Common Council

AREGULAR MEETING OF THECOMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT6:30PMONJULY 08, 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, Nancy Shoemaker-Dingess, Frank Williams, Janine Bullock, KipBuchanan, Sherrie Hunter, andCody Reedy. The following City employees were present: ITTechnician Anthony Martin, BFD Deputy Chief Allard, Director ofBoard ofPublic Works BPW) Mike Bolen, Beckley Events Coordinator Jill Moorefield, Parks & Rec. Director Leslie Baker, and Chief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan. The Mayor ledinthePledge of Allegiance followed byprayer byPastor Monte Mitchell withtheBeckley Presbyterian Church . The public had the option tojointhemeeting inperson, listen byWEB-Xfrom their computer, orlisten byphone, using theweblink orphone number provided thedayofthemeeting ontheCity’swebpage atBeckley.orgor theCity’sFacebook page. The Mayor called the meeting toorder at 6:30p.m. The Mayor said that all members ofCouncil were present. The Mayor saidthat there was aquorum. Council dispensed with thereading ofthe minutes from theJune 24, 2025, Council Meeting, copies ofwhich hadbeen distributed toeach member. Council unanimously approved the minutes aswritten onamotion by Councilwoman Coots seconded by Councilwoman Bullock. 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 requested more speed humps on Larew Avenue andvoiced concerns about trees inalleyways. Shesaid treestumps need toberemoved. John Paul DeJarnett isthesuperintendent ofacorrectional center located near theoldBeckley Hospital. He saidthe individuals inthe correctional program help clean churches, mow lawns atcemeteries, etc. Hesaid thatifhelp isneeded withthistype of work tocontact himat304-256-6780. Christina Baisden said theCity still needs tobetransparent, andthepublic needs a way tointeract andaddress Council. Danielle Stewart voiced heropinion about thedeficit the City’sParks and Recreation’sdepartment hasinitsbudget andreferenced several statecodes. Shaleaeen Farhart isastudent andshared hervision fordowntown. Shewould like toseeithavemore walkability. Chief Deputy Allard, along withtwo officers from theBPD updated Council on programs implemented tohelp those struggling withaddiction. Todate, fourteen officers have been CIT trained Crisis Intervention Training). TheBPD hasaPeer Recovery Support Specialist, Heather Williams, who alsohelps. Together, they work with theWV Sober Living Program tohelp individuals with addiction findplacement inrehabilitation services. Next were Brief Comments From the Mayor, Council Members, andtheInterim City Manager. Councilwoman Bullock invited everyone totheNAACP State Conference onAugust 8thth & 9 atHeart ofGod Ministries. She thanked various departments fortheir help. Shethanked thecorrectional facility forpermitting the inmates tomow Wright-Hunter Cemetery. Shethanked Mr.Jarrell forhis willingness tolisten andoffer helpwhen needed. Sherecommended thattheCity give the RCBOE (Raleigh County Board ofEducation) $1Mofitsopioid money. Councilman Buchanan asked ifthetents setupselling fireworks onvarious parking lots hadtohave permits. Chief Code Enforcement Officer Morgan said yes. Interim Recorder-Treasurer Jessica Chandler said they are required topay B&Otaxes. Hesaid thatHarper Road is also experiencing amajor problem with homelessness. Hethanked City Attorney Mr.Fileforstaying with theCity. Councilman Williams thanked various departments fortheir help recently and said thedepartments aredoing agood job. Healsothanked Council members. Councilwoman Shoemaker-Dingess thanked theBPD fortheir work ona recent issue onWoodlawn Avenue. She asked ifthepeople who setuptents on various parking lotsselling puppies and other things have permits. Shesaidan ordinance needs tobewritten regarding thisissue. Shesaid each ofthe departments isdoing agreat job. Councilwoman Coots hassimilar concerns regarding puppies being sold andoutintheheat. Shethanked allofthe departments forthework theydo. She said theopioid fundtopic stillneeds addressed. Shethanked Mr.Jarrell for his willingness tohear Council andwork on issues. Sheasked Jessica Chandler Interim Recorder Treasurer toexplain why there wasmore money inthebudget under thelineitem ofCity Attorney. Jessica saiditisbecause inDecember of 2024, Mr.Filewas considering retiring. Inanticipating having tohireanew City Attorney, theCity wanted tobeable to offer acompetitive salary. Mr.File’s salary isvery low compared toother City Attorneys inWest Virginia. TheCity Attorney lineitem was increased to provide funds topayMr.File’s replacement. TheMayor saidheattended theBillWither’sFestival andhadagreat time. Hethanked Ms. Sholin Farhat for addressing Council about what shewants hercity tobecome. TheMayor saidthat thepublic cantalktoCouncil members before orafter meetings, aswell asspeak tohim. Councilwoman Hunter said more speed humps/bumps areneeded on Larew. Shethinks theWelcome Center needs toreopen. Shewould liketosee theordinance regarding vape/smoke shops onanupcoming agenda. She thanked theMayor forhispart in coordinating theMountain State Golf Classic event thisweekend inBeckley. Shesaidthesecond Friday ofeach month istheVeterans Mobile Food Pantry at Epling Stadium from 10-11:30. Cat food anddogfood willbeavailable. She thanked Doug Epling forallowing the Epling Stadium tobeused forthis. Councilman Reedy said thefireworks display theCity held was anice event and thanked theEpling’sforthefireworks display thefollowing night. Heasked Leslie Baker foranupdate about getting a new swimming pool atNew River Park. Shesaid theCity gottheearmark sothe first hurdle was asuccess and this particular grant does notrequire amatch from theCity. Councilman Reedy suggested moving Beckley Events & Beckley Outdoors departments tothe building where theformer Welcome Center was located andrent bicycles out ofthatlocation. Interim City Manager Phillip Jarrell thanked the staffand Council fortheir work. Hethanked Jill Moorefield fortherecent events held in theCity andfortheupcoming events. He said paving willbetaking place on Northwestern Avenue. Hesaidabidwas recently putoutforthepaving ofDorcas Avenue, Nixon Drive, andMercer Street, which isfunded through CDBG. Hesaid theEwart Avenue paving project willbe putoutforbidassoon asBeckley Water andBeckley Sanitary Board finish working there. Hesaidthere isaFEMA project there now also. Hethanked theRaleigh County Board of Education fordonating playground equipment being installed attheparkon Barbour Avenue. OLD BUSINESS: There wasnoold business. NEW BUSINESS: Next wastheaward bid(s)fortheremoval andinstallation of roofs onfire stations 1 &2. Fire Station 1 FS1) islocated on3rd Avenue andFire Station 2 (FS2) islocated onPikeview Drive. Council unanimously approved a motion byCouncilman Reedy seconded byCouncilwoman Hunter toaward the bid forFS1 toFrye Roofing intheamount of $79,076.00andthebidforFS2 to Vertex intheamount of $30,355.00. Both bids were incorporated into the June 24, 2025, Council minutes. Next ontheagenda wastheApproval of theFY2025-2026 Coal Severance Budget Revision. Jessica Chandler said the beginning balance ofthis budget needs revised todetermine what theCity’s estimations are. This revenue increases therevenue by $30K inanticipation of receiving thatamount from taxrevenue which isestimated tobereceived inlate July orAugust. Shesaid theCoal Severance canbeused forstreets andhighways orforparks and recreation. Ontheoriginal budget itwas dedicated tothe streets andhighways which iswhat isbeing proposed. The additional $30Kwillbeadded towards thestreets andhighways. Council unanimously approved theFY2025-2026 Coal Severance Budget Revisions as presented onamotion byCouncilman Buchanan seconded byCouncilman Reedy. There were noquestions. The FY2025-206Coal Severance Fund Resolution andRequest ForRevision to Approve Budget arehereby incorporated into these minutes. Next ontheagenda wastheApproval of theCity Manager Employment Agreement. Mr.File said thatafter having discussions with each member ofCouncil thisemployment agreement seems tobe theconsensus ofthemajority. Council requested anemployment agreement with Mr.Jarrell toname him theCity Manager andremove theinterim tagfrom histitle. Ifapproved tonight, itwould start today, July 8,2025, andisforoneyear atthe payrate of $110,000/year which heis currently being paid. After sixmonths, City Council willreview hisperformance. City Council will setgoals andobjectives forMr.Jarrell towork towards. This isa one-year contract, buthisperformance willbeupfor review after sixmonths. Mr.Jarrell willbeprovided with one month’sseverance payandbenefits, unless heresigns onhisown. The Agreement also provides himwith two weeks ofaccrued vacation. The Mayor asked foramotion toapprove the employment contract. Councilman Reedy made themotion which was seconded by Councilman Buchanan. Councilwoman Coots asked ifhealth insurance willbeprovided toMr.Jarrell bytheCity. Hesaid no,hehashisown. With there being nofurther discussion, Council unanimously approved the employment contract with Mr.Jarrell which ishereby incorporated into these minutes. Council unanimously approved entering into Executive Session concerning lease negotiations at7:42p.m.onamotion by Councilman Reedy seconded by Councilman Buchanan. TheMayor said novotes aretaken andnodecisions are made during Executive Session. Council unanimously approved entering back into theRegular Council meeting onamotion byCouncilwoman Hunter seconded by Councilwoman Bullock at8:05p.m. With there being nofurther business to discuss, Council unanimously approved adjourning themeeting onamotion by Councilman Reedy seconded by Councilwoman Bullock. The Mayor adjourned themeeting at8:06p.m. Mayor City Manager