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Norfolk official outlines state bills, budget priorities and a planned closed session
Summary
Brian Pennington, the city's director of government relations, briefed council on Norfolk'requested legislative items and budget amendments — including a proposed non-federal match fund for flood mitigation (referred back to subcommittee), consolidation of state bottomlands authorizations (estimated $2,000,000 annual savings), city-charter zoning fixes (SB 305/HB 147), CFPF loan interest deferment (SB 197), and a pending closed-session vote on contracts, leases and appointments under Virginia FOIA.
Brian Pennington, the City of Norfolk's director of government relations, gave a wide-ranging update on state legislation and competing budget proposals at the council work session, emphasizing flood mitigation, property-authority fixes and several budget amendments that could affect Norfolk.
Pennington said the city's top priority this session was creation of a non-federal match fund for flood mitigation projects. That proposal did not advance in the Senate Finance Committee and was referred back to a subcommittee; Pennington said the city will continue to press the issue and noted possible site visits by subcommittee members to Norfolk projects.
He described legislation addressing state-owned bottomlands as an important, although "paperwork"-focused, change intended to consolidate more than 100 individual easements into a single authorization for specific Norfolk waterfront projects. Pennington estimated the streamlining could save "up to $2,000,000 a year" in staff time and…
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