MINUTES OF THE APRIL 15, 2025, CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING A SPECIAL meeting of the Hopewell City Council was held on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. PRESENT: John B. Partin, Mayor Rita Joyner, Vice Mayor Michael Harris, Councilor Ronnie Ellis, Councilor Susan Daye, Councilor Yolanda Stokes, Councilor Councilor Daye makes a motion to allow Councilor Harris to participate remotely due to childcare reasons. Councilor Ellis seconds the motion. ROLL CALL Councilor Daye- Yes Councilor Stokes- Yes Councilor Holloway- Absent Vice Mayor Joyner- Yes Councilor Harris- Abstain Mayor Partin- Yes Councilor Ellis- Yes Motion Passes 5-0 CLOSED MEETING Councilor Harris makes a motion to go into a closed meeting under Va. Code S 2.2-3711 (A)(1) to discuss and consider personnel matters, including board and commission appointees (Hopewell Redevelopment and Housing Authority); the assignment and performance of specific appointees and employees ofthe city council (attrition for resignation and retirement of city employees) Councilor Ellis seconds the motion. ROLL CALL Councilor Daye- Yes Councilor Stokes- Yes Councilor Holloway- Absent Vice Mayor Joyner- Yes Councilor Harris- Yes Mayor Partin- Yes Councilor Ellis- Yes Motion Passes 6-0 Councilor Daye makes a motion to reconvene the open meeting. Vice Mayor Joyner seconds the motion. ROLL CALL Councilor Daye- Yes Councilor Stokes- Yes Councilor Holloway- Absent Vice Mayor Joyner- Yes Councilor Harris- Yes Mayor Partin- Yes Councilor Ellis- Yes Motion Passes 6-0 CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE $2.2-3712 (D): Were only public business matters (1) lawfully exempted from open-meeting requirements and (2) identified in the closed-meeting motion discussed in the closed meeting? ROLL CALL Councilor Daye- Yes Councilor Stokes- Yes Councilor Holloway- Absent Vice Mayor Joyner- Yes Councilor Harris- Yes Mayor Partin- Yes Councilor Ellis- Yes Motion Passes 6-0 SPECIAL BUSINESS Vice Mayor Joyner makes a motion to amend the agenda to add SB-1 for a resolution approval and to move the budget review to SB-2. Councilor Ellis seconds the motion. ROLL CALL Councilor Daye- Yes Councilor Stokes- Yes Councilor Holloway- Absent Vice Mayor Joyner- Yes Councilor Harris- Yes Mayor Partin- Yes Councilor Ellis- Yes Motion Passes 6-0 SB-1 - Motion for Resolution Councilor Daye makes a motion declaring the city's intention to reimburse itself from the proceeds of one or more tax-exempt financings for certain expenditures made and or to be made in connection with capital improvement projects for the city as presented in the resolution. Vice Mayor Joyner seconds the motion. ROLL CALL Councilor Daye- Yes Councilor Stokes- Yes Councilor Holloway- Absent Vice Mayor Joyner- Yes Councilor Harris- Yes Mayor Partin- Yes Councilor Ellis- Yes Motion Passes 6-0 SB-2 - Budget Review - Dr. Manker, City Manager During the budget review meeting, Dr. Manker addressed the Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Council members, explaining that there were two primary items for consideration: the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and personnel requests. She highlighted the inclusion ofOffice 365 in the FY26 budget but stressed the urgent need to fund new radio communication equipment and body-worn cameras for the Sheriff's Department, as their current equipment, inherited from the police, is no longer functional. Dr. Manker emphasized that funding for this was not yet included in the budget. Discussion shifted to infrastructure concerns, particularly the city's 19 pump stations, which are not itemized in the current budget. Given recent issues at Queen Anne and Mansion Hills pump stations, council members stressed the need for a prioritized, inflation-adjusted cost list. They also discussed the necessity of securing additional federal paving dollars before potential federal budget cuts. Turning to personnel, Dr. Manker explained that the three firefighter positions, an aquatics position, and an attorney position were the only new roles effectively balanced in the budget, either through internal reallocation or by offsetting outside counsel costs. Additional requested positions totaled $1.7 million but would need separate funding. It was clarified that these were all new positions, not existing vacancies. Further discussions included a need for transparency and tracking of capital projects through a proposed public dashboard on the city website. This dashboard would show project funding, spending, and status updates, serving both public accountability and aiding future bond rating applications. Concerns were also raised about ensuring project execution, not just funding. Finally, Dr. Manker summarized action items for the next meeting: providing a detailed list of pump stations with inflation-adjusted costs, identifying resources for additional paving funds, initiating a CIP project dashboard, and checking the status and potential financial impact ofa consent order. She also awaited council direction regarding potential budget savings based on their discussions. The meeting concluded with acknowledgments and a plan to reconvene. ADJOURNMENT Respectfully Submitted, Jptny Partin, Mayor Sade I alen Sade' Allen, Deputy City Clerk