St. Albans City Council Meeting - October 6, 2026

The St. Albans City Council met on October 6, 2026, to approve a resolution supporting the Kanawha County School Excess Levy continuation, authorize bids for phase two of the fiber broadband project, discuss Sun Valley annexation efforts, and recognize recent community successes. The meeting included a presentation by Dr. Paula Potter of Kanawha County Schools, a finance committee report, numerous community event announcements, and concluded with an executive session on a personnel matter.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: Minutes from the September 21, 2026, City Council meeting were approved unanimously.
• Invoice Payment: A motion to pay current invoices totaling $25,648.30 was approved.
• Parks Department Payoff: A motion for approval to pay off the parks department passed without discussion.

Praise and Recognition

• Tractor Supply Soft Opening: A successful soft opening occurred on Saturday, October 3. The grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, at 8:30 AM, with a ribbon cutting at 9 AM, featuring a high school band, ROTC, pony rides, and food trucks.
• Film Festival: The film festival on Main Street sold out and was praised as a great addition to St. Albans.
• Brown White Performance: The CMA and Grammy award-winning artist performed at Dalton to excellent reviews.
• Perfect Project Israel Fair: Held two Saturdays prior, the fair had over 30 informational organizations and approximately 100 families in attendance.

Presentation and Resolution: Kanawha County School Excess Levy

Dr. Paula Potter of Kanawha County Schools presented on the proposed continuation of the school excess levy, which runs through June 30, 2029. Key points included:

• No new taxes: The levy is a continuation of the current levy, not a tax increase.
• Budget impact: The excess levy constitutes approximately 22% of the overall school budget.
• Consequences of failure: Without the levy, positions and extracurricular coaching would be cut.
• Proposed new uses: Special needs playground equipment, robotics expansion, career and technical education at the middle school level, transportation to away athletic events, turf field upkeep, and additional roofing and HVAC projects.
• Timing: The levy is being placed on the ballot early to allow adequate planning. A council member with 30+ years of teaching experience spoke strongly in favor, noting the levy funds unseen infrastructure like HVAC in addition to visible turf fields. Council unanimously passed the resolution supporting the levy.

Finance Committee Report

• Phase Two – Fiber Broadband Boxes: Council approved a motion to submit bids for phase two, which includes installation of approximately 9,000 linear feet of overhead and/or underground fiber optic cable between the central fire station and city hall. The project will create a redundant high-speed data backbone and allow service providers to tap into the fiber to serve businesses and residents, generating potential monthly income for the city. The scope change resulted from leftover funds after the original route to Cold Mountain was not completed.

Parks and Recreation Report

• Haunted Trail: October 9, 10, 16, and 17 from 7–10 PM at City Park.
• Fishing Tournament: October 10 starting at 7 AM at Roadside Park.
• Sensory Night / Haunted Trail: October 14 at 6 PM at City Park.
• Fall Festival: October 17 from 1–3 PM at City Park.
• Trunk or Treat: October 24, 3–5 PM at Maranatha Parking Lot.
• Trick or Treat: October 31.
• Hocus Pocus Movie Showing: October 24 at dark.

Community Announcements

• Chili Cook Off: October 17 from 12–6 PM on Main Street, with 25 chili cookers. Hayes Middle School has five teams competing and two additional teams fundraising; the athletic director offered school prize money for winning youth teams.
• Mastery on Main Street: Students achieving mastery on standardized testing will be recognized at noon at the Chili Cook Off.
• Annexation Update (Sun Valley): Councilman Knight addressed negative comments, stating the annexation is not a "sneaky" money grab—projections show it will break even—and is a response to requests from Sun Valley residents. Two signing events will be held at Lakewood: October 8 (Thursday) from 6–8 PM and October 11 (Sunday) from 3–5 PM, followed by door-to-door canvassing. Approval requires 50% plus one resident (50.01%). A five-page pamphlet detailing benefits from each city department is available upon request.
• Other Events: Brand Free Insurance (Southern Gospel) at Greece Baptist Church on October 16 at 5 PM; blood drive at the police department on October 26; St. Albans Homecoming parade on October 15 and game on October 16; Morgan's Kitchen Fall Festival this Saturday with apple butter making starting at 6:30 AM.
• Tractor Supply Ribbon Cutting Update: Event begins at 8:30 AM (not 9 AM as previously announced) due to district manager additions. Council members were asked to confirm attendance by Thursday for seating arrangements.

Appointments

• Parks and Recreation Committee: The reappointment of Navy (assumed name) to the Parks and Recreation Committee, with a term expiring June 30, 2029, was approved unanimously.

Public Form

A resident (addressed as "Dave" by the mayor) spoke regarding the annexation boundaries, seeking clarification on areas including Forest Brook, Bellwood, apartments behind the area, and the Par More storage unit. The mayor confirmed the boundary extends to the railroad tracks and includes Par More. The mayor thanked the resident and others for their patience and work on the annexation.

Upcoming Meetings and Notes

• Public Forks Committee: Wednesday, October 7.
• Columbus Day Holiday: Monday, October 12 (city and MUC offices closed).
• Finance Committee: Tuesday, October 13 at 4:30 PM in the MUC conference room.
• Senior Council: Monday, October 19 at 6:30 PM at the McKinley Center.
• Council Chambers Update: The water tank impeding elevator approval has been moved or is nearly complete; council hopes to meet back in the council chambers by the first meeting in November.

Executive Session

Council entered executive session relating to a personnel issue. No action was taken during the session.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution passed: Unanimous support for the Kanawha County School Excess Levy continuation.
• Bid authorization approved: Phase two of the fiber broadband project to proceed.
• Appointment confirmed: Navy reappointed to Parks and Recreation Committee.
• Annexation process ongoing: Signing events scheduled October 8 and 11; door-to-door canvassing to follow.
• Routine approvals: Minutes, invoice payment ($25,648.30), and parks department payoff approved.