Newport News City Council on Oct. 14 adopted a series of ordinances and resolutions that advance waterfront leases, utility easements and capital spending plans while changing the annual vehicle license fee due date.

The council approved three five-year leases for parcels in the Seafood Industrial Park, authorized conveyance of utility easements to Dominion Energy to support traffic-signal and school-area power needs, adopted a change that moves the vehicle-license-fee due date from Dec. 5 to June 5 and approved several bond- and grant-funded appropriations, including a $15 million allocation for a proposed governmental center. Most votes were unanimous; one appropriation passed with one councilmember abstaining because of a disclosed personal interest.

Why it matters: The package moves city property and capital funds toward development and public infrastructure projects. Leases at the Seafood Industrial Park secure private uses for waterfront parcels, easements are intended to enable traffic-signal repairs and power for school-area projects, the vehicle-license-fee change aligns billing with the calendar year and the bond appropriations allocate money for stormwater work, schools and a proposed governmental center.

Votes at a glance

- Lease: RDM Corporation of Suffolk — Seafood Industrial Park Parcel 4 (807 Jefferson Ave.), five-year lease. Action: Adopt ordinance authorizing lease. Outcome: approved, motion carried 7-0.

- Lease: Lockwood Marine Inc. — Seafood Industrial Park Parcel 17 (920 Terminal Ave.), five-year lease. Action: Adopt ordinance authorizing lease. Outcome: approved, motion carried 7-0.

- Lease: Lockwood Marine Inc. — Seafood Industrial Park Parcel 17A (920 Terminal Ave.), five-year lease. Action: Adopt ordinance authorizing lease. Outcome: approved, motion carried 7-0.

- Property acquisition: 601 Denby Boulevard — authorize city manager to execute documents to make offers to acquire by voluntary sale or condemnation a portion of property needed to replace a damaged traffic-signal pole (traffic signal repair design project). Action: Adopt ordinance authorizing acquisition. Outcome: approved, motion carried 7-0.

- Utility easement (bids received): 11780 Rock Landing Drive — council received and placed on the record an offer letter submitted in response to an advertised solicitation. Dominion Energy Virginia submitted a $1 bid, which was put on the record. Action: receipt of open bids and record placement; no separate ordinance adoption recorded on the transcript for this item.

- Vehicle license fee ordinance: Amendment to City Code Chapter 26, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, Article 3, Vehicle License Fees — moves annual due date from Dec. 5 to June 5 to align billing with the calendar year and authorizes prorated fees and refunds for vehicles bought or sold during the year. Action: Adopt ordinance to amend code. Outcome: approved, motion carried 7-0.

- Utility easement conveyance: 2901 Orchid Avenue — adopt ordinance authorizing the city manager to convey a utility easement to Dominion Energy Virginia to support power needs for the Southeast Community Resource Area/Huntington Middle School project (included in the city's capital improvement plan). Action: Adopt ordinance authorizing conveyance. Outcome: approved, motion carried 7-0.

- Appropriations (H1–H3): Combined approval to appropriate three items: $929,080 in grant funds from the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for a Flood Ready Homes program study; $1,060,000 from FY26 bond authorization (stormwater drainage) for Stony Run drainage analysis and improvements; $10,000,000 from FY26 bonds (unissued schools category) to fund Newport News public schools capital projects. Action: Adopt resolutions appropriating the funds. Outcome: approved, motion carried 7-0.

- Appropriation (H4): $15,000,000 from the FY26 bond authorization public buildings category to support creation of a governmental center in City Center. Action: Adopt resolution appropriating $15,000,000. Outcome: approved, motion carried 6-0 with 1 abstention; the abstaining member announced a personal interest and said a signed written declaration is on file with the city clerk.

Details and context

Leases and waterfront parcels: The council considered three lease ordinances for Seafood Industrial Park parcels that the city described as part of ongoing efforts to activate the waterfront and retain marine-related businesses. Each lease was for a five-year term; council members expressed general support and the measures passed on unanimous votes as recorded in the meeting.

Utility easements and bids: Two separate agenda items addressed utility easements. For one, staff opened bids for an easement across city property at 11780 Rock Landing Drive; a written bid from Dominion Energy Virginia for $1 was presented and placed on the record. Separately, the council adopted an ordinance conveying a utility easement across city-owned property at 2901 Orchid Avenue to Dominion Energy to provide power to the Southeast Community Resource Area and the Huntington Middle School project identified in the capital improvement plan.

Vehicle license fee change: The ordinance amending City Code Chapter 26 moves the vehicle license fee due date from Dec. 5 to June 5, permits prorated fees and refunds for vehicles bought or sold during the year and is intended to align billing with the calendar year covered. City staff advised the change should not materially reduce revenue; the council approved the amendment unanimously.

Capital appropriations: The council approved appropriations to fund planning and capital projects. The three appropriations grouped together (H1–H3) were adopted unanimously and include a state grant for a Flood Ready Homes study, a bond-funded stormwater allocation for Stony Run work and a $10 million allocation for school capital projects. The fourth appropriation (H4), a $15 million allocation for a governmental center in City Center, passed after one councilmember abstained because of a disclosed personal interest; that abstention was recorded and a signed written declaration was said to be on file with the city clerk.

What the record shows and what it does not

- Motion sponsors and seconders were not named on the public audio transcript for most agenda votes; recorded outcomes were given as roll-call tallies (for example “motion carries 7-0” or “motion carries 6-0 with 1 abstention”).

- The transcript includes staff descriptions of each ordinance or appropriation and the council’s recorded votes; it does not include detailed lease terms beyond parcel, address and five-year terms, nor does it record the identity of the councilmember who moved or seconded each measure in the audio excerpt provided.

Next steps and calendar notes

- Several items (leases and the easement for the Huntington Middle School project) authorize actions that require follow-up by city staff — execution of lease documents or easement conveyance paperwork, and coordination with Dominion Energy and the Department of Engineering.

- City Manager Alan Archer announced a public strategic-planning drop-in event on Saturday, Nov. 1, at the Denbigh Community Center to gather resident input on city priorities.

Ending

The council completed the recorded business on multiple near-term infrastructure and capital items and directed staff to effect the approved conveyances and appropriations; details on implementation timelines, specific lease terms and any subsequent administrative approvals were not specified in the transcript.