The Jefferson County Commission takes additional steps to reorganize the county's EMS services. The Commission approved plans to purchase 10 ambulances from volunteer companies, but questions on locations, organization, and budget still need answers. Read the Full Story >>
Jefferson County Commission
Face to Face for Democracy
The norm we’ve come to expect, enshrined in laws, is for meetings of local government commissions, councils and committees to be open to the public with opportunities for comment. It can be tiring for the folks sitting at the official table to listen, and sometimes it gets a little heated, but as has been said about other activities, if it’s too quiet, you’re not doing it right. Read the Full Story >>
A New County Ambulance Service
At their May 19 meeting, the Commissioners voted unanimously to direct the County Administrator, John Nissel, to develop a plan to create a County Ambulance Service, which would include the County owning and operating all ambulances. Read the Full Story >>
Ambulance Proposal Raises Alarms — Inside the Fitch EMS Report
Consultants' study recommends reductions in ambulance service, accuracy of data questioned. County Commission eager to proceed, citizens raise multiple concerns. Read the Full Story >>
Ambulance Response Times Explained
The report from Fitch & Associates recommends the adoption of standards from CFAI (Commission on Fire Accreditation International). Following the “rural” standards, the report indicates that the "goal time" for EMS unit response (turnout + travel) would be 15 minutes (the "benchmark"). The same standard also indicates an acceptable time of 19 minutes, 42 seconds. Read the Full Story >>
A Timeline of the Fitch EMS Report
Fitch & Associates is a consulting firm with many years of experience in assisting local governments in evaluating and improving both fire and emergency medical services. The County Commission contracted with Fitch in May of 2021 for a very limited review of the county’s EMS system — a basic analysis of ambulance response data. There Read the Full Story >>
County Commission & School Board Need Candidates
While the congressional and state elections next November will likely attract a lot of attention, there will be plenty of county and municipal offices on the ballot next year too — these are the local officials who can really affect what happens close to home in Jefferson County. Read the Full Story >>
Is There A Room Available?
If you’ve ever rented a beach house or a mountain cabin for a week, you’ve likely stayed at a “short-term rental” property. These resort-area rentals have been available for decades, and prior to the internet, were typically booked through a local property management company. While local-agent rentals are still common in beach and mountain locales, the online booking companies Airbnb and Vrbo have established themselves as portals for guests to access a wide variety of short-term rentals in big cities, small towns, the suburbs, and recreation areas across the country. Read the Full Story >>
Court Ruling Undoes Zoning Amendment For Industrial Solar
On August 16, Judge Debra McLaughlin, in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, issued a ruling that invalidated the text amendment ZTA1903 to the Jefferson County zoning ordinance. The now-invalidated amendment was written to allow development of utility-scale solar power facilities as a principal permitted use in rural, residential growth and other open lands in the county. Read the Full Story >>
Zoning Changes Coming to Kearneysville
On April 15, Jefferson Orchards Inc. (JOI), applied to the Jefferson County Commission to change the zoning designation for the old Miller Orchard and a second, adjacent property located to the northeast of Kearneysville. The two parcels (240+ acres) are currently in the rural zone. Read the Full Story >>
Confronting the Confederacy, Again. And Again.
Over a year ago, four local women contacted the Jefferson County Commission to request the removal of a plaque by the front door of the Jefferson County Courthouse honoring Confederate soldiers (read more here). Placed by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1986 to commemorate their ancestors, the plaque reads: 1861-1865 In honor and memory of the Confederate soldiers of Jefferson County, who served in the War Between the States. Erected by the Leetown Chapter #231 United Daughters of the Confederacy. Erected May 25, 1986. Read the Full Story >>
The Jefferson County Plaque Problem
On Thursday, October 26, the Jefferson County Commission confirmed a September vote that denied a request to remove a plaque from the front of the county courthouse honoring residents who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War. Read the Full Story >>
Chair of Emergency Services Board Resigns over Commission Action
Chris Conroy, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jefferson County Emergency Services Agency (JCESA), has resigned — citing the decision to lower the fee as an “act of malfeasance” on the part of the Commission. Read the Full Story >>
Ambulance Fee Reduction Leaves Questions Unanswered
The Jefferson County Commission is discussing a reduction in the ambulance fee. Read the Full Story >>