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PARKERSBURG -- COVID-19 bonus pay for municipal employees and the sale of the former Point Park Marketplace to the Greater Parkersburg Convention and Visitors Bureau are on Tuesday's Parkersburg City Council agenda.
The meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building, to be followed by a session of the Urban Renewal Authority to consider donations of four dilapidated properties.
A resolution on the agenda would allocate $321,779 from the city's American Rescue Plan Act funds for premium pay to all city employees, except for elected officials, in recognition of their service during the COVID-19 pandemic. An accompanying ordinance on first reading would authorize one-time bonus payments of $1,000 to full-time workers and $500 to part-time employees.
"Our city employees worked very hard during the pandemic and basically kept our city running," said council Vice President Sharon Kuhl, who sponsored the measures along with Councilmen Bob Mercer, Chris Rexroad and Austin Richards. "This was our way of saying thank you for all the good work you've done during the pandemic."
Premium pay to essential workers is a permitted use of federal Rescue Plan funds. The city has received $10,925,203.50 and is due to get the rest of its $22 million allotment in June.
Council earlier this year allocated $7 million from the Rescue Plan money to a water system improvement project of the Parkersburg Utility Board. An ordinance on final reading Tuesday would authorize the project, for which council also approved a 7 percent rate increase, to be phased in over three years.
Also on first reading Tuesday is an ordinance authorizing the sale of the Point Park Marketplace building at 113 Ann St. to the CVB.
Mayor Tom Joyce said the CVB made one of two offers on the property, the other coming from a private individual.
"This was the highest offer. This was the only offer at appraised value," he said. "I think they have a good plan."
The agency plans to turn the facility into a visitors center and move its administrative offices there, CVB President and CEO Mark Lewis said. It's adjacent to the entrance to Point Park, where people board a sternwheeler to take them to Blennerhassett Island, the area's top tourism draw.
The new location will allow the CVB to "reach more of our tourism visitors," Lewis said. "We will be able to have dedicated parking for motor coaches behind the building."
The plan is to promote area businesses and attractions to visitors and tour companies, encouraging them to spend more of their money while they're here and when they come back, Lewis said.
If approved by council, the purchase would secure the site as the base for the CVB's Paddlefest event they plan to bring back in 2022 after two years of pandemic cancellations, Lewis said.
"We would very much like to recruit and have a kayak and bike rental business locate in the other part of the building," he said.
In other business, council will consider a resolution authorizing Joyce to apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant to make improvements at the Southwood Park pool. An informational meeting on the project is slated for 6 p.m. Tuesday in the executive conference room on the second floor of the city building.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.
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Tuesday's Council Meetings
* 6 p.m. -- The Development Department will provide information about planned enhancements to the Southwood Park Pool in the executive conference room on the second floor of the Municipal Building.
* 7:30 p.m. -- regular council meeting, council chambers, second floor.
* Immediately following -- Urban Renewal Authority, council chambers.