Virginia Beach council approves consent agenda, adopts workforce-housing grant program and funds Lynnhaven Parkway improvements

The Virginia Beach City Council approved a multi-item consent agenda at a public meeting, voting to authorize a new attainable workforce-housing performance grant program, transfer funds to a Lynnhaven Parkway corridor improvement project and accept several state and federal appropriations.

The council’s approval included ordinance language to establish an attainable workforce housing performance grant program and several other franchise, appropriation and capital-project ordinances. Vice Mayor Wilson read the items on the consent agenda before the council voted 11-0 to approve them.

The workforce-housing ordinance establishes the city’s “attainable workforce housing performance grant program,” which council members described as a significant step to increase housing options for the local workforce. “The ordinance for the attainable workforce housing grant program is a very significant step for our city to take. It will really move the needle for attainable workforce housing,” said Council member Michael.

The consent agenda also included a transfer of funds to capital project 102162 for Lynnhaven Parkway corridor improvements and an appropriation for capital improvement project 10701 (Princess Anne Road, Water Transmission) that accepts $299,786 from the Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation with a local match of $33,310 from the water and sewer enterprise fund. The council additionally approved accepting $1,000,857.318.20 from the Virginia Department of Transportation into the public works budget for railroad maintenance and related equipment (amount as read in the meeting).

Council members highlighted the economic importance of the Lynnhaven commercial district. “Lynnhaven District is an economic engine for the city of Virginia Beach,” said Council member Michael, who called the corridor improvements long overdue and likely to improve arrival and beautification in the area.

Procedural actions taken during the meeting included certification of a closed session and approval of minutes for several recent meetings. The council certified the closed-session certification by a recorded vote of 11-0. The minutes for March 11 (formal session), the informal and formal sessions of March 18, and the formal session of March 25 were approved; council member Schulman noted an abstention for the March 25 minutes because she was not present that day and the clerk recorded the abstention. The consent agenda vote passed 11-0 as read by Vice Mayor Wilson.

The meeting also included a set of appointments the council confirmed by unanimous vote. Appointees listed during the meeting included Ed Amoroso to the Bayfront Advisory Commission, Isabel Meeks to the Development Authority, Jerry Brown to the Southeastern Public Service Authority of Virginia, and Captain Michael R. Clark representing the Virginia Beach Police Department on the Cannabis Advisory Force. The council voted to approve those appointments by a roll call recorded as 11-0.

Votes at a glance - Closed-session certification — vote: 11 yes, 0 no; outcome: certified. - Approval of minutes (formal session 03/11/2025; informal and formal sessions 03/18/2025; formal session 03/25/2025) — vote: approved; Council member Schulman recorded an abstention for March 25 because she was not present. - Consent agenda (multiple ordinances listed by Vice Mayor Wilson, including franchise agreements, outdoor café franchises in the resort, the attainable workforce housing performance grant program, various appropriations and capital transfers) — vote: 11 yes, 0 no; outcome: approved. - Appointments (Bayfront Advisory Commission, Development Authority, Southeastern Public Service Authority, Cannabis Advisory Force representation) — vote: 11 yes, 0 no; outcome: appointed.

The council’s motions were largely noncontroversial and placed on consent; no public speakers signed up on those items. The meeting record shows the consent items were read into the record by Vice Mayor Wilson and approved without separate debate, except for brief council comments praising the workforce-housing measure and the Lynnhaven Parkway appropriation. The clerk will reflect recorded abstentions where noted.

The council adjourned the formal portion of the meeting after completing scheduled business and moved to the open-microphone public-comment portion of the agenda.