City Council Meeting Recap
Lease Agreements
Actions were taken at last night’s meeting regarding lease agreements with the following companies:
• Fairlead Boatworks in Seafood Industrial Park (SIP) – The current lease was adjusted to provide for a three month rent abatement due to the impacts to Fairlead’s business operations during a federally-mandated environmental remediation project the City recently undertook. Fairlead provides boat repairs, maintenance and marine fabrication for commercial, government and military vessels with the ability to dry dock vessels up to 250 tons for below the waterline service and repairs.
• Omni Machine Corporation in Seafood Industrial Park – City Council approved a 20-year lease renewal for Omni. The company provides vital machine shop and fabrication services for the seafood harvesting fleet at the SIP as well as other vessels.
• Blue Harvest Marine Services in Seafood Industrial Park – Blue Harvest’s request to renew its lease of one parcel for two years and six months was approved by Council. The lease now coincides with the expiration of the adjoining site the company also leases from the City. Blue Harvest’s primary business is the wholesale and processing of the Atlantic Sea Scallop.
• CurtMont Global Services at the Newport News Golf Club – A one-year lease with options for four additional one-year terms was approved by City Council for CurtMont for the operation of a restaurant and concessions at the golf course. The previous food services vendor ceased operations in January, and CurtMont was selected to take over after reviewing proposals submitted in response to a solicitation. CurtMont is a nationally known company with experience at several local golf courses.
Authorization to Acquire Property for the Transportation Center
City Manager Cindy Rohlf was granted authorization to acquire property needed for a drainage easement for the Newport News Transportation Center, which will be located on Bland Boulevard. A 4,512 square-foot drainage easement is required from the Timberwoods Condominiums common area to eliminate a current erosion problem and to allow a culvert extension supporting new track work for the project. The approximate value of the acquisition is $8,500.
Appropriation for Seafood Industrial Park
City Council appropriated $250,000 from the Community Development Category of this year’s Capital Improvements Plan for Seafood Industrial Park projects. The City has applied for a grant through the Aid to Local Ports program for continued infrastructure maintenance and improvements at the SIP. The grant request is for $606,940 and requires $202,313 in local match. The remaining $47,687 will go towards a replacement grant to Fairlead Boatworks in the Seafood Industrial Park to alleviate some of the impact the business felt due to the longer than anticipated environmental remediation project the City was required to conduct on a portion of the property they lease from the City.
City Manager Contract
During the “New Business” section of the agenda, City Council voted to approve City Manager Cindy Rohlf’s contract. Under the terms of the contract, Rohlf will receive an annual salary of $225,000 with an additional $15,000 per year in deferred compensation paid into a retirement account. In lieu of the City providing Rohlf with a vehicle, she will receive $6,500 annually for a car allowance.
Other Actions
All items on last night’s regular City Council
meeting agenda were approved, and the entire Council meeting can be viewed on-demand.
Next Meeting
City Council is holding another Budget Public Hearing on Thursday, April 13th at 7pm at Denbigh Community Center. The next regular meeting of the Newport News City Council will be Tuesday, April 25th. City Council typically meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 pm in City Council Chambers, City Hall, 2400 Washington Avenue. Meetings are shown live on the City's Cable Channel NNTV (Cox Ch 48/Verizon Ch 19) and are streamed live on
www.nnva.gov/nntv. City Council meetings are also available to be
watched on-demand the day following the meeting. Oftentimes City Council holds work sessions in the 10th floor conference room of City Hall in the afternoon before the regular meetings. Work sessions are open to the public. Agendas for work sessions and regular meetings are
available online in the Agenda Center the Friday before the meeting.