Monongah to target sewer lines with most rainwater

Monongah is making progress toward determining which sewer lines are absorbing the most unwanted rainwater, which means the town pays to clean water that isn’t sewage. That's literally money down the drain.

Monongah Mayor Greg Vandetta said the design is about 75% completed for where the lines will go in the town.

Once flow meters are installed to track the amount of water traveling through the sewer lines, the town will replace the worst violators first because Monongah doesn’t have the money to replace all the lines at one time.

The next Monongah Town Council meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 8, at the Monongah Town Hall.

Monongah dealing with leaky water system

By Richard Babich Times West Virginian

First meeting since being selected as engineering firm for water projects

Thrasher Engineering representatives met with Monongah town council for the first time Monday since being selected as the engineering firm to design a project involving both the water and sewage in the town.

Randy Watson, of Thrasher Engineering, asked council members about both projects to see where the town stood.

Previously, the town has had plans made for their water project in certain areas, which Watson said he would need copies of.

A portion of the sewer pipes in the town are made of terracotta, which may be allow excess water to be running into the town’s sewer lines. This excess water is counted along with the sewer water, and the town is charged for it by the City of Fairmont.

He said replacing these pipes could help reduce the amount of water infiltrating the sewer lines.

“The sewage is under mandates by the government that we have to meet,” said Mayor Greg Vandetta. “The water (system) falls the same way. We have unaccountable water that we produce and we do not get reimbursed for and we are supposed to show where we are making improvements.”

The water rates and right of ways for the water lines were also discussed. Watson brought up that one of the first parts of the project that would need to be completed would be to survey the area where a new water tank would sit.

Other notes about the meeting included:

• The town approved the purchase of a $8,954.69 radiator for a generator. The radiator is part of the generator that would keep the water plant powered if electricity to the plant was lost.

• Monongah Police Chief Rick Barnhart reported the town would be receiving a donated device that would help to determine if someone’s blood alcohol content was over the legal limit.

• Vandetta reported that the town is making it well. The town lost a lot of water due to a broken line last week, but Vandetta said he wanted the workers to know that they had done a good job.

• The town received and paid for an invoice sent for a project on Fleming Street. The town is still waiting on more information from the engineering company who is waiting on information from a geo-tech about the project.

Marion County elections, including Monongah

Several Marion County municipalities will have elections on June 9.

Before the election, individuals interested in running for office in their town can file for election beginning Monday, Jan. 12. Those who are elected will serve two-year terms beginning July 1.

In order to run for office, individuals must live in the town in which they are filing, be 18 years old and be a registered voter.

According to Fairview town recorder Heather Tuttle, those who wish to run for office may file for election by picking up an election form from the Fairview town hall. The positions up for election in Fairview are the mayor’s seat, all five council seats and town recorder.

The fee to file for a position is $5 in Fairview. Filings can be made until Saturday, Jan. 31.

Tuttle said filings sent through the mail would have to be postmarked by Jan. 31. The office hours for the Fairview town hall are from 9 a.m. to noon and 1-3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

According to Farmington recorder and clerk Kathy Toothman, the mayor’s position and all five council positions are up for election this year. The filing fee is $20, and the form must be notarized when turned in.

The forms can be picked up and dropped off at the town hall from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the week between Jan. 12 and 30.

Dollar Store saga drags on

The Family Dollar Store birth in Monongah is taking longer than a chihuahua trying to bring an elephant into the world.

But Monongah Town Recorder Patty Steele McCombs sees a light at the end of the tunnel . . . maybe.

Wrote Patty: “We are seeing some movement on it. I heard they took rebids again to demo the old bank building. So that's good news.”

There’s a Family Dollar store on East Park Ave in Fairmont across the street from Domino’s Pizza. The one in Worthington is a Dollar General.

This Family Dollar site is on Walnut at Camden. The Pulice, Fiori and Gumont families took turns living on the property before the home was torn down to make way for the Huntington Bank, which in turn becomes history to make way for the Family Dollar Store.

During all the delays, Dollar Tree bought Family Dollar but will keep the name on the Monongah building, if it ever is finished.

Dollar Tree, whose headquarters is Chesapeake, Virginia, has 4,900 stores. Family Dollar, based in Matthews, North Carolina, has 1,400 stores. Dollar General, out of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, has more than 10,000 stores.

Monongah Town Council is preparing a welcome for Family Dollar: A beer and wine tax. The ordinance is working its way through Council. Circle K customers also will “benefit” from the ordinance.  

Scouts to gussy up Town Hall

Monongah Town Recorder Patty Steele McCombs has been busy posting town news on the Monongah Town News Facebook page:

The town hall will be getting a new look this weekend. Zac Richards along with his Boy Scout Troop will be doing a service project by landscaping the front of the hall.

To get his Eagle Scout rank, Zac needs to do a project to benefit an organization. His idea for a community project is to possibly place a Monongah Mine Disaster Memorial wall by the statue.

He has been working with the mayor and council to get his project moving.

Vera Bradley Bingo Oct 19th at 1 p.m. in the Monongah Fire Dept. Hosted by Marion County Rescue Squad Relay for life team benefits American Cancer Society. Contact Angela Birdsell for ticket information.

Police Chief Rick Barnhart announced that the police will be holding concealed weapons classes in the near future. I will post dates when they are available.

Chief Barnhart along with the DEA will be taking old medications that need disposed of properly. Please bring them in a bag of some sort. No prescription bottles, please. The date is Saturday, September 27th from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Police side of the hall building.

The town will be holding a fall dump day October 11th from 7 a.m. to noon in the town parking lot. The cost is $5 per small load and $10 per large load. You must show a water bill.

PACE meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

Thursday, August 14th PACE meeting @ 6:30 p.m. PACE -- Program Advancing Community Development -- will be holding an Open House on Saturday August 16 during the Monongahfest.  Local authors, Little Free Library, Monongah History and refreshments.

Monongah hires full-time police officer

Monongah has hired a full-time police officer, Mayor Greg Vandetta announced.

No name was revealed. 

Police chief Chris Veltri resigned within the past two weeks, leaving Monongah without any police.

Monongah water plant has no violations

The Town of Monongah’s water plant has received a positive report — with no violations — from the state. On June 17, the water plant underwent its annual inspection by the state. Because of a loss of people that the water system serves, due to population drop with people moving away, Monongah was not required to collect as many samples for the recent inspection, said Bill McCombs, councilman and operator for the town’s water plant. He said the state’s report showed no major deficiencies in the plant operations other than the unaccounted for water loss, which has been an ongoing problem. “Our biggest problem right now is the water loss,” McCombs said. “Other than that, we passed with flying colors.” He explained that the water loss issue is better than it was previously, but the problem can only be solved through the implementation of phase two of the town’s project to update its water and sewer systems. Overall, recent upgrades to the water plant have helped the operations considerably, McCombs said. Council commended him for doing an excellent job at the water plant. In related news, town council held a work session on July 21 to screen potential engineering firms to design the additional phases of the water and sewer system updates. The members narrowed the list down from five to three engineering outfits that could potentially be hired for the job and plan to set up interviews with those parties soon. Also, Mayor Greg Vandetta announced that the town’s police chief, Chris Veltri, resigned from his position last week. The town had been advertising to try to hire another full-time officer in addition to Veltri, but has no police official. Monongah has received two applications so far and will schedule interviews as soon as possible. In preparation for an officer joining the town in the future, one of the council members and a former part-time police officer for the town recently took an inventory of the items present and investigations represented in the evidence room, Vandetta said. In addition, council members are continuing the search for a new attorney to represent the Town of Monongah in its business. Vandetta said they have two or three individuals interested and will find out further information about these possible candidates before choosing a lawyer.

Monongah to renovate Town HJall

If you have memories of or comments about the proposed Monongah Town Hall renovations, email John Olesky at jo4wvu@neo.rr.com  and I'll relay them in another Monongah High Alumni blog posting.