The Highland County Board of Commissioners reported on the county’s visit last week to the Ohio Statehouse at its weekly Wednesday meeting.

Commissioner Terry Britton said around 35 people were in attendance with the group.

Commissioner Brad Roades said on the way back from the visit that commissioner Dave Daniels asked everyone who had been to the Statehouse, and around 80 percent said they had not. He said that aspect alone was great, just for people to see how government and legislation work. Britton said they plan to visit the Statehouse again next year.

Britton said there were a lot of different departments at the tour that were available to talk to the group, as well as state representatives and senators. Roades said the tour lasted around an hour and took the group throughout the facility. Britton even said that Daniels’ (a former state representative and state senator) pull at the Statehouse got the group into some rooms that they normally wouldn’t be able to go into.

Daniels said that “most importantly,” the group met with Jobs Ohio and the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) and talked to them about what’s going on and what they’re doing in terms of workforce development and similar topics.

He said ODOD’s director talked to the group about some of what the county might have at its disposal in terms of grant programs that are available for water and sewer. He said they also mentioned more details on timelines for some of the programs the county has been working on like the Appalachian Community Grant and other programs.

Daniels said Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted talked to the group about workforce and workforce development. He said one of the specific things they mentioned was about business opportunities for employers to upskill their employees. He said that included grant money that could be used to train and upskill workers.

“I think the one takeaway I had from it was we still have a lot of work to do for workforce development, especially with the school systems,” Britton said. “So, but, not that we’re not doing some good things, but I think we still need some more focus on that.”

In other news, the commissioners opened multiple bids for grinder pump cores and other equipment. The commissioners announced contract winner would be awarded next week after the bids were reviewed.

There was one resolution approved by the board of commissioners: Res. No. 24-67 is a petition filed by the Hamer Township Trustees to vacate an alley in Danville located east of Danville Road. The board set the time and date for a public viewing on Wednesday, May 8, at 10 a.m. and a public hearing on Wednesday, May 8, at 11 a.m. in the commissionerss office.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.