Tim Walker
AMR Reporter
At its March 4 meeting, the Pocahontas County Commission clarified the price for the purchase of the county landfill for the Solid Waste Authority.
Commissioner Jamie Walker, who is also a member of the Solid Waste Authority Board, explained that at the time he proposed a motion that the commission pay $148,297.50 to purchase the landfill, he believed the Solid Waste Authority had already paid the Fertig Family Farm the $9,000 rent payment on the lease. As a result, he had subtracted $9,000 from the agreed upon purchase price of $157,297.50, which left a balance of $148,297.50.
Walker corrected the misunderstanding, and the commission voted to purchase the landfill for $157,297.50.
Pocahontas County Prosecuting Attorney Laura Kershner told the commission that she is doing the paperwork for the sale, but was stalled until the commission clarified the actual purchase price.
Kershner also said the county will need to cut two checks for the purchase, since she has found that there is a lien on the property which will have to be paid off. She said the total of the checks – one to the Fertig Family Farm and one to pay off the lienholder – will be $157,297.50.
The commission opened the only bid received for the Sheriff Department’s purchase of a police pursuit SUV. The bid was from Mid-State Chevrolet in the amount of $56,470.76 for a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe 4-wheel drive with a police package.
The commission approved this purchase after Sheriff Troy McCoy reviewed the proposed bid and told them he was ok with it.
Amy Trusdale, of the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation, informed the commission that they would need to approve a Voluntary Remediation Agreement with the EPA regarding the groundwater project at the tannery property in Frank. She said once the commissioners sign the agreement, time deadlines for the project will begin, including additional soil testing and groundwater moni- toring wells. She said there will be a 120-day time limit to develop a work plan, then an additional 120-day limit to complete the site assessment.
The commission has until April 24 to sign and submit the remediation agreement. The matter will be put on the March 18 agenda.
In other business, the commission:
• approved the job description for the courthouse Head Custodian position, and approved advertising that job opening.
• delayed taking any action on the repair estimates for the Animal Shelter until they rewrite the needs of that project to include upgrading all the lights to LED, and clarify what needs to be done with the sprinkler system.
• approved hiring Mat-thew Varner and Jordan Greathouse as part-time drivers for the Ambulance Service at $13 per hour and Patrick Martin as a full-time paramedic at $18 per hour.
They held an executive session with Sheriff McCoy regarding hiring a full-time Sheriff’s Deputy and a part-time courthouse security officer.
After returning to open session, they approved hiring Jacob Wayne Taylor as a deputy, effective March 9, and Jeff Barlow as the part-time security officer, effective immediately.
They also held an executive session regarding an upgrade of the courthouse security cameras, but took no action on this, as they will be applying for grants.
