POINT PLEASANT — City of Point Pleasant employees will receive their annual pay incentive around the holidays after a unanimous vote by city council members during this week’s regular council meeting.

Full time employees will receive an extra $550, part-time workers will receive $250 and seasonal workers will get $125. This one-time incentive will cost a total of $23,800, an amount which was included in the city’s budget at the beginning of the year. Not all city employees will receive the incentive with these being the mayor, manager of sewer and water works, city clerk, treasurer, council members, city attorney, street commissioner, chief of police and Main St. Point Pleasant Director.

Also at this week’s meeting, Teresa Nibert, speaking on behalf of her mother and brother who reside at 209 9th St. Nibert took issue with her relatives being told to cease and desist work on their property which rests within the historic district. Nibert said the home owners were being penalized for simply being in the “zone” of historic homes yet their home wasn’t historic. Nibert asked for council to grant a “spot zone change” for her relatives so they could continue with some landscaping and driveway work.

Nibert also took issue with some unnamed members of council and the Historic Landmark Committee - the committee considers construction issues in what is deemed the historic district. Nibert said some of these people making the decisions needed to address their own property or other properties in the “zone.” Council did not make a motion to grant the “spot zone change.”

Mayor Brian Billings read a report from City Attorney R.F. Stein who was absent due to illness. Stein’s report stated 63 percent of the right-0f-ways had been signed concerning the North Point Pleasant Drainage Project - 80 percent is needed. Also in the report, Main Street Baptist Church, which owns property on Monroe Ave., has stated the right-of-way on their property will take most of it and the church is asking to be compensated with a monetary offer. Also, Stein’s report said there are several people who have not signed right-of-ways on Madison Ave. due to what they say is the way the project was handled years ago.

Council approved adding $5 to the cost of tickets/fines which will go to the police pension fund. Seat belt tickets are excluded from this additional $5 because it is prohibited.

Council approved the mayor accepting the lowest bid to survey the parking lot at Sixth St. The lot, now owned by the state, will be deeded over to the city if it has it surveyed first.

City Clerk Amber Tatterson noted the Holiday Parade was at 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 16 with the Christmas Fantasy Light Show to open immediately afterward at Krodel Park. Tatterson also informed council there needed to be public hearings and a special meeting to vote on final readings updating the city charter (sections three, five, six and nine) and the ordinance on mobile trailers in the city. Hearings are set for 6:15, 6:20, 6:30 and 6:50 p.m. with the special meeting at 7 p.m., Nov. 26 at the city building.

Resident Iva Norman asked about the city picking up leaves. Councilman Bob Rulen said they can be raked to the curb or placed in clear bag so that the city workers can see there is no trash hidden inside the bag.

Billings read a Mayoral Proclamation stating Nov. 18-24 as Christian Heritage Week in Point Pleasant. Since 2001, 142 mayors from 105 cities, towns and villages throughout West Virginia have celebrated Christian Heritage Week in November. Local churches are asked to participate with relevant Sunday School lessons, sermons, patriotic song services, youth programs and prayer meetings. Council approved the proclamation.

Billings said he has received complaints from residents about stray cats in some areas of town but the city has nothing it can do about it. At one time the city attempted to humanely catch stray cats but in the process a city worker was injured.

Billings reported on the hurricane relief effort for Point Pleasant, N.J., saying the community seemed to be responding with $1,000 in cash raised so far and several supplies being donated and stored in a trailer donated by Stover Trucking. The trailer is sitting in the Ohio Valley Bank parking lot and donations are being taken until Sunday. Billings said some city officials will likely be joining a caravan from the community which will be accompanying the truck. The city is just one entity involved in this community project, which includes the Mason County Ministerial Association and Bellemead U.M. Church.

Councilwoman Janet Hartley, who is on the Beautification Committee, said it is working with graphic design students at the career center to develop a map of the various parks in Point Pleasant to be placed at the Riverfront Park.

The meeting adjourned into executive session to discuss personnel issue in the street department. No action was taken on this when the meeting adjourned back into regular session.

All members of council were present at this week’s meeting, as were Ernie Watterson, chief of police and Jeremy Bryant, city inspector and fire chief.