KINGWOOD — County commissions in District 4 will have 45 minutes each to make their case for roads before the State Division of Highways (DOH) next week and receive information on what is available.
County commissions and state legislators from DOH District 4 have met twice and formed the North Central Caucus on Roads. The aim is to get roads in the district better funded and maintained.
In a May 23 letter, District 4 Engineer Don Williams invited commissioners to make 45-minute presentations on June 5, at the District 4 offices, in Clarksburg. District personnel and central office management will be there, Williams wrote.
“The goal of the meeting will be to distribute and discuss information concerning District 4 as a whole and your county specifically,” Williams wrote. “Material will be distributed, including maps showing locations of past and future projects, fact sheets (mileage and types of roads), summary of budgets and programs, costs of contract work, spreadsheets of recent active declared disasters, General Obligation Bond status, etc.”
DOH staff are to be present to answer, “any specific questions that may be asked.” Williams told commissioners to invite mayors or others from their counties to attend, and the DOH invited legislators.
Monongalia County’s time slot is 2-2:45 p.m., and Preston County’s time slot is 3-3:45 p.m.
“I just think it’s getting some traction,” Commissioner Dave Price said at Tuesday’s Preston County Commission meeting.
Price said it was the first time he could ever remember the district or Charleston DOH officials coming together to invite counties to sit down with them.
District 4 is comprised of Preston, Monongalia, Marion, Doddridge, Harrison and Taylor counties. The Harrison County Commission has not participated in the meetings, but some Harrison legislators have.
Also Tuesday, commissioners:
- Approved $673 to pay the 16 poll workers who agreed to help with a request for a recount in the Republican county commission race last week. The recount was called off after the candidate’s questions were answered. County Administrator Kathy Mace praised the county clerk and her employees, the candidates and pollworkers for their work on the effort.
- Agreed to the promotion of Lindsay Pedersen from regular part-time to full-time as a 911 dispatcher, effective immediately, with no change of pay.
- Approved paying out $3,024 as the local match on a grant being used to pay salaries for county clerk employees to scan old documents into the system. County Clerk Linda Huggins said about 2,700 documents were indexed.
- Agreed to send a letter to accompany a litter control grant application by the Preston County Solid Waste Authority.
- Was told by Mace a puppy costume was bought to serve as the Preston Animal Shelter mascot for presentations at schools and adoption events.
