Commission votes to join WVHAZ

Laura Dean Bennett
Staff Writer

Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation executive director Andrew Hagy, its president Charlie Sheets along with Marlinton Mayor Sam Felton appeared before the Pocahontas County Commission Tuesday to continue the conversation concerning the benefits of membership in the West Virginia Hardwood Alliance Zone. An in-depth presentation had been made at the final commission meeting of 2017, and at Tuesday’s meeting the commission voted unanimously to apply for membership.

The WVHAZ is a marketing organization for the timber and wood products industry.

It represents nine West Virginia counties and is dedicated to education, training, and assisting existing wood product and timber businesses and attracting new business to those counties.

The commission received a gift for the county from former High Rocks AmeriCorps member Emma Eisenberg to start off the year.

In an email dated October 9, 2017, Eisenberg advised the commission that she wished to make a contribution to a worthy local initiative from a portion of the proceeds from a book she has written which involves Pocahontas County.

With a $5,000 check in hand from Eisenberg, the commission said that a discussion and possible decision as to the disposition of the gift would be put on the agenda for its next meeting.

Eisenberg stated that her interests are: education, the arts, the opioid epidemic and child welfare.

The commission reviewed and reorganized their county board appointments for the new year. 

Each commissioner serves on several boards and/or committees.

The appointments are as follows:

Purchasing agent- Pocahontas County: William S. Beard, Jr. Pocahontas County Emergency Medical Services: David McLaughlin

Pocahontas County 911 Advisory Board: David McLaughlin

Pocahontas County Local Emergency Planning Committee: David McLaughlin

Pocahontas County Board of Health: Jesse A. Groseclose

Pocahontas Memorial Hospital: William S. Beard, Jr.

Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation: William S. Beard, Jr.

Pocahontas County Extension Service/4-H: Jesse A. Groseclose

Pocahontas County Senior Citizens: William S. Beard, Jr.

Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau: Jesse Groseclose

Region I Local Elected Officials Board of WIA: David McLaughlin

Pocahontas County Farmland Protection Board: Jesse A. Groseclose

Pocahontas County Community Criminal Justice Board: Jesse Groseclose

Pocahontas County Water Task Force: Jesse Groseclose

Region 4 Planning & Development Council Executive Board: William S. Beard, Jr.

Pocahontas County Fire Board: David McLaughlin

In other business, the commission

• approved the hiring of Benjamin Brown as full-time 911 Dispatcher

• okayed a letter of verification of hotel occupancy tax requested by the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau for its line of credit.

• approved budget revisions and resolution reimbursements for $2,699 for law enforcement vehicle damage and for the November 2017 special election (re the road bond issue) in the amount of $25,819.

The next regularly scheduled county commission meeting will be held Tuesday, January 16, at 5:30 p.m.