Holmes County seeks ODOT approval to lower speed limits on eight roads

Things may be slowing down a tad in Holmes County, at least on several of its county byways.

The Holmes County Engineer’s Office recently completed a speed study on eight of the county roads, hoping to adjust the allowable speed on each by creating a slower speed limit.

The roads evaluated during the speed limit studies include County Roads 27, 35, 52, 108, 141 and 400 — all of which are being looked at to reduce the speed limit to 45 mph — as well as County Road 19 (40 mph) and County Road 25 (50 mph).

These speed requests are what will now be sent to Ohio Department of Transportation for approval.

After the county did its homework, it will now turn to ODOT for its input on the proper speed limits at each road.

“We’re asking for a study now,” Commissioner Dave Hall said.

The commissioners also passed a proclamation honoring the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce in celebrating its grand reopening at its facility in downtown Millersburg.

The commissioners said the chamber has been instrumental in helping to generate an estimated $300-$400 million in annual revenue in the county.

The construction of the new convention and visitors bureau came in under the $30,000 budget, to which the commissioners devoted $10,000 in bed tax grant funding.

Commissioner Eric Strouse read the proclamation at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “The new facility will serve as a key resource for visitors, businesses and residents alike, enhancing the visibility and accessibility of all that Holmes County has to offer, from its natural beauty to its cultural heritage and vibrant local economy.”

Hall said the celebration was well done and noted the chamber office is now more user-friendly for visitors, especially after hours, where the front of the facility will be open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Our chamber and tourism bureau has come a long way, and we have a very active chamber and board,” Commissioner Joe Miller said.

In other news the commissioners approved a resolution, the Holmes County Cybersecurity Response Plan.

According to Jason Troyer, county Emergency Management Agency director, the state has passed new cybersecurity requirements for local entities focusing on government.

Troyer said the requirements entail two due dates: Sept. 30 and Jan. 1, 2026.

Troyer said the Sept. 30 date was mandatory reporting for cyber incidents, with counties needing to report incidents within seven days to the Ohio Cyber Institute Center and the auditor of the State of Ohio.

“We already had an incident response plan as part of the EMA emergency operations plan,” Troyer said. “We have decided to pull it out of that plan and have it as a stand-alone plan.”

The county then must have a cybersecurity program in place by the Jan. 1 date.

Hall said during a meeting with Corsa (insurance group), the talk centered around the importance of this, noting it isn’t a policy but a plan.

“We are on time to do these things,” Hall said. “They pushed pretty hard for this at the Corsa insurance meeting.”

The commissioners also passed a resolution adopting the short form agreement between the owner and engineer for professional services for the CDBG Millersburg sidewalk project.

The agreement is with Quicksall & Associates in the amount of $94,200.

“The total construction cost for the project is $396,635 and includes those engineering fees,” said Arnold Oliver, Holmes County Planning engineer. “It will probably be spring before construction starts.”

The job includes removing the existing sidewalks and pouring new sidewalks in the designated area in Millersburg, which extends from the square to the west side of town on Jackson Street.

He said the work includes figuring out how to properly create cohesive work with the steps to buildings and how deep the concrete needs to be.

“It’s actually fairly complicated,” Oliver said.

Oliver went on to discuss the demolition program the county is currently waiting to undertake. He said there are 20 structures on the list to be razed that will be bid out later this fall.