By Lon Anderson
Moorefield Examiner
“I’m worried. I’m not going to lie to you. People in Hardy County are just not taking [COVID 19 virus] seriously,” County Health Administrator William Ours told the County Commission at its monthly meeting last Tuesday, July 7. “I’m just convinced we’re going to have a problem. I could be wrong.”
His opinions were drawn from a lot of personal observations locally, Ours explained. “The Governor says we’ll solve this problem if 80% of us will wear masks. If Hardy County is at 20%, I’d be surprised. Everywhere I go — Shop and Save and other stores — it seems under 20% are wearing masks.” He noted that the employees are mostly wearing masks.
Ironically, the morning he was speaking was the first day that the Governor’s order to wear masks was in place and all of the folks but one in the hearing room, Commission President Harold Michael, wore masks. Michael noted that since he was six feet away from others, he didn’t need to wear a mask.
Ours reported that the County currently has logged “44 cases — four active and 40 who have recovered.” But he noted “all of the counties around us are picking up [numbers of cases]. Harrisonburg, Winchester—everybody around us is increasing. We’re actually at 4% for the first time statewide.”
“Right now, there are no deaths in Hardy County—knock on wood,” Ours continued. “Church outbreaks elsewhere are driving up the numbers.”
There are likely cases out there we don’t know about, Ours said, adding that he was pretty confident that “in Hardy County we know our numbers are correct, but we don’t get results from out-of-state testing.”
Ours indicated that one of our biggest problems “is that the statute is unclear. Restaurant owners, for example, are not sure what they have to do.”
As for testing, he noted that the original route was for people to contact their physicians. But he said he has an arrangement with a doctor through Grant Memorial for testing that people can use, but they must call first.
The criteria for testing, he explained, includes folks with symptoms, or who have traveled to the beach or hot spots, or who work at Pilgrims.
The Commission also reaffirmed its building re-opening policy that took effect June 1 that provides guidelines when conducting business for both the public and County employees.
Under the guidelines pertaining to the public, citizens are encouraged to do business in ways that don’t require face-to-face contact, to always wear masks in buildings, make appointments first, etc. (see list printed elsewhere).
Concern over the “Mega Poultry Complex” now under construction near Old Fields was still very much top of mind for the Commissioners. That project will have 20 large poultry houses situated on 95 acres, in fairly close proximity to three residential subdivisions. Altogether, the 20 houses can hold as many as a million chickens at a time.
“A mega farm with a million chickens in one place,” said Commission President Harold Michael. “I’ve heard they can transmit pathogens (to humans).”
“Absolutely if (the pathogen) can transfer from animals to humans,” responded Ours. “It could be an issue. My biggest concern is water. They considered public water but they have to build that based on the highest usage day in a year,” which he noted makes that expensive, so the project will be drawing from wells.
“About 400,000 gallons a day,” Michael added.
“They hope to have three houses run off one well,” Ours continued. “My problem is that I can’t turn them down.”
“No question we need an ordinance to shut this (kind of thing) down,”Michael continued. “When areas have these mega projects, the family farms leave, shut down. Then people don’t want to live anywhere near them. To me, it’s a disaster in the making.”
“From an environmental issues standpoint, we need to address this,” responded Ours. “We can’t stop this one, but if we can address future ones, I’m on board.”
Later in the meeting, Michael returned to the topic. “The building permit (for the mega poultry house project) application came in in February. I don’t understand why there was nothing in the paper until May. Can you discuss this at your meeting?” he asked Lee Lehman, President of the County Planning Commission.
“It’s bad news for the small Ag producers who absolutely won’t be able to compete,” he continued. “Small farms will be left behind.”
“Everywhere you turn, you can see negative things about it,” Lehman responded.
“The nuisance factor, people with asthma and breathing problems, they could all be threatened,” Michael said.
“What happens if the avian flu hits— you could have a million dead birds that have to be dealt with on site?” Lehman asked.
“I would just limit the size,” Michael noted.
“I’m not sure you can do that,” Lehman responded.
“I’m sure this has come about because you can’t get enough growers and that has forced (Pilgrims) to do this,” Malley Combs, Director for the County’s Rural Development Administration (RDA), said.
“Age may be a factor—a lot of our growers are aging out,” Lehman noted. “And getting the money necessary can be difficult.”
“We are working with the banks to get money,” Combs said.
The Commission also had a public hearing on its docket to consider a new Flood Plain ordinance for the County. FEMA is requiring local jurisdictions to update their ordinances.
The proposed Floodplain ordinance that the County Commission is [private]considering is not the one sent to it by the County’s former Flood Plain and Planning Manager, Melissa Scott, and recommended by the County’s Planning Commission, which also put considerable effort into it. Instead, the County Commission substituted a draft reported to be identical to the state statute.
When Scott sent her draft to state and federal officials, it was approved and received much praise. “Her work,” noted Jessie Richardson, Jr, the lead land use attorney in the Land Use and Sustainable Development Law Clinic at WVU, “is a good example of striking the right balance between protecting natural resources and promoting economic development.”
County Commissioner David Workman, when Scott was leaving her post last March, noted that “Scott has kept us at the forefront of flood plain management in the state. We are a recognized leader in West Virginia in these areas because of her efforts.”
Yet that version is not the one under current consideration, which was described by Lehman and others as the very minimum required.
While no member of the public made comments at the hearing, Lehman, the Planning Commission President noted that “the ordinance we are going over looks like the very minimum required to build in floodplains. Who is going to determine (the work is correct) and sign off? What we’re considering is just not enough. There are not many structures being built in the flood plain, but the few that are need professional guidance.”
“I don’t want the County to be penalized in the future because we didn’t do enough,” the Planning Commission President concluded.
“My understanding is this (Floodplain plan) meets all requirements,” responded Mallie Combs, Executive Director of the Hardy County Rural Development Administration.
“The only thing missing is someone to go out and inspect (the project) to ensure it’s being done in compliance,” said Michael.
“The (inspection) costs should be passed back to the homeowners,” Commissioner Workman said.
What about the campers and trailers on sites along the river?” asked Ours. “The bill for their clean up when they float down the river can be expensive.”
“They are usually there under a temporary 180-day permit and have to be moved every 180 days,” Rose Helmick, Hardy County Coordinator, explained. “For ones that are permanent, they have to be permitted the same as a house. Assuming someone’s camper floats down the river, it’s the owners’ liability.”
A motion was made and the draft Floodplain ordinance was approved by unanimous vote by the Commission, but this was only its first reading. “There are several steps we have to go through before the Commission signs off on this,” noted Helmick. The next hearing and vote will be held on August 4.
In his monthly report to the Commission Paul Lewis, Director of the office of Emergency Management/911 reported that his office recently received a large van load of PPE supplies, and that if there are nonprofits needing supplies, they can request them through the Office of Emergency Services.
The 911 call center, he reported, handled 711 calls that were dispatched to first responders. The law enforcement calls were: WV DNR, 29; Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, 295; Moorefield Police, 244 and W.Va. State Police, 49.
EMS call counts for June were: Fraley 110, HCEAA 70, Wardensville 27, and Capon Springs 1 assist.
June’s fire department calls were: Capon Valley 7; Mathias/Baker 8, and Moorefield 29.
Derek Alt, HCEAA Executive Director, reported monthly expenses at $89,234 and income at $92,028, and requested a drawdown of $65,000 against his budget, which the Commission approved. He also reported that in the last fiscal year, which just ended, HCEAA saw a 20% increase in alerts, a 17% increase in transports, and significant drop in assists with Company 1 over the previous fiscal year.[/private]
