PROPOSED MINUTES
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF AUGUST 4, 2005
Elkins City Council met in regular session in the council chamber of city hall at 7:02 p.m. Thursday, August 4, 2005. Present were: Mayor Judith Ann Guye; Councilpersons: R. N. Beckwith, V. T. Broughton, J. S. Bibey, T. P. Ditty, H. R. Elbon, T. Z. Hensil, R. J. Malcolm, C. L. Metheny, K. L. Wilmoth and R. A. Woolwine; City Clerk P. J. Graziani, Jr., City Treasurer L. L. Crosston, City Attorney R. T. Busch, Police Captain J. E. Batdorf and Fire Chief T. W. Meader. City Attorney J. E. Busch was absent.
AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS
1. Compensation adjustment for the assistant supervisor of the water treatment plant.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Reneé Jensen, Davis Street resident, apologized to Cm Beckwith for comments she made during the Public Comment portion of the meeting of July 21, 2005. She said she had accused Cm Beckwith of being the owner of a piece of real property that she alleged was both unsightly and unsafe. Later, she said, she determined that Cm Beckwith was not the owner of the property. She then discussed a leak in an interior water supply line that caused damage to her living area. She complained that the supply of water could not be shut off, because of the inaccessibility of newly installed remote-read water meters. In that sense, she said, the new meters are very inconvenient, and she wondered what would happen when customers developed water leaks after regular working hours or on weekends. Finally, she recounted events that led to her arrest and detention by the Elkins Police Department.
Steve Capps, 903 S. Henry Avenue, demanded his right to a speedy trial. He then announced his intention to build an Olympic-sized skateboard park, once the city had made available to him the necessary land.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Cm Metheny, seconded by Cm Woolwine, MOVED THAT COUNCIL ACCEPT THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF JULY 21, 2005 AS PRESENTED. The motion carried.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Cm Woolwine, seconded by Cm Metheny, MOVED THAT PROPOSED ORDINANCE 033, INCORPORATING THOSE CERTAIN STREETS COMMONLY KNOWN AS BRIDGEWATER ESTATES IN THE CITY LIMITS, BE BROUGHT FORTH, READ BY TITLE ONLY, AND PASSED ON SECOND AND FINAL READING. The motion carried.
Cm Metheny, seconded by Cw Wilmoth, MOVED THAT PROPOSED ORDINANCE 034, MAKING IT AN OFFENSE TO FAIL TO OBEY ANY SIGN OFFICIALLY POSTED BY THE CITY AND PROVIDING PENALTIES THEREFORE, BE BROUGHT FORTH, READ BY TITLE ONLY, AND PASSED ON SECOND AND FINAL READING. The motion carried.
Proposed ordinance 022, amending the Sewer Rate Tariff, was not considered. Uncertainty arising from the potential for a change in financing assumptions had not yet been resolved.
NEW BUSINESS
The subject matter of a lease/purchase agreement pertaining to 917 S. Railroad Avenue was removed from consideration.
Cm Ditty, seconded by Cm Broughton, MOVED THAT COUNCIL APPROVE TRAVEL TO CANAAN VALLEY FOR 4 WATER FUND EMPLOYEES TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL WV RURAL WATER ASSOCIATION TECHNICAL CONFERENCE. The motion carried.
Cm Broughton, seconded by Cm Beckwith, MOVED COUNCIL AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO GRANT BINDING APPROVAL FOR CITY PERSONNEL TO PURCHASE SURPLUS EQUIPMENT FROM THE WV DIVISION OF HIGHWAYS EQUIPMENT DIVISION PRIOR TO THE DIVISION’S PUBLIC AUCTION ON AUGUST 27, 2005. The motion carried.
Doug Conrad will perform an auction of surplus city equipment at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 6, 2005.
State Senator Clark Barnes secured $10,000 of general development grant funds for the Glendale Bottom expansion of Riverbend Park.
Cm Beckwith, seconded by Cm Ditty, MOVED COUNCIL GRANT THE REQUEST OF AUGUSTA HERITAGE CENTER TO CLOSE CHURCH LANE ON AUGUST 12-13. The motion carried.
Cm Hensil, seconded by Cm Malcolm, MOVED COUNCIL GRANT THE REQUEST OF RESIDENTS OF THE 300 BLOCK OF MAIN STREET TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE THAT PORTION OF MAIN STREET BETWEEN WORTH AND GLENDALE AVENUES ON AUGUST 20 FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTY. The motion carried.
Cw Wilmoth, seconded by Cm Ditty, MOVED COUNCIL ADJUST THE COMPENSATION OF WATER TREATMENT PLANT ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR MICHAEL NUCILLI TO THIRTEEN DOLLARS ($13.00) PER HOUR, EFFECTIVE WITH THE NEXT PAYROLL. The motion carried.
Cm Bibey, seconded by Cm Broughton, MOVED THAT COUNCIL RECONSTITUTE AND REAPPOINT THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA POLICEMEN’S CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION. The motion carried. [George Worden, Democrat, was appointed by the Fraternal Order of Police to fill a term ending December 31, 2009; Gary L. Painter, Republican, was appointed by Mayor Guye to fill a term ending December 31, 2007; Donald Pritt, Republican, was appointed by the Chamber of Commerce to fill a term ending December 31, 2005.]
COMMITTEE REPORTS
BUILDING
The Committee received 13 building permit applications since the last meeting of council, 2779 to 2791. Acting upon recommendation of the building inspector, the Committee approved all applications.
Cm Malcolm, seconded by Cm Metheny, MOVED THAT COUNCIL GRANT THE 13 PERMIT APPLICATIONS APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE. The motion carried.
STREETS
Cm Hensil, seconded by Cm Metheny, MOVED THAT PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT STATUS BE GRANTED TO SHANE SCOTT AND RYAN WOLFE. The motion carried.
SANITATION/LANDFILL
Cm Broughton, seconded by Cm Elbon, MOVED THAT BRAD CURTIS BE PROMOTED TO SANITATION DEPARTMENT DRIVER. The motion carried.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Cm Bibey said the Regional Jail would commence operations on August 6. The Randolph County Sheriff intends to have a bailiff’s cell in operation by that time, to temporarily hold prisoners pending their appearances before the Randolph County Circuit Court or Magistrate Court. It was proposed by county officials that Elkins pay one-half the annual cost of maintaining the bailiff’s cell operation. Cm Bibey said he believed that would be too great an expense to the city, and he would see if a lower rate could be negotiated.
WATER
Elkins personnel will be traveling to Knoxville, TN to observe operation of a new package water plant.
The existing water treatment plant will be evaluated for repairs necessary to keep the plant operational.
It was suggested that hidden cameras be placed to film illegal dumpers of solid waste in the vicinity of Haddix Road portion of the water supply impoundment.
OTHER BUSINESS
Cm Beckwith said that, coincidentally, National Kid’s Day would be observed in the Elkins City Park on the same day as the city picnic.
The contract for paving Sylvester Drive has not yet been executed.
Two-hour parking signs have not yet been installed in the core downtown area.
Melissa Stalnaker is currently serving a 90-day probationary period of employment as Payroll Clerk/Employee Benefits Coordinator.
The project to widen Railroad Avenue has not yet been commenced. Legal title for the land necessary to accomplish the widening has not yet been transferred to City of Elkins by the Randolph County Development Authority. Current plans call for the paving of a widened Railroad Avenue in 2006.
The Monongahela National Forest will release its Proposed Forest Management Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Statement for public comment on August 12, 2005.
New and used clothing, linens, coats, blankets and other necessary items are being sought to help disadvantaged residents of Cherokee Indian Nation, Tahlequah, Oklahoma.
The meeting adjourned at 8:05 p.m.
