Donald Eye approached the Moorefield Town Council at their meeting on July 7, 2020, asking the town take over the Lee Street Pump Station, which serves his family and the Masonic Lodge.
Eye told the Council that he and the Lodge paid to put the station in approximately 20 years ago, and that they take care of it, “when it gets overgrown.”
The Lee Street Apartments and a different sewage pump station that serves them have already been annexed into the town.
In order to do that, the company that owns the apartments had to bring their pump station up to town standards, which included installing a second, back-up pump.
Eye’s property and the Masonic Lodge are not in town limits.
“I was asked to be part of the annex,” Eye said, “but it would double my taxes.”
Eye said when he and the Lodge installed the pump, they weren’t told it would cost $20,000 to upgrade it to Town standards, including a second pump, a new control panel, and new electrical service.
Council member Roger Pratt asked if the pump is in bad shape.
“No,” Eye replied.[private]
“To me, you took (Lee Street) in, knowing the pump station was there,” Eye said. “You should’ve taken it in.”
“I don’t have $20,000 to put into it,” he continued. “Look at the money you’ve made off of us in sewer bills.”
“Lee Street brought theirs up to standard, before the Town brought them in?” clarified Council member Mary Jo Johnston.
“Yes,” confirmed Public Works director Lucas Gagnon.
Gagnon went on to explain that the same applies to roads: “Owners must bring streets up to Town standards before the Town will take it over.” He cited several examples, including roads that began as unpaved driveways, but as other homes were built off of them, needed the Town’s help for maintenance and snow clearance.
“If you treat us this way now,” Eye said, “(the Masons and I) will never give you the right of way” on the end of Lee Street.
Council member Carol Zuber observed that the Moorefield Police Department had responded to calls at that end of Lee Street.
“I didn’t tell (the MPD) that they didn’t have the right to be there,” Eye said.
Gagnon suggested it would be easier and cheaper to retrofit the pump station if there’s room for a second pump, rather than upgrading it.
Council members asked Eye who maintained the lot. Eye said he kept the pump station and the Masons’ area mowed, and the Lodge parking lot cleaned off. The Lodge paid for the pump’s last service.
“Would you be willing to (be annexed) into Town?” asked Pratt.
“Nope,” replied Eye. “A lot of times, you can do what you want, and the law won’t come in.”
Gagnon and Eye agreed that Gagnon would inspect the pump station on Thursday, July 9.
“Y’all can vote on it,” Eye said, as he got up to leave. “If you do, I want to know who votes and how they vote.”
The Council cannot vote on items not listed on the public agenda.
Police Report
The MPD responded to 246 calls for service in June. They made 20 felony arrests, 87 misdemeanor arrests, and issued 83 combined traffic citations and warnings.
Officers ensured peace and safety during two Black Lives Matter events in June, a candlelight vigil and a march on June 8 and June 12.
Officers also assisted with security details for a community outreach program, hosted by Christian evangelist Ted Shuttlesworth, at the Town Park. That event ran from June 25 through July 3.
Public Works
Gagnon told the Council that Town crews were doing “a lot of mowing.”
Water personnel flushed all fire hydrants and performed maintenance checks. They also replaced a water line on Winchester Avenue, from the main line to the meter on a home.
Gagnon said the cold patch they used, trying to replace PermaPatch with a cheaper option, did not work.
“We’ll use around steel plates and other temporary locations,” he said. “Otherwise, we are switching back to PermaPatch.”
Park personnel readied the Park for the July Fourth celebration, and have been cleaning up since.
There is also an advertised request for proposals for the Park Entrance Sign project.
Street crews removed a tree growing in a ditch in Misty Terrace, and a basketball hoop that was in the street.
Street crews also received a new small dump truck, and moved the existing Chevroley one-and-a-half ton dump truck to the Park for their use.
They advertised a request for proposals for downtown streetlight painting.
Levy inspections and maintenance are complete, and a final request for proposals was advertised for the Higgins House addition, which will be the headquarters for the Hardy County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Schultz Way Dedication
Schultz Way runs northeast and southwest off of Caledonia Heights Road, between Yellow Bud Apartments and Caledonia Heights subdivision.
The townhouses on Schultz Way are annexed and part of Moorefield, although the apartments and homes around them are not.
Gagnon reminded the Council that the street and homes were initially owned and developed by Commercial Associates, which coordinated the annexation and began work on the street, then went bankrupt.
It has since been bought by local citizens, who will finish bringing the road to Town standards, including paving it. They also plan to install streetlights.
Gagnon said no action is required, this was just an update that once it’s brought up to Town standards, the owners would like to re-dedicate it to the Town.
Pilgrims Letter
The Council received a letter from Pilgrims requesting that late fees accrued from late utilities payments be waived. Pilgrims claimed the payments were late because of COVID-related changes.
City Clerk Rick Freeman said Pilgrims had already paid $7700 in penalties, but wanted them applied as credit.
Freeman said there was also an account delinquent as of the meeting.
Allegedly, bills sent via email, as normal, were not correctly entered for payment.
Zuber used a personal example of how COVID-19-related issues adversely affected one of her own bills, which was set to automatically come out of her account, but didn’t.
“I’d give it back,” she said. “Pilgrims provides a lot to the Town.”
Zuber moved to waive late fees for four bills, with the understanding that Pilgrims is responsible for anything delinquent after that meeting.
The Council approved, with council member Scott Fawley, a Pilgrims employee, abstaining from the vote.
Other
The Council approved Budget Adjustment #1, which redistributed funds across accounts.
The Council approved request for the t-ball field at the Park for girls’ youth softball practice.
Freeman said, regarding the previous meeting’s yard sale discussion, that further clarification is also needed on animals.
The Council will meet an hour early for their next meeting to finish personnel policy discussions. The meeting is scheduled now for 6 p.m., July 21, at the Town Hall. The meeting is open to the public; social distancing and masks are required.[/private]