OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Charleston City Council Regular Meeting - November 3, 2025

City Council — Monday, November 3, 2025
BodyCharleston, West Virginia
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, November 3, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 45:29

Transcript — Verbatim
0:31

Good evening, Council.

0:33

Will please come to order and let me say we have new technology in the room for everyone.

0:39

So we may go a little slower tonight than normal just to make sure that we get every single thing right, and please be patient with me on this new screen.

0:49

I have Nikki and Jackie and Miles a big thank you.

0:54

Adam, thank you to you and your team for making uh so much of this happen.

1:00

Uh Councilwoman Burka will lead us tonight in our prayer as we begin.

1:11

Dear Father, we thank you for the time that we can get together here and go about the business of this spare city.

1:16

And we just pray that you give us wisdom in the decisions that we make and the votes that we take, and just got us all safely home.

1:23

Thank you for this new technology that will make things easier uh eventually, and we just uh thank you for the wisdom in our city officials to bring this to us and just bless us as we leave here and keep us all safe and watch over our families.

1:38

In Jesus' name I pray, amen.

1:41

Thank you so much.

1:44

Councilmember Annie will please lead us in the pledge.

2:04

Thank you.

2:05

The clerk will please prepare the machine for roll call.

2:08

All members present will vote yes.

2:19

Look at all this happen right now.

2:21

So exciting.

2:22

Kevin Baker just said, look at that.

2:25

Look at that.

2:27

This will this will be a refrain that Kevin has heard many times, and those of us who've worked in the state house has heard many times.

2:35

Has every member voted?

2:37

Has every member who is present clicked yes for their attendance.

2:46

There are 24 members present.

2:50

Mr.

2:50

Clerk.

2:52

Excuse separately.

2:55

Excused Fagri.

2:57

Excused Pepper.

2:59

Thank you.

3:01

The clerk will please read the journal.

3:05

Councilwoman Hoover.

3:19

Seeing no objections, the reading of the journal is dispensed.

3:24

We have one public speaker this evening.

3:28

Mark, please come to the microphone right there.

3:34

Same rules apply for public speakers.

3:38

And it will be turned on.

3:42

It is.

3:42

There you are.

3:43

It's on.

3:44

Please, thank you.

3:45

Go right ahead.

3:45

Okay.

3:48

I'm in a handicapped position tonight.

3:50

If anyone has a question of me, I can't answer it.

3:52

My hearing aids are right here in my pocket.

3:55

They went they went fluy today, and uh they didn't work on my telephone, and now they don't work at all.

4:01

So they're like earplugs.

4:03

Um I've come tonight.

4:08

Um first of all, I want to say thank you to the council and to the mayor and to all the city officials that are here tonight.

4:14

Um I've come with a request.

4:18

I've come to talk to the city council and the mayor of Charleston and trying to get us as a group, you as a group, to have a conversation with citizens that you that you represent, that rep that you represent.

4:32

I'm asking the city to engage with what's happening in Washington in our country.

4:38

Why did over 200 people march and over 500 citizens in Charleston on No Kings Day protest?

4:47

We don't all agree on the problem, but we know millions of people are protesting across the country.

4:54

We need to talk about it.

4:57

Congress, as an individual, I'm very frustrated that I can never talk to anybody.

5:02

Congress has never been available to meet and talk with us.

5:06

And it's always hard to reach the city, the state legislature as a group.

5:12

So I've come to engage with the city council and the and in the mayor.

5:23

You're leaders, and you run on a nine on a nonpartisan basis, which is great.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████52%
Public Health Awareness████████████████19%
Community Engagement██████████12%
Engineering And Infrastructure████5%
Fiscal Sustainability███3%
Economic Development███3%
Public Engagement██2%
Human Trafficking Awareness██2%
Transportation Safety██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Charleston City Council Regular Meeting - November 3, 2025

The Charleston City Council met on November 3, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The council approved zoning and traffic changes, holiday parking waivers, fuel and salt purchases, a basketball court acquisition, and a $70,000 budget amendment to address the SNAP benefits crisis. A public speaker requested community dialogue, a Veterans Day proclamation was read, and outgoing City Attorney Kevin Baker was honored.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mark Tabbert asked the council to host public discussions on national issues, including immigration enforcement and political divisions. He expressed frustration with the lack of accessible dialogue and requested the city take a nonpartisan lead in facilitating civil conversations.

Discussion Items

  • Bill No. 8063 – Rezoning of 1319 Bigley Avenue from I-2 Light Industrial to C-8 Village Commercial. Councilmember Hoover noted the property currently has a house and rezoning gives the owner more options. Passed unanimously.
  • Bill No. 8064 – Establishing a 20 MPH speed limit on Garvin Avenue from Washington Street West to Gilbert Drive. Councilmember Hoover stated Councilmember Overstreet worked with the community to curb speeding. Passed unanimously.
  • Resolution No. 25-106 – “Citizen Appreciation Parking” on six Saturdays (Nov 29, 2025 – Jan 3, 2026), waiving metered on-street parking fees with an estimated revenue loss of $2,300 per Saturday. Adopted.
  • Resolution No. 25-107 – Authorizing the Mayor or City Manager to enter fuel purchase agreements through KRT bids on November 19, 2025. Councilmember Gardner disclosed his wife is KRT CFO; no conflict. Adopted.
  • Resolution No. 25-108 – Purchase of a used portable basketball court and accessories for the Coliseum from Robbins Sports Surfaces for $208,560. Councilmember Jenkins noted the court replaces a 15-year-old used court. Adopted.
  • Resolution No. 25-109 – Contract with Morton Salt Inc. for road salt at $111.56 per ton, as-needed, fixed price for one year. Councilmember Jenkins explained the prior award to Mid-Atlantic Salt was voided due to a miscommunication; Morton Salt was the true lowest bidder. Adopted.
  • Resolution No. 25-110 – Amendment No. 5 to FY 2025-2026 General Fund Budget, shifting $70,000 from Contingency: $10,000 to Parks and Recreation for food at community centers, and $60,000 to the CARE Office for the Kanawha Valley Collective. Passed unanimously.
  • Resolution No. 25-111 – Memorandum of Understanding with Kanawha Valley Collective for a $60,000 grant for food distribution in November and December 2025. Councilmember Jenkins confirmed 100% goes to food purchase. Adopted.
  • Proclamation – Recognizing November 11, 2025 as Veterans Day in Charleston, presented to local Veterans Day coordinators.

Remarks by Members

  • Mayor Goodwin thanked the IS Department and Clerk’s Office for the new AV and voting system, and announced City Attorney Kevin Baker is leaving after seven years, praising his service.
  • Councilmember Solomon expressed gratitude for the food assistance funding, noting SNAP benefits for West Virginia total $46 million per month, with Charleston missing about $1 million per month. Approximately 16% of West Virginians use SNAP, affecting about 7,300 Charleston residents, half of whom are children.
  • Councilmember Cook (works for a Feeding America food bank) emphasized the severity of the food crisis and that SNAP benefits may still be weeks away. She urged continued awareness for future SNAP changes in 2026.
  • Councilmember Kerns highlighted that SNAP purchases make up 30-40% of grocery store income, and reported 22 veteran suicides per day, advocating for suicide prevention efforts. She noted a free dinner program at First Baptist Church on Shrewsbury Street.
  • Councilmember Pharr announced a ribbon cutting for Vital Flow, a new IV hydration business housed at the Charleston Area Alliance, which supports 35 businesses in its incubator program. She also noted the Atlas Building has been fully leased for five years.
  • Councilmember Annie thanked Kevin Baker for his fairness and professionalism, wishing him well in his new role.

Key Outcomes

  • Bill No. 8063 (zoning change) passed unanimously (22-0-2 absent).
  • Bill No. 8064 (speed limit) passed unanimously via previous roll call.
  • Resolution No. 25-106 (holiday parking) adopted by voice vote.
  • Resolution No. 25-107 (fuel purchase) adopted by voice vote.
  • Resolution No. 25-108 (basketball court) adopted by voice vote.
  • Resolution No. 25-109 (road salt) adopted by voice vote.
  • Resolution No. 25-110 (budget amendment) passed unanimously (22-0-2 absent).
  • Resolution No. 25-111 (food grant) adopted by voice vote.
  • Meeting adjourned at 7:47 PM; next regular meeting set for November 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, Council. Will please come to order and let me say we have new technology in the room for everyone. So we may go a little slower tonight than normal just to make sure that we get every single thing right, and please be patient with me on this new screen. I have Nikki and Jackie and Miles a big thank you. Adam, thank you to you and your team for making uh so much of this happen. Uh Councilwoman Burka will lead us tonight in our prayer as we begin. Dear Father, we thank you for the time that we can get together here and go about the business of this spare city. And we just pray that you give us wisdom in the decisions that we make and the votes that we take, and just got us all safely home. Thank you for this new technology that will make things easier uh eventually, and we just uh thank you for the wisdom in our city officials to bring this to us and just bless us as we leave here and keep us all safe and watch over our families. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Thank you so much. Councilmember Annie will please lead us in the pledge. Thank you. The clerk will please prepare the machine for roll call. All members present will vote yes. Look at all this happen right now. So exciting. Kevin Baker just said, look at that. Look at that. This will this will be a refrain that Kevin has heard many times, and those of us who've worked in the state house has heard many times. Has every member voted? Has every member who is present clicked yes for their attendance. There are 24 members present. Mr. Clerk. Excuse separately. Excused Fagri. Excused Pepper. Thank you. The clerk will please read the journal. Councilwoman Hoover. Seeing no objections, the reading of the journal is dispensed. We have one public speaker this evening. Mark, please come to the microphone right there. Same rules apply for public speakers. And it will be turned on. It is. There you are. It's on. Please, thank you. Go right ahead. Okay. I'm in a handicapped position tonight. If anyone has a question of me, I can't answer it. My hearing aids are right here in my pocket. They went they went fluy today, and uh they didn't work on my telephone, and now they don't work at all. So they're like earplugs. Um I've come tonight. Um first of all, I want to say thank you to the council and to the mayor and to all the city officials that are here tonight. Um I've come with a request.

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