By Haylee Pence
TROY – During their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Feb. 24, the Miami County Commissioners authorized three agreements before hearing presentations from Tony Zartman with the Land and Liberty Coalition, Dan Foley with the Great Miami Riverway, and the county’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) fund committee.
In attendance as audience members were three previous commissioners, Dan Foley, Tony Zartman, and Jack Evans, from various counties.
The first resolution the commissioners approved was to award the construction bid for the 2022 Bridge Package, which involves the reconstruction of the Hill Road Bridge No. 0.51 and Sugar-Grove-Circle Hill Road Bridge No. 00.13. The bid was awarded to Brumbaugh Construction from Arcanum for a total cost of $926,523.
The next resolution was to amend the previous resolution for the resignation of Carl Strang from their position as an Eligibility Referral Specialist from the Department of Job and Family Services. The amendment was to correct an error on the person resigning.
The final resolution was to amend a previous resolution for the purchase of a John Deere 1575 47-inch HD two-stage snow blower attachment and a John Deere 636M Commercial QuikTrak. The amendment was to reflect a change in where the equipment was being purchased, Deere & Company out of North Carolina.
Tony Zartman’s presentation about the Land and Liberty Coalition was to explain the purpose of the non-profit. The organization is a part of a larger organization, the Ohio Conservative Energy Forum (OHCEF). The OHCEF was founded to “discuss a diverse, all-of-the above energy portfolio – one that includes not only existing sources of traditional energy generation,” according to the OHCEF. Zartman stated that “Ohio is an energy-negative state,” where the Ohio is consuming more energy than it produces. The Land and Liberty Coalition is comprised of farmers and land owners who are interested in protecting property rights against the government and outside groups.
Then, Dan Foley presented information about the Great Miami Riverway, which is about 99 miles of river that connects communities and pathways. Many cities and developers are focused on increasing recreation and businesses on the riverfronts of cities. The Great Miami Riverway has a Placemaking Initiative, which has goals to “increase use of recreational, historical, and cultural assets, attract more visitors, support economic development, and strengthen river corridor neighborhoods” through increased marketing and other means. The Miami County Commissioners are coalition members.
The ARPA Committee presented an update on the usage of ARPA funds. Approximately $1,354,002 of the ARPA funds have been approved in resolutions for a variety of purposes. The small business/non-profit grant application has been finalized and will be available soon. The ARPA website could be active in two more weeks, according to a committee member.
