[1:03] A call our Tuesday December 9, 2025. City council meeting to order, roll call, please, Pam.

[1:10] Mayor Reed, President, City Manager Bank. City Attorney Brown, Vice Mayor Fleming.

[1:16] Yes. Councilmember Allison. Yes. Councilmember Dent. Yes.

[1:19] Councilmember Robinson is not here yet. Interim Chief Pollard. Yes. Chief Tobias.

[1:25] If you would please stand for a moment of silence or private prayer, whatever you desire,

[1:29] And remain standing for the President.

[1:45] Thank you.

[1:48] I'll pay the allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

[1:52] And to the Republic for which it stands.

[1:55] One nation, under God, in the visible liberty of the United States are all.

[2:13] We don't have any special recognitions this evening.

[2:26] We'll go with our consent agenda, any item placed on a consent agenda shall be removed and

[2:33] taken up as a separate matter.

[2:35] If so, requested by any member of Council, otherwise our items will be voted on with

[2:40] one motion.

[2:42] Now, I'll move to approve the three items on the consent agenda as presented.

[2:47] Second.

[2:48] Any discussion?

[2:49] And we'll call please, Pam.

[2:52] Councilmember Alcedon.

[2:54] I.

[2:55] Councilmember Dent.

[2:56] I.

[2:56] Councilmember Robinson.

[2:58] I.

[2:58] Vice Mayor Fleming.

[2:59] I.

[3:00] I.

[3:01] We'll now go into our public hearings.

[3:04] Uh, item six.

[3:05] Kristen.

[3:15] Good evening, Mayor.

[3:15] Council on staff.

[3:16] My name is Kristen McCone.

[3:17] And I am the CDBG Program Manager for the city.

[3:23] I'm here tonight to bring you amendments to the 2023-2024 and 2025 action.

[3:29] and for the community development block grant.

[3:34] The summary of amendments is that $80,000 will come out of Hill and Dale sidewalks

[3:40] and $19,500 will come out of the Hill and Dale playground project.

[3:45] And both of those will go into the Kiwannis playground project.

[3:49] And then additionally, $76,867.7.7.7.7 will go out of the Habitat for Humanity

[3:56] project from last year and into the Ralph Seams and Walking Path project and the Wolf Street Waterline project.

[4:05] These amendments are necessary to keep the grant in compliance with Federal Timeliness Calculations for the grant.

[4:12] Parks and Recreation has requested for that first section of there that we move the funding for the Project Acmonus Park, which is close to being ready to go.

[4:21] And then the Habitat for Humanity has not been able to spend any funding to date for the grant period that ended 6, 30, 25 due to changes in their organizational structure for the most part.

[4:32] They're committed to working towards identifying eligible projects with their remaining funding, but they, but they understand that funding cannot be unhold indefinitely.

[4:41] Funding is being transferred to CDVG eligible city projects that are in need of additional funding that can be spent in a timely manner.

[4:49] And that will keep us in compliance with federal regulations for this funding.

[4:57] We plan to begin the 30-day public comment period.

[5:00] Tonight, I will accept comments through 9 a.m., on January 12th and then bring this item back to you for you to consider approval on January 13th.

[5:14] Residents may use the information on the screen to get in touch with me with any comments on this amendment.

[5:19] Can you have any questions?

[5:22] We have any questions.

[5:25] Thank you for your work.

[5:26] Thank you.

[5:27] Thank you.

[5:27] All right, so we'll open this item up before public hearing.

[5:30] If anyone wishes to speak, please state your name and address your half-bottomments.

[5:40] See you in none.

[5:41] And person prime that we have any colors.

[5:43] One moment,

[5:58] please.

[5:59] I need to read there enough, Alex.

[6:01] Thank you.

[6:02] I'll close public hearing on this item.

[6:07] And Council, there's no vote on this item as of yet.

[6:10] All right, we'll go to item six speed.

[6:15] Liz,

[6:19] good evening, I'm Liz Webb, housing coordinator, and I'm here regarding the sale of

[6:25] city owned property.

[6:28] As you know, part of the city's housing strategy, we developed guidelines for disposition

[6:33] of surplus lands suited to new housing development in line with the housing studies recommendations.

[6:39] five states were identified, one on Norwood and four along Reservoir.

[6:44] They were listed in the spring, and you approved the contract for the first parcel over the summer,

[6:50] and I am now here with the contract for the next two parcels.

[6:53] $24.21 and $24.25 reservoir have a combined size of about 1.15 acres, zoned our 3-medium

[7:04] density residential, and the assessment in $20.25 was $308,800.

[7:13] In the application

[7:14] that staff selected was the one submitted by Central Valley Habitat for Humanity with an

[7:20] of $10,000, their proposal is to build at least 10 town homes, the exact number to be determined,

[7:30] with at least 80% of them to habitat qualified home buyers, and the contract is contingent

[7:39] on land use approvals since the anticipated rezoning, as well as public hearing and approvals.

[7:48] So I'm here to seek your approval or that's what we recommend for this sale and

[7:57] ratifying the contract.

[7:59] So, thank you.

[8:00] Any questions?

[8:03] Thank you.

[8:04] Thank you.

[8:04] All right.

[8:05] I will open this item up for public hearing of anyone who wishes to speak.

[8:09] Please state your name and address.

[8:10] You'll have five minutes.

[8:12] And I see Mr. Porter is approaching the bench.

[8:16] Good evening.

[8:16] Madam Mayor, Mr. Council, it's good to see you all again.

[8:20] My name is Shannon Porter and I'm a Harrison Bird resident and I'm also, I also now serve as the Executive Director of Central Valley Habitat for Humanity.

[8:28] First of all, I wanted to speak to the CDBG funds and let everyone know that that was BS before Shannon.

[8:35] So we are going to work on that, we're going to get rid of the funds that are still allocated to us and that will be for our critical home repair program,

[8:42] Which is doing a lot of good work in our community right now without using community block grant funds as you may know those funds are somewhat restricted of their certain projects that we have to use those funds on and we are working diligently to be able to find those projects.

[8:56] I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you this evening and I want to thank you for your continued commitment as a council to addressing our communities housing needs.

[9:02] Our affiliate is grateful that you're considering the proposed sale of 241 and excuse me 2421 and 2425 Reservoir Street to Central Valley Habitat.

[9:12] I believe deeply in this work and I love this city. Harrisonburg is my home and you know and I know that we can do better for many of the neighbors whose lives are being limited by an unbalanced and increasingly expensive rental market that offers very little pathway to home ownership.

[9:30] Harrison Burger continues to have one of the lowest home

[9:33] ownership rates in the Commonwealth and the effects are being

[9:35] felt across our community. Too many families work here and

[9:39] contribute every day without realistically having the

[9:41] opportunity to own a home. That means the lost opportunities for

[9:45] stability, dignity, and generational wealth are put on

[9:48] hold or never happen at all. Such a valley habitat for humanity

[9:52] is dedicated and determined to help change the trajectory

[9:56] and open the door for homeownership from War Harrisonburg families.

[10:00] We have demonstrated this capacity. Our recent suitor street development delivered 22,

[10:05] currently affordable homes that is now a vibrant neighborhood full of families who are thriving.

[10:10] It shows what is possible when the city believes in our work and partners with us what we can do.

[10:16] Habitat will create real value for the city and its investment.

[10:20] We appreciate that this land is being sold to a city discount. That will be rolled directly into making these affordable,

[10:26] possible to make them. At this moment, we may be the only organization in the community that

[10:31] can build housing at this level, and ensure that it remains truly affordable while offering

[10:36] a general genuine path the home ownership. If Council will hopefully approve this transaction,

[10:41] we plan to build between 11 and 13 high quality, permanently affordable units on reservoir street.

[10:48] These homes will be sold to families earning between 60% and 80% of the AMI,

[10:52] and we intend to also install solar panels on these units as we get in

[10:56] solar street, giving the owners a hedge against rising energy costs and strengthening the long-term stability of those families.

[11:03] This project represents a significant opportunity to create stability, dignity, and economic mobility for Harrisonburg families.

[11:09] As you consider the matter in the coming weeks, we appreciate your thoughtful review and look forward to continuing this conversation as we move forward.

[11:17] On behalf of Central Valley Habitat for Humanity, thank you for your leadership.

[11:21] It continued partnership and expanding affordable home ownership.

[11:25] We valued the share commitment and we look forward to working with you.

[11:28] Thank you.

[11:29] Thank you.

[11:30] Anyone else?

[11:39] Seeing that in person, Pam, do we have any followers for them at please?

[11:53] You are now live with City Council.

[11:54] Please state your name and address some of your five minutes.

[11:57] We'll begin.

[11:58] And the U.S. City resident met a mayor of what government excels when it provides public goods.

[12:10] When it takes its limited resources and cools them when it takes our limited resources and cools them

[12:17] to provide something that many people can benefit from, for example, a park.

[12:24] City government has asked you as well when it tries to redirect funds from one user to another

[12:32] user. In this case, trying to address a housing issue by subsidizing not even individual

[12:40] tenants but individual developers. And doing so, especially at the cost of getting up public

[12:49] land. I testified repeatedly about the filing of giving up our public land for such purposes.

[12:58] If the intent is to increase housing security, a much better approach for the city would be

[13:07] another thing in which the city government can excel, which is wise regulation, or refraining

[13:15] from regulation. In particular, in the past year, the city has gone on a rampage of aesthetic

[13:25] nuisance enforcement. And soon you will contemplate reducing notice on public nuisance

[13:34] enforcement to 24 hours, to simply put in the entire city on probation. Now, people may

[13:41] check that this only applies to parties and to students. What applies is only what is in the language.

[13:47] And what is in the language is a reduction of notice from 10 to 24 hours.

[13:53] This is a massive destabilizing effect.

[13:58] What we need is to go into opposite direction. We should have green

[14:01] that a person that you're talking about right now, which wouldn't provide

[14:05] provided a common pool benefit, residential benefit, to the people in the immediate area, and

[14:12] to nearby people, and we should support what has been good in your more recent stormwater

[14:19] and environment newsletters, which is that these environmental amenities, as folks start want

[14:25] to wonder best, are an important part of housing services.

[14:33] Now, if we put the entire city on probation, we're going to have to happen, we're going to

[14:39] push the people who value these things into the most welcoming neighborhood.

[14:44] With the other words, we're going to trigger green gentrification, and we're going to push people

[14:49] out of our organ for a household, for example, in the Northeast, into these new developments,

[14:55] re-relude the government that are replacing the space with concentration.

[15:00] That idea of bad and bad and bad, and I hope that council will take these issues into consideration. Thank you very much.

[15:08] Thank you for calling us. One moment.

[15:16] May I read your note of the call?

[15:18] Thank you. I will close public hearing on the side of council.

[15:26] Well, I think, you know, we've said this before the model that habitat humanity uses to build homes I wish we could scale it and replicate it in ways that

[15:37] probably can't because of the sort of equity that goes into it and what you have to do to

[15:42] to get that moving forward.

[15:45] But getting home ownership for folks where the 60 to 80 percent

[15:51] AMI is maybe not easy almost impossible at times without doing this type of project and the type of

[16:02] support from the city in this case and from the work that have that puts into making these

[16:10] units affordable for folks and getting their work involved and putting that together.

[16:16] Now there's no other way to a great home ownership, really.

[16:19] The folks at the 68% AMI, which is what this is targeting at.

[16:25] So, you know, excited and glad to see habitat and have the opportunity to expand their footprint in the city with more units.

[16:36] there's some of the best units we can put together for folks who otherwise don't have

[16:43] opportunity for our membership.

[16:49] I'll I second all that and add the wonderful partnership with give solar to give renewable

[16:55] energy to help people reduce their utility bills and be greener in the environment.

[17:02] So I love seeing that synergy happen in our community.

[17:06] Thank you.

[17:07] I think this is an amazing project.

[17:10] I've always loved the work that Habitat does because it offers the possibility of homeownership.

[17:18] Those who sometimes may never get that opportunity, and also with the solar with the solar,

[17:27] that's another area where, you know, if you don't have the right amount of money in your pocket,

[17:32] solar is off limits, which means you continue to pay those high bills.

[17:35] So this is just the win-win, and so I just appreciate you all working with us in the city to offer the residents this great opportunity.

[17:45] This is a good project. Good project.

[17:51] Thank you.

[17:55] Madam Mayor, I move that we approve the disposition of real estate owned by the city of Harrisonburg at 2421 and 2425 Reservoir Street to Central Valley Habitat for Humanity

[18:08] and adopt the resolution authorizing the self of public phone real estate.

[18:13] Second.

[18:14] Any more discussion?

[18:16] We'll call please.

[18:17] Thank you.

[18:18] Councilmember Allison.

[18:19] Hi.

[18:20] Councilmember Dent.

[18:22] Councilmember Robinson.

[18:23] I.

[18:24] Mayor Fleming.

[18:25] Mayor Reed.

[18:26] I.

[18:26] Thank you Shannon.

[18:28] Thank you.

[18:28] Thank you for what you do.

[18:30] First of all, come in.

[18:31] All right, you ready?

[18:33] Yes.

[18:35] Madam Mayor and Councilmember Chef before you an ordinance

[18:37] authorize in the city manager to execute a quick clean deed.

[18:41] Combined real property to Jamie Foundation, Virginia Avenue, LLC, the Attorney

[18:47] Floor of the Jamie Foundation contacted me a while ago.

[18:50] The Foundation bought a couple of parcels of land on Virginia Avenue, it's the old Shenandoah

[18:56] Manufacturing Facility there, and when they were doing their title search for the property,

[19:01] They realized there was a 1,278 square foot strip that have been included in their property

[19:12] description over the many years, but it was actually owned by the City of Harrisonburg.

[19:18] And probably what happened is back when that area was still in the county, V dot secured

[19:23] that property.

[19:24] when they were widening Virginia Avenue,

[19:27] brought 42, and then after annexation,

[19:29] they got transferred to us.

[19:32] So again, the foundation and its predecessors

[19:35] entitled, have always treated that small strip of land

[19:38] as the run.

[19:41] I didn't ask Mr. Hartman this directly,

[19:42] but I'm not sure we even realized we owned that.

[19:46] And Mr. Hartman is sure is me

[19:48] that we have no use for it.

[19:50] And no objection to transferring it

[19:53] the foundation clear up this little tidal issue and there's a plant that was attached to the agenda.

[20:00] That shows where that's located, sort of between the main parcel and the road.

[20:05] Any questions?

[20:07] Yes.

[20:07] This was, like, from 1990, when this was executed initially, it looks like.

[20:12] I think if you track back in the title chain,

[20:16] you'll see that little sliver pop-up, even earlier than that.

[20:19] Yeah, yeah.

[20:20] And by the way, quick claim to you, just to see, you'll know,

[20:23] that means the city's not given any kind of warranty we're telling them.

[20:27] We don't know if we own it. We don't know what interest we have. We're just transferring whatever we have to you

[20:34] Okay, actually per their original deal. Right

[20:38] Okay, any more questions?

[20:41] No, man. All right, I'll open this item up for public hearing. If anyone wishes to speak, please take your name and address your assignments

[20:52] Send on a person family. We have a call.

[20:54] Just one minute.

[21:04] I'm going to read there at your college.

[21:05] Thank you.

[21:06] I have a close public room on this side.

[21:09] Council.

[21:12] Madam Mayor, I move that we approve the ordinance, authorizing the City Manager to execute

[21:17] a quick claim deed.

[21:18] Can they real property to JMU Foundation Virginia Avenue LLC as presented by City Attorney?

[21:25] Second.

[21:26] Any more discussion?

[21:28] We'll call on this panel.

[21:30] Councilmember Allison.

[21:31] Hi.

[21:32] Councilmember Dent.

[21:32] Council Member Robinson, Vice Mayor Flemme, may you read.

[21:38] Aye.

[21:39] Aye.

[21:39] On 60.

[21:41] Come.

[21:47] Good evening.

[21:47] I'm Hartman Public Works.

[21:48] Here tonight with a, our public hearing for our state process schools sidewalk project.

[21:54] This is the public hearing.

[21:55] So there's no council action needed after I share our project.

[22:00] This was a, a, a, a, a V dot awarded grant project that we're working through.

[22:04] Um, it was funded through V dot's transportation alternatives.

[22:07] program grant funding source. This is an 80-20 grant source. You see on the screen feed up funds

[22:14] or just over half a million in the city funds which have been appropriate through previous budgets

[22:18] around $137,000. Working this project is to build three segments of sidewalks at two elementary

[22:25] schools, one at Waterman and one at Kester. The next lot will show you the locations of their sidewalks.

[22:32] Tonight is our public hearing. This is a stipulation as far as the grant that we have to go

[22:36] of healthcare before we can get into the right away phase of the project, which we're ready to enter into.

[22:42] We have one parcel of right away where we need to get a little bit of a fee-simple right of way as well as some temporary construction easements to build the Salmo-Floom first street.

[22:50] So, it is not as currently underway with engineering consultants.

[22:54] We'll try to get the right away knocked out pretty quickly this winter with a hope to be constructed this summer.

[22:59] That's pretty aggressive for us, time-wise, but I think if we can get through the right away pretty soon,

[23:05] construction documents are pretty close and ready to do that. So there's sidewalk segments.

[23:12] This is the first segment at Waterman Elementary. Blue is the current sidewalk.

[23:17] Infrastructure we have on Gay Street in Chicago. Red is the new limits of the new sidewalk.

[23:23] We're connected both entrances to the bus loop on Gay Street in front of Mr. Banks's home.

[23:28] And thanks for pointing out.

[23:33] All right.

[23:33] This is the court number of that.

[23:35] Yeah, really.

[23:36] And the red line, also, we're connecting from the Gay Street

[23:39] South Walk up to the bus loop.

[23:43] And with this project, it also includes a little segment of red

[23:45] sidewalk over on first street to connect some gaps we have.

[23:49] With Leah Avenue to get over to the mid-block crossing to get into

[23:53] the elementary school as well.

[23:55] That's the portion on first street where we need a little bit of

[23:57] easement from the property owner. We're working with the schools for the other property and then

[24:03] Keester, this is overall central avenue. This is the bus loop. For Keester Elementary,

[24:10] there's sidewalk on either sides of their entrance and there's the gap in the center. So we're

[24:14] really just going to put some sidewalk in that island area to provide connectivity for students and

[24:20] parents to walk safely and not have to get out in the street that's small segment as they're taking

[24:25] because it's two and from school.

[24:27] And neighbors, I want to hear.

[24:28] Yeah, neighbors in the community as well.

[24:31] So that's our project.

[24:33] So tonight is the public hearing.

[24:34] If anyone has any comments, suggestions

[24:35] about how we can improve or change our project now

[24:37] the time for them to show that with us?

[24:40] Any questions?

[24:42] I mean, is it anything to keep our children safe?

[24:44] That's right.

[24:45] I mean, it should be a no brainer.

[24:47] Yeah, it's a pretty highly trafficked areas

[24:50] both for cars and for pedestrians.

[24:52] Correct, you have very popular water school events.

[24:55] Both schools have a big multiple school days and like outside of the multiple school days, they're still very popular.

[25:00] Okay, James MacK��d. Senator, thank you.

[25:01] President Boehli, we have a fan of public hearing, and differments.

[25:03] The first speaker is happy to have a speaker.

[25:17] This is a positive and a positive speaker.

[25:28] Okay, if we don't have any more, don't have a partner stuff, thank you.

[25:32] I'll open this up for public hearing.

[25:35] If anyone wishes to speak, please state your name and address your assignments.

[25:43] See you in another person.

[25:44] Pam, do we have any colleagues?

[25:45] One moment, please.

[25:56] May I read there in no college?

[25:57] Thank you.

[26:00] I'll close public hearing on the side of them.

[26:03] There is no vote.

[26:04] So, we can move on.

[26:06] Two are regular items.

[26:08] And it's seven A and we have Abby Tibo.

[26:16] Hello.

[26:17] Good evening. Thank you for having me. I also want to point out that several members of our office are here in the building.

[26:25] Where's your hand?

[26:27] We have John L. Edge. He's one of our attorneys, Robert Wilson. One of our attorneys.

[26:32] William White is a paralegal. He's accompanied by his wife.

[26:35] Michaela Mast is a mitigation specialist, Stephanie Troy is our office manager and she's a company by her husband.

[26:41] We have a total of 18 employees and we have been off to, I think, an excellent start.

[26:50] I will begin by just telling you a little bit about our journey.

[26:53] As many of you know, I started in this position on September 10th of last year and at that point I was a party of one.

[27:00] And I found myself working at home

[27:03] until I could eventually move into our current office space

[27:06] with very limited resources,

[27:10] no internet, no furniture.

[27:12] And Stephanie was one of the first employees to join me.

[27:15] And over the course of those months,

[27:16] we were able to build our office.

[27:18] It was very important to us that we honor

[27:20] what had been represented by the VADC

[27:22] that we would be willing to begin taking cases in January.

[27:26] And I just want to compliment my office

[27:28] because they stuck to that and even though we didn't have internet access until about a week before we started taking cases

[27:35] nor did we have a copy or her printer, they took that on and we also started the work with six attorneys.

[27:42] We are now at nine of the ten attorneys, one of our attorneys is awaiting taking the bar exam and then hopefully we'll pass and we'll have full ten attorneys.

[27:50] The office is staffed with those 10 attorneys, two mitigation specialists, two parodegals,

[27:57] an investigator, and two legal assistants, as well as Ms. Choi, the office manager.

[28:04] So we are absolutely blessed to have an excellent staff in the community.

[28:09] We dive right in, taking on cases and asking the court to appoint us to every case as the Virginia code requires

[28:17] whereas we're an individual needed court appointed council.

[28:21] That is mostly happening because we are transitioning out of the court appointed model.

[28:26] That was in place before.

[28:28] The court is still appointing some cases to court appointed attorneys.

[28:31] And court appointed attorneys continue to have a significant and important role in the community

[28:35] because we often have cases where we have conflicts, co-dependence.

[28:40] People we've represented before that need their services.

[28:42] So, we have joined in them in fighting and advocating for our clients here in Rockingham County.

[28:50] In the short time, we've been taking cases which began at the end of January.

[28:54] We have opened more than 1,817 cases.

[28:59] Wow.

[29:00] Yes.

[29:00] We have closed a little over 950 cases in that time.

[29:05] And at least a third of those cases have been closed after being either dismissed,

[29:10] or the charges were entered normally per seqway, which is a discretionary dismissal by the

[29:14] common multi-turnee's office. It has been our observation that we have started to turn

[29:20] the tide in Rockingham County by setting more jury trials than have been set before, fighting

[29:27] for our clients, which is our mandate and our pleasure. And we have been very successful in the jury

[29:33] trials. We have set that have actually reached that point of the five jury trials that we've had

[29:39] so far, all of them have ended in a not guilty verdict or a dismissal.

[29:44] In addition to absolutely fighting for our clients,

[29:48] another big part of our work is for those clients for whom we may not be able to reach that

[29:53] very hopeful and result of a not guilty or a dismissal

[29:56] to try to work with them to help resolve the issue.

[30:00] Issues that have led them to be part of the criminal justice system. Whether that's explaining to the court why the traditional measures for criminal justice might not be the best antidote to our societal struggles or it's helping our clients pursue alternatives.

[30:18] Michaela and her partner Amanda Burley, who's our other medication specialist, have worked

[30:23] incredibly hard to learn about the resources in both rocking him county, but also Virginia

[30:29] at large. Putting together a comprehensive resource guide and helping to connect our clients

[30:35] with those resources. We are constantly in court asking the judges and the Commonwealth

[30:40] to consider alternatives to incarceration. And when those don't always pan out immediately

[30:45] to give our clients a second chance because the journey when trying to overcome substance abuse

[30:51] issues and mental health issues is not as simple as I told you to fix that problem and

[30:57] presto, you know, longer health schizophrenia and you know, longer are addicted to methamphetamine.

[31:02] We're trying to bring a tone of care and support and compassion to our clients and the community.

[31:09] In addition, we drill our best through our mitigation specialists to try to provide many other services,

[31:16] connect them with the Department of Social Services, provide them with mutual aid resources.

[31:22] Our primary job is to advocate for our clients in court to uphold the Constitution, but we do what we can

[31:28] to try to see the client as a whole person and figure out what we can do to make sure they don't come back.

[31:35] That's the ultimate goal.

[31:36] I think the thing that I'm most proud that we have brought together as the teams who are

[31:41] acting him county is our own version of what attorneys call counsel at first appearance.

[31:46] I previously worked in Maryland for the Public Defender's Office and before that, or

[31:51] after that, but before this, I was with the federal public defender for the Western District

[31:56] of Virginia, which includes rocking him county.

[32:00] In both of those places, individuals who were arrested and appeared before a judge for what

[32:04] we call their initial appearance had access to council.

[32:08] But that had not been the practice in rocking him county.

[32:11] And that's not unique to rocking him county.

[32:13] I'm not being critical.

[32:14] It's a right that hasn't been written into the Virginia code.

[32:17] So we decided we wanted people to have access to council

[32:20] at that juncture at that stage.

[32:22] And whereas before people at that initial appearance

[32:26] appeared, typically on video, before the judge,

[32:28] with the Commonwealth President in the office,

[32:31] were advised of their rights,

[32:32] advise of the charges, ask you if they need a court appointed counsel, and if they did,

[32:37] appointed an attorney.

[32:39] We now have an attorney in the courtroom with them, and typically we are the attorney

[32:43] appointed, because we are essentially the default appointee unless there is a conflict

[32:47] that the person doesn't qualify, and we were able to immediately ask the court to address

[32:52] their bond, and we're able to provide the client with advocacy immediately.

[32:57] In the historical model, because the attorney who was appointed, because it could have been

[33:01] any one of the attorneys on the court appointed list was not present.

[33:05] There would be a delay until that person had contact with council.

[33:09] They would have to wait until the court had completed the paperwork, the paperwork had been

[33:13] placed in that court appointed attorneys mailbox and then they had the opportunity to retrieve

[33:17] it and then gone to the jail to meet with that person and then set a bond hearing.

[33:22] We're not always successful at that first bond hearing, but we think it's a meaningful

[33:25] opportunity to stand up and advocate for the individual.

[33:28] Some of what I call our specialists, which are the Medication Specialist, the Paralegals, the

[33:33] Investigator, they go into the jail in the morning and attempt to interview as many

[33:38] of these individuals with the idea that we're very likely to be appointed to represent them

[33:42] so that we have some information available to advocate for them.

[33:45] So I'm very proud of my office's ability and willingness to do what is sort of extra work

[33:51] that is consistent with our mission and while there was some surprise and resistance in the

[33:55] beginning because this was a new thing, it is become common practice and we haven't been able

[34:01] to implement it in the circuit court yet for those folks who are typically being received

[34:05] for probation violations, but we do try to set the bond hearings very quickly. We believe

[34:10] that when people are, when they receive the advocacy and when they can be released pre-trial

[34:15] that the research shows that outcomes improve for them in the criminal court system.

[34:20] At every turn that is what we are trying to do. I could probably talk about this in our

[34:25] at such great length that we'd be here all night, so I would be happy to answer questions from you all about our office and it's future.

[34:33] I'm curious what you were saying about advocating for alternatives to incarceration. What are some of those as examples?

[34:42] For us, it's developing a release plan. And sometimes that release plan might involve time spent in a substance abuse or mental health program.

[34:52] typically most of the programs were able to assist clients with entry into are going to have some kind of substance abuse element and you know, unfortunately

[35:00] Recently, a lot of the individuals that do cross through the courthouse doors are individuals who struggle with substance abuse issues.

[35:07] So, trying to say to the court, you know, there's the old adage, fall down nine times, get up ten, that you can't put a limit on opportunities to recover from the disease of addiction,

[35:17] and that incarcerating someone for months to sometimes years to sometimes decades for behaviors that might have been rooted in their addiction,

[35:25] or even simply for maybe a subsequent conviction for possession of a drug, so not really doing

[35:32] something in action that's damaging to the community, but merely being in your addiction

[35:36] is not going to resolve the problem. It's just delay. It's just removing that person for

[35:41] the community. And while some people might see that as a benefit, it's our ultimate hope that

[35:46] we can try to divert people into a program. I once appeared before a judge in Maryland,

[35:52] And when I was asking for a client who had been removed from a treatment program for a second shot at another program because she had faltered in her first.

[36:00] And I remember that he looked at the prosecutor who was objecting and said if she had cancer and she had chemotherapy and she was in in remission.

[36:11] But the cancer came back. Would you tell her that she already had her one shot at recovering from cancer?

[36:16] And so, trying to get the court to understand and appreciate that, the addiction is just something that's very powerful, is a big component of that.

[36:28] At other times, it might be someone who doesn't necessarily struggle with substance abuse issues,

[36:32] but just has tremendous instability in their life.

[36:35] And maybe we can help explain why their behavior was whatever happened to cause them to come into criminal court, explain the why.

[36:43] offer alternative services, maybe it's therapy, maybe it's an anger management course,

[36:48] maybe they have an opportunity there now in the CSB's permanent support of housing

[36:53] program and we have positive momentum for them. Any one of these things can be an alternative

[36:58] to incarceration, trying to take the need to punish for the sake of punishment out of the equation

[37:04] and invest in bettering individuals in our community with the hope of that trickling down

[37:09] benefiting all of us, which is something I, and I think, Google Greater, we truly believe

[37:15] it.

[37:16] So you said you partner with like CSB, who and your team that you have somebody specifically

[37:22] that that's their outreach to the different organizations in the community?

[37:28] Yes.

[37:28] So while we all try to build these relationships, our primary points of contact are going to

[37:32] come through Ms. Naston, Ms. Burley, who are the mitigation specialists, and we're very lucky

[37:37] to have these positions in our office.

[37:40] They are essentially social workers.

[37:42] That's their type of experience.

[37:44] And so they are doing some case management work.

[37:47] And that's where they're literally helping

[37:49] to develop release plans.

[37:50] Michaela and I have submitted a complete release plan.

[37:53] This client has identified as having a issue with grief.

[37:57] They're recovering from the loss of a parent.

[37:59] And we've identified a grief counselor

[38:00] that they're interested in partnering with if they're released.

[38:04] And here's where their housing is going

[38:05] here, a potential job opportunities they might have here is where they're going to go for

[38:10] the recovery aspect. And submitting that to the court and saying this is the proposed plan

[38:15] in lieu of incarceration. You do that for each client? For anyone for whom it's relevant and

[38:21] necessary. You know, we do it when we don't think we have another possible outcome. Sometimes it's

[38:29] trying to pursue the knock guilty and then maybe a release plan is coming later. I wouldn't say we

[38:35] written sometimes it's verbal, sometimes it's they already have stability, it's just hey let's

[38:40] they made a mistake let's move on from that. In addition to doing the case management aspects

[38:45] they also really help us get to know our clients on a deeper level. They're not involved in every

[38:51] single case, there's two of them and then ten attorneys, but we tried to direct them towards the

[38:55] cases where we think they can be most useful and helpful. So they partner with us in helping us get

[39:01] know our clients better as a human being and getting their stories and their perspective so

[39:07] that we can share that with the court to help explain why things have gotten to where

[39:11] they are and what it also sometimes that life history can help us explain or the solutions

[39:17] are because we can identify what's made life difficult for this person and I would say it's

[39:21] almost when crime is committed it's almost always because life has been tremendously difficult

[39:27] And sometimes it's life has been difficult and this person doesn't have the tools they need to try to navigate that system.

[39:34] And, you know, I've been to this meeting and last meeting housing as we all know as a big issue.

[39:38] That is a huge issue that is painfully we can't resolve everything.

[39:41] We don't have a lot of ability to just get our clients housing.

[39:46] But we do what we can and Michaela and Amanda are a huge part of that.

[39:52] Belated welcome to the city and really excited you're here. I think it's a long overdue

[39:58] office for us in the city.

[40:00] The service you're providing is something I think we've been looking at for a long time. And I think what you're doing, well, just to fit the values of Harrisonburg, kind of long tradition of finding alternatives and ideation for this. So I'm glad to just now being executed in a way there. So that's good. How do you measure how we think about measuring success of what you're doing, whether the problems you're working with or having

[40:29] the intended, you know, impact, and of course, you know, it's hard to understand what the

[40:36] goals might be.

[40:37] I think, you know, with folks, it's hard to understand what might be progress and success

[40:41] for folks depending on the situation in life they're in.

[40:45] But do you have ways that you're looking to measure the effectiveness of the programs that you're

[40:50] working with and promoting?

[40:53] We haven't gotten to the point since we're still sort of getting our feet under us, or we've

[40:57] And to how we can manage statistics and figure out, you know, the outcomes for getting how we can measure those and then use that on top of what we're doing on a day-to-day basis to enforce the positive benefits of our work.

[41:11] But I think a big part of it is going to be measuring recidivism.

[41:15] Do clients come back and it's not going to be an immediate fix.

[41:17] The fact is, oftentimes our clients are, you know, they're dealing with years of being institutionalized for some of them.

[41:25] dealing with those instabilities, and I think that's where that component about trying to educate

[41:29] the other members of the criminal justice system that sometimes we need second and third chances,

[41:35] but ultimately measuring recidivism. We have individuals who come before the court who

[41:40] they're just familiar faces for a lot of the court staff. There's that person again. There's that person

[41:45] again. And that's I think to me, I'm not at this criminal justice system in this country is not solving

[41:52] the problems. We should be the ones looking back and saying, we're not building the house right

[41:57] if the people keep coming back. So that's one way. Another way is some of our goals really lie

[42:03] in the Commonwealth practices, the courts practices, and those are going to be really tangible

[42:09] and measurable for us, like in certain types of cases, we don't want to see felony convictions.

[42:16] And so that's where the role of setting cases for trial comes in because it's about holding

[42:20] the commonwealth accountable, and then we start to see better outcomes in certain cases.

[42:26] So for some people, felony probation might not be the answer, so finding alternatives

[42:30] to those things, and we can measure those very clearly when we start to see what we consider

[42:35] better outcomes in our cases, which is almost always going to be less incarceration, fewer

[42:39] felonies, fewer convictions, so we can make that happen. In the mind of alternatives, we would

[42:46] to eventually see more restorative practices, particularly when it comes to cases involving domestic

[42:53] violence or disputes between neighbors or even disputes between property owners and individuals

[42:59] in the community who are in house who might go to 7-11, 14 times when they've been told not to,

[43:04] coming together and employing restorative practices, whether it's some kind of mediation that

[43:10] completely divert cases away from the criminal justice system, but don't necessarily ignore that

[43:14] there's a problem that needs to be solved.

[43:19] I appreciate your passion actually towards our city.

[43:25] And I'm shocked, actually, like you are shocked.

[43:27] When you learn that, there is no such office,

[43:31] public defenders in Harrisonburg.

[43:33] I appreciate that you're coming from Northern Virginia,

[43:36] to support the city and the county as well.

[43:40] really we don't need such a service for our people actually. And I appreciate it.

[43:48] But I do have like three questions for you. Yes.

[43:53] First is like, do you clients need to to meet any criteria like any conditions? So they can be

[43:59] eligible if you want to answer this. Yeah, I can do them on a time. So yes, there are there are

[44:06] limits imposed by the court, by the Virginia Supreme Court, that essentially say someone who's

[44:11] receiving public benefits, they are automatically going to qualify for court-appointed council.

[44:16] If they're not, it's going to come down to an income threshold, and that is how they make

[44:20] that determination.

[44:21] There is an avenue for a court to decide that the avenues of justice require that we be appointed.

[44:28] Sometimes we see that in a situation where someone is employed, but the court's going to be

[44:31] inclined to detain them, and the court has a suspicion they're going to detain them

[44:35] quite a long time, such that they're not going to have income. They may appoint us in the

[44:39] situations. But we do have times when they say, you don't qualify for the public defender.

[44:45] It's a question bigger than Rocky Hill County. I think some of those thresholds need to increase

[44:49] because the cost of living has increased so significantly, but there are qualifications.

[44:54] Thank you. I learned that in Salt Lake City, Utah.

[45:00] They have program for Jewelry, like they work with a police department in state of having teenagers being served in jail.

[45:10] They can have alternative. And I think that you answered for alternative and case-up and co-sination.

[45:17] Do you have something in mind to prepare something? I think you will be a pioneer in this aspect for the Jewelry.

[45:24] And then if you have it like the city hopefully can work with you with a police department, saving those teenagers from

[45:33] starting like as a life, even like for things that they can be traded, and things that have done like out of their control.

[45:42] Do you have something in mind?

[45:44] Well, I do want to give a nod to Chief Pollard and HPD because I do believe there is in place,

[45:50] But I think it's a great, but more limited that I'd like to see diversion and restorative justice program that is often used for juveniles who might engage in graffiti or other minor offenses so that there's a foundation here for this and I think we could expand it further.

[46:08] And there's also diversion through the Department of juvenile justice so we have that here, but I think it needs to get, you know, it needs to be used and utilized more often.

[46:19] I do think there is an issue, and I think it's just going to come with our office pushing

[46:25] with juvenile detention being utilized as a punishment for kids instead of what it really should

[46:34] be, which is if a child truly cannot currently independently or with their family exist in the

[46:41] community at the last, the last straw is putting them in detention, but we have situations where

[46:47] the Commonwealth is asking for a 10-day sentence in Juvie for something.

[46:51] And that's, we see that with adults a lot.

[46:54] It really isn't what should be happening with juveniles.

[46:56] It should really be a little more black and white.

[46:58] Like, you've got something very serious.

[47:00] Maybe it needs to happen on a temporary basis constantly exploring alternatives.

[47:05] But I'd like to see last of these short punitive sentences that really just, they break

[47:12] up a child's life who's maybe in school.

[47:15] And it's traumatizing to be in that and then you know I'm the kid you went in the now the kid you went to

[47:20] Juby and it can really impact how they see themselves as well. So we have those foundations.

[47:27] I've tried to talk to Ms. Garce about expanding it. Hopefully those conversations will continue.

[47:31] We just basically like to see it used more liberally and we do have sometimes

[47:34] complaints in cases who maybe called the police needed some immediate intervention but what

[47:39] they ultimately want is to sit down at the table with that person and say,

[47:43] This is how you hurt me, how can we work it out rather than see that person spend time in jail,

[47:48] live with a conviction, have court costs and fees and fines, et cetera. So we hope to continue that moment.

[47:56] And her spirit, like the Virginia, like mix of immigrant communities. And I learned that you

[48:03] have a mediation also service. So how you will link to your work with the immigrant

[48:09] communities to try to work with them in terms of mediation, because I know that they use

[48:16] that mediation about that then they go into the courts, so they use that type of service.

[48:21] So we can't actually provide mediation services with our current staff, but we do have the

[48:26] Fairfield Center and other resources in the community and if the court can commit to experimenting

[48:31] with that, that is something that we could do. We don't actually provide immigration services.

[48:37] what we have is as essentially a law firm and as individuals representing folks who are going through

[48:43] criminal court is a mandate that we advise our clients who are facing immigration consequences

[48:49] on top of their criminal consequences of the impact of their criminal conviction and their criminal

[48:55] case on their immigration status. We are very grateful to have the Assistant's of an immigration

[49:00] attorney who is employed by the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission who consults with all of

[49:06] attorney is across the state specifically on this issue. So if we have a client and we have

[49:11] a lot of clients at this point in time who have immigration concerns, whether they have

[49:16] an immigration detain our waiting for them, once they're released from incarceration, whether

[49:20] they're afraid to come to court because they don't know if ISIS is going to be waiting for

[49:23] them outside the courthouse stores or they know they have to go get a green card renewal and

[49:28] they're fearful of the impacts of the criminal conviction should it come on their ability to do that.

[49:34] we advise them about what to do.

[49:37] Now, many of the people in my office, I would say all of the people in my office are people who just have

[49:43] plain old good hearts and so there are a lot of extracurriculars when it comes to working with some of our

[49:49] immigration advocacy groups in the community and partnerships there, which helps us educate ourselves

[49:55] as well as when we can offer services and advice do that. I would do wish that there was a great

[50:00] Greater access to immigration counsel for individuals, mostly we're stuck in a position of strategizing with our clients about, while if you take this plea, you may get out of this jail, but it's going to make you an eligible for asylum, or it's going to cause you to be mandatory, detained by ICE.

[50:18] For clients who are not in custody, strategizing to avoid going into custody if they have immigration issues, but that is the extent of our immigration practice.

[50:26] Thank you.

[50:28] I like to say something.

[50:30] I think we are truly blessed to have you leading our public defenders office.

[50:35] And one of the things that I wanted to speak about was Vice Mayor Fleming was asking about data.

[50:42] And we don't have data because you're a new office.

[50:45] But I like to keep my ear to the streets so to speak.

[50:48] And I have data.

[50:50] What I'm hearing is good things.

[50:51] hearing that you are a caring for people who are in the midst of all of this with such

[50:59] loving hands, you're helping them get gel-medicates, you're helping them look for other support

[51:08] services that they may need. And a lot of times folks have said that we've said there, not knowing

[51:15] where we're going to get out of this, how we're going to deal with what got us into this.

[51:20] And in the past, I've never heard people talk about helping you deal with what got you into the situation.

[51:29] And I think that's more important than actual crime itself, because if you don't deal with that,

[51:34] like you said, recitivism is going to continue to increase. We're going to see you again. You're going to come back.

[51:39] So that hard work that you're doing, I think, is outside of the actual courtroom.

[51:44] And I just have so much respect for you and the folks in your office for going that extra mile.

[51:53] I'm going above and beyond what's expected of you that I just didn't know that

[51:59] that's what we get when we get a public defender's office.

[52:03] But it's not always the case, it's because we have you.

[52:07] And so your thoughts, and when I'm sitting here listening to you,

[52:10] be, I now understand why you're staff acts in a way that they have a keep pushing and keep

[52:18] searching for other resources for folks who are in the midst of a crisis.

[52:22] And so, but that is there and that is saying you're doing right things.

[52:26] And I'm hoping that the ideas that you're really pushing for, that trickle over into the

[52:34] rest of the offices that deal with the same individuals in the midst of a crisis, and we

[52:40] start caring for that individual in a way that we don't see them again.

[52:44] If we do see them, it's because they're doing good on the street.

[52:48] Hey, thanks. I'm now doing blogs and blogs. I have a job now.

[52:52] You know, I got to correct medical advice that I need to get.

[52:55] You made me an appointment. Thank you so much.

[52:58] And so, yes, I just think you're doing an amazing job.

[53:02] And, um, wow, the dad is there.

[53:06] And the dad says, keep going, girl.

[53:08] Thank you.

[53:09] And Councilwoman Rothins makes a great point.

[53:12] I think a foundational principle of our office is to have meaningful and frequent

[53:17] contacts with our clients, whether they're incarcerated or not, to be there for them.

[53:23] And I do truly believe that sometimes that can be the antidote or at least part of the antidote

[53:27] to their coming back to the community.

[53:30] I believe that when individuals feel like they've been treated fairly and that the system

[53:34] respected them that they had an attorney who advocated for them in completely and entirely

[53:39] that they have greater accountability if they did make a mistake. They also feel better

[53:45] about themselves because a lot of our clients have never or maybe not never, but they haven't

[53:50] had a lot of people care about them and invest in them. They may not have family members who have

[53:55] stuck by their side or they just may simply not have family members in the area who are capable of

[54:00] supporting them. But when our attorneys and our mitigation specialists are even our

[54:05] front desk staff who answer the phones day in and day out, treat them with

[54:09] courtesy and respect and listen to them. We believe that is another way in which we

[54:13] are hopefully reducing recidivism. And you know, I don't want to just distill it down

[54:17] to recidivism. It's about improving people's lives and making people feel good

[54:23] and treating them like human beings. And that's when we are as a community. Yes. So that's why

[54:29] It feels like it fits so well, right?

[54:33] To know, and I know some of the people

[54:36] that's sitting on your team, so I know the passion

[54:40] that they have and the heart that they have.

[54:43] So it fits exactly what we say.

[54:45] We are as a community.

[54:49] I just want to mention, going back to the idea of our courts

[54:54] and folks might go there in a fearful ice immigration

[54:57] being there.

[54:59] and close me.

[55:00] You know, it's being here that those sensitive locations were rescinded. So what had previously been a place where folks could go without fear of additional prosecution was rescinded.

[55:14] So I think that's something that we actually will talk about later in this meeting about the idea of sensitive location, strictly courts.

[55:21] And that folks can feel that they can take part in the system without having penalty for taking part in the system.

[55:33] It doesn't work. It doesn't work otherwise.

[55:36] So I think something we can, we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll talk about later.

[55:40] So you mentioned the 1800 cases.

[55:44] It's a lot because and divide it by, yeah, for work.

[55:48] We don't know why.

[55:49] We don't know why.

[55:51] But then the idea of maybe expanding the juvenile services

[55:57] you talked about, are you anticipating,

[56:01] potentially growing your office and assuming,

[56:05] hearing those numbers to me,

[56:07] seems like you anticipate or imagine getting larger,

[56:12] growing and finding more services and kind of your ideas

[56:16] or the thought of how or if and when that might happen.

[56:19] It's on our minds.

[56:20] I think we're not going to have the firm abilities

[56:22] to make that ask of the VIDC until we have our 10th attorney

[56:26] actually practicing as an attorney because right now we're dividing

[56:30] our caseload across nine attorneys and two of them started in the fall.

[56:35] And so they haven't reached their full caseloads.

[56:37] And when we see that and we can compare to other jurisdictions

[56:40] that the VIDC is supporting public defender's offices in.

[56:44] we may be able to ask for more staff.

[56:47] And I think for us, that name,

[56:48] in additional attorneys, it's definitely been on our mind.

[56:52] It's been part of conversation.

[56:53] And it may mean another investigator,

[56:56] or another mitigation specialist,

[56:57] because those additional positions are critical,

[57:00] especially if we're talking about expanding our work beyond

[57:05] just what happens in the courtroom,

[57:07] which is what we would like to do.

[57:09] And we do have benefit in the partnership.

[57:10] We built great relationships with the CSB,

[57:13] with the Gemeinschaft Home, with the Department of Social Services.

[57:16] I mean, Michaela and Amanda and many of the attorneys know so many people even across the state

[57:22] at different recovery programs and really try to tailor it to the right person.

[57:25] So we've got those outside supporters, but we would like to expand, I think, word is not prepared

[57:29] to make an educated ask until we get a view of what it looks like when we have kind of attorneys.

[57:35] And some of this is, as I mentioned in the beginning, the circuit court is not yet appointing

[57:41] in every case where there's not a conflict, they are still rotating us in with the other individuals

[57:48] on the court appointed list and certainly not here to take away work from anyone but the code

[57:53] does technically say when a jurisdiction has a public defender's office, the case of

[57:57] shall be appointed to the public defender. That's part of why you shift into this model. Again

[58:02] unless there's a conflict or unless for some reason we say in the interest of justice we

[58:06] can't handle that case. We need to maintain the court appointed list because we do have

[58:09] It's a small community that happens multi-defendant cases or just situations are like, oh, I know that person

[58:16] And we're gonna have to cross examine that person as a witness and that's not gonna look good because that's my former client

[58:23] So we will take stock and then and see what we think we need and

[58:30] Move forward and hopefully expand

[58:33] I would just like to say that I like to tell the story some of you know this, but the the origin of my

[58:40] arriving here at this podium is I have been spending time in Harrisonburg since 2018 and

[58:46] lived in Harrisonburg. I right now live in Crosi, that's a long story, but I'm planning

[58:50] I'm moving back. But lived in Harrisonburg from 2021 until 2023. And when I first

[58:57] made the leap to move to Harrisonburg from the DC area, my caveat was, well, I've got, I've

[59:04] got to be a public defender. So, and I said, I'll just work at the Rockingham County Public

[59:08] funders office, and there was no such thing. At the time, I lived across the street from

[59:13] Council in the dent, and I found myself talking to her husband. He said, well, they're

[59:19] trying to get a public defender's office here in maybe one day. I was able to get employment

[59:23] with the federal public defender's office, and just sort of enjoy that work, but quietly

[59:28] waited because I think the most meaningful way, which you can be a public defender, is important

[59:32] up in the feds, but it's meaningful because it's so community-based when you're in a state

[59:36] with Defender's office.

[59:38] One day, my friends, it was a jam you alumni

[59:41] inside, they just posted for the Public Defender's

[59:43] position in Harrisonburg.

[59:44] And I was like, they're never going to pick me.

[59:47] And they did.

[59:48] So I am just thrilled to have the opportunity to thrilled.

[59:52] I've had so many amazing people join the office

[59:54] and grateful to all of you.

[59:56] We'll be glad to have you.

[59:57] Thank you.

[59:58] Thank you.

[1:00:03] All right, we'll move to 7B, Larry.

[1:00:13] Good evening, everybody. Thanks for having me. My name is Matthew Heal. I'm a partner with Brown Edwards and company here to talk a little bit about the audit of the financial statements of the city.

[1:00:25] First off, as always, I want to take the opportunity to thank Council and Management for the opportunity to serve the city of Harris, a bird.

[1:00:34] I also want to definitely compliment the city finance staff, Larry Propson, his team, and also the school finance staff for being ready for a lot of procedures addressing any issues we raise and answering the many questions we have every year of the audit.

[1:00:51] What why I am here is because we are required to talk about in the Virginia County audit of the financial statements.

[1:01:00] And I'm happy to talk about the opinion on the financial statements.

[1:01:05] We are addressing an unmodified, clean audit opinion on the financial statements themselves.

[1:01:11] It means based on our audit, we believe the financial statements and disclosures in those financial statements are materially correct.

[1:01:18] and of course, in accordance with accounting principles,

[1:01:21] generally accepted in America.

[1:01:24] Also in the, in the thick financial report,

[1:01:27] you'll see what's called our report on internal control,

[1:01:30] our yellow book opinion.

[1:01:31] That should be rated conjunction with the audit

[1:01:34] of the financial statements.

[1:01:35] It is a required document as a part of the audit.

[1:01:38] The purpose of that report would be to disclose

[1:01:41] any deficiencies or weaknesses in internal controls

[1:01:44] or compliance issues with the city

[1:01:47] And I'm also very happy to report that they were not noted as a part of our audit for this year.

[1:01:53] As always, I'm happy to answer any questions you have and I really appreciate the opportunity to work with the city.

[1:02:00] Thank you.

[1:02:00] Any questions?

[1:02:02] Well, that we have no identified message rights flags or yellow flags in there.

[1:02:10] Great job, Larry.

[1:02:11] As usual, you have enough of them to ask questions on if you can figure out how we can generate more revenue.

[1:02:18] That would be great, but otherwise.

[1:02:22] Any questions?

[1:02:22] Thank you.

[1:02:24] Thank you.

[1:02:25] Thank you.

[1:02:25] Madam Mayor, if you would allow me, you just want to indulge in.

[1:02:28] I'd like to point out, Mr. Crofts in his team.

[1:02:30] This is the 30th consecutive year that the Finance Department for the City of Parisburg has received this certificate of achievement for excellence in financial reporting from GFOA.

[1:02:40] So, I don't want that to go on nervous.

[1:02:43] Thank you so much.

[1:02:44] 30.

[1:02:45] 30.

[1:02:47] Basically, when Larry started, he was worked.

[1:02:50] Yeah, good.

[1:02:50] How old is Larry?

[1:02:54] Oh, my God.

[1:02:55] How old are you?

[1:02:56] Oh, my God.

[1:02:58] Thank you.

[1:02:59] Thank you.

[1:03:00] Well, Dan, we'll move to the 7th.

[1:03:03] Well, so just on this document, I want to say, if you think about this,

[1:03:09] because, you know, this is one of the most important things we actually get, you know, every year,

[1:03:16] this tells us so much about, you know, how our finances are being handled, what our current status is,

[1:03:24] and, you know, looking in the future, how we need to think about it.

[1:03:28] And this is really the first one for us, this post-COVID.

[1:03:31] But, you know, post, you know, the funding we've got in the Orpa and that's our answer for funds.

[1:03:37] And so, looking at the budget next year, things will change a lot.

[1:03:44] So, you know, just kind of looking through this, and for me, and you know, I dig into these.

[1:03:49] And so, you know, going back, say to 2021, to now, to me is really important for us to look at what's happened over those years.

[1:03:58] is we've gotten a lot of revenue and there a lot of it is capital but some of it has changed

[1:04:07] our operational kind of baseline for us and for some things, you know, the school funding

[1:04:13] in particular came in and it's changing that because you know, a far department, you know,

[1:04:19] we've been, but capital of money there was changing our operating expenses because of some

[1:04:25] are perfons and the navigation center as well is changing that and so I think when you really

[1:04:30] need to pay attention to what this is telling us about our trends over the last number

[1:04:35] of years as we're looking forward.

[1:04:41] The numbers are actually amazingly good considering where

[1:04:45] we've been the last never years. Our reserves have grown double. This is kind of not related

[1:04:55] So the arpid dollars, and this is kind of our good...

[1:05:00] And financial management practices. So like 53 million to 123 million dollars, I think, is the number that we have now.

[1:05:08] It's going to run that position. And you did this for the cities. I don't think other cities are societies have that position, generally.

[1:05:16] I mean, if you have any thoughts on that, I think that's not usual for a city or a size.

[1:05:24] Yeah, Dennis, I'm fine.

[1:05:25] Yeah, Dennis, I'm fine.

[1:05:25] I'm fine.

[1:05:25] I'm

[1:05:30] fine.

[1:05:31] I'm fine.

[1:05:35] Right.

[1:05:37] So I think, you know, for the public, you know, again, this is kind of in the weeds.

[1:05:43] But it's really important for the public to understand what this report is saying about,

[1:05:48] you know, the position of the city.

[1:05:51] How we are, I honestly.

[1:05:52] So that this, you know, kind of, unassigned, fun balance is really strong

[1:05:57] for us. And that's really important for us, because we're all looking at our federal partner,

[1:06:05] not being possible as reliable as we've anticipated. We can see and we already know that

[1:06:12] for folks who are depending on housing support, subsidized housing support, we see clearly

[1:06:27] time. We see that the cuts that are coming down to that and we also certainly see within

[1:06:32] health care. We can kind of see the potential for folks to become very vulnerable and

[1:06:41] way we haven't seen. There are other places where folks can get support. I think the reality

[1:06:49] for cities is that we're going to have to step into areas that we haven't often had to step

[1:06:56] to end the past because the funds aren't there, you know, at the federal level in the state

[1:07:02] level, and these are our residents. What we're going to do is so that we aren't such

[1:07:07] a good position to be able to step into that, I think, is something we have to pay attention

[1:07:12] to as we're budgeting now moving forward. We have to kind of reset our baseline of our

[1:07:18] operating, kind of look back at pre-pandemic where we were and what our trends were. I think

[1:07:25] They're pretty good.

[1:07:25] I mean, we've reduced a lot of debt, so we used some of the arpid dollars and we reduced

[1:07:31] what $24 million in debt of the last couple of years, so, of course, we've done a lot

[1:07:37] of capital investments, which are good, but there's capital investments often come with

[1:07:42] operational costs that's asked to them moving forward and we stuck into that.

[1:07:46] But I think this is really important for us to look into, I have all the calcium numbers,

[1:07:52] You know, in Larry, maybe you can help us and I will have a treat, but kind of think through what this means for us budgeting moving forward.

[1:08:03] So I think it's really important for our residents to know that we're in such a good financial shape relatively over the last couple years.

[1:08:14] And that's not always the case with cities our size.

[1:08:15] It's not always the case, but we also want to be cautious about how we move forward because

[1:08:21] there is going to be a lot of ask for us to step into things that, so we need to use this

[1:08:29] document or what we have in a strategic way, and I'm sure that our city manager and our financial

[1:08:37] director will help us do that.

[1:08:39] I think one of the things I would like to get very possibly is kind of looking at some of those

[1:08:44] Apple expenditures and what are the kind of those new operational dollars that are in place that we need to account for moving forward that, you know, we haven't, you know, built into our revenue streams and we also know I think, you know, we're seeing, you know, this in our particular revenue is flattening.

[1:09:05] So, you know, we have dependent on, you know, interest from money we borrowed.

[1:09:12] You know, that's going to drop you've seen assessments that have gone up.

[1:09:16] So, it says some of our increase has not been from necessarily new construction,

[1:09:21] but from assessments that might start flattening out.

[1:09:25] And we know costs aren't going to flatten out.

[1:09:28] And we know that the services we have to provide, you know, are getting, you know, exponentially more expensive to do.

[1:09:35] So, you know, again, it's, you know, there's no alarm for us.

[1:09:42] I think it's just being mayor as you're saying.

[1:09:44] You're thoughtful and moving ahead.

[1:09:46] We're positioned in a good spot with our budget

[1:09:51] to potentially support some of these needs that are coming down,

[1:09:54] but we have to do it thoughtfully.

[1:09:57] We'll have to...

[1:09:57] You know, as a city, we're...

[1:10:00] We're lucky that we're at this position in kind of considering our general population, you know, and we are a moderate to low-income population.

[1:10:10] It's not normal, I think, for us, like that, for our revenue ability to be able to have this balance, this one balance available for us.

[1:10:20] Thank you for the work, and obviously, you know, City Manager, thank you and your staff for doing this, because the reason we're delivering these services way beyond, you know,

[1:10:29] Our revenue generation ability is because of the work you guys do.

[1:10:33] I appreciate that, Councilman, but I mean, none of us in this room can take full acceptance

[1:10:39] of that.

[1:10:40] We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us who also made those tough decisions

[1:10:44] year after year.

[1:10:45] It's a long history.

[1:10:47] Thank you.

[1:10:49] All right.

[1:10:49] You ready?

[1:10:50] It's me.

[1:10:51] It's the Councilman has before a Revolution, dedicated East K-Leard Park Drive as a public

[1:10:59] street.

[1:10:59] This is a little unusual.

[1:11:01] Really, it's a precursor to Mr. Hartman's item 7D, which he's going to talk to you about.

[1:11:07] But in part, that adds streets to our street inventory and for that street, we get some maintenance

[1:11:15] funds.

[1:11:16] And, you know, ordinarily when we have new streets coming into our street inventory, usually

[1:11:25] it's through a subdivision where a development is developed and when the subdivision

[1:11:29] plaza is recorded, the streets are shutting on that flat, are dedicated, or when we're expanding

[1:11:34] the road or extending the road, we acquire property from a landowner, and the deed we get

[1:11:40] from the landowner's a deeded medication.

[1:11:41] And East Kayla Park Drive is a little different in that we are the landowner.

[1:11:46] We've owned it for several years, and then we built a street on it.

[1:11:51] So, we'd be clear about this, under Virginia law, if a locality builds a street and opens it.

[1:11:57] It's dedicated.

[1:11:57] Under Common Law, East Kayla Park Drive has been dedicated.

[1:12:03] But what Mr. Hartman and I were talking about is with the inventory.

[1:12:07] It's clear where the other streets of that inventory, where they were dedicated, but it's

[1:12:13] it's a little harder to point to where East Kailer Park Drive was dedicated and just in case

[1:12:18] B.E.A.R.A. asked every disorder of an audit.

[1:12:21] We'd like to have a document, instead of having Mr. Hartman, if he's still around, then sign

[1:12:26] an affidavit that East Kailer Park Drive was opened in June of 2024, so I guess this is really kind

[1:12:35] of belts and suspenders kind of thing.

[1:12:39] You thought we'd go ahead and formalize the dedication

[1:12:42] and then you'll see in the resolution,

[1:12:44] it does refer to the fact that it was informally dedicated

[1:12:47] back in June of 2024.

[1:12:51] Thank you.

[1:12:52] Any questions?

[1:12:53] No, man.

[1:12:54] Makes sense to me, and it's more money to support our streets.

[1:12:58] Have a motion please.

[1:13:02] Madam Mayor, I mean that we adopt the resolution

[1:13:04] and dedicated East Canyon Park Drive as a public street.

[1:13:08] I'll second said.

[1:13:10] Any discussion?

[1:13:13] Rokal please, Pam.

[1:13:15] Council member Alcidin?

[1:13:16] Aye.

[1:13:16] Council member Dent?

[1:13:18] Council member Robinson?

[1:13:19] Nice to meet you, Flim.

[1:13:20] Aye.

[1:13:21] May you read.

[1:13:24] Come.

[1:13:32] Good evening again.

[1:13:33] Tom Hartman, Public Works.

[1:13:35] The presentation I'm doing is for the next two items together.

[1:13:37] So I will talk.

[1:13:38] You'll do it together and then we'll vote.

[1:13:40] need to vote separately because the two separate resolutions correct.

[1:13:43] This is as Mr. Brown will say, and this is what he was talking about was a pretty

[1:13:47] really to an update to our VDAR urban maintenance inventory.

[1:13:51] Currently our inventory is just over 333 moving lane miles.

[1:13:56] So when we tell our staff that's essentially dropped, that's one lane of

[1:13:58] interstate 81 from Bristol to Manchester that we maintain within the city limits.

[1:14:04] We receive from VDAR just over $7 million annually.

[1:14:08] that's for maintenance. So that's the snow and ice control that we just spent a whole week doing

[1:14:13] traffic signal signs, pavement markings, curving gutter, sidewalks, bridges, storm drink,

[1:14:18] clean, all the stuff public works does to keep our roads safe and operable. We use those funds

[1:14:23] to do that. The first resolution that you have is for additions, the additions are three segments

[1:14:31] of roadway, largest of which is East Kale Park Drive that connects Main Street to Main Street into

[1:14:37] the new Rotten High School. The second section is a small section of people's drive, which is across

[1:14:42] Main Street from East Kale Park. It connects West Kale Park and Baxter. You know, the new

[1:14:48] tractor supply store is they build a small section of people to connect that for better connectivity.

[1:14:53] And the third section is Cobbler's Court. This is over off of Pear Street. This is a small segment of

[1:14:59] You need to treat that leads

[1:15:00] And to a much larger county development. The roadways in that development would maintain my

[1:15:04] v dot, but we have a small little segment that still was in the city, city limits, and we'll

[1:15:08] maintain that. That is the 200, 2.26 moving lane miles that were at the end of the

[1:15:14] inventory. The deletions is 0.3 lane miles, and that's a long east market street between

[1:15:21] reservoir street and Mason. There's no other thing was last summer, we converted one of those

[1:15:29] at Merdle and Brawd.

[1:15:35] So the maintenance payments are only paid for moving lane miles.

[1:15:39] So center turn lanes, left, right turn lanes do not count or inventory.

[1:15:43] So because we took that vehicle lane out of the moving lane mile category and put it into the turn lane,

[1:15:48] we have to deduct that point through lane miles from our inventory.

[1:15:53] Bicycle lane conversion is a different one.

[1:15:56] We have two segments of street that converted bicycle lanes

[1:15:59] Over the past two years, that's Gorbors Church Road from Ericsson Avenue to West Market Street

[1:16:04] in Mount Clinton Pike, from just east of Route 42, just past the road attracts out to North

[1:16:11] Main Street. That's a conversion that we're allowed to do, and we are not, we do not have to

[1:16:17] reduce our maintenance payments. Within State Code in 2014, it changed to save localities,

[1:16:22] can convert up to 3% of their moving lane mile inventory to a bike facility. So for us, that's

[1:16:28] just over nine miles of inventory that we can convert to a bike lane and still receive nine miles of maintenance payments.

[1:16:36] This takes up to 66% essentially of our inventory to do that.

[1:16:41] We have some plans on how we could we would get the nine miles. Once we get over that threshold,

[1:16:47] where it doesn't preclude us from making those link conversions, it just brings into the calculus,

[1:16:52] is it worth it if we're losing those maintenance dollars.

[1:16:55] This is a heavily debated thing every couple years to read out about is Lane Miles the best way to

[1:17:00] do we out the maintenance payments. We always settle back to moving Lane Miles to that discussion.

[1:17:07] So with those adjustments, you'll see at the bottom of the screen are updated inventory when

[1:17:11] I'll bump up to just over 335 Lane Miles and our annual maintenance payments bump up to just

[1:17:18] over $7.1 million annually.

[1:17:21] Those increase every year tied to an index.

[1:17:24] So there's a gain as we see.

[1:17:26] As the CTP approves, those funds.

[1:17:29] In the last page is the map that just kind of highlights

[1:17:31] those three different segments of new street conversion

[1:17:35] and street deletion that I talked about.

[1:17:38] Any questions?

[1:17:40] Well, the bike lanes, it's nice that we can convert

[1:17:45] without losing the dollars there, but three percent seems awfully low for this.

[1:17:53] So, where we are, six miles now, we'll quickly hit the nine miles I'm assuming.

[1:18:00] So, seems like a low number and I imagine there's push.

[1:18:04] I bring it every time.

[1:18:05] Yep, yep.

[1:18:06] That's all we've got.

[1:18:06] Richmond has a 50-mile cap.

[1:18:09] We don't get that.

[1:18:10] But I bring that up every time we talk to Vida about maintenance payments.

[1:18:13] We just haven't gotten enough steam behind that question yet.

[1:18:16] Well, that's something for our kind of associations to, you know, to step into, you know, our

[1:18:23] Virginia Municipal League and for cities and transportation.

[1:18:26] You kind of see if that might be something to step into to have a day before.

[1:18:30] That's really good.

[1:18:31] Now, question on that.

[1:18:32] Would that be something to bring up with the CTV?

[1:18:36] The Commonwealth Transportation Board to say,

[1:18:38] we want war by lanes allowed or is that just strictly V dot?

[1:18:41] Do they make a measure? They're probably not the policy maker for this.

[1:18:44] That would be legislation.

[1:18:46] So I've talked with our legislation staff legislators.

[1:18:50] Correct. That I think the CTP would make a recommendation.

[1:18:54] Well, they would support or not, but I think that we're more of a legislative agenda item.

[1:18:59] Okay, that's good to keep in mind.

[1:19:01] Yeah, and there will be definitely a new CTP operation coming soon with a new administration.

[1:19:07] Okay, good news. Thanks.

[1:19:09] Yes, there's just two resolutions that we're not ready for.

[1:19:12] Thank you.

[1:19:14] Thank you.

[1:19:15] Thank you.

[1:19:15] And so we have to vote on them separately.

[1:19:17] So someone wants to make a motion of 17.

[1:19:22] I move that we approve, I guess, is what?

[1:19:26] Dr. Resolution.

[1:19:27] Adopt the resolution for the V. Urban Maintenance

[1:19:31] Inventory Editions and Deletions.

[1:19:34] Second up.

[1:19:35] Any more discussion?

[1:19:36] We'll call please ma'am.

[1:19:39] Councilmember Alcidun.

[1:19:42] Yes.

[1:19:44] Councilmember Dent.

[1:19:46] Councilmember Robbins.

[1:19:47] Aye.

[1:19:48] Vice Mayor Fleming.

[1:19:49] Aye.

[1:19:49] Mayor Reed.

[1:19:53] Madam Mayor, I move that we adopt the resolution for the V dot

[1:19:56] urban maintenance inventory bike bicycle lane.

[1:20:21] This is a check-up. I don't have a presentation. Sorry. So this is a for your consideration and amendments to our solid waste management to a section of our solid waste collection and disposal ordinance.

[1:20:31] Specifically, sections 6.2, dash 2, dash 2, dash 2, dash 2, dash 6, and 6, dash 2, dash 37.

[1:20:40] So with a couple of things, with the definitions, we went through, since we were making some amendments, we went through and cleaned up and removed some definitions that weren't needed anymore.

[1:20:48] They were holdovers when we operated the steam plant and there were certain things that the steam plant couldn't accept.

[1:20:54] But now we don't reference those materials anywhere in the ordinance, so we just never took the definitions out, now we did.

[1:20:59] The second amendment is the 626.

[1:21:02] This is the better to find refuse and solve waste on premises.

[1:21:07] Currently, that is lumped into abandonment of items.

[1:21:10] And when we get notification about, there's type of item we go to the property.

[1:21:14] We make notification.

[1:21:15] They have a 10-day window to remove the items.

[1:21:18] And then we come back at the 10 days if they're still there,

[1:21:20] then we have processes in place where we hire a contractor,

[1:21:23] remove those items, and then build a property on.

[1:21:26] This amendment adds in the ability for refuse and solid waste to have a shorter time frame.

[1:21:34] So instead of the 10 day waiting period this will allow for solid waste and refuse that were made aware of that are in public view on premises to have a 24 hour window.

[1:21:43] So if we would get a call on them on the morning, our staff would go to the property.

[1:21:47] If we wouldn't visit, we would make contact with the property owner, leave a violation, notice they have 24 hours to remove the items from public view.

[1:21:55] We go back the next day to inspect and make sure that items are removed.

[1:21:58] If they're not, we can then remove them and voice the property owner.

[1:22:03] But hopefully within that 24-25-hour window, they're able to clean up the property and remove

[1:22:08] that solid waste and refuse from public view.

[1:22:11] The abandonment of item section is still at play.

[1:22:13] In the ordinance and that more relates to furniture inoperable vehicles, larger type items,

[1:22:21] That would be outside of the definition of solid waste and refuse.

[1:22:26] I have a question about that.

[1:22:28] Yes.

[1:22:28] I got to call about that in this particular, and I think there's a little confusion.

[1:22:33] So could you clarify what would be refuge and solid waste refuse and solid waste?

[1:22:39] General, you know, bottles, cans, plates, solo cups, anything that you would trash?

[1:22:50] trash, anything that you would find in a trash can, essentially that would be dumped in a front

[1:22:53] yard, bags, you know, grocery bags, food waste, I don't know, I'm trying to...

[1:23:00] So that needs to be picked up. That has to 24-hour window, correct.

[1:23:05] But the 10-day window for removal is for like, Wednesday pick-up type things.

[1:23:13] Or like, we sometimes, most things that we see are like,

[1:23:20] So neighbors would call, we would go out on a reactive basis and say you have 10 days to

[1:23:25] move the couch.

[1:23:27] Or an operable vehicle, place set, you know, something along those lines that is an allowed

[1:23:32] to be in that full of view.

[1:23:34] Yep.

[1:23:34] So I think just kind of hypothetically speaking if a resident is near someplace where there might

[1:23:39] be parties, there might be refuses to find here, strewn across that area.

[1:23:49] Well, you know, you know, longer half 10 days to pick it up, you know, often in the case, there might be another event within that 10 days.

[1:23:59] To go.

[1:24:00] So I think residents who, you know, might be subject to having neighbors with that happens.

[1:24:08] Right.

[1:24:08] And this is reactive.

[1:24:09] So it's now that we drive by and then check on these things.

[1:24:11] If we get phone calls, we have staff on us always to vision that can go out.

[1:24:15] in respect to follow all ordinances to make sure

[1:24:18] that areas are hand-provoking.

[1:24:20] So the theory requires is to do

[1:24:21] for all things for someone to kind of call it

[1:24:23] and make no just for that for staff.

[1:24:27] So.

[1:24:27] And then the last change in 6237 is to amend the bulk

[1:24:31] refuse collection to match what our bulk refuse collection

[1:24:34] will be starting in January 5th.

[1:24:35] We're going with the Wednesday collection

[1:24:37] to be the schedule on your trash day.

[1:24:39] We're just lining up the ordinance

[1:24:41] to match what our new procedure will be.

[1:24:44] I just wanted to call out what I see in here, the disposable refuse was some good examples.

[1:24:51] Disposable cups, beverage, food and so on as you say.

[1:24:54] The violation shall be deemed an immediate public nuisance.

[1:24:58] That important distinction.

[1:25:00] I mean, that looks what gives it the 24-hour threshold, right?

[1:25:06] Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. The word of use changed from junk, garbage, or solid waste.

[1:25:17] So, doing a thing like the word of views will be a broad meaning, like I can claim that

[1:25:26] this is a few, I mean there is no specific, and do anything that it will be a broad meaning

[1:25:33] for the word of perfumes?

[1:25:34] We provided a definition for that in the definition section that we amended, so we would have,

[1:25:39] I don't know this specific wording of how, I don't know how that word is in front of me,

[1:25:43] but we did try to put some specificity to what refuses and the definitions and that's what we'll follow

[1:25:50] when our staff gets called to a property. And the other thing is that 24 hours,

[1:26:00] do you think that this is a short notice? Typically the way it would work, you know, if

[1:26:07] we would get a phone call on a Monday, our folks would potentially have time to get out to the site

[1:26:13] And so sometime on the afternoon, we see the issue is still present.

[1:26:18] We know that by the property of the issue, we give them a full 24 hours.

[1:26:23] We come back out Tuesday afternoon if they still haven't made progress.

[1:26:28] I'm sure if our step goes out and we see there are 10, we're not going to immediately

[1:26:32] send the contractor in.

[1:26:33] So then that's another 24 hours.

[1:26:36] But if we go then they have made no attempt.

[1:26:38] Then there's still going to be another day or so until we can get our contractor

[1:26:41] engaged to go to the property. Within that time they may be able to get it get the area

[1:26:47] clean to meet the ordinance and there would be no need for an intervention with the contractor.

[1:26:53] So, and this is very similar to how our sidewalks knew removal policy works as well.

[1:26:57] Now, with certain storm events, we have 24 hours to 36 hours to begin to clear the sidewalk

[1:27:03] on your property. Generally, it's just 24, but most cases, it's 48 to 48 to 72 hours

[1:27:09] that they have before we actually have the contractor on site.

[1:27:12] I think this ordinance will work very similar to that.

[1:27:15] It just gives that extra nudge to the property and say,

[1:27:19] this is a nuisance when you just start to work clean the property up.

[1:27:24] I think that we are sending harsh messages for Jamie students.

[1:27:32] Usually they have like parties and I don't think that's 24 hours a good enough for them

[1:27:38] So I don't think that there will be feeling that they are welcome here in our city.

[1:27:45] And I mean 10 days I think it's a realistic and it will be a good time to move anything.

[1:27:55] So I don't want to have people like our students think that we are titaning our audiences towards them.

[1:28:06] And just to have them feel there, I don't know what's going to come here.

[1:28:10] Well, that's just like it about where to have a party.

[1:28:12] And I would leave the cups and stuff thrown about my yard.

[1:28:17] I think it's expected by my neighbors that I would just pick it up in a timely manner.

[1:28:24] They shouldn't have to look at it for 10 days.

[1:28:28] I don't think this is generally geared just towards students.

[1:28:33] It's just what you do.

[1:28:34] You know, I'm with you, I would have to respectfully disagree, because if it doesn't matter who it is, if you have trash in your yard, I think 24 hours is enough time to get the trash out of your yard.

[1:28:55] I mean, and that goes for anybody, that doesn't, I mean, I know when we say we're at solo

[1:29:00] cups, everybody's thinking that it's our students, whatever, I mean, I know other people

[1:29:07] that have parties that have we're at solo cups, so that it just,

[1:29:13] for me, 10 days to clean

[1:29:18] up your yard, that's a lot, that's a lot, that's a lot of time, and it should be what do

[1:29:25] what do you want your neighbor hood?

[1:29:30] It's a look like to look like.

[1:29:34] I think the problem is with time like that,

[1:29:37] is with the refuse that just described here,

[1:29:41] food wrappers, in 10 days that food wrappers

[1:29:44] no longer on that person's property.

[1:29:46] Right.

[1:29:48] Yeah.

[1:29:49] And so I think that's something of concern.

[1:29:52] And it also gets into our system, it goes into our, you know, our servers, I think.

[1:30:00] That's a big problem for us. I do appreciate making sure that this isn't a punitive system that we're not proactively, and we aren't being proactive looking for folks, when there's a call that comes in, but it's not used in a punitive way, and I think that's real concern.

[1:30:26] I don't think. I'm not suggesting that our public works department would act in that way.

[1:30:32] But I understand the concern about people thinking they could be used punitively in.

[1:30:36] And I guess, you know, we'll see how this goes forward.

[1:30:40] What I would trust that when folks are called, when the public works is called to go out and say, hey, this is happening.

[1:30:51] We see the trash here. Do you have a plan to pick this up?

[1:30:55] And I would hope that that would be the approach, and you have 24 hours to get this cleaned up.

[1:31:01] Can you do that or not?

[1:31:04] And we would have some leniency, but as well as saying, you also have 24 hours.

[1:31:11] You have neighbors. People expect us to be cleaned up.

[1:31:15] And if you repeat offenders, I think we can be too lenient.

[1:31:19] I mean, this is trash, it'll attract, you know, rodents and, I mean, I don't understand

[1:31:27] what this is a long conversation.

[1:31:29] One of the questions, sorry, they interrupt you.

[1:31:32] One of the questions I had was, what if a person that's out of town, about, like, say someone

[1:31:40] dumps trash in your yard and you're out of town and you don't know about it?

[1:31:45] And you get necessarily fine.

[1:31:48] Right, there would be other ways of communicating with that property owner.

[1:31:52] So if the knocking the door wasn't working, we're just not going to say, we tagged your door

[1:31:55] and come back a day later to send you a built-in contractor.

[1:31:57] I mean, we're going to, we have phone numbers through the billing system, email addresses,

[1:32:02] Christopher and Reggie do this across the city, they're very, very talented at doing it.

[1:32:07] And they, and they, they're, they're, they're great communicators.

[1:32:09] So we're going to do our best to reach out to this property owner and let them know of the issue.

[1:32:13] We're not just going to put a tag on a door you may never use.

[1:32:17] It says clear that the city will hire somebody to clean out and then send them voice to the under.

[1:32:29] So even if he's not here, he'll be charged according to you.

[1:32:32] Well, we have some ability to, when we say the notice was served.

[1:32:39] If we try to make contact, they're not there, we're not going to start the clock.

[1:32:43] We're going to make sure they understand what's going on.

[1:32:45] So we'll try to phone call, email, revisit,

[1:32:49] late on the afternoon and try to catch them at home.

[1:32:51] We're going to do our best to contact this property owners.

[1:32:53] We're not just going to go out and clean the property

[1:32:55] and send them a bill without giving them any notice,

[1:32:57] or any type of way to avoid that, to avoid that cost.

[1:33:03] Well, I had this sort of related issue that we are most often

[1:33:06] the passive recipients of trash being put in our yard,

[1:33:09] beer cans, plastic bags, all manner of stuff.

[1:33:14] I might not even know it's there, somebody might call

[1:33:16] from the neighbors, I don't know.

[1:33:19] But then it is on me to clean up the trash

[1:33:21] on my yard, even though I didn't put it there.

[1:33:24] Oh, well, I might have words with the neighbors.

[1:33:27] Right, right, that would be, but again,

[1:33:30] I don't see this being one or two pieces of trash

[1:33:33] and someone's yard, I don't see us being

[1:33:34] in a neighbors phone calls to go around the city

[1:33:36] and do that.

[1:33:37] I think these are for the larger type of events

[1:33:39] that we do see for issues worth in time here.

[1:33:47] We need a vote.

[1:33:54] So I'll make a motion approving the Ornison Amendment

[1:33:59] as presented, relating to Title VI, Chapter II

[1:34:02] of the Solid Waste Collection Disposal provisions.

[1:34:07] I don't read through the rest of that.

[1:34:08] I could say you want to read at the ID.

[1:34:11] Is that?

[1:34:11] Yeah, that's one.

[1:34:12] I'm clear.

[1:34:12] It's a percentage, aren't you?

[1:34:13] That's presented, yeah.

[1:34:15] Second, any more discussion?

[1:34:32] Hello,

[1:34:37] Madam Mayor, I'm Jacob Zumfeldy, Public Works Planning Manager.

[1:34:43] Here to talk about North Mason Street.

[1:34:47] So the context for this is something you all have already had multiple other presentations on so I certainly won't be going into details on the community connectors overall effort or the historical research that has been presented.

[1:35:00] To you all about urban renewal and its impacts on the neighborhood that led to the construction of the North Mason Street and the other areas surrounding North Mason Street.

[1:35:12] And then the recent northeast neighborhood small area plan are all components of community connectors that this North Mason Street demonstration project was also a component of.

[1:35:24] So at the beginning of this year, as part of that effort, a complete

[1:35:28] streets demonstration, excuse me, a complete streets leadership academy, was begun with

[1:35:34] the community connectors team, as well as this led by the smart growth

[1:35:38] America team, who was part of the whole community connectors effort, as well as

[1:35:44] additional neighborhood residents. So this complete streets leadership academy

[1:35:50] involved multiple different efforts, trainings, and also involved walking

[1:35:57] North Mason Street and then an open house to hear from residents and those

[1:36:02] who experienced North Mason Street about some of their concerns, some of their

[1:36:06] thoughts about that street, and then the complete streets, leadership of

[1:36:12] Academy, involved envisioning what it could look like to temporarily change

[1:36:16] North Mason Street to think about how it could be safer to think about what opportunities there

[1:36:21] could be and what it could look like.

[1:36:24] So those ideas led to this one-month demonstration project, so after a lot of effort by a

[1:36:31] lot of public work staff to acquire the materials and get them installed, there was a one-month

[1:36:37] demonstration project installed in early August, excuse me, in early July, it was then

[1:36:42] moved in early August. And those changes involve a lot of different things, involve changing

[1:36:48] intersections, and involve opening up space on that street for new activities. And in particular

[1:36:56] for the event you can see a picture of on the bottom right corner. The blocks party where a lot of

[1:37:01] people came out to use that unused street space in a different way.

[1:37:10] And also through this one month

[1:37:11] effort, there was a good amount of data collected, so that data showed, for example, that

[1:37:17] people were driving slower on North Mason Street when this was in place. Also, the time

[1:37:23] that it took to drive along the amount of North Mason Street was quicker, was improved.

[1:37:31] So even though vehicles were going slower, at certain points, they didn't have to stop as

[1:37:36] because of the signals, not being in operation and some of the changes.

[1:37:42] We did also see that fewer people were driving on the street during that time,

[1:37:47] compared to a month before, and based on some of the survey responses in feedback,

[1:37:53] we do anticipate that that was some people who experienced the demonstration project

[1:37:58] and maybe were a little confused or weren't quite sure that they wanted to drive on that again.

[1:38:04] So that was not a, you know, and just not a purposeful, you know,

[1:38:10] a result of the demonstration project, everything that the team and the

[1:38:14] complete street leadership academy had talked about was, you know, making it so

[1:38:19] that it's still safe and appropriate for people to drive on and safer for everyone else.

[1:38:25] So, you know, the reality of the temporary nature did lead some people to not

[1:38:31] drive on that street during that time, but that wasn't a desired goal of the effort.

[1:38:38] So I've already indicated we heard from residents.

[1:38:41] We put a question air out, a lot of people to provide their thoughts.

[1:38:44] That was a big reason for the demonstration project was to gather some data, but really

[1:38:50] to hear from people about what they saw as some of the opportunities that this was bringing

[1:38:54] to their mind as well as some of their concerns or feedback that they could give on this

[1:39:01] stemming on this temporary change.

[1:39:05] So some of the things we heard really were

[1:39:08] that public opinion varied.

[1:39:11] There were certainly quite a few people who questioned

[1:39:13] why we were doing this change, what the purpose was,

[1:39:17] what the logic was, why we used the materials we did,

[1:39:21] and expressed some concern about the confusion

[1:39:23] that they felt they're experienced driving on,

[1:39:28] or otherwise using North Mason Street

[1:39:30] for the during this demonstration project.

[1:39:32] But there were also a lot of people who were very excited.

[1:39:35] So all this is very innovative and exciting way

[1:39:39] to think about how this street could be changed

[1:39:41] and to envision how this street could be changed.

[1:39:45] And we did ask a bit about people's thoughts

[1:39:48] for any potential permanent change to North Mason Street.

[1:39:52] What was put out there temporarily was not meant to be,

[1:39:56] OK, maybe this exact thing will be permanent.

[1:39:58] It was getting f-

[1:40:00] Be back on different aspects of what was demonstrated, what was tried.

[1:40:06] And many residents were concerned about even thinking about reducing the number of vehicle

[1:40:11] lands on North Mason Street, with some indicating concern about that change leading to congestion

[1:40:18] or failing to plan for future growth. But on the other hand, a lot of people who responded

[1:40:23] to this survey, and that were over 1500 responses to this survey, indicated that, you know,

[1:40:30] there were very excited about this possibility of, you know, reducing the actual space

[1:40:35] that was needed to accommodate vehicles along this street, and to change that to open up

[1:40:41] new possibilities and to improve safety for everyone there and desire ability of North

[1:40:47] raised in Street or along this corridor.

[1:40:52] So I'll highlight just two or three of the other

[1:40:55] more specific things that I'm more noticed,

[1:40:58] or that came out of the questionnaire,

[1:41:01] the Gay Street Roundabout compared to people

[1:41:04] who are used to stopping and waiting at that signal.

[1:41:08] There were a lot of people who expressed support

[1:41:09] for that Gay Street Roundabout and how well it operated.

[1:41:14] On the other hand, the Elizabeth Street Roundabout

[1:41:16] was pretty tight and was something that, you know, in order to demonstrate what we're trying

[1:41:22] to demonstrate, that's what we saw as the only temporary measure there. But yeah, we hurt quite

[1:41:28] a few people saying, you know, that didn't fit and yeah, or wasn't the right long-term solution

[1:41:36] at that location. And also on the positive side, shorter pedestrian crossing distances, there's

[1:41:42] something that people pointed to as improving safety,

[1:41:47] something that they experienced during the demonstration project.

[1:41:50] At another concern we heard was challenges related to emergency vehicles, trucks, buses.

[1:41:57] It was able to accommodate those for the most part, but definitely we heard some specific

[1:42:02] concerns that will inform the study as we move forward to consider potential long-term change.

[1:42:13] So, apologies for the capitalization being a little strange on these slides, but I should note

[1:42:19] these three slides are also online, of course, on the City Council thing, but also on

[1:42:26] the Public Works webpage.

[1:42:28] So, you know, we have a lot of information there about the demonstration project, why it was

[1:42:32] completed, and so these three pages, we've already been handing out and making sure, you know,

[1:42:39] in response to those 1500 people who commented, making sure that they know that their concerns

[1:42:45] have been heard and their desires have been heard.

[1:42:50] So along with those responses, there's been other community input, has has already been emphasized

[1:42:55] over the past two years that does indicate a desire for change on North Mason Street.

[1:43:00] And if a permanent project is pursued, the design will be different, resulting from new opportunities

[1:43:05] and to address the public feedback that we've heard.

[1:43:10] So there is a study that's beginning right now

[1:43:13] with city staff and support from the Harris

[1:43:17] and we're rocking hand metropolitan planning organization.

[1:43:21] So over these next few months,

[1:43:22] that will be taking the desires we've heard,

[1:43:26] taking the goals and principles that are on the bottom right,

[1:43:30] hand of this image, and working to identify

[1:43:35] what the long-term opportunities are,

[1:43:37] what a long-term potential project could look like,

[1:43:40] and ensuring that it would improve safety,

[1:43:41] particularly for people walking along the street

[1:43:44] or across the street,

[1:43:46] that it would identify some ways to reimagine

[1:43:49] North Mason Street by replacing

[1:43:50] some existing roadway space with new public space.

[1:43:54] And also, you know, ensure adequate capacity

[1:43:57] for traffic, supporting the existing business

[1:43:59] and potential development, and design, you know,

[1:44:02] with all modes of transportation in mind,

[1:44:04] pedestrians, people biking, and then the trucks,

[1:44:07] emergency vehicles, and transit buses that also use the

[1:44:10] core core.

[1:44:13] So for any questions or discussion, that's all I have to say.

[1:44:17] Well, just to commend you on a couple of things,

[1:44:19] one is the process of these pop-up temporary structures

[1:44:24] that help people not just have to imagine it,

[1:44:27] but experience it, and some feedback on it can help

[1:44:30] what you recommend going forward.

[1:44:32] And the second is having to do with the whole community connectors policy grant, the whole approach that connecting the northeast neighborhood to downtown instead of having this sort of mini freeway going through it.

[1:44:48] So it's good in both structural and philosophical way and like that.

[1:44:56] So I'm assuming, um, be good, be good.

[1:45:00] The idea here would be that if there's a project that develops out of this, this would go in the smart scale,

[1:45:08] hopper for us at least in a place that we would consider getting funding for this, through the smart scale project where we get this kind of two projects per year in the city potentially, and then I guess another one through HRNPO, but that might be where we looked to fund this, two and two and two.

[1:45:29] This study is on a pretty fast time frame to line up for the possibility of a smart scale application.

[1:45:39] Looking at this, your smart scale over here too.

[1:45:42] You are.

[1:45:43] Look at that up.

[1:45:44] It is actually up to four city applications.

[1:45:47] That's what for either MPA.

[1:45:49] Yeah.

[1:45:50] There's some other additional.

[1:45:51] Two for the city and then the MPA gets to additional.

[1:45:54] I guess.

[1:45:55] No.

[1:45:55] It is up to four.

[1:45:56] Four.

[1:45:57] I didn't cut it in half.

[1:45:58] Yeah.

[1:45:58] you're right. It might be tap that's too.

[1:46:02] Yeah, tap. All those acronyms that I do in the HRNPO.

[1:46:08] The important part is, this is state funding.

[1:46:12] There we come for that.

[1:46:13] That was much or much.

[1:46:14] There we pursue.

[1:46:15] Yeah.

[1:46:15] That was much or much.

[1:46:19] Thank you.

[1:46:20] Thank you.

[1:46:21] Thank you.

[1:46:25] Seven.

[1:46:26] Thank you.

[1:46:27] Thank you.

[1:46:31] Thank you.

[1:46:32] This is considered approval of a contract amendment for the public safe roof replacement project.

[1:46:39] Earlier this year there was a contract entered into for the roof replacement of public safety building

[1:46:44] and the residential contract amount was 234,400 dollars.

[1:46:49] As I understand that the contract was based on the original design plans of the public safety building

[1:46:57] and what everyone thought was going to be there in the roof and then once the contractor got in and

[1:47:05] started the demolition process, everyone realized that what was there was not what was on the

[1:47:11] plans and it became a much more expensive process. And so there were two contract amendments,

[1:47:17] that's one in the amount of $77,892.62 and one in the amount of $6,950 and under

[1:47:28] Virginia law, if the contract is amended and the amendment is greater than 25% of the

[1:47:35] original contract price or $50,000, whichever is greater, Council has to approve it and

[1:47:43] certainly hits both those.

[1:47:45] Mr. Hartman, even though I'm bringing this for Mr. Props thing, Mr. Hartman knows a lot

[1:47:51] that more of the technical details than I do.

[1:47:53] So if you have any questions about the engineering or roof replacement aspect of it,

[1:47:59] Mr. Hartman, I think, would be able to answer your questions.

[1:48:03] Are there any questions?

[1:48:06] Yep.

[1:48:06] Yes, is what we need to do to lead the roof.

[1:48:09] Right, and the work's been done in the contractor needs to be paid.

[1:48:13] This is kind of retroactively approving what we've already done.

[1:48:18] Right.

[1:48:18] And at least.

[1:48:19] Eric, I moved to consider a full of contract amendment for the Public Safety Building

[1:48:27] School for a Placement Project.

[1:48:29] Thank you.

[1:48:30] Oh, second one.

[1:48:32] Hey, decision.

[1:48:34] We'll go up these hands.

[1:48:36] Councilmember Allison.

[1:48:37] Hi.

[1:48:37] Councilmember Debt, Councilmember Robinson, Vice Mayor Fleming, may you read.

[1:48:44] We can now go on to other matters, comments from the public limited to five minutes,

[1:48:50] or matters not on the regular agenda, anyone which is to speak, please state your name

[1:48:54] address.

[1:48:56] Go five minutes.

[1:49:15] Good evening, City Council and staff, my name's Tom Dominozki, I live at four, six, one

[1:49:20] the Avenue.

[1:49:24] And there, every morning, before I get out of bed, I give thanks for 10 things.

[1:49:32] One of the things I give thanks for is this city. The city that I get to live in, that

[1:49:38] I get to walk around in, that I get to call home. Harrisonburg works because the dedication

[1:49:46] and commitment of our elected representatives and our staff, and that's you and the people

[1:49:54] you supervise.

[1:49:57] One of the things that I enjoy.

[1:50:00] As a result of all the work that all of you do, it's just walking around this town. I live close, walking as my main mode of transportation. I went to the Liberty Street, unveiling proposal, probably the wrong phrase, last Wednesday. I expect to go to the opening kickoff of the study for Virginia Avenue, which will be this Thursday.

[1:50:30] I want to encourage all the efforts that are being made to make our city more

[1:50:34] bikeable, more walkable, and a less-car dependent culture. That's really tremendous

[1:50:42] work that you all do. And even when you're not working on that, all the other

[1:50:47] work that you do makes this city work and I'm grateful to all of you.

[1:50:54] All those

[1:50:55] things are very easy to talk about. I like expressing gratitude, people

[1:51:01] like to be thanked, but I also want to talk about something that's extremely difficult to talk

[1:51:07] about.

[1:51:11] I watched the discussion that was agenda item 7A on November 12th meeting where you discussed

[1:51:19] how to keep our help our communities stay safe given the actions of eyes and things that

[1:51:28] happening that are just terrible.

[1:51:33] Since that time, things have only gotten worse.

[1:51:38] Since that time, we've had the President of the United States

[1:51:41] called immigrants from Somalia, garbage.

[1:51:48] I don't think that I ever thought I would live in a country

[1:51:52] where our leader, called other citizens, garbage,

[1:52:01] followed by a Secretary of Homeland Security,

[1:52:06] who doubled down on such inhumane conduct and called those people leeches.

[1:52:17] We have an executive branch in charge of a department called ICE that knows no bottom

[1:52:25] to the depths of its depravity because it doesn't understand when it is looking at a human

[1:52:33] be.

[1:52:38] Your comments two weeks ago, or was it three weeks ago? Two meetings ago,

[1:52:44] made clear that you did. I did look and see if the communication had been created.

[1:52:52] Yet, but I'm sure that it's in progress and having served on school board. I know how long things

[1:52:58] take. But I want to encourage you to get that out as soon as possible because people need to hear

[1:53:08] other elected leaders like you standing up for basic decency given what's

[1:53:19] happening by our executive branch and what they are doing to people to human

[1:53:24] beings.

[1:53:27] So I want to thank you for also doing the difficult work like that. In

[1:53:31] addition to all the other things you do to make our city good.

[1:53:36] Thank you. Thank you.

[1:53:39] Anyone

[1:53:43] else?

[1:53:44] Seeing none in person.

[1:53:45] Do we have any inquiries?

[1:53:46] One moment, please.

[1:53:58] You're in our library city council.

[1:54:00] Please take your name and address in your five minutes.

[1:54:02] We'll begin.

[1:54:05] Madam Mayor, and the U.S.

[1:54:07] Santa Cruz City resident.

[1:54:13] Coming from two topics.

[1:54:15] Today, one that was on previous agenda,

[1:54:18] you better report that farmers focus vastly extended its performance grant

[1:54:25] goal of creating a hundred jobs and created nearly a thousand instead.

[1:54:31] This was praised.

[1:54:33] I was shocked that that's not a good thing.

[1:54:36] That's unplanned growth, and that's a failing on our part to have been in front of, not

[1:54:44] been in front of that.

[1:54:46] That growth happened in the context of 2% unemployment, so those were 900 jobs that just wanted

[1:54:53] big producers wanted to read that can't cover the cost of construction. So, as I had warned you in the

[1:55:00] We're looking at green and housing stress people. And we did it in a way that blew out our green infrastructure

[1:55:13] that materially reduces that housing stress one thing on plant growth. On the site one more,

[1:55:23] Now I want more positive note, the Harrisonburg Martin Luther King's

[1:55:26] joint coalition participated in the winter wonder fest this year.

[1:55:31] We were fortunate to have two new volunteers, excellent with the children again, some

[1:55:36] of our school stalwarts being out of the country that makes nearly 2 dozen such volunteers

[1:55:42] who have participated at the level of equivalent to staffing and activity at the table

[1:55:48] around the particular theme that we have been developing upon the nature and harmony of the

[1:55:57] family between people and nature and harmony among people.

[1:56:01] In this event, we have some repeat visitors eagerly brought by their parents, who when

[1:56:08] they saw their signatures laughing at it, having been delivered to council, and without knowing

[1:56:13] the other details, who have had the sense that they made a difference in protecting their

[1:56:18] of its bosses. One, I think, was the child that I mentioned with my previous testimony

[1:56:24] when I shared this delightful names with you. And their parents, their parents, were just

[1:56:30] as eager as the kids. And they brought their stories of their older brush piles, and their

[1:56:37] nature patches, and they shared eagerly and when I completed it for their help so that their children

[1:56:47] and the city's children could continue to have that delightful enrichment.

[1:56:54] They were afraid.

[1:56:55] They were afraid of you.

[1:56:59] You see, the ugly part here is that the habitat that fueled so many of those activities

[1:57:08] up until this year was destroyed as some of you know.

[1:57:13] This spring, while it's Guardians World away, public works on a tag on the door that wasn't seen, until it was stumbled upon by the landscape with the clock still running, and only two business days left.

[1:57:28] dozens of people, nearly dozens of people, came together in mutual aid for the grim

[1:57:35] task of destroying that habitat. They didn't know what to do because our seat

[1:57:42] Patel wouldn't tell them what's in violation. There was just a vague interpretation

[1:57:49] of John.

[1:57:53] That doesn't appear, but the place where it appears in state and

[1:57:57] in legislation, under this guy's, he claims that trimming brushes was a part of cleaning

[1:58:04] up trash.

[1:58:05] This doesn't appear anywhere in state and even legislation, except for planning discipline

[1:58:09] too.

[1:58:10] So, it is addressed, which means that there is not in any legislation to touch it.

[1:58:17] There is a section that defines some of the things that were attacked, brush, polymer,

[1:58:22] under vegetated matter in the definition of nationality.

[1:58:28] It becomes refuse, both refuse, when put on the curbside to go to the lentil.

[1:58:35] Rightly, because being clear to a lentil, it shortens the lifespan of the lentil

[1:58:40] and so should be regulated at the point of pick-up, but even in our stormwater newsletter

[1:58:50] left on premises, these are precious resources, the main payments by poverty, not only

[1:58:57] ecosystems, but other people who live in them, going back again to this parents and their

[1:59:03] kids.

[1:59:04] The psychological resilience that that feels into our community, that we have after our

[1:59:10] street renaming, when our incarceration rate plummeted because we had the resilient community

[1:59:17] that some of you might remember.

[1:59:19] I hope going forward, Madam Mayor,

[1:59:22] that some of the things we should be ashamed of.

[1:59:24] Collor, you should be ashamed of that.

[1:59:26] I should be ashamed of.

[1:59:28] We'll be right back.

[1:59:29] Thank you.

[1:59:34] I'm going to go ahead.

[1:59:35] We're going to go to, are there any more collars, ma'am?

[1:59:39] One moment.

[1:59:40] No other collars.

[1:59:43] I'll close another comment.

[1:59:45] I'm going to go a little out of order for our city council

[1:59:49] staff and I'm going to start with the City Manager so we can take care of a piece of

[1:59:58] business from.

[2:00:00] A council meeting before. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Council, you have before you this evening a hard copy of the draft letter city staff prepared with your input to be used as a notification from city council to the Governor-elect, Lieutenant Governor-elect, Attorney General, and Senator Cain, Senator Warner and Congressman Klein.

[2:00:23] I had previously shared this digitally for you all to review and provide any edits or comments which we did receive,

[2:00:34] and I want to thank my staff, especially Mr. Vandenberg and Mr. Snyder, who took the lead on trying to distill your comments at the previous Council meeting as well as your edits into a comprehensive letter from City Council through those elected representatives.

[2:00:50] And so I thought and trying to be responsive to City Council's directive at the last meeting to have this prepared for your consideration, discussion, any additional edits, and then with your consensus, city staff is prepared to execute this letter as soon as tomorrow or the next day.

[2:01:11] I think we've all had an opportunity to review it, hopefully.

[2:01:17] I know some have given our edits as well.

[2:01:21] Is there any more edits or additions that need to be done to this letter?

[2:01:26] I told our city manager, I will be in Richmond on Friday,

[2:01:32] so I would like to take it to Richmond with me to their administration.

[2:01:37] So, for me personally, the letter's good, so is there any more additions or any changes?

[2:01:48] Anybody else?

[2:01:49] I think we did, we talked about adding the sensitive places.

[2:01:59] Does anybody got that feedback?

[2:02:00] Is it there?

[2:02:01] Yeah.

[2:02:02] Yeah.

[2:02:02] I just like to speak that out.

[2:02:04] All right.

[2:02:05] Where the part that says advancing legislation that prohibits immigration enforcement in sensitive locations

[2:02:12] There was an earlier draft that expanded on that that I found really helpful such as schools, hospitals, churches and other places of worship

[2:02:20] Court houses and emergency shelters and then pick back up with except in the most narrow and urgent serve

[2:02:26] So anyway that just as I understand it that was a federally defined term, but then they took it away

[2:02:32] So I'd vice or a Fleming tell me.

[2:02:35] So anyway, we want to continue to promote

[2:02:40] that I should not be welcome in those sensitive locations.

[2:02:46] So Senator, thank you for putting this together.

[2:02:49] And I appreciate you getting this letter to us.

[2:02:53] And I appreciate it everyone's comments.

[2:02:56] We made it a council meeting when we addressed this.

[2:02:59] And for me, the important thing was, what can we do?

[2:03:03] What can we do as a council,

[2:03:07] and communicating to our state and federal leaders was to

[2:03:11] me the way we could get something done.

[2:03:14] So I think a lot of these are recommendations that I put in here around our policing practices.

[2:03:22] So that's included in the letter, but I guess we will publish this letter at some point

[2:03:27] residents aren't able to see. Right now what we're talking about.

[2:03:31] But in this letter, we are asking our federal legislators, our state legislators, to

[2:03:37] look at the policing practices that I and how much equipment deploying in our city.

[2:03:44] We say our practices that we would accept from law enforcement in Virginia from our

[2:03:56] to those policies, why we're allowing law enforcement to engage in policies that we wouldn't

[2:04:01] accept in Virginia.

[2:04:07] Around the sensitive locations, that was something I'd put in, and there is, that

[2:04:13] is defined, so that was, you know, previously, there was federal guidance to immigration enforcement

[2:04:20] around not going into federal, sorry, into sensitive locations, including a lot of the places

[2:04:25] that you named Councilman Dent and the Trump administration in day one in office, rescinded

[2:04:33] that.

[2:04:36] But that is something that we can ask to be restored.

[2:04:39] There is legislation both in the Senate and the House to address that specifically.

[2:04:46] So asking our senators to sign on that and asking our congressional delegation to sign on to that

[2:04:51] is something we can do.

[2:04:54] as well as, you know, at the state level, asking at the state level for us.

[2:05:00] To address that, Maryland has passed a bill that addresses sensitive locations that restricts

[2:05:08] ICE and Homeland Security from engaging in immigration enforcement.

[2:05:15] So we talked about earlier in courts. That's important because our justice system does not work.

[2:05:21] If people can't go in there, witnesses and victims, if they're scared to go to the court,

[2:05:27] system doesn't work. And so that's one of the areas that we're looking at. I don't know if

[2:05:34] we need to define it more here, because I think this is a general request, you know, up,

[2:05:40] and, you know, I trust that at the state level, if they're looking to address this, they'll

[2:05:48] define those, certainly schools and hospitals or places that we would expect people to be able

[2:05:56] go without fear. People can't get the care they need and the health and medical health they need

[2:06:03] if they fear going to a hospital that ice will be there to pick them up. I actually think

[2:06:11] this is something that we can tangibly do. I don't know this is, I haven't seen this anywhere else

[2:06:18] in Virginia. Anyone else in Virginia? You know, pushing promoting this, but I think we can do

[2:06:22] We've done this in here some more before.

[2:06:24] We're willing to step out and push these separate ideas.

[2:06:29] So I think this is something that both for our senators

[2:06:33] would like them to sign on to this, respond to us.

[2:06:38] So this is asking for people to respond to us.

[2:06:41] I think our governor, our governor, our attorney general.

[2:06:46] I know this is something that they care about or focused about.

[2:06:50] We've heard this from Mayor Reed and her interactions with that team, this is something that's

[2:06:56] on their agenda.

[2:06:57] And I think pushing this forward is one way we can see if we can protect places in our

[2:07:04] community that currently aren't protected in folks can go to school, go to the hospital,

[2:07:09] go to court, finitoo.

[2:07:12] So I hope we can agree to have the city manager send this out and send copies along with

[2:07:21] read and onto our federal delegation.

[2:07:27] Yeah, I appreciate actually all day for it's made for

[2:07:32] preparing this type of message to our religious leaders and we hope that we can

[2:07:41] give something for our residents and assure them that they are here living in peace and they

[2:07:50] and go to schools, hospitals, to churches, and safely,

[2:07:55] and also all of that, go to homes.

[2:07:57] Thank you.

[2:07:59] Another thing I'll do with this is,

[2:08:01] you know, bring it to a Virginia Municipal League.

[2:08:04] And, you know, we can offer this idea to other cities.

[2:08:08] And if there's something I want to step into,

[2:08:10] they'll have a template here that they can push forward

[2:08:13] and get other other cities to sign on to this as well.

[2:08:15] So I think we might be able to build some momentum for that.

[2:08:19] And I guess, would this be published maybe?

[2:08:21] On our, I'm trying to figure out how residents will see this,

[2:08:26] what we published on the website somewhere,

[2:08:28] what would you just need to do when we have that letter like this?

[2:08:32] Yeah, we can certainly look into how we can make that public.

[2:08:36] Of course, I mean, as soon as this is the finalized document,

[2:08:39] it would be a public document, so just to clarify,

[2:08:44] I'm sorry, Councilwoman, did you?

[2:08:45] Oh, no, I was just looking at you to see what you're

[2:08:47] okay, I'm completely fine.

[2:08:50] Okay, I think it's very well written and I think it covers all the basis.

[2:08:54] I have amazing staff.

[2:08:55] I just want to make sure I do understand clarification.

[2:08:59] So I believe I've heard from Council that you would like some of the sensitive areas.

[2:09:04] I further called out and identified.

[2:09:07] I just quickly jotted down Churches School's hospitals and courts as a further explanation

[2:09:12] of what we're talking about there.

[2:09:15] And then, if possible, I would like to arrange for this to be signed by all of you.

[2:09:22] So we can prepare clean copies and have them available and either myself or Ms. Niner, Mr. Vanenberg,

[2:09:29] if it would be easier to can find you and bring these two, these final letters to each of you for your physical signature.

[2:09:37] I'm okay without identifying the specific places necessarily,

[2:09:41] And this will be something legislatively that leaders will get, we'll try to make the best,

[2:09:48] you know, this isn't about what those places are.

[2:09:54] If we do churches we need to think of places of worship specifically as well.

[2:10:02] Maryland has passed this. They have their definition of that. Number of other states have restricted it just to courts.

[2:10:10] So, the five or six other states have addressed sensitive locations.

[2:10:15] So, I might think to leave it to who might take this up either of the governor's office, Attorney General's office, or someone's General Assembly to fully define it.

[2:10:27] And I'm okay if we add specifics in there.

[2:10:30] Well, I feel strongly to add it back in with a such

[2:10:34] as to show that these are examples.

[2:10:36] I think some of the belt and suspenders,

[2:10:39] like legislation may or may not happen,

[2:10:41] but even without the legislation,

[2:10:43] that helps people understand what we're trying to protect.

[2:10:47] So when I said that,

[2:10:48] I gave actually has the locations,

[2:10:50] I think from the Maryland bill.

[2:10:54] Yeah, this was an earlier draft that went around

[2:10:56] Yeah, I had that in it from you.

[2:10:58] You want to write it?

[2:10:59] Do you want to read it?

[2:11:01] We've got it.

[2:11:02] Okay.

[2:11:03] Yep.

[2:11:06] Okay.

[2:11:07] So, yeah.

[2:11:08] Yes, ma'am?

[2:11:09] All right.

[2:11:11] Um, the, I leave Thursday night.

[2:11:14] So, if you want me to take it, it needs to be done and signed.

[2:11:18] So, I can deliver it.

[2:11:19] We'll get it done.

[2:11:20] Okay.

[2:11:23] Okay.

[2:11:24] Do you have anything?

[2:11:25] No, ma'am.

[2:11:25] All right, Councilman.

[2:11:28] Yes, Madam, I think all the things we have,

[2:11:31] are we all witnessed a great event

[2:11:36] for the urban cutting or station number five.

[2:11:42] And we honored with Chief Tobias for that actually station

[2:11:48] that's serving our residents and the North Park

[2:11:53] for Glutopike, and that was in November, 25th,

[2:11:58] so that was a great event that I witnessed that along with you.

[2:12:02] Thank you.

[2:12:03] How's it going?

[2:12:04] Well, the one thing I have going forward

[2:12:07] is I'm speaking in a panel next Monday, December 15th at 2 PM.

[2:12:12] I have a LinkedIn link that's just the easiest way

[2:12:14] to find it through ICT, I-C-L-E-I.

[2:12:18] It's on, I was at COP 30.

[2:12:20] what let me just see this, the full title on it, okay,

[2:12:28] I was a cup 30 what U.S. local governments need to know.

[2:12:32] So this is bringing back the message from the UN Climate negotiations to how we can apply it in the cities.

[2:12:39] Now when I was there, I was mostly taking the message to the world that America at the local level and state level still cares about climate.

[2:12:47] So now it's a matter of bringing it back and putting into action.

[2:12:51] So I'm excited about that.

[2:12:52] Fellow panelists include Mayor Steve Patterson, who is now meeting past president of NLC.

[2:13:02] Nylon Oliver, a sustainability director from Savannah, who was there and speaking, some

[2:13:07] other mayors who were actually not at cop, but at the C-40 mayors meeting in Rio de Janeiro

[2:13:13] before.

[2:13:14] So, I'm looking forward, oh, our Mayor Derek Wood from Dumfries, we know him, so it should be a good thing.

[2:13:22] That's all.

[2:13:23] That was a woman.

[2:13:27] Molly talked about the fire department.

[2:13:29] Ribbon cutting.

[2:13:30] Yeah, we all enjoyed that.

[2:13:32] Also, with Vice Mayor Fleming,

[2:13:35] I went to the Ribbon cutting and tour of Commerce Village too.

[2:13:41] Very nice apartments. Very, very nice. And we'll be attending the NAACP Gallo of this coming

[2:13:49] up Saturday. And that's it for me. I'm sorry.

[2:13:54] Well, commerce bill is too. 16 units. I think they are intending on having that filled

[2:13:59] up by the end of the month. So they'll be 16 folks who otherwise are really vulnerable to being

[2:14:07] to know how you housing by then this month possibly.

[2:14:14] I think anything else we, I think I forwarded you guys information that we were awarded

[2:14:21] a grant from NLC that I've been working on for the last six months with our economic development

[2:14:27] department.

[2:14:28] I'll probably leave it to them.

[2:14:29] Maybe to come and present that to us, but something we've been working on about six

[2:14:32] months and exciting grant for us around the economic development, it came in with other

[2:14:40] that, but we meet before, we won't meet before, so happy holidays, great December, which for

[2:14:50] everybody to you as well.

[2:14:52] Yep. Yes, this is our last meeting for the mother of December.

[2:14:58] I don't have anything.

[2:15:00] Much up in work with our administration, it's coming in, and then January. We had a holiday parade, which was

[2:15:15] probably the same like was one of the biggest ones that we've had in the world. Yeah, I think it was a lot of folks out there.

[2:15:24] So, got to light the tree, nice floats, great band,

[2:15:34] Congratulations to our M.U.Dukes.

[2:15:38] I wonder, when, hopefully we can say congratulations again after a play organ.

[2:15:45] Let's see.

[2:15:47] Go Dukes.

[2:15:49] All right.

[2:15:50] Uh, yeah.

[2:15:52] Close session.

[2:15:53] Okay.

[2:15:54] Although I don't see it on my paper.

[2:15:56] I was looking for it.

[2:15:58] But do we really have a close-up?

[2:15:59] No, we've done the paper.

[2:16:00] It's on the agenda.

[2:16:01] I don't really have a close-up.

[2:16:03] I did.

[2:16:04] Yeah.

[2:16:04] I did prepare a motion.

[2:16:05] Move the person to the council.

[2:16:07] Go into closed session.

[2:16:08] It's authorized by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

[2:16:12] Virginia Code Section 2.2-371-1A.

[2:16:16] Under Subsection 3 for discussion of the acquisition of real estate.

[2:16:20] for a public purpose, where the discussion and open session would adversely affect the bargaining

[2:16:24] position or negotiation in position of the public body.

[2:16:28] So, might make that motion.

[2:16:29] I move.

[2:16:31] If we do that.

[2:16:32] Second, any discussion?

[2:16:35] Pro-Couple, please, please.

[2:16:36] Councillor Miller, I'll sit in.

[2:16:38] I.

[2:16:38] Councillor Miller, I.

[2:16:40] Councillor Miller, Robinson.

[2:16:42] All right.

[2:16:42] Nice to meet you.

[2:16:43] All right.

[2:16:44] All right, and now in close session is not on my paper.

City Council on 2025-12-09 7:00 PM

Agenda

Transcript