Kayak launch is studied
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STEUBENVILLE -- A handicap-accessible kayak launch could be in the offing at Friendship Park.
At Thursday's meeting, the Jefferson County commissioners encouraged Wayne Township resident Jennifer Sims to push forward with plans for a floating kayak launch that would be accessible to those who are physically able as well as those who aren't.
Sims, at the meeting to gauge interest from the commissioners in funding the project, said a plastic floating launch could cost around $48,000 and the more durable aluminum version would be priced in the upper 80s.
"There's a wide range and ultimately it's going to depend on what you want to go with," she told commissioners.
Sims said in just a 90-minute time span on a recent visit to Friendship Park lake she and her husband counted 27 boats on the water.
Sims and Friendship Park board President Roger Hilty said an ADA complaint launch would make it significantly easier for individuals with physical disabilities to enjoy the lake and said they've proven to be big draws at other lakes her family has kayaked. Hilty said kayaks, canoes and even paddleboarders could use the floating launch.
Commissioner Tony Morelli said he "wants to see this get done."
"I've talked about getting kayaking docks since I was elected," Morelli said. "I love that we could do something like this for all people, including (those) with special needs. People are hungry for recreational opportunities in our county."
Commissioner Eric Timmons agreed, saying he's "all behind that project."
"We've been taking about recreation and we always hear there's nothing to do in Jefferson County," he said, "but I beg to differ with that and this would be one more addition. I go to Jefferson County lakes with my family, and I always see people out on kayaks."
Commissioner Dave Maple said he's "ready to move the ball forward, personally."
"I feel like you've got a green light here, $100,000-ish is the right number," Maple said. "If you come back and say you were wrong, it's going to be closer to $200,000 … we'd have to talk. Whether we use ARPA (American Rescue Plan) or oil and gas funds, we've been talking about recreation and opportunities like this for a long time."
Asked if kayak rentals would be a possibility down the road, Hilty said they "have had some plans in place for projects, one was a marina that would have included a lot of amenities, especially the ADA launch ramp." He said they applied for funding from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources but were denied.
"We have some other plans we're looking at but to grow the park, it's going to take money, sustainable money," Hilty said. "We've talked about some type of event center where training could take place, we've talked about rentals. It all depends on where the money would come from."
He also was asked if the park board was "looking for total funding or (if) you had some funds you can apply to this."
"I think in the long haul, we're prepared to do whatever we need to do to keep the ball moving forward," Hilty replied.
Commissioners instructed the two to go back to the launch committee "and decide what dock you want."
Commissioners, meanwhile, selected McKinley Architecture and Engineering for the McCollough Children's Home project.
Two weeks ago commissioners had reported the interview committee scored McKinley in a dead-heat with another applicant, but the local firm had a slight edge when the results were averaged. Maple subsequently asked Assistant Prosecutor Shawn Blake to clarify how they should proceed, and his recommendation was that an "alternate" be assigned to score the proposals so they asked Jobs and Family Services Director Michelle Santin, who sat in on the interviews, to break the tie.
In October, commissioners awarded Jefferson County Jobs and Family Services nearly $1.4 million from their federal American Rescue Program fund allotment to update electronics as well as tackle upgrades at the Childrens Home.
Morelli said the process was "almost like overtime -- we had to have it graded and scored by an alternate."
"It helps us move forward with one of the vendors," Maple added. "Then if we can't reach agreement with them we can (move on)."
Also Thursday, commissioners met with landscape consultant, photographer and author Rick Darke, who is working with Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District to make plans for the Piney Fork, Quaker Ridge and Hellbender Preserve aspects of district's Heart of Appalachia grant application. Commissioners covered Darke's $7,500 fee for the district.
Darke, who spent three days this week walking and photographing the properties, told commissioners projects like JSWCD's "bring history into modern landscapes." He said they did an in-depth inventory of what's on the sites with an eye toward "how they can shape it."
He said it's the kind of thing that's "completely turned (other) neighborhoods around, without saying 'leave the past behind.' We're saying grab the past and ... show how powerful it is."
Commissioners also:
• Purchased three new chairs for their use, two for their staff and stacking chairs for the conference room. Total expenditure will be under $5,000.
•Authorized Sheriff Fred Abdalla Jr. to purchase a 2011 Dodge Durango for daily use from Ohio Valley Buy Here Pay Here for $13,400.
"By law, commissioners have to declare a need before we purchase a vehicle," Maple said. "The need is he's eliminating two older vehicles in his force and replacing them with this one vehicle."
• Signed off on juvenile court's detention contract with Fulton County, Pa., at a rate of $205 per day, per bed.
• Appointed longtime educator Mary Ellen Bolock of Dillonvale to the Prevention and Recovery Board, effective immediately. Her partial term will expire June 30, 2025.
Likewise, commissioners chose Laura Cade, a Steubenville resident, to serve on OMEGA's Revolving Loan Fund committee. Members must have commercial lending experience and represent the private sector. Cade, currently a banking center manager in Follansbee, previously served Huntington Bank in Weirton in a similar capacity.
• Gave Maintenance Supervisor Patrick Boyles the go-ahead to spend $275 on plants to finish a garden bed under the sign at the Tower building. Ohio State University Extension Service chose the plants, which are native to the region, and will plant them.