Bluefield city board members approved bonds Tuesday to help maintain and improve the city's sewer system and discussed new ways to connect with the public, but first the city took time to honor two people who have served the community.
The city board unanimously approved a resolution honoring Marc Meachum, who recently retired as president of the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Tom Cole said Meachum had one of the longest tenures as president in the chamber's history. Meachum could not attend the meeting Monday.
"Marc is a special kind of person," Cole said. "I don't know if there's ever been a bad word said about Marc, and I've never heard him say a bad word about anybody else."
The city also said goodbye to Assistant City Manager Joshua Cline, who recently became the Greater Bluefield Chamber's new president. Tuesday's meeting was the last one for Cline, and he will begin working at the chamber April 17. Cole presented Cline with a commemorative photograph of a clock in downtown Bluefield which stands near the chamber offices.
"I've just celebrated my fourth year with the city, and it's been a great job," Cline said. "It's a great place and I've got great friends, so I'm excited to be a part of it."
In other business, the city approved two ordinances authorizing the issuance of sewer revenue bonds. The first ordinance authorized bonds "not to exceed $2 million in aggregate principal" to permanently finance improvements and additions to the sanitary sewage and treatment system. A second bond issue, also not to exceed $2 million, will temporarily finance improvements to the sewer system.
Community and Economic Development Director Jim Spencer said the city applied two months ago for a Flex-E-Grant, a $3,825 marketing grant from the West Virginia Development Office through grants from the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The funding will support activities including a business resource guide for the Mercer County area that identifies entrepreneurial and business support systems including resources for business coaching, assistance, funding, commercialization and technical support. The city's match for this grant is $675, Spencer stated.
Spencer also announced the new Millennial Ambassadors Program. In this program, young people who were born at the end of the 20th Century or during the 21 Century will be helping the city with marketing designed to connect with their age group.
