12/7-8: 4th Street Closures
On Wednesday (12/7), Fourth Street will be closed to traffic and parking between Railroad and Davis.
On Thursday, this block of Fourth will have only one lane of traffic. Please watch for flaggers.
Mountaineer Gas is performing work.
Council Committee Diary: November 2022
Most council agenda items originate in one of council’s standing or ad hoc committees. You can learn more about council committees here and find meeting times and agendas here.
Following is an overview of council committee work from November:
- Finance: Worked on cable television franchise renewal with Optimum (formerly Suddenlink); recommended approval of budget revision for equipment purchase for Street Department; discussed funding for asbestos abatement after demolition of 5 River Street; recommended compensation level for new human resources position.
- Municipal Properties: Continued work on Darden House leases.
- Organizational Audit Committee (ad hoc): Planned structure of new building inspector/code enforcement/zoning officer position; reviewed operations assistant and administrative assistant position descriptions.
- Personnel Committee: Recommended reappointment of the city clerk.
- Public Safety Committee: Prioritized properties to be demolished under DEP RADPP grant.
- Rules & Ordinances Committee: Reviewed city code regulation of animals to identify needed improvements.
City Hall News: Week of Dec. 5, 2022
Meeting next week are council’s Finance Committee and the Elkins Sanitary Board. Applications are being accepted from Third Ward residents interested in filling a vacant council seat. There are vacancies on several area boards and commissions.
Meeting on Tuesday at 1 p.m., the Finance Committee will learn about a proposed online payments platform, consider a request to use money from the city’s coal severance budget to repair the elevator in city hall, and discuss the salary for the operations manager position.
The Elkins Sanitary Board, which oversees the city sewer system and wastewater treatment plant, meets Thursday at 10 a.m. The agenda will be posted Monday.
City Councilor Clint Higgins (Third Ward) has resigned. Applications will be accepted until December 23 from Third Ward residents interested in being appointed to fill his seat until the 2023 election. Learn more: www.cityofelkinswv.com/council-to-fill-third-ward-vacancy.
There are vacancies on several boards and commissions, and applications are being accepted through December 7. Many important city policies and projects are designed and managed not by the mayor and council but by the city’s boards and commissions. Citizen volunteers who serve on these bodies play a vital role in city governance.
The vacancies now being filled are on the Randolph County Board of Health, the Elkins Historic Landmarks Commission, and the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals and Board of International Property Maintenance Code Appeals. Some of these vacancies are restricted to city residents; others require only residency inside Randolph County. Some meet monthly, some only as needed. Learn more: www.cityofelkinswv.com/board-and-commission-openings
All meetings are open to the public and, unless otherwise stated, held at Elkins City Call (401 Davis Avenue). Find agendas and other meeting information here: www.cityofelkinswv.com/council-and-committee-meetings.
Council to Fill Third Ward Vacancy
City Councilor Clint Higgins (Third Ward) has resigned. Applications will be accepted until December 23 from Third Ward residents interested in being appointed to fill his seat until the 2023 election.
How Council Fills Vacant Seats
The city charter stipulates that, when a council seat becomes vacant, it “shall be filled by appointment of a qualified person by council.” The charter further states that, in addition to being qualified to vote in Elkins, “councilors shall reside in the ward to be represented at the time of nomination and throughout the term of office.” Only voting-age persons who are qualified to vote in Third Ward are, therefore, eligible to apply for this position.
A protocol adopted by council in 2016 spells out the process of filling a vacancy in more detail. As required by this protocol, council has adopted a resolution officially announcing the vacancy, establishing an application period and deadline, and directing how applications may be submitted.
The resolution directs interested candidates to submit resumes in person/by mail to the Elkins City Clerk, 401 Davis Avenue, or electronically to jsutton@cityofelkinswv.com, no later than 12:30 p.m. on December 23. Qualified applications will be reviewed by the mayor and council, and interviews will be scheduled.
Interviews are performed by council and the mayor and consist of a standardized set of questions. Answers are scored by all elected officials present, and an average score is calculated.
The interview step is followed by a meeting at which council deliberates toward its top candidate. Once this candidate’s continued interest has been verified, he or she will be scheduled for appointment at the next council meeting.
Persons interested in applying are encouraged to attend council meetings, on first and third Thursdays, and to learn as much as possible about the structure of the Elkins government, which is unusual.
What Council Members Do
Elkins is chartered as a weak-mayor/strong-council system. Under this arrangement, Elkins mayors have limited authority. Councilors have no individual authority, but, acting as a 10-person body, the Elkins council exercises virtually all executive and corporate authority over the City of Elkins.
Through majority votes by a quorum of its members, council passes laws, adopts rules, and sets policy and strategic goals. Council is responsible for adopting the annual budget and monitoring the fiscal condition of the city; councilors can be held individually liable if budgets are overspent.
Five administrative officers report to council (the city clerk, the city treasurer, the fire chief, the operations manager, and the police chief). These officers are responsible for day-to-day operating and administrative decisions for their departments.
Elkins councilors are paid $7,200 a year and can enroll in the West Virginia Public Employees Retirement System. Alternatively, they may forego salary and participation in the retirement system and instead join the city’s PEIA health-insurance plan. No other benefits are available to council members.
Read more about what city councilors do: www.cityofelkinswv.com/government/city-clerk/elections/what-city-councilors-do.
Find what ward you’re in: www.bit.ly/elkins-ward-finder
Elkins Simplifies Agenda Access, Management with Online Platform
Members of the public have a new way to access Elkins council agendas online and can even sign up to be notified when a new agenda is posted, thanks to an online agenda management platform that council recently adopted. The new online tool, which is called CivicClerk, will also speed up preparation and distribution of meeting documents, saving staff time for more valuable work.
For each council meeting, councilors and staff need access not only to agendas but also to a large volume of supporting materials, including staff reports, the text of resolutions and ordinances, and other documents necessary for informed decisions. These meeting packets can run to 100 or more pages.
Previous Method was Manual, Time-Consuming
Previously, the Elkins council’s meeting packets were assembled as single PDF documents through a time-consuming process that introduced the possibility of manual error. The resulting PDF files were also not user-friendly for councilors to refer to and annotate during meetings.
With CivicClerk agenda management software, it is now simpler for the city clerk to manage submission and approval of requested council action items and to attach supporting documentation to specific agenda items for ease of reference. Councilors now have access to notetaking and annotation features within the application interface and can more easily refer to materials from past meetings, all inside the same online interface.
New Solution Simplifies Public Access
The new solution will also make it even easier for members of the public to stay in the loop concerning when meetings are being held and to view meeting packets for upcoming and past meetings.
West Virginia governing bodies, such as the Elkins council, are required by law to post paper copies of their agendas in a public place. Like many cities and counties, Elkins has long made its agendas (and related meeting documents) available online, as a convenience for the public. The process of posting these items to the city website was also manual, creating additional risk of errors and oversights.
With the new platform, when an agenda or meeting packet is finished and ready, it can be published both for councilors and other internal users as well as for the public with one click, eliminating duplication of effort.
How to Take Advantage of the New Platform
The City of Elkins CivicClerk Agenda Center is available on this page of the city website: www.cityofelkinswv.com/agenda-center. There, visitors will see a list of current and upcoming events (i.e., meetings), as well as a list of the most recent events. Registration is not necessary to view published agendas, packets, and minutes. By registering, however, users can subscribe to receive notifications when council and committee agendas are published.
To enable staff and councilors to learn the new platform, it is only being used for council agendas and other documents pertinent to council meetings for the time being. Early next year, it will be rolled out for all council committees as well.
Board and Commission Openings
Last modified on December 15th, 2022 at 04:00 pm
Update as of December 15: Applications are still being accepted for the three open seats on the Board of Zoning Appeals. Apply today! (See instructions at the bottom of this post.)
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Applications are being accepted through Wednesday, December 7 from persons interested in filling vacancies on several area boards and commissions. Many important city policies and projects are designed and managed not by the mayor and council but by the city’s boards and commissions. Citizen volunteers who serve on these bodies play a vital role in city governance. Maybe you’d like to get involved!
The following boards and commissions have vacancies:
Randolph County Board of Health
This board oversees the Elkins-Randolph County Health Department. There is one vacancy; applicants must be city residents. This board meets bi-monthly.
Board of Zoning Appeals
This board hears appeals to zoning decisions, such as when the city’s zoning officer denies a certain use in a certain location. There are three vacancies; applicants must have resided in Elkins for at least three years. This board meets rarely, for periodic administrative work and as needed in response to an appeal.
Board of IPMC Appeals
This board hears appeals to citations issued for violations of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC). There is one vacancy; applicants must be residents of Randolph County but do not need to live in Elkins. Experience in property maintenance or a related field is required (please get in touch to discuss if you are not sure). This board meets rarely, for periodic administrative work and as needed in response to an appeal.
Elkins Historic Landmarks Commission
This commission provides education about, advocacy for, and preservation of Elkins historic properties and landmarks. There is one vacancy; applicants must be residents of Randolph County but do not need to live in Elkins. This commission meets monthly.
More Information
For more information about these openings, please contact the Office of the City Clerk.
Download an application by clicking here. Applications are due December 7.
For more information about City of Elkins board and commission openings, click here.
City Hall News: Week of Nov. 28, 2022
Last modified on November 28th, 2022 at 11:41 am
Meeting next week are council’s Finance Committee and ad hoc Special Hiring Committee. Also meeting are the Elkins Sanitary Board and the Elkins Tree Board. Council meets Thursday. The Downtown Christmas Parade is Friday at 6 p.m.
The Finance Committee meets Monday at 10 a.m. to continue work on the cable television franchise renewal agreement with Optimum (formerly Suddenlink), the determination of a salary level for a new human resources position, and discussion of asbestos remediation at 5 River Street.
Also meeting Monday at 10 a.m. is the Sanitary Board, which oversees the Elkins sewer system. The board’s agenda includes renewal of a uniform contract with Cintas, discussion of a contract with C-Com for IT services, consideration of the need for a wastewater rate increase, and discussion of next steps for the foam-filled sewer line under Randolph Avenue.
The Tree Board meets Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. The board will continue work to identify a new board member and prepare for the submission of a grant application to the West Virginia Division of Forestry for a final round of replacement trees for downtown.
Council meets Thursday at 7 p.m. The agenda may be adjusted through Tuesday. Current items include reappointment of the city clerk, creation of a new human resources position, and approval of the cable television franchise renewal agreement with Optimum.
All meetings are open to the public and, unless otherwise stated, held at Elkins City Call (401 Davis Avenue). Find agendas and other meeting information here: www.cityofelkinswv.com/council-and-committee-meetings.
City Hall News: Week of Nov. 21, 2022
During Thanksgiving week, no meetings are scheduled. City hall will be closed Thursday and Friday.
Customers whose trash is usually picked up on Mondays or Thursdays will have a different schedule this week. Trash normally picked up Mondays will be picked up Sunday (11/20), starting at 6 a.m. Trash normally picked up Thursdays will be picked up Wednesday (11/23), starting at 6 a.m. There are no changes for customers whose trash is picked up Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Fridays.
Utility bills are due Monday.
Leaf Collection Ends 11/23
The final day of leaf collection will be Wednesday, November 23.
Please have all leaves to the curb by Monday morning to ensure your leaves will be picked up.
More information: https://cityofelkinswv.com/2022-leaf-pickups-begin-oct-17/
Thanksgiving Week 2022: Schedule Changes
Alerts
Starting Jan. 1: No more phone payments
Starting Jan. 1, City of Elkins will no longer accept phone payments for any city bills or services. Learn more.
No Spring Cleanup
Because of the city’s monthly bulk-item pickup program, we will no longer be offering Spring Cleanup. Don’t wait until spring, put your items out each month. Find the schedule for pickups here.
Bulk Pickups Schedule Change
As of the week of October 17, the bulk-item pickup schedule is changing. Find the new schedule here.
Water Issues?
Last modified on May 8th, 2022 at 10:51 am
Got a non-emergency water issue? Report it online by clicking here.
