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WHEELING -- The city of Wheeling will soon be installing a new scoreboard at the J.B. Chambers Sports Complex in East Wheeling.
City council members on Tuesday heard a new ordinance authorizing the city manager to spend $33,265 with Savage Construction of Wheeling for the installation of the new scoreboard at the complex, which houses a public football field with artificial turf. Money for the expenditure is being charged to the city's Restricted Capital Improvement Projects fund.
"The J.B. Chambers Sports Complex is one of Wheeling's premier facilities," Mayor Glenn Elliott. "It has brought activity to the block of 15th and Wood streets by accommodating local and regional sports teams and community organizations. While the field has been in use for a number of years, we continue to enhance the facility and are pleased to make the addition of a scoreboard."
The J.B. Chambers Memorial Recreation Park opened in 2014 and is the only artificial turf field in the area open for use by the general public. At a cost of more than $3 million, the field features rest room facilities, lighted basketball courts and a variety of playground equipment appropriate for children of all ages. Funding sources for the project included $1.25 million in private sector donations; $1.2 million from city taxpayers; and $600,000 in state and federal grants, most of it Community Development Block Grant funding.
"I don't have a construction date," City Manager Robert Herron said. "That question was brought up (Tuesday) with the staff members working on that (Tuesday) morning. Hopefully, it will be up before the beginning of the spring sports season. We have the scoreboard, physically at operations. So this is actually to install it."
In other action Tuesday, city council introduced ordinances authorizing the city manager to spend funds to purchase new vehicles for use by city departments. Both ordinances were to expend funds with Stephens Auto Center of Danville, Boone County, for the purchase of 2020 Dodge Ram 1500 trucks. One was in the amount of $24,486 for a short-bed pickup truck to be charged to the public safety fund, and the other was in the amount of $$21,441 for a pickup truck to be charged to the water distribution fund.
Also Tuesday, council approved an ordinance authorizing the city manager to expend sales tax Restricted Capital Improvement Projects funds in the amount of $56,900 with Precision Pump Valve Service of Cross Lanes, Kanawha County, for Courtland Avenue Pump Station's pump no. 1.
Closing Tuesday's meeting, Wheeling resident Josh Riffle spoke during public forum and accused city leaders of not following rules by limiting public comment to three minutes per person, among other accusations. Riffle said the city has eliminated available parking on Wells Street, which runs adjacent to his corner residence on Economy Street, and insinuated that it was done out of spite because he has been vocal and critical of the city administration.