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By Bob Weaver
At the start of Monday's Grantsville Council meeting, Calhoun Chronicle reporter
Lisa Minney charged the body of violating the West Virginia open meetings law.
Minney said the the agenda was not given to the media in advance, although it was
handed out by Mayor Neil Blankenship at the door.
She said the agenda was not made available to the Parkersburg News reporter or
the Hur Herald, but Blankenship said he made numerous efforts to reach the News
reporter.
Town Recorder P. Jane Wease said she did not believe the town had to deliver the
agenda to the papers.
Minney indicated the meeting was "illegal" and actions taken by the council last
night were likely null and void.
Citing part of a decision by Judge David Nibert from a recent injunction brought
against the town, Ms. Minney said she was representing herself and her publisher,
Helen Morris.
Some employees of the town said they felt it was not the town's responsibility to
deliver the agenda to the newspaper.
Mayor Blankenship assured Ms. Minney he and the council were still learning, and
wanted to make sure the meetings were conducted properly under the Sunshine
Law.
Minney said she had been trying since last November to educate the council about
holding public meetings.
Last night's agenda did list several specific items, as opposed to a "generic
agenda" which has been used in the past.
The council went into an executive session over pay raises for council and
possibly other town employees, after which reporter Minney indicated the closed
session was illegal.
Following the executive session, Mayor Blankenship said no action was taken on
pay raises.
The mayor asked the town's attorney Kevin Postalwait to help the council to more
clearly operate under the open meetings laws.
Gregg Sturm complained to council about not being considered for a town
policeman. Blankenship said he was advised to only hire a certified policeman.
Sturm said he understood a hire would have 60 days to go to police academy.
Blankenship said he did have some problem with hiring Sturm because his mother
(Bonnie Brown) was a council member.
The mayor said several citizens have offered to purchase asphalt to patch town
streets, using the town truck and volunteer labor.
Council approved a Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan for the town.
The issue of what do do about the town ha property was not on the agenda.
"We are going to try real hard to do some positive things for the town," said
Blankenship.
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