News about the possibility of a 2.3-mile hiking trail from two plots of land was discussed at the weekly Wednesday morning meeting of the Highland County Board of Commissioners.

Andrea Jaeger, director of Land Acquisition & Visitor Services with Arc of Appalachia, was in attendance to talk about a couple of plots of land. Jaeger said the land added up to nearly 30 acres and is currently held by Wilderness East, which is a sister non-profit.

She said she turned in a funding request last Thursday for these two to the EPA’s Water Resource Restoration Sponsor Program (WRRSP). She then said they look at the water resources on a property and figure out if it’ll be a protection or a restoration project.

Jaeger said the project would fund restoration and improvements, the acquisition, invasive species removal, trash clean-up, building demolition and anything that would improve the water quality. However, she said they don’t pay for visitor services.

Jaeger, however, also said the pieces of land are in a unique situation because “typically,” when Arc of Appalachia comes to the board of commissioners for a Clean Ohio project, they’re asking for non-opposition. In this case, it’s a decision between making the land accessible for a possible hiking trail instead. Jaeger said it would be a 2.3-mile hiking trail that would take people into the Sad Song region of the sanctuary.

She said there is a decision to be made between visitor services or set it aside for nature. She then said the time to apply is by the end of September. She did also say Arc of Appalachia still needed to talk to the township trustees about the request.

Terry Britton, a member of the board of commissioners, said that he would prefer they go to the township trustees first before going to the board of commissioners. He said after they have done that and gotten approval from them, they should come back for the board’s approval.

In other news, three bids were opened for Phase 2 of the Rocky Fork Lake improvement project. Those bids are as follows:

*Mechanical Construction for $1.046 million.

*Doll Layman, Ltd. for $1.214 million.

*Sunesis for $1,135,560.

Nicole Oberrecht, Highland County’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding coordinator, said there were a lot of additional alternates, so she hoped they would be able to make an award in a week or two.

Amy Bradley, Highland County Human Resources director, was in attendance to talk about the Right Stuff software program. She said the county currently uses VIP Software to do its finance and payroll. She then said Right Stuff partners with VIP to provide scheduling and timekeeping functions.

Bradley said they are looking at Right Stuff as an upgrade to the Sheriff’s Office’s current system, which she understands is a DOS-based system. She said Right Stuff is being looked at by the Sheriff’s Office because it was signed specifically for the needs of one, with its main “thing” being scheduling.

She also said it might be “great” for Job and Family Services because it would help eliminate the paper time sheets. Bradley said employees would be able to clock in via the computer or people can also use time clocks that go directly into VIP.

Bradley then delivered three quotes, all with different stipulations, with there to also be licensing and support additions to go along with the quotes. She said the first one was for Right Stuff to only be added to the Sheriff’s Office for $11,000. The second one was for the Sheriff’s Office and JFS for $16,000 and the last one was for the rest of the county minus Developmental Disabilities and the Road Department for $24,600.

Brad Roades, vice chairman of the board of commissioners, said this might be a situation where if you start doing the software, you might want to go all the way. He said the bids would be taken under consideration and go from there.

Someone who wished to remain nameless was also in attendance to discuss a sanitation issue on Lot 381 on Dundee Drive. They said they went to the health department, who then said it would be checked out, but they then said that didn’t happen.

The person in attendance said the person who lives there don’t have the grinder connected, and then said that the items that should go into the grinder are being put behind the property “out of sight.” They then said something “needs to be done.”

Jared Warner, Highland County health commissioner, was unable to attend the meeting but sent an email to respond to the unnamed person. He said people have been sent to the property to begin the nuisance investigation process. He also said as the board is aware, the process “is not a fast one,” but it’s the one available to them under Ohio Revised Code. Warner then said they will move the case forward “as quickly” as the schedule allows.

The board of commissioners announced multiple quotes for possible carports for the Veteran’s Office behind the Hi-Tec Center, due to the prior ones having been blown into the trees and also taking out a light post. Two quotes were from Reliable Metal Buildings, a 28 foot by 21 foot for $11,268.48 and the 30 foot by 21 foot for $13,816.70. They said O and M Metal Sales also submitted a quote to construct a carport for $16,375.70. Roades also said there were some proposals for the light post as well, but said the board of commissioners would hold off on approving any quotes on the carport or light post until they hear from Veteran Services.

The board of commissioners also approved one authorization to execute, that being a Design Fee Proposal from McCarty Associates, LLC. for $23,000 for the schematic design and a construction document phase for the Highland County Administration Building.

There were five resolutions approved by the board of commissioners, which are as follows:

*Res. No. 24-145 is a request from County Court for an additional appropriation from unanticipated revenue in the amount of $157.76 within the 1000 fund.

*Res. No. 24-146 is a request for an additional appropriation from unanticipated revenue in the amount of $473,214.64.

*Res. No. 24-147 is a request for a budget modification within the 1000 General Fund in the amount of $500.

*Res. No. 24-148 is a request from the Auditor for an additional appropriation from unappropriated funds in the amount of $125,000 in the 2055 fund.

*Res. No. 24-149 is a request for a budget modification within the 5030 Rocky Fork Lake Fund in the amount of $25,900.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.