City Council

CITY OF COLONIAL HEIGHTS, VIRGINIA Special Meeting of City Council Tuesday, March 18, 2025 1. Call to Order. The Special Meeting of the City Council was called to order by Mayor Kochuba at 6:00 P.M. 2. Roll Call. Present: Councilwoman Elizabeth G. Luck Councilwoman Tricia L. Palmer Councilman Craig R. Skalak Councilman Brad E. Slaybaugh Councilman John T. Wood Vice Mayor John E. Piotrowski Mayor T. Gregory Kochuba Absent: None Also Present: Mr. Douglas E. Smith, City Manager Mr. Hugh P. Fisher, III, City Attorney Mrs. Pamela B. Wallace, City Clerk The Clerk announced the purpose of the closed meeting. 3. Closed meeting pursuant to the Code of Virginia in accordance with the following provisions:  Paragraph A.1 of Section 2.2-3711, to discuss or consider the performance of the City Manager. A motion to convene in a closed meeting was made by Mrs. Luck, seconded by Mr. Skalak. Vote: 7-0 Yes: Luck Palmer Skalak Slaybaugh Wood Piotrowski Kochuba No: None Absent: None Abstained: None Motion UNANIMOUS PASS 4. Vote to come back into open meeting. Special Meeting Minutes March 18, 2025 Page 2 A motion to reconvene in open session was made by Mayor Kochuba, seconded by Mrs. Palmer, and carried unanimously on roll call vote at 7:22 P.M. Vote: 7-0 Yes: Luck Palmer Skalak Slaybaugh Wood Piotrowski Kochuba No: None Absent: None Abstained: None Motion UNANIMOUS PASS As stated by the Clerk, the Council was in a closed meeting pursuant to the Code of Virginia in accordance with the following provisions:  Paragraph A.1 of Section 2.2-3711, to discuss or consider the performance of the City Manager Consideration of the following certification: Each member will now certify that to the best of the member’s knowledge (i) only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements of the act and (ii) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which the closed meeting was convened were heard, discussed, or considered in the meeting by the public body. Any member who believes there was a departure from the requirements of clauses (i) and (ii), shall so state prior to the vote, indicating the substance of the departure that, in his judgment, has taken place. Council members approved this certification without any stating departure from the requirements of clauses (i) and (ii) by the following roll call vote: Vote: 7-0 Yes: Luck Palmer Skalak Slaybaugh Wood Piotrowski Kochuba No: None Special Meeting Minutes March 18, 2025 Page 3 Absent: None Abstained: None Motion UNANIMOUS PASS Before continuing, Mayor Kochuba announced that an ordinance supporting awarding the City Manager a bonus would be presented at the April 8, 2025, Regular Meeting. 5. Declarations of Personal Interest There were none. Before continuing, Mayor Kochuba asked that Item 6E be moved to 6A with the following items remaining the same. 6. A Work Session on the following items: A. Regional Opioid Settlement Cooperative Grant Opportunities At the request of Mr. Smith, Dr. Caballero presented several grant opportunities available to the City. He advised of the collaborative and strategic planning process, initiated by Colonial Heights, to guide the use of opioid settlement funds. This effort involved community engagement, with input from professionals and individuals, to assess resident needs, current services, strengths, and barriers to care. Concluding, Dr. Caballero, with the assistance of Becca Lynch from Youth and Human Services, provided information on several grant opportunities supporting this effort. Council unanimously supported each of the following grant opportunities:  DSS Family Engagement Grant  PPW Hospital Liaison Grant  Compass Jail Grant  City of Refuge Transportation Grant Addressing Mayor Kochuba’s question, Dr. Caballero advised that once grants are approved, the grant manager will identify those who best qualify as recipients of the grant proceeds. B. AN ORDINANCE NO 25-6 (First Reading) to adopt a revised Public Safety pay Plan that sets a new starting salary for Police Officer and Firefighter – EMT Combined: that provides a 2% increase between steps; that sets the Firefighter-Intermediate pay grade at 2% higher than the Firefighter – EMT combined pay grade; that sets the Firefighter – Paramedic pay grade at 10% above the firefighter – EMT combined pay grade; and that increases by 1% the steps of each pay grade for all Police Department supervisor positions, all Fire Department supervisor Special Meeting Minutes March 18, 2025 Page 4 positions, Communications Center positions, and Animal Control positions in the pay plan. A motion was made by Mrs. Palmer, seconded by Mrs. Luck, to approve Ordinance No. 25-6. Mayor Kochuba reminded those in attendance that the proposed ordinance had been reviewed during the Council Retreat and was now being presented for a vote. Mr. Smith outlined the public hearing schedule, noting that the ordinance is intended to be retroactive to March 26, 2025, aligning with the date specified in Resolution No. 25-15. He also acknowledged the challenges of implementing a pay plan of this nature, particularly in managing changes and anticipating impacts across various areas. In addition to the proposed recommendations, Mr. Smith stated that staff will continue working on employee compensation proposals for implementation by July 1. He emphasized that part of this ongoing review will include examining how changes affect lower-level staff compared to higher-level staff. The estimated cost of the changes outlined in the ordinance, including general employee adjustments, is approximately $395,000 annually, with one quarter of that amount affecting the current fiscal year. Mrs. Palmer provided comments advocating for the lower salaries of certain public works employees, to which Mr. Smith advised that the salaries mentioned would be discussed during the budget process. Mr. Smith concluded by addressing questions from Council and providing further clarification on items included in the proposed ordinance. There being no further discussion, Mayor Kochuba called for the vote. Vote: 7-0 Yes: Luck Palmer Skalak Slaybaugh Wood Piotrowski Kochuba No: None Absent: None Abstained: None Motion UNANIMOUS PASS C. Discussion of the Proposed FY2026-2030 Capital Improvement Plan Mayor Kochuba outlined the purpose of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP), noting that while some items are flexible, not all can be revised. He emphasized that page two of the CIP will be included in the FY 25/26 budget. He also inquired about postponing the Medic Special Meeting Minutes March 18, 2025 Page 5 933 replacement to prioritize sidewalk improvements on the east side of the Boulevard, but staff clarified that funds had already been allocated. Addressing Mr. Wood’s question, Mr. Flippen confirmed full funding for the sidewalk project referenced on page 25. Mrs. Palmer recommended offering certifications for in- house stormwater maintenance to reduce outsourcing. There was continued discussion with staff addressing various questions from Council; however, no modifications were made to the proposed CIP. D. Shepherd Stadium Improvements Update and Overflow Parking Discussion Mr. Spruill provided an update on the ongoing improvements and developments at Shepherd Stadium. The report includes progress on several key components of the project: 1. Concrete Picnic Area and Storage Building Pad 2. Bids have been received for constructing the concrete picnic area and the pad for the storage building. Purchase Orders (POs) are scheduled to be issued tomorrow morning. Mr. Spruill noted that the project remains under budget at this time. 3. Locker Room and Restroom Upgrades Contractors and engineering staff have conducted a site assessment of the locker room and restroom areas to develop recommendations for potential upgrades. Specifications for the upgrades are expected to be finalized within the week. Sealed bid information will be received the following week. 4. Scoreboard Installation Engineering work related to the new scoreboard has been completed. Staff is currently awaiting cost estimates for installation. The new scoreboard is in the process of being installed, while the existing scoreboard will be retained for use during youth games. 5. Stadium Seating The installation of new stadium seating is scheduled, with an anticipated completion date of late August or early September. 6. Parking Expansion Currently, there are 224 assigned parking spaces at the stadium. There has been ongoing discussion about increasing parking capacity, with plans to remove the field along Wright and Meridian Avenues to accommodate further parking expansion. 7. Merchandise area and hospitality platform 8. Conceptual drawings are being considered by the Chili Peppers for a new merchandise area and hospitality platform in the current merchandise area. Mr. Spruill clarified several questions from the Council; however, there were no requests for changes. At the close of the presentation, Mayor Kochuba called for the vote. Vote: 7-0 Yes: Luck Palmer Skalak Special Meeting Minutes March 18, 2025 Page 6 Slaybaugh Wood Piotrowski Kochuba No: None Absent: None Abstained: None Motion UNANIMOUS PASS 7. Adjournment. A motion to adjourn the Special Meeting was made by Mrs. Palmer, seconded by Mr. Slaybaugh, and carried unanimously on voice vote at 9:04 P.M. APPROVED: ____________________________________ T. Gregory Kochuba, Mayor ATTEST: _____________________________________ Pamela B. Wallace, City Clerk