By Stephen Smoot
May’s Town of Franklin council meeting opened and closed with thoughts of former mayor and council member Genevieve Glover, who passed away on May 10. The Hunting Ground native served for 36 years as Pendleton County Schools financial secretary. For 35 years, she also provided experienced leadership to town government, working as town recorder, council member, and also mayor.
Mayor Bob Horan noted that as mayor, Glover always opened with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. He then gave an invocation and prayed, “Please be with her as she travels to You.”
Town business opened directly afterward.
With the Tree City USA representative absent to give that organization’s presentation, the council turned next to Mon Forest Towns. Amber Nesselrodt came on their behalf to propose naming Michelle Connor as Franklin’s alternate representative to the organization. She will replace Sam Wood, who recently resigned.
Later in the meeting, council members heard how Mon Forest Towns provides member cities with grant writing assistance without charge. Sarah Cunningham will meet with town officials later in the month to coordinate. Nesselrodt stated that assistance from Mon Forest Towns was geared “to meet the needs of locals and of people who visit.”
Kristen Dingess, council member, said, “I’d like to thank her for standing up.”
Frank Wehrle, town administrator, then spoke on an issue raised at last month’s meeting, the condition of the road on Airport Hill. “After last month’s meeting,” he said, “I looked into what it will take to pave Airport Hill.” He also stated that performing the full job may lay beyond the town’s finances, but that more information should better inform the decision.
Wehrle spoke with a paving company about a three phase project on Airport Hill, as well as potentially resurfacing Confederate Road, South Branch Street, and Lee Street. The quotes for the jobs will be shared at the next council meeting.
He said at the very least, they might be able to grade Airport Hill to a level safe for vehicles, but that parts of the road could not be widened without significant and costly work.
The town will apply for grants to cover the work.
Council members then discussed a proposal brought to the town to make Spruce Street one way going east from Main Street. It was revealed that a curious arrangement governed “ownership” of Franklin streets. The town has control over streets that cross Main Street to the west while the West Virginia Department of Highways “owns” those extending to the east.
Those who proposed the one-way status said that cars emerging from Spruce onto Main had difficulty seeing traffic.
Elizabeth Scott stated that two Main Street stores would encounter difficulties in receiving shipments by truck, should the council decide in favor of making Spruce Street one way. Council member Russ Sasso offered that “doesn’t work logistically for me at all,” adding that the town would just see more trucks parked on Main Street making deliveries. He and other council members did make a point to say that Potomac Hardware does a responsible job of scheduling and managing their Main Street deliveries.
He also said, “Yeah, you have to inch out, but you have to do that on several of the streets.”
The mayor then put the question to the council and asked them to vote “yay or nay” on a motion to not act on the matter. Jarred Rawson said “I say nay” and the motion to not change the street patterns passed without dissent.
A representative from Thrasher gave the monthly update on the water project. More than 90 percent of the project is now complete. Thrasher did locate a 100 gallon per minute leak in the system and the representative said “hopefully (we can) capture critical need funds” to repair it “as quick as we can.”
At the close of the meeting, council members discussed and approved a memorial gift from the general fund in honor of Glover.
