The 1982 Foundation Pool Project is once again in jeopardy of delay, partly due to a sudden change of duties for OES 911 Director Julie Sears, who also happens to be paid by the County to issue building permits. When contractors representing the 1982 foundation inquired about a building permit with the Town of Grantsville for the Calhoun Community Center pool house, which will be an addition to the former Wayne Underwood Field snack bar, it was discovered that Sears had just informed the Town that she would no longer issue permits for the Town of Grantsville. She had agreed at an unspecified earlier date to take care of all county and city building permits, but decided that she would no longer do it.
This leaves the question up in the air once more, who’s overseeing E911? Is the same management procedures in place for E911 that created the havoc for Calhoun EMS? Does anyone have authority over her, or is she permitted to make decisions such as this on her own? Perhaps she was. Clarification will have to come from the County Commission who is her only supervision.
Sears has an advisory board which is comprised of several people in positions mandated by the WV Code §24-6-5 – Enhanced emergency telephone system requirements. Under this code as defined below is the law according to appointment of board members.
(g) Each county or municipality shall appoint for each answering point an enhanced emergency telephone system advisory board consisting of at least six members to monitor the operation of the system. The board shall be appointed by the county or municipality and shall include at least one member from affected:
- (1) Fire service providers;
- (2) Law-enforcement providers;
- (3) Emergency medical providers;
- (4) Emergency services providers participating in the system; and
- (5) Counties or municipalities.
- (6) The director of the county or municipal enhanced telephone system shall serve as an ex officio member of the advisory board.
According to Magistrate Richard Postalwait, who serves on the 911 Advisory Board, appointed officials serving are: Dwayne O’Neal for the Fire Service, St. C. Weekley for Law Enforcement, *Jason Wilson for the Emergency Medical Service, Brent Barr for Emergency Service Provider (Minnie Hamilton), Sheriff Warren Basnett for the Calhoun Sheriffs Dept., Charles McCroskey for the Grantsville City Police and Ron Blankenship as well Commissioner Kevin Helmick, who removed Craig Arthur who would have replaced former Commissioner Hicks, putting himself in that position at the beginning of the year.
* Correction – Jason Wilson is currently not on the 911 Advisory Board.
The code says of these appointments:
(h) All appointments to the advisory board shall be for terms of three years, except that an appointment to fill a vacancy shall be for the unexpired term. All members shall serve without compensation. The board shall adopt any policies, rules, and regulations necessary for its own guidance. The board shall meet monthly or quarterly. The board may make recommendations to the county or municipality concerning the operation of the system.
This board acts in an advisory position only. Sears does not have to take their advice. She is however supposed to answer to the Calhoun County Commission, and yet the commission knew nothing of it. So the question remains, how are they governing her any better with relation to 911 than they did with Calhoun EMS?
Sears informed Mayor Robert Petrovsky by email on Wednesday that she would no longer do the building permits for the Town without any basis for her resignation. This put them between a rock and a hard spot because they have no other person certified to do them. The Mayor had ask Sears some time ago if she would continue to do the building permits that were in the floodplain because there was nobody certified at the City. He asked her if the Town would need to pay her by contract or for a period of time, but Sears did not respond. The assumption continued that she would take care of it.
This unfortunate and abrupt change puts the summer pool season in jeopardy.
The Mayor contacted the State office of Floodplain Management who have been very helpful with trying to assist the city in issuing this permit. But according to the Floodplain Manager, Mr. Tim Keaton, there is a great deal of detail that must be collected from the contractor before a permit can “properly” be issued. The 1982 Foundation has compiled a detailed package including a full study of the LK Floodplain in Grantsville at the expense of $30,000.00. This was done when Julie Sears and Calhoun County Commissioner alleged that the existing school building was in the floodplain. After the $30000 topological study it was proven that the school is not in the floodplain at all. The Mayor believes that those who are helping the Town with this matter will work as swiftly as possible, but he does believe it’s going to take time. Keaton informed the Mayor that he would do what ever was necessary, including coming to Grantsville himself.
The Mayor will attend a class on Floodplain management in July and become certified to issue the permits from that point forward.
Sounds to me like it’s a town problem. Why would they outsource building permits to only one person, when the agreement was she would do them until the town got someone trained? I cannot say how long ago this agreement was supposedly made, however with the backlash and complaints about her I cannot say I blame her. One second the public does not want her in charge, yet when it comes down to needing her the same people are mad that she’s not there.
Also, how long has it been since the property was given to the Foundation? 6-8 months maybe? All last summer this talk was about not owning the property was the hold up. As soon as the Foundation received the property construction would begin? Here it is now March. Practically springtime. And now the hold up is a permit?? Why wait until construction time to get a permit? The project obviously was not on track to be completed by June if they expected to get a permit the second they applied for it. And on another note if the pool is constructed in a similar fashion to the picnic shelter they moved and blew over, I’d be concerned for the children who go swimming.
Thirdly, it’s pretty obvious that the school was not in the floodplain, yet also blatantly obvious that the field is. I’ve seen water in the field many times, but maybe not as far up as the location of the pool. The school bus garage was submerged to the ceiling in 67 and 85, which would more than likely put the proposed pool location under water as well.
Fourthly, I’m not downing anyone for wanting to make Calhoun a better place. The county has been passed up by different people, and even some of its own people have rejected projects that would bring economic activity to the area. But what I cannot for the life of me understand is how every time something to do with this high school is proposed, the blame on why it isn’t getting done is always someone else’s fault. It’s time to either put up or shut up. Do or do not.