By Eamon Baird
TROY — The Miami County Commissioners authorized several grant agreements during their meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 23.
The first was the 2023 Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) program grant agreement grant for $490,700, with the Ohio Department of Development. The CHIP program provides funding for the improvement and provision of affordable housing for low- and moderate-income persons. This grant will include two sources of federal funds, including the HOME Grant for $374,000, and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for $116,700, which will help provide funding to low-and moderate-income households to make necessary repairs.
The second was to sign the Lead Safe Ohio Program Grant Agreement for $710,000 to fund the Lead Safe Ohio-County Allocation for the Lead Mitigation and Prevention Program through the Ohio Department of Development.
These two grant programs will run from Dec. 1, 2023, through Apr. 30, 2026.
The commissioners also acknowledged an Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) to be submitted to the state of Ohio for $69,622. The grant is set to run from Oct. 1, 2022, through Dec. 31, 2024.
Additionally, the commissioners authorized to administer $ 173.812.20 for 2024 for the Miami County Opioid Grant Program. Eligible non-profits and businesses with opioid-related expenses will be allocated no more than $15,000 to be disbursed in two grant cycles for the 2024 fiscal year.
In other business, the commissioners approved or authorized the following agenda items:
• To sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for child abuse and neglect assessment as requested by the Department of Job and Family Services. This attached MOU defines the roles and responsibilities of each official or agency assessing or investigating child abuse or neglect in the county.
• To request the Director of Transportation for the State of Ohio to review and declare a reasonable and safe speed limit for Lytle Road as requested by the county engineer. Further, if the director approves, the Miami County Engineer will erect standard highway traffic signs indicating the speed limits within the designated areas.
• To authorize and sign a requisition form for a full-time eligibility referral specialist in the Department of Job and Family Services at a pay range of $19.60 to $26.52 per hour due to the departure of Stacy Lucas.
• To create a new position of “Maintenance Secured Facilities Technician” under the board of commissioners and facilities and maintenance department at a pay rate between $19.79 and $23.29 per hour.
At the end of the meeting, the commissioners held a zoning hearing with the Department of Development.
The zoning amendment was filed by HJW Holdings VII LLC, of 4180 Tipp Cowlesville Road, requesting permission to rezone 0.97 acres from agricultural to single-family residential. The remaining 25.4 acres of land will continue as agricultural land.
Jackson Bennett, of the Miami County Department of Development, addressed the commissioners about the requested rezoning.
“The proposed rezoning complies with the Miami County Comprehensive plan. Also, for the record, this was reviewed and approved by both the city’s planning commission and zoning commission,” Bennett said.
The commissioners unanimously approved the amendment.
