Paper Submitted at the March 18th, 2009 Meeting

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FORMATION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE

U. S. ROUTE 50 ASSOCIATION

Prepared for its March 18, 2003 meeting

By: Commissioners Janice LaRue & Wayne Spiggle

• In early October, 2003: The Hampshire County Commission convened a public meeting to discuss the need to address unsafe conditions along U.S. Rt. 50. This event was in response to a fatal accident involving a prominent Hampshire County resident. At that meeting it was suggested that more would be accomplished if a multi-county association worked on this issue. The idea of a U.S. Rt. 50 Association was brought forward. It was agreed that the county commissions would address this further.

• On November 18, 2003 the Mineral County Commission convened a meeting of commissioners from Hampshire, Mineral, Grant and Preston Counties. A discussion paper on the formation of the Association was reviewed and amended. The commissioners asked Wayne Spiggle to act as facilitator and a follow up meeting was planned. Minutes of this meeting are available.

• On January 30, 2004, the first official meeting of the U.S. Route 50 Association was held in the Garrett County Courthouse. Hampshire, Grant, Mineral, Garrett, Preston and Taylor County Commissions were present. Two counties sent designated representatives. Also present for the first time were WVDOH representatives, Bill Wood, Brian Carr and Marvin Murphy. The Strategic Plan and the Guidelines for Organization and Decision Making were amended and approved. Until a need for By-laws was demonstrated, these documents were to serve in that capacity. Interestingly, Scenic By-way status for Rt. 50 was discussed at this meeting.

Minutes of this meeting are available for review and the guidelines document will be reviewed in detail at this meeting to clarify the controversy that has developed over how the Association is to operate.