Commissioners’ meeting, August 2, 2013 Bad news: Yielding to the pressure put on them by the those present this time, the commissioners voted to purchase the building for the 1.13 million dollars cash. The money is to be transferred to the Ambulance Authority, and the money taken to the bank to fulfill the bid. The fee will be imposed this fall. The commissioners had voted to stop the fee and purchase after two well publicized public meetings. Now as a result of one public meeting that WAS NOT PUBLICIZED as being for the purpose of discussing the fee and building purchase, they changed their vote. This meeting was packed with the fee and purchase “special interest group”, who alone knew what was going to be presented. The Volunteer Fire Co will continue to use the “Mathias Baker Fire Co, Berg Station 42" as has been generously provided by the Bergs. They also voted to impose a $10 a month ambulance fee. Wardensville had a lengthy presentation as to the cost of operating their service. We must ask: how much are we going to be required to pay to obtain instant response to-your-door Ambulance service? I certainly am not experienced in any of the things in question, but as a simple “fee” payer, my question is how high are they willing to take the fee in order to provide that instant response? $10, $25, $50, $100? BTW, the VA sent out a letter saying they will pay the ER service at the nearest civilian hospital for life-threatening situations. That may even cover ambulance service, but I really did not see that in the letter. If you are a Vet, you need to get in the system, just for the ER service, which we all hope is not needed. Tom Reid seemed to be one of the more vocal of the group, calling those who are against the fee and the purchase of the unneeded building a “special interest group”. However, he denied that he was part of a special interest group demanding that the fee be imposed and the building purchased. Someone observed after the meeting that those present and loudly demanding that the commissioners do “what they know is right and what is best for the county” were those who would benefit from the fee, such as the 911 operators and the Wardensville squad. That “special interest group” was very vocal in demanding that the commissioners impose the fee and purchase the building regardless of public opinion. That “special interest group” was telling Mike and JR what they wanted to hear, so the commissioners welcomed them with kind words. JR Keplinger called those who voiced their opinion against the unneeded purchase and the fee, “wild people”, but he made no such reference to those present this time who were just as vocal about their desire the purchase and fee. It was mentioned that Star Ambulance was being considered because Star could offer a known cost. Hawse’s offer of help man the ambulance was dismissed by Teets by saying that he met with Gary Johnson, and that Gary told him they “might” provide the help. I sure do not know what the conflict is that makes the Ambulance Authority and the commissioners so determined to ignore the offer. Gary’s personal offer at that AA meeting was far more than “we might help”. All at that Authority meeting heard him make the offer, and it was sure not as Teets has said since. Why the determination to ignore Johnson’s offer and to ignore the EMS program as practiced in PA that was presented? One of the excuses is “we want to keep the money in Hardy County, and serve our own people”, or “We do not want to depend upon outside sources”. If one will be consistent with that argument, then we cannot allow folks from outside of our county work in our county. Nor can we allow our county residents to work outside of our county. Why will no one think through these words that are so freely cast about? Words like these are not meant to express consistent, logical facts, but they are meant to advance an agenda. Whose agenda? For your information: The issue of the commissioners’ payment to RDA came up, and another $5000 was added to what was already being given to them by the commissioners. I do not know what that is all about, because it is so confusing. I hope someone from the RDA board will give us some details. My point is this: Teets has been on the board since 1996 as a commissioner representative. However, he was made a permanent RDA board member for the 6 years he was out of the commissioner office. Now he is on the RDA board again as a commissioner. He is the one justifying the payments to RDA. As I get more facts, I will pass them along. Sheriff Ward presented his business to the commissioners, and he was a bright spot of the meeting. All who have met him have agreed that he is one of the better things that has happened in this county for some times. Observation: First, if the county is so supportive of the fee and purchase as pressed by this “special interest group”, then why did they not suggest putting it up to a public referendum? Second, again, the commissioners voted to stop the fee and purchase after two well publicized public meetings to discuss the fee and the building purchase. Now as a result of one public meeting that WAS NOT PUBLICIZED at all as being for the purpose of discussing the fee and building purchase, they changed their vote. This meeting was packed with the fee and purchase “special interest group”, who alone knew what was going to be presented, and pressed the commissioners to reverse themselves. Third, the commissioners told the M-B group they could have time to regroup. A couple of weeks sure is not sufficient time to rebuild the M-B squad. That “promise” was completely ignored, as the commissioners yielded to the voices they wanted to hear Fourth, why is there such a pressure to do something right now? Does someone have something to gain by forcing this upon the county NOW? What and why is the hurry? Since the If you have facts that you believe should be made public, please send me an e mail, or even post them at our facebook page. I normally consider facebook a waste of valuable time, except in cases such as ours. Please pass this on, or at least urge people to check facebook/hardycountyinformed Help us build an e mail list. Tell others e mail beinformed@hardynet
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 20:10:37 +0000
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