Published: February 05, 2009 09:51 pm      

Beckleyan succeeds Susman on W.Va. Parkways Authority

CHARLESTON — Doug Epling has succeeded a fellow Beckleyan as a member of the West Virginia Parkways Authority at a time it is steeped in a controversy over dwindling income and a likely toll increase.

“I see this as a tremendous challenge,” Epling said Thursday after his first meeting since his appointment by Gov. Joe Manchin.

“It’s a tremendous problem which is going to be a huge, huge task.”

Epling replaced Alan Susman, a former state senator who served on the board 28 years, going back to the era when it was known as the Turnpike Commission.

A native and lifelong resident of Raleigh County, the newest member was chief engineer at Beckley Coal Mining Co. for 19 years and now owns three coal firms in the region.

Epling also chairs the Police Civil Service Commission in Beckley and is a past member of the board of governors at WVU Tech.

“It’s going to be interesting,” he said of his tenure on the authority. “I appreciate the governor letting me serve on it.”

Thursday marked the first time the authority was minus a full-time chairman, after Joe Martin departed as Manchin’s chief of staff to pursue a private sector endeavor.

Martin was replaced temporarily by Manchin aide Jim Pitrolo.

Finance committee chair Cam Lewis led the board into approving the purchase of three crew cabs from Stephens

Auto in Danville for $104,080.20. The budget had allotted $132,000 for the cabs, two of which are destined for the Ghent maintenance station and the third earmarked as heavy equipment.

And the authority approved the purchase of two GMC Sierra pickup trucks from Matheny Motors of Parkersburg for $16,462.85.

A line item in the budget had specified $18,000 for the vehicles. Both will be assigned to the maintenance department.

— E-mail:

mannix@register-herald.com