Common Council

AREGULAR MEETING OFTHECOMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT6:30PMONAPRIL 23, 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, Anthony Martin (IT),Chief Coughlin of BFD, Board ofPublic Works (BPW) Director Pam Frey, Chief ofBPD Dean Bailey, Director ofParks & Recreation Leslie Baker, andChief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan. The Mayor called themeeting toorder at 6:30p.m.The public hadtheoption to jointhemeeting inperson orlisten by WEB-Xfrom their computer, orlisten by phone, using theweblink orphone number provided thedayofthemeeting ontheCity’swebpage atBeckley.orgor theCity’sFacebook page. The Mayor saidtheShady Spring High School Triple ABoys Basketball 2024 Championship Team was planning to attend themeeting tonight. Each teammate wasgoing tobepresented with acertificate andachallenge coin during thismeeting. However, due toscheduling they were notabletoattend. The Mayor announced thatthe May 14, 2024, Council meeting iscancelled dueto Election Day. There will beaWorkshop todiscuss aleaseforFruits ofLabor FOL) onMonday, April 29, 2024, at 5:00p.m. There willbeaSpecial Meeting ofCommon Council onTuesday, May 7,2024, at6:30p.m.forthefirst reading ofanordinance forThrasher’s approval forthework atthePinecrest Business Park. Council dispensed with thereading ofthe minutes from theregular City Council meeting dated April 9,2024, copies of which hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved theminutes aswritten onamotion by Councilman Price andseconded by Councilman Dunlap. Council dispensed with thereading ofthe minutes from theregular City Council Workshop dated April 15, 2024, copies of which hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved theminutes aswritten onamotion by Councilman Dunlap andseconded by Councilman Price. Council dispensed with thereading ofthe minutes from theSpecial City Council Meeting dated April 16, 2024, copies of which hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved theminutes aswritten onamotion by Councilman Sopher andseconded by Councilwoman Bullock.  Next, Council unanimously approved a motion made byCouncilwoman atLarge Hunter and seconded byCouncilman at Large Reedy toaward thebidforthe paving ofRussel Street (from Vance Drive toKanawha Street) and thepaving ofGarfield Street (fromJohnstown Road toRussel Street) toSouthern WV Paving, Inc. intheamount of $161,800.00. The bidishereby incorporated intothese minutes.  Next, Mr.Filesaid theCity Manager Hiring Committee unanimously approved therecommendation toCouncil tohire Baker Tilley toassist inthehiring ofa City Manager. The firm willhelp prepare thecandidate profile development through theemployment offer. The cost ofBaker Tilley’sproposal is $26,950.00. The committee recommends adding an additional service intheamount of 1,650.00which would provide theCity with aweb based community survey. Council unanimously approved the motion made bycouncilman Dunlap and seconded byCouncilman Sopher. The proposal ishereby incorporated intothese minutes.  Next, Mr.Filestated thatinthepast theCity adopted anordinance toconvey certain property attheBeckley Landfill to theNew River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA). There wasproperty thatwasdeeded from theCity totheNRGRDA butthatdeed had omitted aportion oftheproperty that was intended tobeconveyed. TheCity is requesting authorization from Council to approve aDeed ofCorrection which will contain theremaining portion ofthe property thattheCity hadintended to originally deed totheNRGRDA. A motion and vote arenecessary toapprove thesigning oftheDeed ofCorrection which willcorrect theportion ofthe property tobeincluded thatwasomitted inthepast. Executive Director of NRGRDA Jina Belcher said thatthisis part oftheBrownsfield remediation andis arequirement oftheEPA. Council unanimously approved theresolution ona motion made byCouncilman Dunlap and seconded byCouncilman Price. The Resolution ishereby incorporated into these minutes.  Next, Mr.Filesaidthattonight isthe first reading oftheordinance. Ifpassed, thesecond reading andpublic hearing willbeduring theMay 7,2024, Special Meeting oftheCommon Council. Councilwoman Bullock requested this ordinance. Thepolice department andthe Chief ofPolice recommended this ordinance. This ordinance permits the installation ofstop signs which will stop vehicles traveling onBostick Avenue at theintersection ofBostick Avenue and Hartley Avenue. Mr.Fileread the Ordinance bytitle, AnOrdinance To Provide ForAn Amendment ToThe Traffic Control Map/Other Than Parking, And Traffic Control FileRequiring Vehicles Traveling OnBostock Avenue ToStop AtThe Intersection OfBostick Avenue AndHartley Avenue. Council unanimously approved theordinance ona motion made byCouncilwoman Bullock andseconded byCouncilman Sopher. The ordinance ishereby incorporated into these minutes. Thenext item onthe Agenda was theFair Housing Proclamation. TheMayor gave theProclamation toDanielle Stewart of theHuman Rights Commission. Acopy oftheProclamation ishereby incorporated into these minutes. OLD BUSINESS: Councilwoman Bullock said thatParks & Recreation Director Leslie Baker did agreat jobwith herpresentation attheRotary Club meeting today. Councilwoman Bullock asked about theflashing traffic lights at theRising Start Daycare Center. Chief Bailey said thatisastate route andhe cannot make recommendations onstate routes. Mr.Filesaid thatitisastate route. Councilman Reedy asked Board of Public Works Director Pam Frey when G” Street would bepaved. Pam said she willreach outtothecontractor andsee when they plan onpaving “G” Street. NEW BUSINESS: The Mayor said that Sam Rich fromThe Thrasher Group will discuss Thrasher’sproposed scope of services forthePinecrest Business Park sitedevelopment. Theproposed services areonpage three with theproposed fee lump sum of $480K). Mr.Rich also shared amap with Council which isthe focus ofthisproject. Hesaidthescope of services thatThrasher isproposing isfor allthesitedesign surveying work thatis going toneed tobedone todevelop this property located next totheschool and Pinecrest Industrial Road. There are several tenants interested inbuying property atthislocation with thecaveat that thesubdivision ofspecific parcels needs totake place. Thrasher’scontract would betodesign alloftheroads, the site grading tocreate padready development sites, andallthe infrastructure into thesiteitself, aswellas subdivide those specific parcels from the overall Pinecrest boundary. Overall, the property isapproximately twenty-eight acres. Twenty acres would be “pad ready” sites thatcanbesold. Theintent is todevelop asmuch oftheproperty as possible tomake itmore attractive. Thrasher would also doallthenecessary permitting through local andstate agencies, thesurveying, inspect the infrastructure thatwillbeinstalled, manage construction, they willoffer bidding andconstruction administration services through thecontract bymeans of advertising andlegals ads, etc. Thrasher estimates that ifthetwenty-eights acres were putouttobiditwould beaproject estimated at $4 ½ - 5 ½M. Mr.Rich said theCity isfocusing onobtaining abond forthis. Three people areinterested in purchasing property atthislocation. They areinterested inprim locations which face thebypass. Theproposal Thrasher gave Council isfortheentire property is 480K. This proposal excludes vertical construction. JinaBelcher said thattwo oftheinterested parties arelikely ready to purchase elsewhere ifthisproperty isn’t sellable soon. Councilman Sopher said that theCity realized (atthetimeof purchase) thatexpenses would arise. The City willrecover itsmoney forThrasher’s services when theproperties sell. Jina said part oftheagreement when Pinecrest transferred wasthattheCity would invest intheinfrastructure ofPinecrest. Mr. Rich said thattheCity willreceive B&O taxes which will help recover money spent through thebond. Thebond should cover thecost ofThrasher’sservices. Mr. Paul Hutchinson asked for anupdate on theVA Hospital long term nursing facility. TheMayor said this may bea topic foraWorkshop. Mr.Filesaidthat Mr.Richmay want tobriefly address the question. Mr.Richsaid Thrasher has been working with theState onthedesign ofaonehundred twenty bedlong term nursing care facility forveterans. The Department ofAgriculture gave theState theproperty forthispurpose. However, it wasnotadequate fortheir plans so Thrasher approached Council about doing aproperty swap with theState. This facility willnotbeinthesame vicinity. This would belocated past theSheriff’s Office towards thewest, away from this development. Councilwoman Hunter said theNational Day ofPrayer willbefrom 8:00a.m. – 7:00p.m.onMay 2nd atWord Park. Councilman Sopher encouraged everyone toattend theribbon cutting fortheBoys Girls Club oftheSalvation Army on Friday, May 10th at10:00a.m. Councilman Sopher said thathehasbeen working tohelp bring anew Visitor’s Center andRest Stopforthose entering thearea from I- 64. Itwould belocated on theClearance Meadows Boulevard. Directly across thestreet fromthe back entrance toWoodrow Wilson High School iswhere heisalso working totry toget anoverlook. Hesaidthere isa bridge over Cranberry Creek. This overlook would beforthebridge andthe creek. This ispart ofBeckley Outdoors. Heshared awhite map depicting this area. Councilwoman Bullock said Thursday, May 9th istheBillWithers Gayla attheConvention Center at6:00 p.m. Councilman Price thanked Council forallthework they have accomplished over thelasteight years working together. Hestrongly encouraged voters tovote for themost qualified candidate tobecome a member ofCouncil. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Mary West said achild gotonaschool busyesterday morning, flashed aweapon, andgot offof thebus. Sheasked theCity tohelp provide measures ofsafety intheschools with metal detectors. Shevoiced her concerns about drivers speeding onLarew Avenue. Paul Hutchinson signed upto speak during public comments butpassed because hisquestion hadalready been addressed. Michael Smith asked who the City Health Officer isbecause there is standing water nearhishouse dueto improper drainage. Frank Williams thanked theBPD forhelping with anissue involving squatters andthanked theBoard ofPublic Works spring cleanup crew. There were nofurther comments. Council unanimously approved adjournment onamotion made by Councilman Price andseconded by Councilwoman Bullock. TheMayor adjourned themeeting at7:25p.m. Mayor Recorder-Treasurer