By Dakota Baker
The Ronceverte City Council held its monthly meeting on Monday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. The meeting began with the approval of minutes for the previous month’s meeting. There was no new business on the agenda, but Mayor Deena Pack gave an update on the topic of the speed bump on Clay Street from the previous meeting, which had been tabled. The supervisor of the Street Department and Mayor Pack visited various streets and added some new signs. They will also add some “children at play” signs as soon as they arrive. Mayor Pack said it is her understanding that the residents of Clay Street are happy with the current state of that area. If the topic needs to be revisited at a later date, then it can be.
Madison Byers, a case manager from Crosswinds Center, gave a presentation to council. Her presentation consisted of a brief introduction to Crosswinds Center, a crisis stabilization unit located in Maxwelton. Crosswinds is an unlocked facility, and admission is entirely voluntary, with 11 beds, private rooms, bathrooms, and staffed by 24/7 nursing care. If you or someone you know is having a mental health crisis or would like to begin your recovery journey (18 years or older), they are encouraged to call 304-497-2850 and speak with the Crosswinds staff, who are ready to help.
Next on the agenda was the Totten Circle Agreement that was reached between the city and the Totten Circle Home Owners Association regarding their concerns related to the maintenance of the gravel road inside of Totten Circle and the light fixtures. The city will maintain the property, and the agreement will be revisited in a year. Maintenance fees will remain the same.
The Ronceverte Food Pantry asked permission from the council to include an informational flyer with the next utility bill. The Food Pantry will be responsible for the costs associated with the paper for printing the flyers. These costs will be added to the utility bill. The Food Pantry is currently giving out food to those in need. Please call Ronceverte City Hall for more information.
The police department reported that they have officers entering the academy this month. Mayor Pack also offered her congratulations to Officer Jon King, who has been promoted to corporal effective June 9.
The meeting entered an executive session for the council members to decide who to fill the two vacancies on the Zoning Commission Board. Leah Smith was excluded from the vote due to being a voting member of the Zoning Board. Mark Trent and Tayna Hazelwood were also excluded from the vote because they were absent from the interviews. It was recommended by council members who voted to bring on Kimberly Erskine and Jacob Teubert to the Zoning Commission Board. The voting members approved the council members’ recommendations. Mayor Pack said there will be additional openings becoming available soon in other areas that she hopes to see further interest in.
During councilmember comments, Smith gave an Accelerate WV update. They recently submitted an economic resilience plan for Ronceverte, which was essentially an overview of the town’s current situation and what needs to be worked on to make Ronceverte a resilient town economically and recreationally. She also mentioned that they are still waiting for a response to the $450,000+ grant they applied for to use for funding renovations to the Armory. They expect to hear something about that grant this month.
During citizens’ comments, ongoing issues related to the American Heritage Music Hall were mentioned. Mayor Pack stated that their legal team has permitted her to release the agreements they attempted to make with the Music Hall, which received no responses. Those will be released to the public soon.
In other news, the Community Farmers’ Market has been suspended for the remainder of the season due to recent medical issues. The miniature golf course on Island Park is moving forward slowly but surely. The WV dilapidated buildings program is also moving forward. The demolition of the old theater started this week, but pieces from that building are being saved to erect a memorial to honor the architect of the building. Ronceverte City Hall has also entered a lease agreement with the bank to relocate to their building. The public will be made aware when this move takes place.
The next meeting of the Ronceverte City Council will be held on Sept. 8 (the second Monday of the month) due to Labor Day. Trash will be delayed by one day. Mayor Pack also wants to remind the public that they do offer specialty trash pickup (e.g., large furniture that someone may not be able to move) and to please call City Hall if you need help.