Council approved closed session on Port of Virginia and shootings; manager outlined eight docket items including grants and ordinance adjustments

Vice Mayor Moody moved that the council go into closed session under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act exemption found at Va. Code §2.2-3711(a)(8) to consult with legal counsel on two specified matters: the Port of Virginia and recent shootings within the city. The motion was seconded and, when put to an electronic vote, the motion was adopted 6–0.

After the closed session, vice mayor Moody moved the required certificate that the closed session contained only lawfully exempted public business and only the matters identified in the motion. The certification motion was seconded and the electronic result recorded in the meeting was “adopted 5 2 0” (transcribed vote counts; the transcript did not list individual roll-call votes for that certification).

City Manager Carter presented a brief review of the city-manager reports and the items on the next regular meeting docket. He said there are eight items on the docket (seven ordinances and one resolution) primarily seeking budget adjustments and grant acceptances. Items summarized in the meeting record included acceptance of $1,290 from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles for a dog and cat sterilization program; acceptance of $30,000 from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management to support the Southside Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team (Portsmouth serves as the regional lead); allocations from Community Development and Housing program income and HOME investment income (amounts as described in the meeting record); two grant awards for lead service-line replacement work — a $150,000 service-line-replacement gap analysis and a $103,401 inventory-and-sampling plan that had originally been applied for as loans and are now offered as grants; a family preservation and support program award with a local match (amount and match percentage described in the manager's report as provided to council); an additional $50,000 in IV-E foster care funding for Department of Social Services; and a resolution expressing support to pursue participation in the Port of US Partnership Mobilizing Main Street Community program under the Virginia Main Street program.

Carter asked council to accept and support the items as they move toward the next meeting; no final votes on those ordinances or resolutions were recorded in the work session transcript. Councilman Hugo later delivered liaison reports and updates from the Portsmouth Parking Authority and the Portsmouth Port and Industrial Commission; he also relayed a discussion with Norfolk Naval Shipyard leadership about workforce impacts after a federal voluntary separation opportunity — Hugo said roughly 240 of the shipyard’s roughly 10,000 employees accepted that offer, and he signaled continued monitoring for effects on the local economy.

The meeting recessed for approximately ten minutes after the closed session.