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STEUBENVILLE -- Weeks after giving the go-ahead for an adaptive kayak launch at Friendship Park, the Jefferson County Commissioners said Thursday they'd be willing to pick up the tab for new roofs for shelters and restrooms if the work is American Rescue Plan-eligible.
Friendship Park board member Roger Hilty said the repairs are much needed.
"The roofs on the shelters were put on almost 30 years ago, by our employees,' Hilty said. "We've got 20-year shingles that have been on there 30 years and they're starting to peel off."
Hilty said they obtained two overall price quotes, one totaling $66,000 and the other, $80,000, but if need be they also could do the work in smaller groupings.
"Both companies indicated they're ready to go to work at any time," he said.
Commissioners voted to proceed with the work, subject to a determination by Bricker and Graydon that the projects meet the ARPA spending guidelines.
"It's been 30 years since they were replaced, so obviously it's time," Commissioner Eric Timmons said. "And we have the money in ARPA. I always said there's a lot to do in Jefferson County, this is one of those things."
Hilty also told commissioners the dock is scheduled to go in at the end of February and they've scheduled opening day festivities for May 18.
Commissioners will also have to look at replacing the roof on the justice center, sooner rather than later.
Maintenance Supervisor Patrick Boyles said he's been battling a leak in a 10-foot-by-30-foot section of roofing protecting juvenile court and the juvenile judge's chambers on the third floor. "It's not the main roof we already fixed, this is the roof we didn't fix," he said, explaining that years ago the other two sections were reroofed but this smaller one hadn't been addressed. He said it's about 40 feet off the ground and is not accessible by ladder from the ground or windows.
Boyles said Fort Steuben Maintenance has been at the scene, pumping water off the roof, and they'll be inspecting the damage to the property and equipment with the insurance adjuster in the next few days.
He said for the short-term they'll patch the leak, but the roof needs to be replaced. He said it will be more cost-effective to address all three roofs at the same time.
"We had a few issues on another roof so there's no sense in waiting," he said, adding he'd prefer to do all three at the same time. "There's no sense doing one and coming back."
Commissioner Dave Maple said it's worth remembering the problems they've had over the years with the justice center.
"It's come a long way with upgrades (and) updates through time and it's in better shape than ever, but the original design of the building and the poor architectural methods (and) decisions from original construction continue to make the maintenance, operational costs and building repairs higher than they should be for a facility like that," Maple said, pointing out the building's construction predates his tenure as a commissioner.
The county sued the architect and won, but he filed bankruptcy. The county ended up with a million-dollar payback.
Commissioners also signed a contract with JB Green Team that will keep an environmental enforcement officer on the road in Jefferson County.
"I'm glad to see things are going well between (them)," Timmons said, pointing out litter "is definitely an issue around here. There are little things you can do to make things better, a cleaning up is one of them."
They also agreed to serve as subgrantee and submit letters of support for the county Drug Task Force's applications for funding through RecoveryOhio Law Enforcement and Ohio Drug Law Enforcement grants programs.
Task force Commander John Lemal told commissioners they're seeking roughly $72,000 from RecoveryOhio to purchase drug testing equipment and another $10,000 for recovery outreach, which could include things like Narcan kits, printed literature or fentanyl test strips. The task force is made up of Jefferson County sheriff's deputies and Steubenville Police officers with Jefferson County prosecutors.
The new machine would verify the results of field tests currently in use, eliminating delays in reporting results as well as the potential that an indictment might have to be updated to reflect changes in makeup.
"It will help every agency as well," he said.
Lemal also told commissioners that, pending final approval, a grant through the Office of Criminal Justice Services would help cover overtime pay for detectives. The grant would cover 75 percent of the project cost, which is a little more than $19,711.
Commissioners also:
• Declined a Washington man's offer to give them a lot in Mount Pleasant he no longer wants.
Maple said the lot is "in the middle of a very large tract that was subdivided." The parcel is land-locked and "taxpayers would have no use for this property," he said.
• Approved a contract with Double B Excavating of Tippecanoe for the Dillonvale storm sewer replacement program. The work will be funded with Community Development Block Grant funds and cannot exceed $70,500.
• Signed a corrected version of the Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Aviation's grant award for fencing to keep wildlife off the runways at the Jefferson County Airpark. State officials revisited the contract after discovering they'd made an error in the original paperwork.
Appointed Beth Rupert-Warren to the diversity board, and heard a current member complain that the panel is having a difficult time getting enough board members to come so they have a quorum. Of the nine members serving, he said only about five regularly attend.