Lawrence County Commissioners Meeting Minutes, April 21, 2026

Regular Session, 10:05 a.m. Fourteenth Business Meeting (eighteenth overall) of the Lawrence County Board of Commissioners.

Summary

The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on April 21, 2026. The main actions and updates are below, with the complete record following.

Administrative approvals

  • Approved the corrected minutes from April 7, 2026.
  • Approved seven floodplain permits from the Soil and Water Conservation District — one new materials storage project and six renewals covering filling and grading, materials storage, stream maintenance, debris removal, streambank armoring, and top-soil removal at various county locations.
  • Approved appropriations and transfers under $75,000 dated April 21, 2026.
  • Received and filed the Certificate of County Auditor confirming that total appropriations from each fund do not exceed the official estimate of resources (Commissioner Finley abstained).
  • Received and filed the March 2026 DJFS Report and the EMS Financial Report for March 2026.

Financial actions

  • Approved a transfer of $105,000.00 from the Soil & Water fund (A00-15A-061-049) to Transfers In (L00-12F-157-061).
  • Approved an appropriation of $865,000 to N50-01A-011-000.
  • Approved a transfer of $5,994.61 from A00-06A-003-000 to A00-04A-006-000.

Projects and contracts

  • Awarded the Lawrence County Road Resurfacing Project 2026 CO10AC to The Shelly Co. in the amount of $1,290,808.00 and approved the Construction Agreement.
  • Approved consulting services agreements with the Auditors of Greene County and Preble County, Ohio, both submitted by Chris Kline.
  • Approved and signed the ODOT Road Salt Contract.
  • Approved and signed the Certificate of Confidential Funds for the Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide (Commissioner Finley abstained).
  • Approved and signed the MOU for the grant from the Statewide Consortium of Ohio County Law Library Resources Board (Commissioner Finley abstained).
  • Authorized the County Administrator to execute all necessary contract documents, change orders, and related paperwork for the Recorder’s Office, Treasurer’s Office, and Maintenance Room Renovation Project with MiDeCon.

Personnel and appointments

  • Approved EMS personnel changes: Brandy Canafax moved from part-time to full-time paramedic effective April 26, 2026; Cody Bryant moved from full-time to part-time paramedic effective April 4, 2026.
  • Reappointed Suzanne Triplett to the Ironton Metropolitan Housing Authority Board.

Community engagement

  • Commissioner Holliday called a recess for the America 250 Tree Planting Presentation.
  • Approved a donation of $3,000 to Party in the Parks.

Executive session

  • The commissioners voted to enter executive session with Dylan Bentley and Bill Dingus regarding real estate and legal contracts, then returned to regular session by roll call vote.

Full minutes

Members present

  • Mrs. DeAnna Holliday, President
  • Dr. Colton Copley, Vice President
  • Mr. Mike Finley, Member

Commissioner Holliday, President of the Board, opened the meeting with roll call. All three members were present.

Actions, in order

  1. Moved by Commissioner Finley, seconded by Commissioner Copley, to approve the Meeting Minutes of April 7, 2026, as corrected. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  2. Moved by Commissioner Holliday, seconded by Commissioner Copley, to approve the following floodplain permits submitted by the Soil and Water Conservation District. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
    • New, permit 2026-760: Mark & Darlene Rutledge — materials storage projects located on Twp. Rd. 1365.
    • Renewal, permit 2026-761: J.S. Mootz — filling & grading, materials storage, debris removal, and armoring of the streambank projects located at 5720 St. Rt. 217.
    • Renewal, permit 2026-762: Waterloo Masonic Lodge #53 — materials storage project located at 23340 St. Rt. 141.
    • Renewal, permit 2026-763: Ronald Hatfield — filling & grading and stream maintenance projects located at 23295 & 23315 St. Rt. 141.
    • Renewal, permit 2026-764: Gary Stapleton (Morrison Storage-GWS Storage, LLC) — filling & grading project located on Twp. Rd. 1421 & Pvt. Dr. 56.
    • Renewal, permit 2026-765: Danny Holschuh — filling & grading and top-soil removal projects located on Co. Rd. 107 & Co. Rd. 775.
    • Renewal, permit 2026-766: Real Alternative Properties, LLC — filling & grading project located on Co. Rd. 403 (Irene Rd.).
  3. Moved by Commissioner Finley, seconded by Commissioner Copley, to approve the appropriations and transfers dated April 21, 2026, under $75,000.00, submitted by Dylan Bentley, County Administrator. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  4. Moved by Commissioner Copley, seconded by Commissioner Finley, to approve the following transfer: A00-15A-061-049 (Soil & Water) to L00-12F-157-061 (Transfers In), $105,000.00. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  5. Moved by Commissioner Holliday, seconded by Commissioner Copley, to approve the following appropriation: $865,000 to N50-01A-011-000. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  6. Moved by Commissioner Copley, seconded by Commissioner Holliday, to receive and file the Certificate of County Auditor that the total appropriations from each fund do not exceed the official estimate of resources. Roll call: Finley abstained; Holliday and Copley voted yes.
  7. Moved by Commissioner Holliday, seconded by Commissioner Copley, to approve and sign the Consulting Services Agreement with the Auditor of Greene County, Ohio, submitted by Chris Kline. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  8. Moved by Commissioner Holliday, seconded by Commissioner Finley, to approve and sign the Consulting Services Agreement with the Auditor of Preble County, Ohio, submitted by Chris Kline. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  9. Moved by Commissioner Finley, seconded by Commissioner Copley, to receive and file the March 2026 DJFS Report. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  10. Moved by Commissioner Copley, seconded by Commissioner Finley, to make the following personnel changes: Brandy Canafax from PT paramedic to FT paramedic effective April 26, 2026; Cody Bryant from FT Paramedic to PT Paramedic effective April 4, 2026. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  11. Moved by Commissioner Finley, seconded by Commissioner Holliday, to receive and file the EMS Financial Report for March 2026. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  12. Moved by Commissioner Finley, seconded by Commissioner Holliday, to approve and sign the ODOT Road Salt Contract. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  13. Moved by Commissioner Finley, seconded by Commissioner Holliday, to award the Lawrence County Road Resurfacing Project 2026 CO10AC to The Shelly Co. in the amount of $1,290,808.00 and to approve and sign the Construction Agreement. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  14. Moved by Commissioner Copley, seconded by Commissioner Holliday, to approve and sign the Certificate of Confidential Funds for the Office of Justice Programs Financial Guide. Roll call: Finley abstained; Holliday and Copley voted yes.
  15. Moved by Commissioner Holliday, seconded by Commissioner Copley, to approve and sign the MOU for the grant from the Statewide Consortium of Ohio County Law Library Resources Board. Roll call: Finley abstained; Holliday and Copley voted yes.

Commissioner Holliday called a recess for the America 250 Tree Planting Presentation.

  1. Moved by Commissioner Holliday, seconded by Commissioner Finley, to approve the donation of $3,000 to Party in the Parks. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  2. Moved by Commissioner Finley, seconded by Commissioner Copley, to meet in executive session with Dylan Bentley and Bill Dingus regarding real estate and legal contracts. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes. The board entered executive session, then returned to regular session by call-back roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  3. Moved by Commissioner Copley, seconded by Commissioner Finley, to reappoint Suzanne Triplett to the Ironton Metropolitan Housing Authority Board. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  4. Moved by Commissioner Finley, with Commissioner Copley, to approve the transfer of $5,994.61 from A00-06A-003-000 to A00-04A-006-000. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.
  5. Moved by Commissioner Copley, seconded by Commissioner Holliday, to authorize the County Administrator to execute all necessary contract documents, change orders, and related paperwork associated with the Recorder’s Office, Treasurer’s Office, and Maintenance Room Renovation Project with MiDeCon. Roll call: Finley, Holliday, and Copley voted yes.

Commissioner Holliday adjourned the meeting.

Attestation

Board of Lawrence County Commissioners, Lawrence County, Ohio. Signed by DeAnna Holliday, President; Dr. Colton Copley, Vice President; and Mike Finley, Member. Attested by Colton Kuhn, Clerk.

Official record

The signed minutes are the official record of this meeting.

Download the official signed minutes for April 21, 2026 (PDF)