AMBULANCE BOARD PLANNED — On Tuesday, the Brooke County Commission made plans to form an advisory board for the county's ambulance service. The commissioners and County Clerk Kim Barbetta have been meeting in a records room at the county courthouse while crews replace the building's elevator. -- Warren Scott

WELLSBURG — The Brooke County Commission is seeking five individuals to serve on a new volunteer board to oversee the county’s ambulance service.

Commission President A.J. Thomas said he and the other commissioners recently learned of a provision for a county ambulance authority under West Virginia Code 7-15-5, which was adopted in 1975.

He acknowledged the county hasn’t had such a board since its ambulance service was established many years ago, but he and the other commissioners believe it’s required under the code.

County Commissioner Stacey Wise said the ambulance service would benefit from the board’s guidance, adding the Brooke County Committee on Aging has helped the Brooke County Senior Center through financial difficulties in recent years.

County Commissioner noted the ambulance service has a budget of more than $1 million, a significant part of the county’s budget.

The state code calls for a county ambulance authority to consist of no fewer than five members and not more than 15.

It states that following the initial appointment of members who will serve one-, two- or three-year terms, each will serve staggered three-year terms.

The commissioners said they chose five because larger boards can run into difficulty obtaining the quorum needed to meet.

The code doesn’t require the panel’s membership to include certain local officials or have specific experience, and the commissioners have no plans to make such requirements.

Wise said most important will be the willingness of applicants to volunteer their time beyond a monthly meeting if needed.

Those interested are encouraged to submit a letter of interest to the office of County Clerk Kim Barbetta at the county courthouse.

Following the meeting, the commissioners were asked about potential plans to build a central ambulance station.

The commission recently agreed to advertise for an architect to determine the feasibility of building a more modern station on two lots on the north end of Pleasant Avenue near its intersection with state Route 2 north Wellsburg.

The commissioners earlier purchased the lots and razed two dilapidated structures on them.

Currently the ambulance service operates from a station on former Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel property on state Route 2 at Follansbee’s north end and in the Marshall Terrace area off state Route 67 near Bethany.

Established several years ago, the two locations were seen as a way for the ambulance service to quickly reach emergencies at either end of the county.

Ennis said even if a central station is built, the commission could consider a substation elsewhere if it were needed.

The commissioners have noted the Follansbee property is not owned by the county, though its present owner hasn’t objected to the ambulance station’s presence; and the Marshall Terrace station isn’t directly linked to Route 2.

In other business:

• The commission granted a $39,675 match for a grant sought by the Business Development Corp. of the Northern Panhandle for the county’s continued participation in the Certified Development Community program.

Thomas said the contribution comes from the commission’s annual allocation for the BDC as the county’s lead economic development agency.

• Mary Jo Guidi, regional representative for U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., introduced Roseann Ferro, who will succeed her as she takes another position with Manchin’s office. She noted Ferro is a native of McMechen in Marshall County, which is in the region she will serve.