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Home My WebLink AboutMARCH 12, 2026 SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION MINUTES IA- VIRGINL4 BEACH CITY COUNCIL Virginia Beach, Virginia MARCH 12,2026 Mayor Robert M. Dyer called to order the CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION in the City Council Conference Room, Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 3:30 P.M. Council Members Present: Michael F. Berlucchi, Stacy Cummings, Mayor Robert M. Dyer, David Hutcheson, Cal "Cash"Jackson-Green, Robert W "Worth"Remick, Jennifer Rouse, Joashua F. `Joash"Schulman and Rosemary Wilson Council Members Absent: Barbara M. Henley—Arrived at 3:35 P.M. Dr.Amelia N. Ross-Hammond—Arrived at 3:41 P.M. 2 MAYOR'S CALL FOR SPECIAL SESSION ITEM#78094 "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 FORMAL SESSION of the VIRGINM BEACHCITYCOUNCIL Thursday,March 12,2026, at 3:30 P.M. City Council Conference Room—Room 2034 Building 1—2"d Floor 2401 Courthouse Drive The purpose of this SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION is to allow the City Council to convene into a Closed Session to consider the following: • LEGAL ADVICE—Imminent Threat Curfew Ordinance At 4:00 p.m., City Council will reconvene into Open Session in the City Council Chamber to consider the following: • CERTIFY THE CLOSED SESSION • AN ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE A TEMPORARYADDITIONAL CURFEW FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS AND TO AUTHORIZE CERTAINADDITIONAL ACTIONS TO ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT AT THE RESORT AREA The Special Formal Session will be broadcast on the Cable TV, virginiabeach.gov and Facebook Live. Sincerely, ��j►�c./ Robert M. Dyer Mayor" Enclosure cc: City Manager City Attorney City Clerk Deputy City Managers FOL4 Officer Communications Office March 12, 2026 g4IA-B Cityf o Virginia Beach V ,-. Y �q9�s°° OVR.N'00 6 Virginia BeaCh.goV MUNICIPAL CENTER,BUILDING 1 2401 COURTHOUSE DRIVE Robert M. "Bobby" Dyer VIRGINIA BEACH.VA23456-9000 MAYOR OFFICE:(757)385-4581 CELL:(757)407-5105 BDYERCO)VBGOV.COM March 10, 2026 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 FORMAL SESSION of the VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL: Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 3:30 P.M. City Council Conference Room — Room 2034 Building 1 — 2nd Floor 2401 Courthouse Drive The purpose of this SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION is to allow the City Council to convene into a Closed Session to consider the following: • LEGAL ADVICE — Imminent Threat Curfew Ordinance At 4:00 p.m., City Council will reconvene into Open Session in the City Council Chamber to consider the following: • CERTIFY THE CLOSED SESSION • AN ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE A TEMPORARY ADDITIONAL CURFEW FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS AND TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN ADDITIONAL ACTIONS TO ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT AT THE RESORT AREA The Special Formal Session will be broadcast on the Cable TV, virginiabeach.gov and Facebook Live. Sincerely, Robert M. Dyer Mayor Enclosure cc: City Manager City Attorney City Clerk Deputy City Managers FOIA Officer Communications Office 3 ITEM#78095 Mayor Robert M. Dyer entertained a motion to permit City Council to conduct its CLOSED SESSION, pursuant to Section 2.2-3711(A), Code of Virginia, as amended,for the following purpose: LEGAL ADVICE: Consultation with legal counsel employed or retained by a public body regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel pursuant to Section 2.2-3 711(A)(8). • Imminent Threat Curfew Ordinance March 12, 2026 4 ITEM#78095 (Continued) Upon motion by Council Member Jackson-Green, seconded by Council Member Schulman, City Council voted to proceed into CLOSED SESSION at 3:33 P.M. Voting: 9- 0 Council Members Voting Aye: Michael F. Berlucchi, Stacy Cummings, Mayor Robert M. Dyer, David Hutcheson, Cal "Cash"Jackson-Green, Robert W. "Worth"Remick, Jennifer Rouse, Joashua F. "Joash"Schulman and Rosemary Wilson Council Members Absent: Barbara M. Henley Dr. Amelia N. Ross-Hammond Closed Session 3:33 P.M. —3:56 P.M. March 12, 2026 S FORMAL SESSION VIRGINIA BEACH CITY COUNCIL MARCH 12,2026 4:00 P.M. Mayor Dyer called to order the SPECIAL FORMAL SESSION of the VIRGINL4 BEACH CITY COUNCIL in City Council Chamber, City Hall, on Thursday, March 12, 2026, at 4:00 P.M. Council Members Present: Michael F.Berlucchi, Stacy Cummings,Mayor Robert M.Dyer, Barbara M.Henley, David Hutcheson, Cal "Cash" Jackson-Green, Robert W. "Worth" Remick, Dr. Amelia N. Ross-Hammond, Jennifer Rouse, Joashua F. "Joash" Schulman and Rosemary Wilson Council Members Absent: None March 12, 2026 6 III C CERTIFICATION ITEM#78096 Upon motion Council Member Schulman, seconded by Council Member Rouse, City Council CERTIFIED THE CLOSED SESSION TO BE INACCORDANCE WITH THE MOTION TO RECESS Only public business matters lawfully exempt from Open Meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in Closed Session to which this certification resolution applies. AND, Only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the Closed Session were heard, discussed or considered by Virginia Beach City Council. Voting: 11 - 0 Council Members Voting Aye: Michael F.Berlucchi,Stacy Cummings,Mayor Robert M.Dyer,Barbara M.Henley, David Hutcheson, Cal "Cash" Jackson-Green, Robert W "Worth" Remick, Dr. Amelia N. Ross-Hammond, Jennifer Rouse, Joashua F. "Joash" Schulman and Rosemary Wilson Council Members Absent: None March 12, 2026 ,`4G1t�lA aE9c�Y 0`` U =) a yt 6 OF OUR Nit\O'iS RESOL UTION CERTIFICATION OF CLOSED SESSION VIRGINM BEACH CITY COUNCIL WHEREAS: The Virginia Beach City Council convened into CLOSED SESSION,pursuant to the affirmative vote recorded in ITEM 478095 on Page 4 and in accordance with the provisions of The Virginia Freedom of Information Act; and, WHEREAS:Section 2.2-3712 of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by the governing body that such Closed Session was conducted in conformity with Virginia law. NOW, THEREFORE,BE IT RESOLVED: That the Virginia Beach City Council hereby certifies that, to the best of each member's knowledge, (a)only public business matters lawfully exempted from Open Meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in Closed Session to which this certification resolution applies; and, (b) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening this Closed Session were heard, discussed or considered by Virginia Beach City Council. Amanda am s, C City Clerk March 12, 2026 7 ITEM—III D ORDINANCE ITEM#78097 Upon motion by Council Member Cummings, seconded by Council Member Remick, City Council ADOPTED Ordinance to AUTHORIZE a Temporary Additional Curfew for Unaccompanied Minors and to AUTHORIZE Certain Additional Actions to Assist Law Enforcement at the Resort Area Voting: 11 - 0 Council Members Voting Aye: Michael F. Berlucchi,Stacy Cummings,Mayor Robert M.Dyer,Barbara M.Henley, David Hutcheson, Cal "Cash" Jackson-Green, Robert W. "Worth" Remick, Dr. Amelia N. Ross-Hammond, Jennifer Rouse, Joashua F. "Joash" Schulman and Rosemary Wilson Council Members Absent: None March 12, 2026 1 AN ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE A TEMPORARY 2 ADDITIONAL CURFEW FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS 3 AND TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN ADDITIONAL ACTIONS TO 4 ASSIST LAW ENFORCEMENT AT THE RESORT AREA 5 6 WHEREAS, on March 7, 2026 ("March 7"), the City experienced large crowds at 7 the Oceanfront with approximately 50% or more of such crowds being minors; 8 9 WHEREAS, on the evening of March 7, there were multiple incidents of actual or 10 threatened violent behavior, including a shooting that injured 6 persons, and several other 11 near stampedes or riots arising from actual or perceived threats of violence, all of which 12 represented an imminent threat to public health and safety; 13 14 WHEREAS, on March 7, the police department took in excess of 30 juveniles into 15 temporary custody for violating the existing city-wide curfew, some of whom were found 16 to be illegally possessing firearms; 17 18 WHEREAS, the experience of March 7 is consistent with the City's recent historical 19 experience of Oceanfront gatherings on warm evenings in the late winter and early spring; 20 21 WHEREAS, the presence of large crowds of juveniles has tended to correlate to 22 past civil commotions and violent crime occurrences, such as those that occurred on 23 March 7, before the time when the City's unaccompanied minor curfew was in effect; 24 25 WHEREAS, the City has intelligence that certain events likely to result in the 26 gathering of large groups of juveniles or young adults are being advertised for upcoming 27 weekends in March and April and the City believes that events similar to those of March 28 7 could reoccur; 29 30 WHEREAS, the perils associated with such crowds create a complex and dynamic 31 public safety problem, and unaccompanied minors are both part of this problem and 32 potential victims of criminal acts associated with this public safety problem; 33 34 WHEREAS, the City's experience combined with current intelligence gives the City 35 Council a reasonable concern of an imminent threat of a civil commotion or disturbance 36 at the Resort Area for Friday, March 13, 2026, and Saturday, March 14, 2026 and 37 subsequent weekends through April 30, 2026; 38 39 WHEREAS, the City Council finds the existing tools — including the existing city- 40 wide curfew for unaccompanied minors—are not sufficient to effectively respond to urgent 41 public safety threats, like those experienced on March 7 and believed likely to imminently 42 reoccur, and therefore, the City Council needs to implement other tools; 43 44 WHEREAS, the City's enactment of an imminent threat curfew is more limited than 45 the full possible scope authorized by Virginia Code § 15.2-925 and City Code § 23-2.1 46 because it is limited to unaccompanied minors and for only the hours of 7.00 p.m. to 5:00 47 a.m.; 48 49 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY 50 OF VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, THAT: 51 52 (1) The City Council incorporates the findings set forth above. 53 54 (2) The City Council takes this action as a matter of its exercise of the police power 55 consistent with the general grant of such powers by Virginia Code §§ 15.2-1102, 15.2- 56 1700, and City Charter § 2.01. 57 58 (3) The City Council hereby authorizes and directs the Police Chief, upon the 59 concurrence of the City Manager and Mayor, to enact a temporary additional curfew 60 for unaccompanied minors, pursuant to Virginia Code § 15.2-925 and City Code § 61 23-2.1, for Friday, March 13, 2026, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 62 14, 2026; and Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. on Sunday 63 March 15, 2026 and continuing thereafter for a similar time period each weekend 64 through April 30, 2026. The geographical area of such curfew shall be bounded to 65 the south by Rudee Park, the west by the western boundary of Pacific Avenue, the 66 north by the northern boundary of 31s' Street, and the east by the Atlantic Ocean. 67 68 (4) The curfew for unaccompanied minors authorized by this ordinance shall supersede 69 any conflicting provision of the City's unaccompanied minor curfew set forth in City 70 Code § 23-2. 71 72 (5) The City Manager shall provide appropriate public information using the City's 73 website and other means of promulgating information to provide the public with 74 information regarding the curfew and limitations upon pedestrian and vehicular traffic 75 at the Resort Area. Adopted by the Council of the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, on the 12th day of March , 2026. APPRO AS TO CONTENT: APPROVED AS TO LEGAL SUFFICIENCY: Police Department City Attorney's Office CA17114 R-2 March 11, 2026 8 ADJOURNMENT ITEM#78098 Mayor Robert M. Dyer DECLARED the City Council SPECIAL FORMAL SESSIONADJOURNED at 4:04 P.M. Terri H. e ius Chief Deputy City Clerk I I Am a a nes, MIWe Robert M. Dyer City Clerk Mayor City of Virginia Beach Virginia March 12, 2026