Not so much love at the Valentines Day County Commission Meeting

The Little Courtroom was standing room only for the Calhoun County Commission meeting on Monday at 9 a.m. with multiple representatives from the 1982 Foundation attending to address the Commission. Robin Hughes requested that the Calhoun County Commission consider changing the time of their regular monthly meeting of 10 a.m to a 6 p.m. time to accommodate working people. The recommendation was met with opposition from two of the three Commissioners. Commissioner Kevin Helmick stated “We’ve done it and it doesn’t work. We’ve even offered refreshments at other meetings and people wouldn’t come. The meetings need to be held when State workers, engineers and other offices are available to come.”

Mrs. Hughes stated that she “didn’t see any of those people respresented at the meeting today,” and that the Commissioners “needed to start serving the county.”

Commissioner Michael Hicks informed Mrs. Hughes that “Roane County had tried it and it didn’t work, but he would be willing to consider holding an unofficial meeting allowing community comments.”

Kevin Helmick stated that people “always me when they need something.” To which Crystal Mersh, head of the 1982 Foundation ask, “Are you saying it doesn’t make it worth while?” Mr. Helmick furtrher responded by saying, “They’ll come for a while but then it will return to the way it was.

Teresa Overton spoke saying that the County Commission shouldn’t compare Calhoun with other Counties. She noted that Calhoun County is “on fire” referring to the community involvement and concern for county politics and business.

Commissioner Matt Walker made a motion to change the meeting time for three months, but the motion failed when Commissioner Hicks rejected it as well as Commmissioner Helmick further stating, “you can’t please everyone.”

Commissioner Hicks made a motion for a work and listening session, with both other commissioners in agreement. It was decided that a Community Comment meeting would be held the second Thursday of each month for citizens to express concerns and request addition s to the regular monthly meeting agenda.

Next on the agenda was Crystal Mersh who asked the County Commission if they were going to accept the formal request for partnership with the 1982 Foundation and the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce in Charleston, West Virginia who are working to bring people back to their home town to revive business. All three Commissioners voted in favor of the action.

Following this exchange, Mrs. Mersh told the three commisioners that “their resistence to change and lack of cooperation was not acceptable to their organization and advised them to evaluate their interest in being a commissioner or resign.”

Julie Seaers, OES Director reported for the Calhoun County EMS, 911 Center and Calhoun Control. The number of calls by each agency were as follows: Arnoldsburg Volunteer Fire Deparment -6, Upper West Fork Volunteer Fire Department – 6, Grantsville Volunteer Fire Deparment – 10, Sheriff – 110, EMS – 83, and the West Virginia State Police – 101.

Commissioner Hicks asks Miss Sears how many of the Ambulance runs were refused to which she replied that 15% of the ambulance calls were refused. The emphasis was brought because those that are refused cannot be billed. She reported to the Calhoun County Commision that an EMT class was now being taught at the Arnoldsburg Volunteer Fire Department with 13 participants, the majority of which will likely serve in Calhoun County.

Several agencies under the umbrella of the County Commission reported on their agencies activities:

Calhoun county Wood Fesitval has begin meeting to prepare for the 2022 Festival and expressed their concern for the mowing of the grass on the Wayne Underswood field, bringing to the attention of the Commission that last year’s mowing was not done well or complete. Comissioner Hicks said that it would be bid out as counthy policy required, but Mrs. Mersh said the 1982 Foundation would mow the grass for free. The weedeating will still need to be bid out.

CRI filed no report but Mr. HIcks reminded the community that CRI offers assistance for people struggling to pay utility bills, needing help from the food panty and free income tax preparation for those making less than $58,000 annually.

Donald Pitts, president of the Calhoun County Park Board submitted the Park’s Application for ARP Grant funds which would help the park continue the current upgrades including a park cabin that will soon be available to rent, bathhouse and restroom, camping lots with electric and water on site, and new playground equipment. He requested help from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department to help monitor the park property after having issues with damges to the grounds and concern for overnight guest safety. Sheriff Warren Basnett who was in attendance stated that the Sheriff’s department currently does patrol the park but they’ll step up their patrols in that area and ask the WV State Police for their assistance as well.

The Calhoun Family Resource network reported that 39 children were involved in their “Book It” program and that many families were served through their Food Bank Program which provides free food for familes in Calhoun County through the Mountaineer Food Bank in Gassaway, WV. The next food give away will be March 11 at the Grantsville City Park beginning at 11 a.m.

Sheriff Warren Basnett reported to the County Commisison that there are 11 people on Home Confinement in Calhoun County, with one more to be added soon. The Home Confinement program saves the county a considerable sum of money being that the defendants pay a monitoring fee of $10.00 per day to be on the program, instead of the county paying a regional jail bill of $48.50 per day to house an inmate which creates the $30-45,000 monthly jail bills we are curretly having to pay.

Jackie Boatright, 82 Foundation Member, asked the Commission why we didn’t have a Drug Court such as the one inRoane County. The Commission informed her that we were a part of the Roane County Drug Court, in that we provided furniture for the court when it began in exchange for being able to send drug offenders as well as others for diversions from standard sentencing. The Roane County Drug Court does both criminial and family treatment.

Shelia Burch, Director of the Little Kanawha Area Developement Authority, reported on an Incubation Project that would be housed within the Calhoun County Community Center without charge, courtesy of the 1982 Foundation, amouunting to $15,000 in kind that would go toward funding the project. Mrs. Burch requested a letter of support which the Calhoun County Commission agreed to provide.

Also discussed was the importance of recognizing the danger and need to contact West Virginia Representatives regarding Senate Bill 2, now in the West Virginia Legislature. The purpose of this bill is to create additional eligibility verification for benefits, reduce the maximum duration of benefits period, and implement a system to link the duration of benefits to state economic performance. The passing of this bill would limit unemployement beneifts to being received only 12 weeks. This would be detrimental in an area where seasonal workers are often laid off for much longer.

The Commissiors meeting continued with personnel matters, board appointments and matters of finance. The next regularly scheduled County Commission meeting will be March 14, 2022 at 9 a.m., but a meeting for community concern will be held March 10th, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. The community is urged to attend and voice concerns and opinions regarding the operations of County Government.