Clarksburg nonprofits and programs seek operating support in Feb. 12 work session
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Summary
Representatives from the health department, library/Waldemore, economic development, senior services, museum, cemetery preservation and others asked Clarksburg councilors for operating and utility support during a Feb. 12 work session; council heard requests but did not vote on funding.
Chad Bundy, executive director of the health department, asked the Clarksburg council for $25,000 to cover utilities and other operating costs, saying the department has received that amount annually for about 22 years and needs the support to maintain disease surveillance and outbreak response. “We’re requesting $25,000, to be paid on our utilities,” Bundy said, and he cited 21 reportable diseases and eight outbreaks in the last 12 months, including 15 cases in one long-term care setting.
Shannon Beam, director of the Clarksburg Harrison Public Library, asked the council to renew funding for the Waldemore manager position and to provide $8,000 to cover utilities at Waldemore. Beam said the library covers roughly $13,000 in additional personnel costs and that the Waldemore request totals “just under $45,000” when program and operational needs are included. “We want to continue that momentum of providing great service and programs at Waldemore,” Beam said.
Waldemore manager Sarah Blosser told councilors the branch drew about 1,700 patrons in 2025 and that genealogy research and local-history programming draw visitors from around the world. “We are really trying to promote Clarksburg all over the world,” Blosser said.
Other community groups outlined operating needs. Amy Wilson, executive director of the Harrison Economic Development Corporation, requested $25,000 to support EDC activities, saying the agency helped secure about $140,000 in local brownfields investments for 21 Clarksburg projects and continues to pursue state and federal site-readiness grants. Wilson discussed Build West Virginia incentives and said several housing projects are using those programs in the county.
Representatives of the Clarksburg History Museum asked for $10,000 in city support—$5,000 for a stipend for an office/marketing position, $3,000 for exhibit supplies and $2,000 to support First Fridays programming—and described more than 3,000 visitors and about 680 members in 2025. Bill Iancca, speaking for the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival, outlined festival expenses (he described the event budget as about $500,000) and requested support to offset staffing, staging and electrical costs; he also announced a new week‑day art gallery at the James and Law building.
Smaller community requests included a $2,000 ask from Homes for Harrison to help clients obtain birth certificates and photo IDs; an increase for an after‑school program at Laurel Lanes to cover a $600 line‑item rise; and a plea from the Historic Clarksburg WV Cemetery Preservation Alliance, which owns five cemeteries in the city, for additional maintenance funding amid falling donations.
Councilors asked follow-up questions about program scale, past funding and matching opportunities for larger grants. Presenters described program activity levels—senior‑center representatives said the center serves about 3,500 members across 12 satellites and uses a typical $25,000 allocation to subsidize café lunches—and noted reliance on a mix of donations, sponsorships and occasional grant funding. No formal votes on the requests were recorded in the transcript; a motion to adjourn was made and seconded at the end of the session.
Council staff or a subsequent council meeting are expected to consider the formal budget decisions and any allocations for the coming fiscal period.
