Photo by Joselyn King West Virginia Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman, left, presents Fred Brunner of the Marine Corps League with a check to help the organizations establish a color guard.

WHEELING — Preliminary planning is happening, and work for a new heating and air conditioning system at the City-County Building in Wheeling should be underway by the end of 2023.

Melissa Marco, project coordinator for Ohio County, told commissioners Wednesday night new windows are set to arrive for the building at the beginning of December.

“They are going to be installed from the inside, so we won’t be delayed by weather,” she told commissioners. “They can do four to six windows a day, so we will be working with them to set up a schedule.”

Also beginning in December, items will be removed from the former law library on the fourth floor in preparation for when offices have to be moved there to make way for workers.

The former Wheeling Police Department area also will be cleaned up for use as a relocation spot during construction, according to Marco.

In other matters, the Jones, Wolin and O’Brien Marine Corps League Detachment 771 in Wheeling received a grant check for just over $1,100 from the West Virginia Legislature to help start a color guard.

The money was disbursed through the county commission, and West Virginia Sen. Laura Wakim-Chapman was in attendance to make the presentation to Fred Brunner, commandant for the local Marine Corps League.

Brunner told commissioners the money will be used to purchase two replica rifles, the harnesses to carry them and gloves so they don’t slip from their hands.

The Marine Corps League also hopes to obtain a canopy and a banner, he added.

“We want to have visibility in the community,” Brunner said. “Since (former commandant) John Nanny passed, there hasn’t been much. We want more to do for the community.”

Commissioners also passed a motion establishing a policy for sponsorships. Among other things, events receiving community grant money from the county will have to file a post-event report on how the money was used.

On Wednesday night, the commissioners approved community grants for the Oglebay Foundation Access To Parks Program for $10,000; the Wheeling Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Outlook Conference, $500; Ohio Valley Night To Shine, $500; and the Valley Grove Volunteer Fire Department, $500.

A request for a $25,000 Wheeling Nailers sponsorship for its “Education Day” event in March was referred to the Ohio County Development Authority for consideration.

The commissioners also formally approved a $2 million contribution to the WVU Medicine Regional Cancer Center to help with demolition of the former Ohio Valley Medical Center property. The check from the county actually was presented to WVU Medicine during a ceremony on Tuesday.

“It should make a great difference in moving that project forward,” Commission President Don Nickerson said. “It is really a great thing to do.”