Councilors offer Christmas wishes at final 2024 meeting
At their final meeting of 2024 marking six months in office, councilors wished the city a happy holiday season and finished the year with a slim agenda.
WHEELING – City councilors rounded out their first six months in office with a slim, business-as-usual agenda at their Tuesday, Dec. 17 meeting.
City councilors and Mayor Denny Magruder wished their constituents a Merry Christmas while reflecting on their time in office and hoping for a positive outlook for 2025.
Clay School Countdown
During a Finance Committee meeting, councilors expressed their desire to see the historic Clay School, located on the corner of 15th and Wood streets, demolished.
“I would love to save it,” Councilor Ty Thorgnate said of the building, “but the only thing that makes sense for us is demolition.”
Vice Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis echoed Thorngate’s statement, adding that “the value of this building is just not there anymore. I don’t know what else could be done at this point.” The rest of the council agreed that demolition was the best path forward.
Councilor Connie Cain, whose ward includes the Clay School and whose home is situated behind the blighted property, expressed the concerns of East Wheeling residents still burned by a 2010s project that saw a city block of housing demolished for the J.B. Chambers Recreation Park.
“I feel it should be torn down,” Cain said of the property, “but we object to anything connected to that field.” Cain said East Wheeling community members felt “screwed” by the field, claiming several residents have been locked out of the property despite guarantees it would be open to the public.
“We got locked out,” Cain said. “When you keep taking stuff from us then we don’t trust you. It’s like we don’t hear [the citizens]. Hear us. If you build something, make sure we’re not locked out.”
It’s unclear what would take the place of the Clay School, but discussions were held regarding the relocation of the Nelson Jordan Center, a community gym.
The Finance Committee approved a recommendation for the building’s demolition and forwarded it to the Health and Recreation Committee, chaired by Cain. Read the full story about the Clay School here.
Tree Board Triumphs
During remarks from members of council, Councilor Tony Assaro, who is the council representative of the city’s Tree Board, yielded his time to Board Chair Karen Cox.
Cox informed the council about a grant of over one million dollars to assist in caring for the city’s trees, planting new trees, creating an arborist training program, and hiring an urban forester position employed by the county.
The Tree Board has worked with schools, youth groups, and private residents to plant 500 trees throughout the community. The board also works on cataloguing the city’s trees, caring for the trees, and applying for an annual “Tree City USA” certification.
Along with aesthetic benefits of trees, urban tree canopies provide real economic benefits to businesses and the city more broadly. The 1,000 trees monitored by the board have, “[contributed] to prevent 309,000 gallons of water entering our storm water systems,” Cox said. “These trees are contributing some very significant services that our community needs.”
A full story about Cox’s presentation can be found here.
City Infrastructure Updates
City Manager Robert Herron delivered a gleaming report on several projects throughout the city of Wheeling.
The demolition of the former Ohio Valley Medical Center and the Center Market parking structure were declared “substantially complete,” several months ahead of schedule. Chapline Street, closed for months in the area due to the demolitions, officially reopened on Thursday, Dec. 19.
Sewer work in the Valley View neighborhood of Wheeling was also considered substantially complete while an accompanying stormwater project was nearing completion. And in South Wheeling, a former school being demolished was 75% completed.
Herron projected that the city would be prepared for large snow events, too, with four new dump trucks with snow plow and salt spreader attachments to be delivered on Wednesday, Dec. 18.
Ordinances Passed; Ordinances Proposed
Seven ordinances were adopted at the Tuesday meeting, with two receiving two readings at the advice of Herron to ensure contract obligations were met. These ordinances include:
$29,000 to Real Builders LLC of Salesville, Ohio, for construction of a pole barn to store Water Department materials and machinery;
A transfer of $1,035,000 of TIF Bonds to the Ohio Valley Area Development Corporation;
An amendment to the city’s sewer code to align it with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency regulations;
A transfer of properties 1101 to 1107 Main Street to the Ohio Valley Area Development Corporation;
$27,907 to Safehold USI Insurance Services LLC of Wheeling for flood insurance premiums related to April flood damage at the wastewater treatment plant;
$78,180.18 to Tyler Technologies of Dallas, Texas, for the purchase of annual software maintenance; and,
$45,326.64 to Lashley Tractor Sales of St. Clairsville, Oh. for the purchase of a snow removal plow and broom to better clear the top floors of parking structures.
Ordinances proposed, and to be voted on at the council’s Jan. 7 meeting, include further repairs to the wastewater treatment plant, the city’s 10-year comprehensive plan, and an agreement with Century Realty LLC to market the Market Street parking structure’s retail space.
The council will meet in the new year on Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 5:30 p.m.