PARSONS – Hopes that the repairs to the Pulp Mill Bottom Dike would begin and be completed before winter takes hold of the area were dashed.
Tucker County Commission President Lowell Moore has been working tirelessly to help make sure the dike would be prepared, but announced that he has conceded and repairs will need to wait until 2017 for the needed renovations to be completed.
“SHPO called and said they were unsure about the type of lining we were going to use on the dike,” Moore said. “I sent a spec sheet on the matting and around Thanksgiving, they contacted me and said they sent a letter to the West Virginia Civil War Preservation Agency asking if that group had any concerns and said it would be the last of December before we get a response from them. That put me out of business.”
Moore said he is very disappointed the repairs did not begin, and said this delay will put the repairs off until July 1, 2017.
“We cannot get into the river from April 1 to June 30 because of the spawning of the fish in the river,” Moore said. “So this delay will make us wait until July 1, 2017 before any construction can begin.”
Moore said he has called the contractor and all parties involved to let them know about the delay.
“Hopefully, everything we have accomplished will still be valid July 1,” Moore said. “I spoke with the contractor and he said he will honor his bid – with the exception being if the price of the mat is raised at that time.”
Also during Wednesday’s Tucker County Commission meeting, Brad Moore updated Commissioners about the Tucker County Cultural District Board.
“He gave us an update on future signing for the county,” Moore said. “Emily Wilson-Hauger asked for a letter of support for a Brownfield Grant for the city of Thomas and we approved that.”
Commissioners voted to draft a letter of support for the Parsons Volunteer Fire Department for a grant to purchase a generator.
