As of Wednesday, April 4, the Town of Marlinton will have been incorporated for 118 years, or since 1900. Work on the Marlinton Light and Water Company was recorded in council minutes 100 years ago.
One-hundred years later, we have successful bidders who will soon begin work on the Town’s Water Improvement Project.
Work continues in many areas:
The sewer issue on Third Avenue at the New Vision Praise and Worship church has been corrected.
A municipal judge has been hired and the Town has begun a long-awaited pro-cess of notifying owners of certain vacant properties.
The Town has moved a number of cars off the streets and notified owners of others that need to be moved.
Parties associated with junk at several locations have been or will be notified, in the near future.
There is a lot more to be done, but the process has begun, and I have been pleased with the positive response from most of the property owners.
Other issues – water, trash, potholes, barking dogs – will be ongoing.
I spoke with Louise Barnisky regarding the planters on Main Street. She and other members of the Marlinton Woman’s Club will tend to the flowers again this summer. The planters are at the nursery. As soon as the last frost has passed, the new planters will go up.
In the month of March, I attended several meetings including county commission, Criminal Justice Board, met with school superintendent Beam and a board member. These communications will be ongoing.
Marlinton Planning Commission is nearing completion of the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.
The Vacant Lot Committee and design team are moving closer to the engineering and funding phase.
The Town has entered into an agreement with the forest service for certain projects.
The USFS has expanded a pilot project for 2016 flood recovery to include other programs “aimed at using local, or at least West Virginia companies.”
The new approach to working with local communities within the Mon District has the capacity to make a huge impact on the local economy.
Paving requests have been presented to DOH District Engineer Jamie Rossi, but we have had no response to-date.
The council has set its budget, which was accepted by the State Auditor’s Office, and according to statute, will be laid the 17th of April.
The Town has received its share of the payment from the West Virginia Conservation Agency for inspection of Smith Lake and maintenance of Marlin Run.
Complaints continue to come in with regard to a junk yard at Campbelltown. I suggested calling the Department of Highways, who owns the right-of-way there.
The sad portion of my report is that – only a portion.
Time does not allow for what some expect. Too often, my priorities are not what gets priority during the day, and the only things I see at the end of the day is what has yet to be done.
“O, Lord, since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name, lead and guide me.” – Psalm 31:3