LISBON - Another 60 youths from income-eligible households will be able to find summer jobs after Miami County decided to forgo using its federal allocation in program funding.
Columbiana County commissioners agreed at their recent meeting to accept the $191,176 from Miami County, which represents its allocation for the federal Summer Youth Employment Program. This will be combined with Columbiana County's allocation of $280,000.
Youths from ages 16 to 24 are eligible to participate if their household income does not exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $46,104 for a family a four. The program is administered through the county Department of Job and Family Services, which works with an outside contractor to help find summer jobs for eligible applicants, most with government agencies.
JFS Director Eileen Dray-Bardon said they recently learned Miami County decided against hosting the program, so they asked the state for Miami's allocation, and the request was granted.
Officials said the additional funding means instead of finding jobs for 75 to 85 youths at $8.50 an hour, they will be able to expand participation to 145.
Commissioner John Payne praised the JFS in general and program coordinator Carol Harvey in particular for being on top of the situation to where it was able to take advantage of Miami County's decision.
When asked why Miami County would opt against sponsoring the program, Harvey said some of the smaller counties have found it difficult to administer, especially if they have never done it before.
In other action, commissioners adopted road-use maintenance agreements for the following county roads that are being used by drilling companies. The agreements are with the drilling companies and for well sites that are under development but have yet to be permitted.
- Knox School Road, for the Gottardi well site off Bandy Road.
- Knox School Road, for the Kibler well site off Center Road.
- Gavers Road, for the L & C Family well site off state Route 518.
Finally, commissioners announced they were hiring Murphy Paving of Damascus to blacktop a section of courthouse parking lot for $24,800. Since the amount was less than $25,000, commission Chairman Mike Halleck said they did not have to seek formal bids.
This reporter pointed out commissioners never voted to award the contract, which was the same point raised last year when they had another section of parking lot resurfaced without running it through a meeting.
"We don't have to (bring every action up for a vote). "We're never going to agree on that," Halleck replied.
Halleck said they have the authority to order certain maintenance projects be undertaken without bringing it up for a board vote, and blacktopping the parking lot falls into that category.
