The Monongalia County Commission approved a three-year contract using opioid settlement funds on Nov. 12 to pay $60,000 per year for a license-plate-reader (LPR) service for the sheriff's office, totaling $180,000.

The fund source and scope: Commissioners were told the money will come from county opioid settlement funds and will cover recurring service fees for 20 cameras installed at approximately 10 locations across the county. County staff said that if the commission approved the contract before Nov. 14, the vendor would waive installation fees, reducing upfront costs.

Why it matters: The service expands the sheriff's vehicle- and plate-tracking capabilities across the county. Commissioners framed the decision as a public-safety tool and approved the funding following a brief discussion of the vendor terms and requested information from the sheriff's office.

What officials said: A commissioner moving the motion (identified in the record as S5) made the motion to fund the program, which was seconded and carried by voice vote. Commissioner Tom (S2) said the sheriff "provided all the information I requested. I'm very comfortable with moving forward." County staff described the program as service fees (not capital purchase) for 20 cameras and about 10 installation locations.

Procedure and next steps: The motion passed by voice vote with no recorded dissents. County staff and the sheriff's office will proceed with vendor coordination; officials said installation fees would be waived only if the contract was approved before the vendor's Nov. 14 deadline.

Details not specified in the record: The contract's vendor name, data-retention policies, oversight or privacy protections, and specific camera locations were not included in the meeting record and were not specified during the discussion.