MOUNT VERNON — Knox County Transit’s dispatch radios date to the late 1970s or early 1980s, and staff can no longer repair them. A $5,000 grant will help replace them.
“I call them our retro radios,” Transit Director Bethany Celmar told the commissioners on Tuesday. “They’ve been faithful and true, but they are starting to get aged, and there’s actually no way to fix them once they break because the manufacturer of the parts doesn’t even exist anymore.
“You can’t even get parts to fix them.”
Celmar said the radios likely would not survive the move to the agency’s new building.
Knox Energy Cooperative awarded the money through its Roundup grant program. The commissioners voted to accept the grant.
Celmar said the system is quoted at $14,000.
“We would like to at least get in this century of equipment,” Celmar said of the purchase.
October out-of-county trips down
The agency finished September with 6,886 trips, just shy of 7,000, Celmar said. Of those, 53 went out of county, mostly to medical appointments.
October stood at 5,798 trips this week, with 23 out of county.
Out-of-county demand shifts from month to month, Celmar said.
“Sometimes we have some months that need a lot of Columbus trips, sometimes we don’t,” she said.
Riders can now get winter alerts
Knox County Transit signed up on the county Emergency Management Agency’s alert system. Riders and others can register for updates on delays, slick roads and snow emergencies.
Celmar said the agency will post flyers with QR codes on every bus. Riders can also register on the EMA website. Local radio stations can broadcast closures and service announcements, commissioners noted.
During a Level 2 snow emergency, the agency operates only within Mount Vernon. Celmar said drivers still try to help riders who work outside the city and need to get home.
The agency cannot book extra trips in hilly areas such as Apple Valley and Howard, she said. Gravel and icy roads make those trips risky.
Fleet changes include two new buses
Two new buses should arrive within about two weeks. Celmar said the agency has sold much of its older fleet, which has cut repair costs and time.
The agency may sell two or three more buses as they deteriorate.
Knox County Transit provides most of the transportation for seniors and other groups in the county. Celmar called that role a privilege but a challenge.
“If we can’t get a trip booked, then people get very disappointed and frustrated,” she said.
Commissioners approve resolutions
Commissioners approved an agreement with Hocking Athens Perry Community Action, which operates GoBus. The deal moves a GoBus stop to the new transit building starting in March. Officials hope the change will help riders reach Columbus and its airport.
They also approved a memorandum of understanding with the Knox Health Planning Partnership on a transportation assistance program. Celmar will sign for the agency.
In other business, commissioners:
- Approved county holiday closing days.
- Reappointed Tom Updike, Korey Kidwell and George Curry to the Public Defender Commission.
- Approved a $61,743.51 payment to Smalls Asphalt Paving for annual road resurfacing.
- Approved a first payment to the company for resurfacing the Kokosing Gap Trail.
- Approved utility permits for Enbridge Gas and Knox Energy Cooperative.
- Approved a $200,000 transfer from the title office to the general fund.
Commissioners also received monthly dog shelter reports and a liquor permit notice for a Dollar General store in Centerburg.
The commissioners plan a public hearing at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 on a ditch assessment for Kokosing Plantation, a 14-home neighborhood. Homeowners pay $100 a year, which the commissioners do not plan to raise. However, they want to raise the current $4,500 assessment cap.
The commissioners and Celmar went into executive session to discuss personnel matters. They took no action afterward.
