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🏛️Unpacking the Agenda: The Sept 10th City Council Rundown

What's on the Docket?

Author

Paul Stetson Rice
September 10, 2024

Here’s what’s coming up in the City Council meetings today, Tuesday, September 10th. 

3:30 pm City Council Work Session

I. AGENDA OVERVIEW 

Presenter: Patrick Roberts, City Manager 

II.2024 RESIDENT SURVEY RESULTS

Presenters: Pete Buryk, Director of Budget
Jason Morado, Vice President and Director of Community Research, ETC Institute

III. CITY PLANNING UPDATE

Presenter: Bobby Tajan, Director of Planning

IV. CLOSED SESSION

Disposition Of Property
Acquisition Of Property
Contract Matter

6:00 pm City Council Formal Session Meeting

Public Hearing Agenda

This ordinance authorizes the City Manager to execute a purchase agreement between the City of Norfolk and Golden Eagle Consulting II, and the Pamunkey Indian Tribe for parcels of land adjacent to Harbor Park. The ordinance additionally approves a development agreement, approves a Construction and Use Covenant, and authorizes the City Manager to enter into certain easements, maintenance agreements, and other agreements as are required by the City of Norfolk site plan review process.

The agreement include minimum standards for the scope of the Casino project including: 

  • an upscale casino featuring not less than 750 Electronic Gaming Machines and 25 table games;

  • several food and beverage venues including a food hall, a sports bar and grill, and a fine dining restaurant and lounge,

  • a connected hotel tower with at least 150 rooms, including a lobby bar, coffee shop and retail store;

  • an approximately 500-seat intimate showroom;

  • an attached multi-level parking garage with sufficient parking (including at least 103 dedicated parking spaces for AMTRAK), with an outdoor function space located on the parking garage or on another elevated portion of the Project as reflected in the Conceptual Plan and the approved Schematic Design Plans; and

  • spa and fitness center.

While the agreement mentions sustainable construction practices as well as local hiring and purchasing preferences, there are no detailed provisions for those actions or clear guarantees for their completion. 

More Context:
The Virginian-Pilot documents how the plans have downsized in recent years including previous plans with:

  • A $700 million price tag

  • 500 four-diamond hotel rooms

  • 3,500-4,500 slot machines and 100-225 table games

  • A 750-seat entertainment venue and a spa

  • 3-5 restaurants

  • Roughly 6,500 parking spaces

This ordinance authorizes an electric vehicle charging station on the Norfolk Ikea. 

This ordinance would allow the operation of a short term rental at 7715 Castleton Place.

This ordinance would allow the operation of a short term rental at 241 West Ocean View Avenue.

This ordinance would allow the operation of a tattoo parlor Named “Karina Michele Permanent Cosmetics” at 2113 Colonial Avenue. 

This ordinance would allow Lake Wright Quality Suites and Sleep Inn to operate a banquet hall with live entertainment and the sale of alcoholic beverages. 

This ordinance would allow the operation of a short term rental at 9608 19th Bay Street.

This ordinance would allow the operation of a short term rental at 909 Hillside Avenue.

This ordinance would allow the operation of a short term rental at 4036 East Ocean View Avenue.

Regular Agenda

This ordinance “certifies Golden Eagle Consulting II, LLC, as the preferred casino gaming operator” for the casino project. Boyd Gaming Corporation will own a majority interest in “Golden Eagle Consulting II,” while the Pamunkey Tribe will hold an equity interest of at least 20%. 

More context:
Virginia Code § 58.1-4109 suggests that a preferred casino gaming operator should be named within 30 days of the referendum. Other language at Section 58.1-4107 also requires a gaming operator be named prior to the referendum for preliminary certification. 

The resolution includes reference to the City of Norfolk submitting “the Pamunkey Indian Tribe” as preferred gaming operator both before and after the 2020 referendum. It is not abundantly clear if Golden Eagle Consulting II was the entity previously certified as preferred gaming operator; however, at least in part due to the change in equity ownership, a new certification is being done. It is unclear whether this would be considered a new casino gaming operator under Virginia Code and whether Virginia Code allows the City to submit a new preferred gaming operator in this manner. 

This ordinance would grant Golden Eagle Consulting II, LLC the “right of entry” on several city-owned lots for use as a construction laydown area.  

This ordinance would accept a bid for an eight-year parking garage lease for 51 spaces in the Main Street Garage at 230 E. Main Street with Boyd Norfolk, llc at a rate of $131 per month. 

More context:
Presumably the LLC leasing these spaces is related to Boyd Gaming, the newest partner in the casino development.  

This ordinance approves City officials to enter into an Interim Agreement with Armada Hoffler Construction Company under the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2002 (PPEA) for the preliminary design of the East Bute Street Garage project. 

More Context

This project is part of the Bruce Smith-backed development named “78 at St. Paul’s.” The City of Norfolk is funding the 500-space parking garage required for the development, in addition to having sold the land at a considerable discount. 

This ordinance accepts and appropriates $500,000 from the Hampton Roads Workforce Council's Norfolk Strong Project Grant to be used for the Department of Neighborhood Services’ Eviction Prevention Assistance Program.

This ordinance accepts and appropriates in $320,762.70 grant funds from Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Stormwater Local Assistance Fund to be used for Hague Constructed Wetland Project. 

This ordinance accepts and appropriates $212,513 in grant funds from Virginia Department of Environmental Quality Stormwater Local Assistance Fund. The funds are matched by previously appropriated funds of $212,513. The funds will be used for the Pleasant Point Living Shoreline project.

This ordinance accepts and appropriates $334,079 in grant funds from The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. The funds are matched by previously appropriated funds of $17,583.11. The funds will be used to support the design of the Steamboat Creek Living Shoreline project, which seeks to stabilize eroding banks in Campostella Heights and other neighborhoods.

More Context:
The Flood Preparedness Fund is funded via the proceeds from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Governor Youngkin removed the RGGI mandade in his proposed budget, a change that was reflected in the approved budget. 

This ordinance accepts and appropriates $3,705,000 in grant funds from The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. The funds are matched by previously appropriated funds of $195,000. The funds will be used for the restoration of tidal marsh along 1,500 linear feet of eroding shoreline near the East Ocean View Community Center. 

More Context: 
VIMS Brief on monitoring shoreline change at this location.
The Flood Preparedness Fund is funded via the proceeds from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Governor Youngkin removed the RGGI mandade in his proposed budget, a change that was reflected in the approved budget. 

This ordinance accepts and appropriates $2,321,750 in grant funds from The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund. The funds are matched by previously appropriated funds of $122,198. The funds will go toward the Restoration of Tidal Marsh In The Grandy Village Public Housing Community Project. 

More Context:
The Flood Preparedness Fund is funded via the proceeds from Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Governor Youngkin removed the RGGI mandade in his proposed budget, a change that was reflected in the approved budget. 

This ordinance amends a previous appropriation meant to match the $1,600,000 from the Department of Transportation Reconnecting Communities Project, to bring the total matching funds to $1,500,000. 

Further context :

The Reconnecting Communities Program funding was awarded to the City in 2023. This funding will allow the City to study and evaluate I-264 and its multiple interchanges surrounding the downtown area.

More Context:
Reconnecting Communities Pilot Grant Program 
2023 coverage explaining that the project seeks to evaluate options for removing parts of Interstate 264 in Downtown.

This ordinance allows the City of Norfolk to accept properties at 626, 628 and 640 35th Street from the Economic Development Authority and to assume a contract with Compo Construction for the Design/Build Master Services. 

This ordinance renews the Norfolk Community Services Board's Performance Contract with the Commonwealth for Fiscal Year 2025. 

This ordinance would authorize the sale of two vacant city-owned properties at 218 and 220 W. 27th Street to Foreman Services, LLC. The property is zoned Multi-Family Neighborhood-Scale; however, the agreement requires the buyer to build a new, single-family dwelling.

This resolution appoints 6 members to 2 commission, 2 boards and 2 authorities. The members and the exact boards were not included in the provided documents. 

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