[00:00:01]
          YOU. NEXT IS ITEM FIVE. IS THIS SPECIAL CALL? MEETING IS ADJOURNED. NEXT WE ROLLING ON TO OUR REGULAR SCHEDULE. CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION FOR OCTOBER 7TH, 2025. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. WE'RE READY TO GET STARTED. SO AT THIS TIME. MISS HILL, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. PRESENT. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. VICE MAYOR. HILL HERE. MAYOR. 
          PERRY HERE. NEXT. VICE MAYOR. HE'LL LEAD US IN OUR OPENING PRAYER. LET US PRAY. ETERNAL GOD, OUR FATHERS, ONCE AGAIN WE COME BEFORE YOU THANKING YOU FOR THIS GLORIOUS DAY. NOW, LORD, WE ASK THAT YOU BE WITH US IN THE MIDST OF THIS MEETING, HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT EVERYTHING WILL BE DONE. DECENCY AND ORDER IN YOUR NAME. LORD. WE ASK THAT BLESSINGS UPON OUR CITIZENS IN A SPECIAL WAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, HOLD THEM IN THE HOLLOW OF THY HAND. 
          HEAVENLY FATHER, LET NO HURT, HARM, OR DANGER COME NIGH. NONE OF US. WE ASK A SPECIAL BLESSING UPON OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR POLICE OFFICERS, OUR EMS, OUR FIREFIGHTERS. 
          HEAVENLY FATHER, BE WITH THEM, GUIDE THEM AND STRENGTHEN THEM. LORD, WE ASK A BLESSING UPON OUR YOUTH. HEAVENLY FATHER, KEEP THEM SAFE FROM ALL HARM AND DANGER. LET THEM GET THEIR LESSONS. HEAVENLY FATHER, BE WITH THIS COUNCIL IN A SPECIAL WAY. HEAVENLY FATHER, THAT WE MAY DO THINGS THAT ARE PLEASING IN THY SIGHT. IT'S IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY AND WE THANK YOU. AMEN, AMEN. NEXT IS ITEM THREE, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. EVERYONE, PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. 
          NEXT IS ITEM FOUR, DETERMINATION OF THE PRESENCE OF A QUORUM. WE DO HAVE A 
          [5. Proclamations/Recognitions/Presentation of Ceremonial Proclamation]
QUORUM TONIGHT. NEXT IS ITEM FIVE. PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS, PRESENTATIONS OF CEREMONIAL PROCLAMATIONS. WE'LL START OFF WITH ITEM FIVE A, WHICH IS A PROCLAMATION HONORING THE PETERBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1975 ON THE OCCASION OF THEIR 50TH REUNION, PRESENTED TO COUNCILWOMAN ANNETTE SMITH LEE, OKAY. PROCLAMATION STATES. WHEREAS PETERBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL HAS LONG SERVED AS A CORNERSTONE OF EDUCATION, GROWTH AND COMMUNITY PRIDE FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND ITS CITIZENS, AND WHEREAS THE CLASS OF 1975 HOLDS A PLACE OF DISTINCTION IN THE HISTORY OF PETERSBURG AS THE VERY FIRST CLASS TO GRADUATE FROM THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL, SETTING THE STANDARD FOR EXCELLENCE AND ACHIEVEMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. AND WHEREAS THE MEMBERS OF THE CLASS OF 1975 HAVE CARRIED THE LESSONS LEARNED WITHIN THE WALLS OF PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL INTO THEIR PERSONAL LIVES, CAREERS, AND COMMUNITIES, DEMONSTRATING RESILIENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND COMMITMENT TO SERVICE OVER THE PAST FIVE DECADES. AND WHEREAS THE CLASS OF 1975 WILL GATHER TOGETHER ON OCTOBER 10TH, 11TH, AND 12TH, 2025 TO CELEBRATE THEIR 50TH REUNION, REKINDLING FRIENDSHIPS, HONORING MEMORIES, AND REFLECTING ON THE IMPACT THEIR SHARED EXPERIENCES HAVE MADE UPON THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND BEYOND. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF PETERSBURG TAKES A SPECIAL PRIDE IN RECOGNIZING MRS. DEBRA PORTER, ZONING TECHNICIAN, SECRETARY, AND DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND A DEDICATED EMPLOYEE OF 48 YEARS, IS A DISTINGUISHED MEMBER OF THE HISTORIC GRADUATING CLASS. AND NOW THEREFORE I. SAMUEL, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, ON BEHALF OF PETERSBURG CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND COMMEND THE CLASS OF 1975 FOR THEIR HISTORIC MILESTONE AS TRAILBLAZERS OF A NEW ERA, AND FOR THEIR ENDURING CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE VITALITY AND SUCCESS OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. WE HONOR THE PETERSBURG HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 1975 ON THE JOYOUS OCCASION OF THEIR 50TH REUNION CELEBRATION, AND EXTEND TO THEM SINCERE CONGRATULATIONS, HEARTFELT APPRECIATION AND BEST WISHES FOR CONTINUED HEALTH, HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS. ALL RIGHT, SO IS HERE OKAY? OKAY. PERFECT, PERFECT. I'LL GIVE IT TO ME. OKAY. PERFECT. SO I NEED SOME PHOTOS. DO I HAVE PHOTOS? OKAY. 
          OH, YES. OKAY, OKAY. CAN I GET PICTURE WITH YOU? NO, NO. DO YOU WANT TO TAKE A PHOTO FOR THE 75 THING OR NOT? YEAH. I'M A I'M A I'M OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. YEAH. 
          SHE'S GOING TO GIVE THAT ONE TO TO TO ON THE CLASS AND THEY'LL TAKE A PICTURE. NEXT IS ITEM B PROCLAMATION FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IN HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE OF SIDNEY HAMPTON, PRESENTED TO PAMELA AND SIDNEY HAMPTON. OKAY. AND WE HAVE HERE AND TRACY BRYANT OF SIDNEY HAMPTON. WE HAVE TRACY BRANCH, SANDRA SMALLWOOD AND EMERSON HAMPTON. AND HERE 
          [00:05:01]
FOR THE PROCLAMATION AND IT STATES CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IN HONOR AND REMEMBRANCE OF SIDNEY HAMPTON. WHEREAS CHILDHOOD CANCER REMAINS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DISEASE RELATED TO DEATH IN CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH FAMILIES ACROSS THE NATION FACING THE UNIMAGINABLE CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH THIS DIAGNOSIS. WHEREAS SIDNEY HAMPTON WAS A BRIGHT AND TALENTED CHILD WHOSE LOVE FOR DANCE, RADIANT SMILE AND CAN HEART TOUCHED THE LIVES OF EVERYONE WHO KNEW HER. WHEREAS AT JUST SIX YEARS OLD, SIDNEY WAS DIAGNOSED WITH DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMA, A RARE AND AGGRESSIVE BRAIN TUMOR THAT FORMS IN THE BRAIN STEM AND FOR WHICH THERE IS NO SURGICAL CURE AND LIMITED TREATMENT OPTIONS. AND WHEREAS SIDNEY FACED HIS DIAGNOSIS WITH COURAGE AND GRACE BEYOND HER YEARS, BECOMING A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TO HER FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COMMUNITY, AND WHEREAS SIDNEY WAS DEEPLY LOVED BY HER PARENTS, PAMELA AND SIDNEY HAMPTON, AND BY HER LITTLE BROTHER EMERSON HAMPTON, WHO WILL FOREVER CARRY HER LIGHT IN HIS HEART. AND WHEREAS, INSPIRED BY HER DAUGHTER'S STRENGTH, PAMELA HAMPTON CHOSE TO DEDICATE HER LIFE TO SERVING OTHER FAMILIES FACING SIMILAR JOURNEYS, BECOMING A PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGY NURSE AT THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF RICHMOND, A TRUE REFLECTION OF SIDNEY'S ENDURING IMPACT. AND WHEREAS, DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2025, THE CITY OF PETERSBURG PROMOTED CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH BY ENCOURAGING ITS EMPLOYEES TO GO GO FOR CHILDHOOD CANCER, CULMINATING IN A CITYWIDE DAY OF RECOGNITION ON SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2025. AND WHEREAS THOSE SIDNEY'S LIFE WAS HEARTBREAKINGLY BRIEF, HER LEGACY LIVES ON THROUGH THE ADVOCACY, LOVE AND REMEMBRANCE CARRIED FORWARD BY HER FAMILY AND COMMUNITY, REMINDING THE WORLD OF THE URGENT NEED FOR RESEARCH, SUPPORT AND COMPASSION FOR FAMILIES FACING CHILDHOOD CANCER. AND NOW, THEREFORE, I, SAMUEL PALMER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND COMMEMORATE THE CITY'S OBSERVANCE OF CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IN SEPTEMBER 2025 AND ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO CONTINUE HONORING THE MEMORY OF SIDNEY HAMPTON AND ALL CHILDREN IMPACTED BY CANCER. BY REAFFIRMING OUR COMMITMENT TO RAISE AWARENESS, FOSTER SUPPORT, AND SHARE HOPE OF A BRIGHTER FUTURE FREE FROM CHILDHOOD CANCER. ALL RIGHT, THANK THE HAMPTON FAMILY. SIDNEY. 
          THANK YOU. COME ON. RIGHT HERE. COME ON, COME ON. GET YOUR HUSBAND RIGHT HERE. COME ON. ON YOUR SIDE. SO YOU. YES, YES. WONDERFUL. GREAT. ONE. TWO. 
          THREE. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. ALL RIGHT. BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. 
          NEXT PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH PRESENTED TO MISS REGINA PARHAM. 
          FEELINGS TO FIGHT FOUNDATION IN PETERSBURG. AND THE PROCLAMATION STATES. WHEREAS BREAST CANCER REMAINS THE MOST COMMON CANCER AMONG WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES, IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, AN AVERAGE OF 30 TO 40 WOMEN ARE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER EACH YEAR, AND THE DISEASE CLAIMS THE LIVES OF APPROXIMATELY 8 TO 12 WOMEN ANNUALLY. EARLY DETECTION AND TREATMENT SAVE LIVES, WITH NEARLY 92% OF WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES SURVIVING FIVE YEARS OR MORE AFTER DIAGNOSIS. WHEN BREAST CANCER IS DETECTED EARLY. AND WHEREAS. MISS REGINA PARHAM, A PETERSBURG RESIDENT, WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER IN 2017 AND BRAVELY ENDURED MONTHS OF CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENTS, LATER FOUNDING THE FEELINGS TO FIGHT FOUNDATION TO 
          [00:10:02]
ENSURE THAT NO ONE FIGHTS ALONE BY PROVIDING EDUCATION, ADVOCACY AND RESOURCES TO PATIENTS AND FAMILIES. AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF PETERSBURG DEMONSTRATES ITS COMMITMENT TO AWARENESS AND SUPPORT BY ENCOURAGING ITS EMPLOYEES TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PINK POWER FIVE K AWARENESS WALK, RUN AND RESOURCE FAIR ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH, 2025 AND ENGAGING IN WORKFORCE THROUGH THE PINK BRUNCH FOR CITY EMPLOYEES ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, 2025. AND WHEREAS, NATIONAL MAMMOGRAPHY DAY WILL BE OBSERVED ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, 2025, SERVING AS A REMINDER FOR WOMEN TO SCHEDULE LIFE SAVING SCREENINGS. AND IN THE UNITED STATES IN 2024, THERE WAS AN ESTIMATED 310,720 NEW CASES OF INVASIVE FEMALE BREAST CANCER AND MORE THAN 42,000 DEATHS. MANY WOMEN HAVE DENSE BREAST TISSUE, WHICH INCREASES CANCER RISK AND COMPLICATES DETECTION, MAKING 3D MAMMOGRAPHY A CRITICAL TOOL, ESPECIALLY FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN, WHO FACE APPROXIMATELY 38% HIGHER MORTALITY RATES DESPITE SLIGHTLY LOWER INCIDENCE. WHILE BREAST CANCER PRIMARILY AFFECTS WOMEN, IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT MEN CAN ALSO BE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER, UNDERSCORING THE NEED FOR AWARENESS AMONG ALL CITIZENS. NOW, THEREFORE, I, SAMUEL PALMER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 2025 AS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH AND OCTOBER 17TH, 2025 AS MAMMOGRAPHY DAY IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. I CALL UPON ALL CITIZENS AS WE DISPLAY PINK RIBBONS OR WEAR PINK CLOTHING TO RAISE AWARENESS. WE RECOGNIZE SURVIVORS, THOSE CURRENTLY BATTLING DISEASE, AND FRIENDS AND FAMILIES OF A DIAGNOSED PATIENT. REMEMBER THOSE? WE HAVE LOST SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE FEELINGS TO FIGHT FOUNDATION, APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF OUR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS AND RESEARCHERS WORKING ON FINDING A CURE, AND COMMIT TO RAISING AWARENESS AND PROMOTING EARLY DETECTION PRACTICES, INCLUDING 3D MAMMOGRAPHY FOR WOMEN WITH DENSE BREAST TISSUE AND VIGILANCE FOR MEN AT RISK. MISS REGINA PARA. WHO HAS. HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? HOW ARE YOU? GREAT. THANK YOU. GOOD. HOW? YEAH. YEAH. I AM. THANK YOU. OKAY, SURE. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. OH! TURN THIS WAY. NO. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I JUST WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FOR RECOGNIZING THIS IMPORTANT MATTER. AND I ASK FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND PRAYERS. WHENEVER YOU SEE THIS LOGO, THINK OF US. OR THINK OF FEELINGS TO FIGHT. AS I SAID, EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES. I WAS IN 2017, I WAS DIAGNOSED FIRST MAMMOGRAM EVER AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE, BUT IT ALSO SAVED MY LIFE. SO IT IS IMPORTANT. AND AS THEY ALSO SAID, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT IT'S NOT JUST A WOMAN'S DISEASE. MEN CAN BE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER AS WELL. BECAUSE WHAT WE DON'T REALIZE IS MEN HAVE BREAST TISSUE. SO AS LONG AS YOU HAVE BREAST TISSUE YOU CAN ALSO BE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER. SO IT'S IMPORTANT ON BOTH SIDES MEN AND WOMEN. SO AGAIN I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AND PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US. OKAY. NEXT WE HAVE BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH HONORING SANDRA REEVES STATES WHEREAS BREAST CANCER REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST COMMONLY DIAGNOSED CANCERS AMONG WOMEN IN THE UNITED STATES, AND EARLY DETECTION CONTINUES TO BE THE KEY TO IMPROVING SURVIVAL RATES. AND WHEREAS THE MONTH OF OCTOBER IS RECOGNIZED NATIONALLY AS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, A TIME DEDICATED TO RAISING AWARENESS, PROMOTING EDUCATION, AND ENCOURAGING PREVENTION AND REGULAR SCREENINGS TO SAVE LIVES. WHEREAS THE CITY OF PETERSBURG JOINS WITH CITIZENS ACROSS THE NATION IN RECOGNIZING AND HONORING THE COURAGE, STRENGTH AND RESILIENCE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE FACED BREAST CANCER WITH UNWAVERING DETERMINATION AND FAITH. WHEREAS MISS SANDRA 
          [00:15:05]
REEVES, A PROUD NATIVE OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, HAS EXEMPLIFIED THAT STRENGTH AND FAITH THROUGH HER ONGOING JOURNEY WITH BREAST CANCER. SHE WAS FIRST DIAGNOSED IN DECEMBER 2021 FOLLOWING A ROUTINE ANNUAL CHECKUP. SANDRA HAS FACED HER DIAGNOSIS WITH GRACE, COURAGE AND STEADFAST FAITH IN GOD. NOW BRAVELY ENDURING HER THIRD BATTLE WITH BREAST CANCER WHILE CONTINUING TO UPLIFT OTHERS. AND WHEREAS SANDRA'S LIFE IS A TRUE REFLECTION OF COMPASSION AND PERSEVERANCE, DESPITE HER OWN HEALTH CHALLENGES, SHE HAS REMAINED DEDICATED TO CARING FOR OTHERS, ESPECIALLY THE ELDERLY, AND LOVINGLY CARED FOR HER MOTHER IN LAW, THE LATE MRS. WINNIE REEVES, UNTIL HER PASSING IN JUNE 2025. THROUGH HER JOURNEY, SANDRA CONTINUES TO BE AN INSPIRATION TO HER FAMILY, HER COMMUNITY AND ALL WHO KNOW HER, REMINDING US THAT LOVE, FAITH, AND HOPE ARE POWERFUL FORCES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CANCER. NOW THEREFORE, I, SAMUEL PAM, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM OCTOBER 2025 AS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA AND ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO SUPPORT ONGOING RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH EFFORTS TO WEAR PINK IN HONOR OF SURVIVORS, THOSE CURRENTLY IN TREATMENT, AND THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES TO BREAST CANCER, AND TO CELEBRATE THE UNWAVERING COURAGE OF INDIVIDUALS LIKE MISS SANDRA REEVES, WHOSE FAITH AND FORTITUDE EMBODIED THE TRUE SPIRIT OF HOPE AND HEALING. AND WE ARE JOINED TODAY. HER DAUGHTERS HERE AND NEPHEW OF MISS REEVES. JAQUAN KUNDA AND JESSICA REEVES. ARE YOU HERE? OKAY, PERFECT. HELLO. HOW ARE YOU DOING? COME ON, COME ON, COME ON. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HEY. HOW YOU DOING? THANK YOU, I THINK. OH, SORRY. THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. OKAY. OKAY. 
          GREAT. OKAY, GREAT. ONE. TWO. THREE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. YOU DID. ONE MORE, ONE MORE. NEXT IS ITEM D WHICH IS A PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH PRESENTED TO ANNA SMITH AND DOLORES JEFFERSON OF THE JAMES HOUSE. STATES, WHEREAS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS WIDESPREAD AND AFFECTS MILLIONS OF AMERICANS EACH YEAR, IMPACTING INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES ACROSS EVERY RACE, CULTURE, AND SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND. AND WHEREAS, FAMILY AND INTIMATE PARTNER HOMICIDES CONTINUE TO REPRESENT OVER ONE THIRD OF ALL HOMICIDES IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, AND WITHOUT INTERVENTION, CYCLES OF VIOLENCE CAN PERPETUATE THROUGH GENERATIONS. IT IS A FACT THAT CHILDREN WHO GREW UP IN VIOLENT HOMES ARE ABUSED AND NEGLECTED AT A HIGHER RATE THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE, WHEREAS IN 2024, MORE THAN 79,000 SURVIVORS ACROSS VIRGINIA RECEIVE HELP FROM HOTLINE ADVOCATES AND OVER 6200 INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING ADULTS AND CHILDREN, WERE PROVIDED WITH NEARLY 231,000 NIGHTS OF EMERGENCY SHELTER DUE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH IN 2024, JUDGES AND MAGISTRATES ISSUED MORE THAN 57,000 EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE ORDERS TO PROTECT THE IMMEDIATE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TAKES MANY FORMS BEYOND PHYSICAL, INCLUDING EMOTIONAL, VERBAL, SEXUAL, FINANCIAL AND SPIRITUAL ABUSE, EACH OF WHICH CAN HAVE DEVASTATING EFFECTS ON VICTIMS AND THEIR FAMILIES. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY NOT ONLY TO ACKNOWLEDGE SURVIVORS WHO HAVE FOUND THE STRENGTH TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES, BUT ALSO TO REMEMBER AND MOURN THOSE WHO TRAGICALLY LOST THEIR LIVES TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. AND WHEREAS THIS MONTH PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PREVENTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR THE JAMES HOUSE, THE ACCREDITED NONPROFIT CRISIS CENTER THAT PROVIDES COST FREE, CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT, ADVOCACY, SHELTER AND EDUCATION FOR PEOPLE IN PETERSBURG AND THE TRI-CITIES REGION AFFECTED BY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. NOW, THEREFORE, I. SAMUEL CITY OF PE, 
          [00:20:01]
BY VIRTUE OF THE AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE MONTH OF OCTOBER 2025 AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. I URGE ALL CITIZENS, ORGANIZATIONS AND INSTITUTIONS TO STAND TOGETHER TO SUPPORT SURVIVORS, TO EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY, AND TO PARTNER WITH RESOURCES SUCH AS THE JAMES HOUSE IN THE ONGOING WORK TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE, WE ASK THAT YOU BOLDLY WEAR A PURPLE RIBBON OR THE COLOR PURPLE THROUGHOUT OCTOBER, AND TO JOIN IN COLLECTIVE ADVOCACY EFFORTS TO BRING VISIBILITY TO THIS ISSUE. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE THE JAMES HOUSE HERE TONIGHT. YES. THANK YOU. HI, JAMES. NICE TO MEET YOU. AGAIN. HOW ARE YOU DOING? YES, WE ARE DOING. HOW ARE YOU DOING, EVERYBODY? NOT NOBODY ELSE. YEAH, YEAH. YOU SEE? ME? YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY, OKAY. SORRY. HI. MY NAME IS ANNA SMITH. I AM WITH THE JAMES HOUSE. THE JAMES HOUSE DOES PROVIDE THE SERVICES FOR THIS AREA FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT AND STALKING. WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY HOTLINE THAT'S ANSWERED 24 HOURS A DAY. WE HAVE ADVOCATES WHO PROVIDE CASE MANAGEMENT, PEER COUNSELING. WE DO EMERGENCY SHELTER. WE HAVE A FOOD CLOSET AND A CLOTHING CLOSET. AND WE HAVE ACCOMPANIMENT SERVICES, WHICH MEANS WE CAN GO TO THE HOSPITALS, THE POLICE DEPARTMENTS, COURT ANYWHERE THAT A VICTIM IS GOING. WE WILL BE GLAD TO GO WITH THEM AND PROVIDE SUPPORT. AND I'M I'M KEEPING THIS SHORT BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE NOT HERE FOR A LESSON ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. BUT WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS, WHILE YOU MAY NEVER NEED OUR SERVICES, YOU WILL COME IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE WHO NEEDS OUR SERVICES. SO MAYBE. MAYBE YOU DON'T NEED OUR HOTLINE. MAYBE YOU DON'T EVER NEED US TO GO TO COURT WITH YOU. BUT SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE, STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, WILL NEED OUR SERVICES. SO IF YOU REMEMBER OUR NAME, YOU HAVE IT TO GIVE TO THE PERSON WHO DOES NEED OUR SERVICES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PROCLAMATIONS FOR THE NIGHT. 
          [6. Public Comments]
NEXT WE ROLL ON TO ITEM SIX, WHICH IS PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL START OFF WITH MARLOW GREEN. 
          NEXT IS NICHOLAS FRENCH. DOCTOR KENNETH LEWIS. ALL RIGHT. SO NEXT UP FOR TONIGHT, MISS BOB RUDOLPH. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. GOOD EVENING OF 1675 MOUNT VERNON STREET. I'M NOT A NO SHOW TONIGHT. THANK YOU. UNLIKE LAST WEEK. LAST TIME I'VE GOT A SIMPLE MESSAGE IS SCHOOLS. 
          PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T BE SO HUNG UP ON. THIS IS THE SCHOOL BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS THE CITY COUNCIL'S RESPONSIBILITY. JUST LOOK AT THIS. LIKE WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE SCHOOLS IN PETERSBURG, ALL OF THE. A LOT OF THE GOOD, OTHER GOOD THINGS YOU'RE TRYING TO DO ARE NOT GOING TO REACH THEIR FULL FRUITION. LET ME MENTION A COUPLE THINGS. I, I WENT TO AN ORIENTATION ABOUT A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO. I WENT TO AN ORIENTATION MEETING FOR THE DEALER INSTITUTE FROM RICHARD BLAND, AND I MET A COUPLE OF CORDISH EMPLOYEES, WELL, VIRGINIA LIVE EMPLOYEES, AND ONE OF WHOM I THINK IS GOING TO BE LIKE SECOND IN COMMAND AT THE CASINO. BUT WHEN I TALKED TO THESE FELLOWS AND ASKED WHERE THEY LIVED, THEY BOTH THEY BOTH MOVED TO CHESTERFIELD. 
          ONE OF THEM HAS CHILDREN. THE OTHER ONE WANTS TO START A FAMILY. THAT'S WHY THEY WENT TO CHESTERFIELD. IN MY CLASS, THE DEALER INSTITUTE I'M TALKING TO. THERE'S PEOPLE THERE FROM PITTSBURGH CASINO FROM MARYLAND LIVE WHO WANT TO TRY TO GET JOBS HERE, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN PETERSBURG BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOLS. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT THE ONLY I MEAN, I THINK SOME OF THEM, BECAUSE THEY'RE FROM A BIG CITY, THEY'RE THEY'RE KIND OF LOOKING LIKE THIS IS A RINKY DINK PLACE, BUT THAT STILL IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE. SO I WANT TO I WANT TO SAY THAT ALL THE CLEANUP, EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, IT'S GREAT, IT'S IMPORTANT. BUT THESE PEOPLE, 
          [00:25:04]
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DECIDE TO MOVE TO. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE DISCOURAGED FROM MOVING TO PETERSBURG BECAUSE SOMEBODY LEFT THEIR TRASH CAN OUT TOO LONG OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          THEY'RE GOING TO BE DISCOURAGED BECAUSE OF OUR SCHOOLS. AND THE THING IS, I WISH THAT I WISH THE ISSUE COULD BE ACKNOWLEDGED WITHOUT PEOPLE FEELING LIKE THOSE WHO BRING IT UP ARE BEATING UP THE CHILDREN, OR THE TEACHERS OR THE ADMINISTRATION OR ANYONE ELSE. IT'S NOT. I MEAN, YOU ALL KNOW I'VE BEEN ON SCHOOL BOARD. I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. 
          I'M NOT HERE TO BEAT ANYBODY UP. BUT WHEN I WENT TO COUNSELOR WESTBROOK'S MEETING LAST LAST WEEK AT PLEASANTS LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE PRINCIPAL GAVE A GREAT PRESENTATION ABOUT ALL THE PROGRAMS. THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, MR. DANCE, HE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS, BUT HIS BIGGEST THING TO TALK ABOUT WAS THE FIELD HOUSE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GOING TO GO ON A FIELD HOUSE, BUT I WANT TO HEAR I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT SCORES AND I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT ACADEMICS. I DON'T I MEAN, THE KARATE, THE THE MARTIAL ARTS THING. I'D LOVE THAT. I'D LOVE TO GO TO MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL, BUT IT'S NOT. IT MAKES KIDS COME TO SCHOOL. IT IMPROVES ATTENDANCE. BUT YOU STILL GOT A LOT OF THE KIDS THAT ARE GOING TO. THESE THINGS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE ALREADY MORE MOTIVATED TO GO TO SCHOOL. I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S A THORNY, DIFFICULT ISSUE, BUT TRYING TO SAY IT'S NOT OUR PROBLEM BECAUSE WE'RE NOT THE SCHOOL BOARD. I THINK THE TIME FOR THAT IS OVER. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM 
          [7. Approval of Consent Agenda (to include minutes of previous meetings)]
SEVEN, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA TO INCLUDE MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING SEPTEMBER 2ND, 2025 SPECIAL JOINT PUBLIC HEARING WITH PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2025 REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MINUTES B FIRST READING AND PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND I AM POWER TO PURCHASE THE CITY OWNED PROPERTIES AT 35 AND 17 BANK STREET, LOCATED IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. SEE FIRST READ AND SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND ZABRINA MEADE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 746 MOUNT AIRY STREET, LOCATED IN CITY OF PETERSBURG. THE FIRST READING IS SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND NGK BEGINNINGS, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 110 SPRUCE STREET, LOCATED IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. ITEM IH FIRST READ IN THE SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND ENTRUSTED VISIONS, LLC AND FETCHKO PROPERTIES, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 126 KENTUCKY AVENUE. ITEM F FIRST READING SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND NEWTOWN STATION, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 321 WHITTON STREET, LOCATED IN PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. ITEM G FIRST READ AND THE SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND ENTRUSTED VISIONS, LLC FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 704 AND 706 WESLEY STREET. ITEM H FIRST READ IN THE SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND ANTHONY JACKSON FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 724 HARDIN STREET. ITEM I FIRST READ IN THE SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AND SKY IS THE LIMIT. RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF 137 FRANKLIN STREET. ITEM J FIRST READ IN THE SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENT TO THE FY 2626 GRANTS FUND. ITEM K FIRST READING SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE FY 26 THROUGH FY 30 CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN. ITEM L FIRST READING IN THE SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO REQUEST ENACTMENT OF THE PETERSBURG PARKING AUTHORITY ACT. ITEM M FIRST READING IS SCHEDULED. PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN AMENDMENT TO THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM. YEAR 2025. ACTION PLAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF REALLOCATING COVID FUNDS TO PEOPLE'S ADVANTAGE. HELPING HANDS ITEM IN FIRST READING SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND READOPT. CHAPTER 50 ENVIRONMENT OF THE PETERSBURG CITY CODE TO INCLUDE ARTICLE SIX TREE PROTECTION AND PLANNING. ITEM O FIRST READING IS SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING FOR CONSIDERATION OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND ANTICIPATION. NOTES. ITEM P FIRST READING IS SCHEDULED PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN AMENDMENT AND ADOPT SECTION 114 THROUGH 136 AND SECTION 114 236 OF THE CITY CODE, INCREASING THE PUBLIC UTILITY RATES FOR WATER AND SEWER COMMODITY AND CAPACITY CHARGES THOSE ITEMS FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA. I ENTERTAIN A MOTION AT THIS TIME. 
          VICE MAYOR HILL. MR. MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS A THROUGH 
          [00:30:03]
P AS READ. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN SMITH LEE SECOND MOTION AND A SECOND. MISS HILL, COULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL COUNCIL MEMBER CUTHBERT? AYE. COUNCIL MEMBER. JONES. AYE. 
          COUNCIL MEMBER. MYERS. COUNCIL MEMBER. WESTBROOK. COUNCIL MEMBER. SMITH. LEE. VICE MAYOR. 
          [8. Special Reports]
HILL. AYE. MAYOR. AYE. MOTION CARRIES NEXT ON TO ITEM EIGHT. SPECIAL REPORTS ITEM A STAFF PRESENTATION ON SIGN ORDINANCE AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. JARED. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. 
          MAYOR COUNCIL. SO LAST MONTH WE HAD HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON SOME TEXT AMENDMENTS TO OUR SIGN ORDINANCE. THAT ITEM HAD BEEN TABLED TO GIVE YOU ALL SOME MORE TIME TO REVIEW AND CONSIDER THAT LANGUAGE. SO IN THE MEANTIME, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF, YOU KNOW, OUR EXISTING SIGN ORDINANCE AND THEN SOME OF THESE SPECIFIC CHANGES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. FOR SOME BACKGROUND, WE HAD WORKED WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION FROM MAY TO THE PRESENT TO GET A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL ON THOSE CHANGES. AGAIN, YOU ALL HELD A PUBLIC HEARING LAST MONTH TO AND TABLED THE ITEM FOR ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION. 
          SO JUST KIND OF A BIG PICTURE OVERVIEW OF WHAT OUR SIGN ORDINANCE IS. YOU KNOW, THE PURPOSE TO PERMIT AND REGULATE ALL SIGNS IN THE CITY IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO PROTECT PROPERTY VALUES, PROMOTE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER AND STABILITY, ENSURE SAFETY, PROMOTE CLARITY OF INFORMATION, AND CREATION OF ATTRACTIVE AND HARMONIOUS COMMUNITY. SO EVERY SIGN THAT GETS ERECTED IN THE CITY, EXCEPT FOR SOME THAT ARE EXEMPT, WOULD REQUIRE A SIGN PERMIT. SO THAT'S SUBJECT TO AN APPLICATION, A REVIEW PROCESS, A REVIEW FEE. THERE ARE SOME EXEMPTIONS FOR THINGS LIKE HOURS OF OPERATION, GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS THAT ARE SHARING PUBLIC INFORMATION FOR SALE, SIGNS, TRAFFIC WARNING SIGNS, CONSTRUCTION SIGNS, AND SO ON. 
          I WOULD NOTE WHILE THESE ARE EXEMPTIONS, SOME OF THESE ARE SUBJECT TO MAXIMUM SIZES. SO YOU CAN HAVE A FOR SALE SIGN. BUT YOU CAN'T HAVE A, YOU KNOW, 100 SQUARE FOOT FOR SALE SIGN. 
          THE ORDINANCE ALSO HAS A LIST OF SIGNS THAT ARE JUST PROHIBITED ACROSS THE BOARD. SO THESE INCLUDE THINGS LIKE SIGNS THAT, YOU KNOW, SIMULATE TRAFFIC CONTROL, LIKE A STOP SIGN OR A YIELD SIGN. FLASHING SIGNS, MOVING SIGNS, ILLUMINATED SIGNS THAT CAUSE GLARE ON NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES, AND THEN SIGNS THAT ARE AFFIXED TO THINGS LIKE TREES, POLES, ROOFS. WE HAVE RULES IN PLACE FOR SIGN MAINTENANCE. JUST SETTING STANDARDS FOR BOTH THE SIGN ITSELF, BUT ALSO STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS AND EQUIPMENT THAT THEY HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED IN GOOD CONDITION. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN SIGNS CAN BE CONSIDERED A ZONING VIOLATION. IN SOME INSTANCES A BUILDING CODE VIOLATION. WE HAVE RULES ABOUT THE ABANDONMENT OF A SIGN, SO A SIGN THAT ADVERTISES AN ACTIVITY OR BUSINESS THAT IS NO LONGER ACTIVE, THOSE SHOULD BE REMOVED WITHIN 90 DAYS. THAT CAN ALSO BE CONSIDERED A ZONING VIOLATION IF NOT COMPLETED. WE HAVE RULES FOR THE SIZE OF SIGNS, SO THIS VARIES BY THE ZONING DISTRICT. FOR THE RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, YOU'RE GENERALLY ALLOWED ONE SMALLER SIGN, AND YOU SEE THE LARGER SIZES FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS. I WON'T READ OUT THE WHOLE THING, BUT WE'VE GOT SORT OF THE RULES FOR HOW WE CALCULATE THE AREA OF A SIGN. KIND OF SIMPLY PUT, IT'S THE. THE A SHAPE THAT CAN FIT THE ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, VISUAL OF THE SIGN, WHETHER THAT BE A CIRCLE, TRIANGLE, RECTANGLE, WHATEVER THE SMALLEST SHAPE YOU CAN FIT THAT INTO IS HOW YOU CALCULATE THE TOTAL AREA. AND THEN WE HAVE JUST ACROSS THE BOARD RULE ABOUT HEIGHT NOT EXCEEDING 25FT. SO WITH THAT THAT'S THE OVERVIEW OF THE SIGN ORDINANCE. IN GENERAL, I WANTED TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY AT SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE HAD PROPOSED. AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL OF FIRSTLY, WINDOW SIGNS. CURRENTLY IN OUR ORDINANCE, THE DEFINITION OF A SIGN HAS PROVISION THAT SAYS A 
          [00:35:01]
SIGN DOES NOT INCLUDE A SIMILAR STRUCTURE OR DEVICE LOCATED IN A BUILDING, EXCEPT ILLUMINATED SIGNS AND SHOW WINDOWS, SO ONLY ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING ON WINDOWS OR DOORS COUNT AS SIGNS. 
          UNDER THIS DEFINITION, ALL OTHER ADVERTISING IS EXEMPT. THEY DON'T FACTOR IN, THEY DON'T REQUIRE PERMITS. THEY DON'T FACTOR INTO HOW MUCH SIGNAGE YOU'RE ALLOWED. WE RECEIVE A PRETTY STEADY STREAM OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT BUSINESSES WITH TOO MANY SIGNS ON THEIR WINDOWS. BUT AGAIN, WITH THAT EXEMPTION, THEY'RE NOT BREAKING ANY RULES BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT CONSIDERED TO BE SIGNS. AND I KNOW WE HAD TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WINDOW TRANSPARENCY LAST TIME, SO I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE A REFERENCE FROM THE JOURNAL OF RETAILING ABOUT HOW WINDOW TRANSPARENCY, IT TENDS TO CREATE A SENSE OF COMFORT FOR CONSUMERS OR SHOPPERS. IT INCREASES INTEREST AND LIKELIHOOD OF ENTERING A STORE, AND OVERALL, PEOPLE JUST TEND TO VIEW IT AS MORE ATTRACTIVE, WITH ENHANCED NATURAL LIGHTING AND JUST REDUCING SOME OF THE LOUDNESS OF A VISUAL ENVIRONMENT. SO WHAT WE WERE LOOKING TO DO IS TO AMEND THE DEFINITION OF SIGN, TO REMOVE THAT EXEMPTION FOR THE NON-ILLUMINATED ADVERTISING, AND THEN INTRODUCE A NEW DEFINITION SAYING EXACTLY WHAT A WINDOW SIGN IS. WE WOULD SAY THAT THOSE SIGNS ARE PERMITTED, PROVIDED THAT THE AGGREGATE AREA OF ALL THE WINDOW SIGNS ON EACH WINDOW OR DOOR DOESN'T EXCEED 20% OF THAT GLASS SURFACE. SO WE HAD HAD SOME CONVERSATION ON THIS ONE. SO I DID JUST PUT SOME IDEAS IN FOR SOME ALTERNATIVES, THINGS THAT OTHER LOCALITIES HAVE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES FOR THE MAXIMUM 25, 50, 75 LIMITING THIS PROVISION TO JUST THE HISTORIC DISTRICT AND OR THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. 
          OR YOU COULD KIND OF INVERT THAT RULE TO BE MORE ABOUT THE TRANSPARENCY. YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH OF A WINDOW YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SEE THROUGH, AS OPPOSED TO HOW BIG A SIGN CAN BE? WE TALKED ABOUT FLAG SIGNS. CURRENTLY, OUR LANGUAGE IS UNCLEAR. WE'VE GOT KIND OF A JUMBLE OF WORDS, PENNANTS, FLAGS, AND BANNERS WHEN NOT A PART OF ANY SIGN, EVEN IF ATTACHED TO POLES OR OTHER SUPPORTING ELEMENTS ARE ALLOWED, PROVIDED THAT THEY ARE CONNECTED TO A ROPE OR WIRE ATTACHED SECURELY AT BOTH ENDS, OR ATTACHED DIRECTLY TO A SUPPORTING POLE. SO WITH THAT, WHEN WE'VE HAD WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE VIOLATIONS, WE'VE ACTUALLY RUN INTO THE MAGISTRATE'S OFFICE WON'T ISSUE SUMMONS BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY'RE NOT SURE THAT WHETHER THIS SAYS THEY ARE ALLOWED OR WHETHER THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED. 
          AGAIN, WE DO GET A FAIR AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE SIGNS, YOU KNOW, VISUAL CLUTTER, THE QUALITY OF MATERIALS CAN BE QUESTIONED, YOU KNOW, DURABILITY, SAFETY HAZARDS WHEN THEY'RE NOT WELL MOUNTED OR ONCE THEY'RE DAMAGED, THEY CAN BE PICKED UP BY THE WIND RELATIVELY EASILY, AS OPPOSED TO A TRUE GROUND MOUNTED SIGN. SO AGAIN, WE WOULD BE PROPOSING A CLEAR DEFINITION THAT SAYS EXACTLY WHAT A FLAG SIGN IS WITHOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE IFS AND BUTS. AND THEN WE HAD PROPOSED TO ADD SALE SIGNS TO A LIST, TO THE LIST OF SIGNS THAT ARE PROHIBITED IN THE CITY, MEANING THEY WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED AGAIN BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION ON THIS. THERE ARE SOME LOCALITIES DO ALLOW THEM. THERE'S USUALLY A LIMIT ON THE TIMING. THEY'RE SUBJECT TO A PERMIT. THEY SAY YOU KNOW HOW MANY YOU CAN PUT OUT, HOW MANY TIMES A YEAR WHERE YOU CAN PLACE THEM. FOR INSTANCE, YOU CAN HAVE YOU CAN PUT A FLAG, SIGN UP FOR UP TO 30 DAYS, BUT NO MORE THAN FOUR TIMES IN A CALENDAR YEAR. 
          ANOTHER. WEAK SPOT IN OUR CURRENT SIGN ORDINANCE PERTAINS TO SIGNS IN THE B1, WHICH IS OUR SHOPPING CENTER ZONING DISTRICT. SO ACCORDING TO THE ORDINANCE, DURING THE REZONING TO THE B1 DISTRICT, THE APPLICANT IS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A PLAN OF USE AND DEVELOPMENT, WHICH INCLUDES SPECIFIC REGULATIONS FOR SIGNS WITHIN THAT SHOPPING CENTER, WHICH WORKS WHEN WE DO, WHEN WE'VE GOT ONE OF THOSE PLANS. BUT IN A LOT OF CASES, THOSE PLANS WERE NOT A PART OF THE REZONING PROCESS. AND THE ZONING ORDINANCE DOESN'T TELL US WHAT TO DO OR WHEN. WE DON'T HAVE ONE OF THOSE PLANS TO ABIDE BY AS FAR AS HOW MUCH 
          [00:40:06]
SIGNAGE IS ALLOWED, HOW LARGE THE SIGNS CAN BE. SO WHEN NEW OWNERS COME IN TO REDEVELOP OR NEW TENANTS TRY TO MOVE INTO AN EXISTING SPACE IN A SHOPPING CENTER, THEY'RE LOOKING AT UNCLEAR RULES ABOUT HOW MUCH SIGNAGE THEY CAN HAVE. SO WHAT WE HAVE PROPOSED WAS TO INTRODUCE A NEW STANDARD INTO THAT LIST THAT SAYS HOW MUCH SIGNAGE IS ALLOWED IN ANY GIVEN DISTRICT. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT LAST TIME, BUT WE HAD A PROVISION IN FOR LIKE INDIVIDUAL TENANTS, HOW MUCH SPACE YOU COULD HAVE BASED ON HOW LARGE YOUR STOREFRONT IS, AS WELL AS ONE LARGE GROUND MOUNTED SIGN THAT COULD BE USED AS SORT OF A SHARED SIGN FOR ALL OF THE TENANTS FOR THE OVERALL SHOPPING CENTER. SO THIS PROVIDES GUIDANCE FOR BOTH INDIVIDUAL BUSINESSES AS WELL AS ANYONE WHO'S COMING IN AND LOOKING TO DO, YOU KNOW, A LARGER SCALE REDEVELOPMENT OR REHAB OF AN EXISTING SHOPPING CENTER. AND FINALLY, I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS. SO SIGN PERMITS ARE REQUIRED FOR NEW SIGNS EVEN WHEN. THAT SOMEONE MAY JUST BE DOING AN ALTERATION TO AN EXISTING SIGN FACE. SO THEY'RE STILL USING THE SUPPORTS THE SAME CABINET. THERE'S NO NEW LIGHTING, THEY'RE JUST SWAPPING OUT ONE PANEL WITH ANOTHER. OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE TREATS THAT THE SAME AS ANY SIGN PERMIT. SO THERE'S A $150 COST APPLIED. THE DIFFERENCE FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE IS THAT THESE REQUIRE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS REVIEW. WE'RE NOT HAVING TO LOOK AT HEIGHT AND FOOTINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE'RE IT'S AN EXISTING SIGN. THEY'RE JUST SWITCHING THE FACE. SO WE WERE LOOKING AT INTRODUCING A DEFINITION FOR WHAT COUNTS AS A SIGN FACE. SO REMOVING OR REPLACING WITHIN AN EXISTING STRUCTURE IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY KIND OF ADDITION OR EXPANSION. AND THEN WE WERE LOOKING TO INTRODUCE A SMALLER REVIEW FEE FOR THESE SIGN REFACING. SO A $50 FEE. AND THEN AGAIN ANOTHER JUST ALTERNATIVE TO CONSIDER. A LOT OF LOCALITIES JUST EXEMPT SIGN FACES FROM PERMIT REQUIREMENTS. THEY SAY IF YOU'RE USING AN EXISTING STRUCTURE AND JUST SWAPPING OUT THAT PANEL, THERE'S NOT A COST INVOLVED IN THAT. SO TO CLOSE IT OUT, I JUST WANTED TO AGAIN GO OVER THE GOALS OF THIS. THESE AMENDMENTS THAT WE HAD RECOMMENDED, YOU KNOW, ATTRACTIVE SIGNAGE WHICH PROMOTES CIVIC PRIDE, ENHANCES COMMUNITY CHARACTER, ELEVATES THE APPEARANCE OF THE CITY, CREATES A SENSE OF PLACE. THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ENCOURAGES US TO LOOK AT WAYS TO IMPROVE THE LOOK OF SIGNS, PARTICULARLY IN OUR CORRIDOR COMMERCIAL AREAS. AND AGAIN, WITH JUST THE UPCOMING ANTICIPATED DEVELOPMENT AND THE NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, NEW DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS REDEVELOPMENT THAT WE BELIEVE THAT WE'LL BE SEEING ALONG THESE MAJOR CORRIDORS, WE ARE RECOMMENDING A STRONGER FOCUS ON ATTRACTIVE AND CONSISTENT SIGNAGE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME. I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR TRY TO CLARIFY ANYTHING, BUT I THINK, ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. NEXT WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. WE'LL START WITH COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. JARED, HOW ARE YOU DOING? DOING WELL THANK YOU SIR. JUST GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. I KNOW ON YOUR SLIDE YOU MENTIONED ONLY ILLUMINATED. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ONLY ILLUMINATED. SO THE WAY THAT OUR THAT DEFINITION READS. NOW ANY SIGN THAT'S NOT LIT, IF IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, WOOD FRAME SIGN OR A STICKER, OUR ORDINANCE SAYS THAT THAT'S NOT A SIGN. SO IT DOESN'T COUNT TOWARDS YOUR MINIMUMS OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET A PERMIT FOR IT. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE BRIGHT SIGNS THAT WE SEE ACROSS THE CITY AND MOST OF OUR VAPE SHOPS AND THINGS. SO THOSE WOULD BE THE ONLY ONES THAT DO COUNT AS SIGNS. BUT WHAT WE RUN INTO IS THEY DO 1 OR 2 OF THOSE, AND THEN ABOUT A DOZEN SMALLER SIGNS IN BETWEEN THAT AREN'T ILLUMINATED. IS THERE A LUMENS REQUIREMENT? SOME OF THESE SIGNS ARE SO BRIGHT THAT IT IT AFFECTS TRAFFIC WHEN YOU COMING AND GOING. SO SOME OF THEM ARE WAY FAR PAST BRIGHTNESS. RIGHT. 
          WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE ONE. NOT NOT ANYTHING THAT'S PLAINLY WRITTEN. SOME OF THE AND ONE OF THOSE IN THE LIST OF PROHIBITED SIGNS WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THE FLASHING SIGNS. IT'S GOT SOME 
          [00:45:08]
LANGUAGE KIND OF SOFT LANGUAGE IN THERE ABOUT LIKE LED. THE ONLY OTHER THING WE HAVE IS FOR OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS. THE SIGNS HAVE TO BE I MAY STUMBLE OVER THE WORD INCANDESCENT SIGNS. SO FROM A HEATING SOURCE, AS OPPOSED TO A BIG BRIGHT LED BULB, RIGHT. MY NEXT QUESTION YOU GOT ON THERE, QUALITY OF MATERIALS. YOU GET COMPLAINTS ABOUT VISUAL CLUTTER I UNDERSTAND THAT DURABILITY, SAFETY HAZARDS I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT QUALITY OF MATERIALS, THAT'S LIKE SAYING IF I BUY A SIGN ON MY BUDGET VERSUS BURGER KING OR SOMEBODY ELSE BUYING A SIGN ON THEIR BUDGET, YOU'RE GOING TO GET TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF SIGNS, BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD WHAT BURGER KING CAN AFFORD. SO WHY ARE WE WORRIED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF MATERIALS? WHO'S GOING TO GO OUT THERE AND SAY, OH, THIS IS VELVET, RIGHT? WHO'S GOING TO CHECK THAT? I THINK THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF BECAUSE NOBODY GOT THE TIME TO BE GOING OUT HERE CHECKING IF IT'S CARPET, VELVET, SUEDE, CORDUROY, WHATEVER. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN OFF BECAUSE WE'RE DOING BEING TOO CONTROLLING. WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? YEAH. AGREED. 
          I THINK IN TERMS OF JUST THE MATERIAL ITSELF, WHETHER IT'S CANVAS, CLOTH, THINGS LIKE THAT, I THINK THE CONCERNS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SPEAK TO ARE PARTICULARLY WITH THE FLAG SIGNS, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY TEND TO USE THE MORE LIKE THE PIPING TYPE MOUNTING. SO IT DOESN'T IT'S NOT LIKE A TRADITIONAL SIGN THAT'S WELL MOUNTED WITH A FOOTING IN THE GROUND. THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF LIKE CONCERNS WITH DURABILITY IS ONCE THOSE SIGNS, YOU KNOW, SAY THEY DO HAVE SOME OF THE THIN FABRIC, ONCE IT GETS A SPLIT IN IT, FOR INSTANCE, IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH FOR THE WIND TO PICK ONE OF THOSE SIGNS UP AND THEY CAN BECOME. SO THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE INSPECTING OR CHECKING. IF YOU'RE RIDING PAST AND YOU SEE A SPLIT IN IT OR OR IF IT'S TORN UP, THEN THEY GOT TO TAKE IT DOWN, YOU KNOW? BUT THE QUALITY OF MATERIALS, I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE MESSING WITH THAT. YOU MAY HAVE SOME KIDS WITH A LEMONADE STAND. 
          ALL THEY CAN USE IS CARDBOARD AND CRAYON. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THEM TAKE IT DOWN, YOU KNOW? YEAH, NO, I UNDERSTOOD I THINK IT I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. THE THE FOCUS WOULD BE MORE ON THE, THE STATE OF THE SIGN RATHER THAN SPECIFIC TO A MATERIAL IF THEY CAN ORDER IT FROM AMAZON OR FROM WALMART OR ANYWHERE ELSE, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY LEGAL TO USE, YOU KNOW, MOST LIKELY. BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE CONTROLLING ON THE QUALITY OF MATERIAL. EVERYTHING ELSE I AGREE WITH, BUT THE QUALITY OF MATERIAL I THINK WE'VE BEEN CONTROLLING. AND SPEAKING OF CONTROLLING, YOU HAD ON THERE ALSO THE NUMBER OF TIMES A YEAR. SO YOU CAN YOU CAN ONLY PUT YOUR FLAG SIGNS UP OR YOUR FEATHER SIGNS FOUR TIMES A YEAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING, THAT WE WE MOVE ON. MY, MY PERSONAL SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO ADD THEM TO THE LIST OF THE PROHIBITED SIGNS. AND THAT WAS WHAT WAS INCLUDED WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION. I KNOW LAST TIME WE HAD SOME BACK AND FORTH, AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE MAY BE SOME INTEREST IN ALLOWING THEM, BUT NOT ALLOWING THEM ALL THE TIME. AND THAT'S JUST FROM SOME OF THE LOCALITIES I'VE WORKED IN BEFORE. THAT'S HOW THEY ADDRESSED IT WAS THROUGH A PERMIT PROCESS. SO WHEN YOU HAVE THE BIG EVENTS OR YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY WANT TO PROMOTE, YOU CAN INSTALL THOSE SIGNS TEMPORARILY, BUT YOU'RE NOT GETTING TO KEEP THEM YEAR LONG. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. I REMEMBER A TIME IN PETERSBURG WHERE WE HAD ALL THE CAR DEALERS HERE, AND THEY HAD THESE FEATHER SIGNS YEAR ROUND, PRETTY MUCH, AND IT WASN'T A PROBLEM. THEN. I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING. TRUST ME. MY QUESTION IS, HOW IS A BUSINESS TO ADVERTISE IF THEY IF THESE ARE PROHIBITED SIGNS? THAT'S THAT'S MY QUESTION. HOW HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADVERTISE OR HOW ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW THE BUSINESSES TO ADVERTISE IF WE'RE SAYING YOU CAN'T HAVE THIS, BUT FOUR TIMES A YEAR? I MEAN, JUST TELL ME SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW. MY PERSPECTIVE WOULD BE THEY THEY STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A PERMANENT GROUND MOUNTED SIGN, AS WELL AS ANY SIGNAGE ON THEIR STOREFRONT. SO I THINK TO YOUR POINT THAT IT'S IT'S MORE OF A COST INVOLVED IN THAT. BUT IT IS A LESS IT'S LESS VISUAL CLUTTER TO HAVE A SINGLE AND ALL I'M GETTING. I JUST WANT OUR BUSINESSES TO FEEL FREE. BUT I DO UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS COUNCIL IS SAYING ABOUT BEING FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD AND UNIFORM ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT WE DON'T WANT OUR BUSINESSES COMING TO THIS CITY THINKING THAT WE WANT TO CONTROL EVERY LITTLE ASPECT OF THEIR BUSINESS. 
          I DON'T KNOW THE INS AND OUTS OF THESE OF ANYBODY'S BUSINESS, BUT I DO KNOW I SEE IT WHEN THE 
          [00:50:04]
ADVERTISING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. YOU KNOW, MY NEXT QUESTION FOR YOU IS THIS WITH THESE DEFINITIONS AND WHATEVER WE PASS, WILL YOU BE SENDING THIS OUT TO ALL THE COMMERCIAL OWNERS AND THE REALTORS? BECAUSE WE MAKE THESE ORDINANCES, BUT WE NEVER GET THE INFORMATION TO THE COMMERCIAL OWNERS. SO WHEN THEY LEASE THEIR BUILDINGS OR WHEN THEY SELL THEIR BUILDINGS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD GIVE THEM BECAUSE WE'RE TIRED AND I'M SPEAKING FOR ALL OF Y'ALL. WE'RE TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYING THAT THEY DIDN'T GET THEIR INFORMATION. SO THAT'S THAT'S ON YOU TO IF WE PASS IT OR WHEN WE PASS IT, SEND IT OUT TO HIM, TO EVERYBODY. YOU GOT A REALTOR NETWORK HERE, YOU GOT COMMERCIAL BUILDING OWNERS HERE. 
          SEND IT OUT SO THEY'LL KNOW. YOU KNOW, IN MY LAST QUESTION, THIS GOES BACK TO WHEN I FIRST TALKED ABOUT THESE SIGNS. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THESE SIGNS? THE OLD SIGNS THAT YOU WRITE DOWN, THESE WASHINGTON STREET OR ANY OTHER STREET, THERE'S RUSTY POLES WITH A FRAME, NOTHING IN IT, NO FACE. RIGHT NOW, I THINK WE SHOULD BE CHARGING OR PUTTING THESE PLACES IN VIOLATIONS. THESE COMMERCIAL OWNERS, WHOEVER OWNED THAT SIGN, IF THEY DIDN'T, IF THESE SIGNS ARE NOT PAINTED AND MAINTAINED, WHETHER IT'S A BUSINESS DAY OR NOT, BUT IT AIN'T GOING TO HELP A NEW BUSINESS AT ALL TO PUT UP SOMETHING PRETTY WHEN THEY BESIDE A BUILDING WITH OLD STUFF, RAGGEDY STUFF. AND WHO TURNED THE HEAT ON HERE? SORRY Y'ALL, HE JUST CAME ON. BUT GO AHEAD MAN. YEAH, YEAH. SO NO, I TOTALLY AGREE. AND YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY ALONG THE EAST WASHINGTON CORRIDOR, WE HAVE OPEN VIOLATIONS ON A NUMBER OF THOSE SIGNS. FOR SOME OF THOSE THAT AREN'T IN TERRIBLE CONDITION. WHAT WE PUT IT TO IS, YOU KNOW, AT MINIMUM, YOU NEED TO PUT A BLANK SIGN, FACE SOMETHING. SO YOU'RE NOT JUST LOOKING THROUGH A HOLE. SO WE'VE GOT. MAYBE CLOSE TO TEN OF THOSE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE PULLED SUMMONS FOR WITH COURT DATES, I BELIEVE LATE THIS MONTH. BUT WE ARE TREATING THOSE AS VIOLATIONS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO. SO I SEND YOU I HAVE 20 PICTURES OF RUSTY POLES WITH A FRAME AND NO FACE. AND IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT BEFORE YOU GOT HIRED HERE AND BEFORE I GOT ON COUNCIL, BEFORE ANYBODY GOT ON COUNCIL, THEY STILL SITTING THERE LIKE THAT. WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA FIX THAT MAN AS A WHOLE. WE GOT TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS. BUT THAT'S ALL I GOT. THANK YOU MISTER JARED. THANK YOU, MISTER MAYOR, FOR FOR THAT TIME. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN JONES. MR. WILLIAMS. SO I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A LONG TIME, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND JUST KIND OF FOR MEMBERS OF COUNCIL'S EDIFICATION, TOO, YOU KNOW, IN 2015, SIGN ENFORCEMENT BECAME KIND OF A DICEY SUBJECT WHEN THE SUPREME COURT HANDED DOWN THEIR DECISION. AND REED VERSUS TOWN OF GILBERT. AND THE THE CRUX OF THAT OF THE RULE OF THUMB IS IF YOU'VE GOT TO READ A SIGN TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT'S IN VIOLATION OF YOUR ORDINANCE, CHANCES ARE YOU COULD HAVE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR ORDINANCE. AND SO JUST IN HEARING THE PRESENTATION, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COMMENTS, JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF SOMEBODY HAS A DECORATIVE WINDOW SHADE IN THEIR WINDOW, HOW DO YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THAT AND A SIGN WITHOUT EVALUATING THE CONTENT. AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO ANSWER THAT. BUT RIGHT NOW. BUT I THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU COME BACK WITH THE ACTUAL ORDINANCE TO BE ADOPTED, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT. ALL RIGHT, JARED, NEXT STEPS. THIS IS COMING TO THE PUBLIC NEXT. SO YOU ALL HAVE HELD AND CLOSED A PUBLIC HEARING. SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT AGAIN AT THE REGULAR MEETING, IT WOULD COME TO YOU ALL AS OLD BUSINESS TO FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION. OKAY. 
          PERFECT. WELL WE'LL BRING IT BRING IT BACK UP AS OLD, OLD BUSINESS. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE UNDER MONTHLY REPORTS NO ITEMS. FINANCE AND BUDGET REPORT. NO 
          [12. Utilities]
ITEMS. TONIGHT 11 CAPITAL PROJECTS UPDATE ITEM 12 A UTILITIES JACOB PRESENTATION. 
          CITY OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA. RATE STUDY UPDATES. YES, MR. MAYOR, WE HAVE ROLAND COOTS THIS EVENING WITH US FROM DAVENPORT. WE CONTRACTED THE RATE STUDY THROUGH DAVENPORT WITH JACOBSON. I BELIEVE JACOBS HAD CONDUCTED THE PREVIOUS RATE STUDY THAT THE CITY HAD IN. 
          WELL, THAT LED TO THE ADJUSTMENTS IN 2019. SO THIS EVENING WE HAVE JACOBS HERE, THE REPRESENTATIVES FROM JACOBS HERE IN DAVENPORT, TO WALK US THROUGH THE RATE STUDY AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS. OKAY. THANK YOU. MARCH AND MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I'M 
          [00:55:06]
ROLAND KOCH WITH DAVENPORT AND COMPANY. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT THE RATE STUDY AND INTRODUCE MY MY COUNTERPART COLLEAGUE HERE WITH JACOBS. I'M GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND AND JUST AFTER THE INTRODUCTIONS AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO, TO KEITH BISHTON FROM JACOBS. BUT WHAT YOU'LL HEAR TONIGHT IS A CONTINUATION OF THE SUMMARY PRESENTATION THAT WE PRESENTED. DAVENPORT PRESENTED OF THIS RATE STUDY TO COUNCIL THIS PAST SUMMER. WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND, VERY HIGH LEVEL, BUT THEN KEITH IS GOING TO GO INTO THE DRIVERS FOR THE RATE ADJUSTMENTS. SOME OF THE SCENARIO PLANNING THAT WAS DONE, MOVE INTO SOME BILL COMPARISONS AND THEN TALK ABOUT TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL BILL AND AFFORDABILITY. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND, KIND OF A REFRESHER ON ON WHERE HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. IN THE FALL OF 2024, THE CITY OF PETERSBURG FORMALLY ENGAGED JACOBS THROUGH DAVENPORT AND COMPANY TO PERFORM THIS MOST RECENT 20 2425 WATER AND SEWER RATE STUDY UPDATE. THIS RATE STUDY IS THE FOURTH IN A SERIES OF RATE STUDIES THAT HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN BY THE CITY SINCE 2017 AS A PART OF ITS RETURN TO FISCAL HEALTH. AND WE'VE WE'VE PRESENTED THOSE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. THE LAST TIME RATES WERE ACTUALLY RAISED IN CONNECTION WITH THE RATE STUDY WAS IN 2019. SO IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS IN UNDERTAKING THE RATE STUDY THAT IS CONSISTENTLY DEFINITELY KNOWN AS A BEST PRACTICE, ROUTINELY, WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITIES, ENTERPRISE FUND SYSTEMS OF OF MUNICIPALITIES HISTORICALLY UNDERTAKE RATE STUDIES. CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF HAS DONE THAT AS WELL IN THE PAST, BUT IT'S DESIGNED TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO REALLY MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS IN MAINTAINING THE CITY'S UTILITY SYSTEM IN GOOD ORDER AND ENSURING THAT FINANCES THE FINANCES REMAIN SELF-SUPPORTING. THAT IS TO SAY, WHAT WE MEAN HERE IS THAT THE FINANCES OF THE UTILITY SYSTEM ARE DESIGNED TO CHARGE FOR THE SERVICES THAT IT PROVIDES, THAT IS, WATER AND SEWER SERVICE FOR THE RESIDENTS, THE THE COMMERCIAL. THE COMMERCIAL, AS WELL AS THE INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS OF THE BASE AS WELL. IN DESIGNED TO DO THAT SUCH THAT IT IS NOT RELIANT UPON ANY GENERAL FUND FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO KEITH BISHTON TO GO INTO THE DETAILS OF THE RATE STUDY AND WALK YOU THROUGH THAT. THANK YOU ROLAND. THANK YOU, MAYOR COUNCIL, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND GIVE THIS PRESENTATION. SO THE NEXT SERIES OF SLIDES, I'LL WALK THROUGH SOME OF THE CONTENT OF THE RATE STUDY. THE FIRST SLIDE THAT YOU MAY SEE ON SCREEN HERE IS THE DRIVERS FOR THE RATE ANALYSIS. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ASSUMPTIONS AND THE DATA THAT'S PROVIDED, OFTENTIMES WE'LL LOOK FOR TRENDS OR WHAT ARE THE INPUTS TO DETERMINE THE RATES. AND THESE ARE THE DRIVERS. AND SO THE FIRST ONE UP THERE IS THE SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT INVESTMENT NEEDED FOR THE SYSTEM. AND SO AS AS MANY UTILITIES ENCOUNTER THIS THERE IS DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. AND OVER TIME THAT WILL ACCUMULATE. AND SO BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE HAVE RECEIVED, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 190 MILLION IN DEFERRED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT. AND OF THIS AMOUNT, WORKING WITH DAVENPORT COMPANY, THAT 130 MILLION OF THAT IS ANTICIPATED FOR GENERAL OBLIGATION DEBT AND THEN ALSO SOME LOW INTEREST RATES LOANS. SO THE REASON TO ENTERTAIN THE IDEA OF USING DEBT TO HELP FUND THE CIP IS TO HELP MITIGATE THE RATE INCREASES AND PROMOTING THAT INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY, MEANING THE COST FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT BENEFIT THE SYSTEM ARE SPREAD OUT OVER TIME AMONG DIFFERENT GENERATIONS. ONE OF THE DRIVERS HERE FOR HELPING TO KEEP THE RATES LOWER WOULD BE TO ENTERTAIN THE IDEA OF ELIMINATING THE PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES, THAT IS, THE TRANSFER FROM THE WATER SEWER FUND TO THE GENERAL FUND. SO THAT WAS ALSO LOOKED AT AS AS ROLAND INDICATED, THE LAST RATE INCREASE WAS IN 2019. AND, YOU KNOW, LUCKILY THE CITY WAS ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME GRANTS. AND BY USING THOSE GRANTS THAT ENABLED THE WATER SEWER FUND TO USE THAT GRANT FUNDING TO HELP STAVE OFF ANY 
          [01:00:10]
RATE INCREASES. BUT OVER TIME, AS COSTS INCREASE AND GRANTS ARE NOT ALWAYS AVAILABLE, THAT THAT WOULD BE A DRIVER FOR RATE INCREASES. A COUPLE OTHER THEY'RE RELATED TO THE COVID PANDEMIC. IN 2020, THERE WAS A POLICY THAT PREVENTED ANY WATER SHUTOFFS FOR NONPAYMENT, AND THAT POLICY WAS RESCINDED IN 2023. AND THEN LASTLY. THERE HAS BEEN SINCE I'VE HELPED STARTED STARTED BACK IN 2017, HELPING THE CITY WITH THE RATE ANALYSIS COLLECTIONS WAS MUCH LOWER THAN 85%. AND SO I THINK THAT THE CITY MAY HAVE HAS BEEN DOING THE BEST THAT THEY CAN TO HELP IMPROVE THAT. AND ON AVERAGE, THAT'S THE 85%. THERE IS AN AVERAGE. NOW, DEPENDING ON WHAT CUSTOMER GROUP YOU LOOK AT, IT COULD BE HIGHER. SO BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE RECEIVED FROM CITY STAFF AT THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TEND TO BE HIGHER, WHEREAS SOME OTHERS MIGHT BE MAYBE COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL AND RESIDENTIAL HIGHER, BUT WHILE OTHERS MAY BE LOWER. SO WE TOOK ALL THE INFORMATION AND WE WANTED TO DO SOME PLANNING TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OF IF WE DID THIS, WHAT WHAT WOULD THE WHAT WOULD THE RATE PATTERN LOOK LIKE. AND SO WE LOOKED AT THREE SCENARIOS. THE FIRST ONE LOOKED AT THE LONG TERM DEBT FUNDING FOR THE CIP. HOWEVER, THE PILOT WOULD CONTINUE AND THAT RESULTED IN A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF RATE INCREASES. 
          SCENARIO TWO WE TOOK OUT THE PILOT THAT HELPED, AND SCENARIO THREE DAVENPORT AND COMPANY LOOKED AT USING SHORT TERM FINANCING AND WHAT THAT HELPED DO, WHAT THAT HELPED TO DO WAS TO LOWER THE INITIAL DEBT COST IN THE INITIAL YEARS, AND THAT HELPED LOWER THE RATE PLANT RATE LEVEL RATES IN THE FIRST COUPLE YEARS. SO ON THIS SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE BY THE COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT SCENARIOS. AGAIN, SCENARIO ONE HAD THE HIGHEST LEVEL RATE INCREASES BECAUSE THAT INCLUDED THE PILOT. IT LOWERED FOR SCENARIO TWO. AND SCENARIO THREE WAS THE LOWEST LEVEL RATE INCREASES THAT INCORPORATED ELIMINATING THE PILOT AS WELL AS USING THE AS THE STRATEGIC USE OF INTERIM SHORT TERM FINANCING. AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO IMPLEMENT SCENARIO THREE WITH A FIVE YEAR RATE PLAN. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS RATE FIVE YEAR RATE PLAN WOULD BE A ROLLING PLAN THAT EACH YEAR YOU WOULD EVALUATE THE RATES. BUT WE WE GIVE A FIVE YEAR PLAN HERE TO GIVE YOU SOMETHING TO PLAN AGAINST. SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO DO THE NINE, 9.5% AND 26 AND THEN REEVALUATE EACH YEAR AFTER THAT AS PART OF THAT FIVE YEAR ROLLING PLAN. SO JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT WENT INTO SCENARIO THREE. ON SCREEN. YOU SEE A CHART HERE OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF COST FOR THAT. 
          AND THEN THE GREEN LINE THERE IS THE THE AGGREGATE REVENUE GENERATED FROM WATER FEES AND SEWER FEES AS WELL AS OTHER REVENUES. SO WE ASSUMED A 3.5% ANNUAL INFLATION RATE. AND THAT FEEDS INTO ESCALATING THE OPERATING COSTS, WHICH IS THE BOTTOM BLUE BAR. BUT THEN FOR THE ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE, THAT'S THE GOLD BAR IN THE MIDDLE. THAT'S INCREASING YEAR OVER YEAR, BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT SERIES THAT ARE COMING ONLINE. THERE'S IT INCLUDES THE EXISTING DEBT SERVICE, THE SHORT TERM BOND FINANCING THAT IS THEN ROLLED INTO THE PERMANENT FINANCING, AS WELL AS THE VRA LOANS THAT THAT ARE PENDING. SO WHEN WE DO THE RATE ANALYSIS. WE'LL ALSO LOOK AT THE FINANCIAL METRICS. AND THESE METRICS ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S LOOKED AT BY THE RATING AGENCIES. IT'S LOOKED AT, SAY EVEN VRA DEMONSTRATE THAT YES, THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT IS GENERATING ENOUGH REVENUE TO MEET OPERATING NEEDS AS WELL AS 
          [01:05:06]
TO MAKE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS AND ALSO HAVE THE RESERVES TO MAINTAIN LIQUIDITY AND SOLVENCY. 
          ON SCREEN. HERE IS THE BILL COMPARISON. WE LOOKED AT SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORS. YOU CAN SEE THE ONES THAT WE COMPARED AGAINST. SO PETERSBURG IS ABOUT THERE IN THE MIDDLE. WITH A 9% INCREASE. THE A TYPICAL BILL, WHICH WOULD CONSIST OF A 5/8 INCH METER AND 5000 GALLONS PER MONTH, WOULD INCREASE ABOUT $7.50. IN TERMS OF AFFORDABILITY. SO THIS IS THIS SCREEN SHOWS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. PROJECTION OF THE TYPICAL BILL. THE TOTAL BILL WOULD INCREASE $73 TO $80 AND 80, THEN ADDITIONAL $8, AND THEN SO ON AND SO FORTH. BUT ON AVERAGE IT WOULD INCREASE ABOUT 750 PER MONTH FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. IN TERMS OF AFFORDABILITY, WE COMPARE IT AGAINST EPA'S AFFORDABILITY METHODOLOGY, COMPARING IT TO MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME. AND FOR WATER, IT'S LESS THAN THE 2% THRESHOLD FOR SEWER. IT'S ALSO LESS THAN 2% THRESHOLD. BUT OVER TIME, IT IS STARTING TO APPROACH THAT 2% THRESHOLD. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT THE RATE INCREASE PLAN DOESN'T MOVE FORWARD. IT JUST IS A PLANNING METRIC THAT THAT THE CITY CAN USE TO THEN MAYBE TAILOR A CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OR SOME OTHER METHOD TO HELP LOW INCOME RESIDENTS. SO THE KEY FINDINGS IS THE LAST RATE INCREASE WAS WAS IN EFFECT IN JULY 2019. AND OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE CITY HAS RECEIVED GRANT FUNDING AND THAT THAT HAS HELPED. AND BASED ON THE ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL REPORTS, IT'S OBSERVED THAT THE WATER, SEWER FUNDS, ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AND COLLECTIBLES HAS INCREASED YEAR OVER YEAR, AND THAT THAT RELATES TO. THE ABILITY OR THE HOW MUCH IS HOW MUCH THE CITY IS COLLECTING OR NOT COLLECTING. AND SO THAT'S JUST AN OBSERVATION THAT TO TO NOTE, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TRYING TO STILL ADDRESS YOUR COLLECTION RATE THAT THAT WOULD BE ONE AREA TO LOOK. SO IN 2020 OR 23 YOU RESCINDED THE POLICY FOR WATER SHUTOFFS. SO THAT WILL HELP ENCOURAGE THE COLLECTION OF REVENUES SYSTEM WIDE. AGAIN WATER AND SEWER COLLECTION RATES ARE ON AVERAGE 85%. BUT THE COLLECTION RATE FOR SINGLE FAMILY COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ACCOUNTS ARE ESTIMATED BETWEEN 90 AND 95. SO THERE ARE SOME IMPORTANT ELEMENTS HERE TO CONSIDER ALSO. AND THAT IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS COMING INTO THE CITY. AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF ITEMS, ITEMS OF NOTE, YOU KNOW, THE PHARMA AND THEN THE CASINO, THE THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT INTO THE SYSTEM IS NEEDED TO HELP INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE SYSTEM, AS WELL AS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PIPES ARE WORKING AND AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. AND SO THAT'S THAT INVESTMENT INTO THE WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE IS NEEDED. SO BASED ON EVALUATION OF THE AUDIT FOR 2024 PREPARED BY THE CITY, CONTINUATION OF THE PILOT BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH CITY STAFF IS NOT RECOMMENDED. AND. 
          AND SO THAT THAT WOULD BE MONEY THAT COULD BE THEN ALLOCATED TOWARDS CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS. THE WATER AND SEWER CIP IDENTIFIES SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT TO TO TO RESPOND TO THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. I JUST MENTIONED. 
          [01:10:03]
SO THE RECOMMENDATION HERE IS TO ADOPT THAT FIVE YEAR ROLLING PLAN ASSOCIATED WITH SCENARIO THREE. AND THAT WOULD BE IN THAT INCLUDES FY 26 RATE INCREASE OF 9.5%, AND THE PLANNED RATE INCREASES FOR CONSIDERATION IN FUTURE YEARS. AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN. ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. WE'LL START OFF WITH COUNCILMAN COOPER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. LET ME TURN TO THE CITY MANAGER. MR. CITY MANAGER, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND THAT THIS COUNCIL DO? MR. MR. CUTHBERT, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, MY RECOMMENDATION IS COUNCIL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RATE INCREASE PRIMARILY. AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, AT OUR WORK SESSION, WE HAD JMT COME IN AND OUTLINE SEVERAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN POTENTIALLY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED ON OUR WATER AND SEWER SIDE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFY $100 MILLION, POTENTIALLY, OF PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO ACCOMPLISH. WE HAVE AN AGING SYSTEM. AND I'LL JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE THAT CAME TO MY LIGHT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THE MAIN LINE COMING IN FROM AWWA, AND WE HAVE A PARALLEL 16 INCH LINE RUNNING WITH THAT. THAT PARALLEL 16 INCH LINE IS AN ASBESTOS WRAPPED PIPE. IT'S 108 YEARS OLD, SO WE HAVE SOME INFRASTRUCTURE WITH THEM AGE ON IT THAT WE MOST DEFINITELY NEED TO REPLACE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES AND REDEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY. COUNCIL APPROVED THE RATE INCREASE IN 19 AND THE THOUGHT THEN WAS THAT WAS A 12, I THINK 12.2% INCREASE, WITH ANOTHER 12.2 AND 20 OR 20, THEN 21 AND THEN 22, A SMALLER, I THINK 4% SOMEWHERE 4 TO 5% INCREASE. THOSE INCREASES WERE DONE. AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. 
          FORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT ANOTHER 12%. IT'S 8.68 9.5%. BUT WE NEED THIS NOT ONLY TO BE ABLE TO FUND ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE VRE LOAN THAT WAS MENTIONED. THAT'S A $21 MILLION LOAN. AND VRE IS INDICATED TO US THAT IF WE DON'T ADDRESS RATES, THEN WE WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT LOAN. IF AND I'LL HAVE ROLAND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK THIS VRE LOAN IS LIKE A HALF A PERCENT INTEREST, SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH FREE MONEY. SO I THINK THERE'S A NEED FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ADDRESSING RATES, BECAUSE WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF WORK IN FRONT OF US, AND WE NEED THE CAPITAL TO BE ABLE TO UNDERTAKE IT. SO WHEN WILL YOU WHEN DO YOU EXPECT TO PRESENT COUNCIL WITH AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT YOUR RECOMMENDATION? SO WE HAVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING, THE ORDINANCE AND SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE 21ST THAT IN TWO WEEKS TO CONSIDER THE RATE INCREASE AT THAT TIME, ALONG WITH THE FINANCING MECHANISM THAT DAVENPORT'S TALKED TO US ABOUT A FEW TIMES, IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH THAT LINE OF CREDIT SO WE CAN START GOING OUT AND DOING SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AHEAD OF TIME. SO IT'S GIVEN US A LITTLE BIT OF A HEAD START. I MEAN, THE CASINO WAS MENTIONED, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S NOT UP AND RUNNING, BUT WE KNOW THESE ISSUES ARE THERE. 
          AND THIS WILL HELP US GET SOME CAPITAL TO BEGIN TO MOVE FORWARD ONCE THOSE REVENUES START COMING IN. WELL THAT'S GREAT. SO COUNCIL CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A PUBLIC HEARING ON OCTOBER 21ST ON WHETHER TO ADOPT YOUR RECOMMENDATION OR NOT. YES, SIR. NOW AT THAT TIME, MR. ALTMAN, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ISSUES THAT ARE KIND OF RELATED, KIND OF RELATED. ONE OF THEM IS MOVING STORMWATER TO REAL ESTATE. COULD YOU BRING US UP TO DATE ON THAT AT THIS TIME, PLEASE? SO WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ON AND OFF, AND I KNOW THAT YOU AND I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND THE THOUGHT OF TAKING THE STORMWATER FEE, WHICH IS IN OUR UTILITY BILL, AND MOVING THAT TO THE REAL ESTATE TAX BILL. SO THE PROPERTY OWNER WOULD THEREFORE THEN BE RESPONSIBLE, POTENTIALLY NOT A TENANT. AND WE WOULD MOST LIKELY AS A RESULT OF IT BEING ATTACHED TO THE REAL ESTATE BILL, INCREASE COLLECTIONS ON STORMWATER FEES. 
          I KNOW CHESTERFIELD STILL DOES THIS. PRINCE GEORGE USED TO DO IT IN TALKING TO THEIR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. THEY HAVE THEY'RE TAKING IT OFF OF THEIR BILL. I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHY I THINK I THINK THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST NOT GOING TO COLLECT A STORMWATER FEE ANYMORE AT ALL. BUT CHESTERFIELD HAS DONE THIS AND THEY HAVE PRETTY GOOD RATES OF COLLECTION. SO IT'S ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I'VE HAD ABOUT HOW COULD WE IMPROVE COLLECTION RATES, PARTICULARLY ON STORMWATER SIDE, BECAUSE AS WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED, WE HAVE JUST AS MANY STORMWATER NEEDS PROBABLY THAT HAVE COME AVAILABLE AND ARE TO OUR ATTENTION SINCE JULY AS WE DO ON THE UTILITY SIDE. RIGHT. WE'VE GOT TO PAY FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL PREVENT A REPETITION OF WHAT HAPPENED IN JULY. ABSOLUTELY. WE'VE BEEN 
          [01:15:04]
VERY SUCCESSFUL WITH DCR AND OBTAINING GRANT MONEY, BUT THOSE GRANT MONIES ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE. SO WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMENDATION AND WHAT IS YOUR TIMETABLE FOR BRINGING YOUR RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL AS FAR AS THE TRANSFER OF THE STORMWATER BILL TO THE REAL ESTATE BILL, WE WE WON'T WE WON'T BE IN A POSITION ON THE 21ST TO HAVE THAT. BUT WE CAN LOOK AT TRYING TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE IN A DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION AND THEN COUNCIL IF COUNCIL COUNCIL'S GOT WHAT COUNCIL WANTS TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE TONIGHT, THEN WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH IT. AND WORKING WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY NECESSARY LEGAL ACTION OR ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE IN ORDER TO DO THAT. AND THEN WE COULD PICK A DATE, NOT PICK A REAL ESTATE BUILDING IN THE FUTURE TO THEN START HAVING THAT ADDED TO AS OPPOSED TO HAVING IT ON THE UTILITY BILL. WELL, WOULD YOU PUT THAT, PLEASE, ON OUR AGENDA FOR WHAT DID YOU SAY THE NOVEMBER WORK SESSION. WE CAN WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION TO NOVEMBER WORK SESSION. YES, SIR. SO WOULD YOU MAKE THAT AN AGENDA ITEM PLEASE FOR THE NOVEMBER WORK SESSION? YES, SIR. THAT WOULD BE GREAT. AND ALSO SOMETHING THAT CAUGHT MY EYE WAS ON PAGE 12 OF THE PRESENTATION. SIR. CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT? RIGHT. WELL, YES. 
          THE SECOND BULLET POINT SAYS THAT IT IS OBSERVED THAT THE WATER AND SEWER FUND, ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AND ALLOWANCE FOR UNCOLLECTIBLE HAVE INCREASED YEAR OVER YEAR. I THOUGHT WE LEARNED OUR LESSON DURING COVID THAT WE DID NOT WANT THESE PAST DUE ACCOUNTS TO CONTINUE TO BUILD UP BECAUSE WE GOT CAUGHT IN A CATCH 22. WE WANTED TO WHEN WE HAD THE COVID. ON THE ONE HAND, WE WANTED TO COLLECT THE MONEY BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY WE PAY THE BILLS. ON THE OTHER HAND, WE DIDN'T WANT TO SQUEEZE PEOPLE WHO ARE SUFFERING DUE TO COVID, AND SO I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO INCREASE OUR COLLECTION RATE TO AVOID PUTTING OURSELVES IN THAT KIND OF A PINCH AGAIN. AND YET, I'M READING HERE IT IS OBSERVED THAT THE WATER AND SEWER FUND, ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AND ALLOWANCE FOR UNCOLLECTIBLE HAVE INCREASED YEAR OVER YEAR. 
          WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT, MR. ALLMAN? WELL, I THINK I KNOW ALL OF US DEALT WITH THE NOT JUST COVID, BUT THE LEGISLATION THAT CAME OUT OF COVID PRETTY MUCH KEEPING YOU FROM DOING WATER SHUTOFFS. AND SO SOME OF THAT, SOME OF THOSE POLICIES, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, SOME ARE NOT INTO THE SAME DEGREE IN EFFECT, BUT SOME ARE STILL OUT THERE FROM. BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE WITH ONE. HAVE WE RESCINDED OUR POLICY THAT WE ADOPTED DURING COVID TO NOT DO CUT CUT OFFS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE? WE WOULD LOOK AT THAT AND THEN CREATE A PLAN SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE IN OTHER AREAS WITH REAL ESTATE OR PERSONAL PROPERTY TO WORK OUT AND CREATE, INCREASE OUR COLLECTIONS, EITHER THROUGH PAYMENT PLANS OR THE LIKE, TO GET EVERYBODY CAUGHT UP AND AND MOVE FORWARD. AND IF NOT, THEN WE CAN CERTAINLY WORK WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY ON HOW WE CAN DO THAT THROUGH OUTSIDE COUNSEL, MUCH LIKE WE HAVE WITH REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY. SO WE GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE IF WE'VE ACTUALLY RESCINDED ANYTHING OR THE POLICY THAT WAS THERE. I THINK IT SAYS HERE IN 2023, WE DID SEND THE POLICY. NOW WE JUST HAVE TO WORK ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS FAR AS TAKING PROACTIVE ACTION. WELL THANK YOU. AND WOULD YOU WOULD YOU PUT THAT ALSO ON COUNCIL'S AGENDA FOR CONSIDERATION AT OUR NOVEMBER WORK SESSION? THAT IS HOW TO INCREASE THAT COLLECTION RATE, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE A SEESAW. IF IF WE LET THE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE BUILD UP, THEN THAT MEANS WE ALSO HAVE TO INCREASE WATER RATES MORE. ISN'T THAT TRUE? I MEAN, THE THE TWO ARE CONNECTED. THERE IS A NEXUS THERE. SO YES, WE CAN WORK ON HAVING THAT FOR FOR YOU. 
          AND THAT WOULD BENEFIT THE THE TAXPAYERS WHO PAY BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE IT WOULD BLUNT THE INCENTIVE FOR CONTINUED TAX INCREASES. IF WE COULD GET THAT COLLECTION RATE UP. SO IF IN OUR NOVEMBER WORK SESSION, IF YOU WOULD ADDRESS HOW TO INCREASE OUR COLLECTION RATE OF PAST DUE WATER AND SEWER BILLS, THAT WOULD HELP, I THINK THE TAXPAYER IN GENERAL. YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU'RE WELCOME, COUNCILMAN JONES. YOU KNOW WHAT? 
          [01:20:09]
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING, MR. MAYOR. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND WE'LL CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION OCTOBER 21ST. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. COUNCIL. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT MOVE ON ITEM 12 B WHICH IS PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES UPDATE. 
          GOOD EVENING MAYOR. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL. HERE TO GIVE THE MONTHLY PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES UPDATE SOME HIGHLIGHTS. I GARRETT. HOSTING COURTHOUSE. WE HAD SOME CEILING REPAIR AND A PAINT PROJECT THAT WE HAD COMPLETED THAT THAT THAT HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED. AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. AND. WE ENDED UP GETTING THAT DONE. AND THEN WE MOVED ON TO PROJECT THAT. I THINK EVERYBODY IS AWARE OF. IF YOU WERE DRIVING ON TAB STREET, THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY BUILDING, WHERE THERE WERE SOME MASONRY WORK, AND THEN THERE WAS SOME ON THE ON THE TOP OF THE BUILDING, BUT ALSO SOME BRICK WORK ALONG THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING THAT NEEDED NEEDED TO BE WE NEEDED TO ADD SOME, SOME MASONRY TO MAKE SURE THAT NONE OF THOSE BRICKS WOULD FALL EITHER ON THE SIDEWALK OR OUT INTO THE STREET. AND THEN THERE WAS A CAP PUT ALSO ON THE THE CHIMNEY THERE. NEXT PROJECT, NEXT PAGE. WE ALSO HAD IN SEPTEMBER. ON SEPTEMBER THE 27TH HAD QUITE A GOOD TURNOUT FOR FOR THE CITYWIDE CLEANUP. I BELIEVE IT WAS SOME RAIN, BUT WE ALSO HAD OVER 100 CARS AND WE ALSO HAD OVER 13, ALMOST 14 TONS OF TRASH. WE ALSO ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PLANNING A SHREDDING EVENT THAT'S BEING PLANNED IN NOVEMBER, AND THAT'LL BE PROMOTED BY THE. WE'LL HAVE SOME FLIERS OVER IN BUILDING COLLECTIONS THAT'LL BE ON THE CITY WEBSITE, AND WE'LL DO MESSAGE BOARDS AS WE NORMALLY DO. NEXT SLIDE. ALSO STARTING IN ON NOVEMBER 17TH THROUGH JANUARY 23RD OF 2026, WE'LL BE DOING AN ANNUAL FALL LEAF PICKUP SCHEDULE. EACH WARD WILL HAVE A RANGE OF DATES. 
          ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE RAKE LEAVES INTO PILES BETWEEN SIDEWALKS. RESIDENTS WHO MISSED THEIR SCHEDULED VACUUM DATES SHOULD BAG THEIR LEAVES. AND ALSO THIS IS ALSO POSTED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. NEXT SLIDE. ALSO IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, THERE WAS SOME PAVING AND MILLING, PRIMARILY DONE AT NIGHT ON VARIOUS ROADS FROM THE RAILROAD TRACKS TO FLANK ROAD, FROM DEFENSE ROAD TO VAUGHAN ROAD. ALSO FROM SOUTH JONES STREET TO TO FEDERAL STREET. UPDATES ON THE MILLING AND PAVING WILL BE ON THE PROVIDED ON THE CITY WEBSITE. THEY JUST SENT US AN OCTOBER SCHEDULE. THAT'LL BE THAT'LL BE ON THE CITY WEBSITE AS WELL. NEXT SLIDE. UTILITIES. WE'VE ALSO BEEN COLLABORATING. PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES HAS BEEN WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON THE FLUSHING OF HYDRANTS AND ANY ISSUES WITH FIRE HYDRANTS. WE'VE DEVELOPED AND MAINTAIN A TRACKING SYSTEM FOR FIRE HYDRANTS THAT ACCUMULATES DATA SUCH AS LOCATION AND DATE, THAT GETS REPORTED. WHAT THE ISSUE IS IF A WORK ORDER IS PLACED. ALSO, IF THE ISSUE GETS FIXED, THE DATE OF THE REPAIR, AS WELL AS ANY ANY NOTES. A COUPLE OF THINGS WE DO WANT TO ADD. WE'RE GOING TO BE ADDING IF THE CITY WAS IF THE CITY PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES REPAIRED IT, VERSUS ONE OF THE CONTRACTORS AND TWO OF THE SITES THAT HAD. I GUESS, THE THEIR FIRE HYDRANTS ARE OUT OF SERVICE FOR THE LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH WERE 25, 20 COUNTY DRIVE AND 1609 WEST WASHINGTON STREET. 
          WE'VE GOT THOSE PREPARED AND ALSO WE'RE PUTTING WORK ORDERS, AND WE'RE ALSO TRACKING TO ENSURE THAT THE FIRE HYDRANTS THAT WE KNOW ABOUT ARE BEING ADDRESSED AT ALL TIMES. SO CURRENTLY CURRENTLY THERE'S A TRACKING SYSTEM OF THE 24 THAT WE ARE AWARE OF, 12 HAVE BEEN REPAIRED AND AND FIXED AND READY TO GO. THE OTHER 12 THAT HAVEN'T HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO 
          [01:25:08]
US WITHIN THE LAST THREE WEEKS. AND WE'VE GOT PLANS TO, TO DO, DO THOSE AS WELL. SO IT'S THE PLAN IS COMING TOGETHER, WORKING WITH US, WORKING WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS. THE MORE WE WORK TOGETHER, SEEM LIKE WE'RE JUST. WE'RE GETTING RID OF ANY OBSTACLES AND THE COMMUNICATION IS IS A LOT BETTER. AND THAT'S THAT'S MY REPORT. ALL RIGHTY. 
          THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT, RANDALL. LIKE I JUST HAVE I HAVE ONE QUESTION. IF YOU GO BACK TO THE TO THE LEAF PICKUP, IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN GET THE WARD THREE? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY YEAR WE LAST, WE SUFFER THROUGH THANKSGIVING WITH MOUNTAINS OF LEAVES, CHRISTMAS THROUGH MOUNTAINS OF LEAVES. THEN WE HAVE THE NEW YEAR AND IN JANUARY WITH MOUNTAINS OF LEAVES. THEN THEY GET WET AND FREEZE OVER OR GET SNOWED ON AND WE STILL HAVE LEAVES. IS THERE ANY WAY TO WARD THREE? DO NOT CANNOT BE LAST YET AGAIN ANOTHER YEAR YOU DON'T SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST. WE TRY TO SAVE THE BEST FOR LAST BECAUSE WE HAVE THE HEAVIEST. YOU KNOW THAT? OH YEAH, WE CAN. WE CAN LOOK AT. YEAH. YOU WANT TO SWITCH WITH ME? NO. YEAH. WELL LET ME KNOW. I'LL. I WOULD LOVE TO GET MY LEAVES UP IN WARD THREE BEFORE CHRISTMAS. I WOULD HAPPILY SWITCH WITH YOU. I'LL SWITCH WITH YOU. BECAUSE WE HAVE. IT'S IT'S SO HEAVY THROUGH THERE. WE REALLY NEED. WE PROBABLY NEED MULTIPLE LEAF PICKUPS JUST BY THE VOLUME OF THOSE BIG OLD TREES THAT'S OVER IN WALNUT HILL. SO, SO SO YOU'RE GOING TO WORK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO WORK. YOU'RE GOING TO. YEAH. YEAH, WE'RE WORKING THINGS I MOVED UP TO I THINK WARD SIX AND SEVEN IS THINKING ABOUT FLEXING WITH ME SO WE CAN HAVE A, A LEAF LESS CHRISTMAS OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL JUST JUST LET US LET US KNOW AND WE'LL WE'LL, WE'LL WORK ON SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO EXPEDITE LEAF PICKING. YEAH. I'M SAYING I'M WILLING TO WORK IN CONJUNCTION, NOT GIVE UP BECAUSE WE HAVE WE HAVE SO MANY THAT WE REALLY WE NEED TO GO AROUND FOR REAL. YEAH. I WAS YOU KNOW, I CAN, I CAN I GUESS I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO DECORATE A LEAF MAN INSTEAD OF A SNOWMAN, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO EXPEDITE, EXPEDITE PICKUP THIS YEAR. MAYBE WE MAYBE INSTEAD OF, JUST MAYBE WE ROTATE A LITTLE BIT AROUND THE CITY HIDDEN WARD AT A TIME, AS OPPOSED TO JUST GOING BLITZING ONE ENTIRE WARD. WE KIND OF STAGGERED A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE'LL SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP GET THAT DONE. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. ALL 
          [15. Economic Development]
RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION RANDALL. NEXT UP WE HAVE STREETS. NO ITEMS TONIGHT. FACILITIES. NOTHING TONIGHT. NEXT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BRIAN MOORE INTRODUCING YUVA WITH THEIR PRESENTATION ON INNOVATE PETERSBURG FUND. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION. HE'LL GO OVER THE INNOVATION FUND. BUT ONE OF THE REQUESTS THAT YOU HAD WAS AN ANALYSIS FOR ADDITIONAL DOWNTOWN HOTEL. SO MR. BRIAN DAVID THANK YOU BRIAN. GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR. 
          MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I'M PLEASED TO BE BACK TO YOU TONIGHT. LAST TIME I WAS HERE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE INNOVATIVE PETERSBURG FUND THAT I THINK WAS WELL RECEIVED AND CERTAINLY WORKING WITH MR. MOORE AND MR. ALTMAN GOING FORWARD. THAT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF A SLOW ROLL BECAUSE OF THE FUNDING MECHANISMS THAT WILL BE INVOLVED. BUT WHAT I'M HERE TONIGHT TO DO IS TO SECOND, ONE OF THE OTHER ELEMENTS OF OUR ENGAGEMENT WAS TO LOOK AT A DOWNTOWN HOTEL MARKET STUDY, AND I WAS REFERRED TO GREG HAINES WITH ISSUE HDMI, EXCUSE ME, INCORPORATED, WHICH IS A FIRM THAT DOES THIS TYPE OF WORK FOR LOCALITIES, FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE LOOKING TO REDEVELOP OR DEVELOP THEIR DOWNTOWNS OR DEVELOP CERTAIN SUBURBAN AREAS IN TRYING TO ATTRACT LODGING DEVELOPERS. BUT A LOT OF THE BULK OF THEIR WORK IS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND LOOKING AT THE VIABILITY OF CERTAIN MARKETS. 
          AND SO WHAT WE ASKED GREG TO DO IS TO DO WHAT'S CALLED A DESKTOP ANALYSIS OF THE DOWNTOWN MARKET AND TO SEE ANSWER THE QUESTION, COULD A SECOND HOTEL BE SUPPORTED BY THE CURRENT AND COMING MARKET, THE FUTURE MARKET? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS GETS INTO, AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE SLIDES, I THINK THEY WERE IN YOUR PACKET. BUT IT REALLY LOOKS AT WHAT, WHAT WHAT IS THE CURRENT STATE OF THE MARKET. MEANING NUMBER OF ROOMS, RATES, BRANDS, LOCATIONS, AND WHAT DOES A FORECASTED TREND LOOK LIKE FOR RATES, NUMBER OF ROOMS. AND ONE THING I LEFT IS DEMAND. IS THERE DEMAND TO SUPPORT A SECOND HOTEL IN THE DOWNTOWN 
          [01:30:06]
MARKET? AND I'LL SPEAK MORE TO WHAT THE DOWNTOWN MARKET MEANS. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE CITY'S RELATIONSHIP TO THESE OTHER METRO AREAS IS PRETTY ENVIABLE BECAUSE YOU'RE ON CERTAINLY THE NORTHEAST AND NORTH, SOUTH, EAST WEST AND NORTH SOUTH CORRIDORS THAT PROVIDE AT LEAST THE TRAVELING PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO PETERSBURG. HERE'S THE DOWNTOWN MARKET, AS GREG HAS DEFINED. AND THIS IS THESE ARE RANGE OF DIFFERENT BRANDED HOTELS, CERTAINLY IN THE DOWNTOWN CORE DOWNTOWN IS THE HOTEL PETERSBURG, WHICH IS A TAPESTRY COLLECTION BY HILTON. AND HE TOOK ALL THIS INTO ACCOUNT IN HIS REPORT, AND WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE DETAILS OF FINAL PART OF THE REPORT. AND I'LL SPEAK TO YOU IN A LITTLE BIT. I SPOKE TO THE LOCATION, SOMETHING YOU ALL KNOW VERY WELL. JUST NOTE HE WAS PRETTY IMPRESSED WITH THE AMOUNT OF AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC THAT GOES THROUGH THE 460, I-85 AND I-95. 
          THAT'S SOMETHING TO TO REALLY THAT WILL CATCH PEOPLE'S ATTENTION. FRANKLY, IN MY OPINION, THAT MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH WITH THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF OF PETERSBURG. THIS GOES INTO HOW DO YOU MEASURE THE DEMAND? WHAT ARE THE GROUPS THAT MAY BE COMING TO SAY? AND SOME OF THESE ARE PRETTY INTUITIVE. I MEAN, YOU HAVE INDIVIDUAL AND GROUPS. THE GROUP MARKET IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I THINK THAT IN TALKING WITH GREG AND WORKING WITH BRIAN HAS A LOT OF POTENTIAL, BUT YOU'VE ALSO GOT TO WEIGH THAT WITH REALITY DEVELOPERS GOING TO COME IN AND PUT RISK CAPITAL IN. AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO DO A BUSINESS PLAN AND UNDERSTAND WHETHER THEY CAN MAKE A RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT IN A DEFINED PERIOD OF TIME. BUT THE GENERATORS HERE FOR THAT GROUP TRAVEL ARE CERTAINLY VIRGINIA STATE BOND SECURES THE PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING CLUSTER IN FORT LEE. THOSE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS COMING IN AND OUT. AND WHETHER THEY'RE HERE FOR A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS OR SEVERAL DAYS, THAT KIND OF GETS A KIND OF GETS A BASELINE GOING IN THE NUMBER. IT'S IT'S A IT'S A GOOD GENERATOR TO HAVE BECAUSE ROOM NIGHTS ARE IF YOU DON'T USE A ROOM, IT'S WASTED. IT'S THE INVENTORY. AND HE SHOWED THE APPROXIMATE IS 65 OCCUPANCY RATE WHICH HE CONSIDERED A GOOD MEASURE AS WELL AS WHAT THE WHAT THE AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE. AND THIS IS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. HERE'S THE MARKET SET. HE USED COSTAR, WHICH IS A PROPRIETARY PRODUCT OF OF UNDERSTANDING REAL ESTATE MARKETS. AND SO THE THE OTHER OTHER THAN HOTEL PETERSBURG, THERE'S REALLY NO DOWN HERE IN THE CORE DOWNTOWN. AND I'LL SPEAK TO THE POWER CENTER HERE IN A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WAS PART OF THE WAS SOMETHING YOU ALL TOOK TOOK ACTION ON TODAY. HERE'S WHERE HE FELT THAT THE THE TYPES OF HOTELS THESE ARE NOT FULL SERVICE. THESE ARE SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DOWNSCALE FROM THEM. AND THIS IS WHERE THE HOTEL MIX LOOKED THE SUBJECT ON BANK STREET. THAT WAS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY THAT THE POWER CENTER IS LOCATED ON. BUT I'LL SPEAK. SPEAK TO THAT IN A SECOND. HE FEELS THAT THE THE THE MARKET COULD SUPPORT AN UPPER MIDSCALE TO UPSCALE SELECT SERVICE. POSSIBLE FULL SERVICE. AND THIS WAS ONE THING THAT THAT THAT MR. MOORE AND I TALKED ABOUT WITH GREG, BUT ALSO WITH OURSELVES BETWEEN US IS THAT WHATEVER THIS HOTEL IS SHOULD FIT THE COMMUNITY, THE CULTURE, THE HISTORY OF THE COMMUNITY. AND THERE ARE SOME BRANDS THAT DO THAT AS PART OF THEIR THEIR DESIGN AND THE WAY THAT THEY MARKET THEMSELVES. THERE'S A 90 AT PRESENT. THE DOWNTOWN COULD HOST A 90 ROOM HOTEL, AND THAT GETS INTO A BIT OF A SWEET SPOT FOR BRANDED HOTEL CHAIN HOTELS, BRANDED HOTELS THAT DEVELOPERS WOULD, WOULD USE TO TO BUILD SOMETHING SOMETHING LESS THAN 60 65TH MAY NOT MAKE ANY ECONOMIC SENSE. HERE. THE TYPE OF BRANDS THAT HE SAID, BASED ON THE 90 ROOM HOTEL. HE SEES THAT. AND THIS IS LET ME KIND OF JUMP INTO THAT. THE DEMAND. 
          THERE'S NORMAL. EVERYTHING LOOKS NORMAL. THERE'S NOTHING ABNORMAL WITH THE RATES THAT ARE GOING ON THAT THE NEW HOTEL COULD SUPPORT SERVICE SHOULD BE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE BECAUSE THEY'RE NEW ENTRANT TO THE MARKET, AND THAT THE AVERAGE DAILY ROOM RATE WOULD BE WITHIN THE MARKET. SET THE HOTEL, THE CASINO. THAT WAS ONE ONE ISSUE THAT WE WANTED TO DIG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER ON. WHAT IS SECOND HOTEL IN THE DOWNTOWN MARKET CANNIBALIZE, IF I COULD PUT THAT OR TAKE MARKET SHARE FROM THE HOTEL FOR THE CASINO. BASED ON HIS EXPERIENCE, THAT HOTEL 
          [01:35:03]
IS GOING TO SERVE CASINO GUESTS AND GROUPS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON PROPERTY. WHEREAS ANOTHER HOTEL DOWNTOWN HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE THE DOWNTOWN AS IT REDEVELOPS. THE LOGIC DEMAND WAS PRETTY GOOD. IN FACT, HE FELT IT WAS. IT WAS A LITTLE FORECAST, AT LEAST FOR 25 NEEDED TO BE BE ADJUSTED BACKWARDS TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE. AND HE SPOKE TO THIS. AND THIS IS MORE OF AN INTERNAL THAT A DEVELOPER WOULD DO WITH A BRANDED HOTEL, THAT THAT BRAND WOULD NOT GO AND LOCATE ANOTHER SIMILAR BRAND, SAY HILTON TO HILTON TYPE OF BRANDS WITHIN A CERTAIN FRANCHISE AREA. BUT HE WANTED TO MAKE US AWARE THAT THAT DEVELOPERS ARE AWARE OF HAVING THESE PROTECTIONS AS PART OF THEIR CONTRACT WITH THE BRAND. 
          HOTEL BRANDS. LET ME. LET ME END THERE, BRIAN, BECAUSE OF THE POWER CENTER AND THE MARRIOTT COURTYARD THAT'S BEEN PROPOSED FOR THE POWER CENTER, MR. MOORE AND I MET WITH GREG ON FRIDAY TO KIND OF UNPACK. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN REGARDING THIS FEASIBILITY STUDY? AND WE TALKED THROUGH THE MARKET, THE ABSORPTION RATE, THE FORECASTS AND THINGS, AND HE IS GOING TO ADJUST HIS REPORT. BUT HE IS OF THE OPINION THAT WITH THE ENTRANCE OF THE MARRIOTT COURTYARD, THAT THERE STILL REMAINS A MARKET POTENTIAL FOR A THIRD HOTEL DOWNTOWN. NOW THAT'S A DEVELOPER PUTTING THEIR RISK CAPITAL AT. CERTAINLY THE CITY HAS A PART IN THAT WITH THE SITE THAT IS ALREADY OWNED APPROXIMATE TO THE TO THE POWER CENTER. 
          CERTAINLY, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS THAT THE CITY WOULD ENTER IN WITH HOTEL DEVELOPERS WOULD COME INTO PLAY. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE POINTED OUT THAT THE MARKET COULD SUPPORT THIS, THAT THIS COULD BE AN UPPER SCALE TYPE OF HOTEL THAT COULD BE MORE TOWARDS A FULL SERVICE BECAUSE OF THE MARRIOTT COURTYARDS IN A CERTAIN NICHE OF ITSELF. THE OTHER INTERESTING THING, AND MR. MOORE AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO MR. ALTMAN, BUT YOU'RE STARTING WITH THREE HOTELS IN THE DOWNTOWN. YOU'RE GETTING A CRITICAL MASS OF ROOMS. SO IF IT'S 100 ROOMS AT THE MARRIOTT COURTYARD 60, I THINK IT IS AT DOWNTOWN HOTEL PETERSBERG. AND THEN MAYBE A 90 ROOM HOTEL. YOU'RE GETTING OVER, OVER CLOSE TO 300 ROOMS IN A WALKABLE AREA THAT THEN CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN EVENT SPACE THAT WOULD BE ADJACENT TO PERHAPS THIS THIRD HOTEL. THERE ARE SOME PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP MODELS OUT THERE WHERE MUNICIPALITIES PARTNER WITH DEVELOPERS TO BUILD THE EVENT SPACE, AND THEY BUILD THEN CERTAINLY PARKING DECKS COULD BE INVOLVED, BUT THEN YOU'RE GETTING INTO GROUP ATTRACTION, REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, THOSE TYPE OF GROUP EVENTS THAT THEN CREATE THE ECONOMIC MULTIPLIER THAT I THINK EVERYBODY WISHES FOR DOWNTOWN TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THAT, THAT VIBRANT DOWNTOWN. SO THE TURN OF EVENTS, AT LEAST WITH THE POWER CENTER COMING INTO INTO TO THE MARKET, IS STILL POSITIVE. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF EXPLORATION, THERE'S A LOT OF TALKING TO, AND CERTAINLY GETTING DEVELOPERS INTERESTED IS PROBABLY ONE OF TO GET THEIR TAKE ON ON HOW THEY SEE THIS. HE ALSO FEELS THAT SOME OF THESE UPPER SCALE BRANDS, WITH SOME OF THE HOTELS. WYNDHAM, IHG, I'M GOING TO HILTON, NOT MARRIOTT, MAY BE INTERESTED, AT LEAST HE FELT IN HIS OPINION YOU COULD GET SOME INTEREST AT LEAST HAVING THEM LOOK AT THIS, THIS OPPORTUNITY. SO I'LL END THERE. THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE. AND I'LL CERTAINLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OR TAKE ANY THOUGHTS THAT YOU HAVE OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MR. DAVID. REALLY GOOD INFORMATION. NEXT I GO TO QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN COOPER. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. MR. DAVID, GOOD TO SEE YOU. YES, SIR. YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT A 65% OCCUPANCY RATE. IS THAT A BREAKEVEN RATE FOR FULL SERVICE HOTEL? 65%? YES. HE'S GOING TO ADJUST THAT OCCUPANCY RATE BASED ON ON WHAT THE AVERAGE DAILY CHARGE WOULD BE. BUT HE FELT THAT THAT THAT WOULD GET INTO AT LEAST A BUILDING, A BUSINESS PLAN THAT A DEVELOPER WOULD LOOK AT. IT'S NOT GOING TO SAY IT'S GOING TO GOING TO BE THE END UP THERE. BUT HE SAID, BECAUSE OF THE MIX OF ROOMS AND THE NUMBER OF ROOMS AND AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN DOWNTOWN, HE FELT THAT THAT TYPE OF OCCUPANCY RATE WAS REASONABLE GIVEN THE GROWTH PROJECTIONS. THAT OCCUPANCY RATE MAY BE REASONABLE. BUT THAT WASN'T MY QUESTION. IS IT A BREAK EVEN RATE? WAS MY QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER. I'LL CERTAINLY POSE THAT QUESTION TO HIM. I MEAN, THAT'S THE KEY. YES, SIR. OKAY. 
          YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE 70%, BUT IF THE HOTEL ENDS UP LOSING MONEY OF. THAT RATE DOESN'T 
          [01:40:06]
REALLY MOTIVATE A QUALITY DEVELOPER TO DO ANYTHING. WELL, I THINK THE WAY WE APPROACH THIS WAS A FIRST EFFORT AND AT LEAST TRYING TO ASSESS THE DOWNTOWN MARKET, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT 65% RATE, IN HIS HIS OPINION AND THROUGH HIS ANALYSIS CAME UP WITH WHETHER THAT MEETS THE PROFORMA FOR A DEVELOPER REMAINS TO BE SEEN. BUT IT'S NOT WHERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF HE WOULD HAVE BEEN HONEST WITH IF IT WAS CAME IN AT 30% OR 45%, I THINK INTUITIVELY WE WOULD KNOW THAT THAT PROBABLY IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO ATTRACT A DEVELOPER. BUT HE FELT CONFIDENT BASED ON WHAT THE NUMBERS THAT HE SEES FROM WHERE HE SITS, THAT THERE'S AT LEAST A SOMETHING THAT COULD GRAB SOMEBODY'S ATTENTION. THE BREAK, EVEN IN THE ROI, IS REALLY GOING TO BE UP. THE DEVELOPER IS GOING TO BE MAKING THAT THAT FINAL ASSESSMENT. RIGHT. SO WHY DID YOU EVEN MENTION 65%? HE USED THAT AS PART OF HIS FORMULA. THAT WAS HIS ASSUMPTION AT A 65% ROOM, BASED ON OTHER, OTHER DATA POINTS THAT HE HAD IN HIS ANALYSIS. HE GOES THROUGH A WHOLE MODELING EFFORT WITH THIS. THAT'S PART OF WHAT WHAT HE WAS TO BE DONE. BUT I CAN ASK HIM MORE THAT WHERE DOES WHAT DOES THE OCCUPANCY RATE HAVE? WHAT'S THE FLOOR ON A BREAK EVEN SCENARIO. LIKE WHAT? WHAT IS THE BREAKEVEN OCCUPANCY RATE FOR A FULL SERVICE HOTEL? I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT A MOTEL SIX, RIGHT? YES, SIR. NO, I'M WITH YOU. I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER, BUT I CERTAINLY CAN CAN FIND OUT THAT ANSWER. I WOULD BE VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. AND YOU SAID AT THE VERY BEGINNING THAT THIS WAS A, QUOTE, DESKTOP ANALYSIS. YES, SIR. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, PLEASE? THAT MEANS HE'S NOT HE'S IN FLORIDA. AND AND WHAT HE DOES IS HAS ACCESS TO A LOT OF PROPRIETARY DATABASES, PLUS HIS PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE IN DOING SOCIOECONOMIC OR THE DEMOGRAPHICS, THE LOCATION, AND THEN THE EXISTING MARKET OF HOTELS AND WHAT THE ROOM RATES, THOSE ROOM RATES ARE, ARE PART OF THIS PROPRIETARY DATABASES THAT HE SUBSCRIBES TO. HE THEN USES ALL THAT INFORMATION TO COME OUT WITH HIS ANALYSIS. CERTAINLY PROVIDE MR. MOORE A COPY OF THE FINAL REPORT THAT YOU ALL CAN LOOK THAT THAT HOW HE GOT WENT THROUGH HIS ANALYSIS. SO THE MAN WHO DID THIS ANALYSIS, HAS HE EVER BEEN TO VIRGINIA? YES, SIR. YES, SIR. 
          HAS HE EVER BEEN TO PETERSBURG? NO, SIR. WE THE BUDGET WE HAD FOR THIS. NOW HE CAN HE CAN DO AN ON SITE ANALYSIS, BUT THE COST OF DOING THAT GOES UP, GOES UP CONSIDERABLY. WANTED TO AT LEAST ASK THE QUESTION, COULD A SECOND HOTEL BE VIABLE IN DOWNTOWN USING DATABASE ANALYSIS, NOT PHYSICAL PHYSICAL INSPECTION. AND HOW MUCH DID IT COST? IT WAS $6,000 IN THE COOPER CENTER. RETAINED THEM ON BEHALF OF THE CITY. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. OKAY. 
          ALSO, MR. DAVID, DID THEY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT BECAUSE I DON'T I DIDN'T SEE I KNOW WE HAVE THAT WOODSPRING SUITES THAT'S COMING IN ON ON CRATER ROAD. THE NEW THE NEW ONE. NO SIR THAT THAT BUT I, I CAN I CAN MAKE HIM AWARE OF THAT AND AND ALSO THE OTHER THING IS I KNOW CORDISH IS GOING FROM ONE HOTEL TOWER OF 200 ROOMS. THEY'VE ADDED TWO MORE HOTELS OUT THERE AT THAT SITE THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE COMING UP IN THE FIRST, FIRST PHASE. OKAY. SO WE MAY WANT TO ADD THAT TO HIS NUMBERS AS WELL. AND BUT WE TALKED QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE CORDISH DEVELOPMENT AND THE CASINO AND HOW IT REALLY IS SERVING DIFFERENT MARKETS. BUT I WILL MAKE HIM AWARE OF THE ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT COURT IS DOING, BECAUSE ONE OF THEM IS SHAMIN HOTELS, WHICH IS THE LARGEST HOTEL DEVELOPER IN IN VIRGINIA. THEY ARE I KNOW THEY ARE BUILDING OUT THERE AT THE CORDISH SITE AND ALSO INTERESTED IN DOING MORE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACCOUNT FOR THE FACT THAT WE, WE, WE HAVE OF THE AMOUNT OF ROOMS, LIKE WE SAY, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHAT THAT OCCUPANCY RATE IS TO STAY PROFITABLE. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILMAN JONES. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF. MY FRIEND HERE, COUNCILMAN CUTHBERT. 
          QUESTION HE ASKED. DESKTOP ANALYSIS. AND I THINK I HEARD YOU CORRECT. YOU SAID THAT'S 
          [01:45:10]
SOMEBODY WHO LIVES IN FLORIDA, RETAINED BY THE CITY, WHICH MEANS WE AND THE TAXPAYERS GOT TO PAY THAT BILL. AND HE NEVER BEEN TO PETERSBURG TO LAY EYES, AT LEAST ON WHAT HE'S DOING. 
          ANALYSIS ON. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. COUNCILMAN JONES, THAT'S A FAIR STATEMENT. BUT THE WAY HE LAYS OUT HIS WORK IS THAT THE FIRST FIRST STEP IS A DESKTOP ANALYSIS. THEN THEY CAN GO THROUGH AND ACTUALLY GO TO THE ON SITE, THE INSPECTION, THOSE TYPE OF ANALYSIS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT FROM HIM, DEVELOPERS ENGAGE HIM TO DO THAT. THIS WAS A FIRST ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DOWNTOWN MARKET LOOKED LIKE, AT LEAST FROM US ASKING HIM TO TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT WITH HIS PROFESSIONAL, YOU KNOW, WORK. I DON'T, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY THERE'S A COULD BE A SECOND STEP WHERE WE BRING HIM IN HERE TO DO FURTHER ANALYSIS. OF COURSE, THERE WOULD BE A COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. BUT ON THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH, WITH, WITH BRIAN AND BY EXTENSION, WITH, WITH COUNCIL, THIS WAS AT LEAST TO START ASKING THE QUESTIONS WITH SOME EXPERTISE. SO AGAIN, HE'S GETTING PAID TO SEE WHAT DOWNTOWN LOOKED LIKE WITHOUT LOOKING AT IT, OTHER THAN WHAT SOMEBODY'S TELLING THEM. WELL, YES. PRACTICAL MATTER. YEAH. NO, HE IS NOT SEEING THIS. WHAT I THINK HE'S DONE IS BEEN ABLE TO USE DATA THAT HE HAS ACCESS TO, TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF ROOMS, THE NUMBER OF THE RATES, THE TYPE OF OCCUPANCY THAT THESE HOTELS ARE DOING IT. AND THESE ARE DATA SETS THAT I CAN'T GET. I HAVE TO I WOULD HAVE TO SUBSCRIBE TO AND PAY MONEY TO TO GET TO THESE COSTARS. THE ONE THAT I THINK HE USES THE MOST. AS A CITIZEN, IS THAT NORMAL PROTOCOL TO TO PAY SOMEBODY TO INVEST IN OUR CITY, SOME KIND OF SKILL SET TO PUT THEIR EYES ON SOMETHING? IT'S A DIFFERENCE IN PUTTING YOUR EYES ON A BOOK OR DATA THAT SOMEBODY ELSE MAY HAVE WRITTEN. THEN THEY COME DOWN HERE AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELF, BECAUSE THINGS ARE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU SEE IN A BOOK HERE. THINGS ARE DIFFERENT HERE THAN WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE MAY SAY. I MEAN, YOU READ IT IN THE PAPER ALL THE TIME. YOU READ IT ON THE NEWS ALL THE TIME, WHERE PEOPLE MAY NOT BE WRITING OTHER THAN BILL WRITING THINGS ABOUT THE CITY. THINGS MAY NOT BE 100%, SO SOMEBODY CAN GIVE THEM THE WRONG ANALYSIS, THE WRONG INFORMATION. HE'S PLUGGING IT IN AT HIS DESKTOP. IF I CAN MAKE $6,000 JUST SITTING HERE AND CITIES CAN PAY ME LIKE THAT, I MEAN, THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST STEP. COME DOWN HERE AND SIT DOWN WITH US, TALK TO YOUR LEADERS, TALK TO THE COMMUNITY, AND LOOK AT THE SITE WHERE YOU DON'T DO A GOOGLE MAP SEARCH AND LOOK AT THE SITE LIKE THAT. I JUST THINK WE'RE PAYING MONEY FOR, I GUARANTEE YOU, SOMEBODY CLOSER THAN FLORIDA CAN DO THAT SAME THING. 
          WHY? HOW DO WE GET THIS GUY? I WAS GIVEN HIS NAME BY ONE COMMUNITY, AND THERE WAS ANOTHER COMMUNITY HERE IN VIRGINIA THAT USED HIM TO RECRUIT, TO RECRUIT HOTEL DEVELOPERS, TO HAVE THEM COME AND BE INTERESTED IN THE LOCALITY. MR. MOORE, CAN'T YOU DO THAT? CAN'T YOU GET SOMEBODY INSTEAD OF SOMEBODY ELSE GETTING SOMEBODY TO TELL THIS GUY, HEY, I NEED Y'ALL TO COME LOOK AT PETERSBURG AND GIVE ME SOME INFORMATION, SEND IT TO AN EMAIL, AND WE GOT TO PAY HIM $60,000 OR $6000 FOR AN EMAIL TO DO A DESKTOP ANALYSIS. THAT MEANS YOU CAN JUST SIT THERE WHERE YOU AT AND DON'T GO ANYWHERE AND JUST TAKE NOTES FROM YOUR COMRADES WHOSE JUICE IN OTHER CITIES, PROBABLY. SO BEFORE MR. MOORE ANSWERS YOU THE QUESTION YOU ASKED ME IN WHEN YOU DO A FIRST ROUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BLUSH LOOKING AT MARKETS, WHETHER THAT'S FOR A HOTEL OR RETAIL MARKET STUDIES, A LOT OF THEM ARE DONE BY DATA AT A HIGH LEVEL, NOT BOOTS ON THE GROUND. SO THERE THERE USED TO BE A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM A RETAIL RECRUITMENT PERSPECTIVE. ESRI, WHICH IS A LARGE, LARGE GIS COMPANY, WOULD DO A RETAIL ANALYSIS FOR YOU. YOU COULD GO ONLINE AND THEY COULD TELL YOU WITHIN A DAY YOU WOULD GET AN EMAIL WITH A CHART THAT WOULD SHOW YOU HOW MUCH OUR CITIZENS ARE CURRENTLY SPENDING ON GROCERIES INSIDE THE CITY AND OUTSIDE THE CITY, TO GIVE YOU A LEAKAGE AMOUNT THAT OKAY, NOW WE NEED TO TARGET A GROCERY STORE. WE NEED TO TARGET THIS. 
          SO A LOT OF THAT HIGH LEVEL DATA IS AVAILABLE. AND IT'S IT'S DONE FOR FIRST ROUND OR FIRST BLUSH REPORT. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S UNCOMMON TO HAVE SOMEONE IN ANOTHER COMMUNITY 
          [01:50:01]
THAT HAS ACCESS TO COSTAR. BUT ALSO I THINK IN THIS CASE IT'S JUST NOT ACCESS TO THE DATA. IF WE WANTED A MORE IN-DEPTH STUDY, THIS GENTLEMAN AND WHAT HE DOES, HE DOES THAT. SO IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TAKING IT TO THE NEXT STEP. SO IN THIS CASE, WE WE WANT TO FIND OUT IS THERE A MARKET TOLERANCE FOR AN ADDITIONAL HOTEL WITHIN DOWNTOWN. COULD IT SUPPORT IT. 
          THE INITIAL DATA SAYS SUGGEST YES. SO NOW IT MAY BE OKAY. NOW THAT WE HAVE THE INITIAL DATA, WE NEED TO GET INTO A MORE IN-DEPTH STUDY TO LOOK AT WHAT DOES THAT DO FROM A MARKET PERSPECTIVE? AS MR. CUTHBERT HAD MENTIONED, WHAT IS IT? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FROM A OCCUPANCY PERSPECTIVE? HOW DOES THAT AFFECT RATES? THOSE THINGS BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH IN DIFFERENT LAYERS. SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS JUST A KIND OF A 30,000 FOOT LOOK DOWN TO SAY, COULD OUR DOWNTOWN SUPPORT MORE THAN ONE IF IF THE THOUGHT THERE IS YES, WE AND WE WANT TO EXPLORE IT MORE, THEN WE GET SOMEONE TO COME IN AND DO A MORE IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS BOOTS ON THE GROUND TO GET THAT INFORMATION. BUT I WOULD, TO ANSWER YOUR GENERAL QUESTION OR YOUR FIRST QUESTION. YES. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, YOU LOOK AT MARKET STUDY WORK, A LOT OF IT IS DONE REMOTELY, NOT ON THE GROUND BECAUSE AND I'VE DONE SOME ON THE GROUND, KNOCK ON DOORS AND TALK TO CONSUMERS, DO CONSUMER INTERCEPT AND MERCHANT SURVEYS TO TALK ABOUT MARKET CONDITIONS IN THE AREA THAT BECOMES MORE IN DEPTH, A LITTLE MORE TIME CONSUMING. SO I THINK FIRST ROUND, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WHAT WE WANT TO DO. NOW. IF THERE'S AN INTEREST, WE CAN DRILL DOWN AND DO A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DEPTH STUDY. RIGHT. BUT COUNCILMAN JONES, I JUST WANT TO INTERJECT REAL QUICK. I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO GET DOWN TO THE ROOT OF THIS AND AND THE WHY? I'VE BEEN MAYOR HERE FOR EIGHT YEARS AND WAS COURTING HOTELS FOR DOWNTOWN FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS, AND THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED UNLESS WITH HOTEL PETERSBURG BEING AS HUGE A SUCCESS, BECAUSE ALL OF THE BIG HOTEL COMPANIES WAS TELLING US WE HAD NO DATA TO SHOW WHAT A HOTEL IN PETERSBURG WOULD DO. AND NOW THAT HOTEL PETERSBURG IS SELLING OUT ON A ROUTINE BASIS. NOW EVERYBODY'S SAYING, OH, WE LET'S LET'S DO SOME. THE DATA IS SAYING THAT PETERSBURG CAN SUSTAIN IT. BUT UNTIL WE HAD THAT DATA FROM HOTEL PETERSBURG, NOT EVEN VIRGINIA TOURISM CORPORATION WANTED TO LEND MONEY INTO A HOTEL PROJECT IN PETERSBURG. BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S OVER EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS. 
          AND BECAUSE OF THAT, COUNCILMAN JONES, THAT'S WHY THEY'RE SHOWING THAT. OKAY, NOW LET'S LOOK. DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG IS IS PRETTY HOT. IF THIS HOTEL IS SELLING OUT ON A ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND NOW THEY'RE SAYING, WELL, GUESS WHAT, HOW MANY MORE HOTELS CAN THE CITY SUSTAIN? BUT BEFORE THAT I TALKED TO ALL ALL OF THESE LARGE HOTEL PEOPLE IN IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA. WE HAVE BEEN TELLING THEM THAT VIRGINIA STATE IS HERE, FORT LEE IS HERE. FORT GREG ADAMS AND AND AND ALL THOSE OTHER CONTRACTORS WAS COMING HERE. WE TALKED ABOUT 8595 AND 460, BUT NOBODY BELIEVED IN THE MARKET UNTIL WE REALLY GOT BEHIND HOTEL PETERSBURG GETTING OFF THE GROUND. SO THAT REALLY IS THE CATALYST TO US BEING ABLE TO PRODUCE DATA FOR PEOPLE TO BELIEVE AND INVESTING IN THE PRODUCT, WHICH IS PETERSBURG. 
          SO YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT. BUT THIS GOES BACK TO. WHAT COUNCILMAN WESTBROOK BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION A WHILE AGO. AND IT'S NOT A JOB AT THE AT THE DATA OR ANYTHING, BUT THE USE OF AI. THE QUESTION THAT YOU JUST ASKED, I THINK IF I UNDERSTAND MR. WESTBROOK CORRECTLY, IF YOU PLUG THEM QUESTIONS INTO WHATEVER AI IS OUT THERE, THEY PROBABLY COULD GIVE YOU THE SAME THING, SAME ANSWERS FOR FREE. SO I'M NOT GOING TO COMPLETELY DISAGREE. 
          BUT WHAT I'LL SAY IS A LOT OF THE DATABASES THAT ARE BEING USED ARE PROPRIETARY, AND THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE TO PAY INTO THE DATABASE. SO AI IS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO INTO COSTAR'S DATABASE AND PULL DATA OUT BECAUSE THAT'S PROPRIETARY. SO CAN YOU EXPLAIN IT TO THE PEOPLE OF COSTAR IS BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT COSTAR IS. SO LIKE COSTAR, THERE'S A COSTAR. COSTAR IS A REAL ESTATE. THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED IN. THEY'RE HEADQUARTERED IN DOWNTOWN RICHMOND, OVERLOOKING. BELLE ISLE. AND THEY THEY DO MARKET REAL ESTATE MARKET RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS. AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF DATA THAT IF YOU WANT IT, YOU GOT TO PAY A MONTHLY FEE TO SUBSCRIBE TO IT, AND THEN YOU CAN MINE THAT DATA FROM THEM AND UTILIZE IT. BUT TYPICALLY THE FEES ARE SO HIGH ENOUGH THAT IT MAKES IT'S NOT A SMALLER COMMUNITY IS NOT GOING TO SUBSCRIBE TO IT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT GOING TO USE IT ALL THE TIME. BUT A CONSULTANT SUCH AS THE ONE THAT WELDON COOPER IS WORKING WITH, THEY DO HAVE CLIENTS ALL OVER THE PLACE, SO 
          [01:55:01]
IT MAKES SENSE. SO COSTAR'S DATA IS GOING TO BE PROPRIETARY. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PULL THAT OUT. WE USE A LEVEL OF AI THROUGH A A PROGRAM CALLED PLACER ID, WHICH USES CELL PHONE LOCATION DATA TO TRACK WHERE SALES AND THINGS ARE MADE. BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO TELL US WHAT THEY BOUGHT OR THAT IT'S JUST GOING TO SAY X NUMBER OF PEOPLE WERE CLOSE TO LONG STREETS AS AN EXAMPLE. SO THAT'S WHAT THAT DOES. THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU AND THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, COUNCILWOMAN SMITH LEE. YEAH, I JUST WANT TO JUST SAY DATA IS IMPORTANT. THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET A STARBUCKS OR A CHICK FIL A OR OR A OUTBACK. WE HAVE TO HAVE THE DATA TO SUSTAIN THOSE TYPE OF RESTAURANTS. AND IT'S IT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, THAT I UNDERSTAND IF I COULD. 
          COUNCIL SMITH COUNCIL LADY SMITH LEE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MY EXPERIENCE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR DOING THIS TYPE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, IT REALLY REVOLVES AROUND NUMBERS. 
          TO COUNCILMAN JONES POST PICTURES AND THREE A STORY, NUMBERS, PICTURE AND STORY. THE PICTURES AND STORY WERE GOING TO DEVELOP. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THAT. BUT FIRST WE HAVE TO START WITH THE NUMBERS TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT THE THE PICTURES AND THE STORIES TO, TO INDUCE OR RECRUIT INVESTMENT, WHETHER IT'S WHETHER IT'S A MANUFACTURING PLANT OR IT'S A HOTEL OR A STARBUCKS OR A GROCERY STORE, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS SEQUENCE. 
          BUT REALLY IT'S THE STORY THAT THAT THEN WRAPS THE OTHER TWO TOGETHER TO HAVE THE PRIVATE SECTOR MAKE INVESTMENTS AND CREATE JOBS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION, MR. DAVID. AS ALWAYS, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING ON ON THIS IDEA AND KEEP MOVING THIS THING FORWARD AND COME BACK TO YOU AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME. OKAY. PERFECT. 
          THANK YOU. GOOD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NEXT IS ITEM B, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INTERN PRESENTATION MAN BY DESIGN. GOOD EVENING SIR. HOW ARE YOU? GOOD. HOW ARE YOU ALL? GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL. OVER THE COURSE OF THE SUMMER, WE WERE HONORED TO HAVE OUR INTERNS, AS WE DO EACH AND EVERY SUMMER. THIS PARTICULAR SUMMER, WE WERE BLESSED TO HAVE MAN BY DESIGN'S JOSHUA LEE, WHO IS THE ONE OF THE FACES BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN FOR THE CORE GROUP'S CAMPAIGN FOR THE CASINO, CAPTURING THOSE THAT VIDEOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHY. AND HE CAME IN AND HELPED OUR INTERNS WITH THE RECAP VIDEO, AND I'LL LET HIM GIVE YOU A BRIEF OVERVIEW ON HOW HE HELPED WITH THE INTERNS. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT FOR ENTRUSTING ME WITH ASSISTING THE INTERNS WITH THEIR SUMMER PROGRAM. SO BASICALLY, THE SUMMER INTERNS, THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACTUALLY VISIT AND TALK TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. AND THROUGHOUT MY TIME WITH THE INTERNS, I GOT TO SEE THEM EVOLVE AND THEM TO ACTUALLY TAKE PRIDE IN THE PROJECT THAT THEY WERE DOING AS THEY WERE TALKING TO SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE HISTORICAL DOWNTOWN AND THEIR NEEDS AND THE SUPPORT THEY NEED FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. SO I ASKED THAT AS YOU WATCH THE VIDEO THAT I DID FOR THE INTERNS, THAT YOU JUST LISTEN, LISTEN TO THE HEART OF THE INTERNS AS THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE TODAY WILL NOT ONLY IMPACT US, BUT WILL ALSO IMPACT THE FUTURES, THE FUTURE OF THE FUTURE GENERATION TO THAT WILL COME TO LIVE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. SO I JUST ASKED THAT YOU JUST LISTEN AND ENJOY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JOSHUA. 
          [02:00:25]
HI, MY NAME IS LISA. HI, I'M JACOB SLAYTON. HELLO. MY NAME IS SHAMIA JOHNSON. AND THIS IS OUR PROJECT FOR THE CITY OF PETERSBURG AS PART OF OUR FOUR WEEK SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM WITH THE CITY OF PETERSBURG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. 
          OUR PRIMARY DELIVERABLE WAS TO HELP ASSESS LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG. THIS INVOLVED ENGAGING WITH BUSINESS OWNERS, GATHERING INSIGHTS AND IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH, SUPPORT AND COMMUNITY REVITALIZATION. FOR THE DURATION OF THIS INTERNSHIP, WE HAVE VISITED 35 LOCAL BUSINESSES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA OF PETERSBURG. FOR THOSE THAT WE'VE ENGAGED WITH, 54.3% OF THOSE BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN HERE FOR OVER FIVE YEARS. THE OTHER 45.7% HAS BEEN HERE FOR LESS THAN FIVE YEARS. FOR THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE GATHERED, IT HAS HELPED US TO UNDERSTAND THE LONG STANDING CHALLENGES AND EMERGING NEEDS OF THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. TO DEEPEN OUR ANALYSIS, WE CONDUCTED IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS, SURVEYS AND OBSERVATIONAL WALKTHROUGHS AT THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT. ME AND MY TEAM DOCUMENTED KEY THEMES AROUND ACCESS, RESOURCES, VISIBILITY, INFRASTRUCTURES, AND MARKETING. WE THEN COMPILED OUR FINDINGS INTO A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT WHERE ACTIONABLE RECOMMENDATIONS AIMED AT STRENGTHENING SMALL BUSINESSES AND IMPROVING THE VISIBILITY OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA. THIS INITIATIVE NOT ONLY SUPPORTED THE CITY STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORTS, BUT ALSO PROVIDED US WITH HANDS ON EXPERIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CITY ENGAGEMENT AND DATA DRIVEN DECISION MAKING. THROUGH OUR BUSINESS ANALYSIS, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL KEY AREAS OF THE CITY REQUIRING SUPPORT, INCLUDING A CLEANER AND SAFER ENVIRONMENT, UNIFIED CITY COMMUNICATION, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FUNDS, CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT, POSITIVE ADVERTISEMENT SKILL BUILDING AND BUSINESS STARTUP FUNDS IN ALL SIX BUSINESSES, TWO BEING UNDER FIVE YEARS ESTABLISHED, THEREFORE BEING OVER FIVE YEARS, HAVE BROUGHT UP CONCERNS REGARDING THE SAFETY AND CLEANLINESS OF DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG. EXAMPLES INCLUDE UNSAFE SIDEWALKS ON OLD STREET, SPEEDING ON NORTH SYCAMORE STREET, AND PARKING AS A WHOLE IN ALL OF DOWNTOWN. FIVE BUSINESSES, TWO BEING UNDER FIVE YEARS ESTABLISHED AND THREE BEING OVER HAVE BROUGHT UP CONCERNS OF A LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND LOCAL BUSINESSES. LACK OF COMMUNICATION CREATES CONFUSION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY. LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE SUGGESTED ROUND HOUSE MEETINGS AS A WAY TO UNIFY THE CITY AND THE LOCAL BUSINESSES, WHICH WILL ALLOW THEM TO BRING UP POINTS SUCH AS BUSINESSES BEING OPEN AND CLOSED ON SPECIFIC DAYS. IT WILL ALSO ALLOW THEM TO BRING IN MORE TRAFFIC TO AN AREA FOR THE NEXT CATEGORY WE HAVE IS CALLED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FUNDS. A TOTAL OF FOUR BUSINESSES HAVE STATED THAT THE LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE CITY REGARDING FINANCIAL AID WITH NATURAL DISASTERS AND DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IS AN ISSUE. TWO OF THOSE BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN HERE FOR LESS THAN FIVE YEARS, WHILE THE OTHER TWO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. SMALL GRANTS AND RESOURCES WILL HELP OUR BUSINESSES THRIVE IN LOCAL DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG. THE NEXT CATEGORY WE HAVE IS CALLED CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT. NINE BUSINESSES AGREE THAT A WAY TO HELP LIVEN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG IS BY BUILDING THE AMOUNT OF ACTIVITY IN THE AREA, FOR THOSE BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN HERE FOR LESS THAN FIVE YEARS, WHILE THE OTHER FIVE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. MANY BUSINESSES HAVE STATED THAT PEOPLE COME TO DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG THINKING OF ONLY FOOD. WHEN THEY EAT, THEY'RE READY TO GO. IF WE CAN BUILD THE FESTIVAL AND EVENT AMOUNT IN THE AREA OF PETERSBURG WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW NOT ONLY THE RESIDENTS OF PETERSBURG, BUT THE NONRESIDENTS OF PETERSBURG, THAT DOWNTOWN PETERSBURG IS MORE THAN JUST FOOD. TODAY WE WILL TALK ABOUT TWO TOPICS THAT CAN HELP THE CITY IMPROVE. ONE TOPIC IS GOING TO BE POSITIVE ADVERTISING. FIVE DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES SAID THAT THE CITY OVERALL GETS A BAD IMAGE, MAKING BODIES WORRY ABOUT WHAT THEY HAVE TO OFFER FOR BUSINESSES HAS BEEN HERE LESS THAN FIVE YEARS, WHILE ONE HAS BEEN HERE MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. 
          BY HIGHLIGHTING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, ONGOING AND BUILDING A POSITIVE IMAGE FOR THE CITY CAN BRING MORE FOOT TRAFFIC WITHIN OUR CITY. THE SECOND TYPE WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS SKILL BUILDING FOR LOCAL DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. 
          SAYS THAT SKILL DEVELOPMENT IS NEEDED TO HELP MOVE THEIR BUSINESS FORWARD. ONE HAS BEEN 
          [02:05:01]
HERE LESS THAN FIVE YEARS, WHILE THE OTHER HAS BEEN HERE FOR MORE THAN FIVE YEARS. 
          DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND WORK EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES GIVEN TO PEOPLE WILL HELP BE MORE RETRIEVED, VALUABLE AND WELL-ROUNDED WORKERS. SEVEN BUSINESSES, ALL BEING UNDER FIVE YEARS ESTABLISHED, HAS STATED A STRUGGLE WHEN IT COMES TO CREATING THEIR OWN BUSINESS. 
          THE MAIN STRUGGLE STEMS FROM LACK OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE CITY AND THE PROCESS OF CREATING A NEW BUSINESS AS A WHOLE. A SOLUTION FOR THIS IS TO MAKE THE PROCESS EASIER AND MORE SIMPLIFIED FOR NEW BUSINESS OWNERS. UNFORTUNATELY, 12 BUSINESSES WERE UNABLE TO GIVE A RESPONSE, WHETHER FOR UNAVAILABILITY OR BUSINESSES NOW BEING CLOSED. THE DATA WE'VE COLLECTED REPRESENTS ONLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF BUSINESSES HERE IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. 
          UNFORTUNATELY, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO CONNECT WITH EVERY BUSINESS DUE TO LIMITED TIME AND LIMITED RESOURCES. BUT THEIR STORIES, THE ONE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO CAPTURE, HIGHLIGHTS THE RESILIENCE, CREATION AND COMMITMENT FOUND IN EVERY CORNER OF PETERSBURG. THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN. WE'RE CALLING ON ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO LISTEN TO THE HEART OF PETERSBURG AND BRING MUCH NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE, REVITALIZATION AND SUPPORT TO GROW OUR CITY. BECAUSE EVERY WARD, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD AND EVERY BUSINESS IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT NOT JUST FOR US, BUT FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME. ON BEHALF OF THE ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT, WE JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILMAN SMITH? I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE. SEEING HOW WE INVEST IN IN THE STUDENTS IN THE CITY OF PETERSBURG. THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST PAST. 
          HAS IT BEEN FOUR YEARS, CHIEF, SINCE WE STARTED THIS PROGRAM? FOUR YEARS. OKAY. AND I APPRECIATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT THAT THAT PRESENTATION WAS ON ON POINT. THANK YOU. AND YOU AND I THANK Y'ALL FOR INVESTING IN OUR STUDENTS. WE'RE NOT WE WE WE'RE NOT WE AIN'T GOING NOWHERE. WE'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. AND WE LOVE OUR KIDS. AND WE'RE NOT WE WE'RE NOT GOING TO TURN OUR BACKS ON THEM. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT. COMMENTS OKAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND AND HOPEFULLY BY NEXT YEAR'S. SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, THEY'LL HAVE THE FOLLOW UP TO A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS. A LOT OF THINGS ARE BEING BEING ADDRESSED AND COMING UP. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO TO SEEING THE CITY EVOLVE EVEN MORE NEXT YEAR. SO LET'S CAPTURE ALL OF THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT'S GOING TO COME AS WELL. YES OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. 
          [16. City Manager's Agenda]
NEXT WE HAVE CITY MANAGER'S AGENDA. MR. ALTMAN. NO REPORTS THIS EVENING, MR. MAYOR. MR. MR. MAYOR, MAY I ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS OF THE CITY MANAGER, COUNCILMAN COOPER. 
          THANK YOU. MR. CITY MANAGER, WOULD YOU BRING US UP TO DATE ON THE DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT PLAN THAT I THINK MAYBE IN JULY, COUNCIL VOTED TO SPEND OR ALLOCATED $1 MILLION FOR, AND I, I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY ANY DIFFERENCE IN DOWNTOWN. WELL, SO WELL THERE THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN THE DOWNTOWN AND SOME OF WHICH YOU MAY NOT AND MOST PEOPLE MAY NOT SEE. 
          AND WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT WHEN WE WENT INTO DOWNTOWN, WE WEREN'T REALLY STARTING AT GROUND LEVEL. WE WERE STARTING BELOW GROUND LEVEL BECAUSE WE HAD NOT DONE ANY TYPE OF IMPROVEMENTS IN A NUMBER OF YEARS. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT AND WE'VE GOTTEN WE HAVE PRICES ON PAVING FOR OUR PARKING LOTS. WE HAVEN'T WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET. WE'RE GOING TO SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT THOSE PRICING AND WHAT WHICH PARKING LOTS WE'RE GOING TO DO. OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO SOME. IF WE'RE LOOKING AT DEMOING THE CRUISERS BUILDING, WE DON'T WANT TO PAVE THAT AND THEN DAMAGE THAT AFTER THE DEMOLITION. SO THERE'S A TIMING ISSUE THERE. WE'VE GOT SOME OVERALL EFFORTS TO WITH VEGETATION PLANTERS, WHERE WE'VE ORDERED ADDITIONAL TRASH RECEPTACLES FOR THE DOWNTOWN. THAT WILL PROBABLY DOUBLE THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY. 
          SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE ONGOING THAT OUR OUR CREWS ARE WORKING ON. AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH LOOKING AT BRINGING SOME PRIVATE VENDORS IN TO HELP US MOVE THE EFFORTS ALONG. SO WE HAVE WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO COME AND DO A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL AT A FUTURE MEETING TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THOSE EFFORTS AND WHAT WHAT YOU'RE WHAT YOU WILL SEE COMING IN IN THE NEAR FUTURE. BUT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF EFFORT PUT FORTH AND NOT ALL OF 
          [02:10:03]
IT YOU CAN SEE, AND SOME OF WHICH I WOULD SAY WE'VE WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND THE PARKING LOTS ACROSS FROM THE FARMER'S MARKET COMPLETELY REDID THAT PARKING LOT. THE PLANNING BIDS THERE. WE REPLACED ALL THE THE ELECTRICAL WITH NEW ELECTRICAL OUTLETS SO WE CAN IF WE DO LIGHTS AT CHRISTMAS, WE'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT. A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU MAY NOT NECESSARILY NOTICE ALL THE TIME, BUT WE HAVE BEEN MAKING IMPROVEMENTS AND MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT. BUT AGAIN, WE'D BE HAPPY TO MAKE A PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION. WELL, IF WE DON'T NOTICE THEM, THEN THERE'S NOT GOING TO WE'RE NOT GOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON MAKING DOWNTOWN MORE ATTRACTIVE. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE WHOLE MOTIVATION IN ORDER TO TRY TO GET TO TO INDUCE PEOPLE TO TRAVEL INTO DOWNTOWN FROM THE CASINO. BUT IF THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE NOT NOTICEABLE, I DON'T KNOW THAT THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE GOING TO GOING TO MAKE THAT DIFFERENCE. SO AGAIN, A LOT OF WHAT WE'VE DONE, WE'VE HAD TO BUILD THE BASE UP TO BE ABLE TO THEN MAKE SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS. WE'RE LOOKING WE'RE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH DOMINION NOW ABOUT REPAINTING THE LIGHT POLES IN DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE A LOT OF THEM ARE THE PAINT'S FLAKING AND CHIPPING. SO WE'RE WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THINGS THAT IS NOT ABOVE THE SURFACE THAT WE'RE DOING TO GET THINGS READY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS TWO YEAR WINDOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE UNDER A TEMPORARY CASINO AND THEN BUILDING TOWARDS MORE LONG TERM IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH ARE NOT GOING TO MOST CERTAINLY WILL. THE MILLION DOLLARS WILL NOT COVER CONVERSATION OF DO WE PUT BRICKS AND BRICKS SIDEWALK BETWEEN TAB AND BANK. IT'S ALL CONCRETE NOW. IT'S THE ONLY SECTION OF SYCAMORE THAT IS CONCRETE THAT IS NOT $1 MILLION PROJECT. THAT IS A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT THAT'S GOING TO TAKE DESIGN WORK, FIELD DESIGN, WORK PLANS, BIDDING. SO THERE'S THINGS THAT LONG TERM WE NEED TO DO. THE MONEY SHORT TERM WAS TO GET SOME THINGS UP AND RUNNING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT WE HAVE FOUND IS THINGS WERE IN A LOT WORSE CONDITION THAN WE THOUGHT. BUT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION AND AGAIN, WE'RE HAPPY TO COME AND GIVE A PRESENTATION ON WHERE WE'RE GOING IF THERE'S QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. WELL, THANK YOU, BUT I WAS REALLY EXCITED WHEN THIS PRESENTATION WAS MADE TO US. I THINK IN IN THE SUMMERTIME. AND IT JUST SEEMS TO HAVE FIZZLED AND, AND NOTHING'S HAPPENING, BUT IT'S NOT FIZZLING. WE ARE ACTIVELY WORKING ON PROJECTS. JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT COMPLETELY VISIBLE DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT WORKING ON THINGS THAT WILL COME TO FRUITION AND IMPROVE THE VISUAL QUALITY OF DOWNTOWN. IT HASN'T FIZZLED, I CAN ASSURE YOU. IN ALL COUNCIL, THEY'RE ACTIVELY BEING WORKED ON THINGS JUST IT'S WE DON'T HAVE A MAGIC WAND THAT WE CAN JUST FLICK, FLICK AND EVERYTHING'S DONE. WE'VE GOT TO MAKE CONTACTS. WE HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS LIKE THE LIGHT POLES. YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH DOMINION ON SCHEDULING TO GET THAT DONE. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS, AND AGAIN, WE'D BE HAPPY TO DO A PRESENTATION FOR COUNCIL. NOW, ALSO, AS PART OF THAT PRESENTATION MADE TO COUNCIL IN THE EARLY SUMMER, THERE WAS A IMAGE OF SOUTHSIDE DEPOT AND OVER THE DOORWAY I THINK IT SAID. PETERSBURG INFORMATION CENTER. AND HERE WE ARE INTO OCTOBER. AND THERE'S WE STILL HAVEN'T GOT IT. THE INFORMATION CENTER MOVED INTO SOUTHSIDE DEPOT. WHEN IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN? SO IN AS AS WE'VE DISCUSSED IN OUR MEETINGS, WE'RE TARGETING A NOVEMBER OPENING AND GRAND OPENING, RIBBON CUTTING. AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH AN EVENT THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR IN OLD TOWN. SO WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS THAT NOVEMBER DATE TO HAVE THAT. 
          WE WERE THERE YESTERDAY LOOKING, WALKING THROUGH WITH ALL THE PUBLIC WORKS ON TOUCH UPS THAT WE NEED TO DO AND GETTING GETTING THINGS READY SO WE CAN MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT. WELL, NOT AN ANNOUNCEMENT, BUT HAVE THAT RIBBON CUTTING AND OCCUPY THAT SPACE BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER. AND WHEN IN NOVEMBER, DO YOU EXPECT THAT RIBBON CUTTING TO TAKE PLACE, MR. ALTMAN? I IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I THINK WE'RE TARGETING NOVEMBER 14TH. WELL, I LOOK FORWARD TO IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEXT. MR. WILLIAMS, 
          [18. Business or reports from the City Attorney]
ANY ITEMS TONIGHT? NO, MR. MAYOR. ALL RIGHT, MISS HILL, ANY ITEMS TONIGHT? SO. YES, SIR. 
          BRIEFLY. COUNCIL WILL BE CONSIDERING BOARDS AND COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS AT THEIR NEXT MEETING. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN SERVING, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS. I KNOW THAT WE'LL BE THEY'LL BE CONSIDERING THAT WE THEY WILL BE CONSIDERING APPOINTMENTS FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, THE ARTS COUNCIL. SO I KNOW THAT THOSE ARE TWO BOARDS THAT THEY WILL BE CONSIDERING APPOINTMENT FOR. ALSO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW 
          [02:15:04]
THAT WAS RECENTLY APPOINTED TO THE CRATER AREA COALITION OF HOMELESSNESS ON THEIR BOARD OF DIRECTORS. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC IN REGARDS TO THE FACT THAT IT IS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE MONTH, THAT THE PETERSBURG DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TASK FORCE, WHICH I SERVE ON AS WELL, WILL BE HOSTING THEIR ADVOCATE AND ALLIED CONFERENCE HERE AT THE EVENT CENTER ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER THE 28TH AT 8:30 A.M. I DO SOLICIT YOUR PRAYERS FOR THE 23RD DISTRICT. VIRGINIA DELEGATE KANDY KING BEING THAT SEPTEMBER WAS CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH, SHE. UNFORTUNATELY, HER AND HER FAMILY LOST THEIR 15 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER TO SICKLE CELL OVER THE WEEKEND. SO I DO ASK THAT YOU PLEASE KEEP THEM IN YOUR PRAYERS. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH HER WHEN I WAS IN PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, SO PLEASE KEEP HER AND YOUR FAMILY IN YOUR PRAYERS. THANK YOU MAYOR. THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OH, OKAY. SIR. YES. I'M SORRY. YES. JUST REMINDED ME. YES, MADAM CLERK, ALSO FOR THE ARTS COUNCIL, THEY ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING A BOARD MEMBER TO SERVE AS TREASURER ON THE PETERSBURG ARTS COUNCIL. SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE SUBMIT AN APPLICATION. THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ITEM 18. ADJOURNMENT. MOTION TO ADJOURN. 
          SO MOVED. ALL IN FAVOR
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.