Prior to what turned out to be a very busy session of Bridgeport City Council, some housecleaning items were in order. And it required the services of Harrison County Circuit Court Judge James A. Matish to complete.

 

Matish was on hand to officially administer the oath of office to newly appointed Bridgeport  Mayor Robert “Bob” Greer and fellow appointee and new City Recorder Melissa Matheny. The pair both took the oath of office after officially resigning from their previous positions – Greer as City Recorder and Matheny as a member of City Council.

 

That domino effect created the need for Matish’s final appointment of the night, which was a new member of City Council. Dr. Harry M. “Hank” Murray, a former long-time member of the city’s governing body, will fill out a nine-month term on Council.

 

The appointments became necessary following the recent resignation of Mayor Mario Blount. Blount resigned at the last regularly scheduled Council meeting prior to pleading guilty on felony drug charges stemming from his June 3 arrest.

 

Although Blount is gone, the impact of his resignation continued during the public comments portion of the meeting this evening. Steve McElroy, who continually called for Blount’s resignation in the months following his arrest, chastised several members of Council for what he described as “poor judgment” in “encouraging him to remain as mayor.”

 

McElroy’s statement was followed by those of Lowell Maxey. Maxey, who came up just short for a Council seat during the last election and was seeking to be appointed this time, said he admired “anyone who supports their friends or family during a difficult time; and this is certainly a difficult time for Mr. Blount and his family.”

 

Maxey, however, was critical in what he said were comments of support from the platform of the seat of City Council. He singled out Greer and Council members Dustin Vincent and Diana Marra, quoting comments made at past meetings on Blount. Following his comments, Greer thanked him for his time and no rebuttals were offered.

 

Even prior to that, Council began formal business. Two new members of the Bridgeport Fire Department were sworn in. Ben Tacy and Matt Ogden were sworn in by Greer with family members and multiple members of the Bridgeport Fire Department present.

 

Ironically, the same meeting had a bone of contention regarding the city’s ordinance that would allow its Home Rule application to be amended. The bone of contention was brought up by Council member Darrell Bowen and Matheny. Both were concerned with a waiver that would eliminate the need for a two-year waiting period to go up a level in rank. Currently, it takes two years for that to happen before an individual can be promoted. That waiting period is now required under state law through Civil Service regulations, which if approved Home Rule would eliminate in Bridgeport.

 

“To drop this two-year requirement is the wrong thing to do,” said Bowen.

 

Matheny said she didn’t believe Civil Service rules was an area that the city “should try to change.”  Both Bowen and Matheny said they could support the rest of the application without that included. However, Marra made a motion to approve it and it passed by a 4-2 vote with Marra, Vincent, Murray and Council member John Wilson in favor and Bowen and Matheny voting in the negative.

 

City Attorney Dean Ramsey explained that Council would have the option to revise that portion of the application if it desired as the matter still had several more steps to go through before becoming the final product to go before the Home Rule Board. Even if approved by Council as it and going to the Home Rule Board it could still not receive approval from the state-appointed board.

 

“I make the motion to proceed (with the application) with the option to amend if the majority of Council agrees,” Marra said prior to the 4-2 vote.

 

In other business, Council:

 

- Agreed to provide up to $5,000 – if needed – to support the financial needs of the West Virginia Police Chief’s Association Conference being held this weekend at the Bridgeport Conference Center. The conference, City Manager Kim Haws said, has a budget of roughly $42,000 and Chief John Walker said nearly $17,000 had been raised or pledged. The Association, Walker said, will cover roughly half of the costs and he’s hoping some donated guns that will be raffled at the event would bring the dollar amount available closer to the 50 percent total (or $21,000) that is needed.

 

Marra supported the move, but said Council was setting a precedent in providing the funds. She said Council would need to budget in the future to provide funds for other conferences that may be hosted by the city or an official city agency that would need it.

 

- Will be moving ahead with a “geese harassment” program to help eliminate a massive influx of Canadian Geese in Bridgeport’s parks, lakes and ponds. The cost to what was described as a non-threatening way to eliminate the geese was listed at $7,000.

 

- Approved $20,000 out of the “outside fire fees” line item to be used by the fire department for the purchase of tires needing to be replaced on various city emergency vehicles. The cost of the replacement of the tires, which Haws said includes many of the massive tires on the larger trucks, is $20,000.

 

- The city's new mobile command unit was also on display. The unit was set up in the Municipal Complex parking lot for anyone wishing to take a look inside and out prior to and after the meeting.

 

Check back to Connect-Bridgeport.com later this week for a photo gallery from this evening's Council meeting, which will include multiple photos of those sworn in and more.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Mayor Bob Greer, right, taking the oath of office from Judge James Matish, while resident Lowell Maxey addresses the city's governing body in the second photo. Council member Darrell Bowen voices his concern over a section of the city's Home Rule amendment application, while Council member Diana Marra talks about setting precedent in providing funds for various events hosted by the city at the Bridgeport Conference Center in the bottom picture.