[1:01] Good afternoon everyone. Welcome to the
[1:03] Williamsburg City Council meeting of
[1:04] Thursday, January 8th. Miss McCay, would
[1:07] you call the role, please?
[1:08] >> Miss Williams
[1:09] » Miss Williams
[1:09] >> here. Miss Ramsey
[1:10] » here. Miss Ramsey
[1:10] >> here. Mayor Ponds
[1:11] » here. Mayor Ponds
[1:11] >> here.
[1:11] » here.
[1:11] >> Vice Mayor Dent
[1:12] » Vice Mayor Dent
[1:12] >> here.
[1:12] » here.
[1:12] >> Miss Kernier
[1:13] » Miss Kernier
[1:13] >> here.
[1:14] » here.
[1:14] >> Okay, now that we're all here, um, first
[1:16] » Okay, now that we're all here, um, first
[1:16] on our agenda is council minutes. We
[1:18] have several here for approval. Are
[1:20] there any modifications or changes
[1:23] there? A motion.
[1:24] >> So I move that the meetings from the
[1:27] » So I move that the meetings from the
[1:27] December 4th, December 8th, and December
[1:30] 11th meetings be approved.
[1:34] >> Second,
[1:35] » Second,
[1:35] >> Mccay.
[1:36] » Mccay.
[1:36] >> Miss Williams.
[1:36] » Miss Williams.
[1:36] >> I miss Ramsey.
[1:38] » I miss Ramsey.
[1:38] >> I Mayor Ponds.
[1:39] » I Mayor Ponds.
[1:39] >> I
[1:39] » I
[1:39] >> Vice Mayor Dent.
[1:40] » Vice Mayor Dent.
[1:40] >> I miss Kerner.
[1:41] » I miss Kerner.
[1:41] >> I
[1:41] » I
[1:41] >> Okay. Next is matter of special pres uh
[1:44] » Okay. Next is matter of special pres uh
[1:44] special privileges. And this is a
[1:46] presentation of excellence and service
[1:47] award to Chris Puit. So Mr. Puit, if you
[1:50] would join me at the podium, please.
[2:03] » Well, so every quarter, I guess the city
[2:06] repres uh recognizes
[2:09] employees that have gone over and above
[2:11] and and turn in the barrel, so to speak,
[2:13] is Mr. Puit. So I have a
[2:17] to read. So since joining the city of
[2:19] Williamsburg's park and recreation
[2:21] recreation department in 2019 as an
[2:23] athletic programs coordinator, Chris has
[2:25] consistently demonstrated outstanding
[2:27] dedication, professionalism, and
[2:29] leadership. Through his strong work
[2:31] ethic and ethic and commitment to the
[2:34] internal and public service, he has
[2:36] risen through the ranks and now serves
[2:37] as assistant director. Chris answers the
[2:40] call to service without hesitation.
[2:43] frequently volunteering his time and
[2:45] stepping in whenever support is needed,
[2:48] often beyond the scope of his role.
[2:50] Consistently goes over and above and
[2:52] beyond to provide excellent customer
[2:54] service, ensuring positive experiences
[2:56] for staff, partners, and the community.
[3:00] Known for his collaborative spirit,
[3:03] pleasant demeanor, and positive
[3:05] attitude, Chris fosters a workplace
[3:07] culture grounded in teamwork,
[3:09] reliability, and mutual respect. He not
[3:12] only contributes his own efforts but
[3:14] also shares thoughtful ideas and pro
[3:16] with that improve the processes and
[3:18] strengthens the operation encouraging
[3:21] those around him to succeed. His actions
[3:24] exemplify Williamsburg the Williamsburg
[3:26] way and reflects a genuine commitment to
[3:29] service of others. Chris has earned both
[3:31] the certified public certified parks and
[3:34] recreational profession and the
[3:36] certified playground safety inspectors
[3:39] credentials through the national
[3:40] recreation park association
[3:44] underscoring his commitment to the
[3:45] highest standards of parks and
[3:47] recreation. Accordingly, Chris is hereby
[3:50] recognized for his dedication and
[3:52] excellence and keeping best traditions
[3:54] of public service in the city of
[3:55] Williamsburg. So, congratulations.
[3:58] >> Get this
[4:12] This is truly an honor to receive this
[4:13] award. I want to give a thank you to
[4:16] Mayor Ponds and members of city council
[4:18] and uh our city manager, Mr. Trivet, and
[4:20] my department head, Robbie Hutton, and
[4:22] all the parks and rec crew. Um over the
[4:25] last seven years, I've really loved
[4:27] working for the city and I've gotten to
[4:29] work on um many different events with
[4:31] many different uh departments. And the
[4:33] one thing that really makes this place
[4:34] special is working with all the other
[4:36] different departments and how everyone
[4:38] really joins in for that one common goal
[4:40] of working together to make sure that we
[4:42] provide the best services that we can.
[4:44] So truly proud to be able to serve this
[4:46] community and uh be a part of this team
[4:48] and contribute to the city in any way
[4:49] that I can. Thank you again.
[4:59] Thank you, Chris, and thank you for all
[5:00] that you do for this city. It certainly
[5:02] makes us a better place to live, work,
[5:03] and play.
[5:06] Okay. Uh takes us now to public hearing,
[5:09] uh which is an opportunity for anybody
[5:10] in the public who would like to come
[5:12] forward and address city council on any
[5:14] matters.
[5:15] >> Sorry, public. No, no public hearings.
[5:19] » Sorry, public. No, no public hearings.
[5:19] Gosh, I misread that. Thank you. So now
[5:21] is not the time. Soon will be the time
[5:23] for you to come forward. Um reports. Um
[5:27] first is monthly financial statement.
[5:29] Miss Damron. Thank you.
[5:35] » Good afternoon. Um
[5:38] this month we're going to start uh first
[5:40] looking at the year-to- date for
[5:43] December and then we're going to show a
[5:45] couple of slides uh for the uh year end
[5:48] results in 25. Uh we're first going to
[5:52] take a look at the 1% sales tax report.
[5:55] And as you can see from the slide, we
[5:57] are at uh as of the end of December,
[5:59] we're at 34% of budget and we are
[6:01] showing a 2.3% increase compared to last
[6:05] year. this time. Um, and I will remind
[6:09] you that even though we're talking about
[6:10] December, it'll be two more months.
[6:12] It'll be February before we see the
[6:14] results of the Christmas sales. And then
[6:17] our room tax, we see that we're at 41%
[6:21] of our budget. We show a um little bit
[6:24] over 10% increase compared to last year.
[6:27] However, I'll remind you again that
[6:29] there are some delinquent collections
[6:31] that we're pursuing in this and will be
[6:33] for the next two or three months. Um,
[6:36] but we'll continue to monitor that. Uh,
[6:39] and then on our meals tax, we see that
[6:42] we're at 37% of budget. We show a slight
[6:46] increase year to date uh to slightly
[6:49] over half a percent. This one has been
[6:52] uh up one month and down the next month.
[6:54] So, for instance, for December, we
[6:56] showed a 3.8% increase compared to just
[6:59] the monthly data. Um, but I think the
[7:02] previous month we were down um maybe
[7:05] about 2.8%. The month before that we
[7:08] were up about a little over 6% and then
[7:11] we were down in the first month. So,
[7:13] we'll continue to keep a close eye on
[7:15] that um and keep you a breast of any
[7:18] changes.
[7:19] And then on the um $2 lodging tax,
[7:24] again, uh we see we're at 40% of budget
[7:27] and a 12% increase compared to last
[7:29] year. This also includes some delinquent
[7:32] collections um along with the rooms. The
[7:36] historic sales tax, we're at 35% of
[7:40] budget. We show a 5% increase compared
[7:43] to last year.
[7:45] And then on our real estate revenue,
[7:48] we're at 50% of budget, which is exactly
[7:50] where I like to see us at this point in
[7:52] time. Uh, and we show a 4.4% increase
[7:56] compared to last year. this time
[8:00] on our local tax revenue. Our first uh
[8:04] side to the left there is a personal
[8:07] property tax and uh we're at 83% of
[8:11] budget showing a 19.5% increase compared
[8:15] to last year. We will, even though the
[8:17] due dates for both the personal property
[8:20] and the business property tax was
[8:22] December 1st, we will continue to
[8:25] collect on that throughout um between
[8:27] now and the end of the year. On the
[8:30] business tax, we're at 87% of the budget
[8:33] and we're almost a 3% decrease compared
[8:36] to last year. Um so we will of course
[8:39] continue to monitor that as well. Now,
[8:43] um
[8:44] we're looking at how we landed last year
[8:47] with our real estate. We're comparing it
[8:50] to previous years. So, you'll see that
[8:53] um last year we showed a 7.6%
[8:56] increase compared to the previous years.
[8:59] The bars show actual and on the bars we
[9:02] show the tax rate for the given year
[9:04] because there were some increases and
[9:06] then some decreases. And the gold or
[9:09] orange line um is the budget. So you can
[9:12] see that we we compare very well our
[9:15] actual to budget. And um we didn't put
[9:19] the percentone there, but I can tell you
[9:21] that the we are trickling down from the
[9:24] years that we had doubledigit increases.
[9:27] Um and I think we'll cons continue to
[9:30] see that smooth out a bit as we move
[9:33] forward.
[9:36] And then on our personal or on our
[9:39] property tax, personal and business, the
[9:43] dark blue line is the personal property
[9:45] tax. The light blue is the business
[9:48] license tax. Um, and you can tell in um
[9:54] well, in 22 we start to see in personal
[9:57] property that increase in the um um
[10:00] automobiles. you really see the jump in
[10:03] 23 which is interesting because we
[10:05] actually decreased the percent we only
[10:07] valued at 80% of the JD P's loan value
[10:11] average loan value in 23 um and then we
[10:16] see uh still an uptick in 24 now we see
[10:20] it's starting to level out as we enter
[10:22] 25
[10:24] um and then you can also tell that the
[10:27] uh business property stays fairly level
[10:30] Um that concludes my charts. I will add
[10:33] that our general fund both revenues and
[10:36] expenditures are performing as expected.
[10:40] Um you a couple of outliers um transfers
[10:44] that we made this year and expenditures
[10:46] that maybe we didn't make till later in
[10:48] the year last year, that type of thing.
[10:50] Um you the utility revenue and
[10:53] expenditures are trending with budget.
[10:55] Um but I'm happy to answer any questions
[10:57] you might have.
[10:59] >> Thank you, Mr. Dam. I don't have any
[11:00] » Thank you, Mr. Dam. I don't have any
[11:00] questions.
[11:01] >> Yeah, no questions. Thank you.
[11:03] » Yeah, no questions. Thank you.
[11:03] >> None for me either. And I really
[11:05] » None for me either. And I really
[11:05] appreciate the charts that you show as
[11:07] an overview. It's very helpful.
[11:10] >> No questions. Thank you.
[11:11] » No questions. Thank you.
[11:11] >> Thank you, Director Dammer.
[11:14] » Thank you, Director Dammer.
[11:14] Okay. Uh, next is monthly departmental
[11:16] operating reports. Mr. Drivet, who do we
[11:18] have today?
[11:19] >> Yeah, today we're going to hear from
[11:20] » Yeah, today we're going to hear from
[11:20] public works who's going to give us some
[11:21] updates on some pending projects.
[11:24] >> Welcome, Mr. Reid.
[11:27] » Welcome, Mr. Reid.
[11:27] >> Good afternoon, mayor and members of
[11:28] » Good afternoon, mayor and members of
[11:28] city council. Um, as the city manager
[11:31] said, we're just going to go over a
[11:32] couple of projects. I know a few um that
[11:35] you're familiar with.
[11:38] Our department manages roughly 50
[11:40] projects at any given time. So, here's
[11:41] just a handful of what we have going on.
[11:44] Um, starting with the Capand Well, give
[11:47] you an overview. Capital Landing Road
[11:49] improvements. We're going to talk about
[11:50] Waller Mill Dam. um a few of the pump
[11:54] station rehabs, the water treatment
[11:57] filter inspections, and the fuel station
[12:00] canopy replacement.
[12:03] As you are all familiar with, we are
[12:05] still working on the cap landing road
[12:07] improvements. To um refresh your memory,
[12:10] what that all included was a water line
[12:13] replacement. Um we took all of the
[12:15] overhead utilities and put them
[12:16] underground. Once we get to
[12:19] construction, we'll be installing new
[12:21] curb and gutter, street signs, um
[12:24] additional sidewalks, obviously
[12:25] improving the landscaping.
[12:28] We're going to realign the roadway at
[12:30] the intersection and that'll actually
[12:32] become a signalized intersection. It'll
[12:34] allow for a fourth leg into the sports
[12:37] complex
[12:39] and it'll go from the four lanes to two
[12:43] lane with a road diet in the middle.
[12:47] So the preliminary engineering phase is
[12:51] coming to conclusion and the roadblock
[12:54] that we've been waiting on is we were
[12:56] finally able to go to rightaway phase
[12:58] and we're in rightway phase now. Um we
[13:01] only have one property owner we need to
[13:03] negotiate with and once we're able to
[13:05] acquire that rightway we'll be able to
[13:07] go to the construction phase. We hope to
[13:10] put the project out to bid in the fall,
[13:13] which means that construction we hope
[13:16] will begin in the spring of 2027. Um
[13:19] that will be the streetscape, curb and
[13:21] gutter, sidewalk, etc., and the
[13:24] intersection improvements.
[13:29] Um, another project that you're aware of
[13:32] is the Watermel Dam improvements.
[13:35] VDM reclassified our dam from a low
[13:38] hazard to a high hazard, requiring us to
[13:41] make some upgrades and simply we're
[13:43] going to raise the dam to increase the
[13:46] capacity of the flood it can handle. Um
[13:50] we applied to FEMA and VM and were
[13:52] awarded a grant. Um it's 100% funded
[13:56] through this grant. Um and the funds
[13:58] were allocated just this past August. So
[14:00] we are able to begin the project. 90%
[14:04] plans are complete and we hope to have
[14:07] PR plans complete put it out to bid in
[14:10] the fall and again this project we hope
[14:12] to begin in spring of 27.
[14:17] Some of the new projects from last year
[14:20] were pump stage pump station
[14:22] rehabilitation.
[14:24] Um with the money we have for design we
[14:28] were able to start design on two of
[14:29] them. That's pump station six and nine.
[14:32] These upgrades will include any and
[14:35] everything from new pumps,
[14:38] drives, piping, um PLC as pro
[14:41] programmable logic controllers. This the
[14:43] brains of what tells the pumps what to
[14:45] do. Um we think we'll have design
[14:48] complete this fiscal year, so by July 1.
[14:52] And we think we can start construction
[14:53] in fall of 26.
[14:59] the filter inspections out at the plant.
[15:01] It we're a little past due on these. And
[15:03] so the first thing we do is we inspect
[15:07] the
[15:08] sand media to see if it's still in the
[15:12] kind of shape we want it to be in. Um,
[15:15] first the engineers will come and in
[15:17] inspect the structure of of the filters
[15:19] themselves and we were actually able to
[15:21] find the original manufacturer of the
[15:22] filters and they come out in February
[15:25] and their report will let us know if
[15:27] that sand media needs to be replaced if
[15:30] it does. We'll likely look at uh
[15:33] granular activated carbon and what that
[15:36] will do is it absorbs a lot of
[15:39] contaminants up to including PAS.
[15:41] eliminating PAS is an issue in the
[15:43] future. We do foresee needing to change
[15:46] that media, but we needed the inspection
[15:47] report to to confirm that.
[15:51] And lastly, um
[15:55] the fuel canopy station replacement.
[15:57] This was approved in last year's budget.
[15:59] We put it out to bid
[16:02] um and got bids back in October and it
[16:05] exceeded the budget. So, we negotiated
[16:07] with the bidder and we were able to
[16:10] reduce the scope. We're going to do the
[16:12] demolition in house and that should
[16:13] bring it under budget. Um, we're waiting
[16:16] on a final price from them right now. If
[16:19] it brings it under budget, we'll demo
[16:22] the the current canopy in house and we
[16:25] should be able to start that project in
[16:27] March.
[16:29] You have any questions, please let me
[16:31] know.
[16:32] >> Uh, thank you, Mr. Reid. Um, you know,
[16:34] » Uh, thank you, Mr. Reid. Um, you know,
[16:34] it's it's interesting to hear, uh, you
[16:37] know, generally have about 50 projects
[16:39] going on, which is which is quite a
[16:41] workload. And I I applaud you and your
[16:43] team for getting all these things done
[16:46] because in addition to those planned
[16:49] projects, we have emergencies that
[16:50] happen, for example, here on South Henry
[16:52] Street. Yes, sir. Um,
[16:55] North Henry Street, um, which, you know,
[16:58] took a lot of time and took men men and
[17:00] women away from what they generally do.
[17:02] So, I I applaud you for being able to to
[17:04] do all that stuff. Uh related to Capital
[17:07] Landing Road, um
[17:10] the
[17:12] going to go out to bid in the fall of 26
[17:15] and hopefully construction begins on 27.
[17:19] That that includes the resurfacing of
[17:21] the street in that time frame. Okay. Um
[17:23] I know that it's not the most desirable
[17:26] street now. Um, and if you if you've
[17:28] traversed it as I have, um,
[17:32] rattles your dentures out. So, um, so
[17:35] can't wait to see that come to
[17:37] completion. So, so thank you for that,
[17:39] Vice Mayor.
[17:40] >> Yeah, thank you, Mr. Reed. And the mayor
[17:41] » Yeah, thank you, Mr. Reed. And the mayor
[17:41] just touched on the point I wanted to
[17:43] make is we have a lot of CIS citizens
[17:44] that talk about that right lane of
[17:46] Capitol Landing where the water line was
[17:48] replaced. Um, and I realize it'd be a
[17:51] huge expense to repave the whole thing,
[17:53] but I often wonder when when I drove
[17:55] through there, there seemed like a
[17:56] couple places where
[17:59] worse than others that maybe if it's
[18:01] going to be 27 there, there could be
[18:04] something done to kind of smooth those
[18:07] out a little bit.
[18:08] >> We we can look at the patch and see
[18:09] » We we can look at the patch and see
[18:09] where we can make some some
[18:10] improvements.
[18:12] >> Thank you.
[18:12] » Thank you.
[18:12] >> Yes, sir.
[18:13] » Yes, sir.
[18:14] >> Sure.
[18:14] » Sure.
[18:14] >> My questions have been answered. Thank
[18:15] » My questions have been answered. Thank
[18:15] you. Uh, thank you for the update and I
[18:18] think everyone's anxious for Capitol
[18:20] Landing Road to be completed since the
[18:24] sports center will be opening this
[18:26] summer and we expect a lot of traffic
[18:28] there. So, I think anything to um to
[18:31] mediate some of those concerns would be
[18:34] great. My question was once construction
[18:36] starts in the spring of 27, how long do
[18:40] you anticipate for everything to be
[18:43] done?
[18:44] >> 12 to 18 months.
[18:46] » 12 to 18 months.
[18:46] be an additional 12 to 18 months.
[18:48] >> Okay. So, that puts us into like the
[18:51] » Okay. So, that puts us into like the
[18:51] middle of 2028.
[18:54] >> Fortunately, dealing with grant funds,
[18:56] » Fortunately, dealing with grant funds,
[18:56] there's a lot of paperwork and it
[18:59] extends the process significantly.
[19:01] >> And I know that we were waiting on some
[19:03] » And I know that we were waiting on some
[19:03] grant funds from the federal government.
[19:06] Are we still waiting on those? With this
[19:09] particular project, we were waiting on
[19:11] authorization to go to the rightway
[19:13] phase and we did just recently get that
[19:15] authorization.
[19:16] >> So, the project's moving forward again.
[19:17] » So, the project's moving forward again.
[19:17] >> Okay, good. And um just out of
[19:21] » Okay, good. And um just out of
[19:21] curiosity, pump station six and nine,
[19:24] where are they?
[19:26] >> Great question.
[19:28] » Great question.
[19:28] Um I believe nine is
[19:33] this is where
[19:35] neighborhood names. I would have to get
[19:37] back to you on that. That's okay. I was
[19:39] just curious.
[19:40] >> How many pump stations are there? 13.
[19:42] » How many pump stations are there? 13.
[19:42] >> 15. 15. Okay.
[19:46] » 15. 15. Okay.
[19:46] >> Well, thank you for the presentation.
[19:47] » Well, thank you for the presentation.
[19:47] Um, all my questions have already been
[19:49] answered, but I just wanted to applaud
[19:51] you and your team, especially with
[19:52] juggling so many projects as um at once
[19:55] and the emergencies we had this year as
[19:58] well and just the quick action that was
[19:59] taken with those. So, thank you again.
[20:01] >> Thank you.
[20:02] » Thank you.
[20:02] >> Thank you, Mr. Reid.
[20:05] » Thank you, Mr. Reid.
[20:05] >> Okay. City manager report. Mr. Trivet,
[20:07] » Okay. City manager report. Mr. Trivet,
[20:07] anything? City attorney Michelle,
[20:09] >> nothing today.
[20:11] » nothing today.
[20:11] >> All right. Now, the open form that I I
[20:15] » All right. Now, the open form that I I
[20:15] promised you earlier. Uh, so this is
[20:18] open form is an opportunity for anybody
[20:20] to like to come forward to speak to city
[20:22] council on matters uh of on their mind.
[20:25] I see we have one willing participant,
[20:28] Mr. Kirkland. Welcome.
[20:33] Thank you, Mayor Ponds, members of
[20:35] council. Ron Kirkland, Williamsburg
[20:38] Hotel Motel Association, 101A Richmond
[20:40] Road, Williamsburg, Virginia. Um,
[20:45] nobody likes taking money out and paying
[20:48] taxes, whether you're a individual or a
[20:50] business. But over the last 20 plus
[20:54] years, what I have enjoyed is driving to
[20:57] work to Williamsburg every day on nicely
[21:00] maintained streets and safe streets. I
[21:03] don't have to worry about getting
[21:04] mugged. We have lots of services and
[21:06] events and really a high quality of life
[21:09] here in our our little city. And you
[21:12] know those things have to get paid for.
[21:14] And so
[21:16] during the discussion of how those those
[21:18] revenues gets raised, uh we had a lot of
[21:22] great inclusive conversations with city
[21:25] manager, members of council, staff, and
[21:29] through all that um we were able to
[21:32] avoid property tax increase for our
[21:34] industry, which has a real negative
[21:36] effect on the bottom line. and we uh
[21:40] came to a solution where we can uh pass
[21:42] those uh expenses on to to consumers who
[21:45] may come from out of town to to come on
[21:47] vacation and that was really good. Um
[21:51] over time we were able to reduce the
[21:53] amount of the the sales tax. We got a
[21:56] dealer discount on credit card fees.
[21:57] Those are both very good. And uh
[22:00] ultimately I think we
[22:03] city has come up with a model that's
[22:05] going to get the revenue that you need.
[22:07] It's not going to have a tremendous
[22:08] impact on local folks, particularly the
[22:11] lodging industry. And I just want to say
[22:13] thank you for the the process. It is
[22:15] very thoughtful and and well done. And
[22:17] we look forward to continuing working
[22:18] with the city in the future. Thank you,
[22:21] Mr.
[22:21] >> Kirkland. Would anybody else like to
[22:23] » Kirkland. Would anybody else like to
[22:24] come forward?
[22:30] » That's Fairbanks. Welcome.
[22:34] Sabrina Fairbanks, 119, Berkeley Lane,
[22:37] Walnut Hills. Good afternoon, mayor,
[22:40] vice mayor, members of council. Uh it's
[22:43] my understanding you're going to vote
[22:44] today on increasing uh revenue for the
[22:48] city through these the lodging,
[22:50] admissions, and meal taxes. And that the
[22:53] crux of this is to help fund the CIP
[22:56] projects which are on the books. Um,
[23:00] business owner friends have shared with
[23:02] us that they would like to see the
[23:05] property owners, residents help share
[23:08] this tax burden. While the resident
[23:11] property owners think that with the
[23:13] rising the raise the rising assessments
[23:17] and uh increase in utilities that
[23:22] we're we are helping share the burden uh
[23:24] in terms of revenue. Um the one thing
[23:28] that we can agree on the business owners
[23:30] and the residents is that um
[23:35] we would like the city to look more at
[23:38] cutting the expenditures on the CIP side
[23:42] of things rather than continuing just to
[23:45] how can many taxes how much tax revenue
[23:49] can we generate. Uh some of these CIP
[23:52] projects have been on the books for
[23:54] years. their ideas which were generated
[23:58] uh from old surveys 2017.
[24:02] They're based on surveys uh from the
[24:05] future festivals which non-residents
[24:07] completed. Um so it might be time to
[24:12] look at how many years are we going to
[24:14] kick these things down the road and try
[24:16] to figure out how to fund them. Uh I
[24:20] believe the city manager has been quoted
[24:22] as saying the increased taxes will be
[24:25] passed on to the visitors rather than
[24:26] the businesses. Uh just thinking about
[24:29] the restaurants, I don't understand this
[24:31] because um minimum wages are going up.
[24:36] You know, the cost of food, from what
[24:39] they tell me is rising.
[24:42] And I don't when they say it's going to
[24:45] be on the visitors, I feel like it's
[24:46] going to be a burden to the businesses.
[24:48] And I think that they have made that
[24:50] very clear at all the meetings that I've
[24:51] attended.
[24:53] And in terms of just thinking that we'll
[24:57] generate this revenue from the tourists
[24:59] or from the visitors, I just wanted to
[25:02] share a personal story.
[25:04] So I brought a prop.
[25:07] This is the size cup. I was at a
[25:09] conference in Virginia Beach in
[25:11] September and the uh cocktail hour came.
[25:17] We went, we paid our $50 and we thought
[25:20] that would certainly that will come with
[25:22] a couple of drink tokens. No. So, they
[25:26] filled about half of this cup up with
[25:28] wine and it was $10.
[25:31] And I thought, well, you know, it's a
[25:34] conference and that's okay. It's good
[25:36] for tourism for Virginia Beach. So, we
[25:39] put my credit card out for the $10 half
[25:43] a cup of wine and the total was uh
[25:46] $13.70.
[25:50] And I thought in my mind I'm thinking,
[25:53] how do I tactfully ask if that's tax and
[25:56] tip uh for a $10 cup of wine? And before
[26:01] I could even think about how to uh pose
[26:04] that question, the bartender said it's
[26:07] all tax.
[26:08] So I'm assuming he'd been hearing this
[26:11] and he said city council passed
[26:13] something over the summer and they're
[26:15] calling it a tourism tax or something
[26:17] like that. He wasn't sure what the name
[26:18] of the tax was. So, if you can imagine,
[26:23] everybody at this conference could
[26:25] afford it, but we I don't know one
[26:28] person who went back for a second cup of
[26:30] wine. And I'm I'm very worried that
[26:33] these taxes that's what's going to
[26:35] happen. Even the visitors are going to
[26:37] say, you know, this is excessive. And uh
[26:41] people were talking about it. And then
[26:43] the mandator the attendees of the at
[26:45] this mandatory conference went to their
[26:47] classes and spouses others uh went to
[26:51] the grocery store and went to drove to
[26:53] total wine and bought wine. So I mean
[26:57] that kind of tax killed that bar
[27:00] business for that conference. So that's
[27:03] what I wanted to share with you and I
[27:06] hope you will consider lowering these
[27:09] taxes if voting for them at all and then
[27:12] really in the moving forward let's look
[27:15] at some of these CIP projects because
[27:18] they just may be too expensive for our
[27:20] small community. Thank you.
[27:30] Anybody else?
[27:31] Seeing none, I'll close the open form
[27:33] and we'll move on to unfinished
[27:35] business. And first is consideration and
[27:37] action regarding proposed ordinance
[27:38] 25-02 to amend section 18237
[27:42] and article 2 of section 18-271
[27:45] and 18-272
[27:48] 18-273
[27:50] and 18- 282 articles 8 of chapter 18 of
[27:55] the code of uh to increase the levied
[27:59] levy uh transient lodging tax and
[28:03] prepared foods and beverage tax
[28:06] specify the distribution of the portion
[28:08] of transient occupancy tax provided by
[28:12] the historic triangle marketing fund.
[28:13] Miss Shelton,
[28:14] >> so during council's budget process last
[28:17] » so during council's budget process last
[28:17] year, council held public hearings
[28:18] regarding increasing the tax rates for
[28:21] the transient occupancy tax and also for
[28:24] the prepared food and beverage tax. Um
[28:26] the both of those rates were advertised
[28:28] at 7%. After the public hearing and as
[28:31] part of city council's discussion, staff
[28:33] um was uh directed to lower the rate for
[28:37] meals tax to six and a half percent and
[28:39] also to include a deduction from the tax
[28:42] paid for these taxes of 2%. So each
[28:46] month the the amount of the tax 2% of
[28:48] the amount of the tax will be deducted
[28:50] from the bill. Those changes are
[28:52] included in the ordinance. council
[28:55] postponed consideration and action on
[28:58] these this ordinance until today and so
[29:00] they are in front of you for your
[29:01] consideration.
[29:03] >> Good. Thank you. Okay. So, yeah, we we
[29:06] » Good. Thank you. Okay. So, yeah, we we
[29:06] had uh lots of conversations about this
[29:08] back in February, March, April, May,
[29:12] June of of last year with the
[29:16] understanding that we would be taking
[29:18] this action today. And I feel like um
[29:20] with all the conversation that we had
[29:22] the needs of the city um at the time we
[29:25] certainly felt that that is this
[29:27] decision was best way to meet the needs
[29:30] of the city. So I'm prepared to move
[29:32] forward.
[29:33] >> Mayor.
[29:34] » Mayor.
[29:34] >> Thank you mayor. Yeah. I mean we've had
[29:36] » Thank you mayor. Yeah. I mean we've had
[29:36] a lot of discussion about this and as
[29:38] one of the speakers pointed out nobody
[29:40] likes a new tax or an increased tax. Um,
[29:43] but also back in those discussions,
[29:45] there were several people that reached
[29:47] out and talked about increasing real
[29:48] estate tax and and that's something that
[29:51] council considered, but it was a
[29:53] significant real estate tax increase to
[29:56] make up the revenue that um would
[29:58] generate from these additional taxes.
[30:00] And based on some of the conversation
[30:02] that took place back then, as uh Miss
[30:05] Shelton indicated, some of those some of
[30:08] that was reduced and we included the the
[30:10] 2% rebate for uh the credit cards. So, I
[30:15] think we there's been healthy
[30:16] discussions, but we're at a point where
[30:18] we approved a budget based on on these
[30:21] revenues coming in. So, um I'm prepared
[30:24] to support it as well.
[30:27] >> That was well said. I don't really have
[30:28] » That was well said. I don't really have
[30:28] anything to add. We had a lot of
[30:30] difficult conversations about this when
[30:31] we passed the budget and the budget was
[30:34] passed with these with these in mind and
[30:36] so my position hasn't changed uh since
[30:38] then.
[30:39] >> Thank you, M.
[30:41] » Thank you, M.
[30:41] >> Um, thank you. I would echo what Miss
[30:44] » Um, thank you. I would echo what Miss
[30:44] Kerner said and that I think the mayor
[30:47] and vice mayor u stated the situation
[30:50] well and I'm prepared to to uh vote for
[30:54] this as well.
[30:56] I'm also prepared to move forward with
[30:58] this decision. Um, as it's been
[31:01] previously stated, we've had a lot of
[31:04] conversations, especially I guess back
[31:06] last budget season um during that cycle.
[31:10] Um, it's not the most exciting thing
[31:13] moving forward, but definitely
[31:14] necessary.
[31:18] » Comments? Is there a motion? So I move
[31:20] that city council adopt proposed
[31:22] ordinance 25-02.
[31:25] >> Second
[31:28] » Second
[31:28] McKay
[31:29] >> Williams.
[31:29] » Williams.
[31:30] >> I miss Ramsey.
[31:31] » I miss Ramsey.
[31:31] >> Hi.
[31:31] » Hi.
[31:31] >> Mayor Ponds.
[31:32] » Mayor Ponds.
[31:32] >> Hi.
[31:32] » Hi.
[31:32] >> Vice Mayor Dent.
[31:33] » Vice Mayor Dent.
[31:33] >> Hi.
[31:33] » Hi.
[31:33] >> Miss Kerner.
[31:34] » Miss Kerner.
[31:34] >> I.
[31:35] » I.
[31:35] >> Item B uh under all business is
[31:37] » Item B uh under all business is
[31:37] consideration and action regarding
[31:39] proposed ordinance 25-03
[31:42] to add article 7 admissions tax to
[31:45] chapter 18 of the code of uh city code.
[31:48] Miss Shelton.
[31:49] >> Similarly, city council considered this
[31:51] » Similarly, city council considered this
[31:51] item during the budget session. It was
[31:54] advertised as a rate of 10% on an
[31:56] admissions that's paid in the city.
[31:59] Council requested that we make some
[32:01] modifications to that, too. So, we've
[32:03] created classes as part of the
[32:04] ordinance. The class school events are
[32:07] exempt under the ordinance in front of
[32:09] you. The tax is 10% on the first $10,
[32:12] which is what council directed staff to
[32:14] provide at this meeting. council
[32:16] postponed consideration and action of
[32:18] that item again to this meeting and so
[32:20] it's in front of city council for your
[32:22] consideration.
[32:24] >> So 10% on the first $10 is essentially a
[32:27] » So 10% on the first $10 is essentially a
[32:27] dollar. Um okay good. So my my position
[32:30] is the same as I stated on the previous
[32:32] agenda item. So I'll turn it over to
[32:35] >> I have nothing to add.
[32:36] » I have nothing to add.
[32:36] >> Nothing to add. And the only thing I
[32:39] » Nothing to add. And the only thing I
[32:39] would add is that I feel we we did a a
[32:41] good made it a good decision applying a
[32:44] cap for the $10 because I don't think a
[32:46] dollar really creates a burden on um on
[32:50] people who are coming for various
[32:52] admissions.
[32:54] >> Yes, I'm prepared to move forward as
[32:55] » Yes, I'm prepared to move forward as
[32:55] well.
[32:56] >> Is there a motion?
[32:57] » Is there a motion?
[32:57] >> So I move that city council adopt
[32:59] » So I move that city council adopt
[32:59] proposed ordinance 25-03.
[33:02] >> Second.
[33:04] » Second.
[33:04] >> M
[33:05] » M
[33:05] >> Williams I. Miss Ramsey,
[33:07] » Williams I. Miss Ramsey,
[33:07] >> I
[33:07] » I
[33:07] >> Mayor Ponds.
[33:08] » Mayor Ponds.
[33:08] >> Hi,
[33:08] » Hi,
[33:08] >> Vice Mayor Dent.
[33:09] » Vice Mayor Dent.
[33:09] >> I miss Kerner.
[33:10] » I miss Kerner.
[33:10] >> Hi.
[33:11] » Hi.
[33:11] >> Okay. New business. Uh item A is
[33:13] » Okay. New business. Uh item A is
[33:13] consideration and action regarding
[33:14] proposed resolution number 26-01
[33:17] amending the public assistance fund
[33:19] budget for the city of Williamsburg,
[33:21] Virginia for the fiscal year ending June
[33:23] 30th, 2026 and authorizing the payment
[33:26] of said grant proceeds to Leticia's
[33:28] house. Miss Damron.
[33:32] » Yes. Um the state's 26 budget contained
[33:36] a 300,000 grant to Leticia's House,
[33:39] which is a nonprofit located in James
[33:41] City County. Um however, the budget
[33:44] language specifically said that the city
[33:46] would uh pass through that grant. We've
[33:49] worked with the state to get it to be a
[33:51] pass through grant, meaning we're not
[33:53] having to monitor the expenditures. And
[33:56] so we're asking for city council to
[34:00] approve resolution 26-1 authorizing the
[34:03] city manager to pay the G grant monies
[34:06] that are received from the state over um
[34:08] to Leticia's house.
[34:11] >> Thank you, Mr. uh Damron. So I I presume
[34:14] » Thank you, Mr. uh Damron. So I I presume
[34:14] I obviously money going to Leticia's
[34:16] house will serve a good purpose. The
[34:18] grant couldn't just go to Leticia's
[34:20] house. It had to come through a
[34:21] municipality, correct?
[34:23] >> So they chose the city of Williamsburg.
[34:24] » So they chose the city of Williamsburg.
[34:24] >> Right. Okay. Um, you know, absent have
[34:28] » Right. Okay. Um, you know, absent have
[34:28] having to provide any oversight um and
[34:31] or manage the funds, I think just simply
[34:33] acting as a conduit as a pass through uh
[34:36] is certainly fine for me.
[34:38] >> Yeah, I think I agree. I just curious
[34:41] » Yeah, I think I agree. I just curious
[34:41] about why they selected Williamsburg if
[34:44] it's located in James City County. If
[34:46] you have any insight into that.
[34:47] >> I I really don't. Uh we were kind of
[34:50] » I I really don't. Uh we were kind of
[34:50] curious too and our first request was to
[34:53] see if we could change that but we
[34:55] couldn't. Um but I will say that uh we
[34:59] and our human services director Wendy
[35:02] Evans worked with the state department
[35:05] of social services um to to get language
[35:08] that we felt comfortable with.
[35:11] >> I think Mr. Vice Mayor um just so the
[35:13] » I think Mr. Vice Mayor um just so the
[35:13] council knows I think the issue's been
[35:15] fixed. This will be a one-time thing.
[35:17] Um, I really think probably this was
[35:18] just an error by the general assembly. I
[35:20] mean, we're all familiar with the
[35:21] concept that a lot of people don't
[35:22] realize if they live in James City
[35:24] County or the city of Winssburg. I think
[35:26] that's what happened here. Um, but this
[35:27] is a one-time grant as far as I
[35:29] understand.
[35:30] >> Okay. Thank you.
[35:32] » Okay. Thank you.
[35:32] >> Yes. No questions. Thank you for the
[35:33] » Yes. No questions. Thank you for the
[35:33] clarification.
[35:35] >> I have no questions either.
[35:37] » I have no questions either.
[35:37] >> Yes. Thank you. No questions.
[35:39] » Yes. Thank you. No questions.
[35:39] >> Okay. Is there a motion? Thank you, Miss
[35:40] » Okay. Is there a motion? Thank you, Miss
[35:40] Damron.
[35:41] >> So, I move that city council adopt
[35:43] » So, I move that city council adopt
[35:43] resolution 26-01.
[35:46] Second,
[35:47] >> M.
[35:47] » M.
[35:47] >> Mccay.
[35:49] » Mccay.
[35:49] >> M.
[35:49] » M.
[35:49] >> Williams. I
[35:50] » Williams. I
[35:50] >> Miss Ramsey.
[35:51] » Miss Ramsey.
[35:51] >> Hi.
[35:51] » Hi.
[35:51] >> Mayor Ponds.
[35:52] » Mayor Ponds.
[35:52] >> Hi.
[35:52] » Hi.
[35:52] >> Vice Mayor Dent.
[35:53] » Vice Mayor Dent.
[35:53] >> Hi.
[35:53] » Hi.
[35:53] >> Miss Kerner. Hi.
[35:55] » Miss Kerner. Hi.
[35:55] >> Okay. Item B is consideration and action
[35:57] » Okay. Item B is consideration and action
[35:57] regarding the canopy repairs and
[35:59] replacement to the columns located at
[36:01] the Williamsburg Transportation Center.
[36:03] Welcome back, Mr. Reid.
[36:05] >> Good afternoon. Um,
[36:09] » Good afternoon. Um,
[36:09] back in June, someone backed into one of
[36:13] the columns out front of the
[36:14] transportation center. We put it through
[36:18] insurance and um, got a quote, but
[36:22] further inspection revealed a lot of
[36:25] moisture damage. Um, and so we had a
[36:28] structural group come out and do a full
[36:30] inspection. And I have some pictures and
[36:33] they found a lot of um, rotten wood.
[36:36] that simply needs to be replaced. And so
[36:39] we had David, we asked David Nice to
[36:41] give us a quote on the repairs.
[36:45] Um they provided a quote. It's an
[36:46] emergency procurement and so we would
[36:49] like to move forward with the repairs.
[36:51] Um
[36:53] the cost is $263,700,
[36:56] but that does not include the original
[36:58] insurance claim. That one column was
[37:00] 40,000. Um, so the total cost of
[37:03] everything is just north of 300,000 and
[37:06] we will follow all ARB requirements in
[37:08] the repair.
[37:11] >> Um,
[37:13] » Um,
[37:13] I guess good and bad. Glad we were able
[37:15] to get some insurance money. I'm sorry
[37:17] somebody bumped back into the the
[37:20] columns. Um, it's good that we found the
[37:23] damage before it continued to get worse.
[37:25] Yes, sir. Will these repairs um to the
[37:28] structure internal to the canopy also
[37:31] include fixing the source of the leak on
[37:33] the roof?
[37:34] >> Yes, sir. Yeah. The flashing and
[37:39] » Yes, sir. Yeah. The flashing and
[37:40] you see the um the shingles there and
[37:41] the flashing. A lot of that is the issue
[37:43] and that'll be repaired.
[37:46] >> Thank you.
[37:48] » Thank you.
[37:48] Yeah, I mean obviously looking at the
[37:50] photos, um we don't have an option to to
[37:54] fix to fix the damage. Um I guess
[37:57] unfortunate as the mayor said that
[37:59] someone hit the column, but fortunate
[38:00] that they did at a time where we've been
[38:02] able to find this damage before it got
[38:04] any worse.
[38:08] » Yes, I spent some time reading this
[38:10] report and I learned a new use the word
[38:12] sistering. I did not know that that was
[38:14] a word. I I was like, "Huh, I learned
[38:16] something new." Uh, but no, I really do
[38:18] I it is one of those things where a good
[38:21] thing we found out about it before it
[38:22] got any worse. And noting that the um,
[38:26] you know, going forward, you know, they
[38:29] did note that, you know, routine
[38:30] maintenance would have caught this
[38:32] earlier. So, it kind of also is a
[38:34] reminder like, you know, keep keep an
[38:37] eye on things before they before they
[38:38] get this bad. So, I'm sure that that
[38:40] will happen going forward, too.
[38:43] I have no further comments. Uh thank you
[38:45] for the presentation and bringing this
[38:47] to our attention.
[38:49] >> Also have no further comments. Um you
[38:51] » Also have no further comments. Um you
[38:51] know looking at the pictures, it's
[38:52] definitely looks like something that um
[38:54] needs to be repaired. So thank you for
[38:56] the information today.
[38:58] >> Thank you.
[39:00] » Thank you.
[39:00] >> Maybe now you have 51 projects you have
[39:01] » Maybe now you have 51 projects you have
[39:01] to take.
[39:03] >> Is there a motion? So, I move that city
[39:06] » Is there a motion? So, I move that city
[39:06] council authorize the city manager to
[39:08] execute a purchase order authorizing
[39:11] David Nice Builders to perform the
[39:14] repairs on the transportation center for
[39:16] the not to exceed price of $263,700.
[39:21] » Second.
[39:22] >> Okay.
[39:24] » Okay.
[39:24] >> Miss Williams.
[39:24] » Miss Williams.
[39:24] >> I miss Ramsey.
[39:26] » I miss Ramsey.
[39:26] >> I Mayor Ponds.
[39:27] » I Mayor Ponds.
[39:27] >> Hi.
[39:27] » Hi.
[39:27] >> Vice Mayor Dent.
[39:28] » Vice Mayor Dent.
[39:28] >> I miss Kernair.
[39:29] » I miss Kernair.
[39:29] >> I
[39:30] » I
[39:30] >> Okay. Item C under new business is
[39:32] » Okay. Item C under new business is
[39:32] consideration and action regarding
[39:33] tourism promotion contingency funds
[39:35] request from the uh Virginia Dossent
[39:38] Exchange, the Virginia Black Film
[39:40] Festival, and the Muscarelli Museum of
[39:42] Arts. Miss Gbala, welcome.
[39:44] >> Uh good afternoon uh and happy new year,
[39:46] » Uh good afternoon uh and happy new year,
[39:46] Mayor Ponds, members of city council. Uh
[39:49] today we'll be reviewing three tourism
[39:51] promotion contingency fund requests as
[39:52] you just mentioned. Um they are from the
[39:54] Virginia Dose Exchange, the Virginia
[39:55] Black Film Festival, and the Muscarelli
[39:57] Museum of Art. Uh, as a refresher, this
[40:00] program was adopted in 2015 and was
[40:02] designed to increase overnight
[40:03] visitation to the city by providing
[40:06] startup funding for new projects or
[40:08] funding to expand or enhance existing
[40:10] projects. It is not designed to provide
[40:12] year-over-year support for reoccurring
[40:13] projects. Examples of funded uh projects
[40:16] include the Oxford com conference in
[40:19] FY23, a feasibility study for an LPV in
[40:22] FY24 and in FY25. There was a VA1 VA
[40:27] 250s a common cause to all conference, a
[40:29] vendor payment processing system for
[40:31] Williamsburg downtown and the
[40:32] Michelangelo exhibit at the Muscarelli.
[40:35] Uh for this current fiscal year, the
[40:37] TPCF budget is $150,000, none of which
[40:40] has been expended so far.
[40:44] The next slide shows you a snapshot of
[40:46] the program through a monetary lens um
[40:48] with over half a million dollars being
[40:49] awarded to date for each year. The teal
[40:52] bars show the program budget. The yellow
[40:54] bars show the total funding requested
[40:57] and the peach bars uh show the total uh
[41:00] awarded funds. You'll note that last
[41:02] year was the first year since FY20 in
[41:04] which all funds were expended indicating
[41:06] a gradual recovery after the early COVID
[41:08] years.
[41:10] Well, uh, today you'll be considering
[41:12] three applications. The graph shows four
[41:15] applicants for FY26.
[41:17] One additional application was submitted
[41:19] after the deadline to be considered
[41:20] today, but uh, we were we were able to
[41:23] include it in the data for this slide.
[41:28] The first request uh, for review comes
[41:30] from the Virginia Dose and Exchange.
[41:33] They're requesting $8,610
[41:35] to support their conference taking place
[41:37] March 8th through 10th. This is a bi is
[41:39] a bianial conference that rotates its
[41:41] location throughout the state. This
[41:43] year's event is in the city and is being
[41:44] consider is being co-hosted by the art
[41:46] museums of cloning williamsburg and the
[41:48] muscarelli museum of art. Uh the first
[41:50] conference actually took place in 1990
[41:53] at the muscarelli.
[41:55] The event is expected to have 150 to 200
[41:57] attendees. Williamsburg as the host city
[42:00] has generated a lot of excitement and
[42:02] the conference planners are encouraging
[42:04] attendees to bring their families to
[42:06] experience the area while they're here.
[42:09] They are also placing a strong emphasis
[42:11] on the 250th commemoration and will
[42:13] feature two VA250 speakers. Other
[42:15] partners include Virginia Tourism
[42:17] Corporation, Greater Williamsburg
[42:18] Chamber of Commerce. Uh
[42:21] the total budget for this conference is
[42:23] $31,065.
[42:26] Once the application is submitted, um, a
[42:29] staff committee meets to review the
[42:31] request to make a recommendation. The
[42:33] staff recommendation for the Virginia
[42:35] Dose Exchange is to award full funding,
[42:37] um, of $8,610.
[42:42] The next request comes from the Virginia
[42:44] Black Film Festival. They are requesting
[42:46] $50,000 to support the event, which is
[42:48] taking place February 19th through 22nd
[42:50] at the Kimble Theater. This is the
[42:52] festival's third year, but the first
[42:54] year in Williamsburg. Previously, it was
[42:56] held in Hampton. Um, and I will note
[42:58] that the um event organizer prior to the
[43:01] Virginia Black Film Festival um spent 10
[43:04] years producing a film festival in
[43:06] Miami. So, he has uh experience.
[43:09] This year's theme for the Virginia Black
[43:11] Film Festival is uh Black Excellence,
[43:13] past, present, and future in celebration
[43:14] of Black History Month. The festival
[43:16] includes 15 events over four days with
[43:18] an ant anticipated total attendance of
[43:21] 3600. The schedule features guest
[43:23] speakers, screenings, celebrity guests,
[43:25] including actor Keith David, who will be
[43:28] receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award,
[43:29] and a Gala Award show, all designed to
[43:31] put black filmmakers and entrepreneurs
[43:33] in the forefront and accessible to the
[43:35] community and with each other. As with
[43:38] the Virginia Do Exchange, there is also
[43:39] a focus on the 250th commemoration,
[43:42] which will uh celebrate the essential
[43:44] role African-Americans played in the
[43:45] origin of this nation and the importance
[43:47] of telling those stories. The festival
[43:50] is being presented in partnership with
[43:52] Visit Williamsburg and with a total um
[43:54] budget for the event is uh $98,790.
[43:59] Staff recommends funding in the amount
[44:02] of $15,000 which is level with visit
[44:04] Williamsburg sponsorship.
[44:09] And the final request for review comes
[44:11] from the Muscarelli Museum. They are
[44:13] asking for $84,350
[44:15] in TPCF funding to support its abstract
[44:18] expressionists, the women exhibition,
[44:20] which opens later this month on January
[44:22] 23rd and runs through April 26th. The
[44:26] exhibit features nearly 50 works by 32
[44:28] pioneering women artists from their
[44:29] Christian Levit collection and is
[44:31] already garing garnering national
[44:33] attention as this is its East Coast
[44:35] debut.
[44:37] The funding request is specifically for
[44:39] marketing as outlined on the slide
[44:40] before you and includes paid
[44:42] advertising, public media sponsor
[44:44] sponsorships, and coverage in major
[44:46] publications. Last fiscal year, the
[44:48] Muskill received TP TPCF grant for the
[44:51] Michelangelo exhibit for just over
[44:53] $95,000.
[44:54] The total budget for the abstract
[44:56] expressionist exhibit is $262,895
[45:00] and staff uh recommends awarding funding
[45:03] in the amount of $25,000 which is the
[45:05] premier sponsorship level
[45:10] because these uh three because we have
[45:13] three funding requests today. Um here's
[45:15] a quick summary for your review. The
[45:18] yellow box on the right shows the FY26
[45:20] budget, the total dollar amount
[45:22] requested today. Okay. So, it does not
[45:24] include that fourth application and the
[45:26] sum of the staff recommendations. As a
[45:29] reminder, any unspent funds for the
[45:31] fiscal year do roll back into the TDF.
[45:34] Um, thank you. And at this time, I'm
[45:36] happy to answer any questions that you
[45:37] may have. I know we have at least two
[45:40] representatives. Oh, three. We have all
[45:41] three um applications represented today.
[45:44] Um, so if you have any questions that I
[45:46] cannot answer, I'm happy to bring them
[45:48] up.
[45:50] >> Well, well, thank you, Miss Corbala. Uh
[45:52] » Well, well, thank you, Miss Corbala. Uh
[45:52] just just as a reminder, you know,
[45:54] number of years ago, council
[45:57] um had the foresight to develop the
[45:59] tourism contingency fund for this exact
[46:02] type of purpose. We wanted to create
[46:04] opportunities that would um assist
[46:08] events come to Williamsburg to help
[46:10] offer unique opportunities for
[46:12] businesses to bring exhibits and and do
[46:15] various shows and and ultimately in an
[46:18] effort to drive overnight visitation,
[46:20] you know, to help um help the hotels,
[46:24] help the restaurants and just spending
[46:25] in Williamsburg. But as you can see from
[46:28] these uh events and some of the ones
[46:30] that we've supported in the past, they
[46:32] are great cultural activities for our
[46:34] residents to take place. And I I think
[46:36] back just to the Michelangelo exhibit
[46:38] that was here uh last year at the
[46:42] Muskerelli. I think that was met with
[46:44] with great fanfare and and I know lots
[46:46] of people here in the city were able to
[46:48] take advantage of that. So um I I fully
[46:51] support this and look forward to having
[46:53] having these three events in town.
[46:56] Mayor,
[46:56] >> thank you, Miss Corbal. And I agree. Um,
[46:59] » thank you, Miss Corbal. And I agree. Um,
[46:59] all three of these events fit exactly
[47:01] what council's intent was when this was
[47:04] developed. And I really appreciate the
[47:06] time that staff puts into reviewing
[47:08] these recommendation, these
[47:09] applications, and coming back with
[47:12] recommendations to council and look
[47:14] forward to all three of these events and
[47:15] and the people that they can attract to
[47:17] Williamsburg.
[47:20] >> Yes. Thank you. Uh, this is, you know,
[47:22] » Yes. Thank you. Uh, this is, you know,
[47:22] all wonderful. Yes. And thank you to you
[47:25] and your and your team for everything
[47:27] you've done. I did have a couple of
[47:29] questions. You said there's one
[47:30] additional application that's still is
[47:32] that in the the review stage, your all's
[47:35] review stage right now?
[47:36] >> Yes, it will be disseminated to the
[47:38] » Yes, it will be disseminated to the
[47:38] staff committee and then we'll meet pri
[47:39] and hopefully it'll be going before city
[47:41] council at the February.
[47:42] >> Okay. And then is it possible that even
[47:45] » Okay. And then is it possible that even
[47:45] more applications will come? Is there a
[47:46] hard deadline or is it a rolling
[47:49] application? as long as they meet the
[47:50] deadlines. I guess the final deadline
[47:52] would be late May to meet the June um
[47:56] city council meeting. But um but yes, as
[47:58] long as there is funding there, then
[48:00] anybody can apply.
[48:02] >> Great. Yeah. So that's that's good to
[48:03] » Great. Yeah. So that's that's good to
[48:03] know that you know these three that
[48:05] we're considering right now that that
[48:07] means there could be more events that we
[48:09] learn about that apply uh going forward
[48:11] before the end of the end of the fiscal
[48:13] year. So um that's exciting to think
[48:15] about as well. and I definitely think
[48:18] that what we have been presented with
[48:19] today are all excellent um to know that
[48:23] they're coming to town and happy to
[48:24] support them in this way.
[48:26] >> Thank you for the presentation. I too am
[48:29] » Thank you for the presentation. I too am
[48:29] pleased to support all of these. I think
[48:32] that the contingency fund, as the mayor
[48:34] has said, has really done its intent. uh
[48:38] not only has it brought different um
[48:42] events and helped us sponsor different
[48:44] events, but they've all been very
[48:46] diverse throughout the years. And I
[48:48] think this is um evident for this year,
[48:51] too. I think one thing we do want to
[48:54] keep in in mind is with 2026 being the
[48:58] 250th, there might be some surprise
[49:01] applications towards the end of the
[49:03] fiscal year. And so I think it's helpful
[49:05] to have some funding left in the fund uh
[49:09] for for anything that might come up. I
[49:12] also really appreciate the collaboration
[49:14] with other partners, particularly Visit
[49:16] Williamsburg, who's uh partnering on two
[49:20] of these, and I appreciate the staff's
[49:23] uh review and the way that you've
[49:26] approached these and and brought your
[49:28] results and recommendations to council.
[49:30] Thank you.
[49:33] Thank you for the presentation and I'm
[49:34] pleased to support all three projects as
[49:36] well, especially when we think about um
[49:39] fostering overnight visitation and um
[49:42] bringing in different conferences,
[49:44] events, and festivals to Williamsburg as
[49:46] well. So, thank you to you and your team
[49:48] um and your recommendations.
[49:51] >> Your motion. So, I move that city
[49:53] » Your motion. So, I move that city
[49:53] council award tourism promotion
[49:55] contingency fund grants to the Virginia
[49:58] Dose and Exchange in the amount of
[50:00] $8,610,
[50:02] the Virginia Black Film Festival in the
[50:05] amount of $15,000 at the director
[50:07] sponsorship level, and the Muscarelli
[50:10] Museum of Art in the amount of $25,000
[50:13] at the premier sponsor sponsorship
[50:15] level.
[50:16] >> Second,
[50:18] » Second,
[50:18] >> MC, would you call the RO?
[50:19] » MC, would you call the RO?
[50:19] >> Miss Williams.
[50:20] » Miss Williams.
[50:20] >> I miss Ramsey. Hi,
[50:21] » I miss Ramsey. Hi,
[50:21] >> Mayor Ponds.
[50:22] » Mayor Ponds.
[50:22] >> Hi,
[50:22] » Hi,
[50:22] >> Vice Mayor Dent.
[50:23] » Vice Mayor Dent.
[50:23] >> Hi, Mr.
[50:24] » Hi, Mr.
[50:24] >> Kier. I
[50:25] » Kier. I
[50:25] >> thank you. Uh, takes us to item 10,
[50:28] » thank you. Uh, takes us to item 10,
[50:28] which is close session. And I believe we
[50:30] have close session today.
[50:31] >> We do. I move to go into close session
[50:34] » We do. I move to go into close session
[50:34] pursuant to section 2.2-3711
[50:36] of the Code of Virginia for the purpose
[50:38] of discussing one legal matter per
[50:40] subparagraph 8 for the purpose of
[50:42] consultation on specific legal matters
[50:45] requiring the provision of legal advice
[50:47] by council concerning ARB guidelines.
[50:50] Second.
[50:52] >> Okay.
[50:52] » Okay.
[50:52] >> Miss Williams.
[50:53] » Miss Williams.
[50:53] >> I,
[50:53] » I,
[50:53] >> Miss Ramsey. Hi,
[50:55] » Miss Ramsey. Hi,
[50:55] >> Mayor Pon. Hi,
[50:55] » Mayor Pon. Hi,
[50:56] >> Vice Mayor Dent. Hi,
[50:57] » Vice Mayor Dent. Hi,
[50:57] >> Miss Kernair. I
[50:58] » Miss Kernair. I
[50:58] >> Okay, we will go into close session and
[51:00] » Okay, we will go into close session and
[51:00] reconvene thereafter and
[51:04] go from there. Thank you.
[2:24:59] Miss McCay,
[2:25:00] >> Miss Williams,
[2:25:01] » Miss Williams,
[2:25:01] >> I.
[2:25:01] » I.
[2:25:01] >> Miss Ramsey,
[2:25:02] » Miss Ramsey,
[2:25:02] >> hi.
[2:25:02] » hi.
[2:25:02] >> Mayor Ponds.
[2:25:03] » Mayor Ponds.
[2:25:03] >> Hi.
[2:25:03] » Hi.
[2:25:03] >> Vice Mayor Dent.
[2:25:04] » Vice Mayor Dent.
[2:25:04] >> Hi.
[2:25:04] » Hi.
[2:25:04] >> Miss Kerner.
[2:25:05] » Miss Kerner.
[2:25:05] >> I.
[2:25:06] » I.
[2:25:06] >> Okay. Nothing else. Is there a motion to
[2:25:07] » Okay. Nothing else. Is there a motion to
[2:25:07] adjurnn?
[2:25:08] >> I move that we adjourn.
[2:25:11] » I move that we adjourn.
[2:25:11] >> Second.
[2:25:13] » Second.
[2:25:13] >> M. Pay.
[2:25:14] » M. Pay.
[2:25:14] >> Miss. Williams.
[2:25:14] » Miss. Williams.
[2:25:14] >> I.
[2:25:15] » I.
[2:25:15] >> Miss. Ramsey.
[2:25:15] » Miss. Ramsey.
[2:25:16] >> Hi.
[2:25:16] » Hi.
[2:25:16] >> Mayor Pond.
[2:25:16] » Mayor Pond.
[2:25:16] >> Hi.
[2:25:17] » Hi.
[2:25:17] >> Vice Mayor Dent.
[2:25:17] » Vice Mayor Dent.
[2:25:18] >> Hi.
[2:25:18] » Hi.
[2:25:18] >> M. Kier. I
[2:25:20] » M. Kier. I
[2:25:20] >> we are journ. Thank you all.