Commissioners organize for new year
By PAMELA BRUSTArticle Photos
PARKERSBURG - Wood County Commissioner Rick Modesitt was elected president, commission meeting dates and times will remain the same and committee assignments were handed out during the commission's first meeting of the new year Monday.
Monday was also newly elected Commissioner Wayne Dunn's first day on the job.
"It's been enjoyable so far, but I do feel about 99 percent lost. I'll learn as I go along. I just don't have the background yet; it will be very educational," he said.
Modesitt was unanimously elected commission president and Blair Couch will serve as president pro tem for the coming year. The commission meeting times will continue to be 9:30 a.m. to noon Mondays and Thursdays, with additional meetings to be announced as needed. Prior to the vote on meeting dates, Dunn noted he would prefer meeting only one day a week.
"I don't know what the other counties do. I think it's a common practice though to meet one day," Dunn said, adding he would, however, go along with the decision of his fellow commissioners if they wished to continue meeting two days a week.
"We do meet more than any other county commission in the state. There are both positives and negatives to doing that. One positive is that we are more hands on with county government; we are here in the building more and accessible if there are problems," Modesitt said. "We also are able to process purchase orders, and keep up with paperwork better with the two days, and there are people who know we meet those two days and we have walk-ins."
The commissioners decided to retain the current meeting schedule, and that vote was unanimous.
Also Monday, the following committee/board assignments were made for the new year: Couch will serve on the Wood County Recreation Commission, Wood County Development Authority, E911 Communications Advisory board, Mountwood Park's board, Fort Boreman Historical Park Committee and Wood County Community Corrections Day Report Center board. Modesitt will serve on the Wood County Commission on Crime, Delinquency and Corrections; Wood County Planning Commission; Wood County Solid Waste Authority; Parkersburg-Wood County Convention and Visitorss Bureau; Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Council, and Downtown Task Force. Modesitt will also serve as liaison to law enforcement, a new post requested by Sheriff Jeff Sandy. Dunn will serve on the Mid-Ohio Valley Airport Authority, West Virginia Extension Service Committee, Local Emergency Planning Committee, Workforce Investment Act, Veterans Park Advisory Board and Mid-Ohio Valley Board of Health.
"The liaison position was requested by the new sheriff. It would serve as a conduit when necessary, but I stressed I would not be involved in discussions regarding employees or investigations, anything that might later come across our desk here at the county commission, that should be brought before all three," Modesitt said.
Regarding his appointment to the airport authority, Dunn asked why Couch would no longer serve. "I just questioned why Blair did not stay on the committee because you (Couch) have a vested interest in making sure the airport works, it seems you would be the logical choice; it's such a loss."
Couch will continue to serve in a citizen/businessman voluntary capacity on the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Authority, a separate committee from the Mid-Ohio Valley Airport Authority. The regional authority is more the marketing arm of the entity and is multicounty. The authority board is involved with leases, employees, more day to day affairs, Couch noted. He has served as president of the regional board since its inception five years ago, and on the other board for the past two years.
Couch said he received conflicting verbal opinions from the state Ethics Committee regarding the post.
"I was originally told there was no conflict as long as I abstained from voting on anything related to my contract. (the contract for his car rental business as the airport). I was appointed because it was on the list of (former county commissioner) Gary Deem's committee appointments, and that's what I was told I would be getting. My contract was never brought up while I was on the board so that wasn't a problem. Then someone raised the issue of whether I paid rent or not, and I disclosed that I was paying $67,000 in rent. Then the issue came up again after the levy was brought up, and I was getting differing opinions from the ethics officials. The last thing I heard was the legal counsel from the Ethics Commission asked me what I was going to do this year. I told him I was going to resign from that board, and he said OK," Couch said.
In other business Monday, new assistant prosecutors Ashlee Mullenix and Megan Underwood were sworn in as well as Debra George, who was sworn in as a new secretary to the prosecutor.
Prosecutor Jason Wharton told commissioners Mullenix and Underwood previously served as Wood County Circuit Court law clerks. George has more than 17 years experience as a legal secretary.
"I'm in the process of interviewing for the final attorney's spot," Wharton said. The prosecutor said funds are available within his current budget for the positions. He will have a total of eight assistants on staff once all the posts are filled.
