Lawrence County Commissioners want the newly formed airport advisory board to sign off on a project to upgrade lighting at the Chesapeake airport before it transfers funds to the project.

At its regular Thursday meeting the commission approved referring a bid from McDaniel Electric Inc., for $261,178.20 to the airport board. The bid is to upgrade runway lighting.

“It is old and needs to be updated,” Patrick Leighty of E.L. Robinson Engineering, told the commission. “There is no consistency. They are close to the runway and out from the runway. They need upgraded.”

The majority of the cost for the lighting, that will be radio activated by the pilots, will come from the Federal Aviation Administration. However the county must provide a 10 percent match. Right now there is only $15,349.48 in the fund that would cover the match, which would be $26,178. That fund also covers utility payments at the airport.

In order to get the FAA funds, the county must submit an application by Aug. 10. The commission wants to be able to make the transfer at its meeting next Thursday. The airport board wil meet on Monday.

The commission also agreed to accept applications for labor compliance officer as recommended by Cindy Anderson of the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization. The duties of the job would be to manage projects where there would be prevailing wage.

“We don’t have that many prevailing wage projects,” Commission President Les Boggs said. “In my opinion there may be a week with nothing to do and other weeks five to 10 hours. We might take someone who is an existing employee or have someone part-time.”

In other action the commissioners:

• Received petition to request Private Drive 123 be accepted into Rome Township;

• Approved hiring Sanford Ramsey, Donald R. Neal, Derek Smith, Daryle Foglesong and Larry Hamlin as a part-time paramedics;

• Received correspondence from Upper Township Trustees to approve vacating a portion of Cement Street.