After the townﾒs mower broke down, once again, Durbin Town Council approved the purchase of a new zero-turn Husqvarna lawn mower at its June 12 meeting.

Councilmember Mike Vance said he spoke to Husqvarna dealer Buster Varner about the mower and Varner said if the mower was paid for with cash, the town would receive a 15 percent discount.

Council agreed to withdraw money from the Durbin Days Heritage Festival fund, the general fund and the coal severance fund to purchase the mower.

In other business:

ﾕ Council approved to have three picnic tables built to replace several missing tables at the Bingo pavilion. Mayor Donald Peck said he suspected that the tables were stolen but he did not have proof.

ﾕ Peck said he noticed some contractors and realtors operating in the town limits without a town business license. He asked council to be aware of this and told them to inform contractors and realtors they need to have a town business license, as well as a West Virginia business license, to do business in the Town of Durbin.

ﾕ Peck said a letter was sent to the town from Diane Schou, a Green Bank resident with Electromagnetic Sensitivity. The letter is in regards to the use of wireless Internet at the Durbin Public Library. Peck and council agreed to send Schou a letter to explain that the town does not have control of the library and to tell her she needs to discuss the issue with the Pocahontas County Free Libraries board.

ﾕﾠCouncilmember Bob Gray said a resident approached him about his sewer bill. Gray said the resident was concerned because his sewer bill went up when he filled his swimming pool.
Council explained that the sewer bill rates depend on the amount of water used in a month and there were no exemptions due to filling a swimming pool. The rates are as follows: 2,000 gallons used per month, $9.75 per 1,000 gallons; 3,000 gallons used per month, $6.40 per 1,000 gallons; 5,000 gallons used per month, $5 per 1,000 gallons; 10,000 gallons used per month, $3.65 per 1,000 gallons; and more than 20,000 gallons used per month, $2.71 per 1,000 gallons.

Durbin Town Council meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Town Hall.