At the Wetzel County Commission meeting held Tuesday, commissioners awarded the courthouse window replacement project to ETN Construction of Bridgeport, W.Va., in the amount of $72,462.50. The only other company to submit a proposal was Molly Joe, Inc., of Paden City, who bid for the project at $80,810. Organized through Belomar Regional Council, this project is funded through an energy efficiency grant from the Department of Energy.

Regarding bids, the commission had also planned to open bids for the road resurfacing project at the 4-H grounds, however no bids were submitted. The commission will resubmit the bid and plan to open any such proposals at their Aug. 16 meeting.

Under 4-H ground matters, the commission also approved the purchase of signage for the grounds. These signs will detail rules regarding drop boxes, parking decals, pets; the use of dump stations, ATVs, and alcohol; and notices that the grounds are under electronic surveillance.

In another matter, Gregory Jadwin, membership sales manager for Air Evac Lifeteam, met with the commission to follow up on their prior discussion regarding membership coverage to all full-time county employees. The commission stated they had not yet made a decision on the matter, as they were waiting until they could review the fund balance, which they are scheduled to do on Aug. 9. With that, the commission told Jadwin they would have a decision made then and would be in touch with him.

At their initial meeting on June 14, Jadwin outlined the benefits of the membership program, most notably the low cost of the membership versus the cost to a non-member in the event a medical flight is needed. Jadwin explained that the cost to non-members can run between $15-20,000 for the flight alone. However, with a yearly membership of anywhere between $40-60 an individual or family member can be flown for free.

The program is designed to bill any insurance available, but the patient never receives a bill. There’s no co-pay or deductible. Additionally, the membership covers every flight made with a member, whether it’s one time or several times during the span of membership.

Another advantage to the program is the fact that Air Evac and its parent companies are located in 15 states in nearly 200 locations. The membership works for all of those locations should a person have a medical emergency in another town or state.

Lastly, Pam Ferrell addressed the commission on behalf of Rosy Cozart of the Wetzel County Animal Shelter. Ferrell shared that Cozart would like an additional load of gravel onto the property and that other minor repairs are needed in the leach bed and driveway ditch. Ferrell also noted a light pole at the shelter is without a bulb. The commission stated they would address the various issues and contact Cozart with solutions as soon as possible.