By Stephen Smoot
As the summer winds down and the seasons start to change, the Harrison County Commission held its final regulate meeting for the month of August. Infrastructure issues consumed a great deal of time and discussion.
Commissioner Patsy Trecost provided the customary opening invocation, praying “Heavenly Father, heal our hearts.” Commissioners and attendees then honored America with the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Commissioners first examined a set of quotes for work, to which Commissioner David Hinkle raised questions. Some got pulled for further examination, including one for $23,805 that would have covered some road repairs.
Hinkle also questioned the purchase of radar detectors for law enforcement vehicles set aside for the D.A.R.E. program. He said “I think we can spend this money better than for radar detectors for D.A.R.E. vehicles.” Commission President Susan Thomas added that “I have mixed emotions” about the set of devices that would cost $7.104.
Laura Pysz-Laulis, Harrison County Administrator, stated that “D.A.R.E. officers work on the road when school is not in session,” to which Hinkle replied that “I can’t believe we don’t have some lying around.” Commissioners voted to approve the D.A.R.E. vehicle devices two to one.
After the Shinnston Soccer Association’s special funding request, covered elsewhere, Commissioners debated funding a special request from the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival. They requested $5,000 “to assist with expenses for electrical upgrades beside courthouse that are needed to improve and guarantee quality sound for the main stage
Commissioner Trecost expressed a note of dissatisfaction with the Festival leadership, saying “this has been a journey for us.” He shared his frustration when stating “we have been assured and assured it would be at no cost to the taxpayers and it has started unbeknownst to the administration for three days.”
Commissioner David Hinkle noted that the Festival has engaged in fundraising to deray costs and made a motion to provide the funds requested. The concurrence of Thomas in the vote passed it.
The next agenda item concerned approval of the Clarksburg Sanitary Board taking over the sewer and waste assets of Summit Park Public Service District. As was stated last week when the water assets transferred, the Clarksburg entity will assume full ownership of all PSD assets going forward.
Commissioners then briefly discussed a proposal from the Harrison County Development Authority. That entity suggested a joint utility feasibility study for properties on West Virginia Rt 279. Both the Development Authority and the County own adjoining property and a study could cover both.
After questioning from Hinkle, Pysz-Laulis stated “there shouldn’t be a cost associated with this.” That said, Commissioners discussed a cap on County assistance should the study incur cost. Trecost suggested $5,000 and Thomas $10,000. “I think Patsy was fine at five,” said Hinkle, who pointed out that if the study required more, those involved could come to the Commission and make the case.
Commissioners also approved creating an assistant county administrator position and hiring Michelle Tonkin to fill the role. In the absence of the County Administrator, Tonkin will enjoy the full authority of the office.
Commissioner Trecost next urged his colleagues to revisit the fireworks ordinance passed earlier in the summer. Citizen complaints about unlawful and obnoxious releases of fireworks late at night and early in the morning encouraged Commissioners to pass an ordinance limiting legal use.
“We haven’t put a dent in it,” shared Trecost, who pushed for the Commission to consider the original and more restrictive ordinance that sparked opposition from the Harrison County Prosecutor earlier this year..
Thomas shared the frustration already felt by law enforcement. She explained “we can’t find the people. The police go out and they’re gone.”
Hinkle asked if the County had a nuisance ordinance. Pysz-Laulis responded that County Attorney Trey Simmerman had previously stated that they did and that it might provide an easier legal path to resident satisfaction. Nuisance cases can follow a civil or criminal path, but, as Pysz-Laulis stated, the key to enforcement is to “document, document, document” instances of violations to build evidence.
Commissioners also heard reports on the need to raise 911 related fees. Officials shared that the public has an easier time with small, but more regular increases as opposed to massive hikes every 20 years or more. They asked officials to return to the next meeting with options and more details. “Big ticket expenses,” such as work on towers near Shinnston and Salem, will require funding.
A vote did pass that would require that anyone filling the grant administrator role have a working knowledge of grant writing. “They’d better know how to write a grant,” observed Hinkle, “or they aren’t going to make a good grants administrator.”
Pyzs-Laulis later in the meeting sought Commission guidance on what the County policy was in terms of public parking lots at the County Courthouse. She explained that many discussions had taken place and that she needed clear direction to move forward.
Commissioner Trecost laid out his position, that the County should set aside only one lot for employees, not two. He added that he wished to see the parking lot payments on a cashless basis only and questioned critics who claimed that excluding cash created hardship on some, also adding that those who still preferred using cash could use parking meters. He also related that “I don’t care if there is an arm or not” to regulate access.
Commissioners then voted to reserve a single lot for employees and two for paid public use. Employees who cannot find spaces in their lot would have to pay to park in the public lot. Commissioners by vote set the cost of that at $3 per day. By comparison, the City of Charleston charges $1 per hour to use its public garages.
Commissioners voted two to one for the motion with Trecost inquiring about Hinkle’s no vote. He replied “I didn’t vote for the parking lot.”
The final parking lot related vote concerned whether or not cash could be used. Trecost had articulated his opposition to allowing cash and Hinkle agreed, saying “I don’t want to deal with cash.” Thomas opposed the motion, which passed.
The machines intended for the lots do accept both cash and cards, but as Hinkle pointed out “we don’t have to activate that part of the machine” that accepts cash.
Commissioners then returned to a familiar subject in Harrison County’s rail trail network.
Along the section of trail near Lost Creek, a fiber optic installation company had left “some issues with holes” and other problems that could present a hazard. The company pledged that from then on, any obstacles created by their work “will be repaired on a daily basis.” Multiple crews work the site and they are expected to complete the job in late October.
Commissioner Hinkle pointed out that the trail extending from Mount Claire to Lost Creek “has never been brought to specs. It’s just grass ruts.” It was explained that the fiber optic work had held up improvements to that segment of trail.
Thomas suggested a site assessment and Hinkle shared that the 5.4 mile stretch, “talking with staff (it’s) a long way for one truck to be dumping gravel.”
