Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
Marlinton Town Council held a public hearing prior to its regular meeting Monday evening. The purpose of the public hearing was to allow residents and business owners to share their opinions on the Home Rule Application.
Council has been working on the application for months and is preparing to submit it for approval. If the application is approved and Marlinton is allowed to implement Home Rule, a one percent sales tax will be added to items sold in the town, with exemptions on groceries, gas and services.
While council set aside an hour for the public hearing, only two residents spoke. Mayor Sam Felton gave a history of the Home Rule law and explained why Marlinton will benefit from the revenue from the one percent tax.
After the brief discussion, Felton adjourned the hearing until 7 p.m. when the regular meeting began.
This meeting was also short with just two items to discuss. Before those items were addressed, building inspector and floodplain coordinator Bruce VanMeter gave a brief update on a grant the town received from the Department of Environmental Protection.
VanMeter said the grant will be used to level 10 dilapidated buildings in the town. He said asbestos testing will be conducted before the buildings can be demolished.
Council approved the first reading of the Home Rule Application and Ordinance. There will be two more readings and if those are approved, the application will be submitted to the state for approval. If it is approved at the state level, the tax will go into effect July 1.
Council also approved the standard operating procedure for the town’s video system. Felton explained that there are residents who have requested to see clips from recordings on the town’s security cameras and the operating procedure covers the legality and process to providing those clips.
The request will be reviewed and, if approved, the individual will pay a fee to receive the clip on a jump drive.
Marlinton Town Council meets the first Monday of each month, excluding holidays, at 7 p.m. at the town office auditorium. The public is welcome to attend in person or online through a Zoom link.