Town and Gown Committee

TOWN AND GOWN COMMITTEE MEETING 12:00pm TUESDAY – APRIL 9, 2024 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE ROOM MINUTES I. Call to Order Chairman Steve Mallon welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order at 12:03p.m. II. Roll Call Chair Mallon asked the Clerk to call the roll: Members Present: Tracy Ashley, Tina Banks-Gray, Nicole Clark, Brian DeProfio, Novelle Dickenson, Mary Fugere, Kellie Goral, Eric Harrell, Steve Mallon, Robin McCormick, Amelia McCubbin, Glenn Oder, Jennifer Oliver, Richelle Payne, Pam Richardson, Tracy Staten, Raymond Tripp, Donnie Tuck Guests Present: Angela Haywood (Bryant & Stratton), April and Tim Receveur (Supernova International Ska Festival) Staff Present: Shu Mohammad, Annette Oakley (City Manager’s Office) III. Approval of Minutes Chair Mallon stated the March 13, 2024 minutes were distributed for review and if there are no changes, called for a motion to approve. Tina Banks-Gray made the motion to approve the minutes and Nicole Clark seconded. A vote was taken and motion passed. IV. Supernova International Ska Festival Briefing – On behalf of Mary Fugere, guests April & Tim Receveur provided information and background on the Supernova International Ska Music Festival. Mr. Receveur stated the main event will be held September 13-15, from 12:00 noon to 10:00pm at Fort Monroe, and there will also be various events before and after the festival. He stated they would like to make Hampton the home of the festival; mentioning they have received great feedback about Hampton as a welcoming city and they love the venue. He noted that the Jamaican Ministry of Culture & Tourism will be partnering with them this year and funding some initiatives. Mr. Receveur stated they have been asked to get a contact with Hampton University’s music programs and would love to take a tour of the university. Mr. Receveur stated local schools are also welcome to see the musical productions up close or see the shows. Mr. Receveur thanked Glenn Oder for assisting with the festival. He mentioned the City provided a ‘Love Your City’ grant to provide a community night. He noted they will be expecting large numbers to attend the festival; bands and people from all over the world. Novelle inquired if there is written information that can be taken back to the campus? Mr. Receveur stated he would provide a one-page document regarding the festival and he would also leave his business card with committee members.  Raymond inquired if they were interested in performing in other areas of Hampton as well, such as Peninsula Town Center? Mr. Receveur stated they could discuss further and noted many of the concert attendees stay in the Coliseum area. Chair Mallon thanked Mr. & Ms. Receveur for providing information on the festival. V. Key Updates: ➢ Coliseum Central Business Improvement District – Raymond Trip reported on the following: • One Life Fitness held their ribbon cutting for their new location, which is 60,000 square foot facility with a lot of equipment, kick-boxing, aerobics, swimming pools and the largest hot tub in the area. They also have a separate area with a children’s theatre. He mentioned it has been open for one week. He thanked Mayor Tuck for cutting the ribbon during the event. • Sweet Frog is open at Coliseum Crossing and there will be a ribbon cutting on April 17. • CAVA and Image & Styles Salon are also both open in The Peninsula Town Center. *Committee members and staff took a quick break for lunch. ➢ Marketing – Robin McCormick reported on the following: • April 18 - Mayor’s Town Hall meeting at the Fort Monroe Community Center • April 20 - Mosaic Festival in Downtown Hampton • April 6 - Re-opening of the Hampton Carousel • March 30 - Opening of the Mary Jackson Neighborhood Center Park • The City is in the Budget Process ➢ Virginia Peninsula Community College – Tracy Ashley reported on the following: • Graduation is scheduled for May 14, 2024. • Athletics are doing well, which includes new baseball and track & field teams. ➢ Human Resources – Nicole Clark reported on the Internship Program. She stated they determined the top forty out of 97 applications received, which was done by a composite score and ranking of the applications and letters of reference. There is a total of sixteen colleges/universities represented (HU, CNU, VPCC, ODU, Norfolk, George Mason, Longwood, etc.). The top forty were divided and identified as the top five for each field of study and sent to various departments. They will schedule interviews and communicate with students by the end of May. Chair Mallon inquired if the decision is weighted for extra points to Hampton residents or students. Nicole responded no, since some go to school here, but live elsewhere and vice versa. She stated she will keep the committee posted and hopes to invite interns to a future meeting. ➢ Sly Clyde Ciderworks – Amelia McCubbin reported on the following: • Phoebus received a grant from Retail Alliance, under Mainstream America, and was awarded $100,000, which will be divided between five businesses. The funds will help with planning ideas and improvements. They have their first meeting next week to discuss. • Held a successful ‘Cornhole and Bar Crawl’ event and fundraiser for St. Patrick’s Day – and they were able to donate 8,000 meals for the Foodbank!  • Upcoming Events: o Phoebus Spring Fling coming up, which is a great event o April 28 - Canna Fest with topics to include legalization, education, health and wellness, jobs, etc. o May 11 - Mother’s Day Market o May 18 - Liquid Craft Festival ➢ Hampton City Schools (HCS) – Tina Banks-Gray/Jennifer Oliver/Kellie Goral • Tina reported the School Board meeting will be April 17 at 6:30pm at Jones Middle School. • Jennifer reported on the following: o HCS held the official kick-off for the Month of the Military Child, with exciting things happening. She thanked Glenn and Robin for work on lighting up Fort Monroe and City Hall purple, as well as Dr. Smith for lighting up the VASSC. Hampton is moving towards becoming a Purple Star District and by the end of the week, all schools will have their Month of the Military yard signs. She provided pens, stickers, etc. for committee members to share their support. Military students will get a certificate of recognition from the Virginia Department of Education and Dr. Haynes will be giving a personal card to each of the military students. Jennifer noted each school will have their own celebrations. She also mentioned on April 17th, the Food and Nutrition Services will be serving purple foods. Jennifer noted she met with Colonel Ramos and she mentioned she (as well as others) recognize when local businesses support the military and are very appreciative. • Kellie reported on the following: o The School Board approved the FY25 Recommended Budget at their March meeting. The budget includes a 3% compensation increase; she thanked the City for helping to provide additional funding for this. The budget will now go to the City Council for approval, but it is still pending as there is no State approved budget. She mentioned the Governor is looking at a 3% raise for the State and local schools. o April 1-28 - Create 2024 High School Art Show, which is the annual art show to be held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center, Monday through Friday from 8:00am- 5:00pm. She encouraged all to attend. Kellie also noted there will be a reception on April 16th from 6:00-7:30pm, which includes make-and-take and interactive activities. ➢ Conventions & Visitor’s Bureau (CVB) – Mary Fugere reported on the following: • She pursued the International Town & Gown Association membership for the Hampton Town & Gown Committee, and we are able to have as many members to join as possible. She stated it would be beneficial for schools to join and noted Richelle Payne has agreed to be the Hampton University representative and she (Mary) will be the City representative. She mentioned they have webinars and blogs, as well as a conference in June, in College Park, Maryland, if anyone is interested in attending. • CVB has worked with an intern from Hampton University for a year and half, and they will be graduating soon. The intern has been working with other students on campus as an ambassador, and very willing to share experiences. Mary feels there is an opportunity for other colleges, and maybe high schools as well, to explore opening up communications. • Upcoming Events: o 4/9-4/11 - Tastefully Yours at HRCC o 4/10-4/13 - Virginia Education Association at HRCC o 4/12 - The Reduced Shakespeare Company at The American Theatre o Basketball Tournaments; Big Shots (4/13-4/15) and Nike Women (4/19-4/20)  o 4/19-4/20 - Monster Jam at Coliseum o 4/20 - Kecoughtan High School 65th Reunion at HRCC o 4/20 - Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at HRCC o 4/26-4/27 - Country for Kids (Fundraising Concert) at HRCC ➢ Fort Monroe Authority (FMA) – Glenn Oder reported on the following: • Thanked Tim & April Recevuer for a great job last year. He mentioned one aspect of the Strategic Plan is to bring awareness to Fort Monroe, nationally and internationally, and the Ska Festival is a great opportunity to market Fort Monroe, as well as Hampton. He noted last year was a great event and looks forward to it again this year. • May 18 - Contraband History Event hosted by the Contraband Historic Society, National Park Service and FMA. He encouraged all to attend and help get the word out. • August 22 - African Landing Day (Groundbreaking), with a week of events. • VA250 Commission - FMA hosted Senator Locke, who is Co-Chair of the VA250 Commission. The participants at the meeting voted for 2025 Virginia’s National July 4th celebration to be held at Fort Monroe. Each state identifies a site and in 2026 it will be at Colonial Williamsburg. Glenn has discussed this news with City Manager Mary Bunting, as there are many activities being planned for the celebration. • Paradise Ocean Club (POC) will be re-opening up this summer and many are excited. ➢ Workforce Council – Tracy Staten reported the Third Annual Job Fair will be held May 1, from 11:00am-2:00pm. They are looking for employers who may want to participate. She noted last year, there were over 600 job seekers who attended the fair, and this year they are anticipating even more attendees. Tracy mentioned they will have on-the-spot interviews. She provided informational fliers (copy on file). ➢ Bryant & Stratton – (Eric Harrel/Angela Haywood): • Eric reported on the following: o They are preparing for the Spring Semester. Classes will begin on May 1, which goes through August. o June 1 - Commencement ceremony with Captain Janet Days serving as the guest speaker. Captain Days served on the Women’s Symposium panel and it was an excellent panel! He thanked the committee members who came out to support the event. o RN Program (nursing) on the campus is flourishing. o CDA Bootcamp (Child Development Associate Certificate Program)– if interested in the program, please give him a call. • Angela mentioned the Women’s History Month Symposium was recorded and can be found on YouTube and Google ‘Women who lead with purpose’. ➢ City Manager’s Office – Brian DeProfio/Shu Mohammad: • Shu reported that the City Manager will share her proposed budget for the next fiscal year at the City Council meeting tomorrow. There will also be a presentation of the 5- year Capital Improvement Plan. o April 15 - The City Manager will release Recommended Budget o April 24 & May 1 - Public Hearings on the Budget o May 8 - City Council to vote on the Budget  • Brian thanked all who participated in and/or spread the word regarding the online I-Value survey, there were 1,207 participants. It’s a very important process the City uses to get input and helps to develop the budget. ➢ Hampton University (HU) - (Richelle Payne/Pam Richardson/Novelle Dickenson): • Richelle thanked the committee members for all that they do. She reported on the following: o Leadership Sanctuary was held recently, which was a catered event with a fellowship/discussion opportunity. This event is held four times a year and takes the place of a regular business meeting. o June 2-6 - Minister’s Conference, which is 110 years old this year! The conference grew into an academy and then into the School of Religion. They are excited about the evolution of this idea. Freddie Haynes will be the keynote speaker at the event. o June 28-30 - Hampton Jazz Festival, rebranded and added ‘Music’ to the title. The event will include many new artists and it will be a great weekend! She mentioned this is the 54th festival and noted it started on HU campus in 1968. o May 12 - Commencement ceremony with key note speaker John Howard Wesley. • Novelle Dickenson reported on the following: o There are several free HU events in regards to the School of Liberal Arts and Education. He provided a flier of information and encouraged all to participate in the various activities. o Thanked committee members for support of the 42nd Annual Conference on The Black Family. He thanked Mary Fugere for the trinkets and items to give out during the conference. The conference was a success! o They are looking forward to commencements and all of the related activities. • Pam stated she is now in the Office of Alumni Affairs. She reported on the following: o Commencement weekend is also reunion weekend this year, so there are many moving parts. She noted graduation is inside this year, as its the pandemic graduating class, which is a little smaller. There are events all weekend. She would like to have future discussions on partnerships. o Spring sports; many home games this week. She mentioned the local sailing team has won their last two regattas in a row. Last year HU Sailing Team ranked 6th in the nation! o She reported on several upcoming games for softball, lacrosse, tennis, track & field. ➢ City Council – Mayor Donnie Tuck reported on the following: • April 21-26 - National Violence Prevention Week; he sent letters to the college Presidents and has received a great response. • April 23 - Mini Town Hall from 6-9:30pm at Access 2.0 – Student leaders from several colleges/universities will lead the discussion. • In May, there will be an Allen Iverson Roundball Classic, which will take place at both Bethel High School and at the Hampton Coliseum on Saturday. He noted this is a national event that we have been successful in bringing to Hampton! Jennifer inquired, in regards to the Allen Iverson event, if Shaq would be attending? Mayor Tuck responded he has been known to attend. – We are hopeful! ➢ Downtown Hampton Development Partnership (DHDP) – Chair Mallon thanked Mayor Tuck and City Council for their support. He reported there is a lot of work going on behind the  scenes with design work and soon to be construction on projects, such as Settlers Landing Road, Queens Way, Carousel Park improvements, redesign of water features/docks. DHDP would like to make Settlers Landing Road more like a main street verses a thoroughfare. There is currently landscaping work being done in Downtown, with new trees and bushes being planted. He noted Public Works is doing a great job. Mayor Tuck mentioned the Public Works Director reported there may be some major road changes coming up this month (possibly into June/July) due to construction of the expansion of the bridge tunnel, as well as express lanes. Drivers going to HU will only be able to access the campus in the right lane. There will be red-light cameras and drivers will be prohibited from accessing the interstate from 3:00-6:00pm, Monday through Friday, from that direction. Chair Mallon continued his update, reporting on the following upcoming events: • April 20 - Mosaic Festival at Mill Point Park and Downtown areas • June-August - Block Party • May 31-June 2 - Blackbeard Festival VI. Next Meeting: The next meeting is scheduled for June 11, 2024. VII. Adjourn: There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.