Bath crosswalks to get signs
Mayor Susan Webster announced at the December 2 Bath Town Council meeting that signs telling motorists to stop for pedestrians will be placed in municipal crosswalks.
The announcement came after a meeting with state Division of Highways Supervisor John Coleman and District 5 Highway Engineer Randy Sigley.
Once purchased, the signs will be placed in the middle of U.S. 522 at crosswalks within the town limits. Webster said one sign will be placed at a crosswalk on Route 9 east.
Webster asked about placing a sign on the crosswalk at Broadway Street and U.S. 522 where two teens were hit by a car recently, but was told by highway officials signs at crosswalks are only allowed within town limits.
In addition, Webster got permission from Coleman and Sigley to make the intersection of Independence and Mercer streets a four-way stop.
With two restaurants, Mi Ranchito and Tony's Pizza, now located at the intersection, traffic has increased and there is a danger of an accident with cars backing out of parking spaces. Webster said the four-way stop is necessary to slow traffic.
Before new stop signs can be installed, the town must install a concrete island on the corner near Mike's Garage, Coleman told Webster. The town will also install an island in front of Town Hall at Union and Wilkes Street where a striped barrel is holding up a stop sign.
A four-way stop at the intersection of Green and Independence streets is also being considered by highway officials.
Municipal league meeting
Webster and Town Clerk Margie Allgyer are scheduled to speak before the Municipal League in Charleston on Friday, December 5.
The Municipal League is a lobbying group with members from 272 municipalities across the state.
Webster and Allgyer want the league to lobby the state legislature for changes to the law that gives far reaching powers to the Public Service Commission once a rate appeal is filed.
The mayor and town council are still burning over recent PSC rulings.
After an appeal by U.S. Silica challenging a new rate schedule proposed by the town, the PSC not only imposed its own new water rate schedule, but found the town's previous rate schedule overcharged large water customers.
The PSC ordered the town to repay or credit those customers $161,000 over the next five years.
The previous rate schedule, set in 2005, had not been appealed by any customers to the PSC. The town feels the PSC should not have the power to delve into past rates that were unchallenged.
Webster and Allgyer also have a meeting to discuss the issue with Governor Joe Manchin.
Museum grateful
Museum of the Berkeley Springs Executive Director Tamme Marggraf appeared before council to thank them for their recent $2,500 donation.
Marggraf said the money would be used to replace the old heating and cooling system and help fund two new exhibits.
More than the money, it's how it feels to have town council's support for the museum, Marggraf said expressing her gratitude.
The new exhibits will feature the Town of Bath and a history of the great fires in town over the past 150 years that burned down several hotels, two courthouses and other structures.
New town code finalized
Nancy Harvey, chair of the Ordinance Committee, presented council with copies of the new town code book.
This is a project that Harvey has overseen for the better part of the past three years. The town code was last codified in 1981 and was missing pages and did not have adoption dates for ordinances.
After researching other town's code books, Harvey enlisted Municipal Code Corporation of Florida to write the new code. Municipal Code Corporation was the company that codified Charleston's code book.
Codification is the process of rewriting, organizing and insuring town ordinances comply with state laws.
After years of hard work and several drafts, the
new code book has finally arrived.
Council will review the final copy of the code book and vote on an ordinance to repeal the old code and adopt the new code book into law at the January 6 meeting.
Town briefs
Christmas decorations are now up and lighted along Washington and Fairfax streets.
Chief Water Operator Terry Largent said Water Works employees have found and repaired 17 leaks over the last two weeks. Water levels are still down in the tanks near the hospital and above Meyer Street, and the crew is looking for more leaks.
Mayor and council members will attend the grand opening of the Morgan County Solid Waste Authority's Charles R. Biggs Recycling Center on December 15 at 10:30 a.m. The center will be opened to the public at 11 a.m.
Allgyer reported the state tax office now has a database of people with unpaid traffic tickets and will garnish people's state income tax returns if tickets are not paid.
Councilman Scott Merki said the town's street crew has been working on Hageman and Blackwood streets and is looking at repairs on the north end of Wilkes Street.
A committee has been formed to look into repairs at the Train Depot and was to hold their first meeting Saturday, December 6.
Councilman Ryan Rebant is getting estimates for repairs and working with Travel Berkeley Springs to write grant requests to help pay for restoring the depot.
