Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
The Marlinton Town Council meeting Monday evening may have only lasted an hour, but it was a productive hour with a discussion concerning ways to increase pay for a town police officer and plans for digitizing the cemetery records.
Councilmember Olivia Dean presented council with three proposals from companies that can digitize cemetery records and provide mapping software for the town. After a brief discussion, council approved the proposal from Chronicle Cemetery Software, which will use drones to map Mountain View Cemetery and make all records available online.
There will also be a sign at the entrance of the cemetery with a QR code which visitors can scan with their smartphone to access the digital records.
In other business, council:
• adopted the ordinance for purchasing without competitive bidding on the second reading.
• made plans for the Christmas decorating contest. The contest will have two categories – residential and commercial. Winners in each category will receive as follows: First place, $300; second place, $200; and third place, $100.
• discussed the lease agreement between Town of Marlinton and Revitalize Marlinton, LLC, to lease the alley beside the former C.J. Richardson building. Council approved to make the lease $100 a year for 25 years, with the option to renew after 25 years.
Marlinton Town Council meets the first Monday of each month, excluding holidays, at 7 p.m. in the municipal building auditorium. The public is welcome to attend in person or online through a Zoom link.