Although delayed a few days by weather, the Grantsville Town Council met Friday evening at 6 p.m. on January 10th, 2025 for their first meeting of the new year. Winter weather was likely the cause of low attendance with the exception of the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department members.
Recorder Emily Collins presented the list of State holidays and the meeting schedule for 2025 to the four council members present: Cheryl Sturms, Linda Staton, Emilee Morgan and Rissa Staples and Mayor Robert Petrovsky.
At the beginning of the meeting one council seat remained vacant. Every position is open for Grantsville citizens to file for the coming June 2025 Town Government Election. Filing opens Monday, January 13th through the 25, 2025. Individuals can file from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. during business hours in the Town Office on Main Street in Grantsville. Filing Fees are $15.00 for a Council seat, $25.00 for Recorder and $50.00 for Mayor and must be filed in person.
Under Committee reports Cheryl Sturm informed those present that a list of donors to the City Park effort had been delivered to the Calhoun Gilmer Career Center to create a 4’ x 4’ galvanized steel sign as well as a 2’x 4’ sign with the park rules cut out of the steal.
There was no new or unfinished business, however the Mayor did say that the Committee working on the O&M agreement between the County and City utilities would meet again on Friday, January 17th, 2025. No time was provided.
Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department members appeared before the council regarding recent interaction with the Mayor and alleged threats that the Town of Grantsville was suing the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department over illegal use of water, by providing water to a private citizen to fill a cistern.
The Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department, who willingly donate thousands of hours and dollars of their own families budgets to provide fire protection to the citizens of Calhoun County stood before the Grantsville City Council having to defend helping a citizen while being accused of theft of a public utility.
Courtney Alexander, who was later appointed to the vacant seat of the Town Council dressed down the Fire Department members regarding the law and their lack of respect for officials. The video of this event is available on Facebook on the Ridgeview News site.
The Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department building has one meter at the building logging the water use of the Department Meeting area. The other unmetered area is that providing water to fill the fire trucks. The meter to the inside the building is mechanically unreadable. Which the town hasn’t bothered to fix. The two inch meter inside the truck bay does not get read. The Mayor is now demanding the records of how the Fire Department has used the unmetered water, making accusations that they are stealing from a public utility by providing an occasional (very rarely) tank of water to a citizen in need whether for drinking or cattle or helping one volunteer fire department member fill their pool. The wholesale value of 2,000 gallons of water is probably about $20.00. The Mayor is willing to risk the loss of every volunteer fire department member because they’re tired of the community’s failure to recognize their value.
This is highly ironic with an unscrutinized city service fee of $10.00 per month that is charged to every utility customer in the Town of Grantsville, being said that the fee goes for police and fire protection as well as the street department. Yet the town of Grantsville has not provided one cent to the Grantsville Fire Department for decades of fire coverage, assistance at keeping the town clean, and flushing sewer lines when they’re plugged off. Nor do they have a police officer. They’re excuse is that no one applies because they (the City) can’t afford to pay a decent wage, while the Calhoun Sheriff’s Department and West Virginia State Police are forced to provide protection and not given one cent of the money collected by the Town of Grantsville. How is that not illegal use of a public utility?
The members of the Grantsville Volunteer Fire Department Board questioned the Mayor as to his intention against them, because they would be in need of hiring an attorney. The Mayor informed them that he was unsure of where the “investigation” would lead for which he was “forced to pursue by a citizens complaint.”
This is where the County citizens need to step up. The Mayor of Grantsville is placing your home and life at risk for a political stance, once again proving that the County Seat officials matter.
Courtney Alexander was the only letter of intent filed for the vacant position on City Council. Councilwoman Cheryl Sturm made a motion to approve her with a second from Linda Staton and approved by all. Mayor Petrovsky swore her in and she took her place at the Council table.
