Senior Citizens Advisory Committee

Hampton Senior Citizens Advisory Committee Hampton Senior Center, 3501 Kecoughtan Road September 9, 2024 Call to Order and Welcome Chair Linda Kindred opened the meeting by welcoming all in attendance and reminded all that the attendance sheet at the back of the room was to be signed upon arrival. She added that if anyone needed to be absent from future meetings to contact her directly at 757-776-2286. She noted that if anyone had questions, to ask them at the end of the meeting. Opening prayer was then offered. Roll Call & Approval of August Minutes Present: Linda H Kindred-Chair, Tonya L. Grant, Jamie Chapman, Lynda Burke, Martha L. Clark, James Goodbody, Camilla Doctor, Absent: Lewis Dawley III- Vice Chair, Cassandra Alston-Townsley, Phyllis Porter, Remi Travis Wright, City/Lead Agency Reps: Michele Packard, Angela King (CAO), David McCauley (HPRLS), Susan Elswick (HPRLS), Shantel Hudgins (HPRLS), LaNetta Davis (PAA), Phyllis Palin (Hampton Human Services), Ethel Hayward (Hampton Human Services), Guests: Donna Little, Stephen Lynch, Diane Davis, Denise Parks, Gabe Diaz, Randy Bowman, Rodney Howard Shantel Hudgins conducted the roll call; a quorum was present. The opportunity was given to the advisory board to review the August minutes. It was noted that corrections were to be made pertaining to the attendance and Senior Residential subcommittee. A motion to accept the August minutes with the necessary corrections was made, seconded, and unanimously approved. Opening Remarks Director McCauley gave some opening remarks and proceeded to discuss informative updates on special current and future events that are to occur in the city in the coming weeks/months.  Groovin’ By the Bay occurred from June 9th-August 26th. It was a successful event where the location interchanged between Mill Point Park and Carousel Park.  The Crabtown Seafood Festival occurred on August 31st through September 1st. 1   Blue Bird Gap Farm Fall Festival scheduled for October 26th and October 27th.  Christmas holiday events are scheduled to occur in December to include the Wonder Walk, Parade, and much more.  Darling Stadium renovations have been completed to include the upgrades to the track and turf field.  Buckroe Playground will be briefed by the City Council on September 11th. Board Training Angela King, liaison for the City Attorney Office, gave a brief discussion of the “Robert’s Rules” for the SCAC board members. Robert’s Rules are a part of the procedure that helps meetings run efficiently and makes sure everyone has a chance to be heard when making votes. The rules listed below were discussed. • The SCAC must have a quorum of 6 to make any votes during meetings. If a quorum is not met then there is the option to adjourn a meeting or delay voting until the next meeting. • Obtaining the floor during meetings is to ensure there are no side conversation occurring or talking over someone else. • Information was also provided about making a motion during meetings. Presentation- Michele Packard (Office of the Assessor of Real Estate) Director McCauley introduced the presentation speaker, Michele Packard, from the Office of the Assessor of Real Estate. Michele thanked everyone for inviting her to speak at the meeting. She shared that she will give a brief overview of the department and their functions for the City of Hampton. The Office of the Assessor of Real Estate consists of the following: • Real Estate Assessor- Director of the department. • Assessment Manager- Responsible for the administrative side of the team. • Real Estate Supervisor- Oversees the residential team. • Residential Team- Oversees all of the appraisals of the residential properties in the City of Hampton such as homes, condominiums, and townhomes. • Commercial Appraiser Team- Responsible for the commercial properties in the city of Hampton. Also report to the Assessor. • Title Examiner- Responsible for examining all of the deeds. • Administrative Team- Responsible for all of the administrative processes. There are roughly 51,000 parcels in the City of Hampton. The role of the department is to fairly and equitably assess all of the real estate in Hampton through the process of mass appraisals. The city of Hampton reassesses every year. They assess at 100% market value. They also follow the IAAO which is the International Association of Assessing Officers. 2 Accurate assessments are important because they are one of the primary drivers of the City of Hampton’s budget. The tax dollars that the city receives from the Real Estate Assessment helps to fund items such as schools, parks, roads, trash collections, Hampton Police Department, and etc. Market value is available through data collection. The market is the biggest reason for a change in one’s assessment unless you are doing something to change your property. The Office of the Assessor of Real Estate do not assess appliances, sheds on skids, above ground pools, and fences. Assessments have increased substantially in the past few years such as the following: • FY23 16% increase • FY24 10% increase • FY25 Median increase of 6% Increases are based on market activity. Supply and demand continue to be the main driver of the real estate market. The department works from January 1-December 31. They prepare the notices for the change of assessments. If your value is going to change then you will receive a card in the mail. If the value is not going to change, then there will be no card in the mail. The card would include the most current proposed assessment. There is the right to appeal your assessment with the Office of Review. The appraiser would then verify the information on the property. Based on the information that is provided in the appeal, the department would uphold the original assessment or change it. There is also a Board of Review that is made up of citizen volunteers who owns property in Hampton and they will hear the appealer’s case. The City Council sets the tax rate which is currently $1.15 per 100 assessed values. Tax relief programs are available for the elderly and disabled. The Commissioner of Revenue administers the tax relief programs. The department received the Certificate of Excellence in 2011 and has continued to receive it every year. Michele opened the floor for questions. Linda thanked Michele for an informative presentation. Subcommittee Reports Mayor’s Town Hall Tonya Grant shared the following information: • It was confirmed that Mayor’s Town Hall is scheduled for November 4th at 11am. Challenges Facing Seniors Jamie Chapman and shared the following information: • Votes and recommendations were made during the subcommittee meeting. • The list of challenges was vetted and discussed which lead to items being submitted to the SCAC. • The subcommittee would like to present a demographic report each year to the SCAC to provide statistics. SCAC made a motion and seconded to accept a yearly report. All was in favor. 3 Senior Residential Tonya Grant shared the following information: • A draft letter was shared with Linda Kindred of what is to be sent to the senior residential facilities administrators. Senior Awards: Linda Kindred shared the following information: • The SCAC Awards Ceremony is scheduled for December 2, 2024 at 10am. • The nomination forms will be distributed to all of the Hampton community centers. City/Lead Agency Updates PAA: LaNetta Davis shared the following information: • PAA will be celebrating their 50th anniversary with a Gala at the James River Country Club in Newport News on October 6th. Hampton Human Services: Phyllis Palin and Ethel Heyward shared the following information: • They are currently sorting through Medicaid renewals. Public Comment Linda gave an opportunity for visitors/guests to speak. Guest, Randy Bowman, introduced himself and was appreciative of the information that was received today. Gabe Diaz, Director of Equity and Inclusion, expressed his appreciation of attending today’s meeting. Guest, Rodney Howard, also expressed his appreciation of today’s meeting. Additional Comments Linda and Susan shared the following information: • Grandparent’s Day Concert is scheduled for September 14th at Northampton Community Center from 1pm-3pm. The event is free to the public. • Painting class available at the Hampton Senior Center on September 11th from 12pm-2pm. • Flu shots will become available at the end of September and free to the public. Adjournment Linda closed the meeting. The meeting adjourned at 11:25am. Minutes submitted by Shantel Hudgins, SCAC Recorder 4