Highland County Board of Supervisors October 2023 Meeting – Part 2
This is part two of our story on the Highland County Board of Supervisors October 3rd meeting.
The Board heard a report from the Electoral Board on ADA compliance at the county’s voting precincts. State law requires all precincts to be handicapped accessible. Two locations, Wilson’s Mill and Beulah Presbyterian Church, are not handicapped accessible. Curbside voting will be available at those two locations. All precincts are being inspected in order to meet requirements and there are issues at some locations that the county is responsible for maintaining. Some issues include concrete walkways that need scraping to be made level and existing handicapped ramps that need edge protection installed. None of the buildings have van accessible handicapped parking places, so spots will be outlined with tape and marked with orange cones. The Board of Supervisors was asked to send a county employee to review all the precincts and make plans to complete the improvements.
The Board set a public hearing date for a Conditional Use Permit application from Tyler Lightner for a diesel mechanic shop. The public hearing will be held at the Board’s November meeting on Wednesday, November 8. The Board is meeting on Wednesday that month, due to Election Day falling on Tuesday the 7th.
The Board approved a resolution stating the county’s support of the Economic Development Authority’s application for an Industrial Revitalization Fund grant. The EDA is submitting the grant request for The Highland Inn project. It is a state grant, that requires support from local government. No local funding is required, and the required match is ready. The grant amount to be requested is still being determined.
The Supervisors reviewed a list of five residents who were willing to serve on the Board of Zoning Appeals. The Board of Zoning Appeals currently has three vacancies and it needed, at minimum, one new member in order to have a quorum. Out of the list of five, the Board voted to recommend Bill Rich, Kitty Lambert and Ronnie Ralston to fill the vacancies. The Circuit Court Judge will appoint those new members. The Board of Zoning Appeals has a meeting at the end of October.
It was announced that Bath County and Highland County have received a two million dollar grant from the Emergency Medical Communications Demonstration Project. Bath County submitted the grant on behalf of both counties and the funding can be used for radios, equipment and towers.
Supervisor David Blanchard gave an update on the county’s trash disposal. He said the previous company the county used to haul trash stopped hauling it and so Request for Proposals are out to accept bids to find a new company. He said the trash fee that residents pay is for hauling trash out of the county. Compactors are used to pack down trash, since it is hauled out by tonnage, and that equipment is currently being repaired in some locations. Trash has been hauled out of Highland since 1993 when the state closed the county’s landfill.
To hear part one of this story on the Highland County Board of Supervisors October meeting, visit our website www.alleghenymountainradio.org
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