Shinnston City Council met on Monday, August 31 for a Special Meeting, followed by a Work Session. Following routine opening procedures, Shinnston resident Steve Glass asked to speak on behalf of those who organized the recent Party on the Green to personally thank the City for being one of the hosts of the event. He noted that a conservative estimate of people attending was approximated at 150 people.
He also praised Debbie Harbert for her devoted care of the flower urns on Pike Street and the efforts of City workers who had roadside trimming looking presentable and welcoming to downtown visitors. Another ‘thank you’ was extended to Museum Director Debra Herndon for keeping the Museum open on the day of the Party on the Green for those who wanted to browse the facility and view the Art Show that was being held there. Glass announced that the committee has already chosen a date (August 21, 2027) for next year’s Party on the Green gathering.
City Manager Tori Drainer opened with her Executive Report, stating that the request for bids is out for the dog park fencing and due by Sept. 4. She will send reminder emails to fencing companies that are licensed through the City to prompt them if they are interested in submitting a bid.
She also announced that work had begun on the upgraded water line on the Scudere property in Enterprise, and that there is a plan to begin Smoke Testing in September to ensure that gutters are not sending a lot of water into the sanitary sewers when large rains occur.
For the second consecutive year, Shinnston will host a “Fall Fest” on the greenspace on Oct. 10 that will include a contest for the best decorated hay bale, children’s costume contest, and dog costume contest. Mayor Kovalck stated that six round rolls of hay were made available and he was surprised that all were spoken for within a day, so entries are now cut off.
“We had two local clubs, two businesses, and two individuals that got involved right away, which we weren’t expecting,” he stated. “Now that we are aware of this kind of interest, we can perhaps focus on expanding this contest next year. One People’s Choice winner will be selected by the public’s votes and will receive a $250 cash award. Prizes will be awarded to winners of the children’s costume and dog costume contests as well.”
The Fall Fest will also coincide with the reopening of the Rail Trail on Oct. 10 so they anticipate a lot of activity in Shinnston that day!
Brendan Gallagher added that he had been in touch with Athletic Director Holly Hawkins and Lincoln student athletes will be doing cleanup projects prior to the Rail Trail’s reopening. He also thanked Ace Hardware for donating mulch to be placed in needed areas along the trail. Gallagher stated he would like to connect with Marion County regarding joint promotion of the Rail Trail and suggested that perhaps area establishments might be interested in placing signage along the trail to promote visiting their businesses.
Mayor Kovalck met with Shannon Keller who offered several ideas for use of the greenspace during cooler weather which might include some involvement of school organizations and perhaps more community involvement.
It was also noted that Lincoln High School’s Homecoming will be held on Sept. 18 and the Homecoming Parade will be on Sept. 16.
ACTION ITEMS:
*Council tabled reviewing the change order submitted by Stantec for Phase 3 of the Water Project.
*Council discussed declaring three downtown properties at 229 Pike St.(Wright building), 61 Mahlon St. (property beside T&L Hot Dogs), and 320 Pike Street (GC Murphy building) as public nuisances and begin taking action. Mayor Kovalck interjected that the City has sent letters, fined the owners, and done everything possible to contact them and never received any response. Meanwhile the deterioration has worsened over what has now been an 8-10 year period. After consulting with City Attorney Trey Simmerman, they were advised to proceed with a lawsuit. “We have explored every possibility to reach these owners with no results, but it cannot continue,” Kovalck said. “We don’t want this to affect neighboring properties or turn into a situation like the collapse at the Chrysler garage. Their choices are to fix, repair, or sell these properties to someone who will bring them up to code – or be sued.”
Council then voted unanimously to proceed with the lawsuits.
*The next item was to consider the proposed letter drafted by legal counsel to First Energy which addresses First Energy’s request for the City of Shinnston to decrease its water rate by 50 percent. All found the draft more than satisfactory and voted to send First Energy the letter.
*The final item was to consider the penalty associated in City Code 5299 related to Public Sewers. For properties with a roofline of 2,000 sq. ft. or less, there will be an initial fine of $250 with an added $50 a day fee until it is corrected. For properties with a roofline exceeding 2,000 sq. ft., the initial fine will be $500 with an added $100 per day fee until corrected. These property owners will be given 90 days to make the necessary corrections, and if they are pursuing this in good faith, extensions can be granted and fines will be waived.
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
*FOIA
*Nuisance properties
*Demolition Process
* Updated Policies
* The final item to be discussed was proposed bridge ideas. Chris Greaver suggested that since the bridge that will be replaced is a Federal/State project that will have a long life, why not request that it be something nice to look at – perhaps with decorative concrete and attractive lighting, for example. Council agreed that those were good options to consider.
With no further business, Council adjourned for a brief Executive Session concerning property.
