Charleston City Council Regular Meeting

The Charleston City Council met at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, October 19, 2026, in Council Chambers at City Hall, 501 Virginia St. E., Charleston, WV. Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin presided. The meeting included five public speakers, claims, two proclamations, four finance resolutions, new bills, a lengthy series of failed discharge motions, and member remarks. The council adjourned until November 2, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. Official minutes were not available; this summary is based on the agenda and transcript.

Public Speakers and Claims

• Desmond, a resident of the SAD residence, said he is still paying almost $900, has not opened his windows since moving in, and described trash cans as filthy and smelly despite a recent cleanup. He asked the city to keep pressing SAD Brothers and to enforce its code when odor is unbearable.
• Patricia Hartman, Small Business Administration, said SBA disaster assistance is available because of the presidential disaster declaration from the August 14-18 storms. She said the SBA business center at 1116 Smith Street is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, applications are online at SBA.gov/disaster, and low-interest loans for homeowners, renters, businesses, and nonprofits may be repaid over up to 30 years. She asked council members to inform constituents.
• William Boltz Willis, a Kanawha County magistrate on the ballot, outlined his background and asked for votes in the upcoming nonpartisan election.
• Tara Rama recited Psalm 119:1-24 and offered blessings.
• Patricia Smith asked the community to preserve the historic Garnet High School building, which she said has been on the National Register of Historic Places for more than 35 years and is now vacant with water and electricity turned off. She read from the National Register registration describing it as one of the leading high schools for the education of Black children in Charleston and the Kanawha Valley during segregation (1928-1956). She urged community action.
• Claims from Rose Luther Berman (vehicle damage), Matthew Grubb (personal injury), George Hannah (property damage), and Mary J. McMillan (vehicle damage) were read and referred to the city solicitor.

Proclamations

• Council honored Frank Giardinia, a Marshall University broadcaster and sports writer who died October 11, 2026. His wife Cindy and family received the proclamation; speakers praised his kindness, loyalty, community pride, and support for young athletes.
• October 18-23, 2026 was proclaimed Municipal Government Week in Charleston. The mayor recognized city employees for their work on nights, weekends, and holidays.

Finance Committee Resolutions

• Resolution 26-116 — adopted. It authorizes a grant application for $2,297,983 with a 100% match requirement, making the total application $4,595,966, to repair or replace the Cato Park and Kanawha City swimming pools. Councilmember Jenkins referred to the city share as about $2.5 million; the resolution text states $2,297,983.
• Resolution 26-117 — adopted. It authorizes a one-year contract with Amwins Group Benefits LLC for Medicare-eligible retiree health plan medical and prescription drug coverage at $356.34 per member per month beginning January 1, 2027. Retiree premiums and plan design are unchanged; the city absorbs about a 6.12 percent increase.
• Resolution 26-118 — adopted. It approves Amendment No. 4 to the FY 2026-2027 General Fund Budget as shown on the tax list of accounts.
• Resolution 26-119 — adopted. It authorizes purchase of the Chief360 Station Alert system and a Tyler Technologies custom interface for the Charleston Fire Department for $236,172.75 under a competitively sourced HDAC contract, covering eight stations, a training facility, and a Metro 911 interface.

Discharge Motions

All motions to discharge bills or resolutions from committee failed.

• Bill 8079 (staggered city council elections) failed 16 no, 5 yes. After a 14-7 vote to call the previous question, Solomon said discharge would allow debate before early voting, which starts in two days; King said the bills would likely fail and called the process a waste of time.
• Resolution 26-101 (expanding public speakers) failed. Jenkins said he opposed discharges generally because committees should be respected and discharge used only in extraordinary circumstances.
• A harm-reduction bill (the transcript gives conflicting bill-number references, 8088 and 8080) failed. Solomon said it would remove criminal penalties for evidence-based harm-reduction programs; he cited 849 fatal overdoses.
• Bill 8073 (mayor term limits, two four-year terms) failed after a roll-call request.
• Bill 8070 (council term limits, maximum three terms) failed.
• Bill 8071 (municipal judge term limits, two four-year terms) failed.
• Bill 8072 (treasurer term limits, maximum two four-year terms) failed.
• A bill to make roll-call votes the default method for recording council votes failed.
• Resolution 26-083 (allowing bills to expire after one calendar year) failed.
• Resolution 26-059 (requiring referred bills to be placed on committee agendas within 45 days) failed.

During the discharge debate, Robinson said no one had asked him to discharge bills; Solomon said he had emailed Robertson that evening to request discharges. Snograss argued the committee process was broken and some committees rarely met. Fagry said opposing a discharge is not the same as opposing the underlying bill.

Reports, New Bills, and Remarks

• The municipal court report and the city payroll variance analysis for September 2026 were received and filed.
• Councilmembers Solomon, Steelhammer, and Kearns introduced Bill No. 810, an ordinance amending charter sections 89, 90, and 92 on voter initiatives, reconsideration of ordinances by petition, and signatures/affidavits, with all city elections to conform to state law. It was referred to ordinance and rules.
• Solomon introduced Resolution 26-120, promoting transparency and public access to information about city council members' employment, organizational affiliations, and lobbying activities. It was referred to ordinance and rules.
• A council member who grew up on the West Side thanked the mayor and administration for working on Cato Pool, saying council had not ignored it.
• Snograss expressed concern about public safety, saying the police department had dropped to 136 officers, was about to have its fourth police chief in eight years, and that a new public safety director position cost approximately $160,000. She said the city should conduct a national search for the next chief.
• Pepper reported on city work, including nine new firefighters/EMS employees sworn in, paving and playground projects, the opioid community council, 270 trees in the Appalachian Spring phase 3, parking garage repairs, and Chief Webb's swearing-in Thursday at 1 p.m.
• Jones invited council to the Charleston Mountain Mission's 100th anniversary celebration.

Key Outcomes

• Adopted resolutions 26-116, 26-117, 26-118, and 26-119.
• Referred claims to the city solicitor.
• Referred new Bill No. 810 and Resolution 26-120 to the ordinance and rules committee.
• Rejected all discharge motions; no bills or resolutions were brought to the floor.
• Honored Frank Giardinia and designated Municipal Government Week.
• The next regular city council meeting is scheduled for November 2, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.