Chester council repeals presale inspection ordinance, approves ARPA façade contract, awards public-works construction-management contract and swears in four new

The City of Chester City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to repeal the city’s presale inspection requirement, approve a façade-improvement contract funded by American Rescue Plan Act money, award construction-management services for a planned public works facility and swear in four newly hired patrol officers.

The votes came during the council’s June 25 meeting at Chester City Hall, where Councilors Gibson Williams, Green, West, Davis and Mayor Ruth recorded “yes” on each roll call where votes were recorded.

The final-reading ordinance (Bill No. 2 of 2025) repeals Article 17-15 of the codified ordinances, which the agenda described as the city’s presale inspection of residential properties and units. Council moved and seconded final passage and recorded unanimous approval. The ordinance’s repeal was listed on the agenda as having its first reading on June 11, 2025 and was advanced on final reading June 25.

Council also took the first reading on Bill No. 3 of 2025, a zoning amendment described on the agenda as changes to Part 13 (Planning and Zoning) to permit “smoke shops and tobacco stores” in the Central Business District and Medium Industrial Commercial District by conditional use, define related terms (for example, “drug paraphernalia,” “electronic nicotine delivery systems,” “significant tobacco retailer”), set conditional-use criteria, and repeal inconsistent ordinances. The motion for first reading passed unanimously; the measure remains at first reading and was not adopted on final vote.

Appointments…