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Brooke commissioners hope to jump-start Beech Bottom project

BEECH BOTTOM — The Brooke County Commission is looking to a congressman and others to help jump-start a stalled stormwater sewer project designed to prevent sinkholes that have occurred in Beech Bottom.

Commission President A.J. Thomas noted the village was awarded a $1,086,166 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to replace a 95-year-old stormwater sewer line installed to carry runoff from 49 Hill above the village to the Ohio River.

The clay line has broken at various points, creating cavities in the ground above.

County Commissioner Tom Diserio noted one can be seen along state Route 2 near Third Street.

The hole has been filled by crews with the state Division of Highways but has grown larger, he noted.

“When it started, it was about 2 (foot) by 2 (foot). Now it’s 10 times larger,” said Diserio.

Thomas noted after being approved for the grant, Beech Bottom Council advertised bids for the extension of about 2,500 feet of 6-foot-wide sewer line, but the lowest bid came in about $600,000 higher than the available funds.

He credited Mayor Becky Uhlly for securing funds through the governor’s office and others to make up the difference.

But Thomas said officials were told FEMA might not approve the adjusted cost for the project because the county’s hazard mitigation plan had expired.

Funded partly by a FEMA grant, the plan outlines measures counties may take to reduce the impact of floods, storms and other natural disasters, must be updated every five years and is required for a county or municipality to be eligible for other FEMA funds.

Thomas said an update to the county’s plan was delayed because state officials withdrew funds for the local match required for the FEMA.

He said state officials suggested counties use federal pandemic relief funds for the local match, but federal money may not be used as matches for federal grants.

The commissioners asked Mike Seckman, a field representative for U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-Charles Town, who attended their meeting, to convey to the congressman their concerns and desire for help in expediting the stormwater project.

“That project is too important, not just for the residents of Beech Bottom, but for anybody who travels Route 2 south of Wellsburg,” said Thomas.

In other business, the commissioners authorized the county sheriff’s department to seek bids for night vision devices for its special response team.

The sheriff’s department had secured an $80,000 grant for the equipment, which can be used in searches for suspects or missing persons.

But the sheriff’s department must purchase it first, then receive reimbursement through the grant.

The commissioners initially had some concern about being able to front the money, citing a substantial increase in health care coverage for its employees, and tabled the request last week to consider funding sources.

The commission also approved the $5,620 purchase of police radios for the sheriff’s department’s lounge and processing area where deputies photograph and fingerprint those who are arrested.

Christina White, the county’s emergency 911 director, said the radios will allow the officers to hear and respond to radio calls while in those areas.

Citing the financial concerns they had voiced earlier, the commissioners tabled a request for $4,000 from the West Virginia Route 2 and Interstate 68 Authority, a volunteer regional group formed to promote the expansion of the two highways.

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