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WELLSBURG -- The Brooke County commissioners, Tuesday, approved its budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year and provided an update on a planned new ambulance station following their meeting.
The budget is $13,743,000, up from $11,783,649 last year.
Commission President A.J. Thomas said it reflects a projected 10 percent increase in health care coverage for the county's employees though the commission won't know if it will be that much until later this year and are hopeful its insurance broker can negotiate for less.
He confirmed it also includes utility costs for the judicial annex currently being built and the planned construction of a new, central ambulance station.
Thomas said the commission has started referring to the annex as the judicial center because it won't connect to the existing courthouse adjacent to it.
In addition to providing additional space and security measures for the circuit, magistrate and family courts, it also will provide new facilities for the county's probation department and the prosecutor's office.
As a result, the commission will no longer rent space in the private law office where the prosecuting attorney works and the upper floor of the Charles Street building occupied by the probation department will be vacant, reducing utility costs for that structure.
Thomas said the commission anticipates additional funding from the state Supreme Court for the family court because of their expanded and improved facilities but the amount hasn't been determined.
The building currently is expected to be completed in late summer or early fall.
The cost for the ambulance station has been estimated at $1.5 million by Thrasher Engineering of Clarksburg, which was contracted to design it.
Thomas said following a pre-bid meeting with several potential contractors, the clerk of works hired to oversee the project has suggested several changes.
Plans call for the station to be built on a vacant lot near the intersection of Pleasant Avenue and state Route 2.
While there had been talk of it comprising two stories, he and County Commissioner Stacey Wise said costs proved too high for that but the intention is to create five bays for the county's ambulances.
The new headquarters are expected to replace stations at the north end of Follansbee near Route 2 and in the Bethany area near state Route 67.
During the meeting, the Rev. Brian Knight asked the commission about dilapidated buildings in Wellsburg, including one which was destroyed by fire and lost its roof.
He asked if the commission plans to hire a new official charged with investigating complaints of such structures.
Thomas said the commission does plan to fill the position but buildings in Wellsburg are under the city's jurisdiction.
County Commissioner Tom Diserio said demolition is pending for the specific house mentioned by Knight.
But he also noted the city has secured a $290,000 grant to raze more than a dozen buildings through a pilot program of the state Department of Environmental Protection while Follansbee's building enforcement agency also has been busy pursuing demolitions.
He noted the process of condemning or acquiring such properties can be lengthy.
Thomas said sometimes such efforts are blocked when a property goes up for public auction because its owner has failed to pay taxes for it.
He said more communication is needed between cities and counties to prevent that from happening.
In other business, the commission learned a library board member's term will be up soon. The commissioners agreed to consider the seat's current holder and others for two weeks in keeping with its policy for such volunteer boards.