Greenbrier County hopes to acquire oxygen generator

Nov. 26--LEWISBURG -- Pending approval of a substantial grant application, the Greenbrier County Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency hopes to upgrade and acquire additional equipment early next year.

County commissioners agreed Tuesday evening to sign a Homeland Security grant application sought by GCHSEMA director Al Whitaker. If the grant is awarded, all but $21,000 of the $131,105 total will go toward the purchase of a portable oxygen generator machine.

Whitaker explained to the commissioners that the machine will serve an everyday purpose as well as providing a supplemental source of oxygen for county residents during times of disaster, when home-based oxygen supplies may run low or be inaccessible due to loss of electrical service.

Whitaker said, once the central machine is in place, emergency vehicles can opt to purchase empty tanks and fill them from the county's oxygen generator, potentially saving thousands of dollars a year in oxygen-related expenses. He said several neighboring counties have made the switch and report savings of between $30,000 and $45,000 a year.

The additional proceeds from the anticipated Homeland Security grant would be used for meetings, exercise planning and an area-wide emergency exercise ($10,000) and data storage and satellite service for the county's mobile command center ($11,000).

Whitaker said that final piece of the grant would provide satellite service for two years, plus 16 terabytes of data storage for the mobile command center, which was itself purchased with $205,000 in Homeland Security funds five months ago.

Whitaker also presented the commissioners with two bids received for purchase and installation of a camera and satellite system for the mobile command center. Now that the bids have been opened, Whitaker will review the packages and, with the approval of the commission, determine the winning bidder.

----At the conclusion of Tuesday's session, Commission President Mike McClung vented his outrage over a fundraising production staged at Greenbrier Valley Theatre last Saturday.

Titled "Spanxgiving," the independently produced event was billed as a drag and burlesque show and -- as confirmed by GVT artistic director Cathey Sawyer during Tuesday's commission meeting -- was a sell-out.

McClung said he had earlier telephoned Sawyer about the event, which he had initially assumed was a GVT production and which he felt was disrespectful to Thanksgiving due to its title.

"I was offended and disappointed," McClung said.

Through its Arts and Recreation Fund, the county commission contributes $50,000 a year to GVT for programming. McClung's critique of "Spanxgiving" -- which he did not attend -- apparently revolved at least in part around the funding issue. Sawyer alleviated his financial concerns during their telephone conversation, McClung acknowledged.

"This was not part of regularly scheduled events at the theater," McClung said he now understands. "It was done by others to raise funds for the theater. None of your (tax) money went into this one."

----In other business:

--Commissioners named Virginia A. Lemon to the post of fiduciary commissioner and reappointed Howard McQuain Jr. to a seat on the governing board of the county's Public Service District No. 2.

--Commissioners announced they are seeking cost estimates from all interested contractors to clear snow this winter from the courthouse parking lots and the alleyways that connect them. Commissioner Lowell Rose emphasized that the county requires that the contractor selected for the job present proof of liability insurance and the proper license.

Contact commission assistant Kelly Banton at 304-647-6689, ext. 0, for additional information.

--Email: talvey@

register-herald.com

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