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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Fairmont City Council Meeting – August 11, 2026: Sewer Bond, Flock Cameras, and Committee Resolutions

City Council Meetings — Tuesday, August 11, 2026

BodyFairmont, West Virginia

SessionCity Council Meetings

DateTuesday, August 11, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:47:00

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

4:45

And it's seven PM.

4:47

I will ask the city clerk a roll call of members, please.

4:51

Councilmember Rice.

4:53

Councilmember Marianne.

4:55

Here.

4:55

Councilmember Horton.

4:56

Yes.

4:57

Councilmember Wade?

4:58

Here.

4:58

Councilmember Weber.

5:00

Here.

5:00

Councilmember Sole here.

5:02

Councilmember McDaniel.

5:03

Here.

5:03

Councilmember Newsom.

5:05

I make a motion to excuse Councilmember Newsom.

5:08

Second.

5:09

Second.

5:10

Thank you.

5:11

Move on to our opening ceremonies.

5:13

First, we'll be led in prayer and meditation by Pastor Ron Hampton.

5:16

Then the Pledge of Allegiance by Councilmember Sol.

5:30

Let us pray.

5:32

Eternal Father, we just want to say thank you.

5:36

For your word says in the book of John, the 14th chapter, the 13th verse.

5:41

That ever whatever we do in your name, you'll be granted unto us.

5:46

So, Father, we stand here thanking you today in your name.

5:50

That this body of believers, Lord, will do what you have called them to do.

5:56

Lord, we ask in your name that there be no hidden agendas, Lord, that everything is done openly and honestly.

6:04

Lord, we ask in your name that unity fills this place.

6:09

That we all work together for the good to those that love you.

6:14

Lord, we ask that you stay with us when we're here and when we are not, for we ask it in your name.

6:23

We thank you for all that you've done.

6:26

We thank you for all that you're doing.

6:29

But most of all, Father, we ask in the name that you bless this body.

6:35

That you bless it and you call it for your good.

6:39

These and all things that we have asked for, we ask for in your name.

6:44

And we'll be careful to give you praise, honor, and glory.

6:48

For it's in your name which we pray.

6:50

Amen.

6:51

Amen.

6:53

Pledge the allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

6:58

And to the Republic which stands one nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for our own.

7:10

Thank you, Pastor.

7:11

Thank you, Councilmember Sol.

7:13

We have one proclamation this evening.

7:15

So if the representative for the Arts and Humanities Commission would join me at the podium, please.

7:49

Whereas the Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission serves with dedication to celebrate, promote, expand, and share the diverse art and creative works created throughout the City of Fairmont.

8:01

Whereas the Commission actively fosters community engagement and celebrates excellence by hosting its annual award ceremony, recognizing artists from across the region for their exceptional talent and contributions to our civic life.

8:15

Whereas the commission actively supports local creative investment through its public art grant funding program, offering reimbursements of up to $10,000 to citizens and businesses for traditional art installations and humanity-focused public projects that beautify and elevate our city spaces.

8:33

Whereas the steadfast efforts of the Arts and Humanities Commission cultivate an environment where creativity thrives, enhancing quality of life, civic pride, and cultural vitality of Fairmont for all residents and visitors.

8:46

Now therefore, I am Balyard, mayor of the City of Fairmont, on behalf of the City Council and all citizens, who hereby recognize and honor the Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission for its outstanding service, advocacy, and dedication to elevating the arts and humanities in our community, and encourage all residents and local businesses to support public art initiatives and participate in building a richer cultural future for Fairmont.

9:12

I've hear on to accept my hand and cause the great seal of the city of Fairmont to be fixed to this the 11th day of August of 2026.

9:19

Thank you for the work you do.

9:26

On behalf of the commissioners for the Arts and Humanities Commission, I would like to thank City Council for uh once again including us and your general budget uh for the year, but also for the $10,000 for public works uh for art that has been included in the budget again this year.

9:41

Uh we are desperately trying to give that money um away to a worthy uh project.

9:47

Um so if you are watching on the live stream or you're watching this later, or you're sitting out here and you know someone who is an artist or has some ideas, you've got friends who are creative.

10:00

Uh you maybe uh just have something and you know somebody that you want to bounce off of and see what they can do with it.

10:05

Um we are dying to add more art to the city of Fairmont.

10:08

We are dying to add more humanities projects uh for the betterment of our citizens.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████45%

Public Engagement██████████████████████████26%

Engineering And Infrastructure█████████9%

Water And Wastewater Management██████6%

Public Safety██████6%

Arts And Culture███3%

Technology and Innovation███3%

Budget Equity Analysis██2%

Summary of Proceedings

Fairmont City Council Meeting Summary – August 11, 2026

The Fairmont City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, at 7:00 PM. The meeting included a proclamation, approval of minutes, a public hearing on a $4 million sewer bond ordinance, a citizen petition regarding Flock cameras, a city manager's report, and unanimous approval of two resolutions. An executive session on the city manager's assessment was held at 7:41 PM, after which the meeting adjourned.

Opening & Proclamation

The meeting opened with a prayer by Pastor Ron Hampton and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilmember Sole.
Mayor Balyard presented a proclamation honoring the Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission for its contributions to public art and cultural vitality. The proclamation highlighted the Commission's public art grant program offering reimbursements of up to $10,000 to citizens and businesses. A representative accepted the proclamation and thanked the Council for including $10,000 for public art in the budget, encouraging residents and artists to apply for the grants.

Approval of Minutes

The minutes from the regular meeting of July 28, 2026, were approved unanimously with no corrections.

Public Hearing & Citizen Petition

Sewer Bond Public Hearing: The Council held a public hearing for the third reading of the sewer bond ordinance authorizing not more than $4 million in sewage system design bond anticipation notes (Series 2026A) for design and pre-project costs for sewage facility improvements. The utility manager spoke in favor, describing the aging wastewater treatment plant (online since 1983, no major upgrades) and the need for engineering design for upgrades and a long-term control plan for the city's 33 permitted combined sewer overflows (CSOs). City Manager Travis Blosser, also chairman of the sanitary board, strongly encouraged adoption, noting the notes would later be rolled into larger notes for a complex capital infrastructure funding package. No speakers opposed the ordinance.
Citizen Petition on Flock Cameras: Aaron Hamler, a resident of Grant Town, presented a petition against the city's use of Flock cameras. He argued that Flock safety data shows no significant crime reduction, cited the company's data sharing policies, privacy concerns (e.g., footage of children), and misuse incidents (50 police officers charged, a VP viewing footage of a gymnastics room). He noted his FOIA requests showed the city spent over $30,000 for five Flock cameras, while Marion County spent $238,000 for approximately 36 cameras. He urged the Council to consider alternative, data-proven crime reduction methods. He also referenced a state law prohibiting traffic photo monitoring devices.

Discussion Items

City Manager's Report: Travis Blosser reported on several city projects:
- The city recorded the deed for 100 Merchant Street (former River City Grill) on August 7, 2026, after a court order; the building will be demolished under contract with Reclaim, with temporary fencing and traffic safety measures planned.
- Scheduled demolitions: 707 Ogden Avenue on August 17, 2026, and 1810 Oregon Avenue on August 24, 2026.
- FEMA public assistance projects from the Father's Day flash flood: engineering costs approved for the Park Drive drainage basin (~$1 million project), with capital dollars still being secured; several smaller projects closed out.
- Fairmont State University closed on the real estate transaction with the university and First Exchange Bank, leading to anticipated demolition in coming months.
- The Morgantown Avenue Stormwater Project is moving forward; Hope Gas is relocating lines, and the contractor will lay fiber, water, sewer, and storm lines. Blosser acknowledged the project's complexity and weather-dependent timeline.
Flock Cameras Response: Blosser acknowledged the citizen's concerns and the recent legislative hearing in Charleston. He stated the city installed five Flock safety CCTV-style cameras in municipal parks to reduce vandalism and crime, chosen for flexible subscription contracts. However, he said he has directed staff to evaluate data handling and explore other vendor options, noting he is not personally committed to Flock and will work with state legislators on potential regulation.

Key Outcomes

Sewer Bond Ordinance (Third Reading): Approved unanimously by roll call vote. Councilmembers McDaniel, Weber, Horton, Sowell, Rice, Wade, Moran, and Mayor Balyard all voted yes.
Resolution to Create Team Fairmont Mini Grant Ad Hoc Committee: Approved unanimously. The committee will consist of two Council members (Ann Bowyard, Donna Wade), two city staff (Renee Graves, Aaron Hager), and one community member (Stacey Henderson), with a scoring methodology and Council confirmation of awards.
Resolution to Increase Opioid Grant Ad Hoc Committee: Approved unanimously. The committee membership was expanded to include Jack Frost, Jerry Schmidt, Stephanie Vandetta, Raven Burkey, Dustin Lambert, and Kevin Sansalone, with the city manager as an ex-officio non-scoring member.
Executive Session: The Council entered executive session at 7:41 PM to discuss matters related to the appointment and evaluation of a city officer (city manager assessment). No additional business was conducted after reconvening, and the meeting was adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

And it's seven PM. I will ask the city clerk a roll call of members, please. Councilmember Rice. Councilmember Marianne. Here. Councilmember Horton. Yes. Councilmember Wade? Here. Councilmember Weber. Here. Councilmember Sole here. Councilmember McDaniel. Here. Councilmember Newsom. I make a motion to excuse Councilmember Newsom. Second. Second. Thank you. Move on to our opening ceremonies. First, we'll be led in prayer and meditation by Pastor Ron Hampton. Then the Pledge of Allegiance by Councilmember Sol. Let us pray. Eternal Father, we just want to say thank you. For your word says in the book of John, the 14th chapter, the 13th verse. That ever whatever we do in your name, you'll be granted unto us. So, Father, we stand here thanking you today in your name. That this body of believers, Lord, will do what you have called them to do. Lord, we ask in your name that there be no hidden agendas, Lord, that everything is done openly and honestly. Lord, we ask in your name that unity fills this place. That we all work together for the good to those that love you. Lord, we ask that you stay with us when we're here and when we are not, for we ask it in your name. We thank you for all that you've done. We thank you for all that you're doing. But most of all, Father, we ask in the name that you bless this body. That you bless it and you call it for your good. These and all things that we have asked for, we ask for in your name. And we'll be careful to give you praise, honor, and glory. For it's in your name which we pray. Amen. Amen. Pledge the allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic which stands one nation under God and indivisible with liberty and justice for our own. Thank you, Pastor. Thank you, Councilmember Sol. We have one proclamation this evening. So if the representative for the Arts and Humanities Commission would join me at the podium, please. Whereas the Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission serves with dedication to celebrate, promote, expand, and share the diverse art and creative works created throughout the City of Fairmont. Whereas the Commission actively fosters community engagement and celebrates excellence by hosting its annual award ceremony, recognizing artists from across the region for their exceptional talent and contributions to our civic life. Whereas the commission actively supports local creative investment through its public art grant funding program, offering reimbursements of up to $10,000 to citizens and businesses for traditional art installations and humanity-focused public projects that beautify and elevate our city spaces.

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