City of Point Pleasant, WV

Marshall Bonecutter led Council in prayer. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Marilyn L. McDaniel who led Council in the Pledge of Allegiance.

OUTSIDE DELEGATION

Jackie Byars – Spoke with council on the role of the Great Kanawha RC&D.  Byars gave an outline of their role in Point Pleasant as well as Mason County.  Over 64 projects have been done in Mason County with 19 directly benefiting the City of Point Pleasant.  She also advised council members of the upcoming projects the organization is planning.

Heather Wood/Jacob Hill – The Point Pleasant Regatta Committee ask council to pay the $1,817.01 electric bill owed to RB Electric Contractors for services performed during the 2007 event.  Council and the committee members discussed who actually authorized the electrical work to be done.  Sam Juniper made a motion to pay the outstanding bill once an itemized statement for the work was given and to find out who authorized it.  Gary Cotton added the second and motion passed.

PUBLIC COMMENT

Tim Utt/Burgess & Niple – Updated council on the North Point Drainage Project.  Mr.Utt gave each council member a sheet with a timeline and cost projections for the project.  Discussion was held on the proposed rate, construction, completion and cost of the project.  Mr. Utt told council that the next step will be to come to an agreement with council and prepare to move forward with the project. 

MONTHLY BUSINESS

Sam Juniper made the motion to approve the minutes of the regular council meeting on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 a second was given by Linda Smith and the motion passed.  A motion by Sam Juniper and seconded by Gary Cotton to approve the financial statements of the General, Coal Severance, Water and Sewer Funds for the month of October 2007, was approved by council. Sam Juniper made a motion to approve the outstanding obligations for the month of October 2007, and Marshall Bonecutter gave the second and the motion was approved.

CITY ATTORNEY

City Attorney R.F. Stein updated council on the seized property (vehicle) that a verbal offer to settle for $8,000.00 was submitted and is being negotiated with Mrs. Fetty’s attorney Matt Clark. He will keep council updated on the matter.  Stein presented the lease agreement for The House of Praise and Worship.  He advised the agreement will have to be signed and then the matter would be complete.  A discussion on the Franklin property was held.  An issue is if the prior council actually voted to accept the property and if an appraisal was done.  Robert Doeffinger made a motion to have the city attorney seek expert legal council in this field and to advise the fee for the work and to report back to council.  Sam Juniper added the second and the motion passed.  The city attorney shared with council members that he has not received any paper work on the Hartley property from Mr. Rowe the attorney representing Hartley, Hartley & Hartley, Inc.  The Yeager property remains at a stand still at this time.  Upon recommendation of the city attorney he advised to have a hearing set in front of the Municipal Judge.  Stein told the mayor to pursue the matter through this legal course of action.        

CITY CLERK

City Clerk Billings asked for a motion to pay the Fort Randolph bills in the amount of $1,665.35 for materials and work done at the fort.  Robert Doeffinger made the motion and M. Leota Sang added the second and the motion passed.

MAYOR

Mayor Marilyn McDaniel updated council on the site assessment of the former landfill at Krodel Park.  Officials with the EPA visited the site on October 25^th, and just this week submitted a lengthy report regarding the findings.  Mayor McDaniel asked council members to review the report.  Upon the mayors request council members were asked to proclaim November 18-24, 2007 as Christian Heritage Week.  Marshall Bonecutter made the motion and Barbara Brown gave the second and the motion passed.  Mayor McDaniel presented to council the repairs needed and cost from Astro Pool Company.  During the inspection of the facility items found were failed static and pressure-tested skimmer lines, cracks and leaking in the dive well floor, failed electrical bonding of deck equipment, rusted diving board stands and broken electrical conduit at the light poles.  Presented were two estimates regarding the repair work needed to be done.  The first estimate of $160,000 - $175,000 would include repairing the existing structure and skimmer system, while the second estimate of $240,00 – $260,000 would include repairing the existing structure and upgrading to stainless steel recirculation tube and gutter system.  McDaniel will have members of the recreation committee to meet and to check into possible grants for the project to secure some type of funding.

Mayor McDaniel shared with council the request by the Mason County Public Service District to allow their engineer firm Cerrone Associates, to undertake a review of the City of Point Pleasant's wastewater treatment plant for the purpose of determining its suitability to receive wastewater from the District.  A motion by Robert Doeffinger to reject the permission to review based on information from the DEP was seconded by Sam Juniper and unanimously passed.  Doeffinger asked the mayor to get in contact with the Mason County Commission to set up a meeting with them to further discuss the issue.  Gary Cotton made a motion to pay the $300.00 for the Halloween Block Party that was held in October in downtown Point Pleasant.  Linda Smith secured the second and the motion passed.  Upon the recommendation of the mayor to go into executive session to discuss personnel, Linda Smith made the motion at 9:09 p.m. and Elaine Hunt gave the second and the motion passed.  At 10:08 p.m. a motion by M. Leota Sang to come out of executive session was seconded by Linda Smith and the motion passed. Mayor McDaniel asked council members to authorize up to $5,000.00 for the Point Pleasant Police Department for discretionary spending.  Linda Smith made the motion to allow the discretionary spending and Joe Supple gave the second and motion passed.  The mayor asked council to approve the annual Christmas Bonus for full and part-time employees.  Full-time employees will receive $550.00, and part-time employees will receive $250.00.  Sam Juniper made the motion to grant the Christmas Bonus and Marshall Bonecutter added the second and the motion passed.  McDaniel spoke to council on Charles Humphreys, who is the director of the Mason County Development Authority and asked that his bi-weekly salary of $150.00 be increased to $250.00.  Joe Supple made the motion to accept the increase and Gary Cotton added the second and the motion passed (9 – 1) with Sam Juniper voting no.  Mayor McDaniel advised council on a request by city residents of placing speed bumps on a city street.  The mayor said the West Virginia Division of Highways, strongly advised against the installation of speed bumps because it impedes snow removal, causes potential drainage problems and slows the response time of emergency vehicles.     

COUNCIL CONCERNS

Gary Cotton – Shared with council that a street light is needed behind the water office and Foodland.  He has had a request that the city put a green Christmas tree on the island at Krodel Park.  Elaine Hunt – She had been asked about extending the hours at the city building to accommodate those who can not stop in by closing of 4:00 p.m.  Hunt also asked about the tree behind the Deal residence on Mt. Vernon Ave.  Linda Smith – Asked about what would happen to juveniles if the city would impose a curfew and they disobeyed the curfew time.  Requesting some help on the parking of vehicles on both sides of the street at the Intermediate School, encouraged members of council to find a Neighborhood Watch coordinator in their wards, street light is needed in ward six on Mossman Circle at the end of 27^th Street, and asked about the zoning in Park Drive as you enter in off of Jackson Ave, on to South Park Drive.  Sam Juniper – Made a motion to give David Spears $250.00 for finding the water leak in the TNT area.  The motion made by Juniper died due to a lack of a second.  Juniper also asked for a print out of where the money goes for line items of the City Administrator, recreation and EMS.  Ordinance 747.01 was read to council by Juniper on the collection of municipal service fees that should continue to be collected by the city from the landowners, even though no one is living on the property.  He mentioned he had spoke with the water office on this.  Mayor McDaniel will follow up on this issue.  Councilman Juniper also submitted a list of projects that need to be looked at in the seventh ward.  Joe Supple – Spoke on the large sign at the new Peoples Federal Credit Union.  Supple has had some concerns on the sign shared with him from area residents.  Robert Doeffinger – Asked about the street repair at 11^th, and Main Street. Mayor McDaniel advised the work had been completed.  Doeffinger spoke on the distressed property behind the Holland residence.  He advised that windows had been broken out and the property is in very bad shape. 

ADJOURNMENT

Being no other business, M. Leota Sang made a motion to adjourn. Linda Smith added the second and being unanimously approved, the meeting was adjourned at 10:47 p.m.