Tim Walker
AMR Reporter
At its meeting Tuesday, the Pocahontas County Commission approved moving the Solid Waste Authority’s green boxes from their current location to the parking lot at the former Howe’s Tannery office building in Frank. The move is necessary since the lease for the current green box location in Bartow expires on June 1, and the property owner has decided to not renew.
This will be a temporary location, however, as the parking lot at the tannery was signed over to the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation (GVEDC) about 11 years ago.
Although the GVEDC has not found a business to buy or lease that parking lot at this time, if they should find a use for it, the green boxes would have to be moved again.
Pocahontas County Solid Waste Office Administrator Mary Clendenen told the commission that they will continue to search for a permanent location for the green boxes near Bartow.
The commission delayed approval of the West Virginia Counties Risk Pool as its insurance carrier for the upcoming year. They want to take time to compare rates and coverage offered by the Risk Pool to rates and coverage offered by private companies.
Marlinton Mayor Sam Felton told the commissioners the town is applying for a $50,000 Transportation Alternatives grant from the West Virginia Department of Highways to repair or replace sidewalks in the town. The commission agreed to write a letter of support to on behalf of the town’s grant application. Felton said the town will have to put up a twenty percent local match to get the grant.
Felton also advised that sewer smoke testing is currently going on in Marlinton. He said the purpose is to detect any areas where groundwater is leaking into the sewer. Felton said people may see smoke rising from the ground. He also wanted to assure residents that the smoke is harmless and has a slight citrus scent.
Donna Ward with Region IV Planning and Development Counsel held a public meeting regarding building a new Office of Emergency Management/911 Center and ambulance station for the hospital’s ambulance service on a lot near the hospital. The purpose is to get those agencies moved from their current locations in the flood zone in Marlinton. Ward said this building project would be 100 percent paid for if it is approved for the Federal/State Hazard Mitigation grant they are applying for. Commission President Walt Helmick noted that the hospital was already planning to build a structure to house its ambulances on the site and the commission saw this as an economical way to combine the 911 Center into a larger building at the same site.
The WV Department of Agriculture sent a memorandum to the commission saying they are expanding their program to feed children this year allowing more agencies and organizations to participate. The program distributes low cost cases of food. Information about this can be found by calling Lora Hammack at the WVDA -304-558-0573.
Considering the high cost of utilities ($2,000 per month) at the ARC Building in Marlinton, the commission will discuss at a future meeting if the agencies using the building now might need to be relocated to a more economically feasible building.
