City Council Meeting - Monday, March 23, 2015

City Council members approved the 2015-2016 fiscal year budget Monday during its meeting by a 5-4 vote.

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams said city revenue would increase by $650,000, including $1 million for street construction.

He also said the new budget will allow for the addition of two new field auditors in the finance department.

The approved budget will allow operations in the city’s police, fire department and public works departments to continue as usual.

Also during the meeting, Williams commented on the two unrelated shooting deaths of Joshua Martin and Rudy Magana in Huntington this week.

“The two events are separate from one another, and they’re tragic,” Williams said. “I have the ultimate faith in the Huntington Police Department.”

City Council Meeting - Monday, March 9, 2015

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams urges council members get input from citizens and submit their lists for spring road paving to the Public Works Department by March 20.

Williams said “cold patching” the potholes will begin as soon as the roadways are clear of water.

“After coming out of this winter season, our roads are beat to Hades,” Williams said.

During the last winter storm, all six of Huntington’s snow plows ran 72 consecutive hours with no injuries or accidents reported.

The city council voted to withdrawal the resolution prohibiting advertisements on the Greater Huntington Wall of Fame until the matter could be discussed further.

Williams said he wants the resolution to achieve a middle ground and proposed it be held until such a time as that could be achieved. Williams cited his concern with a resolution completely banning a medium as the reason for the delay.

“The Wall of Fame is a sacred wall,” Williams said.

During the meeting, Williams made several announcements.

Williams announced the award of an EPA grant to the city. He said Huntington received the second highest score of the 20 cities that received the EPA’s brownfield planning grant.

Williams also declared April 2015 Free Housing Month in honor of the 47^th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act of 1968.

The council approved a resolution authorizing Williams to apply for and enter a West Virginia’s Governor’s Community Partnership Program to receive funds of $3,000 for the Healing Place of Huntington, Inc.

City Council Meeting - March 9

I will be attending the City Council meeting today, Monday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. Some of the resolutions being voted on tonight include one to get $3,000 for The Healing Place and one to prevent advertisements from being placed on the Greater Huntington Wall of Fame.