County digs in to help Good Seeds Garden

Now, it is in need of a little bit of help.

At the Kent County Commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Carolyn Grotsky, garden club president and chair of the Good Seeds Garden, asked if the county would pay to have the garden mulched.

“Many of the garden club members are 60 to 90 years old. I can ask them to weed, I can ask them for a little bit of support, but I can’t ask them to mulch,” Grotsky said.

Commissioner Bob Jacob asked if Grotsky had reached out to the school to help maintain the garden.

Grotsky said that she didn’t ask the school system directly because she has had a lot of trouble communicating with them in the past about maintenance of the garden.

“I think what you’ve done is tremendous and that it is a great project. I just don’t understand why the school system isn’t paying for their own flower gardens,” Jacob said.

Grotsky said she called the Kent County Public Schools maintenance department and was told the maintenance work for the schools is subcontracted, which may be why she is having a difficult time making a connection.

Commission President Tom Mason asked if Grotsky had been in touch with Kent County High School about getting the FFA club to help.

Grotsky said she had been in touch with the high school, but the date she was given to have high school students come help in the garden wasn’t until June. The garden needs to be mulched sooner than that.

She said that she hoped next year she would be able to coordinate a time for students to come out earlier in the year.

Grotsky presented the commissioners with three estimates for mulching.

Commissioner Ron Fithian made a motion to approve the low bidder, Anthony’s Flowers and Landscaping, to mulch the Garnet Good Seeds Garden. The $2,500 would be paid for out of contingency. Also on Tuesday, detention center Warden Herb Dennis met with the commissioners to discuss a new contract with Trinity Services Group, the company that provides meals for the inmates and staff.

He said the cost per meal has increased because of higher food expenses and employee raises.

After looking at numerous other food vendors, Trinity still offered the best deal.

Typically the Kent County Detention Center houses 45 inmates, he said, so the cost per meal would be $4.82 per person.

According to a price schedule from Trinity Services Group, meals are priced on a sliding scale; the more meals the vendor serves, the less the cost is per meal.

Commissioner Ron Fithian made a motion to approve the new contract with Trinity Services through June 30, 2023. The commissioners also passed two Code Home Rule bills.

Bill No. 2-2022 would amend the county’s zoning code for the Village District to allow hospitals, rehabilitation facilities or other similar institutions for human care, but not animal hospitals.

Bill No. 3-2022 would allow businesses such as grounds care, janitorial, exterminators, landscaping, and other repair and maintenance services, but not septic tank maintenance, in the Village District.