Commissioners Change Start-Time of Their Evening Meetings

At their November 18^th regular meeting, the Pocahontas County Commissioners changed the starting time of their future regular morning meetings, which occur on the first Tuesday of each month. Those meetings had been starting at 8:30 am, however, a couple of months ago, the Sheriff directed courthouse security to not unlock the courthouse doors until exactly 8:30 am. This had caused a delay for the public to arrive at the meeting until after it had already started, and on one occasion when there were a number of citizens trying get through security to attend the meeting, it caused the commissioners to have to delay the normal 8:35 am public comment.

At this meeting, the commissioners asked Sheriff McCoy if he could have the doors unlocked at 8:15 am, and McCoy explained that this could allow visitors to come into other county courthouse offices too early, and also that his security officers arrive at 8:15 am and it takes them 15 minutes to set-up the security equipment.

After a discussion among the commissioners about whether to begin the meetings at 9:00 am or 8:45 am, they agreed to start their first Tuesday meetings at 8:45 am.

Nancy Dotson from WV Caring Hospice, asked the commissioners to approve a proclamation naming November as the county’s National Hospice Month. Dotson said they have been providing hospice care in the state for the past 40 years and in Pocahontas County for 30 years, which provides comfort and dignity to people during the final portion of their lives by offering them emotional, spiritual, and medical care. The commissioners approved this proclamation.

Amanda Smarr of Region 4 asked their approval of, and the commissioners approved, Draw Request #21 for the Pocahontas County ARC Broadband Project. This is to draw $8,308.76 from the Broadband Grant to pay a $5,600 invoice from their engineering company, Thompson and Litton, and to pay a $2,708.76 invoice from Frontier Communications to allow usage of Frontier utility poles for the project

During Mail Items and Concerns, it was disclosed that Ethan Burgess has submitted photographs of the Boardwalk Project that he is doing at the Handley Campground for the commission.

The commissioners approved the following board appointments:

• Nancy Martin to a -3-year term on the Parks and Recreation Board. expiring June 30, 2028.
• Allie Callison to an unexpired term on the Drama, Fairs, and Festivals: expiring June 30, 2026

They adopted a three-year records retention schedule for documents such as complaints, citations, and comments at the Pocahontas County Animal Shelter. County Clerk Missy Bennett said there is no state requirement for this, but most other counties adopt such a retention schedule and it will allow the shelter to ask the commission for permission to destroy records they have held for three years. The purpose of this is to enable them to get rid of clutter at the shelter.

They authorized the distribution of the $90,909.09 received from the state EMS Equipment Fund Grant to the 7 EMS Agencies, which includes equal amounts to the six agencies that transport patients by ambulance, 5% to the one EMS Agency that does not do transports. They also approved a General County Budget Revision and Resolution to account for those funds and their distributions.

The commissioners then approved invoices and adjourned the meeting.