Most fees haved increased by $5 or $10. However, in an effort to help residents the ordinance also changed the “no charge” fee from $600 or less worth of labor and material costs to $1,000 or less worth of labor and material costs.

This means if a person has a project that costs $1,000 or less, they will not have to pay a building permit fee.

Council also approved purchasing a new utility truck, a 2023 GMC Sierra, for the water department for $68,898 from Whiteside Chevrolet of St. Clairsville. Whiteside was the lone bidder.

Council also approved purchasing 11 new benches and 11 new trash receptacles for the Jefferson Avenue business district. The purchase is part of an overall $70,000 project that also involves repainting light poles and purchasing new globes and LED lights for the poles.

photo by: Photo by Shelley Hanson

Moundsville City Council members prepare to begin their regular meeting on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, after some discussion council approved a loading zone parking request from PJ’s Varsity Pizza on Railroad Avenue. A parking area in front of the business will be a loading zone only from 6-11 a.m. to allow delivery trucks easy access to the business.

In other matters, City Manager Rick Healy said work at the new municipal building construction site can resume after the city files a “no more action” needed brief with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection regarding soil testing done at the site. Testing of the soil had be conducted because fuel tanks were once at the site. Layers of contaminated soil had to be removed during the past couple weeks. Healy said the most recent tests came back and the site is ready to go now.

Also, Mayor Sara Wood-Shaw said she plans to highlight a different city employee each council meeting this year and thank them for their service. On Tuesday she thanked Moundsville Police Department Chief Tom Mitchell.

“I really appreciate him and everything he does for the city,” she said.