Council Passes Measure to Accept Donations from AT&T, Huntington Bank

During tonight’s Charleston City Council meeting, Council voted to adopt General Fund Budget Amendment No. 6. This Amendment allowed the City to accept donated money from AT&T and Huntington Bank that will allow for additional home demolitions, purchase new mattresses for first responders, fund an afterschool program and purchase new athletic equipment for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center.

“We are grateful for our partners all across the city that want to join us in making Charleston a vibrant, more robust community,” said Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. “These funds will help provide more recreational opportunities and help first responders that are dealing with the opioid epidemic.”

AT&T is donating $45,000 as part of their Believe Appalachia initiative. This campaign is focused on helping first responders combat the opioid epidemic in the Appalachian region. Funds will help demolish abandoned homes ($32,000), purchase mattresses for fire stations across the city ($8,000) and fund an afterschool program ($5,000). Funds from Huntington Bank will provide equipment, maintenance and updated programming at the MLK Center.

Part of Budget Amendment No. 6 increases the allotment of funds for the Family Reunification Program. This initiative reunites homeless individuals in the City of Charleston with family members by providing free transportation.

Other items of business during City Council included establishment of the new Tourism and Promotions Fund, Business Development and Economic Incentives Fund and Community Participation Grant Program and the passage of a bill that updated fire department holiday compensation to be consistent with state law.