KINGWOOD — Preston County commissioners are moving to a meeting space that will allow the public and press to attend for the first time since March.
On Monday, The Dominion Post emailed commissioners, the prosecutor and county administrator, asking for the legal basis of why they were not moving to another space.
The newspaper also asked commissioners last month, via their live stream meeting on Facebook, why they didn’t move their meetings to the WVU Extension Office meeting room or the circuit courtroom, so the public could attend?
County Administrator Kathy Mace said Tuesday the change was precipitated by the need to hold a public hearing for Public Service District 4 on Aug. 18. “That’s what we were really concerned about.”
“Whenever you’re willing to open up your meetings to more public … I have secured [the Extension Service meeting room] for you on Tuesdays through October,” Mace told commissioners.
When the newspaper asked last month about moving, Mace referred to a ruling that says if boards of education meet anyplace outside their regular meeting space, they must affirm the actions they took, when they return to the regular meeting space.
After research by The Dominion Post revealed that ruling was an April 5, 1962, state attorney general’s opinion, the newspaper emailed commissioners, the prosecutor and county administrator.
The newspaper asked if the commission had verified with an attorney that the ruling also applied to county commissions.
Commission President Samantha Stone emailed back Monday, “We are working on it. We understand what is coming up and we want to get back to normal ASAP.”
Prosecutor Melvin C. Snyder III wrote, “I have reviewed many Attorney General opinions and a real percentage of them are bogus and were later reversed legally by the WV Supreme Court.”
Commissioners Dave Price and Don Smith did not respond to the email.
At Tuesday’s meeting Stone said “I think it would probably be in the best interest to make that transition and start opening to the public ….”
She noted social distancing, mask wearing and taking of temperatures will be required at the new space.
Mace noted the Extension building is owned by the commission. “I thought if it was owned by the commission we’re OK,” Commissioner Don Smith said Tuesday.
The Extension office is located on Court Street, behind the courthouse.
“The Extension office has been really booked up,” Mace said, noting that the commission’s former meeting space is not available to organizations for meetings, increasing demand on the Extension space. Renting space at the Kingwood Plaza for elections center will open the former meeting room up for use, Mace said.
Commissioners said public and media could not attend meetings in the space where they have been meeting, a hallway outside their offices, because it isn’t large enough to socially distance.
Commissioners moved out of their regular meeting room in January, so that the space could be used for election materials. Since then the county has rented space at the Kingwood Plaza to house voting machines and other election materials.
On Tuesday, Mace said the commission’s former meeting space will be available once all election materials are moved to the plaza.
The change in location takes effect Aug. 11. The Aug. 4 meeting has been cancelled.
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