BIDS OPENED — The Brooke County Commission opened bids Tuesday for the paving of two lots near the county’s new judicial center and a storage building for the Brooke County Pioneer Trail. -- Warren Scott

WELLSBURG — The Brooke County Commission opened bids Tuesday for the paving of two parking lots for the county’s judicial center and a storage building for the Brooke County Pioneer Trail.

Plans call for the gravel lot behind the judicial center to be paved from Sixth Street to Wellsburg City Hall, where a row of spaces will be created for that building; and the lot left with the demolition of the Colony Center across Charles Street from the new court facility.

The apparent bids included: $599,900 from the Waller Corp. of Washington, Pa.; $637,749 from Rycon Construction of Pittsburgh; $674,279 from Able Concrete of Steubenville; and $431,549 from Alex E. Paris Contracting of Atlasburg, Pa.

Fuscardo Concrete of Weirton submitted bids for both concrete and asphalt, with the former totaling about $698,155 and the latter totaling about $225,180.

Alternate bids also were received for sidewalks along Charles and Sixth streets.

The paving is to be done around the 236-year-old log house that stands at the corner of Sixth and Charles streets. The building was relocated to the site from Charles Street in 2004.

The commission also opened one bid for a pole barn to store equipment used to maintain the Brooke County Pioneer Trail.

Lombardi Development of Follansbee submitted a bid of $280,900 for the structure and an alternate bid of $3,650 for a roof with longer overhangs for the building.

The commissioners said they are still determining a site for it, having reached out to multiple owners of property along the trail.

The paved trail links the Wheeling Heritage Trail at the northern border of Ohio County and Wellsburg’s Yankee Trail at the Buffalo Creek Bridge on the city’s south end.

All of the bids were tabled for further review.

In other business, the commission:

• Set the county’s levy rate at 13.63 cents per $100 of assessed property values, noting it is the same as the rate for the last fiscal year.

• Approved a budget transfer to the Brooke County ambulance service in the amount of $150, reflecting three donations that have been made in memory of John Gallagher.

Gallagher, who died on March 24 following ongoing health issues, is survived by his wife, Vickey, president of the county’s museum board.

• Passed a resolution declaring the week 911 Telecommunicators Week in recognition of the Brooke County Emergency 911 Center staff’s diligence in ensuring emergency first responders are dispatched to local residents in need.