PARKERSBURG - A lone bid for additional court security camera equipment was received Thursday.
Wood County commissioners turned the bid over to sheriff's department administrator T.R. Smith for review. The bid was from Miller Communications of Parkersburg for $19,902. The bid is for eight additional cameras and accompanying equipment.
"That is about what we figured the cost would be in the grant," Smith told commissioners.
Article Photos
Photo by Pamela Brust
Wood County Commissioners Wayne Dunn, Steve Gainer and Blair Couch opened bids Thursday for additional court security camera equipment.
Toni Tiano, county grant coordinator, said the county has been awarded a $19,958 Courthouse Security Grant through the Supreme Court and state to cover the cost of the new equipment.
"We need to verify and make sure it fits our needs then we can make a ruling on the bid," said commission President Blair Couch. No date for a decision was given.
Tiano said the new equipment will be installed at the Shaver Judicial Annex.
Also Thursday, commissioners announced they would contribute an additional $7,500 to help the committee cover outstanding expenses from this year's air show.
"That leaves them (the air show planning committee) with a debt of about $3,208 to cover," Commissioner Wayne Dunn said.
"We reviewed the financial statements they provided us. They used past information to base their budget on for certain expenses, then when the actual numbers came in, they were less. We have, in the past, agreed to fund the air show up to a maximum of $25,000 and this additional donation will bring the total contribution to that level this year," Couch said.
"I think, going forward, if they have another air show in two years, the commission will have to talk about them charging an admission fee like other fairs and festivals do or they need to look at how they do business. I'm sure there will be a lot of discussion at that time, but at this point, we are happy with the way the committee has been able to reduce their initial request of $22,000 down to $7,500," Couch said.
In mid-October, Donna Rusche, committee co-chairman for the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport Air Expo, asked the commission for an additional $22,000 to help pay debts left from the Oct. 14 event. The county had already contributed $17,500 to the air show. In March, county records show approval of a $10,000 donation to the air show; $5,000 of that was to come from contingencies and $5,000 from the hotel/motel tax innovative grant fund. An additional $7,500 was then donated to the air expo out of the county year-end budget. For the 2010 show the county allocated a total of $25,000.
At the October meeting, Rusche told commissioners fuel revenues were down, sales of soda and ice were down, some sponsors had backed out unexpectedly prior to the show and insurance and transportation costs had risen.
In a letter submitted to the commission from the committee in the last week or so, the committee amended its request for additional funding to $7,500.
There had been some discussion of charging admission this year, then air show officials announced there would not be an admission charge, but donations would be accepted.
