Hancock County reorganized leadership for the 2023-24 year and appointed department heads and board members at their Jan.12 meeting.
Commissioner Jeff Davis was elected President while Commissioner Eron Chek will serve as President-Pro Tem.
Personnel and Committee appointments approved included Paul Zuros – County Administrator; Karen LaScola – Finance Administrator; and MyLinda Kimball – Office Administrator. Arles Graham will serve as Maintenance/Technician; William White, assistant Maintenance/Technician and Brian Staley, assistant maintenance technician. Albert Bucci will serve as Janitor and William Ross as IT Technician. Gary Jenkins will serve as Mechanic/Auto Technician.
Nichole Felouzis will serve as Director of Humane Operations with Floyd Schulte as Dog Warden/Humane Officer. There is one open position for Dog Warden/Humane Officer, Hope Dennis will serve as the full-time Administrative Assistant.
Kelly Vargo will serve as the only full-time personnel in the animal shelter with Carisa Adkins, Kathryn Beagle, Allanah Blanchard, Carolyn Fields, Timothy Fields, Faith Geer, Kaitlyn Lamp, Lily Lyons, Cecilia Martin. Olivia Masciantoni, Clara McIntosh, Landon Meadows, Ashley Miller, Roy Newman, Alexxis Rhiannon Paris, Jada Pugh, Susan Rudder, Jillian Tetrault and Alexander Ziegler working part-time.
Jeremy Ober was re-appointed as Emergency Management Director with Stephanie Fryer serving Emergency Management Deputy Director. The Administrative Assistant position is open. Ober also serves as 911 Director with dispatchers being Aaron Beaumont, Seth Cheuvront, Jace Cunningham, Sierra Dunlevy, Teresa Elliott, Miranda Keeder, Natasha Obarski, Caleb Ritchie, Kyle Robinson, Kayla Sarles, Monica Sprouse, Tim Steele, Bernadette Varlas and Michael Watkins.
Commissioners hold seats on various boards and those assigned to date are: Eron Chek- BHJ Planning Commission; Commissioners- Brooke-Hancock Planning and Development Council; Paul Cowey – BDC; Jeremy Ober – WV 911 Council; Jeremy Ober – 911 Advisory Board; Jeff Davis – County Extension Service; Jeff Davis, Hancock County 4-H Foundation; Paul Cowey – Top of West Virginia; Eron Chek – Healthways; Eron Chek-Hancock County Sheltered Workshop; Jeff Davis – Workforce Investment Board; Carol Rosenlieb, Kathy White – Home Consortium; and Tom Ogden – Criminal Justice Board. Open seats exists on the Home Consortium, R C & D Council, Greater Weirton Area Senior Center, Hancock Parks & Recreation and Hancock Health Board.
In other business:
**Commission approved the standard mileage rate for 2023; business use increases 3 cents/mile;
**Approved the Board of Equalization dates with one correction’
**Approved the application for a 2023 Department of Agriculture Spay Neuter Grant;
**Tabled for the second time approval of a pilot program for “Project Willow;”
**Declared January Human Trafficing and Stalking Awareness month.