Knox County commissioners vacate Perimeter Drive

On June 6, 2023, the Knox County commissioners voted to vacate Perimeter Drive, a .88-mile stretch of roadway on the Knox County Fairgrounds. Pictured are, from left, County Engineer Cameron Keaton, County Administrator Jason Booth, and Commissioners Teresa Bemiller, Bill Pursel, and Thom Collier.

MOUNT VERNON — This time next month, Perimeter Drive on the Knox County Fairgrounds will no longer be a county road.

The commissioners approved vacating the .88-mile paved stretch of road following a public hearing on Tuesday.

County Administrator Jason Booth said there were several reasons why the commissioners decided to vacate Perimeter Drive. One is that county roads must allow public access.

However, the eastern end where Perimeter Drive connects to Fairgrounds Road is blocked off year-round. The majority of the roadway is also closed to traffic during the Knox County Fair.

Perimeter Drive became a county road in October 1993. Booth said the initial thinking was that if it was a county road, highway money would be available to take care of it.

"But it's such a small section and essentially a private road, and it's not a priority," he said.

Additionally, according to the Ohio Revised Code, the county is responsible for caring for it even without it being a county road since it is on the fairgrounds.

The fair board is putting together a capital plan, and repairing the road is on the list. Booth said questions then arose such as can the fair board make the repairs, or does it have to bid the project since it is a county road.

"Things were just coming to a head, so the commissioners decided to vacate it," Booth said. "The fair board can maintain the road. It really just made sense to put it back."

The road leading to the Knox County 4-H Center is county property. A permanent easement will be granted to ensure access to the building.

The vacation takes effect in 30 days.

Laura Webster, 911 operations director, said the May call volume was 262 higher compared to April. Of the 3,771 calls received, 172 were disturbance, 34 domestic violence, 30 drug overdose/drug-related, and 34 related to mental health.

Three full-time and one part-time dispatchers are in training. Due to staffing issues, the center reverted back to its traditional five-day schedule.

Zach Green, Knox County health commissioner, said the department is working through issues related to switching to a new phone system.

The ribbon-cutting for the new Danville medical site at 10 E. Main St. is rescheduled for July 20 at 2:30. Delays in receiving interior doors to finish construction led to the cancellation of last month's ceremony.

The bid package for remodeling the former Strang Glass building on West Gambier Street in Mount Vernon is slated to go out this week. Bids will be opened on June 28.

"Our deadline is still the end of the year for occupancy," Green said.

KPH has worked to get more precise numbers on the number of births and deaths in the county. Last year there were 230 births and 261 deaths.

Births include county residents who gave birth in another county. Deaths reflect those which occurred in Knox County, but they are not necessarily all county residents. Sixty-five county residents died outside the county.

Referencing the current outdoor air quality, Green said it is a subtle reminder for everyone to regularly check the air quality. "Those who have potential underlying conditions need to be aware of that," he said.

The commissioners took the following actions this week:

•Awarded the bid for the Coffing Road bridge project to Crawford Construction for $602,243.80. George J. Igel & Co. submitted a bid of $749,370.25. The engineer's estimate is $726,012.

•Awarded the bid for the Krause Road bridge project to V.O. Menuez & Son for $825,476. George J. Igel & Co. bid $911,002, and McConnell Construction bid $863,150. The engineer's estimate is $1.137 million.

•Approved agreement with Small's Asphalt Paving for the Knox County Soil and Water Conservation District parking lot resurfacing project

•Approved Knox County sheriff's jail cost food report for April: total cost $12,761.62, total meals prepared 6,850, per-meal cost $1.67

•Approved agreement with Vital Records Control for Knox County probate and juvenile court records storage and service

•Approved exhibit to the agreement with Vital Records Control for the clerk of courts records storage and service