The Charleston City Council met at 7:00 PM on Monday, March 16, 2026, in Council Chambers at City Hall, with Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin presiding. Twenty-six members were present; Councilmember Burka was absent. The meeting included public comments, a Red Cross proclamation, two public hearings, committee reports, a contested budget amendment, and multiple fiscal approvals. Council adjourned at 8:19 PM. The next regular meeting is scheduled for April 6, 2026, at 7:00 PM.
Claims: A claim by Jacque Thomas alleging vehicle damage was referred to the City Solicitor.
Good evening, everyone. My apologies in advance. When the weather gets like this, I lose my voice. I'm gonna do my very best this evening. Thank you, everyone, for being here. Councilwoman Kearns will lead us in prayer. Please keep in mind when I offer this blessing that our creator has a great sense of humor. And March always comes in like a lion, and hopefully it's gonna go out like a lamb. Wondrous powers of springtime, spirit of green grasses and warm breezes, goddess of creativity and birth renewed. The birds call your sacred name. Budsbirth burst forth with your promise of beauty. The sun reaches higher into the sky, shining the light of this new day through the windows of our world. Oh power of springtime, forgive us our spediness and our racing before your eternal grace that we do not see the miracle world we share. Open our eyes with your warmth and our hearts with your beauty. Slow our minds with awe and wonder. Also please remember those that are in harm's way, protecting our great nation and our many freedoms. Amen. Thank you so much. Council Member Salango, would you please lead us in the pledge? Thank you so much. When he's prepared, Clerk will please prepare the machine for voting. The clerk will close the machine. The clerk will please read the journal president. With approval of council, we actually have six council or we have six uh public speakers tonight. Do I hear or see any objections to allowing all six to participate this evening at two minutes each? We have six public speakers tonight uh at no more than two minutes. And our first person is Jackie Johnson. Jackie. Yes, please. Hello. Come on to the microphone right here. And council member Haas will help you out. Thank you so much. And I come just to honor everyone in this room. Um I go to the police uh station every other week uh to bring a devotion and to pray. And I love going there, and when we all work together in unity, we can turn this around. Um, I also bring the scriptures, and the Lord has really put Nehemiah on my heart because when the walls of Jerusalem were falling down, he went, but he went to the the king and he prayed and he he fasted and he got favor, and this king gave him all the supplies to take to rebuild the wall, a letter so he would go in safety, but he also provided an army as protection. And when they went, and then they get to the city and it's in ruins, and he assesses it, and then they start, and then the opposition comes in, and when the opposition comes in, he calls the nobles and the leaders and the officials and and the laborers, and everyone comes together in unity. And when they did that, they were working. The laborers were having to work with a weapon in one hand, and they would do their work in the other, but they they posted guards, so they were protected, and I love this story because that's what our frontline responders do for us. They protect us. Each and every person in this room has a job to do. We can't do it alone. We can't rebuild the ruins, we can't rebuild our city. We can't do it alone, but together, together we can do it. We can make West Virginia is the most beautiful state, and I have been to almost every state in our nation, and I've lived in quite a few of them. West Virginia is absolutely beautiful. And the heart of West Virginia is absolutely beautiful. Is that my time? So anyway, when they did it in unity, the walls got rebuilt in 52 days.