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Residents press council on drainage; firefighters urge pay and staffing changes
Summary
A resident asked the city to address a drainage issue near Metropolitan Baptist Church after a costly parking-lot project; Suffolk Firefighters Union speaker urged city leaders to adopt competitive regional pay and act on staffing rather than delay for further study.
Two non-agenda public speakers raised neighborhood infrastructure and public-safety personnel concerns.
Roy Johnson, who identified himself as representing Metropolitan Baptist Church, said a recently paved church parking lot (he estimated the project cost at more than $70,000) is not draining because an adjacent block is higher than the lot. He asked public works to review the surface elevations on County and Washington and offered to provide photographs to staff for investigation and remediation.
Douglas Carter, speaking for Suffolk Firefighters Union Local 2801, urged council to prioritize pay and staffing changes over additional study. Carter said previous internal studies and local data have already identified pay compression and understaffing and warned that continued delays risk leaving Suffolk behind neighboring departments. "Regional competitive pay is not a luxury. It's a necessity to retain experience, to close staffing gaps," he said, and he referenced Norfolk Fire and Rescue’s planned move to a 24/72 schedule in July 2027 as an example of regional trends.
Council members acknowledged both speakers, thanked them for appearing, and said staff would follow up. No formal action was taken during the meeting on either matter; councilmembers noted the topics will receive further attention in relevant departments.
