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STEUBENVILLE -- The Jefferson County Commissioners are ready to move forward with a proposed 1.2-mill replacement levy for Prime Time Office on Aging.
At Thursday's meeting, after pelting Tri-State Health board members Matthew Grimshaw and David Werkin with questions about the Prime Time operation and its decision-making hierarchy, commissioners signed a certificate of necessity for the proposed levy -- the first step to getting it on the ballot in 2024.
"We've been challenged by the community," Commissioner Dave Maple told the pair "It's the seniors (asking) how come some of that money's not going to the Toronto center, how come some's not going to the Mingo center. And there's been complaints about Prime Time not being run well."
Maple said their role as commissioners "is to kind of make sure that as gatekeeper, this stuff makes sense or somebody can answer why there's a 20 percent increase in revenue and a 24 percent increase in salaries."
Grimshaw, Trinty Health System's chief executive officer, pointed out "wage costs have gone up across the board" and whether they work at Prime Time or in the hospital proper, "they're all employees" of Trinity Health System and will be paid to scale. He told commissioners their goal has always been to provide a needed service to the senior community.
"We spent significant dollars on that building for no other purpose than caring," he said. "If there was no millage, there is no Prime Time building, there is no senior center. We are only in this place because 30 years ago there was a need and our predecessors stepped into the gap."
He also admitted he's intrigued at finding ways to collaborate with senior centers in other Jefferson County communities.
Prime Time Manager Trudy Wilson said they currently have 10 food delivery routes throughout the county, five of them with a waiting list.
"Some of those waiting lists are for the routes that have already doubled," she said. "And we have up to 70-72 people on a list, that's a lot of meals for one driver to deliver in an area in one day. But we recognize that without that one meal in that area, that person may not have any other food that day or may not ever see another person that day. So it's important to us not to have that waiting list but there are some hoops we have to go through first to get there. We have to enlarge our kitchen so that we can, you know, physically make more than 1,000 meals a day."
The replacement levy, if approved, would still be for 1.2 mills, but it would be based on current property valuations and would generate more revenue, which would help fund the kitchen expansion.
After the meeting, commissioners said they appreciated the chance to meet with Grimshaw, Werkin and Wilson and get answers to their questions.
"What I took from it, the biggest thing, is that (we're all) committed to seniors in our county," Commissioner Tony Morelli said. "That's my biggest takeaway from today, so I'm happy to have that partnership."
Maple said it was "a good meeting."
"I appreciate them coming down, hearing their commitments moving forward," he said. "We got a better understanding of the numbers, which is important, and we got a commitment to communicate more frequently, going forward."
Commissioner Eric Timmons said his biggest takeaway "is that Trinity and the commissioners' main goal is to keep the services for the seniors in our county."
"All it takes sometimes is a little bit of communication and issues can be solved," Timmons added. "That's what happened today."
Commissioners, meanwhile, have scheduled a work session after their Nov. 9 meeting to discuss the possible Jefferson County Water and Sewer District takeover of the Warren Water Authority.
"It will be open to the public but it won't tie the rest of the agenda up," Maple said, "so we can take more time to discuss it."
JCWSD Director Mike Eroshevich said Ohio EPA has officially committed to providing a $1.75 million grant to connect Warren Water's system to the Area G system, which would include the new transmission line, new water meters, telemetry at the tank and upgrades to the pump station as well as design and engineering, but at this point they don't know what they'd run into with the rest of the system.
"Before I could vote for it, I would have to know what it's going to cost for any other repairs," Morelli said.
"I asked if they would help (with that) but they said they couldn't commit to it," Eroshevich said.
Maple said the OEPA's $1.75 million commitment "helps the decision a little bit, but I would like a work session, I would like to know what (the impact will be)."
Maintenance Supervisor Patrick Boyles said crews finished demolishing county-owned buildings across from the Tower building. Commissioners picked up the tab for most of the demolition cost and in return, the land bank deeded the lots to the county.
Commissioners want to carve out a green space on the property to complement their plans to pave a parking area next to it.
Commissioners originally earmarked $800,000 in American Cares Act funds to cover the costs, and Boyles said the next step would be to authorize the County Engineer to advertise for bids.
Commissioners, however, said they want to wait until the state announces its Appalachian Community Grant awards early in 2024. Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District added the parking lot/green space to its Heart of Appalachia grant proposal.
"I think we have time," Maple said.
"People need to understand the reason we're doing what we're doing is because if we get the grant, it will free up $800,000 for other projects," Morelli added later. "We have committed ARPA money to pay for it, but along came the Appalachian grant and the opportunity to have a grassy area and get the parking lot done. We came to the conclusion it would be eligible for Appalachian Grant funding -- that doesn't mean we'll get it."
"It's an unusual situation, but it's a good situation to be in," he said. "If we have to wait a little longer (that's OK)."