Coraggio Consulting
Manassas City Council 1/12/2026

Date: Monday, January 12, 2026
Place: Manassas City Council, Virginia
Length: 2h 7m (video)
Official meeting video (Wistia / RegionalWebTV): https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/vxgqcm24tz

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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[00:00:34] everyone welcome to city council meeting happy new year everyone thank you matt um happy new year and welcome to the city council meeting first meeting of 2026 for monday january 12th i'm calling the meeting to order mr smith please call the roll present here here here thank you very

[00:01:12] much if you're able to stand with me please for the invocation and pledge of allegiance dear god we thank you for bringing us another new year and for keeping all of us safe throughout the holidays please continue to watch over our city staff our men and women in uniform and our council as we embark on new work and new beginnings for our city we remain thankful for all things amen please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance

[00:01:41] be seated thank you always good to see a full house tonight we have of course the Christmas Parade Awards why everybody's here but always good to see a full house we're glad to see our Commissioner of the Revenue here Tim mary i know we're going to hear from you soon and our treasurer patricia ritchie folks is also here she has a presentation tonight our chair of the school board i saw her come in jill spall where

[00:02:20] there you are and i saw ms brescia as well there she is thank you for being from school board thank you so much for being here tonight i didn't see any other elected so with that we will move forward with council time i'll call on councilwoman teresa coatzellas first thank you mayor i just want to welcome everybody here tonight especially our great uh participants i'm looking forward to the presentation and i'm happy to be here for the new year and and we go to our retreat next week

[00:02:53] to get down to business thank you thank you councilman smith thank you madam mayor protocol has been set by you and by theresa ellis coach i've joined her in saying happy new year and with With that, I suspend our remarks in deference to our crowd who wants to get on with the program.

[00:03:14] Councilman Ossina. I pass. Oh, God. Y'all passed out. That wasn't a comment, was it? I gladly retrieved my time again.

[00:03:33] It's indicative of the new year. Great. Thank you. Councilman Vasquez Luna. Yes, yes. Keep it going. We know better. Oh, I hope you had a great holiday. It's great to be back and full of energy. It's great to see each one of you and everybody that participated in the parade.

[00:03:52] It was amazing. Thank you, Mr. Markle. And the team was a great job, and everybody, they enjoyed it. I want to take a moment of privilege. My kids will be here, thing one and thing two, as I call them.

[00:04:10] yeah so as a proud mom of two Osborne high school kids it's so great to see them here and congratulations good luck to those who are going to the old district I know you're gonna do great and you have been performing great for a few years so thank you to our leadership the school all the school board members of work here congratulations to the chair and the new vice chair as well but as again as a mom you know i don't get to see them a lot of times i'm here when they have to have uh dinner but it is so

[00:04:48] great to uh you know have this moment but yeah congratulations everybody i do want to say a couple of things about the bre there were changes because of the long bridge so if you use the bre I believe today was the first day.

[00:05:04] The impact on Manassas line at 332 and 334 in the morning. And in the afternoon, you have the impact on 325, 327. You can go on BRE website and use Loan Bridge to stay up to date.

[00:05:23] These are uncomfortable changes, but they are necessary, not only for the DMV, but for the whole region in the Eastern Corridor. We need that bridge to finish up and it will take a little bit.

[00:05:42] In essence of time, I will just leave it there, but so happy to see everybody here and please continue to join us for other meetings. Thank you, Madam Mayor. - Thank you, Councilwoman Hudson. - Thank you, Madam Mayor. I wanna wish the city of Manassas a happy new year.

[00:05:57] And if you are looking for ways to get involved in your city this year, please go to our website and apply to participate on the boards, committees, and commissions. There are a whole variety of ways for people to get involved, get to know your neighbors, and get to give back to your city. So please check that out if you're looking to get volunteering this year.

[00:06:15] Thank you, Madam Mayor. - Oh, thank you. For my time, I had a whole lot, but I'll be like you all and make it sort of short. But there are a couple of things that I do want to point out. Congratulations to everybody who's here tonight and giving awards from the Christmas Parade.

[00:06:31] The 16th is Friday. We're starting up the virtual midday with the mayor and city manager. So please, if you're available at lunchtime, sign up and join us online for that. I'm going online until we go back in person in June. So if you're interested in doing that, have a very special guest each week that has agreed to come and join us online.

[00:06:51] We have OTBA this week, and I want to congratulate Jill Spall becoming the chair of the school board and dr zella jones for being voted vice chair looking forward to working with you all and moving the city forward and all the things that we do together so congratulations to you all the 19th is mlk day it is a day on and then not a not a day off please make sure that you do some sort of community service that day to give back in his honor to commemorate his his birthday um and again as ms ellis had said our retreat is the 22nd to the 24th i'm looking forward to working with council as we prioritize our projects and

[00:07:30] start to get to work on our budget items um for the new year on a personal note i was happy to represent manassas on governor lex vanberger's transition team the bulk of the main appointments as you all have seen have been made but there are several openings that still remain on various boards to fill all of us on the transition team were encouraged to apply to help out um with to fill the remaining positions and because of my hr expertise they asked me to sort of help out where i could so we'll see where that goes but i was just extremely happy to represent manassas

[00:08:05] on that team it just puts our name at the table and getting set at those levels really means a lot and it will come back to us um tenfold i'm sure um on thursday some of you have seen i was elected as the vice chair of the northern virginia transportation authority and phyllis randall was re-elected as chair and vta for those who don't know is i think the most respected authority dedicated to taking care of the transportation in the northern virginia area and reducing congestion hopefully at some point but i am again proud to represent manassas in this role and looking forward to meeting the transportation needs um in our area and again happy new year to one and all

[00:08:44] And thank you all so much for coming out tonight. And with that, I'll turn it over to City Manager Steve Burke. Thank you, Madam Mayor. Repairs of the ice rink facility at Harris Pavilion have begun. Construction is anticipated to be completed by the beginning of April. The city has also changed the lane configuration of Wellington Road at the intersection of Dumfries and Grant Avenue.

[00:09:04] The east and westbound travel lanes now have two through lanes and a single left turn lane. This change was made to improve the timing at the intersection to improve traffic flow. Please be aware of this change in lane configuration as you travel on Wellington Road.

[00:09:22] Historic Manassas' winter market will begin this Saturday, January 17th, and continue through March 21st at the Water Tower parking lot next to the depot. As the mayor indicated, city offices will be closed Monday, January 19th in observance of Martin Luther King Day.

[00:09:38] And please visit the city's website for information about programs offered at our community center that include a toddler drop-in program Lego Club indoor soccer yoga Zumba and movie nights I think any questions for city manager We will now move forward in the agenda with item one and that's presentations item 1.1 is Manassas Christmas parade winners Mr. Olson and others will come help. I'll come down with you Mayor if you could join us could we run the video first please it was a wonderful day it snowed the

[00:10:15] night before there's about an inch of snow on the ground it was really pretty so please watch as you

[00:11:46] see the freshly fallen snow on the ground there you go before we start I'd like to thank the

[00:13:44] committee who started their work last January it just killed the sound that'd be great all right Great. The awards for tonight. The Chairman's Award goes to Unity Reed High School Air Force Junior ROTC Marching Band.

[00:14:02] Marching. All right. Parade Committees. The Parade Committees Award is the Spotlight Dance. No, apparently not. We're starting a little early, I think is the problem. Go ahead. We're good.

[00:14:32] The Santa's Award goes to Osborne High School Screaming Eagle Marching Band. The Parade Committee would like to thank Osborne High School Marching Band for all the support that they do on Friday night during the parade.

[00:14:54] It was a great turnout, and they're a great addition to the community. Another round of applause.

[00:15:08] The Rudolph Award, honored by the committee, goes to Jacob Fleming.

[00:15:25] Marching Bands, first place, Manassas Park High School Cougars Marching Band.

[00:15:44] Second place, Gainesville High School Cardinal Marching Band. They're not here tonight. Third place, Freedom High School Marching Band.

[00:16:08] All right. Dance Company, first place, Showcase Dance Studio. Second place, Virginia Dance Center.

[00:16:38] Prince William Dance Academy. Cheerleading, Majorette Step Team, first place, Grace Metz Middle School Cheer Team.

[00:17:02] Second place, Osborne Park High School Cheer. Third place, Osborne High School Cheer.

[00:17:30] Mayor, do you have something for us? I do.

[00:17:48] Come all around. Today is also a special day. Kimberly Soto, please raise your hand. Singing happy birthday. Oh, of course.

[00:18:20] Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday.

[00:18:43] Next category is float other. Mayfield Intermediate School, first place.

[00:19:09] I see Miss Dove back there. Miss Dove.

[00:19:24] Second place, Prince William Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center.

[00:19:46] place the salvadorian americano next category business floats first place duncan locally owned

[00:20:48] by vigoro management second place sign graphics third place nova specialty contracting business

[00:21:14] vehicle first place mr handyman of northern virginia second place k m roofing and contracting

[00:21:45] third place moto member of manassas all right non-profit organization martin k alley boys and

[00:22:08] girls club for stanley martin second place greater manassas baseball and softball league

[00:22:28] third place manassas moose lodge 1380. equestrian and animal first place dash to the rescue second

[00:23:09] place we graze goatscaping now who doesn't like a good short goat huh third place peace of mind

[00:23:33] Canine. Vehicle Club. First place, Drunk Monkeys Jeepers. Second place, Fire and

[00:24:02] Smoke Jeep Club. Third place, Capital VW Club. Mayor, I'd like to go back to Virginia Dance. They're here now. They are the second place winner in the dance

[00:24:30] company. Also Mayor, Spotlight Dance is here, which is the parade committee's award. Step on up. And Mayor, we also have Manassas Park, Manassas Park High

[00:25:05] school band. We also have Duncan is here. How can we not forget that? Come on down. They were a great

[00:25:46] addition to this year's parade. They gave out samples and coffee. Dash to the rescue for animals.

[00:26:13] We also have signed graphics. We'd like to thank you, the city of Manassas, for the support for the

[00:26:59] Christmas parade. We're already planning next year's parade. 80. Yep, 80. And we'll be there. We're looking for themes, if anybody's got any ideas. So thank you. - Thank you, thank you. Awesome, congratulations everybody. Thank you Mark, thank you so much for doing that.

[00:27:16] That is a lot of work to put that together and all the awards and trophies, so we really, really appreciate all the effort that everybody does to make that happen. And yes, next year is 80. Don't want to forget to mention the woman of the year was Maria Guzman, am I saying that right?

[00:27:31] And TD Bank woman of the year was Maria And the man of the year was Miguel Perez. So really, really great. We look for really good, solid community members. And you couldn't have found two better than Maria and Miguel for this year. So we're looking for people next year.

[00:27:48] And 80 is going to be extremely special because it is 80. So we've got to make sure we do it up right. So all right. With that, thank you all for allowing us that time. Next on the agenda is the item 1.2, the Proclamation for National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

[00:28:05] And I have Ms. Chrissy Falls here and some other folks that you can introduce or however you want to do it. And I'll print you out some more proclamations later. But I guess you'll be good.

[00:28:24] All right. So the proclamation reads, this is for National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, which was yesterday was Human Trafficking Day, but the month of January is that. So we'll read the proclamation and honor that.

[00:28:39] Whereas, the month of January is recognized as National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and January 11 is observed nationally as Human Trafficking Awareness Day, during which individuals and communities are encouraged to wear blue to raise awareness and show solidarity with survivors.

[00:28:59] And whereas, human trafficking is a serious crime and a violation of human rights that occurs throughout the United States, including in communities such as the city of Manassas, Virginia, and involves the exploitation of individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for purposes of labor or sexual exploitation.

[00:29:18] And whereas human trafficking is often misunderstood, as it does not always involve kidnapping, crossing international borders, or strangers, and many victims are trafficked by someone they know or trust, with exploitation occurring in homes, businesses, schools, and online.

[00:29:34] And whereas anyone can be a victim of human trafficking, regardless of age, gender, race, income level, or background, and traffickers frequently target individuals who are vulnerable due to age, isolation, instability, or unmet needs.

[00:29:51] And whereas education and prevention are critical components in reducing vulnerability, increasing early identification, and supporting survivors through informed community-based responses. And whereas the city of Manassas recognizes the importance of collaboration with trusted partners, including Safe House Project, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing survivor identification and access to safe trauma-informed housing and services across the United States.

[00:30:22] And whereas addressing human trafficking requires a coordinated effort among local government, law enforcement, educators, service providers, families, and community organizations to promote safe safety dignity and freedom for all residents now therefore i'm michelle davis younger mayor of the city manassas virginia and on behalf of the manassas city council hereby proclaim the month of january 2026 as national slavery and human trafficking prevention month in the city of manassas and january 11 as human trafficking awareness day and encourage all residents to wear blue participate in educational opportunities and support prevention efforts that

[00:31:00] help combat human trafficking and protect our community. Thank you so much for bringing this forward. Applause. Thank you, Mayor and Council for always bringing this forward.

[00:31:18] This is the city has always been very easy to work with. And as somebody that has always pushed for prevention, I'd like to introduce my friend and partner in intervention. Well, thank you, Madam Mayor, for your leadership.

[00:31:36] My name is Brittany Dunn. I am one of the co-founders of the Safehouse Project. We are a national leader combating human trafficking in communities every day across the United States. But more than anything, I want you to hear today that this is an issue that isn't going to be solved by one organization, one policymaker, or one individual.

[00:31:57] It really has to be a collective impact approach. We have to have our stakeholders like our law enforcement partners, service providers, educators, health care providers at the table to make sure that human trafficking is not tolerated in our communities.

[00:32:14] Every year we estimate that 300,000 American kids are trafficked every day throughout the year in the United States. But victim identification is only at 1%. And so this is a call to each of us to open our eyes and really understand this complex issue that has woven itself into the very fabric of our community.

[00:32:37] But when each of us does our own part to see signs of exploitation, to stand up for the vulnerable kids in our communities, we become part of that collective response that can truly change this issue in the United States. Last year, our organization had the opportunity to serve over 2,600 victims of human trafficking as they exited a trafficking situation and navigated into safe house programs around the nation.

[00:33:05] But there are so many more that have and need a way out. And so throughout the month of January, we have a lot of different events that are happening, both online and in person, that can be that first step for you. Because at the end of the day, we want to protect the kids and the individuals who have already been exploited and help them exit.

[00:33:25] But we really want to see prevention lead the way, and we are those protective factors in our community. So thank you for each of you to be here tonight. Thank you, Madam Mayor and the City Council and all of our partners for the work that you do every day to help defend the vulnerable. Hello, my name is Rachel Taylor.

[00:33:46] I work with Prince William County's Office of Community Safety, and I am one of the chairs of the Greater Prince William Human Trafficking Task Force. and so i would love to thank madam mayor and the city itself for all of the work you guys have done to combat human trafficking i absolutely echo everything our partners have said here today it is definitely often overlooked a misunderstood issue but it is no less prevalent than anything else and so once again i thank you all manassas city was in fact one of the founding members of the task force almost 20 years ago back in 2008 so i'm really glad to see that you guys are still

[00:34:19] carrying that torch for those victims thank you and again madam mayor and the City Council again an excellent example of leadership and Manassas leading the way as was echoed it takes a collective effort and we're very fortunate as being the law enforcement partners to partner with our Prince William County partners our nonprofit organizations and just community advocates who have a very strong passion to bring this to the forefront as Miss Taylor mentioned we have been part of the Greater Prince William Human Trafficking Task Force for over 20 years.

[00:34:55] The other aspect is that you will hear again from Ms. Dunn on January 21st through our Signature Parent E3 series program where, again, we'll be highlighting that at our newly acquired Community Center at Wednesday, January 21st at 5:30.

[00:35:12] I have reviewed the presentation and I will tell you it's quite informative when I encourage all parents and age-appropriate children to come out. will be remarked by just what really it actually human trafficking looks like it's not what you think it's not what you see in TV or on movies it is sometimes right in plain sight and so again as we always say it takes a village and this is truly a village of both law enforcement and our collective

[00:35:37] partners to include our city council and our mayor so thank you thank you so much

[00:36:18] for that next on the agenda is item 1.3 the department annual report from the Commissioner of the Revenue Commissioner Demaria good evening sir we are rolling I told them we probably wouldn't be till 6:30 till we got started last year when I did this I got some reviews that I read too much and spoke too long so so we cut it back this year and but be sure to ask any questions you might have we are the Commissioner of the Revenue I am the Commissioner of the Revenue

[00:36:56] I've got some of my folks here who do the vast majority of the work, and we'll go through it now. Our staff, we have 11 full-time employees, plus myself. This year we hired three new staff members, Laura McCauley, and she took Terry Martin's place.

[00:37:18] We all know Terry Martin, and Laura is killing it. I was very nervous about hiring a new chief, and I think we got it right. I know we got it right. Julie is our new assessor, and Luis Garcia is our new tax specialist out front.

[00:37:39] Three of those, we now have three Spanish speakers in the office. Two of the three are at the front desk. It's great to have folks to translate for you, but putting myself in the position of our customers, and we call them customers because we have residents, citizens, business owners, people that don't live in the city, so it's hard to narrow it down so they are our customers.

[00:38:10] Putting myself in their position, if I go to a different country and I need to speak to someone about taxes, I at least want somebody there to be able to translate for me. But if I can speak to them one-on-one and they know what they're talking about, it's so helpful to our customers, and so many of our customers are mostly Spanish speakers.

[00:38:33] Not completely, but most of them are more comfortable speaking Spanish. And so it really makes us proud that we have two of our three up front that are Spanish speakers. This is near and dear to my heart.

[00:38:53] When I started, we weren't doing a whole lot of training with our Commissioner's Association. So in the past, well, they got it done in less than three years. Kim Miller, stand up, please. and Regina Claiborne they have gone through the program and the more we put into the program the more we get out and my predecessor Doug Waldron the best piece of advice I got was to get involved with the association and for me

[00:39:33] it helped tremendously it made all the difference in the world and that's what we're doing with with our staff as well and these two were able to complete their master's program uh through the university of virginia weldon cooper and it just makes them better at serving our customers they know more they know more on on different things they don't only go to classes and and meetings and uh collaborate with other folks in the city or the state um in their line either personal property or business licensing they do it across the board and And so they get just a much better idea of what everybody's doing,

[00:40:12] and we always get better ideas from other folks throughout the state. So Kim and Regina, thank you very much. Personal property highlights. It's a good thing to highlight.

[00:40:30] People love personal property tax. It's one of the favorite things to do is to pay your tax on October 5th. We use J.D. Power to assess our vehicles.

[00:40:47] since i've been here when i first got here we went with jd powers we had been going with jd powers for decades and then all of a sudden jd powers didn't want to do it anymore for the localities they wanted to do it for an intermediary for somebody in between big word and um so we went with keystone and then keystone decided i mean then munis our software company decided that they wanted to do it and the only thing that would integrate with munis was what they did so we

[00:41:18] switched to munis but in the end it's all jd power and whatever's in the book is what we use for them so that we're uh consistent now there are a few vehicles in jd power classic vehicles brand new vehicles and those are uh assessed by the depreciation method and we had nearly 31 000 vehicles assessed last year business taxes we handle all sorts of business licenses i'm not not going to read all of those, but you can read them. And, you know, meals tax, lodging

[00:41:57] tax. We had nearly, was it 2,500 businesses that received licenses last year. 325 of those businesses filed meals tax, which generated $6.1 million in revenue for the city and realized we don't have 325 restaurants, but we do have 325 businesses that sell meals that are ready to eat you know 7-eleven is one of those so anybody that sells a meal that's ready to eat that's why there's 325 thank goodness we don't have 325 restaurants or i'd be hitting 300 pounds

[00:42:34] in a hurry our real estate highlights we maintain all of our real estate property records annually we annually assess all the properties and new new construction we send out the notices for the assessments handle the appeals when people have a problem with their assessment And we administer the tax relief program for the elderly, disabled, and the disabled veterans.

[00:43:03] We had $12.4 billion in property, real property, last year. 12,899 taxable properties, and there are 511 exempt properties in the city.

[00:43:21] Tax relief keeps going up, which is a good thing. I appreciate you all raising the limit for the upcoming year to $60,000 for our elderly, and I will be back this summer after we find out what that did to our revenue to ask for more.

[00:43:40] It was a total of approximately $2.1 million on real estate and personal property tax. Approximately $200 was relieved and or exempt. Of the 2.1, it's almost 50-50 between veterans and our elderly, but the veterans have gone above the elderly and disabled as of right now, just barely.

[00:44:09] Customer service. Of all the things we do, that's the most important. These folks here, they do such a fine job dealing with our people. When somebody comes into our office, they're not just representing our office, me.

[00:44:32] They're representing our city. They're representing you guys. If somebody comes in and has a bad experience, they're not going to go out and say they had a bad experience with the commissioner of the revenues office. They had a bad experience with Manassas, and people aren't supposed to have a bad experience with Manassas.

[00:44:50] And I have pushed customer service ever since my first day, but I really didn't need to. These folks, it's in their blood to take care of our customers first and foremost, and they just do a spectacular job. That's what I'm most proud of, these 11 people, and all 11 of them are just wonderful when it comes to taking care of our people.

[00:45:15] Our goal is to assess property in a fair and equitable manner. Everybody's on the same page. Everything is done fairly. That's our number one concern after customer service. and any questions i guess i was done with that slide well you know and i i was going to give i love eric yeah there was no music and there was no transition between the slides because you know laura did that real nice and i guess eric screwed it up but that's all right he does what he does thank you mr demaria council members any questions or comments

[00:45:51] for mr demaria mr osina don't don't make up for no comments on council time You're going to make up the time. You're going to make up your time. That's right. You got us in here quickly. I appreciate that. You're certainly welcome. Not so much comments, but, excuse me, questions, but comments here.

[00:46:10] So, first of all, I do agree with you, and I'm glad that you are stressing professional education with your staff. That comes from the top and comes from the bottom necessarily here, and it's good that you give your employees the opportunity there to not only have a goal such as certificates, you know, certification, but also go to these different programs as well as yourself there.

[00:46:38] I just came back last week from a VML conference for elected officials, and there's just no way to put a dollar value on the conversations that you have with different folks that are in situations that you're thinking about doing.

[00:46:58] You can share expertise. You learn about things you don't even know what to ask that may be coming along the way. You get to hear about trends that are coming along that may be things that eventually will come to the city. And so it's good that you do that sort of thing, and I'm glad your employees take advantage of that.

[00:47:17] And I hope they will continue to do that and be so motivated along the way. Secondly, I will say that in my five years on city council, I do not recall ever receiving an email with a complaint about how a resident was treated at your office.

[00:47:36] And that says a lot about your leadership along the way and the people that you have working there. And it is, to me, very important that you recognize that we are, that it is important to reach people in the language that they are most comfortable in, particularly in Spanish as our second language, most prevalent language in the city here, and having folks like that because they need, I shouldn't say need, they deserve the same kind of service that any resident should get.

[00:48:11] So kudos for you to continue to recruit that and encourage that along the way. Thank you. So thank you, Mayor. And if I can comment on that, not only is the training important, but involvement is important. June is our – where's June?

[00:48:26] June is the secretary for Volta, another one of our organizations that we belong to, and she's about done with being the secretary. And so Laura's picking it up next year. And the more you put in, the more you get out.

[00:48:44] Not just in the training, but in the involvement. So I'm proud of them for willing to do that as well. Any other comments? Ms. Vasquez-London. Hello, Mr. Commissioner. Well, I want to congratulate Ms. Miller and Mrs. Claiborne for their Master of Epidemiology Certification.

[00:49:05] And thank you for bringing it up and highlighting it. I also want to say thank you for hiring, you know, Spanish speakers or for having people that will understand. I feel that when you're upset or when you come, maybe when they come to your office, maybe not that upset, but it's easier to use your native language.

[00:49:26] So I truly appreciate the leadership on that as, you know, you hire for your office and you continue to strive on that. So thank you. And I do have a question, and I want to make it as smaller as possible because i i i continue to hear um there is a confusion when it comes to the data center i just want to make sure that you can say that they do pay a real estate tax and i think sometimes yes and i think sometimes there is a confusion on that because there's no you know it has changed

[00:50:04] it has made an improvement and they are paying on that but if you can do like a small comment on just to make sure the difference between what they are exempt for now and what they do pay because it's different. Right. Well, right now we only have one data center that's operational.

[00:50:21] The value of that went from $6 million to $100 million once it was built. The aesthetics of it, it's just a guy that grew up here and saw the rusted out old brick plant for my whole life, it sure does look a lot better driving down that lane and the hundred million dollars that that was assessed at has been updated it's a lot more than that I'm not sure of the number right now I'll have to get with Carol on that one but there was more information that came forward

[00:50:58] that we learned more about what was done on that property and so the value of the property is still going up. So, you know, we gained over a million dollars in revenue opposed to the brick plant already. As far as there being a bank in there, I've already sent out my letters this year to find out who the tenants are, and it is 100% being rented by the bank. Nobody else moved in there. I was sort of hoping somebody else would move in there and we'd be able to use personal property

[00:51:32] on them, but they're not. And the General Assembly is looking at the bank franchise tax exemption for them, or it's not really an exemption, paying bank franchise in lieu of personal property tax. And I don't know anybody that's in favor of it. Even I believe the data centers themselves are not in favor of that because that is giving them a little bit of a black eye, and they've got enough black eyes they don't want anymore.

[00:52:04] Is that what you're looking for? Yes, sir. Thank you so much. I appreciate it. Sure. Any other comments or questions? Ms. Dulles. Just a question about your answer, your last answer. You said, so they pay a franchise fee instead of personal property?

[00:52:19] Right. It's a bank franchise tax, and it's based on the deposits in each branch. And the problem with that is that there are no deposits in the data center. So, you know, the deposits go to the branches, so they're paying no tax on that.

[00:52:36] But by the letter of the law that was written, I think, in 82 or 84, I can't remember exactly which one it is, they are exempt, and there's nothing we can do about that. Hopefully the legislature will. So the franchise fee is paid by the branches that accept deposits, not a storage facility for servers.

[00:52:57] In 84, that was everything. Right. They all did that. Because they had the servers in-house, probably? Well, and there weren't so many servers. They had a Mac sitting there with a great big thing, and that was about it. So there wasn't that much to begin with.

[00:53:12] Thank you for clarifying. But it's not just computers either. Remember, it's furniture and things like that, too, that are still taxable to businesses, and they don't pay it on that either. Any other comments or questions? Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[00:53:28] Thanks, Guy. Thank you for being here. Next on the agenda is item 1.4, the Department Annual Report for our Treasurer, ms patricia ritchie folks good evening ma'am madam mayor distinguished council members and our city

[00:54:01] manager steve burke it gives me such honor and pleasure to be able to present um the treasurer's annual report for fiscal year 2025. um i would like to say that everything that my colleague said here ditto i know i said it last year so i guess i better found another line right but um we work very very closely together and he is a joy and his staff is a joy to work with so we're very very very fortunate to have both offices working that well together

[00:54:39] first I want to talk a little bit about some of the budget highlights can everyone hear me okay so we sustained as you can see and own returns terms of our investment with VIP as well as LGIP, and I also opened three more accounts, CDs with Dominion National Bank for diversity.

[00:55:17] They always tell us we need to have a great diversity when we're investing for the city. As you know, I'm the only one that can invest for the city, and I want to make sure that our city investments are doing very, very well. So I still want to stay on top of that.

[00:55:34] And I am on the board of trustees for the Virginia Investment Program. So that's one of the ways that I try to stay very much in tune as to what's going on so that we can act whenever I need to in order to make sure that the city is not at a loss.

[00:55:54] also maintained my tax collection rate of 98 percent so we're still there some of the accomplishments in our office has been the treasurer's office received our 2025 office accreditation from the treasurer's association of virginia that is highly acclaimed because that's saying that everything that we're doing in our office we're in compliance and we're doing everything that we should be doing, and it's just a really great accomplishment and achievement.

[00:56:33] I continue to serve on the Board of Directors for the Treasurer's Association of Virginia, and I was also appointed and still serve on the legislative committee. So goals for fiscal year 2026 is to maintain our office accreditation from the Treasurer's Association of Virginia, as well as to continue to maintain the 98% tax collection rate that we have, that I have right now.

[00:57:01] Also, to ensure that the Treasurer's Office and deputies, of course, again, as my colleague said, are certified and recertified by receiving developmental classes. So that's happening not only with the Treasurer's Association of Virginia, but also with the City of Manassas.

[00:57:18] We have, with Ms. Darla Hicks, our Director of Human Resources, has some great, great, great programs that our staff is also participating in to get them ready for leadership. So I thank the city for that. I think it's really, really, really important for career development.

[00:57:38] We also continue to give excellent quality customer service to our internal and external customers. That's one of the things when I walked into the office, as my colleague has said, that is utmost important because from the time that they walk through those double doors in the lobby and they look to the left, that's the office that they're looking at.

[00:58:01] And it's great to see those smiling faces waiting for them to come in and to take care of them. Also, to have a bilingual office to wear whatever language they can assist them. Making sure that we maintain accuracy in our posting and ensuring we provide information to our customers, accurate information to our customers.

[00:58:26] I would also like to take a few minutes to introduce my staff. One person is here, the other ones are not, but they are truly what makes the treasurer's office. And without them, they're just fantastic.

[00:58:44] And as you well know, it's just like the city with your staff. They make or break you, and they make me. And I'm very, very proud to have them all. I have my wonderful customer service, which are my representatives that sit at the front desk.

[00:59:06] We have Diane Bond Gentry, always, always smiling. Cassandra Sanchez, who we call Cassie, who's the youngest one. And Jatel Torres, who can be a model.

[00:59:22] She's on the end. She's beautiful. And then we come to my deputies. have Hilda Rosa Cahill who is my Deputy of Revenue. I have Dustin Burgess who's been with me a very long time who is my Deputy of Compliance and our newest person Sarah Herndon who is the Deputy of Finance. And last but not least please stand Andrea Evans who is my rock. She is my Chief Deputy Treasurer and she is wonderful and I'm sure everybody here who has had any dealings with her

[01:00:01] inside or outside know that she is the best some people say she could walk on water I do too but I don't know but this is my staff and I just want to say that it is such a pleasure to come to work every day and it's such a pleasure to hear them say that it's a pleasure for them to come to work every day so it makes me very very happy but I was taught by Mr. Marriott when I worked for Sodexo Marriott that if you treat your staff right they will treat you right no matter what

[01:00:37] so I keep that in mind and also what we're taught in our leadership development services is that it's very very important to listen and to let them know how much you care and that they're protected with that being said I'm going to go on to talk about the transactions that have been processed for year, fiscal year 2025.

[01:00:59] We, as you can see, I'm not going to read all the numbers, but you can see what we've processed as far as real estate and personal property tax, over 30,000 bills were made, mailed. Also, the total number of processed transactions was 115,000.

[01:01:22] And if you will notice, the transactions processed through credit cards has grown to $34,382, which shows you that more and more people are going online to pay. And that's something that a lot of people talked about when I first ran, and I wanted to make sure that those options are available for them in order to pay.

[01:01:48] You also see how many personal property supplementals we mailed out, as well as real estate supplements. And at the bottom, parking districts. So you can see what the totals were for fiscal year 25 of how many parking district decals we sold for the year, fiscal year 2025.

[01:02:11] So that number is going to increase, but this is fiscal year 2025. So you'll see a difference next year because of the other district that you all added with the three parking spaces next is our delinquent tax collections annually and you'll see they're there year by year so we start from 23 to 25 so each month you can see what we're bringing in as far as delinquent taxes are concerned i also wanted to note that once our

[01:02:50] bills are mailed out and the due date has come and no and there are people that have not paid passed on the due date that's immediately starts the delinquent tax collections okay so it's not later it's right then we send letters out and we send out two letters for the people who do not respond once they don't respond we also then send it to the collection agency that we use the city uses so that we do try to collect that money first before we send it to the collection agency

[01:03:25] And with that, I stand by to answer any questions that you all might have. Thank you, Madam Treasurer. Councilmembers, any comments or questions? Ms. Vasquez-Luna. Thank you. Good to see you, Madam Treasurer.

[01:03:41] And again, for me, it's very important to have a bilingual stuff, and I believe you have always on it with us, so I appreciate it. I do wanted to ask, when it comes to the parking, you had motorcycles and visitors.

[01:03:57] those numbers were for the visitors? I couldn't understand. I'm sorry let me go back. Yeah that one. So the motorcycles three or visitors 345? I wasn't sure about that.

[01:04:12] So yeah that's what I have here. So it's like the visitors parking decals that were asked for for those parking with the motorcycle is no no no that would be the visitors parking for that district.

[01:04:33] sorry so three motorcycles and 345 the visitor parking okay sounds good and i hope uh you know they change the uh this council made it will make it easier i know it's 118 for the lottery but i i hope that is you know a positive effect i want that it's gonna be together as one and uh and uh no you know congratulations i uh i my last question do you provide once um once the invoice has gone now do you provide uh like an online email or can people uh sign up like they do with the utilities

[01:05:11] for like an online uh um email when it comes to what they owe or that is you know yeah they can sign up in the customer service section of munis they can sign up to where when the bills go out they'll receive an email or text whichever they choose and then it will continue to email or text them like you know there's 10 more days before it's due but that yes they can sign up for that um also achs so they may want to sign up um to have their monies taken out on those due dates

[01:05:47] so that's also available to them so i just try to make it to where um people have more and more options which is important yes well congratulations on continuing the 98 percent uh rate of tax collection that's thank you uh great and uh i will i would say uh when it comes to paying there's always a free um a free way or no fee way which is either paying cash or paying with a credit card check with a check and then the ach will also be free of of a fee right just the credit card will

[01:06:26] be with a fee the credit card the e-check when they pay by e-check it's uh right now it's a Yes, I just want to make sure that by now most of the customers or residents, they do know how to do it.

[01:06:43] I just want to make sure that they know that those 30,000 transactions is due to convenience, but they also have, you know, free service available through the mail or just by coming in here. Thank you. Yes, you're welcome. Mr. Osino.

[01:06:59] Thank you, Mayor. So looking at this particular slide, so first of all, I too am pleased to hear that your department and you are leading the charge for continuing education not only of yourself but of your staff for the very reasons we talked about earlier with the commissioner and doing so.

[01:07:21] And I hope everybody in your office takes advantage of that along the way on that. Looking at this particular slide, I wanted to focus in on the Georgetown South, and I know this is very specific to my question or to me, but when I see a number for Zone G and I see 1682 here, that isn't 1682 spaces.

[01:07:50] That could be repeat, meaning somebody got a sticker, then they moved away. Because there is a limited number of spaces there, obviously. And, you know, the policy there is unlike some of the other zones where it is, you know, two per address.

[01:08:11] Right, right. Along the way here and for that purpose. Okay. So I would explain then why the lottery then is over the 100 threshold that we had because, as you said, some people left. Yes. And they were open. A lot of turnover.

[01:08:27] Okay. Yes. Secondly, if we can go to the next slide, showing the delinquent tax collections. Uh-huh. I noticed that, you know, you give 23, 24, and 25 fiscal years here, and I noticed in 24 it went up to a little over a million dollars, and then it's back down to where 23 was, as an example.

[01:08:49] Any reason why there was an uptick in fiscal year 24, and then what steps were taken to lower it back down in 25? Well, one of the things I would say is that this total is basically from tax and what they've collected, okay?

[01:09:14] So one of the reasons it's probably gone down a little bit is because with us collecting within our office, it's not included in these totals. All right, so tell me again. So what I'm seeing here, let's just use the grand total.

[01:09:30] This is actually money collected, is that correct? Delinquent tax collected along the way. Okay, very good. And lastly, if I recall correctly, and that's why I'm asking you, say October 5th comes and it's time for me to pay my real property tax, for instance, there is a way that I don't necessarily have to come up with the money all at that particular date.

[01:10:03] There are ways that I could be paying monthly. Is that correct? Could you explain that program then? Well, what you can do starting in January, and that's the personal property tax. Personal property. Okay. Thank you. So starting in January, we have it open to where you can start paying a little by little, and we have it on the website telling people that they can budget to, like, $50 a month or whatever they want, and so that by October they don't owe that much or they may get a refund you know but um that's that's the new program that we put in place last year all right

[01:10:39] and this is found on your on our website on the treasurer's page so we could go to the city page and and find about this program and it's just a simple matter what what do they need to enroll do you recall the site name and well they will call the office and the ladies will take care of it okay okay all right thank you thank you mr mr. Smith as regards the fee that we charge for credit card use a little bit but our debit cards treated

[01:11:13] differently are they also charged a fee yes sir it's it's treated as a credit card is that fee imposed by the bank the credit card payment is there the fee that we charge for the credit card because the credit card company charges you.

[01:11:33] Yes. Do banks charge you similarly for debit cards? Yes, they do. The bank cards are processed the same way through merchant. So it's not like I'm paying what, I guess Andrea probably could explain it a little bit better, but it's treated the same as a credit card when it comes through our Tyler payment system.

[01:11:59] So it still is charged the fee of 2.95%, regardless of whether it's a credit card or a debit card. We can talk about either during the retreat or some other time. Some organizations or some businesses, some credit card vendors who use credit cards, debit cards, they make a distinction.

[01:12:25] I don't think they charge the debit card users. Some restaurants, I think, and we can maybe check with our attorney and so forth to see are there exemptions that a city could also follow if a customer chooses to use a debit card as opposed to the credit card to avoid the fee.

[01:12:43] Is it a flat rate fee? How much is that? It's a flat rate of 2.95% right now. You don't know off the top of your head the income we got from that last year. Is it an income that you pass on, or is it something that comes to the city? Actually, I guess I would have to ask Diane.

[01:13:02] It's passed on? I'm sorry, I did not hear that. It's what? Yeah. It's passed on by the company that we use that processes the credit card.

[01:13:20] It's passed on to them. It goes to them. Yeah. So right now, I think I'm right, Margaret. It's Tyler. So that dispels the general feeling that some feel that the city is making money off of that. That's a fee that's completely passed on.

[01:13:37] Completely passed on. We don't. I would, though, like to find out if there's a distinction or a benefit to our customer residents if they choose to use that debit card which would be then the same as walking in with cash what i can do is check on that for you and then before you all go to the retreat do you mind if i get back with you and give you the explanation that i've received i would appreciate that i know it gets blended some people love to say in effect they're handing the debit and tell you the treaters of the credit but if it goes in debit and you give up your pin number i just

[01:14:13] in our mindset we think i know it's cash plastic cash for cash thank you thank you mr smith any other com ms ellis uh yeah i have a question um about the uh 98 tax collection rate it's on your one slide under the goals yes that's your goals um okay you're maintaining a tax collection rate currently yes right of 98 is that just your is that before it goes to collections like is that you're you know before it gets turned over to the collection agency we are collecting 98 of our taxes

[01:14:52] yeah and that's why you see that two point yeah and then you you'll see we're still about another two percent two point ten percent or something that are delinquent so two percent of the taxes are delinquent and then they go to um a delinquent tax collection agency right after we try and then Because a lot of times we'll send the letters out, Ms. Ellis, and then Councilman Ellis, and people will come in and pay.

[01:15:22] So we try to give them that benefit because once it goes to the collection, they have to pay an additional fee. What is the process and time frame that we keep those outstanding balances on our books?

[01:15:38] Is it forever? What are the steps if they never pay? What happens? Well, it depends. If it's real estate, it's 20 years that we have to try to collect. If it's personal property, it's five.

[01:15:55] So we try to do everything we can to collect it by even sending them. We do, let me back up a little bit. There are three things that we do. We do debt set off, which is we send information to the state and they take it from their state refund.

[01:16:18] We do DV stop, DMV stops, which means you can't get your car until you pay your taxes in your parking. And then, of course, once we've done our adjudication of sending out those letters, then in turn.

[01:16:35] But we have all these things going on simultaneously, so we don't wait because with the state is first come, first serve. With DMV is until they go to try to get their tag. And then Dustin sending those letters out to the same people who are delinquent.

[01:16:52] Our total outstanding delinquent amount is, any idea? Like this is what we collected, you've reported that. Right. Do you have any idea what the total outstanding is? I would have to get back with you to give you something accurate.

[01:17:08] I don't want to pull it out of my head, but I'm sure it's a couple of million. Okay, thank you. You're welcome. Any other questions, comments? Madam Treasurer, thank you so much for that report. And you have homework.

[01:17:24] Thank you. Next on the agenda is item 1.5, the Department Annual Report for our Finance and IT. And Ms. Bergeron is here to help us with that. Good evening, ma'am.

[01:17:40] Thank you and good evening, Madam Mayor, members of council. I'm kind of nervous for questions now. But the Finance Department is an internal service department with 32 positions. Our various function areas include budget, debt management, accounting, payroll, purchasing, an inventory warehouse, information technology, cyber security, GIS, and data services, to name some of them.

[01:18:09] In December, the auditors, as you will recall, reported to you that the city had a clean audit opinion. That is obviously something the finance department works all year for and is very proud of. We have several other accomplishments that we wanted to highlight in a short video.

[01:18:25] It does have music. So if you don't like the song, please see Sean Whitfield in IT. I can't blame Sean. Just kidding, Sean.

[01:18:34] I love it.

[01:22:20] Thank you, and I stand ready for any questions. Thank you, Ms. Rajon. Council members, any questions or comments? Ms. Vasquez-Luna. I have a comment with the IT on your side.

[01:22:37] You did well. Congratulations on the clean out of everybody you know the hard work seeing it is an eye-opening we know you work hard but it's just you know great to see it thank you for the report thank you Mr. Osina so is risk management part of your department it is not HR who's department is it HR yeah HR up next hold on we're next

[01:23:04] That's fine. Amazing work when you think about all the chances. I'm just in awe because when I try to balance my checkbook once a month, it is challenging at times along the way here or trying to remember where entries go and that sort of thing.

[01:23:27] so for everyone on your department. Are they, anybody else from your department here? - Yes, let me, I wanna publicly also thank my staff and talk about how amazing they are. We have a great team. We are having some key retirements come up this year, so we'll be looking to succession plan and transition to some new positions and there'll be sad losses for us, but I do have with me our IT manager, Sean Whitfield, Our GIS manager, Margaret Montgomery, and our budget manager, Carrie Malin.

[01:24:04] I have some other people out ill today, so it's unfortunate, but it is a great department and we are very proud to serve the city of Manassas. Thank you. - Can you just tell me, didn't we get the Moody's part, wasn't that brand new or a new level or something that we reached?

[01:24:24] - Yes, in our-- - Grari AAA and then we got the Moody's, which is separate, and some people don't understand that, and I think it's helpful to realize how, what that means for us. Sure. Yes, ma'am. We have been rated by S&P, Standard & Poor's, and Moody's for a long time.

[01:24:43] We have been, we were upgraded from, we were upgraded by S&P in maybe 2014 to AAA, we were one notch below AAA with Moody's until our most recent issue which was in 2020 we were rated in October of 2024 in preparation for the sale for the Jenny Dean elementary school construction bonds and we were upgraded by Moody's to a AAA so we are double AAA rated right now and that's excellent for us and that's not a lot of municipalities right that have that no

[01:25:23] No, not a lot to have, no. And so that puts us in a really good position. Yeah, it's a really, really, really good position for the city, something that everyone should be very proud of, not just finance, everyone, the city as a whole. It's a really good accomplishment. Thank you for all your efforts, everybody, finance, IT, budget, I mean, all of it.

[01:25:39] It's just really great to see you all and how you all work together. It's so good and always there for us, whatever we need, and we appreciate it. And we know fun times ahead with budget coming up, we can't wait. We're so excited. So thank you. No other questions? Mr. Smith. I just want to say that particularly since I.T. representatives here is that I have witnessed, even personally, but in other situations with other groups, that the response time and the customer service and so forth from I.T., well, from the whole department, but specifically I.T.,

[01:26:17] and that, Sean, the report doesn't show that I significantly impacted negatively their performance all year. That's not true. so no great great words for you for you thank you so much thank you so much for being here all right thank you um next on the agenda is item 1.6 the department annual report for hr ms hicks is here good evening so sadly after 14 years uh succumbed to peer pressure and we have developed a video A star is born.

[01:26:57] Yes. So, without further ado, thank you for your assistance. It's so much easier than talking. Good evening, Mayor and members of Council. Thank you for the opportunity to share an overview of the Human Resources Department's work over the past year.

[01:27:15] In 2025, Human Resources continued to evolve as a strategic partner, focused not only on recruitment and compliance, but on building a resilient, engaged, and high-performing workforce that supports the city's long-term goals.

[01:27:32] At our core, Human Resources serves as a connector between people and purpose, policy and practice, and leadership and employees. Our mission is simple but critical, to ensure the city attracts, retains, develops, and protects the workforce that delivers services to our community every day.

[01:28:00] Recruitment remained a major focus in 2025, and the results reflect strong and growing interests in public service careers with the City of Manassas. We received more than 3,600 applications, representing a 14% increase from the previous year.

[01:28:18] This growth signals both effective outreach and a competitive employer brand in a challenging labor market. We also continue to make progress towards a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community we serve as applicant data showed increases across multiple demographic groups.

[01:28:37] These outcomes are the result of a deliberate multi-channel recruitment strategy. Rather than relying on a single platform, Human Resources leveraged a mix of traditional job boards, targeted outreach, professional networks, and community connections, allowing us to reach both active job seekers and passive candidates.

[01:29:02] In addition, the department maintained a strong presence at regional job fairs and career events, partnering with universities, school systems, and workforce organizations. These efforts helped position the city as an employer of choice and build early pipelines for future talent.

[01:29:27] All of this translated into measurable hiring outcomes. In 2025, the city conducted 94 recruitments. HR coordinator Kate Rose processed paperwork for 81 new hires. HR business partner Kate Bonanno assisted with nearly 300 interviews.

[01:29:46] And our power duo, Deb Shelton and Jeff Stevens, delivered 28 new hire orientations. Equally important, 19 positions were filled internally, supporting career growth, continuity, and institutional knowledge. New hire data reflects continued gains in diversity, supporting a broader range of perspectives, experiences, and voices across city departments.

[01:30:13] Our workforce demographics reflected both stability and competitiveness. The average employee age is 42. Average compensation has become increasingly competitive over the past five years. and nearly one-third of the workforce identifies as part of a racial minority, underscoring the city's ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion.

[01:30:37] Over the past three years, these demographic trends have remained consistent, providing continuity in operations while still allowing room for thoughtful organizational growth. Employee tenure continues to be a strength for the city.

[01:30:54] Average tenure and age have remained steady for more than six years, reflecting workforce stability, institutional knowledge, and long-term commitment to public service. In 2025, the city's turnover rate was 11 percent, below the national average of 13 percent.

[01:31:13] In today's competitive labor market, this reflects effective retention efforts, strong leadership engagement, and meaningful investment in employees. Employee wellness also remained a priority. Benefits Administrator Deb Shelton hosted a Benefits and Wellness Fair that brought together vendors, health screenings, and one-on-one support, creating opportunities for employees to engage with their benefits in a meaningful and accessible way.

[01:31:42] Flu shot clinics were coordinated on-site to meet employees where they are, and additional benefits hours were also held throughout the year at various work locations. Investing in employees also means investing in their growth.

[01:31:57] In 2025, the city-sponsored employees and regional leadership programs reimbursed approximately $20,000 in tuition for continuing education and recognized milestone achievements tied to specialized training, certifications, and degree attainment.

[01:32:15] Human Resources Manager Lena Ampofo also benchmarked 76 positions against regional peers to ensure continued market competitiveness. Training efforts spanned leadership development, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and a wide range of safety and compliance topics.

[01:32:40] Through close collaboration between human resources, safety, and city departments, employees receive training that supports both individual development and operational needs. When workplace injuries occur, the city's workers' compensation process emphasizes timely reporting, employee support, and coordinated care.

[01:33:03] Through a newly implemented 24-hour nurse triage program, injured employees receive immediate guidance, follow-up, and direction to appropriate care. HR business partner Michelle Austin does a phenomenal job in ensuring injured employees have a positive, caring resource to turn to in supporting recovery while also protecting the city's interests.

[01:33:27] Driver training continue to play an important role in risk reduction. All city drivers complete this training prior to operating a city vehicle and every two years thereafter with additional targeted education provided following incidents. The Risk and Safety's GOAL program, Get Out and Look, encourages employees to pause, assess, and prioritize safety.

[01:33:52] The program's impact extended beyond the city when our insurance carrier implemented it as part of a statewide campaign and featured Manassas in a promotional video with Risk Manager Jim Hanley and Safety Coordinator Jeff Stevens. The department also invested in its own professional development in 2025.

[01:34:15] Several HR and safety staff earned advanced professional certifications, strengthening internal expertise and ensuring the city continues to receive informed, high-quality service. Looking ahead, we are excited to continue recognizing employees through upcoming appreciation events, service awards, and Public Service Recognition Week, honoring the individuals who make city operations possible.

[01:34:43] In closing, Human Resources remains focused on people, performance, and partnership. We appreciate Council's continued support and look forward to building on this momentum as we serve the City of Manassas in the year ahead.

[01:35:02] Great. Thank you. Thank you so much, Ms. Hicks. Council members, any comments, questions? Ms. Hicks? Mr. Osina. Okay. Now I can ask risk management.

[01:35:18] Why don't you, for my edification here, explain what risk management is for the city here and if you have any statistics or information to share about how it's implemented, what's been going on in those programs there, because we hear about it.

[01:35:37] I know I hear about it a lot here, but I don't know that I fully appreciate everything that's done. So, Jim, manager, and he deals with everything from reviewing contracts to ensure that there are appropriate insurance coverages, all of our events are reviewed to ensure there's appropriate insurance coverages for those, for our residents and non-residents who may encounter accidents or have hit a pothole, any of those sorts of things.

[01:36:13] Jim is the point of contact for them to help work through their insurance agents as well as the city. If we have any issues with electric lines, water lines, sewer backups, all of that that may be related to city business, that all goes through our risk management.

[01:36:33] Jim also works closely with our safety committee to make sure that we're implementing programs to help promote safety and reduce any city liability. Anything else you'd like to add, Mr. Hanley? Yeah. Yeah, so it's a broad range of different responsibilities that risk management carries throughout the city.

[01:36:57] So is this the department that, let's say, a group wants to rent the Harris Pavilion and there's insurance coverage requirements that the city requires? He's the person who reviews this, works with them to find carriers if they're having trouble or make suggestions and that sort of thing?

[01:37:15] Absolutely. Okay, very good. All right, thank you. Thank you for your work. And thank you to all of you, all of you, not picking on him, but along the way. So thank you. Any other questions? Ms. Vasquez. Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[01:37:32] More of, you know, thank you to the department. Great video. Thank you. To be the first one. It's really good. I appreciate it. I want to say, you know, as this body, just a reminder for our residents and businesses, we only hire three positions, and you have been very helpful, whether we have an outside agency or we do it internally into making sure that we do fill those positions.

[01:38:00] I believe our city manager is about to have one year anniversary as a city manager, so congratulations. But I just want to make sure that we appreciate it because for us, you know, you do make the job easier and the transition.

[01:38:17] And I'm sure you feel the same about the staff. So thank you. I always attend the International Foundation, so it was great to see you there and many leading different agencies. And I think over and over we see from each department that they're leading and making sure that employees, they have growth and they have opportunities for leadership.

[01:38:40] So I appreciate that you continue to highlight that. Thank you. All right. Thank you so much for that. Thank you. I appreciate it. Appreciate you guys. Okay. Okay, next on the agenda is the consent agenda.

[01:38:57] I'll call on Councilman Smith for that motion. Yes. Madam Mayor, I move that the consent agenda be approved and the readings of the ordinances be dispensed. Second. I hear the motion by Councilman Smith, seconded by Councilwoman Vasquez-Luna to approve our consent agenda.

[01:39:16] Any discussion? Hearing and seeing none, Mr. Smith, please call the roll. Councilmember Smith? Yes. Councilmember Vasquez-Luna? Yes. Councilmember Ellis? Councilmember Osina? Yes. Councilmember Hudson? Yes. the motion carries thank you for that item three on the agenda ordinances and resolutions item 3.1 ordinance number 02026-451 award of a friend of a franchise agreement to hef jpc hangar llc for lot w1 for the construction and operation of a box style aircraft hangar with adjoining office space

[01:39:53] at the manassas regional airport on first reading mr rivera is here good evening sir happy new year Good evening, madam mayor members of council mr. Burke this word that's the purpose is to authorize a franchise Lease agreement between the city of Manassas and HGF JPC hangar LLC The ordinance was properly advertised a public hearing was held on December 8th the parcel location is at the Manassas Regional Airport on

[01:40:28] 499 Aviator Avenue, which is located on the west side of the airport. The lot is identified as W1 and it is approximately one acre. The term of this franchise is for 30 years. The development requirements were the leasee's responsibility is to construct 6,400 square feet of box hangars to include 3,600 square feet of adjoining office space, provide all the associated ramps, automobile parking spaces,

[01:41:04] and all of this must be completed within 18 months of receiving a building permit. Extensions may be approved as necessary. The permitted uses would be operation of an FAA-approved flight school, servicing, repair, and maintenance of Lee CE's own aircraft, Use of space as an FBO annex for APP Jet Center, including office space, restrooms, lobby area, parking for fuel trucks.

[01:41:34] And this would be for the tenants on the west side of the airport. The first year's rent would generate $32,670, which equates to $75, excuse me, 75 cent per square foot with a 2.9% escalation clause built in annually.

[01:41:53] Estimated investment is $2 million, and I stand ready for any comments or questions you may have. Thank you, Mr. Rivera. Council members, any questions, comments? Mr. Sina. Thank you, Mayor. So first of all, so when you say the west side, that is the side where the control tower is?

[01:42:13] Yes, sir. Okay. And there are hangars that are there currently, correct? This is a vacant lot. There were hangars. Dulles Aviation used to be there. tore those down excuse me this is the area where the new road was put in on the northwest corner council medicina and will this beside putting in is it one large hangar or is it going to be

[01:42:45] multiple hangar this particular parcel w1 will be 180 by 80 hangar with a 3 600 square feet of office kind of a lean-to attached to it and are they uh is is the tenant who put in parking as well yes sir automobile parking ramp uh space as well are there any restrictions to on the tenant when they may use their hangar no it's for commercial purposes for a flight school maintenance of their

[01:43:21] aircraft. The agreement is actually, there's going to be a sublease agreement for a company called ATP, which is a very large flight school located up and down the East Coast. They're actually going to consolidate their maintenance of all of their aircraft in this area to Manassas.

[01:43:43] And does this in any way interfere, have an impact on, or somehow touch upon our efforts to bring commercial air service to Manassas? No, sir. This actually falls right in line with our plan strategically putting most of the single-engine light twins on the west side of the airport.

[01:44:04] All right. Lastly, do you have at your fingertips, you said what the first year's lease would produce, and then you said there was a percentage increase, an escalator. At the end of the 30-year lease, on the 30th year, what the payment would be.

[01:44:25] - No sir, I don't have the actual payment escalator in there. - Okay, thank you. - We will have that in the final franchise agreement. Once it's ready to be signed, we'll actually have that as attachment as part of the agreement. - Okay, excellent, thank you.

[01:44:42] - Thank you. Any other comments or questions from Ms. Mazelis? - Yes, a couple of questions. So staff does recommend this according to the agenda, right? - Yes, ma'am. The airport commission, did they have this go across their desk at all?

[01:45:00] They did, and they recommend approval to the city council. Okay. You mentioned the FAA, well, the school, the school for flying, for flight training, repairs, a jet center.

[01:45:15] So is this creating jobs for our airport, or is it? Yes, currently, I don't know how many jobs, but, for example, ATP currently is located on the field, but their maintenance is not. They have various, you know, various small amount of maintenance that they do.

[01:45:33] So by consolidating, you know, four or five of their flight schools and having the maintenance here in Manassas, that would create job opportunities for maintenance mechanics. Do you know how many jobs that you can expect? I do not know. I would estimate five or six mechanics.

[01:45:51] Okay, okay. Does this benefit any of our existing businesses that are already in our airport? Well, most of the maintenance will be done on their own aircraft, so there probably won't be much benefit for other folks who own aircraft.

[01:46:11] But the fact is they're going to be moving out of another location, would give that particular company an opportunity to lease that space back. So hopefully we'll attract some additional business. Any other questions or comments? Question.

[01:46:27] Thank you, Madam Mayor. And it might be for our attorney. Whether it's this one or the next one, I want to see what is, because of the email, what is our obligation? Like, was in the bid or anything specific that we have to vote?

[01:46:43] I mean, this is just the next meeting from the last meeting where we had the opening. So I just want, I'm ready to vote, don't get me wrong, but I just for my, I just want my question answered, but it might be our attorney, I don't know if anybody can answer it.

[01:47:04] Do we have an obligation, because we didn't set a date on voting, and I just want to make sure that there is no obligation within the debate or an obligation for us to have to vote today. There's no obligation, however, the financing that would go along with any of these improvements, the more that we prolong it, the more uncertainty that each of these developers would encounter.

[01:47:32] And following the delay in first reading at the last meeting, we did contact both of the owners and did let them know that council would be considering action at this meeting to give them some assurance that they can start scheduling the improvements that they would need and the financing they would need to make these projects happen.

[01:47:54] So while there is no formal requirement for you to act, staff would hope that council would consider your first vote tonight and then second vote at your subsequent meeting in January so that both of these properties can start their development process.

[01:48:17] And I do understand that. I just want to make sure that the message is clear that we don't have an obligation. And at least for me, I didn't appreciate it because, you know, I understand the urgency and, you know, I understand business, but they cannot, you know, force us to vote and to bring it up because that's about, you know, up to each one of us and up to the mayor to put the agenda in place.

[01:48:43] I just want to make sure that, you know, if this is something developers want to continue to do, I don't take kind to that because we have to do it with villages. And if we have to ask more questions or take more time before we have to vote on this.

[01:49:00] And not just that, this is just the next meeting after that meeting. So to me, it was, you know, uncalled for and necessary. And that wasn't helping when it comes to board in favor of this. So I do believe it's a great benefit for the airport, and it will bring jobs.

[01:49:22] It will be positive. But it's just I hope this is not the way other developers think they can come to us, to force us and to bring it to a boat because it won't be in their benefit. But I'm ready to go. Thank you. Mr. Smith, do you have a comment? No, you don't.

[01:49:38] Okay. I guess for me, it's first reading, so the next meeting is when we're expected or can vote, so you don't have to do it tonight, but it's up to you, council members, how you want to do it.

[01:49:56] Any other comments or questions? Is there a motion? I'll make the motion. Motion to adopt ordinance 0-2006-451. Second. Okay, we have the motion by Councilwoman Ellis, seconded by Councilwoman Vasquez-Luna to approve ordinance number 02026-451.

[01:50:19] Any discussion? Hearing and seeing none, Mr. Smith, please call the roll. Councilmember Ellis? Yes. Councilmember Vasquez-Luna? Yes. Councilmember Smith? Yes. Councilmember Osina? Yes. Councilmember Hudson? Yes. Motion carried.

[01:50:34] Okay, thank you for that. And item 3.2, ordinance number 02026452, award of a franchise agreement to high-flying hangars of Virginia LLC for lot W-2 for the construction and operation of various size box-style aircraft hangars at Manassas Regional Airport. First reading. Same thing.

[01:50:54] Yes, Mayor, as with the first ordinance, this ordinance authorizes a franchise lease agreement between the city of Manassas and High Flying Hangers of Virginia, LLC. The ordinance was properly advertised and a public hearing was held on December 8th.

[01:51:12] The parcel location is the Manassas Regional Airport on the northwest side. The address is 10501 Aviator Avenue, identified as Lot W-2. It's approximately 5.1 acres.

[01:51:30] The term of this lease would be for 40 years. The development requirements would be to construct a minimum of 39 box-style hangars, including 29 50-by-40s hangar units and 10 60-by-60 hangar units.

[01:51:49] Each hanger will include, and not limited to, polished concrete floors, 18 to 20 foot bifold doors, bathrooms with hot water, high speed internet.

[01:52:05] They will have to provide the associated ramps and automobile parking spaces as required by the city. All improvements must be completed within 18 months of receiving a building permit. Extensions may be approved if necessary.

[01:52:22] Permitted use is the sale of the aircraft box hangars or the lease and management of the aircraft box hangars. Servicing, repair, and maintenance of aircraft owned by the leasing or hangar tenants. No commercial service is allowed unless approved in advance by the city.

[01:52:40] Financials, first year's rent is $188,832.60, which equates to $0.85 per square foot. This too requires a rent escalation of two point nine percent annually Estimated investment in this project is fifteen million dollars and I stand ready a staff recommends approval of the Franchise ordinance and this also went to the Airport Commission and they are also recommending

[01:53:14] This for approval if I stand ready for questions. Okay. Thank you so much for that questions comments Mr. Rivera the the previous one says 30 years in our cover and this one is 40. Yes, ma'am So they are different. I just want to make sure yes, ma'am They are different and it's based on the investment amounts in the recommendations by the staff and the Airport Commission the level of investment basically Thank you, mr. Sina and just the same question

[01:53:48] This does not have any impact to our efforts to bring commercial air service No, sir, it again is located on the west side, which is where you know We have strategically tried to plan putting the single-engine light twins at the airport and they will have this if approved they'll put in their own parking and things of this sort Yes, sir. And access will be 24/7. Yes, sir. Thank you mayor. Any other

[01:54:22] just a comment I truly appreciate the agenda I don't reports now you know we still have to read a lot of pages but it does make it you know a lot of questions that I usually ask you know they are answered right there so I just want to say thank you to everybody that is working on getting those items report and this might be for the clerk Eric the suggestive motion has an

[01:55:00] incorrect ordinance number should be 2026 on both well just for both cover pages I know when I made this first motion it was the motion that was in the suggested motion it wasn't on the actual item title so i don't know if that matters does that matter city attorney when i made the motion for the first vote it was not correct because the suggested motion on our cover page is wrong what's in the granicus i want to make sure so is it

[01:55:36] it's 2026 and the motion says 2020. it's the ordinance number had 25 on their sheet but it's actually 26. Right I think if the minutes reflect that it's fine you can move forward. Thank you. Okay just want to make note that the cover page is incorrect for both of those ordinances. Okay is there a motion? Madam Mayor I move to approve the ordinance on 0-0-2026-452. Second.

[01:56:09] Okay, the motion by Councilwoman Vasquez-Luna, seconded by Councilwoman Hudson to approve ordinance number 0-2026-452. Any discussion? Hearing and seeing none, Mr. Smith, please call the roll. Councilmember Vasquez-Luna? Yes. Councilmember Hudson? Yes.

[01:56:25] Councilmember Ellis? Councilmember Smith? Yes. Councilmember Osina? Yes. The motion carries. Okay, thank you for that. Thank you, Mr. Rivera, for being here. Item 3.3 on the agenda ordinance number 0-2026-411 to amend Chapter 58, Article 1, relating to hours of operation for commercial car washes.

[01:56:45] First reading, Mr. Arcieri, Happy New Year. - Happy New Year, honor members of council, before you, for your consideration on first reading, is an amendment to the city's noise ordinance that would prohibit the operation of staffed or unstaffed commercial car washes within 100 feet of the nearest residential property between the hours of 10:00 PM and 70:00 AM, consistent with our noise ordinance, which has similar restrictions for overnight activities.

[01:57:09] was subject to a public hearing in december and several council work sessions in 2025 staff does recommend approval on first reading and stand ready for any questions thank you mr arcieri any questions or comments thank you madam mayor for me it's about um making sure that we uh care for everybody but it's in our um in our city and their way of life and their well-being is very important so when I vote for this you know it's because I want to make sure that you know our kids all the people that leave nearby you know it's

[01:57:47] what's best for them and I believe it will be very beneficial Mr. Osina thank you madam mayor here well counselors you've been very indulgent of me I spent a lot of time talking to you and we had two work sessions on this ordinance here This is an item that I believe is a quality of life issue, particularly in this case for our residents who live in the Bristow Station area along the way here.

[01:58:22] And for the record, I did want to finally state why I proposed this to you, and hopefully you will be approving it here. First of all, it protects our residents' ability to rest and recharge.

[01:58:39] Limiting overnight hours near residential areas helps ensure neighbors can sleep without disruption, supporting overall health, school performance, and workplace productivity. It balances business activity with neighborhood livability.

[01:58:56] It is worth noting that overnight usage of car wash represents a small portion of the total business activity. and while the quality-of-life impacts on nearby residents are significant and ongoing. It provides clear and consistent expectations for businesses and residents.

[01:59:17] It reduces late-night quality-of-life impacts beyond noise. Overnight operations can also bring increased lighting, traffic, vehicle idling, and safety concerns. It supports fair land-use transitions at neighborhood edges.

[01:59:34] It helps prevent ongoing complaints and enforcement disputes with clear operational limits. It aligns with our community's expectations and common-sense quiet hours. It encourages responsible business practices without harming economic vitality.

[01:59:54] The ordinance simply asks operators near residential areas to be good neighbors during overnight hours. And lastly, it applies narrowly and thoughtfully. Regulation is limited in scope and only affecting car washes within 100 feet of residential zoning and only during overnight hours.

[02:00:14] With that, Madam Mayor, I do move the adoption of Ordinance 0-2026-411. Second. I can give the motion by Councilman Ocina, seconded by Councilwoman Hudson, to approve Ordinance 0-2026-411.

[02:00:34] Any discussion? Hearing and seeing none. Madam Mayor I just wanted to commend Councilman Osina for really going out into the neighborhood of Bristow Station listening to their residents working with staff to create this ordinance working with the City Council to get the support in order to do it I think this is an example of good government and government at work for its people so I just wanted to commend Councilman Osina and his work on this any other points of discussion Mr. Smith please call the roll Councilmember Osina yes Councilmember

[02:01:09] hudson yes council member ellis council member smith council member vasquez luna yes motion carried all right thank you mr sierry next on the agenda is public comment time at this time we welcome residents and community members who wish to speak about services policies and affairs of the city of manassas anyone who has 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 We appreciate the time you have taken to be here.

[02:01:39] A reminder that council does not engage in back and forth conversation with speakers during this time. The lack of an immediate response to your comments should not be taken as lack of interest or concern as we have staff present taking notes and we will respond to your concern in a timely manner.

[02:01:56] When you approach the podium, we would appreciate you giving us your name and if you are a city resident and 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. Do we have anyone signed up?

[02:02:11] No one signed up, but if there's anyone here tonight that wishes to come forward for public comment time, please do so at this time. Go in once. Plevniak. Hello, ma'am. Good evening.

[02:02:27] Janet Plevniak in the city of Manassas. I think this, I got a good message from God to do this at the right time. So it's the beginning of the year. We've had a lot of reports from a lot of committees. And I was just looking through the Constitution of Virginia. And just to remind you all of the oaths that you have all taken.

[02:02:46] I don't know if a lot of people even realize that everybody takes an oath. But it's all officers elected or appointed under or pursuant to this Constitution shall, before they enter in the performance of their public duties, severely take and subscribe the following oath or affirmation.

[02:03:04] I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia and that I will faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon me as fill in the blank according to the best of my ability, so help me God.

[02:03:25] So just starting a new year, starting it fresh. And so, Father, you are the just administrator. Thank you for the public servants involved in governing our cities, our states, and our country. Help them to understand the importance of their work for the flourishing of our shared life.

[02:03:47] Please keep them from abusing their power or exploiting their position. Lord, may all of us as citizens demonstrate civility, speak up for righteousness, and stand up against evil. Teach us how to honor and pay our debt of love toward those with whom we disagree.

[02:04:06] As we engage in public life, keep us from snarky attitudes personally and hateful speech, which is unbecoming of a child of God.

[02:04:23] Remind us that each person working in these sectors of public service is created in your image, Lord. May our disagreements help us flourish rather than wither and come together rather than divide. Thank you, Lord, for your dominion and reign over every living thing and over the entire universe.

[02:04:43] This is there is not one square inch of creation over which you do not cry mine, nor is there any leader's heart beyond your reach. We ask for you to accomplish your divine will through these public servants.

[02:05:00] Turn their hearts so that your will be done on earth in our cities, county, state, as in heaven. This we ask in the name of the world's true king, Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Thank you, Ms. Plymouth.

[02:05:16] Amen. Thank you. Anyone else wishes to address council at this time? Please come forward. If not, we are adjourned. Thank you, everybody. Oh, I'm sorry, sir. You can come on down. Unadjourned.

[02:05:33] I don't know how to do that. Take it back. Good evening. My name is Paul Steinbeck. I've been living in the Wellington community for 22 years. And I run up and down Wellington Road, and I see all the things that have been hit, starting with uh dean park lane the guardrail was hit twice okay moving east the trees were hit they had to replant the trees then you go up further the light pole at amaryllis and berkshire

[02:06:05] was hit twice the first time they put a new pole up then it was hit again a couple weeks later so they just fixed it last friday well moving east some more the car jumped the median about 300 feet further and i i guess it tore up his front end i saw parts on the ground okay then you move further up to the clubhouse the fire hydrant it's still not fixed it was hit i don't know five months ago

[02:06:39] so then you continue on i think the lighted henley was hit once and then just a couple weeks ago i noticed two trees were hit in front of burger king they nearly missed the telephone box by about two feet because you can see the tracks and the grass okay so that's all I gotta say we need speed cameras or whatever I don't know but I jog up and down the road and I see people speeding like crazy especially you know Saturday afternoon after they had a couple of beers but well thank you for

[02:07:17] listening to me and have a good evening thank you sir thank you for your comments appreciate you being here anyone else who wishes to address Kelton try it again we are adjourned thank you

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