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The Washington County Commission held its last meeting of the year and approved the Appropriations Resolution for 2024 Thursday morning in their assembly room.
During the regular business meeting, commissioners approved one Then and Now item, a memorandum of understanding for the Wellness Program for the County Home unionized staff for a health insurance discount, and a Subgrant Agreement with Eve for Jobs and Family Services for 2024 Supervised Visitations.
"This is our fourth or fifth year partnering with Eve on this," said Director of Jobs and Family Services Flite Freimann on the subgrant agreement. "It helps provide supervised visitations with Eve for families in a safe environment instead of at the jail."
Commissioners also amended and approved two requests from Human Relations for increases to reimbursement rates.
The state average for mileage reimbursement rate will be raised to $0.67 starting Jan. 1, 2024 with the current county rate being $0.44. Human Resources requested that the commissioners raise the rate within the $0.50 to $0.55 range. Upon discussion, commissioners debated about raising it to $0.52 with the final decision raising it to the requested $0.55.
Human Resources also requested to increase the meal reimbursement rate to $25 a day for daytime trips and $45 a day for overnight trips. The current county rate is $37.50 a day. Freimann suggested that the commissioners make the increases and if a conference provides meals within their fee, they can make the proper monetary deductions when needed. Commissioners took that into consideration and decided to raise it to the requested amount without any additional conference deduction amendments and would discuss the matter in the new year if the request needed to be amended.
The commissioners brought their unfinished business about the Buckeye Fields lease into the agenda and opposed the extension of the lease.
"We want low income senior housing at the County Home, but things have not progressed the way we wanted them to," Commissioner Charlie Schilling said. "We're very committed to the project but we got impatient and the people we had talked to about it could not meet our deadlines. This is important to us and we're not giving up."
Commissioners asked those attending the meeting if they had anything to add, several department heads and one township trustee spoke.
County Engineer Roger Wright stated that due to the Devola Sewer Project, several of the roads there had become damaged and muddy during Christmas but would be fixed, and that the project was over 20% finished.
Head of the County Building Department Rick Dostal announced that within three years, they had increased their building area by 27% including parts of the Gallia County area and talks of expansion within the Meigs County area.
Alice Stewart, Head of Children's Services, thanked those who helped provide gifts to 150 children during Christmas this year.
Lastly, Muskingum Township Trustee Gary Doan thanked the commissioners for the time that he has served as Township Trustee.
"This board has been the easiest to work with and the most entertaining," said Doan. "Business with you and having you tend to the county has been pleasurable."
Within the 2024 Appropriations Resolution, the Washington County Commissioners concluded that County General Fund revenue was 30% more than anticipated, they approved a 5% wage increase to retain workforce and help employees with high inflation, and again approved 30% of permissive sales tax to go to roads, bridges, and townships which in total is $3,102,000. They also include $300,000 for Capital Projects to pay for building and infrastructure updates.
Commissioners also thanked those who work behind the scenes on county issues, those who work with the children, and thanked Doan for his service. They asked to keep those you love close during the holidays and wished everyone a Happy New Year.
The commissioners also reminded people that the Washington County Courthouse will be closed Monday, Jan. 1, for New Year's Day and Monday, Jan. 15, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Washington County Commissioners will meet for the Commissioners Organizational Meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2. in their Assembly Room.