Councilman Craig Pritchett examines the agenda after being sworn in during Monday evening’s meeting.

At its June 10 meeting, Sistersville Council appointed Craig Pritchett as a councilman to its First Ward, a seat which completes representation for the city. He was sworn in by Mayor David Fox before joining fellow members for the meeting.

“We’ve got a full council for the first time in years,” stated Mayor Fox as Councilman Pritchett joined them.

Connie Boyd and Barbara Vincent were in attendance to discuss programs on behalf of the Sistersville and Tyler County Planning Commissions. Their main focus was the upcoming Picnic in the Park, scheduled for July 7 in the Sistersville City Park.

The pool will remain open until 8 p.m., and the cost of swimming will be $1. The event will take place all day, concluding with fireworks after dark; due to the setting off of fireworks, there will be no parking along the river side of the park, and no boats will be permitted to dock there.

Because those who operate the concession stand of the large shelter will be required to have Food Handlers Cards, Mayor Fox discussed sending a minimum of three people to a class for certification. Areas of the park will also be cleaned prior to the event.

When asked about the status of the gap in McCoy Street, City Commissioner Daniel Grimes stated that the laying of the beams for a bridge had begun earlier that afternoon.

In regard to the recent Tyler County Relay for Life event, Boyd and Vincent thanked the city for having the shelter cleaned. They went on to state that they are interested in starting projects for repairs to the park area and the shelters.

The council approved two events for Saturday June 29: the Olive Branch’s Street Mutts, for which Charles Street will be closed from 3-8 p.m.; and a catfish tournament from 5-11 p.m., to serve as a fundraiser for Tyler County football programs.

In other park news, the council expressed that they would like the formation of an active Park and Pool Board that can meet every month. Mayor Fox stated that many members of the council, as well as city employees, already perform those duties, but they would like to hear from anyone interested in joining and serving on it.

Linda Leasure attended on behalf of Sistersville General Hospital to discuss purchasing a new ambulance. According to her the current ambulance, which has 231,000 miles on it, is having issues and breaking down. She shared three bids for new ambulances with the council, indicating preference for a 2012 model.

It costs $116,000 before a trade-in deal. Leasure described the additional options it came with and expressed that it would benefit EMS.

“I think you should get the one you want,” said Mayor Fox.

“I agree,” said Leasure. “We have a fantastic EMS group at the hospital, and they know what they want.”

The council approved the purchase of the ambulance, which will be paid for with funding from the 911 Levy.

In public forum, a resident attended the meeting to discuss issues created by parking on particular streets, emphasizing Wood Street. She described areas in which cars could barely navigate due to parking on both sides of the road and stated that there might be accidents if two cars crossed paths.

Mayor Fox expressed that eliminating parking on either side of a road would create problems.

“I don’t know what to do about it,” he said. “It’s a definite concern. These streets were built for Model T automobiles, so they’re narrower than most streets nowadays. If somebody can come up with a solution, we’ll look into it.”

While there were no immediate suggestions, the council is willing to listen to ideas on how to fix such problems.

The same resident mentioned possible street paving of Klondike Avenue by the old Coke Plant. Mayor Fox said there is question of whether that street belongs to the railroad or the city. Upon consideration, the council determined that even if they were to pave the street, the road would be damaged soon after by a heavy flow of large trucks. They said that the state road grades and gravels Klondike Avenue every year, and the city also adds gravel when it is needed.

Councilman Richard Long expressed that he would like to see an informational sign go up, preferably someplace heavily trafficked, in town. The purpose of the sign would be to detail upcoming festivities and events, while reminding residents of times and dates. The members present from the planning committees expressed interest in helping with such a project.

Council members felt that there could be something to advertise each month. The option of businesses paying to advertise with the sign was also presented.

In other news, members were reappointed to the Library Board, Planning Commission and Urban Renewal Authority; the council entered executive session and took no action on it upon returning to the regular meeting; minutes of the May 13 meeting were approved; and city bills were paid.