March 25 City Council

March 25 City Council included a passing of ordinances and proposals which will clean up Huntington and give the youth an exciting new experience in the city.

The session started with Mayor Steve Williams who honored Huntington High senior Kelsi Burns for her academic and athletic merit and Burns acceptance to West Point on a soccer scholarship.

The Council first ordinance included a tougher code that would keep property owners from keeping couches outside of the house.

By a unanimous vote of 8-0, council members approved an ordinance that prohibits residents from keeping furniture, mattresses and another items not intended for outdoor use in front yards.

The city is allowing a transition period in order to allow citizens to comply with the ordinance. The city will be placing trash bins in neighborhoods beginning April 3. The locations of the bins has not been decided yet.

Huntington's youth have plenty to be excited about after this meeting with the approval of a Huntington skate park at the River Front Park. The Council approved the creation of a master plan that marks the start of designing a skate park that will be constructed in the West end of River Front Park.

The meeting concluded with the discussion of the cities first "Second Chance Prom" this Friday night which will give special needs and underprivileged citizens a prom just for them free of charge at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena

Faculty Senate

The Marshall University Faculty Senate meeting discussed the annual budget report, President Stephen Kopp, addressed included information on employee salaries and compensation.

Kopp's presentation, included at Powerpoint that described university expenditures of how it is divided among those in different faculty positions.

According to Kopp 62 percent of university funds go toward faculty salaries. Kopp said that professors at Marshall include more full ranked professors then other similar universities. 

Kopp also addressed the upcoming state wide budget cuts which would be a overall 8.9 percent budget cut. Kopp said these cuts will increase tuition for future students by a $730 increase. 

Kopp encouraged members of the senate to write to their congressmen to discourage some of the upcoming budget cuts that would be effecting the university.

At the end of Kopp's speech, he answered questions about the budget report from the senate and encouraged members to do research on the upcoming budget cuts.