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Belmont County commissioners approve bills, transfers, contracts, hires and project awards
Summary
Commissioners Jerry Echemann, Vince Gianangeli and J. P. Dutton unanimously approved $570,207.79 in certified bills, a $1.9 million interfund transfer to the BCBDD Medicaid reserve, an auditor engagement up to $102,606, multiple personnel actions, and the award of the Pennwood Lift Station bid to Border Patrol, LLC for $569,797.
Commissioner Jerry Echemann, Commissioner Vince Gianangeli and Commissioner J. P. Dutton met March 25, 2026, and by unanimous roll call approved a range of routine county business including vouchers, transfers, contracts, personnel actions and project awards.
The board approved certified county payments totaling $570,207.79 and approved multiple internal transfers for Oakview Juvenile Rehabilitation and other grant accounts. The commissioners also authorized a $1,900,000 transfer from the BCBDD main fund to the BCBDD Medicaid reserve fund and approved additional appropriations, including $781,617.89 for Oil and Gas‑Commrs and $220,319.68 for the Black Horse Inn construction project.
The board approved a series of monthly PERS/holding account chargebacks for February 2026 covering many departments and programs, and executed a Then and Now certification presented by the County Auditor under Ohio Revised Code §5705.41(D)(1).
Commissioners approved an engagement letter with the Auditor of State for the Belmont County audit for the year ending Dec. 31, 2025, at an estimated cost not to exceed $102,606.00, and renewed the Title IV‑D contract between the Belmont County Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Belmont County Prosecutor for up to $178,130.24 (funding noted as 66% federal and 34% local).
On capital projects, the board approved Change Order No. 13 (a decrease of $81,182.33) and Change Order No. 14 (a decrease of $9,000) for the Records and Health Department building project, bringing the contract total to $15,941,815.70. The commissioners awarded the Belmont County Water and Sewer District Pennwood Lift Station and Force Main project to the low bidder, Border Patrol, LLC, for $569,797.00 on the recommendation of Project Engineer Jeff Vaughn (engineer’s estimate: $600,000.00).
The board also authorized Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan to sign the Six Remnant Defendants’ Combined Subdivision Participation and Release Form to participate in the new National Opioids Six Remnant Defendants Settlement; the motion passed unanimously. The board accepted an estimate from Rite Carpet and Decorating, LLC, for $4,913.50 to replace carpet in the county jail training room.
Personnel items approved included the hires of April Ogilbee as a full‑time LPN at the Belmont County Jail (effective March 29, 2026) and Crystal May as full‑time human resource administrative assistant for the commissioners (effective March 30, 2026); the promotion of Chelsea Walls to full‑time clerk at Belmont County Northern Court (effective Feb. 23, 2026); an amended start date for Assistant Dog Warden Hunter Flemming; acceptance of resignations from Meredith Cunningham (Child Support Case Manager), Shelby Thomas (part‑time dispatcher) and William McGarry (utility worker); and unpaid leave approvals for Jeanne Kinney, Nicole Stewart and Nicolle Bloom.
All motions called during the meeting were moved by Commissioner Jerry Echemann, seconded by Commissioner Vince Gianangeli, and passed by unanimous roll call (Commissioner J. P. Dutton voting yes on each recorded item). The session included two recesses, two executive sessions (one for imminent litigation and one for personnel), and adjourned at 2:22 p.m.
