Website, radio link pursued by Brooke commissioners
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WELLSBURG -- Plans for a new Brooke County website, a major improvement to the county's emergency communications system and the status of future negotiations for school resource officers were discussed by the Brooke County Commission on Tuesday.
The commissioners disclosed a letter they have sent to county school officials restating their frustration that financial terms discussed in negotiations with Superintendent Jeff Crook and Board President Ted Pauls weren't the ones approved by the school board at its Sept. 26 meeting.
Signed by commissioners Tim Ennis, Stacey Wise and A.J. Thomas and Sheriff Rich Beatty, the letter closes with, "The BCC and Brooke County Sheriff intend to continue to try and find a solution to ensure the placement of PRO deputies in Brooke County as soon as possible. Any further proposals the parties have will be forwarded in writing to Kim Croyle (the board's legal counsel), who may provide them to whatever party or parties the BOE designates."
Crook couldn't be reached for comment on whether negotiations for the officers may resume.
After negotiations for the resource officers stalled last year, the school board hired a former sheriff's deputy and resource officer to serve at Brooke High School and oversee a Wellsburg officer at Brooke Middle School, through an agreement with the city, and security guards employed at other schools.
In other business, the commission accepted a proposal from Revise Web Services to redesign the county's website.
County Coordinator Adrienne Ward said the company, which specializes in government websites, will create the site for $10,300 and host it while offering technical support for $1,800 per year, with another redesign to be done in five years at no additional cost.
Wise said the site will include the county clerk's office, enabling it to accept online payment of the fees it handles, and the ambulance service, though it's not been determined whether it also will accept online payments.
She said the county tax office will continue to accept payments online as it has done for some years.
Ward said the web address for the new site will be the same as the current one, www.brookewv.org.
She added the intention is to make the site more user-friendly and helpful, with announcements such as holiday closings and other information.
The commissioners also approved an agreement with the Chillicothe Telephone Co. for the extension of fiber optic lines from the county's emergency 911 center to a north radio tower in Weirton, providing access to the West Virginia Statewide Interoperable Radio Network.
The business will receive $14,500 to install the lines and a monthly connection and maintenance fee of $1,250.
Wise said in order to complete the connection with the state emergency radio network and overcome challenges presented by terrain, a new tower had been considered.
But the cost for the tower alone would have been about $250,000, she said while adding Ward had come up with the alternative approach.
"Thanks go to our county coordinator for finding this solution for us," agreed Ennis.
The commission also accepted a bid of $40,432 from Jim Robinson Ford of Triadelphia for a Ford F-150 Interceptor for the sheriff's department.
The commissioners and Beatty said the vehicle will replace a vehicle that was struck by another driver, though much of its equipment can be transferred to the new car.
County Clerk Kim Barbetta noted the county courthouse will be closed on Monday for Columbus Day.