From left, Vienna Mayor Chad Emrick discusses the agenda for Thursday evening’s City Council meeting alongside Recorder Rod Smith. Look for full coverage online at newsandsentinel.com and in Sunday’s print edition. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

VIENNA – Vienna City Council on Thursday approved multiple resolutions, including moving forward with a long-planned kayak launch on the Ohio River and funding an emergency generator for the city’s senior center.

During the public forum, resident Rob Fouss raised concerns about sidewalk damage near his property on Grand Central Avenue, which he said worsened after gas line installation. He described a 5-inch step in the sidewalk as a hazard.

“Somebody’s going to get hurt,” Fouss told council, adding that rain continues to wash away soil beneath the sidewalk and retaining wall.

Mayor Chad Emrick said the city’s Public Works department would mark the area and paint an alert line to improve safety. City Attorney Russ Skogstad noted that sidewalk repairs are typically the responsibility of property owners, though a cost-sharing program remains in place.

Council voted unanimously to approve agreements with the West Virginia Department of Transportation for the Vienna kayak launch project. The $329,400 project will be funded through a federal lands access grant covering 80% of costs, with the city providing the remaining $65,880.

Toni Tiano discusses Community Development Block Grants with Vienna City Council on Thursday evening. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

The project will include Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant facilities and parking. Emrick said it will improve recreational access along the river.

“We are going to move forward and actually complete this project,” he said.

Council also approved a budget revision to transfer $75,000 from capital reserves to cover the city’s match and provide a contingency fund in case bids come in higher than projected.

Council authorized $51,736 in unused COVID-19 relief funds to purchase and install an emergency generator at the Vienna Senior Citizens Center. Officials said the project was a practical use of federal funds that must be spent by October 2026.

“We’ve had a handful of issues over the 20 years that I’ve been living here…just natural disasters and so forth, and (the Senior Center) is a very good place because of the gymnasium,” said Skogstad. “If you had to do something – an emergency that you had to address … you would have a place that you could accommodate a large number of people, they would be able to get power.”

Vienna resident Rob Fouss shares his concerns about sidewalk damage near his property on Grand Central Avenue at Thursday evening’s Vienna City Council meeting. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

Council also approved including three allocations for the city’s 2025-26 Community Development Block Grant money:

* Windows and doors replacement program ($38,316)

* Minor home improvement program for low-income residents ($38,316)

* Planning and administration ($18,000)

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, with a waiting list already in place, said Toni Tiano, who helps consult the city on grants.

In addition, council approved the placement of a commemorative bench at Jackson Park honoring four men who helped establish Vienna’s recreation programs in the 1950s — Darrell Dotson, Ralph Hayden, Ed Spader and Gaylord Younghein.

The council also debated how best to handle surplus city property. Members approved a resolution giving the finance director and city attorney flexibility to use either online auction services or a local licensed auctioneer, depending on which method would provide the best value.

Fouss, who is an auctioneer, urged the city to keep business local.

“Almost every auctioneer now has an online platform,” Fouss said. “There’s nothing an out-of-state company can offer that local, tax-paying West Virginia businesses can’t. We can do both live and online sales, and often recommend a combination.”

Skogstad said the new resolution “does not lock us into any specific method but gives us the flexibility to determine what is in the best interest of the city.”

Gwen Sour can be reached at gsour@newsandsentinel.com.