Town Council Meets
July 19th
There are
many signs of a failing govt agency or private business.
Employee unrest and turn over is an easy one to spot. Another
sign is raising rates, prices, and or taxes. Lack of
leadership, leadership staying away from duty, and employee
bickering are also indicators that something is amiss.
Clay Town Council held their monthly public meeting two weeks late in July on the 19th. Council persons Jerry Stover and Joyce Gibson were away from duty continuing their wayward ways. Aging Councilperson Gibson was not called to see if she wanted to participate via a phone link. Jerry Stover was seen earlier in the day in Clay but was nowhere to be seen for the 5:30 start time.
We're centering our attention on a couple of the stinky items covered during the hours long gathering.
Clay Town Council held their monthly public meeting two weeks late in July on the 19th. Council persons Jerry Stover and Joyce Gibson were away from duty continuing their wayward ways. Aging Councilperson Gibson was not called to see if she wanted to participate via a phone link. Jerry Stover was seen earlier in the day in Clay but was nowhere to be seen for the 5:30 start time.
We're centering our attention on a couple of the stinky items covered during the hours long gathering.
Item five on the above agenda was raising log factory rates.
By W Va PSC rules, for an increase to be approved, the call
must be read during two public meetings. On the 19th, the
first reading was conducted followed by a unanimous vote to
press on with the process to gore the few remaining citizens
and businesses left in the county's only municipality, the
Town of Clay.
An attorney representing the Town provided, the fresh source of $$$ is demanded before the Log Factory upgrade via grant funding , can get started. The guy said money is needed to operate the facility in the black, set up a 2% savings account, and a reserve fund for future expenses. Currently, the Town has neither of the new funds.
Town Council is seeking a 30% rate increase. So far, no business nor any of the citizenry have complained. With only 30 or so business licenses are left in Town and many of those struggling to keep their doors open, it won't take much added expense to send the remaining few packing.
To crunch us a little harder additional restrictions will include additional fees to be added. They include a new fee for paying monthly bills by credit card.
Get it? The sewer upgrades will come from free grant dollars. But, there are always strings attached and this rate increase is to cover the cost of getting free money.
Several years back a notable local, Paige Willis , spoke out during a public meeting with, "We can't afford any more of this free money!" His words ring true , more true, today.
Right now and for decades, the rules say, if a sewer lines is laid within so many feet of your business / property, you are required to hook up and pay for that municipal service.
That's not the case for wawa service. You are not required to hook onto wawa service. Sewer rates are based on how much of the wet stuff you use. If you use a bunch of wawa, even if you're just watering your garden, your sewer bill will increase.
When the new 30% sewer increase comes on board, there will then be a new, higher, minimum mandatory sewer bill for those without wawa service.
Many people still have wawa wells in the municipality. We expect many of those with wells will hook em up again and shy away from wawa service. True those old wells may not offer safe potable wawa, so what! We don't know one person that is willing to drink the high dollar wet stuff from the Town WaWa plant.
As a note... college professors told us about "economies of scale". In a nutshell, that means, the more customers you have, the lower your sell price can be. WalMart is a great example of lower prices. They sell millions of say widgets at a reduced price but still come out making a good profit.
Locals businesses have to sell items at a higher price than WalMart because there are few customers to cover the overhead expenses like sewer service.
Inevitably, a 30% increase will raise prices and make the survivor businesses even less competitive. With few reasons to be located within the hamlet, many may chose to move out of town, to relocate elsewhere, away from the new sewer expense.
The higher the rates go, fewer businesses will remain in Town. It's just a fact of life. As for any new businesses that consume lots of wawa, like a car wash or diner, forget it, they can't afford to operate in the Town of Clay.
An attorney representing the Town provided, the fresh source of $$$ is demanded before the Log Factory upgrade via grant funding , can get started. The guy said money is needed to operate the facility in the black, set up a 2% savings account, and a reserve fund for future expenses. Currently, the Town has neither of the new funds.
Town Council is seeking a 30% rate increase. So far, no business nor any of the citizenry have complained. With only 30 or so business licenses are left in Town and many of those struggling to keep their doors open, it won't take much added expense to send the remaining few packing.
To crunch us a little harder additional restrictions will include additional fees to be added. They include a new fee for paying monthly bills by credit card.
Get it? The sewer upgrades will come from free grant dollars. But, there are always strings attached and this rate increase is to cover the cost of getting free money.
Several years back a notable local, Paige Willis , spoke out during a public meeting with, "We can't afford any more of this free money!" His words ring true , more true, today.
Right now and for decades, the rules say, if a sewer lines is laid within so many feet of your business / property, you are required to hook up and pay for that municipal service.
That's not the case for wawa service. You are not required to hook onto wawa service. Sewer rates are based on how much of the wet stuff you use. If you use a bunch of wawa, even if you're just watering your garden, your sewer bill will increase.
When the new 30% sewer increase comes on board, there will then be a new, higher, minimum mandatory sewer bill for those without wawa service.
Many people still have wawa wells in the municipality. We expect many of those with wells will hook em up again and shy away from wawa service. True those old wells may not offer safe potable wawa, so what! We don't know one person that is willing to drink the high dollar wet stuff from the Town WaWa plant.
As a note... college professors told us about "economies of scale". In a nutshell, that means, the more customers you have, the lower your sell price can be. WalMart is a great example of lower prices. They sell millions of say widgets at a reduced price but still come out making a good profit.
Locals businesses have to sell items at a higher price than WalMart because there are few customers to cover the overhead expenses like sewer service.
Inevitably, a 30% increase will raise prices and make the survivor businesses even less competitive. With few reasons to be located within the hamlet, many may chose to move out of town, to relocate elsewhere, away from the new sewer expense.
The higher the rates go, fewer businesses will remain in Town. It's just a fact of life. As for any new businesses that consume lots of wawa, like a car wash or diner, forget it, they can't afford to operate in the Town of Clay.
Town Council at Work
Of the 316
log factory providers in West Virginia, the Town
of Clay ranks number 163, right smack dab in the middle
of the rankings. Adding another 30% should get us up closer to
the top priced logs floating thru a Town.
Oh by the way, just so you will know, the cheapest wawa rates in this state start out at $2.00 for 3400 gallons. The Town does not have the highest wawa rates in West Virginia but we can certainly expect rate increases on our crappy tasting wet stuff in short order. IF you're interested in wawa rates, click here.
Keep in mind, the W Va Public Service Commission's mission statement says nothing about fair consumer rates or serving the people. The PSC statement says they are there to keep wawa and sewer providers making good money. Get it, the regulators are on the side of govt., not us.
For those willing to make a difference, the second and final reading of the sewer rate increase comes on August 9th. That hearing will get underway at 5:30 during the once again delayed Town Council meeting. If you can't attend in person, you could send a complaint letter or call Town Hall at 304 587 4233. Whatever, make your voice heard.
Oh by the way, just so you will know, the cheapest wawa rates in this state start out at $2.00 for 3400 gallons. The Town does not have the highest wawa rates in West Virginia but we can certainly expect rate increases on our crappy tasting wet stuff in short order. IF you're interested in wawa rates, click here.
Keep in mind, the W Va Public Service Commission's mission statement says nothing about fair consumer rates or serving the people. The PSC statement says they are there to keep wawa and sewer providers making good money. Get it, the regulators are on the side of govt., not us.
For those willing to make a difference, the second and final reading of the sewer rate increase comes on August 9th. That hearing will get underway at 5:30 during the once again delayed Town Council meeting. If you can't attend in person, you could send a complaint letter or call Town Hall at 304 587 4233. Whatever, make your voice heard.
Mayor Josh Shamblin
On to the
second topic.
Town employees have been disgruntled for ever more. For the longest time, employees ruled the roost. Out of control comes to mind first. Don't blame the current Mayor's administration entirely. Decades of unrest remains within the municipal system.
Pay scales, some employee getting a pay raise, that sends the rest into orbit. Give one one penny more, and all H breaks lose with the rest of em.
During the July 19th meeting, Council took on deciding what constitutes being a part time and a full time employee. They've had both forever but low and behold, no one knew a definition for either.
Many employers work people right up to the imaginary line of being a part time worker. Part time workers do not get customary benefits like worker's comp, hospitalization, unemployment compensation and such. Employers including the Town are cost sensitive and try to work em as cheaply as possible.
Adding to the confusion, one worker in attendance stated that 20 hour per week workers are already getting retirement benefits and state regs call for employees working 20 hours per week should receive insurance (hospitalization) as well. The discussion dragged on and on and no with no decisions made and with no one around the table what the facts are.
So what happens when the discussions get juicy or at least discussion they don't want the public to know about? You got it, at 6:16pm, Council voted to go into secret time. The agenda called for a secret time for "employee work schedules".
Only one problem, discussing something generic like work schedules, that ain't allowed by Open Meetings Law in West Virginia. Neither is saying personal matters. Nope, No can do.
After an hour and ten minutes of standing on the front porch waiting for Council to return to a public session, we shagged out. Sometime after 8pm, vehicles were still parked in front of Town Hall.
Prices going up, employee relations at a low spot, and keeping shirt secret, the Town of Clay is in a tail spin.
The citizenry is paying for it.
AW
Town employees have been disgruntled for ever more. For the longest time, employees ruled the roost. Out of control comes to mind first. Don't blame the current Mayor's administration entirely. Decades of unrest remains within the municipal system.
Pay scales, some employee getting a pay raise, that sends the rest into orbit. Give one one penny more, and all H breaks lose with the rest of em.
During the July 19th meeting, Council took on deciding what constitutes being a part time and a full time employee. They've had both forever but low and behold, no one knew a definition for either.
Many employers work people right up to the imaginary line of being a part time worker. Part time workers do not get customary benefits like worker's comp, hospitalization, unemployment compensation and such. Employers including the Town are cost sensitive and try to work em as cheaply as possible.
Adding to the confusion, one worker in attendance stated that 20 hour per week workers are already getting retirement benefits and state regs call for employees working 20 hours per week should receive insurance (hospitalization) as well. The discussion dragged on and on and no with no decisions made and with no one around the table what the facts are.
So what happens when the discussions get juicy or at least discussion they don't want the public to know about? You got it, at 6:16pm, Council voted to go into secret time. The agenda called for a secret time for "employee work schedules".
Only one problem, discussing something generic like work schedules, that ain't allowed by Open Meetings Law in West Virginia. Neither is saying personal matters. Nope, No can do.
After an hour and ten minutes of standing on the front porch waiting for Council to return to a public session, we shagged out. Sometime after 8pm, vehicles were still parked in front of Town Hall.
Prices going up, employee relations at a low spot, and keeping shirt secret, the Town of Clay is in a tail spin.
The citizenry is paying for it.
AW