BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
Kermit, W.Va. — A project designed to improve the Kermit water system is fully funded.
Mayor Charles Sparks announced during the Feb. 20 council meeting that Kermit got approval for the $686,000 needed to match the $2.7 million already approved for the project.
The $3.4 million project will rehabilitate the water treatment plant and replace a main water line along U.S. 52 to East Kermit that was washed out by flooding in 2015.
Senators Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito secured $2.7 million in Congressional Direct Spending through the EPA last year.
Sparks provided the council with copies of a letter from Gov. Jim Justice’s office saying the $686,000 is available and can be transferred when appropriate.
“That’s great news,” Sparks said before announcing one of the town’s water storage tanks needs repairs.
The 45-year-old tank was cleaned two years ago, and a hole was patched then. The tank has since developed four additional holes.
“Two of them were minor and we fixed them with flex tape,” said Sparks. “The other two holes – one is about as big around as my finger and the other is about as big as a pencil.”
The mayor contacted Thrasher Engineering, who sent a contractor to inspect the tank.
“The integrity of the tank is not bad,” remarked Sparks. “It’s not bad to where it’s going to collapse, which was a big fear when we first found these holes, but it does need major repairs. It needs to be drained, sandblasted, painted, and 4 feet up around the entire bottom of it needs to be replaced and it needs a new floor put in it.”
The project will have to go through the bidding process, but the Thrasher contractor estimates the cost at nearly $225,000.
“Thrasher is in contact with Kathy Elliott of Region 2 and we’re asking for an emergency Critical Needs grant,” said Sparks.
“I just want everyone to know, if you hear somebody saying, ‘Oh, the tank’s about to bust,’ it’s not. It does need to be upgraded.”
The tank holds 110,000 gallons of water.
According to Sparks, a new tank would cost $750,000 to $1 million. “We’re not at that point where it needs to be completely replaced.”
The mayor announced the water office would start accepting credit cards in the water office by March 1.
Town can’t find septic disposal site
In years past, disposing of sewer sludge was a simple matter, according to Mayor Sparks.
“You put it wherever you could and that was the end of it,” Sparks said.
However, since environmental rules have changed, Kermit has an issue.
The subject came up when Council member Anna Mae Sartin Wellman asked about weeds growing on the sewage settling tank.
“Can’t you do something with that?” she asked Sparks. “It looks awful.”
Sparks explained that the town spent $1,000 for a permit and had tried since 2021 to get the tank cleaned out but could not find a disposal site.
The last time the settling tank was cleaned was in 2016.
The mayor said he has been in contact with the DEP about the issue.
“Now you have to build a containment facility,” said Sparks. “First, you have to have that dirt tested for eight metals and any other byproducts that could be in there, then contract it out. You’re looking at $10,000 to $15,000. The contractor has to have a 60-foot-long arm excavator to get all that out of there. Then you have to put it in that containment, and it has to lay there for seven years. Periodically, you have to go in and test that dirt. Plus, you have to have the dirt tested where you’re going to put it.”
From caboose to hot dog stand
More than one party has expressed interest in converting the old train caboose at the mouth of Lower Burning Creek into a hot dog stand.
Mayor Sparks told the council that Kermit residents Jeff and Chandra Kirk inquired about using the old caboose.
“They want to spend some money and fix that caboose up and put a hot dog facility in,” Sparks said.
Councilman Wilburn Hawky Preece liked the idea.
“We’re not using it; it’s just sitting there,” Preece said.
According to Sparks, the town would have to install water and sewer.
Councilman J.W. Endicott asked if a hot dog stand would affect Blue Acre Appalachian Aquaponics, which sits beside the caboose.
“I don’t think so,” said Sparks. “You’ve got plenty of parking there.”
Wellman said Blue Acre has been getting more traffic.
The other council members agreed, saying a hot dog stand at the location might attract more customers for Blue Acre, which grows and sells fresh greens and fish.
The mayor agreed to check maps to ensure the property was within city limits.
City clerk Rhonda Muncy told the council that Greg Bragg had also asked about using the caboose for a hot dog stand. She said Bragg had spoken to EDA coordinator Gary Hensley.
Hensley confirmed he had talked with Bragg. He suggested the Kirks and Bragg might partner and said he would talk to Bragg again.
Kermit car wash for sale
Hensley has been working on the potential development of property where the now-defunct Kermit car wash sits. The EDA coordinator told the council he had contacted the property owner, Danita Copley.
“She is willing to sell it. All she needs is someone to start the wheel rolling – give her an offer,” Hensley said. “Her words, not mine: ‘I would like to sell that. I want to see something in there that will benefit Kermit. Let’s go do it.”
According to Hensley, Copley says she gets too many calls from too many people and will not answer the phone if she doesn’t know who is calling. She requests that anyone interested in the property let Hensley know.
“I will send her a message with that offer,” said Hayes.
Endicott commented that Copley had originally quoted “a sky-high number that scared everyone off.”
Hensley said he questioned Copley about that price.
“She said, ‘Those weren’t my numbers. Those were the numbers for the people that were representing me. I never knew they were that high,’” said Hensley.
Excavation worries residents
A Kermit resident has been excavating to locate a trailer on Main Street, work that has High Street residents Rebecca and Johnny Maynard worried will cause the road to collapse and trap their property.
“I don’t want to be stuck up the driveway and need to go to work one morning,” Johnny Maynard told the council.
Mayor Sparks said he had spoken to the resident.
“It’s his property,” the mayor said.
Preece said the town should be able to do something if the excavation work is causing the road to fall in.
“We should be able to do something,” Council member Tammy Preece Hodge agreed. “That’s affecting everyone there.”
Maynard said he contacted the highway department.
“They made a note of it,” said Maynard. “That’s all they said.”
Rebecca Maynard asked council members if they had looked at the road since Saturday.
“It’s already starting to fall in,” Rebecca Maynard stated.
Endicott noted the state highway department had designated the road as an emergency exit.
Sparks agreed to contact the highway department and request they inspect the road.
Street signs, employee raises and trails talk
Council member Peggy Moore said everyone likes Kermit’s new street signs, but the town needs one more for Stella at Skyline Drive.
“She said it wasn’t there anymore and she needs one,” Moore said.
Sparks asked if the sign was stolen.
“I don’t know,” said Moore.
The mayor told Moore the town would get a new sign.
Endicott remarked that when 911 made the “last change,” the sign on Main Street said High Street.
Preece noted his physical address had changed twice.
“When I get stuff delivered, it goes to Warfield,” said Moore. “They must have a Walnut Street over there.”
Preece agreed that there was confusion. He said the fire department was toned out on a pileup on Walnut Street.
“I looked out and said, ‘I’m looking at Walnut Street; there’s nothing here,’” said Preece. “Come to find out, it was over in Martin County.”
Moore also told the council that a town employee desperately needed a raise.
“He talks to me about it all the time,” Moore said. “Everything is going up, and I told him I would bring it up.”
The mayor said he would take care of the employee.
“He does work hard,” said Moore. “I don’t know what we would do without him.”
In other business, council members discussed connecting to the Hatfield-McCoy Trails system. (See the related story in this week’s edition.)