The Town of Rainelle has a new police officer.
In addition to newly hired Police Chief John Sergeon, Patrolman Randy Sizemore introduced himself to the Rainelle Town Council during their April 12 meeting.
Sizemore stated that he is from White Sulphur Springs and formerly served as a police officer in North Carolina.
“I am anxious to help Rainelle get back to the glory it used to be,” Sizemore said.
Members of the town council discussed plans to have a meet and greet with the new officers in the near future.
“I don’t want them to be strangers,” acting Mayor Bill Bell said of the new officers. “I want to invite them into our community. I am grateful to have these guys.”
The meet and greet will be announced at a later date.
In other business, LZ Rainelle Veterans Reunion Chair Molisha Samples discussed plans for the annual Memorial Day program in May.
According to Samples, the Run for the Wall event has been canceled, but a small group of riders still plan to come to town on May 27 at noon. Plans are currently being made to place 11,478 flags in the town to honor West Virginians who lost their lives, to host a free concert by The Carpenter Ants at city hall on May 29, and to hold a candlelight vigil and a fireworks display.
Members of the council agreed to have the Rainelle Police Department accompany riders into the town and for LZ Rainelle to use city facilities for the event.
Council also approved another festival to be held in the town.
Robin Williams, coordinator for Down on the Farm Festival, stated that this festival will take place at Rainelle City Park on June 19 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Little Critters Petting Zoo, the band Harmony Creek Junction, food vendors and more will be in town that day to provide entertainment.
“I am still working on other things, but we plan to have a nice day for the kids and adults as well,” Williams said.
Additionally:
• Council agreed to discuss a plan with the town’s attorney to allow a Rainelle resident to lease a town lot for placement of a water tank;
• Zac Wright, with Thrasher Engineering, asked the council for a resolution to approve a scope change request for the town’s ongoing stormwater drainage project. Wright said that he has been working with FEMA and WV Homeland Security to keep the project alive, but a draft change request needs to be made as soon as possible.
Community Development Block Grants have been earmarked for Greenbrier County, Wright explained, but the town should address specific issues such as storm drain improvements that need immediate attention before creating a report for a levee that would handle a 2016-type flood.
“The smaller the project, the more likely it is to get funding faster,” Wright said. “We will help you explore those and find ways to move forward. We want to keep the project alive for the town.”
Plans for a storm drainage channel for the Meadow River and Sewell Creek area were recently canceled after it was decided that the channel is not an effective solution to mitigate damage from flooding.
“I don’t know that anything will take care of the flood that we had in 2016, but I do know that if we build levees and dams, which is basically what we are doing, and a 2016 like flood comes, we harm other communities instead of just our own,” Bell responded.
Councilmember Martha Livesay stated that before the council votes on approving the resolution, they should discuss the matter and get a second opinion.
Council agreed to meet in a special session on Friday at 6 p.m. to make a decision to move forward;
• Dave Lunsford with the Meadow River Valley Association (MRVA) delivered a presentation for plans on the old Rupert School Building and the goal of working with Rainelle to establish a trail system that will begin in Rupert and continue to Rainelle.
Plans for the building include constructing an area for the Robert C. Byrd Clinic on the first floor and low-income senior housing on the second and third floors, Lunsford said. As for Rainelle, he stated that the MRVA would like to help the town train grant writers and answer questions regarding how to best apply for grants that will benefit the town;
• Council approved a special session at town hall for Tuesday, April 20, to discuss the town’s 2021 budget.
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