By Ryan Berry

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — The Darke County Commissioners are seeking funding from the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) Office of Aviation to help complete the terminal access road at the Darke County Airport. Commissioners Matt Aultman, Marshall Combs and Larry Holmes were present.

On Thursday, Darke County Commissioners approved an application seeking grant assistance to complete the project. According to Commissioner Aultman, the project is currently being completed, but because of when the application process opens for certain grants, the county is seeking financial assistance while the project is being completed. The county received 90 percent of the funding for the project from the Federal Aviation Administration, which left the county responsible for 10 percent of the cost. The county is seeking five percent of the cost from ODOT, which would leave the county responsible for the remaining five percent. The commission board unanimously agreed to seek assistance.

Commissioners also approved a decrease in revenue and appropriations for the 2023 SHEP Grant received by the Darke County Sheriff’s Office. This summer, the office received a grant to help with traffic enforcement throughout the county. Due to staffing issues, the Sheriff was unable to use the entire amount of the grant. The county will send back $13,246.26 of unused funding.

During the commission’s meeting on Tuesday, Commissioners Aultman and Holmes approved a fund advance to cover the cost of demolitions on State Route 118 and also on Beam Road, Ansonia. According to Aultman, these were the final two projects in the original round of demolition projects. The commissioners have received approval to continue the project with the remaining funds for other properties in the county. The total cost for these two projects was $14,355. Once funding is received from the grant, the money will be returned to the General Fund.

During the last few weeks of the year, the commissioners will be approving resolutions that are renewed every year. Some of those resolutions have included an exemption allowed by the Ohio Revised Code for purchases under $1,000 from needing to provide a certificate of availability of funds. They also certified the county highway system mileage certificate which states the county is responsible for 524.737 miles of roadway. Commissioners also approved the inter-county adjustment of allocations for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and a salary increase of three percent for Michaels Resource and Treatment Center.

The Darke County Commissioners meet Tuesday and Thursday, 1:30 p.m., in the Darke County Administration Building on South Broadway, Greenville.

To contact Daily Advocate Editor Ryan Berry, email [email protected].