The following content represents the Freedom of Information Request that has been emailed to the City Manager of the City of Moundsville, and also to the City Clerk, concerning access to public information connected to the recent Council vote on the proposed OVRTA busy levy.
This communication was delayed by one week out of respect for the summer vacation taken last week by the City Manager.
This Request follows the emails I’ve sent to Moundsville Council members Randy Chamberlian, Judy Hunt, Eugene Saunders, and David Wood on June 23rd. In those notes, I asked each member to explain their reasons for voting against placing the proposed busy levy on the November 2024 ballot.
Not a single reply has been received. So, please find below my FOIA Request that represents a continued search for those answers.
July 15, 2024
To:
Rick Healy, City Manager – City of Moundsville – rhealy@cityofmoundsville.com
Sondra Hewitt, City Clerk – City of Moundsville – shewitt@cityofmoundsville.com
Administrators:
This is a Request under the Freedom of Information Act, and I respectfully request answers to the following questions as well as the list of information below.
I, of course, am willing to pay for any costs associated with answering and compiling the information. I also request a returned email to let me know you have received this correspondence since I have not experienced much recent success with contacting four particular members of City Council.
Please note that when I refer to “the council members,” I am referring to members Randy Chamberlian, Judy Hunt, Eugene Saunders, and David Wood.
Questions:
One
Dating back to October 2023, did any of “the council members” request additional information involving the property bus levy for the City of Moundsville, including but not limited to:
- Property taxes – average increases citywide and for any individual addresses in Moundsville?
- The costs to the City associated with placing the proposed bus levy on the November ballot in Moundsville?
- Projected use/ridership numbers of the proposed bus service if approved by 60 percent of Moundsville voters IF a majority of the City’s councilors voted in favor of ballot placement?
- Clarification on the process per state code for the proposed bus levy and its possible ballot placement?
Two
Did any of “the council members” communicate to either of you their reasons for opposing the proposed OVRTA bus levy being placed on the November 2024 ballot in Moundsville? If so, what were those reasons?
Three
Which of “the council members” use their City of Moundsville email accounts, and which do not?
Requested Information:
- Copies of emails between you and “the council members” that contain communication that pertained to the proposed bus levy.
- Copies of the information mailed or emailed to any of “the council members” that involved information that pertained to the proposed bus levy.
- Copies of Council Meeting minutes that contain public discussion that pertained to the proposed bus levy.
Thank you for your time, and if you have questions or need additional information, please contact me using my email address.
Steve Novotney, Journalist
LEDE News & “Novotney Now” on River Talk Radio 100.1FM
