City Manager Weekly Update May 10, 2019
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City Manager Weekly Update May 10, 2019 Senior Executive Team gets Agile: The Senior Executive Team gathered at the Jordan-Newby Library at Broad Creek this week to learn the philosophy and tools of the Agile Team Norfolk initiative. The workshop, conducted by ODU faculty members Dr. Carlee and Dr. Daniels, was focused on providing leadership the knowledge to help their employees who have attended Agile during its first year to improve processes in their workplace. Many of the processes identified for improvement have also been identified by employees who attended Agile Training. This pointed out the opportunities to use Agile to make Norfolk even better. City Manager Doug Smith wrapped up the day by observing that Agile Team Norfolk will succeed only if the leadership embraces it and supports it in their departments. The participants left already planning which employees to send to the next Agile training and on which processes to focus improvement first. Resilience Roundtable Discussion: On Thursday, the City Manager along with the City Manager of Hampton, Special Assistant to the Governor, Ann Phillips, representatives from Virginia Beach and from Congresswoman Luria’s office participated in a Resilience Roundtable at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Norfolk District. The roundtable was held to educate the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, R.D. “Rick” James, about the region’s efforts to deal with sea level rise and the flooding associated with it. The discussion focused on the region’s efforts to address the issue, the challenges faced by coastal communities and how the USACE can assist Hampton Roads and the Commonwealth. The Assistant Secretary concurred with participants about the need to change the evaluation criteria for funding to better serve low- income communities. He vowed to work with the region and to inform the President about our needs. Tidewater Gardens Block Party: A Tidewater Gardens People First Grand Opening celebration is scheduled for Saturday, May 11th from 12:30 – 4:00 pm. The 400 block of Walke Street will be blocked off to vehicle traffic for this celebration. The event will include information, resources, food and family-friendly entertainment provided by community partners. Some of the community partners include: Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority (NRHA), Norfolk Public Schools – Head Start Program, Reading Enriches All Children (REACH), Hampton Roads Community Action Partners (HRCAP), YWCA, William A. Hunton Family YMCA, Tidewater Community College (TCC), Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, Norfolk Works, Hampton Roads Transit (HRT), Norfolk Department of Human Services, STOP, Inc., Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc., Department of Neighborhood Development, Norfolk Department of Public Health, Norfolk Community Services Board, United Way, Norfolk Department of Recreation, Parks and Open Space and Bank On Norfolk. Families will not only be connected to resources and community partners at this celebration but enjoy family friendly music and activities, a food distribution by the Foodbank, book giveaways for children and a picnic lunch provided by the Hunton Y. People First offices will be open to schedule residents for appointments with family coaches. The offices, located at 447, 453 and 461 Walke Street, provide residents with placed-based access to People First coaches, services and resources to help families reach self-sufficiency. In the event of rain, the event will be moved indoors to the Hunton Y. Open House for EPA Brownfields Area-Wide Plan: The public is invited to provide their input on short and long-term development strategies for several post- industrial sites in Norfolk. The Open House will be held in the City Hall lobby, May 15th from 4:00pm – 6:00pm. The study area consists of large former industrial sites next to Harbor Park baseball stadium and properties between I-264 and Brambleton Ave, Park Ave, Tidewater Drive, City Hall Avenue and E. Main Street. The strategies include proposed public infrastructure and community amenities. 1 Recreation, Parks & Open Space Community Workshops: Recreation, Parks & Open Space will host community workshops with residents to gather input on the development and proposed master plan for open space area around the former Berkley Pool – behind St. Helena Elementary School. This initiative is an outcome of the City’s conversations with the community last summer regarding closure of the Berkley Pool. A youth focused visioning workshop will take place on May 11th at 11:30am at the Berkley Community Center. Additional community workshops will be hosted on May 13th (Southside Aquatics Center) and May 23rd (Berkley Community Center) at 6:30pm. Welcome to the Carnival Sunrise: Mayor Kenneth Alexander welcomed Captain Isidoro Renda and senior officers of the 900-foot-long Carnival Sunrise to Norfolk on Monday, May 6th. In celebration of the vessel’s inaugural season and its Norfolk sailings, Captain Renda presented Mayor Alexander with a Carnival statuette. The Carnival Sunrise is making its U.S. debut after a $200 million renovation in Spain (the largest such conversion in cruise industry history). “We couldn’t be more proud to debut Carnival Sunrise in Norfolk,” said Carnival President, Christine Duffy, after arriving for an overnight stay aboard the vessel. Norfolk will welcome more than 24,000 Carnival passengers this spring – the ship will return in October for additional sailings. Norfolk Happening Now! Upcoming Events for Your Awareness May 9 (9am-12pm) Focus on Funding & Finance @Slover Library Entrepreneurs will learn how to effectively manage the finances for their business from local financial experts. This event is free and open to the public. May 11 (11:30am-1pm) Youth Workshop: Berkley Area Recreation Study @Berkley Community Center Help us reimagine outdoor recreation in the Berkley area! Mark your calendars for a Youth Focused visioning workshop. May 11 (12:30-4pm) People First Grand Opening Block Party @Walke Street in Front of People First Offices FREE for people with disABILITIES and one caregiver. Chat with vendors, explore the Safety Expo and enjoy onsite entertainment from the TR Dance Studio, Hurrah Players and TRC Dance Mix. May 11 (11am-2pm) Poochella 2019 @Bea Arthur Dog Park FREE for people with disABILITIES and one caregiver May 13-16 (11am-6pm) Norfolk Senior Olympics @Old Dominion University The City of Norfolk Recreation, Parks & Open spaces presents Norfolk Senior Olympics. Activities include dance, bowling, card games and more. Open to ages 50 and better. May 13 (6:30-8pm) Community Workshop: The Berkley Area Recreation Study @Southside Aquatic Center Please attend our Community Workshop and help us to reimagine outdoor recreation in the Berkley area! Mark your calendars for an opportunity to let us know what you like to do and what you would like to see on the Berkley Community Center Site. May 14 (4:30pm informal session; 7pm formal session) City Council Meeting @City Hall Informal session held on 10th floor conference room. Formal session held on 11th floor in Council Chamber Video highlights of the latest happenings in Norfolk! Getting "TURNT" in Norfolk! Waste Management - Refuse Collection Inspectors Neighborhood Quality Telling Our Story 2 Council Interests City staff has been preparing for Census 2020, working diligently to ensure the most complete count possible. The following is provided as an update of efforts underway or planned: • City Council reviewed names and organizations that have been suggested for the Complete Count Committee at their May 7 meeting, to be voted on May 14. Twenty-eight persons have confirmed that they are willing to participate as of May 6, with a few more pending. • A small internal work group has been meeting weekly, reviewing data to determine hard-to-count population groups in Norfolk and identifying groups and persons who could serve on a Complete Count Committee to reach these groups with a message that the census is safe and important. They have also been working to develop a Norfolk Census 2020 website and plan for future meetings and outreach activities. The workgroup will continue developing a Norfolk Census 2020 website and will setup an email address for Census 2020. • Staff attended the Virginia Complete Count Commission meeting in Richmond on Tuesday, April 30. They participated in a panel discussion with other city census coordinators (Richmond, Alexandria) and also participated in subcommittee discussions. They also heard a presentation on the undercount of very young children. • City Planning staff, the small internal work group and Marketing & Communications will be meeting on May 10 to discuss the marketing/outreach strategy for Census 2020. • Staff are discussing organizing a regional census coordinator (staff-level) workgroup • City Planning staff are completing reviews to proposed changes to census tract and census block group boundaries. This process is being coordinated by HRPDC. 3 SIXTY-DAY TENTATIVE SCHEDULE COUNCIL ACTION ITEMS AND MEETING TOPICS UPCOMING ITEMS FROM APRIL 25 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING: • City Planning Commission (Applicant) text amendment to improve the consistency of development certificate requirements, replacement zoning certificates for new restaurants, minimum first-floor elevations of single-family dwellings, and parking requirements in BC districts, to correct clerical errors, and to remove unnecessary provisions. • City Planning Commission (Applicant) text amendment to create a new Neighborhood Resilience