City Council

Regular Session 07/08/25 HON. KERRY P. DEVINE, MAYOR CITY OF FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA HON. CHARLIE L. FRYE, JR., VICE -MAYOR, WARD FOUR HON. JANNAN W. HOLMES, AT-LARGE CITY COUNCIL HON. DR. WILL B. MACKINTOSH, AT-LARGE HON. JASON N. GRAHAM, WARD ONE HON. JONATHAN A. GERLACH, WARD TWO HON. SUSANNA R. FINN, WARD THREE Council Chambers, 715 Princess Anne Street Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401 July 8, 2025 The Council of the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia held a regular session on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, beginning at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. City Council Present. Mayor Kerry P. Devine, Presiding; Vice-Mayor Charlie L. Frye, Jr.; Council members Susanna R. Finn; Jonathan A. Gerlach; Jason N. Graham; Jannan W. Holmes; and Dr. Will B. Mackintosh. City Council Absent. None. Others Present. City Manager Timothy J. Baroody, Deputy City Manager Mark Whitley, Deputy City Manager David Brown, City Attorney Kelly Lackey, Assistant City Attorney Dori Martin, Community Planning and Development Director Michael Craig, Principal Planner Joshua Crump, Historic Resources Planner Kate Schwartz, Economic Development and Tourism Director Joshua Summits, Senior Budget Analyst LaToya Marshall-Gronhoff, Chief of Police Brian Layton, and Clerk of Council Tonya B. Lacey. Opening Prayer and Pledge of Allegiance. The Council was led in prayer by Vice-Mayor Charlie Frye, Jr., followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilor Jason Graham. 22591 Regular Session 07/08/25 Officer Recognized. Mayor Kerry Devine recognized the presence of Detective Gloria Mejia at this evening’s meeting. Commonwealth Transportation Board Update – Laura Sellers, Fredericksburg District CTB Member (D25-279). Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) member Laura Sellers stated that the CTB planned to discuss SMART SCALE at their upcoming meeting (System for the Management and Allocation of Resources for Transportation; Safety, Congestion reduction, Accessibility, Land use, Economic Development, and the Environment). Ms. Sellers offered to pass on any ideas from Council at the CTB meeting. Councilor Graham stated that during his time with the Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO), high priority funding was allocated almost exclusively toward surface transportation such as roads and bridges. Councilor Graham stated the City’s goals of redevelopment and prioritizing pedestrian safety and accessibility. Councilor Graham said he was concerned if the district money is deprioritized, the City’s projects for pedestrian improvements will be deprioritized. Councilor Graham asked Ms. Sellers to speak on this matter. Ms. Sellers stated that SMART SCALE is an algorithm that prioritizes funding in two separates programs: District Grant Program (DGP) and High Priority Program (HPP). Ms. Sellers said the City qualifies for both programs, and if the SMART SCALE algorithm is high enough, project types would not be restricted to surface transportation. Ms. Sellers said in the last round, the District was able to fund larger sidewalks. 22592 Regular Session 07/08/25 Councilor Graham stated that pedestrian projects could not score high enough to qualify for HPP money because the rubric and algorithm precluded it. Ms. Sellers said pedestrian projects may not qualify for HPP money but will still qualify for DGP money. Councilor Graham stated his concern was if HPP is prioritized over DGP, Fredericksburg’s priorities are pushed further down the list. Ms. Sellers stated DGP money is coming to the District anyway, but HPP money is competed statewide. Ms. Sellers said she intended to advocate allocation of HPP money based on the ranking system, stating that if the District has a top project in the state, it should receive statewide money. Ms. Sellers said this approach would have helped our District, Northern Virginia, and Hampton Roads. Councilor Graham asked Ms. Sellers to advocate for HPP to go toward projects such as public transit and pedestrian safety in effort to change the algorithm. Councilor Graham said traffic is a District-wide concern, and encouraging public transit through HPP would help systemically alleviate traffic. Ms. Sellers said she would discuss this topic with the CTB. Ms. Sellers introduced Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Acting District Engineer Mike Davis to present the Falmouth Bridge project update. Mr. Davis discussed the proposed changes to widen the bridge and provide a barrier-separated shared-use path to connect to the existing sidewalks on both sides. Mr. Davis explained the project funding and estimates, stating as the project progresses, numbers and timetables will be refined in collaboration with VDOT’s design consultant, Parsons 22593 Regular Session 07/08/25 Transportation Group. Mr. Davis recommended VDOT return to give another update in about three months due to the current preliminary nature. Mr. Davis stated during construction, traffic would be reduced to one lane northbound (outbound traffic) and two lanes southbound (inbound traffic). Mayor Devine asked if the shared-use path was protected. Mr. Davis said yes, and referenced the drawing in the presentation. Mr. Davis said it will be similar to the Chatham Bridge, with a medium, railed barrier that will separate traffic from pedestrians. Councilor Graham asked about the time frame for construction. Mr. Davis estimated it would take at least three years, predominantly due to working around traffic. Mr. Davis said VDOT will provide a more definite timeline as the project progresses. Councilor Mackintosh asked if the mixed-use path will be a definite part of the design. Mr. Davis stated there is an ongoing structural analysis to confirm that the large piers can be expanded to accommodate the path as intended. Councilor Mackintosh asked if the inclusion of the mixed-use path was a likely outcome based on VDOT’s current assessment. Mr. Davis said the inclusion of the mixed-use path was the intent and they are doing their best to ensure it is part of the final design. Councilor Mackintosh asked about the financial breakdown presented, referring to the City’s portion of the bridge estimated at $12.8 million. Councilor Mackintosh said 22594 Regular Session 07/08/25 he assumed that is provided by the State of Good Repair and Bridge Formula Funds, a mix of state and federal funds, and sought to confirm that local taxpayers are not responsible for paying the City’s portion. Mr. Davis said he believed Councilor Mackintosh was correct, and the State of Good Repair fund would cover the City’s portion. There were no further questions, so Mayor Devine thanked Mr. Davis and stated the Council would invite VDOT back in future months for an update. Consent Agenda Accepted for Transmittal as Recommended (D25- 280 thru D25-281). Councilor Gerlach moved approval of the consent agenda. The motion was seconded by Councilor Mackintosh and passed by the following recorded votes: Ayes (7) - Councilors Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, and Mackintosh; Nays (0). o 5A. Transmittal of the Board and Commission Minutes • Pathways Committee – May 19, 2025 (D25-280). • Planning Commission – February 26, 2025 (D25-281). Public Hearing. There was no scheduled public hearing. Citizen Comment. There were no comments submitted. Council Agenda Presented. The following items were presented to Council for discussion: o 8A. Appointment of Molly E. Henderson, City Clerk of Council Effective September 1, 2025 – Mayor Devine 22595 Regular Session 07/08/25 o 8B. Tonya Lacey – Vice-Mayor Frye Appointment of Molly E. Henderson, City Clerk of Council Effective September 1, 2025 - Mayor Devine stated that Council must officially appoint Molly Henderson as the new Clerk of Council effective September 01, 2025, upon retirement of Clerk of Council Tonya Lacey. Mayor Devine said Ms. Henderson will take minutes for the meeting on August 26, 2025, and thanked Ms. Lacey for helping with the transition. Councilor Mackintosh moved to appoint Molly Henderson, City Clerk of Council, effective September 01, 2025. The motion was seconded by Councilor Holmes and passed by the following recorded votes: Ayes (7) - Councilors Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, and Mackintosh; Nays (0). Tonya Lacey - Vice-Mayor Frye asked Council members to follow him in providing one word to describe Ms. Lacey’s service as Clerk of Council for the City of Fredericksburg. Each councilor’s word in tribute to Ms. Lacey was as follows: encouraging (Frye); dependable (Graham); unflappable (Mackintosh); gracious (Finn); kind (Holmes); supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Gerlach); and patient (Devine). Mayor Devine expressed the Council’s appreciation for Ms. Lacey’s many years of dependable service. Adoption of Minutes (D25-282). Councilor Graham moved to approve the following minutes as submitted: Work Session - November 26, 2024; Public Hearing - June 24, 2025; Regular Session – June 24, 2025. The motion was seconded by Vice- 22596 Regular Session 07/08/25 Mayor Frye and passed by the following recorded votes: Ayes (7) - Councilors Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, and Mackintosh; Nays (0). Fredericksburg Arts Commission Appointments – Wa’ad Adam, Jesse Dominguez, Larry Hinkle, Nathan Naidu (D25-283). Ms. Lacey clarified that Jesse Dominguez removed his application, so the resulting vote was between applicants Wa’ad Adam and Larry Hinkle for the organizational vacancy, and Larry Hinkle and Nathan Naidu for the at-large vacancy. After the recorded vote was taken, Wa’ad Adam (organizational) and Larry Hinkle (at-large) were appointed to serve on the Fredericksburg Arts Commission. Adam (7) - Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, Mackintosh. Hinkle (6) - Devine, Frye, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, Mackintosh. Naidu (1) - Finn. Social Services Board Appointments – Kathryn Douberly, Catherine Lloyd, Joseph Lomangino, Jane Shelhorse, Derrick Washington (D25-284). After the recorded votes were taken, Catherine Lloyd and Derrick Washington were appointed to serve on the Social Services Board. Douberly (0). Lloyd (7) - Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, Mackintosh. Lomangino (1) - Graham. Shelhorse (2) - Finn, Gerlach. Washington (4) - Devine, Frye, Holmes, Mackintosh. Resolution 25-48, Supporting a Transportation Alternatives Program Application Regarding the Charles & William Street Raised Intersection Project (D25-285 thru D25-286). Principal planner Joshua Crump presented the staff recommendation for the Council to adopt the resolution of support 22597 Regular Session 07/08/25 for the City’s Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) application for the subject project. Councilor Mackintosh asked if this project would be compatible with the consideration of converting William St. from a one-way to a two-way. Mr. Crump said this project would be compatible with the conversion to two- way. Councilor Mackintosh asked when to expect a rough budget for this project. Mr. Crump said the current rough estimate was $560,000. Councilor Mackintosh said if this project is a success, he wanted to know how much it would cost to do it elsewhere. Vice-Mayor Frye confirmed with Mr. Crump that the green line on the presented construction concept represented the sewer line. Councilor Finn asked if there would be any impact on parking spaces or outdoor dining near the intersection. Mr. Crump said there was no anticipated impact on parking, and he was not aware of any impact on restaurant space, but staff could follow up on this. Councilor Holmes stated that the installation of this project combined with the proximity to the auction block memorial installation would create a comprehensive traffic calming measure at that intersection. Councilor Graham moved to approve Resolution 25-48, supporting a Transportation Alternatives Program Application Regarding the Charles & William Street Raised Intersection Project. The motion was seconded by Vice-Mayor Frye and passed 22598 Regular Session 07/08/25 by the following unanimously recorded votes: Ayes (7) - Councilors Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes and Mackintosh; Nays (0). Resolution 25-49, Amending the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget to Authorize Funds for Programming to Support Media Visitation (D25-287). Deputy City Manager Mark Whitley and Economic Development and Tourism Director Joshua Summits introduced the staff recommendation to approve the resolution to authorize the use of $10,000 from the Fredericksburg Opportunity Fund to support the upcoming Zip Trip media visitation, where Fox 5 WTTG Washington, D.C. will visit Fredericksburg on Friday, July 25, 2025, for a newscast to be headquartered in Riverfront Park. Mayor Devine asked how much the $10,000 would leverage against publicity. Mr. Summits said some of that is based off attendees, and that the $10,000 investment is certainly a multiplier since it will go toward three hours of advertising on a Friday morning throughout the tristate area. Councilor Holmes asked if there was a known boost in tourism after the 2017 Zip Trip visit, acknowledging that Mr. Summits was not there for the 2017 Zip Trip. Mr. Summits said that he could report back to numbers from the upcoming visit. Councilor Holmes moved to approve Resolution 25-49, amending the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget to Authorize Funds for Programming to Support Media Visitation. The motion was seconded by Councilor Graham and passed by the following unanimously recorded votes: Ayes (7) - Councilors Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, and Mackintosh; Nays (0). 22599 Regular Session 07/08/25 Resolution 25-50, Approving the Comprehensive Agreement between the City of Fredericksburg and Ulliman Schutte Construction, LLC for the construction of the upgrades and expansion of the City of Fredericksburg Wastewater Treatment Plant (D25-288). Deputy City Manager David Brown introduced the staff recommendation to adopt the subject resolution to permit the subject project to proceed. Councilor Mackintosh expressed thanks for the staff’s work on this contract. Mayor Devine expressed appreciation for the staff’s work in getting state and federal grant funding to help pay for this project. Councilor Gerlach moved to approve Resolution 25-50, approving the Comprehensive Agreement between the City of Fredericksburg and Ulliman Schutte Construction, LLC for the construction of the upgrades and expansion of the City of Fredericksburg Wastewater Treatment Plant. The motion was seconded by Councilor Graham and passed by the following unanimously recorded votes: Ayes (7) - Councilors Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, and Mackintosh; Nays (0). Council Calendar (D25-289). City Manager Tim Baroody stated the City Manager’s Update had transitioned to Cityscape, the monthly subscription-based publication, and encouraged the population to subscribe at FredericksburgVA.gov. Closed Meeting Approved. Upon a motion, Councilor Graham moved approval to convene in closed session under Va. Code 2.2-3711(A)(19) for the discussion of information subject to exclusion under 2.2-3705.2(14), where discussion in an open 22600 Regular Session 07/08/25 meeting would jeopardize the safety of any person or the security of any facility or building, specifically, the security of City Hall and Council Chambers and closed meeting under Code of Virginia Section 2.2-3711 A. (1) to discuss the annual performance of council employees. The motion was seconded by Councilor Holmes and passed by the following recorded votes: Ayes (7) - Councilors Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, and Mackintosh; Nays (0). Return to Open Meeting Approved. Councilor Graham moved to return to open session; the motion was seconded by Councilor Gerlach and passed by the following recorded votes: Ayes (7) - Councilors Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, and Mackintosh; Nays (0). Resolution 25-51, Approved, Certifying Closed Meeting (D25-290). Upon the motion, Councilor Graham approved Resolution 25-51 certifying the closed meeting, seconded by Councilor Gerlach and passed by the following recorded votes: Ayes (7) Councilors Devine, Frye, Finn, Gerlach, Graham, Holmes, and Mackintosh; Nays (0). Adjournment. There being no further business to come before the Council at this time, Mayor Devine declared the meeting officially adjourned at 10:13pm. Kerry P. Devine Kerry P. Devine, Mayor Tonya B. Lacey Tonya B. Lacey, Clerk of Council 22601 Regular Session 07/08/25 [This page intentionally left blank] 22602 APPROVED APPROVED 01-09-24