LISBON — County Engineer Bert Dawson expressed disappointment in OMEGA (Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association) during Wednesday’s the Columbiana County Commissioners meeting after receiving word that the group turned down a request for $500,000 to move the Smith-Ferry Road expansion forward.

“We are the biggest county in OMEGA,” Dawson said. “There are 10 counties. We are by far the biggest county. We got the biggest budget. We have the most stuff going on and to just be denied a half million dollars on a $2 million project that’s very needed is just beyond me.”

Dawson said the construction of the Shell Pennsylvania Petrochemicals Complex less than 10 miles from Calcutta was the catalyst to “go out looking for funds” to complete the fifth of a series of projects to improve Smith-Ferry Road.

“We were very successful at getting those funds,” Dawson said.

The funds included $500,000 of Transportation Improvement District money and $522,000 from public works as well as “a substantial commitment” from the county. Dawson said $1.8 million is needed to complete the fifth project and was relying on OMEGA to supply “fill in the gap.”

“We are ready to go to contract on that last little section of about 1,500 feet. The plans are done. The environmental is done. We are in the right-of-way acquisition right now,” Dawson said. “We submitted that to OMEGA for $500,000 on a $2 million project, and then we get a notification the other day that they are not going to fund it and will look into funding it next year.”

Dawson said with OMEGA being headquartered in Cambridge, the group has little to no idea of the growth Columbiana County — particularly the Calcutta-area — is experiencing.

“Part of the problem is that as we sit here today we are like 80-some miles away from where their office is and they don’t have a clue what’s going on here in Columbiana County,” Dawson said. “They don’t know anything about the cracker plant. They don’t know about the expansion we are going through. Columbiana County is going to take a big jump. Shell Oil spent $17 billion eight miles from Calcutta, just a little more than the distance between here and Salem. So to say this isn’t going to impact Calcutta and Smith-Ferry is foolish. It’s happening already. ”

Dawson gave examples of that growth. A new, bigger Sheetz is currently under construction as is a state-of-the-art carwash. Fairway Ford recently acquired Power GM in Calcutta with plans to expand and improve. Chipotle and Starbucks both opened franchises in the Walmart plaza. A $1 million lighting upgrade on state Route 170 in Calcutta is underway. Further widening projects are also planned.

After the meeting, Dawson’s office reported that Dr. King-Maple of OMEGA reached out, acknowledging the county’s disappointment in not receiving funding. OMEGA said it is committed to trying to find some alternative resources for the project.

The commissioners also heard from Fiona Ruminski, the region’s Ohio Secretary of State liaison, about what services the department provides.

“A lot of people understand the Secretary of State is about elections, but it’s also about businesses,” Ruminski said. “We just want to make the county commissioners aware that we have a whole section on our website that deals with figuring what kind of businesses to start whether it be a sole proprietorships and LLCs, ways of funding, all that sort of stuff to help Ohio’s economy thrive.”

In other matters, the commissioners approved the following amended certificate and appropriations: coroner ($2,459.71), adult probation ($100,000), drug task force ($10,000), development department ($69,255), prosecutor ($1,000), clerk of courts ($100,000) and mental health ($2,000,000). The commissioners also granted permission to five residents to hunt on the County Home property (bringing the total to 20), approved a right-of-entry letter to Ohio Division of Natural Resources for Midland-Fredericktown Road as requested by the county engineer, a fund transfer to the clerk of courts and established a new fund — Target of Opportunity Program Grant for the development department.