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ELKINS – The Randolph County Commission unanimously approved funding requests from the Randolph County Development Authority and the Elkins Fire Department during its most recent meeting.
The request from the RCDA was for the $65,000 in annual funding that the County Commission budgets for the organization each year.
“Each year the County Commission budgets money for the Development Authority to help with economic development of the county,” Commission President David Kesling said. “We are taking $45,000 out of our development authority line and then $20,000 community development line.”
After approving the funding for the RCDA, the Commission voted to provide $1,500 to the Elkins Fire Department, which the department will use for next week’s Mountain State Forest Festival Fireman’s Parade.
“They put on an event after the Fireman’s Parade each year where they have food and give out the awards from the parade,” Kesling said. “We always help them out every year and they are asking for a donation for that event.”
The funding for the Elkins Fire Department will come out of the hotel-motel tax line item in the county budget.
“They (Fire Department) use that money to pay for the plaques for the awards for the different departments that show and part of the Mountain State Forest Festival,” Commissioner Cris Siler said.
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Also approved at the meeting was the West Virginia Courthouse Facilities Improvement Authority’s 24 Cycle Funding Application Resolution.
“Basically this is where we are applying for a $125,000 grant from the West Virginia Courthouse Facilities Improvement, they give out grants every year to counties to help with courthouse improvements,” Kesling said. “We are looking for a grant for the old county jail. We’ve done the roof on it and cleaned it out inside and now we are looking for money.”
Kesling said the money will go toward electrical and fire alarm system upgrades to the building.
“We are looking to eventually reopen the building as a Commission Annex,” Kesling said. “We are looking to do that building in phases and this will be the next phase of it.”
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During the meeting, the Randolph County Commission also approved the lists of poll workers that were submitted by the Republican and Democratic Executive Committees.
“All of the vacancies were filled on both sides until yesterday afternoon, when we had one cancellation of the Republican side,” said interim Randolph County Clerk Karla Mahanes. “So we do need one worker and we currently have zero alternates or backups.”
The next Randolph County Commission meeting will be Oct. 1 at 5:30 p.m.