jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
Coronavirus has a local cooperative seeking a two-week extension today from the Washington County Commissioners while completing final installation details for wireless internet service.
“We’ve had a couple of minor speed bumps, but no more roadblocks,” said David Brown, a founding member of the Southeast Ohio Broadband Cooperative.
The speed bumps:
¯ The pandemic has now intimately impacted a contractor’s ability to arrive on-site, delaying installation an estimated week.
¯ Washington Electric Cooperative is slated to install power service to the first wireless tower site before that installation of the signal.
¯ The cooperative is completing required paperwork for a performance bond in order to ensure that if the installation of service is not completed, the county will see a return of its federal CARES Act dollars allocated to the project by the Washington County Commission.
mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com
Photo by Michele Newbanks
Washington County Commissioner Charlie Schilling struggles to lock the window after Jamie Vuksic, social services director with the Washington County Department of Job and Family Services, pushes the window into place Thursday afternoon at 204 Davis Ave.
The Washington County Board of Commissioners tabled several agenda items Thursday, including two engineer contracts for renovations at 202 and 204 Davis Ave.
The two Davis Avenue properties currently house the OSU Extension office, Washington County Children Services, the Washington County Board of Elections and the Washington County Emergency Management Association.
At the start of the meeting, Commission Clerk Ben Cowdery said a resolution to issue around $500,000 in bonds for the Washington County Department of Job and Family Services facility renovations would be taken off the agenda.
The first order of business was to name Kevin Ritter as board president.
“I think it would be good to have your experience to lead us into the next year,” said newly-elected Commissioner Jamie Booth.
Newly-elected Commissioner Charlie Schilling was then named vice-president.
The commission voted to keep office hours the same, as well as the 9 a.m. Thursday business meetings.
Schilling was voted to represent the county with the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, with Ritter as an alternate, while Ben Cowdery was chosen clerk of the board.
“I feel like any time I’ve went to Ben and had a question, he had an answer,” Schilling said.
mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com
Washington County Commission President Ron Feathers will preside over the final commission meeting of the year at 9 a.m. Thursday.
He’s spent the last eight years on the board.
Feathers was asked about his accomplishments, his chances of running for office again and what he will, and won’t, miss about being a commissioner.
¯ ¯ ¯
Question: What are some of the things you are most proud of accomplishing the last eight years?
Answer: Leaving the county more financially sound than when I came in. Increasing township money from $760,000 in 2012 split 22 ways to an average of $2.1 million split 22 ways per year. Fighting for Devola. Fixing our Children Services.
The Washington County Commissioners are quietly finishing out the calendar year 2020.
Commissioners met Wednesday morning for a short business meeting to handle additional appropriations for capital projects, salaries and life insurance.
An annual lease agreement between the O’Neill Center and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program was approved.
Commissioner David White said it is for RSVP to have offices in the O’Neill Center.
“That lease has been in place for a very long time,” he said, noting the City of Marietta leases the property to the O’Neill Center for $1 per year, who then leases two offices to RSVP.