Charleston City Council Regular Meeting – March 2, 2026

The Charleston City Council held its regular meeting on March 2, 2026 at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included public comments, proclamations, a public hearing, approval of multiple resolutions, introduction of new bills, and extensive remarks from council members on various community issues. The meeting adjourned at 8:27 PM.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Emily West spoke in favor of term limits and staggered elections, noting the council is predominantly older white men and that a maximum of 12 consecutive years is sufficient.
• Derek Zelkowski also spoke in favor of term limits, arguing they remind citizens that city government belongs to them and encourage fresh energy and participation.

Proclamations

• March 2026 was proclaimed Women's History Month, with a theme of "Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future."
• March 2026 was proclaimed Problem Gambling Awareness Month; statistics noted that 1 in 50 West Virginians has a problem gambling addiction and the state ranks ninth nationally.
• March 2–6, 2026 was proclaimed Teen Mental Health Awareness Week in Charleston, with recognition that 1 in 5 adolescents experiences a mental health condition each year.

Appointments

• Bonnie Ball was appointed to the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center Board for a term expiring June 22, 2030.
• Ronnie Morat, Eric Nelson, Belle Mahjong, Tessa White, and John Ingram were reappointed to the board for terms expiring June 22, 2029. All appointments were approved unanimously.

Public Hearings

• A public hearing was held for Resolution No. 26-028, authorizing the First Amendment to the Stadium License, Lease and Service Agreement with Charleston Professional Baseball Company, LLC. No members of the public spoke, and the hearing was closed.

Discussion Items

• Resolution 26-024: Authorized purchase of a Ford F250 Crew Cab for the Fire Department ($49,335) to replace a safety officer vehicle, via a competitively bid statewide contract. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution 26-025: Authorized purchase of 16 GETAC S410 laptops for Police Department mobile data terminals ($42,864 total) via Sourcewell contract. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution 26-026: Authorized renewal of the city’s risk management, property, casualty, and cyber insurance with West Virginia Communities Risk Pool for $1,181,783 for the period March 31, 2026 – March 31, 2027. Councilmember Snodgrass requested that such contracts be put out for bid every three to four years. Councilmember Jenkins abstained (member of BRIM board) and Councilmember Burton abstained (agency does business with WVCorp). The minutes record at least one nay vote, but the transcript shows no audible nays; the resolution was declared adopted.
• Resolution 26-027: Authorized renewal of workers’ compensation insurance with Encova Insurance ($271,461 premium plus 10% claims handling), broker services with USI Insurance Services ($50,000), and third-party administration for legacy claims with WVCorp ($15,000 max), all from March 31, 2026 – March 31, 2027. Councilmembers Jenkins and Burton again abstained. Adopted with no audible nays.
• Resolution 26-028: Authorized executing the First Amendment to the stadium lease with Charleston Professional Baseball Company, extending the current contract (which ends May 2026) through the end of 2026, with an option to renew through the 2027 season to allow time for negotiating a longer-term lease. Approved unanimously.
• Resolution 26-029: Authorized an agreement with the Regional Intergovernmental Council (RIC) for economic and engineering studies for improvements to the Patrick Street Corridor and a city-wide Complete Streets Network study for bicycle planning. The city will provide $100,000 in matching funds to leverage a total of $650,000 in projects. Councilmember Faegre highlighted the need for safe crosswalks at 7th Avenue and Patrick Street. Approved unanimously.

New Bills Introduced

• Bill No. 8069 (by Councilmember Jenkins): To amend the municipal code adding a definition for paramedic intercept and associated fee. Referred to Finance Committee.
• Bill No. 8070 (by Councilmember Snodgrass): Adding term limits for City Council members (max three consecutive four-year terms, effective 2030). Referred to Ordinance and Rules Committee.
• Bill No. 8071 (by Councilmember Snodgrass): Adding term limits for the Office of Municipal Judge (max two four-year terms, effective 2030). Referred to Ordinance and Rules Committee.
• Bill No. 8072 (by Councilmember Snodgrass): Adding term limits for the Office of Treasurer (max two four-year terms, effective 2030). Referred to Ordinance and Rules Committee.
• Bill No. 8073 (by Councilmember Snodgrass): Adding term limits for the Office of Mayor (max two four-year terms, effective 2030). Referred to Ordinance and Rules Committee.

Remarks by Members

• Councilmember Robinson expressed strong concern and anger over the high school boys’ basketball ranking system, which he said unfairly ranked Capitol High School sixth in their region despite being ranked first in the state earlier. He named four coaches who voted Capitol seventh, forcing the team to travel two and a half hours on a school night for a regional game. He called for the SSAC to change the process.
• Councilmember Moore echoed the sentiment, stating that adults with egos made a "backdoor deal" against the kids, and noted that the city has received statewide support. He also mentioned the girls’ basketball team traveling to Princeton.
• Councilmember Snodgrass clarified that the term limit bills are clean, start in 2030, and allow current council members up to 16 more years. She also raised concerns about police officer pay being $5–8 per hour behind neighboring entities (West Virginia State Police, Sheriff’s Department, South Charleston), translating to a $10,000–16,000 annual difference, and warned of continued officer losses.
• Councilmember Annie (Dr. Annie) invited council to CAMC’s Annual Research Day and expressed support for Capitol High, noting its good education and his own alumni status.
• Councilmember Kerns thanked Planning Director Dan Vriendt and Police Chief Dempsey for helping with issues in her ward, and called for stronger ordinances regarding vacant houses and slumlords, citing an incident where hooded individuals were stealing goods from a van into a house they were ordered to vacate.
• Councilmember Taylor agreed with Councilmembers Robinson and Moore on the basketball issue and highlighted a gambling epidemic among young men, noting that apps are devastating financial and emotional lives.
• Councilmember Jones defended himself against accusations that he threatens political opponents, stating he would never do that and expressing dismay at personal attacks on talk radio.
• Councilmember Faegre discussed utility companies not properly fixing streets after digging, the poor state of Washington Street West (state responsibility), and noted that West Virginia American Water will color-code fire hydrants to indicate water pressure/flow. She also defended council members’ compensation, saying the $250 per meeting (only for first and third Mondays) is not why she serves.
• Mayor Goodwin thanked Finance Director Andy Wood for the budget, noted the city is in its best financial position in decades, and recognized Council President Ceperley for her dedicated service, encouraging members to ignore distractions.

Key Outcomes

• All six resolutions (26-024 through 26-029) were adopted, with two abstentions on insurance-related resolutions and a discrepancy on whether a nay vote occurred on 26-026.
• Appointments to the Coliseum and Convention Center Board were approved.
• Five new bills were introduced and referred to committees for further consideration.
• The meeting was adjourned at 8:27 PM, with the next regular meeting scheduled for March 16, 2026 at 7:00 PM.