Wheeling council approves engineering contracts, equipment purchases and leases; schedules second reading on revenue bonds

Wheeling City Council on April 1 approved a slate of ordinances and resolutions covering public-works contracts, equipment purchases, market leases and financing steps for downtown redevelopment projects.

Key approvals included contracts for street and water infrastructure, equipment for water pollution control and the fire department, and lease amendments for center market tenants. Council also moved a second reading on a bond authorization related to the city’s combined waterworks and sewage system.

Adopted measures and authorizations (selected): - An ordinance authorizing the city manager to expend $78,000 with May Engineering Company LLC (St. Clairsville, Ohio) for Grandview Street slip-repair engineering services, to be charged to CDBG funds — motion approved by council voice vote. - An ordinance authorizing expenditure of $24,500 with Ferguson Water Works (Fairmont, West Virginia) to purchase a correlator for water distribution — approved. - An ordinance authorizing $27,000 to Centris (Kenosha, Wisconsin) for rental services of a centrifuge for the water pollution-control division — approved. - An ordinance amending Article 3.63.09 of the traffic code to clarify overtime-parking limits and violations (parking-meter enforcement) — approved; enforcement staff indicated signs and cameras are in place and training completed. - An ordinance fixing assessments and authorizing city abatement and lien procedures on property owned by Mark Downey to remove debris and vehicles in accordance with an Ohio County Circuit Court order — approved. - An ordinance authorizing $106,225 to Stone Mile Group LLC (Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania) for Lower Market House restroom renovations, charged to ARPA — approved; staff said work typically starts about 30 days after ordinance enactment. - An ordinance authorizing $64,583 (approximately) to Sensible Products Inc. for outfitting equipment on a new fire rescue truck, charged to the city service fee — approved after a second-reading motion and adoption. - An ordinance authorizing $18,384.90 to Grade 8 Solutions LLC for replacement pumps at the Royal Oaks Lift Station, charged to water pollution control — approved. - An ordinance authorizing $62,000 to M & G Architects and Engineers (Wheeling) for engineering services related to demolition of a play-school structure, charged to RCIP — approved. - Resolutions authorizing amendments to center-market leases with American Pies and Pastries and Wooden Stitches (2200 block of Market Street) — both approved. - A resolution approving a Section 108 loan guarantee application for the Ohio Valley Food and Innovation Hub (1400 block of Market Street) and authorizing submission to HUD; council members described the Section 108 loan as the final piece of a capital stack for a mixed-use redevelopment and said the project includes historic and new-market tax-credit financing. The Section 108 component cited is approximately $2,000,000 of an $11,000,000-plus project — resolution approved. - A resolution authorizing the city manager to accept funds awarded to the Wheeling Police Department from the West Virginia First Foundation — approved.

Council records show these measures were approved by voice vote or unanimous voice vote in the meeting; roll-call tallies were not specified in the transcript for most items. Several contracts and capital items are charged to identified funding sources including CDBG, water enterprise funds, water pollution control, ARPA, RCIP and the city service fee.

Process notes and next steps: The city scheduled a second reading for a bond ordinance authorizing up to $3,000,000 in combined waterworks and sewage revenue bonds (Series 2025A); a formal second reading will occur at a future meeting. The Elm Run stormwater management project with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is about 25% through engineering, city staff reported; engineering completion and a report to council are expected by year-end.