Coshocton County JFS planning major changes

COSHOCTON – The Coshocton County Commissioners met Wednesday, April 24 with Melinda Fehrman and Danny Brenneman to discuss possible changes happening at the Department of Job and Family Services.

After their office manager resigned, Fehrman explained that Job and Family Services would like to replace the office manager position with a business administrator position. This would be a person within the agency and their duties would include being a back-up for fiscal staff responsibilities, which is the area where Fehrman feels the agency is weakest. The new business administrator position would also handle human resources, medical leaves, contracts, public hearings, and public relation duties.

Fehrman is also hoping to combine some duties to reduce the number of staff members needed, although she said with a new business administrator position, it may or may not reduce positions in the agency and may even create need for new positions. Fehrman emphasized that the agency needed a business administrator to help move the agency forward.

Coshocton County Job and Family Services are also planning on doing some major renovations. Fehrman stated that they would like to renovate the lobby area and combine the clerical staff on the first and second floor to the first floor to better their efficiency and customer service. They hope to transform the second floor into a waiting area. The cost for the renovations is estimated at $75,000 – $150,000. The cost has to be on a depreciation schedule for 20 years. If the renovations are made, the county commissioners would be repaid over a 20-year period.

A few staff members at the agency have also been given IPads to help them manage time more efficiently. The staff who have new IPads for their position say that it saves them between one to two hours of work a day.

The commissioners then went into executive session with Fehrman and Brenneman to discuss a complaint investigation.

At 10 a.m., the commissioners met with Bernie Minet, Coshocton County EMS, to discuss the possibility of hiring an independent contractor for one year. This position would be an EMS advisor for the administration. Their job would entail conducting training, serving as a clinical liaison, among other responsibilities.

Minet also wants to establish a field supervisor that would function over station supervisors. This would be a full time Monday thru Friday position where the supervisor would go on calls with the crew and handle all calls coming into the EMS station. This position would require 25 years of EMS leadership experience.

The commissioners gave their approval of proceeding with these two positions.

The commissioners also approved:

–          A motion to approve the minutes of the previous meeting as presented

–          A motion to sign Resolution 2013-23 to make a revision to the classification assigned pay ranges effective April 24, 2013 as requested by Melinda Fehrman, DJFS Director

–          A motion to sign the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Subgrant Agreement for State Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015 which establishes the terms and conditions for Coshocton County Department of Job and Family Services receipt of funding for the July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2015 biennium

–          A motion to sign a Subordination of Mortgage to JP Morgan Chase Bank, for the holder of the Mortgage, Jesse M. Fischer, in reference to the property located at 218 Beaver St, Warsaw and recorded in the Coshocton County Recorder’s Office, Volume 347, page 793

–          A motion to sign a Lease Agreement with The Ohio State University for the lease 426.52 acres of land, more or less in Coshocton, Ohio and also known as the Hydrologic Station Property. The term of the lease will begin on April 1, 2013 and end March 31, 2014 for an annual amount of $18,260.76 to be paid in quarterly payments.

–          A motion to approve the following Transfers/Additionals/Reductions which have been certified by the County Auditor. See link: Transfers

–          A motion to approve the bills per computer printout dated April 24, 2013

–          Receive the dog warden’s report for the week ending April 22, 2013 with 11 dogs picked up by the warden, eight dogs brought in as strays, 10 dogs destroyed, seven citations issued, 25 calls handled, 10 dog licenses sold, one late fee paid, four dogs sold, five dogs redeemed, one dog per owner surrendered, $35 in boarding fees collected for a total of $357.

Category: Government