WILMINGTON — Clinton County commissioners voted Wednesday not to request a hearing on a liquor permit application from the Roberts Arena business on State Route 730 near Wilmington.
The Adams Township trustees previously decided not to request a hearing on the same filed application for a D3 permit, county commissioners were advised. The premises are in Adams Township.
Commissioners voted 2-0, with Clinton County Commissioner Kerry R. Steed absent.
A D3 permit enables an eatery to sell spirituous liquor for on-premises consumption until 1 a.m.
The applicant is Columbus Hospitality LLC, doing business as Roberts Arena, according to the Notice to Legislative Authority form sent to the commissioners from the Ohio Division of Liquor Control.
The Division sends notices to the local legislative authorities, in this case the township trustees and county commissioners, and to the county sheriff when processing of a filed application begins.
In general discussion Wednesday at what was the first session of 2017, Clinton County Commissioner Patrick Haley suggested a New Year goal of moving things involving commissioners’ decisions “a little bit quicker” and “not have things hanging.”
New Commissioner Brenda K. Woods concurred that is a good idea.
A second thought offered by Haley is to set aside time for work sessions on bigger issues. These work sessions would be open to the public like the commissioners’ regular business meetings held on Monday and Wednesday mornings.
Work sessions can facilitate discussion on the designated issue at hand, and further, would increase the likelihood of meeting the previous goal of quicker decisions, said Haley.
Unlike city or village councils, the county commissioners do not have subcommittee meetings where a lot of the work of those municipal councils gets done, Haley added.
In an action item, commissioners approved a 2017 County Employee Benefits Consortium of Ohio [CEBCO] Wellness Grant agreement that awards $10,960 to the county.
In past years the bulk of the grant funds, said Clinton County Administrator Mary Ann Foland, has been used to subsidize memberships in fitness centers for county employees.
“That has been extremely popular,” reported Foland.
Grant dollars also have gone toward yoga and nutrition classes. In addition, CEBCO will separately fund on-site health screenings, she said.
CEBCO started in 2004 and was formed by the County Commissioners Association of Ohio in response to concerns over the rising cost of providing health benefits, stated CEBCO.
A not-for-profit entity, CEBCO is a self-funded program.
Of Ohio’s 88 counties, 33 are members of the CEBCO consortium, with adjacent Brown County a member.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
