PROPOSED MINUTES
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF JANUARY 18, 2007



Elkins City Council met in regular session in the council chamber of city hall at 7:04 p.m. Thursday, January 18, 2007. 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., City Treasurer L. L. Crosston, City Attorney R. T. Busch, Police Captain J. E. Batdorf and Fire Chief T. W. Meader.


AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS

Authorization to apply for $5,000 of grant funds available to defray the cost of specialized services to be undertaken in conjunction with other jurisdictions to target specifically defined criminal activity.


PUBLIC COMMENT

There was none.


CONSENT CALENDAR

Cm Metheny, seconded by Cm Woolwine, MOVED THAT COUNCIL ACCEPT THE MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL CALL MEETING OF JANUARY 3, THE REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 4 AND THE SPECIAL MEETING OF JANUARY 11, 2007 AS PRESENTED. The motion carried.


UNFINISHED BUSINESS

There was none.


NEW BUSINESS

Cw Wilmoth, seconded by Cm Hensil, MOVED THAT COUNCIL ADOPT PROPOSED RESOLUTION 077, DIRECTING THAT GRACELAND HILLS SUBDIVISION BE INCORPORATED INTO 4TH WARD. The motion carried.

Cw Wilmoth, seconded by Cm Bibey, MOVED THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE EMPLOYEE TRAVEL REFLECTED ON THE AGENDA. The motion carried. [Deputy Clerk and Payroll Clerk to Morgantown for Advanced Excel training; Payroll Clerk to Charleston for PEIA Benefit Coordinator training; Deputy clerk to Clarksburg for the 2007 Budget Preparation Workshop for WV Municipal Officials; Fire Chief Meader and two full-time fire department personnel to Jackson Mill for Insurance Service Office training; Deputy Clerk to Charleston for the Municipal Election Seminar.]

Cm Hensil, seconded by Cm Elbon, MOVED COUNCIL ADOPT PROPOSED RESOLUTION 078, AUTHORIZING EXECUTION OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THE WEST VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO OBTAIN SIDEWALK GRANT FUNDS. The motion carried. [Sidewalks to be replaced are 205 Ft on 2nd Street from Mary’s Lane to Kerens Avenue; 226 Ft on 4th Street from the alley behind city hall to Railroad Avenue; 114 Ft on 4th Street in front of the Elkins Fire Department; and 48 Ft in front of 421 Davis Avenue, the Darden House.]

Cm Broughton moved that Council accept the settlement proposal of David and Mary Ann Rao; however, the motion died for lack of a second.

Cm Bibey, seconded by Cm Beckwith, MOVED COUNCIL AUTHORIZE APPLICATION FOR $5,000 OF GRANT FUNDS AVAILABLE TO UNDERWRITE THE COST OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES TO BE UNDERTAKEN IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER JURISDICTIONS TO TARGET SPECIFICALLY DEFINED CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. The motion carried.

Cm Metheny, seconded by Cm Malcolm, MOVED COUNCIL APPROVE AND APPOINT THE ROSTER OF ELECTION OFFICIALS FOR THE MUNICIPAL GENERAL ELECTION OF MARCH 6, 2007. The motion carried.

ROSTER OF ELECTION OFFICIALS (TENTATIVE)
MUNICIPAL GENERAL ELECTION OF MARCH 6, 2007

LAST NAME	FIRST NAME	ADDRESS	PARTY
Antolini	Leah	220 Ferndale Drive	R
Bartlett	Doris	201 White Oak Lane	R
Bennett	Geraldine	58 12th Street	R
Caldabaugh	Norma	201 Buffalo Street	R
Davis	Geraldine	PO Box 344	D
Digman	Martha	518 Yokum Street	R
Dye	Roberta	43 Cherry Street	R
Goots	Vallie	116 High Street	D
Hazer	Jane	202 Washington Avenue	D
Himes	Violet	110 Sunset Drive	R
Howell	Libretta	104 Wilton Avenue	D
Kittle	Elizabeth	1715 S. Davis Avenue	D
Mann	Elizabeth	165 McQuain Road	D
Mann	Ronald	165 McQuain Road	D
Narkevic	Cynthia	120 Robert E. Lee Avenue	D
Peters	Diana	Rt 2, Box 415	D
Ross	Joseph	112 Earle Street	D
Ross	Loeta	112 Earle Street	D
Schoonover	Wanda	510 Wilson Street	D
Snodgrass	Evelyn	PO Box 1104	D
Snyder	Jerri	118 Grandview Avenue	R
Stutler	Helen	45 Pleasant Avenue	R
Teter	Eloise	937 S. Kerens Avenue	D
Umpenhour	Betty	105 Wilton Avenue	R

Cm Ditty noted that Norma Caldabaugh would not be available; her family had moved out of the area.

Several additional Republicans will be required to maintain a parity with Democrats.


COMMITTEE REPORTS

BUILDING

The Committee received 8 building permit applications since the last meeting of council, 3175 thru 3182. Acting upon recommendation of the building inspector, the Committee approved all applications; however, a special condition was placed upon two applications. Applications 3175 and 3178 were to be held pending their final release by the building inspector.

Cm Malcolm, seconded by Cm Broughton, MOVED THAT COUNCIL GRANT THE 8 PERMIT APPLICATIONS APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE. The motion carried.




STREETS

Cm Hensil reported that on January 16 Redgie Shreve began a 90-day period of probationary employment in the position of Street Department Construction Worker.

SANITATION/LANDFILL

Cm Metheny said Stephen R. McCauley will have completed his probationary period of employment on January 21, and that his supervisor had recommended him for permanent status.

Cm Metheny, seconded by Cm Broughton, MOVED COUNCIL GRANT PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT STATUS TO STEPHEN R. MCCAULEY IN THE POSITION OF SANITATION DEPARTMENT LOADER EFFECTIVE JANUARY 22, 2007. The motion carried.

Electric power has been made available in the vicinity of the landfill leachate pond.


PERSONNEL

Cw Wilmoth asked that each member complete an evaluation of the city attorney, in anticipation of an April 1 reappointment.

The Committee has under consideration whether or not possession of a high school diploma should be a prerequisite for employment with the city. She asked that members consider whether allowance should be made for other training and/or life experience to provide an element of flexibility in the future.


RULES AND ORDINANCE

Cm Woolwine said the Committee continues to work on the regulation of cats and licensing issues during the Mountain State Forest Festival. Work will soon begin on an ordinance to restrict the use of outdoor furnaces within the city limit.


WATER

Chapman Engineering will soon complete its preliminary engineering report for the water treatment plant and transmission and distribution system.

Evaluation of the performance of a third pilot plant will commence in early February.

The utility billing office will soon begin notifying customers of suspected water leaks.

Issues related to the disposal of filter backwash water and sludge continue to be addressed.


OTHER BUSINESS

Engineering work for the replacement of the elevated sidewalk on Harrison Avenue began January 5.

Cm Ditty thanked all those who attended the public hearing to speak against the issuance of an ABC License to Cues and Brews.

Members were supplied with information concerning municipal court assessments of fines, costs and fees.

The Housing Authority of the City of Elkins, WV remitted $9,727 representing its Payment in Lieu of Taxes for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2006.

Participation in the WV Municipal League’s Revenue Enhancement Program has resulted in the collection new B&O Tax revenues of $86,133.30, net of $36,914.26 in collection fees.

Current year Fire Fee revenues are estimated to be $83,000 higher than the previous year, due to Council’s action expanding the square footage subject to assessment. Delinquent balances have decreased from $21,200 at September 13, 2006 to $3,348 at January 7, 2007.

The city clerk announced that paper ballots would be used for the upcoming municipal general election.


The meeting adjourned at 8:02 p.m.




/s/ Judith A. Guye, Mayor


/s/ Philip J. Graziani, City Clerk