Shane Wilkin re-appointed as commission president
By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press
Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeff Duncan held their 2016 organizational board meeting on Monday, Jan. 11 at the commissioners' office in the Highland County Administration Building.
By 2-0 votes, the board re-appointed Wilkin as president and Horst as vice president. Duncan made both motions and Wilkin and Horst abstained from voting on their respective appointments.
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• The board also established formal rules for public comment for their regular and special meetings.
Effective this year, the policy states:
1. Public comment is welcomed by the board. Comments will be entertained on topics and business items that have been discussed at that day’s meeting.
2. A 10-minute session will be allotted to those who wish to speak to the board on other topics, provided that information on the topic to be discussed is presented to the clerk of the board by noon the day preceding the meeting.
3. All other comments and discussions regarding county business, but not relevant to the current meeting, will be welcomed by the commissioners individually after the meeting is adjourned.
"This board hasn't necessarily had any issues," Wilkin said. "We try not to limit it (public discussion) as long as it's respectful. We probably should have a policy."
"Have we had any guidelines in the past?" Duncan asked.
Wilkin replied that the board has not had a formal policy on public participation during the meetings.
The resolution passed by a 3-0 vote.
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• Commissioners announced that they will serve as members of the following boards:
Shane Wilkin: Community Improvement Corporation (CIC), Board of Health, Highland District Hospital Foundation Board, Senior Citizens, Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission (OVRDC), Southern Ohio Agricultural Community Development Foundation - Tobacco Foundation (SOACDF) and CCAO.
Tom Horst: Community Action Organization (CAO), Court Security, Local Emergency Planning Committee, FRS Transportation, Tourism Board, VOCA and Solid Waste.
Jeff Duncan: Area 7 Chief Elected Officials Consortium, East Fork Water Shed, Emergency Management Executive Committee, Family and Children First Council (FCFC), Local Emergency Planning Committee, Workforce Policy Board (WPB), Domestic Violence and Ohio Valley Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D).
All commissioners: 911 Users, Community Corrections, County Caucus, Extension Advisory Board, Highland County Planning Commission, Juvenile Detention (South Central Ohio Regional Juvenile Detention Corporation - SCORJDC), Trustees, Workforce Investment (WIA) and Board of Zoning Appeals.
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Resolutions
In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, each by a 3-0 vote:
• A resolution to rehire county employees.
• A resolution to agree to set the value of stock killed by dogs to 50 percent of market value.
• A resolution to appoint Tom Horst to the Joint Solid Waste Management District.
• A resolution to appoint CDBG complaint procedure committee, as follows: Deb Robbins, Bill Fawley and Shane Wilkin.
• A resolution to appoint Jeff Duncan to OVRC&D Council.
• A resolution to establish meeting days.
• A resolution to appoint board members for 2016.
• A resolution to approve travel for commissioners to meetings.
• A resolution to establish the threshold of $5,000 for county blanket purchase orders.
• A resolution to designate CCAO official representative and alternate.
• A resolution to appoint Larry Nartker to the Highland County District Library as trustee.
• A resolution to appoint Mike Rector to serve as Executive Committee member for Ohio Valley RC&D for 2016.
• A resolution to establish rules for public comment for their meetings.
• A resolution to appoint Chuck Taylor as CORSA Loss Control Coordinator for 2016.