(Photo Illustration/MetroCreative)

PARKERSBURG — Members of Parkersburg City Council will consider contributing to the salary of an assistant county prosecutor focusing on drug cases and giving a break on building permit fees for projects in newly annexed areas when they meet Tuesday.

Council’s second regular meeting of the month is slated for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers on the second floor of the Municipal Building. Afterward, they will reconvene as the Urban Renewal Authority to consider an offer to purchase property and make a decision on potential demolition.

At the regular meeting, the agenda includes a resolution allocating $72,000 of the city’s opioid lawsuit settlement funds to supplement the salary of an assistant prosecutor for drug cases. The position is proposed for the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office to address increasing numbers of felony drug cases in recent years.

“I think it’s a good use of the money,” Mayor Tom Joyce said.

Addressing why the city would contribute to the pay for a county position, Joyce pointed to the volume of cases the city’s police department handles.

“Parkersburg PD does about five times the amount of call volume of all the other agencies in the county combined,” he said.

Joyce said it’s important for the cities and county to work together, whether it’s public safety, economic development or other issues.

The city’s contribution, if approved, would cover half of the position’s salary and benefits. Prosecutor Pat Lefebure discussed the effort at Thursday’s Wood County Commission meeting, saying felony drug cases are on pace to exceed 400 this year after totaling 386, 412 and 385 the last three years. He proposed having county opioid settlement money cover the position for three years and told commissioners he would ask Parkersburg to contribute funds.

An ordinance on first reading would limit building permit fees in newly annexed areas to no more than the amount that would have been charged in the previous jurisdiction.

Joyce said there was a recent situation where a developer found they would have paid less for building permits had the property remained in Wood County instead of being annexed into the city.

According to Wood County’s website, a building permit is a minimum of $10 for projects up to $1,000 and $1.25 for each $1,000 beyond that.

The city’s fees vary based on the actual valuation of labor and materials for the project and whether it’s residential or commercial. The charge is a percentage of the total value, with the rate decreasing as the value increases.

“I think this is a logical mechanism to just kind of keep a level playing field,” Joyce said.

If enacted, the limit would apply to projects commenced within five years of annexation.

The council agenda also includes the final reading of an ordinance requiring buildings to have their primary electrical service through a utility company or municipal electric provider, in an effort aimed at preventing the use of generators as ongoing power sources. Generators could still be used for emergency service.

Council will also consider Joyce’s appointment of Jennifer Johnson, vice president and chief operating officer of Native Roots plant nursery in Mineral Wells, to the Municipal Tree Commission, along with the reappointment of Parkersburg resident Betty Camp.

The Urban Renewal Authority will consider an offer from Vladimir Guevara to purchase a vacant lot at 1400 St. Marys Ave. for $2,000. The former site of the Blue Moon Tavern was acquired by the URA in 2019 and the structure demolished. Guevara proposes building a three bedroom, one-and-a-half bath house with an attached garage on the site.

They will also consider a request from the city’s planning division to allow demolition of dilapidated structures acquired at 1407 and 1411 Lynn St. City Planner Connor Lavelle said the houses were purchased at the direction of Joyce for $1,000 apiece. The URA approved a resolution last year allowing the mayor to make property purchases for no more than $2,000.

LaVelle said the process does not happen often but was utilized in this case because the properties were deteriorating quickly.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com