Trending
STEUBENVILLE -- Jefferson County commissioners made it clear Thursday they're unlikely to forgo administrative oversight over the airport authority's financial dealings with state and federal funding sources, though they're willing to hear the authority out.
The authority asked commissioners to pass a resolution authorizing the president of the airport authority to "submit applications for funding and execute the grant contracts and any related documents from this day forward in order to simplify and streamline the process" to the Federal Aviation Administration and Ohio Department of Transportation Office of Aviation. The authority also asked commissioners to designate it as co-sponsor of the Jefferson County Airpark so it could "act on behalf of the commissioners."
"The purpose of this request is to streamline the grant process by permitting the airport authority to sign and submit grant applications and documents for airpark projects," Authority Secretary-Treasurer Gary Folden noted in the request.
"This will simplify the current taxing process of having (to move) paperwork back and forth between the airport authority and the commissioners, and will make the administrative work of the airport authority much easier."
"Historically, it's always been done through the commissioner's office and the commission has signed off," Commissioner Tom Graham said. "I'm not in favor. You guys might be in support, but I'm not in favor of taking it out of the commissioners (hands)."
Commissioner Tom Gentile agreed, saying he would "hate to see the process leave this office."
"If nothing else, it keeps us and the public in the loop on everything that's going on," he said.
Commissioner Dave Maple said he "can't support that."
"I think I'd need to see an argument on how they're missing opportunities because of a slight administrative delay," he said, noting giving the airport decision-making ability "would circumvent the (authority) of those of us who have been elected" to serve the people.
Graham said he wouldn't support naming the airport authority a cosponsor, either.
"Now the airport doesn't need us as much in terms of financials," he said. "To take us out of the loop in terms of signing things. ... I will not support this."
Commissioners did authorize the airport authority to request ODOT's $1,764 share of the airpark's new Automated Weather Observation System, and also authorized the authority to apply for a $17,000 grant to replace the airport's rotating beacon -- the local 5 percent match would be $850. The authority also was given the go-ahead to apply for $477,113 through the Ohio Airport Grant Program to replace runway lights. Total project cost is $502,225, with a local match of $25,112.
The Jefferson County Department of Job and Family Services was given permission to place juveniles with the Belmont-Harrison Juvenile District-Future Stories program. It's a facility for females who don't need a restrictive, lock-down setting, Interim JFS Director Michele Santin said. "They'll get counseling services, employment services and life stills as well."
The per diem with Belmont-Harrison Juvenile District is $195, she said.
A second contract, this one with Osterlen Services For Youth Inc., also was approved, this one with a per diem of up to $387.80.
"That is the highest rate," Santin said. "It actually starts out at $100 a day," depending on the degree of services needed.
Commissioners also signed off on an Office of Criminal Justice Services grant award totaling $12,296.54, which now enables the Jefferson County Drug Task Force to accept the funds.
The money will be used for narcotics investigations from July to June 2021.
"We appreciate the drug task force and everything you do," Graham said. "It's one of the better things we've done, helping create your entity."
Capt. John Lemal, who took over as commander of the task force earlier this year, told commissioners, "It's going well, investigations are going well."
"We get pretty good cooperation," Lemal said. "I would like to see some other entities come on board, but that's in their realm."
Gentile called the task force "of us working together...to get something started." He said they worked with the city of Steubenville to put the task force together, "we took great (pains) to make sure the way we put it together there wasn't a money grab for seizure money, now everything pretty much stands on its own merits."
Commissioners also gave juvenile court permission to house youthful offenders from Western Pennsylvania in the county's detention center at a rate of $185 per day.
Director of Detention William Ward said he'll be sending out a "boilerplate letter" to officials in Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Lawrence, Armstrong and Indiana counties, notifying them of the opportunity "if space is available and we feel it's appropriate."