Starting in 2003 as the Director of Virginia Beach Parks and
Recreation, Cindy A. Curtis has been a strong leader in
Virginia Beach city government. Now, after 13 years with the
city, including 5 years as deputy city manager, she will retire
effective April 1.
Cindy oversees the departments of Human Resources, Human
Services, Libraries, Parks and Recreation and Public Health,
as well as the three divisions within the City Manager’s Office: the Communications Office, the
Office of Volunteer Resources, and the Organization Development Office.
Cindy has had a hand in developing public-private partnerships to build some of the great
amenities citizens enjoy today: Pleasure House Point and the Brock Environmental Center, the
athletic facilities at Princess Anne Commons, the Joint Use Library, and recreation centers such
as Williams Farm and Bow Creek. She has also been instrumental in facilitating the
improvements the Department of Human Services has made and leading development of
employee healthcare options. And, we now have more than 100 miles of on- and off-road
bikeways thanks to Cindy.
Virginia Beach has made the short list for USA Today’s 10Best Readers’
Choice Awards for Best East Coast Beach. The final result is up to the
country (and our locals) to decide with votes. Spread the word so that we
can get to the very top of this list by voting once per day until noon on
March 14. Virginia Beach is currently #5 out of 20. www.10best.com.
The Virginia Beach Development Authority (VBDA) awarded grants to two companies based
on the capital investments and number of full-time jobs created. Klett Consulting Group Inc.
will add 65 jobs and lease 2,500 square feet at a new location this spring. Fortis Solutions
Group will add 15 new jobs in the city and invest $2.35 million in capital improvements at its
current location.
Klett Consulting Group Inc., a Virginia Beach-based, servicedisabled, veteran-owned small business that specializes in governmentrelated technology, systems engineering and professional consulting
services, plans to add 65 full-time employees. The VBDA has approved
an Economic Development Investment Program grant of $35,000 based
on the number of jobs created in the city.
Fortis Solutions Group, a label and flexible packaging
manufacturer headquartered in Virginia Beach, has announced
plans to upgrade its corporate headquarters facility on
Hawkeye Court. The company will invest $2.35 million in
capital improvements, bringing its overall investment in
Virginia Beach to $9.7 million. The VBDA has approved an
APZ-1 Economic Development Investment Program grant of
$100,000 based on the capital investment for this expansion.
The Traffic Operations Division of Public Works has
begun Phase I of the SynchroGreen Project and
completed the signal retiming of 28 traffic signals along
the following corridors:

Lynnhaven Parkway: From Cherie Drive/South
Lynnhaven Road to Virginia Beach Boulevard

Virginia Beach Boulevard: From North Lynnhaven
Road to North Great Neck Road

London Bridge Road/ North Great Neck Road:
From Potters Road to Shorehaven Road
The SynchroGreen adaptive system is software that
adjusts signal timing in real time based on the current
See attachments
traffic conditions, demand, and system capacity. Phase II
of the project will include the deployment of new traffic signal controllers and equipment to
monitor and analyze travel time. Once that data is collected, it will be used to establish an
ongoing real time analysis for all 28 intersections involved in the project. Public Works expects
to have this signal system upgrade in operation by next spring.

Baltic Avenue at the 20th Street intersection closed
Wednesday, Feb. 17, to install a gravity sewer main. Weather permitting, the road is
scheduled to re-open by March 4. Contact: John McDonald, (757) 385-8166.

Princess Anne Road will be closed between Parliament Drive and
Capot Road beginning Saturday, Feb. 20, to repair a
sanitary sewer main. During this time, westbound
traffic on Princess Anne will be detoured to
Parliament Drive. Local residents on the closed
portion of the road will be allowed access throughout
the repair. Weather permitting, the road will re-open
by 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 21. Contact: William
Roberson, (757) 621-1239.
Parks and Recreation
Spirit Day raised over $1,300, which benefitted
Parks and Recreation’s Students on the Swim
(SOS) program. Mayor Sessoms declared Feb. 5
as Spirit Day, in honor of Super Bowl 50. City
members could donate $5 (or more) to wear their
favorite team jersey.
The SOS program was launched two years ago for second graders from Title I schools.
Councilmember Rosemary Wilson was instrumental in developing a partnership between
Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation and Virginia Beach City Public Schools. The donations
will help these students experience a two-week, American Red Cross-certified program,
designed to help keep them safe in the water. Funding for the instructional cost of the program is
solely dependent on private donations.
Housing and Neighborhood Prevention
Convention and Visitors Bureau
Emergency Communications and Citizen Services
Emergency Communications and Citizen Services
General Registrar’s Office

Virginia Supportive Housing (VSH) invites you to a
ribbon cutting on Tuesday, March 8, at 11 a.m. for the
opening of Crescent Square, VSH’s first supportive
housing community in Hampton Roads. Virginia Beach
played a key role in the development of this building,
which will serve a mixed population of formerly
homeless and low-income individuals. After the
ceremony, enjoy refreshments and tour the new facility.
Contact: VSH - Hampton Roads, (757) 275-8544.

The South
Hampton Roads Regional Task Force to End Homelessness will host this biannual
conference on Thursday, March 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Old Dominion University’s
Webb University Center, to share national best practices and promote strategic planning.
Registration is $50 and includes lunch. Pre-registration by Feb. 26 is required; there will be
no on-site registration. For more details or to register online, visit theplanningcouncil.org.
Contact: Julie Dixon, The Planning Council, (757) 622-9268 ext. 3002.

The Virginia Beach Department of Economic
Development, with Cyber Protection Resources, is hosting a 1-day cyber symposium on
Thursday, March 24, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at
the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center, to
explore the people, processes and technology of
cyber. Contact: Scott Phillpott, Cyber Protection
Resources, (866) 882-7728.
Preparing for air show season to take flight, aircrew stationed at Naval Air
Station Oceana will begin tactical demonstration flight routine practice on
Monday, Feb. 22. Compared to normal everyday operations at NAS Oceana,
some of the high-flying performance maneuvers will be distinctly louder.
Practice demonstration flights are scheduled through March 4 on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m.
“When you do common things in life in
an uncommon way, you will command
the attention of the world.”
♦ February 12, 2016 - Copy of a letter to Colonel Jason Kelly, Norfolk District Engineer for
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, from Public Works Director Phillip A. Davenport to
request a status update on Croatan dunes periodic repairs.
♦ February 12, 2016 - Copy of an inter-office memorandum from Fire Chief Steven Cover
regarding the Firefighter Combat Challenge to be held on May 20-21 at Mount
Trashmore.
♦ February 8, 2016 - Video documentary from www.theatlantic.com (link to video) titled “Is
Miami Beach Doomed?” by Sam Price-Waldman.
♦ February 19, 2016 - Copy of an editorial from www.dailypress.com titled “Notes and
notables: Transportation funding, gas prices, preserving history.”
♦ Map – City of Virginia Beach Adaptive Traffic Signal Control Concept of Operation.
♦ Virginia Beach Human Services Department Newsletter for February 2016.
♦ Virginia Beach Television (VBTV) Program Schedule, February 21 through February 27.