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A proposal to relocate the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department’s Wood County offices to St. Joseph’s Landing (formerly St. Joseph’s Hospital) will be presented to the Board of Health, Wood County Commissioner Blair Couch said. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
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Wood County Commissioner Blair Couch types away on a keyboard looking at a property in downtown Parkersburg during Monday’s commission meeting. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
A proposal to relocate the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department’s Wood County offices to St. Joseph’s Landing (formerly St. Joseph’s Hospital) will be presented to the Board of Health, Wood County Commissioner Blair Couch said. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
PARKERSBURG — A proposal to relocate the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department to the former St. Joseph Hospital in Parkersburg will be presented to the Board of Health, Wood County commissioners said Monday.
The health department’s offices have been closed since Memorial Day after a burst water main caused extensive damage to the facility at 211 Sixth Ave. in Parkersburg.
Commissioners had been considering other locations for the Wood County Health Department’s new offices, given the damage and condition of the 1908 building.
That includes St. Joseph’s Landing (formerly St. Joseph’s Hospital) and will be brought before the health department’s board of directors for review, said board Chairman Blair Couch. The final decision will be made by the county commission, Couch said.
“I just want the board of health to approve it.” “We’re not going to let it go,” said Couch, who serves as the committee’s board representative.
Wood County Commissioner Blair Couch types away on a keyboard looking at a property in downtown Parkersburg during Monday’s commission meeting. (Photo by Jess Mancini)
Renovations to parts of the old hospital will be minimal to accommodate the health department, according to Couch and Commissioner Jimmy Colombo.
Colombo said the floor next to the main entrance will include exam rooms, offices and a waiting room.
“I agree with the other two committee members regarding the facility.” Commissioner Bob Tebay said:
County officials have toured other facilities in the past few weeks, including Campbell’s Plaza on Seventh Avenue, the former Lincoln School on 31st Street and the office space of Clean & Clear Advantage on Juliana Street. Clean & Clear is located in the former Federal Building.
Colombo said St. Joseph Landing is the best possible site for the health department’s purposes. Having ample parking is one of the reasons St. Joseph is the best location, Colombo said.
Couch said discussions are still in the early stages, but the monthly rent for St. Joseph’s would be between $17,000 and $20,000, although Tebey said the rent would include utilities and maintenance costs.
Couch said the Sixth Street building is expected to be demolished, although a timeline has not yet been set.
The water main burst caused the Wood County Health Department office to close indefinitely, and some services in Wood County were provided at other facilities, including WIC appointments at Jackson Community Center in Vienna and clinical appointments at South Parkersburg Baptist Church Wellness Center.
The Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department serves Wood, Calhoun, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roan and Wirt counties.
In other business on Monday, the commission appointed Eric Little to the E-911 Advisory Committee and discussed questions raised by Roger Conley about lobbying contracts and the county commission. Conley cited an article in The News & Sentinel this weekend about lobbyists’ financial disclosures filed with the West Virginia Ethics Commission and asked what contracts the Wood County Commission was involved in.
Couch said Wood County does not have any lobbying contracts and that Wood County’s listing in the financial disclosures is from a prior fiscal year and will be removed from the current report.
Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.
