Brooke Commission mulls funding for troubled fire department

WELLSBURG -- Future funding for a fire department whose treasurer has pleaded guilty to embezzling funds, the bid for construction of a central station for the county's ambulance service, and support for a grant to develop a port facility in Follansbee were among matters before the Brooke County Commission on Tuesday.

Commission President A.J. Thomas said the panel was faced with whether to halt county levy funding for the Bethany Pike Volunteer Fire Department.

The department's treasurer -- 46-year-old Daniel Keener, recently pleaded guilty to stealing $150,000 over a five-year period from its bank accounts following an investigation involving the office of the U.S. Attorney of the Northern District of West Virginia and the West Virginia Auditor's Office.

Commission President A.J. Thomas said the commission has learned, through a recent meeting with the Brooke County Fire Chiefs Association, that the department has dwindled to two members and a tanker truck that may not be operable.

But he said it may not be appropriate for the commission to discontinue the county funding at this time as the department hasn't been formally decertified or disbanded.

Thomas said it appears the department was active when it submitted its most recent quarterly report to the state Fire Marshal's Office in April, which should have reflected its activities in the first three months of the year.

"Their reports are based on prior service, and we use that for our current (levy) distributions," he said while noting the commission doesn't see the reports and only receives confirmation of them from the state.

But noting he's been told the department hasn't handled any recent calls, Thomas said, "It's obvious they're not providing the service and can't provide the service, so why should they get it (the levy money)?"

"I personally don't think, ethically or morally, they should get the funds," he added.

The commissioners agreed to withhold monthly levy payments to the department until they have heard from the state Fire Marshal's Office or state Auditor's Office.

Since the disbanding of the Short Creek Volunteer Fire Department some years ago, the county's fire levy was rewritten so that any money allotted for a disbanded department during its five-year term be divided equally among the other departments funded by it.

The levy's renewal was approved by voters last year though its current term doesn't end until this year. In addition to the Bethany Pike department, it generates $58,500 each year for five years for each of the following fire departments: Bethany, Beech Bottom, Colliers, Follansbee, Franklin Community, which is on Washington Pike; Hooverson Heights, Wellsburg, Windsor Heights, McKinleyville and Weirton.

Thomas said it's not clear if levy funds were among those stolen but if they were, he's very pessimistic about their being returned.

The office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia has stated a federal district judge will determine Keener's sentence, which could include 20 years in prison and restitution.

Following the meeting, County Commissioner Tom Diserio, who is a volunteer Brooke County firefighter, said in recent years, both the Bethany Pike and McKinleyville departments were dispatched to emergencies in their neighboring areas and the latter department will continue to be dispatched to them.

Diserio said Bethany Pike's tanker truck has been a part of the county's tanker task force. Consisting of tanker trucks from various departments, the force has been dispatched to provide water at fires where access to hydrants was limited.

Attempts to reach representatives of the Bethany Pike fire department were unsuccessful.

Also on Tuesday, the commission accepted a bid of $2,139,600 from the Waller Corp. of Washington, Pa. for the construction of a one-story, five-bay building for the county's ambulance station.

The bid was the lowest of five submitted for the building, which is to be built near the intersection of Pleasant Avenue and state Route 2 at Wellsburg's north end.

Thomas said an alternate bid of $19,760 received from Waller was for a colored finish for the station's concrete flooring and may be considered in the future as it and the base bid remained under the bids submitted by others.

He said the bid and information submitted by Waller was reviewed by Thrasher Engineering, which has designed the structure. He said the engineering firm has requested that a power line above the lot be relocated and pending that action, construction should begin in the not distant future.

The station will replace two operating near state Route 2 in Follansbee and near state Route 67 in the Marshall Terrace area.

The commissioners said they have set aside funds for the project in recent years, and it's not supported by the new emergency services levy approved by voters last fall for day-to-day operations for the ambulance service and emergency 911 center.

In related business, the commissioners also accepted a bid of $142,473 from Stryker EMS Sales for two electric lift systems to raise patients into the county's ambulances. The amount reflects a rebate of about $4,000 received in exchange for retired cots to be transferred to the company, Thomas said.

The commission earlier approved the purchase of two other systems in an effort to reduce injury to the county's ambulance personnel.

In other business, the commission agreed to support an application for $40 million in federal grant funds through the U.S. Maritime Administration for the development of a port on 80 acres of riverfront property in Follansbee occupied by Empire Trimodal Terminal.

Chip Fenske, director of business development for Empire Diversified Energy, said if approved, the funds will be used to build a dock wall and concrete apron to support truck traffic to the site. He said plans call for overhead power lines to be relocated underground to accommodate cranes and other equipment to be used there.

He said the grant is comparable to one for $4 million that enabled the company to improve rail systems there and requires no financial commitment on the commission's part.

Fenske said the port is expected to reduce congestion at coastal ports while generating hundreds of local jobs through construction, support businesses and its own operations.