Common Council

AREGULAR MEETING OFTHE COMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT 6:30PMONAPRIL 8,2025, INCOUNCIL CHAMBERS AND VIA WEB-X. PRESENT: Mayor Ryan Neal, Interim City Manager Phillip Jarrell, Mayor andCity Manager’sAssistant Susan Miller, Interim Recorder-Treasurer Jessica Chandler, City Attorney Bill File. Council Members: Natalie Coots, KipBuchanan, Nancy Shoemaker-Dingess, Frank Williams, Janine Bullock, Sherrie Hunter, andCody Reedy. The following City employees were present: ITDirector BillKelly, BFD Chief Ed Thompson, Director ofBoard ofPublic Works (BPW) Pam Frey, Beckley Events Coordinator Jill Moorefield, Chief Dean Bailey ofBPD, andChief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan. ABSENT: Director ofParks & Recreation Leslie Baker. The Mayor ledinthePledge ofAllegiance followed byprayer byAssistant Pastor Sam Peterson withFaith Community Church. The public hadtheoption tojointhe meeting in person, listen byWEB-Xfrom their computer, orlisten byphone, using theweblink orphone number provided thedayofthemeeting ontheCity’swebpage atBeckley.orgortheCity’s Facebook page. The Mayor called themeeting toorder at6:30p.m. The Mayor said thatallmembers of Council were present andthere was aquorum. Council dispensed with thereading ofthe minutes from theMarch 25, 2025, Council Meeting, copies ofwhich hadbeen distributed to each member. Council unanimously approved the minutes aswritten onamotion by Councilman Williams seconded byCouncilman Reedy. Forinformational purposes Chief Code Enforcement Officer Morgan read the Notice of Application forWV ABCA License at110Harper Park Drive forachange inownership ofthe Hampton Inn. Acopy oftheapplication ishereby incorporated into these minutes. Next onthe Agenda was Brief Comments From theMayor, Council Members, andthe Interim City Manager. Councilwoman Bullock thanked several people beginning with news reporter Jessica Farrish forinterviewing herasa "Remarkable Woman” onMarch 31, 2025. Councilwoman Bullock thanked Councilman Reedy forhiskind remarks, andCouncilwoman Hunter forthepicture she gave her. Councilwoman Bullock congratulated Jessica Farrish on theaward shereceived. Councilwoman Bullock invited everyone toattend the80th Charter Day Luncheon Beckley Alumnae Chapter ofDelta Sigma Data Sorority. Dr.Roslyn Clark Artis isthePresident ofBenidict College andtheKeynote Speaker. Lunch begins at11:00 andis $50.00. Councilwoman Bullock expressed concern regarding juveniles climbing the fence attheoldPiney Oaks Elementary School togain access tothebuilding. Chief Bailey of theBPD said that he’lllook into it.Councilman Buchanan asked ITDirector BillKelly ifWi- Fiisavailable atthecampground yet. Mr.Kelly said nobutitwillbesoon. Councilman Buchanan confirmed that thetentative opening date forthegolf course atBlack Knight is April 14.th The Mayor saidyes, thatisatentative date. Councilman Buchanan asked ifthelist ofbuildings theCityowns isstillbeing compiled. Interim City Manager Jarrell said yes. Councilman Buchanan asked iftheassets for disposal arealmost ready tobeputupfor auction. Interim Recorder-Treasurer said yes, anadvertisement willruninthepaper first. Councilman Williams aswell astheother Council members thanked Events Coordinator Jill Moorefield fortheBillWithers Festival. Councilman Williams, aswell astheother members ofCouncil thanked theBoard ofPublic Works foralltheirhard work forspring cleanup. Councilwoman Dingess said herconcerns havebeen addressed atthelast Council meeting. Councilwoman Coots thanked Mr.Jarrell forthework hehasdone intheshort amount oftime thathehasbeenhere. Shethanked theBeckley Sanitary Board fortheprojects they are overseeing onMaxwell Hill. Councilwoman Coots congratulated Councilwoman Bullock for herrecognition asa “Remarkable Woman”. The Mayor said that hepresented aProclamation atJustForKidsyesterday tohelp bring awareness toApril being Child Abuse Awareness Month. Councilwoman Hunter said that Just For Kidsisagreat non-profit that fallsunder theUnited Way umbrella. Councilwoman Hunter read aloud aletter from someone expressing their request forfreeparking intheCity in more places than itiscurrently offered. Interim Recorder-Treasurer Jessica Chandler said that parking fees help payfor theBeckley Intermodal Gateway and helps pay forinsurance onthe parking lots. Councilman Reedy said thatmore regarding parking willbediscussed atthe Parking Commission Meeting onApril 22nd after theRegular Council Meeting. Among some ofCouncilman Reedy’sconcerns were theCharles House andtheGreyhound Bus Station. He ishoping that Council willbeable tolook deeper into these concerns soon. Councilman Reedy said that Dolly Pardon’sImagination Station wassupported lastyear with a $16K contribution. Itwas from thegeneral fundandhopes itcanbesupported regularly. Herealizes thatthebudget hasalready been approved forthisyear butwould liketoseethe City support thisorganization inthefuture. Councilwoman Coots said that hersorority made a $6Kcontribution tothis organization and perhaps theCity andhersorority could discuss thisinmore detail next year. Interim City Manager Jarell said thatGeneral Manager Jeremiah Johnson isoutoftown onbusiness forthe Beckley Sanitary Board. Mr.Jarrell said that hehasbeen meeting with various organizations, committees, serving onboard ofdirectors, and recently held adepartment head meeting. He said thathehired someone tomanage thegolf course atBlack Knight andattended theUpper BigBranch Memorial Ceremony lastSaturday. OLD BUSINESS: There was nooldbusiness. NEW BUSINESS: Interim Recorder-Treasurer Jessica Chandler discussed theState Contract Pricing ForThe Beckley Fire Department. Reimbursement from thefire levycan beused to purchase 2,F-150’sthrough Thornhill Ford for $44, 516.00each and 1GMC 3500 HD through Matheny GMC for $50,162.00. Council unanimously approved thepurchase ona motion byCouncilwoman Coots seconded byCouncilman Williams. Information regarding thevehicles was provided toCouncil forreview prior tothe meeting andishereby incorporated into these minutes. Next onthe agenda wasthe Approval OfPurchasing Cooperative Pricing ForAPaver ForThe Board OfPublic Works. Interim City Manager Jarrell said Boyd Catcanprovide theCity with anew 2024 Weiler Paver for $211,625.00. Councilman Williams asked iftheCity willstill contract paving work ifthispaver ispurchased. Director ofBoard ofPublic Works Pam Frey said thatitdepends onthesizeoftheproject andhow theproject isfunded. Shesaid thatthis willbeusedfor smaller jobs. Council unanimously approved the purchase ofthe paver ona motion byCouncilman Reedy seconded byCouncilwoman Hunter. Information onthepaver was given toCouncil prior tothemeeting andishereby incorporated into these minutes. Next ontheagenda wastheOrdinance Establishing FreeTwo (2)Hour Parking InDowntown Beckley. Mr.Filesaid thattonight isthe first reading oftheordinance andifapproved by Council thesecond reading and public hearing willbeduring theApril 22nd Council Meeting. Mr.Filesaid that there willbetwo hour free parking intheCity between thehours of8:00 a.m. –4:30p.m. . However, parking spaces thatarecurrently reserved and15minute parking spaces willremain. Mr.Fileread bytitle Ordinance Establishing Free Two (2)Hour On- Street Parking InDowntown Beckley. Council unanimously approved theordinance ona motion byCouncilman Reedy seconded byCouncilman Williams. Theordinance ishereby incorporated into these minutes. The Mayor read theProclamation forFairHousing Month. Itishereby incorporated intothese minutes. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The Mayor announced thatifcalling byphone: dial *3toraise your hand. Ifconnected bycomputer: click the “hand icon” onyour participants panel. There wasn’tanyone who signed uptospeak online. Mary West expressed concerns regarding theplacement ofspeed humps onLarew Avenue and concerns about trees onLarew Avenue. Pam McTier with FEMA spoke about theflooding thattook place inourarea inFebruary. Shesaid that over 13K homes inthearea reached out toFEMA forassistance andencouraged anyone affected bythatflood needing help toreach outtoFEMA. Christina Baisden said thatshecontinues tobedisappointed with thelackof transparency from Council. Shecomplained about theresponse toherFOIA request and she complained about how Executive Session islisted ontheAgenda. Reverand Calvin Moore, Jr. said thatheisstill waiting forthestormwater issues onHartley Avene tobecorrected. Hedoes notthink thathewas offered enough money forhishouse and thestormwater issues affected thefoundation ofhishome andthe outbuildings hebuilt. Councilwoman Bullock asked himifheisrequesting additional money forthesaleofhis house. Hesaid yes. She said that thestormwater issues inthis area have taken toolong. She told Reverand Moore, Jr.thatshewillgototheBeckley Sanitary Board with himtodiscuss thiswith General Manager Jeremiah Johnson. With there being nofurther business todiscuss, Council unanimously approved adjourning the meeting onamotion made byCouncilman Reedy seconded by Councilwoman Coots. The Mayor adjourned themeeting at 7:20p.m. Mayor Interim City Manager