Pocahontas County Commission Votes to Buy the Lot Next to Courthouse

With, on January 1st, newly elected County Commissioner Thane Ryder replacing current Commissioner Walt Helmick, two of the three commissioners voted at the November 19^th Pocahontas County Commission Meeting, to purchase the lot next to the courthouse for $85,000. Originally Helmick planned to build a new Courthouse Annex on that site, but he explained that he has given up on the annex build since he has run out of time to do it, and because of opposition to it. Helmick still wanted to purchase that property since it is available; out of the flood plain and next to the courthouse, despite that there are no plans to utilize it. Helmick and Commissioner John Rebinski indicated that a future commission might want to build an annex or a parking lot there. It was also acknowledged that once the commission buys the lot, it will be responsible for demolishing the unusable house on it, which will cost an additional ten to twelve thousand dollars. Commissioner Jamie Walker was the only commissioner to vote against this purchase.

Regarding the division of their East Fork property for cutting hay among several interested farmers. they decided to have the County Prosecutor draw up lease agreements with each of those farmers who are interested.

The commissioners voted to move Animal Shelter Part-Time employee Mia Friel to a full-time staff management position at the shelter. Sheriff Barlow had asked the commissioners to remove the cost of that position from his budget since he needs to hire an additional Court Bailiff. The commissioners decided to leave the position on the Sheriff’s budget until their next meeting when they can fund it differently.

The” on-again-off again” purchase of the County Landfill property by the commission from the Fertig Family on behalf of the county Solid Waste Authority (SWA) may be off again. Commissioner John Rebinski identified three problems with the lease as written, but said all three can or have already been worked out.

1. The lease incorrectly says Landfill Road from Route 28 to the landfill is a private road and requires it to need insurance coverage. However, it is actually an official WV State Road, not needing insurance. He said that can be easily corrected.
2. Spelling out who is responsible for fencing that road has also been agreed upon after months of negotiations, so that should not be a problem.
3. A new restriction in the deed only allows the Solid Waste Authority (SWA) to access the Fertig’s water source seven months per year, and it also restricts the use of that water to controlling dust on the Landfill Road. The Fertig Family indicated they are willing to reach a compromise on that issue.

The remaining problem, which may very well sink the whole sale, is that some Solid Waste Authority members refuse to accept any side agreements being written into the deed, including those listed above. They want a simple deed containing no restrictions or agreements, or they will refuse the sale. SWA Member Dave Henderson was adamant on that, calling it an “Ultimatum.” However, the Fertig Family and their attorney insist those be left in the deed and reworded or revised if necessary.

This issue was not resolved during this meeting, after a disgusted Helmick ended further discussion on this topic.

Commissioner John Rebinski proposed advertising jobs to staff the County Ambulance Service after it is eventually expanded to also cover the lower half of the county.

Marlinton Fire Chief Herbie Barlow challenged Rebinski’s right to single handedly manage the county’s paid ambulance service. He asked Rebinski to identify the Board of Directors for the county ambulance service, and did not accept Rebinski’s reply that the other two commissioners serve that role. Barlow said the Pocahontas Emergency Medical Service Authority should be running a county ambulance service, not a commissioner. Rebinski said he had asked the EMS Authority to run it but they were unwilling to do so. Barlow told Rebinski that if he asks again, he will get a different response from the EMS Authority. Rebinski pledged to ask them again at the next EMS Authority meeting – January 8^th at 7 pm.

Barlow said that the Marlinton and Hillsboro VFDs remain willing to allow the county ambulance service to use one of their ambulances, their 2-bay station -including a second story 2-bedroom staff apartment- on 2^nd Avenue in Marlinton, and the needed medical equipment, all at no cost provided that Rebinski turns the management of the Pocahontas County Ambulance Service over to the EMS Authority. Barlow said this will provide 20-hour coverage per day on weekdays and 24-hours coverage per day on weekends, which is far more service then Rebinski is providing in the Northern part of the county or proposing for the Southern half of the county.