Durbin Town Council Meets With Sewer Project Engineers Later This Month
Durbin, WV – Later this month, Durbin town council members will interview engineering firms interested in the task of repairing aging sewer lines in the town. At the town council meeting Monday night, Durbin Mayor Donald Peck announced that five firms have submitted letters of interest. On March 10th, the council will interview three engineering firms – Chapman, Thrasher and Hannah.
In other business, the council approved hiring Mayor Peck as the coordinator for the Durbin Days Heritage Festival, scheduled for July 14th thru the 19th. The decision was made after the town failed to receive any response from a want ad placed in the local paper. Recorder Paul Ransome says Peck can receive the 500.00 stipend that goes with the position so long as the council sends a letter to the state ethics board explaining the situation.
The Mayor was unable to persuade the council on his other monetary request – a pay raise. The current pay for the mayors’ job is 100.00 per month. Peck requested a 50.00 per month raise. But council members were reluctant to commit to the raise right before they begin work on the 2010-2011 budget.
There’s also a question of whether or not council members and the town recorder would also be entitled to a raise if the Mayor’s salary goes up. While they did not approve the increase in pay, the council did approve mileage reimbursement at forty-two cents per mile for the mayor or council members when traveling on town business.
The council also discussed the town treasurer position and the need for an updated job description. Treasurer Veronica Lane has on occasion taken work home to avoid interruptions at the town office. But Council members aren’t comfortable with town records leaving the office. They asked Lane to choose a time when she can do her work, outside of regular office hours.
Council member John Osborne called on his fellow council members to return to a level of decorum that seems to be lacking in recent meetings. He says personal attacks both in the council chamber and at other public meetings are inappropriate. Yet further into this discussion one council member accused another of being unduly influenced in their voting record. Osborne again urged his fellow members to leave their personal feelings at the door before entering the council chambers.