Not expected to affect programs

The new state budget has meant cuts to the funds for programs at the county’s Department of Job and Family Services.

But because of technological innovations at the office and an in-house budget strategy, clients at the department should not be affected, according to Gene Myers, director of the department.

“Over the last five years some really good things have come out of a bad time,” Myers told the county commission at its regular Thursday meeting. “We have implemented technological changes and have restructured to be more efficient.”

The state budget has meant a 10 percent cut to most JFS programs; the temporary assistance to needy families was reduced by 19 percent and child support by 20 percent.

“We knew this budget would be substantially reduced,” Myers said. “We were able to sustain that cut.”

The county also learned it will receive almost the same allocation from the state for its Local Government Fund for 2011.

“We thought we would be cut 50 percent,” Commission President Les Boggs said.

Now the county will get 99 percent of what it received in 2010 for 2011; 71 percent of that figure in 2012; and 60 percent for the first six months of 2013 and 50 percent for the remainder of the year.

Commission also passed a motion to request County Treasurer Stephen Burcham not to place a parcel in the Proctorville area on any upcoming tax lien or property sale and to seek a prosecutor’s opinion on the matter. The parcel in question is actually a township road.

However when contacted Burcham said the parcel was not on any scheduled sale.

“I wrote a letter to the trustees …. and urged them to take appropriate action to transfer the title of the road to the township,” he said. “I was trying to clean up the books, not trying to sell it.. It is showing over $2,000 in delinquent taxes that is never going to be collected. I am asking to get paperwork to get that off the books.”

In other action the commissioners:

• Approved a change order for a paving project on Commerce Drive at the Greater Lawrence Chamber of Commerce of $16,500 for engineering; $64,450 for asphalt; $6,775 for removal of truck scales; and $25,500 for repair work in three locations;

• Approved a recommendation to appoint Carrie Yaniko as flood plain administrator;

• Approved a travel request for Tim Porter to attend a workshop;

• Received notification that Drift Creek Road would be closed July 25 to July 29 for bridge replacement;

• Received the weekly dog warden’s report where out of 103 dogs currently in custody, 39 were destroyed, four dogs sold and one dog redeemed by owner.