Wayne County Commissioners to seek grant to convert land for agricultural use

Nate Powalie
·3 min read
The county Child Services Enforcement Agency was recognized by the state for excellence in services in two areas.

WOOSTER — The county will apply for a through the Ohio Department of Agriculture to become a local sponsor in the 2024 Clean Ohio Local Agricultural Easement Purchase Program.

The $144,000 grant would, according to Commissioner Ron Amstutz, help in converting land around Wayne County and conserving it for agricultural use, at an expense of about $2,000 an acre.

The LAEPP program is run through the ODA's Office of Farmland Preservation.

Other actions

  • At the September 13 weekly meeting, the County Commissioners approved a resolution for multiple subgrant agreements for the Wayne County Department of Job and Family Services through a Social Services Block Grant that allows for Title XX funding to be distributed amongst four organizations for Adult Day care services with the Gilcrest Senior Wellness & Fitness Center of Doylestown, Transportation Services for medical appointments to Gilcrest Senior Wellness & Fitness Center, Resident care and comprehensive services for Domestic Violence/Sexual Abuse victims with OneEighty, Inc. of Wooster, Adult Substance Abuse Counseling services for OneEighty Inc., Interior cleaning services for Vantage Aging Inc of Akron, and Delivery of Component Health Clinic Services to the Viola Startzman Clinic in Wooster.

  • Approved a resolution allowing the Wayne County Engineer to purchase a 2022 Chevrolet Equinox LT SUV valued at $27,041 from Progressive Chevrolet of Massillon.

  • Awarded a contract for the Computer Assisted Mass Appraisal (CAMA for short) and Property Tax System on Behalf of the Wayne County Auditor and Wayne County Treasurer to ISSG, Inc of Waynesville.

  • At the September 20 weekly meeting, the Commissioners approved housekeeping items, which includes an update on county bills and county home bills, appropriation of transferring funds between certain accounts for multiple county entities, fund transferring from one account to another, authorizing appropriation of fund for county departments for multiple accounts, a change of personnel, and travel and training expenses.

  • Approved a resolution for the Rita Bauer Dush Plat, located in Wooster Township.

  • Approved a resolution adding $17,450 in costs to the contract with United Survey, Inc. of Cleveland for the Wastewater System Improvements 2021 Project to help with the excavation and installation of 8 PVC coated Gabion Baskets (pipes) filled with Limestone, and to grade, seed, and straw from the Top of the Baskets to Homeowners Lawn. The new total of the contract is $233,680.17.

  • Approved a resolution adopting a Residential Anti-Displacement and Relocation Assistance Plan, which will help with conserving and keeping low-and-middle-income people in housing. A new resolution will need to be passed every 5 years.

  • Approved a resolution authorizing the Wayne County Engineer to request and advertise for Engineering Technical Proposals under the United States Department of Transportation Safe Streets & Roads for All Grant, a project previously approved by the Commissioners at their July 26 weekly meeting.

  • Approved a resolution authorizing the Ohio Department of Transportation to submit an application to the US Department of Transportation for the Inflation Reduction Act Grant to receive funding from the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant program for the Wayne County Amish Buggy Safety Project, which will help toward the construction of 8' buggy lanes on both sides of Kidron Road from State Route 241 in Holmes County to the Stark County Line.

The Commissioners will next meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Wayne County Administration Building, upper-Level meeting room. The meetings are available on Zoom through a Zoom link on the commissioners' website.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Wayne County Commissioners seek grant to convert land to agricultural use