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ELKINS -- In its first meeting of the new year, Elkins City Council will recognize an Elkins High School student's acceptance into an exclusive program, as well as vote on a speed limit ordinance for defined residential areas of Fourth Ward.
The meeting will be tonight at 7 p.m. at the Phil Gainer Community Center.
During the meeting, the City of Elkins and Council will recognize Juliann Harlan for being accepted into the United States Senate Youth Program.
Harlan, a junior at Elkins High School, is just one of 104 students across America that was chosen for the extremely selective program.
"Only two kids from every state ... get into this program," Harlan told The Inter-Mountain in a previous statement. "I was extremely excited when I received the news that I was selected. When I saw the six finalists for this (state) competition I thought there was no way that I even had a chance."
Harlan is only the second student from Randolph County, and the first-ever from Elkins High School, to be accepted into the program. Misty Taylor, a former student of Tygarts Valley High School, was the first from Randolph County to be accepted, back in 1996.
Along with receiving a $10,000 scholarship for being selected, Harlan was named the highest-scoring delegate in the entire program. She will represent West Virginia during USSYP Washington Week in Washington, D.C. from March 7 to March 14.
Council will also vote on the final reading of Ordinance 349, which would reduce the speed limit to 15 miles per hour on streets bounded by Sycamore Street, Randolph Avenue, Diamond Street and "the City's eastern boundary." The ordinance's first reading was approved during the Council's Dec. 4 meeting.
While Diamond Street will be included in the speed limit change if the ordinance is passed, the speed limits on Sycamore Street and Randolph Avenue will not be affected.
The roads that will be affected by the ordinance if it is passed are Bell Street, Boundary Avenue, Boyd Street, Buffalo Street, Cherry Street, Church Lane, Court Street, Diamond Street, Earle Street, Elm Street, Fayette Street, Gay Street, Guy Street, High Street, Howe Avenue, Key Street, Kirk Street, Locust Street, Marro Drive, Oak Street, Park Street, Paule Street, Prospect Street, Slaughterhouse Hill Road, Summit Street, Sugar Hill Lane, Terrace Avenue, Thorne Avenue, Vine Street, Vista Avenue, Weese Street and Woodford Drive.
The speed limits in all alleys within the described area will also be changed.
Also on Council's agenda for Thursday is Resolution 1886, which would update the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Elkins and the Refinery Church regarding the church's warming station "for unhoused individuals within the community when temperatures fall below 20 degrees Fahrenheit."
During a special meeting on April 15, 2025, Council approved the original MOU between the City and the church, which stated that the City would provide $1,000 during Fiscal Year 2026 to the Church to support its operation of a warming station, but the City would not assume responsibility for any aspect of the station's operation
The original MOU also stated that the Refinery Church would use the $1,000 exclusively for "any expenditure reasonably related" to operating the warming station. The church also had to maintain detailed financial records documenting the use of the funds provided by the City, as well as submit a report to the City after each occasion the warming station was opened.
During tonight's meeting, Elkins City Council will also be discussing:
Resolution 1887: Ratify appointments of Council members to Elkins Parks and Recreation Commission and Planning Commission
Resolution 1888: FY 2026 General Fund budget revisions 1-4
Resolution 1889: FY 2026 – SAO Budget Revision 2
Planning for #America250 observance
Personnel matter concerning an appointed official.