New 911 center planned in Brooke County

WELLSBURG -- The Brooke County Commission, Tuesday, took a step toward establishing a new emergency 911 center and recognized the staff of the county's health department for its efforts during the pandemic.

The commissioners announced the hiring of Willie Parker, a former Harrison and Upshur county administrator with experience in information technology, as an independent consultant to aid them in the bidding process for the new center.

He will be paid $100 per hour for his services, which are not to exceed 24 hours.

County Commissioner Stacey Wise said the commission will seek input from Parker on previously drawn specifications for the project before putting it out to bid, then consider his recommendation when reviewing the submitted bids.

Wise said the center will include new equipment and furniture.

Last year a majority of Brooke County voters supported a four-year levy raising $570,296 per year for operations and improvements to the center.

The commissioners said they also have set aside other funds for it.

Wise said plans call for the new center to be relocated from an area adjacent to the sheriff's department at the county courthouse to the judicial chambers adjacent to the main courtroom.

While not occupied on a daily basis, the chambers are used for private conferences between judges and attorneys during court proceedings.

Wise said on those occasions, the circuit court clerks' office or jury room may be used.

The commissioners have made plans for an addition to the courthouse to house the county's circuit, magistrate and family courts.

The commission's volunteer building commission has been authorized to sell up to $9.9 million in private bonds for the addition, which they hope to complete in 2023.

In other business, the commission presented a certificate of acknowledgment from the West Virginia Association of County Officials to county health department staff for their outstanding service to the community during the pandemic.

Wise said the department has been praised elsewhere in the state for its well-organized response to COVID-19.

As vaccine against the coronavirus became available, the department called residents in eligible age groups in an effort to ensure it was available to all who wished to be vaccinated and worked with other agencies to administer it and conduct regular testing.

April Eltringham, the department's office manager, said more than 8,000 individuals were vaccinated.

The department continues to take appointments for the Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccines and can be reached at (304) 737-3665. It's also conducting testing each Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon at the Weirton Salvation Army at 794 Cove Road and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Wellsburg Banquet Hall on 12th Street.

Led by administrator Mike Bolen, the department includes Eltringham, nurses Sandy Rogers and Clorissa Glenn; epidemiologist Catherine Bryan, sanitarian Mark Hawkins and office assistants Jolynn Neff and Dena Scott.

Eltringham said, "We couldn't have done it without the volunteers. We had a lot of community volunteers step up."

She described the experience of responding to the pandemic as "a tiring, wild ride."