WELLSBURG - As Brooke County officials come close to assigning citystyle addresses throughout the county, Wellsburg city officials heard from several residents protesting their new addresses.
Representatives of five Wellsburg households told the five city council members on the city's properties committee they are unhappy with changes to their street addresses.
Among them was attorney Marc Chernenko, who was accompanied by his own attorney and said the Brooke County Sheriff's Department didn't follow the proper procedure in assigning new numbered street addresses to residents.
Chernenko said the county commission didn't adopt a citystyle addressing ordinance and hasn't given residents an opportunity to appeal the changes.
He also said the sheriff's department has overstepped its jurisdiction by assigning addresses in the city.
City Solicitor Bill Cipriani said he believes the sheriff's department's intentions were good but he believes city council should have been involved.
Brooke County Sheriff Richard Ferguson said county commissions were instructed by the state to conduct the addressing and he thought a county ordinance was adopted.
He said he wasn't aware of an appeals process but has responded to requests for changes when residents asked for them.
Ferguson said he will inform officials with the U.S. Postal Service in Pittsburgh who approve the new addresses about 80 Wellsburg addresses that were changed should be restored unless residents request the new ones.
"I won't encroach on the city's autonomy," he said.
Ferguson said residents of unincorporated areas may not return to their rural addresses but legitimate requests for changes to the new ones will be considered.
Over the last several years the Brooke County Sheriff's Department has been working to assign numbered street addresses to residents whose roads are identified only by rural route numbers, such as RD 1 or RR 2.
Mandated by U.S. Senate Bill 460 in 2001, the effort is intended to ease delivery by mail carriers and response by police, fire departments and ambulance squads.
While directed largely at unincorporated areas of the county, it also has involved renaming or re-numbering city addresses that conflict with certain federal guidelines.
For example, a road that began as a driveway for a single home on property where additional homes were later built must be given a street name, said Ferguson.
The sheriff initially said he would ask the postal service to restore the addresses of those residents who complained.
But some attending the meeting said the new addresses in Wellsburg should be dropped.
"I think our goal should be to make this thing go away," said resident James Paull.
Resident Mike Allman, a former Brooke County magistrate, said he opposes the addressing because it lacks a formal appeals process.
"I want the city to step up and say this is what we want," he said.
Second Ward Councilman Paul T. Billiard said he appreciates the sheriff's department's efforts, particularly the installation of street signs that aid visitors to lesser traveled areas.
But he said it creates a burden for some. A local insurance agent, he holds licenses in five states, and it will cost him $2,000 to change the address for all of them, Billiard said.
Mayor Sue Simonetti said she recognizes the concerns of the residents present. But she questioned whether opting out leaves the city liable for any resident who doesn't receive timely emergency aid because of confusion over his or her address.
Ferguson said some confusion has arisen over the date on which residents must adopt their new address. He said some misinterpreted a letter stating the new addresses go into effect on Sept. 8 as meaning they were required to notify their billing agencies and others by then when they actually have a year to do that.
Terry Dick of Wellsburg, who worked with an engineering firm on the addressing, said many have welcomed them because they needed them to build homes, seek loans or receive deliveries from private shippers.
He noted the addressing has been delayed by various factors, including the bankruptcy of an engineering firm hired initially for the job.
Ferguson said he expects new addresses to be assigned to all affected unincorporated residents by early next year.
"Brooke County is probably 10 years behind. The majority of counties are done. Hancock and Ohio counties are done," said Dick, who has worked with Ferguson to expedite the project begun by the late sheriff Bernie Kazienko after the state failed to carry out plans to conduct the addressing itself.
Ferguson said he expects new addresses to be assigned to all affected unincorporated residents by early next year.
(Scott can be contacted at wscott@heraldstaronline.com)
