Common Council

ASPECIAL MEETING OFTHE COMMON COUNCIL OFTHE CITY OFBECKLEY CONVENED AT5:30PMONAUGUST 12,2025, INCOUNCIL CHAMBERS AND VIAWEB-X. PRESENT: Mayor Ryan Neal, City Manager Phillip Jarrell, Interim Recorder-Treasurer Jessica Chandler, Susan Miller, Mayor & City Manager’sAssistant, City Attorney BillFile. Council Members: Natalie Coots, Nancy Shoemaker-Dingess, Frank Williams, Janine Bullock, KipBuchanan, andSherrie Hunter. The following City employees were present: Chief ofBFD EdThompson, ITTechnician John Hopkins, BFD Chief Bailey, Beckley Events Coordinator JillMoorefield, Parks & Rec. Director Leslie Baker, andChief Code Enforcement Officer Donald Morgan. ABSENT: Councilman Reedy andDirector ofBoard ofPublic Works Mike Bolen. 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. The Mayor called the meeting toorder at 5:30p.m. The Mayor saidthatpublic comments arenotmade andvotes arenot taken during aSpecial Meeting. The Mayor referred toMr. File forthe first item ontheAgenda. Mr. Filesaid thattonight isthesecond reading ofthe Vape/Smoke Shope Ordinance. Thefirst reading wasduring theAugust 5,2025, Regular Council Meeting. He read the ordinance bytitle, Sec. 15-38. TheCityof Beckley Vape/Smoke Shop Location And Operating Requirements Ordinance. Mr. Fileopened thepubic hearing. The following people spoke infavor ofthe ordinance: Kelly Gunnoe, Leonard Smith, Chris Crookshanks, and Mary West. Withthere being nofurther comments, Mr.Fileclosed thepublic hearing. Council unanimously approved theordinance aspresented onamotion by Councilwoman Coots seconded by Councilman Buchanan. The ordinance is hereby incorporated intothese minutes. Next, Mr.Filesaid thattonight isthe second reading oftheordinance authorizing theCity toconvey 2.204 Acres totheDHHR. Thefirstreading wasduring theAugust 5,2025, Regular Council Meeting. Heread theordinance bytitle, An Ordinance Authorizing City OfBeckley ToConvey ToTheWV Department ofHealth andHuman Resources a2.204Acre Tract OfReal Estate, Being APortion OfParcel 14, Tax Map 50 (State Board OfControls, Deed Book 99, Page 275) Located On Eisenhower Drive InBeckley District, Raleigh County, WV. Mr.Fileopened thepublic hearing. There were no comments. Mr.Fileclosed thepublic hearing. Council unanimously approved theordinance aspresented onamotion by Councilman Williams seconded by Councilwoman Hunter. Mr.Williams asked iftheCity willbeincontact with theDHHR regarding thisconveyance. Mr.Filesaidyes. The ordinance is hereby incorporated intothese minutes. Next was thefirst reading ofanordinance which Mr.Fileread bytitle, Ordinance Amending City OfBeckley Code Chapter 2,Section 2-204. Hesaidthesecond reading andpublic hearing willbeduring theAugust 19, 2025, Regular Council Meeting. Hesummarized theordinance explaining that during thelast three Regular Common Council meetings Council experimented with arevised Order ofProcedure inaneffort to improve theefficiency ofthemeetings andmake itmore convenient tothe public. Heexplained thattheordinance outlines theorder ofproceedings. The Mayor asked foramotion toapprove the ordinance aspresented. Councilwoman Coots made themotion seconded by Councilman Buchanan. Councilman Williams asked Mr.FileifCouncil followed theproper order inwhich to make these changes. Mr.Filesaidyes. Councilwoman Hunter said thatshe checked with afewother municipalities, andtheytoohaveasimilar outline forthe order ofproceedings fortheir Council meetings. Councilwoman Coots said that shechecked with attorney Mark Matkovich andhesaid itisproper. Mr.Fileexplained theOrdinance also outlines the procedure the public must follow ifthespeaker desires todistribute anyexhibits toCouncil members. Copies ofanyexhibits arealso tobegiven tothe City Attorney, City Manager, andtothe Recorder-Treasurer. The Mayor said that hethinks assoon asthe materials start being disbursed, the three minutes allotted forthatperson tospeak should begin. With there being nofurther comments, Council unanimously approved the ordinance aspresented. Theordinance is hereby incorporated into these minutes. With there being nofurther business to discuss, Council unanimously approved adjourning themeeting onamotion by Councilman Buchanan andseconded by Councilwoman Hunter. The Mayor adjourned themeeting at5:50p.m. Mayor City Manager