[0:06] Good morning. It is September 9th,

[0:08] 10:00. All three county commissioners

[0:10] are here and we'll start with consent

[0:12] and approval with our county

[0:13] administrator. How you doing today?

[0:15] » Morning.

[0:16] » Good morning. Morning.

[0:20] » Have no exonerations to approve this

[0:22] morning. Minutes for September 2nd,

[0:26] 2026. Vouchers General County 327,87617

[0:32] Cool Severance 3000 911 77,21973

[0:37] Chestnut Ridge Park 791762

[0:40] Camp Muffley 214269

[0:44] Mason Dixon Park 291229

[0:47] Mon County Center 182981

[0:51] parks and wc 36,506818

[0:56] purchasing card voucher General County

[0:58] 5,17063,

[1:00] general school $21,260,

[1:02] Camp Muffley $56, Mesa Dixon Park 57448,

[1:07] Mon County Center 92335

[1:10] for a voucher total of 487,38875.

[1:15] Um, no budget revisions. The position

[1:17] vacancies for portion authorities are

[1:19] listed on the county's website and

[1:21] fidiciary orders for September 9th,

[1:23] 2026.

[1:25] Move to approve the consent agenda items

[1:27] as presented.

[1:28] » Second.

[1:29] » Move and second. All those in favor say

[1:31] I. I.

[1:31] » I.

[1:32] » Um, also in your fidiciary folder is the

[1:35] second notice for the administrative

[1:37] closure of estates that needs to be

[1:39] approved to go out.

[1:41] » Okay. I move to approve the notice as

[1:44] presented.

[1:45] » Second.

[1:46] » Prof. Move. Second. All those in favor

[1:47] say I. I. I.

[1:49] » That's all.

[1:53] » Okay.

[1:55] Are we are in the fidiciary orders that

[1:57] were

[1:59] » That was part of the consent and

[2:00] approval?

[2:00] » Okay, that would be consent.

[2:02] » Nothing additional.

[2:03] » Nothing additional then we don't have

[2:04] to. Okay. Okay. Introduction of new

[2:07] employees. Uh

[2:10] real estate deputy John Wyatt Andis.

[2:15] » Anybody here? There he is.

[2:18] » And we have

[2:19] » That would be me.

[2:20] » The infamous Mark.

[2:21] » The infamous Mark. Uh yeah, I'm here on

[2:24] behalf to seek approval for the hiring

[2:26] of Mr. John White Enis as a real estate

[2:30] per as a real estate deputy. Uh he'll be

[2:32] replacing of Chad Hirshman who will be

[2:34] eventually moving over to the appraisal

[2:36] side as a field deputy.

[2:38] » I move to approve the personnel as

[2:40] presented with a start date of 91626 as

[2:44] requested and an insurance eligibility

[2:45] date of 101.

[2:46] » 101. Thank you.

[2:47] » I'll be sending out the notices if you

[2:49] can help.

[2:50] » Okay.

[2:51] because it's a little different with um

[2:53] remodel. We have a little bit more time,

[2:54] but I'd still like to get it done by uh

[2:57] next Wednesday at the latest.

[2:58] » Sure.

[2:59] » Okay.

[3:00] » Second to hear that.

[3:01] » Second the propy move and second. All

[3:03] those in favor say I.

[3:04] » I. I.

[3:05] » All right. Great. Thank you.

[3:06] » Okay. We have two deputy sheriffs, Chase

[3:10] Hudson and Zachary Long. And we have

[3:13] someone from the sheriff's office.

[3:16] » Yeah.

[3:17] » Good morning. Good morning.

[3:19] » Good morning.

[3:21] » So, we have um for the approval for

[3:25] Chase Hudson as a deputy sheriff and

[3:28] Zach Long for position of deputy

[3:30] sheriff. Um their start date would be

[3:33] 9:16.

[3:34] Um they both come to us from West

[3:36] Morland County Sheriff's Office.

[3:38] » Great.

[3:39] » And they would be benefits

[3:41] eligible.

[3:42] » Great. I move to approve the positions

[3:45] uh effective as presented effective

[3:47] 91626

[3:49] with the health insurance eligibility

[3:51] date of 10126.

[3:53] » As I said to the assessor, I'll send out

[3:56] those notices if you can either make a

[3:58] selection or wave uh so that we can get

[4:00] that on the very next invoice. I'd

[4:02] appreciate

[4:04] » Yes

[4:04] » Second the motion.

[4:05] » Okay, proper move and second. All those

[4:07] in favor say I. I.

[4:08] » I. Welcome and be safe.

[4:10] » Welcome and be very safe. Thank you.

[4:13] » Thank you.

[4:14] » Okay.

[4:15] » Any other?

[4:16] » No.

[4:18] » Nope. No.

[4:21] » No. Okay. Okay. We will have comments

[4:24] from the public. You'll have three

[4:25] minutes. If you could please come to the

[4:27] podium, state your first, last name, and

[4:29] where you live, and we'd appreciate hear

[4:31] from you who would like to come down.

[4:34] Okay. Good morning.

[4:41] Good morning.

[4:43] Uh, sorry, I'm just pulling it up. All

[4:45] right. Hi, my name is Paige Rearing. I

[4:47] live on Spruce Street. Happy National

[4:49] Recovery Month. I would like to talk

[4:51] about how our opioid settlement funds,

[4:53] our public money, not taxpayer money, I

[4:55] corrected myself, is being used not for

[4:58] recovery services, but for unwarranted

[5:01] mass surveillance. After having reviewed

[5:03] the West Virginia First Foundation's

[5:05] memorandum of understanding for the

[5:07] opioid settlement funds, I'm curious

[5:10] what research and information you found

[5:12] that indicates that flock safety ALPRs

[5:15] fall in line with the approved purposes

[5:18] detailed in theou. Section A1 defines

[5:22] approved purposes as evidence-based

[5:24] strategies used for the purposes of

[5:27] addressing substance use disorders

[5:29] and/or addiction through the core

[5:31] abatement strategies.

[5:33] One of these, as the commission has

[5:35] previously indicated, is law

[5:37] enforcement. And it is defined in

[5:39] exhibit A, schedule A, section I1, as

[5:43] quote, funding for law enforcement

[5:45] officers to curtail the sale,

[5:47] distribution, promotion, or use of

[5:50] opioids and other drugs to reduce the

[5:53] overuppit

[5:55] and illicit opioids," unquote. I

[5:58] understand that you believe that these

[6:00] flock ALPRs fall into this category.

[6:03] However, I will draw your attention back

[6:05] to section A1, which emphasizes quote

[6:08] evidencebased

[6:10] strategies.

[6:12] Since the commission is committed to

[6:14] informing the public with all the

[6:15] correct information and all the

[6:17] research, I request an explanation of

[6:20] how you see Flock Safety's ALPR system

[6:23] as an evidence-based strategy for the

[6:26] aforementioned causes of specifically

[6:29] combating substance use disorder and

[6:32] addiction. As has been brought to your

[6:34] attention before, Flock Safety has no

[6:37] peer-reviewed evidence that its

[6:39] technology reduces any type of crime.

[6:42] Arguing that the single study cited and

[6:45] funded by Flock Safety is evidence is a

[6:48] bad faith argument. Correlation does not

[6:51] equal causation. Just because ice cream

[6:53] sales and crime both go up in the summer

[6:56] does not mean that ice cream causes

[6:58] crime. But I don't know if the CEO of

[7:01] Flock Safety would understand that.

[7:03] After all, the statistics Flock cites in

[7:05] its so-called study correlate directly

[7:08] with national trends of decreasing crime

[7:11] regardless of flock safety's presence in

[7:13] an area. So, how was committing $180,000

[7:18] towards this unproven strategy a good

[7:21] use of our public money? cancel the

[7:25] contract with Flock Safety and reinvest

[7:27] these vitally needed opioid settlement

[7:30] funds into proven evidence-based

[7:33] strategies that already work and

[7:35] directly target substance use disorder

[7:38] and addiction. That is the explicit

[7:41] purpose of these funds and using them to

[7:44] fund widespread surveillance that

[7:46] affects everyone without prejudice is an

[7:49] abuse of that public money despite what

[7:52] you might feel personally. Happy

[7:54] recovery month. Thank you for your time

[7:56] and if you really want to go purple

[7:58] instead of just virtue signaling, this

[8:00] is what you need to do. Thank you.

[8:03] » Thank you very much. Thank you.

[8:05] » Is there someone else who would like to

[8:06] speak?

[8:09] Good morning.

[8:10] » Good morning, Logan Wheatcraft, 77

[8:12] Hidden Brook Circle. Uh, the last time I

[8:14] was here, I shared some crime statistics

[8:16] with you, proving that crime is on the

[8:18] decline locally as well as nationally. I

[8:21] asked you why anyone thought with these

[8:23] statistics in mind that contributing to

[8:25] a surveillance state by funding flock

[8:27] cameras was necessary or any any type of

[8:30] good idea. As is your custom, you opted

[8:33] not to respond during your comment

[8:34] period. Um, if you'd like to make a

[8:35] motion to suspend your rules and have a

[8:37] discussion about it with me right now,

[8:38] feel free. Um, otherwise, I look forward

[8:41] to some answers during your reports. I

[8:42] may have to leave, but I'll be watching

[8:44] on YouTube. Um, no motion. Okay. Um, in

[8:48] that case, I have some more numbers to

[8:49] share with you today. And believe it or

[8:51] not, they don't all have to do with

[8:52] flock cameras. First number is three.

[8:56] That's the number of commissioners who

[8:57] rightly stood together against the moral

[8:59] transmission line.

[9:01] The same three commissioners who voted

[9:03] to bring Flock to this county. Flock's

[9:06] AI features depend on data center

[9:07] expansion. The very infrastructure

[9:10] driving project demands like Marl. How

[9:12] do you reconcile that contradiction? The

[9:14] next number is six. On July 1st, 2026,

[9:18] Sheriff Forbes stood right here at this

[9:20] podium and claimed the cameras had only

[9:22] been quote in service for a couple of

[9:25] weeks. Yet, the county's own flock

[9:27] transparency portal boasts so-called

[9:29] success stories from April and May. That

[9:32] is a discrepancy of up to 6 weeks.

[9:35] Either those April success stories are a

[9:37] complete fabrication or these cameras

[9:39] were operational weeks before the public

[9:41] was told. So much for transparency.

[9:44] Another number for you, nine or 9

[9:46] million specifically. That's the number

[9:48] of dollars the WV Medicine gave to this

[9:50] commission a few weeks ago with no

[9:52] specific use designated.

[9:54] That should take care of the jail bill

[9:55] and quite a lot of the bonds deficit.

[9:58] Um, here's another number. I think the

[10:00] last number for today, 58. That's how

[10:03] many days my simple inquiry looking for

[10:06] information about the Freedom of

[10:07] Information Act procedure process for

[10:10] county records that I sent to the

[10:12] official county email address info@

[10:14] monongcount.gov

[10:16] has gone unanswered. Two months, not for

[10:19] the data, but for a simple procedural

[10:21] question. As a citizen and taxpayer, I

[10:23] expect my county government to be more

[10:25] responsive. If I didn't respond to my

[10:27] clients in two months, for two months, I

[10:30] wouldn't have a job. While I remain

[10:32] fully committed to removing flock and

[10:34] other ALPRs from Bon County, this cost

[10:36] has exposed a more general severe lack

[10:38] of local government accountability. I'm

[10:40] appalled by this commission's apparent

[10:41] disdain for residents, unwillingness to

[10:44] address constituent concerns, and the

[10:45] mistaken belief that holding elected

[10:47] office grants license to ignore the

[10:49] people. Doubling down, even as other

[10:52] jurisdictions remove ALPRs due to broken

[10:54] public trust, proves exactly why that

[10:56] trust is lacking. If you're confident in

[10:59] your stance, put the issue on the

[11:01] November ballot and let the public

[11:02] decide. The voting public, Mr. Bloom,

[11:04] not just a group of people on Facebook.

[11:07] My bet is that voters prioritize freedom

[11:09] and privacy over government

[11:10] surveillance. Finally, voters can and

[11:13] should hold this commission accountable

[11:15] by voting down any and all future levies

[11:18] until APRs are removed. I'll also be

[11:20] lobbying state representatives to urge

[11:22] sponsorship of recall legislation

[11:24] ensuring constituents do not have to

[11:25] wait six years to demand accountability.

[11:28] Thank you.

[11:29] » Thank you very much.

[11:30] » Thank you.

[11:30] » Is there someone else who would like to

[11:32] speak?

[11:36] » Good morning.

[11:36] » Morning.

[11:37] » Morning.

[11:37] » I'm uh Jonathan Lynch. I uh live at 1224

[11:41] Jersey Avenue. Lived in Morgantown all

[11:43] my life. Um I'm not a fan of public

[11:46] speaking and I know I've only got three

[11:48] minutes. I'm going to try and keep it

[11:49] brief. Uh so, uh first of all, I've been

[11:52] following the discourse about the flock

[11:54] stuff online. Um I've noticed a lot of

[11:56] push back uh as far as, you know, the

[11:59] public outcry and stuff. And I just want

[12:02] to say it's okay to change your mind in

[12:04] light of new evidence. It doesn't make

[12:05] you weak. Um, so anyway, uh, as far as

[12:10] Flock specifically, um, they are lying

[12:13] to y'all as far as, um, you know, what

[12:16] they're telling you, what what they're

[12:17] selling this thing as. Uh, they are

[12:19] claiming that it is, you know, you

[12:22] control the data, you decide how it gets

[12:24] shared, you decide how long it gets

[12:26] retained. Um,

[12:28] and that is all technically true, but if

[12:32] you look at the language of their

[12:33] contract, they distinguish between

[12:35] what's your data and what's their data.

[12:37] And so the way these things work is

[12:39] they're just picture takers. Uh, they

[12:41] take the pictures and they send it up to

[12:43] Flock HQ where Flock HQ does a bunch of

[12:46] analysis on it. Uh, and then the output

[12:49] of that analysis is Flock's data, not

[12:52] your data. So sure the raw pictures are

[12:55] only retained for seven weeks or or 30

[12:58] days, seven days, whatever it is, but

[13:00] the analysis of it, which is where all

[13:02] the value um is flock data. They own it.

[13:05] They don't have to delete it. They can

[13:07] share it with whoever they want. Um and

[13:09] they uh uh they can even sell it to

[13:13] third parties uh if they decide that

[13:15] they can make a buck that way. Um

[13:18] so this is coming out uh recently in

[13:20] Wisconsin last month. a city went to

[13:22] cancel their flock contract and uh uh

[13:25] flock sales rep said to them we are uh

[13:28] well wait what can we do to retain you

[13:31] um you know here how about we sell you 5

[13:33] years of your traffic data and they said

[13:35] 5 years I thought you only retain 30

[13:37] days uh well they retain the raw

[13:39] pictures 30 days they retain the

[13:41] analysis forever okay um and they claim

[13:45] that these are just LPRs LPRs have been

[13:47] around forever all right um

[13:52] they are just picture takers is the

[13:53] truth. The LPR thing is a is a PR move

[13:56] by Flock to justify what they're doing

[13:58] and to try and like shoehorn it in

[14:00] against existing precedent. Um they are

[14:03] picture takers. The analysis, yes, it

[14:05] can pick out your license plate from the

[14:07] photos. It can also pick out your

[14:09] license, your likeness, uh details about

[14:11] your vehicle, the color, the make, the

[14:13] model, whether it has a roof rack, uh

[14:15] who you're traveling with, where you

[14:17] tend to travel. Um and they can collate

[14:22] all this data into a database that's

[14:24] then searchable by anyone whether you

[14:26] share whether you share it or not

[14:27] because again you only decide whether

[14:29] you're sharing your data. You don't

[14:31] decide whether you're sharing flocks

[14:33] data. They have control over that. So

[14:35] sure the raw pictures aren't getting

[14:37] shared with other departments or

[14:38] government agencies or whatever but um

[14:42] the actual data is there. Uh, so

[14:44] basically, um, I don't know. I guess

[14:46] just, uh, try and follow the the new

[14:50] information that's coming to light on

[14:51] all this stuff and it's okay to change

[14:52] your mind.

[14:53] » That's all I got.

[14:54] » Thank you very much. Yeah.

[14:56] » Is there someone else who would like to

[14:58] speak?

[15:00] » Sure. Come on down.

[15:05] I am Briana Jackson. My zip code is

[15:08] 26501.

[15:09] here for a third week inconveniently on

[15:12] my lunch break and I uh find it really

[15:16] irritating that I can't get a simple yes

[15:17] or no answer from you guys as to if

[15:19] something is being done to schedule a

[15:21] meeting at a more convenient time. Still

[15:24] can't give me that answer right now.

[15:26] Just yes or no.

[15:29] Just ignoring it. All right. Well, I

[15:32] also want to point out that while most

[15:34] of the things or all of the things being

[15:36] brought up about the flock cameras and

[15:37] how um inaccurate they are and how they

[15:39] can be misused are all very valid, but

[15:42] they shouldn't need to even be brought

[15:44] up because the flock cameras shouldn't

[15:46] even be a thing in the first place

[15:47] because they were purchased with money

[15:50] that was from the opioid sentiment,

[15:52] which is supposed to be used to prevent

[15:55] other opioid misuse and the same problem

[15:58] from happening again. So, some money

[16:00] should be going towards

[16:02] therapy, counseling, recovery, or better

[16:06] yet, education or something for future

[16:08] generations to prevent the same epidemic

[16:10] from happening again. Cuz the only thing

[16:12] I can see that Flock would do is

[16:15] incriminate, incarcerate people. And I

[16:18] don't know if you guys know any addicts,

[16:20] but simply incarcerating them does not

[16:23] solve the problem. It just gets them

[16:25] stuck in the revolving door of the

[16:27] criminal justice system and they

[16:30] sometimes end up worse than what they

[16:32] were before. So

[16:34] that's all.

[16:35] » Thank you.

[16:36] » Thank you very much.

[16:37] » Is there someone else who'd like to

[16:39] speak?

[16:43] » Good morning.

[16:44] » Morning.

[16:45] » Uh Nicholas Turner, Morgantown, West

[16:47] Virginia.

[16:52] As the sun rose over Lake Michigan on

[16:54] May 5th in 1886, Chicagoans beheld one

[16:57] of the brightest memories mornings in

[16:59] memory. And early light of day,

[17:02] merchants, managers, brokers boarded

[17:04] horserawn state cars on the southside

[17:06] and headed north on Michigan Avenue

[17:08] towards the business district. Along the

[17:11] way, they encountered a few headed rich

[17:13] men like the great manufacturer George

[17:15] Mortimer Pullman being driven uptown in

[17:17] fancy carriages from their mansions in

[17:19] Prairie Avenue. Moring the commuter's

[17:21] eastward view of the Lake Michigan's

[17:23] Azer blue reaches. Black freight trains

[17:25] rolled along the shoreline laden with

[17:28] bailed cotton from Mississippi River

[17:29] Delta. Cut lumber from the piny roads of

[17:32] Texas and soft coal from the mines of

[17:34] southern Illinois. All crucial

[17:36] ingredients in the city's explosive

[17:38] industrial growth during the 1880s.

[17:40] Indeed, the businessmen who went to work

[17:42] in Chicago's financial district that

[17:44] spring day in 1886 were in the midst of

[17:47] a golden decade of profit when the net

[17:50] value of goods produced in the city's

[17:51] leading industries multiplied 27 times,

[17:54] 10 times faster than the average yearly

[17:56] wage. But that first Wednesday in May,

[17:59] when commuters grazed west over the

[18:01] wildest industrial landscape in the

[18:03] world, they saw something unusual. A

[18:05] clear sky above the prairie horizon.

[18:07] Gone was the cloud of thick smoke that

[18:09] always hung over the city. The only

[18:12] signals of industrial activity came from

[18:14] the tall chimneys of the huge McCormick

[18:16] Reaper Works 2 miles away where strike

[18:18] breakers guarded by Chicago police kept

[18:20] the factory in operation. Scores of the

[18:23] plants and shops remained shut down on

[18:25] the fifth day of a mammoth general

[18:26] strike for an 8-hour day that had begun

[18:28] on May 1st. As the blackcoated

[18:31] businessmen entered the downtown area,

[18:33] they could see knots of pickets around

[18:34] the soot blackened warehouses that

[18:36] stretched along State Street all the way

[18:39] up to Dearborn Station.

[18:41] Striking freight handlers in the stretch

[18:43] flow of the interstate commerce through

[18:44] Chicago's immense grid of iron rails. In

[18:47] solidarity, Switchmen had refused to

[18:48] switch trains and one central railard,

[18:51] crippling the mighty Chicago,

[18:53] Burlington, and Quincy railroad. The

[18:55] largest the city's largest freight

[18:57] handler. Trains still chugged into the

[19:00] city that day, but when the locomotives

[19:02] reached the depot, lay settle struck by

[19:04] the tracks with unloaded cargos. Looking

[19:07] back into the rising sun, the business

[19:09] would have seen hundreds of boats riding

[19:11] at anchor to the outer harbor. The

[19:13] captains of the side wheeled steamers

[19:15] had banked their boilers and sailors on

[19:17] lake Sooners had struck their sails

[19:19] under orders from the armed vessel

[19:21] owners. A vast quantity of wheat and cut

[19:23] lumber awaited shipment, and they were

[19:26] lucrative tons of iron ore and anthraite

[19:28] coal to be unloaded, but the spring

[19:30] shipping season had been ruined by the

[19:32] storm of strikes that had swept over the

[19:34] city. Vessel owners feared for the

[19:37] safety of their ships if they venture

[19:39] down the south branch of the Chicago

[19:41] River to unload.

[19:41] » Excuse me. Could you kind of We've given

[19:44] you two extra minutes. Could you kind of

[19:46] » Well, well, you know, I come here every

[19:48] Wednesday on my day off and you waste my

[19:49] time, so I'm going to continue to waste

[19:51] yours.

[19:51] » No, excuse me, but you do have the time.

[19:54] » Could you finish, please?

[19:55] » I'm on page four and tomorrow I'll be on

[19:57] page five.

[19:58] » Thank you very much.

[19:59] » Thank you.

[20:02] » Is there anyone else?

[20:05] Good morning.

[20:06] » Um, my name is Harrison York. I live in

[20:09] Montangelia County. Um, I intended to

[20:12] speak at the last commission meeting,

[20:13] but I was unable to due to work

[20:15] constraints.

[20:17] At the end of the commission meeting two

[20:19] weeks ago, Commissioner Arnette spent

[20:21] about 30 seconds describing how y'all

[20:24] have somehow regulated surveillance

[20:26] camera technology into not being

[20:28] surveillance camera technology. He then

[20:31] proceeded to spend several minutes

[20:32] fawning over Commissioner Bloom while

[20:34] using the bully pulpit afforded to him

[20:37] by his constituents to criticize and

[20:39] attack one of these very constituents

[20:41] for simply voicing her descent on an

[20:43] issue. Now, this act is both offensive

[20:47] and abhorentt on many levels. And it is

[20:50] so even if this defamatory claim weren't

[20:53] a blatant attempt to silence public

[20:55] disscent. Even if this weren't the third

[20:57] time this commission has publicly called

[20:59] out female constituents who have voiced

[21:01] their descent for flaw cameras. Even if

[21:04] he had spent more than 30 seconds

[21:06] responding to the 10 members of the

[21:08] public who are actually present for and

[21:10] voiced their concerns at this meeting

[21:13] instead of a woman who hasn't been to

[21:15] any of these meetings. she still

[21:17] wouldn't have deserved to have

[21:18] defamatory smears levied against her for

[21:20] simply disagreeing with a political

[21:23] choice made by this commission.

[21:25] Furthermore, the notion which this

[21:27] criticism is predicated on, the idea

[21:30] that it's somehow inappropriate or

[21:33] offensive to compare members of this

[21:35] commission to the Nazis makes no sense.

[21:39] How is that not a valid comparison? You

[21:42] are forcing members of this community to

[21:44] live with a technology that is actively

[21:47] being used to put people in

[21:49] concentration camps. A technology that

[21:52] is being used to punish women who cross

[21:55] state lines for abortion services. A

[21:57] technology that has already on countless

[22:00] occasions allowed its users to track and

[22:03] stalk innocent people who are not

[22:05] suspected of any crimes. You are

[22:07] fighting with all of your might to

[22:09] inflict mass drag net surveillance on

[22:12] this county. Now, is it inflammatory to

[22:15] call y'all Nazis? Absolutely. But I

[22:18] would argue that the implementation of a

[22:21] technology that the Nazis would have

[22:23] loved is actually more inflammatory. If

[22:26] the commission wishes to avoid these

[22:28] comparisons in the future, I'd advise

[22:30] they avoid advocating for any other

[22:33] technologies that would have allowed

[22:35] Hitler to supercharge the Holocaust. You

[22:38] could end all this public eyeire today

[22:41] if you're willing to respect the will of

[22:43] the people and cancel the flock

[22:45] contract. However, I know the will of

[22:48] the people holds no bearing on this

[22:50] body's decision-making process. So

[22:52] instead, I'll ask each of you fascist

[22:55] tyrants sitting on this commission to

[22:57] try to muster up even an ounce of human

[22:59] decency and resign in disgrace.

[23:03] » Thank you very much.

[23:04] » Thank you.

[23:06] » Is there anyone else who would like to

[23:07] speak?

[23:09] » Can't see.

[23:11] » I will. No one else.

[23:12] » Sure.

[23:13] » Done. Commissioners,

[23:14] » Thank you.

[23:14] » Good morning.

[23:15] » Uh Brentfield, 112 Mayfield Road. Uh you

[23:18] may know the field name, Fields Park

[23:20] Road. Fields Park up near the Botanic

[23:22] Garden. That's we're we're six

[23:23] generations in now in Montg County.

[23:26] » Uh is a short autobiography.

[23:29] Um

[23:30] » Fairmont State Criminal Justice

[23:32] Bachelors. Uh Mecca 911, San Juan County

[23:37] Communications Authority in New Mexico

[23:39] to build a 911 center. Um

[23:43] the Salem Police Department for seven

[23:45] years as a 911 operator. And I'm here to

[23:50] kind of humanize I I was watching I was

[23:54] watching a body cam video the other day

[23:57] and this gentleman was saying that these

[24:00] police officers had no jurisdiction

[24:02] because they were not voted in by the

[24:03] people. And so the the officer was very

[24:06] kind to explain that the people elected

[24:09] the mayor, the mayor selected the police

[24:11] chief, the police chief selected the

[24:13] officers.

[24:14] And what was inherent? What is inherent

[24:17] in all of the contracts that we have is

[24:19] trust. There has to be a degree of

[24:22] trust. And starting in 1992 at Mecca

[24:25] 911, when a cop would find a new license

[24:31] plate in his old girlfriend's driveway,

[24:33] he would call us and asks to run the

[24:35] plate. And it was up to us to say, "No,

[24:38] that's not an appropriate use of this

[24:40] technology." And so, yeah, now we have

[24:43] flock liprs. I am not a fan of flock

[24:46] laprs mainly because of the flock stuff.

[24:49] We are seeing evidence of misuse. I was

[24:53] actually speaking with the sheriff this

[24:54] morning. The sheriff and I started when

[24:57] there was a jail behind here. I was in

[24:59] the control room opening the doors and

[25:01] closing the doors when he was a

[25:02] correctional officer. Joe Bartolo, I

[25:04] think, hired us both. And uh

[25:08] and I know him. Uh, Commissioner Bloom

[25:12] and I have worked together at Pantry

[25:13] Plus. Uh, Commissioner Arnette, I went

[25:16] to school with his sister. I haven't

[25:18] seen you since your father's funeral,

[25:19] and I apologize, the gentleman. I loved

[25:22] it. Anyway, um, so on the ground, the

[25:26] first thing a 911 operator is taught is

[25:28] resources. Know your resources. Know how

[25:30] to access your resources.

[25:33] Flock ALPR is nothing more to us than

[25:36] the same license plate computer that has

[25:38] been there. Yes, there are databases.

[25:41] They do no good without the portals. The

[25:42] portals that connect them to the other

[25:44] networks. And what goes beyond the

[25:47] ground level is up to lawyers

[25:51] and it is up to the courts themselves to

[25:54] determine the usage and uh and I believe

[25:57] that will shake out. Uh what I do

[26:00] believe is missing largely in government

[26:03] today and not without a basis in fact is

[26:07] a lack of trust in our institutions and

[26:11] I'm from Montg County. You know like I

[26:14] said six generations deep and I worked

[26:17] with Todd Forbes. Todd Forbes trust me

[26:19] with his life and I would trust him with

[26:21] mine. I do not believe that man would

[26:24] ever do anything that would not help the

[26:27] people of Montgay County. Uh I also

[26:30] believe that if Commissioner Bloom, in

[26:31] fact, all three of the commissioners,

[26:33] and I appreciate your service because

[26:35] it's a service. You guys don't have to

[26:36] be here. Someone else could be beaten up

[26:38] on you. And as a matter of fact, the the

[26:40] young lady from CBS just to answer hers,

[26:43] this is just they're just listening to

[26:45] us. They're not going to do much action.

[26:48] They're just listening to us. So there

[26:51] is a whole other process to change the

[26:54] meetings. There's a whole big long

[26:56] backstory for that about an agrarian

[26:57] economy if you could. Yeah, please. Uh

[27:00] an agrarian economy and the time was set

[27:02] when farmers had to come in and so on.

[27:04] It's a long story as all stories in

[27:06] Montgomery County are.

[27:08] » So that's it. Uh as a 911 operator,

[27:11] nobody would use that flock stuff if it

[27:13] wasn't a good reason. And that's it.

[27:17] » Thank you for your time.

[27:18] » Thank you very much. Is there anyone

[27:20] else who wants to speak?

[27:23] Seeing none, we will close the uh

[27:27] comments from the public and we will

[27:28] move now to presentation from visit

[27:31] mountaineer country CVD.

[27:33] Good morning.

[27:39] » Good morning.

[27:40] » Good morning.

[27:40] » Thank you all for having us here today.

[27:42] Um, for those of you who don't know us,

[27:44] I'm Hannah Wat and Joe Vaseia is with me

[27:46] and we are with Visit Mountaineer

[27:48] Country Convention of Visitors Bureau.

[27:49] Visit Mounter Country is the destination

[27:51] marketing and management organization

[27:53] for Monangelia, Preston and Taylor

[27:55] counties as well as Beington and Barber

[27:56] County. And essentially what that means

[27:58] is we're tasked with strategically

[28:00] investing lodging tax dollars um, and

[28:02] being good stewards of those dollars to

[28:03] recruit and attract visitors to the area

[28:05] for them to spend their time and their

[28:06] dollars here. So, we like to get out at

[28:08] least two times a year, give a general

[28:09] update of what's coming up, what's been

[28:11] going on. Um Joe's going to give an

[28:13] update on the tourism advancement fund

[28:15] and we'll be happy to answer any

[28:16] questions, but I'll try to keep it

[28:17] quick. Um you should have received a

[28:20] couple weeks ago a letter and a survey

[28:22] from the CVB. If you didn't, let me

[28:24] know. We have extra copies with us. Um

[28:26] essentially, as you know, we're in a

[28:28] time of transition right now with our

[28:29] former CEO, Susan Riddle, after 10 years

[28:31] um moving on to a new opportunity. But

[28:34] the team at the CBB has really taken

[28:35] this time, this transition time to

[28:37] reconnect with our municipalities, with

[28:39] our county partners, with our tourism

[28:40] partners. Um, that's one of the reasons

[28:42] we sent out the survey. We want to

[28:43] really collect data that allows us to

[28:45] make sure we're connecting the dots

[28:47] appropriately, make sure we're filling

[28:48] the needs of the community appropri

[28:49] appropriately. Um, and you guys know how

[28:52] that works. So, please take the survey

[28:54] um when you get a moment. Um,

[28:56] additionally, we also have tourism

[28:58] tokens for all of you. And for lack of

[29:00] better terms, they're a token of our

[29:01] appreciation for your continued

[29:02] investment and support in the tourism

[29:04] industry and helping us to drive tourism

[29:06] to the area. Um, they're also a small

[29:08] reminder to keep with you to keep

[29:09] tourism top of mind and remember that

[29:11] Visit Matter Country is here as a

[29:13] resource. Whether you're, you know,

[29:14] working with a group, someone mentions a

[29:16] group, Tom, we've talked about this

[29:18] before. Um, just tap into us. We have

[29:20] hospitality services, we have sales

[29:22] services, you guys know all of this,

[29:24] marketing services, of course,

[29:25] development services. Um, so just keep

[29:27] these coins and Joe will pass them out.

[29:29] Um, and just think of us, keep tourism

[29:31] top of mind. And it's a challenge to go

[29:32] throughout your days um, through the

[29:34] eyes of a visitor. Um and so thank you

[29:36] for all that you do. Um some quick CBB

[29:39] updates and initiatives. We have a lot

[29:41] of things in the works, but just to keep

[29:42] it brief, we are undergoing a redesign

[29:44] of our visitors guide, which will be

[29:46] launched in the spring. Um also in the

[29:48] spring, we've picked a date for our um

[29:51] annual tourism summit. This will be our

[29:52] fifth annual tourism summit at the

[29:54] Ericson Alumni Center. Um and that will

[29:56] be on April 27th. So we hope that um one

[29:59] or a couple of you, I know not all of

[30:01] you, um will attend. And then also we

[30:04] have our Mountaineer Monster event

[30:05] coming up, our second annual Mountaineer

[30:07] Monster bike packing event. And of

[30:09] course that takes place at Chestnut

[30:10] Ridge Park and Campground. Um I think

[30:12] registration is up compared to to last

[30:15] year and last year still was uh better

[30:17] than we expected. So we should have

[30:18] close to what 100 probably

[30:21] » 120

[30:22] » Um bikers in the area all around our

[30:24] region. Great. Um, we're also preparing

[30:26] to launch a marketing miniigrant program

[30:28] to help with those smaller community

[30:30] events to um, they'll be specifically

[30:32] for social media marketing to help boost

[30:34] um, and attract visitors to their

[30:35] events. So, that's something that we

[30:36] have on the horizon. Um and then with

[30:38] the school year starting, we do have our

[30:40] leave no trace program gearing up again,

[30:42] which as a reminder, um Stella from our

[30:44] team goes around and she will educate

[30:46] all of area fifth grade students on um

[30:48] she'll introduce them to careers in

[30:49] tourism and educate them on leave no

[30:51] trace principles and how to be a ste a

[30:52] good steward in the outdoors. Um and

[30:55] with that, I'll turn it over to Joe to

[30:56] do a tourism advancement fund update.

[30:58] » Thank you, Tim.

[31:00] » Thank you.

[31:01] » Good morning, commissioners.

[31:02] » Hey Joe. Um, first just let me say

[31:06] thanks for thanks for the tourism

[31:08] advancement fund. I mean I I can't say

[31:10] enough good things about it. It brings

[31:13] all kinds of different groups to the

[31:15] area and uh with this fund it it it

[31:17] helps us um bring those groups and and

[31:20] and make them make them happy, you know.

[31:23] So over the last year and a half, um the

[31:25] Mon County Tours Fund has invested

[31:28] almost $248,000 in events that have

[31:32] generated almost 22,000

[31:35] um room nights.

[31:37] » You know, that's Yeah, that's big

[31:39] number. So, you know, conservatively at

[31:42] an average rate of $129 a night, you

[31:45] know, that's almost $2.8 million that

[31:47] the funds generated for for the county.

[31:50] Um that's just in the last year and a

[31:52] half and the fund's been going on for

[31:54] almost 5 years now. So, you know,

[31:56] extrapolate that out. It's it's amazing,

[31:59] you know, um that's an estimated, you

[32:01] know, just over the year year and a

[32:03] half, a 12 to1 return on on your

[32:05] investment. Um and this is just only

[32:08] hotel rooms. That doesn't include the

[32:11] gas, the the the food, the shopping,

[32:14] everything else that these people do

[32:15] while they're while they're here. So,

[32:17] um, thank you so much for for continuing

[32:21] to invest in the fund and, um, we're

[32:23] putting your dollars to good use. Um,

[32:26] any questions about the fund?

[32:28] » No, I'm glad to see that number going

[32:30] up. Last year was about 8 to1 and you're

[32:32] saying it's about 12 to1. So,

[32:34] » That's um, what it was intended for.

[32:37] » Yeah, I mean I think you know in the

[32:40] last year and a half it's been that was

[32:41] that's 22 events I was referring to. Um,

[32:45] you know, 24, two are still pending. Um,

[32:48] the fund has helped secure uh an uh

[32:50] mountaine conference swimming and diving

[32:53] for the next three years. Um, which, you

[32:55] know, brings 400 athletes and, you know,

[32:58] almost 12 to,500

[33:00] followers with them for a 5-day period.

[33:03] » Um, you know, it brought uh

[33:07] the Mountain East um track and field,

[33:11] » Right? Um and you know in 2027 um a

[33:15] Visla National Dog Show which you know

[33:18] has never really been on the East Coast.

[33:19] So um it's bringing a lot of large

[33:22] events uh USA diving which we just had.

[33:25] So um doing amazing things with that

[33:27] with those dollars. So thank you.

[33:29] » Great.

[33:30] » No thanks.

[33:31] » Thank you.

[33:31] » Well it's real easy. I mean we can give

[33:33] you the funds but it's up to you all to

[33:36] make it work. So again it's a nice

[33:39] working relationship. So, we appreciate

[33:40] that.

[33:41] » Yeah, definitely. Thank you so much.

[33:42] » And and for the public's knowledge,

[33:44] these aren't um these are funds that are

[33:47] generated by the hotel motel tax.

[33:50] » Yes.

[33:50] » Um so, these are additional uh it's our

[33:53] policy to to provide 50% of those funds

[33:56] to you directly to operate the CBB and

[33:59] then everything the additional funds are

[34:01] coming from that same fund. So, they're

[34:04] coming from people that come to our

[34:05] community from these events and and

[34:08] generate those tax dollars. So, those

[34:10] aren't those aren't property taxes that

[34:12] are being uh uh allocated. Those are

[34:15] taxes that are uh levied against people

[34:17] coming visiting in our county and then

[34:20] poured back into furthering some of

[34:22] those events.

[34:23] » Y

[34:23] » Great reinvestment great reinvestment of

[34:26] those tourism dollars.

[34:27] » Yeah.

[34:27] » And I should clarify the marketing mini

[34:29] grants for the events are CVB budget um

[34:32] item and not dollars from the Monagali

[34:34] County tours fund.

[34:37] » Great.

[34:37] » Thank you very much. Thank you for the

[34:39] update.

[34:44] » Thanks, buddy. Appreciate it.

[34:47] » Thank you.

[34:48] » Thank you for Oh, that's nice.

[34:50] » It's good to see you, buddy.

[34:52] » We'll talk soon.

[34:56] Okay.

[34:58] Okay. Number seven, grants. Do we have

[35:01] any grants today?

[35:04] » Good morning.

[35:05] » Good morning. Um so yesterday we

[35:08] received the grant contract for the

[35:09] community corrections grant. If you

[35:11] remember a few weeks ago we did um the

[35:14] resolution. Um so that award was for

[35:16] $198,95.

[35:19] So I had the grant contract agreement

[35:21] for you. Um standard conditions and

[35:23] asurances equal employment opportunity

[35:26] plan and disclosure of lobbying

[35:28] activities that you need to sign.

[35:30] » Okay. I move to uh approve the president

[35:32] signing those documents on behalf of the

[35:34] commission. Second properly moved and

[35:37] second. All those in favor say I.

[35:39] » I.

[35:39] » Thank you.

[35:41] » Do we have any correspondence?

[35:44] » Do you?

[35:45] » No.

[35:46] » No sir.

[35:46] » A quiet bunch. Okay. No. Unfinished

[35:49] business. Going to new business.

[35:52] Consideration of a letter of support for

[35:53] the Milin Park Foundation's application

[35:55] to the 2026 abandoned mine land economic

[35:59] revitalization Amler program.

[36:04] Uh description is self

[36:08] self-explanatory. I move to approve the

[36:10] letter of support as provided.

[36:12] » Second prop move and second. All those

[36:14] in favor say I.

[36:15] » Consideration approve requisition number

[36:17] 45 for the series 2021B

[36:21] Harmony Grove phase 1 project fund.

[36:27] » Yes sir. is for 473,86425.

[36:38] » Um, Adrian Enterprises and Anderson

[36:41] Excavating.

[36:42] » Okay. I move to approve the uh

[36:45] requisition number 45 for the series

[36:47] 2021B, Harmony Grove phase 1 project

[36:51] fund as presented. Second motion.

[36:53] » Prophet move a second. All those in

[36:54] favor say I.

[36:56] » I. Do you have any more new business

[36:57] that have come up?

[36:58] » Neither. Okay. Reports from elected

[37:01] officials. Oh,

[37:02] » Please come on down.

[37:06] » Good morning.

[37:07] » Morning.

[37:08] » Patty Lewis County. Um I do have a

[37:11] little update on um our situation on

[37:14] EMTT Drive. We continue to work um with

[37:17] the D. The last meeting that we had with

[37:20] them, they encouraged us to uh explore

[37:25] a temporary

[37:27] um fix basically uh for that slide on on

[37:31] Emma Drive because the project that the

[37:34] D is going to be involved in is going to

[37:37] be um quite a large project um you know

[37:40] maybe two a two-year project. So last

[37:44] week our

[37:46] um engineering firm um and they called

[37:52] GSI uh they're geo technical

[37:55] stabilization international I think um

[37:58] is the company. They walk that hill

[38:00] again. There continues to be rocks um

[38:04] falling from that site. But there's a

[38:07] bench um they refer to it as a bench

[38:10] that has caught several u more rocks,

[38:14] some as large as like 4t by 4t. So

[38:17] they're not it's not small. But the big

[38:20] concern right now is there's a large

[38:22] rock that is broken loose uh that

[38:24] they're estimating is 20 ft long, 7 ft

[38:27] deep, and 6t thick. So gsi has suggested

[38:32] that they go up and scale um that area.

[38:36] They're going to try to break that rock

[38:39] » Um loose and remove it. And if they

[38:43] cannot do that, then they're going to

[38:45] try to pin it.

[38:47] After that is done, then we need to

[38:50] place some kind of barrier down along

[38:53] Emma Drive. So, we are working uh toward

[38:56] a temporary solution to get at least one

[38:58] lane of EMTT Drive open. And until they

[39:02] go um they should be uh going back up to

[39:06] to do that work within 3 weeks.

[39:09] » And so after that, then we'll look at

[39:12] the barrier, what we need to do. But

[39:14] » So if you opened up a temporary lane,

[39:16] that would be going down the hill,

[39:18] getting out of there, which makes most

[39:20] sense.

[39:21] » Yes. Obviously,

[39:22] » Or at least that's what we're looking at

[39:23] now. Yes.

[39:24] » The other question and I didn't want

[39:26] I've been asked to submit to DO, but I

[39:29] want I'm glad you're here. As you come

[39:31] down the three lanes of the University

[39:32] Town Center, you know how two go to the

[39:34] left, one go to the right, the

[39:36] suggestion has been made, what is the

[39:38] possibility of considering two lanes

[39:41] going to the right and the left. And I'd

[39:43] like to throw that out to you because I

[39:44] did not want to submit that without you

[39:47] all reviewing it. And in one of the meet

[39:49] of course we don't control those lights

[39:51] » Right.

[39:52] » Okay. So in one of the previous meetings

[39:56] that we had with uh DP and we we

[39:59] actually had a representative from

[40:01] Raleigh Moore's office there as well. Um

[40:05] DO is getting ready to start that work

[40:08] on the 155.

[40:11] It is my understanding that they would

[40:13] have to approve a traffic study before

[40:16] they change those lights. We wouldn't

[40:19] have a problem with restriping Town

[40:22] Center, but if it's going to affect

[40:23] those lights.

[40:24] » Okay. I did not realize that.

[40:25] » Yeah.

[40:26] » Okay. That

[40:27] » I don't know that DO would do that, but

[40:30] if we can get some sort of remedy in the

[40:33] next six weeks, okay,

[40:34] » To at least open that one lane, I mean,

[40:36] that'll be helpful.

[40:38] » Okay.

[40:39] » Thank you. Thank you, mayor. Thank you,

[40:41] mayor.

[40:42] » Do anyone else elected officials?

[40:48] » Two times twice. I know. Make it all in

[40:50] one shot. Um, just as a reminder to our

[40:54] taxpayers, coming up October 1st is for

[40:57] our personal property assessment returns

[40:59] for our timeline to be turned in. So, I

[41:00] want to remind them about that. And if

[41:02] they haven't received anything for

[41:03] whatever reason, please contact the

[41:06] office. those ladies up front will help

[41:07] them tremendously to kind of get that

[41:09] process going for them. But just wanted

[41:11] to get that out there to everyone. As a

[41:13] reminder, October 1st is just right

[41:14] around the corner.

[41:15] » Great. I can attest to that. I called

[41:18] your deputy last week and um he helped

[41:21] me with with mine. So

[41:24] » Yeah, we're starting to get a lot more.

[41:26] Yeah, starting to get a lot more calls

[41:27] now, but just wanted to throw that out

[41:28] to the folks as a reminder.

[41:30] » Okay.

[41:31] » Okay.

[41:31] » Thank you. Thanks, Mark.

[41:33] » Thank you. Okay,

[41:35] Sean, County Commission.

[41:37] » Uh, since our last meeting, uh, last

[41:39] Wednesday, I had a call regarding the

[41:41] East End development agreement. Um, and

[41:44] then on Thursday, we had another call.

[41:46] Um, so we're we're we're

[41:49] um there's progress. Uh, we're getting

[41:52] close. Um, but, uh, hopefully we'll know

[41:55] some we'll we'll know a lot more um

[41:59] later towards the end of the month. Um

[42:03] uh on Thursday I attended an event

[42:06] Commissioner Bloom also attended uh the

[42:09] it was an economic development project.

[42:11] Uh they had a open house at the alumni

[42:14] center to discuss this uh opportunity in

[42:18] our uh to bring a um a manufacturing

[42:23] facility to the um industrial park that

[42:28] would um uh

[42:31] it fills a niche to in the carbon market

[42:34] in this country and there a lot more uh

[42:38] to talk about in the future but it's uh

[42:40] I think Commissioner Bloom would would

[42:42] share would also agree that it's a

[42:44] pretty um pretty um

[42:49] interesting project that uh checks all

[42:52] the boxes financial economic uh or

[42:55] financial uh environmental um and um it

[42:59] uses a lot of our abundant natural

[43:02] resource coal. Um Friday had a

[43:05] development or I'm sorry the health

[43:07] department building tag up uh Tuesday.

[43:10] Yesterday I had a weekly uh remodel tag

[43:13] up. Today's a regular meeting, no work

[43:16] sessions. Tomorrow I have red team and

[43:18] development authority and um possibly

[43:21] one other meeting uh later in the day.

[43:23] I'm still trying to confirm. Uh Friday

[43:26] we have staff reports. Uh I have map

[43:28] executive committee meeting and then I

[43:30] have a discussion with uh Harmony Grove

[43:33] developers in the state regarding an

[43:36] additional uh economic uh development

[43:39] project. So, um, all things full boore.

[43:43] Uh, Monday I have County Commissioner

[43:45] Association West Virginia fall board

[43:47] meeting in Braxton County. I'll just be

[43:49] driving down that morning for the

[43:51] meeting and then back. Um, and then

[43:54] Tuesday I have a month monthly breakfast

[43:56] in uh, Juma Bimonthly meeting and uh,

[43:59] another one of the regular uh, remodel

[44:02] uh, check-in meetings. Uh I think the

[44:05] most important thing this week is uh

[44:07] Friday's uh 25th

[44:10] um recognition of the September 11th,

[44:14] 2001 attacks. And I

[44:18] wanted to uh just read a post that I did

[44:20] in 2000 that I did in uh four years ago

[44:24] uh when I actually after I had visited

[44:27] the uh 911 memorial in um New York. uh

[44:32] and it was in regards to a a person I

[44:35] called a friend that lost his life in

[44:36] that attack. Uh I think it's uh

[44:39] important that in these toxic times that

[44:42] we kind of take a step back and think

[44:45] about um things like 9/11 and uh how

[44:51] we're all really on the same team. Uh we

[44:53] may have different ideas. uh we don't

[44:56] always do a good job of uh expressing

[44:58] those ideas to each other, but we we are

[45:00] all on the same team. So, I'm going to

[45:02] go ahead and read this post. As we mark

[45:04] the 25th anniversary of the September

[45:06] 11, 2001 attacks on our country, I hope

[45:09] we all take a moment to remember that

[45:10] nearly 3,000 lives that were lost that

[45:13] day, the loved ones they left behind,

[45:15] and the countless lives forever changed.

[45:18] A few years ago, while in New York, my

[45:20] family visited the 911 Memorial and

[45:22] Museum for the first time. As I walk

[45:24] through the memorial, I find myself

[45:26] telling Jackie and the girls about the

[45:27] former Mountaineer quarterback Chris

[45:29] Gray, who lost his life in the attack. I

[45:32] got to know Chris pretty well during

[45:33] this time in Morgantown, mainly through

[45:35] softball. He played in another league,

[45:37] but our paths never So, our paths never

[45:39] actually crossed on the field, but Chris

[45:41] played with a lot of my close friends,

[45:43] Jeff Barryman, Mark Weise, Glen McNe,

[45:45] Greg Hunter to name a few. Chris was

[45:48] always the life of the party, and I

[45:50] honestly can't remember him without a

[45:52] smile on his face. The last time I saw

[45:54] him, we were golfing together with Glen

[45:56] Glen McNe, that's Glen Mcmoo Jr. and my

[45:58] brother Kevin. Uh, what I remember most

[46:01] isn't the golf, it's the laughter.

[46:03] Somehow with Chris around, the golf

[46:04] became an afterthought. Chris was famous

[46:07] for being able to make fun of himself.

[46:09] Even with what might have been the

[46:11] biggest disappointment of his football

[46:13] career, the infamous fumble on the goal

[46:15] line against Virginia Tech his senior

[46:17] season became the subject of some of

[46:19] Chris's funniest stories. That was

[46:22] Chris. He had a way of dealing with

[46:24] adversity by making people around him

[46:26] laugh. On that beautiful sunny Tuesday

[46:28] morning of September 11, 2001, Chris

[46:31] went to work at one World Trade Center

[46:33] in the North Tower and just like that,

[46:36] he was gone. Seeing Chris's name

[46:38] inscribed on the North Pole at the 911

[46:41] memorial and seeing his photograph

[46:43] inside the museum was incredibly

[46:45] emotional. But as sad as that moment

[46:47] was, I found myself uh smiling as I

[46:50] remember the joy Chris brought to so

[46:52] many people. 25 years later, that may be

[46:55] one of the most fitting ways to remember

[46:57] him. Chris caught those Chris taught

[47:00] those who knew him something about

[47:02] facing adversity. Find a way to smile,

[47:05] find a way to laugh, and find a way to

[47:07] bring joy to the people around you.

[47:08] Somehow, even after all these years,

[47:11] remembering Chris still does exactly

[47:13] that. Today, we remember Chris. We

[47:15] remember all the 2,977

[47:18] innocent people who were killed on

[47:19] September 11th, 2001. We remember the

[47:22] first responders who ran toward danger

[47:24] and everyone else with while everyone

[47:26] else was running away. And remember the

[47:28] families who have carried that loss for

[47:29] 25 years. May God bless Chris Gray, his

[47:33] family, and every family forever changed

[47:35] by September 11.

[47:37] » Mountaire Nation will never forget you,

[47:38] Chris. And America will never forget

[47:41] September 11th, 2001.

[47:43] That's all I have. Thanks.

[47:46] Uh, a few things. I had a meeting last

[47:50] Friday with the public defenders office

[47:52] to go over their uh, suggestions and

[47:54] ideas on how to curb the uh, jail bill.

[47:56] It's pretty productive conversation with

[47:58] some with some good new ideas that uh, I

[48:00] hope to bring for forward to the uh, to

[48:04] the prosecutor and to the magistrates

[48:05] and maybe we can work on a few of those

[48:06] items. Um, had an MRTC board meeting

[48:09] that's the Mon River Trails Conservancy.

[48:11] Um they got the uh for the first time I

[48:14] think since co the uh water fountains

[48:17] back up and running which has been a

[48:19] large a constant request. Um appreciate

[48:22] the CBB coming in um the great things

[48:25] that are happening over there that's

[48:26] started uh really in earnest with this

[48:29] program when I was when I was brought on

[48:31] commission and uh appreciate enjoy

[48:33] seeing it grow and all the uh all the

[48:35] response we get. You can't go anywhere

[48:37] without seeing a a van or a bus of some

[48:39] team or some, you know, activity coming

[48:42] in town. Um, just a small representation

[48:44] of what's coming in every week. And last

[48:46] week had lunch with the assessor to go

[48:48] over some uh procedural possible

[48:50] procedural changes in his office and

[48:52] just kind of spitballing some ideas back

[48:54] and forth. I always appreciate the back

[48:55] and forth with that and the work that

[48:57] they do upstairs. That's all I've got.

[49:00] » Okay. Um, I continue to talk and

[49:03] communicate with the top 12 populace

[49:05] counties and we will be reconvening on

[49:08] 9:23

[49:10] at 2:00 to continue that meeting. Um, I

[49:13] would also hope that the public would

[49:14] look carefully at the EMS levy levy to

[49:18] make an educated decision on this

[49:20] important issue. And finally, as Sean

[49:23] mentioned, there is a program at the

[49:26] Morgantown Armory this Friday, Never

[49:28] Forget, honoring the local first

[49:31] responders and veterans. Um, Friday, uh,

[49:34] September 11th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00

[49:37] p.m. featuring over 85 organizations,

[49:40] and I hope the public will show up at

[49:42] the Morgantown Army for that. With that,

[49:44] do I have a motion to adjurnn? So move.

[49:46] Second.

[49:49] » Thank you.

Monongalia County Commission meeting Sept. 9, 2026

Transcript