A Bridgeport City Council meeting that featured a work and regular session largely dominated by discussion and action on a likely proposed indoor recreational center featured a pair of key votes that moved what will likely be a multi-million dollar facility forward. And will likely include up to a 1 percent sales tax increase by July 1, 2016.

 

Council approved a contract with WTW Architects for consulting work to do a feasibility study for the multi-sports complex, likely looking at both indoor and outdoor aspects on 28 acres adjacent to the baseball fields at the existing Bridgeport Recreation Complex.

 

Warren T. Bulseco, AIA, LEED AP/Princial with WTW, gave a presentation of what his firm would do prior to a vote on the contract this evening by Council. Bulseco told those gathered that the facility was “an opportunity to build the community” and that it “would have something for everyone.”

 

Eventually, Council voted by a 5-1 margin to approve the contract to go up to $87,500. The study, which Bulseko emphasized would be heavy on public input, needs to be completed and to Council by July of 2016.

 

Council member Lowell “L.J.” Maxey voted against the contract. He felt cost proposals should have been acquired by all consultants interviewed in the process – there were four – to see if the cost could have been trimmed down.

 

Maxey would also be the dissenting portion on a 5-1 vote on the bigger matter on the agenda – the first reading of an ordinance that would allow the sales tax to be implemented. Maxey would have voted for the sales tax ordinance, but his revision to the ordinance that would have put the start of the tax to begin July 1, 2017 died due to the lack of a second to his motion. The ordinance eventually approved calls for it to into place July 1, 2016.

 

At previous Council meetings, and during the work session, Maxey voiced his concern on the timeline. That did not change this evening and he also said he has fears that other tax increases are coming from other sources at the state level.

 

“I have a real fear of sales tax increases (being imposed) by the Legislature (at their upcoming session),” Maxey said.

 

City Recorder Harry M. “Hank” Murray, as well as Councilman Dustin Vincent, said while they didn’t have qualms with the timeline as presented by Maxey, information provided to Council by professionals in the finance field at last week’s strategic planning meeting that lasted more than eight hours, made them stick to the original timeline. The City of Bridgeport has a five-year window to commence construction on a complex or some type of recreational venue on the acreage at a cost of at least $6 million or the property reverts make to the original property owners, which falls under the Charles Pointe development umbrella. Murray and Vincent both said the financial experts said that without data from tax receipts being available for a certain number of quarters that the finance experts felt it would be cutting things dangerously close as far as the ability to secure bonds in the five-year window.

 

Prior to the vote, four individuals spoke about their displeasure with the ordinance. Most didn’t discount the project, but had issues with the funding and what they believed was a hurried process. The comments came during the public comments section of the meeting as opposed to a public hearing, which is not part of the first or second reading of this ordinance.

Mike Fresa, the first to speak, asked that the matter be tabled. In fact, he said Council should “save yourself the ridicule and table this thing.” Steve McElroy, who has voiced criticism since the beginning of the process, asked several questions – including when the state needed to know exactly how much up to 1 percent would be applied (Jan. 1, 2016) – and was also concerned about the time frame.

 

Businessman Mike Conley said doing the process in the current matter was “putting the cart before the horse.” He also said that he didn’t believe that once the tax was put in place it would ever be removed or reduced. His harshest criticism came on comments about trying to change members of Council’s minds.

 

“People in my family asked me why I was going down here. They told me ‘they already know what they’re going to do. They’ve got a clique down there,’” said Conley.

 

Bud Hess was the final person to speak and his comments were by far the briefest. He said the process was “too soon, too quick” and that Council was “forcing (the project) down people’s throats.”

 

Unlike the public hearing that was held during the portion of the process to allow the state Home Rule Committee to receive a revised application that would allow for the sales tax proposal, all comments tonight were against moving ahead – at least at this time. During that public hearing, which is the only public hearing involved (anyone can comment during the public comment portion of meetings like tonight) in the process, almost all were in favor of the complex and well above 50 percent were in favor of doing it with the 1 percent sales tax. It is estimated the tax would provide up to $3.1 million annually for construction and eventually maintenance and operation costs of the facility.

 

Other items were also on the agenda. No one spoke during a public hearing regarding a modification of the Home Rule ordinance and code enforcement.

 

Currently, the International Code Council that governs the model building codes that the State of West Virginia utilizes as the state building code, have certification and continuing education requirements. When the state of West Virginia created their own requirements, they no longer mirrored those of the ICC, Bridgeport Community Development Director Randy Spellman said previously. With this Home Rule change if allowed by the Home Rule Board and then approved at a later date by Council, it would allow Bridgeport to not lessen the degree of certification, but mirror those in line with the ICC. Spellman said that would allow for easier ability to get your continuing education credits.

 

If passed, new employees would then be able to work for up to two years while working to obtain the certifications. They would do their work under the guidance of those with the proper certification already in place, Spellman said. The way it is currently set up, he said, new employees can’t do much of anything until multiple levels of certification are completed – even with supervision and work from those certified at or above state-required levels.

 

Council also unanimously approved a resolution of support for the Harrison County Board of Education levy that will on the ballot Dec. 12. Council member Diana Marra said the levy has been passed for 60 years and hopes to see it continue. Maxey also said he hopes to see its continuance, but wondered if recent sales tax increases being proposed would cause people to vote against it.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Council member Hank Murray, middle, and Assistant City Manger Jimmy Smith, left, and Council member Jeff Smell listen to discussion on the sales tax ordinance during this evening's work session. Second photo shows Council member Lowell Maxey going through the ordinance during the work session, while Mike Fresa speaks on the ordinance during the public comments portion of the meeting. In the fourth photo. Warren Bulseco of WTW Architects shows a presentation on concepts relating to a proposed indoor recreation complex. Bottom photo shows Community Development Director Randy Spellman addressing proposed changes in the code enforcement process.