By: Rebecca Miller
“Shortfall”…not a word anyone likes to hear, but in these present days when businesses have been closed down or running with a limited number of workers, due to the pandemic, it is one that was bound to come up. And it has, at the Williams County Commissioners weekly meeting held on Thursday, April 30, 2020.
A number of the Resolutions passed used terms such as hardship, relief fund and budget reductions. Along with passing those resolutions, the Commissioners also approved a Resolution for a press release entitled County Budget Cuts which stated, “On Thursday, April 30, 2020, the Williams County Commissioners passed a resolution reducing the County revenue by $1,372,500.00 due to the Covid 19 pandemic.”
“The Commissioners hope this reduction is sufficient to address the projected loss through the end of the calendar year. Office hours and workflow will most likely require adjusting and will be addressed in a forthcoming press release.”
Resolutions Approved:
- Resolution 142 – Supplemental Appropriations on behalf of Engineer’s office in the amount of $4000; Juvenile Court for $3000; Williams County Law Library for $1000; Prosecutor’s Office for $4,817.50; Title Department for $444.66; and Treasurer for $1,989.78
- Resolution 143 – Appointing Board members to the Williams County Board of Developmental Disabilities ( Diane Peters resigned in January 2020, effective immediately; WCB of DD Superintendent Jennifer Basselman recommended Benjamin Baldwin to complete her term which goes through December 31, 2020)
- Resolution 144 – Entering into Relief Fund Payment Terms and Conditions – CARES Act on behalf of Hillside Country Living ( between Hillside and the Department of Health and Human Services, for Health and Human Services Stimulus)
- Resolution 145 – Approving Transfer of Funds for Williams County Department of Job and Family Services in amount of $5,327.68 TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) Allocation from Public Assistance to Child Support
- Resolution 146 – Approving Transfer of Funds for WC J&FS in amount of $12,260.79 TANF from Public Assistance to Public Children Services Agency and $759.58 TANF from Public Assistance to Public Children Services Agency to reimburse Direct Costs from January through March 2020 for TANF purpose.
- Resolution 147 – Entering into an Extended Warranty for Engineer’s Office
- Resolution 148 – 2020 Budget Reductions and Shared Work Ohio ( Board of CC has asked Williams County Auditor, Vickie Grimm to reduce anticipated revenues by $1,372,000 in the General Fund; to be eligible for benefits, minimum hours worked are now decreased from thirty five to twenty five hours per week to assist all general fund employees; authorized the WC Auditor to enter the paperwork necessary to place the county in a position to utilize Shared Work Ohio Program; all will be in full effect as of May 9, 2020 and will remain in full force until further notice)
- Resolution 149 – ODJFS Hardship Program (On April 27, 2020 during a Special Session the Board of WCC authorized the Clerf to file paperwork with the Director of ODJFS to enter the county into the Hardship Program)
- Resolution 150 – Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of WC Communications (between WC Communications Agency and The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, AFL-CIO; the Union agrees that upon the promotion of Deputy Directors Apryl McClaine and Brandi Frisbie to Directors, they still wish these individuals to be able to fill shifts in Dispatch, and to change the title Deputy Director to Director)
- Resolution 151 – Approving Funding Award on behalf of Department of Aging for a Families First Coronavirus Response Act Funding Award in the amount of $32,964.80 for April 2,2020- December 31, 2020
- Resolution 152 – Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of JFS (HIPAA-Covid 19 JFS MOU between Williams County Department of Health (WCDH) to allow WCDH to release names or addresses of individuals who have tested positive for Covid 19 or whom WCDH has ordered quarantine to JFS for purposes of minimizing the threat of imminent exposure to first responders. “This release is on a need-to-know basis to a JFS employee who is responding to a residence where the resident has Covid 19 or is subject to a WCDH quarantine order. JFS employees receiving such information are restricted on release of information…within its’ own agency or to law enforcement accompanying them.” Commissioner Terry Rummel said in some discussion concerning this that it is HIPAA protection for them and will be kept completely confidential.)
- Also Signed: Letter to Director of ODJFS requesting Hardship Waiver; Amendment to CDBG Grant No. B-E-18-1DA-1; Request to Carryover Vacation for Fred Lord of JFS; Dog Warden Weekly Report for week of April 20-26, 2020; Press Release concerning county budget cuts
- Approved minutes for April 23 and April 27, 2020 and Bills as presented by Auditor
In other Business, the Commissioners accepted a bid presented by Dan Club of the Engineer’s Office. The sole bid for county road paving was from Gerkin Paving, Napoleon, Ohio.
The Bid Bond was from Ohio Farmers Insurance Company and is a bid guardian contract bond combination in the amount of $1,472,129.15. The estimate prior to the bid was $1,734,280.01. Commissioner Lew Hilkert asked Club to review that and post it on his website and notify them so they can pass a resolution.
Commissioner Terry Rummel commented concerning the Shared Work Ohio Program, “how thankful I am to work with the elected officials and talk through that with their employees and for our local departments and employees to rally around this take advantage of the Shared Work Ohio Program. I don’t know how we are going to get all the work done, but we also know we have to live within that budget, so I would just like to take this time to thank our other elected officials for whatever they are doing to help with this budget shortfall of 1.3 million dollars.”
Commissioner Brian Davis agreed and pointed out, “there will be changes in hours of operation, because obviously we will be working 20% less than what we are working today.”
Commissioner Hilkert added that the employees who are losing hours will be able to file for unemployment to recoup the majority of that and it will save the county money while keeping the employees making what their family budgets are based on. “It is an excellent program,” he said, about the Shared Works Ohio Program.
Rummel said that it will take some time to come up with a plan for the reduction of hours as it will be evolving but the employees will start on May ninth. It will not affect the Sheriff’s Department, first responders or 911.
Following a short break, Commissioners were back in session to hear a report on March 2020 from Department of Aging Director Maggie Fisher. She gave the following update items:
- She participates in a once a week conference with other county agencies and the Area Office on Aging
- Had about 1400 attend the Senior Centers before they close on March 16
- They provided 393 regular transports along with 165 medical transports
- They are continuing with medical but most of those are for life necessary such as dialysis and chemotherapy
- Vehicles are cleaned inside after each trip and staff are always wearing masks
- They are using only trucks and vans as they allow a little bit more social distance space
- A medical check is done over the phone before going to transport, to protect the staff and the seniors
- 8,855 home delivery meals, hot and frozen, which has gone up due to centers being closed. Deliveries are a verbal wellness check as the meals are left.
- Two extra routes have been added so now they have nine with about 40 on each route
- 125 of 400 Shelf Stable meals have arrived and are being distributed to cover the weekend meals for some. Sheriff Mohre contacted her to see if he could help and she feels it would be great if they could help when the rest of the 400 arrive
- Medicine and grocery pickup is offered. Not many have used it because families are covering that area really well.
- Montpelier and Bryan Senior Centers are where all the meal prep is happening. Phone Calls to check on seniors are being done by Stryker Senior director and the seniors are appreciating that.
- They are collecting masks and would like to be able to give each senior at least three as they need to be washed each day after use. Many donations are coming in.
- The newsletter for May and June has been distributed with added activities that might have to be canceled but that will be determined.
- The 90 Plus Luncheon has been postponed, maybe canceled.
- She is working on getting some interactive activities or programs for seniors going on the Facebook page for those who do have computers.
- There is an opening for a Home Delivery Driver at the Bryan Center but that is on hold, except for accepting applications
- The staff are doing well, being very flexible.
- They have reached out to United Way to see if they can provide care packages for seniors for necessary items and things like crossword puzzles.
Commissioner Davis asked about the $35,000 that the Department of Aging received from CARES Act and Fisher explained that it is designated toward Home Delivery. He also asked it it would be “prudent” to purchase another Hotshot and she agreed that it would be most helpful, as they are using their two spares during the pandemic. The commissioners asked her to check into the cost of one on the State Bid site, and let them know, to which she agreed.
Com. Rummel asked if they are doing Zoom lunches or gatherings and encouraged her to check into doing some. She is hoping to do something for Mother’s Day that way. “Any kind of communication and interaction is always positive,” she added.
Rummel brought up the idea of purchasing maybe five iPads that could be rotated amongst the seniors, allowing them to participate with online gatherings. “I think we are in this for the long haul and we want to help them in any way we can,” he added, as well as suggesting Parking Lot Bingo and whatever they can think of to help with all who are restless.
Concerning the way the Shared Work Program will affect the Department of Aging, Fisher explained, “We are considering possibly closing on Fridays and providing frozen meals on Thursdays to get them through till Monday each week.” She also said they will need one driver to work on Fridays as there are Dialysis appointments that are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Com. Hilkert thanked her for all she is doing and for coming “to the forefront and continuing to take such good care of the seniors.”
The Commissioners went into Executive session for compensation of personnel, with no action taken and then went back into an Executive session for pending or possible litigation, requesting the Prosecuter to join them. That also ended with no action taken, but more resolutions needed to be approved, so they voted to approve:
- Resolution 153 – Approving Promotion of Employee (Apryl McClaine from Deputy Director of WC EMA to Director, effective April 30, 2020)
- Resolution 154 – Approving Promotion of Employee ( Brandi Frisbie from Deputy Director of WC 911/Communications to Director, effective April 30, 2020)
- Resolution 155 – Approving Change of Title of Employee ( Dawn Baldwin from Director of Williams County 9-1-1/Communications and EMA to Senior Advisor, effective April 30, 2020)
Commissioner Rummel stated, “I would like to add with those resolutions to thank Dawn for her years of service and we look forward to working with her in her new role to advise the girls with her new opportunities of retirement in the future at some point. And the outstanding job she has done for thirty years and how much we appreciate her and all that she has done and will continue to do to advise the new people in their new roles to get them up to speed, as she is looking forward to retirement.” Hilkert said they all agree.
The meeting adjourned at noon.
Rebecca can be reached at publisher@thevillagereporter.com
