Government, Kingwood Council

Kingwood Council reaches agreement on fixing lot, discusses trick or treating

KINGWOOD — Kingwood Council agreed to fix a lot at the corner of Price and High Streets that the owner says was damaged by city equipment.

Lisa Dailey came on behalf of the Dailey Estate. She said that in 2010 the city piled snow on the lot without asking permission. City equipment rutted the property, she said.

Eight years later, the city obtained the estate’s permission to use the lot during the demolition of a building next to it. An agreement was signed by the city and the Daileys, but “the perimeter of the lot wasn’t addressed at all” by the city in its cleanup, Dailey said.

The ruts pose a tripping hazard, Dailey said. She and her sisters recently met and decided to write the city.

“Our wishes and desires are just to have it done properly,” she said. That includes removing the grass, leveling the lot and seeding it.

Mayor Jean Guillot proposed that Dailey give the city attorney a detailed list of what they would like done to the lot, and the city attorney will write an agreement between the estate and the city.

Kingwood will hire a landscaping company to address the Dailey lot and the city lot next to it, Guillot proposed. Council agreed unanimously, with Recorder Bill Robertson and Councilman Josh Fields absent.

Councilman Mike Lipscomb asked if Dailey is interested in purchasing the city’s adjacent lot. Dailey said yes, but all members of the estate would have to agree.

Last year council voted to put the narrow lot up for sale on govdeals.com, with a minimum bid of $5,000.

Councilman Dick Shaffer asked if the estate would be willing to donate the lot to the city for a veteran’s memorial?

“My idea at one time was to have it turned into a green space for our city and county. We had some things drawn up but it never moved forward,” Dailey said.

Also Tuesday,

  • council discussed trick or treat. The city Halloween party was cancelled, but Guillot suggested the city’s trick or treat and Main Street Kingwood (MSK), which usually has a separate business trick or treat day, be a joint trick or treat for children.

“As long as we’re green or yellow, and we meet the state codes … maybe we still have it,” Guillot said, referring to the state COVID-19 map.
Lipscomb said people could set treats on their porches. Shaffer said people will trick or treat whether the city endorses it or not.
Council discussed 5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 31 for trick or treating but will discuss a joint time with MSK.

  • new Officer Ryan Deal was sworn in, bringing the force to four officers.
  • council accepted a bid of $51,500 from Parrotta Paving of Morgantown to mill Hartman Street and Maplewood Drive, then pave those streets and Albright Avenue. Stone Paving bid $72,120 and Preston Contractors, $64,800.
  • Browns Mill LLC was the only bidder on demolishing the city owned house at Maplewood Cemetery. Council accepted the bid of $11,280. City crews will cap the site with dirt, mulch and seed it.

It was the only bid received. The city previously paid $5,600 to remove asbestos from the house. Of that, $3,000 was paid with a grant.

  • council agreed not to take nominations for a citizen of the year in 2020 because any reception honring the person would be limited to 25 people and there will be no Buckwheat Festival parades for the honoree to ride in.


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