BELMONT COUNTY, Ohio — The Belmont County Board of Commissioners met Wednesday, December 17, approving a wide range of routine and administrative items, including employee travel, contracts, grants, and meeting schedule changes for the coming year.
Commissioners approved annual travel authorization for Department of Job and Family Services Director Jeff Felton to attend required meetings, trainings, and conferences throughout Ohio during 2026. Felton told commissioners he may not need mileage reimbursement for some of these trips since he will carpool.
The board also approved minutes from its December 10 meeting and announced it is accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Belmont County Transportation Improvement District. Applications will be accepted through December 26.
Several contracts and agreements were approved, including:
- Advertising for bids for homemaker and personal care services for Senior Services.
- Renewal of a commercial lease providing office space for the State Auditor’s Office in St. Clairsville.
- An agreement for electronic mapping data related to past USDA water and sewer projects.
- A memorandum of understanding allowing Heartland Behavioral Health to provide inpatient competency services at the county jail at no cost to the county.
Commissioners also approved multiple infrastructure-related items, including payment for water and sewer improvements, a contract change order resulting in a net cost decrease on a county road project, and authorization to submit a 2026 State Emergency Response Commission grant application. The grant would fund training, outreach, and equipment for hazardous materials response.
Meeting schedule changes were also approved. The board will not meet during the week of December 21 due to the Christmas holiday. A regular meeting will instead be held Tuesday, December 30, at 1 p.m. The board’s annual reorganization meeting is scheduled for January 12, 2026, followed by a regular meeting on January 13.
Commissioners noted that the county has met its statutory requirement for the number of meetings held in 2025. The State of Ohio requires the Board of Commissioners to hold at least fifty public meetings per year. Board President J.P. Dutton said the board also holds Monday work session meetings which do not count towards that fifty.
