Commissioners throw support to levy

 

Through the multi-million dollar renovations slated for the Collins Career Center, the county could cut its own infrastructure costs.

On Tuesday’s ballot voters will decide on a half-mill levy that would bring in $400,000 a year for five years. That money will go toward maintenance of the $22 million project. Those renovations include a new sewage system for the school that Collins has agreed to enlarge to let the county utilize the system.

Originally the school’s system was to have a 10,000-gallon capacity. That has expanded to 35,000-gallons to serve 85 residential customers who live near the center’s Getaway site.

“For $300,000 we can join in theirs,” Commission President Les Boggs said.

Right now those customers are served by two smaller plants that are becoming obsolete. For the county to build new facilities for that area could cost between $800,000 to $1 million, according to Tim Porter, administrator of the Union-Rome Sewer System.

At its Thursday meeting the commission voted to endorse the levy joining county superintendents and the county Republican and Democratic parties.

“The two largest industries in the Tri-State are most likely healthcare and heavy industry,” Commissioner Bill Pratt said in a prepared statement. “Both are constantly in need of qualified, dependable employees. Our Collins Career Center does an excellent job helping to fill those needs. …

With the passage of this levy, this skilled workforce will continue to be educated in our county.”

County Treasurer Stephen Burcham presented the commissioners with a proposed policy concerning vendors who are behind in their property taxes. It states that vendors must be certified by the county treasurer that they do not have any delinquent taxes before they be allowed to work for the county.

“We ask the taxpayers to pay their taxes but maybe are paying those taxes to those who haven’t paid any taxes in years,” Burcham said. “I think it is good public policy to deal only with vendors who pay their taxes.”

The commissioners asked to review Burcham’s proposal with the intention of putting the issue on next week’s agenda.

“That will give us a week to look it over,” Commission President Les Boggs said.

In other action the commissioners:

Approved selling property at 225 Carlton Davidson Lane to Shawnee Mental Health for $159,000. This is property behind the Coal Grove Fire Department that Shawnee wants to expand its building;

Referred the recent Athens County lawsuit against the county over the dissolution of the Southeast Ohio Emergency Medical Services to the county prosecutor’s office;

Received correspondence from the county engineer denying a petition to establish Private Drive 2560;

Hired three part-time EMTs at $9.50 an hour and two part-time paramedics at $11 an hour for the county’s EMS;

Declared March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.