A total of $1.2 million in county road resurfacing and $400,000 in chip-seal projects are scheduled for 2012.

At its Thursday meeting the Lawrence County Commissioners received County Engineer Doug Cade’s proposal for upcoming highway and bridge projects for county roads.

“We check the age and the pavement condition,” Cade said. “Some of them it’s because of traffic or it is a location where there is poor drainage.”

Approximately 16 miles of roadway will be repaved including portions of Tallow Ridge, Chesapeake-Symmes Creek, Little Buffalo, Ohio Furnace and Kelley’s Mill roads. This project will primarily be funded from Ohio Public Works Commission money with the county picking up 36 percent of the tab or $446,723.

The chip-seal projects will come entirely out of the county’s Motor Vehicle Gas Tax budget.

This year the county has seen a 1 and a half percent drop in that budget from $4.3 million to $4.2 million for the first time in three years.

“That is because people were driving less (with price going up),” Cade said.

Seven bridges are slated for replacement, but those projects are still in the design phase. Bridges include those on Sandusky Road, Oak Ridge Furnace-Aaron’s Creek Road, Sharps Creek Road and Little Ice Creek Road.

The commission also received and filed a court order from the county prosecutor’s office increasing his budget to $929,903. Currently the certified appropriation for that office is $850,943.

Commission President Les Boggs said a new certification could occur after the prosecutor’s office spends the current budgeted amount.

In other business the commission:

• Received a thank you note and donation to the county dog pound by Carol Berry;

• Approved a consulting agreement with Strand Associates for guardrail design on County Road 12 and County Road 18;

• Established the following base hourly rates for the EMS employees: basic EMT at $9.50; advanced EMT at $10.50; and paramedic at $11;

• Referred a petition to vacate a portion of Elizabeth Township Road near the Ironton Country Club to the county engineer and township trustees;

• Received the weekly dog warden’s report where no dogs were destroyed; four were sold and three were redeemed by their owners. There were 71 dogs in custody that week.