Council adopts quarterly policy‑forecasting approach; homelessness, traffic and small business grants among topics raised

City Manager Dan Hoffman and councilors used the work session Tuesday to launch a quarterly policy‑forecasting process and to identify policy topics the council wants staff or committees to research and return with recommendations.

Hoffman said the new quarterly forecast will show what items staff expect to come before council and committees, and it is intended to help council prioritize policy work outside the budget season. "This is your time to chat," Hoffman said, describing summer and fall as the best seasons for policy work while spring is occupied by the budget.

Hoffman outlined how staff will process council requests: if an item requires substantial research or staffing, he will ask for a council majority (five of nine members) to direct staff to pursue it. He noted that some matters are operational (for example, adding patrols on a street) and not appropriate as policy projects. Hoffman also said staff may push back on timing or request outside assistance for complex topics.

During the open discussion, councilors proposed a number of study topics; several garnered explicit support or were assigned to committees or staff for follow‑up:

- Homelessness: Multiple councilors, including Councilor Wendell and others, said they wanted an in‑depth look at homelessness strategies used in other cities and the legal and programmatic constraints in Virginia. Hoffman and other councilors discussed scope and asked that the topic be scoped with more specificity before staff begin a deep dive. Council members indicated broad interest in pursuing this as a policy research item.

- Traffic and transportation data: Councilor Newcomb and others asked staff to analyze newly available traffic data from intersection cameras and speed signs to identify flow, congestion patterns and potential policy responses. Staff said existing data and GIS resources may answer many initial questions and assigned the item to the Ped (planning and engineering/transportation) committee.

- Littering and trash enforcement: Councilor Fox asked for a review of current ordinances and enforcement practices; staff recommended assigning code enforcement and police to review ordinance enforceability and legal requirements.

- Stormwater fee credits for businesses: Councilor Fox asked staff and the EDA to review why existing credits are underused and whether awareness or administrative barriers exist.

- Small business grants: Councilor Newcomb requested a review of small business grant programs and barriers to access; staff assigned the review to finance and the Economic Development Authority (EDA).

- Housing balance and housing study: Councilors asked for a refreshed housing study and trend analysis to assess the city’s balance of rental and ownership housing and to inform policy tools such as accessory dwelling units and affordable‑housing requirements in large PUDs. Hoffman said a new, deeper housing study may require outside resources and could feed into the strategic plan.

- Adult literacy: Councilor Buckle proposed a research project on adult literacy and wraparound services for parents; Parks and Recreation was identified as a potential lead and staff were asked to explore partnerships with nonprofits and literacy volunteer groups.

- Childcare and workforce development: Councilors discussed a broad childcare research project and cited state studies (JLARC) and workforce ties; staff said it would be a substantial research item and recommended using JLARC and other studies as a starting point.

Hoffman said staff will attempt to schedule policy research during the summer and fall policy seasons and asked councilors to prioritize items so departments are not overloaded. He also said council should expect some items to return as committee reports or draft ordinances, or to be included in legislative priorities.

Ending: The work session closed with general agreement to use the quarterly forecast to prioritize policy work; staff will scope and return with proposed research outlines or committee assignments.