Tag: Charleston City Council

Rusty Webb Resigns from Charleston City Council

Charleston attorney and former state delegate Rusty Webb has resigned from the Charleston City Council less than four months after being appointed.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports Webb decided to step down on Tuesday. He was a representative for the city’s 17th Ward, which encompasses most of Kanawha City.

Webb was sworn into the council in January to replace former councilman John Miller, who also resigned. Webb’s resignation letter to Mayor Danny Jones said his tenure was brief but very rewarding. The letter didn’t provide a reason for his departure.

Webb is a member of the Charleston Urban Renewal Authority board and served four terms in the House of Delegates.

Jones said he would announce Webb’s replacement on Friday.

West Virginia American Water to Add Surcharge to Bills

West Virginia American Water has informed the Charleston city Council and other local governments that it wants to place an extra surcharge on customer’s monthly bills.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports West Virginia American Water President Jeffrey McIntyre sent a letter to government officials this month stating the company intends to file a case with the Public Service Commission allowing the utility to place a separate charge on customers to cover future infrastructure projects.

Company spokeswoman Laura Jordan says American Water plans to have the surcharge case submitted to the PSC soon. She couldn’t confirm how much money the company will seek, but McIntyre says in his letter that the company plans to spend $52 million in 2016 on projects.

The projects include building large water mains and making upgrades to American Water’s treatment plant in Fayette County.

Charleston to Pay Man $650K After Medication Mix-Up

Charleston city officials will pay a man $650,000 after paramedics mistakenly gave him a numbing medication that is a controlled substance.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports city council members approved the settlement Monday night.

City attorney Paul Ellis says the settlement is probably the largest paid by the city in nearly a decade.

Ellis says 69-year-old Denzil Hager fell at his home in January and fractured his hip. While in a city ambulance, paramedics intended to give him saline intravenously, but mistakenly gave him lidocaine and he became unresponsive.

Hager’s attorney Brett Preston says Hager spent months in a rehabilitation facility, surviving with the use of a feeding tube.

Ellis says the city will pay $300,000 of the settlement and its insurance carrier will pay the remaining $350,000.

Charleston Council Passes Smoking Ban in All City Parks

Against the recommendation of its mayor, the Charleston City Council has passed a resolution banning smoking in all city parks and playgrounds.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that Mayor Danny Jones cast the lone dissenting vote Monday. Jones says enforcing the new policy will be nearly impossible.

Parks and Recreation Chairwoman Susie Salisbury says the ban won’t take effect at individual parks and playgrounds until new signs are in place to inform the public of the ban.

A person caught smoking in a city park will receive a verbal warning to put out the cigarette. If a person refuses to extinguish the cigarette, he or she can be asked to leave. If the person refuses to leave, the police may get involved and the person could face a trespassing charge.

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