Pocahontas County Commissioners Make Financial Commitment to Public Transit

At its Tuesday, August 8^thmeeting, the Pocahontas County Commission heard from Tim Thomas of the Mountain Valley Transit Authority (or MTA) who discussed bringing public transit bus service to the County. Thomas told the Commissioners that they intend to operate commuter transit service from Marlinton to both Snowshoe Mountain Resort and Interstate Hardwoods. Thomas said they would also run daily scheduled transit loops multiple times around the Marlinton area. He asked the County Commission to commit $30,000 a year to help meet the Federal Grant’s local match requirement. The Commissioners unanimously voted to provide that financial funding.

David Hammond from Silver Creek Homeowners Association asked the Commissioners to return the taxes they had paid in protest in 2017 and 2018 on the common areas at Silver Creek He cited a lawsuit decision from January of 2019 by Judge Dent which they say determined that those taxes were improperly assessed. Bob Martin, the Commission’s Attorney and Tom Lane, the County Assessor both disagreed with Hammond’s interpretation of Judge Dent’s ruling. The Commissioners decided to try to resolve this issue at a Special Commission meeting, which they scheduled for Friday, August 16^th at 10:15 a.m.

The Commissioners also approved the following non-profit organizations’ funding requests:

• The Commissioners approved funding $1,500 to repair the roof on the train boxcar located at the Marlinton Depot. This funding will be through the non-profit group, the Marlinton Railroad Depot Corporation, who own the railroad cars located there. Cyla Allison of the County Artisans Co-op also pointed out that the caboose is badly deteriorated and is a hazard. Funding will be sought later to repair that. In the meantime, Mayor Felton told the Commissioners he would have “keep off” signs posted and surround the caboose with caution tape.
• They approved funding $2500 to High Rocks to repair a deteriorating picnic shelter at their camp.
• They approved $4000 for the Tucker Community Foundations to be used for their “Run for It” event.
• They approved $5000 for the County Prevention Coalition.
• They approved $1000.00 for Bryans Battery, Inc to use to help put on the Droop Mountain Battle Civil War Reenactment at the Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park this October 12^th and 13^th.

In other actions at this meeting:

• The Commissioners approved the Pocahontas County Chamber of Commerce’s request to use the Former Shoe Factory Building to hold a haunted house event on October.
• They agreed to payment terms with Shinaberry’s Graphics payment for the purchase of 911 addressing signs and materials to pay the bill off in 1/3 increments.
• They appointed Aaron Pugh to a five-year term on the Pocahontas County Libraries and Visitor Information Center Board.
• They appointed Steve Tritapoe and Todd Wright to three-year terms on the County Fire Board.
• They renewed the cable TV franchise agreement with Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks Telephone, Inc.
• They approved a facility-use Memorandum of Agreement with the Family Court.
• They renewed the special risk accident insurance policy rider for Community Emergency Response Team Volunteers
• The Commissioners appointed Rita Jackson to a six-year term on the Pocahontas Memorial Hospital Board.

They went into an Executive Session to discuss a personnel matter and then into another Executive Session to discuss their concerns with the Hospital. After taking no action on these, the Commissioners ended the meeting with approval of invoices.