Commissioners get good news on southside project
By
Rory Ryan-hcpress@cinci.rr.com
Frank Leone of Environmental Engineering Services met with the Highland County commissioners Wednesday and provided an update on the Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Commissioners received a positive report on the project, which is located off McCoppin Mill Road near Babington Campground. “We received an excellent report,” Commissioner Tom Horst said. “The only thing left is to get the generator hooked up.”
Commissioners also met with Nancy Stranahan of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve.
Stranahan sought and received a new letter of endorsement from the commission to the Clean Ohio Fund for a tract of land between “90 and 100 acres” east of the Rocky Fork Lake dam and owned by Emerson Babington.
According to the state of Ohio, The Clean Ohio Fund restores, protects, and connects Ohio’s natural and urban places by preserving green space and farmland, improving outdoor recreation, and by cleaning up brownfields to encourage redevelopment and revitalize communities.
The Clean Ohio Fund consists of four competitive statewide programs: the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund, the Clean Ohio Agricultural Easement Purchase Program, the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program, and the Clean Ohio Trails Fund.
Earlier, Stranahan had asked for a letter of endorsement from the commission for the acquisition of approximately 140 acres off state Route 41 near Fort Hill Road.
However, the Brush Creek Township trustees did not endorse the acquisition and the commissioners removed it from an earlier endorsement.
“I would not want it to appear that we were overruling Brush Creek, so I would want to pull this out,” Commissioner Shane Wilkin said.
Both Wilkin and Horst (Commissioner Gary Heaton was absent from the meeting) also questioned Stranahan about the loss of property tax revenue from land acquired through the Clean Ohio Fund for the preserve.
“You guys own a lot of ground,” Wilkin said.
“It’s about 3,000 acres,” Stranahan said, noting that the preserve has property in Highland, Adams, Brown, Pike and Scioto counties.
“Does this take the land out of the tax base?” Horst asked.
“Yes, that’s the main concern,” Stranahan said.
“It concerns me,” Horst said.
“Short-term, the county’s not hurt. Long-term, you will be,” Stranahan said.
Stranahan also questioned Horst about an earlier encounter in which she said, “The last time we talked, you said ‘I don’t like the way you go about things.’”
“I don’t recall saying that,” Horst replied.
Horst then suggested there should be an increase in public access to the land acquired through state grants. Stranahan said the preserve is in need of additional operating funds in order to increase its hours of operation.
For more information on the preserve, go to www.highlandssanctuary.org/.
In other business, commissioners noted the August sales tax was $395,000, which was less than a year ago but “a little better than we anticipated,” Horst said.
Commissioners approved the following resolutions, all by 2-0 votes:
• A reduction within the Highland County treasurer’s budget from line item
0035-A001-C03.040, supplies, in the amount of $4,000.
• The transfer from CSEA Administrative Acct. (C-45 transfers-out) to Public Assistance Account, in the amount of $7,547.88 for the Child Support Enforcement Agency Program for the period of September 2009;
• The authorization of a modification to the Board of Elections budget from 0077-A014-A10.025, Workers Compensation, to 0180-A003-A02-006, Salary-Employees ($3,734.63); 0180-A003-A03.040, supplies ($400); 0180-A003-A03.A06.075, Contracts & Service ($1,200), for a total of $5,334.63.
• The acceptance of a bid of T&M Enterprise for a Handicap Unisex Restroom at Marshall Township Community Building for the amount of $11,100 Community Development Block Grant funds, and the remaining $2,400 from the Marshall Township trustees.
• The approval for members of Veterans Commission to attend the Ohio State Association of County Veterans Service Commission for the fall conference on Nov. 20-21 in Dublin, Ohio, with an estimated cost of $835.77.[[In-content Ad]]
Commissioners received a positive report on the project, which is located off McCoppin Mill Road near Babington Campground. “We received an excellent report,” Commissioner Tom Horst said. “The only thing left is to get the generator hooked up.”
Commissioners also met with Nancy Stranahan of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve.
Stranahan sought and received a new letter of endorsement from the commission to the Clean Ohio Fund for a tract of land between “90 and 100 acres” east of the Rocky Fork Lake dam and owned by Emerson Babington.
According to the state of Ohio, The Clean Ohio Fund restores, protects, and connects Ohio’s natural and urban places by preserving green space and farmland, improving outdoor recreation, and by cleaning up brownfields to encourage redevelopment and revitalize communities.
The Clean Ohio Fund consists of four competitive statewide programs: the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund, the Clean Ohio Agricultural Easement Purchase Program, the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Program, and the Clean Ohio Trails Fund.
Earlier, Stranahan had asked for a letter of endorsement from the commission for the acquisition of approximately 140 acres off state Route 41 near Fort Hill Road.
However, the Brush Creek Township trustees did not endorse the acquisition and the commissioners removed it from an earlier endorsement.
“I would not want it to appear that we were overruling Brush Creek, so I would want to pull this out,” Commissioner Shane Wilkin said.
Both Wilkin and Horst (Commissioner Gary Heaton was absent from the meeting) also questioned Stranahan about the loss of property tax revenue from land acquired through the Clean Ohio Fund for the preserve.
“You guys own a lot of ground,” Wilkin said.
“It’s about 3,000 acres,” Stranahan said, noting that the preserve has property in Highland, Adams, Brown, Pike and Scioto counties.
“Does this take the land out of the tax base?” Horst asked.
“Yes, that’s the main concern,” Stranahan said.
“It concerns me,” Horst said.
“Short-term, the county’s not hurt. Long-term, you will be,” Stranahan said.
Stranahan also questioned Horst about an earlier encounter in which she said, “The last time we talked, you said ‘I don’t like the way you go about things.’”
“I don’t recall saying that,” Horst replied.
Horst then suggested there should be an increase in public access to the land acquired through state grants. Stranahan said the preserve is in need of additional operating funds in order to increase its hours of operation.
For more information on the preserve, go to www.highlandssanctuary.org/.
In other business, commissioners noted the August sales tax was $395,000, which was less than a year ago but “a little better than we anticipated,” Horst said.
Commissioners approved the following resolutions, all by 2-0 votes:
• A reduction within the Highland County treasurer’s budget from line item
0035-A001-C03.040, supplies, in the amount of $4,000.
• The transfer from CSEA Administrative Acct. (C-45 transfers-out) to Public Assistance Account, in the amount of $7,547.88 for the Child Support Enforcement Agency Program for the period of September 2009;
• The authorization of a modification to the Board of Elections budget from 0077-A014-A10.025, Workers Compensation, to 0180-A003-A02-006, Salary-Employees ($3,734.63); 0180-A003-A03.040, supplies ($400); 0180-A003-A03.A06.075, Contracts & Service ($1,200), for a total of $5,334.63.
• The acceptance of a bid of T&M Enterprise for a Handicap Unisex Restroom at Marshall Township Community Building for the amount of $11,100 Community Development Block Grant funds, and the remaining $2,400 from the Marshall Township trustees.
• The approval for members of Veterans Commission to attend the Ohio State Association of County Veterans Service Commission for the fall conference on Nov. 20-21 in Dublin, Ohio, with an estimated cost of $835.77.[[In-content Ad]]