KINGWOOD — The State Division of Highways doesn’t communicate its plans, if it has them, and the roads still pose a hazard, Preston commissioners said Monday.
That’s the assessment of Preston Commission President Dave Price, as he and Commissioners Don Smith and Samantha Stone took up road conditions — a standing item on their agenda for more than a year.
“If you run a business and you’re saying next month or two months or three months, what do you expect that business to be doing, and you don’t know by the middle of June what you’re going to be doing in July, August and September, October — and I just don’t think they do — I just don’t think our Department of Highways knows what it’s going to be doing in July,” Price said.
If the DOH does have a plan for July, it’s not shared it when asked, he said. Communication is needed, Price said. “At least let us know what’s going on,” he added.
He also questioned the accuracy of figures the DOH provided the newspaper, saying Preston DOH is nearly fully staffed.
“It’s still a state of emergency,” Price said, referring to Preston Commission’s declaration of a state of emergency in April 2018. In support of that, he recounted his experience last week responding to a fire with the Terra Alta Volunteer Fire Department.
“Our instruction by the people who take care of the trucks and everything is to not go the Cranesville Road, to go down to Hopemont to Alpine Lake Road and come around that way and avoid that because it’s bad enough that it could cause a problem that would cost thousands of dollars to repair,” Price said. “And it’s been that way for two years at least.”
As for what’s going on now, Stone said, “There’s really nothing new except there’s just still tons of complaints pouring into us, all three of us, on a daily basis.”
She encouraged everyone to “continue to flood the program that they [DOH] say is how these are going to be taken care of … we kind of need to play the game and do what they’re asking us to do, and we’ll still continue with it.”
She was referring to the governor’s Safety With Action Today (SWAT) program. Launched last year by Gov. Jim Justice, the DOH said in a presentation to commissioners in March that the program is a way to bring problems to the agency’s attention.
Complaints can be made on the form at dotforms.wv.gov/cra or send an email to wv.roads@wv.gov or call 304-842-1557.
The replies now seem to be automated responses, with only the coordinates of the road and dates changed, she said.
Price said he’s getting complaints from people about potholes being patched when wet. He encouraged them to mark the date on the calendar when the work was done and the date the fill came out.
“And see how long it lasts and then let me know. They’re going to probably come back in a week and say most of it is back out,” Price predicted.
Stone said another plan is needed, “or we’re going to be back in the same boat come spring next year.”
“And that’s what people get used to, and that’s why they’re upset,” Price said. “We were mad a year ago when we did the state of emergency … I don’t think they took it seriously.”
In other actions Monday, commissioners:
Reappointed Kendra Barker to another five-year term on the county board of health, beginning July 1.
Said some customers of Public Service District 1 reported their water is clearer. Last month customers complained of problems that the PSD said stem from the use of a temporary water source while its main source is being upgraded.
Approved change orders totaling about $20,000 to upgrade panic alarms on all county properties and replace 911 security cameras to the same model as new cameras being installed at the courthouse and elsewhere. The current system works but the new ones will be better, County Administrator Kathy Mace said.
TWITTER @DominionPostWV
