Wellman City Council members approved $40,000 on Tuesday, Sept. 7 for the purchase and customization of a utility van for the public works department.
The van will be fitted with interior shelving …
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Wellman City Council members approved $40,000 on Tuesday, Sept. 7 for the purchase and customization of a utility van for the public works department.
The van will be fitted with interior shelving to store tools and other items needed for repairs. Council members agreed that the city would be better served with a van than a pickup truck, citing the benefit of a closed environment for the protection of tools and repair parts from inclement weather.
The council conducted two work sessions. In the first session, YMCA of Washington County Chief Executive Officer Amy Schulte presented a business update on the Wellman YMCA ‘s recovery following the mandated state-wide Covid-19 shutdowns. Membership fell approximately 17% during the shutdowns, Schulte said.
Schulte said the Y has restarted many of its programs and that member usage is returning to the levels of 2019, before the Covid closing. The Y is planning to resume hosting community-oriented events and renting out its community room for private parties. Most recently, it successfully launched its fall youth sports programs for flag football, volleyball and soccer.
Council members said the membership loss was small, considering the impact that the Covid lockdowns had on the entire community and expressed optimism that the numbers would improve as the programming resumed.
In the second work session, council members discussed the need for a new Wellman Skating Rink Manager, following the October 1 retirement of rink manager Teresa Lampe. A full-time city employee, Lampe has supervised the rink for many years.
Council members reviewed some of the difficulties of the job. The position entails working weekends from September through April and requires the flexibility to host private parties as scheduled. The job currently includes hours working for Wellman Parks and Recreation. Council members noted that the position needs hours with the Parks and Recreation Department to ensure year around, full-time employment.
Following their discussion, council members asked Schulte if the YMCA had an interest in managing the rink as part of its operations in Wellman. Schulte said she would approach her board with the idea and report back to the council on their level of interest.
