Tim Walker
AMR Reporter
The Pocahontas County Commission had a contentious meeting February 6, when the commissioners voted to maintain the same – with the exception of three– formulas used in 2023 for the distributions of 2024 revenue received from the Hotel/Motel Tax.
Last year, after a series of regular and special hotly-debated meetings, brought on by a proposal from Commissioner John Rebinski, the commission removed the Artisans Co-op from receiving any of the Hotel/Motel Tax revenue, and decreased the percentages of several other groups, including Pocahontas County Free Libraries and Information Centers and Parks and Recreation, and put a cap on the amount any groups could receive. They also set aside $200,000 of the tax revenue to start up the paid County Ambulance Service in the northern end of the county. They doubled the amount of money the Fire Board received, kept the current fixed payments to the Hospital ($75,000) and to EMS ($50,000), reduced the amount the Bricks and Mortars Fund from the $30,000 to $25,000 in 2023, and they pulled $50,000 out of the tax revenue to buy the sheriff’s department a cruiser and a trailer.
This year, despite spirited objections from Lauren Bennett of Parks and Recreation, they voted to leave the same percentages and caps on the organizations, but reduced the Bricks and Mortars share by another $5,000, down to $20,000; and increased the amount the County Ambulance Service will receive from $200,000 to $275,000, with the extra $75,000 to be saved towards the purchase of a new ambulance in 2026. They also eliminated the $50,000 to the sheriff’s department since they have already bought their new cruiser and trailer with last year’s money.
Alan Johnson suggested that they should either put an ambulance levy on the November ballot or impose a county-wide ambulance fee to pay for the Ambulance Service, instead of taking the $275,000 from the Hotel/ Motel Tax. Rebinski said he would recommend that the commission look into placing the levy on the ballot, but didn’t favor imposing a fee since the people should decide on passing or rejecting a levy during the election. He also rejected the idea of removing the $275,000 from this year’s Hotel/Motel Tax distribution to the Ambulance Authority.
The possible demolition of the Old Tannery Office Building in Frank was also discussed. At the January 18 Special Commission meeting, while discussing the clean-up project at that property, it was suggested that perhaps it would be best to demolish the old Howes Tannery Office Building because it is damaged and has no purpose, despite three years of failed efforts by local organizations to transform it into a tannery museum.
JoAnn Gilardi, supported by Sam Lynne Peck, Dallis VanDevender, Jason Bauserman and Jimmy Harman, presented the commission with a petition signed by 196 people opposing the demolition of the office building.
Commission President Walt Helmick gave the Upper Pocahontas County Cooperative (UPCC) until April to come up with a workable plan to turn that building into a museum or find another practical use for it. The UPCC plans to hold a meeting at Durbin Library February 13 to discuss the matter.
There was an update about the courthouse security measures scheduled to take place in a month or two. After it goes into effect, the public will only be able to enter the courthouse through the basement door to the right of the main entrance, and will have to go through metal detector and X-Ray screening. The equipment is already in place and they only have to hire guards. Employees will have key cards to enable them to continue to use other doors which will have electronic locks.
In other matters, the commission:
• signed off on the Local Emergency Planning Committee’s Award.
• approved $126,575.81 budget amendment and a draw down Request from the ARC Broadband Grant.
• contributed $2,500 to the Northern Pocahontas County Community Assistance, Inc.
• adopted the Emergency Absentee Voting Policy for the May 14 primary election.
• agreed to advertise for a county Floodplain Manager.
• approved the hire of Brian Fedak as a part-time ambulance driver at $13 per hour.