KINGWOOD — The Preston commission heard more requests for funding this week, as it works on the 2018-’19 budget.
John Hyre, director of the Pres-ton Workshop, asked for help purchasing a wash line for vegetables. Tom McConnell, team leader of the WVU Extension Small Farm Center and a workshop board member, said the workshop is a hub for area farmers to bring produce to be washed, graded, stored, packaged and shipped out.
Hyre said that last year, it took eight to 10 people nearly a month to wash 80,000-100,000 pounds of produce. With an automated line, the job could be done more quickly, so more produce could be handled from other farms, he said.
“It was an amazingly huge job when you can spend $20,000 and cut this down to two or three people,” McConnell said.
“You guys keep up the good work,” Commission President Craig Jennings said.
Karen Stickley and Art Mouser, with the West Virginia Conservation Agency’s Upper Deckers Creek Watershed, asked the commission to again provide a $3,000 contribution. The money is used to maintain dams within the watershed.
Commissioner Dave Price asked if the Monongalia County Commission makes a contribution. Mouser said it has not recently, “because they said it’s no benefit to them.” Jennings said, “From the flooding aspect of it, other than Arthurdale, I’d say Morgantown benefits from it more than anyone else.”
He suggested contacting Morgantown with a request for funding.
IT Mindshare presented commissioners with a rundown of the work it expects to do for the county in 2018, citing a monthly fee of $4,083.22.
In other actions, commissioners:
- Were introduced to Danny Ridenour, who began work Monday as a utility officer at $10 per hour. Ridenour takes one of two positions vacated by utility officers who left for other jobs.
- Approved submission of the FY ’19 community corrections grant application. The application is for $110,000. The county provides a 30 percent match.
- Appointed County Administrator Kathy Mace to the Public Defender Corporation Board to replace Susan Bolyard, who resigned. The term ends June 30, 2020.
- Appointed Darlene Bol-yard to the Greater Morgantown Area Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors for a term that expires Dec. 31, 2019.
- Appointed James “Monk” Tasker to the board of Preston County Parks and Recreation.
- Appointed Peggy Ganoo to a one-year term on the 911 advisory board.
