A pledge of $39,675 towards a grant from the WV Development Office and a resolution supporting the Business Development Corporation (BDC) of the Norther Panhandle was approved by the County Commission on a 3-2 vote with Commissioner Eron Chek voting against at the Commission’s Aug 24th meeting.. The Resolution and financial pledge had been tabled at a previous meeting pending further information from the BDC. The matter was brought back to the table for consideration. Chek said she had not received the information that she believes the Commission had stipulated for any donation: a copy of the non-profit’s three-year tax returns, profit and loss statements and financial reports. She said that she believes that transparency is necessary for all groups receiving taxpayer money.

Commissioner Paul Cowey, who serves on the BDC Board, said that the group receives a quarterly report at the groups quarterly meeting.

Legal Counsel Mike Lucas said that the Commission’s requirement for financial information does not extend to the BDC as they are in a different category than charitable organizations. He has been in touch with the BDC’s legal counsel, Carl Frankovitch, who is gathering information for Chek.

In other business, the Commission:

**Continued not to act on an agreement with the Hancock County School Board on the Police Resource Officers in the County’s schools. Although the Commission has requested a meeting with the County School Administration regarding discrepancies regarding the contract, the School Administrators have yet to respond. Commissioner Jeff Davis emphasized that all the Police Resource Officers are in the schools and the failure to come to agreement on the contract in no way impacts the safety of the students;

**Three appointment to the Park Board were tabled until the Commission has a chance to meet with the individuals who are Sara Cale, Corinna Myers and Nick Travis;

**Accepted the resignation of Alexis Swan from the County Clerk’s office and agreed to pay her accrued vacation days;’

**Accepted the resignation Thomas Cox from the Sheriff’s Office and agreed to pay him accrued vacation days;

**Accepted the resignation of Lt. J Keeder from the Sheriff’s office and approved the appointment of Keeder as Jail Administrator

**Accepted the resignation of Samantha Tate from the County Clerk’s office agreed to pay Tate her accrued personal time,

**Granted approval to advertise for an open position in the County Clerk’s Office.