Vanceburg City Council holds controversial meeting

VANCEBURG — Tensions were high at the Monday, May 6 Vanceburg City Council Meeting.

The meeting kicked off with an update from Angie Patton with the Electric Plant Board informing the council that any citizen of Vanceburg who does not have an updated meter will have to pay a $25 fee for meters to be read starting in July.

This will only apply to meters of people who received a notice. Typically it only applies to homes with meter bases made before 1950, Patton said.

Mayor Dane Blankenship moved on to request approval of a surplus sale to auction off four police cruisers sometime at the beginning of June. The auction would be open to the public. A motion was made, seconded and approved.

Blankenship proposed to council members that a municipal road aid be used to restore old roads in Vanceburg. Council Member Joni Pugh asked Blankenship if some of that money could be used to help fix the boat dock bridge.

Blankenship stated he agrees it would be good if it could be used in part for that but the Heritage Council would have to give input on that but it would be looked into.

Council members then went into executive session to discuss what Blankenship referred to as, “legal affairs.”

When the council returned from executive session, Blankenship updated the audience on the success of the previous weekend’s River Town Fair.

Council Member Nichole Cantu spoke up next. First, she thanked the council on behalf of the residents of Holiday Drive for the recent black top job that had been done there saying those who live there are very pleased.

Next Cantu brought up the family of Hannah Bellamy. Bellamy’s family held a memorial walk in her honor and the family wanted Cantu to express their thanks to the council on their behalf.

The final topic Cantu wanted to discuss with the individuals at the meeting was pertaining to a letter to the editor that had been written by Cary Cagle and submitted in the Lewis County Herald the week prior.

“I’m sure everybody in here has got to read last week’s edition of The Lewis County Herald and with that being said I’d like to make my own comment about the letter to the editor,” began Cantu.

“It states that there were some inconsistency and impartiality toward the police department and that they weren’t doing their job and, Joe Paul, please correct me if I am wrong, did you or did you not give a citation to Mayor Blankenship and to Councilwoman Pugh?”

Vanceburg Police Chief Joe Paul Gilbert responded in the affirmative that he had given both Blankenship and Pugh citations in regard to blighted properties in the recent past.

Cantu reiterated that because that was the case she was not sure where the inconsistencies mentioned in the letter to the editors were. Cantu also mentioned another property that Gilbert and other police had gone to and worked on cleaning up to prove that the police department was doing their jobs correctly in her opinion.

“In the letter to the editor, it said, they’re worried about a clean and safe environment. We’re worried about a clean and safe environment but we have empty buildings on second and main street that are harbouring pigeons. I don’t think that’s a clean and safe environment. I don’t think that we need to be blackballing Joe Paul and his men when they’re doing their job. It takes all of us. It’s going to take all of us to do our job and if you’re going to worry about someone’s property, don’t be throwing rocks, just don’t be doing it because he does his job, and he does his job well and he does go out and he does give people citations. He’s given the mayor citations, he gave Joni a written warning about her property so…,” said Cantu

“I do have a problem with getting that citation because all we had was a burn pile. That was it. A burn pile. You know, you have to burn sticks and you know when you clean your yard you’ve got to burn those things,” added Pugh.

“But you, he didn’t single just you out, he gave the mayor one, he’s given individuals one…,” replied Cantu.

“I think that didn’t come from just him,” replied Joni.

“But I’m just saying, you know, there’s a letter in the Lewis County Herald saying that he wasn’t doing his job, he does do his job, he does his job very well,” said Cantu.

“The day you got your citation, or your notice, there was like seven others that day, it wasn’t just you,” responded Gilbert.

“No, I’m not saying anything like that. All I am saying is I have a picture of my property and I also have pictures of two other properties, one which our mayor did clean up before the next council meeting and one that was Duke Dunigan’s property. Mine was not a blighted property, it was nothing but tree branches,” said Pugh.

“That ordinance is not for just blighted properties it’s for growth of grass and rubbish and stuff like that that’s built up and that, I mean, if you wanna go into it, your burn pile had been there for years,” replied Gilbert.

“Well, it had been there for a while but there were times you couldn’t burn either but I’d called Dennis Brown to find out when we could and then when I got that [the citation] it was right after Lee came out of the hospital and had very extensive back surgery, it’s not like he could do a whole lot,” said Pugh.

“Okay, well, I didn’t know that at the time but you wasn’t the only one that got one that got a letter,” responded Gilbert.

“I know that. I get that. I know why I got my letter,” said Pugh.

“Well I don’t think that he’s showing favoritism, impartiality, like he does his job and I’m like a broken record but he does a very fine…,” started Cantu

“And he also works for our mayor, so…,” said Pugh.

“Well, I’ll tell you exactly where he got that from and it was me cause I went over there and killed a snake at you’ns house,” Assistant Police Chief Joe Billman.

“I’ll tell you exactly where it came from. It wasn’t from Dane, it was me so if you wanna blame somebody, you can blame me, I’m a big boy and I’ve got big cheeks,” stated Billman.

“We’ve never had a snake in our yard ever,” said Pugh.

“Well you had one in your house,” retorted Billman.

“I understand that but I don’t know where it came from,” said Pugh.

“This whole thing that you all are trying to do and give the police department a bad rap is bull because yeah two dozen people were given a citation to too so they’ve all been giving one. You know what, you want one house torn down over there and that’s your problem. You want it tore down. the guys cleaned it up. I mean there’s nothing we can do as a police department okay so that’s the whole thing you’re mad about. You don’t say a thing about the guy who wrote it, Cary Cagle house having no roof on it or having pigeons flying in and out of it you know so this isn’t something about one person, this is about everybody,” said Billman.

“No one has done more for this community than Shirley and Cary Cagle. They have put so much…,” started Pugh.

“I understand that, but I’m just saying. You’ve not said one single thing about theirs not having a roof on it or having pigeons flying around in it. Is that a hazard or is that not a hazard?” asked Billman.

“You all make me want to just quit completely, do done, move out of Vanceburg because you’re all idiots,” said Billman as Blankenship hit his gavel on his desk.

“Alright, that’s enough,” said Blankenship.

“We’re all honest,” said Pugh.

“Okay, I’m not honest and Joe Paul’s not honest,” retorted Billman.

“That’s enough,” repeated Blankenship.

“I didn’t say that,” said Pugh.

“Okay, what’d you just say?” asked Billman.

“I said we’re not idiots, we’re all just very honest,” Pugh expressed.

“Well let me say this, you complain about all the empty buildings downtown. There’s nine empty buildings downtown. That man right there owns five of them.” said Blankenship as he pointed his gavel at Cagle.

“Do you know why he bought them?” asked Pugh. “Because Billy Pittman had bought them and he left this town because of you.”

“Oh, okay,” laughed Blankenship.

This statement caused laughter in the council building.

“He left this town and he told us he was gonna put in a fitness center and all these wonderful things…,” started Pugh.

“And did he rip people off?” questioned Cantu.

“Alright,” said Blankenship with a hit of his gavel. “That’s enough. That’s enough, we’re done with this conversation.”

With that, Blankenship opened up the floor to Roger Jahn.

Jahn had with him a petition signed by several Lewis County and Vanceburg residents to have parking made available for individuals to use next to Scott Park citing individuals having difficulties crossing the street with small children.

Lisa Grabinski also took to the podium to discuss the parking area at Scott Park.

“With the restoration of the parking area, visitors will be able to access the park more easily, leading to an increase in the number of visitors and their safety so lets stand up and vote yes for restoring the parking area for Scott Park,” said Grabinski.