Opening the track at the Chesapeake Community Center for the handicapped is a goal of the center’s board, and members came to county commission to plead their case.

“A lot of people with wheelchairs like to get on the track,” Doug Scott told the commissioners at their Thursday meeting. “We are not talking about a lot of money.”

Along with blacktopping the track, which is estimated to cost $10,000, the center’s board wants to open space on the campus for a community garden comparable to the Ironton In Bloom garden off South Seventh Street.

“So many people want to plant a garden,” Scott said. “And it would get people interested in the community center.”

Part of the garden would have raised boxes to allow those in wheelchairs to be able to participate as well.

“That would tie into the track,” Scott said.

Commission President Les Boggs asked if the center had funds for a match if the center was able to get a grant.

“We might be able to have fundraisers to come up with a match,” he said.

Boggs asked Scott to draft a grant for the commission to review.

Commissioner Bill Pratt said the garden and the track could be funded out of a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant the county is applying for on behalf of the Village of Chesapeake. The money would fund replacing sidewalks on State Route 7 from the community center to Bradrick as well as developing parks and green areas.

The commission authorized the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization to apply for a variety of CDBG grants. Besides the funds for the Chesapeake improvements, applications will be made for $41,800 to clear blighted areas around the county; $35,000 for street improvements in Ironton; $30,000 for street improvements in Chesapeake; $17,500 for fire hydrants in Proctorville; $10,900 for a park in Washington Township; $300,000 to relocated utilities at 3 1/2 alley in Ironton and remove eyesores; and $300,000 for revitalization of downtown Ironton.

In other action the commissioners:

• approved a right of way permit for Brandon Black to enter County Road 411 to build a driveway;

• approved rejoining the Group Retrospective Rating Program for Workers’ Compensation with the potential of getting a 20 percent refund;

• elevated Anthony Clark from part-time to full-time paramedic effective June 15;

• received the weekly dog warden’s report where 55 dogs were adopted or went to rescue; one dog was destroyed and none were redeemed by their owners.