AUGUST 21, 2012 WORKSHOP MINUTESCITY OF VIRGINIA BEACH
"COMMUNITY FOR A LIFETIME"
CITY COUNCIL
MAYOR WILLlAMD. SESSOMS, JR., At-Lnige
V/CE MAYOR LOUIS R. JONES, Bnvside - District 4
GLENN R. DAVIS, Rose Hnl[ - District 3
WILLIAM R. DeSTEPH, At-Lage
HARRY E. D/EZEL, Kempsville - Dish-ict 2
ROBERT M. DYER, Cen[erville - Dish•ict I
BARBARA M. HENLEY, Princess Anne - Dish•ict 7
JOHN D. MOSS, At-Large
JOHN E. UHRlN, BencA - District 6
ROSEMARY WILSON, At-Latge
JAMES L. WOOD, Lyiuzhnven -District 5
CITY COUNCIL APPOINTEES
CITY MANAGER - JAMES K. SPORE
CITYATTORNEY- MARKD. STILES
CITYASSESSOR - JERALD D. BANAGAN
CITYAUDITOR - LYNDONS. REMlAS
CITY CLERK - RUTH HODGES FRASER, MMC
CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP AGENDA
21 August 2012
CITY MANAGER'S BRIEFINGS -Conference Room -
A. J. T.'s GROMMET ISLAND ADVENTURE CAMP
Ross Vierra, Chair - The Virginia Gentlemen Foundation
CITYHALL BUILDWG
2401 COURTHOUSEDRIVF'
VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGlN/A 23456-8005
PHONE: (757) 385-4303
FAX (757) 385-5669
E-MAIL: crycncl@vbgov.com
4:00 PM
B. VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE CENTER CONSERVATION
Mark Swingle, Director, Research and Conservation - Virginia Aquarium and Marine
Science Center
C. PENDING PLANNING ITEMS
Jack Whitney, Director - Planning Department
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VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL
Virginia Beach, Virginia
August 21, 2012
Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr., called to order the CITY MANAGER'S BRIEFING, re J.T.'s
GROMMET ISLAND ADVENTURE CAMP in the City Council Conference Room at 4: 00 P.M.
Council Members Present:
Glenn R. Davis, YVilliam R. "Bill " DeSteph, Harry E. Diezel, Barbara
M. Henley, Vice Mayor Louis R. Jones, John D. Moss, Mayor William
D. Sessoms, Jr., John E. Uhrin, Rosemary Wilson and James L. Wood
Council Members Absent:
Robert M. Dyer ill
August 21, 2012
-z-
CITYMANAGER'S BRIEFING
J.T's GROMMET ISLAND ADVENTURE CAMP
4: 00 P.M.
Mayor Sessoms introduced and welcomed Ross Vierra, Chair - The Virginia Gentlemen Foundation. Mr.
Vierra expressed his appreciation to City Council for their past support. He advised The Virginia
Gentlemen Foundation funded and bziilt the Grommet Island Park and they are proud of the opportunity
itprovides for disabled individuals. The group is undertaking an amazing endeavor with the commitment
of the JT Walk Family and the Communiry. Five (S) years ago, the foundation began with a"bunch of
guys looking for ways to give back to a City they really love ". At the same time, Josh Thompson was
diagnosed with ALS, which is a horrific disease. The Foundation wanted to raise funds to help find a
cure for ALS and educate the Community on the effects this disease has on people. Over the past five (S)
years, the Virginia Gentlemen Foundation has raised approximately $5.4-Million, with over 10,000
people attending the JT Walk event. The Foundation expanded their reach with not just the fight against
ALS but to help those with disabilities; and, in 2010, built and donated back to the City, JT's Grommet
Island Park.
The Foundation has begun working on their next pYOject, which will build on the success of Grommet
Island Park by bringing the theme "inland" and building JT's Camp Grommet Adventure Camp. The
Camp will be a 20 - 30 acre adventure camp, focusing on children with disabilities, special illnesses and
Wounded Warriors and families of Fallen Heroes. A host of activities will be held at the Camp with a
lake for fishing, a cable wake boarding system that will allow those with disabilities to enjoy wake
boarding, rope courses accessible at every level of disability, an indoorpool with rehabilitation elements,
an outdoor pool and splash site, wellness support center, gymatorium for indoor activities, putt putt,
archery range, outdoor classrooms and athletic fields all of which will be wheel-chair accessible. The
Community is excited about this project and the Foundation currently has commitments of $2.5-Million
and is excited about getting this project underway.
Mr. Vierra expressed his appreciation to City Council and the Citizens of Virginia Beach for their
continued support of the Foundation. October 7`h is the JT's Walk and Beach Party and Mr. VierYa
invited everyone to participate.
Mayor Sessoms expressed his appreciation to Mr. Vierra and the entire Virginia Gentlemen Foundution
for their generosity and efforts in making the City of Virginia Beach " the Best City in the World ".
August 21, 2012
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CITY MA NA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
4:10 P.M.
The Mayor called to order the CITY MANAGER'S BRIEFING re the VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and
MARINE SCIENCE CENTER CONSERVATION. The City Manager introduced Mark Swingle,
Director - Research and Conservation. Mr. Swingle expressed his appreciation to the Mayor, Ciry
Council and City Manager for their continued support of the Aquariatm:
Mr. Swingle advised two words that best describe the aquaNium are "innovative " and "impactful ", as it
is the highest attended facility of its type in the Commonwealth:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM a n d MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Their research and conser-vation efforts have helped the natural resources not only in the City but also in
the Region and the Commonwealth. The Virginia Aquarium Foundation is the "host" of the programs
which are totally funded by grants, donations and fundraising events. The aquarium has had over sixty
(60) grants and contract awards over the years, totaling more than $7-Million. Mr. Swingle will discuss
four (4) of those programs today:
First is the award-winning Marine Animal Stranding Response Program, which is the foundation for the
Research and Conservation efforts. The Team has responded to sea turtle and marine mammal
strandings in the mid-Atlantic Region for more than twenty (20) years. This is a science-based program
founded on the belief that each stranding, whether alive or dead, represents a unique learning
opportunity. The Aquarium just had its S, 000`h stranding response. They are curYently averaging
approximately three hundred (300) stranding responses per year.
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Contiitued)
Below is the Aquarium's working definition of "strandings ". Strandings provide opportunities to study
animals in ways not possible in the wild, to assess the health of wild populations as marine mammal
health is an indicator of the health of the environment.•
Live animal strandings get about 90% of the public attention and press; however, only represent about
10% of the total strandings. Live animal strandings provide unique challenges for the Team, both with
logistics and animal care/welfare. Stranded animals are always sick, injured or otherwise compromised
and often near death:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERYATION
(Continued)
Many animals can be successfully rescued and rehabilitated; depending on their condition, rehabilitation
can last as little as weeks or as long as several years:
The Stranding Team has more than sixty (60) Volunteers who contribute more than 16,000 hours each
year to support the stranding response opeYations:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANAGER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Rehabilitating stranded animals often pose unique circumstances and opportunities for innovative
medical care. For example, the slide below shows a gray seal, which required surgical repair of a rear
flipper, the loggerhead sea turtle (top right) was nearly blind when it was recovered and undenvent
successful double cataract surgery and the green sea turtle (lower right) nearly died ftom ingestion of
marine trash such as balloons, food wrappers and other plastic debris. All three (3) animals were
successfully rehabilitated and released:
The primary goal of rehabilitation is to release the animal back into its natural habitat. Celebratory
events are often shared with the public. The animals that regain their health but aYe unable to sur-vive in
the wild, are provided permanent homes in zoos and aquariums:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Unfortunately, many marine animals become entangled in fishing gear. The Aquarium has specially
trained staff and equipment as this is often a dangerous activity. The staff has experience in
disentangling whales, dolphins and sea turtles. The slide below is a humpback whale, which was
successfully disentangled from gillnet gear off the Coast of Virginia Beach:
Below is a leatherback sea turtle heavily wrapped in the buoy line of a whelk pot. Luckily, all of the line
was successfully removed after a nearly 90-minute disentanglement operation:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Most animals that wash up on the beach are not alive. Although their death is a tragedy, the Aquarium
looks at it as unique and often rare opportunity for scientific study. Most common identifiable causes of
death for large whales involve ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Below is a Northern Right
Whale (most endangered large whale species in the world) which was pregnant with a nearly full-term
fetus when she was struck and killed by a ship:
Each animal is thoroughly examined, including a necropsy (animal autopsy). Post-mortem examination
can reveal the cause of death, as well as provide other important information such as age, diet, gender,
sexual maturity, reproductive history and signs of past encounters with human activities. The young
Northern Right Whale calf (on right) shows the telltale signs of an encounter with a vessel's propeller:
August 21, 2012
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CITYMANAGER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM a n d MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Contiizued)
The stranded Fin Whale below was in Sandbridge. All large animal strandings are rather challenging,
both from a personnel and equipment standpoint:
While mass strandings are not very common in Virginia, it does pose the most challenging scenarios for
the marine mammal stranding network:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Dolphins are born without teeth; however, the teeth that develop by six months of age are permanent.
Because they only have one set of teeth, the nice pointy teeth of a young adult often becomes worn or
cracked as they age. Dolphin's teeth show its age by the number of rings, similar to a tree. For example,
one (1) ring equals one (1) year of life. Teeth collected from stranded dolphins are used to compare the
dolphin 's size and other info:
When possible and prior to their release, rehabilitated animals are tagged for monitoring. When funding
is available, satellite tags allow post-release tracking of animal movements and behavior. For example,
the seal below travelled from a release site in Virginia Beach to an area north of Newfoundland in two
months:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Expertise in stranding response and animal rehabilitation is invaluable when environmental tragedy
strikes. The Aquarium staff assisted with sea turtle recovery and rehabilitation efforts in the Gulf Region
as a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM an d MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERYATION
(Continued)
Below are the Aquarium's research partners:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Aerial surveys provide one major component to determine the number of sea turtles; however, this only
documents animals at or near the surface:
Below is an example of the Aerial Survey Track-lines, including the survey results. All sightings have
accurate location data put into GlSprograms for mapping and analyses:
Aerial Survey Track-lines
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Lon91utl=1
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Tagging and satellite trachzng is used to account for animals below the surface and unavailable to aerial
observers:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
The City is one of the best places to see Bottlenose Dolphins. We participated in a multi year project
with fishermen to inodify pound net gear, in hopes of reducing interactions with bottlenose dolphins and
sea turtles:
August 21, 2012
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CITYMANAGER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
The highest density of strandings is located around Cape Henry pound nets:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM a n d MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
The Aquarium fished with pound net fishermen for over three years to develop methodology for
measuring catch and testing new leader design:
August 21, 2012
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CITYMANAGER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
The experiment was successful and in 2010, the Virginia Marine Research Center began requiring the
alternative leader to be used in the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay:
BoHlanose dolphina wilh signa of pound ret inleraction in Virginia Beach 1897-2011
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August 21, 2012
-zo-
CITYMANAGER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Lastly, the Aquarium is involved in a ship survey project:
The Aquarium placed AIS and RADAR Antennas on top of the Wyndham Oceanfront Resort with a
conference room used as the observer location. The team spent five (S) days per month for one (1) year
tracking ships:
August 21, 2012
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CITYMANAGER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARILIM a n d MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
AIS data is transmitted from most commercial ships more than sixty-five (65) feet. A GPS is attached to
AIS system on ships:
Below are the survey areas:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
More than fifty (50) whales have been identified off the Coast of Virginia Beach:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM and MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Below is the future site of the New Marine Animal Care Center. The property was recently acquired from
the Navy and is adjacent to the City's dredge operations facility. The goal is to begin construction in
2015:
August 21, 2012
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CITY MANA GER'S BRIEFING
VIRGINIA AQUARIUM a n d MARINE SCIENCE
CENTER CONSERVATION
(Continued)
Mayor Sessoms expressed his appreciation to Mr. Swingle and the entiYe Aquarium Staff for their work.
August 21, 2012
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CITYMANAGER'S BRIEFING
PLANNING ITEMS PENDING
4: 50 P.M.
The Mayor called to order the CITY MANAGER'S BRIEFING re PLANNING ITEMS PENDING.
The City ManageY introduced Jack Whitney, Director - Planning. Mr. Whitney detailed the Planning
Items to be heard by the Ciry Council on September 11, 2012, and September 18, 2012.
September 11, 2012
John Johnson
Ocean Properties
BPMS Cascades
Wilson Driver Widgeon
September 18, 2012
John Lynch
Silver Hill at Thalia
Barbara L. Tynes
ARAI Americas
Rodney Price
August 21, 2012
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ADJOURNMENT
Mayor William D. Sessoms, Jr., DECLARED the City Council Meeting ADJOURNED at 5:10 P.M.
t,,,& fm
A anda Finley-Barn CMC
Deputy City Clerk, II
4RH"oddges"Araser, MMC
City Clerk
August 21, 2012