The Clay County Commission held a regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday, June 27, 2018.

The meeting began with the approval of the previous meeting minutes. The bills and purchase orders as presented were approved, as well as budget revisions. A motion to approve erroneous assessments as presented by the assessor for Harold & Juanita Tanner were approved. A request for waiver of final settlement for the estate of Kenneth Gustave Butcher, deceased was approved. Filbert G. Neal was approved as Administrator for the estate of Johnny Neal, deceased. A motion to confirm probating the Last Will & Testament of Oral Gene King, Sr., deceased and the appointment of Oral Gene King, Jr., executor was approved. A motion to confirm probating the last Will & Testament of Mary Reed Ward, deceased and the appointment of Charles D. Reed and Edward J. Bailey, co-executors was approved. Glen Sutton was approved for appointment as Fiduciary Commissioner for the estate of Harlan Mark Taylor, deceased.

Greg Fitzwater was approved for reappointment  as a member of the Clay County Solid Waste Authority for a term ending June 30, 2022. A motion to renew a loan at Clay County Bank for the Clay Ambulance Service and to designate Greg Fitzwater to sign all loan documents was approved. Clay County Bank was approved to be designated as the Depository of county funds for 2018-2019 fiscal year. A motion to approve salary and wages for County Employees as submitted by elected officials, as long as there are sufficient funds in their budgets was approved. An “Appendix 1: Emerging Infectious Disease Response Plan” was approved. This is to ensure that all emergency personnel in the county is provided the proper vaccinations to be protected themselves, as well as protecting their patients. The state contacted the Health Department to work in partnership to provide Hepatitis A vaccinations in light of the Hepatitis A outbreak. WV Counties Risk poll was approved to provide Insurance and Workers’ Compensation cover for Clay County Ambulance Service for the fiscal year 2018-2019 in the amount of $53,689. The final action item was approved to give the county clerk permission to pay part-time employees and invoices that are received thru June 30, 2018.

The commission gave an update on the E911 communication towers during the committee reports at the end of the meeting. Mr. Fitzwater said that two towers had been services, Lizemore and Wallback, and that only a few minor things were found on the Wallback tower that needed to be fixed. The other towers will be serviced at a later date. The reception is still not able to be understood very well due to static or no reception at all, so they said they would try to get the equipment in the E911 building to be checked as well. This is an issue that needs to be addressed in a timely manner. The lives of the emergency responders are at stake when there is not proper communication due to static or reception not working at all, which not only endangers emergency personnel but those with the emergency as well. This information is not to put blame on anyone, it is being reported on because lives are potentially in danger without proper communication/reception, as well as the lives of citizens in the community. It is an issue that needs to be resolved and will be updated on as it progresses.