Latest news with #Duhaney
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
After city withdraws security, Virginia Beach carnival employees stuck with nowhere to go
Virginia Beach's Summer Carnival, which has been held annually for more than 30 years, was abruptly cancelled this year three days into the festivities due to 'unanticipated city staffing gaps,' the city manager said. The city signed a service agreement with National Event Management on May 14 to run the carnival, according to records provided by Virginia Beach. Just over a week later, ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Virginia Beach Sheriff Rocky Holcomb went to the carnival site near Mount Trashmore to inform the organizers they would be pulling their deputies from the event by Sunday, according to Joel Cadwell, owner of National Events Management. Come Sunday, the organizers received an email from a city representative ordering them to cease all operations, Cadwell said. Since the sheriff first delivered word to the organizers, they've had private security firms survey the site. They submitted a plan on Tuesday put together by a private security company in an effort to rectify the situation. Cadwell confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the proposal was denied. 'We will start tearing down tomorrow,' he said in a text message. City Manager Patrick Duhaney said in an emailed statement that 'an event of this size and scope requires public law enforcement officers with the authority to enforce laws, whereas private security alone has limited powers.' The event required increased security due to a fatal shooting that occurred during the event last year, according to a spokesperson for Virginia Beach police. The new security plan included 14 off-duty sheriff's deputies for interior event security and six off-duty police officers working the parking lot and surrounding areas, who would be paid by the event organizers. The sheriff's office was unable to provide the additional deputies. It's unclear how great of an increase this amount was over previous years' security, but Cadwell estimated it was six to eight more deputies. 'Our primary public safety responsibilities come first before private security functions, which are always staffed on an as-available basis,' a sheriff's office spokesperson said in an email. 'We were not comfortable forcing our deputies to work a third-party vendor event.' Duhaney said he made the decision to cancel the carnival after consulting with the sheriff's office and police due to 'unanticipated city staff gaps.' He said he shares the public's disappointment with the cancellation but encouraged the public to attend other city events that are listed on the VB Go app. 'Each permitted event in our city has a robust security plan that undergoes a thorough review process and takes into consideration past years' experience, growing attendance and/or footprint, and safety needs in order to prepare, prevent and respond to needs for this year,' Duhaney said. The cancellation leaves about 150 staff members 'in limbo,' will cause a large amount of food to go to waste and force the company to go without revenue until their next event in about three weeks, Cadwell said. The next event venue is booked up in the meantime so they can't move their equipment, Cadwell said. 'We have nowhere to go until then … so I guess we'll hang around,' he said, adding that staff have an off-site location with living quarters and even a school with a certified teacher for their children. Cadwell partnered on the carnival with Florida-based Deggeller Attractions, who has run the Virginia State Fair for about 60 years. He said it's unlikely the event will return after the way things have unfolded this year. 'Would you come back if this happened to your company?' Cadwell said. Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806,
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
After city withdraws security, Virginia Beach carnival employees stuck with nowhere to go
Virginia Beach's Summer Carnival, which has been held annually for more than 30 years, was abruptly cancelled this year three days into the festivities due to 'unanticipated city staffing gaps,' the city manager said. The city signed a service agreement with National Event Management on May 14 to run the carnival, according to records provided by Virginia Beach. Just over a week later, ahead of Memorial Day weekend, Virginia Beach Sheriff Rocky Holcomb went to the carnival site near Mount Trashmore to inform the organizers they would be pulling their deputies from the event by Sunday, according to Joel Cadwell, owner of National Events Management. Come Sunday, the organizers received an email from a city representative ordering them to cease all operations, Cadwell said. Since the sheriff first delivered word to the organizers, they've had private security firms survey the site. They submitted a plan on Tuesday put together by a private security company in an effort to rectify the situation. Cadwell confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the proposal was denied. 'We will start tearing down tomorrow,' he said in a text message. City Manager Patrick Duhaney said in an emailed statement that 'an event of this size and scope requires public law enforcement officers with the authority to enforce laws, whereas private security alone has limited powers.' The event required increased security due to a fatal shooting that occurred during the event last year, according to a spokesperson for Virginia Beach police. The new security plan included 14 off-duty sheriff's deputies for interior event security and six off-duty police officers working the parking lot and surrounding areas, who would be paid by the event organizers. The sheriff's office was unable to provide the additional deputies. It's unclear how great of an increase this amount was over previous years' security, but Cadwell estimated it was six to eight more deputies. 'Our primary public safety responsibilities come first before private security functions, which are always staffed on an as-available basis,' a sheriff's office spokesperson said in an email. 'We were not comfortable forcing our deputies to work a third-party vendor event.' Duhaney said he made the decision to cancel the carnival after consulting with the sheriff's office and police due to 'unanticipated city staff gaps.' He said he shares the public's disappointment with the cancellation but encouraged the public to attend other city events that are listed on the VB Go app. 'Each permitted event in our city has a robust security plan that undergoes a thorough review process and takes into consideration past years' experience, growing attendance and/or footprint, and safety needs in order to prepare, prevent and respond to needs for this year,' Duhaney said. The cancellation leaves about 150 staff members 'in limbo,' will cause a large amount of food to go to waste and force the company to go without revenue until their next event in about three weeks, Cadwell said. The next event venue is booked up in the meantime so they can't move their equipment, Cadwell said. 'We have nowhere to go until then … so I guess we'll hang around,' he said, adding that staff have an off-site location with living quarters and even a school with a certified teacher for their children. Cadwell partnered on the carnival with Florida-based Deggeller Attractions, who has run the Virginia State Fair for about 60 years. He said it's unlikely the event will return after the way things have unfolded this year. 'Would you come back if this happened to your company?' Cadwell said. Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806,
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Virginia Beach to address challenges of maintaining Oceanfront safety
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Following several incidents involving guns at the Oceanfront this spring, Police Chief Paul Neudigate is preparing to address City Council on some of the challenges his department is facing, according to City Manager Patrick Duhaney. Specifically, Duhaney said the chief will look into legislative changes that may be needed to implement new crime fighting strategies. While the city has implemented several initiatives in response to safety concerns in the last few years, under a Dillon rule state, localities operate under the assumption they can only wield powers explicitly authorized to them by the General Assembly. Duhaney didn't give finite details during Tuesday's City Council meeting what powers the city might back recieving. However, he did infer that some of the measures passed in the last five years in the name of police reform and racial justice be revisited. VBPD: 2 separate firearm-related incidents on Atlantic Ave. on Saturday '[The chief] is going to point out some things that happened through some General Assembly sessions where the pendulum swung one way, and it may be time that there's appropriate discussion about possibly the pendulum swinging legislatively another way,' Duhaney said. 'You know, some things that used to be primary offenses or moved to second-tier offenses, it may make sense to bring back some of those … back to being primary offenses. They give the police officers some opportunities to be more proactive on addressing some issues.' Virginia Beach would not be the first to raise concerns that some of policing policies may be restrictive. Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, Norfolk City Council passed a policy limiting the ability for police to pursue someone. However, following a spike in crime, it pulled back on the policy. In 2023, Chesapeake requested the General Assembly allow them to pull over vehicles once again for having expired state inspection stickers or burnt out lights. 'Enforcing these violations is worthwhile for the overall traffic safety of the motoring public, but they were also used very effectively to uncover and enforce more serious crimes to include removing countless guns from the street,' the 2023 legislative packet said. Neudigate has previously shared that many illegal guns are found during traffic stops. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
VB budget proposal includes revived boat tax, meals tax and stormwater rate increase
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — In order to help combat inflation in the coming fiscal year, the city manager is proposing several tax and fee rate increases, including placing a tax on pleasure boats. In a presentation to Virginia Beach City Council Tuesday afternoon, Budget Director Kevin Chatellier revealed the FY 2025-2026 $2.8 billion budget plan had to take into account cost increases of 40% for some city initiatives. And while the real estate tax is recommended to stay the same at $0.97 per $100 of assessed value, Chatellier said it has recommended other taxes and fees be increased in order to continue to preserve and maintain existing services. The resurrected boat tax would be applied to anyone with a boat 18-feet or longer at a rate of $1.50 per $100 of assessed value. Chatellier estimates this would produce an estimated $4.3 million in yearly revenue that would go towards projects boaters use, such a dredged waterways. 'Larger boats typically draw more water, driving more of the necessity for frequentdredgings to maintain navigable waterways,' City Manager Patrick Duhaney wrote in a letter to City Council. If approved, this would actually be a return on the boat tax eliminated in 2002. Suffolk also taxes boats at the same rate. Duhaney's budget would also increase the meals tax by .5%, bringing a diner's full tax for a meal in Virginia Beach to 12%. A proposed fee increase is also included for the stormwater enterprise fund. The rate will go up 8.9 cents a day, working out to annual increase of $32, or around $2.70 per month. 'Significant inflation on the cost of goods and services in the last six years, coupled with increased labor costs have substantially impacted the sustainability of the stormwater fund,' Duhaney wrote. Balances to the budget have also been made by eliminating proposed Capital Improvement Projects (CIP). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Virginia Beach mayor honors fallen police officers during State of the City
VIRGINIA BEACH — Every year at the State of the City event, Mayor Bobby Dyer highlights the accomplishments of the city's public safety personnel. 'This year, sadly, is different,' the mayor said on Wednesday inside the convention center. Dyer called for a moment of silence for police officers Cameron Girvin and Christopher Reese, who died after they were shot during a traffic stop on Feb. 21. 'Anytime a first responder loses their life on the job, it's painful and tragic,' the mayor said. 'To lose two in the same incident is staggering and almost beyond comprehension. We grieve for the family for our public safety departments and for our city.' Recognizing heroes and the city's major economic successes took center stage at the annual event hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber. Roughly 1,300 people attended including dozens of local business leaders, state and city officials, two former governors and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Dyer and City Manager Patrick Duhaney took turns speaking to the audience as they have in years past. Among the many individuals recognized at the event was Vada Carawan and her dad, Cameron Carawan. Vada, a Virginia Beach Girl Scout, recently saved her father's life with CPR with assistance from 911 dispatcher David Fowler. All three attended and received a standing ovation. The city's newest entertainment venue The Dome, set to open May 4, inspired interactive audience participation. Attendees scanned a QR code with their phones and responded to the question of who they want to see perform at The Dome, and what was the first concert they saw. The responses were shared live on two screens. The venue is part of Atlantic Park, a $350 million project and the city's largest public-private partnership to date. Atlantic Park will include an entertainment venue, surf park, retail, restaurants, apartments and offices. Venture Realty Group in partnership with celebrity Pharrell Williams are behind the project. In total, the city has funded $153 million for Atlantic Park. 'It's an exciting project and will reinforce Virginia Beach as an outstanding place to live as well as a year-round vacation destination,' Dyer said. Duhaney gave a nod to Virginia Beach's tourism industry, which sustains 33,000 jobs, representing 19% of the city's workforce, he said. Visitor spending contributes $336 million in state and local tax revenues, reducing the annual tax burden by almost $2,000 per Virginia Beach household, Duhaney said. Virginia Beach wants to be the highest capacity digital port on the eastern seaboard, Duhaney said. Globalinx will add four additional subsea cables at its Sandbridge landing site, more than doubling the capacity of its data center in Corporate Landing Business Park. The center is currently connected to three subsea cables that land in Virginia Beach. Dominion Energy's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is marching along. When completed, the 2.6 gigawatt project will power up to 660,000 homes. Half of the monopile foundations which are needed for the 176 turbines have been installed, the mayor said. Construction is expected to be completed by 2026. Sign up for the Virginia Beach Today daily newsletter Dyer and Duhaney both touted new and expanding businesses in the city, including Amazon's 650,000-square-foot robotics fulfillment center off Dam Neck Road. The new facility will add 2,000 full-time jobs in Virginia Beach and nearly 200 electric delivery vans will operate out of the center, the mayor said. Zim, a container shipping company, invested $30 million to relocate and expand its U.S. headquarters in Virginia Beach. And Doma Technologies, a cloud-based document management software company, is currently expanding its headquarters. Duhaney, who was hired five years ago and is Virginia Beach's first Black city manager, said city contracts with minority and women-owned businesses in 2024 increased by $75 million compared to the previous year. Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125,
