Cabell County Commission considers severing Health Department's state personnel agreement, approves grants and routine hires

The Cabell County Commission met Dec. 10, 2020, at the Cabell County Courthouse and addressed a series of personnel and grant matters, including a plan by the Cabell-Huntington Health Department to sever its service-level agreement with the West Virginia Division of Personnel and establish a local merit system for promotions and pay.

Nancy Cartmill, President, called the meeting to order at 10 a.m. and the commission first approved the agenda and minutes. Commissioners Kelli Sobonya and Jim Morgan moved and seconded several routine business items, with the transcript recording many votes as unanimous.

County Attorney William Watson presented a petition relating to the Estate of Steven Starr and said more than 60 days had passed with no claimant; the commission moved to appoint Cabell County Sheriff Chuck Zerkle Jr. as administrator for the estate. Commissioner Jim Morgan moved to approve the petition; Commissioner Kelli Sobonya seconded and the transcript records the vote as unanimous.

On personnel policy, Commissioner Jim Morgan moved to approve a resolution allowing the Cabell-Huntington Health Department to sever its Service Level Agreement with the West Virginia Division of Personnel effective February 2021 so the local department can implement a merit system for promotions and pay. Nancy Cartmill seconded the motion. The transcript records the motion and second; the segment does not include a complete roll-call tally for the final vote.

The commission approved several grant contracts: a grant contract with the West Virginia Courthouse Facilities Improvement Authority to fund repair and painting of the courthouse west-side fire escape, a grant for the Victims' Advocates Office through the West Virginia Division of Administrative Services, Justice and Community Services Section, and funding for the Cabell County Drug Task Force through the same state division. Those three grant-related motions were moved and seconded and recorded in the transcript as having passed with unanimous votes.

A proposed bond item for Patriot Services Group, Inc. was presented as a final public hearing and approval request. County Attorney Watson described the bonds as tax-exempt financing to rehabilitate property and said the county would have no liability. Commissioner Jim Morgan moved to approve the request; Commissioner Kelli Sobonya recorded a "No" vote when the motion was moved and Nancy Cartmill seconded. The transcript segment does not contain a complete roll-call tally for the final outcome.

The commission also handled routine finance and personnel items: small revenue items (a November sheep and goat tax of $2.00 and a November dog fund of $46.40), authorization related to pledging temporary letters of credit by JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., employment approvals including Teresa Samuels as a full-time assistant prosecutor, the rehiring of David Zirkle as a part-time security officer, hires in emergency medical services (Amanda Cheyenne Manning and Krista Leigh Barney), and Requisition Payment No. 16 on the HIC-HADCO Park Project No.1, Series 2014 in the amount of $17,748.00. Motions on those items were moved and seconded and the transcript records unanimous votes where indicated.

The commission recessed into an executive session at 10:45 a.m. to discuss opioid litigation; the session ended at 11:15 a.m. and the transcript records that no action was taken following the executive session. The meeting was adjourned at 11:25 a.m.

Why it matters: The health department's move away from the state personnel structure would shift future promotions and pay decisions to the local level; the commission's grant approvals fund building safety and victim services and support local law enforcement efforts through the drug task force. No members of the public spoke during the meeting. The commission placed multiple agency minutes and reports on the record for the county file.