Latest news with #TravisBlosser
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Fairmont moves forward with PODA ordinance
FAIRMONT, (WBOY) — During Tuesday night's Fairmont City Council meeting, a public hearing was held, followed by the second and final reading of an ordinance concerning the establishment and regulation of Private Outdoor Designated Areas (PODAs) within the city limits. Following the hearing, the council unanimously approved the ordinance, which will allow local businesses to apply for a special license from the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner. This license permits businesses to serve alcoholic beverages that may be consumed outside their premises, provided that patrons remain within the boundaries of the designated PODA district. Several business owners in attendance expressed strong support for the ordinance, highlighting the social and economic opportunities it will create for both their establishments and the community gathering in the PODA district. 'This is really exciting for us because it is going to give extra incentives for residents and also businesses to come to downtown Fairmont,' Executive Director of Main Street Fairmont Alex Petry said. 'I just want to commend the city for their work on this, and I consider them an excellent partner of Main Street Fairmont.' Fairmont City Manager Travis Blosser stated that the rollout of PODA signage and full implementation of the program will take some time. He added that an official launch date for the district will be announced in the near future. Cheeseman to return as Doddridge County Superintendent 'It's important to support the local businesses that are already here and that foot traffic for them, but those folks who may be looking to Fairmont and thinking 'wow, Fairmont is a place to do business, I really want to be there,'' Blosser said. Under the PODA regulation, the standard operating hours for PODAs will be Monday through Friday from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Also, during the meeting, Petry stated that, 'It's about more than just permitting open container areas. It's about implementing a program, an opportunity to help our downtown progress and create a safer, more inviting and economically resilient city center.' Fairmont now joins a select group of cities in the Mountain State to adopt a PODA framework. Other municipalities that have implemented similar programs include Morgantown, Clarksburg, Wheeling, Charleston, and Huntington. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Fairmont City Council considers PODA ordinance
FAIRMONT, (WBOY) — The Fairmont City Council convened Tuesday evening to introduce and hold the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the regulation of Private Outdoor Designated Areas (PODAs) within city limits, following in the footsteps of other nearby cities. If adopted, PODA permits may be issued to alcohol establishments, allowing for the business to apply for a license from the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner to serve alcohol that can be taken off-property, so long as the customer remains within the district. Proposed operating hours for PODAs are Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The ordinance also grants the City Manager authority to adjust operating hours as needed, with a requirement to inform the public of any changes. 'If you're, you know, going to 'The Joe' here in downtown or you're at 'Stumptown' and you grab a drink, you'll be able to get that drink in a PODA cup, it has to be in that logoed PODA cup, and they'll be able to, to go to another business establishment,' said Fairmont City Manager Travis Blosser. 'Our businesses have been asking for this, in particular 'Stumptown' and 'The Joe.'' Estate donates $75,000 to preserve Metropolitan Theatre The ordinance outlines safety and maintenance measures, including regular patrols by at least one uniformed Fairmont Police officer. Fairmont Fire Department personnel stationed at Central Station, located within the PODA, will respond to emergencies as needed. Public Works staff will be responsible for ongoing maintenance, such as trash removal and street sweeping. If adopted, Fairmont will join other local cities like Clarksburg and Morgantown, which have implemented PODAs of their own. 'Ours will be a little bit different in just the kind of the size. So, you'll have the access to be able to walk across the high level bridge to get to Merchant Street area to that section of the PODA, but based on kind of how our downtown is, our downtown corridor is not a traditional, just a one street downtown corridor, so our downtown expands on both the East and West Side of the river. And so, that will be a little bit different than what a lot of these other communities have had,' Blosser said. A public hearing and second reading of the ordinance is scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at the Fairmont Public Safety Building. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
City of Fairmont officially launches Opioid Settlement Funds Grant Program
FAIRMONT, (WBOY) — The City of Fairmont recently announced that it will launch an Opioid Settlement Funds Grant Program to use distributions it has received as part of opioid settlements that have occurred across the state of West Virginia. 'From that perspective, you know, we've been taking our time because [Fairmont] City Council's main directive to us was that they wanted to ensure there was a robust process that ensured a fair application process that kind of opened us up for everybody,' said City Manager Travis Blosser. Blosser said that there were guide rails put in place for this program to ensure that the money would be going where it needed to and making the biggest difference that it could. He said that when dealing with drug-related issues, there's a cost, and the city would rather see that the cost burden doesn't stop people from being able to benefit people and get them into a healthier environment. 'A lot of times, the organizations that are helping people don't have a lot of funds,' said Blosser. 'These funds can go back to helping to combat those issues.' The Opioid Settlement Funds Grant Program allows individuals or communities impacted by the opioid crisis to request up to $100,000. Organizations that work directly with these impacted demographics will have the ability to request up to $50,000 as a result of this program. According to the City of Fairmont, this grant program also requires applicants to provide a 20% funding match. Blosser told 12 News that the city does offer a waiver for this grant process, but those will only be granted under certain circumstances, and the city reserves the right to determine what those are. 'Really, what City Council wanted to make sure is that organizations we were working with had skin in the game and had an investment side,' said Blosser. 'Whether that investment side's coming from themselves as an organization or a third party that may be giving them money, they can count other dollars that they're getting as part of that match contribution.' West Virginia lawmakers speak to Mountain State residents at town hall events Blosser added that the City of Fairmont has limited funds and once those funds are divvied out, they're gone. 'We wanna try to make sure our programs are sustainable, that they continue to function, and that they have other resources coming in that aren't just city dollars,' he said. 'Because we're not gonna be able to fund 100% of everybody.' Blosser said that the city had a lot of discussions with the Fairmont City Council during a series of work sessions. He added that the staff internally did a lot of legwork in building the program's rubric, implementing changes that the City Council wanted to see happen to ensure that there are robust reporting requirements built into the program. According to Blosser, the city tries to be as transparent as possible regarding what the process will look like. He stated that there are guide rails that everybody has to follow, including the City of Fairmont. 'The goal is not to have these opioid funds just sit in a bank account, earning interest for us,' said Blosser. 'The goal is to get them out in the field, making a difference for the people who are dealing with this, and to also help to curb and stop people from getting towards addiction.' Blosser said that it's the city's hope through this program to establish a process that encourages local organizations to start working together. He stated that although he feels a lot of organizations are doing good work surrounding the opioid crisis and addiction in general, one of the primary weaknesses he noticed is that many of them are working independently. 'Some folks have money to do certain pieces of projects, and I think groups need to communicate more,' Blosser added. 'I'm hopeful that the way we've structured this kind of requires people that are gonna be successful getting dollars, that they've got partnerships with other organizations and are not trying to duplicate efforts where money may already be.' Anyone looking for more information about this program can find it on the City of Fairmont's website. Blosser said that the city understands a lot of information must be gone over on the application, which may appear to be a big hurdle for some, but they encourage individuals and organizations to reach out with any questions. 'We want people to apply for this money,' said Blosser. 'So if people have questions related to that application, we certainly want them to reach out and we will work as [expediently] as possible to try and get them answers.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Demolition begins for Fairmont Box Factory
FAIRMONT, (WBOY) — After sitting vacant for more than 30 years, the Fairmont Box Factory is now being demolished to create a facility that city officials believe will be monumental for the city. Monday began the initial process of the demolition, preceded by a ceremony to commemorate the factory's history and its new beginning. The City of Fairmont is planning to construct a community recreational area in place of the factory that will also extend the West Fork Trail into the neighborhood. East-West Stadium set to receive new turf this summer 'This is going to become a community recreation area where people are down here and we're going to be transforming the Beltline neighborhood, not just here, but the old Helmic property site as well. And to sports tourism and recreational tourism, and I think it's just a big day for Fairmont, one of several big days that are coming,' Fairmont City Manager Travis Blosser said. The city plans to pay homage to the factory's history and impact on its community by tying the history of glassmaking into the new facility and utilizing rubble from the demolition as fill aggregate. The demolition is a part of the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection's (WVDEP) 'Delap 2' initiative, which awarded Fairmont $450,000 for this site alone. More than $918,000 has already been invested in the city, with 18 structures demolished, although WVDEP Secretary Harold Ward said that five to seven structures are still in the works. 'This is not a profit-based initiative, it's about community improvement and uplifting the community and savings for the community, there's an inherited economic benefit with it that goes along with it. I mean this property that's next to the recreational facility over here on river frontage, it's going to be enormous for Fairmont,' Ward said. Groundbreaking for the recreational area is scheduled to begin this summer and continue into the fall. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Senate discrimination ordinance bill threatens local control for W.Va. cities
FAIRMONT — A bill passed by the West Virginia Senate may invalidate the ability of Fairmont residents to protect vulnerable groups from discrimination through City ordinance and popular election. 'This bill addressing discrimination ordinances is one example of local control being targeted by legislation, whether that's the intention of the legislation or not,' City Manager Travis Blosser said. 'It's hard to justify passing a one-size-fits-all, statewide bill when municipalities and their residents have already spoken their minds through local processes.' Senate Bill 579 prohibits municipalities participating in the home rule program from establishing nondiscrimination ordinances that include additional protected class beyond what state law already covers. It also opens the door to LGBTQ+ conversion therapy in municipalities that have banned the practice. State Sen. Brian Helton, R-09, is lead sponsor on the bill, which now sits in the House of Representatives, where it waits for discussion. Helton argued during floor debate that a patchwork of varying local ordinances creates uncertainty for individuals and businesses. He said centralizing anti-discrimination laws in the state would allow for more efficient and consistent enforcement through dedicated agencies like the Human Rights Commission of West Virginia. He singled out Morgantown's ban on conversion therapy as well, arguing the ordinance threatens the licenses of mental health and medical professionals who offer the practice and framed the issue from the standpoint of parental rights. 'By moving forward and allowing these ordinances to continue, not only are we creating tons of overreach into lots of areas of our state government,' Helton said. 'We're conflicting with our business community. We're not providing a clear framework of legal issues when we deal with anti-discrimination laws.' Helton also said the bill would remove any local ordinances that contradict President Donald Trump's national agenda. Under Article 175 of Fairmont City Code, the city includes a declaration of Civil Rights for gender identity. The article also establishes the Human Rights Commission. City code tasks the commission with working to bring about mutual understanding and respect among all people, and safeguard the rights of all people to be free from all forms of discrimination. The Fairmont Human Rights Commission has no ability to pass ordinances of its own, but can only recommend policies to City Council, which not only can choose if it wants to bring them to a vote, but also if it will adopt a recommendation or not. The city also requires its contractors to execute a non-discrimination in the workplace affidavit, which includes protections for gender identity. The city also has rules protecting its employees from discrimination, gender identity included. A cursory review of city code related to discrimination reveals no ordinances intruding on decisions between parents and doctors, nor any penalties for practicing conversion therapy in Fairmont. The Human Rights Commission has no enforcement power, and City Ordinances regarding discrimination only apply to City Employees, not private business. The state Human Rights Commission has enforcement power, but does not list gender identity as a protected group. In Morgantown, the ordinance in question doesn't mention penalties such as losing a medical license for practicing conversion therapy. Within the professional mental health field, conversion therapy is discredited. The National Alliance on Mental Illness states no one should be subject to practices that can cause or worsen mental health symptoms and supports banning conversion therapy. The American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry finds no evidence to support conversion therapy. Stanford Medicine found conversion practices are linked to depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide. Both of Marion County's state senators voted against the bill. Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Morgantown, argued the residents of Fairmont and Morgantown engaged in the public process to pass the ordinances SB 579 targets. 'I think about the actions of those city council members who conducted committee meetings of the whole, public hearings, readings, votes,' Oliverio said. 'Where they solicited the input from their constituents, who are my constituents as well, and reached the conclusion that the right thing to do was adopt these ordinances and resolutions.' Oliverio added he doesn't always agree with the actions of Morgantown, but that he respects their ability to take those actions. Sen. Joey Garcia, D-Fairmont, questioned Helton on his premises. Garcia pointed out local ordinances already can't supercede state law. He also said the legislature was trying to cast diversity, equity and inclusion as dirty words forbidden from the public tongue. He also pointed out the legislature has been in the habit of passing laws for situations that simply don't happen. 'When these ordinances are passed, people come and say, we want these protections,' Garcia said. 'That is legitimate.' Sen. Ryan Weld, R-Brooke County, was one of several Republicans who also spoke out against the bill. He had a singular word for it. 'This is dumb,' he said. He pointed out with all the problems the state has, with foster care, child protective services, educational outcomes and others, this is what the legislature is focusing on. 'Why is it dumb?' Weld said. 'Where is the problem that we're trying to address? I haven't heard of any.' Blosser said Fairmont has a robust process for petitioning against an ordinance and sending contentious matters to the ballot. The Human Rights Commission had to go through that process to be established. 'In the end, Fairmont voted, and the HRC was established,' Blosser said. 'We have to be wary of that kind of local control taking a back seat.'
