The Wardensville Town Council met in regular session on Monday, November 10, 2025, at the Visitor's Center. Present were Mayor Besty Orndoff-Sayers; Council members, Charlotte Bowman, Serena Kay Cline, Michael Funkhouser, Ed Klinovski, and Jackie McGuiness; Erich Atkinson, Public Works Supervisor.
The meeting opened with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Following approval of the October meeting minutes and bills, Mayor Betsy Orndoff- Sayers recognized and welcomed a group of 25 citizens who attended the meeting.
Some were there in concern of the recent rate hike for water service. People on the list to speak were allotted three minutes each.
The first speaker asked whether town water contained chlorine. Public Works Supervisor Erik Atkinson explained that chlorine is present, and levels are checked twice each day. At the further end of the system, it may not be as strong. The question of fluoride in the water was raised. Mr. Atkinson said that fluoride has never been in town water and there are no plans to add it.
The next speaker inquired about a realistic date for the park being opened. Mayor Orndoff-Sayer that originally the plan called for the upper section to be opened first but now the lower section is slated for use probably in less than a month from now. River rock will be installed in that area. The delay in getting the rock has postponed the opening of that section. New playground equipment and lighting will also be added.
The discoloration of drinking water was the concern of one citizen. She must buy gallons of water at the store for daily consumption and cooking. This does not appear to be a problem for other residents. Atkinson agreed to take a look at it. This lead to another person inquiring about a letter from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDE) from town residents stating safe drinking water cannot be guaranteed. Mr. Atkinson and council member Ed Klinovski explained that they check the turbidity (cloudiness) of the water twice each day. If consecutive readings exceed 1.49, a boil water notice is immediately issued. Once the readings are at or below a safe level, the notice is lifted. However, the town is required to report the incident to the WVDEP along with a sample of the water. Due to staff shortages and the testing process, it takes two months to respond to the town and residents by letter.
The final speaker asked about the recent spike in the water bill. The mayor explained the intricate financial process by which the town was able to install a brand-new water and sewage system over the last several months. There is a bond worth $1.5 million that is paid for over a four-year period. This does not include two bonds for the design of the water project that cost $157,000 and that must be paid immediately. The mayor noted that expense is not just the installation of water lines but new meters and water tanks as well. While the town did receive federal and state funds, including forgivable loans, the town must pay for part of the new system cost. Water bills have remained the same since 2009. One resident said that the cost should have been gradually increased over time instead of dropping an 85 percent rise at once. The mayor agreed and noted that a past administration had dropped the ball on the water system and at one time attempted to not sell but give it away to the county Public Service District. The worth of the system is in the seven-figure range.
Finally, there was a question of whether town employees and council members receive free water. The mayor and council members stated emphatically that they, like all residents, pay for water and sewage with an offer to show the bills.
Mayor's Report - October 14, 2025 # 3 The town has been abuzz with 39th annual Fall Festival preparations. It was a lovely event with the proceeds benefitting the Capon Valley Fire Department. The festival grounds were full of vendors and folks looking for items to purchase. The Car Show and Parade were great events. Roger Holiday has been busy at the park forming the pads for the new structures that will be installed later this year. The Caterpillar bells arrived in September. We are still waiting on the river rock for landscaping. The Water Headworks building has been fenced in. We are one step closer to opening the lower section of the park. We met with Tom and Patty Austin on September 30th to checkout the Community Center grounds for hosting the upcoming Christmas Joy. Christmas Joy is schedule for Saturday December 6th. We have spoken with Heather Robbins of Hardy Telecommunications about the type of lights and related hardware we should purchase for the tree lighting. We are in contact with the instructors for the Creative Aging for Lifelong Learning (CALL) program and we are working on class dates. Stay tuned.In business news around town, I am pleased report that the KacKaPon Restaurant is under new ownership. Emily Bauserman is the new owner.Barb Hughes with WV Grants has been working on our FEMA generator grant and the parking lot grant. We are slowly moving forward. John McGarrity, WV Office of Economic Development has received the pictures of the new gate that was installed in the upper section of the park adjacent to the tennis/pickleball courts. The LWCF Project #1 remains in the process of being closed out. Work continues on the ads for demo the pool and the installing of the splash pad. Water and Sewer project work continues. The Water Boy has been out of service for a few days due to poor internet connectivity and the cover was damaged. A larger, more durable cover has been installed. The Anderson Ridge water tank pad installation is moving along. Concrete will be poured shortly.The Veteran's Freedom Ride held on September 13, 2025 was a great success. Tery Carver, has asked for community support to help serve lunch to the riders in 2026. We confirmed that the WV Attorney General's Office has received our docuMayor's Report Erich Atkinson, Ed Klinovski,and I met with Katie Molnar (Michael Baker) & Aleah Boise (West Virginia Division of Highways) on November 3, 2025, to discuss the types of directional/historical signage and possible kiosk sites that DOH will be providing as part of the Corridor H Historic Properties Mitigation Plan. Following the meeting, I drove them around the area to provide points of reference from the morning meeting.
We are waiting for the electrical conduit to be installed at the park. Once it is installed, we can have river rock installed and weather permitting, install the concrete section between the tennis/pickleball courts and the basketball Court. The pad for the caterpillar bells and the climbing figures are finished. The Water Headworks building has been fenced in. A blow offline/valve needs to be installed for the water headworks building.
We are getting closer to opening the lower section of the park.
We have purchased three types of solar Christmas lights to evaluate for the Community Christmas Tree. Christmas Joy is scheduled for Saturday December 6 th . Hardy Telecommunications will take the lead on the for the light installation on the tree. We will work with them to determine a date to install the lights.
Barb Hughes with West Virginia Grants has been working on our FEMA generator grant and the parking lot grant. We have spoken with John Cole about the process we would need to follow for the Pine Street generator, along with the Warden Acres generator. We are working with Scott Construction from Petersburg on obtaining pricing for the permeable pavers. The grant reviewers questioned the estimate that was provided by our engineers. The estimate used by our engineers was from WVDOH. Scott Construction did the permeable paver work in Moorefield.
The Land Water Conservation Funding Project #1 remains in the process of being closed out. Our grant writer has shared that the LWCF grant application period is open.
If we want to submit an application, there is a pre-approval process. A possible request could be a new roof on the pool house building, fencing around the LWCF area, play equipment to compliment the splash pad area.
Work continues on the ads for the pool demo. The town is looking to move the electric panel from the barn to the pool house. The electricity at the barn is not serviceable. We are waiting on a representative from Potomac Edison to see if we can add an electric pole near the pool house and tie it to the electric pole near the old scoreboard in the lower section of the park. The tall tree near the utility pole may need to be trimmed or removed. The tree may be carved if removed.
Water and Sewer project work continues. The Anderson Ridge water tank wall installation is underway. We posted some pictures on Facebook to show how that contract is progressing. There have been posts on Face Book questioning how the new water and sewer rates were determined, what the project was not all grant monies, and how the bond payments are structured. There is confusion on how the reporting turbidity exceedances are handed and reported. I have started writing a series of posts explaining how the various processes work.
Public Works Report
Mr. Atkinson said that the new water tanks are going up quickly. Walls, roofing, and electric wiring are now being installed. The town will need a new pump ($12,000) or a refurbished version ($4,000) for the lagoon. The baffle cable at the lagoon also broke and needs replacement. He said that the cable was ancient and was never updated.
Other Business
In news on the Region 8 Senior Citizen Program, the mayor reported that the volunteer librarian for the town will now receive a stipend for her service. The town made a $300 donation to the food pantry. Due to the suggestion of several town residents, the council has considered making Oak Street a one-way road. They voted to waive the first reading, moving the process toward approval.
With all public business being addressed, the council entered an executive session at 8:17 p.m. The meeting was adjourned following the session. Town Council's next meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 8 th starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Visitor's Center. The public is invited to attend.