Durbin Town Council Approves Purchase Of Building Materials For Town Office

Durbin, WV – The Durbin Town Council approved a expenditure of $500.00 for building materials when they met for the regular monthly meeting Monday night. However, some in attendance at the meeting question whether the decision is legal given that the meeting was never called to order and a quorum was not present. Only Mayor Donald Peck and council members Don Jennings and John Osborne were present – three council members are required for a quorum.

The building material in question is called Hardie board, a type of engineered siding that is long lasting and takes paint well. Jason Bauserman told the Council that he could get several sheets of Hardie board at a reduced price from World Vision Ministries, based in Phillippi, West Virginia. He says the cost is about $2.50 per sheet, much lower than a popular home improvement retailer.

“At Lowes, with taxes, it’s probably about nine dollars for a 12 foot long piece that is 8 inches high – this is cement board” says Baurserman.

Bauserman stresses the product is available on a first come, first serve basis. His request for the siding is part of a larger project to make improvements to the town hall. In July, a grant application for the building project was approved by the Region Four Planning and Development Council. It’s now under review by the West Virginia Department of Energy and final approval is expected in September.

The grant however doesn’t cover the cost of the siding according to Durbin Mayor Donald Peck. He says the town will have to pay for the Hardie board, but they have already set aside money for that purpose. The grant will cover the cost of new insulation, windows and other improvements.

To get a quorum for a vote, town treasurer Veronica Lane called council member Emma Grace Nottingham, who was at home due to illness. Lane says Nottingham verbally agreed with the decision to approve the purchase. However, because she was not on a speaker phone, no one else at the meeting could verify that Lane spoke to Nottingham.

Citing the desire to save the town money, and to act quickly before the product disappears, the council members present gave Bauserman permission to purchase up to $ 500.00 of the Hardie board.

The re-scheduled August meeting of the Durbin Town Council will be Thursday, August 12th at 7pm in the town office.