By Hannah Heishman
The Moorefield Town Council met Tuesday, April 15 for a regular meeting that included annual tasks, traffic concerns, and two executive sessions.
It also included the public’s first opportunity to hear from supporters of Moorefield Police Chief Stephen Riggleman: his own department.
All members of the Council were present when Matthew Sneathen, a citizen who lives on Central Ave. very near Branson Lane, addressed them regarding speed on Branson Lane.
Sneathen observed there are three people who live on and frequently use Branson Lane, and that, “there shouldn’t be 20 to 30 cars speeding up and down the alleyway.” He also expressed concern about the condition of the road.
“The road is literally going to crap, and someone is going to get hurt.”
Sneathen said he attended the meeting primarily because of the speed, and requested the Town post a speed limit sign.
Mayor Carol Zuber asked Moorefield police chief Stephen Riggleman for his suggestions. He said that 15 mph on Branson Lane is appropriate, as is making it a one-way street.
The Council approved restricting speed to 15 mph, and making Branson Lane one way after Riggleman verifies which direction would work best.
Quincy Combs, Moorefield High School’s head tennis coach and assistant athletic director, and Traci Alley, MHS’ assistant tennis coach, asked the Council to help them fund team travel this year.
The teams use the Moorefield Town Park tennis courts for their home matches. Because of the courts’ condition and their imminent renovation, Combs has scheduled most of their matches to be away.
“These courts are not a safe environment…which is why I moved most of our tournaments away,” Combs said. “Last year, we played seven away matches; this year, 11-12 away matches. Last year was supposed to be the year we played more matches away.”
Seven away matches last year cost approximately $3300. Combs also told the Council he’s had to schedule matches farther away, including Charleston, but that he’s maximized travel by scheduling double and triple matches.
“Other coaches are appalled that I have so many teams scheduled, but I don’t really have a choice,” he said.
Alley told the Council she’d been with the MHS tennis program for 19 years, and that without the Town Park and Park personnel, the tennis program wouldn’t exist. She said the team works hard to raise funds, but their primary fundraising has been through tennis events at the Park, which they can’t do this year.
She said they get no funding from the schools, and because the Park is open to the public, they can’t charge entry fees.
The Council approved allocating $3000 to the MHS tennis program to support travel expenses.
Justin Murray, minister at Love Christian Assembly, returned to the Council to tell them he’d gotten parking areas approved around the Park for a New Year’s Eve celebration the church hosts. He also clarified that the fireworks, which start at midnight, only last a few minutes.
The Council approved his request to use the Town Park, and waived the noise ordinance until 1 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2026.
The Council then went into an executive session to meet with their lawyer, Jack Walters.
When they exited the executive session, those who signed up to speak were allowed to do so.
Moorefield police officer Jon Baniak presented a letter signed by every member of the MPD formally requesting removing Zuber from her position as Police Commissioner.
The letter stated the officers’ and civilian employees’ have “no confidence in Mayor Zuber to work with or to represent the best interests” of the MPD, and accused her of not supporting the department while demonstrating favoritism towards “one former officer.”
Baniak said Riggleman should have a right to due process, “just like a former officer did for the last eight months.” Baniak was referring to adverse paperwork placed in Riggleman’s official file, adding him to what’s called a Brady List.
“Brady Lists” arose from U.S. Supreme Court case Brady v. Maryland, and initially involved prosecutorial dishonesty. It has expanded to include law enforcement, and is complicated by variances in its application and reasoning across jurisdictions. Essentially, “Brady Cops” are unable to testify for the State, which means they can’t make arrests, investigate cases, or do anything else that could require them to take the stand in a trial. It typically ends a police officer’s career.
The MPD officers believe Riggleman’s addition to West Virginia’s Brady List is unjust, based on false claims, and that Riggleman was given no opportunity to defend himself against those claims.
The officers also worry that if their chief can be placed on the Brady List without an opportunity to respond or defend himself, then they have even less defense against the same.
“We think Chief Riggleman has done an excellent job, is continuously trying to improve the department, and has done the best he can,” Baniak said.
Christine Crites, a civilian employee for the MPD, also spoke about perceiving injustice towards Riggleman from members of the public during Council meetings.
“Nobody spoke up, nobody said, ‘that was out of line,’” she said, referring to Council’s policy of staying quiet when members of the public address them.
The policy protects the Council from intentionally or accidentally appearing to favor any speaker, and prevents them from inadvertently making inappropriate statements.
Crites was referring to times members of the public directly attacked Riggleman, as well as Council member Mary Jo Tobin, and were allowed to repeatedly do so.
Crites also expressed frustration with the way an investigation, which was supposed to be against a former MPD officer, turned against Riggleman.
“It was one-sided, it was biased, it was unethical,” Crites said.
MPD officer Mel Parker, the department’s second in command, began by acknowledging she’d appeared before the Council before to speak against Riggleman.
“It’s not a secret. We had issues,” she said. “Shortly after (Parker last addressed Council) we had it out, we came together as a team, and worked it out. We’ve both grown…and we’ve learned to iron out our differences.
“(Riggleman) has done everything you asked him to do” regarding disciplinary actions the Council dictated, Parker said.
Parker said she saw Zuber in the court house, and later observed security footage that showed Zuber meeting with Hardy County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Weatherholt and Pendleton County Prosecutor April Mallow.
Mallow was the assigned special investigating officer on a complaint Riggleman filed against another officer. Mallow later testified on that officer’s behalf, against the Town and Riggleman, in disciplinary hearings.
Both hearings found against the police officer, and in favor of the Town.
Following Zuber’s meeting with the two prosecutors, the adverse paperwork appeared in Riggleman’s personnel file adding him to the W.Va. Brady List.
“I saw you in there for an hour and 15 minutes,” Parker told Zuber. “This happened on Monday (Apr. 7), and the next day (Riggleman) gets put on the Brady list, and April (Mallow) comes out shaking hands with Weatherholt. It looks awful fishy.”
As Parker spoke, Zuber interrupted her, apparently trying to defend her actions. She asked Riggleman to confirm that she had not been to MPD offices in around 18 months. Riggleman started to answer, and Zuber interrupted him, demanding he respond with “yes” or “no.”
“You haven’t talked to me at all on any of this,” Riggleman said. “I know you’ve had meetings with (the former MPD officer). Jeff Weatherholt never gave me any voice in any of this. You could have stood up for me, and could have stood up for the police department.”
Parker told Zuber that the questions Weatherholt allegedly asked her about evidence and evidence storage were ones he could, and perhaps should, have asked Parker.
“I’ve stayed out of this whole process; I didn’t want to be a part of it,” Parker said. “This shouldn’t be happening. (Riggleman) took vacation, because of the Brady list: That leaves us with three officers. If he moves on, what are we gonna do?”
Zuber abruptly stopped further comments and continued with the agenda..
TaYare Meade approached the Council with concerns from EACHS Head Start. Allegedly, the federal Head Start program is under consideration for complete elimination.
Nearly 8000 West Virginian children participate in the program. Research consistently shows the program yields long-term returns of $7-$10 for every federal dollar invested, according to a release from the West Virginia Head Start Association.
The program has enjoyed bipartisan support at both State and Federal levels. Because this is the beginning of the budgeting process, Meade asked the Council and the community to contact Senators Shelley Moore Capito and Jim Justice, and Representatives Carol Miller and Riley Moore to express support.
Meade said EACHS Head Start serves 263 children across Hardy, Hampshire, and Grant counties, and provides services and assistance to their families including budgeting, workforce training, medical screening and scheduling follow-up appointments, travel assistance and continued education.
Public Works director Lucas Gagnon and Park Manager Juwana Bridger Titus updated the council on a multipurpose building still in planning phases. The building will be located between the basketball courts and maintenance buildings, near Spring Avenue.
The building’s original, and still a primary, purpose is to house the ice skating rink. Titus recognized it could easily be used for other things, making it multipurpose for all four seasons.
The Town budgeted $550,000 for the building, but the lowest bid received was $674,566. City Clerk Rick Freeman said three contractors expressed interest, but only one submitted a bid.
Gagnon said the bid amount, while higher than anticipated, also presents the Council with opportunities.
“Do you want an enclosed building,” he asked, “or do you just want a roof over an ice skating rink?”
Potential uses included community movie nights, climbing walls, reunions, indoor practice space, an enclosed shelter to rent for celebrations, and space to hold religious services. The intent is use windows to bring the outside, in as much as possible.
Council member Scott Fawley observed that if the Council is going to spend that much money, it’s important to get what they want — and he acknowledged he was thinking farther down the road than immediate uses.
Gagnon noted that the bid provided is the cheapest the building is going to be for the foreseeable future. He agreed that the building could be bigger, but would need to be taller as the space on planned lot is limited. Fawley asked about possibly digging down, instead.
Titus said she wanted to get as much out of the building as she could, without hurting the Health and Wellness Center, or any other local businesses.
“Our community definitely needs something that could be used in the winter,” Fawley said.
The Council did not make a decision, but left the discussion on the table for the future.
In other actions, the Council approved payment of invoices, and laid the levy for 2026. Laying the levy is a formal action required annually that makes no changes to taxes and fees already collected. The levy is already built into what the Town collects.
The Council approved hiring 18 lifeguards and up to five snack shack employees for the summer. Council member Jason Fertig abstained.
They also approved a pay raise for an employee, and a Public Works request to hire for two open positions.
The next meeting of the Moorefield Town Council is Tuesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at the Town offices. The public is encouraged to attend.
