Financing for the Meadow River Rail Trail repairs and the Greenbrier County Courthouse improvements project was considered by the Greenbrier County Commission during its Tuesday, July 13, meeting.
A $150,000 grant for the Meadow River Rail Trail is getting reworked after the project received a $1.8 million dollar grant a few months before.
“After the flood of 2016, FEMA [issued] funds for the repair of the trail and those were actually put with money that was with the DOH,” explained Commissioner Tammy Shifflett-Tincher. “That money has been returned to Greenbrier County and this is just a request to FEMA for us to … request an extension for the money for the FEMA-funded trail repairs along the trail.”
The original grant was received in 2017, while Project Manager Matt Ford learned of the new $1.8 million grant from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection in January.
“The funds were to be used for a certain part of a section of the trail near Rainelle, but since we received the $1.8 million grant, and after working with the DOH and our consultant for the trail, we are going to move that money to use it on another section,” Tincher said. “The goal with these funds is to make sure that the bridge going over the Meadow River at Burdette’s Creek is decked. This is a confirmation for the DOH that we’re going to use this money at a different location than it was applied for. That is per request of DOH.”
The commission approved sending the request. In addition, the commission requested an extension from FEMA, looking at May 31, 2022, for the new deadline.
In other business:
– The financing of the Greenbrier County Courthouse improvement project continued, with attorney John Stump explaining the commission needs “to send out the proposals to banks for construction financing with the understanding that the amount in the proposal is a ‘not to exceed amount’ and that certain aspects … are subject to further negotiation.” Rose noted that the current “not to exceed” amount is $13,096,888. The motion was unanimously approved.
– Three Arts and Recreation Committee members were reappointed to the board, including Ron Magruder, Todd Ramboldt, Jessica Irons.
– Two open seats on the Board of Zoning Appeals were filled with Gordon Campbell and Kim Kowalski.
– Mike Rose was reaffirmed to serve on the Greenbrier County Airport Authority.
– A new hire for the Greenbrier County Home Confinement program was approved.
– An agreement between the county and Advanced Communications Service Agreement for the courthouse phone system maintenance contract was continued for six months, totaling $1,975.
– A one-year contract with Mason & Barry Service agreement for the courthouse security system was approved, totaling $21,500. This amount did not change from last year’s contract.
