STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA, COUNTY OF PRESTON, Ss:

The Preston County Commission met in Regular Session at 9:30 a.m., March 19, 2018 in the

County Commission Meeting Room.

The meeting was called to order by President Craig Jennings who invited those present to join in

the Pledge of Allegiance.

Commissioner Jennings then declared the following Commissioners present: Don Smith, Dave

Price and Craig Jennings.

Also present were Kathy Mace, Administrator and Linda Huggins, County Clerk.

The following persons registered their attendance during the meeting:

Kathy Plum – The Dominion Post Theresa Marthey – Preston County News and Journal

Connie Ervin - Assessor Michael D. Scott

Samantha Stone Christina Gerard

Sheriff Dan Loughrie John Fitchett

Deanna Lively

No one registered prior to the meeting to address the Commission.

Commissioner Smith moved to authorize payment of all properly presented and approved invoices.

Commissioner Price seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken with Commissioners Price,

Jennings and Smith voting yes. Motion carried.

Commissioner Price made a motion to approve the Preston County Tax Correction List dated March

19, 2018 as presented by Assessor, Connie Ervin in the name of Monica M. Reckart in the amount of $55.34.

Commissioner Smith seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken with Commissioners Price, Jennings,

and Smith voting yes. Motion carried.

There were no Notice of Apportionments, Consolidation of Land or County Court Splits.

Administrator’s Report

A. Approval of tentative 2018-2019 Budget

Commissioner Jennings thanked all the elected officials and office holders that came in to work on the budget. He said it was one of the easiest budgets he has ever done. Office holders didn’t ask for anything out of what they really felt necessary. It allowed the Commissioners to come up with extra money per the request of the office holders to help the employees as much as they can/could.

Revenues were up about $40,000.00 and Preston County is the newest Class I

county in the state which is based on our tax revenue of over a billion dollars in taxable properties and also counts untaxable properties like the prison, Camp Dawson, and the schools. The Annex has been paid off for more than a year and the commission is just now seeing some of those funds come back.

With the increase and help from the County Clerks cut position and a cut position

in commission it allowed the Commissioners to come up with raises of $1,000. to give to every full-time employee and $600. to each part-time employee, to be determined by the office holder.

A secretarial position was added in the prosecutor’s office. They added $100,000.

more to the health insurance and put another $100,000. in the regional jail costs. They are helping the Assessor’s Office with GPS devices to make it easier for them

to assess properties. The county is paying for the hardware and maintenance for the first year after that the Assessor will pay for it.

In the Circuity Clerks office, a computer server will be replaced. The home confinement officer was changed to be budgeted under the Sheriff’s

Department. They matched funds for the community corrections and victims’ advocates and

funds were set aside for promotions that may come up for deputies They continued to fund the fire and EMS at the same level and help with the

program Iamresponding. Money was put in the clerk’s budget for back indexing. A change was made to how the hotel/motel tax revenues are being allocated. The

CVB will receive $45,000., as required by law. The Preston County Parks and Recreation will receive $30,000. The Beautification fund will receive $10,000. and the Arts will receive $5,000.

Coal Severance Tax Collections will be used to fund the other outside agencies like

FRN and Run For It. Five hundred dollars to Preston County Day to bus the students down to Charleston. Money was set aside for Save the Tygart Program and the Soil Conservation, which is the Deckers Creek Dam, to keep them up and running.

The school drug abuse program has $10,000 set aside. They would like to have

some sort of program implemented in the schools by next year. The two libraries again will receive $1,000. each for their venture partnership. The

Preston County 4-H program will have money set aside to fix the pool at the 4-H Camp and the CASA for Kids Program to receive $3,000.

If they have some carryover, where they had some requests that weren’t funded at

this time, they will look at maybe helping them out in the future. Such as the Chamber of Commerce, Arthurdale Heritage and The Preston County Workshop.

B. Appalachian Forest Heritage Area Resolution Kathy Mace prepared the resolution for the Commissioners review. They have in the past supported the recognition of the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area as a National Heritage Area. No motion was made. This will be added to next week’s agenda.

C. Budget Revisions

County Commission INCREASE 001-390-001 $ 68,172. INCREASE 001-413-223 $ 3,500. INCREASE 001-401-211.01 $ 18,050. INCREASE 001-406-101 $ 270. INCREASE 001-401-566 $ 46,352.

D. Miscellaneous Correspondence

• Easter Egg Hunt Reminder on March 30, 2018 Easter Egg Hunt on Courthouse lawn from 2:00p.m. – 4:00p.m. Sponsored by the Preston Community Art Center

• Letter to Department of Highways Kathy Mace presented letters to the Department of Highways as requested by the commissioners. They will be holding a meeting, regarding the roads, with all the county commissioners in District #4.

CONSIDERATION

A. Approval of Minutes – March 5, 2018

Commissioner Smith moved to approve the minutes of March 5, 2018. Commissioner

Price seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken with Commissioners Price,

Jennings and Smith voting yes. Motion carried.

Under NEW BUSINESS Commissioner Smith moved to dispense with the reading in open court of the

proceedings of the Clerk of this Commission, had in vacation on March 7, 2018 thru March 8, 2018

inclusive, and to approve and confirm the same as presented by the County Clerk, there having been no

exception or objections filed thereto. (See attachment)

Commissioner Price seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken with Commissioners Jennings, Price and Smith voting yes. Motion carried.

Commissioner Price moved that the foregoing estate settlements and/or waivers thereof, having been filed

for a period of ten (10) days prior to the commencements of this term and there being no exceptions or

objections filed thereto, be approved and confirmed. (See attached.)

Commissioner Smith seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken with Commissioners Smith,

Price and Jennings voting yes. Motion carried.

There was no Fiduciary Commissioner Reports.

Old Business - Consideration and/or action

Information

A. Minutes – March 12, 2018

County Clerk Linda Huggins advised that Commissioners have been furnished, by e-

mail, copies of the minutes from the March 12, 2017 County Commission meeting.

B. Miscellaneous Correspondence

Recognition of Scheduled Appointments

9:45 a.m. Sheriff Loughrie-Employee hire (See attached)

Commissioner Smith made a motion to approve the hire of John Fitchett as a Utility

Officer at $10.00/hr. Commissioner Price seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken

with Commissioners Jennings, Smith and Price all voting yes. Motion carried.

9:55 a.m. Chrissy Gerard-Retired Senior Volunteer Program-Proclamation (See

Attached)

Commissioner Smith made a motion to consider April 3, 2018 as Service Recognition Day

in Preston County. Commissioner Price seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken with

Commissioners Jennings, Price and Smith voting yes. Motion carried.

At 10:05 a.m. there being no further business to come before the Commission,

President Craig Jennings declared the Regular Session adjourned.

____________________________________ Commissioner ____________________________________

Commissioner

_____________________________________ Commissioner

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03/19/2018