Coraggio Consulting
Manassas City Council 10/27/2025

Date: Monday, October 27, 2025
Place: Manassas City Council, Virginia
Length: 2h 49m (video)
Official meeting video (Wistia / RegionalWebTV): https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/vtmf00h1yy

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-17. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:00:02] Well, welcome everyone. It's beautiful weather. I hope you had a great weekend. There were so many trick-or-treat events or trunk-and-treats. I enjoyed spending some time with some members of this governing body.

[00:00:18] I would like to share from the police for Halloween safety tips. Please have a body system, and of course, you know, if you are with the kids, keep them close. But never trick-or-treat alone, stranger danger, never go inside a stranger's house and lights on.

[00:00:37] Only trick-or-treat at houses with the lights on. So please follow our great Manassas Police Department for more tips, whether it's on that or other things that are very beneficial to our city residents and businesses.

[00:00:54] They also have the Paran E3 series. For me, this is great information, very important. So I would like to share that the next class is once every month and it's coming up on October 29th at 5:30.

[00:01:14] And this is at the Manasseh City Community Center. So please notice the new address. And it's gonna be specific in substance abuse. So please share. And I hope you get to enjoy and learn.

[00:01:29] It's called the Parent E3 Series from our great Manasseh City Police. And before I move on, I wanted to make sure that I recognize our birthday person. So, Chief King, happy birthday.

[00:01:46] I'm sorry we made you work today. All right. We also have, and sorry for stepping up, Madam Mayor, I hope, no, over-stating.

[00:02:01] but we also have some of the Manassas School Board, and they were recognized on October 14, as they were recognized for participating in Virginia School Boards Association Academy, and they all got their certificate, so I want to congratulate you.

[00:02:22] I know your hard work. I know you put a lot into making our schools better, and I just wanna make sure that our residents business know that you are putting uh yourself going through everything you can to make it better so thank you a few more things i i was reached out by our judicial system they're gonna have uh our clerk is gonna have a great event it's their first time first time i believe it's the first weekend in november you can follow them uh and uh again in facebook social media instagram and

[00:03:00] other places and they will have a great event that i hope that you can join but they also reminding everyone they'll be closed just like all the places for november 4th they have the election they also have the veterans day november 11 they'll be closed on a few other dates i want to thank our mayor and many of the city council members for attending the virginia rail railway express um ribbon cutting that happened in manassas park it was

[00:03:37] a lot of it was a huge investment that is going to make it better for our region so i'm really thankful that each one of you was there for me it's very important when it comes to bre because I would like to see, hopefully this year, an extra train.

[00:03:56] But let's not forget the Lone Bridge project is going to affect the BRE as a whole, so make sure that you stay tuned. If you ride it, that you connect. It is a great way to get to D.C. or other locations.

[00:04:13] And not only we're going to have more services here from Manassas, manassas is also going to be the uh the line that takes you all the way to the sea but i want to make sure that you are up to date and that you have patience as that project it will take five years but it will make it better for everybody in the region so it is very important um the uh we get through but it will be some hiccups before we uh we get it done but it's it's getting better and better service coming our way let me see i believe today

[00:04:52] is the National Civics Day, so you can also ask your children or your family to walk and talk in regards to never littering. So you can grab a small trash bag, use gloves, and also pick up litter, whether it's at a park, in your trail walk, or when you walk your dog. So that will be in a way to celebrate the national civics day and the our manassas regional airport has a new uh website

[00:05:30] uh so i will invite you to uh look at their website is a newly um uh it has new support and future growth it will be uh it will be better i know it's a lot we haven't got any updates when it comes to the work that they are doing for the commercial flights but they still continue the world and they work on that and hopefully in a few months or many months we're gonna see a flight starting to live out of there so in the meantime they are showing us that they have a new

[00:06:07] website so the last few things i have the cemetery tours we have a lot of things going on over the weekend there are a few things that i couldn't make that i wanted to be there but please get involved whether you look at the historic Manassas Inc website or you look our website Manassas City website there is a lot of information you can check the app and also our connection newsletter so you are up to date the last thing I want to say I want to make sure that we that we are sharing our

[00:06:46] Spanish website you can get all your updates in Spanish in the WhatsApp app so if you want to learn more about the local government how it works you can do it you can do it there or you can also listen or read the highlights they have been done and then if you are interested in speaking tonight you'll be able to do it, and somebody is here always available for you to be able to speak in Spanish

[00:07:18] if it's needed. I want to make sure that you know that Manassas will continue to work to meet you where you are, and thank you. Thank you. Before we move forward, I want to make sure we have other electeds in the audience. Our commissioner, Tim Revenue, is here. Commissioner of the Revenue, thank you for being here. I know you're going to present a little later, And we also have the chair of our school board, Chair Suzanne Seberg, is here, as well as school board member Sarah Brescia.

[00:07:47] Thank you so much for being here. I'm not missing anybody else, I hope. Okay, we'll move forward with Vice Mayor Wolf on council time. With that, I'll be quiet so we can get on to the business of the day. Thank you. Councilman Smith. I just have one thing that's pressing.

[00:08:05] I'll be very short. Not pressing, but I think it's important. I want to acknowledge, and for the benefit of our residents, the action that Governor Youngkin did last week with regard to declaring the emergency regarding matters surrounding SNAP and assistance.

[00:08:24] It serves as a good stress relief for the people who are directly involved to know that, and plus it potentially makes food available. It also is a good stress relief for our staff. I just want to note that the city, Jeremy, issued a press release today giving guidance.

[00:08:44] And I have to acknowledge our Director of Social Services, Nicole Curvin, and Director Curvin, and her staff. The tremendous amount of work they do, and they do it under tremendous amount of pressure and emotion because they are dealing first line with our residents.

[00:09:05] I just wanted to acknowledge that and to direct people for a press release on our website to feel free to contact social services if you have questions or need assistance. And, Madam Mayor, I thank you also for your leadership and your willingness to coordinate and work with our jurisdictional partners in ensuring that our residents fare as well as they can during this crisis or during this period of government change.

[00:09:34] Thank you. Thank you. - Councilwoman Ellis. - Thank you, Mayor. Yes, I was invited to speak at the Manassas Rotary Club last week for some city updates. They always like to hear about what's going on and ask a lot of questions.

[00:09:52] We also discussed an event that they had actually yesterday, which is a 3K Polio Fun Walk, and that was to bring more awareness of eradicating polio in the world. World Polio Day was October 24th, And they had the walk through our historic manassas yesterday.

[00:10:10] And they raised over $10,000. And that was great because Rotary, and I'm also a Rotary member as well, Rotary works closely with the Gates Foundation. So the Gates Foundation will match that donation, $2 to every dollar.

[00:10:30] So we did a great, they did a great job. I helped them a little bit, but they did a lot of work. So we also got to show off our city to a lot of people in the region that were in Rotary as well. Let's see. Early voting is this week.

[00:10:46] I don't know if Sonia mentioned that. I'm trying to make sure I don't repeat. She goes first, and she really checks off a lot. Just another reminder then, early voting this week. There is a Saturday hours as well, 9 to 5, at our registrar's office, and then Election Day is November 4th.

[00:11:04] So please get out to vote if you haven't done this already. I also went to go visit Fire Station 21. That's one of our newest fire stations down there on Dumfries Road. And our family went to thank the Fire and Rescue for their really good response time in our city.

[00:11:25] That's a really key thing for our city to make sure they can get to where they need to be as soon as possible. So that was a nice event for families, a lot of fun things to do. I also went to go visit the Mobile Museum that is touring Virginia.

[00:11:41] It's called the Virginia 250th American Revolutionary 250, 250 years next year, 4th of July. We celebrate as a country. And that is initiated with a bipartisan commission down in our General Assembly in Richmond.

[00:11:58] It was sponsored by our local Daughters of the American Revolutionary War, our city chapter. And they are going to be touring the whole state until 2027. So they might circle back to us because we're an important city.

[00:12:17] So that's it. Thank you. Thank you. Councilman Osina. Thank you, Mayor. Building on Councilwoman Luna's comments about Halloween, we do know there will be a lot of kids trick-or-treating this Friday here.

[00:12:32] It's going to be darker, so I hope everyone is a little bit more cautious in driving. Try not to wear black, obviously. We'll have lights and things of that sort, but I would also add this is a good time to keep your animals inside.

[00:12:47] If you're like me, I have a black cat, and she will not be going out. Not that she does usually here, but, you know, they're just unfortunately mean people out there, And so we need to do everything we can to protect our kids, our pets, and so forth.

[00:13:07] And so I hope you keep that in mind. Veterans Day Parade this coming Saturday. We'll hear more about that. But as mentioned by Councilwoman Ellis, early voting at a registrar's office not only during the week but on Saturday. So after you watch the parade, if you want to do early voting, go and do so at a bare minimum.

[00:13:26] Make sure you do vote by Tuesday of next week. I call-- call voting our superpower. It is the time where we let our politicians know where we stand on issues, and this is-- I think every year is always an important year, and I hope all of you will exercise your right because a lot of people have died and fought and done a lot of things to make sure we all have that right.

[00:13:55] For me, one thing I do want to reflect upon-- when I first came upon council, I did speak and my fellow counselors and start advocating a little bit louder because now I was at the table to talk about affordable housing issues. And over a period of time, I'm happy to say that both council staff, the city manager, and our residents have come together to do things about attainable housing.

[00:14:21] And I'm happy to report that, first of all, that very soon we will have our first Housing Advisory Committee, if all goes well. The Appointments Committee did a series of interviews in September and October and talked to a variety of well-qualified applicants here, and we'll be making some appointments, and that committee will be starting hopefully in November and be doing things next year in this realm.

[00:14:48] So this is even more important. This dovetails with our work of allocating money to our housing trust fund and the appointment as of July of a housing coordinator, Trinity Waldron. So things are coming together in that regard here.

[00:15:06] I had the pleasure earlier this month to go with Councilwoman Hudson and we went to a housing symposium up at the George Mason campus put on by NVRC. And, you know, every time you think you know something about a subject and you go to a conference on that, you usually learn something new or you hear a different observation.

[00:15:31] And I did want to share with our folks, both our residents and those watching and those that will be watching the recording, one of the observations that was shared that sort of resonated with me and that why working on housing affordability is so important here in Manassas, in Northern Virginia, and anywhere.

[00:15:52] We know there are a lot of causes here, but why should we be focused in on it? And this gentleman was explaining, he said, look at it this way. You spend a lot of time sending your kids to pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, intermediate, middle, and high school.

[00:16:11] You teach them all sorts of skills, both job skills and language skills and math skills along the way. And then they either go to trade school or they go to work or they go to college. And then they come back and they're ready to settle something.

[00:16:28] And when they can't afford to rent, let alone own, they go somewhere else. And you, we, have just trained the workforce for some other locality.

[00:16:44] And that resonated with me. We talk about return on investment, and I believe that's an important thing we need to keep in mind. That if we're going to be educating, we want as many of our kids to be able to live here. And so this is why this is important.

[00:17:01] But that also means we have to address what's called the housing ladder. We can't worry just about entry level. We have to worry about the top level, people who are retiring, downsizing, and need a place to live as well. How do we accommodate that? It is a problem that has not easy solutions.

[00:17:21] Otherwise, it would have been done by now. But keep in mind that we want that return on investment not only for our kids, but for our citizens who have lived with us for a long time as well. And so that's why, to me, all the steps we've taken so far are very important. I hope you'll be supportive of these housing initiatives that will come along, participate in conversations where appropriate, and share your thoughts and ideas, not only with me, but all of council and our housing advisory committee once we're ready to announce it.

[00:17:51] Last two things are, there was an article in the October issue of the City Connection. That's the newsletter that comes with your utility bill if you get a printed copy. And there was an interesting article in there that talked about quality of life matters.

[00:18:11] I happen to know the author there because, well, it was me. But it did talk, and just real quickly to remind you, because some of this is very pertinent recently, where to find the department contacts should you have complaints about quality of life issues.

[00:18:31] You can find them in the website. It also reminded you about our app, Manassas Connects. Now you can use that to let the city know if traffic light's not working, trash, all sorts of other things. The app also provides you information of how to contact city council and things of that sort, along with the department heads, another way, electronically, if that's your preferred way.

[00:18:55] It gives you information about the website that you can go, the link that you can go to, If there are power outages and you want to see how extensive they are and where they are after you've lost power, especially after you've submitted that through the app, you can go to that map and see how large or how small the power outage is along the way here.

[00:19:19] So with that, I'm just going to conclude, Mayor, as a reminder that I think I shared this. These are thoughts that are shared by everybody here on the dais. You know, our businesses are key to Manassas' quality of life. offering diverse dining, shopping, and services.

[00:19:36] So as we head into these final months of the year, please shop local to keep our economy strong. Mayor, thank you so much. Thank you. Councilwoman Hudson. Thank you, Madam Mayor, and good evening, everyone. Thank you for joining us today. A couple weeks ago, the Mayor, Mr. Burke, Councilman Ocina, and I attended the Virginia Municipal League Annual Conference.

[00:19:57] This being my first time, I felt like in comparison to the other localities that Manassas was ahead on many things from technology to tourism, and I was really proud to see several people that were eager to tell us that their family members and friends have just moved here and that they've enjoyed their time and their visits here, so it made Manassas seem like a really unique place in the state, so that was cool.

[00:20:17] The Northern Virginia Regional Commission in VRC, as Councilman Ocina referenced, under the new leadership of Executive Director Craig Pfeiffer, will engage in several strategic planning work sessions, the first on November 14th, to discuss housing initiatives across the region so emphasizing again the point that housing is really important here and everywhere around us I'd like to advise our residents to see public comment opportunity for the following COG transportation planning board documents it's visualized 2050 the planned transportation funding for fiscal year 2026 to 2029 the transportation improvement plan or tip

[00:20:56] and the draft air quality conformity conformity analysis report for both of those documents public comment is open until november 21st on the cog website and i will post about that on my facebook page sometime this week if anybody wants to check it out finally i encourage residents and community members to participate in planning for the the mathis shopping center by commenting on the summaries that are available online as well as attending the presentation on november 13th at 6 o'clock at the community center please join us in these conversations development is still far in the future but conversations are happening and we want everyone to be a part of that and

[00:21:35] finally I want to also bring attention to the City Council and school board meeting that will be happening this Thursday if anybody would like to attend thank you madam mayor thank you for that I'll just add I don't think anyone had mentioned we have the salute to Armed Forces event coming up this week on the 29th at the Heritage Hunt Golf Club so that should be a really nice event to attend I've been attending for the past few years and it always every year they outdo themselves with that and so looking forward to attending that and then we have I don't think anybody mentioned we have the veterans parade on the first so looking forward to that and so there's always a an interesting vibe when because you can also vote and so the parade coming and

[00:22:14] people voting and so no lack of people downtown on the first so and then we have our legislative breakfast coming up on November 6th that's with Senator Rome and delegate Maldonado and that is at the museum Eric saying yes museum so sorry I didn't have that location so we're looking forward to doing that as well with that I'll turn it over to city manager for your report thank you thank you we'd like to inform all of our residents that we have the household hazardous waste

[00:22:49] collection day saturday november 1st at the manassas transfer station the city is also going to be providing an update on development at the landing at cannon branch on wednesday november 5th at 5 p.m in the prince william chamber of commerce offices at 97 33 buchanan loop hmi will be hosting the final first friday of 2025 on friday november 7th in downtown enjoy the fall gallery walk on saturday november 8th from noon to 4th again downtown ice skating will begin at the harris

[00:23:23] pavilion uh november 21st that's a friday the city also experienced a short animal related electric outage this past weekend that affected about 40 customers if you experience an outage or just want to see what's going on with our electric system please visit the website and do a quick search for our outage map and that will show you all the locations of any outages within in the city. Also, please visit the city's website for information about the programs that are offered at the city's community center. And the open gym is still available at the Boys and Girls Club on Fridays from 8.30 p.m.

[00:24:01] to 10 p.m. and Saturdays from 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. And that's all I have now. Thank you. Any questions for City Manager Burke? Ms. Vasquez-Nana. Thank you, Madam Mayor. The ice skating rink, is that going to be repaired in the next year or still no updates?

[00:24:19] Well, no. We are planning to begin repairs at the end of February, beginning of March in 2026. We had planned to do that work last year. Unfortunately, a number of the pieces of equipment that were needed were only manufactured in Canada, and they were not able to get them in a timely manner. So they have been ordered and delivered and are ready to go. So yes, well, we will have our normal ice skating period, and then and we will be closing for repairs.

[00:24:53] - Any other questions from Mr. Burke? Okay, next on the agenda you will see we have administrative reports. These are included in the agenda just for information only. We will hear from one committee during presentation time, but you may go and look on our website to get the full report of those various commissions and boards annual reports, and we encourage you to do so 'cause you'll find a lot of good information there about what they've been working on what they've been able to accomplish in the last month so next on the agenda is our presentations and we have item 1.1 Monassah City Public Schools school

[00:25:29] presentation this month we are highlighting Jenny Dean Elementary School and I see chair Seberg coming to introduce the person who will present to us this evening mr. Ed Stevenson is the principal there doctor excuse me doctor

[00:25:45] principal. Please meet Dr. Ed Stevenson. Good evening, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor Wolfe,

[00:26:54] members of the City Council, Mr. Burke. I am pleased to have the opportunity to showcase the many great things happening at Jenny Dean Elementary School this evening. So the theme of tonight's brief presentation is what makes Jenny Dean Elementary School great. And Jenny Dean is a great place. It's a great place to work and to learn. And one of the reasons it is, is because of our SWIM expectations.

[00:27:26] Jenny Dean Elementary School is the home of the Dolphins and Dolphins SWIM. SWIM stands for success through working together with integrity and motivation. We teach, encourage, and reinforce a series of expectations connected to the SWIM acronym in all settings of the school.

[00:27:46] We stress to students that we are here to support their success by helping them build their knowledge and skills, that they must work together by engaging consistently in their daily learning activities and collaborating with their teachers and peers, that they must show integrity by doing the right thing, making an honest effort, telling the truth, and treating others with kindness and respect, and that they must stay motivated by trying their very best each day, especially when things are challenging or difficult.

[00:28:21] What makes Jenny Dean great? Our teachers and staff. They work tirelessly to meet the needs of students every day in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria, on the playground, and in all school settings. They meet as collaborative teams to carefully plan for student needs.

[00:28:39] During these meetings, they discuss student progress and how to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of every child. They ensure student safety and are key ambassadors and leaders of our SWMM program and expectations. They engage with parents and families and are key leaders of our community and family engagement.

[00:29:00] And finally, they are the backbone of all of our efforts to meet the needs of every Jenny Dean student. What makes Jenny Dean great? Our students. We have hardworking, creative, kind, and enthusiastic students in our school.

[00:29:17] They exemplify our swim expectations on a daily basis and are striving, learning, and growing in our school each day. As I visit classrooms and walk our hallways, I am always pleased to see the bright eyes and smiling faces of our students as they work. Cooperative learning is a major area of focus for our school and it is common to see students working together in pairs and groups to reach new heights in our classrooms and other settings.

[00:29:43] We are committed to creating a school culture where every child can achieve and thrive and where they do that together. Student learning is the primary focus of our work at Jenny Dean. As students learn the knowledge and skills we are teaching them each day, they gain the attributes and confidence they will need for future success.

[00:30:05] Our families and community partners play a vital role in supporting this focus. We are fortunate to have supportive parents that engage with the life of the school through volunteer work, our parent-teacher organization, our family engagement events, and directly with teachers and staff to support the needs of their children.

[00:30:27] We also have terrific community partners that work with our family liaison and staff to support our kids and their families in vital ways throughout the school year. ongoing efforts are making a big difference in the lives of our students and families. Finally, what makes Jenny Dean great? Our history and legacy. We are honored to be named for a pioneer and hero of education in Jenny Dean. We celebrate the significance of her work and are proud of the school building and campus that bears her name. We look forward to continuing to honor the legacy and memory of Jenny Dean when we move to our new facility next year. Her

[00:31:06] work and legacy remind us that all students deserve a high quality education that opens doors and opportunities for their future success thank you for taking the time to hear about our tremendous school community we are grateful for the opportunity we have each day to serve our genuidine students and families in manassas city thank you dr thank you so much for that and um choosing manassas and we choose you right back i say that often and we mean it welcome to the family i'm so glad that you're here and for everything that you're doing and will continue

[00:31:44] to do for the schools council members any questions for dr stevenson you good councilor vasquez luna got a question thank you great presentation and you know reminder about swim uh for me it will be like we have been uh all working together to make sure that uh you get a great school i mean it will be the newest school in the system and i'm really you know Happy to see that, you know, everything that has been implemented, plus a newer building will help all the kids thrive and the staff as well.

[00:32:21] So thanks for the presentation. Anyone else? Mr. Osino. Thank you, Mayor. So, Dr. Stevenson, I noticed in one of the pictures what looked like a textbook vending machine.

[00:32:38] Yes. Would you tell us, could you go to that slide that had that picture, first of all, if it's possible, just so others can see what we're, there it is, right in the middle there. I was greatly intrigued by that. Tell me how that came to be and how it's used and what have you.

[00:32:57] Well, I wish I could take credit for it, but it was something our reading support teachers came up with. And the idea is that we incentivize reading by when we see the students doing good things in the classroom around literacy, we give them tickets, and when they earn enough tickets, they can redeem them in the vending machine for books.

[00:33:17] I see. And where are they different reading levels, I take it, the books, you know, for different grades and what have you? Yeah, there's a variety of different texts in there, but we do let them choose. All right, so like a first grader could find a book there, as well as like a fourth grader on that kind of thing.

[00:33:38] So I take it it's probably hard to keep it stocked, right? Hard to keep it stocked. That's right, because it's getting emptied. I mean, it's popular. It is quite popular. All right, well, I think that's an innovative way to get kids to read, as well as reward them in a way that I think is very positive and the things we want there.

[00:34:03] So kudos to whoever came up with the idea. Sometimes inventions have many fathers and mothers along the way to keep it going there. It's the sort of thing I'd like to, it would be great to see it everywhere along the way, but very good on that.

[00:34:19] And I do want to thank you for stepping up to be the permanent principal for this year at Jenny Dean. I mean, this is probably, if you had to pick school years and so forth, this is probably one of the more important ones because the transitioning from the old dean being the last year in the current structure and getting everything successfully moved to the new school once that's ready spring of next year and successfully getting that underway.

[00:34:50] those no easy tasks and uh i don't know you could ever go to to college and get a course on how to do those kinds of things right in that way so thank you for stepping up and doing that and leading a team to to make that successful looking forward to to seeing everything go well anyone else good thank you dr steveson okay next on the agenda is item 1.2 the annual report for the

[00:35:19] historic resources board we have mr bill backus the hrb chair here to help us with that good Good evening, Madam Mayor, members of City Council.

[00:35:36] My name is Bill Ackes. I am the chair of the Manassas Historic Resources Board, a commission that is appointed by council, by citizens and residents to assist with historic resources and the Manassas Museum System in our city.

[00:35:53] You have a packed legislative agenda tonight. I have an 11-month-old child who has an uncompromising bedtime routine, so I'll keep this brief in respect for everyone's time. Unfortunately, we're having a little bit technical issues right here. This is a review for the 2025 year for both Historic Resources Board and a little bit on Manassas Museum System. Within this past year over 33,000 visitors came to the Manassas Museum System ranging from residents of our city looking to engage with our shared culture and past to

[00:36:28] outside visitors knowing the history of Manassas coming to Manassas for our history spending their tour of some dollars in downtown Manassas. The HRB has supported various ongoing projects and maintenance projects at the museum system, including projects at Annenberg, Cannon Branch, and Mayfield Fort, and we have continued to work on preparing for the museum's accreditation with the American Alliance of Museums, or AAM. Part of that process for this past year was reviewing and approving an updated collections policy, and also reviewing and approving an

[00:37:03] updated disaster and emergency preparedness plan. Part of our responsibilities as members of the Historic Resources Board is the review of potential collections going to the Manassas Museum. This past year, eight potential donors wanted to donate over 89 objects to the Manassas Museum system.

[00:37:26] Unfortunately, because of a lack of space, not every single object can be accessioned into the museum system, and so the committee was reviewing all the objects to make sure that those tell the story of our community and our history. And some of the highlights from the objects that were successfully accessioned into our museum system was an 1843 Schoolmasters math book for Liberia plantation in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the founding of that site and also a 20th century milk crate from Birmingham Dairy. Part of the

[00:38:03] the projects are also were exhibitions at the museum system. The image on your left is an art exhibit from OHS students that was housed in the rotating exhibit space. Other exhibits that were shown at the Manassas Museum this past year was Got Milk, an exhibit about the Birmingham Dairy, a exhibit about the Civil War ironclad CSS Manassas, and the image on your right, a traveling exhibit from the Virginia Museum of Culture and History, Give Me Liberty in Commemoration and Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of the United States,

[00:38:38] which is still at the Manassas Museum right now, so I encourage everyone to check it out. Looking forward, we have various projects that we're looking to assist with museum staff. The main one that we're excited about is for this building that's on the slide.

[00:38:55] That is to support the project to move the model cottage to the Manassas Industrial School, also known as Jenny Dean, and also working with museum staff for future accreditation with AAM. So as always the board extends its appreciation to council for its continued support of the Manassas Museum And looks forward to a successful year in 2026. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Backus for that report. Are there any questions?

[00:39:22] Mr. Osina Just tying it into what we were heard earlier, you know with the 250th Anniversary of our founding of our country coming up are is there anything you can share about any plans that the museum might be doing to tie into any of those events or circumstances along the way so um to look at the legacy of the american revolution um so the american revolution takes the time in which manassas is not founded um but the legacy of the revolution is still being felt today 250 years later and so the museum is

[00:40:00] going to be working on projects and stories to amplify how the american revolution and those people who fought in that conflict are resonating today in our society excellent well kudos on that and kudos to you the committee members for diligently working on accreditation and then along with the staff I think our museum has really become a centerpiece for Old Town and sort of a town square for a lot of different events not just the lawn but actually the staging and the seating outside as well as the various events going on along the way for a lot of

[00:40:40] different celebrations. So it's great to see that used. I know probably you and the committee are very happy to see people visit like that. So keep up the good work and keep thinking outside the box of how we can do more of that. Anyway, Ms. Vasquez Luna. Thank you, Madam Mayor. A couple of comments and a question. First, if you have or if you find any artifacts or something that you would like to donate to the museum you know that is something that they look into i know some donations they

[00:41:15] don't accept everything but some donations come from even far away uh so if it's something that belongs to manassas or from the manassas history i just want to make sure the uh the public knows about that um congratulations and continue to be the chair i i would like to see if it's there any short message when it comes to accreditation. I know it's a long and hard process, but it also can bring, you know, great exhibitions in the future. So if you could do a brief update, I'll appreciate it. Yeah, so accreditation with AAM is the

[00:41:52] gold standard for this industry. When Manassas becomes accredited, we will be the fifth municipal museum system in the Commonwealth of Virginia accredited with AAM it's a very high bar to meet so it's going to take a little bit of time to meet that part of the accreditation process is five core documents so we are reviewing all five core documents I think there's one left that will be knocking out in 2026 to make sure all those are already and then looking at a map of museum assessment program for future accreditation so basically looking at anything that we need to improve upon before we go for the AAM

[00:42:31] Because once we go for accreditation, we want to make sure that it's a successful application. There's not going to be a rejection on the part of AAM. Thank you so much. And I believe our curator, museum director, is here. So thank you for all the work.

[00:42:48] I know that it takes a lot of work to present it to the board and also for the board to review it. So as a former council member to the board, you know, I appreciate the great work and everything that is being done there. Thank you. Thank you. Are there other members of the board here tonight?

[00:43:04] I wanted to write, if they are, I didn't know if any are here. I have not seen any. Oh, okay. All right. Just wanted to make sure they got recognized if they had come out. So thank you again for your time. Have a nice night. Get the kid to bed. Okay. Next on the agenda, we have proclamations. We have item 1.3 is a proclamation for proclamation for Veterans Month.

[00:43:25] Mr. Smith and I will go down front for that. And they're already on the end there. So we can figure out what's going on with them.

[00:44:15] - Hopefully y'all can hear me, sorry. We're trying to work on this. We have members of the Mayor's Veterans Advisory Board newly established here. Mr. Jerry Martin wanted to make sure that we invited all of you all out tonight so you could share in this proclamation.

[00:44:34] And I have, Mr. Smith is the liaison for that advisory board. So he's gonna read the proclamation tonight. So whoever wants to come up, please feel free to come on up at this time

[00:44:43] and we will take it away.

[00:45:29] - Okay, this is not, okay. Whereas Veterans Day, formerly known and celebrated as Armistice Day, was first observed on November 11, 1954, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower requested that they be set aside to solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores to preserve our heritage of freedom.

[00:46:03] And, whereas, on Veterans Day, we come together to pay tribute not only to the men and women who have so valiantly risked their lives to preserve the liberty of our nation as members of the armed forces, but also to those unsung heroes who have served in the military and continue to serve as our first responders as police, rescue, and firefighters, and emergency medical technicians.

[00:46:31] And whereas, these dedicated heroes continue to risk their own safety to protect us, and they are the first and best defense against all emergencies that threaten our communities. And whereas, from national disasters to personal tragedies, these valiant first responders continue to sacrifice their time and their lives for those in peril and deserve the highest degree of respect for their selfless acts of heroism

[00:47:03] and whereas we need to be ever mindful that the continued desire to serve others is the motivator that instills such honor and dedication. And whereas in 2025, three branches of the armed forces of the United States will commemorate their semi-quincentennial, marking 250 years of service, sacrifice, and dedication in the defense of our nation.

[00:47:38] And whereas, on Veterans Day, November 11th, we have an opportunity to not only honor those who have answered the call when asked to protect and defend our nation and its allies, but also those unsung brave heroes who continue to answer the call as a first responder after their military career is at an end.

[00:48:03] Now, therefore, Mayor Michelle Davis Younger, Mayor of the City of Monastery, Virginia, and on behalf of the Monastery City Council, does hereby recognize November 11, 2025 as Veterans Day and November 2025 as Veterans Month.

[00:48:22] In the city of Manassas and urge all citizens to fly our flag and to recognize the importance of our veterans and their service in the military and as first responders and the significance of the sacrifice these remarkable individuals provide, not only on November 11th, but also throughout the month of November and the entire year.

[00:49:43] And with return, do you want to stand here to represent Saturday, 17th, and we're going to see some comrades who are participating with us in here.

[00:50:21] So, those of you who have the opportunity, please come and see the 60 entries, see some very interesting people watch.

[00:50:30] I will say that everybody who has any kind of mayor of civilian, him, will be having thanks for the mayor, city council.

[00:51:05] There will actually be a greeting today to celebrate the service of all men. Please take advantage of these. As this has always been a great community, a wonderful society.

[00:51:26] It's always welcome. I say that, service overseas. I happen to be in one of those three meetings. Please take advantage.

[00:52:28] Good woman behind the great man.

[00:53:39] It reminds us how vital it is to reach back and to help us who never wish to return to that chapter of pain again.

[01:00:17] As a survivor myself, this moment carries profound significance. It represents both personal resilience and collective variety for those who have turned survival into purpose. For me and for Purple Runway's community, this tall formation honors a movement, one grounded in compassion, advocacy, and identity-based services that help survivors not just move past surviving, but run towards healing and never return to the cycle of abuse again.

[01:00:47] We know our environment matters. We know environment matters. Safe and nurturing spaces and being in community with those who have overcome become five vessels that move survivors from where they are to where they're meant to be.

[01:01:04] Michelle Rosenthal, an award-winning nominated trauma PSP author and trauma recovery specialist, once said, Trauma creates change that you don't choose. Healing is about creating change you do choose. I believe holistic and integrated mind-body healing, rooted and connected with those who have survived and thrived.

[01:01:28] We see transformation happen from the inside out. Survivors need thrivers in their orbit, people who reflect what's possible beyond the pain, for joy, stability, and growth. When healing happens in the presence of those who have already crossed the bridge, hope becomes contagious, and transformation turns from possibility into living reality.

[01:01:53] we extend our heartfelt appreciation to act for their steadfast service in community this proclamation stands as a beacon of unity in community reminding us when community and environment align we help shift mindset we build lives and strengthen the very fabric of our shared humanity i want to thank my team members my husband and brandy for being here in support as

[01:02:19] okay thank you all so much um the mics are in use for the broadcast so council members still use

[01:13:16] them and talking to them so that way it can at least be heard online um so next on the agenda and thank you all for um your participation with the proclamations next on the agenda is the consent agenda i'll call on vice mayor wolf for that motion madam mayor i move the approval of the consent agenda and then we dispense with the reading of the ordinances we have the motion by vice mayor will seconded by councilman Smith to approve our consent agenda any discussion hearing and seeing none mr. Smith please call the roll vice mayor wolf yes councilmember Smith yes councilmember Ellis yes councilmember Osina yes councilmember Vasquez Luna yes council

[01:13:55] member Hudson yes the motion carries all right thank you so much we'll move forward on the agenda to item three is our public hearing um let's see public hearings we have the sign up sheet in front here at the dais if anyone has not signed up we encourage you to do so public hearing sheet is different from the public comment sheet so make sure you're signing up on the right sheet i'll go over the procedures for public hearings i'll read the newspaper ad certification for public hearings and staff will present the issue for consideration council will ask questions then the public hearing will be open for comments and we'll make sure not to miss anyone who wishes to speak regarding a public hearing item and then the public hearing will either be closed

[01:14:34] or continue to the next council meeting which requires a motion and a vote so with that i will read the newspaper certification announcement which says as the mayor i certify that newspaper advertisements for the public hearings listed on tonight's agenda were published in conformance with the requirements of general law and sydney city ordinances as the mayor are further certified that an affidavit of publication is before me which is signed by an authorized representative of the prince william times newspaper which states that the advertisements appeared on the required

[01:15:08] dates and who's going to help us first ben with item 3.1 on the public hearing is appeal of a denial by the architectural review board for a certificate of appropriate appropriateness for 9229 portner avenue thank you for being here thank you madam mayor council members this is a request to consider an appeal of the denial by the architectural review board august 19th 2025 decision to deny a certificate of appropriateness application for the replacement of windows at

[01:15:45] 92 29 portner avenue this property features a two-story residential building which is located on the south side of portner avenue between west street and weir alley it is zoned r1 for single family residential and is categorized as a historic landmark within the city's historic overlay district to provide you all with some background on or about march 3rd 2025 the wood The wood windows at 9229 Portner Avenue were replaced with new vinyl windows without ARB approval, at which time code enforcement issued a notice of violation.

[01:16:23] The applicant contacted staff to state that they were unaware of the need for ARB approval and submitted an ARB application to city staff seeking retroactive approval for the window replacement. Staff advised the applicant at that time that the replacement of the wood windows with vinyl windows does not meet historic district design guidelines and that staff would be unable to recommend approval of the vinyl windows the applicant decided to move forward with bringing the vinyl windows before the ARB first coming before the board at a public meeting on April 15th 2025 at which time the board recommended deferral

[01:17:01] at the application unanimously the applicant returned to the board again with a revised proposal at their August 19th 2025 public meeting and the board unanimously recommended denial at that time. The applicant's original window proposal as presented to the ARB on April 15, 2025, was that the wood windows were replaced with new Window Nation Grandview 1 over 1 double hung vinyl windows. Staff's recommendation to the ARB at that April meeting was deferral to give the applicant additional time to explore alternative window

[01:17:38] options. The board provided feedback to the applicant and made a unanimous motion at that April meeting to defer the application so that the applicant could return at a later date with a revised proposal. This image the two images on this slide show the house at 9229 Portner Avenue before the wood windows were replaced at left and after they were replaced with vinyl windows at right. Following the ARB's April meeting the applicant explored alternative window options and returned to the board at the August 19th 2025 meeting with a revised proposal for the

[01:18:14] windows. The revised proposal entailed removing the vinyl windows that were installed in March and replacing them with Harvey Majesty aluminum clad wood one over one double hung windows. The applicant proposed two options for the scope of the installation of these new replacement windows as part of their revised proposal. The first option, which was the applicant's preferred option, was to replace only the front two vinyl windows with the new Harvey Majesty windows and leave the rest of the vinyl windows in place. Option 2, which was the alternative option, was to replace

[01:18:51] all of the vinyl windows with the new Harvey Majesty windows. And at that August ARB meeting, the board made a unanimous motion to deny the application. While the design guidelines indicate that aluminum-clad wood windows are not appropriate for landmark structures, staff's opinion, as stated in that August ARB staff report, was that in this case, the proposal was not entirely unreasonable.

[01:19:15] While aluminum-clad wood windows are not a restoration of the original wood windows, they are more historically appropriate and compatible with historic structures than the vinyl windows that were installed in March in place of the wood windows. Staff felt that this proposal was an appropriate and reasonable compromise as the wood windows were lost and could not be reinstalled since they were removed and replaced with the vinyl windows and therefore staff supported the installation of the aluminum-clad wood windows in this specific case at the ARB's August meeting staff's recommendation to the ARB at the August meeting was

[01:19:51] approval of the applicants proposed option two of their revised proposal for the aluminum clad wood windows and denial of their option one which only required removal and replacement of the front two final windows the board notice noted at the August 19th ARB meeting in their deliberation that they are responsible for applying the guidelines consistently and that their review is bound not only by the design guidelines but by the full standards of review as set forth in the zoning ordinance under section 130-406 the board made a unanimous motion for denial at the ARB application at that time and a

[01:20:28] notification of denial was sent to the applicant the following day pursuant to the zoning ordinance under section 130-410 City Council has the following options for the appeal first to either affirm the decision of the ARB to deny a certificate of appropriateness for the window replacement. Option two is to reverse the decision and approve the installation of the vinyl windows. Option three is to modify the decision or option four remand back to the ARB for reconsideration of the decision of the ARB in whole or in part.

[01:21:05] Specifically for the third option to modify pursuant to the design guidelines and the standards of review as set forth in section 130-406 the arb acted accordingly in the in the denial of the vinyl material for the replacement windows staff recommends that city council affirm the decision of the arb to deny the use of the vinyl material for windows in a landmark structure should city council can want to consider an alternative to replacing all vinyl windows with wood windows pursuant to the design guidelines in lieu of remanding back to the arb staff would recommend

[01:21:44] that council approve replacement of the front two windows with wood windows consistent with the design guidelines and additionally that all other windows be replaced with harvey majesty aluminum clad wood windows aluminum clad one windows are an alternative material accepted in the historic district for historic structures not listed as landmarks to conclude staff is recommending that either the public hearing be closed and the appeal scheduled for action on november 10th or that the public hearing be closed and the appeal scheduled for work session for council on november

[01:22:20] 17th that concludes staff's presentation and i stand ready for questions and prior to hearing from the appellant the arab chairperson is here and has a statement that they would like to share with council as well okay um thank you you're welcome um i have a note to um before council member does their questions. We want to hear from the chair of the ARB committee. So if Marcy Settle want to come forward at this time. Thank you, Ben. Good evening, Madam Mayor, Vice Mayor, City Council

[01:22:58] members, City Manager, and everyone who is listening. My name is Marcy Settle. I have the privilege of currently serving as the chair of the ARB. Also here tonight is Steve Hirsch, the vice chair. On On August 19th, we received an application from the owners of one of the LeBeau homes located at 9229 Portner Avenue built circa 1905.

[01:23:25] The LeBeau homes are designated as landmark structures within the Historic Overlay District or HOD. There are only 100 landmark structures within this entire city. The guidelines state that landmark structures are of the utmost historic sensitivity and importance to the Manassas community. As such, they will receive the highest level of scrutiny for changes to materials or building elements. The goal is to maintain these buildings in the form that best represents their significance to Manassas. The ARB follows the Secretary of

[01:24:04] Interior's Standards of the Preservation of Historic Architecture and our own historic district design guidelines which were updated and adopted in April of 2022 by city ordinance our design guidelines are required to be in accordance with the standards of this of the secretary of interior standards and were developed accordingly we try really hard to apply the guidelines consistently with all of our cases and in a fair way so we don't disadvantage one property owner over another or deviate from our main objective of consistency

[01:24:43] and structure integrity by making exceptions to the guidelines the ARB considers applications and decides whether to grant a certificate of appropriateness or a COA under the direction of an ordinance which was passed by City Council that very clearly defines the process the City Code also requires that all property owners in the HOD obtain a COA before making significant alterations to destroying or replacing primary building elements, including windows.

[01:25:19] When it comes to a landmark structure, it's not just about the appearance, it's also about protecting the historic integrity of the structure itself. The guidelines state changes are discouraged in favor of repairing existing materials and elements whenever possible.

[01:25:39] If replacement is necessary for the health of the structure, replacements should be like for like, wood for wood. The design guidelines also specifically state that landmark structures will be considered in their entirety, meaning that each facade and the elements and materials that comprise it will be given equal importance regardless of visibility from the street there have been several cases in the past recent years where property owners in historic district made

[01:26:14] modifications to landmark structures without applying for a coa from the arb as required by city code in each of these cases since the adoption of the current guidelines the property owners were required to go back and remove and replace the windows or the other building elements that were not in compliance with the guidelines. The guidelines also provide specific guidance with respect to windows for landmark structures. The only material identified as being an acceptable

[01:26:48] replacement window material for a landmark structure is wood. Any other materials are not appropriate for landmark structures thank you for taking the time to listen to the arb's reasoning regarding making this tough decision to deny this application thank you thank you miss settle okay um open up for council members if any have any questions or comments at this time any questions

[01:27:17] oh mr moka yeah so there are some alterations that require a building permit automatically even after arb approval per the building code under it's not in the city code but under the virginia construction code and international building code there's a section that talks about

[01:27:57] items that are exempt from requiring a building permit and under that section which is a section 108.2 there's a at the end there's exceptions to that rule and one of those stipulates that applications for a permit may be required for the installation of siding roofing and windows for buildings within a historic district designated by a locality so in this case in addition to the architectural view board approval that also does require a permit under that exception if anybody comes in for a building permit they submit a building permit application

[01:28:35] with copies of plans for whatever work that they're doing and if it requires additional trades permits as well whether that's electrical mechanical or plumbing those are tied into that building permit as well it just depends on the scope of the work we also have people that come in who are unsure of whether they need a building permit and they come and talk about their projects what they're doing and staff whether zoning or building or both let them know if a building permit or another type of permit is required okay anyone else any other questions ms vasquez thank you madam mayor if you could could you walk us through because there is different

[01:29:13] landmarks i know all like it was explained just for the residents not everybody lives in old town understand these uh requirements yes so if you could just briefly uh say the different um stages or names for each because this one is historic landmark no yes that's correct is it is the highest level that is correct yes so within the historic overlay district the majority of properties that would contain buildings they are all either designated as contributing or non-contributing contributing structures are typically

[01:29:51] either structures that are of a certain age so they're more historic based on when they were constructed and/or they have a level of significance that warrants them to be designated as contributing non-contributing structures are structures that were either built outside of that period of significance or they have been altered to such an extent that they no longer maintain any material integrity or building integrity so there's not enough building fabric left for them to be considered contributing to convey that level of significance so all properties have those designations either contributing

[01:30:25] or non-contributing even landmark properties landmark is a separate designation in addition to the contributing or non contributing designation and within the zoning ordinance there's a series of criteria that properties must meet several of those criteria in order to be landmark structures so there's about 482 properties within the local historic district after you exclude all the properties that either are vacant undeveloped or parking lots that sort of thing. And of those 482, there are only 102 that have been designated as landmarks.

[01:31:05] Any other questions, comments? I have to open it up. The public hearing is now open. Sorry, I lost my place. Public hearing is now open if there's anyone who wishes to, I'm sorry, so the applicant is here? Okay. So if the applicant wishes to come forward at this time,

[01:31:32] applicants, good evening. I am Margo Pareja and this is my husband, Chris Lawrence. I know thank you because the microphones aren't picking up i want to make sure we can hear you mine does

[01:31:51] from new york so first of all i'd like to say we understand the windows they were not able to be

[01:32:30] repaired efficient you could feel the air coming in through them and so when we went to replace realize from the arb and from the city and facing and so when you look at the two pictures visually

[01:33:00] in terms of the materials we go home followed in changing in 2022 but the and the only communication

[01:33:43] And so we didn't realize then that they're seeing that neighbors in the historic district, two of our, two of the Laveau grow homes, that that was going to be prior to moving in.

[01:34:17] I believe it just feels like that is hidden.

[01:34:57] And I feel like it's not an unreasonable, but we didn't know, didn't know.

[01:35:31] And our ass seat was with the acceptable windows. And it was that they all need to be replaced.

[01:35:47] And that feels like an unreasonable financial burden to place on homeowners. well great job um yeah i mean you i mean my wife put it pretty succinctly um i also want to thank

[01:36:26] ben i want to thank the city council for allowing us to speak on our behalf um but um listening to the chairman of the ARB just now, it also kind of, I think, reinforces our point, which is if these structures are so important and if they mean so much to this community, then how are we getting this?

[01:36:54] And that's supposed to tell us everything we're supposed to be approving and everything. I mean, this almost looks to me like something like, hey, welcome to the city of Manassas and come and visit our town, Come and visit our beautiful downtown historic area.

[01:37:11] It doesn't tell me anything unless I open it. And there's a 30-page document that I'm supposed to download. It tells me all the different guidelines that were redone in 2022 when there's two of the houses. And if you're talking about consistency, now three of the four Lebeau houses have vinyl windows, not just two.

[01:37:30] And if we would have known this and if we would have thought that there was anything that we were doing that was so harmful, I wouldn't have spent almost $20,000 on replacing them and now being told I have to replace all those and cost me another $20,000, if not more, to put wood windows in.

[01:37:50] It's completely, I think, inappropriate, and there was no malicious intent by us in terms of what we were trying to do. We were trying to improve the home, if anything. We've invested in this house.

[01:38:07] The house has never looked better from the outside, like you said. There's a door, and I asked Ben, have there been any other appeals to the ARB for our structure? Nothing. So who put the new door in?

[01:38:24] How is that approved? There's also two different structural changes to the house. There's no records of that being approved by ARB. It's like a breakfast nook and also an office area overlooking the side of the house.

[01:38:42] Those are structural changes to the actual physical property of the house, not us removing windows that were painted shut and were leaky and was a fire hazard to begin with. So if these structures are so important, and I think there's 102 structures, but actually only 61 of them are actually homes that are still in existence.

[01:39:07] So like my wife said, this isn't a hard thing we're asking to be communicated to better in terms of what is appropriate and what is not. How difficult is it to hand or when we move in to have a card saying contact someone.

[01:39:28] Welcome to the historic district. If you ever want to do anything to the structure of the home, make sure to contact us. or we have a 20-page document for you to review so you make sure that you don't put vinyl windows in. We didn't receive anything like that, and I think this is, I don't know, we're repeating ourselves at this point.

[01:39:50] So anyway, thank you very much for your time, and we hope that you take our appeal into consideration. Thank you. Just quickly, 2022 is when all, I understand the intent, and I'm so excited that communication piece of the part that was lacking, that I think it's easily correctable.

[01:40:36] Thank you. Thank you very much. Oh, you have questions. Okay, go ahead. Go ahead. Yes. No, no, no. You're fine.

[01:40:53] Thank you, ma'am. Hi there. Hi. Thank you for coming forward, and I appreciate you. First of all, welcome to Manassas. It's a few years late here, but nonetheless, along the way here in that regard. Just so I better understand, and again, please don't read anything more into the question than the question here along the way, but a couple of thoughts came to me here.

[01:41:21] Who was your realtor? She's based in Alexandria. We don't know who we were dealing with. Our realtor was the one dealing with whoever sold the home.

[01:41:40] Right. So when I say, who was your realtor, who was the person in the company representing you in this real estate transaction? McInerney and Associates. Okay. She's based out of Old Town. All right, which is another place that has an ARB and goes through all of this here.

[01:42:00] I'll just, as an aside, so what did the realtor say about the location, and was there any mention that you were buying in the historic district of Manassas by your realtor? No, we found the home on Reggie.

[01:42:17] She's a realtor we've worked with in the past, so she did not find the home for us. We found it. Right. But the realtor, I would take it, the realtor didn't know, didn't, didn't. I wouldn't say that she's necessarily that familiar with historic Manassas.

[01:42:33] Or, well, even with the property, first of all, and its location. No, she actually had an assistant show us the home because she usually stays closer to Alexandria. And for houses that are outside of that area, she has someone show homes that are further away from Old Town Alexandria.

[01:42:53] Okay, so your Realtor did not say anything about the area you were buying in? Did they say anything about Manassas whatsoever? No, they weren't very familiar with Manassas. We were familiar with the Realtor, but they were not necessarily familiar with Manassas.

[01:43:10] We were the ones that were familiar with Manassas. So the reason you used this Realtor was what? Because we used this Realtor in the past. This is a family friend of mine. Right. Have you ever lived in an HOA community? Yes. So you're familiar? required when you buy a certain sale so that the new owners receive that.

[01:43:33] And who ensures that that happens? Okay. And so the person selling the home in this particular case did none of those things, correct? There was no HOA, so we didn't know that was even an expectation to ask.

[01:43:50] Oh, I understand, but in terms of who you dealt with, they in no way indicated you were in the historic area. We bought it from what we understood was an LLC that took over the house prior to us buying it.

[01:44:07] And that realtor never said anything either? Who was the realtor? I have no idea. You don't know who was representing the seller? I mean, we could look it up. Do you have a copy of the contract with Win Donation with you?

[01:44:27] No, but we can get it to you. You don't have it on you? Okay. I don't know. Matt, is that permissible to get a copy like that? Very good. I would be interested in seeing the sales agreement, if you're willing to share that.

[01:44:49] Yeah, we gave it to Ben for the initial ARB. Understood. That's fine. Again, as I said, don't read anything other than I'm asking questions. I can find a copy of it, but I think Ben already has a copy of it. We'll get it. Okay, very good. You're very kind to indulge my questions here again.

[01:45:06] Thank you. Mayor, thank you. Thank you, Tom. Any other questions? mr wolf i'm just curious where did you move here from okay and i was in alexandria okay so you're you're moving into old town manassas obviously historic area that didn't cross no awareness thought about gee this is historic home in a historic area

[01:45:39] thank you i mean to follow up on your question we did not think um replacing windows that were there were a fire hazard would be something as a structural significance when you look at how the house looks now versus what it was and we took the proper you know looking at the houses around us we're not the only people with vinyl windows i understand okay and i personally if all i'm getting is that pamphlet and i didn't want to download you know the 30 copy um you know magna

[01:46:17] Carta then I was I was unaware of it so yeah it's much longer than the magnet card so

[01:46:43] well I will opine and this is just me speaking off the cuff that's not the issue here so just so you're aware that's I understand that's not the issue before the council well an issue is the fact that we spent eighteen thousand dollars on new windows and if i would have known i wouldn't have spent eighteen thousand dollars on vinyl windows i would have spent eighteen thousand dollars on wood windows i totally understand anyone else i was

[01:47:18] just gonna this is oh i'm sorry i'm sorry i just want to this is what you received and when you after you moved just came in the mail so i yeah i don't mean to cut you off i'm sorry but i think we've established that we need to do better yeah than this well actually after our first meeting they're now being sent out in an envelope thank you as we said maybe you should be sent out in

[01:47:56] something that's a little more official so now they're being sent out in an envelope with the the city of manassas letterhead on it right which i also think probably can be a little bit better my wife has suggested maybe putting in certified mail so that you have a record that the person actually sees it versus just setting a pamphlet right right okay i just wanted i wanted to make sure that that this is all that you got and it is sent every year and we don't even remember getting that remember getting okay so like i said we've established we need to do better and i think we are now um doing so so um i understand everything that you all have said and what

[01:48:34] you brought forward and the expense and all of that on the flip side as well because i am the mayor and the city has to we have the arb for a reason and i know you all are reasonable people and you know there's rules you know that we have the arb in place for things just like this didn't know weren't told you know all of that has to go into consideration um you're reasonable people and you went to an expense to do this and we appreciate we are glad you chose us to live in our city and that you took this upon yourselves but again the issue for council is the consistency has to be applied and it's a it's a

[01:49:12] tough decision but again we're thankful that we have the ARB in place to help us not get to this point you know we rely on them and they're there they've been there they try to be or and are and from what I can tell very very consistent about what's applied across the board and so we have the grandfathered and we have this one in 2022 we know that and that's gonna happen but it is again the consistency so keep that in mind as the council decides and makes their decision about what what they've got to do here that it is about consistency we are want to to try to work with you the ARB tried to work with you and you all work

[01:49:51] together but here we are anyway so i just wanted to um let you know that yeah this would not do it for me um i would have to say you need to read this something needs to come with the hey you know you got to see this so um we're doing better now that doesn't help you but um but yeah this this definitely needs to be improved so i just wanted to say that um and and hopefully added to the conversation and not made it worse but mr smith go ahead okay go ahead thank you though i'm not

[01:50:26] speculating on what would have happened otherwise but i'm just still curious did the contractor discuss the need for or the city's requirements about building anybody else i don't want to overlook anyone here madam mayor i'll move to close the public hearing and schedule three oh Oh, I'm sorry, there's anyone else.

[01:50:57] Oh, anyone else, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Anyone else that wishes to address the council, thank you. Okay, Mr. Walker. No, no, no, you're right.

[01:51:12] - It just struck me as I heard more here. And that is, the folks appealing have written here, the other homes of the four, is LeBeau Homes?

[01:51:32] Is that how it's pronounced? - Correct. - LeBeau Row Homes did not meet this ARB standard. They were grandfathered in and received retroactive approval. First of all, were they, to me, grandfathered means that whatever existed at the time a new regulation or regulation takes place, they're not affected by it.

[01:52:00] And then I hear retroactive approval. So were these retroactively approved, the homes adjacent that have vinyl windows? Not to my knowledge. it's my understanding that the vinyl windows in the other homes were installed prior to the design guidelines that prohibit the installation of vinyl windows so that would be under the current design guidelines what we would call an existing nonconformity they don't conform to the current design

[01:52:31] guidelines so they wouldn't be approved today but I can confirm that for council by looking at the approval history for those adjacent properties I I would be interested, and if I'm getting it, would you just share it with us?

[01:52:47] It would be good for everyone. Yeah, that's not a problem I can provide. And secondly, so this is the brochure. So as I understand it, now the brochure goes in an envelope that clearly says City of Manassas and so forth.

[01:53:03] Prior to that, this brochure was never mailed just as itself because I don't see how this is designed to be a self-mailer. How was it mailed prior to what is going on with a city of Manassas-Umbal?

[01:53:20] So prior to 2024, it was a postcard. It wasn't a brochure, just a postcard that said, essentially, welcome to the historic district. This is what the historic district is. Talked a little bit about ARB approval. In 2024, we revamped the brochure. And in 2024 and then this year, we mailed it out.

[01:53:39] But before that, on that back cover that's facing you, that side, yes, the community development and all that information was rotated 90 degrees so that it could be mailed that way. And there was a white spot for the stickers for the addresses. I see. Okay. And then when we received the feedback from the owners of 9229 Portner Avenue saying that they didn't either receive the brochure or they don't recall receiving it, We rotated it back so that it could be put into an envelope and then the envelope would have the mailing, the labels for the mailing addresses on that.

[01:54:13] In the hopes that property owners would hopefully open that and then read the brochure rather than when it was mailed just by itself, not in an envelope. The postcard, did this postcard have a return address saying City of Manassas and 9027 Center Street and something like that?

[01:54:31] Yeah, they would have had a return address for the city. So that it was clearly identified, at least by the return address, that was from the city of Manassas. Correct. On that. When you mail to these structures, how do you keep track?

[01:54:51] You have the addresses. Correct. But you don't necessarily have an up-to-date list of all the owners, or do you? I believe we do. So we pull all of the addresses for the properties within the Historic Overlay District, I believe through our GIS database.

[01:55:09] and it manufactures all of those addresses, so for all of the residential and commercial properties, and then we print off all of those labels and mail all of them out. Okay. So it is possible you could print out the labels or print the envelopes now and so forth, and it could have the correct address but an incorrect name simply because, for whatever reason, the sale of it.

[01:55:36] Meaning realtors aren't giving you information of the updates, are they? No, that's not how it works. We don't receive information from the realtors themselves. In your time in this office and anybody else in community development, do you recall any realtor or realtor company reaching out and saying, we would like to know more or we'd like to know about this because we were going to let our our customers or potential customers know about the only time that i have spoken with realtors is like occasionally we get calls from realtors inquiring about

[01:56:15] specific properties within the city not necessarily within the historic overlay district but at times they are within the store overlay district and it could be anything about whatever the zoning of the property is a couple times probably inquiring about hey is this located within the store Berkeley district and if so what can I do or not do some call about what they can do business-wise like what's permitted based on the zoning so occasionally we do get phone calls I don't think I've had anyone come in physically into the office that's a realtor that I've spoken with to my

[01:56:45] recollection thank you I'm sorry how old how old is this home I believe that it constructed in 1905 to my recollection so when is this sent out to in the spring so usually between like March and May so when somebody moves in it isn't

[01:57:22] sent out automatically like oh we have new people we need to get this in their hand that's correct it is not no they're automatically based on when properties are sold it's billed out mailed out on an annual basis at the moment what I can say is that staff are looking into doing a historic preservation day and as part of that we're planning on doing an additional mailing for that which would entail a community outreach component to hopefully bring more awareness to the

[01:57:56] historic district to property and business owners I think that we do get quarterly new residents like reports I wonder if your department could cross reference those and compare it with some of the 65 homes something homes to see if we can try to catch it even that's three months it could be three months but But it might be better than once a year.

[01:58:32] So just to try to improve on that. Thank you. Thank you. Any other? Ms. Hudson. And just to thank you, Madam Mayor, just a comment. Kind of echoing the applicant's comments, you know, reading the first couple of statements, you either operate a business, live, or own a property.

[01:58:51] Like, for the 60 houses, it might be beneficial to have their own version of this. Like they're saying, like, welcome to the historic district. You live here now. You know, just something that's more specific for this very small group of people that have such regulations.

[01:59:09] If it were me even getting this, I mean, if the envelope wasn't like, please read, your home depends on it, you know, I might not put that level of emphasis on it either. So I think, I guess, you know, I think that the ARB should maybe revise, would staff revise the communication plan for this document and these, you know, recognizing that the rules just want to do effect in 2022.

[01:59:35] Or the, I said it wrong, Matt's wincing. It was a revision to the design guidelines. Yes, that one in 2022. Come back on. I need to clarify a few things before we start your public hearing. So first off, the historic district has existed since about 1982, and this structure would have been included as a contributing structure since 1982, and there would have been rules, previous sets of guidelines that would have had a higher standard of requirements for a structure.

[02:00:03] And that's not to say that there haven't been structures that have slipped through the enforcement over the years, but the current set of guidelines, yes, they are the 2022 revisions, but there have been guidelines governing the use of the structure since we created a historic district.

[02:00:18] So I just wanted to make sure we're clear on that. I also want to bring the council back I understand and we can always make process improvements to our notification We've been doing notifications annually since prior to my existence. So 15 20 plus years We've been doing the annual notification. We've probably received three two or three appeals in the time that I've been here We spent a lot of time on education and didn't do it did a little bit disservice to himself. We get constant Notifications weekly daily whether it's contractors property owners residents about do I live in a historic district or other requirements?

[02:00:51] So we are in constant communication. We can always improve the process. I think there are a lot of great ideas up here But just to bring it back the decision before you is an appeal of did the ARB correctly? Interpret its design guidelines so happy to continue the discussions We will work the ARB to improve our process, but I just wanted to bring us back to what the purpose of the appeals for this evening

[02:01:16] We can certainly work with the appellate to find any documents that can be publicly disclosed and provide those as a follow-up to the public hearing.

[02:01:41] So any documents we have that they already provided Mr. Walker, we're happy to present those and provide those before you make a decision. Ms. Vasquez. Thank you, Madam Mayor. I believe the historic district is even when you put your address.

[02:01:58] I mean, I hear from people from, you know, Maryland and other places that, you know, they get great pride when they see any address in the area, even though they don't really understand how it works or what it works, but they do know it is a historic district. I know some of those residents on those 100 homes, They understand when they buy the home that it takes extra love, extra care, because you have to go out of your way to make sure that you maintain them.

[02:02:29] So as I do understand, I appreciate the staff, but especially the ARB board. I believe I was there in one of the presentations from the same case, so I do have a little bit more of insight when it was there.

[02:02:45] But I want to say, I think everybody in Manassas know that we are not only proud of our historic district, but we, you know, that's part of our history. And I do, you know, I know I'm getting a little bit too deep into it, but, you know, I do want to find a way to find enough time.

[02:03:03] But I also want to make sure that everybody, the 100 homes or properties feel like we are treating everybody the same because they all got the same notice And they all knew when they got it that this wasn't a special place that needs an extra load on care.

[02:03:21] That's why, to me, you know, the date was so important. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Arcieri. So, sure, yep. So, I'm sorry, Matt.

[02:03:42] If we're here just strictly appealing the ARB's denial, that's one thing. My wife and I are here to appeal the fact that we don't want to have to replace these windows.

[02:04:02] So we acknowledge that the ARB is following their guidelines that were established in 2022 without our knowledge. Okay, that's the whole point of this. And so if all we're talking about here is an appeal of the ARB's decision, So I'm appealing whether or not we're being told that I have to double the amount of money put into this renovation.

[02:04:34] So I want to make that perfectly clear. I'm hoping, you know, praying that I don't have to do that because of the sizable cost involved. And if I would have known, then I think common sense would tell anyone on the board that I wouldn't want to double my investment to do the exact same thing.

[02:04:59] i wouldn't have i wouldn't have done what we did if i thought i was going to be like oh six months later let's tear out all these brand new windows and and have to go through this entire process again just that just doesn't make common sense so i just want to make sure that i say that that an appeal of the arb's decision is one thing i'm appealing i don't want to have to replace these things so thank you thank you sir thank you no more questions or comments from council members

[02:05:33] is there a motion yeah madam mayor oh i'm sorry is there anyone else that wishes to speak on this item for public hearing please come forward okay if not entertain a motion madam mayor uh i will make a motion i will make the comment is the one member of the board that counts that does live in the historic district i remember getting these every year in the mail um anyway i move to close the public hearing and schedule this for determination at our work session on november 11 November 17th second we have the motion by Vice Mayor will second by councilwoman Vasquez Luna to close the public public hearing and move this

[02:06:09] item forward to our November 17 work session any discussion hearing and seeing none mr. Smith please call the roll vice mayor wolf yes councilmember Vasquez Luna councilmember Ellis councilmember Smith yes councilmember Osina yes councilmember Hudson yes the motion carries all right thank you so much for that and thank you so much for being here tonight And I appreciate that.

[02:06:39] That moves us forward to item 3.2, the public hearing for ordinance number 0-2026-323. Consider an uncodified ordinance granting a franchise to Summit IG LLC for the purpose of installing, operating, and maintaining a telecommunications conduits, facilities, and equipment in the public rights of way within the corporate limits of the city of Manassas.

[02:07:03] Mr. Arcieri. Your Honor, members of council, good evening. is actually a renewal of an existing franchise uh city code and state law require that the city council hold a public hearing prior to granting any franchise to operate within our public right away summit ig has held a a franchise to install conduit they currently are maintaining about 25 000 linear feet of conduit in godwin drive and gateway boulevard so this is the five-year renewal for their um franchise it is before you for public hearing and staff recommends holding the public hearing and i have action scheduled immediately to follow because it is the renewal of an existing

[02:07:40] franchise uh all the conditions otherwise are the same or from their franchise and uh staff recommends approval thank you mr arcieri council members any questions or comments public hearings now open for this item if anyone wishes to address this item please come forward at this time if not i'll entertain a motion motion madam mayor i move to close the public hearings at first on both of y'all we have the motion by councilwoman hudson thank you and seconded by councilwoman

[02:08:18] ellis to approve ordinance number oh 2026 323 close a public hearing and that's it right and make motion to approve uh this item any discussion hearing and seeing none mr smith please call the roll could you repeat who made that second it was miss ellis okay council member hudson yes Councilmember Ellis, Vice Mayor Wolfe, yes.

[02:08:45] Councilmember Smith, yes. Councilmember Osina, yes. Councilmember Vasquez Luna, yes. The motion carried. Okay, so item 4.1, same thing. Your Honor, staff recommends adoption of Ordinance 26-323 to grant a five-year franchise to Summit IG for approval on first reading.

[02:09:05] Stand ready for any questions. Any questions? No questions. Is there a motion? We have a motion by Councilwoman Ellis, seconded by Councilwoman Vasquez Luna to approve Ordinance number oh 2026 323 any discussion hearing and seeing them mr smith please call the world council member ellis council member vasquez luna yes vice mayor wolf yes council member smith yes council member osina yes council member hudson yes motion carried thank you very much item 4.2

[02:09:40] resolution number r 2026-209 manassas 2045 comprehensive plan technical update mr rc aries Your Honor, members of council, the resolution before you approves the adoption of technical amendments to the city's comprehensive plan. This has been the subject of the planning commission's work for the last year.

[02:09:58] The planning commission held their public hearing in August, recommended approval. Council held both a town hall and a public hearing in September. And I would just note that there have been a couple changes. The attachment that's included in your packet included the six changes that staff was recommending subsequent to planning commission action.

[02:10:16] those are based off of comments from the public that we continue to receive and little tweaks that we can make to the plan overall I just like this point like to thank the Planning Commission again for their hard work on this technical update look forward to working with the Planning Commission with the council and our many boards of Commission's on implementing the plan over the next five years and with that I stand ready for any questions staff recommends adoption you're sorry sorry do you have the presentation I would just like it on the screen you don't have oh you don't okay sorry about that so it is online yes The full plan is in your agenda the six changes. Uh, yes the attachment I can we bring it up? I thought I thought if we had it here, you would have it. I'm sorry. Okay

[02:10:53] I apologize. I thought I just wanted folks who are here that they could actually see it, but it's okay Just just briefly go over the list. Yeah, absolutely So the first change was there was a comment during the public hearing about hub zones. We've edited that reference We've made several changes to the sidewalk and land use map based on some of the public comments The one I'd like to highlight is there was some conversation about Quarry Road and lack of sidewalk during the town hall, I want to say.

[02:11:20] Staff did look back at that map and recommended that that entire section be evaluated for additional sidewalk in the future. It was previously designated as high and medium priority. If it's high priority, then we recommend that whole area be looked at as a high priority project for making improvements to Quarry Road.

[02:11:36] And we've also, the biggest one I think for council to note is we updated the strategic vision statement to match the one that council has included in their draft strategic plan. Both the council strategic plan and the comp plan use the same unified strategic vision. Good, good. Thank you. Thank you for doing that. Council members, any questions or comments for Mr. Arcieri? Mr. Osino?

[02:11:55] I'm not suggesting any changes at this late date. That would be so unfair, and I think the rest of my counselors would not be happy with me. But I did want to make maybe a couple of observations about implementation of how this is used moving forward here 'cause I know we'll periodically revisit this here along the way, so we have a time along the way here.

[02:12:21] Perhaps some thought about putting in some key performance indicators when we talk about what we wanted. Let's say, you know, increase in trails, what we think is reasonable. I mean, I'll use things like that or stuff of that sort as opposed to just sort of general stuff along the way.

[02:12:41] Obviously can't do it for everything, nor should you, because again, when you're covering like a five year period, you don't know what might be taking place in those five years, but at least having some kind of KPI is, I think, helpful to show at least what we're aiming for, even if we don't reach that there.

[02:13:03] I know we do, you did reach out, reached out to our community along the way here. I want to continue to emphasize that I hope we continue to be culturally responsive to those who are English is not their primary language and look for ways, groups or HOAs or communities or what have you, whether it's Spanish or other languages, to how we can further engage them along the way rather than it's easy to do.

[02:13:31] I know we do a lot of online stuff, but nonetheless, and I also know it's a capacity issue as well for staff. So, you know, measuring all those kinds of things, but maybe using our HOA system as a way of starting that and testing it along the way here.

[02:13:49] I'd certainly like to prioritize any kind of infrastructure and park improvements in historically underserved areas. When we look at where our parks are, they're not evenly distributed, nor do I think that's true in any city here.

[02:14:06] But, you know, you do look around and there are places where when we have the opportunity, I'll use Mathis Avenue as an example, there we go, where we can rectify some of this along the way to include, for instance, Park.

[02:14:22] And then lastly, while Parks and Rec has the HEAL initiative there, it would be nice to see that we include it, you know, healthy eating and healthy practices and that sort when we talk about land use, housing, mobility, all those sorts of things.

[02:14:42] So we truly kind of walk the talk there and not just have it in one area of Parks and Rec, but as much as we can do. Suggestions looking forward and asking the Planning Commission perhaps or staff to see how if that's a simple implementation would be great Thank you. Your Honor, I'll just take that opportunity to draw attention to your administrative reports you received this evening. The Planning Commission actually annually does track the implementation of the comprehensive plan. It's one of the appendices to that report that you receive.

[02:15:13] Every year you get an update on that plan. We'll have an opportunity now. The current comp plan, that one is hopefully about to be replaced actually didn't have a lot of those performance metrics but this will be opportunity to work with the Planning Commission we'll continue to provide that annual update on all of the strategies anything short-term we actually implemented almost all 60 of the short-term strategies that are in the current comprehensive plan in some form or fashion so I look forward to updating that report with the Planning Commission and giving you some more metrics for the next five reports that we're providing under this plan any

[02:15:48] other questions or comments okay is there a motion did we do no what do we do move adoption resolution 2026-209 second we have a motion by vice mayor wolf seconded by councilman vasquez luna to approve resolution number r2026-209 any discussion hearing and seeing none mr smith please call the roll vice mayor wolf yes councilmember vasquez luna councilmember ellis council member smith yes council member osina yes council member hudson yes the motion carries

[02:16:25] all right thank you very much next item on the agenda is item 4.3 resolution number r 2026-301 street name assignment aviator avenue is airport or matt it's got matt on here still the matt show no airport oh i didn't see you juan i apologize i didn't see you there i wouldn't ever said that i'm sorry he flew in he hears from one moral support okay all right your honor city council um the city city code grants the city council authority to name streets we have a request from the airport and the airport commission to name a portion of observation drive of aviator

[02:17:02] lane the resolution for that avenue avenue avenue that's what i meant see that's why juan is here mr rivera is here to answer any additional questions that recommends approval thank you very very much. Any questions? Thank you, Madam Mayor, please. So I would like for staff to speak. I believe this is this is going to be a new street and it is within the city limits and that's why the suggestion is brought forward. I would like staff to speak in regards to what are the

[02:17:35] limitations for naming a street. What is stopping us from putting different names and And also, I would like to ask if in the past any, maybe this is one of, you know, to me it's a long and important street, if there has been in prior years community input in regards to naming streets as well.

[02:18:04] Madam Mayor, typically new streets are part of a subdivision and the developer proposes different street names and typically council would then go through the process of adopting those street names there are there's no true limitation to council either renaming or establishing a naming convention historically you know specifically around the airport there has been recommendations from the airport commission with regard to what the airport commission would like

[02:18:37] to see names in the proximity of the airport and it's my understanding that the airport commission went through a significant discussion of different options and arrived at Aviator Avenue, and that is what they are recommending.

[02:18:56] I do also understand that there are a number of historic members of either the aviation community in Manassas or the airport commission that if council would desire to have a legacy name, the airport commission could probably come up with a number of individual names if council would desire.

[02:19:27] I'll just add, Your Honor, outside of the airport, we've used various systems over the years to pick street names. So as a good example, Jefferson Square, one of our more recent neighborhoods, they actually worked with the existing industrial school neighborhood to come up with a Barnes Loop name that was based off of one of the first principals or the first principal at Dean.

[02:19:47] we've used all different processes sometimes the council has suggested a theme such as historic figures from manassas out at the landing at cannon branch so council has broad discretion at this point on how street names are we have lots of opportunities ahead of us because of development and such um even over at um the landings there's ames and buchanan and and those were prominent figures in the city so exactly it does happen and it's just a matter of council working with you guys and coming up with it so okay were you done yes i would i would like to uh know the process if

[02:20:26] there was a request for any of the streets name to be changed and i'm sorry for using this but uh the reason why i asked for this to be outside it was because i really want to go ahead and ask uh the questions and i want uh the residents here and uh home or the ones watching the recording uh to understand uh the opportunity and i'm more focused on the limitations for this body uh to uh to make a change or make a suggestion uh a base of our last uh working session again

[02:21:02] there are no restrictions of a resident submitting a request for a street to be renamed there are Typically, potential financial issues for the residents on that street because if there's a business, they have to go through all of the name change of the street.

[02:21:23] Plus, we also have to work through the 911 system to make sure that whatever the requested name is, is not in close proximity, not only in the city, but also in Prince William, so that there wouldn't be the potential for an issue if they were dispatched.

[02:21:41] And then finally, we have to work through the post office to make sure that they're comfortable with whatever name is requested. Thank you, Madam Mayor. And I believe this brings, again, the opportunity that is so important not to rename the streets, but when you do have the name forward, especially in a new street, It's a unique opportunity for us to share our history and to share its manasas because of the issues that could come if a rename can be made.

[02:22:20] But thank you, Madam Mayor. Why did you? Oh, I'm sorry. I'm still seeing that. Go ahead. Well, I think, Mr. Rivera, it isn't just a simple process of- Yes, sir.

[02:22:52] Mr. Sino, the steps that we took in this process, we came to the airport commission. said there's a new street that's going to be you know connecting doesn't make any sense to keep the name as observation Road since it was perpendicular to observation Road so there were suggestions made by the staff I think we came up with five or six names we brought those to the Airport Commission they added another five or six names to the list that they thought would be a good a good fit for the airport and then we took those list of

[02:23:31] names and we send them to community development. They go through the process of throwing out the ones that sound too close to a name that already exists or an existing name. The process they went through, it was pretty amazing. I've never seen them go through this process before, but they even look at, you know, or can you pronounce the name on a radio or if there's a 911 call or something.

[02:23:54] So after they went and scrubbed the list, it really came down to this one name that was perfect. It did it met every criteria and then the second and third place names had a few flaws to them But they were acceptable. So in order to send this for to the city council for approval The Commission decided they would just go with the name that was considered perfect did not have any Blemishes per se and that's how we came up. So it was a public process in the sense that it was

[02:24:28] You know put on the agenda for the Airport Commission the names that were proposed were actually put in the agenda statement So I think to the degree that's about what we did Councilman Vasquez Luna, you know to try to open it up for the public if they had any comments, but and so Related to that when you say if there were any streets that had similar names We're not talking about Justin Manassas. Are we we're talking like Prince William County?

[02:24:59] Absolutely. We didn't want a name, obviously, that existed somewhere else close by. Again, a lot of this, I wasn't aware of the process and what community development went through to come up with a name, but there's a lot that goes into the process, making sure that there's no confusion for our public safety people when they have to respond to the airport or anywhere else, and then they take it a step further just to make sure that the name of the street's not so hard to say that when someone's trying to pronounce it in a 9-1 emergency that people understand what they're talking about.

[02:25:32] So, for instance, having a control tower road, as an example, you wouldn't want to necessarily have that where in the county there's a tower road. I would agree, and also if you mention the word tower, public safety may think that the incident is at the tower and not on Tower Road.

[02:25:52] Yeah, lots of things like that. Okay, very good for explaining that. appreciate it thank you mayor any other comments questions is there a motion madam mayor move adoption resolution 2026 301 second made a motion by vice mayor wolf second by councilwoman hudson to approve resolution number r2026-301 any discussion hearing and seeing them mr smith please call the roll vice mayor wolf yes council member hudson yes council remember ellis yes council member smith yeah council member osina yes council member vasquez

[02:26:32] luna the motion carries okay thank you so much item 4.4 uh oh i guess it's a resolution i guess oh no well tim demeria is here for oh 2026 s336 real estate and personal property tax relief for the elderly and disabled thank you for being here thank you let's hope this one's simple one guys good evening madam mayor council members and mr. Burke the resolution this resolution is amend your program for tax release for the elderly

[02:27:07] and disabled in 2017 the council set a limit of fifty six thousand one hundred and fifty to receive up to thirty four hundred dollars in relief we feel it's time to up that at your one of your work sessions sixty thousand dollars was put in and I think that's a good number to move it up to right now but each year every summer I'd like to come back and revisit those numbers because the applications are due by July 1 so in the middle of July I will know what kind of

[02:27:43] increases we've had and I'd like to revisit that each year and maybe bump it each year depending on how things go from 25 to 26 fiscal years the increase for the elderly and disabled was less than sixty thousand dollars it only went up a little bit less than sixty thousand dollars and I don't feel the change we're considering tonight is going to make a huge difference but we also have to be careful not to go too much too fast and that's all I've got I stand

[02:28:21] ready for questions that's what matt always says yes thank you very much mr demaria questions for mr demaria on this item so in layman's terms and people like i got one question yeah well for people like me i just when you say increase to sixty thousand dollars sixty thousand dollars what does that mean in layman's terms of a household's income in order to receive up to thirty four hundred dollars in relief for someone who is 65 or older or totally disabled okay and And right now, if you make $58,000, you don't qualify for anything.

[02:28:58] But if you make $55,000, you do qualify. And now we're talking about Social Security getting a two-point-something bump. If each pair, in a couple, if they both get that bump, they may go to $58,000, $59,000, and now they're going to lose their $3,400 in relief.

[02:29:16] So we're taking ours to $60,000 to help them. To help that and to see where it goes. Because I would like to give you a number of what it's going to cost. I have no clue of how many people 65 and older make between $56,150 and $60,000.

[02:29:34] How many people is that going to add on there? There's no way to know that. So that's why I think we should do it in small amounts, but do it consistently. I mean, it's been 10 years since we've gone up, and I think that was just too long. Okay.

[02:29:50] Thank you. Mr. Smith. Thank you. Commissioner, I noticed the chart comes to what I meant. financial work, when you're talking about household income, are you talking net income or gross income? Gross. Gross income. Right. And you've got a gross income, and if you've got a relative living in the house, the first $10,000 of their income doesn't count. Does not count. Does not count, but from $10,000 on, that does count toward the total amount going into the household. And then you have to be worth, your total net worth has to be worth less than $340,000, not including the home.

[02:30:29] So if the home's paid for or half paid for, that doesn't go into your net worth. Just trying to make sure they have, as an example, you're supposed to do the bond, Medicare call it the home. Right.

[02:30:46] And we have a lower number as well. If they make less than $39,000, they get 100% relief. But that goes up each year according to HUD. We use HUD's number to bump that up, But the upper number has to take pat for 10 years.

[02:31:10] Thank you, Ma'am. Mr. Commissioner, thank you for always looking out for the residents and bringing out these things that are very important for them. I was wondering, maybe you don't have it, but they had.

[02:31:27] Do you know what the percentage has been going up? And that's because I hear you're willing to come back every year, and that is kind, but I was wondering if there was a way for us to So it may be 2%, 3% instead of having you coming back all the time.

[02:31:44] It's not that much. Right now, the latest numbers are for fiscal year 25, and that's what we use, is $39,350. I believe it was when I started, it was $32,500, so it's gone up a few thousand dollars in four years.

[02:32:07] So it's not a large amount of that going up either. On what the previous council chose to use is extremely low income for a family of two, is what we're using. Thank you. Any other questions, comments?

[02:32:24] Mr. DeVarri? Not. Is there a motion? Madam Mayor, I move to approve O-2026-336, real estate and personal property tax relief, or the elderly and disabled.

[02:32:43] Second. Was it Ashley? We have the motion by Councilwoman Vasquez Luna, seconded by Councilwoman Hudson, to approve Ordinance No. 02026-336. Any discussion? Hearing and seeing none, Mr. Smith, please call the roll.

[02:33:00] Councilmember Vasquez Luna? Yes. Councilmember Hudson? Vice Mayor Wolf? Yes. Councilmember Ellis? Councilmember Smith? Yes. Councilmember Osina? Yes. The motion carries. Okay. Thank you very much for that.

[02:33:16] That moves us forward in the agenda to our public comment time. thank you at this time we welcome residents and community members who wish to speak about services policies and affairs of the city of the manassas government residents who have not requested additional time four days prior to this meeting from the city manager we have a timer and your comments will be limited to three minutes we appreciate the time you have taken to be here we treat public comment time like a public hearing we do not engage in conversation with speakers the lack of an immediate response to your comments should not be taken as a lack of interest or concern as we have staff present taking notes and will respond to your concern in a timely manner

[02:33:56] when you approach the podium please give us your name and we would appreciate it if you would provide us with your address so that we may properly follow up with you in a timely manner but you are not required to do so you may simply state that you are a city resident we ask that you please be respectful when presenting your comments to not only council members but to those residents and community members who are also present.

[02:34:18] With that, I have a sign-up sheet, and I'll call on anyone who has signed up, and then we'll go to the audience. I have one name. Mr. Richard Bray is here. Do you want to come forward, sir? Good evening.

[02:34:36] Good evening. I am not here. Still speaking? Oh, absolutely. Yes. I'm a hangar attendant at the airport. I have a problem. I can't make your new website work for me. Along with that problem, several months ago, The airport management decided not to notify us anymore when our gate card would expire.

[02:35:00] Before me, I got there a couple weeks ago, couldn't get there. I tried to do the right thing, tried to get on your website. Your website has been down a test on how to open a site running after a few days.

[02:35:15] Then it was your director of security talking to me on the way. The past 14 months, I've sent about eight questions and more to airport management.

[02:35:31] It sounds that the attitude trickles down. Everyone, they've been trying to get a card, I'll eventually get the card.

[02:35:48] Fourteen months ago, I asked other questions. I don't get responses from airport management. Sometimes the responses I get are no, we're not going to answer you. And other times, they're just apparently not really interested in the deal.

[02:36:04] A question I asked 14 months ago when I forwarded it to Mr. Burke within a few years ago, it's not like they're somewhere else.

[02:36:26] Tenants, I asked $3 million. Thank you, sir.

[02:36:50] We'll have our airport staff continue to reach out to you. Thank you for being here. Anyone else? I don't have anyone else signed up, but we don't want to miss anyone, so come on forward. Good evening. My name is Janet Plebniak, and I live in the city of Manassas.

[02:37:13] I would like to thank Ralph Smith for mentioning Governor Yunkin's state of emergency. I think it's important to our city residents and people around, and I appreciate you thanking him for that. I also would like to thank Ralph Smith for bringing up, after the joint meeting from the city council and the EDA,

[02:37:34] The fact that citizens want to be heard. We just want to be heard. Came to the work session meeting and he expressed it three different times. I'm not sure that it went over to everybody. We want our voices heard. I'm sitting here hearing more and more. We've been coming to the meetings for 20 months now. Learned a lot. I don't know a lot about the workings of the city, but I see a lot of the political play going on in the city.

[02:38:06] so pretend you're listening to us make us feel like we're important then move on to your plans of what you're going to do and it's you know it's important that we're heard I went to the school board work session they decided to not move forward with asking for a raise the you all went forward with the raise we're talking about people elderly getting benefits you all are going to be

[02:38:39] making $34,000 for a part-time job that you were elected for, a public service job, and people are $60,000 for a household, it does not show caring.

[02:38:59] It does not look good. Y'all might not care how it looks, but we do. We care how it looks. At the work session, Tom, you talked about taking issues to Richmond, and you want to discuss them first.

[02:39:16] want to make sure you're heard and I'm glad you said that because we bring issues here to make sure we're heard and it doesn't feel like we're being heard and I've noticed one in particular is on their phone the whole time during the meeting so it just gives off the perception that we're not important but my taxes have to be in on time and they keep going up so I am going to

[02:39:51] then end with my prayer for our heavenly father to please still offer guidance to everyone here um thank you for the service that you do but please be aware that we're people out here we matter and i ask this through the name of jesus christ amen amen that was perfect thank you miss plazman oh she hit back in the back you had your hand up first so and then you can come anna good

[02:40:30] evening. Please bear with me, blind in one eye and can't see out of the other. Good evening, Mayor and members of Council. My name is Auderson Sally, and I live in Cannon Ridge Homes Association. I've lived in Cannon Ridge since 1978 and have served on the Board of Directors since 2001. The safety, maintenance, and security of our community is my primary concern as a board member. On Saturday, September 27, 2025, in late afternoon during a light rain, a representative for a city office candidate came to my door. When he stated his

[02:41:07] purpose, I identified myself as a Cannon Ridge board member and said he was trespassing and should leave the community. He responded with a very long lecture on First Amendment rights and informed me he could also leave any information on individual unit doorsteps if no one answered the door. I'm not a lawyer or a fan of AI, but a Google search produced the following. The First amendment protects free speech from government restrictions not private ones meaning property owners generally have the right to set rules for expression on their property however there are is

[02:41:47] a limited exception where first amendment rights can apply on private property that functions as a public place like a company-owned town cannon ridge is not a company town or a municipality communications left on doorsteps may become a litter and security risk cannon ridge sends notices to vendors regarding their representatives who leave communications our letter states in regards to trespassing littering and security when unsolicited communications appear in common areas driveway

[02:42:23] sidewalks shrubbery trees landscaping etc it is littered whether placed there by your representative or left unsecured, blown, dropped, etc., it is still litter. When flyers, handbills, circulars, bulletins or other hand-delivered materials are left on doorsteps, stuffed in doors or handles, they become a security risk for vacant units or units where the residents are away for more than two or three days.

[02:42:50] There are alternatives to trespassing on private property, such as direct mail, postcards, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, yellow pages, websites, YouTube, blogs, X, Facebook, LinkedIn, podcasts, email, text, telemarketing, television, radio, signage, and et cetera.

[02:43:09] I believe that exercising our community's private property rights will not create a hardship for individuals, businesses, or organizations trying to promote themselves. Communications left in the rain on doorsteps produce the added issue of becoming a mess for unit residents to clean up.

[02:43:26] Cannon Ridge has no trespassing signs posted and is current with the Manassas Police for the anti-trespassing initiative. I would ask Council to remind incumbent and potential office seekers that in Cannon Ridge we are asking that they respect our no trespassing rules and littering and security concerns.

[02:43:48] Thank you for your time this evening and for your service to Manassas and its communities. Thank you, ma'am. Anyone else wishes to come forward? Hi, Diane Lean, Manassas City resident.

[02:44:10] wanted to say thank you to whomever for putting the speed indicator on Center Street across from City Hall. Working there the last Fridays as a volunteer, it's been nice to see people actually pay attention and slow down a smidge. A nice next step, particularly as we are looking at redeveloping the downtown area, would be to put flashing lights at that crosswalk to make it more visible to people that it is in fact a heavily used crosswalk which will be even more so once

[02:44:45] the development is complete. So thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Lane. Anyone else wishes to address council for public comment time? If not, I will call on Mr. Brown for our authorization for closed meeting resolution. Good evening, Madam Mayor, members of council. You have two items scheduled tonight for a closed session discussion. First, consideration of whether to sell city-owned

[02:45:19] property located near downtown for a commercial use and the terms and conditions of that proposed sale. And second, a discussion of the qualifications of candidates for appointment to city boards and commissions. Those two topics can be discussed in a closed meeting of city council. To convene a closed meeting I would recommend your adoption of resolution number R-2026-340 resolution authorizing a closed meeting of City Council. So moved. Second. We have the motion by Councilman

[02:45:56] Osina seconded by Councilwoman Vasquez Luna approving resolution number R-2026-340 authorizing a closed meeting. Any discussion? Hearing and seeing now Mr. Smith please call the roll. Councilmember Osina? Yes. Councilmember Vasquez Luna? Yes. Vice Mayor Wolf? Yes. Councilmember Ellis? Yes. Councilmember Smith? Yes. Councilmember Hudson? Yes. The motion carries. Thank you very much.

[02:46:25] Council immediately following a closed session. State law requires you to certify that, number one, the only matters discussed in the closed session were those identified in the motion convening the closed meeting, and two, only public business matters that are lawfully exempt from open meeting requirements were discussed.

[02:46:46] That certification is included in resolution number R-2026-341, resolution certifying a closed meeting of City Council which I recommend for your adoption so move second we have the motion by Councilman Ocina and seconded by Councilman Vasquez Luna to approve resolution R 2026-341 certifying our closed meeting any discussion hearing and seeing none mr. Smith please call the roll councilmember Ocina yes councilmember Vasquez Luna yes vice

[02:47:21] mayor wolf yes council member ellis council member smith yes council member hudson yes motion carries all right thank you mr rosina thank you members of council i'd like to propose that the adoption resolution number r-2026-352 making appointments to the following boards committees and commissions appoint nefertiti nanjo to the parks and recreation committee as a regular member for a full term beginning October 27, 2025 and ending June 30, 2029.

[02:47:57] Appoint Sana Sierpinski to the Architectural Review Board as an alternate member for a partial term beginning October 27, 2025 and ending June 30, 2027. Appoint Marie Sheets to the Beautification Committee as a regular member for a full term beginning October 27, 2025 and ending June 30, 2029 and appointing the following individuals to the Housing Advisory Board as regular members for a one-year term beginning November 1, 2025 and ending October 31, 2026.

[02:48:36] Ed Jack Spall, Lisa Ortiz, Laletta Harlam, Steve Liga, Denise Harover, Robin Johnson, and Diane Lane. Second we have the motion by councilman Ocina seconded by councilwoman Vasquez Luna to approve the Appointees as read any discussion hearing and seeing none. Mr. Smith, please call the roll. Councilmember Ocina. Yes Councilmember Vasquez Luna. Yes. Vice Mayor Wolf. Yes. Councilmember Ellis. Yes. Councilmember Smith. Yes. Councilmember Hudson. Yes. The motion carries

[02:49:15] Thank you very much. Is there anything else to come before the council for the good of the residents if not we are adjourned And the microphones are working now.

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