ODNR plans increased security measures at RFL

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

Adam Somerville, an officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, met with Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Jeff Duncan and Tom Horst regarding plans for the closure of part of North Beach Road just past Holiday Way at Rocky Fork Lake.

Somerville told commissioners that crime is a “huge problem” at the lake and that a large portion of the theft takes place at North Beach along the boat docks.

“We are looking at ways to beef up our security and make it less appealing to thieves,” Somerville said.

North Beach is a target for theft due to its two entrances, Somerville told commissioners.

“It makes it easy for thieves,” he said. “For law enforcement, there’s two ways in, two ways out. For one officer, it’s a headache.”

The state park closes at 11 p.m. unless visitors are fishing, the only “lawful activity” permitted after hours.

“I sit at the activity center and have to watch both directions, but I can’t see all the docks,” Somerville said.

Somerville said that ODNR has met with the Ohio Department of Transportation and plans to close the North Beach Road entrance just past Holiday Way.

“We’ve already talked to ODOT, and they will provide the guardrail to close it,” Somerville said. “Local residents are upset with a lot of the traffic stops, but it’s necessary to fight crime.”

Somerville said that ODNR has also hired a new law enforcement officer to assist with crimes at the lake.

“From having been in law enforcement, I can see the advantages,” Horst said. “It also doesn’t impede residents getting to Holiday Way.”

Somerville said that they were working on grant applications for the lake, and Wilkin asked if the grant could be used to come up with “something more eye-appealing” than the guardrail to close the road near Holiday Way.

“With all the work on the grant to address issues at Rocky Fork Lake, is there anything more aesthetically appealing than a guardrail?” Wilkin asked.

“Right now, a guardrail is a quick fix,” Somerville said. He added that one landowner who owns 200 acres in that area and may have plans for a gated community in the future could be affected.

“In five years, if things are going great, we could remove the guard rail if we decided to,” he said.

Somerville said that the ODNR central office wanted to ensure that the commissioners were “on board with” the plans before moving forward.

“I have no problem with it, but I’d like to talk with County Engineer Dean Otworth,” Horst said.

No action was taken by the board. Park Manager Tammy Knisley also attended the meeting.

Somerville also told The Highland County Press that the state is continuing to look at the issues of placing locked security gates at some Rocky Fork Lake boat docks, including at the East Shore Marina at Lucas Lane.

"We have been looking at it and also at providing an extra fishing pier separate from the boat docks," he said.

ODNR's Division of Watercraft has a meeting scheduled on the matter later this month.

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In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, each by a 3-0 vote:

• A request from EMA for a modification within the Right to Know Budget in the amount of $1,000.

• A request from the Probation Department to revise Jail Diversion Account budget.

• A request from the Engineer for a modification of appropriations within the Engineer Budget in the amount of $20,000.

• A request from the Auditor for additional appropriations from unappropriated funds in the Real Estate Assessment fund in the total amount of $16,120.

• A request from EMA for a modification within the Emergency Management Agency budget in the total amount of $5,500.

• Additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to Commissioners, Motor Vehicles in the amount of $30,000.

• A resolution to declare a 2004 Ford Minivan not needed for public use, obsolete or unfit for the use for which the property was acquired.

• A modification within the County Budget from Transfers Out to Court Stenographer in the amount of $600.