City discusses SWW rumors

SALYERSVILLE – The Salyersville City Council met in regular session on Monday, March 18, passing an ordinance about the homeless shelter and discussing Salyersville Water Works.

The council agreed to remove Patricia Frazier from the Public Funds Account with Salyersville National Bank to comply with state law and to remove Jeff Ross from all Salyersville National Bank city accounts, at Ross’ request. In his place, they approved to add Nola Johnson.

They unanimously approved the second reading of an ordinance setting shelter management rules, with City Attorney explaining during the first reading held last month that this was based off of an ordinance sent from the League of Cities. Lovely said he tailored the ordinance to the city’s needs. Mayor Stanley Howard said during the February meeting this ordinance is made to protect the citizens and the people who would be entering the homeless shelter. Lovely said he expects they will have changes to the ordinance and how the shelter is ran overall since this is a new endeavor here, but this will be a good starting off point so the city has some control over what is happening. The ordinance includes safeguards on how many people can be housed at the shelter at one time, going by square footage, and requiring training and supervision, background checks, etc., noting that it will help keep the operations as safe as possible, but the homeless shelter will have to submit a plan to the city prior to opening.

The council then approved the temporary housing shelter license application, which will be a required form that must be filled out in order for an entity to open a homeless shelter.

Per the mayor’s request, the council also approved the first reading of an amendment to the ordinance setting solicitation of fund, which will require anyone asking for money from businesses in town to get a letter of approval from the city first. Mayor Howard said it used to be required and explained it doesn’t exclude anyone from soliciting funding in the city, but just assures to the businesses being solicited that the request is legitimate.

During community comments, David Gardner requested more police surveillance at the bottom of Ivy Point Hill coming into town to enforce the speed limits, or at least an automated sign showing the drivers’ speed.

Gardner also addressed some rumors he has heard about Salyersville Water Works, noting he worked either as a commissioner or as the general manager for around 10 years previously, just asking the council for some clarifications. He asked that during the interim period between him quitting and the council taking over Water Works, did some individuals get raises while the water board had only one commissioner, and, if so, do those three people still receive those raises? He also said that when he worked there, the policy was Water Works would buy out up to one week of vacation time for a worker, but asked if some people were able to sell more than one week of vacation time.

Mayor Howard confirmed that some Water Works employees did receive raises while the board was still in place, but only one person sat on the board (at least two commissioners were required to approve any changes). He also confirmed that buyouts of vacation time in excess of the policy instituted at the time were made.

Salyersville City Hall employee Nola Johnson also pointed out that buyouts of vacation time over one week had been approved during Gardner’s tenure, but he explained that those instances were always brought up and approved by the commission.

“The people that have come to me were [about employees taking buyouts for] four weeks – five weeks – of sales, and that’s pretty significant, and the reason that is significant to me, from what I understand having been there, is that the cash flow at Water Works is pretty tight, so to have paid an increase in salary and to have paid vacation and sick leave in violation, it really takes away from the cash flow,” Gardner said.

Mayor Howard reiterated that those two things are true and they are working on it, with City Attorney Lovely further explaining those are issues they are aware of and they are checking the legalities of the actions taken at those individual times.

“These kind of irregularities caused the council to take the actions they took, so that’s what led to dissolving the commission and the city taking over Water Works,” Lovely said. “These are issues that we are addressing.”

Gardner also asked about alleged misuse of the credit cards, noting that during his time at Water Works an individual was discovered to have misused the credit cards and inevitably was processed through the courts to be convicted in a felony criminal case.

“I’ve been told liquor was purchased, I’ve been told groceries were purchased, and I’ve been told that purchases from Walmart were made on the Water Works credit card,” Gardner said, asking if that was true.

City Clerk Karen Howard said the records indicate that the alleged purchases were made while Gardner was there, also, leading Gardner to ask if that person was being prosecuted.

Mayor Howard said the alleged misuse was not as much as people think, everything has been checked out and worked on, but that was all he could tell him.

Gardner also asked if it were true that sewer rates, particularly on grinder pump users, had been raised during the time when there was only one water board commissioner.

Lovely said he doesn’t know about the sewer rates, but they would look into it.

Gardner asked who approved the purchase of a camera system and lights at the water plant, discussed in the last meeting. Similarly, Lovely said they do not know that answer to that at this time.

He also asked about a Facebook post alluding to a policy that would allow people out in the county who were filling their swimming pools could have someone from Water Works read their meter before and after they filled up the pools so they could be charged for only water, not also sewer, for that particular usage. Johnson explained that post was taken down immediately, with Mayor Howard saying the policy will be the same until they decide to change it.

Gardner also explained to the council that in order to get funding for the new water tank, the city and Water Works agreed to regularly raise the rates.

Johnson also asked Gardner about the council selling a piece of property to water works for a dollar, with Gardner saying it was his understanding it was approved by the council, but Johnson said it wasn’t. The SI at this time has been unable to find the record regarding this action to confirm either claim.

The next regularly scheduled Salyersville City Council meeting is tentatively set for April 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Salyersville City Hall.