Vehicle insurance ordinance brings Bluefield in line with W.Va. code

BLUEFIELD — Motorists traveling along city streets in Bluefield will want to make sure their vehicle insurance is up to date.

An ordinance requiring motorists traveling on city roads to carry a certificate of insurance was one of three new rules considered by the Bluefield Board of Directors Tuesday.

Another ordinance adopted by the board increases the bidding requirements for construction projects in the city.

A third ordinance that seeks to merge the storm water department and Bluefield Sanitary Board was passed on a first reading, but still requires a second reading for final approval.

City Attorney David Kersey said the ordinances dealing with proof of insurance and the bidding requirements for construction projects brings the city in line with existing state code.

“Mr. Mayor this is a second reading of our city ordinance that defines consistency with state law requiring the obligation for motorists to carry in the vehicle he or she is operating a proof that they have a liability insurance as required by state law,” Kersey said as he addressed Bluefield Mayor Ron Martin.

The ordinance states that the certificate of insurance or other proof of security must be carried by a motorist in the appropriate vehicle and must be presented upon request by any police or other law enforcement officer.

An omission in city code that required the updated ordinance was recently discovered.

Under the second ordinance, the bidding requirements for construction projects in Bluefield is increasing from $25,000 to $50,000.

By raising purchasing levels and increasing the bidding requirements city code will now match state minimums and account for inflation, according to Kersey.

“This again is a second reading of our procurement ordinance that brings it in compliance with state law regarding the minimum level for construction projects to go out for public bid, which is $50,000,” Kersey said. “We had raised ours from $20(000) to $25(000) to be consistent with state law and three or four months after we did that the state raised theirs to $50(000). So this makes the public bidding requirement consistent with state law.”

The board also approved the first reading of an ordinance Tuesday to merge the city’s stormwater department with the Bluefield Sanitary Board.

The proposed resolution, which still requires a second reading before approval, seeks to transition stormwater employees back to the sanitary board.

According to the resolution, in or around 2018, the city moved stormwater operations and employees from the sanitary board to the city of Bluefield’s public works department.

However, the proposed sale of the sanitary board system assets to West Virginia American Water Company is expected to close by the end of the current calendar year, and once the sewer assets are transferred, the reason for the city to retain stormwater operations in its public works department no longer exists, according to the proposed ordinance.

Approval of the proposed sale of the sanitary system is still pending with the West Virginia Public Service Commission, which has the final say on the sale or transfer of such public assets.

If the sale is ultimately approved by the Public Service Commission, an advisory board of the Bluefield Sanitary Board would remain intact to update the city on ongoing sanitary board projects that were launched prior to the transfer of the sanitary system assets. The mayor and or city manager of the city would serve on that advisory board along with two other members.

Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com

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