CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston City Council spent much of their meeting Monday evening in discussion on PODA and new rules on the chamber floor regarding media members.
First, a bill on PODA, or a Public Outdoor Designated Area, passed overwhelmingly. The bill allows for people in certain areas of the City of Charleston to order and drink alcoholic beverages.
Ward 20 Charleston City Council member Chad Robinson, who spearheaded the idea, said this idea is all about trying to help out local businesses even more.
“This is to allow our businesses another option in bringing in customers to their facilities,” Robinson said.
Businesses in the capital city, Elk City, along Bridge Road and by the Capital Market have the option to apply to be a “PODA business.” The businesses that want to take part would need to apply and get approval from the city and from the West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration.
Participating businesses would use special cups that are first expected to be supplied by the city, with the businesses paying for them in the days after.
Robinson said he spoke with a handful of business owners in the past month and a half, with all of them telling him that they were in favor or interested in participating.
The city said the ordinance could start as soon as November.
The city of Huntington became the first in the state of West Virginia to put in place “PODAs.”
Charleston mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin said she experienced first-hand how this idea worked while in another city that had a similar ordinance. She was in favor of creating “PODAs” in Charleston.
“We wanted to take our time with this and see what other cities were doing across the country,” Goodwin said. “It’s working.”
Then, following a lengthy discussion on that bill, which ultimately passed, council members spent even more time in discussion on a resolution that would amend the Rules of Council.
The resolution adds new rules to media members and members of the public and their privileges to the floor of the council chamber during city council meetings. It also had a few proposed amendments that were all voted down. The resolution passed 19-7.
The resolution was brought forth to council after an incident occurred with a member of the media approaching a council member during a meeting at an inconvenient time.
The now passed resolution would move members of the media from a table that is positioned at the front of the chamber to the gallery.
People who are not council members or city staff will not be allowed on the chamber floor 30 minutes before, during and after the meeting, according to the resolution.
The resolution saw around 90 minutes of back and forth amongst council members before it was voted on.
Council also had their seating arrangements adjusted and are no longer sitting with their backs to the gallery. They are instead facing each other.
Goodwin said the resolution is favorable to the safety of the council members and the members of the media.
“They’re going to be able to see all of the council members and most importantly they’re still going to be able to hear,” said Goodwin.
The mayor said this resolution isn’t to prevent or make it harder for the media to cover council meetings. She added that the resolution is more about keeping council members and those allowed on the chamber floor safe.
“We don’t have any problems with the media,” Goodwin said. “We have great working relationships with all of them.”