In a brief (18 minute) regular Huntington City Council meeting on Monday a sewer bond extension and an urgent Cabell Hospital area road contract were quickly approved in public session.
Vice Chair Sarah Wallings chaired the meeting, filling in for Council Chair Holly Mounts who was absent, along with Council members Mike Shockley and Theresa Johnson (as well as Mayor Steve Williams). City manager Hank Dial spoke in lieu of the Mayor, explaining that Mr. Williams was representing Huntington at the Washington, D.C. Mayors’ Conference. Water Board chief Bryan Bracey also addressed Council concerning a new sewer bond strategy using fiduciary payment extensions, while Public Works chief Mark Bates argued for prompt funding to counter a degraded substrata roadbed situation just north of Holderby Dr. on 17th Street.
Hank Dial kicked off the meeting by inviting the public to a “Mocha with the Mayor” dialogue event at the Marshall Student Center on March 22, 2023 at 10:45 am. He congratulated The Public Works department for removing over 500 signs in the last two months as part of the current illegal sign & city beautification initiative.
Unified Water Utility chief Bryan Bracey advocated for Council to approve a second reading of a bond commitment, and called for a three year extension on the current bond anticipation note, saying, “the utility is unable at this time to have a direct bond, so we are urging a rollover for three years of the existing Bond Anticipation Note,” and the motion passed.
Mr. Bates then clarified the other agenda item, a fast-tracked road engineering contract. Approximately $350,000 had been contacted out for road repair and repaving on 17th Street (the back line of the Cabell Hospital campus) in 2022, but this work has now halted due to “slippage at eight feet below grade.” The fast track line item request for $88,150 of “slope stabilization” engineering work is necessary before work can resume on the 17th Street repaving job, Bates said. The GEO-stabilization Company of Williamstown, Kentucky is the city’s approved vendor for this Holderby Rd. /17th Street East slope stabilization engineering work, Bates told council, and the paving job should be back on track in “two to three weeks.” The fast track geostabilization and engineering contract then passed unanimously.
In the Good & Welfare roundup, Councilor Bowen reminded people to drive safely through the Hal Greer Blvd. corridor during this Spring’s major road work and lane closures.
Guyandotte area district representative Ally Layman announced to the public of an opportunity to volunteer and help out on April First, 2023 with the old town’s Neighborhood Cleanup Day activities.
Council member Tia Rumbaugh expressed concern and sympathy for people downtown, especially children and the disabled, not having access to public restrooms. She stated that the public restroom in Pullman Square has been “chained and locked for years.” She mentioned her concern for visitors, tourists and Sternwheel excursion patrons who walk into the city center at Pullman and find no public facilities. She related that the city responded to her concerns by citing “Marathon, Sheetz and Speedway” as “public toilets” — which she objected to by pointing out that company security maintains those facilities for customers only. She urged the public to “advocate for a public toilet downtown” — and stated she wanted to earmark $100,000 of District Three ARPA funding to provide downtown public toilets.
Finally, acting Huntington City Council Chair Sarah Wallings solicited for much-needed Red Cross blood donations, before gaveling the meeting adjourned at 7:48 PM.