Residents raise complaints about Verizon work on private yards, new meter billing errors and call for ranked-choice voting and virtual participation
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Summary
During public comment, residents told council Verizon crews repeatedly dug on private property without notice, a property owner described skyrocketing water bills after a new meter installation, and several speakers urged ranked-choice voting and restored virtual meeting participation.
A wide-ranging public-comment period at Portsmouth’s Jan. 27 council meeting highlighted resident concerns about utility work, city services and local democratic processes.
Patricia Bradford told council that Verizon contractors have repeatedly entered and dug on her property at 1202 Ross Drive without knocking or providing prior notice. She said heavy equipment repeatedly disturbed her lawn and left hazards; she called the work "harassment" and asked the city to follow up. Vice Mayor Moody and a staff member asked Ms. Bradford to provide her address to city staff so they could follow up.
Keith Cutrel (spelled in the transcript as 'Keith Cutrel' / 'Kucherl') described ongoing billing problems after the city installed a new water meter at 1725 Chestnut Street. He said monthly bills jumped from a typical $150–$300 to invoices including $7,623.78 (August), $5,100.13 (September), $6,330.34 (October) and a subsequent bill that added $14,019.65, bringing a total to roughly $33,171.95. Cutrel said city staff initially told him a software glitch would be fixed and urged the city to remedy the billing; he said HRSD had issued notices and threatened service interruption based on the reported usage. City staff asked him to provide contact information to staff for follow-up; the manager's office said they would look into the issue.
Other speakers urged policy changes and participation improvements. Speaker Aaron (Erwin) Cody urged adoption of ranked-choice voting and outlined legal authority in the Virginia Code that allows the city council to consider such an ordinance. Another commenter asked the council to restore virtual participation for citizens who cannot attend in person; one council member supported exploring that option.
What happens next: council staff asked residents with utility and billing complaints to provide contact information to city staff for follow-up. The recorder and city staff acknowledged the reports and promised additional follow-up with the appropriate departments and, in one case, with Dominion Energy where a resident reported an old transformer and meter concerns.
