Wetzel County Commission Holds Regularly Scheduled Session
The Wetzel County Commission met October 20, at the Commission office to discuss items on the agenda. Commissioner President Larry Lemon called the meeting to order following the Pledge of Allegiance. All commissioners were present.
The first order of business to be discussed was a request from County Clerk, Carol Haught for the matching funds needed for the Hava grant (Help America Vote Act). The Hava grant was to purchase voting equipment for the county. The amount from the grant was $125,198.00 which did not cover the total cost of the equipment. The cost of the County equipment was $186,151.00 leaving the county $60,952 to pay. Haught brought to the Commission’s attention that they had enough in the Cold Severance Budget to cover the cost of $41,952 minus $19,000 from the Clerk’s office budget. The Commissioners agreed with the County Clerk and the money will come from the budget that was already reserved.
Next item on the agenda was CNX Representative, Brad Boni asked the Commission for exoneration of the taxes of $13,785.15 due by December 31, 2020. Boni stated that his company merged with Cone Gathering, LLC before July 1, 2019 and should not be responsible for the 2019 tax year. He said CNX does not own any personal property in Wetzel County but have a working interest in the County. Cone Gathering, LLC is no longer an entity in Wetzel County. Assessor Scott Lemley stated that there needs to be a way to inventory the working interest in our county for proper assessment. Commissioners with the advice of Wetzel County Prosecutor Tim Haught gave Boni 15 days to provide supplement records to the County Commission before they can make their decision.
Susan Scharf, Executive Director of the Lighthouse Child Advocacy Center requested a salary increase for Brittany Darnell, Forensic Interviewer/Advocate at no cost to the county. Commission gave unanimous approval on the request.
The Wetzel County Commissioners met at the Wetzel County Commission office October 13. All Commissioners were present. Commission Vice President Lisa Heasley called the meeting to order following the Pledge of Allegiance. She then turned the floor over to Logan Hassig, of the Board of Trustees for the New Martinsville Library.
Mr. Hassig appeared on behalf of the Library to request funding for repair of gutters/downspouts in which he had bids from Tri State for a cost of $35,000 to replace with new. Jim Klug Excavating with a bid of $32,000 to reline the old gutters.
Other capital projects for the library was the security system, updating Young Readers Program, and total cleaning of the library. The security bids were from ADT for the cost of $3500 and $141 per month and United Security Alarms Systems submitted a bid of $4600 and $125 per month.
Northern Panhandle Cleaning bid $3220 for complete cleaning of the library and replacing carpet.
Hassig asked for $40,000 to cover the cost of the projects. Commissioner Greg Morris made the motion to approve the full amount with Commission President Larry Lemon offering the second to the motion to donate $40,000 to the library.
Items to be addressed with all given unanimous approvals by the Commission were: separation on interest in Oil & Gas in the name of Barbara A. Barrett and Margaret Joan Briggs. Separation of interest in Oil & Gas in the name of Patricia Woods and Barbara Dirosa.
The Commission also approved the order of the H. John Rogers Estate for the resignation of Wesbanco Bank as the Executor.