County Commission Meets
Feb 14 2022
This coverage
includes a lot more than just a regular County Commission
meeting. On Feb 14th, Valentine's Day, new info came out even
before the 10am start time, during the regular meeting and
afterwards.
Before:
First to make public Bailiff Gary King who reported someone was stuck inside the Courthouse elevator. Black Shirt Randy Holcomb was next to be heard on the 911 scanner with: we need the Fire Dept.... smoke in the elevator. What wasn't mentioned was Darlene Morris was the one inside the elevator. What was mentioned during the County Commission meeting was, the Elevator had been inspected just three days earlier and everything was A OK.
Commissioner King spoke on an outbreak of COVID in the county's only nursing home, Laurel Nursing as most of us know it. According to the Franster, every client there has COVID except two. She also reminded all in the room, all the cases in one facility, they count as just 1 case in state reporting. She added, that's the same as all the cases at Clay High, that's reported as one case, cluster.
Also from the Franster.... The old Ivydale bridge is scheduled for replacement right now. Just two weeks ago, a State Road welding crew was there trying to patch up the aging steel strutcure
Well, was scheduled for right away.
That start construction date has been rolled back til this Fall. In the mean time, the weight limit on the crumbling span has been reduced so as not to allow trucks and buses to cross. That is a crippling affect on school bus schedules and travel times.
Before:
First to make public Bailiff Gary King who reported someone was stuck inside the Courthouse elevator. Black Shirt Randy Holcomb was next to be heard on the 911 scanner with: we need the Fire Dept.... smoke in the elevator. What wasn't mentioned was Darlene Morris was the one inside the elevator. What was mentioned during the County Commission meeting was, the Elevator had been inspected just three days earlier and everything was A OK.
Commissioner King spoke on an outbreak of COVID in the county's only nursing home, Laurel Nursing as most of us know it. According to the Franster, every client there has COVID except two. She also reminded all in the room, all the cases in one facility, they count as just 1 case in state reporting. She added, that's the same as all the cases at Clay High, that's reported as one case, cluster.
Also from the Franster.... The old Ivydale bridge is scheduled for replacement right now. Just two weeks ago, a State Road welding crew was there trying to patch up the aging steel strutcure
Well, was scheduled for right away.
That start construction date has been rolled back til this Fall. In the mean time, the weight limit on the crumbling span has been reduced so as not to allow trucks and buses to cross. That is a crippling affect on school bus schedules and travel times.
From the left Commissioner David Schoolcraft, Fran King, and Connie Kinder
Now for the official meeting coverage
With almost no one in the room wearing a face mask and only about a dozen in attendance, the blah blah blah of estate settlements and appointments were made. That took up the first 12 topics on the meeting agenda. There was no descent.
Commissioner David Schoolcraft successfullyl wrote a grant ($519,443.) to replace the Pisgah Ridge 911 tower. The new slightly taller tower will be a free standing unit. That means there will not be a bunch of supporting wires. The tower site is not owned by the county. It is a lease arrangement.
With almost no one in the room wearing a face mask and only about a dozen in attendance, the blah blah blah of estate settlements and appointments were made. That took up the first 12 topics on the meeting agenda. There was no descent.
Commissioner David Schoolcraft successfullyl wrote a grant ($519,443.) to replace the Pisgah Ridge 911 tower. The new slightly taller tower will be a free standing unit. That means there will not be a bunch of supporting wires. The tower site is not owned by the county. It is a lease arrangement.
A few attended the Feb 14th CCC Meeting
For us, the biggy item was a decision to try their own Excess Levy vote during the May 10th Primary Election. Yelp, this stab at our wallets comes just after the School System's effort went down in flames on Jan 29th. IF passed by the voters, and according to the agenda, the new funds will be used to support the Clayberry Ambulance Service and the volunteer fire departments.
For anything other than a school Levy to pass, 60.01% of the voters must support the wallet buster. A similar vote was taken a few years ago. If failed. Another one, a fire, ambulance, and Library Levy failed before that.
Fran King put on her best salesperson hat and offered: volunteer fire departments are self sustaining; currently they receive over $40,000 a year from home owner insurance policy premiums; they respond to everything from car wrecks, trees down, whirlybird landings, wawa rescues and more; firetruck maintenance including new tires, transmissions, are very expensive. Fire Dept's are true assets to this county. There are few in the county that dispute the work load performed by those volunteers.
It's quite different for words of encouragement for the Clay Ambulance Service where everybody is paid healthy amounts for even their nap times. From Fran: the Lizemore Ambulance Service has folded and ain't comin back; that leaves just the Clay Ambulance Service to handle the entire county; most of their calls are paid for by Medicare which is tight on and slow with reimbursements; they are having a hard time getting paramedics because we don't pay as much as other counties; and the new Levy $$$ are needed to sustain the rolling stock, ambulances.
How much is the CCC soliciting from you the taxpayers? They want an additional 4.2%.
4.2% isn't a bunch of money individually but getting people to cough it up for both providers, that might be tough in Clayberry. If it was for just the fire departments, it would be smooth sailing.
Twenty one minutes into the meeting, a wittle fat guy stood and provided the Commission with a letter of protest over the way the new 10%+ increase on property tax assessments was provided to residents. According to that bald headed guy, the notice of increase was improper (not valid) because it was improperly worded and the actual amount of increase was not listed on the mailed out notices to 3600 property owners. How can you protest if you don't know how much the govt is taking?
In response to that stop the tax increase and start it all over request, Commission Prez Fran King said, we will take it under advisement.
Switching gears...
The Clay Magistrate Offices, Magistrate Clerk office and the room used for tele conferences in the old Courthouse operate out of rented space. That means the W Va Supreme Court pays rent so the local offices can have a place to conduct court. Well,. suppose to pay rent.
During the Feb 14th meeting, Ms King made public, the Supreme Court is years behind in the rent payments. She openly wondered how the Big Robes expected the local govt to pay for repairs, maintenance and such, without the Supreme Court rental checks.
In our Clay Town Council meeting coverage we reported on the new City Park going in beside the Pisgah Bridge, near the ERTS State Park. Discussion came on why the park will be located there instead of Spread Park? All done in secret, or at least away from public's eye, David Schoolcraft explained, a WVU design team looked at Spread Park for a location including at Spread Park. But, after review they changed their minds to the new spot just below the old Clay Chevy dealership.
If you haven't heard anything about a new city park coming, don't feel like the Lone Ranger. The concept was not known to the taxpayer until the design was reduced to a colorful map and the $$$ was secured.
This year, several people are complaining about the 10% + increase in property tax assessments.
Here's the pic of Herman Thorne asking the CCC about increase amount on two of his holdings.
Feb is Board of Review month in West Virginia. That's the once a year time where property owners can try to get their taxes reduced. This year, in Jan, 3600 rate increase letters were mailed out. During this Board of Review process, several taxpayers came in and expressed their views on the billfold rape.
On Feb 14th, Herman Throne was in front of the CCC about the tax increase. He brought in his tax statements and had his questions written down. He was prepared.
What got this reporter above all else, Mr Thorne was worried that this new burden may be too much for him and others to pay. Even with the $20K homestead exemption enjoyed by seniors, Thorne told the CCC, for some, including him, plans are made all year long so they save up enough $$$ to pay the Courthouse take. From Mr Thorne, " I just don't know if I can survive..."
Maybe related to that part about paying taxes to Caesar what is his or that as a good American doing what's he's told, Mr Thorne is a model for America. He really will pay his new and old taxes even if it means going without in other areas like food and shelter.
The hearing was over in just a few minutes around 11am. We thought the newsy stuff was over. Wrong.
Background: There's been a group of property owners along the ERTS hiking biking horseback riding trail between Camp Creek and Elhhurst working on a way to stop ERTS.
Why? These property owners know, when, if, the Trail is completed, they will lose vehicle access to their property. When we write Property Owners we really mean a small group of women determined to save their homes. Some have lived there for decades, others have had their spot along the Elk handed to them thru wills and inheritance. Others are new comers that want to keep what they have and know it's a beautiful area to live and grow old.
For the 14th, three of these dynamos showed up to discuss the railroad land grab before the County Commission.
For the presentation, Pam Street, Connie Mangus (I think) and Megan Murphy showed up and provided the elected folks with some rock solid sounding info on why the ERTS land grab is just that, unfounded.
We didn't get a full grip on what they have discovered but as best as we can provide: they have documents that show the Elk River RR does not own the rights of way from Elkurst to Queen Shoals; instead, that land reverted back to the landowners when the railroad stopped running and the tracks were pulled up; the Elk River RR does pay taxes on that 28 mile stretch but they NEVER owned it; and, back in 1992 a rails to trails group feared the RR wanted the rights of way in their name so they could just sell it off in chunks, to make $$$.
The 55 minute discussion revealed, those land owners have been driving on the old RR rights of way under an informal agreement amongst themselves. Sounded like, each landowner allows all the others to use the ROW without putting up gates or other obstructions. They also do their own maintenance on the make shift road.
As far as getting any success. The Band of Dynamos have hit stone walls when trying to talk with Suits in State Govt .
So much for the background
During this presentation, County Commissioner Fran King promised to host a Town Hall style meeting where State Govt reps would be on hand to answer questions.
When the dust settled ( a little anyway) it turns out, the Dynamo group would be happy if the State would take over maintenance of the ROW road and call it a multiple use road. They've got no problem with the ERTS Park as long as they continue to have access to their homes.
One thing is for sure, you never want to pee off a bunch of little ole ladies. This group has done their homework and show no signs of giving up the battle. For politicians, these are voters, a bunch of voters.
Instead of starting World War III, it's an easy fix. Simply put in the hiking trail and let motorized vehicles use it at well but at slow speed. FYI: That multi use philosophy is already planned for other rails to trails adventure areas. It's an easy fix.
But, we must be unaware of other issues. We think one of those other issues must be related to $$$ and who gets to put it in their pocket.
AW