Putnam County approves multiple annexations into City of Hurricane; commissioner recuses for one item

Putnam County commissioners approved several annexation petitions that move multiple parcels into the City of Hurricane's corporate limits and authorized the commission president to sign the required orders.

The petitions covered multiple separate parcels described in the agenda as project numbers tied to the 2019 series; parcels ranged from under 1 acre to more than 140 acres and included territory adjacent to Hurricane City Park, areas behind Southbrook subdivision and property behind the Gables that borders Meeks Mountain Trail. County staff said each petition met the requirements of West Virginia Code 8-6-4, and the assessor's office had reviewed property descriptions for mapping.

Commissioner Doug Pearson recused himself and left the chambers for annexation items affecting the City of Hurricane because he also works for the city. The commission appointed an acting commission president for those items before taking votes. The City of Hurricane's mayor and Board of Education were noted as having to sign or consider related approvals on their respective agendas; the City of Hurricane had placed the matter on its agenda and the board of education had the item on its next agenda, county staff said.

Commissioners voted individually on the petitions; the motions to approve each annexation carried as presented. The orders change jurisdictional limits by entering the parcels into City of Hurricane corporate boundaries, as allowed under the cited West Virginia code. County staff said the annexations were largely administrative clean-up of property already owned by the water board or city and would be recorded with assessor maps.

Commissioners did not discuss changes to services or tax levies at the meeting; several items will require signatures by the county president and coordination with the city, assessor and board of education as part of the implementation process.