As a result of Monday night’s Bridgeport City Council meeting, a couple of notable projects were set into motion. A pre-fabricated training center will be purchased with $110,000 in outside fire fees and $130,000 in escrowed dollars. Erected by Draeger, the modular center – unique to the state of West Virginia – will enable firefighters to practice live burns in an array of scenarios and will also be utilized by other EMS personnel/volunteers. Also, Council took a step toward establishment of a Health, Wellness & Recreation Complex – and a new conference facility – at Charles Pointe. Council nodded conditional approval to two separate Memorandums of Understanding between the city and Genesis Partners – getting the ball rolling on negotiations for the pair of projects.

 

Those, however, are not the only city projects in the works. The approval of two budget revisions – the first of the new fiscal year – are  funding a list of projects, two under the Parks and Recreation umbrella.

 

Appropriating the balance of hotel/motel tax from the previous fiscal year, Capital Reserve Fund Budget Revision 1 provides $55,010 to begin building a trail around Deegan Lake and $150,000 to replace the flood wall at Bridgeport City Pool.

 

General Fund Budget Revision No. 1 appropriates the 2013-2014 fiscal year fund balance. Off of the top, $120,844 - or 10 percent of the fund balance - is appropriated to the rainy day fund, said Finance Director Monica Musgrave. 

 

As was discussed during a July 14 Council work session, the fund balance of $1,087,599 is being appropriated to fund various capital items and projects which were not funded during the fiscal year budget process.

 

Items include a variety of equipment and gear - including everything from motorcycle apparel, ammunition and rifle slings for the police department to salt and sand for snow removal and computer server upgrades. Significant dollars are also being invested in training opportunities, such as those to support monthly Emergency Reach Out events.

 

Insofar as projects, $450,000 is being utilized to pay for storm drainage in accordance with Council’s current storm water initiative, $9,000 for construction of a sound barrier wall at the police department firing range, $10,000 to convert the Bridgeport Public Library processing office into a reading room, $12,000 for installation of a road behind Benedum Civic Center, $33,400 toward the Deegan Lake trail, $5,850 for cleaning, caulking and sealing of Main Street concrete walks, $7,540 for start-up funds to replace fencing at Compton Park, $30,000 to color coat spray the city pool ground deck, $7,500 for fencing around the Recreation Complex maintenance building/equipment and $91,858 to repair slippage at the Recreation Complex.

 

Prior to Monday’s meeting, the budget revision reflected the appropriation of $11,858 to relocate the Field #1 scoreboard sign to left center field. Council voted to scratch that project and add those funds to the $80,000 appropriated for the slip repair.