Hancock County resident Lisa Cox posed questions to the Hancock County Commissioners at their Thursday meeting regarding the validity of the contract with Shenton Enterprises to operate Kennedy Marina. Cox said the original bid was awarded to Shenton in 2013 and should have been rebid in 2015 and still according to her research had never been bid. She said Shenton is currently operating without a contract and questioned why the Commission had never bid the operation out despite being required to do so.

Cox said she had addressed Commissioners at their May meeting and posed those same questions and is still awaiting an answer. She said the campgrounds had become very busy with the oil & gas workers in the area and the Marina had become a lucrative business. She said other parties may be interested in submitting bids to operate the Marina and are not being given the opportunity to do so. .

Cox said she had a boat docked at Kennedy and experienced problems with Shenton when her boat was blocked and she complained. Rather than handle the issue, Shenton sent the owner of the boat, who was inebriated, to confront her. She said at the when it was time to renew her lease to dock her boat at the Marina, she was told it was not being renewed.

Commission President Paul Cowey told Cox that it was not their policy to respond during their meeting to questions posed by those addressing the Commission. Cox said she would continue to seek the information on the contract.

“All I have to say is, I would like some answers,” she concluded.

Kennedy Marina, which includes boat docks, concession and campgrounds, was originally titled to the Hancock County Commission by the Department of Interior. According to Assistant Prosecutor Mike Lucas, the Commissioners have been reviewing the renewal provisions in the contract.

In other business, the Commission:

**Approved a provider agreement on behalf of the Juvenile Mediation Services;

**Agreed to advertise for bids for the 911 Dispatch/Office of Emergency Management parking lot;

**Agreed to advertise for bids for the Animal Shelter parking lot project;

**Agreed to advertise for bids for the two-way radio Communication system;

**Accepted the resignation of Joanna Petteway from the Circuit Clerk’s Office;

**Approved the payment of accrued vacation and personal time to Petteway;

**Agreed to advertise for the position of Agriculture and Natural Resource Program Assistant in the WVU Extension Office;

**Set the next meeting for August 11 at 9:30 a.m.