Pocahontas County Commission Resolves to Stop Acting on Anonymous Communications

If you want to make a complaint or express an opinion to the Pocahontas County Commission, you will now have to include your identity. Expressing their concerns at their September 1^st meeting that by receiving and considering all forms of anonymously sent communications including letters, correspondence, and emails they are creating public records of them, the Pocahontas County Commissioners passed a Resolution stating that they will no longer consider such communications from unidentified sources. This resolution resulted from the reception of several such communications over the past several months.

The full text of this resolution is as follows: “BE IT RESOLVED, that the Pocahontas County Commission as the governing body of Pocahontas County desires and strives at all times to be responsible for and responsive to the taxpayers and citizens of Pocahontas County, and strongly encourages and and all citizens to bring any matter to the attention of the Commission; however, the Commission deems that unsigned and/or anonymous correspondence, letters, e-mails or any other communications of the sort, is not a proper concern for the Commission, nor an appropriate matter for the expenditure of the Commission’s time or County resources. As such, the Commission RESOLVES that hereafter, the Commission will not consider in any way, any such unsigned, unacknowledged and/or anonymous communication.  RESOLVED, this 1^st day of September, 2015.”

During the discussion prior to passing the resolution, it was brought up that such unsigned communications could amount to rumor and can hurt an innocent person’s reputation if made an official part of the Commission’s public record.

In other actions, the Commissioners refused a lease extension for Dawn’s Pet Grooming who had been leasing a portion of the County owned Former Shoe Factory. They took this action reluctantly because the State Auditor had informed them that the Commission should not remain in the rental business and that the entire building might lose its tax exempt status if the rental continued. They were also advised by their counsel that they should not be competing with private individuals who are trying to lease space in the County. They gave Dawn’s Pet Grooming 60 days to relocate.

In another action, the Commissioners approved the 2015 Pocahontas County Financial Statement.

They also voted to authorize Attorney Bob Martin to arrange an inspection of a building being offered to the County as a donation by Attorney Martin Saffer and to inform Saffer that the Commission is interested in receiving this building, pending the results of a building inspection, since it is located near the Courthouse and can possibly be used by County Agencies. The Commissioners also want to walk through the building.

They received an update from Cara Rose, Executive Director of the County Convention & Visitors Bureau who informed that last year’s Hotel and Motel Tax receipts were up by 9% mostly due to a banner winter season at Snowshoe. She also presented to the Commission a Marketing overview featuring the Mountain Music Trail and the Route 39 Project. She stated that the Mountain Music Trail will be featured on WV Public Broadcasting this fall including short spots and a 30 minute documentary, while the Route 39 Project is gearing up to promote the highway corroder for the upcoming World Boy Scout gathering in Fayetteville next year.

Additionally, the Commissioners voted to allow the Chamber of Commerce sponsored Road Kill Cook-off team to use part of the old shoe factory on the last two Saturdays in October for a “Haunted House”.

In his report to the Commissioners, Commission Attorney Bob Martin talked about the possibility of turning the county owned land in the Green Bank Industrial Park back over to the Board of Education because of the deed restrictions on it which the Board declined to release. This will be placed on a future meeting agenda.

Additionally, Attorney Martin talked about the steps necessary to turn the County owned boat over to the Marlinton Volunteer Fire Department.

Martin also said he met with all of the 911 employees regarding the chain of command and expectations. He also will be conducting sexual harassment training classes for all County employees.

The Board appointed Ruth Taylor and Keith Wood to three year terms on the Dramas, Fairs and Festivals Board.

They ended the meeting by approving budget Revisions and Resolutions for the One Room University and the Prosecuting Attorney, and approving invoices.