County healthcare focal point of commissioner meeting

Holmes County government employees will continue to have a strong healthcare plan in place.

On Monday, Oct. 30, the Holmes County commissioners accepted a resolution for the Aultcare renewal for health insurance that will begin Jan 1.

Misty Burns, Holmes County director of HR, said the plan has been operating favorably this year, compared to some challenges that occurred last year. She said the county has experienced increases, but that is taking place everywhere in the healthcare world.

“We were able to keep the administrative fees flat this year, and we’d like to thank Aultcare for that,” Burns said. “It’s a good partnership, so we continue to have a strong healthcare plan for the government employees of Holmes County. The main thing is that we are able to operate a steady plan in order to keep the cost the same for all of our employees.”

Commissioner Miller said there are 108 single policies and 102 family policies in the county government. “This weighs heavily upon us. We have to manage it right and balance the budget and make sure our people have health insurance.”

The commissioners passed a resolution approving the agreement notice to proceed and change order for the Holmes County Board of Developmental Disabilities HVAC project.

Oliver said this was a Community Development Block Grant to replace the HVAC unit at the HCBDD building. Oliver said the project is approaching $50,000, and grant funding is limited, which is why the HCBDD agreed to pick up the additional change order expenses that come with this change order.

“The training center is requesting a change order,” Oliver said. “They want to include new evaporator coils and air handlers as part of the system. When they did the original estimate, they were going to reuse those systems. They were still functioning. The training center wants all new, so they will pay for the additional change order expenses that won’t come out of the block grant.”

In addition, the commissioners signed off on a pass-through supplemental for the Nashville Wastewater to contract projects in the amount of $1,745.90. The commissioners signed the supplemental to serve as a way for the funding to go through the commissioner’s office to the Nashville Wastewater project.

Arnie Oliver, Holmes County planning commissioner, said the demolition project where the new wastewater system will go in is complete and they are still working on EWPA approvals for construction, so the onset of the project will not begin immediately.

The commissioners appointed membership to the Ohio Public Works Commission Infrastructure Program Committee. Included among those appointed were commissioners Ray Eyler and Dave Hall; Chris Young and Josh Galbraith of the Holmes County Engineer’s Office; Arnie Oliver, Holmes County Planning Committee director; Stacy Shaw, Prairie Township trustee; Brian Rafferty, Holmes Fire District #1 assistant chief; and Nate Troyer, Village of Millersburg administrator.

Jason Troyer, director of Holmes County Emergency Management Agency, said he is currently in works with Love INC. Both parties will team up for a meet and greet with local church leaders involved with Love INC. The idea is to collaborate, with the EMA team providing first aid and CPR training sessions free of charge, as well as going into the churches to provide need assessments on how well they screen for volunteers and provide safety for children. In return the churches will agree to serve as warming and cooling stations and shelters for the EMA when the county is hit hard by severe weather.

“We got into this new relationship with Love INC, and we are really excited to be partnering with local churches,” Troyer said.

There also was a question surrounding issues with the Glenmont emergency siren. Troyer said a pending grant will allow them to look at upgrading several sirens throughout the county. Troyer said the issue in Glenmont is the flooding siren is going off instead of the tornado siren.

“The villages have overall been very pleased with the work we’ve done during disasters,” commissioner Dave Hall said. “The communication has been wonderful.”

Troyer said he also is serving on the executive committee for Northeast Central Ohio Regional Healthcare Coalition, a coalition of local health departments, EMAs and hospitals.

Tim Morris, Holmes County Solid Waste buildings and grounds director, said the county parking lot on the Clinton Street project quote to resurface that lot came in at $5,500 and is expected to move forward quickly.

Randy Carmel, president of the Killbuck Watershed Land Trust, notified the commissioners that the group had recently received a $1.1 million grant to provide further improvements on the natural swampland along state Route 62.

The board also recently appointed Robin Troyer to membership with the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Wayne and Holmes County.

Troyer agreed to serve in that capacity, and Hall said of the appointment, “I have talked with Robin, and she has been on the board before and is willing to take on the seat and will do a great job.”

Commissioner Ray Eyler said anyone who steps forward and assumes a position in the county should be commended for their willingness to dedicate themselves to those types of roles.

Troyer’s term will expire in June 2027.