By Dakota Baker
The Greenbrier County Commission met on Tuesday, Dec. 9. During this meeting the Commission reviewed arts and recreation transfers and approved transferring a total of $153,026.85 from savings to checking to pay several invoices, including $148,320 for Phase Three construction of the Meadow River Trail, which will be reimbursed through the AML grant; $2,956.85 for Meadow River Trail consulting services, a portion of which will be reimbursed through a grant; an additional $2,956.85 for consulting services for the same project, also partially grant reimbursable; and $1,750 to the Town of Alderson for 2025-2026 Market Music, which includes the Fall Festival.
Additionally, the commission reviewed new business, including consideration of a resolution designating the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation (GVEDC) as the lead economic development organization for Greenbrier County. Speaking on behalf of GVEDC, Ruthana Beezley stated, “We are happy to support property development; we have been working on a number of projects to do that in the last year.” The commission adopted the resolution.
The Commission then approved the voluntary dismissal, without prejudice, of all claims, except the public nuisance claim, against Express Scripts in the case filed in the Northern District of West Virginia, currently before Judge Bailey in Wheeling, WV. A motion to approve the dismissal passed unanimously.
Next, they considered Change Order #5 for the Meadow River Trail Phase 3 project. Because the resolution was not fully prepared, a motion was made to table the item until a later date. This motion also passed unanimously.
The Commission then reviewed a resolution reallocating American Rescue Plan Act funds from the health department project to include the Day Report Center roof project and the demolition of dilapidated structures. A motion to approve the reallocation passed unanimously.
Finally, the Commission discussed whether to enter into a “Team Base Camp Host City Agreement” between the Greenbrier County Commission, FIFA 26, the Greenbrier Hotel, and the West Virginia Department of Tourism. A motion was made to enter executive session to consult with legal counsel. Upon returning to open session at 10:32 a.m., the Commission moved to enter into the agreement with the understanding that if the Greenbrier County Commission would be the only signatory, then participation would depend on whether the county’s requested terms were reasonably met.
Commissioner Richie Holliday commented, “I think this will be a great thing for our county and local businesses. When you have this many people coming into our county for such a long time, they are going to spend money at our local places. The tourism this is going to bring in will be phenomenal for us.”
