July 28, 2009
Piggybacking with State Asphalt Contracts Means More Paved City Roads
Proposed Order Made in Residency Case
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Thanks to aggressive study by Dr. Wayne Pollard, public works director, the City of Huntington will be seeing less rough streets and more paved potholes. Mayor Kim Wolfe complimented Pollard for finding a state agreement that allows the city to “piggyback” on state highway asphalt contract prices.
“We stretch our dollars,” stated councilman Nate Randolph, after Mark Bates received a waiver of the rules to hold first reading of the City of Huntington Street Paving Program.
Council passed without opposition the awarding of a design contract for a cured-in-place pipe point repair for the 13th and 19th Street sewer line replacement, which will save the city about $700,000. In addition, they approved a $16,300 environmental assessment for the ash slurry pond at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Potesta & Associates of South Charleston will take soil and pond samples to ensure there is no contamination.
Former City Councilman Tom McCallister questioned the expenditure for the study, but vice chairman, Jim Ashworth, said “the ash lagoon is filling up” and the Sanitary Board was required by law to conduct the study.
McCallister inquired whether the Sanitary Board’s $15 million dollar furnace/incinerator remains unused. Ashworth responded that the incinerator is not operational and the board is still trying to decide whether to “bring it back on line.” The vice-chairman suggested that the cost of burying sludge is the same as incineration.
Public Works Director Pollard told council that he completed overdue storm water reports. He has proposed an expedited storm water public awareness campaign and that council consider establishing a storm water committee.
As anticipated, an ordinance involving collection of delinquent municipal service fees will be sent back to the finance committee. At the Friday afternoon work session Finance Committee Chairman Steve Williams said the proposed ordinance did not state whether the property owner or the representing agent should pay the fees.
The ordinance could resurface at an August council meeting.
Council approved a non-binding resolution that supports the juvenile referee program which the W.Va. Supreme Court recently did not fund. Former Sheriff and now Mayor Wolfe said the program “takes the workload off the Circuit Court.” And, Councilman Randolph stressed the benefits of “steering and guiding” youth before their case becomes serious enough to official enter the court system.
Finally, in response to a question from a council member, City Attorney Scott McClure indicated that the residency case remanded from the State Supreme Court remains the subject of litigation. However, he said that a “proposed order” had been drafted by attorneys representing city employees. “It’s probably advisable to enter into that order,” McClure said, quickly adding that any further discussion of its contents could be bound by attorney/client privilege and would require an executive session.
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Piggybacking with State Asphalt Contracts Means More Paved City Roads
Proposed Order Made in Residency Case
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter
Huntington, WV (HNN) – Thanks to aggressive study by Dr. Wayne Pollard, public works director, the City of Huntington will be seeing less rough streets and more paved potholes. Mayor Kim Wolfe complimented Pollard for finding a state agreement that allows the city to “piggyback” on state highway asphalt contract prices.
“We stretch our dollars,” stated councilman Nate Randolph, after Mark Bates received a waiver of the rules to hold first reading of the City of Huntington Street Paving Program.
Council passed without opposition the awarding of a design contract for a cured-in-place pipe point repair for the 13th and 19th Street sewer line replacement, which will save the city about $700,000. In addition, they approved a $16,300 environmental assessment for the ash slurry pond at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Potesta & Associates of South Charleston will take soil and pond samples to ensure there is no contamination.
Former City Councilman Tom McCallister questioned the expenditure for the study, but vice chairman, Jim Ashworth, said “the ash lagoon is filling up” and the Sanitary Board was required by law to conduct the study.
McCallister inquired whether the Sanitary Board’s $15 million dollar furnace/incinerator remains unused. Ashworth responded that the incinerator is not operational and the board is still trying to decide whether to “bring it back on line.” The vice-chairman suggested that the cost of burying sludge is the same as incineration.
Public Works Director Pollard told council that he completed overdue storm water reports. He has proposed an expedited storm water public awareness campaign and that council consider establishing a storm water committee.
As anticipated, an ordinance involving collection of delinquent municipal service fees will be sent back to the finance committee. At the Friday afternoon work session Finance Committee Chairman Steve Williams said the proposed ordinance did not state whether the property owner or the representing agent should pay the fees.
The ordinance could resurface at an August council meeting.
Council approved a non-binding resolution that supports the juvenile referee program which the W.Va. Supreme Court recently did not fund. Former Sheriff and now Mayor Wolfe said the program “takes the workload off the Circuit Court.” And, Councilman Randolph stressed the benefits of “steering and guiding” youth before their case becomes serious enough to official enter the court system.
Finally, in response to a question from a council member, City Attorney Scott McClure indicated that the residency case remanded from the State Supreme Court remains the subject of litigation. However, he said that a “proposed order” had been drafted by attorneys representing city employees. “It’s probably advisable to enter into that order,” McClure said, quickly adding that any further discussion of its contents could be bound by attorney/client privilege and would require an executive session.
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