County hires manager to help with spending

Gary Link to oversee projects funded by Rescue Plan Act money.

TROY — The Miami County commissioners have hired a temporary full-time project manager to oversee the use of the county’s more than $20 million in American Rescue Plan Act money.

Gary Link was hired by the commission following an executive session discussion with county Administrator Charlotte Colley and Human Resources Director Angela Lewis.

Link was hired effective Sept. 1 at a pay of $36.44 per hour. The contract is until the end of this year with an option of an extension as the commissioners see where the ARPA program goes, Colley said.

The county has received $10.4 million in ARPA funds and anticipates another $10.4 million next year. Among possible projects commissioners have discussed for the funds include water and sewer projects and update projects at some county facilities’ air condition/heating and air handlers, said Commission President Greg Simmons.

“We will have somebody who will be in charge of these construction-type projects. It is going to be busy the next two or three years,” he said.

Link was the executive director of the West Central Juvenile Rehabilitation Facility north of Troy before it was closed by the state earlier this summer. He previously worked on special projects for the Ohio Department of Transportation and in the state prison system, Simmons said.

Colley said she believes the project manager position will be critical as the county works through the ARPA rules, decisions on use of the money and then helping recipient departments on completing projects selected.

Commissioners Simmons and Wade Westfall approved the hiring. Commissioner Ted Mercer was not at the meeting. Mercer was “in the loop” on the project manager discussion, Westfall said.