By Rory Ryan Highland County Commissioners Shane Wilkin, Tom Horst and Jeff Duncan proclaimed Jan. 31-Feb. 6, 2016 as Catholic Schools Week in Highland County during their Wednesday, Jan. 27 board meeting.
The Highland County Press
St. Mary Catholic School Principal Mary Stanforth and several St. Mary pupils accepted the proclamation.
Mrs. Stanforth told the board that several special events are planned for this year's Catholic Schools Week, including an open house on Sunday, Jan. 31 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
The annual parents' breakfast will be 8 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5 and the annual grandparents' luncheon will be at noon on Friday, Feb. 5.
The week is a time to celebrate excellence in education and encourage students to fulfill their community service projects, Mrs. Stanforth said.
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• In other business, Commissioners Horst and Duncan discussed a proposed liquor license for Buford Convenient Mart. Wilkin abstained from the discussion.
After stating they had received no objections from anyone, Horst made a motion not to request a public hearing on the license application. Duncan seconded the motion, and it passed, 2-0.
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• Commissioners tabled a request from Highland County Sheriff Donnie Barrera regarding the establishment of a new fund or line item for budgeted revenues from housing of inmates from other counties.
"We're concerned about the legalization of it since it involves general fund money," Wilkin said. "If there are no objections, we're going to hold off for an opinion and table it for now, pending more investigation."
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• Commissioners also discussed proposed energy savings options for county buildings. A study has been completed and will be reviewed by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio.
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• Commissioner Horst said an opiate/heroin open forum will be held at the Southern State Community College Auditorium on Thursday, Jan. 28 from 4-6 p.m.
The event is sponsored in part by the Highland County Drug Abuse Prevention Coalition; Paint Valley Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health (ADAMH) Services Board; and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.
Congressman Brad Wenstrup, R-Second District, will be a guest speaker.
The forum will also include open discussion with representatives from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, local medical, first responders and law enforcement communities, county officials, faith leaders, as well as mental health and addiction service providers.
The community is invited to attend as the forum focuses on the impact that this epidemic has on the community and how to respond to the problems local residents and families are facing.
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• Commissioner Wilkin updated the board on economic development progress and site certification for the Leesburg and Greenfield industrial parks.
InSite Consulting of Greer, South Carolina was recently hired by the state of Ohio to work on site certifications around Ohio.
Wilkin said the county has had good success working with InSite and looks forward to continue working on the Greenfield and Leesburg industrial parks.
"When the state picked InSite, it made us feel good about our selection," Wilkin said.
Once completed, the industrial parks' site certification will add the Leesburg and Greenfield locations to a national list of available business sites.
Wilkin added that Corvac Composites, LLC, in Greenfield had "a really good turnout" for its recent job fair, as 460 people attended.
Corvac is opening a new manufacturing plant in the former RR Donnelley facility, located at 1025 North Washington St.
* * * Rocky Fork Lake-ASAP update
• Commissioners also reported that the U.S. Army's 91st Civil Affairs Division will be returning to Paint Township in June to continue with exercises and projects that the division began in 2014. Missions vary from infrastructure inspection, communications, disaster relief and emergency response.
The Civil Affairs Division team members, in cooperation with Rocky Fork Lake-Area Safety and Advancement Project(ASAP)members, will meet at the Highland County Health Department Board Room to conduct a briefing to the community at 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 29.
According to Rhonda R. Fannin, director of Highland County Office of Reentry Services, the Army personnel's mission is "to obtain information that will assist in the implementation of an evidence-based, data-driven plan to address crime in the targeted RFL communities and assist the RFL ASAP Steering Team in building community capacity through community outreach and leadership training for community members."
Wilkin said the commander of the division has been very accessible and great to work with thus far.
The county's hopeful for a possible $1 million grant for the project. "For a county with a $10 million budget, $1 million is a lot of money," Wilkin said.
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Resolutions
Commissioners passed three resolutions by 3-0 votes at their Jan. 27 meeting:
• A resolution to rescind Resolution 2016-34, which was passed Jan. 20 as line-item correction. The correction had already been made.
• A modification in County Miscellaneous, Transfers Out to Commissioners, Motor Vehicles for $46,956.80 (for sheriff's cruiser payments).
• An additional appropriation for the Sheriff's Budget for Employee Salaries in the amount of $6,679.06. * * * • Prior to adjourning, commissioners expressed condolences and respects to the family of former Highland County Commissioner and former County Recorder John Smart, who passed away last week at the age of 93.
