Kanawha County Commission announces spring clean-up dates

With rising costs due to inflation and landfill and recycling center costs, the commission is hosting fewer events this year, said Tom Blasingim, planning director. It costs about $36,600 per event. South ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä and Clendenin will have clean-up events in the fall.

Convention and Visitors Bureau

Commissioners also allocated $514,000 to the newly accredited Central West Virginia Convention and Visitors Bureau. The money came from hotel and motel taxes that can, under state law, be allocated to an accredited convention and visitor’s bureau. The purpose of the CVB is to promote Kanawha County tourism. Commissioners suggested renaming it to showcase the county.

Prosecuting Attorney renovations

Commissioners also allocated $235,000 toward renovations at the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in the W. Kent Carper Justice & Public Safety Complex, 301 Virginia St. E. The renovation will divide a conference room into office spaces, Commissioner Lance Wheeler said. Ken Bannon, assistant prosecuting attorney, said the building was last remodeled in 2010. “Since that time, the work of the Prosecuting Attorney has grown quite substantially and there are now additional judicial officers for the County,� he said in a statement. “As a result, our staff has grown and we are simply out of room.�

The West Virginia Legislature passed legislation in 2023 adding three magistrate courts and one circuit court to Kanawha County. As a result, the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office needed five additional staff members.

Radio system upgrade

A project to upgrade the county’s radio system for first responders should be complete by mid-July, said Dave Armstrong, deputy director of Kanawha County Emergency Management.

The commissioners allocated the remaining $436,861 to the $3.1 million project. The equipment will be delivered in 24 crates and assembled by the vendor.

The next Commission meeting will be 4 p.m. Thursday.