The Elder Abuse Awareness Committee presented a proclamation for World Elder Abuse Awareness Day at the Greenbrier County Commission meeting on Tuesday.

The presentation was made by Gloria Martin, who was accompanied by several EPS and Robert C. Byrd Clinic technicians and workers. Martin said an important issue related to elder abuse is the opioid crisis, wherein financial exploitation has increasingly occurred. In 2014, Martin said, Greenbrier County was one of 14 counties chosen in the U.S. as a training team for law enforcement officers to learn how to respond better with helping elders. As valuable members of society, elders are often victimized without more protections from law enforcement efforts. Martin said the committee is seeking support from the legislature to help stem the opioid crisis.

June is Elder Abuse Awareness Month and June 15 is Elder Abuse Awareness Day. Martin asked the commissioners to sign the proclamation recognizing the accomplishments of elders in our community and to bring awareness of the importance of protecting their quality of life.

In other business:

• After a long interview meeting with the grant applicants, the commission allocated the Arts & Rec Committee’s recommendations for the 2019-2020 grant applicants funding with few changes. The public announcement of the nonprofit organization recipients will be posted after the recipients have received the results.
• White Sulphur Springs Mayor Bruce Bowling and City Manager Lloyd Haynes received an extension on their 2018-2019 Arts & Rec grant of $30,000, which the commissioners agreed to extend to end on June 30, 2020. Bowling said the Spa City was unable to get to the lighting project for the Dick Gunnoe Memorial Park within the allotted year.
• Jamie Baker with Region 4 said the Sam Black water line project will be “wrapping up within the next few weeks.”
• An annual contract with Mason & Berry, a security firm, for the courthouse door control, locks and cameras was approved for $21,500.
• Greenbrier 911 Center Deputy Director Paula Brown was approved for a FEMA lot transfer and temporary memorandum of understanding to the City of Rainelle for the management of a property that was damaged during the 2016 flood.
• Four bids were opened for another flood related issue, this time just outside White Sulphur Springs, where a landslide damaged property on Midland Trail East. Brown will review the bids to demolish a structure and clean up the property.
• One bid from Riverbend Nursery was received to landscape the courthouse parking lot, said Commissioner Tammy Tincher. The bid was for $16,673. She said she was approached by the Lewisburg Foundation to design the landscape layout to be in keeping with the city’s landscape plantings. The commission said the city’s cooperation was appreciated.
• Commission Clerk Kelly Banton applied for a grant through the Court Security Fund and was awarded $21,120 to replace the screening machine at the front door entry.