VIENNA — Vienna City Council voted to purchase a K-9 officer for the Vienna Police Department with opioid litigation settlement funds and met with Wood County Development Authority Executive Director Lindsey Piersol during Thursday’s meeting at City Hall.

The city will receive approximately $193,000 from the West Virginia First Foundation, a nonprofit entrusted with distributing three-quarters of the state’s over $1 billion opioid settlement funds. Council voted to create a bank account for these funds at its Dec. 14 meeting.

Mayor Randy Rapp read a resolution requesting the purchase of a K-9 from Pine Grove Kennels along with training for the officer and its handler. The cost is approximately $13,000. The department’s current officer, Ronin, is 9 years old. The resolution proposed the city fund the purchase with the opioid settlement.

“I think this is something that fits right in the wheelhouse of what we should do with the opioid money,” Police Chief Mike Pifer said. “It comes at the right time, a time of need. This is a good time to act.”

Rapp said the city has been researching approved uses for the settlement funds.

“Our finance department has been gathering information about what are the approved things to spend the opioid money on and it just turns out that the number one item that has been approved is the purchase of a dog,” he said.

Council member Kim Williams asked Pifer how the department would have funded the purchase if the settlement money hadn’t come through. Pifer said it could be included in the city budget, ask for donations or use another city account such as asset forfeitures.

Rapp said the official amount of the opioid settlement will be included in the treasurer’s report at council’s February meeting.

The council also discussed forming an economic development authority through the city of Vienna. Rapp said he was glad the council tabled the resolution at the Jan. 11 meeting. He said he had done some research and consulted with individuals and now supported having an advisory group under Wood County Development Authority. He said Piersol put together a list of 30 potential members and several are Vienna residents.

“One of the things we lack is the ability to sell ourselves. We are the pride of the valley and we offer a lot. But we don’t do a very good job of selling ourselves,” he said.

City Recorder Melissa Elam asked Piersol if she thought it would be valuable for Vienna to have a separate group from WCDA to start. Piersol said no.

“I submitted the proposal. I want the Wood County Development authority to assume Vienna Development efforts. That’s our goal,” she said. “Sixty percent of my board is Vienna residents as it sits. They have a vested interest in Vienna.”

Elam said she agreed with Piersol.

“I think that team, that stakeholder group should be the group that’s run under (Piersol), that (Piersol) is the one assuming this for the city of Vienna and (Piersol) is the one keeping us in the loop as to us creating a separate group right now,” she said.

The council will vote on a revised proposal from Piersol in its first February meeting.

Williams said she was concerned that a potential stakeholder group under the WCDA might not be transparent.

“I think the stakeholder group, anything they share to me isn’t going to be private,” Piersol replied. “That’s something that I can come up in front of you at a council meeting and say, ‘Here are the results of what these stakeholders said and here’s the path forward.'”

The resolution and ordinance to create separate economic development groups through the city failed due to lack of motion.

Kristen Hainkel can be reached by email khainkel@newsandsentinel.com