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Vienna City Council discusses masks, housing study

By James Dobbs 3 min read

VIENNA -- At its regular meeting Thursday, Vienna City Council discussed a mask requirement for public meetings, a housing study and a line replacement.

A resolution to wear masks at Vienna public meetings was on Thursday night's council meeting agenda. Masks would only be required to be worn whenever Wood County is designated as Red by the WV DHHR for COVID-19 infection rate or percent positivity. This is regardless of vaccination status.

Councilman Roger Bibbee explained that he feels like masking should be a choice for each person.

"I think it's high time now that it has become an individual decision," said Bibbee.

He also said he does not believe that council should mandate masks.

"Neither the governor nor the CDC has issued a mask mandate," said Mayor Randall Rapp. "We have supplied masks and the guard shields, and everything else and ask all of our employees to social distance."

Rapp said until there is an issued mandate, he will not impose it on the meetings, the citizens or the employees of Vienna.

Councilwoman Kim Williams said it was her resolution, that she asked be put on the agenda. She mentioned that there are people who do not attend the council meetings because everyone does not wear masks.

"I think as somebody who's an elected official, it's my responsibility to try to accommodate people and to take barriers away when we're creating barriers," said Williams. "So, this was a very simple request for each other as citizens of Vienna, that we can wear a mask for an hour during a public meeting."

The motion to accept this resolution failed, 1-5, with Williams voting in favor of it.

In other business, council approved a resolution that dedicated $10,000 to pursue a housing study in conjunction with Wood County and the city of Parkersburg. Both Wood County and Parkersburg have committed $25,000 each in funds for a total of $50,000 toward this project.

Lindsey Piersol, director of the Wood County Development Authority, is trying to fund a study to get outside developers to develop housing in the Wood County area. The resolution passed, 5-1, with Williams dissenting. Williams said she did not have enough time to prepare for the resolution and would not support it.

The last resolution on the agenda accepted a donation of three rights of way for the purpose of replacing, installing, and maintaining a storm line over and across three parcels of property at 1609, 1611, and 1613 Greenmont Hills Drive in Vienna.

A culvert on this property collapsed on itself, said Rapp. He mentioned that there is a large sinkhole where the culvert is.

"And so this gentleman has a hole in his back yard that's probably big enough to put a Volkswagon in," said Rapp.

He explained that it is not really a land donation, but it gives the city access to the land to put the equipment in to fix it. He said the pipe put in will last 50 years. This resolution passed unanimously.

A Veterans Day Ceremony will take place at 12 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, at Spencer's Landing. Because of this the next council meeting will be held Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m.

James Dobbs can be reached at jdobbs@newsandsentinel.com

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