Vienna council approves roadway easement for proposed school, adopts budget and contract resolutions

The Vienna City Council voted unanimously on several items at its regular meeting, including an ordinance conveying a permanent nonexclusive right-of-way and easement to WVU Parkersburg Foundation to build a road serving a proposed Wood County Elementary School. Presiding official (Speaker 2) opened the second reading and Speaker 3 outlined the council’s required findings that the conveyance serves a valid public purpose. The council adopted the ordinance on its second reading.

Council also approved a second ordinance that lets the mayor, after consulting the finance director, transfer up to 20% of any single department’s budget during the fiscal year without returning to council, subject to reporting requirements. Speaker 1 moved an amendment that narrowed the definition of capital expenditures and limited discretionary revisions to category-level line items (for example, contract services and commodities); the amendment was adopted and the ordinance passed as amended. According to the discussion, the change is intended to allow limited administrative flexibility while preserving categorical oversight.

On capital projects and engineering, council authorized the mayor to request two task orders from Thrasher (the city’s selected engineering firm) to prepare design work: one for a restroom facility and one for a stage. Thrasher’s representative described a proposed scope that includes a site survey, environmental review, conceptual designs and bid documents; council approved directing Thrasher to prepare scope-and-fee task orders to return to council for approval.

The council also adopted a resolution authorizing an engagement letter with Aperture Mid Atlantic Partners Insurance Services LLC (identified in the resolution) to provide actuarial services related to the city’s post-employment benefits plan (OPEB) at a stated annual fee and any approved additional services. The resolution designates the mayor and finance director to execute the engagement.

Separately, council approved General Fund budget revision No. 1, a routine internal transfer to cover increased pension obligations for the police department amid recent retirements.

All motions described above were approved by voice or by raised hands and recorded as passed; where a formal vote was taken the meeting record shows unanimous approval. Specific mover/second names were not always provided in the vote roll-call recorded in the transcript.

The council scheduled related follow-up steps: Thrasher will return with scope, fee and rough schedules; task orders will be refined with council input prior to any advertised construction solicitations; and the finance office will implement reporting required by the newly adopted internal-budget transfer ordinance.