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Pingley
ELKINS -- After meeting in executive session for two hours, Elkins City Council voted Thursday evening to place Operations Manager Bob Pingley on administrative leave with pay until the next council meeting.
City officials would not comment on why Pingley was being placed on leave.
"It's a personnel matter and it's confidential," First Ward Councilman Rob Chenoweth, chair of the city's Personnel Committee, told The Inter-Mountain immediately after the meeting.
Pingley was not present in council chambers when the vote was taken.
Several city employees were present in the audience within council chambers during the meeting, including representatives of the Street, Water Distribution and Water Treatment departments, all of which fall under the purview of the city's operations manager.
The sole agenda item on Thursday's special call meeting was labeled "Operations personnel matter." Council entered executive session at the start of the 7 p.m. meeting, and returned to the meeting at 9 p.m.
Mayor Jerry Marco said no action had been taken during the executive session. Chenoweth then made the motion to place Pingley on administrative leave.
The motion passed with no dissenting votes. Fourth Ward Councilwoman Nanci Bross-Fregonara was not present at Thursday's meeting.
Taking part in the executive session were all present council members, Marco, City Clerk Jessica Sutton and City Attorney Gerri Roberts.
Pingley has served as the city's operations manager since April 2008.
During his tenure the city completed construction of a new $37 million water treatment plant in 2018.
The city of Elkins was also named the 2018 Water System of the Year by the West Virginia Rural Water Association during the organization's annual awards banquet in Charleston.
Also in 2018, city water department employees walked off the job in June regarding pay issues. Later that year, the city adopted a "step and grade" Classification and Compensation Plan which includes the opportunity for annual review of wages and possible wage increases based on employee evaluations and available revenues.
The next Elkins City Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 19 at City Hall.