Trending
STEUBENVILLE -- The Jefferson County commissioners Thursday approved the county's Department of Job and Family Services to do some early spring cleaning at its children's shelter as ongoing renovations progress.
Located at 240 John Scott Highway, the shelter is undergoing renovations that have already spruced up its visitation wing and placement unit. However, as work turns to the shelter's case worker wing and office space, a few hindrances will need to be dealt with.
The wing currently contains an "accumulation of stuff," said Matt Kendall, the department's assistant director and human resources administrator. Items include broken chairs, desks and tables that the department would like to properly dispose of before progressing.
The department submitted a request for approval from the commissioners to dispose of items with or without an inventory tag, tagged with a disclaimer that the department will return to the commissioners with a list of inventory tags to ensure the inventory is accurate. The department was also approved to return a butcher block, crafted by a previous employee, to its creator.
Michele Santin, director of the department, said the agency is excited to host an open house once renovations are complete.
Additionally, the commissioners approved a proposed resolution to allow the department to trade allocations with other Ohio counties. An accompanying letter said the approved resolution will "allow (job and family services) ... to accept funds from other counties and use all available funds in the most effective way to benefit the county."
Santin said 2024 will mark the trade allocation resolution's third year in effect in Jefferson, having been first adopted in October 2022, though other counties have been practicing the trades for longer. Santin said it's a "really good partnership," allowing other counties to call Jefferson when they have extra funds available to trade.
Yet another approval was made for a memorandum of understanding between the department and the Jefferson County prosecutor's office, juvenile court, A Caring Place and several local law enforcement agencies. Effective through Dec. 31, 2025, the memorandum will eliminate "all unnecessary interviews" of children who are the subjects of child abuse reports.
"Our agency does an interview because we're required by law," said Glenda Jones, the department's children's services administrator, who took the lead on the MOU's development. "Law enforcement want to do an interview, the prosecutor's office wants to do one. So, we do one all together so it's not three different agencies doing interviews."
"To not re-traumatize the child," added Santin.
The commissioners also approved a service agreement between the department's Child Support Enforcement Agency division and the county auditor, totaling $66,789.69, as well as another between the CSEA division and Jefferson County Common Pleas Court, totaling $177,455.80. Both regarding payment for duties performed on behalf of child support agency cases, the service agreements will be effective Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 and are 66 percent federally reimbursable.
Separately, Crystal Chipps, director of finance and human resources at Eastern Ohio Corrections Center, told the commissioners that the center has been awarded $150,000 in grant funds from the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice, which the center applied to last year. The center plans to contract with Family Recovery Center and use an existing position at the center to create an after-care program.
Chipps said the after-care program will become a permanent part of residents' programming, saying, "We're going to connect with our residents in their early program release in hopes that they don't recommit and (that we) keep them involved and keep contact with them. ... Family Recovery will come into our Wintersville facility every other week and teach (intensive outpatient program) classes."
Kayleen Murray, the center's director of continuous quality improvement, said, "Depending upon whether (residents) are at high risk or moderate risk will depend upon how much contact they have with the after-care person. The higher the risk, the more the contact."
In other matters:
• Maintenance Supervisor Patrick Boyles said renovations are nearly complete at the Jefferson County Tower building, though numerous repairs remain before painting can begin -- "Numerous" walls are in need of skim coating. A quote from Remodeling Solutions, the contractor already working inside the building, came in at $2,800 for the county.
"It's a reasonable price," Boyles said. "I hate to delay the project any further. If you guys would consider giving them the OK to go ahead and finish while they're there, it would sure speed it up a little bit."
The commissioners approved the request, with payment to be made from the capital improvements fund.
• A request from the Jefferson County Engineer's office for a $14,800 increase in appropriations to the motor vehicle and gas fund "to meet payroll needs in the engineer's highway department" was approved, bringing the fund's total to $1,769,800.
"I would just ask for a little bit of grace this year," said Mindy Nash of the engineer's office. "This can't possibly happen again next year because I understand a little bit better about the salary line and made a good effort with the new budget to not let this happen."
• Mike Gray, director of the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County, told commissioners the library's board of trustees will have an opening in January, following the decision to depart by Annie Silverthorn. There are currently five applicants, and the position is the commissioners' to fill, Gray said.
With six trustees come January -- Judge Michelle Miller recently appointed a new member -- the board is in "no hurry" for the appointment, Gray said, adding that there is currently no deadline, and others may apply in the meantime. Morelli said the current applicant list has "some good names."
• The commissioners entered three executive sessions, each with no action afterward: Job and family services for personnel matters and possible discipline, Dillonvale County Court for possible lease negotiations and the Jefferson County Recorder's office for union contract negotiations.
• The commissioners approved temporary appropriations for the county auditor's office's general fund and other funds to operate until its permanent budget is appropriated by April 1, 2024 at the latest.
• With the Jefferson County Water and Sewer District director under the weather, Commissioner Tony Morelli said he interviewed two applicants for the district to "get the ball rolling on hiring." He motioned to hire the two, and a roll call approved the motion.
• The commissioners approved depositing a $4,809 check from the county auditor for Apex Landfill's operations in the month of October.
• The commissioners approved paying a $2,903.15 invoice to Emens and Wolper Law Firm for research on oil and gas leasing, in connection with the pipeline to be constructed on the Jefferson County Airpark's property, and paying the $225.65 local share of a $663.69 invoice from job and family services.
The commissioners approved forwarding their application, entry and certification for attorney fees for December in the amount of $23,480.30 to the State of Ohio for reimbursement.
• Stacy Williams, the commissioners' clerk, was approved to be reimbursed $60 for renewing her notary certification for the next five years.
• The commissioners tabled their annual reappointments for Jefferson County members representatives to the Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association. Currently serving are the three commissioners; Robert Naylor, executive director of the Jefferson County Port Authority, and Michael Erosovich, director of the Jefferson County Water and Sewer District. On the executive board are Morelli and Erosovich as the alternate.