Jun 9, 2016 3 min read

WAYNESBURG – Greene County commissioners approved a contract Thursday with First Student to provide transportation for this year’s summer day camp program, which begins June 20.

The free, six-week program for children ages 5 to 15 will be held at Mon View Park in Greensboro, Wana B Park near Carmichaels, Lions Club Park near Waynesburg and at Ryerson Station State Park.

Buses will transport children each day from Bobtown to Mon View Park, from Jefferson and Nemacolin to Wana B Park and from Nineveh to Ryerson Station State Park.

The transportation contract also includes busing for a field trip at the end of the season. Last year, children were taken to Nemacolin Woodlands for the day.

“It’s a good program and it gives children a variety of activities to occupy them over the summer, and a lunch is always provided,” Commissioner Blair Zimmerman said. “If we didn’t have the day camps, I don’t know what a lot of these kids would do during the summer.”

The county received two bids for the buses and awarded the contract to First Student, which submitted a low bid of $17,414.

The program is funded each year through donations from corporations and organizations such as Greene County Hospital Foundation. The county also contributes money to pay costs not covered by donations, chief clerk Jeff Marshall said.

Also during the meeting, the commissioners approved an agreement with the owner of property at the eastern end of Greene County Airport that will allow the county to trim, or “top,” the trees that now encroach on the airport flight path. The county will pay the property owner, Larry Varner of Bedilion Road, $4,650 for access to the property.

The Federal Aviation Administration limited the use of the airport to daylight operations for the last few years because the height of trees at the eastern end of the runway made it dangerous for night time landings.

The county has an easement on part of Varner’s property to maintain the height of trees for airport operations. The new agreement will also allow it to cut trees outside the existing easement that have grown high enough to infringe on the airport flight path.

The commissioners also approved a motion to accept a bid of $7,200 from Ivan’s Tree Service to trim the tops of trees on the Varner property.

The commissioners voted to appoint Jim Smith to Greene County Planning Commission. They also approved a resolution to appoint up to three alternate members to the planning commission board. The commission, which has nine members, currently does not have alternate members.

County planner Jeremy Kelly earlier said the commission believes alternate members would help when regular members have a conflict of interest on a case or are absent.

Alternates also could ensure a continuity of knowledge when new regular members are appointed and need time to learn about the commission’s duties or issues it addressed, he said.

Two alternate members were approved by county commissioners: Charlie Riggs, who previously was a regular planning commission member, and Joanna Knapik.

The commissioners approved an agreement with the state Department of Corrections under which the state prison will assist the county lockup with canine drug searches. The agreement was approved subject to review by the solicitor and the approval of the county prison board.