Commissioners proclaim Responsible Fatherhood Month; hear updates on Highland County Airport improvements

Highland County commissioners David Daniels, Brad Roades and Terry Britton proclaimed June as Responsible Fatherhood Month and heard updates on the Highland County Airport during their Tuesday, June 18 meeting.

The weekly meeting was held a day early, due to both the Juneteenth federal holiday and commissioners’ annual tradition of grilling burgers at KAMP Dovetail on June 19.

According to the Ohio Governor’s Office, “A healthy and responsible father is irreplaceable to children and families. Fatherhood is celebrated and revered year-round, but June is traditionally proclaimed Responsible Fatherhood Month by the Governor. Modeling responsible fatherhood and compassionately encouraging children is invaluable. The children are our future.

“Every year in June, as the budget allows, in recognition of the importance of involved, committed, and supportive fathers, [the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood] offers mini grants to organizations interested in hosting community father-child events.”

As reported by Roades at the June 12 commission meeting, the Highland County Family and Children First Council (FCFC) and Early Childhood Collaborative Committee are hosting a fatherhood celebration (“Fathers are Fish-tastic!”) Friday, June 21 from 1-3 p.m. at the East Shore Marina at Rocky Fork Lake.

Along with fishing and prizes, the event will include honoring “responsible, healthy, strong” Highland County fathers, Highland County JFS Director Jeremy Ratcliff told commissioners Tuesday.

“One of the things we do at Job & Family Services is we oversee the Family and Children First Council,” Ratcliff said. “The coordinator there, Rhonda Fannin, has really done a nice job of expanding the services, the impact of our community.

“What we're essentially trying to do is to celebrate those fathers that are fulfilling their role and acknowledging the impact that a strong, healthy, responsible father can have on a family and a child. I think the premise behind the Family and Children First Council is an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and so the better job we can do to create healthy families in our community, the less likely they are to be involved in other systems, like the child welfare. This is just an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate those fathers that are fulfilling their roles as a dad and say thank you.”

Daniels read a proclamation, which will also be presented by Roades at the event Friday.

“The Highland County Board of Commissioners is encouraging Ohioans to learn more about fatherhood issues and show support for the many individuals and organizations that help fathers be better parents, partners and providers,” the proclamation reads, in part. “Good fathering and co-parenting during infancy, childhood and adolescence contributes to emotional security and has an overwhelming positive psychological and economic benefit for children, families, communities, our state and our nation.”

For more information on Responsible Fatherhood Month and the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood, visit https://fatherhood.ohio.gov.

In other discussion:

• Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve a grant application reduction contract with the Highland County Airport Authority, U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration for the county airport’s drainage improvement project.

According to Highland County Airport Authority president Bob Prosek, there was an issue with the FAA not receiving “their funding until late April,” so “all the airports were held up on all their grants and filing for grants” as a result.

The Highland County Airport Authority had hoped to complete a drainage project this year, he said, but they are instead going to get some of the preliminary work out of the way to do the project next year.

“They said, ‘Whatever you were going to do this year, you won't be able to do,’” Prosek said. “Our grants that we wanted to do this year, will be next year. However, we did talk to them and said ‘Well, what about the engineering and the planning and stuff like that,’ because, you know, there's wildlife reports that have to be done and stuff like that.

“They said, ‘Yeah, if we work really quickly, we could get those in,’ so that's what we did.”

The contract approved Wednesday is for “the planning for the drainage improvements,” Prosek said, in the amount of $2,365.

“There's a lot of washouts, where the cement culverts are and stuff like that, so we need to get that fixed so we don't start losing the runway,” Prosek said.

The total cost of the project is expected to be $47,300, according to Prosek.

After the drainage project, Prosek said the next goal is to apply for a grant to “add two bays to one of the hangars” to try to keep up with demand. He said they do not have a cost estimate yet, “but I think our part on there is going to run anywhere from probably about $18-$20,000 because hangars are pretty expensive.”

Several years ago, Prosek asked commissioners to consider “completing the perimeter fencing” around the airport, which he said the Federal Aviation Administration “keeps pushing” because they are trying “to keep wildlife off the runway.” He said Tuesday that he has “put it off till 2033” in the airport’s 10-year plan, due to rising costs.

“We were going to do the fencing project this year, but the cost got unbelievable,” Prosek said. “An airport fence not only is six feet above the ground, it has to go three feet below ground. They were talking almost 100 and some dollars a foot.

“I put the whole thing off until later on when we’ve got time and things settle down.”

Among those in attendance Tuesday was local Boy Scout Mason Greenwood, who said he was working on his Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge. Commissioners encouraged him to ask questions, and after Greenwood asked Daniels to explain commissioners’ role in county government, the local Scout asked if youths could help with the Highland County Airport.

Prosek explained the Highland County Airport Authority and how it is run, and he told Greenwood they are “always looking for volunteers.” The Airport Authority also likes to encourage young people to take an interest in aviation, Prosek said. He pointed out the airport is home to two Young Eagles events each year and that they are also hosting campers from KAMP Dovetail this week. In addition, some “young people help” with the Highland County Quilt Guild, which meets at the airport, he said.

“We’re open for all kinds of good things,” Prosek said.

Daniels congratulated Greenwood on his progress in the Boy Scouts organization and encouraged him to continue to reach his goal of becoming an Eagle Scout.

• Daniels announced that the new Ohio State University Extension office building at the Highland County Fairgrounds is complete, and they are “ready to move.”

As previously reported, commissioners voted in July 2023 to award the new OSU Extension building project in the amount of $1,113,599. The Extension office is currently located in the Highland County Administration Building. According to Daniels, both spacing and parking issues at the administration building were factors in the decision to relocate.

Commissioners voted 3-0 Tuesday to approve a $12,017 quote from Wessels Workplace Services to facilitate the Extension office’s move.

“Ohio State will pay half of it, so our cost would be $6,008.50,” Daniels said. “They have scheduled, tentatively, the move for July 8 and 9 during normal business hours. They’ll come and box everything up and move everything out.”

• Highland County Auditor Alex Butler and Highland County Treasurer Vickie Warnock said the tax bills are approved and will be mailed soon, as they will be due Aug. 2.

Commissioners made the following approvals, each by a 3-0 vote:

• A request to create new line items within the 2230 Conceal Carry Law Fund. Also requested is a budget modification within the 2230 Conceal Carry Law fund in the amount of $24,429.60.

• A request from Victim Witness for an additional appropriation from unanticipated revenue in the amount of $5,000 within the 2540 Victim Witness Assistance Fund.

• A budget modification within the 2540 Victim Witness Assistance Fund in the amount of $3,000.

• Also approved was a $2,300 quote from BNM Painting for repairs and painting to the front of the Administration Building, including the pillars and flashing.

• Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve continuing with the county’s vision and life insurance contract with Guardian for the next two years at the same rate.

Commissioners also held an executive session at 11 a.m. to discuss security matters. No action was taken, according to commission clerk Ashleigh Willey.

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