CHESTER — The City of Chester may finally be getting a new legal counsel of record.

During city council’s recent regular meeting, Chester Mayor Ed Wedgewood said progress is being made to fill the vacancy left by the departure of Michael Adams when he was named Weirton’s city manager in 2021.

Under the city’s charter, a full-time solicitor must be an attorney, licensed to practice in West Virginia and live in Hancock County.

However, the charter also does leave a slight loophole, allowing the city to appoint a special legal counsel.

Wedgewood said it allows for the city to strike a more permanent arrangement with its outside law firm, Bailey and Wyant of Wheeling, in place of a solicitor. The firm has an ala carte option for municipalities, where they just pay $150 per hour (and no retainer) for legal services.

The city wouldn’t necessarily be just assigned one lawyer from the firm to oversee Chester’s legal needs, but, potentially, the entire group depending on the area of expertise needed.

According to the firm’s website, Mark A. Kepple, David L. Wyant and Thomas E. Buck are their primary government liability attorneys in the Wheeling office.

The firm currently represents eight municipalities in West Virginia.

“Government bodies turn to us for one reason: We get results. We can sort through the most complex government liability matters. Not only do we get results, but we do so in a matter that is efficient and cost-effective thus saving valuable taxpayer dollars,” their website reads.

Police Chief Chuck Stanley recently has brought a couple ordinances to council’s attention, such as the dilapidated property and high weeds laws on the books, that are antiquated and in need of updates as they are nearly impossible to enforce as they lack “teeth.”

This would be one of the first tasks assigned by Chester administration, as they are preparing to demolish their pilot houses in the dilapidated property program.

Council requested City Clerk Tara Ayers reach out to the firm and request a proposal, of acting as the city’s special counsel, which would get around the residency requirement.

Council members also liked that the firm would not only attend meetings every quarter but if there was a legal matter to discuss.

Other firms charge municipalities a flat retainer of thousands of dollars for the year and then additional fees per hour often despite having a law director on the city’s staff.

In other action, council:

• Paid $133,611.88 worth of bills from the general fund and $4,772.03 from the building fund.

• Accepted receipts totaling $154,314.86 from the general fund.

• Approved closure of an additional empty payroll account and general fund account, transferring $549 in proceeds from the general fund II account to the general fund to help expedite their regular audits due to there being fewer accounts.

• Heard from Ayers, who read an annual report from the police pension fund, which states that it is performing well since council had boosted the underfunded account and they had a 11.5 percent Return On Investment this year.

• Agreed to send employees from the Clerk and Water offices to State Auditor Training in Wheeling on Oct. 7 at no cost to the city.

• Asked Councilman Steve Shuman to solicit bids to purchase new tires for a pickup truck and a dump truck. Shuman is also the street superintendent for the city.

• Awarded a bid for cutting down 11 trees and spraying the remaining stumps to Been There, Cut That of East Liverpool for $3,850. The only other bid received was from Beaner’s Logging and Tree Service of Chester, bidding $11,000.

• Approved $2,705 to replace a door in the municipal building multipurpose room/gym area by Tri-State Glass of East Liverpool.

• Passed a proclamation drafted by Wedgewood in recognition of the 67th anniversary of the Hancock County Association of Retired School Employee to be delivered by the mayor to their celebration later this month.