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Preston County, W. Va., Addressing Plan Slows

Posted on: Tuesday, 10 January 2006, 18:00 CST

By Kathy Plum, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Jan. 10--KINGWOOD -- It seems unlikely Preston County residents will have their new, city-style addresses by Dec. 31, 2006, County Addressing Coordinator Clark Nicklow told county commissioners Monday. Commissioners also took a moment before the meeting to honor the 12 miners killed in the Sago mine accident.

"Being the wife of a coal miner, I know somewhat what those families are going through," Commissioner Vicki Cole said. "You know there's a danger there, but you try to push it to the back of your mind so you don't go crazy."

Cole said she is sure Preston County will help miner Terry Helms' children and wished them the best. Commissioners Darwin Wolfe and Dave Price joined in her wishes.

In the business of the day, Nicklow said MicroDATA, the firm hired by the West Virginia Statewide Addressing and Mapping Board to do much of the work of assigning city-style addresses statewide, is behind. It hasn't finished its work in Preston County, driving every road and assigning house numbers, after a year here, Nicklow said.

Commissioners have named most roads, though a few driveways with two or more homes remain to be named. People who live on those driveways can make suggestions. Preston has written the state board, complaining about MicroDATA's slow pace.

"The public's getting really upset, because you cannot get your telephone hooked up, you cannot get a satellite dish, you cannot get your electricity hooked up without these addresses," Preston Emergency Management/911 Director Duane Hamilton said.

County Administrator/Grants Writer Jennifer Bonnette said that when she moved to Q Road, in Arthurdale, recently, Verizon told her she needed a numbered street address, so she made one up. Hamilton said residents can submit the phone number of a close neighbor to the company. He said electric bills are acceptable as proof of residency when applying for a driver's license, another area where people have encountered problems. Commission President Darwin Wolfe has received complaints about the license application.

"We know people are getting frustrated," Hamilton said. "We get calls from people every day asking for addresses."

Also Monday, commissioners:

--Canceled their Jan. 16 meeting, and moved the Feb. 3 public hearing from the courthouse annex to the WVU Extension Office on Court Street, Kingwood. The board of equalization and review hearings will be held in the courthouse on the first floor.

--Agreed to the Office of Emergency Management/911 buying a 2006 GMC crew-cab, short-bed pickup truck through state bids for $25,219. Nicklow will use the office's 1995 Chevrolet Blazer.

--Reviewed the proposed standard operating procedures for volunteers at the county animal shelter. The prosecutor must still review the rules.

--Agreed to the assessor hiring Douglas Shahan, who would begin work Jan. 16, at $9.50 per hour.

--Discussed moving the handicapped parking space from the ramp off Court Street to the front of the courthouse, on W.Va. 7.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

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VZ,

Source: The Dominion Post (Morgantown, W.Va.)

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