MOUNT VERNON — Representatives from The Station Break met with the Knox County Commissioners on Monday morning, with discussion centering mainly on programs and services the organization provides.
Station Break director Kelly Lybarger-DeWitt presented the commissioners with statistics from a voluntary survey, which asked clients to evaluate The Station Break’s homemaker program. The homemaker program assists elderly clients with cleaning and other maintenance in their homes. The survey had a 69 percent return rate, and Lybarger-DeWitt said the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“They really do feel that this is a service that is needed,” said Lybarger-DeWitt.
Comments ranged from, “It makes my life a whole lot more comfortable,” to, “I’m married now so I do not need the service at this time.”
Lybarger-DeWitt said there are 16 clients on the waiting list for the homemaker program, and 10 clients on the waiting list for the chore program. She noted that the chore program, which provides lawn care and other seasonal outdoor maintenance for seniors in the county, will soon begin to shift its focus, as lawns are needed to be mowed less often. Lybarger-DeWitt estimated that the seasonal aspect of the chore program would cease in November, but said The Station Break would continue to retain a full-time maintenance man for plowing in the winter.
Assistant director Bob McIlvain told the commissioners of an event which occurred last Friday in which a driver found an elderly woman who was unable to move. The woman was utilizing the transportation service provided by The Station Break.
“She didn’t answer [the] phone call,” McIlvain said. “The driver went there to check on her; he yelled inside, but he didn’t go inside because he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to. So, he waited a few hours [and] called the place where she had her appointment [and they] said she never showed up.
“We sent our driver back out there and he found her laying on the floor next to her bed, unable to get up, but she was coherent,” said McIlvain.
The driver called an emergency squad and the woman was taken to Knox Community Hospital and later transferred to another facility, according to McIlvain.
“That’s the way it’s supposed to work,” said McIlvain.
Commissioner Allen Stockberger said situations like that are “fringe benefits” of drivers having regular interaction with seniors in the area.
In their second meeting of the morning, the commissioners entertained a sales call from Jared Gibson, director of business development of Spyglass Inc. According to Gibson, Spyglass provides detailed audits of phone bills for around 600 clients; the audits result in an average of 24 percent in savings.
Gibson said that if his company performed an audit and found no savings, the county would owe nothing, because fees are collected based on the amount of savings found. Also, explained Gibson, after the audit by Spyglass, the commissioners could choose to proceed with the company’s recommendations, or do nothing.
Midway through the meeting, Commissioner Tom McLarnan had to leave to attend another event; this left the remaining two commissioners in a tie. Stockberger was in favor of utilizing the company’s services; Commissioner Bob Wise was not. Stockberger and Wise said they would talk to McLarnan, and notify Gibson of the opinion of the board.
Also on Monday morning, the commissioners unanimously approved a 100 percent tax abatement for Unique Metal Designs in Fredericktown for a 21,000-square-foot expansion of its current facility. According to an e-mail from Steve Waers of the Area Development Foundation, Unique Metal Designs has come to agreements with the Knox County Career Center and Fredericktown Schools in terms of school payments. The village of Fredericktown has also approved the abatement.
Unique Metal Designs has committed to creating 10 new positions over four years, with two opening every year for the first two years, and three positions opening per year for the final two years. The combined payroll for the 10 positions is projected to be $385,000 per year.
Stockberger read a proclamation honoring the bicentennial of Knox County which was dropped off at the commissioners office last Friday by Michael Calevski, field representative for U.S. Rep. Zack Space.
On Monday afternoon, the commissioners met with Jennifer Springer, assistant county prosecutor, and approved the use of a conference room in the Knox County Service Center for future Weight Watchers meetings.
