GREENBRIER COUNTY W.Va. (WVDN) – At the first November meeting for the County Commission on Nov. 14 the regular courtroom was still occupied at the meeting time of 5 p.m., so the Commissioners met in their office suite.
Regular business of closure of 16 estates was conducted. Then, in account transfers, the Meadow River Trail submitted bills for a total of $17,637.34 which will all be covered through reimbursement grants from the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) and WV Dept of Transportation’s Transportation Alternative Program (TAP).
The Commission heard from attorney Rich Ford about the requested closure of a road off Hart’s Run near the Greenbrier Forest property. The application to close an unused and unnamed street was made on behalf of Joshua David Honaker and Joshua Gage Honaker.
According to Ford, the road was surveyed with property containing 10 parcels in 1960 and has never had any residences constructed. It was bought by the Honakers who do not want it subdivided. There had originally been two subdivision sections and on the map, this one is designated as #1 and abuts the Greenbrier State Forest property line.
The issue was explained by attorney Rich Ford; however, the formal petition has not been supplied to the Commission for their vote.
The next issue the Commission discussed was the 911 System Upgrade for Greenbrier Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Systems Administrator Jordan Clendenen presented the final figures and their justification to the Commission.
Motorola has offered a contract to pay over a five-year timeline for these expensive and critical upgrades to the dispatching system and radio equipment infrastructure for field personnel. He stressed that communication between the various EMS services, through 911 dispatch, including WV State Police and other counties nearby, absolutely requires this upgrade.
The computer hardware now in place has been out of service, originally installed seven years ago but actually was introduced by Motorola in 2005. So, its 19 years of age makes it incapable of handling the new software called NG 911. Other counties and state agencies are using NG 911 software and Greenbrier can offer better interdepartmental communications if they have it too.
The cost of the hardware refresh will be $686,000, the remote radio for field personnel will cost 2.3 million dollars and a microwave path set up for Muddy Creek Mountain including a 10-year maintenance by Aviat will bring the total cost for Greenbrier County to $3.1 million.
The Commissioners understood and appreciated all of the information yet said their vote on this would wait until they received answers from the engineers about the feasibility of the Muddy Creek tower and were sure the proposed microwave installation was adaptable to both towers. Commission president Tincher said the vote would take place at the next meeting of the Commission.
The next topic the Commission addressed was the Memorandum of Understanding with the Blacksburg VA Volunteer Rescue Squad to provide technical equipment and trained personnel for serious rescue operations in Greenbrier County alongside the local EMS and rescue agencies. This particular issue came from a serious caving rescue, but the specialized unit from Blacksburg also handles high-angle and swift-water rescues. The Commission approved the memorandum and looks forward to the addition of this volunteer unit of specialized rescuers in operations going on in Greenbrier County. Local EMS and Caving groups will be considered as first responders until the Blacksburg unit arrives.
Separate funds were approved to meet requirements from the State Auditor. Fund 41 will be an account for County Fire Protection, Fund 42 will be for County EMS Salary Enhancement monies and Fund 40 is now the number designated for the Opioid Settlement monies. Bank accounts for these separated funds will be set up.
Commission President Tammy Tincher repeated her call for sign-ups for water service in Public Service District #2. She stresses that even a slight interest in possibly getting water service in the near future should lead residents between Asbury and Rainelle to call and get their addresses added to the list. The number to call is 438-9292.
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