Sept 6 2022
Future Plans & Spending
Clay Town
Council held their monthly meeting on Sept 6th. The meeting
hall (WaWa plant) was packed with folks in the peanut gallery.
It was good to see so many out for a public meeting. As
you read on you will see, they were mostly there with their
hands out. Around the conference table was Mayor Josh
Shamblin, Recorder Cindy Mullins, and Council persons, Joyce
Gibson, Barry Peyton, Jason Hubbard, and Jerry Stover. Renee
Moore was absent from duty.
Ken Tawney,
standing, gave the attendees an update on the Elk River Trail
System (ERTS) which runs along a municipal boundary. First
thing out of the hat from Tawney, 'The Trail WILL be built."
He was referencing the long held up section of the trail from
the Hartland bridge down to Queen Shoals. For those that don't
know, local property owners have been fighting ERTS over the
loss of privacy, changing rights of way issues, and
restrictions on what kind of vehicles with access. Those
folks can hire all the lawyers they want but little can be
done until they decide what they are seeking.
Tawney introduced a DownStream Strategies rep Joey James who provided a brief overview from a report that firm is preparing for release this Fall. In brief, the boilerplate report, "Preparing for Growth", covered several areas that spun a great light on our future growth projections from a tourism based economy uptick.
In a nutshell: 40% of the visitors will be one day travelers; 15% will be cyclers; 15% will be here for fishing; 8% for horseback riding; and finally, 15% of the travelers will be here enjoying yaking on the Elk.
As has been reported to Clayonians in the past, we can expect each tourist to cough up around $100 per day in County Clay with around 150,000 tourists coming annually. Maybe most important to Clayberry, we can expect around 150 new jobs to come our way too.
To read the entire report in its draft form, just click here. It''s a good read if it comes true.
Over the last three decades many professional reports have been prepared that said much of the same things, over and over. For the most part, those earlier findings in the glossy paperwork, they wound up setting on some dusty shelf in a backroom. We've hear it over and over.
This time around, we think, we hope, ERTS and the ERT State Park will serve as an incubator for actual growth in local wallets.
We need some things too.
Based on the report, we need to grow five rental cabins around town and another handful of cabins in Dundon to handle the expected crowds along with a cafe and rental stores for stuff that kayaks, bikers, hikers, need.
What was not mentioned was the need to purchase the Dundon Campground now owned by the cash strapped CAEZ. We think those secret negotiations are now in progress with the ERT Foundation or State DNR becoming the new owner. If that ever happens, the new owner would have enough $$$ to properly grow the place to meet our needs. When that happens, the new owners need to immediately add 15 full service camping spaces, 20 primitives areas for tents, an amphitheater , and expand the current Lodge building to include 10 additional overnight rooms.
Something else wasn't made public and that's the Dundon area around that little red company house known as the Newt Bragg home. The Foundation now owns it and has had possession of it for a couple years. That place and land has to be developed as the center of the new draw. Unfortunately, developing that site does NOT include keeping the historical home. It will be torn down.
Tawney introduced a DownStream Strategies rep Joey James who provided a brief overview from a report that firm is preparing for release this Fall. In brief, the boilerplate report, "Preparing for Growth", covered several areas that spun a great light on our future growth projections from a tourism based economy uptick.
In a nutshell: 40% of the visitors will be one day travelers; 15% will be cyclers; 15% will be here for fishing; 8% for horseback riding; and finally, 15% of the travelers will be here enjoying yaking on the Elk.
As has been reported to Clayonians in the past, we can expect each tourist to cough up around $100 per day in County Clay with around 150,000 tourists coming annually. Maybe most important to Clayberry, we can expect around 150 new jobs to come our way too.
To read the entire report in its draft form, just click here. It''s a good read if it comes true.
Over the last three decades many professional reports have been prepared that said much of the same things, over and over. For the most part, those earlier findings in the glossy paperwork, they wound up setting on some dusty shelf in a backroom. We've hear it over and over.
This time around, we think, we hope, ERTS and the ERT State Park will serve as an incubator for actual growth in local wallets.
We need some things too.
Based on the report, we need to grow five rental cabins around town and another handful of cabins in Dundon to handle the expected crowds along with a cafe and rental stores for stuff that kayaks, bikers, hikers, need.
What was not mentioned was the need to purchase the Dundon Campground now owned by the cash strapped CAEZ. We think those secret negotiations are now in progress with the ERT Foundation or State DNR becoming the new owner. If that ever happens, the new owner would have enough $$$ to properly grow the place to meet our needs. When that happens, the new owners need to immediately add 15 full service camping spaces, 20 primitives areas for tents, an amphitheater , and expand the current Lodge building to include 10 additional overnight rooms.
Something else wasn't made public and that's the Dundon area around that little red company house known as the Newt Bragg home. The Foundation now owns it and has had possession of it for a couple years. That place and land has to be developed as the center of the new draw. Unfortunately, developing that site does NOT include keeping the historical home. It will be torn down.
Joe Lanham
from the VFW organization received a welcome gift from the
Town. After discussion and a meek ask for free money for a
fence around the war memorial and stone caps above the brick
wall, out of the blue, Council approved a $6300 grant from
COVID funds. Lanham was ecstatic.
Renee Moore
(right) with the Big Apple Festival Committee also had her
hand out for a donation. Moore was asking for traffic barrels
and cons but wound up with a $1000 donation for this year's
annual event.
In attendance, Mitch DeBoard with the BDA provided a brief update: that trail maintenance center, the one the State wanted in a bug hurry last Spring, there's a delay. Instead of having the office an maintenance center open within 18 months, the Charleston folks wants 3 years for that project. DeBoard, "There's a hang up..."
DeBoard said something else but somehow we only remember one part, that a staffed Welcome Center is now being planned along ERTS in County Clay. We think he said something along the lines of, being constructed in Dundon. Sorry for the stopped up ears.
Last Winter there was a bunch of excitement over a new community park to be built on the old Chevy Dealership property at the Pisgah bridge. Included in the already funded plan was a splash pool for the kids and homeless. For this public meeting, and from the Mayor, that place will be a "natural playground"
Natural playground? we asked Shamblin what that meant. After some questioning, natural means, no water park, just grass and some playground equipment, $25K grant to be used for that.
So far everything has been upbeat. So far....
Then came notice that the County's only Town is in earnest looking for a police force, at least one Badge to prowl the sleepy town of Clay. The only reason one's not on the job now is, they can't find a certified Badge willing to work for starvation wages and get shot at. The real problem is those late night patrols when there's no back up available.
Can't help but remember Gauley Bridge, Summersville and Clendenin used those tactics to raise $$$. All three of those just mentioned towns got taken to Courts for their transgressions. Soon we may be adding the Town of Clay to that list of traps.
Don't worry readers, they will find a lonely Badge sometime soon and then comes a municipal court / judge just perfect for fleecing every new tourist that stumbles our way. A sure way for raising $$$ for the municipality along with increased sewer rates, wawa rates and a brand new surcharge on Mountaineer Gas Company customers.
FYI: The Town of Clay has already purchased a $9000 cruiser from State Surplus. They're on their Way!!!
Just when things are looking good, we shoot ourselves in the foot, feets, several times over
AW
In attendance, Mitch DeBoard with the BDA provided a brief update: that trail maintenance center, the one the State wanted in a bug hurry last Spring, there's a delay. Instead of having the office an maintenance center open within 18 months, the Charleston folks wants 3 years for that project. DeBoard, "There's a hang up..."
DeBoard said something else but somehow we only remember one part, that a staffed Welcome Center is now being planned along ERTS in County Clay. We think he said something along the lines of, being constructed in Dundon. Sorry for the stopped up ears.
Last Winter there was a bunch of excitement over a new community park to be built on the old Chevy Dealership property at the Pisgah bridge. Included in the already funded plan was a splash pool for the kids and homeless. For this public meeting, and from the Mayor, that place will be a "natural playground"
Natural playground? we asked Shamblin what that meant. After some questioning, natural means, no water park, just grass and some playground equipment, $25K grant to be used for that.
So far everything has been upbeat. So far....
Then came notice that the County's only Town is in earnest looking for a police force, at least one Badge to prowl the sleepy town of Clay. The only reason one's not on the job now is, they can't find a certified Badge willing to work for starvation wages and get shot at. The real problem is those late night patrols when there's no back up available.
Can't help but remember Gauley Bridge, Summersville and Clendenin used those tactics to raise $$$. All three of those just mentioned towns got taken to Courts for their transgressions. Soon we may be adding the Town of Clay to that list of traps.
Don't worry readers, they will find a lonely Badge sometime soon and then comes a municipal court / judge just perfect for fleecing every new tourist that stumbles our way. A sure way for raising $$$ for the municipality along with increased sewer rates, wawa rates and a brand new surcharge on Mountaineer Gas Company customers.
FYI: The Town of Clay has already purchased a $9000 cruiser from State Surplus. They're on their Way!!!
Just when things are looking good, we shoot ourselves in the foot, feets, several times over
AW