Wilkin: 'It's a great day for Highland County'
Lead Summary
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman announced at the Wednesday, Oct. 5 Highland County Board of Commissioners meeting the awarding of a Department of Justice grant of $843,498 for the Rocky Fork Lake Area Safety and Advancement Plan.
During a conference call with commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeff Duncan, Portman said Wednesday, "The grant money will go a long way in dealing with the drug problems in Highland County as well as support economic development at the Rocky Fork Lake State Park."
This week's announcement was the culmination of multifaceted efforts – both public and private – that began after an October 2014 grant of $100,000 through the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program’s effort to reduce crime in designated communities.
The initial grant allowed Highland County to design a strategic, collaborative and community-oriented plan to reduce crime in target neighborhoods. According to Wilkin, Highland County was one of a select few regions to receive the full funding.
"It's wonderful to work with Highland County on so many projects, from PAS Technologies to the rail spur for Candle-lite and Johnson Controls and now Turning Point," Portman told commissioners and more than a dozen local officials in attendance. "Highland County's public and private sector worked together to make this happen. I was delighted to support the Rocky Fork Lake ASAP. This is critical for the Rocky Fork Lake area in combating drug activities and blighted properties."
Portman also discussed the bipartisan Second Chance Act, which focuses on reduced prison costs and improved public safety by giving federal, state and local governments tools to help inmates successfully re-integrate into their communities upon release and avoid re-offending. Portman thanked commissioners and LuAnn Winkle, executive director of Turning Point Applied Learning Center, who led the 18-month grant application process.
Following Portman's call, Second District Rep. Brad Wenstrup called the board. Wenstrup thanked commissioners, Winkle and Highland County Community Action Organization Executive Director Julia Wise for their efforts.
Wenstrup referenced legislation that he is working on to bring assistance programs together.
"There are 92 programs that we need to get under one roof. There are lots of redundancies (in public assistance programs)," Wenstrup said.
Wenstrup, who owns property near Rocky Fork Lake State Park, said he is really excited about the grant and the opportunities to combat the drug problem at Rocky Fork Lake and across the county.
"The potential in the region and around Rocky Fork Lake is really huge," Wenstrup said. "This will help a lot of people in many, many ways. I look forward to us working together. It's a great county to work with."
Wenstrup's call was followed by a call from Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, who also praised local officials for their efforts in securing the significant grant.
"I really appreciate the local emphasis and partnerships to help the Rocky Fork Lake region in fighting crime and the drug epidemic," Rosenberger said. "This grant will help reduce drug-related crime, improve the quality of life and help economic development in the long term."
Rosenberger also thanked Portman and Wenstrup for their efforts.
State Sen. Bob Peterson, who was in attendance at the meeting, told county officials they are "super fortunate to have these partnerships."
"We appreciate working with all of you on issues that come up," Peterson said. "We are in this fight together. Always feel free to reach out to us when it's appropriate."
Commissioners thanked Portman, Wenstrup, Rosenberger and Peterson for their assistance.
"We are strapped for dollars as it is," Wilkin said. "This is eight percent of our budget coming into the county. This is not General Fund money, but it is to be used specifically to implement the plan."
Wilkin specifically thanked Winkle, Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner, Paint Township Trustee Randy Mustard, Diane Uhl of the Rocky Fork Lake Community Alliance, and Robert Moots, a 20-plus year member of the Turning Point Applied Learning Center Board of Directors.
"The group behind all of this had a lot of fantastic partners," Moots said. "It was an excellent team put together. They worked very hard, and I thank them for not giving up. Rocky Fork Lake is very personal for me, as my father came here to build Rocky Fork Lake."
Winkle said there were more than 100 stakeholders in the planning process for the past 18 months. She thanked her steering team of 25 people. She also thanked Ohio University for writing the plan for the grant and Angela Carl, a consultant for Planning For Success.
Winkle outlined a few of the priorities for the grant:
• The development of a land bank, which will be working through Highland County Community Action Organization.
• Transportation from the Rocky Fork area to Hillsboro and Greenfield, through FRS Transportation.
• Targeted enforcement areas as identified by Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera.
• The implementation of a 411 anonymous crime tip line.
• A part-time sanitation officer at the lake, through the Health Department.
• Economic development, by creating a contract person to focus on recreation and tourism to create jobs.
"I don't want this just to be a two-year plan, then have it die and go away," Winkle said. "We're working to make it sustainable moving forward."
"This is a great day for Highland County," Wilkin said. "We all recognize that Rocky Fork Lake could be an economic driver for the whole county. It's been a long process with a lot of dedication by a lot of people."
Horst thanked Winkle for her overall efforts and also for reaching out to the Highland County Visitors Bureau.
"Rocky Fork Lake is a priority of ours at the CVB," Horst said. "We look forward to working together."
"I would like to thank everybody who has worked on this," Mustard said. "This is going to turn Rocky Fork Lake around and bring it back to what it used to be."
Barrera also thanked Winkle and Scott Miller at the sheriff's office for all of the statistical background that went into the plan.
"LuAnn really kept us on track," Barrera said.
Hillsboro City Safety and Service Director Todd Wilkin added that two years ago, when the city and county were discussing Rocky Fork Lake, it was said that Rocky Fork "needs a voice."
"We know the lake benefits the city, too," Todd Wilkin said. "Rocky Fork Lake has gotten its voice through LuAnn. I want to thank you."
Commissioners said that when the money begins coming in, they plan to "hit the ground running and look forward to seeing the progress."
* * *
• In other action, Duncan thanked the Highland County Drug Coalition, the City of Hillsboro and Hannah Allard for the past weekend's Hope Over Heroin event. Duncan said it was very well-attended.
Wilkin said the business retention and expansion meetings continue and reminded everyone that Candle-lite and the Mason Company, both in Leesburg, have announced new employment opportunities and other projects are "in the works."
Sheriff Barrera thanked Jared Warner for providing Narcan for the road deputies.
"On Sept. 14, in Mowrystown, two deputies used Narcan to save a young man's life," Barrera said. "Without it, I don't think he would have made it, and I thank the health department for making that available."
* * *
Resolutions
In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, each by a 3-0 vote:
• A request from the sheriff for additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to the Sheriff, Employee Salaries in the amount of $7,571.13.
• A resolution authorizing LuAnn Winkle, Turning Point to sign and accept grant.
• A request from Job and Family Services for a transfer from Child Emergency to Children Services in the amount of $200,000.
• A transfer from County to Court Stenographer in the amount of $2,000.
• A request from the Board of DD for an additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to Board of DD in the amount of $51,000 and a transfer from Board of DD to DD-Help Me Grow in the amount of $51,000.
• A request from the Sheriff for additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to the Sheriff Budget, Salary Employees in the amount of $3,166.12.
• A resolution for reimbursement for Children Services to Public Assistance in the amount of $194,001.99.
During a conference call with commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeff Duncan, Portman said Wednesday, "The grant money will go a long way in dealing with the drug problems in Highland County as well as support economic development at the Rocky Fork Lake State Park."
This week's announcement was the culmination of multifaceted efforts – both public and private – that began after an October 2014 grant of $100,000 through the Byrne Criminal Justice Innovation Program’s effort to reduce crime in designated communities.
The initial grant allowed Highland County to design a strategic, collaborative and community-oriented plan to reduce crime in target neighborhoods. According to Wilkin, Highland County was one of a select few regions to receive the full funding.
"It's wonderful to work with Highland County on so many projects, from PAS Technologies to the rail spur for Candle-lite and Johnson Controls and now Turning Point," Portman told commissioners and more than a dozen local officials in attendance. "Highland County's public and private sector worked together to make this happen. I was delighted to support the Rocky Fork Lake ASAP. This is critical for the Rocky Fork Lake area in combating drug activities and blighted properties."
Portman also discussed the bipartisan Second Chance Act, which focuses on reduced prison costs and improved public safety by giving federal, state and local governments tools to help inmates successfully re-integrate into their communities upon release and avoid re-offending. Portman thanked commissioners and LuAnn Winkle, executive director of Turning Point Applied Learning Center, who led the 18-month grant application process.
Following Portman's call, Second District Rep. Brad Wenstrup called the board. Wenstrup thanked commissioners, Winkle and Highland County Community Action Organization Executive Director Julia Wise for their efforts.
Wenstrup referenced legislation that he is working on to bring assistance programs together.
"There are 92 programs that we need to get under one roof. There are lots of redundancies (in public assistance programs)," Wenstrup said.
Wenstrup, who owns property near Rocky Fork Lake State Park, said he is really excited about the grant and the opportunities to combat the drug problem at Rocky Fork Lake and across the county.
"The potential in the region and around Rocky Fork Lake is really huge," Wenstrup said. "This will help a lot of people in many, many ways. I look forward to us working together. It's a great county to work with."
Wenstrup's call was followed by a call from Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger, who also praised local officials for their efforts in securing the significant grant.
"I really appreciate the local emphasis and partnerships to help the Rocky Fork Lake region in fighting crime and the drug epidemic," Rosenberger said. "This grant will help reduce drug-related crime, improve the quality of life and help economic development in the long term."
Rosenberger also thanked Portman and Wenstrup for their efforts.
State Sen. Bob Peterson, who was in attendance at the meeting, told county officials they are "super fortunate to have these partnerships."
"We appreciate working with all of you on issues that come up," Peterson said. "We are in this fight together. Always feel free to reach out to us when it's appropriate."
Commissioners thanked Portman, Wenstrup, Rosenberger and Peterson for their assistance.
"We are strapped for dollars as it is," Wilkin said. "This is eight percent of our budget coming into the county. This is not General Fund money, but it is to be used specifically to implement the plan."
Wilkin specifically thanked Winkle, Highland County Health Commissioner Jared Warner, Paint Township Trustee Randy Mustard, Diane Uhl of the Rocky Fork Lake Community Alliance, and Robert Moots, a 20-plus year member of the Turning Point Applied Learning Center Board of Directors.
"The group behind all of this had a lot of fantastic partners," Moots said. "It was an excellent team put together. They worked very hard, and I thank them for not giving up. Rocky Fork Lake is very personal for me, as my father came here to build Rocky Fork Lake."
Winkle said there were more than 100 stakeholders in the planning process for the past 18 months. She thanked her steering team of 25 people. She also thanked Ohio University for writing the plan for the grant and Angela Carl, a consultant for Planning For Success.
Winkle outlined a few of the priorities for the grant:
• The development of a land bank, which will be working through Highland County Community Action Organization.
• Transportation from the Rocky Fork area to Hillsboro and Greenfield, through FRS Transportation.
• Targeted enforcement areas as identified by Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera.
• The implementation of a 411 anonymous crime tip line.
• A part-time sanitation officer at the lake, through the Health Department.
• Economic development, by creating a contract person to focus on recreation and tourism to create jobs.
"I don't want this just to be a two-year plan, then have it die and go away," Winkle said. "We're working to make it sustainable moving forward."
"This is a great day for Highland County," Wilkin said. "We all recognize that Rocky Fork Lake could be an economic driver for the whole county. It's been a long process with a lot of dedication by a lot of people."
Horst thanked Winkle for her overall efforts and also for reaching out to the Highland County Visitors Bureau.
"Rocky Fork Lake is a priority of ours at the CVB," Horst said. "We look forward to working together."
"I would like to thank everybody who has worked on this," Mustard said. "This is going to turn Rocky Fork Lake around and bring it back to what it used to be."
Barrera also thanked Winkle and Scott Miller at the sheriff's office for all of the statistical background that went into the plan.
"LuAnn really kept us on track," Barrera said.
Hillsboro City Safety and Service Director Todd Wilkin added that two years ago, when the city and county were discussing Rocky Fork Lake, it was said that Rocky Fork "needs a voice."
"We know the lake benefits the city, too," Todd Wilkin said. "Rocky Fork Lake has gotten its voice through LuAnn. I want to thank you."
Commissioners said that when the money begins coming in, they plan to "hit the ground running and look forward to seeing the progress."
* * *
• In other action, Duncan thanked the Highland County Drug Coalition, the City of Hillsboro and Hannah Allard for the past weekend's Hope Over Heroin event. Duncan said it was very well-attended.
Wilkin said the business retention and expansion meetings continue and reminded everyone that Candle-lite and the Mason Company, both in Leesburg, have announced new employment opportunities and other projects are "in the works."
Sheriff Barrera thanked Jared Warner for providing Narcan for the road deputies.
"On Sept. 14, in Mowrystown, two deputies used Narcan to save a young man's life," Barrera said. "Without it, I don't think he would have made it, and I thank the health department for making that available."
* * *
Resolutions
In other action, commissioners approved the following resolutions, each by a 3-0 vote:
• A request from the sheriff for additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to the Sheriff, Employee Salaries in the amount of $7,571.13.
• A resolution authorizing LuAnn Winkle, Turning Point to sign and accept grant.
• A request from Job and Family Services for a transfer from Child Emergency to Children Services in the amount of $200,000.
• A transfer from County to Court Stenographer in the amount of $2,000.
• A request from the Board of DD for an additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to Board of DD in the amount of $51,000 and a transfer from Board of DD to DD-Help Me Grow in the amount of $51,000.
• A request from the Sheriff for additional appropriation from unappropriated funds to the Sheriff Budget, Salary Employees in the amount of $3,166.12.
• A resolution for reimbursement for Children Services to Public Assistance in the amount of $194,001.99.