St. Albans council approves donated blessing boxes, appoints Brent Epley and clears routine finance items

The St. Albans City Council voted July 6, 2026 to allow donated "blessing boxes" to be installed on city property near the Hansford Center and approved routine finance and personnel items.

Tim Ser, representing the blessing-box proponents, told council the boxes and installation labor were donated and offered that "Yes. Absolutely no cost. The only thing the city is going to have to do is use a weed eater on about four sides" to keep the area clear. Council members said the Hansford Center location is central for seniors and youth who use nearby recreational facilities, and the motion to approve the installation carried without objection.

Council also approved a 2027 cold severance budget revision number one and a finance committee recommendation to pay current invoices totaling $51,267. Councilman Rob introduced the finance item and cautioned that the city faces pressure from reduced revenues; he said, "we lost 6 to 800,000 maybe 900,000" from a recent legislative change affecting local vehicle sales revenue, noting the council remains in a spending freeze for nonessential items. The council approved the invoice payments and the budget revision by voice vote.

The council appointed Brent Epley to the planning and zoning commission as the administrative member to replace Kevin Pennington; the term was listed to expire June 30, 2028.

What it means: The blessing-box placement provides a low-cost community food/supply option at a centrally located facility. The finance and appointment votes reflect routine municipal management under the current spending constraints.