New, smaller Bath Town Council takes office
Tuesday evening, July 5 was the first meeting of the newly elected and somewhat smaller Town of Bath Council.
Town Clerk and substitute judge Margie Allgyer swore Mayor Susan J. Webster into office for her eighth consecutive term.
Webster in turn gave the oath of office to Councilman Kenny Easton for his third term and Councilman Scott Merki for his second. She then swore in the newest council member, Andy Swaim, who was elected as a write-in candidate in last month’s town election.
The position of town recorder and two council seats remain open. Former councilmen Jim Slough, Ryan Rebant, David Crosby and former recorder Irene Hedrick did not seek reelection.
Webster invited town residents to write letters expressing their interest in being appointed to the council posts.
Applicants must be town residents, at least 18 years old and eligible to vote.
The recorder position is paid $100 a month. Council members receive $300 a year.
Committee assignments
The council voted to reappoint former councilman Rebant to chair the town’s Train Depot Committee.
Webster will chair the Water Committee, Easton will remain chairman of the Public Safety Committee and Merki will continue to head the Public Works Committee. Swaim expressed interest in chairing the Town Finance Committee.
Other committee assignments will be announced in the future.
Water Works
Council passed a resolution to pay the remaining $10,763 owed to contractors for the recent water line replacement project.
Allgyer said five people have expressed an interest in new water taps since the West Virginia Public Service Commission partially lifted the town’s water moratorium.
Using newly installed computer software, the town has printed and mailed out the quarterly water bills, Allgyer said.
Mercer retaining wall
After reviewing engineering drawings, council members decided that the estimated cost of reinforcing the retaining wall behind CNB Bank along South Mercer Street exceeds $25,000 and will have to be put out for bids.
Police report
Police Chief Craig Pearrell said he will be attending a training course on the National Crime Information Center database in Charleston from July 11 to July 13. Once trained, he will be an instructor capable of training the rest of the department in use of the database.
Pearrell reported that the department has been invited to participate in a best designed police cruise contest sponsored by Police Magazine.
The Fight Cancer teeshirt campaign has collected over $600 so far, Pearrell said. The teeshirts are bought with money confiscated during drug busts and sold to the public. Proceeds will be used to aid cancer patients in need.
Pearrell asked anyone who knows a cancer patient who might need financial aid to contact him at the police station.
Office hours
Pearrell and Allgyer asked the council if the police department and town’s business office could change their hours so they coincide. Council agreed by common consent.
The police department and town offices will now be open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. All offices in the municipal center building, including the Warm Springs Sewer System office, will now be open the same hours.
