Third and Center director speaks at commission meeting

The Lawrence County Commissioners heard from Amanda Cleary, executive director of Third and Center. She said the grassroots group is focused on transforming communities through artistic, cultural and small business development.

“By investing in the arts and supporting young people, Third and Center aims to create a thriving and stable community and stimulate future economic growth in Ironton, Lawrence County and the Appalachian river region,” she said. 

Among the things the group has done in the past year includes Trash Bash community clean up, several arts and music festivals that focused on local artists, hosting the Ironton River Run 4K and Project 100, which offers advice to local small businesses. The group also recently took over the programming and meal service at the Ironton Senior Center. They recently got a $14,000 grant specifically for the senior center.

Cleary asked the commissioners for continued the community senior group’s activities which include a healthy eating program.

In other items on the agenda, the commissioners took the following actions:

• Tabled a motion about community residential services at the juvenile center to for Adams, Fayette, Gallia, Meigs, and Scioto counties. The contract called for $115 per day but the commissioners decided to table the motion because of the actual costs to the county is higher than $115 and is costing the county money. They said they will have further discussions with juvenile judge Patricia Sanders.

• Approved floodplain permits submitted by the Soil and Water Conservation District.

New: Union Township Trustees, manufactured office trailer project located at 66 County Road 3

Renewal: Brian and Jeanne Schneider-Stream maintenance project located at 1564 County Road 36; and J. S. Mootz, filling and grading, debris removal, pond, armoring of the stream bank and materials storage projects located at 5720 State Route 217.

• Approved appropriations and transfers dated Feb. 13, 2024, under $50,000, submitted by Dylan Bently, acting administrator.

• Approved the transfer from A00-15A-061-049 TO L00-12F-157-061 for $75,000, submitted by Chris Kline, chief deputy auditor. (Half county match to Soil and Water.)

• Approved and signed the CAO release of funds in the amount of $264,000 for Grant Agreement Number BF-23-1BN-1, requested by Michelle Throckmorton, CAO Community Development director.

• Received and filed the Ohio Department of Transportation’s annual highway mileage certification for Lawrence County. The current mileage maintained by the county as of Dec. 31, 2023 is 376.087 miles.

• Approved the first and final change order for Lawrence County road resurfacing 2023-2 for a total amount of $791,015.15.