New Council holds first meeting prioritizing speed over substance
The Wheeling City Council met for just twenty minutes in their first meeting of the new session. Remarks offered by members were brief and lacking in policy.
WHEELING, W.Va. – Members of the 2024 City Council met Tuesday, July 2, for their first official business meeting. Rather than discussing their ambitions for this session or speaking of policy, Councilors and the new Mayor thanked their colleagues and moved on quickly.
Mayor Denny Magruder at times mixed up the order of business and was met with quick corrections made by veteran Councilors, the City Manager, and City Clerk Jessica Zalenski. Previous mayors often made mistakes during their first few meetings, too, and Magruder remarked on the rocky start at the end of the meeting thanking the audience for their patience, saying, “I know I look old, but I am a rookie…we’ll get this ironed out.”
In what may have been the fastest city council meeting Wheeling Free Press has ever covered–taking a mere twenty minutes from start to finish–attendees barely settled in before ‘patience’ had a chance to kick in.
Magruder spoke briefly during his mayor’s report, mentioning the July 4th celebration at Heritage Port featuring the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. He thanked city administration for their work planning and executing the swearing in ceremony a day prior.
Councilors kept their remarks short as well–under a minute each–with returning members welcoming newcomers Tony Assaro, Ward 1, Connie Cain, Ward 3, and Magruder. Councilor Ben Seidler, Ward 2, said he was excited for what the future held for Wheeling adding that he thought “we have a great team here.”
What that future may look like, though, is to be determined as no member of council spoke about their plans, policies, or aspirations for Wheeling’s next four years. Notably, no Councilor nor the Mayor offered thanks to the voters who elected them.
In other council news…
Magruder’s first official act as mayor was to select Councilor Jerry Sklavounakis, Ward 4, to serve as his Vice-Mayor. Interestingly, no vote by council approving this nomination occurred despite the Charter of the City of Wheeling, Section 29 stating the position is “subject to the approval of Council.”
The role of Vice-Mayor is largely ceremonial. If Magruder is absent from a meeting Sklavounakis will assume the role of the chair. Otherwise, the Vice-Mayor will act as Magruder’s right-hand-man, on display tonight when Sklavounakis reminded him to allow for councilor questions to the city manager. There is no additional compensation for serving in the role.
Magruder made appointments to various City Council committees. They are as follows:
DEVELOPMENT: Denny Magruder (chair), Jerry Sklavounakis, Ty Thorngate
FINANCE: Dave Palmer (chair), Ty Thorngate, Jerry Sklavounakis
HEALTH AND RECREATION: Connie Cain (chair), Tony Assaro, Ty Thorngate
PROMOTIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS: Tony Assaro (chair), Ben Seidler, Connie Cain
PUBLIC SAFETY: Ben Seidler (chair), Connie Cain, Dave Palmer
PUBLIC WORKS: Ty Thorngate (chair), Jerry Sklavounakis, Ben Seidler
RULES: Jerry Sklavounakis (chair), Dave Palmer, Tony Assaro
Each members serves as the chair of at least one committee. Sklavounakis and Thorngate serve on the most committees at four total. Assaro, Cain, Palmer, and Seidler will each serve on three committees.
City Manager Robert Herron during his report brought new members up to speed on the now over a million dollars spent on repairs to the wastewater treatment plant. As mentioned in previous council stories, this damage occurred during the April floods. Herron reassured Councilors that the funds spent are eligible for reimbursement through FEMA.
$662,935.62 in repairs to the wastewater treatment plant were approved at their July 2 meeting alone, bringing the grand total of money spent on repairs so far to $1,484,642.50. CT Consultants, who are contracted by the Water Pollution Control Division, estimates that over $2.5 million in damage was done to the plant following the April 13 flooding event.
Councilors approved $20,000 for Wheeling Island dock repairs associated with the April floods, $19,732.77 for “cybersecurity insurance,” a fiscal year 2024 plan for the U.S. Housing and Urban Development CDBG and HOME programs, and a rule creating four 20-minute parking zones at Market Plaza near the under construction daycare center by Newbridge Church, formally Vineyard Church.
During the public comment period, Diana Mey spoke of her concern over the use of tobacco and marijuana products during events hosted by the City of Wheeling. Mey says she and her husband were “surrounded by people smoking cigarettes and weed,” at a recent Waterfront Wednesday concert causing them to leave.
Karen Cox, Chair of the Wheeling Tree Board, spoke about the need for a council-representative on the Wheeling advisory panel. Cox, who serves as the West Virginia University Extension agent for Ohio County, says she has been awarded $1.2 million in funding for an arborist training program including $200,000 for maintenance and planting of trees in Wards 1, 2, and 3.
The Wheeling Tree Board typically meets on the first Thursday of the month at 11:00 a.m. at the Ohio County Public Library. However, due to holidays in July and August, the board will meet on July 25 at the above referenced time and place.
The next council meeting is set for Tuesday, July 16, at 5:30 p.m.