Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce, right, speaks to the Wood County Commission during its regular meeting Thursday at the courthouse as Parkersburg Police Chief Matthew Board, left, listens. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

PARKERSBURG — Mayor Tom Joyce attended Thursday’s Wood County Commission meeting to discuss the work of Parkersburg’s homeless coordinators.

Joyce said he wanted to address commissioners in response to recent “chatter” regarding the city and county’s activities regarding the homeless population.

The city established the civilian homeless coordinator position in the Parkersburg Police Department in 2021 and since that time, they have assisted 239 people with voluntarily returning to “where they’re from,” Joyce said. Individuals have gone back to San Diego, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and other cities in South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Washington and Arizona, he said.

In the first quarter of 2025, coordinators engaged with 47 homeless individuals, Joyce said. Three individuals entered local substance abuse treatment programs and 11 got into the Latrobe Street Mission or Salvation Army of Parkersburg shelters.

“What we don’t do is pass out water, food. There’s plenty of organizations that do that,” Joyce said. “If you don’t want to live like this, we’ll help you get some help.”

Wood County Commissioner Jimmy Colombo asks a question about the county’s insurance plan during a regular commission meeting Thursday at the courthouse. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Joyce said the two coordinators carry with them resource lists to put homeless individuals they encounter in touch with organizations that can provide various forms of assistance. But he said some individuals do not want to change the way they’re living.

“If they don’t want to accept our assistance, with all these myriad resources, we can’t make them,” he said.

Recent discussions around homelessness have included a town hall meeting organized by Parkersburg City Council members Wendy Tuck and Zak Huffman. At the April 15 council meeting, Joyce took issue with some things he said were discussed at that event, including questioning the activities of the homeless coordinators.

Tuck, who attended the meeting during the mayor’s presentation Thursday but did not speak, addressed commissioners on Monday and provided recommendations from a report composed after a March meeting of community leaders and homeless advocates looking back at the brutal cold snap in January. Its recommendations included “formalized plans, better integration of service providers, and increased government involvement.”

During that period, a woman staying in a tent with her partner and dog died. Commissioner Jimmy Colombo noted Parkersburg Police had encountered the woman before and offered assistance but were declined. Police Chief Matthew Board said after the meeting that police had spoken to the woman two or three times and she turned down offers of assistance.

Mark Schwendeman, with Schwendeman Insurance, discusses Wood County’s insurance plan during a Wood County Commission meeting Thursday at the courthouse. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Joyce also commended a cooperative effort between the city, the county and Vienna to fund a law enforcement liaison position in the Parkersburg Police Department. That individual follows cases through Wood County Magistrate Court and in the last two years has helped refer 75 individuals to the Law-Enforcement Assisted Diversion program, which offers treatment and other assistance to low-level, first-time offenders

Earlier in the meeting, commissioners met with Mark Schwendeman of Schwendeman Insurance to discuss the insurance plan for county employees in the upcoming fiscal year.

Schwendeman told commissioners they sought quotes from 10 providers, some of whom declined, and determined keeping the plan with Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield was the best option. The initial offer would have resulted in a 14.5% increase to the county, but Schwendeman said they were able to negotiate it down to 9.9%, for a total increased expense of $469,000.

“To the employees, plan design remains the same and their employee contribution remains the same,” Schwendeman said.

The deductible stays $7,000, all but $750 of which is covered by the county. A $20 monthly surcharge remains in place for spouses of employees who are covered by the county policy rather than an available plan offered by their employer.

Wood County Commission President Blair Couch, left, administers the oath of office to new deputy assessor Todd Goocey during Thursday’s commission meeting at the courthouse. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Schwendeman acknowledged this was another significant cost increase, following a 37.54% jump with a plan design change for 2023 and a 10.21% increase last year with some changes. He said the increase is “primarily due to the claims experience.”

Commission President Blair Couch said it was good to keep the increase under 10% in the current climate.

“I think we are more than satisfied with your service,” he said.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com