Hocking County approves CDBG application materials and joins hospital financing consortium

Hocking County commissioners on Thursday approved application materials for the county's 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) submission and voted to join a multi-county hospital financing consortium intended to increase federal Medicaid reimbursements to regional hospitals.

County staff read a required public notice and held public hearing No. 2 on the CDBG application. The county will seek the annual allocation and apply for neighborhood revitalization and critical infrastructure grants administered by the Ohio Department of Development. Projects described during the hearing included a City of Logan Neighborhood Revitalization Grant project with an estimated total program cost of $787,600 (construction funds listed as $700,000, administration $50,000 and a local allocation match of $37,600) and a critical infrastructure grant proposal for a village project described in the record with an estimated total cost of $582,405 (construction $470,000, administrative fees $30,000 and an allocation match listed as $82,400). The hearing materials also listed a Village of Laurelville critical infrastructure allocation match of $82,400 and an administration/fair housing line item of $30,000.

A county planning staff member told the board the Louisville-area critical infrastructure plan described in the application focuses on downtown drainage and flood piping, and would include roughly 16 catch basins and about 1,000 feet of new piping; Third Street in Logan was identified as a likely location for sidewalks, paving and drainage work pending final cost estimates. The staff member said the county is applying for the full Neighborhood Revitalization Grant amount available to counties — noted in the materials as up to $750,000 — and that the anti-displacement and relocation assistance policy is included to document protections if any displacement became necessary. The commissioners voted to approve and sign three CDBG application documents: the residential anti-displacement and relocation assistance plan, the environmental review certificate, and the authorizing resolution/letterhead required by the state. The motion passed on an affirmative vote recorded as “all in favor.”

On a separate agenda item, the board voted to join a five-county consortium that would impose a county-administered assessment on participating hospitals so the counties can use those funds to draw additional federal Medicaid matching dollars. A commissioner who spoke in favor of the measure said patients would not be charged directly: “The patients are not impacted,” the commissioner said, adding the hospital — not residents or the county general fund — would remit the assessment to the county. Commissioners described the arrangement as a short-term cash-flow obligation for hospitals that allows counties to seek higher federal reimbursement rates and stated that one county (Muskingum) will manage the pooled funds and the reimbursement application process on behalf of participating counties. The board also appointed one commissioner to serve as the county’s representative to the consortium; the appointment and the resolution to join the consortium passed by affirmative vote on a roll call.

Other routine business approved during the meeting included multiple meeting-minute approvals, several appropriation transfers and revenue recognitions tied to sheriff’s sales, a proxy authorization letter allowing sheriff’s office personnel to sign documents with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles, a closeout/change-order approval for the Rockbridge Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project (retainage to be held until final inspection), and the appointment of Tom Williamson to the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board to fill a vacancy through June 30, 2027. The board also approved a request to reserve five parking spaces for handicapped parking during the Washboard Festival and accepted written clarification from the Hocking Hills Tourism Association about its membership and advertising policies that was entered into the public record.

County staff indicated no environmental review exemptions were needed for the administration and fair housing portions of the CDBG submission. The staff member also said the flood and drainage work was not expected to require displacement of residents. The board indicated it will submit the signed application materials to the Ohio Department of Development and expects to receive final cost estimates from engineers before committing to specific project extents.

Upcoming local events mentioned during the meeting included a courthouse centennial open house and rededication on June 23 and Hocking Hills Children’s Museum programming and a League Logan Association fundraiser; the board also noted the Washboard Festival scheduled for the same week.