'We've waited for this day.' Holmes County Health District breaks ground on new building

MILLERSBURG − A project that has been in the works for more than a decade officially got started Wednesday with a groundbreaking at the site of the new Holmes County General Health District building.

Commissioner Joe Miller was on hand along with Engineer Chris Young, project engineer Robert Miller of Tekton, project contractor Classical Construction, the Holmes County General Health District Board members and other visitors.

"We've waited for this day for a long, long time," Miller said, pointing out that since he became a commissioner in 2003, the health district has needed a new home.

"We did move them 10 years ago to the top of the Job and Family Services building. That was supposed to be a temporary move, but that was 10 years ago," he said.

He added thanks to tax abatements and expansion of a sewer system, new businesses started and old ones expanded.

'We've got the money to pay for this building'

"The people of Holmes County respond when you give them an opportunity," Miller said. "By 2011, it really started paying off. Sales tax started to increase. Over the past 10 years, it has increased an average of 9.5% over the prior year. We started putting money aside, and the bottom line is, we've got the money to pay for this building."

Miller commended the work being done by the health department under the leadership of Health Commissioner Michael Derr and his staff. He noted the growth the county enjoyed despite the pandemic.

"We'd like to thank the commissioners for their unwavering support and commitment to this building project for the citizens of Holmes County," said Misty Burns president of the General Health District. "This truly is a generational building that will be here long after us. And it will be fulfilling the vision of the Holmes County General health District, to promote an atmosphere where people can live together in a safe and healthy community."

The new site is on Glen Drive between Rodhe's IGA and the Holmes County District Public Library.

"We are excited to bring more programming to Holmes County that has only been limited to the physical space constraints of our current office location," Burns said. "These new programs will not be developed from personal agendas, but from the data that will be collected from our citizens here in Holmes County through our community health assessment, in conjunction with our local partners, supported by our Holmes County Board of Commissioners."

Services offered by the Holmes County General Health District

She added that the new building will also be the home of the Emergency Management Agency, under the leadership of Jason Troyer. The health district and EMA work closely on emergency preparedness for the community, offering training to other government agencies, local businesses and community members.

"This building was designed specifically for these training needs, serving dual purposes, and can be easily transitioned during local emergencies or weather events into community spaces, such as cooling or warming stations," she said.

Commissioner Dave Hall read a proclamation recognizing April 2-9 as National Public Health Week.

"This is going to be a place that serves the citizens in a better capacity," said Derr, who noted the health agency has 25 employees who work in a 3,000 square foot space, making core services such as immunizations and classes a challenge.

"This is going to be really helpful, and we're really looking forward to being able to move in," he said.

The project is expected to be finished by the spring of 2024.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Holmes County Health District's new building underway