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Wheeling City Council Reimburses WesBanco Arena for Improvements

The next time the West Virginia University basketball team holds an exhibition game at WesBanco Arena, players will be permitted to dunk.

The former standards — the posts, backboard and hoops needed for basketball — used at WesBanco did not meet NCAA requirements, according to Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron. These have now been replaced.

Wheeling City Council night unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday night authorizing Herron to transfer $33,025 in Arena Restricted Capital Improvement Program (RCIP) sales tax funds to the Greater Wheeling Sports and Entertainment Authority. The money is to reimburse the authority for the costs of purchasing the new equipment.

“With the announcement of the Mountain East Conference tournament going to WesBanco Arena, as well as the Cancer Research Classic, there needed to be a replacement of basketball hoops and standards at the arena,” Herron explained. “The staff there has done a really good job of researching this. It will be state of the art, with shot clocks and the whole thing.

“They have been replacing basketball standards that have been in place 40 years.

“When WVU had their ‘Blue-Gold’ game here, they were not allowed to dunk because of those standards,” he said. “That’s all been changed.”

Councilwoman Wendy Scatterday asked Herron if the orange chairs seen on the sidelines during basketball games at the arena also would soon be replaced as they stick out against the new bleacher seating in the arena.

Herron said that is under consideration, but there is concern new chairs purchased would not be of the same quality as those already used at the arena. He said many arenas have opted to use cheaper chairs.

Council also unanimously passed five other ordinances during Tuesday’s council meeting authorizing Herron to expend funds. All members and Mayor Glenn Elliott were present.

∫ The city will purchase five Dodge Charger police-pursuit all-wheel-drive vehicles from Thomas Auto Centers in St. Clairsville. The cost is $176,890.

∫ The city will pay Utility Service Co. of Atlanta $33,391 for work on the old stack yard tank. Installation, washout and disinfection is included, and the project will be charged to the water distribution fund.

∫ Central Painting and Sand Blasting of Navarre, Ohio, will receive $165,000 for painting the stack yard tank. This work also will be charged to the water distribution fund.

∫ The city will partner with Ohio County to purchase a computer server for $23,212. The cost will be charged to the police account.

∫ USI Insurance Services of Virginia Beach, Virginia, will be paid $86,531 for an excess liability workers’ compensation policy. The expenditure will come from the Workers Compensation Fund.

A public meeting was convened at the start of the council meeting to give residents a chance to comment on the city’s proposed allocation of federal funds through the Community Development Block Grant Program, and the Home Investment Partnerships Program for next year.

The city is to receive $1,162,941 through the CDBG program, and $325,571 for the HOME Program.

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