ALDERSON (WVDN) — The Alderson Town Council considered the new Alderson Elementary School building, public comment, the first reading of an ordinance, and more during the Thursday, February 11, meeting.
Mayor Travis Copenhaver, in the mayor’s report, addressed delays in the transfer of property between the town and the Greenbrier County Board of Education. The new Alderson Elementary School property, previously the Alderson Community Center, was expected to be transferred from the town to the Board of Education at some point in the last few months. The transfer took place near the end of January.
Copenhaver said “there was a comment made in the council meeting last month that said that the town, and me specifically, had cost the county thousands of dollars by not having the paperwork done.”
Last month, Greenbrier County Board of Education member Rick Parker noted there was a “problem with everybody coming into agreement on the exchange of deeds,” which is significant due to continuing price increases worth “not tens of thousands, but hundreds of thousands of dollars” as more potential issues with the building are found. At that point, Copenhaver was supposed to be done,” and said he would follow up with Parker.
This month, Copenhaver pushed back against this forcefully.
“We have not delayed nor have we cost the county school board any extra funding,” Copenhaver said. “… We did in fact, for the sum of $10, swap the property as what the agreement was. We’ve taken the Community Center off of our insurance effective today. We still have stuff in the community center. The community center is the Board of Education’s [property]. The white building beside the elementary school is the town’s. We only took liability on one building, not the entire elementary school.”
On January 25, the Greenbrier County Courthouse recorded a land transfer between “Town of Alderson and Michael Brumfield by subtrustee to Board Of Education Of The County Of Greenbrier and Greenbrier County Board Of Education” for “Lots 197-202 & P/O Lots 191-196, Alderson Corp. Map 6 Parcel 99, 100.” The quitclaim deed describes property on the eastern right of way of Virginia Street and Chestnut Avenue, the location of the new school, and “the same [property] conveyed unto [the town of Alderson] by the Board of Education of the County of Greenbrier … by quitclaim deed date November 13, 1992.”
“We don’t own the Community Center anymore,” Copenhaver confirmed. “… The facts are that on January 25, Mr. Bryant and I exchanged the paperwork. That was almost the same thing, in reverse, of what the Alderson Independent School District did 100 years ago. … Both the county school board’s attorney and the town’s attorney dotted the I’s and crossed the T’s so that it would last 100 years like the arrangement has now.”
Copenhaver also noted the town still had access to a key for the time being in order to remove “memorabilia” and items from “the Fourth of July Committee” currently inside.
Alderson Elementary School is still projected to open to students in the new location in fall 2023.
In other business:
– For more on a potential “$5 or a little more on the month rate increase” for Alderson residents’ water bill, see “Alderson Council Considers Necessary Water Infrastructure, ‘$5’ Potential Rate Increase” on wvdn.com.
– Fawn Valentine was approved to once again serve on the Alderson Planning Commission.
– The first reading of an ordinance “establishing procedures for selling, conveying, disposing of municipal property, real or personal, valued at less than $15,000 without public auction” was passed, and will be further considered by council next month.
– The council voted to place the building next to Town Hall, 313 Monroe Street, on a demolition list. However, the demolition is not expected to take place for the next few months, if not over a year from now. In that time, the town will be assessing if the building can be sold, while Sarah and Joe Alderson, the siblings initially looking to save the building to serve as a downtown storefront, are looking to determine if the council’s potential requirement of moving the building out of town in order to save it is worth doing. Copenhaver noted, during a heated exchange with Sarah Alderson, the building’s potential repair cost is estimated around $195,000.
– Letha Heathery spoke to Town Council, hoping to begin a flea market in order to “catch” the coming traffic on the way to the farmers market. Copenhaver noted he and the council needed more time to see if this is a possibility under the current codes.
– Mayoral candidate Ryan Keesee noted he wished “to remind the council, as I have before, that the grand jury in Greenbrier County will be [convened]. It’s been pushed back to March because of COVID-19 concerns but I’m sure that the grand jury is planning to meet over there soon. So prior issues before the council, concerning the [mayor’s felony criminal charges], are still in play.”
– An executive session relating to “Police Department Operations” with Chief J.R. Byer Jr. was held.
