By Gary Lee Stuber
The first regular meeting of the Clay County Commission on July 8 saw the change up of three previous polling places in the county. One of these former places was an elementary school that has been closed and given back to the original property owner. The other two were to comply with new polling place rules established for 2024. Polling place rules require phone communication service, restroom facilities, and ADA compliance. These changes of locations are:
Polling Place for Precinct #1 – Harrison located at Norman Johnson’s Garage will relocate to share Precinct #4 Polling Place at Walnut Grove Baptist Church due to phone service, restroom facilities and ADA compliance.
Polling Place for Precinct #25 – Ivydale will relocate to the Big Otter Volunteer Fire Department 5462 Big Otter Highway due to the lack of communication options and ADA compliance.
Polling Place for Precinct #36 – H.E. White Elementary School at Bomont will be relocated, because the school is permanently closed, to Horners Fork Baptist Church Fellowship Hall 5815 Procious Maysel Road at Procious.
The County Clerk will send notices to all registered voters in Precincts 1, 25, and 36 notifying them of these changes well before the general election this fall.
In other news, David Bland of the West Virginia Painters Union gave a presentation to the board, not just highlighting the various services rendered by the union, but presented information on training and apprenticeship opportunities. Clay County was his third stop in an effort to make presentations to all West Virginia County Commissions. Commissioners have information available if anyone has interest in pursuing an apprenticeship in painting. The training facilities are in Weston.
Outside of regular and routine commission business of bills, purchase orders, budgets and wills and final settlements, the commission also appointed Barry McCune as a citizen representative to the Regional Intergovernmental Council effective July 1, 2024 and active till June 30, 2025.
The next regular meeting of the Clay County Commission will be held at 5 p.m. on July 22, 2024.