PROPOSED MINUTES
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF DECEMBER 21, 2006
Elkins City Council met in regular session in the council chamber of city hall at 7:04 p.m. Thursday, December 21, 2006. Present were: Mayor Judith Ann Guye; Councilpersons: R. N. Beckwith, J. S. Bibey, V. T. Broughton, 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., Police Captain J. E. Batdorf and Fire Chief T. W. Meader. City Treasurer L. L. Crosston and Attorney R. T. Busch were absent.
AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS
There were none.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Jeffery R. Ferguson, 516 W. Main Street, said Elkins should follow the example of Bridgeport in seeking to annex new areas into the city. City services should be offered only within the city limit. Businesses outside the city limit, such as Wal-Mart, should not benefit from city services.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Cm Metheny, seconded by Cm Ditty, MOVED THAT COUNCIL ACCEPT THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF DECEMBER 7, 2006 AS CORRECTED. The motion carried.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
Cm Bibey, seconded by Cm Broughton, MOVED COUNCIL AUTHORIZE ADJUSTMENT OF POLICE OFFICER COMPENSATION EFFECTIVE WITH THE FIRST PAY IN JANUARY 2007. The motion carried. [Hourly pay rates for the various positions will be as follows: Captain - $14.75; Lieutenant - $14.50; Sergeant - $14.00; Corporal - $13.50; Patrolman, after 1 year - $13.00; and Patrolman, during initial one-year probationary period - $12.02. Ten officers were employed at the time the vote was cast; however, the sentiment of the members was that an eleventh officer should be hired.]
NEW BUSINESS
Cm Hensil, seconded by Cm Metheny, MOVED COUNCIL APPROVE CREATION OF A NEW EMPLOYMENT POSITION TITLED, “STREET CONSTRUCTION WORKER.” The motion carried.
Cw Wilmoth, seconded by Cm Beckwith, MOVED COUNCIL APPROVE TRAVEL REFLECTED ON THE AGENDA. The motion carried.
Cm Hensil, seconded by Cm Metheny, MOVED THE HOURLY RATE OF COMPENSATION FOR THE POSITION OF SENIOR MECHANIC BE ADJUSTED TO FIFTEEN DOLLARS AND TWENTY-TWO CENTS ($15.22), THE SAME HOURLY RATE AS OTHER COMPARABLE SUPERVISORS, AND THAT THE ADJUSTMENT BE MADE RETROACTIVE TO JULY 1, 2006. The motion carried. [The adjustment will bring the position into parity with other operational supervisors (i.e., Streets, Parks and Recreation, Water Transmission and Distribution, and Wastewater Collection and Transmission.) The cost of the retroactivity feature of the adjustment was estimated at $2,382, not including employer fringe benefits.]
Cm Woolwine, seconded by Cm Elbon, MOVED COUNCIL APPROVE DISBURSEMENT OF THE CITY’S DONATION TO DAVIS AND ELKINS COLLEGE’S BUILDING FUND PROVIDED FOR IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR’S GENERAL FUND BUDGET. The motion carried. Cm Ditty and Cw Wilmoth both abstained from voting, due to conflict of interest. Cw Wilmoth is an employee of the College, as is Cm Ditty’s wife. [The College paid a Building Permit Fee of $11,667, prior to commencing construction of its new athletic center. Ten thousand dollars was incorporated into the current year’s General Fund budget as the City’s contribution to the College’s building fund. The funds were appropriated to the Community Development, Community Events line item, A/C No. 001-421-5-68.033. When the budget proposal was formulated the intent was that, to the extent possible, surplus Building Permit Fee funds be used to fund the contribution.]
Cm Metheny, seconded by Cm Hensil, MOVED COUNCIL AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A JOB AGREEMENT WITH HANNAH ENGINEERING FOR PLANNING, ENGINEERING AND DESIGN NECESSARY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF 418 LF OF ELEVATED SIDEWALK ON HARRISON AVENUE. The motion carried.
Cm Hensil, seconded by Cm Woolwine, MOVED THAT COUNCIL AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A 60-MONTH LEASE AGREEMENT WITH PITNEY BOWES FOR A POSTAL METERING MACHINE. The motion carried.
Cw Wilmoth, seconded by Cm Beckwith, MOVED COUNCIL APPOINT FRANKLIN M. SANTMYER, JR. TO THE BOARD OF THE ELKINS HOUSING AUTHORITY FOR A 5-YEAR TERM TO COMMENCE FEBRUARY 1, 2007. The motion carried.
Cm Elbon, seconded by Cm Broughton, MOVED COUNCIL AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN ANNUAL MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT AGREEMENT WITH MOTOROLA, INC. FOR CRISWATCH AREV SUPPORT. The motion carried. [CRISWATCH AREV is used to transfer local information to both state and federal criminal statistic databases.]
COMMITTEE REPORTS
BUILDING
The Committee received 6 building permit applications since the last meeting of council, 3163 thru 3168. Acting upon recommendation of the building inspector, the Committee approved all applications.
Cm Malcolm, seconded by Cm Metheny, MOVED THAT COUNCIL GRANT THE 6 PERMIT APPLICATIONS APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE. The motion carried.
STREETS
Cm Hensil reported that on January 2, 2007 Danny Harris will begin a 90-day period of probationary employment in the position of Assistant Mechanic.
PARKS
Cm Beckwith said the final cost of the pedestrian bridge linking Glendale Bottom and Riverbend Park was $330,429. The contractor should commence erection of the bridge by early January and finish by the end of May.
The park expansion may require the addition of one new employee.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Firefighter Steve Himes will be an instructor for the Firefighter I and II classes to be offered by Elkins High School. Others may have to cover up to two hours of his workday shift from time to time. He will make every effort to moderate his teaching schedule to avoid conflict with his assigned workday shift at the fire station.
Roof leaks have caused interior water damage at the fire station. Since the damage was not sustained in one event, the city’s insurance carrier will not pay for repairs and replacements.
WATER
The current pilot plant being evaluated at the treatment plant was not operating to satisfaction.
Different chemicals were being used during the purification process to lessen problems being experienced at the wastewater treatment plant.
Work necessary to enable the introduction of filter backwash water to the river was being planned.
The comprehensive engineering report authored by Chapman Engineering has been completed.
There is sufficient acreage at the top of High Street to accommodate a new water treatment plant. A survey recently completed indicates the city owns 2.9 acres.
The 45.75% unaccounted for water loss rate was briefly discussed.
OTHER BUSINESS
Councilmen Ditty and Metheny mentioned a meeting recently held to discuss recycling within the city and Randolph County.
A Notice of Application to Operate: A Private Club, Private Wine Restaurant or Tavern was filed by Robert D. Masten on behalf of El Gran Sabor Restaurant, 413 Kerens Avenue.
The Property Valuation Fund approved the budget request of Randolph County Assessor Phyllis Yokum for FY 2007/2008.
Correspondence was received from Rebecca J. Poe reporting on the County Roads Transit transportation program.
The meeting adjourned at 8:02 p.m.
