Wood gets grant

By PAMELA BRUST, pbrust@newsandsentinel.com


PARKERSBURG — The West Virginia Courthouse Facilities Improvement Authority has agreed to award $200,000 to Morgan County out of the authority’s emergency fund to help with that county’s new courthouse.

“The authority also agreed to commit an additional $80,000 grant over the next five funding cycles, if the funds are available, and if the county applies,” said Wood County Commission President Bob Tebay, who serves on the authority. “They still have to come up with the matching funds for the $200,000 and the $80,000. The emergency fund is made up of grant money previously awarded, but not used, or returned funds from counties that failed to complete projects grants were awarded for in the past,” Tebay said.

In the meantime, work progresses on installation of a new heating, air-conditioning system for the first and second floors of the Wood County Courthouse, made possible by an authority grant.

Architects with Silling and Associates have been meeting with Morgan County officials on plans for their new facility The county’s courthouse at Berkeley Springs was destroyed in an August 2006 fire and county officials have been operating out of trailers ever since.

Morgan County officials said circuit court has been operating out of school board facilities.

A former post office, which the county purchased earlier, is being used for family and magistrate court.

Wood County’s authority grant was for $80,000 which is being used to install the HVAC. County officials said it is anticipated the new system should be in place around mid-May.

County officials are considering asking for an additional grant in the fall to complete the HVAC system for the third and fourth floors.

Money in the state grant fund pool is from accumulated fee increases for county services such as marriage license fees and fees for copying tax maps.

The grant funds can be used for anything related to courthouses or any county-owned building used for county operations.