County OKs three new cruisers
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
The Highland County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to approve the leasing of three new cruisers for the Highland County Sheriff’s Office, with the stipulations that for 2010, no new funds be drawn from the general fund.
The commissioners discussed the matter and noted that the sheriff’s office was dealing with the cost of an aging fleet, and it was becoming more cost-effective to replace the vehicles.
“(Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward) had to spend $1,500 on one to keep it on the road last week,” said Commissioner Tom Horst.
Commissioner Shane Wilkin said that he had spoken to Ward, and said that if the commissioners approved the lease, he would be able to pay the 2011 costs out of his budget’s discretionary funds. Wilkin reiterated general fund money would not be used this year toward the cruisers.
“It’s in the budget this year to make lease payments on cruisers from four years ago,” Horst said.
The annual payment for the three cruisers will be $17,451.
Horst said the cruisers will also go from the Crown Victoria model that is currently used to a Ford Taurus model. According to 2010 year-end reports, the three cruisers that are being replaced will have mileages of 263,331, 203,279 and 213,709 by the end of 2011.
Wilkin said that “another deciding factor” in approving the cruisers was that new essential equipment used in outfitting vehicles is not fitting in the older cars.
Horst made a recommendation to approve the new cruisers, which was seconded by Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer, and the motion passed, 3-0.
• Highland County Community Action Organization held a the first of two public hearings the agency is required hold in order to apply for Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) grand funds.
HCCAO Executive Director Julie Wise told the commissioners that of the $26 million in funds available to the state of Ohio, Highland County was eligible for $500,000. The cities of Hillsboro and Greenfield will apply for CHIP funds separately.
Wise said that they will focus on funds for rehabilitation of private and rental properties, and emergency rent assistance, which have been “very successful” for the county in the past.
As part of the application process, HCCAO has to identify a target area to focus $100,000 of the potential funds. Wise said they reviewed census data - which she noted is approximately two years old and does not reflect the actual current level of need for area residents – which showed an average of 59.6 percent of residents in Washington Township were low- to moderate-income households. In previous years, those numbers were not nearly that high, she said.
There will still be potentially $400,000 to be used throughout the entire county, she said, there will just be targeted funds Washington Township residents can apply for. If not enough Washington Township residents apply for the funds, they can be dispersed to other parts of the county.
The commissioners voted 3-0 to allow HCCAO to proceed with the grant application, and Horst was named the program’s liaison on the project. HCCAO employees Mark Current, Rhonda Kidder and Jim Vaughn were also present at the meeting.
In other business:
• The office of the commissioners sent a correspondence to Dan Workman, special projects coordinator at the Ohio Department of Development, regarding an incorrect reporting of funds for Community Development Block Grants in fiscal year 2007.
According to the letter, “The amount reported to the state auditor was incorrect. Expenses were as follows: 2008, $89,055.19; 2009, $83,944.81. Total amount expended from the FY07 Block Grant was $173,000. Workman responded in a letter, saying the county’s response was acceptable. “We have, therefore, closed this audit for the period covered. Our completion of
the audit review does not change the status of any open grants.”
The Highland County Community Improvement Corporation declined a request by the commissioners for a rate adjustment. In a correspondence to the commissioners, the board stated they did not have the authority to make such an adjustment, but that, “we will continue to assist the county board of commissioners in marketing the space owned by the county commissioners. As it has been our practice, we shall, when possible, give the commissioners’ condominium holding first priority to be the property included in future sales of the rear contiguous area.”
• Commissioners voted 3-0 to accept bids for janitorial services at the office of the Highland County Engineer. The low bid was $16,492 from S&S Janitorial Services. The second, and only other, bid was for $29,385. The commissioners voted to accept the bid from S&S Janitorial Services.
• Commissioners voted 3-0 to pass a resolution modifying and reducing the Highland County Children Services budget, from $2,027,100 to $637,156. Horst said the modification was due to the merger of Children Services and Highland County Job and Family Services, and the budget is only for six months instead of a year. A resolution modifying the Children Services gift fund was also passed 3-0, reducing it from the original amount of $12,000 to $6,000.
• Commissioners voted 3-0 to pass a resolution approving travel for Highland County Veterans Service Commission members to attend a district meeting on March 12.
• Commissioners voted 3-0 to pass a resolution approving travel expenses for a Veterans Service Commission member to attend new officer school April 11-14 at the Embassy Suits Hotel in Dublin. Total expenses are $582.
• A written request was sent to the Ohio Recorder’s Association asking annual membership dues for the Highland County Recorder be waived for 2011 due to the county’s inability to pay. “We have asked all county departments to reduce their budgets, which leaves no funding for travel or membership fees. We hope that 2012 will be more prosperous for all of us,” the commissioners wrote.
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The commissioners discussed the matter and noted that the sheriff’s office was dealing with the cost of an aging fleet, and it was becoming more cost-effective to replace the vehicles.
“(Highland County Sheriff Ron Ward) had to spend $1,500 on one to keep it on the road last week,” said Commissioner Tom Horst.
Commissioner Shane Wilkin said that he had spoken to Ward, and said that if the commissioners approved the lease, he would be able to pay the 2011 costs out of his budget’s discretionary funds. Wilkin reiterated general fund money would not be used this year toward the cruisers.
“It’s in the budget this year to make lease payments on cruisers from four years ago,” Horst said.
The annual payment for the three cruisers will be $17,451.
Horst said the cruisers will also go from the Crown Victoria model that is currently used to a Ford Taurus model. According to 2010 year-end reports, the three cruisers that are being replaced will have mileages of 263,331, 203,279 and 213,709 by the end of 2011.
Wilkin said that “another deciding factor” in approving the cruisers was that new essential equipment used in outfitting vehicles is not fitting in the older cars.
Horst made a recommendation to approve the new cruisers, which was seconded by Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer, and the motion passed, 3-0.
• Highland County Community Action Organization held a the first of two public hearings the agency is required hold in order to apply for Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) grand funds.
HCCAO Executive Director Julie Wise told the commissioners that of the $26 million in funds available to the state of Ohio, Highland County was eligible for $500,000. The cities of Hillsboro and Greenfield will apply for CHIP funds separately.
Wise said that they will focus on funds for rehabilitation of private and rental properties, and emergency rent assistance, which have been “very successful” for the county in the past.
As part of the application process, HCCAO has to identify a target area to focus $100,000 of the potential funds. Wise said they reviewed census data - which she noted is approximately two years old and does not reflect the actual current level of need for area residents – which showed an average of 59.6 percent of residents in Washington Township were low- to moderate-income households. In previous years, those numbers were not nearly that high, she said.
There will still be potentially $400,000 to be used throughout the entire county, she said, there will just be targeted funds Washington Township residents can apply for. If not enough Washington Township residents apply for the funds, they can be dispersed to other parts of the county.
The commissioners voted 3-0 to allow HCCAO to proceed with the grant application, and Horst was named the program’s liaison on the project. HCCAO employees Mark Current, Rhonda Kidder and Jim Vaughn were also present at the meeting.
In other business:
• The office of the commissioners sent a correspondence to Dan Workman, special projects coordinator at the Ohio Department of Development, regarding an incorrect reporting of funds for Community Development Block Grants in fiscal year 2007.
According to the letter, “The amount reported to the state auditor was incorrect. Expenses were as follows: 2008, $89,055.19; 2009, $83,944.81. Total amount expended from the FY07 Block Grant was $173,000. Workman responded in a letter, saying the county’s response was acceptable. “We have, therefore, closed this audit for the period covered. Our completion of
the audit review does not change the status of any open grants.”
The Highland County Community Improvement Corporation declined a request by the commissioners for a rate adjustment. In a correspondence to the commissioners, the board stated they did not have the authority to make such an adjustment, but that, “we will continue to assist the county board of commissioners in marketing the space owned by the county commissioners. As it has been our practice, we shall, when possible, give the commissioners’ condominium holding first priority to be the property included in future sales of the rear contiguous area.”
• Commissioners voted 3-0 to accept bids for janitorial services at the office of the Highland County Engineer. The low bid was $16,492 from S&S Janitorial Services. The second, and only other, bid was for $29,385. The commissioners voted to accept the bid from S&S Janitorial Services.
• Commissioners voted 3-0 to pass a resolution modifying and reducing the Highland County Children Services budget, from $2,027,100 to $637,156. Horst said the modification was due to the merger of Children Services and Highland County Job and Family Services, and the budget is only for six months instead of a year. A resolution modifying the Children Services gift fund was also passed 3-0, reducing it from the original amount of $12,000 to $6,000.
• Commissioners voted 3-0 to pass a resolution approving travel for Highland County Veterans Service Commission members to attend a district meeting on March 12.
• Commissioners voted 3-0 to pass a resolution approving travel expenses for a Veterans Service Commission member to attend new officer school April 11-14 at the Embassy Suits Hotel in Dublin. Total expenses are $582.
• A written request was sent to the Ohio Recorder’s Association asking annual membership dues for the Highland County Recorder be waived for 2011 due to the county’s inability to pay. “We have asked all county departments to reduce their budgets, which leaves no funding for travel or membership fees. We hope that 2012 will be more prosperous for all of us,” the commissioners wrote.
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