Parkersburg City Council marks National Disability Employment Month
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PARKERSBURG -- Parkersburg City Council heard a proclamation regarding National Disability Employment Month, debated and voted down a proposed landscaping allotment as a part of budget revisions and approved the regular budget revisions at Tuesday's meeting.
Officials from The ARC of the Mid Ohio Valley attended the meeting and listened as City Clerk Connie Shaffer read a proclamation declaring October as National Disability Employment Month.
"In doing so, we call upon employers, schools, and other community organizations in Parkersburg, W.Va., to observe this month with appropriate programs and activities and to advance its important message that people with disabilities are equal to the task," Shaffer read from the proclamation.
"Right now, 85% of people with developmental disabilities are unemployed according to the Department of Labor," Melissa Southall, programs and activities coordinator, said. "Many want to work and aren't able to get an interview."
"(Hiring disabled employees) can give you an advantage to understanding any customers you might come across," Michelle Curtis, Executive Director, said.
Parkersburg Development Director Ryan Barber provided updates from the Development Department. He said the Housing Development Fund program provides up to $15,000 in down payment or closing costs for first-time home buyers in Wood County. He said they've provided 12 loans, or over $150,000 up to October. He said they are finalizing five more loans.
"(The assistance) places families in a home, allows them to build equity for the rest of their life and moving them into a much better financial situation," he said.
The council's agenda presented numerous budget revisions outlined in the Oct. 8 edition of the News and Sentinel. Councilman Ray Eubanks moved to allocate $10,000 from $175,000 allocated to replacing mechanical elements of the Southwood Park slide to landscaping the World War II Memorial at City Park.
Mayor Tom Joyce said he was not opposed to using the money for landscaping at that location but was concerned about consistent staffing.
"The issue with that particular location is not the landscaping... we have a small amount of folks who maintain all of those beds. That particular one was the responsibility of the American Legion for many years. God bless the folks of the American Legion for doing so. What I do and what you do every day is balance the city's needs based on what we can afford."
Joyce added the allocated $175,000 would not cover the full cost of upgrading the Southwood Park slide and estimated the city would need between $400,000 and $500,000.
The amendment failed 5-4, with council members Bob Mercer, Wendy Tuck, JR Carpenter, Chris Rexroad, and Mike Reynolds voting against the amendment and Sharon Kuhl, Zach Stanley, Jesse Cottrille, and Eubanks voting for it. The original revisions passed unanimously.