12 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 12 Number 6 Around Hampton Roads


Applicants Needed for City Boards and Commissions in Chesapeake


The Chesapeake City Council is seeking residents who may be interested in serving on various boards and commissions. Boards and Commissions provide a vital service to various City departments, agencies and City Council.


Citizens wishing to serve must complete an application form. Applications are due in the City Clerk’s office by March 30, 2018. City Council will appoint candidates for these vacancies during its April 24, 2018 meeting.


Applications are currently being accepted for the following City Council appointed boards and commissions:


Airport Authority — 5 vacancies Chesapeake Youth Committee — 1 vacancy Groundwater Committee — 1 vacancy Hampton Roads Disabilities Board — 1 vacancy (Visually Impaired Individual or Family Member) Parks and Recreation Advisory Board — 6 vacancies (3 Citizen Reps; 3 Tourism/Hospitality Reps) For more information or to apply, contact the City Clerk’s office at 382-6151.


Hampton University President Dr. Harvey Receives Distinguished Citizen Medal


In recognition of his outstanding service and dedication to the city, Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey was given the Distinguished Citizen Medal Wednesday by Hampton City Council.


The approximate equivalent of a “key to the city,” the medal is the highest honor that Council may bestow on an individual. It dates back to 1964 and has been given less than 30 times.


A resolution read at the Council meeting Wednesday noted that Harvey “has served as the 12th president of Hampton University for


40 years, “creating a monumental legacy as one of the longest-sitting presidents of a college or university in the country.”


The resolution also noted just a few of Harvey’s many achievements, including his commitment to expansion and innovation in the university’s academic programs; the establishment of the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute, one of the world’s largest freestanding proton therapy cancer treatment centers; his work as chairman of the Board for the Revitalization of Downtown Hampton; and his many national awards and honors.


Recent recipients of the Distinguished Citizen Medal include Dois I. Rosser Jr., founder and chairman emeritus of International Cooperating Ministries and former chairman of the POMOCO Auto Group; former NASA mathematician or human computer Katherine G. Johnson, whose inspiring story was told in the movie “Hidden Figures;” and former Hampton City Schools Superintendent Linda Shifflette, who served the school system for more than 40 years.


Also Wednesday City Council recognized Hampton University for being a


“foundation for education and community building” in Hampton for 150 years. The university’s roots go back to 1861, when Mary Peake, a free black woman, began teaching former slaves under the shade of a massive oak tree that is now known as the Emancipation Oak at Hampton University. In 1868 the Butler School for Negro Children – later Hampton Institute and now Hampton University - was formalized.


Newport News Furthers Smart City Initiatives with Readiness Workshop


” The City of Newport News recently hosted a Smart Cities Readiness Workshop to create a strategy to develop smart infrastructure to benefit the region. The workshop was delivered by the Smart Cities Council as part of its Readiness Program, which helps communities craft action plans to further innovation, inclusion and investment.


“This workshop is about sharing ideas, concepts and solutions to take this region to new heights and I am excited about the possibilities,” said Newport News Mayor McKinley Price. “It will also help to solidify the Hampton Roads region as a hub for technology and innovation.”


More than 125 people participated in the workshop, including former Virginia State Secretary of Technology Karen Jackson, Newport News Mayor McKinley Price and Director of IT Andy Stein, as well as city officials, city and county department heads, technology innovators, local business leaders, university representatives and community stakeholders.


Several key areas were explored, including open data, public/private partnerships, smart utilities, emergency management, transportation and public safety.


In particular, workshop participants explored initiatives such as:


- Converting all of its street lights to energy-efficient LEDs to have better access to usage trends as a tool to promote conservation.


- Improving public safety by aggregating video from various sources and providing it to first responders as they arrive on the scene as well as using GIS tools to provide indoor maps of buildings to help guide responders to incidents faster.


- Enabling access to open data to help citizens make better choices and providing free Wi-Fi to those who do not have access at home.


“The Readiness Program is all about helping cities craft a vision and action plan to deliver results for the entire community,” said Smart Cities Council Managing Director Philip Bane. “The Council will continue to work with Newport News to build upon this foundation to help the city become more livable, workable and sustainable.”


Gannett Fleming and Sensus, a Xylem brand, both sponsored the workshop. Each company has partnered with the Smart Cities Council to help communities make informed decisions when implementing smart technologies.


“Gannett Fleming has a more than 100-year-long track record of using our engineering and infrastructure expertise to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve,” said Jessica Hou, PE, BCEE, ENV SP, vice president of Gannett Fleming. “We look forward to partnering with Newport News – whose commitment was evident by the robust participation in this workshop – to address the unique challenges and opportunities that come with building a smart city.”


“At Sensus, our customers are on the front line of building smart cities,” said Vice President of Communications Solutions Marketing Randolph Wheatley of Sensus. “More than 2,000 communities have connected over 37 million smart devices for water, gas, electricity and lighting applications with the Sensus FlexNet® communication network.”


The City of Newport News was a finalist for Smart Cities Council’s 2017 Readiness Challenge Grants, which helped the winning cities of Austin, Indianapolis, Miami, Orlando and Philadelphia advance key initiatives such as improving transportation, developing smart growth plans and reducing racial inequality.


Comments Due for Ohio Creek Watershed Project in Norfolk


For conceptual design of the Ohio Creek Watershed Project visit www.norfolk. gov/ohiocreek. Due to the receipt of federal funding, the project must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act. Therefore, the City is conducting an environmental review of the project. Please review the conceptual images below and give your comments on the overall project, any component of the project and/ or your impression of the environmental impact of the various components of the project by March 16, 2018. All comments should be directed to: resilience@dhcd. virginia.gov


The Chesterfield Heights and Grandy Village neighborhoods have been selected to participate in a transformational coastal improvement project. This $112 million project will reduce flooding, improve public spaces and ensure these communities thrive for years to come.


The Ohio Creek Watershed Project is part of Norfolk’s Resilience Strategy and supports its three goals:


Design a coastal community capable of dealing with the increased risk of flooding


Create economic opportunity by advancing efforts to grow existing and new industry sectors


Advance initiatives to connect communities, deconcentrate poverty, and strengthen neighborhoods.


About the Communities:


The Ohio Creek Watershed includes two residential, predominantly African American neighborhoods with civic leagues and a strong community identity: Historic Chesterfield Heights with over 400 houses on the Historic National Register; and Grandy Village, which includes a public housing community with more than 300 units.


The Ohio Creek Watershed experiences tidal and precipitation flooding. Only two roads access the community. One road is completely impassable during regular nuisance flood events. Residents have expressed concerns about being cut off from the rest of the city. Residents have also expressed concerns about shoreline erosion that exacerbates river flooding and prevents recreational activity.


About the Project:


Norfolk was awarded a $112 million federal grant from the National Disaster Resilience Competition for the Ohio Creek Watershed Project. The project is exploring various landscape and hardscape options to improve flooding, public access to the waterway and connections to the rest of the city.


Kalmar USA Expands Operations in Portsmouth


The City of Portsmouth's Department of Economic Development announced Kalmar USA Inc., a cargo-handling solutions business, will expand its operations in Portsmouth's Midtown business district in March 2018.


Kalmar USA Inc., an independent business within the parent company Cargotec, will expand its footprint in Portsmouth by leasing property on Watson Street. It will provide parts, service, maintenance and repair of forklifts and other lifting equipment. "This is big news for Portsmouth," said Mayor John L. Rowe.


"Kalmar USA Inc. expanding its operations in the Midtown section of the city


March 2018


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