Holmes Commissioners wrap up 2024 with one final meeting
As 2025 rolled in, one of the Holmes County Commissioners’ tasks was to officially swear in new Commissioner Eric Strouse, left, who is being sworn in by fellow Commissioner Dave Hall. Strouse has already been busy, fulfilling the final few weeks of former Commissioner Ray Eyler’s term.
The Holmes County Commissioners met for the final time in 2024 on Monday, Dec. 30, with preparation for the new year headlining the list of resolutions passed.
The first resolution the commissioners passed was to authorize temporary expenditures for 2025, something that takes place each year in order to cover early expenses incurred by the county.
“This means we can pay the bills,” Commissioner Joe Miller said.
A pair of resolutions were passed detailing the county’s efforts to prepare for any possible crises.
The commissioners passed a resolution accepting the Cybersecurity Response Plan and the Crisis Communication Plan drawn up by Holmes County Emergency Management Agency Director Jason Troyer and Assistant Director Jordan Tschiegg.
Troyer said the Cyber Defense Plan Committee the EMA had formed met several times and prepared a response plan in case of a cybersecurity compromise, the second being a cyber prevention plan that would take place following any assessment by Homeland Security regarding a cyberattack on the nation that will come in February.
“The Crisis Communication Plan is something we’ve needed,” Troyer said. “It clearly defines to roles of the public information officer and spokesperson, the goal being that there is one message during any disaster in the county.”
Commissioner Dave Hall thanked Troyer, Tschiegg and the committee for their effort, noting there was a big push statewide to have county EMA department directors take a lead in creating individual plans.
“We thank you Jason and appreciate the work you did for taking a lead role and doing the work you did as a team to get the ball rolling,” Hall said.
Troyer commended his team for hammering out all the details for each plan, calling them exceptional.
The commissioners moved on to a resolution of a more celebratory nature, that being giving their support to the Ohio Commission for the United States’ semiquincentennial celebration of America’s 250th anniversary as a nation.
The resolution titled America 250-OH is being adopted by all 88 Ohio counties in celebrating this milestone.
“There is no contribution or money involved with this for us,” Hall said.
Hall said the objective now is to designate a person to represent Holmes County on the statewide committee. Hall said while each county will have a representative for America 250-OH, the obligation will be to come up with ideas as to how each individual county will be involved in the celebration.
Resolution 12-30-24-5 was accepted, appointing membership to the Holmes County Airport Authority. The commissioners accepted the reappointment of Roc Baker to the role.
In other county news, Arnie Oliver, Holmes County planning commissioner, said the county continues to work closely with the Village of Millersburg on its approaching sidewalk project that will commence this spring.
Oliver said the county is working with OMEGA.
“We will have to work with the downtown merchants when we roll this out, in a way that doesn’t disturb them (during business hours),” Oliver said.
Troyer said the tornado siren equipment the county has ordered has now arrived, which he said was a big hurdle in replacing or erecting the 10 county tornado sirens.
On Jan. 6, Holmes County Commissioners held its weekly meeting, and one of the first directives of the new year was to appoint new positions on the board.
Stepping down from the chairman role was Dave Hall, and assuming the role was Joe Miller, with Eric Strouse taking on the role of vice chairman.
Miller’s first step in taking on the role was to add an extra day of meetings to the monthly agenda.
While the regular weekly meeting time will continue to be on Mondays at 10 a.m. as it has been for many years, with Thursday serving as the alternate meeting date on first and third Thursdays, Miller requested adding one of the off-Thursday dates each month as a work session day the commissioners need to attend so they can better coordinate their efforts and stay on top of everything that is going on in the county.
“That’s a good idea,” Strouse said.
The deadline to receive business documents for the weekly business meetings remained Mondays at 9 a.m.
The commissioners also agreed to maintain the same uniform two-week pay schedule for county employees and agreed to the same holiday schedule as last year.
The county mileage rate was raised from 67 cents per mile to 70 cents per mile, done so according to the federal rate pay guidelines.
The commissioners also appointed Kyle Snyder membership to the Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
“We appreciate people volunteering to be on these boards,” Hall said. “It’s vital we get people to stand up in Holmes County and have people like this serving on our boards.”