Butler County commissioners approved a package of routine and substantive items Jan. 7, including the final plat for Freedom Point Phase 10 Lot 12 (a commercial lot proposed for a 5,000-square-foot Mexican restaurant), financial transactions and requisitions opening the county’s purchasing for 2025, and a set of personnel and contract resolutions submitted by county departments and elected offices.

Final plat and planning: Greg Clouty of the Department of Development presented one final plat — Freedom Point Phase 10, Lot 12 in Liberty Township — described as a 5,000-square-foot Mexican restaurant on a 2.2058-acre commercial lot. Clouty told the commission the planning commission had approved the proposal on Nov. 12, 2024. The commission voted to approve the final plat.

Finance and purchasing: David McCormick, Butler County finance director, presented cash-advance items and a large list of requisitions to open purchase orders for 2025. McCormick told the commission the cash-advance requests were a $6,000 advance to the prosecutor’s victim-of-crime grant fund, a $50,000 annual cash advance to the county health-insurance fund for 2025 cash flow, and a $50,000 repayment from the health-insurance fund for a 2024 advance. McCormick said departments submitted 260 requisitions (many with multiple line items) totaling $85,524,207 to open purchase orders for 2025; finance and the administrator performed cursory reviews and recommended approval. The commission voted to approve the cash-advance items, transfers, and the requisitions.

Personnel, contracts and other resolutions: The commission approved a range of resolutions submitted by departments and elected offices. Items recorded in the meeting materials and read into the record included:

- Community Development: acceptance of the resignation of Susan Ellerhorst as Community Development Administrator, effective Jan. 10, 2025.
- Children’s Services and Job & Family Services: personnel changes including voluntary demotion and promotions, two new hires for Social Services Worker 3, and a contract for additional child-placement services with Buckeye Ranch Incorporated (residential treatment, not to exceed $182,268, retroactive to Oct. 25, 2024 through June 30, 2025) and a child-specific group-home placement (listed in meeting materials at $22,230, Nov. 27, 2024–Dec. 31, 2024).
- Water & Sewer: several personnel actions, two maintenance-specialist hires at $27/hour, and acknowledgement that no bids were received for a water-service-line replacement (Bid Alternate A) and authorization to re-advertise that invitation to bid.
- Courts and clerks: the commission recorded an appointment/authorization to codify an existing clerk-of-court arrangement for area courts and to appoint Deborah Bolesar as Clerk of Courts for Area 1, Area 2 and Area 3 courts pursuant to Ohio Revised Code 1907.2, following a letter of concurrence from area court judges.
- Engineer: award of an engineering services contract with Fishbeck for the Liberty Fairfield Bridal Rehabilitation project not to exceed $141,967 (Jan. 8–July 31, 2025); release of maintenance bonds for Westview Meadows Phase 1; authorization to advertise a roundabout project on Milliken Road; and an encroachment agreement for 5685 Long Hunter Chase Drive (Liberty Township).
- Sheriff: approval of local training expenses (including a $15,826 line item for NORS SWAT sustainment training), and tentative agreement on two union contracts between the Butler County Sheriff and Local 101 Fraternal Order of Police covering sergeants/lieutenants and sworn personnel below sergeant for Jan. 27, 2025–Jan. 26, 2028.

Votes at a glance:
- Approval of minutes (Dec. 23, 2024): Motion to approve carried; Commissioner Carpenter recorded an abstention; Commissioner Rogers and Commissioner Dixon voted yes.
- Freedom Point Phase 10 Lot 12 final plat (Liberty Township): approved (Commissioners Carpenter, Rogers and Dixon recorded as voting yes).
- Cash advances/transfers and requisitions totaling $85,524,207: approved (Commissioners Carpenter, Rogers and Dixon recorded as voting yes).
- Resolutions submitted for county departments and elected offices (personnel changes, contracts listed above): approved (Commissioners Carpenter, Rogers and Dixon recorded as voting yes).

The meeting record shows the commission conducted roll-call votes for recorded approvals. Several items were passed as presented with unanimous recorded yes votes among the three commissioners, except where specific abstentions were recorded.

Next steps and administrative notes: Several items require follow-up administrative work, including re-advertising the water-service-line replacement bid, finalizing contract paperwork for child-placement services and Fishbeck, and implementing personnel appointments. The commission’s next meetings were announced for Jan. 14 and Jan. 28, 2025.