Councilman Roger Muncy asked Mayor Jim Blevins about this year's annual Christmas parade and City Hall Christmas party at the November council meeting.
Mayor Blevins said the official town hall Christmas Dinner will be held on Dec. 18 at noon and everyone is invited to participate. The parade has yet to be finalized, however.
Blevins noted that in the past, former Fire Chief Robert Paynter had handled the parade, but had recently resigned.
"Hopefully we can get Bill Weese (new fire chief) to do it and he can get a couple of guys to help him."
The parade is set tentatively for Dec. 4 at Noon.
The town will get a big Christmas present from the state next month as well. Blevins asked for and received approval for $40,000 matching funds to get a $160,000 grant for the upcoming sidewalk project. Blevins said it would give the town a total of $200,000 for needed repairs. Councilman Jimmy Justice said he was thankful to WV Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, who had played Santa for Man this year on many projects and grants.
Members of the Town of Man Council heard proposals from the West Virginia Municipal League during the November meeting about different programs that could assist the town.
Lisa Dooley and Mark Macovich of the WVML talked about collection of outstanding B&O taxes as well as an "ordinance bank" the league maintains to help towns research how their peers have dealt with thorny problems.
Dooley said the WVML represents 232 cities across the state, 70 percent of which are active members and participate in such programs, including the Unemployment Pool which offers towns a smaller premium than the state.
"All of the programs we offer are guaranteed to save cities money," Dooley said, noting Man, Chapmanville and Logan have belonged to the League for many years, but have not been taking advantage of programs the League offers.
Dooley said if a town is having a problem with stray animals they can use the Ordinance Pool to research how other towns are approaching the same problems with their legislation.
"Any key word will bring up other cities ordinances," she said, noting that the Ordinance Bank also helps town attorneys to see what works in other places.
"You don't have to reinvent the wheel," Dooley said, noting that what works in other towns may work in Man.
She also discussed the League's purchase program, noting that many towns had trouble purchasing fire and police vehicles they needed.
Dooley said the League has a program that is designed to help cities collect on outstanding Business and Occupation taxes that have not been paid. In return the League gets 30 percent of the funds recovered. She pointed out that it does not take any percentage from taxes that the towns have recovered on their own. Dooley said 232 cities in West Virginia have a B&O tax but 100 others try to get by on user fees and coal severance taxes.
Many small municipalities have benefited from the program, Dooley said, explaining that some vendors may not even know they owe B&O taxes.
"We try to identify them and bring them into compliance," she said, noting the program has been used by 90 cities and has brought in over $10 million over the years.
"I am interested in seeing what these guys have to offer," Councilman John Fekete said.
In other Man news:
• Large trucks are being detoured through South Man and the 7-11.
•Council accepted the resignation of Fire Chief Robert Paynter and the recommendation from Mayor Blevins to replace Paynter with former Mayor Bill Weese. Ironically, Weese and Blevins had run against each other for the Mayor's job in Man during the last election. Weese was approved as the new Man Fire Chief.
•Councilmembers discussed problems caused by stray animals.
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