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More concerns over state program

By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Today’s participants in the Help Me Grow program may find themselves all grown up by the time the county and state resolve its ongoing fiscal concerns.
    Once again, this program’s budget was a topic of discussion for the Highland County Board of Commissioners.
    At the board’s Wednesday meeting, Highland County Prosecutor Jim Grandey and Highland County Auditor Bill Fawley brought additional questions and concerns regarding the Help Me Grow budget.
    “I understand that Help Me Grow had some of their bills paid by an advance from MRDD (the Highland County Board of Developmental Disabilities),” Grandey said, in the form of a question. “How do we find out if this was proper? A special audit would probably cost $30,000 to $40,000. I’m really concerned. I’m not sure how it happened or who authorized it.”
    Grandey said he was bringing the issue to the commissioners’ attention after a recent telephone call he’d received from Highland County Developmental Disabilities Superintendent Chuck Biggert.
    As reported in The Highland County Press last month, Fawley met with county commissioners to review the Help Me Grow budget and administrative changes in the program. In December, commissioners appointed Danielle Ratcliff, coordinator for Highland County Family and Children First Council, as the interim administrator for the Help Me Grow program. The program is Ohio’s “birth to 3” system that provides state and federal funds to county Family and Children First Councils to be used in conjunction with state, local and other federal funds to implement and maintain a coordinated, community-based infrastructure that promotes trans-disciplinary, family centered services for expectant parents, newborns, infants, toddlers and their families.
The Ohio Department of Health, Bureau of Early Intervention Services is the lead agency administering the HMG program in Ohio.
    “We’re still trying to figure it all out,” Commissioner Gary Heaton said Wednesday of the fiscal concerns.  
    “The DD board would have to have approved (the payments and reimbursements),” commissioner Tom Horst said.
    “We’ve got a real problem,” Grandey said.
    “Our biggest problem is balancing what Chuck says with what the Ohio Department of Health says,” Heaton said.
    Fawley told commissioners he would schedule a meeting with a member of the board of Highland County Developmental Disabilities and Commission President Shane Wilkin.
    “How did DD funds get spent for Help Me Grow?” Grandey asked. “Who authorized this?”
    According to Heaton, commissioners “were told the state health department gave Help Me Grow enough money to fund each quarter.”
    “You can’t use DD money for Help Me Grow unless the commissioners approve it,” Grandey said.
    “I think Chuck did this on his own,” Heaton said.
    “He can’t do that,” Grandey said. “You should have passed a resolution.”
    “That didn’t happen,” Horst said.
    “This all came about when Brian Miller, at Chuck’s direction, told the Family and Children First Council they’d overspent their budget,” Heaton said.
    “I’m at a quandary,” Grandey said. “I can’t be legal counsel for three different sides. In my mind, there is a problem. How do we rectify it?”
    “To complicate matters,” Fawley said, “On July 1, the Ohio Department of Education will oversee Help Me Grow instead of the Ohio Department of Health.”
    According to Heaton, representatives from the Department of Health were in Highland County last week to discuss Help Me Grow. “They’ve been here three times since October,” he said.
    Biggert, who did not attend Wednesday’s meeting, has said the difficulty in working with the Department of Health was a factor in his decision to step down as administrator of Help Me Grow. “Chuck said the main reason he wanted to leave the program was the difficulty in getting state reimbursements,” Fawley noted.
    • In other business, commissioners met with Larry Barr regarding the Salem Township zoning inspections.            
       Commissioners had earlier discussed a “per inspection fee” rather than a monthly allocation. Barr pointed out that the department for the inspections has not had an increase in 28 years. “It started out at $200 a month and it’s never been increased. Now it’s been cut 25 percent to $150 per month.”
    Commissioners suggested the Salem Township Zoning Board review its current fees and they requested a monthly listing of calls, inspections and time devoted to each.
    The list would be submitted to the zoning board and the commissioners.
    • Commissioners approved the following resolutions, all by 3-0 votes:
    • The creation of a new fund to be known as T-25 Revolving Loan Fund, and appropriate as follows: from Unappropriated Funds to Other Expense, in the amount of $495,000.
    • The authorization of additional appropriation to the Ohio Pet Fund budget (S-50) as follows: from Unappropriated Funds (Ohio Pet Fund Grant paid-in on 2/9/10) to S-50, Ohio Pet Fund, in the amount of $3,000.
    • The approval, in conjunction with Highland County Soil and Water District, of the appointment of John F. King as At-Large Member for Ohio Valley RC&D. The appointment is for a three-year term for Jan. 1, 2010 through Dec. 31, 2012.
    • The rescinding of Resolution 10-50, adopted on Feb. 3, 2010 to restore the Veterans Service Commission 2010 budget appropriations to
the original request.
    The resolution did not properly modify the budget. A corrected resolution was adopted on Feb. 10, 2010.
    • The modification to the Highland County Veterans Service Commission 2010 budget to restore the appropriations to the original request as
follows: from Maintenance and Operations, Contracts/Services, to Salary-Employees, in the amount of $4,140.27; Equip-Repair, in the amount of $1,000; Relief Allowances, in the amount of $1,815.28; Travel, in the amount of $1,500; and Rent, in the amount of $6,277.71, for a total of $14,733.26; and from Veterans Service, Other Expense, to Rent, in the amount of $72.29; Workers Comp, in the amount of $53.17; and Medicare, in the amount of $38.54, for a total of $164.
    • The approval of the Recorder’s request to travel to the Ohio Recorders’ Association seminars and meetings in 2010.
    • The authorization of a transfer to the Highland County Help Me Grow fund as follows: from Help Me Grow, Reimb. to Help Me Grow (County), in
the amount of $15,000.[[In-content Ad]]

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