By Stephen Smoot
On a lovely spring-like morning last week, the Pendleton County Commission convened to cover issues of interest to them and the community during its first regular meeting of February.
Commissioner Roger Dahmer opened with his customary invocation, this week praying “Lord be with us, guide us, strengthen us.”
Karen Pitsenbarger, Pendleton County administrator, shared that one of her priorities currently lies in “working on getting stuff together for the community building to get the HVAC in.” She also explained that the main ramp to the usual entrance of the County Courthouse remains blocked off and that work to install the fire exit door at the Clinton Hedrick Community Building in Riverton was completed.
Pendleton County Commission president, Carl Hevener, and Jimmie Bennett, commissioner, had both inspected the work at the Clinton Hedrick building. “I think the door looked good,” Hevener commented, while Bennett said, “It was better than what I was visualizing.”
Charlotte Hoover, representing the Potomac Valley Conservation District, updated the commissioners on their projects and needs. She led off by talking about small watershed flood control dams.
Built mostly in the 1950s and 60s by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, these dams restrict the flow of water in small watersheds of 250,000 acres and smaller that are prone to flooding. According to NRCS, the program has three purposes: to prevent erosion, flood, and sediment damage, to further conservation development, use, and disposal of water, and further the conservation and proper use of land.
A dam’s most important role, however, is to trap water during periods of high precipitation in holding ponds and lakes. Hoover explained that during the Flood of 1985, their presence prevented more loss of life and property damage.
She added that during the wildfire outbreak last year, helicopters dropped containers into the ponds created by the dams to gather water used to combat the fires.
PVCD performs regular maintenance every year on each dam, with approximately $84,000 spent on mowing alone. Many of the dams are composed of earth, bushes and small trees that can take root very quickly. Root systems break down the dam and cause potential problems.
Four dams in the Potomac Highlands are in the rehabilitation category this year, meaning they will get significant repair work. One of these sites in Keyser was constructed on a hillside, then saw a neighborhood develop below the dam and the spillway, putting hundreds of residents in danger should the dam collapse.
Hevener mentioned he knew of locations where debris had accumulated in rivers. If the debris fields broke free, they could pose a danger to bridges or other objects. Hoover replied that environmental regulations, such as those concerning fish and bats, can often hamper efforts to remove the dangerous piles of wood, trash, and other objects thrown together by the river currents.
She also stated that “DoH seems to be dragging its feet” on addressing the issue as well.
“Last year you gave us $10,000,” said Hoover to the commissioners. She went on to say, “We’re very appreciative of that. We hope you’d be able to do that again.”
Next up was Rick Gillespie, emergency services coordinator for Pendleton County. He spoke of the long-delayed project to place traffic cameras on Elk Mountain near the Pendleton/Pocahontas County line. He expected that crews would come on Feb. 6 to start the installation process, but that could end up put off by an expected ice and snow event.
“Seems like every time, we bring in storms,” joked Gillespie of their luck with the timing of work and inclement weather.
The Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, represented by Annie Humes, interim director, and Jeff Munn, treasurer, came to present an update to the commission. Humes said, “We are required by law to report to you all and the town every year.”
Humes passed out copies of the CVB annual report, then provided an “overview of what we’ve been doing in the past year” and also discussing the consistent growth of the tourism economy in Pendleton County during the last decade.
Other work included a collaboration with the Pendleton County Historical Society on the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Franklin fire, worked with the Treasure Mountain Festival, and also a project in conjunction with the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area.
The AFNHA grant supports community meetings to create a “healthy conversation on heritage and history,” Humes shared, then added, “I’m here to listen in most of these conversations.”
Humes then said that the commission granted the CVB $60,000 in 2023, then $30,000 in 2024, and went on to say “If that would be possible again, that would be terrific.” She concluded with the prediction that they are “pretty confident we have a future where we have enough . . . to be entirely independent.”
Mike Alt, training officer for Pendleton County Emergency Rescue, reported that they took approximately 80 calls in January with a response time of 35 minutes. That time approximates the improved times of last year despite the ice and snow covered roads during large parts of January.