MOUNT VERNON — The Knox County Board of Commissioners had three meetings on Monday, with topics ranging from Centerburg senior services to discussion of projects with the department of water and wastewater.
In their first meeting of the morning, the commissioners met with representatives from Centerburg Senior Services and discussed a wide range of services the group provides to the residents of Hilliar, Milford and Liberty townships. Robin Strayer, director of Centerburg Senior Services, described the household services and also some weekly events, such as bingo, that are held at the facility.
Meal delivery service provided by Centerburg Senior Services was also discussed. Strayer told the commissioners how The Station Break delivered hot meals to Centerburg, and how these meals were then picked up by a driver in Centerburg and delivered to local seniors. She said temperature checks are consistently above safe levels, and that she only receives occasional complaints. Strayer also said that if The Station Break had to cook and deliver its maximum capacity of 550 hot meals per day to its own clients — clients not in Hilliar, Milford and Liberty townships — Centerburg Senior Services would have to start accepting frozen meals from The Station Break instead of hot meals. CSS would then deliver the frozen meals to its clients, and the clients would have to heat them.
According to Strayer, Centerburg Senior Services is providing services to more seniors than it thought it would.
The commissioners met with Roger Shooter, director of Jobs & Family Services. Shooter submitted paperwork as the first step of placing a children services levy on the November ballot. Shooter said it was a renewal levy, not a new tax. The document will have to be approved by Margaret Ann Ruhl, Knox County auditor, before coming back to the commissioners for another round of signatures.
Shooter also presented the commissioners with the latest unemployment rates from the Ohio Department of Jobs & Family Services. According to the statistics, in April, the unemployment rate in the county decreased to 5.2 percent, down from 6.2 percent in March and below the state average of 5.5 percent. However, Knox County’s unemployment rate of 5.2 percent for the month of April was above the national average of 4.8 percent.
Shooter also presented statistics showing the number of mass layoffs for Ohio through the first quarter of 2008. According to Shooter, a mass layoff is when a company lays off at least 50 employees. The statistics showed that the manufacturing sector was hit the hardest, accounting for 55 percent of mass layoffs in the state. The construction industry had 23 percent of mass layoffs
After presenting these numbers, Shooter asked for an executive session to discuss personnel. No action was taken after coming out of executive session.
In the afternoon, the commissioners met with Ron Simpson and Jason Figgins of the Water and Wastewater Department. One item discussed was the evaluation of the wastewater treatment plant near Howard; it was decided it would be best to look for plant evaluation offers from several firms.
The Pleasant View Acres water treatment facility was also discussed. The EPA is proposing daily visits to the site. Simpson sent a letter appealing the EPA’s decision, but if the decision holds and daily visits are required, Simpson said sewer rates will have to be raised in order to meet the expense of visiting and inspecting the site daily.
