So is now in session. Please stand for a moment of silence and please remain standing for the Pledge of allegiance to our flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God and individual with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, sir. Mr. Clark , please call the roll. Mr. Clanton, present. Mrs. Doyle, Mrs. Johnson, here, Mr. McGee, here, Mr. Page, Mr. Smegel, Mr. Thomas, Dr. Alexander. The motion is to dispense with the reading of the minutes of our previous meeting. Mr. Clanton. Mrs. Doyle, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. McGee, Mr. Page, Mr. Spiegel, Mr. Thomas, Dr. Alexander, Mr. Clerk, please read the resolution certifying the closed meeting, a resolution certifying a closed meeting of the Council of the City of Norfolk in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Adopt the resolution, Mr. Clanton. Hi, Mrs. Doyle. Mrs. Johnson, Mr. McGee, Mr. Page, Mr. Smegel, Mr. Thomas, Doctor Alexander. Uh, good evening and welcome to the Norfolk City council chamber tonight. We'll first take up the consent agenda which will be voted in a block. If any member of the council or the public wishes to discuss the item, it will be removed from the consent agenda and considered separately. Follow Nicholson agenda we'll take up regular agenda items to address the council on an agenda item or new business. You should have registered you should have registered with the clerk prior to 3 p.m. when your name is called, please come to the podium, state your name, your home address, and please limit your comments to 3 minutes. Mr. Clerk, uh, the consent agenda will be, will be considered in a block except C4 and C5. We will consider them separately. And C 13 and C13 will be considered separately. And C 1213 13 can stay and 12 will be removed and considered separately. Are there any more? 45, and approve the consent agenda and dispense with the charter requirement for reading the ordinances twice and adopt with the effective dates with the exception of C4, C5, and C12. Mr. Clanton. Mrs. Doyle, Mrs. Johnson. Hi, Mr. McGee. Hi, Mr. Page. All right, Mr. Smeagle, Mr. Thomas, Dr. Alexander. All right, Mr. Clerk, C4. Of an ordinance granting a conditional use permit to authorize a short-term rental unit homestay on property located at 801 Colonial Avenue. Thank you, uh, uh, Walter. Please Good evening. He My name is uh Doctor Walter Ott. I'm a resident of the 700 block of Colonial Avenue. I've been a long term resident, uh, and property owner in Ghent of 31 years. I voiced my opposition to the proposed conditional use permit for the short term rental and reduced required parking for 801 Colonial Avenue. Uh, my points are inconsistent use property is a single family home. With no dedicated off street crop, uh, parking, the request is dependent on use of city streets for parking. Uh, there are a large number of short term rentals that are not being monitored and there's a lack of policing of those short term rentals, uh, specifically who actually enforces the length of the stays, the number of the guests, and the number of vehicles. There are already two non-registered short term rentals on the 700 block of Colonial Avenue that are causing issues to the residents. Those houses are 713 and 7:17 Colonial Avenue. Plus there's another 1, 511 Bossavan Avenue. These are large single family homes being split up into Baltimore units, plus there are several others within several several blocks. At least one of these properties puts parking cones on the street prior to people checking in, preventing residents from parking on the street. The 800 block of Colonial Avenue has a 16 unit apartment building, 815 Colonial Avenue. The 5 blocks within 300 ft of the proposed property already have significant parking constraints, specifically as of 000 excuse me, 2100 9 o'clock last night, the 700, 800, and 900 blocks have approximately 16 parking spots each. At 9 o'clock last night on the 900 block 14 of those 16 spots were used 87%, 800 block 14 of 16, 87%, 700 block 11 of 16, 75%. The 500 block of Red Gate Avenue, 18 out of 20, 90% use. 4 out of 7 on Raleigh for the 500 block 57% use. In addition, residents in Stockley Gardens. During periods of flooding and heavy rains, move their cars from Stockley Garden to the upper portions of the 500 block of Bossavan, Redgate, and Raleigh plus Colonial Avenue. And then in addition, um. If this proposal is being considered for approval, uh, why doesn't the proposal, uh, include the, uh, requesting actually, uh, signing an agreement with either the, uh. Um, Olef, uh, Shalom Temple or either Ghent United Methodist Church and use, uh, that off-street parking rather than adding to the congesting on, uh, Colonial Avenue. Uh, those are my, uh, my concerns and, uh, I appreciate your consideration. Thank you so much. Thank you Jason Elman. Good evening members of the council. I'm happy to, uh, Jason Edelman, 801 Colonial Avenue. I'm the applicant. Happy to address the concerns raised by Walt, um. It sounds like this is as much uh general concern with um short term rentals than it is with our rentals specifically and I would like to address concerns uh primarily about parking um and compliance uh as pertains to our rental so. For parking, um. Many of our guests arrived by Uber, so I'm gonna back up. Last night specifically, there was nobody. At our rental, um, and there hasn't been for a little while, so I will acknowledge there may be parking problems in this area, um, I think that's uh. A more general, a general concern. Many of our guests arrived by Uber. Those that do uh or those that bring their own vehicles do so because they're often not at the rental so they need that mobility, uh, they don't have an alternative and we instruct specifically our customers to uh park on Raleigh, uh, which has the greatest availability of parking out of consideration for our neighbors. 6 years ago when we uh. Began the short term rental we did sign an agreement with Ghent United Methodist Church um to add parking spaces to meet the parking requirement. They were happy to. Uh To agree to that, um, we actually sit in our dining room and watch. Uh, the parking situation, traffic situation, um, and part of, uh, part of the reason for that is to make sure that, um, everybody has parking. We haven't personally seen a problem there, uh, overnight, but I will acknowledge that Colonial Avenue itself is tight, which is why we instruct our customers specifically. Um, not to park there, so. We personally greet and welcome guests and keep them appraised in neighborhood issues. I'm happy to emphasize this, um. With, since this is the only concern I've heard from the neighborhood about this rental, we're happy to address it to the extent that we can, um. Yeah, thanks for your. Uh, consideration and. I hope that's addressed any concerns that were raised. Thank you. Mr. Bull dispense with the charter requirement for reading the ordinance twice and adopt with the effective date. Mr. Clanton. Hi, Mrs. Doyle, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. McGee, Mr. Page, Mr. Smegel, Mr. Thomas, Doctor Alexander. Mr. Clark C5 C5 is an ordinance granting a conditional use permit to authorize a short-term rental unit of vacation rental on property located at 6227 Edward Street. I, I don't have anyone here to speak. Um, Mr. Clerk, call the roll. Dispensed with the charter requirement for reading the ordinance twice and adoptment the effective date. Mr. Clanton, hey. Mrs. Doyle Mrs. Johnson. Mr. McGee, Mr. Page, Mr. Smegel, Mr. Thomas, Dr. Alexander. Mr. Clerk, C12 C12 is an ordinance granted conditional use permits to authorize the operation of a banquet hall with the sale of alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption, named for creatives on property located at 255 Granby Street. Clerk, I move to continue generally. Move is to generally. Mr. Clinton. To continue generally OK. motion is to continue generally. Mr. Clanton. OK. Mrs . Doyle. Hi. Mrs. Johnson, Mr. McGee, Mr. Page, Mr. Smegel. Hi, Mr. Thomas, Dr. Alexander. Hi. Mr. Clark, R1 R1 is a resolution to initiate the process of vacating a 50-foot wide public right of way dedication existing on a certain portion of city property located at 253 Grace Street. Adopt the resolution, Mr. Clanton. Hi. Mrs. Doyle, I. Mrs. Johnson, Mr. McGee. Hi Mr. Page, Mr. Smeagle, Mr. Thomas, Dr. Alexander. Hi Clerk, R2. R2 is an Orange council. The city council meeting on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. and schedule a city council meeting on Tuesday, April 29th at 2 April 29, 2025 at 3:30 p.m. Dispense with the charter requirement for reading the ordinance twice and adopt with the effective date. Mr. Clanton. Hi, Mrs. Doyle. Hi, Mrs. Johnson. Hi, Mr. McGee. Hi Mr. Page, Mr. Smegel. Mr. Thomas, Dr. Alexander. R R3 is an ordinance to amend the Norfolk City Council Rules of Procedure. Section 51A regarding order of business for council meetings. Section 5-2 regarding the consent agenda. Section 5-3 regarding public comment. And Section 44A5B rules regarding rules of conduct. Thank you, Mr. Barrett Hicks. Even the mayor council, uh. My question on uh this particular ordinance or R2 is this. Um I, I tried to open up to see what it actually was addressing as far as the changes that that are going to take place, and I, I would love for someone to share with me and the audience as to the changes that are in place. Love to do it, Mr. Piso. Uh, yes, there are, um, two, changes, Mr. Hicks, um, the, uh, comment period, um, for agenda items, the R items and the consented agenda items, which is all that we have on the agenda tonight. Is being moved up to the front of the meeting, and anybody who wants to address any of those items will have the 3 minutes at the beginning of the meeting for those items. PH items will stay coincident with the pH item, no change there, and new business will be held on the first meeting of each month. Those are the two changes. So will there be any change to how many items that you can address if, say, say if there's 5 or 6 different items, can you still address each one of them for for the the period of 3 minutes? Yes. So I, I, I only ask that because I've been told something different at the last minute, but that that's, that's. Was uh a dear to me to be able to if the rules say that we can I expect to be able to do that. Um, and I, I just like to know the roofs up front, so thank you, Mr. Thank you, Mr. Bull. This since with the charter requirement for reading the ordinance twice in a dot with the effective date, Mr. Clanton. Hi, Mrs. Doyle, Mrs. Johnson, Mr. McGee, Mr. Page, thanks for that, uh. Uh, clearing up the information there. It's, it's definitely an eye for me now. Mr. Smegel, Mr. Thomas, Dr. Alexander, R 4 R 4 is a resolution appointing 6 members to 2 commissions, 2 boards, and 1 authority for certain terms. Adopt the resolution, Mr. Clanton. Hi, Mrs. Doyle. Hi, Mrs. Johnson. I, Mr. McGee. Hi, Mr. Page, Mr. Smegel. Hi, Mr. Thomas, Dr. Alexander. Mr. Clark, do you have another? That's all I have to tell you. New business. The first speaker is Elena Daraya. Followed by Susan Mausi. Good evening. Elenadia 1720 Gallery Avenue. Um, Thank you, uh, Doctor Cooper Alexander, uh, for allowing me to speak, and I want to give a special thank you to Councilwoman Johnson for your sustained endorsement and support for me as a commissioner with the Bicycle Pedestrian and Active Transportation Commission. Um, I am a pedestrian, so I tend to be more towards the pedestrian side of the commission. Uh, I walk my dog in the morning. I walk 7 days a week. Uh, I walk and I see a lot of things going on throughout in terms of pedestrians mostly, and I'm very concerned and I echo what uh Michael Myers mentioned last week about, uh, asking for you all to support a position for a pedestrian. And bicycle uh coordinator for the city of Norfolk. uh I was on the commission when we actually asked for that before, so I hope that you all will consider that when it comes up uh associated with that as well would be the um. Appointment for a uh well not really an appointment but the Norfolk Public schools getting the grant again for the safe routes to school program which we have been without for the past 4 years and I hope that you all will uh pay attention to that when it comes across and support that as well um there are a lot of things that we wanna do with the commission. One of the things that we would like to do is, um, maybe, uh, join forces with our sister city Portsmouth who has a very nice, uh. Uh, nonprofit that supports them in teaching children about, um, safety, pedestrian bicycle safety and with those two positions I'm sure we would be able to get a coordination in that also, um. I've had to many times just as an individual uh look at and report about different things that are going on specifically in my neighborhood Lindenwood Elementary School, specifically they have not had a crossing guard uh on Linwood on Lindenwood Avenue since uh September of 2023. Um, and the crossing guard that they had there that had been there for years has passed away, so I'm not sure if they've gotten replacement because there is a there is a, um, a deficit of crossing guards, and I would like for those two positions would also be able to work with the police department because they're in charge of it. So, um, I thank you for your time and I hope that you will support these two initiatives as if they come across. You. Its Tussick followed by Jay Bone. I got to go to do Mars. That's my little treat before I come and see you lovely people. Happy Valentine's Day. I gave you the packet because there's just a lot of emotion in these pages, and I'm not very smart when it comes to building a house and ripping one down and doing the claim. I am seeing a lawyer tomorrow and I just want you to know I'm not trying to delay the rebuilding of my house. It's just that the, uh, house at 8214 that burnt. Was financed through caliber. Then we've been paid. We're not late in our mortgage and went to new res and then they send me some jack leg check and said, Hey, we're, we're, we're tempted to collect a debt. I said, Who are you now? I'm not giving you my money. I'm gonna rebuild the house with, so there's a lot of corruption. And, um, and building now Mr. Winslow, I think you know him, he's the code guy. He's been nice on the phone and he knows that I've been sick and I just got out of the hospital with a. When I punched the window and I got a staph infection, so I've been real sick. So I can't go back in that house and do like I've done the structure. And what it's a total loss everything in it, but I have to go through each room with somebody probably next week because the antibiotics will be should be good to to replace that and then I'm gonna rip it down and I'm building a new house, um, but I just don't want to be any more uh tomfoolery over there. I don't want anybody on my yard. I had to call and, uh, the, the, the state claim it's just been Allstate has been, I'm not in good hands with them, and once I'm done with all this I'm getting a new insurance but. There's a lot of corruption and people think I'm stupid. I'm a little off. I take meds, but I am not stupid and I would never sign a check over somebody I don't know. There's a lot of corruption and we need to make sure that vulnerable people that they think I am, I'm not, but they think I am because I'm, I've got the label, but I'm not stupid. I, I will not sign a check till I see a lawyer has looked it over. I will not do anything. It's on a freeze, and I've been working with the code guy Mr. Winslow, and so I want the attorneys on the board to know I like Norfolk. I was born here. I want our rec centers to be like in Virginia Beach. I think with all this beautiful growth with the uh ships coming in and we're gonna be able to have more tax base locality maybe the I don't know if y'all are doing the casino or whatever are y'all doing that? All that's gonna help us help our kids in affordable housing, but my house I'm coming back. OK, I don't want to talk about everything in this. There's enough there to to follow, but everybody got one of these, right? And um there's some things I don't understand so I don't know who to go to for that uh my ward person is that you? In 6 So if I ever had a question, how would I come to you? Just call. I'll put it in my car. Yes, sir. I gotta, I gotta leave because I'm living in Elizabeth City, and I just, I'm sorry that this happened. Thank you all for being supportive. Happy Valentine's Day. Be nice to your wives or you're gonna have this, Ms. Mausa, go this way. Give it to the clerk. Give it, give it to the clerk. No, no, no, here you, there's your card. I don't need to give you this. Give it to Mr. uh, Ms. Give it to. I think she's in 7s at Wesley. OK, thank you, Mr. uh, uh, uh, Mr. Clanton's actually your council super award to you. I don't have any cars up here, not up. Well, let me see. You a pretty long one. Mhm . I So I'm Yeah, right, right, uh, Miss, Miss J Bowen, OK, I just don't want you to look like you're misrepresenting. That one before we close up. Hello, good evening. Uh, I would like to ask people that are representing and supporting Norfolk Free Policy Council to please stand. My name is Jay Boone. I am here on behalf of the Norfolk Food Policy Council, and I represent Ward 4. I'm here to address a critical issue food insecurity in our city. Norfolk leads Hampton Roads and food insecurity. In 2022, data showed that 13.2% of Norfolk residents struggled with food access more than any other, uh, uh, any other city in the region. Our poverty rate stood at 19.7% and 1 in 6 children in Norfolk faced hunger. These numbers represent real families, real children, real struggles that are happening in our own backyard. After hearing the cries of Norfolk residents facing food insecurity, the city of Norfolk sent out a call to local organizations and community members to step up and help find solutions. The nutrition equity budget of $287,000 was included in the fiscal year 2022 budget as a commitment to address this crisis. This was a promise to the people of Norfolk and a recognition that food insecurity is an economic and public health issue that requires an urgent action. Norfolk Food Policy Council answered that call. We have spent those years engaging with the community, gathering data, and building a plan that not only improves food access but in but creates a sustainable equitable food economy. Norfolk currently has no commission or board dedicated specifically to food access, so we stepped up to fill that gap. We have done the work. And we have done and we have the data and we have partnerships and solutions and yet nearly 3 years later this funding remains locked away with while food insecurity continues to rise. Our request today is simple release the nutrition equity budget and allow Norfolk Food Policy Council to establish a grant process that will empower local organizations to implement the programs needed to make real change. This is not about food. This is about ensuring that every resident, regardless of income or zip code have access to fresh, healthy food. It's about economics uh opportunity about supporting local businesses and about keeping the promise made to the people of Norfolk. The residents spoke, you listened. Now it's time to act. Let's move forward together and make food sovereignty a reality. We we look forward to you calling us. Thank you. Adam Lavelle Adam Adam Lavelle. Of divine Good evening, good evening. I'm Artha Devine, 2700 block of Colchester Crescent. And I'm here tonight to bring to the city council's attention my request for a recommendation to remove a member. Of the 3 person electoral board for the city of Norfolk. My personal observation goes back to the date, the board member. Launched a partisan attack on another electoral board member. On the 17th of October 2023 and as described in my letter that I've already handed out. Uh, when I first brought this issue to the electoral board and the Norfolk registrar. I did not ask for it, but I did receive an apology from the board member. For doing what the board member acknowledged was wrong. And uh a promise also not to do anything like this again. With the agreement to make this a teachable moment. And I accepted that and hope that it would change. Now to this day. There has been no moments of teaching about the unacceptable behavior from The 17th of October, and furthermore, there has been more of the same partisan attacks and behavior. That was repeated on the 5th of November, election day. By the same board member and that makes the member's apology null and void. And the behavior of this electoral board member is a cancer that must be removed. And to reduce further spread, it should be specifically highlighted. In the future training of election officers, of which I am one of the election officers for the city of Norfolk, and to demonstrate what a violation of our nonpartisan policy is. Now the behavior I have presented to you is destructive and counterproductive to the good reputation of the city of Norfolk. And it is injurious to all citizens of Norfolk who expect their election officers to perform with integrity please for the sake of the citizens of Norfolk, search this matter out interview all the names that I've made available to you, and come up with a recommendation I pray. thank you. Mr. Devine, for, for your information, the electoral board members are not appointed by the Norfolk City council. The judges appoint uh the electoral board members, but thank you for the information, sir. I ask for a recommendation to remove. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Mr. Barrett Hicks. Followed by Woodrow W. Moore Jr. Just wanna make sure that everybody has the document in hand. Good evening again. I'm Barrett Hicks, president of the Concerned Citizens Association Tidewood Connection. And the board chair for Iron Sharpens Irons covering the last 2 years. I'm here tonight to say thank you to the city. Mr. Mayor, And those that work within the city for the events that we've been able to have over at the Chrysler Museum for iron sharpens irons. Our first year out was, we had in essence, 300 men, primarily black men. That stood up to make a difference. So we established that was established by Councilman JP Page. And he reached out to me to say, can you get a you come aboard. I think we've done an awesome job again 300 black men the first year. And even more so this year we had about 150 in the house, but even more important we had the key officials from around the city. And somewhere around the state that understood that now it's time for some solutions. Not just talking about the problems but solutions so they were there to listen. Tonight I want to uh. Share with the mayor for a proper place in city. One of the one of the medals that we gave to people that have helped us, we, we called out 30 names showing Mr. Mayor and Councilman Page. We both have done the works that's needed and required we want to just say thank you to the city on behalf of of citizens. Before I leave though, I want to make sure that we. Take the vision of Councilman Page and myself more so myself asking now about the community hub as the document I gave you, we just about solution hubs. So we put together a proposal that we have sent to the city manager and the city as a whole to get that recreation center. Over on Lea Street and the campus of the community opened up as a community hub. I think it's much needed and required throughout our city that we find hubs to where we're connecting. When I talked to folks at uh uh uh both these shopping irons and throughout the time that I've been around 20 some years. We even have factions. To where we can't even go into different communities. We've got to create hubs to where we're making those connections. I mean, our, our new police chief seems to be doing some things with community policing, but that hub, a hub in the community. Where we are able to sit and talk. And make a difference as these metals state. You make a difference 2025 if I could Tracy, give us a hit. One last thing, one last minute, please, I saw that you guys uh were speaking to the library boards. There's still a need, a great need for a library. In Berk in the Berkeley community. Thank you, sir. 6, before you go, um, I want to make sure that, um, Mr. Pisko can uh can you just clarify when Mr. Hicks asked, can he speak on all of the R items and the consent items, uh, regardless of how many they are, um, that he wants to sign up for to speak in his 3 minutes, he's allowed to do that. And Mr. Mayor, let me clarify, not just Mr. Hicks, we're asking him that when I ask the question, I, I, I, but again sounds like we're about to change some legislation because of Mr. Hicks, but go ahead, not because of Mr. Hicks. The, the mayor is correct that a speaker can address as many CNR items in the 3 minutes as he, uh, wants to. Thank you, sir. And also the public hearings will be standalone and new business will be once a month. Yes sir. That's fine. Thank you sir. OK, thank you, Ms. Hicks and thank you for the medal. Thank you, sir, for recognition, uh, Mr. Moore Woodrow W. Moore. Mhm. Given glory to the good Lord. Thank you Lord Jesus. Good evening everyone. Look, um, I live at 2787 Tate Terrace. My wife and I, my wife is retired Navy. We moved here, uh, 37 years ago. We made north of our home. This past December 17th was our anniversary. We've been married 37 years. But what I'm here tonight for, because I have been here before about my property. My property joins the city property where the city got all kinds of heavy equipment over there. I got one dump truck. I had this dump truck, this dump truck cost me a quarter of a million dollars. And I just got to pay for, not this past October, but October before last. And zoning wanna make me move it, and I have nowhere to take it because These people will vandalize your stuff. And the truck is, is a nice truck, and I don't have anywhere to take it. You know what I mean, uh, my wife and I, we're trying to build a new home because we recently had a got our oldest daughter. had a brain tumor and it left her half paralyzed. So we're trying to tear down our house now. We got the uh paperwork down here, the engineer looking at the property and everything, so we could tear the house down and build a new house. But this is my livelihood, you know what I mean, what they're trying to do to me, you know what I mean? So I'm just asking the, the city, we got 2.2 acres. You can't even see the truck from, from the street. You know what I mean, if you pass by my house, you don't even know the truck back there. You know what I mean, and it just, it's just sad that somebody can call to sit on me and said that, well, they don't want it back there. It's in my backyard, but it's in my yard and I worked hard for everything that I got. So I'm just asking the city. To take a look at this situation because I'm in desperate need. The truck was broke down recently for 3 months because of this new death system that they have on the truck. I haven't worked in 3 months and like it's raining out there now. It ain't no work out there for a dump truck when you're hauling sand. And, and another thing, I get up at 3:30 in the morning to go to Knox's Island to go to work. So if I park the truck somewhere else, that means that I gotta get up before then and go and get the truck if it's all right. So I just wanted the city council to take a look into this because I don't think that it's right, you know what I mean, I'm not asking you to uh To, uh, uh, throw me up under the bus, you know what I mean, I worked hard for everything I got, so. That's all that I got to say. Uh, thank you, Mr. Moore. Uh, Mister, Mister, uh, manager, can you assign someone, uh, to Mr. Moore to, to take a look at their Rogers here and he's familiar with it. He'll talk with him, yeah, and see if there's James have been to my house. He know I understand that, but, but, but you don't have an application for a change of zoning. You don't, so we're trying to, I, I need to know more. OK, OK, look, I appreciate it thank you. So thank you very much. Thank you. All right, Mr. Gold and did Mr. uh, Adam Lavelle ever, Adam Lavelle? No Adam Lavelle. All right. Councilor.