[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6638357,"mediaKeyId","2571855-b2a379fb94d1ddd765256b2787cfea9c","parentId",2571855,"title","Council approves Ward Boulevard sidewalk acquisitions, concurs on Mercy Health bond issue and appropriates $4.07M for pedestrian projects","audioSeconds",134,"startMs",1672000,"endMs",1806000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2571855-b2a379fb94d1ddd765256b2787cfea9c&start=1672&end=1806","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2571855-b2a379fb94d1ddd765256b2787cfea9c/thumbnail_1672000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6638357/Virginia/Council-approves-Ward-Boulevard-sidewalk-acquisitions-concurs-on-Mercy-Health-bond-issue-and-appropriates-407M-for-pedestrian-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6638357-1c70fd0a9e958536b097e6df1673e66c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178709&Signature=ZbN9AGKYkQYCA8f2aMl9UvzxdesjW3JSxMcgdifcpWghWFXsNR-IS5zrAur7RTcvOgMR4OZPbX0PlwEpkcJBOEPTwXnHg4OJHQlzCIp1k74jt8HlpqCyla85FhnrJQjcfzbKJT2rCsYIRhIzNUMvgH6feMyNft8~dgm6Fpaqt9y5DXmocovZb2FnNE9fN8nRWghyDZVi4rRxODCFHCsSpXS89MlPvXf0ABNUvpvBnSuRvtcYHGbeTl3waDx6xAlCh7tW~7dlQ5rpzsjlU~WXr9sYg7QAKQ21jG9mwGSUIO--F3ZfHZpGSyHj5iR5JRhpQUXK3IJwJvrOY7NqRtRahA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Newport News (Sugggested)","date","2025-03-12T00:10:26.293Z","article","Newport News City Council approved several measures on March 11 that advance pedestrian infrastructure and allow local concurrence on a health-care bond issuance. All votes were unanimous, 6-0.

The council adopted an ordinance authorizing the city manager to execute documents to make offers to acquire—by voluntary sale or condemnation—portions of property needed for the Ward Boulevard sidewalk (Lucas Creek Road to Warwick Boulevard) project. There were no public speakers on that item; the council closed the public hearing and approved the ordinance on a 6-0 roll call.

Council also approved a resolution of concurrence for up to $600 million in aggregate revenue bonds to be issued by the Henrico County Economic Development Authority for the benefit of Mercy Health, Mercy Health Incorporated and affiliates, and specifically for Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News in an amount not to exceed $65 million. City staff clarified that council approval does not mean the city is endorsing the project's financial viability or assuming responsibility for repayment: \"Approval of this item tonight does not indicate the city is an indoor is endorsing the project's financial viability or assuming responsibility for the bonds and public funds are not pledged for repayment,\" the city manager told the council.

The council also approved a resolution appropriating $1,757,573 of Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) revenue-sharing grant funds and $2,310,445 of local project funds for four transportation projects totaling $4,068,018. The projects listed in the appropriation are: downtown pedestrian improvements; Jefferson Avenue pedestrian improvements between Green Grove Lane and Industrial Park Drive; Campbell Road pedestrian improvements between Bland Boulevard and Warwick Boulevard; and a Jefferson Avenue at Wilcox Lane traffic signal mast-arm conversion.

The consent agenda, including minutes from prior meetings and a resolution related to Winter Storm Kingston, passed on a unanimous roll call as well.

Why this matters: The property-authority ordinance clears an administrative hurdle for the Ward Boulevard sidewalk project, enabling staff to negotiate acquisitions necessary to build pedestrian connections. The VDOT and local funds appropriation directs roughly $4.07 million toward pedestrian and traffic-signal improvements. The council's concurrence with the Henrico County EDA bond issuance allows the hospital system to proceed with its financing process; staff emphasized the city bears no repayment liability.

Votes at a glance:
- Ordinance authorizing property acquisition for Ward Boulevard sidewalk (E-1 public hearing): passed 6-0.
- Resolution of concurrence for Henrico County EDA revenue bonds for Mercy Health / Mary Immaculate Hospital: passed 6-0.
- Resolution appropriating VDOT revenue-sharing ($1,757,573) and local funds ($2,310,445) for four projects: passed 6-0.
- Consent agenda items F-1 through F-4 (minutes, budget public hearing notice, Winter Storm Kingston resolution): passed 6-0.

What happens next: Staff may proceed with property-offer negotiations for Ward Boulevard and will implement the pedestrian and signal projects as funding and project schedules allow. The hospital system and issuing authority will proceed with bond steps under state law and their issuer's procedures; the city's concurrence does not obligate city funds.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Newport News City Council Meeting 03-11-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Newport News City Council approved several measures on March 11 that advance pedestrian infrastructure and allow local concurrence on a health-care bond issuance. All votes were unanimous, 6-0.","taxTitle","Newport News (Independent City), Virginia","taxId",12491,"location","Virginia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6638362,"Council sends Allen Iverson-backed zoning application back to planning after developer apologizes",833,1321000,2154000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2571855-b2a379fb94d1ddd765256b2787cfea9c&start=1321&end=2154","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2571855-b2a379fb94d1ddd765256b2787cfea9c/thumbnail_1321000.jpg","/articles/6638362/Virginia/Council-sends-Allen-Iverson-backed-zoning-application-back-to-planning-after-developer-apologizes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6638362-f25d4103ced8ab2704c4fc13c082e5bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178709&Signature=jV3-JBjjhi7Go~f1Zb~Y5KSs8mmGkR2Khv90aZqX7ZsGpnOmf5uBaBZejOqpcNWaOwH9KdoyUMnahXzr3j4RLsm16FifuI9SMljLLA8qWTCPkS7w00MWWNVG5mECZYd41DQKf~BhnMuVCqgBlBHMfnnm-~A-~FR-iu6cu7manCo02b~dMHjMZfmWJ04L4pxIEA8CpDJp50o-KKL9QfeY5vKe4Zjdax26kpC5y1WJja3a~fRpzdzyZnEeRpZYWqReLxEnnvqnfuOrdBN7h8gpAcnnhJqSBHJ5ilUkCp5eOdQcjo1by4K1Jle01t9AKBpfWe90IfoPMVTZSiclM~J2NA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Jones and the Newport News City Council voted 6-0 on March 11 to reconsider item E-1—an ordinance adopting conditional zoning for application Charlie Zulu-2024-001—and to refer the matter back to the planning department for further work.

The question returned to the council after Mayor Jones said the city needed to improve its process and asked the applicant to speak. The applicant, identified in the meeting as Mr. Kiel, acknowledged shortcomings in how the project was presented to the public and apologized to the council for a rushed process. \"I'll take full blame from the standpoint that the process could have been more transparent to the citizens,\" Mr. Kiel said. He told council members he would work with district council members and neighborhood leaders if given another opportunity to bring the application back.

The reconsideration reverses the council's previous handling of the application at the February 25 meeting and sends the file back to planning for additional public outreach, updated proffers, and further review. Mayor Jones said the matter \"needs to go back to planning\" and that while he still \"stands firm in my belief\" on some substantive points, the process required reworking to ensure fairness and adequate engagement.

During the public comment period that followed, Matt Regassa, a resident of Newport News's North District, addressed the council about the proposed housing project connected to the application. Regassa said he supported the council's decision to reject the earlier proposal and urged greater attention to pedestrian connectivity and transit access as part of affordable housing planning. \"I'm glad that you did,\" Regassa said of the council's earlier rejection, adding that affordable housing should be sited where residents can reach jobs and services without relying on cars.

Council members present in the roll call for the motion were Mayor Jones; Councilman Long; Councilwoman Vick; Vice Mayor Bethany; Councilman Coleman; and Councilman Harris. The motion to reconsider and the subsequent motion to defer until the matter is ready for council review both passed on unanimous 6-0 votes. Council instructions and the minutes indicate that when the revised filing is ready, the council itself will hear it again rather than leaving the final decision solely to planning staff.

Why this matters: The application concerns a proposed housing development that city residents and the applicant both said prompted disagreement over outreach, proffers and neighborhood fit. Sending the application back gives planners and the applicant time to revise commitments to the community and further vet traffic, pedestrian access and other impacts.

What happens next: The file will return to the planning department for additional review and community engagement; the council will schedule the item for public hearing when the revised materials are ready to be presented to this body.

","Newport News City Council voted 6-0 to reconsider and refer conditional zoning application Charlie Zulu-2024-001 back to the planning department after the applicant acknowledged shortcomings in community outreach and the council said the process needed work.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6638352,"DHS employee urges review of shelter activation policy after winter storm; city manager explains decision process",462,2059000,2521000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2571855-b2a379fb94d1ddd765256b2787cfea9c&start=2059&end=2521","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2571855-b2a379fb94d1ddd765256b2787cfea9c/thumbnail_2059000.jpg","/articles/6638352/Virginia/DHS-employee-urges-review-of-shelter-activation-policy-after-winter-storm-city-manager-explains-decision-process","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6638352-4698b18cbca7cb1b43881188382dd5a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771178709&Signature=ezT9jSxzrFTZNrbFkbU8HUKZRw02otSURunchxlZIeECKnzNOR6koW4mGs8ZQSmFIfYGTKfEAzQfsyrx-71-x7Hym9IUhBeXUP8ZR9CzlcLdM7nlxPkiWDxo~mejL~CpPXxycoPOlwgbKz08HY0WkGGnOhMMeAMNhrrDIdydlGhwXm6750k9UOvWjItuB51xCwiz5eaSgTf7dnS8WFYeC8dcvhKwIKfOWNMqL7pW6vqHpLT8c2aXsFpd3LypILJpnv71m0O5gepz1BN8a5HOHa60ioHEZLnoJ5Pc~tf5W41AyG4Of0O1J5r--O5B9gJPYU9qtL5G7yAVQzLPRR9yzA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the March 11 Newport News City Council meeting, Jawaan Wheaton, who identified himself as a Department of Human Services employee, urged the city to review shelter activation policies, employee compensation and communications after a February storm shelter activation.

\"This experience raised important questions about what it truly means to be an essential employee,\" Wheaton told the council. He described a February 19 shelter activation that required staff to report during sustained heavy snowfall and urged policies to ensure timely communication, safe travel for employees, broader staff eligibility for shelter duties, and overtime pay when shelter teams are activated.

Vice Mayor Bethany asked the city manager to explain how decisions to open shelters are made. The city manager replied that the decision is made by incident command staff in the city's emergency operations center, following steps identified in the city's emergency operations plan to protect life safety during natural disasters or other emergencies.

Wheaton asked the council to review shelter operations and offered to help with policy improvements. The city manager described the command structure used to assess \"overall life safety\" and to activate the emergency operations center when extraordinary responses are necessary.

Why this matters: Shelter activations affect employee workloads and public access to emergency shelter during storms and other incidents. The employee's request puts compensation and communication procedures on the record for council and administration review.

What happens next: Wheaton said he is willing to participate in discussions; the city manager indicated the activation process follows the emergency operations plan. No formal council action was taken at the March 11 meeting on shelter staffing or compensation.

","A Department of Human Services employee urged the council to review emergency shelter operations, communication and compensation after a February shelter activation; the city manager said shelter openings are decided by the emergency operations incident command under the city's emergency operations plan.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves Ward Boulevard sidewalk acquisitions, concurs on Mercy Health bond issue and appropriates $4.07M for pedestrian projects

Council sends Allen Iverson-backed zoning application back to planning after developer apologizes

DHS employee urges review of shelter activation policy after winter storm; city manager explains decision process