Franklin County commissioners appoint hospital trustee, approve vehicle purchases, 1.6% COLA and disaster declaration

Franklin County commissioners appointed a new trustee to the Ransom Memorial Hospital board, approved multiple budgeted purchases including replacement patrol vehicles, endorsed a 1.6% cost-of-living adjustment for county employees and approved a disaster declaration for the June 3 storms and flooding at their June 18 meeting.

The commission voted to appoint Jack Peters to the Ransom Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees to fill one open seat. The board heard three applicants; Janet (last name not provided), the incumbent appointee, described her long service to Franklin County and said she wanted to continue serving. "A strong hospital is really critically important to this community," Janet said, noting the hospital board’s role in approving allocation of the sales tax that funds community projects such as Ninth and Main and the Wellsville project.

The meeting approved several budgeted purchases and routine items. The commission authorized renewal of an annual multifactor-authentication security license (staff described it as the county’s current recommendation for additional login security) and voted to buy three replacement patrol vehicles with ballistic panels and associated radio upgrades. During the discussion the county presented two differing cost figures on the record; commissioners moved ahead with a funding split that drew $202,694.21 from the capital fund and $18,000 from a non-tax fund described in the meeting as a departmental reserve.

County staff also presented routine financial and operations reports. Christie, the county EMS presenter, said the service collected $176,756.61 in the first three months of the year and reported a $123,243.39 shortfall against budgeted revenue for the same period; contractual write-offs for insurance adjustments totaled $72,803.44 and $2,131.98 was submitted to the state set-off collections program during the quarter. Commissioners approved the EMS adjustment and collections reports.

Other actions approved by the commission included designation of Tim Sloan as the county’s survey reviewer under state statute, approval of two Local Environmental Protection (LEP) grant applications to repair failed septic systems (one approved at 100% funding, another at 85%), and acceptance of the county administrator’s proclamation to pursue public assistance following the June 3 storms. The disaster declaration will be forwarded to the state as the first step toward possible federal public assistance.

Most votes were unanimous where recorded. On the rezoning application for property near Old Highway 50, the commission approved staff and Planning Commission recommendations; Chair Harris abstained from that vote. Several presenters noted operational details and near-term follow-ups: EMS staff said variability in reporting and a staff vacancy earlier in the year affected revenue timing; the sheriff’s office reported a drop in inmates held out of county and said revenue from inmate communications contracts will decline but not disappear; county staff said they will refine procurement processes after recent communication problems with a vehicle order vendor.

The meeting also approved routine consent items, including claim vouchers totaling $848,027.58 and minutes for prior meetings. Commissioners indicated they will continue to monitor the hospital board’s composition and the county’s capital priorities in upcoming budget discussions.

Attendance and speakers included Chair Harris and several county commissioners (identified on the record as Commissioner Soudemire, Commissioner Weymayer, Vice Chair Meador and others), county staff presenters (including Dustin on IT/security, Amy on budget/HR matters, Christie on EMS, and other department staff), and applicants for the hospital board seat. Several speakers were identified only by first name in the record; those are presented here as they appear in the transcript.