Commissioners OK contract for playground items
WAYNESBURG – Greene County commissioners approved several agenda items during their regular meeting and salary board meeting Thursday, including a contract for new playground equipment at Monview Park in Greensboro. The bulk of the project, totaling $48,803, is being funded by a $48,000 state grant. According to Jake Blaker, director of the Department of Recreation, the current equipment is decades old.
The new playground will be handicapped accessible and built upon a base of crushed wood. The current playground has no base beneath it.
Among the pieces that will be a part of the new playground structure will be a rock climbing wall, along with several slides and climbing structures. Blaker said that the equipment is “all top of the line.”
The work on the playground furthers the facelift that Monview Park has undergone since Greene County took ownership in June of 2005. The first item to receive work under the guises of the county was the swimming pool, followed by a renovation of the roller rink in 2007.
In other business, Blaker updated the commissioners on the upcoming 4th annual AKA All-Breed Dog Show that will be held June 19-20 at the Greene County Fairgrounds.
Blaker said that the county is expecting the largest crowd yet for the annual event, which will be held in the indoor show barn. There will be no admission charge for the event, he added.
Blaker also noted that the bidding process for paving of the taxiway area at the Greene County Airport will begin shortly.
Reporting on the Flashlight Drag Racing event held on Father’s Day at the airport, Blaker told commissioners that there were 122 cars competing in the race. It was noted that the number of competitors and spectators, which was estimated at over 1,000, was lower than past races due to the holiday.
In other news, commissioners approved the following agenda items:
– A resolution authorizing Chief Clerk Gene Lee or Commissioner Pam Snyder to sign on behalf of any and all agreements entered into with the state Department of Transportation.
– A resolution authorizing Snyder for E-signature on any and all agreements entered into with the state Department of Transportation.
– An agreement between the county and PA One Call to become a member of the organization, and to make Gene Lee the signatory and budget director Scott Kelly the point of contact.
n Bids on three properties that have been taken to upset sale and judicial sale, yet remain unsold, were accepted, pending solicitor review.
n An application for Memorial Day expenses from the Greensboro VFW in the amount of $200.
During the salary board meeting, commissioners approved the following:
n Hired Thomas Bennett as a substitute van driver for the departments of human services and transportation at an hourly rate of $8.90.
n Eliminated the position of community development manager in the department of economic development, previously held by Darlene Urban Garrett, effective June 6. Garrett was “furloughed” from the county, according to Tracy Zivkovich, director of human resources.
n Hired five casual corrections officers – Melissa Baker, Jennifer Hinds, David Wingard, Daryl Shea, and Erin Whoolery – at a rate of $75 per work day per employee.
n Approved a 3.5 percent cost-of-living increase for employees classified as full-time regular employees, per a previous resolution that provides for the increase based on the consumer price index of the previous three years. This increase does not affect union employees who are under a collective bargaining agreement, Zivkovich explained.