Bridgeport City Council met Monday evening with a number of issues discussed. In addition to major topics of business, Mayor Bob Greer and City Manager Kim Haws brought a number of miscellaneous items to the forefront, offering congratulatory remarks to many.

 

“Light Up Night has been held by the Associated Businesses of Bridgeport for 10 years and I don’t see enthusiasm falling off at all,” Greer said. “This year, there were more vendors and more people – several thousands and a solid mass as far back as I could see from the Benedum Civic Center.”

 

Greer offered congratulations and top compliments to the ABB and all organizers/facilitators of Light Up Night. This year did mark the 10th anniversary of the event.

 

Greer also shined the spotlight on Tom Rhine, who on Black Friday – a cold, rainy morning when many in the area were embarking upon their holiday shopping – ran at Bridgeport City Park for 24 hours straight. Rhine raised nearly $6,500 for the United Way of Harrison County.

 

“We always look out and honor people for their accomplishments and we are very lucky as a community to have a number of people who do things without remuneration and without fanfare,” Greer said. “…Tom Rhine is an exceptional individual in my opinion and he is an example of a shining light in our community and a member who should be recognized for his efforts and services.”

 

The father of four is employed locally at Pratt & Whitney.

 

The second individual called out by Greer was Sarah Carr Parsons, who after 25 years is retiring from director of Chanticleer Children’s Chorus.

 

Many lives have been touched, Greer said, through Parsons’ work with Chanticleer Children’s Chorus and choirs at Bridgeport United Methodist Church.

 

“Thousands of young people have passed through her tutorial and have brought music to our community,” Greer said. “We will miss her and wish her the best. Again, she is a shining light in the community that we live in. If it weren’t for those kinds of people, I don’t believe Bridgeport would be the community it is today.”

 

Haws took the liberty of enlightening Council that work has been in progress to improve Thompson Drive which runs along Gabriel Brothers Plaza and West Virginia Junior College.

 

“The first phase of lighting – comparable to what we have on Main Street and continuing that theme – is about 90 percent complete on Thompson Drive,” he said. “It’s our intent to get rid of the concrete median, repave and make a nice entrance to that area.”

 

Haws also commented on improvements to the Recreation Complex just off Route 131.

 

“There was a storage facility constructed up there for our equipment, along with a privacy fence around it,” he said. “It’s amazing how small things can change the whole complexion of a complex.”

 

Haws also brought Council up to speed with regard to the city’s super high speed Internet pilot project. In late-August, Council voted unanimously to approve a $100,000 budget revision for the purchase of fiber optic cable and other intangible equipment to put the program in motion. At that time, the city also entered into Memorandum of Understanding between with CityNet, defining both parties’ responsibilities with regard to the program. The City has purchased the equipment to provide the one-gigabit-per-second internet service and CityNet is providing the infrastructure to extend the fiber optic cable to designated homes. January of 2015 was targeted to launch the project, which would run through late-June. After data is compiled and studied from the six-month period, a recommendation may be made to Council to implement service throughout the city.

 

Monday night, Haws said letters introducing the program have been distributed throughout the pilot area in the area of Johnson Avenue.

 

“There are 100 or so homes that will be identified in the area and letters explaining the program and how they can hook up are being done as we speak,” Haws said. “It is our intent that the first homes can actually start hooking up at the beginning or mid-January. So that project is moving forward and we’re hoping to have a good six-month history, then go to different folks, making them understand how important this type of communication is not just for Bridgeport, but for the state.”

 

Haws also discussed a couple of major public works projects currently in progress.

 

“There is a major sanitary project going on along Philadelphia Avenue and Ann’s Run to Summit Street,” The contractor selected for the project began in mid-November,” he said. “Also on North Street and Kelly Drive, Phase 2 of the storm water program is about 40 percent complete.”

 

Also under way, Haws said, is a storm water improvement program along Worthington Drive.

 

“We’ve run into several snags with other utilities up there,” he said. “It’s amazing over the years how many utilities have built up over the right of way in some areas. We’ve had to dig down as deep as eight to 10 feet, which his much deeper than was anticipated.

 

That program is also moving forward, as is a project at Compton Park which includes the laying of new storm water pipes.

 

Monday night, Council approved a resolution to abandon a utility easement.

 

“There’s been a request made by the developer to abandon a utility easement and that’s been reviewed by the city engineer and approved,” Greer said. “It is a 20-foot section of sewer utility easement at Charles Pointe.”

 

Council also addressed the matter of noise complaints generated from the city’s shooting range. Located on Lodgeville Road, the facility is utilized by law enforcement for training purposes. Haws shared that a study had been conducted to ascertain the intensity of the noise level.

 

“Along with Chief (John) Walker, we’ve received a copy of the report and staff has put together some options with a low estimate of $180,000 for insulation and it will likely require some additional insulating. I think we’re looking at around $300,000 to cover that. So we either need to move forward with that or get it off the table.”

 

Greer reminded Council that at the late-November meeting, Council had discussed perhaps implementing better communication with the public insofar as when the firing range was being utilized. Haws said although that’s a viable plan, he doesn’t want to set a false expectation and catch members of the public off guard when the police force may engage in impromptu training.

 

“Times may open up during which the police department can go out and practice and we can’t advise for every occurrence, but the chief and I feel that for most trainings – particularly those in the evenings – we can notify the public through various mechanisms.”

 

As a rule, the facility is utilized about three times per month, Walker said. Being able to engage in the training locally saves the city money as there is no travel expense, Haws said. The training in itself is proactive as it ensures community safety and protection when members of law enforcement are properly trained.

 

Although not a substantial amount, noise complaints have been received, most coming from the area of Millbrook Road and Crestview Terrace - areas which set above the facility and where the noise is perceived as louder. The majority of those complaints have been received during the evening hours.

 

Councilor Harry Murray indicated how effective the insulation would be if the city did proceed with the project. Haws said he had no idea.

 

“We’ve tried putting a barrier in there and it makes no difference, so the only solution if Council approves, is to insulate. We would certainly do some additional study on it before spending that kind of money,” Haws said.

 

Monday night also featured a $5,000 general fund revision putting the revenue and expenses in place for an Access Midstream grant which was awarded to Bridgeport Fire Department and a $65,000 capital reserve fund revision for the city’s Veterans Memorial project.