LGBT Ordinance Sent To Wheeling City Council
WHEELING — An ordinance prohibiting housing and employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity — including some amendments clarifying an exemption for religious entities — received its first reading before Wheeling City Council Tuesday.
Also, city officials announced the hire of Marshall County Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director Jesse Mestrovic to fill the newly created position of director of parks and strategic planning, at an annual salary of $52,500.
The anti-discrimination ordinance, encouraged by the city’s human rights commission, received much support at a well-attended public hearing on Nov. 29.
Mayor Glenn Elliott said some concerns addressed at the hearing about specific language within the ordinance are now reflected in the proposed policy. These include clarifying certain definitions within the ordinance, such as “employer” and “person,” to exclude any “religious entity.”
City Solicitor Rosemary Humway-Warmuth said the edits reflect an interest in offering clear exemptions for religious institutions whose beliefs may conflict with adhering to the law.
The ordinance will be up for a vote at council’s next meeting on Dec. 20.
Mestrovic’s hire, announced by City Manager Robert Herron, fills a position created at the request of council’s finance committee.
Mestrovic will strategize ways to improve Wheeling’s nearly 35 parks and playgrounds, and he will collaborate with various city departments to plan and orchestrate general beautification projects. Mayor Glenn Elliott said a common concern of residents heard throughout his campaign was the condition of the city’s facilities, and he hopes this new hire will bring about improvements.
“I understand we’ve lived through tough budgetary times, but often those parks are a reflection of what our city actually thinks about itself,” Elliott said. “If we don’t take care of our own parks, how can we ask people to take care of their own homes?”
The position’s annual salary is set at $52,500, according to Herron. Vice Mayor Chad Thalman said much discussion was held regarding the salary, as he, Elliott and Herron did not wish to “upset” other city employees who may make less — but Thalman said the city ultimately wanted to pay enough to attract a high-quality candidate.
The money for the new position will come from a contingency line item included in the city’s 2016-17 fiscal year budget that includes about $91,000. Council is expected to approve a budget revision allocating $70,000 to $75,000 for the position, including salary, benefits and supplies.
Mestrovic, who will begin work on Jan. 1, said he’ll first undertake a citywide assessment of parks and playgrounds to determine where to start. Elliott said the city will not have the financial resources to address every facility at once, but he suggested possibilities may exist with public-private partnerships.
Thalman said the city would like to solicit private donations in exchange for “sponsorship” of facilities, such as naming rights.
Elliott also announced six 2017 noon city council meetings will occur at schools within each of the city’s six wards. These will be Feb. 7 at The Linsly School; March 7 at Wheeling Central Catholic High School; April 4 at Wheeling Park High School; Sept. 5 at Madison Elementary School; Nov. 7 at the Warwood School; and Dec. 5 at Bridge Street Middle School.
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