Parkersburg resident Greg Sanders speaks at Tuesday’s Parkersburg City Council meeting in favor of a resolution scheduling a public meeting for this week to discuss sanitation issues. The resolution was amended to set the meeting for Jan. 6. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

PARKERSBURG – Parkersburg City Council voted Tuesday to have a public meeting to discuss sanitation and recycling services on Jan. 6, narrowly amending a resolution that would have scheduled it for this week.

The original resolution called for the meeting to be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in council chambers so people could ask questions of council members and city officials about proposals received by two private companies to take over the city’s sanitation service, as well as a separate request for proposals for a vendor to offer curbside recycling.

Multiple people in the public forum spoke in favor of the resolution slating the meeting.

“The people are demanding transparency in government, to which we are entitled,” Parkersburg resident Brian Hayden said.

Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl proposed the amendment to have a special council meeting on Jan. 6 after asking Mayor Tom Joyce if the administration would have a proposed contract and be able to discuss its decision-making process on that date.

Parkersburg City Attorney Blaine Myers answers questions about a personnel/legal specialist taking on more responsibility with Freedom of Information Act requests during a Parkersburg City Council Personnel Committee meeting Tuesday at the Municipal Building. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

“There is not one council member up here that doesn’t want to have a public meeting,” Kuhl said. “But on Dec. 11, the administration cannot participate as they cannot discuss the terms while the negotiations are still ongoing.”

Councilman Chris Rexroad, one of the resolution ‘s sponsors, said he felt the public should be able to offer their opinions before negotiations are finished.

“The intent here is more to get public input on what they want … while the contract is being negotiated,” he said.

Rexroad and the other sponsors of the resolution – Councilwoman Wendy Tuck and Councilmen Zak Huffman and Rob Moore – voted against the amendment, which passed 5-4. Council voted unanimously to approve the amended ordinance, which sets a special council meeting for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 6, preceded by a public meeting at 6 p.m.

“It’s beginning to look more and more like they’ve made up their minds and … they don’t want to hear the public’s opinion on this,” Parkersburg resident Fred Coleman said after the meeting.

Parkersburg Personnel Director Jennifer Bolian, left, explains the rationale for a request to change the classification of a personnel/legal specialist during a Parkersburg City Council Personnel Committee meeting Tuesday as, from second form left, Councilman Roger Brown, City Attorney Blaine Myers, Councilman Chris Rexroad and Councilwoman Wendy Tuck listen. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

The administration is in negotiation with one of two providers on a possible sanitation contract. Proposals for the recycling are scheduled to be opened on Dec. 19.

Sanitation has been a much-discussed topic for more than a year, after employees in the department and some residents lobbied for pay increases last fall. In May, the city suspended its curbside recycling program, citing staffing issues. A resident has filed suit saying the move violates state law requiring cities with more than 10,000 people to offer curbside recycling.

Council also unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance establishing a residential rental unit inspection and registration program.

The first reading of an ordinance to reclassify the personnel/legal specialist position was referred to the full council by a 5-0 vote of the Personnel Committee earlier in the evening. The change was supposed to increase pay for the position by 52 cents an hour, but the committee voted unanimously to increase it by $1 an hour.

Personnel Director Jennifer Bolian said the change was requested because the employee was going to be managing all Freedom of Information Act requests submitted to the city and acting as a liaison between the city attorney ‘s office, employees compiling information and members of the public who make the requests.

“This is a significant level of responsibility for one individual to have,” Bolian said.

She said the city has received 91 FOIA requests so far this year, compared to 17 in 2024, 38 in 2023 and 47 in 2022.

“We’re being inundated with FOIA requests,” City Attorney Blaine Myers said. “But, you know, we still have to respond” as the law requires.

Council approved the first reading, 9-0.