CDBG projects funded; courthouse work rebid
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
CDBG projects funded; courthouse work rebid
By RORY RYAN
The Highland County Press
With Commissioner Shane Wilkin not in attendance due to an illness, Commissioners Tom Horst and Gary Heaton agreed at their Wednesday board
meeting to rebid the exterior renovation work proposed for the Highland County Courthouse.
The remodeling, which will not be paid from the general fund, will include exterior painting and repairs to the dome and other areas of the
historic courthouse.
“It was the prosecutor’s (Jim Grandey) advice to rebid the project and be more specific with the requirements and also to include the EPA mandates
on lead paint removal,” Heaton said.
Commissioners informed Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss of their decision later in the meeting.
Commissioners reported positive news on this month’s permissive sales tax revenues, which increased almost $80,000 from the previous month. Heaton said the sales tax figure was $460,897.71, up from $392,729 at this time last year.
Commissioners also met with Peg Beekman, an administrator for the Community Development Block Grant program.
Commissioners announced funding for five projects, including: resurfacing of Beech Street in Hillsboro; a sidewalk project on Lafayette Street in Greenfield; a sidewalk project in Mowrystown; improvements to the Brush Creek Township Community Center; and resurfacing of Gray Road in Clay Township.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss informed commissioners of the additional expenses related to the capital murder case
of Wesley Coonrod scheduled for October. Coss’ preliminary estimate for added costs was $48,280. Coss said that was a “conservative” estimate.
“Your preliminary estimate is around $50,000, but you expect it to go higher?” Heaton asked.
“Yes,” Coss said, adding that attorney fees were not included in the estimate. The judge said the expenses could reach $80,000 to $100,000, not
including attorney fees.
Coss explained that there may be as many as 200 to 300 potential jurors for the case. “We expect to go through 200 or 300 to get a jury; maybe not
that many,” Coss said. “The kicker here is that it’s the death penalty. We plan to have 200 to 300 in the (jury) pool.”
Coss said the court would scheduled approximately 50 jurors at a time. He requested the use of the basement meeting room in the Administration
Building.
Commissioners agreed to make the room available.
Commissioners opened two bids for chip and seal projects on county roads. Brown County Asphalt Inc. of Georgetown and Miller-Mason Paving
Company of Hillsboro submitted bids on the project.
Miller-Mason had the lowest bid. County Engineer Dean Otworth said he would make his recommendation to commissioners after reviewing the bids.
Commissioners met briefly with SATH Executive Director Linda Allen regarding apparent confusion with the Highland County Probation Department.
Allen said she had requested assistance for setting up KAMP Dovetail at Rocky Fork Lake State Park Wednesday morning, but the workers were not
available as promised, she said.
Horst placed a call to Chief Probation Officer Jeremy Ratcliff, after which, Horst said the matter would be resolved and the workers would be available.
Resolutions
Commissioners passed the following resolutions, all by 2-0 votes:
* A resolution to enter into a contract with MJW Consulting Services to administer the Fair Housing Program for the FY10 Community Development Block
Grant for the period of Sept. 1, 2010 to Aug. 31, 2011.
* A resolution for a modification to the Babington Sewer Debt Requirement budget as follows: from Principal to Interest, in the amount of $8,696.92, and authorizes a transfer as follows: from miscellaneous transfers to Babington Sewer Debt Retirement, in the amount of $235.21.
* A resolution to transfer to the Mowrystown Sewer Debt Retirement fund as follows: from miscellaneous transfers to Mowrystown Sewer Debt
Retirement, in the amount of $40,765.54.
* A resolution to transfer to the Mowrystown Sewer Debt Retirement fund as follows: from Miscellaneous Transfers to Highland-Leesburg Sewer Debt
Retirement, in the amount of $22,291.77.
* A resolution for a modification to the General Fund budget, TEC, as follows: from Maintenance & Operations, Repairs to TEC, Repairs, in the
amount of $2,000.
* A resolution for a modification to the General Fund budget, Commissioners, as follows: from Contracts & Services to Advertising and
Printing, in the amount of $84.15.
* A resolution for an additional appropriation to the Sheriff’s budget as follows: from Unappropriated Funds to Employee Salaries in the amount of
$2,778.28.
* A resolution for the execution of a Revolving Loan Fund Administration Agreement with the State of Ohio, Department of Development (as Grantor), for the period from Jan. 1, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2011.
* A resolution for an additional appropriation to the CAO Housing Rehabilitation budget as follows: from Unappropriated funds to Expenses, in the amount of $40,975.
With Commissioner Shane Wilkin not in attendance due to an illness, Commissioners Tom Horst and Gary Heaton agreed at their Wednesday board meeting to rebid the exterior renovation work proposed for the Highland County Courthouse.
The remodeling, which will not be paid from the general fund, will include exterior painting and repairs to the dome and other areas of the historic courthouse.
“It was the prosecutor’s (Jim Grandey) advice to rebid the project and be more specific with the requirements and also to include the EPA mandates on lead paint removal,” Heaton said.
Commissioners informed Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss of their decision later in the meeting.
Commissioners reported positive news on this month’s permissive sales tax revenues, which increased almost $80,000 from the previous month. Heaton said the sales tax figure was $460,897.71, up from $392,729 at this time last year.
Commissioners also met with Peg Beekman, an administrator for the Community Development Block Grant program.
Commissioners announced funding for five projects, including: resurfacing of Beech Street in Hillsboro; a sidewalk project on Lafayette Street in Greenfield; a sidewalk project in Mowrystown; improvements to the Brush Creek Township Community Center; and resurfacing of Gray Road in Clay Township.
Highland County Common Pleas Court Judge Rocky Coss informed commissioners of the additional expenses related to the capital murder case
of Wesley Coonrod scheduled for October. Coss’ preliminary estimate for added costs was $48,280. Coss said that was a “conservative” estimate.
“Your preliminary estimate is around $50,000, but you expect it to go higher?” Heaton asked.
“Yes,” Coss said, adding that attorney fees were not included in the estimate. The judge said the expenses could reach $80,000 to $100,000, not including attorney fees.
Coss explained that there may be as many as 200 to 300 potential jurors for the case. “We expect to go through 200 or 300 to get a jury; maybe not that many,” Coss said. “The kicker here is that it’s the death penalty. We plan to have 200 to 300 in the (jury) pool.”
Coss said the court would scheduled approximately 50 jurors at a time. He requested the use of the basement meeting room in the Administration Building.
Commissioners agreed to make the room available.
Commissioners opened two bids for chip and seal projects on county roads. Brown County Asphalt Inc. of Georgetown and Miller-Mason Paving Company of Hillsboro submitted bids on the project.
Miller-Mason had the lowest bid. County Engineer Dean Otworth said he would make his recommendation to commissioners after reviewing the bids.
Commissioners met briefly with SATH Executive Director Linda Allen regarding apparent confusion with the Highland County Probation Department.
Allen said she had requested assistance for setting up KAMP Dovetail at Rocky Fork Lake State Park Wednesday morning, but the workers were not available as promised, she said.
Horst placed a call to Chief Probation Officer Jeremy Ratcliff, after which, Horst said the matter would be resolved and the workers would be available.
Resolutions
Commissioners passed the following resolutions, all by 2-0 votes:
* A resolution to enter into a contract with MJW Consulting Services to administer the Fair Housing Program for the FY10 Community Development Block
Grant for the period of Sept. 1, 2010 to Aug. 31, 2011.
* A resolution for a modification to the Babington Sewer Debt Requirement budget as follows: from Principal to Interest, in the amount of $8,696.92, and authorizes a transfer as follows: from miscellaneous transfers to Babington Sewer Debt Retirement, in the amount of $235.21.
* A resolution to transfer to the Mowrystown Sewer Debt Retirement fund as follows: from miscellaneous transfers to Mowrystown Sewer Debt Retirement, in the amount of $40,765.54.
* A resolution to transfer to the Mowrystown Sewer Debt Retirement fund as follows: from Miscellaneous Transfers to Highland-Leesburg Sewer Debt Retirement, in the amount of $22,291.77.
* A resolution for a modification to the General Fund budget, TEC, as follows: from Maintenance & Operations, Repairs to TEC, Repairs, in the amount of $2,000.
* A resolution for a modification to the General Fund budget, Commissioners, as follows: from Contracts & Services to Advertising and Printing, in the amount of $84.15.
* A resolution for an additional appropriation to the Sheriff’s budget as follows: from Unappropriated Funds to Employee Salaries in the amount of
$2,778.28.
* A resolution for the execution of a Revolving Loan Fund Administration Agreement with the State of Ohio, Department of Development (as Grantor), for the period from Jan. 1, 2009, to Dec. 31, 2011.
* A resolution for an additional appropriation to the CAO Housing Rehabilitation budget as follows: from Unappropriated funds to Expenses, in the amount of $40,975.
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