Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron, left, and Mayor Denny Magruder attend a meeting of Wheeling City Council earlier this month at the City-County Building. (Photo by Eric Ayres)

WHEELING – Information about a proposed Housing Development Task Force is expected to be discussed during tonight’s meeting of Wheeling City Council.

Last week during his annual State of the City address, Wheeling Mayor Denny Magruder announced that the city would be initiating this new effort. The purpose of the new task force will be to examine barriers to new housing construction and to recommend actionable strategies to increase the supply of quality, attainable housing within the city.

“Housing remains our number one challenge, as young professionals and those coming to work in our expanding health care market are seeking new single-family homes,” Magruder said during his address last week. “While there are still residents who enjoy remodeling and preserving our many historic Victorian homes, the demand for new housing options continues to outpace supply.”

On Monday, Magruder noted that the proposal is expected to be discussed during tonight’s meeting, which is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. in the second floor courtroom at the City-County Building on Chapline Street downtown.

“I am going to announce the goals and details of the Housing Development Task Force at (the) meeting,” the mayor said.

The meeting’s agenda of regular business is relatively light, with only three new pieces of legislation scheduled to be introduced before council tonight.

One new ordinance set for a first reading this evening would authorize the expenditure of $25,780 with Baker & Son Moody’s of Dayton for rehab to well pump No. 3 to be charged to the Water Department. Another ordinance set to be introduced tonight would authorize a $16,674 expenditure with Grade 8 Solutions LLC of Warren, Ohio, for the replacement of plug and swing check valves to be charged to the Water Pollution Control Department.

A third ordinance up for its first reading before council tonight would be to fix assessments for the cost of razing dilapidated structures in the city. Liens are expected to be placed on the real estate where the structures were located.

Those properties include 56½ Indiana St., assessed at $19,070; 2719 Eoff St., assessed at $14,570; and 4032 Jacob St., assessed at $13,570.

Prior to tonight’s regular council meeting, members of the Public Works Committee of Council are scheduled to meet to hear a presentation on source water protection. At 5:15 p.m., members of the Finance Committee of Council are slated to meet to review the city’s January Financial Report.