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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Commission approved over $200,000 to be made out to local attractions/nonprofits who were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
During its Thursday meeting, the commission unanimously approved $235,383.38 for 17 local entities to help with expenses and other things incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since many of these venues had to close down due to health regulations, they did not see the income they usually do in a given year and because of a lack of tourism dollars overall, their portion of the county's hotel/motel tax was also reduced.
"For some of these agencies, (the hotel/motel tax) is their lifeline," Commission President Blair Couch said. "That is basically the funds they use to operate.
"We really need to try to take care of them."
County Administrator Marty Seufer figured up the amounts each organization would be short, based on the numbers from the eight months prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and the last four months of the previous year. The amounts awarded would make up the difference in what they would normally receive from the county during a regular year. The county already had some funds set aside from reimbursements from COVID relief funds that are available now.
"I have heard from some of these organizations that they really need these funds and we are going to give it to them," Couch said.
Those receiving funds include the Actors Guild of Parkersburg ($1,623.83), Artsbridge ($3,247.64), Belleville Homecoming ($1,247.33), Blennerhassett Historical Foundation ($811.90), Fort Boreman Park ($16,322.72), Julia-Ann Square Historical District ($1,623.83), Oil & Gas Museum ($2,435.72), the Parkersburg Art Center ($2,435.72), the Parkersburg News and Sentinel Half Marathon ($811.90), Parkersburg Homecoming ($4,060.67), the Parkersburg/Wood County Convention and Visitors Bureau ($129,297.50), the Smoot Theater ($4,079.05), Mountwood Park ($46,547.10), Veterans Museum ($1,786.21), Wood County Historical Society ($811.90), West Virginia Interstate Fair and Exposition ($6,118.79) and Veterans Park ($12,121.57).
In other business, the commission opened bids to demolish the houses at 109 and 111 Crawford Street, Parkersburg.
Both houses were in poor shape. Late last year, a hole had to be cut out of 111 to remove a man who was in medical distress. The owner of the other home tried to make repairs because those were vandalized.
County Compliance Officer Sarah Robinson said the owners signed over the properties to the county to be torn down.
The county received two bids, one for each property, from Graham Demolition of Parkersburg. The bids were for $48,000 each and includes tearing down the structures and cleaning up debris and trash around the property.
The commission accepted them and turned them over to Robinson to review the bids.
The commission discussed doing renovations to the Wood County Circuit Clerk's Office. Circuit Clerk Celeste Ridgway said she wants to replace 15 desks in the office that have been in place since the building opened and are now falling apart with laminate peeling off and drawers not working. The office also wants to create two new counter spaces with more room to sign paperwork while maintaining the plexiglass that is in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The commission voted the work to be put it out for bid.
The commission appointed Tasha Hewitt to the Wood County E-911 Advisory Board.
The commission discussed insurance coverage for county employees with Mark Schwendeman of the Schwendeman Agency.
Contact Brett Dunlap at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com