KINGWOOD — Kingwood City Council is seeking contact information for Nathan Satser.
Satser donated a building to the city, and council members said they have had no luck contacting him. Nothing can be done with the building until there is a formal acceptance. According to council members they have to have a right-of-entry before they can seek a grant to take the building down.
Councilman Michael Lipscomb said a Preston County Health Department letter stated the building, at 142 S. Price St., is a safety and health risk. Council voted to have the building boarded up so it can’t be accessed by the public.
In other business, 14 homeowners will be receiving letters from the sewer board. Kingwood City Clerk Mary Howell said the two-page letters were sent to homes where storm water was going into the sewer.
“They’re not very informative or friendly letters,” Lipscomb said. The motion passed to send the letters.
Debbie Miller, Arthurdale Heritage member agreed to help with the City of Kingwood’s new web page. Council members asked Miller to help after she requested a change to the Kingwood History Page. The page lists John Fairfax as one of the members appointed as an aide to Gen. George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Miller told council research shows Fairfax would have been 12 years old at the beginning of the war and 20 years old when it ended.
“He was an overseer at Mount Vernon, but not an aide,” Miller said. She said Fairfax was a colonel in the 104th Virginia Regiment in 1812. She said he was also the first sheriff of Preston County.
Chief of Police Todd Nestor expressed concern about a local business (he declined naming) that has hypodermic needles for sale.
“This place is just selling them. There is no exchange,” he said “This is not a business where diabetics would go for supplies.”
He said he would like to have an ordinance to address the sale of needles.
“Tractor Supply and Childs Feed sells them for animal. They keep a lot of who they are sold to and how many.”
Lipscomb said the state code requires anyone selling needles to keep a record. Nestor said he would return to the business and find out if they are doing so.
Council tabled a discussion about temporary business licenses for transient vendors until City Attorney Sheila Williams can review the current ordinances.
Councilwoman Michelle Whetsell said she would like to have a public meeting about the proposed sales tax ordinance before any further action is taken. Further discussion was tabled for a later meeting.
Council also tabled a discussion about a fracking and drilling ordinance until they could conduct more research.
