Wheeling University Plays Hosts to Wheeling City Council Meeting
Photo by Eric Ayres Trending
WHEELING - Officials and students from Wheeling University welcomed Wheeling City Council to its campus on Wednesday night, when council held a regular meeting at a location outside of downtown for the first time in more than three years.
The public meeting to conduct city business took place in the spacious Troy Theater inside Swint Hall on the Wheeling University Campus Wednesday night. The meeting took place not only at a different location but also on a different day of the week than typical council meetings. The first regular meeting for November had been rescheduled for Wednesday instead of Tuesday this week because of the general election.
"I want to give a gigantic thank you to university President Dr. Diana Vargo and the entire team out here for inviting us tonight," said Mayor Denny Magruder. "It’s our honor to be here. I think you all know how we feel about this campus. It sits in the heart of our community - it’s part of the heartbeat right off the interstate, and we’re really excited about what’s going on here. You’re just an integral part of your city, and we thank you."
The last time Wheeling City Council held a regular meeting outside of the City-County Building was in 2023, when officials moved a regular meeting to Wilson Lodge at Oglebay, which was hosting a conference by the West Virginia Municipal League at that time.
Officials noted the rare road meeting had been in the works for quite some time, but city leaders wanted to wait until the Washington Avenue Bridge replacement project was completed and access to campus from National Road was reopened.
"It’s an honor for us to have you here at our school, and we’re very grateful for the partnership that we have with the city of Wheeling," Vargo said.
Wheeling Vice Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis noted the city plans to return to campus later this month for one of its popular annual holiday events.
"I want to remind everyone that later this month, we’re going to have our third annual Turkey Trot right here at Wheeling University," Sklavounakis said of the annual 5K walk or run event. "The facility here is great. It’s a really great event that not only showcases this university and this beautiful campus, but it also raises funds for parks and recs."
The Turkey Trot will take place on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26. Those interested in participating can sign up on the city’s website or by contacting the Wheeling Parks and Recreation Department at 304-234-3641.
During the regular order of business during Wednesday’s meeting, Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron requested council give two readings to four new ordinances related to projects being funded with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reimbursements.
Herron explained these projects stem from weather-related damage during two separate events that have been presidentially declared natural disasters in the city. A road slip on Evelyn Avenue and a second of three slips on Glenwood Road occurred in 2024 and are 100% covered by FEMA funds, Herron noted.
"Bidding for those came in slightly under allocation," he explained.
Two recreation facilities in the city - parts of the J.B Chambers I-470 ball field complex as well as the Greggsville Park - were both heavily damaged last year during the Father’s Day floods. Bids for those projects came in slightly above the FEMA estimates, Herron noted.
"So they do require some local cash," the city manager said. "We do anticipate that those funds will be reimbursed by FEMA when that project is completed."
More than $1.3 million in FEMA funds are expected to be utilized for this work related to weather-disaster damage to public infrastructure and facilities.
"These projects need to begin as soon as possible," Herron said. "We do want to have the two playgrounds ready for spring 2027."
Herron added that the city’s 2026 paving schedule is nearly completed, and officials will be looking ahead to the next round of resurfacing projects for neighborhoods throughout Wheeling.
In other action on Wednesday, a proclamation was made recognizing the month of November as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. A copy of the proclamation was presented to representatives of Valley Hospice and its facility, Liza’s Place. Council honored Valley Hospice for "more than four decades of compassionate service and lasting contributions to the health and well-being of our community."
Also on Wednesday night, members of the Rules Committee of Wheeling City Council continued discussions regarding a proposed draft to create new language in the city code to regulate data centers. The draft is available for public viewing online on the city’s website, and a final version of the document is expected to be presented to Wheeling City Council for consideration in the near future.