photo by: Eric Ayres

Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron speaks during Tuesday's city council meeting.

WHEELING — Officials from the flood-ravaged town of Triadelphia appeared before Wheeling City Council on Tuesday night asking for help with the municipal water bill in light of the recent disaster.

Triadelphia is one of several local communities that purchases water from the city of Wheeling Water Department. They are a “resale customer” of the Wheeling system, as are Bethlehem, Clearview, West Alexander, Pa. and the Ohio County Public Service District. They have their own utility department that sells water to their own customers.

On June 14, Triadelphia and neighboring Valley Grove were among the hardest hit communities struck with heavy rains and disastrous flooding that destroyed infrastructure, homes, businesses and vehicles, and claimed nine lives.

During Tuesday night’s meeting of Wheeling City Council, Councilman Tony Assaro yielded his time during remarks from council members to allow guest officials from Triadelphia to speak. Triadelphia Councilman Tom Hoffman and Recorder Mary Ann Hess thanked the many people in the community and the many entities that have stepped forward to help them during such a difficult time.

“It wasn’t a flood — a flood is a couple of feet of water,” Hoffman said. “What we had was a natural disaster. It was a devastating, life-changing event that I hope we never see again. I’m 61, and I’ve never seen anything like that, the magnitude of the devastation. The homes are gone, and the ones that are there are damaged severely.”

Hoffman said that in many of the damaged and destroyed properties, they could not get to the water lines to turn it off. In a number of others, they did not even know that the water was running. In several cases, huge amounts of water were used for cleanup and to unclog sewers.

People have been power washing sidewalks and houses, water trucks on hand for cleanup efforts have also been using a lot of water.

“I’m here to ask council tonight to please help us with the water bill,” Hoffman said. “I know we’ve gone through some bills already, and one resident — who doesn’t have a home anymore — their bill will be $1,800. They don’t have a home to go to, and we’re not financially able to foot the bill for them.”

Triadelphia officials requested help not on the regular water bills but instead on the overages, they stressed.

“The water usage is going to be pretty high,” Hoffman said. “The water department itself has lost everything. We lost our trucks, we lost our equipment. We’re really overwhelmed with the amount of work that has to be done.”

Hoffman noted that Triadelphia will be losing customers and residents in the long run because of the disaster.

“We figure we’re probably going to lose 15-20% of our revenue because people aren’t going to be coming back,” he said. “People can’t go back to their apartments. We’re at your mercy to help us out with the water bill.”

Hess also thanked the greater community for stepping forward to help in such a dire time of need.

“I would appreciate it if you would consider helping with the overage,” Hess added. “It really was a natural disaster. We’d appreciate that, due to what they all lost.”

Hoffman also asked if the city of Wheeling could loan Triadelphia a dump truck and a Bobcat.

“We’ve had issues in the past during natural disasters regarding water and sewer,” Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron said. “We are a regulated utility. What I would like to do is sit down with you and go over your thoughts and what the bills are once we receive them. As long as we have the authority to do it, we can negotiate a favorable adjustment. I don’t have any problem doing that.”

Herron indicated that any adjustment would have to be permissible in the eyes of the Public Service Commission.

“Our thoughts and prayers in the city are certainly with our neighbors in Triadelphia and Valley Grove,” Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder said. “This has been a real case of unity where we’ve all worked closely together.”

Wheeling City Councilwoman Connie Cain said she has been in contact with several people affected by the flooding in the Triadelphia area. She noted that they were very thankful for all the volunteers, police and fire department representatives, Gov. Patrick Morrisey — who immediately responded to the disaster and has been on site a number of times since — and others who have extended a hand.

“They are very grateful for the help from the people in the community and the volunteers who have surrounded them,” Cain said. “Even though some of them lost their homes, they still have their lives. They wanted me to relay their message that they are forever grateful.”

In other action Tuesday, council approved an amendment to the new ordinance creating a Private Outdoor Designated Area or PODA district in the downtown and Centre Market area, allowing participating establishments to either sell adult beverages to go in designated PODA cups or to welcome patrons who are

walking in the district and carrying these beverages.

The amendment expands the Friday hours to coincide with weekend hours of 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday instead of the weekday hours of 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., which will remain the operating hours Monday through Thursday.

Also Thursday, Councilman Ty Thorngate noted that the 87th annual Dimmeydale Fourth of July Celebration will take place Friday with a lineup beginning at 10 a.m. for a parade through the neighborhood that kicks off at 10:30 a.m. and ends at the shelter and baseball fields. There will be live music and a cookout.

“I believe this is the oldest Fourth of July celebration in the city,” Thorngate said.

Officials also invited the community to the annual July 4 celebration this Friday night on the waterfront at Heritage Port, where the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra will perform for free and the Independence Day fireworks display over the river will take place.

There is expected to be a guest conductor for the national anthem, city leaders hinted.