The Highland County commissioners opened three sealed bids for repairs to Sinking Spring Road near the intersection of Elmville Road, which County Engineer Chris Fauber said had been closed to traffic since July.
Smith Construction of Fayetteville submitted the low bid of $224,726, which was later accepted after commissioners reconvened from recess to allow Fauber to examine the documentation.
Fauber said his office secured Ohio Public Works grant funding of nearly $176,000 to help with the project, which he said is scheduled for completion in late November.
Commission President Jeff Duncan said he and Fauber attended an Ohio Department of Transportation meeting Tuesday at Waverly, which he described as an “open forum” that showed a map of construction projects planned for each county in District 9, which includes Highland County, through 2024.
He said most of the construction projects dealt with bridge replacements and state highway resurfacing, in addition to other upgrades.
What commissioner Terry Britton light-heartedly referred to as “the pain and suffering” of the annual budgeting process was under way, also noting that all county departments have submitted their paperwork and the commissioners were in the process of “going through it.”
He said they wanted to have the budget in place by the end of the year.
Property owners in the city of Hillsboro will soon see a utility charge on their Hillsboro Public Utilities bill that will be earmarked for storm sewers. Duncan said that in conversations he had with Hillsboro Public Works Superintendent Shawn Atkins, the Hillsboro City Schools system would see the largest assessment.
Commissioner Gary Abernathy gave an update on progress being made in transitions at the Highland County Dog Pound, publicly saluting departing Highland County Dog Warden Cathy Siefer for her many years of hard work and dedication to the facility. He said Lanny Brown had assumed the role of acting dog warden as the search continued for a new employee.
“We appreciate the volunteers who come out there and help,” he said. “They’re invaluable in helping with cleaning and taking care of the dogs. It takes a real team effort.”
In other matters, three line item budget transfer resolutions were approved, in addition to two others authorizing Auditor Bill Fawley to make payments to the Alternatives to Violence Center, and another approving the extension of the current 10-hour work schedules for the county engineer’s office through the end of the month.
Fauber told commissioners his office formerly ended the 10-hour days on Columbus Day, but he said extending the schedule through the end of the month and into the day of the time change on Nov. 3 would allow his office to get caught up on various projects.
One contract was approved between the commissioners, Family and Child First Council and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities for the early intervention service coordination grant agreement, which runs through June 30, 2020.
Reach Tim Colliver at 937-402-2571.
