Commission denies Silver Creek assessment appeal

Tim Walker
AMR Reporter

The published agenda for the Pocahontas County Commission’s October 20 meeting listed a “hearing” by the Board of Assessment Appeals regarding the Silver Creek Association and various parcels of real estate. If there was a hearing, it was conducted behind closed doors as the commissioners voted to go into executive session when that item came up at the meeting. They cited their reason for having the closed session as their attorney, County Prosecutor Gene Simmons, would be a participant in the discussion. Immediately after returning to open session and without further comment, the commission voted to deny Silver Creek’s appeal.

Prior to the start of this regular meeting, the commissioners held a special meeting to observe the testing of the voting equipment for the upcoming election.

During the mail items and concerns, it was reported that Mike Holstine had informed the commissioners that since both Direct TV and Dish Network have denied the commission’s requests to provide local channels to their satellite TV customers in the county, the next step would be to make a complaint to the Federal Communications Commission.

Mike Cozad, of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, who had contacted the commission to request an appearance at a future meeting to update the commissioners on the progress of the close-out of the project, has now informed the commission that he has been terminated by Dominion. He advised them to contact Christine Mitchell, his replacement, for any updates.

The commission took no action on a request from the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation (GVEDC) for a letter to the Board of Education (BOE) regarding the board’s real estate. At its October 1 meeting, the commission explained that this concerned supporting a proposal for the BOE to turn their Slaven property in Green Bank over to the GVEDC so that they could then sell [a portion of] it to Jacob Meck. The commissioners decided to invite a representative of the BOE to their next meeting to see where the board stands on this matter before writing any letters.

They passed a resolution supporting the Circuit Court Clerk’s efforts to get the 2021 -2022 Records Management and Preservation Grant. Circuit Clerk Connie Carr said they started preserving the records from the 1820s last year and are now up to 1857. She told the commission about a couple of historical facts they discovered while preserving those old court records. She said that during the Civil War the county clerks hid the records in hay stacks when Federal Troops were raiding the county. Carr said that they also discovered records of a 400-acre land grant in Marlinton which had been signed by Thomas Jefferson.

The commissioners opened three sealed bids received to build a graveled parking lot at the 911 Center. One was for $18,400 from Rose’s Excavation; one was for $13,705 from Faulknier Enterprises; and the lowest bid was from M & L Miller Excavating, LLC for $10,000. They awarded the bid to M & L Miller Excavating.

Commissioner Walt Helmick said High Mountain Construction would assess the cause of the roof leak that resulted in a collapse last month in the main stairwell in the courthouse.

The Pocahontas County Commission meets the first Tuesday of the month at 8:30 a.m. and the third Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m.