The Tyler County Commission met Tuesday morning at the senior center in Middlebourne for its regularly scheduled meeting, where a wide range of community, infrastructure, and personnel matters were brought before commissioners.

Following the opening prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, the commission first heard two funding requests from community representatives.

Betsy George of the Tyler County Leo Lions Club requested financial support for the club’s ongoing service efforts. Commissioner Eric Vincent responded that the commission traditionally does not provide direct funding to private organizations, particularly when services may overlap with those already offered by other groups. However, he assured George that her request would be reviewed.

Josh Rice also appeared before the commission to request funding for the Mountain Mama Music Festival, a growing regional event that began as a one-day celebration with volunteer bands in Tyler County. Rice shared that the festival has since expanded to include three towns across three counties and two states. Despite its success, commissioners declined the funding request.

Vincent explained that, unlike Wetzel County, Tyler County does not directly fund fairs or festivals. Instead, the county provides municipal funding to towns, allowing each community to allocate those funds at their discretion. He suggested Rice reach out to the City of Sistersville.

Sistersville Councilman Randy Rutherford, who was present at the meeting, stated that the city had already allocated all of its available funds during a council meeting earlier in the week. He asked whether a second round of municipal funding might be available in the new fiscal year. Vincent said that the commission hopes to address that issue at its next meeting.

In other business, commissioners approved a change order related to the ongoing courthouse renovation project. The order, totaling $134,054.65, covers costs associated with the removal of additional structures acquired south of the courthouse and the old jail.

A proposal for a centralized filing system for the offices of the circuit clerk, assessor, and sheriff, presented by Andrew Clark of F.A. O’Tool Office Systems, was tabled once again. The proposed system comes with a price tag of $949,712.92 and will be considered further at a later date.

Personnel changes were also addressed. At the request of County Clerk Neil Archer II, Devon Henderson was formally hired as election clerk. The commission also accepted the resignations of Ashley Hostetler and Aimee Bowman.

Commissioners approved moving forward with a temporary facility for Tyler County EMS Station 60 near the county fairgrounds. The structure, to be provided by WillScot, will cost $65,929.88 per year. Final site approval is pending additional information from the West Virginia Division of Highways regarding right-of-way permissions.

Chief Deputy Shannon Hohman met with commissioners in executive session to discuss the proposed creation of a Special Victims Investigator position under the sheriff’s department. No official action was taken following the closed-door session.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, a representative from the Middlebourne Emergency Squad questioned commissioners about the squad’s current status following its earlier suspension from the county’s 911 system. Commissioners did not provide a definitive update during the meeting but explained that once the squad’s legal issues were settled, they would revisit their status.

The next regular meeting of the Tyler County Commission is scheduled for Tuesday, June 24 at 9:00 a.m. at the Tyler County Senior Center in Middlebourne.