Whether the City of Bridgeport offers to assist financially on the new Johnson Elementary School could likely be determined Monday when City Council meets for their final meeting of May. The item is one of a few issues being discussed by the city’s governing body.

 

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Complex. It is open to the public.

 

One of the key items under new business on the agenda involves acting on a “Memorandum of Understanding” between the city and the Harrison County Board of Education. According to City Clerk Andrea Kerr, the item to fund a portion of the school that could in turn be used by the community on a regular basis. The item, she said, involves the gymnasium.

 

In April, City Manager Kim Haws told Connect-Bridgeport there had been some discussion with the BOE about “looking at possibilities” of a joint participation to assist. The city is allowed to contribute to school-related projects – as it did recently with funding at Bridgeport High School – through a provision allowed through Home Rule. State law does not allow cities to use funding for school projects, but Bridgeport has the exemption through Home Rule.

 

“This would be done through an intergovernmental agreement through Home Rule, which the city did on the bleacher project inside the gymnasium at Bridgeport High School,” said Kerr. “This agreement will be scored similar in nature with the new Johnson Elementary.”

 

Details on how much funding weren’t provided by Kerr, but if it involves making the gymnasium larger in size where community use and access could be granted one would assume it won’t be a small contribution. However, that remains to be seen.

 

“Council will determine if it happens and at what amount if it happens,” said Kerr.

 

Kerr said with gymnasium space at a premium throughout Bridgeport for all types of events, having access could be critical. Because of that, she said the agreement would come with a requirement.

 

“The agreement would be contingent upon the Board of Education allowing the city to have use of the gymnasium as needed when it would not interfere with any school-related activity,” said Kerr.

 

Unlike the high school and middle school, elementary schools don’t field sports teams that require use of the gymnasium on most evenings. Council will have to determine if an investment is worthwhile and to what level Monday.

 

Another recreational issue will also be on the agenda. This item is for the new indoor recreational complex that will be funded by the city’s additional 1 percent sales tax that went into place July 1, 2016. The item involves officially approving an agreement between the city and the architect that was chosen for the job – Omni Associates out of Fairmont.

 

“It’s a standard AIA documents between the owner (the city and Omni,” said Kerr. “It lays out the responsibilities for all parties involved. This will make it official.”

 

The meeting will also have an interesting work session that starts at 6:15 p.m.  At that time, Council will look at allocating unanticipated revenues – fund balance – to end the fiscal year. Council has almost exclusively used these balances for one-time capital purchases or projects.

 

The meeting has several other items of interest. Officers Christopher W. Barto will be sworn in as a new sergeant with the Bridgeport Police Department, while Haws will be reappointed to a four-year team on the Harrison County Development Authority.

 

The final agenda item involves moving the June 12 Council meeting to June 14. Council typically votes to move Council meetings that fall the day before a city election to the day after.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Council at a recent session. Bottom photo shows City Clerk Andrea Kerr.