Trending
STEUBENVILLE -- The Jefferson County Commissioners said Thursday they're more than willing to entertain naming two new bridges after fallen heroes, just as long as it's within their power to do so.
"I feel like this question's come up before and there was some restriction," Commissioner Dave Maple said. "I do think it would be the right thing to send it to prosecutor to research -- it's a great idea if we have the authority to do it."
And if they don't, Maple said they could add their recommendation to the request and send it on to the powers-that-be in Columbus.
Frank Featner, president of the Combat Support Group, Steubenville, told commissioners two Jefferson County veterans who "were lost during the war ... we've been trying to figure out a way to get them recognized."
"We've been blessed with two new bridges in this county, we'd like to get their names on them," Featner said.
County Engineer Jim Branagan had suggested asking the prosecutor's office to look into it, saying he'd done some research himself and could say with certainty commissioners "have the right to do that to roads, but I don't know about bridges."
Commissioners Eric Timmons and Tony Morelli agreed that the prosecutor needs to weigh in.
"All we can do now is find out," Morelli said.
Jack Earnest, president of the Jefferson County Veterans Services Commission, was also present, thanking commissioners for the support they give veterans.
"We're the only state that does what we do," Earnest said. "... You guys always say yes when we present our budget. Because of the budget you approved we can (change) lives."
Commissioners also were told McCollough Children's Home had been declared Qualified Residential Treatment Program compliant, a stringent process that requires securing accreditation, extensive trauma-informed training for staff and be able to provide discharge planning and after-care support.
McCollough Children's Home is now one of only four QRTP-compliant programs in the state.
"It's a positive for the children of Jefferson County," Jobs and Family Services Director Michele Santin said. "We've been working on it for quite a few years, but we've been working on it step by step -- that's how you have to do it."
QRTP status "validates that we are in compliance with the mandate to provide trauma-informed care for children," Santin said.
Commissioners said it "opens the door to bring kids in now."
"There's a lot of room there so it might as well be put to use," Commissioner Eric Timmons said. "And it will be a little income for the county."
"We don't have a large amount of children in that home (currently) but now we have the opportunity to have more," Morelli agreed.
Up to now, Santin said McCollough has typically had two to four kids in residence. With the QRTP certification they'll be able to handle up to 16, but before that can happen she said they'll need to add more staff.
"We have the staff to meet the needs of the children we have now but we need to hire more," she said. "And as we hire more staff we hope to do conracts with our Juvenile Court" to serve juveniles who need a residential setting once they're discharged from detention.
Commissioners also approved plans to advertise the McCollough roof replacement project. Bid opening will be May 9.
McKinley Architecture's Tim Mizer and Project Manager T.J. Tharp assured commissioners the work would achieve "substantial completion" by Aug. 1. Bids will be opened in May for the project, being funded with ARPA funds allocated to Jefferson County.
Commissioners allocated $1 million for the roof work, and whatever is left over is tentatively expected to be used for a fire safety system at McCollough.
Commissioners also:
• Agreed to readvertise a historic bridge project on Knox Township Road 289.
The only bid submitted in the original bidding round, from U.S. Bridge in Cambridge, came in at $1,786,195 -- more than a half-million dollars above the engineer's estimate, $1,233,996.
By code, bids must fall within 20 percent of the estimate.
• Approved an application to the Appalachian Regional Commission for a $2.5 million Partnership for Opportunity and Economic Revitalization grant to broadband service to 615 households and 56 businesses in Island Creek, Springfield, Salem, Ross and Wayne townships, the least-served areas in Jefferson County.
A similar application was submitted last year, but for $5 million, but was rejected.
• Approved submission of a letter of intent to Ohio EPA signalling their willingness to acquire the beleauguered Warren Water System, but only if "acceptable financing (is) offered for not only the Warren Water System but also waterline replacement in the villages of Bergholz and Amsterdam."
The letter pointed out that before the county can take on another water system, they need funding to fix the system's issues and it "is equally important that before the district can take over anyother system with infrastructure issues that we address existing issues within our system that we inheritied from other municipalities similar to the Warren Water System acquistion that has been proposed."
The estimate to fix problems with the three water systems -- Warren, Bergholz and Amsterdam, is in excess of $20 million.
• Reappointed Brian Moffat to the Diversity Committee and Geary Bates to the Regional Airport Authority.