Percentage Points: Parkersburg City Council approves trash, fire, police discounts
Parkersburg City Council approves trash, fire, police discounts
Incoming Parkersburg High School senior Dominic Way, fourth from right, is surrounded by family members and public officials as he is recognized at Tuesday’s Parkersburg City Council meeting after winning the silver medal in wrestling at the U23 Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru, in June. Mayor Tom Joyce, third from right, read a proclamation from Gov. Patrick Morrisey celebrating Way’s achievement, which was secured by Sens. Mike Azinger, R-Wood, and Trenton Barnhart, R-Pleasants, to the left of Way. Although he was eligible to compete in the U20 division, he was unable to attend the trials and wound up entering the U23 competition, which had many older competitors. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
From left, Parkersburg Development Director Ryan Barber discusses an ordinance to rezone 709 Rayon Drive from a residential to a business designation as Councilman Dave McCrady, Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl and Councilman Roger Brown listen during Tuesday’s council meeting. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Parkersburg City Councilman Chris Rexroad, left, asks a question during Tuesday’s council meeting as Councilman Rob Moore listens. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Parkersburg resident Carolyn Luthringer, right, speaks in favor of the way Mayor Tom Joyce has handled the sanitation situation during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Incoming Parkersburg High School senior Dominic Way, fourth from right, is surrounded by family members and public officials as he is recognized at Tuesday’s Parkersburg City Council meeting after winning the silver medal in wrestling at the U23 Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru, in June. Mayor Tom Joyce, third from right, read a proclamation from Gov. Patrick Morrisey celebrating Way’s achievement, which was secured by Sens. Mike Azinger, R-Wood, and Trenton Barnhart, R-Pleasants, to the left of Way. Although he was eligible to compete in the U20 division, he was unable to attend the trials and wound up entering the U23 competition, which had many older competitors. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
From left, Parkersburg Development Director Ryan Barber discusses an ordinance to rezone 709 Rayon Drive from a residential to a business designation as Councilman Dave McCrady, Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl and Councilman Roger Brown listen during Tuesday’s council meeting. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Parkersburg City Councilman Chris Rexroad, left, asks a question during Tuesday’s council meeting as Councilman Rob Moore listens. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
Parkersburg resident Carolyn Luthringer, right, speaks in favor of the way Mayor Tom Joyce has handled the sanitation situation during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. (Photo by Evan Bevins)
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PARKERSBURG - Parkersburg City Council approved the final readings of ordinances authorizing a 5% discount for those who pay a full year of sanitation, fire and police fees in advance, while a resolution allocating funds for a downtown business grant program was rejected this week.
The fee ordinances increased the discount from 1.5% and gave people until Aug. 20 this year to take advantage.
During Tuesday's council meeting, Councilwoman Wendy Tuck asked what impact the discounts would have on the municipal budget.
"Nominal," Finance Director Eric Jiles said.
They were split into two ordinances because the one involving the sanitation and recycling fees also allowed residents to obtain an extra trash container for $5 under the city's temporary contract with Waste Management. That one passed 7-1, with Councilman Zak Huffman opposed. The ordinance for the police and fire fee discount passed 6-2, with Tuck and Huffman opposed. Councilman Mike Reynolds was absent.
Some speakers in the public forum said the discount didn't benefit the people most in need of relief since they would be unable to pay for 12 months all at once.
"Affordability shouldn't be reserved for people who can already afford it," said Parkersburg resident Caci Petrehn, who is a candidate for the West Virginia Senate.
A resolution allocating $10,000 for a grant program that would provide $2,500 to new businesses downtown was rejected.
"I don't know why we're just limiting it to downtown," Councilwoman Sharon Kuhl said. "We want new businesses all over the City of Parkersburg."
The grant would have had to be matched dollar for dollar by the recipients, and funds could have been used for minor renovations, equipment for business operations, furniture and fixtures, point-of-sale systems, initial inventory purchases, signs and lighting, professional services for startup and code compliance improvements to obtain a certificate of occupancy.
Council President Andrew Borkowski said he didn't see that $2,500 "moves the needle" for somebody trying to start a business and he had not received any explanation for the program.
Councilman Chris Rexroad asked why members' questions weren't brought up in a Finance Committee meeting earlier this month when the program was discussed. Borkowski said he'd been in the hospital when the meeting took place and no one reached out to him about it.
"I don't think it's possible to facilitate the growth of small business enough," Rexroad said.
The resolution failed on a 3-5 vote with only Tuck, Huffman and Rexroad in favor.
Huffman, who participated in the meeting by phone, sent a message afterward saying he was disappointed by the outcome.
"However, I can't expect certain members to understand what starting a small business entails when they themselves have never opened one," he said. "But ultimately, a vote is a vote. I respect everyone's decision."
The first reading of an ordinance changing 709 Rayon Drive from a residential to a business zone failed in a 4-4 tie, with Huffman, Rexroad and Councilmen Roger Brown and Rob Moore opposed. The ordinance had been approved and referred by the Municipal Planning Commission.
Brown expressed concern with changing the zone from residential to business when Parkersburg has an affordable housing shortage.
"We're losing ground with residential," he said.
Development Director Ryan Barber said the owners proposed building a 10-unit multi-family dwelling. Changing the land to a B-2 business zone that allowed that use was chosen over an R-4 residential one because there were no adjacent R-4 zones and such "spot zoning" is prohibited, he said.
"I think we're better off in the long run if we allow this to go through," Councilman Dave McCrady said.
In other business, council approved 8-0 resolutions waiving the residency requirement for Assistant City Attorney Rob Tebay, adopting the $860,498 federal Community Development Block Grant and $414,392.36 HOME budgets, and accepting a state grant of $12,192 for new fences at the Worthington baseball and softball fields. The first reading of an ordinance transferring city property at 909 13th St. and 912 LaVerne St. to the Urban Renewal Authority passed 8-0.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.