By Stephen Smoot
Due to Election Day, the Pendleton County Commission held only one official meeting in the month of November. Commissioner Roger Dahmer opened with an invocation that included “You are a great and awesome God.”
Rick Gillespie, Pendleton County Emergency Services coordinator, represented both the Office of Emergency Management and Pendleton 911 on this occasion. He first shared that work on the Seneca Rocks tower continued and that he hoped they could “complete getting the antenna system on it” before the expected major snow event at the end of the week.
As of last Wednesday, the National Weather Service expected as much as 18 inches on the ridgetops in a storm starting last Thursday night. On the OEM Facebook page, however, Gillespie reported last Wednesday afternoon that the tower was “on the air for 911 use.”
He next discussed the topic of Next Generation 911. In previous meetings, he shared that the federal government would eventually mandate the upgrades to this level of service. It will allow for 911 to utilize texting and other functions beyond traditional phone calls. Gillespie stated that the improvements would likely cost approximately $300,000 or more.
Gillespie then touched on broadband expansion, relating that Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks Telephone would pursue a BEDE grant and may request the required matching funds from the Pendleton County Commission. He said that Pendleton County still had unallocated American Rescue Plan Act funds that could go toward Next Generation 911 or a broadband expansion match. Funds not directed by the end of 2024 would return to the federal government.
The county commission has two meetings in December to make a determination.
Darrell Bodkin, chairman of the Pendleton County Public Service District, spoke to the commission concerning a proposed fire hydrant for Sandy Ridge and a water study conducted for areas east of Franklin on US 33, including the West Virginia State Police barracks and Pendleton 911 which both currently use well water.
Bodkin came to make three main points. He first stated that the pipes used for the Sandy Ridge expansion project would not support use of a fire hydrant in that area. Bodkin explained that if a fire department pumper tried to obtain water from one, it could damage the pipes if it drained all the water from the system.
He then questioned the need for the water study, saying that county officials could have gotten the same information from Pendleton PSD and its engineers. Bodkin then stated that expanding the system to new areas or expanding the capacity of the Sandy Ridge project to accommodate a fire hydrant could force the West Virginia Public Service Commission to require that they raise rates on customers.
Bodkin said, “All the easy stuff is done.” Then said, “If there is a way we can get water and fire protection, I want it to happen.”
Commissioners next heard from a representative of Thrasher, the firm conducting the aforementioned water study. He stated that they would start working to gather information from the Town of Franklin and its water system, but that “hopefully we can get more of the information that we need from the PSD system.”
The goal of the study includes identifying capabilities and assets in place. Thrasher will also examine side roads to locate potential customers and also to determine whether each are private or West Virginia Department of Highways.
Thrasher has provided the county commission with an agreement that must be signed before the study can move forward, Carl Hevener, Pendleton County Commission president, stated that the commission needed time to examine it and to also have April Mallow, county attorney, look at it as well.
Commissioners returned to a funding request from West Virginia University Extension Service that was tabled pending more information. WVU Extension needs $10,000 to pay for the summer Energy Express program and have other sources to help. Commissioners requested the number of students expected to attend and the response was 32, the maximum amount.
The commission approved $2,500.
State Senator Robert Karnes came on behalf of himself and fellow State Senator Bill Hamilton. They each combined money from their discretionary funds. Karnes said “we always go fifty-fifty on things like this.”
Commissioners also approved matching funds for a Senaca Rocks Regional Development Association LED grant and heard an update from Annie Humes about the progress in hiring a new executive director for the Pendleton County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Humes informed the commission that she would return next month for a more comprehensive update on the CVB.
