City Hall News: Week of August 9, 2026

ELKINS, W.Va. — August 8, 2026 — The City of Elkins has several job openings, including two critical infrastructure roles:

The Wastewater Department is searching for a Wastewater Collection Technician I, II or III. This is a full-time position with benefits and will remain open until the position is filled. Final placement will be based on the new hire’s experience, certification and demonstrated skills. The position, which will report to the Wastewater Collection Supervisor, will work out of the City’s Wastewater Collection Department at 31 Jones Drive in Elkins.

In addition, the Water Department seeks a Water Technician I, II or III. Water technicians work within an operations team responsible for maintaining safe drinking water, reliable service to customers and compliance with all applicable state and federal environmental regulations. Job duties include the installation, maintenance and repair of water mains, service lines, valves, hydrants, meters and related infrastructure.

Water and wastewater technician jobs are essential, in-demand roles that cannot be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) and offer plenty of opportunities in career advancement.

Learn more about these and other jobs on the City of Elkins’ job page: https://cityofelkinswv.gov/employment.

Free Address Decals

The City of Elkins offers residents and business owners free reflective address numbers. Please don’t allow darkness or extreme weather to make your home or business difficult to find when first responders 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 saves critical time and lives: 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 Text Alerts

The recent extreme weather reminds us that we can never be too prepared. The City of Elkins asks residents and business owners to sign up for emergency text alerts. Anybody with a cellphone can receive important alerts including weather warnings, street closures and water outages. Subscribers to these text alerts also receive reminders about changes to Elkins’ municipal services due to holidays.

Please sign up here: https://cityofelkinswv.gov/alerts

Reminder about Dropping off Yard Waste and Glass

The City of Elkins reminds residents about the rules at our yard waste and glass drop-off site at 1 Baxter Street. Elkins has been close to losing its contract with its waste management vendors because residents are leaving other waste at the Sanitation Garage. Currently, the drop-off site only accepts two types of materials: glass and yard waste.

Boxes, household trash, plastic ties, twine and other waste items are strictly prohibited by the companies with which Elkins has contracts. Again, please only bring glass and yard waste.

More information is available here: https://cityofelkinswv.gov/community/recycling/

Request When Mowing Your Lawns

While they may appear harmless, grass clippings left on pavement can reduce tire traction, particularly during morning dew or after rainfall. For motorcycles and bicycles, even a thin layer of clippings can increase stopping distance, create a dangerously slick surface and cause a wheel to slide. We ask all residents to treat lawn clippings like any other street debris: something to be removed, not ignored.

Elkins’ wastewater system faces risks as well. When grass clippings wash into storm drains, they add excess organic material that must be filtered or treated—adding strain to this system. While the City of Elkins conducts regular street sweeping, this cannot remove 100% of material from every curb line. Residents’ cooperation makes a meaningful difference in keeping our infrastructure safely running.

Sanitation Department Updates

Utility customers’ bulk pickup days are on a normal schedule for August. For reminders on when utility customers’ bulk pickups are scheduled this month, please visit this page: https://cityofelkinswv.gov/bulk-pickup/.

City Hall Business

On Tuesday, August 18, the Water Department and Water Board will hold a special meeting to discuss Elkins’ source water and potential for new raw water sources in the future. The public is welcome to attend; the meeting will be at the Phil Gainer Center, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Elkins City Council will hold its next meeting on Thursday, August 13, at 7:00 p.m. at the Phil Gainer Center. Items on the agenda include forming a joint development entity with the Randolph County Development Authority; a proposal to lease space to Mountain Valley Bank to lease office space in City Hall (pending an Aug. 12 Municipal Properties committee meeting); and establishing a new compensation level for Elkins’ Fire Chief.

The following City Council meeting for this month is scheduled for Thursday, August 27.

The following boards and committees meet next week:

Monday, August 10:

• Finance: 1:00 p.m., Phil Gainer Center. This committee will discuss sanitation rates, GameChangers and a CVB marketing funds request.
• Water Board: 4:00 p.m., Phil Gainer Center. Agenda TBA.

Tuesday, August 11:

• Historic Landmarks Commission, 4:00, Darden House. Agenda TBA.

Wednesday, August 12:

• Municipal Properties, 11:00 a.m., Phil Gainer Center. Discussion items include wayfinding signs, a Veterans Council MOU and a sidewalk improvement grant program.

Thursday, August 13:

• Planning Commission, 4:00 p.m., WV Wood Tech Center. Agenda TBA.

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

Finance Department Updates

Utility and in-city fire fees are due August 20.

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

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

City Hall Renovations

The City Hall building at 401 Davis Avenue has been closed for renovations since September 2024. Contractors continue to work 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 employee workspaces.

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

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