City council meetings are back in full force in the Tri-Cities. Colonial Heights and Hopewell will both have their regular city council meetings this Tuesday, Dec. 10, while Petersburg’s city council meeting will take place next Tuesday, Dec. 17. Plus, Hopewell’s school board will meet this Thursday, Dec. 12 and more.
Colonial Heights considers raising water fees
During Colonial Height’s city council meeting on Tuesday, there will be a second reading and public hearing of an ordinance to amend city code to:
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Increase the water meter testing fee from $15 to $95;
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Increase the security deposit for water service that a tenant leasing a residential property must pay from $150 to $250;
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Increase the security deposit for water service that a tenant leasing a commercial or industrial property must pay from $150 to $500;
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Mandate that for new construction, only meters that are capable of reading remotely the amount of water used shall be installed;
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Increase the charges for water usage, including a proposed 6 percent increase of water rates and a $3 increase to the water capital charge.
If council votes to approve this ordinance, these changes would go into effect on Jan. 1 2025. City Staff will provide brief comments and answer questions on this ordinance at the meeting.
Hopewell crime updates: Car thefts continue to skyrocket, rest of crime year-to-year comparisons remains mixed
The Hopewell Police Department will present a year-to-date crime comparison report for city council during the meeting on Tuesday. The report will compare crime in the city so far this year compared to last year as well as a five-year average comparison.
Overall, the violent crime rates are higher this year in Hopewell than they were in 2023, with 84 violent crime incidents so far in 2024 compared to 77 last year. The five-year average for the city is 81 incidents. There have been five murders and five rapes so far in 2024, which is around the same as the city’s five-year average. However, the number of aggravated assaults in Hopewell this year—70—is up 26 percent when compared to the five-year average of 55. Last year, there were only 58 aggravated assaults in the city, which is 12 less than this year. Despite the rise in aggravated assaults, robberies in the city have decreased drastically by 75 percent this year, from a 5-year average of 16 to 4 so far in 2024. Last year, there were 10 robbery incidents in Hopewell in total.
Meanwhile, the rates of property crime in the city so far in 2024— which include arson, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft— are mixed when compared to the five-year average. Burglary rates in the city have decreased by nearly half when compared to the five-year average in the city. There have been 30 burglaries so far in Hopewell in 2024, compared to 43 last year and a five-year average of 57.
The rates of larceny in the city, meanwhile, have increased to 312 incidents this year compared to 268 last year, but have remained steady when compared to the city’s five-year average of 308. The rates of arson in the city have mostly remained steady.
Motor vehicle thefts in particular have skyrocketed this year in Hopewell, mirroring rising car thefts in Richmond and nationwide. There have been 108 cases of motor vehicle thefts so far this year in Hopewell, compared to 70 this time last year and a five-year average of 52.
It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact cause behind the surge in car thefts across the US, but some experts have pointed to ongoing economic difficulties and the rising cost of living that many Americans are experiencing. Check out some easy, straightforward tips on car theft prevention here.
Interested in learning more? Check out Hopewell PD’s presentation on page 74 of the city council meeting agenda.
Questions or comments for the Hopewell PD? Connect with your ward community policing officer:
Next Tuesday: Petersburg City Council to vote on banning partisan council elections
The Petersburg City Council will have a public hearing to vote on whether to ban partisan elections for city council members at their next meeting on Dec. 17.
Currently, Petersburg City Council candidates can run with party nominations. However, according to a recent ordinance request from Petersburg’s last city council meeting, some council members believe partisan elections may limit voter and candidate freedom, especially in a small city like Petersburg. The ordinance request — which is addressed to the mayor and council by City Attorney Anthony Williams — cites the Leesburg city council, which has adopted rules against partisan elections, as an example.
Advocates of nonpartisan city council elections have argued that these types of elections can help encourage candidates to focus on solving community-specific problems rather than advancing party agendas, and may also attract a wider array of candidates and voters who are not necessary aligned with major political parties.
“Going back to nonpartisan local elections makes politics more community-focused,” Parham told The Progress-Index in an emailed statement. “It encourages candidates to address more local issues and allows more citizens to run for office without worrying about funding two elections. By removing party-based local primaries (pending no state or federal primaries), Petersburg could save at least $30,000 on election costs.”
“I think it’ll be beneficial because Petersburg has always been nonpartisan,” Ward 1 Councilman Marlow Jones added. “You may have some people who don’t fall into Democrat or Republican, who may be Independent, and it puts them as a disadvantage if you’re going against a major party.”
Critics, however, argue that party affiliation provides voters with valuable insight into a candidate’s general philosophy, priorities, and values and without party labels, voters may have less context to make informed choices. They have also argued that even in “nonpartisan” elections, candidates often have party loyalties or receive support from political organizations, and argue that removing party labels during elections still allows partisan politics to influence campaigns, just less transparently.
Jones acknowledged the validity of these critiques, and added that it is primarily the candidates responsibility to inform the public on their platform. He also added that — despite the greater context that partisan elections may be able to provide for voters — there are also drawbacks. If two candidates that identify with the same party are running against each other, for example, the party will ultimately have to chose which candidate to support, putting the other one at an unfair disadvantage. Keeping things nonpartisan, Jones said, helps keep national partisanship from interfering with Petersburg’s residents voting for what’s best for them regardless of party politics.
Regardless of whether council decides to approve the ordinance on Dec. 17, they’ll still need approval from the Virginia General Assembly before they can amend the city’s charter.
Next Tuesday: Petersburg to vote on passing more regulations on potentially predatory short-term loan establishments
Petersburg is also working to pass more regulations on potentially predatory short-term loan establishments in the city, including payday loan businesses. Next Tuesday, city council will hold a public hearing and vote on an ordinance from the Petersburg Planning Commission that would help regulate “alternative financial institutions, short-term loan establishments and small box discount store uses within the city,” according to last month’s city council meeting agenda.
These regulations have been proposed in response to concerns that the city’s ongoing and anticipated development will attract an influx of predatory short-term loan establishments like payday loan businesses, which are designed to trap desperate, low-income borrowers in debt.
The proposed ordinance “aims to reduce predatory lending practices” by adding these additional regulations, according to the agenda. In addition to the regulations, the ordinance would also include provisions to ensure that where these businesses are allowed, they will have to provide fresh food options for patrons.
Petersburg’s city council first updated the city’s zoning ordinance to pass restrictions on these kinds of alternative financial institutions and small box discount stores in 2021, including requiring special use permits. However, the 2021 amendment was never fully integrated into Petersburg’s zoning ordinance. To address this, staff has drafted a proposed amendment that clarifies and expands upon the city council’s 2021 actions. The Petersburg Planning Commission has reviewed the draft and recommends approval. Read more here.
Next Tuesday: Petersburg City Council to vote on limiting pawn shops in city to max of 2
Next Tuesday, Petersburg’s city council will also have a public hearing and vote on an ordinance that would reduce the number of pawn shops allowed in the city. Currently, city code does not allow for more than five pawn shops to be operated at a time within Petersburg’s city limits. This ordinance would change the limit to a maximum of two pawn shops within the city.
Cities may choose to limit the number of pawn shops within their borders to address issues like predatory lending, as pawn shops can offer short-term loans with high interest that can be difficult for lower-income individuals to repay. Other critiques of pawn shops includes their potential use to sell stolen or counterfeit merchandise.
Upcoming public meetings
This week’s public meetings in Petersburg, Hopewell and Colonial Heights are as follows:
Tuesday, Dec 10
Colonial Heights City Council regular meeting, 7-9 p.m., City Council Chambers, 201 James Avenue. Find the agenda for this meeting here.
Hopewell City Council regular meeting, 7:30 p.m., Municipal Building (City Council Chambers), 300 N. Main St. Inquiries? Contact City Clerk Brittani Williams at (804) 541-2408. View the agenda for this meeting here.
Wednesday, Dec 11
Hopewell Recreation Commission meeting, 6 p.m., Hopewell Community Center (Conference Room), 100 W City Point Rd. Inquiries? Contact Hopewell Recreation & Parks at (804) 541-2353.
Petersburg Architectural Review Board meeting, 6 p.m., Petersburg Public Library multipurpose room, 201 W. Washington St. View the agenda for this meeting here.
Thursday, Dec 12
Hopewell School Board meeting, 7:30–9 p.m., school board office, 103 North 12th Avenue. Questions? Contact the school board at (804) 541-6400. Find the agenda for this meeting here, under “meetings.”
Tuesday, Dec 17
Petersburg City Council meeting, 5-6 p.m., Multipurpose Room, Petersburg Public Library. View the agenda for this meeting here.
Petersburg City Council special closed session, 3-4p.m., Multipurpose Room, Petersburg Public Library. View the agenda for this meeting here.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Tri-City city council meetings, Hopewell school board & more: THE AGENDA.