Common Council

AREGULAR MEETING OFTHECOMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT6:30PMONMAY 28, 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 ofIT,Amy Evans, Chief Coughlin ofBFD, 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. Head Coach George Barbara, ofthetrack team for Woodrow Wilson High School introduced two well accomplished track runners. Ryan Mukhtar andAma Ackon- Annan were presented achallenge coin from theMayor andCouncilwoman-at- Large presented them with acertificate of achievement. Council dispensed with thereading ofthe minutes from theregular City Council meeting dated April 29, 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 theregular City Council Workshop dated April 29, 2024, regarding FOLlease, copies ofwhich had been distributed toeachmember. Council unanimously approved theminutes as written onamotion byCouncilman Dunlap andseconded byCouncilman Price. Recorder-Treasurer Billie Trump said any budget revisions tothe FY-2023-24 budget needs tosubmitted totheState Auditor’sOffice. Mr.Trump said the only revisions were inAccount Numbers 368 (Contributions/Transfer from Other Entities) which includes thegiftofthe Pinehaven Homeless Shelter from the State. Additionally, Account Number 369 Contributions fromother Funds) includes ARPA funds andadditional money from thefirelevy (which paid forthenew fire truck). These hadtobooked asincome. Itwasdecided totake money out ofthe snow removal account since itwillnot snow between now andtheendofthe fiscal year. The budget revision was unanimously approved byCouncil ona motion made byCouncilman Price and seconded byCouncilman Sopher. The budge revision ishereby incorporated into these minutes. Next, theMayor opened theonly sealed bidreceived fora1ton, 4WD dump truck with asnowplow tobeutilized bythe Board ofPublic Works department. The bidwas from Whiteside ofSt. Clairsville, Inc. intheamount of $141,980.00. The bidwillbegiven tothetwo Council members atLarge, Director ofBoard of Public Works, andRecorder Treasurer Billie Trump forpossible award ata future Council meeting. The bidis hereby incorporated into these minutes. Next, theMayor opened twosealed bids received forthedemolition ofdilapidated structures intheCity which arefunded by theDLAP Grant. Thefirst bidwasfrom Empire Salvage inthe amount of 119,925.00. Thesecond bidwasfrom Reclaim Company, LLC intheamount of 170,450.00. Both bidswere given tothe two Council members atLarge, Chief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan, andMr.Trump forpossible award atafuture Council meeting. Next, theMayor opened one sealed bid from Southern WV Paving, Inc. for WVDOH Specification Asphalt inthe amount of $105./tonforBase IIorP&L1, 109./tonforWearing I, $ 144./ton for Curb Mix, and $144./tonforTennis Mix. Thebidwasgiven tothetwoCouncil members atLarge, Board ofPublic Works Director Pam FreyandMr.Trump for possible award atafuture meeting. The bidishereby incorporated intothese minutes. Next ontheAgenda wastheCity’s request forbidsforawalk-infreezer for Black Knight. However, nobids were received. Mr.Trump said thismayneed tobeconsidered anemergency expense. Parks & Recreation Director saidthe freezer atBlack Knight isn’tworking at allnow. Next, Mr.PaulHutchinson wastodiscuss theCityandtheChamber ofCommerce continuing apartnership ongateways in theCity. Mr.Hutchinson wason vacation. Councilman Sopher said landscaping andsignage areneeded atthe gateways andthatMr.Hutchison would likearesolution forthese requests atthe next Council meeting. Next, Sam Richfrom Thrasher Engineering explained Thrasher’sScope ofServices fordeveloping Pinecrest Business Park inthe amount of $480K. NRGRDA Executive Director Jina Belcher said that when theCity accepted Pinecrest itagreed todothemaster planning fortheproperty within thefirst eighteen months ofowning theproperty. This hasnothappened. Shesaid that NRGRDA hasactive tenants thatare interested inpadready sites. Shesaidthe Pinecrest group isexpecting movement onthisproject. Jinasaid thatshethinks it isbestifThrasher moves forward onthis project. Councilman Price asked Sam about thestormwater issues over inthe area close tothePinecrest Park. Sam said thatThrasher andthe Beckley Sanitary Board consistently communicate regarding stormwater inthat area and the Hartley project isnotgeographically connected tothePinecrest Park. Hesaid thisproject willneed tofollow theCity’s stormwater ordinances. Jinasaid thetwo interested tenants areeager andlooking forapproximately 2-2 ½acres each but want padready sites before they would buy. Councilman Sopher asked Samwhy theCity does notrequest bids for engineering services. Sam saidthat WV Code 5Gstates that when amunicipality hires foraproject inexcess of $250K itis supposed tobeaqualifications based process. Hesaid some RFP’sarewritten asanopen endopportunity for acompany toprovide services totheCity. In2016 theCity hadanRFP andThrasher was selected astheopen endgeneral services provider fortheCity ofBeckley. This allows theCity toavoid having togo through the5Gprocess every time ithasa project. Sam said thatnothing prohibits theCityfrom requesting open endbids again. Councilman Dunlap asked Sam if hehadanidea when groundbreaking may take place. Sam said itwould likely bein thespring of2025. Councilman Sopher suggested newCouncil members consider anew open endbidberequested. The Mayor asked ifenough information has been provided forCouncil during this meeting todecide ontheresolution or does Council wish toschedule a Workshop. Councilman Reedy said that hesuggests scheduling aworkshop. Council unanimously approved tabling theresolution onamotion made by Councilman Reedy andseconded by Councilman Dunlap. Councilman Reedy asked foraWorkshop tobescheduled regarding this. Jina Belcher asked thatthe Pinecrest group be included inthisWorkshop. Next, Mr.Filesaid thattonight isthe first reading ofthisordinance. Two parties have requested thattheCityselltwo parcels ofrealestate tothem which are located inthePinecrest Business Park. Theparties haveoffered topay $75K per parcel. These parcels were negotiated with theprevious owner ofPinecrest. TheCityhasagreed tohonor theprice thatwasoffered tothese parties atthat time. Mr.File read the ordinance bytitle AnOrdinance Authorizing The City Of Beckley ToSellTwo Parcels OfReal Estate Located InThePinecrest Business Park OffOfGovernor Clarence W. Meadows Parkway. Ifpassed tonight, the second reading and public hearing will be during theJune 11th Council meeting. Council unanimously approved the ordinance onamotion made by Councilman Dunlap andseconded by Councilman Price. The ordinance is hereby incorporated into these minutes. Next, Mr.Fileread bytitleanOrdinance Authorizing Property Swap With West Virginia Department OfVeterans Assistance. Tonight, willbethefirst reading andifpassed thesecond reading andpublic hearing willbeduring the June 11th meeting. Mr.Fileexplained thatthe property thattheWVVeterans Assistance WV VA) purchased was notconducive tobuilding afacility allononelevel. Therefore, theWV VAhasrequested to swap property with theCity ofBeckley. TheMayor said thattheCity thinks this would begood forboth theCity andthe VA. The ordinance wasunanimously passed byCouncil onamotion by Councilman Price seconded by Councilman Sopher. The ordinance is hereby incorporated into these minutes. Mr.Fileexplained that thisordinance is being presented tonight attherequest of theRaleigh County Board ofEducation RCBOE). Thefirst reading istonight andifpassed tonight thesecond reading andpublic hearing willbeduring theJune 11th meeting. This refers totheproperty close toStratton Elementary School that isbeing utilized bytheschool forvarious purposes including parking. Mr.File said thealley isn’tutilized andtheRCBOE is requesting that theCity close thealley. If thisordinance isadopted theCitywill convey totheadjacent property owners thealleyway through aquick claim deed; each adjacent owner would gethalfofthe alleyway. This ispursuit toWV Code. The ordinance istitled AnOrdinance Permanently Closing, Vacating And Discontinuing SoMuch OfAPublic Right-Of-Way, Namely, AnUnused Right-Of-Way/Alley Situate Between And Parallel ToTotten Street And Thurmond Street InThe City OfBeckley. The ordinance was unanimously approved byCouncil onamotion by Councilwoman Hunter seconded by Councilman Reedy. The ordinance is hereby incorporated into these minutes. Next ontheAgenda wasthe reappointment ofJane Haga, DeeDee Ellison, Sandy Palen, Willie Taggart, andViki Webb to theBeautification Commission. Council unanimously approved the reappointment onamotion made byCouncilman Sopher seconded byCouncilwoman Bullock. Next, thereappointment ofValerie Hartling totheRaleigh County Public Library Board ofTrustees. Council unanimously approved the reappointment onamotion made byCouncilman Sopher seconded byCouncilman Price. Next, thereappointment ofGary Sutphin tothe Beckley Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. Council unanimously approved the reappointment onamotion made byCouncilman Price seconded by Councilman Reedy. Next, thereappointment ofMarie Bechtel andQuirina Bullock tothe Hunam Rights Commission. Due toCouncilwoman Bullock’ssister serving onthiscommission, Councilwoman Bullock recused herself from thevote. Council unanimously approved the reappointment onamotion made byCouncilman Dunlap seconded byCouncilman Price. Next, thereappointment ofWilliam Brown totheEmergency Operating Center Commission. Council unanimously approved the reappointment onamotion made byCouncilman Sopher seconded byCouncilman Dunlap. Next, reappointment ofNoah Kapp tothe Board ofZoning Appeals. Council unanimously approved the reappointment onamotion made byCouncilman Sopher seconded byCouncilwoman Hunter. Next, thereappointment ofHoward Vest, Tara Barlow, Sam Interdonato, andArnold Bolen to the Historic Landmark Commission. Council unanimously approved thereappointment ona motion made byCouncilman Dunlap seconded by Councilwoman Bullock.  Next, ontheAgenda was Mayor Rappold’sappointment ofJeff Shumate to thePolicemen’sCivil Service Commission. Noaction isrequired byCouncil. Next, ontheAgenda was theMotion to accept Election Results. TheElection Results were unanimously approved by Council onamotion made by Councilman Dunlap seconded by Councilman Reedy. Themotion and election results are hereby incorporated into these minutes. OLD BUSINESS: Councilman Reedy asked for anupdate alease agreement with Fruits ofLabor. TheMayor said that Tammy haspresented thelease toher Attorney for review. Acopy ofthelease was requested byCouncilman Dunlap. Mr.Filesaid thathewould provide him with acopy ofthelease. NEW BUSINESS: There wasnonew business. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Mary West spoke about speeding onLarew Avenue. Christina Baisden thanked theCity for opening New River Pool forthe summer. Sheasked who isgoing tobeappointed as theInterim City Manager. TheMayor said thatthisisstillunder discussion. She said thatshethinks new Council members need tobepaid more. Shequestioned the City spending $480K onthePinecrest Park during ahousing crisis. Next, Adam Taylor gaveahandout demonstrating the rising cost torent theRaleigh Playhouse andTheater. He said WV Collective, the Beckley Children’sTheatre, and other nonprofit organizations cannot afford the riseinrent. Heasked Council toconsider lowering the rent. Councilman Dunlap said thatasaCouncil person hewould liketodonate hisannual allowance of $1,000.00toWV Collective. Thehandout ishereby incorporated into these minutes. Woodrow Wilson Track andField Coach George Barbara requested $1,000.00tohelp withthe cost oflodging fortherunners traveling on June 14th foracompetition. Jamon Schmidt, Marketing Director ofGoodwill Industries invited Council andtheCity employees tothegrand opening onJune 6.th Danielle Stewart wasinsupport of the $480K Thrasher offered forthe resolution discussed earlier. She asked Council ifthey knew who was buying the twoparcels atthePinecrest Business Park. Michael Smith said homelessness inBeckley isaproblem. 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