by Tina Canon
STAFF WRITER
The Harrison County Commission agreed Monday to study ways to make the magistrate court clerk's office a safer place to work.
"We have no immediate protection from people walking into our office area and becoming a hazard to everyone," Assistant Magistrate Clerk Ed Parmer said as he addressed commissioners.
Personnel are afraid to work in their own offices, he said. Magistrates face mad or irate people on a daily basis because their licenses are suspended, wages are attached or they have just come from a magistrate judgment, he said.
"We all take in various amounts of money," Parmer said, "plus there is no alternative lighting or security or fire safety lighting in the magistrate clerk's office."
Some of the suggestions that Parmer brought to Monday's meeting include placing a door with a buzzer entry and a service window similar to the one located in the prosecutor's office.
Parmer also reminded the commission that another threat to workers is retrieving older records stored outside of the courthouse in unlocked, unlighted rooms.
Commissioners will inspect the location. They have asked administrative assistant Jim Harris to try to locate space to store records in the courthouse by July.
Also, the second Sun Valley Public Service District public hearing on a $5.3 million U.S. Route 50 waterline project was held, with no opposition.
Gary Fluharty, president of the Sun Valley Water Board, said the project will affect about 500 customers in the Lake Floyd/Halls Run, Jarvisville, Sycamore, Cherry Camp Road, Raccoon Run, Katylick, Marshville and Flinderation areas.
In other business:
n Lake Floyd resident Jim Reaser asked about creating a county fire board.
The board would consist of fire department members who would work with public utilities on various projects such as fire hydrants.
n Commissioners an-nounced that the Harrison County Commission Conference Center is open. The center is a new room in the courthouse available for various county board meetings.
n Commissioners started the bidding process for a wireless network for 911, the courthouse and the Clarksburg Police Department.
n The commission purchased six computers for the prosecuting attorney's office.
Staff writer Tina Canon can be reached at 626-1404 or by e-mail at tcanon@exponent-telegram.com.