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Parkersburg City Council rejects alley closure

By Evan Bevins 3 min read

PARKERSBURG -- A request by Coca-Cola Consolidated to close part of an alley near Seventh and 13th streets for security enhancements was rejected by Parkersburg City Council.

The first reading of an ordinance authorizing the closure failed in a 5-2 vote with two members absent during Tuesday's regular council meeting.

Coca-Cola Consolidated sought the closure to improve safety and security at its facility at Seventh and 13th streets, said Sean McCarthy, director of security for the company in this region. The move would have allowed the business to put a fence between its buildings on either side of the alley.

"We can't fully secure our facility and employees without your support," McCarthy said.

Local attorney Bill Richardson spoke against the closure, saying the alley is regularly used by motorists and the move would limit access to the parking lot behind City Perk. It would also expand Coca-Cola's property at no cost, he said.

Richardson also questioned how many issues the company had with crime and safety issues, saying a Freedom of Information Act request to the Parkersburg Police Department yielded no reports about the facility.

Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl said many of the incidents -- including vandalism and theft of tools -- were so minor the company did not feel the need to engage the police. She added the company indicated they would work with trash haulers to provide access through the gates.

But Kuhl and Councilwoman Wendy Tuck were in the minority when the vote came, with Councilwoman Jesse Cottrille and Councilman Bob Mercer absent.

"I think helping a business at the detriment of other businesses is wrong," Council President Zach Stanley said. "Most of the alleys that we close are abandoned alleys. … It's an active alley and it's being utilized."

Also during the meeting, council voted 6-1 to approve the first reading of an ordinance establishing pay incentives for code enforcement employees to earn certifications required to perform inspections done by the department. Councilman J.R. Carpenter was opposed, saying pay increases should only be considered during the budget process.

"We've been giving too many incentives, too much at mid-year," he said.

Mayor Tom Joyce said Code Director Andy Nestor proposed the incentives and wasn't hired until after the 2022-23 budget was approved. The department has lost two employees since then and a third is about to retire, taking with them decades of experience, as well as grandfathered status that did not require the certifications under the amended state code.

Councilman Chris Rexroad and Nestor noted that because employees who left or were leaving had been with the city for so long, the difference between their salaries and new or existing hires meant the incentives would have no impact on this year's budget.

Council also voted 6-1 to approve Joyce's appointment of former Councilman John Reed to the Planning Commission. Tuck voted no, after questioning whether Reed lived in the city. Joyce said Reed owns property in Wirt County, and did when he served on council, but he pays bills and taxes and sleeps at his Parkersburg residence.

In other business, a resolution for the mayor to accept a $2,970 grant for next year's Taste of Parkersburg event and the final reading of legislation updating municipal code related to accessory dwellings passed 7-0.

Council has a special meeting planned for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 30, for a work session regarding the city's remaining American Rescue Plan Act funds.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.

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