By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — $210,037 in funding was approved to be received through the Ohio Department of Aging – Healthy Aging Grant. Commissioners Matt Aultman, Marshall Combs, and Larry Holmes were present.

This grant will address social determinants of health and to foster improved quality of life for older Ohioans in concert with Ohio’s 2023-2028 State Plan on Aging.

“Majority share will be worked out with transportation. Commissioner Holmes is working on that very diligently for the 60 and above crowd,” Aultman said.

The grant is going to also be split among other county needs within the community. Combs is working with the retirement homes to provide technology and computers to have connectivity. They are also looking at housing assistance within housing and rentals.

“Roughly it is $105,000 for transportation, $42,000 for housing, and $42,000 for food, and $21,000 for IT Literacy for a total of roughly $210,370,” Holmes said.

The nursing homes that are on the list to receive the $21,500 to purchase and provide laptops and related equipment to county nursing home facilities for improved digital literacy through supporting social connectedness are Rest Haven, Brethren’s Home Retirement Community, and Trustwell Living at Oakley Place.

Butler, Fairman & Seufert entered into a contract with Darke County for the 5-Year Master Plan (Professional Consultant services for the Darke County Airport). They were the only Request for Qualification (RFQ) received.

“We sent it out to the normal band of folks, but BFS was the only one to submit one back. Typically it is such a specialized field you can send it out to a small group of people because they are the only ones able to provide the work,” Autlman said.

Aultman said they put out for an RFQ back in February, and it may not take five years but is for getting the master plan created.

“They told us 18 months to a few years to get it done. Basically they do community assessments, facility assessments, and interviews and put together a plan based off the data,” Aultman said.

A new plan is drafted every 15 to 20 years in accordance to the FA, and the last 5-year plan for the county was updated around 2007.

“This is good to get us back after all the changes we had at the airport,” Aultman said.

The commissioners signed a notice of award and requested for a statement of contract be submitted before April 15th to provide planning services for the Darke County Airport. These services will be used to develop a master plan for Darke County.

The Darke County Board of Commissioners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at their office located at 520 S. Broadway Street in Greenville. To contact the office, call 937-547-7370.

To contact Daily Advocate Reporter Meladi Brewer, email [email protected].