By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — The Darke County Commissioners met with Darke DD for the acceptance of bids that were postponed from May 30. Commissioners Matt Aultman, Marshall Combs, and Larry Holmes were present.

Tonya Clark, superintendent of Darke County’s Board of Developmental Disabilities, said the project is to extend a “car drop off” overhang over the front door of the Birchwood Training Center.

“It is to help people with developmental disabilities, or it will be to assist senior citizens who are entering and exiting vehicles get out of the weather as they are entering and exiting the building,” Clark said.

The engineer’s estimate for the project is $200,000 t0 $270,000, and they received only one bid, and they were hopeful the bids would come in within legal range of the estimated total. For this project they were to give two bids, one for a completion date of 2024 and another for 2025. Brumbaugh Construction Inc. was the only bid with a project estimate of $323,800 for a project date of 2024, and the 2025 bid came in at $2700 less than the 2024 price.

There was discussion on the percentage that was allowable to be above or below the engineer’s estimate. It was believed to have a 20 percent allowance, meaning they could spend up to $324,000. This would allow for around $54,000 to be spent over the engineer’s estimate. The commissioners accepted the big for review by the engineer in order for a recommendation regarding the project and acceptance of the bid to come at a later date.

Coming up in two weeks is Make Music Day in Darke County where Darke DD partners with the DC Center of the Arts. The event will take place at YOLO Park from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

“There will be singing at least and maybe dancing,” Clark said.

Combs chimed in to say that the weather was timed perfectly. In July, Darke DD will have a day at the South Park Splash Pad that the Action Club puts together for the community.

“We also just added Jimmy Meade who was appointed to serve on the Board of DD as a director,” Clark said. “He is the first person with a developmental disability in Darke County to be appointed.”

Meade is the 33rd person in the state of Ohio to serve on a county board of DD, but history was made in Darke County for appointing their first member with lived experience to the board.

“It is always a good perspective to have. It keeps us grounded and gives us a reminder of what we do and why we do what we do. He attended his first official meeting in May,” Clark said.

Combs also gave an update regarding the Veteran’s Review the commissioners had attended that day. Veteran’s Services has recently added 313 new veterans to their services in the county.

“I just wanted to share that because we do have a lot of veterans in our community, and that was a pretty big number,” Combs said.

Combs also provided the figures from 2022 regarding the number of veterans that are a part of the services and the amount spent helping them. For every $1 spent on veterans, the VA received $52 in funding, so it is a good payout and money return for the support the VA is able to provide veterans.

“Veterans served here in Darke County totaled 1,682, and the total dollars including veteran’s assistance with health care, housing, utilities, food, all those kinds of things that were used locally here in the county was $29,037,970,” Combs said.

The Darke County Commissioners meet every Tuesday and Thursday at 1:30 p.m. for their Regular Session meetings. These meetings are open and welcome to the public at 520 S Broadway Avenue, Greenville.

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