Old News

Monday, October 17, 2016

Some Times County Commissioners Just Don't Care!!

We got rid of the County Commissioner who was behind the sewage project.  Sadly,  we may have left Jamie Walker,  County Commissioner,  in the process.  He is up for re-election next year and he desperately wants to shed this property from the county portfolio.  But why?

Only the sewage pits have been publically opposed by the community.  The county has allowed the business a 99 year lease on the property with all payments being applied to the purchase at some time in the future on three acres of the property.

The sewage pits were a fiasco just waiting for transfer of the deed.  In fact,  the county commission initially approved the transfer but backed out when it saw what an uproar it had caused in the community.  Apparently, only a few people wanted the smell of raw sewage wafting its fragrance over their homes.  (There were a few folks who didn't mind.)  But by and large,  when it came time to re-elect David Fleming they decided that he was not a good bet for their future and they replaced him with David McLaughlin, a local farmer.

This is now his first test of common sense.  I can name four other county commissioners who have turned their backs on their county and attempted to approve something that did not match with the community's values--David Fleming, James Carpenter, Reta Griffith,  and Joel Callison.  The Sharp's Farm controversy took them out of the equation. 

Ironically,  that was about sewage too!!  Now David McLaughlin,  Bill Beard, and Jamie Walker are flirting with doing great damage to the county with this proposal to dispose of the Slaven Property at Green Bank.

A group of local folks at Green Bank rose up and signed a petition opposing the sewage pit deal and for a while we thought it was dead.  (It may still be but that remains to be seen.)

Since the county commissioners don't have the balls to do the right thing with the property,  they have decided to transfer it back to the Board of Education from which it originated many years ago.  Now, remember,  they had no problem transferring the property (three acres) to the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Authority.

A group of local citizens have proposed that the property be used as a magnet for tourists via a boardwalk (due to the sensitive nature of the wetlands which are present and the rare and endangered Manno grass)  The proposal is for a park which would allow tourists to see the site which is adjacent to the ancient site of Fort Warrick.  I think that this is a great idea!!!

Walker voted to let Meck have the land to build his sewage pits.  Only when people got together and marched on the courthouse did he change his vote.