Mediocrity or excellence? That seemed to be the resounding theme of Huntington Mayor Steve Williams' State of the City address. Citizens and members of the media joined Williams and city council on Friday for the mayor's annual speech.
The speech focused on the budget and agenda for Huntington projects over the next year. Williams stressed dealing with recurring issues now. "Due to the neglect and timidity of many who sat in these seats before us, we are left with the task of addressing issues that have been ignored for too long," Williams said. "Our biggest challenge will be to determine how we should respond to that which can no longer be ignored."
Potholes, an eternal hot button issue for Huntington, was mentioned within the first five minutes. The paving program funded by City Council allowed for more than seven miles of roads to paved in the spring and summer of 2013. "The city is now in the business of building avenues, streets and boulevards, as opposed to patching potholes," Williams said.
Huntington Fire and Police Departments are currently staffed at record levels. The fire department stands with 105 sworn firefighters, the most in more than 10 years. The police department staffs 111 sworn officers, the highest staffing level in 30 years.
On campus, the lighting along Fifth and Third Avenues is being improved. This commitment to safety should be among top concerns for Marshall students, at-large council member David Ball said. "My only thing is a lot of people said it would help with aesthetics, but sometimes of those aesthetics right around Fifth Avenue aren't exactly what we want to show off," Ball said. "Let's get the area picked up. Let's be sure fraternity and sorority row is clean so we can show off one of the most beautiful campuses around."
Fifth district council representative Sandra Clements also said that Marshall students should be concerned with activities and responsibilities of the city. "Dilapidated buildings and rough sidewalks - that impacts you," Clements said. "What happens if you move off-campus into an apartment and the landlord is not taking care of the apartment? That impacts you."
In an effort to bring more business to Huntington, Williams said he felt it was necessary to hire a business advocate, whose duty is to streamline the process of business applications and permits. He hopes the simplifying of the process, along with a redesigned website, will make opening businesses more consumer friendly.
Looking to future plans, the Fairfield West and Northcott Court redevelopment projects are in full swing. The mayor said the Northcott Court housing complex on Hal Greer Boulevard between Doulton and Charleston Avenues will be demolished by fall and rezoned to commercial, setting the stage for a major private investment. The Huntington Housing Authority is in charge of seeking a developer, though residents have requested a grocery store. In response to the demolition, two new 40-unit senior housing complexes and 50 single-family and duplex housing units will be constructed in Fairfield.
Williams did acknowledge that money is tight, especially after tending to the dangerous barge in 2013. "With all the pronouncements of limited government and reduced spending from Charleston and Washington, the rubber meets the road in Huntington," Williams said. This is evident after a hiring freeze through the beginning of the next fiscal year was announced last week.
Williams has decided, however, to not ignore what he said he believes is a major concern. "Our employees, our single greatest resource, have not had a raise since 2008," Williams said. "The budget is tight, but we cannot afford to not provide our employees a pay raise. Therefore, I am recommending a 3 percent across the board pay raise for all bargaining unit employees and administrative personnel."
The state of West Virginia has been in the spotlight due to the water crisis in Charleston. Williams said in his extensive study of the crisis, it has become clear to him that communication is the key. For this reason, he is recommending the Stormwater and Floodwall divisions be transferred to the Sanitary Board without a startup fee. "We will place under one administrative authority all city offices that have anything to do with water quality, regulation or service," Williams said. "An immediate efficiency of operation will result when a sewer collapse occurs."
Clements said she really liked the speech because the mayor is always upbeat and positive. Ball, however, said he thought Williams left out some important accomplishments. "For instance on December 23, we updated our non-discrimination ordinance," Ball said. "We added sexual orientation and veteran status and we changed 'handicapped' to 'disability' throughout the entire ordinance." This phrasing was proposed under two other mayors and failed both times. "We've got a council, a mayor and now a city that allowed us to pass this 11-0," Ball said.
Williams and council members regularly meet on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7:30p.m. in City Council Chambers.
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