Common Council

AREGULAR MEETING OF THECOMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT6:30PMONAPRIL 22, 2025, INCOUNCIL CHAMBERS AND VIAWEB-X. PRESENT: Mayor Ryan Neal, Interim City Manager Phillip Jarrell, Interim Recorder-Treasurer Jessica Chandler, Susan Miller Mayor & City Manager’s Assistant, City Attorney BillFile. Council Members: Natalie Coots, KipBuchanan, Nancy Shoemaker- Dingess, Frank Williams, Janine Bullock, Sherrie Hunter, andCody Reedy. The following City employees were present: ITTechnician Anthony Martin, IT Director BillKelly, BFD Chief EdThompson, Director ofBoard ofPublic Works (BPW) Pam Frey, Beckley Events Coordinator JillMoorefield, Chief Dean Bailey ofBPD, Parks & Rec. Director Leslie Baker, andChief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan. The Mayor ledinthePledge of Allegiance followed byprayer by Assistant Pastor Bryan Knight with Beckley First Baptist Church. The public hadthe option tojointhemeeting in person, listen byWEB-Xfrom their computer, orlisten byphone, using the weblink orphone number provided the dayofthemeeting ontheCity’swebpage atBeckley.orgortheCity’sFacebook page. The Mayor called the meeting toorder at 6:30p.m. The Mayor said that all members ofCouncil were present and there was aquorum. Council dispensed with thereading oftheminutes from the April 8,2025, Council Meeting, copies of which hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved theminutes aswritten onamotion by Councilman Williams seconded by Councilwoman Coots. Council dispensed with thereading ofthe minutes fromtheApril 15, 2025, Special Council Meeting, copies ofwhich had been distributed toeachmember. Council unanimously approved theminutes as written onamotion byCouncilman Williams seconded byCouncilwoman Hunter. Next ontheAgenda was Brief Comments From theMayor, Council Members, and theInterim CityManager. Councilwoman Bullock read aletter that shereceived from Congresswoman Carol Miller thanking her forherservice. Councilman Buchanan confirmed thatthe golf course atBlack Knight willopen May 1st andaquote forWi-Fiatthe campground atNew River Park was recently putoutfor bid. Heasked the City Attorney ifanymember ofCouncil isasked toserve ontheboard ofdirectors foranyorganizations should they first discuss itwith himifthey think there could possibly beaconflict ofinterest. Mr.Filesaid yes. Councilman Williams thanked Code Enforcement for recently inviting himtoameeting andtheBoard ofPublic Works onajob well done during spring cleanup. Councilwoman Dingess alsothanked the Code Enforcement Office. Councilwoman Coots encouraged others toseeSteel Magnolias atThe Raleigh Playhouse and Theatre andtoshop locally tosupport local businesses. Shesaid thatthis Council isnolonger considered newand itistimetogetbusy drafting ordinances andmaking necessary changes tohelp the City. The Mayor said thattheCity will have abooth setuptomorrow atthe Beckley Raleigh County Convention Center forFuture Forward and encouraged thepublic toattend. Councilwoman Hunter wasgrateful for thethirty-twostudents from Stratton who recently participated inalitter sweep. Shesaid today isNational Earth Day. Shepresented Coby Dillion with a Certificate ofAchievement forbeing the WV High School Soccer Player ofthe Year. Councilman Reedy said that heis grateful forthe upcoming Workshop on the29th andlooks forward toprogress being made andthanked Interim City Manager Jarrell forscheduling the Workshop. Hesaidhe, likeCouncilwoman Coots thinks thatitistime forCouncil toget busy making necessary changes. Mr.Jarrell said that heappreciated the staff andthanked them fortheir hard work. Hesaid thatwhile hewasatFuture Forward earlier today various topics were discussed. Among them were parking, landbanks, andtheRails ToTrails. OLD BUSINESS: Mr.Filesaidthatthe first reading oftheordinance titled Ordinance Establishing Free Two (2) On-Street Parking InDowntown Beckley passed onthefirst reading during the April 8,2025, Regular Council Meeting. Tonight isthesecond reading andpublic hearing onthisordinance. Mr.File said that15-minute parking spaces and parking spaces marked reserved will remain, aswell asmonthly paid parking spaces. Hereadtheordinance bytitle, Ordinance Establishing Free Two (2) Hour On-Street Parking InDowntown Beckley. Mr.Fileopened thepublic hearing. Christina Baisden said that she appreciated thefreetwo-hour parking, but adiscussion should have taken place during aParking Commission Meeting. With there being nofurther comments, Mr.File closed thepublic hearing. Council unanimously approved the ordinance aspresented onamotion by Councilman Reedy seconded by Councilwoman Hunter. Theordinance is hereby incorporated into these minutes. NEW BUSINESS: TheMayor opened bids forasphalt, concrete, stone/abrasives/sand, andreinforcement rods. The first bidwas from Appalachian Aggregates, LLC andishereby incorporated into these minutes. The second bidwas from Southern WV Paving andishereby incorporated into these minutes. The third bidwas fromTriple APaving andishereby incorporated intothese minutes. Thelast bidwas from Premier Concrete Services andishereby incorporated into these minutes. The bids willbereviewed bythetwo Council members atLarge, Board of Public Works Director, theInterim City Manager, andtheInterim Recorder Treasurer forpossible award atafuture Council meeting. Councilwoman Shoemaker-Dingess asked Pam Frey for theprocedure torequest specific streets beadded tothelist forpaving. Pam said Council canemail herthestreet name and shewillseeifisonthelistalready composed andifnot, depending onthe budget andtime, thestreet may beadded tothe listoritmayneed tobeputonthe listforalater date. Interim CityManager Jarrell said thatbids willalso beaccepted from theWV State Department of Transportation. Next was thefirst reading ofanordinance titled “Ordinance Changing Starting Time OfRegular Meetings OfBeckley Common Council From 6:30p.m.to5:30 p.m.OnSecond And Fourth Tuesdays Of Each Month”. Mr.Filed read the ordinance bytitleandsaidifpassed tonight thesecond reading andpublic hearing willbeduring theMay 13th Council meeting. Councilman Reedy made amotion toadopt theordinance seconded byCouncilman Williams. TheMayor asked ifthere were any questions orcomments from Council. Councilwoman Hunter said thatthe Raleigh County Board ofEducation RCBOE) Meetings areheldonthesame days oftheweek andstart at5:30p.m. Shesaid she thinks thatCity Council Meetings should remain starting at6:30 p.m. Councilman Williams asked ifthe RCBOE Meetings also start at5:30. Interim City Manager Jarrell confirmed. TheMayor asked ifthere wereanyother questions for comments. With there being none, Council voted to approve theordinance aspresented with allmembers ofCouncil voting infavor of theordinance with theexception of Councilwoman Hunter who voted against theordinance. Theordinance ishereby incorporated into these minutes. PUBLIC COMMENTS: The Mayor announced thatifcalling byphone: dial 3toraiseyour hand. Ifconnected by computer: click the “hand icon” onyour participant’spanel. There wasn’tanyone who signed uptospeak online. Mary West expressed concerns regarding theplacement ofspeed humps onLarew Avenue. Shesaid that sheishaving the trees thatareofconcern tohernear her residence taken care of. Sheexpressed heropposition tochanging theCity Council Meetings to5:30p.m. Next, Tom Moseley said thattherestrooms at New River Park need tobeunlocked for thepublic touseandsome ofthepicnic tables need attention there. Hesaidthat theplayground equipment sitsinthesun alldayandneeds covered because itis hotwhen children want toplay onit. He requested that afence beinstalled sothe Board ofPublic Works isn’tvisible while atthepark. Christinia Baisden said that sheappreciated the documents forthis meeting being posted ontheCity’s website. Shewasopposed tochanging City Council Meetings to5:30p.m. She saidthatmorale attheBoard of Public Works isnot good.  Next ontheAgenda wasPotential Executive Session Regarding APersonnel Issue. Council unanimously approved entering Executive Session onamotion byCouncilman Reedy seconded by Councilman Williams at7:07p.m. Council unanimously agreed toenter back intotheRegular Council Meeting at8:01 p.m.onamotion byCouncilwoman Coots seconded byCouncilwoman Shoemaker-Dingess. With there being no further business todiscuss, Council unanimously approved adjourning the meeting onamotion made by Councilman Williams seconded by Councilman Buchanan. TheMayor adjourned themeeting at8:02p.m. Mayor Interim City Manager