Help us campaign today for a better tomorrow!
Dirk has been part of this community for many years, working tirelessly to make it a better place.
Dirk knows the value of being connected. That's why he is running for County Commission.
Please reach us at electdirk.stansbury@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
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"Dirk Stansbury" IN FIND A CANDIDATE
There's much to see here. So, take your time, look around, and learn all there is to know about me.
We have been active and involved in and around Berkeley Co. for over three decades .
Wife of 40 years: Carol Ann: BSN, Retired. Worked ER at City Hospital, Shenandoah Community Health Services (Migrant Workers Program), & Ruby Memorial (Morgantown).
Son: Ty Alan, 30, Equipment Operator and owner of Heritage Self Storage, Berkeley County
Being a civil engineer, I have been designing sewers, water lines, roads, subdivision & commercial developments in the Eastern Panhandle for 36 years.
In that time, I have interacted with boards and agencies of State, local, and Federal governments to bring projects to approval and construction.
I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with various youth programs. The photo left is two Civil Air Patrol (CAP) Cadets challenging a 60-ft wall at ANG Camp Dawson, Kingwood, WV. The state-of-art wall is both a physical and psychological challenge for all who attempt the rampart.
Dirk is a CAP Major that has served the Civil Air Patrol, USAF Aux., for two decades as the Aerospace Education Officer.
I also coached and refereed youth soccer for nearly 30 years with AYSO and other Park/Rec groups.
I have a BA Education from Fairmont State. I have taught in Roane County, Harrison County, and at Hedgesville here in Berkeley County. I was a football & track coach at Bridgeport and a soccer coach at Hedgesville High. I am still teaching aerospace to the Civil Air Patrol Cadets at our hanger at the airport.
Our schools have moved beyond the Ol' 3-Rs in this expanding AI world. Our schools, for a few children, have become safe harbors from their troubled world. We must work to make the schools safe for all students.
I am not for arming teachers; for every desired outcome scenario there are dozens of bad endings. But I will support other security options that our school officials deem necessary and will work within the Commission to assist in keeping a safe school environment.
Mother Nature can be unforgiving, we can mitigate her actions or we can make them worse!
The path forward is a balancing act between protection of what is good in Berkeley and the growth that is coming.
Please reach us at if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The categorizing of land use by zoning is praised by some people and feared by others. Zoning will often fall short of the former's expectations of control; however, zoning is not as controlling as the latter group believes.
Being zoned as BC (Business-Commercial) or RU (Residential Urban), is not what frustrates most people. The frustration is the Sub-Ordinances governing a specific zone. That is where the Dos & Don'ts are imposed. If you have a Do, just do it. If it is a Don't, it is time consuming, costly, and in the end may be prohibited by the board of appeals.
Even if it is a Do, there is often a "What? I got to do what?" that may add time, money, or just be an irritation, but it has to be done. There are positives with Zoning. It does keep a coherent growth but does not stop it. It protects property values but can block needed low-income housing. It can protect historic or sensitive areas in the community.
Where I stand on zoning: I have lived and worked in Zoned and non-Zoned communities; I survived them. I will do whatever the Berkeley County citizens choose.. If it does come to pass, and zoning is chosen, the County needs someone that has confronted the Zoning process. We must not adopt a cookie cutter ordinance as used in Annapolis, MD or Dallis, TX. We need a zoning ordinance that fits Berkeley County community. That is why we need Dirk!
We must have emergency services/first responders, successful schools, parks & rec, and all the other services provided in Berkeley County. In order to have these services, we are going to be taxed. With the actions at the State Legislature hinting at enacting home rule, sales tax, impact fees, reduced income tax, etc..; we at the County must adjust to what is imposed by the state. If a sales tax is needed to fill the shortfalls, it will likely be added to Berkeley County citizens' burden.
Looking at getting the best out of the revenue collected should be the Commission's goal. There are the A) Must Fund budget items, B) it's Good to Have items, and some C) "do we really need this item?". The Fiscal Responsibility of the current budget is to thin out the "C" items to redirect funding to the A & Bs. Can we find other sources of funds/grants to cover some of our needs? I will hunt for ways to reduce the burden or at least make the cost worth the paid tax/fee.
Stormwater is another tax posing as a fee. What is it for? It is not about the rain, but what rain can do. Rain can washout a road, fill a basement, carry mud and fertilizer into a stream or river. If runoff is in a well or spring source, it is now in the drinking water system. Okay then, what does the fee do?
Part of the problem is that we need:
There is no question that we need some response to the list of stormwater problems listed above. But what are we getting for the fee.? By addressing the cited problems, we keep the EPA out of the County. By not addressing the stormwater issues, the EPA can drop a fine on the County pulling away funds we need elsewhere.
It is still early in the Counties BCPSSWD (MS-4)* organization. The focus has been on the construction/development side of their duties trying to keep our streams clean.
The County Commission must be proactive in finding grants/other funding to attack some of the long existing stormwater issues. The commission must also assist HOAs and homeowners to better take care of existing stormwater ponds, culverts, and other drainage issues. We must also determine a more equitable treatment of citizens in non-growth area, like the Back Creek area.
Like taxes, if you get something for your money, it's at least a tolerable burden.
*BCPSSWD = Berkeley Co. Public Service Stormwater District
MS-4 =MUNICIPLE SEPARATE STORM SEWER SYSTEMS
For a parcel of land to be made into a home site or commercial/industrial site, one needs water, a way to dispose of wastewater, access to the property, and protection from flooding. This is also true of existing homes and businesses. These key infrastructure components are in multiple agencies hands. The Depatments of Highways, Health (State & County), PSSD, PSWD, PSSWD, maybe DEP and Army Corps, and finally County Engineering may have jurisdiction on projects in our County.
. Sometimes multiple agencies are players in a major project and I have knowledge of the interactions of these agencies. I have been in these conversations and understand the relationships of these various agencies. Working with these agencies and state/federal lawmakers, we can help fix traffic congestion, water distribution, wastewater treatment, and flooding in the County..
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