Commissioners authorize chair to sign $290,000 CDBG agreement with Ohio agency

The Richland County Board of Commissioners voted March 24 to authorize Chair Cliff Mears to digitally sign a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) agreement with the Ohio Department of Development for $290,000.

"I'd like to have a motion to authorize me to auto sign, digitally sign the CDBG grant agreement with Ohio Department of Development for, say, $290,000 for CDBG money," Mears said when he introduced the additional item not on the original agenda.

In his remarks to the board Mears read allocation amounts from the draft agreement shown to commissioners; the transcript lists $75,000 to a named transit recipient (transcript: 'Lisonbee County Transit Services'), roughly $158,800 for a generator replacement and $56,200 for administrative costs, which together the transcript presents as totaling $290,000. The packet excerpts read into the record in the meeting transcript contain inconsistent or garbled component figures; staff should confirm and post the final allocation table for public review.

A motion to approve the authorization was moved and seconded and the roll call recorded assent in the transcript.

What happens next: The chair will sign the CDBG agreement and staff will handle disbursement per the allocation plan; staff should confirm the precise allocation figures and publish them with the agreement.