Common Council

AREGULAR MEETING OFTHECOMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT6:30PMONMARCH 12, 2024, 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, Kevin Price, Robert Dunlap, Tom Sopher, Sherrie Hunter, Bob Canter, andCody Reedy. The following City employees were present: Director ofIT BillKelly, Assistant Director ofITAmy Evans, Anthony Martin (IT),Chief Coughlin ofBFD, Board ofPublic Works (BPW) Director PamFrey, Chief ofBPD Dean Bailey, Director ofParks & Recreation Leslie Baker. ABSENT: Chief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan. The Mayor called themeeting toorder at 6:30p.m.The public hadtheoption to jointhemeeting either inperson orlisten byWEB-Xfrom their computer, orlisten byphone, using theweblink orphone number provided thedayofthemeeting ontheCity’swebpage atBeckley.orgor theCity’sFacebook page. Council dispensed withthe reading ofthe minutes from the City Council Workshop dated February 20, 2024, copies ofwhich hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved the minutes aswritten onamotion by Councilman Sopher andseconded by Councilwoman Bullock. Council dispensed withthereading oftheminutes from theregular City Council meeting dated February 27, 2024, copies ofwhich hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved the minutes aswritten onamotion by Councilman Price andseconded by Councilman Sopher. Members oftheRaleigh County Veterans Museum including Charles Houck, Jeff Lehman, Ron Hedrick, and Brook Chambers attended themeeting inhonor ofCornelius Charlton. Mr.Houck spoke inhonor ofMr.Charleton andtheMayor presented aproclamation inhonor of Cornelius Charlton. Next, theonly sealed bidreceived forthe mowing ofvarious City properties and parks thattheMayor opened during the meeting was from Camp Creek Mountain Maintenance intheamount of 2,020./weekly. Mr.Filesaid thatif Council elects, itmayaward thebid during thismeeting tonight. Thetwo Councilpersons atLarge canreview the bidafter themeeting and ifitmeets all specified criteria, theaction ofCouncil willstand. Ifthe biddoes notmeet the specifications the item will beplaced on anupcoming Agenda. Council unanimously approved thebidfrom Camp Creek Mountain Maintenance onamotion made byCouncilwoman atLarge Hunter andseconded byCouncilman Dunlap. The bidwas given toRecorder-Treasurer Billie Trump toreview with Councilwoman atLarge Hunter, Councilman atLarge Reedy, andParks andRecreation Director Leslie Baker. Thebidishereby incorporated into these minutes. Next, Recorder-Treasurer Billie Trump presented thebudget forfiscal yearJuly 1,2024, through June 30,2025. Hesaid thattheCity isrequired bytheState Auditor’sOffice tosubmit anannual budget before theendofMarch. He presented adetailed revenue andcost projection. The summary heshared will besent totheState Auditor’sOffice. He said during theCouncil meeting onJuly 9,2024, thebudget willlikely need tobe revised. Thebudget was unanimously approved byCouncil onamotion made byCouncilman Price andseconded by Councilman Sopher. Acopy ofthe budget ishereby incorporated intothese minutes. Next, theMayor asked Recorder- Treasurer Billie Trump tocomment on theCity’sfinances regarding anacross theboard annual increase fortheBeckley Fire Department intheamount of 2,000.00. Mr.Trump saidthatthe DROP program allows theCity toknow, inadvance when thelastdaywillbefor people onthisprogram. During the coming fiscal year there are atleastsix senior members ofthefiredepartment thatwillbeleaving. Entry level employees arehired atlesspay. The difference inthesalary ofthepeople leaving and salary ofthenew hires is significant. Mr.Trump hasbuilt ina cushion inaddition tothisintheamount estimated tobearound $100K. Councilman Dunlap said there isn’ta budget inplace fortheCMposition. Councilman Dunlap asked ifthe cushion might bebetter utilized tohelp payfora hiring agency, theCity Manager’ssalary, andthe salary ofpossibly having an Interim CM. Heasked ifthismoney might beacushion forthese items until a budget forthese items canbebetter defined. Mr.Trump said thathewould nothavesuggested theraise fortheBFD unless theCity was able toafford it. He said hehasconsidered what theCity may need topayforasearch firm (aone-time expense) andthesalary foraCM, is affordable. Thereduction oftheMayor’s salary (forapart time Mayor) will help offset thesalary oftheCM. Mr.Trump said thatwhen herecalculated thead valorem, theCity willprobably have over 100K thathehadtoadjust inthebudget before hehanded itout. Hesaidthe federally directed spending thatSenator Manchin isleaving theCity withisa good amount. Councilwoman Bullock asked Mr. Trump ifthe other City employees could also receive apayraise. Councilman Sopher said heagrees. Mr. Trump said iftheBFD isapproved this would bethethirddepartment toreceive a raise. Mr.Trump saidtheCity canlook atitsequentially. Councilwoman Bullock said theCity Hall employees need araise. Councilman Sopher said Parks and Recreation need araise. Councilwoman atLarge Hunter asked ifthere isaneed to hire another firefighter rather than a $2K across theboard raise. Sheasked ifthe BFD hasample staffing sothecost of overtime iseliminated ordecreased. Captain Coughlin saidthe BFDtries to keep ninefirefighters ontheclock twenty-four hours aday andseven days a week. Council unanimously approved the 2Kacross theboard raise fortheBFD on amotion made byCouncilman Price and seconded byCouncilwoman atLarge Hunter. Next ontheAgenda wasthepurchase of seven police cruisers intheamount of 301,678.58. Chief Bailey said since COVID, ithasbeen hard togetpolice cruisers. Hesaid five oftheexisting fifty vehicles have almost 100K miles, three have over 125K miles, eight vehicles have 112K miles, andsome aretwelve years or older andstarting torust. TheMayor said theper unitcost ofeach cruiser isless expensive than ifthey were purchased with one ofthe City’sbuying groups. Council unanimously approved the purchase oftheseven police cruisers in theamount of $301,678.58onamotion made byCouncilman Reedy and seconded byCouncilman Price. Next, Mr. Filepresented arequest to Council from theCity Manager Recruitment Committee (CMRC) (a committee made upofvolunteers appointed bytheMayor) seeking approval toadvertise forarecruitment firm to recruit aCity Manager (CM). The request forproposals would need tobe submitted from therecruitment firms by April 9th which isthedayofaCouncil meeting. Council willdetermine which recruitment firm theCity hires. The deadline isJuly 9th fortherecruitment firm tosubmit candidates tothe CMRC fortheCM position. Mr.Filesaidthe recruitment firm needs tobeexperienced inhelping municipalities. Councilman Sopher saidthatthree orfour recruitment firms were mentioned during thelast committee meeting andthemembers agreed tocontact those firms letting them know that theCity will beaccepting proposals. Mr.Filesaidthisrequest for proposals willbesent tovarious companies. Council unanimously approved theCity running anad requesting proposals from recruitment firms onamotion made byCouncilman Dunlap andseconded byCouncilman Price. Councilman Dunlap saidthe role andjobdescriptions ofCouncil members needs defined and thepurview ofthe CMRC needs expanded toinclude the ability todefine this forfuture Council members. He said there areduties and responsibilities thatthecurrent Mayor has thatneed distributed among Council members. Council unanimously approved expanding thepurview oftheCMRC to work todefine theduties ofthefuture Mayor andfuture Council members ona motion made byCouncilman Dunlap and seconded byCouncilman Sopher. Councilman Price asked ifthis information isoutlined inthecode. Councilman Dunlap saidtheduties ofthe CMare clearly defined. However, there isagap forwhat allthe Mayor currently engages in (some ofwhich arestatutorily required foraMayor toengage in) and since thenewCity Council members will bethepolicymakers asstated inthe ordinance, itwould bebeneficial todefine what future Council members willbe responsible for. Next, Mr.Filepresented aresolution for USDA Rural Development Grant Certifications andAssurance Forms. Mr. File explained thatonFebruary 13th Council approved agrant fortheCity to receive through theUSDA intheamount of $139K which isforheavy equipment fortheBoard ofPublic Works. This resolution approves certain forms that authorize theMayor toenter intoandit obligates theCity tocomply with the terms requested bytheUSDA. Form RD 442-7istheOperating Budget oftheCity, RD1940-1istheRequest for Obligation ofFunds, RD 400-4isthe Assurance Agreement, AD 1047 isthe Certificate regarding disbarment, suspension and other matters, andRD1972-6isthe Letter ofIntent ToMeet Conditions. Mr.File read theresolution which was unanimously passed byCouncil ona motion made byCouncilman Price and seconded byCouncilwoman Bullock. Theresolution ishereby incorporated into these minutes. OLD BUSINESS: TheMayor saidthat several agencies requested tobeincluded ina Workshop. Theagencies arethe Raleigh County Family Support Center, Theatre WV, Raleigh County Community Action, andthesubject ofremoving two parking meters onMain Street needs tobe discussed attheWorkshop. Hesaidthe Workshop willbescheduled soon. The Mayor saidthatDr.Best from theUK who founded theInclusive Recovery City IRC) Program willbeattheWVU Tech building onNeville St. at9:30onMarch 19th. HesaidBeckley isintheprocess of being inducted asthefirst City into this program. The Mayor saidyou can register toattend online. Councilman Reedy expressed hisconcern about the IRC coming toBeckley. Hesaid thathe hashadalotofpeople contact him opposing thisidea andareconcerned about what thisbrings totheCity. Councilman Reedy asked why a Workshop wasnotheld regarding the IRC. Hesaid JayPhillips presented this during arecent Council meeting and no votes were taken andtheevent forthe IRC wasscheduled. HesaidCouncil did nothave avote inthismatter andhehas received texts, calls, andmessages from thecommunity about itwhen itappeared onFacebook thismorning. The Mayor said thatitisatremendous honor forthe City andagreat cause anditattacks the most troubling problem insouthern WV. TheMayor said itdid notoccur tohim thatanyone would oppose itanddidnot think itneeded tobebrought before Council. Councilwoman atLarge Hunter said she hasalso received alotof feedback today from concerned citizens today regarding theIRC. Councilman Reedy said thePinehaven Homeless Shelter islosing funding andmay have to decrease capacity andhisconcern is Beckley becoming ahubformore drugs andhomelessness. Councilman Reedy said heisconcerned thatthismay open theCity upformore problems and questions iftheCity hasadequate does resources tohandle itall. The Mayor asked both Councilpersons atLarge to present himwith alistofnames ofpeople thathave reached outtothem. Councilwoman Bullock asked Director of Parks andRecreation Leslie Baker when theequipment willbeinstalled inthepark onBarber Avenue. Ms. Baker said because February hadmild weather the company wassupposed tohave started then. However, shesaidthecontractor’s employees quit working forhim. She said thatshehears every twoweeks that thework willbegin butithasn’tyetand thecontractor hasbeen awarded already andshe hopes ittakes place soon. She said theequipment hasbeen purchased. Councilwoman atLarge Hunter asked Leslie ifconstruction hasrecently taken place atHistoric Black Knight. Ms. Baker saidtheroof onthepool house was replaced andemployees from theParks andRecreation department did thelabor. Shesaidsofar, sixlifeguards are returning from lastyearandsheishoping thispool isable toopen thissummer. Councilman Sopher asked ifHistoric Black Knight hadanissue arise today. Ms. Baker said thatamain water line burst which likely occurred Monday night andflooded thedownstairs. Shesaid the facility mayneed tobeclosed foraweek orlonger. ServPro ishelping take care of the water andtheinsurance company has been contacted. Tamarack has been helpful inaccepting events thatwere previously scheduled attheHistoric Black Knight andhonored itspricing. NEW BUSINESS: There wasnonew business. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The Mayor said thatpublic comments arenolonger accepted viaWEB-Xorbyphone. The City did thatasacourtesy. Public comments canbemade bypeople who attend meetings and sign upidentifying who they areonthesign-upsheet. Mary West saidthat shewithdrew her submission torunforCity Council and willnolonger bearesident ofBeckley. Rose Campbell-Regaalado said shewasa resident ofSeed Sower (SS) oran employee ofFruits ofLabor (FOL). She gave Council handouts ofmessages, text messages, andinformation sheprovided regarding Seed Sower andFruits of Labor. Shehadnegative comments about SSand FOL. Theinformation she provided Council ishereby incorporated into these minutes. Next, Christie Lilly spoke inopposition to Beckley becoming an (IRC) Inclusive Recovery City. Kris Kincaid said that Beckley does nothave theresources to become anIRC. Tina Panell thanked the animal rescue organization andSoaring Hope Rescue Animal Shelter thatworked together tofindahome foradog. She recommended Camp Creek Mountain Maintenance forthegreat work they do. Natalie Coots saidthehomeless problem inBeckley isignored andsuggested the Community Development Grant money needs tobeused for housing also. She questioned the City becoming anIRC. Shewasdispleased thattheCMFG will notbeontheballot. Christina Baisden asked thattheCMjobrequirements include theCMtobearesident ofthe City. Shesuggested thatthe City advertise notforaCity Manager’s position tohelp expedite theprocess. She said noCityemployee should qualify for public assistance andpay needs tobe adjusted. Sheasked whatthe process is forCouncil members togetanitem placed onthe Agenda. Gayle Oaks isthe General Manager (GM) ofTheater WV andthanked Council and theMayor for including thetheater aspart ofan upcoming workshop. The Mayor told Christian Baisden thatshe cancontact the Council person serving theWard inwhich shelives, shecandiscuss itwiththat person about making whatever her concern maybeanAgenda item. Hesaid City Attorney, Mr.Fileapproves each Agenda before itispublished. There were nofurther comments. Council unanimously approved adjournment onamotion made by Councilman Reedy andseconded by Councilman Price. TheMayor adjourned themeeting at7:40p.m. Mayor Recorder-Treasurer