A former Warren County Commissioner is looking to put on an encore performance of last year's Tea Party tax protest, held on the steps of the county's courthouse.

During Wednesday's commissioners' meeting, Dick Campbell asked the commissioners for the county's permission to use the courthouse steps and lawn as the location for the protest, tentatively scheduled for April 15.

A crowd of more than 100 gathered in front of the courthouse during last year's Tea Party protest.

"It was quite a successful event," Campbell said.

A Tea party Protest was also held in Sugar Grove.

"We want to make this as non-political as possible," Campbell said. "We want to have members from both parties speak."

Commissioner chairman John Eggleston told Campbell that the county would need to see a request in writing to hold the protest in front of the courthouse in order to approve it.

In other business, the commissioners approved applying for two grants on behalf of the Warren-Forest County Economic Opportunity Council (EOC).

The first grant for $273,443 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development would be used to build and partially run four transitional housing units for the EOC in the Youngsville area.

The second grant for $100,000 from the state's Department of Community and Economic Development would be used to add a handicap ramp onto the back of the Faith Inn in Warren and renovate one apartment. The ramp would make all three apartments located in the building's basement handicap accessible.

"Is the game plan for this thing to be self-sustaining down the road?" Eggleston asked of the Faith Inn facility.

"The game plan is for them to pay 30 percent of their income," EOC director Bob Raible said.

"Well, 30 percent of nothing is nothing," Eggleston said.

"With the recession the way it is, isn't that being a little optimistic?" asked Commissioner Terry Hawk, concerning Raible's hopes of Faith Inn tenants paying 30 percent of their income as rent.

"You have to be optimistic," Raible replied.

In other business, the commissioners:

- declared March "American Red Cross Month";

- declared March 14-20 "Weather Emergency Preparedness Week";

- allocated $165,000 of the liquid fuels tax money the county received from the state for dispersement to the county's municipalities for road work. The commissioners agreed to keep the liquid fuels account's ending balance at $30,000 as a contingency fund.

- Renewed the county's contract with the firm of Drescher and Malecki to conduct an audit of the county's 2009 tax year. The county is required to have an independent auditor conduct an audit.

- Agreed to sell a vacant lot in Triumph Township for $137.08 to Mark Resch, of West Hickory, as part of a tax repository sale. Resch also purchased an 8-by-21-foot trailer in Limestone Township for $50.

- Renewed the county's contract with the Erie County Coroner's office for forensic pathologist services to conduct autopsies, paying a retainer of $3,500;

- renewed a contract with ESI, an employee assistance group, to provide an Employee Assistance Programs for county employees in 2010.