Hampton Comprehensive Waterway Management Plan

Steering Committee
MINUTES JANUARY 11, 2011 6:30 – 8:30 P.M. HAMPTON CONVENTION CENTER

SUBJECT Session Three

FACILITATOR Kathy Johnson (Alternatives, Inc.)

PREPARED BY Kimberly Holland (KHA)

AGENDA See Attachment A

ATTENDEES See Attachment B

The following summary of Session 3 of the Hampton Comprehensive Waterway Management Plan Steering Committee is
based on the agenda contained as Attachment A. The Committee members, staff and consultants in attendance is
contained in Attachment B.

TERRY O’NEILL, PLANNING

ITEM I WELCOME
DIRECTOR
• City staff and consultants want to resolve some concerns expressed by Steering Committee members regarding
previous meetings and ensure the Steering Committee understands its mission.

MARY BUNTING, CITY

ITEM II RESPONSE TO COMMITTEE FEEDBACK
MANAGER
• We are developing a way forward with the Steering Committee
• Just as we have master plans for developments, we need master plans for waterways. Waterways are key assets
to Hampton as a waterfront community.
• This waterways committee is important to the City Council. Accordingly, Council has designated several of its
members as stewards to the Steering Committee.
• City Council has other, similar groups such as this Steering Committee, which are meeting as part of the
Community Plan update. The work of this Steering Committee will be integrated into the Community Plan.
• City Manager Bunting indicated that the City staff understood there are concerns on the part of the Steering
Committee regarding the work done to date. These are:
1. There is more of a need for clarity in the way these meetings operate. The “how we’re going to get there”
part was confusing to the group.
2. Concerns about objectivity of facilitator - Ms. Bunting indicated that the City had retained a professional
facilitator, Kathy Johnson, of Alternatives, Inc. Ms. Bunting introduced Ms. Johnson and indicated she is a
not a technical expert, but has excellent facilitation skills.

KATHY JOHNSON,
ITEM III ROLE OF FACILITATOR
ALTERNATIVES, INC.
• Ms. Johnson introduced herself and provided a brief background She indicated training is a group process to get
to a common end.
• Alternatives, Inc. is a resource for young adults to have a voice in their community and should work as a balance
between citizens and government. Values the civic engagement process.
• She indicated that the facilitation team
o …will point out if conversation is getting strayed off-topic
o …will course-correct process
o …will eliminate side distractions and conversations
• Kevin Van Sloten: Pointed out that we need to fix gaps in our agenda and figure out Steering Committee vs.
subcommittee tasks
o Sabrina Carr and Rashida Costley-Clark will assist with facilitation and capture of comments generated
during discussion at the meetings
• Ms. Johnson indicated these meetings are also supported by three sets of experts:
1. Kimley-Horn and Associates (KHA) and URS will serve as the Steering Committee’s technical experts and will
provide technical material and information requested by the Committee
2. Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement (HRCCE) – will provide process support for community
engagement/civic input activities within the process
3. Alternatives, Inc. - Johnson will act as the Steering Committee’s group facilitator
• Citizens were advised that, because this was an organizational meeting for the Steering Committee, it would not
take comments from the public but encouraged them to post questions and comments on the Hampton Engages
website. They are also encouraged to go to the website to sign up for a subcommittee.

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ITEM IV IDENTIFICATION OF MEETING GOALS KATHY JOHNSON
• This meeting’s purpose is to provide clarity to the Steering Committee in order to refine the Steering Committee’s
work plan. The Committee should decide on certain things such as, how they will make choices, how they will
accomplish their vision, how they will interact at the meetings, etc.

CLARIFICATION OF MISSION AND PURPOSE OF WATERWAY

ITEM V MANAGEMENT STEERING COMMITTEE MARY BUNTING
Refer to Mary’s PowerPoint slideshow handouts
• Ms. Bunting emphasized that these meetings will be open to the public and that public participation and input is
central to the process. Discussion was held on coordinating subcommittee meeting times to facilitate interaction
between subcommittee representatives.

REVIEW OF OPERATING AGREEMENT OF THE STEERING

ITEM VI KATHY JOHNSON
COMMITTEE
• Kathy Johnson: Asked the Steering Committee members if they have had an opportunity amongst themselves to
discuss the Committee’s charge. The members responded that they had not. Ms. Johnson asked if they would
like to discuss the manner in a large or small group setting. The members proceeded to have a discussion on
their mission and operating plan.
• Ben Williams: Started the conversation by asking if the group has already discussed the City’s stormwater
management plan. He posed several questions regarding stormwater management and fees:
o What are the legal mandates and framework of stormwater management? We need to know the legal
framework before making decisions in our subcommittees. There are many unfunded mandates in the City
now.
o Where are our tax dollars for stormwater management going now and are citizens willing to pay more fees?
o Community education – citizens should be aware and educated about these matters
• Andy Bigelow: Stated that he does not disagree with Mr. Williams but the City’s priority is wrapped up in
drainage, shoreline protection and tidal flooding/flood plain. Wanted to be educated on these issues. Mr.
Williams added that we need global warming education to better understand why our sea level is rising in
Hampton.
• Carole Garrison: Stated that, as the original meeting outline proposed, the Steering Committee needs to hear the
educational topics first. The Committee needs to look at all options and then decide what it’s going to do. For
example, EPA regulations are mandatory laws and not options. The Committee should hear all of the educational
topics (and not just the ones pertaining to individuals’ subcommittee) so that the group can have the same
educational background. Robin Carpenter concurred. Steve Mallon added that understanding the policy
framework of the EPA and other agencies will be useful education.
• Woody Woodcock: Said that it would be nice to have a list/status of what the City departments are already
working on so that we don’t double our efforts on the Committee.
o Others concurred in wanting to know what Public Works is doing now for flooding. The Committee
requested a list of on-going projects funded by the Stormwater Fee.
• Polly Siemann: Stated her disappointment that the group wasn’t doing the Listening Session from the start. She
has learned a lot so far in these meetings about what the City has already done. She expressed concern that the
Committee was going back over things it did in the first two meetings.
o Kathy Johnson: Added on to Siemann’s point and said that all members of the Steering Committee need to
be on the “same train,” but that some members still had questions and concerns, so another organizational
meeting was scheduled. Acknowledged that the Steering Committee was going back over some material but,
with everyone on the same page they would then move forward.
• Vince Behm: Added to Johnson’s statement and said that these waterway issues are broad topics and he “wasn’t
on the train last time.” Changed the subject to citizen input and brought up two concerns:
1. Listening Session – still unclear with how that meeting is to be handled.
2. Asked why we would want 1,000 citizens join a subcommittee. Expressed concern that it would slow the
process to a point where the Committee will not be able to function.
o Citizen input needs to be orderly, defined, provide value and not slow down the group
• The citizen input during the first meeting was not helpful. Selvin Walker said that the Steering Committee’s
charge is very broad. He doesn’t think that citizen input will be fruitful to the process. Asked for City
accountability in terms of where our stormwater and dredging tax dollars are going and for City staff to follow
through with their stormwater plans. Mr. Walker has already participated in numerous wetlands and water
issues boards and committees in Hampton over the years, all which yielded poor results, so he’s trying it again
with this Committee. Believes that emergency preparedness should be a City priority.
• Hugh Bassette: Said he doesn’t want tonight’s meeting to consist of a conversation that doesn’t go anywhere and
wants to get down to the business of creating subcommittees. Doesn’t know why the Committee is taking “a step
back.”
• Ernest Hale: Said he doesn’t want to repeat history’s mistakes. Andy Bigelow concurred.
• Polly Siemann: Offered the idea of making use of Hampton’s TV channel 46 to educate citizens on the same
topics being presented to the Steering Committee. The technical experts who will present to the Committee can
also have their seminars taped for Channel 46. Ben Williams agreed with Ms. Siemann and added on to her
suggestion that citizens can watch the presentations on the TV channel and write in comments and questions to
the subcommittee chairs. He presented this idea as an alternative to citizens physically being on subcommittees
or speaking at the meetings. Another idea was mentioned by group members to put these same videos as
“webinars” or “webisodes” on the Hampton Engages website.
• Kevin Van Sloten: Posed three requests of the Steering Committee:
1. We need technical experts for each subcommittee topic and these experts will be the citizens’ points of

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 contact for technical/policy questions
2. We need an information management plan
3. We need some sort of strategic vision from City staff. Asked if City leadership will care about our
recommendations.
• Selvin Walker: Asked what the City’s priority is right now. Everyone in Hampton cares about different water
issues. Doesn’t want to spend five months on stormwater when the City is making floodplain its #1 priority.
• Ben Williams: Added that stormwater affects the most citizens in Hampton. Indicated City has to do what’s best
for the whole City. Robin Carpenter agreed with Mr. Williams and said that the community needs to rise above its
own issues. He hopes that the Committee can take emotion out of these issues and look towards the whole
picture and not individuals’ neighborhood problems.
• Kathy Johnson: Summarized three decision points from this discussion which will need consensus:
1. What subcommittees are we going to have?
2. How will we handle learning from the experts?
a. Break off into subcommittees learning vs. general learning
3. How is citizenry going to be engaged?
b. What kind of comment forms or citizen surveys will we provide?
c. Should we employ videography? – Members agreed upon this method
d. Should we post the recorded videos online as webisodes? – Members also agreed these should be
posted.
• Kevin Van Sloten: Proposed an idea to create a subcommittee just for communication to and from the citizenry.
This would be another good reason to have meetings and technical presentations videotaped and posted. There
could be a forum for citizens to post questions. Committee members agreed that this idea has good merits but
at this point in the process, would be too complicated to develop into a workable plan.
• Vince Behm: Stated that he doesn’t think that citizens should be on subcommittees. Carole Garrison disagreed
with Behm and said she believes that citizens can offer valuable points. City Council won’t agree with the
Steering Committee blocking out citizen input. Pointed out that in the Steering Committee’s first meeting,
citizens were already told and encouraged to join subcommittees. It would not be in the Committee’s interest to
go back on that. Kevin Van Sloten countered that if we do allow citizens on subcommittees, we would need
dedicated ones. Pointed out that, “More value is not added value.” Selvin Walker stated that the Committee
should invite the public to be on subcommittees and be leaders. To disengage them would be a disservice to
this process. Vince Behm questioned where this discussion was going by asking if we are vetting the citizenry to
be on the subcommittees.
• The Committee started to question who, when and if the public was indeed actually invited to participate on
subcommittees. Members searched in the handbooks and found disparate answers – one place in the handbook
outlined that subcommittee work is just for Steering Committee members and one place said that that the public
can join subcommittees. Steve Mallon pointed out that in the first meeting when the public was invited to join
subcommittees, that it was not the Steering Committee who said so. The Committee remembered from that
meeting that citizens were only told they could participate (not be a member of) subcommittees. Andy Bigelow
said that he spoke with citizens who were under the impression that they’re invited to be subcommittee
members, so this discussion is an issue of semantics.
• Kathy Johnson asked for a decision on the matter of whether or not citizens can be subcommittee members. The
Committee concurred that due to previous invitations to the public, that citizens should be invited to be a part of
subcommittees, they must sign up during a particular time frame and they must attend meetings.
o Meetings will be open to the public, where citizenry can be viewers but not decision-makers
o HRCCE will handle the arrangements for putting educational presentations online
• Selvin Walker asked what the Committee’s advertising budget is. It was agreed upon that HRCCE and the City
need to take care of this.
• Steve Mallon: Asked if there is there a natural linkage to some of these subcommittees.
o Ken Dierks: Responded to the question that floodplain and tidal flooding could be combined as one topic.
Stormwater and shoreline protection are individually stand-alone topics due to policy issues.
• Kathy Johnson asked for Committee decision and members agreed to combine floodplain and tidal flooding as
one subcommittee topic.

CONSENSUS AGREEMENT ON MISSION, PURPOSE, OPERATING

ITEM VII KATHY JOHNSON
COMMITTEE
• Kathy Johnson initiated subcommittee formations:
o Tidal Flooding: Andy Bigelow, Edith Newkirk, Robin Carpenter
o Stormwater: Woody Woodcock, Hugh Bassette, Ben Williams, Polly Siemann
o Dredging: Vince Behm, Edith Newkirk, Woody Woodcock, Kevin Van Sloten, Tom Pantelides, Joe Stellute
o Shoreline: Selvin Walker, Steve Mallon, Ben Williams, Carole Garrison, Ernie Hale, Bob Croft

ITEM VIII IDENTIFICATION OF TASKS OF STEERING COMMITTEE KATHY JOHNSON

• Steering Committee members not in attendance will be asked about their preference for which group to join
• Vince Behm: Asked if the Committee can incorporate the previously-planned Listening Session into subcommittee
meetings

ITEM IX DEVELOPMENT OF TASK WORKPLAN AND REPORT OUT KATHY JOHNSON

• Kevin Van Sloten: Stated that there is no way there’s enough time to write a draft report with this short of a
timeline. Kathy Johnson pointed out that the Committee is tied to a City Council presentation deadline in July.

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ITEM X IDENTIFICATION OF NEXT STEPS KATHY JOHNSON
• There was Committee agreement to incorporate the Listening Session into subcommittee meetings

ITEM XI ADJOURN KATHY JOHNSON

• Next meeting will focus on educational topics
• Ben Williams: Asked if the Steering Committee is allowed to meet in private. The City will find out the answer.

RESPONSIBLE
ACTION ITEM DEADLINE
PARTY
Give list of on-going City (stormwater-related) projects to
City January 25th
Committee members
Hire videographer and tape technical presentations City, HRCCE January 25th
Research the potential use of Channel 46 for educational topics City, HRCCE January 25th
January 25th
Find out Committee meetings’ advertising budgets City, HRCCE
Develop information on legal mandates affecting program January 25th
KHA
topics

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 Attachment A

Hampton Comprehensive Waterway Management Plan

Steering Committee

Meeting Agenda

January 11, 2011

6:30pm
Hampton Roads Convention Center

I. Welcome (2 min) Terry O’Neill/ Pete Peterson

II. Response to Committee feedback (5 min) Mary Bunting

III. Role of Facilitator (10 min) Facilitator

IV. Identification of Meeting Goals (2 min) Facilitator

V. Clarification of Mission and Purpose of Waterway

Management Steering Committee (10 min) Mary Bunting

VI. Review of Operating Agreement of

the Steering Committee (5 min) Facilitator

VII. Consensus agreement on Mission, Purpose,

Operating Agreement (5 min) Committee

VIII. Identification of Tasks of Steering Committee (5 min) Committee

IX. Development of Task Workplan

and Report Out (60 min) Committee

X. Identification of Next Steps (10 min) Committee

XI. Adjourn

*The allotted times are suggested time frames. Additional time will be given if
needed.
Hampton Comprehensive Waterway Management Plan Steering Committee – Organizational Meeting
JANUARY 11, 2011, 6:30 – 8:30 P.M. HAMPTON CONVENTION CENTER
ATTACHMENT B ATTENDEE LIST
NAME AFFILIATION
Ken Dierks Consultant (KHA)
Kimberly Holland Consultant (KHA)
Fred Whitley Consultant (URS)
Betsy McBride Consultant (HRCCE)
Todd Soloman Consultant (HRCCE)
Kathy Johnson Consultant (Alternatives, Inc.)
Sabrina Carr City of Hampton
Rashida Costley-Clark City of Hampton
Terry O’Neill City of Hampton
Mary Bunting City of Hampton
Lynn Allsbrook City of Hampton
Hugh Bassette Steering Committee
Vince Behm Steering Committee
Andy Bigelow Steering Committee
Robin Carpenter Steering Committee
Carole Garrison Steering Committee
Ernest Hale Steering Committee
Steve Mallon Steering Committee
Edith Newkirk Steering Committee
Polly Siemann Steering Committee
Kevin Van Sloten Steering Committee
Selvin Walker Steering Committee
Ben Williams Steering Committee
Woody Woodcock Steering Committee