By Eamon Baird
TROY — The Miami County Commissioners approved several purchases to upgrade outdated equipment for the county Sheriff’s Office during their meeting on Thursday, Jan. 25.
The commissioners authorized the purchase of 15 operator elite helmets from Pro-Tech of Berea, along with a communication system and ear protection accessories for the special response team, for $30,644.25.
Miami County Sheriff Dave Duchak said these will replace the current helmets, which are roughly 30 years old.
“These are replacing our special response team’s Kevlar ballistic helmets and headsets so they can perform covert operations; they are sorely needed,” Duchak said.
The commissioners also accepted a quote from Teeter’s Products from Fletcher to purchase four commercial industrial dryers for the Incarceration Facility for $25,554. This will include the removal of old units and the installation of new ones.
“The dryers will be 25 years old this April. One is completely inoperable, the other hit or miss, but we can’t get parts for it anymore,” Duchak said.
An agreement for professional design and engineering services from WDC Group, LLC of Springfield, for a new insulated and heated four-bay pole barn, approximately 2,400-square-feet in size, for $45,760.
“This is a needed unit for the sheriff’s out at the training facility to store the BearCat [SWAT vehicle] unit that will be received and additional storage,” Ben Howlett, facilities and maintenance director said.
The commissioners also agreed to adopt a Title IV program for Miami County Public Transit as requested by Miami County Transit Director Sarah Baker.
This program will ensure that no person based on race, color, or national origin will be subjected to discrimination in the level and quality of transportation services and transit-related benefits; the Miami County Board of Commissioners will make it known to the public that person or persons alleging discrimination on these bases may file a complaint with the Federal Transit Administration and/or the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In other business, the commissioners approved or accepted the following agenda items:
• The release of a legal document via the Dayton Daily News for the Community Housing Impact and Preservation Program (CHIP) discussing the project’s Environmental Review Record findings.
• A quote from Northeast Industrial Manufacturing, of Greenville, Pennsylvania, to purchase three new 30-yard open-top roll-off boxes for the sanitary engineering department’s number two residential drop-off location. The current roll-off boxes are over 30 years old and need replacement.
• To sign a contract with Choice One Engineering, of Sidney, and authorize the company to create a formal set of Construction Standards and Drawings as requested by the sanitary engineer for $6,700.
• An employee requisition for a full-time maintenance facilities technician in thedepartment of facilities and maintenance at a pay rate of $19.79 to $23.29 per hour, depending on qualifications, due to the departure of David Kasler.
