Ashland County Commissioners approve distribution of the funds for daycare in a 2-1 vote

ASHLAND - With Commissioners James Justice and Mike Welch voting to approve the distribution of funds, $500,000 was appropriated to the newly formed Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) to aid in construction and other startup capital costs for the nonprofit Community Childcare, Inc.

Commissioner Denny Bittle voted against the approval at Thursday's Ashland County Commissioners meeting.

CIC will be the agency for the industrial, commercial, distribution and research development in the county. The money will come from the American Rescue Plan Act.

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Bittle said he is behind the project, but thought the $500,000 was both too much and too soon for the nonprofit organization.

“I would like to see the funding stay with us until ground-breaking,” said Bittle.

“I have no doubt you are going to raise the money,” said Justice on the $4.5 million goal. “And I also know you have a contingency plan. I think this is the beginning of something great.”

“I have no doubt you are going to raise the money either,” added Welch.

“It’s not the project,” said Bittle after the 2-1 vote. “I think the dollar amount is a little heavy for me. It’s an awful lot of money coming from ARP funding. I would like to have seen that a little smaller dollar amount. My biggest concern is I have seen nonprofits that have raised tons of money and five or 10 years down the road the economy changes and then they were not able to survive.

"I would have been much more supportive it it had been $250,000 instead of $500,000," Billte said. "That is my reasoning to vote against it. I do think it is a great project.”

“In all due respect, I understand your concern,” said Welch. “I also am of the opinion it is a great tool in the toolbox for economic development.”

Chief Program Officer of the Community Foundation Kristin Aspin read a prepared statement thanking the county for its support of the project by expanding childcare access.

“With this contribution ($500,000), total fundraising efforts stand at $3.1 million of the $3.5 million needed for capital startup,” she said. “The overall goal of $4.5 million to include endowment for sustainability, is well on its way to being met thanks to generous donations from businesses, individuals and grant-making organizations.”

Sale agreement reached with vocational school

With Justice voting against the motion, a purchase and sale agreement with the Ashland County-West Holmes Joint Vocational School District Board of Education for the sale of the Ashland County Service Center was approved for $500,000. The closing date is estimated to be on or before July 29, 2022.

Both Jesse Cline and Regina Dye were hired as eligibility referral specialists at the J&FS with a starting wage of $15.52 per hour beginning July 11. Amanda Campbell was appointed to the position of Social Service Worker 2 beginning July 11 with a starting wage of $23.26 per hour.

Donations to the Corner Park Trail were made from Aztec Topsoil, LLC for topsoil valued at $4,230 and from Bartley & Bolin, Inc for loader time and trucking services valued at $3,500.

Clerk of Courts had a $7,000 appropriation for the purchase of scanners and $35,000 was moved to the sheriff for remaining year estimated repair costs.

A quote form ART Printing in the amount of $29,459.81 was approved for the printing of education mailers as part of an EPA grant.

Two bids were opened for a county bridge repair. The bids were for $806,119.03 and $799,942.28. Estimate for the repair was set at $895,000.

Two bids were also opened for the county hay baling located at 675 County Road 1754. One bid was for $2,000 and the other for $2,800. The start date for baling will be after July 10.

Several cars will be listed on the GovDeals internet auction.

UP NEXT The commissioners will meet Thursday, July 7 at 9 a.m. in the Commissioner’s Conference Room on the second floor of the County Office Building. The meetings are open to the public, but also live-streamed on the Ashland, OH County Government Facebook page.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland County designates $500,000 for proposed daycare facility