CLARKSBURG, W.Va. – Clarksburg City Council met Thursday evening to discuss the second and final reading of an ordinance regulating the needle exchange program.

The ordinance covered both the sale, marketing, and the distribution of hypodermic needles and syringes and establishing rules and regulations for the needle exchange program, also known as the ‘Harm Reduction Program.’

Council unanimously passed the ordinance with amendments. Those amendments being that nothing should prohibit the distribution and treatment of syringes for the treatment of diabetes, that is not part of the needle exchange program.

The second amendment being that no needle exchange program shall operate in the central business district of the City of Clarksburg on or after January 1, 2020.

“This gives them [the Clarksburg Health Department] approximately four months to move it outside the central business district which that is a defined area, that if you look at the maps in code enforcement you can see exactly what area that is, but essentially that is the downtown area,” said Ryan Kennedy, Mayor of the City of Clarksburg.

The interim city manager also expressed that candidates are being interview starting today for the position of police chief.

In total with 53 applicants from all over the United States that were narrowed down to 13 for interviews.