PROPOSED MINUTES
REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING OF FEBRUARY 21, 2008


Elkins City Council met in regular session in the council chamber of city hall at 7:10 p.m. Thursday, February 21, 2008. Present were Mayor Judith A. Guye; Councilpersons: R. N. Beckwith, J. S. Bibey, H. K. Burford, T. Z. Hensil, R. J. Malcolm, C. L. Metheny, D. G. Satterfield, I. D. Talbott, Jr., 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. Councilwoman K. L. Wilmoth was absent.

The meeting commenced with an invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance.


AGENDA ADJUSTMENTS

There were none.


PUBLIC COMMENT

Roy Teter, 119 South Gate Road, said he wanted to establish a park-like or green space setting on the riverbank between the railroad bridge and swinging bridge on Wilson Street. Additionally, he conceived extending the bike trail to Riverbend Park. He said the reaction of the Elkins Parks and Recreation Commission to his proposal that a park be established was not favorable. The Randolph County Development Authority’s Jennifer Giovanetti told him he could clean up trash and litter on the property and mow the grass. The Authority, he said, would not allow him to cut briars on the riverbank, improve the land or expand the area available by the placement of fill dirt. Members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church would be willing to help clean the riverbank of debris but could not access it unless the briars and undergrowth were removed. He encouraged the members to view the riverbank from midway across the swinging bridge. “It’s a cesspool,” he said. Mr. Teter asked that the members exert whatever influence possible to advance his conception.

Billy Canfield, 108 Davis Street, commented on increased city spending and mentioned recently enacted user fee and tax increases. He said before the city considered pay raises or contributions to outside organizations it should be aware of cost cutting measures recently implemented by Wal-Mart and Davis and Elkins College. He said, “Put a string on the budget.”


CONSENT CALENDAR

Cm Beckwith, seconded by Cm Metheny, MOVED THAT COUNCIL ACCEPT THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF FEBRUARY 7, 2008 AS PRESENTED. The motion carried.


UNFINISHED BUSINESS

No action was taken on Proposed Ordinance 072, establishing regulation of city trees.


NEW BUSINESS

Cm Talbott, seconded by Cw Burford, MOVED THAT COUNCIL ADOPT PROPOSED RESOLUTION 103, APPROVING INVOICES RELATING TO THE PROPOSED WATER PROJECT AND AUTHORIZING DRAWDOWN NUMBER 4 THEREOF FROM FUNDS AVAILABLE FROM THE WATERWORKS SYSTEM DESIGN BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES, SERIES 2007. The motion carried. [Chapman Technical Group will be paid $25,920.59.]

Cm Talbott, seconded by Cm Bibey, MOVED THAT COUNCIL ADOPT PROPOSED RESOLUTION 104, APPROVING INVOICES RELATING TO THE ONGOING OPERATIONS OF THE WATER FUND AND AUTHORIZING PAYMENT DRAWDOWN NO. 2 THEREOF FROM FUNDS AVAILABLE THROUGH A HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK LINE OF CREDIT. The motion carried. [CAS Structural Engineering, Inc. will be paid $962.78 and Huntington National Bank $500.00.]

Cm Beckwith, seconded by Cm Bibey, MOVED COUNCIL APPOINT T. RICHARD HARVEY TO THE PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION FOR A 6-YEAR TERM TO COMMENCE MARCH 1, 2008. The motion carried.

Cm Malcolm, seconded by Cm Hensil, MOVED THAT PROPOSED ORDINANCE 073, PROVIDING FOR THE ISSUANCE OF NOT MORE THAN $650,000 OF SEWER REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 2008A, BE BROUGHT FORTH, READ BY TITLE ONLY AND PASSED ON FIRST READING. The motion carried.

Cm Beckwith, seconded by Cm Talbott, MOVED THAT COUNCIL APPROVE THE EMPLOYEE TRAVEL REFLECTED ON THE AGENDA. The motion carried. [Two water employees will attend WV Rural Water Association training in Clarksburg.]


COMMITTEE REPORTS

BUILDING

The Committee received 4 building permit applications since the last meeting of council, 3553 thru 3556. Acting upon recommendation of the building inspector, the Committee approved all applications.

Cm Malcolm, seconded by Cm Metheny, MOVED THAT COUNCIL GRANT BUILDING PERMITS FOR THE 4 APPLICATIONS APPROVED BY THE COMMITTEE. The motion carried.

PERMIT	APPLICANT	LOCATION	DESCRIPTION	VALUE
3553	Johnson, Beverly	121 Barron Av	Remodel bathroom	$5,500
3554	Hyre, Dr. Clifton	115 Wilton Av	Replace windows, closet	$2,400
3555	Shiloh Baptist Church	Fifth St	Siding, soffit, fascia, gutters & downspouts	$30,000
3556	Iseli, Kerri	504 Central St	Replace windows	$5,000

FINANCE

Some outside organizations to be funded in Fiscal Year 08/09 will appear at the regular council meeting of March 6 to present information about their program offerings and be available for council member’s questions.


MUNICIPAL PROPERTY

A Johns Manville Roofing representative will visit Elkins to inspect perceived defects in city hall’s roofing membrane.


RULES AND ORDINANCE

The Committee’s regular recurring meeting time was changed to 4 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month.

Youth Empowered Solutions (Y.E.S.) asked the city for permission to store skateboard-related equipment to be donated by Snowshoe Mountain Resort in the 11th Street garage after street department personnel move to the Baxter Street garage. The equipment would be stored until the skatepark site in Glendale Park is ready for use. The attorney suggested that Y.E.S. personnel execute waivers if liability holding the city harmless for accidents or injury while on city property. Underage personnel would also have to obtain parental signatures on liability waiver forms. Adult supervision would be required at all times. City personnel and equipment might be available for offloading and movement of equipment and fixtures and placement in the garage facility.

PARKS

Cm Beckwith said it would be necessary to remove a couple of trees in the downtown park during the coming season.

The 2008 Easter Egg Hunt will be cosponsored by WDNE Radio.


RULES AND ORDINANCE

The proposed tree ordinance will undergo substantial revision before being recommended for council’s consideration.


SANITATION/LANDFILL

Mayor Guye, Councilman Metheny and the city clerk traveled to Charleston to initiate discussion of obtaining funding from the Solid Waste Management Board for the new landfill liner project.

Operations at the landfill have been going well, Cm Metheny said.

The WV Code Chapter 5G process that will result in the selection of an engineer to design and oversee construction of a new lined solid waste disposal cell at the landfill continues. Initial interviews of respondents have been completed. Three firms will be invited to submit proposals for design and execution of the project. The Committee will then formulate a recommendation for council’s consideration. Once the engineer is appointed by council, design, financing and construction will follow.


STREETS

Acknowledging the pothole problem caused by winter weather, Cm Hensil said patching would take place only when hot melt asphalt was available. Cold patch repairs were not durable.

Street department personnel will soon occupy the new Baxter Street facility. Cm Malcolm suggested thought be given to painting the lower portions of the metal shell of the building as a preventative against rusting.

Mayor Guye suggested an invitation could be extended to the Chamber of Commerce to use the newly renovated building as a venue for a future Chamber After Hours event, providing its membership and the community in general the opportunity of seeing the use to which the tax dollars had been put.


OTHER BUSINESS

Fire Chief Tom Meader was appointed to head the city’s Safety Committee, the mayor announced. Cm Beckwith suggested that a finalized safety policy could be made part of the city’s personnel policy.

Substantial discussion of a windmill farm proposed for Laurel Mountain resulted in the determination by majority of the members to oppose the project. The city attorney was asked to draft a resolution of opposition for consideration at a future meeting.

The mayor said sanitary sewer lift stations and combined sewer overflows would be major topics of discussion, now that the upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant was nearing completion.


The meeting adjourned at 8:24 p.m.


/s/ Judith A. Guye, Mayor
/s/ Philip J. Graziani, City Clerk