Common Council

AREGULAR MEETING OFTHECOMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT6:30PMONJUNE 27, 2023, INCOUNCIL CHAMBERS AND VIAWEB-X. PRESENT: Mayor Robert R.Rappold, Recorder- Treasurer Billie Trump, City Attorney BillFile, and Secretary Susan Miller. Council Members: Janine Bullock, Robert Canter, Robert Dunlap, Sherrie Hunter, Cody Reedy, Tom Sopher, andKevin Price. The following Department Heads were present: Director of ITBillKelly, Anthony Martin (IT),Chief Wills ofBFD, Director ofBoard ofPublic Works (BPW) Pam Frey, Chief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan and Chief ofBPD Dean Bailey. The Mayor called themeeting toorder at 6:30p.m.The public hadtheoption to jointhemeeting either inperson orby WEB-Xfrom their computer, orby phone, using theweblink orphone number provided thedayofthemeeting ontheCity’swebpage atBeckley.orgor theCity’sFacebook page. Council dispensed with thereading of minutes from theCity Council meeting dated June 13, 2023, copies ofwhich had been distributed toeachmember. Council unanimously approved theminutes as written onamotion byCouncilman Price andseconded byCouncilman Dunlap. Next, theaward ofbidtoVance Outdoors, Inc.,forsixty (60) policy duty handguns intheamount of $46,320.00 was unanimously approved byCouncil on amotion byCouncilwoman Hunter and seconded byCouncilman Reedy. The bidisincorporated into these minutes. Next, theaward ofbidtoFrye Roofing forthereplacement/repair oftheroof on The Historic Black Knight intheamount of $153,600.00andawarranty for 3,600.00was approved. Council unanimously approved thebidona motion byCouncilman Reedy, seconded byCouncilwoman Hunter. The bid is incorporated into these minutes. Next, Councilwoman Hunter introduced Coach George Barbera, thegirls’ track andfield coach atWoodrow Wilson High School. Councilwoman Hunter presented aCertificate ofAchievement toBella Staples forearning the2023 State Championship indiscus throwing with a throw of131’1” ranking herseventh on theall-time listforAAA and13th onthe all-time listforallclasses inthe48-year history ofWV women’shighschool track andfield. Councilwoman Bullock congratulated Bella’smother forher promotion atherjobatthelocal Federal Prison. Next, theEmployee Longevity Resolution was summarized byCity Attorney Mr. File. Mr. Fileread each ofthe Resolution’sparagraphs thatsetforth the payincreases. Recorder Treasurer Billie Trump said theCity allowed for the longevity increase foreach department in theCity’sbudget ifCouncil approves the longevity increases tonight. TheMayor saidthat sometimes thisincrease isnot acknowledged andrecalls times when the City was notfinancially able tooffer the increase. Thisyear theCity isable to offer theincrease andishappy todoso when itcan. TheEmployee Longevity Resolution was unanimously approved by Council onamotion byCouncilman Price, seconded byCouncilwoman Hunter andishereby incorporated intothese minutes. Next, Mr.Filesummarized theBank Depository Resolution andread paragraph number four. TheBank Depository Resolution was unanimously approved by Council onamotion byCouncilman Sopher, seconded byCouncilwoman Hunter andishereby incorporated into these minutes. Next, Council unanimously approved the reappointment ofDr.Marcia Khalil toa five-year termserving ontheBoard of Directors fortheBeckley-Raleigh County Health Department onamotion by Councilwoman Hunter, seconded by Councilman Sopher. Next, Council unanimously approved thereappointment ofJohn Sadowski toathree-year term serving ontheBoard ofDirectors forthe Beckley Sanitary Board onamotion by Councilman Price, seconded by Councilwoman Bullock. Next, Council unanimously approved the reappointment ofDr.Kristi Williams Dumas toathree-year term serving onthe Human Rights Commission onamotion byCouncilwoman Hunter, seconded by Councilwoman Bullock. The Mayor said Dr.Dumas isbeing sworn inthisevening asPresident oftheBeckley Rotary Club andisthefirst lady ofcolor toever serve asthePresident oftheBeckley Rotary Club. OLD BUSINESS: Councilwoman Bullock said theEast Beckley Post Office should reopen soon. Councilwoman Hunter asked foranupdate ontheOpioid Settlement fortheCity andforRaleigh County. Mr.Filesaid Wednesday, July 5th at1:00attheRaleigh County Courthouse aBoard ofDirectors willbe appointed. Councilman Sopher asked why theNew River Pool hasbeen closed onSundays. Hesaid hereceived two phone calls recently regarding this. Councilman Reedy said healso received a phone callregarding thepool being closed onSundays. The Mayor saidthat Director ofParks & Recreation Leslie Baker isnothere, andshewould bethe contact person regarding this. NEW BUSINESS: Councilwoman Hunter said shereceived acallfrom Cindy Parker with theVeteran’sMuseum who inquired about having help from the City fordirectional signage tothe Veteran’sMuseum. Director ofBoard of Public Works Pam Freysaid they would help inanyway they can. Councilwoman Bullock said theCity willhave alotof people visiting thisweekend due totwo reunions. Piney Oaks andStratton are having reunions thisweekend. Councilwoman Hunter inquired about a One Way” sign being posted informing drivers thatMcDonald’sisattheendofa one-way street. TheMayor suggested thatsheandChief Bailey oftheBPD discuss thismatter after themeeting. PUBLIC COMMENTS: TheMayor announced ifcalling inbyphone dial *3 toraise yourhand. Ifconnected by computer: Click the “hand icon” onyour Participants panel. Mary West voiced her concerns regarding drivers speeding on Larew Avenue andasked the City foran update onthepetition shepreviously submitted requesting thespeed limit be decreased from25mph to15mph. The Mayor asked Chief Bailey oftheBPD if hehadanycomments. Chief Bailey said theBPD conducted approximately seventeen patrols onLarew Avenue and onedriver was speeding. Councilwoman Hunter asked Chief Bailey ifaflashing sign alongside the roadwould deter speeding. Chief Bailey said theCity no longer hasthatmachine and itis expensive toreplace. Themachine requires software. Councilwoman Bullock asked iftheCity hasspeed boxes that canbeutilized onLarew. The Mayor said that iswhat Councilwoman Hunter was referring toandthesigns/boxes get vandalized andstolen. Councilwoman Hunter asked ifspeed bumps could be installed onLarew. The Mayor said speed bumps willnot beinstalled andthe speed limit willnotbedecreased. Michelle Cochran voiced herconcerns duetothe number offeral cats in Woodcrest andthe number ofcats belonging toirresponsible owners. She asked theCity ifSection 3oftheCity’s Code could bemodified. Shesaid ultrasonic devices cost thirty dollars each which may help theproblem, but itisnot asolution. Shesaid theAnimal Control Officer said there isnothing hecando because there isnolaw(s)orordinance(s) regarding cats. Shesaid theonly thing mentioned inCity code iscontaining cats while they areinheat. Shesaidthe officer told herthat shecan deter them with aBB-gun, utilize nonharmful deterrents, purchase motion detectors which activate sprinklers, purchase ultrasonic sound emitters ($30/each), or capture andrelocate thecats. TheMayor said hehasasmall discretionary fund that may help purchase some oftheultrasonic sound emitters. Shethanked himandsaid sheislooking formore ofasolution requiring catowners tohave alicense. Councilman Dunlap asked ifshehad any other suggestions. Shesuggested allowing the property owner therightto defend their property ifthecatowners are nottaking responsibility fortheir cats. Mr.Filesaid hewillsoon attend a meeting with other cityAttorneys atthe endofJuly andhewillbeglad toask if other cities have anordinance inplace regarding thisissue. ITDirector Bill Kelly lives inthesame area andsaidhe hasaproblem with cats. Councilman Reedy said hisparents andothers are having aproblem with cats. Cats arealso climbing onand scratching vehicles. Ms. Cochran thanked theCity andsaidshe appreciates theCity working towards a solution. Councilwoman Bullock asked if,atonetime, was theCity discussing having anAnimal Control office. The Mayor said theCity wasbutdecided to work onaproject thatseems tobe working outvery well. Hesaid itdeals with dogs. TheCity hastwovolunteers who have resources tohelp unwanted dogs getadopted inother states. The County andtheCity purchased avanto transport dogs. Hethinks theCity is limited inwhat itcandoregarding cats. Recorder-Treasurer Billie Trump said the vantotransport unwanted dogshasbeen working outwell. TheCounty hadtwo Animal Control Officers andtheCity added athird one. TheCity issubsidizing the County for thethird Animal Control Officer whose territory iswithin theCity limits. The Humane Society does not accept cats. Hesaid itishardforAnimal Control tocatch cats. ShesaidiftheCity required catowners tohave alicense to own acat, thelicensing feescould besent totheAnimal Shelter sothey canaccept cats. TheMayor said theCity hashad a lotofdiscussions with theHumane Society andtheAnimal Shelter about cats. Hesaidduetothenumber of vicious andstray dogs, catsareonthe bottom ofthelistwhen itcomes to dealing with trying tokeep people safe from dangerous animals. Judy Patterson expressed herconcern for therising cost ofmonthly utility bills. Sheasked Council members tocanvas their neighbors toseeifthey are experiencing rising costs. She wants to know ifthisisanisolated issue ina certain ward orisitCity wide. Councilman Dunlap said theutility companies answer tothePublic Service Commission (PSC). TheMayor saidhe would liketooffer herasolution, but the utilities areregulated bythePSC. Frank Williams said thathedoes nothave any comments tonight, buthewillprobably have comments during the July 11th Council meeting. There were nopublic comments online. With there being no further comments, Council unanimously approved adjourning the meeting ona motion byCouncilman Dunlap and seconded byCouncilwoman Hunter. The Mayor adjourned themeeting at7:15p.m. Mayor Recorder-Treasurer