LEWISBURG (WVDN) – The Greenbrier County Commission met on Tuesday, Mar. 8, to consider internet expansion projects, leases, change orders, and more.
The commission took action on the following items:
– A memorandum of understanding and a retainer agreement for Thompson and Litton for a broadband internet project was approved. Melissa O’Brien, the community development manager for Thompson and Litton, gave an update on the $46 million Greenbrier Broadband project application. O’Brien said, “they are in the review process right now. … The turnaround time is not as quick as I’d hoped, … but there was triple the amount of applications than they anticipated.” Commissioner Tammy Tincher thanked everyone for their work, saying “as soon as we get our funding for our GIGReady Project, that’s going to be a huge game changer for our area, and the whole southern part of West Virginia.”
– The Quinwood broadband project is ongoing, with work to get environmental letters of no impact from state preservation offices near I-64. According to Craig Murphy, senior project manager and engineer for Thompson and Litton, the project “is approximately a 16-mile aerial fiber expansion along the project route. It will consist of the installation of fiber primarily [on] existing utility poles along the route. The project starts near [I-64] exit 156, along the interstate, then it follows Rt. 60 and Rt. 20 through Quinwood and a new [coverage] tower.” Tincher also confirmed the coverage tower is built.
– The commission approved a change order from Court Street Construction in the amount of $3,272.72 for work on the Meadow River Rail Trail. Tincher explained that during a heavy rainstorm, while there was no cell service, “the contractors made the determination … they needed to do work that was going to keep any damage from occurring from the rain … and not damage the work that they had already completed on the trail. It did do the job, but this was not in the original contract.” Commission Lowell Rose explained there were two areas requiring drainage work. According to Tincher, the commission will likely be reimbursed through FEMA and is not expecting future change orders.
– New hires were approved for the sheriff’s office, including a police officer and a member of the tax office staff. Another hire was approved for the planning office as well, pending a background check.
– A lease for the sheriff’s office was renewed by the commission. Rose explained “it’s the same lease agreement that we have currently; it’s the lease [for] Barry Bruce’s building that the sheriff’s department is currently in. The amount is the same [$6,200 per month, through 2023.]” Commissioner Mike McClung also said that is a competitive price for the square footage of the building. Tincher also noted “this is just a temporary lease, until [the] courthouse project is complete. [Then] the sheriff’s office [will] move back into the courthouse.” Greenbrier County Commission candidate DeEtta Hunter attempted to comment on the issue before the vote was held, but was not allowed, with Rose citing public comment restrictions.
– A lease agreement renewal for the Green Lane property that houses Greenbrier County Magistrate Court was approved.
– The commission approved the following Arts and Recreation payments on a two-to-one vote; $300 to Alderson Main Street, $50,000 to the Greenbrier Valley Theatre, $3,882 for engineering on the Meadow River Rail Trail, $33,019.14 for FEMA repairs on the Meadow River Rail Trail, and $1,377.50 for the Greenbrier County Sportplex. Tincher, the no vote, typically votes against payments that include work on the Sportsplex project.
– The commission went into executive session to consider the “compromise and settlement of condemnation action regarding the northern courthouse alleyway.” As of press time, the virtual meeting of the commission came to a close, and any decision made after the executive session was not available.
– The commission heard the Greenbrier County Humane Society’s annual report. For more on this, see “Humane society announces over ‘$1 million’ in grant funding spent on spay/neuter programs” at wvdn.com.
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