The Wetzel County Commission Tuesday approved the third application from County Clerk Carol Haught for a West Virginia County Records Management Grant.

The first two applications were successful in the amounts of $14,500 for 2008-09 and $10,000 for 2009-10. This year there is a limit of $6,500 and if granted it will be used to continue the conservation of land books. “They’re slowly reducing the amounts that they’re approving,” noted Haught.

The reimbursement grant requires a 10 percent match from the county. The county’s match for the current grant request would be $1,480, an amount Haught said she could take from her budget if she is allotted by the commission the same amount for 2010-11 as this fiscal year.

“Now we’re up to our bigger books,” said Haught, explaining that the process is getting more costly.

For instance, one book that is the next in line to be preserved will cost almost $2,700 to complete.

Haught wants to preserve books for 1918, 1919, and 1925. There are some other books in the 19-teens, said the county clerk, that still need to be done, but they are in better shape than the three she is targeting for this grant. The books from 1846 to the 19-teens have already been preserved.

Five are currently in the process.

In another grant matter, the commission approved the installation of new windows in the Burton Clinic. The Clay-Battelle Health Services Board of Directors has obtained a $100,000 grant for the project through the Department of Health and Human Services. It is part of the government’s economic stimulus money.

The county owns the property and has leased it to the board for approximately 30 years. “I’m sure the board will greatly appreciate that,” said Commissioner Scott Lemley.

He serves on the board with Carol Roberts and Dave Pethtel, representing Wetzel County.