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ELKINS – The Randolph County Commission agreed to conduct a deed search for one of the Randolph County Emergency Squad’s stations during its most recent meeting
During the meeting, Commission President David Kesling made a motion to do a search in order to transfer the deed of Station 1 to the Randolph County Ambulance Authority. Fellow Commissioner Cris Siler seconded the motion.
“Right now Station 1 is deeded to the Randolph County Commission and we are looking to deed that property over to the Randolph County Ambulance Authority board,” Kesling said during the meeting. “This gives us the approval to seek legal guidance and find out whether we can hand the property over.”
Station 1 is the Randolph County Emergency Squads’ main facility and is located in the Elkins Industrial Park. The other two stations are located in Harman and Mill Creek.
“The Emergency Squad’s other stations in Harman and Mill Creek are deeded in the Ambulance Authority’s name,” Kelsing told The Inter-Mountain. “Station 1 is the only one that is not in their name and we are researching to find out why it was put in the County Commissions name years ago.”
Kesling said attorney Harry Smith will be finding the deed and doing the research for the County Commission.
“Once we get the information from Harry (Smith), we can go back and pull the minutes and notes and find out exactly why it is in the County Commission’s name,” Kesling said. “If there is nothing binding, it is something we can transfer over to the Randolph County Ambulance Authority.”
Kesling said there could possibly be some restrictions on the property which could make it more difficult for the County Commission to hand it over to the Ambulance Authority.
“It could be where someone donated the property in a will and that there is a restriction on there saying anytime the County Commission gives it up, it would go back to the family,” Kesling said. “That would be an example of a circumstance where we would have some problems handing it over.”
Kesling said it makes sense for the property to be in the Randolph County Ambulance Authority Board’s name, so that the Ambulance Authority can make decisions related to the property, instead of having to run it through the Randolph County Commission.
“If it’s in their name (Ambulance Authority), any action would be approved by them instead of us,” Kesling said. “It’s an ambulance building, so the Ambulance Authority should control Station 1 just like they do the other stations in Harman and Mill Creek.”
The next regular Randolph County Commission meeting will be Aug. 6 at 1:30 p.m.