Tim Walker
AMR Reporter
At its October 15 meeting, the Pocahontas County Commission discussed applying for an approximate $5 million U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan to build a new 911 Center.
Commissioner John Rebinski explained that the bids they received exceeded the money the commission has available for the project by about $5 million, so the USDA loan appears to be the best solution to finance the project. Pocahontas Memorial Hospital (PMH) and the county recently financed the hospital expansion using, in part, a $7 million USDA loan.
Rebinski pointed out that a new 911 Center is critical to maintaining public safety through emergency dispatches. He also said that he has put a lot of thought and reasoning into this project and has already scaled it back as much as he can. He also said they might not need to borrow the full $5 million – that is just a worst-case scenario.
It could take 18 months or longer to get any USDA loan approved.
Two Pocahontas County seniors, Noah Nutter and Bailey Zickefoose, appeared before the commission to ask that the commission officially recognize the school’s Purple Star Club and issue an official proclamation “recognizing November as ‘Military Veteran and Active Service Personnel Month,’ and encourage citizens to increase their understanding and awareness of our veterans and active service personnel and their commitment to our nation and its citizens, their service and sacrifice, particularly as we head into the holiday season.”
The students said the Purple Star Club will be sending care packages to our active service members this holiday season.
• In other matters the commission approved:
• the following requests from the 911/Emergency Management Director, Mike O’Brien:
a) WV Division of Emergency Management Sub-Grant adjustment of an additional $1,000.
b) to sell on Gov.Deal, a 911 Tahoe, with a reserve price of $1,500; a 16 KW LP generator: and four old Motorola MTR Repeaters.
c) the proposal by Vigilant Technology Group for server management services for the 911 Center and the sheriff’s Office, which will provide the same service at half the cost as their old Motorola Service Contract.
d) an MOU between the Emergency Management and the Snowshoe Highlands Area Recreation Collaborative Trail Team regarding maintenance of an ATV donated by the Mon Forest.
• Resolution #4 to use $72,721 out of the EPA Tannery Grant to pay invoices related to the project.
• to issue a resolution in support of the Courthouse Facilities Grant by the County Clerk and the Circuit Clerk for a new scanner and overtime pay to scan records.
Prior to the meeting they held a special work session about the demolition of five buildings at the former Howes Tannery site. They identified the buildings, which do not include the old office building or the former garage, which will have to be done separately. It was agreed that they will ask several contractors, including ReClaim which just did the demolition of the former BOE Office building in Marlinton, for estimates, and will proceed after receiving these. They said all asbestos has already been removed and disposed of from these buildings.