MTC signs agreement for stream cleanup

Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer

At its Monday night meeting, Marlinton Town Council heard from Debbie Anderson, of Human Resources Foundation, concerning the organization’s disaster cleanup program.

Anderson said the group has rented office space in Marlinton and will be in town until July 2017 to assist with cleaning streams that were affected by flooding this past summer.

“We are bringing a crew of eight-to-ten people here to help with stream cleanup from the floods of this year,” Anderson said. “We’re wanting to make Marlinton pretty. We want to clean the streams up. We want to get the trash out of your streams.”

In order to begin the cleanup, HRF asked council to sign a Memorandum of Understanding which lays out what the organization will do in Marlinton and states there will be no cost to the town during the cleanup.

Anderson said the only help she would need from the town is trash pick-up when there are large amounts of trash that will need to be taken to the landfill. 

She also requested a list of streams within town limits to include in the list of streams for cleanup. If they are included in the MOU, they have to be cleaned before the crew can leave. Anderson said she is able to add to the list but streams cannot be removed.

The crew will begin its work at Watoga State Park Wednesday, and once the MOU is completed, they will begin in Marlinton.

Council unanimously approved to have Mayor Sam Felton sign the MOU to allow the crew to work in Marlinton.

In updates:

• Jill Wong, of the Family Resource Network, reported that the FRN and GoMarlinton will host Small Business Saturday on November 26. It is an event encouraging people to shop locally. The FRN and GoMarlinton will have a welcome station and businesses have donated items to include in a gift basket which will be given away that day.

In other action, council approved:

• To allow the Pocahontas County Veterans Honor Corps to have a Retirement of American Flags burning ceremony at the First Avenue lot during the September 11 remembrance cere- mony.

• The second reading of Title 4, Chapter 7, Rental Housing Registration Ordinance.

• Amendment of the Town Council Meeting Ordinance to set regular meetings for the first Monday of the month, unless there is a holiday or unique circumstance as declared by the mayor.

• Retaining Laura Finch as town attorney.

• Retainer agreement between West Virginia University College of Law Land Use and Sustainable Development Clinic and the Town of Marlinton for development of a Comprehensive Plan.