Since a group of Wetzel County Landfill employees came before Wetzel County Commission last week, the landfill general manager, Randy Sims, resigned from it’s employ reportedly because, “he was at the end of his rope.”

According to an April 15 report from general counsel for J. P. Mascaro & Sons, William F. Fox, and Ted Tuerk, human resource director for the same corporation, Sims left as an employee in good standing but he simply could not afford to pass up a better job offer.

Fox said the employees have not had a raise in eight years and the group of 10 workers came before the commission Tuesday to again request that they “put pressure” on the Public Service Commission to intervene on their behalf about approving a rate increase for the West Virginia licensed company. Fox said without the rate increase the company cannot afford to give its employees a salary increase.

Again the commission told the group they had no influence other than as lobbyists and that since the last meeting they had called Paul Stewart, deputy director of the PSC utilities division of the Public Service Commission, who had returned the call when the commission was unable to speak with him. The commission hoped he would call again on Tuesday.

Wetzel County Prosecutor Tim Haught was also present to respond to any legal questions the commission may have had.

In another matter, Shelly Huffman of The Alliance West Virginia Champion Communities Community Connect Foundation informed the commissioners of a funding program through the Benedum Foundation which grants monies to 12 counties in West Virginia, including Wetzel. Each grant is for $5,000 but a county may make multiple applications.

Huffman said there were 34 funded projects last year for technology projects such as software to non-profits, electronic signs to schools to announce current events, and projects by government entities who wanted to design a Web site for information about the county. Huffman said the last project was particularly successful since it utilized local high school students designing, implementing, and maintaining the site as part of their course requirements.

Huffman said the requirements for acquiring the mini-grant of $5,000 could be obtained by contacting the county commissioners and asking for the Community Connect Foundation grant materials. She added that one of the best things about the grants is that one county can apply for many grants—Barbour County, for example, received $60,000. The grant deadline is July 8, but it is to the applicant’s benefit to attend the pre-application meeting in June.

Keeping with the community-oriented theme of the day, Steve Ellis, executive director for the non-profit Community Resources, Inc. (CRI), came before commissioners requesting help in finding a local representative for the CRI board of directors.

Ellis said there currently are no members from Wetzel County on the board and that CRI covers 11 counties. “This is good and noble work,” he said. The volunteer position encompasses overseeing community involvement such as operating the thrift store across from West Virginia Northern Community College in New Martinsville.

They also assist people with income tax preparation. “We need a local representative to tell us what the needs are here,” Ellis said. For information on volunteering contact the commission or the local Community Resources.

The commission meets each Tuesday, but the next meeting on April 22 has been moved to April 23.