The Monongalia County Commission on July 9 appointed four residents to the Monongalia County Planning Commission and reappointed several incumbents whose terms had expired.

The commission appointed Darren Glitz, Mark Bowers, Parker Grimes and Mary Ann Folz to the Planning Commission and reappointed Commissioner Arnett (as the commission’s representative), Joe Panico, Vince Putakowski and Matthew Ridgeway, among others. Commissioners announced they had received a number of applications and selected candidates after review.

During the meeting the commission also approved routine personnel actions presented by department heads: new hires in the assessor’s office and the sheriff’s department were approved with effective start dates of July 16; the commission approved the retirement of Dana Johnson, director of the canine adoption center, effective July 30; and the sheriff’s request to award a service weapon to Captain Randy Spangler upon his retirement effective July 31 was approved.

The commission approved several grant applications and reimbursement requests in a single motion, including a VOCA grant application for fiscal year 2026 and reimbursements for Community Development Block Grant, SAKI and VOCA funds. The commission also approved an application for $90,000 in project infrastructure funding from the Monongalia County Development Authority’s coal bed methane fund for a Mountain State Development Group LLC project.

The county development authority’s staff summarized that the $90,000 award supports infrastructure at the intersection of Bowers Lane and Fairchance Road and that the applicant, Thomas Brown, told the commission the work is intended to ready the site for potential retail development. Brown disputed circulating rumors that a transfer station was planned on the site and said the project is focused on retail‑oriented infrastructure.

All appointments and routine personnel and grant matters were approved by voice vote during the meeting.