By Stephen Smoot
“We pray that You would be with our leaders in West Virginia,” prayed Roger Dahmer, Pendleton County commissioner, to open up the second official meeting of 2025.
Karen Pitsenbarger, Pendleton County administrator, shared updates on maintenance issues for the community buildings in both Franklin and Riverton. Pitsenbarger shared that getting a new HVAC system ordered is “going to be a process.”
Next, Pitsenbarger discussed with Jimmie Bennett, county commissioner, and Mike Alt, Pendleton County Emergency Rescue training officer, certain possible access improvements to the Clinton Hedrick Community Building in Riverton. Pitsenbarger added that for that building “we have to wait for the furnace to be ordered. We don’t have a timetable for that.”
She also related that “snowplowing has been going well.”
Rick Gillespie then provided his office of emergency management report that centered around what he called “an increasingly serious issue.”
He described “incidents” that took place on both Reddish and Spruce knobs. In both cases, motorists had taken vehicles into areas bombarded with snow and ice and gotten themselves stuck. Most area towing services refuse to tend to calls from those stuck in severe snow and ice.
Those few with the capability and willingness, however, will charge substantially more. This covers the risk such calls place on personnel and equipment, as well as the added hours of time needed to effect a response.
In one case, one group of those stranded found a towing company to come and help, but refused to pay the cost. Gillespie noted that the last heard from them was that they’d decided to hike off the mountain.
“The forest service needs to take ownership of the issue,” Gillespie said, stating that they should gate off mountain roads in the Monongahela National Forest that are impassable in winter weather conditions as they do Dolly Sods.
Bennett asked, “Couldn’t the state gate it?”
“It’s a question of whether it’s a public road or not,” answered Gillespie, who then added, “no one will make a decision.”
He then explained that “there’s a whole generation now who doesn’t have a clue how it can get up there” and suggested that the Monongahela and George Washington National forests should combine resources and purchase a “snowcat” style vehicle with tracks like a tank instead of wheels and can be used in either location.
Gillespie finished by reporting that the planned camera on Elk Mountain still awaits the onset of milder conditions so that a work crew can install it.
Darren Taylor spoke next, giving an update on the successes and expanding services of the Day Report Center that serves Pendleton, Hardy, and Hampshire counties. One benefit from their work, he shared, came in the reduction of “a lot of CPS (child protective services) cases and neglect cases” due to intensive interventions as part of the program.
Scott Somerville was recognized next as a representative of Friends of Beautiful Pendleton County. In the past, he has urged the county commission to oppose the construction of energy producing wind turbines within the county. Somerville shared that President Donald Trump now opposes any wind energy development.
He then introduced Jennifer Taylor-Ide as the group’s new spokesperson with local officials. Somerville quipped that “I asked if the Friends of Beautiful Pendleton County could get a nicer, friendlier face” to represent their interests.
Taylor-Ide shared that “what attracts me is the ‘Beautiful Pendleton County’ part” and said that she wished “to promote an ongoing Pendleton discussion” that would include “new people trying new things.”
Alt stated in response that he was speaking as a private citizen, not as a representative of PCER. “I’m not saying I’m in favor or not in favor” of a wind energy project in Pendleton County. He said, “We’ve got to get some tax revenue . . . West Virginia is in a $400 million deficit.”
He then shared that Pendleton County could soon see a significant drop in revenues associated with tourism as Trump ends federal work from home policies. Many federal workers have found West Virginia rentals a pleasant base from which to work.
“Volunteer is a great word,” Alt went on to say, then explained that the practice has fallen off considerably in the younger generations. This raises the specter of a future in which Pendleton County may be forced to use professional emergency services, which could cost up to $1.7 million in today’s money.
“The numbers are not sustainable,” chimed in Gillespie, who also stated “but that’s everywhere.” He later explained that keeping young people who are interested in an emergency responder career is also difficult because career opportunities pay much more than volunteer stipends.
“We all got to work together,” Alt implored.
Carl Hevener, Pendleton County Commission president, added that “the volunteer generation has passed” and stated that many have less motivation to confront difficulties in service.
