The Town Council of Grantsville and Mayor Robert Petrovsky met Monday, February 7th, 2022 at the City Offices in Grantsville for their regular monthly meeting. The first topic of conversation was the Mayor’s report on the contest for carving ideas for the Gingko tree that was cutdown in front of Body’s Restaurant on Main Street. Several submissions have been made and will be decided upon by city residents and businesses at the end of February when the contest ends.
Charles McCroskey has been hired as Lead Patrol Officer for the city and will work random hours in consult with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department.
The construction and replacement of eleven wooden town signs has been taken on by Craftsman, David Gerlach who is currently drying out the wood for the project. The Mayor has requested a logo be designed for the signs that will be symbolic of the Town of Grantsville. The other metal signs in town will be replaced at a later date.
The Town of Grantsville’s Sewer plant has been on the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) radar for several years having been out of compliance on several counts. Although the Mayor was aware of issues with the Sewer system and had been working with their only Sewer Plant Operator, James Bajcar, to repair multiple parts of the plant, he was not aware of a Plan of Corrective Action (POCA) that had been filed by the DEP in April of 2020. There had been no word on the action, which took place before Mayor Petrovsky was elected to office, until an outstanding bill of nearly $20,000.00 was received from the Law Firm of Steptoe and Johnson for work done on the POCA in 2020. Now the matter is back on the DEP’s agenda for correction and a concern for the City.
Fred Hypes of Dunn Engineering stated that it was not uncommon for the DEP to issue a penalty order in such matters even though the City had not had response from the DEP for almost two years. An Inspector Supervisor from the DEP had recently viewed the repairs made on the Grantsville Sewer Plant and expressed to the Mayor that he was pleased with the progress the Town had made. However the Mayor stated that the DEP official made mention of the Regionalization Efforts of the Water and Sewer Systems to consolidate with the Mt. Zion Public Service District. Mayor Petrovsky was upset that Grantsville had had to bear the “greater financial brunt” of the consolidation recommendation which had required hiring legal counsel and having the town to look into getting all city properties appraised which would have cost $15,000 and taken several months to complete. The Mayor informed the auditing agency that they could not afford it and that he would take care of a financial report himself for assessing the value of city property.
The Water System had also incurred some recent emergency expenses due to a line blockage that created a need for a line replacement under Route 16 across from the City Parking Lot. Orders Construction worked to try and repair the line but needed to cut across Route 16 which required a permit from the West Virginia Department of Highways. When speaking to the Department of Highways Representative, Fred Hypes was told that ”Small Utilities have a history of digging up the pavement and not repairing it correctly.” Dunn Engineering assured them that Orders Construction would do it right.
Tim Meeks of the Mid Ohio Valley Regional Council (MOVRC) reported that a draw down of funding for the city Project had occurred in the amounts of $63,036 to Orders Construction, $6,720.82 to Dunn Engineering and $928.99 to the MOVRC.
The Grantsville Water Plant has faced financial hardship with only one certified operator, Chief David Johnson, until the recent Certification of a second operator, Craig Gherke. The State requirements are such that it takes two years of working under a certified operator before a class II license can be obtained. This has created issues across the state with more plants having operator positions to fill than operators available to fill them. The Grantsville Water plant is currently under construction for an expansion, but due to limited equipment availability and material delays the project has been slow. Orders Construction is set for the installation of two new water pumps that will relieve risks on Water Department staff having to repair the current two pumps which are located in a confined space at a depth of 52 feet. The new pumps are set for installation the last of February, or first of March. The entire project is due for completion in February 2023 to which Dunn Engineering stated that there would be quick activity on the project once the materials come in.
For several months the town of Grantsville has been working on receiving bids for the demolition of the old Rainbow Hotel at the corner of Court and Mill Streets. The building, which has partially burnt and is hazardous should it be entered in to, was recently assessed for asbestos contamination and found to have it in the roof, walls and ceiling boards. This will change any bids that have came in without asbestos removal.
The final subject on the agenda before going into executive session was the first read on an RV ordinance in Grantsville. Campers and Recreational Vehicles will be allowed to be occupied in the city limits provided they follow all city ordinances, have no tents or attachments, are in reasonably good shape (at the town’s discretion), have water and sewer hookups and registered occupants.
The City council meeting entered into executive session followed by the payment of bills and adjournment.
City Council members present were Dorothy McCauley, Judy Powell, Cheryl Cheesebrew and Linda Staton.
