The Moorefield Town Council unanimously approved Police Chief Stephen Riggleman’s request to acquire a narcotics-detecting K9 officer.
Pilgrim’s Fresh Plant and Prepared Foods Plant have provided enough funding to purchase a K9 officer, and train both the K9 and the K9 handler.
The Hardy County Drug Task Force provided funding to cover a vehicle, kennel, and other equipment and supplies.
Moorefield’s Tractor Supply will provide dog food for the K9’s service life, and may also assist with supplies.
Police Sergeant Kevin Helmick will be assigned as the K9’s handler.
Riggleman hopes to have the K9 officer by March, and plans at least four [private]weeks of training for both the K9 and Helmick.
“Using a dog to get into cars would be a big help, make a big difference,” Riggleman said.
The dog would also assist in lock-downs, mailrooms, parking lots, and other locations.
Riggleman said at least 20 percent of arrests the MPD makes are because of drugs, not counting other calls where drugs are detected or someone is under the influence.
Riggleman reported the PD had 205 calls for service in December. They made eight felony arrests, 79 misdemeanor arrests, and 353 combined traffic citations and warnings.
Officers assisted with the Moorefield Christmas Parade and associated events, and Capon Valley Bank’s “Cram the Cruiser”, all on December 7, 2019. The department collected two vehicles’ worth of toys.
They also collected toys and gifts for 60 families as a Toys for Tots partner, and provided security assistance to Walmart for the season.
Four officers received body armor purchased with the Department of Justice’s Bulletproof Vest partnership. Riggleman said he’d submitted paperwork and is awaiting funds for grant reimbursement.
Riggleman also addressed a story from Facebook claiming that Moorefield is the fourth most dangerous city in West Virginia.
“There are 232 municipalities in West Virginia,” Riggleman said. “Only 38 of those municipalities reported or properly reported their annual statistics to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program.”
Larger cities such as Huntington and Parkersburg were not even listed, indicating their data was not included.
Public Works
Public Works Director Lucas Gagnon said the water plant project is “moving right along,” and still on track to be finished in August 2021.
The Council approved the requested amount for the fifth monetary draw: $413,227.47.
Gagnon said the Town acquired a Vactor truck. It’s a 2009 with 40,000 miles on it, and cost about $55,000. It has the same size vacuum as the last truck, but a bigger chassis.
Public Works still needs a robotic camera. The current device is a push camera that cannot be rotated, or pushed beyond 100 feet.
Gagnon said the pipes under the levee must be internally inspected every five years, and that contracting that out costs about half the price of a new camera.
The robotic camera is on wheels and is remote-controlled on a cable. It’s usually mounted on a trailer or the back of a truck.
Gagnon will bring numbers to the next meeting.
Water crews installed a new water tap on Cold Spring Road, and replaced one fire hydrant on Spring Avenue and another at Arlington Manor.
Sewer personnel had to pull and clean pumps several times at the South Branch Inn pump station because they were blocked or stopped up. They also replaced a transducer at the same station.
They flushed or jetted lines in several locations, and installed a flow meter at the Rural Development Authority sewer pump station near American Woodmark.
Parks crews took down Christmas decorations, built new picnic tables, replaced bad wooden signs, and collected leaves.
Streets and Levee crews cleared brush on Water Plant Drive, installed a metal awning at the Town Office, and picked up eight tons of bulk cold patch in Elkins for Moorefield street repairs.
Picking up the cold patch in bulk was half the price it would’ve been in bags.
Other
The Council approved a budget amendment that moved money to the Police Department’s Special Duty fund and in the Flood Control Levee fund.
The Council approved paying $800 per year to maintain four Civil War historical markers in Moorefield, including signs directing tourists to the markers. The markers are already covered until July 1.
The money goes towards advertising, marketing, maps, and replacing the signs and markers if they’re damaged.
The Hardy County Commission signed a letter allowing Catholic Charities to rehome refugees here. No further action is required from the Town Council.
City Clerk Rick Freeman plans to rework the job description for the Building Inspector/Zoning Officer position. Although the Town advertised, there was no response.
“We need this position filled, badly,” Freeman said.
One person could do both jobs. Freeman received permission to gather more data and come back to the Council at the next meeting.[/private]
The next meeting is Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Inskeep Hall. The public is invited to attend.