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Hocking County commissioners approve $1.31M resurfacing bid, multiple appropriations and jail contracts
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Summary
The board voted to award a $1,311,951.08 resurfacing contract, approved several appropriations (including $40,000 for courthouse HVAC and lodging‑tax allocations), authorized jail internet and zero‑cost inmate phone/commissary contracts, and directed utility transfers for the newly purchased Tanski Building.
The Hocking County Board of Commissioners approved a slate of appropriations, contracts and a major road project during its Feb. 5 meeting.
Resurfacing award and resolution County Engineer William Shaw recommended accepting the low bid from Shelley & Sands Inc. for a resurfacing project. The board approved the bid of $1,311,951.08 and adopted the required resolution by roll call; all present commissioners voted yes.
Appropriations and transfers The board approved an additional $40,000 appropriation from county fund 001 for courthouse HVAC repairs and a $13,000 addition to commissioners’ professional services. The prosecutor’s office authorized reallocations from OCJS ARPA fund 2741 totaling $10,543.01 (including $9,518.40 to ARPA salaries, $136.23 to ARPA Medicare and $888.38 to ARPA OPERS).
Lodging tax items Clerk and lodging tax administrator Mr. Gibbons reported 1,896 lodging operations (2,272 units by rooms), 638 businesses on the payment spreadsheet with 619 current and 19 delinquent, and eight long‑term delinquents identified. The board approved lodging‑tax appropriations that included $2,945,000 for the convention and visitors bureau and $155,000 for lodging tax expenses; the clerk said $3,100,000 was budgeted for 2026 lodging revenue but lodging tax expense lines had not been previously budgeted.
New jail agreements and sheriff request Commissioners approved a master service agreement with Global Fiber for internet and phone service at the new Hocking Correctional Facility (the prosecutor’s office reviewed the contract and the cost is in the jail budget). The board also approved two zero‑cost contracts for inmate telephone and commissary services; those agreements assign costs to inmates and are not charged to the county.
Other actions The board approved a memorandum of understanding allowing the Hocking County Board of DD to use the county maintenance request system at $25 per hour, a road‑repair/oversize load agreement with Hocking Hills Energy and Well Service that requires the company to reimburse road damage, a $10,000 decrease to a housing trust fund appropriation to avoid over‑appropriation, an appropriation transfer related to the auditor/recorder housing trust fund, and a $15,000 additional appropriation to the Family Children First Council to correct omissions in the submitted 2026 budget.
Tanski Building utilities Commissioners authorized transfer of water and sewer service for the Tanski Building into the county’s name and approved payment of prior utility charges recorded in the transcript as $452.50; county staff will finalize the transfer and the county will later move utility billing when tenant agencies occupy the building.
Public comment and enforcement During public comment a resident urged the county to publish lodging businesses delinquent on lodging taxes; county staff said legal counsel (Jeffrey Caitre) advised that the statutes treat business lodging taxes differently from property taxes and publication could expose the county to civil liability. Prosecutor involvement in collection is underway for those delinquent accounts that are on the county’s collection list.
The board adjourned after routine closing remarks.
