Court security, ambulance plan before Brooke Commission
WELLSBURG -- The Brooke County Commission agreed Tuesday to advertise for security personnel for the judicial annex nearing completion and to advertise for a consultant to prepare a strategic plan for the county's ambulance service.
Commission President A.J. Thomas said it's not been determined how many guards will be needed for the new building, which will house the county's circuit, magistrate and family courtrooms and offices, prosecutor's offices and probation department.
Thomas said it will include a central security checkpoint, like the current courthouse, as well as a separate room from which the building's security systems can be monitored.
He said plans call for the security guards to be trained to serve also as bailiffs for court hearings and trials.
Thomas said after the judicial center is opened, security guards will continue to serve at the entrance to the existing courthouse, where the county sheriff's and tax departments, among other agencies, will remain.
He said the new guards will be hired before the judicial center opens so they can be trained with the new equipment there and become familiar with the building.
While the commissioners had hoped to open the building in November, it appears that may not occur until after Jan. 1.
Thomas said the transfer of computers and files used by the courts is to be overseen by the state Supreme Court, which has jurisdiction over them, and that may not be possible until then.
The commissioners recently unveiled a colorful element of the building, which is adjacent to the existing courthouse at the corner of Sixth and Main streets.
Thomas said they learned its electronic lighting system allows the building's large columns and lobby to be bathed at night in multiple-colored lights.
As a result, there are plans for the building to be illuminated in red and green at Christmas and red, white and blue for Independence Day, with other colors possible for other occasions.
Thomas said those who pass it at night for the remainder of this month may find it lighted in pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
In other business, the commissioners authorized the county's ambulance authority to seek bids for a strategic plan to cover aspects ranging from its daily operations to finances.
Thomas said input also will be sought from the ambulance service's community partners such as nursing homes.
He said the ambulance service should have such a plan to ensure the best use of funds provided through a new levy to be dedicated solely to it in 2025.
Approved by a majority of voters last year, the levy is slated to generate $900,000 per year for five years.
Also on Tuesday, the commission:
≤ Agreed to allocate $4,000 from its budget for the West Virginia Route 2 and Interstate 68 Authority, a volunteer board formed by the West Virginia Legislature to prioritize areas of the two highways for expansion to four lanes.
≤ Consented to a grant agreement through which hours served by Brooke County Assistant Prosecutor John Kyle in prosecuting federal cases involving firearms will be paid from a grant from the Young Women's Christian Association of Wheeling.
No match or other financial commitment was required of the commission.