[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6162377,"mediaKeyId","5439002-4fe34deca747df8336cabf9cbd3ada61","parentId",5439002,"title","Council discusses 20% city service fee increase, refers brush and debris rules to ordinance committee","audioSeconds",334,"startMs",44575,"endMs",379125,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5439002-4fe34deca747df8336cabf9cbd3ada61&start=44&end=379","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5439002-4fe34deca747df8336cabf9cbd3ada61/thumbnail_44575.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6162377/St-Albans/Kanawha-County/West-Virginia/Council-discusses-20-city-service-fee-increase-refers-brush-and-debris-rules-to-ordinance-committee","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6162377-cf6f3c941d07e1eefe594e0f2ac0786e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773742171&Signature=gdypSTI1XOdmLBP98EjUWc3LdZ1DbaWIwBWYcymobg5uM9HPNKwJenFgElBmM6mbPSLSTxUTe~P8Q~ntrWJJroelbKN08wSnn-gQCOBb5HsT~2T3XuYVU281LqyVKRo6O9vQPWwskI-OOJ7hwZb-CE5J9cVyxy9Y4GL4YErO2byAdzhJdT6RCbCGfnzElxt7IlgbtpYISC7eSrh4DC~Kv9CMUUhXMmRSHkjEDFWtSLvCmW2d4qJHYEO~uTB0i8EJ7q~aLRM3x7W22hz4uedD3~V0Ar9sCEJIIqYGpETj~HKB-NiAnT~FLd2SNWQiW4IhVKCqGEgKYiRvOsNaQjZZng__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of St. Albans, WV","date","2025-07-22T00:40:26Z","article","At a July 21 public hearing, the City Council discussed a proposed 20% increase to the city service fee and referred enforcement of contractor and brush/debris removal to the ordinance committee for drafting changes to the clutter ordinance. No members of the public spoke on the fee at the hearing.

A council member summarized the proposed fee change as a 20% increase, describing it as “$15 a quarter, $60 in a year” and confirming that equates to “$5 a month.” The same council member said the last fee increase took place in 2009 and argued the increase was needed “for us to maintain equipment, salaries, and things like that.”

Other council members raised enforcement and cost concerns tied to brush and tree-removal work. One member described a recent service call at Benedict Circle where a resident reported tree debris that required “4 trucks and as many people to haul it off,” and said the city charged the resident $180 but that amount did not cover the city’s costs. Council members discussed making contractors or property owners responsible for debris removal and adding explicit language covering brush, tree limbs and stumps to the clutter ordinance; the transcript records a council member saying, “we're gonna give it to the ordinance committee to include that.”

The council also discussed permit and liability questions for contractors who remove trees on private property, with council members noting that some neighboring cities do not require trade-cutting permits and that proof of contractor liability insurance is handled in private contract arrangements rather than by the city in all cases recorded in the transcript.

The transcript records a direction to include contractor responsibility and enforcement language and to add \"John Lloyd\" to enforcement responsibilities for the updated clutter ordinance; that referral was described as preparatory work for the ordinance committee rather than a final vote adopting new enforcement rules. The public hearing closed with a motion to adjourn; a council member moved to adjourn, another seconded, the council recorded an \"aye\" vote, and the hearing was adjourned with no recorded vote to adopt the fee increase in that session.

Because the hearing record shows discussion and a referral to the ordinance committee but no adoption vote on the fee, the proposed 20% city service fee increase was not recorded as formally approved in this transcript segment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","St. Albans City Council - Public Hearing - July 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During a July 21 public hearing, council members discussed a proposed 20% increase in the city service fee, shared examples of high brush-removal costs, and directed staff to add contractor/brush removal language to the clutter ordinance for committee review.","taxTitle","St. Albans, Kanawha County, West Virginia","taxId",71338,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6162382,"City Council opens public hearing on zoning signage change; no public comment",50,31540,82370,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5439002-4fe34deca747df8336cabf9cbd3ada61&start=31&end=82","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5439002-4fe34deca747df8336cabf9cbd3ada61/thumbnail_31540.jpg","/articles/6162382/St-Albans/Kanawha-County/West-Virginia/City-Council-opens-public-hearing-on-zoning-signage-change-no-public-comment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6162382-8805d6cc118df06375a549c4d916894f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773742171&Signature=N~YHBEWRBXg6EW32mYs-AFHd7bKihoaklv5I4fxm7JlTkOnlg9z1Vb6fbV2VOabdV98ifS6z1Z1cHWh3akHOqvclfOVpZ6UpBy71KhigcIaE5iSrsPLKV3DhegNZred3pMLi-cFVT3942osfvPLLAz~TdiCBJQkXgNAyg01ARHrnDgevbwjDyXkLFvf1quaqjak23xNi5WVPqKE7nS390lZGNFR~CwDmxwYTEjxHE7Bg~wn69fFOR-pZtnLV5Aj-B0rvif8s8xRnZiZUf5SEARLDXkphUkuIlNkqklPhyMe576SvnFD3k~slshhCgE-ABIoBJuUFX69-pDfaEVc6pA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On July 21, the City Council opened a public hearing on a proposed zoning-code change that would affect signage rules, and no members of the public spoke on the item. Council members briefly confirmed the item and proceeded to the next agenda matter.

The council first raised the signage item at the start of the public hearing and asked whether any members of the public wished to comment. “Let's approach the first 1. Zoning code change regarding signage. Will everybody wanna speak? No? Alright,” a council member said. Another council member later said, “We don't have obviously, we don't have any public wanting to speak at the public hearing.”

No further discussion of the substantive provisions of the signage amendment was recorded in the hearing transcript, and the council moved on to the second advertised matter on the agenda.

Because the hearing record shows no public testimony and no formal action adopting or rejecting the signage amendment, the transcript alone does not show whether the council scheduled additional hearings, took a vote, or directed staff to prepare revised ordinance language. Those steps would be reflected in subsequent agenda packets or minutes if taken.

The council held the signage item alongside an advertised increase to the city service fee during the same public hearing; both items were opened in sequence on the July 21 agenda.","At a July 21 public hearing, the City Council opened consideration of a zoning-code amendment on signage but heard no public testimony before moving to the next item.","actionData","errors"]

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Council discusses 20% city service fee increase, refers brush and debris rules to ordinance committee

City Council opens public hearing on zoning signage change; no public comment