[1. Roll Call]
          [4. Determination of the Presence of a Quorum]
          [00:00:13]
          DETERMINATION OF THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM. NEXT IS. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM. NEXT IS ITEM 
          [5. Proclamations/Recognitions/Presentation of Ceremonial Proclamations]
FIVE. PROCLAMATIONS. RECOGNITIONS. PRESENTATIONS OF CEREMONIAL PROCLAMATIONS. AND WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION TODAY FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. WHEREAS THE CITY COUNCIL OF PETERSBURG RECOGNIZES SEPTEMBER 15TH THROUGH OCTOBER 15TH AS NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, AN OBSERVANCE IS ESTABLISHED TO CELEBRATE AND HONOR CULTURE AND SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS TRACING THEIR ROOTS TO SPAIN, MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA, AND THE SPANISH SPEAKING NATIONS OF THE CARIBBEAN. AND WHEREAS, APPROXIMATELY 929,140 INDIVIDUALS, OR 10.73% OF VIRGINIA'S POPULATION IDENTIFIES AS HISPANIC OR LATINO OF ANY RACE, REFLECTING SIGNIFICANT GROWTH AND INFLUENCE THROUGHOUT THE COMMONWEALTH. AND WHEREAS IN PETERSBURG, APPROXIMATELY 5.9% OF RESIDENTS ROUGHLY 1970 PEOPLE IDENTIFY AS HISPANIC OR LATINO, CONTRIBUTING TO THE CITY'S RICH DIVERSITY AND STRENGTHENING OUR CIVIC CULTURE AND ECONOMIC LIFE. AND WHEREAS ON A NATIONAL LEVEL, HISPANICS AND LATINOS NOW COMPROMISED 19.5% OF THE US POPULATION, NUMBERING OVER 65 MILLION PEOPLE, AND BETWEEN 2022 AND 2023, ACCOUNTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 71% OF THE NATION'S POPULATION GROWTH. AND WHEREAS, HISPANIC RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES IN PETERSBURG, ACROSS VIRGINIA, AND THROUGHOUT THE NATION PROVIDE INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS IN BUSINESS, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, PUBLIC SERVICE, ARTS, FAITH AND CULTURE, SHAPING OUR COMMUNITIES AND ENSURING CONTINUED GROWTH AND VITALITY. 
          AND WHEREAS, HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH PRESENTS A TIMELY OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT ACHIEVEMENTS, SHARE UNTOLD STORIES, AND ELEVATE THE VOICES OF HISPANIC RESIDENTS WHILE PROMOTING UNDERSTANDING, EQUITY AND INCLUSION ACROSS OUR CITY. NOW, THEREFORE, I, MAYOR SAMUEL PARHAM, BY VIRTUE OF THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME BY THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 15TH, OCTOBER 15TH, 2025, AS HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, AND CALL UPON ALL CITIZENS TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC CULTURE, SUPPORT HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESSES, AND HONOR THE ENDURING CONTRIBUTIONS OF HISPANIC AND LATINO COMMUNITIES TO OUR SHARED HISTORY AND FUTURE. THANK YOU. NEXT, WE HAVE RESPONSES TO PREVIOUS PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD THAT 
          [6. Responses to Previous Public Information Posted]
          [7. Approval of Consent Agenda (to include minutes of previous meetings)]
IS IN OUR COUNCIL COMMUNICATES. NEXT IS ITEM SEVEN. APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA TO INCLUDE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS, MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS JULY 15TH, 2025 MEETING MINUTES WITH CORRECTION CHANGE. MISS JONES TO MISS JAMES SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2025 CLOSED SESSION MINUTES SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2025 SPECIAL JOINT MEETING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION. MINUTES SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2025 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION ITEM EIGHT PRESENTATIONS. HOLD UP. THOSE ARE THE ITEMS FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA. ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS STATED. SO MOVED. ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND SECOND BY VICE MAYOR HILL. MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. AYE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION 
          [8. Presentations]
CARRIES. NEXT IS ITEM EIGHT, A CAPITAL PLAN AND UTILITY ENTERPRISE STUDY PRESENTATION. 
          DAVENPORT PUBLIC FINANCE. MR. ROSE, GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. PLEASURE TO BE HERE. MR. ALTMAN IS HANDING OUT A HARD COPY OF OUR PRESENTATION. 
          I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY ALSO GO ON THE SCREEN, I TAKE IT. OH, GOD. NO. LET'S SEE HERE. IT'S NOT NOT UP ON THE SCREEN. OKAY, OKAY. OKAY. WELL, AGAIN, PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT. 
          MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, MR. MAYOR BEN WILSON, ONE OF MY YOUNG COLLEAGUES IS WITH US. YOU'VE SEEN BEN BEFORE, ROLAND KOCH AS WELL, BUT IS OUT TONIGHT. I DON'T KNOW IF. MR. ALTMAN, DO YOU THINK THEY'LL HAVE IT UP ON THE. OKAY, I'LL WAIT A MOMENT FOR EVERYONE. 
          [00:05:06]
READY? I PROMISE NOT TO BE TOO LONG. AS YOU COULD SEE, IT'S A IT'S A FAIRLY SHORT PRESENTATION. PERFECT. NO PROBLEM. WHILE WE'RE WAITING, MR. ROSE. AND FOR THE AUDIENCE, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I HAVE THESE, THESE SHADES ON BECAUSE I HAD EYE SURGERY YESTERDAY. SO JUST LET EVERYBODY KNOW. I'M JUST NOT HERE. UP HERE TRYING TO LOOK COOL. ALL RIGHT, I GET IT, I GET IT ESPECIALLY. I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU HAD HAD SOME. WHEN THEY, THEY DILATE YOUR EYES. YOU KNOW SOMETIMES THAT HAPPENS THAT STUFF AND THEN SOME. AND LASER SURGERY AND LASER. I HEAR YOU OKAY AGAIN. WELL, I'M GLAD THE PRESENTATION THAT IS IN FRONT OF YOU. AND FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE, THIS IS IDENTICAL TO WHAT YOU HAVE. SO AGAIN, LET ME START WITH IF GO TO PAGE TWO, IF THEY WOULD, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'VE HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF SERVING AS YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR FOR A PERIOD OF TIME NOW. WE WERE IN FRONT OF YOU BACK IN JUNE AS WELL AS IN AUGUST, AND WE TALKED AT THE ADVANCE AND THEN FOLLOWED THAT UP WITH SOME FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT A MULTIYEAR PLAN FOR BOTH THE GENERAL FUND AS WELL AS THE UTILITY ENTERPRISE FUND. AS PART OF ALL THAT, WE HAD IDENTIFIED SOME 250 MILLION OF CAPITAL NEEDS ON THE GENERAL FUND SIDE. AND THAT, AGAIN, WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THE STRATEGY BE USED TO DO A LINE OF CREDIT, $30 MILLION THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF THINGS ON AN INTERIM BASIS. AND WE'RE RECOMMENDING MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. YOU MAY RECALL AS WELL THAT THERE IS SOME GUARANTEED PAYMENTS FROM CORDISH. AND WHEN THOSE DO COME IN, WE'RE PLANNING TO BASICALLY DO FUNDING OFF OF THAT LINE OF CREDIT, BUT BE IN A MODE TO A LARGE EXTENT THAT WE WOULD DO THOSE PROJECTS AFTER THOSE MONIES START TO COME IN, WITH ONE CAVEAT. AND THAT'S THE THIRD BULLET, AND THAT IS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED SOME $4 MILLION FOR VEHICLES, AS WELL AS SOME 5 TO $6 MILLION OF A SPORTS FACILITY, ALL OF THAT IN THE 10 TO $12 MILLION NEEDS, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER OR NOT THE CORDISH PROJECT STARTS. SO RATHER THAN GOING DIRECTLY TO PERMANENT FINANCING FOR THAT 10 TO 12 MILLION, WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT IF YOU APPROVE IT, WE USE PART OF THAT LINE OF CREDIT TO TAKE CARE OF THAT AND THEN ULTIMATELY TERM IT OUT. DEPENDING UPON WHAT HAPPENS. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT HERE THAT THOSE PROJECTS HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS OVERALL CORDISH DEVELOPMENT. THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED THROUGH STAFF THAT NEED TO BE FUNDED NOW, AND WE DO NOT RECOMMEND TAKING YOUR MONIES OUT OF YOUR RESERVES, IF YOU WOULD. IT'S A HEALTHIER, STRONGER WAY TO DO THIS THROUGH THAT LINE OF CREDIT. SO THAT'S THAT NEXT PAGE. OKAY. IF YOU GO ON TO THE NEXT PAGE, YOU'RE THERE ON THE UTILITY ENTERPRISE FUND. WE HAVE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME WORKING WITH YOUR STAFF. WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. AND THEY'VE BEEN EXCELLENT WORKING WITH THE RATE CONSULTANT THAT'S CALLED JACOBS, AS WELL AS THE ENGINEERING CONSULTANT. YOU COULD SEE THEIR JMT AND THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED ABOUT $190 MILLION OF CAPITAL, REALLY DEFERRED NEEDS FOR THE FOR THE CITY. A RATE STUDY IS GOING TO BE PRESENTED ON OCTOBER 7TH. WE WILL BE HERE. BUT AGAIN, THAT RATE STUDY IS DONE BY THOSE ENGINEERS THAT SAYS THIS IS THE TYPES OF RATES AND CHARGES NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR UTILITY SYSTEM IS ABLE TO MEET NOT ONLY THE CURRENT NEEDS, BUT THE FUTURE NEEDS, INCLUDING THE CORDISH PROJECTS, AS WELL AS THE PHARMA THINGS THAT ARE BEING INVESTED. AT THE END OF THE DAY. THE GOOD NEWS HERE IS ABOUT A THIRD OF THAT, OR ALMOST HALF OF THAT REALLY IS COMING FROM GRANTS. SOME PRIOR BOND PROCEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE AS WELL AS RIGHT NOW, YOU'RE ABOUT TO CLOSE ON A LOW INTEREST LOAN FROM THE DEQ. THAT'S THE STATE TO THE TUNE OF ALMOST $20 MILLION. SO THAT 80 MILLION PLUS OVER TIME, ABOUT 110 MILLION THAT YOU'LL BE FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WILL BE PART OF THE OVERALL RATE PLAN. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST. AND SO WITH THAT APPROACH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND THERE, AND WE SAID THIS AT THE LAST AT THE ADVANCE IS TO DO A SEPARATE LINE OF CREDIT. THAT WOULD BE $40 MILLION. AND THAT LINE OF CREDIT WOULD KICK START, AS WE SAY, ALL THE INVESTMENT WHEN THE CITY WAS IN TROUBLE. I 
          [00:10:02]
POINT THIS OUT FOR THOSE BEHIND ME. AND YOU ALL KNOW THIS. WHEN THE CITY WAS IN TROUBLE BACK IN 2016, IT WAS NOT BY VIRTUE OF HAVING DEBT OUTSTANDING ON THE UTILITY SYSTEM. IN FACT, THERE WAS ALMOST NO DEBT OUT ON THE UTILITY SYSTEM. IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE CITY IS A HISTORIC CITY, HAS 100 PLUS YEAR OLD PIPES. THERE JUST WAS NO INVESTMENT BEING MADE FOR DECADES, LITERALLY DECADES. AND SO THIS IS A LOT OF THIS IS CATCHING UP. AND THE STRATEGY WE RECOMMEND, AS I DID BACK IN AUGUST, IS TO DO A SEPARATE LINE OF CREDIT. THE REASON FOR THAT IS AS WELL IS WE BELIEVE THAT TO GET GOING ON ALL THIS, IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME TIME TO REALLY GET SOME OF THOSE MONIES SPENT. SO USING A LINE OF CREDIT IS GOING TO BE THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY RATHER THAN BORROW PERMANENT MONIES RIGHT UP FRONT AND START TO IMMEDIATELY HAVE TO PAY PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE JUST PAY INTEREST ON THE MONEY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, UNTIL WE REALLY SEE HOW FAST THOSE MONEYS ARE BEING SPENT. SO AGAIN, NOTHING NEW FROM WHAT I SAID THE LAST GO ROUND. SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THEN AS I MENTIONED, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET YOUR APPROVAL TONIGHT, IS TO MOVE FORWARD SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH TWO INTERIM FINANCINGS THAT ARE SET UP, THAT ONE COULD BE INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHER. IN TERMS OF BEING PREPAID, AT LEAST OUR GOAL IS TO HAVE THEM BEING PREPAID ABOUT A YEAR, POSSIBLY A LITTLE SOONER, MOST LIKELY ABOUT A YEAR, AND ALLOW THE CITY THEN TO AGAIN TO CONTINUE TO EARN A STRONG INTEREST RATE ON YOUR EXISTING FUNDS. SO WE THINK THAT THESE TWO LINES OF CREDIT WILL BE ABOUT EQUAL TO MAYBE LOWER THAN THE MONIES THAT YOU'RE EARNING RIGHT NOW ON THE MONEY SITTING IN THE BANK, AND YOU ARE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH THAT. YOU'RE IN A GOOD SHAPE WITH THAT. SO AGAIN, WE WANT TO KEEP IT SEPARATE AND NOT HAVE THESE MONIES ALL MINGLED COMMINGLED. 
          AND WE SAW BACK IN 2016 THAT WAS ONE OF YOUR PROBLEMS, WAS IT WAS HARD TO FIGURE OUT WHERE SOME OF YOUR MONIES WERE, WHAT YOUR OBLIGATIONS WERE. THIS IS TO KEEP THEM VERY MUCH SEPARATE. 
          THE GENERAL FUND AND GENERAL FUND PROJECTS SEPARATE FROM THE UTILITY PROJECTS. SO THEN IF YOU GO TO THE LAST PAGE HERE, PAGE FIVE IS THE SCHEDULE. TONIGHT IS THE 16TH. WE'RE ASKING YOU TO NOT ONLY ALLOW US TO GO FORWARD, BUT WE ALSO WANT YOU TO CONSIDER ADOPTING WHAT WE CALL A REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION. WHAT THAT IS, YOU MAY RECALL WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST, THAT REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION IS TO THE TUNE OF $4 MILLION. AND THAT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO BE SENDING MONEY OUT VERY, VERY QUICKLY. EVEN BEFORE WE GET THE LINES OF CREDIT SET UP FOR THOSE VEHICLES. AND THAT IS GOING TO THEN ALLOW US TO REIMBURSE OURSELVES ON WHAT WE CALL A TAX EXEMPT BASIS. SO STRATEGICALLY, WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS AT THE LOWEST COST OF FUNDS. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE FUNDING THAT WAS BEING OFFERED BY THE VEHICLE PROVIDERS, IT MADE NO SENSE TO USE THEIR FUNDING. THEIR THEIR COST OF MONEY WAS CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN YOU BECAUSE YOUR CREDIT RATING TODAY IS SO STRONG. WE KNOW WE CAN BORROW ON A VERY STRONG, COST EFFECTIVE BASIS. THAT'S A LONG, FAR CRY FROM WHERE WE WERE OBVIOUSLY BACK IN 2016. SO WITH THAT SAID, WITH YOUR BLESSING, HERE WE ARE MID SEPTEMBER. OUR GOAL IS TO GET A BANK RFP OUT TO ALL BANKS LOCAL, REGIONAL, NATIONAL REVIEW. THOSE WITH STAFF HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR OCTOBER 21ST, WHICH IS THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. AND THEN TO HOPEFULLY GET YOUR YOUR APPROVAL AT THAT TIME. IN BETWEEN, THOUGH, THERE'S A WORK SESSION ON THE 7TH OF OCTOBER THAT WILL BE SIMPLY TO HAVE MY COLLEAGUES, ROLAND AND BEN, AS WELL AS THE FOLKS FROM JACOBS, PRESENT THE RATE STUDY ON THE UTILITY SIDE. AND SO, AS WE SAID BACK IN THE THE AUGUST MEETING, WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A VERY GOOD THING FOR JACOBS TO PRESENT WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, WHAT THEY THINK RATES NEED TO BE. AND SO THAT WILL BE A VERY INFORMATIVE SESSION. LASTLY, AFTER THE 21ST, WE WOULD LIKE TO THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH THE APPROPRIATE RESOLUTIONS AND MOVE TOWARDS CLOSING ON BOTH OF THOSE LINES, IF YOU WOULD INTERIM FINANCING, I REALLY SHOULD CALL THEM BECAUSE ONE MIGHT BE A LINE, ONE MIGHT BE A SORT OF A BAN, AS WE CALL IT, A BOND ANTICIPATION NOTE AS WE'VE DONE BEFORE AS WELL, WHATEVER MAKES THE MOST SENSE IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND, AND IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE BANKS 
          [00:15:05]
GIVE US. BUT I DO FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE WILL GET SOME GOOD RESPONSES FROM THE BANKS BECAUSE, AGAIN, OUR CREDIT RATING IS SUCH THAT THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS, WHEN WE MOVED FOR THE COURTHOUSE, WE HAD MULTIPLE FOLKS THAT BID ON THE CITY'S FINANCES, AND THAT WORKED OUT OBVIOUSLY VERY, VERY WELL LAST YEAR. SO WITH THAT, MADAM, MR. MAYOR, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANYTHING THAT THAT YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL THE ADVICE, AS ALWAYS. NEXT TO TAKE QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. 
          COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. HOW ARE YOU DOING, SIR? I'M GOOD. THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS QUESTION WOULD BE FOR YOU OR TO THE CITY MANAGER, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE VEHICLES, THAT WAS ONE OF THE MAIN EMERGENCY EXPENSES. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT POLICE VEHICLES AND FIRE AND TRANSIT, OR IS THAT JUST COVERING ONE AREA OF NEED? IT JUST POLICE VEHICLES. AT THIS POINT, WE'VE GOT FIRE IN. Q ALREADY MADE THOSE ORDERS. AND THEN WE HAVE A WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT TRAINS. AND I KNOW TRAIN HAS APPLIED FOR SOME DOLLARS FROM THE FEDS TO HELP. BUT WE HAVE WE NEED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND TRAINS. 
          THIS WILL JUST BE TO TARGET THE POLICE VEHICLE OKAY. SO THAT TAKE CARE OF EVERYBODY PRETTY MUCH. IT'S GOTCHA. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE DESPERATELY IN NEED OF POLICE VEHICLES. AND THAT'S DEFINITELY AN IMMEDIATE NEED. 
          NEXT WE GO TO COUNCILMAN COOPER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M REALLY PUZZLED. COUNCIL HAS NOT ADOPTED ANY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET YET. AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE OUGHT TO ADOPT THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET BEFORE WE FIGURE OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO FINANCE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. AND WE HAVEN'T HAD AS A COUNCIL, WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT DISCUSSION. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER CLICHE WE MIGHT, MIGHT COME TO MIND, CART BEFORE THE HORSE OR. WALK BEFORE WE RUN OR WHATEVER. I'M LOOKING AT THIS MULTI-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN OF FINANCE THAT WE WERE GIVEN SOME TIME AGO, BUT WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. WE'VE GOT $14 MILLION WORTH OF FIRE, RESCUE AND EMERGENCY SERVICE VEHICLES. WE'VE GOT. $6,800,000 OF POLICE VEHICLES JUST ALL BEING BOUGHT AT ONE TIME, WHICH MAYBE I COULD. MR. CUTHBERT, I APPRECIATE YOUR VERY GOOD QUESTION. LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING. SO JUST AS AS YOUR AS YOUR COLLEAGUE TO YOUR TO YOUR RIGHT, YOU ARE LOOKING AT WHEN YOU TALK BACK IN IN AUGUST, YOU'VE GOT 2 OR 3 IMMEDIATE FUNDING NEEDS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT. AND THAT WAS AGAIN THIS 4 MILLION VEHICLES THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE, THAT 5 OR 6 MILLION FOR WHAT I'LL CALL THE SPORTS COMPLEX THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. AND THEN I THINK THERE'S ONE OTHER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, POSSIBLY THAT IS THERE. SO WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO TURN AROUND AND ACTUALLY EXPEND $30 MILLION FOR THE GENERAL FUND, OR $40 MILLION FOR THE FOR THE UTILITY FUND. 
          WHAT WE'RE ASKING TO DO IS TO SET UP BORROWING VEHICLES, NO PUN INTENDED, BUT SETTING UP BORROWING PROGRAMS SO THAT WHEN YOU ULTIMATELY DO APPROVE VARIOUS PROJECTS, THE MONEY IS THERE VERY ECONOMICALLY, STRATEGICALLY. BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY THERE IS SOMETHING LIKE 6.8 MILLION OR SOMETHING OF ALTOGETHER VEHICLES ON THAT AREA. AND WE'RE BORROWING FOR BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE UNDERSTAND YOU NEED RIGHT NOW NO MATTER WHAT. SO YOUR POINT IS WE'RE NOT REALLY TAKING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. WHAT WE ARE DOING IS SETTING UP FUNDING APPROACHES THAT WILL ALLOW YOU THEN AS YOU DECIDE ON VARIOUS PROJECTS, IF YOU RECALL, PART OF THAT WHOLE GENERAL FUND STRATEGY WAS TO LIMIT OF THE 30 MILLION NOT BORROW ACTUALLY OR TAKE DOWN, I SHOULD SAY MORE THAN ABOUT 10 OR 12 MILLION FOR THOSE PROJECTS. THE REST OF THAT, THAT OVERALL 30 MILLION IS GOING TO BE HELD UNTIL SUCH 
          [00:20:06]
TIME AS A COUPLE THINGS HAPPEN. ONE IS THAT YOU, AS A COUNCIL, PRIORITIZE AND DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. AND THEN NUMBER TWO, WE ACTUALLY GET THE FINAL FIRST PAYMENT IN FROM CORDISH. AS I RECALL, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 2 MILLION ALREADY. WE'RE STILL WAITING ON ROUGHLY ABOUT 13 MILLION OF THAT. AND SO OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS LET'S NOT GO AND ACTUALLY SPEND DOWN THE WHOLE 30 MILLION. LET'S HOLD THAT UNTIL WE GET THAT 13 MILLION. IN THAT WAY, WE'RE IN A POSITION TO CASH FLOW WISE OF STRENGTH IN CASE SOME THINGS DON'T GO RIGHT. SO NOTHING IS NEW FROM WHEN I TALKED. AND BEN, AS YOU RECALL, BECAUSE BEN DID A GOOD JOB ON UTILITY SIDE IN AUGUST, BUT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED, NOT ME. YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AS A STAFF IN COUNCIL THAT YOU NEED ABOUT 10 MILLION OR SO, 10 TO 12 MILLION RIGHT NOW. AND SO THAT'S WHY I SAID EARLIER, EVEN IF YOU DON'T EVEN APPROVE THIS, WE STILL NEED TO COME UP WITH ABOUT 10 OR $12 MILLION ASAP, ASAP. AND I JUST DON'T THINK DOING A SEPARATE FINANCING AT TEN, 12 MILLION, THEN COMING AROUND SIX MONTHS LATER OR FOUR MONTHS LATER AND DOING A SEPARATE FINANCING FOR THE OTHER NEEDS, THAT'S NOT ECONOMICAL. THAT JUST DOESN'T. THAT'S JUST A LOT OF WASTE OF MONEY AND TIME. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THAT, MR. CUTHBERT, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID, BUT RIGHT NOW, THIS COUNCIL HAS NOT EVEN DECIDED HOW WE'RE GOING TO SPEND THE MONEY. IT SEEMS PREMATURE TO ME TO GO BORROW THE MONEY WHEN WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN THAT WE'VE ADOPTED TO SPEND IT. SO. COUNCIL. SO WE'RE WE'RE WORKING ON THE CAPITAL PLAN. BUT I THINK THE KEY FOR US IS WE'VE GOT SOME IMMEDIATE NEEDS WHICH THESE DOLLARS WILL BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH. THE REMAINDER WILL SIT. AND AS WE HAVE PROJECTS COME THAT WE MAY WANT TO DO SOMETHING WITH, WE KNOW WE HAVE A SOURCE THAT WE CAN COME AND TALK TO COUNCIL TO ACCESS AS FAR AS AS OPPOSED TO GOING THROUGH A FULL BOND SALE. AND THAT WHOLE PROCESS WILL HAVE THE ABILITY AND THE FLEXIBILITY TO COME BACK AND SAY, WE HAD A GOOD DISCUSSION THIS EVENING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MAY WARRANT SOME DOLLARS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND SAY, THIS IS ONE WAY WE CAN GET SOME MONEY QUICKLY TO HELP PUSH THIS, THIS PROJECT ALONG. AND IT'S THERE AND IT'S AVAILABLE AS OPPOSED TO GOING AND CONSTANTLY GOING TO OUR FUND BALANCE AND DRAINING OUR FUND BALANCE. WE DON'T WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. BUT, MR. ALTMAN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT THE AT THE RETREAT IN DETAIL. I THINK WE SPENT ABOUT AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF WITH DAVENPORT JUST TO TALK ABOUT THESE IMMEDIATE NEEDS. AND WE DEFINITELY IN NEED OF THOSE POLICE VEHICLES. CHIEF IS WAITING ON THOSE AND WE HAVEN'T BREAKDOWNS LEFT AND RIGHT. WE ALSO KNOW THAT TRANSIT HAS IMMEDIATE NEEDS AS WELL. WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSSES THAT'S DOWN THAT'S OLDER AND DATED. SOT OF CREATING THIS LIKE WHAT MR. ROSE SAYS, A VEHICLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CAPITAL TO ADDRESS A LOT OF THESE IMMEDIATE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AS FAR AS INFRASTRUCTURE OF EACH DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE ORDERED FIRE APPARATUS THAT ARE TAKES FOUR YEARS TO GET THOSE, BUT WE DESPERATELY HAVE TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS IN PD BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S IT'S WE CAN'T CONTINUE GETTING BY WITH VEHICLES OVER 150,000 MILES AND BREAK IT DOWN ON THE STREETS AND, AND INSTEAD OF TAKING THAT MONEY FROM FUND BALANCE, WE TALKED ABOUT THE RETREAT, ABOUT BEING ABLE TO ACCESS CAPITAL THROUGH THIS VEHICLE HERE THAT MR. ROSE JUST PRESENTED TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS. WELL, I RESPECT WHAT YOU SAID, MR. MAYOR, AND CERTAINLY THERE WAS WERE SOME NUMBERS PUT IN FRONT OF US, BUT THERE WAS NO DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER THIS WAS THESE WERE OUR PRIORITIES OR WHETHER THE MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT IN A CLUMP. FOR EXAMPLE, LET'S JUST TAKE POLICE VEHICLES, $6.8 MILLION OF POLICE VEHICLES. BAM! WOULD IT MAKE I MEAN, THIS IS A CONVERSATION WE, THIS COUNCIL HAS NOT HAD. AND IT MAY BE THAT THIS IS THE WAY TO DO IT. THE 6.8.8 AT ONE TIME SPEND. 
          BUT I WONDER IF IT MIGHT MAKE MORE SENSE TO BUY THEM TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE LIKELY LIFE EXPECTANCY IS OF THE VEHICLES, AND THEN SEQUENCE THE PURCHASE. MAYBE THE CAN I JUMP IN? LIFE EXPECTANCY IS FIVE YEARS, SO THEN WE WOULD BUY ONE FIFTH OF THE NEW VEHICLES THAT WE NEED 
          [00:25:02]
IN YEAR ONE, AND A SECOND FIFTH OF THE VEHICLES WE NEED IN YEAR TWO, SO THEY ALL WOULDN'T WEAR OUT AT THE SAME TIME, BUT INSTEAD WE WOULD JUST GIVEN THIS, THIS, THIS BOOK THAT SAID $6.8 MILLION FOR POLICE VEHICLES AND NOT ONE OF US AT LEAST I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY VEHICLES WE WOULD GET, WHAT THEY WOULD BE RIGHT, HOW BADLY WE NEED THEM. ARE THERE ANY THAT WE ARE REPLACING THAT REALLY HAVE SOME LIFE EXPECTANCY LEFT ON THEM? I MEAN, THIS IS A THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO HAVE A BUDGET DISCUSSION AND VOTE BEFORE WE JUMP IN AND SAY, HERE'S A CHECK FOR $6.8 MILLION, GO GET US SOME POLICE VEHICLES. WHICH IS WHERE I AM IN MY THINKING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE. I DON'T HAVE ANY EXPLANATION. BUT COUNCILMEMBER, THIS IS CORRECT. YOU'VE HAD SEVERAL WARD MEETINGS JUST ON THE PROBLEMS OF SPEEDING IN YOUR WARDS, IN WHICH YOU REQUESTED MORE POLICE PRESENCE, AND HOW CAN POLICE BE THERE IF THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES TO SERVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE BRINGING UP? I KNOW IT'S THE LAST 2 OR 3 WARD MEETINGS HAVE BEEN ABOUT SPEEDING AND THE NEED FOR POLICE TO HAVE MORE OF A TRAFFIC DIVISION. HOW CAN YOU HAVE THAT WITHOUT ANY VEHICLES? I'M NOT ASKING THE CITY TO SPEND $6.8 MILLION ON POLICE VEHICLES IN ORDER TO WRITE MORE TICKETS. THERE'S BEEN NO CASE MADE THAT WE ARE UNABLE TO WRITE TICKETS WITH THE EXISTING FLEET OF POLICE VEHICLES. WE HAVE, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO ADDRESS SPEEDING OTHER THAN THROUGH TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT. FOR EXAMPLE, MORE STOP SIGNS, RUMBLE STRIPS, REDUCING SPEED LIMIT, ALL KINDS OF IMPORTANT TOOLS THAT WE HAVE. BUT BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, AS A POINT OF ORDER, WE CAN CALL FOR THE QUESTION. THE QUESTION FROM COUNCIL IS, DOES COUNCIL WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE CAPITAL PLAN AND UTILITY ENTERPRISE STUDY PRESENTATION? AS STATED? THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, MR. MAYOR, FOR THE QUESTION. IT'S RIGHT HERE UNDER PRESENTATIONS RIGHT HERE. SO IT SAYS IT'S A PRESENTATION. IT DOESN'T SAY WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ANY ACTION. EXACTLY. BUT WHAT MR. ROSE WAS SAYING ON THE LAST PAGE IS THE COUNCIL'S DESIRE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PRESENTATION, AS STATED. AND AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND IS ALSO TO ADOPT THE REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION, WHETHER WE BORROW $1 OR WHAT HAVE YOU. THAT 4 MILLION, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IS GOING TO BE GOING OUT THE DOOR VERY SHORTLY. 
          SO WE'RE NOT DOING 6.8. IT'S 4 MILLION. AND THAT 4 MILLION IS NEEDED IN THE SHORT RUN. YES. 
          GO AHEAD GARY. WELL I'M LOOKING AT A BUDGET AND IT'S GOT AN $80 MILLION PRICE TAG ON IT. I JUST WANT TO ADD IN THAT THE REIMBURSEMENT FOR RESOLUTION IS A PART OF A REGULARLY SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT FOR THE VEHICLES IN QUESTION, IN THE $4 MILLION. SO WE STILL HAVEN'T ADOPTED A BUDGET. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT IS THAT'S THE PRESENTATION. AND I WE HAVE THAT AGENDA ITEM COMING UP FOR THE POLICE VEHICLES. CHIEF HAS ASKED US VARIOUS TIMES BECAUSE IT'S IMMEDIATE NEED FOR POLICE TO HAVE HAVE ADEQUATE VEHICLES BECAUSE WE HAVE ONE OF THE POLICE FOR US TO GET THE MOST ACTION IN THIS REGION HERE. AND IT IS OUR DUTY AS, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE THEM THE NECESSARY RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED. SO, MR. ROSE, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, AND I THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN TO ON THAT RETREAT FOR US AS WELL, BECAUSE WE SPENT A LOT OF MANY HOURS ON, ON THESE TOPICS. AND THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER FOR US. MR. MAYOR, DO WE STILL NEED SOME LEVEL OF ACTION BY COUNCIL? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO. PROVIDE SOME. YES. THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO FOR US TO BEGIN. RIGHT. I NEED THAT VICE MAYOR WITH THE COUNCIL'S DESIRE. YES. AND, MR. WILLIAMS, YOU LET ME KNOW IF I'M IN ORDER OR NOT. I MOVED TO THE CITY COUNCIL, DIRECT CITY STAFF AND DAVENPORT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLAN OF FINANCE. CITY COUNCIL, CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION. THAT'S MY MOTION AND MY ORDER, MR. WILLIAMS. THAT SECOND PART IS LATER. THE FIRST PART THAT YOU SAID IS CORRECT. OKAY. WHERE I RESTATE MY ORDER, I MOVE THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECTS THE CITY STAFF, DAVENPORT, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLAN OF FINANCE. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN SMITH SECOND WITH THE SECOND. ALL RIGHT. MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER? CUTHBERT, I'M VOTING NO. WE'RE DOING THINGS SIDEWAYS AND BACKWARDS. WE OUGHT TO ADOPT A BUDGET BEFORE WE START BORROWING MONEY TO PAY FOR IT. SO PUT ME DOWN, PLEASE. NO, BUT THIS HAPPENS TIME AND TIME AGAIN. WE GET PUSHED INTO DECISIONS WITHOUT A DISCUSSION AND WITHOUT A VOTE TO ADOPT A POSITION. SO THIS IS NOT THE WAY TO DO BUSINESS. I'M VOTING NO COUNCIL MEMBER JONES I'M VOTING YES. ON THE BASIS OF WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR ENFORCEMENT. WHAT EVERYBODY'S FORGETTING ABOUT UP HERE NOT 
          [00:30:05]
AND OUT THERE NOW WE HAVE NOT JUST A CASINO BUT OTHER BUSINESSES COMING INTO THIS CITY. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BEING ABLE TO ENFORCE, NOT JUST SPEEDING FOR MY COMRADE HERE, BUT FOR ENFORCEMENT. WE'RE ABOUT TO INCREASE NUMBERS OF VISITORS INTO THIS CITY TEN TIMES OVER. NOW, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND IS WE'RE NOT BORROWING ANYTHING. 
          WE'RE DOING TAKING ACTION NOW WHILE WE CAN, WHILE OUR CREDIT RATING IS AT A GOOD STANCE. 
          BECAUSE IF WE WAIT UNTIL LATER, IT'S LIKE THIS, Y'ALL. IT'S LIKE THIS. IF I GOT THE MONEY TO DO IT NOW OUT OF MY OWN POCKET, AND THAT'S LESS TAXES OR WHATEVER, THAT I GOTTA PAY ON THAT MONEY VERSUS BORROWING FROM A BANK OR OR A THIRD PARTY. IT'S LIKE THIS GO BUY A NEW CAR, YOU GET A BETTER REBATE AND ALL THAT STUFF. YOU GO AND LOAN, GET A LOAN, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY HIGHER INTEREST RATE ON THAT THING. SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ABOUT DOING IT NOW WHILE WE CAN. 
          Y'ALL LADIES, GENTLEMEN, LISTEN, IF WE DON'T DO STUFF NOW WHILE WE CAN AND WE KEEP WAITING, THAT'S WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS CITY. NOW. WE'VE BEEN WAITING, WAITING AND WAITING. THAT'S WHY NOBODY GOT ANYTHING. BUT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, AND WE GOT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. MR. MAYOR, I APOLOGIZE TO ALL OF YOU GUYS UP HERE, BUT WE GOT TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE HOW ARE THEY GOING TO GET TO ENFORCE THESE PLACES ON BIKES? WE'RE GOING TO BAN BICYCLES, BIG WHEELS, HORSES. THEY GOT TO GET OUT HERE AND ENFORCE THESE. ENFORCE THE VISITORS IS COMING TO THIS CITY THAT MAY OR MAY NOT MEAN US ANY GOOD. AND WHEN YOU CALL 911 HOW YOU EXPECT THEM TO GET THERE, HOW DO WE EXPECT THEM TO GET THERE? WE GOT SOME SOME DECISIONS HAVE TO BE MADE BEFORE THE OTHERS. SO THIS IS WHAT WE GOT. DAVENPORT AND THEM HERE WITH THEIR PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS ON THINGS BECAUSE THEY THEY KNOW THEY KNOW BROTHER. SO YES I'M VOTING YES BECAUSE WE NEED THESE VEHICLES TWO YEARS AGO. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. YES. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. YES. VICE MAYOR. KIER. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, 
          [9. Official Public Hearings]
THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. APPRECIATE IT. WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NINE, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GRANTS FUND. CLOSURE. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, GARY COZIER, BUDGET MANAGER. FIRST ITEM I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE IF WE COULD GET IT ON THE SCREEN. 
          ITEM NINE A. NINE A. THIS CLICK THE AGENDA. IT SHOULD BE BOOKMARKED. IT SHOULD BE BOOKMARKED. YEAH. THERE WE GO. IF YOU'LL SCROLL DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT ON THIS PAGE. SO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE BEFORE YOU OVER ALMOST $12 MILLION IN GRANTS. 
          OKAY. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE GRANTS ARE FULLY FUNDED. THEY REQUIRE NO MATCH FROM THE CITY. 
          SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY ALMOST 12 MILLION FREE DOLLARS THAT ARE COMING INTO THE CITY ACROSS SEVERAL, SEVERAL AGENCIES. SO YOU SEE ALL THE GRANTS THERE AND ALL THE AMOUNTS SO AFFECTED AGENCIES INCLUDE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES, PETERSBURG BUREAU OF POLICE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE VICTIM WITNESS DIVISION, THE COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS DIVISION, AS WELL AS PETERSBURG FIRE RESCUE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. YEAH, SO VERY, VERY GOOD NEWS. 
          THAT'S ALL. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENT, THE FY 26 GRANTS FUND THE ORDINANCE IN YOUR HANDS TO COMMENT ON THE GRANTS FUND. SEEING NONE. THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. VICE MAYOR HILL. MR. MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL CITIZENS, I MOVE THAT WE AT AMEND THE AMENDMENT TO THE FY 2026 GRANTS FUNDS. 
          THAT'S MY MOTION. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES. I WANT TO SECOND IT, BUT I GOT DISCUSSION. 
          [00:35:01]
SO COULD YOU EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THIS IS NOT JUST $12 MILLION COMING INTO THE CITY'S POCKETS. THIS IS $12 MILLION TO TAKE CARE OF CERTAIN PROJECTS. AND THEY LISTED UP THERE BY EACH ONE. YES. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. SO LET ME LET ME IF YOU WOULD GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS ONE, JUST SO EVERYBODY CAN HAVE THE SAME THING IN FRONT OF THEM. THE FIRST GRANT IS GOING TO BE FROM THE STATE NON-11 SERVICES BOARD. THAT'S FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND SOME EQUIPMENT CALLED THE 911 GRANT. THAT'S FOR $150,000. NEXT ONE IS GOING TO BE A HEAT GRANT WHICH IS STANDS FOR HELP ELIMINATE AUTO THEFT. AND THAT'S FROM THE VIRGINIA STATE POLICE. AND THE AMOUNT OF $8,878. THAT'S FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE SAF, WHICH IS THE RESCUE SQUAD ASSISTANCE FUND THROUGH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. 
          AND THEM. SO THAT IS $180,000 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF AN AMBULANCE. SO THAT'S FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE INDUSTRIAL REVITALIZATION FUND FOR THE TRAVEL. AND THAT IS FUNDING TO BRING DOWN AND DEMOLISH THE TRAVEL IN THAT WE HAVE UP THERE FY 26 VICTIM WITNESS. SO THERE'S $300,000 THERE FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SERVICES. IN ORDER FOR THAT DEPARTMENT TO OPERATE. SAME THING FOR COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS. THOSE ARE BOTH GRANT FUNDED DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY. THE ONES THAT YOU SEE SEE WITH A NUMBER. SO THAT IS COMMUNITY FLOOD PREPAREDNESS FUND. AND THEN THE ROUNDS. SO ROUNDS FOUR AND FIVE WHERE WE HAVE A FEW MILLION DOLLARS ACROSS SEVERAL PROJECTS. SO 2.2 MILLION FOR FLOODPLAIN PROPERTIES. AND THAT'S TO EVALUATE THE AREAS THAT THAT HAVE THE FLOODS BANK STREET. SO AS WE KNOW WE HAVE AN ISSUE ON BANK STREET. SO THAT MONEY IS THERE FOR ACQUISITION AND TO CONTINUE TO TO RENOVATE THAT AREA. WE HAVE FLAP GATES, WHICH HAS TO DO WITH THE HARBOR. SO $2 MILLION THERE, $250,000 TO COMPLETE A DREDGING STUDY TO SEE WHERE ELSE WE NEED TO GO IN RELATION TO THE HARBOR AND DREDGING OF THE HARBOR INVENTORY. SO STRUCTURE INVENTORY 650,000. 
          AND ALL THE GRANTS ARE FROM DCR, DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION. AND THEN LASTLY, AGAIN FROM DCJS. OUR WITNESS PROTECTION GRANT FOR THIS YEAR FOR $25,000. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT EXPLANATION. AND SO, MR. CITY MANAGER, ONCE WE GET THIS MONEY, CAN IT BE USED IMMEDIATELY TO THOSE PROJECTS AND NOT AND WE'RE NOT WAITING TILL NEXT YEAR. YES. SO ONCE WE ONCE YOU DO THE BUDGET AND A BUDGET APPROPRIATION AMENDMENT THIS EVENING, THOSE FUNDS WILL BECOME AVAILABLE TO THE DEPARTMENTS FOR THEM TO BEGIN MOVING FORWARD WITH THOSE PROJECTS. YES, SIR. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THAT'S ALL I GOT. ALL RIGHT. CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTLER? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. PAM. AYE. MOTION. NEXT. MOVE ON TO ITEM NINE B, WHICH IS A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE FY 26 CARRY FORWARD REQUEST FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. MR. COZIER OKAY, SO THIS ITEM, OUR FINANCIAL POLICY ALLOWS FOR, YOU KNOW, AN ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE TO COMPLETE PROJECTS THAT HAVE A REMAINING BUDGET. SO ESSENTIALLY IN FISCAL 25, ONCE WE GOT TO THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THERE WERE SEVERAL EITHER PROJECTS OR PURCHASES THAT HAD BEEN STARTED BUT HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED DUE TO VARIOUS REASONS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, DELAYS IN DELIVERY, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE HAVE IT SET UP WHERE YOU CAN REQUEST FOR THAT MONEY TO BE CARRIED FORWARD. AND THEN WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF BRINGING IT BEFORE COUNCIL. SO RIGHT NOW THAT AMOUNT FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR IS SITTING AT A LITTLE OVER $1 MILLION THAT WE'RE REQUESTING TO BE ALLOCATED INTO THIS NEW FISCAL YEAR TO COMPLETE THOSE PREVIOUS PROJECTS. AND AS A REMINDER, THIS MONEY WAS ALREADY APPROPRIATED LAST FISCAL YEAR, WENT UNSPENT. AND SO IT'S BEING REQUESTED THAT IT'S BEING BROUGHT FORWARD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MISS THIS. NOW OPEN THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COMMENT ON THE FY 26 CARRY FORWARD REQUEST FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. HI, MY NAME IS TINA AND I LIVE AT ONE 2011. COULD YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE? YEAH, I CAN HEAR YOU. YES. HI, MY NAME IS TINA AND I LIVE AT 120 LEAVENWORTH STREET. I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MONEY IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE SPENT THIS YEAR. AND IF THE FUNDERS ARE SUPPORTIVE OF US USING THIS MONEY AND THE MONEY THAT'S CURRENTLY ALLOCATED, AND IS IT ACTUALLY GOING TO GET SPENT? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO 
          [00:40:10]
MORE HANDS, MR. COZIER, YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THAT QUESTION? I THINK I WOULD NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION. I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO DEPEND ON WHAT WHAT PROJECT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT DEPARTMENT. SO I'LL WHAT I WOULD SAY, MR. MAYOR AND COUNCIL IS WE HAVE SEVERAL PROJECTS, SOME IN FIRE, WHICH IS EQUIPMENT AND VEHICLES, WHICH WE CAN PROBABLY MAKE PURCHASES TOWARDS THIS YEAR PLANNING. THERE'S FUNDING THAT IS BEING CARRIED OVER, WHICH IS A PART OF OUR ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE PROJECT. SO WE'LL NEED THOSE FUNDS IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE, WHICH I THINK WE'RE ON TARGET TO COMPLETE DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR. WE HAVE SOME CONSTITUTIONAL LIBRARY, A VEHICLE PURCHASE, CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES. THEY HAVE SOME EQUIPMENT AND PROJECTS TO SPEND MONEY ON PD. 
          THERE'S SOME FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR SOME VEHICLES THERE AND THEN SOME NON-DEPARTMENTAL. SO ABSOLUTELY, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SPEND THOSE DOLLARS WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR. THE COMING FISCAL YEAR, WE WILL BE ABLE TO EXPEND ALMOST ALL OF THOSE DOLLARS, IF NOT ALL, DURING THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR. THE QUESTION SO SO, MR. ALTMAN, BUT WE HAD ALL THOSE THINGS LAST YEAR. WHY DIDN'T WE SPEND THE MONEY? DO WE KNOW DO WE KNOW WHY? SO IT DEPENDS ON WHAT IT IS. SO A LOT OF IT CAME DOWN TO SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES AND NOT BEING ABLE TO TAKE DELIVERY BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT THEN. WELL, MR. MAYOR, IF I'M IN ORDER, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION. OKAY. VICE MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSIDERATION OF THE FY 2026 CARRY OVER FUND REQUESTED FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. OKAY. COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK SECOND. 
          ALL RIGHT. MOTION AND SECOND. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT. I READ IT FROM THE PACKET. GO TO ITEM NUMBER B9BI SAY I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE FY 2026 CARRYOVER REQUESTED FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR. COUNCIL MEMBER JONES. COUNCIL MEMBER. MEYERS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. AYE. MAYOR. OAKES. AYE. 
          MOTION CARRIES. NEXT, MOVE ON TO ITEM C, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GENERAL FUND. MR. COZIER. OKAY, SO THIS IS THE ITEM THAT WAS BEING ALLUDED TO EARLIER. THIS IS THE 4 MILLION FOR VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT. SO THERE'S ALSO A ATTACHED REIMBURSEMENT RESOLUTION HERE AS PART OF THIS AGENDA ITEM. SO THE PLAN IS RIGHT NOW TO USE OUR OWN CASH RESERVES TO MAKE THE PURCHASE WHILE WE WAIT FOR THE INTERIM LINE OF FINANCING. 
          AND THEN ONCE WE GET THAT MONEY, WE WILL REPAY OURSELVES SO THAT THAT'S WHAT THAT IS THERE. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ANYBODY WANT TO COMMENT ON THE AMENDMENT TO THE FY 26 GENERAL FUND POLICE VEHICLES? SEEING NO HANDS. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. VICE MAYOR HILL, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE AMENDMENT. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN MYERS, SECOND MOTION AND A SECOND. MISS HILL, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. AYE. VICE MAYOR I MAYOR I NEXT IS ITEM D, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND DALE PITTMAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 117 LAFAYETTE STREET. MISTER MOORE. GOOD EVENING, MISTER MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. YES, ACTUALLY, WE'LL HAVE MISTER MATT PITTMAN WILL BE COMING FORWARD TO PRESENT HIS PROJECT FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY. AFTER HIS PRESENTATION, WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO, MISTER PITTMAN YOUNG. MISTER PITTMAN. EXCUSE ME. GOOD EVENING TO THE PITTMAN FAMILY. HOW Y'ALL DOING TODAY? COUNCIL DOING WELL. THANK YOU. GREAT. I AM HERE THIS EVENING TO SHARE A PRESENTATION, WHICH I BELIEVE WE WILL SEE SHORTLY ABOUT A PROPOSAL TO PURCHASE A 
          [00:45:09]
PORTION OF A PARCEL OF CITY OWNED LAND TO USE AS PARKING FOR A NEWLY RENOVATED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION IS 303 COMMERCE STREET, ABOUT TWO BLOCKS AWAY FROM WHERE WE'RE SITTING RIGHT NOW, AND I'M ONE OF THE OWNERS, ALONG WITH SIBLINGS OF THIS PROPERTY. I GREW UP DRIVING BY ABOUT IT, DRIVING BY IT JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL, AND I WATCHED IT DETERIORATE OVER TIME, UNFORTUNATELY. BUT WHEN IT WAS LISTED FOR SALE IN 2020, WE PURCHASED IT WITH THE INTENT TO RENOVATE IT, IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND MAKE THIS A VIABLE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. AGAIN. I DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE TIME THE EXTENT OF IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. I DIDN'T REALIZE AT THE TIME THE EXTENT OF THE WATER DAMAGE, BUT WE ENDED UP HAVING TO TEAR OUT ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE FOUR EXTERIOR WALLS, WHICH YOU CAN SEE IN THAT PHOTO THERE. SO THIS IS THE PROPERTY PRIOR TO OUR PURCHASING IT. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. PERFECT. 
          OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE'VE COMPLETELY REBUILT IT. AND IT'S NOW ESSENTIALLY A BRAND NEW BUILDING. REALLY. WE'VE EVERYTHING IN THAT PLACE IS NEW, WHICH WE WEREN'T PLANNING TO HAVE TO DO AND WE'RE A LITTLE SURPRISED BY. BUT IT'S A COMMERCIALLY ZONED PROPERTY AT THE CORNER OF DAVIS AND COMMERCE, IN AN AREA WITH A HIGH DENSITY OF RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS, AND THERE IS NOT PARKING AVAILABLE ALONG COMMERCE STREET. THE PARKING ALONG DAVIS STREET IS IS REALLY MINIMAL, AND THERE'S NO SIDEWALK TO ACCESS THE PROPERTY FROM THE DAVIS STREET SIDE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO WE ARE PROPOSING THE PURCHASE OF OF A SUBDIVISION OF 117 LAFAYETTE STREET. 117 LAFAYETTE IS A PARCEL OF CITY OWNED LAND THAT WAS ORIGINALLY OWNED BY THE RAILWAY. IT'S MOSTLY THE CREEK BED OF THE BRICK HOUSE RUN. THE. 
          THE LITTLE SLIVER OF GRASS YOU SEE IS WHERE THE RAIL LINE WAS SERVING THE THE COMMERCE STREET SPUR OF THE THE SEABOARD LINE. WE ARE PROPOSING A CARVE OFF OF 2300FT■S DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM 33 COMMERCE, AND THAT 2300FT■S IS THE AREA IN RED SHOWN HERE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. SO AGAIN YOU CAN SEE HERE FROM THE THE OVERHEAD VIEW. THERE'S NO PARKING AVAILABLE ON COMMERCE STREET THERE. AND THE DAVIS PARKING IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. AND THERE'S NO SIDEWALK ON DAVIS. ADDITIONALLY, DAVIS IS QUITE NARROW. WE DO HAVE A SMALL GATED LOT THERE. 
          AND THE PROSPECTIVE BUSINESSES WE'VE WE'VE SPOKEN WITH ABOUT THIS PROPERTY HAVE ALL WANTED THAT AREA FOR EITHER RETAIL, OUTDOOR SPACE, A DINING PATIO, GATED STORAGE, AN EXERCISE LOT. 
          WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FOLKS A PRIMARY CONCERN FOR ALL OF THESE PROSPECTIVE TENANTS HAS BEEN THE CHALLENGES WITH PARKING FOR A BUSINESS. WE'VE HEARD FROM, HONESTLY, A DOZEN TOWING COMPANIES THAT WOULD BE HAPPY TO USE IT AS A GATED LOT AS IS. BUT WE'RE REALLY INTENT ON HAVING THIS BEING A BUSINESS THAT WILL BE A BENEFIT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THIS PARKING WILL REALLY HELP ENABLE THAT. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO HAVE, DEPENDING ON ON THE EXACT MEASUREMENTS, BETWEEN 4 AND 6 OFF STREET PARKING SPACES. 
          AND OUR PROPOSED USE HERE IS IDENTICAL TO THAT OF HIGH STREET LOFTS. SO THE PICTURE HERE IS JUST THE OTHER END OF THE BLOCK. AND ASSUMING IT WORKS WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO HAVE A PERMEABLE SURFACE THERE, WE'D DO IT IN A SIMILAR PEA GRAVEL WITH GRANITE CURBING, AND IT WOULD BE LANDSCAPED NICELY. LASTLY, OUR PROPOSED PURCHASE PRICE IS 100% OF THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE SUBDIVIDED PARCEL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. NEXT, I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COMMENT ON THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND DALE PITTMAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 117 LAFAYETTE STREET. NO HANDS. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. COUNCILOR MYERS. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, I WANT TO THANK THE PITTMANS FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE THERE IN THAT AREA, 
          [00:50:03]
PARTICULARLY THEIR DAVIS AND LAFAYETTE AND HIDDEN STREET. THEY'VE DONE A WONDERFUL JOB RENOVATING THOSE PROPERTIES THERE THAT WERE FALLING BY THE WAYSIDE. AND SO I MOVE THAT WE AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND DALE PITTMAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 117 LAFAYETTE STREET PORTION OF PROPERTY. ALL RIGHT. VICE MAYOR HILL, SECOND, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT. MR. MAYOR, MAY WE HAVE SOME DISCUSSION? SURE. WHAT IS THE PROPOSED USE OF THIS LAND? PARKING. PARKING? RIGHT AT THE MOMENT IT IS. IT'S ZONED M-1 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE PROPERTY. WE HAVE RENOVATED WITH THE INTENT TO RENT IT TO A BUSINESS FOR PARKING. IS THAT CORRECT? NO, SIR. NO, THE THE PARKING WE'RE REQUESTING HERE WOULD BE THE OF THE LAND WE'RE TRYING TO PURCHASE FROM THE CITY. YES. CORRECT. FOR PARKING FOR THE PROPOSED BUSINESS AT 303 COMMERCE. RIGHT. OKAY. YOU KNOW, 50 YEARS FROM NOW, WHEN I'M NOT HERE AND LIKELY. WELL, YOU MIGHT BE HERE. SO. IS THERE ANYTHING TO KEEP THE OWNER OF THAT LOT FROM DEVELOPING IT FOR SOME? BUILT USE? AND THE PARKING THEN DISAPPEARS. AND WE HAVE AN EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH PARKING THAN WE HAVE NOW. OUR INTENTION IS SOLELY TO USE IT AS PARKING FOR THIS PROPERTY. AND I TOTALLY HEAR YOUR CONCERN. WE HAVE NO OTHER DESIGNS ON IT AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE IN ANY DEED FROM THE CITY SPECIFYING ITS ITS USE AND REVERTING IT TO GREEN SPACE. OTHERWISE, WE'RE INVESTED IN KEEPING THE SPACE ALONG THE CREEK THERE. GREEN AND SOLELY WANT THIS FOR PARKING. IT'S ALSO IN A A FLOODPLAIN DESIGNATION, WHICH I BELIEVE WOULD MAKE IT CHALLENGING TO DO BUILDING ON THE LOT. YEAH, WELL, I CERTAINLY EMBRACE AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE DONE WITH STRAWBERRY HILL AND ALONG COMMERCE STREET, AND FOR BEING AN ANCHOR ON HIGH STREET FOR SO MANY YEARS. I IF YOU HAVE NO OBJECTION THEN TO PUTTING A PROVISION IN THE DEED FROM THE CITY TO YOU THAT SAYS THAT THE LOT WILL BE USED FOR PARKING PURPOSES ONLY, IS THAT CORRECT PARKING PURPOSES OR REVERTING TO TO GREEN LANDSCAPE SPACE? NO. NO PHYSICAL BUILT STRUCTURE. OKAY. IF WE YOU KNOW, IF PARKING BECOMES SOMETHING THAT IS NOT NECESSARY FOR THE THE BUSINESS THAT ENDS UP LEASING OR PERHAPS IN THE LONG RUN, PURCHASING THIS SPACE, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T WANT IT TO BE REQUIRED TO BE PARKING. MAYBE, YOU KNOW, A PICNIC TABLES, AN OUTDOOR AREA, BUT NO BUILT STRUCTURE. WE WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THAT PROVISION. YES. RIGHT. OKAY. WELL. COUNCILMAN MYERS, YOU MADE THE MOTION. AND OF COURSE, I CAN MAKE A SUBSTITUTE, BUT I'D RATHER RATHER NOT. DO YOU MIND MODIFYING YOUR MOTION TO SAY THAT THERE WOULD BE A PROVISION IN THE DEED THAT SAYS NO, TO USE MR. PITTMAN'S TERM, NO BUILT STRUCTURES WOULD BE PLACED ON THE PROPERTY. WELL, MR. CUTHBERT, I DON'T KNOW WHY I WOULD DO THAT. IT. IT'S NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO PUT A STRUCTURE THERE. WELL I WHY WOULD WHY IS THAT NECESSARY. WELL THEY THEY REQUESTED, THEY ASKED ME TO COME OUT AND REVIEW THEIR LAND MASS. WE AGREED TO IT TO BE PARKING. I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE. IT IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN. IT CANNOT BE BUILT UPON. SO I DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO MODIFY MY MOTION. WELL, I SEE, I THINK WE'VE GOT TO THINK LONG TERM. I MEAN, LONG TERM, THIS IS A TINY THING. I MEAN, IT'S AN IMPORTANT THING, BUT IT'S A TINY THING. AND I REALLY THINK WE OUGHT TO EMBRACE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT A RESTRICTION IN THE DEED THAT SAYS THERE WILL BE NO LISTEN, THIS THIS YOUNG MAN HAS COME BEFORE COUNCIL. HE'S PUT HIS TIME AND ENERGY INTO DEVELOPING A FALLEN FACILITY. AND YOU WANT TO NITPICK HIM ABOUT A SMALL PARCEL? IT'S FOR PARKING ONLY. IT'S ONLY LARGE ENOUGH FOR PARKING ONLY. IT'S IN THE FLOODPLAIN. HE CANNOT BUILD ON IT. SO TO CLARIFY, JUST LOOKING AT THE OUR FLOODPLAIN MAP, THE 
          [00:55:10]
PORTION OF THE PROPERTY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ACQUIRING IS ACTUALLY IN THE FLOODWAY. SO NO STRUCTURE COULD BE BUILT WITHIN THE FLOOD FLOODWAY. SO THE PARKING, LIKE YOU SAID, GRAVEL THAT IN GREEN SPACE, BUT YOU COULD NOT BUILD A VERTICAL STRUCTURE WITHIN THE FLOODWAY. 
          I VOTE YES. COUNCIL MEMBER JIM. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. I, I, I AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK THE PITTMANS FOR ALL Y'ALL DO FOR PETERSBURG AND KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK. 
          THANK YOU, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ITEM NINE E, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE A REQUEST BY ANTHONY LEWIS HIGH STEPPER ENTERPRISE, LLC ON BEHALF OF PAULA WYNN HARRIS, FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO OPERATE A STANDALONE VEHICLE REPAIR SHOP AT 1311 COMMERCE STREET, PARCEL ID 024150800. IN THE M-1 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT. JARED. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING SIR. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT 2025 SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO AGAIN CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST BY MR. LEWIS OF HIGH STEPPER ENTERPRISE ON BEHALF OF PAULA HARRIS, THE PROPERTY OWNER TO FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO OPERATE A STANDALONE VEHICLE REPAIR SHOP AT 1311 COMMERCE STREET. SO THIS IS JUST AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY ON THE NORTH SIDE OF COMMERCE STREET. AS YOU CAN SEE, DEVELOPMENT ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREETS, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE TOP OR ON THE NORTH SIDE. INDUSTRIAL. 
          SOME BACKGROUND. THE PROPERTY IS 0.336 ACRES. IT'S LOCATED IN OUR M-1 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. THE APPLICANT IS SEEKING TO OPERATE A STANDALONE VEHICLE REPAIR SHOP, WHICH REQUIRES A SPECIAL USE PERMIT, AND IT'S LIMITED TO THE M ONE AND B TWO DISTRICTS WITH THAT PERMIT. SO WHAT THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING IS TO USE THE EXISTING STRUCTURE ON THE SITE, WHICH FORMERLY OPERATED AS A REPAIR SHOP, BUT THAT SHOP WOULD HAVE LOST ITS LEGAL NONCONFORMING STATUS FOR BEING SHUT DOWN FOR MORE THAN TWO YEARS. SO PART OF THE PLANS ARE FOR PAVING A PARKING AREA, PROVIDING SOME ADDITIONAL FENCING ON THE SITE FOR SCREENING. AND THEN, JUST AS A REMINDER, SPECIAL USE PERMITS MAY BE GRANTED IF PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE WON'T BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED AND IF APPROPRIATE SAFEGUARDS ARE IN PLACE TO PROTECT SURROUNDING PROPERTIES. SO THIS IS JUST A VIEW OF THAT EXISTING STRUCTURE. 
          IT'S ABOUT 1200 FEET. IT'S GOT THE TWO GARAGE BAYS. LOOKING AT THE SURROUNDING ZONING. AGAIN YOU'VE GOT THE M-1, WHICH IS THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF COMMERCE. YOU'VE GOT RESIDENTIAL. THE R3 TWO FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICT ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE, AND THE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS PRETTY CLOSELY FOLLOW THE ZONING. YOU'VE GOT HOUSES ON ONE SIDE, YOU'VE GOT INDUSTRIAL ON THE OTHER, YOU'VE GOT THE SOME RAILROAD RIGHT OF WAY TO THE NORTH OF THE PROPERTY. AGAIN, I THINK IT'S THE OLD MST MEDICAL SUPPLY BUILDING TO THE WEST. 
          AND THEN THERE'S GENERAL WAREHOUSING AND STORAGE TO THE EAST. SO THESE ARE JUST SOME SHOTS FROM THE GROUND. THE THE TOP IS GOING TO BE JUST EAST OF THE SITE. THE BOTTOM IS JUST WEST. YOU CAN SEE THE STRUCTURE IN THE BACKGROUND HERE. AND THEN THE TOP IMAGE HERE IS JUST A SHOT OF THOSE EXISTING DWELLINGS. I BELIEVE THEY'RE LARGELY SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS. 
          THERE MAY BE A COUPLE OF DUPLEXES. AND THEN THAT LAST IMAGE, JUST KIND OF THAT 
          [01:00:03]
JUXTAPOSITION OF THE DEVELOPMENT ON THIS STREET WHERE IT'S THE RESIDENTIAL, ONE SIDE, INDUSTRIAL THE OTHER, LOOKING AT THE REQUEST COMPARED TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. IT'S IN WHAT'S DESIGNATED AS A HISTORIC CORE NEIGHBORHOOD AREA LAND USES IN THESE AREAS ARE PRIMARILY MIXES OF RESIDENTIAL, WITH THE KEY PRINCIPLE BEING MATCHING THE HISTORIC PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE AREAS, NOT NECESSARILY ACCOMMODATING OF ANY INDUSTRIAL OR MORE SERVICE BASED USES. IT IS DIRECTLY ADJACENT. YOU'LL SEE IN THE BLUE ON THIS IMAGE TO THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AREA, WHICH ENCOURAGES SOME LIGHTER MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL USES. SO WE THE DID LOOK AT A NUMBER OF CONDITIONS TO OFFSET POTENTIAL NEGATIVE IMPACTS TO THOSE SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL AREAS, THE FIRST BEING A LIMIT ON HOURS OF OPERATION BETWEEN 7 A.M. AND 8 P.M. WEEKDAYS, 10 A.M. AND 8 P.M. WEEKENDS, A CONDITION REQUIRING THE PROPERTY BE THE PROPERTY TO BE MAINTAINED IN A CLEAN AND ORDERLY FASHION, AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF VEHICLES THAT ARE ON SITE FOR REPAIR, NO OPEN OUTDOOR STORAGE MATERIALS SUCH AS TIRES WOULD BE PERMITTED. THE SITE SHALL NOT OPERATE AS A VEHICLE RECOVERY, STORAGE OR TOW LOT, THAT'S TO SAY WRECKED OR IMPOUNDED VEHICLES CAN'T BE STORED ON THE SITE. ANY INOPERABLE VEHICLES ON THE SITE SHALL BE. NO VEHICLES SHALL BE STORED FOR MORE THAN SEVEN DAYS UNLESS THEY ARE ACTIVELY BEING REPAIRED. AND THEN WE JUST PROVIDED SOME LANGUAGE TO SAY THAT ACTIVE REPAIR MEANS THAT SEVEN DAYS ISN'T PASSING, WHERE VEHICLES REMAINING IN ONE SPOT UNTOUCHED, AND NO MORE THAN FIVE VEHICLES SHALL BE STORED AT ANY ONE POINT. ALL REPAIR WORK NEEDS TO OCCUR WITHIN THE ENCLOSED BUILDING. WORK BAYS SHOULD REMAIN CLOSED WHILE THAT REPAIR IS ONGOING. ANY PORTION OF THE SITE WHERE VEHICLES ARE GOING TO BE STORED WOULD NEED TO BE SCREENED WITH AN OPAQUE FENCE, AS WELL AS A CONTINUOUS ROW OF EVERGREEN TREES. THERE'S A REQUIREMENT TO INSTALL PARKING IN ACCORDANCE WITH ZONING ORDINANCE, WHICH IS TO SAY PAVED PARKING WITH STRIPING. THE EXISTING ENTRANCE FROM COMMERCE STREET WOULD NEED TO BE IMPROVED TO A COMMERCIAL GRADE ENTRANCE. ANY NEW OWNER OR OPERATOR OF THE PROPERTY WOULD NEED TO CERTIFY WITH THE ZONING ADMINISTRATOR THAT THEY'RE UNDERTAKING THE SAME OR ALIKE ENDEAVOR, AND THAT THEIR OPERATION WOULD REMAIN IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. THE PERMIT MAY BE REVOKED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OR ITS DESIGNATED DESIGNATED AGENT FOR FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL REGULATIONS. AND FINALLY, IF THE IF THE SITE IF THE USE ENDS UP EXPANDING ONTO THE NEIGHBORING PARCELS, THOSE LOTS WOULD NEED TO BE CONSOLIDATED SO THAT YOU'VE GOT A SINGLE PROPERTY, YOU DON'T HAVE A USE SPREAD ACROSS MULTIPLE PARCELS. SO JUST SOME CONSIDERATIONS. 
          THE USE. IS MUCH MORE IN LINE WITH THE CURRENT ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT PATTERN ON THAT STREET, INCLUDING THE ADJOINING LAND USES. YOU KNOW, VEHICLE REPAIR DOESN'T MATCH WITH THAT FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION. THE HISTORIC CORE NEIGHBORHOOD AREA. BUT IT'S NOTEWORTHY THAT REALLY NO USES THAT ARE ALLOWED WITHIN THE M1 DISTRICT WOULD BE SUPPORTED BY THAT FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION. SO SHORT OF A REZONING OF THE PROPERTY, THERE'S NOT A USE THAT WOULD NECESSARILY FIT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND THEN I JUST WANTED TO NOTE SOME OF THE BY RIGHT USES, MEANING USES THAT WOULDN'T REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT IN THAT DISTRICT INCLUDE MANUFACTURING, DISTRIBUTION, FREIGHT AND MATERIAL STORAGE, WHICH ARE A BIT MORE INTENSIVE USES. AND THEN FINALLY, WE WE DID RECOMMEND A LOT OF CONDITIONS, BUT THOSE ARE MEANT TO OFFSET ANY POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO THE THE RESIDENTS RESIDENCES IN THE 
          [01:05:06]
AREA. SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT WITH THE CONDITIONS AS DRAFTED IN A 6 TO 0 VOTE. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL HAVE FOR STAFF. THE APPLICANTS PRESENT THIS EVENING, I THINK. I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A PRESENTATION PREPARED AS WELL. IN THE MEANTIME, I THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU JERRY. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU SIR. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING. WELL, I'LL START OFF BY SAYING THIS. WHAT WE DO AS A FAMILY, WE ALL DREAM BIG. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT. CAN YOU HEAR ME? WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR GOALS ARE, YOU KNOW, COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD FROM THE START. THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING FOR US. THIS STANDALONE AUTO REPAIR SHOP WILL GROW AND EXPAND INTO SOMETHING THAT WOULD REALLY BE A TREMENDOUS HELP FOR THE CITY, BE A TREMENDOUS HELP FOR FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE AS IT PERTAINS TO THE YOUTH AND FORMERLY INCARCERATED. THAT'S A BIG THING FOR OUR FAMILY. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THAT IS A THE BEGINNING OF A BIGGER PROJECT IN OUR EYES. SO JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT FIRST. CAN WE PULL UP. IT SHOULD BE PETERSBURG AUTO. THE AUTO CENTER PROPOSAL. THE FIRST ONE. YEP. THERE WE GO. SO HIGH STEPPER ENTERPRISES WOULD BE OUR OVERALL NAME. BUT PETERSBURG AUTO CENTER IS THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT THAT WE'RE STARTING OFF AT. THE POINT OF THIS PROJECT IS TO HAVE JOB CREATION, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND REDUCE RECIDIVISM WITHIN OUR COMMUNITIES. SO JUST PUT TWO PHOTOS OF THE OPEN BAY SO YOU GUYS CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE INSIDE. FEEL FREE TO STOP BY. WE'RE ON COMMERCE 1311 IF YOU EVER HAVE ANY IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT THE REST OF IT LOOKS LIKE, BUT JUST WANTED TO TO OFFER SOME TYPE OF VISUAL FOR THE PRESENTATION. SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME PROBLEMS. I THINK ACROSS THE COUNTRY WE'VE SEEN INCREASING COSTS FOR CONSUMERS, BUSINESSES. YOU GUYS HAVE HAVE TALKED ABOUT INCREASING COSTS. AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO TO ADDRESS WITH THIS GOAL AS WELL. 
          AND THEN ALSO SEEING THE EFFORTS THAT WE'VE DONE AS A CITY, IT HAS BEEN INSPIRING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'VE TRIED TO IMPACTED THE CRIME RATE, GIVE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THAT COULD BE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP FOR, FOR NOT ONLY MY FAMILY BUT FOR THE CITY ALSO IS BEING ABLE TO TO HAVE A SOCIAL, ECONOMIC IMPACT AND, AND GIVE MORE RESOURCES FOR THE CITY. JUST KEY DATA STATS THAT I FOUND TO TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALL KNOW, BUT JUST ON ON CRIME RATES AS WELL AS UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, EDUCATION, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO STATE THAT NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO GO TO COLLEGE. SO HAVING AN OPTION FOR PEOPLE TO TO LEARN SKILLS, GROW, DEVELOP THEIR OWN SKILL SETS TO IMPROVE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IN LIFE AND GET THEM IN A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN SUPPORT THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US AS WELL. PROJECT OVERVIEW. SO FIRST WE ARE STANDALONE AUTO REPAIR SHOP. SO WORKING FOR THE CONSUMER TO PROVIDE A LOW COST SOLUTION TO THEIR AUTO ISSUES ACROSS THE BOARD. SO FIXING, YOU KNOW, NORMAL GAS POWERED VEHICLES. NO DIESEL NOT YET AT LEAST. BUT STRICTLY GAS POWERED VEHICLES. SO FULL SERVICE AUTO REPAIR WITH THE OPTION TO DO FLEET MAINTENANCE AS WELL. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW IS BIG FOR THE CITY, BUT ALSO FOR THESE COMPANIES THAT ARE COMING INTO THE CITY OF PETERSBURG HAVING AN AFFORDABLE OPTION. SO WE CAN PARTNER WITH YOU GUYS TO TO DO ANY GAS POWERED FLEET MAINTENANCE THAT YOU NEED. THIS IS AN OPTION. OUR COMPANY WILL BE AN OPTION THAT WILL BE FOR YOU AS WELL WITH LOCAL HIRING PRIORITY. I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS FOR US AS WELL IS MAKING SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WE HIRE ARE FROM THE CITY BECAUSE THE CITY NEEDS WE NEED TO HIRE OUR OWN PEOPLE SO THAT WE CAN WE CAN GROW AND CONTINUE TO DEVELOP WHAT'S HOMEGROWN AND WHAT'S OURS. SO THAT'S 
          [01:10:07]
IMPORTANT TO US AS WELL. OUR GOAL ULTIMATELY IS TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WHO FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE THE SKILLS TO TO DO WHAT'S NECESSARY TO TO RAISE THEIR FAMILY, TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES, HAVE SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN HOLD ON TO, WHETHER THAT'S YOUTH OR RETURNING CITIZENS TO OUR COMMUNITIES. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROCESS TO WHERE THEY CAN COME IN AND THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO BUILD. THEY CAN LEARN HOW TO REPAIR VEHICLES AND BUILD A CRAFT TO TO HELP THEM LIVE LIFE. LIFE, LIFE'S EXPENSIVE. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO TO HOLD ON TO. SO WE'RE CREATING AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MY UNCLE HERE, WHO IS A MASTER MECHANIC AND KNOWS ALL ABOUT ANY AND EVERYTHING ABOUT VEHICLES. WE WANT HIM TO SPREAD THAT KNOWLEDGE TO OUR YOUTH AND RETURNING CITIZENS AS WELL. WE'D LIKE TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL COMPANIES, YOU KNOW, VIRGINIA WORKS JUST TO NAME A FEW, SOME LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS. SO HELP WITH THAT WOULD BE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THAT WE WOULD NEED FROM YOU GUYS. THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US. AND THEN ALSO LIKE I SAID, THE FLEET CONTRACTS WITH THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES BECAUSE WE WANT TO HELP YOU GUYS WHEN IT COMES TO DECREASING YOUR YOUR DOWNTIMES FOR THE CITY FLEETS. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT GETTING NEW VEHICLES NOT TO BRING THAT UP AGAIN, BUT IF THE OLD VEHICLES ARE STILL WORKING, WE'D LIKE TO FIX THEM. SO WE'LL HELP YOU GUYS THERE. JUST SOME SOME MORE STATISTICS. OUR GOAL ULTIMATELY IS TO HAVE ABOUT TEN APPRENTICES IN A YEAR. EVERY YEAR. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THAT NUMBER AND BE ABLE TO IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THEM PLACED HERE, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE THE SKILL SET TO GO OUT AND WORK AT, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER SHOP THAT THEY THAT THEY CAN FIND, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO GAIN THE SKILLS WITH US. SO THEY MAY NOT WORK WITH US ULTIMATELY, BUT THEY WILL LEARN THE SKILLS TO TO TAKE THEM OUT INTO THE REAL WORLD AND DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S COOL. LET ME SEE WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. AWESOME. SO WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT AND JUST JUST GETTING THE RIGHT OF WAY TO GO AHEAD AND GET EVERYTHING STARTED WITH THE STANDALONE AUTO REPAIR SHOP. AND WE KNOW THAT EVERYTHING ELSE WOULD KIND OF MATERIALIZE AND WORK ITS WAY THROUGH AS WE WORK TOWARDS THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, BUT SUPPORT LETTERS WOULD BE APPRECIATED FOR GRANT APPLICATIONS AS FINANCES ARE ALWAYS IMPORTANT AS WELL. 
          ASSISTANCE CONNECTING WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS, APPRENTICESHIP REGISTRY, REENTRY COORDINATORS, ETC. AND WE DO HAVE SOME MEASURES OF SUCCESS. SO WE ARE COUNTING ALL THE APPRENTICES. 
          WE PLACE RECIDIVISM REDUCTION AND THEN JOBS CREATED. SO THAT'S IT. THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR YOU GUYS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND I'M GOING TO OPEN UP THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ANY WHO WANT TO SPEAK ON THE REQUEST BY ANTHONY LEWIS OF HIGH STEPPER ENTERPRISES, LLC, ON BEHALF OF PAULA WYNN HARRIS, FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO OPERATE A STANDALONE VEHICLE REPAIR SHOP AT 1311 COMMERCE STREET. YES, MA'AM. PLEASE CAN YOU COME TO THE MICROPHONE TO MAKE COME TO THE MIC, PLEASE COME TO MIKE, PLEASE. YES, YES. YEAH. LOOK, WE'RE LIVE, SO THE AUDIENCE NEED TO WRITE. THEY NEED TO HEAR ME IN THE BACK. THANK YOU. I WANTED TO ASK IF THE PROGRAM WAS GOING TO BE SET UP. YOUR NAME, PLEASE? NAME? CAROLYN. EEL IS MY NAME. THANK YOU. AND GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROGRAM SET UP WHERE PEOPLE CAN REGISTER, BECAUSE JUST THIS MORNING I WANT TO JUST A BASIC OIL AND FILTER CHANGE. PEP BOYS HAS CLOSED IN PETERSBURG. AND SO YOU RUN TO WALMART, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, GET THERE AT 730, AND THE GUY COMES OUT AND SAY, OH, I CAN'T GET TO YOU TILL 10:00. WHY? BECAUSE THREE PEOPLE CALLED OFF THAT THIS MORNING. SO I HAD TO END UP LEAVING THE CITY TO GO GET OIL AND FILTER CHANGE. AND SO SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO ME WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO PETERSBURG, AND IT WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO BRING BACK SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT WE USED TO HAVE IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS FOR, YOU KNOW, HELP AND PROMOTING SERVICES TO OUR YOUTH. SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY. THANK YOU. AND CAN YOU STATE YOUR ADDRESS FOR ME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT OUT LOUD. IT'S WRITTEN ON PAPER. THANK YOU. TELL THE WHOLE WORLD. WAIT, WAIT. EXCUSE ME, MA'AM, THAT'S PART OF THE RULES OF COUNCIL. WHEN YOU SPEAK, YOU GOT TO BE EITHER A CITIZEN. AND WE GOT TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE A CITIZEN OR YOU'RE A BUSINESS OWNER. SO COME ON BACK UP HERE AND SAY IT. YEAH, YEAH. SO YOU CAN COME ON UP 
          [01:15:01]
HERE AND SAY YOU. YEAH. OKAY. I'M AT 582 OLD WAGNER ROAD. OKAY. THANK YOU. I'VE BEEN IN THAT HOUSE FOR 50 YEARS. OKAY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOU. WELL, MISS CAROL. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, I APOLOGIZE THAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE. AND THAT WON'T HAPPEN AT OUR SHOP BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO BE OPEN ALL THE TIME, AND YOU'RE GOING TO NEED US. THIS WILL BE OUR LIFESTYLE AND THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. SO YOUR BUSINESS WOULD BE APPRECIATED. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU. ANY MORE HANDS IN THE PUBLIC HEARING? OH. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO MORE HANDS. THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT I GO TO COUNCILMAN SMITH LEE, THEN COUNCILMAN JONES. OH, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE A I WANTED TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. I THINK COUNCILOR JONES HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILMAN JONES, EXCELLENT PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I WENT TO PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL, AND I TOOK AUTO MECHANICS UNDER MR. REESE. AND THE ONLY THING THAT WAS MISSING WAS WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. WHEN I GOT OUT OF SCHOOL, I WENT INTO THE MILITARY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO APPRENTICE PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW? SO WHAT YOU'RE OFFERING THIS CITY HERE IS A GREAT THING. I GOT QUESTIONS FOR YOU AND QUESTIONS FOR YOU, MR. CRUZ. I'M GOING TO START WITH. WE HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL, AND YOU MENTIONED A LOT OF THINGS WITH WITH GOING ON IN OUR CITY, WITH OUR YOUTH. THERE'S A LOT OF YOUNG ADULTS IN THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL. I ALSO WAS A MEMBER OF THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL AS WELL, BECAUSE THERE WAS NO PROGRAMS LIKE WHAT YOU'RE OFFERING. HAD I HAD THAT PROGRAM, I WOULD HAVE STARTED WORK EARLY FOR MYSELF OR HAD SOMETHING TO LEAN ON. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALL TALKED ABOUT, AND I KNOW ME AND COUNCILMAN CULBREATH TALKED ABOUT WHEN WE MET WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTATIVES, OUR FOCUS IS ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL. ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL SHOULD BE ALTERNATIVE LEARNING. BUT RIGHT NOW OUR KIDS ARE YOUNG. ADULTS ARE SITTING IN THERE WASTING TIME, WASTING THEIR LIVES AWAY. AND I NOTICE YOU SAID YOU HAD AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I JUST WANT YOU TO THINK ON TAKING FROM THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL, LETTING THEM KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS LEARN AND WORK AND MAYBE ON THEIR LUNCH BREAK, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WILL TALK TO THEM TO PROVIDE ONLINE SCHOOLING SO THEY CAN TAKE A CLASS ON THEIR LUNCH BREAK, AT LEAST 30 MINUTES OF IT. SO THEY STILL GETTING TWO BIRDS, KILLING TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE. AND I HOPE YOU LOOK AT THAT. RIGHT. SO. THAT WAS THAT QUESTION FOR YOU. BUT MY NEXT I GOT SOME MEAT OF THIS THING THAT I GOT TO, I GOT TO GET OFF MY CHEST BECAUSE I GOT SOME CONCERNS. 
          YOU PROBABLY HAVE A SEAT RIGHT NOW. YOU CAN HAVE A SEAT RIGHT NOW. MR. CRUZ. YES, SIR. HOW ARE YOU? I'M DOING WELL, THANK YOU. AND YOU JUST HEARD ME SAY I WASN'T A ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL KID, AND I DID ALL THE MECHANICS, RIGHT. IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM. SO I'M LOOKING AT THESE. WELL, LET ME GO OVER HERE FIRST. YOU SAID BY RIGHT THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT CAN OPEN RIGHT ON UP AND DO THE SAME THING. RIGHT NOW. I'M NOT GETTING ON YOUR CASE. I KNOW YOU KNOW YOUR JOB, OKAY, BUT IF THIS PLACE WAS ALREADY AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP, IT HAS BEEN NOTHING ELSE BUT THAT. IN THE SAME AREA WHERE EVERYTHING ELSE IS ALREADY THAT. WHY DID WE CHARGE THESE PEOPLE $1,500 FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT? DO WE PICK AND CHOOSE? AND I'M ASKING THAT BECAUSE THERE'S ANOTHER SITUATION ON GROVE AVENUE WHERE YOUNG MEN HAD TO COME HERE THREE TIMES AND PAY THIS SPECIAL USE PERMIT WHEN JUST FIVE BUILDINGS DOWN FROM HIM, SOMEBODY ELSE OPENED UP ONE AND DIDN'T HAVE TO GET A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SAME USE, SAME STREET. I'M SAYING IS MR. CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING WE GOT TO LOOK INTO, MAN, BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE. AND I KNOW YOU'RE NOT DOING IT ON PURPOSE, BUT SOME PEOPLE COME INTO THIS CITY DON'T HAVE TO EITHER. THEY CHOOSING TO BYPASS A SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS, OR WE'RE NOT HOLDING EVERYBODY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE SAME YARDSTICK. THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD TO ASK YOU. ANOTHER THING IS. WHAT DO IT BECOMES A PROPERTY BECOMES AFTER IT LOSES ITS CONFORMING USE. DO WE GO BACK TO JUST LA LA LAND AND JUST SAY ANYBODY WHO GET IT GOT TO DO A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SO YEAH, ONCE IT 
          [01:20:02]
LOSES ITS LEGAL NONCONFORMING STATUS, IT'S JUST CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WHAT BRINGS IT TO THAT POINT? IT LOSES ITS LEGAL NONCONFORMING EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE. RIGHT. SO IF A USE IS VACATED FOR A PERIOD OF 24 MONTHS OR TWO YEARS OR LONGER, IT LOSES THAT NONCONFORMING LEGAL, NONCONFORMING STATUS. MR. CITY MANAGER, WE'RE TRYING TO GET RID OF ALL OF THESE ABANDONED BUILDINGS AND STUFF THAT'S BEEN SITTING AROUND THE CITY FOR YEARS, AND WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK INTO WHEN SOMEBODY TAKES AN OLD AUTO MECHANIC SHOP AND SAY, I WANT TO TURN IT RIGHT BACK INTO THAT. THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO WITHOUT HAVING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THIS STUFF TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WAS DONE THERE BEFORE. THERE'S NOTHING CHANGED. SO FIRST, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT LEGAL NONCONFORMING STATUS IS, IT'S TYPICALLY REFERRED TO AS GRANDFATHERED. YOU KNOW, THE USE THAT WAS THERE BEFORE CONTINUES BECAUSE IT WAS GRANDFATHERED. THAT'S ACTUALLY A PORTION OF THE CODE. SO NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT ASPECT OF IT. WHAT WE CAN DO IS GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT LIST OF SPECIAL USES AND THE ZONING DISTRICTS THAT THEY'RE IN. SO IN THIS INSTANCE, I THINK MR. CRUZ DID A GOOD POINT. MAKE A GOOD POINT THAT THIS REQUIRES A SPECIAL USE PERMIT BECAUSE WE REQUIRE AUTO MECHANIC REPAIR SHOPS ACROSS THE CITY, REGARDLESS OF THE DISTRICT THEY'RE IN, TO GET A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. BUT IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE A ZONING DISTRICT WHICH ALLOWS USES THAT ARE PROBABLY MORE INTENSIVE THAN THE REPAIR SHOP BY. RIGHT. SO IT'S PROBABLY ONE FOR US TO GO BACK AND LOOK AND SAY, IS IT IN OUR BEST INTEREST OR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, BEST INTERESTS FOR AUTO REPAIR SHOPS IN AN INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT TO BE REQUIRED TO GET A SPECIAL USE PERMIT VERSUS, SAY, A BUSINESS DISTRICT AND WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESS DISTRICT? SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A BLANKET ACROSS AUTO REPAIR SHOPS THAT THEY ALL HAVE TO GET ONE. IN THIS INSTANCE, IT HAPPENS TO BE IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA. IT IS A SHOP THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY USED LOST THAT GRANDFATHERING STATUS. SO UNFORTUNATELY THE GENTLEMAN THEY HAVE TO GO BACK THROUGH THE PROCESS. BUT WE UNDERSTAND I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. WE JUST IT'S A LOOK US LOOKING AT OUR ORDINANCE AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER. SO WITH THAT SAID, WITH THIS BLANKET ACROSS ALL AUTO SHOPS, HOW MANY PEOPLE IN HERE SEE? ALL AUTO SHOPS CLOSING AT 8:00 PM? HOW MANY PEOPLE IN HERE SEE PEOPLE WORKING ON CARS IN THEIR AUTO SHOP WITH THE DOOR CLOSED? IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE WORKING ON VEHICLES, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE INSIDE A CLOSED BAY. YOU CAN'T BE INSIDE A CLOSED BAY AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON IN THESE CONDITIONS. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BE INSIDE OF A CLOSED BAY WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH FUMES AND CARBON MONOXIDE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU'RE TRYING TO KILL SOMEBODY THAT NEED TO BE STRIPPED FROM THE CONDITIONS IMMEDIATELY. I'M GOING DOWN YOUR LIST. THAT'S NUMBER ONE. I WAS OPERATIONS 8 P.M. I WAS AS A MECHANIC MYSELF. I DO SOME OF MY BEST WORK UP UNTIL 11:00. AS LONG AS I'M NOT MAKING NOISE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. ALL RIGHT. SO. AND I KNOW I'M JUST I'M JUST THROWING SOMETHING AT YOU SO YOU CAN PUT THAT AS A SHEET UNDER THE BLANKET. NUMBER THREE, THE SITE SHALL NOT OPERATE AS A VEHICLE RECOVERY SLASH, STORAGE OR TOW LOT, WRECKED OR IMPOUNDED VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE STORED ON THE SITE. NOW, I BET YOU THERE'S NOBODY IN HERE THAT HAS BROKEN DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY ANYWHERE ELSE, AND THE POLICE ASKS YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR CAR TOWED TO. AND IF YOU'RE MY MECHANIC, I WANT TO HAVE IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC, BECAUSE IF I TOW IT TO MY HOUSE, THEN I'M GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE CITY ANYWAY, BECAUSE I GOT A WRECKED VEHICLE IN MY YARD OR INOPERATIVE VEHICLE IN MY YARD. SO THAT GOT TO BE STRUCK FROM THE CONDITIONS. JUMP IN HERE FOR A SECOND. SO I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ISN'T THAT INSTANCE WHERE WE'RE WE'RE TOWING IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP TO BE REPAIRED. IT'S LIKE AN IMPOUND YARD. SO THAT THAT'S GOING TO TAKE ME TO MY NEXT THING. BECAUSE HOW WILL YOU TELL? BECAUSE HE CAN HAVE FIVE VEHICLES TOWED TO HIS YARD TONIGHT OR TOMORROW MORNING, AND HE MAY BE WAITING ON PARTS. AND Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THE WAY THE WORLD IS, PARTS TAKES TIME TO COME IN. IT'S GOING TO TAKE OVER. NUMBER FOUR, NO INOPERABLE VEHICLES SHALL BE STORED FOR MORE THAN SEVEN DAYS. NOW, SOME OF THE VEHICLES DON'T HAVE TO SIT FOR SEVEN DAYS IF THEY'RE WAITING ON CERTAIN PARTS. I'M JUST. I'M JUST THROWING IT OUT THERE TO YOU. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT FOR PARTS. AND IF YOU COME OUT THERE AND TAG EVERYTHING ON THIS YARD, YOU'RE GOING TO COST THE CITIZENS MORE MONEY BECAUSE THEY LITERALLY JUST WAITING FOR. AND I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PREVENT. YOU'RE TRYING TO 
          [01:25:03]
PREVENT WHAT HAPPENED ON WEST STREET. AND I ALREADY KNOW THAT. BUT WE HAVE TO BE REASONABLE WITH THIS THING, BECAUSE IF IT'S GOING TO BE A FULL. OPERATIONAL MECHANIC, SHOP, SOME OF THESE LIMITATIONS, MAN, IT'S CRIPPLING. YOU MAY AS WELL JUST TELL THEM NO TO HIS FACE RIGHT NOW. ALL REPAIR WORK NUMBER FIVE SHALL OCCUR WITHIN AN ENCLOSED BUILDING. WORK BAYS SHALL REMAIN CLOSED. WHILE WE WHO CAME UP WITH THAT? YOU CAN KILL SOMEBODY AND YOU DON'T. 
          YOU DON'T KNOW IT. THEY CAN GO HOME WITH A HEADACHE AND DIE IF THEY'RE WORKING IN AN ENCLOSED BAY. I'M JUST BRINGING THIS STUFF TO EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE. I GOT EXPERIENCE WITH THIS STUFF. LET'S GO TO NUMBER SEVEN. NUMBER SEVEN. IT'S NOT REALLY PERTAINING TO THEM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING ELSE I WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION. SINCE YOU PUT IT ON PAPER, RIGHT ABOUT THE PARKING LOT SHALL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 19 ZONING ORDINANCE. ANY VEHICLE STORED ON THE SITE FOR REPAIR SHALL BE LOCATED IN A PAVED WITH PAVED STRIPE SPACES. NOW, MY QUESTION TO YOU, MR. CRUZ. ALL COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SHALL MAINTAIN THEIR PARKING LOTS. ISN'T THAT IN THE ORDINANCE? GREAT. SO I GOT A LIST FOR YOU NEXT WEEK. THERE'S A LOT OF PARKING LOTS IN THE CITY THAT'S NOT MAINTAINED, AND WE NEED TO GO AFTER THEM. OKAY, SO, MISS SMITH, LEE, WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR MOTION, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU HAVE ONE, THREE, FOUR, FIVE AND SEVEN ADJUSTED OR STRUCK FROM THE CONDITIONS FOR THIS BUSINESS. THANK YOU. OKAY. COUNCILMAN. VICE MAYOR HILL, OKAY. JUST VERY QUICKLY COMMENT. 
          I KNOW WE I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT OF HERE. I WAS OPERATION I UNDERSTAND, COUNCILMAN JONES, YOUR PLIGHT, BUT THERE ARE RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA. AND TO BE BANGING AND NAILING AND I DON'T KNOW ANY SHOP THAT'S QUIET TO BE BANGING AND NAILING. AFTER 8:00. WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME CALLS ABOUT THAT. SO I'M OKAY WITH THAT. THAT'S THAT'S JUST ME AND WHAT HAVE YOU. I DO TAKE ISSUE WITH THE DOORS BEING CLOSED, BECAUSE IF I PULL UP AND I NEED FOR YOU TO JUST CHECK SOME UP UNDER THE HOOD RIGHT QUICK AND YOU DON'T PULL OFF, YOU CAN'T DO THAT RIGHT THEN AND THERE, YOU KNOW. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT MORE THINKING ABOUT YOU'RE WORKING ON CARS ON THE OUTSIDE AND THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER. BUT I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE SOME LEEWAY WITH THAT. BUT THESE HOURS OF OPERATION, WE DO HAVE RESIDENTS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THEM AND STUFF. AND IF YOU WERE IN THE AREA OR WHAT HAVE YOU, AND YOU HEAR, YOU KNOW, BANGING AT 11:00 AT NIGHT AND NOT SAYING THEY'RE GOING TO BE BECAUSE THEY LOOK LIKE A A REPUTABLE SHOP, BUT YOU A REPUTABLE COMPANY. BUT, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T WANT THAT IN MY FRONT DOOR PERSONALLY. YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE HOURS ARE FROM SUCH AND SUCH TO SUCH AND SUCH. YOU KNOW I WOULDN'T WANT THAT. SO I'M OKAY WITH THAT. THAT'S ENOUGH TIME. AND AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, TOWING. YEAH, WE KNOW PEOPLE TOW CARS THERE. AND I DEALT WITH THIS WITH ONE OF MY INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT ON A ON A CORNER WAGNER ROAD. THEY HAD CARS EVERYWHERE AND KEPT THEM THERE FOR A LONG TIME. AND I WOULD GET COMPLAINTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T LET CARS JUST SIT IDLE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE TARIFFS AND ALL THAT AND TAKE PARTS AND STUFF TO COME. AND IT MAY BE A SITUATION IF, IF A CAR IS THERE, YOU KNOW, TWO WEEKS THEY'RE WAITING ON A PART. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT YOU JUST CAN'T HAVE THE SAME CAR SITTING THERE FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS. AND I THINK WE HAVE CRACKED DOWN ON THINGS LIKE THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE DO THAT. AND THEN THE BY. RIGHT, IF WE HAVE IF WE'RE TRYING TO DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN OUR CITY, WHICH WE ARE AND WHAT HAVE YOU, I'M OKAY. IF A, IF A PLACE WAS A TIRE SHOP AT ONE TIME AND, AND IT'S NOT A TIRE SHOP FOR TWO YEARS, I'D RATHER FOR THAT THAT THAT INDIVIDUAL TO COME BACK HERE AND ASK PERMISSION TO DO IT. I UNDERSTAND PICKING, CHERRY PICKING AND SAYING, WELL, YOU CAN DO IT, BUT YOU CAN'T DO IT. SO THAT'S WHAT WE GOT TO WORRY ABOUT RIGHT THERE, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S $1,500 WHEN YOU COME IN FRONT OF US. I BELIEVE IT IS FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MODIFY THAT SOMEHOW SOME WAY. BUT THOSE ARE THOSE THOSE ARE MY ONLY CONCERN. I'M WITH YOU, COUNCILMAN JONES, WHEN IT COMES TO, YOU KNOW, THE DOORS AND STUFF BEING CLOSED BECAUSE THAT'S I DON'T KNOW WHO THOUGHT OF THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE HOURS OF OPERATION. I'M KIND OF STICKLER ON THAT BECAUSE AT A CERTAIN TIME, YOU CAN'T EVEN 
          [01:30:03]
YOU'RE NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO CUT YOUR GRASS LATE IN THE EVENING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S A VIOLATION IF YOU'RE TOO LATE BECAUSE YOU'RE DISTURBING PEOPLE OR TOO EARLY IN THE MORNING BECAUSE YOU'RE DISTURBING PEOPLE. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME CONCERNS, THAT'S ALL. 
          SO VICE MAYOR, COUNCILMAN JONES. YES, SIR. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. SO LOOKING AT THESE HOURS, OPERATIONS. OKAY, 8:00 I UNDERSTAND. BUT ON THE WEEK ENDS, 10:00 WHY ARE WE SHORTENING HOURS AND MAKING THEM STARTED? THAT'S WHEN THEY MOSTLY START EARLY, LIKE AT 7 OR 6 ON THE WEEKENDS. SO SO I THINK IF IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING, IT SHOULD BE THE SAME THING SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. YEAH. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING. YEAH. SO SO I AGREE WITH THAT. 
          ALSO YOU WAS MENTIONING ABOUT THE VEHICLE RECOVERY AND STORAGE AND TOW LOT. I UNDERSTAND THAT TOO. SO MAYBE THE THE APPLICANT COULD HAVE SOMETHING IN THEIR WINDSHIELD WHEN THE CARS GET TOWED SAYING BEING REPAIRED. AND THAT LEADS ME TO NUMBER FOUR, THE SEVEN DAY STORAGE. MAYBE IF THEY CAN SAY TWO WEEKS THAT GIVE YOU TIME TO ORDER A PART AND GET IT IN AND FIX. BUT SEVEN DAYS IS IS HIGHLY THAT'S TIGHT. THAT'S TIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU'RE RIGHT. SO SO WE JUST SAY 14 DAYS, THAT'S A HALF, ALMOST A HALF A MONTH, YOU KNOW. SO I AGREE WITH ALL THAT. IF WE CAN MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS OKAY. AND AND I'M OKAY. OKAY. COOL. 
          ARE YOU OKAY WITH THAT MAP? MA'AM? I KNOW IT'S YOUR WARD, AND I UNDERSTAND. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. ARE YOU OKAY? YEAH, I'M. I'M FINE. ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN SMITH. OKAY. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUEST FOR THE STAND ALONE VEHICLE REPAIR AT 1311 COMMERCE STREET. WITH THE ADJUSTMENT OF ONE, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, AND SEVEN OF THE PROPOSED CONDITIONS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ARE WE GOOD? ALL RIGHT. SECOND. VICE MAYOR. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST 1 IN 4 THAT WE LANDED ON AT THE END. NO, IT WAS IT WAS ONE, THREE, FOUR AND FIVE. YEAH. WILL WE ELIMINATE YOU WANT TO ELIMINATE FIVE WHICH IS REPAIR WORK WITH ENCLOSED WITH NO DOORS WITH ONE. YOU WANT TO GO 7 A.M. TO 8 P.M. 
          ALL SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND THEN FOUR. YOU WANT TO ADJUST TO 14 DAYS INSTEAD OF SEVEN DAYS AND THREE, LIKE WE SAID, LIKE VICE MAYOR SAID, WE WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE CARS SITTING THERE FOR 30 DAYS. SO IF YOU COULD DEVELOP, GET WITH PLANNING, DEVELOP A DECAL OR SOME KIND OF PLACARD TO PUT IN THE WINDOW. SO WHEN ZONING COME IN AND COME AND CHECK, WE KNOW THAT THAT WHAT A DATE ON IT SAYING THIS BUILDING THIS CAR GOT HERE SEPTEMBER THE 15TH 16TH. SO WE KNOW WE'LL TAKE NOTE OF THAT AND SAY WE'RE COMING BACK. IF IT'S STILL THERE, THEN YOU'RE IN VIOLATION AND YOU CAN LOSE YOUR SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SOMETHING LIKE THAT. HOW DOES SOUND, MR. CITY MANAGER? YEAH, I THINK IF THEY COME UP, THEY PROBABLY SOME SORT OF INVENTORY. THE VEHICLES THE DAY THEY CAME IN, THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE THAT WOULD ALLOW STAFF WHEN THEY GO OUT TO, TO LOOK AT A MANIFEST, IF YOU WILL, TO SEE WHAT THE STATUS IS. I THINK THAT WOULD WORK OUT JUST FINE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND THAT'S A MOTION WITH THE AMENDMENTS. EVERYONE STRAIGHT WITH THOSE AMENDMENTS AS STATED. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND NEXT. MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH I. VICE MAYOR. 
          HILL. AYE. AYE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU GUYS. CONGRATULATIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. 
          CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU. NEXT IS ITEM F, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALLOWING MUNICIPAL ANIMAL POUNDS OR SHELTERS IN THE A AGRICULTURE ZONING DISTRICT AND REMOVING A REQUIREMENT FOR AN APPROVED SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC UTILITIES AND SERVICES IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. GARY. THANK YOU SIR. OKAY, SO I WILL JUMP RIGHT IN. SO FOR SOME BACKGROUND, I BELIEVE NAOMI PRESENTED ON THIS SOME MONTHS AGO. OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, AS IT'S WRITTEN, CURRENTLY REQUIRES A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR BOTH GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND ALL CASES AND IN SOME CASES, PUBLIC UTILITIES, SPECIFICALLY IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS. WE ALSO CURRENTLY ANIMAL SHELTERS ARE ONLY ALLOWED IN THE M1 AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT. AND AGAIN, WHEN NAOMI 
          [01:35:06]
HAD SPOKEN WITH YOU ALL, WE HAVE BEEN DIRECTED TO GO BACK AND DRAFT A TEXT AMENDMENT TO BE CONSIDERED THAT WOULD REMOVE THOSE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND UTILITIES, AND TO ALSO ALLOW A MUNICIPAL ANIMAL SHELTER WITHIN THE A AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT. SO LOOKING FIRST AT THE GOVERNMENT FACILITIES AND PUBLIC UTILITIES, AGAIN, OUR CODE CURRENTLY REQUIRES THAT A SPECIAL USE PERMIT BE APPROVED FOR ANY PUBLIC OR GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. SO IN MOST CASES, THIS MEANS THAT YOU ALL ARE REVIEWING AND APPROVING YOUR OWN PROJECTS. CITY PROJECTS. BUT THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT DOES GIVE YOU THE POTENTIAL TO PLACE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL. BUT AGAIN, THOSE WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE CONDITIONS UPON YOURSELVES. THERE'S ALSO A SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES AND SERVICES WITHIN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS. THIS IS, AT LEAST FROM MY EXPERIENCE, PRETTY ATYPICAL. UTILITIES ARE GENERALLY GOING TO BE REQUIRED FOR MOST, IF NOT ALL DEVELOPMENT. SO TO REQUIRE A SPECIAL USE PERMIT TO INSTALL UTILITIES IS NOT SOMETHING I HAD ENCOUNTERED BEFORE. THE CODE OF VIRGINIA SECTION 15.22232 IS A SECTION THAT REQUIRES THAT ALL PUBLIC BUILDINGS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND UTILITIES BE REVIEWED BY A LOCALITIES PLANNING COMMISSION TO DETERMINE IF THAT PROJECT IS IN SUBSTANTIAL ACCORD WITH A LOCALITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SO THAT'S TO SAY, YOU KNOW, ALL GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS, PROJECTS LIKE THE COURTHOUSE ANIMAL SHELTER AS WELL AS PUBLIC UTILITIES LIKE SUBSTATIONS FOR DATA CENTERS WOULD ALL BE SUBJECT TO THIS AUTOMATIC REVIEW BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION PRIOR TO THOSE USES BEING DEVELOPED. SO WITH THE WAY THE PROVISIONS ARE CURRENTLY WRITTEN, A SINGLE PROJECT COULD END UP NEEDING THREE OR MORE SEPARATE HEARINGS AND TO GO THROUGH A MULTI-MONTH PROCESS. THE OTHER PIECE IS THE ANIMAL SHELTER. SO AGAIN, CURRENTLY THERE ARE ONLY ALLOWED WITHIN THE M-1 LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ZONING DISTRICT. THE EXISTING MUNICIPAL SHELTER IS LOCATED IN R-1 DISTRICT, SO IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A NONCONFORMING USE, BUT THE FACILITIES ALSO ACT CAPACITY AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, A NEW SHELTER IS PLANNED FOR PROPERTY AT ONE 1555 FLANK ROAD, WHICH IS IN THE A AGRICULTURAL ZONING DISTRICT. SO THE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT, IT'S TYPICALLY LARGER PIECES OF LAND, LOWER DENSITY DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW, AGRICULTURAL USES LIKE THE RAISING OF LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY ARE ALLOWED IN THE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS. USES ARE GENERALLY SPREAD FURTHER APART, DO DUE TO THE HIGHER REQUIREMENTS FOR LOT SIZES AND HIGHER SETBACK REQUIREMENTS. 
          AND THIS IS JUST A SHOT OF THE PROPERTY ON FLANK ROAD. SO AGAIN IT'S A LARGE LOT. IT'S ABOUT 20 ACRES. IT'S. LOWER DENSITY DEVELOPMENT. THINGS ARE MORE SPREAD OUT. YOU'VE GOT THE BIGGER PIECES OF PROPERTY IN THESE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICTS. SO THE SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO CONSIDER, ONE WAS TO REMOVE THAT REQUIREMENT FOR SPECIAL USE PERMITS FOR GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES. AND THE SECOND PIECE WAS ADDING MUNICIPALLY OWNED AND OPERATED ANIMAL SHELTERS AS A PERMITTED USE IN THE AGRICULTURAL ZONING DISTRICT. SO JUST A FEW THOUGHTS FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. THE PLAN DOES SPEAK A FEW TIMES TO, YOU KNOW, STRAIN CAPACITY AND NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS AND DIFFERENT PUBLIC FACILITIES, INCLUDING THE ANIMAL SHELTER, THE EXISTING COURTHOUSE. 17% OF OUR RESIDENTS LISTED UTILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE AS ONE OF THEIR TOP CONCERNS FOR THE CITY'S FUTURE. AND THEN THE PLAN ALSO JUST HITS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT SECTION OF STATE CODE THAT REQUIRES PUBLIC UTILITIES AND BUILDINGS TO COME BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR REVIEW AUTOMATICALLY. SO I SAID THIS EARLIER. IN MOST CASES, I SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, 
          [01:40:11]
GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS ARE GOING TO MEAN CITY BUILDINGS, BUT THAT THAT COULD ALSO MEAN A STATE FACILITY OR A FEDERAL FACILITY. SO IN THEORY, THE CONDITIONAL USE OR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUIREMENT WOULD APPLY TO THOSE. BUT IN MOST IF NOT ALL CASES, PREEMPTION AND EMINENT DOMAIN APPLY. SO A PUBLIC UTILITY OR A STATE OR FEDERAL BUILDING, THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE SUBJECT TO OUR LOCAL RESTRICTIONS. THE ALLOWANCE FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER AND THE AG DISTRICT. SO THAT WOULD BE SPECIFIC TO THE CITY. ANY PRIVATELY OWNED OR OPERATED FACILITIES WOULD STILL BE LIMITED TO THE M1 DISTRICT, WHICH IS THE PROVISION NOW. AND ULTIMATELY THE GOAL WITH THIS TEXT AMENDMENT WAS TO ASSESS WHETHER CURRENT REQUIREMENTS FOR THESE MULTIPLE REVIEWS ARE RESULTING IN REDUNDANCY OR UNNECESSARY STEPS IN THE APPROVAL PROCESS FOR PUBLIC PROJECTS. SO THE RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS A MODIFICATION TO THE TEXT AMENDMENT. SO THEY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL, BUT WITH AMENDMENTS. SO THEY DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF MUNICIPAL ANIMAL SHELTERS BEING ADDED AS A USE IN THE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT. BUT THEY RECOMMENDED RETAINING THAT REQUIREMENT FOR A SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES. SO THAT WOULD MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT IS STILL REQUIRED, THEIR REASONING BEING SO THAT THEY COULD STILL RECOMMEND CONDITIONS ON PUBLIC PROJECTS. SO BECAUSE THIS IS ONE THAT HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU AND YOU ALL HAD ASKED US TO LOOK AT, I DID INCLUDE THE DRAFTED LANGUAGE WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE IN YOUR PACKET, WHICH WOULD SHOW THE REQUIREMENT FOR THOSE SPECIAL USE PERMITS GOING AWAY. BUT I JUST WANTED YOU TO HAVE BOTH THOSE TO REFERENCE, SINCE WE HAD BROUGHT IT TO YOU PRIOR. 
          WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL HAVE FOR ME, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OKAY, SO JUST AS A REFRESHER, AS MR. CRUZ HAS STATED, WE DISCUSSED THIS AT YOUR JUNE WORK SESSION AND AT THAT TIME, COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO ADD ANIMAL SHELTERS, A MUNICIPAL ANIMAL SHELTERS AS A PERMITTED USE BY RIGHT IN THE A DISTRICT, AND ELIMINATE THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS NOT SUBJECT TO WHERE THEY ARE JUST IN GENERAL. THAT WAS THE DIRECTION PROVIDED BY COUNCIL AS A WHOLE STAFF, AND WE'VE MOVED FORWARD. PLANNING COMMISSION'S MADE A CHANGE OBVIOUSLY, TO THAT, BUT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT WAS COUNCIL DIRECTED I'LL SAY. I'M NOT SURE WHAT TYPE OF CONDITIONS WE'D WANT TO PUT ON OURSELVES, KNOWING THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S OUR BUILDING AND WE'RE MAKING A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO LOCATE IT SOMEWHERE FOR FOR REASONS. BUT THAT'S WHAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION CAME BACK WITH. BUT WE DID MOVE FORWARD, AS DIRECTED BY COUNCIL, TO ELIMINATE THAT COMPLETELY. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU. SO NOW I'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COMMENT ABOUT THE AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALLOWING MUNICIPAL ANIMAL POUNDS OR SHELTERS IN THE A AGRICULTURE ZONING DISTRICT AND REMOVING REQUIREMENT FOR AN APPROVED SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND UTILITIES AND SERVICES. ALL RIGHT. HEY, SEEING NO HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT. COUNCILMAN JONES, I PROMISE I'LL BE REAL QUICK. 
          THE ANIMAL SHELTER WE HAVE NOW. AND I REMEMBER THIS LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD. YOU SAID IT WAS IN THE R-1. YES, SIR. SO IT'S LOCATED IN THE R-1, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE DISTRICTS. WE HAD A LITTLE DOG HOUSE. WHEREAS I DID HOUSES, DOGS WHERE IT SHOULDN'T BE AT. AND THAT'S IN THE FLOODPLAIN, RIGHT? YES, IT'S ABSOLUTELY IN THE IN THE FLOODPLAIN. THE OLD ONE IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN. THAT IS NEW SPACE IS NOT ANYWHERE NEAR FLOODPLAIN. CORRECT? CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. AND WE'RE APPLYING FOR THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SO 
          [01:45:08]
UNDER THE CURRENT THE WAY THE ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN CURRENTLY, YES, I WOULD SIGN THE APPLICATION ON BEHALF OF THE CITY, SUBMIT IT TO MR. CRUZ AND STAFF. THEY WOULD REVIEW IT, MAKE A RECOMMENDATION PLANNING COMMISSION. AND THEN IT WOULD COME TO COUNCIL FOR YOU TO APPROVE AND POTENTIALLY APPROVE CONDITIONS OR IMPOSE ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS. SOMEWHAT OF THE IRONY HERE IS WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE DISCUSSED THIS PROJECT AS A GROUP TO THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH, BUT WE WOULD HAVE TO THEN GO THROUGH THE SPECIAL USE PERMIT PROCESS, COME BACK TO YOU TO APPROVE SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE ALREADY APPROVED US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. SO WHO PAYING THE $1,500 APPLICATION FEE? WELL, IN THAT CASE IT WOULD. IT EITHER WOULD EITHER IT WOULD COME FROM US BECAUSE WE'D HAVE TO BUDGET. WE'D HAVE TO TAKE IT OUT OF SOMEONE'S BUDGET TO PAY FOR THE ADVERTISING. ALL RIGHT. MY LAST QUESTION. HOW WILL THIS AFFECT AGRICULTURE IN THE AREA? I KNOW WE NEED THIS. THIS IS NOT JUST NEEDED. WE BY LAW GOT TO HAVE IT. SO IN THIS CASE, THE THE USE IS SPECIFICALLY OF MUNICIPALLY OWNED AND OPERATED ANIMAL SHELTER. SO UNLESS THE CITY WERE PLANNING TO LOCATE SOME ONE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE AG DISTRICT, THE IMPACT WOULD REALLY BE SPECIFIC TO THE PLANK ROAD PROPERTY, WHICH IS WHERE IT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU, MR. CRUZ. YES, SIR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN MYERS. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, IS THIS WORKING? ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT, NOW, I'VE GOT TO WORK THROUGH THIS BECAUSE. ALL RIGHT, I MOVE. FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THE PURPOSE OF ALLOWING MUNICIPAL ANIMAL POUNDS OR SHELTERS IN THE A AGRICULTURAL ZONING DISTRICT AND REMOVING A REQUIREMENT FOR AN APPROVED SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS AND PUBLIC UTILITIES AND SERVICES IN THE CITY. AND I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, IF I MAY, IN YOUR PACKETS, IT WOULD BE EXHIBIT B WOULD BE THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE MOTION YOU JUST MADE. EXHIBIT B READS WHAT? THAT THAT'S THE VERSION THAT WOULD BECAUSE I'M NOT ACCEPTING YOUR VERSION IS WHAT WHAT WE RECOMMEND WHAT YOU RECOMMENDED US TO DO PLANNING COMMISSION CHANGED IT. SO EXHIBIT EXHIBIT B IS THE ORIGINAL VERSION THAT STAFF IN EXHIBIT B THEN. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. VICE MAYOR, HE'LL SECOND MR. MR. MAYOR. YES, COUNCILMAN. MAY I ASK MR. CRUZ SOME QUESTIONS? MR. CRUZ, IF WE ADOPT, IF WE DO NOT ADOPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. WILL THE PUBLIC HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT AT A PUBLIC HEARING ON A PLACEMENT OF A GOVERNMENTAL BUILDING? IF YOU DO ADOPT THIS OR IF YOU DO, IF WE ADOPT, OKAY. EXHIBIT B. SO THERE'S STILL THE THE STATE CODE REQUIREMENT THAT SECTION 2232 THAT REQUIRES THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO REVIEW PUBLIC FACILITIES TO SEE IF THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. AND THEN THAT WOULD COME TO COUNCIL IF THEY WERE TO DENY OR TO DETERMINE THAT IT'S NOT, THEY WOULD HAVE AN APPEAL. WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THAT STATE CODE SECTION, IT GIVES THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR THE GOVERNING BODY THE OPTION TO HOLD THAT AS A PUBLIC HEARING, WHERE YOU WOULD RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENTS, OR TO JUST ADD IT ON AS A BUSINESS ITEM. SO, YOU KNOW, AT YOUR ALL'S DISCRETION, YOU COULD FRAME EACH OF THOSE REVIEWS AS A PUBLIC HEARING THAT WOULD RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT. WELL, WE COULD, BUT WE JUST HAD A GREAT ILLUSTRATION OF THE ADVANTAGE OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT ON THIS STANDALONE VEHICLE REPAIR SHOP, NINE E, IN WHICH THE PUBLIC GOT TO COMMENT AND COUNSEL WAS RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. I MEAN, I WOULD SAY AGAIN, THESE MOST OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE CITY PROJECTS. SO IF IF YOU ALL WANTED TO HOLD, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE THE COURTHOUSE, THEY HELD PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS OUTSIDE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE FORMAL PROCESSES NECESSARILY. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU ALL HAVE THAT OPTION TO SEEK 
          [01:50:02]
PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY PUBLIC CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS. BUT THE ONLY AUTOMATIC PROVISION THAT I KNOW OF WOULD BE THAT STATE CODE SECTION THAT REQUIRES THESE TO COME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION. ALL RIGHT. LET'S TRY IT THIS WAY. WOULD EXHIBIT A OR EXHIBIT B GIVE THE PUBLIC A GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT. EXHIBIT A WOULD BE THE VERSION THAT HAS MORE PUBLIC HEARINGS INVOLVED. SO THE ANSWER IS IT WOULD BE EXHIBIT A THAT WOULD GIVE THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT, A GREATER OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT RATHER THAN EXHIBIT B, IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, I THINK SO. AND MANDATED, AT LEAST. AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE IT'S UP TO YOU. ALL THESE ARE YOUR PROJECTS THAT YOU CAN SEEK PUBLIC COMMENT. WELL, YEAH. BUT WE ALL SEE HOW THAT HAPPENS. ALL RIGHT. AND. WELL, I THINK EXHIBIT A GIVES US THE THE ANIMAL SHELTER IN THE WHERE IT IS HAS BEEN DECIDED THAT IT'S GOING TO GO. AND IT ALSO PRESERVES A GREATER RIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT AND RESULTS IN MUCH GREATER TRANSPARENCY AS A RESULT. SO I THINK THE PLANNING COMMISSION WAS RIGHT ON, ON IT WHEN THEY RECOMMENDED EXHIBIT A, AS I SAY, THAT LETS THE ANIMAL SHELTER GO ON THE AGRICULTURAL PROPERTY AS A MATTER OF RIGHT. BUT IT ALSO PRESERVES FOR THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT AT A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE THE TERMS OF A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. I THINK ONE SMALL CLARIFICATION. 
          IT WOULD NOT BE BY RIGHT IT WOULD BE ALLOWED IN THE AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT, BUT STILL BECAUSE IT'S A GOVERNMENT BUILDING, IT WOULD STILL NEED A SPECIAL USE PERMIT. SO UNDER EXHIBIT A. OKAY, WE TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY ALL THE TIME AND THEN WE NEVER DO IT. JUST IT ASTOUNDS ME. BUT IN ANY EVENT, I'VE SAID MY PIECE, THANK YOU. JUST FOR THE RECORD, WE HAD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MATTER FOR THE PUBLIC TO WEIGH IN ON THIS MATTER. SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, SHOWS THAT WE DID FOLLOW OUR OWN PROCEDURES ON THIS, AND WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, AND AT THIS TIME IS HERE, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT. 
          THANK YOU. BUT I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE COURTHOUSE, AND WE'VE NOT HAD A PUBLIC HEARING ON ON THE RECORD. WE'VE HAD THOSE ON THE COURTHOUSE. TWO COUNCILMAN COOPER, WE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH WITH GILBANE AND ALL OF THEM. SO FOR THE RECORD, WE FOLLOW UP ON PROCESS. SO IT'S NO NEED TO THROW A BRICK AT THE PROCESS IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY WITH IT. I'M NOT THROWING A BRICK AT THE PROCESS, BUT WE THAT'S NOT THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING. I VOTE I. 
          REMEMBER JONES, I COUNCIL MEMBER, MYERS, COUNCIL MEMBER. WHITE. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          SMITH. I VICE MAYOR WITH A $1,500. I VOTE THAT COUNCILMAN JONES AND COUNCILMAN MEYER SPLIT THE $1,500 BECAUSE THEY LOVE DOGS AND CATS AND ANIMALS AND HORSES. NO, I'M JUST SAYING I'M JUST JOKING. I VOTE OUT. I MOTION. NEXT IS ITEM G, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCORPORATING ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT AND OFF STREET PARKING AREAS. ALL RIGHT, JERRY, THANK YOU SIR. I'VE GOT A POWERPOINT FOR THIS ONE AS WELL. YEP. THANK YOU. SO AGAIN, THIS IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING PROVISIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS PARKING AREAS. SO YOU ALL ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS AT THIS POINT. BUT THE CITY HAS BEEN WORKING WITH THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER FOR THE LAST YEAR, AND SOME CHANGE ON MULTIPLE DIFFERENT EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE TREE PRESERVATION AND AS WELL AS NEW PLANTINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO PROMOTE OUR HEALTH AND WELLNESS GOALS. 
          SO THAT INCLUDES THE STRATEGIC TREE CANOPY PLAN THAT YOU ALL ADOPTED BACK IN JUNE, AS WELL AS ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS THAT INTRODUCED STANDARDS FOR STREET TREES IN THE PUBLIC AREAS, AS WELL AS TREES ON PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT THIS 
          [01:55:04]
EVENING. THE ORDINANCE ON THE STREET TREES IS WILL BE COMING TO YOU ALL SEPARATELY, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR SO. BUT THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAS CONSIDERED AND RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE AT THIS POINT. SO IT'S KIND OF TWO PIECES. THE FIRST IS FOR OFF STREET PARKING AREAS. THERE ARE RULES INTRODUCED FOR MINIMUM TREE COVER. OVERALL, THIS APPLIES TO NEW DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS REDEVELOPMENT AND ANY ANY PROPERTY SUBJECT TO REZONINGS OR SPECIAL USE PERMITS. THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR LANDSCAPE ISLANDS, ONE FOR EVERY EIGHT OR FEWER SPACES OR MEDIAN RUNNING THE LENGTH OF A PARKING. I'LL REQUIRED TO BE 180FT■S OR PERVIOUS PAVING AND THE NEIGHBORING PARKING SPACES. AND THEN A REQUIREMENT THAT YOU USE TREES IDENTIFIED IN THE CITY'S APPROVED SPECIES LIST. MAY HAVE. DO YOU MIND SWITCHING TO MY NEXT SLIDE? I THINK MY BATTERY MAY HAVE DIED UP HERE. NO ONE STOP WORKING. IT APPEARS TO HAVE STOPPED WORKING. YES. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. IF YOU CAN JUST CLICK OVER TO THE NEXT SLIDE. YEAH. SO LANDSCAPE MEDIANS REQUIRED MINIMUM EIGHT FEET OF WIDTH, THREE FEET OF DEPTH FOR PLANTINGS WITH SHRUBS AND TREES. 
          AGAIN THEY HAVE TO BE FROM THE APPROVED SPECIES LIST FOR PARKING LOTS WITH, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE LOTS. THERE'S A REQUIREMENT FOR PERIMETER STRIPS. SO BUFFER BETWEEN LOTS AND BETWEEN STREETS AND PARKING AREAS. SO THIS CAN BE PROVIDED THROUGH A MIX OF PLANTINGS AND FENCING. THE MINIMUM WIDTHS CAN VARY DEPENDING ON IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO MORE LANDSCAPING OR MORE FENCING. THE THE OTHER PIECE IS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL THROUGH THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS, WE'RE INTRODUCING A MINIMUM CANOPY COVERAGE REQUIREMENT, SO THIS WOULD VARY BY THE USE OF THE PROPERTY. SO FOR COMMERCIAL OR INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY OR A HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY, YOU WOULD HAVE TO EITHER RETAIN OR PLANT NEW LANDSCAPING TO ACCOMPLISH 10% OF CANOPY COVERAGE. THAT WOULD GO UP TO 15% FOR KIND OF MID DENSITY RESIDENTIAL. AND THEN FOR LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL TEN UNITS OR LESS PER ACRE, YOU WOULD HAVE A 20% OVERALL CANOPY REQUIREMENT. SO IT ALSO HAS SOME SPECIFICS ON, YOU KNOW, DIVERSITY OF SPECIES TO AVOID THE SPREAD OF DISEASE, AS WELL AS SOME INCENTIVES TO PLANT BEYOND WHAT YOU'RE REQUIRED TO PLANT. SO THESE CAN GIVE YOU SOME SMALL REDUCTIONS TO YOUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS OR SETBACK REQUIREMENTS. SO LOOKING AT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT AGAINST THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE PLAN STATES THAT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS, ONE OF OUR MOST VALUED ASSETS, THE PRESERVATION OF VEGETATED NATURAL AREAS, REDUCES POLLUTION, PROVIDES RELIEF FROM HEAT ISLANDS AND NATURALLY CAPTURES CARBON. ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS ADOPTING ZONING ORDINANCE REGULATIONS THAT LIMIT ADVERSE DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS ON OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, BENEFIT PUBLIC HEALTH, OUR PUBLIC HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR RESIDENTS. 
          AND THEN FURTHER, ONE OF OUR OBJECTIVES IS TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS OF THE CITY TO PROTECT, PROTECT RESIDENTS AND PROPERTY OWNERS FROM LONG TERM EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE. STRATEGIES INCLUDE REDUCING HEAT ISLANDS THROUGH NEW TREES, REQUIRING NATIVE PLANTINGS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, AND THEN ALSO JUST 
          [02:00:07]
PRESERVING THE MATURE TREE CANOPY THAT'S EXISTING. SO SOME FINAL THOUGHTS. THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS FOR TREES IN THE PUBLIC REALM. AGAIN, THAT'S GOING TO BE REGULATED OUTSIDE OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE. AND ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE AN EFFORT OF OUR DEPARTMENT, WHICH INCLUDES THE CITY ARBORIST AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS. THE ORDINANCE LANGUAGE YOU'RE SEEING WAS DRAFTED. IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BETWEEN OUR DEPARTMENT, THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE CENTER, OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND WE BELIEVE THAT IT INCORPORATES KIND OF THE BEST PRACTICES AND GOALS ACROSS THE BOARD TO MATCH WHAT WAS ADOPTED IN THE STRATEGIC TREE CANOPY PLAN. AND FINALLY, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ARE PIECES OF A LARGER, ONGOING EFFORT TO ADDRESS ROOT CAUSES OF POOR HEALTH AND FOR THE CITY TO ADOPT POLICIES THAT WILL BENEFIT BOTH RESIDENTS AND VISITORS. SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE TEXT AMENDMENT AS IT'S DRAFTED. 
          AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU ALL HAVE FOR ME. THANK YOU. I'LL OPEN THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCORPORATING ADDITIONAL LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT AND OFF STREET PARKING AREAS. SEEING NO HANDS IS PUBLIC. HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. COUNCILMAN JONES QUESTION JUST ONE. SAYS HERE. 
          THAT MEETINGS MUST BE EIGHT FEET WIDE, THREE FEET DEEP, AND MUST BE PLANTED WITH EITHER SHRUBS OR TREES. AND WHAT, THIS WHOLE THING. I JUST WANT TO ASK, WE HAVE A ARBORIST, RIGHT? WAS SHE INVOLVED IN ANY OF THE PLANNING WHEN WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR TREES. AND SHE IS. AND SHE'S HERE TONIGHT AS WELL. IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I JUST I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PLANNING, USE THE RESOURCES THAT WE'VE PROVIDED. WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S INTO THIS STUFF. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY LEANED ON HER FOR HER, FOR HER OPINION. YES, SIR. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON WE CELEBRATED HAVING HER COME ON BOARD WAS TO GIVE US JUST SOME OF THE TECHNICAL INSIGHT THAT ON, YOU KNOW, DIMENSIONS AND DEPTHS AND SPECIES THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE IN THE MORE GENERAL. 
          THAT'S GREAT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE CAN WE GET THAT RESOURCE HERE. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE PLANNING IS USING IT. SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I GOT, MR. MAYOR. VICE MAYOR HILL. I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ITEM NINE AS READ. OKAY. COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK, SECOND MOTION TO SECOND. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? SEEING NONE IS HERE. CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCILMEMBER CUTHBERT, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. 
          WESTBROOK. AYE. I I I. NEXT IS ITEM H, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR THE PURPOSE OF UPDATING AND CLARIFYING SIGNAGE AND ADVERTISING REGULATIONS TO ADDRESS ONGOING COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES PERTAINING TO CERTAIN ADVERTISING DEVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. ALL RIGHT, JARED. THANK YOU SIR. I SHOULD HAVE A POWERPOINT FOR THIS ONE AS WELL. YEP. THANK YOU. SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ADDRESS SOME ONGOING ISSUES AND COMPLAINTS THAT COME UP RELATING TO SIGNAGE AND ADVERTISING THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO SOME BACKGROUND, THE SIGN ORDINANCE IS A PIECE OF OUR ZONING ORDINANCE WHICH REGULATES SIZE, PLACEMENT, TYPES OF SIGNS THAT ARE ALLOWED THROUGHOUT THE CITY THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT ZONING DISTRICTS. STAFF. WE GET FREQUENT COMPLAINTS ABOUT CERTAIN TYPES OF SIGNAGE AND A LOT OF INSTANCES. THESE SIGNS ARE EITHER UNRESTRICTED OR UNREGULATED, OR THE LANGUAGE IS UNCLEAR. BUT OUR OVERALL GOAL IS TO HAVE A CLEAR ORDINANCE AND TO HAVE CONSISTENT AND ATTRACTIVE SIGNAGE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO THERE'S ALSO SEVERAL SECTIONS THAT ARE UNCLEAR. THEY LEAVE STAFF 
          [02:05:05]
WITHOUT A REFERENCE ON WHETHER CERTAIN SIGNS ARE ALLOWED OR IN WHAT INSTANCES THEY'RE ALLOWED. 
          SO I'VE BROKEN IT DOWN INTO SOME OF THE FREQUENT ISSUES THAT WE FACE. ONE IS WINDOW SIGNAGE. SO THE WAY OUR ORDINANCE READS RIGHT NOW, A WINDOW SIGN OR A DEVICE HUNG IN A WINDOW IS ONLY A SIGN IF IT'S ILLUMINATED. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS IMAGE, THE ONLY THING THAT WOULD COUNT AS A SIGN ON ANY OF THAT GLASS SPACE WOULD BE THE SMALL SIGN. AND THEN WHATEVER THE TICKER IS NEXT TO IT, THE REST IS JUST IT'S NOT A SIGN. SO IT'S NOT REGULATED LIKE A SIGN. WE ALSO DON'T HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, OVERALL LIMIT ON JUST HOW MUCH SIGN YOU CAN, SIGNAGE YOU CAN PUT ONTO A SINGLE SURFACE SO YOU END UP WITH KIND OF THE LOUD LOOKING WINDOWS FULL OF SIGNAGE. ANOTHER THING WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT ARE THEY GO BY A LOT OF NAMES, FEATHER SIGNS, FLAG SIGNS, SALE SIGNS. BUT YOU CAN SEE IN THE IMAGE THESE ARE THEIR BANNERS TYPICALLY. ATTACHED BY A CORD ONTO JUST A SINGLE POLE. THESE ARE. THEY'RE NOT PERMANENTLY AFFIXED. AGAIN, IT'S IT'S ANOTHER ONE THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE VERY VISIBLE. ANOTHER ISSUE WE RUN INTO ARE SIGNS THAT ARE INAPPROPRIATE FOR OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS. SO WHILE WE DO HAVE HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES THAT THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD USES WHEN THEY'RE REVIEWING A PARTICULAR REQUEST, THOSE ARE GUIDELINES. THEY AREN'T CODE REQUIREMENTS. SO WE ENDED UP WITH AT LEAST A COUPLE OF INSTANCES WHERE BUSINESSES WITHIN OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS HAVE SIGNAGE. THAT'S JUST WILDLY INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING BUILDINGS AND THE OVERALL HISTORIC DISTRICT. 
          ANOTHER ISSUE THAT WE RUN INTO IS JUST A LACK OF CLARITY. AND OUR B1, WHICH IS OUR SHOPPING CENTER ZONING DISTRICT. SO ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE, WHEN A PROPERTY IS REZONED TO THAT DISTRICT, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO ADOPT A SIGN PLAN SPECIFIC TO THAT PROPERTY. AND MOST CASES THAT DIDN'T OCCUR. SO WHEN WE HAVE SOMEONE COME IN AND IS LOOKING PARTICULARLY TO REDEVELOP A SHOPPING CENTER AREA, WE DON'T HAVE A POINT OF REFERENCE FOR HOW MUCH SIGNAGE THEY'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE, OR WHAT TYPES OF SIGNS. UNLESS WE HAPPEN TO HAVE A SIGN PLAN ON RECORD. SO WE'VE PROPOSED SOME CHANGES THAT WE BROUGHT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THESE ISSUES. FIRST AND FOREMOST WITH WINDOW SIGNS WAS TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION SO THAT A WINDOW SIGN IS A SIGN THAT'S HUNG IN A WINDOW. IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WHETHER ILLUMINATED OR NOT, REMOVING THAT EXEMPTION FOR UNLIT SIGNS. WE LOOKED AT A REQUIREMENT THAT WINDOW SIGNAGE CAN'T OBSCURE MORE THAN 20% OF ANY SINGLE WINDOW OR DOOR, WHETHER THAT BE AN INDIVIDUAL SIGN OR A COMBINATION OF SIGNS. WE ALSO LOOKED AT SIGNS CONSISTING OF ILLUMINATED TUBING AND STRINGS OUTLINING BUILDING FACES. SO THAT'S SOME OF WHAT YOU SEE HERE. WE'VE GOT IT'S MENTIONED IN OUR ORDINANCE NOW, BUT NOT NOT EXTREMELY CLEARLY. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO JUST MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THAT COUNTS. AND IT'S NOT PERMITTED. 
          FOR FOR SALE SIGNS OR THE FLAG SIGNS. WE'RE LOOKING TO DEFINE THOSE AS WELL AS ADD THEM TO THE LIST OF PROHIBITED SIGNS TO CLARIFY THAT. AND THEN FOR SIGNS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, WE'RE LOOKING TO CODIFY THE SOME OF THE REQUIREMENTS FROM THE OR THE THE GUIDANCE FROM THE HISTORIC DISTRICT GUIDELINES, WHICH WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THAT SIGNS ARE INDIRECTLY LIT WITH SHIELDED INCANDESCENT LIGHT SOURCES RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, BACKLIT OR LED OR SOME OF 
          [02:10:05]
THE SIGNAGE THAT DOESN'T FIT WITH THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. THE B1, THE SHOPPING CENTER DISTRICT. WE INTRODUCED SOME REGULATIONS THAT IF THERE'S NOT A SIGN PLAN ON FILE, WE'VE GOT SOME ALLOWANCE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL TENANTS WITHIN A SHOPPING CENTER, AS WELL AS THE OVERALL SHOPPING CENTER TO HAVE A SINGLE SHARED FREESTANDING SIGN. AND FINALLY, ONE THING THAT COMES UP IS. WHEN INDIVIDUALS ARE JUST LOOKING TO REFACE SIGNS. SO USING AN EXISTING STRUCTURE, THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGING IS YOUR YOU'RE PULLING THE PANEL OUT THE CABINET AND PUTTING BACK IN. CURRENTLY OUR ORDINANCE DOESN'T SPECIFY. SO YOU'RE PAYING A $150 REVIEW FEE FOR JUST A STANDARD SIGN PERMIT. SO WE'D BE LOOKING TO INTRODUCE A REDUCED FEE, A $50 FEE FOR SIGN RE FACES TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THOSE TWO. LOOKING AT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CONSIDERATIONS, SOME QUOTES FROM THE PLAN ATTRACTIVE SIGNAGE PROMOTES CIVIC PRIDE AND ENHANCES COMMUNITY CHARACTER. SIGNS ELEVATE THE APPEARANCE OF THE CITY. CREATE A SENSE OF PLACE. THE PLAN ENCOURAGES US TO IMPROVE EXISTING SIGNS IN THE CITY, PARTICULARLY IN OUR CORRIDOR COMMERCIAL AREAS. AND THEN FINALLY, MANY OF OUR CITIZENS CITE THE HISTORIC AND ATTRACTIVE DOWNTOWN AS ONE OF THE CITY'S STRENGTHS, AND ONE OF THE GOALS OF THIS AMENDMENT WOULD BE TO IMPROVE THE LOOK OF SIGNAGE CITYWIDE. ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS I WANTED TO NOTE THAT THROUGH OUR ZONING ORDINANCE REWRITE, WE ARE LOOKING AT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE OVERHAUL TO THE SIGN ORDINANCE TO JUST KIND OF BRING US INTO BEST PRACTICES. BUT SPECIFICALLY WITH THIS TEXT, WE'RE LOOKING TO ADDRESS THESE VERY SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT WE SEEM TO CONTINUOUSLY ENCOUNTER. 
          ALSO WITH, YOU KNOW, UPCOMING DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY WITH, YOU KNOW. JUST KIND OF AN UPWARD TRAJECTORY. THERE'S A LARGER EMPHASIS ON HAVING ATTRACTIVE AND COHESIVE SIGNAGE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. AND FINALLY, JUST A DISCLAIMER THAT SIGNS ARE PROTECTED BY FIRST AMENDMENT FREE SPEECH PROTECTIONS. SO WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO REGULATE WHAT THE SIGNS SAY, BUT WE ARE ABLE TO REGULATE SIZE, PLACEMENT, NUMBER OF SIGNS, AND SO ON. SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF THE TEXT AS DRAFTED IN A FIVE, VOTING IN FAVOR TO ONE NO VOTE, WITH ONE ABSTENTION. WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. APPRECIATE EVERYONE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL OPEN UP THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COMMENT ON THE ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT. TO THE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. AND CLARIFY, SIGN AND ADVERTISING REGULATIONS TO ADDRESS ONGOING COMPLAINTS AND ISSUES PERTAINING TO CERTAIN ADVERTISING DEVICES THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SEEING NO HANDS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. 
          NEXT. COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. CRUZ, I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT GIVING MR. CRUZ A HARD TIME. I THINK HE'S DOING A GREAT JOB AS INTERIM DIRECTOR. 
          THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MR. CRUZ AND ANYBODY IN HERE THAT MAY BE FROM THE PLANNING COMMITTEE. 
          YOU MENTIONED ATTRACTIVE SIGNS I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY MEAN BY ATTRACTIVE, BECAUSE WHAT'S ATTRACTIVE TO ME, MY BACKGROUND OR WHERE I COME FROM MAY NOT BE ATTRACTIVE TO YOU OR THEM. SO WHAT I'M SAYING THAT BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE MAKING JUDGMENT BASED ON PERSONAL PREFERENCE VERSUS A BUSINESS STANDPOINT. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SIGNS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADVERTISING. FOR ME TO BRING MORE BUSINESS INTO MY PLACE. ONE OF THE ISSUES I HAVE WITH THIS WHOLE THING IS WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE NEW SIGNS OR NEW SIGNAGE, RIGHT? 
          [02:15:04]
BUT WE STILL HAVE SIGNS ALL THE WAY DOWN EAST WASHINGTON STREET, WEST WASHINGTON STREET, ALL OVER THE CITY THAT NEEDS REFACING. AND NOBODY'S GETTING A FINE OR ANYTHING. BUT YET WE'RE GOING TO ENFORCE SOME NEW STUFF. RIGHT. AND I SAID THIS BEFORE WITH YOUR OLD BOSS THAT WE COME IN HERE MAKING NEW PROBLEMS, AND OUR NEW PROBLEMS BECOME OLD PROBLEMS, AND OUR OLD PROBLEMS BECOME OLD, OLD PROBLEMS. WE ARE WORKING ON THE THE ON THE EAST WASHINGTON CORRIDOR. WE HAVE STARTED WORKING ON THE THOSE EMPTY SIGN STRUCTURES. THAT'S WITHIN OUR PROCESS. I GUESS THE OTHER THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE IS JUST POINT WELL TAKEN, BUT THOSE PROBLEMS TEND TO ACCRUE IF WE DON'T PUT RULES IN PLACE THAT. STOP US FROM GETTING MORE AND MORE OF THOSE WHAT WHAT I WOULD CALL UNATTRACTIVE SIGNS. WELL, WE HAVEN'T TAKEN CARE OF THE OLD CASTLE IS WHAT I'M SAYING. AND THE ONLY THING I AGREE WITH THIS WHOLE THING IS MY PIECE OF PAPER AT THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. NOW THAT I UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PRESERVE THE APPEARANCE OF THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND NOTHING SHOULD BE OUT OF WHACK THAT DON'T REPRESENT THE HISTORIC DISTRICT, RIGHT? HOWEVER. WINDOWS SIGNS, THE PERCENTAGE, YOU SAID THE PERCENTAGE OF THE WINDOWS, RIGHT? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WINDOWS COMPLETELY TINTED, YOU KNOW, AND THEY JUST GOT OPEN ON THE OTHER SIDE. YOU CAN'T SEE IN IT. LIKE, WHY WHY ARE WE WORRIED ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF IT? ARE WE WORRIED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE INSIDE THE BUILDING OR, OR JUST THE SIGNAGE ITSELF? BECAUSE PULLING SIGNS BACK UP, PLEASE. SO WHAT I WOULD SAY, MR. MR. JONES, IS THAT THE 20% DOESN'T RELATE TO LIKE WINDOW TINT. SO LIKE OUR POLICE OFFICERS IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM WOULD PULL YOU OVER BECAUSE YOUR CARS CAR WINDOWS ARE TINTED A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE AND THAT'S NOT THE POINT I'M MAKING. I THIS IS THE AMOUNT OF SPACE ON THE ON THE GLASS THE SIGN TAKES UP. BUT WHY IS MY QUESTION? BECAUSE IF I'M RENTING A BUILDING, A COMMERCIAL BUILDING FROM SOMEBODY FOR $5,000 A MONTH, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE. AS LONG AS THERE'S NO NUDITY ON THERE, AS LONG AS NO EXPLICIT WORDING ON THERE, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE WITHIN MY SPACE THAT I'M LEASING WITHOUT BEING CONTROLLED BY SOMEBODY THAT SAID, THAT AIN'T THAT AIN'T ATTRACTIVE TO ME. WELL, DAMN IT, IT'S ATTRACTIVE TO ME. IT'S MY BUSINESS. IF I'M SELLING BARBECUE OUT OF MY BUSINESS AND YOU TELL ME I CAN'T PUT A BIG SANDWICH IN THE WINDOW, WE GOT PROBLEMS. WE GOT PROBLEMS, I WOULD SAY IS I THINK THE. I WOULD AGREE THAT IT'S ALL IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, IF YOU WILL, WITH REGARD TO ATTRACTIVENESS. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WE ARE LOOKING AND PART OF THIS AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING EARLIER ABOUT CREATING NEW PROBLEMS WHILE NOT ADDRESSING THE OLD, BUT WE HAVE TO GET NEW THE ORDINANCES IN PLACE FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT WE KNOW IS COMING. SO IT WILL COMPLY. AND AS WE, YOU KNOW, WE WE KIND OF DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND. AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE CAN ADDRESS THE NEW ONES AND WE BRING THE OLD ONES UP. BUT IF WE NEVER DRAW THAT LINE IN THE SAND LIKE WE WOULD DO HERE, WE JUST KEEP MOVING THAT SLUG OF PROBLEMS DOWN THE ROAD AND WE NEVER REALLY CATCH UP. BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT WE HAVE AND WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BE MAKING SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE WAGNER CRATER SYCAMORE DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR AREA AS A RESULT OF THE CASINO COMING TO DRAW PEOPLE INTO DOWNTOWN. SO ALONG THOSE CORRIDORS, WE WANT TO HAVE THINGS THAT ARE VISUALLY APPEALING AND THAT AND PART OF THAT IS IF YOU I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE AND HAVE AND ALL. AND I'LL SAY THIS, EVERY COMMUNITY THAT I'VE EVER WORKED IN, YOU HAVE A LIMITATION ON THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF SIGNAGE THAT YOU CAN HAVE, WHETHER THAT'S ACROSS THE TOP OF THE BUILDING, AND IT'S USUALLY BASED ON FRONTAGE OF THE BUILDING, AND IT'S A TOTAL AMOUNT. YOU CAN HAVE SOME UP TOP, YOU CAN HAVE SOME IN THE WINDOWS, BUT YOU CAN'T EXCEED A MAXIMUM NUMBER. IT'S YOUR CHOICE AS THE OWNER AS TO HOW YOU WANT TO DO THAT. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, KNOWING NOT TO CUT YOU, NOT TO CUT ACROSS YOU. BUT MY THING IS THIS. WE ARE CRIPPLING AND POSSIBLY KEEPING BUSINESSES AWAY FROM HERE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T ADVERTISE PROPERLY. NOW GOING TO THE FANS, THE FEATHERED FANS, INSTEAD OF CHANGING THE DEFINITION FOR THAT, YOU SHOULD CHANGE THE PLACEMENT OF IT LIKE THAT CAR. 
          PULL UP THE CAR DEALERSHIP, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S HOW THE CITY USED TO LOOK WHEN WE HAD EVERY CAR DEALERSHIP IN THE WORLD HERE. AND IT LOOKED OKAY. AND IT'S NOT IT'S NOT YEAR ROUND. RIGHT. BUT WE WANT TO ENFORCE THIS. BUT THEN WHEN CHRISTMAS TIME COMES, HERE WE 
          [02:20:04]
GO PUTTING SIGNS IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR MEETINGS. WE GOT SIGNS GOING ACROSS SYCAMORE STREET AND CRATER ROAD. WE GOT THOSE SIGNS AND NOBODY'S SAYING NOTHING. WE HAVE TO BE THE SAME AROUND THE BOARD. NOW MY THING IS. WHEN YOU GO AND GET YOUR BUSINESS LICENSE, ZONING, PLANNING, THIS STUFF SHOULD BE AXED, THEN, YOU KNOW, SO AND AND THAT'S MY THING. SO I THINK WE WE GOT TO LAY OFF THE BUSINESSES, MAN. ALL THIS CONTROL STUFF. I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT IT A LITTLE BIT MORE, THESE DEFINITIONS. AND MR. MAYOR, I NEED MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THESE DEFINITIONS TO TO ACTUALLY ARTICULATE WHAT IT IS THAT I REALLY SEE IN THEM INSTEAD OF JUST RIGHT HERE AT THE LAST MINUTE. WE SHOULD NOT BE PICKING ON BECAUSE WE'RE RUNNING BUSINESSES AWAY. I REMEMBER IT'S NOT EVEN MY WARD, BUT I THINK IT'S YOURS. MR. WESTBROOK. THE GAS STATION UP THERE THAT AN OFFICIAL CAME AND TOLD THE GAS STATION THAT YOU IN VIOLATION AND THAT GAS STATION HAD THEM SIGNS FOREVER AND HIS WINDOW AND THEY DAMN NEAR CRIED BECAUSE SOMEBODY CAME. SO YOU GOT TO TAKE IT DOWN. YOU'RE IN VIOLATION. OLDEST, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, BUT IT WAS STILL LEGIT. WE JUST GOT TO COME. WE GOTTA WE JUST GOTTA COME TO SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT AND GET THESE DEFINITIONS RIGHT. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S ALL IN PLACEMENT. LIKE THE FEATHER SIGNS, THE PLACEMENT OF THEM LIKE THAT ONE. SHOW THEM RIGHT BY THE CARS, NOT BY THE STREET. IT'S NOT BLOCKING THE CITY'S RIGHT OF WAY, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. BUT AS FAR AS WHAT YOU GOT IN YOUR WINDOW, AS LONG AS IT AIN'T NO SUMO WRESTLERS SHOWING THERE OR THE SHEET GO, I THINK WE SHOULD BE ALRIGHT. 
          YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I THINK. THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE GOT ANYTHING BUT. OKAY, OKAY. COUNCILMAN COOPER, COUNCILMAN COVER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. 
          I'VE GOT A BIT OF A DIFFERENT TAKE ON THIS THAN MY GOOD FRIEND, COUNCILMAN JONES. WELL, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. I THINK THE APPEARANCE OF OUR CITY IS IMPORTANT. AND I THINK THIS PROPOSED REGULATION IS INTENDED AND IN LARGE PART, DOES ACCOMPLISH AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE APPEARANCE OF OUR CITY. THAT SAID, MR. CRUZ, HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED, THIS ORDINANCE BEEN REVIEWED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY? I THINK ALL ORDINANCES ARE BEFORE THEY GO INTO YOUR ALL'S PACKET. IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. WELL, I'M NOT SURE WHETHER YOU'RE MISTAKEN OR NOT. MR. WILLIAMS, HAVE YOU BEEN ASKED TO REVIEW THIS? I THINK I THINK WHAT HE'S REFERRING TO IS THE AGENDA REVIEW PROCESS. SO I LOOK AT YOUR AGENDA PACKAGES TO MAKE SURE THERE'S ACTUALLY AN ORDINANCE IN THERE. AND IT I USUALLY GET THEM A DAY BEFORE THE AGENDA IS PUBLISHED. BUT I THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A REVIEW OF THE ACTUAL CONTENT OF THE ORDINANCE, WHICH. NO, I HAVEN'T SEEN IT. YES, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT LOOPHOLES THAT ARE UNINTENDED. LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. PAGE 202 DEFINITION OF WINDOW SIGN. ANY SIGN VISIBLE FROM THE WINDOW AND ATTACHED TO IT WITHIN 18IN IN FRONT OF OR BEHIND THE SURFACE OF A WINDOW OR DOOR. 
          WELL, IT REALLY OUGHT TO SAY, IT ME ANY SIGN VISIBLE OUTSIDE THE WINDOW OR DOOR, BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME SMART. BUSINESSMAN WHO'S GOING TO SAY, I'M IN COMPLIANCE, BECAUSE THIS ONLY SPEAKS OF SIGNS ON WINDOWS. IT DOESN'T SPEAK OF SIGNS ON DOORS. 
          I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE TIGHTENED UP. NOW, LET ME GO OVER TO PAGE 204. TOTALLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE TO ME, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN EXPLAIN IT. IF THERE'S NO SIGN, PLAN ON FILE. 
          INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES ARE ALLOWED TWO SQUARE FEET OF WALL SIGNAGE FOR EACH LINEAR FOOT OF THEIR TENANT SPACE. SO FOR IF YOU JUST ENVISION LIKE A EMPTY SHOPPING CENTER WITH LOTS OF VACANCIES, THAT'S TO SAY, IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND RENTS ONE OF THOSE TENANT SPACES, INSTEAD OF US SAYING WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH SIGNAGE YOU'RE ALLOWED, WE WOULD SAY FOR YOUR LEASE AREA, IF YOU'VE GOT 50FT OF BUILDING SPACE, YOU CAN HAVE 100FT■S OF SIGNAGE. SO THAT'S I KNOW THAT'S WHAT YOU INTEND, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS SAYS. IT SAYS FOR EACH LINEAR FOOT OF THEIR TENANT SPACE. I THINK WHAT YOU MEAN IS, FOR EACH LINEAR FOOT OF THEIR. ACROSS THE FRONT OF THEIR BUILDING FRONT. YEAH. I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK BACK AT THE THESE WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE POWERPOINT ARE MY PARAPHRASED. SO I CAN LOOK BACK AT THE LANGUAGE IN THE ORDINANCE ITSELF. BUT CERTAINLY THAT WOULD BE THE INTENT WOULD BE OF THE BUILDING 
          [02:25:03]
FACE. RIGHT. THE, THE WIDTH OF THE, OF THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I THINK. WELL, WHERE IF WE DON'T IF WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE ORDINANCE, WHAT ARE WE HERE TO VOTE ON? I MEAN, IT'S WITHIN YOUR PACKET. I DON'T PUT THE FULL ORDINANCE INTO MY POWERPOINT. THAT WOULD JUST. BUT IT SHOULD BE WITHIN YOUR PACKET FOLLOWING THE WHAT PAGE. 
          SO ONE ON TWO, TWO, 12 SECTION NINE PERMITTED SIGNS BY ZONING DISTRICT. THERE'S A REFERENCE TO B1 FOR PROPERTIES IN THE B1 DISTRICT WITH AN APPROVED SIGN PLAN WITHOUT AN APPROVED SITE PLAN, WALL SIGNS SHALL BE LIMITED TO NO MORE THAN TWO SQUARE FOOT PER LINEAR FOOT OF BUILDING FRONTAGE PER INDIVIDUAL TENANT FOR WALL SIGNS, AND NO MORE THAN 150 SHOULD 150FT■S FOR FREESTANDING SIGNAGE FOR THE TOTAL SHOPPING CENTER. SO THERE IS A. IN THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE, THERE IS A REFERENCE TO BUILDING FRONTAGE. WHICH IS WHICH IS WHICH. I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU IS WHAT YOU SHOULD MEASURE BY. RIGHT. OKAY. I'M I'M ON BOARD. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU, MR. CRUZ. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT, VICE MAYOR HILL. YES. 
          JUST REAL QUICK. SO WE ARE A CITY OF REGULATIONS, ORDINANCE AND LAWS, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME WE LIKE THEM, SOMETIME WE DON'T LIKE THEM. I'VE BEEN IN MY BUSINESS FOR OVER 25 YEARS. I'M IN A HISTORIC AREA. I HAD TO GET PERMISSION TO PUT THE SIGN I HAD ON MY BUSINESS. 
          AT PETE. ME PERSONALLY, I DON'T LIKE THE KITE THINGS BECAUSE I HEAR THEM RUNNING ALL THE WAY UP DOWN THE ROAD, AND WHEN THE BUSINESS LEAVE, THEY WOULD LEAVE IT THERE AND THEN IT TURNED ALL OLD AND STUFF. SO I'M NOT A FAN OF THAT. THEY'RE NOT TEMPORARY. PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE TEMPORARY, BUT THEY'RE NOT TEMPORARY BECAUSE THEY PUT THEM THERE AND THEY JUST LEAVE THEM THERE UNTIL THE WEATHER JUST DESTROY THEM. SO I'M NOT A BIG FAN OF THAT. IF YOU DRIVE ALL THE WAY DOWN SOUTH CRATER ROAD, AT ONE TIME WE HAD THOSE KITES ALL THE WAY DOWN PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY WERE POPULAR AT THE TIME. WE HAVE TO PUT SOME REGULATIONS ON THESE SIGN ON SIGNS, AND WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE ONES WHO ALREADY HAD THEM, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE ALREADY GRANDFATHERED IN. BUT MOVING FORWARD IS ALL IN THE WAY WE DO IT. AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY JURISDICTION. AND I KNOW WE ARE PETERSBURG. I KNOW WE'RE UNIQUE, WHETHER IT'S IN HISTORIC DISTRICT OR IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY, BUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT WE HAVE TO SAY, YES, WE APPROVE THAT. NO, THAT'S TOO MUCH. YES. THAT'S TOO LOUD. NO THAT'S NOT I HAVE A BUSINESS RIGHT DOWN IN MY AREA RIGHT NOW. THEY GOT NEON SIGNS EVERYWHERE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT. THAT'S NOT FOR THAT DOWN THERE. BUT WHAT IS APPEALING TO ME MAY NOT BE APPEALING TO THE NEXT PERSON. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THIS. I DON'T KNOW IF COUNCIL IS IS IS ARE WE READY TO VOTE ON THIS, OR WOULD IT BE MORE PRUDENT TO TO TABLE THIS? I THINK COUNCILMAN JONES WAS LOOKING TO TO TABLE IT FOR NOW. 
          BUT BUT BUT COUNCIL WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION ON THIS BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE GOT NEW BUSINESSES THAT'S COMING IN PETERSBURG. WE CAN'T KICK THIS DOWN DOWN THE ROAD TOO MUCH LONGER BECAUSE FOR YOU KNOW, IT CREATE A ROAD IS GOING TO BE FILLING UP AND IT'S FILLING UP NOW AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO WE GOT TO ADDRESS THIS LIKE LAST YEAR. I'M READY TO MAKE A MOTION ON IT NOW TO GO WITH. BUT IF, IF MY IF MY COUNTERPART THEN IF HE'S NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT NOW THEN I'LL ROLL WITH HIM ON THIS ONE. BUT THE NEXT TIME WE COME BACK, WE GOT TO MAKE WE GOT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A MAKE A MOTION ON IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS TO CONSIDER IN THIS THING, AND WE'RE JUST NOT CLEAR APPARENTLY, ACROSS THE BOARD RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU SAID, A SYSTEM IN PLACE, WE ALREADY GOT IT IN PLACE. JUST NOT BEING USED PROPERLY, YOU KNOW, BY THE BOARD AND ANYBODY ELSE, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN IT COMES HERE, I THINK YOU'RE NOT JUST PRESENTING IT TO COUNCIL. 
          THERE'S PEOPLE WATCHING ABROAD THAT CAN'T MAKE IT HERE, YOU KNOW. SO SO WE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE EXPLAIN TO THE PEOPLE EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON. AND I WANT TO GO THROUGH A DEFINITION BY DEFINITION BECAUSE LIKE YOU SAID, WHAT MAY LOOK GOOD TO ME MAY NOT LOOK GOOD TO YOU, BUT SOME OF THESE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIKE IT DON'T EVEN STOP IN THE BUSINESS ANYWAY. IF THEY AIN'T HAVE NO WINDOWS, YOU KNOW? SO I WANT TO TABLE THIS UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING TO WHERE WE COULD AT LEAST GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT IT IN OUR NEXT CLOSED SESSION OR OR OPEN SESSION OR 
          [02:30:02]
WHATEVER AT THE WORK SESSION. YES, SIR. SO I'D LIKE TO TABLE UNTIL OUR NEXT WORK SESSION TO FOR DISCUSSION. SECOND, AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING ANY SPECIFIC SECTIONS YOU ALL WOULD LIKE ME TO, I KNOW WITH THE FEATHER SIGNS YOU MENTIONED PLACEMENT AND TIMING AND THINGS. YOU KNOW, SOME LOCALITIES REGULATE THOSE LIKE YOU CAN HAVE SO MANY PER YEAR, SO MANY TIMES WE'LL GET WITH YOU, OKAY. WE'LL GET WITH YOU. WE'LL GET WITH MR. ALTMAN AND WE'LL TELL HIM OUR CONCERNS AND HE'LL GET WITH YOU. OKAY. MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. CRUZ. MOTION AND A SECOND. WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MEYER. AYE. AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. I. I. NEXT IS ITEM I, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND DANIEL SMITH REAL ESTATE, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOTS FOUR, SIX, NINE AND 12 ROSS COURT, LOCATED IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. MR. MOORE. GOOD EVENING AGAIN, MR. MAYOR. VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE FROM DANIEL SMITH REAL ESTATE LLC TO PRESENT THEIR PROPOSAL FOR REDEVELOPING THESE PROPERTIES. AND AFTER HER PRESENTATION, WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, SIR. THANK YOU. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. I THINK THERE'S A POWERPOINT, BUT IF NOT, I'LL GO AHEAD. THERE'S A POWERPOINT. 
          THAT'S OKAY. I CAN CONTINUE WITHOUT IT. TANYA SMITH I AM A SINGLE MEMBER OF A WOMAN MINORITY OWNED LLC. I OWN SEVERAL PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT PETERSBURG. I'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER EIGHT YEARS. I OWN THREE PROPERTIES ON ROSS COURT. THERE ARE FOUR VACANT LOTS ON ROSS COURT THAT I AM ASKING THE CITY TO PURCHASE. CURRENTLY THERE ARE ABOUT 11 HOUSES ON ROSS COURT. I LIKE TAKING DISTRESSED PROPERTIES AND MAKING THEM PRETTY, AND GIVING THE RESIDENTS A SENSE OF JOY AND PRIDE TO LIVE IN THEM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO SAY. 
          THERE'S SEVERAL PROPERTIES THAT I'VE DONE. THERE'S PICTURES IN THE IN THE POWERPOINT, SOME OF ROSS COURT, SOME ON PETTY STREET. THAT'S ABOUT IT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS OUR PUBLIC HEARING. AND FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COMMENT ON THE ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND DANIEL SMITH REAL ESTATE LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOTS FOUR, SIX, NINE AND 12 ROSS COURT. SEEING NO HANDS. THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. NEXT WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL COUNCILOR MYERS. YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, I WANT TO SAY I'M VERY PROUD THAT WARD FIVE IS CONTINUING ITS EFFORTS TO. 
          INCREASE ITS VALUE FOR ALL OF THE CITIZENS IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA, DELECTABLE HEIGHTS. BUT I'D LIKE TO SAY, MR. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE MAKE A CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND DANIEL SMITH REAL ESTATE, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF LOTS FOUR, SIX, NINE AND 12. ROSS COURT, LOCATED IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. COUNCILMAN. WESTBROOK, SECOND MOTION A SECOND. ALL RIGHT, MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. 
          MR. MAYOR, THIS IS THE TIME FOR DISCUSSION. I TRIED, WOULD YOU VOTING THEN? DID WE DO IT AFTERWARDS? YOU BEHAVE YOURSELF. BEHAVE YOURSELF. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. HI. COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH. LEE. AYE. VICE MAYOR. AYE. AYE. NOW, BACK TO COUNCILMAN JONES. YES, MISS ROSS COURT, RIGHT? YES. SO THE ONLY THING. AND WE CAN'T PUT IT ALL ON THIS DEVELOPER. I'M WITH COUNCILMAN MYERS. THANK YOU FOR FOR BUILDING. THAT WAS A. IT WAS A BAD PLACE AT ONE TIME. 
          [02:35:03]
AND SO BUT ONE OF THE THINGS FROM A FIREMAN STANDPOINT, I KNOW BACK IN THE DAY WE USED TO HAVE TO AND I THINK CHIEF HOOVER CAN VOUCH FOR THIS TOO, BECAUSE HE WAS ON PETERSBURG FIRE DEPARTMENT WAY BEFORE I WAS. AND WHEN YOU GET DOWN THERE TO ROSS COURT, WE HAD TO PARK ON THE CORNER AND HAND JACK LINE DOWN TO SOME OF THE HOUSES DOWN THERE TO THE FAR END. WE'LL TRY TO SQUEEZE IT IN THERE. SO MY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING? IT'S PROBABLY MUCH YOU CAN DO TO ASSIST WITH ACCESS FOR FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, BUT. AND PARKING AND STUFF LIKE THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS WE I MAY HAVE MENTIONED IT TO YOU ABOUT PARKING, IT WAS A LANE GOING BEHIND THOSE HOUSES WHERE PEOPLE CAN PARK IT. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY COULD COULD. I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY COULD LOOK INTO THAT, MR. CITY MANAGER, TO GET THAT LANE BACK OPEN IN THE BACK SO THAT THOSE HOUSES HAVE SOMEWHERE TO PARK AT. THERE WAS AN ALLEYWAY BACK THERE. THE ALLEYWAY? YES. YES, IT WAS ALLEYWAY BACK THERE. AND THEY USED IT FOR PARKING, SO I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S CORRECT. THERE ARE TWO RIGHT OF WAY ALLEYWAYS. THERE ARE CITY OWNED ON EITHER SIDE OF PROPERTY. ONE IS REALLY GROWN UP RIGHT NOW WITH TREES, AND I WAS GOING TO BRING THAT AT A DIFFERENT TIME IN FRONT OF THE IN FRONT OF THE COUNCIL, REQUESTING EITHER IF I COULD CLEAR THE WAY OR IF THE CITY COULD CLEAR THE ALLEYWAY BACK OPEN, YOU WON'T DO IT. YES. IF I HAVE PERMISSION. YEAH. IT'S JUST TREES. HOW ABOUT WE SHARE IN THE RESPONSIBILITY, RIGHT? YEAH. ALL RIGHT, MR. CITY MANAGER, CAN YOU DO THAT FOR US? YES, SIR. WE CAN WORK WITH HER. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I GOT. YOU TAKE THE OTHER. NO PROBLEM. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. NEXT IS ITEM J, A PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE TO APPROVE A WARNING AT 1.5%. ONE TIME BONUS APPROVED BY THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND GOVERNOR. TWO EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. GOOD EVENING. BILL. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TONIGHT AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AWARDING A STATE APPROVED 1.5% BONUS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES EMPLOYEES. WE DO HAVE A POWERPOINT WITH A FEW SLIDES. HERE WE GO. AND PER VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 15 .2-1508, IT'S REQUIRED FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO AWARD BONUS TO CITY EMPLOYEES TO HAVE AN ORDINANCE APPROVED. SOME BACKGROUND ON THIS ACTION. THE VIRGINIA GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND GOVERNOR APPROVED THE BONUS FUNDING IN THE 2024 2025 APPROPRIATIONS ACT. ITEM 469, NUMBER ONE, C. THE ACTION TOOK PLACE IN MARCH OF 20 2025 OF THIS YEAR AND WAS SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR IN THAT SAME MONTH. ELIGIBLE ENTITIES INCLUDED ALL STATE EMPLOYEES AND STATE SUPPORTED LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF AND OTHER STATE SUPPORTED AGENCIES. THE BONUS IS 1.5% OF THE BASE SALARY AND A ONE TIME PAYMENT. 
          THE FISCAL IMPACT TOTAL IMPACT FOR OUR DEPARTMENT WOULD BE $62,064.11. THE STATE HAS ALREADY PROVIDED US THE FUNDING FOR THEIR MATCH, WHICH IS $52,444.17. WE RECEIVED THAT IN OUR BUDGET IN JUNE. AS WITH MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING, THERE IS A REQUIRED CITY MATCH TO 15.5%, WHICH WOULD EQUATE TO JUST UNDER 10,000, $9,619.94, AND WOULD NOT REQUIRE ANY ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND APPROPRIATION. NEXT SLIDE. SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE DO NEED THE ORDINANCE ADOPTION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE PAYMENT OF THE FUNDING THAT WE HAVE IN OUR BUDGET. THE ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES WOULD BE OUR DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF EMPLOYED WITH OUR DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO JULY 1ST OF 2025, AS OUTLINED IN THE ACTUAL BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS ACT. THE TIMING WOULD BE AS SOON AS WE HAVE APPROVAL FROM CITY COUNCIL, WE WOULD WORK WITH HR IN THE FISCAL TEAM TO HAVE THE PAYMENTS ISSUED TO OUR. OUR TEAM MEMBERS WOULD PROBABLY OCCUR SOMETIME IN OCTOBER. OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE TO ALLOW THE BONUS TO BE AWARDED. ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU SO 
          [02:40:03]
MUCH. THANK YOU. AND WE GOING TO OPEN UP THE FLOOR NOW FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COMMENT ON THE ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AWARDING A 1.5% ONE TIME BONUS TO THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. SEEING NO HANDS, THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. VICE MAYOR HILL, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE. ITEM NINE J AS PRESENTED. OKAY. MOTION. 
          COUNCILMAN JONES I SECOND THAT. ALL RIGHT. MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION SEEING NONE. 
          OKAY. DO YOU HAVE I JUST I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO BE IN THAT DEPARTMENT. THEY ARE OVERWORKED, ALWAYS BEEN UNDERPAID, AND THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE NOW TO TAKE CARE OF OUR CITY. AND WITH WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW WITH THE CUTS AND ALL THAT STUFF IS GOING TO TRIPLE THE WORKLOAD, AND WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY MORE EMPLOYEES BECAUSE OF EITHER WORKLOAD OR UNDERPAY. SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY GET THAT MONEY AND IS APPLIED IMMEDIATELY, AS SOON AS WE SAY YES. ABSOLUTELY. RIGHT. 
          ALL RIGHT. COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL DISCUSSION? HOLD ON, HOLD ON. 
          ONE ONE LAST QUESTION, COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, MR. DAY, FOR BEING A A FOUNDATION, A ROCK. THERE I WAS THE SOCIAL SERVICE ADVISORY BOARD PRESIDENT FOR A FEW YEARS BEFORE GETTING ON COUNCIL. AND I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE A STRONG DEPARTMENT HEAD THERE BECAUSE IT IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY, AND I THANK YOUR STAFF AS WELL. YOUR STAFF IS ALWAYS HELPFUL. YOU'VE COME OUT TO HELP ME OUT, SO THANK YOU TINA AND I KNOW TINA. AND RAISE YOUR HAND AGAIN. YEP. STAND UP. CAN Y'ALL STAND UP? STAFF AND OUR SOCIAL SERVICES STAFF. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. CHRISTIE. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. YES. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. WE APPRECIATE THAT. 
          WE HAVE AMAZING TEAM. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PRIVILEGED TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK AND SUPPORT THOSE WITHIN THE CITY. SO THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. AND AT THIS TIME IS HERE. WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT, COUNCIL MEMBER JONES I COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK'S. I. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH I. VICE MAYOR. HILL. MAYOR I MOTION. ALL RIGHT. 
          [10. Public Information Period]
NOW WE MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER TEN. PUBLIC INFORMATION. OUR MAYOR IS GONE. WE WANT TO THANK HIM. 
          HE JUST HAD SURGERY. MAJOR SURGERY. SO I WONDER WHY HE WAS HERE TODAY. SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ON THE SECOND HALF OF IT. SO ITEM TEN, PUBLIC INFORMATION. PUBLIC INFORMATION PERIOD LIMITED IN TIME TO 30 MINUTES SHALL BE PART OF THE ORDER OF BUSINESS. AT EACH REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. EACH SPEAKER SHALL BE A RESIDENT OR BUSINESS OWNER OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND SHALL BE LIMITED TO THREE MINUTES. NO SPEAKER SHALL BE PERMITTED TO SPEAK ON ANY ITEM SCHEDULED FOR THE CONSIDERATION ON THE REGULAR DOCKET OF THE MEETING AT WHICH THE SPEAKER IS TO SPEAK. THE ORDER OF THE SPEAKERS IS LIMITED TO 30 MINUTES. TIME PERIOD SHALL BE DETERMINED AS FOLLOWS. ITEM NUMBER A FIRST IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THE NOTICE. PERSONS WHO HAVE NOTIFIED THE CLERK NO LATER THAN 12 NOON OF THE DAY OF THE MEETING. ITEM NUMBER B, SECOND, IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER OF THEIR SIGNED UP PERSON WHO HAVE SIGNED UP AND SIGNED UP. 
          SIGN IN SHEET PLACED BY THE CLERK IN THE REAR OF THE MEETING ROOM PRIOR TO THE MEETING. REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE. WHAT OTHER PAPER? OH OH. 
          THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME WE HAVE ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR INDIVIDUALS. FIRST WE HAVE MR. JULIAN GREEN. GET THE THE TIME CLOCK READY, JOHN. RIGHT AFTER HE SAY HIS NAME AND HIS ADDRESS. 
          THEN YOU HIT IT. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JULIAN GREEN JUNIOR. I'M A RESIDENT OF 1625 BLAIR ROAD, PETERSBURG. 23805. AND THE REASON I'M HERE, I WANT TO DIRECT MY INITIAL QUERY TO THE CITY MANAGER AND MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH HIM. AND ALSO COUNCILMAN MYERS AND JANUARY. AND IN JULY WE REQUESTED SOME DOCUMENTS, AND THERE'S AN APPLICATION FOR PLAN EVENT THAT WE HAVE COMING UP. WE HAVE YET TO RECEIVE THOSE REQUESTS FROM 
          [02:45:02]
YOU. SO OPPOSING THAT, AND WE CAN GET INTO DISCUSSION ABOUT IT LATER. I'M HERE BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT. PEABODY ACADEMIC LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, THERE IS A QUOTE IN THE BIBLE, COUNCILMAN REVEREND HILL AND MATTHEW 633 AND IT INDICATES BUT SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. I'M SAYING TO YOU IN THE ENTIRE COUNCILMAN, SINCE THE BEGINNING OF PAL DC PEABODY ACADEMIC AND LEARNING CENTER, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE DONE RELIGIOUSLY. SEEK YOU FIRST BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE KIDS AND THE FAMILY OF PETERSBURG. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A HISTORIC STRUCTURE. THE PEABODY HIGH SCHOOL COMPLEX. IT CAME OUT OF THE FIRST AND NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH IN 1870. PEABODY IS THE FIRST PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL FOR BLACKS IN THE NATION. AND TO PUT ANOTHER COMMA BEHIND IT, NATION, NORTH AMERICA. IT IS DULY REPRESENTED AND APPROVED, AND BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC RESOURCES AND THE NATIONAL REGISTRIES, THEY ARE CONFRONTS SITUATION THAT CAN ONLY BE DONE THERE BECAUSE IT'S FOR AN ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL PROCESS. THE ENTIRE COMPLEX IS HISTORIC. IT WAS MADE BY A HISTORIC ARCHITECT WHO BUILT A LOT OF SCHOOLS IN AMERICA. SO YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOME DOCUMENTS INDICATING FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HISTORIC SAYING THAT THERE'S LIMITED THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE WITH THAT COMPLEX. NOW, I WANT TO LEAVE WITH THIS. THOSE OF YOU WHO REMEMBER THE COSBY SHOW ON TELEVISION, THERE WAS A COLLEGE THERE THAT REPRESENTED CALLED HILLMAN, THE MOTHER OF THAT FAMILY WAS PHYLICIA RASHAD. AND PAYING HOMAGE TO HILLMAN COLLEGE WAS NOT A REAL COLLEGE, BUT SHE DID A SONG WITH HER NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED SPELMAN COLLEGE AND A COLLEGE THAT OUR SEVENTH WARD COUNCILMAN HAILS FROM AS ALUM. MOREHOUSE COLLEGE GLEE CLUB. AND THOSE TWO COLLEGES RECOGNIZED AND SUPPORTED RASHAD ON THAT PERFORMANCE. AND IT DEALS WITH THAT BIBLE VERSE THAT I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT. AND I WANT TO DO SOMETHING AS I GO TO MY SEAT. SO YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT THAT WAS ALL ABOUT. 
          AND IT ALSO SPEAKS TO MR. GREEN. YOUR TIME IS UP, SIR. OKAY, I'LL GO TO MY FAVORITE BONUS EVER ON THE COSBY SHOW IS WHEN PHYLICIA RASHAD WENT TO SPELMAN COLLEGE, WHERE AT THE TIME, JOHNNETTA COLE WAS THE PRESIDENT, MR. RASHAD JOINED HER VOICE WITH THE VOICE OF THE SCHOOL CHOIR FOR A STIRRING RENDITION OF ALL GOOD THINGS WILL BE ADDED UNTO YOU. BUT THE MAGIC OF THAT SOUND IS SOMETHING. IS THAT ON YOUTUBE? THAT'S YOUTUBE. YES, SIR. 
          WHAT'S THE NAME OF IT? IT'S CALLED SEEK YE FIRST, AND IT HAS PHYLICIA RASHAD, THOSE TWO COLLEGES, RENOWNED. AND PATTI LABELLE. I'LL GO. I GOT MY SPEAKER SO THEY CAN HEAR IT AS I GO TO MY SEAT. I APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. CAN WE HEAR DOCTOR KENNY LEWIS? MAY I SAY THIS TELL. THAT WE HAVE ALSO. NO NO NO NO WE GOT WE GOT ORDER. NO, I'M JUST MAKING A STATEMENT. YES, SIR. IN PLACE OF THE OTHER TWO PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE HERE, WE DON'T DO THAT. WE DON'T DO THAT. SO WE DON'T DO THAT. TIM AND JEFFERSON. OKAY. CAROLYN JONES. 
          YES, MA'AM. YES. NOW YOU KNOW HIM. CAROLYN JONES, EEL 582 OLD WAGNER ROAD. I CAME HERE REALLY BRIEFLY TO BRING SOMETHING TO YOUR ATTENTION. PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES THAT COME THROUGH THE MAIL. A LOT OF TIMES THEY HAVE DELINQUENT WRITTEN ON THEM. AND MY CONCERN IS I PAY ALL MY BILLS ONLINE, BUT I GO DOWN TO 144 SOUTH SYCAMORE STREET. AND I'M TELLING YOU, YOU GUYS, IT'S CHAOS SOMETIMES DOWN THERE. THOSE LADIES ARE SO KIND AND SO SWEET. AT BEHIND THE TELLER. I CALL IT A TELLER WINDOW. THEY TAKE TIME WITH YOU THE BEST WAY THEY CAN TO HELP YOU. BUT SOMETIMES I STEP BACK AND WATCH THE PEOPLE AND LET THEM GET IN 
          [02:50:04]
FRONT OF ME. THEY'RE GETTING CURSED OUT. PUT DOWN, BELITTLED. PEOPLE ARE SCREAMING IN THERE SOMETIMES AT THEM, AND YOU GUYS NEED TO BE AWARE OF THAT BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR SAFETY. I'M A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL HERE, AND AND I'M BLESSED TO BE HERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I WORK 12 HOUR SHIFTS AND WE'RE SHORT STAFFED, SO IT MAY GET 16. SO THIS IS THE FIRST MEETING I'M ABLE TO ATTEND FROM THE GOODNESS OF MY HEART. AND I'M EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE GET UPSET ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES. EVEN I HAD AN ERROR ON MINE. BUT I'M A DIPLOMAT. I KNOW HOW TO CALL. OF COURSE, IT TOOK TWO WEEKS FOR THEM TO RETURN MY CALL, AND MISS JANET RODRIGUEZ WAS THE ONE WHO HELPED ME. BUT THE THING I NOTICED IS THEY TOOK TWO WEEKS TO RETURN MY CALL. AND WHEN I WENT DOWN THERE, BECAUSE TWO WEEKS I THOUGHT, THIS IS CRAZY. I COULDN'T TAKE THE CALL BECAUSE I WAS IN A MEETING. SO WHEN I GO DOWN THERE, THOSE LADIES WOULD SAY, WELL, MA'AM, WE APOLOGIZE. WE TRY TO RETURN THE CALLS IN BETWEEN THE LONG LINE OF PEOPLE THAT'S WAITING SO THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO RETURN THE CALLS. THAT'S WHY THEY GET EXTENDED OUT FOR 2 TO 3 WEEKS. 
          AND IF THEY HAD A CALL CENTER WITH MAYBE 1 OR 2 PEOPLE TO JUST DO RETURN CALLS ONLY, THAT MIGHT HELP. BECAUSE THOSE LADIES WORK HARD. THEY THEY ARE KIND. THEY DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO GIVE YOU COPIES OF EVERYTHING IF THEY CAN, AND THEY NEED TO BE PROTECTED BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY GOES IN THERE. AND I MEAN, I'VE HEARD SOME OLD PEOPLE, YOUNGER PEOPLE, SENIOR CITIZENS, THOSE PEOPLE GET REALLY SOME UGLY COMMENTS MADE TO THEM. AND I JUST DON'T LIKE IT. IT'S NOT RIGHT BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST DOING THEIR JOB. WE CAN'T HELP THAT THE BILLS COME OUT SOMETIMES WITH THE WHATEVER THEY PUT ON THEM DELINQUENT. I JUST GO TRY TO GET IT TAKEN CARE OF. OKAY. THE NEXT THING IS SOUTH CRATER ROAD. BUMPITY BUMPITY BUMPITY BUMPITY BUMP. I GOT A BROKEN WINDSHIELD. WELL, THANK GOD I HAVE INSURANCE. I CAN GET MY WHOLE WINDSHIELD REPAIRED, BUT YOU GUYS HAVE GOT TO. THEY FIXED IT AND PUT THE NICE PIPES DOWN. 
          BUT CAN WE GET SOME PAVEMENT? I'M TALKING ABOUT BLACK TAR. THAT'S SMOOTH. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE A WRECK BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS THEY'RE GETTING OVER BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING DOWN THE ROAD LIKE THIS. ON YOUR WAY HOME, GO GET YOU A WAWA COFFEE WHEN YOU SHAKE SO YOU GUYS CAN WAKE UP AND SEE. THIS IS IMPORTANT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. WHEN THE WHEN THE WHOLE INFRASTRUCTURE IS DONE, WE'RE GOING TO REPAVE EVERYTHING. SO THEY HAVE TO GO BACK AND FORTH INTO THE WHOLE. SO WE CAN'T SMOOTH IT OUT JUST THE WAY WE LIKE THE WAY WE WOULD LIKE TO. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR 
          [11. Business or reports from the Mayor or other Members of City Council]
ATTENTION. NOW WE HAVE ITEM NUMBER 12. OH NO. I'M SORRY. ITEM NUMBER 11. BUSINESS OR REPORTS FOR THE MAYOR AND OTHER MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN COOPER. THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. MR. CITY MANAGER, WHEN WE MET LAST, I BELIEVE WE ASKED THAT. A REVISED VAPE ORDINANCE BE BROUGHT BACK TO US. WHAT IS THE SCHEDULE FOR THAT? SO WHEN WE MET LAST, IT WAS SENT BACK TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THEIR CONSIDERATION. AND THAT WE WORK ITS WAY BACK THROUGH THE PROCESS. ALL RIGHT. SO WHEN WILL IT BE BACK BEFORE COUNCIL. THE EARLIEST IT COULD GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD BE THEIR NOVEMBER MEETING. DUE TO THE ADVERTISING DEADLINES. SO ASSUMING YOU ALL HAVE A REGULAR DECEMBER MEETING, THAT WOULD BE. ALL RIGHT. WELL, MR. CITY MANAGER, IF YOU WOULD DO WHAT YOU CAN TO KEEP IT MOVING. YES, SIR. BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO I THINK ALL OF US UP HERE, I HAVE LET ME GO TO THE NEXT TOPIC. I HAVE A BOARD MEETING SCHEDULED FOR DAY AFTER TOMORROW. THE FOCUS OF THE MEETING IS TO BE ON SPEEDING IN THIS ROOM. 530 SO ANYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN THE CHALLENGES WE FACE AS A COMMUNITY DEALING WITH SPEEDING, I HOPE YOU WILL ATTEND WITH YOUR IDEAS OR WITH YOUR COMPLAINTS, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T BRING THE COMPLAINTS TO US, WE LIKELY WON'T ADDRESS THEM. BUT IF YOU DO, WE WILL ADDRESS THEM AS BEST WE CAN. SO THAT'S 530 ON THURSDAY. THE NEXT THING I'D LIKE TO MENTION, I HOPE WE DO NOT HAVE ANY MORE JOINT MEETINGS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL, UNLESS THERE IS A SPECIAL URGENCY. THAT WAS A HECK OF A MARATHON THAT WE RAN, STARTED 
          [02:55:04]
CLOSED SESSION 3:00, ENDED AT 10:00. THAT WAS OUR MOST RECENT MEETING, AND THE ONLY REASON I WAS GIVEN AS TO WHY WE WERE DOING A COMBINED PUBLIC HEARING WAS IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE DEVELOPER TO MOVE THE PROJECT FORWARD. WELL, THAT'S IMPORTANT TO EVERY DEVELOPER AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT THAT WAS I DON'T THINK THAT WAS FAIR TO THE PUBLIC, AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS FAIR TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS FAIR TO CITY COUNCIL. SO I HOPE THAT WE'VE LEARNED THAT JUST BECAUSE A DEVELOPER WANTS A AN EXPEDITED PROCESS, THAT ESPECIALLY ON SOMETHING THAT'S CONTESTED AS THAT WAS, I HOPE WE DON'T DO THAT AGAIN. I HAD A LET ME GO TO THE NEXT TOPIC. I HAD A REALLY CONSTRUCTIVE JOINT MEETING WITH MY GOOD FRIEND COUNCILMAN JONES AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD FROM WARDS ONE AND FOUR. 
          THAT IS, FROM COUNCILMAN JONES'S WARD AND FROM FROM WARD FOUR. AND WE IT WAS GREAT TO JUST SIT DOWN AND TALK INFORMALLY. IT WAS NOT LIKE OUR PUBLIC DISCUSSION WITH THE FULL COUNCIL AND THE FULL SCHOOL BOARD, WHERE IT WAS ALMOST LIKE YOU HAD TWO ARMIES LINED UP GLARING AT EACH OTHER. BUT WE HAD A VERY RELAXED AND CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATION, AND I EXPECT THAT WE'LL HAVE MORE OF THOSE. I WANT TO THANK MR. STEVEN PIERCE AND MISS TUCKER AND OF COURSE, COUNCILMAN JONES, FOR MAKING THE TIME TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. WE TALKED ABOUT PRIMARILY ABOUT INCREASING VOCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, NOT AS SOMEONE POINTED OUT HERE, NOT EVERYONE IS DESTINED TO GO TO MIT, LET'S SAY, OR EVEN TO COLLEGE. BUT WE NEED TO GIVE OUR STUDENTS A WAY TO EARN A RESPONSIBLE AND RESPECTABLE LIVING FOR THEMSELVES AND FOR THEIR FAMILIES. AND I THINK THE VOCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME ARE WHAT'S NEEDED. AND I APPLAUD THAT AND ENCOURAGE THAT. AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DIGGING INTO THAT DEEPER WITH COUNCILMAN JONES AND MISS TUCKER AND MR. PIERCE. LET ME TURN TO STREET LIGHTS. I HAVE BEEN PUSHING TO GET ALL THE STREET LIGHTS IN PETERSBURG BURNING, AND AS OF. EARLIER THIS SUMMER, THERE WERE 205 STREET LIGHTS OUT IN PETERSBURG. 
          OF THOSE 205, 58 WERE IN ONE WARD ALONE. SINCE THEN, IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE. 
          WE'RE DOWN FROM 158 TO 83 THAT ARE NOT WORKING, THANKS IN LARGE PART TO MR. KEN MILLER, WHO'S SITTING IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM PUSHING, PUSHING, PUSHING. AND I'M GRATEFUL TO HIM. NOW, OF THOSE 83. 49 ARE DOMINION ENERGY LIGHTS AND 34 ARE CITY LIGHTS. I HAVE ASKED THE CITY FOR AN ITEMIZATION OF THE DOMINION POWER LIGHTS THAT ARE OUT, AND I INTEND TO SEND THAT LIST TO THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION AND ASK THE STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION IF THEY WOULD PLEASE BRING DOMINION POWER'S ATTENTION TO THIS, THIS PROBLEM. 
          I THINK THAT WILL GET SOME ACTION. AND BUT THAT LEAVES THE 34 FOR THE CITY. ALSO ASKED THE CITY MANAGER IF WE COULD HAVE A WRITTEN PROTOCOL SO THAT WE'RE NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL EVERY YEAR. AND MR. CITY MANAGER, IS THAT IN THE WORKS? YES, SIR. OKAY, GREAT. SO AND JUST TO THE CITIZENS KNOW WE. A COUPLE OF THINGS ON OUR SIDE OF THE HOUSE. WE'VE CONTACTED OUR OUR ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. WE'RE AWAITING PARTS. SO WITHIN PROBABLY IN THE NEXT ONCE WE GET THE PARTS IN AND THE PART OF THAT IS GOING TO BE AS WE MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE CITY LIGHTS, WE'RE UPGRADING TO LED. ONCE WE GET THOSE PARTS IN, WE ANTICIPATE WITHIN THREE WEEKS THE PARTS ARRIVING, ALL OF THE CITY LIGHTS WILL BE FIXED, EITHER THROUGH OUR CONTRACTOR. 
          WE'VE ALSO RECENTLY HIRED AN ELECTRICIAN ON STAFF, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADDRESS IN HOUSE WITH SOME OF THESE LIGHTS, BUT ALSO IN THE FUTURE, BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEM MORE QUICKLY IN HOUSE. THANK YOU. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU. 
          COUNCILMAN, COUNCILMAN JONES. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING UP. 
          [03:00:06]
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MYERS. THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR, FOR LETTING ME GO BEFORE THIS ONE NEXT TO ME. I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE UP ALL OF MY TIME AS WELL. ANYWAY, I WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT MISS NICOLE LOVING IS DOING HER SECOND ANNUAL SECOND ANNUAL CELEBRATING RECOVERY AND SAVING LIVES THAT WILL BE HERE AT THE LIBRARY AT 201 WEST WASHINGTON STREET, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 24TH FROM 11 A.M. TO 5 P.M. ALL ARE WELCOME TO COME HELP WITH FOLKS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH RECOVERY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU TO PARKS AND RECS, MARQUIS ALLEN, FOR THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE ON LEGENDS PARK. I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT FINALLY, WE'RE WE'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO OUR YOUTH BY GIVING THEM SAFE AND UP TO DATE PLACES TO PLAY. THE WORK IS GOING TO BE A COUPLE MORE MONTHS FOR IT TO BE FINISHED, BUT HOPEFULLY AS WELL. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD FIND A WAY IN THE NEXT YEAR. TO ADD TO WHAT IS BEING DEVELOPED AT LEGENDS PARK. HE WANTS TO ADD A SPLASH PAD, SO HOPEFULLY BY THE TIME THIS SUMMER GETS HERE, IF ANYBODY HAS A GRANDCHILD OR A CHILD LIKE I DO, WE HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY UP TO RICHMOND AND WAY FAR OUT TO GET QUALITY PARKS AND RECS FOR OUR KIDS. SO I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE STARTING WITH LEGENDS PARK, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO EXTEND OUT MORE AS MONEY COMES INTO THE CITY. SECONDLY, AS WE'RE TRYING TO CLEAN UP THIS CITY, WE WAS ABLE TO HOST THE VIRGINIA STATE, MYSELF PERSONALLY IN THE HONORS COLLEGE OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS, TWO DIFFERENT DELEGATIONS OF AFRICAN LEADERS, AND THEY'VE COME HERE AND THEY ARE REALLY INTERESTED IN THE CITY AND DEVELOPING AND PARTNERING WITH PETERSBURG. SO THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IS GOING TO CARRY OVER GLOBALLY, NOT JUST IN THIS REGION. SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO REALLY SHINE THE LIGHT ON PETERSBURG AND MAKE THIS A PLACE WHERE BUSINESSES OPEN AND PEOPLE WANT TO COME HERE, STAY HERE AND PUT THEIR MONEY AND INVEST HERE LIKE THESE PEOPLE FROM THESE LEADERS, FROM AFRICAN NATIONS. NEXT IS HOPEFULLY PEOPLE CAN WEAR ORANGE AT SOME POINT OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, THIS IS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. AS WE GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZING A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS, LET'S NOT FORGET OUR CHILDREN OUT HERE WHO DO SUFFER FROM CANCER. IT'S A IT'S A TERRIBLE DISEASE THAT HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET MORE ATTENTION TO. AND THINGS LIKE WEARING ORANGE DURING THIS MONTH WOULD BE HELPFUL JUST TO SAY THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF THAT DISEASE. I'M TRYING TO SAY THE LAST THING FOR MY BIGGEST POINT FOR LAST, I'M GONNA JUMP QUICKLY TO A WARD MEETING. I AM HAVING A SEVENTH WARD WARD MEETING AT SEPTEMBER 30TH AT PLEASANTS LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT A FEW THINGS, AND ONE BEING THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES WILL BE THERE, AND I WILL BE TALKING ABOUT A PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE THAT WE HAVE THAT I ACTUALLY AM ABLE TO SAY WITH MY LEADERSHIP GROUP AT VIRGINIA STATE, WE'RE BRINGING A PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE THAT IS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NOBEL PRIZE CENTER IN OSLO, AND THIS IS HOPEFULLY GOING TO PROMOTE PEACE AT PLEASANTS LANE ELEMENTARY. IT'S A PILOT PROGRAM THAT HOPEFULLY WILL EXTEND TO OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. WE'RE TARGETING THIRD GRADERS BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE PIPELINE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE STARTS. SO WE'RE GOING TO TARGET THIRD GRADERS AT PLEASANTS LANE. AND BY NEXT COUNCIL MEETING NEXT MONTH, HOPEFULLY, THERE WILL BE A PRESS RELEASE WHERE I CAN GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ABOUT IT AND YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT IT AS WELL. MY WARD MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 30TH. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THAT MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR DOCTOR DUHART. HE WAS MY CHILD'S PEDIATRICIAN AS WELL AS MANY OTHER PEDIATRICIANS KIDS IN THE AREA. IT'S UNFORTUNATE NOW THAT AT THIS PRESENT MOMENT, THERE IS NO PEDIATRICIAN IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, WHICH REALLY ALARMS ME AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN CHANGE THAT VERY, VERY QUICKLY. AND MY MOST IMPORTANT STATEMENT I KNOW WITH THIS LAST TWO MINUTES, I KNOW MANY OF YOU HAVE PAID ATTENTION TO THE NEWS, SO PLEASE FORGIVE ME. I'M TRYING TO BE AS POLITICALLY CORRECT AS POSSIBLE, BUT SOMETHING BOTHERS ME. SO I STAND TONIGHT WITH A QUESTION BURNING IN MY SPIRIT. WHY IS IT THAT AMERICA WILL HAND MICROPHONES TO INDIVIDUALS, PEOPLE WHO PROFIT OFF OF DIVISION, BUT STAY SILENT WHEN IT COMES TO HONORING BLACK LIVES STOLEN BY INJUSTICE? TO ME, THIS IS HYPOCRISY AT ITS HIGHEST LEVEL IN THE LAST 20 YEARS. WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE MARTIN LUTHER KING AND MALCOLM X'S. WE CAN LOOK IN THE LAST REALLY TEN YEARS, WE'VE BURIED TOO MANY PEOPLE OF COLOR WITHOUT AS MUCH MEDIA ATTENTION THAN WE EXPERIENCED RECENTLY OVER THE LAST WEEK. WELL, TONIGHT, I NEED YOUR HELP TO SAY SOME OF THE NAMES THAT I FEEL LIKE ARE QUICKLY FORGOTTEN. IF YOU FEEL INCLINED, PLEASE JOIN ME IN REPEATING THESE NAMES SUCH AS TRAYVON MARTIN, MICHAEL BROWN, SANDRA BLAND, BREONNA TAYLOR, GEORGE FLOYD, AHMAUD ARBERY, JORDAN DAVIS, AND MANY, MANY MORE. THAT SHOULDN'T BE JUST A TRENDING HASHTAG. THESE NAMES ARE MORE THAN A ONE WEEK HEADLINE. THEIR NAMES ARE THE SOUNDS OF AMERICA 
          [03:05:01]
BEING FORCED TO FACE ITS REFLECTION. AND YET, INSTEAD OF BUILDING MONUMENTS TO THEIR MEMORY, INSTEAD OF TEACHING THEIR STORIES IN OUR SCHOOLS, THIS NATION GIVES PLATFORM TO VOICES THAT DENY THE VERY PAIN THESE FAMILIES STILL CARRY, AND THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY STILL CARRIES. THIS IS NOT JUSTICE. THIS IS NOT HONOR, THIS IS HYPOCRISY. BUT HERE IN PETERSBURG, WE CAN SET A HIGHER STANDARD. LET US REMEMBER, LET US HONOR AND LET US PLEASE TELL THE TRUTH AND TRUTH WITHOUT BIASNESS WE CAN DISAGREE WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF ISMS RACISM, SEXISM, CLASSISM. I TEACH DEBATE AND I TEACH MY STUDENTS TO ARGUE TRUTH. AND I CAN DISAGREE WITH YOU AND WALK AWAY AND SHAKE YOUR HAND, BUT I CANNOT ACCEPT WHEN YOU ADD THOSE ISMS INTO YOUR ARGUMENT. AS SOMEBODY WHO I WILL NOT MENTION IS WHAT DID DO, BECAUSE THE MEASURE OF A NATION IS NOT WHO IT GIVES A MICROPHONE TO. THE MEASURE OF A NATION IS WHO IT CHOOSES TO REMEMBER. AND IF AMERICA WON'T REMEMBER THEM, THEN I WILL, AND HOPEFULLY PETERSBURG WILL AS WELL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND AGAIN, WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROMOTE PEACE. I KNOW MY TIME IS UP. SO AGAIN, IRONICALLY, THERE IS A PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE WITH THE NOBEL PEACE SOCIETY THAT WE ARE BRINGING TO PLEASANTS LANE ELEMENTARY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MORRIS, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE REAL QUICK? YES. MISS NICOLE LEVIN ASKED ME TO MAKE SURE THAT I UPDATE THAT WE WILL HAVE DJ FOOTE HELPING US TO CELEBRATE THAT DAY FOR CELEBRITY RECOVERY SAVING LIVES. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN SMITH. 
          LEE. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT. I KNOW IN THE THE LAST TWO MEETINGS HAVE BEEN LONG, BUT I'M GOING TO BE VERY SHORT. JUST WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT THE PETE TAYLOR DOWNTOWN CHURCHES WALK AGAINST HUNGER IS SATURDAY, OCTOBER THE 4TH FROM 9 A.M. TO NOON. HELP US FEED THE COMMUNITY FREE T-SHIRTS WITH A $20 DONATION WILL BE ACCEPTED. AND THIS IS AT POPLAR LAWN PARK. THE THE WALK IS LIKE ONLY THREE MILES LONG, SO PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT THE WALK AGAINST THE PETE TAYLOR WALK AGAINST HUNGER TO FEED THE HOMELESSNESS HERE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. DOWNTOWN CHURCHES UNITED. THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. TESTING TEST. SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS. JUST ONE, THINGS I WANT TO THANK OUR MAYOR FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO GRAB THE GAVEL. 
          HE'S ALWAYS HERE AND I WAS WONDERING WHY HE WAS HERE. HE JUST HAD SURGERY ON HIS EYE. 
          BUT HE'S HE JUST THAT JUST SHOWS HOW MUCH HE LOVES OUR CITY AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO I THANK HIM FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. ALSO, SOME HOT TOPICS THAT WE DISCUSSED. SOMETIMES THEY DO TAKE A LONG TIME AND THEN WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE AND WE WHEN WE OPEN UP THE FLOOR LIKE WE DID LAST TIME I TOOK A TALLY, IT WAS OVER 27 PEOPLE WHO SPOKE. SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T WE COULDN'T STOP THE PEOPLE FROM COMING UP BECAUSE IT WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT EITHER ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER SIDE. IT WASN'T ALL THE, THE, THE, THE DEVELOPER WHO WAS TALKING. IT WAS MORE OF THE CITIZENS WHO WERE TALKING. SO WE COULDN'T BLAME THAT. ALL ON THE ALL ON THE, THE DEVELOPER. SO SOMETIMES WE ARE LATE IN GETTING OUT OF HERE. THAT'S JUST PART OF THE JOB. ALSO, I WANTED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I WANT EVERYONE TO TRY TO DO THEIR JOB IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, MEANING CLEANING UP YOUR, YOUR, YOUR SIDEWALKS. YOU ALL KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO THE WINTER TIME AND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER DEBRIS OR ANYTHING THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF TIME, IT DOES GO INTO OUR WASTE OR IT GOES INTO OUR COVERAGE. SO PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU KNOW, AFTER YOU CUT YOUR GRASS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, THAT YOU BLOW IT BACK INTO THE GRASS AND NOT OUT ON THE STREETS AND WHAT HAVE YOU, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT ANY UNNECESSARY FLOODING, IF YOU WILL. AND THEN AGAIN, WE JUST WANT TO CALL FOR PEACE THROUGHOUT OUR NATION. YOU KNOW, PETERSBURG HAS BEEN THE FIRST IN A LOT OF THINGS. AND I'M PROUD OF OUR CITY IN GOOD AND BAD SITUATIONS AND WHAT HAVE YOU. AND I JUST PRAY THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE OTHER CITIES AND STATES ARE GOING THROUGH. WE LIVE IN A GREAT AREA AND LET'S CONTINUE TO HONOR THAT. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT'S ALL OF THE COMMENTS FROM MEMBERS OF 
          [15. New Business]
COUNCIL AND WHAT HAVE YOU. ITEM 15 AND NEW BUSINESS ITEM 15 A AND B HAS BEEN REMOVED. EXCUSE 
          [03:10:01]
ME. OH I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY I JUMPED OVER A DAM. BUT BUT I'M JUST LETTING YOU ALL KNOW ITEMS 15 A AND B ARE REMOVED. CITY MANAGER WANTS TO REMOVE THOSE. THOSE TWO RIGHT THERE. ALL RIGHT, THEN WE GO UP TO ITEM NUMBER 12. ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT 
          [13. Finance and Budget Report]
AGENDA ARE THOSE ITEMS. ITEM NUMBER 13 IS FINANCE BUDGET REPORT UPDATE. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. VERY QUICKLY I HAVE A VERY SHORT POWERPOINT THAT I WILL RUN THROUGH. YES. THERE IT IS. OKAY. SO BUDGET TO ACTUALS IS WHAT WE'LL DO FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST OKAY. SO WE'RE IN SEPTEMBER. TWO MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR HAVE PASSED ALREADY. IF WE'RE LOOKING AT BOTTOM LINE FOR GENERAL FUND, WE'RE AT 17.98% SPEND. THAT IS A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF WHERE WE ARE FOR THE YEAR. AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE WHEN THE FISCAL YEAR STARTS, WE TYPICALLY MAKE UP A LOT OF OUR YEARLY CONTRIBUTIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR. SO THAT NUMBER WILL START TO TAPER OFF AND WE'LL WE'LL BE IN LINE, YOU KNOW, WITH WITH THE NEXT COMING MONTHS. SO I WILL SAY THAT LIKE IF YOU SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE AT 100% FOR TRANSFERS TO OTHER FUNDS BECAUSE WE MAKE ALL THOSE TRANSFERS IN THE BEGINNING. AND SO HERE WE ARE FOR OTHER FUNDS. 
          EVERYBODY'S PRETTY MUCH IN LINE ALL UNDER THAT 16%. AND THAT'S IT. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT TIME AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR FINANCE. ANY QUESTIONS OKAY. 
          [16. City Manager's Report and Special Reports]
WITH THAT BEING SAID CITY MANAGER'S REPORT I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THIS EVENING. MR. VICE MAYOR I WOULD JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT FOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL AND THE PUBLIC THE REASON WE WITHDREW THE TWO ITEMS, THE TWO RESOLUTIONS WITH REGARD TO THE TRAIL AFTER THE AGENDA PACKET WAS SET AND SENT OUT ON FRIDAY, WE FOUND OUT OUR MATCH WENT UP 220%. SO WE DECIDED TO WITHDRAW BECAUSE IT'S A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OF THE FUNDING REQUIRED BY THE CITY. WE'LL REVISIT THOSE PROJECTS AT A LATER DATE. THANK YOU. BUSINESS FROM OUR CLERK. 
          [17. Business or reports from the Clerk]
NOTHING TO REPORT, SIR. THANK YOU. CAN WE PUT THE CITY MANAGER PUT A DOLLAR SIGN ON THAT INCREASE BY 220,000 OR, SORRY, 220%. THE MATCH WENT UP TO OVER 5.8 MILLION. WE WENT FROM A MATCH OF ABOUT 3.8 TO 5.2 5.8. SO A LOT OF MONEY ISN'T IT? YEAH. SO IF YOU BRING IT BACK, WELL WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL WE'RE GOING TO HOLD ON THE PROJECTS FOR NOW AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO EITHER VALUE ENGINEER THE PROJECTS OR FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES. 
          THAT OR METHOD WHICH WE FUND THAT WE DON'T HAVE SUCH A HIGH MATCH. RIGHT. I THINK WE ARE ALL SUPPORTIVE OF THE CONCEPT, BUT. THAT'S A BIG DOLLAR FIGURE. YES, ABSOLUTELY. ONE. AND AND THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS GOING ON, BUT IT WAS JUST A LOT TO ABSORB AND TO STAND HERE TONIGHT AND SAY, WELL, WE, WE, WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE FUNDING. WE CAN'T DO THAT. SO WE FELT IT'S BEST TO WITHDRAW IT. UNDERSTOOD. YOU THINK YOU CAN BRING IT BACK BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR? WE WILL CERTAINLY TRY. IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO REDUCE THAT MATCH AMOUNT. 
          WE DO WANT TO GET THE PROJECTS MOVING BECAUSE WITH ALL OF THE TOURISM IN THE FALL LINE TRAIL COMING IN, THAT WILL BE THE CONNECTION FROM THE FALL LINE TRAIL INTO SOUTH SIDE DEPOT. SO WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MOVE IT FORWARD, AND WE'LL FIND SOME WAYS TO MAYBE BRING IT BACK AND BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT MATCH BETTER. WELL, IF NOTHING ELSE, IN DECEMBER, WOULD YOU BRING US UP TO DATE AT OUR MEETING? YES, SIR. AND IF THERE'S NOTHING TO REPORT, JUST TELL US. THERE'S NOTHING TO REPORT, NO IMPROVEMENT. BUT AT LEAST THAT'LL KEEP IT KIND OF ON THE ON THE BACK BURNER, IF NOT THE FRONT BURNER LADY. KIND OF IN THE BACK THERE WITH SOME GLASSES THAT REALLY, REALLY WANTS THESE TRAILS TO KIND OF WORK. SO WE WILL BE STAYING ON TOP. GOOD. WELL, SHE'S A GREAT ASSET AND WE'RE ALL INDEBTED TO HER. THANK YOU, MR. CITY MANAGER. THANK YOU, MR. VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU. I GOT YOU, MR. WILLIAMS. NO REPORT, MR. VICE MAYOR. MR. WESTBROOK, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT. 
          MR. MANAGER WOULD BE ABLE TO COME IN AND TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'M ABOUT THEM TO. SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THAT MATCH. IT'S GOING TO FALL ON US SQUARELY TO MAKE THIS MATCH WITH THESE VDOT PROJECTS. SO WE'RE GOING TO FIND A WAY TO TRY TO NAVIGATE. 
          AND IF WE CAN EITHER MITIGATE SOME OF THAT MATCH BY OTHER SOURCES, OR WE HAVE A FUNDING SOURCE THAT WILL WORK AND WE'LL BRING IT FORWARD BECAUSE WE WANT THE I MEAN, IT'S CRITICAL TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION FROM THE FALL LINE TRAIL INTO OUR TOURISM HUB, WHICH WILL BE AT SOUTHSIDE DEPOT INTO DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO DRAW VISITORS IN FROM A DIFFERENT 
          [03:15:04]
DIRECTION, AND WE WANT TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION. WE JUST GOT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING IT IN A PRUDENT MANNER, AND MAYBE WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PROJECT A LITTLE BIT AND REDUCE SOME OF ITS SCOPE AND BRING IT BACK. OR HOUSE A MAN ON ONE ACCORD. ALL RIGHT. THIS CONCLUDES OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETING. MOTION TO ADJOURN. SO MOVED. ALL IN FAVOR?
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.