May 9 2022
Clay County
Commission convened their first of two May meetings on May
9th, 10am. Commissioners Connie Kinder, David Schoolcraft and
Frank King were up front on the bench for the session.
Somewhere around a dozen were seated in the peanut gallery.
Here comes highlights of the 42 minute assembly.
County leadership has talked about improving internet service for years. Various agencies have showed up and told us great things are coming our way. Great things like having dependable connectivity and speed like we've never known. Blah blah blah, group after group, promise after promise.
For this meeting, here came another lady with those tried and true promises of gold and silver comin our way. Blah blah blah
. Truth is, if you want something better than Frontier, it's already here.
Several Clayonians have already dropped Frontier DSL and switched to StarLink service. Ever hear of it?
The customers we've talked to say, it's the best thing since canned beer. Speed is consistent with a 100+ mbps downloads. The average Clayberry customer gets 4 to 10 mbps down and even worser upload performance.
Here's a trustworthy StarLink review.
Remember when Commissioner Dave Schoolcraft engineered the stealing of the old Coon Hunters' building on Triplett Ridge? It's moving along. For this meeting, Terry Martin from the Regional Intergovernmental Council was on hand to guide the CCC thru a grant funding process that if successful would fund building a hunmongo 911 Center on that site.
Terry Martin
For regular readers of this
site, the name Terry Martin is often heard. He's the guy, the
middle man in most govt grant efforts. Martin has steered
millions of dollars our way. Mr Martin announced on the 9th,
he's retiring July 1st but will remain with RIC on a part time
basis for a few months. His replacement is Marcie Cline. Terry
Martin will be missed big time.
Back when Drumpf was trying to be a President, he started the process of closing down govt offices like the Post Office and many Veteran's Administration facilities including three in West Virginia. What he started is now coming to fruition.
County Commission voted to send the Fed's a nasty-gram asking them to NOT shut down the Beckley, Clarksburg and Huntington VA hospitals.
A few months ago word came that $$$ were available to build a small community park between the old car dealership building and the Pisgah bridge on the far end of town. That park will include a water feature for the kids. For this meeting, the CCC agreed to be the fiscal agent for the project. Word has it, the park could be completed later this Summer.
Our County Commission as well as about every govt agency in the nation are laden with millions of COVID dollars. Those funds are the one chance for nifty projects to come our way. During this meeting, the vote was approved to give: $10,416.68 to the Clay Ambulance Service; $15,000 for maintenance at Spread Park and Clay County Park; and, $7,500 to fix up the Clay County Pool.
Angela Brown from the Health Dept provided an update on a proposed soccer field to be built on the departed Filcon Manufacturing site near Wallback. CCC voted to advance the notion $10,000. Ms Brown said her agency has additional funding (also from COVID dollars) for the project. the soccer field should be ready for action this Fall.
According to Fran King, Appalachian Electric Power Co plans to raise rates another $235 million this year. AEP supplies the juice to Elk Power, a local provider. Translation: our rates will go up a proportional amount in short order.
CCC voted to send a letter to the WV Public Service Commission (PSC) protesting the increase. Discussion turned to "demand" meters installed on each business meter on the Elk Power service area. That demand meter pretty much doubles the cost of electric on each business trying to stay alive in County Clay. With rates like that, is it any wonder there are so few businesses in this county?
Mitch DeBoard from the Clay Business Development Authority was on hand and commented on the ERTS tourism draw. From DeBoard: the FEMA funded project to rebuild the BC&G RR was suppose to be complete on May 12th; that will not be completed until sometime in June or July; right now the BDA has the lease on the BC&G to run the pedal car rides; when the FEMA project is complete, the State of West Virginia will handle the rail car rides and the leasing, contract, for them; $1.2 million has been allocated for the ERTS Park equipment and maintenance;
He continued with, the State plans to ruin (we added the ruin part because it's true) ERTS by erecting gates at every whipstitch along the trail to keep tourists from having fun. DeBoard said the gate idea is to keep four wheelers and other vehicles from getting on ERTS and tearing it up. Truth is, for anyone that has ever used the place, we know, ATV's are doing NO damage to the place and the idea of putting up gates is just one example of how we can F!!! up an anvil.
Fran King announced that she has written and given the green light for a $2500.00 grant from Cabella's for a bicycle repair station along the trail.
AW
County leadership has talked about improving internet service for years. Various agencies have showed up and told us great things are coming our way. Great things like having dependable connectivity and speed like we've never known. Blah blah blah, group after group, promise after promise.
For this meeting, here came another lady with those tried and true promises of gold and silver comin our way. Blah blah blah
. Truth is, if you want something better than Frontier, it's already here.
Several Clayonians have already dropped Frontier DSL and switched to StarLink service. Ever hear of it?
The customers we've talked to say, it's the best thing since canned beer. Speed is consistent with a 100+ mbps downloads. The average Clayberry customer gets 4 to 10 mbps down and even worser upload performance.
Here's a trustworthy StarLink review.
Remember when Commissioner Dave Schoolcraft engineered the stealing of the old Coon Hunters' building on Triplett Ridge? It's moving along. For this meeting, Terry Martin from the Regional Intergovernmental Council was on hand to guide the CCC thru a grant funding process that if successful would fund building a hunmongo 911 Center on that site.
Terry Martin
Back when Drumpf was trying to be a President, he started the process of closing down govt offices like the Post Office and many Veteran's Administration facilities including three in West Virginia. What he started is now coming to fruition.
County Commission voted to send the Fed's a nasty-gram asking them to NOT shut down the Beckley, Clarksburg and Huntington VA hospitals.
A few months ago word came that $$$ were available to build a small community park between the old car dealership building and the Pisgah bridge on the far end of town. That park will include a water feature for the kids. For this meeting, the CCC agreed to be the fiscal agent for the project. Word has it, the park could be completed later this Summer.
Our County Commission as well as about every govt agency in the nation are laden with millions of COVID dollars. Those funds are the one chance for nifty projects to come our way. During this meeting, the vote was approved to give: $10,416.68 to the Clay Ambulance Service; $15,000 for maintenance at Spread Park and Clay County Park; and, $7,500 to fix up the Clay County Pool.
Angela Brown from the Health Dept provided an update on a proposed soccer field to be built on the departed Filcon Manufacturing site near Wallback. CCC voted to advance the notion $10,000. Ms Brown said her agency has additional funding (also from COVID dollars) for the project. the soccer field should be ready for action this Fall.
According to Fran King, Appalachian Electric Power Co plans to raise rates another $235 million this year. AEP supplies the juice to Elk Power, a local provider. Translation: our rates will go up a proportional amount in short order.
CCC voted to send a letter to the WV Public Service Commission (PSC) protesting the increase. Discussion turned to "demand" meters installed on each business meter on the Elk Power service area. That demand meter pretty much doubles the cost of electric on each business trying to stay alive in County Clay. With rates like that, is it any wonder there are so few businesses in this county?
Mitch DeBoard from the Clay Business Development Authority was on hand and commented on the ERTS tourism draw. From DeBoard: the FEMA funded project to rebuild the BC&G RR was suppose to be complete on May 12th; that will not be completed until sometime in June or July; right now the BDA has the lease on the BC&G to run the pedal car rides; when the FEMA project is complete, the State of West Virginia will handle the rail car rides and the leasing, contract, for them; $1.2 million has been allocated for the ERTS Park equipment and maintenance;
He continued with, the State plans to ruin (we added the ruin part because it's true) ERTS by erecting gates at every whipstitch along the trail to keep tourists from having fun. DeBoard said the gate idea is to keep four wheelers and other vehicles from getting on ERTS and tearing it up. Truth is, for anyone that has ever used the place, we know, ATV's are doing NO damage to the place and the idea of putting up gates is just one example of how we can F!!! up an anvil.
Fran King announced that she has written and given the green light for a $2500.00 grant from Cabella's for a bicycle repair station along the trail.
AW