Monday’s bimonthly Bridgeport City Council meeting has a full slate of agenda items.

Among new business items are approval of general fund and coal severance tax fund budgets for the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The former is adoption of the city’s $13.6 million budget, line items which have been under discussion by Council for the past couple of weeks and is ready for Council approval. After the budget’s acceptance by vote, Bridgeport City Recorder Mario Blount will sign a condensed form, which will be submitted to the State of West Virginia and legal notice made, Finance Director Monica Musgrave said.
The latter, Musgrave said, deals with quarterly revenues received from the State of West Virginia, utilized to pay attorney fees on behalf of the city.

The current amount is $35,000, she said.

Miscellaneous financial items on the agenda include a Drug Task Force overtime reimbursement and receipt of a Purdue Pharma Grant, combined revenues of $22,000 to be utilized for overtime for task force members. The benefits will be picked up by the city. Other money matters include budget revisions with regard to donations to the City’s late-April National Crime Victims Awareness Week event, the appropriation of additional funds for purchase of new curtains at Benedum Civic Center and the hiring of an additional maintenance worker for the Bridgeport Recreation Complex.

Also on the business agenda is adoption of a resolution accepting conditions of the Governor’s Community Participation Grant Program. The city received notice earlier this year that they would be receiving the $10,000 grant, which, along with a 10 percent match by City Council, would be used to make municipal buildings more energy efficient.

Council will additionally act on a bid for 2013 Water Line Upgrade Project, aimed at increasing water pressure along Rt. 58 and Brushy Fork Road, including areas of Briarwood, South Hill Farms and Timberbrook, as well as upgrading lines in the Hall and Long Street areas.

“We did the design and put it out to bid,” said City Engineer Tom Brown. “We just got the bids back and are taking them to Council for approval of the contract.”

Monday night’s meeting will also feature a second reading of an ordinance updating the City’s comprehensive plan, a project which has been in progress for the past several months. If passed, the plan will serve as the city’s guideline for development. (Read more HERE.)

Before getting into the business portion of the meeting, City Council will put the spotlight on two local groups which are worthy of honor.
First, certificates of completion will be presented to graduating members of Leadership Bridgeport 2013. (Read more HERE.)

A proclamation will also be presented to the Lady Indians of Bridgeport High School, which won its first state basketball title two weeks ago in Charleston. BHS defeated Westside High School 44-27 in the championship game. (Read more HERE.)
 

Pictured on the cover are members of Bridgeport City Council during the March 11, 2013 meeting.