Sistersville City Council will hold a special meeting on April 16 at 7:30 p.m. concerning repair plans for McCoy Street, which runs alongside the city park.

At the April 8 Sistersville City Council meeting, Recorder Julie Schleier, Chief of Police Ben Placer, and City Commissioner Daniel Grimes were reappointed for another year in their current positions.

Due to his recent move from Sistersville to Friendly, Dave Dietrich has stepped down from his position as councilman. The council has not yet appointed a replacement to fill Dietrich’s seat.

Following Tom Gray’s resignation as president of the Planning Commission, Terry Wiley will be joining the commission. Although it remains uncertain who will fill the role of president, the council approved Wiley as a member for the next two years.

Hanford City resident Junior Dawson attended the meeting with photographs of the location where the pump will be installed for the upcoming sewer project. He stated his concerns about water going into his and his neighbors’ buildings and homes if the swampy area that normally holds the water is filled. He said that he would be taking more pictures following another big rain.

Dawson went on to voice his appreciation of the project.

“We sure appreciate the sewer being put in down there,” he said. “We’re looking forward to that.”

The council expects ground to be broken on the sewer project on May 1. They will pass Dawson’s photos to the proper departments so his concerns may be further considered during the process.

City Commissioner Daniel Grimes, under his approved funding capacity, will begin purchasing new pumps for the lift stations in order to keep Sistersville in compliance with Department of Environmental Protection standards.

Recorder Julie Schleier announced that they are doing away with the old computer system used to generate water bills in favor of a newer, better system. She described the old system as faulty and said that the city has been in the process of getting rid of it. The council also stated that they are not making those who received a double bill pay the extra cost.

“Alexis is catching 99 percent of them,” said Schleier. “If not, people are coming in and we’re instantly giving them credit.”

The Sistersville Police Department is accepting applications for new patrolmen. Chief Placer suggested raising the hourly rate for newly hired officers from $10.20 per hour to $11.20 per hour. After training, new officers will receive $11.70 per hour, then $12.20 per hour upon graduating from the police academy. The council approved the proposed raises.

Chief Placer also stated that Bryan Owens, who accepted a full-time Sergeant position with the Paden City Police Department, expressed interest in continuing to work part time for the Sistersville Police Department.

Under park and pool news, the council raised daily rates for renting the shelters, from $35 to $50 per day for the smaller shelter and $50 to $80 per day for the larger shelter. The revenue generated from shelter rentals goes into funds for the park and pool.

Theresa Hill Drain attended the meeting, representing the Olive Branch which has partnered with Relay For Life for a May 18 event. The council approved their rental of the larger shelter as well as use of the park stage.

Dr. Amanda Nichols of Sistersville General Hospital attended, representing Sistersville Athletic Association. She voiced safety concerns about McCoy Street in front of the park. The street there has been closed for a few years, following the removal of a section of the road due to damage from high water.

The council then moved to prioritize fixing the road, which will be further discussed at a special open meeting on April 16 at 7:30 p.m., following the Levy Budget meeting at 7 p.m.

Mayor David Fox announced that the city is looking for a manager and lifeguards for the Sistersville City Pool; for that purpose, they will be placing ads in the paper.

The council discussed financing options for the new garbage truck. Quotes were presented from WesBanco as well as the company from which the truck was purchased.

“I like the idea of keeping it in town,” said Mayor Fox.

The council unanimously approved to finance with WesBanco.

In other news: the Sistersville Alumni Parade was approved for May 25 at 1 p.m. along its usual route; after the resignation of two part-time ferryboat employees, one full-time deck hand already employed by the city was chosen to replace them; previous minutes were approved; bills were paid; and Schleier announced that, in future meetings, each council person will be receiving a copy of the bills prior to approval.