Health dept. funding boosted by Holmes commissioners
The Holmes County commissioners recently moved $75,000 of funding into the Holmes County Health Department Fund, a show of support with the ongoing construction of the new health building on Glen Drive in Millersburg.
Sales tax money went out of one county fund and into another recently as the Holmes County commissioners worked to flow funding to appropriate county entities where those monies would have the most beneficial effect during the recent meeting of the Holmes County commissioners on Thursday, June 1.
The commissioners had invested $100,000 in the Holmes County Solid Waste Fund, and through a series of resolutions, they eventually took that money out, placed $75,000 of it into the Holmes County Health Department Fund and then placed the remaining $25,000 back into the Solid Waste Fund. The funds are generated from sales tax monies.
“We basically looked at the county budget, and this was very doable,” commissioner Dave Hall said.
Beginning in June 2023, the commissioners will begin placing monthly installments of $6,250 into the Health Department Fund, which will extend for a 12-month period. At the time, they will revisit the installments and decide then to continue to the process.
“We’re not taking any new money out of the existing sales tax revenue. We are basically splitting it up between the two funds,” Hall said. “This is an ongoing commitment of $75,000 per year to the health department that we will review every year. It’s always good to review.”
The commissioners said there is plenty of funding in the Solid Waste Fund to continue ongoing operations. Hall said $25,000 should be efficient to continue to gage the ongoing foreclosure of the former Holmes County Landfill and other processes pertaining to solid waste.
“This allows us to leverage our dollars to best benefit our county,” Hall said.
Misty Burns, Holmes County health board president, said the health department is grateful for this award and the money will be put to good use.
“There are a lot of things the health department does for the county that do not have a funding stream, so this will definitely help with that while it also allows us to have matching funds to go after federal grant dollars,” Burns said.
“With the new health department building going up, it’s important that we support the health district because it is such a big part of our community,” commissioner Ray Eyler said.
The commissioners also conducted a public hearing for a brine permit renewal for Mt. Hope Auction the morning of June 1. With no one in attendance, the commissioners went on to pass a resolution allowing the spreading of brine on the property in Mt. Hope.
In addition, the commissioners passed a Title IV-D contract for Holmes County Job & Family Services Child Support Division through the clerk of courts.
The contract is for $17,799.85 and will go through June 2024. The second Title IV-D contract is for the Holmes County Juvenile Court services in the amount of $45,558.38 and also will go through June 2024.
“These are ongoing contracts that we’ve done, part of the process for pulling these funds for the clerk of court systems and juvenile court system,” Hall said. “Dan Jackson and his team have been great to work with. It’s a very good program and allows us to pull other funds from federal areas.”
The board also rescinded Resolution 05-22-23-3, approving the vacation and dedication of the portion of County Road 189 in Benton, then approved a new resolution. According to Susan Schie, board recorder, it was simply a matter of making some minor technical changes and adding some new language into the resolution.
The board then presented and approved the Notice of Award for the Village of Millersburg for the 2023 storm sewer replacement project, phase one.
The resolution was for Rising Sun Company Inc. to be awarded the sum of $311,212 to complete the project.
Arnold Oliver, Holmes County planning commissioner, said it was the county’s block grant funding and funding through the village to replace storm sewage in the western part of Millersburg. Oliver said the project would cross the Holmes County Rails-to-Trails at one point.
“It should begin in the next couple of weeks,” Oliver said.
Hall said it is currently an old system that is in dire need of replacement.
Oliver went on to discuss the demolition project in Millersburg, which he said would start in mid-June. That project includes three dilapidated houses, two of which are on state Route 241, where the hope is their removal will create an opportunity to improve the dangerous corner approaching town.
The board would go on to rescind Resolution 08-12-21-8, which was initiated so a local farm landowner could register as an agricultural security area, meaning it would dedicate itself to remaining agricultural land.
Hall said the resolution was necessary because several steps needed clarified. This means the application process will begin again with the necessary clarifications included.