WILLIAMSON — Safety was the main issue for the Mingo County Commission’s second meeting of the New Year, with an incident involving a mentally unstable Williamson teen a prime example for needed changes.

“I’m not going to allow mental hygiene officers to hold proceedings in their offices anymore,” Circuit Court Judge Michael Thornsbury said in regard to the recent incident in which a fight resulted in significant damages to an attorney’s office after he declared the teen mentally unstable.

Thornsbury advised commissioners to put a camera in the meeting room in which they were meeting and allow mental hygiene hearings to be held there.

Sheriff Lonnie Hannah agreed and stated he thought it a “bad idea to transport mental hygiene patients.”

A sheriff’s department deputy is accused of being involved with officers from the state police and Williamson city who allegedly assaulted a citizen found mentally unstable by the attorney whose office was damaged. Hannah is investigating the incident.

Per request of commission grants coordinator Leigh Ann Ray, most of the elected body attended the meeting Wednesday even-ing to discuss the 2009 Security Fund Grant, with which Thornsbury said he was very satisfied.

“This will just about cover our whole building,” he commented.

The judge said the grant would provide the courthouse with full-color high-resolution cameras. The cameras in place now are black and white.

Ray said the county failed to receive the grant last year because the courthouse is ahead of most counties with security measures.

Judge Thornsbury pointed to a neighboring county who has the metal detector “pushed up against the wall.” He suggested bringing the metal detector closer to the front door of the Mingo County Court House.

Hannah agreed and suggested the first doors available to the public from the main entrance be used as exit doors only.

Thornsbury said his only concern is the grant is used for “state-of-the-art” equipment. He said the equipment bought is out of date by the time the commission purchases it and therefore is hard to repair when needed.

“After someone is shot and killed or stabbed, it is too late to talk about it,” said County Clerk “Big” Jim Hatfield.

Thornsbury suggested using the old equipment for offices not covered by the grant such as the tax office and the county assessor.

“We need monitors during tax season,” Hannah said. “Sometimes we have a lot of money in there.”

In other business the commission agreed to give the town of Gilbert $9,000 to go towards repairing the roof of the Gilbert Vol-unteer Fire Department.

Gilbert Mayor Vivian Livingood brought an estimate of $24,950 cost for the repairs. She said Delegate Harry Keith White (D-Mingo) has promised to give $5,000 for the repairs. The fire department has a total of $13,000 in its funds.

“That is the entire balance,” she said.

Livingood wasn’t finished with requests after the commission agreed to help with the GVFD repairs. She told the commissioners her next project is a “big one.”

The town has been awarded a $200,000 sidewalk grant. The match for Gilbert is $40,000. Senate Majority Leader H. Truman Chafin promised $10,000, as did White, giving the town $20,000.

“We (Gilbert) will put in what you can’t,” she told MCC.

The commissioners vo-ted unanimously to give the town $10,000.

“We commend you for what you are doing” Pre-sident John Mark Hubbard told Livingood.

“You really see economic development over in Gil-bert,” agreed vice-president Greg “Hootie” Smith. “I challenge the other municipalities.”

MCC invited Livingood to a meeting Feb. 1 at Delbarton from 2-4 p.m. concerning the transit system the county is preparing to put into place. The bus will run from Gilbert to Williamson and Hubbard said over to the Kentucky side as well.

“We will also run to Wal Mart, Food City and the mall,” he informed the gathering. “Our goal is to have a second bus up and running this year.”