Lynn Garber, program director for Community Resource Center, attended the Tyler County Commission meeting on Tuesday morning to give updates on funding for new programs and speak about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

ARRA is a program designed to help communities for tuition assistance, vehicle repair called “Care for Clunkers” and employment support. They also provide health services such as dental, eyewear, health screenings and prescription assistance.

According to Garber, they are currently providing assistance to 13 Tyler County residents enrolled in the dental and vision program. Designed to get people back to work, the program also will provides gas, scrubs, and steel toed boot vouchers to people who need them to start a new job.

Shawna Griffin, coordinator for Child Advocacy Center, also attended the meeting to ask the commissioners to designate April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Other counties put up pinwheel signs in front of the courthouse. Griffin stated that there are 123 cases of child abuse in Tyler County right now. The members gave her permission to put the signs in the front lawn.

Steve Rawlings from West Virginia Risk Pool attended the meeting and gave the members the contract for the Wet Virginia Risk Pool. He went over the policies and coverages on all county owned property. He also said that the pool continues to be in good shape.

Mark Battagalia, director of Sales for Underground Archives, presented the commission information about his company. Based in Wampum, Pa., their facility is a limestone mine used to store important documents and papers. They have two facilities: One is a 50 acre limestone mine and about 2.5 million square feet of space, 220 feet below the surface and it stays a constant 55 degrees year round; The other facility is 2,500 acre mine with about 50 million square feet of space.

Battagalia stated the company offers electronic key card access with security zones, video monitoring, remote security monitoring, and underground loading and unloading.

Commission Vice Present John Stender asked if they could tour the facility. Battagalia said that they could set up an appointment.

Rosemary Guida from Workforce Investment Board gave updates. She said that the state is giving them an extra $300,000 in stimulus money for schooling and training to get people back into the work force. She stated, “There are a lot of people laid off right now and the state is willing to help.”

Guida also touched on the subject of the Summer Youth Program that Tyler County participates in each year. According to her report, they served 300 youth in the state of West Virginia last year. She also said there are kids already on a waiting list in Wetzel and Tyler County for this year.

Bob Tippins, resident of Sistersville, was on hand to give the members an update on the Civil War monument to be placed on the front lawn in May. Tippins said everything is on schedule.

He also talked about the reconstruction of the base of the cannon. “The cannon has been restored by Backyard Auto Body and it is ready to be put in place.”

Commission President Charles Smith gave a report on the work being done at the Magistrate’s Office. He said that the floor is now complete. He also said they have been having problems with the new copier machine and no final decision has been reached on the rewiring in the courthouse yet.

The next regular commission meeting will be held on April 13 at 9 a.m. at the Tyler County Courthouse.