[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,73,85],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},"mediaId",6252766,"mediaKeyId","3186537-80de3e9ad7660c40cff6d669515b16d0","parentId",3186537,"title","Sheriff’s office wins Community First grant; county approves equipment purchases including drug-incinerator and spectrometer","audioSeconds",345,"startMs",5293000,"endMs",5638000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3186537-80de3e9ad7660c40cff6d669515b16d0&start=5293&end=5638","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3186537-80de3e9ad7660c40cff6d669515b16d0/thumbnail_5293000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6252766/Berkeley-County/West-Virginia/Sheriffs-office-wins-Community-First-grant-county-approves-equipment-purchases-including-drug-incinerator-and-spectrometer","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252766-2e96353962b02e076ea9cd8b947b86d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1769564910&Signature=dmc2uEEwd9iB2Jw5IVjf8CUFYRwuCGJ2TZrhKZ1TSLDOXHR3sz79-rEuCno2hhvtqNSCRZRNlvXqyT~FPTiCYT384W0LYvLg02oHrol5UuAoq0dVWACA-LENrfeDZpx81YcwlYKcvx0~qAUwXtcyGZo3Rya9PwPTEqtjTLg-P3TFa6roXM7eGyMS3xtow2REJdUuWrlPfelXSLtUY-Y8fi7iMAQ-OKj4R-DWX99YYo1JYnU8T-zgiIPCwFg2ZM~Y3jzRFdVdpRxoqpw5ZKDmHZGxUM2ITyrXoyvnpmpjMnX2jkKUcbc2Ce-xunAhlokUiCqG6PlSdmgEKQqV0UU6QQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-03T15:22:51.737Z","article","Chief Eric Burnett and sheriff’s staff brought multiple procurement items to the commission on May 1, several funded through a Community First Foundation grant and the sheriff’s operating budget.

The commission approved the lowest responsive bid for duty weapons from Atlantic Tactical for $13,025.20 to be paid from the sheriff’s operating budget. For a drug incinerator the lowest responsive bid came from Mountain State Equipment at $45,900; staff said the Community First grant awarded $49,900 for the incinerator and related items. The commission approved that award and asked staff to confirm pad and site logistics; staff said the county will coordinate a concrete pad near the 9‑1‑1 facility and will check with the foundation about re‑scoping if necessary.

A drug‑testing toolkit purchase (price $16,007.96) also came in under the grant allocation and was approved. For on‑scene drug identification, the commission approved a spectrometer bid (lowest responsive vendor recorded as Regaku in the packet) at $54,003.20 for two units; staff said the Community First grant provided $60,006.76 for that item.

Staff also reported that a secure drug take‑back box price came in higher than forecast ($2,903 vs. the $1,500 budgeted). Commissioners gave staff consensus to reallocate available grant savings to cover the shortfall and agreed to ask the foundation to permit minor re‑scoping so all approved equipment can be procured and sited. Staff noted the grant‑funded equipment will be located at secure county facilities and that the incinerator will be used to dispose of collected controlled substances.

Ending: The commission approved the bid awards and gave staff direction to coordinate site preparation, confirm grant‑allowable scopes with the Community First Foundation and return if any change requires separate county funding or additional approvals.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Berkeley County Commission Meeting 5/1/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Chief Eric Burnett asked the commission to approve several equipment purchases for the sheriff’s office; the commission approved lowest responsive bids for duty weapons, a drug incinerator, drug test toolkits and a drug spectrometer, with much of the cost covered by a Community First Foundation grant.","taxTitle","Berkeley County, West Virginia","taxId",58957,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_32":74,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":75,"_40":76,"_42":77,"_44":78,"_46":79,"_48":80,"_50":81,"_52":82,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":83,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":84,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},6252776,"Berkeley County consultants present draft impact-fee study estimating $11,657 maximum charge per new single-family home",3665,1843000,5508000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3186537-80de3e9ad7660c40cff6d669515b16d0&start=1843&end=5508","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3186537-80de3e9ad7660c40cff6d669515b16d0/thumbnail_1843000.jpg","/articles/6252776/Berkeley-County/West-Virginia/Berkeley-County-consultants-present-draft-impact-fee-study-estimating-11657-maximum-charge-per-new-single-family-home","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252776-dc9cd086db4e6152815ef0ae35c68a61/orig.mp4?Expires=1769564910&Signature=doSi4x8777X~AottMzq8WelQlGe6Z1XOAuB9-Lr8wqF~6J5grYelqRn7qIZ9p5hTGvor2itMgJDGtkDxcdpYfxcVxLfALwBhEeQ~Q7EyEWvbquyYNPYLYtiDeLPWRIFQi1ZtJtssLs5B9T5cujDRRpP2awaUtZRvnZdv4j~N6d8EEZPEnnQyQjzJLItzziZ2Xg8qfsyU77nvwcQDFD0UPa4fLpy5jvWuNTRvo4-OEHEO9ocrRnCZqUvzjb~qK6j2PmG4m0NCVApDg1iYj2cv620MaSqwIX2f~Pkn-PpFnLiPJZG6XQ0U0ZsD~F6wjShD7MZh4z1R9qK3JjxPwUS6Qw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ben Griffin, the consultant leading Berkeley County’s impact-fee study, told the County Commission on May 1 that the draft charges would require new development to pay a proportionate share of growth-related capital costs in the unincorporated county.

Griffin said the study projects about 35,000 additional people and roughly 14,500 new housing units in the unincorporated area over the next 10 years and converts those forecasts into demand for public facilities and equipment. “Impact fees are one-time payments for growth-related infrastructure,” Griffin said during the presentation.

The draft uses an incremental methodology for most components — county administration, fire and rescue, law enforcement and parks and recreation — meaning fees are intended to maintain existing levels of service as population grows. For elementary schools the study uses school-seat calculations and credits existing debt. Griffin said the study estimates roughly 55,000 square feet of additional elementary school space and 16 acres of land over 10 years.

Key cost and projection highlights Griffin presented included: an assumed $20 million proxy cost for county administration facilities tied to a cited judicial-center expansion; an estimated $12 million for 24,000 square feet of fire and rescue facilities plus equipment and land needs; about $1.7 million in land for fire and rescue; roughly $3.9 million for park amenities, $266,000 for trail construction and $1.3 million for 5,300 square feet of recreation facilities; and an elementary-school per‑student capital cost net of credits that produced proposed residential school fees. On nonresidential development the study converts job growth to square footage using Institute of Transportation Engineers multipliers.

Griffin said the study’s proposed maximum fee per single-family home across all included components would be about $11,657. “That number is the ceiling,” a commissioner noted during discussion; Griffin confirmed the commission may adopt lower fees or phase them in, but any proportional reduction must be applied uniformly across land-use categories for the same component.

Commissioners questioned who enforces the rules and what oversight exists. Commissioner Hardy asked, “What is the regulatory body of this that implements these regulations on this impact fee?” Griffin replied that West Virginia’s enabling statute authorizes counties to adopt impact fees and that the study is designed to follow that statutory framework. He added that the enabling language provides limited procedural detail and that, where necessary, federal case law and standard auditing practices inform administration and audit of funds, and that impact-fee funds must be kept separate from the general fund.

Commissioners and Griffin discussed administration details: service area (the unincorporated county), timing for spending (fees should be spent within a few years so fee-payers receive benefit), site-specific credits (developers who dedicate land or construct a required improvement receive credits), and debt credits (existing and planned debt are deducted so development is not charged twice). Griffin recommended updating the study every three to five years, or sooner if costs escalate.

The presentation included comparisons to neighboring jurisdictions’ fees (Jefferson County and Frederick County) and development-projection methodology choices. Commissioners said they wanted time to digest the numbers. No adoption vote was taken; commissioners directed staff to continue review and said the item will return to a future meeting for possible formal action.

Ending: The commission held detailed technical questions and asked staff and the consultant for follow-up material about statutory oversight, administrative procedures, and how credits would be applied. The presentation will be posted with the packet and returned for a formal decision at a later meeting.","Ben Griffin, the consultant leading Berkeley County’s impact-fee study, told the County Commission on May 1 that the draft charges would require new development to pay a proportionate share of growth-related capital costs in the unincorporated county.",{"_32":86,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":87,"_40":88,"_42":89,"_44":90,"_46":91,"_48":92,"_50":93,"_52":94,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":95,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":96,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":55,"_72":55},6252771,"County awards design contract to MW Studios for proposed North End public safety complex",640,5278000,5918000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3186537-80de3e9ad7660c40cff6d669515b16d0&start=5278&end=5918","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3186537-80de3e9ad7660c40cff6d669515b16d0/thumbnail_5278000.jpg","/articles/6252771/Berkeley-County/West-Virginia/County-awards-design-contract-to-MW-Studios-for-proposed-North-End-public-safety-complex","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6252771-2a3fe717596f0ae34a4c62366262c4fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1769564910&Signature=VfMyqL4Xgd~kvtgmgU6dOv0xLLwtRQgxZFrjgdl3s29RBqrIRSz18ktNyF5ZP2h8SRKiS0I9afj7H-6E44XU0qs4qH-eQCgkEfiXAdyS-sySSSOipisuJvaiqjB9rtWToi6yg1kzaVNNSrPCOLDMVtbvJuiNw~OD7jrSoi3Eb8W1jM-nxUwtCFL8nvCsoFYGPG63~fE5rSFIcQrXU1ETx5GHQrlY0fqrnNsNDm1X5pkfhIshvElAPSWMBSNEIeKL3-I~vcb2BwqURz9iuynAMr37OXpDo7q8G~8Wp6M~vm3BQOEyxfhmq9gMt25yz1A5muB~oLVp~zT1j5NETq2Njw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County planning staff and a cross-agency committee recommended MW Studios as the architect/engineer to program and design a North End public safety complex, and the commission voted to accept the recommendation on May 1.

Gary (county official) told commissioners the firm was chosen after a competitive procurement that drew multiple qualified proposals. The contract authorizes phase‑one programming and design work at $157,350; MW Studios provided a not-to-exceed construction delivery estimate of about $1,036,880 for the full design-to-construction services package. Staff described the overall project as a roughly 30,000‑square‑foot complex that could serve multiple agencies: a sheriff substation, backup 9‑1‑1/PSAP capacity, ambulances, and fire company bays. Commissioners and staff discussed site access, potential multi‑story construction to manage parcel size and proximity to Brown Road and Route 9, and whether additional adjacent parcels might be needed.

Commissioner discussion emphasized cost control and defining needs versus wants before final construction documents. A county official said preliminary construction estimates ranged from about $10 million to $13 million but that detailed scope and phasing will be defined by the programming process. The commission approved the award to MW Studios by motion and voice vote; staff will proceed with programming and complete design documents so the board and partner agencies can review final cost and scope choices before construction procurement.

Ending: The approved services cover programming, design and construction-phase services. Staff will work with the fire board, sheriff’s office and ambulance authority to refine needs, review site logistics and return with final costs and a proposed financing plan for the commission to consider.","Berkeley County selected MW Studios for programming and design of a proposed North End public safety complex after a committee review. Phase 1 design work is estimated at $157,350 with a not‑to‑exceed total delivery estimate of about $1.04 million; construction estimates discussed ranged roughly $10–13 million.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sheriff’s office wins Community First grant; county approves equipment purchases including drug-incinerator and spectrometer

Berkeley County consultants present draft impact-fee study estimating $11,657 maximum charge per new single-family home

County awards design contract to MW Studios for proposed North End public safety complex