Page 3 - West Virgina 811 Magazine 2020 Issue 3

from the desk of
Tom Taylor
Welcome to another edition of the West Virginia 811 magazine! As you can see this issue’s focus is on enforcement. Check out the article that outlines our progress here in West Virginia. There are other great articles as well. Let us know how we’re doing as we try to provide topics that are of interest to you.
Our call volumes have remained at or near last year’s levels, even with the virus concerns that plague all of us. Excavation has been virtually unchecked. Many utility companies tell us that they’ve even experienced an increase in locate requests this year as compared to last year. In addition to the normal excavation requests, there has been a significant increase in homeowner calls. Maybe that’s why the Lowe’s and Home Depot parking lots have been full.
Our annual meeting was held on July 16 and following the theme of most meetings in today’s environment, it was a virtual meeting. There was a change in officers on the board. They are as follows: Courtlandt Smith, President; Greg Harbour, Vice President; Arden Swecker, Treasurer; and Carol Costello, Secretary.
Also, it is noteworthy that the Paradigm pipeline meetings are now scheduled beginning October 5 through November 2. Again because of COVID-19 concerns all meetings are currently scheduled to be virtual meetings. You can find the location and dates for all scheduled meetings in this issue.
I want to thank the supporters of the magazine. Your continued support through advertising allows us to reach our members and callers with valuable information as it regards the law and just safe digging practices. Thanks for your confidence in us. If you haven’t yet decided to support our efforts in the magazine, now might be a good time to reconsider.
The magazine was not created for the homeowner or occasional user of the system, but for those industry professionals who must learn to work together to promote public safety and minimize the disruption of underground utilities. A great way to reach that audience is to become an advertiser or supporter of our magazine. We hope you will consider including support for our damage prevention efforts in your next budget cycle.
Thanks for all you do and until next time, dig safely!
Tom Taylor Executive Director West Virginia 811
2020, Issue 3
West Virginia 811 • 1