Beautification of Harris River Front Park is the Work of Citizen Volunteers and City of Huntington Maintenance Crews

My fellow neighborhood advocate, Jay Bowen, reports:

"Significant progress has been made at Harris Riverfront Park in the past month. New flags were purchased and installed, the tulips and other flowers have bloomed, and the curbs and buildings have been painted. Also, the police department has been using bicycle patrols in the park. The roses have started to grow and the lavender is being planted this week. Hopefully, this will inspire other citizens to wake up and start caring about how the city looks."

City Ordinance Has Stiff Penalty for Littering and Mishandling Household Garbage

Several citizens have contacted me to ask about city ordinances related to household garbage and litter. Since the City of Huntington charges citizens for copies of ordinances, I am publishing the relative ones. Notice the fine and/or jail time in the penalty section at the end.

GARBAGE AND RUBBISH

COLLECTION BY CITY; GENERAL PROVISIONS

951.01 DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:
a) "Ashes" means the residue from the burning of wood, coal, coke or other 'combustible material.
b) "Dwelling unit" means any closed-in area used as the principal place of residence for one family or one individual in which water or sewer service is provided and food may be prepared or eaten.
c) "Approved container" means a metal or plastic container, which is portable, watertight, equipped with handles and tight-fitting lid, and has a capacity of not less than ten gallons nor more than thirty-two gallons, which when full, shall not have a total combined weight of contents and container of more than seventy-five pounds.
d) "City" means employees of the City Public Works Department or the authorized representative of the City.
e) "Garbage" means all matter, solid, liquid or mixed, which attends, is created or accumulates within the City from the preparation, cleaning, cooking, use, storage or sale of any matter designed or intended as foodstuff for human consumption. Such term shall also include tin cans, bottles and other containers from which food or foodstuffs have been removed.
f) "Occupant" means any person residing in, renting, leasing, occupying, operating or transacting business in any premises.
g) "Premises" means every residence, household, apartment, trailer court, motel, hospital, nursing home, hotel, restaurant, cafe, market, wholesale or retail store, establishment or place of business in the City in which garbage or trash accumulates.
h) "Refuse" means garbage and rubbish collectively.
i) "Residential premises" means single-family dwellings, duplexes, apartments and trailers.
j) "Rubbish" means all normal wastes resulting from the use or occupancy of any premises such as ashes, brush, grass, leaves or other similar substances, but does not include any building material, industrial waste, containers described in the definition of garbage, waste of a dangerous or explosive nature, or human or animal excreta.
k) "Litter" means the disorderly accumulation of objects, especially discarded waste material or scraps.
(Ord. 7-22-85)

951.02 KEEPING OF GARBAGE AND RUBBISH ON PREMISES PRIOR TO REMOVAL.
Tree, bush and bush trimmings intended for removal shall be tied in bundles not exceeding forty-eight inches by eighteen inches in size, shall not exceed seventy-five pounds in weight and need not be placed in containers. All other garbage and rubbish shall be placed in approved containers.
Every occupant of premises from which garbage and rubbish are to be removed shall deposit all garbage and rubbish in such containers as shall prevent the same from being scattered or blown upon any other premises or public ways in the City to cause litter. The City shall pick up uncontained garbage and rubbish monthly. (Ord. 10-23-95)

951.99 SERVICE FEE; POWERS OF DIRECTOR OF FINANCE; PENALTIES FOR NONPAYMENT, EFFECTIVE DATE.

a) A penalty of ten percent (10%) of the state fee shall be added for failure to pay the installments due on the specified dates. Additionally, or in the alternative, any person, firm, corporation, governmental entity or other entity violating any provision of this article for which no other penalty is provided shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars ($500 00) or imprisoned not more than thirty (30) days, or both.
b) If any person shall violate or cause to be violated any provision of Article 951 they shall be subject to a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00) and/or up to thirty (30) days in jail.

HuntPAC Announces Endorsements for Primary Election

The Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerces political action committee, HuntPAC, has made their endorsements for the May 13 primary election.These candidates represent whom HuntPAC has determined to be good for the Huntington area business community.

HuntPAC utilized questionnaires, campaign materials, web sites, and in some cases interviews to determine whom to endorse. In the case of incumbents, past performance was a key factor. The process of course is not perfect, and HuntPAC is not in 100% agreement with the positions taken by endorsed candidates on all issues. In some cases, the choice was very difficult and the Committee had to look at a wide range of issues and strike a balance in determining whether or not to endorse.

HuntPAC encourages members of the Huntington Regional Chamber of Commerce to not only vote for these pro-business candidates, but to financially support them in their campaigns.

2008 HuntPAC Endorsements:

U.S. Senate - Jay Rockefeller

U.S. House of Representatives - Nick J. Rahall

Governor - Joe Manchin, III

Supreme Court of Appeals - Menis Ketchum , Elliott Maynard, Beth Walker

WV Attorney General - Dan Greear

State Senate - Bob Plymale

15th District House of Delegates - Kevin Craig, Carol Miller, Jim Morgan

16th District House of Delegates - Doug Reynolds, Kelli Sobonya

17th District House of Delegates - Richard Thompson

Cabell County Commission - Nancy Cartmill

Cabell County Sheriff - Scott Bias

Wayne County Commission - James Booten

Circuit Judge, 6th Judicial District - Paul Farrell

Mayor of Huntington - Bob Bailey, Kim Wolfe

Huntington City Council at Large - Thomas McChesney, Joe Randolph, Alex Vence, Steve Williams

District 1 - Jim Ritter

District 4 - Nate Randolph

District 5 - Osagie Ayanru

District 6 - Mark Bates , Deron Runyon

District 7 - Scott Caserta

District 8 - Russell Houck

Take part in the political life of Huntington and Cabell County - Register to vote, and vote!

Non-voting Citizens Need to Step Up and Assume Responsibility

I am concerned about the historic low voter turnout for Huntington's primary and general elections. My wife, Carter Seaton, overheard me lamenting about the fact that it took only 3,500 votes to win the Democratic primary election for the office of mayor of the city of Huntington in 2004. I was lambasting the citizens of our city and county for not participating in our area's elections. She stood by quietly while I voiced my disbelief that our citizens show a total lack of community concern and any sense of personal responsibility by failing to stay informed about our city's problems and participating in the election process.

Then, she asked, "If you were living on a subsistence income, in sub-standard housing, were poorly educated and didn't even have enough to eat some days, and if you felt that no one with the government cared about your circumstances, would you register to vote and vote? When you have witnessed election after election while nothing ever got better in your life, would you participate in elections?"

She went on to enumerate reasons why many of our citizens are not motivated to participate in elections. To her, the bottom line is that people do not vote because they truly do not believe that it will make a difference. If my wife is right, we are in big trouble.

After much thought about what she said, I am convinced, more than ever, that we citizens who do vote have an even larger responsibility to choose our political leaders carefully. Why, you say? Because those who do vote are choosing for the citizens who feel isolated, forgotten, uncared for and helpless -- those who feel that nothing will change for them, whether they vote, or not.

Have you registered? Will you vote in the May Primary Election? Our city needs you.

History is an Indication of the Future

(Sent to me by Jay Bowen)

The national budget must be balanced. The public debt must be reduced; the arrogance of the authorities must be moderated and controlled. - Cicero (106 BC - 43 BC)

Litter Affects the Quality of Life in Our Communities

Litter is a problem faced by all of Cabell County’s communities, large and small, urban and rural. Littered neighborhoods can result in property values being lowered by as much as 15% and are a magnet for drug dealers and other unlawful activity.

Littering is a violation of West Virginia state law. Local governments may adopt and enforce ordinances that are more restrictive than state law. Tackling litter involves more than just cleaning it up. Successful litter prevention programs draw upon effective education, enforcement, and eradication (cleanup) efforts.

Litter affects the quality of life in our communities. During the May 13th primary campaign, the candidates for local and Cabell County offices must be quizzed on what they will do differently. The failure of current government officeholders, during the last eight years, to implement a well-planned educational and enforcement effort to get our county cleaned up – and kept clean - must not be allowed to occur during the next eight years.