Members of the Union County Board of Health agree that damage done to the fairgrounds during COVID-19 vaccination clinics should be repaired, but are still unsure of the price and who will foot the bill.
Rick Roush, emergency preparedness coordinator for the Union County Health Department, shared a presentation with the board detailing damage to each of seven roads used during the Union County Health Department vaccination clinics at the fairgrounds.
Though some of the roads were cracked prior to the clinics, he said it is apparent that they were further damaged by the increased traffic.
“We made it worse,” Roush said. “I can’t put that into any kind of quantitative measure.”
While each road experienced a varied amount of damage – several were entirely blocked off after two months because they became “impassable” – it is difficult to determine just how much.
UCHD does not have photos of most of the roads prior to the clinics’ start.
“Lesson learned for us,” Roush said. “You need to have a video and go out and drive it.”
Still, Roush said the number of cars at the fairgrounds for vaccines compared to the fair’s usual traffic clearly illustrates the health department’s impact.
He noted that vaccination clinics lasted from the end of December 2020 until mid-May 2021.
Over 21 weeks, approximately 24,000 people got the shot at more than 60 clinics. Additionally, about 3,000 COVID-19 tests were administered.
Roush equated those numbers to about 22,590 vehicles over five months.
In comparison, he said the fairgrounds usually see about 6,410 vehicles throughout the entire year. He noted that number is not exact because the fair board does not track how many cars enter and exit the grounds. He said it also does not account for farm equipment.
Union County Health Commissioner Jason Orcena emphasized that the road conditions “became so treacherous” during the winter months that UCHD began “actively searching” for other sites.
“None were going to provide what we needed,” he said.
During the July board meeting, Orcena referenced an estimate from Goodwin Services that quotes damage repairs at $282,785.36.
Orcena reiterated during Wednesday’s Board of Health meeting that the health department is not “bound” to that quote.
UCHD is seeking emergency relief funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that would cover repairs to the fairgrounds. To apply for funding, Orcena said the health department was required to submit an estimate for the project.
Roush explained that the fair board and health department sought bids from four companies: H&S Asphalt, Quality Paving, Shelly Materials, Inc. and Goodwin Services. He said UCHD was struggling to get a response from any company, so he asked the fair board to solicit a bid from Goodwin Services, which was already doing a construction project on the fairgrounds.
Ultimately, he said only Goodwin Services provided an estimate, so it was used as a reference for the sake of applying for FEMA dollars.
Once the health department hears a response from FEMA, Orcena said it will vet the current bid before hiring a contractor to do the work.
Additionally, Orcena noted that Union County Engineer Jeff Stauch has been on-site and is now reviewing the quote provided by Goodwin Services. Stauch will evaluate both the proposed services and the pricing.
Orcena said he asked Stauch to give the health department a “green light, yellow light (or) red light” based on the estimate. He said that information will likely be available by the September board meeting.
Board member Mark Smith asked Orcena how the project would be paid for if FEMA elects not to provide funding.
“That becomes a very different conversation if FEMA isn’t going to help because there’s only so much we can do,” Orcena responded.
He said he has not seen any indication whether FEMA is leaning one way or the other. However, Orcena said it is a positive sign that the Ohio Emergency Management Agency felt the request was worth submitting.
“You never know until the feds say what they’re going to do,” Orcena said.
Board member Tiffany Wood asked if the fair board is willing to contribute funds toward the project. Orcena said he is uncertain, but representatives from the fair board have expressed “urgency and concern over their cash flow.”
He said both parties are exploring other COVID-related grant dollars available in the county that could potentially be used.
Roush emphasized that it is “hard to capture the partnerships” between the health department, fair board and local fire and police departments that made the mass vaccination clinics possible.
“All played a part to make sure everything kept going,” he said.
Board member Justin Krueger said he did not have any qualms with claims that the health department is liable for the damage at the fairgrounds.
Instead, he said the concern expressed among board members surrounds the seemingly high cost of the estimate.
“Are we in the ballpark for the work that needs to be done?” he asked.
The health department will have more information from FEMA and Stauch to discuss at the board’s September meeting.