WASHINGTON

Washington County supervisors Tuesday approved ten personnel changes, including new hires, for the Washington County Ambulance Department, mainly as the result of earlier approval of a third shift for the emergency service.

The personnel changes are Bill Halleran, ENT Level 5, casual part-time, $30.34 hourly, effective March 26; Chelsea Owens, part-time to casual part-time, effective March 27; Chad Smothers, EMT Level 5, casual part-time, $30.34 hourly, effective March 29; Connor Tarvin, Medic L5, part-time to casual part-time, effective March 27; Joe Fulitano, EMT Level 4, $24.44 hourly, casual part-time, effective March 26; Jordan Wright, Medic Level 5, part-time to casual part-time, effective March 27; Kasey Chown, EMT Level 1, $24.44 hourly casual part-time, effective March 26; Matthew Haney, Medic Level 2, casual part-time, $28.38 hourly, pending a clarification, effective March 29; Tanner Aarvin, Medic Level 3, part-time to casual part-time, $30.33 hourly, effective March 27; and Travis Handy, EMT Level 5, part-time to casual part-time, effective March 27.

The board also approved hiring Shelby Hill, RN, for the county Public Health Department, at $32.65 hourly, effective March 11. She replaces Megan Waterhouse who resigned earlier.

In other business, the board received and acknowledged a report from its Outreach Program that aids those on probation, learning currently there are 122 cases, including a number receiving various treatments for different conditions with coverage from insurance or individual payments.

The board received an update from County Engineer Jacob Thorius, regarding options for the closed bridge (since March 11) in Section 25-8-74 on Larch Avenue. Basically a low water crossing, the bridge has areas of deterioration in its structure which led to the closing. Options presented for the board to review and consider included repairing the wall damage, at an estimated cost of $30,000 for the bridge on a level B rock road, something that could be handled, said Thorius, “in-house or hired out.” He explained that there is limited and no heavy traffic on the bridge and that property owners have “better ways in and out” to their property, that it is a “back way to get to Coppock.”

A second option would be using pipes for the crossing, estimated at $40,000, but could have problems from water and debris eventually clogging the pipe system and was seen as “not the best option.”

A third option would be to replace the bridge with a railroad flat car, which has been used for other low water crossings. However, a crane would be needed to put it into place and the cost of flatbed cars “has gone up”.

The fourth option would be to install a 40-foot box culvert to replace the bridge at an estimated cost of $200,000. The last “option” is to permanently close the crossing and vacate the area. Thorius did not ask for action, requesting that the board “mull over” the information, talk with the landowners and then reach a decision.

The board also had a 1 p.m. work session set to review the five-year road plan and set 10 a.m. Thursday for another session to review the fiscal 2024-25 budget.