Yeah, that's a pass.

That was a shock.

Please rise.

Let us pray that we all may work together for the betterment of our city, respecting each other's perspectives and striving for fairness.

Let us seek wisdom and understanding as we make decisions that will impact our residents.

Let us pray for a city to have compassion and unity for our well-beings.

Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Mr.

Asaro.

Ms.

Kane.

Mayor McGruder.

Here.

Mr.

Palmer?

Here.

Mr.

Seidler.

Here.

Mr.

Slavonakis.

Here.

Mr.

Thorngate.

Here.

Core.

Ms.

Prague.

Present.

Thank you.

We have the minutes of our last June 2nd, 2026 City Council meeting before us.

Is there a motion to uh accept those minutes as received?

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion, changes?

Hearing non, I'd ask all those in favor to signify by saying aye.

Aye.

And those opposed.

And those minutes will be recorded as received.

Next on the agenda, we have the mayor's report.

A couple things I want to mention today.

Number one, this meeting was changed to accomplish the state budget revision deadline.

You heard some of the discussion in the finance committee, but that deadline's June 15, and so we had to meet today so that we can approve those changes.

Secondly, you know, we've been talking about the Wheeling Military Banner Program now for about a year and a half.

It's been an amazing program.

I just want to remind people there are a number of KIA dedications, killed in action dedications this year.

They've been very special.

The first one is this Thursday for those that might be interested.

Captain David E.

Van Camp, who was uh who gave his life for our country.

Uh, we have a ceremony honoring him on uh this Thursday at 10 o'clock in the morning out on Kruger Street in Elm Grove.

It'll be right there at uh St.

Mark's Lutheran Church, which is 141 Kruger Street.

All are invited.

Uh I just want to make one other comment.

I want to I want to clarify a little bit about the homeless task force that was established.

That task force is currently in formation.

Uh it has two major components, two issues.

One is to find a way, a better way for us to deliver service and treat the homeless.

The other is a way for us as a community uh to to reduce the adverse impact on our community and our downtown.

So there are two components that's in formation now.

Hopefully, that's gonna help us greatly.

Uh, the leadership of that uh task force is going to be faith-based.

And I think that gives us a chance to take a real uh non-biased look and maybe a chance to improve that situation.

And then lastly, we have a uh a proclamation today, and let me read that proclamation if we could, and uh and this is for Juneteenth, whereas Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, and whereas Juneteenth was first celebrated on June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas announced the end of the civil war and informed the enslaved residents of their freedom more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln had delivered the emancipation proclamation promising the same.

And we're asked historically, June has been a day, Juneteenth has been a day of remembrance and reflection, a time to celebrate African American history, culture, and contributions, while emphasizing the promise of freedom, opportunity, and equality for all people.

And whereas since 2019, Wheeling has formally recognized the Juneteenth holiday with a formal ceremony held at the site of the former slave auction block at 10th and Market Streets, followed by educational and entertainment activities, and whereas since 2021, both the federal government and the state of West Virginia have recognized Juneteenth as a holiday.

Now, therefore, I didn't agree to our mayor of the city of Wheeling.

Do hereby proclaim June 19th, 2026 as Juneteenth Independence Day in the city of Wheeling, and I encourage all residents to take part in the Juneteenth ceremonies and activities while striving to be more aware of the significance of this celebration of African American history in our nation and in our community.

In witness thereof, I have set my hand and cause the official seal of the city of Wheeling to be affixed here too on this 15th day of June 2026.

So I'd ask those that maybe have interest.

Uh we'd like to get a picture with proclamation of council members and uh community members would join us.

I was hoping being caught on the maybe if you say that.

Sorry, I'll say your operation.

We are ready.

The officials walked the beat around downtown.

All right.

So if I can say something.

Okay, that concludes the mayor's report.

Uh now we'll have the clerk's report.

There is notice of applications to West Virginia ABCA for smoker friendly located at 1227 Warwood Avenue and 100 South Huron Street, and then notice of application to West Virginia ABCA for Drizzi's Tobacco 2151 Market Street, and that concludes the clerk's report.

Thank you.

Unfinished business.

An ordinance of the council of the city of Wheeling authorizing the conveyance of certain real property located at 521 South Penn Street to the Ohio Valley ADC and further authorizing the city manager to execute and deliver such deeds and other documents to effectuate this conveyance.

All those in favor, uh please record your or well, please record your vote, whether in favor or not.

Okay, that motion is approved.

I would move to consolidate the readings of ordinances two through four.

A second.

Any discussion?

All those in favor to uh consolidate those ordinances signified by saying aye, aye, and those opposed, and we will consolidate that.

Ordinances authorizing the city manager to expend funds for the purchase of routine chemicals for water pollution control plant to be charged WPCD as follows.

253,184 to SNF polydyne for polymer contract, 160,160 to JCI Jones for sodium sodium hypochlorite and 46,065 dollars to PBS Nullwood for sodium missile fight.

I would move to um move to adopt all the ordinances.

Is there any discussion or comments?

Hearing none, I'd please ask you to record your votes.

That motion is approved.

I'd like to make a motion to solidate readings five through 13.

Second, is there any discussion?

All those uh in favor, signify by saying aye.

And those opposed, and we will consolidate uh five through thirteen.

Ordinances authorizing the city manager to expend funds for the purchase of routine chemicals for water treatment plant to be charged water as well as 140,700 with PBS technologies for ferric chloride, 55,176 dollars with PBS nullwood for citric acid, 72,000 with Jacoby Carbons ink for powdered activated carbon.

123,200 with JCI Jones for sodium hypochlorite, $36,660 with DVS Nullwood for sodium hydroxide, 21,330 with Barbara's chemical for sodium bisophate, 65,760 with bonding chemicals ink for potassium per magnite, 67,500 with PVS nullwood for phosphate liquid corrosion inhibitor and 21,600 with PVS nullwood for hydrofluacylic acid.

Okay.

Do we have any discussion or questions?

Hearing none, I'd ask you to please record your votes.

That motion is approved.

And that concludes unfinished business.

Thank you.

We have before us the planning commission uh minutes from April 13th of 2026, and the recreation commission minutes from uh March of 2026 that have been held over.

Is there a motion to accept those as received?

So moved.

Second.

Any discussion?

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

And they are accepted as received.

Now we go to remarks from members of council.

Tonight we'll start with counselor Thorngate.

Counselor Palmer.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh Wednesday, 5 30, Elm Grove Civics, the Ford 6 Crime Watch meeting will be held.

And also before we meet again, we have fireworks events.

Uh June July 4th here in Whaling, naturally, and July 5th in Elm Grove, the Patterson Fireworks, sponsored by the City of Wheeling and the Elm Grove Civics.

So please try to attend those events.

Thank you.

Nothing for me today.

Councilor K.

Just a reminder of June team, starting Friday at the Plaza Market.

It's a wonderful event, and I hope that everyone can come.

Also I want to get a shout out to Assistant Manager Bill Lannham in operations.

Sometimes we don't appreciate the job that they do.

And we had a situation the other day that just couldn't make the lady happy.

Eventually they did, and I want to give a thanks to them.

That's all.

Thank you.

We have no committee reports today, and so we go to the report of city manager, Mr.

Hare.

Oh thank you, Mayor.

Um the uh street paving contract um for the uh general fund and uh uh city service fee is currently out to bid.

The bid opening on that is July 8th.

We appreciate the uh input from all of the city council members across the city on on that uh bidding and ultimate contract uh process.

We hope to have that to city council the second meeting in July.

Then also out to bid is the uh demolition of the uh former TCI building in Elm Grove.

Uh the bid opening for that is scheduled for July 1st.

Um there's a couple of factors associated with that.

One, uh we're bidding it now because we have a very good opportunity with the uh renewal of the DLAP program to uh receive funding for that.

We have not received it yet, uh but we want to be in a position to apply uh and uh the fact that we would have uh this project bid and ready to go would be uh beneficial in trying to secure uh DLAP funding.

But there's also some issues with uh AEP and the fact that the power lines are so close to the building and then traffic control issues with uh the West Virginia Department of Transportation.

But the fact that we've got it spec'd uh we've had asbestos abatement.

Uh, this includes environmental remediation, uh so we'll at least get our uh uh get a feel for what the uh expected costs associated with that demolition uh would be.

Um, and then uh item number uh five on the agenda, uh which was amended, uh includes playground equipment for Demi Dale.

I would respectfully request that the city council consider two readings on that this evening.

We did receive a significant discount from our uh playground uh supplier of 50% of the equipment cost, and uh that uh needs to be um uh a contract needs to be entered into by June 26th in order to take advantage of that discount.

Uh so again, I would respectfully request two readings on that ordinance uh this morning, and then uh during the finance committee uh meeting and then uh as part of uh original propositions item number six, the budget resolution.

Um I mentioned that uh the proposed uh budget amendment includes a 334,000 dollar uh increase overall.

I was incorrect in that.

Uh that is on one sheet of the uh state auditors' uh formal um uh proposal uh that needs to be submitted to them this afternoon.

The actual overall increase as proposed is zero.

Uh, there are there were uh subsequent reductions on the second sheet of that uh form.

So it actually nets out at a zero percent or zero dollar increase uh to the overall city budget for fiscal year two thousand uh twenty five-26.

That's my report.

Are there any questions from Mr.

Heron?

Yes.

Uh water treatment plant.

How are we going with the uh remediations and the fixes and everything we're doing down there?

So it would be the wastewater treatment plant.

Um I assume you're referring to.

Um so the uh that that project is moving uh very well.

Uh actually there's an ordinance on the agenda for first reading today, which is the screw press, um permanent screw press, which dewaters sludge.

Uh so that's a main part of the uh improvement project that the uh bonds were sold for.

But at any rate, in the interim, um sludge is being removed.

Um the um primary clarifiers, which were um the big uh there's if you look at the wastewater treatment plant, you're standing in front of it.

There's two what appear to be underground tanks um to your left, those uh tanks were holding sludge.

That's why the digesters were being cleaned out.

Um, that's what was creating the intense spell smell.

Uh there was about a foot and a half of sludge in those exposed to the air.

Those have all been cleaned out.

Sludge has been taken away.

The primary digester has been cleaned and repaired and is being utilized, which is the first die uh the first uh round building as you're looking at the wastewater treatment plant on your left-hand side.

Second round building is the secondary digester, and it is near completion as far as sludge removed from it and repairs on it.

So the that part of the project, sludge uh digester portion of that project is moving along very nicely.

Uh, the smell has been reduced greatly.

You know, I would caution that it is a wastewater treatment plant, and there are going to be uh smells from time to time emulate from the plant, but uh we have ways to try to control that.

But the main issue of the smell and the odor that has been emulating from that plant past uh two months has been addressed.

Thank you, mom.

Any further questions, city manager?

Yeah, I do just staying on water for a second.

The last couple of weeks I've had some like residents reach out to me regarding like taste and smell of our water.

Um it seems a lot of it is from Woodsdale through Ward 5 and uh and the uh ward six.

Just I guess maybe clarification of our question.

We test water what, two or three times a day at the water treatment plant.

Yes, the water, the water uh we have received those those complaints as well.

And the water that is treated and goes out the plant, it is at your spicy, is 100% safe.

This time of year, there's there's uh occasionally uh issues with treating the the type of water that we're getting from the river, but the water is safe and and uh the issues associated with that are being corrected with the treatment process.

So, absolutely.

Absolutely.

Thank you.

Any further questions, city manager?

Well, just clarify, we test water quite a lot, right?

We do.

Um, yes, the the water is tested um as it comes into the plant, it's tested when it goes out of the yes.

Any other questions?

Thank you, Mr.

Heron.

You know, we have a most efficient vice mayor.

And a bit ago, he uh pointed out to me that uh that I had admitted one of the counselors from speaking and sharing their comments.

It just happened to be him, so vice mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

I'll try to be brief.

Uh, this is the beginning of the summer, as like councilman Palmer indicated.

There's a lot of events going on this past weekend.

There was a lot of events here in Wheeling.

The Pride Festival was at Heritage Port.

It was very well attended.

Um, thousands of people were here.

There was also a significant amount of people down at Center Market for the Wing Festival, which was another well-received festival here in Wheeling.

Every Tuesday out in Garden Park, we have to tapping Tuesdays, Heritage Port on Wednesdays, or water from Wednesdays, Fridays over at Wheeling Park or the Fund Fests.

I mean, and every Saturday, I think from now until September, something's going on down at Heritage Port.

Some of them are city festivals, some of them are festivals that are put on by third parties.

So there's a lot going on in the summer here in the city of Wheeling.

Please take the opportunity to uh participate.

And I do want to give a shout out to the Wheeling Police Department because I I went to all those festivals this weekend and even the Friday before, and I've noticed an increased presence of police officers walking around downtown Wheeling.

Um, there should be no one complaining about um, I think feeling safe or not feeling safe in our city.

Relatively speaking, we are a very, very, very safe community.

We have there should be no fear uh at all.

And just so everyone knows, the police chief has listened to some of the complaints, and he has uh officers walking around at Heritage Port, walking down 16th Street, walking around in downtown Wheeling.

Uh, and I think it's a very effective tool that he's using.

So thank you for that, Chief.

I think we as a citizen, the citizens see that and appreciate that.

Um, and I know it's going to continue, uh at least for the summer.

Uh, and I don't know if it as much as, you know, it's something that I think that we as a citizens, we we need to acknowledge it.

So please take an opportunity to get out and about um our heritage ports used, wheeling parks being used, every part of our community is being used this summer.

So please take the opportunity to participate.

Uh and that's what I wanted to say.

Thank you very much.

Can I piggyback off of just one second?

Um, you know, this Saturday, uh June 20th, there's an event called Jamboree Wheeling going on.

And when they when the people determined uh they wanted to do this event, they looked at dates, and it was the only open date.

It's not something's not going on.

So that's very impressive.

And I just want to piggyback off what you said, Vice Mayor.

Thank you.

I want to thank uh Vice Mayor Skolabinakis.

I made him a bit late, but my apologies.

You got to say it.

Uh with that, we have uh report of other officers.

We do have the Hall of Fame board minutes from May 11, 2026.

Is there a motion to hold those over?

Move to hold those over.

Second.

So any discussion.

Hearing not, I'd ask all those in favor to signify by saying aye.

And those opposed, and those minutes will be held over.

Petitions of redress or grievance.

There are none.

Petitions of all the kinds.

There are none.

Original propositions.

An ordinance authorizing the city manager to expend funds in the amount of 117,564 dollars with Whiteside of St.

Clairsville, Ohio for the purchase of four 2026 Chevy Trailblazers for the building and planning department to be charged to the project fund.

An ordinance authorizing the city manager to expend funds in the amount of 143,590 with Seppinson Equipment Inc.

of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for a JCB Bacho loader for operations department to be charged to the project fund.

An ordinance authorizing the city manager to expend funds in the amount of 999,929 with Esmo Corp of Mogador, Ohio for procurement of the watering equipment for water pollution control plant to be charged the 2025 water bond.

An ordinance authorizing the city manager to transfer funds in the amount of 65,000 from arena RCIP to the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority for use in sports-related facility projects analysis and activities within the city of Wheeling.

An ordinance authorizing the city manager to expend funds in the amount of $54,203.77 cents with game time of Charlotte, North Carolina for Dimmy Dale Playground Recreation Equipment to be charged to the project funds.

Okay, so any discussion.

All those in favor of having a second second reading on this uh signified by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, and we will have a second reading on the game time.

An ordinance authorizing the city manager to expend funds in the amount of $54,203.77 cents with game time of Charlotte, North Carolina for Dimmy Dale Playground Recreation Equipment to be charged to the project fund.

Option the order.

Second.

Any discussion?

I'd ask all those to please record your vote.

Yes.

Yes, that motions approved.

A resolution of the council of the city of Wheeling authorizing an agreement for a grant from the West Virginia Division of Highways for the Wheeling Heritage Trail Connector Project's special state funded recreational trails project.

I make a motion to adopt the ordinance.

Second.

Just connecting downtown to the trail system.

Okay.

Thanks.

Any other questions?

Hearing not, I'd ask all those uh to please record your vote.

Yes.

That motion's approved.

A resolution of the council of the city of Wheeling authorizing budget revision number four to the fiscal year 2526.

I would move to adopt the resolution.

Second.

Is there any discussion?

Hearing not, I'd ask you again to please record your votes.

Yes.

And that resolution is approved.

And that concludes original propositions.

Thank you.

Uh any further business?

Hearing none, I'd ask for a motion for adjournment.

I'll make that motion.

Second.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

And those opposed, meeting adjourned.

No, no, no.

If I was gonna, if I was gonna mess with you, I would swap you every time.