CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Kanawha County officials want to know more before paying $8,000 for a church maintenance project in Marmet.

Members of the Kanawha County Commission were first presented with the bill for maintenance work at the Ebebezer Chapel during a March 26 meeting. But commissioners Dave Hardy and Kent Carper decided to put off paying the invoice until they looked into the project.

The church was used as a hospital during the Civil War and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Members of the Elizaville Historical Society asked for county funding in 2006 to help pay for maintenance and upkeep of the building.

Marmet was formerly known as Elizaville. Damron Bradshaw, mayor of neighboring Chesapeake and an authority on eastern Kanawha County history and politics, said the church is used for a Good Friday service every year, but is mostly unused.

County officials cannot legally give money to church projects, and Hardy asked for clarification of whether the church was used primarily for religious services or is more important as a historic landmark.

Carper wants to know why the bill for work at the church is coming up now. "This project started 39 months ago," he said this week. "Why wasn't it funded then?"

When asked about the church project at the March 26 commission meeting, assistant county manager Dave Fontalbert said he was aware of the project, but did not know many details. But he did say that his father, Terry Fontalbert, was on the board of the Elizaville Historical Society.

County e-mail records show that Terry Fontalbert told county officials he would forward details of the bid request for the project through his son, Dave Fontalbert. The e-mail was sent on March 11.

In June 2007, Dave Fontalbert also forwarded an e-mail request from his father for an extension on the original county grant for the project, records show.

Dave Fontalbert said this week that it is not unusual for him to forward e-mail requests to other county officials. He said it doesn't mean he is familiar with details about the projects.

"I am fully removed from this application and process," he said.

Members of the Kanawha County Commission were first presented with the bill for maintenance work at the Ebebezer Chapel during a March 26 meeting. But commissioners Dave Hardy and Kent Carper decided to put off paying the invoice until they looked into the project.

The church was used as a hospital during the Civil War and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Members of the Elizaville Historical Society asked for county funding in 2006 to help pay for maintenance and upkeep of the building.

Marmet was formerly known as Elizaville. Damron Bradshaw, mayor of neighboring Chesapeake and an authority on eastern Kanawha County history and politics, said the church is used for a Good Friday service every year, but is mostly unused.

County officials cannot legally give money to church projects, and Hardy asked for clarification of whether the church was used primarily for religious services or is more important as a historic landmark.

Carper wants to know why the bill for work at the church is coming up now. "This project started 39 months ago," he said this week. "Why wasn't it funded then?"

When asked about the church project at the March 26 commission meeting, assistant county manager Dave Fontalbert said he was aware of the project, but did not know many details. But he did say that his father, Terry Fontalbert, was on the board of the Elizaville Historical Society.

County e-mail records show that Terry Fontalbert told county officials he would forward details of the bid request for the project through his son, Dave Fontalbert. The e-mail was sent on March 11.

In June 2007, Dave Fontalbert also forwarded an e-mail request from his father for an extension on the original county grant for the project, records show.

Dave Fontalbert said this week that it is not unusual for him to forward e-mail requests to other county officials. He said it doesn't mean he is familiar with details about the projects.

"I am fully removed from this application and process," he said.

Dave Fontalbert said work at the old church has been delayed because the project had to be rebid.

"Everything has just come together a few weeks ago," he said.

However, both Bradshaw and Carper question the timing of the invoice. Dave Fontalbert is running for the office of city recorder in the town of Marmet, where the church is located.

City elections are in June.

"The appearance of impropriety is always a concern," Carper said.

Hardy said his only question was whether the chapel is used as a church or is a historic building.

"I don't think [Dave Fontalbert] did anything wrong at all," Hardy said.

Dave Fontalbert said the timing of the bill for the church project has nothing to do with the fact that his father is president of the historical society or the fact that Fontalbert is running for office.

"I have no involvement and no benefit from this," he said.

Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1215.