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Home My WebLink AboutJULY 23, 2020 SPECIAL SESSION MINUTES 0N�Bic et o- s, 5 n ro a .> 6m of OUR h4[: .I CIT Y BEACH CC TY COUNCIL Virginia Beach, Virginia July 23, 2020 Mayor Robert M.Dyer called to order the SPECIAL MEETING at the Convention Center, Thursday,July 23, 2020, at 7:00 P.M. Council Members Present: Jessica P. Abbott, Michael F. Berlucchi, Mayor Robert M. Dyer, Louis R. Jones, John D. Moss, Aaron R. Rouse, Guy K. Tower, Rosemary Wilson, Vice Mayor James L. Wood and Sabrina D. Wooten Council Members Absent: Barbara M. Henley—Arrived late 2 CALL TO ORDER ITEM#70564 Mayor Dyer read the Mayor's Call for the SPECIAL MEETING: July 20, 2020 "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 for a SPECIAL MEETING of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL Thursday,July 23,2020 7:00 P.M. Virginia Beach Convention Center 100019t Street The purpose of this SPECIAL SESSION is for the City Council to hold a Public Hearing on the Intent to Remove or Relocate a Publicly Owned Monument at the intersection of Princess Anne Road and North Landing Road. Following the Public Hearing, the City Council may consider action on the Publicly Owned Monument. Citizens may comment either in person or virtually. If you would like to speak in person,please call the City Clerk's office at 757-385-4303 to sign up. If you wish to make comments virtually on the public hearing,please follow the two-step process provided below: •Register for the WebEx at: https://vbgov.webex.com/vbgov/onstage/g.php?MTID=ef8085fbd57e5012061fb0cd02304f4f9 •Register with the City Clerk's Office by calling(757) 385-4303 or via email at ABarnes@vbgov.com prior to 5:00 p.m. on July 23, 2020 This Special Session will be streamed live on www.vbgov.com and Facebook Live, and will be recorded for rebroadcast on Cable TV. Citizens are encouraged to submit their comments to the City Council prior to the Special Session via email at CityCouncilna,vbgov.com. Sincerely, Robert M.Dyer Mayor Cc: City Manager City Attorney City Clerk Deputy City Managers FOIA Officer Communications Office July 23, 2020 al40141A•Boo, f City of Virginia Beach Ls Bev` OF OUR N4104 5 ROBERT M.'BOBBY"DYER MUNICIPAL CENTER MAYOR BUILDING 1,ROOM 234 2401 COURTHOUSE DRIVE VIRGINIA BEACH,VA 23456-9000 (757)385-4581 FAX(757)385-5699 July 20, 2020 BDYER�vBGOV.COM 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 for a SPECIAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL Thursday,July 23, 2020 7:00 P.M. Virginia Beach Convention Center 1000191h Street The purpose of this SPECIAL SESSION is for the City Council to hold a Public Hearing on the Intent to Remove or Relocate a Publicly Owned Monument at the intersection of Princess Anne Road and North Landing Road. Following the Public Hearing, the City Council may consider action on the Publicly Owned Monument. Citizens may comment either in person or virtually. Ifyou would like to speak in person,please call the City Clerk's office at 757-385-4303 to sign up. Ifyou wish to make comments virtually on the public hearing,please follow the two-step process provided below: •Register for the WebEx at: https://vbgov.webex.com/vbgov/onstage/g.php?MTID=ef8085fbd57e5012061 fb0cd02304f4f9 •Register with the City Clerk's Office by calling(757)385-4303 or via email at ABarnesna,vbgov.com prior to 5:00 p.m. on July 23, 2020 This Special Session will be streamed live on www.vbgov.com and Facebook Live, and will be recorded for rebroadcast on Cable TV. Citizens are encouraged to submit their comments to the City Council prior to the Special Session via email at CityCouncil(a,vbgov.com. Sincerely, Robert M.Dyer Mayor Cc: City Manager City Attorney City Clerk Deputy City Managers FOIA Officer Communications Office 3 PUBLIC HEARING ITEM#70565 Mayor Dyer DECLARED a PUBLIC HEARING: The following registered to speak: Barbara Messner, P. O. Box 514, spoke in OPPOSITION Teresa Stanley, (Hands United for Building Bridges) 143 Castilian Drive, Phone: 286-5858, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Jamal Gunn, 601 Hunts Pante Drive, Phone: 576-1295, spoke in SUPPORT of removal W. H. Aygarn, 2264 Stowe Road, Phone: 426-6675, spoke in OPPOSITION of removal Wendy Hayslett, 2305 Shell Road#12, Hampton, Phone: 327-8253, spoke in OPPOSITION of removal Dave Cockrum, 812 Gene Crescent, Phone: 510-2862, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Mike Hashemy, 5009 Ravenswood, Phone: 580-0046, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Lawrence McCulley, 4201 McArthur Place, Phone: 471-4952, did not respond Karen Causey, 5322 Pandoria Avenue, Phone: 472-3306, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Tammy Hugate, 7946 Redman Road, Norfolk, Phone: 542-9565, requested same action for all monuments to either all remain or remove all to a common ground. Brenda Smith, 5445 Old Providence Road, Phone: 420-1277, did not respond Merle Rutledge, Phone: 286-8997, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Frank Earnest, 945 Banyan Drive, Phone: 474-0624, spoke in OPPOSITION of removal Jerome Bell, 3053 Clarke Drive, Phone: 318-1306, spoke in OPPOSITION of removal Elizabeth Stuart, Phone: 320-6083, spoke in OPPOSITION of removal Gilbert Garcia, 900 Ring Field Road, Phone: 404-4313, spoke in OPPOSITION of removal Carl Wright, 1144 Mondrain, Phone: 235-5596, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Jonathan Kelly, 611 Morris Avenue,Norfolk, Phone: 734-634-6381, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Aiden McLaren, 201 West 21'Street, Norfolk, Phone: 582-9159, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Patrick Cosgrove, 2637 Broad Bay Road, Phone: 621-3975, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Jeffery Cannon, did not respond Jay Boone, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Aubrey Jones, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Wendell Lundy, 1348 Old Buckroe Road, Hampton, Phone: 503-1358, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Rabbi Israel Zoberman, 905 Brookbury Court, Phone: 617-0334, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Rick Klobuchar, 758 Suffolk Lane, Phone: 560-5590, requested City Council make decision based on the right reasons and not a political one. July 23, 2020 4 PUBLIC HEARING ITEM#70565 (Continued) Ian Lichacz, 1201 East Bay Shore Drive, Phone: 633-5765, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Mary Richardson, 412 Susan Constant Drive, Phone: 428-7893, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Mike Armistead, P. O. Box 5037, Suffolk, spoke in OPPOSITION of removal Hanna Nicole Merk, 21011 '/2 Street, Phone: 949-3439, spoke in OPPOSITION of removal Michelle Dovey, 507 Holmes Boulevard, Phone: 929-349-8308, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Andrew Jackson, 153 Upperville Road, Phone: 472-0901, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Al Henley, 3112 Colechester Road, Phone: 426-699, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Shekita Jackson, Phone: 339-9535, did not respond Kermitt Mangram, 3504 Mare Lane, Phone: 288-7923, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Jerome Cooper, 3772 Candy Court#203, Phone: 348-4027, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Tess Amoruso, 828 Sparrow Road, Phone: 575-8569, could not connect via WebEx Tahirah Mangram, 3504 Mare Lane, Phone: 816-2551, spoke in SUPPORT of removal Monta Mangram, 3504 Mare Lane, Phone.• 761-2551, spoke in SUPPORT of removal There being no additional speakers, Mayor Dyer CLOSED the PUBLIC HEARING July 23, 2020 5 ITEM— V G.3 ORDINANCES ITEM#70566 Upon motion by Vice Mayor Wood, seconded by Council Member Wilson, City Council ADOPTED, Resolution directing the removal and storage of the Princess Anne County Confederate Monument and the solicitation of possible relocation sites Voting: 11-0 Council Members Voting Aye: Jessica P. Abbott, Michael F. Berlucchi, Mayor Robert M. Dyer, Barbara M.Henley,Louis R.Jones,John D.Moss,Aaron R.Rouse, Guy K. Tower, Rosemary Wilson, Vice Mayor James L. Wood and Sabrina D. Wooten Council Members Absent: None July 23, 2020 1 A RESOLUTION DIRECTING THE REMOVAL AND 2 STORAGE OF THE PRINCESS ANNE COUNTY 3 CONFEDERATE MONUMENT AND THE SOLICITATION 4 OF POSSIBLE RELOCATION SITES 5 6 WHEREAS, the Princess Anne County Confederate Monument (the "Monument") 7 was erected in 1905 near what was then the Princess Anne County Courthouse at the 8 intersection of Princess Anne Road and North Landing Road; 9 10 WHEREAS, the Monument, which consists of a statue, pedestal, and base, is 11 viewed by many as a divisive reminder of a painful past, and the City Council has 12 concluded that the public property at the City's Municipal Complex is not the proper place 13 for the Monument; 14 15 WHEREAS, in accordance with Virginia Code § 15.2-1812, the City on June 21, 16 2020 caused to be published public notice of the intent to remove or relocate the 17 Monument and of a public hearing on July 23, 2020, on the removal or relocation of the 18 Monument, and interested citizens were advised that they could appear in person at the 19 public hearing or provide written comments to the City Council in advance of the hearing; 20 21 WHEREAS, having held that hearing, it is the consensus of the City Council that 22 the Monument should be relocated; and 23 24 WHEREAS, a site on private property in the southern part of the City has been 25 identified as a possible relocation site, but in accordance with the requirements of Virginia 26 Code § 15.2-1812, before a final decision is made on the site to which the Monument 27 would be relocated, the City Council desires to solicit interest from any museum, historical 28 society, government, or military battlefield; 29 30 NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY 31 OF VIRGINIA BEACH VIRGINIA THAT: 32 33 1. The City Manager shall promptly solicit proposals from museums, historical 34 societies, governments, and military battlefields as a potential relocation site, and 35 30 days after such solicitations, staff shall review any such proposals and provide 36 the Council with an analysis of the merits of such proposals; 37 38 2. The City Manager shall (1) cause the immediate removal and secure storage of 39 the statue while staff solicits those entities for relocation proposals; (2) take steps 40 to protect the structural integrity of the pedestal and base once the statue is 41 removed; and (3) ensure that the box of items placed in the base in 1904 is 42 preserved and provided to the appropriate City staff for care and conservation; 43 44 3. The City Manager is authorized to transfer funds from existing appropriations to 45 pay for any expenses necessary to remove and store all parts of the Monument; 46 47 4. The City Manager shall direct staff to complete the steps necessary to obtain a 48 certificate of appropriateness for the permanent removal of the Monument from its 49 present site; 50 51 5. That the City Attorney shall prepare the appropriate agenda item to designate the 52 relocation site of the Monument and shall take steps to include that item on the 53 Council's agenda promptly, but no sooner than 30 days after the City Manager 54 solicits the proposals detailed above. Adopted by the City Council of the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia on the 23 r dday of July , 2020. APPROVED AS TO LEGAL SUFFICIENCY: City Attorney's Office CA15121 R-4 July 22, 2020 6 ADJOURNMENT ITEM#70567 Mayor Robert M. Dyer DECLARED the SPECIAL MEETING ADJOURNED at 8:40 P.M. e . Chief Deputy City Clerk Amanda a nes, MMC Robert M. Dyer City Clerk Mayor City of Virginia Beach Virginia July 23, 2020