Although the process is in its infancy stages, Bridgeport City Council received a look at a draft of the 2015-16 fiscal year budget during a work session prior to this evening’s regular meeting. The proposed budget was void of any major capital projects, but did contain multiple recommendations from city staff to hire several individuals to the growing city.

 

Foremost amongst the recommendations read to Council by City Manager Kim Haws in what is currently a $14 million budget without all revenues in, is the proposal to add six fulltime firefighters and a fulltime fire training and safety officer. The current training/safety duties are assigned to one of the regular members of staff.

 

“Chief (Bob) Seccuro and Captain (Phil) Hart made a strong case to add six additional firefighters,” said Haws.

 

Haws said the argument’s strong point stems from the number of ambulance calls the city is involved with on a daily basis. He said that 37 percent of the staff’s time sees two city ambulances on call with only two men left on duty.

 

“When that happens, we have to call another ambulance service to cover,” said Haws. “That’s problematic on more than one front.”

 

The first front is from a lost revenue standpoint. Finance Director Monica Musgrave estimated that the money lost due to calling in other ambulance services is “a couple of hundred thousand dollars.”  Haws said the roughly $300,000 needed to hire the additional staff would be largely covered from those funds. He also said fees could begin to be charged to insurance companies for things such as car fires and other calls the fire department responds to, but that would need Council approval.

 

Haws also said that having two men left in station also requires a heavy lean on mutual aid in the case of a fire. Rules governing the handling of fire would allow Bridgeport to respond to a fire if only two staffers are left, but they could not enter a building until assistance arrived.

 

“There is a strict two in and two out rule,” said Haws. “ … Is it a problem now or has it been? No, it hasn’t, but we’re eventually going to run into that.”

Haws said a grant could pay for the first two years of the new salaries of six firefighters, but that wasn’t a certainty. He did believe savings provided by a full-time training and safety officer on site would pay for itself in savings realized by keeping personnel in-house and local as opposed to sending staff away – often in other states – for training.

 

Council will also be asked to hire a part time employee and allow for City Clerk Andrea Kerr to expand her role. Haws is wanting to take an existing part-time employee and hire another part-time employee to handle much of the busy work that takes up Kerr’s time from answering phone calls, dealing with complaints or questions to clerical duties. While she would maintain her Clerk title, she would also handle marketing and promotion efforts on behalf of the city. Council directed city staff to work on marketing and promotions as part of the strategic plan for this year.

 

“She will continue the formal clerk functions and be recognized by the state and the city in that capacity,” said Haws, who indicated the move would include a “small jump” in salary.

 

Two individuals would also be added to the Bridgeport Public Works Department for the hiring of a foreman and equipment operator. Those individuals would spend the bulk of the year working on keeping entrance areas to the city – such as U.S. Route 50, U.S. Route 131, Johnson Avenue, and others – cleaned up and mowed consistently as opposed to occasionally. The same individuals would be used to counter shortfalls in other areas during winter months.

 

A final hire would be added to handle camera work inside the city’s various utility lines, particularly storm water and sewage. The camera work would allow the city to spot potential problems well before arising. Haws said fixing issues prior to becoming major problems would likely produce more than enough savings to offset the costs of the addition.

 

As for the rest of the budget, most of the details were limited. Haws said there will likely be a recommendation for a 1 percent cost of living adjustment for city staff that will be closer to a 2 percent increase once step increases are added.

 

Council will have a budget work session March 2, March 9 and March 16. All the sessions are at 6 p.m. The city’s budget has to be officially approved and submitted to Charleston by March 28.

 

Also this evening, Council heard from City Recorder Melissa Matheny, who filled in for Mayor Robert Greer, about the success of the “Paint the Town Blue” Day. Matheny said the “whole community jumped in” in honoring the city’s police.

 

While that came during the mayor’s report, the only formal item on the agenda was honoring the Bridgeport Pee Wee White football team for winning the Mountaineer Youth Football championship. The team members were each given a special key to the city and recognized for their title.

 

After the agenda items were handled, Council member Darrell Bowen asked Council two expand its efforts on the drug woes in Bridgeport that are also impacting other areas as well. Bowen suggested expanded use of the city’s drug dog or perhaps getting another drug dog to be utilized – primarily in the school system. He also suggested setting up a drug free club at schools that participating students can join and be randomly tested for drugs.

 

“This gives students a reason to say ‘no’ to those trying to sell them drugs,” said Bowen.

 

Following Bowen’s comments, Haws told Bowen many items involving drug issues that were talked at the city’s strategic planning session will be addressed this coming Monday. Chief John Walker said the meeting will be in the morning at the Bridgeport Municipal Complex.

 

Finally, Council member John Wilson commended not only students at Bridgeport High School, but those throughout Harrison County for participation in the weekend state swim meet. He said they represented North Central West Virginia in excellent fashion.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows City Manager Kim Haws with Monica Musgrave and Council member Dustin Vincent in the background during this evening's work session, while City Clerk Andrea Kerr is shown in the second photo. City Recorder Melissa Matheny is shown presenting a proclamation to the MYF Pee Wee White football team during the regular season. Council members Darrel Bown and John Wilson, bottom, are shown in the final two photos. More photos involving the presentation of city keys to the youth football team later on Connect-Bridgeport.com.