Commissioners address land‑bank rules, phone‑system workload and coroner driver guidance

Several administrative items and reminders were discussed during the April 16 Hocking County commissioners meeting.

A commissioner reiterated a standing rule that neither they nor the treasurer — nor affiliated entities — may purchase property from the county land bank.

The board heard that county‑paid phone lines receive roughly 60,000 calls a year and that an estimated 30% of those calls are sent to voicemail; the speaker said county staff recommended IT validate the figures and provide a departmental breakdown. Consultant recommendations discussed included deploying an AI call‑answering bot (estimated $70,000–$100,000) or hiring additional staff to manage call volume.

On personnel and liability, the board reviewed advice from the county insurance agent advising against allowing contract drivers to operate county vehicles because of workers'‑comp and liability exposure; the agent recommended comprehensive driving‑record checks and background checks if the county were to permit contract drivers to drive county vehicles.

Finally, the board confirmed there will be a public economic development committee meeting at 1 p.m. and discussed the first procedural steps to form a port authority: the commissioners must approve formation and then appoint the authority’s board members; attorneys have been consulted on the process.

No formal policy changes were made during these items; commissioners directed staff to validate phone‑call data and to continue coordination on the port authority steps.