Your Hometown News Source
Your Hometown News Source
POMEROY–The Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) heard anticipated placement of fiber optic at the fairgrounds, approved Resolutions 2021-40 and 2021-03, elected board assignments, and held the Garfield Health District meeting at its January 25 meeting.
Public Works anticipates a trench for fiber optic will be dug from the light pole at the edge west of the bleachers to the along the fence where it will come out by the Dick Brown Building, run underground to that to the sheep barn then go inside there with Cat 5 cable, Grant Morgan, Public Works Director, explained. It will then continue to travel underground down the south wall of the beef barn and out to the show arena. From there the hard conduit will be connected at that point to create a hot spot and one in the hog barn.
The BOCC approved Resolution 2021-02, which continues relations with the Washington Counties Risk Pool (WCRP) Board Member Designation.
The commissioners approved the quote of $5,664.75 from Knox Concrete for Courthouse sidewalk repair. In the plan, Morgan indicated the Public Works crew will do the digging to prepare the site for the concrete pour and have it scheduled for April 12, 2021.
New Board assignments were elected and appointments made, which include: Jim Nelson as chairman and Justin Dixon as Vice Chairman; Laura Dixon as Garfield Health District Administrative Secretary, and Nelson appointed board members as the finance committee.
Martha Lanman, Garfield Health District Director, has already received some State funding for COVID and in combination with the balance from 2020, both will be used to cover the first three months of 2021. For the Washington Alliance for Health there are three grants, one has $150,000 over three years, presently has $100,000 with another $50,000 coming next January 2022; Grant two is a $100,000 lump sum divided between the counties $40,000, $30,000, and $30,000 in Garfield County; and grant three is $100,000 which is not allocated yet. The $30,000 allocated to Garfield County from grant two was divided up two weeks ago, an additional $15,000–$7,500 to the food bank, $4,800 for meat and protein allocated out at $400 a month, $1,200 for health and nutrition supplies; $1,500 for freezer at the food bank; $3,500 to Fred Knebel for exercise equipment (treadmill, exercise bicycle and elliptical) at the high school gym; up to $2,500 to Wendy Snyder special education class needs, $1,200 to the LEAP center for nutritional snacks and educational supplies at $100 per month. "So far, we have allocated out between about $20,000 to $22,000 of our $30,000 from grant two," said Lanman.
Foundational Health Services, as a result of legislative action, allocates from the governor's budget last year $100,000 per year divided in two deposits, one in January and the other in July. The first has been received and deposited.
COVID-19 this week is one new case with some associated contacts and one recovered case, Lanman said. Vaccine clinic has been set up a vaccination center at the Dick Brown Building at the fairgrounds each Friday beginning January 29, 2021, as long as vaccine is in supply. The remain 240 vaccines from doing 1A and 1B last week will be given out this Friday by appointment only, Lanman said. People will be contacted to schedule their vaccination time beginning at 8 a.m. At this time, vaccine shipments are not predictable, and when vaccines are received, there is a seven-day usage before expiration. Presently, most of the vaccines are being directed to the mass vaccination sites, which will limit the amount of vaccines Garfield County will receive in the future. There are now 800 approved clinics in Washington State.
The BOCC has approved the following resolutions: Resolution 2021-01 which has been temporarily extended from two years to three years due to COVID-19; Resolution 2021-02 for the annual contract with ABC dental was also approved; Resolution 2021-03 which is the health officer services contract; and Resolution 2021-04 for all environmental services contract.
In other business the BOCC acted upon at the January 19, 2020, meeting, the BOCC approved Resolution 2020-01, the salary and wage schedule for 2021 and Resolution 2020-02 HRA VEBA $100 per month to each full-time county employee and elected official for Garfield County sponsored medical insurance and on January 21, the county elects to contribute $700 per month for each full-time county employee and elected official that could wave county medical insurance coverage.
The letter of resignation from Board of Equalization Clerk Diane Koller declaring her final day as January 11, 2021 was signed and approved. The BOCC will search for a replacement. The BOCC also approved and signed the Community Block Grant for $17,552.
