The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutJULY 10, 2019 LISTENING SESSION MINUTES Rio .SU w ��j ��oVR NAB°N VIRGINL4 BEACH CITY COUNCIL Virginia Beach, Virginia July 10, 2019 David L.Hansen, City Manager opened the EMPLOYEE LISTENING SESSION in Building 19, Training Room A &B, 2416 Courthouse Drive, at 6:00 P.M. Council Members Present: Michael F. Berlucchi, Mayor Robert M. Dyer, Barbara M. Henley, Rosemary Wilson and Sabrina D. Wooten Council Members Absent: Jessica P.Abbott Louis R. Jones John D. Moss Aaron R. Rouse Guy K. Tower Vice Mayor James L. Wood 2 Attached are the Notes taken by City Staff along with an overview of each of fifteen (15)speakers comments. • July 10, 2019 3 The Employee Listening Session concluded at 6:51 P.M. 1 Amanda Barnes, M City Clerk July 10, 2019 City Council Listening Session July 10, 2019 Bldg. 19, Training Room A & B 1. Thomas M. Colson, Public Utilities — Business: Comments: ➢ Worked in building 2 ➢ Barricaded, (was)fearing for his life, (has)emotional scars, PTSD ➢ No regards for the survivors ➢ Employees are in tight quarters (currently)with no privacy, must eat/talk at a picnic area and deal with issues like inclement weather ➢ Received no additional time off after the Tragedy ➢ (Military) veterans prepare for this sort of event but there has been no preparation for civilians ➢ Funds from the United Way are going to the victims and injured — not the other survivors 2. Daryll Johnson, Public Utilities: Comments: ➢ Bldg. 2 survivor ➢ "Reaction was not based on people who went through the tragedy" ➢ Need support — "Now we need you to think about us, the existing staff who continue to go to work" ➢ What we heard is not what we saw ➢ Needed more time before coming back to work ➢ Gets sick every morning (before coming to work) 3. Rasheda Gregory, Public Utilities: Comments: ➢ Was in building 2 at time of shooting ➢ This is what life is like every day — a molested child being moved across the street but having to look at the house where molestation happened ➢ Stomach hurts, gets little sleep, could not watch fireworks with family, which happens each year, because it takes me back to May 31 ➢ Wakes up several times during the evening to make sure the doors are locked ➢ All the memorial services are not allowing us to heal ➢ I did not sign up for this when I filled out the application ➢ Citizens calling every day — not caring about us being shot at ➢ WE ARE NOT O.K. 4. Robin Stamper, ECCS: Comments: ➢ Thank you, opposed to guns/weapons in the work place ➢ IT will (make) the environment unstable ➢ VB is greatest City in the world ➢ Provide stellar service from Mgr/Supervisors/Dept. Directors ➢ Satisfactory work is current ➢ Bldg. 2 — Employees do not return but believes bldg. should be renovated ➢ Serve our citizens is our business 5. Vincent Smith, Public Works — Engineering: Comments: ➢ Thankful for people with badges ➢ Allowing concealed weapons may have stopped evil ➢ It's a good building, support renovating and naming "531" ➢ Evil exists not possible to stop all evil ➢ Millions stripped of their rights to satisfy the few ➢ Underlying mental health issues need to be addressed — multiple levels ➢ Citizens have rights to safety — employees must surrender their rights to safety when they come to work ➢ Completed hours of research on study of municipalities who allow weapons in work space ➢ (Representatives)Richmond underway to strip rights ➢ This is what progressive organizations do ➢ Stagnant leadership 6. Esther Dornin, Pubic Works — Engineering Storm Water: Comments: ➢ Collaboration with staff ➢ Thank you ➢ Don't feel safe ➢ Outside surveillance metal detectors, First Aid kits were lacking ➢ Active Shooter training during orientation ➢ Different notification of active shooter such as: "emergency button", lights up on phone, 911 reverse system, ➢ Barriers solid core door/locked door —office layout "maze", easy access to get out ➢ Taking advantage of mental health service 7. Charles J. Loveless, VBPD: Comments: ➢ Responded to bldg. 2 ➢ Began to search, render aid and look for other victims ➢ Police are humans and suffer from PTSD ➢ Biggest issue (mass shooting) some officers will face in their life ➢ Many officers are unable to speak (out about shooting) ➢ (The City is) asking officers to re-enter the building ➢ Memories of cell phones ringing and visions of victims ➢ Can still remember exactly what happened that day ➢ Honor victims — survivors are victims too ➢ Tear down the building ➢ Still see building and remember what happened ➢ Stairwells are what we had to go up and down ➢ Please do not name it "531" 8. Norbert Kuhn, Public Works — Engineering: Comments: ➢ Not in building at time of shooting ➢ Need an Emergency Mass Communication System ➢ "Adhoc" ➢ Bypass 911 operators ➢ No question if emergency is real ➢ Employees saw bodies and the shooter ➢ Employee called 3 times, 911 operator questioned "is that a body, where is the building"; employee hung up on operator • Fire alarm — "seconds matter" 9. Brent Werlein, Public Utilities — Engineering: Comments: ➢ Bldg 2 employee ➢ Not in office at the time of event ➢ Disappointed how this event has been handled ➢ Does not appreciate asking people to stand up and give their name in front of the media and strangers ➢ "You know what the internet does to people" ➢ You should visit the employees at their workspaces, funerals etc. ➢ Thank you if you did attend and if you did what I'm asking ➢ Find a way for employees to get help without using personal leave, new employees have to use PTO leave ➢ Move PD into bldg. 2 10. Christine Smith, Public Utilities-Business Division: Comments: ➢ Receptionist ➢ "Mourning" trying to adapt and trying to heal ➢ Having to "use personal time for appointments ➢ "We are broken" ➢ "We need help healing" ➢ Worked with the shooter ➢ "Stairwells are hard" ➢ Co-workers were family ➢ Tear down building 2 ➢ Can't go by building anymore! 11. Todd Grissom, IT: Comments: ➢ Bldg. 2 employee, ex-wife in Bldg. 2 ➢ A fixed VBAlert system a priority ➢ "Stop the Bleed" training for everyone as well as any additional training ➢ "I love building 2 and am happy to return to work" ➢ Next of kin notification "sucked"; having to wait to tell kids 12. Tiana L. Randolph, Commission of the Revenue: Comments: ➢ Security: knives/mace/weapons prevent attacks ➢ Bldg. 2 should be renovated into a gym, interactive activities (allow for networking) — if not bldg. 2 another building should serve that purpose ➢ Mentally ill people kill people, guns don't kill people 13. Tara MaGee, Public Utilities: Comments: ➢ Counselors only there 2 days a week ➢ Pray for Public Utilities ➢ Was in bldg. 2 — trapped ➢ Mental health important, training that needs to be done, unable to return to work ➢ I have been changed, pray the change is for the better later down the line ➢ Mandatory supervisor training, work place violence ➢ I would never feel safe ➢ Employees disrespected, culture in Public Utilities is what we witnessed ➢ No regard for survivors, heard the shot ➢ City responding horribly ➢ I was there at 4:14; that was the shot that took his (Keith Cox) life ➢ City demanded (they) return 14 days later 14. Matt Berg, ECCS-911: Comments: ➢ Supervisor in his department ➢ Agree to have weapons ➢ You never know when someone will make the decision to hurt someone. 15. Tionna Thomas, Public Utilities: Comments: ➢ Employee in bldg. 2 ➢ Virginia Beach is a business ➢ No matter what have to remember all victims ➢ Will always be the building where "Tragedy" happened ➢ Guns not problem or answer ➢ Based on how we are treated in Public Utilities — have not gotten anywhere ➢ (must) deal with management in department ➢ (must) use personal time for appointment; do not have a time to get help ➢ Can't give to customers if we don't have it to give ➢ We are the reason why Virginia Beach is thriving