By Adam Pack
The Greenbrier County Health Department will be receiving some much needed updates and upgrades in coming months as the Greenbrier County Commission approved a payment of $12,200 to the Terradon Corporation for a topographical survey, underground utility survey, and a boundary survey. This preliminary work will lay the foundation for laying real foundations for this important, but aging, center of essential health services in the county.
The county also designated Public Service Department #2 as a subrecipient of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that were allocated by the County at their last meeting. At that meeting, Commissioner Lowell Rose explained, “We have decided with our ARPA funds … to [allocate] $2.5 million for the water line extension.” The transfer of funds to PSD#2 is pending review by the county’s legal counsel. The extensions will cover from Charmco to Rainelle, from Sam Black to Clintonville, and from Alta to Asbury.
Matt Ford was also present to discuss another change order by Lynch Construction to the Meadow River Rail Trial. According to Ford, “Lynch had made some repairs to a particular section of trail known as ‘FEMA Site #1’ in the spring, and the rain we had damaged that site again in the summer. Also, the stream had kind of spread out and was going through the trail in all kinds of locations… so we figured out that some concrete would go a long way in an area that’s getting a lot more water than it was designed to handle.” Ford detailed the work Lynch has planned, saying, “There’s going to be a larger culvert put in place that’s better suited to that watershed, and there is going to be a concrete low water crossing that’s going to be above that so that the water can go over the trail without washing out the trail, and then there’s going to be some more substantial ditch work that’s going to happen upriver so that when the water comes off the mountain it gets directed either to that larger culvert or over the concrete [low water crossing] and doesn’t wash out the trail.”
Lynch is requesting $65,700 for the work, taking the total to $1,122,205.34. Ford relayed that even with that change order “we’re still below our grant budget.” The Commission approved the change order, and Commission President Tammy Shifflett-Tincher took time out to thank Ford for “working tirelessly and going out to meet with our contractors onsite. Everything has gone very well.”
The County also approved the draw request and legal procurement for the Greenbrier County Broadband Project. The project hopes to connect high speed internet to the Quinwood area and is a part of the State’s GigReady Initiative, a state funded program to help expand access to high speed internet to rural and underserved portions of the state. The Commission first discussed a draw request for technical services provided and invoiced to the County from the months of July through October, totaling $21,506.71. After approving those payments, the Commission then approved the County’s legal procurement of the project.
Lastly, the Commission addressed the purchasing agreement with Axon Enterprises Inc. for the acquisition of law enforcement body camera equipment. Commissioner Tincher explained that, at the previous meeting, “We approved the purchase of this body camera equipment for the sheriff’s department in the amount of $352,877.40 through Axon. This purchasing agreement has been reviewed and approved by our legal counsel and the Sheriff, so I would make that motion for us to sign this agreement.” The measure passed unanimously.
The Greenbrier County Commission meets again on Dec. 20 at 10 a.m. in the County Commission chamber of the courthouse. The public is encouraged to attend.
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