County gets more cleanup funds
Published 10:25 am Friday, July 1, 2011
A day after the county got more than $700,000 to clean up the former Alpha Portland Plant site, another industrial eyesore is on the radar for a similar commercial transformation.
The county commissioners received a letter from the Ohio Department of Development stating its commitment to provide $197,418 in Clean Ohio Assistance Funds. That money will pay for core drillings at the site of the former Superior Cement Co., off State Route 93 in Pedro.
“I am glad some of the old eyesores and contaminations are being cleaned up and become useful for the public,” Les Boggs, commission president, said.
The state controlling board must give final approval on July 25, before the county can access the funds, which will be awarded after work is under way, according to a spokesperson with the department of development.
The county’s EMS received $15,000 from the state EMS and Trauma Grant funds that come from seat belt fines. That money will go toward buying equipment for the new emergency medical service.
“With people complying, that amount in the pot has had quite a reduction,” EMS director Buddy Fry said. “(Getting the grant) was because we are new and need items to startup.”
The county’s 911 system is about 90 percent functioning after a lightning strike a week ago knocked out all its equipment.
“The computers are almost completely together,” Lonnie Best, 911 director, said. “Hopefully this time next week we will be 100 percent.”
In other business the commissioners:
• Approved a tower site lease for EMS with Ronnie Miller for $1,500 per quarter;
• Approved out of county travel for dog warden employees Ronnie Hatfield, Benny Call and Chester Moore for training at Dayton;
• Approved the weekly dog warden’s report 32 dogs were destroyed; eight were sold and six were redeemed.