Wood County commissioners acted on a lengthy agenda last Tuesday which included several personnel changes.

The resignation of Chief Deputy Nikki Wright left the position open until Wood County Sheriff Kelly Cole decides on a replacement. Also leaving the department are courthouse security deputy Dustin Green, who resigned, and dispatcher Kevin Mayberry, who was discharged.

In a change of position, Stephen Fulce went from jailer to bailiff and received a raise from $20.54 per hour to $23.67 per hour. There were three new full-time positions filled. Matthew L. Cooper was hired as a deputy replacing the position previously held by Thomas Ritterbach. Mason Ragsdale was hired as a jailer replacing Jaime Warren, and Kale Holland was hired as dispatcher to replace Rebekah Alexander. Karen Harris was added to the sheriff’s department as a full-time jailer replacing Sarah Tucker.

In other personnel moves, Amber Taylor transferred from the district attorney’s office to the county clerk. Also from the district attorney, Tina Clower was given a raise from $18.60 per hour to $19.26 per hour. Monica Bailey was employed full-time as chief clerk in justice of the peace Precinct 1 in a transfer from JP 2.

In Precinct 1, Commissioner Virgil Holland hired James Sneed as a road tech. In the county clerk’s office, Reiny Luman’s last day was Aug. 11 because she was returning to school after being a temporary employee for the summer.

In other business, commissioners approved payment of $24,000, or $2,000 to each of the volunteer fire departments in Wood County. It is hoped the one-time payment per fire department will help offset losses suffered from having to cancel annual fundraising events due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the past year.

Commissioners approved an order to establish criteria for redistricting of political boundaries. Included in the order – the plan should address minority representation; the plan should attempt to locate polling places in convenient, well-known locations that are accessible to disabled voters to the maximum extent possible; and if a reduction of polling places can be accomplished without impinging upon voter convenience and minority voting rights, such reductions can be considered. 

In another matter, commissioners approved a proclamation making the week of Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week.

Commissioners approved the standard renewal with the Andrews Center an inter-local agreement for mental health services. 

Commissioners approved the optional county road and bridge fees/child safety fees. The child safety fee may not exceed $1.50. The revenue must be used for school crossing guard services and/or programs to enhance child safety, health or nutrition including child abuse intervention and prevention along with drug and alcohol abuse prevention.

A resolution was OK’d certifying that Wood County has made a grant to Meal on Wheels, an organization providing home-delivered meals to homebound persons in the county who are elderly and/or have a disability. The grant amount is $4,149 to be used from Oct. 1, 2021 through Sept. 30, 2022. 

A revised COVID-19 comp time payment policy was approved. The policy allows Wood County facilities to be adequately disinfected after hours on a regular schedule, without disrupting normal daily business activities, by designated county employees.

Commissioners approved the contract for fees and fines collection services between Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson, LLP and Wood County through Aug. 31, 2026.  

Commissioners acknowledged a resolution from the Wood County Emergency Services District 1 to hold an election for voters to accept or reject an increase to the ad valorem tax for their district and to set the ad valorem tax rate at .0525 cents per $100 valuation. 

District 1 President Christina Horn spoke on the matter. “The ad valorem tax supports emergency services in our area. The district comprises about 60 square miles. It largely covers an unincorporated area of the county therefore we have no municipal financing or anything like that,” Horn noted. 

Holly Lake Volunteer Fire Chief Phillip Bollinger talked about his departments needs. “We have two trucks past their age and we are looking at $600,000 to replace those and that’s the major expense,” Bollinger said. “I have 11 sets of gear that need to be replaced at $2,000 each. All of our fundraising had stopped because of COVID.”  

Commissioners approved payroll at $378,549; health and dental costs of $135,982 and accounts payable of $427,411.