Commissioners meet with Paint Valley ADAMH, Ohio Land and Liberty Coalition representatives

In unrelated appointments, Highland County commissioners Brad Roades, Terry Britton and David Daniels met with representatives from Paint Valley ADAMH and from the Ohio Land and Liberty Coalition during their Wednesday, March 19 meeting.

Paint Valley ADAMH Executive Director Melanie Swisher and Chief Financial Officer Adam Dyer attended the meeting to review progress made thus far on their planned behavioral health crisis center.

As previously reported by The Highland County Press, in August 2022, then-executive director Penny Dehner shared results of the ADAMH’s needs assessment and recommendations report with commissioners and explained that the assessment led to the recommendation to “build a 23-hour observation unit to provide walk-in crisis support,” possibly in Ross County. The assessment also outlined a need for “mobile crisis teams to provide coverage over the entire five-county area.” The teams would include master’s-level clinicians and peer support specialists with 24/7 community response.

According to the information provided by Swisher in July 2023, PVADAMH submitted a request for $7,962,700 in state funding, and they received their complete ask from the state in August 2023.

Swisher told commissioners Wednesday that PVADAMH has selected and purchased land for the build in Ross County and is working with architects and contractors.

“We did purchase land on [County Road] 550, so off of [U.S. Route] 35,” Swisher said. “There was a pottery shop there, and then there, we initially purchased the 13 acres to build the building.

“Ross County had requested that we did a shared driveway, so instead of using the driveway on the property we bought, we had to purchase additional property to do the shared driveway into the building.”

Swisher said contractors have given them a targeted opening date at the end of April 2026.

“It needs to be completed by September ’26, so we still are on schedule,” she said. “They're going to cut down some trees by the end of this month, and they're supposed to break ground the first or second week of April, so we're pretty excited about that.”

As the PVADAMH needs assessment also included implementing mobile response teams, Swisher said that Coleman Health Services is serving individuals 21 and younger in Highland, Fayette, Pickaway, Pike and Ross counties. They will be the eventual provider for the crisis center, Swisher said, but until then they are providing Mobile Response & Stabilization Services (MRSS) for youth.

According to a brochure provided by Swisher, “Families with youth and young adults up to age 21 who are experiencing emotional difficulties or distress can receive crisis support and de-escalation after making an MRSS referral. You may also receive ongoing stabilization services for six weeks and linkage to community supports and services.”

Those needing to access these services can call (330) 676-6800 or 1-888-418-MRSS. For more information, visit: https://www.colemanservices.org/services/mobile-response-and-stabilizat….

“We started it here in Highland,” Swisher said. “They've had referrals from every county but Pike at this point.

“They also started an adult mobile. The homeless shelter in Ross County offered space for them for that. They have one person hired so far for that.”

In other discussion, Swisher shared updated regional vs. state comparison data for alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use indicators, covering 2016-2018. The data compared Highland, Adams, Fayette, Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pickaway, Pike, Ross and Scioto counties to other areas.

The alcohol prevalence indicators (use in the past month, binge alcohol use in the past month and perceptions of great risk) and marijuana prevalence indicators (first use, use in past year, use in past month and perceptions of great risk) were all determined not to be “issues of concern in this area,” falling below the state data.

However, all three categories for tobacco prevalence were listed as issues of concern. Those indicators included: individuals who reported using tobacco in the past month (35.36 percent, compared to 27.4-percent state average); individuals who reported cigarette use in the past month (29.42 percent, compared to 21.81 percent in the state); and perceptions of great risk from smoking one or more packs of cigarettes per day (61.85 percent, compared to 66.95 percent in the state).

“Tobacco, when they updated these, was the thing that we kind of need to be improved upon, based upon the rest of the state,” Swisher said. “Everything else, we’re either doing better or the same as the state.”

Before leaving, Swisher asked commissioners if they “see any behavioral health needs in your county that you feel like it's not being addressed or that we could look into, try to help with.”

“I think they're being somewhat addressed,” Britton said. “There’s just a lot of them.”

Swisher also asked commissioners to let her know if any suggestions for “two OhioMHAS appointments coming up in June.

“If we could get a couple more people from Highland County on the board, that would be great,” she said.     

In another appointment Wednesday, Nick Burden of the Ohio Land and Liberty Coalition met with commissioners to ask several questions about the county’s “experience with renewable energy” as part of a statewide initiative of the organization.

“The goal is to meet with all 88 boards of county commissioners in the state of Ohio by the end of the year, so we’re about a quarter of the way through,” Burden said.

Commissioners previously met with another representative of the group for a similar discussion in 2022. According to information provided at that meeting, the Ohio Land and Liberty Coalition is “an initiative of the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum, made up of farmers and landowners who are concerned about protecting their property rights.” The group believes “landowners and farmers should have the option to supplement their income through renewable energy by utilizing their land to better the community and future for generations to come.” Similarly, the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum promotes “clean energy transition, supporting free markets and protecting property rights.”

Burden’s first question was how the commissioners would rate their “understanding of renewable energy” on a “scale of one to ten.”

“With what we've been through, we are probably an eight, maybe a seven,” Daniels said. “I'm speaking for myself. I'm not speaking for these guys, but I would say that there's still some technical aspects of what's in the ground that we have not been fully briefed on, and we're continuing to learn as that construction process goes on.”

Burden asked if the commissioners had “support, opposition or neutrality” for the five solar projects in various stages of development in Highland County.

Daniels responded that the county “really didn’t have a whole lot of say” as the siting process began prior to Senate Bill 52.  

As previously reported, Senate Bill 52 was introduced “to amend sections … of the Revised Code to permit a board of county commissioners to prevent power siting board certification of certain wind and solar facilities, to provide for ad hoc members of the power siting board and to establish decommissioning requirements for certain wind and solar facilities.” The legislation was signed into law by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine July 12, 2021.

“Those projects were launched well before we had an opportunity to weigh in,” Daniels said. “I think you can say there's concern on both sides of the issue. There's concern over landowners’ rights. There's concern over adjoining property owners’ rights.”

Britton agreed, saying that “the landowners’ rights is the biggest issue.

“The property is owned by an individual, and to take those rights away from that person is kind of a tough situation,” Britton said. “That's the thing that really sat with me was if you have a farm or land, any kind of land, and you have your neighbor telling you that you can't do what you can do on your property, legally.”

Britton added that in the community, however, there has been “a lot of opposition.”

Both Britton and Daniels also spoke about Senate Bill 52’s impact on the county’s solar policies.

“I think we were a big part of Senate Bill 52 that helped some of that, where they had some guidelines and that sort of thing,” Britton said. “I can't sit here and let the state off the hook because when they first put this out, I think they did not so good of a job with the startup of these things, but I think that's getting better.”

Following SB 52’s passage, commissioners developed a resolution to “provide objective measures and policies by which the Highland County Board of Commissioners will evaluate proposals for development of large solar facilities in Highland County.” The resolution was approved in November 2021.

“Through that process, we've set a certain set of guidelines that guide our thinking on when we will object and how a local community can challenge us or challenge the building of solar or wind or any renewables in their area,” Daniels said. “We’ve tried to strike a balance in there, and I think that's important.”

Daniels added that “Terry brings up a good point about the state and power siting process” and some “lack of oversight during construction” in the past.

“If renewable energy is going to be part of the state's energy portfolio, then those are things that the state needs to address,” Daniels said. “If they've got problems with the power siting process, then those are things that they need to address there, rather than on the local level. I think what they've done is they put us in the position to say no, and if they've got issues with how those facilities are being sited, then they need to address those at the state level with the power siting board.”

Next, Burden asked how commissioners determined whether or not to approve a Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT, for solar developments.

“I think in some ways, that was already decided for us, pre-Senate Bill 52,” Daniels said. “I think that this board — probably back in 2012, ’13, ’14, somewhere around in there — passed a resolution saying that any qualified energy project would fall under a PILOT. We rescinded that after the passage of Senate Bill 52 so that we had that option of making new decisions on an individual project basis.”

Finally, Burden asked if commissioners had any opinions on “putting solar on brownfields as opposed to prime farmland” in light of state funding for brownfield remediation, which has been used by the county.

“It’s probably a good idea, but we don’t have that many large-scale brownfield sites,” Daniels said. “Here, I mean, probably our largest brownfield would be an acre and a half, if that.”

Burden thanked commissioners for their insights.

In other discussion:

• Highland County Auditor Alex Butler told commissioners that he is hosting information sessions to further discuss the 2024 state-mandated property tax reappraisal with the community.

“During the reappraisal last year and during tax season this year, our tax collection season, I realized that there's a great need and opportunity for the county auditor's office to be a resource of information to the public,” Butler said. “In an effort to to be a resource and be accessible, I've scheduled these information sessions at all of our major municipalities across the county during the month of April.”

Sessions will be held in the following Highland County municipalities: Greenfield: April 8 at 7 p.m. at the Highland County Community Action Office, 1300 Jefferson St., Greenfield 45123; Hillsboro: April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Hi-TEC building, 1575 N. High Street, Hillsboro, 45133; Lynchburg: April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Lynchburg Area Joint Fire & Ambulance Station, 8123 state Route 135, Lynchburg 45142; Leesburg: April 23 at 7 p.m. at the Highland County North Joint Fire and Ambulance Station, 200 South St., Leesburg 45135; and Mowrystown: April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Mowrystown Village Council Chambers at the Southern Highland Joint Fire District Building, 50 Maple Street, Mowrystown 45155.

“It's not going to function as like a like an open house to come in and talk about your individual property,” Butler said. “I invite the public to call in or make an appointment if they want to review their particular property.

“I will have an approximately 30- to 45-minute presentation and then will be available to answer questions.”

Commissioners thanked Butler and said this was a “good idea.”

• Commissioners held a bid opening for 2025 chip/seal projects at 9:15 a.m., receiving two bids: Miller-Mason Paving, $733,709; and The Shelly Company, $843,460. Later in the morning, commissioners voted 3-0, via resolution, to award the contract to Miller-Mason Paving.

• Roades announced that commissioners received correspondence from the Ohio Department of Commerce for a general notice of legislative authorities to object to retail liquor permit renewals. Commissioners said they would wait to take action until April 23, pending any comments from the community.

• Roades also reported that commissioners, Highland County EMA and local municipalities engaged in a recent stakeholders meeting for Hyper-Reach, the EMA’s free emergency mass notification system.

• In other appointments Wednesday, commissioners held work sessions with records manager Julie Wallingford and ARPA funding coordinator Nicole Oberrecht; heard an update on SCP Connect from Todd Shelton; and held a meeting to further discuss Administration Building upgrades.

• Commissioners also held an emergency meeting Thursday, where they voted 3-0 to authorize a resolution approving a letter of engagement with Bricker Graydon in order to advise commissioners in tax-related matters.

In other action, commissioners made the following approvals Wednesday , each by a 3-0 vote:

• The release of a performance bond pursuant to the Road Use Maintenance Agreement (RUMA) with Willowbrook Solar I, LLC.

• A request from Highland County Community Action for an additional appropriation from unanticipated revenue within the 2565 Housing Trust Account in the amount of $25,000.

• A resolution to repay two earlier advances from 4240 Upgrades RFL to 1000 County General fund in the amount of $1,144,385.27 (Res No 24-78, 99 and 112).

• A resolution to appoint the 2025 Board Members to the Highland County Local Corrections Planning Board & Reentry Coalition.

• A request from the Auditor for an additional appropriation from unappropriated funds in the amount of $29,401.53. Also requested is a transfer of funds from 1000 Transfers Out to 2100 Transfers In, in the amount of $29,401.53.

• A transfer from County, Transfers Out, to EMA 2780 in the amount of $30,000 for per capita match.

• A resolution stating that commissioners determined that two advances from 2024 should, in fact, be reclassified as a transfer (where repayment is no longer needed) in the amount of $400,000 for the Children Services Special fund.

• A contract among commissioners, JTM Smith Construction, Inc. and the Highland County Engineer for the HIG TR 118-0.70 Gibler Road Bridge Replacement project.

• An agreement for the provision of limited architectural services with McCarty Associates for the Hi-TEC roof replacement, with the contract in the amount of $10,000.

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