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Possible sewer rate increases, infrastructure upgrades, health insurance among topics at Highland County commission meeting

Highland County commissioners
From left, pictured are Highland County commissioners David Daniels, Brad Roades and Terry Britton. (HCP Photo/Caitlin Forsha)
By
Caitlin Forsha, The Highland County Press

In a meeting that lasted nearly two hours, Highland County commissioners Terry Britton, David Daniels and Brad Roades cautioned customers to be aware of potential sewer rate increases, heard updates on infrastructure projects and met with health insurance representatives.

Daniels gave a brief update on proposed upgrades to the Rocky Fork Lake and Rolling Acres sewer systems, warning users that rate increases are likely after plans for the multimillion-dollar repairs are finalized.

In May 2022, commissioners released their initial round of awards for American Rescue Plan Act expenditures, with the Rocky Fork plant receiving the most funding. At that time, the commission earmarked $1,450,000 for new clarifiers and mechanical screen for mixed liquor and another $340,000 to replace oxidation ditch aerators and Variable Frequency Drives, plus $454,100 for Rolling Acres WWTP improvements (replacing collection system mains).

“We're looking at probably, between the two systems, somewhere around $4 million worth of improvements,” Daniels said Wednesday. “Rocky Fork Lake, I think we estimate that to be around $3.4 [million]. Rolling Acres, I think we estimate that to be around $600 [thousand] to $700,000 depending on how the bids come in, and those estimates are the best we've got at this time.”

Commissioners held a bid opening for Rocky Fork Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements, receiving five multimillion-dollar bids, in March. They have since held multiple work sessions outside of their regular 9 a.m. meeting to mull funding plans for the project.

“We've been looking at doing some major repairs to the Rolling Acres and the Rocky Fork Lake sewer system over the course of the next two or three years,” Daniels said. “A lot of the improvements to be made are because certain components of those systems are at the end of their useful life and need to be replaced. We've been considering these for a long time.

“We’ve got one bid in. There are other components that need to be bid out, but it's important to say that we have been looking at different funding scenarios that we continue to look at. We continue to look for grant opportunities, but the improvements that need to be made will result in increased user fees and costs associated with those systems. We haven't made decisions yet on what that number looks like.”

Commissioners voted several months ago — in November — to implement a 38-percent increase for Rolling Acres, to $50 per month; and a 20-percent increase for the county’s Lakeside system, to $48 per month. At that time, Daniels said users in the Rocky Fork Lake sewer system should also expect rate increases at some point.

“We're going to continue probably over the course of the next few weeks to look at those kinds of funding scenarios and what they look like,” Daniels said. “When we have a final idea of what that assessment or what those user fees are going to look like, then we'll make that known to the public, but it's important to know that we are looking at making those improvements.”

After their regular meeting Wednesday, commissioners said they were meeting with ARPA funding coordinator Nicole Oberrecht to continue discussing funding options for the upgrades.

Britton added that the county is “looking at all avenues” to cover the costs of these repairs.

“We're trying to get low-interest loans, and then, you know, there's possibly some ARPA funding that we can put into this,” Britton said. “We’re trying to make it as painless as possible for the end user, but like Dave said, this stuff is 20-plus years old, and it's going to have to be fixed. That's what we're working on.

“We just want the public to know that this is definitely coming. It's just a matter of what we can work out, as far as the financial end of it.”

In other infrastructure upgrade news, Britton announced that commissioners held a meeting with Ohio Department of Transportation regional manager Adele Evans to explore the possibility of implementing a Transportation Improvement District (TID) in Highland County.

According to the ODOT website (transportation.ohio.gov), a TID “) is a form of local government that strives to promote intergovernmental and public-private cooperation of transportation resources and investments. The TID program provides funding for transportation projects that promote economic development in terms of job creation, job retention, and private sector capital investment.

“TID program funding can be used on all publicly owned roadways in Ohio. TIDs are permitted to submit multiple applications per funding round. TID program funding can be used for preliminary engineering, detailed design, right-of-way or construction of transportation improvements.”

“It does give the opportunity to get grant funds, extra grant money, for that,” Britton said. “There is a lot of discussion that we need to have through this because this has its own board, there's a cost related to this and also there's an audit that would be tied to this, which is going to be another cost.”

On a similar topic, Highland County Engineer Chris Fauber briefly discussed a potential project to submit for the governor’s $500 million Appalachian Community Grant Program. He said he was interested in submitting an application for a study for possible bike paths that would also accommodate the Amish community in the “southeastern part of the county,” giving them a direct route to Hillsboro using their horses and buggies.

“We had a consultant come in yesterday and talk with us about how maybe we could access some of that money,” Fauber said. “It’s a shot in the dark, but what I applied for an application for was a multi-use paths, like the bicycle paths, but I would like to make them wide enough to run buggies on them. We’re kind of trying to make a safe route from the Amish community mainly in the southeastern part of the county to Hillsboro.

“The guy that was helping us with the application thought it was something that they'd never seen before and thought it might be something that they might jump on. The application, if it goes through, they'll approve it for the study, and that’s all free. They'll do a study to see the costs associated.”

Fauber added that he was hoping to get the support and cooperation of both the commissioners’ office and the City of Hillsboro for the application.

“There’s a lot left to do, but we’re trying to see if the state would buy into it,” he said.

Fauber and deputy engineer Christian Dunlap were present as commissioners held two bid openings early in the meeting Wednesday morning, after which the commission awarded bids for both projects.

The first was a bid opening for county mowing on various properties, including the Justice Center, the Hi-TEC building, the courthouse and both the old and new dog pound buildings. Commissioners received two bids, with both submissions also including a bid for landscaping, weed control and trimming at the courthouse and Hi-TEC buildings.

The apparent low bidder, Gaines Mowing, submitted a bid of $530/week for mowing, plus $900 for the Hi-TEC and $725 for the courthouse. Kaleb Watson’s bid included estimates of $900/week for mowing, plus $750 for the Hi-TEC building and $800 for the courthouse.

According to Roades, “there are usually 26 mows per year,” so he estimated the total cost for mowing to be $13,780 for Gaines Mowing and $23,400 for Watson.

Daniels moved to accept Gaines’ bid, with Roades seconding with a proviso that “any applicable license for any type of herbicide is up to par.”

The second bid opening was for the Highland County Engineer’s Office for chip and seal projects.

The county also received two bids for this opening, including a $705,000 quote from Allied Construction and $571,000 from Miller-Mason Paving.

“This is for our countywide [chip and seal], and we give the option for townships to join in on that, so we kind of get a bulk quantity and it helps everyone,” Fauber said.

After Fauber and Dunlap reviewed the bids, commissioners voted 3-0 to accept their recommendation and passed a resolution awarding the bid to Miller-Mason Paving.

In other discussion:

• Commissioners and county human resources personnel met with Dave Brown and Belinda McCollum of the county’s health insurance broker Brown/Raybourn, as well as Jeff Fleming of Medical Mutual, the county’s health insurance company.

The county’s contact with Medical Mutual is set to expire at the end of July, and their current two-year plan included a four-percent reduction each year. Brown said they are hoping to be “way ahead of the game” on negotiations this year in case they need to “shop” for other companies.

Daniels said it sounded as though Brown was “priming us for a rate increase.”

“Oh, I don't think there's any doubt there'll be some sort of increase,” Brown said.

Brown added that they are seeing increases in claims as well as concerns of rising costs due to inflation.

“With everything that's going on with regard to inflation, we don't want that to be a crutch that harms us, as we negotiate the renewal and get the right number,” Brown said.

Brown said that unsurprisingly, there has been an increase in elective procedures and medical visits since the pandemic has lessened, while they are seeking “astronomical” prices on “high-end drugs.” That is likely to contribute to rate increases as well.

However, Brown said they hoped to start obtaining quotes very soon.

“Whether we negotiate and no-shop, which has saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars the last five to 10 years, or if we go to a full-blown shop, I’d like to have everything wrapped up by the middle of June,” he said.

Fleming added that it has been “a pleasure” working with the county and that he is “an ally and will do all that I can” to assist in negotiations.
 
In other discussion, McCollum said she wanted to update commissioners on a few changes for claim processing in response to President Joe Biden revoking the COVID-19 national emergency.

“Effective May 11, after that date, the carrier will no longer be covering at-home COVID testing,” McCollum  said. “When your employees have the COVID vaccines, they have to use an in-network provider, and it'll be filed just like any other claim and it’ll go through your preventive medicine. If they would happen to step outside the network and have that vaccine done, then it's an out-of-network benefit.

“Treatment for any COVID-related illness is subject to whatever our plan design is for any other illness.”

Commissioners thanked them for the updates, as human resources director Amy Bradley added she was sure she would have many questions for the health insurance representatives.

• Britton announced that the county will be receiving  $22,972.42 for its second allocation payment from the state’s opioid settlement.

“The money that we're getting into that, we're working with the prosecutor’s office and also our probation department to try to come up with a way to help the opioid situation we have in the county,” Britton said.

• Commissioners signed off on the final applications for two previously approved agricultural easement resolutions for Cardinal Land Conservancy, on behalf of Kim Hiatt as well as Donald and Cheryl Geer.

• Commissioners approved a request from Highland County Community Action for a letter of support, as they are seeking “funding for expanding the parking lot over at Jefferson Street Business Center in Greenfield,” Britton said.

• Updates on the county’s 911 system and plans for a new MARCS tower were discussed. To read more, go to: https://highlandcountypress.com/news/highland-county-911-upgrades-new-m….

• Highland County Job and Family Services personnel accepted a proclamation in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month. The story and photo can be accessed at: https://highlandcountypress.com/highland-county-commissioners-recognize….

Comment

A Import to the area (not verified)

15 April 2023

So, the three wise men are talking rate increase for the RFL sewer area!
I have two questions:
1 I understand the local School is going to tap into the system. Are they paying their fair share? what additional loads are placed on the system? Was a study undertaken to understand the addition load placed on the plant?

2. The development on Lakeshore which is surrounded in rumors Is it a low-income retirement community? Is it a low-income general population community? Or is it a dumping ground for all the illegals coming into the country? What is the additional load being placing on the plant? Why are the current residents forced to absorb this increase? Due to lack of oversight of the three wise men. One who I understand may have property along the Lake, the other two cannot find the area until it's election time. I waste my time asking these questions as the board will pass along the rate increase, they will turn over the past due bills to their legal staff and the residents who are suffering due to the Buffoons in Washington will be forced to comply.
Sad state of affairs you three should be ashamed of yourselves I stand to be corrected I should be ashamed of myself because I vote.

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