The plan, the council says, would allow residents of Buffalo Creek to decide whether or not they want to become part of the town of Man. Currently, there are petitions being passed through the communities of Man against the annexation of the highway through Buffalo Creek. Nearly 1,000 residents have signed petitions to stop the proposal.
According to the Man Council, the annexation proposal came up after nearby school employees asked the town to come in, so they could receive quick police protection.
For years, the town had looked into annexation but had never taken steps to bring other areas into the town limits. However, town council members decided to try the idea again, noting that it might be a potential source of Business and Occupation taxes in the future.
Willie Marsh asked councilmembers if the town would provide mail delivery to those in the annexation area.
Councilman Roger Muncy said the town did not deliver mail, the U.S. Postal Service does. Muncy also corrected Marsh's comments about the town sending two employees for training. Marsh said the council sent the employees to be trained on the Jaws of Life rescue device. Muncy said the training was for swimming pool operator certification, not the Jaws of Life.
Muncy said anyone who wanted to become a part of the town could petition to do so if the annexation of a stretch of road was approved and that those who did petition to become residents would be entitled to city services such as police protection. When Marsh asked if the town would build sidewalks, Muncy noted that people on Market Street paid for their sidewalks and repairs to them, not the town.
"Well, this is just stuff people are asking," Marsh said. Marsh asked why the town wanted to annex the road and Mayor Jim Blevins noted that in the future some people might want to come into the town as residents, which could he a potential source of B&O taxes. Blevins noted there was no plan to lower the speed limit on that stretch of road.
Muncy pointed out that the cost in terms of taxes to residents who would opt to come in is minimal, about $1.50 per $1,000 for stores or restaurants and that those who do not want to become a part of the town don't' have to and wouldn't have to pay anything.
When asked what a resident would get, Councilman Jimmy Justice noted that it takes the city police only a few minutes to respond to a call in that area, whereas it could take the State Police or Sheriff's Department a half hour or more to respond to an emergency call, due to having to travel Route 10.
One person at the meeting noted he used to be in law enforcement and said his elderly family lived in the Kistler area and that he would prefer the town police be allowed to answer calls to their home in five minutes, rather than waiting up to an hour or more for agencies out side of Man to respond. He noted that when there is only one officer on duty at night for the WVSP or the LCDS, that if they are in Chapmanville or the Harts area it could be over an hour before they could get to Man. He noted one of those agencies often has only one officer on duty after midnight.
Danny Woods, who lived in Hensley Heights, asked why the annexation only went to Bull Hollow. Woods said he and others in Hensley Heights which is close to town have asked to be annexed for years.
Nora Lambert said she did not want to be annexed and complained that she already has city water but it doesn't have adequate pressure. She said she did not know anyone who wanted in. Mayor Blevins assured Lambert that there was no plan to change the speed limit on that road nor to start a speed trap in town. Blevins said that if Lambert did not want to come in that she would not have to as nobody was being forced to come in under the proposal. "You have to petition us if you want in and if you don't want in, you can stay out," Blevins said.
Muncy said he had spoken with residents in that area who did want in. mostly for police protection, but that those who did not want to come in would not be forced in, as it would be entirely up to the individuals to decide.
When one person claimed the Hatfield-McCoy Trail wanted to build a trailhead in the annexed area, Councilman John Fekete, who is the Deputy Director of the Hatfield-McCoy Trail, noted that agency had announced its 2008 development plan and that there were no plans to build anything in the Man area on it. Fekete also noted that people had been riding ATVs on that stretch of road for years, and were currently riding it legally as it had a berm on it.
"You don't have to be in the town to start an ATV rental business," Fekete explained. "You can't run an ATV on a center line road, but that road was already open to ATV traffic because it has a berm."
Herbie Staton said he had a petition with 1,000 signatures on it he wanted to enter into record and wanted presented to the Logan County Commission.
Gerald Sloane said police protection was not a problem because three deputies lived on Buffalo Creek, and asked how police would respond to calls in the annexed area. Sgt. Ray Bryant of the Man P.D. said if an incorporated resident called 911, the Man P.D. would be allowed on his or her property. If a resident chose not to be incorporated the Man P.D. was not allowed on their property. (911 calls will be dispatched with GPS satellite mapping locations when the enhanced 911 system is fully online.)
Sloane then complained that local ATV riders had to buy permits and ride on the Hatfield-McCoy trails instead of where they wanted. Sloane claimed that tourists were allowed to violate ATV regulations that locals were cited or arrested for. Bryant corrected Sloane's allegation and gave examples of tourists who got in trouble with the law. Bryant said his department enforced the regulations whether a rider was a local or from out of town. When Sloane claimed Hatfield-McCoy had been mapping the area John Fekete pointed out that he did the mapping for Hatfield-McCoy and he had not been there.
Moss Burgess asked what the expense to the BOE would be and Mayor Jim Blevins said $1,500 for the survey. When Burgess asked about water and sewage, Blevins said it would stay the same. Blevins told Burgess there would be no increased user fees or planned expenses either.
When one person asked if the town discussed annexing Kistler, Councilman Tim Stacy pointed out the council had never mentioned it.
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