A completely virtual meeting of the Lewisburg City Council took place on Tuesday, January 18, with consideration for city employee wage increases, project updates, and more.
The items considered by council include:
– The upcoming Starbucks, also known as “Wal-Bucks,” has submitted a final plan and will be brought to City Council in February.
– Lewisburg Mayor Beverly White read the Martin Luther King Jr. Day proclamation, honoring King and his fight for racial and economic justice. For more on the Lewisburg MLK Day celebration, see “Online Lsbg. MLK Celebration Seeks Equal Opportunity For All.”
– Council approved a cost of living raise for city employees. Councilmember Arron Seams explained the increase “was presented from the city manager to, in order to keep up with the increased cost of living, adjust the wages at the rate of 70 cents per hour. The finance committee had a lively discussion about that and agreed that we would recommend [this] to the Council. … That would be effective on February third.”
– Similar to the city employees, a wage increase for the Lewisburg Police Department was approved. The $1,000 increase to wages across the board was approved.
– “You were awarded a Small City Hazard Mitigation grant for $250,000,” explained Donna Ward of the Region IV Planning and Development Council. “This money will be used to do a stormwater study within the city of Lewisburg. The next step of that process is what we call the evidentiary package. That is a group of forms that need to be signed by Mayor White. … There’s the grant agreement, the budget, and an agreement between the city of Lewisburg and the West Virginia Development Office.” The study is estimated to be completed within two years or sooner, the maximum length of the grant. A request for proposal for engineering firms will allow the city to find the correct engineer. Council approved White to sign the documents.
– City Administrator Misty Hill offered an update on the over $700,000 CARES Act reimbursement issued to the city, which was required to be spent before the beginning of 2022. “I just wanted to let council know that we’ve been able to close out all of the construction at the parks. Also we still have our placeholder $100,000 for broadband, and our generators [is paid for] but we’re just waiting [for] its arrival. Other than that, everything has been completed. We are still working on the phone system, but we have expended all CARES Act reimbursement to the balance of zero.”
– Hill also noted a $5,000 grant award from the Hamilton Foundation for Lewisburg skate park updates.
– After ample snow in the past week, Hill, Seams and Councilmember Sarah Elkins thanked city crews for their work clearing the roads. “Streets and parks have really [gone] above and beyond keeping the roads clear and clean. A lot of people right now are depending on home delivery for food and medication with COVID.” Seams continued he saw crews working into Tuesday and “those efforts were definitely visible and appreciated.”
– Planning and Zoning Officer Marsha Cunningham noted AirBNBs, medical marijuana, the permissible use table, and wireless communications in the city have been under discussion at working sessions for the Planning Commission.
– The ongoing water infrastructure project is moving forward, Hill confirmed, with eminent domain claims on multiple projects ongoing.
– After a recommendation from Finance Committee, council awarded Alpine Tree Services a $13,350 contract for tree removal for the water project.
– As explained by Seams, Council approved a “one step bid and bond process” in order to put up a previously purchased “metal structure” that would “help house some of our Public WOrks Department offices and equipment and supplies.”
The Lewisburg City Council regularly meets in City Hall on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m., unless COVID-19 cases rates led to a virtual meeting. To login for meetings, contact City Hall beforehand.
