Commissioners discuss Children Services, RFL matters

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

Highland County Commissioners Jeff Duncan and Tom Horst met with Highland County foster parent Ashley Chain, Highland County Prosecutor Anneka Collins and Assistant Prosecutor Molly Bolek and Highland County Children Services supervisor Larry McGuire regarding Highland County Children Services during the Wednesday, Nov. 25 board meeting.

Commission President Shane Wilkin was absent due to illness.

Chain, who said she is an “advocate for children’s rights,” discussed a 2014 case where children were allegedly being mistreated and placed in homes where the foster parents were arrested. Despite what she called repeated efforts to bring this to the attention of HCCS, Chain said she was met with “an extreme amount of resistance to acknowledge the problem.”

“I find the agency has failed,” Chain said. “Kids have reported abuse to caseworkers but have been kept in the home additional five months. I hope something can be done to ensure this doesn’t happen.”

“I can’t address any of that,” Horst said. “I’m not privy to it.”

“Commissioners don’t provide direct oversight to the agency,” Bolek said. “They do have some role, but not day-to-day. They are monitored by the state, and the agency does follow state standards.”

Collins said that all of the homes, including those out of the county, are licensed by the state.

The children in question are no longer in the home.

“The laws are very specific on licensing,” McGuire said. “Compliance is a state issue.”

McGuire told Chain that if their agency gets a report, “we report that to the state.”

Bolek told Chain that the agency’s new director, Katie Adams, who will be joining the agency next week, could meet with Chain to discuss her concerns.

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In other action, Horst updated the board on planned renovations to the Highland County Courthouse next year.

“We have money to do the renovations,” Horst said. “The cupola and dome will be painted in the spring, plus brick cleaning. I think it will look great.”

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Duncan said that he met with Highland County Engineer Dean Otworth last week regarding a request from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to close one side of North Beach Road at Rocky Fork Lake.

“Paint Township trustees are opposed to closing the road,” Duncan said. “They feel like it would impede traffic flow around the lake. They are sending a letter in opposition to closing it.”

Duncan said that the trustees suggested “putting up something that could be open and closed over certain hours” instead of a permanent closure of the road.

“It’s a work in progress,” Horst said.

No action was taken on the request from ODNR.

Commissioners also discussed a request from Environmental Engineering for an increase in sewerage fees at the lake and plan to consider it further at their next meeting.

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Resolutions

Commissioners approved the following resolutions, each by a 2-0 vote:

• A resolution for a budget modification within the Block Grant FY14 Budget in the amount of $9,623.

• A resolution to appoint Elizabeth Fryman to the Board of Developmental Disabilities.

• A request from the Sheriff for a budget modification within the Sheriff Budget in the total amount of $61,300.

• A request from the Engineer for a budget modification within the Tax Map Budget in the amount of $1,000.

• A request from Probation to revise the Probation Budget in the total amount of $8,000.

• A request from the Engineer for additional appropriation within unappropriated funds to Engineer, Contracts & Services in the amount of $1,531.18.

• A request from the Board of Elections for a modification within the Board Budget in the total amount of $1,432.49.

• A request from the Auditor for additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to the Hotel Lodging Tax in the amount of $6,105.88.

• A request from the Treasurer for a budget modification within the Treasurer’s Budget in the amount of $300.

• A modification within the County Budget from Transfers Out to Court Stenographer in the amount of $900.

• A transfer from County, General Transfers Out to Real Estate Fairgrounds Debt in the amount of $1,542.91.

• A resolution authorizing the Engineer to submit a grant to participate in Ohio Public Works Capital Improvement.