by Kate Shunney
Morgan County Commissioners on July 2 voted 3-0 to set new rules for retirement benefits for future county hires.
Commissioner Joel Tuttle made a motion that new employees will become vested in the public employee retirement benefit system 5% each year of their employment with the county, so that after 20 years of employment they will be entitled to all of what the county pays of retirement benefits, which is 75% of the total benefit.
“I don’t want someone to come to work at the cunty for one year and then we pay for their whole retirement,” said Tuttle.
Commissioners also discussed health insurance supplement benefits, and said they need to check their policy to make sure it aligns with rules set by a previous commission about caps to the benefit.
North Berkeley Rail Trail
Commissioners discussed a step in the development of the North Berkeley Rail Trail trailhead area in the lots around the historic Berkeley Springs train depot. The trail, which begins north of that lot, will run to the Senior Center near the sandmine.
The trail project now requires the remediation or cleanup of a former industrial lot in order for the land to be used for recreation purposes under state and federal grant rules.
Commission President Bill Clark told colleagues that the project needed a “change of scope” to shift funds.
Commissioner Tuttle explained that there is $900,000 to be used for the trailhead development, but the county must provide a 20% match to those funds.
The county will request $180,000 from Hotel/Motel funds to make the match, and proceed with remediation work to move the trail project forward.
The Town of Bath has a licensed remediation company that can do the cleanup work so the trailhead can proceed, said Tuttle.
Hotel/Motel funds
In other business, the county will consider requests for Hotel/Motel funds at their July 16 meeting.
Tuttle said they have received $540,000 in requests but will not have that much money to disburse.
Hotel/Motel funds come from a 6% lodging tax paid by guests at hotels, inn, beds and breakfast and short-term rental homes in the county. Half of the tax goes to Travel Berkeley Springs for tourism promotion work and the other half is disbursed to community organizations for beautification and recreation projects locally.
Commissioners suggested they may use more of the lodging tax this year for county recreation priorities.
New PRO officer hired
Bradley Mechem was introduced to county officials by Sheriff Johnnie Walter as the county’s new Prevention Resource Officer (PRO) for Morgan County Schools. Mechem has worked as an officer in Ranson for over 9 years with a special focus on crimes against children. He will attend PRO training in late July.
In previous business, at their June 18 meeting, commissioners voted to appoint Glen Stotler to a one-year term on the Morgan County Health board, with the term to expire on June 30 2026. Stotler will serve out the remainder of a sitting board member’s term.
Commissioners also discussed the need to address police salaries in Morgan County.
Commissioner Tuttle made a motion to pay 50% of fringe benefits and salary for one officer out of state opioid settlement funds. Commissioner Sean Forney proposed that percentage be 60%.
Tuttle proposed the new starting salary for a deputy will be $50,000 for certified officers and $44,000 for uncertified officers. The motion passed unanimously.
