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Residents urge safety improvements, park restrooms and procedural changes during public forum
Summary
At public forum, former councilor Bob Staats urged Rt. 56 lighting, a traffic control device at the Ritchie Bridge ramp, and new park restrooms; Buddy Jones reported an incomplete FOIA request and handed the council a travel record concerning the mayor.
During the public forum, former Council Member Bob Staats offered several suggestions for city attention, including adding lighting along Rt. 56 near Walnut Street for pedestrian safety, installing a traffic control device at the Ritchie Bridge off‑ramp intersection with Rt. 68 (Washington Street), and constructing additional restrooms in Washington River Park using approximately $109,000 in available grant funds he identified in the packet.
Staats also recommended moving the public forum earlier on the meeting agenda so public input informs council business, saying Parkersburg uses that approach. The minutes record a separate public comment from Buddy Jones alleging a FOIA request had not been completed and providing a handout concerning the mayor's travel during December 2025; the minutes do not record a council response to the FOIA claim during the meeting.
The council did not take formal votes on the public forum recommendations during the meeting; staff follow-up would be required to assess feasibility, state involvement for Rt. 56 lighting, and any costs associated with additional park restrooms.
