Tag: City Government

Race Organizers May Face Fee in Charleston

Race organizers could soon have to pay fees to the city of Charleston for holding their event within city limits.

The Charleston Gazette reports the city’s parks and recreation committee passed a bill outlining rules for the fees last night.

Several racing groups and charity organizations have spoken out against the bill, which calls for fees that range from 500 to a thousand dollars for 5 and 10K racecourses. The bill still needs the approval of city council.

The idea behind the bill is to help the city recoup costs associated with the races, but nonprofit organizations could receive a 50 percent discount on their fees if they list the City of Charleston as an event sponsor.

Fees for established courses are expected to be published by October 1st.

Morgantown Group Wants to Restrict Downtown Truck Traffic

There’s a growing number of people in Morgantown that want the city to do something about the industrial truck traffic moving through downtown. They are making a case to the city council.

Safe Streets Morgantown wants the council to adopt an ordinance essentially banning trucks that weigh 20,000 pounds or more, gross weight, and have three axles or more, from traveling through downtown Morgantown’s business district.

Who would be exempted:

Trucks moving merchandise for downtown businesses;

Emergency or Military Vehicles;

Governmental Vehicles;

Solid Waste Disposal Vehicles;

Vehicles used for towing;

Vehicles on an Established Detour;

Vehicles with special permits from the city manager.

City Hopes Redesigned Website Betters Image

Huntington officials announced yesterday morning a major redesign of the website for the city.

Mayor Steve Williams and Huntington officials felt it was time to change an outdated part of the city, the website. Huntington’s digital presence had fallen behind, according to city leaders. Williams said they had to make a better first impression.

“They’ll come and start to look and get a first impression from the website, the proper first impression will be a lasting one and we believe that it will lead to people understanding that this is a city that is comfortable for families to live as well as businesses to grow,” Williams said.

After bidding out the project the city went with locally owned Bulldog Creative Services to build the site. The new site will make it easier to find information needed for starting a business, finding needed forms and in the future paying bills. The site features a “Business Wizard” to walk people through the steps of getting started in establishing a business. Williams said they have to help entrepreneurs.

“What we want is if someone is seeking to do business in the city is to make the process much easier, they can actually go through the business wizard or through or the icon at the top, business and actually guide them through all of the forms they need,” Williams said.

The site can be found at CityofHuntington.com.

Martinsburg Passes New Firearm Regulations

Martinsburg’s gun ordinances are now in compliance with a new state law..

The law prohibits municipalities from enacting firearms regulations that are greater than those of the state and federal governments.
 
Martinsburg City Council approved four ordinances last week to bring the city into compliance.
 
The changes include allowing concealed-carry permit holders to bring guns into city recreational facilities and to carry firearms while attending special events. Guns cannot be carried openly, however.
 
Guns also are allowed in city-owned buildings that are leased to second parties and are still prohibited in buildings where the city conducts regular business, including City Hall.
 
 

City of Huntington Works to Revitalize Fairfield Area

One area of Huntington will soon see demolition and construction that could go a long way towards changing the city’s reputation.A plan to tear down and…

One area of Huntington will soon see demolition and construction that could go a long way towards changing the city’s reputation.

A plan to tear down and rebuild housing in the Fairfield area of Huntington has gotten the green light. One of the oldest housing units under the care of the Huntington Housing Authority, Northcott Court, will be demolished. Huntington Mayor Steve Williams recently made the announcement during his State of the City Address that Northcott will be torn down in favor of two new 40-unit senior housing complexes and an additional 50-single family and duplex housing units.

They will move the current residents to suitable housing nearby. The new will be scattered throughout the area and not all concentrated in one place like the Northcott facilities. Once Northcott is torn down city officials hope there will be commercial development on the property.

The relocation process has already started for some residents and will pick up in the spring. The Housing Authority was passed over by the federal government for funds to start the process over the summer, but now has the go ahead. Sandra Clements is the Councilwoman for the 5th district which includes the Fairfield area where Northcott Court is located. She said the demolition is just one step in the revitalization effort.

"I want to see the area revitalized, I want people to come back to Fairfield and feel comfortable and feel that it is their community and that they can make it grow," Clements said.

  “I want to see the area revitalized, I want people to come back to Fairfield and feel comfortable and feel that it is their community and that they can make it grow,” Clements said. “There are lots of things that need to happen in order for that to continue, not just housing, we need to have jobs, things going on in the community that will attract people and keep them here and want them to take pride in their community,” Clements said.

Northcott Court has become synonymous, fairly or unfairly with crime in Huntington and more directly crime in the Fairfield area of the city. Clements said this revitalization could mean so much for the neighborhood.

“I think that whenever you talk about projects or public housing, people have the image of crime, people not working and people not wanting to work,” Clements said. “And I think moving Northcott Court will help to dissipate some of that feeling.”

Since the 1940’s Northcott Court has been one of the first things people see as they drive into the city from the Hal Greer exit off interstate 64.

The area has already been rezoned for commercial development and Huntington Mayor Steve Williams says the city hopes one of the businesses that moves in along Hal Greer Boulevard is a grocery store.

“The Huntington Housing Authority will seek to attract a private developer to redevelop the Northcott property,” Williams said. “More than $60 million of investment is projected to occur in the Fairfield neighborhood as a result of these efforts.”

The Housing Authority will cover moving costs of those in the Northcott Court facilities and hopes to have all tenants relocated by the end of May. 

Trial Begins for Man Accused of War Mayor's Murder

The trial of a Virginia man charged with killing the mayor of War is underway in McDowell County Circuit Court.The defendant is 28-year-old Earl Click of…

The trial of a Virginia man charged with killing the mayor of War is underway in McDowell County Circuit Court.

The defendant is 28-year-old Earl Click of Grundy, Va.

Click is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 72-year-old War Mayor Thomas Hatcher.

 
City workers found Hatcher’s body in his home on July 17, 2012.

 
Click’s sister and co-defendant, 32-year-old Rebecca Hatcher, was acquitted of a murder charge in November. Judge Rudolph J. Murensky II declared a mistrial on a conspiracy charge. A retrial is scheduled next month.

Rebecca Hatcher was the mayor’s daughter-in-law.
 

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