Trending
WHEELING - A month after back-to-back flooding events left mud and debris behind low-lying areas along the Ohio River, the city of Wheeling continues to take residual action weeks after the waters have receded.
Members of Wheeling City Council will gather for their first regular meeting of the month tonight to hear first readings on several new pieces of legislation, including a handful of flood-related ordinances. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. today in city council chambers on the first floor of the City-County Building.
A new ordinance up for a first reading tonight aims to amend an article in the city’s code under the sections for Health and Sanitation Ordinances and Littering.
Under the proposed amendment, a new section titled "Scavenging, Scattering or Dispersing of Trash" is included. "Scavenging" is defined as "going through recycling or refuse containers and/or trash bags whether such containers or bags are on city or private property.
The amendment defines what constitutes an offense of this section - basically scattering the trash outside of the container. The potential penalty for a first offense is a fine of not less than $300 and between five to 30 hours of community service - picking up litter or illegally dumped trash - to be completed within six months.
Subsequent violations would result in harsher penalties, according to the proposed amendment. A person who violates the code and who is found guilty of subsequent offenses could be sentenced to pay a fine of not less than $500 and may be required to complete 30 to 100 hours of trash pickup community service within one year.
Last month, Wheeling City Councilman Ben Seidler asked the city administration to look into the city codes and enforcement actions related to individuals going through trash. Seidler, who lives on Wheeling Island and represents the Island residents who experience flooding during these events, noted that there were several incidents during the flood cleanup in which people were rummaging through piles of discarded materials. This forced residents to face more cleanups after intruders left behind messes while digging through other peoples’ trash.
Tonight, city council also will hear the first readings on two new ordinances authorizing Wheeling City Manager to spend $75,840 with Xylem Dewatering Solutions of Chicago, Illinois, and $28,708 with ERB Electric Company of Wheeling for emergency flood repair services to be charged to the city’s Water Pollution Control Division.
"During the flood in early April, the gate that controls flow into the wastewater treatment plant was damaged, and a result, water flowed into the plant causing damage to the pumps at the plant," Herron explained. "These are two of several ordinances for repairs that needed to be done."
Also tonight, a proposed amendment to the city’s tobacco usage restrictions is being introduced to include e-cigarette and vape products. The amendment includes e-cigarettes and vaping products in the list of restricted uses. Along with tobacco products, the guidelines include restrictions in the use, sale, gift or possession of these products to or by persons under the age of 18.
A number of new ordinances related to stormwater improvements are also on tonight’s agenda, including projects for which the city’s American Rescue Plan Act funding was targeted for use.
One new ordinance is for the expenditure of $1,649,905 with Cast and Baker Corporation of Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania, for Valley View sanitary sewer improvements, using ARPA funds. By comparison, Alex E. Paris Contracting Co. Inc. submitted a bid of $2,663,590 for the work.
Another contract using ARPA funds for Valley View stormwater improvements will be with James White Construction Co. of Weirton in the amount of $700,314. By comparison, Cast and Baker submitted a bid of $728,468, Edgco Inc. bid $725,620 and Virco Contracting Inc. submitted a bid of $990,336 for the job.
Another ordinance slated for a first reading tonight will be to authorize the city manager to spend $173,667 with the U.?S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, for a local match for the Elm Run Stormwater Management Project. This work will be charged to the city’s Restricted Capital Improvement Program fund.
As previously reported, a new ordinance for the demolition of the Wheeling Inn is also on the agenda for a first reading tonight. The city is handling the job because it involves state grant funding. The cost of asbestos abatement and demolition of the old downtown hotel is $500,800. The ordinance authorizes a contract with Raze International of Shadyside, which could begin the work as early as June.
Council will also vote to distribute more than $584,000 from the city’s share of West Virginia’s opioid settlement funds to the city’s police and fire departments for various purchases and programs.