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Commissioners approve communications tower move

The 911 control tower on Glendale Road will soon move to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on Fourth Street in Marietta.

During Thursday morning’s Washington County Commission meeting, Rich Hays, EMA director, submitted a request to move the control station. The control station is a link between dispatch and the fire stations, Hays explained.

“There are a lot of issues with the communications and we’re trying to eliminate all that,” he added.

The $1,950 purchase order from Miller Communications was approved by the commission for the equipment to make the change.

In other commission news, the sheriff’s office returned approximately $107,000 in appropriations. The state has noted that due to the shutdown, there won’t be as much sales tax for the county’s general fund. The commissioners have asked each department to cut their budget by 20 percent to make up for the shortfall.

Around $30,000 of that $107,000 was appropriated for a new vehicle. County-owned vehicles were re-assigned in early April.

The county’s EMA received a new state-funded Dodge pickup, which freed up a truck to be used elsewhere in the county. There was discussion between the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the county’s maintenance department, as they both requested a truck.

The county’s maintenance department has a Chevrolet pickup that would suit the sheriff’s office’s needs, so it was agreed by the commissioners to give the former EMA truck to the county maintenance, for use hauling a trailer and mowing equipment, while the Chevrolet pickup would be reassigned to the sheriff’s office.

Commissioner David White said the 20 percent cut may not be accurate.

“Twenty percent is a vague number that came from the state,” he said.

He said most of the county’s general fund comes from the state sales tax. About 1 percent of the 7.5 percent tax goes to the commissioners. Some 26 percent of that is turned around and given to the townships for their roads.

White said there is a three-month delay from when the merchants collect the tax, to when they pay it, to when it is received by the county.

“In July, we’ll know how far off they are (percentage-wise),” he said. “It makes it difficult to plan.”

He said they went with the 20 percent cut as they are “planning for the worst, but praying for the best.”

Also at the meeting, Flite Freimann, director of Washington County Job and Family Services, said travel for Children Services is starting back up. He said while there was a stay-at-home order, Children Services had to visit children using Skype, Zoom or Facetime.

Children have to be seen at least once a month and it is easier to get a feeling for how a child is doing if there is a face-to-face visit, Freimann said.

Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.

At a glance:

•A 911 control tower will soon move from Glendale Road to the sheriff’s criminal division on Fourth Street.

•Children Services are beginning to make face-to-face visits again.

•The sheriff’s office returned appropriations in the amount of $107,000.

Source: Washington County Board of Commissioners.

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