As to not interfere with Monday’s Veterans Day observance, Bridgeport City Council’s first meeting of the month will be held Tuesday in Council chambers at City Hall.

 

After invocation by Pastor Ben Moses of Simpson Creek Baptist Church, the Pledge of Allegiance and approval of minutes from the most recent meeting, a handful of new business items will be addressed.

 

Among them is the discussion and approval of proposed plans for the development of the city’s newly-acquired property on Route 131.

 

“This is the property we purchased from the (North Central West Virginia) Airport, located just as you enter the Recreation Complex,” said Mayor Andy Lang. “The city has been escrowing funds to upgrade some of the facilities there to be used by Parks and Recreation and Public Works, so now those departments have come to us with a plan about building a couple buildings and possibly rearranging some of their operations.”

 

The agenda also features discussions and potential decisions regarding expansion of the city’s fire services. It’s possible that this topic will be discussed in executive session, Lang said.

 

“We just need to start the process. Money has been appropriated to refurbish the fire department on Main Street and that isn’t moving forward very well because of a flood plain issue,” he said. “Therefore, we need to discuss it.”

 

City Council will also consider and act upon a resolution, notice and order for the excess levy.

“There is a property tax which supports the city’s paving program, fire and police departments, among other things,” Lang said. “It’s a five-year levy and it’s coming due, I believe, in February so we need to start the process of putting it out for vote.”

 

Though there’s nothing new to report, the city’s forthcoming indoor recreation complex is a line item for next week’s meeting.  

 

“I just put it on the agenda in case there’s an update,” Lang said. “We don’t really have anything to truly act upon.”

 

Rounding out new business items is the swearing in of two new members of the city’s Volunteers in Police Services. Becoming official are James and Gloria Dutchess.

 

“These two new VIPS were supposed to be sworn in a few months ago with the last graduating class of the Citizens Police Academy, but they could not be sworn in at that time,” said Kerry Hess, who along with Sgt. Bart Sayers, heads up the city’s VIPS program. “They want to help our community and are anxious to get busy with us.”

 

The new VIPS will bring the city’s total to 30 volunteers, Hess said.

 

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and will be preceded by a 30-minute work session.

 

Editor's Note: Pictured from top are Mayor Andy Lang, the city's newly-purchased property on Route 131 (before demolition of farm buildings) and Kerry Hess and Sgt. Bart Sayers at a prior swearing in ceremony of VIPS.