City Hall News: Week of April 19, 2026

ELKINS, W.Va. — April 18, 2026 — Mowing season is here! With the rapid change in seasons comes the common but avoidable challenge of grass clippings ending up in city streets.

While they may seem harmless, grass clippings on pavement will reduce tire traction, particularly during morning dew or after rainfall. For motorcycles and bicycles, even a thin layer of clippings can increase stopping distance or cause a wheel to slide. We encourage all residents to treat clippings like any other street debris—something to be removed, not ignored.

Our wastewater system faces risks, too. When grass clippings wash into storm drains, they can add excess organic material that must be filtered or treated—adding strain to this system. While the City of Elkins conducts regular street sweeping, sweeping cannot remove 100% of material from every curb line. Resident cooperation absolutely makes a meaningful difference.

Street Sweeping Resumes

Street sweeping resumed Monday, April 13. Parking enforcement starts on Monday, April 20. The street sweeping schedule is unchanged from last year; view it here: https://cityofelkinswv.gov/street-sweeper.

Free Reflective Address Decals

 The City of Elkins offers residents and business owners free reflective address numbers. Please don’t let darkness or severe weather make your home or business difficult to find when first responders must arrive on the scene in an emergency.

Getting free decals for your home or business is easy:

• Visit the Finance Dept. at the WV Wood Tech Center (at 10 11th St., Suite 3).
• Provide your Elkins address.
• Receive your free reflective numbers.

A clearly visible address will save critical time and can even save a life: Please pick up yours today!

The Finance Department’s hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sign Up for Emergency Alerts

Elkins City Hall asks residents and business owners to sign up for emergency text alerts. Anybody with a mobile phone can receive important alerts including weather warnings, street closures, and water outages. Subscribers will also receive reminders about changes to Elkins’ municipal services due to holidays.

Sanitation Department Updates

For the rest of April, Elkins’ sanitation crew is working on a regular schedule. For reminders on when utility customers’ bulk pickup is scheduled this month, please visit this page: https://cityofelkinswv.com/bulk-pickup/.

City Hall Business

Elkins City Council will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 7:00 p.m., at the Phil Gainer Community Center. This meeting is when Council will “lay the levy.”

The following committees and boards have meetings scheduled:

Monday, April 20:

• Sanitary Board: 10:00 a.m., Phil Gainer Community Center. Items on the agenda include the installation of an auxiliary power source at the Cherokee Lift Station; approval of the FY 2027 sewer budget; and reports from the Wastewater Department’s leading officials.
• Rules and Ordinances Committee: 3:30 p.m., Phil Gainer Community Center. Agenda TBA.

Thursday, April 23: The Regional Task Force on Homelessness, Addiction, and Mental Health will meet at 1:00 p.m. at the Phil Gainer Community Center. The public is welcome to attend. The agenda is TBA.

Keep informed of all upcoming meetings by visiting https://cityofelkinswv.com/agenda-center/. Residents and business owners may also set up email alerts to remind them about upcoming meetings.

City Hall Renovations

The City Hall building at 401 Davis Avenue has been closed for renovations since September 2024. Contractors are now working on a $4.1 million project to repair and prevent future damage from flooding; install modern HVAC systems; improve safety, accessibility, and security; and update and modernize workspaces.

For updates on City Hall construction and renovations: https://cityofelkinswv.com/renovations/.

For all departments’ contact information: https://cityofelkinswv.com/directory/.

Finance Department Update

Utility and in-city fire fees bills are due April 20. First quarter B&O tax returns are due April 30.

To pay bills online: https://cityofelkinswv.com/online-payments/.

To pay bills in-person: 10 Eleventh St., Suite 3, Elkins, West Virginia, 26241.