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Washington County commissioners approve contracts, transfers and grants; Hune Covered Bridge bid to be rebid
Summary
The Washington County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved routine budget transfers, contracts and grant agreements March 26, including a jail contract with the Village of Beverly and transfer of a county transit vehicle to WMCAP; they declined to award the Hune Covered Bridge rehab after a single, over-budget bid.
The Washington County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a slate of routine business and capital actions at their March 26 meeting, including fund transfers, contract approvals and grant amendments.
Commissioner Eddie D. Place moved to approve the agenda additions and routine items; Commissioner Ronald G. Nohe seconded and the board voted unanimously in favor. Among the items approved were a jail contract with the Village of Beverly to house prisoners at $100 per day (effective May 1, 2026–April 30, 2027); a subrecipient agreement obligating $5,000 of America 250-Ohio grant funds to B&W Growth & Revitalization; a $506 OCJS subgrant award for the sheriff’s office for sexual assault kit funding; and multiple transfers including a $10,000 transfer in Common Pleas and a $151,767.50 transfer from Budget Stabilization.
The board also approved a transfer of title for one county-owned public transit vehicle, a 2014 Champion Cutaway Van E350 (VIN IFDEE3FL5EDA72723), to Washington-Morgan Community Action Program (WMCAP). "WMCAP provides public transit and is expanding services to the community," County President Charlie L. Schilling said during the meeting. The transfer, which moves ownership and responsibility for maintenance and operation to WMCAP, passed unanimously.
On infrastructure items, the board approved a Shelly Company contract for OPWC Round 39 paving—County Roads 47 and 544—at a bid of $904,718.50; the county engineer said only $385,000 in grant funding was available. The board received the bid results for the Hune Covered Bridge rehabilitation and did not award the project after the only bid, from The Righter Company, came in at $2,477,887—more than 20 percent over the engineer’s estimate of $1,854,628. County Engineer Roger Wright said environmental constraints contributed to the higher cost and the project will be rebid.
Other approvals included a change order of $6,285 for the Cambridge portion of an EPA Brownfield Coalition Grant inventory (new total $13,150), approval of Woolpert Invoice #2 for $17,043.14 for preliminary engineering on the SR7 South sewer extension project, and participation in a Workers Compensation Group Retrospective Rating Plan through the County Commissioners Association with Sedgwick as third-party administrator.
The board also appointed Dr. Joshua Jacobs to the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority Board for a three-year term beginning April 1, 2026, and approved an amendment to the U.S. Department of Transportation 2022 RAISE Grant for the CROSS Marietta Project extending the grant completion date to March 31, 2027.
Most motions were moved by Commissioner Eddie D. Place and seconded by Commissioner Ronald G. Nohe, and the roll calls recorded Commissioners Charlie L. Schilling, Eddie D. Place and Ronald G. Nohe voting "aye." The meeting adjourned at 9:59 a.m.
Questions about project funding sources and bid timing were raised during the engineer’s presentations; the board recorded that several projects would require additional or rebid procurement and outside funding to proceed.
