[0:00] Welcome to the

[0:01] regular Summersville

[0:02] City Council meeting on

[0:04] September 28th. The first

[0:08] item on the

[0:09] agenda is to consider

[0:10] the minutes of the regular

[0:11] council meeting, which

[0:13] was held on September 14.

[0:16] Motion to approve

[0:17] reading of wave

[0:18] referee.

[0:18] Second question.

[0:25] All in favor? Yes.

[0:26] Against?

[0:27] James is here,

[0:28] I said.

[0:29] The offer is accepted.

[0:32] Okay, now

[0:34] public comments first.

[0:35] Um, do we have anyone?

[0:37] We don't have any.

[0:38] Thank you. Another

[0:41] item on the

[0:42] agenda is a discussion of the

[0:44] Old Main Arts and Heritage Center.

[0:46] Benji Rapp,

[0:47] could you speak

[0:48] on this,

[0:49] please?

[0:50] Sir, I will allow Mr.

[0:51] Joe Strickland to

[0:51] come up and make a

[0:52] presentation for us.

[0:53] Sounds great. Thank you

[0:55] .

[0:55] Good evening,

[0:56] gentlemen. I'm Joe

[1:01] Strickland, and I work

[1:02] at the Nichols Old

[1:04] Maine Old Maine Foundation. And I

[1:07] would like to introduce the

[1:09] other people who are here

[1:10] representing us: this is

[1:12] Benji Rapp,

[1:12] the president; Nancy

[1:14] Thomas, Vice President;

[1:15] Terry Kaiser, our

[1:16] treasurer; and Tammy

[1:17] Odell, who does

[1:19] all the work. And, uh, you

[1:25] were wondering why I was

[1:26] chosen as the head

[1:27] spear catcher. Good.

[1:31] So, we'll do it.

[1:33] So, we'll try to be

[1:34] brief. The Nichols

[1:39] Old Maine Foundation would like to

[1:40] explore with you the

[1:41] future of this

[1:43] city-led Old Maine Foundation.

[1:48] This is an opportunity with a

[1:49] plan. We are Old

[1:52] Maine, which is an

[1:53] important part of

[1:55] Summersville's identity. And it's a

[1:57] resource that has already

[1:58] served our

[1:59] community for

[2:00] many years. We

[2:03] have a proven base of

[2:04] leaders and

[2:04] volunteers, and we have been

[2:05] programming and

[2:06] managing properties

[2:07] for decades.

[2:10] But our

[2:11] long-term

[2:11] need is

[2:13] that the average age of

[2:14] our group of people who

[2:15] volunteer

[2:16] is 75 years old.

[2:17] Therefore, we need

[2:18] some changes and a search for

[2:20] new blood. So all of

[2:21] you people who work

[2:23] in this world know

[2:24] what happens when

[2:25] the population ages.

[2:27] So, Old Main

[2:30] has been serving the city of

[2:31] Summersville and the

[2:32] county for over a

[2:33] century. The high

[2:35] school was built

[2:37] in 1913 and

[2:39] operated in

[2:40] Nicholas County at night as a

[2:42] high school until

[2:43] 1978. From 1978 to 1991, it

[2:46] was a junior high

[2:48] school, and some of its

[2:49] fragments

[2:50] were located in

[2:52] the building that is now the

[2:53] office of the Board of Education.

[2:56] Some classes

[2:57] were held in

[2:58] the basement of the old Main

[3:00] School, while others were held in other

[3:01] locations. So

[3:05] from about 1990-91 until

[3:06] today, uh, the thoughts of

[3:08] the former graduates

[3:09] came to the conclusion

[3:11] of purchasing the Old

[3:13] Main School, and the

[3:15] Nicholas Old Main Foundation has been

[3:16] running it ever since. Now

[3:21] the city will receive

[3:22] active, useful, and

[3:23] profitable real estate.

[3:28] Uh, we have a

[3:29] 250-seat auditorium with very

[3:30] good acoustics and a

[3:33] sound system installed, and

[3:34] we support

[3:35] performances and public

[3:36] programs. We have

[3:40] flexible space for

[3:41] events.

[3:42] We have two dining rooms, a

[3:43] large kitchen, and

[3:44] the rooms we

[3:45] moved into the

[3:46] former library are

[3:47] now

[3:48] used as

[3:49] rented

[3:51] reception rooms, which

[3:52] gives us more space

[3:53] to do so. We have

[3:54] four business

[3:55] units. The

[3:57] small business space for

[3:58] rent

[3:59] is downstairs and

[4:01] remains constantly

[4:02] occupied. We have a

[4:07] five-

[4:08] room museum on the

[4:09] third floor,

[4:10] as well as a nanoexotic

[4:12] animal

[4:12] donated by Terry

[4:14] Seeling, Tom

[4:15] Bales, and Wally

[4:16] Handshaw, which is worth approximately $300,000, according to the

[4:19] Nicholas Home Maine Foundation national information.

[4:22] Home Maine

[4:28] provides rental properties

[4:29] filled with

[4:31] historic charm and a

[4:32] warm and welcoming

[4:33] atmosphere. Whether for

[4:37] meetings, classes,

[4:38] exhibitions or

[4:39] special events,

[4:41] the building's rich history is there for

[4:42] any occasion. The fund

[4:46] offers a

[4:47] responsibly

[4:48] maintained and

[4:48] preserved asset,

[4:50] not a building in

[4:51] disrepair.

[4:57] The building's heating and cooling systems

[4:58] have been updated and

[4:59] continuously

[5:00] improved and

[5:01] given attention.

[5:04] Security alarm improvements

[5:07] are in the

[5:07] works and we

[5:09] are maintaining

[5:09] the grounds in fairly

[5:11] good condition. The roof

[5:15] and exterior

[5:16] trim are currently

[5:17] being replaced, and, uh,

[5:18] all the windows now have

[5:19] blinds to protect the

[5:21] assets from

[5:21] UV

[5:23] radiation. We

[5:28] will transfer the building,

[5:29] the land underneath it,

[5:29] and the fund

[5:31] along with the annuity to

[5:32] future

[5:32] management. City

[5:36] officials can make the

[5:38] Home Maine Arts and Heritage Center a

[5:39] reliable place for

[5:40] public gatherings.

[5:42] It is accessible to

[5:43] people with disabilities.

[5:45] It is fully

[5:45] equipped for people

[5:46] with disabilities, we

[5:47] enter on the first

[5:48] floor and then we

[5:49] have an elevator to go up

[5:51] to the upper floors.

[5:52] We have programs for

[5:53] all ages. We

[5:54] offer a

[5:55] youth center,

[5:56] programs for

[5:57] seniors and

[5:58] families. We also have

[5:59] art

[6:00] workshops and other

[6:01] exhibitions. This is a home for

[6:04] social life.

[6:05] We host

[6:06] community gatherings,

[6:07] alumni reunions

[6:09] , celebrations,

[6:09] receptions, and

[6:10] housing rentals. And we have a

[6:12] cultural building and a

[6:15] building. The

[6:17] Necklace Performing Arts Council and the

[6:18] History on

[6:20] the Hill program, local

[6:21] artists, and

[6:21] heritage programs

[6:22] exhibit and

[6:23] host

[6:24] performances there. The Old Main

[6:26] Arts and Heritage Center

[6:27] is promoting

[6:29] eight priorities

[6:30] for Summit Hill.

[6:32] Preservation of

[6:33] historical heritage.

[6:34] Protection of a national

[6:35] registered

[6:36] monument.

[6:38] Community access, support for

[6:39] active and

[6:40] accessible

[6:41] public

[6:41] space. Economic

[6:43] activity

[6:44] supported by our

[6:45] artists,

[6:46] rental properties,

[6:47] and neighboring

[6:48] businesses. With

[6:50] the growth of tourism,

[6:51] we can add

[6:52] culture to the experience of the

[6:53] northern gateway to the

[6:56] New

[6:57] River National Park and all two

[6:58] state parks

[6:59] locally.

[7:03] Great potential

[7:04] due to expanded

[7:05] access to

[7:06] municipal

[7:07] financing opportunities.

[7:09] Cultural

[7:09] identity, we

[7:10] can share the

[7:11] rich

[7:12] Appalachian stories that

[7:13] have shaped our

[7:14] culture and the history of

[7:15] our surrounding

[7:16] areas. Educational

[7:18] tool. It is a

[7:20] historic landmark

[7:22] for students,

[7:22] faculty, and

[7:24] community members who

[7:25] gather for

[7:25] meetings, classes,

[7:27] exhibits, and

[7:27] special events. And

[7:30] for long-term

[7:31] stability, we

[7:32] can prepare

[7:33] professional

[7:34] management with

[7:35] stable

[7:35] planning.

[7:38] The transfer will protect

[7:39] and strengthen the future.

[7:43] First, it will preserve

[7:44] and support a landmark

[7:46] that is already associated with

[7:47] generations of local

[7:48] families. Plan,

[7:51] leverage

[7:52] city expertise for

[7:53] maintenance schedule

[7:54] ,

[7:54] programming,

[7:55] partnerships, and

[7:56] long-term

[7:57] capital needs.

[7:59] Get in touch, we can

[8:00] explore the role of

[8:01] Old Main alongside

[8:02] other historic

[8:03] sites and possibly

[8:05] for the development of a

[8:05] historic district. And

[8:09] to support,

[8:10] to build a future with

[8:11] well-maintained

[8:12] properties,

[8:13] active rentals,

[8:14] annuities, and

[8:15] decades of

[8:16] community investment.

[8:21] So, I ask that

[8:22] Old Main

[8:23] continue to stand

[8:24] as a beacon on the hill,

[8:25] that city property

[8:26] begin a

[8:27] structured

[8:28] review of the transmission, and

[8:29] we will answer

[8:30] any questions or

[8:31] concerns and

[8:32] try to find

[8:33] answers. So

[8:36] thank you very much, David.

[8:39] This time we would like to

[8:40] provide each

[8:42] of you with a copy of

[8:42] the presentation.

[8:45] And I would also like to

[8:46] introduce Terry

[8:48] Kaiser, who

[8:48] will be in charge of

[8:49] finance

[8:50] .

[8:54] Good evening, Rado. I

[8:56] think I know

[8:56] most of you. I'm

[8:58] Terry Kaiser, and I've

[8:59] been the treasurer of the

[9:00] Old Maine Foundation for a little

[9:01] over a year. In your

[9:04] packages, the first

[9:05] part is a

[9:06] printed copy of

[9:07] Mr.

[9:08] Strickland's presentation. And then there's a

[9:14] sheet that shows the

[9:15] projects we've

[9:16] completed in the last

[9:17] year and a half thanks to

[9:19] donations and grants.

[9:25] We currently have two

[9:26] ongoing projects.

[9:29] One is the

[9:30] roofing fund, a contract

[9:32] we signed at

[9:33] the end of August with

[9:34] Platinum Roofing Group for

[9:36] $30,400 to repair

[9:37] the well. And we have the

[9:41] funds to cover it.

[9:44] And then our next

[9:45] biggest project

[9:47] is the windows, which you've

[9:48] heard from us about for many

[9:49] years. So,

[9:52] we currently have about

[9:54] $15,000 to repair the

[9:55] windows. And, uh,

[9:58] they're getting

[9:59] estimates now. And on the very

[10:04] back–the current

[10:05] budget. Our budget

[10:07] is calculated for the

[10:08] calendar year. And, uh

[10:10] , for those of you who were on the

[10:12] zoning committee, these

[10:13] numbers have been updated since

[10:14] you

[10:16] last saw them. So

[10:19] , we have a calendar

[10:20] year. Our budget this

[10:21] year is 35,000.

[10:23] Unless

[10:24] something

[10:24] unforeseen happens, we

[10:25] should be within

[10:27] that budget this

[10:28] year. Our budget

[10:30] committee meets in

[10:31] October, and our plan

[10:32] right now is to

[10:33] increase it by

[10:35] 4% to cover the cost of

[10:36] living. Uh, I'll say

[10:41] that we only have one

[10:42] checking

[10:43] account. So we have

[10:47] about 50,000 on it,

[10:49] but half of that is

[10:50] over half - that's 30,000

[10:51] , which we've again

[10:52] allocated through

[10:53] grants and donations to

[10:55] specific projects

[10:56] like advertising, or

[10:57] we're working on

[10:58] cameras, something like that.

[11:03] So, this is what you

[11:04] see on the last

[11:05] page, which is

[11:06] intended because

[11:07] it needed to be

[11:08] broken up a little bit there.

[11:17] So if anyone has

[11:18] any questions, or

[11:19] if you have any

[11:20] questions after

[11:21] you've had a

[11:22] chance to

[11:22] review this, I'd

[11:23] be happy to

[11:24] answer them. But I

[11:25] will say this: If

[11:26] the city of Summersville

[11:27] decides to take

[11:28] control of it, we are

[11:30] not going along with it. Everything

[11:31] has been paid for.

[11:32] Well, they made a deal.

[11:35] Thank you. I really don't

[11:40] think I

[11:41] need to stand up and

[11:42] say anything. I think

[11:43] everyone has already said it for

[11:44] us. Uh, thanks again

[11:47] for inviting us. I

[11:50] know some of you

[11:51] have listened to us several

[11:52] times and probably

[11:53] said, “We know

[11:54] your language. We

[11:55] know exactly what you mean.

[11:57] " Uh, we're very

[11:58] proud of Old Maine. Uh

[12:01] , we're doing it

[12:02] head on in Old Main. We are

[12:04] not doing this because

[12:05] we want him to

[12:06] fail. We

[12:07] want to do this because we

[12:08] want him to get

[12:10] better. Uh, whatever we

[12:13] do, I asked

[12:14] Gary to give you all

[12:15] some information.

[12:18] We have a few questions

[12:19] about the 501c, uh,

[12:20] keeping the

[12:21] original board of

[12:22] directors and what

[12:24] happens next. We

[12:26] would like to see this

[12:28] continue. Uh, we

[12:31] understand that Old

[12:33] Main is yours. We

[12:35] understand that it

[12:36] can be changed. But we

[12:38] believe that what we have

[12:40] created since 1991

[12:42] is good. And it can

[12:45] only get better. Uh

[12:47] , Terry is doing a

[12:48] great job. She

[12:50] keeps us in shape.

[12:52] The money we

[12:53] find, Nancy

[12:55] Thomas—our support. And

[12:58] we are constantly, and I'm

[12:59] sure you've all

[13:00] seen our

[13:01] requests for help

[13:02] coming from you and the

[13:04] City of Somerset. Uh,

[13:06] we get our

[13:08] grant

[13:08] funding through, uh

[13:10] , NCCF. We get

[13:11] it through, uh, the

[13:13] St.

[13:13] Patrick's Day parade. Uh, we were very

[13:15] lucky with our

[13:16] senators and our

[13:18] delegate that we were

[13:19] able to get

[13:20] almost $33,000 in

[13:22] 2026 to

[13:23] help with Old

[13:24] Maine. Uh, when we

[13:27] were talking about the roof, they

[13:29] don't replace it, they

[13:30] put a coating on it

[13:31] that will...

[13:32] We hope

[13:34] it will be in 20 years.

[13:36] So by then

[13:37] most of us will be

[13:39] gone. Raymond, you're

[13:40] sure to

[13:40] be here, but

[13:41] most of us will be

[13:42] gone by now. See you later, you'll

[13:43] be here. But the thing is,

[13:45] we also

[13:46] look at the windows. Uh

[13:49] , we've done some, uh

[13:51] , as Terry just mentioned

[13:52] , we're looking at

[13:54] , uh, the application to

[13:55] see, uh, what it is

[13:57] . And we will cover it

[13:59] financially. So, we are

[14:02] not approaching you

[14:03] as beggars in the

[14:04] sense that we

[14:05] need your

[14:06] help. We give

[14:09] you something profitable,

[14:10] something structural, and

[14:11] something that has a long

[14:12] history. So, if

[14:16] you have any other questions

[14:17] for any of us, for

[14:19] me, I'd be happy to

[14:20] try to

[14:21] answer.

[14:23] Do you receive any

[14:24] federal grants

[14:25] because it is a historic

[14:27] site?

[14:28] Uh, Nancy, we

[14:29] worked with the

[14:31] tourism department. We get a

[14:32] grant from them for our

[14:34] advertising, for everything. We

[14:36] also have a

[14:37] Congressional grant after

[14:38] waiting for

[14:40] $500,000 from senators. And because

[14:43] , uh, we have one

[14:44] senator who

[14:45] got sick and didn't

[14:46] show up, they

[14:47] think we'll

[14:48] find out whether we're

[14:49] approved or not until

[14:51] December.

[14:54] Good. And you mentioned

[14:55] annuities. So,

[14:57] what is your annuity?

[14:59] Terry, how many do you have

[15:00] ?

[15:00] A little over 100,000.

[15:02] Okay.

[15:03] And it is designed for

[15:05] 10 years, but we

[15:06] only lived for 1 year. Do

[15:07] you deduct

[15:08] interest from it every year, is

[15:10] that possible?

[15:11] No, they just

[15:11] go back to

[15:12] him. We took what

[15:14] was available, namely

[15:16] 14,000, for the roof.

[15:18] Good.

[15:19] So, we took the funds out,

[15:21] and as far as I know,

[15:22] this is the first time it's been

[15:23] taken out of this

[15:24] annuity.

[15:25] And that was without a penalty.

[15:27] We could have taken 14 off without

[15:28] penalty.

[15:29] Right. So now

[15:30] we're stuck. But it

[15:31] was for a good reason

[15:33] . And, as you say, if

[15:34] you don't have a roof over

[15:34] your building, you do

[15:35] n't have a building. You know

[15:36] , that's why we had to

[15:37] stop on the roof.

[15:38] And you haven't seen any

[15:39] problems under the roof

[15:40] since you're

[15:41] actually restoring it

[15:42] ? Well, then you are very

[15:44] lucky.

[15:44] Very good.

[15:47] In any case, your

[15:48] annuity is actually the

[15:49] interest rate on

[15:51] it?

[15:51] has a very good

[15:52] interest rate.

[15:53] Terry, could

[15:54] you come over and

[15:55] explain the annuity to them?

[15:56] Well, that's the really

[15:57] important part.

[15:58] I'll just say that the first

[15:59] year was $9.55. And

[16:05] then, I think,

[16:05] over the next

[16:06] three or four years,

[16:08] it will decrease to

[16:09] four or so

[16:10] . And, I think, in

[16:11] six years it will be possible to

[16:12] withdraw the funds.

[16:15] Good.

[16:16] But, as I said, this is a

[16:18] 10-year term. And we

[16:22] felt that it was

[16:23] really not worth

[16:24] spending our money

[16:25] on trifles.

[16:26] No, it's not worth it. But you

[16:27] want to be

[16:28] able to

[16:28] use them in

[16:29] the future for

[16:30] repairs.

[16:30] If something happens

[16:31] and we have to

[16:32] get them, we will pay the

[16:33] fine and still

[16:34] be able to get them.

[16:35] But now we just do

[16:36] n't want to pay the

[16:37] fine. And I think the fine

[16:38] for that was

[16:40] about $30,000 now.

[16:42] Or sometime around that

[16:43] time. So we

[16:44] just have to,

[16:45] you know, make do with what

[16:48] we have. We

[16:50] had an annuity for years. A little

[16:53] history: Nancy and I

[16:55] were secretaries or,

[16:57] well, vice presidents

[16:59] in 2018-2019. And at that

[17:02] time we had

[17:03] annuities. So there were

[17:06] a lot of repairs. I

[17:09] can't tell you

[17:10] how many thousands of

[17:11] dollars were

[17:11] invested in this building

[17:13] . Probably, I would say,

[17:14] a million, maybe

[17:16] more, has been invested since

[17:17] 1991 to

[17:18] keep it in

[17:19] good condition, and I

[17:20] think every one of you has

[17:22] been in this building.

[17:23] Each of you

[17:24] has attended our

[17:25] events, and we are

[17:25] going to

[17:26] continue.

[17:29] Will there be

[17:30] a warranty on the roof?

[17:31] Yes, sir. Platinum Roof

[17:33] does this. We have a

[17:36] warranty on it, and

[17:38] we also have a warranty

[17:39] on the work itself. Chris

[17:48] Kessler, is that his name?

[17:50] Chris Kessler does the

[17:51] work there. Are there any more

[17:57] questions?

[17:59] Scott, could

[18:00] you, uh, review the

[18:01] financial statements?

[18:03] I'd be glad to have said I meant it

[18:06] . I entrusted

[18:08] it to Scott.

[18:14] Uh, if there's anything you need to

[18:15] do, I'd like

[18:16] you to contact

[18:17] our treasurer and

[18:18] you can all

[18:19] exchange

[18:20] phone numbers, and that

[18:21] way she can

[18:22] get you anything you

[18:23] need.

[18:24] Of course.

[18:25] I'm just the mayor.

[18:27] Well, I just want to

[18:28] thank you. You

[18:29] guys did a

[18:30] great job up there

[18:31] and it's

[18:32] incredibly beautiful

[18:33] when you arrive, but

[18:34] it's very hard work,

[18:36] I know.

[18:36] Well, when you say

[18:37] hard work, can

[18:38] I tell you what's

[18:39] going on this

[18:40] weekend? I'm on

[18:41] vacation,

[18:41] enjoying it. These

[18:44] people are going to

[18:45] serve 91

[18:47] high school graduates

[18:48] this weekend. So,

[18:51] Banks, the game is

[18:52] coming up there.

[18:53] 1976 is their 50th anniversary.

[18:56] This is great.

[18:57] But you all do a

[18:58] great job.

[18:59] Absolutely.

[19:00] I have a question. Is the entire

[19:02] building intact, meaning is there

[19:03] any part of it

[19:04] that cannot

[19:05] be used? Is

[19:08] all of this...

[19:08] Oh, we use

[19:10] every inch.

[19:11] All of this is

[19:11] used.

[19:12] Uh, the balcony would be the

[19:14] only one.

[19:15] And this is actually a

[19:16] sound system area with

[19:17] lighting and everything

[19:19] else that's there that's

[19:20] useful. But I will tell

[19:22] you how happy we are. A bed

[19:24] appeared in the hallway

[19:25] , and I thought: "

[19:27] Where are we going

[19:28] to put this bed?" And I

[19:30] noticed something. It turned out to be

[19:31] someone's personal

[19:32] bed that they were

[19:33] taking out of there, but

[19:34] apparently we have it.

[19:36] We have Jim Paxton.

[19:37] If you haven't seen

[19:38] our museum yet, if you

[19:39] haven't seen our red

[19:40] exotic animals yet. And

[19:42] the guys from BJ were

[19:43] just amazed that

[19:45] night. They came over

[19:47] to look at the animals

[19:48] and the things, and they were

[19:49] just excited. Uh

[19:50] , just so you all know,

[19:52] about 15 of your

[19:53] NCHS football players were

[19:54] our servants the

[19:56] night we had the

[19:57] fall festival. And,

[19:59] um, they were just

[20:01] great.

[20:01] Any

[20:02] outbuildings that would

[20:03] go with them?

[20:04] No, sir. We are, um,

[20:06] autonomous, one

[20:07] building.

[20:07] Okay, I didn't know if

[20:08] you had any storage

[20:09] facilities.

[20:10] No, sir.

[20:11] I will say that Jim Price

[20:13] from Hydro used to come there.

[20:16] And he didn't know that

[20:17] the original, you know,

[20:18] these small, you know,

[20:20] peaks of electricity

[20:21] were produced here on

[20:22] Madlika. And he

[20:24] went up there,

[20:25] took a picture of it, and went

[20:26] crazy. 1902,

[20:28] he said.

[20:29] It was Campbell.

[20:32] They really...They

[20:34] had...You remember

[20:35] someone who

[20:36] studied there, or Wayne,

[20:37] you taught there...

[20:38] If you think about it, there was

[20:41] one light bulb coming out of that building. So it did

[20:42] n't need a

[20:43] lot of

[20:44] electricity. You did

[20:45] n't have, um,

[20:46] computers. You didn't

[20:48] have a

[20:48] lighting system. It was,

[20:50] um, we were all looking for and

[20:51] clinging to those

[20:51] typewriters.

[20:53] Well, he was so

[20:54] taken with it that he

[20:55] took a picture of it. He

[20:56] said, "I had to

[20:57] research this." He

[20:58] said, "The first

[20:59] electricity in West

[21:00] Virginia was in

[21:02] 1900." He said, "

[21:03] Sure, we can

[21:04] postpone it for a couple of

[21:05] years and become number

[21:06] one." But no, he was

[21:07] really interested in

[21:08] it and he found

[21:10] Campbell's book and I gave it to

[21:11] him and he really

[21:12] liked the story

[21:13] because it mentioned a lot

[21:14] about it...

[21:16] We have a lot of history in

[21:17] this building, especially

[21:18] in the technology

[21:19] room if you

[21:20] go in there and it's a

[21:21] wood room where

[21:22] you know

[21:23] electronics and all

[21:24] that, just to

[21:25] look at the

[21:25] telephone systems

[21:26] through the saws and the things

[21:28] that you

[21:28] used to

[21:29] work the wood.

[21:31] This is great. Well

[21:33] , thank you. Is there

[21:34] anything in the museum? I

[21:36] mean, you're on

[21:37] television and you

[21:39] have a newspaper here, so

[21:40] if there's any need,

[21:41] this would be a good time

[21:42] to bring it up

[21:43] .

[21:44] Sorry.

[21:45] Any needs, like in a

[21:46] museum? Are you always

[21:47] looking for new things or

[21:49] ...

[21:49] Uh, actually we'll

[21:50] take things. We

[21:53] have to be very

[21:54] careful, as I

[21:55] said, our space is

[21:57] very limited, but I

[21:58] would talk to Tammy

[21:59] or Gina if there's

[22:00] anything that you

[22:01] think would be good to

[22:02] put in this museum

[22:04] , because we'll find a place

[22:05] , as long as it's not a

[22:07] room-sized item. Uh, to

[22:12] do this with a newspaper,

[22:14] we appreciate the Nicholas Chronicle.

[22:18] They always

[22:19] help us

[22:20] create things,

[22:21] giving us

[22:21] publicity and

[22:22] recognition for what we

[22:23] do. And, guys, you

[22:26] all get

[22:27] magnets. That's all I

[22:28] can say. If there's

[22:30] nothing else

[22:31] , I'll ask...

[22:32] Well, I only have one question

[22:33] , and I'll

[22:34] let you. Your photo

[22:35] is hanging on the wall,

[22:36] class. How far back is your

[22:38] oldest

[22:39] photo there?

[22:40] Tammy, we're

[22:40] going back to 19,

[22:42] what year?

[22:43] 1923?

[22:45] Is this 1943?

[22:47] No, it has to be after

[22:49] Bertrand's mother,

[22:51] 1941, and she's there.

[22:54] 20 with something...

[22:55] Wow.

[22:57] And this went all the way back to the 78th

[22:59] grade.

[23:01] During the Depression, they

[23:02] didn't take

[23:03] class photos through film.

[23:06] They had no money.

[23:08] But one woman

[23:09] drew a class and...She had a

[23:10] friend who

[23:11] came to the

[23:12] alumni reunion. So we

[23:15] got photos of almost

[23:16] everyone who might still be

[23:17] alive. But, and then we

[23:20] ... It was 1940... that

[23:22] Barbara did this... I

[23:24] ...

[23:24] What was it?

[23:25] About 40 something. This was

[23:27] once, you know, the

[23:28] First World War.

[23:30] Yes.

[23:30] There was the First World

[23:31] War.

[23:32] And if you start in

[23:33] the basement, it's, uh, the early

[23:34] years, and it

[23:35] extends all the way to the

[23:36] first floor, up the

[23:37] stairs, and to the

[23:38] third floor. So it would be

[23:40] really nice, uh,

[23:42] for you all to just

[23:43] take it. And if I

[23:44] invite you

[23:44] up, if you

[23:45] want to take the

[23:47] whole

[23:48] group tour, we'd be

[23:49] happy to take you up, and,

[23:50] uh, you can

[23:50] come and have a

[23:52] cup of coffee afterwards

[23:52] .

[23:53] Yes.

[23:53] I think it would be a

[23:54] good meeting for the

[23:55] council to go up

[23:56] there and walk through

[23:57] this.

[23:57] You let us know, uh

[23:58] , when you'd like to

[23:59] do it, and, uh, we'll

[24:01] organize it.

[24:01] Thank you.

[24:03] for coming.

[24:04] Thank you all.

[24:05] Yes, that would be great.

[24:11] Speaking of Jim

[24:13] Price, next, uh

[24:14] , on the agenda is an

[24:15] update on the status report on the

[24:18] Summersville Hydroelectric Project. You have

[24:20] it in your

[24:21] public domain.

[24:25] Jim couldn't be here.

[24:27] He comes quite

[24:28] often, about two or

[24:29] three times a year. So

[24:30] it's quite common for him

[24:31] . Uh, so he

[24:33] sent this report

[24:34] last week for

[24:35] your review.

[24:37] Uh, a status report on the

[24:40] Summersville Hydroelectric Project. So,

[24:41] if you

[24:42] read it, it's already

[24:43] clear. The first

[24:44] part of it was

[24:45] a report on the

[24:46] lake level and its flow

[24:47] over the past

[24:48] year. It was really

[24:52] interesting because there

[24:53] was a drought in the north,

[24:54] and it was the first time I had even

[24:55] talked to Mayor

[24:56] Schaefer about it. He

[24:59] said it was the first time he could

[25:01] remember that they

[25:02] actually raised the

[25:03] water level, actually

[25:04] kept it 40

[25:05] feet higher than what the

[25:06] winter level was, and we were

[25:07] able to generate

[25:09] electricity all

[25:10] winter. So, that was

[25:12] one of the things, and that

[25:13] was a study that

[25:15] he had worked with

[25:16] before, to see

[25:17] if the court would leave it

[25:18] at this level of

[25:19] past years, and they

[25:20] said it was for

[25:21] flood control,

[25:23] not for

[25:23] hydroelectric power.

[25:24] So, hopefully

[25:26] we can still get it

[25:29] back up and

[25:30] running and see

[25:31] if we can

[25:32] get it up and running

[25:33] so the lake

[25:34] can maintain that

[25:35] level in the winter. So

[25:36] we'll see what

[25:37] happens. So, the

[25:38] second paragraph just

[25:39] mentioned why it

[25:41] was at that level, and

[25:42] because of the drought that

[25:43] our area had

[25:44] in 2014. So, he

[25:47] went down and

[25:47] joined the

[25:48] bill. Now the city

[25:50] has a joint account

[25:51] with Noah. And that's, uh,

[25:56] $1,046,404. And then he

[26:00] came down and explained

[26:01] a little further that there

[26:03] was interest on it,

[26:04] so it came out to, uh,

[26:06] $1,059,037. Uh, and we have

[26:10] 51%, so the city owns

[26:14] $540,280 in this joint account.

[26:17] He also explained here

[26:19] , in the

[26:21] revenue accounting, that, uh

[26:23] , from June to August

[26:26] 2026 or 2026, it

[26:28] was $163,048. And of

[26:30] course we got

[26:32] 51%, and he explained it

[26:33] down there. So, it

[26:36] came to $83,155 for

[26:38] this period. So, he

[26:44] suggests the actions below.

[26:49] We are currently in

[26:50] talks with GRVP, uh, with a

[26:52] new P with a new

[26:55] power purchase agreement, which,

[26:56] uh, if everything works out

[26:58] well, and I think it

[26:59] will. Uh, we're in

[27:04] talks with

[27:05] some

[27:06] energy

[27:07] companies, GRPP, and

[27:08] hopefully before the

[27:10] contract expires, we'll

[27:12] sign a new one. So

[27:14] , it's in his resume, you

[27:15] see it there, it's the

[27:16] suggested actions.

[27:19] So, he made

[27:22] direct points below.

[27:24] Of course, these are

[27:26] renewable

[27:27] energy certificates. We

[27:28] will also be working on that

[27:29] to

[27:29] see if

[27:31] we can get some of that

[27:32] this time under the

[27:33] new agreement. So,

[27:35] if you have any

[27:36] questions, we're here to

[27:37] answer them

[27:38] to the best of our ability.

[27:43] Mayor, is it possible to

[27:44] access an

[27:45] independent

[27:46] contract?

[27:48] Look at this.

[27:50] We can.

[27:50] Yes.

[27:51] we can provide

[27:52] you with an independent

[27:53] contract.

[27:54] And also that

[27:55] energy agreement.

[27:57] Energy deal?

[27:58] Yes.

[27:59] We don't really have a

[28:00] new one coming out.

[28:01] I just want to take a

[28:02] look at her tonight

[28:02] .

[28:03] Okay, we have it. As

[28:05] I said, we are currently

[28:06] negotiating

[28:06] about it.

[28:07] I think he wants the

[28:08] original.

[28:09] Yes.

[28:09] Oh, it's already in effect.

[28:11] Okay, I understand. Do

[28:12] you have a signature from the archives

[28:13] regarding this?

[28:14] You must have it.

[28:15] Okay, we'll get

[28:16] it for you, Jack.

[28:17] I would like to have a

[28:18] copy of it.

[28:19] No problem. Okay,

[28:25] no questions asked. Next up

[28:30] is approval for

[28:30] the disposal of

[28:33] Summersville Waterworks vehicles.

[28:34] Literally, they should

[28:36] be disposed of.

[28:38] So, we need

[28:39] a motion for

[28:40] approval.

[28:41] Proposal for

[28:42] approval.

[28:42] Second.

[28:43] All "yes". Yes. Yes.

[28:45] Opposite - the same sign.

[28:47] The offer is accepted.

[28:49] Now they won't be

[28:50] resold. They are

[28:51] scrap metal, aren't they

[28:52] ?

[28:53] That's right.

[28:57] Even a simple

[28:58] "too much"

[28:59] solution won't work, so what are you going

[29:00] to do about it?

[29:01] We take it to the

[29:02] scrap metal collection point

[29:03] .

[29:03] For scrap metal,

[29:05] perhaps?

[29:05] Yes, okay.

[29:06] How many, one?

[29:07] Why two? We have

[29:09] two of them.

[29:13] Next is

[29:14] the registrar's report.

[29:15] Thank you, mayor. Uh, I just

[29:17] want to say one thing. The

[29:18] next

[29:20] planning and

[29:21] zoning meeting

[29:21] will be held on October 5th

[29:23] at 6:00 PM here in the

[29:24] meeting room.

[29:26] Good. Mayor's report. Uh,

[29:30] just remember

[29:31] tomorrow, if you're in

[29:32] town, come and

[29:33] help

[29:34] celebrate the Nicholas

[29:35] County Graduation Parade

[29:36] . They

[29:38] will start here, at

[29:39] the foot of the old

[29:40] highway, at 6:00 PM and

[29:41] will pass through this

[29:42] part of the city. And

[29:44] the city of Summersville

[29:46] will honor them at the

[29:47] pavilion with hot

[29:48] dogs, ahem,

[29:49] fries, and some

[29:50] drinks. So we

[29:52] would like you to

[29:53] come. Also, on October 9 and

[29:56] 10, there will be a

[29:57] ride on the "

[29:59] Mother of the Golden Star" bridge

[30:00] . And he'll be, um,

[30:02] actually, the ride

[30:03] will be coming from the

[30:04] Charleston area. We

[30:06] will be here, near

[30:08] the pavilion, on the 9th. We

[30:09] will entertain them here and

[30:10] honor mothers. And on

[30:13] Saturday at 10:00 a.m.

[30:15] they will set off and

[30:16] pass by the armory. This is a motorcycle

[30:19] . Probably, what would you

[30:20] say? About 150-200

[30:22] motorcyclists?

[30:23] Well, we currently have

[30:25] about 131 registered for the

[30:26] Friday trip.

[30:27] Good. On

[30:28] Saturday it could be up to 200

[30:30] , maybe 300. I don't know.

[30:32] But let's honor

[30:33] these mothers with a

[30:34] Gold Star on this

[30:35] trip across the bridge.

[30:37] When you see the

[30:39] motorcycles and moms driving by,

[30:40] let's show them

[30:41] how much we

[30:42] appreciate them. Let's

[30:43] raise a little

[30:44] flag, wave it at

[30:46] them, and tell them we

[30:47] love them too. And

[30:50] don't forget that the Bigfoot Festival

[30:51] will be held from October 9 to 11

[30:53] . And

[30:56] it will be held at the

[30:59] Nicholas County Veterans Memorial Park. Council report?

[31:07] I don't know if any of

[31:09] you have been to a

[31:10] Bigfoot festival before,

[31:11] but, from my participation in the

[31:13] group that will be here

[31:14] , I understand

[31:15] that there are

[31:17] about 15,000 people at these events.

[31:23] For 3 days, so, uh

[31:25] , it could be something

[31:26] impressive. I don't know. I'm

[31:30] not sure.

[31:31] Yes, I heard about 25,000.

[31:34] Really?

[31:36] So what?

[31:37] Maybe interesting. This is

[31:38] no small thing. I don't know

[31:40] .

[31:40] You can't

[31:41] move here from

[31:42] Braxton County.

[31:44] Maybe the number of

[31:45] people would be

[31:46] normal.

[31:48] Yes, I was there, and there were

[31:49] quite a few people there.

[31:51] Yes. Yes, we

[31:51] settled down. The

[31:53] Western

[31:54] University Medical University

[31:55] is being established there,

[31:55] so

[31:56] now, and I will ask

[31:56] our boss, are

[31:58] we ready for that?

[31:59] We are working on it.

[32:00] Good.

[32:01] I just need to

[32:02] figure out where we're going to

[32:03] put them all.

[32:06] Also, Mayor, I just

[32:08] heard late tonight that

[32:09] local veterans

[32:10] have set a time for a

[32:13] Veterans Day parade and ceremony.

[32:15] They will take place,

[32:16] I think, on the 11th. Is it

[32:17] Veterans Day?

[32:19] It seems so. They'll

[32:22] have a ceremony,

[32:23] um, in the park, and they'll

[32:24] also have a

[32:25] parade that same day, that same

[32:27] evening. The parade will be

[32:30] in the evening. I just

[32:32] gave the boss all

[32:33] the information, so I'm

[32:34] sure he'll

[32:36] pass it on to us, but it

[32:37] seems like this...Huh?

[32:38] November 11.

[32:42] Yes, November 11.

[32:43] Is it Tuesday, Tuesday,

[32:44] or Wednesday when this

[32:44] falls?

[32:45] Yes, it's Wednesday.

[32:46] morning.

[32:47] Starts at 5:00 PM or 5:30 PM?

[32:49] Yes.

[32:50] Sounds great. Thank you

[32:51] .

[32:52] Book a date.

[32:53] Okay, next on the

[32:54] agenda is

[32:56] adjournment. Request

[32:57] to postpone

[32:58] the meeting. Second. Everyone

[33:00] "in favor"? Yes. Against? The

[33:04] same. Yes, same

[33:06] time and place. Good.

[33:08] Postponed.

Summersville City Council 9.28.26

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