Common Council

AREGULAR MEETING OF THECOMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT6:30PMONFEBRUARY 25, 2025, INCOUNCIL CHAMBERS AND VIAWEB-X. PRESENT: Interim Recorder-Treasurer Jessica Chandler, City Attorney BillFile, andthe Mayor’sand CM’sAssistant Susan Miller. Council Members: Natalie Coots, KipBuchanan, Nancy Shoemaker- Dingess, Frank Williams, Janine Bullock, Sherrie Hunter, andCody Reedy. The following City employees were present: ITTech Anthony Martin, ITDirector Bil Kelly, Director ofP&RLeslie Baker, BFD Captain Ernie Parsons, Director ofBoard ofPublic Works (BPW) Pam Frey, Beckley Events Coordinator JillMoorefield, Chief Dean Bailey ofBPD, andChief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan. ABSENT: Mayor Neal. The Mayor was absent due toillness. Mr.FileledinthePledge ofAllegiance followed byaprayer byPastor John Jordan with Calvary Assembly ofGod. The public hadtheoption tojointhe meeting inperson, listen byWEB-Xfrom their computer, orlisten byphone, using theweblink orphone number provided thedayofthemeeting ontheCity’s webpage atBeckley.orgortheCity’s Facebook page. Mr.Filecalled themeeting toorder at 6:30p.m. Heexplained thatduetothe Mayor being absent, amotion andsecond needed tobemade foraCouncil member tochair themeeting. Council unanimously approved Councilman Reedy tochair themeeting onamotion made byCouncilwoman Coots seconded byCouncilwoman Shoemaker-Dingess. Councilman Reedy saidallmembers of Council were present andthere wasa quorum. Council dispensed with the reading oftheminutes from theJanuary 8,2025, Special Council Meeting, copies ofwhich hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved the minutes aswritten onamotion by Councilwoman Bullock seconded by Councilman Williams. Council dispensed with thereading ofthe minutes from theJanuary 28,2025, Council Meeting, copies ofwhich had been distributed toeachmember. Council unanimously approved theminutes as written onamotion byCouncilwoman Coots seconded byCouncilman Buchanan. Council dispensed with thereadingl ofthe minutes from the February 3,2025, Special Council Meeting, copies ofwhich hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved the minutes aswritten onamotion by Councilwoman Shoemaker-Dingess seconded byCouncilman Buchanan. Council dispensed with thereading ofthe minutes from theFebruary 18, 2025, Special Council Meeting, copies ofwhich hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved the minutes aswritten onamotion by Councilwoman Hunter seconded by Councilman Williams. Councilman Reedy presented proclamations tothefamilies and friends ofMr.Stovall andMr.Worley, recognizing theselfless contributions each hadmade tothebetterment ofthe City ofBeckley. Brief comments from Council Members andthe Interim Recorder-Treasurer included Councilwoman Bullock who said itisBlack History Month and she wanted torecognize thefirst African American Councilwoman inWard V which was Lorraine Seay. Shealsosaid thatshe would begetting intouch with theCode Enforcement Office regarding some issues inWard V. Councilman Buchanan didnothaveanycomments. Councilman Williams said thatthe abandoned houses inthe City need attention anduptown needs improvements. Healso recognized Carter G.Woodson, who founded the Association fortheStudy ofAfrican American Life andHistory (ASALH) andsaid Mr.Woodson washiswife’s great, great uncle. Councilwoman Shoemaker Dingess said thatthe sidewalks onHarper Road through the uptown area areindesperate need of attention andthevacant storefronts uptown need addressed. Shesaid theCity needs adogpark. Councilwoman Coots said that Rachael Cornett contacted her about theCity getting adogpark. Sheexpressed herdesire thatCouncil support WV Collective and requested this matter beadded totheAgenda ofan upcoming Workshop. She asked thata dogpark beadded toaWorkshop Agenda. Councilwoman Hunter thanked everyone who came outtonight tosupport theCity during thistime ofdeciding onanInterim City Manager. Councilwoman Hunter expressed gratitude forthegrant ofover 200K thatSalem Baptist Church received andsaid thatMr.Cook used to work attherecycling center. Councilwoman Hunter said thatsheisin favor ofhelping WVCollective because it brings foot traffic tothedowntown area. Councilman Reedy said heisalso infavor ofhelping WV Collective, butthinks that theCity should first take acloser look at thebudget. He said the Cityneeds to decide ifitwants tobealandlord. He has concerns about theCity making anoffer toone501C-3organization because others may also ask andthings need tobe putintoplace before moving forward on thistypeofrequest. Councilman Reedy confirmed thattheParks andRecreation Department isworking withgroups including theYMCA tohave enough lifeguards andstaff toopen theNew River Pool andtheBlack Knight pool on time. Director ofParks & Rec. Leslie Baker said twenty lifeguards would be needed toopen both pols and theyare advertising ontheCity’swebsite, social media, andworking with theYMCA. Interim Recorder-Treasurer Jessica Chandler presented Council with the Financial Statements andIndependent Auditor’sReport forFYthatended June 30, 2024, asprepared byFerrari & Associates, PLLC. Shesaid theonly finding against theCity was from theJanuary 2024 cyber-attack, thesame finding aslastyear. Shealso provided Council with information from theSanitary Board’sAudit. Councilwoman Bullock asked ITDirector BillKelly what theITDepartment hasin place toprevent another cyber-attack from occurring. Heexplained various measures areinplace, among which are theITDepartment working with Arete Advisors onaregular basis inorder tobe more proactive. This isthecompany that IThasbeen working with since thecyber- attack occurred. Mr.Kelly said thathe hasalistoftools they have implemented toprevent thisfrom happening again. Next, Mr.Fileread theResolution Authorizing CityofBeckley ToAccept Terms And Conditions OfReconnect Program Grant And Security Agreement USDept. ofAgriculture). Mr. File asked ITDirector Bill Kelly ifhehadany comments. Mr.Kelly said thatthiswillallow the uptown areatoreceive Wi-Fi. Councilwoman Coots asked ifthe campground near theYouth Museum would beincluded. Mr. Kelly saidtheIT Department willcontinue itswork to provide Wi-Fitothecampground. The resolution was unanimously approved by Council onamotion byCouncilman Williams seconded byCouncilwoman Coots. Theresolution ishereby incorporated into these minutes. Next, Mr.Fileread theResolution OfThe Common Council OfThe City Of Beckley ToPermit TheOpen Burning Of Vegetation. Council unanimously approved theresolution onamotion by Councilman Buchanan seconded by Councilwoman Hunter. The resolution is hereby incorporated intothese minutes. Next onthe Agenda wasthe discussion of vacant buildings. Councilman Buchanan asked Ms. Chandler iftheCityhas received anyinterest from anyone to purchase/lease anyofthebuildings that theCity owns. Shesaid no.She saidthe former Fruits ofLabor building recently hadthecopper stolen fromtheHVAC system sothat space isnotaclimate controlled space right now. Councilman Reedy asked Council toconsider ifthe City wants tobealandlord, sell, lease, or auction itsbuildings. Councilman Williams said that hethinks theCity should sellthebuildings. Councilman Reedy asked Mr.FileiftheCity hasa certain protocol ithastofollow regarding getting ridofbuildings when itpertains to selling them orputting them upfor auction. Mr.Filesaid Home Rule allowed theCity toadopt procedures it canfollow inselling andleasing its property, andthe City normally puts its buildings upforauction. Councilman Reedy said thatheisopposed totheCity being alandlord. He said that thistopic needs tobeadded tothenext Agenda for further discussion sotheMayor is included. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Mary West voiced concerns about drivers speeding onLarew Avenue. Shesaid theadfor the position ofCity Manager needs torunin thelocal newspaper. Tom Moseley thanked Council forrecognizing two former residents ofBeckley whorecently passed away. The following people spoke infavor ofhiring Danielle Stewart asthe Interim City Manager: Lori Midkiff, Tanisha Hughes, Carol Workman, Stephanie Paynter, LarShella Murphy, Hayley Lanchester, Kelly Elkins, Dayle Simpson, Kris Kincaid, Chris Brown, Tony Martin, Christinia, andDanielle Stewart. Chris Brown thanked theBPD andCouncilwoman Bullock forthe assistance recently given onthe street he lives. Hesaid hewould help theCity advertise buildings itwants tosellor lease. Tony Martin said that heisinfavor oftheCity assisting WV Collective soit cancontinue putting onperformances uptown. Council unanimously approved entering into Executive Session at7:39p.m. fora City Manager Personnel Matter ona motion byCouncilwoman Bullock seconded byCouncilman Buchanan. Council unanimously approved entering back into theRegular Council Meeting at 8:22p.m.onamotion byCouncilwoman Coots seconded byCouncilwoman Shoemaker-Dingess. Next ontheAgenda was the Appointment ofan Interim City Manager. Mr.FilereadtheResolution regarding Mr.Phillip Jarrell being appointed theInterim City Manager beginning March 1,2025. Council approved theResolution onamotion by Councilwoman Shoemaker-Dingess, seconded byCouncilman Buchanan. All Council members except Councilwoman Hunter voted infavor of the Resolution. Councilwoman Hunter opposed the resolution. The Resolution passed ona6- 1voteandishereby incorporated into these minutes. Mr.Jarrell’sannual salary shall be $110,000.  Councilwoman Bullock asked Mr. Fileif shecould share some ofMr.Jarrell’s background with Council. Hesaid that Mr.Jarrell worked forthe Raleigh County Board ofEducation foranumber ofyears overseeing several major projects and managing various departments. Councilman Reedy said that prior tothat heworked forFairchild International. With there being nofurther business to discuss Council unanimously approved adjourning themeeting onamotion made byCouncilwoman Bullock seconded by Councilman Williams. Councilman Reedy adjourned themeeting at8:25p.m. Mayor City Attorney