(Photo by Brett Dunlap) Gerald Brandsassee, director of court/support for the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, appears before the Wood County Commission on Monday to seek approval to apply for $220,000 in state grant money to upgrade the camera systems in county court facilities.

PARKERSBURG — Wood County officials will be making grant requests to the state for security enhancements.

Gerald Brandsassee, director of court/support for the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, appeared before the County Commission on Monday to seek approval to apply for $220,000 in state grant money to upgrade the camera systems used around the Wood County Justice Center, which houses Magistrate Court and the sheriff’s department; the Shaver Judicial Annex, which houses Wood County Circuit Court; and the Family Court in the Judge Black Annex.

“Video surveillance systems are a great force multiplier and deterrent,” Brandsassee said.

They want to be able to upgrade picture quality and have a more visible presence, among other improvements.

Wood County applied for the money last year and didn’t receive any, Brandsassee said. He will be submitting four different applications this year, one for the total package, one for the Wood Justice Center, one for the Shaver Annex and one for Family Court.

The immediate focus will be on the Justice Center because that is where the system will be housed, Brandsassee said.

The application to the state Supreme Court is due May 2. Brandsassee is waiting on some cost figures to be able to include in the application. Once he has the application packet together, he will submit it to the commission for their signature.

In other business, the commission approved hiring Parker Onestinghel as an intern in the Wood County Prosecutor’s Office.

Onestinghel is finishing up his first year of law school at West Virginia University and is interested in interning for the summer, Prosecutor Pat Lefebure said.

Onestinghel, a Parkersburg resident, has an interest in criminal law. He also has military experience and worked for a time with Border Patrol.

“We are excited to get him on board,” Lefebure said. “He will start May 27 and will be here for about two months.”

In other business, no one has signed up to speak during the public comment period since it was implemented earlier this year. Public comment has been set up to happen at the beginning of the Monday meeting with people able to sign up 15 minutes before the meeting begins.

County officials said they may look at whether to keep it or go back to the previous system that was more of an open-door policy where people could talk to the commission as the agenda allows.