Just sharing the love
More things to take care of that many would not think about.
I bring up a new subject just to remind the community that the Town of Marlinton has bills, too – and they can be big bills.
As you know, the Town offices and Marlinton Fire Department are housed in a two-story building. When this building was constructed in 1973-74, we were blessed with an elevator.
Like everything else, elevators require maintenance. As they get older, they require more maintenance. Certified elevator maintenance companies are not on every corner and the ones that are available are retained at a significant cost. The Town of Marlinton pays $500 per month for a maintenance contract that includes routine inspections.
During an inspection in the fall, it was determined that the primary cylinder on the elevator was leaking and would require a repair – at a cost of $5,978.29.
Now, oil in the elevator pit must be removed and properly disposed of. This requires special handling by a professional cleaning and disposal service. The price, yet unknown, could be significant. But we already know the elevator service company must return and park the elevator on a platform for safety purposes.
The cleaning company informed me Tuesday morning that elevator oil can contain PCBs. Therefore, a sample of the oil must first be taken and analyzed and, if free of PCBs, the company returns a second time to do the actual cleaning. This requires two trips by the elevator company to park the elevator, while the service is taking place. Their fee for each trip is $3,220.
An elevator is expensive to maintain.
Nevertheless, the elevator must be maintained and kept in safe operating order. Our auditorium is used more and more for public and private functions. Furthermore, the Town wants to assure reasonable accommodations for all citizens and visitors.
So, even before The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law in 1990, the Town was working to accommodate users of the municipal building.
For your information, The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life and all public and private places that are open to the general public.
Also, I am asking the general public to talk up and help promote usage of the MTA public transportation system.
The MTA continues service to Bartow and Snowshoe. The MTA Marlinton Loop is in service on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
But unless riders begin using the service, we may lose parts of the routes. We want to keep this service.