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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFEBRUARY 17, 2004 MINUTES CITY OF VIRGINIA BEAC:H "COMMUNITY FOR A LIFETIME" ITY COUNCIL MAYOR MEYERA E. OBERNDORF, At-Large VICE MA YOR LOUIS R. JONES, Bayside - District 4 HARRY E. DIEZ,EL, Kempsville - District 2 MARGARET L. EURE, Centerville - District I REBA S. McCLANAN. Rose Hall - District .l RICHARD A. MADDOX, Beach - District 6 JIM REEVE, Princess Anne - District 7 PETER W. SCHMIDT. At-Large RON A. VILLANUEVA, At-Large ROSEMARY WILSON, At-Large JAMES L. WOOD, Lynnhaven -District 5 CITY COUNCIL RETREAT CITY HALL BUILDING I 2401 COURTHOUSE DRIVE VIRGINIA BEACH. VIRGINIA 23456-8005 PHONE: (757) 427-4303 FAX (757) 426-5669 EMAIL:Ctycncl@vbgov.com JAMES K. SPORE. City Manager LESLIE L. LILLEY, City Attorney RUTH HODGES SMITH. MMC. City Clerk 17 FEBRUARY 2004 I. SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION Economic Development Conference Room Town Center 8:30 A.M. A. CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Meyera E. Obemdorf B. ROLL CALL OF CITY COUNCIL C. INTIATE AND SCHEI>ULE ADVERTISING RECONSIDERATION: Applications of F" DONALD REID at 3592 Indian River Road: (DISTRICT 7 - PRINCESS ANNE) a. Variance to S 4.4(b) of the Subdivision Ordinance that requires all newly created lots meet all the requirements of the City Zoning Ordinance (CZO) and to allow a forty- five (45) foot lot subdivision with open space and walking trails in the Transition Area b. Change ofZoninf! District Classification from AG-l and AG-2 Agricultural Districts to Conditional R20 Residential District c. Conditional Use Permit re Open Space APPROVED: February 10, 2004 II ADJOURNMENT III CITY COUNCIL MID-YEAR GOAL SETTING RETREAT MINUTES VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL Virginia Beach, Virginia 17 February 2004 Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf called to order the SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION for the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL in the Economic Development Conference Room, Town Center Tower, Tenth Floor, on Tuesday, February 17,2004, at 8:40 A.M. Council Members Present: Harry E. Diezel, Margaret 1. Eure, Vice Mayor Louis R. Jones, Reba S. McClanan, Richard A. Maddox, Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, Jim Reeve, Peter W. Schmidt, Rosemary Wilson and James 1. Wood Council Members Absent: Ron A. Villanueva [Entered: 9: 1 0 A.M.] - 2 - MA YOR 'S CALL TO SPECIAL SESSION: ITEM # 52246 The Mayor read the CALL TO SPECIAL FORMAL AND CLOSED SESSION: "THE HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL "In accordance with the Virginia Beach City Code Section 2-21, and by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Virginia Beach, J hereby call a SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL on Tuesday, February 17, 2004, at 8: 30 A.M. in the Economic Development Conference Room, Armada Hoffler Tower, Tenth Floor, Town Center, prior to the City Council Mid-Year Goal Setting Retreat. The purpose of the FORMAL SESSION: To INITIATE AND SCHEDULE ADVERTISING for the RECONSIDERATION of Ordinances approving the applications of F. DONALD REID at 3592 Indian River Road for a Variance to ,~4.4(b) of the Subdivision Ordinance, Conditional Change of Zoning and Conditional Use Permit (DISTRICT 7 - PRINCESS ANNE) (approved by City Council: February 10,2004) Sincerely, s/Meyera E. Oberndorf Mayor" February 17,2004 MEYERA E. OBERNDORF MAYOR Cit~ <=>1 Virgir1i<3. 13ea.cn MUNICIPAL CENTER BUILDING 1 2401 COURTHOUSE DRIVE VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23456-9000 (757) 427-4581 FAX (757) 426-5699 MOBERNDO@CITY.VIRGINIA-BEACH.VA.US February 12, 2004 THE HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL In accordance with the City Code, Section 2-21, the Virginia Beach City Code, and by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Virginia Beach. I hereby call a SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL on Tuesday, February 17,2004, at 8:30 A.M. in the Economic Development Conference Room, Armada Hoffler Tower, Tenth Floor, Town Center, prior to the City Council Mid- Year Goal Setting Retreat. The purpose of the FORMAL SESSION: To INITIATE AND SCHEDULE ADVERTISING for the RECONSIDERATION of Ordinances approving the applications of F. DONALD REID at 3592 Indian River Road for a Variance to .9 4.4(b) of the Subdivision Ordinance, Conditional Change of Zoning and Conditional Use Permit (DISTRICT 7 - PRINCESS ANNE) (adopted by Ci~y Council: February 10, 2004) Virginia Beach Citv Council Councilman Harry E. Diezel Councilwoman Margaret L. Eure Vice Mayor Louis R. Jones Councilwoman Reba S. McClanan Councilman Richard A. Maddox Councilman Jim Reeve Councilman Peter W. Schmidt Councilman Ron A. Villanueva Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson Councilman James L. Wood Sincerely, ~ Meyera E. Oberndorf Mayor ived Notice a.~ ~ ~ IWL Cf- Cit:,y- ~t Virgi:r1ic3. 13each MEYERAE,OBERNDORF MAYOR MUNICIPAL CENTER BUILDING 1 2401 COURTHOUSE DRIVE VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23456-9000 (757) 427-4581 FAX (757) 426-5699 MOBERNDO@VBGOVCOM February 12,2004 THE HONORABLE MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL In accordance with the Virginia Beach City Code Section 2-21, and by the authority vested in me as Mayor of the City of Virginia Beach, I hereby call a SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL on Tuesday, February 17, 2004, at 8:30 A.M. in the Economic Development Conference Room, Armada Hoffler Tower. Tenth Floor, Town Center, prior to the City Council Mid-Year Goal Setting Retreat. The purpose of the FORMAL SESSION: To INITIATE AND SCHEDULE ADVERTISING for the RECONSIDERATION of Ordinances approving the applications of F. DONALD REID at 3592 Indian River Road for a Variance to ~ 4.4(b) of the Subdivision Ordinance, Conditional Change of Zoning and Conditional Use Permit (DISTRICT 7 - PRINCESS ANNE) (adopted by City Council: February 10, 2004) Sincerely, ~ Mayor cc: Mayor and Members of City Council James K. Spore, City Manager Leslie L. Lilley, City Attorney Ruth Hodges Smith, MA1C, City Clerk Charles W Meyer. Chi(~r Operating Officer Susan Walston, Chief of Staff David Sullivan - Chief Information Officer Diane Roche, Assistant to the City Manager for Communications and Media Relations - 3 - MA YOR 'S COMMENTS ITEM # 52247 Mayor Oberndorf referenced the e-mail correspondence of Rear Admiral Fred Metz, who suggested the Joint Land Use Task Force meet soon and start identifYing the City's goal of the Joint Land Use Study and the organization. Admiral Metz recommended Captain Tom Keeley, Commanding qfJicer - NAS Oceana, be a member of the Joint Land Use Task Force. Councilman Maddox urged and expressed frustration at the lack of open dialogue with the Navy. Councilman Reeve advised, when RECONSIDERATION is SCHEDULED, he will request DEFERRAL of the F. Donald Reid applications. The City Manager noted the OfJi'ce of Economic Adjustment does not agree to undertake the Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) until determinations andfindings are made. This will be based upon the City's application. This Decision will be made by the Director of the Office of Economic A4justment. This decision has not yet been made. Council Lady McClanan expressed concern relative lack of proper notice regarding the meetings of the Joint Land Use Task Force. Councilman Schmidt requested, if the Office of Economic Adjustment, approves the City Council moving forward with the Joint Land Use Plan, the Comprehensive Plan be incorporated into this Plan. Vice Mayor Jones expressed his concern for the lack of the Navy's attendance during this Special Session. The Vice Mayorfeels there has been to little direct communication with the Navy. Council Lady Eure requested the Navy advised City Council relative the funding of the Joint Land Use Plan. February 17, 2004 - 4 - I-C RECONSIDERATION ITEM # 52248 Upon motion by Councilman Reeve, seconded by Councilman Maddox, City Council SCHEDULED Advertising a Public Hearingfor RECONSIDERATION at the City Council Session of Tuesday, March 9, 2004, at 6:00 P.M: Applications of F. DONALD REID at 3592 Indian River Road, (DISTRICT 7.- PRINCESS ANNE) (Approved: February 10,2004): a. Variance to ~ 4.4(b) of the Subdivision Ordinance that requires all newly created lots meet all the requirements of the City Zoning Ordinance (CZO) and allow a forty-five (45) foot lot subdivision with open space and walking trails in the Transition Area b. Change of Zoning District Classification from AG-l and AG-2 Agricultural Districts to Conditional R-20 Residential District c. Conditional Use Pennit re Open Space Voting: 11-0 Council Members Voting Aye: Harry E. Diezel, Margaret L. Eure, Vice Mayor Louis R. Jones, Reba S. McClanan, Richard A. Maddox, Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf, Jim Reeve, Peter W Schmidt, Ron A. Villanueva, Rosemary Wilson and James L. Wood Council Members Voting Nay: None Council Members Absent: None February 17, 2004 - 5 - Item II. ADJOURNMENT ITEM # 52249 Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf DECLARED the Special Formal City Council Session ADJOURNED at 9: 16 A.M. ~__q"__~~L~___ Beverly O. Hooks, CMC Chief Deputy City Clerk Ruth Hodges Smith, MMC City Clerk ~.i1.~ '_~~_ I-;;~;;;:r;;::::orf Mayor City of Virginia Beach Virginia (After ADJOURNMENT, the City Council RECONVENED into the CITY COUNCIL RETREAT) February 17, 2004 MINUTES VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL Virginia Beach, Virginia 17 February 2004 Lyle Sumek, Facilitator, called to order the City Council Retreat in the Conference Room of Economic Development, Town Center, on Tuesday, February 17,2004, at 9:30 A.M. Council Members Present: Harry E. Diezel, ,Margaret L. Eure, Vice Mayor Louis R. Jones, Reba S. McClanan, Richard A. Maddox, Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf. Jim Reeve, Peter W Schmidt, Ron A. Villanueva, Rosemary Wilson and James L. Wood Council Members Absent: None City Staff Present: James K. Spore, City Manager Leslie L. Lilley, City Attorney Ruth Hodges Smith, MMC, City Clerk Charles W. Meyer, Chief Operating Officer Susan Walston, Chief of Staff Steven Thompson, Chief Financial Officer David Sullivan, Chief Information Officer Diane Roche. Assistant to the City Manager - Media and Communications Lyle Sumek, Facilitator Jason Skog, Reporter - The Virginian-Pilot Citizens - 2- CITY COUNCIL RETREA T Lyle Sumek - Lyle Sumek Associates, Inc., facilitated the Leadership and Strategic Planning Workshop (Retreat). Mr. Sumek distributed the Strategic Plan developed during the City Council Retreat of August 16, 17, 2003, Governance Guide, City Manager's Resort Initiatives, Emergency Response System (ERS) Dialogue Sessions and the Leadership and Strategic Planning Agenda: 1.Leadership Workshop Review Objectives Agenda 2. Action Agenda 2004: 6 month update (Status and Actions) Review Discuss Refine (ifneeded) 3. Personal Priority: Next 6 months City Council's two or three personal priorities Expectations Issues Actions 4. Strategies on Key Issues a. Navy: Land Use, BRAC b. EMS Resolution c. Roads: Local, State d. Theatre: Direction e. Beach Behavior: Action Plan f Budget. Finances and Taxes 5. Governance Refinements Mayor - City Council Team in Action Governance Issues: Review Select Issues Discussion Actions 6. Other topics The City Manager distributed the Mid-Year Progress Report To City Council (City Council Targets and Related Significant Departmental Activities (August 2003 through January 2004) . February 17, 2004 - 3 - CITY COUNCIL RETREA T The City Council reviewed the following issues and individual priorities: Key Issues Navy: Land Use, BRAC EMS: Resolution Roads: Local, State Theater: Direction Beach Behavior: Action Plan Budget, Finances and Taxes Individual: Community Service Board: State Funding Old Beach Plan Redevelopment Strategy Economic Development: Strategic Framework, Pan Actions, Long Term - Next Focus Area L ynnhaven River: Actions Marine Science Museum: Expansion Mass Transit: Direction Capital Improvement Program (CIP): Review, Priorities Open Space: Land Acquisition School Formula: Revision Lifeguards: Status, Actions Governance Issue 1. Council Contacts for Boards/Commissions 2. Ground Rule: Review, Revision, Recommitment 3. Work Sessions: Early Input, Continued Opportunity For Input 4. New items from an individual Council Member (Council Initiatives) 5. Updates on major issues, actions 6. Staff Briefings: Key issues, City Council discussions, options (less history, directive from staff) 7. "Aide" for City Manager 8. More communications among Mayor and City Council keeping everyone informed on activities and status of issues 9. Performance Accountability and Timely Actions 10. Staff Reports: complete, unbiased 11. Posturingfor the camera (at meetings) February 17, 2004 - 4 - CITY COUNCIL RETREA T Correspondencefrom the Hampton Roads Council of Veterans Organizations, requesting the City provide full insurance coverage, with no cost to the sponsoring organization for the Annual Veterans Day parade held in Virginia Beach on Veterans Day of each year was distributed to Ci~v Council. Said letter is hereby made a part of the record. Petition opposing the Marina Complex in Rudee Inlet was also distributed to City Council. "House" Rules "Our Code of Conduct" Go through the Chair, Be Recognized before you Speak Speak to the Issue, Be concise, Speak to the Point Be on time, start meetings on time Be prepared, ask questions ahead of time Listen before you judge other's comments Avoid personal attacks Be respectful of others -- Avoid sidebars, wandering during the meeting Be attentive when someone is speaking No surprises - Keep each other informed of upcoming items Once a decision, Afove to the next issue - avoid Recycling City Council discussed: Policy Agenda 2003 - 2004 Top Priority Capital Improvement Program: Projects and Funding Review Redevelopment Action Plan Police Firing Range Norfolk Southern Right-of-Way: Acquisition and Use Comprehensive Plan: Adoption Oceana Working Relations Trauma Center High Priority "Old Beach" District Plan Resort Area Behavior Use of Consultants Review Town Center Land Acquisition Night Club District Lynnhaven River Dredging project Zoning Ordinances and Development Regulations and Processes City Dredging Policy February 17,2004 -.::t r- - 5 - CITY COUNCIL RETREA T City Council reviewed and established Boards and Commissions Contacts: BOARDS and COMMISSIONS "CONTACT" Established: 17 February 2004 AGENCY NAME/ METING DATE/PLACE CITY COUNCIL CONTACT Advertising Advisory Review Committee . . . appointed only Bi-Annually Membership: Citizens/Representative At Large / City Staff as Ex-Officio Agriculture Advisory Comm Membership: At lea.fit 5, not more than 7 Quarterly - pt Monday - 7:30 PM - AG Building Conference Room Arts and Humanities Commission Membership: 11 2nd Thursday, Monthly - 5 PM.- VMSM Classroom Margaret L. Eure Beaches and Waterways Commission Membership: 11 - [4 At Large /7 District} - Currently In Recess CITY COUNCIL LIAISON Richard Maddox Ron Villanueva Jim Reeve None Assigned Jim Reeve Rosemary Wilson Board of Building Code Appeals Harry E. Diezel None Assigned Membership: Four Divisions, each having membership separate and distinct via profession Meet as Necessary for Appeals Chesapeake Bay Alcohol Safety Action Program Membership: 18 - one from each governing body of participating jurisdiction Regional Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Board Membership: 9 City Council Chamber 4th Monday, Monthly - 1 PM -City Council Chamber Peter W. Schmidt None Assigned None Assigned Community Policing and Management Team James L. Wood None Assigned CSA - At-Risk Youth I Families Membership: Agency Heads of Social Services, MMHMMRSA, Schools, Juvenile Court, Public Health 4th Monday - Monthly - Pendleton Conference Room Community Services Board Peter W. Schmidt Membership: Not less than 6, Nor more than 18 - 113 identified consumers or family members At least one shall be a consumer receiving services 4th Thursday, Monthly - 8 AM.. Pembroke Four, Suite 505 Peter WI Schmidt February 17,2004 - 6- CITY COUNCIL RETREA T (Continued) Development Authority Membership: 11 3rd Tuesday, Monthly - 8:30 AAl- Suite 1000, 1Uh Floor, Town Center Eastern Virginia Medical School Peter W/ Schmidt Membership: 11 - two of whom shall be Licensed Medical Professionals 2nd Tuesday, Monthly - Hofheimer Hall Board Room, EVMS Francis Land House Board of Governors Reba S. McClanan Membership: 11 3rd Thursday, Odd Months - 4 PM - Francis Land House Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance Membership: Public/Private Sector in 3 Classes Quarterly - Date/Time/Place V,aries Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Membership: Based on Population 3rd Wednesday, Monthly - HRPDC Regional Building, Board Room Health Services Advisory Board Membership: 17 2nd Tuesday, Monthly - 5:45 PM - Health Department Historical Review Board Rosemary Wilson Membership: 10 3rd. Thursday, Monthly - 3 PM - Planning Conference Room - Bldg. 2 Human Rights Commission Membership: 11 zst Thursday, Monthly - 4 PM -. Human Resources - Conference Room 215 Lynnhaven River 2007 Steering Committee Peter W. Schmidt James L. Wood Minority Business Council Membership: 5, nor more than 7 3rd Thursday for Lunch, Monthly - City Hall Conference Room 234, Bldg. 1 Margaret Eure Louis R. Jones None Assigned None Assigned Meyera E. Oberndorf Donald Maxwell City Council Members None Assigned None Assigned Mayor Oberndorf Richard Maddox None Assigned Ron Villanueva North Landing Scenic River Advisory Board None Assigned Membership: Two Virginia Beach citizens NOMINATED TO THE GO VERNOR for appointment Regional Representation / Appointed by the Governor Open Space Advisory Committee Membership: 9 - one to be a member of Parks and Rec Commission 4th Monday, Monthly - 3 PM - Regostrar's Conference Room, Bldg. J 4 Parks and Recreation Commission Rosemary Wilson Membership: 12 - 7 representative of Districts /5 At Large zst Thursday, Monthly - 4 PM.. AG Conference Room - Bldg 14 -",-,,-1 Margaret Eure Jim Reeve None Assigned February 17, 2004 - 7 - CITY COUNCIL RETREA T (Continued) Pendleton Project Management Board Membership: Regional/State Representatives Quarterly - Pendleton Conference Room None Assigned Performing Arts Theatre Advisory Committee NEW Membership: 30 - but 39 appointed Peter JV. Schmidt James L. Wood Personnel Board Membership: 5 - one member to be Member of Merit Services Meets As Necessary for Appeals - City Council Chamber Harry E. Diezel None Assigned Planning Commission Membership: 11- 4 At Large / 7 District 2nd Wednesday, Monthly -12:Noon - City Council Chamber None Assigned Planning Council Rosemary Wilson None Assigned Membership: Each Governing Body names ONE NOMINEE to be elected by Directors then serving Public Library Board Membership: 7, not more than 11 Members must include one high .school senior 2nd Monday, Monthly [except Sept-June} - Central Library Mayor Oberndorf None Assigned Resort Advisory Commission Membership: 11 - not more than .19 pt Thursday, Monthly - 3 PM - Pavilion Board Room Richard Maddox Review and Allocation Committee Reba S. McClanan Membership: 11 TBA re Budget Schedule - Economic Development Suite 1000 _1(jh floor, Town Center Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia -[SEV AMP} Membership: 2 Directors of each of 8 localities 3rd Thursday, every other month - HRPDC Regional Building None Assigned Shore Drive Advisory Committee Membership: 9 plus Bayside/Lynnhaven Planning Commissioners pt Thursday, Monthly - 3:30 PM - Louis R. Jones James L. Wood Social Services Board Peter JV. Schmidt Membership: 5 2nd Wednesday, every other month - Social Services Conference Room, 3rd. Floor None Assigned Southeastern Public Service Authority - SPSA Membership: 1 Member, 1 Alternate 4th Wednesday, Monthly - 9:30 AM - SPSA Board Room, Regional Bldg None Assigned February 17, 2004 -8- CITY COUNCIL RETREA T (Continued) Tidewater Community College Board Membership: 12 Regional/VB: 3 Tuesdays, every other month - location: various campuses None Assigned Tidewater Regional Group Home Commission Membership: VB: 2 }Sf Monday - TRGH office None Assigned Towing Advisory Board Harry E. Diezel Membership: Not less than 7, not more than 11 Richard Maddox Thursdays Monthly [until March 11, 2004} - 7 PM - City Hall Conference Room 234 - Bldg 1 Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads - TTDC Richard Maddox Membership: 2 - each Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach 2nd Thursday, Monthly - 1 :30 PM - HRT Headquarters / alternately in Norfolk / Hampton Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation - VBCDC Membership: 11 [12 at present} Louis R. Jones Virginia Beach Foundation, Inc. None Assigned Membership: 1 Nominee - City Council- - The Foundation Board appoints the Nominee selected Virginia Beach/Jamestown 2007 Steering Committee Membership: 15 4th Thursday, every other month - 3 PM - Francis Land House Rosemary Wilson Volunteer Council James L. Wood Membership: 1 - - Council Appointee plus City Manager Appointee None Assigned Wetlands Board Membership: 7 3rd Monday, Monthly - 9:30 AM - City Council Chamber Peter W. Schmidt None As singed Board of Zoning Appeals - BZA Harry E. Diezel None Assigned Membership: 7 plus 3 Alternates }Sf /3rd Wednesday, Monthly - 2 PM - City Council Chamber February 17, 2004 ADJOURNMENT -9- BY CONSENSUS, the City Council Retreat ADJOURNED at 6:30 P.M. ~;~~;!ti~--- Chief Deputy City Clerk - City of Virginia Beach Virginia Meyera E. Oberndorf Mayor February 17, 2004 Mid-Year Progress Report to City Council City Council Targets and I~.'elated Significant Departmental Activities August 2003 through January 2004 '~~ ~ r~ ~ .® ~ _ ~ ~: ~ ~ -~. _ -- z <~ ~2a ~~~, ~ ~9~ ~, ~~ ~oF OUR NAZ~~N " OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER (757) 427-4242 1 FAX (757) 427-5626 TDD (757) 427-4305 February 13, 2004 The Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council Dear Mayor and City Council Members: MUNICIPAL CENTER BUILDING 1 2401 COURTHOUSE DRIVE VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23456-9001 " I am happy to submit to you this year's Mid-Year Progress Report for August 2003 +- through January 2004. We are just at the mid-year point and already the City of Virginia Beach has faced a natural disaster, Hurricane Isabel, as well as gained national attention for the successful relocation of the murder trial of sniper suspect John Allen Muhammad. ~ , This report describes progress made on the Action Targets you identified at your August 2003 Planning Workshop along with the status of related Significant Departmental Activities. The accomplishments in this report are categorized by the City Businesses and, for your convenience, a Report Matrix Summary is provided which displays all of the action dR targets and significant departmental activities/achievements by title. The Mid-Rear Progress Report to City Council describes our progress on the Action Targets you outlined for 2003/04. We continue to work toward your long range goals and Vision for Virginia Beach, a Community ,for a Lifetime. As always, the achievements and accomplishments documented here are tributes to your leadership and the dedicated work of the city's staff and volunteers. Your objective to have atop-quality city workforce committed to customer service was highlighted when Virginia Beach was recognized as one of the top 25 employers in Hampton Roads, in 2003. We appreciate City Council's support and we look forward to continued success as we work together to build a better Virginia Beach. ) With Pride in Our City, ~. ~~ J s K. pore ~~ City ger rI'abl~e of Contents ~~ ~'~°o~ress Re ort Mt~trix .. . ................................... ~ ~, b p Cite Cr~lcncil Actin Tn~gets, ~'tc~tlts Reports ,~ end ~'igni~cc~nt Depnrtment~l Activities Businesses ®f the Citt~ ~m Cultural and Recreational Opportunities ........................... 1 ~~ Economic ~Iitality ............................................ ~ '~ ............19 Family and Youth Opportunities ........... . ....... . _'~I ~ Quality Education and Lifelong Learning ......................... 22 ~ Quality Physical Environment 25 Safe Community ............................................ 43 ~ Quality Organization ........................................ 55 ,, ,. .~irl~ Progress Report Matrix Progress Report Goals and Action Targets Significant Departmental to City Council Objectives Activities ~ ` ~ ,)q, ~'~ ~~ ~ ..N ~ ~`~ ' y `+t'f ~ ah es 1311sines~ ,~ . . CU dtU,'a1 c Quality of Life in ~ Historic Policy ~ Additional Resources ~ Cardboard Boat Regatta ~~ I p (1 Virginia Beach ~ Performing Arts Center ~r Commotion in the Ocean Recreational :r Competitive (T'heatre) ~ Concerts in the Park Series ~ CreepyCrawlyRoom QQ1301`tUnitleS Edge in Tourism and Business ~'r Dolphin Days 2003 ' Attraction r EZ Reg ~ ~`r Frogs: A Chorus of Colors ~~ Historical ~ Harbor Seal Splash ~ Harvest Fair ~~~ and ~ Healthy Community Arts ~ Media and Communications Opportunities t'r Military Appreciation ~ Movie Night J;c Range of ~ Museum Memberships Choices for ~ National Arts and Humanities Month Leisure Celebration Activities ~`r Performing Arts Theatre Advisory Committee ~ Rural Heritage Center ~'r Skate Parry ~ Soccer Championships ~r State Senior Games ~ Take Your Daughter to the Golf Course E e o n o rn i e ~'~ Competitive ' ~ Redevelopment Action Plan ~ 2003 Planners' Choice Award ~ ' Resort Street r 31 ~ V italtty Destination for ~ NAS Oceans Relations and ~. Black Caucus meeting in Virginia Businesses and issues Beach ~ Coastal Virginia Meeting Planner T~rr~ ~# "Old Beach" Plan Guide fir Convention Center Briefing to ?;r Town Center ~} Town Center Land Acquisition Governor Warner Development ~`s CVB Community Relations ~ Resort Area Behavior ~ CVB Local FAM -'r Growing Local ~r CVB Pinnacle Awards Economy ~ Entertainment (Night Club) ~ Disaster Food Stamps Program District ~ Economic Development Plan Implementation ~4 Town Center: Phase II Y~ Hispanic Meeting Professionals ~5r Local Tourism Economic ~ Convention Center Performance ~ Media and Communications ~ 31g Street Parking Garage ~ Municipal Parking Lot ~ Norfolk Cruise Guide ~`r Passport Agent ~Y Rock `n Roll Half Marathon ~ Sports Marketing 1 Progress Report Goals and Action Targets Significant Departmental to City Council Objectives Activities e~ ~ ~ ~ ~ B ~;ss ;~",, ''tn~ r~#`~.s •t 1 ~r~ + ~ ~ SS + q USWf ; .>:r, ~ Sports Marketing Grant Program C #) n o IIl i C '~'r Tourism Technology Team V x to hty ~ Town Center Campaign ~ Virginia Tourism Corporation ` ~ VMSM Foundation Annual Fund L'EI) CO.'S TI_ti ~ wwtiv.vbpressroom.com Famil of Community for y ~ Adoption Incentive Funding Award y Atl Generations ~ Connect with Conduct land ~'r Expansion of Services l 0 u th =:r Family-®riented ~`r Expansion of Suspension Intervention seach and ~O~ ~• OjJ~t?1'tUnltlf'S ®ceanfront t'r Human Services Plan ~ Intermediate Care Facility >~ Child Abuse and ~ Juvenile Accountability Incentive Family Violence ~ Kidsfest and Youth Opportunity Day -I~ Prevention ~ Mayor's Summit on Child Abuse Prevention ~ Men of Strength Theater ~ PALS Expansion ~, ~ Public Relations/Issues Management ~r Pungo Ridge Golf Association ~ XPO ;> it Youth Leaders in Action (YLA) ~ ~ ~~Uallt~ ,;r ~Vorldorce ~`r Bayside Area Library Replacement t P ~ Ed ination Development rojec ~ Chesapeake Bay Champions ~ d `~ Quality Schools ~ Computer Classes at Great Neck Area an Library ..I. I~ 1fP~ong °~ Sustainable ~`r Computers with Assistive Technology ~.#'arnlnb Communi ty ~`r Library Bookmobile ~ Motherad/FathereadCertification i ~ Oceanfront Area Library Construction i . ~ Princess Anne Area Library Opens t`s Ready to Learn , ~ ~`r Scholastic's The Magic School Bus ~ ~ t`r Summer Reading Program: Wolfm' ~ , Down Books ~i Teens Used Book Sale ~ ~ VersusLaw ~ ~: ~~ ~. ,~~~. L 11 ~. Progress Report to City Council .:J .~L'1•~1 Goals and • ~~,~ Obi ~: i. Action Targets t. f^'} ~ Significant Departmental Activities ,~+ 't< V 4 :y fQ .~~ry~'V~ ~i4 ~k11Fi~.., ~$ ~ Ql l~ (~ ~, sr Improved ~ Norfolk Souther Right-of--Way ~'r Adam Thoroughgood House ition i A P h''~ l C ~ ~ Transportation t S (ROW) Acquisition cqu s ~ Adam Thoroughgood House Masonry S ys em ~ Comprehensive Plan Adoption Repointing ~T1Vlll'Olllll~tlt {,k Upgraded sr AEDsinstalled Waterways and ~ Dredging Policy ~ A ~ ~~ ~ r~an w Water Quality ~ g e Infrastru e Se ~`r Lynnhaven River Dredging ~°s Agriculture Reserve Program ~ Revitalized Project ~'r Asset Inventory Program Neighborhoods ~ Backflow Prevention and Cross and Commercial ~'r Zoning Ordinance and Connection Control Areas Development Regulations ~ Capacity Assurance, Management, Review Operation and Maintenance Program ~ Improved City ~ Cape Henry Trail Reconstruction Infrastructure ~ Lynnhaven 2007 ~ Ceiling Lift System ~ Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area ~ S.E. Expressway and Greenbelt ~ City Council and Development Project Reference Atlas ~r Sandbridge Road ~ City Management of VDOT Urban Program Projects ~ Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Study ~r Clean Community ~`s Commercial Parking at Resort Area ~"r Cost Participation Agreements ~ Customer Information and Billing Systems (CIS) Implementation ~`i Design and Construction Documents Center ~'r Early Public Notification ~`r Elevation Data Collection ~ Emergency Water Distribution ~ Farm Stands in Rural Area ~ Fats, Oils, and Grease Abatement Program ~ FERC Relicensing of Lake Gaston ,~ First Impressions ~ Habitat Enhancement ~`r HRPDC Regional Initiative ~ Hazard Mitigation Program ~`r Hotel Compliance ~r Hurricane Isabel ~`c Hydraulic Sanitary Sewer Model ~s Infill Properties ~r Intemet/intranet Prototype Browser Applicatior- ~'r Joint Land Use Study ~r Large Meter Testing Program ~ Lynnhaven River 2007 ~ Mapping and Infrastructure Data Conversion ~ Media and Communications ~ Norfolk Avenue Trail ;~ Princess Anne Road Phase VII ~`s Private Fire Hydrant Inventory ~ Project File Index Conversion iii Progress Report to City Council t ~, ~ .ti ~Bu.~l~n~ss'ev.,}~of~stt-~a Goals and Objectives j Action Targets -~ ~" ,~~~{, t s` Significant Departmental Activities ~~3 x ,,r~-° x '~~ e. ~ Regional Analysis of Fair Housing u a 1 i ty Q ~ Removal of Billbards PhVS1Cal ~r Resort Neighborhoods ~ Sanitary Sewer Cleaning Program Environment ~ Shrink/Swell Soils~Nawney ~ Signs at Town Center COI ~ TL~Z.~}in ~'r Small Neighborhood Improvement Projects i~r Sportsplex Field Dedication t`r Stumpy Lake Repairs ~ US Route 460 Study ~ Use of Laptops in the Field ~'i Virginia Beach Community Development Corporation (VBCDC) ~`r Virginia Beach Historical Register ~c Virginia Beach Shallow Ground- Water Study ~ Water and Sanitary Sewer Approval Permits ~ Zoning Compliance and Inspections Safe `' Better ~ Police Fire Range: Site and s~ 9-1-1 Voice Logging System Healthcare Construction ~ ABC Inspection Task Force ~V o m X11 u ni th' Systemm and ~ After Hours Lifeguard Program Services ~r Virgirria Beach General Trauma ~ Business Improvement Districts Center: Restoration to Level II ~r Completed Design Specifications for New 9-1-1 Emergency ~ Cade Compliance Communications Building ~ Crime Analyst Training Program ~ Health Care System ~ Criminal Offenses Assessment ~ Daily Bulletin ~r Emergency Response System Evaluation ~`r Evaluation of Therapeutic Communities in Virginia Beach Correctional Centers ~ Fatal Accidents Prevention ~ Hesith calendar it HIV Education ~r HoteUMotel Crime Prevention Training and Awareness ~ Hurricane Isabel ~ Identify Theft and Fraud Awareness it John Allen Muhammad Trial Security ~ 3uvenile Detention Center ~'r Media and Communications ~ Mid-Atlantic DUI Conference ~r Missing Person Awareness Training ~ Motorcycle Theft Investigation u iv Progress Report Goals and Action Targets Significant Departmental to City Council Objectives Activities ,Y. Fd> R ~5~ ~y~'t#;',y ~~,~ + j(f~ ~J/+1,~~t~ y4~~+.~FN~~ ''Nij f.~}±p`~yi~S~~, ~~~ Iy'rtie.'1~~~, 4'~`.. -`~~~ ~ ,~ ~` ' ~ ~ ~'+ ~'S'~ . , ~ _„ ` $usiaesses:'Uf't~e~Citg ' Operation Cooler ~f °~ a f e ~.: Photo Red Light Enforcement ~. O i21 ill U it i tV ~ Port Security task Force ~ Precinct Zone Book Prograni t'r Recruitment Strategy CO'.`TL~ L F,n ~ Reduction of Nuisance Calls for Service ~ Regional Warrant/Fugitive Investigator ~ School Resource Officers ~'r Smallpox Vaccinations for Emergency Providers ~'i Spay and Neuter Program ~ Survival Spanish for Law Enforcement ~ Third Precinct ~r Traffic Safety Checkpoints ~'r Transportation Security Administration ~ V-Stop Grant ~ U a l t ~, ~ Improved ~ Capital Improvement Program: Projects and Funding Review ~ Accounting and Financial Reporting ~ Accounts Payable Cost-Avoided Organization Customer Service Service Process Improvement , IDelivery and ~ Use of Consultants Review ~ Audit Services ~ Capital Improvement Program Mini City Services ~"r Customer Service Caucus ~'r Citizen's Academy ~`r Budget Process Revision ~ City Page Redesign ~ City Page Wins Award ~ Tax Relief ~ City Sticker Campaign Takes National, Local Awards ~ Real Estate Assessment Process t'r City Voice Mail System Review ~ Civic Engagement ~ Community Budget Meeting ~ Community Legislative Package -~ CPRMS Upgrade ~`r Debt Management ~ E': Efficiency, Effectiveness and Excellence ~`r Electronic Lookup ~ Electronic Pollbook ~ Enhanced VBTV City Programnung ~ Facilities Management Office ~ Financial Management System Progress Report Goals and to City Council Objectives Swine§s ~ °` s.~~=~~~~~ ~ ~~~ Action Targets ~~~f^ ?.L k ! C. Significant Departmental Activities ~q ~ Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award U a ~ 1 h' Q ~ HRC: Building Bridges of Q Phil Ii 1ZcR rla Il Understanding Program ~ In Lean Economic Times ~ John Allen Muhammad TriaUMedia CY).`~~TI_~Z EI) Operations ~'i Just in Time Inventory ~ Leadership Speaker's Series ~ Marketing Training ~ Media and Communications ~'r Member Advisory Committee (MAC) ~ Merit Adjustment ~ New Flexible Shift Schedule ~ New Technology Improves City's Document Storage ~ Parks and Landscape Services ~`r Payroll ~r Pictometry Deployment ~ Police Accountant Position ~`r Purchasing ~ Regional Assistance ~ Relocation of EMS Training Center ~ Risk Management ~ Special Event Coordination ~ Sponsorship for Volunteer Council ~'e Vbgov Receives International Recognition ~'r Vignette ~ VMSM Staff Capture Two Pinnacle Awards ~ Voter Registration ~ Workforce Planning and Development ~ I'outh Volunteer Recognition V1 Action Targets Status Reports and Significant Departmental Activities Cultural and Recreational Opportunities Ci~~ Council Targets L.~' Historic Policy • Action Outline • Determine governance and operating structure for historic sites Status: • Stumpf & Associates, Inc. of Richmond has been contracted to develop governance models and assess the viability of each for implementation with the Adam Thoroughgood and Francis Land (louses. Their report is scheduled to be completed in April 2004 and will provide research and recommendations to be used by staff in the development of a Policy Report on this issue. The governance and operating structure for historic sites is scheduled for July 2004. ~~ Perforrraing Arts Center {Theatre) • Action Outline • Liaisons present action plan • City Council direction including location • City Council appoints Steering Committee • Develop and evaluate RFP for PPEA concepts Status: • In August 2002, Council approved a resolution authorizing staffto proceed with State approval for use of a construction manager on the Theatre project. • In November 2002, Theatre Projects Consultants and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill presented an overview of the Needs Assessment Study, Site Selection Study and funding mechanisms. Council was able to review alternative size theatres at four different budget levels. At that time, staff reviewed strategies to bridge the gap between the appropriated City funding of $35 million and the anticipated $50 million budget, through private fundraising, a facility fee and the potential for an amusement tax appropriation. • City Council adopted a resolution in February 2003 to establish the Performing Arts Theatre Advisory Committee charged with assisting Council and staffin developing the theatre at Town Center. • Theatre Projects Consultants and Skidmore, Owings and 1Vlerrill presented a project update to City Council in 1Viarch 2003. Council charged staffto explore a possible partnership with Virginia Beach Public Schools. City/Schools staff formed a committee to develop a partnership agreement on the use, design and fianding of the Theatre and the potential performing arts academy. • In June 2003, City Council received a brief on the findings of the City/Schools staff committee on the possible School partnership. Council reconfirmed its commitment to build the theatre at Town Center and asked the project's Council liaisons and representatives from the School Board to further discuss the potential City/School partnership with the Theatre. • A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) was advertised on October 7, 2003. Eleven firms responded and seven were determined qualified. The proposals were received on February 10, 2004. o ~ 2 ~'igni~cacnt ~epartn~entnl Activities Cultural ar~d Recreational ~~~ortunities ~i' Additional Resources - In 2003, the Department of Parks and Recreation secured a total of $213,705 in additional resources. These funds allowed the Department of Parks and Recreation to provide programs and services to citizens above and beyond those borne by the taxpayers. A total of $183,863 in cash was secured from media sponsorships, and $29,842 was secured from in-kind donations. Seatack Recreation Center and the PLAY Team received an additional $10,915 in grant funds from various foundations. `%~~ Cardboard Boat Regatta -The Seatack Recreation Center has taken responsibility for creating a healthy community in the Oceanfront and Seatack area. The Healthy Community Initiative includes building relationships with three elementary schools, two middle schools, four housing projects, four churches and the Judeo Christian Outreach Center. The goal is to provide hot meals to children throughout the year, give children tutoring and homework help to make their time at school successful, and to provide families with recreational opportunities that they normally would not have. This healthy community endeavor has brought together community leaders, church deacons, school personnel, the Police Department, private businesses and community foundations. A program of this magnitude requires support in many areas such as development funding, personnel, business and industry. Three businesses participated: Atlantic Dominion, HBA Architects, and Servitex, Inc. These companies used the event as a team building experience within their organizations and friendly competition between companies. Additionally, each participating business contributed $1,000 for the event, well above and beyond the required $100 entry fee. The Seatack Recreation Center has been very fortunate to have monetary support from the Virginia Beach Foundation. The Foundation has provided in excess of $23,000 for multiple endeavors. In looking at that support and trying to diversify revenue streams, it was decided to develop a new collaborative fundraiser between Parks and Recreation, the Virginia Beach Foundation, and private/public entities. The proceeds raised would be used for the Seatack Recreation Center Healthy Community Initiative. The Cardboard Boat Regatta was developed to inform service clubs, businesses, communities and schools about areas of need that exist within Virginia Beach and how they can help provide and serve these needs. In its first year, the event successfully covered its cost of operation and laid the foundation for an event that should grow and flourish in the future. a, The Regatta was brought together by a steering committee that consisted of the City staff; Virginia Beach Foundation Executive Director; Taylor's Do it Centers President and CEO; Ocean Breeze V~later Park Sales Manager; two Landmark Communication Directors of Sales; 3 ~~. City-Wide Aquatics Coordinator and the Ailarketing LTrut of Parks and Recreation. Twenty- one teams participated with 300 people attending the event. This effort reinforced the City's commitment to partner with other organizations to develop healthy, strong communities and provide much needed educational services after school. These services will benefit young people who would otherwise not have the special attention needed to become successful socially, academically and physically. ~.~ ~~C Commotion in the Ocean -The Virginia Marine Science Museum was rockin' on October 25 with Commotion in the ®cean. This annual fundraiser, hosted by the Aquarium Connection, the young professional auxiliary group to the Virginia Marine Science Museum Foundation, featured live performances by 'TenSpot and Mike Proffitt. With over 500 people in attendance, the event raised $20,000 that went towards the purchase of a van for the museum's summer camps and educational programs. f~~~ Concerts in the Park Series -The Department ofMuseums and Cultural Arts partnered with the Parks and Recreation Department to present three free "Concerts in the Park" events at Redwing Parkin 2003. These inter-generational family events attracted all ages from infants to great-grandparents. a;" Creepy Crawly Room -Greenhouse of Rorrors: From October 24 -December 7, 2004, museum visitors were introduced to over 100 live plants and 19 different species of animals that can alI be considered a little creepy. This annual exhibit allows the museum to expand its focus on marine plants and animals and take a closer look at some unusual and often creepy specimens. From tawny frogmouths to fish-eating anemones, this exhibit amazed and enthralled guests. Almost 70% of museum visitors made their way to our south building for this one-of-a-kind experience. Dolphin Days 2003 - This is the third year for this successful annual event that highlights our local population of bottlenose dolphins. During this two-day event, held the first weekend in October, attendance reached almost 4,000 - that's an increase of 66% over last year's event. Through a special activities and programs, such as DSI° Dolphin Stranding Investigations and Dolphin Disneyland trail carts, visitors were educated about our local dolphin population and made aware of the museum's role in their conservation. ~~ EZ Reg - In September 2003, registration for School Based Activity Centers was made available on E~ Reg, Parks and Recreation's on-line registration system. A potential 7,645 families can now register their children on-line. Frogs: A Chorus of Colors -Did you know that a frog's skeleton allows it to out jump an Olympic athlete? Or that frogs have been on earth for more than 360 million years? These are just some of the facts visitors to the Virginia Marine Science Museum learned this summer. 4 ~~ This spectacular changing exhibit investigated the basic and bizarre facts about the life of frogs. The exhibit opened May 24, 2003 and closed January 4, 2004. Sponsors for this exhibit include GEICO Direct, Peace Frogs and Cox Media. ended in September after a successful first year. Starting inmid-July, this two-hour encounter program irntroduced participants to the museum's five harbor seals. It is the time in the water with the animals that makes it truly unique program. Learning the natural history and conservation needs of these animals gives participants a greater understanding of our local maxine environment. The program was well received and already has inquiries for the coming year. The program for 2004 will be offered daily during spring break (Apri13 - 18), and then on weekends through Memorial Day. Programs run daily in the summer. ~~ Harbor Seal Splash -Come on in, the water's fine! This new VMSM interactive program ~~f Harvest Fair -The Harvest Fair was held at the Farmers Market on October 18, 2003. The fair was a huge success with an estimated 8,500 participants. The goal ofthe fair is to educate youth and adults about agriculture and our rural heritage in a fun and entertaining way as well alto promote the Farmers Market. In conjunction with the Harvest Fair, the Virginia Dare Soil and Water Canservation District sponsored "Farm Days" for 800 first graders from Chesapeake and Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Planning is currently underway for this year's event, which is scheduled for October 16, 2004. .tF' Healthy Community "134 1Vliles of Fun" Trails leap -The Department of Parks and Recreation teamed up with the Department of Public Health to produce a comprehensive trails map of the City of Virginia Beach. This partnership is part of the Health Department's initiative "Healthy Community for a Lifetime," in which healthy behaviors, such as walking and biking as ways to overall better health are promoted. The City has a number of trails, as well as state and federal parks, but had no comprehensive guide promoting the sites. The "134 Miles of Fun" trails map highlights all existing trails in the City and any associated recreational destination points along them, as well as informational material an safety and the health benefits of bicycling and walking. ~~ ~1~. lO~Yedaa and Communieations/Issues Management Support - The Media and Communications Group (MCG) provided public relations strategies, plans, counsel, media relations services, and related publicity services on a variety of major projects and emerging Cultural and Recreational Opportunities issues, including the following: • Skate Park Fee Increase • Performing Arts Theatre • Princess Anne Ball Fields • Thoroughgood House Transfer 5 ~~ Military Appreciati®n - In order to recognize the sacrifices made by our men and women in uniform during the crisis in Iraq, the Department of Parks and Recreation offered a Military Discount to all active and retired military. Parks and Recreation had never implemented a discount of this type before in our history of managing golf courses. The discount began on the July 4"' weekend and continued through November 11, 2003. The discount applied at all times, regular play, weekend play and holiday play. The beginning and ending dates were selected for their relationship to freedom and the very ideals that the military is striving to preserve. A market research of current rates was conducted of area golf courses, including the military, prior to this decision being made. Announcements were made in military newspapers and public service announcements were distributed to all media outlets announcing this new rate for municipal golf courses. 1,235 additional rounds of golf are directly related to the Military Discount. Recreation, in conjunction with ABC Cable Networks Group (The Disney Channel}, presented a sneak preview of "7he Cheetah Girls," a New Disney Channel Griginal Movie, Friday, July 25, at Red Wing Park. This was a unique opportunity for the City because the Disney Channel does not typically offer premieres of original movies prior to them airing on Disney. Virginia Beach was the only location in the country selected to premier the movie prior to its August 15 debut on the Disney Channel. if Movie leTight: Disney Channel ®riginal Movie Premier -The Department of Parks and ~iw Museum Memberships -The Virginia Marine Science Museum continues to be a favorite with local residents throughout Hampton Roads and beyond. In a new revenue share program with Cox Media, museum family memberships increased significantly. The program began in April and ran through September 2003. People who brought in their Cox cable bill received a 15% discount on a VMSM Family Membership. The program sold 329 memberships and generated over $22,000 in gross revenues. ~~., ~~t, National Arts and Humanities Month Celebration - On Dctober 19, 2003, citizens of Virginia Beach had the opportunity to celebrate the lively arts! The Department ofMuseums and Cultural Arts (DMCA} and the Arts and Humanities Commission (AHC) produced Kids Arts Palooza, a free, family iFun arts celebration, recognizing ®ctober as National Arts and Humanities Month. The Pavilion Theatre was transformed into a children's creative playground. ®ver 1500 children and adults had the opportunity to make their own puppets, opera mask, have their face-painted, or even try their hand at playing a trombone or another symphonic instrument! The event centered on the involvement of the Virginia Beach Ballet who donated two free performances of "The iJgly Duckling." Another main component of the festival was the involvement of local arts and humanities groups. The Commission wanted to showcase these organizations by highlighting their wealth of cultural programming. 6 ~~" Performing Arts Theatre Advisory Committee - On September 9, 2003, City Council appointed the Performing Arts Theatre Advisory Committee to assist with the development of an exciting, quality theatre, exceeding community and educational expectations. The purpose of the Committee is to serve as a mechanism of engaging and involving local civic, business, cultural and performing arts organizations in the planning of the new theatre. Since its appointment, the Committee has met twice and divided into four sub-committees: Design Review, Facility Usage, Finance, and Public Awareness. ~~ laural Heritage Center -The Department of Agriculture continues to work on identifying a site in or near the Transition Area. l C Skate Party -Seatack Community Recreation Center hosted 200 people at the "Back to School Skate Party" in Atlantis Community Apartments. The program was a joint venture with Seatack Neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP), the Virginia Beach Foundation, the Police Department, Atlantis Apartments, and State Delegate Terry Suite. The focus was on marketing community commitment in support of Virginia's Standards of Learning. ~~~> %~'~ Soccer Championships -The Virginia Beach Sportsplex hosted the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Soccer Championships in December 2003, with 950 participants attending this four-day event. Teams reaching the Final Four represented Georgia, Nebraska, New Iiampshire, California, Ohio, New York, and Florida. State Senior Games - In November 2003, the Parks and Recreation Department was selected as the host site for the State Senior Games that will be held in May 2004. Over 800 seniors from across the state will attempt to qualify to participate in the 2005 National Senior Games. r ~ ~ Take Your Daughter to the Golf Course - "Take your Daughter to the Golf Course Week" allowed 33 girls to play a free round of golf and 21 girls to participate in a free clinic held at the Bow Creek, Kempsville Greens and Red Wing Lake Golf Courses. w ,,~. ~i. I , Economic Vitality +City ~'oir~acil Tctrb its ~~ Redevelopment Action flan • Action Outline • Define and develop Redevelopment Strategy ® Define the role of a Redevelopment and housing Authority • Investigate legal and state options and tools • Provide public education Status: • l~ilr. Tom Flynn moderated a redevelopment roundtable discussion on November 21, 2003. At this session, City executives, department directors and other staffdiscussed a wide range of strategic issues relating to the topic of redevelopment. This event is part of a larger effort to increase the understanding of redevelopment strategies. More work is underway. ®ne of the many tasks assigned to the Economic Vitality Strategic Issue Team is to assess appropriate redevelopment tools, foster public education and create a framework for future redevelopment action. ®pportunities to achieve our long range planning goals, as provided through a carefully managed and publicly accepted redevelopment process, are cited in the newly adopted Comprehensive Plan. These goals include the ability to achieve continued economic growth, while protecting our existing stable neighborhoods, open spaces and rural areas. • Revised Economic Development Incentive Program (EDIl'). Standards and regulations were developed and referred to the Development Authority far review and recommendation to City Council. ~ NAS Oceana Relations and Issues • Action Outline • Continue to address jet noise issues ° Request reinitiation of community meetings with the Navy • Prepare for next BRAC regional process • Meet with new Admiral to determine continuation of Virginia Beach Alliance process ° Update Accident Potential (AP) Zones and Air Installation Capable Use (AICU) Zones 8 'i.. a:,-~ Status: ~ The City Council and Staff continue to meet with Hampton Roads military officials on issues of mutual concern. Meetings have been held with the Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Command and the Commanding Officer, Naval Air Station Oceana, to discuss the dissemination of the revised OPNAV Instruction 11010.368 on the Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) Program, the Base Closure and Realignment Commission (WRAC} process, the need to update the Accident Potential Zones {APZ) and Air Installation Capable Use Zones (AICUZ) maps, and the possibility of conducting a Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) involving the Navy and the cities of Chesapeake and Norfolk with the assistance from the Office of Econonuc Adjustment (OEA). ~ During this period, the Virginia Beach/Military Alliance has met twice to continue open dialogue and the commitment to maintain an amiable co-existence between the Navy and the City. The topics of discussion were focused on the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), the OPNAV Instruction, the 1999 AICUZ map adopted by City Council, and F/A-18 E/F jet noise concerns. • The Acting Secretary of the Navy released the Record of Decision (ROD) on the placement ofthe east coast F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet aircraft on September 10, 2003, approving Alternate Six. This decision places eight fleet squadrons and the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) at Naval Air Station Oceana and two fleet squadrons at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, with a new Outlying Landing Field (OLF) in Washington County. This is the most favorable outcome that the City could have envisioned next to having all of the Super Hornet aircraft based at NAS Oceana. This selected alternative has an AICUZ map with considerable smaller impacts in comparison to the current City map adopted by City Council in 1999 and referred to as the 2000 Base Map and changes to the APZs. ~ The City Council adopted a resolution to create a Task Force on Land Use within the AICUZ. The mission of the AICUZ Task Farce over the next several months will be to develop an understanding with the Navy in regards to the impact of the new OPNAV Instruction 11010.36B on the AICUZ Program involving Naval Air Station Oceana. This will also provide a venue to develop the JLUS with the Department of Defense, OEA. City staff has briefed the AICUZ Task Force on the City's understanding of the FEIS process for the Super Hornets, the AICUZ map for the City of Virginia Beach, and the OPNAV Instnaction 11010.36B on the AICUZ Program. The Task Force also met with Mr. Alan Zusman, author of the OPNAV Instruction and with our Congressional Delegation. The City Council, AICUZ Task Force, and staff met with representatives from the OEA to discuss and request that a JLUS be pursued. Subsequently, City Council adopted the resolution requesting that the OEA engage in a JLUS with Virginia Beach. The Cities of Chesapeake and Norfolk were also invited to participate in the study. • The City is a proactive participant in the HRPDC regional effort to prepare for the BRAC process. 9 ,, • The Secretary of Defense published the proposed selection criteria for the BRAC process. This proposed selection criteria will be used by the Department of Defense to make closure and realignment recommendations that will be reviewed by the 2005 BRAC. • Interim Guidelines for band Use Case Igeviews have been developed and adopted February 10, 2004 by City Council. ~` "Old Beach" Plan • Action Outline • Create Task Force • Distribute ItFP • Design improvements • Adopt Plan • Land acquisition Status: • The City Council established the Gld Beach District Master Plan Advisory Commission on November 4, 2003 for the purpose of engaging public input and to bring forward recommendations to City Council on the adoption of the "Old Beach" District Plan. This was accomplished on January 27, 2004. The city will obtain professional services to provide further guidance in the areas of urban design, aesthetics, corridor and transportation improvements and recommendations regarding right of way acquisition and development of linear parks. ~~' Town Center Land Aequ~sition • Action Outline Identify potential land acquisition parcels Evaluate land for purchase and use a Develop policies and create funding strategies ® Evaluate B3A zoning with property owners Investigate Business Improvement District Status: • In December 2003, staffpresented City Council a variety of strategies to assist in the further development of the Town Center area of the City. Currently, staff in the Departments of Economic Development and Management Services is in the process of creating a list of potential funding strategies for this area. In addition, staff in the Planning Department is evaluating the B3A zoning, in an effort to expand this zoning beyond the current borders of Town Center, to ensure the Town Center project fits the correct zoning. Staff has met with property owners to ascertain interest in expanding the Town Center. 10 ~` Resor# Area Behavior • Aetion Outline • Develop Resort Area Behavior Plan with short, medium and long term objectives • Implement actions a. Immediate Actions (2004) b. Medium Term Actions c. Long Term Actions Status: • The City continues to implement the initiatives and projects identified in the 1994 Oceanfront Resort Area Action Plan and the 2000 Beach Street Improvement Plan. Based on City Council's direction, staff has summarized the steps and expenses necessary to move these projects forward, and to "mark the end of the day" in the Resort Area. A status report was presented to City council on February 10, 2004. ~" Entertainment {1`~ight Club) llistrict • Aetion Outline • Require Conditional Use Permits for new ABC licenses • Define concept • Consultant to develop plan and identify sites City Council adoption Status: • The Entertainment District was defined under the Resort Area Projects listing summary. The proposed district is also under discussion in the Old Beach Master Plan and the expectation is that the successful components of an entertainment district at two or more sites are identified. The process should also identify how the City is to encourage or require relocation of existing business and how to prevent relocation of similar nightclubs into the sites left empty with relocation to the District. ~~ 'Town Center: Phase II • Action Outline • Phase II Completion a. Blocks 8, 12 b. Block 3 c. Block 10 • Complete Phase II infrastructure including Plaza Status: • Phase II is wail underway, and blocks 3, 8, 10 and 12 are under development. Issues under discussion include parking projections, integration of area business development into the urban concepts guiding Town Center, and development of the next phase. R= ~. '~ Convention Center • Action ®utline • Direction on building enhancements • Complete construction of Phase lA • Complete construction of Phase 1B Status: • City Council update on budget and Guaranteed Maximum PrLce (GMP) August 12, 2003. • City Council approved additional funding/direction on building enhancements on August 26, 2003. • In ®ctober 2003, the GMP with Turner construction was finalized. As of December 2003 the project construction remains on schedule. • City Council briefed on project February 10, 2004. ~~ 31`` Street harking garage • Action ®utlane • Commence COnStrlictl®n StatUS: • Design of the garage and surrounding streetscapes has been completed to the 55% (Design Development) stage. ~1Vork continues, and the bids for the construction contract for these improvements is scheduled for Apri118, 2004. In accordance with the agreement between the City and the developer of the hotel, the garage is scheduled to be open for Motel patron use in February, 2005. Demolition of the parking garage block is underway. e .. 12 ~' ~.. Sig~~ i~cc~nt he~~x~~~ent~,~ Activit~~s Economic Vitality ~~' 2003 Planners' Choice Award- The Canvention and Visitors Bureau was a 2003 recipient of the 1VleetinglVews 14'~ Annual Planners' Choice Awards. These awards are given in recognition of hotels, resorts, conference centers, convention centers and convention bureaus that strive to deliver the highest levels of quality service, accommodations and meeting facilities. More than b0,000 meeting, convention and incentive travel planners who read MeetingNews were asked to select properties and destinations based on quality of facilities and services provided. Virginia Beach was voted as one of the best! The Convention and Visitors Bureau, along with other 2003 Planners' Choice Award winners, were featured in the December 8 issue ofMeetingNews. 31~t Street Pro,~ect -The Media and Communications Crroup consulted with the developer on the creation of the " 31 ®cean" brand for the greater project area and worked with city staffand the developer's agents on the brand's initial expression in various materials. MCG is also in the process of expanding the project's "Hot Topic" Web site on VBgov.com. c~' Black Caucus IO'Ieet-ng In Virginia Beach - In December 2003 the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Sheraton Hotel hosted the Black Caucus "Social Hour With a Purpose". Attended by over 200 people, the purpose of the event was to bring together a diverse group of citizens for networking and dialoguing on important issues. This event, held quarterly throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, was a great opportunity to introduce the attendees to our new convention center. The model of the new convention center was displayed at the event and staff discussed the project with attendees and encouraged them to bring their meetings, conventions, conferences, etc. to the Beach. •~~° Coastal Virginia I~Ieeting Planner Guide - CVB partnered with Norfolk, Hampton, and Inside Business to create the first guide to regional meeting facilities. The piece was distributed to subscribers oflnside Business to create local awazeness of our meeting facilities and will also be used by Hampton, Norfolk, and the CVB to create the same awareness to out-of-market meeting planners. Along with meeting space and accommodations specifications, the comprehensive manual, Coastal Virginia: YouY farst choice, also presents multicultural sites of interest and a regional calendar of events. %, Convention Center Brief ng to Governor Warner -During Governor Mark Warner's visit to Virginia Beach in December 2003, the city had the opportunity to show him the model of the new convention center and brief him on the project and the funding needs for the new 13 facility. At that time the Governor outlined the challenges for state fianding for the next few years and encouraged the city to work with its local delegation to express the need to keep financial support for the convention facility high on its agenda. fi .-~4 f~ CVB C®mmunity Relations - Continue to develop a Community Relations Campaign, which will unprove the residents' understanding and appreciation of the tourism industry and improve communication within the industry. CVB made presentations throughout the year, primarily on two major areas of interest and concern: Value of Tourism Industry and the Convention Center Capital Project. Groups included: • Lions Clubs • PTAs • Kiwanis Clubs • Central Business District • Rotary Clubs • Chamber of Commerce • Civic Leagues/Condo associations • Garden Clubs • VB Restaurant Assn. • Neighborhood Institute • VB HoteUMotel Assn. • Resort Retailers • Council of Civic erg. • Citizens Advisory Committee • NAACP • Multi-Cultural Alliance • Professional Associations • State Legislative Committee • Senior Bxpo ~' CVB Local FAlVI and gang It To The Beach- CVB held its first convention sales local FAM where a targeted group of local business and meeting planners were invited to spend time with the CVB sales team. The goal was to educate these local stakeholders about the new product development and generate excitement and interest so that these individuals would become our sales partners. CVB targeted local organizations to provide sales presentations to educate local stakeholders on the new product development and to get our local community excited about the Bring It To The Beach campaign. f " CVB Pinnacle Awards - In 3anuary 2004, the Public Relations Society of America, Hampton Roads Chapter presented the Convention and Visitors Bureau and BCF&M Advertising Agency with two Pinnacle Awards for 2003. The Pinnacle Awards program recognizes the best public relations practices and tactics in the Hampton Roads Region. The first award was for the Vrganaa Beach ®ndane ~essroom .The Pressroom was produced to streamline media communications and provide media with up-to-date information. The other award was for the media relations campaign, Add Bands of Fun Anytime an Trrgania Beach. This plan was designed to increase awareness of shoulder season travel options and to garner regional and national media attention of Virginia Beach as a year-round travel destination. 14 <. `~~ Disaster Food Stamps Program - In the aftermath of Hurricane Isabel the Department of Social Services applied for and received authorization to conduct aone-time, seven-day special Disaster Food Stamps Program to assist citizens who had experienced losses in the storm. The Program was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and approved by the Virginia Department of Social Services. The response was overwhelming; the local agency completed and processed Disaster Food Stamps for more than 10,100 families in seven days. The program brought $4.2 million into the local economy. `'.~ Economic Development Plan Implementation - 2'argetDesired Businesses a~ad Develop Leads: • The Department of Economic Development located 12 new companies since August 2003, 12 expansions/retentions, 464 new jobs, and 715 retained jobs. • Developed a database to track prospects and land and building availability, and implemented a plan for the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance to maintain the program at no cost. • Continued to implement a comprehensive Marketing Plan and Action Plan and prioritized marketing dollars, The Perfect Match and You. • Routinely met with the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance and the State to discuss market coordination and lead generation • Advertised in trade journals in targeted industries • Attended various trade shows in the Target Market Industry Develop the IT~orkforce to Meet the Needs of Targeted Businesses: • Continued to implement the Workforce Development Plan of Action • Continued to utilize the training space in the new Advanced Technology Center. S" Hispanic Idleeting Professionals - The CVE's Convention Sales Team has organized a local chapter for the International Association of Hispanic Meeting Professionals (IAFM'). This local chapter will be the first of it's kind in the country. CVB was recognized with a plaque in honor of the support and commitment of IAI-IMP during a recent national meeting. `~~' Local ~'ourism Economic Performance - Despite an unusually rainy summer the Virginia beach tourist industry experienced record revenue creation during the summer 2003 tourist season. Tax date indicate that the lodging industry did extremely well during the season. Anecdotal data, as well as tax numbers, suggest that the 2003 summer tourist season was also a sales success for the City's restaurants and merchants. ®ver the period from 1996 to 2003, summer gross hotel revenue has risen by 50 percent. Discounting for inflation over the same period, the Virginia Beach hotel industry has grown by more than a Hurd over the past seven years. 15 ~fC Media and Communications RelationslIssues Management Support -The Media and Communications Group (MCG~ provided public relations strategies, plans, counsel, media relations services, and related publicity services on a variety of major projects and emerging Economic Development issues, including the following: • Convention Center • Rock-n-Roll Ilaif Marathon • Northampton Corridor StudyBurton Station • Old Beach District Plan • Resort Area Behavior Issues • Agriculture Reserve Program Annual Report ~.~ Municipal Parking Lot Activity for 2003 - In 2003, a total of 413,061 vehicles parked in the municipal parking lots. During the 2003 summer season 134,935 of the 340,784 vehicles utilizing the municipal parking lots and parking deck took advantage of the after 5:00 p.m. discount rate. Funding for the parking operations comes predominately through the parking rates, which in FY 02/03 generated $1.84 million. With the conversion of the Croatan Parking Lot to a free parking facility, free parking on Wednesdays, and a temporary loss of the 31st Street Parking Lot to development, there will be a revenue shortfall of approximately 27% in the Parking Enterprise Fund. f~' l~orfolk Cruise Guide -The CVB was one of ten planning and financial partners in the development of a Cruise Guide that jointly promotes the region and major cruise ship railings from Norfolk in 2004. The Cruise Guide will be distributed to more than 1.3 million households via newspapers in 16 markets. '. ~" Passport Agent - To date, more than 700 passports have been processed with a revenue to the City of $30 processing fee and $15 photo fee for each. A Sony Digital Passport camera allows full service processing and "one stop" applications. hock `n Roll half Marathon aShining Example - On September 5, 2003 the Convention and Visitors Bureau was awarded the Southeast Tourism Society's Shining Example Award, for the 2002 Rock `n Roll Half Marathon. The award was presented in the category of Festival or Event of the Year -Attendance fewer than 100,000. The Shining Example Awards recognize outstanding contributions to the advancement of tourism in the Southeastern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, & West Virginia. The Rock `n Roll Ralf Marathon was recognized for its evidence of community involvement, growth in attendance, and an excellent promotion and marketing effort. 16 ,~~~ ~~ Sp®rts I~Iarketing -Sports Marketing Unit continues to excel at their ability to target the sporting groups that make the most economic sense for our destination, as well as, receive a definite commitment from these groups to book Virginia Beach. In calendar year 2003, the Sports 1Vlarketing Team hosted 24 events generating a total of 83, 826 room nights, compared to 22 events and 72,843 room nights in 2002. This represents a 13% increase in over the prior year. Sports li~Iarketing Grant Program -The program was designed to provide a systematic approach to analyzing requests for funding for sports events by outside event planners, to improve the return on the city's investment of its sports marketing dollars, and to improve fiscal accountability of the program. In 2003 the Sports Grant Program reviewed 25 applications for event support in the total amount of $329,800. The review committee, made up of citizen volunteers, approved funding for 21 of these events totaling $148,800 in direct support. In making their allocations the committee looked at projected hotel room nights, total direct spending and estimated return on investment as the key factors. 'Z Tourism Techn®I®gy 'T'eam - A public/private technology team has been formed to move the technology portion of the CVB's strategic plan forward. The technology team is comprised of representatives from the hotel, restaurant and attractions industries, the departments of ComIT and CVI3. To take advantage of the growing link between both information seeking about travel destinations, and the purchase of travel products via the Internet, the team will select a third party firm toprovide an e-commerce solution for making on-line hotel reservations through vbfian. com. The scope of work will include the sales of tour packages such as golf, whale watching, sports fishing, and eco-tourism activities. The goals are to provide convenience for our consumers and to provide additional opportunities for the local industry to sell their product through the electronic medium and to increase the conversion rate of inquiries, resulting in visitation. ~'° Town Center Campaign -The Media and Communications Group developed a variety of media and direct communications activities to continue building public interest in the project. Much ofthe promotional activity centered around tenant announcements, the Grand Opening of Phase I of the project, the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn and the groundbreaking celebration for Phase II. The MCG also continued leading the implementation of recommendations from the Town Center Concept ~Nork Group, which included renaming some of the streets in the core area, directional signage on I-264, and initial plans for programming in public spaces. The Town Center's "Hot Topic" iVeb site on VBgov.com was also revised and expanded. ±~' Virginia 'T'ourism Corporation Virginia Beach Familiarization Trip - CVB hosted 16 marketing staff members from the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC) in October. VTC attendees participated in an informational and educational familiarization tour of our City's 17 properties, attractions, and restaurants. CVB staffbrought everyone up-to-date on our new tourism marketing programs and strategies, as well as showcasing our new convention center and "Bring It To The Beach" campaign. Members of the tour included the VTC's President & CE® and V'I'C's new Director of Marketing. The visit was afollow-up to a presentation of the CVB strategic plan made to the VTC staff last the spring. ~~ VIVISTVI Foundation Annual Fund -The Board ofDirectors for the ~lirginia Marine Science Museum Foundation has closed the books on the 2003 Annual Fund Campaign. The foundation raised $101,000, an increase of more than 10% from 2002. 1f www vbpressroom.com -The ®nline Pressroom was designed to streamline C~TB's communication with the media. It provides the travel presswith up-to-date information in an efficient manner. It is now easy to access and view ~Tirginia Beach tourism related press releases and images 24 hours a day. The online pressroom enables reporters to select complimentary images based on their editorial needs. The site, which was developed in April, was enhanced in December 2003. These new enhancements allow us to offer the online option to request very specific travel information and the opportunity for members of the media to request a site visit to ~7irgiaua Beach. 18 Si~ni~cnnt De~c~rtmentc~~' activities Family and 3~ou~l~ (Jpportunities .~f Adoption Incentive Funding Award -The state has awarded Virginia Beach Special Adoption Incentive Funding from the federal government. The bonus funding is for exemplary performance in significantly increasing the number of children adopted from the foster care system. The bonus funding received was $15,SSb. The program finalized 28 adoptions during the year. s" Connect with Conduct - Seatack Community Recreation Center's "Connect with Conduct" program for youth who are experiencing social and academic difficulties, began its first session in November 2003. A total of 24 youth participated at the inaugural session. The program is designed to help youth enhance their educationaUinspirational skills, develop social obedience skills, and improve self-esteem. The program will operate every other Saturday until June 2004. ~E' Fgpansion of Services -The Department of Mental health/ Mental Retardation/ Substance Abuse has received additional state general funds so that rehabilitation services can be provided to the special education graduates of the Class of 2004. _n ~~' Ezpansion of Suspension Interventi®n Progragn - Prevention/Early Intervention ave expanded services in the "Suspension Intervention Program" to serve approximately 12 additional students biweekly. ~_~~,, ~~, human Setwices Plan -The human Services Plan is a document that assesses t e uman services needs of the City and recommends strategies to improve services to citizens within a time frame of several years. It sets forth service delivery values and principles, a Human Services Mission, and data on community needs, and prioritizes actions to meet those needs in cost effective ways. `l' Intermediate Care Facility -The Department of Mh/NIR/SA obtained a favorable endorsement by the Eastern Virginia Health Systems Agency (EVFISA) of a Certificate of Public Need for the conversion of a mental retardation group home to an Intermediate Care Facility. This is an important step in increasing the capacity to care for individuals who are medically fragile and decrease the waiting list for such care. 19 `~+f Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant -Child and Youth Services worked with the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court to obtain additional monies through the Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grant (JAIBG). The funds were used to hire two additional therapists for the Multi-Systemic Therapy program, which provides in-home services to juveniles and their families. ~~ Kidsfest and Youth ®pportunity Day -Staff from the Departments of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation and Parks and Recreation. decided to combine two related but previously separate activities for youth into one new, better and more cost-and time-effective event called Youthfest. Significant staff time and funds was saved by only having to organize, promote and carry oui one instead of two activities. 2,500 people attended the combined event, which took much less time and money to produce. Corporate sponsors included the Urban League of Hampton Roads, Verizon, Seatack Neighborhood Assistance Program (SNAP), the Virginia Beach Foundation, Gold's Gym, and Virginia Beach Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union. `„~" 1Vlayor's Summit on ~Chilcl Abuse Prevention- In an effort to increase child abuse prevention programs rather than intervention programs, the Department of Social Services, Norfolk State University and the Media and Communications Group collaborated to organize the Mayor's Summit on Child Abuse Prevention, held on February 7. The summit is a result of the Mayor's desire to have community leaders who have the important mission of protecting our children meet to discuss what can be done to eradicate child abuse. The summit focused on three objectives: identifying the cost of child abuse to the community, presenting effective child abuse prevention programs and enhancing inter-agency communication. ~;~~ 1l~Ien of Strength 'T'heater (1VI®ST) -The MOST program, PLAY Team's Mobile Arts Center theater/drama component, was implemented at Princess Anne High School. The class is designed to assist young men in learning how to make appropriate decisions and focuses on how to express themselves without using violence while at home, school, or in the community. Drama is being used as a vehicle of expression in the hope that these young men will become change agents for their peers. f PAI.,S Expansion -The Play and Leisure Skill Center (PALS) offered all day summer services for children who are mentally retarded. Previously, the service could only be offered part of the day due to lirruted resources. =i' Public 12elationsflssues NTanagement Support -The Media and Communications Group (MCG) provided public relations strategies, plans, counsel, media relations services, and related publicity services on a variety of major projects and emerging Family and Youth issues, including the following: f~ l~lr 20 • Human Services Plan • Energy Assistance Program • Mayor's Summit on Child Abuse Prevention • State Funding Cuts for Mental Heath Services • Prenatal Care for Indigent Vdomen • YouthFest • Youth Intervention Team `f~` Pungo Ridge Golf Association - On December 3, 2003, the Pungo Ridge Golf Association raised $4,400 with its annual golf tournament. The money was donated to the museum far use in its underserved account. This accouni funds museum visits for those in need. In fiscal year 2003, almost 1,100 people were served. ~`" "XP®" (Exploring Placement ®ptions) -The "First Place" Program was created in 2002 to screen foster care children up to 12 years of age for the most appropriate and cost-effective placement -for example, regular foster care, therapeutic foster care, or residential treatment. In 2003, the "XPO" (Exploring Placement Options) Program was launched to explore the most appropriate and cost-effective placement options for the teen population in foster care. The goal is to help teens achieve independence and avoid residential treatment centers. ?. ~ Youth Leaders In Action (YLA) -Youth Leaders in Action (YLA), a 19-member youth group, hosted their third annual Youth Doin' Awesome Things (YDAT). YDAT is an all night lock-in designed for middle school students with a focus on drugs and alcohol prevention related issues. Over 100 middle school youth attended YDAT. Repeating their 2002 performance and recognition, YLA received the 2003 VV4lhheeler Award and the 2003 Youth Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Project (YADAPP) Mini Grant from the Department of Criminal Justice Services totaling $750 for the implementation of the third YDAT. The evening was filled with rotational educational sessions, recreational activities, and a mock trial that discussed the choices and consequences of using drugs. YLA is currently working on the fourth YDAT. YLA have also successfully developed and implemented a workshop, "Youth Making a Difference" to train youth to become leaders and adults on how to partner with youth. YLA have fulfilled numerous requests to train youth and adult groups throughout the region and nationally, including the 2003 Hampton Roads Youth Leadership Conference; James City County Youth Council; 2003 National Network for Youth DC Symposium; 2003 YADAPP and the 2003 Chesapeake Council on Youth Services & Norfolk Interagency Council on Services to Youth (CLOYS F~ NICOSTY) Conference "20/20 ~Iision: Focusing on the Future." 21 5~~; ni lent ~epnrtmentc~l Activities Quality Education and Lifelong Learning f~ Bayside Area Library Replacement Project -The Bayside Area Library t/IP project is proceeding on schedule. The new Third Police Precinct is nearing completion and work is expected to begin on the Library thereafter. The Bayside Library and Special Services for the Visually and Physically Handicapped have merged and staff has been cross-trained for efficiency. We are exploring directions for the future of the Special Services division while we exercise creativity to plan for Bayside programs without space. r®3" Chesapeake Bay Chaffipions -This fall, the Virginia IO~Iarine Science Museum received a $77,000 grant from NOAA's B-Wet program to provide "meaningful Chesapeake Bay education" to 4`~ graders at high needs schools throughout Hampton Roads. This is the second grant for the Chesapeake Bay Champions program; the first year the program was funded at $74,000. ~' Computer Classes at Great 1\ieck Area Library -The Great Neck Area Library staff is conducting computer classes for library customers. The first is a one-on-one training made by appointment on Friday mornings and the other is a class held in the new computer lab on Wednesday evenings. These free trainings serve to teach computer skills to those who want to learn and who might not otherwise have such an opportunity. .-'~~ ~~3 Computers with Assistive Technology -Four Public Libraries (Bayside, Kempsvi e, Princess Anne and Central} have computers for the visually and physically handicapped. These computers have special software to enable a patron with physical or visual handicaps to surf the Internet, use word processing and scan in books, magazine, mail, etc., and read it back to there. These computers are equipped with JAWS softwaze which reads the screen, OPENBOOK which allows a person to scan in books, magazines, etc. and either save it to disk or have it read to them, and MAJIK that will enlarge the screen up to 16 times its original size. Due to the nature of the software, graphics will not display on the computer screen. Special keyboazds aze available with Braille and enlarged chazacters. fi' Library Bookmobile -The Bookmobile is in a transition period in its redesign of programs and services for young children who maybe at risk of not starting school ready to learn and for youth residing in special emphasis neighborhoods. Partnerships aze currently underway with selected Title 1 elementary schools, Early Discoveries, and Head Start for the remainder of the school year. A complement of community stops for children and youth is planned for the summer to promote the Library Summer Reading Program. ,, ~ 22 ~C 1VlothereadlFatheread Certifications - In October 2003 staff attended the MothereadlFatheread®Family Literacy Program Institute in Charlottesville, Virginia. In January 2004, staff received their Motheread Instructor Certifications and will be able to conduct story sharing sessions with children, and adult literacy sessions with parents and childcare professionals. Motheread/Fatheread®servicesnre designed to strengthen the bond between parents and their children, increase adult literacy skills, promote school readiness, and help parents become reading role models for their children. ~,~f Oceanfront Area Library Construction -Construction continues on the new Oceanfront Area Library, located at 700 Virginia Beach Boulevard, with an expected opening in the fall of 2004. The new library will have many special features, including adrive-up window, express checkout of materials, a children's story room, a computer lab, two group study rooms and a community meeting room. '3' Princess Anne Area Library Opens -The Princess Anne Library staffpromoted the opening of the new Library by visiting KidsQuest sites to get children excited about books as well as door to door with fliers in hand to talk with community members to let them know the Princess Anne Area Library would open October 5, 2003. Opening day set the tone for the new community place with a street fair including the monster fire truck, games with the Princess Anne Recreation Center, the mounted patrol, and a puppet show by the Teen Council at Princess Anne and P.A.L.S. (Princess Anne Library Students of Service}. Over 2,000 people attended opening day. Since then, customers have continued to make Princess Anne their community gathering place for social events, getting books and materials, attending a wide variety of children's book groups and adult book discussions, and using the meeting rooms for groups ranging from Civic Leagues to Caul Scout troops. °, ~' iaeady to Learn -The City's Ready to Learn Coordinator began work on November 1, 2003 . Although the position is included in the Library's budget the responsibilities for ensuring that "every child comes to school ready to learn" are citywide. The Ready to Learn Coordinator is currently collaborating with several City departments for ongoing projects and is forming partnerships with Early Discoveries and Virginia Beach City Public Schools for the Virginia Beach Ready to Learn Initiatives. ~, f~~ Scholastic's T'he Ii~agic School Bus Dicks Z7p A Storm: January 17 -April 18, 2004. Tlus is the newest changing exhibit to open at the Virginia Marine Science Museum. Based on the best-selling Magic School Bus books and ever-popular television series on The Learning Channel, children and their parents can join Ms. Frizzle and her class as they learn about weather. A special members opening was held on January 17 from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. and hosted over 800 visitors. Community partners for this exhibit include: WTKR, Your Hampton Roads News Channel 3; Cox Media; and D. D. Jones. 23 ,~.C SuYnmer heading Program: i~olfin' Down Books -The Summer Reading Program "Wolfin' Down Books @ Your Library" took off at a fast pace in the eight libraries and bookmobile. By the end of the reading program, 8,000 children were registered. In order to receive a certificate of completion, each child had to read 15 books or read for at least 15 minutes every day. Library staff joined with the Parks and Recreation Department to work with their KidzQuest Program. They visited recreation centers and schools once a week, taking the Summer Reading Program to children who might not otherwise have had an opportunity to participate. Staff read stories to the children, worked on crafts, and encouraged them to continue reading at home. This year's Summer Reading Program theme is "Step to the Beat -Read!" and begins in June 2004. `i' T'eens dJsed Book Sale - 101 teens from the Public Libraries held it's first ever Used Book Sale on January 17-18 at the Central Library. They say," It takes a village to raise a child,°' and it takes a lot of ambitious volunteers to conduct a book sale. With great collaboration between the teens and library staff, not only did we raise over $3,000 to be used for future teen programming and projects, each teen group challenged themselves to work as a team. This challenge brought ownership and new friendships to the event with pride and interest to work together in future library projects. t` VersusLaw: New Addition of Library's Electronic Resources -VersusLaw for Libraries is a new electronic database that allows the Public Libraries to provide customers with comprehensive full-text access to case law. VersusLaw includes court decisions from federal appellate courts and appellate courts for all 50 states, state statutes and administrative codes. This service is designed to be used by non-attorney professionals in accounting, law enforcement, insurance, and small business, as well as lawyers in small firms and solo practice. It is also useful for students, pro se litigants and others doing preliminary research before meeting with an attorney. VersusLaw is available via workstations in the vVahab Public Law Library and all other Public Libraries. 24 Quality Physical Environment City C`occncil Targets L.t~ .Norfolk Southern Right-of-~Vay (I~O'~V) Acyu~sition • Action ®utline • Adopt 1~1.®.IJ. with I-Iampton Roads Transit • Negotiate acquisition agreement • Identify funding source • Develop plan for Right-of--Way 1Vlaintenance • Analyze alternative use of property ~~ Status: • Staff is negotiating along with I~ampton Roads Transit (HRT) to acquire 10. ~ miles of right-of--way from Newtown Road to Birdneck Road. Preliminary talks have begun. ~~ Comprehensive Plan Acloptio^ • Action outline • FIold public meetings • Adopt Comprehensive Plan Status: • Following two years of in-depth study and considerable public input, the City Council adopted the Comprehensive Plan on December 2, 2003. This new plan comprises two, 300+ page volumes oftext and accompanying maps that address planning policy concerns and technical analyses, as required by state law. It is designed to advance the City's strategic goals of providing reasonable growth opportunities while protecting ea~isting stable neighborhoods and rural areas. It also includes planning guidance relating to housing, aesthetics, natural resources and other key topics. The plan may be purchased at the Department of Planning, is available for review at all Public Libraries and is also posted on the City's web page. 25 i. ~~ ~~ Dredging .Policy ~ • Action Outline °" ~ Evaluate and update previous Policy Reports an private channel dredging • Inventory starmwater lakes and B1~1P maintenance needs ~(~ Brief City council • Program decision • Inventory comprehensive dredging property Status: • Previous dredging policy documents have been reviewed and a backgraund briefing ~ ® on dredging will be prepared and will include the current dredging program and other ~~., issues that need to be addressed. The briefing is scheduled for March 2004. A policy report will be prepared and will focus on policies related to ancillary or neighborhood ~' channel systems. I (~ ._1b ~~ Lynnhaven River Dredging Project • Action Outline ~ Based on Dredging Policy, determine need to identify and secure spoil sites ~~~ for private dredging Status: ~ ~ • This project is being managed in conjunction with the Dredging Policy. It is expected ~' that both policies will address the dredged material disposal needs for ancillary dredging projects. .~. ,, ~,~~ ~~ honing ©rdinance and Development Regulations Review • Action Outline • Create Task p'orce ,,` ~ Evaluate and refine ordinances, regulations, and processes Status: I • This review will assess the unique needs of certain areas within the city and adjust the .~~.L provisions of the zoning ordinance and development regulations, as appropriate, on a case-by-case basis. This process will include effective public input with recommended amendments prepared by July ?005. ,.~, .f~l j 26 ~,~ Lti nnhaven 2407 • Action ®utline • Approve agreement • Provide funding • Coordinate City projects with Lynnhaven 2007 • Explore options to enhance stormwater quality • Complete joint Corps of Engineers Recoruzance Study ® Complete Pembroke BMP stormwater demonstration project Status: • Anon-binding letter of intent has been sent to the Army Corps of Engineers to enter into the study phase of the project. Progress is being made in partnering with the State to proportion the local share (SO%) of this study. The study is programmed for completion in 2008. Final arrangements for commencement will be complete by 144ay 2004. ~~S S.F. Exp~-e5sway and Greenbelt • Action ®utline • Continue to preserve the Right-of--Way ® 1Vegotiate agreement with Chesapeake • Include in 20261ong range Regional Transportation Plan • complete Environmental Impact Statement Status: • The Virginia Department of Transportation has reinitiated its work on the development of a Draft Environmental Impact Statemenrt (DEIS) for the Southeastern Parkway and Greenbelt. The approved work schedule calls for the DEIS to be completed by early Fall 2004. To date, VDOT has completed a reevaluation of the previous DEIS and reintroduced the project to appropriate state and federal resource agencies. As in the previous effort, the resource agencies have expressed concerns regarding the need for the project and its impact on the environment. Two subcommittees have been formed to address these concerns. Background data and information including traffic forecasts and wetland impacts have been developed to support the subcommittee's efforts. In addition to the DEIS, a toll feasibility study to assist in the development of financing alternatives for the project will also be included. The toll feasibility study is expected to be completed by the early fall deadline adopted for the DEIS. • City Council has continued to acquire S.E.P. parcels threatened for development to preserve the necessary right-of--way. 27 i, ..~ ~~S Sand~rid~e Road i~ • Action ®utline • Initiate safety improvements • Initiate construction of "Jones Spur" Status: • A contract for design of the proposed safety improvements along Sandbridge Road ~ a has been awarded. Proposed improvements were presented in a Public Meeting in ~, ~~ November 2003. 55% completed design plans are anticipated in March 2004. Project includes improvements at the Atwoodtown Road/Lotus Drive/Sandbridge Road `I ' intersection and the Sandbridge Road/Flanagans Lane intersection, curve realignment . I . at McClanans Curve, and roadway widening and an additional turn lane in the area of [ the businesses located aiong Sandbridge Road west of Sandpiper Road. ,J i . ~~~ Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Study ~~ ~ • Action Dutline • Complete joint study with Hampton Roads Transit • Coordinate study with previous resort area traffic analysis I. Status: • The City, in partnership with Hampton Roads Transit, is conducting a study of Bus ~ Rapid Transit (BRT) and its applicability to the Virginia Beach resort. The study is " I" nearing completion. The final draft concluded that BRT could be an excellent i • transportation resource for the new Virginia Beach convention center and its ~~ environs. We hope to quickly move to the next phase of the study (prelimuaary engineering) so that implementation can coincide with the opening of the new L. Convention Center planned far January of 2003. This transit initiative will also be *~ ~; integrated with the upcoming study of urban design and transportation planning elements relating to the Old Beach plan. 4Y ~I ,.. ~. ~, C~ 28 ..,1~ ~1. . . ~'lgni~cnnt ~~e~c~~tn~cntnl Act~»~ties I,~ Quality Physical Environment ~~f Adam Thoroughgood House Acquisition - Staffcompleted the process for the acquisition of the Adam Thoroughgood House and its collection from the City of Norfolk and the Chrysler Museum of Art. The final agreement provided for the City to receive the Thoroughgood House, a National Historic Landmark, all associated buildings and structures ~ and 4.29 acres of land from Norfolk. The City also received the collection of furnishings, l objects and artifacts in the house from the Chrysler Museum. To complete the agreement, the City will make a X250,000 donation to the Chrysler Museum in five equal annual installments beginning in December 2004. City Council voted for approval on September 2, 2003. The ~ ~ legal documents were executed and dated September 19, 2003. A public ceremony was held on ®ctober 1, 2003 to formally convey the property and collection to ~Iirginia Beach. I _ ~L.~ ,.~ `~ Adam Thoroughgood House Masonry Repointing - Tidewater Preservation, Inc. of ~ " Fredericksburg performed emergency masonry repointing on the Adam Thoroughgood I Iouse ~-R in November 2003. Repointing was done on the east and south sides to fill areas that were experiencing significant mortar loss and moisture infiltration. This project also included the ~' repair of cracks and broken bricks in the south wall and the repair of the chimney near the -~ ~ cap. Additional repointing on the west wall and both sets of ste s is scheduled for A ril 2004. P p The masonry repointing was the most critical immediate maintenance needed for the building. ,~, ~'k ~+~ Aged 1Vleter Replacement Program -The aged meter replacement program Ito replace older residential meters) is in place and results in increased revenues. On average, 5,200 meters are replaced each year under this program. During the first half of the fiscal year 2,860 meters were replaced. .,~..~~ '~~ Aging Sanitary Sewer Infrastructure - As part of the Department of Public Utilities's Aging Infrastructure Program, City-wide rehabilitation and replacement is occurring with the sanitary sewer collection system, sanitary sewer pumping stations, water mains, water booster stations, and water storage tanks based upon a prioritized need and available funding. During the reporting period, approximately 63,000 feet of sanitary sewer pipe was cleaned, replaced, repaired or rehabilitated. Construction projects either completed or underway during the period include the following: C~ 29 Contract Name Status Cost Aragona Blvd - 700 Block Complete $ 200,316 Bow Creek /Plaza Clubhouse PS 518 Complete $ 364,587 Plaza Silina PS 511 Complete $ 32,966 Princess Anne Plaza, Section 4, Phase 1 Complete $ 1,399,751 Rudee Heights PS 123 Complete $ 177,300 Annual Services Cleaning 8~ CCTV Inspection Contract Underway $ 600,000 Annual Services Construction Contract 2 Underway ®pen ended Bellamy Manor - ®rkney PS 440 Underway $ 257,095 Bow Creek Neighborhood Park Underway $ 339,510 Chesopeian Colony Sewer Rehab Underway $ 814,154 Dunbarton PS 441 Underway $ 440,000 Indian Lakes North PS 444 Underway $ 305,450 Laskin Rd Sewer Replacement Underway $ 93,532 Level Careen West PS 428 Rehab Underway $ 287,355 Level Green West Sewer Rehab Underway $ 1,473,618 Princess Anne Plaza -Section 2, Phase 1 nderway $ 1,938,190 Princess Anne Plaza -Section 2, Phase 2 Underway $ 2,574,103 Princess Anne Plaza -Section 4, Phase 2 Underway $ 1,088,954 Sanitary Sewer Generator Quick Connect - Phase 1 Underway $ 266,868 Sanitary Sewer Generator Quick Connect - Phase 2 Underway $ 141,500 Timberlake-Foxwood PS 529 Underway $ 589,000 WB&E Work ®rders under Annual Construction Contract Underway $ 599,225 30 ~~~ Agriculture Reserve Program -To date, 142 applications have been received, with the city purchasing the development rights for 6,775 acres which translates into 602 development .~I..~ amts. ~~f Asset Inventory Program - An automated water and sanitary sewer asset inventory program was developed to integrate existing water and sanitary sewer facilities asset inventory with the automated mapping, facilities management, and geographic information system. The program .~ was developed to eliminate duplication of work while compiling the necessary information needed as an integral part of financial accounting and reporting. ~~ Backil Pr n odv eve taon and Cross Connection Control The Department of Public Utilrties continues to focus on bacl~low prevention and cross connection control of the public potable water system to comply with requirements ofthe International Plumbing Code (IPC) 2000 and i~ Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) of October 2003. :I., _• ~ Capacity Assurance,lVlanagement, ®peration and 1VIaintenance (CM®M) Program - ~ ~ The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is clarifying and expanding permit requirements „~ ~ under the Clean Mater Act for municipal sanitary sewer collection systems to reduce sanitary sewer overflows. The revisions to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System ~ ~ (NPDES) permit include development of a C1dIOM program, notification of public and health authorities, and prohibition of sanitary sewer overflows. ~ ~ In developing the CI~O~1 program, Public Utilities completed the initial condition assessment ~ ~ of the gravity sanitary sewer system and inventoried stream crossings. Ongoing design work includes a prioritization of pump stations for rehabilitation, and evaluation and development ~ of a program for handling Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) in the sanitary sewer collection ~. system. Ongoing construction work includes installation of sanitary sewer electrical quick connects for emergency generator hookup (Pump Station "Quick Connection" Program) and Annual Sanitary Sewer Cleaning and Television Inspection Contract. f ~ Cape henry 'T'rail Reconstruction Project -The Cape Henry Trail Reconstruction Project ~.:~~ , built within a City utility right-of--way corridor in the Cape Story By The Sea subdivision from North Great Neck Road east to Kendall Street, was completed in July 2003. The new ten- "° foot wide asphalt shared-use trail includes stamped asphalt pedestrian street crossings and vehicular warning signs. The trail project was the third component in a series of planned trail projects to establish a trail linkage between the Bayside Community Recreation Center, Bayville Farms District Park, First Landing State Park, and the Resort Area. F 31 o~f Ceiling Laft System - Skillquest (day program for MR clients) completed the installation of a ceiling lift system. The system, known as Noram Solutions, enables staffto transition clients to and from wheelchairs while minimizing the risk of injuries for both clients and staff. T ~~~ Chesapeake Bay Preserdation Area Site Plans - In an effort to streamline our processes, the Development Services Center (DSC) has developed a new site plan review process, ~' review and preparation checklists and a set of standard notes for single family sites in the Resource Protection Area (RPA) of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area (CBPA). This effort included staff members from the DSC, Current Planning, Zoning, Civil Inspections, w Permits & Inspections and Management & Support Services. This information is available at www.vb~ov.com/dept/plannin~ldsc/review~rocess.asp. The new CBPA review process and checklist provides concise guidance, information and plan requirements for review staff, consultants, builders and homeowners. The process provides a multiple agency review with a final approval, thereby saving our customers considerable time when obtaining building permits. As a result of the recent amendments to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation ®rdinance, the process was modified to address the new administrative variance and site plan requirements. This plan review process is being used as a model for developing similar processes, guidelines and checklists for all single family and duplex site plans reviewed by the DSC. ~ ~.~~~ City Coeancil and Development Project Reference Atlas -The Planning Department has successfully maintained the records for land use change applications submitted to Planning Commission and City Council for approximately fifty (50) years. The key to this filing system ~ is a series of paper and mylar overlay mapbooks or atlases that outline the properties involved ' ~ ~" in the application and City Council action. A majority of this success is based on the system's I, simplicity. Many methods of inventorying these files were suggested over the years. These systems were never implemented because the identifiers of the properties or applications, for example, street address and geographical parcel identification number, have a tendency to change over time. In order to maintain a reliable filing system, the file identifiers must remain j I. constant. The present system of using the outline and location of the property on a map does not change with future subdivisions, development or ownership. The City's computerized maps recently replaced the future use of these manual mapbooks. Beginning January 1, 2004, ,~„~ development plans and Planning Commission agenda items are being entered as shape files on the Planning file server for use with the City's computerized GIS maps. This information will eventually be available for City staffand citizens to use when researching zoning, land use and development project history. In addition, a new efficient development plan tracking database system will also be available for project status reports and post development plan review history. + 32 ~µl `~ City 1VIanagement of VDO~' Urban Program Projects -Given the concerns ofthe citizens ~ of Virginia Beach and City Council regarding the need for timely completion of roadway . ~ improvement projects programmed and administered by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Public Works has been successful in its approach to assume project responsibilities for five key urban highway projects. The five key projects are Princess Anne Road/Kempsville Road Intersection Improvements CIP 2-072, Witchduck Road Phase I CIP 2-931, Witchduck Road Phase II CIP 2-025, Elbow Road Extended Phase II CIP 2-152, and Indian River Road Phase VII CII' 2-256. A Program Administration Agreement to assume project management responsibilities for these projects has been executed. ArchitecturaUEngineering Consultants have been selected for all five projects to provide ~ ~ design services. Contract negotiations for project scopes and fees have been completed and " agreements are in the process of execution. It is anticipated that Notices to Proceed with design activities will be issued late February 2004. It is the goal ofPublic Works Engineering to expedite design, right-of--way, and construction processes as much as possible to complete ' these projects in a more timely fashion and at a lower cost than anticipated by VDOT. ~ ~ • ~~f Clean Community -Clean Community Commission held its annual "Environmental Service Recognition Breakfast" in October 2003. Approximately 1 ~0 people attended the ceremony at Galilee Episcopal Church's Tucker Hall. Between July and December 2003, Adopt-a-Program volunteers contributed 6,473 hours ~, ~ while collecting over 20,730 pounds oflitterfrom beaches, highways, school grounds, streets, . and other areas in the City. These 4,323 dedicated volunteers are enhancing Virginia Beach's ~ ~ ~ aesthetics. I~ Clean Community Commission's "Helping Hands"project, which provides one-time assistance to physically challenged individuals and senior citizens in need of help in maintaining their ,` j_* yards, sponsored seven projects between July and December 2003. These projects were conducted on Saturday mornings with 77 volunteers from the following groups: Navy and I ° Marine intelligence Training Center, Young Marines, Virginia Wesleyan College's Circle K . I_, Club, and First Baptist Church ofNorfolk. Volunteers removed approximately 6,375 pounds of debris and transformed these yards from virtually unkempt areas into finely manicured ~ lawns. ~ ~~ Commercial Parking at itesort Area -Planning Department staff implemented the provisions of the Resort Area's Commercial Parking Lot Regulations, as adopted by City Council. t4 ~l ~ Cost Participation Agreements -One cost participation agreement was entered into .:~~ resulting in cost savings of approximately $21,000, 33 ,i., ~i 1! ~i .~ ~~ Customer Information and Billing System (CIS) Implementation -The CIS Project Team is nearing the final stages of Phase I implementation of the new Customer Information and 1:~ Billing System (CIS), with cut-over scheduled for late April. The new system will combine three legacy billing systems (Public Utilities water and sanitary sewer and connection fees, and Public Works storm water fees) into one integrated customer information system, charging for all associated services and/or fees on one bill. Project initiation, business needs analysis, functional and technical training, customizations t~ and interfaces, integration testing, and system testing have all been completed. Connectivity to the remote hosting facility has been established and tested. User acceptance testing is in progress and scheduled to be completed in February. Casual users with inquiry-only ~"' `~ capability have been trained. Primary use training began in January. The data conversion team ~ r is continuing to review and test converted data. Additional resources have been assigned to .i ~ ~ ensure timely completion ofthis task A communications plan has been developed and is being executed. ~~~ Phase II, scheduled for implementation later in 2004, promises additional customer enhancements, such as a redesigned bill format, expanded payment options, and on-line i customer account access/inquiry. ~.~ :ref Design and Construction Documents Center - A design and construction documents center ~, ,1..~ w was created and incorporated on the Public Utilities Department's Internet website (vbgov. com/dpu) for users and interested inquirers to review design guidelines, specifications, i v approved products lists, and construction forms. .: ,~~ ~~ ~ Early Public hTotification -Planning Department staffimplemented regulations adopted by ~, City Council requiring earlier notification of adjoining residents and posting of signs for ..:~`~., applications to boards and commissions. ~. -~ ~- f~4~ Elevation Rata Collection -Public Utilities is collecting vertical elevation data to develop the gravity sewer hydraulic model as part ofthe comprehensive sewer master planning efforts. ,. The data is primarily obtained from existing Public Utilities records. However, in those areas `""d'`" where there is no record of the gravity sewer system, or the record is not available, on-site surveys are conducted. Data collected is forwarded to the Geographical Information System Bureau for inclusion in the GIS system. y „'~' ~~~'" Emergency iWater Distribution - In September 2003, Hurricane Isabel created extended ~, power outages throughout Virginia Beach. This resulted in citizens who rely on groundwater ~ , wells to be without drinking water. In response to the citizens' needs, the Public Utilities Department setup a potable water distribution point at the Nimmo Parkway Fire Station. 34 ~~.. ~~~ Farm Stands in Rural Area -Planning Department collaborated with the Agricultural Advisory Committee and the City Attorney's Office to prepare recommended amendments to regulations affecting farm stands in the Agricultural Districts. The city council adopted these recommendations. .I ~~ Fats, Oils, and Grease (F.O.G.) Abatement Program -The Department of Public Utilities ~' initiated a Fats, Oils and Grease (F.O.G.) abatement program to reduce the accumulation ~ ~ substances that contribute to sanitary sewer overflows and stoppages into the sanitary sewer collection system. The program includes a program to educate customers on reducing the ~ ~.I ;, amount of fats, oils, and grease being placed in the sanitary sewer system. n~ FERC Relicensing of bake Gaston -Dominion Power's Federal Energy Regulatory ,~ j ~ Commission (FERC} license to operate Lake Gaston was ratified by all the stakeholders and approved by FERC. :. First Impressions - On January 5, the City Clerk s Office initiated the First Impressions ~ ~ Volunteers at the Judicial Center. The volunteers provide service from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 1 daily. ~ ~ ~~`f Habitat Enhancement -The Habitat Enhancement Committee arranged for the planting of " ~ over 4,500 plants at the Lynnhaven Boat and Beach facility to reduce erosion and enhance aesthetics. Also, plants were installed at Great Neck Park. Funding for the plants was from ,~ ~ civil violations of the City's Wetlands and Coastal Primary Sand Dune Ordinances. ~ ~/t,~ Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) Regional Initiative to `" "~' Develop "Regional Reporting Procedures" for Sanitary Sewer Overflows -The regional approach for reporting sanitary sewer overflows is necessary since the Environmental { ~ Protection Agency considers the Public Utilities Department a "satellite collection system" * _ linked to the Hampton Roads Sanitation District's treatment facilities. Coordination through the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission has resulted in all municipalities agreeing on the reporting process to the Department of Environmental Quality for reportable sanitary sewer overflows. This puts in place a uniform set of procedures that each municipality will use to identify reportable sanitary sewer overflows and quick recovery actions including reporting and clean up. Ongoing work is focused on the development of training for the field crews primarily through development of a video by HRPDC to ensure ' a uniformity in identification, reporting practices and clean up. .u, 1. ~=~ Hazard Mitigation Program -Under FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, forty- u~ eight sanitary sewer pump stations have been identified, design completed, and scheduled to have emergency generator connections installed for use during power outages. 35 Hotel Compliance - CVB along with other city agencies improved the process for handling and enforcing hotel and restaurant complaints. The Fire Marshall's Office, Health Department and Neighborhood and Housing director's appointed afull-time designated task force to inspect and respond to issues involving lodging and restaurants. As a result of failure to comply with requirements outlined in their agreement, the CVB suspended two hotels. These properties will not receive advertising or promotional support from the department during 2004. ~nl;~ Hurricane Isabel -Hurricane Isabel amved on September 18, 2003 in Virginia as a Category One Storm. It hit the city of Virginia Beach with considerable force causing a lot of trees to fall. Blocked roadways, drainage systems and damage to structures were the result. On September 19, 2003, a day after the hurricane hit, employees of the Department of Public Works as well as contractors working for the department, began pushing hurricane related debris off the city streets. The fast response of the Public Works Department ensured that the city's transportation network remained open and all of the city's vital services, including emergency services, remained functional. This was made possible by contracting the hurricane debris removal and disposal to two big national companies who brought to the city an adequate amount of equipment to remove and dispose of 930,000 cubic yards of debris in three months. This was more than twice the amount of debris removed and disposed in the same amount of time than the amount of debris removed and disposed during Hurricane Bonnie. To visualize the quantity of debris removed by trucks full of debris lined up, bumper to bumper, for 517 miles; a distance from Virginia Beach to New Maven Connecticut. Two hundred Parks and Landscape Services Division employees responded to the community's needs in the aftermath ofHurricane Isabel. These dedicated employees worked tirelessly over the 36-hour period immediately following the hurricane to clear roadways, parks and golf courses so citizens of Virginia Beach could get their lives back to normal. Wal- Mart donated $500 to Parks and Recreation's Pazks and Landscape Services Division to replace trees destroyed by Hurricane Isabel. .~ ~~"' Hydraulic Sanitary Sewer 1dIodel-The Department ofPublic Utilities initiated development of a hydraulic sewer model for the entire sanitary sewer system via the use of commercially available computer software application. The model will be used as a tool to simulate various flow conditions and identify system deficiencies as part of the comprehensive sanitary sewer master planning efforts. All major components of the sanitary sewer system are being evaluated, including gravity collection facilities, pump station facilities, and force main facilities. ~!i' IniFill Properties -The development of vacant infill parcels and the redevelopment of developed properties were key issues in 2003. Property owners and developers sought every opportunity to increase the unit density by demolishing existing structures and/or re- 36 i ., °~ ~ subdividing old parcels and constructing new buildings with a greater number of units, for example, single family to duplex. Several of these sites do not have direct access to or ~~ frontage on a public street. The Planning Department is requiring compliance with Section ~ 200 (f) of the City Zoning Ordinance, which requires all buildings, erected or moved, to be located on lots adjacent to a public street. The City has worked directly with certain affected civic leagues to draft appropriate zoning ordinance changes. ~ j^~ Internet/Intranet Prototype browser Application -The Department of Public Utilities '~ develo ed an Internet/intranet rotot e browser a lication which will be used as a model p P yp Pp in developing a fully functional navigation system. The primary focus of this application is ~I to provide an interface by which the user will have a quick, up-to-date access to the sanitary . sewer system information. I" F ~ ~ ~~" Joint Land Ilse Study -The Media and Communications Group provided staff support for the City Council-appointed Land Ilse in AICUZ Task Force, including the creation of a City Web site where citizens could get more information about the issue and the work of the Task Farce. ~< ~ ~ ~~ Large ldieter Testing Program - A large meter testing program is in place to test 3 °' and 4" meters every two years and 6" and larger meters annually (this program ensures meter accuracy and increased revenue). On average, 2001arge meters are tested each year. During the first half of the fiscal yearl 10 meters were tested. ~~ ,,, •~~ Lynnhaven River 2007 -The Media and Communications Group directly supported the early development of this public-private partnership working to restore water quality in the 3~ i4 Lynnhaven. Articles in both Beach magazine and City Page have supported LR2007 initiatives, and MCG has participated in planning a number of news opportunities for the new organization. An MCG representative attends Board meetings and is a member of the group's Marketing and Public Relations Committee. Work has begun on a Lynnhaven River 2007 "Hot Topic" Web site on VBgov. com. ~~ r 1~ a Dapping and Infrastructure Data Conversions -The Department of Public Utilities completed mapping and infrastructure data conversions to the Utilities' Geographical Information system (GIS). Maps and infrastructure data will no longer be recorded and maintained on paper (Mylar), which has limited capabilities for information storage and distribution. Maps and infrastructure data can now be updated in the GIS and within 90 days of receipt. 37 ,,, :~i' Media and Communications !Issues 1Vlanagement Support - The Media and I Communications Group (MCG) provided public relations strategies, plans, counsel, media relations services, and related publicity services on a variety of major projects and Quality Physical Environment emerging issues, including the following: ~_. • Code Enforcement • Kempsville/Princess Anne • Small Neighborhood Intersection Studies Improvement Projects • Comprehensive Plan Process I.' • Old Beach Plan Support -~ ~ Communications and Web site • I~andicapped Accessibility in • Forthcoming Consolidation of Resort Area ~ . ~ Water, Sewer and Storm Water • Mount Trashmore ^ ~ ., Billing • Rehabilitation/Skate Park • Shore Drive Community Opening ~ ~ Coalition • Stumpy Lake Use Planning ~ • • Zoning Enforcement i° " '>~~ lYorfolk Avenue Trail -The Norfolk Avenue Trail, constructed along an abandoned Norfolk Southern Railroad right-of--way corridor, was completed in December 2003. The new ten- " foot wide, asphalt, shared-use trail includes new pedestrian street crossings and paved ~, linkages to all adjacent residential neighborhoods. The trail provides safe pedestrian and ' bicycle access to the beach and other area trails and recreational amenities. Additionally, it ~ preserves the historical significance of that specific railroad corridor. The entire project and ~~ its connections to other existing or proposed trails were designed to meet Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. The construction of a commercial parking area and the ~ ~ installation of an extensive landscape buffer was also included in the project to significantly " enhance the appearance of Norfolk Avenue as a major connection to the Resort Area. L' lu ~~ Princess Anne Road Phase VIIe CIP 8-195 - To address future growth in the Sandbridge Corridor and provide improved fiziure access to Elementary Schoo12005, the Department of Public Works will reconstruct Princess Anne Road from General Booth Blvd. to Upton Drive at Sandbridge Road as a four lane divided roadway on new alignment. A traffic signal will be provided at Elson Green Avenue/Sandbridge Road. Design is underway with preliminary ~~ plans scheduled for Spring 2004. Constnzction is scheduled to begin Spring 2006. f~( Private Fire Hydrant Inventory - A comprehensive listing and location of all private fire hydrants was completed. Owners of the pnvate fire hydrants are required to test and maintain the hydrants. ,~~~ ,~. ~I~ Project File Indez Conversion - A program was initiated to convert project file index maps ~~' to the Utilities GIS. The books are scanned into digital format and converted into the GIS. ,~ When this is completed, updated location maps of developer project areas can be distributed to project managers and other customers without requiring them to visit the Engineering { Office. 38 `f!1' Regional Analysis of Fair Housing - As part of a regional effort led by Virginia Beach, a regional "Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing" was completed. The completion of this study and the use of it in determining activities to undertake assure that the City will continue to receive Federal entitlement funds for housing and community development. ~~~~ Removal of Billboards and Nonconforming Signs -Since August 2003, 5 billboards and 14 nonconforming signs have been removed within the City. `~i.f Resort Neighborhoods Cleanliness Initiative - As a result of citizen concerns in the resort area neighborhoods regarding the occurrence of bulky items left at the curb and litter/junk, the Departments of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation, General Services and Public WorksiWaste Management met to identify potential improvements that would address these issues. Based on these meetings, several process improvements were implemented. These included closer coordination between all departments, including regular meetings of area supervisors; and flexibility in interpretation of waste management regulations. With these improvements in place, the problems were reduced, although there is still an ongoing challenge in these neighborhoods based on high transience and high traffic. Sanitary Sewer Cleaning Program -The Department of Public Utilities maintains a sanitary sewer-cleaning program designed to improve the sanitary sewer service to customers by reducing debris that causes blockages in public sanitary sewer pipes. Through mid January 2004, 63,000 feet of sanitary sewer pipe were cleaned and televised to reduce sanitary sewer stoppages, enhance reliability, and provide a high level of service. ~~ Shrink/Swell Soils~Nawney -The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) requires all localities to have a policy for shrink/swell soils. Virginia Beach is fortunate to have Nawney as the only shrink/swell soil type found within the City. The Permits and Inspections staff worked with the City's GIS staff to identify the shrink/swell soils on the City's maps and display the information on the City's website, along with AICUZ noise zones and floodplains. Since the shrink/swell soils information will be available on the City's website, the consultant, developer, builder, or owner will be able to use the same information as staff to determine the possible presence of shrink/swell soils. Consultants, developers, builders or owners may choose to challenge the map by providing a soils report, prepared by a qualified professional, to Permits and Inspections when applying for a building permit or have an engineered foundation designed by a qualified professional for the structures located on the lots with shrink swell soils. The Development Services Center's development plan review staff identifies the possible presence of shrink/swell soils during the residential subdivision and residential site plan reviews. According to the Virginia USBC, "residential dwelling units" are single-family detached, single-family semidetached, duplex and attached/townhouse (see City Zoning Ordinance, Section 111 for definitions). Early identification of shrink/swell soils will save the developer/builder time by avoiding a delay during construction. 39 .~. . :,~b ~~ Signs at 'T'own Center -Since July 2003, the Planning Department staff has worked with Armada/Hoffler, Divans Real Estate, the City Attorney's Office and the Department of .,~ Economic Development to draft amendments refining the City Zoning Ordinance's sign regulations affecting the Town Center. These provisions have been adopted by City Council. Small 1®Teighborlnood Improvement Projects - Under the "Small Neighborhood Improvement Projects" newly funded by City Council this year, the Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation, with an advisory committee that includes one citizen and four other departments, has awarded grants to four neighborhoods to improve neighborhood I' common areas. These grants will provide long-term physical improvements in small areas that ~ 8 help identify and give pride to neighborhoods. ~% ~ A ~~ ~ Sportsplex Field dedication - A Sportsplex Field Dedication was held by City Cauncil in August 2003, where the field was renamed the "Harold Heischober Field" in honor and ~ " ~ memory ofthe late Harold Heischober, who served the citizens of Virginia Beach as a Council . . :, Member, Vice Mayor, and Mayor. Mr. Heischober championed the construction of the Virginia Beach Sportsplex. ~_I , ~,~, ~ Stumpy Lake Repairs -The eight-mile long Stumpy Lake pipeline, which connects Stumpy ~ ° Lake to Norfolk's In-town lakes, has three areas in need of repair and replacement. Contract ,~, ~ , documents and specifications are in process. Bidding will occur in late spring 2004 and construction should begin in summer 2004. The Stumpy Lake Dam has been evaluated and found to be in need of repair and modification. Three alternatives have been identified and 1 are under discussion with the State, which, as of July 2002, has jurisdiction of the dam pursuant to the Dam Safety Act. An alternative will be selected by early spring 2004. ~ Engineering and design of the selected alternative will begin in FY04-O5. ;~ ~,!T US Route 460 Study -The Virginia Department of Transportation, at the request of member _ . jurisdictions in the Crater and Hampton Roads Planning District Commissions, has initiated a corridor study ofU. S. Route 460 between Bowers Hill and I-295, south of Richmond. The purpose of the study is to evaluate several conceptual improvement alternatives for the corridor. The improvements under study range from trafl'ic engineering and safety improvements to the existing road to building limited-access bypasses around certain Cities and Towns along the corridor. Two final alternatives propose the construction of a new limited access highway, paralleling the existing route, to create an improved freeway connection between Richmond and Hampton Roads. To date, VDOT has completed its alternatives analysis and will hold Public Hearings on February 24 and February 26 to solicit public comment on the various alternatives under consideration. ,~ ~ ~. ~ ~,~~ ~ Use of Ylaptops in the Field -The Department of Public Utilities provided Miss Utility field I crews and survey crews with laptop computers loaded with digital mapping files (GIS) and EJ.~ other documents to reduce the dependence on paper records thereby optimizing service calls. N~ Virginia Deach Community Development Corporation (Vl3CDC) Study and Task Force - VBCDC is a non-profit organization whose board of directors is appointed by City Council. The Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation provides significant annual 3 funding for its operations and projects. After 16 yeazs of VBCDC's existence, it was necessary to measure its results against similar organizations to determine if VBCDC's operations were cost effective and were comparable to other non-profits. The City and ~~:.I VBCDC jointly funded a study by a national consultant. This study found that VBCDC's costs and results were well within the range of comparable organizations. In addition, the ~ ' consultant made certain recommendations for improvement and/or changes. A task force of ~.K VBCDC staff=, Board members and the Department of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation developed a set of recommendations to address these, and they were adopted by VBCDC's board and aze in the process of being implemented or are planned for implementation. ~, I_, ~f Virginia Deach Historical Register -Four buildings were placed on the Virginia Beach Historical Register since August 2003. This brings the total number of buildings, structures and sites on the Register to thirty-three (33). The buildings listed on the Register during this ~„ period were: Rawles Cottage 4300 Oceanfront Avenue ~ Greystone 515 Wilder Road ~~ 411 16"' Street 1909 Indian River Road ~. _L, ~~ Virginia Deach Shallow Ground-Water Study -The City has been working with USGS „ to develop a model of the shallow aquifer system to gain a better understanding of the shallow ~ ° groundwater and its capacity. The City received the model report, "Ground-water flow and saline water in the shallow aquifer system of the southern watersheds of ~Iirginia Beach," in January 2004. Data collection will continue this yeaz in the Transition Area in order to prepaze ground-water simulations with the flow model in this azea. <-''~;. ~~ Water and Sanitary Sewer Approval Permits -Design guidelines are reviewed by DEQ for Public Utilities to obtain a new General Water Approval Permit. A similar effort is underway to apply for a General Sanitary Sewer Approval Permit. Obtaining the permit will give the Department of Public Utilities authorization to approve construction specifications and plan drawings for all water and sanitary sewer projects with pipe diameters 16" or less. This will save significant time by not having to receive Health Department approval on every project. 41 ,. ~~ ~~., ~~ ,. ~.* J Zoning Compliance and Inspections -The Planning Department continues to improve the process to ensure that conditions attached to City Council and Board of Zoning Appeals approvals are met. ®ne Zoning Inspector has been assigned to do all of these inspections for consistency and continuity. This Inspector also works at the Zoning counter assisting the public. The city continues with illegal sign enforcement, billboard removal and regulation of oceanfront activities. 42 Snfe Community C'i~ C'®uncil 7't~r~ets ~~~ Police Firing Range: Site and Construction • Action ®utline • Review report • Identify site alternatives and service provision • Brief City Council • Identify funding sources • Direction Status; • Meetings were held on January 13 and January 14 with City Council liaisons for the project. • A City Council briefing is scheduled that will describe the options identified by the project team, and future direction is anticipated. ~~ Virginia Beach General ~'rauma Center: Restoration to Level II • Action Outline • Create Task Force ® Evaluate situation • Develop recommendations • Determine City actions Status: • On October 6, 2003, Sentaza Virginia Beach general Hospital reestablished level 2 trauma services. The hospital requested that the Virginia Department of Health re- designate the facility as a level 3 center which would operate on a level 2 basis until such time as they were sure that the situation of physician availability (for the three major specialties) stabilized. They have indicated that they would seek level 2 designation in the near future. • On l~Tovember 4, 2003, the Trauma Center Task Force, chaired by Dr. Mitchell Miller, provided a final report to the City Council. In their report they recommended the formation of a permanent committee (Health Caze Advisory Committee) to advise City Council on these and other matters pertaining to health care in Virginia Beach. 43 hh~ Code Compiianee • Acti®n ®utline • Enhance staff training and awareness in erosion and sedimentation control • Allocate additional resources to increase code enforcement on nights and weekends • Enforce City Codes - zero tolerance Status: ! The following code enforcement related activities are ongoing: 1. A proposal for prohibiting cars parked on lawns and consolidation of vehicle-related code enforcement is being considered in the FY04 budget process, 2. Two properties are being processed for potential acquisition under the "spat blight" authority to eliminate blight. 3. The City is actively trying to maintain the current authority for rental inspections via work at the state legislature. 4. Anew database and field automation project will enhance productivity and is planned for completion in ®ctober, 2004. ~~ ~~ Health Care system A~sessmenl • Action ®ut9ine m Trauma Center Task Force recommendations ® Develop a process for monitoring issues impacting Virginia Beach • Evaluate joint community health analysis with Sentara Status: ! The Trauma Center Task Force presented its recommendations to City Council on T~Tovember 4, 2003. City Council discussion on a proposed Health Care Advisors' Group is tentatively scheduled for Iviarch 2, 2004. • A briefing on Prenatal Care for Indigent Vdomen, another health care system issue impacting Virginia Beach is also tentatively scheduled for 1Vlarch 2, 2004. 4~4 S~~n~~cc~nt 1)e~~~~ynentr~~ Activities safe ~~m~~nity. ~' 9-1-1 Voice Logging System -The Department or`° Communications and Information Technology (ComIT) replaced the 9-1-1 voice recording system, retiring an 11-year-old system. One of the major advantages of the new system is the ability to eliminate cumbersome recording to audiotapes. With the new system, conversations can be burned onto a CD or simply saved as a computer wav file and forwarded to end users for playback on any standard PC. ~,: ~' ABC Inspection Task Force -The ABC Inspection Task Force is being formed to address the numerous and recurring issues associated with some ABC licensed establishments. Task Force members include a representative from the Departments of Police, Fire, Planning, Public Ilealth, the City Attorney's ®ffice, and with consent and cooperation of the ABC Board, an ABC Agent. The Task Force is charged with reviewing all ABC applications and license changes with the purpose of formulating a recommendation as to the City's position on the application; establishing an inspection protocol and schedule for each bar in the City; making recommendations for filing requests far discipline of ABC establishments; and performing an educational function with the establishments inspected, advising them of expectations and legal requirements. The first meeting was held on Febnzary 10, 2004. ~~s After-Flours Lifeguard Program - In response to an alarming trend in people drowning or nearly drowning between the time the oceanfront lifeguards went off duty at 6 p. m. and dusk, the Department of Emergency Medical Services instituted anafter-hours lifeguard program. EMS lifeguards relieved contracted lifeguards at 6 p.m. and remained on the stands until sunset. At least 10 lifeguards were assigned to stands every evening and at least three others patrolled the beach in ATVs or other vehicles. Recognizing that prevention is the key, those on patrol provided tips on beach safety to citizens and tourists. (During holiday weekends more than 30 stands were staffed and additional patrol units were deployed.) The EMS Volunteer Marine Response Team also was available to assist if necessary. The contractual service and EMS service utilized the same standards of training and equipment. In fact, joint use of stands and close coordination between supervisory personnel assured seamless protection of beachgoers from morning until dark. No other East Coast beach community has lifeguard coverage on stands as late in the day as Virginia Beach did in 2003. ~~~f Allstate Foundation Lends a Helping Hand -The VMSM Foundation and the Allstate Foundation have teamed up to develop a program to educate the public about hurricane awareness, disaster preparation and home safety. The museum was already in the process of upgrading its Weather Room exhibit so the contribution from Allstate will go towards 45 .L showing how weather is influenced by the marine environment and how people living in this area are affected by weather-related disasters fit,. s. Business Improvement Districts -The command of the Second Precinct is presently researching behavioral campaigns being successfully used in other jurisdictions, commonly referred to as Business Improvement Districts. Several locations have been identified that have successful practices in place and the research is continuing. ~~' Completed Design Specifications for hTew 9-1-1 Emergency Communications Buildang - The Emergency Communication Center (ECC) building committee developed technical specifications for the new Emergency Communications Building scheduled for completion in 2005. A special building committee composed of a cross section ofECC staffworked closely with the Department of Public Works and the City architect on the development of design specifications for the new ECC building. The construction contract has been awarded to McKenzie Construction. f ~° Crime Analyst'I'rainingProgram -The First Precinct has continued to implement a 90-Day Crime Analyst Training Program. This allows a police officer to receive training, knowledge, and skills in computer crime analysis (CompStat). 1.'•i' Criminal ®t'fenses -The Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney has assumed the responsibility of all criminal offenses (City and State).. In November 2003, 6,000 cases and 5.5 staff were transferred to the office from the City Attorney's Office. Cases now being prosecuted by the Commonwealth Attorney's Office include criminal misdemeanors, DUI, and domestic violence. This is in addition to the 8,000 plus cases already being prosecuted each year (all violent felonies which include drug offenses and property crimes). The consolidation should provide a streamlined, highly effective case prosecution process. The Police Department and the various court Judges have been highly complimentary of this new initiative. ~~~, f , Daily Bulletin -The Crime Analysis Officers at the First Precinct have established and disseminated a daily bulletin to precinct personnel on relevant information such as wanted persons, criminal activities and events, stolen vehicles, runaways, missing persons, and other necessary information in order to provide the "street officer" an added tool to be more effective and efficient. ;/~~ Emergency Response System Evaluation -Management Services conducted an evaluation of the 'Virginia Beach Emergency Response System in order to provide a brief overview and evaluate the effectiveness of the current system, and to present the advantages and disadvantages of alternative options for strengthening our Emergency Response System, with particular focus on emergency medical services delivery. 46 In conjunction with the Department ofEmergency Management Services, staffanalyzed data obtained from the Computer Aided Dispatch System (CADS) along with other resources, which included personal interviews, magazine and journal articles, and Internet research. In addition to evaluating the current system, options were developed and evaluated to improve the state of emergency services in the City. The results of the intensive study were presented to City Council on December 16, 2003. The staffrecommendation isunder consideration by City Council at this time. ~.~ i' Evaluation of Therapeutic Communities in Virginia Beach Correctional Centers -The Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse (MMI:•lIlVVIRSA), along with the Virginia Beach Correctional Center, has received funding for the substance abuse therapeutic community treatment program since 1995. Many changes in funding have occurred over the years. Most recently, in FY03, funding was cut by the State. However, the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse (SSA) secured federal dollars for three of the six programs across the state to continue. A site review was conducted in July 2002. Preliminary results were compiled and reported to the General Assembly in September 2002. The program was chosen because it represents a "pure" replication of the jail-based therapeutic community model. The General Assembly agreed to fully fund the program $192,363, but in exchange, requested that outcome data be sent quarterly to 1V>TMZSA. It is expected that when the study is complete, two key elements will stand out. First, a remarkable high percentage of clients who enter the jail-based program successfully complete the program. During the first quarter of FY04, 75 percent of the clients who entered the program completed the program. Second, a remarkably high percentage of clients who are eligible for "aftercare" (a once a week counseling group clients attend for up to 12 months after their discharge from the jail) follow through with placement in the group. 91 percent of clients followed through with aftercare during the first quarter of FY04. This is consistent with the preliminary result from FY03 and reflective of the program's pre- screening and orientation process as well as the staff's promotion of follow-up counseling upon discharge from the jail. .`~ Fatal Accidents Prevention -The Fatal Accident Crash Team (FACT) and the Selective Enforcement Team (SET) were divided into three committees in an attempt to address the increase in fatal crashes. Both squads were looking at actions they could take to help prevent further accidents. The primary focus was on alcohol related crashes. Besides the obvious, arresting DUIs, there was a need to identify other factors causing the accidents and tactics to prevent them. The 19 officers from both squads were placed on individual focus groups dealing with Education, Enforcement, and Engineering. These focus groups will use various problem- solving strategies to address the problems ranging from quick fixes to long-term solutions. This is an opportunity for each officer to learn, develop, and demonstrate his/her abilities. 47 f~t' Health Calendar -The Health Department and the Media and Communications Group partnered to develop a new communication vehicle ensuring health-conscious messages are dispersed in ow community- the development and printing of a family health calendar. The 2004 calendar included a different health theme each month and the information was presented in an attractive, full-color format, with illustrations. The health department distributed more than 8,000 calendars via recreation centers, libraries and health department events. . 3" HIV Education -Prevention Services providing HIV education has been included as part of a regional effort at the Indian Creek Correctional Center using the Reach One Teach One curriculum. 56 inmates have completed the program. ~" Hotel/Motel Crime Prevention Training and Awareness - In December 2003, an initiative began in the Second Police Precinct to bring training and awareness to the hoteUmotel community on issues regarding safety and crime prevention. The first meeting took place on 3~anuary 8, 2004, with representatives from the HoteUMotel Association, Crime Solvers, Second Precinct Property Crimes Unit, and officers of the Second Precinct. The meeting brought to the table issues involving safety and security that affect the tourists, industry, and police. In this initial meeting, a strategy was developed to confront many of these issues and research into some areas was assigned. This will be an ongoing program to assist the hoteUmotel industry with these issues and include: employee training on security, background checks of new hires, theft, fraud, and an immediate communication system to/from the police and the hotels. ,_-~' Hurricane Isabel - The Media and Communications Group distributed more than 100 news f?'~. releases during Hurricane Isabel during athree-day operation in the Emergency Operations Center. MCG also responded to hundreds of calls from local, national and international media who traveled to Virginia Beach to cover the storm. MCG staff worked with staff from the Public Information Office and Public Libraries department to keep citizens informed through the city's emergency i1Veb site and the public information hotline. Social Services administered 10 emergency shelters which served 2,331 citizens. An enhanced team system in the emergency shelters and at the Emergency Operations Center enabled the more efftcient and equitable staffing of shelters, and a more flexible means of shifting resources among the shelters. ~i Identity Theft and Fraud Avwareness/Prevention Progra®-The Detective Bureau Economic Crime Unit provided identity theft and fraud awareness/prevention training to directors and employees of museum retail sales gift shops. This training, which was held at the Virginia Marine Science Museum, and coordinated through the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, provided training in the areas of identity theft and fraud. The purpose of 48 the training was to teach staff how to recognize fi-audulent activity, such as fraudulent credit cards and checks, and to make them aware of the increasing problem of identity theft. This program has been successful in providing training to 4S employees of museum retail sales gift shops. mss,. John Allen Muhammad 'T'rial Security -Special Operations took the lead for the Police Department in planning for the Muhammad Trial and implementing the Operational Plan for that important event. Personnel from all squads in Special Operations were heavily involved in this effort. This was done while still maintaining the other commitments and conducting operations that are normally expected of them. Community Service Officers and 12 sworn officers from the four police precincts supplemented the contingent from Special Operations. This included participation in the Logistics and Public Safety Committees. Members of the Bomb Squad worked with the Sheriffs Office to do a Security ~4ssessment ofthe Courthouse area. In addition, a training program was developed for the Sheriffs Office and court personnel. The plan for the Muhammad Trial provided for the operation of an Emergency Operations Center to coordinate Public Safety operations and provide a liaison with other city agencies. It also provided perimeter and external security for the Courthouse area and the victims' family viewing area. This included daily bomb sweeps, aerial surveillance, fixed and roving foot patrol, Mounted Police, Canine patrol, and tactical response capability. Staff also coordinated with the Virginia State Police for after hours security. ~3~~ ~.., Juvenile Detention Center - Construction of the 90-bed Virginia Beach Juvenile Detention Center began in December 2002. The Center is located between the Post Office and Building Maintenance at the Municipal Center. Completion is expected by June 2004 and opening in August 2004. The 80 staff center will hold juveniles awaiting triaUcourt hearing and disposition, and some sentenced youths. X1,728,708 will be reimbursed from the state for FY05. An additional $2.5 million will be saved by not funding placements at the Tidewater Juvenile Detention Center. The Administrator, hired in September, is currently involved in the hiring and planning for the Center. ,, ~f ~ Media and Communications/Issues Management Support - The Media and Communications Group (MCG) provided public relations strategies, plans, counsel, media relations services, and related publicity services on a variety of major projects and emerging Safe Community issues, including the following: • ~Iuman Services Plan • Section 8 Fraud Investigation Program • Emergency Response System • Water Quality • community Emergency Team • West Nile Virus Council • Influenza • Chesapeake Beach/Ocean Park Fire • Smallpox Vaccination Plan -Phase II • Rabies Awareness • Virginia Beach Trauma Task Force 49 1.~ .;~ Mid-Atlantic IDiTI Conference -Special Operations is planning for the 5th Annual Mid- Atlantic DUI Conference scheduled for April 26-28, 2004. 300 police officers and prosecutors, representing 8 states and 72 different law enforcement agencies are anticipated to attend. With a corporate partnership from Anheuser Busch Corporation, St. Louis, Missouri this conference is offered at minimal cost to the Police Department. Conference topics include various educational and enforcement strategies for the street officer. Last year, conference attendees occupied 70 hotel rooms for three consecutive nights. ,~ 9~ 1l~Iissing Person Awareness'lraining - Staffprovided missing person awareness traimng to Seatack Elementary School, Third Graders. The training was to help alleviate children°s fears of abduction and to provide tips on how not to become a victim of an abduction. This training was in response to concerns these children had over a highly publicized case involving a missing child from Indiana, who was reported to have been abducted 18 years ago, and was thought to be alive and living in Virginia Beach. There were 60 children in aitendance. `~'' 1dlotorcycle Theft InvestigationlPrevention 'T'raining - On June 1, 2003, the Detective .~, Bureau Auto Theft Unit developed a program to provide specialized training to uniform personnel. Meetings were conducted to develop operational planning while combining efforts with Crime Analysis to investigate an increase in sport motorcycle thefts in the City. This program was successful in providing specialized motorcycle theft investigative training to 4 supervisors and 60 uniform officers. The numbers of motorcycle thefts were reportedly reduced during this program period, and a number of suspects responsible for these crimes were identified. f~ i' ®peration Cooler -The Detective Bureau Warrant/Fugitive Unit launched a program called "®peration Cooler" on December 11, 2003. Wanted suspects that were identified that had the most serious outstanding warrants on file are specifically selected for apprehension. Due to the violence associated with the wanted suspects that are identified in this operation, Special Operations personnel assists in providing services on a number of the wanted suspects. `> ~ Photo Iced Light lEnforceinent -The Special Operations' Photo Red Light Enforcement Unit has been working to select a vendor and start this much needed traffic safety program. Efforts thus far are as follows: Several presentations have been conducted for various groups such as Virginia Beach Civic Leagues, Virginia Beach General District Court Judges, American Automotive Association (AAA), the Military/Civilian Safety Workshop, and various legislative officials. Brochures detailing the Photo Red Light Enforcement Program have been drafted for the legislative effort and for future public release. A comprehensive Request for Proposal (RIFP) was drafted and posted. A vendor selection committee was created and vendor selections were narrowed to two. Hours of background investigation and field studies have been conducted on each vendor. A joint review of accident data with City Traffic Engineers resulted in the establishment of a list of potential intersections to be 50 monitored by the photo red light cameras. In addition, a cooperative effort between the City Attorney's Gf"rice and Special ®perations has resulted in the rewriting of various City Codes related to the Photo Red Light Enforcement Program. The final contract negotiations will be complete in March 2004 and implementation will begin in April. `P~' Port Security 'T'ask F®rce -The Police Marine and Dive Units continue to work closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs, and other local agencies. The Police Department is represented on two nationally mandated committees regulated by the U. S. Coast Guard and the Department of I~omeland Security. These committees are the Port Security Task Force (PSTF) and the Port Threat Assessment Committee. The PSTF has been tasked with identifying areas within the Port of Hampton Roads that could benefit from more aggressive security action, networking the local and federal law enforcement agencies together, identifying training and equipment needs, and providing joint training to participating agencies. Quarterly training has been organized and submitted for participation for the 2004 calendar year. The Port Threat Assessment Committee is tasked with identifying critical infrastructure in the port that is nationally vital for economic vitality and public safety. The Marine Unit has started investigating the possibilities of a joint Marine Interdiction Unit. The U.S. Customs department has offered training, overtime funding, and equipment in exchange for Virginia Beach Marine ®fficers working marine interdiction within our waters. To date four training training operations have been conducted. ~~ . ~~. Precinct Zone Book Program -The First Precinct Crime Analysts, along with assistance from a volunteer, have established a Precinct Zone Book Program. These books contain information on schools within a particular zone, wanted persons, and maps, as well as confidential information that will assist an officer working the assigned zone. These Zone Books are updated on a weekly basis by the Crime Analysts. ~~~, :~ , Recruitment Strategy Phase I - As the oversight agency for the largest volunteer rescue squad system in the nation, the Department of Emergency Medical Services sought to increase membership by creating a recruitment officer position last year. In 2003 the Department implemented the first of several recruitment campaigns that are planned for the next few years. Phase I began in the first quarter of 2003 with presentations to college EMT classes, public service announcements on VBTV, and the creation and distribution of a general information flyer. This was distributed at all city libraries, recreation centers and golf courses. tither key elements included a series of advertisements in the Virginia Beach Beacon and military newspapers, and the creation of two brochures -one providing general information on the rescue squad system and its volunteer opportunities, the second illustrating the purpose and membership criteria for the department's volunteer specialty teams. The final element of Phase I was a 530,000 ad campaign that utilized print ads in the Beacon and Port Folio magazine; billboards in Virginia Beach, Norfolk and Chesapeake; Internet ads via 51 HamptonRoads. com and Pilotonline. com; and televisian ads on LNC 5 . While viewership on LNC, readership for the various publications and the number of hits on the Web sites reached into the millions, it is safe to say the various elements of the campaign directly reached several thousand. The department had more than 250 inquiries directly linked to the campaign and has experienced a 40% increase in the number of recruits. The ads were financed in part through a grant from the Virginia Office of EMS, as well as through a contribution from the Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad Foundation Inc. s. ~" Reduction of Illuisance Ca1Ls for Service -Early in 2003, officers assigned to the Second Precinct were assigned the task of reviewing all calls for service and to determine strategy to reduce calls far service if possible. It was determined that one of the prevalent calls for service was for Loud Music/Party, most of which emanate from apartment complexes in the precinct. In the fall of 2003, two officers spent numerous hours contacting the management of each apartment complex and bringing to their attention the number of calls for service to each. Apartment management was largely unaware that these calls were occurring, usually due to the hour of the call. Each agreed to pursue the issue with their tenants. A system is currently being developed that apartment management will be notified of calls for service in their respective complexes and handle nuisance tenants through civil means in order to reduce calls for service. r' Regionai Warrant/Fugitive Investigator Meetings - On November 19, 2003, the Warrant/Fugitive Unit initiated the first of regular bimonthly regional meetings with local, state, and federal Fugitive/Warrant Units. The networking of these investigators will create better cooperation and closer ties between area agencies. This will help lead to more arrests of potentially dangerous wanted subjects. Those in attendance include representatives from the FBI, U. S. Marshal's Service, Chesapeake Police, Chesapeake Sheriffs Office, Hampton Police Department, Newport News Police Department, Norfolk Police Department, Portsmouth Sheriffs Office, Suffolk Police Department, and the Virginia Beach Police Department. ?f~~ Schooi Resource ®fficers -School Resource Officers (SROs} assigned in the First Precinct from August 1, 2003 through January 23, 2004, investigated 31 simple assaults, 9 drug/narcotic investigations, 9 weapon's law violations, 13 threaten bodily harm, and approximately 39 larcenies ~~~ ~ Smallpox Vaccinations for Emergency Providers -Smallpox was eradicated in the United States in the late 1940s. Because of events that have taken place in the last two years, this highly contagious and potentially deadly disease is a source of concern by many who feel this disease maybe used as a biological weapon. 52 A federal preparedness program was initiated to address the administration of the vaccine. The plan identified three pre-event stages. Stage I addressed the vaccination of public health personnel; Stage II addressed the vaccination of public safety and first responder personnel; and Stage III outlined plans for the general public. To prepare our pre-hospital emergency care providers who, in most cases, would be the first on the scene in the event of a possible smallpox event, it was imperative to provide in-depth information about the disease, the vaccine, possible reactions, and contraindications prior to being offered the vaccine. Over 200 EMS members attended the program and close to 100 expressed interest in volunteering for the vaccine. Five clinics, in conjunction with the FIealth Department were established. ~;' Spay and Neuter Program with the Virginia Beaeh SPCA - On October 6, 2003, the Bureau of Animal Control and the Virginia Beach SPCA began a partnership where all adopted dogs and cats are sterilized prior to going to their new homes. In the past, adopters only had to sign a contract agreeing to have their animal sterilized within a certain time. Flowever, almost one third adopted in 2002 were not sterilized, and these unsterilized animals have the potential to add to the pet overpopulation problem in the City. Now, all dogs and cats will be sterilized before going to the new owner°s home, and a reduction in stray and unwanted dogs and cats is anticipated. So far the program has been very successful One hundred ninety seven animals have been altered. Survival Spanish for Law Enforcement - Being an organization of continual learning and realizing the diverse composition of the residential, tourist, and transit populations, the Police Department is offering formal training in Spanish speaking skills. Professional Development and Training staff partnered with a citizen to develop and provide two Survival Spanish for Law Enforcement classes. Each class, which meets once a week for three hours, provides police officers with the ability to effectively communicate with citizens who only speak Spanish. 'v~G' Third Precinct Construction -Opening of the new Third Precinct Facility is set for April 21, 2004. The new precinct will provide officers larger working areas, locker facilities and increased privacy for investigations and citizen contact. Citizens will also have an opportunity to do video conferencing with magistrates at the municipal complex, increasing the ability to conduct business away from the Municipal Complex. f i Traffic Safety Checkpoints and Planned Patrols -The First Precinct day, evening, Community Oriented Police Officers, and midnight shifts conducted several significant traffic safety checkpoints and planned patrols in several target neighborhoods including Ocean Lakes, Rock Lake, Salem Lakes, and Salem Village. These initiatives resulted in a number 53 :i of tra~'ic and criminal arrests and addressed burglary, narcotic enforcement, destruction of public/private property, and juvenile issues. ~~. Transportati®n Security Administrati®n -The Transportation Security Administration's award to the pity of Virginia Beach of $506,599 for upgrades in the Marine and Dive Units continues to progress. To date almost $50,000 has been spent on upgrades to dive and marine equipment and $200,000 has been spent on two 29' DOnzl vessels that are due for delivery this month. The third boat is conceptualized as a 3 5' Rigid Hull Inflatable vessel and will be the largest in the police fleet. All grant monies are planned to be spent by late March, and all equipment and vessels purchased should be operational by July 1, 2004. ~~' V~Stop Grant -The Virginia Beach Police Department was awarded a federal grant in the amount of $55,24 to fund a Domestic Violence Detective°s position. This is a continuation of a previous grant and will cover the period of January 1 through December 3 1, 2004. 54 Quality Organization City C'®rzncil T'~zr~ets ~'~ Capital Improvement Program: Projects and Funding Review • Action Outline brief City Council on revenue streams, funding and debt • City Council dVorkshop on Transportation Plan to include: a)1Vlaster Street and Highway Plan b) Interstate 2b4 Status: • Dn ®ctober 28, 2003 City Council received a briefing on the process used to develop capital projects, how projects are placed into the proposed Capital Improvement Program, and the financing strategies used. Included in the briefing was the process used to gain public input into the various projects as well as how City Council members could request projects for inclusion in the document. The Proposed will be presented to City Council on 1~Iarch 30, 2004 as a part of the FY 2004-OS Proposed Resource lO~Ianagement Plan. L~~ lase of Consultants Review • Action Outline Define consultant a Inventory existing use of consultants Develop criteria for consultant use Develop process for notification and rationale of consultant use Status: • A report was forwarded to City Council on January 30, 2004 regarding the use of consultants by the City. It includes a definition of consultant, an inventory of consultants used in FY 03, an explanation of when consultants are used, a review of the process for selecting consultants, and guidelines for use. 55 ~:l ~!~ Customer Service • Action Outlnne • Develop an action plan to integrate City Council's Standards of Service into performance feedback process, recruitment and training • Review, modify, and expand current training • Continue to seek input from the community Status: • City Council's Standards of Service have been shared with staff. • Further input has been obtained from City council members to clarify expectations and identify areas of concern. • Assessment of current activities is underway. i ~~ Budget Process Revision • Action ®utline • Identify City Council's concerns • Identify opportunities for citizen input at the beginning of the process o Revise schedules/time frames to streamline process • Focus on discretionary funding • I-Iighlight significant issues in the recommended budget Status: • City Council was briefed on September 9, 2003 on various ways to increase citizen participation in the Resource Management Plan. After discussion of the various options, City Council decided to hold a community budget meeting on ®ctober 16, 2003 and a public hearing on ®ctober 28, 2003. During both events, four issues were discussed: the need for improved transportation; public safety; education; and human services. This information has been provided to departments in developing projects and programs for the FY 2004-OS Resource Management Plan. City Council also wanted to discuss changing the process they used for review of the Resource Management Plan. A briefing was provided on January 13, 2004 to present Resource Management Plan workshop options, and to receive direction from City Council on how workshops should be constructed this year. 56 L.i' Tax Relief • Action ®utGne • Committee recommendations Status; • City Council appointed a citizen taskforce to examine the City's current Real Estate Tax Relief for the Elderly Program and to recommend potential changes. The Taskforce made its presentation to City Council on December 2, 2003 and recommended: • that the City Council seek legislation from the General Assembly to allow a non-means tested program of providing tax relief to residents • that the City increase the current program's income threshold to the State limit of $52,000 and that the City achieve this within five years • A letter from the City Manager providing additional information on the elderly population, equity concerns, and the transitory nature ofthe current real estate market was provided to City Council on January 30, 2004. • City Council requested an update of the Five Year Forecast, which had been presented on November 16, 2003 to facilitate the discussion of tax relief adjustments and the choices coming forward in the FY 2004-OS Resource Management Plan. The Five Year Forecast briefing was held on February 3, 2004. ~~~ Real Estate Assessment Process Rex~iew • Action ®utline • Brief City Council on current process ® Determine City Council's concerns • Develop action plan Status: • A City Council Briefing will be held on February 24, 2004. City Council concerns will be addressed at that time. 57 Significant ~ep~artrreentczl Activities Quality Organization ~~' Accounting and Financial Reporting • Audited and processed 134,727 claims against the City into 95,734 checks, which were mailed to vendors in FY-2003. • Reviewed and posted 4,515 IDTs, 3b5 contracts and 729 change orders into VIBES in FY-2003. • The Procurement Card Pilot Program continued to grow in value. Since the beginning of the program, eighty-two employees from ten departments have been trained and have received cards. These cardholders purchased goods and paid travel expenses totaling $336,620 through December 2003. These pilot departments avoided processing 2,20b vouchers because their charges were verified and uploaded into VIBES where they were posted automatically to each cardholder's budget. • Led the multi-department data collection effort for the production of the City's FY- 2003 Indirect Cost Allocation Plan. The FY-2002 Indirect Cost Allocation Plan recovered $2,SS4,327 for the General fund and it supported $3,437,160 in the highway maintenance cost report to VDOT. • Coordinated the successful completion of the City's FY-2003 annual audit, which received an unqualified "clean" opinion from the independent auditors. • Installed a financial reporting software package used to produce the FY-2003 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). Published the FY-2003 CAFR before Thanksgiving, the earliest it has ever been completed. • Posted FY-2003 Interim financials and the CAFR on the Finance Department Web page. • Completed the FY-2003 State Comparative Cost Report on time. • Received the GFOA certificate of achievement for the FY 2002 CAFR and the FY- 2003 CAFR has been submitted for the same award. • Complied with the Virginia Unclaimed Property requirements by writing to 302 owners of encashed City checks (amounts larger than $100) and issuing 119 replacement checks totaling $57,336 to these taxpayers, employees and vendors. $109,410 was remitted to the Virginia Unclaimed Property ofFice as required by law. • Ilosted the 2003 GFOA Governmental GAAP update satellite conference attended by 34 finance professionals including representatives from Maryland, North Carolina, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach City and Schools. f.,m ~:~ ~~~ ~, ~~~ Accounts Payable Cost-Avoided Process Irnprove~nent -Each month the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse (MI-IlVIRSA) receives approximately two hundred fifty invoices from medical service providers such as Rehab Associates and Physio Therapist Inc. In the past these invoices have been processed and paid separately. 58 This initiative involves merging the separate processing of hundreds of invoices sent by the same vendors into a singular process and therefore saving the city processing time. The staff in the Accounts Payable Unit created summary invoices for each vendor that allows consolidation of the individual invoices into one and a single check. As a result, staffmerged processing an average of 266 monthly invoices into 3. The result has been a drastic reduction in the amount of time to process payments. The reduction has been experienced not only by our department but also by other city departments such as Finance. The average cost far processing an invoice is based on a national average of $25 for time and labor. VGle are now processing two hundred sixty three fewer invoices per month for a calculated cost reductionlresource redirection associated with invoice processing of $6,575 per month or $78,900 annually. The vendors are excited about the change because it allows them to better manage their payments. The initiative improves services and enhances productivity. It also enables staffto devote more time to other tasks such as pre audit activities. Exported and applied city wide, this process improvement has significant potential for increasing efficiency and effectiveness outside the MH/MIt/SA. '^ ~" Audit Services - During the first halfofF~'04, Audit Services completed 12 projects resulting in improved financial and management controls, processes, contract performance, system efficiency and quality of services. The department managed the external audit contract for the FY03 comprehensive annual audit of the City. Audit Services also provided technical and advisory assistance to 18 departments and I 1 citizens and/or outside agencies on more than 77 issues which involved enhancing processes, developing procedures, strengthening internal controls, researching regulations, and educating departments on accounting concepts and City practices. Currently, there are 13 projects in progress. ~'i'' Capitai Improvement Program (CIP)1dlini Caucus - In an effort to broaden the review process ofthe Capital Improvement Program and toensure asystem-wide perspective, the city held its first CIP mini caucus in January 2004. Caucus members included the Management Leadership Team and Strategic Issue Team leaders involved in the CIP preparation or review. The purpose was to evaluate and rank capital projects whose costs were beyond the target amounts provided. The intended result is to reach consensus on the high priority projects, which are to be included in the six-year CIP period, provided funding sources can be identified. Projects of lesser priority, or those with no identified source of financing, will be shown in "Requested 13ut Not Funded" section. ~~~ f~. Citizen's Academy -The Media and Communications Group facilitated a year of planning and meetings with a staff and citizen committee. A draft proposal for a Citizens' Academy was presented to the various leadership stakeholder groups within the city organization. The draft proposed a comprehensive academy with classes and various distance learning methods the 59 to provide information and training for citizens and city staff. Also proposed is training to increase the community's capacity for direct problem solving without reliance on government participation. The Citizens Academy will be considered in the budget caucus process. ~` City Page Redesign -The Media and Communications Group published 14 editions of City Page in the Hampton Roads section of Tie ~irgi~~ian-~'idot and in the online version. Both offered timely information about city services, programs, issues and public meetings. To enhance readability and retention of information, MCG redesigned City Page and the online version, using fewer, more concise articles in a new layout and produced the publication in color. City Page Wins Award -City Page was awarded the Grand Award from the APEX 2003 Awards for Publication Excellence sponsored by the editors of Writing That Works: The Business Commuaaications Report. Dfthe more than 5,000 entries, only 100 received Grand Awards, the highest award the judges can present. l' City Sticker Campaign Takes National, Local Awards -The public communications campaign for the city°s vehicle decal transition was judged one of the best marketing campaigns in the nation by the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA). This campaign won an Award of Excellence in 3CMA°s 2003 Sawy Award competition last fall. In January, the campaign received an Honorable Mention in the 2003 Pinnacle Awards competition sponsored by the Hampton Roads chapter of the Public Igelations Society of America. -~ . f City Voice 1V>[ail System (llriunicipal Center) -The Department of Communications an Information Technology completed implementation of the City's new enhanced voicemail system, known as Call Pilot. The City's voicemail system was replaced because the previous system was at full capacity; used aging, potentially expensive technology; and did not integrate well with other telephone systems, limiting the City's customer service abilities. Implementing the new voicemail system will enhance the City's customer service abilities and productivity. The new voicemail system will provide reliable, flexible communication options to callers to the City. .,~~~, ~' Civic Engagerraent -Media and Communications Group staffhas worked in the community to increase the level of civic involvement and input. This activity includes attendance at formal meetings, providing information, informal meetings and occasional specialized aid like meeting facilitation. These activities included an active interface with civic groups, such as the Council of Civic ®rganizations, Taxpayer's Alliance, NAACP, League ofV~omen Voters, VB Vision, Shore Drive Community Coalition, 2°d Precinct CAC, Community Mediation Center, and various civic leagues. 60 ~' Communitg~ Budget Meeting -City Council expressed a desire to increase citizen involvement in the budget process. As a result, a Community Budget Meeting was held on ®ctober 16, 2003 at Corporate banding Middle School to provide citizens with an opportunity to express issues they felt should be addressed in the FY 04-OS Resource Management Plan. About 40 citizens attended the Meeting and through small group discussions answered the following questions: 1) What are the 4 or 5 most important issues that the City should address in next year's budget? 2) What are the 4 or 5 ways you would recommend that these issues be funded? The most important issues identified throughthose discussions were transportation, education, human services, and public safety. The primary recommendations for funding these areas were taxes, fees or charges, and additional federal funding. The results of the Community Budget Meeting were used by departments for the preparation of the FY 04-OS budgets. .~~i4 Community Legislative Pacflcage -The Media and Communications Group facilitates community involvement in the development of the Community Legislative Package by encouraging media coverage, identifying potential participants, developing and sending personal and group invitations, attendee recruitment, meeting arrangements and review ofthe community portion of the Legislative Package. r~. CPRMS tTpgrade - At any given time, the City is managing and tracking multiple Capit Improvement Projects (CIPs) and the millions of dollars associated with these projects. The Department of Communications and Information Technology (ComIT) worked with multiple City departments to enhance the in-house developed application used to track the CIP. `Iarious enhancements to this application (CPRMS) have been made to improve usability, reporting, and historical budgeting. These enhancements were made while continuing to keep the application available 365 days a year. ~~ ~~~~' Debt 1Vianagement • Issued $165,000,000 Public Facility Revenue Bonds through the Development Authority in September 2003. The total cost of the program is approximately $420 million and the City plans on financing about $336 of that total. The major projects involved include the Convention Center Replacement, the Pavilion Theater Replacement, t7pen Space Site Acquisition, ~Ta. Marine Science Museum parking, two public garages at the Town Center, and the 31st Street parking garage. Various revenue streams support the debt service on these bonds including portions of certain taxes (restaurant, hotel, and cigarette taxes), tax increment financing revenues, revenues from the projects, and General Fund support. This is the first in a series of bonds for these projects. • Closed on two installment purchase agreements for $434,688, acquiring 62.4 acres for the Agricultural Reserve Program. 61 • Issued a promissory note to Norfolk for $250,000 for the acquisition of the Adam Thoroughgood House. • Acquired the Williams Farm Property for $S million through an installment purchase agreement for the Open Space Program. • Produced the Annual Lang-Term Debt Report for June 30, 2003. The report outlines all City debt issues and reviews the City's debt policies. • Prepared and mailed to the National Municipal Securities Information Repositories the City's Annual Continuing Disclosure Report in compliance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The report provides financial information on the City and is for the benefit of the holders of the City's bonds. E3: Eflficiency, Effectiveness, and Ezcellence -The City Manager tasked the duality Organization Strategic Issue Team with developing a process that would enable the City to continue providing effective and excellent service while reducing the cost of government. The result is the E3, an internal initiative to further challenge the organization to cut costs and increase productivity. The initiative is being managed by a team from the Organization Development Office, and the Departments of Finance and Hurnan Resources. City Council was briefed on January 20, 2004 and the initiative will formally begin on February 19. !~' Electronic Lookup - In February 2003 the Virginia Beach Voter Registrar's Office began initiating and developing the Electronic Lookup device in conjunction with Ferey International Inc. A pilot device was used in the November 4, 2003 election and worked successfully. This device assisted Election Officials with locating the correct voting precinct for our lost voters without the necessity of calling the Voter Registrar's Office. In addition, the device provides a receipt to the voter with the correct polling location and its address. The precincts that had the equipment provided improved customer service to the voter. The device assists in meeting the mandate of the Help America Vote Act by having the capability of locating the voter's correct polling location and eliminating the need to use provisional voting. The equipment is fast and very user friendly. The voters were receptive of this equipment and were able to key in their own voter identification numbers. The Electronic Lookup device is also capable of scanning barcodes. The Virginia Beach Voter Registrar's Office added barcodes in December 2003 to 60,000 voter registration cards and will scan Voter Registration cards for a pilot project at the February 10, 2004 Democratic Presidential Primary Election. In addition, the office worked with the Division of Motor Vehicles and State Board of Elections to have the capability of scanning drivers licenses at the February 10~' Primary. Such capability would make it possible to scan different types of identification offered at the polls to make for a more secure and accurate election system in line with the Help America Vote Act. 62 `;,~° Electronic Pollbook - In February 2003 the Virginia Beach Voter Registrar's Office began initiating and developing the Electronic Pollbook in conjunction with two different vendors: Ferey and Advance. Two different pilot projects were developed to use the Electronic Pollbook in the November 4, 2003 election and were very successful. Eventually this project could go statewide and save the state millions of dollars. Election Officials can use the electronic pollbooks to verify if someone has already voted at another precinct, therefore increasing the security of the election. Equipment is faster and very user friendly, diminishing lines and allowing anyone to use any line instead of an alphabetical process. Equipment can lead towards a voter becoming more self-sufficient, thus decreasing the amount of election officials necessary to work at the voting precinct. Once an electronic Pollbook is available at all 8b voting precincts it can produce a reduction of one election official for each precinct for a total savings of $7,740 per election. °~ Enhanced VBTV pity Programming - For FY04, three new programs were developed: • "Beach Video Magazine" - A companion to the printed Beach Magazine publication highlighting the people, programs, and activities that make Virginia Beach: A Community for ~ Lifetime. This quarterly series replaced "Profiles of Economic Vitality." Each installment will also incorporate the City Council Members' perspectives on the primary subject areas. • "Close-u " - A 30 minute program featuring cone-on-one interview by the Mayor with community leaders. The program focuses on the guest's career history, interest in city government, and current projects underway that benefit citizens. Initial episodes will focus on members of the City Council. • "Get Involved!" - A 30 minute program to highlight the many ways citizens can learn more about or participate in City government. First year episodes will feature a citizen program participant or graduate. ~~ ~° Facilities 1Vlanagement ®f~ce - In August 2003, the functions formerly performed by the Department of General Services was redirected to other city agencies. Out of this reorganization was the creation of the Facilities Management Office. This office was organizationally placed as a division of the Department of Management Services. Some of the functions of the Facilities Management Office include the allocation of city owned space, negotiation of necessary leases, coordination of the Building Section of the CIP, address any ADA issues on City property and manage parking at the Municipal Center. P~' Financial Management Systems • Led the joint effort between the Treasurer's Office and Finance to enable the Treasurer's Office staff to use the VIBES System for processing refund checks to citizens. The benefits of this project include easier bank reconciliations, automated postings to the general ledger, improved controls and better access to check information. 63 • Expanded the VIBES training curriculum by adding a new advanced inquiry and reporting class. This class enables departments to use the system more productively. Also provided specialized report training to Management Services, Audit Services and School Business Services, as well as training to accountants on the use of recurring journals. • Improved the process for Debt Service payments and led a project to acquire new software to assist in bond administration. • Implemented new system features to help manage and account for expenses incurred as a result of hurricane Isabel. `~{" Haas ~ Wilkerson Pinnacle Award - At the 2003 International Festivals and Events Association, Parks and Recreation was awarded the Bronze Travel of the "Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Award" for promotional materials in support of the "Remember September 11" event held at the ~Ierizon Amphitheater. `{ Human Bights Commissions Building Bridges of ZI'nderstanding Program -The Media and Communications Group and the Department ofHuman Resources developed the Building Bridges of Understanding Dialogue Series to assist the Human Rights Commission to learn what human rights concerns exist in the community. Rather than hosting educational opportunities, Commissioners are spending time with community groups that represent a cross-section of our community to learn what human rights concerns residents have based on their personal experiences. The information collected from each group will be used to identify overlapping themes and determine ways to raise awareness about such issues. i~' In Lean Economic Times, Improved Process Results in Increased lEtevenue for the City - The City receives a significant portion of its revenue from the collection of taxes and fees. Without this revenue, the City would be unable to provide many of the services valued by our citizens. With the recent and continued reduction in funding from the Commonwealth, the City continues to reevaluate operating practices to look for ways to reduce costs or increase revenue. As the result of this process, the Department of Communications and Information Technology (ComIT) made system changes to allow the City to implement changes to the process of calculating penalty fees collected on delinquent personal property taxes. It is estimated that close to $1,000,000 in additional revenue will be realized because of these changes. f` ,John Allen Muhammad TrialiMedia ®perations - In the summer of 2003, it was announced that the trial of John Allen Muhammad would be heard in Virginia Beach instead of Prince William County. Since it was known this case would create a lot of media attention, the City assembled a team to develop a work plan to help minimize the impacts for the Municipal Center and the City as a whole. 64 ~.~I~ The Facilities Management Office was tasked with developing, coordinating and implementing the lagistics plan related to the trial. A logistics workgroup was created from various city and state agencies. This group worked through issues such as traffic flow through the Municipal Center, parking, media workrooms, placement of additional restroom facilities, and finding locations for numerous satellite trucks. Many other issues were identified and addressed in preparation of the trial. It was through the efforts of the logistics committee and the work of many employees carrying out the plan that this trial did, in fact, have minimal disruption on the Municipal Center and its ability to conduct routine business. Numerous compliments were received from people including media representatives that had been on site the majority ofthe trial. The Media and Communications Group worked with the Sheriff s Office and the Department of Communications and Information Technology to develop the Media Plan and coordinate the logistics for 600 media representatives for the Muhammad trial. MCG staffed the Media Center and the satellite truck/tent area at the courthouse from 8 a.m. to ~ p.m., Monday through Friday for six weeks. In a satisfaction survey on the scale of 1-to-S, with five being the highest, the city's overall media services/logistics scored a 4.7. ~'~ dust in Time Inventory -The Department of Communications and Information Technology's (ComIT) City/Schools Printing and Mail Services found that they were running out of space for storing printing materials. To solve this problem, CitylSchools Printing and Mail Services established a quarterly paper bids and contracts process with the City's paper vendors. This arrangement provides "just-in-time" inventory of common paper items, reduced the amount of inventory stored and freed space on production floor. The new process allows the division to receive materials overnight, creating along-term solution for the lack of storage space. As bids are made, the vendor holds that inventory until the materials are needed. Eliminating the inventory of common paper items freed and improved the workspace while enhancing productivity because staff is no longer required to constantly inventory items on hand. The new process also provided needed space for overflow printed pieces housed for customers until pick up. The Just in Time method has provided effectiveness demonstrated by improved inventory control; directly resulting in a significant 25 percent cost reduction. This demonstration of effectiveness will be a continual benefit for years to come. ,~ i" Leadership Speaker's Series -The Police Department received a grant in April 2003 sponsored by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services titled "Creating a Culture of Integrity." This initiative offers grants to major city police organizations throughout the nation who are willing to create pilot programs and share with other law enforcement agencies. A proposal was developed and submitted that would allow the department to continue and strengthen our ongoing efforts to keep values, ethics, and integrity as important 65 elements in all activities. As a result, the department was awarded a grant from the United States Department of Justice in the amount of $118,000 to implement the proposal. The proposal consisted of two components. The first component, representing approximately $62,500, will be dedicated to the leadership development initiative and include a leadership speaker's series. Experts in a variety of leadership and management related fields will provide training to members of the department. All sessions within the series will be made available to members of other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Thus far, representatives from most of the 17 local jurisdictions have attended at least one of the sessions. The second component of the grant will be implemented as a part of the Early Intervention System which will help identify and rectify potential problems before they rise to the level requiring formal discipline. `1~t 1~Iarketing Training - Marketing 'Team -The Public Library Department's Marketing Team set as one of its goals for the year that staff understands the library's business and communicates that understanding to each other and to citizens. To achieve this goal, a subcommittee of the Marketing Team has created atwo-hour training for staff to help them understand that every interaction with a citizen is a marketing opportunity and to learn to project a picture that reflects the Library mission and the values of our profession. The training was presented to managers and supervisors and two additional training are scheduled for staff that plan and present programs as well as those who are interested in and see the value of marketing. The Media and Communications Group actively participated in the six-month development of the Marketing Training Package. The package includes customized training materials, a V~Ieb site, and atwo-hour training scheduled to be given three times in 2004 and repeatable for future staff groupings. The objective of the package is to train all Public Library staff about opportunities to positively "market" the City and department. ft' l~edaa and ComYnunications/Issues 1lilanagement Support - The Media and Communications (croup (MCG) provided public relations strategies, plans, counsel, media relations services, and related publicity services on a variety of major projects and emerging Quality ®rganization issues, including the following: • Citizens Academy • E3 Initiative • Employee College Fair • Building Bridges of YJnderstanding Dialogue Series for Human Rights Commission • Communication of Health Care for Employees • Emergency Media ®perations Planning/Bioterrorism/VVMD components ^~, ~~! 1Vlember Advisory Committee MAC) -Human Resources coordinated the imp ementation of the Member Advisory Committee (MAC). MAC was created as a communication tool to abtain member input on issues and concerns that affect them. The committee consists of 66 representatives from all departments and will meet periodically with the City Manager. The committee developed a prioritized listing of issues and the top three issues are being considered for the current budget process. "~ lYierit Adjustment -City Council provided an increased merit for eligible staff in the organization. The Departments of Human Resources, ComIT and Finance worked together to recalculate retroactive merit increases for 1,800 staff to increase the merit from 3.b5% to 4.05%. .lf I~ew Flezible Shift Schedule -The Department of Communications and Information Technolagy implemented a new schedule allowing Emergency Communications staff to bid on shifts. Selection is determined based on seniority and job performance. Personnel, who do not have the seniority to receive the shift of their choice, remain in rotation and are moved to a permanent shift as bids and staffing levels permit. Three 10-hour shifts were established to provide increased coverage during peak hours. Surveys indicate that employees prefer the new work scheduling process. :f' New Technology Improves City9s Iioeument Storage -The City's Records Management Division stores a tremendous amount of paper documents for City agencies. In November 2003, the Department of Communications and Information Technology deployed a Kodak Archive Writer to decrease the volume of paper document storage and improve document accessibility, while increasing the City's ability to meet storage requirements. ®utdated equipment previously used to convert permanent documents to microfilm, as required by the Commonwealth of Virginia, was retired. -~' Parks and Landscape Services - In August 2003, the Director of Parks and Recreation established three task forces to study and provide recommendations regarding the consolidation of Landscape Services into the Department of Parks and Recreation. As a result of these recommendations, the Department created a new consolidated division, Parks and Landscape Services. Additionally, the Athletics Unit of the Recreation Division was transferred to the new Parks and Landscape Services Division in order to improve the coordination of ball field maintenance and management. A total of $324,000 and 5 FTE's were reduced from the Department's budget as a result of the consolidation. .. ~~~' Payroll • Coordinated the creation of the first "total compensation statements" for City employees that outlines salary and benefits. • Setup check-offboard for payroll jobs to make sure all essential functions are done. • Beta test site for direct database access to VRS. • Enhanced Fire Department payroll processing, saving one day of time per payday. • Corrected Fire Department cycle pay calculation to use straight time rate instead of overtime rate. ~ ~, ~ L~ 67 `.~~ PietoYnetry IDeploy~ent - In ®ctober 2003, the Department of Communications and Information Technology (ComIT) Center for GIS introduced the Electronic Field Survey Application from Pictometry. This new application contains over 26,000 intelligent images of the City. Each Image has a spatial coordinate, enabling users to measure distance, height and area accurately. The application has been installed on over 300 desktops since it's introduction. It is widely used across the City and cuts back on the demand for site visits by inspectors, engineers, and technicians. The Police Department uses it to plan stakeouts, serve warrants, crime scene analysis, and security planning for major events. The Fire Department uses Pictometry to develop pre-fire plans and for disaster planning. Pictometry was used in the Emergency Communications Center during Hurricane Isabel for situational assessment. Pictometry has also been deployed in the Real Estate Assessor's ®ffice. Real estate appraisers use the application to reduce fieldwork and value new decks and fences. The City Assessor estimates that Pictometry will help increase tax revenue by $250,000 a year. ~~ Police Accountant Posation - An accountant position was approved in the FY 03/04 budget using anticipated revenue from the "red light camera project. °' This position addresses a number of fiscal related needs within the Police Department. The Police Department's budget exceeds $69 million, as well as current awarded grants totaling $5 million. In addition to ~~ fiscal tasks for the "red light camera project, the accountant oversees grant tracking and monitoring, financial auditing and tracking of the airplane extradition program, provides budget assistance, and is involved in other financial related matters within the department. ~~ ~ Purchasing • Conducted one `TiBES Procurement Training Session on the City's automated requisition process. Six decentralized buyers, in a variety of departments, were trained to submit requisitions for goods and services electronically. • Awarded seventy-three formal solicitations with an estimated contract value of $61 1~I during the first six-months of FY-2004 for goods and services. • Awarded twenty-three formal solicitations with an estimated contract value of $19 M during the first six-months of FY-2004 for construction. • Awarded twenty price agreement contracts with a potential value of approximately $34 million to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and control of procurements for various City agencies. • Conducted the 5th Annual NIBC Conference and Expo on November 12, 2003. ®ne hundred-eight minority, woman-owned, and small business managers and 83 representatives from local public agencies attended the event. • 1!/Iaintained 100% certification level of professional staff as either Certified Public Purchasing Buyers or Certified Public Purchasing ®fficers. • Received accreditation from the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing for demonstrating outstanding business practices in the field of procurement. 68 "=~ Regional Assistance - At the request of the executive director of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, a Media and Communications Group member consulted on the design for the third meeting in the series for "The Future of Hampton Roads" project. Aid was also requested and provided for civic group recruitment of civic organization participation and facilitation services on the day of the meeting. '~ Relocation of ELVIS Training Center -The Department of Emergency Medical Services moved its Training Center from a 5,328-square-foot leased space at Pembroke ®ffice Park to the former Fire Training Center on Eirdneck Road. The expanded 31,000-square-foot joint Fire and EMS Training Center features four classrooms, two conference rooms, a resource center, five specially designed skill rooms, a 197-seat lecture hall and state-of--the-art audio- visual equipment. Ten staff members were affected by the move, which will save approximately $50,000 annually. The new location is closer to the EMS Administration ®#Fice, allowing for closer interaction between all members of the EMS staff. In addition, the new facility provides easier access for cross-training of fire and EMS personnel, strengthening the relationship between the two departments. Disk 11Ranagement • Coordinated the submission ofProject Worksheets to FEMA resulting from Hurricane Isabel. • Analyzed plan to allow injured workers released to light duty to cross over to alternate departments/divisions for short-term assignments. Documents have been created to capture information for light duty assignments and abilities needed to complete the tasks as well as identifying injured workers and their abilities to allow a reasonable fit of member to task. • Implemented traffic control plans for marathons and parades. • L7pgraded RiskMaster software to comply with new ®SHA reporting format. ~~~ ~i Special Ewent Coordination -The Media and Communications Group helped to coor mate a variety of city events, including the Contemporary Art Center opening of the "Rodriquez Pavilion," the Sandbridge Fire and Rescue Station dedication, the Harvest Fair at Farmer's Market, the ®ceanfront Library groundbreaking, the Annual Veteran's Day event, the Town Center dedication, etc. <-~~,, Sponsorship for Volunteer Council -The Media and Communications Crroup (MCG continues to support the efforts of the Volunteer Council. MCG developed a relationship with Home Depot and solicited a sponsorship resulting in the donation of $10,000 worth of materials and supplies to be used for the Volunteer Recognition Garden Expansion in the coming months. This sponsorship solicitation will help to defray the cost of developing a tribute to our valued volunteers. 69 ~~ VBgov Receives International 12ecognition - In October 2003, VBgov.com received international recognition from the Web community when the International Web Page Award program presented the site with a Certificate of Creative Achievement. To receive this recognition, VBgov.com competed with Web designs produced by Web development firms, ad agencies, major magazines, and others from across the globe. The International Web Page Awards draws entries from Australia, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Egypt, Ecuador, England, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United States. The International Web Page Awards bring recognition to graphic artists, website designers, advertising agencies, corporations, companies, and individuals who wish to spotlight their creativity in interactive design. Judges for the competition are recruited solely from the entries received. Judges review entries utilizing a 26-question critique based on the attributes of the web site. VBgov was the only local government Web site to be recognized in the competition. VBgov received other awards, including a Best Technology Services Award of Excellence from the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA). The Web site was also named the nation's second best city website by the Center for Digital Government. The VBgov.com Web portal averages over 12,000 users per day and nearly half a million visitors each month. Users of VBgov.com include Virginia Beach citizens and businesses, and potential visitors to the City. The effectiveness of VBgov.com is measured through online surveys completed by visitors to the site, emails users send to the City's Web team and the results of Web award programs. .~ '~ Vignette - In the past, information found on Parks and Recreation's website was manually maintained and updated. Anew program, Vignette, now provides non-technical and technical staff with the knowledge and tools necessary to directly add, edit, delete, and share information intended for our Internet users. Parks and Recreation was selected to pilot this new system. The website changes were launched in November 2003, allowing visitors to find information mare easily by category. ~'" V1VISIVI 5tat~' Capteare Two Pinnacle ~iwards - On January 7, 2004, the Public Relations ~?~. Society of America (PRSA) Hampton Roads Chapter presented two Pinnacle Awards to the Virginia Marine Science Museum. The Pinnacle Awards program recognizes the best public relations practices and tactics in the Hampton Roads region. The museum received the award in the Public Relations Practices category, Community Awareness Campaign section for its Ocean in 1~lotion at the Oceanfront program. In the Practices Category, Media Relations Campaign section, the museum received an honorable mention for its (prossology exhibit media relations campaign. C. ~o l~ Voter Registration -The Virginia Beach Voter Registrar's Office registered nearly 14,900 citizens from August 1, 2003 through January 23, 2004 and our current voter registration stands at 247,731. These registrations include mail registrations and registrations that came from various agencies such as Public Health, Social Services, and Mental Health. This Voter Registrar's Office has more than 129,000 registered voters than any other Hampton Roads locality. The Voter Registrar's Office moved 60,000 registrants and added 8 new precincts and changed numerous boundary lines to alleviate overcrowding at precincts and to shorten lines at polls for 2004 elections. Workforce Planning and Development Program -The Workforce Planning and Development Program has been introduced to city departments through an introductory training presentation to potential program coordinators.l~uture classes will include software and competency assessment training. An overview of the Workforce Planning and Development Program and plans for its implementation in the city was presented to City Council. ~~ Youth Volunteer Recognition - In August 2003, the Department of Parks and Recreation celebrated its Xouth Volunteer Recognition event at Kempsville Community Recreation Center. Over 166 youth volunteered this past year at special events, summer day camps, therapeutic recreation programs, swim lessons, parks, and Before and After School. The following outstanding youths were recognized for their singular commitments: Kira Strickland, Mark Crabtree, Ethan Kelley, Matt Fortner and Elizabeth Nguyen. 71