BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Efforts to make the City of Beckley the nation’s first “Inclusive Recovery City” appear to have been put on hold following a contentious meeting of Beckley City Council this week.
The IRC initiative has been a recurring topic of discussion at city council meetings in recent weeks, with Tuesday’s session seeing perhaps the greatest degree of criticism for the proposal thus far in the form of remarks from members of the public as well as members of council.
Councilman at Large, Cody Reedy spoke up during Tuesday’s session with regard to an apparent planned signing of an IRC charter next week, an event which has since been cancelled by Mayor Rappold, “due to the unexpected public and Council input in opposition to IRC.”
Reedy mentioned having been approached by many constituents regarding the initiative itself and with regard to Jay Phillips of Seed Sower, Inc., the organization spearheading the IRC effort. The Councilman at Large noted that the decision to pursue the IRC charter should fall to the people of the city and members of council, stating:
“The people are voicing their opinions on the matter and it’s only fair if council decides if this is best for the city. This is nothing different than any other issue that has been voted on in the past.”
Reedy also acknowledged concerns raised by multiple Beckley residents in recent weeks with regard to the business practices of Fruits of Labor, of which a purported lack of rent being charged to the organization by the city for use of city property has been a sticking point for many area residents.
“Also, I believe we need to do some major looking into these businesses that are using a city building rent free with no lease in place,” Reedy continued, ultimately proposing an emergency special meeting of the Beckley City Council to vote with regard to the proposed IRC charter.
Reedy expressed concerns with regard to the type of message the charter could convey and how this perception could impact current residents of the area, many of whom have already expressed frustration due to the impact of homelessness and substance abuse in the area.
Phillips himself issued a statement addressing the shift in plans, stating, “We understand that there may be concerns based on a potential misunderstanding of what an IRC entails. The purpose of an Inclusive Recovery City is not to establish a sanctuary city or initiate a radical shift in approach. It is not a program designed to attract or increase any capacity, and it requires no city funding, assets, or grants to implement.”
Councilman Robert Dunlap addressed the issue following this week’s meeting, stating, “Ultimately the city council will have no ability to stand in the way of any nonprofit’s initiatives to do what they believe will best benefit the community; but we can do our due diligence as to whether or not we openly and energetically welcome future solutions or problems.”
Dunlap would also go on to propose a live or web-based public forum at which the concerns of individuals throughout the community with regard to these issues could be heard.
