By Shawn Stinson
There were several items discussed and approved during the latest Pendleton County Commission meeting.
The three commissioners – Charlie Burgoyne, Carl Hevener and Gene McConnell – attended the Aug. 2 meeting at the Pendleton County Courthouse.
The commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of a replacement search and rescue vehicle for the Seneca Rocks Volunteer Fire Department from Tri County in Petersburg. The money is from Title III funding received by the county to support the Monongahela National Forest. It is a 2022 Polaris Ranger 1000 utility terrain vehicle. The base price of the vehicle is listed as $18,099 with nearly $3,500 in accessories. The final sale price of the vehicle is $21,623.95.
An emergency absentee voting policy was unanimously approved by the commissioners. The policy states a county resident is eligible to cast an emergency absentee ballot if they are unable to vote in person on Election Day following the conclusion of the early voting period. There are two qualifications listed in the policy.
The first is if a county resident is in a hospital or another health care facility “within a county adjacent to Pendleton County or within 35 miles of the county seat of Pendleton County for medical treatment.” The second qualification states a county resident may cast an emergency absentee ballot if they are residing in a nursing home “within the county for less than 30 days.”
Rick Gillespie, county emergency services coordinator, and the commissioners discussed the county’s plans for potential flooding. The issue was brought to the forefront due to the flooding in parts of Kentucky. Gillespie said the county maintains generators and support vehicles for possible emergencies. He added the county’s four schools will be the initial buildings to be used for shelter during flooding, followed by churches.
Gillespie and the commissioners also discussed the requirement of camper and trailer owners to move their vehicles to higher ground in case of a flood.
Diana Mitchell, county 911 director, said she located small leaks in the lines to the propane tanks at the facility. She added the tanks are buried in the ground and will be modified to today’s standards.
In other action, the commissioners unanimously approved the estate settlements, exonerations and fiduciary appointments without comment. They also approved by a 3-0 vote to pay the bills submitted since the previous meeting.
Rebecca McConnell, director of the Pendleton County Library, raised concerns regarding the proposed property and state income tax cuts and how they would affect library funding. She also inquired how much the county is required to fund to the library. The commissioners were unable to provide answers due to the uncertainty regarding the personal income tax and property tax.
The minutes from the July 19 meeting were unanimously accepted by the commissioners. The next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 16 at the Pendleton County Courthouse.
