Minutes 07/28/2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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July 28, 2020 At a Virtual Meeting of the City Council on Tuesday, July 28, 2020, there were present: Mayor John L. Rowe, Jr., Vice Mayor Lisa L. Lucas-Burke, William E. Moody, Jr., Elizabeth M. Psimas, Nathan J. Clark, Paul J. Battle, Shannon E. Glover, City Manager Dr. L. Pettis Patton, City Attorney Solomon H. Ashby, Jr. Mayor Rowe called the meeting to order and welcomed all in attendance. Mayor Rowe made the following statement:  “In accordance with Governor Ralph Northam’s Declaration of a State of Emergency due to novel coronavirus (Executive Order 51) on March 12, 2020 and the Local Declaration of Emergency ratified by the Portsmouth City Council; and due to the coronavirus pandemic which is continuing in the Commonwealth of Virginia, this meeting th of the Portsmouth City Council is being held by video conference on the 28 day of July, 2020 without a quorum present in the City Council Chamber in order to reduce the likely spread of the coronavirus. Each city council member is participating from their home and I am in the City Council Chamber. This meeting is being held in accordance with Portsmouth City Ordinance 2020-21.” Motion by Mr. Moody, and seconded by Ms. Lucas-Burke, to approve the minutes of a Virtual Meeting of July 16, 2020, and was adopted by the following vote: Ayes: Battle, Clark, Glover, Lucas-Burke, Moody, Psimas, Rowe Nays: None - Presentations -  COVID-19 Pandemic Update - Dr. Lauren James, Health Director  Lynn Shores and Merrimac Shores Summary - Erin Trimyer, Public Utilities Director  Legislative Review - Solomon Ashby, City Attorney -Mayor Rowe asked that a briefing be provided on collective bargaining to include: 1. What are the parameters? 2. How far does it go? -Councilman Glover asked for an update on toll mitigation.  New Port CDA Update - Derek Challenger, Assistant City Attorney  Report Back - Dr. Patton, City Manager -First Responder’s Base Pay City Council agreed to provide the CARES frontline payment to those eligible o and also consider a 3% salary increase to general wage employees in October. There was a consensus of City Council to have City Manager Patton come o back with the funding cost to provide a 50% increase in retirement benefits or a $1000 stipend to retirees. -COVID-19 Frontline Relief - Public Hearing - 20-188 Virtual public hearing on the City’s intent to remove, relocate, contextualize, and/or cover the Confederate Monument located on Court Street in accordance with Virginia Code subsection 15.2-1812(B) (as enacted effective July 1, 2020). 1. Tramaine Walton, 4500 Regent Drive, commented in support of relocating the monument.