County Joins with Assure America

7/7/2006

(Weirton Daily Times)

By Angel Rae Hill
Staff writer

NEW CUMBERLAND – The Hancock County Commission approved Assure America as the agent of record for Hancock County to handle administrative issues with the Brickstreet Insurance program.

Assure America Chief Operating Officer John Frankovitch was present at the commission’s meeting Thursday to explain his company’s services.

Assure America will assist the county working with the Brickstreet Insurance program and provide worker safety programs. Since West Virginia privatized workers’ compensation, Brickstreet Mutual Insurance Co. is one of the entities providing workers’ compensation insurance. Assure America will work as a facilitator with the county.

Hancock County Commissioner Danny Greathouse said the county has used Assure America for various services in the past, and they helped the county save monthly.

In other action, the commission approved Josh Manypenny as the sole owner of the county’s 114 Shoup lever-style voting machines. Commission President Jeff Davis explained that Manypenny was the sole bidder for the machines and he bid $1.

“These are the lever machines the county used for such a long time,” Davis said.

Commissioner Mike Swartzmiller brought up his concerns that the machines are to be picked up whole. He had some concerns that certain parts of the machines could be taken and the rest left behind. Davis informed county Clerk Eleanor Straight to make sure Manypenny knows he has to take the entire machine, and he has 30 days to obtain them.

Davis announced that the groundbreaking on the state Route 8 sewage project could take place in October. The project will provide sewage service for residents and businesses located along state Route 8 from Washington School Road to Smith Road. Once construction begins, it will take a year to complete. The project is under the Hancock County Public Service District (PSD), and the commission reappointed Dan Wilson to the Hancock County PSD board. Greathouse said the commission selected him because of his experience with the board, and Wilson also currently is the chairman of the Hancock County PSD.

Approved a bid from Pulice Enterprise, Inc. to demolish the old lockhouse along state Route 2 in New Cumberland for $14,000. The old lockhouse was the site of the Hancock County Senior Center and the Hancock County West Virginia University Extension Office before the offices moved to their present locations.

Approved a $141,451 bid from Lombardi Development for the renovations of the former tax office, the county clerk’s office, the assessor’s office and the circuit clerk’s office. The courthouse is making renovations to maximize available space. Davis said the bid came in a little higher than the commission expected.

Accepted a report form Hancock County Solid Waste Authority Chairman Mark Vignovic. He submitted a report of this year’s spring cleanup and the total amount the cleanups have collected since they started in 1991.

The spring 2006 cleanup collected 175,000 pounds of trash and junk, 65,380 pounds of scrap metal, 13,800 pounds of electronics, 2,200 gallons of paints and containers, 825 gallons of used oil, 278 tires and 75 batteries.

The cleanups since 1991 have collected a total of 4,834,717 pounds of trash, 1,986,990 pounds of scrap metal, 30,873 tires, 8,917 gallons of used oil, 2,695 batteries, 27,870 gallons of paint and 132,504 pounds of electronics.

“If it wasn’t for this program, a lot of this stuff would have ended up along our highways and hillsides,” Davis said. “This program truly has its weight in gold.”

He said the commission appreciates all of Vignovic’s and the Solid Waste Authority’s efforts.

Tabled a request from the Locust Hill Cemetery Association board to fund all or a portion of $2,300 to provide electrical service to their new garage and the New Manchester Volunteer Fire Department’s request to close Wall Alley in New Manchester. The request from the Locust Hill Cemetery Board will be put in a request folder to be reviewed later, and the commission would like New Manchester Volunteer Fire Department President Chad Lamp to explain the request. In a letter to the commission, the fire department has purchased property on both sides of the alley and wants to expand its parking lot.