Parkersburg City Council approves transfer to demolition fund

PARKERSBURG – An amended budget allocation of $200,000 was moved from the proposed activity center in City Park fund to the city's demolition fund during Tuesday evening's Parkersburg City Council meeting.

The change was brought to council by Council Member Zach Stanley during a vote to approve over $2.4 million in budget revisions.

He suggested reducing the planned transfer to the activity center account from $650,000 to $450,000 and adding $200,000 to the city's demolition account.

"I believe there's a lot of demos that are ready within the city," he said. "We could wait until our budget comes out, but that wouldn't be until June. ... I feel that we're not building anything in the park right now and won't before June, either."

Finance Director Eric Jiles said, if passed, Stanley's amendment would add a total of $350,000 to the city's demolition fund: a planned $150,000 from the original proposal and the $200,000.

The council passed Stanley's amendment 8-0 without further discussion. Council Member Jesse Cottrille was absent. The original revisions were also passed.

Council also adopted the Market Street Designated Area on second reading. The ordinance creates an area where customers are able to purchase alcohol in designated recyclable cups and carry them between businesses between Third and Ninth and One-Half streets along Market Street.

Class A licensed businesses via the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration can apply for a permit to participate.

Hours of operation for the designated area are from 4-11 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays between April 1 and Oct. 31.

In the instance of specific downtown events such as Taste of Parkersburg or Downtown Throwdown, Development Director Ryan Barber said in a previous story that a new resolution before council could authorize the temporary sale of alcoholic beverages during those times, since the designated area would be deactivated.

Another item on the agenda included updating city code Article 135.01 to list $25,000 as a competitive bidding minimum throughout the entire document. The council increased the threshold last year but it wasn't changed in every section of the code, City Attorney Blaine Myers said,

Council Member J.R. Carpenter said he was against the amendment.

"I think there's too much room for vendor favoritism if we raise this to $25,000," he said.

Mayor Tom Joyce said the action was already done, the city was simply updating their records.

"The cost of everything has gone up tremendously. We're already doing it, we just missed a section. It's a technicality. I encourage the passage of this," he said.

The council voted 7-1 on the ordinance, with Carpenter opposing. Another reading will occur at the next meeting.

After the city council meeting, members met as the Urban Renewal Authority in the City Council chambers. The URA approved two submitted bids for $17,700 for 1714 19th St. and $27,100 for 1517 19th St.