Commission To Ask Agencies to Schedule Courthouse Meetings No Later Then 6 PM

At the August 18^th Pocahontas County Commission meeting, Sheriff Troy McCoy expressed concerns about the overtime of Courthouse Security Officers because of evening meetings by non-commission agencies. McCoy said that these evening meetings, mostly by the Solid Waste Authority, are sometimes held as late as 7 pm, and his Courthouse Security Officers get off duty when the courthouse closes at 4:30 pm, but have to return to duty on overtime just before the evening meetings begin, causing them to wait around for over an hour without being paid, before reopening the courthouse for the meetings. McCoy said that the only two agencies that do this are the Solid Waste Authority and occasionally the 4H Extension Service. He said that between May of 2025 and July of 2026, the Solid Waste Authority has held 18 evening meetings, which start at either 6 pm or 7 pm., and that has cost about $3000.00 in Overtime while the Extension Service only meets about 4 times a year.

The commissioners discussed several options, including requiring all such meetings be held during regular courthouse hours. However, Commissioner Jamie Walker pointed out that is impractical because most members of the Solid Waste Authority have other jobs during the day. They also discussed asking those agencies to meet at another location such as at the Wellness Center or library, but it was pointed out that these are public meetings that should be held at the courthouse. The commissioners decided to send letters to those agencies, asking them to schedule their meetings to begin no later then 6 pm and they passed a motion to allow the security officers to remain on duty with overtime pay from 4:30 when the courthouse closes until the evening meeting ends. The motion also included doing a budget revision to provide the extra overtime funds when and if the Sheriff’s Department expends its allotted overtime funds doing this.

The commissioners also held a lengthy discussion about relocating the Health Department out of the courthouse.

Sheriff McCoy said his deputies need to be out of the jail building because of mold and other air pollutants are causing health issues for them there, but they need to be in a new location very close to the jail and courthouse.  County Clerk Missy Bennett said that having to move the voting machines out of the ARC building and to the courthouse for public testing before each election, then move them back for a week or so then move them out to polling places creates a very burdensome task. She said they need a large office in the courthouse to store them, test them, and also use as an early voting site. Both are eyeing the office space in the courthouse used by the Health Department. Cindy Browning of the Health Department responded that they would be ok with moving out of the courthouse, provided the commission finds another location for them, as State Code requires the commission to provide a location for the Health Department but not necessarily in the courthouse

Options were discussed, without a decision being made at this time. They included using the old 911 Center when it moves to its new building, buying several former law-office buildings across the street, or using the Edray Office Building which is vacant.

The commissioners also approved:

• A time Extension Request for the Broadband Project Grant from September of 2026 to September of 2027, and a change order for that grant, adding $10,187 to it to allow it to also provide service in Marlinton.
• EPA Tannery Project’s Payment Resolution #24 to pay invoices.
• The Day Report Center’s new Schedule of Payments and a Resolution for the Community Corrections Program ‘s 2026-2027 Grant.
• Authorizing the Sheriff’s Department to advertise for bids for a new full-sized law enforcement vehicle.
• The purchase of a generator for the courthouse.
• The removal of the hedges surrounding the courthouse because of the clutter that accumulates under them.
• Following an Executive session, approving the sending a letter to an Animal Control employee to attend the next commission meeting on a personnel issue, and allowing Animal Control to advertise for 1 week for part/time help there.