MARIETTA - With a grant from Ohio's Third Frontier Program, the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority will be coordinating efforts to match up to 60 area college interns with employers across Washington County.
Port Authority Executive Director Terry Tamburini shared the news in a report presented to Washington County Commissioners Thursday.
Ohio's Third Frontier Program invests in targeted innovation and technology to position Ohio for success in the emerging global economy
Under the grant, a company hiring one of these interns can receive reimbursement up to $3,000.
"If we get 60 interns, we will receive up to $180,000 that would be distributed to eligible businesses to reimburse interns for their services," Tamburini said.
"Employers would come up with a like amount," he added. "The potential value of the program is $360,000."
According to Tamburini, the Southeastern Ohio Port Authority will recruit area businesses and let schools in the area, including Marietta College, Washington State Community College, Zane State College and Belmont Technical College, know about the internship program. In turn, the schools will inform students about the interning opportunities.
"Students have ... to be capable of assisting these companies, to be employable," Tamburini said. "They could be potential employees over the long term."
In other businesses conducted by the Washington County Commissioners Thursday:
* Commissioners approved a contract with Bud's Inc. of Nashport to replace the concrete drive along the back side of the Washington County Courthouse, in the alley off Second Street.
The project's cost is $36,125.80, and work is expected to begin as early as Tuesday.
Depending on the weather, the project is estimated to take three weeks to complete, said Commissioner Tim Irvine. No exact start date is yet known.
Irvine said he has made arrangements with Peoples Bank to make four of its parking spaces beside the courthouse alley available to those conducting county business during the project.
* In other project related work, commissioners gave approval for Joy Excavating of Marietta to replace Lauer Bridge on Township Road 324 in Salem Township. The cost for the work is $32,117.28.
* The Washington County Commissioners gave approval for attorney Tom Webster to serve as special prosecutor in the prosecution of a tax foreclosure action in the Washington County Common Pleas Court involving a Dale Street property owned by Mark A. Powelson.
Powelson owes in excess of $35,000 in delinquent taxes, according to assistant prosecutor Alison Cauthorn.
The county's first certificate of delinquency was sent to Powelson in 2008, and the apartment building in question has been eligible to be foreclosed since 2010, she added.
The amount of Webster's contract was not known. The money will be paid by delinquent tax and assessment collection funds, said Cauthorn.
"It comes from penalties assessed on delinquent taxes," she added.
Cauthorn said her office typically waits to foreclose on a property until a "threshold amount" of delinquent taxes is owed.
"This is way past that," she added.
The fact that the building is an apartment complex with current tenants was also taken into consideration, Cauthorn said.
According to Cauthorn, the county prosecutor's office is working on a variety of parcels with delinquent taxes owed.
In September, the office brought suit against 65 delinquent parcels, Cauthorn said.
"A number of them were dismissed," she noted.
Waiting until after the holiday season to bring additional suits, Cauthorn said the next lawsuit will involve about 30 to 35 landowners owing delinquent taxes to Washington County.
* Washington County officials are setting dates with county offices next week for discussions about the county's 2013 budget. The first budget hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
