Tim Walker
AMR Reporter
At the July 16 Pocahontas County Commission meeting, Jodi Zickefoose, Director of the Day Report Center, asked the commission to hire Doug Friel as a full-time Officer/Case Manager, saying Friel would bring similar experience to the job and not require a lot of training, however he told her that he would need a salary of $36,000 a year instead of the $34,400 as was advertised for the job. The commission seemed ready to approve this, but Zickefoose said that she would also want to increase another employee’s salary by the same $1,600 a year to be fair, and also her own salary. After much discussion, the commission agreed to hire Friel at $36,000 a year plus benefits to start on August 5, but to avoid setting a precedent, the commission would not raise the other employees’ salaries.
Zickefoose also asked the commission to approve the quote she obtained to purchase and install a sonic wall/fire wall switch and wireless access point at the center. She and 911 Director Mike O’Brien explained that these are needed to protect the Day Report’s panic buttons and surveillance camera systems from outsiders who attempt to hack into them.
The commission held a public meeting regarding the Brownfields Cleanup alternatives for the former Howes Leather Tannery site, during which it was stated that estimates of the cost of the project will be completed in about a month, after which the project will be advertised for bid. The work on the project will, hopefully, begin in early fall.
In matters concerning the ARC Broadband Project, Amanda Smarr, of Region 4, asked the com- mission to approve a construction bond to the West Virginia Department of Highways (DOH.) Smarr explained that the DOH requires that the bond, which is based on 5% of the cost of construction of the broadband project or $100,000, be provided to them before they will issue the necessary DOH Permit for the project to move forward. After explaining that this type of bond is required for most construction grants, the commission agreed to approve it. They also voted to allow the project’s engineering company, Thompson and Litton (T&L), to handle the posting of the bond on behalf of the commission.
The commission also approved Draw Request #10 of grant funds from the ARC Project Grant to pay invoices, and they approved the project’s Environmental Review.
Mike O’Brien asked the commission to approve a digital signature on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Radio Quiet Zone. He explained that this is a routine MOU which grants the 911 Center a waiver of the strict wattage limitations on radio broadcasts in the quiet zone, allowing their radios to broadcast at up to five watts instead of the normal limit of less than one watt. The waiver will apply to 911 towers at Snowshoe Mountain, Thomastown, Bartow, and the proposed new 911 Center. O’Brien said the waiver in this MOU will also apply to the radios on school buses.
In addition, the commission:
• approved a Budget Revision and Resolution for the General Fund’s unencumbered balance due to unanticipated revenues and Court Security Officer salary expenses.
• renewed the annual support contract with Global Science Technologies for maintaining the courthouse informational technology services, at the same price as last year. County Clerk Melissa Bennett said they are doing a good job.
• approved utility right-of-way agreements with Pocahontas Memorial Hospital and Buckeye Builders, Inc. for the proposed 911 Center. Commissioner John Rebinski said he still needed a signature from Buckeye Builders, but there was an agreement from them.
• appointed Danny Woods and Stephanie Dilley to the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation Board.
• appointed Louise Burner to serve out Jason Bauserman’s unexpired term on the Historic Landmarks Commission.
At the request of the county clerk, the commission ended the meeting by going into Executive Session to discuss the hiring of a full-time Deputy County Clerk. They said there would be no action taken on that matter at this meeting.
