN SMITH, SECOND IS HERE. CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. 
          HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. THE MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. 
          I'D. OKAY. AND AT THIS TIME, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION. WE HAVE MAIN STREET PETERSBURG HERE TODAY. SO I'D LIKE TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO LET MAIN STREET DO THEIR PRESENTATION BEFORE WE GET INTO OUR MULTIPLE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR TONIGHT. MISS. MARTY, MISS HEATHER, I'M HERE. OKAY. OUR PRESIDENT WENT TO PRINT SOMETHING THINKING WE WERE STILL BUSY ON THE PRESENTATION. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. SO 
          [8. Official Public Hearings]
WE'LL ROLL BACK THEN TO OUR ITEM EIGHT, WHICH IS OUR PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION. 
          AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GRANTS FUND, MR. KOCHER. GOOD EVENING, GARY COZIER, BUDGET MANAGER. SO THIS ITEM TONIGHT, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT RECEIVED A GRANT FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES. IT IS FOR WELLNESS OF THE OFFICERS, THE GRANT AMOUNT IS $21,800. NO MATCH REQUIRED OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. COMPLETELY REIMBURSABLE. SO THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF WHAT IT IS. WE'RE REQUESTING TO AMEND THE FY 26 GRANTS FUND IN THAT AMOUNT. OKAY. THANK YOU, MISS 
          [00:05:07]
COKER. NEXT WE WILL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION. AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GRANTS FUND. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT, ENTERTAIN A MOTION OR QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. VICE MAYOR HILL, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GRANT FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $21,800. OKAY. COUNCILOR MEYERS SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND. MISS HILL, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. KAREN. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM A B A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GENERAL FUND. MR. COZIER. OKAY, SO THIS ONE WE HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GENERAL FUND. SO THE AMENDMENT TOTAL IS $3.3 MILLION. 2 MILLION FOR CLASS AND COMP STUDY IMPLEMENTATION, 1 MILLION FOR CITY BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT, 197,000 FOR BROADBAND FEASIBILITY, 70,000 FOR FARMER FEASIBILITY AND 90,000 FOR A PARKING STUDY. YES. SO WE'RE REQUESTING THAT THE BUDGET BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THESE ITEMS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MISS COHEN. NEXT, WE OPEN THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE AMENDMENTS TO THE FY 26 GENERAL FUND. YES, MR. GARY TALLEY. GARY TALLEY, 2323 FORT STREET. JUST QUESTIONS. WHAT IS WHAT ARE THESE PROJECTS? BROADBAND FEASIBILITY PROJECT. FARM TO FEASIBILITY PROJECT. CAN SOMEBODY EXPLAIN WHAT THOSE ARE? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NEXT, MISS RUDOLPH. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. BOB RUDOLPH, 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I WAS GOING TO WELL, I THINK I, I SECOND GARY'S QUESTIONS, BUT I HAD A SPECIFIC QUESTION ABOUT THE 2 MILLION FOR THE CLASS AND COMP STUDY IMPLEMENTATION. I THOUGHT THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE BUDGET. I THOUGHT WE HAD $2 MILLION IN THE BUDGET FOR THAT. MAYBE. MAYBE IT WAS CAPTURED IN THAT KIND OF MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY AT THE END OF THE BUDGET, BUT I DIDN'T THINK IT HAD NOT BEEN APPROPRIATED. WHEN YOU PASSED THE BUDGET, IT JUST WASN'T DISTRIBUTED AMONG DIFFERENT OFFICES WHERE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET, YOU KNOW, PAY INCREASES. SO DOES THIS MEAN THAT THERE'S NOW 4 MILLION FOR IT OR WHAT? THAT'S THE THAT PART CONFUSES ME. THANKS. OKAY. THANK YOU, MISS WITTIG. 22 CENTER HILL COURT. SARAH MELISSA WOODYARD I AM CURIOUS, SORT OF ECHOING THE FIRST SPEAKER'S COMMENTS, WHAT IS THE DOWNTOWN PLAN FOR IN TERMS OF CLEANING DOWNTOWN UP? WE'VE HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE PLAN. AND IT WOULD ALSO BE NICE TO INCLUDE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE DOWNTOWN AND BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN IN THAT PLAN SO THEY CAN HAVE SOME INPUT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          SEEING NO MORE HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NOW, MR. CITY MANAGER, WE HAVE VARIOUS QUESTIONS THERE. YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS RAISED IN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS, THE BROADBAND FEASIBILITY STUDY IS ESSENTIALLY THAT A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO LOOK AT THE ABILITY, WHAT THE COST WOULD BE FOR US TO LOOK AT IMPLEMENTING BROADBAND SERVICE IN THE CITY OF THROUGHOUT THE CITY, CONNECTING CITY PROPERTIES, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AREAS IN THE CITY. PHARMACEUTICAL AND OTHERS TO CONNECT INTO A FIBER FIBER LOOP THAT WOULD THEN PROVIDE REDUNDANCY NOT ONLY FOR CITY SERVICES COMMUNICATIONS, BUT ALSO HELP HELP WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. OUT IN THE CORRIDOR ALONG WAGNER FOR 60 AND CRATER ROAD. THE FEASIBILITY IS SOME FUNDING THAT WE'RE GOING TO WE WE'VE ALWAYS LOOKED AT THE POTENTIAL FOR A PHARMACEUTICAL TRAINING FACILITY HERE IN THE CITY. THE FUNDING WOULD HELP US DO A FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THAT FACILITY TO SEE WHAT THOSE COSTS WOULD BE INVOLVING THE OUR PHARMACEUTICAL CLUSTER AND OTHERS. IN COMMENTING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT. WE TOURED A SIMILAR FACILITY AT NC STATE CALLED BTEC, AND SO THE FUNDING WOULD ASSIST US IN EVALUATING IF THE IF THAT IS A WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR TO TAKE ON LOOKING AT 
          [00:10:03]
THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PHARMACEUTICAL TRAINING FACILITY HERE IN THE CITY. THE FUNDING FOR. $2 MILLION IS IN ADDITION TO THE FUNDING THAT WAS IN THE BUDGET. WE FOUND OUT DURING THE STUDY THAT THERE WAS AN ERROR MADE IN PARTICULARLY ONE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDING SALARY STUDY PIECE SO THAT THIS FUNDING WILL MAKE THE SALARY THE SALARY STUDY, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CLASS AND COMP STUDY WHOLE. IT ALLOWS US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IT AND TO THE BENEFIT PRIMARILY. 
          IN THIS INSTANCE, THE SHORTFALL WAS WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE OF THE HOUSE. AND THEN FINALLY THE MILLION DOLLARS THAT IS THERE WAS THE MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED AND DIRECTED BY COUNCIL FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DOWNTOWN AREA. WE ARE DEVELOPING A PLAN FOR THAT. WE WILL BE TALKING TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, GETTING THEIR INPUT AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, NOT ONLY FROM A VISUAL IMPROVEMENT PERSPECTIVE, THE LANDSCAPING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT ALSO WHAT THE BUSINESSES CAN DO TO HELP PREPARE THEMSELVES FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THE CASINO TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT EFFORT. SO THERE WILL BE SOME CONVERSATION AND SOME DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THOSE EFFORTS. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT, ANY QUESTIONS OR ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? QUESTION. COUNCILMAN JONES. SO THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. WITH THIS, THIS MEANS EMPLOYEES WILL BE GETTING THE RAISES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, RIGHT? YES, SIR. YES, SIR. THAT'S ALL I GOT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, VICE MAYOR HILL. YES, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GENERAL FUND AND THE AMOUNT OF $3.3 MILLION. OKAY, THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE AT 3.3. 
          57,000. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES, SECOND OF A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME IS HERE. WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL, COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. 
          HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT, NOW WE'RE GOING TO CIRCLE BACK TO MAIN STREET. I SEE MISS CYNTHIA MARTIN HAS MADE IT BACK. SO WE WILL HAVE YOUR PRESENTATION NEXT. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. HOW Y'ALL DOING? DOING GOOD. MY NAME IS CYNTHIA MARTIN. 
          I AM THE CURRENT BOARD PRESIDENT FOR MAIN STREET, PETERSBURG, AND ALSO A LOCAL RESIDENT AND SMALL BUSINESS OWNER. SO WE ARE HERE TONIGHT JUST TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF OUR PRESENCE. AND THEN THAT COUNCIL ALSO IS AWARE OF AWARE OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO. I DON'T KNOW. I SENT A PRESENTATION, BUT I MAY NOT. GARY, CAN YOU PULL UP 15 A GARY I'M EMAILING IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW. PERFECT. THANK YOU, MISS TANG. 
          TOE. HERE. YOU GOT IT. NO, I JUST SENT IT TO YOU BY EMAIL. 
          IT OCCURRED. TO. WHILE HE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO. WHILE HE'S GETTING IT PULLED UP, I'LL CONTINUE ON. SO MAIN STREET PETERSBURG IS A 501 THREE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION THAT WAS FOUNDED TO ASSIST WITH IMPROVEMENT AND REVITALIZATION OF PETERSBURG'S DOWNTOWN, WHICH IS CURRENTLY ALREADY IN PROGRESS. OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOLLOWS THE MAIN STREET APPROACH AND PROMOTES VOLUNTEERISM AND STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT AS THE BEST PATH TO A MORE FLOURISHING AND LIVABLE DOWNTOWN. ACCOMPANY ME TODAY ARE SOME OF MY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. IF YOU ALL COULD STAND UP SO EVERYONE CAN SEE YOU AND WAVE. THANK YOU. SO EACH OF THE MAIN STREET'S THREE 
          [00:15:02]
COMMITTEES AND THEY ARE THE DESIGN, ECONOMIC VITALITY AND PROMOTIONS ARE WORKING TO ADVANCE THE TRANSFORMATION STRATEGIES FOR DOWNTOWN, WHICH INCLUDE DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS, TOURISM AND NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITIES. SO I'M NOT SURE IF COUNCIL IS AWARE OR IF THE PUBLIC IS AWARE OF ACTUALLY WHAT MAIN STREET IS. MAIN STREET. PETERSBURG IS PART OF A NATIONAL PROGRAM CALLED MAIN STREET AMERICA. MAIN STREET AMERICA WAS FOUNDED IN 1980. 
          THROUGH THE TRUST UNDER THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION, OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS, THE NATIONAL MBA NETWORK HAS HELPED. HAS HELPED TO GENERATE. I'M SORRY WE HAD A LITTLE GLITCH HAS HELPED TO GENERATE OVER $100 BILLION IN LOCAL REINVESTMENT, REHAB OVER 300,000 BUILDINGS AND CREATE OVER 800,000 JOBS. SO MAIN STREET PETERSBURG IS NOT JUST AN ENTITY THAT EXISTS BY ITSELF. IT IS A PART OF A NATIONAL PROGRAM WHICH IS FACILITATED HERE AT THE STATE LEVEL THROUGH. AND SO WHAT WE DO. AS WE SPOKE ABOUT BEFORE, WE DO PROMOTING AND WE'RE PROMOTING DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG THROUGH DINING, ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD AMENITIES AND TOURISM. AND WE DO THAT BY DESIGN, ECONOMIC VITALITY AND PROMOTIONS. SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PART TO ME. AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS COMMUNICATED AND UNDERSTOOD. 
          WHERE IS MAIN STREET? PETERSBURG. SO USUALLY THE AREAS IN WHICH THE WORK IS DONE ARE CALLED DISTRICTS, OR I CALL IT THE SERVICE AREA. AND I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ON THIS POINT. 
          MAIN STREET, PETERSBURG INCLUDES MOST OF DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG, WHICH INCLUDES. OLD TOWNE PETERSBURG EXTENDS FROM HALIFAX TRIANGLE NORTH TO THE APPOMATTOX RIVER, AND FROM I-95 WESTWARDS TO MARKET STREET. SO IT'S NOT JUST OLD TOWN, BECAUSE I KNOW WE GET HUNG UP HERE, THAT EVERY THINGS ARE ONLY DONE FOR OLD TOWN. AND SO IT'S NOT THIS IS A ALMOST ALL ENCOMPASSING OF OUR DOWNTOWN AND ONE OF OUR VERY, VERY IMPORTANT HISTORIC FEATURES, WHICH IS THE HALIFAX TRIANGLE. SO I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT. NEXT SLIDE. AND SO THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE CURRENT TO DATE THROUGH OUR ECONOMIC VITALITY COMMITTEE, WE ARE HOSTING BUSINESS WORKSHOP SERIES THAT WILL START THIS AUGUST. SOME OF THOSE WORKSHOPS WILL HELP WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE COMMITTEE. EXCUSE ME, WITH THE COMMUNITY, AS FAR AS THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AS FAR AS IT PERTAINS TO THEM BEING BUSINESS READY FOR THE CASINO TRAFFIC, WHICH IS HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND HOW TO BE PREPARED AND READY TO EXTEND THEIR HOURS. 
          WE ARE ALSO IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING A NEW WEBSITE DEVELOPED, WHICH WILL FEATURE A DOWNTOWN BUSINESS DIRECTORY AND ALSO INCLUDE AN EVENT CALENDAR, WHICH WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO SUBMIT EVENTS TO US FOR APPROVAL SO THAT THEY CAN BE DISPLAYED ON A CALENDAR. ONE OF OUR COMPLAINTS THAT WE ALWAYS HEAR IS THAT THERE IS NOT A CENTRAL LOCATION FOR RESIDENTS AND OTHERS TO FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR DOWNTOWN IN PETERSBURG AREA. AND SO WE WANT TO ASSIST THE COMMUNITY AND ALSO THE CITY, WHO IS ALREADY DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THE NEWSLETTER, WITH THE VISIT PETERSBURG, AS YOU SEE THERE, WITH PROMOTING EVENTS AS THEY BECOME AWARE OF THEM. WE ALSO HAVE HIRED A RESTAURANT WEEK COORDINATOR BECAUSE WE WILL BE HOSTING RESTAURANT WEEK SEPTEMBER 13TH THROUGH THE 20TH. THOSE FUNDS WERE GRANTED TO US BY THE CAMERA FOUNDATION, AND WE HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF PETERSBURG WITH WAYFINDING SIGNAGE AND GATEWAY SIGNAGE IMPROVEMENTS. AND THOSE ARE EXAMPLES THAT ARE DISPLAYED UP THERE, THE MARQUEE SIGNS. WE HAVE ALSO HAD SOME FACADE IMPROVEMENT DRAWINGS DONE TO HELP SOME OF THE BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN, OR THE OWNERS OF THE BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN THAT ARE IN NEED OF REPAIR AND FACELIFT TO HELP IMPROVE OUR OVERALL PRESENTATION OF DOWNTOWN. AND WE ALSO ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WE HAVE DONE BRANDING THE VISIT. PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA WAS A PART OF THE GRANT AWARD THAT WE PARTNER WITH THE CITY WITH THAT GAVE US BRANDING AND IS ALSO HELPING WITH THE LANDSCAPING PLANS. AND SO SINCE WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CASINO YESTERDAY AND WE WERE HERE TALKING ABOUT THAT, I WANT TO MAKE THE POINT OF LETTING YOU ALL KNOW THAT DANVILLE IS ALSO A MAIN STREET COMMUNITY, AND DANVILLE ALSO WON NATIONAL MAIN STREET COMMUNITY OF THE YEAR. SO THE MAIN STREET PROGRAM CAN ACT. DEFINITELY BENEFIT AND HELP PUSH THE REVITALIZATION OF PETERSBURG FORWARD. THE CITY IS ALWAYS ALREADY DOING A GREAT JOB. THERE 
          [00:20:04]
ARE A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING. THE WE'RE IMPROVING UPON THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, ALL OF US CAN USE HELP AND WE ALL ARE A TEAM. SO IT'S NOT GOING TO TAKE JUST THE CITY ALONE DOING IT BY OURSELVES. IT'S ALSO TAKES US AS CITIZENS, BUSINESSES AND OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS. AND SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US, YOU CAN SCAN THE QR CODES TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT US, TO JOIN US, OR HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT US. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS MARTIN AND THE REST OF THE MAIN STREET PETERSBURG BOARD. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT. JUST I'D LIKE TO ADD ONE, ONE, ONE ITEM THAT I THINK MAIN STREET WOULD BE A GREAT FIT TO ASSIST IN ON. WE HAD ONE OF OUR, OUR OUR RESTAURANT BUSINESSES FROM DOWNTOWN SEEM TO BE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND IS SOME THINGS THAT NEW BUSINESSES NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THEY. MAKE INVESTMENTS IN FOOD AND ADVERTISING TO MAKE SURE THEY GET ALL OF THEIR INSPECTIONS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE UNDERWAY. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT MAIN STREET CAN, CAN ASSIST WITH BEING THAT YOU ALL ARE A TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY AND DEALING WITH BUSINESS PEOPLE? MAYBE OTHER BUSINESSES CAN JOIN MAIN STREET AND LEARN HOW THEY CAN GET THEIR BUSINESS OFF THE GROUND. FROM A LOT OF YOUR VETERAN RESTAURANTS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. OKAY. 
          SIDNEY WILLARD, WE WANT YOU TO COME TO THE MICROPHONE SO EVERYBODY CAN HEAR YOU ON ZOOM, ON ON ZOOM. AND SO. YES, SIR. ABSOLUTELY, MISTER MAYOR, WE CAN ASSIST WITH THAT. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ASSIGNING, OF BREAKING OUR SERVICE AREA UP AND DIVIDING IT UP, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE ALL HAVE HERE AT COUNCIL. BUT IN CALLING THEM BLOCK CAPTAINS SO THAT THEY WHEN NEW BUSINESSES OR PERSONS ARE COMING WITH THE INTEREST OF STARTING A NEW BUSINESS, THAT THEY HAVE A DIRECT CONTACT POINT AND IT'S WITHIN THE AREA WHERE THEIR BUSINESS WILL BE LOCATED, SO THAT IF THERE ARE ANY CONCERNS OR IF THEY NEED ANY ASSISTANCE, THEN THEY HAVE A DIRECT POINT OF CONTACT THAT CAN HELP NAVIGATE THEM THROUGH THE BUSINESS LICENSING PROCESS OR, YOU KNOW, POINT THEM IN THE DIRECTION OF THE RESOURCES THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN COMPLETING THAT PROCESS. THAT'S WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. QUESTION. VICE MAYOR HILL, NOT A QUESTION ON I THINK IT WAS OUR LAST MEETING MYSELF AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL ALONG WITH CITY STAFF. WE WILL BE HAVING A BUSINESS LIKE TOWN HALL MEETING, THE SAME THING THAT WE DID WITH THE PASTORS IN THE AREA, JUST TO KIND OF ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT. MR. MAYOR, WOULD, YOU KNOW, GETTING BUSINESS LICENSE, OUR COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE WOULD BE THERE, TOO, AND WHAT HAVE YOU AND HEALTH INSPECTIONS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE TO HELP WALK PEOPLE THROUGH THE PROCESS OF OPENING UP A BUSINESS. BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, EVEN EVEN WITH SIGNAGE, BECAUSE I KNOW WE LIVE IN MOST OF THE AREA THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IS A HISTORIC AREA, AND WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT GO OUT AND SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON SIGNS, AND THEN WE'LL GET THEM FOR ZONING AND ZONING WILL COME BY AND SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO THAT AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND THEN THEY GET UPSET. WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL PUT UP FENCES THAT ARE TOO HIGH, AND THEN THEY'LL SAY, WITHOUT A YOU KNOW, I'M TALKING ABOUT BUSINESSES HERE, NOT RESIDENTS, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT BUSINESSES THAT WILL PUT UP FENCES THAT ARE TOO HIGH. AND THEN WE GOT TO COME AND TELL THEM, NO, GOT TO TAKE IT DOWN. SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET IN FRONT OF SOME THINGS. I KNOW WE HAVE SOME VETERAN BUSINESSES DOWN THERE THAT MAY HAVE MADE SOME MISTAKES AND CAN TELL THE NEW BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, GO RIGHT AND NOT LEFT AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO THOSE DATES WILL BE COMING OUT SOON. 
          I'LL GIVE THE WHAT OUR CLERK AND OUR CITY MANAGER AND LOOK AT THE SCHEDULE, AND WE'LL HAVE ALL THE PLAYERS THAT SIGN OFF ON BUSINESS LICENSE THERE FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE TO FIRE, POLICE, ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS THERE TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS AS IT RELATES TO THE BUSINESSES, NOT JUST BUSINESSES IN OLD TOWN OR DOWNTOWN OR IN WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT OR IN THE TRIANGLE AREA, BUT JUST ALL THE BUSINESSES. WE'LL DO IT HERE. SO JUST BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT. 
          WE'LL COME UP WITH THAT WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU ALL AGAIN. WE APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO NEXT WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM EIGHT C WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR ANTOINE HARRIS TO APPEAL A DECISION MADE BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD REGARDING 605 WEST WASHINGTON STREET IN THE FOLLY CASTLE HISTORIC DISTRICT. THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD DETERMINED THAT THE VINYL WINDOWS AND VINYL SIDING INSTALLED WITHOUT AN APPROVED CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS SHOULD BE REMOVED, AND THE DECORATIVE CORBELS REMOVED 
          [00:25:02]
WITHOUT AN APPROVED CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS SHOULD BE RESTORED. THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING THE DECISION BE OVERTURNED IN ITS ENTIRETY. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL JARED CRUZ WITH THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. SO AS THE MAYOR JUST SAID TONIGHT, THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO APPEAL AN ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD DECISION TO. IT'S KIND OF TWO PIECES. SO ONE PIECE IS THERE WAS VINYL SIDING AND VINYL WINDOWS THAT WERE INSTALLED WITHOUT THE PRIOR APPROVAL OF A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS. 
          THE OTHER PIECE WERE THAT THE DECORATIVE CORBELS ON THE HOME WERE TAKEN, TAKEN OFF WITHOUT THAT SAME APPROVAL. SO THE APPLICANT IS ASKING THAT THAT DECISION BY THE ARB BE OVERTURNED, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE VINYL SIDING, THE VINYL WINDOWS TO STAY AND THE DECORATIVE CORBELS TO REMAIN GONE. SO THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS 605 WEST WASHINGTON AGAIN, THAT'S IN THE FOLLY CASTLE HISTORIC DISTRICT. SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS CASE. IN LATE APRIL. THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE ARB ACTUALLY BECAME AWARE OF THE ONGOING WORK. OVER THE WEEKEND, HE SPOKE WITH THE CONTRACTOR ON SITE TO MAKE THEM AWARE THAT YOU NEED A COA FROM THE ARB FOR ANY EXTERIOR CHANGES TO THIS PROPERTY, THAT THE WORK WAS COMPLETED. DESPITE THE WARNING, THE FOLLOWING WEEK WE MADE THE OWNER AWARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE NOW IN VIOLATION OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE. IF AND UNTIL A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS WAS ISSUED TO COVER THE WORK. SO THEY SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION FOR RETROACTIVE APPROVAL OF INSTALLING THE NEW VINYL, WINDOWS AND VINYL SIDING, AS WELL AS REMOVING THOSE CORBELS. ON MAY 14TH, THAT REQUEST WAS HEARD AND DENIED BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD, WHICH DETERMINED THAT THOSE CHANGES DON'T ABIDE BY THE CITY'S HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGN GUIDELINES. SO WITH THAT, THE DECISION MEANS THAT THE WINDOWS, THE SIDING WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED AND RESTORED TO THEIR ORIGINAL STATE, AND THE CORBELS WOULD NEED TO BE REINSTALLED. SO THE APPLICANTS REQUESTING THAT THAT DECISION BE OVERTURNED IN FULL, MEANING THE WINDOWS AND THE SIDING STAY. THE CORBELS ARE NOT REPLACED, SO THIS IS THE CURRENT ELEVATION. THIS IS POST WORK BEING COMPLETED. YOU CAN SEE HERE A COUPLE OF IMAGES THAT SHOW ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU SEE THE ONGOING WORK THAT WAS IDENTIFIED WITH BEFORE THE APPROVAL WAS GRANTED. YOU CAN SEE THE ORIGINAL WINDOWS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, AS WELL AS THE SIDING AND THOSE DECORATIVE CORBELS. SO THE REASONING BEHIND THE DENIAL, AGAIN, IT'S OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH THE HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES, SPECIFICALLY CHAPTER FOUR, WHICH TALKS ABOUT REHAB OF BUILDING ELEMENTS. THOSE GUIDELINES SAY THAT ORIGINAL WINDOWS SHOULD BE RETAINED. HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLES OF HARDWARE AND DECORATIVE ELEMENTS WHEN POSSIBLE, RETAIN AND PRESERVE WINDOWS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL HISTORIC CHARACTER OF A BUILDING, INCLUDING THEIR FUNCTIONAL AND DECORATIVE FEATURES. RETAIN ALL ELEMENTS, MATERIALS AND FEATURES THAT ARE ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING, ARE HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT, OR ARE SENSITIVE. REMODELINGS REPAIR THOSE ORIGINAL ELEMENTS RATHER THAN REMOVING RETAIN WOOD AS THE DOMINANT FRAMING. USE NEW WOOD EPOXY, CONSOLIDATE CONSOLIDATES OR FILLERS TO PATCH AND PIECE THOSE PIECES THAT MIGHT BE DAMAGED. AND WHEN YOU DO HAVE FEATURES THAT ARE BEYOND REPAIR, THE REPLACEMENT SHOULD MATCH EXISTING MATERIALS. AND IN STYLE AND MATERIAL. SO WITH THAT AGAIN TONIGHT, THE DECISION BEFORE YOU WOULD BE WHETHER TO AFFIRM OR REVERSE OR MODIFY THAT DECISION THAT WAS MADE BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD, AGAIN, AFFIRMING THE DECISION WOULD MEAN THE VINYL WINDOWS HAVE TO BE REMOVED WITH ACCEPTABLE REPLACEMENTS BEING INSTALLED. THE VINYL SIDING SHOULD BE REMOVED TO EITHER 
          [00:30:10]
RESTORE THE WOOD SIDING OR COME BACK WITH AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATIVE. AND FINALLY, THOSE DECORATIVE CORBELS WOULD HAVE TO BE PLACED BACK ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING, OVERTURNING THE DECISION IN ITS ENTIRETY WOULD MEAN THE HOUSE CAN REMAIN AS IT IS. IN THAT FIRST IMAGE WE SAW WITH THE VINYL WINDOWS, THE VINYL SIDING, NO DECORATIVE CORBELS. AND FINALLY, YOU ALL HAVE THE OPTION TO MODIFY THAT DECISION IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT ONE PIECE BUT NOT ANOTHER, OR UPHOLD ONE PIECE, BUT, YOU KNOW, OVERTURN ANOTHER. SO THAT'S SORT OF THE BROAD OVERVIEW. I DO HAVE MR. BATESON WITH US FROM THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD, WHO CAN KIND OF SPEAK TO THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON THE CASE, AS WELL AS, I BELIEVE, THE APPLICANTS HERE TONIGHT TO PROVIDE HIS PERSPECTIVE. BUT OTHERWISE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE FOR ME. OKAY. PERFECT. AGAIN EVERYBODY. THAT'S JERRY CRUZ PRESENTING TONIGHT. INTERIM PLANNER. HE DID A GREAT JOB TONIGHT. AND NOTICE HIS LOOK I LOVE THE ENSEMBLE. THE SHIRT AND TIE LOOKS NICE. I ALMOST DIDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU UP THERE. YOU ALL RIGHT? ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CONSIDERATION. FOR ANTOINE HARRIS TO APPEAL A DECISION MADE BY THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD REGARDING 605 WEST WASHINGTON STREET AND THE FOLLY CASTLE HISTORIC DISTRICT. IN THE HANDS. YES. ALL RIGHT, MISS BATESON. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL MAYOR JOE BATTISTON, ONE SOUTH SYCAMORE STREET, PETERSBURG. THE PAST CHAIR OF THE ARB. AS OF THIS PAST WEDNESDAY. I'D LIKE TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION HERE. ACTUALLY, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BECAUSE I HAPPENED TO BE IN MY OFFICE THAT WEEKEND, AND I WAS ON MY WAY WEST ON WASHINGTON STREET, AND I NOTICED THEY WERE PUTTING VINYL SIDING ON THE HOUSE. SO I WENT AROUND THE BLOCK, CAME BACK, I STOPPED, I SAW THAT THEY WERE STARTING TO TAKE THE CORBELS OFF. I ASKED THE CONTRACTOR TO CALL THE OWNER, EXPLAIN TO THE OWNER THAT THEY CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD, CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, AND THAT HE WOULD END UP HAVING TO PUT THIS STUFF BACK ON. I SUGGESTED THAT THEY HOLD OFF TILL HE GOES THROUGH THE ARB PROCESS. NEXT MORNING I WENT BY AND HE ACTUALLY HAD THEM TAKE THE ARCHITECTURAL PIECES AND TRIM OFF OF THE HOUSE WITH THE REST OF THE CORBELS, AND CONTINUED TO PUT THE VINYL ALL THE WAY UP. SO, I MEAN, HE WAS WELL AWARE THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN, AND HE CHOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE STRIPPING, ALL THE ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES. IF YOU LOOK AT THE HOUSE TO THE RIGHT, IT HAS THE SAME IDENTICAL ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES THAT WERE TAKEN OFF OF THIS HOUSE. THE GREENHOUSE TO THE RIGHT THERE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TOP, YOU'LL SEE THE CORBELS, YOU'LL SEE THE DECORATIVE FEATURES, AND THEN YOU LOOK AT THE LEFT HOUSE TO THE LEFT OF THE GREEN AND YOU'LL SEE THE WINDOWS WERE CHANGED. THE SIDING WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TOP, TOOK ALL THE DECORATIVE FEATURES OFF, TRIED TO STOP IT BEFORE IT HAPPENED, BUT OF COURSE I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO A STOP WORK ORDER. I TOLD HIM I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU OUT AND SAVE YOU THE TROUBLE OF HAVING TO REDO IT. I CANNOT TELL YOU TO STOP, BUT I'M ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER IT. AND HE JUST IGNORED THAT AND WENT AHEAD AND DID IT ANYWAY. ALL RIGHT, IF ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE RIGHT OVER HERE. OKAY. THANK YOU, MISS BATESON. RUDOLPH, YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON THIS? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YES, SIR. IN THE BACK. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ANTOINE HARRIS. I'M THE OWNER OF THIS PROPERTY. THIS IS ONE OF THE PROPERTIES THAT I OWN THROUGH THE PROGRAM. ALL OF MY PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE TRI STATE AREA, I RENT OUT THROUGH VETERANS. ONE OF MY FACTUAL VETERAN THAT LIVES IN ONE OF THE UNITS AT THIS APARTMENT IS ACTUALLY HERE. HE'S BEEN IN THAT UNIT FOR ABOUT FOUR YEARS NOW. SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE SECTION EIGHT, BUT JUST FOR VETERANS. SO ALL MY TENANTS ARE THROUGH THAT PROGRAM. THIS HOUSE IN QUESTION IS ON A PARCEL WITH FIVE OTHER PROPERTIES. ALL FIVE OF THOSE. WELL, THE OTHER FOUR PROPERTIES, 
          [00:35:04]
EXCLUDING ONE PROPERTY, ALL HAVE VINYL. SO THERE'S THREE PROPERTIES THAT ARE, LIKE I SAID, OUT OF THE FIVE ON THAT PARCEL THAT DO HAVE VINYL SIDING, ALL, ALL, ALL OF THE PROPERTIES ON THAT PARCEL HAVE VINYL WINDOWS. I USE THE SAME COMPANY AS TWO OF THE HOMES THAT ARE ON THAT PARCEL FOR THE WINDOWS. SO NONE OF THE HOMES ON THAT PARCEL HAVE OLD ORIGINAL WOOD WINDOWS OR ANYTHING. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO INCLUDE THAT. WHEN I PURCHASED THE HOME, THEY DIDN'T. THEY CONTEXTUAL COMMITTEE. WHOEVER FAILED TO MENTION THAT OVER HALF OF THE HOME WAS VINYL SIDING, SO ONLY THE FRONT OF THE HOME WAS WOOD. SO IN ALL FAIRNESS TO, YOU KNOW, THE UPGRADES WERE IN LIKENESS BECAUSE OVER HALF OF THE HOME WAS VINYL SIDING ALREADY, PLUS VINYL WINDOWS WHEN I PURCHASED THE HOME. SO THE ONLY CHANGES, LIKE I SAID, WERE TO THE FRONT OF THE HOME, WHICH WAS WOOD. THE BACK OF THE HOME WAS ALREADY VINYL SIDING AND MOST OF THE WINDOWS WERE ALREADY VINYL. AND LIKE I SAID, IN TRYING TO INCLUDE IN LIKENESS OF THAT AREA, LIKE I SAID, THERE'S FIVE HOUSES ON THAT PARCEL. OUT OF ALL FIVE OF THEM, ALL FOUR FOUR HOUSES HAVE VINYL SIDING AND VINYL WINDOWS. SO IF IT'S TRYING TO BE INCLUSIVE TO THE LIKENESS, I FEEL THAT MY PROPERTY IS INCLUSIVE TO THE LIKENESS OF THE OTHER HOMES THAT ARE ALREADY ON THE PARCEL, WITH VINYL SIDING AND VINYL WINDOWS, AND I FEEL THE COLOR IS NOT SUBJECTIVE OR EGREGIOUS, AND I FEEL THAT IT IT REPRESENTS AND IT ADDS TO THE, YOU KNOW, TO THE WAY THAT PETERSBURG IS TRYING TO GO IN THE DIRECTION TO MAKE IT LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE PLEASANT AND APPEALING. AND LIKE I SAID, I FEEL THE VINYL WAS DONE IN LIKENESS BECAUSE MOST OF THE HOMES DID HAVE VINYL SIDING ON IT WHEN PURCHASED. IT DID HAVE VINYL ON HALF OF IT AND WOOD ON HALF OF IT, PLUS THE WITH VINYL WINDOWS ALREADY PURCHASED. SO I FEEL LIKE I SAID, THE REPAIRS WERE MADE IN LIKENESS OF THE ORIGINAL PROPERTY WHEN I PURCHASED IT. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO MORE HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT, COUNCILMAN COOPER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. CRUZ, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR YOU, PLEASE. YES, SIR. ARE THE GUIDELINES AT ISSUE HERE BEING APPLIED UNIFORMLY TO EVERYONE WHO COMES BEFORE THE ARB? YES, SIR. SO THOSE GUIDELINES ARE APPLIED WHEN ANY CASE COMES THROUGH, YOU KNOW, STAFF WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE GUIDELINES TO INFORM OUR STAFF REPORT. AND THEN THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER THOSE DURING THE MEETING. IN THE CASE THAT COMES TO PUBLIC HEARING. BUT THEY ARE APPLIED UNIFORMLY ACROSS THE BOARD TO ALL APPLICANTS. IS THAT THE CASE? TO MY UNDERSTANDING, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN. YOU KNOW, HE MENTIONED LIKE THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE OR THE BACK OF THE HOUSE. 
          THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THEY USE A LITTLE DISCRETION TO BE A LITTLE LESS STRINGENT ON WHAT'S NOT A PRIMARY FACADE, BUT CERTAINLY ON THE FRONT FACADE. THE STREET FACING FACADE OF A HOME THERE APPLIED ACROSS THE BOARD. DID ANYONE ASK FOR PERMISSION TO PUT UP VINYL SIDING ON THE SIDE OR ON THE BACK? I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. IN GENERAL, THE BOARD VINYL IS USUALLY A NO ACROSS THE BOARD AND IN SOME CASES, YOU KNOW, LIKE A HARDIE BOARD OR A COMPOSITE WILL BE APPROVED. NOT SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY HAS VINYL SIDING BEEN APPROVED FOR ANY HOMES. I DON'T KNOW IF MR. BATTISTON MAY HAVE JUST RECALL THE CASE COMING BEFORE THEM PRIOR. LET ME LET ME ASK MR. BATTISTON THAT SAME QUESTION, IF I MAY. MR. BATESON, YOU YES, YOU HAVE SERVED A LONG TIME ON THE ARB. YES. AND WE'RE ALL GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR DOING JUST THAT. AS A COULD YOU SPEAK UP A LITTLE? I FORGOT MY HEARING AIDS. OKAY. WELL, LET ME LET ME DO BETTER. DOES THE ARB UNIFORMLY APPLY THIS PROHIBITION AGAINST VINYL SIDING ON THE FRONT OF BUILDINGS? NO. VINYL SIDING IS NOT ALLOWED ON ANY PORTION OF THE HOUSE. WE DO ALLOW COMPOSITES, WHICH ARE SOME OF THE NEWER PRODUCTS THAT ARE OUT THERE. WE ALLOW HARDIE BOARD OR WOOD, AND WE DO RECOMMEND TO 
          [00:40:04]
TRY TO GO WITH SOME OF THE COMPOSITE OR WOOD, I'M SORRY, OR HARDIPLANK BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF THE WOOD THAT'S BEING GROWN TODAY. IT'S GROWN SO FAST WITH FERTILIZERS THAT THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, MEAT TO IT ANY LONGER. SO WE'RE TRYING TO TURN AROUND AND GO WITH SOME PRODUCTS THAT WILL ACTUALLY LAST A LONG PERIOD OF TIME AND LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME AS WHAT WAS BEING USED IN THE PAST, BUT NOT VINYL SIDING. VINYL IS AN ABSOLUTE NO NO. YES. ACROSS THE BOARD. 
          ACROSS THE BOARD. ARE WE MAKING ARE WE PICKING ON MR. HARRIS? ARE WE JUST SAYING NO, WE'RE TURNING THEM DOWN ON A REGULAR BASIS. IF WE FIND THAT THEY PUT THEM IN ON A WEEKEND, WHICH IS WHAT GENERALLY HAPPENS WITH SAWN WOOD, CONTACT THEM, HAVE THEM COME BEFORE US AND WE'LL ASK THEM TO CHANGE THEM OUT. DID MR. HARRIS OFFER ANY EXPLANATION AS TO WHY HE DID NOT STOP THE WORK? WHEN YOU SPOKE TO HIS CONTRACTOR? NO, BECAUSE ONCE I SPOKE TO HIM, WE HUNG UP. HE SPOKE TO THE CONTRACTOR, AND I DROVE OFF AT THAT POINT, AND THE NEXT THING I KNOW, IT WENT BY IN THE MORNING AND IT WAS FINISHED. SO YOU TALKED TO THE CONTRACTOR? THE CONTRACTOR TALKED TO THE OWNER. AND THEN I SPOKE TO THE OWNER DIRECTLY. OKAY. AND YOU SPOKE TO THE OWNER DIRECTLY. AND EVEN SO, THE OWNER DID WHAT HE WANTED TO DO. CORRECT? YEAH. AND IF HE HAD HAD COME BEFORE THE ARB, YOU GUYS WOULD HAVE DISAPPROVED THE VINYL, IS THAT CORRECT? WE DID NOT APPROVE THE VINYL. RIGHT. BUT IF HE HAD COME BEFORE THE ARB, DO YOU THINK THE ARB WOULD HAVE DISAPPROVED THE VINYL? WE WOULD HAVE DISAPPROVED IT. CORRECT. NOW HOW ABOUT THE CORBELS? THAT IS THE THOSE VICTORIAN DECORATIVE FEATURES RIGHT UNDER THE EAVES. YEAH. THE CORBELS, WHEN I PULLED UP ONE WAS TAKEN DOWN ALREADY AND THE CONTRACTOR SAID WHEN HE TOOK IT DOWN IT JUST BROKE INTO PIECES. 
          THAT'S WHEN I ASKED HIM TO CALL THE OWNER, BECAUSE I RECOMMENDED HE DOESN'T TAKE ANY MORE DOWN UNTIL I SPEAK TO THE OWNER. AND AFTER I LEFT, HE WENT AHEAD AND PULLED THE REST OF THE CORBELS DOWN, ALONG WITH SOME OF THE DECORATIVE TRIM BETWEEN THE CORBELS, AND BROUGHT THE VINYL ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SOFFIT. NOW, IF THIS COUNCIL OF REVERSES THE R. V'S DECISION, WILL THE ARB BE IN A POSITION TO DENY VINYL SIDING TO OTHERS THAT COME BEFORE THE ARB? WE'VE DENIED IT ON ALL OF THEM. THE NATIONAL PARKS DEPARTMENT OF INTERIORS DOES NOT HAVE ANY GUIDELINES ALLOWING VINYL SIDING. WELL, LET'S TRY IT THE OTHER WAY. THE GUIDELINES DO NOT PERMIT VINYL SIDING. ISN'T THAT TRUE? CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALRIGHTY. OKAY. 
          COUNCILMAN MYERS. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO MOVE ANY FURTHER. MR. HARRIS, I BELIEVE YOU AND I DID TALK ON THE PHONE ABOUT THIS, AND DURING OUR CONVERSATION, I THINK YOU SAID THAT THERE WAS VINYL SIDING LOCATED ON THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE. AND I THINK YOU SAID SOME OF THE OTHER RESIDENTS HAD VINYL SIDING THERE, BUT. DURING OUR CONVERSATION AND TIME AND I RODE BY AND REALIZED THAT YOU OR YOUR CONTRACTOR, WHICH I THINK IS A HEINOUS ACT IN AN HISTORIC DISTRICT FOR YOU TO REMOVE THE SIGNIFICANT CHARACTER THAT PETERSBURG HAS HERE NOW, WHERE I AM SYMPATHETIC TO WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO AND THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. BUT YOU'VE GOT TO ADHERE TO. THE ARCHITECTURAL PLEASURES OF THE ARB AND THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. AND SO. FLATLY, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE ARB AND THE CITY OF PETERSBURG WITH RESPECT TO THIS, BECAUSE. I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE CAN SEE WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, BUT THIS IS THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, AND YOU SHOULD HAVE STOPPED. WHEN MR. BATESON CAME OUT TO WAIT FOR APPROVAL, IF I MAY. BUT HOLD ON. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS HOUSE HERE, NUMBER ONE, YOU REMOVED ONE OF THESE WINDOWS AND BOARDED IT IN. IT'S NOT EVEN SIGNIFICANTLY THE SAME AT ALL. AND I LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET. SO I'M GOING TO LET YOU RESPOND. YES, SIR. AND TO RESPONSE TO THAT, THEY'VE ONLY SHOWED THE FRONT FACADE OF THE 
          [00:45:03]
HOUSE, THE WHOLE SIDE AND BACK OF THE HOUSE, WHEN PURCHASED WAS ALREADY VINYL SIDING. AND LET ME LET ME STOP YOU THERE AND I APOLOGIZE. LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU THE REASON THEY DO THAT IS BECAUSE IT'S NOT SIGNIFICANT TO THE FACIAL OF THAT HOUSE. CORRECT? NO ONE CAN SEE THAT FROM THE STREET. AND THEY DO ALLOW SOME LEEWAY. YES. OKAY. BUT TO GO BEYOND THE SCOPE IN THE FRONT OF THAT HOUSE. YEAH. TO ME IS OKAY AND NO PROBLEM. AND ALSO IN RESPONSE TO THE AOV SAYING THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE OTHER HOMES, THERE WAS JUST A HOME DIRECTLY. LIKE I SAID, THERE'S THESE FOUR HOMES ON THIS PARCEL. THERE'S A FIFTH HOME RIGHT BEHIND MY HOME ON THIS PARCEL THAT WAS BUILT LAST YEAR AND REMODELED, THAT IS FULLY VINYL THAT IS ON THIS PARCEL ALSO. SO I WANT TO KNOW WHAT WAS DONE OR SAID ABOUT THAT HOME THAT THEY JUST FINISHED THE VINYL ON LESS THAN A YEAR AGO. THAT'S ON THIS SAME PARCEL THAT'S DIRECTLY LESS THAN 15FT BEHIND MY HOME. THAT HOME I TALKED TO THE OWNER. THEY WEREN'T BROUGHT HERE OR ANYTHING, AND THEY'RE IN THE SAME DISTRICT THAT HOME IS, LIKE I SAID, ON THE SAME PARCEL, PARCEL 15FT BEHIND MY HOME. AND THEY THAT WAS DONE WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, ALL VINYL AND ALL VINYL WINDOWS. BUT LIKE I SAID, IT'S NOT ON THE MAIN STREET, BUT IT'S ON THE SAME PARCEL. WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PARCEL. SO WHEN YOU SIT THERE AND YOU SAY THAT NO HOMES ARE BEING WITH VINYL, IT'S CONTRARY BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE MY HOME NEXT DOOR TO ME HAS VINYL. THE HOME NEXT TO THAT HAS VINYL, SO THE HOME BEHIND IT HAS VINYL. SO IN ALL FAIRNESS, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU ARE UNFAIRLY PER SE PICKING ON MR. HARRIS, BECAUSE IF THREE OTHER OTHER HOMES HAVE VINYL AND ONE HOME WAS DONE IN THE LAST YEAR, HOW DID THAT COME PAST YOUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE? IF YOU'RE SO ON TOP EVERY WEEKEND AND EVERYTHING? LIKE I SAID, I KNOW IT'S NOT ON THE FRONT STREET, BUT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PARCEL AND WE'RE ALL IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. IF I MAY, MR. HARRIS, I'M LOOKING AT THREE CONSECUTIVE HOUSES RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU, AND I DON'T SEE VINYL SIDING ON THEM THAT, THAT THAT BLUE HOUSES, VINYL SIDING. WHICH NEW HOUSE? THE BLUE HOUSE. 
          THAT'S VINYL RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO ME. THAT'S. SO IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, THAT'S VINYL SIDING. AND THE HOUSE, MR. BATESON, IS THAT VINYL SIDING ON THAT HOUSE THERE? THERE IS VINYL SIDING, BUT THAT DID NOT GET APPROVED THROUGH THE ARB. THAT WAS I UNDERSTAND. YES, I GOT YOU AND THAT WAS PUT ON. NO. WHEN THAT HAPPENED. WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT VINYL SIDING WAS PLACED ON THE ART, BUT MR. HARRIS, MR. HARRIS, UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, IS THAT HE CAUGHT HE CAUGHT IT IN THE ACT. HE ASKED. HE ASKED YOU TO STOP THE PROCESS. AND SO HERE WE ARE TODAY. BUT I'VE GOT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I. BUT YEAH, IN ALL FAIRNESS, REMOVING THOSE CORE BELLS JUST DESTROYED ME RIGHT THERE. LET ME LET ME TELL YOU, THERE A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY OF THESE HOMES. AND SO, SO I'M, I'M GOING TO THIS PARTICULAR POINT AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN APPEAL, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK THE COUNCIL TO, TO SUPPORT THE ARB AND ASK YOU TO MODIFY YOUR HOME AND BRING BACK THE FACE OF THIS HOME TO ITS ORIGINAL STATE. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE GOING TO HARASS YOU OR ANY WAY ABOUT VINYL SIDING ON THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE, BUT THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE NEEDS TO BE PUT BACK IN ORDER. OKAY. IS THAT OKAY? ALL RIGHT. MY MOTION IS THAT WE OVERTURN THE DECISION. I MEAN, NOT OVERTURN THE SUPPORT, THE DECISION OF THE ARB. ALL RIGHT. CAN I JUST ASK ONE QUESTION? COUNCILMAN, WE HAVE A MOTION FOR COUNCILMAN. I SECOND THE MOTION. HAVE A SECOND ON THE MOTION DISCUSSION, COUNCILMAN JONES. 
          YES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M TRYING NOT TO SPEND TOO MUCH TIME ON THIS BECAUSE THERE'S A PROBLEM ACROSS THE WHOLE BOARD AND PUT THAT PICTURE BACK UP. DON'T TAKE IT DOWN BECAUSE I'M TALKING. NOW. WE JUST IDENTIFIED VINYL SIDING ON THE LEFT. AND, MR. BARTIS, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ON THE ARB MYSELF? YOU? 14 YEARS, BUT YET. AND THERE'S NO JAB AT YOU. THERE'S A BIG HOUSE RIGHT THERE. BLUE HOUSE WITH VINYL SIDING. AND NOBODY CAME BEFORE US TO SAY, LET'S MAKE THEM REVERSE THAT. BECAUSE IT WASN'T CAUGHT AT THE TIME IT WAS BEING DONE, BUT IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CAUGHT AT THE TIME IT WAS BEING DONE, BUT IT WAS THERE THE WHOLE TIME YOU'VE BEEN ON THE ARB. HOLD ON, HOLD ON, HOLD ON. I'M NOT DONE. LET ME FINISH. MR. BATTERSEA, YOU SAID YOU TRIED TO STOP IT. HOW DID YOU TRY TO STOP THIS? COME ON UP TO THE MIC. I ACTUALLY DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK, 
          [00:50:07]
WENT UP, ASKED THE CONTRACTOR TO STOP TAKING THE CORBELS DOWN, AND HE SAID, I'VE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, PUT THE SIDING UP. I SAID, PLEASE CALL THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH HE DID. HE SPOKE TO HIM. THEN HE HANDED ME THE PHONE. I SPOKE TO HIM. I EXPLAINED THAT THEY CAN'T REMOVE IT. IT'S IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. IT HAS TO COME BEFORE THE ARB. AND THAT'S WHEN I GOT BACK IN MY CAR AND I LEFT AND THE NEXT MORNING I CAME. IT WAS ALL THE PARTS WERE STRIPPED OFF AND HE BROUGHT THE VINYL ALL THE WAY UP AND LET THE RECORD BE SHOWN. I'M NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE ARCHITECT ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND STUFF BEING REMOVED, BUT I AM MAD ABOUT AND UPSET ABOUT THE PROCESS AND THE WHOLE, SEE, THAT'S A PROBLEM. HOLD ON. THERE'S A PROBLEM ON BOTH SIDES, YOUR SIDE, THE ARB AND THE DEVELOPER SIDE. LET ME FINISH, I GOT SOMETHING. SO YOU SAID YOU DROVE AROUND THIS TIME. SO OUT OF 13 YEARS, YOU DIDN'T DRIVE AROUND, SEE THAT BIG BLUE HOUSE WITH VINYL SIDING ON IT AND SAY, WE NEED TO BRING THAT BEFORE COUNCIL AND MAKE WHOEVER THE OWNER IS REVERSE IT. ALL RIGHT, THAT'S ONE. NOW, YOU ALSO SAID THAT THE ARB CAN ALLOW OR DISALLOW VINYL SIDING. IS THAT CORRECT? WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THE VINYL WENT UP ON THESE OTHER HOUSES. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE MAIN ONE NOW. THE ONE, THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE. YOU CAN ALLOW OR NOT ALLOW VINYL SIDING. WE DON'T ALLOW VINYL SIDING. PERIOD. YOU DON'T ALLOW IT. HOW IS IT THAT YOU CANNOT ALLOW? BUT YOU CAN ENFORCE. AND I'M TRYING TO GET SOMEWHERE, PEOPLE. MY THING IS, YOU SAY YOU DON'T ALLOW IT, BUT YOU SAID UP HERE THAT YOU COULDN'T ENFORCE THE STOP WORK ORDER. SO WHOSE JOB IS IT TO ENFORCE A STOP WORK ORDER? BECAUSE THIS IS HOW THINGS ARE GETTING UNDER THE RADAR. IF YOU CAN SAY, DON'T DO IT, BUT YOU CAN'T, NOW YOU'RE TELLING US YOU CAN'T ENFORCE IT. AT WHAT POINT DID YOU CALL THE BUILDING OFFICIAL? ANYBODY SAY, HEY, THIS IS GOING ON OVER HERE, SOMEBODY'S GOT TO PUT A STOP WORK ON IT. I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE I'VE PUT MANY A STOP WORK ORDERS ON PROPERTIES, AND IT STOPPED RIGHT THEN. NOTHING ELSE WAS BEING BUILT. WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT. CODE COMPLIANCE WOULD HAVE TO. 
          AND THERE'S NOBODY THERE ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY WHEN MOST OF THIS WORK IS GETTING DONE. IF YOU DRIVE THROUGH THIS CITY, YOU WILL FIND THAT MOST OF THE INFRACTIONS ARE BEING INSTALLED ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. AND YOU ARE EXACTLY CORRECT. AND MR. CITY MANAGER, THAT'S ONE THING I WANTED TO ADDRESS. WE GOT TO PUT SOMEBODY ON THE STREET ON THE WEEKENDS, BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF WORK IS BEING DONE ON THE WEEKENDS UNDER THE RADAR OF CODE COMPLIANCE. BUT THAT DON'T STOP US FROM CALLING CODE COMPLIANCE ON A MONDAY MORNING. BUT IT WAS ALREADY COMPLETED BY MONDAY MORNING. OKAY, I SPOKE TO THEM ON THE WEEKEND. MONDAY MORNING WHEN I WENT TO WORK, I DROVE BY TO SEE IF HE LEFT THE CORBELS UP THERE. AND NO, IT WAS COMPLETELY SITED ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP. SO TO THE OWNER, THANK YOU. I MIGHT HAVE ONE MORE FOR YOU, BUT LET ME GET TO THE OWNER REAL QUICK. 
          I'M SORRY. I'M. LET ME GET TO THE OWNER RIGHT QUICK. THE OWNER, MR. HARRIS. RIGHT. MR. HARRIS, WHAT? ALL DUE RESPECT, MAN. WE JUST TALKED ABOUT HOUSES IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT WITH WINDOWS AND NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN UP. AND I'M LOOKING AT THIS WINDOW RIGHT HERE, AND IT'S A MESS, NUMBER ONE. BUT MY BIG QUESTION TO YOU IS WHY DID YOU KEEP GOING AFTER YOU WERE TOLD TO STOP. AND I WOULD DIRECTLY ADDRESS THAT. SIR, IN ALL FAIRNESS, WHAT WHAT THE. I GUESS THE EX MEMBER OF THE BOARD IS TRYING TO DISPLAY, AND HIS CALMNESS AND HIS DEMEANOR WAS NOT REFLECTED WHEN HE TALKED TO ME ON THAT DAY. HE DID NOT TALK TO ME IN ANY DIRECT. HE DID NOT GIVE ANY DIRECTION OR ANYTHING. HE CALLED ME IN A DISORIENTATED STATE, VERY ABRUPT, VERY NASTY. 
          AND IT WASN'T IN A HE DIDN'T CALL ME IN A MANNER THAT HE IS IN A AUTHORITATIVE POSITION IN SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, COULD WE DO THIS? HE CALLED ME, YOU KNOW, IN A VERY AGGRESSIVE MANNER LIKE, HEY, STOP THIS RIGHT NOW, DO THIS. BUT BEFORE THAT, I DIDN'T TALK TO HIM. I TALKED TO MY CONTRACTOR, WHO IS BILINGUAL, AND THEY SAID THAT HE CAME OVER THERE AND WAS BERATING THEM AND TALKING TO THEM VERY AGGRESSIVELY. AND THE SAME WAY WHEN I CALLED HIM BACK AND GOT ON THE PHONE WITH HIM WHEN HE SAID THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE PICTURES, HE SAID, I WENT AHEAD AND COMPLETED IT. THE HOUSE WAS ALREADY I MEAN, IT WAS THREE FOURTHS OF THE WAY COMPLETE. IT WASN'T. THEY WERE THERE THAT LAST DAY FOR AN HOUR. SO HE TALKED AT ANY POINT. I MEAN, YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT Y'ALL PUT UP THIS VINYL SIDING IN TWO DAYS OVER THE WEEKEND? NO, SIR. THAT THAT VINYL SIDING WAS, WAS STARTED DURING THE WEEK AND IT WAS FINISHED THE NEXT WEEK. IT 
          [00:55:05]
WASN'T EVEN FINISHED ON THE WEEKEND. AND THAT'S WHEN HE WAS HE SEEN IT ON OR WHENEVER, WHEN HE SAID IT HAD ALREADY BEEN STARTED, IT HAD BEEN ALMOST FINISHED BECAUSE I KNOW WE GOT WE GOT SO MANY THINGS, 4 OR 5 DAYS, BUT AND ALSO TOO, SIR, IF YOU I DON'T KNOW HOW YOUR SCREEN IF YOU COULD DIRECTLY I DON'T KNOW IF YOU COULD SEE THE HOUSE DIRECTLY AND I WANTED TO ASK HIM ABOUT THE HOUSE THAT'S DIRECTLY BEHIND MY HOUSE, THAT THEY'RE REMODELED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. 
          THAT'S ALL VINYL SIDING AND ALL WINDOWS THAT'S ON THIS SAME PLOT THAT, LIKE I SAID, IT'S 15 AND WE'LL GET TO THAT. MY, MY, JUST TWO MORE MINUTES, EVERYBODY. I GOT AN ISSUE WITH THE WHOLE PROCESS, MAN, BECAUSE IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THERE'S HOUSES ALREADY ON THE STREET WITH VINYL. THERE'S HOUSES BEHIND WITH VINYL. THIS HOUSE HAD VINYL IN THE BACK AND ON THE SIDE. AND MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DO YOU HAVE AS AN ARB REPRESENTATIVE THAT EDUCATES THE PEOPLE WHEN THEY BUY THESE HOMES OR, OR IDENTIFY THE HOMES AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT YOU DO AND WHAT YOU DON'T DO WHEN THEY BUY THESE HOMES, DO THEY COME TO THE ARB FIRST? SOMEBODY EDUCATE ME IN THE PUBLIC, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I BUY A HISTORIC HOME? WHO THE HELL DO I TALK TO? OR IS ANYBODY TALKING TO ME FIRST? WHAT'S GOING ON? OKAY, I CAN EXPLAIN. NO, I WANT TO KNOW THE. I WANT TO WALK THROUGH THE PROCESS. I JUST BOUGHT A HISTORIC HOME. WALK ME THROUGH THE PROCESS. OKAY? YOU WANT TO HANDLE THAT? SO IN TERMS OF WHILE YOU'RE BUYING THE HOUSE, REALTORS ARE LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO DISCLOSE TO YOU IF YOU'RE BUYING A HOUSE IN A IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN. SO Y'ALL DISAGREEING RIGHT NOW. SEE? THERE WE GO. SEE? LOOK, I JUST BOUGHT A HOUSE, AND MY REALTOR WAS OBLIGATED TO TELL YOU THAT MAY NOT BE ACROSS THE BOARD. REGARDLESS, WE DO. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A NEW PRESERVATION PLANNER SINCE SHE STARTED. WE HAVE SENT OUT POSTCARDS TWICE A YEAR TO ALL THE OWNERS OF PROPERTY IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. WE'RE WORKING ON TRYING TO GET A LIST TOGETHER OF REALTORS JUST SO WE CAN DO THAT OUTREACH DIRECTLY TO THEM. BUT THAT'S THE UNFORTUNATE SIDE, IS THEY DON'T ALWAYS SHARE THAT INFORMATION UNTIL SOMEONE'S IN THE HOUSE AND LOOKING TO DO, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE PAST ALL THIS STUFF. LISTEN, WE GOT A BREAKDOWN IN THE WHOLE PROCESS AND I'M I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY COME UP WITH TONIGHT. I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE THE RIGHT THING. MY THING IS, MR. BATTERSEA ARB. Y'ALL GOT SOME ISSUES YOU GOT TO FIX. WE GOT SOME ISSUES. WE GOT TO FIX PUBLIC. WE GOT SOME ISSUES WE GOT TO FIX. IT'S CALLED EDUCATE. 
          AND THE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, WHICH WAY TO GO. AND THEN IT SEEMED LIKE TO ME, WE WAIT UNTIL THEY MAKE A MISTAKE BEFORE WE BRING THEM TO THE BOARD. THE PROBLEM IS NOT AT THE CITY LEVEL. THE PROBLEM IS AT THE STATE LEVEL. THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ARE ALLOWING THE REALTORS TO SELL PROPERTIES WITHOUT DIVULGING THEIR IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. IT HAS BEEN PUT BEFORE THEM THAT THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO NOTIFY THE PEOPLE, JUST LIKE THEY DO IN A HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION. BUT THE REALTORS ASSOCIATION CONSTANTLY FIGHTS THAT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE LARGEST LOBBYIST GROUPS IN THIS IN ALL STATES. AND THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T GET IT MANDATED THAT HISTORIC PROPERTIES ARE BEING NOTIFIED TO THE BUYER AT THE TIME THEY'RE BUYING IT. 
          UNTIL THAT GETS FIXED, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF A SITUATION THAT JUST HAPPENED RECENTLY. WELL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT SITUATION WHEN Y'ALL BRING IT TO THE BOARD. RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS SITUATION. AIN'T NOBODY FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HERE. WE GOT ARB HERE. SO UNTIL THE ARB START RIDING AROUND THE BLOCK MORE THAN JUST ON THE WEEKENDS AND SEEING THIS WORK DONE, THAT'S WHEN WE'RE GOING TO KEEP HAVING PROBLEMS. SO I'M ASKING THIS COUNCIL AND THE CITY MANAGER AND EVERYBODY ELSE ARB GET OUT THERE DURING THE WEEK. IF YOU'RE GOING TO CATCH IT, CATCH IT, BRING IT TO US. RIGHT THEN WE CAN STOP IT. I'VE BEEN OUT THERE. IT CAN BE STOPPED WHEN WE SEE PEOPLE WORKING ILLEGALLY AND WE KNOW THEY DO IT ON THE WEEKENDS, MR. CITY MANAGER. SO WE'LL PUT SOMEBODY OUT THERE ON THE WEEKENDS, BUT DURING THE WEEK IF YOU SEE IT. BUT HE SAID IT WAS THE WORK WAS BEING DONE DURING THE WEEK. SO WE GOT TO CATCH IT RIGHT THEN MR. BATTERSEA, CATCH IT, BRING IT AND WE CAN STOP IT. I DID, AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. OKAY, OKAY. THAT'S ALL I GOT, MR. MAYOR. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. VICE MAYOR HILL, VERY QUICKLY. I WAS TRYING TO SEE IF WE COULD FIND A HAPPY MEDIUM, BUT I DON'T THINK WE CAN WITH THIS RIGHT HERE. IT'S UNFORTUNATE. UNFORTUNATELY, THE WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT BEING THAT IT'S A VINYL HOUSE NEXT DOOR TO IT, THAT THE OWNER WOULD BE LIKE, WELL, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, I CAN PUT UP VINYL TOO. I THINK ALSO APPROACH HAS TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING TOO, BECAUSE MR. HARRIS SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WASN'T A CALM DEMEANOR, BUT IT WAS MORE OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, 
          [01:00:01]
SOMEWHAT AGGRESSIVE. I DON'T KNOW, I WASN'T THERE, SO. BUT AS A BUSINESS OWNER AND I THINK YOU'RE DOING THIS FOR BUSINESS, MR. HARRIS, THE PROBLEM WE HAVE IN PETERSBURG IS EVERYBODY THEY DO WHAT THEY DO AND THEY DIDN'T WANT TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS LATER. HAVE A SITUATION RIGHT NOW THAT I'M DEALING WITH A BUSINESS RIGHT NOW. WE MADE A DECISION HERE PUBLICLY, AND THEN THEY WENT AHEAD AND DID WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO. AND THEN THEY ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS. NOW WHERE DOES IT END? WHERE DOES IT STOP? AND I CERTAIN THINGS I GRANDFATHERED IN AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. SO JUST BECAUSE A HOUSE MAY HAVE VINYL SIDING BEHIND BESIDE YOU NOW AND I KNOW YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE HOUSE THAT JUST WAS BUILT AND WHAT HAVE YOU THAT MAY HAVE BEEN GRANDFATHERED IN. I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE'RE VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT THE HISTORY HISTORY OF PETERSBURG NOW ON THIS COUNCIL I HAVE KNOCKED DOWN OR I HAVE PUT MOTIONS ON THE FLOOR TO KNOCK DOWN HISTORIC BUILDINGS BEFORE BECAUSE THEY WAS FALLING DOWN AND THEY WAS CALLING, CAUSING PEOPLE. THEIR LIVELIHOOD. AS FAR AS THEIR BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD HOUSES ON BANK STREET, I MEAN, PROPERTY ON BANK STREET THAT WAS FALLING DOWN AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND I MADE A MOTION. I TOOK A LOT OF HEAT FOR THAT, FOR KNOCKING DOWN THAT BUILDING AND WHAT HAVE YOU. BUT WE ARE TRYING TO PRESERVE OUR HISTORY. AND I WAS THINKING, WHAT, WHAT? MAYBE WE CAN PUT THE COLUMNS BACK UP AND ALL THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE SENTIMENTS OF INDIVIDUALS ON COUNCIL AND IT'S NOT IN MY WARD, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I'M NOT PASSIONATE ABOUT IT. I, I WISH AND THIS IS THE REASON WHY THIS BUSINESS MEETING IS GOING TO BE SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE SPEND MONEY AND THEN WE ASK FOR FORGIVENESS. AND THEN YOU TALK ABOUT PEOPLE SAY, WELL, I'M DOING THIS FOR THE CITY WHERE EVERYBODY'S DOING SOMETHING FOR THE CITY. I'M BRINGING THIS GOOD IDEA TO THE CITY TO HELP SUCH AND SUCH, OR I PAY SO MANY, SO MUCH REAL ESTATE TAXES TO THIS WHERE EVERYBODY'S DOING THAT. I HAVE BUSINESS OWNERS TELLING ME THE SAME THING, WHERE I GIVE SO MUCH MONEY TO THE CITY BECAUSE I'M DOING THIS, BUT EVERYBODY'S DOING THAT SAME THING. SO AND I ADMIRE WHAT YOU'RE DOING. I'M NOT BEATING UP ON YOU, MR. HARRIS. I ADMIRE WHAT YOU'RE DOING FOR OUR VETERANS. LORD KNOWS I DO. I HAVE VETERANS IN MY FAMILY, AND MY BROTHER SERVED 26 YEARS IN THE MILITARY. BUT THIS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT, RIGHT HERE IS, YOU KNOW, THESE COLUMNS. I MEAN, I WOULD HAVE STOPPED RIGHT THERE. I WOULD HAVE SAID, LOOK, LET ME PUT THE VINYL ALL THE WAY UP, AT LEAST TO THE COLUMNS AND PAINT THE REST AND SEE IF I CAN GET AWAY WITH THAT, IF NOTHING ELSE. SO I HAVE TO SUPPORT MY COLLEAGUES IN PARTICULAR, MR. MYERS AND MR. COUPLER ON THIS, BUT OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME THERE'S A MOTION AND SECOND ON THE FLOOR. 
          MISS HILL, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER. CUTHBERT, COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES I COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. 
          HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM D, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THE PURPOSE OF UPDATING THE CITY'S SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS AND BRINGING THE ORDINANCE INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE OF VIRGINIA. MR. CRUZ. ANYONE? THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT ONE. OKAY. THAT'S IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO, AS SOME BACKGROUND, THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE, THOSE ARE THE REGULATIONS WITHIN CITY CODE THAT GOVERN HOW LAND CAN BE DIVIDED OR RECONFIGURED FOR SALE OR DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES. SUBDIVISIONS ARE APPROVED THROUGH PLATS THAT ARE CURRENTLY REVIEWED, EITHER ADMINISTRATIVELY OR BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION. FOR LARGER PROJECTS, THE CITY'S CURRENT ZONING SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED IN 1981. IT'S A BIT DATED, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH STATE CODE. AS DILLON RULE STATE, OUR LOCAL ORDINANCES HAVE TO BE REFLECTIVE OF THAT STATE CODE. THERE WERE SOME A COUPLE BILLS THAT WERE PASSED THIS MOST RECENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT TOOK EFFECT THE FIRST OF THIS MONTH, THAT PUT US FURTHER OUT OF COMPLIANCE. SO THE IDEA BEHIND THIS TEXT AMENDMENT WAS KIND OF A REFRESH OF THE ORDINANCE IN GENERAL, BUT PRIMARILY TO BRING US INTO COMPLIANCE WITH STATE CODE, PLANNING COMMISSION HEARD THE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TEXT AMENDMENT AND VOTED SIX ZERO AND FOR APPROVAL OF THE TEXT AMENDMENT AS DRAFTED ON JUNE 5TH. SO RUNNING THROUGH SOME OF THE EXISTING ISSUES WITH THE 
          [01:05:02]
SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE, IT CURRENTLY ONLY HAS TWO DEFINITIONS ONE FOR SUBDIVISION, ONE FOR STREET. WE'RE LOOKING TO ADD SOME CLARITY TO REALLY CAPTURE JUST HOW MANY COMPONENTS AND, YOU KNOW, ITEMS FALL UNDER. WHAT A SUBDIVISION THE PROCESS IS. THE ORDINANCE CURRENTLY REQUIRES A PRELIMINARY PLAT FOR ALL SUBDIVISIONS. A PRELIMINARY PLAT IS LIKE A HIGH LEVEL CONCEPT PLAN. BEFORE YOU CAN GET INTO THE ACTUAL PLANNING PROCESS. STATE CODE ONLY ALLOWS YOU TO REQUIRE THESE PLATS FOR SUBDIVISIONS OF MORE THAN 50 LOTS. CURRENTLY, OUR ORDINANCE DOESN'T DISTINGUISH BETWEEN MAJOR AND MINOR SUBDIVISIONS. SO THAT'S TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE GOT A LARGE PARCEL AND YOU SPLIT IT IN HALF, YOU GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AS SOMEONE WHO IS SPLITTING A PARCEL INTO 50 LOTS WITH NEW STREETS, NEW UTILITIES, THE WHOLE WORKS, THE FEES AND THE ORDINANCE ARE DATED. THEY DON'T REFLECT, YOU KNOW, THE TIME AND LEVEL OF REVIEW THAT'S REQUIRED. AND WE ALSO JUST DON'T HAVE PROVISIONS FOR MORE SIMPLE RECONFIGURATIONS, LIKE COMBINING TWO LOTS OR SIMPLY MOVING A PROPERTY LINE OVER, WHICH IS BY FAR THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF REQUEST THAT WE SEE COME THROUGH. SO THE STATE MANDATED CHANGES THAT CAME INTO EFFECT THIS MONTH, ONE IS A CHANGE THAT REQUIRES THAT ALL PLATS BE REVIEWED BY AN ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT, WHICH MEANS LOCALITIES CAN NO LONGER REQUIRE PLATS TO GO TO THEIR PLANNING COMMISSION OR GOVERNING BODY. SIMILARLY, THE APPEALS PROCESS GOES TO THE CIRCUIT COURT RATHER THAN THE LOCAL GOVERNING BODY. THE SECOND BILL REDUCES SOME OF THE TIMELINES FOR HOW LONG WE HAVE TO REVIEW PLATS AS THEY COME IN, SO I'LL QUICKLY RUN THROUGH SOME OF THE PROPOSED DEFINITIONS WE'VE GOT. WE WANT TO DEFINE WHAT THE SUBDIVISION AGENT IS. 
          THAT'S THE PERSON WHO'S REPRESENTING THE CITY, WHO'S REVIEWING THE PLATS AND ENFORCING THE REGULATIONS. A PLAT IS THE DOCUMENT THAT YOU'RE USING TO CAPTURE AND APPROVE THAT SUBDIVISION. AGAIN, A PRELIMINARY PLAT, THAT BROAD OVERVIEW. BEFORE YOU GET INTO THE MORE SPECIFIC PLATTING. ANOTHER IMPORTANT DISTINCTION WE WERE LOOKING TO MAKE IS, AGAIN, BETWEEN MINOR SUBDIVISIONS AND MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS. SO WE WOULD LOOK TO CALL ANYTHING LESS THAN TEN LOTS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A MINOR SUBDIVISION, AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY NEW STREETS OR PUBLIC FACILITIES OR UTILITIES. THIS WOULD ALSO CAPTURE THOSE, YOU KNOW, COMBINATIONS OF LOTS OR MOVING A SINGLE LINE. AND THEN A MAJOR SUBDIVISION WOULD BE ANYTHING THAT'S NOT A MINOR SUBDIVISION. SO TEN OR MORE LOTS OR ANY SUBDIVISION WHERE YOU'RE COMING IN WITH NEW UTILITIES AND STREETS. SO UPDATING OUR PROCESS TO MATCH STATE CODE, WE'VE GOT THAT THE PRELIMINARY PLAN, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO REQUIRE IT WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO REQUIRE IT, WHICH WOULD BE SUBDIVISIONS OF MORE THAN 50 LOTS. SO FOR A MAJOR SUBDIVISION YOU WOULD REQUIRE A SITE PLAN PRIOR TO APPROVAL OF YOUR FINAL PLAT. AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE BECAUSE THERE'S MORE INVOLVED. IT'S A MORE TECHNICAL SITE DEVELOPMENT. SO YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS WHERE YOU'RE HAVING THE RIGHT OF WAY DEDICATION, THE UTILITY INSTALLATIONS, THE LOT LAYOUTS ALL REVIEWED PRIOR. AND THEN FINALLY FOR THE MINOR SUBDIVISIONS AND THOSE SIMPLER RECONFIGURATIONS THAT WOULD JUST REQUIRE THE SINGLE PLAT TO COME THROUGH FOR REVIEW. ALL REVIEWS WOULD BE COMPLETED ADMINISTRATIVELY. THAT PUTS US IN LINE WITH STATE CODE. SO THE SUBDIVISION AGENT BY DEFAULT WOULD BE THE PLANNING DIRECTOR, AND THEN WE WOULD ROUTE IN OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS OR IN SOME CASES STATE DEPARTMENTS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE LARGER REVIEWS, IF A PLAT IS DENIED, THE APPLICANT CAN APPEAL PER STATE CODE, THE TIME FRAMES. WE'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE THOSE DIRECTLY REFERENCED STATE CODE SO THAT ANY FUTURE AMENDMENTS JUST TAKE EFFECT AUTOMATICALLY. WE ALSO WANTED TO REVIEW TO UPDATE THE REVIEW FEES SO THEY WOULD VARY DEPENDING ON THE SUBDIVISION TYPE. SO FOR THE LARGEST SUBDIVISIONS, THOSE WITH MORE THAN 50 LOTS WOULD BE A $250 FLAT FEE, PLUS $10 PER LOT CREATED FOR THE MAJOR SUBDIVISIONS, WHICH IS LESS THAN 50, BUT STILL MORE THAN TEN $150 PLUS $10 PER LOT, EXCLUSIVE OF THE PARENT PARCEL. AND FINALLY, 
          [01:10:07]
FOR JUST A STANDARD PLAT, FINAL PLAT WOULD BE A $150 FEE. AND AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST CURRENTLY OUR FEE IS A $25 FEE. SO THAT THAT APPLIES WHETHER YOU'RE CREATING 100 LOTS OR WHETHER YOU'RE CREATING ONE LOT. AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE AMOUNT OF, YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL REVIEW AND TIME THAT GO INTO REVIEWING THESE DOCUMENTS. LOOKING AT THE TEXT AMENDMENT IN RELATION TO THE COMP PLAN, IT THE PLAN DOES MENTION THAT THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE IS ONE OF OUR REGULATORY TOOLS BY WHICH WE IMPLEMENT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP AND THE FUTURE LAND USE FRAMEWORK. IT ALSO MENTIONS THAT IT'S CRITICAL THAT THE ORDINANCE IS REVIEWED AND UPDATED REGULARLY TO MEET BOTH CURRENT AND FUTURE GOALS. SO WITH THAT SAMPLE MOTION, YOU ALL CAN VOTE TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENT AS DRAFTED. DENIED. EXCUSE ME, THAT THAT THAT'S I KNOW THE PREVIOUS. I'M SORRY, MR. MAYOR. YOU USED TO GO OVER THE SAMPLE MOTION, BUT WE'VE BEEN UP HERE A WHILE. WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE MOTIONS. YOU DON'T EVER HAVE TO GO. 
          THAT'S KIND OF INSULTING. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE MOTION. THANK YOU. SO WITH THAT, IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, I'M HAPPY TO TALK THROUGH THEM. BUT I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. CRUZ. NEXT, WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARIN, FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THE PURPOSE OF UPDATING THE SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS AND BRINGING THE ORDINANCE INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE CODE OF VIRGINIA. OKAY. 
          SEEING NO HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT, COUNCILMAN JONES. YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. JARED, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAUGHT MY EYE WAS THE AGENT THAT'S GOING TO BE APPOINTED BY MR. CITY MANAGER. WE ALREADY HAVE AN AGENT, MR. CITY MANAGER. SO THE WAY IT'S DRAFTED, BY DEFAULT, IT WOULD BE AUTOMATICALLY THE PLANNING DIRECTOR UNLESS THE CITY MANAGER WERE TO TAKE ACTION. OTHERWISE TO APPOINT. SPEAK UP FOR YOUR JOB. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. YEAH, IT WAS MY JOB, MAN. WELL, LISTEN, I WAS GOING TO SAY I WOULD PROBABLY APPOINT THE PLANNING DIRECTOR AS A SUBDIVISION AGENT. IN THIS CASE, ZONING ADMINISTRATOR IS THE. WE HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT OVERSEES THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF ZONING ORDINANCE. 
          THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D PUT ON THE PLANNING DIRECTOR TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY BE THE ACTUAL AGENT. THE AGENT CAN THEN DESIGNATE STAFF TO DO REVIEW, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE SIGNATORY AUTHORITY SO THAT $250 FEE FOR REVIEW. WHO SETS THAT FEE? YOU DO. AND THAT'S WHAT WE CHARGE TO PEOPLE. RIGHT. SO THAT WOULD BE PART OF OUR FEE SCHEDULE FOR WHEN YOU'RE COMING IN WITH ONE OF THE LARGER. THAT'S QUITE SMALL OR MINIMAL FOR TO REVIEW THESE LOTS A SUBDIVISION 250, IT'S RELATIVELY COMPARABLE TO OUR IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS, AT LEAST THE URBAN FORM. THE I'M SORRY YOU SAID SPEAK UP OR I'M ASKING YOU $250 TO REVIEW A SUBDIVISION, MINOR OR MAJOR. 
          THAT'S THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. YEAH, IN MY OPINION, THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO IT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE COST KIND OF WRAPS UP WITH THOSE PER LOT FIGURES. BUT I MEAN, CERTAINLY IF YOU ALL ARE INTERESTED IN A HIGHER REVIEW FEE, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, A SITE PLAN IS AN $800 FLAT FEE PLUS, AND THEN IT'S BASED ON ACREAGE WHERE YOU GET THE EXTRA COST. AGAIN, I TRY TO SORT OF STAY MORE CLOSE TO WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE DOING, BUT IT'S REALLY UP TO YOU ALL WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE THAT FEE TO LOOK LIKE. THERE'S A CERTAIN THRESHOLD YOU CROSS WHERE PARTICULARLY IN LIKE LARGELY RURAL LOCALITIES, THEY USE THOSE HIGH FEES AS A WAY TO DISCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT. SO THERE'S A LINE IN THERE SOMEWHERE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S ALL FINE. AND THIS IS MY LAST THING. YOU WANT TO STICK CLOSE TO OUR NEIGHBORS. 
          BUT I WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT OUR NEIGHBORS. YOU KNOW, WE'RE PETERSBURG, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE USING THE VISION OR ANYTHING OF OUR NEIGHBORS UNLESS IT'S GOING TO HELP US. BUT IN THIS CASE, YOU NEED MONEY TO DO THE JOB. CORRECT? RIGHT. YEAH. SO IT WOULD GO IN TO KIND OF COVER THAT STAFF TIME THAT GOES INTO THE REVIEWS. THAT'S ALL I GOT, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN COOPER. I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE ORDINANCE AS PROPOSED. ALL RIGHT. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AT THIS TIME IS HERE. WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE 
          [01:15:03]
ROLE COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. 
          MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ITEM E, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE CITY OF PETERSBURG COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT 2025 THROUGH 2029. 
          CONSOLIDATED PLAN. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. JENNIFER JAMES, REPRESENTING THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. SO THIS CONSOLIDATED PLAN WILL COVER FIVE YEARS STARTING WITH PROGRAM YEAR 2025 TO PROGRAM YEAR 2029. AND THAT WOULD BE THE ENDING FISCAL YEAR 2030. SO THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN IS BASICALLY A FIVE YEAR STRATEGY FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT. AND WE ALIGN OUR STRATEGY WITH HUD GUIDELINES. HUD IS HOUSING URBAN DEVELOPMENT. IT'S A FEDERAL PROGRAM. SO THE BLOCK GRANT MONEY COMES FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND WE TRY TO ALIGN THE PLAN WITH THE GUIDELINES FROM HUD. THE FOCUS FOR THIS PARTICULAR CONSOLIDATED PLAN WILL FOCUS AROUND ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PUBLIC SERVICES, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. AND THE PLAN WAS INFORMED BY PUBLIC INPUT. THE ADVISORY BOARD, SURVEY SURVEYS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS. SOME KEY OBJECTIVES AND PRIORITIES FOR THE PLAN. WE'RE LOOKING AT IMPROVING OUR PARKS AND RECREATIONAL RECREATIONAL SPACES. THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL SUPPORT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT AND ENGAGEMENT. WE'RE LOOKING AT ECONOMIC INITIATIVES AND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES TOWARDS NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION. WE HELD A PUBLIC HEARING IN MARCH, AND WE ALSO RELEASED A SURVEY, AND WE RECEIVED 40 RESPONSES TO THAT ONLINE SURVEY. WE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH OUR ADVISORY BOARD, CONSULTATIONS WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND OUR ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR ALSO HELD ONE ON ONE SESSIONS WITH MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. WE HAD A 30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, AND THE NOTICES THAT WERE PROMOTED IN THE NEWSPAPER AND ON THE CITY WEBSITE AND NOTICES WERE POSTED IN LOCAL VENUES SUCH AS THE LIBRARY. SO OUR PAST PERFORMANCE SHOWED THAT WE DO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO ADMINISTER THE CDGB PROGRAM. OUR PROGRESS REPORT FOR 2020, 2023 AND 2024 YEAR WAS RECEIVED VERY HIGHLY BY HUD. HUD ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE WERE TIMELY IN OUR PERFORMANCE AND DEEMED THAT OUR PERFORMANCE WAS EFFECTIVE. GOING TOWARDS THE 20 2425 PROJECTS. WE'RE NEARING THE END IN COMPLETION OF THOSE PROJECTS. ACTUALLY, THE YEAR JUST ENDED IN JUNE 30TH, SO WE ARE WORKING ON COLLECTING REPORTING, AND WE WILL BE SUBMITTING OUR REPORT TO HUD IN SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR, AND THAT WILL BE ABLE TO BE TRANSPARENT FOR THE PUBLIC. SO WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THAT REPORT. AND THE REPORT IS CALLED THE CAPER. IT'S THE CONSOLIDATED CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION REPORT. SO THAT'S WHAT CAPER STANDS FOR. SO WHEN WE DID THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT THAT WE SAW. AND A LOT OF THIS DATA COMES FROM THE CENSUS AS WELL AS OTHER NEEDS ASSESSMENTS THAT WERE WERE DONE BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE CAMERON FOUNDATION, VIRGINIA TECH AND THE CRATER HEALTH DISTRICT. SO IN COLLECTING ALL THAT DATA, WE FOUND THAT 63% OF THE COMMUNITY IS RENTER OCCUPANCY IN REFERENCE TO HOUSING, AND THAT OUR HOUSING STOCK IS AGING. AND AN AVERAGE OF 53 YEARS. ACCORDING TO THE DATA, 20%, 22% OF OUR RESIDENTS DO RESIDE IN POVERTY AND THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH EMPLOYMENT OR NEED TO PROMOTE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT. SO SOME OF THE TOP NEEDS THAT THE ASSESSMENTS CAME BACK WITH IS A NEED FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY, YOUTH PROGRAM, JOB TRAINING AND ACCESS TO SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          OKAY. SO THIS SLIDE THIS THIS IS THE MARKET TREND SLIDE A LOT OF THIS DATA WAS AUTOMATICALLY 
          [01:20:02]
POPULATED. SO HUD THE INTEGRATED DISBURSEMENT SYSTEM THAT IS SET UP BY HUD TAPS INTO THE CENSUS DATA. AND SO A LOT OF THE DATA THAT I DID COLLECT WAS AUTOMATICALLY POPULATED BY HUD. 
          SO THAT DATA SHOWED US THAT THE AVERAGE HOME PRICE INCREASED BY 21.5% IN THE CITY. THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING. THE MEDIAN HOME VALUE RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY IS ABOUT $240,000. WE DO SEE A NEED FOR MORE MULTI BEDROOM UNITS. ADA THAT'S ADA IS IN REFERENCE TO DISABILITY ADA COMPLIANT ACCESSIBLE HOUSING. AND THERE'S A NEED FOR HOMEOWNERSHIP SUPPORT. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE INCLUDED IN THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN IS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO COLLABORATE MORE CLOSELY WITH ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK WITHIN THE CITY, SUCH AS THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS AND STATE AGENCIES THAT HELP TO PROMOTE HOUSING WITHIN THE CITY. 
          SO THE FOCUS FOR THIS FIVE YEARS WILL BE A FOCUS ON COORDINATION AND LONG TERM PLANNING. THERE'S A NEED FOR PUBLIC FACILITIES IMPROVEMENTS, SO WE CAN DEFINITELY AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE FIVE YEAR PLAN, AND WE LOOK AT PRODUCING ADDITIONAL ANNUAL ACTION PLANS, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT USING FUTURE CDGB FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS ROADS, SIDEWALKS, UTILITY REPAIRS. AND WE'RE CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN OUR CURRENT PLAN. THE IMPROVEMENT OF PARKS AND GREEN SPACES. SO LOOKING AHEAD, JUST TO WRAP THAT UP, WE'RE LOOKING AT IMPROVING PUBLIC SERVICES OVERALL, ENHANCING INFRASTRUCTURE AND AMENITIES, EXPANDING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING STOCK. AND A LOT OF THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN WAS REALLY LOOKING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT STAYED IN LINE WITH THE PETERSBURG NEXT PLAN SO THAT WE'RE ON ON PAGE AND WORKING TOGETHER. THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU. DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FIRST FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN WE'LL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AFTER THE PUBLIC HEARING, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING. NOW FOR CONSIDERATION OF RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE CITY OF PETERSBURG COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT 2025 2029 CONSOLIDATED PLAN. YES. YES. AND IN YOUR YOU GOTTA COME TO THE MIC. THANK YOU. YOU GOT ONE IN THE BACK? I DO HAVE A QUESTION. I NOTICED IN YOUR PLAN IT DIDN'T. YOU GOT TO SPEAK UP, SWEETIE. WE CAN'T HEAR YOU. I NOTICED IN THE PLAN ADDRESS. OH, I'M SO SORRY. MY NAME IS SHANEKA MCCLELLAN. I WORK FOR PEOPLE'S ADVANTAGE HELPING HANDS, WHICH IS A 500 1C3 FOR PEOPLE'S ADVANTAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION. AND I NOTICED IN YOUR PRESENTATION IT DIDN'T ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS. IS THAT AN ISSUE? I DID SEE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. 
          BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO ARE FACING HOMELESSNESS. SO THAT ACTUALLY IS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN. SO I CAN READ FROM MY NOTES HERE. I TRIED TO CONSOLIDATE THE SLIDES. AND SO. 
          THE PLAN DOES INVOLVE HOUSING NEEDS. AND ACCORDING TO THE RESEARCH, IT SAYS THAT PETERSBURG IS FACING AN ISSUE WITH HOUSING BECAUSE OF THE RISING RENTS AND THE AGING HOUSING STOCK. SO ALTHOUGH WE D% OF THOSE HOMES ARE RENTER OCCUPIED AND OVER 30% OF RESIDENTS LIVE IN POVERTY. SO ONE OF THE PRIORITY NEEDS THAT THAT WILL BE ADDRESSED IS HOMELESSNESS. BUT UNDER THAT TITLE OF HOMELESSNESS AND SPECIAL POPULATIONS, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, UNSHELTERED, UNHOUSED. AND WE WILL BE WORKING IN THE PLAN, WILL BE COLLABORATING WITH PEOPLE'S ADVANTAGE CREDIT UNION AND THE CRATER AREA COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS. AND THROUGH THOSE COLLABORATIONS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. WE'LL BE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING PLANS TO TALK ABOUT EMERGENCY SHELTERS AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING AND YOUTH YOUTH FOCUSED SERVICES, AND ALSO JUST ADDRESSING THOSE OTHER SPECIAL NEEDS POPULATIONS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE'S ADVANTAGE CREDIT UNION WILL BE DOING FOR US IS ASSISTING WITH ZERO TO LOW INTEREST LOANS THAT WILL WILL ENABLE ELDERS IN THE DISABLED POPULATION THAT NEED CRITICAL HOME REPAIR TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT SO THEY CAN STAY IN THEIR HOMES SUCCESSFULLY. SO IT 
          [01:25:01]
IS IN THE PLAN AND ALSO THE PLAN IS AVAILABLE. THE FULL PLAN IS ABOUT 200 AND SOME PAGES. IT IS AVAILABLE AT OUR OFFICE FOR ANYONE THAT WANTS TO COME IN, TAKE A LOOK AT IT OR GET A COPY OF IT, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME AND PICK UP A COPY OF THE PLAN. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. DOCTOR. 
          GUY IN THE BACK CAN'T SEE HIM. OH NINE DAVID BETTS. MY QUESTION IS, I DON'T I DON'T KNOW I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS WILL BE TO YOU BECAUSE WE GOT A LIKE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE AGING HOUSES. 
          WE GOT AGING INFRASTRUCTURE. THE FLOOD JUST HAPPENED LAST NIGHT. IT WAS CRAZY. BUT THE CITY COUNCIL KNEW ABOUT IT BECAUSE ACTUALLY, WHEN THEY TORE DOWN THE HOTEL, I ACTUALLY CAME DOWN HERE AND TOLD THEM ABOUT IT, ASKED THEM TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THEY SAID THEY HAD A STUDY. 
          I'M ASKING IS, WOULD THIS PROGRAM ACTUALLY HELP WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE AS FAR AS THE DRAINAGE AND STUFF AROUND THE CITY? GOOD ANSWER. GOOD DAMN QUESTION RIGHT THERE. THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION. SO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT FUNDS ARE ALLOWED TO BE USED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IS INCLUDED IN THE PLAN. IN THIS YEAR, ONE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN. WE ARE NOT FUNDING ANY PARTICULAR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE YEAR ONE ANNUAL ACTION PLAN. WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE PARKS TO DEVELOP THOSE PARKS AND RECREATIONAL SPACES. BUT MOVING FORWARD. SO THE CONSOLIDATED PLAN IS FOR FIVE YEARS. SO EVERY YEAR WE DO ANOTHER REVIEW AND EVERY YEAR WE COME UP WITH AN ANNUAL ACTION PLAN. SO MOVING FORWARD, SHOULD INFRASTRUCTURE BE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT COMES UP IN THE COMMUNITY PROCESS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, THEN DEFINITELY THE CITY CAN DEFINITELY USE BLOCK GRANT FUNDS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT. OKAY, GOOD. SARAH. MELISSA. ACT 22, CENTRAL COURT, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE INCLUDED GREEN SPACE AND PARKS IN THIS FUNDING. I WOULD LIKE TO TIE IN WITH THE GENTLEMAN WHO JUST SPOKE. THAT PARK IN GREEN SPACE DEVELOPMENT CAN BE USED TO HELP MITIGATE RUNOFF. SO IF WE DO THAT PROPERLY AND WORK IN COORDINATION WITH EVERYBODY, PERHAPS WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THE FUNDING THROUGH STRATEGIC GREEN SPACES AND TREES. THEY DO PULL UP THE WATER, RIGHT. AND HELP HELP TO PREVENT SOME OF THAT FLOODING. THE OTHER THING IS THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND FOCUS SOME OF THAT GREEN SPACE IN THE HEAT ISLANDS. THE HEAT ISLANDS ARE IN THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AND THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE NEED THAT GREEN SPACE AND THOSE TREES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY, OKAY. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. 
          NEXT I HAVE COUNCILMAN MYERS. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I'D LIKE TO THANK JENNIFER FOR ALL THAT SHE HAS DONE TO BRING CDBG, HER AND KOFI INTO COMPLIANCE. I HAD A WONDERFUL MEETING WITH THEM THE OTHER DAY TO ASSIST ME IN HELPING US TO CORRECT OUR WRONGS OF THE LAST MEETING, WHICH WAS MY FAULT TOO, BUT I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. AND YES, I THINK THAT THIS FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT THEY'RE PUTTING FORWARD IS NECESSARY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE DO. 
          ALTHOUGH WE HAVE ABDUCTED HER PLAN FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. BUT I THINK THAT WHAT SHE'S PUTTING FORWARD WILL HELP US AND WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING AND HELP US TO ACHIEVE WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO MOVING FORWARD. THANK YOU. YES. AND I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT HER PLAN. ALL RIGHT. 
          THAT'S A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO ADOPT THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, 20 2529 CONSOLIDATED PLAN. VICE MAYOR HILL SECOND, HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND, MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCILMEMBER CUTHBERT. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          SMITH. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PARENT. AYE. THAT MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. 
          ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE YOU. NEXT IS ITEM F PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND THE KUSHNER PROPERTIES, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 436 BERN STREET. 
          ALL RIGHT, MR. MOORE. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, FIRST OF FOUR REQUEST 
          [01:30:05]
FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS. THIS IS FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF 436 BERN STREET. I'M GOING TO ASK MR. VAN VOORHEES TO PULL UP THE CUT SHEET AGAIN. THIS WILL BE REDEVELOPED AS A SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE. AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'VE OFFERED 125% OF VALUE. THERE'S A REPRESENTATIVE LACUNA HERE. YOU GOT A CLICKER OKAY. WE'RE JUST GOING TO PUT UP THIS ONE. SINCE THE PACKETS ARE SO LARGE SIR. 
          YEAH. SCROLL UP. YOU WANT TO COME UP SIR. YEAH THAT'S. YES MA'AM. AND THEREAFTER THE APPLICANT SPEAKS WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU KINDLY OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY? THANK YOU. YES, SIR. HI. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PRISCILLA ACUNA. MY ADDRESS IS 495. 495 BERN STREET. I DIDN'T PREPARE ANYTHING TODAY. I DIDN'T THINK I HAD TO SPEAK, BUT THE PROPOSAL IS TO PURCHASE THE LOT FROM THE CITY AND TO BUILD A NEW CONSTRUCTION HOME. WE BUILT A PREVIOUS ONE IN THE SAME STREET. NEW CONSTRUCTION FOR 86 BERN STREET. SO IN THE ASSESSED VALUE IS 10,400. WE'RE OFFERING 13,000. AND I ALSO SENT A COPY OF THE PLAN OF LIKE THE DESIGN OF THE HOUSE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND AKUNA PROPERTIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AT 436 BERN STREET. OKAY. SEEING NO HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. COUNCILMAN MYERS. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND AKUNA PROPERTIES, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 436 BERN STREET, LOCATED IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. OKAY, COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. SECOND MOTION. A SECOND AT THIS TIME IS HERE. WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER, CUTHBERT. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MEYER. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. 
          MOTION CARRIES. OKAY. NEXT, MOVE ON TO ITEM G. PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND SQUARE ACRE PROPERTY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 201 VIRGINIA AVENUE. MR. MOORE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 201 VIRGINIA AVENUE. SUMMARY INFORMATION. THERE'S DESIRE FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOME. THEY HAVE OFFERED 100% OF ASSESSED VALUE. THE APPLICANT IS HERE FROM SQUARE AND THEY WILL SPEAK. AFTER THEY SPEAK. WE WOULD KINDLY ASK IF YOU'D OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, SIR. OKAY. HELLO. HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING? HOW Y'ALL DOING? I'M TEAM MANDERVILLE. DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING PREPARED. DIDN'T REALIZE I HAD TO SPEAK TODAY, BUT I JUST BUILT ONE ON 303 WEBSTER STREET. AND WE ALSO BUILT ONE ON 124 PINE. AND WE'RE LOOKING TO CONTINUE TO BUILD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          THANKS. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE FOR THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND SQUARE ACRE PROPERTY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 201 VIRGINIA AVENUE. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO HANDS. THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED, COUNCILMAN MYERS. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, HOORAY FOR WARD FIVE IS ALL I CAN SAY TO YOU. PUBLIC HEARING. I'M SORRY. I MOVE THAT WE ALLOW THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND SQUARE PROPERTY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 201 VIRGINIA AVENUE, LOCATED IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. OKAY, VICE MAYOR HILL, I SECOND THE MOTION A SECOND. MISS HILL. CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WHITE. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. AYE. VICE MAYOR. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. 
          NEXT IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND NEW WAVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 215 SOUTH JONES STREET, 1420 FERNDALE AVENUE, 1150 ROME STREET, 1162 HIDDEN STREET, 201 TERRACE AVENUE, 417 SOUTH JEFFERSON STREET, 921 PRIM STREET 851 EAST BANK STREET, LOCATED IN PETERSBURG. MR. MOORE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AGAIN, I WANT TO REREAD THE PROPERTY LIST. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AGAIN, THIS IS FOR SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT. 100% OF ASSESSED VALUE. AGAIN, A LOT OF GREAT WORK AND DESIRE FOR GREAT WORK WITHIN THE CITY. WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM NEW WAVE HERE. AND AFTER THE 
          [01:35:06]
REPRESENTATIVE SPEAKS WE KINDLY ASK IF YOU'D OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SIR. THANK YOU SIR. 
          GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. GOOD EVENING, NEW WAVE DEVELOPMENT. HOW ARE Y'ALL? SO WE ARE. YEAH. LOOKING TO BUY THESE EIGHT LOTS. DO SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT ON ALL EIGHT. 
          SO WE'RE LOOKING TO BUY THESE THESE EIGHT LOTS AND DO SINGLE FAMILY DEVELOPMENT ON ALL EIGHT OKAY. ALL RIGHT OKAY OKAY. WE'RE OFFERING A 100% THIS TIME SO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND NEW WAVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 215 SOUTH JONES STREET, 1420 FERNDALE AVENUE, 1150 ROME STREET, 1162 HINGE STREET, 201 TERRACE AVENUE, 417 SOUTH JEFFERSON STREET, 921 PRIM STREET. 851 EAST BANK STREET. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO OTHER HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. COUNCILMAN SMITH. LEE. YEAH? I JUST WANT TO ASK A QUESTION. ARE THESE GOING TO BE FOR RENT OR FOR SALE? FOR SALE. OKAY, GREAT. OKAY, OKAY. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT THE ORDINANCE FOR. 
          BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND NEW WAVE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROPERTIES ON JONES, FERNDALE ROAD, HINTON TERRACE. NO, THAT'S NOT MINE. OH, TERRENCE JEFFERSON WAS THAT PERM AND EAST BANK STREET THAT WE ACCEPT THE OFFER? ALRIGHT. AWESOME. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          THAT'S A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS WRITTEN. COUNCILMAN MEYER'S SECOND MOTION A SECOND. 
          MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HUME. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND STEPPING STONE PROPERTIES, LLC, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH FOLEY, TEN NORTH FOLEY STREET AND 340 MISTLETOE STREET. MISTER MOORE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I HAVE TO PULL IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT. THE GENTLEMAN IS QUITE TALL. AGAIN, THIS IS FOR DEVELOPMENT. THE FOLLOWING PROPERTIES. I WON'T REREAD THEM. 
          THIS IS FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND IT'S A CUT SHEET. SHOWS IT WAS FOR 75% OF THE ASSESSED VALUE. I BELIEVE THE PROPERTY HERE. STEFFENSEN. IF NOT SIR. MR. VAN VOORHIS, SCROLL THROUGH AND YOU CAN SEE THE DESIRE, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. AND AFTER THAT, IF YOU'LL KINDLY OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND STEPPINGSTONE PROPERTIES, LLC, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEN NORTH FOLEY STREET AND 340 MISTLETOE STREET. ALL RIGHT, MISTER TALLY. GARY TALLY IS STILL ON FORT ROSS STREET. I LIKE WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN THE PAST IS ACCEPTING 100% OF THE VALUE, AND THIS ONE IS ANOTHER HALF. LET'S NOT GO THAT WAY. 75%. IT WAS 75%, MR. RUDOLPH. I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT BECAUSE IN MY MATH, I DON'T SEE HOW THAT 75%, 6000 COMPARED TO 11,700. I THINK THAT'S WHAT THE NUMBER WAS. IT'S JUST OVER 50%, BUT BARELY. ALL RIGHT, MR. BETTS. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH NOBODY BUILDING NO HOUSES OR NOTHING LIKE THAT. BUT I THINK Y'ALL NEED TO MAKE THESE PEOPLE PUT INSURANCE ON THE ON THE ON THESE THESE CONTRACTS. BECAUSE I GOT A HOUSE ON JONES STREET WHERE THE CONTRACTOR ACTUALLY HAD. A THING TO ACTUALLY GRIND TREES UP AND 
          [01:40:05]
THROW, THROW ALL THE DEBRIS ALL UP AGAINST MY PROPERTY. THEY DON'T EVEN WANT TO PAY FOR IT. I MEAN, THIS IS THIS IS CRAZY. I WOULDN'T EVEN THINK SOMEBODY WOULD TAKE SOMETHING AND PUT IT THAT CLOSE TO ANOTHER PIECE OF PROPERTY AND HAD THROWING, THROWING THE DEBRIS ALL UP THE UNIT. MY UNIT MESSED UP, THE SIDING MESSED UP, AND THEY JUST TELLING ME THAT I'M GONNA HAVE TO TAKE HIM TO COURT. WOW. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO MORE HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT, COUNCILMAN MYERS. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR. I'D LIKE TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND STEPPING STONES PROPERTIES, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TEN FOLEY STREET, TEN NORTH FOLEY STREET, AND 340 MISTLETOE STREET, LOCATED IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. VICE MAYOR HUGH. OUR OUR SECOND. I'LL SECOND THAT. BUT, MR. MOORE, DO YOU THINK WE CAN GET 100%? THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. WE CAN GO BACK TO THE APPLICANT AND REQUEST THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AN EMAIL THAT WE HAD WE HAD ASKED FOR 75%, AND THEY WANTED TO KEEP AT THE 50%. IF YOU WANT TO TABLE THIS AND ASK ME TO GET AN EXPLANATION OF WHY THEY WANT TO KEEP THAT. BUT AGAIN, REMEMBER OUR THE DESIRE IS TO GET THE PROPERTY BACK ON THE ROLLS, GET IT PRODUCTIVE, AND START DEVELOPING STREAMS OF INCOME THAT ARE LONG TERM. I UNDERSTAND THAT, I UNDERSTAND THAT I WOULD SAY IF YOU'RE WILLING TO GO WITH WHAT WE HAVE AT THIS POINT, I'D UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT YEAH, ACTUALLY, DO YOU THINK YOU. MR. COUNCILMAN MYERS, WOULD THAT BE A DEAL BREAKER FOR YOU? I'M JUST ASKING. YOU JUST WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH IT, LIKE. LIKE THE WAY IT IS. I'VE ALREADY SUCKING IT. BUT DO YOU THINK WE CAN GET THAT? YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S AT 75% AND JUST TRYING TO GET 100. BUT I KNOW WE'RE GOING. I KNOW IT'S GOING TO GET BACK ON THE TAX RATE. BUT I'M JUST ASKING YOU IS YOUR AREA I MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE THE VOTES ANYWAY. I KNOW, I KNOW, BUT I'M AND I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE, WHERE WE ALL SHOULD BE. BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO GET A NEW PIECE OF PROPERTY TAKEN CARE OF AND BACK ON THE TAX ROLL, I THINK WE'LL MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I SECOND THAT, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. NEXT, A MOTION AND SECOND AT THIS TIME IS HILL. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM J, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A DEED OF EASEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY TO INSTALL A TRANSFORMER AND ASSOCIATED UNDERGROUND CONDUITS AND CABLES FOR THE POOR. CREEK PUMPING STATION ON CITY PROPERTY LOCATED AT 960 WINFIELD ROAD. MR. KOPPEL, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR HILL, COUNCILMAN BRIAN KOPPEL, CITY ENGINEER. AS THE MAYOR STATED, OUR PAPER IS FOR AN EASEMENT REQUEST FROM DOMINION POWER TO INSTALL ADDITIONAL TRANSFORMERS AND ADDITIONAL UNDERGROUND LINES FOR THE POOR CREEK PUMP STATION. THIS IS. THIS IS NEEDED TO KEEP THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD, SO RECOMMEND APPROVAL. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NEXT WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A DEED OF EASEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND VIRGINIA ELECTRIC AND POWER COMPANY TO INSTALL A TRANSFORMER AND ASSOCIATED UNDERGROUND CONDUITS AND CABLES FOR THE POOR CREEK PUMPING STATION PROJECT ON CITY PROPERTY LOCATED AT 960 WINFIELD ROAD. ALL RIGHT. THAT REALLY? SHORT? I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY I AM GLAD TO HEAR THAT THESE CONDUITS ARE GOING TO BE GOING UNDERGROUND, AND I THINK THAT THE CITY SHOULD DO EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN AS THEY DEVELOP THEIR OWN PROPERTY AND SUBDIVISIONS TO KEEP ELECTRICAL LINES AND CONDUITS UNDERGROUND, TO IMPROVE AND BEAUTIFY OUR CITY. THANK YOU. NEXT, SEEING NO MORE HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT, VICE MAYOR HILL. MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A DEED OF EASEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND VIRGINIA ELECTRIC 
          [01:45:01]
AND POWER COMPANY TO INSTALL TRANSFORMER ASSOCIATED UNDERGROUND CONDUIT AND CABLE FOR THE POOR CREEK PUMPING STATION PROJECT. PROJECT ON CITY PROPERTIES LOCATED AT 968 WINFIELD ROAD, AND I PRAY THAT THEY KEEP THAT PROPERTY CUT OR WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO. GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. SECOND MOTION A SECOND. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL? COUNCIL MEMBER. CATHCART. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. PAIR. 
          AYE. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT IS PUBLIC INFORMATION. MR. MAYOR, BEFORE WE GO TO THAT, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONS OR SOME CONCERNS THAT COME UP ABOUT THE STORM AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. CAN WE TAKE A QUICK DETOUR AND HAVE THE CITY MANAGER AND THE POLICE CHIEF AND THE FIRE CHIEF TO PRESENT WHERE WE ARE WITH THE STORM AND WHAT HAVE YOU? YOU CAN START OFF, MR. MARCH. IT CAN WE DO THAT REAL QUICK? BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOME QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE ANSWERED THROUGH THEIR PRESENTATION, MR. MARCH. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, SURE. MR. CITY MANAGER, MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. MEMBERS OF THE OF THE COMMUNITY. WE ALL EXPERIENCED A QUITE A BIT OF RAIN LAST NIGHT AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE EXPERIENCED THAT NOT JUST LAST EVENING, BUT SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND REALLY LEADING IN THE WEEK UP TO SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND LAST EVENING, WE PROBABLY EXPERIENCED THE EQUIVALENT OF 100 YEAR STORMS EACH EVENING, WHICH PUT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RAIN INTO THE COMMUNITY, INTO ALL OF OUR CREEKS AND TO OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM. AND QUITE FRANKLY, OVERWHELMED IT. WE BELIEVE, AND I'LL SAY, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A REPORT OF AT LEAST FIVE INCHES OF RAIN YESTERDAY. I BELIEVE THAT'S HIGHER, PROBABLY MORE ON THE ORDER, CLOSER TO TEN INCHES OF RAIN THAT WE EXPERIENCED IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. AS THE STORM KEPT LOOPING BACK OVER THE CITY AND REFORMING. WE HAD SIGNIFICANT FLOODING THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AS YOU KNOW, AND I HATE TO SAY IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'VE EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE, BUT WE DID HAVE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING. SEVERAL ROADS OUT SUNDAY EVENING WHEN THE STORM CAME THROUGH, WE HAD ABOUT 1100 CITIZENS WITHOUT POWER. LAST NIGHT, WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 400 CITIZENS THAT LOST POWER, WHICH IS PRIMARILY DUE TO A TRANSFORMER FIRE THAT OCCURRED ON ONE OF OUR ONE OF THE DOMINION POLES. POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED. I THINK THE GOOD NEWS IN ALL OF THIS IS THERE WERE NO FATALITIES AND NO INJURIES TO ANY OF OUR CITIZENS IN THE COMMUNITY. THERE IS PROPERTY DAMAGE. THERE ARE SEVERAL CARS THAT WERE ABANDONED OR CAUGHT UP IN THE FLOOD WATERS, THAT WERE PUSHED INTO CREEKS THAT WERE DAMAGED. WE ARE AND WE WILL BE WORKING. WE'RE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH VDEM. THEY WILL HAVE A CREW IN THE CITY TOMORROW ASSISTING US WITH DAMAGE ASSESSMENT WORK. SO WE'VE SET UP AND THIS IS KIND OF FOR ALL THOSE THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT, THOSE OUT AND WILL BE PUSHING IT OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. WE'VE SET UP AN EMAIL ADDRESS FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL IN THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS DAMAGE, WHETHER THAT'S TO THE VEHICLE, TO THEIR HOME, TO THEIR BUSINESS. EMAIL EM AT PETERSBURG, VA.ORG. THAT WILL THEN COME INTO OUR SYSTEM AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK IT, AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO GO OUT AND DO DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS AND REPORTS. AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE'RE GOING TO BE TRACKING THIS AS IF WE WERE GOING TO BE REPORTING ALL OF OUR INFORMATION AND DATA TO FEMA. WE'RE NOT SURE THAT ANY FEMA MONEY WILL BECOME AVAILABLE. THERE HASN'T BEEN A NATIONAL DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY DECLARED, NOR STATEWIDE. WE HAVE DECLARED AS WE, I THINK COUNCIL EARLIER, RATIFYING THE DECISION TO DECLARE A LOCAL EMERGENCY, STATE OF EMERGENCY HERE AS A RESULT OF THE FLOODING DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED LAST EVENING AND INTO THE EARLY HOURS OF THIS MORNING. 
          OUT AND ABOUT THIS TODAY IN THE CITY, SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE COMING INTO THE MEETING. AND I'LL LET THE CHIEFS VERIFY THIS. COMING INTO THE MEETING, THE ONLY ROADS THAT WE HAD CLOSED AT THE TIME WERE STILL FOR 60. BETWEEN PINE TREE APARTMENTS AND WAGNER ROAD, THERE WAS WATER OVERTOPPING SHEET FLOWING ACROSS FOR ALL FOUR LANES OF 460, AND WE STILL HAD A PORTION OF THE JOE JOSEPH JENKINS ROAD THAT'S STILL WAS OUT. WE HAD FLOOD WATERS IN THE HARBOR. I WANT TO COMMEND BOTH. 
          WELL, REALLY, POLICE, FIRE, PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR STAFF FOR THEIR WORK LAST NIGHT. IT WAS A TEAM EFFORT AND THEY ALL PULLED IN AND HANDLED IT BEAUTIFULLY. OUR OUR GUYS REALLY WORKED HARD AND GIRLS WORKED REALLY HARD LAST NIGHT TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS. AND I THINK WE JUST WANT TO COMMEND THEM HERE TODAY PUBLICLY TO FOR ALL THE EFFORTS THAT THEY MADE AND ALL THE WORK THAT WAS DONE ON BEHALF OF OUR CITIZENS. PAT WAS ACTUALLY USED TO SHELTER. WE TOOK SOME BUSSES 
          [01:50:07]
OUT AND SHELTERED THE RESIDENTS FROM WOODMERE APARTMENTS THAT HAD TO BE EVACUATED AS A RESULT OF THE FLOODING FROM THE LAKE BEHIND THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, WE SHELTERED THEM ON BUSSES. AS WITH THE WATER, ONCE THE WATER STARTED TO RESIDE GO AWAY, THEY WERE ABLE TO GO BACK INTO THEIR APARTMENTS. WE WATCHED AND OVER OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY, WATER IS, YOU KNOW, RESIDING EVERYWHERE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. BUT IT WAS A IT WAS A LONG NIGHT. I'M SURE THESE GENTLEMEN ARE WORKING ON FUMES AT THE MOMENT. SO I WILL TURN IT OVER TO THEM AND LET THEM GIVE YOU A QUICK BRIEFING OF WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID IT HAS BEEN A LONG NIGHT FOR BOTH POLICE FIRE. WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE GUYS AND LADIES THAT HAVE WORKED THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT. A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE HERE HAVE BEEN UP ALL NIGHT LONG WORKING TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP OUR CITY SAFE, JUST AS A PRECAUTION. THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD TO WHAT WAS SAID IS IN THE EVENT THAT YOU SEE HIGH WATER IS ANYWHERE IN OUR CITY, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU AVOID TRAVELING THROUGH THOSE AREAS BY VEHICLE OR BY FOOT. WE DID SEE A LOT OF VEHICLES OUT LAST NIGHT. WE, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF FIRE AND POLICE PERSONNEL, WE HAD TO RESCUE MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THOSE WATERS BECOME VERY DANGEROUS. WHILE THEY APPEAR TO BE SHALLOW, IN MOST CASES, THAT WATER CURRENT BELOW CAN ACTUALLY TAKE YOUR VEHICLES AWAY. AND WE'VE WE'VE HAD PEOPLE TRAPPED IN VEHICLES AND PEOPLE TRAPPED INSIDE APARTMENTS. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAD WE DID SOME EVACUATIONS WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF FIRE. BUT WE'RE THANKFUL THAT AS THE CITY MANAGER SAID, THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES. AND WE JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KEEP SAFE. AND WE DO EXPECT TO HAVE SOME MORE RAINFALL. AND WE'RE ASKING THAT, PLEASE, IF YOU CAN. WHILE THE WEATHER IS KIND OF CALM RIGHT NOW, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO, YOU NEED TO BE OUT IN THE IN THE ROADWAYS FOR TRY TO DO THAT BEFORE IT GETS DARK. ROADS LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN IT GETS DARK, AND WE'RE ASKING EVERYBODY TO STAY INSIDE AND BE SAFE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CHIEF. ALL RIGHT. HONORABLE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, PLEASURE TO BE BEFORE YOU. TONIGHT. AS CHIEF CHRISTIAN WAS SAYING, IT'S BEEN A VERY, VERY LONG NIGHT FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED. AN ABSOLUTE TEAM EFFORT FROM ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC WORKS, EVERYBODY ELSE. WE QUICKLY BECAME, I GUESS THE TERM WOULD BE ALMOST OVERWHELMED WITH THE AMOUNT OF CALLS STARTED COMING IN AROUND 10:00 PM. RAPID RISE OF WATER. 
          WE HAD EVERY RESOURCE DEPLOYED TO THE FIELD, REALIZING THAT THIS THING WAS ESCALATING, WE ACTIVATED THE REGIONAL HAZMAT TECHNICAL RESCUE TEAM FOR THEIR SWIFT WATER BOAT CREWS. WE GOT THOSE IN. WE GOT A COUPLE OF MUTUAL AID UNITS FROM OUR SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS TO CONTINUE TO HELP WITH THE CALL LOAD. OUR BIGGEST THREAT TO LIFE SAFETY WAS OBVIOUSLY THE APARTMENT BUILDING, RAPID RISE OF WATER. WE USE BOATS AND ALL THE PUBLIC SAFETY PARTICIPATED IN REMOVING THOSE RESIDENTS CAME THROUGH AGAIN, JUST LIKE THEY DID ON GUARANTEE STREET WITH THEIR BUSSES. WE WERE ABLE TO SHELTER THOSE RESIDENTS IN PLACE AND WAITED FOR THE WATER TO RECEDE, AND THEN ASSISTED THEM BACK IN. WE SET UP A PARTIAL EOC AT NEW FIRE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING AND WORKED. WE WORKED A LOT OF LOGISTICAL STUFF FROM THAT LOCATION. WE RUN OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THROUGH THERE AS WELL. VIETNAM HAS BEEN ON SITE ALL DAY LONG, AS CITY MANAGER ALTMAN SAID, AND WE CANNOT THANK THE STATE ENOUGH. AS I WAS COMING BACK INTO WORK THIS MORNING, I GOT A CALL FROM GOVERNOR YOUNGKIN AND OFFERING EVERY RESOURCE HE COULD POSSIBLY GIVE US TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY'S SAFE. WE TOOK SOME INFRASTRUCTURE HITS LAST NIGHT. 
          ONE OF THE MAIN ONES IS OUR COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, BUT WE ARE UP AND RUNNING AT THIS TIME AND WE HAVE HAD LOCAL AND STATE RESOURCES ON SCENE. AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE NOW IS SOLID AND WE'RE STILL IN A RESPONSE MODE. AND AS I TOLD THE MEDIA TODAY, IF THE SAME SITUATION HAPPENED THIS AFTERNOON, WE ARE ALL READY AND PREPARED. SO AT THIS TIME, MR. MAYOR, WE'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYONE MAY HAVE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. BOTH CHIEFS AND ALL YOUR STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK YOU'VE DONE TO KEEP US SAFE HERE IN PETERSBURG. 
          IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL? NO. I JUST WANT TO THANK THE CITIZENS FOR ALLOWING THEM TO PRESENT, BECAUSE I WANTED THEM TO PRESENT BEFORE, BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE PRESENT, THEY JUST GET UP AND LEAVE. BUT I WANTED MOST OF THE CITIZENS IN HERE TO HEAR WHERE WE ARE WITH WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AND WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN THE 
          [01:55:03]
NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THE ALMANAC, YOU LOOK AT THE WEATHER, WE'RE STILL GOING TO GET SOME MORE WEATHER AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE FROM PETERSBURG AND KNOW PETERSBURG, YOU KNOW, THE LOW LYING AREAS NOT TO DRIVE IN. AND IT JUST AMAZED ME HOW PEOPLE KEEP ON DRIVING IN THOSE AREAS, YOU KNOW? AND I GOT LIKE, IT CAN'T BE A RESIDENT FROM PETERSBURG TO KNOW KNOW THE CITY. BUT THEN IT WAS DIFFERENT PLACES. THIS TIME THERE WAS FLOODED IN DIFFERENT PLACES THAT NORMALLY DON'T FLOOD. SO I WANT TO COMMEND OUR STAFF. I WANT TO COMMEND THE CITY MANAGER, BOTH CHIEFS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE WHO WHO PARTICIPATED AND COMMEND THE MAYOR AS WELL. HE DID AN AWESOME JOB WITH THE MEDIA TODAY AS WELL, REPRESENTING THE COUNCIL AND REPRESENTING THE CITIZENS. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT ITEM IS THE PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD. PUBLIC 
          [9. Public Information Period]
INFORMATION PERIOD. LIMITING TIME TO 30 MINUTES SHOULD BE A PART OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. 
          AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. EACH SPEAKER SHALL BE A RESIDENT OR BUSINESS OWNER OF THE CITY AND SHALL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. NO SPEAKER WILL BE PERMITTED TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM SCHEDULED FOR CONSIDERATION ON A REGULAR DOCKET OF THE MEETING AT WHICH THE SPEAKER IS TO SPEAK. 
          THE ORDER OF SPEAKERS IS LIMITED BY THE 30 MINUTE TIME PERIOD SHALL BE DETERMINED AS FOLLOWS A FIRST IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE NOTICE. PERSONS WHO HAVE NOTIFIED THE CLERK NO LATER THAN 12:00 NOON OF THE DAY OF THE MEETING. B SECOND, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THEIR SIGN UP. PERSONS WHO HAVE SIGNED THE SIGN UP SHEET PLACED BY THE CLERK IN THE REAR OF THE MEETING ROOM PRIOR TO THE MEETING. REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. OKAY. LYNN HARRISON. 
          LYNN HARRISON 19 KENNEDY COURT. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. IT IS NOT MY DESIRE TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT YOU'VE GIVEN ME NO OPTION. AND YOU ALL KNOW WHY I'M HERE. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PERSONAL OPINION BASED ON DOCUMENTS, EMAILS, TEXT MESSAGES, SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO LAY A FOUNDATION OF MY COMPETENCY FOR WHAT I WILL BE SPEAKING TODAY. IN 1978, I WAS THE FIRST FEMALE FIRST MINORITY PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER SAINT LOUIS POLICE ACADEMY. I WORKED FOR A POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE I HAD 1200 EMPLOYEES AND 900 SWORN OFFICERS, AND OUT OF THOSE 900 SWORN OFFICERS, THERE WAS LESS THAN 24 OFFICERS OF MINORITIES. I HAVE THREE HIGHER EDUCATION DEGREES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE, TWO IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND I HAVE TAUGHT AT SEVERAL UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AS AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, AN ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, A GUEST LECTURER, INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER WITH THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN HOMELAND SECURITY. I AM PUBLISHED IN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CRIMINOLOGY. I HAVE SAID ON SEVERAL FEDERAL AND STATE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE. I'VE CREATED OVER 50 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING. PROFESSOR BY COURTESY FOR CIVILIAN PRO BONO FOR THE FBI, NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR POLICE DEPARTMENT UNDER A CONSENT DECREE. I'M A FORMER MEMBER OF NOBLE, THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF BLACK LAW ENFORCEMENT EXECUTIVES. I'M A GRADUATE OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA CERTIFICATION MAGISTRATE SCHOOL AND A FORMER MAGISTRATE OF PETERSBURG. ON MAY THE 3RD, 2025, I FILED AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS COMPLAINT AGAINST A COMMAND LEVEL OFFICER OF THE PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND ALSO THE DEPARTMENT ITSELF, FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH STATE LAW REGARDING FOR YOUR REQUEST. 
          AGAIN, THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION. MY COMPLAINT LISTED FOR THAT OFFICER. MISUSE OF PUBLIC OFFICE DEFORMATION FITNESS FOR DUTY, KNOWINGLY SUBMITTING AN ALTERNATED, EDITED AND FALSE EVIDENCE OF INFORMATION ON AN OFFICIAL DOCUMENT. THAT COMPLAINT CONTAINED ALL THE SUPPORTING EVIDENCE OF MY CLAIMS. THE COMPLAINT IS AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AT THIS TIME BY A FOUR YEAR REQUEST. IT IS NOT EXEMPT FROM ANY PERSONNEL BECAUSE THERE IS NO ACTION THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN, AND THE COMPLAINT ITSELF IS NOT EXEMPT. IF THE PUBLIC KNEW THE CONTENT OF THIS COMPLAINT, THIS COUNCIL WILL BE PRESSED FOR ANSWERS. CITIZENS WOULD BE OUTRAGED AND 
          [02:00:04]
WE WILL MAKE NATIONAL NEWS. UNLIKE PETERSBURG, COLONIAL HEIGHTS UNDERSTANDS THE LEGAL LIABILITY FOR FAILURE TO RESPOND TO A FOUR YEAR REQUEST. THIS OFFICER, HIGH RANKING OFFICER, THIS OFFICER SOLICITED FROM COLONIAL HEIGHTS POLICE DEPARTMENT, SLICED, DICED, EDITED AN OFFICER'S BODY CAMERA AND PRESENTED IT AS EVIDENCE IN MY BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION FROM THE DEPARTMENT. MISS HARRISON, YOUR THREE MINUTES HAVE COME TO A CLOSE. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT, WE HAVE CHUBBY AND SHIRLEY YARN. SAINT MATTHEW STREET. NEXT WE HAVE MARLOW GREEN. 
          GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, MAYOR MARLOW GREEN, 301 ROLFE STREET. SO FIRST, FOR STARTERS, I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE FIRE AND RESCUE SQUAD, ALONG WITH PUBLIC WORKS ON THEIR PHENOMENAL WORK TODAY AND LAST FEW DAYS WITH ALL THE FLOODING. THEN ALSO, MISS ANNETTE, YOU CALLED ME LAST NIGHT. I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE IT WAS THAT BAD OUTSIDE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. 
          BUT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO FLOODING ON POCAHONTAS ISLAND, WHICH IS GOOD. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THEN TO MOVE IT ALONG THE APPOMATTOX RIVER TRAIL. I KEEP COMING UP HERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT IT. THERE'S HIGH GRASS, AND EACH TIME I'M BEING TOLD THAT I NEED TO GO TAKE PICTURES AND DO SOMEONE ELSE'S JOB, AND I HAVE MY OWN JOB. SO I HAVE TO TAKE OFF MY JOB TO DO SOMEBODY ELSE'S. AND SO I TAKE PICTURES AND I SEND THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE INDIVIDUALS. THE GRASS EVENTUALLY GETS CUT. HOWEVER, THIS TIME WHEN THEY CUT THE GRASS, THEY PUT BLINDERS ON WHEN THEY WENT INTO THE ENTRANCE, BECAUSE THE GRASS IN THE FRONT IS ALMOST TO MY HIP. 
          AND SO THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE. ONCE AGAIN, I HAVE MY OWN JOB, SO I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TELL THE PEOPLE HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS, ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M PAYING TAXES. THE OTHER PIECE, OH, AS IT RELATES TO THE APPOMATTOX TRAIL AS WELL, I FREQUENTLY GO TO PATTON PARK AND ALSO POPLAR, AND I JUST FIND IT UNBELIEVABLE THAT WE ENSURE THAT THOSE PROPERTIES ARE TAKEN CARE OF, BUT WE JUST COMPLETELY FORGET ABOUT THE APPOMATTOX RIVER TRAIL SO WE COULD PLEASE GET THAT ON A MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. THE OTHER ITEM I WANTED TO MENTION WAS THE SALE OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I ASKED THE GENTLEMAN WHO WAS UP HERE A MOMENT AGO WAS WHETHER HE WAS GOING TO RESELL. I THINK THE WAY THAT CUTHBERT PUT THAT PROVISION IN, I DID A WHILE BACK, OR AT LEAST HE ATTEMPTED TO PREVENT MY SUBDIVISION OF THE ACRE OF LAND THAT I HAVE. I THINK WE NEED TO CONSIDER SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT, ANOTHER PROVISION TO ENSURE PEOPLE ACTUALLY RESELL THESE HOMES, BECAUSE THEY CAN SAY YES UP HERE AND GET YOU GUYS TO APPROVE IT, AND THEN GO AND RENT THEM ALL. THE OTHER ITEM I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION IS THE HOME REPAIRS WE HAVE. WHAT IS IT CALLED, REBUILDING TOGETHER? RICHMOND IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE AT THE POCAHONTAS CHAPEL TOMORROW AT 530. IT'S FREE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM THAT THEY'RE OFFERING. THEY'RE ACTUALLY BRANCHING OUT TO THE TRI CITIES, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL. AND SO SOMETIMES THE SUPPORT IS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, BUT WE TAKE ALL DOLLARS. AND SO I WOULD SAY IF ANYBODY IN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE ELDERLY LOW INCOME, PLEASE COME OUT TO THE POCAHONTAS CHAPEL, WHICH IS ON WITTEN STREET ON POCAHONTAS ISLAND. DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT ADDRESS, BUT YOU'LL SEE US OUT THERE. IT'S FROM FREE DINNER AS WELL, SO YOU CAN COME AND SEE IF YOU'RE ELIGIBLE FOR THEIR PROGRAM AND GET YOUR HOUSE FIXED FOR FREE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT, MISS BOB RUDOLPH. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL BARBARA RUDOLPH, 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. WHAT I'M GOING TO BRING UP IS, I HOPE, IS WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO, VICE MAYOR HILL. I HOPE IT'S THE SAME ISSUE BECAUSE THAT WOULD MEAN YOU'RE ON IT. ANYWAY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DECISION MAKING AND THEN HOW IT CARRIES OUT. I WAS REALLY SURPRISED. THIS MORNING. I DROVE DOWN SOUTH CRATER ROAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AREA, AND I NOTICED THIS REALLY VIBRANT STORE ON MY LEFT, RIGHT AFTER I CROSSED WAGNER ROAD. AND IT IS INDEED THE VAPE SHOP THAT CREATED SO MUCH DISSENSION AND UNHAPPINESS ON COUNCIL BACK ON APRIL 15TH. SO ONCE I SAW THAT, I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT AND REREAD THE MINUTES AND THE PROGRESS INDEX STORY, BECAUSE MY RECOLLECTION I WAS AT THAT MEETING WAS THAT COUNCILOR CUTHBERT HILL AND JONES ALL WERE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THE PROLIFERATION OF VAPE SHOPS IN PETERSBURG AND HOW IT NEEDS TO BE STOPPED. AND YOU ALL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO TURN DOWN THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PROPOSED THAT WAS ALSO GOING TO FACILITATE THIS GENTLEMAN OPENING A VAPE SHOP. AND IT INVOLVED AND IT SEEMS LIKE AT THE VERY LEAST, HE 
          [02:05:02]
WOULD HAVE HAD TO GET A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. BUT IT APPEARED AT 830 THIS MORNING THAT IT WAS WIDE OPEN AND FOR BUSINESS AND LIT UP. NOW I WILL TELL YOU, A FRIEND OF MINE TOLD ME ABOUT IT THE OTHER DAY, SO THAT KIND OF ALERTED ME TO LOOK FOR IT AS I DROVE DOWN THE STREET. OR AT LEAST I PROBABLY WASN'T EVEN LOOKING, BUT IT DREW MY EYE ANYWAY. AT LEAST THAT WAY I WASN'T. I KIND OF KNEW WHAT I WAS LOOKING AT, SO MY QUESTION WOULD BE YOU ALL MADE YOU ALL. 
          NOT ONLY DID YOU MAKE A UNANIMOUS DECISION, IT WAS A VERY YOU WERE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT AND YOU ALL HAD A LOT TO SAY. IT GOT WRITTEN UP IN THE NEWSPAPER. IT BECAME CLEAR THAT THE CITY COUNCIL'S WILL WAS, WE DO NOT WANT THESE BUSINESSES TO CONTINUE BEING OPENED IN OUR CITY. SO AS A CITIZEN, I'M ASKING WHAT HAPPENED. THAT'S IT. NOW IS IN BUSINESS. DO PEOPLE JUST, YOU KNOW, IS DO YOUR DECISIONS MEAN ANYTHING? AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU, VICE MAYOR HILL, BECAUSE YOU TALKED ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MAYBE THIS MAYBE PERTAIN TO THIS SITUATION. 
          OR IF IT DIDN'T, IT MEETS THE SAME THING. BUT YOU ALSO SAID SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR DOING SOMETHING AND ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS LATER. I MEAN, THAT KIND OF FITS WITH JUST THE RULE HERE IS THERE IS NO CONSISTENT. THERE'S VERY LITTLE CONSISTENCY. EVERYTHING IS INCONSISTENT, WHETHER IT BE HOW MUCH WE CHARGE TO SELL CITY PROPERTIES OR WHO GETS APPROVED TO OPEN BUSINESSES, AND WHO GETS TO CIRCUMVENT DECISIONS AND WHO WHO HAS TO ABIDE BY THEM. I MEAN, ALL OF THIS. IT'S CRAZY. I MEAN, YOU ALL. I APPRECIATE A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE UP HERE TONIGHT AND, AND AT THAT MEETING. SO I BELIEVE YOU ARE TRYING TO DO THE RIGHT THING, BUT SOMEWHERE IT'S GETTING CIRCUMVENTED. AND I PERSONALLY HAVE NO OBJECTION TO, TO VAPE SHOP. I MEAN, I'D BE HYPOCRITE IF I SAID I WAS, BUT I DON'T THINK I DON'T THINK YOU ALL HAVE LEFT ANY, ANY AMBIVALENCE ABOUT YOUR POSITION ON IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS RUDOLPH. NEXT WE HAVE. DOCTOR SARAH. MELISSA. SARAH, MELISSA, 22, CENTER HILL COURT. WITH THE RECENT RAINS, JUST ONE POINT I'D LIKE TO BRING UP IN OUR HASTE TO DEVELOP CITY PROPERTY, ESPECIALLY NEAR WETLANDS, I THINK WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT LONG TERM PLAN AND PREPARE FOR FUTURE FLOODING, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROTECTING LAND THAT CAN ABSORB THAT WATER BEFORE IT COMES INTO PEOPLE'S HOUSES. SO JUST AS WE'RE DEVELOPING THAT, TO REALLY, REALLY THINK FAR INTO THE FUTURE, BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE. I'D LIKE TO SWITCH GEARS HERE A LITTLE BIT AND ADDRESS A COUPLE OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEW COURTHOUSE PROJECT. I'M REALLY GLAD TO SEE THE WEBSITE UP. HOWEVER, I HAVE SUBMITTED QUESTIONS TO THAT WEBSITE OVER TWO WEEKS AGO AND I'VE BEEN CHECKING IT REGULARLY. NO ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN POSTED. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE POST ANSWERS TO THAT IN A TIMELY MANNER SO THAT CITIZENS HAVE TIME TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RELEVANT PEOPLE. I CAN'T READ MY OWN WRITING. I'D LIKE YOU TO. I KNOW THAT THE COURTHOUSE IS PART OF THE MASTER PLAN. IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THAT MASTER PLAN POSTED FOR CITIZENS BEFORE THE COURTHOUSE GETS TOO FAR DOWN THE ROAD, SO THAT WE CAN SEE HOW ALL OF THAT FITS IN IN TO THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND NEEDS. WE DID ASK AT THE MEETING FOR TRAFFIC SPEEDING TO HAVE TRAFFIC STUDIES POSTED AS LINKS ON THE WEBSITE SOMEWHERE. THAT WAS ABOUT A MONTH AGO. WE STILL DO NOT HAVE THOSE TRAFFIC STUDIES POSTED, SO I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE HAVING THOSE POSTED IN A TIMELY MANNER AS WELL. AND THEN WITH THE COURTHOUSE, THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION BEING HAD ABOUT HOW IT INTERACTS WITH HASTINGS COURTHOUSE. I PULLED UP GOOGLE MAPS OUT OF CURIOSITY AND JUST MEASURED THE DISTANCE BETWEEN HASTINGS COURTHOUSE AND THE HOUSES ON CENTER HILL. CENTER HILL HOUSES ARE HALF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE NEW COURTHOUSE AND HASTINGS, YET CENTER HILL PROPERTIES DO NOT APPEAR IN ANY OF THOSE PLANS. 
          [02:10:01]
THERE'S NO DISCUSSION IN IN ANYTHING THAT I CAN SEE ABOUT CENTER HILL. CENTER HILL IS NOT A SECOND CLASS HISTORIC DISTRICT. WE WORK VERY HARD UP THERE TO PROTECT OUR TREES AND TO WATCH OUT FOR EACH OTHER, AND WE DO NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN THOSE COURTHOUSE PLANS. SO PLEASE WORK WITH THE DEVELOPER TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN THEY DO PICTURES, CENTER HILL IS REPRESENTED AND THAT THEY THEY ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF CENTER HILL. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. 
          NEXT, MR. MARK LIPS. YES. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING, MARK KENNEDY COURT. I ACTUALLY I WOULD LIKE TO DONATE MY THREE MINUTES TO LYNN HARRISON BECAUSE I'M HIGHLY CURIOUS OF WHAT SHE HAD TO SAY WHEN HER THREE MINUTES WERE UP. THE RULES OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD DOES NOT ALLOW THAT. THANK YOU. CAN'T DO THAT. NEXT IS ANTHONY SACCO. GOOD EVENING, CITY COUNCIL. I'M JOHNNY, 20 WEST OLD STREET. I'M A BUSINESS OWNER OF THE ART EXCHANGE DOWN THERE. 
          PRIMARILY ONE INTRODUCING MYSELF TO THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW ME AND REINTRODUCED MYSELF TO THOSE OF YOU WHO DO. I AM AN ARTIST. I AM A VETERAN. I AM A COMMUNITY ACTIVIST. I AM A COMMUNITY DEVELOPER. I STARTED A BUSINESS DOWN IN OLD TOWN. I LOVE PETERSBURG, COMING HERE FROM A DIFFERENT COUNTRY. I WILL SAY THIS. I'M NOTICING THAT THIS TOWN IS A REACTIONARY TOWN, AND I SAY THAT IN THE SENSE OF I THINK ABOUT THE FLOOD THAT I RECEIVED LAST NIGHT, AND I'VE CALLED A FEW TIMES TO HAVE MY DRAINS CLEANED. THE ONE THE MAIN DRAIN THAT CATCHES ALL THE WATER FROM THE TOP OF SYCAMORE TO THE BOTTOM OF OLD STREET. IT ALL STOPS IN THE FRONT OF MY BUILDING. ALL RIGHT. LAST WEEK I WAS DISTURBED TO HEAR THAT THE MR. MOORE SAID THAT THE BUSINESS OWNERS, THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, WE ARE HOBBYISTS. THAT WAS VERY DISRESPECTFUL. LAST NIGHT, ALONG WITH THE POLICE AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. ME, MYSELF AND I SAT OUT THERE WITH SANDBAGS TO PROTECT MY HISTORICAL BUILDING. IT'S NOT MINE. IT'S YOURS, MR. CUTBIRTH, BUT TO PROTECT MY BUSINESS FROM GOING UNDER. AGAIN. WHAT'S THE PLAN? I MEAN, I KNOW THIS WATER HAS BEEN FLOWING FOR YEARS. I MEAN, THAT BUILDING HAS BEEN THERE SINCE 1847. WE'RE ABOUT TO GET A CASINO. I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT. I VOTED FOR IT. I POSITIONED MYSELF TO REAP BENEFITS FROM IT. 
          RIGHT. MY BUSINESS IS VERY UNIQUE IN THE FACT THAT I PRODUCE ALL MY OWN PRODUCTS. I SERVICE HERE LOCALLY. EVERYTHING IS LOCAL AND WHAT I PROVIDE IS SOMETHING THAT IS NO OTHER BUSINESS LIKE THAT. THIS IS WHAT THE CASINO IS LOOKING FOR. THIS IS WHAT YOU GUYS WANT FOR TOURISM. BUT IF THERE'S NO PLAN TO PROTECT THE BUSINESSES, I'M JUST KIND OF CURIOUS. DO YOU PLAN ON SERVING THIS FINE STEAK DINNER ON A GARBAGE CAN LID? INFRASTRUCTURE IS KEY. IT'S BEAUTIFUL THAT MAIN STREET WANTS TO COME AND MAKE EVERYTHING AND FACELIFT AND ALL THAT. BUT IF OUR SEWERS AREN'T WORKING, IF OUR DRINK. WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN FOR DRAINAGE. THIS AIN'T NEW. IF WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN FOR IT. I MEAN, I'M INVESTED IN THE IRONWORKS AS WELL TO BRING TO BRING EVENTS HERE. I AM DOING COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OUT OF MY OWN POCKET. BUT IF YOU GUYS ARE NOT GOING TO SIT HERE AND HAVE A PLAN, I MEAN, MAYBE YOU DO. I'M NOT FAMILIAR. I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET. I'M HERE TO HELP. I'M HERE TO WORK. BUT WE NEED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF PLAN, NOT BE REACTIONARY. WE NEED TO HAVE THE REASON I'M A VETERAN AND I'M STILL ALIVE. BECAUSE I FOLLOW THE PLAN. DID WHAT I HAD TO DO, AND I GOT HOME SAFE. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE. NOW. IF WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PRESENT THIS STEAK DINNER? I'M JUST CURIOUS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT, MISS CARA STEVENS. OKAY. MISS MCCLELLAN WAS WITH MAIN STREET, AND CYNTHIA MARTIN WAS OF MAIN STREET. OKAY, THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD. NEXT, WE MOVE ON TO 
          [10. Business or reports from the Mayor or other Members of City Council]
BUSINESS REPORTS FROM THE MAYOR OF THE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT. THANK YOU, 
          [02:15:03]
MR. MAYOR. MR. VAN VOORHEES, DO YOU HAVE A PHOTOGRAPH BACK THERE OF A FIRE HYDRANT? YOU SHOW THAT? CAN YOU BLOW THAT UP NOW? DOES IT HAVE A LITTLE CIRCLE AROUND? NO. YEAH. THAT SAYS OUT OF SERVICE. NOW, MR. CITY MANAGER, DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THAT FIRE HYDRANTS BEEN OUT OF SERVICE? NO, SIR. WELL, COUNCILMAN JONES BROUGHT IT TO MY ATTENTION ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. MR. VAN VOORHEES, CAN YOU GO BACK AND SHOW WHAT'S IN THE BACKGROUND OF THAT FIRE HYDRANT, PLEASE? THAT IS, MAKE IT A LITTLE SMALLER. THERE WE GO. IT'S IN FRONT OF THE PETERSBURG CIRCUIT COURTHOUSE. AND BY MY CALCULATION, IT'S BEEN OUT OF SERVICE FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS. MR. AULTMAN, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY MORE FIRE HYDRANTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY ARE OUT OF SERVICE RIGHT NOW? I DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY ARE OUT OF SERVICE AT THIS POINT. I KNOW WE ARE WORKING TO DO PRESSURE TESTS ON THROUGHOUT THE CITY ON OUR FIRE HYDRANTS, BUT I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED TO ME ON THE NUMBER THAT ARE OUT OF SERVICE. WELL, PRESSURE TESTING IS FINE, BUT OUT OF SERVICE IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT TOPIC. WHEN WE MEET IN SEPTEMBER, OUR FIRST MEETING, I THINK IT'S SEPTEMBER 1ST. WOULD YOU HAVE A LIST PLEASE, FOR ALL OF COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC THAT WE COULD PUT UP ON THE SCREEN, LISTING THE ADDRESS OF EACH FIRE HYDRANT IN THE CITY THAT'S OUT OF SERVICE. WHEN IT WENT OUT OF SERVICE, AS BEST THE CITY CAN TELL. AND WHEN THE CITY ACCEPTS, SORRY. EXPECTS TO HAVE THAT FIRE HYDRANT BACK IN SERVICE. I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE DECISION OF THE SUPREME COURT OF VIRGINIA, IN WHICH THE CITY OF PETERSBURG ESCAPED BY THE SKIN OF ITS TEETH, AND THE HOLDING IN THE CASE WAS THAT PETERSBURG IS, LIKE ALL MUNICIPALITIES, IS IMMUNE FROM SUIT BASED ON FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ITS FIRE HYDRANTS. THAT IS NO EXCUSE TO FAIL TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC OR THE PUBLIC'S PROPERTY. I JUST BECAUSE WE ARE IMMUNE, IS, IN MY VIEW, A SHAME. BUT BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED A LITTLE MORE INCENTIVE. IF WE WERE NOT IMMUNE, I'LL BET YOU THIS FIRE HYDRANT WOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED THE SAME DAY THAT IT WAS MARKED OUT OF SERVICE. BUT IN ANY EVENT, IF MR. ALTMAN CAN, WOULD YOU GET THAT LIST TO ALL OF COUNCIL AND TO THE PUBLIC WHEN WE MEET AT OUR BUSINESS SESSION IN SEPTEMBER, MR. CUTHBERT, WE CAN GET THE LIST TOGETHER. CERTAINLY. I WILL SAY ONE, I DON'T THINK BECAUSE IT'S OUT OF SERVICE, WE'RE RELYING ON ANY IMMUNITY THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN. I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CASE THAT YOU'RE REFERENCING. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WILL CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THIS IS THE FIRST THAT I'VE SEEN OF THIS PARTICULAR HYDRANT OUT OF SERVICE. WE WILL LOOK WE WILL WE WILL LOOK AT ALL OF OUR HYDRANTS. AND THOSE THAT ARE OUT OF SERVICE WILL WORK TO GET THEM BACK IN SERVICE. BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY THERE IS NOT ANY POSITION OF US OR THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE FOR HIDING BEHIND A DECISION TO NOT ADDRESS HYDRANTS IN THE CITY. WELL, IT'S MASSENBERG VERSUS CITY OF PETERSBURG WAS PUBLISHED BY THE VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT IN 2019. A MAN NAMED COREY MASSENBURG ALLEGEDLY DIED BECAUSE OF AN OUT-OF-SERVICE FIRE HYDRANT IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. WE THAT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE AND WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT NOW TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE. ANOTHER ONE IS THE HOLE IN THE GROUND ON WEST BANK STREET. I WAS DOWN THERE ON WEST BANK THIS MORNING. I'M TOLD THAT SIGNIFICANT FLOODING ON THE WEST SIDE OF WEST, SORRY, THE NORTH SIDE OF WEST BANK TOOK PLACE BECAUSE THE CITY IS STILL DOING NOTHING ON SHORING UP THE BANKS OF LIEUTENANT RUN. AS IT GOES THROUGH THAT BLOCK BESIDE THE DISTRICT 19 BUILDING. THAT'S JUST NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE GENTLEMAN WHO APPEARED BEFORE US A FEW MOMENTS AGO. I THINK HIS HAS AN ARTIST STUDIO AT 20 WEST BANK. THANK GOODNESS HE PUT UP SANDBAGS. BUT A LOT OF BUSINESSES WERE BADLY, BADLY HURT. I WAS SHOWN A PHOTOGRAPH THIS MORNING OF A MOUND OF GRAVEL THAT HAD WASHED INTO THE MIDDLE OF WEST BANK STREET BY THE OVERFLOWING BANKS OF 
          [02:20:07]
LIEUTENANT RUN. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM. IT'S IT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR PUTTING OUR BUILDINGS AT RISK, AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS IT AND ADDRESS IT SOON. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. GOT A COUPLE OF THINGS I WASN'T GOING TO SAY MUCH TODAY, BUT. I'LL START WITH THE BUSINESSES, VAPE SHOPS, WHAT I FOUND OUT AND WHEN WE GOT TOO MANY, IN MY OPINION, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD NEED 15 VAPE SHOPS UP AND DOWN CRADLE ROAD. BUT GOING TO WHAT MISS RUDOLPH HAS SPOKEN ABOUT AND WHAT THE VICE MAYOR SPOKE ABOUT. I DO KNOW THE VICE MAYOR IS ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE ON CRATER ROAD, BUT WHAT WHAT BOTHERS ME IS THAT BUSINESSES AND BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS COME INTO THIS CITY THINKING THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. AND BYPASSING WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS I COME IN HERE AND WE STRICTLY SAID, NO MORE VAPE SHOPS, WHATEVER WE VOTED ON. AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE GOING TO CALL IT A CONVENIENCE STORE AND GET AROUND IT. SO NOW PEOPLE, WE GOT TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE ON THESE BUSINESSES. AND IT'S SAD THAT WE GOT TO BE THAT WAY BECAUSE IT'S NOT EVERYBODY. IT'S THOSE THAT WANT TO COME IN HERE AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PETERSBURG. THIS IS PETERSBURG. THIS IS NOT EASY STREET. NOW SPEAKING OF EASY STREET. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CITY AIN'T DOING NOTHING. OR I HEAR PEOPLE SAY THE CITY DON'T CARE. IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T THINK NOBODY UP HERE IS UP HERE BECAUSE THEY DON'T CARE. AND I DON'T THINK NOBODY THAT WORK FOR THE CITY IS DOING ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. BUT THERE'S SOME ISSUES WHEN WE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT, FOR INSTANCE, WE PAY THE CITY MANAGER TO DO A JOB, THE CITY MANAGER PAY A LOT OF YOU PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR HIM, GOOD MONEY NOT TO SIT AROUND. AND I'M NOT BEATING UP ON YOUR EMPLOYEES, MR. CITY MANAGER. I'M JUST SAYING. I'M JUST STATING THE OBVIOUS. YOU NEED TO RIDE AROUND AND SEE THESE THINGS, THESE FLOODINGS, THESE THESE ISSUES, THESE DRAIN ISSUES AND BRING IT TO THE CITY MANAGER SO HE CAN BRING IT TO US. THAT'S HOW THAT THING WORKED. NO MEMBER ON COUNCIL SHOULD BE RIDING AROUND AND SAY, HEY MAN, I SAW THIS HAPPENING IN MY WARD AND THIS, WHERE'S THE ENGINEER AT? WHERE'S PUBLIC WORKS AT? THEY SHOULD BE BRINGING THAT TO YOU SO YOU CAN BRING IT TO US. YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN THE OTHER WAY AROUND. AND I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE NOW, ON THE FLIP SIDE, ON THE FLIP SIDE, BECAUSE I KNOW I BEAT HIM UP A LOT. BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE, THERE'S THIS THING CALLED OPERATION GATEWAY, AND THAT GENERATED FROM ME CALLING THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER. AND I MADE SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT HOW EAST WASHINGTON STREET LOOKED. WELL, I GOT TO GO IN AND LIST ON THIS THING BECAUSE THIS SHOWS TEAMWORK RIGHT HERE AND HOW EVERYBODY HE MADE PHONE CALLS AND CALLED EVERY CALLED YOU CALLED EVERYBODY. AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. EVERYBODY. THIS ISN'T JUST. ALL RIGHT. COMING IN FROM FORT LEE INTO PETERSBURG, 2340 WAS POSTED 48. OUR TRASH DEBRIS NOTICED. 2301 EAST WASHINGTON STREET, 13 INOPERATIVE VEHICLES THAT THEY WERE TAGGED 22, 2335 HAD A 48 HOUR TRASH DEBRIS POSTED, AND THE OWNER REQUESTED IT TO BE MOVED. NOTICE OF VIOLATION FOR 22, 37 2301 22 20 19 2013 1933 EAST WASHINGTON STREET 1919 141, 319, 314, 140, AND 118, ALL IN A MATTER OF TWO WEEKS. AND THAT DESERVE A HAND CLAP, Y'ALL. THAT'S WORK BEING DONE ON EAST WASHINGTON STREET. I AIN'T, I AIN'T CLAPPING. THANK YOU. WE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE CITY NOT DOING. BUT THAT'S A WHOLE CORRIDOR JUST GOT SWEPT A WHOLE CORRIDOR. AND WE SAID WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO. ADOPT THAT NAME. OPERATION GATEWAY TO THIS ONE IS GOING TO BE OPERATION GATEWAY EAST. AND THEN WE GOT OPERATION GATEWAY WEST, NORTH AND SOUTH USING THIS BLUEPRINT. AND ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS CHIPPED IN, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE, THE CODE OFFICE, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, ZONING AND PLANNING. EVEN THE TRASH PEOPLE. 
          [02:25:02]
EVERYBODY CHIPPED IN. DID I MISS ANYBODY? CHIEF MILLER AND CHIEF MILLER SPEAKING TO CHIEF MILLER, SECOND LIEUTENANT KEELAN GRAVES HERE. WELL, WE HAD AN EVENT OVER THE WEEKEND. WE HAD TWO TEAMS, ONE FROM DC AND ONE FROM NORTH NORTH CAROLINA. AND THESE TEAMS WERE PROFESSIONAL AND SEMIPROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYERS. THEY CAME HERE TO THIS CITY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO PLAY AT THE TIME. SO WE GOT THEM TO COME TO PETERSBURG AND THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT AND THE. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT CAME TOGETHER. MAN. AND CHIEF MILLER MADE A PHONE CALL TO EVEN TO MAKE IT EVEN THAT MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL. AND I POST THE THING ON THE WEBSITE, THE VIDEO. BUT THAT FIELD LOOKED LIKE ONE OF THE BEST FIELDS IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, AND THAT COMES FROM TEAMWORK. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE CITY'S NOT DOING NOTHING AND AIN'T DOING NOTHING OR DON'T CARE, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO TRULY CARE. BUT MY ONLY THING IS MR. CITY MANAGER AND EVERYBODY ELSE. I JUST WANT TO HOLD THOSE ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE LIKE WE SAID BEFORE, WHEN I RIDE THROUGH THE CITY ON A MONDAY OR FRIDAY, I EXPECT TO SEE LAWNMOWERS EVERYWHERE. AND IN THIS WEEKEND I DIDN'T SEE HIM. BUT I KNOW WE WILL. NOW THAT YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO HAVE PETERSBURG PRIDE. HOLD ON. OH, THE WATER ISSUES. SO WE TALKED ABOUT IT. SOMEBODY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE WATER ISSUES AND THE DRAINAGE AND STUFF LIKE THAT. RIGHT. SO ONE OF THE PLANS IS FOR US TO NOT ALLOW THE DIVERTING OF ANY KIND OF WATER STREAMS, LAKES OR RIVERS, ANYTHING IN PETERSBURG. PETERSBURG, I SAID BEFORE, IS BUILT ON WATERWAYS. THIS IS A WATERWAY TOWN, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE ALLOWED IN THE PAST BEFORE ANY OF US GOT HERE, DEVELOPERS THAT COME HERE AND BLOCK CERTAIN CREEKS AND CERTAIN STREAMS. AND THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY YOU GOT FLOODING EVERYWHERE, BECAUSE THINGS ARE BEING BLOCKED. AND WE DIDN'T GO OUT TO INSPECT THEM AND CHECK THEM AND CHECK BEHIND THEM. SO NOW THAT WE KNOW WE CAN BE ON TOP OF IT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S THAT'S MY WHOLE THING. AND. THAT'S ALL I GOT. MR. CITY MANAGER. AND I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU DO. BUT LASTLY, DO NOT COME INTO THIS CITY, THINK YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GET CAUGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT, COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK, GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. I'M GOING TO START OUT BY WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THIS WHOLE YEAR OF 2025, WHICH IS PLASTIC BAGS. I THINK PROGRESS INDEX FOR RUNNING A STORY ABOUT IT. I THINK IT WAS A MONTH AGO. 
          BRING IT TO THE ATTENTION. I'M LOOKING FOR A PLASTIC BAG TAX TO HELP WITH THE BEAUTIFICATION OF PETERSBURG. I'M A VISUAL PERSON, SO I BOUGHT SOME. I ALSO TRAVEL, SO THESE ARE LIKE SOME BIODEGRADABLE, VERY ECONOMIC BAGS THAT ARE USED IN OTHER LOCALITIES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO SOMETIMES USED IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA. SO THE VIRGINIA ABC, THEY USUALLY DO A HOLIDAY BAG WHERE THEY PUT YOUR SPIRITS LIBATIONS IN. SO IT IS BEING USED DIFFERENT COLORS. THE MAIN ONE THAT I BROUGHT UP HERE IS LIKE A HOLIDAY IN THIS MESSAGE TODAY. HOPEFULLY THEY'LL GET IT IS MORE FOR THE BUSINESS OWNERS TO HOPEFULLY GET ON BOARD WITH WHAT IS COMING, AND I WANT TO SPEAK POSITIVELY THAT THE BUSINESS OWNERS CAN GET ON BOARD, THAT YOU CAN GET YOUR OWN PERSONALIZED BAGS BECAUSE I BELIEVE BRANDING IS IMPORTANT. SO IT DOES. OR YOU COULD GET THE PETERSBURG BAG TRYING TO WORK OUT THINGS JUST TO KEEP IT IN YOUR IN YOUR EYESIGHT SO THAT YOU DON'T THINK THAT WHAT DID THIS TAX COME FROM? IT'S NOT TO HURT THE CITY. IT'S NOT TO BRING MORE MONEY OUT OF YOUR POCKETS. BUT IT IS JUST A WAY THAT WE CAN GET UP TO SPEED WITH WHAT IS GOING ON, OF JUST BEING A MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CITY AND DOING THINGS THAT WE CAN USE THAT MONEY TO CLEAN UP, WHETHER IT IS HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, DO SOME THINGS LIKE ARTWORK. I HAVE SOME IDEAS OF HOW THAT MONEY. BUT OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, WORKING WITH THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY, I'M SURE THEY'LL LEAD ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO PUSH THIS THING FORWARD, BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS AT LEAST GET CLOSE TO SEEING THE FINISH LINE BY THE END OF THE YEAR, SO THAT BY THE MID BUDGET CYCLE, WE CAN START SEEING THIS BEING VOTED ON AGAIN, HOPEFULLY BY DECEMBER. BUT THAT'S JUST A WISH OF MINE SO WE CAN GET OUT OF, YOU KNOW, HOLDING THOSE PLASTIC BAGS UNDER YOUR SINK. I KNOW THAT'S A CULTURAL THING TO PILE UP ALL YOUR PLASTIC BAGS UNDER YOUR KITCHEN SINK. HOPEFULLY WE CAN CUT THAT OUT. 
          AND I HEARD SOME PEOPLE EVEN GOING BACK TO THE BROWN PAPER BAGS. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH GOING BACK TO THOSE I KNOW ERYKAH BADU ONCE MADE A SONG ABOUT BAG LADY. WE NEED TO CUT SOME OF THEM BAG LADIES OUT AND BAG MEN OUT IN THE CITY. SO AGAIN, THAT WAS MY MAIN THING. 
          I'M SURPRISED I DIDN'T GET THE SEVEN MINUTES LIKE COUNCILMAN JONES, BUT I'M GONNA WORK ON THAT. COUNCILMAN JONES, YOU KNOW, THEY STARTED MY TIME ON TIME. SO AGAIN, I JUST HAD TO 
          [02:30:02]
KEEP HOLLERING. I'MA KEEP HOLLERING ABOUT THE PLASTIC BAG. I SEE YOU, GARY. I DIDN'T WANT TO CALL YOU OUT, BUT, YEAH, I DIDN'T GET THAT. I DIDN'T GET THAT GRACE PERIOD AT THE BEGINNING. BUT IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, AGAIN, I JUST DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE LIKE, WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? IT'S JUST I'M TRYING TO PUSH. I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE TRASH THAT I SEE IS PEOPLE GETTING THOSE PLASTIC BAGS FROM STORES OR CONVENIENCE STORES, THEY TYING UP THEIR TRASH AND THEN THROWING IT OUT ON THE SIDE. SO MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, WE CAN CUT SOME OF THAT OUT. AND IF WE DON'T, AT LEAST WE'LL HAVE THE FUNDING TO CLEAN IT UP. SECONDLY, I'M GONNA TRY TO MOVE FASTER. BUT I HAD ANOTHER BIG ISSUE THAT IF I LOSE MY TIME, I'LL CUT BACK ON MY SEVEN POINTS. BUT MY NEXT ONE IS ONCE I GET THIS PLASTIC BAG TACKED ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. I WOULD LIKE TO ATTACK MORE HOW AI IS BEING USED IN THE CITY. I KNOW THAT THAT CAN BE THE BIG BAD WOLF FOR SOME OLDER GENERATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMING IN, BUT EVEN RIGHT NOW, THE GOVERNOR JUST PASSED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ABOUT REGULATORY REDUCTION OF PILOT PROGRAM. AND THIS IS WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO GET WITH MISS FLOWERS AND THE TREASURER, AS WELL AS THOSE DEPARTMENTS, BECAUSE I'M NOT GOING TO POINT THE FINGER UP HERE AT PEOPLE OF WHEN WE HAVE THOSE HUMAN ERRORS. BUT I'M JUST QUESTIONING WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE USING THE INTELLIGENCE OUT THERE TO HELP US TRACK HOW WE CAN BE BETTER AT BILLING AND COLLECTION AND THINGS OF THIS SORT, BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNOR, IT'S SUPPOSED TO HELP STREAMLINE AND CUT DOWN ON REDUNDANCY. ANYBODY EVER GOT TWO BILLS FROM BILLING AND COLLECTION? ANYBODY GOT WRONG BILLS? OKAY, I GOT A FEW HANDS GO UP. HOPEFULLY WE CAN CUT DOWN ON THAT. IF WE USE AI TO JUST COME IN. IT'S LIKE THE INTERNET WHEN THE INTERNET WAS COMING AROUND IN THE 80S AND DEFINITELY IN THE 90S, WERE WE A PART OF IT OR DID YOU LOOK UP IN 2005 AND BE LIKE, MAN, I SHOULD HAVE GOT WITH THAT MOVEMENT. BUT THE WAVE WAS ALREADY PASSING US, SO IF I COULD STOP TIME JUST QUICKLY. MR. ALTMAN, WHERE ARE WE WITH AI IN THE CITY? THERE ARE SOME APPLICATIONS THAT WE USE THAT UTILIZE AI. WE HAVEN'T REALLY JUMPED IN WITH BOTH FEET ON HOW TO, YOU KNOW, FULLY, FULLY IMPLEMENTING AI. IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF ON MY RADAR TO HAVE A KIND OF A GREATER CONVERSATION WITH ACTUALLY, GARRETT, AS TO HOW WE MAY BE ABLE TO USE IT AND UTILIZE IT IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, AND THEN WE CAN SEE WHAT WE CAN DO AS FAR AS DEVELOPING A PLAN WHERE IT CAN ASSIST AND REALLY MAXIMIZE STAFF'S TIME TO BE ABLE TO GATHER AND BE MORE EFFICIENT. I'LL SAY I'M NOT A KIND OF A BIG FAN OF, SAY, CHATGPT. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE USING THE BRAIN A LITTLE BIT AND OPERATING, BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DO HAVE THAT STAFF DO TO HELP MOVE THEM ALONG THROUGH UTILIZATION OF AI, BUT IT'S NOT KIND OF AN ORGANIZATION ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY POLICY THAT WE HAVE AT THIS POINT IN TIME. I THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND AGAIN, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ME PROBABLY I'LL GIVE IT TO OCTOBER, BUT I'M GOING TO KEEP STARTING TO REV THAT UP BECAUSE I KNOW MY TIME. BUT I KEPT RUNNING ON ME. 
          GARRETT, I ASKED YOU TO STOP IT, BUT NO, SERIOUSLY, WHEN I GO TO THESE CONFERENCES, I LIKE TO GO AND SEE WHAT OUR BEST PRACTICE IS BEING USED. AND A LOT OF OTHER CITIES ARE BOTH FEET IN WITH AI. I KNOW WE'RE A HISTORIC TOWN, BUT WHY CAN'T WE USE AI TO HELP OUT WITH TOURISM? I KNOW THAT WE HAVE CRIME. WHY CAN'T WE USE AI TO HELP OUT WITH REALLY DATA? I'M THANKFUL ALWAYS LIKE TO KNOCK ON WOOD TO. HOPEFULLY IT DOESN'T. BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD A HOT SUMMER. THANKFULLY WE HAVEN'T HAD AS MUCH CRIME. THANK YOU CHIEF AND THE POLICE. THANK YOU FOR CUTTING IT DOWN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. ONE MORE THING AND THEN I'M DONE BECAUSE MY TIME DIDN'T STOP. ONE LAST THING, I PROMISE YOU. LOOK, LOOK, I DIDN'T GIVE MISS RUDOLPH THAT EXTRA TIME, SO I CAN'T GIVE IT TO YOU, OKAY? YOU GAVE IT TO MARLO JONES. BUT SERIOUSLY, LAST THING. NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT AUGUST THE 5TH, NATIONAL NIGHT OUT, AUGUST THE 5TH. THAT'S JUST MY LAST THING. I'LL STOP RIGHT THERE. AIN'T NOBODY. GIVE ME NONE. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN MEYERS, I CAN'T YIELD MY TIME TO YOU. YOU CAN'T. YOU CAN'T YIELD YOUR TIME. NO, I CANNOT, AND GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU ALL. AND I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY, BUT ALL I'M GONNA SAY, I, I. SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE EVOLUTIONARY CHART, WHEN THE APE BECOMES MAN, ALL I CAN SEE IS TRAVELING BACKWARDS WITH I. BECAUSE NOW HERE YOU ARE, A PERSON OF EDUCATION, AND NOW YOU WANT TO GET A COMPUTER TO DO YOUR MATHEMATICS. THAT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME. OKAY. THANK YOU, I HOPE I MAKE IT. THANK YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN SMITH LEE, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I JUST WANT TO GET A GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MR. NELSON, WHO HAS A COMMUNITY GARDEN ON THE CORNER OF FIFTH AND WASHINGTON STREET NEXT TO THE OLD ORANGE PRINTING COMPANY. SO IF YOU ARE IN THAT AREA, YOU CAN GO AND GET. HE HAS LIKE PLUMS, STRAWBERRIES, CUCUMBERS, ANY KIND OF VEGETABLE YOU YOU WOULD LIKE. HE HAS IT THERE. SO PLEASE STOP BY AND CHECK HIS COMMUNITY GARDEN OUT. ALSO, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY GARDEN ON FARMER STREET. CRAIG TUCKER I WENT BY THERE AND I GOT SOME CUCUMBERS, SOME ONIONS, SOME 
          [02:35:06]
POTATOES, SOME KALE, SOME CABBAGE, NOT CABBAGE, SOME KALE AND COLLARS. I'M SORRY, BUT PLEASE GO BY THE COMMUNITY GARDEN AND HE WILL BE GLAD TO LET YOU PICK ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT. I'M JUST. I KNOW WE SHOULDN'T ALWAYS REBUTTAL, BUT I'M JUST APPALLED WITH IF A FIRE HYDRANT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS NOT INOPERABLE FOR TWO WEEKS. WHY WOULDN'T YOU JUST CALL THE FIRE, THE FIRE CHIEF TO LET HIM KNOW? WHAT? WHAT? HOLD ON. LET ME I DIDN'T I DIDN'T CUT YOU. I DIDN'T CUT YOU OFF. I DIDN'T CUT YOU OFF. YOU SAID THAT IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS. AND IF YOU KNEW THAT IT WAS SOMETHING WRONG, THEN THEREFORE, YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE FIRE CHIEF AND NOT WAIT UNTIL A COUNCIL MEETING IF YOU WANT TO. IF YOU WANT THINGS TO BE DONE. I DO WANT THINGS TO BE DONE. WELL, I JUST SAID IT. YOU GET IT DONE. YOU DON'T WAIT TILL A CITY COUNCIL MEETING TO TRY TO DEGRADE THINGS, TO MAKE OUR FIRE HYDRANTS WORK. I DID NOT, I DID NOT, THAT'S RIGHT. THANK YOU. IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING, DO IT THE RIGHT WAY. THIS 4 MINUTES OR 5 MINUTES IS NOT INTENDED TO TAKE ON OR ONE SIDED DEBATE. SEE YOU. YOU KNOW, I'M DELIGHTED TO TAKE ON, YOU KNOW MAYOR HE IS NOT FAIR IF IT IF IT'S NOT FEASIBLE FOR WHAT HE THINK IT SHOULD BE, THEN THEREFORE HE THINKS HE CAN JUST SAY WHAT HE WANT TO. I WAITED UNTIL HE FINISHED WHAT HE SAID. I WAS SAYING, IF YOU KNOW THAT SOMETHING WRONG, WHY WOULD YOU WAIT TWO WEEKS TO COME HERE TO SAY IT WAS WRONG? YOU COULD HAVE TALKED TO MR. WAYNE, CHIEF WAYNE, YOU DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS TRYING TO EMBARRASS SOMEBODY? MAY. I'M FINISH VICE MAYOR HILL. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANKS. THANK YOU FOR ALL COMING OUT TODAY. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO ADDRESS. WE HAVE WE DO HAVE A PLAN AS A CITY AND WE'VE BEEN PLANNING IT FOR A WHILE. AND THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AT THIS TIME. YOU ALL SEE PROPERTIES ARE BEING PURCHASED THAT COME FROM PLANNING. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE MOVING IN THE CITY. WE HAVE A PHARMACEUTICAL. INFRASTRUCTURE WHERE A PLANT HERE THAT COMES FROM PLANNING. WE HAVE THE CORDAGE GROUP AND BRUCE SMITH AND THEM. THEY'RE BRINGING OUR THE CASINO HERE. SO THERE IS A PLAN I DO UNDERSTAND ABOUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE OLD SYSTEM AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND WE ARE TRYING TO PLAN TO RECTIFY THAT. WE TALKED ABOUT IT AT A CLOSED SESSION MEETING. 
          I CAN SAY THAT ABOUT WHAT IS THE PROBLEM, HOW EVERYTHING IS BOTTLENECKING DOWN IN THE OLD TOWN AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND THERE'S A PLAN TO RECTIFY THAT AS WELL. BUT IT DOES TAKE MONEY AND WE HAVE OVER, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, ALMOST $1 BILLION WORTH OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE. NOT A MILLION, BUT $1 BILLION OF INFRASTRUCTURE. BUT YOU CAN'T EAT THE WHOLE ELEPHANT AT THE SAME TIME, AND YOU GOT TO DO IT A LITTLE BIT BY A LITTLE BIT. SO A LITTLE BIT BETTER, A LITTLE BIT. SO WE ARE WE DO HAVE THAT. I DO WANT TO ADDRESS A COUPLE OF THINGS I AM WORKING ON AS YOU, AS MISS RUDOLPH SAID. AND SHE, SHE, SHE KNEW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. I WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT BUSINESS THAT WE TALKED, THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND MYSELF AND MR. MR. MILLER AND MR. REED, WE SPOKE TO THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY AND WE'RE TRYING TO RECTIFY SOME THINGS, BUT I WANT TO SAY TO THE STAFF, TO THE STAFF, TO STAFF, WHEN WE MAKE MOTIONS UP HERE, WE EXPECT FOR YOU ALL TO CARRY OUR DESIRES OUT. THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. YOU ALL SHOULD LET THEM GET A LOOPHOLE. BROWN I KNOW WE GOT A YOUNG PLANNING STAFF AND WHAT HAVE YOU. OUR PLANNING JUST LEFT, BUT I WE CALL THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE AND WE LIKE SHE WAS TELLING US, LOOK, LET ME CHECK MY RECORDS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE OPEN, BUT THERE IT IS. THEY HAVE A BUSINESS LICENSE. HOW THE HECK THEY GET A BUSINESS LICENSE? WE ALL IN THE PAPER AND ALL THAT. YOU ALL HAVE TO DO BETTER. YOU ALL HAVE TO DO BETTER. AND DIDN'T MAKE IT SEEM LIKE THAT. WE'RE JUST UP HERE JUST TALKING AND MAKING MOTIONS 
          [02:40:04]
AND POLICY. MR. ALTMAN, YOU HAVE TO HOLD YOUR DIRECTORS, YOUR SUPERVISORS AND YOUR EMPLOYEES ACCOUNTABLE. YOU HAVE TO. ANYBODY WANT TO ASK FOR FORGIVENESS AFTER THE FACT? WHEN PEOPLE COME UP HERE, COME UP HERE. AND I UNDERSTAND THE YOUNG MAN WHO CAME HERE AND, YOU KNOW, HE HAD SAT IN ON IT WAS SIDING OVER HERE AND IT WASN'T THERE. THIS I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, STAFF, WE'RE LOOKING FOR YOU ALL TO CARRY OUT THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES IN WHICH WE VOTE ON RIGHT HERE. NOW, I GOT CITIZENS COMING TO ME SAYING, DIDN'T YOU ALL JUST SAY THAT YOU WEREN'T GOING TO LET NO MORE VAPE SHOPS GO? NOW HE'S MAKING SOME ALTERATIONS TO WHAT HE DID BECAUSE WE GAVE HIM A BUSINESS LICENSE. THERE'S ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE SO MUCH PERCENTAGE THAT HE CAN DO. AND A CONVENIENCE STORE. WE SEE ONE LITTLE OWL, A CONVENIENCE STUFF, AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS VAPE PRODUCTS AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS. HOW THE HECK THAT HAPPEN? COME ON, PLANNERS, COME ON. SOMEBODY NEED TO BE FIRED. AND I WON'T TALK ABOUT PERSONNEL ISSUES, BUT SOMEBODY NEED TO BE FIRED. AND I BET YOU IF PEOPLE START LOSING THEIR THEIR EMPLOYMENT BEHIND MAKING THESE MISTAKES LIKE THIS, THEN PEOPLE SHAPE UP. AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ALL ALL OUR DIRECTORS OR ALL OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT COME ON, WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP. WE SEE PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE WAY THE GRASS IS NOT BEING CUT, HOW THE TRASH IS NOT BEING PICKED UP. I CALL FOR A CERTAIN THING TO BE DONE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD. LAST THURSDAY IT DID NOT GET DONE UNTIL YESTERDAY. YESTERDAY SOMEBODY THREW A MATTRESS OUT AND A TOILET, A COMMODE OUT, AND THE PEOPLE, THEY CUT THEIR SHRUBBERY THE RIGHT WIDTH, AND IT WAS THERE FOR SO LONG THAT THEY BURNT THEIR GRASS UP. AND THAT'S ALL IT TAKES IS FOR THEM TO COME AND GET THE CRANE AND PICK IT UP AND ALL THAT. AND I KNOW WE GOT A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON, I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WHEN A COUNCIL PERSON CALLS YOU AND THEN YOU RIDE PAST ALL THESE TRUCKS, WE GOT ALL THESE NEW FORD AND CHEVROLET TRUCKS AND EVERYBODY GOT A TRUCK AND EVERYBODY GOT A KEY AND PARKING THEM EVERYWHERE ELSE BUT IN PETERSBURG AND JUST DRIVING AROUND AND I DON'T SEE NOBODY CUTTING NO GRASS. I DON'T SEE NOBODY REALLY PICKING UP SOMETHING. EVERY NOW AND THEN YOU SEE 2 OR 3 GUYS DRIVING AROUND PICKING UP TRASH. AND I THANK THEM FOR IT. PUBLIC WORKS, WE GIVE YOU YOUR KUDOS WHEN STUFF LIKE THIS HAPPEN, BUT WE NEED TO DO BETTER. STAFF. YOU NEED TO DO BETTER. YOU NEED TO DO BETTER. MR. ARTMAN. YOU NEED TO DO BETTER. YOU HAVE TO DO BETTER. THANK YOU. THAT'S MY TIME. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. NEXT. I'M JUST FOLLOWING UP WITH COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT NEXT MONTH, PEOPLE START PREPARING FOR BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS. AND SCHOOL WILL BE STARTING IN LITERALLY ONE MONTH. THAT'S FROM COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. ALL RIGHT. I JUST WANT TO AGAIN THANK OUR OUR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY CREW. WE HAD A SOMETHING THAT WE HAD LAST WEEK THAT DIDN'T THAT ENDED UP IN THE NEWS WAS WE HAD A FIRE OUT AT FLOW CORPORATION OUT OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL CAMPUS. AND I GOT A CALL FROM ROBBIE DEMARIO FLOW. AND HE JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW EXCEPTIONAL PETERSBURG FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS IN HANDLING THAT FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED ON THE ROOF OF ONE OF THEIR MANUFACTURING FACILITIES. AND THE VAPORS FROM THE GLUE THAT THEY WERE REPAIRING THE ROOF WITH IGNITED BY A PIECE OF MACHINERY, A SPARK FLEW IN THE AIR AND IGNITED THE ROOF ABLAZE. PETERSBURG FIRE WAS THERE IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES. THEY PUT THAT FIRE OUT ON TOP THE ROOF. THEY STAYED IN PRODUCTION. THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO CLOSE THE PLANT. 
          AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND CHIEF HOOVER AND HIS STAFF. I MEAN, THEY THEY ARE SHOWING THAT PETERSBURG IS DEFINITELY RIGHT FOR BUSINESS AND PETERSBURG IS SAFE. AND WE CAN HANDLE ALL ASPECTS OF, OF SERVICE CALLS, WHETHER IT'S THE BIG HOUSE FIRE THEY HAD ABOUT A MONTH AGO ON GUARANTEE STREET THAT WAS HUGE TO FIRES IN IN PHARMA. THOSE GUYS ARE ROCKING AND ROLLING OUT HERE IN THIS HEAT RIGHT HERE. SO WE CAN'T THANK THEM AND COMMEND THEM ENOUGH. AND WE ALSO GOT TO LOOK AT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THEY'RE DOING ALL THIS WITHOUT THEIR THEIR THEIR NEW FLEET OF EQUIPMENT THEY HAVEN'T GOT HERE YET. SO NEEDLESS TO SAY IT'S GOING TO BE EVEN BETTER WHEN THAT COMES UP. ALSO, I WANT TO THANK OUR, OUR, OUR PETERSBURG POLICE FORCE AS AS WELL. I MEAN ONE OF THE MOST ACHIEVING THINGS THAT I'VE DONE HERE FROM BEING ON COUNCIL IS 
          [02:45:06]
ABLE TO FINALLY GET THE PAY PLAN TOGETHER FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. SO MANY OF OUR, OUR POLICE OFFICERS HAVE COME TO ME THANKING ME, BASICALLY SAYING THAT, HEY, LOOK, YOU'VE DEFINITELY HAVE TAKEN CARE OF PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO, WAS TO GET EVERYBODY ON THE PAY SCALE COMPARABLE TO THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE, INSTEAD OF OUR. OUR PAY CHART WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE. SO THAT WAS THAT WAS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST PLANS IN THIS. IT'S GREAT TO HAVE A CITY THAT IS GROWING IN A WAY THAT WE CAN FINALLY DO, MAKE THE NECESSARY STEPS TO TAKE CARE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND GET RID OF THE STIGMA OF ALWAYS BEING KNOWN AS THE TRAINING GROUND FOR EVERYBODY IN PUBLIC SAFETY WANTS EVERYBODY FROM PETERSBURG POLICE AND PETERSBURG FIRE. AND AS YOU MOVE UP THROUGH THE RANKS, HAVING TO LEAVE TO GET PAID FOR YOUR YEARS OF SERVICE. SO I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, HEY, WE LOVE AND APPRECIATE ALL YOU GUYS, AND WE WANT YOU TO NOT JUST WORK HERE, BUT TO BE ABLE TO RETIRE HERE AND BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR FAMILIES AND LIVE HERE AND BE COMFORTABLE. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND WE WILL CONTINUE ON WITH THIS AGENDA. LUCK IS GETTING KIND OF CLOUDY OUT THERE. SO I WANT TO ROLL ON AND YEAH, AND GET EVERYBODY HOME SAFELY. NEXT ITEM IS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. NO ITEMS TONIGHT. FINANCE AND BUDGET REPORT. NO ITEMS TONIGHT 13 UNFINISHED 
          [13. Unfinished Business]
BUSINESS. MR. MOORE, WE HAVE CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND JC BANHAM CONSTRUCTION LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 741 BLOCK STREET, LOCATED IN PETERSBURG. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THE REQUEST FOR THIS IS TO UPDATE A 2020 DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. THIS PROPERTY IS ACTUALLY BEEN PAID FOR BY BYNUM CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT WAS LEFT OFF THE AGREEMENT. WE'RE JUST DOING THIS TO GET THAT CORRECT. SO WE'D ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES. 
          YES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I MOVE THAT WE. APPROVED THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT WAS LEFT OFF AS WRITTEN. COUNCIL VICE MAYOR HILL SECOND. ALL RIGHT, MOTION A SECOND. MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. THAT MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU, MR. MOORE. NEXT IS ITEM 14, THE 
          [14. New Business]
UPDATE BY THE BERKELEY GROUP ON COMPREHENSIVE OVERHAUL OF ZONING AND SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE. 
          QUICK. THANK YOU. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT WITH YOU ALL. 
          MY NAME IS TORY HAYNES, SENIOR PLANNER WITH THE BERKELEY GROUP. WE'RE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTING FIRM PROVIDING SERVICES AND SUPPORT TO ALL FACETS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT. MY TEAM SPECIALIZES IN LAND USE AND PLANNING MATTERS. TONIGHT, WE'LL BE GIVING YOU AN UPDATE ON OUR PROGRESS WITH THE ZONING AND SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE. IN OUR OVERALL PROJECT SCHEDULE. WE'RE IN PHASE TWO ORDINANCE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WILL CONCLUDE IN SEPTEMBER. WE'LL THEN MOVE INTO THE FINAL ADOPTION PHASE, INCLUDING PUBLIC REVIEW OF THE FULL DRAFT ORDINANCE, A JOINT WORK SESSION WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND A FINAL PUBLIC HEARING AND VOTE TO ADOPT AN EARLY 2026. WHEN WE LAST SPOKE WITH YOU IN SEPTEMBER, WE GAVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE FIRST PHASE, WHICH FOCUSED ON PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT. HERE IN THE SECOND PHASE OF ORDINANCE DEVELOPMENT, WE HAVE SO FAR COMPLETED EIGHT OF 11 PROPOSED ARTICLES, AND WE HAVE WORKING DRAFTS OF THE REMAINING ARTICLES CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT. THE EIGHT DRAFTED ARTICLES INCLUDE YOUR GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS, PERMITS AND APPLICATIONS, DISTRICT STANDARDS, USE MATRIX AND USE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, AND NON-CONFORMITIES. WE'VE ALSO DRAFTED DEFINITIONS RELEVANT TO EACH OF THESE ARTICLES, WHICH WILL BE COMPILED INTO ARTICLE 11. PLANNING STAFF HAS REVIEWED AND PROVIDED COMMENTS ON ALL DRAFTS SO FAR. WE'RE CURRENTLY INCORPORATING THOSE EDITS. DRAFTING OF THE FINAL SET OF ARTICLES IS IN PROGRESS. THOSE WILL INVOLVE OVERLAY DISTRICTS AND SUBDIVISION, AND THESE ARE SLATED TO BE REVIEWED WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT OUR NEXT WORK SESSION IN TWO WEEKS. SO AS WE GO THROUGH OUR REVIEW TONIGHT, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CONTENT. I'LL TRY TO ON THE SIDE OF BREVITY HERE, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT AS WE GIVE YOU THIS OVERVIEW AND SUMMARY SO FAR, THESE ARE WORKING DRAFTS. SO 
          [02:50:02]
THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM TO MAKE EDITS, CORRECTIONS, INCORPORATE COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC STAFF PLANNING COMMISSION AND OF COURSE CITY COUNCIL. IN ARTICLE ONE. THIS ARTICLE DEALS WITH YOUR GENERAL PROVISIONS AND ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSES. IT COMBINES LANGUAGE FROM YOUR CURRENT ORDINANCE AND ALSO ESTABLISHES NEW LANGUAGE AS NEEDED. AND IT'S LARGELY DRIVEN BY STATE CODE. SOME TYPICAL THINGS WE NEED IN THERE FOR ZONING ORDINANCE REFERENCES TO APPLICABLE CODE SECTIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THE TEXT IN ARTICLE TWO. THIS ESTABLISHES THE POWERS, DUTIES, AND PROCEDURES FOR YOUR CITY PLANNING STAFF AND ZONING STAFF. PLANNING COMMISSION THE BZA AND THE ARB. THERE'S ALSO PROVISIONS RELATED TO ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTIES, AND FINALLY, IT ESTABLISHES THE FEE SCHEDULE TO BE ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL. WE DO WANT TO NOTE HERE THAT YOUR FEE SCHEDULE IS CURRENTLY ADOPTED WITHIN ARTICLE 31. WE ARE ESTABLISHING THE LANGUAGE FOR THE FEE SCHEDULE IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE ARTICLE, BUT WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT THE ACTUAL LIST OF FEES BE ADOPTED SEPARATELY AS AN APPENDIX. THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR YOU TO UPDATE YOUR FEES FROM TIME TO TIME WITHOUT TRIGGERING A FULL ORDINANCE TEXT AMENDMENT PROCESS. ARTICLE THREE DEALS WITH PERMITS AND APPLICATIONS, OUTLINING THE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCESSES FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLICATIONS THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE. IT ALSO PROVIDES PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE DETERMINATIONS, APPEALS, AND PUBLIC NOTIFICATIONS. CURRENTLY, THAT INFORMATION IS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE ORDINANCE. WE'VE COMPILED IT INTO ONE CONCISE ARTICLE. MUCH OF THIS CONTENT IS BASED ON TIME FRAMES AND REVIEW REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN STATE CODE, SO THE TEXT HAS BEEN STREAMLINED AND EDITED TO MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO FOLLOW AND EASIER FOR STAFF TO INTERPRET AND ADMINISTER. OOPS. EXCUSE ME, SOME OTHER REVISIONS. TO NOTE, WE'VE UPDATED PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENTS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH RECENT STATE CODE AMENDMENTS, AND WE STREAMLINED THE PROCESS TO FOCUS ON VARIANCES AND APPEALS, AND ALSO RETAINED RECENT AMENDMENTS SUCH AS YOUR NEW SITE PLAN REQUIREMENTS. ARTICLE FOUR ESTABLISHES YOUR PRIMARY ZONING DISTRICTS AND RELATED STANDARDS SO YOUR SETBACKS, LOT SIZES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WE ALSO ESTABLISH HOW TO DETERMINE THOSE MEASUREMENTS FOR CONSISTENCY AND PLAN REVIEW. AND WITHIN THIS ARTICLE, EACH DISTRICT WILL HAVE A TABLE SHOWING WHAT THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS ARE FOR THAT PARTICULAR DISTRICT. IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS FOR THAT DISTRICT, THAT TEXT WILL FOLLOW THE TABLE. I DO WANT TO NOTE IN THESE DRAFT VERSIONS WE USE FOOTNOTES TO HELP US REVIEW GUIDES. SO THE FORMATTING OF THE TABLES AND THE ORDINANCE IN GENERAL MAY BE A LITTLE BIT OFF RIGHT NOW. WE WILL BE CLEANING THAT UP IN ANY FINAL VERSION. WE ALSO HAVE DEVELOPED STANDARDS FOR CLUSTER DEVELOPMENTS AND COTTAGE COURTS. ARTICLE SIX DEALS WITH USE PERMISSIONS. SO IF THINGS ARE BY RIGHT, REQUIRE AN SUP OR IF THEIR ACCESSORY USES OR PROHIBITED ALTOGETHER, WE'VE CONSOLIDATED AND REVISED USES TO BETTER STREAMLINE THE ORDINANCE AND PROVIDE CONSISTENCY IN HOW THOSE ARE ADMINISTERED. DISTRICT TO DISTRICT, WE'VE CREATED A MATRIX OF USES REPLACING THE WATERFALL LIST FORMAT PROVIDED IN THE CURRENT ORDINANCE, AND WE'VE ADDED OR CLARIFIED MODERN USES AND TERMS. AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE MEAN BY USE MATRIX. WE'VE COMPILED ALL USES INTO ONE LIST CATEGORIZED BY TYPE. ALL DISTRICTS ARE CONTAINED IN THIS ONE MATRIX, AND IF THERE ARE ASSOCIATED USE STANDARDS, THEY ARE REFERENCED DIRECTLY HERE TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE USER FRIENDLY. RELATED TO USES. ARTICLE SEVEN PROVIDES USE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. THESE ARE PROVISIONS IN REGULATIONS FOR SPECIFIC USES THAT MAY BE MOST IMPACTFUL IN THE CITY. WE'VE INTRODUCED NEW STANDARDS FOR BOTH EXISTING AND NEWLY ESTABLISHED USES, AND WE'VE ADDED OR CLARIFIED USES THAT ARE REQUIRED BY STATE CODE THAT MAY NOT BE THERE. CURRENTLY, ARTICLE EIGHT IS ONE OF THE BULKIER ARTICLES. IT DEALS WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN STANDARDS, SO WE HAVE INCORPORATED ITEMS SUCH AS OUTDOOR AMENITY AND OPEN SPACE STANDARDS, LANDSCAPING STANDARDS WHICH HAVE BEEN WRITTEN TO BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR NEW TREE PROTECTION ORDINANCE AND RELATED TO LANDSCAPING. WE HAVE INTRODUCED SOME NEW PROVISIONS FOR TRANSITIONAL SCREENING AND BUFFERS BETWEEN USES THAT MAY BE IN CONFLICT. WE'VE ALSO INTRODUCED FENCE AND WALL STANDARDS, ACCESS AND PARKING STANDARDS. AS WELL AS UPDATED YOUR SIGN ORDINANCE TO BE COMPLIANT WITH THE SUPREME COURT CASE. REED VERSUS GILBERT. AND WE'VE INTRODUCED SOME OUTDOOR LIGHTING STANDARDS. SOME ITEMS TO NOTE WE ARE STILL WORKING ON 
          [02:55:04]
STREET DESIGN STANDARDS. THOSE WILL BE COVERED WITHIN SUBDIVISION AND MAY ALSO BE COVERED HERE. AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON ADDING GRAPHICS FROM A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT TO BETTER HELP WITH THE UNDERSTANDING OF DIMENSIONAL AND DESIGN STANDARDS. ARTICLE NINE DEALS WITH NON-CONFORMING USES, LOTS AND STRUCTURES SO THINGS THAT ARE GRANDFATHERED. THIS IS HEAVILY DICTATED BY STATE CODE, SO NOT A LOT OF WIGGLE ROOM THERE. AND THEN WE'VE ALSO REVISED AND UPDATED DEFINITIONS FROM THE EXISTING ORDINANCE STATE CODE OR BEST PRACTICE. 
          LOST CONTROL OF MY SLIDES. BUT OUR REMAINING ARTICLES ARE ARTICLE FIVE OVERLAY DISTRICTS, WHICH PRIMARILY WOULD BE YOUR HISTORIC OVERLAY DISTRICT. WE ALSO DO HAVE A QUESTION FROM PLANNING COMMISSION THAT AROSE THAT I'LL ADDRESS IN A MINUTE REGARDING A POTENTIAL NEW OVERLAY DISTRICT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. AND THEN ARTICLE TEN WILL DEAL WITH SUBDIVISION AS AN UPDATE TO YOUR APPENDIX A, AND I DO UNDERSTAND STAFF HAS GONE AHEAD AND MADE THOSE STATE CODE COMPLIANCE CHANGES. AND SO WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT WITH THAT. AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OTHER BEST STANDARDS IN YOUR SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE. NOW, APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO ADVANCE THE SLIDE, BUT ARISING FROM RECENT PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS. 
          BASICALLY TWO QUESTIONS HAVE COME UP THAT BERKELEY GROUP WOULD APPRECIATE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTION ON. WE HAVE NOT NECESSARILY PURSUED THESE ITEMS YET, BUT WE WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU'D LIKE TO PROCEED. THE FIRST QUESTION INVOLVES DATA CENTER PERMISSIONS, AS IN BY RIGHT OR WITH SUP. CURRENTLY WE HAVE IT DRAFTED AS BY RIGHT IN YOUR INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS, AND THERE WOULD BE APPLICABLE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. SO IT'S BY RIGHT. BUT IT WOULD BE BY RIGHT WITH YOU KNOW STANDARDS FOR SETBACKS FOR NOISE. YOU KNOW OTHER MITIGATING THINGS IN TERMS OF LAND USE TO PROTECT ADJACENT PROPERTIES. PLANNING COMMISSION HAS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN PERMITTING DATA CENTERS AS SUP RATHER THAN BY RIGHT. EITHER WAY, THE USE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS WOULD APPLY. SO WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WOULD CITY COUNCIL BE MOST COMFORTABLE WITH BY RIGHT WITH STANDARDS OR SUP WITH STANDARDS? SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF CITY COUNCIL, BUT COUNCIL DID ADOPT DATA DATA, DATA CENTER STANDARDS AND A WHOLE DATA CENTER ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT. SO THAT'S COUNCIL HAS ALREADY TAKEN ACTION. WE CAN PROVIDE YOU THAT UPDATED INFORMATION. YEAH. WE SO WE ARE AWARE OF THE DATA CENTER AMENDMENT UPDATES. AND SO WE DO HAVE THAT REALLY IT'S JUST ABOUT THE PERMISSIONS. WE HAVE IT AS BY RIGHT. SO I WOULD SAY AND AGAIN I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL. BUT COUNCIL HAS VOTED ON THIS ISSUE AND HAVE SAID THE ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED IS HOW THEY WANT TO HANDLE IT. SO I WOULD STICK WITH THAT. I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE ANSWER TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION IS COUNCILS TAKING ACTION ON HOW THEY WANT TO TREAT DATA CENTERS, AND THAT'S HOW WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD. OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT DOES HELP CONFIRM THAT. MR. MAYOR, MAY I COMMENT ON THAT? YES, COUNCILMAN COBURN, I'VE NOT BEEN HAPPY WITH THE WAY WE HANDLED THE DATA CENTER. I HAVE SOME REAL RESERVATIONS ABOUT MAKING IT AS A MATTER OF RIGHT. AND I THINK THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY SOPHISTICATED AND KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, MAKE IT AVAILABLE. MAKE DATA CENTERS AVAILABLE ONLY BY SPECIAL USE PERMIT. I, FOR ONE, WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALTERNATE VERSIONS OF FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER AS PART OF THE ENTIRE PACKAGE. ONE OF THEM THE WAY WE'VE GOT IT NOW AND THE OTHER PROVIDING DATA CENTERS ONLY BY SPECIAL USE PERMIT. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HOW DO WE GET THAT ALTERNATIVE PRESENTED TO US, SO THAT WHEN WE GET THE PACKAGE, WE CAN LOOK AT IT AND CONSIDER THE ALTERNATIVES? WELL, THE STANDARDS THEMSELVES. AGAIN, WE ARE AWARE OF THE RECENTLY ADOPTED AMENDMENTS. WE HAVE LEANED INTO THOSE WITHIN OUR, YOU KNOW, REWRITE. OVERALL IN TERMS OF THE PERMISSIONS, THERE'S NOT REALLY A PACKAGE WE CAN PRESENT. IT'S EITHER GOING TO BE A BUY RIGHT IN THAT USE MATRIX OR SUP. SO IT WAS OUR ORIGINAL UNDERSTANDING THAT THE DESIRE OF COUNCIL WAS TO KEEP IT BY RIGHT. BUT AGAIN, BECAUSE THIS DID COME UP IN PLANNING COMMISSION, WE DID JUST WANT TO SORT OF FORMALLY CONFIRM THAT THE INTENT IS TO KEEP IT BY. 
          RIGHT. WELL, HOW CAN WE CONFIRM THAT KNOWINGLY IF WE DON'T SEE AN ALTERNATIVE WAY OF HANDLING THIS? THE ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE SUP WITH THE. WE WOULD STILL BE PROPOSING THE SAME REGULATORY STANDARDS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, LAND USE MITIGATION IN THE USE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. SO IF 
          [03:00:01]
THEY NEED A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA SPACE FROM A PROPERTY LINE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE TEN, THEY'RE TYPICALLY ARE SOME ADDITIONAL SETBACK RESTRICTIONS OR SETBACK REQUIREMENTS. YOU NEED MORE SETBACKS. YOU MIGHT NEED A WIDER BUFFER. YOU MIGHT NEED A FEW MORE THINGS THAT OTHER USES MAY NOT NEED, BECAUSE OF THE SPECIFIC AND UNIQUE NATURE OF A DATA CENTER, SO THAT ALL WOULD STILL BE THERE. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE TO THAT. THE REAL QUESTION, AGAIN, WAS FOR US TO CONFIRM IF OUR ORIGINAL UNDERSTANDING WAS CORRECT, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE DATA CENTERS TO BE BY RIGHT WITH, YOU KNOW, ROBUST USE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS. WELL, THE THING THAT CONCERNED ME ABOUT THE BY RIGHT IS LET'S SUPPOSE A DATA CENTER PROPOSAL COMES BEFORE US. WE REZONE PROPERTY AS INDUSTRIAL. THE DATA CENTER NEVER GOES FORWARD. AND WE'VE GOT A PIECE OF LAND THAT IS ZONED INDUSTRIAL WHERE ALL KINDS OF THINGS COULD GO. CONCRETE MANUFACTURING PLANTS, SLAUGHTERHOUSES, ALL KINDS OF INDUSTRIAL, INDUSTRIAL USES. AND WE'VE WE'VE NEVER GOT OUR DATA CENTER. IT MAKES MORE SENSE. HOW DOES PRINCE WILLIAM HANDLE DATA CENTERS? I BELIEVE THEY I WANT TO SAY THEY HANDLE THEM THROUGH AN OVERLAY, BUT I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION IN FRONT OF ME. I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND REFRESH MY MEMORY ON THAT. WELL, I'M TRYING TO THINK BACK ABOUT HOW THIS GOT PRESENTED TO US, AND IT WAS KIND OF A RUSH RUSH JOB, AND THERE WASN'T MUCH INSIGHT. AT LEAST I DIDN'T DEVELOP MUCH INTO THE ALTERNATIVES. AND WHAT WAS THE DISADVANTAGE OF THE SPECIAL USE? PURE, PURE, PURE PARCEL, SPECIAL USE PERMIT? I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER OUR EXISTING ORDINANCE THAT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT COULD BE REQUIRED, BUT THE IT'S AN EXCEPTION. AND IN GENERAL IT'S A MATTER OF RIGHT. AND THAT THAT CONCERNS ME. I DON'T I THINK SPECIAL USE PERMITS ARE THE WAY TO, ESPECIALLY ON A PROJECT THAT HAS THIS KIND OF CONSEQUENCE TO THE TO THE COMMUNITY. MR. ALTMAN, HOW I IT'S REALLY NOT THIS YOUNG LADY'S DECISION. MAYBE. MR. MAYOR, YOU'VE GOT SOME THOUGHTS ON THIS. 
          COUNCILMEMBER. CAN I GET MR. HAYNES RIGHT HERE AT THE BERKELEY GROUP TO GET WITH YOU ABOUT THOSE ALTERNATIVES, AND THEN YOU CAN BRING THEM BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING. ONCE SHE FOUND OUT WHAT PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY DID. AND YOU CAN COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES. THAT'D BE GREAT. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. I JUST NEED THE AVENUE FOR THE DISCUSSION, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE HAD A REAL DEEP DISCUSSION WHEN. WHEN THIS CAME BEFORE US. BEFORE. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THEN WE DID HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION THAT DERIVED FROM PLANNING COMMISSION THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND. IF WE IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE US TO PROCEED WITH THIS OR IF YOU WOULD NOT. PLANNING COMMISSION EXPRESSED INTEREST IN EXPLORING SORT OF AN ENTERTAINMENT OVERLAY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THIS WOULD BE DISTINCT FROM THE ENTERTAINMENT AND RESORT CASINO DISTRICT. POSSIBLE TOPICS INCLUDE OPEN CONTAINER ALLOWANCES FOR SIP AND STROLL EVENTS, STREET PERFORMERS, OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT, NOISE FLEXIBILITY FOR EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES. SOME OF THE CONSIDERATIONS WE WERE THINKING FIRST AND FOREMOST, SOME OF THIS, IF THERE IS INTEREST, MAY BE APPROPRIATE IN CITY CODE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY ZONING. SO WE WOULD NEED TO SORT OF HASH OUT WHERE ZONING CAN HAVE REGULATIONS PER STATE CODE, AND WHERE IT MAY BE MORE APPROPRIATE ELSEWHERE. FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE LIKE AN OUTDOOR, THERE IS A FORM OF A DISTRICT THAT CAN BE CREATED THROUGH STATE CODE, BUT NOT THROUGH ZONING. FOR THINGS LIKE SIP AND STROLL EVENTS. YOU ALSO WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER. THE SPLIT, THE DISTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. IF ZONING AND PLANNING CANNOT CARRY IT ALL DUE TO STATE CODE POTENTIAL BOUNDARIES OF SAID DISTRICTS, AND OF COURSE, ANY PROJECT OR SCOPE AMENDMENT ADJUSTMENTS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE MADE SHOULD WE TAKE THIS ON? IT IS NOT CURRENTLY DRAFTED. WE HAVE NOT CURRENTLY DONE ANY WORK ON IT. SO OUR REAL QUESTION TO CITY COUNCIL, FOR CLARITY, TO US AND TO STAFF AND TO PLANNING COMMISSION IS IF THERE IS INTEREST IN THIS TYPE OF OVERLAY, WHAT ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE PURSUED AND WHICH DEPARTMENTS SHOULD ADMINISTER AND ENFORCE THESE REGULATIONS. WOULD YOU LIKE US TO RESEARCH THAT FOR YOU, AND IF SO, WHAT GOAL WOULD COUNCIL LIKE TO ACHIEVE AND WHERE SHOULD IT APPLY? SO IF THERE IS INTEREST, WE WILL PURSUE IT AT YOUR DIRECTION. IF THERE IS NOT, WE WILL CONTINUE AS WE HAVE BEEN WITH OUR ORIGINAL SCOPE. SO MAYOR, GO AHEAD. I WANT TO SAY I BELIEVE COUNCIL'S DISCUSSED THIS ITEM. 
          [03:05:06]
YES, WE HAVE IN THE PAST AND APOLOGIES I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT. WELL, NO, I MEAN, YOU ARE BRINGING FORTH QUESTIONS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION. SO WE UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS QUESTIONS AND IDEAS THEY WOULD LIKE TO PURSUE. 
          AND SOME OF THOSE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY. AND COUNCIL HAS AGREED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEM. AND I THINK THIS MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PLANNING COMMISSION TO TRY TO GET THE GET THE IDEA IN FRONT OF COUNCIL AGAIN. SO I THINK COUNCIL AND AGAIN, NOT TO SPEAK FOR COUNCIL AT ALL, COUNCIL DISAGREES WITH ME OR WANTS TO SMACK ME ON THE HAND PLEASE. 
          THEY'VE THEY'VE ADDRESSED THE ISSUE AND COUNCIL AGREED DISCUSS AND DIDN'T MOVE DECIDED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT IDEA. SO I WOULD PROBABLY SAY AT THIS POINT I WOULDN'T SPEND A LOT OF TIME. NOW, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE CLARITY POINT FOR ME IS, IS THE PLANNING COMMISSION DISCUSSING, SAY, THE CREATION OF A DISTRICT, NOT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A DISTRICT, BUT DISCUSSING THE CREATION OF A DISTRICT. SO BUT I THINK COUNCIL'S DISCUSSED THIS PREVIOUSLY AND ELECTED NOT TO MOVE FORWARD. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THAT THAT IS HELPFUL ON OUR END. SO YEAH THAT CONCLUDES OUR UPDATE. AND CHECK IN FOR YOU ALL. THE FULL CONTENTS OF OUR WORK SO FAR IS IN YOUR PACKET. IF YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO EMAIL THOSE TO US SO WE CAN ADDRESS IT MORE DIRECTLY AND IN MORE DEPTH. LOOKING AHEAD, WE'LL BE BACK HERE IN TWO WEEKS FOR A WORK SESSION WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION. IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON TONIGHT'S MATERIALS, PLEASE TRY TO GET THOSE TO US WITHIN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. BY JULY 29TH. AND LOOKING FURTHER AHEAD, WE'LL HAVE THAT FINAL WORK SESSION WITH PLANNING COMMISSION IN SEPTEMBER. THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PHASE THIS FALL, A FINAL JOINT WORK SESSION AROUND DECEMBER AND ULTIMATELY THAT PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL ADOPTION EARLY NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE IT, MR. MAYOR. YES, MA'AM. MA'AM, I THINK I'VE GOT THE ANSWER. IF YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT THE IF IT'S IN THE PACKET, THE FULL ORDINANCE. YEAH. SO I HAD JUST TO KEEP YOUR PACKET FROM BEING 600 PAGES LONG. WE'VE GOT THAT LINK LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE LANDING, SO I'LL SHARE THAT WITH YOU ALL SO THAT YOU'VE GOT ACCESS TO THE DIGITAL VERSION. I JUST DIDN'T WANT TO DOUBLE THE SIZE OF THE PACKET. YEAH, WELL THANK YOU. IT'S ALREADY 510 PAGES. SO I THINK IT'S BIG ENOUGH AS IT IS. BUT WHERE IF IT'S ONLINE WHERE DO WE FIND IT ONLINE PLEASE. SO I'M HAPPY TO SHARE A DIRECT LINK. BUT IF YOU NAVIGATE TO THE CITY'S WEBSITE AND THEN TO THE PLANNING LAND HOMEPAGE, IT'S GOING TO BE UNDER OUR CURRENT PROJECTS. WHAT WE'LL DO, MR. CUTHBERT, IS WE'LL EMAIL THE DIRECT LINK TO COUNCIL SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO SEARCH FOR IT. IT'LL BE IN THE EMAIL AND IT'LL TAKE YOU RIGHT THERE. MR. JARED WILL TAKE CARE OF THAT. WELL THANK YOU ALL. ALL RIGHT. ALL WE HAVE LEFT. IS THERE ANYTHING FROM ANY FROM THE CITY MANAGER? NO, SIR. CITY ATTORNEY? NO, SIR. ALL RIGHT, MISS HILL. 
          NO. ALL RIGHT. MOTION TO ADJOURN. THANK YOU. OH, OKAY. WE HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. WE NEED 
          [16. Business or reports from the Clerk]
VOLUNTEERS. OKAY. SUMMER POINT. OKAY. I'M SORRY. BEFORE EVERYBODY LEAVES, WE'RE IN NEED OF VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR 2025 SUMMER POINT IN TIME COUNT. SO, CRATER AREA COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS CACHE WILL BE CONDUCTING A SUMMER POINT IN TIME COUNT ON JULY 23RD AND 24TH. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING, PLEASE CONTACT MY OFFICE. I WILL GET YOU IN CONTACT WITH CASH AND THEY'RE ALSO SEEKING DONATIONS FOR HYGIENE KITS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH OUR HOMELESS POPULATION. SO IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PLEASE CONTACT ME. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. WE'RE STILL UNDER A STATE OF EMERGENCY. SO EVERYONE PLEASE GET HOME SAFELY BEFORE THE S
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.