Could bring in $1M to area

A team effort for a state grant could bring up to $1 million to the county to assess environmental issues.

The county, the Ironton Port Authority and the Lawrence County Port Authority are in the process of applying for a Coalition Assessment Grant.

“The three of us together can get up to $1 million,” Commissioner Bill Pratt announced at the commission’s regular Thursday meeting. “We would work together to assess environmental issues.”

Those issues could include such situations as underground tanks left in an abandoned gasoline station.

“It would let us assess what the environmental issues are and prioritize them,” Pratt said.

With that assessment the city and county could then apply for Clean Ohio funds to remedy the areas.

Deadline for applying is Nov. 27.

County Auditor Jason Stephens told the commission that information about mobile home ownership, assessments and taxes is now on the website and that added to the calculator that shows how much levies will cost taxpayers is a listing of how those taxes are distributed to the taxing authorities.

“The website is something banks, lawyers, real estate agents can use,” Stephens said. “From an economic development standpoint, not only people from Lawrence County can use it, but people who want to build in Lawrence County can access that information. Having that information is so valuable when it is so competitive.”

In other action the commissioners:

• Accepted the resignation of Shelley Murphy as a full-time paramedic for the county EMS;

• Recalled to work at the county Department of Jobs and Family Services Talitha Patterson and Michelle Noe, both income maintenance workers;

• Approved a motion to dedicate Private Drive 227, County Road 104 as a Union Township Road with the township trustees taking over maintenance;

• Accepted the weekly dog warden report where 25 dogs were destroyed; four were sold and none were redeemed. There were 60 dogs in custody.