Charleston City Council Regular Meeting - October 6, 2025
Charleston City Council Regular Meeting - October 6, 2025
The Charleston City Council met on Monday, October 6, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers at City Hall. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin, with 25 members present (two excused absences). The council observed a moment of silence for the late Kitty Dooley. The agenda included public comments, proclamations, appointments, multiple finance resolutions, a B&O tax exemption bill, new bills, and member remarks.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Archana Narasimhan (Charleston Can't Wait) invited attendees to Democracy Labs 2.0, a bipartisan public meeting on improving public input and government transparency, to be held Thursday at 5:30 PM at the library. She emphasized the need for constructive feedback and urged continued openness from council.
- Stuart McMillan (President, City Center Business Improvement District – BID) reported on BID activities: new lighting along Summer Street (funded with federal, state, and city support), new trash cans, and a BID ambassador program. He invited council to a stakeholder meeting on October 28 at 4 PM at the Kanawha Valley Foundation to discuss the lighting project.
Proclamations
- Filipino American History Month – October 2025 was proclaimed to honor Filipino American heritage and contributions. A representative from the Filipino American Association of West Virginia accepted.
- West Virginia Municipal Government Week – October 13–19, 2025, was proclaimed, celebrating local government employees. All city employees and council members were invited to the stage for a photo.
Reports of Committees – Finance
All resolutions were presented by Councilmember Jenkins, Chair of the Finance Committee.
- Resolution 25-091 – Authorized purchase of annual renewal of Charleston Police Department’s record management software from TriTech Software Systems for $84,389.28. Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 25-092 – Authorized purchase of two HI-WAY P-8 stainless steel salt spreader machines from WV Tractor Supply Company for $27,586. Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 25-093 – Authorized settlement of a claim by Robley Lushbaugh ($37,550.50 to claimant, up to $5,000 for third-party expenses) after a city trash truck rear-ended and totaled a 2024 Honda CR-V. No personal injury. Passed (majority vote).
- Resolution 25-094 – Authorized transfer of $800,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund to the CARE Office Fund to continue operation of the Coordinated Addiction Response Effort (CARE) programs (Quick Response Team, Mental Health Coordinator, Crisis Intervention Team) through FY 2027, due to expiration of federal grants. Passed (majority vote).
- Resolution 25-095 – Approved Amendment No. 3 of the FY 2025-2026 General Fund Budget, recognizing approximately $29,000 in unclaimed property from the West Virginia Treasurer to repave outdoor basketball courts. Roll call: 24 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent (Rubio, Snodgrass). Passed.
- Resolution 25-096 – Authorized a contract with Lakecrest Construction for a new storm sewer system on Chesterfield Avenue near Glenridge Road for $579,755, funded largely through a congressional directed grant from Senator Capito with a 25% city match. Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 25-097 – Authorized an agreement with Insight Pipe Contracting, LLC for rehabilitation of storm sewer pipes at approximately 45 locations across the city for $365,530. Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 25-098 – Authorized a one-year pilot agreement with Dynamic Graphics (South Charleston, WV) for an online uniform voucher portal for city employees. Discussion: Councilmember Kerns asked about in-city vendors; City Manager Ben Mishoe explained prior vendors went out of business and other in-city options could not provide required customization. Councilmember Faegre noted Drug Emporium and Charleston Department Store are no longer in business. Passed unanimously.
- Resolution 25-099 – Authorized an agreement with the West Virginia Department of Transportation, Division of Highways, for administering and funding the Capital Connector Construction Project on roads owned by both city and state. Required by federal grant. Passed (voice vote, mayor declared adoption).
- Bill No. 8058 – Amended Municipal Code Section 110-63 to exempt from business and occupation tax: (1) any business with less than $2,500 in annual gross income, and (2) sale of new automobiles. Effective July 1, 2025, to comply with state law. Councilmember Jenkins noted administration opposed the auto exemption. Councilmember Faegre stated the $2,500 rule would cost the city approximately $3,000 annually. Councilmember Solomon spoke against the bill and voted no. Roll call: 23 yeas, 1 nay (Solomon), 2 absent. Passed.
Reports of Officers
- City Treasurer’s Report for month ending August 2025.
- Municipal Court Report for month ending August 2025.
- City Center Business Improvement District FY 2024 Annual Report. All received and filed.
New Bills
- Bill No. 8063 (Introduced by Councilmember Kerns) – To rezone 1319 Bigley Avenue to C-8 Village Commercial District. Referred to Planning, Streets & Traffic Committee.
- Bill No. 8064 (Introduced by Councilmember Overstreet) – To establish a 20 mph speed limit on Garvin Avenue from Washington Street West to Gilbert Drive. Referred to Planning, Streets & Traffic Committee.
Appointments
- Appointments to Spring Hill Cemetery Park Commission: Bill Harvett (term to April 6, 2030), Mary Jean Davis (term to April 6, 2031), Tom Tolliver and Nina Payton (reappointed, terms to April 6, 2029), Bobby Reichmann (reappointed, term to April 6, 2031). Confirmed by voice vote.
Remarks by Members
- Mayor Goodwin – Thanked city employees and council for participating in Charleston Walks; announced a public input session for the Charleston Land Reuse Agency; noted new AV equipment improving transparency.
- Councilmember Pepper – Thanked Parking Director Terri Allen for coordinating with the West Virginia International Film Festival (November 13–16, 2025), which will reopen part of the former Park Place Cinemas.
- Councilmember Ferrell – Thanked Charleston Fire Department and Public Works for their professionalism following the death of his cousin, Scott Schrader; reported that the cousin’s house was broken into multiple times after his death, with firearms and medications stolen. Urged better protections for citizens in life and death.
- Councilmember Pharr – Honored the memory of Kitty Dooley, recalling their collaboration on the honorary street renaming and her ability to listen and bring people together.
Key Outcomes
- All resolutions (25-091 through 25-099) and Bill No. 8058 were adopted as described.
- Two new bills were introduced and referred to committee.
- Appointments to the Spring Hill Cemetery Park Commission were confirmed.
- The meeting adjourned at 8:04 PM. The next regular meeting is scheduled for October 20, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. Council, please come to order. Members will please rise, and before we begin our prayer this evening, I'd like to take just a moment and ask everyone to please reflect upon the life and the legacy of the late Kitty Dooley. As you paint the trees with colors of purple, orange, yellow, and red leaves, we are reminded of our many colors and how our differences enrich the lives of those around us. As the autumn leaves fall, we are reminded that in order to move forward, we must also let go, as we are always in a state of changing, growing, and learning. Separately. Cook. Fagrie. Farrell, Gardner, Gianola, Haas, Hoover, Jenkins, Jones, Kearns, King, Moore, Overstreet, Pepper, Farr, Robinson, Rubio, excuse. Solango, Snodgrass, excuse, Solomon, Steelhammer, Taylor, Mayor Goodwin. Here. The clerk will please read the journal. Madam President. Yes, Madam Mayor, I request unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the journal. There's a motion on the floor that we dispense with the reading of the journal, hearing, and seeing no objections. The reading of the journal is now dispensed with. We have two public speakers this evening. Our first public speaker, Archina. Thank you so much. Hello, thank you. I would like to invite everyone present here today and anyone listening to the online recording to Democracy Labs 2.0, which there are flyers on everyone's desks. Thank you so much for allowing me to do that. This is a public meeting of neighbors where our organization, Charleston Can't Wait, serves to facilitate conversations between folks who are interested in making Charleston voices more accessible and growing into its incredible potential that this city has. The main aim of this installation is to follow up with folks on their brainstorming about improving public input, democracy, and government transparency. You were all invited to this event last year, so you might remember the name. And while only those who had already had a connection to West Virginia can't wait's name had come, this invitation has been extended to all of you and had been as well last year, and always will be continuing forward. So I wanted to just remind everybody that we are a bipartisan group. This event is bipartisan as well. And I specifically want to hear any and all ideas. Partly the event exists because we don't have enough time during public comments, especially if there are more speakers to address Charleston's concerns. And that is one issue that attendees brainstormed about. So if you disagree, come to the event. That is the whole point. And instead of maybe, you know, having some assumptions kind of going around about our intentions, it's advisable and much more productive to give us whatever constructive feedback you have at the event itself. So just wanted to say, you know, and I could cancel this event right now if we had more of these kinds of like public meetings and things like that. So help us out. We don't really want to spend our time like this to be honest. I don't know that I have it. So just don't be upset when we hold these kinds of events and instead come out and help us represent. And um, we also wanted to kind of talk about you know the Capito situation where we were denied access to even talk to our uh senator, and just want to remind you all you have been open to being able to hear these kinds of comments, so just you know, continuing to do that is such a wonderful thing for the city, and I just encourage you to say, you know, follow in the same vein of being able to hear us out. We don't want to leave and have to make our homes and more supportive communities out of state. Help us stay, help us by listening and allowing us proper representation and to bridge this gap between policy and people. Help us by coming out to this event. So that is this Thursday in the library, and it's gonna be at 5 30. So please do come out, and there's a Facebook event that you can get all the details from. Thank you for allowing me to speak. Thank you. Our next public speaker, Stuart McMillan. Stuart. Uh thank you and good evening.
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