Commissioners updated on Imagination Library program

Highland County commissioners Terry Britton, David Daniels and Brad Roades heard an update on the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library program in Highland County, and offered assistance in helping the state find a new “local program partner,” during their Wednesday, Oct. 4 meeting.

Annie Droege, the program’s Southwest Ohio Regional Director, shared information on the program’s local success after its launch in early 2020.

According to the Ohio Governor’s Office, “The Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library was founded in 2019 in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Since then, Governor [Mike] and first lady [Fran] DeWine have traveled the state to encourage enrollment in the program.

“The program is now available to every child from birth to age 5 in Ohio. When enrolled, a child will be mailed a free age-appropriate book each month until their fifth birthday.”

As previously reported, first lady DeWine unveiled the program in Highland County during a ceremony at the Hillsboro Public Library March 6, 2020.

Since then, Highland County is exceeding the state enrollment rates, with 62 percent of eligible children participating in this free program, Droege said.

“Prior to 2019, when we went statewide, 13 percent of eligible children in Ohio were enrolled in this program,” Droege told commissioners. “As this became a strong initiative for first lady DeWine in 2019, she gained a lot of support in terms of all 88 counties, by 2020, had signed on to champion the program, which would launch it as a statewide program.

“In Highland County, you have 2,668 eligible children, and you guys have 62 percent of them enrolled, which is an awesome number, and you guys should all be really excited about that. That comes to a total of 1,660 children that are presently enrolled.”

When first lady DeWine introduced the program in Highland County, Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives had signed on to facilitate the program locally as well as provide funding as the “local program partner.

“A local program partner is, in each county, the entity that champions the program, that brings awareness, that helps with enrollment, and then also fundraises for the program,” Droege said. “As you all know, this program is free to all children, but there is a cost to the program, so each local program partner is responsible for raising 50 percent of the funds that go into the books that come into Highland County. The state provides the 50-percent match for those books.”

Droege said that Highland County has been operating without a local program partner since the end of 2021, when Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives exited the program, so enrollment is occurring “organically” — likely due to the public library system’s help, she said — and the state is relying on donors to help with the funding.

“We don't have an entity in Highland County that is championing this program, or leading it,” Droege said. “I'm here today just to see if we could if there are any suggestions from you all who I could contact and have a meeting with and just kind of discuss this program.

“We have an awesome anonymous donor at the state level that is helping with some of the counties are in this exact situation. We have, I think, seven to eight counties across Ohio right now that had an original local program partner, but for some reason or another that they've backed away. We are able to fund this program, but there is a level of engagement that is different when you have someone in the county that's actually looking after the program and making sure the books are getting into the hands of little ones.”

Daniels asked about the financial involvement for any interested sponsors.

“As of right now, the monthly cost for Highland County is a little over $1,800 a month,” Droege said. “At this percentage that you're enrolled now, the yearly program costs almost $22,000.

“Normally, a month cost is $3,615, but with the state's match, that's why it is $1,807 a month. So then, at this point fully what we would need — what we’d love — is a yearly cost would be almost $22,000 to be raised every year, approximately.”

Roades asked if the state was seeking one sponsor or if different organizations could team up to help.

“It can be a group of people,” Droege said. “Several counties have governance committees that have different people at the table from different sectors — schools, libraries, different nonprofits, government.

“I am not from Highland County, so I thought it'd be great to come to you all and see if you had any suggestions. I wouldn't mind at all talking to any groups, if you have suggestions.”

Britton said Droege could look into talking to the “five school systems in the county.” The three commissioners (with Daniels adding they’re “not speaking for” any of the groups) named several local charitable organizations, including Altrusa and the various chapters of the Lions Club, Rotary Club and Eagles, as possibilities.

County engineer Chris Fauber also suggested that one of the area solar developers could use this as part of their “community outreach” contributions.

“Hopefully, you might find some people that are interested in stepping forward now that they have some idea of the success that we're having here and that we have lost a sponsor,” Daniels told Droege. “Perhaps if somebody grabs ahold of this and takes it, maybe they could form, pull together, a coalition of small donors that might end up meeting the needs that you've got out there, rather than one large. Everybody kick in a little bit. That might happen as well.”

Amy Bradley, the county’s Human Resources director, said she’s “seen this program in action” and that it’s “fabulous.” She encouraged the community to consider supporting it.

“If you're choosing between, you know, where's my budget dollars going to go for different charitable organizations, this is fantastic,” she said.  “This is a great choice. I've seen it in schools at work, and I love it. If anybody can open up their pocketbooks and give money to it, it’s a great one.”

Britton offered help from the commissioners’ office by providing Droege “contact information on all these groups” as well as by “championing” the idea to local organizations.

“You can tell Fran that we’re going to be working on it,” he said.

For more information on the program, or to enroll your child at no cost, visit OhioImaginationLibrary.org.

In other discussion:

• Daniels and Highland County Auditor Alex Butler gave a brief update on the county’s ongoing disagreement over a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) invoice for a local solar project.

As previously reported, commissioners voted to issue the first PILOT invoice for the New Market Solar project March 22. Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve sending the letter and invoice to Liberty I Renewables - Hecate Energy for the first “service payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT), including the additional annual service payment,” the letter said.

The first half-year payment of $450,000 — or $9,000 per kilowatt — was due April 20, according to the invoice.

In June, Daniels said they still haven’t “heard anything back” from the developers, but they were working with the Ohio Power Siting Board and the Ohio Department of Development to seek further information. Due to delays with getting the solar panels, the project is only “30-percent complete,” he said, “and until they actually end up being complete, then they are responsible to pay the public utilities tax on those parcels.”

At their previous meeting, held Sept. 27, commissioners said they had received “some correspondence back from Hecate Energy” in response to an invoice issued by the county in the spring.

Daniels said Wednesday that “in the last week, there’s been outreach efforts by us to our elected representatives.”

According to Butler, he received a response from a state office regarding the invoices.

“My understanding is that we will be able to collect when the state issues a certificate of verification,” Butler said. “That has not been issued yet, and therefore we are unable to collect.

“As soon as we receive word from the state, that is when we will be able to initiate collections.”

According to Daniels, the company has not “filed a certificate of completion” with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, and Butler said “they have 90 days to do that when they become operational.

“We reached out in the state on a couple of different occasions and said, first of all, define ‘complete,’” Daniels said. “You're putting into the grid. We're continuing to work through that, and we're continuing to push that. They need to be talking to those companies about getting their certificate information filed and what constitutes ‘complete.’”

Daniels said the process is “ongoing, as far as we’re concerned.

“I think the important thing is we're staying on top of what we can do locally to move the ball forward, as far as those regulating and authorizing agencies within the state government that needs to move that process along,” he said.

• Commissioners approved a purchased service contract with Highland County Job and Family Services and FRS Transportation for NET (Non-Emergency Transportation) services for the 2024 fiscal year.

Highland County JFS Director Jeremy Ratcliff said this is “just an extension” of their existing contract, from Oct. 1, 2023-Sept. 30, 2024.

“What this contract allows our participants to do if they're Medicaid eligible is they can arrange for transportation to Medicaid-billable services,” Ratcliff said. “We have a lot of folks in this county that are going to Wilmington, for example, for dialysis treatment, and folks going to the city for various forms of treatment. As long as they're Medicaid-eligible, we're able to provide that transportation through FRS.”

• Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve a letter of support for Ohio Southeast Economic Development’s grant application from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. As noted by Highland County economic development director Julie Bolender last month, the group is seeking funding through the EDA’s Recompete Pilot Program.

• Commissioners approved adoption of a Roth 457 motion through Ohio Deferred Compensation.

“We already offer Ohio Deferred Comp,” Bradley said. “It’s currently on a pre tax basis. We're going to be enhancing the employee benefit plan by offering a Roth option through Ohio Deferred Comp.

“Having a nice diversified portfolio is good, so we’ll just be adding that for the employees’ benefit.”

For county employees who are interested, Bradley said “they need to communicate with us [at the county] from a payroll standpoint, but they’ll also need to speak with the agency of Ohio Deferred Comp as well.” They can also reach out to Bradley for more information, she said.

• Commissioners approved a revised employee teleworking policy.

• Commissioners approved an application for payment from contractor Doll Layman for Rocky Fork Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant improvements.

• Commissioners authorized Ameresco to submit a state grant application for HVAC controls at the Highland County Justice Center. As discussed Sept. 27, the county is seeking funding through the Ohio Department of Development’s Community Energy Efficiency Program to replace an outdated control system at the Highland County Justice Center, which will cost “a little over $300,000,” according to Britton.

• Commissioners announced that their Oct. 25 meeting has been moved up one day, to Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 9 a.m.

• After their regular meeting, commissioners held a work session with records manager Julie Wallingford.

Commissioners also approved the following resolutions, each by a 3-0 vote:

• An additional appropriation from unappropriated funds within 1000 Attorney – Indigent Fees in the amount of $98,000.

• A resolution approving the reappointment of Elizabeth Fryman to the Board of DD, beginning Jan. 1, 2024 and ending Dec. 31, 2027.

• A budget modification within the Sheriff’s Office, 1000 budget in the amount of $8,000.

• A modification within the County, 1000 fund in the amount of $111,000.

• An additional appropriation from unanticipated revenue within the 2780 Emergency Management Agency Fund in the amount of $908.54.

• A budget modification within the Children Services Fund, 2115 budget in the amount of $56,000.

• A budget modification within the Public Assistance Fund, 2050 budget in the amount of $105,000.

• A resolution to authorize the Highland County Engineer to prepare and submit an application to participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission State Capital Improvement and or Local Transportation Improvement Program(s) and to execute contracts as required.

• A modification within the County General, 1000 fund in the amount of $50,000. Daniels said this resolution is to repair the elevator in the Highland County Administration Building, which is currently out of order.