Westover Council honors Eagle Scout, approves engineering contract for Holland Avenue

Ben Conley, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
·2 min read

Aug. 16—WESTOVER — Westover City Council started its Monday meeting off with a Scout's honor.

Will Angelozzi was presented with a plaque by Mayor Bob Lucci in recognition for his Eagle Scout project, which, among other things, resulted in new benches and a new sign with a raised planter for Westover's Mascioli Park.

"We wanted to thank you personally for your services to the city of Westover, " Lucci said, drawing applause from the Scout-heavy crowd, which then filed out to convene its own meeting next door in the Westover Senior Center.

Once down to business, council approved $363, 000 for services provided by Thrasher Engineering in regard to the Holland Avenue project.

"This is a comprehensive service from the beginning of the project until the final completion, " City Attorney Tim Stranko explained. "If this is approved by council, in 60 days we'll get our first report, scoping the project."

Stranko explained the engineering contract amount is based off a formula enforced by the West Virginia Jobs Development Council that factors in estimated project cost.

In May, Thrasher's Doug Smith said the anticipated cost of the work had jumped from $2.6 million to $3.8 million based on the trajectory of construction and material costs across the state.

The project will address about 2, 000 feet of Holland Avenue, including destroyed sanitary sewer and stormwater lines beneath the street's surface. It will also address the large retaining wall that runs along lower Holland Avenue.

In other news from Monday's meeting, council:

— Approved the hiring of two new police officers, both of whom will be sworn in later this week and placed on the list for the next class of the West Virginia State Police Academy. In the meantime, Chief Joe Adams said, the department is about to lose an officer to the WVSP, leaving five of 17 officer spots open.

— Approved a resolution blocking Ross Lane to through vehicle traffic indefinitely.