At its regular meeting June 10, Durbin town council appointed Cass resident David Cain as the town’s flood control manager.
Cain addressed council, explaining his concerns about the information provided by flood control managers in the county and wanted to take matters into his own hands.
Cain owns property in Cass and Marlinton, and both are located in the flood plain.
“Several times in the past, I’ve had to go to Dick Groseclose and the town of Marlinton or Donald McNeel, who is the county flood control person for Cass,” Cain said. “The information that I was able to get from those folks was really sketchy.”
After trying in vain for months to receive a permit to place a house on his property in Cass, Cain said he finally installed the house without the paperwork.
“I applied for an application to get a permit to put [the house] in the flood zone and Donald McNeel said he would give me a permit,” Cain said. “I waited a month and I went back to him and he still hadn’t done it. I waited three months and the house was sitting there on the lot, and I couldn’t put it up because I didn’t have the permit. Finally, I just sent a letter to him and the county commission and told them I didn’t need the permit because the house was already up.”
Dissatisfied with the information provided by the county and town of Marlinton flood control managers, Cain said he tried to apply to attend a class for flood control managers.
“They said you can’t do it unless you’re appointed a flood control manager for a town or the county,” he said. “I am volunteering to do that, to be the flood control manager for Durbin at my expense for the first year.”
Cain said if the town requires him to stay on as flood control manager after the first year, he would discuss his fees at that time. For the first fiscal year, however, he will be manager for free.
Council appointed Cain as the flood control manager for the fiscal year of 2014-2015.
In updates:
• Jason Bauserman reported that the Pocahontas County Historical Landmarks Commission is willing to purchase a fire safe to store the town record books in, but the organization requests that a member of the council or mayor Donald Peck present the request to the board.
• The new town trash truck is working out well. Councilmember Mike Vance reported that the truck has a seven-ton capacity and will cut down on trips to the landfill.
Durbin town council meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the town office.
Suzanne Stewart may be contacted at sastewart@pocahontastimes.com
