Motorcycle dealer tells council elevator inspection backlog left business without inspection for nearly three years; city manager offers immediate follow-up

Edward Malbeck, chief executive manager of Southeastern Virginia Powersports LLC, told Newport News City Council on Sept. 9 that a one-stop hydraulic elevator at his Jefferson Avenue motorcycle dealership has not been inspected in almost three years and that recent changes to the city’s elevator inspection process have imposed new steps and costs.

“My name is Edward Malbec. I live at 310 Riverside Drive. I'm here representing Southeastern Virginia Powersports LLC… I have a 1 stop hydraulic elevator in my building that has not been inspected for almost 3 years,” Malbeck said during the citizen-comment portion of the meeting. He said he completed the new online permit and emailed it as instructed but never received the required $100 invoice and that multiple phone calls to the department went unanswered.

Malbeck said he later contacted the elevator program director, Harold Roche, left a message and received a delayed reply. He described that the revised program now requires a third-party oversight step—“I have to hire another company to watch the company that maintains my elevator,” he said—which increased costs from what he described as the prior $100 process to “like, a $400, $500 program.”

Malbeck also said a recent fire inspection passed but that the elevator still had not received the inspection certificate. “So the elevator has not been inspected for going on 3 years, and I passed that inspection, which requires the elevator to be inspected,” he said.

City Manager Manning offered an immediate follow-up: a deputy city manager would meet with Malbeck after the meeting to assist him in resolving the inspection and permitting questions. The meeting record shows staff offered to have the deputy city manager meet with Malbeck “right out in the lobby” and that the deputy would assist in working through the challenges Malbeck raised.

What happened on the record: Malbeck presented specific operational and administrative complaints (missing invoice, delayed staff response, new third-party oversight requirement and higher out-of-pocket costs) and requested assistance. City staff offered a direct follow-up meeting with the deputy city manager; no formal action, ordinance or vote followed from council during the meeting.

Next steps recorded in the meeting: staff offered immediate, in-person follow-up with the deputy city manager; the city manager’s office was asked to assist and the manager directed staff to connect with the speaker after the meeting.