Job and family services position open

The Lawrence County commissioners have come up with a system to hire the next assistant director of the Lawrence County Department of Job and Family Services.

Chris Collins, who resigned from the position last year, previously held the position.

Commissioner Bill Pratt said that a scoring method will be used to rank all of the candidates, with each commissioner having 25 percent say on each candidate and LCDJFS Director Terry Porter making up the final 25 percent. Pratt added that some state officials would be able to give their input as well.

Applications are being accepted until Feb. 21, with commission hoping to make a hire by the March 1. The assistant director position has a salary of $52,000.

Lawrence County Treasurer Stephen Burcham said that the county is in good shape with its tax collections, with $7.245 million collected this year up to Feb. 13. During the same time period last year, only $6.223 million was collected.

Lawrence County EMS director Buddy Fry said that although total EMS runs are up this year from last year, in the past week and a half, overdoses have significantly gone down.

Sharon Evans, co-chair of the Lawrence County Farm Bureau, presented each commissioner with Ohio Farm Bureau Member plaques and thanked them for all that they do for the organization.

Also at commission, the commissioners:

• Approved and signed the weekly invoices and certificates as presented by the Auditor’s Office.

• Received and filed the Dog Warden Report dated Feb. 4, 2017.

• Approved six floodplain permits.

• Elevated the employment of Paramedic Chelsey Keathly and Paramedic Bayli McDowell from part-time to full-time paramedics effective Feb. 12, 2017.

• Approved Commission President Bill Pratt to sign the Housing Semi-Annual Income Report and the ED RLF Semi-Annual Report as requested by Cindy Anderson, Lawrence County CAO.

• Approved and signed the Equitable Sharing Agreement and Certifications as requested by the Lawrence County Prosecutor’s Office.

• Approved and signed the FY 2017 Airport Improvement Program Pre-Application regarding the obstruction removal and rehabilitation of the runway.

• Approved and signed the FY 2017 FAA Airport Improvement Program regarding the tree clearing and runway rehabilitation design projects.

• Approved one appropriation.

• Accepted a letter from LCDJFS director Terry Porter of the voluntary demotion of David Lynd from an Income Maintenance Worker 3 position to an Income Maintenance Worker 2 position effective Feb. 27, 2017.

• Met in four executive sessions; with Prosecutor Brigham Anderson regarding pending litigation; with Terry Porter, director of the Lawrence County Department of Job and Family Services, regarding personnel hire, fire and reprimand; with Buddy Fry, director of Lawrence County EMS, regarding personnel hire, fire and reprimand; and with Dave Lucas regarding hire, fire and reprimand.

The next Lawrence County commission meeting is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Chesapeake Giovanni’s.