Petersburg council directs manager to start emergency procurement for contractor tied to police station relocation

The Petersburg (Independent City) City Council voted on Feb. 4 to direct the city manager to initiate an emergency procurement for a contractor that submitted an unsolicited PPA to perform necessary work to facilitate relocation of the police station.

The action was added to the meeting’s closed-session agenda and later adopted after the council convened in closed session for legal advice and other matters under Virginia law. Vice Mayor Hill moved to add the resolution to the agenda and Councilman Westbrook seconded; the council then opened the public comment period on the resolution and closed it without substantive public remarks recorded. A motion to adopt the resolution was made and the transcript records “aye” votes from Council member Westbrook, Council member Smith Lee, Vice Mayor Hill and Mayor Perrin.

The council first recessed into closed session under multiple Virginia Code provisions cited on the record, including those referenced in the meeting as related to legal advice, potential litigation, personnel matters and acquisition or disposition of real property. The mayor later asked for and received a roll-call certification that “only those matters lawfully identified in the motion for which closed session was called were discussed” during the closed session.

The adopted resolution, as stated on the record, directs the city manager to initiate emergency procurement for the contractor that submitted the unsolicited PPA to perform the necessary work to facilitate relocation of the police station. The transcript does not specify the contractor’s name, the dollar amount of any contract, the exact scope of work beyond “necessary work to facilitate the relocation,” or the intended site of the relocated police station.

Council members present during the session and referenced in the record included Council member Cuthbert, Council member Jones, Council member Myers, Council member Westbrook, Council member Smith Lee, Vice Mayor Hill and Mayor Perrin. The transcript shows the final recorded ayes for the adoption as Westbrook, Smith Lee, Vice Mayor Hill and Mayor Perrin; votes by other members were not recorded in the provided excerpt.

The meeting record also cites multiple legal provisions during the closed-session motion, as stated on the record, including several sections of the Code of Virginia and a reference to the Petersburg City code; the transcript quotes those citations verbatim but does not include explanatory staff materials in the public excerpt.

The council’s directive requires the city manager to proceed with emergency procurement related to the unsolicited PPA; the transcript does not include further details on next steps, contract terms, or a timetable for public disclosure of a resulting contract or formal relocation plan.