Common Council

AREGULAR MEETING OFTHE COMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT 6:30PMONJULY 25, 2023, INCOUNCIL CHAMBERS AND VIA WEB-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: Assistant Director ofITAmy Evans, Anthony Martin (IT),Captain Coughlin ofBFD, Director ofBoard ofPublic Works (BPW) Pam Frey, Chief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan, Chief ofBPD Dean Bailey, Director ofParks & Rec. Leslie Baker, Director ofBeckley Events JillMoorefield, Grants Administrator Angela King, andCityController Jessica Chandler. The Mayor called themeeting toorder at6:30p.m.The public hadthe option tojointhe meeting either inperson orbyWEB-Xfrom theircomputer, orbyphone, using theweblink or phone number provided thedayofthemeeting ontheCity’swebpage atBeckley.orgorthe City’sFacebook page. Council dispensed with thereading ofminutes from theCity Council meeting dated July 11, 2023, copies ofwhich had beendistributed toeachmember. Council unanimously approved theminutes aswritten onamotion byCouncilman Sopher andseconded byCouncilman Price. Next, Angela King, Grants Administrator fortheCity, summarized theamendments tothe 2021 and2022 CDBG Grants. Shesaid money included inthese grants will beallocated differently than originally intended. There were unused funds forpaving andadministration. Those funds willbeused tofinish thework onScott Avenue. Shesaid item number sixonthe Agenda, approving theFY2023 CDBG Annual Action Plan istoapprove thenew action plan which begins October 1,2023. This money willbeused tocover theadministration cost of consulting firms hired bytheCity forvarious improvements, pave twostreets (Russell and Garfield Streets), andfornew security cameras fortheBeckley Housing Authority. The Mayor asked Council ifthere were anyquestions orcomments regarding theresolutions. There were noquestions orcomments. The Mayor asked Mr.Fileifallthree resolutions had tobevoted onseparately orcould they bevoted oncollectively. Mr.Fileadvised thatallthree resolutions canbeadopted inonemotion ifthat isthedesire ofCouncil. Hereadeach bytitle with thefirst being, AResolution OfTheCommon Council OfTheCity OfBeckley Amending The FY2021 CDBG Programs. The second resolution was also read bytitle, A Resolution OfThe Common Council OfThe CityOfBeckley Amending TheFY2022 CDBG Programs. The third resolution was read bytitle, AResolution OfThe Common Council Of The City OfBeckley Approving The FY 2023 Annual Action Plan. Councilman Price moved thatthethree (3)resolutions beadopted, andCouncilwoman Bullock seconded themotion, which was unanimously passed byCouncil. Theresolutions are hereby incorporated into these minutes. Next, Recorder-Treasurer Billie Trump reviewed with City Council the Budget Revision for theFY 2023-24Budget. Acopy oftherevision hadpreviously been provided toCouncil members. Hesaid theCity isrequired byCode torevise thegeneral fund budget inJuly for theupcoming fiscal year. Mr.Trump said theCity looked for asmall increase insales taxas extra revenue. Mr.Trump said theRecorder-Treasurer’sbudget, thecontingency budget, and theBeckley Police Department’sbudget include the substantial elements ofthe revision. He said thebudget balanced which made himhappy. The Mayor asked ifthere were any questions from anymember ofCouncil onthisbudget revision. There were noquestions or comments. TheBudget Revision fortheFY2023-24Budget was unanimously approved by Council onamotion made byCouncilman Price andseconded byCouncilman Sopher. The revised Budget Revision fortheFY2023-24Year isincorporated into these minutes. Next, Recorder-Treasurer Mr.Trump discussed the FY2023-2024 Coal Severance Budget. Hesaid theCity isrequired byCode torevise theCoal Severance Budget toaccount forany money that theCity anticipates coming inand anyCoal Severance money theCity stillhas. Mr.Trump said Coal Severance hasrequirements onhow thismoney canbespent. Some of theanticipated money would gotowards streets/highways, andparks/recreation. Both areas areapproved for expenditures ofCoal Severance money. The Mayor asked ifanymember of Council hadanyquestions orcomments regarding theFY2023-24Revised Coal Severance Budget. Council unanimously approved theFY2023-24Revised Coal Severance Budget ona motion made byCouncilman Dunlap andseconded byCouncilwoman Bullock. The FY2023- 24Revised Coal Severance Budget ishereby incorporated intothese minutes. OLD BUSINESS: The Mayor asked ifanymember ofCouncil objected toCity Controller, Jessica Chandler, addressing Council regarding theCity’sfinances. Nooneobjected. She addressed thebudget carryover which isapproximately $4Mayear. Shesaid thisisnot $4M peryear, itis $4MtotalthattheCity carried over yearover year. Sheexplained thatthisisthe only savings account theCity has. This would help theCity intheevent ofacrisis such as another derecho, aroad collapse, oranother epidemic. This allows theCity tofund payroll andgeneral operations forsixty toninety daysfortwo hundred fifty-fiveemployees. Shesaid oneofthe biggest financial problems the Cityhas isitspensions which areterribly expensive. Thisyear therequired contribution bytheCity increased $116K andevery year itincreases by anadditional seven percent. Shesaid thisisjust forpolice and firepensions anddoes not include theremaining employees’ pensions. Shesaid sheand Mr.Trump aretrying tofinda solution forthisproblem. Shesaid theCity’spredecessors didnotleave theCity inagood financial place regarding pensions orpayforCity employees. Shesaidshefeelscomfortable with $2,500.00asasalary increase fortheBPD andsuggests reassessing itagain insix months. Shesaid thisgives theCity theopportunity tofindplaces where itcancutmore expenditures andpotentially allow formore ofanincrease insalaries later. Shesaidifone department (such astheBPD) receives abigpayraise, the Cityhas tocutfrom theother departments inorder toaccommodate theraise. Shesaid Department Heads cannot increase thesalary ofemployees intheir departments ifthey have tocuttheir budget, inorder tohelp meet thepayincrease for another department. Shesuggested raising thesalary oftheBPD incrementally. Shesaid ifanacross-the-board $2,500.00increase isgiven tojusttheBPD it would beanadditional cost totheCity of $146K/annually. Ifa $4,000.00across- the-board increase forjusttheBPD isgiven itwould beanadditional $236K/annually, andifan 8,000.00across-the-board increase forjusttheBPD isgiven itwould beanadditional 470K/annually. Shesaid thisincludes salaries, worker’scompensation, andMedicare, it does notfactor inthepensions with necessary changes. Shesaid ifother departments request across- the-board payincreases of $2,500.00itwould cost theCity approximately 700K/annually, anincrease of $4,000.00would cost theCity $1.1M/annually, andan increase of $8,000.00would cost the City $2.2M/annually. Councilman Sopher said thatit upsets himthat thisraise fortheBPD should have been resolved atadepartmental level. He said thisissue should nothave hadtocome before Council. Hesaidifanydepartment’ s budget needs toberevised itshould gototheCity’sadministration who should have been involved infinding necessary cuts togive the employees araise. Councilman Reedy said he thinks Chief Bailey discussed this issue withthe City’sadministration. Chief Bailey said he hascuttheBPD’sbudget sonoother department would have tocuttheir budget. Chief said hediscussed this with hissupervisors, (City’sadministration) who suggested hecome before Council. Councilman Sopher said hedidnotrealize that. Councilman Sopher said thathe wants tomake note thatinthebudget revisions presented tonight reflect theBPD account number seven hundred) shows atwohundred-thousand-dollar increase. TheMayor asked City Attorney Mr.Filetoadvise how totake itemnumber three onthe July11, 2023, Agenda offthetable tonight. Mr.Fileadvised that item number three ontheJuly 11, 2023, agenda simply needs amotion, seconded andamajority vote ofCouncil totake theitem offthetable andopen fordiscussion. Hesaid amotion canbemade toapprove theproposed $2,500.00 across-the-board increase fortheBPD. Hesaid there could beamotion toincrease the amount toacertain extent. Hesaid theamount ofeight thousand dollars was alsoproposed two weeks ago, which would beconsidered amaterial change because atthattime thepublic was not aware duetotheamount of $2,500.00being listed onthe Agenda. Mr. Filesaid iftheamount of $8,000.00iswhat Council desires, Council needs toapprove amotion thatthisamount of increase beplaced ontheAgenda forthefirst meeting inAugust. Mr.File saidtonight Council canconsider $2,500.00,less than thatamount, ormore than that, butitneeds tobe relatively close totheamount of $2,500.00. Council unanimously passed amotion made by Councilman Reedy seconded byCouncilwoman Hunter tobring itemnumber three from the July 11, 2023, Agenda offthetable. That item was listed as “Compensation forBPD- Approval ofa $2,500.00across the board increase for sworn police officers.” Councilman Reedy made amotion seconded byCouncilman Dunlap toreject theamount of $2,500.00asa payincrease fortheBeckley PD, andtoplace onCouncil’sAugust 8,2023, Agenda anacross- the-board increase intheamount of $8,000.00fortheBPD. The Mayor asked ifthere isany further discussion. Councilman Dunlap said that heappreciates Mr.Trump, Jessica Chandler, andCouncilman Sopher’scomments. Councilman Dunlap said this isnotabusiness, itis government, andCouncil expects people tolobby forwhat they need. Councilman Dunlap said the Cityissaving money foracrisis andthere isacrisis present. Hesaid ifthecrisis is notaddressed theCity issaving dimes andlosing dollars asthey walkoutthedoor toother opportunities. Council unanimously approved themotion. TheMayor asked Council if anyone had acomment. Councilman Price asked where themoney forthepay increase will come from within the departments ifCouncil decides toapprove anincrease intheamount of 8,000.00forsworn police officers. Hesaidhedoes nothave aproblem withtheincrease of 8,000.00butwants toknow where itwill come from. Councilman Price said salaries ofother City employees need tobeevaluated. He thinks they deserve anincrease also. Councilman Reedy said Chief Bailey previously said hecancutthe BPD’sbudget tocover the cost ofthe eight-thousand-dollar increase. The Mayor said thatthisisthe first time inthethirty years of hisservice totheCity that aCouncil hasblatantly disagreed with therecommendation ofthe City’sRecorder-Treasurer and theCity’sController. Mr. Filesaid that when tonight’s meeting adjourns thenext regular City Council meeting Agenda willlisttheitem, “Approval ofan $8,000.00across-the- board increase forsworn police officers.” Mr.Filesaidatthat time Council willhave theoption toamend any motion made toapprove thatamount. Eight thousand dollars isnottheonly amount thatcanbediscussed atthenext meeting. Hesaid the 8,000.00canbesubject toanamendment prior tobeing voted onattheAugust 8th meeting. Councilwoman Hunter asked Mr.Trump ifthe $470K Chief Bailey cut fromhisbudget would suffice. Mr.Trump said alotofthefigure(s)Chief Bailey alluded toarethrough attrition, decreasing the number ofpolice officers, notrehiring orfilling vacancies along with other cuts that may ormay notbepractical. Councilwoman Hunter asked Mr.Trump ifhecould elaborate onthe “wiggle room” (cushion) inthebudget thathementioned intheworkshop last night allowing himtobemore comfortable with anincrease of $4,000.00rather thanthe 2,500.00heproposed. Mr.Trump said lastyear theCity spent close to $1.2Mincapital improvements fortheBPD buying cruisers, etc. Hesaid hedoes notanticipate thatanew fleet ofcars willneedtobepurchased for theBPD, butwhen youlook atcapital improvements, other departments needthings. He said asubstantial amount ofthe $1.2M willbespent. The Board ofPublic Works needs vehicles. HesaidParks & Rec. needs equipment. Hesaidif Council approves more than a $4,000.00increase fortheBPD theCity willbeinunchartered territory. Councilman Sopher said Council cannot benaive because there aremore than two hundred other employees fortheCity thatdeserve competitive pay. Hesaid theCity maynot have tospend thesame amount ontheother departments toreceive anincrease, buttheother departments also deserve anincrease. Councilman Dunlap said asCouncil becomes more involved inthe meetings where decisions aremade regarding payroll, heasked what therole ofCouncil could beuntil theCity transitions toastrong Council form ofgovernment. The Mayor said Council members arewelcome todiscuss theCity’sfinances one-on-onewith the Recorder-Treasurer bystopping byhisoffice ormaking anappointment withhim. Hesaid things likegrant opportunities, matching earmarks, etc. could bediscussed. NEW BUSINESS: Councilwoman Bullock asked when theCity’sten-year comprehensive plan expires. The Mayor said theCityisworking onanew one. TheMayor saidthatCorey Lilly, Outdoor Economic Development Director, isheading upthat effort and hasalready conducted workshops andpublic meetings. Councilwoman Hunter saidshewas asked what theCity could dotohelp thetraffic situation when exiting theauditorium atWoodrow Wilson High School, turning lefttoenter onStanaford Road. Pam Frey, Director ofBoard ofPublic Works, said Stanaford Road ismaintained bytheState soDOH would needtotake care of those concerns. Councilwoman Hunter said shewould relay thisinformation totheperson thatasked herthequestion. The Mayor complimented theBPD ontheir efficiency in conducting traffic there when bigevents areheld. The Mayor said having access totheZ-Way helps this situation also. Hesaid perhaps atraffic light may beneeded there inthefuture. Councilwoman Hunter asked thatthe family ofVirginia Mahan who recently passed away be remembered inprayer. Shewasaformer member oftheWV Legislature. The Mayor said a retired member ofthe BPD, AlGrey passed away recently. The Mayor asked that hisfamily beremembered inprayer. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The Mayor announced ifcalling inbyphone dial *3toraise your hand. Ifconnected bycomputer: Click the “hand icon” onyour participant’spanel. Mary West voiced herconcerns regarding drivers speeding onLarew Avenue. Shestated her concern regarding thefour way stop atEarhart Street andLarew Avenue. Chief Bailey said he would look into thismatter. Shestated thatshesupports Beckley PDofficers receiving apay increase. Councilwoman Bullock thanked Mary forthesignage sheputuponLarew Avenue asaneffort toslow down traffic. JoeNorris said hisvehicle was hitbyafiretruck belonging totheBeaver Volunteer Fire Department. The Mayor advised that heneeds todiscuss this matter with theBeaver Fire Department. James Watkins, anemployee atBoard ofPublic Works (BPW), said theemployees attheBPW need araise. Hesaid heisnotspeaking against araise forthe BPD but, heissimply saying thatthe BPW also needs araise andshould not have tocut theirbudget. He isthe supervisor ofthe maintenance department which needs equipment andvehicles. Hesaid he realizes that theBPW does notdefend theCity, butthey keep theroad conditions safe, clear brush, pave streets, clean debris, andkeep everything else running. The Mayor said inalotofrespects theBPW istheface oftheCity. They areoutat3 a.m. insubzero temperatures removing snow, laying asphalt inthesummer heat, picking up trash intheCity, andhelp atBeckley events. TheMayor thanked Mr.Watkins forattending tonight andthanked himforhiscomments. Howard Cox, asupervisor attheBPW, said the BPW isnotagainst the BPD. Hesaid theBPW appreciates everything theBPD does. Hesaid hewanted tospeak onbehalf ofhimself andthe employees attheBPW regarding their current salaries. Hesaid that hehasbeen with theCity forthirty-seven years andtheBPW hasalways been theleastrecognized department. Some oftheir duties include maintenance, mechanics, carpentry, welding, fabricating, electrical work, small engine repair, sign shop (making street markers andother signage), body work tovehicles, attend events, keeptheCityclean, various construction jobs including making parking lots, gazebos, andfountains. The BPW is responsible forfivehundred thirty streets both dayandnight. Hesaid theBPW paves the streets within theCity. Alotofother Cities contract that work out. He said theBPW is expected toanddoes agood jobatworking with every department intheCity andhelps each department inanyway itcan. HesaidtheBPW haslost anumber oftalented employees to better paying jobs andpeople retiring. Some employees attheBPW havetowork twojobs to survive andsome employees attheBPW areeligible forpublic assistance due tothelow pay scale atthe BPW. Heasked Council andtheadministration intheCity tolook atthepayscale forthe BPW and seewhat can bedone toincrease their pay. Howard thanked theCity for everything ithas done fortheBPW. The Mayor said theBPW never fails toshow upandhelp anydepartment inneedand heappreciates that. Dustin Potter, anemployee attheBPW, said there isahuge problem with thepayscale forthe BPW employees. Hesaid August of2023 willbetwo years hehasworked attheBPW andstarted at $10.50/hr. Hispay is $14.25/hr. now. Heishaving adifficult time making itonhispay. Hehastwolicenses forasbestos abatement andaclass B-CDL license andheworks inthesign shop. Doug Leeber, the President ofBeckley Babe asked for contributions tohelp fund the Beckley team playing in theBabe Ruth World Series inFredericksburg, Virginia. They needhelp topayforhotel costs andmeals fortendays. Beckley Events Director JillMoorefield said thataparade willbeheld Saturday, July 29th inconjunction with thecarshow andthe team willbepresented certificates at6p.m.atthegazebo. Everyone isinvited. The Mayor saidthatthisisthefirst timeinthe history ofBeckley that aBabe Ruth team willhave gone totheWorld Series. TheCity matched theRaleigh County Commission’ scontribution of $3,000.00. when theteams went to Wisconsin andKentucky. The Mayor invited Council members tocontribute. Hesaidthe team isleaving August 3rd andneeds financial support quickly. Hethanked Sergeant Jamie Wilhite oftheBPD forthegreat jobhedoes coaching theAll-Star team. Mr.Leeber said they need $36,000.00. Councilman Dunlap asked about the program City administration started inwhich each Council member can donate acertain amount ofCity funds oncertain projects. The Mayor asked Mr.Trump about theprogram hestarted allowing each Council member tospend $1,500.00ofdiscretionary funds from theCity tosupport non-profit programs inBeckley. Mr.Trump confirmed that each Council member canspend $1,500.00 ofCity funds. Allseven Council members agreed tospend their $1,500.00discretionary funds collectively being $10,500.00)insupport oftheBeckley Babe Ruth All Starteam. Mr. Leeber thanked Council andexpressed hisappreciation. Tom Taylor, anemployee atthe BPW, said theBPW does alotofwork andthemoney they arepaid does notshow that this department isappreciated. Hesaid thatheisnotagainst araise for theBPD buttheBPW employees also deserve araise. The Mayor toldhimthatheandhisdepartment arefarmore appreciated than hemay realize. The Mayor said theCity willwork ontheissue ofpay. Danielle Stewart said that shevisited theState Auditors Office’swebsite andisreporting from theCity’sofficial reports filed onthat site. The Mayor said thewebsite isopen.govand is open tothe public. Danielle said thereports reflect surpluses ineach yearstarting in2017 and theCity should spend thisextra money onitsemployees. With there being nofurther comments, Council unanimously approved adjourning themeeting onamotion by Councilman Dunlap andseconded byCouncilwoman Bullock. TheMayor adjourned the meeting at7:31p.m. Mayor Recorder-Treasurer