Carroll County Commissioners approve website overhaul, review dog warden’s report

The Carroll County Commissioners approved a website rehaul at its Jan. 15 meeting and heard the dog warden’s annual report.

Clerk Melissa Schaar had more information regarding upgrading the county’s website following concerns raised late last year about inconsistent responsiveness, difficulty with support and the general design. Schaar reported that while Layman Design proposed a rebuild using existing content for $16,800, designer Joshua Link offered a full redesign for $15,000, creating a modern, rebuilt site from the ground up. Link’s proposal includes a $1,500 annual operating cost, which covers not only hosting but also a yearly review of site function, content and performance, something commissioners considered particularly valuable.

Schaar said Link had already reviewed the county’s Network Solutions domain and hosting structure and found that the county may be paying for unnecessary add-ons. Switching to Link’s hosting and configurations could reduce recurring costs further.

“He’s been very responsive to my questions,” said Schaar. “I’m not an IT person, so I’m asking him things, and I’m sure he’s laughing, but he came back with all the answers and all this research.”

She said Link has a strong working relationship with the county’s IT consultant, ensuring smoother troubleshooting and future updates.

Commissioner Chris Modranski described previous periods of difficulty reaching the current vendor and said having an IT consultant able to collaborate closely with the website designer was an important step toward reliability.

Commissioners unanimously approved Link’s proposal.

In an unrelated matter, commissioners heard dog warden Merle Long’s annual report. Long reported a total of 192 dogs impounded in 2025. Of those, 22 were surrendered and five were agency assists with local police or the sheriff’s department. Thirteen dogs carried over from 2024. The pound adopted out 103 dogs to new families while 84 were claimed by owners. Eleven dogs carried over into 2026. Two dogs were euthanized due to illness and four died of natural causes under veterinary care.

Commissioner Donald Leggett II thanked staff for managing the facility during a challenging year and for maintaining operations despite staffing shortages.

In other business, commissioners:

—APPROVED Sheriff Calvin Graham’s request to purchase two new patrol vehicles after reviewing bids for 2026 Ford Explorer cruisers. The board selected the lower bid submitted by Guess Motors and authorized the department to move forward, noting the purchase will allow the sheriff’s office to retire older high-mileage units and keep its fleet dependable. The vehicles will cost $51,640 each from Guess Motors with a full five-year, 175,000-mile factory warranty, which the sheriff noted is the highest level Ford offers. The new units will replace two older Tahoes being cycled out of service, making the upgrade close to a cost-neutral exchange.

—MADE several appointments including Robert E. Wirkner, who was appointed as the official representative to the County Commissioners Association of Ohio for 2026, with Modranski serving as the alternate. Wirkner was also reappointed to the 911 Technical Advisory Committee for a one-year term and later appointed to the 911 Program Review Committee for the same period. Leggett, Modranski and Wirkner were designated to submit Issue 1 infrastructure funding applications and execute related contracts throughout 2026. Modranski received several additional appointments, including to the OPWC District 14 Issue 1 Integrating Committee, the CCH Environmental Group Solid Waste Policy Board and the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Committee. Edward Eick was appointed, along with Leggett, Modranski and Wirkner, to the Community Development Complaint Review Committee for 2026.

Modranski was also appointed to the Fiscal Report Review Committee alongside Prosecutor Steven D. Barnett, Auditor Stacy Brady and Treasurer Jeff Yeager. In other appointments, Melissa Schaar was named public records custodian for the commissioners’ office for 2026. Leggett, Wirkner and Yeager were appointed to the County Investment Advisory Committee for the upcoming year. Sheriff Calvin Graham and Police Chief Tim Timberlake were appointed to the Police Officers’ Dependents Fund Board. Additionally, Modranski was appointed to the Carroll County Foundation Board to complete a term ending Dec. 31, 2027.

—PAID the bills of $799,204.50.