By Matt Clevenger
TROY — Members of the Miami County Board of Commissioners are proceeding with plans for a study to determine the feasibility of installing solar panels at the Miami County Incinerator located on North County Road 25A.
Commissioners voted to obtain statements of qualifications from firms interested in providing the study during their regularly scheduled meeting held on Thursday, July 27.
The feasibility study will examine the economics, implementation and performance of solar photo-voltaics, clerk-to-the-board Janelle Barga said, and will include approximately 27 acres of the Miami County incinerator site. Statements of qualifications will be received on Thursday, Aug. 24, until 1:40 p.m.
“The study is necessary to determine the economic feasibility of installing solar photo-voltaics upon the north and south landfills,” Barga said.
In other business, commissioners also authorized a $54,623 increase in the county’s contract with Arcon Builders of Arcanum for construction of the Miami County One Stop Project. The increase included $25,087 in cost extensions due to unsuitable soil and lead time issues, $4,331 for miscellaneous landscape changes and $25,205 for changes to the interior of the auto title office.
The full contract amount for the Miami County One Stop Project is now $6,916,071.99, Barga said.
“This project has kind of become extended beyond its original timeline due to unfavorable soils, and we’re trying to control the costs,” director of facilities Ben Howlett said. “We’re looking to have it completed by the end of September, currently.”
Commissioners also approved acceptance of an Ohio Department of Development Tech Cred Ohio grant in the amount of $2,000 per credential state grant for the sanitary engineering department, which will provide reimbursement for technology focused in industry recognized credentials, and the renewal of a Workforce Investment Act subgrant not to exceed $172,000 for JobWorks Inc. as recommended by the Department of Job and Family Services.
“This is the final renewal of this subgrant,” Barga said. “Thereafter, the services provided under the subgrant will be subjected to the competitive procurement process before a new subgrant can be approved.”
Commissioners went on to approve a request for $350,000 from the Miami County Bridge Fund for the Kessler-Frederick Road Bridge Replacement Project, and accepted $133,000 in additional state funding for the Troy-Sidney Road Bridge.
“This bridge is actually down close to Miller’s Grove, where the old pool was at,” Miami County Engineer Paul Huelskamp said of the Kessler-Frederick bridge. “It’s the last one in the county, before you get into Montgomery County. We’re requesting $350,000 of an $850,000 project.”
Repairs to the Troy-Sidney Road Bridge were originally authorized by commissioners in 2020, Huelskamp said. “This bridge was originally scheduled to be 100% funded through federal funds.”
“Of course, prices have gone up since 2020 when we applied for this money, so we requested additional funds to cover 100 percent of the cost, and they approved it.”
Commissioners also approved the purchase of a 2021 Chrysler Voyager for Veterans’ Services, to allow transportation of mobility-assisted veterans to the Dayton VA Medical Center. The van will be purchased from Superior Van and Mobility of Indianapolis at a price not to exceed $48,714.
Commissioner Ted Mercer also requested an update on inspections of fair rides before the beginning of the Miami County Fair in August.
“I’d like to have an update,” Mercer said. “I’d like to know the protocol of the inspections of the rides out there; who inspects those, and who signs-off on them that they’re safe.”
“I think that’s just a good thing to check out before the fair,” Mercer said.
