Pat Quinlan has been nominated to fill the vacancy on St. Albans Council that was created when Kevin Pennington resigned last month.
Quinlan, of 2410 Lincoln Ave., was nominated to fill the Ward 8 seat vacated by Pennington. Ward 9 Councilman Garry Pennington made the nomination. There were no other nominations.
Quinlan was in the gallery Monday evening. Mayor Dick Callaway said Quinlan will be asked to introduce himself at the May 2 council meeting. Callaway said council will vote on the nomination after Quinlan's presentation. Quinlan will serve until June 2017 if selected.
Pennington represented Ward 8 for 11 years. He resigned to become superintendent of the city's Parks and Recreation Department.
Ward 8 includes an area bounded by Kanawha Terrace, Hudson Street, Wilson Avenue and Lincoln Avenue.
In addition to representing Ward 8, Pennington was chairman of the Parks and Recreation Committee, chairman of the Finance Committee, and vice mayor.
Callaway has said council will be asked to vote for one of their number to be vice mayor following their election of a new Ward 8 representative. Callaway also said new Finance Committee and Parks and Recreation Committee chairs will be chosen after the Ward 8 seat is filled.
Also at Monday's meeting, council by a vote of 5-4 rejected a request by the St. Albans library to erect a 6-foot-tall, 5-foot-wide sign on Sixth Avenue.
Voting against the sign were Ward 5 Councilman Christopher Withrow, Ward 7 Councilman Desper Lemon, Ward 9 Councilman Garry Pennington, Ward 6 Councilwoman Loretta Griffith, and Ward 4 Councilwoman Cheryl Thomas. Voting for the sign were Ward 2 Councilman Jason Philabaun, Ward 1 Councilman Robert Keiffer, Councilman at-large Jerry Cogar and Ward 3 Councilman Ronald Colby.
Pennington and Thomas said they were concerned the sign might hinder motorists' vision. Keiffer said it was ridiculous to oppose the sign, especially since the city wouldn't have to pay for it.
Following the vote Keiffer said the vote "makes no sense to me. I am ashamed of every one of you who voted 'no.'" He then stormed out of the meeting.
In other action, Cogar said the city "is not doing a whole paving program this year, but we seek permission to get bids to pave Walnut Street and Cleveland Avenue."
Cogar said Walnut Street is a state road "but it's such a bad highway we are wanting to pave it and get our money back from the state."
"Good luck with that!" Callaway said.
Council approved Cogar's request.
Also, council:
n Gave preliminary approval to an ordinance restricting parking in cul-de-sacs. The proposal must be approved one more time at a future council meeting before it becomes city law.
n Approved Philabaun's presentation of a petition by Marvin McCallister to re-subdivide a parcel on Mohler Place, which is at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and B Street.
n Agreed to pay current invoices, which total $20,166.
n Accepted Austin Duckworth's resignation from the Zoning Board of Adjustment and re-appointed Don LeRose and Don Burford to three-year terms.
Vietnam veterans Michael Warner and Danny "Gunner" Thomas were honored as representatives of all area veterans of the Vietnam conflict by Callaway and by Kay Craig of the Anne Bailey Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution.
Callaway congratulated Daisy Girl Scout Troop 1406 for their volunteer work at the Ronald McDonald House and for selling about $8,000 worth of cookies. Four of the 17 members of the troop were on hand to lead the council in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
During announcements, Callaway reminded everyone that the annual city-wide spring clean-up will begin on April 25 and end on May 6. The schedule: April 25, Ward 1; April 26, Ward 2; April 27, Ward 3; April 28, Ward 4; April 29, Ward 5.
Also: May 2, Ward 6; May 3, Ward 7; May 4, Ward 8; May 5, Ward 9; and May 6, entire city.
Callaway also reminded everyone that the city's annual "Roundup, Clean-up, Ship-Out" event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 30 in the municipal building parking lot on Sixth Avenue at B Street. Unwanted drugs can dropped off for proper disposal, unwanted papers can be shredded, and old cellphones can be dropped off to be donated to soldiers.
Philabaun reported that the Parks and Recreation Department will sponsor dances on May 13 and May 20. Parks Director Kevin Pennington said that at his daughter's suggestion, a father-daughter dance is being planned for mid-June around Father's Day.
It also was announced that:
n The St. Albans Arti-Gras will be from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. April 23 at Olde Main Plaza. There will be a concert in front of the Alban Theater at 8 p.m.
n The Hansford Senior Center's Mother's Day program will be on May 6 starting at 11 a.m.
During the public forum, Harvey Peyton, a Democrat running for Congress in the 2nd District, asked for citizens to vote for him in the May 10 primary. Also asking for votes were Charlotte Lane, who is running for a seat in the state House of Delegates' 35th District; Ric Cavender, who seeks a seat on the Kanawha County Board of Education; Mike Rutherford, who is running for Kanawha County sheriff; and Margaret Chico Eddy, a candidate for magistrate.
Councilman-at-large John Caudill IV and Councilman-at-large John Boles Jr., who is fighting health issues, did not attend the meeting.
Council will meet at 5:10 p.m. today, as required by law, to lay the levy. Council's next regular meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. May 2 on the second floor of the municipal building at 51 Sixth Ave.