By Dakota Baker
The Greenbrier County Commission met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the transfer of $10,508.75 from savings to checking to pay the following invoices: $868.75 for consulting work on the Meadow River Trail and $9,640 to the West Virginia State Fair for enhanced seating.
Old business consisted of consideration of Draw Request #18 for the GigReady project. Amanda Smarr joined the meeting via zoom stating, “There will be three invoices, two to the project engineer and one to City Net for ‘make ready’ work.”
For the first invoice to Thompson and Litton, the match amount coming out of the TIF fund would be $400 and the amount coming out of the grant fund would be $1,200. For the second invoice to Thompson and Litton the amount matched by TIF funds would be $3,000 and the amount coming out of the grant funds would be $9,000. To City Net, the amount matched by TIF funds would be $16,406.66 and the grant funded amount would be $49,219.93. The total match contribution for Draw Request #18 was $19,806.66 with the remaining amount coming from the project grant fund in the amount of $59,419.93, totaling $79,226.59. A motion was made to pay the $79,226.59 with the expectation to be reimbursed the $59,419.93 from the state out of the TIF fund. This motion was unanimously approved.
New business began with the recognition of Greenbrier County Emergency Communication Center receiving level two accreditation by the West Virginia 911 Council, Inc. Greenbrier County’s ECC was one of two in the state to receive such designation. Following the recognition of the ECC, was consideration of approval and submission of the EMPG FY2024 grant application. Commissioners reviewed the application and a motion was made to approve the submission of the grant application, this motion was approved.
Next was a consideration of draft letter and deed restrictions for FEMA 4603-0004 135 Ivy St. N., White Sulphur Springs, WV, along with transfer of the property to White Sulphur Springs. This property was left over from the 2016 flood and would be a buyout if the owner agrees. The market value of the property is $58,951 which would partly be paid by FEMA and the other portion by the state. Transfer and deed fees would be paid by WSS. A motion was made to send the agreement through, this motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners then considered an order for designating the locations of early voting for the 2026 Primary and General Elections. The locations considered were the lower courtroom of the old existing courthouse as the main early voting location and the Rupert Community Center as the satellite voting precinct, which have been used in the previous years. The courthouse voting hours will be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and the Community Center hours will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for 10 days. Early voting begins Apr. 29 and runs through May 9, excluding Sundays. A motion was made to approve these locations and passed.
Following the approval of voting locations, commissioners considered designating the Greenbrier Historical Society to facilitate the America250 Mural Project for Greenbrier County. The state of West Virginia has agreed to give $5,000 to each county so a mural can be created as part of the America250 celebrations and to showcase local and national pride. A motion was made to designate the Greenbrier Historical Society to facilitate the America250 mural project for Greenbrier County, this motion was approved.
The consideration of the resolution for distribution of the Greenbrier County Opioid funds was tabled until the next meeting to ensure the funds will be distributed properly.
Lastly was a discussion of the 911 tower maintenance and technical support Service RFP and whether to issue the Service RFP or accept the Motorola change order. A motion was made to accept the Motorola change order, and this motion was approved.
The Greenbrier Humane Society presented its 2025 annual report to the commission prior to adjournment. In 2025, Greenbrier County residents surrendered 387 dogs and 851 cats. Of those, 53 percent of the dogs and 63 percent of the cats were owner surrenders. Throughout the year, the Humane Society cared for a total of 1,307 animals. Of those animals, 605 were adopted locally, while 379 were transferred to private rescue organizations across the United States. Additionally, 46 lost dogs were successfully reunited with their owners. The Greenbrier Humane Society also marked its 12th consecutive year of not euthanizing animals due to space limitations. Officials clarified that this does not mean the shelter does not perform euthanasia at all. In 2025, 38 cats and 18 dogs were humanely euthanized because of severe illness or extreme aggression.
The Humane Society continues to supply dog and cat food to local food pantries in an effort to help families keep their pets and prevent animals from entering the shelter. Additional initiatives designed to reduce shelter intake include the Responsible Pet Rehoming Program and the Foster-to-Adopt Program. For more information, follow “Greenbrier Humane Society” on Facebook.
