County Commissioners hear that Mohican State Forest may receive 116 additional acres

ASHLAND - Project Manager for the Trust for Public Land Kevin Joyce presented the Ashland County Commissioners on Thursday, Jan. 27 with information regarding Mohican State Forest.

More: Courthouse HVAC and jail intercom and cameras projects expected to finish by late February

“Our purpose is to protect parks and land for people,” began Joyce. “Also here today is Chad Sanders who is the forest manager at Mohican State Memorial Forest.”

A family that owns 116 acres approached Sanders and his staff about acquiring land near Mohican State Forest, he said.

“We entered into a contract with the family to buy the land,” said Joyce. “And then we will transfer title using funds from the sources talked about. We work with state, local and federal funding sources for our projects. In this case we have a state forest and we need to find funding.”

Joyce said the two best sources of funding for this project would be an appropriation from the General Assembly under the Capital Budget and a grant from the Muskingum Watershed Conservatory District. An appraiser will figure out the fair market value.

“I am here,” said Joyce, “to ask commissioners to state that you are in favor of this project, so we can relay that to our funding sources when we ask them for money.”

Clerk Nikki Hiller had a letter of support prepared for the meeting and all three commissioners signed the letter supporting the project.

New credit card usage approved

Commissioners adopted a County Procurement Card Policy that allows users a daily spending limit of $1,000 and a monthly per card spending limit of $5,000.

“We’ve never had a credit card that someone can use for their office,” said Commissioner President James Justice. “So we have spent the last six months figuring out the best way to get a card and make it work, put the limits on it and get it through.

“So finally, after six months, every office will have a procurement card with spending limits. I do know the $1,000 spending limit can be more if you have an authorization form the auditor if there’s funds available.”

Three different areas were given appropriations with the first authorized to Commissioners ($1,000) for supplies, to Estate Tax ($78,823.30) for distribution of taxes collected and $255.57 to Solid Waste for workers compensation premium charge back.

Holland & Muirden, Attorneys at Law were authorized a check for $110 toward a bill regarding the prosecution of Debra Amato. The check was issued dealing with O.R.C. 2931.18 authorizing a humane society to employ an attorney to prosecute violations of law relating to the prevention of cruelty to animals.

A quote for $3,790 was approved from Simonson Construction to install terrazzo flooring in the ground floor men’s restroom of the courthouse. Simonson will repair a void in the floor from an underground steam pipe replacement with the money coming from Buildings & Grounds.

“On the men’s restroom in the courthouse there was a steam pipe that heated several of the offices down there,” explained Commissioner Denny Bittle. “We had to dig that up and now we are trying to match that nearly 100-year old floor. It won’t be perfect but they had to cut the existing floor out and run new pipe and this is to repair that floor.”

The annual maintenance contract with VASU Communications for 911 was approved at a yearly cost of $8,334.

Bittle raised the question if the yearly contract could be expanded to multiple years and save taxpayers money.

“That seems to be an annual contract,” said Bittle. “It is every year with VASU. Do you think we need to maybe look at a discount and do a three-year program with them? It always seems to be a renewable one we do every year and maybe discuss a three-year contract. Maybe save a little money going down the road.”

“It is worth looking at,” said Commissioner Mike Welch.

Commissioner Mike Welch to attend variety of conferences

Welch was approved for travel at three different conferences. Welch will attend the CEBCO Board Meetings in Columbus on eight different dates, CEBCO Board Retreat on April 28-29 and AGRIP Governance Conference in New Orleans on March 6-9.

One item will be disposed through internet auction. A wood work bench with a vice and Wissota Bench Grinder from maintenance will be added on the auction site.

UP NEXT The commissioners will meet Thursday, Feb. 3 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: Mohican State Forest may receive 116 additional acres