Bridgeport City Council’s second look at the city’s operating budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year was not only short, but complete. At a work session which preceded Monday night’s meeting, members of Council completed review of the $16.4 million budget. The budget will officially be approved by Council at the March 25 meeting, which – because of an anticipated large crowd to attend – will be held at Bridgeport Conference Center. A video presentation disclosing most recent details of the city’s new indoor sports and recreation complex will be delivered during that meeting.

 

At Monday’s work session, Council also talked about an April 22 meeting during which Wendy Moller, owner of Compass Pointe, a community-planning agency, will discuss the city’s comprehensive plan. Council members were asked to put any questions in writing and submit to City Manager Kim Haws well in advance to that meeting. The meeting will be open to the public.

 

The work session also included discussion about the West Virginia Legislature recently passing a bill to make West Virginia’s Municipal Home Rule Pilot Program become permanent. Councilman Bob Greer, immediate past president of the West Virginia Municipal League, was present at several meetings leading up to the vote by the House of Delegates and Senate. If Governor Jim Justice signs off on it, the program will become permanent.

 

“With Bridgeport serving as one of the charter cities of the program, we have a lot to be proud of,” Greer said.

 

Council also discussed the city’s use of Johnson Elementary School gymnasium for Parks and Recreation basketball league use and a memorandum of understanding detailing disbursement of funds to the Board of Education for the city’s use of that facility.