Morrow County commissioners approve 2025 hospital budget, multiple contracts and change orders

Morrow County commissioners on Oct. 23 approved the county's 2025 hospital operating budget and a set of routine payments, contracts and construction change orders, and discussed seeking temporary occupancy for a new building while a delayed generator shipment is resolved.

The board approved the hospital operating budget for 2025 after a motion introduced and seconded during the session. Commissioners also voted to appropriate unappropriated certified funds to the general budgetary position. The votes were recorded by roll call with the named members answering in the affirmative.

The meeting included approvals of bills numbered 1339 and associated payments from local accounts and an engineer claim; the board approved a planning and zoning director job description and a lease agreement for 9-1-1 dispatch with a local firefighters association. The board likewise approved change order number 6 with Stevens Construction Company on the 480 Douglas Street project for piping/insulation work and change order number 7 to add vinyl flooring in one room (transcript lists an amount as "3106"). All of those motions were presented, seconded and approved by roll call.

Speaker 1 described the building work and timeline and said staff "started the process of the temporary occupancy permit since we can't get a full [occupancy permit] with the generator not coming in"; the county expects to finish interior work, move in, and then continue landscaping and exterior improvements. Speaker 3 introduced the hospital budget item and the appropriation of certified funds.

Votes at a glance - Minutes of the Oct. 21, 2024 regular session: approved (roll call recorded affirmative responses from the members on the record). - Bills No. 1339 and listed payments (Chesterville, Donsville, Caterham, Corsetry, and an engineer claim): approved (roll call affirmative). - Planning and zoning director job description: approved (roll call affirmative). - Lease agreement for 9-1-1 dispatch with local firefighters/association: approved (roll call affirmative). - Change Order No. 6, Stevens Construction Co., 480 Douglas Street (piping/insulation): approved (roll call affirmative). - Change Order No. 7, Stevens Construction Co., 480 Douglas Street (add vinyl flooring in one room; transcript notes '3106'): approved (roll call affirmative; one member said "Reluctantly, yes"). - Co-op program for 2024—6: approved (roll call affirmative). - 2025 hospital operating budget: approved (roll call affirmative). - Appropriation of unappropriated certified funds to the general budgetary position: approved (roll call affirmative).

What commissioners said and next steps Speaker 1 explained that the county is pursuing a temporary occupancy permit because the permanent occupancy depends on a generator delivery that has been delayed. "We started the process of the temporary occupancy permit since we can't get a full [permit] with the generator not coming in," Speaker 1 said, adding that interior work should be complete, then staff will move in and finish landscaping and exterior improvements.

The transcript records an objection during the final adjournment roll-call exchange; the record provided does not show how that objection was resolved.

The county also authorized the chair to sign the listed agreements and change orders where required; specific dollar amounts for some items (for example the transcript note "3106") were included in the meeting record but not further described in the transcript. The meeting concluded after routine business and the recorded votes.