Council votes: bond initiation, school officer contract, TAP application, ordinance referrals and AV RFP

The Charles Town City Council took a series of formal actions across budget, infrastructure and operational items during the meeting.

Bond initiation: The council approved a performance and land disturbance bond initiation for Huntfield Phase 4 with a corrected bond amount of $2,214,540 after staff noted the applicant’s submitted figure was incorrect. The planning commission and the bond committee recommended approval.

School resource officer: The council approved the annual agreement with the Jefferson County School Board to place a full‑time school resource officer at Washington High School; the agreement remains longstanding and the city retains responsibility for base salary while schools are billed for overtime at events.

TAP grant application: Council voted to pursue a West Virginia TAP application for Mornington Avenue (option 4 in staff’s briefing) and authorized staff to file a letter of intent and a full application for $150,000 of design/engineering funding.

AV systems RFP: Responding to public comment and repeated complaints about in‑chamber audio and streaming quality, the council instructed staff to solicit RFPs from audio‑visual specialists to audit and propose a redesign of the council‑chamber AV, including amplification, sound‑dampening, microphone and recording upgrades.

Ordinances and committee referrals: The council opened and closed public hearings on several code amendments, passed second reading on a private outdoor designated area (POTA) fence code change (8–1), and referred the city’s forced‑connection sewer language (ordinance 921.03) to the ordinance committee for review of inside/outside‑city applicability.

Miscellaneous: Council tabled the community grant policy review to the second meeting in September and approved General Fund Revision #1 (carryovers, federal grant rollovers, insurance adjustments and a contingent planning appropriation for annexation professional services). The council also voted to enter an executive session to receive legal advice and to discuss an ongoing investigation with CTUB representatives invited to attend.

What comes next: Staff will return procurement documents for the AV RFP, TAP application materials, a finalized bond paperwork packet, and annexation negotiation updates and any consultant agreements as negotiation outcomes require further council approvals.