Kristen Bailey

The City Council Work Session addressed the Hampton Roads Transit (HRT) System Optimization Plan and conducted a review of the Franchise Agreement. Subsequent meetings covered numerous items including presentations on the 25th Annual Chesapeake Business Appreciation Golf Classic proceeds benefiting scholarships and the announcement of Procreate Fertility Center of Virginia as the 2025 Small Business of the Year. Key agenda items involved acknowledgements for rezoning applications (Sykes Landing and 960 Bells Mill Rd), approval of refunds, and processing resignations from various committees. City Manager Items focused heavily on accepting and appropriating grant funds for Police, Chesapeake Integrated Behavioral Healthcare, and Parks, Recreation and Tourism, as well as authorizing performance contracts and capital improvement project transfers related to security upgrades and infrastructure. City Attorney Items included the annual submission of delinquent tax lists and resolutions authorizing participation in opioid-related claims settlements. Regular agenda items included authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding for deceased individual handling during mass casualty incidents, establishing funding for the Emergency Communications Center Replacement and Upgrades project, approving funds for Fire Vehicle Replacement II, and authorizing a lease amendment for the Oak Grove Center. The council also addressed the request for a Navy Defense Community Infrastructure Program Grant for a water main project. Later sessions involved appointing members to several boards and commissions, including the Economic Development Authority, and initiating the process to repeal the 2035 Comprehensive Plan and adopt the Chesapeake 2045 Comprehensive Plan. New business included addressing stormwater issues in the Portlock area and requests regarding billboard siting challenges. A closed meeting was held to discuss prospective candidates for appointment to the Vice Mayor position and for an open City Council seat, which resulted in the appointment of E. R. "Jeff" Jefferies to fill the vacancy. A subsequent Special Called Meeting finalized the appointment of Council Member S. Z. "Debbie" Ritter as Vice Mayor. The final Work Session discussed the Comprehensive Plan Update. The final Regular Meeting included approving cable franchise agreements with Cox Communications Hampton Roads, LLC, and Verizon South, Inc., and an ordinance amending the Verizon Communications franchise ordinance. The Council approved actions regarding the Cuffee Community Center Pool funding transfers and appropriations. Appointments to various boards and commissions were also made, and future interviews for other board vacancies were scheduled.

The committee addressed several agenda items, including the unanimous election of officers: Mr. Ross as Chair, Mr. Burke as Vice Chair, and Ms. Lofton as Secretary. Key discussions involved the status of the Annual Report to the City Council and a deferred discussion regarding a potential name change for the committee. New business included the unanimous approval of drafted letters containing recommendations for the Deep Creek Area Plan and comments on the PRT Master Plan. Planning for Bike Month involved discussions on Clean the Bay Day, BikeFest, the Historical Bike Ride, and The Ride of Silence. Updates were provided on TCONN map corrections, upcoming Public Works projects such as the Western Branch Trail Phase 2 authorization and Phase 3 coordination, and the Gum Road Multiuse Path meeting schedule. The committee also unanimously supported the proposed naming of the Western Branch Trail as The Dr. John de Triguet Memorial Trail.

The agenda was set for a Public Hearing. The primary discussion item involved a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (CBPA) application from The Runnymede Corp. for a property located at 1627 Great Bridge Boulevard. The applicant requested an exception to construct a stormwater management Best Management Practice (BMP) that would treat only a single parcel within the 50-foot landward portion of the 100-foot Resource Protection Area (RPA) buffer, proposing 28,340 square feet of additional impervious area. Due to the lack of a quorum, no action was taken, and the evaluation of the exception request was continued to the subsequent Public Hearing Meeting scheduled for March 18, 2026.

The meeting included an Operations Update for November and December 2025, highlighting work order statistics, challenges with concrete work due to cold weather, and specific drainage improvement projects such as the Cox Avenue and 901 Gould Avenue sites. Detailed progress reports were provided for projects including an outfall pipe clearing at 900 City Park Drive and side ditch clearing at 460 Old Woodland Drive and 253 Hanbury. The Engineering Update confirmed the completion of the Camelot Outfall stabilization work using Rip Rap and Flexi-Matting. The Environmental Report focused on leaf-related complaints, BMP inspections, and details concerning an EPA audit conducted in December 2025. New business included a suggestion to add a quarterly Budget Update to the agenda to better prepare the committee regarding potential rate increases.

The meeting commenced with a Pledge of Allegiance and an announcement recognizing a board member for receiving a Teacher of the Year Award. A special presentation was delivered by the Urban Forester regarding the Urban Forestry program. Reports included updates from Ex-Officio members concerning Chesapeake Public Schools, the Great Bridge Battlefield & Waterways Historic Foundation, and the Chesapeake Conference Center. Parks and Recreation reports covered Tourism activities, including participation in local events and the selection of a new Tourism Manager. Deputy Director updates addressed the resumption of Planetarium programming, staffing changes, high registration numbers for the Paddle for the Boarder event, and details about the Therapeutic Recreation TR Ball. Recreation updates noted housekeeping efforts following Planetarium improvements, the success of Youth Programs' Winter Play Days, a musical theatre production, and senior program transitions. Director updates provided construction progress reports for Northwest River Park and the Historical Village at the Dismal Swamp, updates on Arboretum window hardware issues, the timeline for Cuffee Pool excavation, and a planned discussion with City Council regarding the renaming of Oak Grove Lake Park. In Unfinished Business, the Board discussed the final draft of the Master Plan, with a motion passed to update the endorsement letter for review at the next meeting prior to Council presentation. Board members offered commendations for recent successful events.