Charleston City Council Regular Meeting – April 20, 2026
Charleston City Council Regular Meeting – April 20, 2026
The Charleston City Council met on April 20, 2026, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included public speakers, the reading of claims, four proclamations, and the unanimous adoption of six finance committee resolutions. A detailed discussion was held on the selective interior demolition of the Charleston Public Safety Center (Resolution 26-047). The mayor and council members also made remarks on community events, public safety, and ongoing projects.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Hampton Rose (attorney, Steptoe & Johnson; board member, Rebuilding Together Charleston): Spoke on behalf of the nonprofit, which is celebrating its 30th year. He described the organization's mission to keep homes safe, warm, and dry for low-income homeowners, seniors, and people with disabilities. He noted that nearly half of the homeowners served are over 65 with annual incomes around $14,000. In 2025, Rebuilding Together Charleston helped 26 homeowners with over 100 critical repairs, supported by 167 volunteers contributing 2,300 hours. He expressed hope for future municipal appropriations and shared a story of a couple named Edwin and Ramona who received a new ramp and other improvements.
- Tara Rema: Read selected verses from 1 Thessalonians 4–5, offering a message of hope and encouragement.
Proclamations
- Medical Laboratory Professionals Week (April 19–25, 2026): Recognized the role of lab professionals, noting that over 70% of medical decisions rely on lab tests. Recipients included Dr. Pam Meadows, Jennifer Peary, Jonathan Beary, Christie Spry, Della Haynes, Dr. Stephanie Wright, and Carolyn “Granny” Cadle.
- Fraud Prevention Month (April 2026): Highlighted consumer fraud, with FTC estimates of $196 billion lost nationally in 2024, $81 billion from older adults, and West Virginia reporting $27 million in stolen funds. The average loss for older adults was $83,000. AARP representatives were present.
- National Poetry Month (April 2026): Recognized the cultural and educational importance of poetry. Councilmember Joe Solomon requested the proclamation.
- Rebuilding Together Month (April 2026): Celebrated the 30th anniversary of Rebuilding Together Charleston. The proclamation was presented to board members, staff, and volunteers.
Discussion Items
- Resolution 26-047 – Selective Interior Demolition of Charleston Public Safety Center: Councilmember Jenkins introduced the resolution, authorizing a $674,000 contract with Swope Construction Co. for interior demolition, with the price determined through competitive bidding. The resolution also authorizes donation of remaining cubicles and office furniture to local nonprofits. Councilwoman Snogras asked several questions:
- She confirmed that the demolition would cover everything needed per the design plans prepared by Silling Architectural & Engineering Firm.
- The demolition is expected to take 120 days (four months) from notice to proceed.
- The full interior design/renovation plans are not yet complete; the demolition will help architects see behind walls to finalize bid-ready specifications. Construction bidding is expected before the end of 2026, with a 12–18 month construction phase.
- Councilwoman Snogras expressed concern about the timeline, noting the property was purchased nearly two years ago. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
Consent Calendar
- Resolution 26-043: Authorized a one-year contract renewal with Stryker Medical for maintenance of Charleston Fire Department paramedic equipment at $44,825.61. Adopted.
- Resolution 26-044: Authorized purchase of a 2026 Police Pursuit Rated SUV from Wild Rose Chevrolet for $56,940 for the Fire Department’s EMS command vehicle. Adopted.
- Resolution 26-045: Authorized a contract with Beavers Marine Store for $224,500 to renovate and replace the decking on the Haddad Riverfront Park floating dock with composite material, to be completed before Memorial Day. Adopted.
- Resolution 26-046: Authorized settlement of a pending claim against the city (Christopher Walters, claim WV1542026028193) as recommended by the city solicitor. Adopted.
- Resolution 26-048: Authorized purchase of 12 sets of turnout gear for the Charleston Fire Department from Witmer Public Safety at $46,608 for new hires in May 2026. Adopted.
Key Outcomes
- All six finance committee resolutions (26-043 through 26-048) were adopted unanimously.
- A claim by Rachel Triwaller was referred to the city solicitor.
- The City Treasurer’s report for the month ending March 2026 was received and filed.
- The next special meeting of council will be April 21, 2026, at 5:30 PM (Laying of the Levee event).
- The next regular meeting will be May 4, 2026, at 7:00 PM.
Remarks by Members
- Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin: Recognized the passing of Patrolman Butts of the Charleston Police Department, noting a moment of silence. She reported on the Saturday city cleanup (100 volunteers, 9 tons of trash collected), the UC Marathon (800 participants, 30 states), and the upcoming Arbor Day tree planting at Piedmont Elementary. She also promoted the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program and the YWCA Race Against Racism.
- Councilwoman Fagry: Thanked the city attorney for the Chris Walters settlement; praised the city manager for work on the Public Safety Center; raised concerns about speeding on Edgewood Drive and requested deer crossing signs; criticized landlords not maintaining properties; and asked for prayers for Jared Lannham, who is scheduled for open-heart surgery on May 5.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, everyone. I give everybody a couple seconds to get it together. Councilwoman Burka, would you please lead us in prayer this evening? Dear Father, as we gather here tonight, we thank you for the privilege to serve the people of Charleston. I just pray that you will give us wisdom on how to make the right decisions on how to spend the money and how to help these people that desperately need our help, especially those, Lord, less fortunate than us that need guidance and help, and um just to get their lives turned around. We do want to lift up the family and the friends and the brothers of the patrolman who died, father, and just ask that you send comfort and peace uh to all those who knew him and loved him. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Thank you so much. Councilwoman Carns, would you get the collect? The clerk will please prepare the machine for roll call. Has every member voted? As here, every member voted. We have twenty-five council members. And we have twenty-six. Thank you so much. The clerk will now please read the journal. Madam President. Yes. Excuse me, Madam Mayor. I request unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the journal. There is a motion on the floor that we dispense with reading of the journal. Hearing seeing no objections, the reading of the journal is dispensed with. Thank you. Good evening. On March 31st, 2026, the United States Supreme Court decided Chile's versus Salazar. The ruling was 8 to 1, reverse the 10th Circuit's judgment holding Colorado's ban on conversion therapy, as applied to talk therapy, regulate speech based on viewpoint. The law permits counselors to affirm clients' gender transitions, prohibits but prohibits discussions aimed at reducing same-sex attraction or aligning with the biological sex, effectively endorsing one ideological perspective while suppressing another. Thank you so much. Our next public speaker, uh Hampton Rose. Thank you. I'm an attorney with Steptoe and Johnson, but I also have the privilege of serving on the board of directors of Rebuilding Together Charleston, which is why I'm here today. On behalf of our President Jim Lord and our executive director, Alison Brill, to my right, our other distinguished board members, our donors and volunteers, I appreciate the opportunity to address you this evening on what is rebuilding together Charleston's 30th year helping our neighbors. It is my hope to use this time to inform those who have never heard of rebuilding together and supplement the knowledge of those who may have heard of us to apprise you of our mission and our work. First and foremost, who are we? Rebuilding Together Charleston is a nonprofit organization that helps our neighbors in need to keep their homes safe, warm, and dry. We build ramps, we repair roofs, we fix floors, we make bathrooms safer and more accessible. We are funded through a litany of grants, local partners and individual donors. We hope in the future to add to that list maybe municipal appropriations. Rebuilding Together Charleston is heavily reliant on volunteer labor to assist us in bringing our mission into fruition. Our volunteers travel from inside and outside of the mountain state to help our neighbors and our communities. Who do we help? Rebuilding Together Charleston helps those who are generally and specifically in need. We help serve elderly and families of limited means. Almost half of our recipients of our help are over 65 and have annual incomes of right around 14,000. These are people that own their homes, they want to stay in their homes, but they don't have the resources to fix something when it breaks or when it deteriorates into a state of disrepair. And as we all know, deferred maintenance does not improve with time. Our work is not preventative. We fix problems. Our served homeowners generally come to rebuilding together Charleston after their home is no longer safe.
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