KINGWOOD — Repairs and changes at the courthouse were the main topics of discussion at the Tuesday meeting of the Preston County Commission.
County Administrator Kathy Mace said water encroachment from the parking lot could be the cause of water intrusion on one of the ground level walls. She told commissioners a curb requires repair to stop the intrusion. Mace said a concrete beam in the courthouse also needs repair, as do ongoing issues in the drive-thru.
She said she has concerns about a 75-inch television Judge Steve Shaffer wants mounted in the circuit court room, due to the weight of the TV and its mountings.
“The mounting is concerning. We need some professional help,” she said. “We are looking at all of the possibilities.”
Mace said electricity for the TV would not require going through the wall. She said it would be delivered through a conduit coming through the floor.
In other business, Mace said she is waiting on legal a response to a procedural question involving the clean-up ordinance before announcing the first reading.
“This is a unique one for us, because it involves acquiring property,” she said.
According to West Virginia law, the ordinance must be read at least twice at separate meetings and published as legal advertisement, and a reasonable number of copies made available for public inspection.
Its working title is, “An ordinance of the County Commission of Preston County, West Virginia.” It deals with regulating the repair, alteration, improvement, vacating, closing, removal or demolition of unsafe or unsanitary structures and clearance and removal of refuse, debris, overgrown vegetation, toxic spills or toxic seepage on private land, all under the authority of Chapter Y, Article 1, Section 3ff of the West Virginia code, as amended.
If passed, and a complaint is made it will be brought before the county commission. Once the agency investigates and determines that a dwelling, building, accumulation of refuse or debris, overgrown vegetation, or toxic spillage or toxic seepage is unsafe, unsanitary, dangerous, or detrimental to the public safety or welfare and should be repaired, altered, improved vacated, removed, closed, cleaned, or demolished, the commission will have the owner served with a copy of the complaint.
According to the ordinance, the property owner will have 10 days from receipt of the complaint to request a hearing. The hearing will be set within 20 days and be electronically recorded or recorded by a court reporter.
No date was set for the first reading.
The next meeting of the Preston County Commission will be at 6 p.m. Aug. 17.
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